Nostalgium Arcanum

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

04 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, specifically in 1977, audiences flocked to a blockbuster that would become the largest IP in history. While...

Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto Del Fauno)

27 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A rumination on fairy tales that firmly embraces the "grim" in Grimm, Guillermo Del Toro's haunting masterpiece "El Laberinto Del F...

Final Fantasy VII

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

By 1997 SquareSoft had honed its turn-based JRPG engine and operatic story to a fine point. Although Final Fantasy VII followed on its exquisite prede...

2001: A Space Odyssey

13 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Monty Python's Life of Brian

05 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For Easter we look on the bright side of life with Monty Python's satirical masterpiece, "Life of Brian". Controversial and hilarious, t...

Rocky

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There are few films as powerfully inspirational as "Rocky". For 50 years the Italian Stallion's tale of yearning, striving, and going th...

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. So begins Jane Austen's belo...

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

You've seen the ad. You've seen the movie. Now listen to the podcast! Few films can boast the comedic batting average of Leslie Neilsen, and t...

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997)

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

One of most successful television events of all time, 1997's version of Rogers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella" put a glass slipper ...

Songs of 1971

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Firmly in the epicenter of classic rock, 1971 featured thundering rock from bands like Led Zeppelin and The Who, but equally poignant softer songs fro...

Freakazoid!

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

He's here to save the nation, so stay tuned to this station. Freakazoid! was unlike any cartoon before or since. Superficially a superhero parody,...

The Silence of the Lambs

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Quid pro quo. For 35 years The Silence of the Lambs has been a profoundly troubling (and controversial) film. Like its singularly memorable antagonist...

The Mummy (1999)

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

He will never eat. He will never sleep. He will never stop. We unearth the unrelentingly fun 1999 iteration of "The Mummy". Whatever faults ...

Groundhog Day

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Well its Groundhog Day... again... Part comedy, part horror, part romcom, part existential crisis, and part philosophical religious experience, Harold...

Alien

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Ridley Scott's seminal sci-fi horror masterpiece remains a "perfect organism". Alien is equal parts atmospheric, paranoid, and just plai...

Legend

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

No light without darkness. Legend is a film about duality and yet, the story of the dual cuts of the film is just as captivating as Ridley Scott's spe...

Super Mario Kart

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

3... 2... 1... Go!!! By 1992 Mario had conquered koopas, rescued the princess (again and again), played tennis, practiced medicine, and more, but that...

Stand By Me

05 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Deeply personal, darkly profound, the late Rob Reiner's masterpiece "Stand By Me" is the film he said he most wanted to be remembered for. The film la...

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

29 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It wouldn't be Christmas without Yuletide stealing, so we've got one more episode that's very revealing. The kids drop by the pod, to discuss who's Wh...

The Muppet Christmas Carol

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

God bless us, every one! It's a special cross-over podcast as we bring an episode of Still Muppetting to Nostalgium Arcanum. Co-host Josh Covel (Still...

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our holiday coverage continues as we recall the most famous reindeer of all. Rankin-Bass' stop-motion retelling of Rudolph's super-mutant origins rema...

A Christmas Story

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode you'll shoot your eye out as we join Ralphie, his family, and the world's sexiest lamp to revisit A Christmas Story. We drink our oval...

Ernest Saves Christmas

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's time to pass the torch, knowwhatImean? We're returning to the weird world of Ernest P. Worrell as Jim Varney's blue-collar rubber face works a do...

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

23 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We're glad to be with you, here at the end of all things. Frodovember closes with our look back at Peter Jackson's incredible capstone to his adaptati...

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The stakes continue to rise as the last hope for Middle Earth faces the looming of The Two Towers. We're joined by wicked, tricksy hobbitses from the ...

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Frodovember continues as we begin the quest to destroy the One Ring with guest Dave Jackson (the "Tales from the Backlog" podcast). Released to massiv...

The Hobbit

02 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The greatest adventure is what lies ahead, as Frodovember begins with the 1977 Rankin Bass adaptation of The Hobbit. We go there and back again with g...

Coraline

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Be careful what you wish for this Halloween. On this special it's a family affair as the Other Doug and the Other Ami welcome their children Celeste a...

The Colour Out Of Space

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For this year's Halloween bonus reading, we're going down to Nahum's farm and taking a gander at "The Colour Out Of Space", cosmic horror master H.P. ...

Fright Night

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hi-Diddly-Ho, neighborino! When Jerry Dandridge moves in next door, young Charlie Brewster's worst fears are confirmed, leading to a one-of-a-kind hor...

Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There's only one word to describe Evil Dead 2 - Groovy! On this episode we're joined by deadite Dan Oster (MadTV, A Podcast, But Evil) to accidentally...

The Fly (Redux)

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Be afraid... be very afraid. For a bonus episode this year we're returning to the subejct of our fourth podcast for a more in-depth look at David Cron...

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

9... 10... we can sleep again because, at long last, Freddy's Dead. For real this time. We mean it. This episode we nod off with Rick Firestone of the...

