The Saddest Film Festival

The Saddest Film Festival

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WEEK IN GEEK: Andrew gets lost in Tamriel as he plays The Elder Scrolls Online while D. Bethel finds a lot to love in Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, but can’t help to ask…is it a Ninja Gaiden game?

TOPICS:
(0:00:00) Intro – Andrew’s Birthday
(0:09:25) Andrew’s WiG: The Elder Scrolls Online
(0:45:28) D.’s WiG: Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound
(1:12:20) Outro – ComicCon Swag
(1:17:16) Outtake

RELEVANT LINKS:

  • D. Bethel’s Skyrim comic:
Click image for a larger version.

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “An Accident of Flavor” (12 November 2021): Where our hosts discuss the 10 year anniversary of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
  • “Bone Juice” (08 August 2025): Where D. talks about The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Superman.

INFO:

Cable Mess

Cable Mess

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GOOD SCHIIT: Our hosts do their best to earn the title of A Podcast [ , ] for ALL Intents and Purposes, they spend the episode talking about audio devices. Andrew just upgraded his desktop setup by purchasing a new DAC (Digital to Audio Converter) (made by the company, Schiit), so our hosts get into the technical weeds talking about audio/video devices and needs.

TOPICS:
(00:00) Intro – Andrew’s new DAC
(13:07) Talking details
(24:02) Finding the DAC for you
(36:07) Outro – Having fun with words
(38:15) Outtakes

RELEVANT LINKS:

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Our Best Work” (14 August 2014): Which contains D.’s first original song for the podcast, “Cthulhu Clock.”
  • “Goodbye, 2016, Goodbye” (31 December 2016): Another original song that bides adieu to the year 2016.

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

Bone Juice

Bone Juice

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WEEK IN GEEK: Andrew buys a Bluray player to watch Stargate: Atlantis, while D. Bethel stays current and sees both Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (NO SPOILERS).

TOPICS:
(00:00) Intro – Food News
(07:36) Andrew’s WiG: Stargate: Atlantis
(26:00) D. Bethel’s WiG #1: Superman
(39:33) D. Bethel’s WiG #2: The Fantastic Four: First Steps
(53:08) Outro – Audio Schiit
(57:23) Outtakes

RELEVANT LINKS:

  • Chunchullo – The weird Argentinian food Andrew mentioned.
  • Bridgy Fed – How Andrew posts to Bluesky from Mastodon.

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

A Fresh of Breath Air

A Fresh of Breath Air

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THE STARSHIP HAS A BAR: Our hosts talk about the first two episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, season 3––”Hegemony, Part II” and “Wedding Bell Blues.”

TOPICS:
(00:00) Intro – 20 Years of New Who
(02:57) Cliffhanger season finales stink
(06:47) Layers of Lore
(29:52) Outro – The Return of Scotty’s dress tartan
(31:12) Outtakes

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Klingon Time Lords” (15 July 2022): Where our hosts discuss the season 1 finale of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
  • “Bedroom Heat” (18 August 2023): Where our hosts discuss the completed second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.”
  • “Pleasure Quotes” (22 December 2023): Where the final 60th anniversary special of Doctor Who––titled, “The Giggle”––is discussed.

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

Fever Dream Harder

Fever Dream Harder

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A NOT-CAST [ , ] FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES: While there is no episode this week, our hosts were able to get together for a quick check-in and an even quicker discussion about the insanity that is Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding: Director’s Cut.

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Coma Chameleon” (29 November 2019): Where Andrew discusses his time playing Death Stranding.

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

In That Order

In That Order

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LA-LI-LU-LE-LAND OF THE FREE: On this fourth of July, our hosts celebrate American independence by reflecting on the properties that really got them thinking about the American identity––specifically, the Metal Gear Solid series and Andor.

TOPICS:

(00:00) Intro – Happy 4th of July! Don’t use fireworks, please.
(03:30) Metal Gear Solid–the most patriotic video game?
(13:00) September 11 and the new model of American patriotism
(17:42) How the Metal Gear Solid games probed American values
(23:35) Andor and America
(27:25) How did Hideo Kojima tap into the American ethos?
(00:00) Outro – Final Fantasy and Magic: the Gathering
(00:00) Outtakes

RELEVANT LINKS:

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

  • “Metal Gear Solid Main Theme” by Harry Gregson-Williams (from the soundtrack to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty)
Episodic Episodes

Episodic Episodes

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WEEK IN GEEK: This week, Andrew watches Poker Face on Peacock and finds a surprisingly compelling heir to Columbo, while D. Bethel dives back into the North Sea to find terrors unknown in the Siren’s Rest DLC for the game Still Wakes the Deep.

