Regular Joes Podcast

The Regular Joes have been eagerly awaiting the start of the Disney+ Star Wars series Andor. Ok, to be more accurate, Barry has been eagerly awaiting the series, but all three of them did watch the three initial episodes that dropped on day one, and the first weekly update that followed. As regular listeners can probably anticipate, their views vary widely. There will be SPOILERS . . . sort of. Let’s just say that’s less an issue than in previous offerings. The series, from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, writer (or is it, savior?) Tony Gilroy chronicles the previous five years in the life of protagonist Cassian Andor . . . seemingly in real time. If that doesn’t sound appealing to you the series does include the first legit curse word ever uttered in the Star Wars universe. So there’s that. There’s also the usual Random Topics, and a round of What’s in the Box that proves particularly embarrassing for Tod. Thanks for listening!

This week the Regular Joes catch up on news from the recent Disney D23 Expo. There were numerous updates from the Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universes, allaying any fears thar the House of Mouse might be be running out of content anytime soon. While many exciting things loom on the horizon, this year was as much as what they weren’t talking about, Rogue Squadron, X-Men etc, proving even the big D is capable of getting over their skis. There’s also a peek at the Joes current projects with What’s on My Workbench, as well as the inevitable as Thanos round of What’s in the Box! Thanks for listening!

There have been several attempts to bring Wonder Woman to the screen. And while some were successful, The New Original Wonder Woman series 1975-1979 and the 2017 Wonder Woman film, others have missed the mark like a poorly thrown javelin. This week the Regular Joes, joined by noted bad film aficionado Jim Bush, provide a live commentary analysis of the rarely seen 1974 series pilot which was released as TV movie. Which was, perhaps until this episode, actually much better in Tod’s head. If you wish to follow along the video is available for rental from Amazon. Note it is also available for purchase . . . but we don’t recommend that. With Cathy Lee Crosby (of later “That’s Incredible” fame) and Ricardo Montalban, who seems to be channeling his impending Fantasy Island role as Mr. Roarke, this is a Wonder Woman like no other. And perhaps that’s for the best. On the upside, there are more phone conversations and burros than in any other adaptation. Thanks for Listening . . . and maybe watching along.

This week, the Regular Joes are joined by regular guest host Brian Mix for a very random show filled with random topics and random conversations about very random geeky stuff.  It’s a no homework required show for everyone, so sit back, relax and randomly enjoy the show!  Oh yeah, and theres What’s in the Box too.  As always, thanks for listening!

Remember back in the day, when the arrival of that extra thick TV Guide Fall Preview Edition offered up all sorts of promise for the coming network TV season? Yes, that’s as much a thing of the past as filling your tank for less than a $50 bill. This week the Regular Joe’s give slightly more time than is due to the scant offerings served up for the fall season. Unless of course you’re big into Reality TV, or endless spinoffs of police procedural‘s. There is one new show that all three hosts plan to give a try. See if you can guess. In case you have missed spending your Sunday nights in Westeros, HBO is offering up a return trip with House of Dragons. Which is proving to be, “must see TV,” as long as you’ve got nothing much else to watch. Remember all those crazy, unpredictable plot twists and betrayals in Game of Thrones? Remember all that time you devoted to trying to figure out what would happen next … or possibly keep track of any one of 700 reoccurring characters? Yeah, this is not that. On the plus side

This week the Regular Joes take a look at two very different streaming series. One wrapping up its third season and the other just out of the chute. The Joes have been on board Apple TV+’s alternate history space race drama For All Mankind since launch. As they dig in to the most recent Mars mission focused season it quickly becomes clear that the sci fi aspects of the show aren’t the parts that are the most improbable. We’re not saying you couldn’t strap a pregnant lady to the exterior of a spaceship. It just might not be a good idea. Next up it’s, She-Hulk Attorney at Law, in which Marvel/Disney+ leans into the more absurd elements of a world where superheroes are commonplace. In what is described as the first MCU comedy, Disney covers untrodden ground with a pair of giant green feet. There’s also the usual round of Random Topics, and a round of What’s in The Box where Dave ponies up for every item mentioned. Thanks for listening!

The passing of our childhood heroes is hard, more so the crushes of our youth. This week the Regular Joes bid farewell to Olivia Newton-John, who may not have been Dave’s first crush, but certainly had a significant impact on his teen years. As well as inspiring an elaborate, and ultimately successful, effort to crash her 1982 Saturday Night Live appearance. Note: at various points people are encouraged to watch the 1980 film, Xanadu. Listeners are encouraged to dismiss these suggestions as, denial,  one of the stages of grief. As they continue to work their way through the endless glut of summer streaming shows the Joes review season three of Amazon’s antihero series The Boys. They also weigh in on Lightyear, which failed to make an impact on the big screen but is now making a reentry attempt in your living room … or wherever it is you stream. There’s also the usual round of Random Topics, and a chance to catch up on What’s in The Box. Thanks for listening!

