Someone is targeting Balarvians and Don and Jonny mean to find out who! Don puts his master interrogation skills to work but gets sucked into an alien mindscape.
Holstered - Space Cops Lost Episode
When we received all the tapes for the Space Cops series, we discovered this lost episode. I can only guess at the reasons Holstered never made it to air. Regardless, it's available to watch NOW for the first time ever!
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Earth Duty - Space Cops Ep3
How did the solar system's greatest cops end up on Earth? Only one man knows. Secrets are revealed on this episode of Space Cops.
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REVIEW: Haim - Something to Tell You
When I saw Haim live in Louisville, June 7th of 2016, I knew with 100% certainty that I loved at least two of the songs on their new album. (The only two they played.) Two for two. 100%. Needless to say... I left that concert hyped for new music.
That led me to make a public prediction on the Talk Hard podcast that not only would the new album be great, but it would elevate the sisters to the status of #1 rock band in the world. The unquestioned queens of rock n' roll. I am extremely sad to report that I was wrong on all counts. Something to Tell You has much more Stevie Nicks baked into it than Joan Jett. And my personal disappointment lies in the fact that I believe Haim was on the edge of shaking the music world's foundation. Much the way Sturgill Simpson and Chris Stapleton reminded everyone what country music could be when dialed back to its roots, I thought these three sisters were going to breathe life into a dead genre and in a very cool way.
Clearly not everyone will agree with me. Such is the subjective nature of art in general and I'm happy for the people who love it. The point that I'm confident in is that more people would have loved it if the sound of this album matched the simple, pure rock I heard in the Mercury Ballroom. These ladies are immensely talented. Danielle is a hell of a guitarist and vocalist. I'd like the chance focus on that. Instead, this album is extremely overproduced and the style sounds more like Cee Lo Green circa 2010 (see: Little of Your Love) with some fairly clear Fleetwood Mac-inspired undertones. I don't get it.
I got worried when the release date of the album kept moving backward. It had already been over three years since Days are Gone when they told us to look for the new album in Fall of 2016. Then it moved to Spring. Then it moved to Summer and finally arrived July 7, 2017. All the interviews with Haim during this time said things like, "We won’t finish a song until it sounds exactly like how it sounds in our brains." When it comes to music, that kind of tinkering and perfectionism always worries me. In my opinion it cost the album in energy. Judging by other reviews on the web, I'm certainly in the minority. In fact, I may be all alone. Regardless, although I think a little more edge and a few less frills would have made a better album, I will continue to support these ladies and I will most certainly see them again live when the songs sound the way they did when I fell in love with them.
Maybe this album will grow on me, but I believe my favorite version of Haim will always be the one on stage.
All That Glitters - Space Cops Ep2
When the Chief shows Zanthar some "tough love," Don and Jonny have to get their shiny nemesis to the hospital before it's too late. On the way, they run into an all new threat. Although Geronimo and Ritz may be super cops, we realize they still have a lot to learn about Earth.
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By the Book - Space Cops Ep1
The Chief follows Geronimo and Ritz into the field to make sure they're playing by the book, but when they encounter a mysterious space punk, everything goes to hell in a handbasket!
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Space Cops: Season 1
In 1979, one show changed television forever. In 2017, it changes the internet! The first season of Space Cops is ready to be shared with a whole new generation and I wanted to take a moment to break down how all this is going to work.
Prepare Yourself
Starting this week, we will release an episode every Sunday night at 8pm Eastern (the show's original air time for the bulk of the series). One episode every week for 11 weeks and a BONUS episode on Week 3! A few of you may have seen Episodes 1-3 a few years ago, but we're going to start from the beginning for anyone who is new to the party. Plus, further restoration has been done to those episodes, they are cleaner than ever, and include a few minor adjustments. Subscribe right now to the new Space Cops YouTube Channel and you won't miss an episode.
Where Has It Been?
Space Cops' final episode, "Play That 'Ol Squeezebox," aired May 6, 1984. And, thanks to politics and business dealings that are far too complex for me to understand, it was the last time the show would ever be seen on broadcast television. Despite having produced over a hundred episodes, the series was locked away and never re-ran in syndication. Executive Producer Stan Shallets tried to broker a deal for the Space Cops Christmas Special to be aired annually, but to no avail. The tales of Don, Jonny, and the Chief would only continue through a handful of Space Cops: The Animated Series episodes in 1985.