TOPICS:
(00:00) Intro – Kurtzman and Orci
(03:21) Andrew’s WiG: Poker Face
(13:52) D.’s WiG: Siren’s Rest DLC
(26:02) Outro – Star Trek Adventures RPG and Heroes Con
(31:34) Outtakes

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Arias In Embers” (21 June 2019): Where Andrew first plays Star Trek Adventures.
  • “States of Play” (30 August 2019): Where Andrew first discusses playing Oxygen Not Included.
  • “The Beef Sleeps” (13 December 2024): Where D. Bethel discusses Still Wakes the Deep.

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

Ten-Dollar Friend

Ten-Dollar Friend

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DEFEATING THE WIZARDS: Nerd news broke this week when Critical Role announced that they made two new hires––Chris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford––both who happen to be veteran designers who recently left the Dungeons & Dragons franchise at Wizards of the Coast (WotC). Our hosts talk about that move and how it may (or may not) impact the TTRPG industry.

TOPICS:
(00:00) Intro – Critical Role’s New Hires
(13:19) RPGs changing with the times
(32:04) Multiplayer DnD
(41:06) Outro – Poo Poo Pictures
(44:56) Outtakes

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Open Awesome License” (13 January 2023): Where our hosts discuss WotC’s major revision to its Open Game License, to the dismay of many people (and companies).
  • “Do the Laugh” (27 January 2023): Where Andrew updates us on the aftermath of WotC’s OGL revision.
  • “Keyboard Blades” (6 June 2025): Where Andrew talks about the release of Critical Role’s original RPG, Daggerheart.

RELEVANT LINKS:

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

Keyboard Blades

Keyboard Blades

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THE EDGE OF THE BLADE: In the midst of his Fear the Walking Dead watch-through, Andrew rediscovers the wonder and majesty of the actor (and musician and politician) Ruben Blades.

DOCTOR WHO: [WARNING: the discussion contains SPOILERS] Our hosts discuss the second season (series 15) of Doctor Who, showcasing the Fifteenth Doctor (as played by Ncuti Gatwa) struggling to get his displaced companion, Belinda Chandra, back home to Earth. It had a lot of great stories and a lot of surprises and a lot of ties back to the previous season; our hosts discuss all the angles.

NEW REALMS OF NERD: D. Bethel briefly discusses his foray in to mechanical keyboards and is reasonably perplexed by the experience.

TOPICS:
(00:00) Intro – The Rediscovery of Ruben Blades
(06:19) Doctor Who, season 2 is done!
(08:38) What these two seasons did differently
(21:14) Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth (?) Doctor
(26:30) More cameos of old Doctors (and companions), please
(31:43) A genuinely surprising regeneration?!
(42:51) Outro – Dan buys a new keyboard
(46:10) Outtakes

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Nerd Intervention” (28 June 2024): Where our hosts discuss season 1 of Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa’s first season on the show.
  • “Turn on the Window” (9 May 2025): Where our hosts discuss the season 2 episode of Doctor Who, “Lucky Day,” and all the discomfort its story and characters bring.

RELEVANT LINKS:

  • Keychron Q11 – The mechanical keyboard D. bought to make his digital art process less physically painful.

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC:

The Lake Effect

The Lake Effect

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THE LAST CRUSADE: With the completion of Indiana Jones & The Great Circle now in his rearview, D. Bethel shares some final thoughts on what ended up being a surprisingly enjoyable and innovated game.

CHANGING THE GAME: Andrew dives deep into new TTRPG ventures with the extremely referential but fun Outgunned Adventure and finds a lot to like in Daggerheart, the new RPG system from Critical Role.

TOPICS:
(0:00:00) Intro – Final thoughts on Indiana Jones & The Great Circle
(0:09:36) Andrew plays Outgunned Adventure
(0:15:09) Andrew checks out Critical Role’s Daggerheart
(1:01:45) Outro – The intersection of Star Trek and Cheers
(1:04:00) Outtakes

RELEVANT EPISODES:

  • “Open Awesome License” (13 January 2023): Where Andrew walks us through the Wizard of the Coast’s strange decision to change its approach to its Open Game License.
  • “Sausageria” (29 December 2023): Where D. Bethel names the most recent Indiana Jones movie, Indiana Jones & The Dial of Destiny, as his “Thing of the Year: 2023.”

RELEVANT LINKS:

INFO:

FEATURED MUSIC: