Episode Playlist
Episode 91 - Elizabeth Little (Phase IV 1974)( 0:54:55)
Episode Information
Saul Bass is a guy whose work you have definitely seen, even if you don't know it. Between 1954 and 1995 (along with his wife Elaine) he provided title sequences and posters for a staggering array of movies, in addition to designing some of the most recognisable and iconic logos for major American corporations.
In 1974, he made his directorial debut with a quiet, meditative, cerebral science fiction movie about hyperintelligent ants and a pair of scientists attempting to study them. Phase IV, partly due to horrible mismarketing, and partly just by dint of being very odd, was a commercial flop and largely put paid to Bass's directorial career. Elizabeth Little (author of the astounding "You Will Die In This Place") joins the podcast to discuss why she loves this movie nonetheless. 100% YELLOW.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 19/06/2026 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 90 - Erin Harrington (Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!)( 0:57:11)
Episode Information
Russ Meyer's "Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!" (1965) might be the ur-example of a cult movie. Widely derided as trash on its release, it has been re-evaluated as a camp classic and is now regarded (amongst other things) as part of the weird overlap of Venn circles where the creator's thinly-disguised fetish (in this case enormous powerful women running amok) also leads to an oddly-empowering portrayal of feminine strength.
This episode I'm joined by Erin Harrington, whose day job as an academic involves studying and discussing cinema and "paracinema", to talk about her abiding love for this gleefully incoherent piece of "lady kaiju" or possibly "garbage wuxia".
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 15/05/2026 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 89 - Solo minisode: Feudalism?( 0:33:3)
Episode Information
Amid the global panic about the rise of fascism, I take a second to wonder if there's a different right wing form of power consolidation on the menu, and look to fiction for possible answers.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 10/04/2026 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 87 - Asher Elbein (The Howling III: The Marsupials)( 1:2:44)
Episode Information
"The Howling III: The Marsupials" (1987) was genuinely the stuff of schoolyard legend when I was in primary school in the early 90s, due to a notorious sequence involving a female lycanthrope giving birth to a "joey" who seeks refuge in her pouch. I did not, however, know what this rumoured movie was *actually called* until I came across author and journalist Asher Elbein (www.asherelbein.com) on Bluesky talking about it.
He very kindly agreed to come on the show to discuss it, and when I finally watched it I was *fascinated*. I had expected something good-bad and schlocky (and "The Howling III" is definitely both of those things) but this movie also has surprisingly deep and complex ideas on its mind about ecology and indigenous people's rights and struggles, and a strange and compelling folk-tale logic which is quite unique.
It is a very weird swerve for a franchise which already took a weird swerve between the first and second movie, and which established itself initially for (as well as having some great gnarly 80's transformation sequences) being the *horny* werewolf series - and if you watch it, you will find yourself thinking about it for quite some time.
A show about great trash, problematic faves, and difficult art hosted by Hugh Dingwall. Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 30/01/2026 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 86 - Newsboys with Josh Boerman( 0:59:24)
Episode Information
Originally started by Peter Furler and George Perdikis in 1985, Newsboys are such an enduring mainstay of Christian rock that the band is still going strong absent any of the original members. Over that 40 year career, their sound has changed so drastically that if you say that you either love or hate Newsboys, the only logical response is "which Newsboys?" In addition, if you are a Kiwi or Aussie of approximately my vintage, you probably know their song "Take Me To Your Leader" which was a brief crossover hit here, and will earworm you for weeks if you go and look it up.
For my first new episode of 2026, I'm joined by the illustrious Josh Boerman from Worst Of All Possible Worlds and Ill Conceived, who grew up in the evangelical world that spawned and nurtured this strange (and now kind of evil) band so that he can explain The Phenomenon.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 23/01/2026 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 85 - Elana Levin and John Cecil (Ska)( 0:54:51)
Episode Information
Admittedly, I love me a novelty instrumental cover (ask me about my surf rock habit) but I've never really understood the cringe that greets the mention of ska music. Part of this is probably being a kiwi - we have a different relationship with the pop-punk side of ska music than Americans do - but I've always felt like people who didn't appreciate the genre just hadn't found the good stuff yet. Elana and John (last heard on the Hair Metal episode) return to the show to give me an American perspective, and we chat about the high points of ska and how to find your way in as a newcomer.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 12/12/2025 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 84 Solo minisode ("The Poisoned Wound")( 0:30:55)
Episode Information
Prompted by last episode, in concert with a conversation about Normality the RPG, and a viewing of Cargo (2017), I talk about an idea cooking in the back of my head about the ways that people who say and do horrible things act like victims.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 31/10/2025 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 83 - Ross Palethorpe (Enemy 2013)( 1:5:24)
Episode Information
In a rare "reversed recommendations" situation, I recommend something for someone else to watch! I talk to Ross Palethorpe (@rossthesedays) about Denis Villenueve's 2013 film "Enemy" - a strange, hostile, deeply yellow movie which I first encountered as an online movie reviewer back when it was relatively new. We really get into it on this one (once Ross gets past cursing me for making him watch "a work movie") because there's a LOT here. Two equally haunted and awful Jake Gyllenhaals encounter one another in a dreadful, poisonous, spider-haunted Toronto, and nothing is exactly what it seems.
CW on this one for discussions of misogyny and general masculine awfulness.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 3/10/2025 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 82 - Bijhan Agha (Power Rangers)( 0:57:18)
Episode Information
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is a very weird show indeed - a fact that is literally baked into its DNA as an adaptation of a Japanese costumed hero series which (as we'll hear) does not have a consistent plot or cast from series to series. It also has an odd relationship with New Zealand, as it was banned here very early on, and remained banned well into the period where it was actually being made here. To discuss all this and more, I'm joined by artist and author Bijhan Agha - our first ever guest based somewhere other than the broader Anglosphere (she's in Uruguay)!
Find Bijhan at @bijhan.bsky.social, and her art, books, and comics at jamsheedstudios.com.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 5/09/2025 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 81 - Dr Lewis Tennant (Sizzla, Capleton, and 90s reggae)( 0:56:26)
Episode Information
This episode I chat to Dr Lewis Tennant (lately the host of Verbal Highs, and also the brains behind the annual NZ Podcasting Summit) about an era of reggae music from the 1990s, exemplified by artists like Sizzla and Capleton. We go deep on the history of the music, its underlying philosophy, and the factors that give this specific era its unique sound.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 1/08/2025 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 80 - Morgan Davie (Phenomena 1985)( 0:58:11)
Episode Information
"Phenomena" (1985) is a movie that is hard to describe without sounding insane. Jennifer Connelly (aged 14, one year out from breaking through in "Labyrinth") stars as a high school girl with the mysterious ability to commune with insects. When she is sent to an exclusive Swiss boarding school for girls, she becomes embroiled in a series of gruesome murders of students which she must investigate with the aid of an eccentric entomologist played by Donald Pleasance and his assistance chimpanzee. The chimpanzee is significantly more important than you'd expect.
The movie was directed by incredibly prolific Italian director Dario Argento (best known for hallucinatory fever dream giallo like "Suspiria" and "Deep Red") and is significantly more chaotic than his usual style.
Morgan Davie, last heard discussing "Under The Skin" way back in Episode #7, joins the show to talk through this very strange, kind of fascinating movie.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 18/07/2025 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 79 - Shaun Duke (Nightbreed)( 0:56:37)
Episode Information
Nightbreed (1990) is an absolutely fascinating movie. It's Clive Barker flexing his muscles after the massive success of Hellraiser (1988) and really letting loose with an elaborate dark fantasy full of implications about complex mythology and cosmology, a gorgeously-stylised world, and many MANY weird little guys. It's also an incredibly ambitious movie that never quite manages to realise its ambitions, and a tortured project that was compromised and undercut by executive meddling. There's a lot in here that shares DNA with other dark/Gothic fantasy/horror projects of the 90s like The Crow, or the more adult works of Tim Burton - so why are those things cult hits, and this is a cult failure? Shaun Duke of The Skiffy and Fanty Show (https://skiffyandfanty.com) joins the pod to discuss this strange and powerful film!
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 20/06/2025 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 78 - Bitter Karella (Nothing But Trouble)( 1:6:15)
Episode Information
What happens when Dan Aykroyd at the absolute peak of his popularity as both a comic powerhouse and a dramatic actor gets a vast budget, and more or less total creative control to make a movie? He makes "Nothing But Trouble" - an ambitious, star-studded, and (to be charitable) tonally-confused horror comedy which flopped at the box office and is more or less universally panned to this day. A pair of yuppies played by Chevy Chase and Demi Moore fall foul of a deranged 106 year old judge (played by Aykroyd himself under some impressively vile prosthetics and makeup) and hi-jinks ensue. Returning guest Bitter Karella is one of this movie's few defenders, and joins the show to talk us through what the hell is going on here.
Find most things Bitter Karella at www.midnightpals.com, and her new book "Moonflow" at www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/bitter-karella/moonflow/9780316581936 (or wherever you get books on the internet!)
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 2/05/2025 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 77 - Erin McLean (The Fly 1986)( 1:1:22)
Episode Information
David Cronenberg's 1986 movie "The Fly" is among his best-regarded, and is an absolute classic in the canon of gnarly, gloopy, practical-effects mostly-80s body horror movies. It's also an oddly poetic tragedy about watching someone you love succumb to something awful and inevitable, and a character study that follows a sympathetic oddball's transformation into an absolute monstrosity. Erin MClean, local Palmerston North actor, director, and general creative-person-about-town joins the show to discuss all of this and we have a lot of fun getting deeply in the weeds.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 4/04/2025 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 76 - Ross Palethorpe (The Wasp Factory)( 1:8:52)
Episode Information
Scottish author Iain Banks is probably best known (under the name Iain M. Banks) for his iconic Culture novels, which had a titanic impact on far-future "space-operatic" science fiction. His debut novel, 1984's "The Wasp Factory" is significantly less well-known. It is an INCREDIBLY divisive book which, love it or hate it (early editions published four full pages of both rabidly positive *and* negative reviews), will leave a massive impact on any reader. Ross Palethorpe rejoins the podcast to talk about this Gothic nightmare fairytale of a book.
CW for (not especially detailed) discussion of murder, animal abuse, child abuse and neglect.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 14/03/2025 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 75 - Solo minisode (A Better Death Cult)( 0:47:15)
Episode Information
I ruminate on useful ways to think about one's enemies' motives, prompted by considering the obscure horror movie "Jugface" (2013) in contrast with other depictions of fictional "death cults".
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 28/02/2025 9:00:00 p.m.
Parallel episode: Waitangi Day with Dr. Peter Cleave( 0:55:36)
Episode Information
In the absence of a new mainline episode, I decided to do a parallel upload of this special I recorded for Waitangi Day this week.
Waitangi Day and the Treaty of Waitangi occupy a complicated place in New Zealand's public consciousness, especially in light of the current debate around David Seymour's Treaty Principles Bill. In this special longform interview for Waitangi Day 2025, Hugh talks to Dr Peter Cleave about this complex and difficult history. Dr Peter Cleave has been involved with retention and development of Te Reo Māori since the 1970s, holding numerous teaching roles at all levels. He has been both an academic and a broadcaster in Te Reo Māori, and was named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2025 for services to Māori language education.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 7/02/2025 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 74 - Elana Levin and John Cecil (Hair Metal)( 1:18:32)
Episode Information
"Hair metal" is, right off the bat, a disputed term. It began as a way of disparaging the pop glam metal of the 80s in comparison with the more "authentic" grunge movement that was becoming more fashionable in the early 90s, but was embraced by some fans of the genre as a catch-all term for groups who wouldn't necessarily have considered themselves part of the same scene at the time. However you slice it, hair metal was much MUCH bigger than you remember it, and its demise was far less total. Elana Levin (Graphic Policy Radio, Deep Space Dive) and returning champion John Cecil join the show to school me on an era and genre I know shamefully little about.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 31/01/2025 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 73 - Solo minisode (RIP David Lynch)( 0:42:18)
Episode Information
I'm back! I decided I'd like to get to ep 100 before I wrap this thing up, so that's nice. In this episode I have a bunch of thoughts prompted by the passing of David Lynch, and witnessing other people's takes on his life and work. I also get a bit into That Vulture Article re: the evolving Gaiman situation but I don't say anything very graphic or descriptive.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 17/01/2025 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 72 - Solo minisode (Against Common Sense)( 0:51:5)
Episode Information
On the last episode of the year (possibly the last ever?) I return to the solo minisode format to talk about the plague of "common sense" which I think is seriously damaging our current political climate.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 20/12/2024 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 71 - James Lissette on modular synths( 0:54:46)
Episode Information
I've recently started messing around with VCV Rack (www.vcvrackcom) a virtual modular synth environment, so the time seemed right to have a chat to James Lissette. James has had a long history in Palmerston North music, and a lifelong fascination with modular synths. We chat about the history and principles of modular, all while listening to a generative patch on James's hardware modular setup.
