No Story Is Sacred

In this episode we discuss the 2024 film Saturday Night. You can stream it on Netflix, or rent it on Amazon or Apple. Content warnings for strong language, fictionalized stories about still-living people, suspected AI bullshit summary, significant references to 70s-level drug use and purchases, references to early deaths of SNL cast members, Kat and Brendan’s complicated dance of dueling entertainment degrees, librarians being wrong, and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Lorne Michaels impersonations We reference or spoil: New Girl, ludonarrative consonance, Pepe Silvia (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), WPI‘s Interactive Media and Game Design program, Carnegie Mellon University‘s Entertainment Technology Center program, interest curves in game design, Magic and Showmanship by Henning Nelms, Memoirscape, IndieCade, Sam Reich (Dropout/Game Changer), the Not Ready for Prime Time Players, Muppets, Lorne Michaels and his role in current late night, home base (SNL), Saturday Night True Story: Why Was Milton Berle Banned From SNL?, Jim Belushi’s sketch form the 50th anniversary, Andy Kaufman’s Mighty Mouse routine, Ghostbusters, Dan Ackroyd’s vodka, comparison video between original cast auditions and movie cast, Defunctland’s “Disney’s Animatronics: A Living History”, polyamory, queer-platonic relationships, Arrested Development, Jon Baptiste’s soundtrack and audio design, Stranger Things, The Twilight Zone, and Black Mirror Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater. Kat also has a new short story out: “How to Win Against the Robots” on Lightspeed! Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com. The post Episode 133: Saturday Night first appeared on No Story Is Sacred.

In this episode we hung out in the same room on the Saturday night of Readercon back in July! Content warnings for strong language and clinking glasses We reference or spoil: It Follows, Shirley Jackson Awards, Disclave, monster cereals, Hello From the Magic Tavern, Cocktail, Flaming Moe (The Simpsons), “AI: The Good Parts” (Readercon 33), “DDOS” (Readercon 32), Clarkesworld (blog post about spam submissions), Codecrafters, “First there was SkyKnit. Now there’s HAT3000“, CARP robot, What are AI chatbots actually doing when they ‘hallucinate’? Here’s why experts don’t like the term, Homer fading meme, Grandpa leaving meme, “AI: The Bad Parts” (Readercon 33), Bad Blood, The Circle of Magic, Jurassic Park, “Action Scenes” panel (Readercon 33), “I Don’t Know Why I’m On This Panel” (Readercon 33), “Responses to Omelas” (Readercon 33), “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula K. LeGuin, Strange New Worlds episode “Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach”, “Why Don’t We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole” by Isabel J. Kim, “Live Narration” (Readercon 33), John Mulaney “horse loose in the hospital“, The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (as read by Danielle Cohen), Star Trek Discovery, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto, “They’re Made Out of Corn“, “They’re Made Out of Meat” by Terry Bisson, “DEMON FIGHTER SUCKS” by Katherine Crighton, “Archaeology in Reality and Speculative Fiction” (Readercon 33), “What to Do With Your 15 Minutes of Fame” (Readercon 33), Viable Paradise, Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Mitchell and Webb “Rebecca” sketch, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Odds Bodkin’s The Odyssey, Hades II, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, Dracula by Bram Stoker, The City of Laughter by Temim Fruchter, Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, The Rake and Reformer by Mary Jo Putney, Thunder and Roses by Mary Jo Putney, “sweet” romances, Brian David Gilbert’s “I wasted 3 weeks of my life finding Castlevania’s hottest monster“, “Battle of the Academy” (Readercon 33) Brendan is performing improv with his group Select Start at the Arcade Comedy Theater! Keep up with Kat on their website! Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode we chat up and talk about what we’ve been reading and watching recently. Content warnings for strong language. We reference or spoil: Worcester Polytechnical Institute‘s IMGD program, The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell, No Story is Sacred episode “Writ of Attachment”, Taylor Swift, Swifties, Select Start instagram and Eras tour ad pics, Neil Gaiman‘s bluesky verification how-to, Travis Kelce, Jason Kelce, New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, Reacher (tv), Rob Liefield’s Captain America, Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald Mageworlds series, Bullet Train (movie), Desperado, Shrek Bad Bunny SNL sketch, Mr and Mrs Smith (tv), Star Trek television universe (particularly Strange New Worlds, Discovery, The Original Series episode “Conscience of the King“, and Voyager episodes “Tuvix“, “The Thaw“, “Bride of Chaotica“, “Learning Curve“, “Macrocosm“, “Fair Haven“, and “Threshold“), Marvel Cinematic Universe (particularly Loki and WandaVision), Once Upon a Time, Lucifer (tv), Folger’s home for the holidays commercial, AO3 (Archive of Our Own), George Santos baby news, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, Hhbomberguy’s “Plagiarism and You(tube)”, Hbomberguy’s “Vaccines and Autism: A Measured Response”, Brian Deer’s The Doctor Who Fooled the World, 1600s household manuals, Libertarian Walks into a Bear, BBC production Going Postal, No Story is Sacred space ace detective episodes (“A Body in the Void”, “The Orphaned Light”, “A Night in the Orbital Museum”, and “Dead Man’s Hand”) Brendan is performing improv with his group Select Start at the Arcade Comedy Theater.  Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode we discuss the fake show Blow the Man Down. Content warnings for strong language, unreality (episode focuses on creation/discussion of media in an alternate reality), and references to child death (historical pirate John King). We reference or spoil: Our Flag Means Death seasons 1 and 2, No Story Is Sacred episode “Our Flag Means Death”, Blow the Man Down (television show referenced as part of alternate reality game of the same name; link goes to an “official” season 2 trailer), Javid Denkins (tumblr account), Stede Bonnet, Edward Teach, Olivier Lavasseur, Sam Bellamy, the golden age of piracy, Snapewives, What We Do In the Shadows (tv show), NSIS: “Wheel of Tropes”, Rule of Three, one of the BTMD rat memes, alternate reality game (ARG), a photograph of the TV Guide from the alternate reality where BTMD exists, “Blow the Man Down” (alternate universe Our Flag Means Death fanfic), tumblr user turq8‘s spreadsheet of collected BTMD information, “blow the man down / btmd” fanfiction collection on Archive of Our Own, NSIS: “Oracle@Sci-Fi”, Zheng Yi Sao, Goody Hallet (Witch of Wellfleet), “Witch of the Westmoreland” by Stan Rogers, The Haunting of Bly Manor, What We Do In the Shadows (movie), the Whydah Gally pirate wreck, Save the Cat, Kick the Dog, Leslie Fish‘s “Banned from Argo“, Doctor Who, X/1999, Wreck-It Ralph, pirate plot generator, crossing the line ceremonies, Javid Denkins interview, man-vs-man / man-vs-self / man-vs-nature arguments, rat kings, Charles Dickens‘s Oliver Twist, Anachronistic Orphanage, TV Tropes, Tough Guide to Fantasyland, bishie sparkle, sex pollen, William Shakespeare‘s Hamlet, WandaVision, Ship of Theseus, A Fish Called Wanda, The Prestige, NSIS: “A Body in the Void”, NSIS: “My Best Frenemy”, NSIS: “Prestibitchitation” Kat’s teaching writing again this fall; find out more on their website. They’ll also be presenting at Fan Studies North America in October. Brendan is performing improv with his group Select Start at the Arcade Comedy Theater.  Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

After a long hiatus that we totally planned and wasn’t us failing to successfully arrange the schedules of four adults with lives, we return with an episode discussing an original story idea by Alex! Another in his series of Space Ace Detective stories. Content warnings for strong language, bad casino puns, a passing reference to grief, bad New England accents, and us loudly talking about how we’re in season two now and that’s why we were on such a long hiatus. We reference or spoil: No Story is Sacred episode “George of the Jungle”, Tarzan, general heist tropes, “Shots!” by LMAFO, “Banned from Argo” by Leslie Fish, No Story is Sacred episode “A Body in the Void”, Prosopagnosia, No Story is Sacred episode “Presibitchitation”, 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, Superfight, No Story is Sacred episode “The Orphaned Light”, Mystic Seaport, No Story is Sacred episode “Night at the Orbital Museum”, Max Headroom, “Sometime Around Midnight” by The Airborne Toxic Event, The Emu War, Kathy Bates, Kathryn Hahn, Saw, 2001: A Space Odyssey, ChatGPT, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Rec, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Sailor Moon, The three-body problem (math), The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin, two body problem, Good Will Hunting, Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty, play fair mystery, Ocean’s Eleven, Steven Soderbergh, Cowboy Bebop, Penn and Teller, electromagnetic pulse, The Magic Castle, hand of glory, Professor Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes, and Readercon. Kat’s teaching writing again this fall; find out more on their website.  