Talkin' Bout My Generation

Yes. It’s a few weeks before Christmas, the eggnog is fresh out and as much as we want more, there ain’t none on the shelves to be had.  It’s making us feel…Grumpy? Grouchy? No. Grinchy. Join Andre Smith and Doug Abel as we discuss all 3 iterations of the Grinch, from the 1966 cartoon short done by Chuck Jones, to the 2000 Jim Carrey and Ron Howard version, to the most current version done by Doctor Strange…Uh…Sherlock…no…Oh, bloody hell, it’s the Englishman who everyone finds sexy as Khan Noonien Singh in Star Trek Into Darkness. Listen in and comment on this episode, let us know what you think!

1984 – The All Valley under 18 Karate Championships are taking place, and involve a snarky upstart kid from Jersey, who moved to Reseda, and the blonde haired, perfect asshole type you could absolutely hate, coming together in a battle for the Championship. Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence faced off, with LaRusso being the winner in The Karate Kid. But in this new series, we follow Johnny Lawrence, 30 years later, as he decides to open his own karate school and teach kids how to fight. We also get to see the rivalry between LaRusso and Lawrence; LaRusso became a successful auto dealer, and Lawrence, a maintenance man trying to recover his life from what seems to be a drunken haze of mistakes and relying on his verbally abusive stepfather’s money. There’s also Miguel, the young Cobra Kai upstart, and Robbie Lawrence (yep, Johnny’s son!) who follows under Daniel and learns Miyagi-Do karate. So come listen to us as we (SPOILER ALERT! WE GIVE AWAY SPOILERS!) discuss Youtube Red’s Cobra Kai!

Today, Nov 12th, 2018, the comic book world was rocked. Stanley Lieber, aka Stan “The Man” Lee, passed away. It was a blow to many, but me especially. I met the man several times over the course of my visits to Comic-Con and Wondercon, and he was so pleasant. So I wanted to share a quick episode remembering Stan. Excelsior, Mr. Lee!

The California Adventure has officially occurred! Yes, folks - Mike finally came out to visit, and he wanted to see what everything was like. Why was he here? Will he stay?  And most importantly - WILL MIKE EAT THE DREADED CARNE ASADA FRIES?!? Tune in to this episode to find out.

Happy Thanksgiving! What's that, you say? It's nearly Christmas??? Yes, I know. Mike went on vacation, and well, Doug's brain took a vacation as well, preventing this episode from being posted on time. This is a time for thanks. TFG1Mike, his fiancé SpicedDemon, Doug, Doug's wife Alicia and Chris Morton from Indeed Podcast all got together to sit down and share all of our memories, from cinnamon rolls the morning of the holiday, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, to asparagus casserole instead of the horrid green bean one! Join us in a wonderful discussion of traditions, even though it's a month late (Sorry, @SpicedDemon!), but the discussion is fun and light hearted anyway!  

13!  Yes, our 13th episode of the new launch, and, as so many have seen with the number 13, it's an unlucky number. Sadly, this episode was to have been released at Halloween, but due to Halloween gremlins (Ok, maybe it's Mogwai, but I think they got into the Halloween candy after midnight), the episode was never released. So while you are only now getting to hear us talk about Vincent Van Ghoul, Daphne, Shaggy, Scrappy-Doo, Flim-Flam, and of course, Scooby Too and his 13 ghosts that he was supposed to capture, maybe you should consider it a "Lost" episode!!! At any rate...As Mike and I point out, this just wasn't much to go over - 1 season, with voice actors like Sue Blu, Vincent Price, and Kasey Kasem? That was about as good as it got. Those meddlin' network execs really ruined something that could have been successful, but by bringing in characters that they didn't need (and cutting others that were needed), we got goofy ghosts, a pint sized con artist, and scaredy cats (or dogs, as the case may be) doing a horrible job. So, give it a listen, and leave us comments. Tell us what you think, over at mygenerationpodcast.com or out on our Facebook page!  

Mike says "Bah Humbug", I say it's Halloween time! Welcome to a ghoulish discussion of Halloween, horror films, and a quick discussion of Ash Vs. Evil Dead, as well as discussion of some of our favorites that show on the ever changing FreeForm/ABC Family/Fox Family/The Family Channel/whatever iteration this becomes next! Enjoy this episode as we "run amok" discussing our favorites like Addams Family Values, Hocus Pocus, and Toy Story of Terror in this week's episode!  

Ahh, Halloween. One of our favorite times of the year, we celebrate it by talk of goblins, dressing up, spooky movies, and of course... GHOSTS. More specifically, we talk about one of our favorite movies, Ghostbusters. This ain't it. No, this is the "reboot" that Paul Feig deigned to create, that he thought would be good with 4 women who weren't funny, or were playing complete caricatures of the characters that they originally were. Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Chris Hemsworth...It was demeaning.  Take a listen to this week's episode, let us know what you thought - and keep in mind, neither of us hate that women were in the roles of the Ghostbusters, we just hated Melissa McCarthy and Leslie Jones in their roles of one of the 3 Stooges and Stepin Fetchit.  Let us know your opinions - if you hated it, you're welcome to voice it. If you think it was great, let us know that too!  

