Nostalgium Arcanum

Darkman

July 20th, 2026  |  2 hrs 19 mins

1990s, 90s, action, coen brothers, comic book, comic books, comics, cult classic, cult classics, cult film, cult films, cult movie, cult movies, danny elfman, film, films, frances mcdormand, horror, liam neeson, movie, movies, phantom of the opera, sam raimi, the coen brothers, the phantom of the opera

Who is Darkman? That question, posed by the film's marketing, is answered with a laundry list including creator Sam Raimi, actor Liam Neeson, and a slough of influences from The Shadow, to The Phantom of the Opera, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Batman, and many more. A true Frankenstein of a film lurching wildly from comic book action, to horror, to tragedy, to manic comedy, the movie walks a hard-to-resist tightrope that only Sam Raimi can pull off. We're joined by guest filmmaker Alex Sosin ("The Canyon") to peel back Darkman's many faces to explore what lies underneath.

Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto Del Fauno)

April 27th, 2026  |  2 hrs 24 mins

cinema, fairy tale, fairy tales, fantasy, film, films, guillermo del toro, horror, movies, myth, mythology, spain, spanish

A rumination on fairy tales that firmly embraces the "grim" in Grimm, Guillermo Del Toro's haunting masterpiece "El Laberinto Del Fauno" (or as it is known in the English-speaking world "Pan's Labyrinth") confronts us with horrors real and fantastical, the ones that force us to grow up all too soon. We're joined by guests Jala Prendes (host of Jala-Chan' Place, and co-host of Monster, Dear Monster, and Duckfeed.tv's The Level) and her husband, Dave (co-host of Monster, Dear Monster), to enter the mesmerizing maze of one of the finest films of the 21st century.

2001: A Space Odyssey

April 13th, 2026  |  2 hrs 45 mins

ai, alien, aliens, arthur c. clarke, artificial intelligence, astronomy, cinema, entertainment, evolution, film, films, kubrick, movie, movies, sci-fi, science fiction, scifi, space, stanley kubrick

While the year 2001 has passed, Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece set in that year looms as large as its imposing monolith, and casts as long a shadow. A spectacular artistic achievement, the film is about nothing less than the entirety of the human experience, the exultation and terror of first contact, evolution, and Lovecraftian ideas of unfathomable cosmic power and insignificance. Few films have reached for such heights, let alone achieved them. We're joined on this mission by fellow podcasters Randy Allain and Kris Ingersoll (Media/Lit), and Case Aiken (Another Pass, Men of Steel) to journey to Jupiter and beyond the infinite.

Blockbuster Video

April 28th, 2025  |  1 hr 21 mins

1980s, 1990s, 80s, 90s, blockbuster, dvd, entertainment, film, films, games, gaming, genesis, movie, movies, nes, nintendo, sega, snes, super nintendo, vhs, video, video game, video games

It's time to be kind and rewind back to the days when home media rental was a pillar of daily life. Whether it was Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, or your local mom-and-pop shop, renting movies and games was a ritual of living in the 80s an 90s that is now lost to the dominance of streaming. We're joined by Chris Coplien of the Retro Hangover podcast to rack up a few very late fees in service to the lost world of video rental.

Sneakers

February 24th, 2025  |  1 hr 46 mins

1990s, 90s, ben kingsley, caper, dan ackroyd, david strathairn, film, heist, movies, river phoenix, robert redford, sidney poitier, thriller

A high-stakes heist with an all-star cast, 1992's Sneakers is one of the most entertaining capers ever put on screen. Returning guest filmmaker Tarik Davis (@tarikrdavis) joins us to decrypt a film with too many secrets. Our voices are your passport.

80s Movies - Part 2

February 17th, 2025  |  3 hrs 9 mins

1980s, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 80s, action, cinema, comedy, disney, film, films, goonies, horror, indiana jones, john hughes, little mermaid, movie, movies, princess bride, rob reiner, scifi, steven spielberg

1985 through 1989 was the best period of filmmaking, period. Each of these years produced dozens of groundbreaking, blockbusting, genre defining, and unforgettable movies, making listing our top tens nearly impossible. Our review crew of Ami Lief, Ryan Merlo, and Tania Newton join us to close out our survey course of the best, of the best, of the best.

80s Movies - Part 1

February 10th, 2025  |  2 hrs 14 mins

1980s, 80s, action, cinema, comedy, film, films, ghostbusters, horror, indiana jones, movie, movies, scifi, star wars

The films from 1980 to 1984, buoyed by genre hits like Star Wars, took flight with bold imaginative storytelling and state-of-the-art special effects, establishing many franchises that continue to this day. We're joined by guests Tania Newton and Ryan Merlo to rank our top ten movies from this incredible period.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

November 25th, 2024  |  1 hr 55 mins

1980s, 80s, comedies, comedy, film, films, holiday, homeless, homelessness, john candy, john hughes, movie, movies, road trip, steve martin, thanksgiving

John Hughes' classic Thanksgiving story about Neal Page (Steve Martin) and Del Griffith (John Candy) questing home against geography and Murphy's Law combines stellar comedic performances and a heartbreaking (and ultimately heartwarming) twist to deliver an all-time holiday classic. Guest Dan Oster (MadTV, A Podcast, But Evil) tags along with us to make a meal of a film with far more substance than its Odd Couple trappings would suggest.

Also, please stick around to the end of the episode for special guest Michael Shepherd, who joins us for a discussion on what you can do to help those struggling with homelessness this holiday season.

Ernest Goes To Camp

November 11th, 2024  |  1 hr 58 mins

1980s, 80s, camp, cinema, comedies, comedy, ernest, film, films, jim varney, movie, movies

Hey Vern! We're joined by writer/comedian/filmmaker Tarik Davis (@tarikrdavis) to head off to Camp Kikakee with one Ernest P. Worrell. Despite its humble trappings this is, we maintain, a cinematic masterpiece. By the end of this podcast you'll know what we mean, knowwhatImean?

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

October 28th, 2024  |  2 hrs 4 mins

1990s, 90s, animated, animation, catherine o'hara, christmas, cinema, danny elfman, disney, film, films, halloween, horror, movie, movies, musical, musicals, puppet, puppets, stop motion, theater, tim burton, x-mas, xmas

This is Halloween! This is Halloween! For our final mainline October episode guest Matt Storm aka Stormageddon of the "Fun" and Games, and Reignite podcasts tricks and treats with us to revisit this masterclass in stop-motion animation that lets us celebrate two holidays for the price of one.