Best Speakeasily Podcasts (2025)

1
How the 90s Ended: What You Leave Behind 1:25:03

3M ago1:25:03

1:25:03

How did you know when the '90s were over? (Apart from the date on the calendar!) Was it 9/11? The cancellation of "Beverly Hills, 90210"? When the cell phone started to eat your brain? Audra and Raymond close out Season 2 with this examination of era-ending events and trends. Thank you to the dear Retrophilia listeners for helping the research effo…

1
Wrestling in the ‘90s: Conversation with Bob Calhoun 1:21:49

7M ago1:21:49

1:21:49

Pro-wrestling really had a chokehold on our imaginations in the ‘90s. Whether our brains were being bodyslammed by WWF (WWE) or beat down by WCW, we loved every choreographed minute of the glammy, absurd high drama. Perhaps the most ‘90s of all wrestling shows of that time was the punk rock DIY version, Incredibly Strange Wrestling, which got its s…

1
'90s Noir 54:40

8M ago54:40

54:40

Audra and Raymond are back from an unintentional sabbatical to discuss Neo Noir films from the 1990s. Not to be confused with “Erotic Thrillers,” Neo Noirs echo the first wave of Film Noir in both content and style. Certain American crime thrillers of the ‘40s and ‘50s were dubbed Film Noir by French critics for their similarities: dark subject mat…

1
Malls in the '90s 1:21:17

1y ago1:21:17

1:21:17

Calling all Mall Rats, Mall Goths, Mall Punks, and Mallternatives! Malls fulfilled our dreams and socials scenes for generations, but they are quickly turning from a safe haven for teenagers to abandoned monuments to late stage capitalism. Born of the suburbs, malls had their last great era in the 1990s. Audra and Raymond talk mall movies, mall his…

1
Suburban Landscapes and Rites of Passage: The Story of Church Youth Groups 1:11:02

1+ y ago1:11:02

1:11:02

Were the ‘90s the Suburbs Decade? Raymond and Audra discuss the explosion of the suburbs and its hand in creating the Church Youth Group, Youth Pastors, and even Christian Rock. Raymond’s personal experiences (and listener input), help flesh out this very ‘90s phenomenon. Audra finally gets to ask the burning question, “What’s up with the whole Chr…

1
Frankenhooker (1990) 1:07:32

1+ y ago1:07:32

1:07:32

The Speakeasily gang is back to resurrect another camp classic with schlockmeister director Frank Henenlotter's 1990 master-piece, FRANKENHOOKER! Is this a gritty update to the Frankenstein mythos or a po-mo feminist manifesto? Is any of us more than the sum total of our parts? WANNA DATE?! More Speakeasily vs. the '80s on our Facespace group, Libs…

1
End Times: Horror and the Millennium 57:01

1+ y ago57:01

57:01

It's end times fun times here at Retrophilia as we discuss how anxieties for Y2K expressed themselves in 90's cinema via apocalypse-themed movies. It was a decade full of 'em, but we'll focus on two movies that share several themes in common: IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994) and THE NINTH GATE (1999).By Audra and Raymond

1
'90s Cable TV 1:01:21

1+ y ago1:01:21

1:01:21

If television was your babysitter, this episode is for you! Audra & Raymond discuss sweet sweet cable TV, why it was invented and how we spent our childhoods (and beyond) parked in front of it. From Nickelodeon to MTV to Skinemax, Retrophilia unscrambles shows like "The Adventures of Pete & Pete," VH1's "Behind the Music," "USA Up All Night," and m…

1
1994: The Year Alternative Became Mainstream 55:29

2y ago55:29

55:29

Retrophilia is back, baby! Audra and Raymond are thrilled to return to the ‘90s after a year-long sabbatical living in the present day. They dive right back in with the year the music changed. 1994 was the peak year of crossover madness. Find out how Alternative, Modern, and College Rock went blazing into the mainstream, and how Green Day, NIN, Pea…

1
Mannequin (1987) 1:22:12

2y ago1:22:12

1:22:12

Speakeasily vs. the ‘80s returns to your $hitterverse after having left you alone for way too long and for no good reason! We're back, baby, and we're here to talk about Michael Gottlieb's Mannequin (1987) with our guest, performance artist Annalyn Bond. There comes a time in every boy's life when he falls in love with his own fiberglass creation, …

1
Announcement: Weird Al & Burlesque? 2:16

2y ago2:16

2:16

Odessa Lil checks in to see how you are feeling. Oh and also to tell you about SHOWGALS: THE MOVIE - a documentary about the all-Weird Al burlesque troupe she's been part of for the past decade. (Please listen by 3/10/23.) https://baretobestupid.com http://kck.st/3jEf613 https://showgalsthemovie.com/…

