Enjoy Stuff: A TechnoRetro Podcast

Don't watch it, play it! In the late 1970s, Atari ushered in the gaming era! But throughout their history, the company had more turbulence than a game of Combat. This week we revisit their history and which games were the most influential on us. Live Pong and prosper!

 

What do Atari and Chuck E Cheese have to do with each other? What was the first standup Atari game, and why did it look like it belonged in The Sleeper house? These questions and more are answered as we look at the history of Atari. 

 

News

Stranger Things season 4 is coming, but we will see an end to the series after season 5

Berkeley Breathed’s Bloom County comic strip will be coming to Fox for an animated series

Make sure to check out Shua on the Saturday Matinee Podcast this week



What we’re Enjoying

Jay revisited a 1955 Spencer Tracy mystery movie called Bad Day at Black Rock. This intriguing tale of a one-armed stranger appearing in a small town with a secret is sure to give you a retro story to talk about. Shua has been trying to view all the best picture Oscar nominees before the broadcast of the awards on March 27. 

 

Enjoy Games!

In 1971, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney adapted a computer game called Spacewar, created in 1962 by Steve Russell. The new game, called Computer Space, may not have been the gigantic success that the men had hoped for, but it laid the groundwork for their new business, dubbed Atari. 

 

Computer Space led to Pong, which found it’s way across the country with eight to ten thousand machines sprinkled throughout bars and restaurants. 

 

Bushnell then took over the country and used their success to grow the company quickly (yet, with questionable business practices). One of his successes was the home console, which started appearing on shelves in the late 70s. 

 

Plus, Bushnell expanded his business ideas by purchasing Pizza Time Theater and began putting his arcade cabinets in Chuck E Cheeses across the country. It was a crazy idea that worked for quite a while.

 

Bushnell, now just Chairman of the Board after selling Atari to Warner Communications for $28 million, hired an interesting (and not very well liked) character named Steve Jobs. Jobs had some innovative ideas, but had some of them developed by his friend Steve Wozniak in some pretty underhanded scenarios. 

 

By the 1980s Atari had become the fastest-growing company in the history of our country. But the writing was on the wall; the video game industry, and especially Atari, was getting ready for a crash. In 1983, shortly after their disastrous release of the failed ET video game, Atari was posting huge losses and other companies quickly filled the void in the market. 

 

Jay and Shua have some good memories of Atari games though, both at home and in arcades. And collectors still try to acquire a wide variety of their creations. Despite their shortcomings, Atari helped to create classics and inspire future generations in programming, designing, artwork, technology, and more!



Did you have an Atari? What were some games that stood out to you? Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to podcast@enjoystuff.com

Direct download: Enjoy_Stuff_1-41.mp3
Category:Enjoy Stuff -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

It's Twosday! And to celebrate, Jay and Shua are taking a look at sequels. Not just movies, but TV, video games, music and more! Come have fun with us and Enjoy Stuff 2: Electric Boogaloo!

 

Today is February 22, 2022. Why is that important you ask? Well, if you are a numerophile then you might be really interested in the date 2-22-22. Especially at 2:22:22. For us, it means today is all about the number two! Specifically, sequels. Join us as we look into the the history and thought process behind making a continuation of a story.

 

News

A Futurama revival has been ordered for Hulu

RIP Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman

Are you ready for a new Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers movie? It’s coming to Disney+

Soon we will get to see how Ralphie raised his kids in a Christmas Story sequel

John Cena will be co-starring with the legendary stunt performer, Wile E. Coyote in Coyote vs Acme



What we’re Enjoying

Shua Received a very special retro gift from his lovely wife for Valentine’s Day. Two peanuts collections in paperback form from the 60s helped to spark tons of childhood memories. She used to read them endlessly and his drawing career began when he would copy the pictures from Books. Jay started a new series on Amazon Prime. Reacher tells the story of a muscular Stranger who wanders into town and gets accused of murder. Trust us, it’s better than we are making it sound.

 

Enjoy Movies! (and TV, Games, Music, and more!)

Sequels have been around almost as long as movies. But when did they start adding numbers to a title to indicate that it was a continuation of the plot? We found the first evidence of a Roman numeral in a title back in 1957 with a movie from England called Quatermass II. Roman numerals became really popular after 1974’s The Godfather part II. We got a plethora of sequels with those parallel little numbering systems with Superman II, Star Trek two, Rambo II, and of course the iconic weekend at Bernie’s II. They don’t all have Roman numerals but a sequel really means that someone liked the first story and wanted it to continue. Why do we like sequels? Is it just a cash grab from the studios? Or is it because we just don’t want the characters and story to end?

 

Sequels aren’t unique to movies either. Television shows sometimes have sequels, but usually they’re called spinoffs. The Jeffersons was a spinoff to All in the Family. Laverne and Shirley was a spinoff for Happy Days, as was Mork and Mindy. The title numbering may be different, but they are still sequels.

 

Video games jumped into the sequel world. Sometimes they would differentiate from the original by giving it a similar title like Donkey Kong Jr. or Ms. Pac-Man. Or sometimes they maintained their cinematic quality by giving them numbers like Streetfighter II or Mortal Kombat II.

 

Even the music industry got into the sequel numbering game. Some iconic albums were numbered with Roman numerals like Led Zeppelin II, McCartney II, Queen II, and Van Halen II. Plus tons of Greatest Hits compilations will throw numbers on their titles to let everyone know you need to collect the whole set. Now that’s what I call music!



