Colin's Last Stand: Knockback

If you're one of the many KnockBack listeners that loves when Dagan dives deep into animation, this episode is for you. Today's nearly two and a half hour-long chat is dedicated to Don Bluth, a man famous for his work at Disney in the '50s, '60s, and '70s. And then there's his own independent work in the decades since, works ranging from An American Tail and The Secret of NIMH to The Land Before Time and All Dogs Go To Heaven. So sit back and let Dagan regale you about the career and films of an extremely fascinating man, a man far more important to the American (and global) animation scene than he may get credit for.         Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For those of us that grew up with the NES, Metal Gear was a fun -- albeit strange -- game that kinda just came and went. It wasn't until 1998's Metal Gear Solid, about a decade later, that we understood the full ramifications of what creator Hideo Kojima was really trying to say and do. A tale of politics, espionage, and warfare, Metal Gear Solid is a beloved franchise today, and although it didn't technically begin here... it kinda, sorta did. So let's chat about one of PSone's very best titles, a mind-bending adventure that exerted incredible influence on many a game that came after it. And don't forget to change controller ports, either, or we may just be able to read you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For a podcast about all about nostalgia, we'd be crazy to skip the so-called Holiday Season, the section of the annual calendar perhaps most rife with memories. Today's episode of KnockBack is dedicated to Christmastime (or whatever you might celebrate), and all of the amazing remembrances of festive times past. Presents. Family. Food. Togetherness. And that time Colin knocked down the tree, and claimed he had nothing to do with it. So let's explore all of the grand memories this time of year gives us (and some painful recollections, too). And if there's time, we'll get to an Airing of Grievances, too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the early '80s, the home console vanished as quickly as it arrived. But only a few years later, a new champion emerged -- Nintendo -- and gaming on your television has only grown since. Nintendo was a force to be reckoned with during the NES era, with no real competition, but as the decade turned and the Super Nintendo appeared poised to continue NES' dominance, a fresh-faced challenger arrived on the scene: SEGA. A corporate afterthought in the '80s, SEGA's Genesis console rose to battle the SNES, and the melee that ensued is one of gaming's most memorable multi-year fights, one that coined the term Console War. So let's dive into what it was like to be a Nintendo or SEGA kid growing up, and all that entailed. Mario vs. Sonic. SNES vs. Genesis. And Big Kids vs. Little Kids... or so some people thought.         Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the early-to-mid '80s, Michael J. Fox was a household name because of his work on Family Ties, the beloved American sitcom. But by 1985, Fox was catapulted even further into the stratosphere by Back to the Future, a film about time travel, and the unexpected -- and often fun and zany -- results of utilizing such advanced technology. Today's episode of KnockBack is dedicated not only to the original Back to the Future, but to its two sequels, as well, and was voted on by Colin's Last Stand's Patrons. Is your Flux Capacitor ready? We sure hope so. We just ask that you stop saying "gigawatt" incorrectly.         Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's not terribly uncommon for Nintendo fans to feel that The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the best Zelda game ever released. The third title launched in the series -- coming to stores in 1991 in Japan and 1992 elsewhere -- A Link to the Past marks the fledgling franchise's first jump to new hardware, and represents a serious retooling of the original's winning formula. Of course, it's also impossible not to connect it to today's games, too, both in and outside of Zelda's continuity. We do just that on this episode of KnockBack, delving deep not only into a classic, but discussing at length the newest spin on our Hyrulian Hero, and which style we prefer: The "Old," the "New," or somewhere very much in between. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1937, Walt Disney and his fledgling animation company executed a quantum leap when they released Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the first animated feature film of its kind. The rest, as they say, is history. Today's episode of KnockBack is dedicated to those early days of Disney features, from Pinocchio and Dumbo to Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, as well as many others. And who better to learn about it all from than a professional animator with more than two decades of experience, who just so happens to be an authority on these films, the people who made them, and the art scene that fostered their amazing work? See, there's no need to whistle while you work. Just listen to this podcast instead.         Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are a lot of classic sports films, from the somber and serious to the wacky and insane. Caddyshack squarely falls in the latter camp. Released in 1980, Caddyshack tells the story of a midwestern American country club via the antics of its most colorful patrons and employees. With an all-star cast including Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Ted Knight, and with Harold Ramis helming the film as both writer and director, Caddyshack's cult status isn't happenstance. It's the result of a brilliant mixture of talent, talent that rewrote, reworked, and improvised through much of production in order to take advantage of their greatest comedic assets. So join us as we show love and appreciation for one of film's great comedies. And put on some weight, will ya?         Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For many kids, music is a gigantic part of life, and the bands, albums, and songs we grow up listening to and enjoying often help shape the people we end up becoming as adults. With that in mind, we dedicate the longest episode of KnockBack to date to 10 albums each (or 20 albums total) that indelibly influenced us as children and teenagers. Indeed, much of our focus is on our middle school and high school years, represented by an enormously eclectic collection of music... an assortment of music we'd still gladly listen to today, from hip-hop to rock, and just about everything in between.        Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For virtually all students, lunchtime (and the recess that often followed) was a pivotal moment of each school day. Indeed, going off to eat and goof off with your friends acted as the perfect respite from never ending waves of math problems and reading assignments. Today's episode of KnockBack -- framed heavily around listener comments -- is all about lunchtime and recess, and the many, many stories we (and all of you) have about those times. This episode is full of laughs, and tons of nostalgic memories, too. So grab your lunchbox or bagged lunch, and take a seat with us: The cool kids. (Only kidding. We're not cool.)         Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's almost always true that "the book is better than the movie." But when it comes to the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory -- which is based on the 1964 Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -- the movie is definitively better than what inspired it. Starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a timeless mix of humor, music, and zaniness, and, nearly five decades after its release, it's as amazing as ever. So join us as we take a trip down the Chocolate River and remember the unusual adventure of a young boy named Charlie, his grandfather Joe, and a group of terrible children intent on inheriting a lifetime's supply of goodness, goodness that eludes all but one of them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For a decade, Castlevania fans knew their beloved series as something traditional. You'd go through a stage full of bad guys, you'd fight a boss at the end, and you'd move on to the next level, where you'd do it all again. But then, in 1997, Symphony of the Night came to PlayStation (and Saturn!), and changed the formula forever. Widely considered one of the very best games ever created, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night took influence not only from Castlevania II: Simon's Quest on NES, but Super Metroid on SNES, and fused RPG and non-linear elements with the atmosphere, characters, and story Castlevania fans were so familiar with. The result was -- and is -- something totally unforgettable. So let's take some time and talk about Alucard's famous adventure, one he undertakes on behalf of a family hellbent on killing his own father.      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Almost every episode of KnockBack is focused on something: A topic, or a product, or a place and time. Today's episode is a bit different, though. Each month, CLS Patrons get to vote on what we should cover in a future episode of this show, and you guys and gals voted for us to tell some of our favorite childhood memories. So we've done just that. From feats of hockey heroism and snowball fights with the older kids, to fake-out birthday gifts and family vacations, to school assemblies and fights with bullies, this episode kinda lacks focus. But then again, that's sorta the point.        Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the late '80s, Katsuhiro Otomo changed animation forever with the release of Akira, the film adaption of his manga series of the same name. His Akira manga began in 1982, and wouldn't conclude until 1990, two years after the movie was released. But one thing was true then, and remains true now: Akira, as a film, is one of the most impressive and important pieces of long-form animation ever created, and continues to inspire artists around the world to this day. So let's delve into all things Akira, why it's important, why it's awesome, and why it's still so relevant today, not only through the lens of a fan, but through the eyes of a professional animator who was deeply influenced by it as a teenager, and remains influenced by it today.         Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From late 1985 until the very end of 1995, immensely talented artist Bill Watterson produced Calvin and Hobbes, a beloved comic strip all about a young boy and his imaginary tiger friend. During the decade it ran -- and in the decades since -- Calvin and Hobbes has touched millions, but even more fascinating than the strip itself is the reclusive man who made it, a man who voluntarily walked away from it all and refused to capitalize on the potential, untold success of his creation. Today's KnockBack is dedicated not only to Watterson's seminal work of art, but to his story. Indeed, this episode circulates around a single theme: If it's okay to sell out.        Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1954, J.R.R. Tolkien -- British writer, scholar, and Oxford professor -- released the most important and influential piece of fantasy in literary history: The Lord of the Rings. As a follow-up to The Hobbit, which Tolkien published nearly two decades earlier in 1937, the so-called Trilogy represents some of the most beloved fiction in the entire English language. A mere podcast cannot and will not do these seminal works justice, but for roughly two hours, we gush over a trio of works so essential that the entire fantasy genre, and everything that's spun off from it -- including video games, tabletop games, card games, and more -- would be far, far different (and possibly non-existent) today. But thankfully, we don't live in a Tolkien-less alternate reality. So let's celebrate, shall we?       Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are films we really love. Other flicks we totally hate. And a mass of movies in the middle that just kind of exist. Then, there are the so-called Guilty Pleasure Movies, films that, regardless of critical reception and box office draw, have us coming back for more... even if we try to keep our adoration of these films to ourselves. As requested by CLS Patrons, this episode of KnockBack is all about our secret (and perhaps shameful) cinematic loves. 10 of them in total, in fact. So let's make the case for some could-be gems, shall we?        Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1983, the original Star Wars trilogy wrapped up with Return of the Jedi. From Jabba the Hutt and Boba Fett to Emperor Palpatine and Admiral Ackbar, Episode VI is chock-full of great characters, but it also happens to be the culmination of a story that, at the time, was six years in the making. So let's delve into what was once assumed to be the final Star Wars film and talk about our favorite and not-so-favorite moments, spanning from the assault on Endor (with those cute Ewoks!) and a near-death experience on Tatooine to the attack on a new Death Star and a fairer Vader-Luke battle. Oh, and there's lots of Episode VIII talk here, too, because The Last Jedi and The Return of the Jedi share one important feature: They're both the most disparaged entry in their respective trilogy. There's much to explore there, too, contentiousness and all.       Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The three movies in the Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy are widely considered to be the best superhero movies ever made, particularly within the nearly decade-long time they were produced and released. Rife with exceptional acting talent -- from Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, and Heath Ledger to Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and beyond -- Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight flicks feel realistic, grounded, and gritty, and have earned and retained legions of fans around the world. Today's discussion revolves around those three films: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. From the production and the writing to the performances and the reception, there's much to discuss, and even more to show respect and admiration for.      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the Analog Days, nothing was more important to a kid than Saturday morning, for it was there that a week's worth of pent up creative, athletic, and outright childlike energy could be expended. Fueled by sugary cereal, Saturday mornings typically began with cartoons, but it was what these mornings in front of the TV could lead to that's perhaps most tantalizing. Playing sports. Going to the movies or arcade. Goofing around outside with friends. Remaining glued to a screen to play video games. Today's episode of KnockBack revolves around these memories, and the serious nostalgia they inevitably invoke in all of us.         Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices