The School of Everything Else Archive

[School of Everything Else 2017] A commissioned show about a 2003 two-part TV miniseries wherein Christopher Eccleston plays a regular bloke from Manchester who suddenly realises that he is the son of God. The story is about how the world takes this news and how it affects his close friends. Also there are demons. This is new Doctor Who creator Russel T. Davies' hot take on religion. It made Sharon and I quite angry, and unexpectedly ended up as one of our more thought-provoking shows, most definitely nudging us out of our comfort zone and into the realm of discussing one of the subjects guaranteed to offend somebody.

[School of Everything Else 2017] This is a Vertigo comics series which ran for 60 issues from 1997 to 2002, written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Darick Robertson.  It is set in a non-specified future where cities stretch out across the planet, filled with bored tech-fetishists all looking for the next distraction. Spider Jerusalem is an infamous gonzo journalist who returns to the otherwise unnamed "The City" to write some books and newspaper columns after years of hiding in a log cabin up a mountain. This is a book that was hugely influential on me, and while the retro-future it predicted was off the mark in many cases, some of it is so sharp that it's going to hurt to listen. There's blasphemous and depraved content within so you have been warned. Alasdair Stuart of The Escape Artists joins us to talk about all things Spider in this commissioned show courtesy of Ciaran Dachtler.  Guest: Alasdair Stuart of Escape Pod

[School of Everything Else 2017] We've had several requests over the course of our show to cover THE ENTIRETY of Doctor Who, or even just "Everything since 2005". Eventually one commissioning Whovian named Andy Nattan came around with a suggestion that would neatly incorporate our knowledge of the Doctor into a discussion about one fairly hilariously bad TV movie made in 1996. It also constitutes (almost) the entire onscreen appearance of the Eighth Doctor, Paul McGann, who was rather good (when he stopped SCREAMING). So whether you love Who, like it or think it's a load of old toss you'll almost certainly enjoy listening to us talk with long-time Seventh Doctor fan Neil Taylor about this failed pilot, starring Eric Roberts as The Terminator, featuring a really REALLY accurate clock, a wibbly window and a jizz-snake. Guests: Neil Taylor of TheKidDogg

[School of Everything Else 2017] In 2013 a brand new Marvel character was introduced to the world, one who is very reminiscent of classic Peter Parker, a goofy, hapless, sweet-natured teenager who just wants to help people. She's also the world's premier, headlining Muslim superhero, and very much due a movie or TV series to bring her to mass popularity like those who came before her. In tonight's episode we are joined by Alasdair Stuart, owner of Escape Artists and longtime comic-book expert, to enthusiastically discuss why the younger generations are already loving Kamala Khan, and why she's so important in the grand scheme. You don't have to have read any of her comics, but by the end of this you will want to.  This was a commissioned show, and we kick off with some important (and good news) about future commissions.  Guest: Alasdair Stuart of Escape Pod

[School of Everything Else 2017] This is the third show I have put together about the Legend of Zelda series. The first was back in 2010 for Digital Cowboys when we covered most of the games in the series. The second was in early 2012 on Digital Gonzo when we covered the contentious Skyward Sword on the Wii (This episode is now available exclusively through Patreon). This time we're looking at a bunch that we missed first time round, and one or two that have emerged more recently. 2001. Oracle of Seasons/Ages 2004. The Minish Cap 2006. Twilight Princess 2007. Link’s Crossbow Training 2007. The Phantom Hourglass 2009. Spirit Tracks 2011. Ocarina of Time 3D 2013. A Link Between Worlds 2013. Wind Waker HD 2014. Hyrule Warriors 2015. Majora's Mask 3D My guests this time are Laura Kate Dale, Gary Blower, Glen Watts, Iain Hopwood, Lloyd Huhn, David Garcia Abril and Richard Lago. This show was recorded back in 2015 while the Switch was still called the NX, Breath of the Wild didn't have a name and Twilight Princess HD had yet to be announced. When we do a fourth Zelda show it will be a lot sooner and will be all about Breath of the Wild, which after thirty or so hours of play may be my favourite of them all. Guests: Laura Kate Dale of Lets Play Video Games Gary Blower of GameBurst Iain Hopwood of Year of Steam Lloyd Huhn David Garcia Abril Richard Lago Glen Watts