In 1965 an actress, dancer and singer accepted a small role in a new science fiction TV drama. Her expectations for the show were understandably low. But Lt. Uhura became the defining role her long career. The Regular Joes pay tribute to the life and legacy of Nichelle Nichols who broke barriers, changed minds, inspired countless people, and looked damned fine in a mini skirt. Having given most everyone else time to catch up, the Joes also review two recent teen centric dramas. First up Ms. Marvel from Disney Plus, which both introduces Kamala Khan and her world to the MCU and sets the stage for the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel. After that it’s back to Hawkins Indiana for the wrap up of season four of Stranger Things. While most people are either nostalgic about, or totally wish to forget their high school years, few have had experiences quite like Dustin, Eleven, Jonathon, Lucas, Max, Mike, Nancy, Robin, Steve, Will, and Eddie. Who you’re going to ask to the dance kind of seems trivial compared to demons,

The San Diego Comic Con (SDCC), while no longer the largest comic con, remains the harbinger of all things nerdy. This year announcements were split between long awaited projects such as, The Sandman and the Game of Thrones prequel House of Dragons, and many others we will likewise be waiting a long time to see. The Regular Joes dive into the litany of announcements, teasers and trailers. Most notably from MARVEL, which unveiled a dizzying (if incomplete) plan for the next few years, or Phases, for the MCU on the big and small screen. There’s a lot to be excited for, including Daredevil Born Again! and two Avengers films in a single year!  Unfortunately that year is 2025, and we will be waiting two years for Daredevil. No MARVEL announcement is complete without the prerequisite Fantastic Four name drop, again with no details. Though curiously there was no mention of Eternals. There’s also Random Topics, because, at the Regular Joes Podcast the random never stops. Thanks for listening!

It’s been a while since we have had the whole crew together, and now that Brian has made his way to the east coast it’s time to catch up with him and Derryl. The far reaching swath of this week’s topics incudes, but is not limited to: the sudden, seeming collapse of Eaglemoss / Hero Collector, the unlikely circumstance of Dave being further into Ms Marvel than anyone else, one of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’s writers tries to claim it wasn’t his fault, Brian beams down to an old school Star Trek con, the wondrous and perplexing persistence of independent hobby shops, the zen art of Succulent Legos, the resurrection of Toys R Us. And of course, Tiki drinks, because, well, Tiki drinks. There’s also What’s in the Box and a historic, first time ever, live Intro and Outro performance by the incomparable Barry Kay. Thanks for listening!

Thor Love and Thunder marks the first time a MCU hero has gotten four stand alone films. So, that’s something anyway. We knew Thor Ragnarok 2017 was going to be hard to top, and, SPOILER this film does not. There is Thor, two of them actually, Valkyrie, Korg, and a handful of other familiar faces but somehow Taika Waititi’s second outing as director seems less than the sum of its parts. The Regular Joes break it down for you like a shattered Norse hammer. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has wrapped its all to brief 10 episode run. And, much in the way The Mandalorian, quelled the bickering throngs of Star Wars folk, Trek fans seem to have finally found something they can agree on. In the season finale Paramount went deep into TOS Trek lore definitively delivering on all the promise the series holds. Again there will be SPOILERS. No Surprise, there’s also the usual random topics and a round of What’s in The Box. Thanks for listening!

Since Disney took over the helm of the Star Wars Galaxy fan response has been, well … mixed. And while you can’t please everyone, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s six episode run proved the House of Mouse can do right by a legacy character. While not a perfect series, Obi-Wan aptly demonstrated that even a story you think you know can be improved in the telling. Note: there will be SPOILERS, but since you probably saw a film called Star Wars at some point you likely knew where things were going. This past weekend Barry and Dave visited EternalCon mostly to see 1970’s TV icons Lee Majors and Lyndsey Wagner AKA the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman. Because, really, who wouldn’t want to if you could? There’s also an extra large, bonus sized Random Topics because they skipped a week. Thanks for listening!

By the time you listen to this episode the dust will have settled on the Prop Store's Entertainment Memorabilia Auction. If you are now the proud owner of a screen used Star Wars X-Wing model congratulations! In their traditional pre-auction show the Regular Joes review their personal wish lists and cinematic holy grails, including a Holy Grail, from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, along with a Grail diary, the Grail knight’s sword and items from most any Sci Fi / fantasy film or franchise you can name. There’s something for everyone in this sale, though not every budget, as prices continue to go through the roof. With one episode of Kenobi left the hosts process the former Jedi’s journey so far (SPOILERS!) and what they expect to see in the finale… which will also have aired by the time you listen to this episode. All this, plus the usual random topics. Thanks for listening!

