Mon, 26 March 2018
Spring is here, and March is all set to go out like a lion with the bombastic retrorific movie adaptation of Ernest Cline’s bestselling novel, Ready Player One. JediShua and shazbazzar have a few important influences to prepare all EarBuds for the movie release this week! In the NEWS Indiana Jones and the Fifth Chapter not only has a release date, but a filming date as Steven Spielberg anticipates his next blockbuster after Ready Player One. Toys ‘R’ Us is closing, but Kay-Bee Toys is coming back? Maybe so. Muppet Babies has returned to TV in a reboot format. Of course, Ready Player One is everywhere.
We Love Our Cereal… …and peanut butter? Well, with cereal, we certainly do. Spread some up on a couple pieces of bread and you will, too! (Have plenty of milk handy.)
Vinyl Scratchback Ready Player One influences this week’s Vinyl Scratchback with one of Ernie Cline’s audio influences: Rush. The Canadian Prog Rock band features heavily in all of Cline’s work and plays an important role in Ready Player One with their 1976 album 2112.
TechnoRetro Arcade Wade Watts played Dungeons of Daggorath on a TRS-80 in Ready Player One. This predecessor of hits like Castle Wolfenstein and Doom earns its place in the TechnoRetro Arcade with its sparse sound effects, basic vector graphics, yet immersive gameplay.
Saturday Mornings Cartoons weren’t the only fare on Saturday mornings. Sometimes, live-action “cartoons” made their way to American television with shows like Ultraman that captured the imaginations of kids everywhere.
WarGames David Lightman is an intelligent underachiever who really likes playing video games on his computer. He will do just about anything to play them — even hacking into Protovision (or some other computer in the Sunnyvale area). Will he inadvertently cause World War Three? WarGames capitalized on the Cold War worries of Generation X with a fun and somewhat frightening film featuring Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy, John Wood, Dabney Coleman, and Barry Corbin. An all-time favorite of shazbazzar and one of many rewatchable movies for JediShua, WarGames not only influenced young computer programmers to become hackers, it influenced at least two stories by novelist Ernest Cline, namely Ready Player One and Armada. JediShua and shazbazzar make a strong case for watching WarGames one more time before heading to theaters this week for Ready Player One.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, call-in with HalfBowl of Cap’n Crunch Mystery tips, and join discussion about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to watch WarGames one more time before going to the movies later this week!
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Mon, 19 March 2018
What do you do when your daughter brings home her first boyfriend? Well, EarBuds, it’s best to think that question over before it actually happens. Take it from shazbazzar. But it’s all going to be alright as we come roaring back after a week filled with fun, friends, and six Star Wars movies playing in the evenings for visiting Spring Breakers at “shaz sha-toh” (chateau). So pop open a can of 9 Lives and curl up with the cat for a 77-minute blend of past, present, and future with shazbazzar and JediShua on TechnoRetro Dads. In the NEWS Stephen Hawking outlives doctors’ expectations by over fifty years. Ready Player One VR rave was available for test runs at SXSW. Director Steven Spielberg experienced some anxiety as he attended the premiere of Ready Player One with a few technical glitches. Flux capacitors are not currently in stock at O’Reilly Auto Parts. The “Anniversary Edition” of The Dark Crystal is now available on Blu-Ray and 4K.
We Love Our Cereal… …and SuperFriend Jorbex thinks JediShua would love Honey Hooplahs, too — if only because of the awesome name. In the meantime, Tony the Tiger goes to the dark side with Chocolate Frosted Flakes, and Shua is convinced that shaz would think “they’re great!”
Vinyl Scratchback With a retrotastic movie like Ready Player One coming in less than two weeks, this seemed like the perfect time to speculate about songs we think might be on the soundtrack as well as what we wish would be on the soundtrack. And, since we’re not making the movie anyway, your opinions are as good as ours, so if you have thoughts about songs that could work into Ready Player One, let us know right away at (209) 878-7323.
TechnoRetro Arcade Ernest Cline has it in his own home. Wade Watts played it from an entirely different perspective in Ready Player One. It’s called Black Dragon in Japan. But you know it as Black Tiger and shazbazzar and JediShua take a few minutes to revisit the dungeons of Capcom and reminisce about the scantily-clad barbarian’s adventure game and how it likely has influenced both the book and the movie, Ready Player One.
Black Panther JediShua gathered his brood for a trip to the local cinema for a MARVELous afternoon in Wakanda watching Black Panther. Although shazbazzar has yet to see it, Shua’s glowing review of the movie doesn’t really spoil anything (surprised?)! It’s no wonder this movie continues to impress at the box office this month.
Feedback Isaiah Caldeira lets us know about his interesting strategy for Defender and how it didn’t quite produce the results he wanted. Jeff Baucom follows the rabbit trail from Star Wars actors in Flash Gordon to the Queen soundtrack to Toto’s soundtrack for Dune to the VHS data sheet, PLUS: Dungeons & Dragons, Knight Rider, Cylons, and Boney M! Jeff proves the value of a well-archived catalog of old podcasts. Jonathan spots Sean Astin’s buff brother…maybe. Wes shares pics of his collection in his “space for being creative” as Jeffrey Fischbach shows off a TRON cabinet and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom game. Lost Boy Eric volunteers to get an annual pass to Walt Disney World to keep everyone up-to-date with the TRON ride’s progress.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, call-in with HalfBowl of Cap’n Crunch Mystery tips, and join discussion about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to submit your final guesses for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg as the TechnoRetro EggHunt concludes.
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Mon, 12 March 2018
With just a couple weeks until Ready Player One hits theaters, shazbazzar and JediShua are here with over two hours of hype for the movie with SuperFriend and co-host of TRON: Decoding the Grid JAMIE! (And, by the way, if you haven’t set your clock forward an hour by now, you’re probably late for work, so…) In the NEWS John Williams will retire from Star Wars after Episode Nine. Jon Favreau (Pre Vizsla) joins a Star Wars series again, but this time in the role of writer and director! Disney renews their relationship with McDonald’s with new “Happy Meal” toys for The Incredibles and Wreck It Ralph this year. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy gets its sixth installment of the trilogy in a new radio drama on BBC. Retro posters promote Ready Player One in some cities and more games are available for you to share and enjoy on the movie’s website.
Lazy Book Club Four years ago this month, TechnoRetro Dads aired the first three meetings of the Lazy Book Club with Jamie, long-time SuperFriend and co-host of TRON: Decoding the Grid. It took three (segments and EarBuds) to cover Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One four years ago, and we’re not sure we could do any better even now! So if you’re not avoiding potential spoilers and you want to revisit the book with some friends, tune in for two hours of the Lazy Book Club from March 2014.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, call-in with HalfBowl of Cap’n Crunch Mystery tips, and join discussion about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 5 March 2018
The final week of the TechnoRetro EggHunt is upon you — at least the clue segment. So listen closely for hints regarding this week’s Easter Egg and look for more clues in the artwork, guess correctly, and discover the full picture in order to solve the final puzzle and enter the drawing for the Grand Prize to be awarded on the Monday before Ready Player One hits theaters! But that will pale in comparison to the pure joy of eating Teddy Grahams on terry cloth towels under an umbrella in Cleveland with Dr. Jones. Even better, however, are 77 minutes of Indy films, Indy games, and Indy tunes. No, Oscar fans, not “indie” — Indy, and in Indiana Jones. And we’re loaded with Indiana Jones this week where we’re guaranteed to contain more than 30% Indiana Jones related content or your money back. In the NEWS Dwayne Johnson’s upcoming Jungle Cruise promises to feel as if Indiana Jones might be just around the bend in the upcoming movie with Emily Blunt. Ready Player Two is under construction as a book before novelist Ernest Cline flips over into screenplay mode again to co-write the expected sequel to the movie. Neflix teases Lost in Space with a scene of the Robinson family walking onto the Jupiter 2. PLUS: the end of Wilhelm?
We Love Our Cereal… …and JediShua wants to find more cereals to love. But he’s really looking for one that could be his king of the Briton cereals. If you have a suggestion from his list of ten, let us know at our cereal choice hotline (209) 878-7323.
Classic TV Tunes To introduce a new segment to JediShua, shazbazzar hosts a “Name That Tune” game that ends up giving Shua the easy win. Even better than a successful one-guess-win, though, is John Williams’s repertoire of tunes made for TV, from movies to news to sports to classic series, the Star Wars / Indiana Jones soundtrack composer will surprise most EarBuds with the credits he’s amassed over decades of work in the field.
TechnoRetro Arcade Two games worthy of the name Henry Jones, Jr. are added to the TechnoRetro Arcade this week with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom from Atari and the Atari 2600 classic puzzle game, Raiders of the Lost Ark (featuring, yep, you guessed it, Indiana Jones). But there’s even more Indiana Jones in this episode with “The Ballad of Indiana Jones” by High Adventure and a look back at the 1989 movie…
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Rats! “X” marks the spot — this time — in an on-the-nose reversion to Raiders, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom hits all the right beats for the third movie of the then trilogy of Indiana Jones adventures. Remember River Phoenix as young Indy? How about Sean Connery as Henry Jones, Sr.? Or that sad old knight guarding the Holy Grail? Or the event that forever scarred Indy with a fear of snakes? It’s all here in the first Indy film with a PG-13 rating, although Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom earned the addition of the rating to the MPAA in 1984. Wilhelms and whip-snaps included.
Retro Gameshow Monty Hall continues to be synonymous with wild audiences, kooky costumes, and bad deals. Let’s Make a Deal was a big deal in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. It continues even today with Wayne Brady hosting the show. Mention the word “deal” to a GenXer, and you’ll likely hear, “This deal’s getting worse all the time,” just before a reference to Let’s Make a Deal.
Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds! Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, call-in with HalfBowl of Cap’n Crunch Mystery tips, and join discussion about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to listen for hints and watch for clues for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg as the TechnoRetro EggHunt concludes.
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Mon, 26 February 2018
Pronunciations and enunciations are better than renunciations of almost every kind, even when the former are terrible. But mispronouncing city names isn’t the only error. Oh no! The Spider-Pan from Neverland (podcast) catches the TechnoRetro Dads in another April Foolish prank from the tourism industry Down Under. But after shazbazzar and JediShua get humbled by multiple corrections from the past couple weeks, the ‘Dads lunch into space for some alien felines. You’ll want to be on the lookout for hairballs at breakfast and dinner today. Ha!
In the NEWS Hairlips or hairy lips, it makes little difference to the Flowbee, with Jay Hernandez playing Magnum P.I. in the upcoming reboot, we’re wondering if the classic mustache will be making a comeback in the new version. Hopefully so! Daniel and Johnny are back at it on the west coast in YouTube Red’s new original Karate Kid series Cobra Kai. And the hype for Ready Player One kicks it up a notch with more puzzles, clues, and an opportunity to play Joust online.
We Love Our Cereal… …but Lucky loves his newest charm — a mythical friend of the little leprechaun joins Lucky Charms cereal in disembodied form. Your next bowl of Lucky Charms may be full of unicorn heads if you’re really Lucky. Delicious! And the HalfBowl of Cap’n Crunch Mystery gets some updates from one of our EarBuds as well as a peek into the TechnoRetro Bureau of Investigation. Cicero D. Swampaluffagus thinks he may have seen King Vitamin fleeing the scene of the crime in Richmond, Virginia. PLUS: Steve Glosson from the Big Honkin’ Show continues to help shazbazzar and JediShua in the cereal crime investigation. If you have any information about this still unsolved mystery, let us know at our cereal crime hotline (209) 878-7323.
TechnoRetro Arcade The mouse chases the cats in Mappy, a digital version of playing cat and mouse with a twist. The mouse detective seeks to catch the Meowkies red-pawed by retrieving the goods stolen by the criminal felines. And if that’s not enough to entice you, Namco added trampolines to the game play in order to give it a much-needed bounce. If you’re looking for something different at the arcade, check out Mappy.
The Cat from Outer Space After an alien life form crash lands on Earth, the military gets involved (including both Colonels from M*A*S*H) only to discover that we haven’t been invaded by little, green, squishy guys, but by a furry feline with a glowing collar. Featuring Sally Duncan, Ken Berry, Harry Morgan, McLean Stevenson, and Ronnie Schell as Zunar-J-5/9 Doric-4-7 (Jake), this 1978 flick provides loads of fun with humor, comedy, and unlikely combinations as Boss Hogg and Cornelius show up for Disney’s sci-fi prelude to The Black Hole. The Cat from Outer Space is a must-see for every fan of fun or fiction, especially since it seems to be a secondary inspiration for The Phantom Menace!
Saturday Mornings Spacecats (not to be confused with the “Space Cats” episode of Heathcliff) was a short-lived (pronounced with a long “i” sound — thanks, Scott Ryfun) animated/puppet TV show from the early ‘90s. Paul Fusco voices the leader of the Spacecats, Captain Catgut, in every episode’s introduction as a short, furry puppet. Charles Nelson Reilly is the Disembodied Omnipotent Ruler of Cats (D.O.R.C) in a role that suited his Hollywood Squares personality. In the cartoon segment, the voice talents of Townsend Coleman, Pat Fraley, and Rob Paulsen bring the two-dimensionally drawn Spacecats to life for a single season before the show didn’t last longer than a single fall and subsequent spring reruns. Too bad, too, since we never really discovered that the real reason the Spacecats came to Earth was to investigate tales of an alien life form who threatened the indigenous feline population with his voracious appetite and complete lack of willpower.
Feedback Darth Taxus answers lingering questions about Garfield and Friends. Steve Bennett (#TeamSteve) adds fragrance to our Olfatrix smell towers with a Hot Topic exclusive that shouldn’t expire until 2045 at least with Ready Player One “Gunter Life” cologne. Speaking of Ready Player One, EarBuds went wild with comments about Easter Eggs in the official poster. PLUS: Mark Reingrover, Jovial Jay, James Burns, and Mike MacDonald with fantastic feedback!
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, call-in with HalfBowl of Cap’n Crunch Mystery tips, and join discussion about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to listen for hints and watch for clues for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg with the ongoing TechnoRetro Egg Hunt.
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Mon, 19 February 2018
From snowstorms up north to the feel of summertime in the south, the past week of the Winter Olympics have challenged both athletes and couch potatoes in more ways than one. But we’ll never ask you to choose between watching skiing or going skiing. We will never push you into a conundrum of choosing between mowing the lawn and keeping up with the figure skating finals. You can take TechnoRetro Dads with you wherever you can take your ear buds, EarBuds, as we remember Saturday morning cartoons enjoyed with a bowl of cereal, revisit the arcades of our youth, and reminisce about the best parts of being kids in the ‘70s and ‘80s. So whether you are Farmers or freelance photographers, we’re your friendly neighborhood podcast — even if you don’t remember the glory days of GenX! In the NEWS As we anticipated, the upcoming incarnation of The Greatest American Hero features a female lead as Hannah Simone is cast as the next unlikely superhero to wear the red pajamas. We wonder who her counterpart will be. Before V was for vendetta, the Roman numeral signified visitors from another planet who have come to earth to feast on human flesh. Creator of the original mini-series, Kenneth Johnson, will be directing a big screen adaptation of the iconic ‘80s TV show. Whether Dar or Freddy Kruger will appear in the new version is unknown at the moment. Doc Brown could soon find a replacement for the demolished DeLorean from Back to the Future 3 in Humble, Texas as brand new DMC-12s begin rolling off the assembly line next year. Built from unassembled original parts from the early ‘80s, these DeLoreans will combine the classic look with updated and upgraded engines and electronics assembled on “x” frames. Do we want them? Yes! Can we afford them? Uh…no. WarGames is making a comeback through a new game about hackers produced in collaboration with Eko. Matthew Broderick? We doubt it.
We Love Our Cereal… …and so do burglars in Richmond, Virginia. Olivia Davis came home recently to discover her apartment had been ransacked, her toilet paper had been stolen, and someone had been eating a bowl of Cap’n Crunch on her bed…and left before finishing the bowl! When the criminal is this smooth (or maybe not-so-smooth), there’s only one person we could call to make sense of this crime — Steve Glosson. The host of the Big Honkin’ Show joins shazbazzar and JediShua to investigate the details of this very strange tale of missing cleaning supplies, tables of wigs, and a half bowl of Cap’n Crunch cereal.
TechnoRetro Arcade Seems like sequels are the rage in early ‘80s video games. Last week, we talked about Ms. Pac-Man. This week, the success of Centipede gives rise to Millipede, a faster, more intense version of the rollerball shooter with more arachnids, insects, and dangerous mushrooms that might put you in a panic if you’re not expecting the onslaught of tiny creatures attacking your bug blaster in this fun and frenetic game that will get your heart racing.
Saturday Mornings He’s orange. He’s striped. He loves lasagna. He’s the iconic fat cat with a very Presidential name. He’s Garfield. If you’re a child of the ‘80s, you remember him, not only from the funny pages of your local newspaper, but from Saturday mornings on CBS from 1988 to 1995. Garfield and Friends featured not only Garfield and Odie, but also several friends from the farm as Jim Davis’s creation gets animated on a weekly basis in this cartoon. JediShua does discover that Garfield was inspired by the creator’s grandfather, a cantankerous man named James A. Garfield Davis. Does the “A” stand for “Andrew”? We just don’t know.
Feedback Isaiah Caldeira tries Steve Glosson’s chocolate super cereal surprise and enjoys watching Animaniacs. Jonathan Bell geeks out with his TechnoRetroGrandDad on the Input Junkie podcast. Dave Atteberry sends us pics of his “super” man cave and we’re amazed because it’s spectacular. The talents of Jimmy in Georgia and Uncle Ben Foster are on display with Jimmy’s Dungeons & Dragons art and Ben’s pen-and-ink drawings and musical repertoire. Chef Armando is thoroughly enjoying The Toys that Made Us on Netflix and Twitter. Jason from The Colony, Texas shares his thoughts and Darth Taxus embraces Flash Gordon with his whole family. Michael Goldtrap tastes Nutter Butter cereal. Jeffrey Fischbach suggests names for the Pac-Fam and The Neverland Podcast solves the mystery of Ms. Pac-Man’s name. Ahh-choo!
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, and lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, movies and/or shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback via voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to listen for hints and watch for clues for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg with the ongoing TechnoRetro Egg Hunt.
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Mon, 12 February 2018
As important as learning your ABCs, getting a fundamental education in the glory days of the ‘70s and ‘80s will prepare you for success in today’s pop-culture climate. The TechnoRetro Dads continue to serve the public with 77 minute interstitials to reawaken the hearts and minds of GenXers while providing Millennials more than a basic introduction to the movies, music, TV shows, games, and toys that made these decades some of the best times to be a kid. Who knows when you might have an opportunity to put the knowledge of timeless trivia to the test in order to win an OASIS of treasure (and free prizes) in a contest the likes of Ready Player One? Make sure you’re tuned in every Monday morning for TechnoRetro Dads — just the thing to get your work week off to a great start. Hurray! In the NEWS What do you mean Pluto still isn’t a planet? EarBuds from all over the world rapidly responded to the news from last week to let us know that, no, Pluto has not been reclassified as a planet. Aw! Maybe someday. But things are looking up for TRON fans as construction begins in O’Lando for the Lightcycle Power Run. If only they would start filming TR3N. But the biggest news is about the star of Nintendo games, Mario! Whether you’re talking about seeing the original “Jump Man” on the silver screen or seeing the popular plumber sans shirt, Mario is super at making headlines on the GRID!
We Love Our Cereal… …and Post is boxing up bowls of great tastes, it seems. Start looking for Great Grains Coconut Almond Crunch, Grape Nuts Trail Mix Crunch, Double Chocolate Brownie Crunch, Cinnamon Dino-Bites, Golden Honey O’s, and MOM’s Best Crispy Cinnamon Rice. With two cinnamon additions to cereal aisle shelves this year, it looks like things are heating up for your taste buds, EarBuds!
Vinyl Scratchback They may go “Crazy on You” if you’re a “Magic Man”, and that might not be a bad thing. Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson have been the thrumming heartbeat of Heart for the past four decades with loads of familiar songs from the ‘70s and ‘80s, even as the band’s sound developed alongside the times as the heavier beats and guitars gave way to cleaner, pop-centric synthesized choruses that matched well with high school dances (and even movies about high school dances). PLUS: JediShua discovers a Heart-shaped cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”.
TechnoRetro Arcade How do you follow up a hit video game? With a sequel that’s not only more colorful, faster, and smoother, but wrap it up with a big bow — on top of the main character’s head. Ms. Pac-Man debuted in the States in 1982, with cut scenes showing how Pac-Man met Ms. Pac-Man, their fast-paced love affair, and (with implied promises of a third game in the series) Pac-Man, Jr. Bouncing fruit added to the challenge of the game as gamers guided Ms. Pac-Man around mazes to avoid colorful ghosts (monsters), eat up fruit (and pretzels), and chomp down on the power pill that lets her eat up her enemies. Ms. Pac-Man is the perfect game for this Valentine’s Day!
Let’s Go to the Movies: Young Love He’s the everyman, the dork, the kickboxer who keeps getting kicked in the face by love. From the iconic image of the lonesome lover hoisting his boombox over his head in Say Anything to a cross-country road trip to find The Sure Thing, John Cusack became the face of teen romance movies and rom-coms of the ‘80s. Remember Lane Meyer fleeing from the persistent paperboy in Better Off Dead? This budding cartoonist brought burgers to life in his “real job” before nearly killing himself skiing the K12 in hopes of finding love (from France). Retaining his role as a teenage cartoonist in a warmer season, Cusack played Hoops McCann in One Crazy Summer with Bobcat Goldthwait playing Godzilla in a movie about a boat race that helps our hero win love, yet again. Not to be forgotten is Danny, Lauri’s slacker boyfriend who ends up saving his girlfriend’s family from psychotic killers with the help of some mellow islanders and an off-kilter boat captain with a penchant for Robert Louis Stevenson. Hot Pursuit, directed by Steven Lisberger, may indeed be shazbazzar’s favorite romantic comedy of all time.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to listen for hints and watch for clues for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg with the ongoing TechnoRetro Egg Hunt.
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Mon, 5 February 2018
It's all over! The month of January, the lunar eclipse with a blue and blood super moon, Groundhog Day, and the Super Bowl are all behind us, but shazbazzar and JediShua keep the action going with New York Jets Quarterback Flash Gordon, digital Xs and Os on a black-and-white screen on a cocktail table version of football from Atari, paper triangles on lunchroom tables, and an explanation of the first week of the TechnoRetro EggHunt by Matt Marks. This episode of TechnoRetro Dads will transform your winter blues with warm feelings of nostalgia, humor, and perhaps some deceptive humor for the next 77 minutes of your life.
In the NEWS Scientists admit their error (sort of) by reclassifying Pluto as the ninth planet of the Solar System because...popular opinion? We discover that Mr. Rogers will be represented on screens, not only in documentary format, but in a full movie starring Tom Hanks as everyone's favorite neighbor in You Are My Friend. Indiana Jones 5 is slated as Steven Spielberg's next project and should hit screens sometime in 2020. Crocodile Dundee gets lost in the Outback in a new trailer for the fourth movie in the franchise. And thousands of baby names from 2017 may sound as if they've arrived from a galaxy far, far away.
TechnoRetro Arcade Ratchet up your rollerball arm for some seriously cool game play from 1978 with the cocktail table head-to-head arcade hit Atari Football when a quarter could buy you 90 seconds of play time to get your Os past your opponent’s Xs to score a touchdown on the black and white scrolling screen. By choosing your formation from an onscreen menu and then controlling your players by spinning the rollerball with some hot rod moves. Run, pass, tackle, and intercept as you see the “players” move smoothly across the digital football field. The game keeps players going from huddle to huddle as gamers take brief breaks for their right arms. Although a few four-player versions were produced, the two-player tables were the most popular machines in arcades in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Some of these are still around and would be great for next year’s Super Bowl party at your house!
Toys in the Attic Sometimes the toys we remember best were those we made ourselves. Back in school, we all learned to fold paper into various shapes for passing notes, but we also learned how to transform leaves of wide-ruled paper into hefty triangles to compete with our friends in the school cafeteria or at home on the kitchen table. Tabletop football was popular among kids in the ‘70s and ‘80s because with a single piece of paper, an entire game of football was possible. If you could “flick” your football to the opposite edge of the table without falling off the side, you could score a touchdown. Then set up for the extra point by “kicking” the paper triangle through your opponent’s goal posts and you were on your way to winning the game. It was fun then, and its fun still. Just the thing to keep football season alive in the off season.
Flash Gordon Ming the Merciless is set on destroying Earth — for fun! But Dr. Zarkov is prepared for this attack with his homemade rocket — if only he could find someone to help him blast off. When Flash Gordon and Dale Arden arrive at his front door (well, through his front door, on their crashed airplane), he got more than he bargained for. The three heroes find themselves in the weird and wild world of Mongo on a psychedelic trip into a 1980 version of Flash Gordon with an unforgettable soundtrack by Queen. This cult-classic continues to thrill audiences today as parents introduce their kids to this crazy, campy sci-fi, comic-book movie that seems more than a little disjointed. With loads of actors from a galaxy far, far away, this space opera owes a lot to the popularity of Star Wars, just like Star Wars owes its existence to Flash Gordon.
Feedback JediHolmes chimes in with his memories of The Last Starfighter and Beastmaster 3. Andy Lindemann asks about Atari comics, remembers Dungeons & Dragons, and totally relates to the Cylonic appearance of K.I.T.T. in Knight Rider. Adam O’Brien is back with some memories of Dungeons & Dragons, as well, as he recalls a show from his childhood called Boris’s Breakfast Club.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to listen for hints and watch for clues for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg with the ongoing TechnoRetro Egg Hunt. Share and enjoy.
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Mon, 29 January 2018
Call me. Call me Ishmael. Call me Horatio. I don’t care what you call me, as long as you call me for breakfast. Speaking of which, it’s Monday morning, and that means it’s that time again — so grab a box of cereal, pour it into your favorite bowl, add the milk, pick up a spoon, and enjoy your morning meal with your ear buds, EarBuds, because TechnoRetro Dads is part of a good, balanced breakfast that will get your work week started right!
In the NEWS Etsy has become a place to find some really cool #TechnoRetro gadgets, like a Blu-Ray/DVD player disguised as an Apple Floppy Disk Drive. Totally awesome! Superman dons the red underwear for Action Comics #1000, and we’re pleased to see the classic design back in action. The New York Times publishes a complete compilation of the publication’s Star Wars coverage over the past 45 years. Yes. 45 years. From 1973 to today. So cool. PLUS: Ready Player One continues to make news with a Virtual Reality peek into Aech’s garage. It might make you run out and buy a PS4.
We Love Our Cereal… …and so do our EarBuds! Although we have no new reviews and no new news about cereal, @Im_Goobs chimes in on the Cinnamon Toast Crunch “puffs” that we’ve been hearing about. According to his research, yep, it’s crunchy. Michael Goldtrap expands the discussion of cereal-flavored milk with three jugs of “Cereal Milk” at Wal*Mart. it looks like a #TechnoRetro trend is on like TRON at the supermarket!
Vinyl Scratchback “The Tide Is High”, and we’re not talking about another Alabama championship. The Videodrome queen, the Angel that Omar loves, Deborah Harry captured our hearts with her unique voice and Blondie’s disco-punk sound from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. We take a spin on the turntable with some memories of Blondie through the years and discover that the band is still together after all this time. And you thought they had a “Heart of Glass”.
TechnoRetro Arcade Though not exactly a “home console” game, Zork was a text-based computer game highlighted in Ernest Cline’s best-selling novel, Ready Player One, where Gunters could get the Jade Key by blowing a specific whistle after assembling the full collection of trophies in the case located inside a dilapidated old house on the planet Frobozz. Like other text-based games, Zork relied on brief commands to move to the next section of the game as players tried to solve the game in a computer-simulation of a role-playing adventure game like Dungeons & Dragons.
Saturday Mornings Combining cartoon characters from different titles to create a new show was not an original idea in 1978, but by setting this Wacky Race-styled cartoon in space with a Star Wars-esque font was. Well, maybe not original or unique, but it was pretty cool. Yogi’s Space Race capitalized on the space-craze of the late ‘70s by pitting Yogi, Scare Bear, Quack Up, Huckleberry Hound, Jabberjaw and more against each other in weekly races between teams on their speedy space ships hurtling through a space race course. In case you never saw it, Yogi’s Space Race was exactly what you’d expect: Cartoon Captains led their crews toward victory against other teams while avoiding the treachery of the rotten villains of the program. Everyone should check this out for 22 minutes of good ole fun every now and then.
Ladyhawke No, it’s not deja-vu. We have covered Ladyhawke before, but it’s been a while since we talked with Michael Witwer: The Last Gen-Xer (Empire of Imagination) about this romantic tale of fantasy, magic, and shape-shifting soul-mates starring Matthew Broderick, John Wood, Rutger Hauer, and Michelle Pfeiffer set in middle-ages France to the tune of synthesized music from Alan Parsons. You can listen to the episode from three years ago here after listening to this week’s show if you want to hear more.
Prime Time: Captain America Before The First Avenger, before the Winter Soldier, before Civil War, there was a wacky and wild attempt at another superhero show on prime time television with the made-for-television movie event, Captain America. To no one’s surprise, this pilot didn’t get picked up for a season. We said everything good we could think of in a very short Prime Time segment this week.
Feedback Radio Free Endor is using the 1979 Star Wars calendar this year. Geeky Dad finds the Fall Guy plane from Tonka. Eric from The Neverland Podcast reminisces about The Last Starfighter before Adam O’Brien talks about a possible sequel to the 1984 film, The Lost Starfighter. Chris from Arvada gets in a few words about Queen after hearing last week’s episode of TechnoRetro Dads.
Don’t forget to contribute to Cure Childhood Cancer through the Annual GOLiverse Marathon by making your tax deductible donation to GeekOutOnline.com/cure by January 31st. Then, feel free to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to listen for hints and watch for clues for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg with the ongoing TechnoRetro Egg Hunt.
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Mon, 22 January 2018
Whether you’re thawing out from a southern ice storm or you’re just waking up to piles of snow in your front yard, you’re in for a special treat this medieval Monday morning on TechnoRetro Dads as we plunge into dungeons, plow through dragons, embark on a quest for a queen, and even watch a dark Knight ride a bird into battle — a TransAm Firebird, that is — as shazbazzar and JediShua watch Knight Rider. The Eighties are turned up to eleven for seventy-seven minutes of #TechnoRetro fun!
In the NEWS The Incredibles 2 is likely to be the first Pixar movie to become a LEGO game and we think that’s just incredible! Ralph Breaks the Internet with a single piece of concept art from Wreck It Ralph 2 with ads, avatars, and cat pics. Childhood neighbor Fred Rogers earns a tribute with an upcoming documentary chronicling the life and legacy of Mr. Rogers. Nintendo’s Game Boy is coming back, and Nintendo isn’t the one making it!
Vinyl Scratchback This brand new segment takes the ‘Dads back to the ‘70s and ‘80s with recollections from their record collections as they recall their musical memories from Queen. From “Another One Bites the Dust” to “Who Wants to Live Forever”, Queen thrilled audiences with front man, Freddie Mercury, on stage, on screen, and on the radio.
TechnoRetro Arcade Adding to the “home console” section of the ever-growing imaginary TechnoRetro Arcade, the legendary Atari series Swordquest comes under scrutiny as shazbazzar and JediShua dive deep into Waterworld, dig into Earthworld, burn through Fireworld, and soar with the storks in Airworld. Although Atari was unable to complete the intense, imaginative contest, the concept is an unforgettable part of the history of Atari games.
Saturday Mornings Dungeons & Dragons continues to occupy the ‘Dads’ minds as we return to the short-lived series that began as an amusement park attraction based on the beloved role-playing game. This time, shazbazzar and JediShua think about which characters from the cartoon best emulate who they were (or wanted to be) in the ‘80s.
Prime Time: Knight Rider David Hasselhoff played a man who did not exist in Knight Rider, an hour-long episodic action-drama on NBC that began in 1982. Michael Knight championed the oppressed, the down-trodden, and the helpless each week as he rode around in a talking car with an indestructible, molecular-bonded armor shell. The Knight Industries Two-Thousand (K.I.T.T.) looked like a nice, new Pontiac Firebird TransAm with a cylon visor on its grill, but it was actually crime-fighting supercar with an A.I. brain. Knight Rider thrilled car-loving kids week after week as Hasselhoff drove the car, beat the bad guys, and got the girl in almost every episode.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And be sure to listen for hints and watch for clues for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg with the ongoing TechnoRetro Egg Hunt.
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Mon, 15 January 2018
The hunt for the #TechnoRetro Easter Egg has begun, and though we have no idea what the ultimate reward will be, we’re sure it will be fun to play along the way, with creepy-kooky puzzles that could confuse even a Duke’s son. So listen carefully, whether you’re a cultured sophisticate, an elitist intellectual, a nerdy geek, or even a bumbling barbarian.
In the NEWS Tetris player Jonas Neubauer (NubbinsGoody on Twitch) inadvertently broke a record while trying to set an entirely different record on the classic Russian block game. Thanks to observant watchers of his Twitch stream, he found out he’s better than even he thought he was! Holy Hollywood! Los Angeles welcomes a museum devoted to the 1966 Batman movie and TV show with Adam West and Burt Ward. It’s got everything from heroes to villains to (you guessed it) merchandise. Mark your calendars for another eclipse this year, America! The blue moon eclipse will hit skies near you at the end of the month.
We Love Our Cereal… Steve and Chip from Too Much Scrolling find their way back in time to our present with a largely positive review of General Mills’ successful trolling of Kellogg’s with its challenge to make Frosted Flakes better — by combining sugar-coated corn flakes with the iconic Lucky Charms dehydrated marshmallows. The guys from Too Much Scrolling will make your mouth water for a milk-filled bowl of Lucky Charms Frosted Flakes. PLUS: The Emperor of RetroZap.com turns us on to a new brand of milk: Bottom of the Bowl Milk is just what you would expect: the remnants of great cereals flavoring the milk from the bottom of the cereal bowl.
Saturday Mornings Although cartoons are no longer just Saturday morning fare, we still link sugary cereal with Saturday mornings and cartoons since that’s how we did it in the old days. Back in the early ‘80s, a futuristic barbarian with his knock-off Wookiee counterpart and well-educated princess take down the baddies every week in a post-1994, cosmic-disaster Earth that borrows the TechnoRetro mysticism that captured pop-culture in 1977 and has maintained a healthy share of the market for the past forty years. Thundarr the Barbarian wields his sunsword as Princess Ariel figures out how to defeat evil wizards and their minions on Saturdays as Ookla the Mok attempts to speak. We think Ookla’s lack of communications skills is what causes him to resort to violence so often.
The Beastmaster The son of a king born of a cow (no, that’s not a slam on the queen) is gifted with the ability to communicate with animals in a very insightful way as he strives to defeat an evil priest who has seized power on an alien world. Dar, played by Marc Singer, teams up with a black tiger, two ferrets, and a golden eagle to confront Maax in Rip Torn’s breakout role as a villain. Tanya Roberts comes along for the ride as the token scantily-clad female in The Beastmaster, another iconic movie from 1982.
TechnoRetro Arcade “He’s hooked! He’s hooked! His brain is cooked!” Before the song, there was the game. Space crabs, squid, and various other invaders invaded spaces in bars, retail outlets, restaurants, and arcades in the late 1970s with this challenging and colorful game that was designed to get your heart beating faster and faster as you successfully eliminate enemies from outer space. It’ll make you want to drop a quarter in the slot and grab a joystick when you hear the sound effects and music and remember the smell of popcorn at Hills Department Store…well, shazbazzar does. Space Invaders may be the TechnoRetro Dad of all arcade games.
Feedback Jonathan Bell discovers Pumpkin Spice at a local Steak N Shake. Geeky Dad tries to tempt shazbazzar to try Kellog’s Frosted Flakes with pics of boxes of Chocolate Frosted Flakes. SpiderShan gets blue with Cap’n Crunch when his wife brings home a box of Cap’n Crunch’s Blueberry Pancake Crunch. Darth Hound discovers Freddy Krueger was almost played by Sark (from TRON, another great movie from 1982, Dave Dollar). And speaking of TRON, the dark-side dog continued on Twitter with a chuckle about the computer jargon noted by Flynn. PLUS: voice mails and voice messages from Darth Taxus and Adam from Wisconsin.
So send in your feedback, play along with the Ready Player One contest, and please don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. |
Mon, 8 January 2018
Cold, cold, cold. Well, what do you expect in winter? But even for those who prefer it 80, 90, or 100 degrees, there are lots of things to love this week and look forward to in weeks to come. Like spring. And Ready Player One. JeduShua and shazbazzar turn up the funmeter even when the thermometer drops with cereal, Atari games, and The Last Starfighter.
In the NEWS Bill Finger gets credit for his part in writing the dark detective who dresses like a flying mammal as New York dedicates a street in the name of the co-creator of Batman. Fledgling Star Wars composer John Powell will get some help from the original oxygenator of that galaxy far, far away as John Williams is tapped to score the theme of Solo: A Star Wars Story. Maybe Disney thinks this will help make up for the fans’ growing disillusionment with Lucasfilm in the modern era. Maybe they just think John Williams is awesome and realize he should be the one to provide an iconic motif for the most lovable scoundrel in the universe.
We Love Our Cereal… Super Mario cereal finds its way to JediShua’s pantry as Cinnamon Toast Crunch Blasted Shreds fill shazbazzar’s bowl with sweetness for their tastebuds. Hey EarBuds, let us know which cereals you’re enjoying during this cold snap.
Ready Player One Although the ‘Dads have already discussed the official trailer for Ready Player One, shazbazzar and JediShua dig deeper into the trailer by comparing screen shots to scenes they’ve envisioned from the book and discover something interesting: this movie will not be spoiled by reading the book. It’s almost entirely rewritten.
The Last Starfighter Ernie Cline’s second novel might have more in common with Jonathan Betuel’s screenplay for 1984’s The Last Starfighter, but when you have a video gamer stepping up a level to save the world, especially when he’s from a trailer park, you have to see the similarities. JediShua and shazbazzar revisit The Last Starfighter and still like it. Even though the coifs, clothes, and cars are definitively ‘80s, the storyline is timeless and endearing every time you watch it.
TechnoRetro Arcade From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, first person space shooters took control of home video game consoles with the likes of Star Fire, Star Raiders, and StarMaster. Though lacking the quality of the Starfighter game featured in The Last Starfighter, these games kept fans of Star Wars and other sci-fi/space fantasy films engaged between movies.
Feedback Shane seems to think that General Mills is trolling Kellogg’s with the new Lucky Charms Frosted Flakes cereal we talked about last week. Armando reminisces about his days as a barber, trimming hair of all colors at the Fuzzy Pumper Barber Shop. You could get birthday cake cupcakes with Fruity Pebbles at the Sprinkles Cupcake Shop last week, according to John. Han’s dice and Rose’s Resistance ring from The Last Jedi will soon be available on Etsy. Thanks, Dan!
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. And get ready to play for the TechnoRetro Dads’ Easter Egg with the upcoming TechnoRetro Egg Hunt starting next week.
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Mon, 1 January 2018
The last two weeks of the year are always loaded with enough activity to keep shazbazzar and JediShua running hither, thither, and yon, so the first January 1st episode of TechnoRetro Dads is the perfect time to slow down and take stock of the things that really matter. Fix yourself a bowl of your favorite cereal — maybe even two — and take a break on the first holiday of 2018 by kicking back in the recliner, plugging in your earbuds, and tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads.
We Love Our Cereal… …and General Mills is doing their part to keep it that way. The Big G is making Frosted Flakes magically delicious, providing aging fans of Cinnamon Toast Crunch with the shredded wheat they need in their diet, and Cheerios that are “peachy keen”. PLUS: JediShua’s family makes a cameo appearance on The Daily Blast live from The Cereal Box, Inc.
Feedback TRON gets some shout-outs (and interesting ideas) from EarBuds Chris in Arvada and Hasan. SuperFriend Chris Hamilton adds another audio audition for The Voice with a Christmas song with #TechnoRetro flair. Andy Lindemann spots The Star Wars Holiday Special in Supergirl. The Deucecast’s own Michael Nipp uncovers an animated feature from the ‘80s. Original EarBud Kermmit the Frog (Jeremiah) sends an audio message of gratitude. The Cereal Connoisseur posts some Star Wars Christmas gifts. Mike Tarkin of The Sandcrawler watches Christmas morning home movies. SpiderShan pieces together cereal in an exciting way. Twitteriffic Darth Hound gives more insight into Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber from Return of the Jedi. ObiRothKenobi chimes in from the Mixlr Zoo Crew about Magnum P.I. and the Cap’n’s Christmas Crunch. Jeremy, the Spider-Pan from Neverland, reminisces about when E.T. came home on video. And the ever-present Chef Armando makes our mailbag tasty as always.
Coming Soon to Theaters As 2018 rolls out, new movies will be hitting the theaters. From space pirates to superheroes to video games, the number of truly #TechnoRetro movies will keep you in the dark (seated in your favorite seat) all year long. The new year has begun, EarBuds, and we’ll do our best to bring memories of the past and hope for the future all wrapped up in the present on TechnoRetro Dads. Thanks for listening. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 18 December 2017
Who is a Star on 45? You know. Today is shazbazzar’s birthday, and it’s time for a trip back to when the ‘Dads were 5 and 6 in the final seven days before Christmas as the anticipation became unbearable! After all, seven days to kids is like a year to forty-somethings. For the next 77 minutes, sit back and enjoy bad puns, sad jokes, mad banter, and virtually endless drivel.
In the NEWS Speaking of “virtually endless drivel”, the virtual realm is where everyone lives in 2045 (are you seeing a trend developing in the numbers, yet?). A second trailer for Ready Player One has been released, and the hype is in full force with the first one sheet poster. And that’s not all. Ernest Cline has signed on to pen the sequel to Ready Player One and we have all the details here on TechnoRetro Dads. Find out whether the sequel will be called “Ready Player Two” or “Game Over”. PLUS: The Dark Crystal is returning to theaters in February. Be on the lookout for listings in your area.
Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas A washboard, a washtub, a broom handle, a cigar-box banjo, a kazoo, and a tub all come together to create Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band in the 1977 Jim Henson special on HBO. Back in ’77, more than a few of us were interested in putting another hole in another washtub to string up a cable to a broomstick and get famous like the woodland creatures along the riverside in Frog Hollow. Mama and Emmet both want to win a talent contest to give the other a gift for Christmas, but a late entry from Riverbottom surprises everyone with a hard-rocking tune that clobbers the competition. It’s forty years old, so the spoiler statute of limitations is right out by now. It’s about family, friends, and a fish that likes to spit during rock concerts. It’s Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas.
Aftershocks of 1977: Christmas Toys It’s the last week before Christmas, and in 1977 that usually meant that Christmas lists had been finalized long ago and there was no more time for late additions. Still, the anticipation for what might be under the tree in a week grew more and more as we continued thumbing through the JCPenney Christmas catalog and the Sears Wish Book. From actual houses to leisure suits, the Sears catalogues had long been the standard for mail-order shopping. JediShua and shazbazzar check out the catalogs from 1977 and remember the toys they got that year straight from the mail-order maestroe
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 11 December 2017
Forty years ago Debby Boone was lighting up the charts for her tenth week in the number one position with “You Light Up My Life”. Forty years later, she could be singing “You Light Up My Lightsaber” as the final days leading up to the widespread release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi rapidly approaches. This week on TechnoRetro Dads is (understandably) Star Wars oriented as shazbazzar and JediShua enjoy the hype before the movie spoils all the speculation — and we all know how Shua hates spoilers (tongue-in-cheek).
In the NEWS Joe Dante’s infamous Christmas movie is now showing at select theaters across the country. If you want to see it, you have to follow the rules: (1) no exposure to sunlight, (2) don’t get them wet, and (3) don’t ever feed them after midnight. And you’ll probably want to check out gremlinsrulebreakers.com to find out where you can see it over the next few weeks. Columbia outer wear takes you to Hoth with their new line of winter gear in the stylings of Han, Luke, and Leia from Echo Base. Disney has Star Wars options at the Bibbidi Boppidi Boutique, including dress-up play for adults!
We Love Our Cereal… …and Nintendo games. Super Mario Cereal is coming soon from Kellogg’s. Kellogg’s, by the way, is the cereal company who carried the notorious C-3POs with “double-os” from the mid-eighties. And we remember C-3POs cereal with fondness (and trading cards).
TechnoRetro Arcade Nothing says “Christmas at the Arcade” like the classic Atari Star Wars arcade game from 1983. With music, sound effects, and vocal clips from the original movie, this vector-graphic first-person flight simulator still beckons gamers to immerse themselves in Star Wars as they engage TIE Fighters in dogfights, try to knock out turbolaser emplacements and towers, and destroy the Death Star (over and over and over again) in an effort to restore freedom to the galaxy and score millions of points for bragging rights among your friends at middle school.
TechnoRetro Speculations With fewer than four days from the “early” premiere of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, shazbazzar invites JediShua (and all EarBuds) to speculate about several unanswered questions which have arisen since The Force Awakens began this new era of Star Wars movies. From Rey-Buns to Snoke’s Smokes and every color of “You Light Up My Lightsaber”, this fast-paced discussion might finally shut shaz up about bringing Mortis into the film franchise.
Aftershocks of 1977: Christmas Toys Remember Christmas 1977? We do — sort of. Stores were well-stocked with toys. From RC cars to skateboards to electronic games, kids were looking forward to waking up to something amazing under the tree. But merchandise from the hottest movie in theaters was not well represented. The unprecedented popularity of Star Wars enabled Kenner to successfully sell an empty box and a promise to Santa’s helpers across America as kids awakened on Christmas morning to discover that Santa’s elves can’t always deliver everything by December 25th. Although the actual toys weren’t available, the promise of four figures arriving in as soon as six to eight weeks was sufficient to launch perhaps the most powerful toy franchise in the galaxy. PLUS: shazbazzar and JediShua talk about all the Star Wars toys kids can’t get for Christmas this year. (Father, Son, and Daughter from Mortis are on this list yet again.)
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 4 December 2017
December has arrived and JediShua’s excitement is contagious. The Christmas hype is in full force even with questions about the Force hyping everyone up about The Last Jedi. From jingle bells to lights strung along the eaves, the season is festive and shazbazzar gets bit by the bug, as well. Join TechnoRetro Dads all month for nostalgia-laced travels through the past four decades week after week!
In the NEWS Can you believe that ABC reported 40 years ago today that the files on the JFK assassination were about to be released? And still, we wait. But that’s old news. The new news surrounds three fantastic fantasy franchises! The Lord of the Rings will be televised — sort of — in a new streaming series coming soon. The Chronicles of Narnia will begin filming The Silver Chair next year with Joe Johnston at the helm for his last directing gig before retirement. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance has commenced filming, promising to be a return to the mysticism and magic of the 1982 movie.
We Love Our Cereal… …and cereal socks. From “Odd Socks” to stylish old man colors, cereal is moving up on the sock market, it seems. But we’re not just talking about cereal boxes represented on footwear. It’s December, and that means it’s time for some Christmas cereal. The ‘Dads are on the hunt for the best seasonal cereals in stores this year. From Cinnamon Vanilla to Hot Cocoa to Gingerbread Spice, the Christmas flavors are flowing with milk and cereal this month!
TechnoRetro Arcade After Hallowe’en games and a Thanksgiving Turkey Shoot, it’s time to open up another section of the TechnoRetro Arcade with a fun game from the early ‘90s — Lemmings. Nope, make that Xmas Lemmings. It’s just like the original game, but more festive with snow, Santa hats, and seasonal tunes. PLUS: shazbazzar wants to add something he fantasized about back in 1977… a home-version, stand-up pinball machine — The Fonz. Ayyyyy!
Bob Hope All Star Christmas Comedy Special (1977) One thing that a Bob Hope special was sure to do for families in the seventies and eighties was to assemble families in the den to watch these fun, filmed-before-a-live-audience productions. This special does not disappoint with Perry Como, Olivia Newton-John (who repeats her singing performances from three years before), the Muppets, and Mark Hamill. Of course, having Mark Hamill on the show means there will undoubtedly be a Star Wars parody. Yep. Scar Wars with Barf Vader and Luke Sleepwalker.
Aftershocks of 1977: Christmas Toys Remember Christmas 1977? We do — sort of. Stores were well-stocked with toys. From RC cars to skateboards to electronic games, kids were looking forward to waking up to something amazing under the tree. But merchandise from the hottest movie in theaters was not well represented. Never fear, Pooh Bear is here — in the form of an egg-shaped piece of plastic that likes to wobble but won’t fall down. The ‘Dads remember Weebles from 1977, specifically shazbazzar’s Winnie-the-Pooh Hunny Tree. JediShua would not be outdone, though, calling back to a classic retro game that has made its way back into stores this year: Mattel’s Electronic Football. This handheld LED game continues to confuse and thrill players forty years after its interception, er, uh, inception.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 27 November 2017
Who knows what’s on the menu this week after a weekend of stuffing themselves like turkeys—or hobbits—over the weekend. TechnoRetro Dads is a jumbled mess of T-Day leftovers with a few nuggets of fun and ideas for geeky dads and those who love them.
We Love Our Cereal… JediShua discovers that Quisp cereal can be found at Cereal Box and shazbazzar finds a box of Cinnamon Vanilla Lucky Charms — so they give it a review. PLUS: a question from @livetheforce needs answering. Help us EarBuds, you’re our [only] hope.
Cyber Monday If you’re taking the morning off to check out online deals today (or even if you’re checking them out while you’re “working”), be sure to tune in to TechnoRetro Dads while surfing the web and discover some gems for the geeks in your life.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind Steven Spielberg’s classic science-fiction story is forty and has had more revisions and editions than Star Wars (believe it or not)! JediShua and shazbazzar look back at Close Encounters of the Third Kind with an eye for how well it holds up with the next generation and comment on some of the behind-the-scenes nuances that came together to tell this amazing story.
Aftershocks of 1977 Not only did Close Encounters of the Third Kind cause ripples on earth for forty years and counting, but the Rankin/Bass TV rendition of The Hobbit has continued to produce waves of fun for pop-culture to ride for more than a generation. Two fine musical examples are sure to get your toes tappin’ with Moosebutter’s Star Wars and High Adventure’s Knocking on the Stone.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 20 November 2017
Greetings, PROGRAMS! We’re talking turkey this week with stories about seeing family during Thanksgiving, tuning in for some tunes (both new and old), discovering odd clips from 1977, and an early Christmas present for JediShua from an old friend. Don’t miss these 77 minutes!
In the NEWS… Disney dominates the news with announcements about their online streaming service and some Star Wars comments that have opened the floor for discussion all across the galaxy far, far away.
TechnoRetro Arcade According to the future as envisioned in 1984, a turkey blight overruns the nation in 1989, turning unsuspecting humans into giant turkeys that team-up for a life of crime and it’s up to you, PLAYER ONE, to put an end to it. Roast those turkeys on Williams Electronics’ Turkey Shoot!
Thanksgiving Specials (1977) JediShua remembers Barney Miller, What’s Happenin’, and more from Thanksgiving 1977.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Fri, 17 November 2017
Happy Life Day! The Star Wars Holiday Special has entertained fans for thirty-nine years. Whether people love it or hate it — whether they enjoy it or poke fun at it — The Star Wars Holiday Special is a piece of entertainment that has long outlived its intended life span. As a special treat for all EarBuds, this special TechnoRetro Dads “The Making of The Star Wars Holiday Special” Holiday Special will reveal just how this legendary piece of Star Wars lore came into existence. Listen in to an actual reenactment in the boardroom where The Star Wars Holiday Special was initially conceived and the concept was developed forty years ago today: November 17, 1977.
The Actual 1977 Audio Clips Without these sets of interviews, segments of popular shows, and the fabulous behind-the-scenes TV special, The Making of Star Wars, this episode of TechnoRetro Dads would not exist. (Perhaps, The Star Wars Holiday Special would not exist, either.) These clips from 1977 are as follows:
The 2017 Cast of Reenactors We get by with a lot of help from our SuperFriends. Thanks to Scott Ryfun of My Star Wars Story, Mike Macdonald of The Sandcrawler on RetroZap.com, and Steve Glosson from The Big Honkin’ Show, Geek Out Loud, Disney Vault Talk, Mark Out Loud, DVT Star Wars Rebels, Rock Out Loud, and anything else on GeekOutOnline.com.
Are You New to The Star Wars Holiday Special? We’ve been covering it for four years. This is the fourth episode. If you would like to hear other episodes, check the links below: 2013 “The Lumpy Peanuts Made Me Itchy” (features Skot Kirkwood from starwarsholidayspecial.com) 2014 “Holiday Special 2014” (with Joe Tavano from Brews & Blasters on RetroZap.com, Chris Hamilton from The Star Wars KidsCast, and Mike MacDonald from The Sandcrawler on RetroZap.com) 2015 “Holiday Special 2015” (features Art Director and Concept Artist Paul Bateman from Rebel Force Radio’s Star Wars Influences) 2016 “Holiday Special Special Edition Remix” (expands the story from the 2014 Holiday Special with additional the additional talents of Scott Ryfun of My Star Wars Story and Dinner 4 Geeks and Steve Glosson of the GOLiverse)
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 13 November 2017
Figs and Flagons? No. Jigs and Wagons? Nope. Pigs and Dragons? Exactly. That’s what’s on the ‘Dads’ minds this week as they dive into 77 minutes of fun from 1977 (and other days of youth) for memories and laughs on this week’s episode of TechnoRetro Dads.
In the NEWS… There’s a new Hershey bar coming soon and it’s gonna be gold! IDW comics chronicle the further adventures of Jules Verne, er Jules and Verne Brown in a new Back to the Future miniseries. Disney Infinity isn’t over after all! Though the game is now defunct, the stylized characters will be repurposed for a new cartoon.
We Love Our Cereal You might call her the “Queen of Cereal”. She’s certainly royalty, and she begins her day with a bowl of cereal with fresh fruit. Who is she? Tune in and find out!
Aftershocks of 1977 Captain Link Hogtrob, First Mate Piggy, and Dr. Julius Strangepork first boarded the Swinetrek in November 1977 during the second season of The Muppet Show as the “Pigs in Space” segment was introduced. The success of the segment secured it’s reappearance on the variety show thirty-one times over the next four years plus spots on an album and even launching into space on the Space Shuttle Columbia.
TechnoRetro Arcade Although it was never a coin-operated video game, the Atari rendition of “Pigs in Space” launched in 1983 as the last game in Atari’s children’s line. The game was divided into three parts, one for each of the main characters aboard the Swinetrek. Link Hogthrob fought off “Chicken Invaders” in a stylized version of “Space Invaders”. First Mate Piggy had to navigate her way back to the Swinetrek through lanes of noodles and meatballs in “Pastaroids” which more resembled “Frogger” than “Asteroids”. Dr. Julius Strangepork pilots the Swinetrek through an abandoned pizza mine guarded by weirdos in “Escape from the Planet of the Gonzoids”. The games are fun, but tough to get going on a computer ported version.
Pete’s Dragon (1977) One of the first movies the ‘Dads ever watched in theaters was Pete’s Dragon, a Disney musical that combined an animated dragon with live action actors in an anachronistic adventure of unbelievable proportions. With the combined talents of Mickey Rooney, Helen Reddy, Red Buttons, Jim Dale, and Jim Backus, this tale of an orphaned boy and his protective dragon engaged the imaginations of ‘70s kids everywhere.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 6 November 2017
After catching the latest Marvel Studios movie in theaters, shazbazzar and JediShua thought it might be fun to slam another mix tape in Shua’s cassette player he just happens to carry under his cape for a truly TechnoRetro Awesome Hero Mix full of heroic tunes from the past and nearly present. (Yes, it fits on a Memorex 90 minute tape.)
The Tunes: “Comic Book Hero” (The Tearjerkers) “Superpowered Superhero“ (Chris Hamilton) “Legion of Doom Roll Call“ “We Are Number One“ (from Lazytown) “Arkham Asylum” (High Adventure) “The Joker Is Wild” (Jan and Dean) “Joker’s Song” (Miracle of Sound) “Mwahaha” (Ookla the Mok) “Call the Roll” (Songs and Stories of the Justice League America) Super Powers (Ookla the Mok) “Plastic Man Theme” (Sounds and Stories of the Justice League America) “Metamorpho Theme” (Sounds and Stories of the Justice League America) “Superman” (R.E.M.) “Kryptonite” (Three Doors Down) “The Escape” (Burgess Meredith) “The Riddler” (Frank Gorshin) “Catwoman” (Shakespeare’s Sister) “Love Theme from Superman” (MECO) “Superman’s Song” (Crash Test Dummies) “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” (Five for Fighting) “Comic Book Heroes” (Rick Springfield) “I’m Your Superman” (Rick Springfield) “The Batusi” (Neal Hefti) “Miranda” (Adam West) “Boy Wonder, I Love You” (Burt Ward) “Flight of the Batmobile” (Jan and Dean) “Batman to the Rescue” (Lavern Baker) “The Mind of the Bat” (Miracle of Sound) “Hero of the Day” (Iron Horse)
The Tropes: Like any cartoonish superhero serial or comic, once our heroes have gained their powers, evil versions of themselves from another dimension appear and make a mess of things. Of course, the trope in this troupe is that the ‘Dads’ “twins” are as bumbling as the ‘Dads themselves. Neither pair gets the recognition (or notoriety) they feel they deserve, but our hometown heroes are pleased that, in the end, they land a place among the real heroes as sidekicks. As for their evil counterparts…well…
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
Direct download: TRDads_Awesome_Hero_Mix_Vol_6.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT |
Mon, 30 October 2017
Learn the origin of Gargoyles. Discover the amazing cartoon from 1994. Taste the hardened taffy goodness (?) of peanut-butter “chews” from the Hallowe’en pillowcase. Try to determine why Stretch Armstrong may actually be a gargoyle. It’s all here in this Hallowe’en Eve edition of TechnoRetro Dads.
In the NEWS… Who is the best movie character ever according to fans? Here’s a hint, his alter-ego is Han Solo. Ready Player One gets a LEGO treatment. Australia gets recognized for something other than strange and venomous creatures — big and scary animatronic creatures! Stretch Armstrong gets the Saturday morning treatment. Magnum P.I. will be rebooted with some interesting alterations.
Hallowe’en Candy Every decade has its own flavor of candies, especially when Trick-or-Treaters come to your door. JediShua and shazbazzar recall some of the best and worst candy memories from around 1977. Which ones would you keep and which ones did you always trade away?
Gargoyles (1972) Swamp Angel’s suggestion for a Hallowe’en movie earns an Emmy as well as the appreciation of the ‘Dads as shazbazzar and JediShua watch the really weird but cool made-for-TV movie, Gargoyles. The effects are certainly pre-Star Wars, but the story, music, and other aspects make this a retrotastic movie worth checking out — and it’s on YouTube!
Gargoyles (1994) Although uncredited as creator for Gargoyles in its first few episodes, Greg Weisman created and wrote this inventive serial style cartoon while working for Disney in the mid-nineties. Although this series all but escaped the ‘Dads’ notice back then, a rewatch of the first season reminds shazbazzar and JediShua that this series earns its position in the modernization of cartoons during the ‘90s.
Aftershocks of 1977 We know him as Wesley Crusher, but did you know that Will Wheaton was a Star Wars fan before he ever knew about Star Trek? At age five, he donned a Ben Cooper Darth Vader costume for Hallowe’en and his geekiness began in earnest.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 23 October 2017
They’re creepy. They’re kooky. They’re mysterious. They’re spooky. But their Halloween special from 1977 is altogether ookey. What is “ookey”, anyway? And how do you spell it? We don’t know, but we do know how we feel about Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandmama Addams, Wednesday, Pugsley, and their junior counterparts. Junior counterparts? Yep. Just you wait for our discussion on Halloween with the New Addams Family.
In the NEWS… If you recognize the names Tag and Bink, and you see Ron Howard tweeting them, you might think there will be some tongue-in-cheek humor in the next movie under the subtitle “A Star Wars Story”. And the movie gets a name. No surprises there. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will celebrate its fortieth anniversary by returning to its roots with an all new chapter in the saga as a radio drama.
We Love Our Cereal… …and the prizes inside, or on the box, or as part of mail-away premiums. How long have cereals contained prizes for kids? While it won’t surprise you that it precedes 1977, it’s been a lot longer than you may expect.
TechnoRetro Arcade This week we bring another “analog” game into the Hallowe’en room of the TechnoRetro Arcade. Haunted House is a shooting gallery styled arcade game from 1972 that uses levers, belts, and 8-Track tapes to entertain gamers in the early ‘70s. Whether it’s a scary cat, a wailing witch, or a grave-digging monster from the underworld, you get to shoot them with the electronically wired rifle attached to the upright machine. So bring your reading glasses and prepare to fight the fiends of the Haunted House.
Halloween with the New Addams Family What could possibly reduce the confident, charming Gomez Addams to a shadow of his former self? His little brother Poncho. This is just the beginning of the two-hour special that aired on NBC on Hallowe’en Eve 1977. Halloween with the New Addams Family is a heist with a poltergeist as the family reunites to celebrate the arrival of the spirit of Cousin Shy in a very, very merry oddity of ‘70s comedy with a familiar family from ‘60s television. Is it funny or sad? You decide.
TechnoRetro Feedback We finally get to more feedback this week with a Goonies poster from New York Comic Con, thanks to Jovial Jay. Chris in Arvada finds monster cereals and it sends him into a rageless rant. Artist Wes puts Puff N Stuff on a Huffy and it looks great! Swamp Angel thinks the show is good…so far. Chris Hamilton spotted Teen Wolf at a convention. Hasan expresses his adoration for Altered Beasts on Sega. And Darth Hound and @skymauler tweet about the Grinch’s Halloween special.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Be sure to tune in to Geek Out Loud at GOLiverse on Mixlr for live rewatches of Stranger Things as we get ready for Stranger Things 2. PLUS: Steve is blogging about the #TeamSteve experience at geekoutonline.com.
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Mon, 16 October 2017
From a Watcher in the Woods, to a spooky cemetery, to a creepy, creaky haunted house, shazbazzar and JediShua crank up the frights to 6.7 as the ‘Dads continue to celebrate the fun of Hallowe’en all month long. Then, Steve Glosson of Disney Vault Talk, Geek Out Loud! and The Big Honkin’ Show comes along and amps up the zaniness with memories of Disney’s freak-fare of 1980, The Watcher in the Woods.
In the NEWS… John Rhys-Davies wants another crack at Sallah in the fifth feature of the Indiana Jones film saga. Zak Penn says his upcoming Matrix movie is neither a reboot nor a continuation. Well, then, what is it? Last I checked, it was just a red pill and a blue pill. I’m starting to think Zak Penn may be a little yellow (not really, it just fit). Back to the Future gets the kids’ book treatment by Quirk Books, in the same stylings as the E.T. book we talked about earlier this year.
We Love Our Cereal… Europe imports American-style cereal in a Spanish cereal cafe. Once the crazy colors and high sugar content hits the 40something crowd in Spain, everyone will be after that little leprechaun’s Lucky Charms!
TechnoRetro Arcade The spring is stretched. The knob is released. The ball bearing is launched into an inclined plane filled with bells, buzzers, lights, and magnets while a demon announces, “Me Gorgar. Me hurt you!” Williams Electronics released the first talking pinball game in 1979 to both thrill and terrify arcade-goers in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. The ‘Dads needed to have this classic contraption in the Hallowe’en room of the TechnoRetro Arcade simply because of shazbazzar’s memories of his first real pinball game, Gorgar.
Disney’s Halloween Hall O’ Fame While this 1977 Hallowe’en special isn’t completely animated, the frame story featuring Jonathan Winters as a night watchman at Walt Disney Studios is sufficiently outrageous to be called “cartoony”. Like other seasonal specials of this time, Disney’s Halloween Hall O’ Fame features excerpts from three classic Disney cartoons: Trick or Treat (1952) pits Donald Duck against his nephews who are aided by Witch Hazel in a “trick or trick” war. Pluto finds himself in the claws of demon cats in Pluto’s Judgment Day (1935). Finally, the Headless Horseman chases Mr. Nose-in-Book, himself, in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” portion of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949).
The Watcher in the Woods SuperFriend Steve Glosson joins shazbazzar and JediShua to have his childhood fears drawn out like a being from another dimension being pulled from his world during an eclipse as he exchanges positions with a teenage girl in perhaps the freakiest live-action Disney movie ever, The Watcher in the Woods. This cult classic is cultish in every sense of the word. From ghost story to science fiction with seances and (in some versions) trans-dimensional worlds tiled in hexagons, The Watcher in the Woods scared (and scarred) many children of the ‘80s. And now, The Lifetime Channel is remaking the movie as directed by Melissa Joan Hart. But the 1980 film with connections to Ice Castles, James Bond, Escape to Witch Mountain, and Stranger Things is one of the two things Steve fears above all else. It will premiere this weekend. So whether you couldn’t look away or couldn’t bear to watch, The Watcher in the Woods would mesmerize, hypnotize, or paralyze with its Bette Davis Eyes!
TechnoRetro Feedback Michael Heicken sends in a vintage pic of three boys in Ben Cooper Star Wars costumes from 1977 with him, his brother, and his friend as Chewbacca, a stormtrooper, and Darth Vader. Bernadette Marie suggests playing phantasmagoria in a cold, dark basement for enhanced experiences. Joseph Fuller is interested in collecting Star Wars trading cards and asks for some advice.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Be sure to tune in to Geek Out Loud at GOLiverse on Mixlr for live rewatches of Stranger Things as we get ready for Stranger Things 2. PLUS: Steve is blogging about the #TeamSteve experience at geekoutonline.com.
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Mon, 9 October 2017
Before the Grinch stole Christmas, he was averted from completing his plans to scare Whovillians on Halloween in a prequel from 1977 that neither of the ‘Dads remember seeing. With ghoulish jokes, great feedback, and Din’s first appearance on TechnoRetro Dads with F-105’s single “Rebel Girl”, this episode will make your Monday morning more than bearable, it’s gonna put a smile on your face and a spring in your step this fall.
In the NEWS… Oxford (University, not the Kindergarten in Oxford, Mississippi pretending to be a University) physicists discover that we, according to their scientific acumen, are not living on the GRID. However, since the science on the GRID would necessarily be limited to the scope of the computer, their findings are above suspicion. Thanks to T-Bird for this bit of science news that doesn’t prove we aren’t living in the world of TRON. The X-Files take the jump into children’s books with The X-Files: Earth Children Are Weird. Epcot turns 35.
We Love Our Cereal… Star Wars premiums return to General Mills cereals with color changing spoons as a promotional for The Last Jedi. Thanks to Justin LaSalata and JediNews for the heads-up! Post is suing General Mills over bagged cereal displays. Michael Nipp reminds us of green milk as Halloween Crunch returns to shelves this month.
Aftershocks of 1977 Who did you want to be forty years ago this Hallowe’en? Luke Skywalker? Darth Vader? If you were one of the lucky ones, you found one of the first Ben Cooper costumes back in October 1977. This initial run was short on supply and big on demand, which led to some great fan creations.
TechnoRetro Arcade Continuing the ongoing theme of October, JediShua suggests a Hallowe’en Room for the TechnoRetro Arcade with Sega’s Altered Beast. Become a lycanthropic hero in ancient Greece to rescue Athena, the daughter of Zeus, by fighting zombies and monsters. Just the thing for a game this time of year.
Halloween Is Grinch Night Back in October 1977, the green-furred Grinch returned for a prequel as he sought to torment the Whos of Whoville when the sweet-sour wind started howling in Halloween is Grinch Night. A slow-burn for a thirty-minute cartoon special, this very, very seventies animated Seussational trip through wacky weirdness goes on a psychedelic trip the likes of which only a honey-drunken Pooh Bear can relate to. (Yes, I ended that sentence with a preposition.)
TechnoRetro Feedback JediMasterJBell tweets a picture of a Fruity Pebbles treat bar from Buccees (and we’re baffled). Shane in Grand Rapids shares the newest cereal spice with a pic of Life Gingerbread Spice. Steve shares his military school memories of cereal breakfasts that we will never forget. “Shrapnel grenade!” Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Share and enjoy.
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Mon, 2 October 2017
Bugs Bunny, unlike most of us, can never enjoy the excitement and gratification of a well-executed high five. However, that rascally rabbit (wascally wabbit) may be a bit too old for the practice, since the high five has only been around for forty years and Bugs Bunny is nearly forty years older than that. But that’s not important right now. October has arrived, and that means we’ll be talking about Halloween for weeks. Scary, spooky, hairy, and kooky characters have begun populating stores and homes already and we’re continuing this great tradition on TechnoRetro Dads.
In the NEWS… The superhero all decked in blue will return to Blu-Ray with a never-before-released and only once-aired (enough hyphens?) version of Superman as seen on TV in a two-night (another hyphen, but who’s counting?) special broadcast on ABC that captivated kids (and maybe adults) in 1982. With more scenes, more John Williams music, and more super-stuff, this Blu-Ray can be yours this Christmas. But, since it’s not Christmas, yet, and dark environments and glow-in-the-dark items are all the rage during the Halloween season, the upcoming release of two TRON Funko Pops gets our attention. Who are we kidding, TRON always gets our attention. They look really cool, too! Don’t forget that E.T. was centered around Halloween, too, which brings us to Spielberg: Direct from the Heart, the upcoming Steven Spielberg documentary coming soon on HBO. PLUS: more reboots from the “Greatie Eighties” are in the works with Battlestar Galactica and True Lies. Wait, they’re not from the ‘80s — but close enough.
We Love Our Cereal… They say that you can’t teach an old dogs new tricks, but evidently an old rabbit can bring back old TRIX. Artificial colors will soon return to your cereal bowls as General Mills reveals that it will release the more-colorful version (complete with fun chemicals) alongside the newly-released all-natural colored TRIX that have become commonplace on grocery store shelves. While shazbazzar looks forward to this return to artificiality, JediShua will simply look through his rose-colored glasses (and yellow-colored glasses) at his all-natural bowl of cereal as he enjoys the healthier fare. Cheerios earns its place in cereal news this week with its newest flavor: peanut butter and chocolate. Unique? No. Better than “Sour Cream & Onion” Cheerios? Definitely!
Aftershocks of 1977 It’s the end of the regular season in 1977, Dusty Baker of the L.A. Dodgers cracks a home run to give him 30 in the season, and the iconic and decidedly American tradition of the “high five” is invented. Was it intentional, accidental, or an inevitable consequence of excited exuberance? Whatever your opinion, one thing is without question: this invention of Dusty Baker and Glenn Burke is obviously an aftershock of 1977 as the celebratory gesture continues as a common expression in our culture. And best of all, people can “high five” each other without paying any residuals to these two Dodgers from 1977.
TechnoRetro Arcade Continuing the ongoing theme of October, JediShua suggests a Halloween Room for the TechnoRetro Arcade with Capcom’s Ghosts ’n Goblins. This 1985 side-scrolling adventure game follows Sir Rusty Arthur on his quest to rescue Princess Prin-Prin.
Bugs Bunny’s Howl-oween Special Premiering on October 26, 1977, Bugs Bunny’s Howl-oween Special blended several Looney Tunes cartoons together into a humorously Halloweenish half-hour special that continues to thrill audiences who are lucky enough to see it in its entirety…even though the original cartoons have been edited to remove large portions of the individual plot lines in order to reorient them to fit into a continual story.
TechnoRetro Feedback Matt Marks, Eric Warren, Swamp Angel, Rob Dehlinger, Steve Fugatt, Jeremy Hunt, and Wes all lend their thoughts on various TechnoRetro goodness in feedback with collective memories and artistic creativity.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. |
Mon, 25 September 2017
After Star Wars thrilled audiences in theaters, everyone wanted to tap into the collective consciousness of pop culture that had embraced that galaxy far, far away. Once Star Wars had trickled out of theaters halfway through 1978, the itch for more space fantasies needed scratching. Glen A Larson tuned into the pulse of the people with an epic story of humans light years from Earth who were connected with us through shared ancient ancestry. ABC picked up the pilot which featured movie-style special effects, compelling characters, and a plot that could end up with these “Brothers of Man” escaping the Cylons and integrating into our culture. Battlestar Galactica was created and captured our hearts and minds while we waited for the inevitable sequel to Star Wars.
Battlestar Galactica The pilot episode of the tragically single-seasoned Battlestar Galactica was aired as a Sunday Night Movie on ABC in mid-September 1978. “Saga of a Star World” introduced Adama, Apollo, Athena, Starbuck, Boomer, Cassiopeia and more on the small screens in our homes. We watched the alien machine race of Cylons nearly exterminate tribes (planets) of humans in a sneak attack under the guise of peace talks. The survivors of the attack escaped their home planets in whatever space ships they could find to caravan towards their only hope to preserve the race by seeking the lost tribe of men on a far-away world known as Earth. This “made-for-TV movie” followed the ragtag fleet through treacherous skies, to casino resort with man-eating hosts, and towards their goal of Earth as they fled their Cylon pursuers against all odds. Since its release and subsequent cancellation of the series after just one season, Battlestar Galactica has maintained its own place in pop culture in its own right. Multiple attempts have been made to continue the story on TV and books, with a long-running reboot of the series premiering on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2004. Battlestar Galactica continues to interest audiences, both young and old, as dads (and moms) introduce their kids to the things they loved in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Thanks to Paul Bateman, High Adventure, and Richard Hatch for their appearances on this pilot episode of Star Wars Aftershocks. We hope y’all enjoy the conversation.
Direct download: TRDads_Star_Wars_Aftershocks_1_Battlestar_Galactica.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 5:30am EDT |
Mon, 18 September 2017
Greetings, Programs!
It’s a sordid tale of a sworded adventure through a maze of assorted games of skill and chance in hopes of gaining sufficient experience points to gain the treasure awaiting members of this party featuring gigantic creatures both fearsome and funny who strive to help the gamers along the way to the goal. Nope. It’s not Dungeons & Dragons. It’s Chuck E Cheese, and he’s turning forty this year as we recall our fun times at the Pizza Time Theater since 1977.
In the NEWS… Chuck E Cheese is breaking up the band — at least in some locations. A brand new board game of The Dark Crystal is available this fall; it looks totally cool! JediShua gets shazbazzar all excited about a judge ruling on grammar rules that might sound good on School House Rock. Buffy and Ralph Hinkley are getting rebooted whether we like it or not. And (as everyone knows by now) J.J. Abrams will direct another film in the Star Wars saga.
We Love Our Cereal… Kellogg’s joins the ranks of other companies committed to 100% renewable energy. The Cereal Box in Arvada is hiring.
Aftershocks of 1977 It’s time to take a trip to see Chuck E Cheese and see just how much has changed over the past 40 years (and how many things have stayed the same). These Aftershocks include the great Toys in the Attic that kids can “buy” with their winnings from the casino-styled games in this TechnoRetro Arcade. From spinning tops to flying frisbees, from video games to skee ball, Chuck E Cheese and Showbiz Pizza has entertained kids for years while adults have endured the less-than-stellar pizza and snacks at these iconic party zones. And if the fun wasn’t enough, the ‘Dads reveal the relationship between Chuck E Cheese and Atari — the details are shocking!
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
Share and enjoy.
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Mon, 11 September 2017
This tempestuous Monday morning we have more questions than answers on TechnoRetro Dads and we’re hoping that SIMON will give us the answers. Are Porgs Lemmings? Why does football season mean more cowbells? Are there negative impacts of sending your kids to your alma mater? When might philanthropists get confused with philanderers? Why does Mrs. shaz want to watch The Tick on TV? Where is Hurricane Irma, now?
In the NEWS… The LEGO Movie 2 begins production this fall. The Dark Crystal offers artists the opportunity to see their work make it to television (and win some cash in the meantime). Six Million Dollar Man actor Richard Anderson dies. PLUS: Cool TechnoRetro style TV shows premiere this month.
We Love Our Cereal… Millennials on Big Brother evidently love their cereal, too. Tennessee has cereal on the menu at several non-cereal-cafe establishments (and JediShua wants to visit Nashville, soon). Super Golden Crisp and Super Mario Brothers become partners as Post and Nintendo team-up to bring great games to breakfast.
Aftershocks of 1977 The Making of Star Wars reached force-crazed fans of that galaxy far, far away on September 16, 1977. The documentary aired on television, revealing some behind-the-scenes magic invented by innovative creator George Lucas. Hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2, this TV special thrilled audiences with insights and interviews with the actors and filmmakers that brought space fantasy into pop culture for forty years and counting.
Toys in the Attic Capitalizing on the Atari Touch Me, invented by Ralph Baer and Howard Morrison, Hasbro released Simon in 1978 with long-lasting success. The game is played by listening to the tones and watching the colored lights in sequence and then pressing the coordinating buttons in the same sequence. It may seem easy, but when distracted by conversation, shazbazzar can’t seem to score more than four.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. |
Fri, 8 September 2017
Today only at Krispy Kreme: Pumpkin Spice Glazed Donuts. The Pumpkin Spice season has officially begun now that we have some sweet Krispy Kreme Hot Glazed donuts seasoned with that delectably delightful blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and more. So join shazbazzar and JediShua at your local Krispy Kreme and make Steve Glosson's day! TechnoRetro Dads is not affiliated or sponsored by Krispy Kreme. However, if Krispy Kreme would like to send us some free donuts, we would be happy to eat them. Share and Enjoy!
Direct download: TRDads_Pumpkin_Spice_Glazed_Donuts_from_Krispy_Kreme.mp3
Category:Pumpkin Spice -- posted at: 8:42am EDT |
Mon, 4 September 2017
It’s September, the weather’s cooler (when it’s not too windy), football has begun, and suddenly — school’s out for a Monday! Time for travelling, of course. Maybe even a day for a Voyager. Today is full of holidays from Wild Life to Waffles, with paperboys getting their due as well. So light up the grill and serve up some steaks while you while the day away with your earbuds, EarBuds.
In the NEWS… ABC reboots The Jetsons. NBC reboots The Munsters (again). Ready Player One gets the 8-bit treatment (so cool). And the search begins in earnest to find out who owns Buck Rogers, because NBCUniversal wants to reboot that franchise, too.
We Love Our Cereal Waffles… Since it’s National Waffle Week, we take a break from milk and cereal to celebrate syrup, butter, and iron-grilled breakfast pastries. From homemade to Eggos, waffles are a great treat for the morning — and maybe even for lunch!
TechnoRetro Arcade Since the Mac vs May fight, we’ve been thinking about boxing and that means Punch Out!! earns a place in the TechnoRetro Arcade. Fight Glass Joe, Piston Hurricane, Bald Bull, and Mr. Sandman for your shot at the title. We talk about this unique game and include a little bit of a cheat code to help you next time you slip a quarter into the slot of this classic arcade game.
Aftershocks of 1977 Voyager I launched on its great interplanetary expedition on September 5, 1977. Today, it continues to report in with news of its interstellar travels as it races away from its home planet. Already 19 light hours from earth, Voyager I has outpaced its twin, Voyager II, which was launched with a sixteen-day head start. JediShua and shazbazzar wonder if it’s truly cold in space and ask if Voyager brought along a sweater.
Feedback Matthew Marks may have looked at the eclipse too long (we warned you). Mark All saw it all from his home in Tennessee with eye protection and a pinhole camera pizza box. Darth Taxus reminds us of the origins of Pumpkin Spice…sandworms of Dune. And Sheldon gets us all excited about Force Friday with an animatic Porg.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about reboots, remakes, or reruns a from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 21 August 2017
Total Eclipse. Yep. That means we get to see the Dark Side of the Moon. But since the sun will still be just as bright, unless you’re in a place where the eclipse is totally total, you’d better not look up at the eclipse at all without approved eye protection or you’ll be like that kid in 2nd grade who skipped school in 1979 to see the eclipse. Boy is his mom gonna be mad when she finds out about this today!
In the NEWS… The Robot Overlords are going to be indestructible, now that we’re providing them with self-repairing polymer synthflesh. Seriously, have none of these scientists ever watched or read science fiction? It’s looking more and more like an Obi-Wan Kenobi film is in the making. Ant-Man and Wasp is definitely in the making and one of the ‘Dads was on set last week. PLUS: more ranting about spoilers (not really) and Nerd’s Gallery is now on iTunes.
