Show #72 - The Late Genghis Khan

After two and a half weeks with no new Snack, your two favorite dummies have quite a lot to say about light bulbs, Star Trek, air-conditioning and Batman. Enjoy it guys! (Just kidding, out of those we only mention Batman once, and it’s really hardly anything at all). Discussed: The media’s coverage of the Boston bombing, the rightness or wrongness of the decision to shut down Boston for a day to aid the police in their manhunt, who the podcasters believed were the culprits in the first hours after the bombing, unavoidably poor segues, the new ‘Man of Steel’ trailer, the new ‘Thor: The Dark World’ teaser, exciting news for fans of Daredevil, why Daredevil didn’t entice the podcasters when they were wee comic collectors, “superhero movie fatigue” and the unlikely possibility of attaining this state of being, an exciting Word of the Week, a brief note on a revisiting of the film ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’, a new Monolith Moment (which turns out to be violent and, oddly, masochistic), a possible title for the podcast is suggested and a lurid scenario resulting from this title is imagined aloud, Seth McFarlane’s Oscar performance is redeemed (sort of), and Game of Thrones episodes 2 and 3 are torn open and their entrails examined on this edition of A Little Snack.

Show #72

Show #71 - Drive, He Said

Join the boys for a rare (and extra long) weekend episode of A Little Snack. Please also enjoy a pared down podcast description this week. Discussed: Roger Ebert's death, the current North Korean rhetoric, the Word of the Week!, another new segment!, a brief and pointless musing on the ephemeral nature of non-classic films, an interesting factoid about the typewriter, a discussion of the first episode of NBC's Hannibal as well as the first episode of the third season of HBO's Game of Thrones. Enjoy!

Show #71

Show #70 - Just a Heart

The Snack-boys, as you know, will talk themselves hoarse about Batman. Or Star Trek. Or Game of Thrones. But in this episode of A Little Snack, we discover a new topic the 'Lith and the Trap find important and endlessly fascinating, and are destined to revisit obsessively in future episodes. If you guessed "the situation in Syria", or "the prospects for enduring racial tolerance in the Unites States," not only would you be wrong, but you've clearly never heard a syllable of the show. But if you guessed "that guy with the claws", then you guessed correctly and I pity you for knowing these dopes well enough to get that right. Discussed: the brand-spanking new 'The Wolverine' trailer, the limits of Wolverine's healing factor, a surprising suggestion from Bear Trap for a Hugh Jackman replacement, similarities the plot may have to 'Superman II', what director James Mangold might bring to the film, why most of the Wolverine movies seem to have no idea what makes Wolverine cool in the first place, possible misuse of CG, whether the movie will be able to avoid giggles during Logan's big fight with lots of ninjas, Tyrion the troll and the limits of what film can translate from books and comics, the new 'Kick Ass 2' trailer, whether quiet character-building scenes are better than big action scenes, how (and if) our enjoyment of movies has changed with age, Rhianna's performance in 'Battleship' and why it's not entirely unwelcome, the trailer for the new Roland Emmerich movie 'White House Down', Bear Trap defends (unpersuasively) his love of the film '2012', whether Channing Tatum is in over his head (acting-wise) in 'White House Down', which real-life person Jamie Foxx resembles in that film, poor TV-in-a-movie effects and why Monolith hates 'em, the Word of the Week!, whether a movie you watch once and never again can be better than one you watch over and over again, the definition of film "greatness", Bear Trap utters what may be the stupidest thing he's ever said (high bar), whether video games are art, the definition of art, and your podcasters give you one final heads up before the glory that is Season Three of 'Game of Thrones' is revealed to all this Sunday at 9PM on HBO. Enjoy!

Show #70

Show #69 - Greenage and Horizontal Rain: The Life Lessons of "Twister"

