Enjoy Stuff: A TechnoRetro Podcast

While shazbazzar and JediShua aren’t in middle school themselves (neither are their kids), they still enjoy traipsing through the huge corridors eating Karmelkorn and drinking Orange Julius while listening to muzak echoing through the vaulted ceilings.  Add a 35 year-old fantasy movie to the mix and you’ve got a never-ending story that only lasts 77 minutes (which, by the way, is only 25 minutes shorter than The NeverEnding Story from 1984).

 

In the NEWS…

Rutger Hauer, star of great ‘80s films like Blade Runner, The Hitcher, Blind Fury, and Ladyhawke, left this life at 75 (in 2019, the same year that the replicant Roy Batty was terminated).

 

On the ESCALATOR…

You’ll think the trip to the second story of the mall is never-ending with the mall gags and Dad jokes that creep up in unexpected corners their minds.

 

At the FOOD COURT… 

JediShua and shazbazzar pause to talk about some of the cool things from San Diego Comic Con.  Marvel movies may be the next never-ending story as there seems to be no end in sight.  Plus: The Dark Crystal and toys from The Black Hole. 

 

In the CORRIDORS…

Memories of memorable malls of EarBuds and SuperFriends dominate the discussion as shazbazzar and JediShua look at the stores and arcades that used to populate the never-ending list of malls that grew in popularity during the heyday of ‘80s consumerism.

 

At the MOVIE THEATER… 

The NeverEnding Story is playing on the big screen 35 years ago, and the ‘Dads recall and rewatch this inspirational film based on the book by Michael Ende (who didn’t love the movie adaptation).

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com.  Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, get TechnoRetro merchandise at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord 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 your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Direct download: TRDads_07.17.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Flashback with shazbazzar and JediShua to moon-moments from 2013, 2014, and 2017 as the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission weekend celebrations come to a close.  Many EarBuds will remember our Moonbase Alpha discussion with SuperFriend Paul Bateman about the short-lived TV series Space 1999, but fewer will remember the brief mentions of the moon in some older clips from NEWS and HISTORY LESSON segments from seasons one and two.  PLUS: JediShua and SuperFriend Tony Soehner tell about their experiences at Galaxy’s Edge.

 

Moon Moments

Scouring the archives of TechnoRetro Dads for tidbits of moon news and history from seasons past resulted in some strange-sounding stories we had forgotten about — and even a couple of references to the Red Julius kiosk at the Mars Mall (maybe a few EarBuds will remember that reference).  From staking claims on the moon to naming moon craters after your sweetheart, in retrospect, we may have discovered how some moon-based locations got their strange names: Mare Fecunditatis, Mount Marilyn, and Crater Joliot-Curie.

 

Moonbase Alpha: Space 1999

In this remastered flashback, Concept Artist, Art Director, and SuperFriend Paul Bateman joins shazbazzar and JediShua on Moonbase Alpha to talk 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 in the spirit of 2001: A Space Odyssey to a choppy second season resembling an homage to Star Trek, Space: 1999 is nevertheless an iconic must-see with its curious creatures, magnificent Moonbase Alpha, and classic crafts, the Eagles

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com.  Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, get TechnoRetro merchandise at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord 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 your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Direct download: TRDads_07.16.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Huntsville, Alabama will celebrate the anniversary of putting the first men on the moon this Saturday — probably Houston and Cape Kennedy will too — but TechnoRetro Dads kick off the half-century celebration Monday morning with 77 minutes of lunacy as the 15th episode of the 7th season airs on the 15th day of the 7th month.  The zaniness all started when JediShua’s doorbell rang as he was expecting a birthday present to arrive…

 

Science Lesson: Apollo 11

On 16 July 1969, a Saturn V rocket launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida at 9:32 AM, beginning the Apollo 11 mission to the moon.  Four days later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin successfully landed on the moon, putting an end to the “space race” between the United States of America and the Soviet Union.  The world celebrated the landing confirmed by the immortalized words, “The Eagle has landed,” only to be surpassed by Neil Armstrong’s statement as he placed his footprint on the moon’s surface, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”  Although some still debate whether the moon landing was genuine or an elaborate hoax, the excitement of those watching and listening on July 20, 1969 briefly united the world as mankind reached their greatest height to date.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade: Lunar Lander

Ten years after the first manned mission to the surface of the moon, Atari capitalized on the public’s continuing interest in the moon and space with the vector-graphic arcade game Lunar Lander.  The original 1979 game was made of simple graphics constructed of white lines on a black background as players tried to land their lunar module on small, level sites on the surface of the moon before running out of fuel or crashing.  Points are earned for each successful moon landing until the player’s supply of fuel or “lunar landers” are exhausted.

 

Saturday Mornings: Moon-Adjacent Cartoons 

In the ‘70s and ‘80s (even the ‘90s), lots of spacetastic cartoons (not necessarily moon-oriented).  JediShua, shazbazzar, and Jovial Jay talk about Bravestarr, GoBots, Gilligan’s Planet, Space Cats, and Yogi’s Space Race.  A live-action show called Far Out Space Nuts gets an honorable mention because of its relationship to Gilligan’s Planet (Bob Denver). 

 

Let’s Go to the Moonvies: Apollo 13

Ron Howard’s film based on the third mission to put men on the moon is an amazing combination of historical facts and Hollywood effects that continues to stir the emotions of audiences today.  The 1995 film is mostly faithful to the events that transpired before, during, and after the “successful failure” of the Apollo 13 mission of 1970 that prevented Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) from completing their mission and landing on the moon.  SPOILER ALERT: Even though they didn’t land on the moon, these astronauts successfully returned to Earth after circling the moon. 