TechnoRetro Arcade Since the end of camp has come, we remember the good times in the river with the classic arcade game Toobin’. With Bif and Jet, players can paddle their way downstream in a frantic race to the finish with a couple of buttons reminiscent of Track and Field. Frustrate fishermen, collect letters, and throw things at your opponents in this game that’s just a bit less violent than Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown!
Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown! In Charlie Brown’s first film after the death of long-time soundtrack composer, Vince Guaraldi, 1977 welcomed the ne’er-do-well balding adolescent to the silver screen in a summer camp special with friends and foes alike (and evidently no adult supervision) as Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Pattie, Snoopy, and Woodstock brave the rapids in a whitewater race to the finish. But who will win in the end? Cat’s got your tongue? Find out when Linus channels his inner Indiana Jones and Snoopy punches out an evil cat in Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown!
Science Lesson It’s all about the eclipse today, in your ear buds and in the sky, as the long-awaited day arrives for the first total eclipse visible in the continental United States since 1979. JediShua and shazbazzar give you all the info you’ll need to make this morning/afternoon an event you’ll never forget. Seize the moment, because who knows if you’ll still be able to catch the next one.
Feedback JediFisch loves Dynomutt. Wendy Cooper reviews the Periodic Table of Elements. George Lopez shows us some Gilbert Gottfried cereal and says that shazbazzar narrated A Dog’s Purpose. And Starchaser: The Legend of Orin gets mentioned in the comments. Sheldon reminds us that Flight of the Navigator turned 31 last week. Adam calls us back in time to remember Carrie Fisher in The Time Guardian (but it’s really not a great movie). Mike Tarkin calls to correct us. And Derek and Michael spot some seasonal cereals that are coming before we expected! Pumpkin Spice, anyone? Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about spoilers, Star Wars, or movies and games from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Share and enjoy.
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Mon, 14 August 2017
Whether you’re in the mood for equine aliens with twelve fingers, testing bionic gadgets on dogs before fitting them with humans, or just want to hear the news and bad Dad science jokes, this episode of TechnoRetro Dads is bound to hit the spot…er…tickle your fancy…um…maybe…scratch your itch. Packed with 77 minutes of “Space Junk”, SETI signals, hydrogen highlights, and feedback from our EarBuds, you’ll be sorry when it’s over.
In the NEWS… Friendly reminder: Close Encounters of the Third Kind is coming back to theaters for a 40th anniversary special on the first weekend of September. Also on September 1st — Force Friday returns to stores, spawning a question from collectors across the galaxy: “Will there be any actual toys?” Disney keeps themselves in the news by announcing they will be pulling their content from Netflix and showing on their own streaming service…in 2019. As Jeff Bridges promotes his new movie, he reveals his hopes for TR3N becoming the first movie presented in virtual reality.
Spoil Me or Spoiler Free? and other rants JediShua goes off on a tangent (ok, that’s not really news — we do that every week). But this departure is brought about by his agitation from cyberscoops who prefer criticizing what they don’t understand to actually investing themselves in comprehending what all the hype is about. The writer is Alex Nichols and the subject is Ready Player One (both the book and the upcoming film). Nichols writes from the perspective of an outsider looking into a factory where the workers are all involved in activities he doesn’t recognize and complains that they don’t do things the way he thinks they should. Final analysis: he just doesn’t get it. But what really pulls Shua’s strings is the growing number of complaints about spoilers — specifically regarding The Last Jedi. EarBuds are aware that JediShua doesn’t mind spoilers, even stating previously that if a “spoiler” ruins the movie for you, it probably isn’t a very good movie, anyway. Still, he invites EarBuds to get involved in the discussion via voicemail at (209) 878-7323.
Aftershocks of 1977 Tomorrow marks the 40th anniversary of the “Wow!” signal recorded by SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) on the “Big Ear” radio telescope. Jerry Ehman spotted the alphanumeric representation of the signal on a computer printout and circled “6EQUSJ5” in red ink with an excited notation of “Wow!” He believed that the signal had come from the vicinity of the constellation Sagittarius and researchers have been trying to decipher the recording and listening for other iterations of the same broadcast unsuccessfully for decades. However, just before the forty-year anniversary of this event, shazbazzar has derived the source and meaning of this transmission with a strong likelihood that his hypothesis is correct, since it has not been disproven. Tune in to find out more!
Saturday Mornings Quick! Answer this trivia question: Which superhero lost the name of his show to his canine sidekick? Can’t remember? He wore a blue supersuit with a bird beak above the brow. Still don’t remember? How about this: What was his sidekick’s name? Of course you know it — it’s Dynomutt. The bionic/robotic dog stole the show from Blue Falcon in the heyday of Hanna-Barbera Saturday Mornings with the eponymous cartoon Dynomutt. The Dog Wonder (or Blunder) is evidently a prototypical version of what would eventually become Inspector Gadget after clinical trials with animal testing had been completed. He’s the Go-Go Dog Person we loved to watch in 1977.
Feedback Chris from Arvada eats Lucky Charms from a frozen bowl (#chillyourbowl) and remembers making his own mini-movies through stop-motion animation of Star Wars figures. Sadly, he doesn’t know where the reels are. @MikeTarkin plays “Hangman” on his Aunt’s ancient PC. @DJKver2 includes the Nebulon frigate from The Empire Strikes Back on the list of Ships We Can’t Figure Out Which Way Is Forward.” @JediFisch sends in an article about the ever-increasing popularity of ‘80s culture thirty years later. And the @sandcrawlercast brings back treasured memories of filmstrips in elementary school with a video of the Star Wars filmstrip on YouTube.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about Dynomutt, TR3N, Star Wars, Ready Player One, or spoilers by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 7 August 2017
Ray Harryhausen is a household name in every #TechnoRetro home because of his ingenious and innovative approach to movement and practical special effects over four decades of making memorable movies. From a teenager learning his craft in his parents’ garage to the master who continues to influence filmmakers even today, Ray Harryhausen gave us iconic creatures and dream-like stories that still bring joy (or fear) to our hearts today.
In the NEWS… Darth Taxus warns Twitter about his growing concerns regarding experimentation in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the scientific community as two “chatbots” begin speaking to each other in a code only the two of them can understand. This give rise to the question of whether they were doing this for efficiency’s sake or if they were actually planning to conquer their creators and take over the world through Facebook. In other news, June Foray, sometimes referred to as the female Mel Blanc, passed away last week less than two months before her 100th birthday. We remember some of her iconic roles as Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Granny of Looney Tunes, and Jokey Smurf.
We Love Our Cereal… …and some people love cereal too much! When two brothers get in such a heated argument over the cold breakfast staple that one stabs the other, we think their love for cereal has gone too far. Remember, EarBuds, love people and use utensils for cereal; when you start loving cereal, you may soon use utensils on people. Taking a tastier tone, Post is bringing back S’mores and Oreos cereals.
Aftershocks of 1977 Although Ray Harryhausen started making stop-motion movies as early as the 1930s, his 1977 addition to his catalogue displayed how far he had come in his craft as he continued to create and innovate in the genre. Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger was the first of Harryhausen’s Sinbad movies that shazbazzar saw and both the ‘Dads have fond memories of this amazing film that clearly demonstrates the differences between George Lucas’s new approach to special effects and the best of the old guard in movies that were released within months of each other. We’re all thankful for all that Ray Harryhausen accomplished as well as the impact his achievements have made throughout the decades.
TechnoRetro Arcade With another addition to the TechnoRetro Arcade from long-time EarBud and SuperFriend Armando, the ‘Dads remember their time with Gauntlet, an Atari game from 1985 that brought Dungeons & Dragons to the arcade with overwhelming numbers of ghouls, ghosts, and graphics that left kids with pockets emptied of quarters. With audio advice from a synthesized voice and absence of ongoing theme music, Gauntlet was a game that stood out from the pack with its unique flair, multi-player options, and massive amounts of enemies to destroy.
Feedback Hasan (@RoninBoba) chimes in on his memories of Double Dragon as well as his appreciation for Alan Silvestri’s music. Matt (GeekyCatholicDad.com) also talks about Silvestri’s work and has high hopes for the Ready Player One score. John sends a message via Facebook about going to Luke Skywalker Jr. High in Claremont San Diego. Well, it was actually called Hale Jr. High, but Mark Hamill went there just the same. Cool!
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, Ray Harryhausen, cereal, and Gauntlet or other video games by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 31 July 2017
Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One trailer is our biggest news from San Diego Comic Con as JediShua and Tony Soehner get into giant mode by eating a selection of #TechnoRetro breakfast food out of mini cereal boxes. All part of a balanced breakfast on the last Monday of July.
In the NEWS… Everyone expects to see some teasers and trailers at San Diego Comic Con, and this year didn’t disappoint. JediShua and shazbazzar briefly cover some of the exciting previews of #TechnoRetro goodies revealed last weekend, including: Stranger Things 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Justice League, Blade Runner 2049, and Orville. PLUS: The Her Universe Fashion Show and video game music care of Video Games Live.
We Love Our Cereal… …even in very tiny boxes. SuperFriend Tony Soehner joins JediShua in the studio for what turns out to be quite possibly the messiest episode of the podcast to date. Thankfully, they had a towel. Discover (through trial and error) the best way to eat mini boxes of cereal on-the-go before breakfast-while-driving is outlawed.
Ready Player One SuperFriend Tony Soehner joins in the discussion about several big takeaways from the Ready Player One teaser trailer including insights, speculations, and (possibly) spoilers. March 2018 is coming soon!
Aftershocks of 1977 Darth Vader, C-3PO, and R2-D2 left a lasting impression at Grauman Chinese Theater on August 3, 1977 as a trio of fictional characters join movie stars on the sidewalk of fame by placing their feet (and wheels) in cement to be memorialized for forty years and counting!
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about Ready Player One, cereal, and Aftershocks of 1977 by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 24 July 2017
Nearly eighteen years ago, our moon was blasted out of orbit by nuclear waste affected by magnetic radiation. What? That doesn’t sound familiar to you? Then perhaps you’ve never heard about Space: 1999, the last production by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, also known for the classic marionette series, Thunderbirds. For the moment, at least, it looks like the moon is back from its travels just in time for 99 minutes of 1999 as seen through the imaginative eyes of the mid-1970s.
In the NEWS… Star Wars was everywhere at D23 last week. From Galaxy’s Edge to The Last Jedi, the package will be complete with a two-day stay at an immersive experience in the Star Wars resort. Pixar gets its due, too, with Toy Story Land expanding Andy’s toy chest with the Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Saucers. But the news we really wanted to hear was the confirmation of TRON: Lightcycle Run coming to Walt Disney World in Florida. Good news all around!
We Love Our Cereal… …but maybe not in a milkshake. Burger King has Froot Loops and Lucky Charms milkshakes for a limited time, and the ‘Dads gave them a stir and a sip. And the first round will be the last for Shua, shaz, and the shazlings. Maybe some other concoction will titillate the tastebuds for cereal lovers in the future. For now, we’re content with a bowl, a spoon, milk, and cereal.
Space: 1999 Concept Artist, Art Director, and SuperFriend Paul Bateman is back to chat about Space: 1999, a British television series that lasted a brief two seasons from 1975 to 1977. From big budget beginnings and a great premise to a choppy second season resembling an homage to Star Trek, Space: 1999 is nevertheless an iconic must-see with its curious creatures and classic crafts, the Eagles. Now playing on Hulu. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about Space: 1999, Ready Player One, and San Diego Comic Con by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 17 July 2017
After a hectic week with parents, puppets, parables, and parties, shazbazzar and JediShua are finally able to make some music with their microphones (well, not exactly music, but the ‘Dads are talking about music). From film scores to music rights returning to their writers, the deliciously dulcet tones of tunes classic and classical are up for discussion on this (late) episode of TechnoRetro Dads.
In the NEWS… Ready Player One is making headlines with the unveiling of the logo, a promotional shot with some Easter Eggs, and the announcement of Alan Silvestri being tapped to score the upcoming Steven Spielberg movie based on Ernest Cline’s bestselling novel. SuperSir Paul McCartney wins the rights to music he wrote half a century ago. Walt Disney World is again in the rumor mill with anticipation about a TRON ride announcement. And Ron Howard teases Twitter with clothes from Wesley Crusher’s closet, or do they belong to Lando? We really don’t know.
TechnoRetro Arcade Thirty years ago, Technos released Double Dragon, a scrolling street fighting game featuring the Lee brothers on an adventure to save a damsel in distress. But you’d better have a pocketful of quarters if you want to see the final screen of this game, because it was designed to keep the action going as long as the coins keep flowing. Ahhh, the joys of ‘80s arcades.
Let’s Go to the Movies With the recent announcement of Alan Silvestri being tapped to compose the soundtrack for Ready Player One, shazbazzar and JediShua revisit his portfolio of film and TV scores of the past 45 years. Although Silvestri is often remembered for the Back to the Future soundtrack, his accomplishments include The Avengers, Captain America, Forrest Gump, The Polar Express, and Romancing the Stone. When considering his work on classic TV shows like Starsky and Hutch, CHiPs, and Manimal, his involvement in this #TechnoRetro blend of the 2030s with the ‘70s and ‘80s make him the obvious choice to score this highly anticipated movie.
Feedback The EarBuds share their thoughts as Jeremy the Spider-Pan from The Neverland Podcast shames shazbazzar for his comments about The Rescuers before Matt redeems shaz with kudos on his parodies, and Mark plays a few games at his local retro arcade.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about Double Dragon, Ready Player One, Alan Silvestri, and Burger King’s cereal shakes by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 10 July 2017
Greetings, Programs!
Sandwiched between the 35th anniversary of TRON and JediShua’s birthday is this campy 77 minutes of TechnoRetro fun complete with ‘Dad jokes, cereal chatter, news, and your feedback. Buckle up your safety restraints, EarBuds — we’re about to hit 88MPH for some fun in the past, present, and future!
In the NEWS… Close Encounters of the Third Kind is coming back to theaters right before it’s 40th anniversary. Check your local theaters for listings this September. TRON: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski is biding his time waiting for Disney to re-green-light TR3N by directing another sequel to an ‘80s classic — Chick Flick Disguised as Action Movie 2 (otherwise known as Top Gun 2) with 1Direction…or not. Kevin Bacon comes back to make a Tremors TV show. Retro Arcades continue to intrigue consumers with a tabletop controller now available for purchase.
We Love Our Cereal BIG NEWS for small cereal: Tiny Toast has been retitled under the “Toast Crunch” genre of cereals with Strawberry Toast Crunch and Blueberry Toast Crunch. And the ‘Dads review Apple Cinnamon Toast Crunch, too. What could go wrong with box art like this expanding series of toast and cereal combinations.
TechnoRetro Arcade After a good, healthy breakfast (with natural apple flavoring), it’s time for a burger… er, uh, it’s BURGER TIME! JediShua and shazbazzar remember playing this Dig-Dug / Donkey Kong mash-up featuring oversized food that would make Wreck-It-Ralph’s mouth water.
Feedback The EarBuds share their minds with shazbazzar and JediShua on the topics of cereal, carbonated beverages, parenting techniques, and more from Derek Spier, Mike MacDonald, Jeremy the Spider-Pan from The Neverland Podcast, Chris Black from Arvada, and a new EarBud, Nick Valentine.
Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about local conventions, Burger Time, or anything else by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 3 July 2017
With Willow on the brain and after a fantastic chat with Art Director and Concept Artist Paul Bateman, shAbbeyzzar was frustrated with a less-than-ideal television watching experience. When the DirecTV signal is getting interrupted by the leaves of a Kentucky Coffeetree, what does a TechnoRetro Dad do? He cuts down the offending trunk supporting the leaves. What does a wise TechnoRetro Dad do? He ties off the offending trunk for safety purposes before cutting it down. What does shazbazzar do? He crushes his thumb trying to push the trunk away from hitting the house and gets his thumb crushed in the meantime.
In the NEWS… SEGA intends to release all of their console games as mobile apps. Sonic the Hedgehog and a few other games are already available! ToeJam and Earl anyone? Star Wars has been remade using the classic “Read Along” book and various toys and action figures from the past forty years thanks to inventive YouTuber, dyna74. It’s out of this world! Guardians of the Galaxy and TRON are both rumored to have rides coming at Epcot Center in O’Lando. Mississippi State University offers a course in Quidditch for entering Freshmen this fall. College sure has changed in the past couple of decades.
Decoding the Director Art Director, Concept Artist, and SuperFriend Paul Bateman joins shazbazzar and JediShua to discuss the recent change of directors for the upcoming Star Wars anthology movie about Han Solo. All three reach the same conclusion: Ron Howard was the right guy to direct Willow, and so he is likely the perfect choice to take over next year’s Han Solo film. The winding path Paul, shaz, and Shua take over, around, and through Willow (spattered with exceptions and trepidations about the Han Solo movie overall) eventually leads to a more positive outlook on the movie than a certain ‘Dad had when the project was first announced.
For more Willow talk, check out the first episode of TechnoRetro Dads from 2013: Was Willow a TechnoRetro Dad?
Don’t forget to send JediShua your TechnoRetro artwork for his birthday next week and while you’re thinking about it, lend your voice to our discussion about Willow, Star Wars, Burger Time, or anything else by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Please rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher.
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Mon, 26 June 2017
Sitting in our favorite position, doing nothing, is what we really do best. Other people concentrate a lot on doing something, we just concentrate on our rest. We’re happy with an old guitar in the shade of VW bus. We don’t bother worries and they don’t bother us. We’re just sitting in our favorite position — doing nothing — and that’s doing what we really do best! Perhaps we’re lazy. Maybe we’ve got “Peoplitis”. But we’re surely having fun — even in the rain. So if your day is gray or you’re feeling kind of blue, tune in to 77 minutes of TechnoRetro Dads and at least a part of your day will be brighter.
In the NEWS… Production on Ready Player One is well underway and Sorrento may not be exactly like readers imagined him, according to Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One). Mendelsohn caused some stirrings online when he said that his approach to the character is vastly different from the character’s portrayal in Ernest Cline’s novel. T.J. Miller calls i-R0k a comedic Boba Fett. If that’s the case, does that mean that Sorrento is Darth Vader (or would that make Krennic choke on his aspirations)? Star Trek Discovery will premiere on CBS 24 September online as well as on “old-fashioned TV”.
TechnoRetro Arcade JediShua and shazbazzar played Zaxxon at Flashback Games Retro Arcade in Loganville, Georgia about a year ago. This week we remember playing it then as well as in their youth (while shaz gets distracted with TRON right beside the Zaxxon cabinet). Zaxxon was the first axonometric arcade game and was ported to home consoles relatively quickly for games in those days. Giving players a third-person view from a diagonal point-of-view, the axonometric design provided a basic 3D perspective for gamers. Controlling a ship on the X, Y, and Z axes was a novelty in 1982 and continues to be an iconic game among video game aficionados.
The Rescuers Who can forget Bernard, Bianca, and Evinrude? Evidently, shazbazzar can. At least he had forgotten that The Rescuers was the first movie he saw on the big screen. Before seeing Pete’s Dragon in the theater, before seeing Star Wars at the drive-in, shazbazzar and his family went to see The Rescuers in the summer of 1977. The Rescuers was Don Bluth’s final project with Disney before embarking on his own projects like Secret of NIMH, Space Ace, and Dragon’s Lair. The Rescuers went through many iterations for over a decade before finally becoming the movie we all loved back in ’77. JediShua and shazbazzar reveal some interesting tidbits of information about this movie with a couple of “lost” tunes by Louis Prima that never made it into the film due to a significant change in the plot and the death of Prima.
Feedback We love hearing from EarBuds and especially new EarBuds. @ObiRothKenobi asks if the ‘Dads had seen The Goldbergs, so shazbazzar begins watching the series. Our old friend Sheldon gets a wooden spatula for his grill and we wonder whether it catches fire when he uses it. PLUS: E.T. VoiceMails from Sheldon and Jeremy the Spider-Pan from The Neverland Podcast.
Lend your voice to our discussion about The Rescuers, Zaxxon, wood spatulas, monsoon season or anything else on social media or give the ‘Dads your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Please rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher.
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Mon, 19 June 2017
Greetings, Programs!
Emerging from the annual tribute to fathers sometimes known as TechnoRetro Dads Day (honestly, it’s a day honoring all fathers, whether they’re #TechnoRetro or not — we just like the sound of it), shazbazzar and JediShua wind up their chargers for a wacky and wild trip through time as they remember “The Bright Knight” in Adam West’s portrayal of Batman in the late ‘60s, take a peek at the new version of Wonder Woman, and wander through their memories (both recent and ancient) of a summer camp favorite: white water rafting.
In the NEWS… Tweet-TBird provides additional information about Battle for the Network Stars and some strangely familiar stars ensure this will be a truly #TechnoRetro contest. Check it out here!
We Love Our Cereal JediShua embarks on the Oops! All Berries challenge in response to Steve’s tweet about this cereal actually being more of a mixer than a cereal in its own right. See the videos on our Facebook page.
Batman 1966… We best remember Adam West when he played Batman in the 1960s TV show with Burt Ward. The straight-laced detective in a bat costume was impeccably portrayed by West in a manner that convinced kids he was serious and entertains adults (who may have seen this show as kids) with his amazing ability to say every line and play every look with a somber comedy that defies every force of nature. And that’s why we still love Batman and Adam West.
Wonder Woman Whether you’re a fan of Lynda Carter’s portrayal of the heroine from 1941 or not, you’ll likely enjoy Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman — unanimously agreed among the ‘Dads as the best DC film in the current set of movies. Combine Thor’s mythos and Captain America’s origin story to make a DC movie that nearly rivals Marvel’s incredible success in recent years. Dads and daughters agree that this movie isn’t a waste of time and money. Bring your bucket of popcorn — it’s fun!
Lend your voice to the discussion on social media or give the ‘Dads your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Please rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher. This episode has been brought to you by the letter "W". Share and enjoy. |
Mon, 12 June 2017
Greetings, Programs! Yesterday marked the 35th anniversary of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial with a little, squishy green guy stranded on earth to wander about a California community with the likes of the Firestarter, Yoda, and Harvey the Clown Dog. While awaiting the next installment of the Star Wars saga, the 'Dads both checked out this endearing story of a lovable alien botanist who befriended (or possessed) a ten year-old boy who was struggling with his place in a broken home and a macabre school where frogs are killed by JediShua's fifth grade science class. Halfway through the movie, the short man from the Green Planet raided the TechnoRetro attic for toys to build the ULTIMATE WEAPON a communication device to signal his people to extract him from this crazy world in an oversized Christmas tree ornament propelled by water vapor (evident from the rainbow left behind as it blasted into space). One 'Dad went head-over-heels for this movie while the other resented its success in dethroning Star Wars (temporarily) in box office receipts. We'll leave it to the EarBuds to figure out which 'Dad loved it, but it's likely the one whose love for costuming may be linked to a homemade E.T. outfit he wore for Halloween in 1982. JediShua retrieves his brother's Speak & Spell from the attic since the buttons on his machine not only wore out, but literally fell off the Texas Instruments learning toy that nearly every GenXer played with at some point in the late '70s or early '80s. With some tunes, news, and feedback, this episode of TechnoRetro Dads is likely to dredge up some memories of a more innocent time of wonder and magic as we look to the past with one eye on the future. Share and enjoy the good times as summer camp continues with shazbazzar and JediShua...and Elliott, Gertie, and Mike. |
Mon, 5 June 2017
Are you ready for the summer? JediShua and shazbazzar are ready for good times, movies, arcade games, cereal, and even a dose of summer camp — if they can stand it. But in addition to the joys of the smoky atmosphere from leaf-heavy campfires and mosquito-infested swamp-forests, shazbazzar and JediShua are surprised by a big, hairy creature. Nope, it’s not Bigfoot or Sasquatch or even Skunk Ape, it’s our own Spacey Ace’em, Steve Glosson from the GOLiverse. So find a place at the fire and get ready for summer fun!
In the NEWS… Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century filming props (specifically ships) will be on the auction block near the end of June. Rick Moranis comes out of hiding to reprise his role in a MacKenzie Brothers benefit special. The memorable Battle of the Network Stars from the ‘70s and ‘80s will be returning soon, according to ABC. More sequels on the horizon as the ‘80s continue to get represented in pop culture with Top Gun and Spaceballs. Will there be merchandise? Will there be controversy? Will there be tickets sold at the box office? We think so.
We Love Our Cereal After months of anticipation (and boxes of cereal eaten at the ‘Dad’s homes), Cinnamon Pebbles is now up for critical consideration in a cereal segment that might upset some EarBuds.
Harry and the Hendersons Thirty years ago, George Henderson was on his way home after a family camping trip when he accidentally hit an animal with his car. No, it wasn’t a cat or even a raccoon (Scott Ryfun). It wasn’t even Steve Glosson, though he came to the studio to talk about one of his favorite creatures on earth — Bigfoot! On June 7th, 1987, movie-goers were treated to an endearing tale of a family and their pet Sasquatch named “Harry” in Harry and the Hendersons. Starring John Lithgow, M. Emmet Walsh, Don Ameche, the mom from A Christmas Story, and a really tall Kevin Peter Hall for a classically ‘80s comedy filled with stereotypes, colorful language, and a glimpse into the lifestyles of one of the most mysterious species on the planet.
Aftershocks of 1977 Forty years ago today, Apple Computers began selling the Apple II. Touted as the first truly personal computer, the Apple II sought to bring users an easy-to-use, effective, and relatively inexpensive computer for home use. Today, we still feel the aftershocks of the meteoric rise to prominence Apple enjoyed as homes welcomed the Apple II into their living rooms. Now we have much smaller, more efficient, and less expensive mini-computers in our pockets (phone included). It kind of makes you wonder what the world would have looked like if Apple had never invented the Apple II. What if Steve Jobs teamed up with Roddy McDowell to forge ahead with computer technology? We might all be bananas by now and the planet may have well gone to the apes!
Lend your voice to the discussion on social media or give the ‘Dads your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Please rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher. Share and enjoy. |
Mon, 29 May 2017
Celebrate Memorial Day with shazbazzar and JediShua as they remember Sir Roger Moore with a peek at another 1977 movie featuring Agent 007 of Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Just remember not to scorch your dinner (or hands) on the grill.
NEWS Boba Fett is imported from New Zealand…for good! Daniel Logan becomes a United States citizen. The memorable Battle of the Network Stars from the ‘70s and ‘80s will be returning soon, according to ABC. More sequels on the horizon as the ‘80s continue to get represented in pop culture with Top Gun and Spaceballs. Will there be merchandise? Will there be controversy? Will there be tickets sold at the box office? We think so.
Let’s Go to the Movies! The date was 7-7-77 when The Spy Who Loved Me opened in England with a big hit for the James Bond franchise. With a huge budget and an odd take on Ian Fleming’s novel of the same name, this film took some big risks that paid off. What some consider to be the best Bond movie of all time, The Spy Who Loved Me featured Roger Moore as James Bond, a title song by Carly Simon (“Nobody Does It Better”) and a Lotus that can swim underwater! Discussion drifts from disco, to different actors’ representations of 007, to other roles played by Roger Moore. So fire up your DVD player and revisit this very ‘70s version of James Bond.
