Zo finds himself in a timeline where Tokyo was destroyed in WWIII and from its ashes rose a Neo Tokyo. It's a thriving civilization if not filled with chaos: teenage biker gangs, heavy police presence, an aggressive military complex, violent protests, and a group of people that the media are calling terrorists. Rumors abound that these terrorists are actually trying to prevent Japan from doing research on the most devastating weapons that the world could never imagine in its wildest post apocalyptic nightmares. It's the an innate ability within all humans that allows them to access the primordial power of the universe itself and granting the possessor of that power unparalleled psychic abilities. The rumors say that they had succeeded before, but that the scientists who were attempting to control the uncontrollable were predictively unable to manage the fruit of their foolish labor. In their effort to contain the power and prevent a catastrophic outcome they manage to seal this "fruit" away for all time. In this case their "fruit" was a little boy with incredible psychic abilities. The population at large knows nothing of this, put there are those who speak of this impossible little boy. According to them this boy is destined to come back. His name is Akira . . . or so the rumors say.

Episode Chapters

00:04:24 Opening Credits for Akira Starring Cam Clarke, Jan Rabson and Lara Cody [1989 English Dub]

00:15:29 Favorite Parts of the 1988 film Akira

01:01:23 Trivia from the futuristic cyberpunk action anime - Akira

01:08:55 Critics' Thoughts on Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira

Vice Article: How 'Akira' Has Influenced Modern Culture

Animation Obsessive Article: When Katsuhiro Otomo Learned

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Zo, once again, finds himself in an alternate timeline. This particular time is not that dissimilar from his own time. The major difference being that it seems that everyone is a cyborg with most people having at least some form of complex computer or robotics grafted onto or within their biological bodies. The normalization of the cyborg gives rise to advanced cyborg bodies with the only organic element being their human brain. Can someone who is almost completely a robot have a soul? Can an AI be so complex that it develops its own soul and, to that end, the right of self determination? Zo hears rumors of a government agency called Section 9 and an operative within that agency named Major Motoko Kusanagi who's on the verge of finding out if there can indeed be a Ghost in the Shell.

Episode Chapters

00:04:24 Opening Credits for Ghost in the Shell Starring Mimi Woods, Richard Epcar and Tom Wyner [English Dub]

00:15:29 Favorite Parts of the 1995 film Ghost in the Shell

01:01:23 Trivia from the futuristic cyberpunk philosophical action anime - Ghost in the Shell

01:08:55 Critics' Thoughts on Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell

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Zo is flung into the inconceivably distant future where he finds himself in the creepiest small town that he's ever found himself in. The town is stalked by demons and mutants and folks who live here have to be on their guard as they move about. A rancher named Doris finds out that there's more to worry about than common giant slugs and werewolves, because, as Zo had heard it, she's been confronted by a Noble. A Noble is what people in this distant time period sometimes call a vampire, and this particular Noble happens to be over 10,000 years old. It's good for Doris, then, that a mysterious stranger named D had come to town. A Vampire Hunter of extraordinary skill named D.

Episode Chapters

00:04:40 Opening Credits for Vampire Hunter D Starring Michael McConnohie, Barbara Goodson, and Jeff Winkless [1993 English Dub]

00:15:29 Favorite Parts of the 1985 film Vampire Hunter D

00:41:53 Trivia from the post apocalyptic horror anime - Vampire Hunter D

00:47:23 Critics' Thoughts on Toyoo Ashida's Vampire Hunter D

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Zo examines the recent adaptation of a Stephen King novel: Edgar Wright's The Running Man (2025) starring Glen Powell and comparing this film to the novel as well as the much beloved 1987 adaptation of The Running Man starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by Paul Michael Glaser. What where the main differences? In what way was the new movie faithful to the novel? How do the different themes compare in these films and the novel? Find out in this episode; spoilers ahead!

Episode Chapters

02:12 Motivated Running

03:58 Richard Bachman

06:09 The Comparisons - Novel, Movie, Movie

10:24 The Running Man Ad

28:04 Critically Thinking About The Running Man

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Zo shares his Holiday activities and talks about a more recent Christmas film that he's seen for the first time. He's wanted to see this film for a while. It's a film about a violent Santa Clause. The name of this movie is Violent Night starring David Harbour, John Leguizamo and Leah Bradly and directed by Tommy Wikorla.

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Zo finds himself within a snowflake. What strange magic that caused him to be inside the snowflake is unclear, but he is amazed with what he finds inside. There is an entire civilization with strange human-like creatures; there are even some who seem indistinguishable from human. There are mountains, trees, rivers and an actual town - a town called Whoville. What's even crazier is that they're preparing to celebrate Christmas. This begs several questions: how did they come to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? How long has this singular snowflake been floating in the atmosphere? Are there other snowflake civilizations?

All is not cheery though as Zo noticed that among all the people here there is one who isolated himself on a mountain. This creature is even stranger than the folks of Whoville being green, covered in fur and walking about stark naked. The Whovillians talk about how mean and nasty he is and that he absolutely hates Christmas, though no one seems to know why. Whenever they refer to him they would only whisper "The Grinch."

Episode Chapters

00:05:24 Opening Credits for Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas Starring Jim Carrey and Taylor Momsen

00:22:16 Favorite Parts of the 2000 film Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas

01:13:21 Trivia from the Holiday Classic - Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas

01:22:48 Critics' Thoughts on Ron Howard's Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Taylor Momsen and The Pretty Wreckless perform Christmas, Why Can't I Find You? on YouTube

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Zo ends up in yet another galaxy far, far, far, far away. By his reconning he's at the furthest galaxy, yet. Here there are no galaxy spanning empires, but their is a planet with a failing atmosphere and a massive military. Instead of putting forward policies that would save the environment of his world President Skroob would rather steal the atmosphere from a planet with a weaker military. The power disparity between his planet and the planet that he plans to attack is so great that it doesn't even matter that his troops are mostly Assholes. Fortunately, a spoiled princess, a loyal droid, a scruffy pilot and his half-man/half-dog best friend stand in the way to thwart the President and all the dastardly forces of planet Spaceballs.

Episode Chapters

00:05:02 Opening Credits for Spaceballs Starring Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, and Daphne Zuniga

00:18:49 Favorite Parts of the 1987 film Spaceballs

01:13:46 Trivia from the sci-fi action fantasy Spaceballs

01:24:11 Critics' Thoughts on Mel Brook's Spaceballs

Links to sound effects:

epidemicsounds.com

mixkit.co

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