Sometimes the 'Lith or the Trap forget to say things they wanted to say in these podcasts. Just happens. Things can move pretty fast, it's not scripted, you know the deal. So in most episodes there are points or facts that the podcasters wanted to share when discussing a topic, but for whatever reason didn't get around to it. So, this week, Bear Trap has asked that I use this space to list a few items that didn't get covered in the podcast but wishes they had. So here they are: 1) read 'Tenth of December' by George Saunders. It is very likely the best book that will be released this year. 2) another reason "Burt Wonderstone" didn't seem very good is because, in the trailers, Steve Carrell looks like he's doing the role ironically. I know that's probably part of his character, but it didn't look like he meant his performance. And 3) that episode of Myth Busters mentioned in the cast isn't real. Do not be alarmed. Now, on with the show. Discussed: why it is not correct to call refrigerant 'freon', amorous former-Marine HVAC teachers, an almost-storm that drenched and frightened Bear Trap, why 'The Amazing Burt Wonderstone' bombed last weekend, how 2013 could be Jim Carrey's year, the 'Kick Ass 2' trailer and the hints of sub-par-ness contained therein, a new weekly segment that will delight and astonish (or neither of those things), how Seth McFarlane's critics got it wrong on his Oscar-hosting performance, Monolith recalls his time as a student of famed film editor Anne Coates, why Monolith didn't play with GI Joe, other toys the podcasters played with as children, an offer from Bear Trap to the Snack's lady-listeners, the Obama impersonator starring as the Devil in the new History Channel show "The Bible", the lairfortbasestation or stronghold question is explored in depth (stronghold, obviously, because what the hell's a lairfortbasestation? Am I right?), the frequent FB references to 'Mooney' are explained with an apt comparison to 'The Silence of the Lambs', the moment Bear Trap had a hankering to see him some 'GI Joe: Retaliation', 'Wreck-It-Ralph' versus 'Brave', a passionate defense of Jared Leto band 30 Seconds to Mars followed by a challenge to a music-oriented listener, and whether the podcasters are good judges of each episode's quality. The answers, and more, in this week's episode of A Little Snack.

Show #69

Show #68 - Rufio!

Your friendly neighborhood podcasters missed last week (the Trap went and got hisself sick), but they're back with a new episode of A Little Snack. Just in time for Spring! (Which is kind of ironic because of, you know, all the snow and coldness.) Where the last show was heavy on meteors, trivia nights and John Cusacks, this one's heavier on drones, comic books, video games, and, yes, Batman. Though the Trap and the 'Lith would be the first to concede that hardly anyone likes hearing about those things, this time out, the guys manage to make it work. (Not true!) Hope you enjoy it!  Discussed: Why Monolith's father's getting botox injections, birthday re-enactments, Jon Stewart's mid-life career change, one possible issue with John Oliver's upcoming tenure as Daily Show guest host, the Trap and the 'Lith have diametrically opposite opinions on a commercial for the new 'Tomb Raider' game, the ghastly fate that awaits Lara Croft in the raging rapids, drones and the slippery slope, the effect of a Google Glass world, Rand Paul's filibuster, the best of the Nolan Batman films, why Monolith isn't excited for the next Nolan film, why DC's approach to a Justice League movie is riskier than Marvel's Avenger's strategy, the Planet Hulk rumor and its veracity, Episode VII casting news, Facebook topic suggestions, Snoop Lion, an Apple watch?, Paul Rudd and Monolith's shocking allegation regarding Rudd's true identity, Dr. Strange casting idea (notice the singular, not plural), stories of the 8-month old Fedak child, and Bear Trap threatens the listeners with an eventual discussion of Downton Abbey.

Show #68

Show #67 - The Alarmist

Sometimes a thing happens that makes you appreciate being alive. An event that makes you grateful for the brief spark of life you've been granted. If viewed in a certain way, watching the bus-sized rock hurtle into the Russian sky at 30,000 miles per hour and explode with the kinetic energy of a 15 megaton nuclear weapon last Friday might have provided that perspective. But, as with any dramatic emotionally fraught moment, the feeling of present-ness inevitably fades. The workaday world rushes back in, and all the same dumb patterns reassert themselves. You start wasting time again. Time you'll never get back. Like the time you spend listening to podcasts. Or, like the time you're about to spend listening to the hour and a half of this week's episode of A Little Snack.

Discussed: the "well-written" John Cusack film "The Raven", what kind of roles John Cusack succeeds in, the Jason Bateman/Melissa McCarthy film "Identity Thief", an incorrect reference to Mrs. McCarthy as "Mary", Bear Trap's adventures at an area trivia night where Little Snack-centric knowledge plays a central role in the outcome, what the "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius did to his girlfriend (and no, "murder" isn't the word -- this is a Little Snack, after all), Bear Trap's low-grade conspiracy theory regarding the meteor/asteroid unusualness last Friday, what "Armageddon" got right and what it got wrong, Charlton Heston, an excellent short story/independent movie idea Monolith inadvertently comes up with, Neill Degrasse Tyson's thoughts on the meteor, the podcasters' comments on listener suggestions for show enhancements, a certain game console gets an update, future topics of discussion, and more of the same stuff you're used to. It's time. Take a listen. It might be the last thing you ever hear. (But probably not.)

Show #67

Show #66 - Valentine's Day High-Five!

In this episode of the Snack, the two podcasters mainline a mug-full of Nyquil and see if they can finish a podcast before they pass out. Also, they ask what they can do to improve the podcast. And you cant say, "Maybe less Nyquil next time," because that's too obvious. And also they won't do it. Discussed: The things the podcasters do on February 14th, the Pope's resignation, how the Little Snack can get more listeners, whether the Little Snack should get more listeners, Marco Rubio's awkward water-drinking moment, Tim Cook's appearance at the State of the Union, a brief word about 'Side Effects', HBOGo and Apple's unholy union, why Bear Trap should own Die Hard forever because he bought it on VHS once, and other various ramblings. You know how this goes. Enjoy!

