Viewmasters

EPISODE #68 - TOP OF THE POPS CHRISTMAS DAY SPECIAL 1984

And now for something completely different! This Christmas we're discussing the classic Top of the Pops Christmas special from 1984! We've got Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Duran Duran, Band-Aid with "Do They Know It's Christmas" and many more! Will Ed find the treasure in his backyard? Will Rusty appreciate art made after the year 1992? The special is on youtube if you want to have the ultimate experience. The ultimate experience? OK, maybe that's overselling it. 

EPISODE #67 - SPIDER-MAN 2

We return with our most shocking episode EVER! News will be revealed, bank accounts will be destroyed, Sam Raimi's SPIDER-MAN 2 will be occasionally mentioned! If you've been listening all along you won't wanna miss this episode! 

EPISODE #66 - THREE O'CLOCK HIGH

We're back with the cult favorite 1987 fight film THREE O'CLOCK HIGH. Director Phil Joanou, all but forgotten today, was the hottest name of the mid-80s, he was supposed to be the next Spielberg! We talk about how that all went wrong when he defied Spielberg with the (great!) direction he took this film. We also talk about classic topics like Ed's humiliating interactions with contractors, Rusty's baby bribery, and embarrassing high school experiences.

EPISODE #65 - EWOKS: BATTLE FOR ENDOR

EPISODE #64 - SURF 2

We're doing a deep dive into this obscure 80s comedy, recently restored by Vinegar Syndrome. Can a film with Eddie Deezen getting top billing ever disappoint?! Is this the secret classic Rusty's been looking for? Has Ed pissed his pants since our last recording, whenever that was?! As always please rate and review and follow @80stimeportal on instagram

30 Minutes or Less Episode #11 - WHAT A DUMMY

EPISODE #63 - SUMMER SCHOOL

School's out for the weekend, and for summer, and FOREVER! We disagree heartily on the greatness of the Carl Reiner cable classic SUMMER SCHOOL. How does Rusty's 27 pages of notes stack up against Ed's similarly volumnious research?! Why did they spend so much time researching this dreck?! Is there any details about the actors' lives they DIDN'T mention!? We go deep this week in our desperate quest for 100 episodes...we'll get there someday...

EPISODE #62 - THE QUIET EARTH

We return with a discussion of the 1985 Kiwi sci-fi classic, THE QUIET EARTH. What would you do in this situation? How quickly until you devolved into complete madness? How many stories about plumbers will Rusty tell this week? All this and more on episode 62 of Viewmasters!

EPISODE #61 - NEW YORK NINJA

Wow! Do you remember this podcast? Well, it's back, and we are talking about NEW YORK NINJA (1984/2021). What did we think of Vinegar Syndrome's unique experiment? Why are the streets so full of rage? Do we still remember how to podcast?! All this and more as Rusty returns to tell us where he's been and what's happened to us so far in 2022. 

EPISODE #60 - MORTAL KOMBAT (1995) w/ Daniel Maunz

RUSTY IS MISSING! We are joined by our childhood friend and author Daniel Maunz (Questions of Perspective) to ponder the mystery of where Rusty has been. The long delay in episodes is due to the very, very real and not a joke disappearance of Rusty (who is feared DEAD!) Speaking of death, it's time to delve into the only Mortal Kombat movie that matters, the 1995 masterpiece by not THAT Paul Anderson. We discuss the arcade game, our own MK films, and the enduring legacy of this very confusin...

EPISODE #59 - TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (1986)

Do you remember when Megatron boarded that shuttle and wasted all that autobot slime? Or when Unicron ate that planet of annoying looking robots? Today we are talking about the only Transformers movie that matters -- the animated film from 1986! Featuring a cast with more stars than in the skies above Cybertron and more deaths than we have here on Earth, this film served as the dividing line of the first Transformers era. We discuss it all today so please rate and review. 

INTERVIEW: LEE GAMBIN ON THE RISE AND FALL OF THE VERY SPECIAL EPISODE

Film writer/historian Lee Gambin returns to tell us all about the history of the very special sitcom episode! We count down 5 of the wildest episodes as Lee explains the social and historical history behind these educational, wild, and controversial departures from the typical television sitcom plot. His new two volume book "Tonight, on a Very Special Episode" features essays from Lee and a group of super-talented writers on the most notable examples of this genre from 1956 - 1998. Pick it u...