The Thing

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why don't we just wait here for a little while, see what happens? 1982's "The Thing" was a critical and commercial failure, until its insidious genius...

Mariah Carey

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We give our full-throated endorsement to Mariah Carey, an artist of immense talent, superhuman vocal ability, and hit after hit after hit after hit. F...

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Anything goes in Indiana Jones' second (but technically first) outing. The film is flawed, but relentlessly entertaining, buoyed by engaging performan...

Bruce Springsteen

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For over five decades Bruce Springsteen has been The Boss. Combining profound but accessible, empathetic, and comforting lyrics buoyed by anthemic mel...

Super Mario World

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

35 years later Super Mario World remains a high watermark in video games. The venerable plumber and new pal Yoshi the dinosaur's adventure features pi...

The Running Man

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's time to start running! Cheesy, gratuitous, and satirically biting, The Running Man showcases everything that makes 80s movies great, and why no o...

Green Day

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to paradise! Green Day exploded in the '90s, matured into a political force in the '00s, and continues to blend pop, punk, and power to this d...

Tango & Cash

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tango & Cash typifies 1980s action excess and buddy-cop odd-couple comedy as Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell play the titular loose cannons with a...

Songs of 2001

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

2001 was nothing like what Stanley Kubrick promised, but the music of that year continued to expand into a wide variety of different directions. Guest...

Ninja Gaiden

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

1988's Ninja Gaiden was a leap forward in video game storytelling, featuring splashy cut scenes, a propulsive soundtrack, and notorious difficulty. Ry...

Billy Joel

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For the longest time Billy Joel's music has thrilled generations. Guests podcaster Matt Storm a.k.a. Stormageddon ("Fun" and Games, Reignite) and come...

Destroy All Monsters

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's mosnters versus aliens as Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and company find themselves at the mercy of an extraterrestrial menace in 1968's "Destroy All ...

The Princess Bride

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You asked for something special for our 150th episode so all we can say is "as you wish." The Princess Bride is inconceivably perfect. The film has ev...

Songs of 1998

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

By 1998 the grunge and gangsta rap of the early 1990s had petered out. Ska came and went. Musical tastes had begun to drift, and our year-review refle...

Back to the Future

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What is a nostalgia podcast if not a time machine? We're firing up the flux capacitor and setting the time circuits to Back to the Future for the 40th...

WarGames

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Shall we play a game? 1983's WarGames presciently predicts the dangers of both human intelligence and artificial intelligence that we still wrestle wi...

The Sandlot

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Sandlot is a perfect distillation of childhood dreams, fantasy, fears, and legends that will live on forever... forEVER... FOREVER!!! Guests sulta...

Raiders of the Lost Ark

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If adventure has a name, it must be Indiana Jones. The first film in the franchise pits archaeology against the Third Reich as Steven Spielberg, Georg...

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We get in the ring with Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (later known as just Punch-Out!!). This NES classic cleverly disguises puzzles and pattern recognitio...

Ghost

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For our final episode of Patrick MAYze, we're covering perhaps his most eternal film. Ghost is comedic, inventive, suspenseful, and most of all, a mov...

Road House

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our month of Patrick Swayze movies continues with 1989's Road House. The Double Deuce is in double trouble and only one man with beautiful hair and Bu...

Donnie Darko

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's the end of the world as we know it, and we feel fine. Donnie Darko's convoluted sci-fi narrative is beside the point, as it's the emotional core ...

Point Break

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For Cinco de Mayo it's "vaya con Dios" as we revisit surfing and bank robbing classic "Point Break". We start our Patrick MAYze month by hanging ten w...

Blockbuster Video

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 yo...

Songs of 1995

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The midpoint of the 1990s found grunge transitioning to more pop-friendly versions of rock, hip hop finding its groove, and extraordinarily heartfelt ...

Super Metroid

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In space, no one can hear you scream, or roll into a little ball. Super Metroid is yet another jewel in Nintendo's crown, and one whose labyrinthine c...

A Goofy Movie

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's the perfect cast... podcast! Today is the 30th anniversary of A Goofy Movie. While Goofy is, well, goofy, Disney's story of father/son bonding ha...

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of Monty Python and the Holy Grail as some podcasting nerds should, by quoting it to death. Guest comedians Ric...

The Police

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Screaming "Roxanne" into the night, The Police's compact but impactful career featured incredible melodies, driving rock, keening vocals, and sophisti...

Leprechaun In The Hood

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For St. Patrick's day, we have a treat. A horror film that's pretty neat. We're revisiting Leprechaun In The Hood, and a Lep in the 'hood, come to do ...

Songs of 1991

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Here we are now. Entertain us! 1991 ushered in a musical sea change as hair metal, new wave, and other genres were swept aside by grunge, alternative,...

Total Recall

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Get your ass to Mars! We're having total recall over Total Recall, one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's best films. Guest filmmaker Alex Sosin ("The Canyon"...

Sneakers

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

80s Movies - Part 2

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

1985 through 1989 was the best period of filmmaking, period. Each of these years produced dozens of groundbreaking, blockbusting, genre defining, and ...

