First up on “You Bet Your Life,” Groucho Marx interviews a female Air Force sergeant and the parents of triplets.  Then on “Dragnet,” a brightly-colored car leads detectives Friday and Romero all around Los Angeles, from its mean streets to an amusement park.

Episodes

You Bet Your Life

June 27, 1951

"The Secret Word is Table"

1:47

Dragnet

November 30, 1950

“The Big Car”

31:52

Recorded on Facebook Live

April 22, 2018

John returns with a new slew of reviews from the various corners of pop culture.  Dan Persons reviews Isle of Dogs.  J. Andrew World takes a retrospective look at the music of Todd Rungren.  Denise Lhamon has mixed feelings about The Terror by Dan Simmons.  Ken Holtzhouser referees the debate over revivals versus reboots.  John is bringing a revamped podcast of his to the table (The OSI Files) and Michael Falkner offers a near complete listing of pop culture conventions around the world for the month of May.  It's all here and more on a new In Review episode of The Chronic Rift.

Content

8:00 - John talks the revamp of his bionic themed podcast, The OSI Files (set to premiere on Facebook Live on May 4 at 9:00PM EST).

11:20 - Michael Falkner presents our Pop Culture Convention Guide.

37:05 - The Batcave Podcast promo

38:07 - The Weekly Podioplex promo

40:00 - Denise has mixed feelings on Dan Simmons' The Terror.  (Purchase your copy and help support the network.)

48:50 - Ken Holtzhouser points out the good and the bad when it comes to Hollywood's obsession with reboots and revivals.

On this week's edition of The Weekly Podioplex, audiences witnessed a Rampage. While we revel in the fact that this particular video game got a movie with The Rock, let us also consider that it has only one more week to earn back its budget before Marvel shuts that door forever. Also standing in Rampage's way are three new releases: I Feel Pretty, Super Troopers 2, and Traffik. Is fate on the side of the gorilla named George?  

On the home entertainment front, it's April, it's tax season, and it's slow. You get The Post (Meryl Streep being awesome), The Commuter (Liam Neeson punching a train... or something), and Winchester (the ghosts of firearms past). TV on DVD buoys things up with the return of MST3K, the next round of Killjoys (RIP Dark Matter), and Perfect Strangers. After that, Denise fights the slow news season with a couple of stellar reviews before bringing this edition to a close.

Enjoy the journey, because it's showtime on the Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Recorded April 15, 2018 on Facebook Live

We pick up our look at the different eras of the cult British television series, Doctor Who with a discussion on the brief time of Colin Baker.  John is joined by author Julio Angel Ortiz to discuss why Colin Baker does not deserve the reputation of being a poor Doctor.  They break it down looking at the few episodes Baker appeared in from the perspective of those involved in the production. In addition, John also briefly Brings to the Table - a look at one of the oddest complaints about the new Netflix Lost in Space series - the "rabid feminist" approach.

Julio Angel Ortiz is a writer in both print and electronic media. Julio has had an audio drama released for the original sci-fi series The Dome and short stories published in collections by Obverse Books featuring Iris Wildthyme and Señor 105. He also has several eBooks available for Kindle via his Vox Camera imprint. When not banging his head against his notebook in order to string words together, Julio works in Information Technology during the day and is also active blogging, posting on Twitter, and working at his photography.

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On this week's edition of The Weekly Podioplex, audiences found A Quiet Place, which is really what theaters should be. Seriously, Ted, no one wants to hear your new ringtone when the movie's playing, no matter how retro Nokia you went. Er, anyway... This week, monsters are still in vogue as we go on a Rampage, check in with Borg and McEnroe, and play Truth or Dare.  

On the home entertainment front, it's another slow week with The Greatest Showman, Phantom Thread, and Outlander among others. After that, Denise brings news of reboots and regenerations, as well as uplifiting tale of Black Panther in Saudi Arabia and empowering deaf actresses.

Enjoy the journey, because it's showtime on the Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for April 10, 2018

Introduction

Opening Clip: Rampage

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – A Quiet Place – [New Release]
#2 – Ready Player One – [-1]
#3 – Blockers – [New Release]
#4 – Black Panther – [-1]
#5 – Tyler Perry’s Acrimony – [-3]
#6 – I Can Only Imagine – [-2]

#7 – Chappaquiddick – [New Release]
#8 – Sherlock Gnomes – [-2]
#9 – Pacific Rim Uprising – [-4]
#10 – Isle of Dogs – [+1]

Box Office Premieres

April 13, 2018: Wide

Rampage – [PG-13]
Borg vs. McEnroe – [R]
Truth or Dare – [PG-13]

April 13, 2018: Limited

The Rider – [R]
Beirut – [R]
Zama – [UR]
20 Weeks – [NR]
Marrowbone – [R]

Home Entertainment

April 10, 2018: New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray 

The Greatest Showman – [PG-13]

Phantom Thread – [R]

Molly’s Game– [R]

April 10, 2018: New Releases on Digital Video

Den of Thieves – [R]

April 10, 2018: TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Outlander: Season Three (2017)

April 10, 2018: Blu-Rays From the Past 

Cleopatra (1934) – [NR]

Podcast Promos

Flash Pulp

Flash Pulp is an experiment in broadcasting fresh pulp stories in the modern age – 3 to 10 minutes, brought to you Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Quick Flicks

Red Sonja reboot recruits from X-Men: First Class
Indiana Jones to regenerate into a woman?
Black Panther breaking into Saudi Arabia
A Quiet Place and deaf actresses

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

Recorded on Facebook Live

Sunday, April 8, 2018

One of the most influential science fiction films of all time is celebrating its 50th anniversary and we're talking about it on the podcast.  We look at some of the trivia surrounding the film, the special effects and how they hold up today, Stanley Kubrick's directorial choices and more.  Joining John to chat about the film are movie critic for WBAI Hour of the Wolf Dan Persons, author Julio Angel Ortiz, and writer/editor Glenn Greenberg.

Glenn Greenberg is an award-winning editor/writer whose work has appeared in numerous books, comic books, Web sites, and lifestyle and news magazines, published by top companies such as Time Inc., Simon and Schuster, Scholastic Inc., Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Time Out New York, Lockwood Publications, and TwoMorrows Publishing.

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Julio Angel Ortiz is a writer in both print and electronic media. Julio has had an audio drama released for the original sci-fi series The Dome and short stories published in collections by Obverse Books featuring Iris Wildthyme and Señor 105. He also has several eBooks available for Kindle via his Vox Camera imprint. When not banging his head against his notebook in order to string words together, Julio works in Information Technology during the day and is also active blogging, posting on Twitter, and working at his photography.

Follow on Twitter

A long-time figure in the world of genre journalism, Dan Persons'movie reviews can be heard on Hour of the Wolf, every Thursday morning on WBAI 99.5FM in New York (wbai.org), and his coverage of upcoming films can be seen on CFQtv, which airs regularly on the Monster Channel (monsterchannel.tv).

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First up, on “Fibber McGee and Molly,” two duo race around town trying to reclaim a very valuable coin accidentally spent on some cigars.  The comic coincidences and tongue-twisters will leave your head spinning.  Then we present, for the first time, an episode of “Boston Blackie.” Blackie is a righter of wrongs, a reformed safecracker and jewel thief.  He first appeared in 1914, and his tough-but-clever style has taken him from magazines to films, television, and, of course, radio.  This is a baseball-themed episode.

Episodes

Fibber McGee and Molly

April 15, 1947

"1880 Quarter"

Boston Blackie

April 29, 1947

“Baseball and Gambling”

On this week's edition of The Weekly Podioplex, Ready Player One is ready in number one, but it's not the success that the hype made it out to be. This week, a horror film will use silence as a weapon agains the OASIS, and it's already looking strong. A Quiet Place is joined by The Miracle Season, Blockers, and Chappaquiddick in an attempt to upset the first place champ. 

On the home entertainment front, it's a slow week with Insidious, The Post, and a few smaller TV titles. After that, Denise laments the slow news week with a dose of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.

Enjoy the journey, because it's showtime on the Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

We move into the post-review era with the first in a series of episodes looking at the Batman related works of the producers and stars of the show and at the pop culture influences from the series.  First up, a look at William Dozier's attempt at adapting another DC property - Wonder Woman.  In this curious short, "Wonder Woman: Who's Afraid of Diana Prince?" we are only given a taste of the potential of the series.  Which begs the question, why wasn't a full pilot produced, especially in light of the fact that a full script was commissioned, co-written by Batman scribe Stanley Ralph Ross?  This question and possibly a few more will be asked by John and his guest, Chris Franklin of the Super Mates Podcast.

Any comments or questions on this episode, please post them here or by writing thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

Chris Franklin is a mild-mannered graphic designer by day, but at night, he retreats to his secret headquarters festooned with action figures, and podcasts with his long-suffering wife Cindy on the Super Mates podcast, a proud part of The Fire and Water Podcast Network. Together they take a look at all things geeky, such as comics, TV, movies, and toys, from a couple’s perspective.

On this week's edition of The Weekly Podioplex, the box office has the Biloxi Blues as the team of Broderick, Walken, and Miller bring stageplay to the silver screen. This week, the recruits contend with an irreverent poltergeist in the guise of Beetlejuice.

We're not saying it again. 

On the home entertainment front, five good titles come to your VHS player, including the adorably zany Princess Bride and the sci-fi stunner Innerspace. After that, Denise brings words of Phantoms in the West End, a new Oprah show, Aliens with Sigourney and ALF, and Tom Cruise.

Enjoy the journey, because it's showtime on the Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for April 1st, 1988

Introduction

Opening Clip: Beetlejuice

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Biloxi Blues – [New Release]
#2 – Johnny Be Good – [New Release]
#3 – The Fox and the Hound (re-release) – [New Release]
#4 – Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach – [-3]
#5 – Good Morning, Vietnam – [-3]
#6 – D.O.A. – [-3]

#7 – A New Life – [New Release]
#8 – Masquerade – [-3]
#9 – Vice Versa – [-5]
#10 – Moonstruck – [-4]

Tops From the Past

1987 – Blind Date
1983 – Spring Break
1978 – Straight Time
1968 – The Producers
 

Box Office Premieres for the week of April 1st, 1988

Wide

Beetlejuice – [PG]

Bright Lights, Big City – [R]

The Seventh Sign – [R]

Limited

Bellman and True – [R]

Home Entertainment on VHS for the week of April 1st, 1988

Innerspace – [PG]

The Princess Bride – [PG]

Hellraiser – [R]

The Hidden – [R]

No Way Out – [R]

Podcast Promos

Techno Retro Dads

TechnoRetro Dads share the fandom and fun of their youth with their families as they build a bridge from the past to the future through the time spent with their kids in the present. Join JediShua and shazbazzar as they reminisce about the past while exploring the future of some of their favorite science fiction and fantasy properties of their youth. Listen in to discussions about the movies, music, games, and comics of the 70s and 80s as they share the days of their youth with their own kids in a positive, family-friendly atmosphere. If you’re a TechnoRetro Dad, the child of one, or just fondly remember the sci-fi/fantasy properties of the 70s and 80s, then this podcast is for you!

Quick Flicks

Phantom of the Opera comes to London’s West End
Oprah Winfrey starts a new talk show
Aliens galore: A sequel with Sigourney Weaver and a new experience with ALF
Top Gun: Tom Cruise in the cockpit... and Denise loses it

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included