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Sunday, December 27, 2020

Bronze Age Marvel Comics Fan? Check This Out!

If you're a fan of old-school, Bronze-Age Marvel comics, then Fist of Justice is something that might be of interest to you.  Created by a couple of Gen-Xers, this comic has all the fun and appeal of one of the comics they collected as kids.  So who is the Fist of Justice? Fist of Justice is a man out of time, a cat with his heart in the right place-- a true hero from the 70s awakened in our time. He was the super-heroic defender of Charm City until he made a fatal mistake that ended his career. He threw in the towel and was locked away and soon forgotten. But his power-- though dormant-- did not leave him. Now it has returned and resurrected FOJ-- restoring him as defender of a city dealing with the new villains of the 21st century. Villains who are tougher, stronger, and meaner than ever. 

Full disclosure - Uphill Both Ways' Mike Imboden is the co-creator and writer of 'The Fist of  Justice' comic book by Digital Webbing Press...

Saturday, December 26, 2020

"Another Lonely Christmas"

Episode #95

The hectic holiday season is keeping Mike and Joseph apart, but that doesn't mean you're not getting a new episode - it's just not the type you're used to. Joseph delivers a Christmas message to everyone, Mike digs into the archives and pulls out a couple of old Christmas related clips, and then it's time for a replay of last year's "audio drama" as the "Uphill Both Ways Players" present an edited and abridged telling of Dicken's "Christmas Carol". It may not be 60 minutes of new material, but it's better than the lump of coal that Bingo the Helper Monkey wanted to give everyone! Happy holidays to everyone from the Uphill Both Ways crew!




Monday, December 21, 2020

"Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses

It's not Christmas time at the Uphill Both Ways offices until we hear "Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses.
Sadly, no official video or recorded live performance of this exists - and if it does, it's gathering dust in a box in someone's storage unit.  Hopefully one day something will be un-earthed.  Until then, enjoy this montage of clips along with the song.
Pass the egg nog!




Saturday, December 19, 2020

Saturday Morning Cartoons?!?

 

Okay, yeah - we know. With dedicated TV channels like Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and almost all of the streaming services having some type of animated show(s), watching cartoons on Saturday morning is something that you can still do today.  Much easier, in fact, than it was back in the 70s and 80s.

But back then... it was a ritual. Wake up, grab a spoon and bowl, a box of cereal, the milk, and plop down in the living room in front of the TV with your game plan ready.  CBS for a half hour, then NBC for an hour and a half, and the the final hour over on ABC - or some combination along those lines, depending on where your favorites shows were at on the dial.  THOSE days are gone now, but MeTV is doing their part to bring a little of the magic back by starting their own Saturday morning cartoon block.

Starting on January 2nd, and every Saturday at 7AM, they will have a three-hour "all cartoons, all the time" block that promises to be "reminiscent of the Saturday morning broadcasts from your childhood"!!

We're big fans of MeTV here at Uphill Both Ways thanks to their great line up of classic shows and we're looking forward to this long-awaited addition to their schedule.

Check out a few more details HERE.

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Movie Review - "The Legend of Baron T'oa"

 

The Legend of Baron T’oa tells the story of a young Tongan man (Fritz – Uli Latukefu) who, having been living in Australia for more than ten years following his father’s death, returns to sell his family home. His Uncle Otto (Nathaniel Lees) is hesitant and we soon learn why; Fritz’s father was local legend and pro wrestling champion, Baron T’oa (John Tui)! As a quick aside, anyone who was a fan of professional wrestling in the 70s and early 80s will remember the portrayal of “Islanders” with an image of the Wild Samoans probably coming to mind. But avoiding that “savage” stereotype while becoming a champion in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States, was Peter Maivia. It’s Maivia who the titular Baron T’oa seems to be inspired by. Like Maivia, the character of Baron T’oa was a champion, an “islander”, and died at a fairly young age. Anyway, Fritz doesn’t seem to care his father’s “legend”, though. He’s too concerned with being rational 
and analytical about the sale and is certain he can talk Otto into signing the required paperwork to finalize the deal. Things take a turn, however, when a family heirloom is stolen: Baron To’a’s championship title belt! Otto refuses to sign until Fritz can recover the belt. The following 90 minutes or so tells an engaging, exciting, and sometimes humorous tale of how Fritz must learn, as his uncle tells him, that without the past there is no “now”, and with no “now”, there is no future.