1
90's Alt. Comedy 53:59

3y ago53:59

53:59

Just like music and film, comedy went through a transformation in the 1990s. Perhaps in reaction to the glut of mediocre and shallow comedians of the '80s, comedy shows like MR. SHOW, KIDS IN THE HALL, and SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST upended expectations with their alternative brand of social commentary and changed the way we think about comedy toda…

1
Video Store Auteurs 57:46

3y ago57:46

57:46

The advent of the video rental store made a wide variety of films available for study and this changed the landscape of cinema. Video stores birthed a new breed of filmmaker in the '90s, including Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith. Were these auteurs the culture-bearers of film history or self-indulgent dude bros? Or both? Audra and Raymond take a …

1
The Rebel 44:42

3y ago44:42

44:42

What was there to rebel against in the '90s? Whaddaya you got? Raymond and Audra examine the '90s Rebel archetype through the lens of two film classics of teen rebellion: PUMP UP THE VOLUME and GHOST WORLD. Talk hard!By Audra and Raymond

1
MTV Animation 43:50

3y ago43:50

43:50

At the dawn of the '90s, a magical thing happened when MTV began diversifying their programming - they launched a cutting-edge animation show called LIQUID TELEVISION, which changed animation forever. AEON FLUX and BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD sprung from this fertile anthology show, bringing the avant-guard and the hilariously puerile into homes across th…

1
New Age '90s 48:30

3y ago48:30

48:30

Occult, Self-Help, Personal Development...call it what thou wilt. Raymond and Audra delve into the New Age movement of the '90s from music to bookstores to community. Somewhere between PURE MOODS and THE CRAFT, lies the secret to the universe. Sail away, mutha fakkas!By Audra + Raymond

1
Woodstock '94 vs. Woodstock '99 1:14:35

3y ago1:14:35

1:14:35

A revival and a revival of a revival, Woodstock '94 and Woodstock '99 were fitting bookends to a culturally tumultuous decade. Boomer nostalgia and a new kind of voracious consumerism simultaneously meshed and clashed at these two benchmark events. The results ranged from sublime to tragic. Join Audra and Raymond as they sift through the dynamics o…

1
Pam & Tommy & Celebrity Tapes 46:06

3y ago46:06

46:06

Too hot to handle or too sad to celebrate? Audra & Raymond discuss the explosion of celebrity tapes in the ‘90s and review the Hulu limited series, PAM & TOMMY.By Audra & Raymond

1
Against the '70s: Classic Rock in the 1990s 52:29

3+ y ago52:29

52:29

The 1990s saw a gigantic resurgence of "Classic Rock" from the late '60s and early '70s, as it was discovered by children of Boomers. Was this classic status deserved or was it a distraction from the music and culture of our own generation? Look what it did to Mike Watt!By Audra & Raymond

1
When Conspiracies Were Fun 51:00

3+ y ago51:00

51:00

Raymond & Audra discuss conspiracy culture of the '90s, from "Slacker" to "X-Files" to the "Fox Alien Autopsy," and some of the literary history behind it all. Hail Eris!By Audra & Raymond

1
Lost Children of Suburbia 45:18

3+ y ago45:18

45:18

Bored teens, absent parents, and nowhere to go but the Christian rock show. This episode takes a look at "The Lost Children of Rockdale County," a documentary about an STD epidemic among suburban teenagers in 1996.By Audra Wolfmann & Raymond Wiley

1
The Death of Cool 44:54

3+ y ago44:54

44:54

Audra and Raymond discuss coolness circa 1999 and revisit the groundbreaking documentary "The Merchants of Cool." We're live from the Redneck Riviera this week on Retrophilia!By Audra & Raymond

1
The Future Ain't What It Used To Be 49:43

3+ y ago49:43

49:43

Science fiction often looks forward to the future, but always contains elements of the era in which it was written. The 1990's were no different. By examining the sci-fi of the era, we step into the strange world of the 90's Future.By Audra & Raymond

1
90's Erotic Thrillers 55:31

3+ y ago55:31

55:31

Titillating transgressive film genre or a dark window into the women-fearing anxieties of men? Audra & Raymond investigate the phenomenon, looking into its roots in film noir and the sexist media circus of the early 1990s. Up for debate are Paul Verhoeven’s BASIC INSTINCT and Barry Levinson’s DISCLOSURE. It's a Michael Douglas film festival this we…

1
Teen Dramas at Halloween 51:20

3+ y ago51:20

51:20

Raymond and Audra examine three prime time teen drama Halloween specials of the ‘90s – BEVERLY HILLS 90210, MY SO-CALLED LIFE, and FREAKS AND GEEKS. In all three, Halloween provides a crucible for the “teen mid-life crises,” or the struggle between childhood and teenhood.By Audra & Raymond