Brendan is performing improv with his group Select Start at the Arcade Comedy Theater.  Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode we discuss the 1997 film George of the Jungle. You can stream it on Disney+, or rent it on Amazon or YouTube. Content warnings for strong language, discussion of abusive relationships, unhealthy eating, toxic masculinity, randomly insulting the name “Brandon”, and Pippin insisting that George is her babygirl We reference or spoil: the Tarzan books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Jane Goodall, parody movies such as Epic Movie, capuchin monkey, Into the Woods, Brendan Fraser, Hugh Jackman, how Hugh Jackman is presented on men vs. women’s magazines, Disney’s Tarzan, the idea of Disney priming audiences for upcoming movies before they’re announced,  “Dela” by Johnny Clegg, Armani clothes, Clueless, Air Jordans, The Lion King, “My Way” song, Jonah Hill’s advice to Channing Tatum about how to act in a comedy, “The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze” song, Eat, Pray, Love, Nicholas Sparks, and the Star Trek episodes “Ship in a Bottle”, “Wolf in the Fold”, and “A Piece of the Action” Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater. Also, we’ll all be at Boskone 60 this month! Come say hi if you’ll be there! Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode we discuss the 2001 film Ocean’s Eleven. You can rent it from Amazon, YouTube, or iTunes. Content warnings for strong language, casual crime, discussions of the patriarchy, being mean to Kat right off the bat, and Kat taking that as a challenge We reference or spoil: Ocean’s 11 (1960), Bernie Mac, cockney rhyming slang, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Elvis music (specifically “A Little Less Conversation”), X-Files episode “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space”, Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill, Party of Five, That 70’s Show, That 90’s Show, That 80’s Show, Pacific Rim, Friends, The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, Glass Onion, Grand Theft Auto, Persona 5, ADHD, “Sexy Lamp” test, John Mulaney’s Ocean’s Eleven bit, She’s All That, “You construct intricate rituals which allow you to touch the skin of other men”, “The ‘Feminized Society’ Myth”, Our Flag Means Death, Taskmaster New Zealand “best stolen thing”, Leverage, tarot, Dune by Frank Herbert, Critical Role, No Story is Sacred episode “A Space Heist”, NSIS episode “A Body in the Void”, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Terry Pratchett’s Making Money and Hogfather, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Ocean’s Eight, and The Muppets Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater. Also, we’ll all be at Boskone 60 this month! Come say hi if you’ll be there! Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode we discuss the upcoming video game The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Content warnings for strong language, mentions of borderline beastiality (between a human and a humanoid fish), time travel, and theorizing with absolutely no information. We reference or spoil: The Legend of Zelda franchise as a whole, Howl’s Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky, Princess Mononoke, Angel the Series episode “Dead End”, Steven Universe “Here Comes a Thought”, Mobile Fighter G Gundam, the ouroboros, The Princess Bride, The Shape of Water, Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode “Once More with Feeling”, and Ancient Aliens Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater. Knight’s Wyrd by our parents Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald comes out August 22rd. Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode we once again play a game of our own devising called “Wheel of Tropes.” We use random TV Tropes, entries from Diana Wynne Jones‘s The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, a tarot card deck, and crayon colors.  