Enjoy Stuff: A TechnoRetro Podcast

Clear the table and sort the bricks, we have LEGO! Enjoy Stuff looks at the history of our favorite building set for years! From the early days when the founding family first measured out the dimensions of the connecting parts to the wide variety of franchised sets we can get at LEGO stores around the world. And we test our knowledge of when their most memorable ideas debuted. 

 

L’eggo my LEGO! It’s a history of the famous building blocks on Enjoy Stuff. It’s founder, Ole Christiansen, founding the company way back in 1932, probably never predicted how widespread his ideas would become. Come with us in the Wayback machine as we say “Bricks for the memories”

 

News

Indiana Jones Toys have been revealed for the upcoming Dial of Destiny movie

Ted Lasso gets a season 3 premiere

Looks like TRON 3 may be a go 

Singer David Crosby passes little over a week ago 

Cobra Kai will end after 6 Seasons

Valentine's Day-Inspired Pop-Tarts Bites will return this year

Oscar Noms have been announced, Short Round and Data are both nominated for Everything, Everywhere, All At Once!

 

Check out our TeePublic store for some enjoyable swag and all the latest fashion trends



What we’re Enjoying

Jay has been getting very Retro (Retro-squared?) by revisiting some Bob Hope movies from way back in 1941. Caught in the Draft and Nothing but the Truth were some fun films that remind you about a time gone by and how the past can be entertaining. Shua really committed himself when he decided to binge all of the extended versions of Peter Jackson’s six-movie-spanning Tolkien stories. Love ‘em or leave ‘em, it can be fun to immerse yourself in Middle Earth and remember what the message of all the films relay. 

 

Sci-Fi Saturdays/MCU Location Scout

The Matrix was a ground-breaking movie in so many ways. This week Jay looks at the story, effects, and influence of Keanu Reeve’s classic Alice in Digital-Wonderland story. Check it out on Sci-Fi Saturdays on Retrozap.com. Plus, now that SFS has reached 1999 it’s time to remember the hype, politics, and complexity of Star Wars-Episode I, The Phantom Menace, coming this Saturday. 

 

Enjoy Toys!

One of the most wide-spread successes of toys has got to be LEGO. But it didn’t start out like that. This week we look back to the humble beginnings when Ole Kirk Christiansen took his bankrupt carpentry business and made it into something that would change the industry.

 

It wasn’t an instant success though. There were many hardships, failed ideas, and more factory fires than most people could come back from. Luckily, his son Godtfred (like his father) was a persistent and determined creator. Once he was inspired by a set of building blocks he saw at a convention, they bought a plastic injection molding machine and the rest is history. 

 

Through some very clever innovations with the designs, LEGO began to see some success and spread across the globe. By the 1950s their basic sets were found in many toy boxes across the United States. 

 

The long history of the company lends itself well to our game “Just in the Brick of Time”. Jay will try to identify the decade some of the LEGO milestones took place. You can play along too!



Did you play with LEGO? What sets of the building system do you admire? Did you read all of these shownotes? First person that emails me with the subject line, “I’m a LEGO maniac” will get a special mention on the show.  Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to EnjoyStuff@RetroZap.com

Direct download: Enjoy_Stuff_2-40.mp3
Category:Enjoy Stuff -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

We can rebuild him. We have the technology. But it’ll cost a pretty penny. Six Million Dollars to be precise. That’s the premise behind the 1973 hit series featuring Colonel Steve Austin. This week Enjoy Stuff revisits The Six Million Dollar Man

 

Every boy wanted to be Steve Austin in the 70s. That’s because The Six Million Dollar Man was a big hit on TV. Let’s celebrate 50 years of the Bionic Man on Enjoy Stuff

 

News

Universal is going to be opening a permanent Horror-Themed experience in Las Vegas

In N Out Burger is coming to Tennessee

Mel Brooks has finally revealed a long-awaited sequel “History of the World part II”

To celebrate Schoolhouse Rock’s 50th Anniversary, ABC will feature an all-star singalong

Get ready for Dr. Pepper Peeps

 

Check out our TeePublic store for some enjoyable swag and all the latest fashion trends



What we’re Enjoying

Shua and his wife watched the latest Tom Hanks film A Man Called Otto, which makes you think about life, aging, and making a difference. Jay has been rewatching Loki on Disney+ in preparation for the upcoming Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania movie. 