[School of Everything Else 2017] Welcome to a show which explores why, after decades of producing consoles and video games, Nintendo feels special in a way that the others do not. More than two dozen people have recorded their memories and insight and sent them to me to arrange. A picture begins to emerge of a troubled relationship with someone capable of amazing creative endeavours and baffling business decisions. Someone who many of us can never fully let go because of the power of these happy memories of childhood, family and the hundreds of gaming worlds which we charted together (some of us literally, you had to draw your maps in pencil back then). As the Switch is launched we look back on what the emergence of a new console meant to us, and why we always come back to a place of hope. Infinite thank yous to my guests, without which this show would not have been possible. 1.   Intro* 2.   Brendan Agnew of Cinapse 3.   Sam Chapter 4.   James Batchelor of Bond and Beyond 5.   Collin 6.   Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits 7.   Daniel Den Heijer 8.   Toby Jungius 9.   James Carter of Cane and Rinse 10.   Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse 11.   My Old Friend Nintendo (Alex) 12.   Paschal Dooley 13.   Chris O Regan of Spong 14.   Leon Cox of Cane and Rinse 15.   Blast Processing (Lyra) 16.   Bob Chipman of Geek.com 17.   Neil Taylor of TheKiddDogg 18.   Nama Chibitty 19.   Derrick Ritchie 20.   James Perkins of The Digital Fix 21.   Gary and Imogen Blower of GameBurst 22.   Dan Mayer 23.   Darren Gargette of Cane and Rinse 24.   Holly Dotson 25.   Player 1 & Player 2 of Cartridge Bros 26.   Jason Slate of The Mana Pool 27.   Matt Wardle 28.   Laureta Sela of New Century 29.   Alex Shaw 30.   Lyra Shaw *Voices in the opening montage also include Alexander Jahans, Gustav Dahl and Johan Kristian Milde

[School of Everything Else 2017] This is yet another very special episode. We get swept up in the Broadway musical phenomenon about one of America's relatively unsung founding fathers, presented to modern audiences as a hip-hopera. It was created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the songwriter for Moana. It is amazing. It is available to hear all over YouTube and the soundtrack (which will almost certainly end up on repeat in your house) will be one of the most valued things you buy all year. If you've never heard of it, or you've only heard some talk and a few songs, you should listen to the first two hours of this show as we set the scene for you and explore the characters. Then go listen or even go see it and come back for the last hour which is all spoilerific endgame material. Joining Sharon and I are Harrison Brockwell, Kaoru Negisa, Jesse Ferguson and Andy Rodriguez. While there are clips and snippets of the 46 songs throughout the show, the following 12 are played in their entirety in this order. 1.   Yorktown 2.   Alexander Hamilton 3.   Aaron Burr, Sir 4.   My Shot 5.   You’ll Be Back 6.   The Schuyler Sisters 7.   Satisfied 8.   Cabinet Battle #1 9.   History Has Its Eyes On You 10.   Say No to This 11.   Burn 12.   One Last Time Arlington on Bandcamp: https://newcentury.bandcamp.com/album/new-century-arlington

[School of Everything Else 2017] Recently the excellent YouTube series Every Frame a Painting asked members of the public if they could hum any of the music from the Marvel films. Unsurprisingly they couldn't come up with anything. There are a few reasons for this, that I go into on the show, but this presentation right here is crafted to allow everyone to explore the music that has come so far. We laser-focus on the core melodies, the hero themes that were left by the wayside as the series evolved and we showcase the wide range of actually rather brilliant musical moments that have punctuated the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Join me for an epic, three hour musical journey, run through the filter of my brain. By the end, if I've done my job, you'll be able to hum at least one piece of Marvel music. 1.   Marvel Logo (Thor: The Dark World) 2.   Back in Black – AC/DC (Iron Man) 3.   Mark II/Driving With the Top Down/Gulmira - Ramin Djawadi (Iron Man) 4.   Iron Man - Black Sabbath (Iron Man) 5.   Main Titles - Craig Armstrong (The Incredible Hulk) 6.   Thunderstruck - AC/DC (Iron Man 2) 7.   Black Widow Kicks Ass/ I Am Iron Man – John Debney (Iron Man 2) 8.   Shoot to Thrill – AC/DC (Iron Man 2) 9.   Prologue/The Compound/Forgive Me/Thor Kills the Destroyer – Patrick Doyle (Thor) 10.   Walk – Foo Fighters (Thor) 11.   Main Titles/Farewell to Bucky/The Star Spangled Man/Triumphant Return/Captain America March – Alan Silvestri (Captain America: The First Avenger) 12.   Main Titles/Helicarrier/Avengers Assemble/A Promise/End Titles – Alan Silvestri (Avengers Assemble) 13.   Live to Rise – Chris Cornel (Avengers Assemble) 14.   Main Titles/Can You Dig It? – Brian Tyler (Iron Man 3) 15.   End Titles/Into Eternity – Brian Tyler (Thor: The Dark World) 16.   Lemurian Star/Project Insight/The Causeway/To the End of the Line/Taking a Stand – Henry Jackman (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) 17.   Soundtrack Medley (Guardians of the Galaxy) 18.   The Kyln Escape/Groot Spores/Groot Cocoon (Guardians of the Galaxy) 19.   Age of Ultron Theme – Danny Elfman (Avengers: Age of Ultron) 20.   Escape - Roger Ayer (Ant-Man) 21.   Ant Man Theme – Christophe Beck (Ant-Man) 22.   Plainsong – The Cure (Ant-Man) 23.   Siberian Overture/Ancestral Call/New Recruit/Closure/Cap’s Promise – Henry Jackman (Captain America: Civil War) 24.   Sharks Don’t Sleep – Dean Valentine (Civil War Trailer) 25.   New Marvel Fanfare 26.   Strange Days Ahead/The Master of the Mystic End Credits – Michael Giacchino (Doctor Strange)