NB: this episode is (unusually) in stereo - so may reward listening on nicer headphones than usual!
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 27/09/2024 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 70 - Solo minisode on Neil Gaiman and authors being evil( 0:54:53)
Episode Information
The thing about doing a show about problematic faves is that sometimes your own faves become problematic. Neil Gaiman is an author whose work has meant a lot to me at various times, and who now has (at time of writing) 5 credible accusations of historic sexual assault, detailed in the podcast "Master" (https://www.tortoisemedia.com/listen/master-the-allegations-against-neil-gaiman). On my first solo episode, I talk through my feelings about Gaiman, the similar case of Warren Ellis (https://www.somanyofus.com), how these issues arise, and what we do next.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 20/09/2024 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 69 - Bitter Karella (00's Webcomics)( 1:11:46)
Episode Information
Due to a confluence of factors, the early 00's saw a massive explosion of creativity in online comics. I talk to Karella, author of Midnight Pals (www.midnightpals.com) host of A Special Presentation, or Alf Will Not Be Seen Tonight (https://apple.co/3zACns8), and Person Cursed To Know About Sinfest, about all of this. We cover the general landscape and taxonomy of 00's online comics, the factors that led to their proliferation, and where they ended up going.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.
Published: 5/07/2024 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 68 - Catherine McNamara (Harry Potter)( 1:1:22)
Episode Information
In the wake of JK Rowling's general personal awfulness, it's become fashionable to say that no part of the Harry Potter franchise ecosystem was ever good. But does any piece of genuinely unmitigated garbage get as big as Harry Potter did, and stay that big for as long? I read the books as they came out, and my assessment at the time was that the worst of them was "fine". This episode I talk to Catherine McNamara, a much deeper Potterhead than I ever was, to talk about the books, the fandom, the movies, and the challenges of reckoning with art made by a person who just keeps on getting worse and worse in real time.
Published: 15/03/2024 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 67 - Mira (Warhammer 40K)( 0:58:24)
Episode Information
In the grim darkness of the future, there is only war....
This episode I talk to Mira (@anarchoshanties.bsky.social) about the deep and convoluted lore and enduring appeal of the massive and endlessly complicated Warhammer 40,000. We talk chaos gods, a potted history of the Empire of Humanity, and how to deal with a hobby that attracts a disproportionate number of actual unironic Nazis.
Find Mira's games at: https://omnicide101.itch.io/
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 8/03/2024 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 66 - John Cecil (The Misfits)( 0:59:18)
Episode Information
John Cecil (Zombie Beach) joins the show to discuss The Misfits, a band who answer the question "what if the Ramones were fronted by Elvis and sang almost exclusively about pulp horror?" We dig into the band's music and career, the creative and personal tensions at their core, and the continuing artistic career of their frontman Glen Danzig.
Find out more about Zombie Beach here: https://www.facebook.com/p/Zombie-Beach-100066448457570/?paipv=0&eav=AfbTkUYHWIuHwfmrGAI2WLVwOL7qiuBCv_gDA-MYiORbfqcW89xI55MQtJ_PEoVNV68&_rdr
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 16/02/2024 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 65 - Angus Dingwall (Spec Ops: The Line)( 1:19:38)
Episode Information
This episode I talk to my brother Angus about the (at the time) controversial game Spec Ops: The Line, which used a franchise reboot of an existing tactical shooter series to attempt a series of powerful critiques of the modern military shooter genre, player culpability in videogame violence, and war in general. Did it succeed? In a word, mostly. CW for discussions of graphic violence and spoilers for a videogame from 2012.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 9/02/2024 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 64 - Stuart Drake (Blink 182)( 0:57:26)
Episode Information
Way back when I talked to Stuart Drake (The Fatalities) about Sonic the Hedgehog, he said to get in touch if I ever wanted to talk Blink 182, and sure enough there is a new Blink 182 album out - so now seemed like the time. We chat about the band, their history as a (kind of fractious) group, their role in popularising pop punk as a genre, and the surprising level of vulnerability they bring to their songwriting.
Find The Fatalities at https://thefatalities.bandcamp.com/
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 8/12/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 63 - Matthew Jenkin (AI)( 0:59:3)
Episode Information
AI (or something that goes by that name at least) is the current global tech fad du jour. People have cited it as the thing that will save/doom us all, a pointless waste of time, and a means of committing fraud and plagiarism with much greater speed and efficiency than ever before. Which of these assessments are true? Kind of all and none of them. Matthew Jenkin (who actually knows things about computers) joins the pod this week to discuss the whole field.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 3/11/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 62 - Shannon Strucci ("Lupin III and the Mystery of Mamo")( 0:58:35)
Episode Information
Most Kiwis, if they know Lupin III at all, probably know him from the Miyazaki Hayao-directed "Castle of Cagliostro" which is on NZ Netflix as part of the Studio Ghibli Collection. "Cagliostro" is good, but presents a kinder and gentler version of the master thief than the majority of Lupin media. "The Mystery of Mamo" is the previous Lupin movie, and hews closer to the madcap violence and lechery of the original manga. It's weird, experimental, (and has a surprise Hitler cameo!) Shannon Strucci is an internet commentator, podcaster, amateur Lupinologist, and made the video essay that inspired this podcast. We talk about "Mamo" and the wild world of Lupin III generally, and it is a Good Time.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 15/09/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 61 - Jay Brandstetter and Winslow Dumaine (90's and 00's "Edge")( 0:55:48)
Episode Information
Over the last couple of episodes I've ended up circling back to "it was the 90's" as an explanation for weird or offensive elements in TTRPGs. I felt like this was a thread worth pulling on, so I called on Jay Brandstetter and Winslow Dumaine of the podcast "I'm From The Internet" (https://shows.acast.com/im-from-the-internet-a-podcast-about-somethingawfulcom) to help me unpack the edgy internet style of the 90's and 00's, and explore its ongoing impact on our culture.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 30/06/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 60 - Sean Murphy (Violence 1999)( 0:55:47)
Episode Information
The last of my KiwiRPG Week miniseries (www.kiwirpg.com for more on that!) this time I talk to Sean Murphy (www.smurphy-games.itch.io) about "Violence", a satirical 1999 roleplaying game by Greg Costikyan (www.costik.com) under the pseudonym "Designer X". Violence is part of a wave of critiques of the state of the roleplaying scene that emerged through the mid-late 90s, and in particular attempted to skewer mainstream gaming's relationships with both wanton violence and consumerism. How successful is the satire? We'll get into that...