Content warnings for strong language, references to eugenics, too many references to “eyes”, and Kat steamrolling over everyone because they’re being precious about their process. We reference or spoil: blorbos from our shows, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Firefly, Tenacious D, The Muppets (2011), Star Trek, Stephen King‘s Carrie, “Dungeon Worm” Yu-Gi-Oh! card, Dune, Beetlejuice, Tremors, Holes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Arthurian legend, Wheel of Tropes 6, Trope: Psychic Powers, “Burst Breath” Yu-Gi-Oh! card, the loneliest whale in the world, John Mulaney’s Kid Gorgeous, “A Bowl of Mac and Cheese“, and Edward Gorey‘s The Unstrung Harp: Or, Mr Earbrass Writes a Novel Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater.  Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode we discuss the 2020 film Wonder Woman 1984. You can stream it on HBO Max or rent it from Amazon or YouTube. Content warnings for strong language, Lack of consent, bodyswap, bodily autonomy, discussion of depression and suicidal ideation, and a special guest appearance by Jasper the dog. We reference or spoil: Into the Woods (musical), Schitt’s Creek, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, spiders georg meme, Fuller House, The Legend of Zelda, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Back to the Future, The Princess Bride, Wonder Woman (2017 movie), incluing (Jo Walton), Parks and Recreation, Ghost (1990 movie), “What Are the Rules?” by Terry Rossio of Wordplayer, “The Task” by Terry Rossio of Wordplayer, Shakespeare‘s Hamlet, Saturday Night Live, The Good Place, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of Black Pearl, Chekhov’s Gun, Wonder Woman (1970s TV show), Lynda Carter’s twitter, Goncharov, Captain Marvel (movie), Superman (DCEU), The Witcher (tv show), Batman the Animated Series, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, Mannequin (1987 movie), Warhammer (future movie), Thor: Love and Thunder, Fight Club (1999 movie), the overall DC cinematic universe, Black Mirror episode “Hang the DJ“, A-ha‘s “Take On Me” music video,  and so many 80s songs . Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater. Kat also appeared in the Apex Magazine 2021 anthology livestream!  Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode we talk about an original story idea by Alex. It involves robots and AI!  Content warnings for strong language, robots, the problem of machine learning and algorithms, catholicism, Kat really having no idea how video game genre conventions work, and Kat and Pippin being in the same room. We reference or spoil: The Prestige (movie and book), No Story is Sacred episode “Cabin in the Woods”, Empire Records, The Carpenters “Close to You“, The Mitchells vs the Machines, “behold a man!”, Castlevania, Mean Girls, Mur Lafferty‘s Six Wakes, Passengers, Portal, RPG Maker, Ib, John Mulaney‘s The Comeback Kid, “there was only one bed“, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek” by Ambrose Bierce, The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, No Story is Sacred episode “Dog”, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya “Endless Eight” storyline, Untitled Goose Game, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Eternal Darkness, “one of us lies, one of us tells the truth“, An Inspector Calls (2015), Harlan Ellison‘s “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream“, Um Actually, The Road to El Dorado, Undertale, The Good Place, Alice and Bob Facebook chatbots, Stella Gibbons‘s Cold Comfort Farm, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Ghostbusters, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode “Dennis and Dee Get a New Dad”, Katherine Crighton‘s “Sing in Me, Muse“, Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode “Once More With Feeling“, Sir James Frazer‘s The Golden Bough, TVTropes, Diana Wynne Jones‘s The Tough Guide to Fantasy Land, Doki-Doki Literature Club, Gravity Falls episode “Soos and the Real Girl“, “Walk on Water” (TVTropes), Resident Evil (movies), Resident Evil (video game), Galaxy Quest, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater.  In addition, Kat is going to be part of an author roundtable talk for Apex Magazine on December 13th and is teaching Assabet Community Education classes in Spring 2023 (“Writing Short Fiction” “Writing Novels” “Practical Publishing”), and Brendan is doing an improv show at the Arcade Comedy Theatre in Pittsburgh PA 7:30 PM December 17th! The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com. Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.

In this episode we discuss the 2022 film Dog. You can stream it on Amazon Prime or rent it from Google Play or Apple TV. Content warnings for strong language, PTSD, war, American military industrial complex, military propaganda in American film, on-screen photograph of injured dog, discussion of dog injury and trauma, descriptions of animal cruelty, discussion of suicide and its repercussions, discussion of driving while under the influence, on-screen seizure and medical distress, disability mimicry, discussion of racist cops, failure of care for American veterans, discussion of assumed hate crime written into narrative, and also so much good dog talk If you or a loved one need help:  Veterans Crisis Line, 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, text 838255, or Chat Online National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or Live Online Chat Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio: 1-888-628-9454 Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, high-quality text-based mental health support and crisis intervention by empowering a community of trained volunteers to support people in their moments of need — text HOME to 741741 National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence provides assistance to those who need help and guidance confronting alcohol or drug dependence, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — Hopeline 800-NCA-CALL (622-2255) S.A.F.E. Alternatives self-injury support — 1-800-DONTCUT (366-8288) We reference or spoil: Jack London‘s White Fang, New Girl (Season 1, Episode 24, “See Ya“), Among Us (game), John Carpenter‘s The Thing (1982), the dog from The Thing being verified on Twitter, John Wick (2014), does the dog die?, The Little Prince, Grey’s Anatomy (with major spoilers), Magic Mike 3, Shakespeare‘s Twelfth Night, Bradley Denton‘s “Sergeant Chip“, Lord of the Rings, PsychologyToday.com, The Odyssey, O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000), The Warriors (1979), The Gentleman (2019), Knives Out (2019), The Big Lebowski (1998), Groundhog Day (1993), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Season 5, Episode 16, “The Body“), Puppet History (major spoilers), Jupiter Ascending (2015), Scooby-Doo, Clue (1985), Turner & Hooch (1989), and The Green Knight (2021) Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater.  Kat also has a short story “DEMON FIGHTER SUCKS”, with a new essay, in Apex Magazine 2021 anthology, available for preorder. Tor Essentials is also reprinting the award-winning Knights Wyrd by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald, which goes on sale next year. Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode we discuss the 1952 film Singin’ in the Rain. You can stream it on HBO Max or rent it from Amazon or YouTube. Content warnings for strong language, Kat doing a terrible version of Lina Lamont’s accent, Pippin’s evil queer punnery laughter, and too many DREAM BALLETS. We reference or spoil: “Be a Clown” by Cole Porter, Iron Man (2008), Apollo 13 (1995), A Clockwork Orange (1972), The Muppet Show (Gene Kelly hosts, episode 97, S05E01), Of Muppets and Men (1981), Wizard of Oz (1939), “And Write That Symphony” by cimorene, the “studio system”, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966), The Perfect PokéRap | Unraveled LIVE at PAX East 2019 by Brian David Gilbert, Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode “Once More with Feeling“, Our Flag Means Death, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode “The Gang Buys a Boat“, Oops All Berries! Captain Crunch cereal, The Shadow (1994), The Music Man (1962), My Fair Lady (1964), Mary Poppins (1964), “Friends, Romans, country men” speech from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar as performed by Jake Phillips, The Princess Diaries cinematic universe. Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater. Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode we discuss the 2004 film Van Helsing. You can watch it on Peacock or rent it from Amazon or YouTube. Content warnings for strong language, oviposition, and references to incest and pandemics (though not at the same time). We reference or spoil: Mary Shelley‘s Frankenstein, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula Daily, Vampire: The Masquerade, Mage the Ascension, What We Do In the Shadows (TV), What We Do In the Shadows (film), Jupiter Ascending, Young Frankenstein, Q (James Bond), Q (Star Trek), Thor: Love and Thunder, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Welcome to Night Vale, “Original Sin” (Jim Steinman song), Eddie Izzard‘s Dress to Kill, Birds of Prey, Tamora Pierce‘s Protector of the Small, CinemaSins, Hawkeye initiative, “‘I DON’T FEEL EMOTIONS!’ yells the emotional man while emoting emotionally.”, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Folgers Christmas commercial, Mitchell and Webb‘s “are we the baddies” and “Death Ray” sketches, Aliens, Mythbusters, Bon Jovi‘s “Livin’ on a Prayer“, Wordplayer’s “The Task” by Terry Rossio, Labyrinth, The Lion King, The Avengers movie, Oklahoma! (Hugh Jackman‘s production), Castlevania (game and TV), Dangerous Liaisons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smash Brothers, and Roguelikes. Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater. Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode we discuss the 1996 film Mission: Impossible. You can watch it on Paramount+ or rent it from Amazon or YouTube. Content warnings for strong language, discussions of modern politics, sexualized violence, and Pippin podcasting with a cold . We reference or spoil: Galaxy Quest, Middleditch and Schwartz, Friends, Cold Comfort Farm, Warhammer 40K, Industrial Light and Magic, Henson Muppet Workshop, book codes, Leverage, The DaVinci Code (film), Mulan, Suicide Squad, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Archer, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy VI, find the lady con, She’s All That, and Eddie Izzard  Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater. Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode we once again play a game of our own devising called “Wheel of Tropes.” We use random TV Tropes, entries from Diana Wynne Jones‘s The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, and The Cryptid Factor podcast and Discord server.  Content warnings for strong language, general horror vibes, and Kat gasping a lot because they experience the wonder of the world. We reference or spoil: simulation theory, catboys, “human knot” tv trope, The Matrix, Zybourne Clock, The Beatles‘s “Hey Jude“, Jim Henson‘s Labyrinth, Rockwell‘s “Somebody’s Watching Me“, Smash Mouth‘s “All Star“, Junji Ito‘s “The Enigma of Amigara Fault“, Shakespeare‘s Macbeth, “East Lothian mum overwhelmed as she spots ‘big cat’ after finishing her nightshift“, Star Wars, Star Trek, “God of Chaos” tv trope, Gravity Falls, Marvel‘s Moon Knight, Neil Gaiman‘s American Gods, Terry Pratchett‘s Small Gods, The Tick, Joseph Campbell‘s The Hero’s Journey, SNL‘s “It’s a Switcheroo“, “The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth with Harvard’s Avi Loeb“, “Briffits and Squeans” tv trope, “Misfortune Cookie” tv tropes, “Museum Game” tv tropes, “Succubus in Love” tv tropes, “Freak out” tv tropes, “Out-Gambitted” tv trope, Spy Vs. Spy, Leverage, Ocean’s Twelve, “Xanatos Gambit” tv trope, cosmic horror, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God“, Bram Stoker‘s Dracula, Jurassic Park (film), Star Trek Comedy Album, WandaVision, Discworld (Hex), Black Mirror, The Cabin in the Woods, Ursula K. Le Guin‘s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas“, Hadestown, and “Fatal Family Photo” tv trope. Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater. The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com. Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.

In this episode we discuss the 2022 film Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. You can watch it on Disney+ or rent it from Amazon or YouTube. Content warnings for strong language, discussions of horror tropes, body horror, and dunking on Reed Richards  We reference or spoil: Evil Dead, Angel: the Series, Midsommar, New Mutants, Blair Witch Project, MCU, Star Trek: The Original Series, Marvel’s What If…?, Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill, Dogma, Shuma-Gorath, The Sandman, WandaVision, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Glenn Howerton as Reed Richards, Ring, Ms. Marvel, Whose Line is it Anyway?, The Inhumans, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, X-Men (90’s cartoon), DuckTales, Eternal Champions, The Other, bottle episodes, It, Us, Everything Everywhere All At Once, X-Files, Wellington Paranormal, Cops, North Woods Law, What We Do in the Shadows, Welcome to Night Vale, Boy Meets World, and Gravity Falls Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater. Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode three of us speculate about the upcoming 2023 film Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. You can watch the trailer on YouTube.  Content warnings for strong language, so so many D&D jokes that Kat doesn’t get, and Brendan still not letting Kat play an angry camel.  We reference or spoil: Dungeons & Dragons (tabletop game), Dungeons and Dragons (2000 film), San Diego Comic-Con, Chris Perkins trailer monster manual video, Waterdeep (D&D city), Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, Bridgerton, Brennan Lee Mulligan’s comment about 5th edition paladins, “As You Know Bob“, Chris Perkins in general, Acquisitions Incorporated, Pat Rothfuss,  4th edition D&D, the folk process, oathbreaker paladin, Wizards of the Coast, Strixhaven, Critical Role, Dimension 20, Vecna, Tiamat, JRPG, Arkhan the Cruel, Joe Manganiello, Empire Records, The Witcher (Netflix), gelatinous cube, displacer beast, Lords of Waterdeep, Threestrings, Dungeon & Dragons cartoon, Saturday Night Live, Jim Darkmagic of the New Hampshire Darkmagics, “this is the kind of story we need right now“, Wil Wheaton‘s dice curse Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater. Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode we discuss an original story idea by Pippin! Content warnings for strong language, discussions of contaminated food, Kat and Pippin sniping at each other, coffee puns, and dunking on academia We reference or spoil: Digiorno pizza, Parks and Rec “I have never done anything wrong in life”, Bo Burnham’s “Content”, Star Wars Holiday Special, Ulysses, House of Leaves, Wheel of Time, The Epic of Gilgamesh, Tale of Genji, Nibelungenlied, The Lord of the Rings, Death of a Salesman, Hamilton, Community, CinemaSins, Discworld, The Good Place, Jack and the Beanstalk, the “two body problem” of academia, Ghostbusters (1984), Flight of the Conchords “I’ve Got Hurt Feelings”, The Killers “Mr. Brightside”, Legends & Lattes, farm-to-table, Best in Show, Chopped, A Mighty Wind, Gordon Ramsey, Jurassic Park, The Fairly Odd Parents, She’s All That, Ratatouille,The Music Man, The Spirit of Christmas (2015), WordHippo, Bob’s Burgers, Scholomance (folktale), The Starbucks Cryptids, and Bridgerton  Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater. Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.

In this episode we discuss the 2011 film Green Lantern. You can watch it on HBO Max or rent it from Amazon or YouTube. Content warnings for strong language, discussion of suicidal ideation, early Ryan Reynolds, and Kat making noises. We reference or spoil: The Matrix, Tom Jones‘s “You Can Leave Your Hat On“, Citizen Kane, The Dark Knight Rises, nuclear waste warnings (“there is nothing of honor here”), Star Trek, Dr. Strange, It (2017), Cutting Crew‘s “(I Just) Died in Your Arms Tonight“, The Lord of the Rings, Suicide Squad, David Bowie “Changes“, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, Ghostbusters 2, “humans are space orcs on death world“, The Avengers (2012), Batman (1989), Batman and Robin (1997), Guardians of the Galaxy, Pacific Rim, Venom, “The Chick” from TV Tropes, Men in Black, Loki, Independence Day, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Boy, Eagle vs Shark, “Ryan Reynolds reveals Green Lantern never had a script“, plotters vs pantsers vs gardeners, Spiders Georg, Two Cars, One Night, JoJo Rabbit, What We Do in the Shadows, Kim Possible, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Harry Potter universe, TVTropes “Material Mimicry“, The Evil Overlord Generator, Green Lantern DC comics, fridging, Korg and Deadpool react to Free Guy trailer, Lower Decks, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Iron Man, and Batman the Animated Series “Baby-Doll“. Also check out Kat’s The Minor Hours and Small Thoughts Magazine and Bren’s Select Start improv shows benefiting Arcade Comedy Theater. Don’t forget to rate and review us on iTunes, and, if you’re so inclined, contribute to our Patreon.   The transcript will be available soon on nostoryissacred.com.