Walken 101
145 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 26 ratingsWalken 101 is a podcast where filmmaker Kenny Johnson and actor Brandon Hardesty watch and dissect Christopher Walken's performance in every film/TV show he's ever appeared in.
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Episodes
#144 - The Outlaws - S01E03 (2021)
September 08, 2022 13:57 - 1 hour - 117 MBAfter discussing Walken's casting in the upcoming Dune sequel and some hot baby talk, Brandon and Kenny dive into the third episode of "The Outlaws." After discussing two characters in the show who are on extreme opposite sides of the political spectrum, Brandon and Kenny talk about controversy regarding Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle's stand-up routines, and fanboy over Stephen Merchant's sharp comedic timing.
#143 - The Outlaws - S01E02 (2021)
July 19, 2022 13:12 - 1 hour - 163 MBBrandon and Kenny return after a two-month hiatus to watch the second episode of "The Outlaws." They explain that they had already watched this episode back in May, but the day they were set to record, Brandon's wife was admitted to the hospital for complications with her pregnancy. Regardless, Brandon has a healthy baby boy, and is ready neglect him to watch more Christopher Walken projects. After shoutouts to the Ronnies, Brandon and Kenny dive into the second episode of "The Outlaws," whi...
#142 - The Outlaws - S01E01 (2021)
April 11, 2022 15:36 - 1 hour - 199 MBThe boys are back. After a long hiatus, Brandon and Kenny reunite to discuss what they've been up to, life ambitions, the pros and cons of owning a Tesla, and Christopher Walken's streaming television debut in Stephen Merchant's comedy/drama series "The Outlaws," in which Walken plays an eccentric criminal performing community service with a ragtag group of colorful characters. Before getting into the topic at hand, Brandon reads some obscure facts about Christopher Walken from the book "Ch...
#141 - The Finale (part 2)
October 24, 2021 11:15 - 1 hour - 203 MBBrandon and Kenny again attempt to end their Walken 101 journey by continuing the finale, only to find that they still have much more to talk about. Topics include: child-rearing, Kenny's new Tesla, Derek G. Breu's Paul Thomas Anderson-length buddy cop movie, and Brandon and Kenny's Top 5 lists of Walken movies, from good to bad to weird. NOTE: the audio quality is a little janky because we were recording over Zoom at the same time in hopes to upload a companion video for clips we were watc...
#140 - The Finale (part 1)
July 22, 2021 10:35 - 1 hour - 178 MBBrandon and Kenny begin to unload a mountain of information and content to wrap up this historically nonsensical podcast, in which they've personally watched every Christopher Walken project in chronological order over a period of four years. After scouring for updates on Chet Hanks and discussing their own ideal White Boy Summers, they give shoutouts to the loyal Ronnies and read some kind messages from them and other fans. Brandon then gets Kenny's reactions on a detailed analysis of Ch...
#139 - The Clip Show (Best of Walken 101)
July 17, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 65.6 MBAll your favorite moments (and ours) from the last four years of our lives watching every Christopher Walken project ever. List below in order: - "I Was Christopher Walken's Dresser" - Brandon's Diarrhea Mishaps - Walken Steals a Garden Gnome - The Blandness of Matthew Broderick - Watching 'McBain' Is Disrespectful to the Sanctity of Life - Kenny Reads an 8/10 IMDb Review of 'Le Grande Pardon II' - Walken's Dad Had the Rickets - 'Country Bears': The Car Wash Scene - Brandon and Kenny Write a...
#138 - Percy Vs Goliath (2020)
May 27, 2021 11:39 - 1 hour - 177 MBAfter shouting out to the patrons and discussing some Chet Hanks news, Brandon and Kenny watch the last currently available Walken project, 'Percy Vs Goliath', starring Walken as a humble farmer fighting an unjust lawsuit against corporate giant Mansanto.
#137 - Wild Mountain Thyme (2020)
May 27, 2021 11:38 - 1 hour - 178 MBAfter unpacking the drama surrounding Chet Hanks and his self-proclaimed White Boy Summer and reading the latest "Brou and Rook" episode from one of their sponsors Derek Brou, Brandon and Kenny discuss the whimsical romantic comedy 'Wild Mountain Thyme,' starring Christopher Walken as an aging Irish farmer.
#136 - Life's a Beach/Bachelor Trip (2012)
March 16, 2021 19:11 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBAfter reading some messages from the Ronnies, Brandon and Kenny discuss what they describe as the most poorly-made and offensive film Christopher Walken has ever appeared in: 'Life's a Beach'.
#135 - Deadline (1960)
March 03, 2021 17:58 - 55 minutes - 50.7 MBIn a rare jump back in time, Brandon and Kenny watch an episode of a short-lived anthology drama series, "Deadline," in which a teenage "Ronnie" Walken plays a kid who gets helplessly lost in a cave. Brandon discusses how excited he was to see this episode mysteriously added to Walken's IMDb page. Other topics include Elon Musk, an update on Chet Hanks, and they close out the show talking about their next Walken film: an indie sex-comedy that was shot in 2000 and wasn't released until twelve ...
#134 - The War with Grandpa (2020)
February 09, 2021 01:07 - 1 hour - 72.2 MBBrandon and Kenny discuss, at great length, the family comedy 'The War with Grandpa', based on a beloved 1984 children's book. Christopher Walken played a cool old dude. Kenny poses that the film is problematic in its perpetuation of stereotypical characters and unrealistic portrayal of an American family. Brandon kinda liked it. Afterwards, they look ahead at the remaining two available Walken projects to watch: 'Percy' and 'Wild Mountain Thyme'.
#133 - The Jesus Rolls (2019)
February 01, 2021 13:49 - 57 minutes - 52.5 MBAfter diving deep into the latest Tom Hanks conspiracy news, Brandon and Kenny discuss 'The Jesus Rolls,' an odd, meandering comedy-drama starring John Turturro as his character, Jesus Quintana, from the Coen Brothers' 'The Big Lebowski.' The film may mark the least amount of screen time of Walken in any film they've watched, as he played a warden in the beginning of the film letting Jesus out of prison, impressed by his bowling prowess.
#132 - Irreplaceable You (2018)
January 18, 2021 23:46 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBBrandon and Kenny let the hate flow through them as they pick apart the offensively bad Netflix film 'Irreplaceable You'. Christopher Walken plays a dying man who serves as a wise sage for the main character, who has a bad case of movie cancer.
#131 - Father Figures (2017)
January 04, 2021 13:29 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBKenny and Brandon bring in the new year discussing Christopher Walken's brief role as Dr. Tinkler, a veterinarian and potential long-lost father to Owen Wilson and Ed Helms in the forgettable comedy 'Father Figures'. They also talk about their future plans with the "101 series" of podcasts, as well as a separate podcast version of Supporting Actor Spotlights (previously "No Small Parts").
#130 - Nine Lives (2016)
December 23, 2020 13:28 - 1 hour - 66.1 MBBrandon and Kenny digest the horrible "family" comedy 'Nine Lives', in which Walken played another mysterious, omniscient guy who uses magic stuff to help a workaholic father. Afterwards, Brandon reads some trivia about the film, some of the weirdest one-star and five-star reviews on Amazon, and briefly touch on their upcoming episode about the comedy 'Father Figures'.
#129 - Finding Your Roots (2017)
December 14, 2020 14:15 - 1 hour - 62.8 MBBrandon and Kenny switch gears to the documentary show "Finding Your Roots", in which various celebrities learn about their family lineage. They watched an episode featuring Fred Armisen, Carly Simon, and Christopher Walken, who discovers some darkness in his past. Afterwards, they go over what they know of their own family history, and further delve into the "Tom Hanks Missing" conspiracy theory.
#128 - The Jungle Book (2016)
November 09, 2020 16:45 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBBrandon and Kenny put aside the events of Election Day and instead focus on something more important: Christopher Walken's performance as King Louie in Jon Favreau's live-action/CGI remake of 'The Jungle Book'. They both talk about why they enjoyed the film, Brandon rattles off some Jungle Book trivia, and finds an interview in which Walken actually makes clear his political leanings. They end by looking forward to watching Walken's segment of "Finding Your Roots", in which he supposedly find...
