Best Mike Manzi Podcasts (2025)

1
Live a Little, Love a Little (1968) 1:04:25

8d ago1:04:25

1:04:25

Viva Pod Vegas returns with Live a Little, Love a Little -- Elvis's third and final film from 1968, and one of his most fun to date! After reading some emails suggesting things to cover in our near future -- and asking if Elvis love dogs more than anything else -- we run through the film's six (!) taglines, which Mike finds issue with. We talk abou…

1
Speedway (1968) 1:12:43

1M ago1:12:43

1:12:43

Happy tax season! Viva Pod Vegas returns with Speedway, which features an almost unbelievable main storyline for Elvis. After running through the film's taglines, we talk about how Bill Bixby continues to sully his reputation and how good Elvis looks (and acts!) in this movie. We begin to understand why people condescendingly said "just number Elvi…

1
Stay Away, Joe (1968) 1:14:18

2M ago1:14:18

1:14:18

Viva Pod Vegas returns with Stay Away, Joe, which is the lowest-rated movie of Elvis’s career. Is it as bad as we were led to believe? Yes… and no! After Mike sifts through shoddy taglines to try to find one he approves of, we debate whether watching these movies more quickly would help or hurt us. Mike works his way through a theory about Burgess …

1
Clambake (1967) 1:28:30

3M ago1:28:30

1:28:30

Oops, it took too long, but Viva Pod Vegas is back! We're trying to figure out what a Clambake is, and why there's only one in this movie. After opening the long-overdue mailbag, we learn how to pronounce Fabares and talk about this movie being a pivot point in Elvis's career and life. We try to make sense of Elvis as a water ski instructor who onl…

1
Double Trouble (1967) 1:40:30

8M ago1:40:30

1:40:30

We get duped again as Viva Pod Vegas seemingly promises two Elvises (Elvii?) with Double Trouble, but we only get one! We talk about how this movie tries to take on the British Invasion with a movie set entirely in Europe, but, you know… Colonel Tom… We talk about Elvis Presley in a Julie Christie role, a nice change of pace for Elvis movies (in te…

1
Easy Come, Easy Go (1967) 1:08:33

9M ago1:08:33

1:08:33

We're entering the home stretch of Elvis's filmography, but there's still plenty of surprises to be found! Today's episode: Easy Come, Easy Go. After finding issue with the IMDb plot summary (from the very get-go) we run through the film's limited taglines and explore the strange history of the film's title, as well as the better name hidden in the…

1
Spinout (1966) 1:13:29

11M ago1:13:29

1:13:29

We're closing out 1966 with Elvis Presley's third (and final) film: Spinout! We try to parse the plot of Spinout, which is at the same time both totally inscrutable and a re-hash of earlier films, and which Mike has a theory about. We find our first (?) actual good tagline for an Elvis movie, discuss the original pitch for this movie (which Col. To…

1
Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966) 1:18:29

11M ago1:18:29

1:18:29

Elvis returns to Hawaii -- and Viva Pod Vegas is right there with him -- as we talk about Paradise, Hawaiian Style! After kicking off with some Graceland news, Col. Tom Parker drops by the podcast again before Mike recasts the Fantastic Four with Elvis Presley and associates. We run through this movie's mixed bag of taglines, explore the (more inte…

1
Asteroid City (2023) 19:55

11M ago19:55

19:55

Last summer, Tom Hanks teamed up with Wes Anderson for Asteroid City, and now it's time to talk about it on #HANX for the Memories! After a brief explanation as to why this episode is roughly one year late, we talk about the fact that this is the first Wes Anderson movie either of us have covered for a podcast, how COVID impacted and inspired this …

1
Frankie and Johnny (1966) 1:34:32

12M ago1:34:32

1:34:32

Viva Pod Vegas is back with Frankie and Johnny, the first non-cowboy period piece in Elvis Presley’s filmography! After some long overdue email reads, we welcome Col. Tom Parker back to the podcast to sort our way through some more terrible taglines that miss the mark. We talk about whether or not this is THE Nellie Bly, whether or not the Dixielan…

1
Sofia Coppola's Priscilla (2023) 43:02

1+ y ago43:02

43:02

We’re taking another brief detour on Viva Pod Vegas to cover Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, now playing in theaters! We talk about Priscilla as a complement to Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, its focus on Elvis’s film career (rather than his music career), and how it compared to what we expected the movie to be. We explore the “controversies” behind the scenes, …

1
Harum Scarum (1965) 57:45

1+ y ago57:45

57:45

Viva Pod Vegas returns with Harum Scarum, which seems (unfortunately) to be Elvis's cinematic career low. But if this is the low point... things really aren't so bad overall? It's one of the shortest movies we've had so far -- and still filled with padding -- and its backstory is filled with tonal confusion and creative burnout. We discuss all that…

1
Tickle Me (1965) 1:37:32

1+ y ago1:37:32

1:37:32

The time has come, at last, for Viva Pod Vegas to get to (perhaps) Elvis Presley's weirdest movie title yet: Tickle Me. We talk about the misleading title (and the original [bad] title, too), read some emails, and make some Scooby Doo connections. We describe Tickle Me's almost inexplicable plot, explore its six (!) taglines and largely unknown cas…

1
War Pony (2022) (dir. Riley Keough and Gina Gammell) 42:47

1+ y ago42:47

42:47

We're taking a quick pit stop from our regularly scheduled Elvis programming to cover his granddaughter Riley Keough's directorial debut: War Pony! After catching up on Riley Keough News (and one email from a concerned listener seeking our Tickle Me episode), we dive into War Pony to talk about the story behind the movie, the many types of stories …

1
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) 1:02:27

2y ago1:02:27

1:02:27

Tom Cruise has returned to save movie theaters once again by delivering another perfect movie: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. We compare Dead Reckoning to other "part one" movies from this summer (especially Fast & Furious, over and over), talk about how the movie nails the blend of returning and new characters, and revel in the fra…

1
Girl Happy (1965) 1:39:58

2y ago1:39:58

1:39:58

Viva Pod Vegas is back, and we've made it to 1965 to talk about Elvis Presley and Shelley Fabares in Girl Happy! Before we dive into the movie, we talk about the teaser trailer for Sofia Coppola's Priscilla, we share some exciting news about Elvis movies on the Criterion Channel, and we read a few more very kind notes from listeners. Then, we pack …

1
Roustabout (1964) 1:22:11

2y ago1:22:11

1:22:11

We're closing out Elvis Presley's three-picture 1964 year in film strong (?) with a real "snow job" in Roustabout! After defining what a roustabout is, we talk about Elvis being differently creepy (and more of a bastard) than we expected, the fact that a movie finally caves and says "sure, fine, he's a singer, whatever," and how this movie seems to…

1
Viva Las Vegas (1964) 1:30:26

2y ago1:30:26

1:30:26

We've made it to Elvis's "big movie" (biggest ever? biggest so far? who can say?!), as he teams up with Ann-Margret for our namesake, Viva Las Vegas! After opening the mailbag (and finding more kindred Elvis spirits), we talk about the disorienting ADR in this movie, explore more bad taglines, and officially enter "the Ann-Margret era." (This lasts…

1
A Man Called Otto (2022) 25:30

2y ago25:30

25:30

Now that A Man Called Otto is available on VOD, we stopped kicking the can down the road and decided to watch it. After sharing our pre-conceived notions of the film (and whether or not it lived up to them), we talk about the depressing trend of Hollywood's continual remakes of European films and wonder whether a movie with those tone plays better …

1
Kissin' Cousins (1964) 1:33:55

2y ago1:33:55

1:33:55

We're back with a brand new episode of Viva Pod Vegas, and we're talking all about Kissin' Cousins! (Hoo boy.) After briefly discussing how the movie passes Joey's one ask of Elvis movies, we share lots of Elvis news before Mike vamps about Joey's cats and then reads between the lines of the movie's taglines. We try to make sense of Kittyhawks, dis…