EPISODE #58 - THE KARATE KID (1984)

For our first episode of the new year, we talk for over 3 hours about the classic film THE KARATE KID. Not only is this our longest episode ever-- it is also our cleanest! This episode was requested by Ed's nieces, who recently discovered the film and loved it. As a result, all curses have been bleeped. Yep this is fun for the whole family. Yet it somehow ends up much weirder than any other episode? Perhaps we were driven mad by trying to be clean? Unfortunately our next episode is on VOYAGE...

EPISODE # 57 - PEE WEE'S PLAYHOUSE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

It's Christmas at the Playhouse and Pee Wee's newest friends, Ed and Rusty, drop by and share their thoughts on all things Chairry, Conky, Pterri and the Del Rubio Triplets?  On this episode, we share our own Christmas memories, Ed tells the story of when his dad went toe-to-toe with the New York Jets in a game of no holds barred charity basketball and we get a very special visit from our old pal Skeletor. Please make our Christmas wish come true by filling our stockings with some ratings an...

EPISODE #56 - ALLIGATOR

Ed had an ALLIGATOR poster as a child, but does he still love the film? Join us in our 56th episode for an exploration of the Lewis Teague-John Sayles classic, as well as a lot of xmas talk (even though this couldn't be less of a xmas movie). We talk the animal attacks genre and speculate a lot about if our friend Lee Gambin likes this film. We also weigh the plusses and minuses of having an alligator as a pet. And in a film with a ton of balding jokes you know we find a lot to talk about!

EPISODE #55 - TOTAL RECALL

Why travel this Thanksgiving, endangering yourself and others, when you could instead safely implant the memories of dry turkey, tense political conversations, and struggling to turn off the motion flow setting on your relative's TV?! On this epic episode we revisit one of our favorite films, the peak of peak Arnold: TOTAL RECALL! Do we have 5 kids to feed?! Will we get our ass to Mars?! Find out all this and more on what we realize is our first episode of November but look-- it's jumbo size...

EPISODE #54 - DEMON WIND

The box art for DEMON WIND (1990) is iconic. We have fond memories of admiring it in the video stores of our youth. But is the movie any good? We wanted to choose a less obvious title for right before Halloween, and we wanted something sort of corny, like HELLGATE or DOOM ASYLUM. Did we choose correctly, or will we regret this film for the rest of our lives? Also, Ed says a lot of insane stuff on the podcast lately-- how does this impact his dating life? Strap in for another classic episode ...

EPISODE #53 - IT FOLLOWS

Could a movie as recent as 2015 be considered iconic? We argue that IT FOLLOWS can, as we break down the sex follower masterpiece during our October horror month. We ask all the annoying logistical questions everyone does, while Ed comes up with the ultimate loophole. David Robert Mitchell is just one of the many people who should never listen to this episode. But YOU should! Please rate and review, and join us next week (ish) for DEMON WIND (1990)! 

EPISODE #52 - BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1992)

After a summer spent watching Buffy/Angel and frequently mentioning it on this podcast, it's time to revisit the film that started it all: the movie version with actress turned political scientist Kristy Swanson! This early 90s gem plunges us into all kinds of despair about getting older as we contemplate why Joss Whedon hates this likable film so much and gush about Luke Perry's charm (RIP) and Rutger Hauer's unfortunately boring character (Also RIP!!) Please RATE AND REVIEW! Next time: IT ...

EPISODE #51 - THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

Let's do time warp again -- for the first time! Once again Ed is seeing a classic for the first time, as we dive into the 1975 cult classic that's one of Rusty's favorite films. He'll guide Ed through Transylvania, discussing along the way his strange confidence in facing athletes of the past, Ed's horrible dating life and impending misadventure of adopting 5 kittens, QAnon, California fires, raising a baby, and childhood sexual confusion. So basically a normal episode. Tune in next time for...

Episode #50 - STAR WARS: EPISODE 1 - THE PHANTOM MENACE

For our historic 50th episode, what could we choose except the film which cleaved our lives in half? On one side, we were young. We were Star Wars fanatics, excited for whatever George cooked up. On the other side, we were the bitter, doomed individuals we are today. Of course Phantom Menace reviews have been done to death, so this isn't that at all-- it's an autobiographical journey through the hype before this film and the despair afterward. I mean basically like every other episode! We kn...

Episode #49 - PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE

Well, it's finally here. Ed has seen Pee Wee for the first time in his life and he's here to explain all of the references he finally gets. We talk quarantine life, the production history behind this film, and of course so many far too revealing digressions about our life. Please rate and review the show and we'll get episode 50 in July we promise!! As always the cover of the BLOOD RAGE theme is by Matt Akers. He is amazing check out all of his work! 

Episode #48 - GHOULIES

When we recorded this two weeks ago, the world was a much different place. This seems frivolous to post now, but maybe it can bring you some entertainment in a horrible time. In this epic episode, with a length I don't think we've hit since VAMP, we tackle the cursed film GHOULIES, which is NOT a GREMLINS rip-off! We talk about the making of the film, Rusty's new baby, Ed's imaginary entourage, apples thrown out windows, and much more. This is probably our best episode in a long time, even i...

INTERVIEW: Lee Gambin

Lee Gambin is the author of many great books about horror and cinema in general, including Nope, Nothing Wrong Here: The Making of Cujo, Studies in the Horror Film: The Howling, Hell Hath No Fury Like Her: The Making of Christine, We Can Be Who We Are: Movie Musicals from the '70s and Massacred By Mother Nature: Exploring the Natural Horror Film. He's also just a great guy that I met in Australia last summer, and in this interview he demonstrates his encyclopedic knowledge of film. Seriously...

30 Minutes or Less Episode #10 - DIFF'RENT STROKES

Continuing to put up some old episodes as Rusty contends with a newborn, I came across this episode about Diff'rent Strokes - The Peacemaker and I really like it! Never has a gun at school been treated so casually! Featuring the screen debut of Andrew Dice Clay, this episode is filled with amazing moments and plunges us into a discussion about 80s standup and how much we hated Sam Kinison (plz rate and review anyway, sam). We'll be back with normal episodes or guest episodes soon.

30 Minutes or Less Episode #9 - THE WONDER YEARS

On this episode we visit one of the most classic episodes of The Wonder Years -- "Goodbye"! Yep, this is the one where Kevin's teacher DIES! Lessons will be learned, math will be taught, and Kevin will have at least 3 audience alienating freakouts. We're going to be back with regular Viewmasters soon once Rusty recovers from giving birth. 

30 Minutes or Less Episode #8 - THE FACTS OF LIFE

I'd been sitting on this episode for a minute when I heard it was Charlotte Rae's birthday. Wow! You should have seen me scramble out of my seat to honor this amazing day! On this episode Mrs. Garrett teaches the girls about a topic all too relevant today-- fanaticism. Tootie is determined to go to the Jermaine Jackson concert -- by any means necessary! This was a great time by all. Well, by Ed. No one else enjoyed this episode. 

Episode #47 - TURBO KID

“This is the future.  The world as we know it is gone.”  Harrowing words from the opening sequence in this week’s episode TURBO KID.  We recorded this episode a couple weeks ago and the world has changed a lot since then.  What has remained the same is our love for Apple...and Ed’s hopeless quest to someday building a similar companion to travel the wastelands of L.A with.  On this episode, we attempt to discuss  Zeus, the weird Mola Ram character, the Aussie Indiana Jones and of course, S...

30 Minutes or Less Episode #7 - ALF

We are coming back at you with the great 2nd season Alf episode "Night Train". Finally one of our sitcom adventures results in a good viewing experience! What makes this visitor from Melmac stand out from the rest of the dreck? Join Ed, Rusty, and Po to find out! And please rate and review or we will eat a cat.

Episode #46 - BATMAN RETURNS

Yes, WE return with BATMAN RETURNS! Very sorry for our uneven schedule but this is an EPIC episode! We examine not just Batman Returns but also every Batman movie with noted Batman expert Larry Schultz. This is the interview you've been waiting for, with rankings guaranteed to shock the world and divide DC Universe fans. We also delve into Ed's many similarities to the penguin, Rusty's 1989 Batmania, and our history with comic books. Matt Akers Blood Rage theme back again! Check out his grea...

Episode #45 - JINGLE ALL THE WAY

The tree is trimmed, the presents are all wrapped and the eggnog is ready to be served. That’s right, it’s another holiday installment and we’re delivering an episode longer that our JC Penney catalog wish list. This year we’ll be discussing one of our “top five” holiday films --  JINGLE ALL THE WAY.  Santa’s sleigh is packed and ready to deliver more tales from Ed’s karate dojo, our worst Christmas gifts ever and many other ridiculous stories that would even make Yukon Cornelius blush. Ed a...

Episode #44 - THE LORD OF THE RINGS (1978)

We've returned to deliver an epic episode about one of the most formative films of Ed's life-- Ralph Bakshi's much-hated adaptation of THE LORD OF THE RINGS. If he thinks it's pretty horrible, why does Ed love it so much? Why is so much crammed into so little? Why is Boromir a viking? What exactly did Peter Jackson borrow from this? How many of these questions will I ask? Tune in for one of our longest episodes in quite some time. But don't worry-- we've improved since we used to do episodes...

Episode #43 - HOCUS POCUS

It's Halloween and what better way to celebrate than to conjure up some 300 year-old Salem witches. The cauldron is bubbling and our spell book is opened to our favorite page because we're discussing the 1993 children's Halloween classic -- HOCUS POCUS.  We desecrated hallowed ground on this one as Ed shares a tale of his first time coming into contact with the vhs tape, we give our thoughts on Max, the yabbo-loving anti hero and theorize about if Binx would've lived on as a cat in the Denni...

30 Minutes or Less Episode #6 - IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN

We're going way back, further into the past than we ever have before, all the way to 1966 to talk the animated classic IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN! Just in time for Halloween comes the tale of a deranged boy named Linus trying to inflict his fringe views on his loved ones. Do we even like this kid? Why does Charlie Brown get so many rocks? What did Ed do to his Charlie Brown underoos? Find out all this and more on the new episode, and please rate and review, ya blockhead! 

30 Minutes or Less Episode #5 - ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?

Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, we call this tale The Endless Banter of the "30 Minutes or Less" Crew.  Come join us around the campfire to discuss one of the most beloved episodes of ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? -- The Tale of the Dead's Man's Float.  Also, one of the few episodes to actually feature a malicious spirit. On today's episode, we discuss what this Canadian Snick classic meant to us, what it takes to be a member of the Midnight Society and EddieD shares his ow...

Episode #42 - THE DESCENT

We are returning from underground by going spelunking with Neil Marshall's classic tale of a caving expedition gone wrong. Who are the crawlers? What's that pool of blood for? Is this one of the few films where the fan theories are actually plausible and cool? Find out all this and more as we gear up for our all horror October. Please rate and review the show and tell a friend about it. Follow us on instagram  @Viewmasterspod. 

Episode #41 - JUST ONE OF THE GUYS

We're officially back from our hiatus and what better way to return than to discuss the 1980s teen comedy classic --JUST ONE OF THE GUYS! Ed was in Australia for this one fulfilling his dream of reenacting Crocodile Dundee. You should see his knife.  On this episode, Ed shares some stories from 'down under' and we also discuss having crushes on ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS, Warren Beatty's sex life and how great it must've been to be bullied by William Zabka. We promise to be back on a regular sc...

30 Minutes or Less Episode #4 - GROWING PAINS

After watching the GROWING PAINS episode titled "Second Chance" we have to ask ourselves if Matthew Perry would've gotten a second chance on the show had the writers known that he would go on to become a huge star.  This episode was a rollercoaster ride of emotions and what better way to approach it than to make jokes about Tracey Gold's thick Long Island accent and Po's childhood imaginary friendship with Kirk Cameron. We also discuss the classic GROWING PAINS theme song and try to figure o...

Episode #40 - WILLOW

On our epic 40th episode we revisit the Ron Howard/George Lucas classic -- WILLOW! We talk about what it was like to be kids when this came out, the horrible toys (but great NES game) it produced, the origins of how it all came together, why the Brownies are so annoying and how many people in the cast are wearing wigs. We also explore pressing issues like what exactly is the life cycle of trolls? And how pissed was Kenny Baker when he didn't get the lead role? Please rate and review the show...

30 Minutes or Less Episode #3 - PUNKY BREWSTER

It's time to tackle "Cherie Lifesaver", the most famous episode of Punky Brewster-- the one where Cherie gets locked in the fridge! Join us as we discuss the realities of dying inside a refrigerator, why Punky's dog had such an odd name and how the Punky theme song stacks up compared to the rest of the 80s classics. This is probably the best sitcom episode yet so please brace yourselves. Oh and rate and review the show. 

Episode #39 - A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER

We shouldn’t have buried him because Freddy Mania is not dead. This episode we’re sharpening our finger knives, popping on the Ray Bans and hitting the beach to discuss A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER.  Is this movie the best of the series?  With a writer’s strike and absent script, Renny Harlin manages to deliver a charismatic, lovable Freddy Krueger with a No Pain No Gain attitude.  We’re riding those waterbed waves high, eating a Rick meatball or two and hopefully becoming o...

