Shazam!

"Speak No Evil"

October 11, 1975

Paul and his friends are hanging out on a Sunday afternoon and are bored.  So they decide to go to school.  Makes sense, right?  Paul has his misgivings and he's proven right when his friends accidentally start a fire and his dog is almost killed in it before being saved by Captain Marvel.  Billy and Mentor know Paul knows something but he doesn't want to be a "fink".  Will he see it's better to admit the truth before it's too late?

Danny Bonaduce plays the misguided, but well intentioned teen who keeps his silence in this episode.  John and Richard play the hosts of a podcast discussing the episode.  They discuss how many kids learned to take off in flight from Superman and Captain Marvel as well as the "rural" effect on television in the 70s.

It's all here and we want to hear from you on what you think of the episode.  Write us as ShazamIsisPodcast@gmail.com.

Moral: “Don't ever be afraid of being called a name. As long as you're sure what you're doing is right, there's no word... no name... that can harm you."

Guest Cast

Melvin F. Allen as Sheriff

Danny Bonaduce as Paul

Eric Chase as Sam

Ty Henderson as Kyle

Hal Lynch as John Jerome

Kerry Maclane as Chuck

"Penguin's Clean Sweep"

Aired January 25, 1968

It's the final appearance of Burgess Meredith as The Penguin and he doesn't exactly go out in a blaze of glory.  The story involved Penguin trying to collect all of Gotham City's money that he has convinced the public is tainted with Lygerian Sleeping Sickness.  Despite the hokey sounding plot, John still feels there are some things of merit in this one and talks about it with Batman at 45 author Chris Gould.

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com

Chris Gould was born in the UK in 1983, and has lived in Japan since 2008. His career so far has seen him work as a political researcher, local government officer, sports journalist, business English teacher, translator and magazine writer. 

Introduced to Batman re-runs as a child, Chris would watch the show as a junior high-schooler, university student and mid-career professional, his appreciation taking on new forms at every step.

Convinced that Batman constitutes the definitive guide to mid-60s popular culture, and is therefore an invaluable source of study for future generations, Chris took to researching the show in detail, eventually producing the ebook: Batman at 45: The Ultimate Tribute to Pow, Bam and Zap! 

The aim of his research is to underline the point that no matter how many years have passed, Batman, through its sheer diversity of stars and insightful lines, helps us fully understand how we got to where we are today.

Click on the image to the right to get your copy of Chris' book.

"THE PREYING MANTIS"

AIRED: NOVEMBER 18, 1966

It's another challenge for The Green Hornet, but for John and Jim, there's not much of a challenge in reviewing this episode.  Both are excited by this story that gives Bruce Lee a chance to stretch a little as the Hornet and Kato investigate a protection racket by a tong in Chinatown.  The thing is, there's more to the tong than simply an extortion racket.  There's a great deal to like about this fan favorite as the two discuss. Plus, there's some trivia on this episode from The Green Hornet: A History of Radio, Motion Pictures, Comics and Television by Martin Grams and Terry Salomonson, including Green Hornet creator George Trendle's dislike for this episode.  Pick up your copy by clicking on the link and getting it today.

Take a listen and then let us know what you think of the episode by writing us here or at thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

Isis

"The Outsider"

October 4, 1975

A new student shows great potential in environmental science, but he's having trouble fitting in with the student body.  He discovers that a nearby piece of land that supports a great deal of wildlife in the area is in danger of being cleared for new housing.  Will he take the law into his own hands or can Isis resolve the situation before it gets out of hand or worse, deadly? 

We're really not sure which is scarier: The number one film or the descent of the summer box office. Annabelle may have won the weekend, but this year's summer season is not performing well at all. Between The Hitman's Bodyguard and Logan Lucky, maybe there's hope in two adult comedies as the season winds down.

The home entertainment slate looks a little better with Alien: Covenant leading the pack, backed by heavy hitters like Once Upon a Time, The Blacklist, Legends of Tommorrow, and Riverdale. Oh, and a little creepshow known as Pet Semetary. So many chills down the spine. After that, Denise brings news of Hannibal, Hellboy, Neuromancer, Dawn, and whatever The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is. It's the dog days of summer right here on a new edition of The Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for August 15th, 2017

Introduction

Opening Clip: The Hitman’s Bodyguard

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Annabelle: Creation – [New Release]
#2 – Dunkirk – [Even]
#3 – The Nut Job: Nutty by Nature – [New Release]
#4 – The Dark Tower – [-3]
#5 – Girls Trip – [-1]
#6 – The Emoji Movie – [-3]

#7 – Spider-Man: Homecoming – [-1]
#8 – Kidnap – [-3]
#9 – The Glass Castle – [New Release]
#10 – Atomic Blonde – [-3]

Tops From the Past

2012 – The Expendables 2
2007 – Superbad
1997 – Cop Land
1987 – Stakeout
1977 – The Kentucky Fried Movie
 

Box Office Premieres for the week of August 18th, 2017

Wide

The Hitman’s Bodyguard – [R]

Logan Lucky – [PG-13]

Limited

Patti Cake$ – [R]
Gook – [UR]
Lemon – [NR]
Marjorie Prime – [NR]
Sidemen: Long Road to Glory – [NR]
6 Days – [R]
The Adventurers – [NR]

Home Entertainment for the week of August 15th, 2017

New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray

Alien: Covenant – [R]

Chuck – [R]

New Releases on Digital Video

Baywatch – [R]

TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Once Upon a Time: Season Six (2016)

The Blacklist: Season Four (2016)
The Blacklist: Redemption: Season One (2016)

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: Season Two (2016)

Riverdale: Season One (2016)

Blu-Rays From the Past 

Pet Sematary (1989) – [R]

Podcast Promos

Full of Sith

The Full of Sith Podcast is a show dedicated to bringing the most interesting Star Wars conversations in the galaxy with hosts Bryan Young, Tha Mike Pilot, and Holly Frey.

Quick Flicks

Hannibal revival in discussions
The BPRD and the Hellboy reboot
Deadpool’s Tim Miller gets Neuromancer
Octavia Butler’s Dawn goes to television
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs meets Netflix

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

“Vic and Sade” is the driest of domestic comedies.  We present two 15-minute visits to “the small house half-way up on the next block.”  First, the son of the house, young Rush, has plans to single-handedly tear down a brick building – purely for the honor.  Then Rush recruits his father to teach his high school principle, Mr. Chinbunny, the manly art of cigar smoking.  “The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe” are based on the classic characters created by Rex Stout and star the magnificently-voiced (and appropriately-girthed) Sydney Greenstreet as New York’s brilliant, but lazy, private investigator. Wolfe leaves the legwork to his assistant, Archie Goodwin – a man about town who really gets around.

Episodes

Vic and Sade

November 14, 1939

“Tearing Down a Three-Storey Brick Building”

June 2, 1940

“Mr. Chinbunny Wants to Smoke Cigars”

3:30

The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe

April 20, 1951

“The Lost Heir”

23:36

The battle between good and evil seems to be a winner, but the victory is tainted by really low attendance numbers. That's unfortunate, but audiences may find some respite from The Dark Tower with another crack at The Nut Job. There's also some real life drama in The Glass Castle, a creepy creepy doll in Annabelle: Creation, and the hope that Detroit finds legs in the interim.

The home entertainment slate is heavy on film and light on TV, showcasing King Arthur, Snatched, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Blindspot and the mysteries of amenesiacs and terrorists amp up the action before moving into retro titles with two Teen Wolf tales. Wrap it all up with Denise and news of an Ant-Man sequel, a Pacific Rim sequel, and a Nintendo Classic sequel. We seriously hope that they work out the bugs in that last one. Also, a PSA on fantasy, dogs, and milkshakes. Seriously, be kind to living creatures and #MakeMineMilkshake on a new edition of The Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for August 8th, 2017

Introduction

Opening Clip: The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – The Dark Tower – [New Release]
#2 – Dunkirk – [-1]
#3 – The Emoji Movie – [-1]
#4 – Girls Trip – [-1]
#5 – Kidnap – [New Release]
#6 – Spider-Man: Homecoming – [-1]

#7 – Atomic Blonde – [-3]
#8 – Detroit – [+8]
#9 – War for the Planet of the Apes – [-3]
#10 – Despicable Me 3 – [-3]

Tops From the Past

2012 – The Bourne Legacy
2007 – Rush Hour 3
1997 – Conspiracy Theory
1987 – The Living Daylights
1977 – The Spy Who Loved Me
 

Box Office Premieres for the week of August 11th, 2017

Wide

The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature – [PG]

The Glass Castle – [PG-13]

Annabelle: Creation – [R]

Limited

Ingrid Goes West – [R]
The Only Living Boy in New York – [R]
The Trip to Spain – [NR]

Home Entertainment for the week of August 8th, 2017

New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – [PG-13]

Snatched – [R]

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul – [PG]

New Releases on Digital Video

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – [PG-13]

TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Blindspot: Season Two (2016)

Blu-Rays From the Past 

Teen Wolf (1985) – [PG]

Teen Wolf Too (1987) – [PG]

Podcast Promos

Talking Apes TV

Every episode of TALKING APES TV will delve into one episode of the PLANET OF THE APES TV Series, with plenty of quotes, audio and social commentary pulled from each show.