At it’s core the story (based on a screenplay by John Argall), is nothing new – it’s a typical hero’s journey – but the setting, cultural influences, and acting are what set this apart from many other similar films despite it relying on the expected tropes of such a movie, including a training montage. The characters are enjoyable and clearly positioned as good, bad, and uncertain and are all portrayed exceptionally by a very talented cast that is a mix of seasoned vets (familiar, most likely, to Australian and New Zealand audiences), and newcomers. There are a few small bumps in the road (there’s a fumbled clear passage of time early on that is pretty important to the story, an element that looks to be very important at some point is summarily forgotten, to name a couple), but they’re certainly not deal-breakers and can be chalked up to this being director Kiel McNaughton’s first feature film. Otherwise, the story flows quite well with great framing and character blocking, as well as action scenes that are fast and exceptionally choreographed. There’s a foot chase that is very high energy and the fights are very well done.


Most importantly, though, is the story itself. As Fritz progresses we see how important family can be as well as the parallels between himself and others and on display is how easy it is for people to become two sides of the same coin while traveling nearly identical paths. On one hand, Fritz wants nothing more than to lead his own life and break free from the cul-de-sac that seems to be more of a dead-end road ever since his father died. On the other, there is a sense of purpose and obligation. Fritz’s inner-turmoil of these two things are presented cleverly by his use of a white board marker that he uses to make charts, graphs, and lists with on windows. Brain or heart – which should lead. Or maybe there’s a way BOTH can be in control.


The language is a bit harsh at times and could be off-putting to some people. In fact, the actors preemptively apologize for it in a very brief PSA prior to the start of the film. It should be noted, however, that we’re not talking about language like you’d hear in a Tarantino film (mainly used as interjections and not adjectives or nouns, if you follow), but it could be enough for some parents to click stop during playback. The violence consists of fight scenes that are mostly “cartoony” with very little blood, including one injury that could have been shown to be FAR worse than it is here.

All in all this is a very fun film with a well told story of a hero’s journey with some exciting action, a positive message, and is definitely well worth a watch.


Reviewed by Mike Imboden

The Legend of Baron T'oa
Directed by: Kiel McNaughton
Written by: John Argall
Producer by: Owen Black, Kerry Warkia
Genre: Comedy, Action
Starring: Uli Latukefu, Nathaniel Lees, Jay Laga'aia
Runtime: 1h 43m
Rated: TV-MA
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 11, 2020







Monday, December 14, 2020

8 From the 80s - Catchphrases


Each installment Mike will look back to the decade of decadence and provide a list of eight things – from movies to music to memorable moments and everything in-between.  Keep in mind, this isn’t a TOP 8 list and any numerical notations are included to merely designate one item from another. Because, frankly, how can rate one thing over another when it came from a decade as totally tubular as the 80s?

Catchphrases That Everyone Repeated
No real introduction is needed for this opening installment - we’ve all quoted lines from movies, TV and even commercials before.  Keep in mind that we’re talking about sayings, or catchphrases and not just slang or lingo.  


8. "And Now you Know, And Knowing Is Half The Battle"
In an effort to skate around newly enacted laws aimed at cartoons that were accused of being nothing more than 30 minute advertisements for toys, G.I. Joe ended each episode with a PSA in which one or more of the Joes would impart a lesson upon a civilian, ending it with this phrase.


Friday, December 11, 2020

"Street Fighting Man"

Episode #94 

Joseph starts things off by discussing "In Search Of" and how he uses the classic show in his classroom, then it's off to Mt. Retromore where the guys give TV Moms their due. The main event is a review/discussion about the movie "The Legend of Baron To'a" and a side discussion about the 'Islander' gimmick in professional wrestling in the 70s and 80s. It's the penultimate show of 2020!




Sunday, December 6, 2020

7 From the 70s - Gold Key Comics

 


Some of My Favorite Gold Key Comic Books - 
by Joseph Perry

I became a huge comic book fan at age six when, after moving from northern California to Corral, Idaho (population 32 when we lived there in 1968, if I recall correctly), I discovered a stack of old comics in one of the storage sheds at the ranch to which my family moved. I was already well aware of, and quite interested in, Marvel and DC superheroes thanks to coloring books, cartoons, and television shows, but the comic books I happened upon opened up a whole new world to me. Fortunately the general store in Corral and the drug store in nearby Fairfield stocked the latest issues in spinner racks stuffed full of colorful goodness.

Gold Key publishing company boasted beautiful, painted covers that set the brand’s books apart from other publishers’ titles. Though the books usually didn’t credit their writers and artists the same way that Marvel and other publishers did, Gold Key had a rich group of talented people behind their comics. Best of all, for six-year-old me, Gold Key had many titles that appealed to my love of monsters and robots, an affection that I still hold to today.


Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Here's Some News About the Site!

Joseph, Mike, and Bingo the Helper Monkey hope that everyone (who celebrates it), had a great Thanksgiving and (for some), long weekend.  The time for rest is over, however, and we're prepping to debut a couple of new, semi-regular features!

First is Joseph's "7 From the 70s" where he'll muse about seven things from the 70s, all within a certain topic.  For example, his first outing (which we'll be posting soon), will be about Gold Key Comics; specifically, seven different Gold Key comics that he remembers having an impact on him.

Next up is Mike's "8 From the 80s" which is pretty much exactly the same thing, only covering the decade of decadence. Plus, it will have one more entry, but that was obvious given the title, yeah?

There's other ideas floating around that the guys are trying to work out like retro reviews of movies, music, TV shows, video games, and wrestling. So keep checking back to see what we've managed to scrape together - and of course pop by every other Friday when we post the newest episode of the Uphill Both Ways podcast.

Uphill Both Ways - living in the past so you don't have to!

Friday, November 27, 2020

"A Horse With No Name"

Episode #93

It's a bit of a free-for-all this episode as the fellas present their Mt. Retromore of TV Dads and then swing into talk about the origins of the show, give thanks to some special folks, and talk a little about the future of Uphill Both Ways. The countdown to #100 continues!

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW093_A_Horse_With_No_Name.mp3



Action U.S.A. on Sale Now!

After sitting on this info for a while now, we can finally say that ACTION U.S.A., the "lost" 80s indie action flick that Joseph and Mike featured earlier in the month is finally on sale over at Vinegar Syndrome!

Vinegar Syndrome excels at remastering old, forgotten genre films. They've done numerous old horror flicks, a bunch of action movies (and even some racy stuff for those of you into that stuff). All of their releases are limited in their production run and sometimes sell out pretty quickly, so if you're looking to grab a copy of ACTION U.S.A., we urge you to take advantage of their annual Black Friday sale and get one this weekend.

Grab your copy here! (and no, we don't get a kickback or anything - we just love this movie!)




Wednesday, November 25, 2020

The Ben Cooper, Inc. Legacy

Ok, yeah - Halloween was LAST month, but we didn't decide to start adding stand-alone content to the website until a couple of weeks ago.  So go ahead, grab a few fun-size Kit Kats or Crunch bars that you bought in bulk for 75% off on November 1st to get yourself into the mood and read on.

Started in 1937 by former costume and set designer Ben Cooper, Ben Cooper, Inc. initially sold costumes of ghosts, goblins and other creatures but began licensing characters like Superman and Zorro as the popularity of their TV shows grew.  If you were a kid growing up in the United States during the 60s, 70s or 80s, the chances are pretty doggone high that at one time or another you wore a Ben Cooper, Inc. costume on Halloween. 

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Retro Movie Review - "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins"


Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins
is one of the most underrated, if not almost forgotten, action movies of the 1980s.

Released in 1985 to middling reviews and a pretty crummy box office, Remo Williams is the story of a New York City cop who has his death faked and wakes up with a new face, a new name and a new job. All of this is courtesy of a super-secret crime fighting organization called CURE, run by Harold Smith (Wilford Brimley) in one of the absolute worst casting choices ever. Seriously – if the source material describes someone as lemony-faced, wearing a gray suit with skin that seems almost gray itself, Wilford Brimley is NOT what one pictures.


Anyway, Remo (Fred Ward) has been recruited to be the enforcement arm of CURE and is introduced to Chiun (Joel Grey), the reigning master of Sinanju (which, we learn, is the martial arts discipline that all others came from) who has been hired to train him. Well, introduced isn’t exactly the right word. Remo is taken by Conn MacCleary (J. A. Preston) who was, previously, the only person other than Smith who worked for CURE, on his first assignment wherein he’s supposed to simply enter an apartment and kill the occupant. Said occupant is Chiun and after failing miserably at his mission, we learn that this was merely a test. Chiun is unimpressed but is convinced to stay on and train Remo.

We’re treated to some of Remo’s training and a get to know Chiun a little (he loves soap operas!) and learn that Sinanju has provided emperors and kings with assassins throughout history. Remo learns the basics of balance, breathing, the ability to become lighter than air and to even dodge bullets. The training and history lessons are short lived, however, as Smith calls Remo in for his first mission, which Chiun is not too happy about, saying Remo needs more time to be ready. Nonetheless, Remo is briefed on his mission, sent into the field and, following an exciting set piece on the Statue of Liberty (which is encased in scaffolding since it was undergoing maintenance and repairs at the time), eventually saves the day.


One of the biggest failings of the movie is that it’s never really explained why Chiun agrees to stay and train Remo. The books, of course, DO provide plenty of background: In the books, Chiun sees Remo as the integral piece for fulfilling a prophecy and becoming the avatar of Shiva. A father-son relationship is built over the course of the early books and while Chiun constantly criticizes Remo, it’s obvious he loves him and that Remo feels the same for him, even going so far as to call Chiun “Little Father”. It’s this bond that is created between the two that is the heart and soul of the “The Destroyer” series and the fact that it is only briefly touched on in the movie (Remo does call Chiun by his nickname after Chiun slips and calls him “my son”) is one of the movie’s biggest mistakes.

Despite what it sounds like, this is an entertaining movie. It’s directed by Guy Hamilton (who helmed a few James Bond movies) and the screenplay was written by Christopher Wood (who co-wrote a couple of different James Bond films), so it has a decent pedigree behind the camera. Fred Ward does a great job at capturing Remo’s serious yet sassy personality and Joel Grey (while not Korean at all and acting under a lot of makeup) is excellent as Chiun. The action scenes, which admittedly seem a bit “small” for this type of movie, are fun and the plot, while a bit thin (especially in comparison to some of the books), is simple enough that it doesn’t get in the way of the action. There is Blu-ray release by Twilight Time Movies and it tends to show up here and there on different streaming service somewhere, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find. If you’re a fan of action films and have never seen this, you owe it to yourself to give it a watch.

Reviewed by Mike Imboden


Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins
Directed by: Guy Hamilton
Screenplay by: Christopher Wood
Based on The Destroyer by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir
Genre: Action & Adventure
Distributed by: Orion Pictures
Starring: Fred Ward, Joel Grey, Wilford Brimley, Kate Mulgrew
Running time 116 minutes
Rated: PG-13
Release date: October 11, 1985













Monday, November 16, 2020

“The Legend of Baron To’a” Sees a Son Step Up to His Wrestler Father’s Legacy

 New Zealand action comedy The Legend of Baron To’awhich Joseph reviewed over at When It Was Cool“combines the elements of a son returning to his homeland and a hero’s journey with some slam-bam wrestling excitement."
The film receives a December 4th theatrical, digital, and VOD release from Gravitas Ventures & New Zealand Film Commission. The film stars Uli Latukefu, who was recently tapped to play the young Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in an upcoming NBC production. Uphill Both Ways has the official trailer and poster for you below. Following is the official press announcement.

When his late father’s priceless championship belt is stolen by a ruthless gang, a displaced Tongan man must reconnect with his father’s legacy to defeat the barbaric gang kingpin and get the title back.


Fritz, a displaced Tongan man, returns to the cul-de-sac of his youth to sell his family home. When a priceless heirloom — a championship wrestling belt belonging to his late father, Baron To’a, — is pillaged from the family home, Fritz’s uncle Otto cancels the sale of the house until the belt is returned. A local street thug reveals the belt is now in the possession of resident gang, The Pig Hunters. Fritz determines to get the belt back with higher reasoning.