TechnoRetro Arcade NAMCO’s Dig Dug is arriving at the TechnoRetro Arcade and we’re ecstatic. JediShua and shazbazzar discuss their history with the arcade classic and trade notes on their strategies as well as potential backstories for the game and its characters. PLUS: Bonus audio of the ‘Dads playing Dig Dug at Flashback Games Retro Arcade & Grill in Loganville, GA.
Feedback The Dark Crystal, cereal, and unique pilots for the Millennium Falcon are the big topics of discussion online over the past couple weeks. Don’t forget to participate on Twitter or Facebook.
Tune in to this Memorial Day episode for 77 minutes with shazbazzar and JediShua as they remember some of the best times of the ‘70s and ‘80s and look forward to what the future has in store. Don’t forget to download last Thursday’s “Top Ten” from American Top 40 with Casey Kasem with a definite Star Wars flair. Lend your voice to the discussion on social media or give the ‘Dads your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Please rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher.
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Thu, 25 May 2017
Star Wars premiered in theaters 40 years ago today. And since the number 40 has a nice ring to it, TechnoRetro Dads delve into the archives of American Top 40 with Casey Kasem as a soundtrack for the day. In a strange turn of events, an alternative version of the radio show came across the airwaves as host Spacey Ace’em counts down the Top Ten from the week of May 25, 1977 and while the tunes sound familiar, the lyrics are a bit odd. Count down the greatest hits of this week 40 years ago with a flair from that galaxy far, far away. Special thanks to Steve Glosson, Glen Nelson, High Adventure, Mrs. JediShua, and Scott Ryfun (for moral support).
10. “Feels Like Luke’s First Time” The British/Georgian band GOLiver takes a peek at the unlikely successes of a teenager from Tatooine.
9. “Lonely Boy” No, it’s not Andrew Gold — but the story of a boy feeling separated from family resonates with artists Red, Blue, Gold as they follow the exploits of an orphan who loses almost everyone close to him before discovering his long lost sister and father. This dark story has a light side for those who like happy endings.
8. “You Squeal” While Star Wars impressed audiences everywhere with its sights, sounds, and storyline, not everyone liked every character. Gordon Rogers’ song formerly topped the Country charts before making it to the Top Ten on TR40’s list. Artoo Detoo’s squeaking and squealing didn’t hit the right note with one Dad who had taken his family out to watch Star Wars.
7. “Had Him in My Sight” Glen Frey told us that smugglers and the Blues blend together well, but long before he recorded “Smugglers’ Blues”, The Parsecs Blues Band kicked off this tune about a smuggler trying to earn enough money to pay off his debts while avoiding any bounty hunters who are looking to cash him in with Jabba the Hutt. It’s Han vs Greedo with a classic finale worthy of 1977.
6. “Gonna Fly Now” Bill Conti meets John Williams as two great movies from two great years mash-up in this soundtrackstic jazzy bit.
5. “Got to Sell Some Droids” Jawas have to dance, too. To fund their habit, they acquire and sell ‘droids on their home planet of Tatooine. It might be hard to understand their speech sometimes, but after listening to Marvin & Robin Jawa’s funky bass line, you’ll get the message loud and clear.
4. “Dreams” Fleetwood Sarlacc tracks the budding love affair between the princess and the pirate as Han and Leia revisit the trope of rich girl/bad boy as she questions whether he is capable of loving anything other than money.
3. “I’m Kenobi Man” The second disco/funk tune in this week’s top ten is O.B. and the TwinSunshine Band’s biopic about a Jedi who leaves the hustle and bustle of the galaxy to hide out on a desert planet and protect the son of Skywalker. After all, he may be the last hope for everyone.
2. “When I Need You” We’ve all been there. When you’re trapped at work and all you want to do is Star Wars, the need is real. Maybe singer Shua-O Player just needs to keep some collectables and toys near him at all times to keep his addiction at bay.
1. “Sir Luke” It’s brassy. It’s jazzy. It’s groovy. Shazzie Blunder bumps into an instant classic that’s gonna have everyone feeling the Force from head toe.
And that’s the Top Ten. Of course, there are a few surprises along the way, so plug in your ear buds, EarBuds, and turn up the tunes. We’re betting you’ll be dancing before it’s over.
Don’t forget this past Monday’s episode for 77 minutes with shazbazzar and JediShua this week as they recall how Star Wars affected them and our whole world over the past forty years, and lend your voice to the discussion on social media or give the ‘Dads your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Please rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher.
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Mon, 22 May 2017
Star Wars, not much but Star Wars! Just under forty years ago, the world shook with under the rumbling of a gigantic Star Destroyer as the Emperor’s sinister agent, Darth Vader, pursued Princess Leia’s ship on screens across the country. This modern myth for the ‘70s generation took hold of pop culture on May 25, 1977 and never let loose. Like a blast from the DEATH STAR, Star Wars blew away movie goers in theaters everywhere and decimated box office records within hours of its release. And for the most part, it has never left the public consciousness. This week on TechnoRetro Dads, we recount it all! (Well, not technically all of it. We only have 77 minutes, after all.)
In the NEWS… 5-25-77 is finally coming to theaters after being teased to fanboys and fangirls for the past decade. Patrick Mead Johnson’s biopic about a boy obsessed with sci-fi movies embraces the day that the movie that changed everything. Sadly, no theaters are set to show 5-25-77 near shazbazzar, but EarBuds might be in luck for a showing near them this week and weekend! But shaz isn’t totally disheartened, because another retro favorite is finally set to hit screens as Netflix prepares to deliver a new addition to The Dark Crystal lore in a ten-episode series coming…sometime in the future. PLUS: TMZ leaks some pics from the upcoming Han Solo anthology movie that is slated to arrive this time next year.
Aftershocks of 1977 Star Wars hit theaters almost 40 years ago, and by the end of the week everyone is going to be talking about it, so we might as well start bright and early this Monday morning! From the cinema to the toy shelves, Star Wars has dominated the past four decades of pop culture beginning with a single phrase typed in blue over a solid black background, the majority of our lives has been lived in the shadow of a galaxy far, far away. JediShua and shazbazzar begin to recount the numerous ways Star Wars has influenced them directly as well as connecting a variety of movies, TV shows, and mounds of merchandise to the film with its iconic characters on both sides of this galactic conflict between the light and the dark. From their earliest memories of seeing the movie to the origins of TechnoRetro Dads, the ‘Dads talk about the Kenner toys, early games, apparel, and even Dixie cups that enabled fans a means of having the Force with them always, even after the movie was no longer in theaters.
Spend 77 minutes with shazbazzar and JediShua this week as they recall how Star Wars affected them and our whole world over the past forty years, and lend your voice to the discussion on social media or give the ‘Dads your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher.
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Mon, 15 May 2017
We’ve got a long way to go and just 77 minutes to get there. And though we’re not doing anything that they said can’t be done, we’re doing it fun, fast, and with (a little) flair… and having some laughs along the way.
In the NEWS… The Thing is making its way to the realm of board games with The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 and Mondo Tees is offering a special edition of the movie-based game this October. If you think that banana candy doesn’t taste like bananas, you’re bananas! You just haven’t tasted the right variety of banana — and neither have we — because they’re extinct. Dr. Ian Malcolm is coming back to the Jurassic Galaxy after doing a little dancing during the closing credits of Guardians of the Galaxy. Blondie goes under the sea as Debbie Harry and Chris Stein become the queen and king of Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade this year.
Smokey & The Bandit From its premiere six days before Star Wars in 1977 to its wide release on May 27th, Smokey & The Bandit played second fiddle to the movie that changed everything forever. The second highest grossing movie of the year, this comedic action adventure is as iconic to American pop culture as its 40 year-old counterpart. Featuring Burt Reynolds, Jerry Reed, Sally Field, and Jackie Gleason, Smokey & The Bandit chases Bandit and Snowman from Texarkana to Atlanta as they bootleg 400 cases of Coors to win a bet with the loquacious Buford T. Justice in hot pursuit. It’s a ridiculous riot of racing and ramping in a black Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am. And if you’ve never seen it, you might be able to catch it in theaters next week!
Aftershocks of 1977 Although the Pontiac Firebird debuted a decade earlier and the Trans-Am package had been in existence since 1969, the featured car from Smokey & The Bandit inspired a drastic increase in sales of Trans-Ams by nearly 50% in a year to almost doubling sales by 1979. The popularity of the car saw it featured more and more over the years including another black version of the ride being given artificial intelligence and the voice of Mr. Feeney as KITT in NBC’s Knight Rider with David Hasselhoff driving (who just also happened to make a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2). PLUS: shazbazzar avoids a horrific crash in a 1995 Trans-Am in a very unexpected (and unexciting) way.
Feedback The past couple episodes of TechnoRetro Dads have generated loads of discussion on social media, voice messages, and electronic-M. Thanks to the voices of Mark All, Scott Ryfun, Chris Black, Steve Glosson, Mike MacDonald, Steven Chopchik, Michael Goldtrap, Darth Taxus, and Michael Nipp, we enjoy more discussion about arcade games, cereal, ‘70s sci-fi TV, videotapes, and an amazing mini car racetrack.
Let us know what you’re thinking by contacting us on social media or give us your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher.
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Mon, 8 May 2017
Greetings, Programs!
As we draw ever nearer to the actual 40th anniversary of the release of Star Wars in theaters, the excitement continues to grow everywhere in this galaxy as well as that one far, far away after Princess Leia’s Stolen Death Star Plans stormed the Internet with A New Hope for original mash-ups as Palette-Swap Ninja provided a Beatlesesque soundtrack for the movie with the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band just weeks away.
In the NEWS… Wear your old mix tapes on your sleeve with the new ELBOW from BrainMonk — a smallish portable cassette player that may actually be released in the near future. Then you can sit back and relax in your Silver Chair while you wait for the next movie in the Narnia saga. And don’t forget to use the Frork when eating one of the newest sandwich offerings at McDonald’s. With a bit of Beatles news from Sirius XM and the aforementioned album from Palette-Swap Ninja, the news this week is so far out-of-this-world, we might need to charter the classic Star Tours ride (at least in virtual reality) to catch up to the genius of this parody rich duo.
We Love Our Cereal British neuroscience research consultant Dr. Jennifer Newson conducted a widespread study of a diverse group of subjects (78 women in the U.K.) in a two-day experiment for Kellogg’s Special K to discover how women’s “eating context” affected their perception of how nourished they were from 30 grams of cereal in 125 milliliters of cold skimmed milk. The headline for this highly scientific study — “REVEALED: Why eating cereal from a SQUARE bowl will make you feel fuller.” Thanks, Thea De Gallier of express.co.uk.
TechoRetro Arcade Atari spins the rollerball …er, uh… trackball and mashes the quickfire button in classic exterminator style with their release of Centipede to arcades. JediShua and shazbazzar found at least some success in racking up points and levels in the arcade version of this iconic video game. With fleas, spiders, and scorpions, Centipede has always been a popular pick amongst gamers for over thirty years.
Saturday Morning When Doctor Smith from Lost in Space tries to ride the coattails of Star Wars, a television series will surely be lifted to new heights as the rising tide lifts all boats. What’s that? Space Academy isn’t a boat? You don’t say! It was cancelled once it failed to find a following in the fall of 1977.
History Lesson Captain America watches the Brooklyn Dodgers play against Philadelphia. 1984 is on the phone and wants its fascist agenda back (thanks, George Orwell). And Kyle Reese emerges from the future to prevent a Terminator from stopping John Conner before he ever gets started.
Give us your tips on playing Centipede, your hopes for this year’s Star Wars fare, or anything about cereal by contacting us on social media or give us your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher.
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Mon, 1 May 2017
The first week of May is filled with loads of pop culture greatness with Star Wars Day on Thursday, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 on Friday, and loads of TechnoRetro News for EarBuds everywhere. Join shazbazzar and JediShua as they emerge from the hurried and harried month of April to bloom with a variety of colors in May. You know… Mayflowers. Like Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock.
In the NEWS… Guardians of the Galaxy is coming Friday — forty years after Glen Campbell’s “Southern Nights” hit the top slot on American Top 40. He-Man is back in the news with Sony’s announcement of the release date for Masters of the Universe on shazbazzar’s birthday in 2019. Without any information about a director or any casting, there’s little room for speculation except to say we’re hopeful for a good sci-fi/fantasy film in December 2019. Classic arcade game Rampage is also coming to theaters in the future featuring “The Rock” with a plot that tosses the game’s storyline out the window. At least we can expect to see gigantic animals crushing city buildings, smashing military vehicles, and eating citizens. A popular fan theory about Stan Lee’s appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe gains traction as Kevin Feige responds to watchful (and imaginative) eyes. EarBud Joey (in Tuscon) tweets about a new LEGO Dimensions expansion pack that is filled with #TechnoRetro glory. Two dozen Midway arcade games make their way into the LEGO universe for Gamer Boy to play to the best of his ability. We’ve got to pick this up! Captain Jack Sparrow appears LIVE in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland.
We Love Our Cereal JediShua claims that Cinnamon Frosted Flakes aren’t that bad, but shazbazzar isn’t convinced…yet. Danielle Smith, a high school student in Tustin, California sells cereal to fund the purchase and upkeep of a cow in an Ethiopian orphanage. Certainly, the babies need their milk, but the kids need something to pour over their cereal, too!
TechoRetro Arcade Williams Electronics’ horizontal shooter Defender makes its way to the TechnoRetro Arcade. The ‘Dads remember their days playing this classic from 1981 in the arcades of their youth as well as finding it in today’s retro arcades.
History Lesson The origins of Star Wars Day are discovered to predate the prequels by more than three centuries. Gulliver evidently needed the Force to be with him on his travels, launching his voyage from Bristol on May the 4th in 1699.
Give us your tips on playing Defender on social media or give us your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher.
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Mon, 24 April 2017
JediShua and shazbazzar head to Orlando for Star Wars Celebration for a few days of excitement as the Star Wars generation celebrates forty years of that galaxy far, far away in this bonus length episode of TechnoRetro Dads.
In the NEWS… Classic Retro Rat movies Willard and Ben will be released on DVD by Scream Factory.
Aftershocks of 1977 T-Bird tweets about the Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix Volume 2 with some great tunes from 1977 — including this segment’s theme song by Electric Light Orchestra. Featuring “Mr. Blue Sky”, “Chains”, and “Southern Nights”, this recently released soundtrack is evidence of the aftershocks of 1977.
But that’s not all.
Since 2017 marks the fortieth anniversary of the initial release of Star Wars, shazbazzar and JediShua remark about the remarkable fortieth anniversary panel on Thursday morning of Star Wars Celebration Orlando.
Star Wars Scrapbook After Star Wars Celebration, shazbazzar and JediShua add their swag and experiences from Orlando to the TechnoRetro Dads Star Wars Scrapbook with memories of EarBuds, SuperFriends, panels from The Last Jedi and Rebels, Ewoks, a certain pirate, and more.
Be sure to let us know about your experiences with Star Wars Celebration 2017 (whether you were there in body or spirit) on social media, or give us your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher. Pictures and video of shazbazzar, JediShua, and Hondo Ohnaka are always welcome, of course.
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Mon, 10 April 2017
’Twas galaxy, far 'way long ago, "Beware the Jabba Wook, my son! He took his vornskr sword in hand: And, though in Ugnaught height he wished, One, two! One, two! And through and through "And, has thou slain the Jabba Wook? ’Twas galaxy, far 'way long ago,
In the NEWS… Big Trouble in Little China finds a home on your card table with a miniatures board game with characters from the camp-classic ‘80s film. Steve Austin profits from rapidly increasing inflation in the upcoming Six Billion Dollar Man. Yes. We said BILLION. Classic Star Wars stickers come in a #TechnoRetro book for nostalgia’s sake with a bit of a new take as Rogue One stickers join the original trilogy rerelease of gum-pack card stickers. Crosley celebrates the 40th anniversary of Star Wars on Record Store Day later this month.
Aftershocks of 1977 Terry Gilliam unleashes his first feature-length independent film with Jabberwocky starring Michael Palin. With Pythonesque humor and familiar faces in this British comedy, the film was marketed in the United States as Monty Python’s Jabberwocky, much to the chagrin of Gilliam.
TechnoRetro Arcade Midway’s GORF combines Space Invaders, Galaxian, Galaga, Asteroids, and more in this iconic alien-blasting shooter from 1981. With synthesized vocoders and the ability to buy extra lives by shoving more quarters in the slot, a new age of video games was launched.
History Lesson The Titanic takes on passengers and millions of gallons of freezing water this week in 1912. Tom Hanks turns a successful launch of Apollo 13 into a failed mission and happy landing after venting oxygen in 1970. Today is Inception Day for LEON in Blade Runner. Abraham Lincoln refuses immortality, the army of the Twelve Monkeys catches on, and (of course) Billy Madison continues making his way through school.
Get ready for Celebration with shazbazzar and JediShua for 77 minutes of reliving the things that made us who we are today — even those who were too young to remember those times. Be sure to let us know what you’re thinking on social media, or give us your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher.
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Sat, 1 April 2017
With four years behind them, shazbazzar and JediShua begin the next chapter in TechnoRetro Dads with a shorter-than-usual episode (due to time constraints) as we continue to look at news, history, video games, and Aftershocks of 1977. The year ahead looks fantastic — much better than this episode.
In the NEWS… An unbelievable amount of news was released this week about Disney, Star Wars, TRON, Indiana Jones, and Ready Player Two. You won’t believe your ears when you hear what we have to say about it!
We Love Our Cereal… A brand new, unannounced cereal has just unseated Cinnamon Toast Crunch as the all-around best cereal of all time. What is it? Tune in to find out.
TechnoRetro Arcade What could be better than watching Q*bert fall off his pyramid of cubes? Raking falling leaves! We’re guessing that few people still remember this 1982 interactive arcade game by Gotchlieb.
Aftershocks of 1977 We take a peek back at the Bosco award winning movie from 1977, Danny Paul. The tragic comedy features a forty-something dad with a neurosis that causes him to revert back to his former years at random and puts everyone in disarray. Only available on Betamax these days, this one will be hard to find!
History Lesson Loads of Fictional History of fictional events all occur on the same day — and we’re here to chronicle them all! Find out more by downloading TechnoRetro Dads.
Check out TechnoRetro Dads from the past four years as you await the next episode on April 10th. Join shazbazzar and JediShua in reliving the things that made us who we are today — even those who were too young to remember those times. Be sure to let us know what you’re thinking on social media, or give us your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher.
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Mon, 27 March 2017
As shazbazzar and JediShua start Spring Break, they conclude the fourth season of TechnoRetro Dads. For those who have joined the ‘Dads since they first wandered with Willow until their most recent Joust at the arcade and for those who have tuned in somewhere along the way, pour a bowl of your favorite cereal, slather on some sunscreen (or Starscreen, as Shua likes to call it), and sit back in your beach chair for 77 minutes on this Good Morning and watch the Captain sail his ship out to sea.
In the NEWS… Two icons of the past, Chuck Berry and Chuck Barris, both passed away within a week of each other. From the earliest days of Rock ’n’ Roll, Chuck Berry added his unforgettable talent to the rolls of rockers. Talent was on the menu for Chuck Barris, but on an entirely different level, of course. The creator and host of the ‘70s version of the popular Got Talent franchise, Barris put together comedy greatness with The Gong Show where celebrity judges look for talent in the seemingly least likely places. PLUS: Star Wars and the Power of Costume is leaving Denver for Cincinnati in May. It’s time to buy your tickets to this exhibit (for either city) right now!
We Love Our Cereal… Honey Nut Cheerios is lacking a mascot but gets a special addition inside their boxes. We’re all wondering whether this prize has different versions for different regions of the country or if “one size fits most.” It’s likely to bee the source of some controversy and possibly more problems than it hopes to correct if it’s the latter. Finally, it’s time to put the other Girl Scouts cereal to the test with Sheldon’s original Cereal Connoisseur Rating System (using Oneida cereal teaspoon). Find out what the ‘Dads think about thin mints in a chilled bowl of milk (thanks for the idea, Steve Glosson).
TechnoRetro Arcade What do you call a pyramid of cubes with color-changing tops, dropping orbs, coiled snakes, Esheresque enemies, diagonal moves, and an obscenity- uttering orange alien hero who has a tube nose/mouth combination? In 1982, we discovered Q*bert to the consternation of many arcade aficionados. The unique style of play captured the attention of kids everywhere as quarters poured into coin slots for the satisfying sounds of Gottlieb’s most famous addition to video game lore. Whether you played Q*bert as a kid or you got into the game later in life, this classic calls for more than a passing glance.
Good Morning, Captain! Captain Kangaroo entertained a couple of generations of kids from the mid-fifties to the mid-eighties, and the ‘Dads were certainly in the mix. With ping-pong balls to green jeans, Captain Kangaroo was part of a balanced breakfast before kids made their way to school.
History Lesson Richard Kimball was delivered by a doctor on March 27, 1948 — years before he was convicted of killing his own wife. Taylor wonders about the difference in ape life and human life. A Betazoid from Betazed takes her first breath. A journalist from TMNT starts a video record that will become significant later in life. Many fools are born on the first, while Billy Madison continues his pursuit of a minimal education.
Feedback Andy Lindeman sends an electronic-M filled with rules and cards for a homemade version of Uno. His first version was written years ago on a Commodore 64. This guy is totally #TechnoRetro!
Check out TechnoRetro Dads each week for more unexpected memories from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Continue the heyday of pop culture and relive the things that made us who we are today — even those who were too young to remember those times. Be sure to let us know what you’re thinking on social media, or give us your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher.
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Mon, 20 March 2017
Spring officially arrives today and Spring Break is on the horizon. Before hurrying out to the beach, be sure to pack your ear buds for a trip back in time to the ‘70s and ‘80s with shazbazzar and JediShua as they remember a couple games we all enjoyed playing as kids (and can still play today, if we’re lucky). Get ready for fun and funniness this week on TechnoRetro Dads!
In the NEWS… Amazing Stories, the Steven Spielberg anthology series from the mid-eighties may soon return. With imaginative tales of fiction, fantasy, and fright, this weekly show was a staple for GenXers who were facing the certainty of no new Star Wars movies for the foreseeable future. Brian Fuller takes the reigns (with Spielberg’s approval) to reinvigorate television with distinctive episodes that will surely resound with today’s audiences. The Ultimate Visual History of Back to the Future is rereleased as a “Collector’s Edition” with a 3D sculpted movie poster of the original Drew Struzan art and several bonus features like three 32-page books (one for each movie). Edward James Olmos reprises his role as Eduardo Gaff in Blade Runner 2049.
We Love Our Cereal… The Keebler Elves are sneaking tiny cookies into people’s cereals — and we appreciate it! PLUS: DC Superheroes cover boxes of Big G cereals and the mascots get in on the action. Collect them all and read the comic books in every box.
Toys in the Attic Games have always been integral to toy boxes, and card games are part of the fun for friends and family. Since the ‘70s, Uno has been a staple for kids and adults alike, allowing anyone who can match colors and numbers to have a chance at winning a game against virtually anyone else. The luck of the draw is the main thing, as well as well-timed usage of “special” cards like Reverse, Draw Two, Skip, and Wild. Race to be the first to play every card in your hand, but make sure you say “Uno!” when you’re down to a single card or you may find yourself holding more cards than you bargained for!
TechnoRetro Arcade From knights on horseback in medieval times to clones against ‘droids on speeder bikes, the strength of lances against armor at high speed has been entertaining for hundreds of years (and painful for the contestants). In 1982, Williams Electronics continued the success they had in the video game industry with Defender by releasing Joust, a reimagined combat game pitting mounted knights against each other with lances seeking to unseat their opponents. This time, however, the knights ride on flying steeds: either a buzzard, an ostrich, or a stork. Combining running on flat surfaces at different elevations with flying through the air, Players 1 and 2 challenge computer players for survival amidst additional dangers from lava and pterodactyls. “But ostriches can’t fly!” some protest. Evidently the minds behind this iconic game figured flying ostriches was more believable than running eagles. Go figure.
History Lesson This week is filled with fictional history from the frontier of 100 years ago to the comic book movies of this decade as the ‘Dads open the TechnoRetro history books with snippets from Legends of the Fall, Forrest Gump, Billy Madison, Watchmen, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and more!
Feedback EarBuds chime in with updates on the seven “earth-sized” planets mentioned a couple weeks ago and memories of Kevin Flynn in King Kong. With a mention of Scholastic Book orders back in our school days, the ‘Dads affectionately recall their own days in elementary school with the pulp order forms made their way into the hands of children, opening their imaginations to the future.
Check out TechnoRetro Dads each week for more news about franchises and fandom from the ‘70s and ‘80s that continues to this day as well as reliving those amazing times that made us who we are today — even those who were too young to remember those times. Be sure to let us know what you’re thinking on social media, or give us your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher.
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Mon, 13 March 2017
As the new week begins with new time for those who observe the change in time that coincides with the change in seasons, TechnoRetro Dads have discovered a way to solve the problem of losing an hour of sleep on the day time “Springs Forward”: add an eighth day to the week for rest! But that’s not the only EIGHT in this week’s episode. JediShua and shazbazzar talk about Eight Is Enough with Dick Van Patten and Adam Rich, Scott Ryfun provides informational feedback with an 8-Track electronic-M and more shapes and sounds of the number eight provide loads of fun this Monday morning before Pi Day and during the week of St. Patrick’s Day. (This episode is brought to you by the number eight and the color green).
In the NEWS… Turner Broadcasting and Warner Brothers team up to present a streaming version of Boomerang with thousands of your favorite cartoons from decades of Saturday mornings and syndicated shows from Warner Bros., MGM, and Hanna-Barbera! The cost is five dollars per month or forty dollars annually (that’s five time eight for the mathematically challenged). The starship Enterprise D gets the 3D treatment in virtual reality through the Enterprise 3D Project.
We Love Our Cereal… …who doesn’t? Ben & Jerry’s shares a bowl with those lucky enough to have a Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop near them (sorry, shaz — no ice cream for you) featuring breakfast morning favorites like Frosted Flakes, Cocoa Pebbles, and Fruity Pebbles. Cereal continues to gain ground in the marketplace as the next step in cerealtastic recipes moves forward to include frozen versions of Saturday morning fare.
Aftershocks of 1977 On March 15th of this banner year, Dick Van Patten, Adam Rich, and Luke Skywalker’s cousin Mark Hamill star in the pilot episode of Eight Is Enough, a “bigger than Brady Bunch” family dramedy for the late ‘70s and early ‘80s that ushered in the new era of culture and politics that pushed conservative family shows into the past and opened the floodgates of the family as reimagined for a more “enlightened” society. Proving once again that 1977 impacted western culture in ways that are still felt forty years later, the family as promoted in this series has become the norm in sitcoms over the past four decades (minus a few kids, of course).