 

Sci-Fi Saturdays/MCU Location Scout

Six-String Samurai is a wild and crazy mixture of rock and post-apocalyptic movies. Sound like a strange combination? You’re not wrong. Check it out on Sci-Fi Saturdays on Retrozap.com. Plus, as Sci-Fi Saturdays approaches the end of the millennium, it’s time to rewatch an influential classic, The Matrix, coming this Saturday. 

 

Enjoy TV!

In the early 70s, our live-action sci-fi was limited. When ABC adapted Martin Caidin’s 1972 novel, Cyborg into a TV series, it didn’t take long for us to get hooked. Steve Austin is an astronaut who suffered life threatening injuries in a test flight. The government rebuilt him using new bionic technology. Both legs, his right arm, and an eye were all replaced with super-human abilities. From there he completed missions nobody else could.

 

Over the 5 seasons, he interacted with aliens, robots, BigFoot, and more! Plus, his childhood sweetheart, in a spinoff-creating coincidence, had a similar accident that gave her bionic body parts and her own series. 

 

Plus, there were toys that had action features boys had never dreamed of before. Power lift, bionic eye, and fashionable red track suit. The Six Million Dollar Man was the perfect set up for the imagination of the 70s kid.



Did you watch The Six Million Dollar Man? Did you make the sound when you ran? Did you read all of these shownotes? First person that emails me with the subject line, “We can rebuild him” will get a special mention on the show.  Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to EnjoyStuff@RetroZap.com

Direct download: Enjoy_Stuff_2-39.mp3
Category:Enjoy Stuff -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

For the record, we couldn't get enough music 40 years ago. This week Enjoy Stuff remembers how we consumed our music and what was popular in 1983. Jay and Shua spin you right round baby, right round on Enjoy Stuff!

 

Let’s look back at what music was popular in 1983 and how we listened, on a very musical episode of Enjoy Stuff 

 

News

Wednesday is renewed for a season 2 at Netflix

Some kids at an elementary school in Racine, Wisconsin are collecting cereal for a world record. You can donate tasty breakfast or money here: Amazon Wish List

Peter Gabriel is releasing his first new album in 21 years!

4/4/23 you too can enter the grid when TRON Lightcycle Run opens in Magic Kingdom

Ke Huy Quan wins a Golden Globe and reveals that his entertainment lawyer knows the Truffle Shuffle

Sad news as we lost a trio of legends. RIP Lisa Marie Presley, Jeff Beck, and Robbie Kneivel

 

Check out our TeePublic store for some enjoyable swag and all the latest fashion trends



What we’re Enjoying

After watching season 1 of Willow on Disney+, Jay went back and remembered how fun Willow the movie was. A fantasy adventure with humor and a lot of heart. Shua has been immersed in a Star Trek soundtrack playlist on Spotify that includes music from just about every show, movie, and project you could think of. A nice variety of sci-fi tunes for your daily listen. 

 

Sci-Fi Saturdays/MCU Location Scout

In 1998 Aerosmith would close their eyes, just to hear you breathing. Creepy? Not when you realize it’s the soundtrack from the Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck disaster flick Armageddon. As hokey and over the top as this Michael Bay movie is, it’s still a lot of fun. Check it out on Sci-Fi Saturdays on Retrozap.com. Plus, stay tuned for a little known post-apocalyptic film called Six-String Samurai, coming this Saturday. 

 

Enjoy Music!

Music has been a determining factor of a culture since Ringo Starr discovered it as a Caveman. But in the 80s it seemed to take it to a whole other level. This week we take a look at where we got our music and what was popular. 

 

This week, 40 years ago, Men at Work had the number one spot with Down Under. And while Australia was all the rage at this time, it was just one of the many songs we would keep track of on the charts when we listened to Casey Kasem bring it to us each week on American Top 40. 

 

While listening to the radio was nice, we couldn’t pick the songs we wanted. So we headed into the record stores for our records and tapes. Enjoy Stuff will share the history and origins of some of our listening vessels on this week’s show. 

 

Plus, we remember some of the iconic stores that were enjoying their heyday in the malls and other venues across the country. It’s a musical episode for the scrapbook. Come join us as we Enjoy Music!

 

Where did you get your music in 1983? Did you listen on vinyl, cassette, American Top 40? Did you read all of these shownotes? First person that emails me with the subject line, “Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars” will get a special mention on the show.  Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to EnjoyStuff@RetroZap.com

Direct download: Enjoy_Stuff_2-38.mp3
Category:Enjoy Stuff -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

1983 may have ushered in a change to the arcade industry, but it sure gave us some legendary games. This week we look back on some of the most memorable games we remember as we head back to the arcade to Enjoy Stuff!

