Nostalgium Arcanum - Episodes Tagged with “Mel Brooks”

Robots

Doug Lief — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0700

In 2005 "Robots" rolled off the assembly line from Blue Sky Studios, and it surprisingly remains greater than the sum of its nuts, bolts, and other assorted parts. Celebrating the aspects of capitalism that reward ingenuity and innovation, and satirizing the aspects of capitalism that incentivise profit at any cost, the film features wildly inventive production design and winning performance from an enormous celebrity roster including Ewan McGregor, Robin Williams, Greg Kinnear, Stanley Tucci, Paul Giamatti, Mel Brooks, and many many many many more. We're joined by Sophia Riccardi of the Moviestruck podcast (https://moviestruck.transistor.fm/) to discuss why this film's components are anything but outmoded.

Be sure to also check out our monthy musical podcast, "Playing By Ear" (https://playingbyear.fireside.fm) and our limited-run Jim Henson Series, "Still Muppeting" (patreon.com/stillloadingpod).

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Be sure to follow us on Instagram in particular since that's where we post bonus content, and on TikTok (@nostalgiumarcanum) for Doug's impressions.

Musical Credits:

Intro - Dark Flute (Jim Guthrie)
All score from Robots by John Powell
Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
Underground - Tom Waits
Get Up Offa That Thing - James Brown

Blazing Saddles

Doug Lief — Mon, 20 May 2024 01:00:00 -0700

Mel Brooks' crowning achievement, Blazing Saddles blazed a trail and confronts racism with equal parts ferocious satire and wild cartoon abandon. Writer/comedian/filmmaker Tarik Davis (@tarikrdavis) joins us to celebrate 50 years of this film's uncompromising hilarity and empathy. We are awake, but we are very puzzled.

You can find Tarik not only on NBC's The Amber Ruffin Show, but on his essential podcast, Brothers From Another Planet, see him perform live with Freestyle Love Soupreme, and seek out his short film "Doc - Race, Revolution, Relativity, and the Confessions of Time Travelling Terrorist".

Be sure to follow us on Instagram in particular since that's where we post bonus content, and on TikTok (@nostalgiumarcanum) for Doug's impressions.

Musical Credits:

Intro - Dark Flute (Jim Guthrie)
Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks / John Morris)
I Get A Kick Out Of You (Cole Porter, sung by Cleavon Little)
Camptown Races (Stephen Foster, sung by Slim Pickens)
The Ballad of Rock Ridge (Mel Brooks)
Merrily We Roll Along (Charlie Tobias, Murray Mencher, and Eddie Cantor)
I'm Tired (Mel Brooks)
The French Mistake (Mel Brooks)
All score from Blazing Saddles by John Morris
National Brotherhood Week (Tom Lehrer)

Spaceballs

Doug Lief — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 01:00:00 -0800

Spaceballs? Oh shit, there goes the podcast! Guest and master of the Schwartz Matt Storm a.k.a. Matt Stormageddon joins us for a look back at Star Wars as filtered through Mel Brooks' mastery of vaudeville, satire, and moichandizing!

Find links to all of Matt's great work including podcasts "Fun" and Games, Screen Snark, and Reignite here: https://linktr.ee/dj_stormagedddon

Be sure to follow us on Instagram in particular since that's where we post bonus content, and on TikTok (@nostalgiumarcanum) for Doug's impressions.

Musical Credits

Intro - Dark Flute - Jim Guthrie
All score from Spaceballs by John Morris
Hello! Ma Baby (Joseph E. Howard / Ida Emerson)
Spaceballs (The Spinners)