1
The Beastmaster (1982) 1:09:51

3+ y ago1:09:51

1:09:51

Speakeasily vs. the ‘80s welcomes podcast pioneer and author of The Georgia Guidestones: America's Most Mysterious Monument, Raymond Wiley, to venture into the wilds of The Beastmaster (1982)! This sword and sorcery celebration has everything you need in a movie: dudes in ominous robes, ferrets, equal opportunity nudity, hot mutant witches… It’s Co…

1
The Experiment: Part 2 39:14

3+ y ago39:14

39:14

The thrilling conclusion to Raymond's experiment in which he attempted to live in the 1990s for a week. How long can a Millennial survive without a smart phone, streaming movies, and Coke Zero? Tune in to find out. Errata: During the segment on radio, Raymond was actually referring to WSRV, not WKLS.…

1
The Experiment: Part 1 37:18

3+ y ago37:18

37:18

Attempting to live like it's the 1990s for a week, Raymond will put his sanity and digital addiction on the line in the name of armchair anthropology. In this episode, Audra and Raymond lay out the ground rules for the experiment in an attempt to strip away anything and everything to do with the 21st century!…

1
Announcement: Retrophilia 1:19

3+ y ago1:19

1:19

Odessa lil just wants you to know about a new podcast about the past that she's co-hosting with Raymond Wiley of Disinformation, Out There Radio, and The Shadow of Ideas. It's called RETROPHILIA and this season focuses on the 1990s. Please check it out and subscribe/rate/review on the iTunes. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/retrophilia/id1598…

1
The Edgelord Trilogy 1:12:40

3+ y ago1:12:40

1:12:40

The '90s were an edgy time. Revisit THE MATRIX, FIGHT CLUB, and AMERICAN BEAUTY, and answer the burning question... how is an Edgelord made?By Audra Wolfmann & Raymond Wiley

1
Goth Kids 58:37

3+ y ago58:37

58:37

Audra and Raymond compare and contrast being a goth kid in 1991 vs 1999. Audra survived a golden age of being a goth kid. Raymond was too young and got Hot Topic leftovers. Can they find common ground? Peter Murphy doubts it.

1
1991: The Year It All Began 1:09:14

3+ y ago1:09:14

1:09:14

From the fall of the Soviet Union to the world-shattering release of Nirvana's "Nevermind," 1991 set the stage for the alternative music and culture that defined a generation.By Audra Wolfmann & Raymond Wiley

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: Critters 2 (1988) 1:08:01

3+ y ago1:08:01

1:08:01

Are you ready to have a BALL? Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes returning guest, comics industry maven, professional nerd, and furball expert, Jann Jones to discuss Critters 2. Cashing in on the Gremlins creature feature craze, Mick Garris’s 1988 follow-up to Critters, is truly a peek ‘80s trash experience with its ferocious man-eating balls, inter…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: Return of the Living Dead (1985) 1:29:56

3+ y ago1:29:56

1:29:56

Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes Joe Donohoe (writer, nurse, former taxi driver, and publisher of Specious Species magazine) for a BRAINZ-fueled discussion of Dan O’Bannon’s game-changing zombie punk hit, Return of the Living Dead. With its goth punk soundtrack that’s all killer no filler and a tomb-strippin’ Linnea Quigley, this is a modern horro…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: Ice Pirates (1984) 1:42:36

4y ago1:42:36

1:42:36

Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes no-budget film auteur Davenzane Hayes to discuss 1984’s sword and spaceship classic Ice Pirates! Join us as we contemplate how mechanized castration, robot pimps, Bruce Vilanch, and the Knights Templar all ended up in this pile of post-apocalyptic piraty poop. Warning: listening to this episode may increase your ri…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) 1:29:29

4y ago1:29:29

1:29:29

Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes Christian Divine, writer for the award-wining video game franchise LIFE IS STRANGE, for sone Druidic horror with Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)! What do Stonehenge, robot assassins, melting heads, and novelty salesmen have in common? Not much! Except this film that reminds us to FEAR the IRISH. Christian…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: River’s Edge (1986) 1:29:16

4y ago1:29:16

1:29:16

Bonnie Bloomgarden of the mystical rock band Death Valley Girls joins us for a very special episode of Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s. Together we somewhat bravely tackle the controversial and stylized movie about teen murder, disaffected stoners, and the dark morality of peer pressure – 1986’s River’s Edge. There’s also Goth talk, Little White Doggie ta…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: Hard Ticket To Hawaii (1987) 1:25:56

4y ago1:25:56

1:25:56

Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes drag performer, cosplayer, cat costumer, and Sacred Silversexual Annalyn Bond for a deep dive into the 1987 coked-out classic Hard Ticket To Hawaii. This movie is where dad jokes meet sexual harassment. It really has everything: exploding blowup dolls, a frisbee death scene, at least three Playboy Playmates, karate…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: Night of the Comet (1984) 1:37:26

