Nostalgia Theater: A MovieFilm Podcast

On this installment of the Nostalgia Theater show Zaki is pleased to welcome legendary character actor WILLIAM SADLER for an in-depth discussion about his many decades on stage and screen. From DIE HARD 2 to BILL & TED to THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION and much more, Mr. Sadler has plenty of stories and insights to share, including thoughts on his latest film, the introspective character drama A STAGE OF TWILIGHT.

Last year we talked Superman's 85th, now it's the Dark Knight's turn! To celebrate 85 years since Batman's very first appearance in 1939's DETECTIVE COMICS 27, Zaki is back with author and comic book historian Glenn Greenberg about his new book-length magazine digging into the Caped Crusader's legend and legacy.

I'm joined once again by friend of the show GLENN GREENBERG for a fun and freewheeling conversation celebrating the 50th anniversary of STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES! Listen in as we discuss the origins of the show, the highlights and lowlights, and some fascinating digressions about canon and fan entitlement. It's always a blast talking Trek with Glenn, and this is a fun one!

I'm joined once again by regular guest MARK A. ALTMAN to talk up the new docuseries he wrote and co-produced, GREATEST GEEK YEAR EVER - 1982, which looks at the seminal cinematic experiences launched during that one magic year. Of course, when Mark is the guest, we always cast a wide net, and you can hear his thoughts on a variety of geek-related offerings classic and recent. It was a fun conversation to record, and I think you'll find it's a fun listen as well!

The Nostalgia Theater show returns with Zaki's in-depth discussion with author and Superman fan Glenn Greenberg about his new book-length magazine digging into the life, legacy, and legend of the Man of Steel just in time for his 85th anniversary (Superman's, not Glenn's).

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the first SPIDER-MAN feature film, and while Brian wasn't able to make the celebration, Zaki is joined by former Marvel Comics writer/editor GLENN GREENBERG, who spent a fair number of years chronicling the famous webslinger. It's a fun and informative few hours as we look at the film's long road to the screen, what it accomplished for the superhero genre, and lots more comic book and movie factoids! Listen separately or watch along as we talk through this iconic movie!

After a pandemic-induced layover, the Nostalgia Theater show is back! For his return engagement, Zaki chats with Douglas Goldstein (Robot Chicken) about his work on Wizard and ToyFare magazines in the '90s, how ROBOT CHICKEN became the groundbreaking smash we know and love, and his new SyFy animated series DEVIL MAY CARE. Plus: What it was like recording voiceover with George Lucas! It's a fun hour of nostalgia that'll give you the warm fuzzies and make you laugh a lot.

Zaki hit the bullseye with this month's conversation as he's joined by actor MARK VALLEY for a lengthy conversation as they reminisce about the tenth anniversary of Fox TV's gone-too-soon DC Comics adaptation HUMAN TARGET. Plus: BOSTON LEGAL, KEEN EDDIE, and much more!

I'm very excited to present the audio of my conversation last fall with writer/director James Mangold about his Oscar-nominated film FORD V. FERRARI, plus his recollections of working with the late Johnny Cash on the biopic WALK THE LINE, what it was like for LOGAN to instantly become one of the most revered comic book adaptations of all time, and much more!

It’s time for some 2020 hindsight! For this episode, I’m joined by veteran writer/producer Zack Stentz -- you know his work from X-Men First Class, Thor, and the upcoming Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous -- for a fond look back at the late, lamented, gone-too-soon TV series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I had this conversation for the San Francisco Chronicle last fall in the lead-up to the release of Terminator Dark Fate, but I’m glad to have this chance to share the entirety of our chat for the first time!

With the impending release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, I was honored to moderate a conversation on behalf of the Commonwealth Club of California with Mashable's Chris Taylor, author of How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, and Starwars.com contributor Bryan Young, as we discussed everything Star Wars: What has the film franchise meant to American culture? What can we expect with episode 9 and beyond? Why did the film franchise have such an impact? And what do the films say about our current political system, religion and technology?

Zaki is joined this episode by famed writer/producer Ronald D. Moore for some fun reflections on Star Trek Generations on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. In addition, hear Ron's thoughts on the entirety of his time in the Star Trek writer's room, going from The Next Generation to Deep Space Nine to Voyager, and how all of that led up to his acclaimed reboot of Battlestar Galactica.

It's Halloween, and thus a perfect time for our latest Nostalgia Theater show, as special guest Glenn Greenberg joins me for a special conversation about the enduring appeal of the immortal Dracula! Listen in as we talk about our favorite screen Dracs and spelunk into his time writing the Lord of the Vampires for Marvel Comics!

Twentieth Century Fox's X-Men franchise draws to a close this week, and we mark the occasion with a new commentary track here at the Nostalgia Theater show! Special guest Sean Coyle (Executive Producer of Disney's Puppy Dog Pals and a lifelong X-Men fan!) joins in as we watch 2000's X-Men, starring Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and some Australian unknown named Hugh Jackman (whatever happened to him?) while sharing memories, behind-the-scenes stories, and some heavy nostalgia for the movie that started our current superhero movie boom! Click below to listen, or subscribe at iTunes, Stitcher Radio, TuneIn Radio, or Google Play (and remember to leave a review!). As always, send all questions or comments our way via MovieFilmPodcast@gmail.com, and don't forget to hit "like" on our Facebook page.

