Parris and Jay, Assemble!  The summer movie season has kicked off with a bang and it's time to jump in feet first.

Our latest episode focuses exclusively on The Avengers, the Joss Whedon extravaganza that unites the recent Marvel movie stars into a single adventure.  With a budget that's estimated at nearly a quarter of a billion dollars, a marketing machine that's been unstoppable over the past few months, and a huge wave of expectations in the hearts of the fans, The Avengers has a high bar to meet.

We sit down and talk about why Joss Whedon was the absolute perfect person to direct this ensemble film and how the movie is one of the perfect examples of how to treat a cast filled with high profile names.  We each talk about who our favorite character in the movie was (we agreed) and who we liked least.  

Then we pick through the movie piece by piece, finding some of the narrative elements that didn't serve the movie and almost seemed cheap compared to the better parts of Avengers, or even the other Marvel films of the past five years.  We also talk about why leaving out Ant Man in favor of the others was a great move, some of our favorite dialog moments, and a whole lot more. 

Does the movie make a great start to the summer season, and do we really talk about The Avengers for almost 90 minutes?  You'll get one answer in the show notes, and the other by listening in!

Then we jump into our talk on the summer movie trailers.  Jay caved and watched The Dark Knight Rises trailer, but his excitement is tempered by caution.  Parris is over Spider-Man already but can't wait for Prometheus.  And of course, we talk G.I. Joe 2.

We even find out that Parris missed out on one of the greatest film experiences of the 80's.  Can you guess which one it is? 

Remember When is a product of friendship and affection.  We love our community and we love movies, and we create this show as our way of sharing that love and appreciation.  Thank you as always to our many fans who support us and help us keep this show going.  To join us in our conversations between shows, follow us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/rwpodcast, or you can email us at rw@filmtangent.com

Timestamps:

0:00 - 1:15:00 - The Avengers (spoiler filled)

1:15:00 - End - Summer Movie trailers (some light spoilers)

Remember When is pleased to present a seminal moment in our show roster.  After many episodes of hinting and an unintentional delay of a few months, Parris and Jay are pleased to bring you their unabashed and honest conversation about The Empire Strikes Back.

This entire episode is dedicated to our discussion of Irvin Kershner's masterpiece film, and we take a look back at how this movie impacted us in the 80's, how the storyline has changed with us over time, and the new and interesting ways we've viewed the movie at different points in our respective lives.  We give an honest look at the perceived 'perfection' of Empire Strikes Back amongst Star Wars fans and how, in some ways, Episode V is still setting a bar for other Science Fiction films in our modern time.  

We go into our separate beliefs on the Special Edition-ization of Empire and, believe it or not, there are actually updates in the SE that we found both worthy and enjoyable! There's chat about 'the big twist' at the end of the movie, how it was originally scripted, and what it would have meant had the original script been fulfilled.  Imagine, if you will, an alternate universe in which Return of the Jedi was 2 full hours of awesomeness.....   ah, what a dream.

And speaking of Ewoks, we'll be back with our Jedi podcast soon, but plan to bring you an Avengers-filled extravanganza for our next show.  

Although we say it many times in many ways, our shows exists and thrives because we have so many wonderful fans who support us and share in our enthusiasm.  We do this show for you as much as we do it for ourselves, and we continue to thank all of you who tell your friends, family, and loved ones about Remember When.   To keep in touch with us between shows, drop by our Facebook page at http://facebook.com/rwpodcast or leave us an email at rw@filmtangent.com.  We'd love to hear from you!

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you.  We're back with a brand new, fresh episode of Remember When... less than two weeks since the last one!  It may seem like an April Fools Joke but trust us, there's nothing to laugh at here...

Well, not unless you count The Hunger Games.  After watching the hit movie, we have some pretty strong opinions we want to voice about how underwhelming of an experience The Hunger Games was, and how we wish there had been a better chance to emotionally connect with the movie and its characters.  This section is filled with spoilers, but if you listen and have the movie ruined for you... we might be doing you a favor.

Then we progress into some continued discussions on the upcoming summer movies as we talk about the new trailer for the Total Recall remake, the new Prometheus trailer and our excitement for this new Ridley Scott endeavor (as well as our concerns about it) and Parris' love for Charlize Theron in both Prometheus and the new Snow White Movie

We end the show with a discussion on the Walking Dead, Mad Men, and a chat about piracy and the logic behind "cutting the cable cord".  It's a fun and interesting talk.