CW on this one for discussions of violence and general 90s edginess.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 16/06/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 59 - Tim Denee (Deadlands)( 1:3:40)
Episode Information
This episode in my continuing mini-series for KiwiRPG week (www.kiwirpg.com for more on that!) I talk to Tim Denee of Old Dog Games (www.olddog.games) about the game I used to play with him back in high school: Deadlands. Deadlands is a "weird west" roleplaying game, and is a fascinating microcosm of a lot of both the good and the bad of 90s game design with a very distinctive balance of genuinely cool ideas, hokey weirdness, and outright broken mechanics. By comparison we also get into passing discussions of the World of Darkness, WEG's D6 Star Wars game, and particularly Vincent Baker's Dogs in the Vineyard. Minor CW on this one for discussions of racism, sexism, and cultural appropriation.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 9/06/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 58 - Mike Sands (Unique TTRPGs)( 0:53:54)
Episode Information
KiwiRPG week is (at time of publishing) just round the corner! I'm doing a few interviews with NZ TTRPG folks to mark the occasion, and the first of these is with Mike Sands (Monster of the Week - https://evilhat.com/product/monster-of-the-week) talking about RPGs that use unusual mechanical or storytelling methods. We cover a pretty broad range of stuff, but in particular talk about Maskwitches, Wanderhome, Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast, and Sunderwald. For more on KiwiRPG: www.kiwirpg.com!
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 2/06/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 57 - Derrick Sims (Cloud Atlas)( 0:50:59)
Episode Information
"Cloud Atlas" is probably the Wachowski sisters' most divisive movie - critics at the time (and audiences today) seem to either love it or hate it. Today's guest (filmmaker and cinematographer Derrick Sims) and I are obviously in the former camp. This episode we look at this intensely ambitious movie and dig into what makes it so hard for some people to get their heads around.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 12/05/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 56 - Scott Hamilton (ANZAC History)( 1:0:44)
Episode Information
One of the things that makes me very uncomfortable about NZ society is the way that ANZAC Day is recognised. It seems to me that most discussion around the day tends to recycle what is essentially contemporary propaganda about the causes and aims of WWI in particular. On this episode I'm joined by Scott Hamilton (@SikotiHamiltonR) author, essayist, and researcher, to discuss some forgotten parts of ANZAC history that complicate the heroic myth. CW for discussion of violence.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 21/04/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 55 - Arka and Caleb (Cinema Paradiso)( 1:1:5)
Episode Information
In one of our less-reserved recommendation episodes, I'm joined by Arka and Caleb of the Life, Love & Lenses project (www.lifeloveandlenses.co.nz) to talk about Giuseppe Tornatore's beautiful 1988 film "Cinema Paradiso". We chat about the movie's difficult relationship with nostalgia, and it's many themes around love and creativity.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 24/03/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 54 - Angus Dingwall (The Punk)( 1:16:23)
Episode Information
The Punk (1994) is a movie that has fascinated me since I saw it. It hit my friend group in the mid-90's with a force that permanently altered our mimetic speech patterns. It was ubiquitous enough to be in pretty much all video stores with a "festival" or "art" section and show up as a late night TV movie several times throughout the decade, and then vanished pretty much without a trace. My brother Angus joins the pod to discuss the impact and dubious merits of this strange, ephemeral film.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 24/02/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 53 - Ross Palethorpe (Dark Star)( 1:4:45)
Episode Information
Dark Star (1974) is a cult classic sci-fi movie mostly notable as the first project of both Dan O'Bannon (wrote Alien, did some SFX for an obscure late 70's movie called "Star Wars") and John Carpenter (no introduction needed!) It follows the misadventures of the titular ship's crew, and did an enormous amount to set the tone of sci fi that looks at space as a shitty blue collar job. Returning champ Ross Palethorpe joins the pod to discuss the movie, its influence, and his affection for it.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 17/02/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 52 - The Good the Bad and the Whoreable (Sexual shame)( 1:15:18)
Episode Information
In another "big issue" episode, this time I talk to Vixen, Scarlett, and Willow from The Good, The Bad, and the Whoreable podcast (www.goodbadwhoreable.com) about sexual shame. We compare and contrast NZ and US attitudes around sexuality, and talk about the influence of history, politics, and religion on the way things are right now.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 10/02/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 51 - Hannah Blake (Adventures In Odyssey)( 1:8:5)
Episode Information
"Adventures in Odyssey" is a radio (and video, and video game!) series produced by Focus On The Family as children's entertainment for fundamentalist evangelical Christian families. Hannah Blake (@exfundyfeminist) joins me to discuss the "Castles & Cauldrons" two-part episode (which is AiO's contribution to the Christian panic about roleplaying games) and the wider ecosystem of fundamentalist Christian media.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 25/11/2022 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 50 - Michiel Verkade (The Grateful Dead)( 1:5:56)
Episode Information
Over the course of their 30 year career (from 1965 until Jerry Garcia's death in 1995) the Grateful Dead took a long strange trip through almost the entirety of the American musical vernacular, while maintaining almost exactly the same core lineup. Michiel Verkade joins me to talk about the Dead, and we discover in short order that an hour is not really enough time to talk about the Dead.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 26/08/2022 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 49 - Spencer Hall (TISM)( 0:52:31)
Episode Information
This week Spencer Hall from OAR FM Dunedin joins the pod to talk TISM! This Is Serious Mum (TISM) are an anonymous Australian band who kind of defy classification.
They concealed their identities behind bizarre costumes and made music that mocked norms of good taste and decency as often as it mocked people they thought deserved it, all while being perversely listenable.
Find Spencer's Oddities show at www.r1.co.nz/programme/monday/theoddittiesshow
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 5/08/2022 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 48 - Kane Power (Hardcore)( 0:48:16)
Episode Information
Hardcore is an aggressive style of rock music that emerged from punk in the late 70s and early 80s in the USA. Since its inception, it's evolved in all directions simultaneously and spawned dozens of subgenres, each with their own nuances of style and approach. On tonight's show I talk to Kane Power (Precision Podcasting, TeamSquad), hardcore fan and person who has actually studied the genre from an academic standpoint.