Quick Flicks

PSA: Game of Thrones, dogs, and #MakeMineMilkshake
Ant-Man and the Wasp is underway
Nintendo SNES Classic
Pacific Rim: Uprising moves to March 2018

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

The Romans

Production: M

Airdates: January 16 - February 6, 1965

The TARDIS takes the time travelers to ancient Rome where Ian and Barbara are captured as slaves while the Doctor and Vicki are guests of Nero.  The Doctor is mistaken for a murdered musician and enrages Nero with his performance in Nero's court.  It all leads up to the burning the Rome.  Can the travelers escape their situation and return to the TARDIS?

It's Doctor Who's first stab at a comedy, but is it straight comedy or more like dark comedy? In any event, this is a favorite of John's and he enthuses about it on this episode. Do you agree? Let us know here.

"Nora Clavicle and the Ladies' Crime Club"

Aired January 18, 1968

Feminist Nora Clavicle has plans for Gotham City as she takes control of Gotham City's police department.  It looks, on the surface, that is a blow for women's rights as she replaces every male police officer with women.  The problem is the women are ineffective when it comes to enforcing the law and nobody is aware of Nora's plan to destroy Gotham City.

​

John is joined by podcaster Chris Franklin of the Super Mates Podcast to discuss what may possibly be the worst episode in the entire series.  (Yes, even worse than "Marsha, Queen of Diamonds".)  They wonder if this is supposed to be camp, a spoof on women's lib, or just bad writing.  They also try to figure out just how Batman, Robin, and Batgirl allow themselves to be turned into a human Siamese Knot by, and you'll excuse us here, a trio of women.  

Comment on the episode here or write 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.

"The Rescue"

Production: L

Airdates: January 2-9, 1965

The Doctor has left Susan behind on a future Earth, recovering from Dalek occupation.  He appears to be even more distracted than usual.  And then the TARDIS lands on the planet Dido, a world the Doctor visited once before.  There, he, Ian and Barbara find the wreck of downed space ship and the two survivors who are being terrorized by Koquilion, an inhabitant of the planet.

This story sets up the introduction of Vicki, as played by Maureen O'Brien.  She will join the TARDIS and while the producers were looking for her to be a replacement for Susan, she is clearly much more than that.  Take a listen and see if you agree with the assessment of the episode overall and where it places in the ranking.

Current Rankings

1 - Dalek Invasion of Earth

2 - Marco Polo

3 - The Daleks

4 - The Aztecs

5 - An Unearthly Child

6 - The Reign of Terror

7 - Edge of Destruction

8 - The Rescue

9 - Planet of Giants

10 - The Keys of Marinus

11 - The Sensorites

"THE RAY IS FOR KILLING"

AIRED: NOVEMBER 11, 1966

John and Jim are excited to be talking about this episode as it's another high concept episode that manages to work in the Hornet's usual angle of getting inside the criminal organization for a "piece of the action".  A group of thieves have stolen a cache of artwork which they wish to ransom.  They have everyone at bay though because they carry with them a powerful laser weapon.  While Britt negotiates for the release, the Hornet goes inside to learn about who is holding the artwork.  It's a tight, well-written adventure and has a great deal going for it as John and Jim discuss.  Plus, we've got listener mail.  We also introduce The Green Hornet: A History of Radio, Motion Pictures, Comics and Television by Martin Grams and Terry Salomonson.  We'll be referring to this extensive tome from time to time in our discussions.  Pick up your copy by clicking on the link and getting it today.

 Take a listen and then let us know what you think of the episode by writing us here or at thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

Sometimes, not even secret agents and poop are enough to win the weekend. On this edition of The Weekly Podioplex, we face the triumph of Dunkirk and the rise of The Dark Tower, and we question if Stephen King is enough to defeat Christopher Nolan and dramatic war dramas. [CONFORM] This week also sees the wide releases of Kidnap and Detroit, dramas starring Halle Berry and John Boyega.