The firehose of streaming series content continues as the Regular Joes breakdown, digest and process what they have seen so far. Star Trek Strange New Worlds continues to be everything it promised to be. Likewise Kenobi moves towards its rapidly approaching conclusion proving there are still stories to tell In that curiously small universe. Lastly For All Mankind is back on AppleTV+ with another decade jump moving the awesome NASA alternate history drama into the realm of science-fiction. So many shows, so little time. There’s also the usual random topics and a round of What’s in the Box / What’s on my Workbench. Thanks for listening!

Top Gun Maverick Is the sequel everyone has been waiting 35 years for. Ok, so maybe more accurately it is the sequel Dave has been waiting 35 years for. Tom Cruse”s long delayed fighter pilot action flick is finally in theaters and it is breaking box office records. Was it worth the wait? There will be SPOILERS. They knew this month was coming, but you can never really be prepared for the stream-apalooza. When every major content provider piles on, dropping crazy amounts of long awaited series all in this overstuffed month. The Joes (except for Barry who is now playing the role of Tod) lay out their priorities and strategies for keeping up. There’s also the usual random topics and a round of What’s in The Box. Thanks for listening!

The wait for Obi-Wan Kenobi, the six episode Disney+ series has seemed interminably long. It has been five years since it was first announced as a prequel-sequel film, and 17 years since Ewan McGregor last donned the hooded robe - which for some reason everyone in the galaxy seems to forgotten was a Jedi trademark. This week the Regular Joe’s are joined by Droid expert Brian Mix as they break down the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi like a giant animal carcass in the desert. Note: There will be SPOILERS. This year, because fate, timing, and Dave’s wife conspired to keep the hosts from attending Star Wars Celebration Brian went on their behalf. Find out what he heard saw, and perhaps most importantly, brought home. Thanks for listening, and may the force be with you!

Ok, so they gave you a week to catch up, now it’s time to talk Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness. For the second time in six months Stephen Strange aka Doctor Strange aka the wizard formerly known as the Sorcerer Supreme follows a teenager down a path that warps, folds and spindles reality. Expectations were high for this film, which has been doing great at the box office. But even more, many people were expecting the story to go a very different way. Really trying not to SPOIL things here folks. Let’s just say, not everyone gets a happy ending. Semi Regular Joe Derryl DePriest makes an appearance to help the team break down, digest and absorb what they have seen. Right now everyone is coping. But additional therapy sessions may be required. There are also new trailers out for both Amazon Prime’s The Boys season 3 and the AppleTV+ series For All Mankind third season. Seriously, this streaming sh** is getting out of hand. Where was all this stuff back when we were locked down and rewatching Lost. Ok,

This week, while the Joes are not talking about Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness, they review the just wrapped seasons of Picard and Moon Knight. In its sophomore season on Paramount+, Star Trek Picard, the only Trek series headlined by a nonagenarian protagonist, slowly goes where any number of shows have gone before. There are some good moments, which the Joe’s point out, but as the show closes out year two of its three season run, we are again left wondering, is nostalgia really enough? While Picard’s ten episode run seemed a little drawn out, Disney+’s Moon Knight felt like it needed more runway. Six episodes should be amble time to get to understand a character. But, then again, most characters don’t come equipped with five, often conflicting, personas. Perhaps Tod, the resident Moon Knight aficionado, put it best, what Moon Knight needed was more Moon Knight. Maybe we will learn more in season two … if there is one. Of course there’s always the usual random topics and a particularly diverse c

This week the Regular Joes find the stars in perfect alignment as the newest offerings from both the Star Wars and Star Trek universes seem poised to deliver on all the potential they can muster. First up is a trailer for the impending Obi-Wan series from Disney plus. This first peek pulls back the curtain on Obi-Wan Kenobi’s undocumented middle years, between Jedi Knight and eccentric hermit. And damn, there is a lot to pull apart. Next we have our first slice of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as the first episode has aired, and two lucky hosts got to preview the first two installments. Strange New Worlds is the first Trek series whose genesis is directly credited to fans desire to see more of these characters. It also marks the return to the nearly forgotten art of episodic storytelling. It’s a little new, it’s a little old school, but it seems to be exactly what Trek fans have been waiting to see. There’s also the usual Random Topics and a peek at What’s On Barry and Dave’s and respective Workbenches. Lastl

If you had previously given any thought to getting off your sofa at any point in the next two months this week’s episode may convince you otherwise. The powers that be at Amazon Prime, AppleTV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, and Paramount+ have decided to convince you that May and June is clearly not the time to prune any of the the streaming services you have considered dropping. We will be going to Mars with the NASA that never was, traveling to Strange New Worlds with the crew of the Enterprise, returning to a galaxy far, far away with our favorite retired Jedi, making one last trip to the Ozark, and catching up with old friends Eleven, Billy Butcher, Number 5 and Tommy Shelby. If you are looking for something different there’s an Offer you can’t refuse, a chance to hang with the Sex Pistols, and a new generation of heroes with Ms. Marvel. And we haven’t even mentioned The Orville, Evil or Barry. Well damn. There’s also the usual Random Topics and an epically meandering round of What’s in the Box. Thank