4+ y ago1:37:26

1:37:26

It’s end-times fun-times as Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes musician, composer, DJ, and synth master Gregg Foreman (aka Mr. Pharmacist) for an earth-shattering discussion of Night of the Comet (1984). What better time than the dystopian present to immerse ourselves in this apocalyptic teen comedy classic. This movie has everything: zombies, guns,…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: Valley Girl (1983) 1:37:11

4+ y ago1:37:11

1:37:11

Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes creator of the interactive Listography books and pioneering former owner of Oakland's Eli’s Mile High Club, Lisa Nola, and her partner James Spooner who directed the 2003 documentary AfroPunk, co-founded the AfroPunk Festival, and works as a cartoonist and tattoo artist in Los Angeles! Together we dive headfirst in…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: C.H.U.D. (1984) 1:26:29

4+ y ago1:26:29

1:26:29

Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes comics industry luminary and C.H.U.D.thusiast Jann Jones (AKA Pickles Kintaro) to discuss the great Regan-era tale of government environmental conspiracy. C.H.U.D. – it’s an acronym that has become a noun, a verb, an adjective, and even a dance, but we dive deep into its underground origins in the hellacious New Yo…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: Better Off Dead (1985) 1:01:29

4+ y ago1:01:29

1:01:29

Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes Bay Area art curator, artist, Dj, actor, activist, and overall ‘80s pop culture nerd Jeff Bostic to discuss the 1985 feel-good suicide classic Better Off Dead! From dare-devil skiing to guitar-playing hamburgers to psychotic paperboys, this one has it all. The first film in the Savage Steve Holland teen trilogy rea…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: Flash Gordon (1980) 1:40:57

5y ago1:40:57

1:40:57

Take your protein pills and put your helmet on because Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes “Flash” Gordie The Mailman Adams of the Gordcast and Zardozen Minutes podcasts for the space opera spectacular Flash Gordon (1980)! Prepare to blast off for Mongo, and don’t forget your S&M gear, green Twinkies, and cha-cha heels because I hear we’re in for som…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: 9 to 5 (1980) 1:29:17

5y ago1:29:17

1:29:17

Pour yourself a cup of ambition because Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes Jamie Bancroft (AKA Dolly Trauma), a founder of Austin International Drag Festival and the upcoming website The Drag Channel, to discuss the sexual harassment classic, 9 to 5 (1980). Are you thirsty for Dabney? Jamie Bancroft: www.facebook.com/jamie.bancroft More Speakeasily:…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: Vibes (1988) 1:28:08

5y ago1:28:08

1:28:08

Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes two titans of podcasting – Mogwai Minute’s Neil Brown and Bat Minute’s Niall McGowan – to vibe out with us for the 1988 romantic occult comedy VIBES. Cindi Lauper, Jeff Goldblum, and Peter Faulk make up the wackiest and sexiest version of the Three Stooges since Moe Howard gave up mini-skirts. Neil Brown: https://t…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: Troll 2 (1990) 1:33:02

5y ago1:33:02

1:33:02

Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes, all the way from Liverpool, fashion photographer/blogger Lal Gall and Jonfen Parker, the host of podcasts Bat Minute and Hedwig: Inch by Angry Inch, for a close encounter with Troll-kind. Yes, a film that’s so good it doesn’t need a Troll 1 – we’re talkin’ ‘bout Troll 2! Besides being blatant anti-vegetarian propa…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: Eye of the Tiger (1986) 1:26:37

5y ago1:26:37

1:26:37

Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes Alamo Drafthouse New Mission SF’s Creative Manager and shlockmeister supreme Jake Isgar. He is the Wizard of Weird Wednesdays and the Tsar of Terror Tuesday, and he brought us a prime cut of revenge porn called Eye of the Tiger (1986). See Gary Busey as a Vietnam vet who takes on the local dirt bike gang behind a f…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: Making Mr. Right (1987) 1:11:05

5y ago1:11:05

1:11:05

Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s welcomes actor Galen Howard, known for roles in Agents of Shield, Brooklyn 9-9, and also as that guy who ate a bunch of Cannoli in that one Weezer video. Galen brings us a charming romantic comedy about a modern woman and the robot who loves her -- Susan Seidelman’s Making Mr. Right. This stylish piece of New Wave eye candy…

1
Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s: Mortuary Academy (1988) 1:02:42

5y ago1:02:42

1:02:42

Speakeasily Vs. The ‘80s is joined by “Cine-Masochist,” musician, and co-founder/producer of the long-running SF club Popscene, DJ Omar Perez. He joins us for one of his favorite violations of decency and taste, Mortuary Academy (1988), proving that he is perhaps more of a “Cine-Sadomasochist.” Is this film simply Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov’s lov…