Do you like sequels? Or do they annoy you that they may not be an original idea? Which one stands out to you?Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to podcast@enjoystuff.com

 

Direct download: Enjoy_Stuff_1-40.mp3
Category:Enjoy Stuff -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Love...exciting and Retro! Come aboard, we're expecting yo! On this Valentine's Day, you may need an idea for a date night. What better place to look than 80s movies? Jay and Shua offer up a plethora of ideas for a great movie themed date night. Immerse yourself in love while you Enjoy Stuff!

 

Feel the love on this Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re more of a romantic that likes to show your feelings with a boombox over your head, or a scary night in the dark, we have a variety of 80’s inspired dates for any couple. 

 

News

-Get ready for a Toxic Avenger reboot with Peter Dinklage and a variety of other big stars

-The new Lightyear trailer is out and it definitely goes to infinity and beyond!

-Season 3 of Orville is finally coming, but not until June

 

What we’re Enjoying

Zhōujiélún yīzhí zài liànxí kōngshǒudào, yǐ xīnshǎng yīxiē jīngdiǎn de jīlèi diànyǐng, lìrú 1972 nián de jīngdiǎn wǔxiá diànyǐng “wǔzhǐ sǐwáng”. Tāmen fēicháng yǒuqù! [dubbed version]  Jay has been practicing karate to enjoy some classic chopsocky movies like Five Fingers of Death, a classic martial arts movie from 1972. They’re great fun!  Shua has also been revisiting some old movies on Disney+, but these star Kurt Russell as Dexter Reilly. The silly, classic trilogy of The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Then Strongest Man in the World, and Now You See Him, Now You Don’t helped set up Russell to become the icon he is today. 



Enjoy Life!

Need some Valentine’s Day date ideas? Look no further than 80’s movies. Listen in to this week’s show to see exactly what is involved in setting up the perfect date. 

 

Choose from these themes, or mix and match!

The John Cusack

The As You Wish

The Matthew Broderick

The Molly Ringwald

The Top Gun

The Slasher

 

Whether you have a close significant other, a furry lovable companion, or are making your way through this Hallmark Holiday by yourself, come have fun with us. 

 

Are you celebrating V-Day? Do you have any more ideas? Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to podcast@enjoystuff.com

Direct download: Enjoy_Stuff_1-39.mp3
Category:Enjoy Stuff -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Who ya gonna call? Everyone knows that one! Ghostbusters of course! Enjoy Stuff straps on the proton packs and look back at the Ghostbusters franchise and review the latest outing. We're ready to believe you!

 

In 1984 a legendary movie brought us a group of misfits that protected New York from g-g-g-ghosts! Ghostbusters ushered in a new era of scary comedies, but it wasn’t the first one with that name. Join us as we remember the ones that came before and share our opinion of the latest release.

 

News

-A live action He-Man is coming to Netflix

-The Dungeons & Dragons movie will be followed by a streaming series in the same universe

-Fraggle Rock - Back to the Rock is available now and tons of fun!

-Michael J Fox just discovered a little movie called Back to the Future, and he actually likes it

 

What we’re Enjoying

Shua and his daughter were excited to sit down and watch the return of the SyFy series Resident Alien, starring Alan Tudyk. It’s a fun sci-fi comedy with an intriguing story. Season 2 shows weekly now. Jay has been doing some underwater research by revisiting some movies of the ‘Underwater Ocean Dramas’ from 1989. Deep Star Six, Leviathan, and The Abyss may not all be on the same level as each other, but it’s always fun to see what was hitting the theaters of the past.  



Enjoy Movies!

Bustin’ makes us feel good! Ghostbustin’ that is. In 1984 Ivan Reitman teamed up with writers Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis to bring us a classic comedy that started a legendary franchise that answered the age-old question, “Who ya gonna call?” In addition to the writers, it stars Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, and Ernie Hudson. But this wasn’t the first movie that featured somewhat brave hunters of ghosts. 

 

In 1940, the iconic comedian Bob Hope starred in The Ghost Breakers. It showed Hope in a rarely seen heroic role as he saved Paulette Goddard in a Scooby Doo-like mystery. 

 

Then in 1975 we saw The Ghost Busters TV series with two guys that teamed up with a gorilla (yes, we said gorilla) as a group of misfits that helped people with ghost problems. Later, following the popularity of the Reitman film, Filmation adapted this series as a Saturday morning cartoon. 

 

Speaking of cartoons, the powers that be saw an opportunity to adapt the ‘84 movie into animated form as The Real Ghostbusters. This one became popular and even spawned a collection of toys. 

 

‘89 brought us a sequel to the movie with most of the characters returning. It wasn’t as well received, but it sure had a lot of fun moments and quotable moments.  

 

Then the franchise went dormant for a few years until the 2016 reboot where our heroes were recast as women. And while many refuse to accept this movie as entertaining, it featured some great jokes and talented performers, such as Kristin Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth. 

 

But in 2021, we were finally able to revisit the classic universe and probably witnessed the future of the franchise. Plus, we got to see the boys again, even digitized Harold Ramis from beyond.  

 

Do you hope to see more of the Ghostbusters? Do you have memories of the 1984 movie? Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to podcast@enjoystuff.com

Direct download: Enjoy_Stuff_1-38.mp3
Category:Enjoy Stuff -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

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