Baconsale: Hickory-smoked Pop Culture

Steven Spielberg may say that movies released on streaming platforms don’t count as real films, but Martin Scorsese must disagree, because he’s created a three and a half-hour epic specifically for Netflix called The Irishman. And then Rian Johnson tries to redeem himself by making thinly-veiled jabs at everyone he doesn’t like in his latest movie, Knives Out. Join Kent, Joel and our special guest Adrienne as we talk about these two films, and then count how many F-words are in each one. Press play to get de-aged like Robert De Niro.

People keep asking if Decade Dance is back and we haven't really had an answer. But now, yeah, we’re thinkin' it’s back! On this episode of Baconsale, we’re looking at the past 10 years of action flicks and picking our favorites. We talk about everything from the super popular superhero movies to the underperforming & underappreciated cult classics. Jacob keeps making Kent swear on things, Joel keeps bringing up Spider-Man, and Kent ends up kicking both of them off the show. What a day, what a lovely day! Press play!

Would you be ours, could you be ours, won’t you be our listener? Kent is ready to give spoiler-free reviews for two dark, gritty, R-rated films on this BaconBit: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and Frozen II. He finally lets Joel and Mr. Rogers know if Tom Hanks is able to become Mister Rogers. Then, Kent launches “Into the Unknown” and discusses his thoughts about the Frozen sequel. But is he able to defy his daughters who say it’s the best movie since the last movie they saw? Plus, listen for details on how you can win some spicy fudge!

Last time he was here, Ryan Ferrin told us, “I’ll be back.” Well he’s back on this episode of Baconsale, and he’s brought with him a bracket featuring famous robots, droids, cyborgs, and androids from film & TV. Instead of killing all humans, though, these robots are going to be fighting each other in a no-holds barred, single-elimination tournament. Ryan, Kent, and Joel will be picking their winners for each round and debating the results, while Jacob gets to sit back and enjoy the chaos that ensues. One by one, each robot will be wiped out like tears…in rain until only one is left standing. Will Johnny 5 stay alive? Will Baymax break his Hippocratic Oath? Will Sonny come home with a vengeance? To initiate robot tournament sequence, press play. Print your own bracket at Baconsale.com and play along at home.

After a riveting game of Paper, Rock, Scissors, Kent gears up to review the new Charlie’s Angels movie. This is, after all, the “rebooquel” everyone has been asking for. Right? RIGHT? And then we take a hard left into the dramatic historical film, Ford v Ferrari: Dawn of Justice. Kent may now be a car guy after watching this film, and he also talks about Matt Damon’s performance and Christian Bale’s weight. Press play to hear another set of reviews from Kent, since he doesn’t take Jacob or Joel to screenings anymore.

It’s time for another Decade Dance, where Baconsale looks back at movies from the past 10 years and discusses the best of the best. This time around, we’re talking about comedies released between 2010 and 2019. It’s not easy to explain why a comedy is comical, but we’re sure going to try! Joel has a love-hate relationship with his list and it stressed him out to select his favorite funny films, but Kent is happy to cheer on the darkness and violence in his humorous hipster picks. Press play to hear us laugh at each other’s comedic choices.

No, you’re not seeing double, Kent saw two sequels to popular 80s thrillers, and he’s ready to review both of them. Joel and Jacob didn’t attend these screenings, so they’re going to have to take Kent’s word on it as he talks about which Terminator sequels Dark Fate ignores, and if Doctor Sleep will make any sense if you haven’t seen The Shining. There are also no spoilers for either movie on air, but Kent is more than willing to spoil them off the air. Come press play with us. And press play if you want to live.

Just for the taste of it, Baconsale has decided to rank and tier some of your favorite soft drinks! However, since there are so many sodas available today, we had to draw the line somewhere. Therefore, in this episode Kent Joel and Jacob are only going to be discussing Coke products (Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite), Shasta and a few independent brands. We also briefly recap the history of soda pop—starting way back in the 1800s, when it was considered to be a drug, until we arrive in modern times, when it’s still kind of considered to be a drug. Obey your thirst. Press play.

This isn’t a trick, you’re getting treated to a special Halloween BaconBit! We did our Scary Date Night with Baconsale (lightning sound effect), and we’re going to talk about how it went. We are joined on this episode by Kelsey Watts, the winner of our October giveaway along with her friend, Rachel Carlson. Kelsey & Rachel joined us for dinner, where Joel stole all the rice, and then we all went to Nightmare on 13th Haunted House, where we almost froze to death and clowns smelled Kelsey’s breath. Press play to find out which of us is the biggest scaredy cat!

The Halloween season and the year are winding to a close, so Baconsale is counting down the best horror films of the past decade. Kent and Joel have each picked their top ten scary movies that were released between 2010 and 2019, and they’re ready and willing to share them with you, the listener. Kent’s expresses his love for dark and disturbing slow-burn movies, whereas Joel lets you know which of his flicks need to be edited. We’re sad to see the month end, but we hope this episode will help you find some fun frights before October is over. Take a breath. Count to ten. Press play. It’s time for Baconsale.

