The Occasionalists Podcast

Nerd Files: Weird History

We introduce a new(ish) type of episode to the show in which Chemma and I show you the depths of our personal nerdiness. The Nerd Files will serve to explore subjects with greater depth and nuance and highlight some our own experiences and fascination with them.
Our first subject is weird history but before diving into the meat of our episode we have a general discussion about the term 'nerd' and what it means in society and pop culture right now. 
Adjust your suspenders, shine up those pocket protectors and prepare to get nerdy. 

Jack Ryan Review

The fifth onscreen incarnation of Tom Clancy's famed CIA analyst turned field hero sees John Krasinski take the action to the small screen for the first time.
We ponder why the character of Jack Ryan and Tom Clancy have had such an important part of the political thriller genre for so long. Between the titular character and his creator: nearly 40 years in the pop culture consciousness with dozens of books, several movies and...get this...56 video games!
We also discuss where the show stacks up to some other political thrillers and dive into the headlining characters' performances and motivations.
So does Jim Halpert cut it as Jack? Is the story relevant to today's world? And have Hollywood's ideas of terrorism changed over the years?
Let's find out!

1997: The Lost Year in Music

While one's taste in entertainment is completely subjective there are times in pop culture history when even the snobbiest of snobs and the lowest of low-brow connoisseurs come together in confused agreement.
1997 is when pop culture consumers of all stripes collectively asked: what the hell is going on?
It's not so much that '97 was filled with bad music (but seriously, it was!) it's that some seminal albums, important movements and well-known artists solidified themselves as forces in the music industry, while somehow sharing the spotlight with a glut of completely forgettable or downright terrible songs. 
The end result is that we remember Aqua's 'Barbie Girl' and forget that Daft Punk burst on the scene that year. We know all the Spice Girls by name but struggle to remember a single track off the biggest rap album (Life After Death) ever made. 
1997 was weird, man. 

Talking Politics

The most important midterms in a long time have concluded with a clearer picture of the American political landscape heading into the 2020 Presidential election. What changed? What does it mean for us? What can we do going forward?
Chemma and I try to answer a few of these questions, throw our hats into the political arena, dig up some dirt on both of our major political parties and give you some recommendations in the political entertainment realm.
Check this episode out and see you in the voting booth in two years!

Cinema Dissection: The Cell

We conclude spooky szn with a cinema dissection of the 2000 sci-psych-thriller-horror-fever dream of a movie directed by Tarsem Singh, The Cell. 
It stars Jennifer Lopez when she still gave a damn about acting and Vince Vaughn, when he was thin, and also gave a damn about acting. This duo netted a few minutes of discussion before we even got into the meat of the movie.
Does it qualify as a perfect movie? Is the odd reception it received the fault of Tarsem or the fault of the viewer? Let's find out!  

Horror Movies

Spooky SZN continues over at The Occasionalists as we take a deep, deep dive into the horror movie genre and it's many, diverse sub-genres.
We also take a swing at making horror movies out of non-horror movies, tackle the recent surge in horror television and discuss why horror movies are snapshots of our fears as a collective society.
This is a good one! Trust me!

Halloween

Spooky season has arrived so Chemma and I take a deeper look at one of our favorite holidays; from the ancient roots of Halloween all the way to the uniquely American celebration it has become today and everything in between.
 

Cinema Dissection: Judgment Night

 
It's 1993 folks. UB40 and Haddaway are tearing up the charts, Jurassic Park was dominating the box office and I was a fat kid. Well, fatter kid. 
Also, Emilio Estevez, Denis Leary, Cuba Gooding Jr, Jeremy Piven and Stephen Dorff were all in the same damn movie. What would a movie with this cast look like now? 
Some kind of nightmarish, drug-fueled rendition of Wild Hogs or Grown Ups, no doubt. So instead of walking down that road, let's focus on their cult classic(?) Judgment Night.
Estevez was already an established star in Hollywood, Piven was an up-and-coming talent though it was still a full decade before he really splashed on Entourage. We were still 3 years away from Cuba being shown the money and an Oscar, Dorff was only 20 years old and at the beginning of a long and rather confusing career. Leary had just controversially topped friend-turned-rival Bill Hicks in the comedy world and was on his way to stardom and a long, still thriving career. 
This sort of breeding ground for a handful of unquestionably successful Hollywood careers, combined with the distinct action, atmosphere, direction and one of the more unique soundtracks in movie history make Judgment Night a perfect subject for our latest Cinema Dissection.