1
How Product Marketing Makes the Difference in SaaS, with Ulrika Haug of Coupa Software 35:08

2y ago35:08

35:08

In this episode we are going to be exploring Product Marketing in SaaS which is a discipline that is often overlooked, neglected or simply misunderstood. When an organisation invests time, money and resource into Product Marketing they are giving themselves a tremendous compeitive advantage. As the Product Marketing Alliance neatly state - "Product…

1
Getting the Most From Google Ad Campaigns, with Barney Durrant of Bluebell Digital 42:35

2y ago42:35

42:35

In this episode we are exploring Google Ads, ably assisted by Barney Durrant, an ex-Googler who has been running his own successful digital agency for the past 9 years specialising in Google Ads, SEO, content creation and all elements of your digital strategy. Google Ads are an essential component of your demand generation engine but whilst they ca…

1
Aligning SaaS Sales & Marketing Teams, with Volker Ballueder of Ballueder Partners 40:42

2+ y ago40:42

40:42

Sales and marketing alignment is not a new concept but in many organisations it has become a buzzword lacking in meaning rather than a considered process that is ingrained in the culture of the company. The benefits of true alignment are vast - 36% better customer retention rates, 38% higher win rates, 32% YOY revenue growth, not to mention an impr…

1
Growing Your SaaS Brand on TikTok, with Mike Manzi of @officialsalestips 34:52

2+ y ago34:52

34:52

TikTok was the world's most downloaded app in 2022 and is no longer the preserve of the under twenties. In fact, it has well over a billion active users of which half are over 30 and the popular apps' momentum shows no sign of slowing down. With stats like this it presents a huge opportunity to SaaS marketers looking for new channels to build engag…

1
Fun in Acapulco (1963) 1:22:36

2+ y ago1:22:36

1:22:36

We're headed down to Mexico -- without Elvis, though, and we'll explain why he isn't allowed to join us -- to talk about Fun in Acapulco! We're talking about *another* Elvis character named Mike, love triangles on (and off?!) screen, and Col. Tom Parker's soundtrack mandate (and how that will become the "new normal" for Elvis movies). Joey shares t…

1
Doing SaaS PR Properly, with Victoria Usher of Gingermay PR 40:03

2+ y ago40:03

40:03

PR is often one of the first marketing activities that Saas companies undertake - done right it can play a massive role in elevating your brand, positioning your product and underpinning growth. But if the strategy is not thought through and you're not careful, it can become an expensive, time consuming, ineffective exercise. My guest is Victoria U…

1
It Happened at the World's Fair (1963) 1:22:16

2+ y ago1:22:16

1:22:16

We're entering 1963 and headed (via plane!) to Seattle for this episode about It Happened at the World's Fair! In this episode, Mike gets a crash course on various World's Fairs (and Diane Warren) while also playing a couple guessing games and coming up with some merch ideas. (He also caught "hair blindness" from Joey, but finds himself able to rev…

1
Pinocchio (2022) 24:49

2+ y ago24:49

24:49

#HANX for the Memories is back for a semi-surprise dump of Pinocchio (2022) onto Disney+, featuring Tom Hanks as Gepetto. It's not the longest episode we've ever done, because, well... it's a movie we've seen before. We dive into the "quest for content" on all streaming services, the many adaptations of Pinocchio that have released in the past few …

1
Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) 1:26:02

2+ y ago1:26:02

1:26:02

Viva Pod Vegas returns as we hit the open sea for Girls! Girls! Girls!, a movie that should probably instead be called Boats! Boats! Boats! After comparing Elvis's character of Ross Carpenter to Vin Diesel (again) and past Elvis characters, we call on Brian Rodriguez (High School Slumber Party, Uncle Francis's Wine Cellar) for an expert opinion on …

1
Kid Galahad (1962) 50:12

2+ y ago50:12

50:12

Two episodes of Viva Pod Vegas in one month? Unprecedented! We're back with another one of Elvis Presley's 1962 films, and this time we're talking about his stint as a boxer in Kid Galahad! In this episode, we compare Elvis to Nicolas Cage (or vice versa) and Dom Toretto before we wonder, what exactly *is* a musical, anyway? Joey's brain actually w…