While this week’s release of Dark Phoenix marks the end of nineteen years of Twentieth Century Fox’s incarnation of the X-Men, it also closes out the tenure of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and the rest of the new cast that came in with 2011’s X-Men: First Class. And my guest for this hour is screenwriter Zack Stentz, who co-wrote First Class and inaugurated the X-Men’s second cinematic life in the process. His name has also graced franchises such as The Terminator, The Twilight Zone, Thor, and more, and he also discusses his new project Rim of the World, which he wrote and produced and which debuted last month on Netflix. You can listen via the embed below, or subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio, or TuneIn Radio. As always, send all questions or comments our way via MovieFilmPodcast@gmail.com, and don't forget to hit "like" on our Facebook page!

With this week’s release of Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla: King of the Monsters marking the big guy's 33rd film appearance in 65 years, it's clear that Godzilla’s appeal transcends time, demographics, and cultures. And joining me to help unpack the Godzilla of it all is my special guest, screenwriter and Godzilla super-fan Marc Gottlieb! Listen in as we go deep and wide about the ragin' Kaiju's history and hits and misses, and just why it is that he keeps coming back! You can hear it all via the embed below, or subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio, or TuneIn Radio. As always, send all questions or comments our way via  MovieFilmPodcast@gmail.com, and don't forget to hit "like" on our Facebook page

The Nostalgia Theater show is back with another Commentary Trek! Joining myself and special guest Glenn Greenberg (writer of many Star Trek books and comics) for this go-round is my friend and colleague from the Discovery Debrief Podcast, Chris Clow. Listen in as we share memories, behind-the-scenes stories, and just generally wax enthusiastically about one of the best movies in the entire Star Trek cinematic catalogue! This is the end of the road for the classic Trek movies, but we've still got lots to say as we watch this beloved crew sail into the sunset. Click below to listen, or subscribe at iTunes, Stitcher Radio, TuneIn Radio, or Google Play (and remember to leave a review!). As always, send all questions or comments our way via MovieFilmPodcast@gmail.com, and don't forget to hit "like" on our Facebook page.

On this episode of the show, I’m honored to be joined by special guest Javier Grillo-Marxuach, a veteran writer and producer who’s worked on shows like SeaQuest, Charmed, The Middle Man, and the upcoming Netflix sequel to the Dark Crystal and their live action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop. He’s here to share stories from his time working on ABC's modern classic Lost, as well as the wisdom he’s accrued from more than a quarter-century in the TV trenches as delineated in his new book of collected essays, Shoot That One. Hear it through the embed below, or subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio, or TuneIn Radio. As always, send all questions or comments our way via MovieFilmPodcast@gmail.com, and don't forget to hit "like" on our Facebook page

Happy Valentine’s Day! To celebrate, I’m here with a valentine to my favorite movie of all time, 1968’s Planet of the Apes, and the entire multimedia franchise that sprang up in its wake! And here to join the festivities is my special guest Dana Gould! Dana is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer and voice artist who’s been featured on HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central. You’ve seen him on Seinfeld, Roseanne, and The Ben Stiller Show. He’s been a producer on The Simpsons, Parks & Recreation, and his IFC series Stan Against Evil aired its third season this past fall. Most importantly for this conversation, he’s a professional Planet of the Apes fan, having dressed up as Maurice Evans dressed up as Dr. Zaius for numerous appearances, and having adapted screenwriter Rod Serling’s original script into comic form for a special graphic novel published last year by Boom Studios. I couldn’t be more honored to have him with me to wish celebrate a belated fiftieth anniversary to one of the greatest movies ever made! You can hear it all via the embed below, or subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher Radio, or TuneIn Radio. As always, send all questions or comments our way via MovieFilmPodcast@gmail.com, and don't forget to hit "like" on our Facebook page

As a special Christmas present from your friends at Nostalgia Theater, here's our commentary track for 1993's Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Released to mostly empty theaters on Christmas day twenty-five years ago, the film -- based on the popular weekday afternoon cartoon show and starring the voices of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill -- was the first animated feature based on the Dark Knight, and while it didn't find an audience initially, its estimation has only grown in the years since to the point that many consider it their favorite Batman film of all time! For this special track, I'm joined by returning guest John Trumbull, author of the an expansive history of Batman: The Animated Series, as we go through the behind-the-scenes history, offer some of our own anecdotes, and just generally have a good time with a fantastic, overlooked favorite. Click below to listen, or subscribe at iTunes, Stitcher Radio, TuneIn Radio, or Google Play (and remember to leave a review!). As always, send all questions or comments our way via MovieFilmPodcast@gmail.com, and don't forget to hit "like" on our Facebook page.