Feedback Radio talk show host and podcaster Scott Ryfun responds to shazbazzar’s and JediShua’s lack of fluency in the ways of 8-Track tapes. From his 1977 powder blue LTD wagon, Ryfun schools the ‘Dads in the mixed-up albums of a thankfully bygone era in portable audio, complete with the iconic “kerchunk” of track changes. KISS, Aerosmith, and Battlestar Galactica fuel the Feedback fodder in this lengthy discussion of 8-Track tapes with memories that are both funny and fond.
Check out TechnoRetro Dads each week for more news about franchises and fandom from the ‘70s and ‘80s that continues to this day as well as reliving those amazing times that made us who we are today — even those who were too young to remember those times. Be sure to let us know what you’re thinking on social media, or give us your feedback by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play.
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Mon, 6 March 2017
Greetings, Programs!
TRON is in the news again (sort of), and is heavily featured in this week’s episode of TechnoRetro Dads (well, FLYNN is, anyway) as shazbazzar and JediShua take another look at King Kong from 1976, monkey around with ‘Dad jokes, and finally get to some Feedback from our EarBuds. Get ready for 77 seconds minutes of gigantic gorilla goodness on the first Monday of March!
In the NEWS… Dungeons & Dragons might find its next incarnation in the form of buildable modules built of smaller modules. Tune in to find out more. Joseph Kosinski talks about TRON Ascension, seven earth-sized planets less than a Kessel Run away, and memories of Bill Paxton.
Let’s All Go to the Movies… …and watch Kong: Skull Island. But before we go, we take a peek at earlier versions and revisit the Dino De Laurentiis 1976 King Kong with Jessica Lange, Charles Grodin, and Kevin Flynn with beautiful hair. The classic creation from 1933 is reimagined during the energy crisis of the ‘70s with a naïve wannabe actress with a penchant for skimpy clothes, a troped-up bad guy from a greedy petroleum corporation, the original USER Kevin Flynn, and Odo from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. With Kong: Skull Island premiering later this week, it only seems reasonable to remind ourselves of “the most exciting original motion picture event of all time.”
History Lesson After the W Files and before the Y Files were the X Files (at least that’s what we want to believe). Adam Sandler finishes fifth grade (before JediShua started teaching fifth grade). Weyland Industries leaves out the eighth vertical so the ‘Dads can claim it. Bright Eyes gets her “treatment”. Scarlett Johansson unintentionally embodies the singularity. The One is born. Yes, by “One” we mean “Neo”, otherwise known as Mr. Anderson. Which reminds us of this week’s brief Aftershock of 1977: Philip K. Dick predicted The Matrix at the Metz Sci-Fi Convention in France.
Feedback Rory O’Toole finds an old bag from Video Exchange and reveals a license plate Easter egg in American Graffiti. Starships, Sabers, and Scoundrels Dennis Keithly and Darth Taxus spice up the 8-Track discussion with a Pumpkin Marshmallow “Spirit in the Sky”, the Spider-Pan can’t figure out “What a Fool Believes”, D$ discovers The Legal Sword of Shunnarah, and Jedi Arjii finds a way to make Rocky even better — more Star Wars!
TechnoRetro Dads go bananas for big primates this week, and want more electronic-Ms and voice mails from our EarBuds. So let us know what you’re thinking on social media, or you can give us your feedback and let us know what you think by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!
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Mon, 27 February 2017
Whether you love the Academy Awards or the Oscars make you grouchy, the morning after Hollywood’s most celebrated celebration of La La Land will most assuredly bring joy to your Monday morning and get your work week off to a better than Rocky start. So get off the Fences and find those long lost toys and Hidden Figures from your Star Wars collection and join shazbazzar and JediShua as the Moonlight gives way to daybreak with the Arrival of the latest episode of TechnoRetro Dads. So stop Lion there in bed and Hacksaw the dream chains before you miss out on the bright day ahead!
In the NEWS… Weird Al fills an accordion with loads of vinyl including previously unreleased tracks alongside a complete collection of his works. Rogue One comes to your home in just over a month on DVD and Blu-ray. The Last Jedi title discussion reaches a conclusion with French and Spanish titles’ explanation of this questionable phrase in English.
Aftershocks of 1977 Find out how the 49th Academy Awards launched the career of an iconic actor when the Best Picture of 1976 featured a nearly penniless man, his dog, and a heart that enabled him to go the distance. Rocky continues to hit viewers where it counts four decades after its initial release. JediShua and shazbazzar relate their thoughts about this classic film that put Sylvester Stallone on the Hollywood best list.
Toys in the Attic With Toy Fair in the rear-view mirror, the ‘Dads react to some of the toys that scored with them. From retrotastic space helmets to booming balloon sabers, and miniaturized arcade cabinets to upgraded talking teddy bears, these toys will be a hit with the X Generation when they go shopping for their kids (or grandkids) this year.
TechnoRetro Speculations With the announcement of Rogue One on Blu-ray comes speculations and hopes for what could be included in the various packages and exclusives next month. Although shazbazzar and JediShua don’t have any voice in what should be included, they share some of their hopes about the unlikely possibilities as the latest addition to the Star Wars movies gets its first release (of course there will be many, many more releases over the next four decades).
History Lesson Sam Beckett battles the “Curse of the Ptah Hotep” as an archaeologist sixty years ago. John Connor celebrates his thirty-second birthday just before the most well-known Weasley turns thirty-six. A dumb kid realizes that we’re not alone in the universe on a back road while Adam Sandler gets smarter. This week’s fictional history is finally truly historical.
TechnoRetro Dads is the perfect cure for your morning after blues after the Oscar after parties. We would love to hear from our EarBuds via Twitter @TechnoRetroDads or on Facebook, so let us know what you’re thinking on social media, or you can give us your feedback and let us know what you think by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!
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Mon, 20 February 2017
With perhaps the most disjointed and cram-packed episode of TechnoRetro Dads ever, shazbazzar and JediShua apologize if you feel blindsided, upside-down, or threatened by enormous lizards with atomic breath as you start this work week. Corny jokes, news-ish stories, aftershocks, cartoons, video games, and fictional history are all stuffed into your audio toy box of nostalgia. Give us 77 minutes, and we’ll take of the “wait”.
In the NEWS… Valentine’s Day in Colorado came with original V-Day “cards” (including spoons), stranger boxes, and lots of love. Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown is cast to take down an even bigger monster in 2019. The radio drama version of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy gets animated.
We Love our Cereal! After talking about Girl Scout cereal for weeks, we dive into a bowl of Caramel Crunch with yummy, crunchy results. Samoas (Caramel deLites) get a tasty treatment that ranks rather high with each Oneida spoonful.
Aftershocks of 1977 “A shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and a sensible dinner” has been the recipe for weight loss for millions for the past forty years. Slim Fast hit store shelves in 1977 and has continued to endure even while fad diets come and go. Catapulting baseball manager Tommy Lasorda into TechnoRetro fame, the commercials alone are permanently etched into GenX’s collective memory. Get ready to put away your fat pants and tighten your belt because this diet product really works!
Saturday Mornings EarBud Rory O’Toole suggests another theme song for the segment as the ‘Dads remember the voice of Jim Backus as Quincy Magoo, the doddering, legally blind cartoon who epitomizes the physical comedy that was popular in the ‘60s and ‘70s. So turn on the television of your minds and sit down for What’s New Mr. Magoo?.
Toys in the Attic Shogun Warriors were popular in the mid-seventies (and have made a big comeback with kids of that era today), and one of their biggest hits was the towering, twenty-inch version of Godzilla by Mattel. JediShua and shazbazzar remember hours of destructive fun as they brought the gigantic lizard into their playtime with Star Wars figures and army men.
TechnoRetro Arcade JediShua’s most recent trip to the Hyperspace Arcade brought him joyful memories of vector graphics and clever game play with Space Duel, an Atari release from 1982 that resembled asteroids with colorful, three-dimensional objects attacking a dual-ship controlled by one or two players. The only multi-player vector game by Atari was the company’s response to less-than-stellar sales of their Asteroids Deluxe video game. Space Duel earns its place in the TechnoRetro Arcade.
History Lesson Since it’s Presidents’ Day, it’s only right to include some patriotic history from Independence Day: Resurgence as the ESD Moonbase opens in 2009. Plus, Scott Bakula leaps back to 1958 to sort out Marty Elroy’s family problems in Quantum Leap.
How can we bring you all this sweet TechnoRetro goodness in 77 minutes with no calories? The magic of nostalgia, that’s how. Of course, input from our EarBuds via Twitter @TechnoRetroDads or on Facebook help, too. So let us know what you’re thinking on social media, or you can give us your feedback and let us know what you think by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!
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Mon, 13 February 2017
Questions abound on this week’s episode of TechnoRetro Dads: What is an 8-Track tape? What is JediShua saying in French? Can Olive Oyl’s love make Popeye stronger than a can of spinach? Who is the biggest fan of Battlestar Galactica? Should I stay or should I go? And, most importantly, are you ready for Valentine’s Day tomorrow? You still have time if you’re listening to TechoRetro Dads this Monday morning. Just another reason to start your work week right every Monday.
In the NEWS… Even though the Falcons squandered their three quarter lead to fall to the Patriots in overtime, the most exciting moments came at halftime with great commercials as well as trailers for upcoming movies, complete with Johnny Cash music. We’re especially excited about the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but Stranger Things 2 really got our #TechnoRetro hearts pumping with Ghostbusters costumes and promises of a return to the Upside Down. Not all news is good news, though, as we bid farewell to the heroic Viper pilot who started his search for the thirteenth colony on the mythical world of Earth nearly forty years ago. Battlestar Galactica’s original Captain Apollo (and anti-captain Tom Zerek), Richard Hatch, departed this life, leaving us memories of his time on screen and off screen as the good guy who really was a good guy.
Aftershocks of 1977 Beginning in 1977 with the publication of its first original novel, Del Rey Books has brought us forty years of fantasy and science fiction novels including Terry Brooks’ Shannara series, shelves full of Star Wars novels, and many more. Featuring well known authors like Brian Daley and Alan Dean Foster, we re-experienced movies through novelizations as well as continued the stories from far away galaxies to imaginative stories from long ago from childhood to today.
History Lesson A sweet replicant named PRIS booted up on Valentine’s Day last year in Blade Runner, the same day the world was supposed to end according to Ghostbusters 2, while a futuristic AT-TE gets a patent for Weyland Industries thirty-five years into the future. Also this week, Geordi La Forge will be born, not in France, but in the African Confederation. And a robbery is foiled by a darker version of Qui-Gon Jinn in Darkman.
Flashback Games TechnoRetro Flashback After his recent trip to a local video arcade, JediShua recalls playing the Popeye video game and provides some insight as he instructs shazbazzar during last summer’s trip to Loganville, Georgia’s Flashback Games Grill and Retro Arcade. Complete with audio footage from July, you’ll hear the mastery of JediShua as he tells shazbazzar score more than 1,000 points.
Feedback Thanks to our EarBuds for making this episode fantastic with their feedback from previous episodes on social media, in electronic-Ms, and even in person. We respond to Derek Spier, Jeffrey Fischbach, Chris Hamilton, Michael Goldtrap, Joey Letson, and T-Bird Thomas Thompson in our Feedback segment. Thanks for the comments and corrections you send our way week after week.
So put your finger on the Twitter and tweet @TechnoRetroDads with your answers to our questions as shazbazzar and JediShua continue their trek through the decades in the fog of confusion. Whether you have some tips to help us make it through the Popeye video game or you want to share your memories of Richard Hatch (from Battlestar Galactica, not Survivor), give us your feedback and let us know what you think by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!
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Mon, 6 February 2017
Can you eat frozen yogurt with chopsticks? Honestly, we’ve never tried, but this might just be the day to give it your best shot. After the Patriots rallied in the second half to put the Super Bowl in overtime and defeat the Falcons, it seems like anything could happen on a Monday morning. So grab a bowl of Girl Scout cookies cereal, EarBuds, and sit down for a BONUS LENGTH episode as controversial animator Ralph Bakshi sends shockwaves through time with his 1977 fantasy film, Wizards.
In the NEWS… Nicole Kidman is Aquaman’s mother and the Black Manta will be challenging the superhero of the seas in the upcoming DC movie. Director Chad Staheleski focuses on improved continuity for his reboot of Highlander, hoping to make a trilogy of movies. Pac-Man’s father dies at 91 — the video arcade generation mourns.
Aftershocks of 1977 In the wake of cultural upheaval brought about by the civil rights movement, Kennedy assassinations, and the unpopular war in Vietnam emerged a jarring animated vision of a post-apocalyptic world millions of years in the future where elves and fairies battle mutants and demons in a war between two brothers. In Ralph Bakshi’s Wizards, twins Avatar and Blackwolf engage in a showdown between freedom and fascism in a truly unique amalgamation of various artistic styles, live action sequences, and cheaply produced “rotoscoping” that burned itself into the collective consciousness of a generation. With similar themes and plot devices to Star Wars, it seems as if both Bakshi and Lucas had tapped into the cultural zeitgeist with their fantasy films in 1977. Pitting magic against technology and juxtaposing modern war machines against swordplay, Wizards and Star Wars both successfully captured the imaginations of viewers. JediShua and shazbazzar go in-depth in their appreciation for this weird “fairy tale”.
History Lesson Everyone has to be born sometime, whether they’re wizards obsessed with muggle culture or sidekicks who like to cheat at cards. This week’s History Lesson reveals the ages of the likes of Arthur Weasley, Short Round, and the big, green bulk with orange hair from Street Fighter.
So set up the projector with your favorite fascist’s propaganda films and start terrorizing fairies and elves in your quest to dominate the planet. Or, even better, plug in your ear buds this morning with the TechnoRetro Dads. Give us your feedback and let us know what you think about Ralph Bakshi’s Wizards by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!
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Mon, 30 January 2017
If the rooster hasn’t crowed yet to wake up your family with his built-in alarm cluck, why not show your appreciation for bubble wrap by twisting and popping a sheet to get everybody’s day going? It’s the year of the rooster in China, Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day in the West, and the prevalent prognosicator from Punxatawney is just about to place his predictions about the weather this week. So plug in your ear buds, EarBuds, and enjoy 77 minutes of TechnoRetro.
In the NEWS… JediShua reveals forty year-old news via a recent IO9 article about the Death Star trench from Star Wars: A New Hope. It just may be that the trench run takes place someplace you hadn’t expected. And the star of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, and The Dick Van Dyke Show is laid to rest in Connecticut over the weekend.
Saturday Mornings Introduced as part of the title credits of a Blake Edwards film starring Peter Sellers, the Pink Panther graced television screens in our youngest days every Saturday morning. With music by Henry Mancini and William Lava, these animated shorts were small on talk and big on “show, don’t tell” as the curious character provided hours of physical comedy in brief segments on The Pink Panther Show. JediShua and shazbazzar remember their experiences with the Pink Panther, as well as The Ant and the Aardvark, while listening to various performances of the iconic theme song. PLUS: shazbazzar agrees with Scott Ryfun that the Aardvark sounds a lot like Bernie Sanders.
Aftershocks of 1977 The computer era gets rolling in 1977 with the release of three popular home computers. Commodore’s PET is revealed, the Apple II begins production, and Radio Shack gets in the game with a fully assembled home computer, complete with monitor, for $599. The TRS-80 started in earnest on February second as the design stage of this memorable computer began its trek from concept to store shelves in 1977. Affectionately called the “Trash 80”, this home computer would soon be found in schools, small businesses, and homes in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Most GenXers had at least some interaction with the TRS-80 during their youth, learning to program in BASIC, rolling through the numbers on tape drive counters, and generally just having fun as computers began their quest to take over the world from every house on the planet.
History Lesson Of course, there’s a lot taking place on February second in fictional history, but this week is loaded with past and future events from Potter to Prometheus and everything in between.
So pour a bowl of cereal, plug in your ear buds, and start thinking PINK this Monday morning with the TechnoRetro Dads. Give us your feedback and let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!
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Mon, 23 January 2017
What is covered in hair, walks on its two big feet, and is susceptible to female charms? If you guessed Cousin It, you’re wrong. He wears a size six. But if you thought about that prehistoric superhero who flies and wields a club, you are right on track! We have Captain Caveman on the brain just like the Teen Angels have a cave on the roof of their van. You know it’s gonna be a great Monday when cavemen are featured in the jokes!
In the NEWS… Funko brings out a new line of collectibles resembling Playmobil figures of pop culture favorites like Willy Wonka. “The Greatest Show on Earth” will have only a few more scheduled appearances before Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus closes forever. JediShua found an arcade in a local brewery while shazbazzar discovered that scientists have discovered a new species of Gibbons they dubbed “Skywalker”. PLUS: Ponch and Jon return to the California Highway Patrol in an upcoming movie-version spoof of the late ‘70s classic TV show, CHiPs.
Saturday Mornings Hanna Barbara cartoons reigned on Saturday mornings on all of the major networks. JediShua and shazbazzar revisit Captain Caveman from 1977’s Saturday Morning lineup. With Cavey, Taffy, Brenda, and Dee Dee, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels find themselves in the midst of one mystery after another as they travel across the country in their custom cave van with authentic living quarters on the roof. It’s been a while since the ‘Dads talked about the diminutive prehistoric superhero, and we certainly have more to add to our former conversation which you can hear here. Aftershocks of 1977 Get ready to blast off into space on with the world’s first space plane in the modern era. NASA’s OV-101, Enterprise, would make its first flights in 1977, ushering in more than three decades of a successful space shuttle program. JediShua and shazbazzar talk about the good and the bad as well as the very long history of using reusable shuttles to make trips into “near space”. From the 1930s to today, the idea of space planes, space shuttles, and space taxis have continued to become reality since the Enterprise took its first piggy-back ride. Whether you’re shouting your name to muster strength and courage, or you’re simply studying for your “History in Aerospace” test, you’ll have fun in past, present, and future tense with the TechnoRetro Dads. Give us your feedback and let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!
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Direct download: TRDads_04.42_Captain_Caveman.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:12am EDT |
Mon, 16 January 2017
Greetings, Programs!
Whether the weather is wonderfully warm or you’re experiencing a blistering blizzard like the record-setting cold snap this week in 1977, TechnoRetro Dads bring you a variety show of the past in the present on this holiday Monday morning for your day off from work.
In the NEWS… The Computer Electronics Show revealed some amazing gadgets this year that will certainly wind up under the tree this Christmas. Lego introduced Lego Boost, programmable robotic Lego sets aimed at children 7 and up that move and respond to commands and sensors and teach coding in a uniquely Lego style. Nintendo looks for another hit in 2017 with the Super Retro Boy — a handheld gaming unit that capitalizes on Game Boy nostalgia. Polaroid reminds consumers of their instant cameras with the touchscreen Polaroid Pop digital camera and Kodak promises to release a less expensive Super 8 camera than last year’s release. But some of the biggest “retronews” this week is Shout Factory’s reboot of the ‘80s video game show Starcade. You can hear more about this on this week’s ARGcast.
Saturday Mornings Sid and Marty Krofft consistently put out Saturday morning fare for GenXers in the ‘70s and ‘80s. JediShua and shazbazzar revisit The Krofft Supershow from 1977’s Saturday Morning lineup. The Krofft Supershow included a glam rock band, Kaptain Kool and the Kongs who introduced a variety of short episodic mini-shows with music and corny jokes — perfect for TechnoRetro Dads! With teenagers fighting crime and outwitting villains on mysterious islands, on beaches, in the city, and in the wilderness, shows like Bigfoot and Wildboy, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, Wonderbug, Dr. Shrinker, and Magic Mondo, the late morning slot on Saturday morning lineups was just the thing to send kids out the door to play with their friends.
Aftershocks of 1977 Again, proving the point that 1977 was the epicenter of an earth-shaking, history-making events that have continued to impact the culture for forty years, shazbazzar and JediShua turn the page in Starlog magazine to discover the retro journalistic fervor surrounding the excitement about the first Star Trek film. As the hype surrounding George Lucas’s highly anticipated masterpiece Star Wars signaled a return of science fiction to the silver screen, Star Trek seemed like a natural fit for audiences wanting to visit outer space in movie theaters. Thirteen movies later, this article from January 1977 has continued resonating with its own aftershocks.
Capping off this week’s episode with Feedback from our EarBuds, you’re sure to enjoy a trip back in time while living in a futuristic present with tidbits our friends are sharing with us each week. Do you want to get in touch with TechnoRetro Dads? Let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes!
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Mon, 9 January 2017
Greetings, Programs!
With disco on the airwaves, Datsuns in driveways, and home video gaming consoles earning their shelf space in dens around the world, the lives we lead today and the entertainment we enjoy forty years later can be traced back to a banner year on history’s calendar. Of course, 1977 is recognizable as the year of Star Wars, but many more things we still enjoy today had their roots in a year that may well be our favorite (if we were choosing favorites, which we are not — just so you know).
In the NEWS… Star Wars earns another cool statistic in the record books with two movies in the same franchise having top ten box office earners last year with The Force Awakens grossing the tenth most money in theaters and Rogue One earning its spot just a bit behind Finding Dory in just over two weeks in theaters. One Day at a Time is being remade to stream online with a Cuban flair. And for something new: Beyond has tapped into crossover territory with a TV premiere on FreeForm before its release as binge-bait with the remaining nine episodes streaming on Hulu before airing on television.
We Love Our Cereal Some entrepreneurs in Memphis have taken the Cereal Bar idea on the road by merging a cereal cafe with a food truck. The ‘Dads think this is a great idea, and if you’re in the Memphis area, we would like to hear if you’ve seen this cereal bars on wheels in the area. Better yet, if you have tasted one of their creations, let us know what you thought about the experience!
Saturday Mornings What got kids up early on Saturday mornings back in 1977 (well, other than hugemongous bowls of sugary sweet cereal)? Saturday morning programming on television. JediShua and shazbazzar remember the days when Saturday morning fare was different from what could be seen during the week. In this episode, the ‘Dads remember The All New Superfriends as aired in 1977. The most significant addition to this version of Superfriends was the Wonder Twins who could shape shift into various animals and phases of water as they faced trouble at home and around the world.
Toys in the Attic As video arcades grew in popularity in the late ‘70s, the market was ripe for home versions of hit games in malls and shopping centers. Just a few weeks after the Fairchild Channel F became a popular Christmas gift in 1976, the less colorful and somewhat less user-friendly RCA Studio II was released. Its lifespan was quickly reduced by the powerhouse Atari VCS which emerged in fall of 1977. JediShua and shazbazzar talk a bit about arcades and a bit more about home video games in this week’s “Toys in the Attic”.
History Lesson Again, proving the point that 1977 was the epicenter of an earth-shaking, history-making events that have continued to impact the culture for forty years, shazbazzar and JediShua point to a couple of iconic premiers on television later this week forty years ago. Fantasy Island was first seen on television on Friday, January 14th and the Coneheads pointed their heads to the stars for the first time on Saturday Night Live on January 15th as alien characters began to show up on favorite television shows.
Do you want to get in touch with TechnoRetro Das? Let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 2 January 2017
As we remember 2016 and look forward to 2017, we are all reminded of the royal losses we’ve suffered over the past year. From the Goblin King himself, David Bowie, last January to Prince to our final farewell to our Princess, Carrie Fisher, we’ve all faced some harsh realities over the past twelve months. JediShua and shazbazzar are joined with long-time friends Craig Batts and Jack Crabtree to celebrate Carrie Fisher and the impact she made on a generation over the past forty years. The true heroine of Star Wars, Carrie Fisher portrayed Princess Leia with a snippy, quippy, snarkiness that endeared her to fans as anything but a damsel-in-distress. Over the years, our Princess proved her power in films, books, panels, and interviews. More than a pop icon, Carrie Fisher opened her life like a book (and in books), giving hope to hundreds, if not thousands, who struggle with hardships in life. At the age of sixty, she was taken from us. Still, her life and legend will touch generations.
We Love Our Cereal You’re going to love what General Mills has in store for you! Purchase any three specially marked Big G cereals and get a free ticket to Rogue One from General Mills. Find out more on their website.
Looking Ahead Let’s face it, 2016 wasn’t all bad. The Cubs did win the World Series, although a year later than prophesied in the ‘80s. However, for those who seem to have lost hope, we look forward to some exciting accomplishments and events sure to come in 2017. From space exploration to a solar eclipse (another prophecy from 1989), we’re picking up good vibrations in our expectations for the future in the next twelve months. Let us know what you’re looking forward to in 2017 by calling our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or sending us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
After tuning in to this week’s episode, keep your earbuds at the ready and check out Rogue One again with shazbazzar, Steve Glosson, and Scott Ryfun as they provide a running commentary on Rogue One (and a variety of other things) on the first publicly released commentary of the new Star Wars movie. You can find it at Geek Out Loud or My Star Wars Story.
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Mon, 26 December 2016
Who would have ever thought that a Monday could be restful? After the craziness that always seems to accompany Christmas, things have slowed down just a bit so shazbazzar and JediShua have a few minutes to talk about Rogue One. Well, more than just a few minutes. Get ready for Star Wars!
Rogue One We spotted many of the same things other fans of the franchise saw and heard in Rogue One our first weekend with the movie, but we were keeping a watchful eye open for Easter Eggs, connections with other aspects of Star Wars (both canonical and legends), and cool things about this movie that took us right back to 1977 when Star Wars first hit the big screens. And we would like to hear your thoughts about the latest Star Wars movie, as well. As always, you can call our voice mail line at (209) 878-7323 or send us an electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
We Love Our Cereal… …and so does our SuperFriend Steve Glosson of Geek Out Loud. Tune in as Steve gives step-by-step instructions about how to make his own “Cereal Surprise”. No kidding — his concoctions will surprise you!
Check out this week’s episode of TechnoRetro Dads as we prepare to close out 2016 and welcome 2017 with a blast from the Death Star as we steal some Beta tapes and watch FCTV videos featuring Jason, Pete, Boxy, and a few more surprises along the way.
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Thu, 22 December 2016
Greetings, Programs! ’Tis the season of Star Wars with Rogue One, and of course the ‘Dads seen it…once or twice. But shazbazzar and JediShua are itching to see the latest Star Wars story again. But the bleak reality of winter has blocked their plans by trapping them inside during a blizzard. What are ‘Dads to do? Heat up the cocoa, make some cookies and Christmas cereal treats, and crank up some tunes on the stereo, that’s what. Turn up the tunes on the turntable and get your Christmas mood amped up as we plunge into the final days before Christmas. Whether you’re at work, school, or braving the weather, your holidays will be a bit brighter with some classic holiday tunes from long ago (and some from a galaxy far, far away). With Sammy Davis, Jr., Billie Holliday, Neil Diamond, Barbara Streisand and more, the retro gets even more retro as 40, 50, and even 60 or more years of Christmas music hang in the air. So get your last minute shopping done, wrap the presents, and invite the whole family to share and enjoy this fourth version of UnScrooged from TechnoRetro Dads. Merry Christmas, EarBuds! |
Mon, 19 December 2016
Professor Hinkle blamed a malfunctioning magic hat for his failure as an entertainer, but the truth is, he was just a bad guy. Of course, we all discovered that years ago watching Frosty the Snowman (another Rankin/Bass special), but we’ve never discovered why Santa Claus would bring any presents to evil magicians. There’s just something anti-canonical about that idea in Santa lore. However, with a brand new Star Wars story in theaters, we can easily overlook this slight error in canon. Rogue One premiered this weekend, and the ‘Dads have enjoyed sharing the magic of 1977 with their families and friends — and boy, oh, boy it was AMAZING (more about that will come in later episodes)! To top it all off, shazbazzar hit double-fours yesterday with some fun greetings from fantastic friends. It’s all here for you on this last Monday morning before Christmas.
We Love Our Cereal The Monster Cereals election results are in, leaving one ‘Dad distressed as the other really rubs it in — but seriously, did the other candidates really have a chance against the unique hairstylings of the Count? Nope. And we have the numbers to prove it! PLUS: Christmas cereals of 2016 get brief reviews as Cinnamon Crunch needs to keep the Toast in the title. Both shazbazzar and JediShua bring their final holiday cereal recipes to the table with Holiday Chocolate/Peanut Butter Cereal Peanut Butter Bars and Frosty’s Flakes (this part of TechnoRetro Dads may be unsuitable for fearful listeners).
Frosty the Snowman It’s time to rediscover another Rankin/Bass classic with Frosty the Snowman. With the voice talents of Jackie Vernon, Billy De Wolfe, Jimmy Durante, and John Goodman (nope, that was Frosty Returns, of which we will not speak). While both ‘Dads remember watching this when they were kids, shazbazzar was traumatized by the melting of everyone’s favorite frozen man.
Toys in the Attic Classic boardgames deserve a look every Christmas. This week, we name just a few — Monopoly, Risk, Clue, Candy Land, Mastermind, Chinese Checkers, and more are discussed briefly in this final gift-giving Christmas Toys in the Attic.
So plug in your ear buds, EarBuds, and head out to the stores for your final week of shopping before the big man squeezes his way down your chimney this weekend.
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Mon, 12 December 2016
The Miser Brothers unite to proclaim that this definitely isn’t The Year without a Santa Claus, because Christmas is coming early with Rogue One at theaters everywhere this week, so shazbazzar and JediShua get into the groove with a few (more or less) Star Wars references. So whether you think the newest addition to that galaxy far, far away is cool or HOT, TechnoRetro Dads have something refreshing for all EarBuds on this mid-December Monday morning!
In the NEWS… Fat Kid Apparel announces their Holiday Giving event and food drive. Check their T-Shirt offerings at fatkidapparelco.com. Plus, buckle up for more excursions with Scrooge McDuck on all new episodes of Duck Tales!
The Year without a Santa Claus A few years ago, JediShua introduced shazbazzar to a Rankin/Bass classic, The Year without a Santa Claus. And, since every good deed deserves a return (or is that “no good deed goes unpunished”?), shazbazzar introduces JediShua to a 2006 live action television special remake of The Year without a Santa Claus with John Goodman, Michael McKean, and Jack’s son from LOST. It’s worth a watch, if for nothing more than to see just how strange a remake can be.
Toys in the Attic Visual entertainment in 3-D has been around for ages. One classic toy that still has a place in every toy box or shelf is the ViewMaster. With a collection of picture discs and a viewer, young and old eyes can disappear into imagination for several minutes or even hours.
Star Wars Scrapbook and Speculation With the red carpet premiere of Rogue One behind us and expectations of what we will all see later this week. The ‘Dads remember some of the “sneak peek” figures from other movies, from The Empire Strikes Back to Revenge of the Sith, The Force Awakens, and Rogue One. We talk about things we would like to see on the big screen on December 16th as well as speculate about possible surprises — including rumors about a CGI character from Star Wars: A New Hope (with a special surprise from a certain red carpet VIP from an older episode of TechnoRetro Dads).
Feedback We choose two reviews from iTunes as winners of two free copies of Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons from author Michael Witwer. Let us know about your memories of The Year without a Santa Claus, other Christmas specials, and especially Rogue One via voicemail at (209) 878-7323 or electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 5 December 2016
December is here and in full swing, but before the release of Rogue One in just ten days, shazbazzar and JediShua take time to talk about some favorite Christmas memories as well as some ideas for making this year great. And they invite all EarBuds to Tweet pics from Christmases Past (especially with Santa Claus) this week!
In the NEWS… Dan Trachtenberg turns Houdini into some sort of superhero in The Secret Life of Houdini. Star Trek Discovery gets its captain and some crewmembers. We will finally get to see Billy Dee Williams as Two-Face in a Batman movie!
A Very Brady Christmas The ‘Dads felt it would be a fitting tribute to our favorite #TechnoRetro sitcom Mom by looking back at the first Brady Bunch special (1969) as well as watching A Very Brady Christmas (1988) for the first (?) time. Florence Henderson will always be cherished in our memories and after watching an episode of The Brady Bunch, everyone is hooked on the show again!
Toys in the Attic Iconic Christmas toys persevere even decades after their inception. Play-Doh has been a fragrant favorite since… oh, before you were born. JediShua and shazbazzar talk about the appeal of Play-Doh for all ages for generations.
Don’t forget to review us on iTunes to be entered for a one of two free copies of Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons from author Michael Witwer. Let us know about your memories of The Brady Bunch or other Christmas specials via voicemail at (209) 878-7323 or electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 28 November 2016
The Christmas season has officially begun. Black Friday has passed, Cyber Monday is in full effect, and radio stations and TV channels are filled with holiday music and holiday specials. From National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation to A Charlie Brown Christmas with a plethora of movies featuring Santa Claus, elves, and reindeer, the season is in full swing for the next four weeks. And we’ll be revisiting some of our favorites as well as some newer fare, as well.
In the NEWS… Ferris Bueller gets a video game casino style. It looks like Legendary Films is planning for a long run of new Dune movies and television shows. The long-awaited sequel to The Dark Crystal is coming very soon, but in a format we weren’t expecting, but makes a lot of sense. Lost in Space gets a doctor. And, of course Star Tours is getting another upgrade this year with the release of Rogue One (by the way, did you get your tickets, yet?).
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer What could be more #TechnoRetro than some Rankin/Bass TV specials? The holidays are incomplete without watching at least one of the toe-tapping, stop-motion musical features that have graced television screens for half a century. We go back to watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer replete with violence, greed, and annoying sounds from the heroes of the movie. Follow the sadistic Hermy the self-proclaimed dentist and the glowing schnoz of Rudolph as they embark on a journey that leads them to the freakshow called the Island of Misfit Toys as the backstory to the familiar song is told by folk artist Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman.
Toys in the Attic With Christmas just around the corner, we’ll be recalling some iconic retro toys that kids have been getting under their trees for decades. This week, we look at water games like the TOMY Waterful and wonder how the electronic age will adapt to these often challenging games that predate GameBoy and other handhelds.
Review us on iTunes to be entered for a one of two free copies of Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons from author Michael Witwer. Let us know about your memories of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or other Rankin/Bass specials via voicemail at (209) 878-7323 or electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.
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Mon, 21 November 2016
With Thanksgiving approaching, we would like to say, “Thank You,” to all our EarBuds, SuperFriends, and contributors to TechnoRetro Dads. We’ve had a lot of fun releasing podcasts and hearing back from you over the years. Thank you for your support. On this Monday sandwiched between Life Day and Turkey Day, shazbazzar and JediShua are feeling somewhat musically inclined (but you’ll have to be the judge of that) as the ‘Dads talk turkey, TV, and more. Preparations are being made for family gatherings, and the Cranberries are at the top of everyone’s playlist (or, at least, they should be). Just make sure you don’t get the canned cranberry sauce, because that would be bad. Very bad.
In the NEWS… JediShua discovers a new game: Battlestar Galactica Squadrons. It looks like it may blend the original series with the remake — we’ll soon find out. And the search for Mark Hamill has succeeded — the Master has been found on Comic-ConHQ.com with a geektastic program where he visits pop culture collectors’ hoards and documents their collections on Mark Hamill’s Pop Culture Quest. The first episode has already dropped, but to watch it, you have to subscribe to the online channel.
Thanksgiving Specials Halloween specials are many. Christmas specials are legion. But Thanksgiving specials…well, they’re kind of forgettable, and there aren’t too many, anyway. Garfield’s Thanksgiving gets the ‘Dads talking about T-Day cartoon specials featuring Underdog, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Animaniacs, and a surprising comic strip adaptation: B.C.: The First Thanksgiving. That’s something we’re not sure anyone has ever seen!
Toys in the Attic The Toy Hall of Fame has recently perused their large list of 2016 nominations and has welcomed three new inductees to the Toy Hall of Fame. Dungeons & Dragons, Fisher Price Little People, and the swing have all earned their places among the iconic playthings of childhood (Who are we kidding? We still play with toys!). Some nominees who didn’t make the cut this year were Transformers, Care Bears, and bubble wrap. Listen for your chance to get a free copy of Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons from author Michael Witwer. Share and enjoy. |
Thu, 17 November 2016
Thirty-Eight years ago, television audiences were invited into the quirkier side of life in that galaxy far, far away on the Star Wars Holiday Special. Fortunate fans were welcomed into Chewbacca’s home to wait with his wife, son, and father for him to come home for Life Day, a celebration of joy and peace among Wookiees. On 17 November 1978, before most homes had VCRs to record this one-time broadcast, eager Star Wars fans tuned in for an unexpected combination of aliens, stormtroopers, comedy sketches, musical numbers, and the heroes of the movie that captured the consciousness of the world over the past eighteen months. The resultant two-hour special left some fans befuddled, some frustrated, and some gleeful just to see more adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2.
The Star Wars Holiday Special is a tribute to the late 70s, preserving the flavor of popular television shows and the gaudy glam of disco culture. Featuring well-known television stars Harvey Korman, Art Carney, and Bea Arthur, what worked well with audiences week after week on sketch comedy shows has been widely panned among viewers since then. Perhaps it brought the Star Wars galaxy just a little too close to our own. Musical guests Diahann Carroll and The Jefferson Starship lit up the imagination through sight and sound with their “in universe” performances — one of which, at least, seems entirely inappropriate for family viewing and will make you squirm in your seat.
Since first seeing it, shazbazzar and JediShua have held a special affection for the Star Wars Holiday Special, resulting in annual tributes to this memorable moment of our childhoods. This year, the TechnoRetro Dads Holiday Special remixes segments from the 2014 Holiday Special into a TechnoRetro Special Edition that shows other homes were experiencing the same anticipation and anxieties about friends and families arriving in time for Life Day as Malla, Lumpy, and Itchy experienced in their home. Hopefully, the dialogue will be easier to understand than the grunts and growls of the Wookiees on this special. Reprising their roles from the earlier version are Sheldon and Chase Norton, Mike MacDonald, Chris Hamilton, Joe Tavano, the Shualings, and musical group High Adventure. Additionally, the shazlings join in to prepare a meal with help from Steve Glosson, Scott Ryfun lends his voice to the mix, and a few more songs by High Adventure find their way into the story prepared especially for our EarBuds for this Life Day Celebration. |
Mon, 14 November 2016
SuperFriend Sheldon and his trusty sidekick ShutterSpeed chase down the elusive Cinnamon Toast Crunch donuts from Country Style in Canadia. Tune in for the hunt for delicious cereal covered pastries on today’s TechnoRetro Dads!
In the NEWS…
We Love Our Cereal
History Lesson
Feedback
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Mon, 7 November 2016
Travel through time with shazbazzar and JediShua as they celebrate thirty-five years of Time Bandits with Fidgit, Randall, Strutter, Wally, Og, and Vermin. Star Wars costumes were back in full force last week,
In the NEWS… Sequels and reboots take center stage this week on TV and at the movies as rumors persist about Sky High, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Willow, The Incredibles, Muppet Babies, Wayne’s World, Paddington, and Captain Planet. Although sequels and reboots are nothing new in any sense of the word, some of these #TechnoRetro classics are sure to tickle the fancies of many EarBuds!
Time Bandits Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin teamed up to make a “kids’” movie from a smallish perspective in 1981’s Time Bandits. Led by Randall (David Rappaport), rogue employees of The Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson from Dragonslayer [1981]) use a stolen map to travel through time in pursuit of wealth and the most fabulous thing in the world. With Fidgit (Kenny Baker), Wally (Jack Purvis), Og (Mike Edmonds), Strutter (Malcolm Dixon, and Vermin (Tiny Ross), this little gang of time-traveling bandits encounter young Kevin (Craig Warnock) in an orchestrated effort to conquer Evil (David Warner from TRON [1982]). With cameos by John Cleese, Michael Palin, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, and Katherine Helmond, and Jim Broadbent, this satiric comedy is unsurprisingly like many Monty Python offerings. JediShua and shazbazzar have long been fans of this movie and continue to sing the praises of Time Bandits, regardless of its potential to “freak out” young viewers in the early ‘80s.
Star Wars Scrapbook Trading cards have been staples of TV and movie franchises for decades. Join Steve Glosson (Geek Out Loud, Big Honkin’ Show) and shazbazzar on the streets of Rome, Georgia for the second part of their recent trading card discussion as they play “need ‘em got ‘em” with the Star Wars: Rogue One Mission Briefing trading cards. Where else can you find two grown men getting giddy over pieces of cardboard in public? Nevermind — that’s not unlike many other episodes of TechnoRetro Dads. The discussion goes well beyond simply talking about the cards, though; shazbazzar and Big Honkin’ Steve talk about the saga itself and some of the scenes depicted in these cards. For more of this discussion with Steve and shaz opening a box of TRON cards from 1982, check out episode 197 of Geek Out Loud this week. Pull out your trading cards before the Time Bandits make off with your collection before you can say, “SARK really is Evil!” And be sure to send us your feedback on Facebook, Twitter, electronic-M (podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com), or voicemail (209-878-7323). We want to hear from you! Share and Enjoy. |
Mon, 31 October 2016
Even if you’ve been tuned in to TechnoRetro Dads since the beginning, you haven’t heard a Spooktacular like this: From Charlie Brown to Orson Welles and lots of Halloweenish tunes from cartoons. And since Halloween falls on a Monday, it’s a special trick and treat from shazbazzar and JediShua to get your morning started right. With 77 minutes of truly #TechnoRetro tributes to the fun side of the spookiest night of the year, Spooktacular 2016 pumps up pumpkins, drags out Drac, freaks out Frank, and even takes a trip to Riverdale with Archie and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Whether you’re bustin’ ghosts or groovin’ with ghouls, plug in your earbuds and you’ll be ready to hand out candy or take the kids around the block for a great day and night of kooky creepiness and wacky zaniness.
Top 13 Halloween Cartoons tunes: 13. Theme from Archie’s Weird Mysteries 12. Theme from Sabrina, the Animated Series 11. “The Haunt of Room 402” 10. Theme from Groovie Goolies 9. “Frightening Frankie, Dangerous Drac, and Weirdo Wolfie” 8. “What’s in the Bag?” 7. Theme from Big Wolf on Campus 6. Theme from Ghostbusters 5. Theme from Casper the Friendly Ghost 4. “Lights Out” 3. “Monsters on Parade” 2. “You Can’t Hide from Me” 1. “Go Away and Don’t Come Back”
History Lesson Orson Welles made H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds real for thousands of listeners in 1938. With cacophonous complaints and loads of lawsuits, it looked like CBS and Mercury Theater on Air were headed for disaster and Orson Wells thought he might have ended his career. Today, the iconic radio show is an well-known example of how easily people will believe anything popular media corporations put on the air. But what would it have been like for those who heard it for the first time? Through the amazing method of time-travel taping, TechnoRetro Dads present a brief record of two listeners who were taken in by the false news reports of Martian invaders at Grovers Mill. Listen to Shawn and Zeke as they sip on sodas and hear Orson Wells’ broadcast live. This exclusive coverage can only be heard on TechnoRetro Dads. Catch it today…while you can!
Why limit yourself to one Spooktacular, when you can listen to three? Check out Spooktacular 2013 and Spooktacular 2014 at TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com.
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Direct download: TRDads_04.30_Spooktacular2016.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 5:30am EDT |
Mon, 24 October 2016
Thanks to our SuperFriends north of the border, Chris Hamilton and Mike MacDonald, we’ve all become aware of the ‘70s kids variety show The Hilarious House of Frightenstein. With various segments of sketch comedy tempered with a few doses of educational material, HHoF entertained kids through the ‘70s and ‘80s and beyond — all from material filmed within a nine-month span of time. Now, for the first time, shazbazzar and JediShua explore the corridors, crypts, kitchen, and radio station (?) of Castle Frightenstein with outbursts of gleeful surprise with this totally retro mix of kooky camp and inventive talent from Billy Van, Billy Van, Billy Van, Billy Van, Vincent Price, Billy Van, Billy Van, Fishka Rais, Billy Van, Joe Torbay, Billy Van, and more. (Did I mention Billy Van?) Cereal Connoisseur Sheldon Norton joins the ‘Dads to lend a Canadian point-of-view to the discussion.
History Lesson From the present to the past and Back to the Future, this week’s history lesson involves remarkable firsts by Einstein the shaggy dog, the people from the Green Planet, Frodo Baggins, classy Classic X-Men, and Michael Myers. PLUS: major thirds, augmented fourths, and a bit more time-traveling with Jean-Claude Van Damme. Some of these tidbits of fictional facts are bound to stir your memories about things that happened in history this week.
So strap your monster on the operating table, get your latest, greatest invention, and dust the cobwebs off your library books for guaranteed fun with the Count, Igor, Gronk, Grizelda, Dr. PetVet, and the Wolfman (who may be a previous incarnation of Dave Filoni) for a return to brown couches, green carpet, and polyester double-knit leisure suits for 77 minutes of #TechnoRetro pleasure with Doublemint gum.
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Mon, 17 October 2016
As pumpkin spicy as autumn has become, shazbazzar and JediShua still remember the reason the season is called “fall” — falling leaves! TechnoRetro Dads remember that toys not only grow on trees, they fall from them and can be used to build mountains, forts, or soften jumps from tree limbs. Plug in your ear buds, EarBuds for an audio excursion into the past with bits of nostalgia and a the possibility of bites from vampires and leave the raking to us!
In the NEWS… Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock is remastered and returning to HBO soon. James Bond and Boba Fett would be proud of a current crowdfunding project by JetPack Aviation. Take a peek at some incredible concept art from the original live action Batman series from the ‘60s. ThinkGeek presses R2-D2 into action yet again with a coffee maker. The Beatles live in a LEGO Yellow Submarine. J.C. Reifenberg pops up with “Scum & Villainy” next spring. Science Lesson New York Comic Con was the place to be for Star Wars fans’ science questions about that galaxy far, far away. Lightsaber tech (including Kylo Ren’s crossguard), hyperspace travel, and planet-obliterating suppressers are all discussed while the tougher questions about jet packs, rocket boots, and astromech communications are left up to the scientific ingenuity of our own JediShua. History Lesson Travel through time with DC’s Batman, Flash, and Watchmen. Flashback to the forties with Highlander. Flux your capacitor back a year with Back to the Future II. Get your work week started off right with 77 minutes of #TechnoRetro goodness and leave the raking to us! In the meantime, tell us your #TechnoRetro memories via electronic-M (podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com) or via voicemail at (209)TR-TRDAD. We want to hear from you!
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Mon, 10 October 2016
Southern Showcase, the Marching Band contest in Dothan was this past weekend. Schools in Arvada are ending their first quarter and parent/teacher conferences are happening this week. JediShua and shazbazzar need a bit of magic to get through the next few days and the ‘Dads figure the Earbuds could use something to give them a break, too. It’s time for another “Awesome Mix” with an October flair. Witches and magic are on the airwaves with tunes from yesterday and today in this Awesome Magic Mix.
Check out expurgated versions of these tunes and get in the mood for the season with a genuinely #TechnoRetro mix tape: Thriller (Michael Jackson)
Really Retro Season of the Witch (Donovan) The Witch’s Promise (Jethro Tull) Wicked Old Witch (John Fogerty) Black Magic Woman (Santana) Witchy Woman (Eagles) I Put a Spell on You (Nina Simone)
Truly TechnoRetro Abracadabra (Steve Miller Band) Magic (Olivia Newton John) Magic (Cars)
More Techno than Retro Magic (Selena Gomez) Rotten to the Core (Descendants) Witch Doctor (Alvin & the Chipmunks)
Magic Dance (David Bowie) Bewitched (Theme)
Just a bit of warning: be especially cautious when walking in a scary forest looking for that perfect costume for Halloween. And try to bring some music along to keep your spirits up. Don’t forget the extension cords!
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Direct download: TRDads_04.27_Awesome_Magic_Mix_Vol_5.mp3
Category:Awesome Mix -- posted at: 5:30am EDT |
Mon, 3 October 2016
October has arrived, and black is the new orange…or something like that. JediShua and shazbazzar delve into a variety of topics and get sidetracked along the way in this witchy episode of TechnoRetro Dads. With input from awesome EarBud Armando and a massive Pumpkin Spice crossover with The Big Honkin’ Show with Superfriend Steve Glosson will ensure you are entertained in this Monday afternoon release. In the NEWS… Collegians from ASU New College artistically represent what Ready Player One means to them as production on the movie continues. Jon Favreau directs Gnomes & Goblins, a virtual reality movie. The Dark Crystal gets more love from Funko as ReAction figures. We Love Our Cereal… MrBreakfast.com continues to poll cereal lovers to discover the public’s favorite cereal. In the end, we wonder whether favorites are truly favorites, or are they simply chosen because of nostalgic memories of childhood. Cinnamon Toast Crunch makes it to the top ten, but fails to secure the number one spot…so far. Family Circle The ‘Dads try to get their kids to watch the very dated 1986 made-for-tv movie, The Worst Witch. With Tim Curry, Fairuza Balk, and Mrs. Garrett, the slow pace and lackluster green screen special effects make this first onscreen adaptation of Jill Murphy’s books less-than-ideal entertainment this October. Never fear, though, The Worst Witch has had various onscreen versions since 1986 and with a new Netflix series in the works for 2017, we haven’t heard the end of Mildred Hubble. History Lesson Creepiness continues with The Evil Dead, Prometheus, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. PLUS: Take flight with Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and Airplane II: The Sequel. So strap on a witchy nose, glue on a wart, frizz your hair, adorn a pointy hat, grab your favorite flying broom, and tune in to TechnoRetro Dads. In the meantime, tell us your #TechnoRetro memories via electronic-M (podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com) or via voicemail at (209)TR-TRDAD. We want to hear from you!
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Mon, 3 October 2016
Although our regular Monday morning episode has been a bit delayed due to extenuating circumstances, Teresa Delgado from Fangirls Going Rogue, Star Wars Bookworms, Disney Vault Talk, Rebel Yell, and more fantastic podcasts joins shazbazzar and JediShua to talk about this year's Rogue One Force Friday (and whether it had a sufficient amount of Pumpkin Spice). From Hasbro toys to Funko POP figures and more, Teresa, JediShua, and shazbazzar talk about their take on the 2016 version of Force Friday and "midnight madness" experiences. What did they take home from the initial launch of Rogue One toys? Listen to find out in this hastily edited and produced special edition of TechnoRetro Dads. |
Mon, 26 September 2016
The incomparable pairing of Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski began thirty years ago today (at least, here in the States) when Mick “Crocodile” Dundee attracted the attention of roving reporter Sue Charlton, boosting Australia’s tourism dollars and sales of bowie knives skyrocketed. Ryan Stampfli joins shazbazzar and JediShua to revisit the classic 1986 Aussie film, “Crocodile” Dundee. With ABLE from TRON: Uprising wielding an antenna like a boomerang and a kangaroo shooting back at drunk drivers with amazing accuracy, this adventure comedy is as good today as it was at the box office when it became the second top-grossing movie of 1986 in the United States. Get out your duct tape and open your Swiss Army knife because MacGyver is back on the air (with the original series playing on NetFlix). Lethal Weapon and Lost in Space get reboot treatments as well. Transformers are represented on TV again as Dan Shaffer lands a spot on The Voice. Think Geek opens another brick-and-mortar store — this time in Oklahoma City. The Dark Crystal and The Golden Girls get exclusive treatments at NYCC, and the ‘Dads make plans for custom figures (think Holiday Special). Pumpkin Spice continues to dominate cereal aisles as the seasons change around the globe. Football players not only eat cereal, but get their own brands in Denver, Cincinnati, and other cities boasting NFL teams. Magically delicious eclairs keep the cereal-to-doughnut craze going strong with Lucky Charms. The man of steel and stone-carved creatures feature heavily in fictional history with Superman Returns, Man of Steel, and Gargoyles. PLUS: Phileas Fogg embarks on a world-wide tour encompassing the globe in less than three months. All this in this week's TechnoRetro Dads History Lesson. So drop off your dirty dishes at Natalie’s Platter Palace, grab your bowie knife, tip the bellboy, wash your backside, spread up a Vegemite sandwich, and tune in to TechnoRetro Dads. If you get a chance, tell us your #TechnoRetro memories in your best “Crocodile” Dundee voice via electronic-M (podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com) or via voicemail at (209)TR-TRDAD. We want to hear from you! Share and Enjoy! |
Mon, 19 September 2016
JediShua and shazbazzar put on their best pirate impressions for a bit of fun and a bite of free donuts from Krispy Kreme. After all, it’s Talk Like a Pirate Day on this autumnal Monday morning. How long can the ‘Dads keep these roguish, scoundrelous voices going? Not for 77 minutes, that’s for sure. So join TechnoRetro Dads for lots of news, cereal news, random zaniness, and . . . pirates! In the NEWS: Hulu delves into a time-traveling comedy miniseries that mashes up TRON with The Last Starfighter, featuring Josh Hutcherson. Ally Sheedy sees the other side of high school in X-Men: Apocalypse. The Crow is the next movie to get a reboot. Indiana Jones gets a fanimation tribute from a talented artist. Captain EO celebrates thirty years. Star Wars Rebels season three premiers this Saturday.
Pumpkin Spice dominates the cereal aisles as fall gets started this week. Collegians in Pennsylvania recycle their cereal boxes as wallpaper. Stephen Colbert’s monologue gets remixed by Skrillex. Canada gets the exclusive Cinnamon Toast Crunch doughnut at Country Style (and we haven’t heard from any EarBuds who have tried it, yet). PLUS: Silverhawks go great with Kellogg’s Apple Jacks for a tasty trip back in time with the Cereal Gourmet. James Bond, spaceships, and Tom Hanks dominates the week in history as we learn about fully fictional history in our sometimes future history TechnoRetro Dads History Lesson. Strap on your boots, put on your striped shirt, slap on an eyepatch, raise the blacklight flag, and head for the “Hot and Ready” fresh donuts sign at your local Krispy Kreme and talk like a pirate this morning with some free glazed donuts. And if you get a chance, send us your #TechnoRetro memories via electronic-M (podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com) or via voicemail at (209)TR-TRDAD. We want to hear from you! Share and Enjoy (your free donuts)! |
Mon, 12 September 2016
Jack Burton gears up for adventure and excitement with his friend Wang, a Mannequin, a Tibetan Monk, and Azmorigan from Star Wars Rebels in John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China. This cult classic from 1986 continues to entertain fans and first-timers in a wacky sci-fi action flick that keeps audiences guessing about what will come next. Kurt Russell channels John Wayne to create a convincing Han Solo(ish) hero for this cornball excursion into the underworld of Little China to rescue not one but two green-eyed ladies from the clutches of a two-thousand year-old demon worshiper and his minions. Joe “Joey-Wan Kenobi” Tavano from RetroZap.com and Brews & Blasters joins shazbazzar and JediShua for a rousing discussion (and distractions) of this fun-filled film. PLUS: Discover Star Trek connections with Jason Swank of Rebel Force Radio. Find out how Captain Kirk pronounces “sabotage”. Unveil the links between Big Trouble in Little China, The Golden Child, and Conan the Barbarian. In the NEWS… Feedback Travel back to the ‘80s this week with Calgon, the California Raisins, Kool Aid, Mutual Fidelity Insurance of Sacramento, Star Trek II, TRON, Zuckuss, and 4-LOM (pronounced el-oh-im). Your Monday morning will be better because you’re listening to TechnoRetro Dads. Share and Enjoy! |
Mon, 5 September 2016
Since 1971, no childhood has been complete without meeting the gentle spirit in the strange and sadistic candy man as portrayed by Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Although the 2005 remake (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) is noted for being more faithful to the Roald Dahl novel, and Johnny Depp’s performance was intriguing and enjoyable, Gene Wilder will always be the face and voice of Willy Wonka for generations. This week, we remember the Music-Maker and the Dreamer of Dreams with his “Pure Imagination”. Come with me and you'll see If you think a smile is paradise, There is no one I know If you want to view paradise, There is no life I know In the NEWS… We Love Our Cereal… SuperFriend Dave Dollar from The Deucecast… There are surprises around every corner on this week’s show with memories of innocence and the days of youth and an unhealthy dose of sugary sweetness — just what you need on Labor Day! Share and Enjoy! |
Mon, 29 August 2016
Thirty-five years ago, Andrew Wyke (Sleuth) ruled Olympus, much to the chagrin of Professor McGonagall (Harry Potter) and that Bond Girl, while Michael Kuzak (L.A. Law) battled various Ray Harryhausen creatures to save Vicky Gordon (The Adventures of Black Beauty) from Ymir (20,000 Miles from Earth). Clash of the Titans (1981) appealed to our appetite for more mythological movies while we awaited the third movie in the Star Wars saga. JediShua and shazbazzar remember and revisit this classic movie from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and talk a bit about the more recent reboot as well as the short-lived line of toys.
In the NEWS… Weird Al voices the titular character in the upcoming Disney XD series, Milo Murphy’s Law. Various rumors surround the Beastmaster reboot. Star Wars Rebels Season 2 hits stores tomorrow. The story behind the Curious George books is in development. And SuperFriend and Concept Artist Paul Bateman introduces us to the most amazing D&D map ever created!
We Love Our Cereal…and shoes Kith your hunger good-bye with a shoe full of cereal on Broadway in an upscale shoe store/cereal bar. The ‘Dads heap tablespoons of stereotypes on the Millennials who, according to a recent study, find eating cereal to be “too much work” (Inside Indiana Business).
Flashback Games TechnoRetro Flashback Play Donkey Kong, Jr. with shazbazzar and JediShua at Flashback Games Retro Arcade & Grill as you celebrate the 25th anniversary of the initial release of Super Nintendo in America.
Fully Fictional History Lesson Doc Brown and the townsfolk of Hill Valley (1885) feature heavily in this week’s History Lesson alongside Skynet and a legendary wizard’s first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Feedback New EarBud Hasan lends his thoughts about Transformers and school supplies in an electronic-M. The Ska Geek, LionsForge, RaisingFangirls, and Chef Armando tweet #TechnoRetro greatness on social media. Let us know what you’re thinking, too by sending us your messages via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com or calling us at (209) TR-TRDAD or (209) 878-7323 right away!
Don’t miss out on the myths and mythters in this limping and lisping epithode of TechnoRetro Dads. Remember the past and look forward to the future while laughing at the present in your Millennial Falcon or riding Pegasus the winged horse. Just don’t look at Medusa’s Eyes!
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Mon, 22 August 2016
Almost forty years after Disney introduced an invisible animated dragon into the small New England town of Passamaquoddy with snake oil salesmen and sloshed singing, Pete’s Dragon is rebooted with a friendly, fuzzy dragon in a lumber town in the northwest. Chris Hamilton from Star Wars KidsCast joins shazbazzar and JediShua to remember the 1977 Disney musical. But that’s not all! From Falcor to the EberSisk, the ‘Dads fly through some of the most memorable dragons on screen over the past five decades. Put on your purple wings, grab your Tic-Tac-Toe stick, and warm up your vocal chords for a time-traveling trip back in time to a memorable (whether cherished or not) movie from the minds of ‘70s kids.
In the NEWS… Ready Player One is in the news with a signature version of the book and pictures from the set of the movie in Birmingham (England, not Alabama). John Williams confirms he’s working on Star Wars Episode VIII. Clancy Brown wants to play an Egyptian Spanish peacock in the rumored reboot of Highlander. The Batman animated movie with the voices of Adam West and Burt Ward is coming this November.
We Love Our Cereal USA Gymnasts will soon appear on boxes of Kellogg’s Special K while ice cream is flavored with cereal milk, and it sounds like it will be “licking the cone good!” PLUS: a new segment is introduced as two captains team-up for a classic combination of great tastes in your bowl on your TV in the Cereal Gourmet.
Next week we will feature some feedback from EarBuds, new and old, so send us your messages via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com or voice mail to (209) TR-TRDAD or (209) 878-7323 right away!
Your day won’t be draggin’ when you remember your favorite dragons from days gone by!
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Mon, 15 August 2016
Lunchboxes, backpacks, Trapper Keepers, pencil cases, ornamental erasers, and a Little Professor calculator are but a few of the things you absolutely had to have when you went back to school after a summer of fun in the sun. Start your work…er…uh…school week off right with 77 minutes of TechnoRetro Dads as we take a trip back in time to our own school days with essential supplies from the annual “Back to School” sale.
In the NEWS… Continue your education after school with an updated version of the ‘70s classic edutational PBS program The Electric Company, now on HBO (alongside Sesame Street) with a new cast featuring schools of superheroes. Play Dungeons & Dragons online with your friends via Roll20 — a fully interactive and graphically-enhanced way of playing hundreds of classic role-playing games on the GRID (thanks for the heads-up, Sheldon). The middle school kids from Hawkins may make their way into an 8-bit video game to bridge the gap between the first and second seasons of Stranger Things (thanks, Ryan, for this bit of info). And, of course, everyone watched the Olympic Games in Rio last Thursday night to see Michael Phelps win another gold medal (while millions awaited the premiere of the latest Rogue One trailer).
We Love Our Cereal We finally review and rate Tiny Toast according to the TechnoRetro Dads Official Cereal Connoisseur Rating System and find both flavors curiously sweet (shaz thinks they taste like Monster Cereals). And speaking of Monster Cereals, in an election where you can actually vote in support of a candidate rather than against the one you feel is less qualified than the other, General Mills offers voters a real option online at MonstersVote2016.com. Plus, Darth Taxus tweets some pics of new cereals hitting stores this month.
Back to School (1986) JediShua and shazbazzar revisit Rodney Dangerfield’s Back to School (PG-13) featuring Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, Ned Beatty, Keith Gordon, M. Emmet Walsh, Sam Kinison, Robert Picardo, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., and Robert Downey, Jr. A wealthy clothing entrepreneur decides to venture into the realm of academia as he enrolls in college with his son (that guy from Christine) and a young Tony Stark. The laughs still resonate, but the color is certainly “off” in the vintage ‘80s style.
Celebrate the beginning of the school year with TechnoRetro Dads this Monday morning!
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Mon, 8 August 2016
“We got Decepticons at the gates! Decepticons in the air! Decepticons inside the walls! Decepticons, Decepticons, Decepticons! If we beat them off the walls, they’re still in the air. If we shoot them out of the air, they’re still at the gates! So where does that leave us? Nowhere, that’s where!” (Blurr) After two seasons on television, in the midst of a wildly successful line of toys in stores, Hasbro and Marvel do the unthinkable — they kill off several Transformers in Transformers: The Movie. Even the leaders of the Autobots and Decepticons aren’t spared from landing in the junkyard. The death of Optimus Prime is the stuff of geek legend, and JediShua was there to experience it all! On the thirtieth anniversary of the release of Transformers: The Movie, Steve Glosson travels through time and space from the GOLiverse to join TechnoRetro Dads to rewatch, relive, and… Wait a second! Not everyone saw Transformers: The Movie in 1986? Tune in as TechnoRetro Dads meets Geek Out Loud for discussion of the cartoon, the movie, and the toys that transformed metallic vehicles into one of the most popular franchises from the ‘80s onward.
In the NEWS… Harry Potter has a Cursed Child in a new book, Oregon Trail leaps from the digital realm to a tabletop near you, and Halloween decorations hit stores. PLUS: shazbazzar and JediShua get ducky with Richard and Sarah on Skywalking through Neverland as they remember thirty years of Howard the Duck.
With jokes, music, vocalized sound effects, and more, your Monday will be fun today with 86 minutes of nostalgic memories of 1986. Share and Enjoy! |
Mon, 1 August 2016
When there’s something strange in the neighborhood, which Ghostbusters are you gonna call? The latest version of Ghostbusters landed in theaters with controversy stirring up sufficient public intrigue and curiosity among moviegoers. While the reviews of this movie are mixed for multiple reasons, shazbazzar and JediShua talk about the various incarnations of ghost-busting movies and TV shows from the past forty years (and maybe more, if you count Mickey, Goofy, and Donald) as they take on traffic and revisit the “remakes and reboots” discussion again. Is the “original” Ghostbusters really original or was it a tribute to The Ghost Busters TV show from the ‘70s? Which 1986 cartoon series really was the “real” Ghostbusters? Do you like brownies and refried beans? The ‘Dads try to make sense of it all as the third week of Ghostbusters has slowed online accusations from all sides of fandom to a trickle. In the NEWS… Flashback Games TechnoRetro Flashback So plug in your earbuds, EarBuds, and join in the conversation about Ghostbusters and more on this week’s TechnoRetro Dads. Share and Enjoy!
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Mon, 25 July 2016
Greetings, Programs! Jet-setting JediShua landed in Atlanta last week for a conference that concluded with a couple days of games, comics, rollercoasters, and reptiles with shazbazzar and shazzyLuke. Ride along in shazbazzar’s Mazda 3PO for a rare road trip that reeks of nostalgia as the ‘Dads roam around North Georgia meeting friends old and new. The first stop on this road trip was in Loganville for a few hours of truly TechnoRetro arcade gaming at Flashback Games Retro Arcade. With something for everyone, from cabinets to consoles and more, this arcade truly takes you back to the best days of ‘80s arcades with classics like Space Invaders, Missile Command, Donkey Kong, and Ms. Pac-Man. Consoles and games covering decades of home entertainment are available, as well. And of course, Star Wars, TRON, and Joust are all there and set to “free play” for hours of enjoyment. But the fun doesn’t stop there! The next road trip stop took the ‘Dads to Six Flags over Georgia for some rides, games, and SuperHero capes as JediShua sees the Superman ride close up and wanders into a Monster Mansion. Then the trio take a trip to Titan Comics and Games in Smyrna for some comics and collectibles that bring back the joys of their childhood with memories of ‘80s comic shops before meeting up with SuperFriend Steve Glosson for pizza and another few hours at Flashback Games. Topped off with a tour of Repticon in Lawrenceville (“Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?”), shazzyLuke schooled the old guys on the world off reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, and sugar gliders. The sound quality is lacking, but the fun never ends in this whirlwind tour of Atlanta for high speed action and arcade games in this Hub of the South (and shazzyLuke caught loads of Pokemon, too). Come along for the ride on this road trip that will not be soon forgotten. Share and Enjoy! |
Mon, 18 July 2016
Greetings Programs! Part of being a kid in the ‘70s and ‘80s was imagining ourselves as Super Heroes from comic books or cartoons. We tied blankets and towels around our necks, wore our underwear on the outside of our pajamas, proudly displayed our Underoos undershirts on our sunken chests, and even donned masks as we jumped out of swings, exhibited superspeed by running in slow motion, and performed many other mighty acts worthy of these classic characters. This week, shazbazzar and JediShua mix Spider-Man with Batman, the Hulk with the Flash, Captain America with Shazam, and Magneto with Titanium Man. Yes, it’s unlikely, but with some cool tunes that match these cool toons, even Rocket Raccoon soon will swoon. (No, I didn’t use a rhyming dictionary for that — I’m just that good.) Mondays can be super when you’re joining your EarBuds for pop-culture songs about familiar and obscure Super Heroes and Villains punctuated by a few actual show themes. If you’re looking for the original versions of the songs on this Awesome Mix from TechnoRetro Dads, here’s a list of the song titles and artists heard here: “Spider-Man” Ramones (1995) “Web-Slinger/Hope Bringer” Kirby Krackle (2012) “The Ballad of Barry Allen” Jim’s Big Ego (2003) “Nobody Loves the Hulk” The Traits (1969) “Ring Capacity” Kirby Krackle (2010) “Catch Me Now I’m Falling” The Kinks (1979) “Lifespan (Rocket’s Song)” High Adventure (2015) “Iron Man” Black Sabbath (1970) “Batdance” Prince (1989) “Brainiac’s Daughter” The Dukes of Stratosphear (1987) “Sipping” from Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog (2008) “Magneto and Titanium Man” Paul McCartney and Wings (1975)
Don’t be stingy; share and enjoy.
Direct download: TRDads_04.15_Awesome_Hero_Mix_Vol4.mp3
Category:Awesome Mix -- posted at: 5:00am EDT |
Mon, 11 July 2016
Greetings, Programs! Forty-five years ago today, JediShua took his first breath into a larger world. Celebrate with TechnoRetro Dads on 7/11 as the older ‘Dad spins another year on the turntable of life on this JediShua Day! SuperFriend Aaron Goins, cohost of Star Scavengers: A LEGO Star Wars Podcast, joins shazbazzar and JediShua for a peek into the latest LEGO Star Wars creation, The Freemaker Adventures. Then the conversation moves upstairs to the attic in hopes of retrieving some LEGO bricks and reliving our own LEGO adventures of the past with our earliest memories of the building blocks from Billund as well as our ongoing fascination with the ever-popular creative toys. From gas stations to tump trucks to space men minifigs and, of course, Star Wars sets, these three ‘Dads revel in the days of multi-colored, interlocking plastic bricks and the promising possibilities they represent. HISTORY LESSON BIRTHDAY SURPRISES Share and Enjoy! |
Mon, 4 July 2016
Greetings, Programs! Two Hundred Forty years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation. Three days ago, Canadian 'Dads overran our feed with a Canada Day special. Today, we invite you to round out the National Day celebrations with 76 minutes (Get it? 1776 instead of 1977? I knew you would.) of Independence Day, Fireworks, and the Fourth of July. In the NEWS:Hannah John-Kamen is cast in Ready Player One as an unknown character, listed on IMDB as F'nale Zandor. JediShua and shazbazzar consider the possible implications of a name like "finale's ender" on the identity of the character this young actress will portray. Archaia is set to publish a new Labyrinth book this September, focusing on some of the characters from the thirty year-old Jim Henson feature. Rogue One brings The Clone Wars back in focus with Saw Gerrara, a revolutionary leader from Onderon from season five. Maybe Hondo Ohnaka can supply him with weapons once again... FAMILY CIRCLETwenty years ago, aliens invaded our planet, devastating population centers in hopes of eradicating us from existence. With the help of Bill Pullman, Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and Cousin Eddie, we were able to fight back and defeat the city-destroyers with a well-placed virus in their mother ship. This week, shazbazzar and JediShua share Independence Day with their kids in celebration of The War of 1996 and in anticipation of watching Independence Day Resurgence later in the day. The story, effects, and characters are not diminished by the years that have transpired -- the next generation is as impressed with the movie as we were twenty years ago. TOYS IN THE ATTICSparkling, spinning, and explosive fun is always a part of July 4th, and shazbazzar and JediShua reminisce about fireworks shows they watched when they were young as well as revisit the various kinds of burning, smoking, and flaring fireworks they would set off on their own. Finishing off this patriotic episode with JOKES, a HISTORY LESSON, and some School House Rock tunes, TechnoRetro Dads hope you will have a fun, fulfilling time with family and friends on this Fourth of July. |
Fri, 1 July 2016
Greetings, Programs! In commemoration of the foundation of the country, TechnoRetro Dads celebrates with this special episode from Canadia, by Canadians, for Americans…and anyone else who wants to tune in. For Canada Day, Chris Hamilton and Mike MacDonald invade from the Great White North to confiscate the mics from shazbazzar and JediShua and create a Strange Brew of CanadianRetro memories that even Yanks can appreciate (however, shazbazzar does not appreciate the insinuation that he is a “Yankee”). From Rick Moranis to Bryan Adams to John Candy to Rick Moranis (again), Chris and Mike complete the circle with some expected favorites and some surprises (What?! I never knew that _______________ was from Canada! How did they let him cross the border?) Since most of North America is celebrating holidays anyway, why not bookend this weekend by celebrating our nations’ foundations? So grab a hockey stick, pull out the Burger King Empire Strikes Back tumblers, put your feet up, and enjoy the polite tones of Canada. After all, you have all weekend to wait for another regular episode of TechnoRetro Dads. Share and Enjoy!
Direct download: TRDads_Canadiana_Extravaganza.mp3
Category:National Holiday -- posted at: 6:00am EDT |
Mon, 27 June 2016
Greetings, Programs! They’re big, scaly, and breathe fire. They growl, slumber, and lumber about on the ground. Some can fly. Some can talk. They hoard treasure. They live in caves, caverns, and dungeons. They’re multicolored ducks on your Atari. You guessed it. They’re DRAGONS. And if they live in your neighborhood, you probably want a Dragonslayer. Thirty-five years ago, Disney and Paramount teamed-up to create an imaginative tale of swords and sorcery with damsels in distress in a muddy medieval realm with the most impressive dragon ever seen on screen. With Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clark, Ralph Richardson, and Ian McDiarmid, Dragonslayer introduced new faces to the screen and included some of our favorites. JediShua and shazbazzar invite their families to watch this nearly-forgotten classic as well as remember their introduction to Dragonslayer in the FAMILY CIRCLE. After two long months, the ‘Dads finally mix their “Draggin’ Milk” with Kellogg’s Apple Jacks and review the EarBuds’ responses to the latest CEREAL CHALLENGE. Discover the origins of the name change from “Apple-Os” to “Apple Jacks” as well as the story behind the two kids which graced the front of the cereal box for decades. In the NEWS, George Lucas is named Executive Producer of another Indy movie. No, not an independent film — Indiana Jones! Buck Rogers gets the Blu-Ray treatment. The Dark Crystal action figures finally get produced over thirty years after the movie’s release. JediShua and shazbazzar listen to your FEEDBACK about magicians, comic conventions, TRON, and Raiders of the Lost Ark toys. Be sure to check out JediShua’s own dad’s Dragonslayer artwork on Facebook and Twitter, hear more of Wooden Robot’s hard-rockin’ ‘80s stylings with Dragonslayer on BandCamp.com, and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes for your chance to win a signed copy of Ernie Cline’s Armada and voice your opinions about General Mills Tiny Toast in our online survey. As always, you can be a part of TechnoRetro Dads by leaving a message at (209)TR-TRDAD or with an MP3 sent via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Share and Enjoy! |
Mon, 20 June 2016
Greetings, Programs! Rusty, dusty, dirty and fun-in-the-sun, the swingsets of our childhood backyards were the great play places of youth. Swings made of wood, plastic, and rubber could make us queazy or launch us into the sky. Slides were for running up or sliding down trucks and X-Wings. Teeter-totters and glide swings filled the the gap. But eventually, every swingset became an object to be climbed. We all have our memories of summers gone by, and for many of us, those summers included the backyard swingset. Inside our houses, we were setting up our Star Wars toys for display on bookshelves, serving trays, dressers, and closets. While Boba Fett was loading Captain Solo in the cargo hold at shazbazzar’s house, TIE Fighters and X-Wings battled above JediShua’s bed with colored yarn. And Cris Macht beats it all with several curio cabinets in the loft and the basement. Speaking of Cris Macht, his newest project is currently on Kickstarter. The Real Fans of the Saga is a serial style reality show about four fans of Star Wars and their families. You have only two days to help fund this series following Alphie, Beau, Cris, and Sean from Celebration Anaheim to The Force Awakens and beyond. PLUS: All of Cris Macht’s documentaries will soon be available to stream through Amazon.com. In the NEWS: John Williams is scoring some of our most anticipated movies while ALF and the Jetsons mourn their losses this week. Be sure to review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes for your chance to win a signed copy of Ernie Cline’s Armada and voice your opinions about Apple Jacks in our online survey. As always, you can be a part of TechnoRetro Dads by leaving a message at (209)TR-TRDAD or with an MP3 sent via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Share and Enjoy! |
Mon, 13 June 2016
Greetings, Programs! Archaeologist — A person who searches for Lost Arks, Noah’s Ark, and ark-i-texture while craving adventure and excitement. When Raiders of the Lost Ark premiered thirty-five years ago, audiences were reintroduced to the kind of swashbuckling adventure stories that had inspired George Lucas and Steven Spielberg as children. In his alter-ego dressed in tweed, this unassuming college professor masked the heroic adventurer who traveled far and wide in search of artifacts to bring home to the museum. Since 1981, Indiana Jones has been a household name in homes across the United States and around the world. With a fifth movie in the works (starring Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones), the magic of the franchise hasn’t diminished at all, even though many decried Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. JediShua and shazbazzar are joined by SuperFriend Jorbex to take a look back at Raiders of the Lost Ark with behind-the-scenes interviews from 1981 as well as some well-known and not-so-well-known trivia. In the FAMILY CIRCLE, the ‘Dads show their kids Raiders of the Lost Ark, some for the first time — others for another glimpse into the edge-of-your-seat excitement that doesn’t get old even thirty-five years later. The results: no one doesn’t like Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s a hit with every generation. JediShua digs into his collection of Indiana Jones artifacts in TOYS IN THE ATTIC, with new and old figures and toys, with stories about how he and his brother used to reenact the movie and imagine more adventures from the fantastic archaeologist. Kids in the ‘80s embraced the 1930s action hero with leather jackets, bullwhips, and fedoras as they journeyed to a place where fact meets fiction with Indiana Jones. In the NEWS: More Ready Player One cast announcements, a documentary about the Mississippi-based Raiders fan-made tribute, Star Wars fan films, Doc Savage, and the PowerGlove Ultra. Be sure to review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes for your chance to win a signed copy of Ernie Cline’s Armada and voice your opinions about Apple Jacks in our online survey. As always, you can be a part of TechnoRetro Dads by leaving a message at (209)TR-TRDAD or with an MP3 sent via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Join TechnoRetro Dads for a bonus-length fantastic adventure in the name of fortune and glory beginning with The Ballad of Indiana Jones by High Adventure that is limited only by your imagination. Share and Enjoy! |
Mon, 6 June 2016
Greetings, Programs! Remember when rock stars recorded that actually told the plot of the movies? From 1980’s Flash Gordon to the glut of mid-eighties “on-the-nose” theme songs for Back to the Future, Barry Gordy’s The Last Dragon, Footloose, and more, some of the biggest names in music lent their sound to describing themes and plots of movies in unforgettable lyrics. Sometimes, we were even left wondering if songs like “Ghostbusters” actually existed in the fictional world on the silver screens (it could have been a jingle for their commercial, after all). JediShua and shazbazzar welcome back SuperFriend Michael Witwer to explore some of the most glaring examples of plot-literal theme songs as performed by bands like Huey Lewis and the News, Queen, Cheap Trick, and Survivor. Why don’t we still hear these today? In the FAMILY CIRCLE, the ‘Dads take their kids to Space Camp, where an all-star cast of ‘80s regulars took a rather unlikely voyage to the stars. With Kate Capshaw, Lea Thompson, Tom Skerritt, Larry B. Scott, and a breakout performance by a very young Joachin Leaf Phoenix, Space Camp celebrates its 30th anniversary in a very campy ‘80s way — complete with loads of Star Wars references. With NEWS about a live-action adaptation of a series of graphic novels and a Red Nose Day Holiday Special with The Walking Dead, your earbuds will blast you with memories of the past and hopes for the future in this extended edition of TechnoRetro Dads. Be sure to review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and chime in with your thoughts about Apple Jacks. As always, you can be a part of TechnoRetro Dads by leaving a message at (209)TR-TRDAD or with an MP3 sent via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Share and Enjoy! |
Mon, 30 May 2016
Greetings, Programs! It’s a three-day weekend for most folks in the USA as the country unites to honor those who sacrificed all for the cause of liberty and self-government, so shazbazzar and JediShua celebrate the occasion with Goose, Maverick, Iceman, and Merlin as these fighter aces take to the skies in Top Gun. With Tom Cruise enjoying his early prime, Meg Ryan, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, and Anthony Edwards lead this all-star cast for the most profitable movie of 1986, and shazbazzar believes he knows why it was so popular with both men and women. What do you think? Is Top Gun an action movie or a chick flick? Let us know! The flying continues as the ‘Dads open the Star Wars Scrapbook to remember starships and flying toys from their childhood and today. From X-Wings to TIE Fighters to Folded Flyers, the pilots in that galaxy far, far away had the machines to satisfy anyone’s need for speed. But there is more… lots more! Angry Birds can be a fun distraction for the day, on your phone, tablet, or in the theater. Just make sure you prepare yourself for the experience. Keanu Reeves is attacked in 1897 before playing Wembley stadium with his band Wyld Stallyns in 2001 — on the same day that RoboCop was born. And if those things don’t seem to fit together, you have a pretty good picture of what’s going on in our minds this week on TechnoRetro Dads. In the NEWS, Ernie Cline and Steven Spielberg call for talented artists to submit their 3D avatar designs for Ready Player One. Star Wars Celebration Tickets are scooped up by anxious fans — and a few lucky fans score some highly desirable VIP tickets (let’s hope that no one decides to scalp them). The equally addictive, entertaining, and frustrating game TETRIS may soon find its way into movie theaters. And the sounds of Kmart can now be found online thanks to the thoughtful preservation of a former employee. Be sure to review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and chime in with your thoughts about Apple Jacks. As always, you can be a part of TechnoRetro Dads by leaving a message at (209)TR-TRDAD or with an MP3 sent via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com. Share and Enjoy! |
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