Sometimes, art imitates life. Sometimes, art is just art. And sometimes...Well...maybe it's a foreshadowing of what's to come? Just like people are saying Idiocracy is becoming a documentary of how our nation is progressing, 2005's Mr. And Mrs. Smith is something of a story of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, going through hell, marriage counseling, and eventually, splitting up in real life, hence why we're talking this week about this film. 2 spies, neither of which knows that the other is working for a different firm, fall in love and get married, breaking company policies, and go on a kick to try and kill each other before finally teaming up to take out the firm trying to end them. It's a decent summer action film with lots of explosions, car chases, bullets, and lurid sexual references, but short of that...well, listen to what Mike and I have to say on the topic. 

This week, we have part 2 of our ongoing series of "What Kind of Geek Are You?", where we invite fellow podcaster Art Danner to the show to talk all things geek! We explore married geek life and how it influences our spouses, Art discusses his children and the "corruption" of their minds with comic books (Squirrel Girl RULES, by the way!), and we talk WWE wrestling, which, unfortunately, I was a little left out. Sorry, folks - my wrestling days were back in the day of Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Tito Santana and the figure 4 leg lock, George the Animal Steele, and the Iron Sheik calling you a Jabroni. But, Mike and Art do a wonderful job of filling in the gaps for current WWE events. :) Take a listen, and let us know what you think in the comments, or write us at mygenerationpodcast@gmail.com and tell us if you hate it, love it, or have some topics you think we should cover!

  In 1991, Steven Spielberg decided to release a film he'd been working on with an all star cast.  Dustin Hoffman, Bob Hoskins, Julia Roberts, and of course, the memorable Robin Williams, were cast in what was to be a sequel for J.M. Barrie's Peter and Wendy novel, a film called Hook. Critics were not kind to this film; Rotten Tomatoes listed it at 4.4/10, warranting a "Rotten" review (I personally take issue with this; Rotten Tomatoes holds stoner film Knocked Up at a 90% "Fresh" rating, which is really not a good film at all), Roger Ebert felt it wasn't terribly memorable, but us? We felt it was a great film that held up! So come join Mike and I as we discuss a favorite of ours, and say, "Screw the critics!" as we talk about Steven Spielberg's Hook.

This is episode 007 of our relaunch, folks, so what does that mean?  It means we get a Best of Bond movie review! In this episode, Mike and I sit down and go over   our top 10 favorite James Bond films. Some of you may think we're nuts (Nicole, I'm sorry to disappoint, but Moonraker didn't make it in for either one of us!), but these are OUR favorites, with everyone but George Lazenby getting love.  If you feel like we missed one, or you think we're completely crazy, let us know in the comments! We'd love to hear your thoughts and what you like as well. If you approve, please feel free to tell us on our Facebook page or on mygenerationpodcast.com!  

This time on Talkin' Bout My Generation, Doug Abel and Mike Blanchard are invaded!! Yes, Nicole Hale, aka BeatlesDiva, decided to drop in for this podcast as we discuss two movies that are 20 years old - Mars Attacks and Space Jam! In Part 1 of this double feature, we discuss the 1950's era throwback film, Mars Attacks. An ensemble film, this movie had kind of a who's who of famous people - Annette Bening, Jim Brown, Michael J. Fox, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jack Nicholson, and even Tom Jones (because I'm assuming Wayne Newton wanted no part of this film). Mike and Nicole dish on this film as one of their favorites - Doug, however? "Not one of my favorites, and if I don't watch it again? No loss."   For the second half, however we move into a movie that has stood a better test of time: Space Jam. This film chronicled Michael Jordan's retirement to play baseball, and return to basketball - oddly, the decision had nothing to do with him playing poorly on the Chicago White Sox farm team, the Dragons, but rather, due to the assistance of a bunch of Loony characters trying to avoid being kidnapped and put on display at Moron Mountain. (Anyone who lives in Southern California and knows about Six Flags Magic Mountain? You probably already know they were sucked up into "Moron Mountain" and put onto display there!) So join Doug Abel, Mike Blanchard, and Nicole Hale for episode 006 of Talkin' Bout My Generation as we discuss Mars Attacks Space Jam!

  The summer of 2016 has been a summer of disappointments in the entertainment industry. A good portion of the blockbusters we got this year were sequels that fell flat - Star Trek Beyond, X-Men: Apocalypse, Independence Day: Resurgence, TMNT: Out Of The Shadows, and Alice Through The Looking Glass. Then there were the "reboots" (I hate this word - it means "remake", but it sounds more like a computer term, which makes it sound more tech and futuristic, but it just means repackaging crap) - Ghostbusters and Pete's Dragon. But wait! You're in for even MORE disappointment, folks! There's even MORE remakes in the pipeline! MacGyver will be rebooted for CBS this fall. Happy Days is slated for a remake. Jumanji is coming back to the big screen, with The Rock playing a major role. and the movie Clue (yes, the one with Madeline Kahn, Tim Curry, Martin Mull, , Christopher Lloyd, etc) is getting a remake on the world stage. American Werewolf in London has been announced as getting another remake (The sequel American Werewolf in Paris and its 7% rating on Rotten Tomatoes leaves quite a bit to be desired). What's the point of all of this? Hollywood, you're giving us the same old shit we've had before, tied up in a pretty package. STOP IT!! So get ready as TFG1Mike, Doug Abel, and BeatlesDiva all sit down and discuss the horrors that await us (and the very few sequels and reboots that have actually been GOOD) on a special - Reboots, Remakes, and Sequels - OHHHH MYYYYY! (Thanks George!)  