Also noted are other “moon landing” movies like First Man, The Right Stuff, and Airplane II: The Sequel. 

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  While you’re waiting for a brand-new episode, why not read (or lazy read) Michael Witwer's Empire of Imagination?  But don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, get TechnoRetro merch at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord 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 your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

 

Share and enjoy.

Direct download: TRDads_07.15.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Whether you’re returning from summer camp in hopes of a glorious reunion with your friends, coming home after a vacation at the beach, or just happy to be “Together Again” with your EarBuds after a week of fun and fireworks, shazbazzar and JediShua are serving up seventy-seven minutes of GenX news and discussion and large bowls of tasty cereal for your tum-tums on this Monday morning!

 

In the NEWS…

  • Goodbye, Willie.  Max Wright from ALF succumbs to cancer at age 75.
  • Hello, Hamill.  Cast and characters of the upcoming Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance are revealed.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and the Roving Spoonster, Shane in GR does, too!

  • Keto friendly cereals that will dent your wallet.
  • MELK Diner & Cereal Bar closes its doors.
  • Fire at the Battle Creek Kellogg’s facility.  What does burning cereal smell like?

 

Let’s Go to the Movies: The Muppets Take Manhattan

The summer of ’84 continues with cinematic hits like The Last Starfighter and The Muppets Take Manhattan.  But 1979 isn’t without a notable movie from this week — The Frisco Kid may have been the last movie starring Harrison Ford that doesn’t focus on the Han Solo/Indiana Jones icon in its trailer.

 

TechnoRetro Arcade: The Last Starfighter

JediShua asks which video games would make suitable trainers/testers for potential candidates to save the galaxy in an epic space battle as seen in The Last Starfighter. 

 

Science Lesson

Loads of cool, geeky stuff is going on in our world these days:

  • NASA makes their entire media library publicly accessible and copyright free.
  • NASA introduces Dragonfly, the quadcopter concept for a mission to Titan.
  • LightSail 2 has begun its mission.

 

Feedback

Swamp Angel sends in a message for JediShua.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com.  Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, get TechnoRetro merchandise at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord 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 your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Direct download: TRDads_07.14.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Whether you’re celebrating Canada Day today or hurriedly getting work done in hopes of a four-day weekend beginning on the 4th of July, you’ve gotta make time for shazbazzar and JediShua before getting to work as the second half of 2019 begins.  The TechnoRetro Dads have a summer-packed show to kick of the month of July with Bernie, Beach Boys, and big boomers!

 

In the NEWS…

  • The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance will have an accompanying comic book series to delve more deeply into the many characters from the Netflix series.
  • Don’t forget that Stranger Things 3 is coming to Netflix this Thursday.  Find out how Hawkins, Indiana deals with another attack from another dimension.
  • Tickets to Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2020 went on sale…and were quickly sold out.

 

We Love Our Cereal…

…and the Roving Spoonster, Shane in GR does, too!

  • Two new Cap’n Crunch flavors for your bowl!
  • The UK may have lost major holdings in North America, but they get the last laugh by getting white chocolate Coco Pops while the former colonies fill their bowls with empty wishes.
  • Evidence of the TechnoRetro Dads’ time-traveling tours is discovered by Austrian archaeologists who dug up three thousand year-old Cheerios (not Oreos, shaz).

 

Vinyl Scratchback: The Beach Boys

Summer time is a funner time with music blaring from your boombox at the beach — as long as it’s beach music.  And what could be more summer-centric than the tones of The Beach Boys?  From wave-riding songs like “Surfin’ Safari” and “Surfin’ USA” to cruising songs like “Fun, Fun, Fun” and “I Get Around”, The Beach Boys have been an integral part of summer.  But boys will be boys, and therefore had to include songs about the girls like “California Girls” and the wistful “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”.  Rounding out the mix is their huge summer hit in the ‘80s called “Kokomo” (which, evidently, isn’t about white chocolate Coco Puffs).

 

Let’s Go To the Movies: Weekend at Bernie’s

Richard and Larry discover a discrepancy in their company’s financial records that reveals more than a clerical error.  To reward them for their diligence and vigilance in their work, their boss Bernie invites them to his beach house for the weekend — and plans to have them silenced…forever.  But when Bernie gets on the wrong side of his nefarious partner-in-crime, the hitman is given a different target and the two young employees spend a wild weekend trying to conceal the fact that their boss is dead so that they can enjoy a well-earned weekend on the beach. 

 

Fireworks!

Pack black powder into a paper cylinder, set it aflame, and watch it smoke, skip, snake, skyrocket, or simply go “BOOM!”  The first week of July is a great time for blowing things up at home, the beach, or dirt roads on the way back from another state with less-stringent laws regulating fireworks.  The ‘Dads and several EarBuds recall their experiences with sparklers, firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles, and more as we celebrate national holidays this week.

 

Feedback: New Coke and the Cola Wars

New Coke turned Jeremy into a Pepsi drinker.  Norman speaks of the Cola Wars in coded speech.  Myles can’t find New Coke in Canada and needs help.

 

Thanks for tuning in to TechnoRetro Dads, EarBuds!  Go online for more TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RetroZap.com, or TechnoRetroDads.libsyn.com.  Pick up your TechnoRetro Dads merchandise at TeePublic.  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, get TechnoRetro merchandise at TeePublic, and join discussions on Discord 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 your mp3dback via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.

Direct download: TRDads_07.13.mp3
Category:TechnoRetro Dads -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

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