#127 - Eddie the Eagle (2015)
October 22, 2020 20:51 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MBKenny and Brandon discuss the film 'Eddie the Eagle', based on the true story of Michael Edwards, a British underdog ski jumper who participated unexpectedly in the 1988 Winter Olympics. Walken appeared briefly as a veteran ski coach. The movie itself wasn't too bad, actually, but they talk about how the more interesting story was what happened to Michael after the Winter Olympics.
#126 - The Family Fang (2015)
October 16, 2020 12:31 - 1 hour - 60.4 MBBrandon and Kenny are pleasantly surprised to watch the indie-drama 'The Family Fang', in which Christopher Walken plays a celebrated, avant-garde performance artist who has alienated his grown children, played by Jason Bateman and Nicole Kidman. Positive vibes today, apart from a brief debate over watching movies on airplanes.
#125 - Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser (2015)
October 06, 2020 22:02 - 53 minutes - 48.7 MBAfter digging deeper into the "Missing Tom Hanks" conspiracy theory, Brandon and Kenny discuss the confusing train wreck of a comedy 'Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser', in which Walken reprised his role of Clem, an eccentric gangster. Jesus Christ.
#124 - One More Time (2015)
September 21, 2020 14:35 - 1 hour - 61.5 MBAfter initially getting sidetracked talking about the explosive relationship between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, Kenny and Brandon discuss Christopher Walken's fantastic performance as Paul Lombard: an egotistical, yet charming New York crooner planning his comeback amidst the dysfunction of his family relationships in the indie comedy-drama 'One More Time'. They touch on how rich the history of his character was, and how elements of Walken's real life bled into the film, some of which only ...
#123 - Peter Pan Live! (2014)
September 17, 2020 15:41 - 1 hour - 59.5 MBBrandon and Kenny defend Christopher Walken's much-criticized performance as Captain Hook in NBC's live-televised adaptation of the classic Peter Pan musical. Brandon discusses the history of the Peter Pan musical, as well as NBC's "live musical" gimmick that started with 2013's "The Sound of Music".
#122 - Jersey Boys (2014)
September 07, 2020 11:56 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBKenny and Brandon discuss 'Jersey Boys', the Clint Eastwood-directed musical biopic about the ups and downs of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. While they both agree that Walken was well utilized as a crime boss who helps the band get out of debt with loan sharks, they both had vastly different experiences watching the film as a whole. Afterwards, they reflect on other musical biopics and try determine their favorite. They close the show as Brandon shows great enthusiasm for the next episo...
#121 - Turks & Caicos (2014)
August 24, 2020 10:57 - 1 hour - 66.1 MBKenny and Brandon enjoy the well-scripted, well-produced TV movie "Turks & Caicos", starring veteran British character actor Bill Nighy as a suave, retired MI6 agent living in the Turks and Caicos islands under a new identity. He crosses paths with Walken's character, a CIA agent, and the two work together, somewhat reluctantly, to expose a shady organization using the islands to wash their dirty money.
#120 - Gods Behaving Badly (2013)
August 20, 2020 11:15 - 59 minutes - 54.1 MBBrandon and Kenny talk as much as they can about the 2013 comedy 'Gods Behaving Badly', an as-yet unreleased film in which Walken played a modern-day Zeus living in an apartment with other Greek gods as they fade into obscurity. All the footage that currently exists of the film are a poorly-rendered opening title sequence with Walken's narration and a half-done scene involving Cerberus in a train station. In an attempt to provide some semblance of content, Kenny begrudgingly agrees to act in ...
#119 - The Power of Few (2013)
July 31, 2020 10:42 - 1 hour - 64.9 MBAfter the usual COVID-19 discussion, Brandon and Kenny talk about the indie-drama 'The Power of Few', which may be the worst-produced movie they've seen in which Christopher Walken plays a homeless man named Doke who has a fixation on cloning Jesus Christ.
#118 - A Late Quartet (2012)
July 12, 2020 13:30 - 1 hour - 62.2 MBAfter Kenny and Brandon speculate on when Brandon will move back into his own house after the COVID scare, they discuss Christopher Walken's performance as a cellist in a string quartet dealing with early onset Parkinson's in 'A Late Quartet'. Brandon had previously seen it and enjoyed the performances, while Kenny wrote it off as a mediocre melodrama. The conversation devolves as Kenny bringing up Brandon's "anchored bias" about his negative feelings toward Amy Adams and the film 'Heat'. Aft...
#117 - Seven Psychopaths (2012)
June 23, 2020 20:03 - 1 hour - 68.9 MBAfter Kenny takes issue with Brandon's ability to retain information in his brain, they discuss a series of YouTube videos they've been working on in which Brandon plays a version of himself who's trying to become a self-help guru. They then talk about Walken's role in the 2012 crime-comedy 'Seven Psychopaths', agreeing that the film is one of the best examples of a crime-comedy using Walken perfectly as a quiet, eccentric-but-not-over-the-top oddball who makes a living kidnapping dogs and re...
#116 - Stand-Up Guys (2012) and Evil Calls: The Raven (2008)
June 08, 2020 12:59 - 1 hour - 159 MBAfter discussing "Short Circuit" and Al Pacino movies, Kenny and Brandon talk about the 2012 crime-comedy-drama 'Stand-Up Guys'. Brandon hated it, citing it as one of many awful "old people last hurrah" movies. Afterwards, Brandon talks about his frustration with purchasing a DVD of an obscure horror movie, 'Evil Calls: The Raven', that Walken was supposedly in, according to his IMDb. Upon watching it and realizing that all the filmmakers did was take a track from a spoken-word album in which...
#115 - Dark Horse (2011)
May 27, 2020 18:36 - 1 hour - 66.4 MBAfter Brandon runs down a list of the various things he knows how to do, he and Kenny discuss Walken's role as a grim father dealing with a man-child son in Todd Solondz's dark comedy 'Dark Horse'. Brandon enjoyed the film, having been a fan of Todd Solondz for years. Kenny hated it, but both agreed that it was a nice departure for Walken. Afterwards, Brandon reads from interviews with Walken and Todd Solondz talking about the movie. Then, Brandon and Kenny talk about a YouTube series they're...
#114 - Kill the Irishman (2009)
May 23, 2020 22:21 - 1 hour - 67.4 MBAfter Brandon and Kenny reveal the actor to be featured for their next "101" podcast after they finish up with Christopher Walken, they discuss Walken's role as a subdued loan shark in the 'Goodfellas'-esque crime-drama 'Kill the Irishman'.
#113 - 30 Rock (2009)
May 07, 2020 12:38 - 1 hour - 58.5 MBAfter discussing quarantine habits and the release of part one of "Uploading Walt DisneyWorld", a documentary they had both been working on, Brandon and Kenny discuss Walken's riveting, two-line performance as an impression of his own voice coming out of the mouth of another actor. Since there's not much else to discuss, they dive into reading bizarre, negative reviews of "30 Rock" on Amazon.
#112 - The Maiden Heist (2009)
April 20, 2020 13:25 - 1 hour - 73.9 MBAfter Brandon poses a philosophical question to Kenny that he saw in a horror movie, they talk about the comedy 'The Maiden Heist', starring Christopher Walken as a museum security guard who schemes to steal his favorite art piece for himself. They agreed that the movie itself wasn't very good, but it was refreshing to see Walken as a normal guy. Afterwards, Brandon reads from an NPR article that Kenny sent him about the sordid history of the release of the movie, and how the impact of the 20...
#111 - $5 a Day (2008)
April 13, 2020 12:18 - 1 hour - 68.5 MBAfter discussing how their lives have changed a month into the coronavirus pandemic and failing to understand one another as human beings, Brandon and Kenny discuss Christopher Walken's role as a charming cheapskate conman who goes on a road trip with his estranged son in the indie comedy-drama '$5 a Day'. Brandon actually enjoyed the film to a degree. Kenny was bored by it, correctly describing the film as 'Around the Bend 2' as it has a nearly identical plot/character dynamic to a previous ...
Bonus Episode #110.2 - More Quarantining, More Walkening
March 24, 2020 13:54 - 1 hour - 150 MBAfter discussing Brandon's daily routine and hygiene, Brandon goes through some Google results he found with "christopher walken" and "coronavirus". They then do some shoutouts to the Ronnies, Brandon shares some more odd Christopher Walken anecdotes and oddities he found. Kenny and Brandon then speculate on Walken's net worth, and Brandon plays the "Walken Mystery Game".
Bonus Episode: #110.1 - Brandon and Kenny Self-Quarantine
March 23, 2020 10:41 - 44 minutes - 41 MBIn a bonus episode over Skype, Kenny and Brandon discuss briefly touch on the current coronavirus pandemic, then quickly pivot to what's really important: weird news stories and anecdotes about Christopher Walken. Other topics include Walken's Nazi ancestors, revisiting their favorite/least favorite Walken movies, and the results of an online quiz they both took in which they tried to list as many Walken projects as possible. Link to the Christopher Walken filmography quiz: https://www.jetp...
#109 - Disaster! A Major Motion Picture Ride... Starring You! (2008)
March 07, 2020 15:38 - 1 hour - 61.8 MBAfter Brandon and Kenny struggle through the intro and the Ronnies thanks to Brandon's son Noel making too much noise, they time-jump ten hours to when Noel is asleep to discuss Christopher Walken's role as an eccentric film director in the now-defunct Universal Studios attraction 'Disaster! A Major Motion Picture Ride... Starring You!' Other topics include the coronavirus, the time Kenny bungled one of his first jobs as a theatre projectionist, and Paul Walker. Link to Defunctland's very in...
#108 - Guiding Light (1954-1956)
February 16, 2020 10:57 - 45 minutes - 105 MBIn a very special Skype-session podcast, Brandon and Kenny discuss Brandon's wacky journey seeking out footage of Ronnie Walken potentially playing a recurring character in the old soap opera, "Guiding Light" from 1954 to 1956. They also read from an interview conducted with Christopher Walken's mother, which gives a window into Walken's life in show business with his brother Glenn.
#107 - Balls of Fury (2007)
January 27, 2020 18:27 - 1 hour - 79.9 MBAfter Kenny and Brandon discuss parenting techniques, feelings, and (maybe) correctly pronounce Alex Haitz's name as they pay tribute to the loyal Ronnies, they discuss Christopher Walken's role as Feng, the comical antagonist who runs a deadly ping-pong tournament in the 2007 comedy 'Balls of Fury', a performance they theorize marked the end of the "Wacky Period" of Walken's acting career. Afterwards, Brandon reads from a ranked list of Bond villains done by Esquire Magazine asking Kenny whe...
#106 - Hairspray (2007)
January 10, 2020 13:53 - 59 minutes - 68.1 MBAfter Brandon obsesses over getting his son to sleep an appropriate amount of time, he puts him in a baby carrier and talks quieter into the microphone as he and Kenny discuss their somewhat enjoyable experience watching the 2007 musical comedy 'Hairspray', an adaptation of the Broadway musical which, in turn, is inspired by the original John Waters film. Topics include: John Travolta's inaccurate and confusing Baltimore accent, Christopher Walken's charm as Wilbur Turnblad, the main characte...
#105 - Man of the Year (2006)
December 24, 2019 12:53 - 1 hour - 70 MBOn this holiday edition of Walken 101, Kenny and Brandon talk about Walken's role as a talent manager-turned-political campaign manager in the Robin Williams comedy/thriller 'Man of the Year'. Other topics include theorizing how Walken would take on the duties of Santa Claus, his supposed run for President in 2008, and Kenny's bachelor party woes.
#104 - Fade to Black (2006)
December 18, 2019 14:44 - 1 hour - 81.6 MBAfter getting sidetracked discussing the 'Star Wars' franchise and the concept of "tier lists" at great length, Brandon and Kenny touch on Walken's supporting role as Pete Brewester, a scheming politician and close friend of a fictionalized version of Orson Welles in the 2006 mystery 'Fade to Black'. Other topics include Walken's place in the 'Star Wars ' universe, a potential tier list of Walken performances/characters/movies, and Brandon's 4-month-old son making noise.
#103 - Click (2006)
November 25, 2019 12:44 - 1 hour - 76.5 MBAfter reminiscing about Adam Sandler's comedy albums, reading shoutouts from the Ronnies, and Brandon talking about life as a father, Kenny and Brandon discuss Christopher Walken's performance as Morty, a.k.a. The Angel of Death, in the Adam Sandler comedy 'Click'.
#102 - True Crime: New York City (2005)
November 18, 2019 13:44 - 57 minutes - 66 MBAfter discussing Disney Plus, reminiscing about their vastly different childhoods, shoutouts to the Ronnies, and Kenny's dread of an upcoming bachelor party that involves an axe-throwing competition, Kenny and Brandon talk about Christopher Walken's brief role as F.B.I. Agent Gabriel Whitting in the lackluster open world video game "True Crime: New York City". Kenny challenges Brandon's proclamation that Walken's character was named after two of his previous characters: Gabriel from 'The Prop...
#101 - Domino (2005)
October 31, 2019 13:42 - 1 hour - 78.5 MBKenny and Brandon, in a foul mood after sitting through only half of Tony Scott's manic action film 'Domino', discuss Christopher Walken's all-too-brief performance as a reality TV show producer. Along the way, they discuss cringeworthy trailer reaction videos to 'Star Wars: Episode XI - Rise of Skywalker', briefly debate the merits of the 'Star Wars' franchise, and argue over whether or not Christopher Walken's character in "True Crime: New York City", Gabriel Whitting, is actually named aft...
#100 - Romance & Cigarettes (2005)
October 18, 2019 20:57 - 52 minutes - 59.6 MBTo celebrate their 100th episode after three years of Walken 101, Brandon and Kenny pay the least amount of attention they've ever paid to to a Walken film when they sit through John Turturro's romantic-comedy musical 'Romance and Cigarettes', in which Walken plays an Elvis-esque character, Cousin Bo, who sings and dances to a Tom Jones song. Before getting into the movie or even giving shoutouts to the Ronnies, Brandon and Kenny discuss home cleanliness, procrastination, and Brandon's fascin...
#99 - Wedding Crashers (2005)
October 02, 2019 11:37 - 1 hour - 85.3 MBAfter plugging a podcast interview that they did and giving shoutouts to the Ronnies, Brandon and Kenny discuss Walken's performance in the 2005 comedy 'Wedding Crashers', which they both, more or less, enjoyed. They begin to trail off and cover other topics, like film nerds in college, positive and negative experiences with audience members in movie theaters, getting old, and social etiquette.
#98 - Around the Bend (2004)
September 22, 2019 16:24 - 1 hour - 83.3 MBAfter discussing Kenny's annoyance regarding an axe-throwing event at his friend's bachelor party and getting through some messages from the loyal Ronnies, Brandon and Kenny discuss the forgettable, vanilla, 2% milk drama 'Around the Bend'. Brandon reads some scathing excerpts from Roger Ebert's review of the film, Kenny reads bizarre user reviews from IMDb, and they close out the show with Brandon reading parts of a long interview Walken did to promote the film in which the interviewer asks ...
#97 - The Stepford Wives (2004)
September 09, 2019 13:13 - 1 hour - 71 MBAfter a month-long hiatus, Kenny and Brandon are back to continue their journey with the 2004 horror-comedy 'The Stepford Wives', in which Walken plays a kind of evil guy and also a robot. Brandon regales his experiences with his first month of fatherhood, Kenny talks about his three visits to Disneyworld working on a documentary, and more Ronnies continue to come out of the woodwork to support the podcast. At some point, Brandon's baby wakes up and he has to feed him for the remainder of the...
#96 - Envy (2004)
August 04, 2019 15:06 - 1 hour - 94.7 MBBrandon and Kenny struggle to turn their depression around after sitting through Envy, a critically-panned comedy that sat on the shelf for two years. They discuss Walken's role as "The J-Man", an eccentric hobo. Although funny at first, Kenny says that his Walkenisms were turned up to eleven and he was overused. Afterwards, they have fun answering some Christopher Walken questions submitted by Patreon alum Greg EckBEEEEEEEEERG-GOOOOoooo.