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We happen to love Studio Ghibli here on KnockBack, and we know that many of you do, too. However, Hayao Miyazaki's 1997 animated picture Princess Mononoke may be the most beloved movie in his team's extensive, decades-long filmography. The setup is simple: Ancient and solidified nature is in existential crisis thanks to humanity's industrial progress, and with both 'sides' dug in, it looks like only one can emerge. Or is there another way? Let's follow the journey of the cursed Prince Ashitaka as he tries to save his life, ward off societal and natural destruction, and perhaps even unite two sides of a conflict, a move that once seemed impossible. So whistle for Yakul, friends! Our journey begins on the other side of Play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In its mere existence, 2016's Rogue One is an interesting movie. It's the first Star Wars film (per se) that's unassociated from the three trilogies, yet it intimately intertwines with and sets the stage for the very first Star Wars offering: 1977's Episode IV. Of course, it's even more interesting when it comes to what it's about, a daring caper to steal Imperial plans for the original Death Star so that the Rebellion may exploit its weakness and destroy the Empire's moon-sized weapon. We see that play out in A New Hope, so Rogue One is entirely prologue. Yet, that's what makes it awesome. We're infinitely excited to talk to you about what we deem to be easily one of the best Star Wars films, and if you don't agree when you hit play, you may just agree on the other end. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're a fan of documentaries, then there's a good chance you've heard of Grey Gardens, the 1975 so-called "direct-cinema" documentary that investigates the lives of two women -- a mother and daughter -- who live in isolation and complete squalor on the eastern end of Long Island. Why is that notable? Well, two reasons: They live in the Hamptons, one of the most exclusive and expensive places to dwell in the entire country, and the occupants of Grey Gardens (their crumbling estate) happen to be the aunt and cousin of none other than Jacqueline Kennedy. This is a truly strange film, eclectic and alive and real... and it's an absolute must-watch. Let's jump in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's not easy for a development studio to pivot from one group of projects to something radically different, but Sony-owned Guerrilla Games did just that when it released its open world action-RPG Horizon: Zero Dawn in early 2017. Horizon was unlike anything Guerrilla had ever done: Rather than an FPS like Killzone, Horizon is a wide-open, non-linear, character-driven affair, an interesting mixture of American Indian imagery, sci-fi tropes, and action-oriented gameplay that makes Zero Dawn among PS4's very best games. So let's chat about it, fellow Old Ones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you grow up with a father who's obsessed with all things retro, it's safe to assume the apple won't fall from the ever-nerdy tree. In that spirit, we have a guest on this episode: Dagan's son, Graeden. Together, father and son take a walk through their shared passions -- video games, especially -- and how one dad's love of nostalgia naturally enchanted his kid. The end result is something we hope you find charming, if not a little different. It's almost like getting to interview our younger selves, and we hope you get a kick out of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On its periphery, the 2006 film The Prestige is about an ever-escalating rivalry between two 19th century magicians, but in reality, its thematic focus is about something far more sinister: Obsession. Christopher and Jonathan Nolan's adaptation of the novel by the same name boasts a star-studded cast and a convincing recreation of late-Victorian London, but -- in true Nolan fashion -- it's what rests far beneath the surface that perhaps matters most. So practice your sleight-of-hand and pay your ingénieur well, friends. After all, it's worth paying a high price in order to revel in the glory of the crowd. Are you watching (well, listening) closely? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are a few holidays each year that attract near-ubiquitous participation -- think New Years Eve and the like -- but there's one such day that's especially strange: Halloween. The last day of each October is 24 hours dedicated to monsters, ghosts, and other scares... and lots of candy and peculiar costumes, too. As children, of course, Halloween takes on an extra-special dimension, but as we get older, so too does the holiday change around us. One minute you're shoving Reese's Pieces into your pillowcase; the next minute you're hunting down your neighbor's kids with eggs and shaving cream. Such is the case in western societies around the world as autumn begins to set in. So let's recollect our fondest memories of this bizarre holiday that's one part pagan, one part modern. Just make sure to check your apples for razor blades before you take a bite... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Divorce is a horrific experience for everyone involved. Spouses falling out of love is brutal, and children -- especially young kids -- end up as collateral damage. Such is the story of the 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer, starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep as a couple on the outs, with a young son caught in the middle. Kramer vs. Kramer is a notable picture because, in 1980, it won the Academy Award for Best Picture... and Best Director... and Best Screenplay... and Dustin Hofmann won Best Actor... and Meryl Streep won Best Supporting Actress... and on and on. So it's a critically-acclaimed movie unlike many others. But it's also an important look into the world of divorce, especially from the point-of-view of a man who's assumed not to be able to love his child like his ex-wife could, that they couldn't form a special bond on their own... and also of a woman who makes a major mistake, tries to find herself, and realizes the error of her own ways. Kramer vs. Kramer is one of the great dramas of all-time, so why not put an episode of KnockBack all about it on the docket? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's something special about Spider-Man. Is it his New York roots? Possibly. His intelligence and diligence? Maybe. His sense of family, community, and justice? Certainly. But in the realm of comics, Spider-Man happens to be different characters at different times, something the Academy Award-winning 2018 animated film Into the Spider-Verse so successfully celebrates. By melding Peter Parker(s), Miles Morales, and even more obscure spin-offs like Spider-Ham, Into the Spider-Verse travels decades of Spidey fandom in two brisk hours. The results are so strong that many not only consider it the best Spider-Man movie ever, but possibly one of the best animated features of all-time. In many ways, we can't help but concur with the consensus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By the time the '80s rolled around, the Cold War was just about over. The Soviet Union was slowly-but-surely crumbling, and the threat posed by Mutually Assured Destruction was waning by the year. That's what makes movies like 1984's American action classic Red Dawn so interesting. In its alternate history tale, the USSR expands its sphere of power through Central and South America, while NATO dissolves, the US becomes isolated, and its only allies are a downtrodden England and a nearly-annihilated China. The result, as it turns out, is World War III, and Red Dawn shows one rather peculiar theater of that conflict: A guerrilla campaign conducted by some high school students in rural Colorado. So stock up on supplies, raid your gun cabinet, and run for the hills, Wolverines: The communists are here, and a political reckoning is brewing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time to wrap up our three-episode run of Breaking Bad analysis with a deep dive into the beloved series' final season, as well as its surprise epilogue movie that came some six years later. The culmination of Walt's journey dominates Season 5, yet in El Camino, we finally get to see what happened with Jesse, too. There's much to discuss here: Madrigal, Todd, the Aryan Brotherhood, the fate of Hank and Gomez, and much, much more. But at the heart of it all lies Walt and Jesse, on a bullet train toward disaster. Obviously, we can't look away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ethereal world of dreams has long fascinated humans (and our human-like ancestors) going back many millennia. In fact, when you really think about it, we kinda collectively take dreams for granted, as scholars and academics try to get to the bottom of why we (and seemingly all mammals, at the very least) dream while asleep. This episode of KnockBack isn't about the science, though. Instead, it's about experience. As kids, we all had dreams and nightmares that left indelible prints on us, and that's what we're going to discuss today. Really, though, we focus heavily on the nightmare aspect of dreaming, the uncontrollable horror that happens on the other side of closed eyes. So beware! The Tickley Monster approaches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Episode 130 of KnockBack was dedicated to the first two seasons of AMC's crime drama Breaking Bad, this episode of our podcast is in ode to the show's third and fourth seasons, when things really start to get hairy. In these seasons, we have The Cousins. A ratcheting up of the danger surrounding working with Gus and the Mexican cartels. The car wash. Tons of contextual flashbacks. A whole lot of Saul Goodman. Ted and the IRS (and his "Act of God"). Jesse's relapse. The return of Badger and Skinny Pete. Hank's near-murder and redemption. I mean... there's a ton to cover. And we take about three hours or so going over it all, with plenty of your inquiries interspersed. After all, we are the ones that Knock...Back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Christopher Nolan's Inception came to theaters a decade ago, it impressed moviegoers with a bizarre sci-fi story that -- in true Nolan fashion -- felt grounded and believable. In fact, it's one of the best-received films of 2010, an Academy Award-winning mind-melter all about entering people's dreams in order to acquire restricted, secretive, and sensitive information. But what if you could plant entire ideas in people's heads, too, setting in motion an unstoppable butterfly effect? As voted on by Colin's Last Stand's Patrons, this episode of KnockBack is all about this notable and unusual flick, the remarkable performances throughout it, and a story so complex that it sometimes borders on convoluted. So close your eyes and grab your totem. It's