After a run-in with a corrupt cop and a vicious attack from the gang, three patched members invite Fritz to a BBQ to “break bread.” The family-oriented BBQ becomes dangerous after dark as Fritz comes face-to-face with gang leader Tahu, who has the belt draped over his shoulder. Fritz fails to reason with Tahu and is ruthlessly beaten into the streets.


While healing, Fritz realises he must rekindle a lost connection with his father’s legacy, proclaiming to Otto that he wants a “shot at the title.” After training with Otto, Fritz combines his analytics skills with his father’s wrestling techniques to smash his way through the gang and flush out Tahu. An epic “no holds barred” title fight ensues, but does Fritz truly understand what it takes to become the champion?



THE LEGEND OF BARON TO'A
 
Directed by: Kiel McNaughton
Written by: John Argall
Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedy
Distributor: Gravitas Ventures
Produced by: Kerry Warkia 
Cast: Uli Latukefu, Nathaniel Lees, Jay Laga'aia, Shavaughn Ruakere, & John Tui 
Run Time: 103m






Saturday, November 14, 2020

"Strange Things are afoot at the Circle K"

After some discussion, both Joseph and Mike have agreed that there needs to be more content here. So in the days, weeks, and months to come, expect to see some movie reviews, album reviews, TV reviews, articles, discussions, and lists (and more!), all dedicated to the two greatest decades in the 20th century.

Yep, that means more 70s! More 80s! And more retro pop-culture goodness.

Sure, this isn't the first site to cater fans of that era and, yeah, there's probably sites out there that are and will do a better job than Mike and Joe can.  But the Internet is a pretty big place, and after three years of the UBW podcast they're pretty confident that they can build something pretty fun here.

So put on your high-top Adidas sneakers, feather your hair back, and pop that collar. "We've got to go back, Marty!"

Friday, November 13, 2020

"Action USA" PG-Rated Trailer

Here's the trailer for the remastered release of  "Action U.S.A." - the over-the-top "craziest action film you never saw".



 

Thursday, November 12, 2020

"I Want Action"

Episode #92

It's right there in the name, folks - this episode has wall to wall ACTION! It's a collaborative "Mt. Retromore" of 70s and 80s action movie stars as Joseph and Mike nominate and select the foursome they feel best exemplifies the genre at the time. And then it's off to the main event where the guys review and discuss the "the craziest action film you never saw", "Action USA". Filmed in 1988 with an all-but-forgotten VHS edition, this 4K Restoration & rerelease from Verdugo Entertainment is the holy grail of 80s B-Movie action flicks!




Thursday, October 29, 2020

"Dead Man's Party"

Episode #91

The UBW Halloween Trilogy concludes with a Mt. Retromore of giant monsters, a couple of movie recommendations, and the main topic: a review of the Rankin/Bass Halloween stop-motion classic, "Mad Monster Party". Find out what Mike and Joseph think about this almost-forgotten but cult-favorite slice of late 60s pop-culture pie (pumpkin, of course!) The countdown to episode #100 is on!




Thursday, October 15, 2020

"Psycho Killer"

Episode #90

While it's technically the second of the "UBW Halloween 2020" trilogy, it's the first NEW show due to last episode's updated rerun. So what's in store here? Joseph and Mike talk about their picks for the Mt. Retromore of Horror icons (find out who joins Ric Flair as the second person to make both of their lists), and then it's time for a debate, of sorts. Mike is a fan of slasher movies while Joseph prefers those of the supernatural type, so they go up against one another in an effort to illustrate why their favorite is better and if there's any common ground to be found between the two. Who wins? We won't say, but really - let's face it - you listeners are the REAL winners! Can we get a "heck, yeah!"? Anyone?



