Baconsale: Hickory-smoked Pop Culture

Paranormal investigator Beaker is back on Baconsale! Once again, he’s brought a list of 13 alarming areas & petrifying places from around the world, and it’s up to us to decide if we’d be willing to spend the night there by ourselves. Will we laugh at the ha-ha walls surrounding the Aradale Mental Hospital in Australia? Will the ghosts of Gettysburg be our confederates? Will we lose our nerve in the Bermuda Triangle of Romania? Will we be able to pronounce Lawang Sewu? All these questions and more will be answered as we test our tongues and our bravery in frightening foreign lands.   Press play to see if the ghost dogs are good boys.

Oh, look. Another glorious BaconBit! Thirty years (minus one year) ago, a Disney movie about witches received mixed reviews from critics and didn’t do that well at the box office. However, since that time, it has become a beloved cult classic for many, leading to the long-delayed legasequel: Hocus Pocus 2. But do the Sanderson sisters possess the same magic they did decades ago? And will Joel, Kent, and Zack enjoy this sequel when none of them truly loved the original? We’ll start off this BaconBit with our spoiler-free reviews, but then we’ll break that spell and discuss the whole film without holding back.   Itch-it-a-cop-it-a-mel-a-ka-mys-ti-ca… press play!

We see a Bad Moon Rising, which must mean it’s finally October! And Heads Will Roll as Baconsale carefully crafts the perfect playlist for any Monster Mash. Joel, Kent, and Zack have done some Weird Science to select 31 spooky songs that they hope will turn a dance floor Ghost Town into a Thriller of a Dead Man’s Party. And while Kent may be a Psycho Killer of Halloween music, you can still Unleash Your Spirit and join us as we enter The Time Warp and take plenty of punch breaks.   Dig through the ditches, burn through the witches, and press play.   And you can find our official Halloween party playlist at Baconsale.com.

I scream, you scream, we all scream when Baconsale does a food challenge. Here’s the scoop: Joel, Kent, and Zack decided to take on the 31 flavors of Baskin-Robbins, only to discover that was just the beginning of our journey. We’ll first give the history of the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty stores and talk about our quest experiences. Then we’ll share our combined scores and reveal the bottom five and top five ice cream flavors. Listen as we tank each other’s ratings, offer some coffee confessions, and tell the tale of how one of us faced frozen death in the face and lived to talk about it.   Find an ice cream buddy and press play!

It's a dangerous business, listener, discussing The Lord of the Rings. You step into this subject and, if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to. Nevertheless, we’re visiting Middle-earth once again, but this time we’re bringing a guest. Our friend Glo is joining us for this fantastical adventure where we’ll be picking answers for categories such as Best Battle, Creepiest Creature, Coolest Set Piece, Favorite Character, and Most Emotional Moment. We’re going to get a little geeky as we journey through the films & books, and we’ll expose Zack’s love for Aragorn, Kent & Glo’s opposing views of Samwise, and Joel’s hidden desire for darkness.   The beacons are lit! Baconsale calls for aid. Will you answer by pressing play?

Steak. Seafood. Salad. Tiering. On this episode of Baconsale, we’re ranking 24 casual dining restaurants, giving their backstories, and sharing our opinions on these enticing eateries. We’ll be discussing Denny’s, judging Johnny Rockets, reviewing Red Robin, observing Olive Garden, critiquing Chili’s, and more. Zack thinks each one of these restaurant chains is a version of Applebee’s. Kent enjoys eating adult chicken nuggets at Buffalo Wild Wings. And Joel is irate with IHOP for discontinuing the Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity.   Press play. Because when you’re listening, you’re family.

It’s showtime, folks! Now that Zack has finished Better Call Saul—and we’ve given you some time to watch it, too—we finally can talk about this popular TV series and whether or not it raises the bar for spin-offs. We’ll start off this BaconBit spoiler-free and give our overall impressions of the show and the main characters, and then we’ll give you fair warning before we slip into spoilers. How does it compare to Breaking Bad? Are we satisfied with Jimmy’s transformation into Saul? Did we get confused with all the time jumps? Are we satisfied with how this series ended? And why do we keep making references to the 2008 movie Hancock?   Press play to find out if it’s all good, man.

Autumn is approaching, which means it’s time for Baconsale to look toward the near cinematic future and let you know which films are coming out before the end of the year. Our leap-year host Dan is back, since Zack is on paternity leave, and he’s going to join Joel & Kent in giving five upcoming movies we want to see flop, as well as five movies we’re looking forward to. As per usual, Kent’s invited guest tends to agree with him, but not as per usual, Joel doesn’t make a lot of mainstream picks. Listen as we agree on some choices, take some pot shots at Disney and, for some reason, make allusions to rides at Lagoon.   Press play to fear Winnie the Pooh again.

We’ve talked about our favorite film scores before on Baconsale, but we’ve never really been tested on how well we know them. That’s why our friend Allison is joining us on this episode. She’s created a quiz featuring some of the greatest modern composers & epic movie soundtracks, and it’s up to Zack, Kent, and Joel to bring their A-game. And with a Skor bar on the line as the prize, the stakes have never been higher. Listen as Kent feigns ignorance, Joel gets some pity points, and Zack proves his Disney prowess.   Press play to hear some instrumental intrigue.

The school year is starting again at Baconsale High, which means it’s time for Joel, Kent & Zack to go back-to-school shopping. However, the clothes we’re picking from are some of the most regrettable fashion choices in history—submitted by you. And our moms aren’t here to help us this time. We’re going to be assigned our outfits at random, using the tried & true M.A.S.H. method. Listen as we do our best to keep Zack honest, Joel confesses he has outfit blindness, and we’d remember Kent’s name if he just wore something more memorable.   Press play to begin this farcical fashion show.