[School of Everything Else 2016] We're bringing this classic show format back after three years away (somehow it skipped over the entirety of Digital Drift). This is the prologue to our 90s Disney Renaissance series of podcasts. Since the songs get so much love and attention and are going to be showcased on our podcasts anyway I brought in James Batchelor to pick with me, pieces of music from the scores of ten years of the very best movies from the house of Mouse. 1. The Little Mermaid – Fathoms Below (Alan Menken 2. Rescuers Down Under – Cody’s Flight (Bruce Broughton) 3. Beauty and the Beast – Transformation (Alan Menken) 4. Aladdin – Cave of Wonders (Alan Menken) 5. The Lion King – King of Pride Rock (Hans Zimmer) 6. Pocahontas – Farewell (Alan Menken) 7. The Hunchback of Notre Dame – The Bell Tower (Alan Menken) 8. Hercules – A True Hero (Alan Menken) 9. Mulan – Burned Out Village (Jerry Goldsmith) 10. Tarzan – A Wondrous Place (Mark Mancina)

The bestselling novel of 1986, this is a story set across two time frames 28 years apart. In the small town of Derry, Maine the locals enjoy relative success, their harmony only broken every three decades when children go missing. Something is lurking down in the sewers, and it is hungry. Seven childhood friends, calling themselves The Losers pledge to find out what this being is and if they can, stop it for good. They are not entirely successful. 28 years later, they regroup in their forties to journey back to Derry and finish the job. The novel is huge, but I read through the whole thing, partly because this was a commissioned show, but mainly because it is one of Sharon's lifelong favourites and I hoped this would give me a little more insight into her inner workings. It did. When I had finished I felt like I'd been on a really significant journey. We cover the two-part TV miniseries and speculate on ways that this might be adapted into the feature film duet beginning late 2017.

[School of Everything Else 2016] This is an interview Sharon and I hosted with Ryan Estrada, writer, artist, producer of many many different projects, the latest being Big Data. (It was originally published in two parts and now, in its complete form it is patreon-only content) *There are seven keys to the internet, what if each in turn was stolen? Could our repository of information and primary means of communication really be shut down?* This nine part comedy anthology audio drama, funded by Kickstarter is currently on episode four. It's also got a cast that will set many geeks a-quivering with Paul F. Thompkins (Bojack Horseman) Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) and Felicia Day (The Guild), plus 69 other voices. Here we discuss with Ryan the inception of the story, the complex casting and direction process, and (in a fairly spoiler-free way) some of his favourite moments.  Go here to listen to the first few (though you could also listen to this interview first). http://bigdata.show/  As we say in the interview, episode 1 is a little chaotic so make sure you stick with it for the next few and you will see (or hear) the grander epic taking form. Huge thanks to Ryan for being so generous with his time, and it was fantastic to be able to discuss the finer points with him. 

[School of Everything Else 2016] This is a deep dive into the very first Resident Evil game, as well as the GameCube remake and the HD remake of the remake. By no means the first survival horror, but a definite landmark in the genre and a stone cold classic that is somehow better today than it was in 1996.  Far from the clodhopping buffoonery of the movie series the first game is a deceptively simple premise. Two special forces units investigating a bizarre series of murders which leads them to a darkened and horrifying mansion, itself the greatest character in this series. Before too long you're solving elaborate puzzles, avoiding traps, combing through rooms to find useful items, stockpiling ammunition (which if you're playing on the right difficulty setting for you there will always be scant available) and fending off attacks from the shadows from all sorts of bloodcurdling monsters.  It's nothing short of a masterpiece, endlessly replayable and now with the HD remaster the obtuse control scheme is fixed.  With me is Neil Taylor of TheKidDogg on YouTube (and you should check out his Resident Evil video retrospective here)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH9jfP2Sask Laura Kate Dale AKA Laura K Buzz of projects too numerous to name (here's her Patreon) https://www.patreon.com/LauraKBuzz/posts And we're also joined by my good friend Derrick Ritchie.