Thursday, October 1, 2020

"Clones (We're All)"

Episode #89

Due to circumstances beyond their control, Mike and Joseph were unable to record a new episode for this week. But that doesn't mean you're not getting a show! Step into the W.A.B.A.C. machine as we head off to the first Halloween-themed show that the fellas did back in 2017. If it's your first time listening to it, or you've already heard it, we think you're going to like it as they talk costumes, trick or treating, and what some of their favorite candy was back in the day. And we promise - episode #90 in two weeks is going to be all-new and all-awesome!




Wednesday, September 23, 2020

R.I.P. Road Warrior Animal

It's no secret that Mike and Joe are huge wrestling fans, so we here at Uphill Both Ways are saddened to hear of the passing of Road Warrior Animal. He and Hawk (along with Paul Ellering), dominated the tag-team scene for years.

Often imitated, never duplicated - as they say - they weren't always the spiked shoulder-pads wearing, face-painted monsters.
Here's a look at their television debut with the 'Road Warrior' gimmick obviously that of a couple of butt-kicking, no-name takin' motorcycle badasses.



Thursday, September 17, 2020

"My Old School"

Episode 88
Mike starts things off with a short discussion about "Cobra Kai" (Netflix's TV show - by way of YouTube - 'reboot' of the "Karate Kid" franchise), and Joe follows up with a couple of film festival movies. From there it's on to the episode's installment of "Mt. Retromore" and the topic of favorite childhood authors like Richard Scarry and... H.G. Wells?!? All of which leads to the main topic of looking back at "Schoolhouse Rock". It's time to unpack your adjectives and give this one a listen!

 


Saturday, September 5, 2020

"Hot Blooded"

Episode 87
Discussions about "Unknown Origins" on Netflix and some movies from the Fantasia and FrightFest festivals get things started and then it's time for the "Mount Retromore" of comic book characters. And normally the first show of September would be about school, but since the COVID-19 pandemic is still affecting everyone, the guys decide to look at some virus and pandemic movies from the 70s and 80s, all while trying not to go into the zombie rabbit hole. Quick - before you listen, do you know which movie from 1980 starred George Kennedy, Chuck Connors, Sonny Chiba, and Olivia Hussey? The answer awaits so listen now!

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW087.mp3

Friday, August 21, 2020

"Double Vision"

Episode 86

It's time for a new regular feature (at least for now) as Mike and Joseph debut "Mt. Retromore" - their take on the game of coming up with your own "Mt. Rushmore" of a given topic. For this first shot they come up with their four professional wrestlers who they each feel were important to the sport in the 70s and 80s. A couple might be obvious, but the big question is if there are any duplicates between the lists! Then it's off to the main topic where the guys discuss remakes and reboots of TV shows and movies from the 70s and 80s. Are they in favor of this practice or do they bash it to bits? And more importantly, why did they forget Bingo's favorite movie, "King Kong"?!?

https://traffic.libsyn.com/…/wheni…/UBW086_Double_Vision.mp3


Thursday, August 6, 2020

"Mr. Big Stuff"

Episode #85

It's August and that means it's time for "Dragon King Karl Month" at the palatial When It Was Cool estate as everyone celebrates Karl's birthday. Mike and Joe do their part to liven up the festivities as they program the WABAC machine to Karl's birth year of 1971 and discuss everything from the price of a Malibu Barbie to the confetti showers of Rip Taylor. Of course there's also the usual 'What's New' and 'Mix-Tape Challenge' segments that you've come to love and look forward to as well. We've said it before, but we really mean it this time when we say "This one's got it all"!

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW085.mp3



Tuesday, August 4, 2020

ICYMI

If you haven't yet listened to episode 84 of "Uphill Both Ways," you're missing out on hosts Mike and Joseph discussing favorite magazines of the 1970s and 1980s, like Circus.

Add caption

Thursday, July 23, 2020

"Cover of Rolling Stone"

Episode #84

Joseph talks a bit about this year's BIFAN Film Festival before the talk turns to drive-in theaters now in the age of Covid-19. Then it's off to the Mix-Tape Challenge followed by the main topic: magazines! From Highlights for Children to Rolling Stone, the fellas wax nostalgic for the old Bill Apter wrestling magazines, the black and white Warren horror mags, and everyone's favorite - TV Guide. All this and more - and none of those stinky perfume samplers and annoying subscription cards that seemed to be on every other page of magazines back in the day.