Precision Podcasting: www.precisionpodcasting.com
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 8/07/2022 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 47 - Angus Dingwall (The online far right)( 1:14:36)
Episode Information
There's been a lot of talk in relation to the Parliament Occupation in New Zealand (and the Jan 6 riots in America, among others) about the involvement of the online far right ("internet Nazis") in organising and facilitating these events. This is met with some confusion by some participants, who don't see themselves as far right. In this episode I talk to my brother Angus about how the online far right works, what they want, and how that manifests in meat space.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 24/06/2022 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 46 - Collin Bjork (Texas)( 0:48:31)
Episode Information
Texas is a big place, and contains multitudes. In many ways, the most American part of America, it contributes enormously to iconic US culture, food, and music, but also embodies many of America's worst trends and impulses. This episode I talk to Collin Bjork, academic, podcaster, and Texan, about the huge and complicated tangle that is Texas.
Find all of Collin's many many things at www.collinbjork.com
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 10/06/2022 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 45 - Joshua Marchant (Ren and Stimpy)( 0:57:20)
Episode Information
Despite running a mere two seasons in its original form and amassing only 52 episodes across its eventual 5 seasons, "Ren & Stimpy" is probably the single most influential of the early 90's "Nicktoons". It has an artistic legacy that persists even now, but was undone both practically and in terms of PR by the erratic (and eventually criminal) behaviour of its creator. Joshua Marchant of Mukpuddy Animation joins me to talk about the show, its influence, and its difficult legacy.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 27/05/2022 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 44 - Victor (War and war stories)( 1:1:3)
Episode Information
As someone who generally opposes war, I've always had a tricky relationship with ANZAC Day and the way that it seems to uncritically repeat WWI propaganda about the rightness of the fight.
On tonight's episode, I talk to my old friend Victor of the Rogue Insider Podcast (https://anchor.fm/rogue-insider) about war, war stories, and geopolitical strategy. Victor's academic background is in strategic geopolitics, so this gets complicated and we resolve nothing - much like war itself.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 22/04/2022 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 43 - Liam (TTRPGs)( 1:6:3)
Episode Information
I've talked about specific games and settings before (Glorantha/Runequest and the World of Darkness to be precise) but I've yet to take on the hobby as a whole. This ends today! On this episode I talk to Liam Stevens of Toa Tabletop (www.toatabletop.com) about tabletop roleplaying as a hobby and an artform. We talk about our own tastes and histories with gaming, some long-standing controversies, and some newer innovations in play style and safety tools.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 11/03/2022 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 42 - Nancy Howie (The Joe Boyd/John Wood-iverse)( 0:56:31)
Episode Information
In the UK in the 60s and 70s there was an explosion of musical creativity that started with roots in folk, and expanded to encompass rock, pop, folk, jazz, psychedelia, and World Music. At the core of this explosion was the production team of engineer John Wood and producer Joe Boyd. On this episode I talk to Nancy Howie (Fathom, Tweed ) about the extended Joe Boyd/John Wood-iverse.
You can find all of Nancy's various things at https://linktr.ee/fathommusicnz
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 25/02/2022 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 41 - Kyle Church (Anime and manga)( 1:5:46)
Episode Information
In the 30ish years since they hit New Zealand, anime and manga have become a big part of many people's pop culture diets. (It's me, I'm many people).
This episode I talk to Kyle from 1/200 Media (www.1of200.nz) about what draws us to Japanese entertainment, and the challenges that come with cross-cultural translation, interacting with this peculiarly problematic chunk of the global entertainment industry, and general "anime nonsense".
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 18/02/2022 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 40 - Sammy G (90s Video Game movies)( 0:58:44)
Episode Information
In the first episode of Season 3, I talk to Sammy G (Pipebombs and Headlocks) about the weird, bad, and sometimes wonderful video game movie adaptations of the 1990s.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 21/01/2022 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 39 - Matthew Jenkin (The Goon Show)( 0:59:35)
Episode Information
The Goon Show was a long-running, deeply weird, and highly influential British radio comedy series written primarily by Spike Milligan and performed by him and his friends Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe. It laid the groundwork for later weird anarchic British comedy (the Monty Python crew in particular cite it as an inspiration) as well as permanently altering the English language by giving us terms like "the dreaded lurgy" and leading to the creation of the BBC Radiophonic workshop (and thus indirectly to the Dr Who theme, and the TARDIS noise). Matthew Jenkin rejoins the pod to talk about our mutual youthful appreciation the show, and the way that that has evolved over time as we've begun to understand its darker and filthier undertones, and discover the ways in which it was the product of significant and unacknowledged trauma.
Check out Matthew's wife Fiona's project Stitch Kitchen here: https://www.facebook.com/StitchKitchenDunedin
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 26/11/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 38 - Derrick Sims (Jacques Tati)( 1:1:33)
Episode Information
Jacques Tati was a French filmmaker and actor whose career (as a director at least) ran from 1935-1978. He's most famous for the comic character character Monsieur Hulot (a primary inspiration for Mr. Bean) who he played across four films between 1953 and 1971. Tati's comedy is completely unique - highly choreographed, very visual, and often entirely unconcerned with modern considerations like character development or plot. This can make his movies a tough watch for modern audiences used to quicker and more character-driven fare. Derrick Sims (Tararua Cinematheque) rejoins the show to discuss Tati's filmic vision, and the challenges and rewards of watching movies that demand patience from the viewer.
Tararua Cinematheque on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TararuaCinema
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 24/09/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 37 - John and Ross Palethorpe (Dune 1984)( 1:4:8)
Episode Information
Dune (1984) was a notoriously tortured production, eventually helmed by David Lynch (who was so disgusted with the final product that he insisted on being credited as "Alan Smithee"). The film is gorgeous, weird, and kind of impenetrable if you're not already familiar with the books, but it's developed a cult following, and was hugely influential for many overserious nerds in the 80s and 90s. The books it's based on are simultaneously an attempt to deconstruct heroic sci-fi tropes of the 40s and 50s while embodying many of the biases of the 60s. I talk to John and Ross (aka PostingDad and ThatBikeDad on Twitter and hosts of PostingCast) about their relationships with the movie and the books, and how you go about approaching such a fundamentally problematic fave.
Find PostingCast at: https://postingcast.podbean.com
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 17/09/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 36 - Matthew Jenkin (Escape Rooms)( 0:52:45)
Episode Information
Escape Rooms are a kind of real world puzzle game based around (oddly enough) escaping a locked room. They have a lineage that goes back to computer adventure games, and are a fascinating case study in puzzle design and the joys and perils of group work. Matthew Jenkin (whose day job involves teaching computer science students problem solving through puzzles) joins the pod to talk about his experience with escape rooms and join me in going deep in the weeds talking about game and puzzle design more generally.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 3/09/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 35 - Fraser Greig (The 100)( 0:56:28)
Episode Information
"The 100" is a show that ran on the CW from 2014 to 2020. It featured a near future (about 90 years away) in which Earth has been ravaged by nuclear war, and the survivors live in orbit on a space station. With resources running out, they send 100 conventionally-attractive teenagers to the surface to find out if it's habitable. The result is 7 seasons of variably good, but always compulsively consumable sci-fi drama, and Fraser Greig joins the podcast to talk about its various ups, downs, and culdesacs.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 27/08/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 34 - Ben Caldwell (Pro wrestling)( 1:1:4)
Episode Information
This week I talk to Ben Caldwell (DIY Comedy) about the colourful, ludicrous, dangerous, and weirdly compelling world of pro wrestling. We end up spending a surprising amount of time talking about labour relations.
DIY Comedy is at: www.facebook.com/diycomedynz or www.diycomedynz.com/
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 30/07/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 33 - Derrick Sims (The Neon Demon)( 1:9:13)
Episode Information
The Neon Demon is a beautiful, strange, slow-burning horror movie from Nicolas Winding Refn. On this episode, I talk to Derrick Sims about The Neon Demon, the rest of Refn's similarly gorgeous, slow-moving, and kind of opaque filmography in a discussion that also expands to include Dylan, Tom Waits, Jodorowsky, and Thomas Ligotti.
Find Derrick's filmography at http://fabledmotionpictures.com/
Find the Tararua Cinematheque at https://www.facebook.com/TararuaCinema
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 23/07/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 32 - Jay Dragon (Jupiter Ascending)( 0:56:39)
Episode Information
"Jupiter Ascending" is a 2015 movie from the Wachowski Sisters. It's a maniacally over the top space opera with a stellar cast and a fascinatingly weird setting. It's also widely regarded as one of if not the worst of the Wachowskis' films, and was the last one they made together. Jay Dragon (@jdragsky) joins me to talk about the movie, and why it's so much fun while never quite getting it together enough to become actually good.
Find Jay's work at https://www.possumcreekgames.com/
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 25/06/2021 8:45:00 p.m.
Episode 31 - Rob Mildon (Castlevania)( 0:53:8)
Episode Information
If you were to pick a property to turn into a hard-R (much violent, very swears, wow) anime-adjacent TV series, a Nintendo game from a series which started in 1986 (i.e. the peak bleep blopp video games era) might not be your first port of call. And yet, Netflix's adaptation of Castlevania is one of its best-regarded original creations, especially with horror and adult animation fans. It's surprisingly heartfelt amid all the gore and has some absolutely killer vocal performances from people like Richard Armitage, James Callis, Graham McTavish, and Bill Nighy.
I talk to Rob Mildon, first ever guest and returning champion, about what makes Castlevania so great and the tough call about whether to keep watching in light of allegations against the lead writer Warren Ellis which emerged in 2020.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 18/06/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 30 - Heinz (One Punch Man)( 0:54:33)
Episode Information
One Punch Man, by the pseudonymous mangaka "ONE" is many things. It's a pisstake of shonen and seinen manga/anime tropes, which gleefully embraces an aesthetic best described as "anime bullshit". It's also a surprisingly deep look at disillusionment with modern Japanese cultural ideals, despite taking on the challenge of parodying over the top power fantasy action by doing it harder than anyone else. Heinz joins the pod to talk about all the reasons OPM is great, while also discussing whether you can ever parody something through imitation without picking up some of the problems you want to poke fun at (and a whole bunch of other stuff as well).
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 11/06/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 29 - May (Nyx Fears) (The Holy Mountain)( 0:57:57)
Episode Information
Alejandro Jodorowsky is a Chilean film maker who aims to speak in symbolic language, and make films that replicate the full force of the psychedelic experience. In 1973, bolstered by the success of his "acid Western" El Topo, Jodorowsky made The Holy Mountain - his first project with major financial backing and near-total creative freedom. The result is a deeply strange and allegorical movie that can be transcendental if you get on its level (or might just lose you entirely).
This episode I talk to May, host of the Youtube channel Nyx Fears, about the power, magic, and symbolism of The Holy Mountain, and the vision (and problems) of Jodorowsky as a very 70s guy with very 70s guy problems.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
May is @NyxFears on Twitter. Nyx Fears on Youtube is at: https://www.youtube.com/user/BrutalMovieReview
Published: 7/05/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 28 - Angus Dingwall (Men)( 1:2:19)
Episode Information
Being a dude (particularly a white dude) puts one in an odd position. You simultaneously enjoy as much systemic privilege as is possible (disregarding financial class, at least), and find that that comes at the cost of any sort of cultural marker that you could feasibly use to identify yourself. You also find much of the world fairly (justifiably) unsympathetic to any problems you might be having - a situation that grifters and fascists find particularly fertile ground.
Angus Dingwall rejoins the podcast to talk about this strange position, its many dangers and seductions, and some root causes of the problem (if not yet too many solutions) in what might be part one of a longer series?
Published: 2/04/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 27 - Stef Animal (The Magnetic Fields)( 0:56:59)
Episode Information
The Magnetic Fields are an odd band. Formed around singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Stephin Merrit, they exist as a showcase for his songs, without necessarily being a showcase for his performance. The songs themselves are wildly diverse in genre, production, and instrumentation, while sharing a sardonic sense of humour wed to a deep emotional sincerity. Additionally, Magnetic Fields albums are often produced to a strict creative limit such as "everything is distorted" or "all the songs start with the definite article". Stef Animal (@stef_animal) joins the podcast to talk about her love of The Magnetic Fields, and the value of giving yourself creative limits.
Find Stef's music at:
https://stef-animal.bandcamp.com/
https://thegoldenawesome.bandcamp.com/
https://mestar.bandcamp.com/
Published: 26/02/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 26 - Stuart Drake (Sonic)( 0:52:25)
Episode Information
For all the franchises one could possibly be a fan of, Sonic The Hedgehog has to be one of the most difficult and heartbreaking. Historically, Sega has had very little idea what to do with the character, leading to wildly divergent characterisations between different projects (which have spanned video games, comics, movies, and animated TV). On top of that, he's a video game character whose flagship video games are almost never actually good. Stuart Drake (The Fatalities, Drake & Co.) has been a fan since Sonic 2 (or thereabouts) and joins the podcast to discuss the joys and pains of loving a blue hedgehog.
The Fatalities: https://thefatalities.bandcamp.com/
Drake & Co.: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOfFSwZA1am4Ewae3y_v2QQ?feature=emb_ch_name_ex
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 12/02/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 25 - Angus Dingwall (The World of Darkness)( 0:59:6)
Episode Information
If you're a nerd-adjacent person of about my vintage, then the World Of Darkness is something that you probably have some complicated thoughts about. It was a collection of dark urban fantasy roleplaying games that shared an implied universe during a time when the prevailing fashion in that scene was still for heroic fantasy or sci-fi, it came at a fascinating transition point for RPGs as a hobby, and it embodied some very *very* 90s cultural and genre tropes. It's also still around (more or less) and on this episode I talk to my brother Angus about the history, significance, and newest version of the WoD.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 4/02/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 24 - Vorn Colgan (QAnon)( 1:5:20)
Episode Information
If you're a conspiracy buff, then Q is the new biggest thing. It's a massive, all-encompassing, crowd-sourced conspiracy theory whose tenets are diverse but center around the idea of Donald Trump waging a secret war against a global cabal of elite paedophiles (who may also be evil wizards). It's also rapidly beginning to spill over into the real world, with local adherents cropping up in New Zealand's recent general election, and American Q believers making up a major component of the group who recently staged an armed takeover of the Capitol. Musician and conspiracy fan Vorn Colgan (Vorn, The Wellington Sea Shanty Society) joins the podcast to discuss the appeal of Q both to its believers and its outside followers, and the ethics and implications of this kind of movement.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 14/01/2021 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 23 - Serena Deane (Censorship)( 0:59:1)
Episode Information
Censorship is a tricky issue! It's not exactly controversial to say that some art is not appropriate for some people, but how do we decide precisely where those lines sit, and what actual practical steps do we take to attempt to enforce them? Serena Deane (@shit-imma-artist basically everywhere) is a local Palmerston North artist whose work features a fair degree of "unsheathed titties". We attempt to break down the whole censorship mess, looking at social media policies, differing standards for different kinds of content, the risks of uncensored media, and maybe some practical approaches that might make some stuff better.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 10/12/2020 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 22 - Eddie McEwan (Glorantha)( 0:59:20)
Episode Information
Back at the dawn of tabletop roleplaying, there were three big games on the scene - the cod-fantasy pastiche Dungeons and Dragons, the hard sci-fi Traveller, and the strange, mythic Runequest. Runequest (and its setting Glorantha) are unique and idiosyncratic creations unlike anything else in western fantasy.
Eddie McEwan (host of The Audio Archive - www.mpr.nz/show/aurdioarchive) joins the podcast to talk about Glorantha, its history and impact, and its creator Greg Stafford.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 12/11/2020 8:45:00 p.m.
Episode 21 - Matt Sanko (Palmerston North music of the 90s)( 0:59:45)
Episode Information
As part of my job here at Manawatū People's Radio, I end up adding a lot of local Palmerston North music to the station. In the course of doing this I've noticed that there's a massive musical subculture that came and went without much in the way of record. Matt Sanko was a big part of that scene, playing drums in a dizzying array of local bands. I chat to him about the Palmy scene of the 90's, the bands that made it up, and the circumstances that gave rise to it.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 29/10/2020 8:45:00 p.m.
Episode 20 - Jojo (John Congleton)( 0:56:50)
Episode Information
John Congleton is a producer who's worked with acts ranging from St Vincent and Laurie Anderson to Bono and the Baja Men. He also makes music, in the bands "The Paper Chase" and "Nighty Nite" that sounds the way horror movies feel. Jojo from the band Departure Party joins me to talk about him, and his weird scary music.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 8/10/2020 8:45:00 p.m.
Episode 19 - Dylan Horrocks (Old movies)( 1:10:30)
Episode Information
Movies have the ability to transport us to another place, and teach us to see differently. When it comes to movies from another time, this presents a fascinating opportunity to look at the attitudes and priorities of the past. Dylan Horrocks (hicksvillecomics.com) joins the podcast to talk about this through the lens of 4 specific movies - "The Adventures of Robin Hood", "Tarzan and his Mate", "Song of Kong", and the supremely weird "Oklahoma!"
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 24/09/2020 8:45:00 p.m.
Episode 18 - Kristen Paterson (Gossip Girl)( 0:58:55)
Episode Information
Gossip Girl is an American TV drama that ran from 2007-2012. Kristen Paterson (Wellington Access Radio, Tidal Rave) joins the podcast to talk about this campy, trashy, gloriously pretty show, and we immediately get deep into the weeds. It's fun though.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 10/09/2020 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 17 - Brendan Christie (Uncut Gems)( 0:52:5)
Episode Information
Netflix's "Uncut Gems" is a movie centered around a powerhouse central performance by Adam Sandler, and a tone of escalating tension which turns it into something akin to a 2 hour panic attack. It's no fun to watch, but I kind of loved it. Brendan Christie (The Mentalist Collective) joins the podcast to talk about the movie, how it fits into Adam Sandler's broader career, and whether movies need to be fun to be good.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 27/08/2020 8:45:00 p.m.
Episode 16 - Dr. Sophia Frentz (Zumba)( 0:49:51)
Episode Information
Zumba is a popular, unfairly maligned, and occasionally kinda problematic dance exercise style. It's a useful illustration of the concept of "great trash", and Dr. Sophia Frentz (one of the hosts of the sadly lamented podcast "Things Of Interest") joins me to talk about it. We get into the idea of great trash, the various joys and problems of Zumba, and by extension talk a bit about the ways that it's good to exceed and expand your cultural comfort zone (especially if you're white).
Sophia wants to plug Archer Magazine (http://archermagazine.com.au) and "The End Of Everything, Astrophysically Speaking" (https://www.amazon.com/End-Everything-Astrophysically-Speaking/dp/198210354X)
Published: 20/08/2020 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 15 - Adam Dodd (Robin Hobb)( 0:56:6)
Episode Information
Robin Hobb is an American fantasy author best known for her incredibly long-running (1995-2017) series set in the "realm of the Elderlings". Her specialty might be described as taking very human and sympathetic characters, and putting them through the wringer at incredible length. Obviously this is not for everyone (especially since the full "Elderlings" set encompasses 15 fairly weighty hardback books). On this episode I talk to Adam Dodd about Hobb's work, and our affection for (and difficulties with) it.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 30/07/2020 8:45:00 p.m.
Episode 14 - Kyle Hastelow (God)( 0:56:0)
Episode Information
Human belief is a fascinating thing, but too often a pillar around which people can bolster their pre-existing prejudices. Kyle Hastelow is one of the most devout (and thoughtfully devout) people I know. This conversation ranges over his religious upbringing, the way his faith has evolved over time, and the hermeneutics he uses to guide his spiritual progress.
Rekhast is at: https://www.facebook.com/being.rekhast/ and https://twitter.com/re_khast
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 23/07/2020 8:30:00 p.m.
Episode 13 - Rachel Dore (The truth of 1954)( 1:0:2)
Episode Information
How do you tell the truth about the past - especially an era as complex and controversial as the 1950s? There's a narrow line between glossing over the failings of that time, appearing to promote them, or interrupting yourself to apply a modern critical lens - none of which approaches are ideal. In something of a spiritual sequel to Emma G's "feminism" episode, Rachel Dore joins me to talk about the historical novel she's writing about New Zealand in 1954, and her recollections of that time.
CW for mentions (though not detailed discussions) of racism and sexual assault.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 2/07/2020 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 12 - Angus Dingwall (Lost Girls)( 1:5:27)
Episode Information
Angus returns (our first ever returning guest!) to talk about Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie's beautiful pornographic book "Lost Girls". On the way we talk about Moore and Gebbie's careers in comics and other media, "Lost Girls" as both art and porn, and the place of pornography in art generally.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 18/06/2020 1:24:00 p.m.
Episode 11 - Katherine Beresford (Immersive theatre)( 0:39:50)
Episode Information
Immersive theatre is a relatively new and wildly popular theatrical form, employing thousands of actors in the UK. Katherine Beresford (one of the aforementioned actors) joins the pod to talk about what IT is, how it works, and the various unique challenges and concerns it raises, especially in a post-COVID world.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 10/06/2020 1:06:23 p.m.
Episode 10 - Kirsty Porter (Jonny Kan)( 0:43:15)
Episode Information
Jonny Kan (https://www.instagram.com/serbiangreywolves12/) is a Palmerston North artist whose work is regularly on show at Snails Artist Run Space. His work is playful, fascinating, prolific, challenging and borrows extensively from pop culture including (occasionally) pornography. Kirsty Porter of Snails (https://www.facebook.com/snailsartistrunspace/) joins the podcast to talk about Jonny and his work.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 4/06/2020 11:54:00 a.m.
Episode 09 - Emma G (Feminism)( 1:0:26)
Episode Information
This isn't a political show, but it does have politics. In our first exploration of what that means, we talk to Emma G (https://www.facebook.com/emmag.music/) direct from Washington DC about feminism, which is to say that by the end of the hour we'll have solved literally every gender inequality problem. Probably.
CW for discussion(not graphic but still frank) of violence and sexual assault.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 28/05/2020 9:15:00 p.m.
Episode 08 - Zak Rodgers (The SCP Foundation)( 0:53:17)
Episode Information
The SCP Foundation is an enormous (over 6000 articles and counting) and impenetrable online collaborative fiction project with roots in "creepypasta" and forum culture. Zak Rodgers, Palmerston North's Punk Rock Poet joins the podcast to discuss the appeal of SCP, and the best ways into and out of its very strange and grim world.
Zak Rodgers: https://www.facebook.com/punkrockpoet/
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 21/05/2020 9:15:00 p.m.
Episode 07 - Morgan Davie (Under The Skin)( 0:58:29)
Episode Information
Jonathan Glazer's 2013 film "Under The Skin" is a highly-polarizing movie (a check on Google Play Movies finds almost exclusively 1 or 5 star reviews). It's a study in male sexuality that keeps its sex all at arm's length, and a science fiction movie that stays resolutely grounded in the mundane. Morgan Davie (Diceratops Presents) joins the podcast to help unpack this strange, beautiful, chilly film.
Diceratops Presents is at: https://diceratops-presents.pinecast.co/
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air
Published: 14/05/2020 9:15:00 p.m.
Episode 06 - Scott Common (Christian Fitness)( 1:0:10)
Episode Information
Christian Fitness is the one man band (*not* solo project) of Welsh musician Andrew "Falco" Falkous. Scott Common (the K1500 Project, Mr Muscovado Orange) joins the podcast to talk about the appeal of this wonky aggressive music, the way that Christian Fitness relates to Falco's other main project Future Of The Left, ridiculously long title, and the concept of an unwarranted premium placed on virtuosity.
Christian Fitness: https://christianfitness.bandcamp.com/
The K1500 Project: https://thek1500project.bandcamp.com/
Mr Muscovado Orange: https://mrmuscovadoorange.bandcamp.com/
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 7/05/2020 9:15:00 p.m.
Episode 05 - Kosmic (Berserk)( 1:3:55)
Episode Information
In a move that honours the spiritual inspiration for this show, Hugh talks to Kosmic (author of webcomics "Feast For A King" and "Nasty Red Dogs") about the long running, artistically influential, beautifully drawn, and P R O BL E M A T I C manga series "Berserk" by Kentaro Miura. CW for discussions of fictional rape and sexual assault.
Find Kosmic at @kosmicdream on Twitter, and the comics at feastforaking.com and nastyreddogs.com
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 30/04/2020 9:15:00 p.m.
Episode 04 - Anton Angelo (The Residents)( 0:57:32)
Episode Information
The Residents are a resolutely perverse and inscrutable band, who are simultaneously pervasively influential and deliberately obscure. They channel a spirit of pranksterism that's a fundamental part of American counterculture music, and they occasionally make really awful noises just for the heck of it. With the help of Anton Angelo, a man who "tried to become a fan", Hugh puzzles through trying to unpack all this nonsense.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 23/04/2020 9:15:00 p.m.
Episode 03 - Angus Dingwall (Two Gallants)( 1:9:30)
Episode Information
Today Hugh talks to his brother Angus about noisily earnest San Francisco folk/blues/punk duo Two Gallants for a really long time (whoops!) Can you make music in a self-consciously antique style address to modern problems? Why would you listen to music about abusive relationships and slavery for fun? And would the Two Gallants be worse if they were a better band?
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 16/04/2020 9:15:00 p.m.
Episode 02 - Dr M Dentith (Conspiracism)( 0:52:20)
Episode Information
Reading about conspiracy theories is a lot of fun, but some people really believe this stuff and some of them do really scary things as a result. Dr M Dentith studies conspiracy theory for a living, can they help us chart a path through this tangle?
Dr Dentith is @conspiracism on Twitter.
Published: 9/04/2020 9:15:00 p.m.
Episode 01 - Rob Mildon (Autechre)( 0:53:52)
Episode Information
Hugh and Rob chat about English IDM-adjacent duo Autechre, their place in music history and nerdery, and how one goes about loving music that occasionally sounds like when I was a kid and put C64 tapes in my dad's stereo.
Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.
Published: 2/04/2020 9:15:00 p.m.