30 Minutes or Less Episode #2 - OUT OF THIS WORLD

Welcome back to the second episode of 30 Minutes or Less where we are facing an absolute classic of our childhood, unfortunately at the beginning of its final season. Does Evie and her motley assortment of friends and family have any time-stopping miracles for us in store or are they all out of tricks? Find out as Rusty, Ed and Po watch the season 4 premiere "New Kid on the Block" guest-starring Mr. T. Yes you read that right, Mr. T was in an episode of "Out of This World"! And don't worry, ...

Episode #38 - TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (1990) w/ Jackson Stewart

Now you're playing with power. T-U-R-T-L-E POWER! We're joined this week by BEYOND THE GATES director Jackson Stewart to talk one of the best comic book movies ever made: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (1990). I'm not sure that we've ever been as united in our praise for a film as we are with this one, although I'm not sure what that says about us. Along the way we talk about a wide range of turtle topics, like the comics, the cartoon, video games, and all other matters reptilian (yet for some...

30 Minutes or Less Episode #1 - SMALL WONDER

Welcome to the first episode of our oft-mentioned sitcom show! Every other week we'll be joined by Po to dissect the television shows of our youth and burn our nostalgia to the ground. We're starting off with an infamous heavy hitter, the Small Wonder episode "Woodward and Bernstein". I think this one is a little more famous than some of our episodes to come because of its shockingly dark plotline. Experience it with us! Next week we'll be talking TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (1990) with Jac...

Episode #37 - HIGHWAY TO HELL

The show is now officially called VIEWMASTERS (formerly known as Archers of Horror) and with our first episode we’re going big by venturing into the netherworld and discussing the 1991 horror comedy film HIGHWAY TO HELL. Hell Cop’s “hand” cuffs won’t be able to restrain us as we attempt to get Kristy Swanson to fav our tweet, try to figure out how exactly to pronounce “DAGOBAH” and if Torrential Snowfall is an acceptable term. Don’t miss this one or BEEZLE claims our souls! Blood Rage Theme ...

Episode #36 - LADY SNOWBLOOD

ALERT: Starting with the next episode this podcast will start appearing in your feed as VIEWMASTERS! If you are already subscribed then you don't need to do anything except remember we've moved. With that out of the way, it's time to discuss LADY SNOWBLOOD, Toshiya Fujita's stylish adaptation of Kazuo Koike's classic manga with an unforgettable central performance by Meiko Kaji. Blood Rage Theme cover by Matt Akers as always. It rules. Check out his bandcamp! Our new show about sitcoms will ...

Episode #35 - PREDATOR

It was the Summer of 1987, Alf was coming into prominence, Michael Jackson showed us who’s “Bad” and PREDATOR was all the rage.  It was every kids dream to be Arnold Schwarzenegger or at least do a spot-on impression.  This episode promises to deliver on one of those.  We also tackle all the important questions: Did the Predator have advanced language? Does the Predator have a bidet attachment on his Sat-com? and Can Ed go 20 seconds with Mike Tyson in his prime? Ed also reveals the harrowin...

Episode #34 - ROSEMARY'S BABY

People always ask us: which episode of Archers of Horror should I listen to first? Well, here is our new answer, because this episode truly has it all: irrelevant stories, catholic guilt, childhood humiliations and oh yeah we also discuss the best horror film ever made, ROSEMARY'S BABY. And hey it's us talking here so of course we are going to say this, but this is truly a classic episode. Much closer to THE MUTILATOR than to LIFEFORCE (new listeners please know we don't consider that episod...

Episode #33 - APRIL FOOL'S DAY

On this episode, we’re celebrating the holiday of practical jokes and hoaxes by watching the eponymous 1986 Fred Walton horror-comedy classic APRIL FOOL’S DAY -- and what better way for Muffy/Buffy to celebrate her birthday than to scare the crap out of her closest friends. Will Muffy’s friends forgive her? Are the fortuitous events of this film highly improbable? Does a person really react that way to having their throat slashed by a phony knife? We don’t answer any these questions but we d...

Episode #32 - LEPRECHAUN 4: IN SPACE

For our belated St. Patricks Day episode, we are going on a very bleak journey to the cosmos. It's LEPRECHAUN 4: IN SPACE, a movie we never thought we would do and we're still not sure why. Why is he even in space? Is he an alien, or a leprechaun? Why do they blend the already blended DNA in that one scene? As always the great BLOOD RAGE theme cover is by Matt Akers. Check out his bandcamp. We need 5 ratings for Ed to shave his head by next episode. Someone please help. Follow us on Instagra...