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW084.mp3



Sunday, July 19, 2020

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

My God - it's been almost a year.
A whole year.
Although it seems a bit insincere after so long, we are VERY SORRY that we've not kept up on things here.  We could say we were indulging in movie marathons of Stephen Spielberg and John Carpenter movies, or listening to the entire Prince catalog of music, but that's just not true.  Bottom line is that we just got tired.  Between adding all of the OLD content and trying to keep up with the NEW content, it got to be a bit overwhelming.
But we're re-dedicating ourselves to posting things here.  New episodes and returning to posting the links to all of the OLD episodes as well.  It seems that more and more people are staying away from Facebook and the toxicity that seems to fuel their fires and since that is our main outlet for our web presence we figured we needed to beef up this site and get more traffic driving here instead.
So bear with us - it's a time consuming job, but it's a job we're GOING to do.
"The question isn't what are we going to do. The question is what aren't we going to do."

Friday, July 10, 2020

"Vacation"

Episode #83

Just because Mike is on vacation doesn't mean the guys are going to let you - their loyal listeners - down! Things start with a discussion about Mike's aforementioned vacation, then it's on to the Monthly Mix-Tape Challenge where Joe answers the call to deliver a mix-tape of songs that have a guy's name in the title. Then, to keep things simple, the fellas hit the WABAC machine and deliver up an encore of their very first (and very unpolished) first episode!

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW083.mp3



Saturday, June 27, 2020

"Don't You Forget About Me"

Episode #82

The guys wrap up their quadrology of episodes talking about cult movies with a discussion covering movies they felt should have been included in the three part "Time Warp" documentary series. Mike responds to Joseph's "Monthly Mix Tape Challenge", and then -- [NOTE: We had to cut this synopsis short because the show ran over and we've got to make up the time difference somehow.]



Friday, June 12, 2020

"The Joker"

Episode #81

It's time for the guys to review and discuss the third and final volume of TIME WARP: THE GREATEST CULT FILMS OF ALL-TIME - COMEDY & CAMP, the movie series looking at cult films. If you want to listen to them in order, episode #78 covers volume one (Midnight Madness) and #79 covers volume two (Horror and Sci-Fi). Of course there's the Monthly Mix-Tape Challenge featuring Joseph's mix-tape about trains as well as some random asides about Mike's "KaiJune" movie watching plan and Joe's hyping of some film festival entries including "Climate of the Hunter" by Mickey Reece. "Oh, hi Mark".



Thursday, May 28, 2020

"Still Crazy After All These Years"

Episode #80

It's Mike's birthday, so the guys celebrate in style by discussing favorite birthday-related movies and scenes like "Sixteen Candles" and the birthday party in "The Birds". But before all of that, they spend quite a bit of time talking about everything from All-Elite Wrestling's "Double or Nothing" PPV to Cowboy Monkey Rodeos and a veritable potpourri of unrelated topics. All of that PLUS Mike barely manages to answer Joseph's mix-tape challenge of songs about villains. And, hey - there's even some new intro and outro music.



Saturday, May 16, 2020

"Career of Evil"

Episode #79

The fellas review TIME WARP: THE GREATEST CULT FILMS OF ALL-TIME VOLUME 2 - HORROR & SCI-FI which is, as you can see by the title, the second volume (of three) documentary films looking at cult movies. While the movies in the documentary are mostly R-rated, the discussion stays family-friendly as the guys weigh in on their thoughts about the movie itself and the films it covers. Mike and Joseph covered Volume 1 last episode and volume 3 will be covered in episode #81, so make sure you collect all three! Of course there's the usual "What's New?" and "Mix-Tape Challenge" segments which have the guys talking about education during and after this pandemic and Joe's "Heroes" mix-tape! Next episode falls on Mike's birthday, so who knows what sort of shenanigans they'll get up to!

