THE FANDOM ZONE 322: "The Ruler of Hell" Is Up!

 
"I didn't ask them to come here. They chose Hell. That is what Hell is, a place for dead mortals to torture themselves. And like all masochists, they give the orders. 'Burn me, freeze me, eat me, hurt me,' and what do I get out of it?"
"Their souls."
"Dream, what need have I for souls? You can't own someone else's soul. They belong to themselves. They just hate to have to face up to it. They blame me for their little failings. 'The devil made me do it.' I have never made one of them do anything. Never. They live their own tiny lives, and then they die. And they come here. And they expect me to fulfill their desires of pain and retribution, but I'm done with all that. Hell is closed."
-- Lucifer Morningstar and Dream, The Sandman -- "The Ruler of Hell"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "The Ruler of Hell", the second episode of The Sandman Season 2, featuring Tom Sturridge as Dream/Morpheus, Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar, Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death, and introducing Ann Skelly as Nuala!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik and I getting haircuts for the summer, this episode being Shakespeare going gothic, the sigh of relief that The Sandman TV series didn't screw this up, Taramis being played by Tom Sturridge's mom, Phoebe Nicholls, some background on Japanese deity Susano-o-no-Mikato, Egyptian gods Anubis and Bast being cut from the TV adaptation, the missing Chapter 4 of the "Season of Mists" storyline that introduced the Dead Boy Detectives, The Sandman (vol.2) #26 containing a fan letter from yours truly, that awkward moment when Morpheus journeys into Hell to battle Lucifer only to find that Hell is empty, Lucifer tapping out as the ruler of Hell and asking Dream to cut off his demonic wings, Aladdin 2: The Return of Jafar, Lucifer sticking Dream with the responsibility of the Key to Hell, Dream trying (and failing) to stick his sister Death with the responsibility to the Key to Hell, the various claimants for the Key to Hell showing up on Dream's doorstep, Lucienne vetting each of the claimants for Dream, Cain sawing his brother Abel literally in half and turning him into sausages as the evening's entertainment, the very different depiction of Thor than people are used to seeing, the greatness of Shivering Jemmy, Dream fielding various offers and threats from the claimants, Azazel looking like an extremely hungry version of Venom, Azazel revealing that he has Nada, our favorite quotes of the episode, Nik joining us on Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast for our 350th episode, our next episode wrapping up the "Season of Mists" storyline, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back in one week when DJ Nik and I discuss "More Devils Than Vast Hell Can Hold", the third episode of The Sandman Season 2, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 350: "The Ncuti Gatwa Era" Is Up!

 
"I'm a much bigger bang than you bargained for. I'm a lot more explosive than I look, and, honey, I know how I look. Put a quantum chain reaction through me, and I will shatter this silly little battlefield of yours into dust. All of it, in a heartbeat, into dust."
-- The Fifteenth Doctor, Doctor Who: "Boom"

Hello again, everyone! My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back for another new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast! This time, we're oined by special guests DJ Nik and Holly Mac to discuss Ncuti Gatwa's era as the Fifteenth Doctor, exploring the highs and lows from Doctor Who Series 14 and 15, including the 2023 and 2024 Christmas Specials!

In this episode, Jesse, Nik, Holly, and I discuss things like Jesse and I coming off our Superman movie high, our somewhat incestual podcast relationship, Ncuti's first season in Series 14/Season 1, all the baggage with becoming a new Doctor, Christopher Eccleston and Ncuti Gatwa having too short of runs as the Doctor, Russell T Davies not giving Ncuti the strong start he needed, Doctor Who needing to try for an Emmy nomination for Best Drama Series instead of Best Choreography, "Dot and Bubble" deserving better ratings than it got, the Doctor and Ruby Sunday having a shared life experience of being foundlings, the disappointment of Ruby's birth mother turning out to be just an ordinary person after so much buildup, our favorite and least favorite episodes of the first season, Nik and I encouraging Holly to watch Mindhunter, the overall improvement of Ncuti's second season in Series 15/Season 2, wondering if RTD would've improved more with a third season, Nik crushing on Varada Sethu, RTD's poor handling of Belinda being saddled with Poppy, Belinda being sidelined once RTD brought Ruby back into the series, everyone losing their minds over the Rani's return, our favorite and least favorite episodes of the second season, the Doctor's regeneration into Billie Piper, wondering why RTD didn't write a proper ending for the series if he didn't know what the future was, Ncuti Gatwa being forced to leave the series, the lack of information and vagueness of what's going on behind the scenes not reassuring fans, the need for the show to go back to basics, Nik attending a Bruce Springsteen concert in Italy, our upcoming discussion of "The War Games in Colour", our next 350 episodes, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE

Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page

Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account

Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

We have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, which you can find on TeePublic right HERE!  This spiffy shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space! Or you could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

Be sure to come back in two weeks for the next episode of Next Stop Everywhere as Jesse and I discuss "The War Games in Colour", the recut and colorized version of the seventh serial from Doctor Who Season Six from 1969, featuring the final regular story of Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor, Frazer Hines as Jamie McCrimmon, and Wendy Padbury as Zoe Heriot!

THE FANDOM ZONE 321: "Season of Mists" Is Up!

 
"What have we to discuss?"
"Well, what about you, my brother? Tell us, how's your love life? You killed any girlfriends recently? Or sentenced any others to Hell?"
-- Dream and Desire, The Sandman -- "Season of Mists"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Season of Mists", the first episode of The Sandman Season 2, featuring Tom Sturridge as Dream/Morpheus, Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar, and introducing Adrian Lester as Destiny and Esme Creed-Miles as Delirium!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik and I geeking out about Superman (2025), finally getting The Sandman Season 2 after a three-year hiatus, our love of the "Season of Mists" storyline from the original comics, some comics trivia on Nada's story and the explanation for why Dream sent Cain as his envoy to Hell, the Endless family reunion, my cats Desire and Delirium finally getting to see their namesakes on television, people noticing that Dream has grown as a being, the introduction of Destiny and Delirium, The Fates delivering a prophecy to Destiny, the decision to age the physical look of Delirium up from the comics version, Destiny having to play referee with his siblings, Desire being the catalyst for Dream going to Hell, Death calling out Dream to sending Nada to Hell, Desire pissing off Delirium to causing her butterflies to kill themselves in a candle flame, the flashback sequence showing the romance between Dream and Nada, Dream not being capable of empathy, Cain delivering Dream's message to Lucifer Morningstar, Dream going to visit Lyta Hall's baby and Hob Gadling before leaving for Hell, Dream not revealing what he's afraid of, our favorite quotes of the episode, catching up on Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Jesse Jackson and Ken from Chicago, our plans to discuss Peacemaker Season 2 after The Sandman Season 2, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back in one week when DJ Nik and I discuss "The Ruler of Hell", the second episode of The Sandman Season 2, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 349: "The Devouring" Is Up!

 
"Everybody I know has been swallowed up by thin air, because a creature from another world caught my eye across a galactic ballroom, and now I’m inside a—what did you call it? A “star ship”?"
"This is the part where I usually have some explaining to do, but that’s actually not a bad summary. It’s called a TARDIS – the ship. It stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. Is now a good time to mention time travel?"
"No, Doctor, it is not!"
-- Audacity Montague and the Eighth Doctor, Doctor Who: "The Devouring"

Hello again, everyone! My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back for another new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast! This time, we discuss "The Devouring", the first audio drama from Big Finish Productions' Doctor Who: Audacity set in 2023, featuring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, Joseph Millson as Ignatius Montague, and introducing Jaye Griffiths as Audacity Montague!