Space Cops proper sat dormant on 110 reels of Type C one-inch video tape in a San Diego County salt mine for 30 years. That's where we come in. Walk Softly Films acquired the rights to all episodes and materials of the series in 2011. We immediately released three episodes, but started to realize the amount of work it would take to get the entire series restored to a condition that we felt was worthy of the show's genius. So here we are. Years later, the first batch is ready to be watched, ready to be shared, ready to be loved all over again. We really hope you enjoy these episodes as much as we have, whether it's the first time you've seen them or the first time since you were a kid.
Beyond the Show - Talk Hard 34
Well that show had a little bit of everything didn't it? If you haven't heard Episode 34, here's your link. From Guardians of the Galaxy, to movie and TV props, SNL, ancient technology, and of course Dolph Lundgren not being the greatest house guest... let's dig a little deeper and get Beyond the Show.
VHS Tapes
We learned Todd Sheene and Dad Sheene still use a Video Cassette Recorder! To record things!! On the television!!! He also informed us that VCRs are no longer being built. Apparently, the last VCR ever made rolled off the assembly line at Funai Electric in July of last year. Funai started making VCRs in 1983 and at one point was selling 15,000,000 of those buggers a year! In 2016 they sold 750,000 units which is still kind of amazing when you think about it.
What we didn't know is whether or not anyone was still making VHS tapes, but now I have an answer for you and that answer is NO. In fact, the last VHS tape was reportedly produced in 2008! So whatever stock is leftover on warehouse shelves somewhere - that's it. If Todd's Dad wants to keep his machine in use, he better snag some tapes while he can. There are a handful to be found on Amazon, but as you can see... the end is nigh.
Sony TPS-L2
We talked about Sony Walkman prices spiking on eBay thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy. Apparently lots of people would like to get their hands on the same model Star Lord totes around the cosmos. While I was finding the going rate on eBay, Todd and Allen took guesses at the original price for a TPS-L2. Allen guessed $30, Todd guessed $50, and it turns out they were way off the mark. A brand new Sony TPS-L2 retailed for $150 on July 1, 1979! (Which supposedly equates to 500 bucks in today's dollars with inflation.) If you you're hooked on Walkman history, you can read more about it here. Hey, remember when Sony made quality products? (If you're under the age of 30, the answer is no.)
TV Props
We also discussed the ScreenBid website where you can buy props from several TV shows and movies. I asked if 1) they would want a prop from their favorite show and 2) how much they were willing to pay for it. Here are our chosen props:
- Scott: Roger Sterling's desk/glasses/whatever - Mad Men
- Allen: Barney's hat or Andy's guitar - The Andy Griffith Show
- Todd: Barnabas Collins' cane - Dark Shadows
Todd and I maxed out at $1000 on how much we were willing to pay for a screen-used prop. Allen, on the other hand, said he'd spend "divorce worthy" money - somewhere above $5,000 but below 10.
So, how about you? What's the prop you would pay to have and how much would you fork over? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook. Also, don't forget to do us a huge favor: give us a rating and review on iTunes. If you'd like us to keep making the show, that's how you can make it happen.
Beyond the Show - Talk Hard 33
There it is. An image of the greatest rake fight in cinematic history. If you've already listened to Talk Hard 33 or you're a huge Hobgoblins fan, you're already well aware. If not, pop on over and listen to the full breakdown of Rick Sloane's critter genre masterpiece. I've included the MST3K highlights, but you can watch the whole movie on YouTube if your heart so desires.
SPACE COPS
Of course the topic that had everyone buzzing from this episode was our big announcement: Space Cops is back. After more than 30 years on a shelf in a San Diego County salt mine, the entire series has found its way into the hands of Walk Softly Films. The first twelve episodes have been lovingly restored and the re-release begins this month! You'll probably want to join the rest of the country and make the countdown your homepage. Have at it friends. This is a celebration and we're happy you're along for the ride.
Filmmaking: Storytelling With Sound
Your filmmaking lesson for the day comes courtesy of the fine folks at The Royal Ocean Film Society. (And they have to be massive Wes Anderson marks with a name like that, right?) Anyway... we can never have too many reminders of the importance of sound in film. In fact every legendary filmmaker I've ever seen weigh in on the subject agrees that, if they have to choose, audio is more important than visuals; that an audience can acclimate to weird or sub-standard cinematography, but never bad audio.