The home entertainment slate tries to steal hearts with a bank heist in Going in Style, a thrilling mystery in The Circle, an extraterrestrial horror in Alien: Covenant, and a blast from the past with They Live. [OBEY] To wrap it all up, Denise brings us a few confrontations, including the singularity (and Melissa McCarthy), Confederate (and HBO), and Castlevania (and the video game curse). Did we mention Darkwing Duck? Yes, there's Darkwing Duck. This and more on a new edition of The Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network. [CONSUME]

Weekly Podioplex Notes for August 1st, 2017

Introduction

Opening Clip: The Dark Tower

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Dunkirk – [Second Week]
#2 – The Emoji Movie – [New Release]
#3 – Girls Trip – [-1]
#4 – Atomic Blonde – [New Release]
#5 – Spider-Man: Homecoming – [-2]
#6 – War for the Planet of the Apes – [-2]

#7 – Despicable Me 3 – [-1]
#8 – Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets – [-3]
#9 – Baby Driver – [-2]
#10 – Wonder Woman – [-1]

Tops From the Past

2012 – The Dark Knight Rises
2007 – The Bourne Ultimatum
1997 – Air Force One
1987 – The Living Daylights
1977 – Star Wars
 

Box Office Premieres for the week of August 4th, 2017

Wide

The Dark Tower – [PG-13]

Detroit – [R]

Kidnap – [R]

Limited

Midnight Sun – [PG-13]
Step – [PG]
Wind River – [R]

Home Entertainment for the week of August 1st, 2017

New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray

Going in Style – [PG-13]

The Circle – [PG-13]

All About the Money – [NR]

New Releases on Digital Video

Alien: Covenant – [R]

TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Big Little Lies: Season One (2017)

The Secret World of Alex Mack: Complete Series (1994-1998)

Blu-Rays From the Past 

They Live (1988) – [R]

Podcast Promos

MASH 4077 Podcast

MASH 4077 Podcast is a fan cast covering one of the most well known and highly successful series in television history. Hosted by Kenny, Meds, and Al, each episode will cover a single episode of MASH starting at the beginning with the pilot. We hope to share with our listeners some cool and informative behind the scene information, cool trivia and little know facts about this wonderful TV series.

Quick Flicks

Melissa McCarthy vs. the singularity
Confederate vs. HBO
Netflix’s Castlevania vs. the video game curse
Darkwing Duck vs. DuckTales revival
John Wick vs. the expanded universe

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

Shazam!

"Goodbye, Packy"

October 4, 1975

Kathy has raised Packy since he was a pup.  It's an adorable relationship, but there is one hitch - Packy is a wolf.  He's getting older now and harder to control.  Add to it, the danger he poses to livestock in the area and Kathy's father wants to release him to the wild.  But Kathy and Packy run away and quickly find themselves in danger.  Can Captain Marvel rescue the two in time?

It's the first episode of the season that John and Richard do not like which is surprising considering how good the stories have been to this point and the fact that this one was written by a team who wrote some good stories in the first season.  The two discuss where this one went wrong, the laws concerning the possession of wild creatures, and the motif of eating that runs throughout the entire Shazam! series.

It's all here and we want to hear from you on what you think of the episode.  Write us as ShazamIsisPodcast@gmail.com.

​

Moral: “Having a pet carries responsibilities. Some animals are born to be free. To deprive them of that right is selfish, so we all must understand and respect the laws of nature... for our sake, as well as for our animal friends."

Guest Cast

Conlan Carter as Bob Rose

Shannon Terhune as Kathy Rose

"Louie's Lethal Lilac Time"

Aired January 11, 1968

Louie the Lilac is back in Gotham City and this time he plans to corner the perfume market with the help of a kidnapped Bruce and Dick.  

​

John is joined by podcaster Joseph Culp and they discuss how Berle actually works in the role of Louie and how this episode, warts and all, is not a bad little story.  They also lament the missing Madge Blake, who doesn't appear in this episode, but her character Aunt Harriet gets a name drop.

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com

 

Pastor Joseph "Captain Scotland" Culp is a licensed and ordained minister. He serves as the Host of The weekly Podcast, The Highlander's Heart at 

www.highlandersheart.com. He is an expat from Turriff, Aberdeenshire Scotland who now lives in Pickerington, Ohio. He works with the the elderly in senior ministry at Abbington of Pickerington Ohio bi-weekly. He is a Batman '66 fan as well an an avid reader of history, mystery novel and old comic books from 1938 to 1977. His favorite shows are Batman with Adam West, The Avengers with Patrick Macnee, Shazam, Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman classic Doctor Who (the 1st 3 Doctors only) and the current show of Super Girl, The Flash, Arrow, Doctor Who. He is married to his lovely wife Serene of 24 years and is the proud father of 2 great cats, Princess Bella and Prince Caledonia. You can reach him at joseph.captainscotland.culp@gmail.com or facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joseph.culp.9.

WCRS Radiostage returns with the final run of episodes from their catalogue.  In "The Mirror", a young couple buys a mirror in which they can see the faces of the dead - when the moon is right.  What will the mirror reveal?