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss things like Jesse having emergency dental work right before we podcast, writer Lisa McMullin, "The Devouring" being one of Jesse's favorite Big Finish stories, giving Jesse credit for doing his homework for the podcast in the middle of the Bruce Springsteen Tracks II: The Lost Albums release, Joseph Millson as Alan Jackson on The Sarah Jane Adventures, some historical trivia on the Regency Era and astronomer Caroline Herschel, Audacity calling out Prince Regent George for failing to enact on parliamentary reform despite agreeing to it, Audacity holding up her rich ball guests like a highwayman, my penchant for strong women, Audacity being someone the Regency Era needs even though the Regency Era doesn't need her, historical baseball player Buck O'Neil, Audacity not being your traditional British aristocrat, the Doctor asking Audacity if she would've stayed with Iggy if she could, Ignatius being more in love with Audacity than she is with him, Audacity learning that education doesn't mean much to her maid Dolly Aitkins, the Devouring probably being a fan of the Police's "Every Breath You Take", wondering if the Devouring will return when Audacity is ready to stop traveling with the Eighth Doctor, our favorite quotes of the episode, my Reverse the Polarity segment, new listener feedback from Holly Mac and Sandi from Oregon, our upcoming 350th episode, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE

Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page

Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account

Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

We have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, which you can find on TeePublic right HERE!  This spiffy shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space! Or you could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

Be sure to come back in two weeks for the big 350th episode of Next Stop Everywhere as Jesse and I are joined by special guests DJ Nik and Holly Mac to discuss Ncuti Gatwa's era as the Fifteenth Doctor, exploring the highs and lows from Doctor Who Series 14 and 15 and the 2023 and 2024 Christmas Specials!

DRUNK CINEMA 081: "Superman III" Is Up!

 
"Superman's bad."
"I'll say he was."
"I mean, he was bad!"
-- Gus Gorman and Ross Webster, Superman III

Hello again, movie fans!  My wonderful co-host Xan Sprouse and I are back with a new episode of Drunk Cinema! This time, we watch Superman III, the 1983 superhero film directed by Richard Lester, featuring Christopher Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent, Richard Pryor as Gus Gorman, Annette O'Toole as Lana Lang, and Robert Vaughn as Ross Webster!

This time, Xan and I discuss things like Xan and I going to see DEVO live in concert, Superman III causing DEEP HURTING, my reaction seeing Superman III for the first time in the theater at the age of 14, Lois going off on vacation to Bermuda, Richard Pryor making bad movies and lighting himself on fire while freebasing cocaine, Annette O'Toole as Martha Kent on Smallville, Ross Webster being "We've got Lex Luthor at home", Gavan O'Herlihy as Chuck Cunningham on Happy Days, Lorelei Ambrosia hiding her intelligence, my being allowed to tell Dad Jokes, producer Ilya Salkind's treatment for Superman III featuring Brainiac and Mr. Mxyzptlk with Superman marrying Supergirl, the scientist whose job is to watch acid almost explode, Brad Wilson peaking in high school, Clark trying to dance to the Beatles' version of "Roll Over Beethoven", Gus needing to put the candle back, Lana giving Clark mixed signals, wondering how Gus can hack a satellite that somehow controls the weather, wondering how Gus survived falling off the top of a skyscraper without Superman rescuing him, the birth of the Drunk Superman meme, Superman being very familiar with how to use junkyard machinery, wondering why Ross and his minions didn't helicopter down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, Ross' stupid Superman videogame, computers not being able to propel you through the air with laser beams, Lois meeting Lana, not having any new Drunk Mail, Office Space referencing Superman III, and more!

If you'd like to check out our podcast and subscribe to us, you can find us on...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE

Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE

Drunk Cinema's Facebook Page

Drunk Cinema's Twitter Account

Be sure to come back in four weeks as Xan and I watch Office Space, the 1999 satirical dark comedy written and directed by Mike Judge, featuring Ron Livingston as Peter Gibbons, Jennifer Aniston as Joanna, Stephen Root as Milton Waddams, and Gary Cole as Bill Lumbergh!