[School of Everything Else 2016] The second collection of clips from my shows, this time covering the period between 2013 and 2016 when Sharon became my co-host, Digital Drift and School of Movies. They are pulled from fewer overall episodes but they are more meaty and substantial with some of the funniest, sustained moments and memories. You'll also hear from my guest spots from That Awful Sound and The Mana Pool along with a host of new voices. And of course the now-infamous introduction of Dramatic Readings and Bad Reviews Against Humanity. Volume 3: Digital Drift Avatar Responses [DD49 2014 - 0.01.00] The formation of Digital Drift [0.02.05] 50 Shades Trilogy Rant [DD06 - 0.06.25] We Hate Movies [DD05 - 0.09.30] Rhianna Pratchett [DD08 - 0.25.38] Spider-Man 3 - Harry's Problem [DD12 - 0.32.18] Transformers - Non-Dairy Dessert [DD32 - 0.36.01] I've Been a Bad, Bad Angel [That Awful Sound #18 - 2015 - 0.37.36] Volume 4: School of Movies Robin Hood - Hysterical Inaccuracy [SOM143 2016 - 0.57.53] Flight of Dragons - Racist Wizards [SOM145 - 1.05.21] Terminator 3 - Joshua Rants [DD72 Mid-2015 - 1.11.02] Deadpool - Colossus on Music [SOM146 - 1.24.06] Making Fantasy Fun [Mana Pool #393 - 2015 - 1.27.11] The New Century Multiverse 101 [1.35.58] Jurassic Wrestling [DD68 - Mid 2015 - 1.47.54] The Daddle [DD44 - Late 2014 - 1.56.32] Crap Chinese Toys [DD48 - 1.59.50] RobertCop 2 [School of Everything Else #88 - 2.09.35] Grey [SOEE87 - Late 2015 - 2.14.17] Credits [2.22.50]

[School of Everything Else 2016] This week's episode is all about one of the first wildly popular toy and animated show tie-ins. Emerging in 1982 the Masters of the Universe toy line was hot on the heels of Star Wars and (thanks to the repeal of certain laws about ethics in programming) was able to advertise its products to the child during the commercial breaks as they were watching the show. And of course, seeing as most of the characters featured were already toys, every episode was a commercial in its own right. He-Man is, by today's standards a dreadfully polite pacifist who seeks only to hold Eternia's morals in check, whist Skeletor is a charmingly gentle nitwit who seeks power via boneheaded schemes. Both of them have colourful henchmen and at the end of the day nobody is getting hurt.  She-Ra is a scenario much the same, only she and her buddies in the Great Rebellion are always on the back foot and Hordak is an oppressive warmonger that they are trying to depose, giving that show more of a struggle and stakes, and a rather empowering female hero for many girls (and boys) to be inspired by. Stay to the end to see how Mattel sold this strong woman in doll form.  We also cover the ill-fated New Adventures and the badass 200X show. Next week we're looking at the 1987 Dolph Lundgren movie. 

[School of Everything Else 2016] This one has been a long time coming. Maybe the most significant animated series of my childhood, Thundercats (1985) was, for me, age 6, the promise of adventure. Seven cat-people escape the doomed planet of Thundera and find a new home in the lush, expansive new world of Third Earth. But then never bargained on their old enemies, the mutants pursuing them and forming an unholy alliance with this new planet's ancient demon priest, Mumm-Ra.  When you go back and investigate aged 36 however, it's a creaky, ponderous, derivative, bloodless, tension-free grab-bag of embarrassing dialogue, ridiculous over the top performances and tropes that were worn into the ground a decade or two ago.  I've got so much better TV to watch, animated series' have reached unforeseen heights of excellence... so why do I still love Thundercats? And in 2011 when a new series was attempted and sank without trace after an unsatisfying ending that suggested a much larger story-line, why did I love that too?  It's not just nostalgia, there's more to both of these shows. Allow me and Sharon and Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst to elucidate for you. We framed this so that fans of the show, people who hated the show and those who have never had the dubious pleasure of watching it could all enjoy our podcast.  In the second section we discuss Mumm-Ra's motivation, some unanswerable questions and our favourite episodes.