80s Movies - Part 1

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

James Bond Songs

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The theme songs from the James Bond franchise are an intrinsic part of this storied series. This episode we're joined by Josh Covel of the Still Loadi...

Songs of 1990

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1990 music was at a crossroads, quickly approaching the sea change that would occur in 1991. The songs of this era reflect that transition, ranging...

Innerspace

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We're bringing you a supersized episode about a microscopic topic. Innerspace is a gigantic adventure, a zany comedy, and a sci-fi spectacle as Tuck P...

Final Fantasy IX

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For those who love video games with an emotionally resonant story, Final Fantasy IX is a place to call home. We're joined by Rick Firestone of the Pix...

Weezer

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

They may look like Buddy Holly and Mary Tyler Moore, but for three decades Weezer has infused infectious pop earworms and garage band musical mathemat...

Edward Scissorhands

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For our final Christmas episode of the season we give Tim Burton's haunting answer to the question "Where does snow come from?" This soulful personal ...

Christmas Songs

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

'Tis the season, so we're taking a look at the Christmas classics that make us fa la la la la la la la la. Guests Ami Lief and Tania Newton join us to...

Die Hard

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Yippie-Kay-Yay and Ho... ho... ho... It isn't Christmas until Hans Gruber takes a dive off of Nakitomi Plaza. On this episode we're joined by comedian...

The Santa Clause

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Allen has to improve his home in an altogether different toy story as he kills Santa Claus and, by unbreakable North Pole contract law, must assum...

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We open our first Christmas podcast of the season as guest Sarah Heath (the RevCovery podcast) invites us over to the Griswolds' house for some egg no...

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

John Hughes' classic Thanksgiving story about Neal Page (Steve Martin) and Del Griffith (John Candy) questing home against geography and Murphy's Law ...

Songs of 1989

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The music that dominated our radios and walkmen (walkmans?) in 1989 has stood the test of time, and has held up to endless replay. On this podcast we ...

Ernest Goes To Camp

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 hum...

The World Is Not Enough

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Christmas comes early this year as we revisit The World Is Not Enough, a James Bond film that leaves us shaken, not stirred. Guest Josh Covel of the S...

Pirates of the Caribbean (Ride)

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Halloween to you villains and knaves! This be a family affair, says I. We be joined by devils, black sheep, and really bad eggs Ami, Celeste (ag...

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is Halloween! This is Halloween! For our final mainline October episode guest Matt Storm aka Stormageddon of the "Fun" and Games, and Reignite po...

The Masque of the Red Death

26 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's a bonus episode on top of a bonus episode! We're doing another Halloween reading, this time we're commemorating the Phantom of the Opera's favori...

A Nightmare On Elm Street

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For 40 years Freddy Krueger has stopped us from getting 40 winks. Arguably the king of the 80s slasher villains, Freddy's first outing remains as fres...

The Phantom Of The Opera (1925)

18 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We can't stay silent about the classic 1925 version of The Phantom of the Opera. From Lon Chaney's iconically inhuman make-up to his all-too-human per...

Return to Oz

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Somewhere over the rainbow skies aren't blue, and the nightmares you dare to dream really do come true. Return to Oz ramps up the horror elements in L...

Killer Klowns From Outer Space

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send in the Klowns, from light years away. Killer Klowns From Outer Space remains a kampy konfection of 1980s klassic horror that still thrills and ch...

Aerosmith

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're not worthy! We're not worthy! We're once again joined by musical experts Dylan Ris (www.lostmoonradio.com, The Moon Units) and Kyle Lieberman to...

Hook

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this podcast we generally refuse to grow up, but this time we're thinking especially happy thoughts as we head back to Neverland for Hook with film...

In Living Color

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In Livng Color lived up to its theme and proved you could do what you want to do. We recorded a podcast about it. Kinda like it. Like to hear it? Hear...

George Carlin

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Instead of seven words you can't say, we can't say enough good words about comedy legend George Carlin. Guest comedian Rich Baker (@richbakercoaching)...

2000s Movies: Part 2

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The second half of the 00s found Hollywood taking fewer big swings, but the ones that connected found an audience hungry for something bigger and bett...

2000s Movies: Part 1

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The first half of the 2000s was a time for building franchises, adapting IPs, and getting a jittery country back on its feet. In this episode our crew...

Friends

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Could our 100th episode BE any bigger? We're tackling one of the most popular television shows of all time. Our friend podcaster Case Aiken (Another P...

The Legend of Zelda (Series)

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hey! Listen... to this podcast about Nintendo's perennial adventure series, The Legend of Zelda. This series links to the past, between worlds, and co...

Jaws

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the podcast, writer/director of horror short "The Canyon" Alex Sosin joins us to swim with sharks as w...

The Land Before Time

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Don Bluth's paleontological take on Bambi thrilled audiences in 1988 and remains a beautifully animated film with a heart as big as a Longneck's. We'r...

Predator

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Listen to this episode! Come on! Do it! Do it now! Guest Jala Prendes (host of Jala-Chan' Place, Monster, Dear Monster, and Duckfeed.tv's The Level) j...