We continue to do our show thanks to the many, many fans who support us and the work we do, and we hope you'll continue to do so.  Why not connect with us online?  You can call our voicemail number at 206-495-1732, email us at rw@filmtangent.com, ping us on our Twitter account at @RWPodcast, or find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/rwpodcast

Time Stamps

0:00 - 25:36 - The Hunger Games (with plenty of spoilers)

25:36 - 43:10 - Parris' new confession, lots of movie trailer talk (including Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter, Anchorman 2, GI Joe 2, the new Snow White movie, Prometheus, Total Recall, and more)

43:10 - End - TV Catchup, a discussion on content piracy, and when it makes sense to "Cut the cable cord".  (spoilers on the 5th season pilot for Mad Men, pretty mild spoilers on the Walking Dead finale, and a bunch of tangents otherwise) 

Six months ago, a podcast faded into a quiet slumber, hibernating its way through the slow winter crawl.  Now, two show hosts emerge, bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to talk about the shows and movies they love.  Remember When is back!

We return with a brand new, unscripted show that's recorded on-the-fly as we sit down and catch up on the things we've missed over the past half year.  We discuss the lengthy gap between shows (we're very sorry) and talk about the things in our lives that have kept us focused elsewhere.  But then we dust off our microphones and jump right into the swing of things.

And boy, is there a lot to discuss! Walking Dead is coming off its best season ever, Breaking Bad rang our bell (if you know what I mean), Mad Men's about to return... cable TV is on FIRE right now!  And with the summer roster of movies featuring titles like The Amazing Spider-man, The Dark Knight Rises, and Prometheus, 2012 is on track to be one of the best years for pop culture hounds.  

Parris has a confession in the episode, and we take the tangents to a new level by walking right out of the Remember When podcast and back into our old UncleGamer chairs.

This episode is our way of getting back into the swing of things, and lets us catch up while catching you up as well. 

Remember When is a product of love from Jay and Parris.  We do this because we're friends, and our friendship is the podcast.  But we appreciate our listeners as well, and we thank you for the many kind (and a few that were less than kind) letters, emails, and voicemail messages you sent us these past few months.  Having your support enables us to do the show and encourages us to keep doing this.

As always, you can find us on Twitter at RWPodcast, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/rwpodcast, and on the web at FilmTangent.com.  Or, if you'd like to leave us feedback, you can call us at 206-495-1732 or email us at rw@filmtangent.com.  Thanks, and enjoy the show!

Time stamps provided for spoiler purposes.  Please note that we do tangent occasionally, and may have other spoilers in between:

0:00 - 9:37 ->  Catching up

9:37 - 15:58 -> Walking Dead

15:58 - 27:45 -> Breaking Bad

27:45 - 30:00 -> Mad Men

30:00 - 31:57 -> The Dark Knight Rises

31:57 - 36:10 -> Homeland

36:10 - 44:57 -> Parris' confession

44:57 - 46:50 -> The Amazing Spider-Man

46:50 - 48:44 -> Flashback to UncleGamer

48:44 - 54:56 -> The year of movies that aren't affected by the Writer's Strike

54:56 - 1:11:17 -> The continuing decline of network TV (includes mild spoilers on Parks & Rec and The Office, as well as general discussion of Alcatraz, Fringe, Terra Nova, Once Upon a Time, and a few others I may be forgetting)

1:11:17 -> Wrap up

Welcome to Episode 44B, a special bonus download offered exclusively to our subscribers!

This episode includes a spoiler-laden discussion of the "newer" media in our lives, as we talk about Jay's adventures through the first few seasons of Breaking Bad, the closure of True Blood's fourth season, Transformers 3, Torchwood: Miracle Day, and much more.  

This podcast is part of our way of saying Thank You to our fans who have patiently (and impatiently-but-politely) waited for our hiatus to pass.  Thank you to everyone for your support of Remember When!

Pew Pew.... Gotcha!

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... two young, wide-eyed children came across a science-fiction piece that would forever change their lives.  It was called Star Wars: A New Hope. Those two boys, Jay and Parris, would have no idea what wonders this movie might have in store for them, but little did they know that it would also change their lives.

This podcast takes an exclusive focus on Episode IV.  We start by talking about how we each were introduced to the series, the ways it shaped our childhood, and how it turned us into die-hard fans.  Our conversation rolls through the entire progression of the movie, with each of us talking about our favorite scene from the original, and how the movie has held up over time.

Towards the end of the podcast, we talk about the "evolution" of A New Hope (and we use the term as loosely as possible) as it has been through wave after wave of changes.  We look at the Special Edition update and how it actually manages to serve a good purpose for A New Hope in particular, and lament the loss of Han Solo's backbone.  We also talk about our disappointment in the recent Blu-ray releases, and how George Lucas might just be one of the most brilliant business men of all time.

If you're an RSS subscriber, either through a Feed Reader or through iTunes, Zune, or some other podcast downloader, you'll find a special bonus download waiting for you!  Episode 44B was recorded immediately after our A New Hope episode, and talks exclusively about "new" stuff. Jay talks about his adventures and disappointments working through a back log of Breaking Bad, we talk about the fourth season of True Blood, the miasma of disappointment that was Torchwood: Miracle Day, and how Optimus Prime is now a heartless assassin as a result of Transformers 3.  This bonus podcast comes out to roughly 30 minutes of material, produced exclusively for our fans.  Thank you so much for your patience during our hiatuses.  

As always, we thank our fans for their continued support and appreciation of the podcast.  It's because of your kind words and well wishes that we continue to do this podcast as a labor of love.  If you'd like to leave us feedback, please feel free to give us a shout at our email address, or leave us a voicemail at 206-495-1732 (long distance charges may apply).  You can also join our Facebook group at Facebook.com/RWPodcast for up-to-the-minute information on our podcast releases, a first look at our upcoming live recording sessions, and to communicate with us and your fellow Remember When fans in between shows.  You can also follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/RWPodcast.

Fresh from the archives of Cardiff, Remember When dusts itself off for a brand new episode.  We're returning to the Doctor Who-niverse for one more round, with Episode 43 focusing on Torchwood. 

Parris and Jay talk about how they were introduced to the show, their impressions of the show's content during their first viewing, and how the show has held up in our respective opinions since then.  We talk about the good fortune that led us through the muck of Series 1, why we like Series 2 despite its failings, and go into a deep dive on which characters and storylines we enjoyed.  You might be surprised to find that one of us actually even enjoyed Tosh by the end of the show!

We also hold a very deep dive into Children of Earth, the miniseries that served as our last look into the Special Forces branch.  This five episode series came about after a series of budget cuts, casting issues, and story problems, and we each offer commentary on how Children of Earth changed our ever-shaping opinions of Torchwood... for better or worse.

At the end, we have an unscheduled (but welcome) tangent into the state of sitcoms on TV on the current schedule.  Spoilers for Parks & Recreation are pretty heavy, along with a few minor ones for Modern Family, so be warned.  We also talk about our upcoming plans for the Original Trilogy episodes of Star Wars, how we'll be approaching them, and some of the TLC we're spreading on those recordings in order to make sure we provide you with some of the best episodes of Remember When.  

As always, we thank our fans for their continued support and appreciation of the podcast.  It's because of your kind words and well wishes that we continue to do this podcast as a labor of love.  If you'd like to leave us feedback, please feel free to give us a shout at our email address, or leave us a voicemail at 206-495-1732 (long distance charges may apply).  You can also join our Facebook group for up-to-the-minute information on our podcast releases, a first look at our upcoming live recording sessions, and to communicate with us and your fellow Remember When fans in between shows.  Check it out at http://facebook.com/rwpodcast.  You can also follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/rwpodcast.

AUDIO
Download this episode now, or grab the RSS feed and become a regular listener.

Time stamps:

0:00 to 5:04 - Show intro
5:04 to 33:00 - Series 1 discussion - With Spoilers
33:00 to 53:00 - Series 2 discussion (with a tangent on our preferred Time Travel destination) - With Spoilers
53:00 to 1:28:53 - Children of Earth discussion - With Spoilers
1:28:53 to end - Current TV show discussions - Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Parks & Recreation, 30 Rock, True Blood, Modern Family, The Office, Community (with spoilers for The Office, Modern Family, and Parks & Rec) 

Dedicated entirely to the Man From Gallifrey, Episode 42 talks about Doctor Who as it's existed in the past 7 years.  We look back at the eras of Eccleston and Tennant and talk about their respective runs, why we love Tennant, and why Eccleston pales in comparison.  Jay and Parris both discuss their respective introductions to the show, and how they came to regard it as they binged on some of the better sci-fi from across the pond.

Covering Series 1 through 4 and the final specials of David Tennant, this podcast is spoiler-laden and covers a wide range of topics.  We look back at the definitive moments when we loved the Doctor, rank the companions in terms of most awesome to least awesome (and hottest to Rose), give each season a score, and talk about what it was like to come into this show.  After a legacy that's run nearly half a century long, our only regret is that we wish we'd had more time to talk about Doctor Who.  There are dozens of other topics we'd love to have discussed.

As always, we thank our fans for their continued support and appreciation of the podcast.  If you'd like to leave us feedback, please feel free to give us a shout at our email address, or leave us a voicemail at 206-495-1732 (long distance charges may apply).  You can also join our Facebook group for up-to-the-minute information on our podcast releases, a first look at our upcoming live recording sessions, and to communicate with us and your fellow Remember When fans in between shows.  Check it out at http://facebook.com/rwpodcast.  You can also follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/rwpodcast

After a long winter's night, Remember When is back again for more retro-style goodness.  

Since our hiatus lasted a little longer than we would have liked, we're temporarily tabling the Doctor Who / Torchwood episodes to get back into some of the original Remember When formula.  We start off with a look back at TRON.  The original 1982 Disney film is a cult classic, and serves as the latest "Great Movie Jay Has Never Seen".  With fresh eyes and an open mind, Jay sits down and talks about what he liked about the movie, why he thinks TRON sucks, and his thoughts behind what a 7 year old version of himself would have thought about TRON.

Then we jump into our discussion on TRON: Legacy.  As the big budget follow-up approaches the 300 million dollar mark at the box office, Parris and Jay sit down at their microphones and roll up their sleeves as they go head-to-head with their opinions on the sequel.  Can a huge marketing budget and crazy special effects work save this movie?  We talk about what works, what fails, and why Disney should never force a TRON movie to be a Big Lebowski sequel.

The last half of the show is a catch-up on all of our film and TV related tangents, with chatter about the mid-season TV schedule.  Parris admits he was wrong about a TV show, Jay admits that Parris was right about a TV show, and we rave about the brilliance of Ricky Gervais.  Maybe a little too much.

The last few minutes of the show include a detailed look at the roster of shows coming in the first half of 2011.  If you've been complaining that we haven't done enough "Remember When" stuff in our podcast, then you're in for a treat.  We're preparing some MAJOR shows that will dive deep into some of the best movies of the 70's and 80's.

As always, we thank our fans for their continued support and appreciation of the podcast.  If you'd like to leave us feedback, please feel free to give us a shout at rw@filmtangent.com, or leave us a voicemail at 206-495-1732 (long distance charges may apply).  You can also find us online at facebook.com/rwpodcast or on Twitter at @rwpodcast.

Time stamp information:

0:00 to 5:54 - Introduction, explanation of the show's hiatus

5:54 to 19:01 - Discussion of the original TRON (Great Movies Jay Has Never Seen) - SPOILERS

19:01 to 49:50 - Discussion of TRON: Legacy - SPOILERS

49:50 to 50:21 - Intermission

50:21 to 1:15:38 - Tangent Central, Part 1 (TV talk, Jay Hulks Parris, Cowboy Bebop)

1:15:38 to 1:22:28 - The Remember When schedule for the first half of 2011 

1:22:28 to End - Tangent Central, Part 2 (Ricky Gervais love, the Bill Murray appreciation segment, and more)

Remember When returns with another Special Edition episode that's aimed squarely at your brain... your plump, delicious brain.  

Episode 40 is a one-off release that we're doing to discuss the latest in AMC's original programming.  The Walking Dead premieres on Halloween night this year, and AMC was gracious enough to provide us with screener copies of the first two episodes before they aired.  So we're here with a special release to talk about this series, what it means, and why you should watch it.

Because The Walking Dead hasn't aired yet, we've divided the show into three separate segments.  First, we give you a spoiler-free look at the initial pair of episodes, giving you a detailed look at why we love the first two hours of The Walking Dead without ruining any of the story details for you.  

After that, we jump into a spoiler-filled discussion on Days Gone By, the pilot episode of The Walking Dead.  We talk about our reactions to the initial offering, what we think worked well, and what could have improved.  

Then we end the show talking about Guts, the second hour of The Walking Dead.  This is an amazing piece of television and one of the best hours of TV we've seen this year.  Listen in for all the spoiler-filled details.

We want to thank AMC for giving us this unique opportunity to preview The Walking Dead before its official air date.  It's through their support that we were able to present an episode like this.  

Don’t forget to join our Facebook group!  It lets you keep up to date with the show in between our podcast releases, gives you the first look at our upcoming live recording sessions, and allows you to communicate with us and your fellow Remember When fans in between shows.  Check it out at http://facebook.com/rwpodcast.  You can also follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/rwpodcast.

As always, Remember When continues to grow and thrive thanks to the joy, love, appreciation, and comments we get from our fans. If you enjoy our show, please leave us positive feedback on iTunes. We really appreciate it, plus it helps us reach people that have never heard of us! And if you’d like to share your thoughts with us, you can send us an email at or leave us a voicemail at 206-495-1732. Please note, long distance charges may apply.

SHOW NOTES

0:00 to 15:36 - Spoiler-free discussion of The Walking Dead and our impressions of the first two episodes

15:59 to 35:36 - Spoiler-heavy discussion of "Days Gone By", the pilot for The Walking Dead

35:36 to end - Spoiler-heavy discussion of "Guts", the second episode of The Walking Dead