60 acast.com The Best Stuff In The World https://shows.acast.com/65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df en Kevin Cafferty The Best Stuff In The World The podcast for people who like things! Kevin and his guests discuss a different Awesome Thing every episode - music, movies, immersive theater, games, etc. etc. etc. Let's celebrate all that is wonderful in the world!


Contact: gleamingpod@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The podcast for people who like things! Kevin and his guests discuss a different Awesome Thing every episode - music, movies, immersive theater, games, etc. etc. etc. Let's celebrate all that is wonderful in the world!


Contact: gleamingpod@gmail.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> false The Best Stuff in the World info+65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df@mg-eu.acast.com 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df the-best-stuff-in-the-world episodic https://assets.pippa.io/shows/cover/1706994985474-b7faaca341f0af48867a1402a66fcea4.jpeg https://shows.acast.com/65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df The Best Stuff In The World Incantrix Productions (with Athena Z. Peters) Incantrix Productions (with Athena Z. Peters) Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT 45:02 69b8a2cc559de2c63458a542 false https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/incantrix-productions-with-athena-z-peters 69b8a2cc559de2c63458a542 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df incantrix-productions-with-athena-z-peters full 48 Athena Z. Peters from Incantrix Productions joins us to discuss the company's work and their upcoming shows. Incantrix Productions have been putting on immersive/interactive shows in the Boston area for about 10 years and they have two shows coming up in the near future: Romancing Jan, which is coming out the Saturday after this episode releases (so hopefully you haven’t let this sit in your queue for too long) and TAVERN CRAWL, a Dungeons & Dragons pub crawl in Malden. Links for tickets to both events are below:


Romancing Jan: Buy Tickets!


Tavern Crawl: Buy Tickets!


Find out more about Incantrix Productions here: https://www.incantrixproductions.com/


You can, as always, email me at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Theme music by Mister Michael Brousseau.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Athena Z. Peters from Incantrix Productions joins us to discuss the company's work and their upcoming shows. Incantrix Productions have been putting on immersive/interactive shows in the Boston area for about 10 years and they have two shows coming up in the near future: Romancing Jan, which is coming out the Saturday after this episode releases (so hopefully you haven’t let this sit in your queue for too long) and TAVERN CRAWL, a Dungeons & Dragons pub crawl in Malden. Links for tickets to both events are below:


Romancing Jan: Buy Tickets!


Tavern Crawl: Buy Tickets!


Find out more about Incantrix Productions here: https://www.incantrixproductions.com/


You can, as always, email me at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Theme music by Mister Michael Brousseau.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> An Interview with Hudson Leick An Interview with Hudson Leick Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:51:13 GMT 59:56 69aae9e1f6d1583bb8cd4740 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/an-interview-with-hudson-leick 69aae9e1f6d1583bb8cd4740 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df an-interview-with-hudson-leick this one went deeper than I thought full 47 I am delighted to be talking with Hudson Leick - yoga teacher, intuitive astrologer, dance instructor, and so many other things. In the nerdy circles I sometimes run in Hudson is perhaps best known for portraying Callisto, the best and most iconic villain on the classic television show Xena: Warrior Princess. We talk a little bit about Xena and a lot about all of the amazing things Hudson is doing now, from hosting yoga retreats to emotional healing talks to 5 Rhythms Dance seminars. This one went deeper than I thought it would - Hudson is clearly someone who has a natural ability to connect with people and I was genuinely surprised by how open we both were. While editing I had to ask myself, "Is Hudson Leick my therapist?" (She's not, but she'd be very good at it if she were.) I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.


You can find Hudson and sign up for one of her yoga retreats or astrology readings at her website: https://www.hudsonleick.com/


Hudson Leick is scheduled to be a guest at the upcoming Salute to Xena convention this October, where you can sign up for a yoga class, a 5 Rhythms Dance Class or an Emotional Healing Talk: https://creationent.com/events/xena/


You can, as always, email me at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Theme music by Mister Michael Brousseau.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> I am delighted to be talking with Hudson Leick - yoga teacher, intuitive astrologer, dance instructor, and so many other things. In the nerdy circles I sometimes run in Hudson is perhaps best known for portraying Callisto, the best and most iconic villain on the classic television show Xena: Warrior Princess. We talk a little bit about Xena and a lot about all of the amazing things Hudson is doing now, from hosting yoga retreats to emotional healing talks to 5 Rhythms Dance seminars. This one went deeper than I thought it would - Hudson is clearly someone who has a natural ability to connect with people and I was genuinely surprised by how open we both were. While editing I had to ask myself, "Is Hudson Leick my therapist?" (She's not, but she'd be very good at it if she were.) I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.


You can find Hudson and sign up for one of her yoga retreats or astrology readings at her website: https://www.hudsonleick.com/


Hudson Leick is scheduled to be a guest at the upcoming Salute to Xena convention this October, where you can sign up for a yoga class, a 5 Rhythms Dance Class or an Emotional Healing Talk: https://creationent.com/events/xena/


You can, as always, email me at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Theme music by Mister Michael Brousseau.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Holiday Music Holiday Music Sat, 20 Dec 2025 19:49:53 GMT 1:20:03 6946b7e3e13e237fde05e17d true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/holiday-music 6946b7e3e13e237fde05e17d 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df holiday-music ding dong merrily on high full 46 For this episode I have gathered a panel of weapons-grade music enthusiasts to discuss some of our favorite holiday music songs - mostly Christmas tunes but a few more general “it’s wintertime” numbers.


The picks run the gamut from beloved songs almost everybody knows (Johnny Mathis! Darlene Love!) to oddball novelty numbers (Max Headroom! Weird Al!) to songs that should be more well-known because they’re so great. I’m joined in this endeavor by returning guest Guy Benoit, who has written and directed independent films and plays, was the singer for the amazing Providence, RI bands Von Ryan’s Express and Thee Hydrogen Terrors, and whose creativity always inspires and impresses me and by two new guests to the show. Chris Cummins has appeared on my other podcast GLEAMING THE TUBE and I don’t know anyone who is better at unearthing strange and wonderful artifacts and clips from recent pop culture. He’s written for Archie Comics, streams a wonderful array of classic pop culture ephemera at his Sci-Fi Explosion Twitch channel, hosts fun live events in the Philadelphia area and at various Sci-Fi conventions around the country and co-DJs the MTV’s 120 Minutes Dance party with me every year at Dragon Con. And Dana Stinson, aka BimboKatan, is a brass band musician, photographer, and passionate music fan.


You can find most of (but not all) of our songs picks on my holiday Spotify playlist: XMAS


Per usual, You can email this show at gleamingpod@gmail.com.


The Best Stuff in the World theme song by Mister Michael Brousseau


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> For this episode I have gathered a panel of weapons-grade music enthusiasts to discuss some of our favorite holiday music songs - mostly Christmas tunes but a few more general “it’s wintertime” numbers.


The picks run the gamut from beloved songs almost everybody knows (Johnny Mathis! Darlene Love!) to oddball novelty numbers (Max Headroom! Weird Al!) to songs that should be more well-known because they’re so great. I’m joined in this endeavor by returning guest Guy Benoit, who has written and directed independent films and plays, was the singer for the amazing Providence, RI bands Von Ryan’s Express and Thee Hydrogen Terrors, and whose creativity always inspires and impresses me and by two new guests to the show. Chris Cummins has appeared on my other podcast GLEAMING THE TUBE and I don’t know anyone who is better at unearthing strange and wonderful artifacts and clips from recent pop culture. He’s written for Archie Comics, streams a wonderful array of classic pop culture ephemera at his Sci-Fi Explosion Twitch channel, hosts fun live events in the Philadelphia area and at various Sci-Fi conventions around the country and co-DJs the MTV’s 120 Minutes Dance party with me every year at Dragon Con. And Dana Stinson, aka BimboKatan, is a brass band musician, photographer, and passionate music fan.


You can find most of (but not all) of our songs picks on my holiday Spotify playlist: XMAS


Per usual, You can email this show at gleamingpod@gmail.com.


The Best Stuff in the World theme song by Mister Michael Brousseau


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Talking Filmmaking and Art with Jaina Cipriano Talking Filmmaking and Art with Jaina Cipriano Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:00:00 GMT 29:33 69325208a63c6eaa59323552 false https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/talking-filmmaking-and-art-with-jaina-cipriano 69325208a63c6eaa59323552 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df talking-filmmaking-and-art-with-jaina-cipriano Photographer / Experiential Designer / Director full 45 I am talking to Jaina Cipriano: photographer/experiential designer/filmmaker/Executive Director of the Arlington International Film Festival!


Jaina and I talk all about her art and the film festival, including the immersive experience that Witch Hunt Theatre staged at this year’s event. (You may remember that I chatted with Witch Hunt’s artistic director Taylor Stark earlier this year.)


Jaina is working on a ton of interesting stuff and it was great chatting with her about the art she makes and the art she loves.


Per usual, You can email this show at gleamingpod@gmail.com.


You can find out more about Jaina Cipriano at her website: https://www.jainaciprianophotography.com/


Check out the Arlington International Film Festival: https://www.arlingtonfilmfest.com/


Jaina's experimental tv series The Imposter Syndrome is screening at the Capitol Theatre on January 24th. Get tickets here: https://www.capitoltheatreusa.com/movie/the-imposter-syndrome/


The Best Stuff in the World theme song by Mister Michael Brousseau


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> I am talking to Jaina Cipriano: photographer/experiential designer/filmmaker/Executive Director of the Arlington International Film Festival!


Jaina and I talk all about her art and the film festival, including the immersive experience that Witch Hunt Theatre staged at this year’s event. (You may remember that I chatted with Witch Hunt’s artistic director Taylor Stark earlier this year.)


Jaina is working on a ton of interesting stuff and it was great chatting with her about the art she makes and the art she loves.


Per usual, You can email this show at gleamingpod@gmail.com.


You can find out more about Jaina Cipriano at her website: https://www.jainaciprianophotography.com/


Check out the Arlington International Film Festival: https://www.arlingtonfilmfest.com/


Jaina's experimental tv series The Imposter Syndrome is screening at the Capitol Theatre on January 24th. Get tickets here: https://www.capitoltheatreusa.com/movie/the-imposter-syndrome/


The Best Stuff in the World theme song by Mister Michael Brousseau


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> MAD Magazine MAD Magazine Sun, 23 Nov 2025 11:00:00 GMT 59:02 6921d1e439f2ac6a4fa9c16c true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/mad-magazine 6921d1e439f2ac6a4fa9c16c 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df mad-magazine What, us worry? full 44 On this edition of The Best Stuff in the World my guests and I are diving into our collective love of MAD Magazine! 


For decades, MAD skewered politics, pop culture, advertising, television, and almost anything else you can think of. Joining me to discuss MAD and the "usual gang of idiots" who wrote and drew it are two of The Best Stuff in the World’s usual gang of idiots, returning guests Kevin Eldridge from the great podcast The Flopcast and Michael Brousseau, who I co-host the skateboard movie podcast Gleaming the Tube with and who wrote and sang this very podcast’s theme song!


You can find Kevin Eldridge over The Flopcast!


You can find Michael Brousseau co-hosting Gleaming the Tube with me!


I was a guest on the GIMMICKS podcast to talk all about the series finale of Pee-Wee's Playhouse! Check it out here: Pee-Wee's Playhouse: Playhouse for Sale!


You can email me at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Theme music by Mister Michael Brousseau


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> On this edition of The Best Stuff in the World my guests and I are diving into our collective love of MAD Magazine! 


For decades, MAD skewered politics, pop culture, advertising, television, and almost anything else you can think of. Joining me to discuss MAD and the "usual gang of idiots" who wrote and drew it are two of The Best Stuff in the World’s usual gang of idiots, returning guests Kevin Eldridge from the great podcast The Flopcast and Michael Brousseau, who I co-host the skateboard movie podcast Gleaming the Tube with and who wrote and sang this very podcast’s theme song!


You can find Kevin Eldridge over The Flopcast!


You can find Michael Brousseau co-hosting Gleaming the Tube with me!


I was a guest on the GIMMICKS podcast to talk all about the series finale of Pee-Wee's Playhouse! Check it out here: Pee-Wee's Playhouse: Playhouse for Sale!


You can email me at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Theme music by Mister Michael Brousseau


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Tori Sparks Talks Sleep No More & Immersive Theater & Punk Rock & More!]]> Sat, 08 Nov 2025 15:15:08 GMT 1:04:24 690f5e7dc1ed8717c51231bf true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/tori-sparks-talks-sleep-no-more-immersive-theater-punk-rock 690f5e7dc1ed8717c51231bf 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df tori-sparks-talks-sleep-no-more-immersive-theater-punk-rock full 43 I am BACK ON MY BULLSHIT talking to a former cast member of SLEEP NO MORE - I am delighted to welcome the great Tori Sparks to the podcast this week.


I first saw Tori perform in the Boston production of Sleep No More, which is the show that sparked my interest in immersive theater and, in my opinion, was the big bang for what we call “immersive theater” in the U.S. If you’re a person who follows that art form it’s hard not to notice that Tori has been possibly the most significant performer in that space, especially on the East Coast. In addition to her work with Punchdrunk she’s done amazing work with Third Rail Productions on a number of their shows (which we get into), she was one of the people who helped build Life & Trust (Emursive’s attempt to follow up Sleep No More with another big sprawling show that you could lost in), she worked on Kelly Bartnik’s HERE, one-off Punchdrunk shows at MIT, and was the "immersive specialist" on MASQUERADE, the new promenade version of Phantom of the Opera that’s running in New York. She’s everywhere, and I think the reason why is that she’s one of the most gifted and intuitive performers in that space. Her Lady Macbeth in Sleep No More is up there with the greatest performances I’ve seen anybody do in any medium - I genuinely consider her one of the best immersive theater performers in the world. We get into all of that - there is a lot to cover and this could have easily been a three hour conversation because Tori has done so much - as well as the Sleep No More episode of Gossip Girl, her work in horticulture and our shared background in DIY punk scene and how that world informs her work.


Find out more about Tori and the amazing things she is doing and has done and will do at her website: Tori Sparks


You can email me at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Theme music by Mister Michael Brousseau


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> I am BACK ON MY BULLSHIT talking to a former cast member of SLEEP NO MORE - I am delighted to welcome the great Tori Sparks to the podcast this week.


I first saw Tori perform in the Boston production of Sleep No More, which is the show that sparked my interest in immersive theater and, in my opinion, was the big bang for what we call “immersive theater” in the U.S. If you’re a person who follows that art form it’s hard not to notice that Tori has been possibly the most significant performer in that space, especially on the East Coast. In addition to her work with Punchdrunk she’s done amazing work with Third Rail Productions on a number of their shows (which we get into), she was one of the people who helped build Life & Trust (Emursive’s attempt to follow up Sleep No More with another big sprawling show that you could lost in), she worked on Kelly Bartnik’s HERE, one-off Punchdrunk shows at MIT, and was the "immersive specialist" on MASQUERADE, the new promenade version of Phantom of the Opera that’s running in New York. She’s everywhere, and I think the reason why is that she’s one of the most gifted and intuitive performers in that space. Her Lady Macbeth in Sleep No More is up there with the greatest performances I’ve seen anybody do in any medium - I genuinely consider her one of the best immersive theater performers in the world. We get into all of that - there is a lot to cover and this could have easily been a three hour conversation because Tori has done so much - as well as the Sleep No More episode of Gossip Girl, her work in horticulture and our shared background in DIY punk scene and how that world informs her work.


Find out more about Tori and the amazing things she is doing and has done and will do at her website: Tori Sparks


You can email me at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Theme music by Mister Michael Brousseau


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[R. Alex Murray Talks Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern]]> Sun, 02 Nov 2025 13:24:48 GMT 54:36 69075ba13906f8011a458e76 false https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/r-alex-murray-talks-dungeons-dragons-the-twenty-sided-tavern 69075ba13906f8011a458e76 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df r-alex-murray-talks-dungeons-dragons-the-twenty-sided-tavern Ale and well met! full 42 We're joined by R. Alex Murray, a cast member of Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern!


Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern bills itself as a live, onstage game of Dungeons & Dragons where YOU control the action. By calling out suggestions and making decisions on your smartphone, you’ll determine which heroes appear, where they explore, and ultimately how their story ends. The show is now on tour after an off-Broadway run - I caught it in Boston last month and I had a total blast seeing it and I had a total blast talking to Alex about it. This is one of those conversations that could have easily gone three hours between all the D&D talk and the talk of what it’s like to perform a show like this. If it comes to your town GO AND SEE IT!


You can find out more about the the show (including the tour schedule) here: https://thetwentysidedtavern.com/


You can find R. Alex Murray on his Instagram: @ralexmurray


Alex's podcast Childz Play is the world's premiere Kidz Bop review podcast! Go and listen: Childz Play


You can see Alex roll two natural Twenties in Boston here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1457830815331327


You can email me at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Theme music by Mister Michael Brousseau


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We're joined by R. Alex Murray, a cast member of Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern!


Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern bills itself as a live, onstage game of Dungeons & Dragons where YOU control the action. By calling out suggestions and making decisions on your smartphone, you’ll determine which heroes appear, where they explore, and ultimately how their story ends. The show is now on tour after an off-Broadway run - I caught it in Boston last month and I had a total blast seeing it and I had a total blast talking to Alex about it. This is one of those conversations that could have easily gone three hours between all the D&D talk and the talk of what it’s like to perform a show like this. If it comes to your town GO AND SEE IT!


You can find out more about the the show (including the tour schedule) here: https://thetwentysidedtavern.com/


You can find R. Alex Murray on his Instagram: @ralexmurray


Alex's podcast Childz Play is the world's premiere Kidz Bop review podcast! Go and listen: Childz Play


You can see Alex roll two natural Twenties in Boston here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1457830815331327


You can email me at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Theme music by Mister Michael Brousseau


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Films of Alfred Hitchcock The Films of Alfred Hitchcock Mon, 13 Oct 2025 15:51:34 GMT 1:32:59 68ed188b885527a436ad83f4 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/the-films-of-alfred-hitchcock 68ed188b885527a436ad83f4 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df the-films-of-alfred-hitchcock good evening full 41 The time out we’re discussing the films of Alfred Hitchcock!


For over half a century, Hitchcock reshaped how we experience fear, tension, and surprise in movies. He was able to turn ordinary setting (a shower, a staircase, a crop-dusted field) into unforgettable cinematic nightmares. At his best, he made us complicit in our own voyeurism, could make us laugh at danger, and had audiences at the edge of their seats wanting to know what would happen next. His title as THE MASTER OF SUSPENSE was totally earned.


So today, we’re going to talk about why Hitchcock still matters. Why the best of his films (Psycho and Rear Window and Vertigo and North by Northwest and Rebecca and Shadow of a Doubt and my personal favorite Notorious) continue to haunt, thrill, and inspire. And we’ll explore how a man once dismissed as a “mere entertainer” became one of cinema’s defining artists.


I’m delighted to be joined for this discussion by podcaster and book editor Michael Gordon and by Heather Stephenson, one of the volunteers at the Brit Track at Dragon Con, the big Atlanta pop culture convention. This was a really fun discussion and obviously with a career that was as long and filled with as many high points as Hitchcock’s it would be impossible to get to everything in the roughly 90 minutes we chatted but I had a blast and I hope you enjoy listening as well. I’ve got some fun stuff lined up for upcoming episodes, both interviews with people who make weird art and discussions like this about art that we love.


You can find Mike Gordon's books and podcasts at his Linktree: https://linktr.ee/newlegendmike


Heather Johnson runs the Dragon Con Collectibles Exchange


You can email me at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Theme music by Mister Michael Brousseau



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The time out we’re discussing the films of Alfred Hitchcock!


For over half a century, Hitchcock reshaped how we experience fear, tension, and surprise in movies. He was able to turn ordinary setting (a shower, a staircase, a crop-dusted field) into unforgettable cinematic nightmares. At his best, he made us complicit in our own voyeurism, could make us laugh at danger, and had audiences at the edge of their seats wanting to know what would happen next. His title as THE MASTER OF SUSPENSE was totally earned.


So today, we’re going to talk about why Hitchcock still matters. Why the best of his films (Psycho and Rear Window and Vertigo and North by Northwest and Rebecca and Shadow of a Doubt and my personal favorite Notorious) continue to haunt, thrill, and inspire. And we’ll explore how a man once dismissed as a “mere entertainer” became one of cinema’s defining artists.


I’m delighted to be joined for this discussion by podcaster and book editor Michael Gordon and by Heather Stephenson, one of the volunteers at the Brit Track at Dragon Con, the big Atlanta pop culture convention. This was a really fun discussion and obviously with a career that was as long and filled with as many high points as Hitchcock’s it would be impossible to get to everything in the roughly 90 minutes we chatted but I had a blast and I hope you enjoy listening as well. I’ve got some fun stuff lined up for upcoming episodes, both interviews with people who make weird art and discussions like this about art that we love.


You can find Mike Gordon's books and podcasts at his Linktree: https://linktr.ee/newlegendmike


Heather Johnson runs the Dragon Con Collectibles Exchange


You can email me at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Theme music by Mister Michael Brousseau



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Her Rites and Witch Hunt Theatre (with Taylor Stark) Her Rites and Witch Hunt Theatre (with Taylor Stark) Thu, 02 Oct 2025 10:00:00 GMT 29:38 68dbdb14d5c8a1f9b3ea0fd1 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/her-rites-and-witch-hunt-theatre-with-taylor-stark 68dbdb14d5c8a1f9b3ea0fd1 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df her-rites-and-witch-hunt-theatre-with-taylor-stark immersive site-specific horror theater full 40 The Best Stuff in the World is back from summer break! I’m talking to Taylor Stark, the founder and artistic director of Witch Hunt Theatre, a Boston-area company that specializes in immersive site-specific horror theater. Taylor and Witch Hunt have a new show called HER RITES opening in Brookline Massachusetts this month and it was great talking to her about the upcoming show and Boston-area theater in general.


Check out Witch Hunt Theatre and get tickets to HER RITES here: www.witchhunttheatre.com


You can email me at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Theme music by Mister Michael Brousseau

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Best Stuff in the World is back from summer break! I’m talking to Taylor Stark, the founder and artistic director of Witch Hunt Theatre, a Boston-area company that specializes in immersive site-specific horror theater. Taylor and Witch Hunt have a new show called HER RITES opening in Brookline Massachusetts this month and it was great talking to her about the upcoming show and Boston-area theater in general.


Check out Witch Hunt Theatre and get tickets to HER RITES here: www.witchhunttheatre.com


You can email me at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Theme music by Mister Michael Brousseau

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Public Access TV (Science Fiction Edition) Public Access TV (Science Fiction Edition) Sat, 26 Jul 2025 10:00:00 GMT 48:45 688451776e658a8b3cb8c6e1 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/public-access-tv-science-fiction-edition 688451776e658a8b3cb8c6e1 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df public-access-tv-science-fiction-edition full 39 It's our season finale episode and I'm excited to be chatting about the glory days of public access television with two folks who have first-hand experience in that world. Writer Keith DeCandido is best known these days for his novels and comics but back in the early 90s he was one of the hosts of the New York City science fiction public access show THE CHRONIC RIFT and Calvin Watts has been talking about science fiction on Rhode Island cable access for the past 30 years, first as one of the cohosts of the legendary STAR TREK THE UNOFFICIAL FAN CLUB and later as one of the hosts of SCI-FI JOURNAL, a show he is still one of the hosts of TO THIS DAY. A little while back I was a guest on The Flopcast and we discussed public access tv shows in Rhode Island and I look at this episode as kind of a companion piece to that - we cover a little of the same ground but it was super interesting hearing from Keith and Calvin all about what it was like to produce one of these shows both back in the day and, in Calvin’s case, still.