Thursday, April 30, 2020

"Tonight I'm Gonna Rock Ya' Tonight"

Episode #78

"...and now for something completely different". This episode, Joseph and Mike review TIME WARP: THE GREATEST CULT FILMS OF ALL-TIME VOLUME 1 - MIDNIGHT MADNESS which is, as you can see by the title, the first volume (of three) documentary films looking at cult movies. While the movies in the documentary are mostly R-rated, the discussion stays family-friendly as the guys weigh in on their thoughts about the movie itself and the films it covers. And of course there's the usual "What's New?" and "Mix-Tape Challenge" segments. Volume 2 and volume 3 will be covered in the next few episodes, so make sure you collect all three!



Saturday, April 18, 2020

"Happy Anniversary Baby"

Episode #77

Can you believe it's been three years already? The fellas can't, that's for sure. Join them as they look back at the previous shows and ramble on about everything from Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling to Joseph's favorite board game, the Voice of the Mummy. Oh yeah, and there's the Mix-Tape Challenge, of course! Grab your toast of champagne and join the guys in celebrating seventy-seven episodes!



Friday, April 17, 2020

Roddy Piper's Birthday

If he were still with us, Roddy Piper would be 66 today.
Happy birthday to the "Hot Rod"!



Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Flypaper

Joseph recently mentioned an old episode of "Tales of the Unexpected" entitled 'Flypaper'.
Here it is:


Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Covid-19 Mix-Tape

It's no secret that Mike and Joseph love their old-school music (just look at their long-running "Mix-Tape Challenge" feature for proof).. So, speaking of the challenge, here's a bonus mix-tape that Mike put together.


Wednesday, April 1, 2020

"Believe It or Not"

Episode 76

Joseph and Mike briefly discuss some old TV shows like "Tales of the Unexpected" and "The Invaders", share what life has been like recently under the Covid-19 pandemic and quarantines, and then get into the Monthly Mix Tape challenge. From there, it's no joke when Joseph reads a "too cool to be true" press release which sets the guys on a road filled with TV shows like "The Rockford Files", "Hardcastle and McCormick" and... "Silk Stalkings"?!? It's the penultimate episode before the big third year anniversary episode in two weeks!


http://traffic.libsyn.com/whenitwascool/UBW076.mp3



Saturday, March 21, 2020

"Things Can Only Better"

Episode #75

As the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic begin to fall into place, Mike and Joseph run down Joe's Mix Tape Challenge about robots and then it's off to the main topic of songs that were bigger hits than the movie that they were written for. Sure, "Xanadu" by Olivia Newton John springs to mind, but what else could there be? You might be surprised by some of the tunes that fit the bill. And of course the guys go off on their usual tangents just like you'd expect a couple of old men to do. So hit play, sit back and enjoy another trip back to the groovin' 70s and totally rad 80s!


http://traffic.libsyn.com/whenitwascool/UBW075.mp3



Tuesday, March 10, 2020

"Convoy" by C.W. McCall (film version)

As noted in episode #74, the song "Convoy" was a redone to match the plot of the movie. Here's the "movie version".


Saturday, March 7, 2020

Krofft Supershow TV Intro

We missed posting this following our Sid & Marty Krofft themed show.
Enjoy the memories!


Thursday, March 5, 2020

"Celluloid Heroes"

Episode #74

As Covid-19 slowly infects the planet, Mike is suspiciously sick as he and Joseph run down Mike's Mix-Tape of songs that should be made into movies before hitting the main topic of songs that WERE made into movies. The majority of time is spent talking about "Convoy" since Mike was finally able to get Joseph to watch the Kris Kristofferson epic. While Joe isn't as fanatical about it as Mike is, he... well, you'll have to listen to see how he feels about it. So go ahead and scrub those hands for at least 20 seconds and then hit play!



Thursday, February 20, 2020

"Friends"

Episode #73

In the wake of Sid & Marty Krofft getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Mike and Joseph talk about some of their old shows and the impact they had. From straight-up variety shows like "The Donny & Marie Show" to trippy kid's fare like "H.R. Pufnstuf", no magical car horn, pylon, or shell-phone is left unturned. But before all of that, we see how well Joseph managed to answer the call of the Mix-Tape Challenge and his thoughts on seeing a movie in the theater that he hasn't seen in 35 years! All that and more await you in the Uphill Both Ways pop-culture time machine! (Wait, shouldn't we have used that line for the previous episode?)


http://traffic.libsyn.com/whenitwascool/UBW73.mp3



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