It must be the season of the witch, because Baconsale is discussing historical hags, creepy covens and spooky spell casters. This episode is all about traditional folklore, varieties of witches from around the world, and how the perception of witches has changed over the years. Kent and Joel are also here to help you and Jacob (who loves witches!) learn how to identify a person that is using witchcraft and how to protect yourself from their dark magic. Plus, as is tradition, we’ve created a lengthy list of witchy movies and will let you know if they are Baconsale-approved or not. Press play or else I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!

Few things get us into the Halloween spirit faster than eerie music, which is why on this episode of Baconsale, we’re talking spooky soundtracks! Kent and Joel have selected spine-chilling tunes for 13 horrific categories such as Theme You Never Wanted to Hear as a Kid, Creepiest Classical Piece, Worst Song to Play on a Date, Hipster Horror Pick and Most Annoying. Along the way, Kent tries to summon a demonic presence while Joel subliminally shares a recipe for German pancakes. Press play to get your pulse racing with fear! You can also find a link to our Spotify playlist featuring these songs at Baconsale.com.

Kent and Joel made a book! A real-life book that people can actually purchase and read at home! It’s a children’s picture book called “Goodnight, Sleepy Zombie.” Joel came up with the idea to entertain his kids and Kent used his drawing skills to help bring it to life. . .eventually. Listen to hear how the process worked and why it took Joel over a decade to get his idea published (SPOILER ALERT: procrastination). Also, enjoy a live reading by the author, even though there are less than 50 words in the entire thing and the jokes are mostly visual. And, after you press play and listen to this BaconBit, you can find the book on Amazon by searching for “Goodnight, Sleepy Zombie” or by clicking the link on Baconsale.com.

Let the Halloween season officially begin! Not a fan of scary movies? Well, then this episode of Baconsale is specifically for you! We’ve created a list of 13 horror films to help you ease into the genre, and hopefully give you a pleasant, yet spooky experience that will make you want to watch more. Joel chooses a bunch of softball horror-comedies to coddle our listener, whereas Kent feels like our listener is an adult who can take a little traumatizing terror in stride. Blah, blah, blah, don’t be frightened and press play, blah, blah, blah.

After we were done recording our pumpkin spice episode, we sat down with our friend Lindsay and asked her to tell us some of her real-life supernatural experiences. Kent and Joel had heard these chilling stories last year, and really wanted her to share them with you, the listener, to set the mood for the Halloween season. WARNING: While these stories are not explicit or even violent, they are unsettling, so you may not want to listen with your kids around. #NightmareFuel Press play for tales of ghostly hands, creepy doorbells and paranormal peek-a-boo.

It’s autumn, which means it’s time for Baconsale to embrace the basic as we eat & drink a variety of pumpkin spice goodies. And we’ve invited a self-professed fall-flavor lover, our friend Lindsay, to join us! Kent, Joel, Jacob and Lindsay brought cookies, chips, cereal, doughnuts, cakes, salsa and more that are laced with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and occasionally some actual pumpkin. After we try each item, we’re going to rank them and let you know which pumpkin spice products are pleasing to our palates, and which treats should be tossed in the trash. Press play, and thanks a latte for listening!

Reality TV contestants have faced brutal physical challenges, harsh living conditions and draining social interactions, but nothing can prepare them for the unbridled enthusiasm that comes from our guest this week, Mats Mudrow. Mats asked Baconsale to watch 21 reality competition programs, including Survivor, Big Brother, The Amazing Race, The Biggest Loser and a bunch we’d never heard of before. After we introduce them to you, Kent, Joel and Mats are ready to rank them as tier one, tier two or tier three. Things get a little intense at times, but what would you expect from an episode based on television shows which are fueled by drama? Press play, because we didn’t come here to make friends. We came here to Baconsale.

Comic books—they’re not just for nerds & geeks anymore. In fact, graphic novels have been adapted into some of the highest grossing movies of all time. But there are decades of illustrated stories ready for reading, so where does one start? Well, Baconsale has brought on a special guest, Spencer Myers, to help us understand the history of comics and give some recommendations, too. Spencer & Kent geek out, Joel tries to relate while getting them to explain stuff, and Jacob tries to stay awake. Press play and then put this episode in a protective sleeve to keep it in mint condition.

Live from the Baconcave, it’s Saturday Night! Actually this show was pre-recorded and, let’s be honest, you’re probably not listening to this on a Saturday evening. Nevertheless, on this episode of Baconsale, three wild & crazy guys are talking about the comedic TV staple that is Saturday Night Live. This show has everything: Favorite Recurring Characters, Underrated Cast Members, Best Fake Commercials, Classic SNL MVPs, Greatest Celebrity Hosts, Dan Cortese... And it’s up to Kent and Joel to pick winners from over 40 years of sketch comedy. Press play for more cowbell in a van down by the river.

The summer season is officially over, which means it’s time to turn our attention to the films that will be coming out at the end of this year. Joel and Kent have each picked five movies they’re wanting to see along with five flicks they want to bomb. Kent is predictably a hipster in his choices and even selects some straight-to-streaming options, while Joel, makes some ridiculous fake picks and, at times, lets the hate flow through him. Double tap that play button—it’s time to listen to these jokers.