Everybody! (Yeeeaaah?) On this episode of Baconsale, we’re pitting the best vocal harmonies and choreographed dance moves against each other to see which boy band is the best of all! Step by Step, we’ll discuss the history of each group, recap their Dynamite hits and, One Way or Another, make a decision about who has come to the End of the Road. It might be easy as ABC for you, but The Hardest Thing for us is saying Bye Bye Bye to groups that had some great songs. Nevertheless, I Swear we’re going to finish this All or Nothing tournament in a single episode, No Matter What. Is This the End of this episode blurb? Yes. Now press play like Every Other Time.   Download our official boy band bracket at Baconsale.com so you can play along at home.

Since it already swept the nation once, Baconsale has decided to take a second swing at the Parents Guide Game! Kent, Joel, and Zack have each brought 10 secret movies to the table, and the only clues they are allowed to give each other come from the Parents Guide on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). We invite you to play along and see if you can guess the answer before we can. You can even come up with ridiculous buzzers with backstories of your own. As a reminder, Baconsale is a family friendly podcast, but we will be discussing questionable parts of these films in a humorous manner on this episode, so parental discretion is somewhat advised, especially when we talk about Harry Potter.   Press play to learn why Zack is happiness.

I've got a bad feeling about this. Baconsale is doing another episode where they have to defend something that is generally disliked, and this time it’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Indy’s fourth adventure isn’t looked upon as kindly as the original trilogy, but it’s up to Joel, Kent, and Zack to accentuate the positives in this movie (which came out before Mamma Mia) or else there will be whippings. We do allow ourselves a few breaks from staring into the hollow eyes of interdimensional beings in order to stay sane, otherwise we’re plowing ahead in this CG jungle of positivity. However, watch out for sharp bangs, swinging monkeys, goopy ants, Kent monologues, double-sided blow darts, cartoon prairie dogs, and selective magnetism. Press play to jump inside the lead-lined fridge with Baconsale.

Attention, listener, this episode about Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 is ready for departure. We’d like to draw your attention to one passenger in particular, in seat 18C, whose name is Dan Cooper (a.k.a. D.B. Cooper), one of the most famous plane hijackers in history. But what makes this mystery man so famous? And why has his story intrigued people across the globe for the past 50 years? Kent, Joel, and Zack are joined by Jake Swallow (a.k.a. Juice) to discuss the facts, review some suspects, make some Harry Potter references, and then give pitches for how the story could have ended.   Press play to enter the Cooper Vortex with Baconsale.

Mamma Mia! Baconsale is finally doing an episode all about ABBA! We’re discussing this famous Swedish pop group The Way Old Friends Do. I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do believe we’ll give some history of the band, following which One of Us will share their top five and bottom five songs, along with the other two. And I Have a Dream that every Dancing Queen and Super Trouper out there will be saying Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie! by the end of this disco-charged discussion and not demanding your Money, Money, Money back.   Press play to say Thank You for the Music, Björn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida!

Bands & musicians get all the glory when it comes to being one-hit wonders. But what about filmmakers? On this episode of Baconsale, we’re discussing directors that made one great movie…and then didn’t do much after that (or before that). This could be because none of their other works reached the level of success their hit movie did, or it could be because they didn’t actually make any other films. Regardless, Kent, Joel, and Zack have each created a list of five directors that fit their idea of a one-hit wonder. They’re not allowed to pick one the others have chosen, but they are allowed to justify their answers, attempt joke picks, and make Kent mad.   Press play to remember the poster.

By Odin’s beard! A fourth Thor movie has been released! Zack and Kent are ready to discuss whether or not this sequel is worthy and if Marvel Phase 4 is heading in the right direction. Joel wasn’t able to see Love and Thunder yet, but he’s still ready to battle with the negativity that he’s expecting from the other two. And he’ll be taking the Bifrost Bridge before they enter the land of spoilers.   Press play to hear if Christian Bale brings DC to the MCU.

Light the coals or turn on the gas, it’s time for a sizzling, summer-themed episode of Baconsale! Kent, Joel, and Zack are standing at our respective grills, making sure the meat is cooked to perfection, cracking some dad jokes, and tiering foods you’d commonly find at a backyard barbecue. We’ll be ranking hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, corn on the cob, fruit salad, lemonade, watermelon, and more. And as things heat up, Joel will expose his enthusiasm for beans, Zack will express his love for mayo, and Kent will admit that he judges moms.   Press play to potluck with Baconsale!

The owls are silent. That must mean it’s time for Baconsale to take on the transcendental filmmaker, David Lynch. He may be popular among film geeks, but many people might not know the influence he’s had on movies & television. We’re joined on this episode by Andrew, a young Lynchian enthusiast, who asked us to walk with him through Lynch’s surreal cinematic world, followed by an in-depth discussion of enigmatically entertaining TV series, Twin Peaks. We hope you enjoy Kent sharing personal synopses, Zack jump-scaring us with fun facts, and Joel trying to interpret if this whole episode is a dream.   You must not fear this episode. Fear is the mind-killer. Press play.

The double suns have set on another Star Wars series, so Kent, Joel, and Zack are ready to discuss Obi-Wan Kenobi. While this Disney Plus show explores what happened in the 20 years between the prequels and the original trilogy, we’re going to explore how we felt about the storyline, the acting, the visual effects, and the lethality of lightsabers. You may sense some cynicism from certain hosts on this BaconBit, but we also make a point to say something nice before putting on any rant hats. Plus, if you’ve been wondering if you should watch Obi-Wan, the first 15 minutes of our review is spoiler free.   Press play, you precocious little princess!