Dreamland: The RetroBlasting Podcast

Smurfs: communist woman haters or adorable 80s icons? Probably a little of both. From comics to cartoons, cereal to figurines, Italian villages and Smurf cosplayers, we give you a full overview of Smurfs.

How different is David Lynch's 1984 movie Dune from the 1965 book by Frank Herbert? What is it like to watch it for the first time in 2018? We will tell you all this and more in this podcast. Melinda and Michael provide movie synopses, and Aaron explains what it all means.

We interview two lifelong Star Wars fans - Tom Berges from igrewupstarwars.com and Michael French from RetroBlasting - about what it was like to live through "The Dark Times," i.e. the years between 1983 (release of Return of the Jedi) and 1997 (The Star Wars Special Edition theatrical release). How did they keep hope alive, and what was it like to be a Star Wars fan when most people had moved on to girls, Nirvana, and fast cars?

The Noid, McDonald's Mac Tonight, Max Headroom, and Spuds MacKenzie are just a few of the bizarre mascots we discuss this week, including their little-known backstories.

Melinda got the blu-ray box set of the Decline of Western Civilization movies, so we thought this would be a great opportunity to talk about Metal!! Not that there is all that much real metal in this 1988 documentary by Penelope Spheeris... but nonetheless we give it a go. Aaron watches the film for the first time and Melinda revisits it with the director's commentary. Contemplating buying the set? You'll wanna hear our review.

Aaron, Melinda, and Tom debate the strengths, weaknesses, and fun facts surrounding the 1981 movie Clash of the Titans, which interestingly features no clashes or Titans.

Michael French gives the inside scoop on what it's like to be a toy collector, things to watch out for, and his own personal tips for success in the hobby.

Tom Berges, founder of I Grew Up Star Wars, was an actual BMX Bandit back in the 80s, and he shares with us all kinds of insight into what it was like to be one of those rad BMX freestylers!

In honor of Thanksgiving, we celebrate with Addams Family Values – the origins, behind the scenes, and hilarity of this weirdly Thanksgiving-themed film.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 premiered in November, 1988 on a local access TV station in Minnesota and subsequently became a cult classic with geeky, sarcastic B-movie lovers worldwide. We take a stroll through one of our favorite shows. Join us, won’t you?

Melinda, Aaron, Michael, and Tom talk about their favorite classic PC games, spanning from 1983 to 1992! Also, Michael and Melinda reveal a project they worked on BEFORE the days of RetroBlasting... here's a hint: it's related to classic Star Trek!

On this special Halloween show, Tom Berges from www.igrewupstarwars.com joins us to revel in the spookiness of the scary urban legends we grew up with in Generation X! Everything from poisoned candy to LSD tattoos to Bloody Mary is fair game as we get ready for tricks and treats.

We talk about the first 2 Superman movies (1978 and 1980), and in particular the craziness that was going on behind the scenes with Alexander and Ilya Salkind and Richard Donner, just to get these movies made! What was the original story arc supposed to look like? Why is it that when you watch the Donner cuts of Superman I and II they essentially have the same ending, with Superman turning the earth backward? We explain all this and more!

Inspired by the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Night Terrors," Melinda and Aaron reflect on "REM," and its influence in all our lives. REM can mean so many things, the possibilities are almost endless. The discussion moves from R.E.M. the band, Freud and Jung dream theories, Neil Gaiman's Sandman comics, Flatliners, Dreamscape, A Nightmare on Elm Street (Parts 1 and 3), and The X-Files episode, "Sleepless." More information at: http://www.retroblasting.com/dreamland

Melinda and Aaron get into the Halloween spirit and talk about their favorite (spooky) Star Trek television episodes, including entries from everything through Enterprise. Grab some candy corn and Swedish Fish and reminisce along with them!