Show #66

Show #65 - The Atari Blow

In this episode of A Little Snack, Monolith and Bear Trap get all nostalgic about a whole bunch of 80s stuff. For no reason at all here's a list of 80s things they did not talk about in this podcast, but probably should have: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, E.T., jam shorts, Panama Jack apparel, 'Explorers', Battle Beasts, the guy with the melted face in 'Robocop', Battlecat, Rubik's cubes, Oregon Trail, and Jennifer Gray. Ok, Jennifer gets a mention. But all the other stuff is definitely not talked about. Discussed: The United States Post Office's plan to end Saturday mail delivery, what Bear Trap often finds in his "postbox", the future of mail, Canada's plan to take pennies out of circulation, whether pennies are even worth the effort of picking them up (nope), what sort of weather is most conducive for spotting loose change for those who are miles tall, Monolith's story about his first glimpse of the glory that is 'Die Hard', a Richard Dreyfus sighting and his emotional state at the time, what movie 'Dave' ripped off for its national leader-impersonating plot, a review of 'The Three Stooges' remake (yes, this film was witnessed), a movie that Bear Trap saw as a kid that does not actually appear to exist, what book series the 'Ender's Game' sequel 'Speaker for the Dead' resembles, what kind of movie-girl Monolith fancies, the phenomenon of falling women in romantic comedies at the turn of this century, the apex of the 'clumsy lady' romantic lead, what caused Bear Trap to stop watching 'Tosh.0', Jennifer Gray and the thing that happened to her, the methods men of a certain age used to get cartridge games to work again, Mike Tyson's Punch Out, Putt-putt and Super Saturdays, 'Silence of the Lambs' (the novel) revisited, and what the hell Thomas Harris should be doing right this second. And a couple other digressions that or may not be in some way interesting. Play it on your iTunes. Do something productive while these chuckleheads murmur about nonsense in the background.

Show #65

Show #64 - The Liefeld Foot

So! The co-perpetrator of Lost was given the directing gig on the new new Star Wars movie. Here's hoping Episode VII turns out more like the first two seasons of that show and nothing at all like any of the other seasons. The 'Lith and the Trap get into that news item and a bunch of other geek-chat standbys in this episode of A Little Snack. Discussed: JJ Abrams or The Only Man Who Can Direct Films for Culturally Important SciFi Properties, what Abrams' selection as the director of Episode VII implies about the current state of Hollywood, Abrams' unforgettable turn as maybe the pizza guy in a movie you saw once, why young people aren't as into Star Trek as they are in Star Wars, comic book artists, the Liefeld foot and where the Liefeld foot might have originated, how Bear Trap got swindled in a comic book trade and which books were involved, what a guy in his mid-thirties is supposed to do with his stash of early-90's comics, which comic Monolith would like to have framed, Die Hard as a franchise, the mistakes studios made when thinking about how to make Die Hard-like movies, how Monolith would resurrect the Die Hard franchise if someone gave him $50 million dollars to do the job, who Die Hard Five was made for, why The Shining continues to hold legions of movie geeks under its spell, how The Shining builds horror, why the casting was so important to its success, and a call for a deconstruction of The Shining to be written by a listener and submitted for the podcasters' review. You got out of this one with no Apple News. Enjoy it.

Show #64

Show #63 - The Relative Scariness of Cubes versus Suh-fears

Is there any month worse than January? The Christmas lights have all come down, 'Jingle Bell Rock''s not playing on the radio anymore, the lazy excuses to overeat have expired, and it's cold and bleak outside. (Well, bleak anyway. Global warming and all). And now the Trap and 'Lith have gone and recorded another aimless, mostly content-free podcast. Whether that makes your worst month of the year a bit better or a lot worse is for you to decide. Happy new year, Snackers! (Yeah, we're calling you that.) Discussed: Monolith's second viewing of 'The Avengers', which moment of brutal violence in that movie gets the biggest laugh, "the only director who writes women well", Monolith and Bear Trap disagree whether any of the uninitiated should subject themselves to the movie "Sphere", Lance Armstrong's doping and the question no one's asking (but Bear Trap is), the many reasons Lance is probably just an unredeemable skeez, Jodie Foster's unusual Golden Globes speech and the variety of reactions to it, Monolith's correct answer to the question "Who's the hottest actress in Hollywood right now?", the most exciting directors working, muscle injuries and the benefits of rehab, Bear Trap's sad, self-inflicted exercise-related injury, and those moments when your podcasters feel particularly old. Click and listen. Remember why you fell in ambivalence with this podcast in the first place.

Show #63