go-time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Breaking Bad is widely considered one of the greatest television dramas of the 21st century (and possibly ever). Released in the same era as Mad Men and The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad didn't only help put AMC back on the map as a respected TV channel, but gave us insight into an increasingly sinister world with a simple premise: A high school chemistry teacher and his burnout ex-student teaming up to cook meth. The story that unfolds is dramatic, sad, tragic, and ultimately irresistible to watch, and to do this topic extra justice -- one voted on by our Patrons -- we've decided to split our Breaking Bad coverage into three episodes. This is the first one, focusing on Seasons One and Two, the origins of Walt's and Jesse's partnership, Walt's battle with cancer, the beginnings of their fledgling criminal enterprise, and the ratcheting up of the personal stakes. So hit play: It's tight, tight, tight! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether in television, movies, books, or games, it's always hard to follow-up a smash-hit with a worthy sequel. But publisher 2K endeavored to do just that when it launched BioShock 2 in 2010, doing so -- mind you -- without the series' creative visionary Ken Levine, whose team was off working on what would become 2013's BioShock Infinite. The result was divisive at the time, though most people liked returning to Rapture and getting more of that wonderfully-realized world. But over time, it appears the game has become even more appreciated and adored, and for good reason: It's pretty damn good, even in the shadow of the vaunted BioShock. So let's take a trip back under the Atlantic Ocean, Subject Delta. There are more Little Sisters to protect, this time in a collectivist (instead of libertarian) nightmare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For nearly five decades, Rodney Dangerfield was an American comedy legend. But it was in the 1980s that he rose to mainstream prominence not through his stand-up act as popularized on late-night TV in the '60s and '70s, but because of films like Caddyshack and Easy Money. Come 1986, however, Dangerfield would star in perhaps his strangest movie yet, a zany romp all about a wealthy businessman heading to college just so he can hang out with his son: Back to School. Like many '80s comedies, Back to School doesn't take itself all that seriously, which is perfect, because such loose parameters allow this flick to shine using Dangerfield's classic one-liners and zingers. Indeed, it's one of the most quotable films of the decade. It also happens to co-star some interesting and random actors, from a young Robert Downey Jr. to a typecast William Zabka to a nascent Sam Kinison. More than anything, though, it's a truly funny 90-something minute piece of nostalgia, and we couldn't help but dedicate an episode of KnockBack to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Eggers' 2015 debut film The Witch isn't exactly old, but its subject matter certainly is. Taking place in the early 1630s in New England -- a full 60 years before the Salem Witch Trials -- The Witch tells the story of a banished family of devout Puritans who go into the Massachusetts woods to live alone. And... well... you may be able to guess what happens next. Written entirely in period English and lit only by natural light and candles, The Witch may be one of the most thoroughly colonial movies ever made. It also happens to be a masterpiece of pacing, tension, and acting. So let's delve into this spectacular and spooky period piece, as a tight-knit religious family slowly comes undone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ignorance is bliss, or so the saying goes. But when we're kids, ignorance is also a way of life. In our tiny worlds, everything was magnified or understated: The glorious ups, our mundane everyday lives, and especially the seemingly-tragic downs. Little did we know then what we would learn later: That a lot of what we cared so deeply about didn't matter very much, that the stuff we should have paid more attention to we barely worried about, and that many of the people we looked to for guidance were flying blind, too. So instead of focusing on a movie, video game, TV show (or the like) this week, we thought we'd take the time to hone-in on the wisdom and knowledge we didn't even know existed as kids but take for granted as adults, and how a little tweak here or there in our past could have taken us in entirely different directions. If only we knew better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We recently lost American filmmaker Joel Schumacher to cancer at the age of 80. With a diverse filmography dating back to the '70s and running through to just a few years ago, it's hard to put Schumacher in a box, but it seems a lot of people wanted to memorialize him by focusing on his two maligned Batman movies instead of the great work he did. To pay him tribute, we decided to go back to his 1985 Brat Pack film St. Elmo's Fire, which he wrote and directed, and which still holds a place with '80s movie fans everywhere. So let's head to Washington DC and catch up with seven recent graduates of Georgetown University, young 20-somethings who are having a difficult time transitioning to adulthood, and an even more difficult time understanding how the dynamics between them have changed after college. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices