Guys Of A Certain Age

Though they should be used to it by now, this podcast is a little STRANGE without Jay, as Robbie and Art try to weave in and out of multiverses to review the latest Marvel movie without going mad. In a spoiler-filled recap, the Guys give their thoughts on the good, the bad, and the unexpected in Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. 

Episode topics can originate in strange places, as all Guys of a Certain Age listeners are well aware.  

This one began in a grocery store parking lot, on a t-shirt that Jay happened upon.  To be clear, seeing a dude in a cool t-shirt in a parking lot is not exactly a milestone moment, but it triggered a memory of an event that is unlikely to be repeated (at least in Jay’s lifetime), and even less likely to be forgotten.  It’ll be one of those stories he tells his grandkids even if he can’t remember why he came into the room.  That’s how The Guys are defining signature experiences, and they each have one or two or ten that they share.  

From the Johnson Space Center, to the Ed Sullivan theater, and on to the offices of the Daily Mississippian, The Guys tell tales of wonder.  It’s like the Multiverse (which Nat Geo says might be real, by the way), only different.  Or like traveling to the the world of Pandora, only less blue.  Or like living in a world without iPods.  Wait, that one’s real.  Listen for the details, and be ready to plan your next adventure, GoaCA style.  

Like much of the Marvel fan community, the Guys were looking forward to the Moon Knight series, despite knowing very little about the character.  

And after 6 episodes, they still don’t know much.  What they do know is that Oscar Isaac is a brilliant actor, Ethan Hawke’s foray into the MCU was worth watching, and one shouldn’t make assumptions about hippos in costume.  At the least, the Guys were intrigued, but … spoiler alert … they probably wouldn’t rewatch it.

 In weightier matters, a new Dr. Who is regenerated (or soon will be), the CW “ungenerates” a handful of DC shows, and Canadian mounties are set to experience zero gravity.  The Guys could make this stuff up, but in this case, they didn’t.  At least they can look forward to Kenobi.  

On this week’s episode, The Guys welcome a special guest to the studio, and it’s not Robbie.  Stan Brown, a local author, joins Art and Jay to talk all things novel: his writing process, adventures with publishing, agents and editors, and how he went from writing kinesiology textbooks to paranormal thrillers.  Just for fun, Marvel Comics also gets a mention in his story. 

Meanwhile, it’s not just Robbie and the NFL draft in Vegas, it’s also CinemaCon, the convention of movie theater owners who get to hear all the big studios talk about their upcoming movie rollouts.  Then Art and Jay read about it and share it with our listeners.  It’s the next best thing.  

With Jay sitting this episode out (something about work?), Robbie and Art take a look at some of the movies and series that are coming up this summer...and beyond. (Though, no... they don't mention Buzz Lightyear.) Rest assured, there's plenty to look forward to, one project that may be gone in a Flash, and a current superhero movie that is more dead than undead. 

As the weather improves (except for the tornadic winds and such that The Guys have found themselves dodging of late), that means grilling season is coming.  It’s time to inventory the gear, scrape the dirt dauber nests out of the grill, and gather the ingredients for our favorite rubs and marinades.  

Art had better things to do on this recording day, so Jay and Robbie take to the microphones alone to talk outdoor cooking and generally make themselves hungry.  It doesn’t take much.  From go-to meats to favorite sides, fancy thermometers to new gear on the back porch, they talk of hopes and dreams, smoke and fire, and whether or not Art will ever really invite them over to see his pizza oven.  

Jay brings sad news from the pop culture side of graphic technology, and Robbie finds a way to dress like his soon-to-be favorite space geeks, for just a few dollars less than a Mini Big Green Egg, which is an oxymoron, isn’t it?  Light up the grill and listen, or vice versa.  

It’s Oscars time again, but does anybody care?  Like the tree falling in the woods, if “the slap heard round the world” had not happened, would we even know there was an Oscars?

In this week’s episode of Guys of a Certain Age, a bizarre instance of life imitating art makes its way into the studio.  Will it mean this is the final episode?  And like the Oscars, would anybody care?  In any case, without having actually watched much more than a few highlights, the Guys still find much to say about this year’s Oscars presentation and lack of presentation.  And Jay has another list of movies he’s supposed to watch.  Or not.  

In the “what to look forward to” segment (aka Geeks of the Week), it’s more violence and mayhem than Disney+ used to allow and a new premiere date for the next Star Wars series.  In the other direction, “what we can’t look forward to anymore”, they reflect on sad news from a modern acting legend, which subsequently leads to more violence and mayhem in the studio.  This one is not to be missed.  

Something is afoot in Gotham.  The Art-man, who is well known to be the biggest Batman fan among The Guys, if accumulation of Bat-toys, Bat-shirts, and other Bat-regalia is the true measure of a fan, is suspiciously absent from this episode.  Where could he be?  And why hadn’t he seen The Batman movie yet?  It’s a riddle for sure.  

But it didn’t keep Jay and Robbie from descending on the Bat-studio and waxing eloquently about their opinions on the newest Bat-film without him.  Robbie left the theater with strong opinions while Jay departed into the dark night still uncertain.  Will he come to a conclusion?  Does it matter?  Inquiring Arts want to know.  

Meanwhile, back in the light, a dead fictional character gets an actual tombstone, and Ed Norton’s alter ego appears on a rival network in a bizarre twist in the comic universe.  This episode is best heard in a dark cave or a parents’ basement, which may or may not be the same thing.