1
Follow That Dream (1962) 57:53

3y ago57:53

57:53

After our recent time warp to cover Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, we're back on the original timeline and talking about Elvis Presley in Follow That Dream! But... is homesteading a dream? We have questions! We talk about how we've been duped (yet again) into thinking every remaining movie is a musical, how weird this movie is in particular, and how terribl…

1
Baz Luhrmann's Elvis (2022) 45:56

3y ago45:56

45:56

It's a Viva Pod Vegas / #HANX for the Memories special crossover event as we talk about Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, the Elvis Presley biopic! We discuss Austin Butler's portrayal of Elvis (and how he is the movie), Tom Hanks's portrayal of Colonel Tom Parker (and why he took the role), and Baz Lurhmann's novel take on the biopic via a new POV. We talk ab…

1
Baz Luhrmann's Elvis (2022) 47:11

3y ago47:11

47:11

It's a Viva Pod Vegas / #HANX for the Memories special crossover event as we talk about Baz Luhrmann's Elvis, the Elvis Presley biopic! We discuss Austin Butler's portrayal of Elvis (and how he is the movie), Tom Hanks's portrayal of Colonel Tom Parker (and why he took the role), and Baz Lurhmann's novel take on the biopic via a new POV. We talk ab…

1
Top Gun: Maverick (2022) 56:49

3y ago56:49

56:49

For the first time in four years, Tom Cruise has felt the need... the need to make a new movie! He's back with Top Gun: Maverick, and we're here to cover it in full spoilery detail. We talk about Tom Cruise's triumphant return to movies in a role that seems to reflect back on his career and in a movie that seamlessly continues the story from 36 yea…

1
Blue Hawaii (1961) 53:16

3y ago53:16

53:16

It's (basically) (or literally) musicals from now until the end of Elvis Presley's filmography, and today's is a pretty good one: Blue Hawaii! Art imitates life, and Elvis's Chadwick "Chad" Gates is back from two years of service. He was (mostly) faithful, but his relationship will (once again?) be put to the test as he's tasked with leading a grou…

1
Finch (2021) 27:57

3y ago27:57

27:57

After a brief hiatus, #HANX for the Memories is back and talking about Tom Hanks' most recent film, Finch! Available on Apple TV+, Finch tells the story of a dying man who builds a robot to take care of his dog after he's gone. In this episode, we talk about the complicated journey of bringing Finch to the big screen, the bizarre reality that this …

1
Wild in the Country (1961) 1:11:33

3+ y ago1:11:33

1:11:33

The Viva Pod Vegas train is back on the tracks with another (surprise?!) dramatic Elvis Presley performance in Wild in the Country! After talking about the (not great) title (and a better alternative), we dive deep into the unbelievability of the plot in Wild in the Country, and the absolutely crazy way that the movie begins. We also talk about par…

1
Flaming Star (1960) 59:36

4y ago59:36

59:36

Elvis continues to surprise! Flaming Star, his sixth film, is far more violent (and far less musical) than we ever thought it would be. In this episode, we head back to the mid-1800s in Texas to find Elvis trapped between two worlds: that of his white father and that of his Kiowa mother. Given the premise (and the era in which this came out), we've…

1
G.I. Blues (1960) 1:03:04

4y ago1:03:04

1:03:04

Much like Elvis took two years off between movies (albeit to go to war), we're back after an extended (pandemic-fueled) hiatus with Elvis's return to Hollywood: G.I. Blues! We talk about how this movie is likely to set the tone and pace and plotting for most of Elvis's future movies, what this movie really should have been called, and the two (abso…

1
064 News of the World (2020) 35:11

4+ y ago35:11

35:11

Tom Hanks wasted no time in getting the year (and Phase II of #HANX for the Memories) started off right with News of the World! The film sees Hanks re-unite with Paul Greengrass, which now marks two team-ups where Hanks plays a captain: Captain Phillips and News of the World. In this episode, we talk about "western Hanks," the pacing and structure …

1
063 The Woodies: The Tom Hanks Awards 1:02:04

4+ y ago1:02:04

1:02:04

At long last, the time has come to (once again) don our tuxedos and roll out the red carpet. Welcome to The Woodies: The Tom Hanks Awards! All podcast long, we've talked about our favorite (and least favorite) parts of Tom Hanks's movies and TV roles, and we announced our official selections for the best and worst of what Tom Hanks's filmography ha…

1
062 Ranking Tom Hanks's Movies 45:18

4+ y ago45:18

45:18

Before we tally up the votes for the Woodies (The Tom Hanks Awards), we've got one more task ahead of us: we've got to rank Tom Hanks's movies! As always, there's a weird alchemy here that doesn't quite make sense, as we combine the movie's "quality" with Hanks's performance, add a dash of how much we like him in the movie, and toss in some other h…

1
061 The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special 11:54

4+ y ago11:54

11:54

Four short years ago, our hearts were captured by a haunted elevator, its peculiar operator, and his two friends. (Note: these relationships may not be canon.) A year later, that elevator operator returned, and his universe... kind of, sort of, maybe (?) grew a little bit. As we wrap up #HANX for the Memories and look ahead to the Woodies (voting s…

1
060 Tom Hanks Clip Show 45:18

4+ y ago45:18

45:18

We may have covered every movie that stars or features Tom Hanks -- along with both seasons of Bosom Buddies, his three episode arc on Family Ties, and more -- but there's a whole lot more work that he's done that we haven't covered. Welcome to the Tom Hanks Clip Show! In this episode, we're working our way through guest starring roles in TV shows,…

1
059 The Woodies: The Tom Hanks Award Nominations 20:21

4+ y ago20:21

20:21

We've watched and podcasted about all 58 movies (and TV shows, and more!) that Tom Hanks has made so far. Each episode, we've talked about our favorite and least favorite moments, and we've ended each episode by nominating that movie (or show) for awards that showcase the very best (and very worst) that Tom Hanks's filmography has to offer. We've p…

1
058 Greyhound (2020) 45:04

4+ y ago45:04

45:04

We've made it. After traversing the treacherous waters of the Atlantic (i.e. the middle of the #HANX for the Memories run), we've finally re-gained air support (vis-a-vis the truly strong showing from the last handful of Tom Hanks movies). We finish Phase I of #HANX for the Memories with Greyhound, the Hanks-written World War II flick that dropped …

1
057 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) 35:03

4+ y ago35:03

35:03

Tom Hanks may have sworn off playing any more real people, but he taps that well once more (for the ninth time!) in his turn as Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. In this episode, we try to wrap our heads around making a Mr. Rogers movie that isn't really about Mr. Rogers, which fits in perfectly with the inherent weirdness found th…

1
056 Toy Story 4 (2019) 1:11:41

4+ y ago1:11:41

1:11:41

We may have already covered Toy Story 4 on #KeanuClub to dive deep into the world of Duke Caboom, but now we're focusing (once again) on the franchise's star: Sheriff Woody. We're joined by two guests who are definitely not trash: Nico Vasilo and Kevo Risse (X is for Podcast, .html) to talk about Woody and Bo Peep, the toys with (and without) Woody…

1
055 The Post (2017) 54:24

4+ y ago54:24

54:24

Stop the presses! Well, actually, fire 'em up, because we're covering Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee in Steven Spielberg's 2017's film The Post. Joining our crack news team are Tobin Addington (The Contenders) and resident Meryl Streep expert Michael Domanico (Not Her Again). We talk about the superbly selected (and supremely stacked) cast, Steven Spielb…

1
054 The Circle (2017) 50:43

4+ y ago50:43

50:43

Before we reach the end of #HANX for the Memories, we needed to overcome one final obstacle: the one-two punch of Inferno and The Circle. At long last, the time has come for Mike to watch The Circle, a movie he mythologized to the nth degree (for what reason? unclear!), in spite of Joey's best efforts. Could it possibly have lived up to whatever ho…

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