You can find all things Keith R.A. DeCandido (books for sale, blog, etc.) at his website: http://decandido.net/


Check out an archive of classic 1990s Chronic Rift episodes here: The Chronic Rift


Calvin Watts' ongoing public access show Sci-Fi Journal can be found both on Rhode Island Interconnect A and on YouTube: Sci-Fi Journal


You can hear me reminisce about old Rhode Island public tv shows on the Flopcast here: Flopcast 670 - A Camcorder and a Dream

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> It's our season finale episode and I'm excited to be chatting about the glory days of public access television with two folks who have first-hand experience in that world. Writer Keith DeCandido is best known these days for his novels and comics but back in the early 90s he was one of the hosts of the New York City science fiction public access show THE CHRONIC RIFT and Calvin Watts has been talking about science fiction on Rhode Island cable access for the past 30 years, first as one of the cohosts of the legendary STAR TREK THE UNOFFICIAL FAN CLUB and later as one of the hosts of SCI-FI JOURNAL, a show he is still one of the hosts of TO THIS DAY. A little while back I was a guest on The Flopcast and we discussed public access tv shows in Rhode Island and I look at this episode as kind of a companion piece to that - we cover a little of the same ground but it was super interesting hearing from Keith and Calvin all about what it was like to produce one of these shows both back in the day and, in Calvin’s case, still.


You can find all things Keith R.A. DeCandido (books for sale, blog, etc.) at his website: http://decandido.net/


Check out an archive of classic 1990s Chronic Rift episodes here: The Chronic Rift


Calvin Watts' ongoing public access show Sci-Fi Journal can be found both on Rhode Island Interconnect A and on YouTube: Sci-Fi Journal


You can hear me reminisce about old Rhode Island public tv shows on the Flopcast here: Flopcast 670 - A Camcorder and a Dream

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]]> Prime Force Directive (with Luke MacPherson) Prime Force Directive (with Luke MacPherson) Thu, 10 Jul 2025 10:00:00 GMT 43:04 686daa99e52066772f4e658a true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/prime-force-directive-with-luke-macpherson 686daa99e52066772f4e658a 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df prime-force-directive-with-luke-macpherson sci-fi and heavy metal full 38 I’m excited to talk to writer and musician Luke MacPherson! Luke’s work explores the connections between music, film and philosophy and one of his most recent books, PRIME FORCE DIRECTIVE, draws connections between four cultural forces that shaped his life - the science fiction franchise Star Wars and Star Trek and the heavy metal bands Metallica and Iron Maiden. Luke’s also the lead singer and guitarist in the music project Iron Reverb (who did the cover of our theme song that you hear opening and closing the show this week) as well as the author of several other books that we discuss during our talk. I’ve known Luke for years, ever since his old punk band The Toss-Offs would come and play on my old radio show and it’s been awesome seeing him have this renewed outpouring of creativity lately. We talk about all of that and more during our pretty free ranging conversation.


You can order Luke's books here: Author Page for Luke MacPherson


Check out Luke's music project Iron Reverb!


Kevin was a guest on The Flopcast talking all about the comic books of 1987: https://flopcast.net/687.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> I’m excited to talk to writer and musician Luke MacPherson! Luke’s work explores the connections between music, film and philosophy and one of his most recent books, PRIME FORCE DIRECTIVE, draws connections between four cultural forces that shaped his life - the science fiction franchise Star Wars and Star Trek and the heavy metal bands Metallica and Iron Maiden. Luke’s also the lead singer and guitarist in the music project Iron Reverb (who did the cover of our theme song that you hear opening and closing the show this week) as well as the author of several other books that we discuss during our talk. I’ve known Luke for years, ever since his old punk band The Toss-Offs would come and play on my old radio show and it’s been awesome seeing him have this renewed outpouring of creativity lately. We talk about all of that and more during our pretty free ranging conversation.


You can order Luke's books here: Author Page for Luke MacPherson


Check out Luke's music project Iron Reverb!


Kevin was a guest on The Flopcast talking all about the comic books of 1987: https://flopcast.net/687.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Portishead - Dummy (This Record Changed My Life) Portishead - Dummy (This Record Changed My Life) Thu, 26 Jun 2025 10:00:00 GMT 33:21 68558649412e0f0fbfdad9ad true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/portishead-dummy-this-record-changed-my-life 68558649412e0f0fbfdad9ad 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df portishead-dummy-this-record-changed-my-life full 37 The second installment of our series of episodes focusing on a single album - I put out the call on social media for folks to get in touch with albums that changed their lives to possibly discuss on the show (with the caveat that I have to like the record as well) and the redoubtable Gary Mitchel (of A Podcask of Amontillado) suggested we discuss Portshead's Dummy. Naturally, I was delighted by this suggestion.


When Dummy came out I hadn’t really heard anything like it - the phrase trip-hop wasn’t really in my vocabulary but I loved it’s mixture of noir soul, spy movie static, and hip-hop style productions, with Beth Gibbons' voice floating above everything as she sang about heartbreak and wandering stars.


You can find the horror movie podcast Gary co-hosts (A Podcask of Amontillado) as well as his upcoming podcast on the Wheel of Time book series at Good to Be a Geek Media: https://www.goodtobeageek.com/


You can email The Best Stuff in the World at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The second installment of our series of episodes focusing on a single album - I put out the call on social media for folks to get in touch with albums that changed their lives to possibly discuss on the show (with the caveat that I have to like the record as well) and the redoubtable Gary Mitchel (of A Podcask of Amontillado) suggested we discuss Portshead's Dummy. Naturally, I was delighted by this suggestion.


When Dummy came out I hadn’t really heard anything like it - the phrase trip-hop wasn’t really in my vocabulary but I loved it’s mixture of noir soul, spy movie static, and hip-hop style productions, with Beth Gibbons' voice floating above everything as she sang about heartbreak and wandering stars.


You can find the horror movie podcast Gary co-hosts (A Podcask of Amontillado) as well as his upcoming podcast on the Wheel of Time book series at Good to Be a Geek Media: https://www.goodtobeageek.com/


You can email The Best Stuff in the World at gleamingpod@gmail.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> John Waters and the Filthy Formal / Trash Talent Show (with Identical Cousins) John Waters and the Filthy Formal / Trash Talent Show (with Identical Cousins) Thu, 19 Jun 2025 16:37:26 GMT 30:18 68543cc60bed216db7ca434a true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/john-waters-and-the-filthy-formal-trash-talent-show-with-ide 68543cc60bed216db7ca434a 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df john-waters-and-the-filthy-formal-trash-talent-show-with-ide Filth is my politics! full 36 We are talking to Emily Arkin and Bridget Duggan from Identical Cousins about their upcoming event THE FILTY FORMAL AND TRASH TALENT SHOW, an immersive tribute to the work of the film director John Waters!


The Filthy Formal is a dance party / variety show / excuse to wear your most vile, stupid, and repulsive formal fashions and it’s Saturday night, June 21st, in the Crystal Ballroom of the Somerville Theatre in Somerville Massachusetts!


You can get tickets to the Filthy Formal and Trash Talent Show here: https://www.crystalballroomboston.com/events/filthy-formal-trash-talent-show-a-john-waters-tribute/


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]]> We are talking to Emily Arkin and Bridget Duggan from Identical Cousins about their upcoming event THE FILTY FORMAL AND TRASH TALENT SHOW, an immersive tribute to the work of the film director John Waters!


The Filthy Formal is a dance party / variety show / excuse to wear your most vile, stupid, and repulsive formal fashions and it’s Saturday night, June 21st, in the Crystal Ballroom of the Somerville Theatre in Somerville Massachusetts!


You can get tickets to the Filthy Formal and Trash Talent Show here: https://www.crystalballroomboston.com/events/filthy-formal-trash-talent-show-a-john-waters-tribute/


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Raiders of the Lost Ark Raiders of the Lost Ark Thu, 05 Jun 2025 09:00:00 GMT 52:06 68410b3b01aad4afb88aa1f4 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/raiders-of-the-lost-ark 68410b3b01aad4afb88aa1f4 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df raiders-of-the-lost-ark full 35 We are discussing one of the most famous and successful movies of all time - Raiders of the Lost Ark!


Do I even need to go into a little intro spiel about Raiders? Producer George Lucas, director Steven Spielberg, and star Harrison Ford team up to create one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema - a swashbuckling archeologist named Indiana Jones who, in the 1930s, is in a race with the Nazis and his rival, the French archeologist Rene Belloq, to discover the lost ark of the covenant.


Joining us this week are some top men: returning guest Kevin Eldridge from the great podcast The Flopcast and Michael Falkner from the website Creative Criticality. We discuss the film (arguably the greatest adventure film ever made), its inferior sequels, and even touch on some of the ancillary video games and tie-in novels. It's a great episode. Trust me.


You can find Kevin Eldridge over at The Flopcast.


You can find Michael Falkner at the website Creative Criticality.


You can email this show at gleamingpod@gmail.com



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]]> We are discussing one of the most famous and successful movies of all time - Raiders of the Lost Ark!


Do I even need to go into a little intro spiel about Raiders? Producer George Lucas, director Steven Spielberg, and star Harrison Ford team up to create one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema - a swashbuckling archeologist named Indiana Jones who, in the 1930s, is in a race with the Nazis and his rival, the French archeologist Rene Belloq, to discover the lost ark of the covenant.


Joining us this week are some top men: returning guest Kevin Eldridge from the great podcast The Flopcast and Michael Falkner from the website Creative Criticality. We discuss the film (arguably the greatest adventure film ever made), its inferior sequels, and even touch on some of the ancillary video games and tie-in novels. It's a great episode. Trust me.


You can find Kevin Eldridge over at The Flopcast.


You can find Michael Falkner at the website Creative Criticality.


You can email this show at gleamingpod@gmail.com



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Musicals of Stephen Sondheim The Musicals of Stephen Sondheim Fri, 30 May 2025 10:00:00 GMT 54:46 68391993b2e4c2434bd490f7 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/the-musicals-of-stephen-sondheim 68391993b2e4c2434bd490f7 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df the-musicals-of-stephen-sondheim attend the tale full 34 We're discussing the musicals of lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim and also talking about the current state of musicals on Broadway - has the supermusical killed the chance for smart shows like Sondheim's to find an audience? Where can his influence be found today? Where should you start with such a vast and acclaimed body of work? I'm joined by the mighty Sue Kisenwether from the Star Trek podcast Women at Warp and by returning guest Cash the Composer (who previously joined to talk about their own immersive musical Fantasmagoriana.)


You can hear 10 years of awesome feminist Star Trek talk with Sue Kisenwether at Women at Warp


Sue has a piece in the upcoming book OUTSIDE IN CAN LIVE WITH IT: 171 New Perspectives on 171 Star Trek DS9 Stories by 171 Writers


Cash's immersive musical FANTASMAGORIANA is being staged June 3rd through 7th in Charleston, South Carolina. Get tickets here: https://cashcomposer.dudaone.com/fantasmagoriana


You can also see a video recording of the show on Cash's Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We're discussing the musicals of lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim and also talking about the current state of musicals on Broadway - has the supermusical killed the chance for smart shows like Sondheim's to find an audience? Where can his influence be found today? Where should you start with such a vast and acclaimed body of work? I'm joined by the mighty Sue Kisenwether from the Star Trek podcast Women at Warp and by returning guest Cash the Composer (who previously joined to talk about their own immersive musical Fantasmagoriana.)


You can hear 10 years of awesome feminist Star Trek talk with Sue Kisenwether at Women at Warp


Sue has a piece in the upcoming book OUTSIDE IN CAN LIVE WITH IT: 171 New Perspectives on 171 Star Trek DS9 Stories by 171 Writers


Cash's immersive musical FANTASMAGORIANA is being staged June 3rd through 7th in Charleston, South Carolina. Get tickets here: https://cashcomposer.dudaone.com/fantasmagoriana


You can also see a video recording of the show on Cash's Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 7 Seconds - The Crew (This Record Changed My Life) 7 Seconds - The Crew (This Record Changed My Life) Tue, 20 May 2025 02:05:36 GMT 45:42 682be370e8a66fad6de7d678 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/7-seconds-the-crew-this-record-changed-my-life 682be370e8a66fad6de7d678 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df 7-seconds-the-crew-this-record-changed-my-life do we have a chance? full 33 Our first in a possible series of sporadic episodes focusing on a single album - I put out the call on social media for folks to get in touch with albums that changed their lives to possibly discuss on the show (with the caveat that I have to like the record as well) and the first response I got was from Christian Campagna of the Talk About the Passion podcast to discuss the seminal hardcore punk album The Crew by Reno, Nevada's 7 Seconds.


Christian and I were are joined in the discussion by our mutual friend (and my former radio co-host) Liam Gray and the three of us wind up talking about other parts of the 7 Seconds discography and what it means to us - this was originally planned as a mini-episode but it wound up being around the length of a regular episode. 7 Seconds are worth it.


You can find Christian's podcast here: Talk About the Passion (way back in 2018 I was a guest on episode 13)


Liam is currently documenting his RV lifestyle on Instagram at www.instagram.com/thebelugarv/


You may remember Gary Mitchel from our episodes on GI Joe and Dungeons & Dragons. I was a guest on Gary Mitchel's horror podcast A Podcask of Amontillado. Check it out here: The Devil You Know


You can email The Best Stuff in the World at gleamingpod@gmail.com



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Our first in a possible series of sporadic episodes focusing on a single album - I put out the call on social media for folks to get in touch with albums that changed their lives to possibly discuss on the show (with the caveat that I have to like the record as well) and the first response I got was from Christian Campagna of the Talk About the Passion podcast to discuss the seminal hardcore punk album The Crew by Reno, Nevada's 7 Seconds.


Christian and I were are joined in the discussion by our mutual friend (and my former radio co-host) Liam Gray and the three of us wind up talking about other parts of the 7 Seconds discography and what it means to us - this was originally planned as a mini-episode but it wound up being around the length of a regular episode. 7 Seconds are worth it.


You can find Christian's podcast here: Talk About the Passion (way back in 2018 I was a guest on episode 13)


Liam is currently documenting his RV lifestyle on Instagram at www.instagram.com/thebelugarv/


You may remember Gary Mitchel from our episodes on GI Joe and Dungeons & Dragons. I was a guest on Gary Mitchel's horror podcast A Podcask of Amontillado. Check it out here: The Devil You Know


You can email The Best Stuff in the World at gleamingpod@gmail.com



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[The Amazing Royal Crowns (with Jason "King" Kendall)]]> Thu, 08 May 2025 09:00:00 GMT 1:07:44 681c117124b1daf01a417192 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/the-amazing-royal-crowns-with-jason-king-kendall 681c117124b1daf01a417192 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df the-amazing-royal-crowns-with-jason-king-kendall take me back to the scene of the crime full 32 I’m excited to be talking to the frontman of one of Providence, RI’s greatest bands, Jason “King” Kendall from the Amazing Royal Crowns!


The Royal Crowns managed to combine rockabilly, garage, and punk rock energy into something that sounded both familiar and new and they recorded *great* songs - DO THE DEVIL is probably the most well-known one since the video played on MTV a few times - and put on an absolutely fantastic live show. Being a bystander in the Providence music scene while they conquered that city was a really cool experience and Jason and I talk a lot about that and also what came after, including how as great as the Crowns were they dealt with a number of setbacks that were kind of out of their control, from having to change their name to The Amazing Crowns due to a lawsuit and their label folding. But it's also worth stressing that despite those challenges they also put out a lot of fantastic music and live shows that people still talk about to this day.


The Crowns are playing a show in Cambridge, MA on June 20th with Skavoovie & The Epitones and you can buy tickets here: Skavoovie and The Epitones with The Amazing Royal Crowns at The Sinclair


Check out https://royaltotheloyal.com/ to get alerted about the Amazing Royal Crowns digital museum and merch store.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> I’m excited to be talking to the frontman of one of Providence, RI’s greatest bands, Jason “King” Kendall from the Amazing Royal Crowns!


The Royal Crowns managed to combine rockabilly, garage, and punk rock energy into something that sounded both familiar and new and they recorded *great* songs - DO THE DEVIL is probably the most well-known one since the video played on MTV a few times - and put on an absolutely fantastic live show. Being a bystander in the Providence music scene while they conquered that city was a really cool experience and Jason and I talk a lot about that and also what came after, including how as great as the Crowns were they dealt with a number of setbacks that were kind of out of their control, from having to change their name to The Amazing Crowns due to a lawsuit and their label folding. But it's also worth stressing that despite those challenges they also put out a lot of fantastic music and live shows that people still talk about to this day.


The Crowns are playing a show in Cambridge, MA on June 20th with Skavoovie & The Epitones and you can buy tickets here: Skavoovie and The Epitones with The Amazing Royal Crowns at The Sinclair


Check out https://royaltotheloyal.com/ to get alerted about the Amazing Royal Crowns digital museum and merch store.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Cthulhu Luau (with Kellian Adams Pletcher) Cthulhu Luau (with Kellian Adams Pletcher) Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:00:00 GMT 56:01 680073b347809c35bd860b21 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/cthulhu-luau-with-kellian-adams-pletcher 680073b347809c35bd860b21 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df cthulhu-luau-with-kellian-adams-pletcher An Immersive, Interactive Tiki Adventure full 31 Our guest Kellian Adams Pletcher joins to discuss the new interactive, immersive tiki show she has written, Cthulhu Luau, in advance of its sold-out run! We also discuss Kellian's origin in the swing music scene, her long-running seasonal show Club Drosselmeyer, the immersive theater scene in the Boston area, and why she doesn't like Sleep No More as much as I do.


Check out Cthulhu Luau here: https://cthulhu-luau.com/


Get notified when Club Drosselmeyer tickets go on sale here: https://www.clubdrosselmeyer.com/


Our closing music this week is by Vic Ditches from The F.I.D's.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Our guest Kellian Adams Pletcher joins to discuss the new interactive, immersive tiki show she has written, Cthulhu Luau, in advance of its sold-out run! We also discuss Kellian's origin in the swing music scene, her long-running seasonal show Club Drosselmeyer, the immersive theater scene in the Boston area, and why she doesn't like Sleep No More as much as I do.


Check out Cthulhu Luau here: https://cthulhu-luau.com/


Get notified when Club Drosselmeyer tickets go on sale here: https://www.clubdrosselmeyer.com/


Our closing music this week is by Vic Ditches from The F.I.D's.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Mystery Science Theater 3000 Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thu, 17 Apr 2025 09:00:00 GMT 1:04:18 68006e4fb4ef799a7a4a8181 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/mystery-science-theater-3000 68006e4fb4ef799a7a4a8181 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df mystery-science-theater-3000 full 30 Mystery Science Theater 3000 (or MST3K) can be a difficult show to explain to people who haven’t seen it. Wisecracking robot puppets making fun of cheesy movies, mad scientists, invention exchanges, and more. I could not believe something as smart and funny and silly as this show existed when I discovered it.


I’m joined to discuss MST3k by two people who are as smart and silly as the show itself.


Guest roll call!


Dan Toland podcasts about cheesy movies, cult films, midnight movies and more on CHANNEL 37’s MIDNIGHT MOVIE SHOW


Phaea Crede is a children’s picture book author whose new book Oh Deer! Has just hit bookstores everywhere: https://www.phaeacrede.com/


Enough introducing on my part. We’ve got podcast sign!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Mystery Science Theater 3000 (or MST3K) can be a difficult show to explain to people who haven’t seen it. Wisecracking robot puppets making fun of cheesy movies, mad scientists, invention exchanges, and more. I could not believe something as smart and funny and silly as this show existed when I discovered it.


I’m joined to discuss MST3k by two people who are as smart and silly as the show itself.


Guest roll call!


Dan Toland podcasts about cheesy movies, cult films, midnight movies and more on CHANNEL 37’s MIDNIGHT MOVIE SHOW


Phaea Crede is a children’s picture book author whose new book Oh Deer! Has just hit bookstores everywhere: https://www.phaeacrede.com/


Enough introducing on my part. We’ve got podcast sign!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Death of Rasputin (with Ashley Brett Chipman and Hope Youngblood) The Death of Rasputin (with Ashley Brett Chipman and Hope Youngblood) Thu, 10 Apr 2025 08:00:00 GMT 36:35 67f6d5a202787319786bb111 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/the-death-of-rasputin-with-ashley-brett-chipman-and-hope-you 67f6d5a202787319786bb111 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df the-death-of-rasputin-with-ashley-brett-chipman-and-hope-you join their cult full 29 We're talking to a couple of the talented folks behind the new immersive theatrical company Artemis is Burning about their upcoming show The Death of Rasputin, which will begin performances at LMCC’s Arts Center at Governors Island on April 17, 2025, for a limited run. Ashley Brett Chipman, who conceived of the show, and her co-director Hope Youngblood discuss the inspiration behind the show and its upcoming run.


Whispers in the candlelight, shadows in the corridors— The Death of Rasputin is no mere play; it is a descent into decadence, a fever-dream of power, prophecy, and betrayal. This debaucherous satire unfolds as a lavish, unholy revel, conjuring the espionage and mysticism that danced at the edges of the Romanov dynasty in its twilight hour. Here, every character claws for dominion, every ambition is laced with poison, and every grasp for power pulls them closer to the abyss.

 

With history and legend entwined, and the specter of Rasputin looming large, this production dares to reclaim the grand spectacle of immersive performance, shattering the mold long held by the few. The revolution is here. The prophecy is written. Will you heed the call?


Get tickets here: https://deathofrasputin.com/


Find Rasputin on Discord here: https://discord.gg/XfgWkq5m



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We're talking to a couple of the talented folks behind the new immersive theatrical company Artemis is Burning about their upcoming show The Death of Rasputin, which will begin performances at LMCC’s Arts Center at Governors Island on April 17, 2025, for a limited run. Ashley Brett Chipman, who conceived of the show, and her co-director Hope Youngblood discuss the inspiration behind the show and its upcoming run.


Whispers in the candlelight, shadows in the corridors— The Death of Rasputin is no mere play; it is a descent into decadence, a fever-dream of power, prophecy, and betrayal. This debaucherous satire unfolds as a lavish, unholy revel, conjuring the espionage and mysticism that danced at the edges of the Romanov dynasty in its twilight hour. Here, every character claws for dominion, every ambition is laced with poison, and every grasp for power pulls them closer to the abyss.

 

With history and legend entwined, and the specter of Rasputin looming large, this production dares to reclaim the grand spectacle of immersive performance, shattering the mold long held by the few. The revolution is here. The prophecy is written. Will you heed the call?


Get tickets here: https://deathofrasputin.com/


Find Rasputin on Discord here: https://discord.gg/XfgWkq5m



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Red Sox Organist Josh Kantor Talks Music and Baseball Red Sox Organist Josh Kantor Talks Music and Baseball Fri, 04 Apr 2025 08:00:00 GMT 56:52 67e6df955fb59eadfcf8dc90 false https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/red-sox-organist-josh-kantor-talks-music-and-baseball 67e6df955fb59eadfcf8dc90 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df red-sox-organist-josh-kantor-talks-music-and-baseball full 28 Fenway Park organist Josh Kantor joins Kevin to discuss his experience as a baseball organist for a team as beloved for the Boston Red Sox, the origins of his interest in both music and baseball, taking social media requests from fans, Stevie Wonder's "Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants" album, his pandemic-era streaming show "The Seventh Inning Stretch", playing onstage with his musical heroes, and - of course - KISS.


When not playing at baseball games, Josh is also a member of the band Jim's Big Ego


Josh is performing at the upcoming Hot Stove, Cool Music benefit show in Boston


In the tradition of the Seventh Inning Stretch, now is a good time to remind you all that the Greater Boston Food Bank can always use donations

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Fenway Park organist Josh Kantor joins Kevin to discuss his experience as a baseball organist for a team as beloved for the Boston Red Sox, the origins of his interest in both music and baseball, taking social media requests from fans, Stevie Wonder's "Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants" album, his pandemic-era streaming show "The Seventh Inning Stretch", playing onstage with his musical heroes, and - of course - KISS.


When not playing at baseball games, Josh is also a member of the band Jim's Big Ego


Josh is performing at the upcoming Hot Stove, Cool Music benefit show in Boston


In the tradition of the Seventh Inning Stretch, now is a good time to remind you all that the Greater Boston Food Bank can always use donations

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Locas (The Maggie and Hopey stories in Love & Rockets)]]> Fri, 28 Mar 2025 09:00:00 GMT 52:32 67e615d43e4472feec446f97 false https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/locas-the-maggie-and-hopey-stories-in-love-rockets 67e615d43e4472feec446f97 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df locas-the-maggie-and-hopey-stories-in-love-rockets that long? full 27 We're discussing the work of someone who may be America’s greatest living cartoonist - YEAH I SAID IT - Jaime Hernandez!


Jaime is best known for his groundbreaking work in the Love and Rockets comic book series and the LOCAS stories which are contained therein. LOCAS follows the tangled lives of a group of primarily chicano characters, from their teenage years in the early days of the California punk scene to the present day - the character themselves age in an approximation of real time. Most of the stories focus on two central characters - Margarita "Maggie" Luisa Chascarrillo and Esperanza "Hopey" Leticia Glass, whose on-again, off-again romance is a focus for many of the storylines.


Love and Rockets made its debut in the early 80s, during a time when almost nobody was releasing comics stories that featured women in central roles, that featured characters who are queer, that featured chicano characters or showed any sort of realistic depiction of the punk scene. Jaime’s brother Gilbert is the other major contributor to Love and Rockets and he is deserving of his own episode but for this one we’re focusing on Jaime and Locas and I hope we’re able to impart a little bit of why this is the best American comic book ever made. I’m joined by returning guests Terri Harrington and Ryan Evans and this discussion was a total blast. If you’re a fan of Jaime’s work I hope you enjoy this episode and if you’re not familiar with the Maggie & Hopey comics I hope this inspires you to check them out. You will not be disappointed.


Ryan's graphic novel discussion group can be found here: Reading Graphic Novels


Terri has been engaged in volunteer work with Punk Rock Saves Lives, a non-profit that focuses on wellness and equality through the power of music.


Kevin recently appeared on The Flopcast, discussing weird Rhode Island public access television shows.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We're discussing the work of someone who may be America’s greatest living cartoonist - YEAH I SAID IT - Jaime Hernandez!


Jaime is best known for his groundbreaking work in the Love and Rockets comic book series and the LOCAS stories which are contained therein. LOCAS follows the tangled lives of a group of primarily chicano characters, from their teenage years in the early days of the California punk scene to the present day - the character themselves age in an approximation of real time. Most of the stories focus on two central characters - Margarita "Maggie" Luisa Chascarrillo and Esperanza "Hopey" Leticia Glass, whose on-again, off-again romance is a focus for many of the storylines.


Love and Rockets made its debut in the early 80s, during a time when almost nobody was releasing comics stories that featured women in central roles, that featured characters who are queer, that featured chicano characters or showed any sort of realistic depiction of the punk scene. Jaime’s brother Gilbert is the other major contributor to Love and Rockets and he is deserving of his own episode but for this one we’re focusing on Jaime and Locas and I hope we’re able to impart a little bit of why this is the best American comic book ever made. I’m joined by returning guests Terri Harrington and Ryan Evans and this discussion was a total blast. If you’re a fan of Jaime’s work I hope you enjoy this episode and if you’re not familiar with the Maggie & Hopey comics I hope this inspires you to check them out. You will not be disappointed.


Ryan's graphic novel discussion group can be found here: Reading Graphic Novels


Terri has been engaged in volunteer work with Punk Rock Saves Lives, a non-profit that focuses on wellness and equality through the power of music.


Kevin recently appeared on The Flopcast, discussing weird Rhode Island public access television shows.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Thotbot Implantation Center (with Rebecca Kopycinski) Thotbot Implantation Center (with Rebecca Kopycinski) Fri, 21 Mar 2025 21:33:42 GMT 50:11 67ddbd9077bf8b899e77c3d7 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/thotbot-implantation-center-with-rebecca-kopycinski 67ddbd9077bf8b899e77c3d7 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df thotbot-implantation-center-with-rebecca-kopycinski is your thotbot glitched? full 26 Musician/filmmaker/artist Rebecca Kopycinski joins Kevin to talk about her recent installation/performance The Thotbot Implantation Center, which is one piece of a larger multimedia narrative. Rebecca has created an entire dystopian storyworld through podcasts, installation art, immersive theater and performance. As she explains on her website, the project unfolds through a series of multi-platform "Episodes." While each of these Episodes stands alone narratively, together they weave together the serialized saga of one protagonist, Reagan Esther Myer, across an sprawling post-apocalyptic timeline set in the mid-1990s. 


At the center of this world is ThotBot, a government-mandated brain implant program instituted by a totalitarian regime known as The ULTRA, a group that seized control after Impact, an apocalyptic event that occurred on June 21, 1995.


You can find out more about Rebecca's project at https://getthotbot.com/

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]]> Musician/filmmaker/artist Rebecca Kopycinski joins Kevin to talk about her recent installation/performance The Thotbot Implantation Center, which is one piece of a larger multimedia narrative. Rebecca has created an entire dystopian storyworld through podcasts, installation art, immersive theater and performance. As she explains on her website, the project unfolds through a series of multi-platform "Episodes." While each of these Episodes stands alone narratively, together they weave together the serialized saga of one protagonist, Reagan Esther Myer, across an sprawling post-apocalyptic timeline set in the mid-1990s. 


At the center of this world is ThotBot, a government-mandated brain implant program instituted by a totalitarian regime known as The ULTRA, a group that seized control after Impact, an apocalyptic event that occurred on June 21, 1995.


You can find out more about Rebecca's project at https://getthotbot.com/

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]]> David Lynch David Lynch Fri, 07 Mar 2025 17:22:09 GMT 1:10:02 67cb2b418c2cf351b1b55b41 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/david-lynch 67cb2b418c2cf351b1b55b41 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df david-lynch fix your hearts full 25 We are discussing the work of the great David Lynch. A filmmaker, writer, visual artist, and musician, Lynch spent decades crafting a unique cinematic language that blends the unsettling with the poetic, the surreal juxtaposed with images that could be either nightmarish or heartbreakingly beautiful. There was no one like him and like a lot of people who were affected by his work I was devastated to hear of his recent death. I’m joined by two returning guests: visual artist Emma McDonnell and Greg Bell, who does a lot of work in and around live theater in Baltimore. All three of us, as you’ll hear, have been profoundly moved by David Lynch’s work and my hope is that this episode pays some small tribute to the impact he had on all of us.


Emma McDonnell can be found at https://www.ekmcdonnell.com/




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]]> We are discussing the work of the great David Lynch. A filmmaker, writer, visual artist, and musician, Lynch spent decades crafting a unique cinematic language that blends the unsettling with the poetic, the surreal juxtaposed with images that could be either nightmarish or heartbreakingly beautiful. There was no one like him and like a lot of people who were affected by his work I was devastated to hear of his recent death. I’m joined by two returning guests: visual artist Emma McDonnell and Greg Bell, who does a lot of work in and around live theater in Baltimore. All three of us, as you’ll hear, have been profoundly moved by David Lynch’s work and my hope is that this episode pays some small tribute to the impact he had on all of us.


Emma McDonnell can be found at https://www.ekmcdonnell.com/




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]]> Looney Tunes Looney Tunes Thu, 20 Feb 2025 23:35:00 GMT 48:00 67b78f076f2e96290c98a23f false https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/looney-tunes 67b78f076f2e96290c98a23f 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df looney-tunes hello my ragtime gaaaaal full 24 Overture! Curtain! Lights! In this episode of The Best Stuff in the World we’re taking a look back at the classic Looney Tunes shorts. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies were the umbrella titles for the short cartoons produced by the Warner Brothers studio from the early 1930s through the 1960s, although we’re mostly discussing the shorts released during what I think of as "the golden era" from the 1940s and 1950s, particularly the shorts starring the iconic characters from the studio - Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, the Road Runner, etc. The best of these shorts are among the greatest art America produced in the 20th century and I’m delighted to be joined by Joe Crowe, the co-director of Dragon Con’s American Sci-Fi Classics Track and by Dave West from the Needless Things YouTube channel and a bunch of other cool stuff (including the documentary Troublemaker about his adventures that he’s currently screening at different conventions) to discuss these masterpieces of American animation. On with the show, this is it!


You can find Dragon Con's American Sci-Fi Classics Track at their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/americanscificlassics/


Check out what Dave West is up to at The Needless Things YouTube Channel and via his Linktree!





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]]> Overture! Curtain! Lights! In this episode of The Best Stuff in the World we’re taking a look back at the classic Looney Tunes shorts. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies were the umbrella titles for the short cartoons produced by the Warner Brothers studio from the early 1930s through the 1960s, although we’re mostly discussing the shorts released during what I think of as "the golden era" from the 1940s and 1950s, particularly the shorts starring the iconic characters from the studio - Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, the Road Runner, etc. The best of these shorts are among the greatest art America produced in the 20th century and I’m delighted to be joined by Joe Crowe, the co-director of Dragon Con’s American Sci-Fi Classics Track and by Dave West from the Needless Things YouTube channel and a bunch of other cool stuff (including the documentary Troublemaker about his adventures that he’s currently screening at different conventions) to discuss these masterpieces of American animation. On with the show, this is it!


You can find Dragon Con's American Sci-Fi Classics Track at their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/americanscificlassics/


Check out what Dave West is up to at The Needless Things YouTube Channel and via his Linktree!





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]]> Charlie Chaplin Charlie Chaplin Wed, 05 Feb 2025 23:06:12 GMT 1:08:44 67a3eee49c6f7f7f28542464 false https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/charlie-chaplin 67a3eee49c6f7f7f28542464 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df charlie-chaplin and perhaps a tear full 23 We're diving into the career of the great Charles Entertaiment Chaplin on THE BEST STUFF IN THE WORLD!


Chaplin is one of the masters of silent film comedy, blending humor, sentimentality and social commentary - usually channeled through his iconic Little Tramp character. I’m joined this time by writer and podcaster Mike Gordon and artist Denise Lhamon to talk all things Chaplin - the short films, the silent features, and his rocky transition into talkies. A podcast episode with a smile—and perhaps a tear.


You can find all of Mike Gordon's various endeavors (Tiki Zombie comic, Dragon Tales book, and his podcasts) at his linktree: https://linktr.ee/newlegendmike or at New Legend Productions.


Denise Lhamon's art and historical writings and art about history can be found at https://www.instagram.com/laymonsterms/





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]]> We're diving into the career of the great Charles Entertaiment Chaplin on THE BEST STUFF IN THE WORLD!


Chaplin is one of the masters of silent film comedy, blending humor, sentimentality and social commentary - usually channeled through his iconic Little Tramp character. I’m joined this time by writer and podcaster Mike Gordon and artist Denise Lhamon to talk all things Chaplin - the short films, the silent features, and his rocky transition into talkies. A podcast episode with a smile—and perhaps a tear.


You can find all of Mike Gordon's various endeavors (Tiki Zombie comic, Dragon Tales book, and his podcasts) at his linktree: https://linktr.ee/newlegendmike or at New Legend Productions.


Denise Lhamon's art and historical writings and art about history can be found at https://www.instagram.com/laymonsterms/





Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Simpsons The Simpsons Sat, 11 Jan 2025 21:30:38 GMT 58:10 6782e2fe7ba57787eb30de97 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/the-simpsons 6782e2fe7ba57787eb30de97 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df the-simpsons doh! full 22 We are discussing THE SIMPSONS, the long-running animated sitcom on the FOX network. I’m joined for the episode by my friend Frank Burnham and by Derek B Gayle of the Glitterjaw Podcast Collective.


The cover version of our theme song that starts the show this week is by Iron Reverb, the music project from my friend Luke MacPherson.


If you ever want to email this podcast you can contact me at gleamingpod@gmail.com.



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]]> We are discussing THE SIMPSONS, the long-running animated sitcom on the FOX network. I’m joined for the episode by my friend Frank Burnham and by Derek B Gayle of the Glitterjaw Podcast Collective.


The cover version of our theme song that starts the show this week is by Iron Reverb, the music project from my friend Luke MacPherson.


If you ever want to email this podcast you can contact me at gleamingpod@gmail.com.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Talking Hecate and Sleep No More with Careena Melia Talking Hecate and Sleep No More with Careena Melia Fri, 03 Jan 2025 19:42:52 GMT 1:36:00 67783dbc77d7a3f73ad41032 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/talking-hecate-and-sleep-no-more-with-careena-melia 67783dbc77d7a3f73ad41032 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df talking-hecate-and-sleep-no-more-with-careena-melia we know what really happened full 21 Sleep No More winds up its epic run in New York we're joined by original cast member Careena Melia (who originated the role of Hecate) to discuss her experience with the show, creating one on one scenes, the show's magical Boston run and what actually happens when you find Hecate's damn ring. Spoilers for the production abound, so proceed with caution. Screamcackle!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Sleep No More winds up its epic run in New York we're joined by original cast member Careena Melia (who originated the role of Hecate) to discuss her experience with the show, creating one on one scenes, the show's magical Boston run and what actually happens when you find Hecate's damn ring. Spoilers for the production abound, so proceed with caution. Screamcackle!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Kool Keith (with Sage Francis and Mikey B!) Kool Keith (with Sage Francis and Mikey B!) Thu, 05 Dec 2024 22:58:39 GMT 47:42 67520fd57786559917fb9aea true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/kool-keith-with-sage-francis-and-mikey-b 67520fd57786559917fb9aea 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df kool-keith-with-sage-francis-and-mikey-b full 20 We're diving deep into the eccentric and pioneering world of Kool Keith, one of the most influential and enigmatic figures in hip-hop. Keith has been around since his time in the 80s with the group ULTRAMAGNETIC MC’s and he first came to my attention for the album he released under the Doctor Octogon name in 1996, which was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. We get heavily into what’s so great about that record during the show, along with Keith’s various releases, his use of personas, and why we find him so fascinating.


I’m joined by Michael Brousseau, who some of you may know as the cohost of my other podcast GLEAMING THE TUBE, and by rapper and recording artist Sage Francis who runs the Strange Famous record label and who has released a ton of great hip-hop albums of his own. Sage, Mike and I were all doing shows at the same college radio station around the time the Doctor Octagon album came out and it was awesome getting to chat with them about our shared appreciation for Kool Keith. I hope you enjoy listening!


You can find out what Sage Francis is up to at Strange Famous Records website!



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]]> We're diving deep into the eccentric and pioneering world of Kool Keith, one of the most influential and enigmatic figures in hip-hop. Keith has been around since his time in the 80s with the group ULTRAMAGNETIC MC’s and he first came to my attention for the album he released under the Doctor Octogon name in 1996, which was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. We get heavily into what’s so great about that record during the show, along with Keith’s various releases, his use of personas, and why we find him so fascinating.


I’m joined by Michael Brousseau, who some of you may know as the cohost of my other podcast GLEAMING THE TUBE, and by rapper and recording artist Sage Francis who runs the Strange Famous record label and who has released a ton of great hip-hop albums of his own. Sage, Mike and I were all doing shows at the same college radio station around the time the Doctor Octagon album came out and it was awesome getting to chat with them about our shared appreciation for Kool Keith. I hope you enjoy listening!


You can find out what Sage Francis is up to at Strange Famous Records website!



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Dungeons & Dragons]]> Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT 40:53 6744d704507c8fc412ff1fbc true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/dungeons-dragons 6744d704507c8fc412ff1fbc 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df dungeons-dragons Roll for initiative! full 19 For this episode we’re exploring one of the most iconic and enduring games of all time: Dungeons & Dragons!


For 50 years, D&D has captivated players with its mix of imagination, strategy, and storytelling. When the game’s at its best it can function as this really fun way to do collaborative storytelling - it can seem life and death while also providing a lot of fodder for dumb jokes with your friends. It’s honestly the best game of all the games - I’d been hoping to do an episode about it since this podcast launched (hence it being referenced in the theme song my friend Mike Brousseau put together) and I was excited to be joined by my pal Gary Mitchel, who co-directs the American Sci-Fi Classics Track at Dragon Con and co-hosts the great horror podcast A PODCASK OF AMONTILLADO and writer James Palmer to talk all things D&D. Let’s roll for initiative and get into it!


Gary is the co-host of the horror podcast A PODCASK OF AMONTILLADO!


You can find James Palmer's books at https://www.jamespalmerbooks.net/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> For this episode we’re exploring one of the most iconic and enduring games of all time: Dungeons & Dragons!


For 50 years, D&D has captivated players with its mix of imagination, strategy, and storytelling. When the game’s at its best it can function as this really fun way to do collaborative storytelling - it can seem life and death while also providing a lot of fodder for dumb jokes with your friends. It’s honestly the best game of all the games - I’d been hoping to do an episode about it since this podcast launched (hence it being referenced in the theme song my friend Mike Brousseau put together) and I was excited to be joined by my pal Gary Mitchel, who co-directs the American Sci-Fi Classics Track at Dragon Con and co-hosts the great horror podcast A PODCASK OF AMONTILLADO and writer James Palmer to talk all things D&D. Let’s roll for initiative and get into it!


Gary is the co-host of the horror podcast A PODCASK OF AMONTILLADO!


You can find James Palmer's books at https://www.jamespalmerbooks.net/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari Sat, 09 Nov 2024 18:33:49 GMT 49:04 672fab0ea42e23dc4b010eb3 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari 672fab0ea42e23dc4b010eb3 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df the-cabinet-of-dr-caligari Till the break of dawn. full 18  We're discussing one of the most influential films ever made—the 1920 silent horror film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.


Directed by Robert Wiene and written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer, Caligari is a film that not only redefined the horror genre but also helped lay the groundwork for German Expressionism in cinema. It’s got twisted abstract sets, eerie visuals, and one of the first horrifying twist endings in cinema. It’s a deeply unsettling film, especially when you factor in that it was made over 100 years ago.


The plot of Caligari is that the sinister Dr. Caligari sets up a carnival sideshow attraction with a deadly secret - his sleepwalking accomplice Cesare, who carries out his murderous bidding. The film is widely considered to be the first full-length horror movie ever made and I was delighted to unpack it with two of the smartest people I know - artist Emma McDonnell and filmmaker and writer Guy Benoit. We discuss the film, the career of Conrad Veidt, German Expressionism, transformation scenes, and so much more. It's a wide-ranging discussion and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much I enjoyed engaging in it.


Emma McDonnell's artwork can be found at https://ekmcdonnell.com/



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]]>  We're discussing one of the most influential films ever made—the 1920 silent horror film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.


Directed by Robert Wiene and written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer, Caligari is a film that not only redefined the horror genre but also helped lay the groundwork for German Expressionism in cinema. It’s got twisted abstract sets, eerie visuals, and one of the first horrifying twist endings in cinema. It’s a deeply unsettling film, especially when you factor in that it was made over 100 years ago.


The plot of Caligari is that the sinister Dr. Caligari sets up a carnival sideshow attraction with a deadly secret - his sleepwalking accomplice Cesare, who carries out his murderous bidding. The film is widely considered to be the first full-length horror movie ever made and I was delighted to unpack it with two of the smartest people I know - artist Emma McDonnell and filmmaker and writer Guy Benoit. We discuss the film, the career of Conrad Veidt, German Expressionism, transformation scenes, and so much more. It's a wide-ranging discussion and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much I enjoyed engaging in it.


Emma McDonnell's artwork can be found at https://ekmcdonnell.com/



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Rocky Horror Picture Show The Rocky Horror Picture Show Sun, 27 Oct 2024 15:06:25 GMT 54:49 671c03e822be238ac9799a78 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/the-rocky-horror-picture-show 671c03e822be238ac9799a78 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df the-rocky-horror-picture-show full 17 I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey. We are talking THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW with special guest Greg Bell! Rocky Horror was originally a U.K. stage show that fused what was going on in the glam rock scene with old science fiction b-movies. The show was written by Richard O’Brien and was enough of a stage success that it was then adapted into what’s probably the most successful cult movie of all time - midnight showings have been running somewhere every weekend since the late 70s and there’s a robust fan culture around the whole thing. "Shadowcasts" dress up like the characters and act out the movie in front of the screen while the audience shouts out what’s become an evolving dialogue with the film in the form of callbacks. There are props and dancing and and people running around in their underwear and dirty jokes and it's a whole lot of fun.


Greg discusses his long tenure in the fan culture, what has changed about the experience over the years, and where he sees things going as Rocky prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary as a film. Naturally, it wouldn't be an episode about Rocky Horror without several shout-outs to our mutual friend Arthur Levesque,too. So get your squirt guns and your toast and your cell phone flashlights (lighters aren't allowed anymore) as we head over to the Frankenstein place. It's just a jump to the left.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey. We are talking THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW with special guest Greg Bell! Rocky Horror was originally a U.K. stage show that fused what was going on in the glam rock scene with old science fiction b-movies. The show was written by Richard O’Brien and was enough of a stage success that it was then adapted into what’s probably the most successful cult movie of all time - midnight showings have been running somewhere every weekend since the late 70s and there’s a robust fan culture around the whole thing. "Shadowcasts" dress up like the characters and act out the movie in front of the screen while the audience shouts out what’s become an evolving dialogue with the film in the form of callbacks. There are props and dancing and and people running around in their underwear and dirty jokes and it's a whole lot of fun.


Greg discusses his long tenure in the fan culture, what has changed about the experience over the years, and where he sees things going as Rocky prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary as a film. Naturally, it wouldn't be an episode about Rocky Horror without several shout-outs to our mutual friend Arthur Levesque,too. So get your squirt guns and your toast and your cell phone flashlights (lighters aren't allowed anymore) as we head over to the Frankenstein place. It's just a jump to the left.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> FANTASMAGORIANA (with Cash the Composer) FANTASMAGORIANA (with Cash the Composer) Fri, 25 Oct 2024 23:00:00 GMT 44:47 671bc75c22be238ac96d0798 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/fantasmagoriana-with-cash-the-composer 671bc75c22be238ac96d0798 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df fantasmagoriana-with-cash-the-composer Immersive musical about the creation of Frankenstein full 16 We're joined by Cash the Composer to talk about their new immersive/interactive musical Fantasmagoriana! What’s Fantasmagoriana about? In the summer of 1816, at the Villa Diodati, Lord Byron, his personal physician John Polidori, his friend Percy Shelley, Shelley's fiancée Mary Godwin, their infant son William, and Godwin's stepsister Claire Clairmont, gather together on holiday. After a drunken night of exchanging ghost stories, Lord Byron challenges his contemporaries to write their own. And indeed, throughout a flurry of love and betrayal, sleepless nights and near death experiences, duels and an unending storm, every person in attendance walks away with their own ghost. Some, a great story, the likes of the Vampyre and Frankenstein. Others, the untimely deaths of their loved ones, or the specter of their own end.


We discuss the show, the inspirations behind it, accessibility issues in immersive theater, Sondheim and - naturally - whether or not Mary Shelley would have liked Rocky Horror.


You can get tickets to Fantasmagoriana at Cash's website: https://cashcomposer.dudaone.com/fantasmagoriana

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We're joined by Cash the Composer to talk about their new immersive/interactive musical Fantasmagoriana! What’s Fantasmagoriana about? In the summer of 1816, at the Villa Diodati, Lord Byron, his personal physician John Polidori, his friend Percy Shelley, Shelley's fiancée Mary Godwin, their infant son William, and Godwin's stepsister Claire Clairmont, gather together on holiday. After a drunken night of exchanging ghost stories, Lord Byron challenges his contemporaries to write their own. And indeed, throughout a flurry of love and betrayal, sleepless nights and near death experiences, duels and an unending storm, every person in attendance walks away with their own ghost. Some, a great story, the likes of the Vampyre and Frankenstein. Others, the untimely deaths of their loved ones, or the specter of their own end.


We discuss the show, the inspirations behind it, accessibility issues in immersive theater, Sondheim and - naturally - whether or not Mary Shelley would have liked Rocky Horror.


You can get tickets to Fantasmagoriana at Cash's website: https://cashcomposer.dudaone.com/fantasmagoriana

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]]> Doctor Who Doctor Who Sat, 19 Oct 2024 20:36:47 GMT 1:05:53 6714183dbcdb5585a3130925 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/doctor-who 6714183dbcdb5585a3130925 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df doctor-who bigger on the inside full 15 Doctor Who first aired on November 23, 1963, making its debut on BBC One. Initially conceived as a children’s show with educational elements, it quickly evolved into a groundbreaking science fiction series that captivated audiences of all ages. The story revolves around the Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who travels through time and space in the TARDIS, a time machine that looks like a British police box on the outside but is much larger on the inside.


Over the years, the Doctor has been portrayed by a variety of actors, thanks to the unique ability of Time Lords to regenerate into new forms. This concept has allowed the show to reinvent itself while maintaining a core sense of continuity. The series was originally canceled in 1989 but it never really went away - there were books and a tv movie in the 1990s and then the show returned in 2005. It had always had a cult following in the US but the new series really seemed to strike a chord in the fandom. I liked the show as a kid and think the 2005 revival is a lot of fun, too, and I was excited to talk to two of the biggest Doctor Who enthusiasts I know for this episode, writer and musician Andre Salles and the Mayor of Chickentwon herself, Felicity Kusinitz from The Flopcast!


You can find Andre's music at andresalles.bandcamp.com


You can find Andre's music blog at tm3am.com


Felicity is affiliated with great podcast The Flopcast!

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]]> Doctor Who first aired on November 23, 1963, making its debut on BBC One. Initially conceived as a children’s show with educational elements, it quickly evolved into a groundbreaking science fiction series that captivated audiences of all ages. The story revolves around the Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who travels through time and space in the TARDIS, a time machine that looks like a British police box on the outside but is much larger on the inside.


Over the years, the Doctor has been portrayed by a variety of actors, thanks to the unique ability of Time Lords to regenerate into new forms. This concept has allowed the show to reinvent itself while maintaining a core sense of continuity. The series was originally canceled in 1989 but it never really went away - there were books and a tv movie in the 1990s and then the show returned in 2005. It had always had a cult following in the US but the new series really seemed to strike a chord in the fandom. I liked the show as a kid and think the 2005 revival is a lot of fun, too, and I was excited to talk to two of the biggest Doctor Who enthusiasts I know for this episode, writer and musician Andre Salles and the Mayor of Chickentwon herself, Felicity Kusinitz from The Flopcast!


You can find Andre's music at andresalles.bandcamp.com


You can find Andre's music blog at tm3am.com


Felicity is affiliated with great podcast The Flopcast!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Daemonologie: Signals & Sirens (with Carly Dwyer and Tristan Reynolds)]]> Wed, 09 Oct 2024 18:58:34 GMT 1:05:51 6706d25a47b414d1546eb3eb true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/daemonologie-signals-sirens-with-carly-dwyer-and-tristan-rey 6706d25a47b414d1546eb3eb 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df daemonologie-signals-sirens-with-carly-dwyer-and-tristan-rey full 14 We're talking with Carly Dwyer and Tristan Reynolds from Intramersive Productions about their upcoming show DAEMONOLOGIE, SIGNALS AND SIRENGS!


Daemonologie is an interactive, open-world theater anthology that explores the intersections of gender, social change, and the supernatural. The series encourages audiences to engage with the events around them, and the audience determines the ending, so no two shows are the same. I saw their first Daemonologie show, Oakham, in 2017 at the Pioneer Village in Salem and Carly, Tristan and I discuss that show and the subsequent shows in the cycle, which take place in different periods of American history and usually have the conceit that supernatural occurrences are real.


Daemonologie: Signals & Sirens will take place at The House of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA from October 24–28 and November 1–2 at 7:30 PM. The show is set in 1952 and asks the question, "When something calls to you from the darkest depths, how will you answer?".  I haven’t seen the new show yet but I’m excited to see what they’ve what cooking.


You can purchase tickets to the show here: Daemonologie Signals & Sirens



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]]> We're talking with Carly Dwyer and Tristan Reynolds from Intramersive Productions about their upcoming show DAEMONOLOGIE, SIGNALS AND SIRENGS!


Daemonologie is an interactive, open-world theater anthology that explores the intersections of gender, social change, and the supernatural. The series encourages audiences to engage with the events around them, and the audience determines the ending, so no two shows are the same. I saw their first Daemonologie show, Oakham, in 2017 at the Pioneer Village in Salem and Carly, Tristan and I discuss that show and the subsequent shows in the cycle, which take place in different periods of American history and usually have the conceit that supernatural occurrences are real.


Daemonologie: Signals & Sirens will take place at The House of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA from October 24–28 and November 1–2 at 7:30 PM. The show is set in 1952 and asks the question, "When something calls to you from the darkest depths, how will you answer?".  I haven’t seen the new show yet but I’m excited to see what they’ve what cooking.


You can purchase tickets to the show here: Daemonologie Signals & Sirens



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]]> <![CDATA[MTV's 120 Minutes]]> Wed, 07 Aug 2024 21:10:29 GMT 50:06 66b3d852ec20c36e8e227a71 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/mtvs-120-minutes 66b3d852ec20c36e8e227a71 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df mtvs-120-minutes just like heaven full 13 120 Minutes was an alternative music show that aired on MTV on Sunday nights from Midnight to 2am, playing some of the formative acts of the day (The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Smiths), introducing us to exciting new bands, and - particularly in the years before Nirvana hit big with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - acting as an oasis for those of us interested in music that sat slightly outside of the mainstream. I'm joined by Amy Chandler and Terri Harrington to discuss the show but we also talk about the alternative music scene of the time more generally - the bands and shows we loved. We also bring up the Atlanta pop culture convention Dragon Con, which is coming up Labor Day weekend and which all three of us will be at in various capacities. I think this episode is a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy it as well.



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]]> 120 Minutes was an alternative music show that aired on MTV on Sunday nights from Midnight to 2am, playing some of the formative acts of the day (The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Smiths), introducing us to exciting new bands, and - particularly in the years before Nirvana hit big with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - acting as an oasis for those of us interested in music that sat slightly outside of the mainstream. I'm joined by Amy Chandler and Terri Harrington to discuss the show but we also talk about the alternative music scene of the time more generally - the bands and shows we loved. We also bring up the Atlanta pop culture convention Dragon Con, which is coming up Labor Day weekend and which all three of us will be at in various capacities. I think this episode is a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy it as well.



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]]> <![CDATA[Chris Claremont's X-Men Run (1975-1991) - PART TWO OF TWO]]> Sat, 27 Jul 2024 02:52:40 GMT 39:30 66a460f930d20f0a5f043f76 false https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/chris-claremonts-x-men-run-1975-1991-part-two-of-two 66a460f930d20f0a5f043f76 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df chris-claremonts-x-men-run-1975-1991-part-two-of-two bamf full 12 Kevin is joined by Shaun Rosado (of Popcycled Baubles) to continue their discussion of Chris Claremont's epic run as writer of The Uncanny X-Men! Picking up where we left off in the previous installment, the two discuss The Asgardian Wars, the Wolverine mini-series with Frank Miller, the arrival of artist Jim Lee, the Brood, Magneto, Kitty's Fairy Tale and, of course, that one weird issue where Colossus dumps Kitty and then gets into a bar brawl with the Juggernaut!


It's all the pulse pounding action you could hope for when two middle-aged men get together to chat about funnybooks that came out around 30 years ago!

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]]> Kevin is joined by Shaun Rosado (of Popcycled Baubles) to continue their discussion of Chris Claremont's epic run as writer of The Uncanny X-Men! Picking up where we left off in the previous installment, the two discuss The Asgardian Wars, the Wolverine mini-series with Frank Miller, the arrival of artist Jim Lee, the Brood, Magneto, Kitty's Fairy Tale and, of course, that one weird issue where Colossus dumps Kitty and then gets into a bar brawl with the Juggernaut!


It's all the pulse pounding action you could hope for when two middle-aged men get together to chat about funnybooks that came out around 30 years ago!

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]]> <![CDATA[Chris Claremont's X-Men Run (1975-1991) - PART ONE OF TWO]]> Fri, 19 Jul 2024 20:51:04 GMT 44:29 669ad1b96a2f3a594d44ddd2 false https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/chris-claremonts-x-men-run-1975-1991-part-one-of-two 669ad1b96a2f3a594d44ddd2 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df chris-claremonts-x-men-run-1975-1991-part-one-of-two snikt full 11 Popcycled Baubles) to discuss Chris Claremont's seminal run as writer of the Uncanny X-Men comic book from 1975-1991. Claremont did come back a few times after that but we limit our discussion to that initial run and its ancillary titles, which is a good thing because we talked so long that I felt I had to split this episode into two parts rather than stick you all with a two-hour podcast about comic books that came out over 40 years ago. We get into the many reasons why during the episode but I cannot overstate how much I loved these X-Men comics - Claremont excelled at soap opera style storytelling with characters you genuinely cared about. The X-Men were outcasts who were hated and feared by a world they were sworn to protect and I think that a lot of people who felt like outcasts (for whatever reason) at the time found something to connect with in this work.

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]]> Popcycled Baubles) to discuss Chris Claremont's seminal run as writer of the Uncanny X-Men comic book from 1975-1991. Claremont did come back a few times after that but we limit our discussion to that initial run and its ancillary titles, which is a good thing because we talked so long that I felt I had to split this episode into two parts rather than stick you all with a two-hour podcast about comic books that came out over 40 years ago. We get into the many reasons why during the episode but I cannot overstate how much I loved these X-Men comics - Claremont excelled at soap opera style storytelling with characters you genuinely cared about. The X-Men were outcasts who were hated and feared by a world they were sworn to protect and I think that a lot of people who felt like outcasts (for whatever reason) at the time found something to connect with in this work.

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]]> Bloom County Bloom County Thu, 11 Jul 2024 03:48:43 GMT 47:32 668f561b4c313dd1084ecfc9 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/bloom-county 668f561b4c313dd1084ecfc9 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df bloom-county banana walrus wafers full 10 Bloom County is a newspaper comic strip by Berke Breathed that originally ran from 1980 to 1989. (It returned with new strips in 2015.) The comic and its characters Bill the Cat, Steve Dallas, Opus the Penguin and many others would satirize politics, culture and the comics page itself. Like Peanuts the strip had children with adult vocabularies and personalities who interacted with animals but unlike Peanuts the child characters would regularly interact with adults and the animals would usually talk back. Peanuts also never had a character recite a poem about former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger.


Joining Kevin to discuss the strip are Michael Brousseau from the skateboard movie podcast Gleaming the Tube and Ann Gav from the Eurovision zine Dudepoints. 79 cents may be too much to pay for banana walrus wafers but this episode of THE BEST STUFF IN THE WORLD is free! Enjoy!

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]]> Bloom County is a newspaper comic strip by Berke Breathed that originally ran from 1980 to 1989. (It returned with new strips in 2015.) The comic and its characters Bill the Cat, Steve Dallas, Opus the Penguin and many others would satirize politics, culture and the comics page itself. Like Peanuts the strip had children with adult vocabularies and personalities who interacted with animals but unlike Peanuts the child characters would regularly interact with adults and the animals would usually talk back. Peanuts also never had a character recite a poem about former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger.


Joining Kevin to discuss the strip are Michael Brousseau from the skateboard movie podcast Gleaming the Tube and Ann Gav from the Eurovision zine Dudepoints. 79 cents may be too much to pay for banana walrus wafers but this episode of THE BEST STUFF IN THE WORLD is free! Enjoy!

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]]> Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn Thu, 20 Jun 2024 02:26:33 GMT 43:21 66739359dc8bd7c6874741b2 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/evil-dead-2-dead-by-dawn 66739359dc8bd7c6874741b2 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df evil-dead-2-dead-by-dawn Groovy full 9 Kevin is joined by filmmaker David Bettencourt and film superfan Bryan Murray to discuss Sam Raimi's 1987 horror/comedy classic Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn!


Evil Dead 2, which stars the great Bruce Campbell, is credited with inventing a new film genre - splatstick, which combines physical humor reminiscent of The Three Stooges with the extreme gore that was gaining popularity in the 80s with splatter and slasher films. It's also a monstrously original piece of filmmaking - Raimi's camera is always doing interesting things and it elevates what's ostensibly a cheap exploitation film to arguably one of the greatest films ever made. It's funny, it's scary, it's violent, and, yes, it's groovy.


You can find David Bettencourt's films on his YouTube Channel!

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]]> Kevin is joined by filmmaker David Bettencourt and film superfan Bryan Murray to discuss Sam Raimi's 1987 horror/comedy classic Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn!


Evil Dead 2, which stars the great Bruce Campbell, is credited with inventing a new film genre - splatstick, which combines physical humor reminiscent of The Three Stooges with the extreme gore that was gaining popularity in the 80s with splatter and slasher films. It's also a monstrously original piece of filmmaking - Raimi's camera is always doing interesting things and it elevates what's ostensibly a cheap exploitation film to arguably one of the greatest films ever made. It's funny, it's scary, it's violent, and, yes, it's groovy.


You can find David Bettencourt's films on his YouTube Channel!

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]]> GI JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO GI JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO Wed, 05 Jun 2024 22:25:02 GMT 55:11 6660e5bf39a32000124d4a6b true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/gi-joe-a-real-american-hero 6660e5bf39a32000124d4a6b 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df gi-joe-a-real-american-hero Yo Joe! full 8 A Podcask of Amontillado and co-director of Dragon Con's American Sci-Fi Classics Track, to discuss it all. Well, everything except those terrible movies from the 2000s, which we did talk about but then got edited out for time. Spoiler alert: they aren't very good. Now you know. And knowing is... well, you get the idea.

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]]> A Podcask of Amontillado and co-director of Dragon Con's American Sci-Fi Classics Track, to discuss it all. Well, everything except those terrible movies from the 2000s, which we did talk about but then got edited out for time. Spoiler alert: they aren't very good. Now you know. And knowing is... well, you get the idea.

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]]> Sarah Records (with Jane Duffus) Sarah Records (with Jane Duffus) Wed, 29 May 2024 19:50:38 GMT 51:06 6657870f64696e001252e362 false https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/sarah-record-with-jane-duffus 6657870f64696e001252e362 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df sarah-record-with-jane-duffus And when you smile you paint my whole world in full 7 Kevin is joined by author Jane Duffus to talk all things regarding the Sarah Records label. Jane's new book, These Things Happen: The Sarah Records Story, tells the story of the record label, the bands who released music on it, and the people and culture who were affected by it. Sarah was started in 1987 by Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes in Bristol (United Kingdom) - they put out 100 releases, mostly records but occasionally a release would be a fanzine or (for their 50th release) a board game. The label deliberately ceased operations with a big party, a manifesto, and a final compilation album called There And Back Again Lane. Sarah releases were often maligned in the British music press for being twee or wimpy but their steadfast refusal to bow to the prevailing trends always made them seem all the more punk to me. Jane has a wealth of knowledge and insight about the label from both putting together her book and her own experience as a teenage fan of the label.


You can order Jane's book through her website or in the U.S. through Rough Trade.

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]]> Kevin is joined by author Jane Duffus to talk all things regarding the Sarah Records label. Jane's new book, These Things Happen: The Sarah Records Story, tells the story of the record label, the bands who released music on it, and the people and culture who were affected by it. Sarah was started in 1987 by Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes in Bristol (United Kingdom) - they put out 100 releases, mostly records but occasionally a release would be a fanzine or (for their 50th release) a board game. The label deliberately ceased operations with a big party, a manifesto, and a final compilation album called There And Back Again Lane. Sarah releases were often maligned in the British music press for being twee or wimpy but their steadfast refusal to bow to the prevailing trends always made them seem all the more punk to me. Jane has a wealth of knowledge and insight about the label from both putting together her book and her own experience as a teenage fan of the label.


You can order Jane's book through her website or in the U.S. through Rough Trade.

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]]> Ramones! Ramones! Mon, 20 May 2024 19:38:28 GMT 48:24 664ba6b4955b4a0012da232b false https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/ramones 664ba6b4955b4a0012da232b 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df ramones Gabba Gabba Hey full 6

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]]>

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]]> Infocom Text Adventure Games Infocom Text Adventure Games Mon, 13 May 2024 19:57:45 GMT 44:04 664270b91d878a0012c77c21 false https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/infocom-text-adventure-games 664270b91d878a0012c77c21 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df infocom-text-adventure-games You are likely to be eaten by a grue. full 5 Infocom was a software company founded in 1979 who released a series of graphics-free text adventure games, which came to be known as Interactive Fiction. Notable Infocom releases were the Zork series, Planetfall, Infidel, Deadline, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (which we discussed a little bit in our previous installment), Trinity and A Mind Forever Voyaging. You'd interact with the game by typing in commands such as "Walk up stairs", "Go West", or "Pick up the Thing Your Aunt Gave You Which You Don't Know What It Is" and try to solve the various puzzles and mazes presented to you.


At their best the games genuinely felt like you were interacting with a book, expanding the Choose Your Own Adventure Model to what felt like infinite possibilities. Joining the show to discuss Infocom are Felicity Kusinitz ("The Mayor of Chickentown" from The Flopcast) and Ryan Evans from the Reading Graphic Novels comic book discussion series.


Other sites mentioned:


The Digital Antiquarian

Gold Machine

Infocom: The Documentary

Infocom's Unreleased Sequel to Hitchhiker's Guide

The Infocom Cabinet on The Internet Archive

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]]> Infocom was a software company founded in 1979 who released a series of graphics-free text adventure games, which came to be known as Interactive Fiction. Notable Infocom releases were the Zork series, Planetfall, Infidel, Deadline, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (which we discussed a little bit in our previous installment), Trinity and A Mind Forever Voyaging. You'd interact with the game by typing in commands such as "Walk up stairs", "Go West", or "Pick up the Thing Your Aunt Gave You Which You Don't Know What It Is" and try to solve the various puzzles and mazes presented to you.


At their best the games genuinely felt like you were interacting with a book, expanding the Choose Your Own Adventure Model to what felt like infinite possibilities. Joining the show to discuss Infocom are Felicity Kusinitz ("The Mayor of Chickentown" from The Flopcast) and Ryan Evans from the Reading Graphic Novels comic book discussion series.


Other sites mentioned:


The Digital Antiquarian

Gold Machine

Infocom: The Documentary

Infocom's Unreleased Sequel to Hitchhiker's Guide

The Infocom Cabinet on The Internet Archive

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]]> <![CDATA[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]> Fri, 03 May 2024 20:25:27 GMT 56:49 663548382c27a30012a8da95 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy 663548382c27a30012a8da95 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df the-hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy full 4 Kevin is joined by writer and musician Andre Salles and Amber Lee from the Queer in Cyber podcast to discuss The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - the radio shows, the books, the stage adaptation, the tv series, the film, the computer game and the towels. Every facet of Douglas Adams' infinitely improbable comedy science fiction franchise is tackled by our intrepid panelists. Don't panic!


Andre's albums can be found here: https://andresalles.bandcamp.com/music


You can also find Andre's music blog here: https://tm3am.com/


Be sure and check out Amber's podcast! Queer in Cyber is a cyber business podcast that features LGBTQI+ cybersecurity professionals.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Kevin is joined by writer and musician Andre Salles and Amber Lee from the Queer in Cyber podcast to discuss The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - the radio shows, the books, the stage adaptation, the tv series, the film, the computer game and the towels. Every facet of Douglas Adams' infinitely improbable comedy science fiction franchise is tackled by our intrepid panelists. Don't panic!


Andre's albums can be found here: https://andresalles.bandcamp.com/music


You can also find Andre's music blog here: https://tm3am.com/


Be sure and check out Amber's podcast! Queer in Cyber is a cyber business podcast that features LGBTQI+ cybersecurity professionals.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Watchmen Watchmen Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:12:21 GMT 1:05:07 66269a75b0984b0012fd9551 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/watchmen 66269a75b0984b0012fd9551 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df watchmen Hurm. full 3 This time out we're discussing Watchmen, the 12 issue comic book maxi-series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Watchmen is widely regarded as one of the great achievements of the comic book medium and, like a lot of people, it totally blew my mind the first time I read it. I'm joined by Kevin Eldridge of The Flopcast to discuss the comic, its influence, its themes, its characters, various adaptations, and why it's one of the greatest superhero stories ever told.


Be sure to check out Kevin Eldridge's podcast, The Flopcast!

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]]> This time out we're discussing Watchmen, the 12 issue comic book maxi-series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Watchmen is widely regarded as one of the great achievements of the comic book medium and, like a lot of people, it totally blew my mind the first time I read it. I'm joined by Kevin Eldridge of The Flopcast to discuss the comic, its influence, its themes, its characters, various adaptations, and why it's one of the greatest superhero stories ever told.


Be sure to check out Kevin Eldridge's podcast, The Flopcast!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Sleep No More (with Kelly Bartnik) Sleep No More (with Kelly Bartnik) Fri, 22 Mar 2024 18:45:13 GMT 1:10:33 65fdd1b93402060016d8ed05 true https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/sleep-no-more-with-kelly-bartnik 65fdd1b93402060016d8ed05 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df sleep-no-more-with-kelly-bartnik Original Sleep No More cast member Kelly Bartnik full 2

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]]>

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]]> <![CDATA[A Hard Day's Night]]> Sat, 16 Mar 2024 01:06:20 GMT 46:50 65f4f08d78cf73001739581b false https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/a-hard-days-night 65f4f08d78cf73001739581b 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df a-hard-days-night full 1 A Hard Day's Night, the first film by the Beatles.

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]]> A Hard Day's Night, the first film by the Beatles.

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]]> Welcome to The Best Stuff In The World Welcome to The Best Stuff In The World Sat, 03 Feb 2024 21:21:15 GMT 4:02 65beae4c7d8839001733dcac false https://shows.acast.com/the-best-stuff-in-the-world/episodes/welcome-to-the-best-stuff-in-the-world 65beae4c7d8839001733dcac 65beadb4f0e6d100173ec7df welcome-to-the-best-stuff-in-the-world An Introduction trailer

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]]>

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]]>