 

Grab a handful of tokens, (especially if you’re playing Dragon’s Lair) and come back with us to a 1983 arcade. We take a look at some of the most memorable and legendary games. 

 

News

The iconic Denver, Mexican restaurant Casa Bonita gets a reopening date!

Grab your driving gloves and racing helmet because General Mills is releasing a Hot Wheels Cereal!  

 

Check out our TeePublic store for some enjoyable swag and all the latest fashion trends



What we’re Enjoying

Shua had a great time reading Steve Martin’s newest and illustrated book “Number One is Walking”. It contains some great anecdotes about Martin’s time in the movies and some fun cartoon strips illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss. Jay spent New Year’s Eve watching the new Rian Johnson movie Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery with Daniel Craig and a slew of other great celebrities. It’s a fun mystery with some unexpected twists

 

Sci-Fi Saturdays/MCU Location Scout

In 1998 X-Files was a hit on TV. But could it translate onto the big screen? Jay looks at the hits and misses of this Chris Carter story on Sci-Fi Saturdays. Plus, stay tuned for his look at the 1998 Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck disaster movie coming this Saturday. 

 

Enjoy Video Games!

In 1983 the video game industry was riding a wave of success that began stronger than Piston Joe’s punches. That would soon change, but as kids we had no idea what was coming, we were just enjoying the creative games that came out that year. Vector-based legends like Star Wars and Star Trek, iconic sequels like Donkey Kong Jr., and innovative classics like Dragon’s Lair dominated the arcades. Jay and Shua look back at these and some other home system games that would soon close a successful chapter in digital history.

 

What were your favorite games of 1983? Do you think using a pencil on Track and Field is cheating? Did you read all of these shownotes? First person that emails me with the subject line, “Body Blow!” will get a special mention on the show.  Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to EnjoyStuff@RetroZap.com

Direct download: Enjoy_Stuff_2-37.mp3
Category:Enjoy Stuff -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Did you find ways to Enjoy 2022? This week we look at some of our highlights from a year's worth of Enjoy Stuff and our own personal life. Plus, we look ahead to what we're expecting in this new year as we continue to Enjoy Stuff!

 

Come with us on the podcaster’s obligatory look back at the year! We discuss some of our highlights and of course, look at what’s coming up. It’s never been a better time to Enjoy Stuff!

 

News

Who wants a giant Fruit Loop? We all do, of course!

Like Jovial Jay, there’s a guy who loves the details in the background of movies. In this case, sports on TVs

A Ferrari used in Ferris Bueller’s Day off sells for more money than we spend on cereal every year!

And speaking of cereal, if you want 100 year old cereal, …you may have issues. But what about cereal celebrating 100 years of Disney?

Let’s stand behind Snoop Dogg and Master P as they are forced to change the name of Snoop Loopz because of “The Man”

 

Check out our TeePublic store for some enjoyable swag and all the latest fashion trends



What we’re Enjoying

During Jay’s extensive road travels in his new RV, he was able to Kayak with Manatees! No, that’s not a new Discovery documentary series, he actually did it. How did the Manatees feel about him and his wife floating around? Listen in to find out. And when people find out what a bad electrician Shua is, they’re shocked. Luckily, he got a Radio Shack 65 in One Electronic Project Kit from his childhood. It’s been pretty cool reliving his younger, scientifically-experimental side to himself. 

 

Sci-Fi Saturdays/MCU Location Scout

To wrap up the year, Jay has watched and analyzed Lost in Space (1998) with Gary Oldman, William Hurt, Matt LeBlanc, and Mimi Rogers. Did it live up to the original series? And tune in this Saturday for a look back at the X-Files movie (1998).

 

Enjoy 2022 and beyond!

Our first show of the new year consists of a look back at last year! There were so many great things to Enjoy and we only scratched the surface. But what a fun surface to scratch! We are sharing some standout moments on Enjoy Stuff. Were any of these your favorites? Did we miss a big glaring one because we were too distracted by gigantic cereal and sea cows? I mean, this stuff can be overwhelming, you know? Just give us a holler and tell us what we should have mentioned. 

 

What did you Enjoy in 2022? What are you looking forward to in 2023? Should we start thinking about 2024? Did you read all of these shownotes? First person that emails me with the subject line, “What’s an Auld Lang Syne?” will get a special mention on the show.  Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to EnjoyStuff@RetroZap.com

 

Direct download: Enjoy_Stuff_2-36.mp3
Category:Enjoy Stuff -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

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