  This week on Talkin' Bout My Generation, Mike decided he wanted to talk about something 21st century - so we're talking about a 2016 show that has become our latest obsession! This spring, when How To Get Away With Murder went on hiatus from its season finale, ABC started looking for something to replace it in the 10p/9c time slot that was now empty. So they ordered up another episode from Shondaland's production company, and we were greeted with The Catch, starring Mirielle Enos and Peter Krause. This has become popular in both of our households, despite ratings not carrying it strongly (it was on the bubble, but was successful enough to keep going for a second season). If you haven't seen it, what are you waiting for? Join us this week as we discuss our favorite new hidden gem, ABC's The Catch.   

  Geek. Nerd. Dork. These are 4 letter words that, for many of us, were derogatory, insulting, and unkind. They were words used by bullies. Now, however, to be a geek is a thing people want to wear with pride! Comic book movies, pop culture, attending comic book conventions - it's gotten bigger, more popular, and accepted. This episode, Mike and Doug welcome a guest, Joe Reed, from GCRN's The Pull Bag and Off The Cuff podcasts, as we get meta about geekery, geek relationships and how we met our significant others (surprise surprise, online dating DOES work!), and of course, we have a little discussion about Batman vs. Superman, Ghostbusters: Answer The Call (aka Ghostbusters 2016), and a Playboy article about what NOT to do with your relationships. Come join us and tell us what you think by leaving a comment here on the website, commenting on our Facebook page, writing us at mygenerationpodcast@gmail.com, or hitting us up on Twitter! Let us know what you think of our new session, and where we can go from here!

?In the midst of days past, zombies roam the streets. People found with freebies, flyers, copies of Entertainment Weekly's special edition litter the streets. Gal Godot, Jason Momoa, Will Smith, Bruce Campbell - names uttered from the "Before Time". No, folks, we're not talking about an apocalypse; it's simply the aftermath of Comic-Con 2016! Another year, another Comic-Con. This week, Talkin' Bout My Generation teams up with The Geekcast Radio Network's Altered Geek podcast to discuss all that was Comic-Con - from the new trailers of The CW's Flash, Arrow, and Supergirl, to Suicide Squad, Justice League, and Doctor Strange. So join Doug Abel, Mike Blanchard, and Steven C. Phillips as we discuss Comic-Con 2016!   

Folks, it's summertime. This means it's time for barbecues, swimming pools, and dressing up as your favorite costumed character. Huh? Yes! It is July in San Diego, which means that the big daddy of conventions, The San Diego Comic-Con, is kicking off for another 4 days of insanity. This week, Doug Abel and Mike Blanchard sit down and talk pre-convention about things to do, some of our favorite panels, and of course, Con Do's and Don'ts: the biggest offender being, well, offending odor. Yes folks, please shower, and WASH your Cosplay costumes!!! Get ready for a pre-Con, and join us again post-Con for the big news, collectibles, exclusives, celebs that we rubbed elbows with, and potential interviews (I hope!)

Happy Independence Day, America! Today is July 4th, and everyone in America is firing up their grills, getting ready to see fireworks, and facing down the intergalactic alien oppressors getting ready to wipe out all of humanity. Wait, wha??? Ok, well, that was the story 20 years ago - July 2, 1996, the film Independence Day was released. Aliens showed up, blew up the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids at Giza, and of course, the White House. Come join Doug Abel and Mike Blanchard as we discuss a great cast - Will Smith, Judd Hirsch, Jeff Goldblum, and of course, crazy Cousin Eddie - er, Randy Quaid - as we take back our world on Talkin' Bout My Generation!

In 1987, Hanna Barbera threw two families together to experience new worlds and new times. One family was the "First Family", going back millions of years into the past - the other, the far off family of the future. Yes, folks - the Flintstones and The Jetsons met in a weird, wild, wacky adventure, with Elroy building a time machine and transporting them back to the past. We saw the Flintstones and Rubbles meet the Jetsons, George become famous for a flying belt, Jane bought real estate in Bedrock, and Judy became the manager of a music group that played the "Bedrock Rock". In the future, Fred & Barney became shills for Spacely Sprockets and Cogswell Cogs, and Betty & Wilma had to learn to operate a Foodaracacycle. Join Doug and Mike as we discuss a classic film from our youth and one that encompassed two of our favorite cartoons of all time, The Jetsons Meet The Flintstones.