Episodes

Ben rides solo to talk about some thoughts he had about Simon Peter while writing his most recent graphic novel project.

The Summer Movie Series makes a return as Ben and guest host JS Earls talk about ALIEN COVENANT! What’s good? What’s bad? What’s nightmare inducing? How does it rank against the other movies in the franchise? The first half of the conversation is spoiler free. The second half gets into spoilers details, so please, be […]

Ben’s family popped the corn and dimmed the lights and gave THE DARK CRYSTAL a spin. It was a fun family movie night for us…although reactions to the movie were mixed.

Have you ever wondered who would win in a battle between the planet Vulcan and the Lords of the Sith? Well, we kind of settle the score between lots of alien races and groupings and the results are…this special LOST EPISODE!!! It’s weird. It’s wonky. It’s random. It’s fun. It’s (another) alien race smackdown.

In the direct to home video battle for animation domination, who wins: Marvel or DC? Okay, that’s not a fair question. Fortunately, this episode is not about that debate and is just about the movies! What’s good? What’s bad? What’s ugly? From Superman: Doomsday to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and from Iron Man to […]

Join the Strangers and Aliens in an exploration of life, death, and resurrection in sci-fi and fantasy and why those stories are impactful for consumers of story.

There’s no question that Power Rangers 2017 is fueled by nostalgia and a desire to create another billion dollar franchise. There was also no question that Evan, fan of the franchise, was going to see it. And that meant Ben ended up seeing it, too. Join Ben and Evan as they discuss the movie . […]

Every once in a while, a movie changes everything. It doesn’t just became part of pop culture, it shapes it. It can push film making techniques to new heights or engage imaginations to do new things. We go through the decades, taking a look at the most important movies from 1900 to today. Did we […]

Evan and ben take a walk down memory lane and look at those little (sometimes big) pieces of plastic that fueled our childhood playtime (and sometimes still do).

Ben, Evan, and road companion Brennan head out to Skull Island to see KONG!!! And it’s a ROAD TRIP!!! This one’s a REAL road trip, featuring: Filling up at the gas station! Food stops! Road side attractions! And, of course, the MAIN EVENT! The episode has four parts: Spoiler free discussion on the way to […]

Join Evan David and guest host Jonathan Becker from the now defunct Static Blade Podcast, as they reminisce about Evan’s favorite comic book series, Ultimate Spiderman!

John Christopher’s TRIPODS trilogy is a classic of YA science fiction that explores a post-apocalyptic battle between a technologically regressed humanity and a spacefaring race of conquering aliens. It’s also a touchstone of science fiction from Ben’s childhood and a favorite series from when Evan was in college, so naturally it was going to be […]

Taking a trip down memory lane, the S&A gang walk through the catalogue of Dreamworks’ animated films, from Prince of Egypt to today!

It’s the Lego Batman movie! it’s here! Bursting his guests starring role in The Lego Movie, Lego minifig Batman is back! And Ben and Evan went to see it!

It’s a challenge! it’s a contest! And the rules sort of change as we go along! But, just as happens in the comics, some heroes are going to meet and they’re going to fight, and only Ben, Steve, and Evan know how it’s going to turn out!

Art is created by artists, and artists are people, and people are not perfect. So should art by certain artists be avoided? When? Why? Ben, Steve, and Evan examine this question.

A look ahead at the upcoming movies of 2017 and a look back at the movies of 2016. This is a glimpse into the many, MANY movies of 2017 that will cause a scheduling nightmare for the podcast even if we DON’T see them all!

A special Christmas presentation from Strangers and Aliens: a dramatic adaptation of Tim Baron and Ben Avery’s graphic novel ‘Twas the Night Before Krampus!

If your favorite fictional character was real, what would you give them for a Christmas gift? That’s the question Steve, Evan, and Ben answer in this episode!

A Star Wars movie that’s not part of the Skywalker saga, more or less, Rogue One introduces us to new characters in a situation that we already know what’s going to happen. But, it’s not WHAT is going to happen, but HOW! Ben and Evan are joined by Hudson and three of Ben’s kids (with […]

It’s the age old question: what good are the Star Wars Original Trilogy Special Editions, or what are they good for? With some specific nitpicks and some broader issues, Ben, Evan, and Steve revisit their thoughts on these movies…which are now about the same ages as the originals were when the special editions came out! […]

Finally, Strangers and Aliens takes on the topic of a book that is at the top of all of their lists of favorites: TILL WE HAVE FACES by C.S. Lewis! The first of two parts, this episode features backgrounds to the book, exploring the sources C.S. Lewis was inspired by, his time in his life when […]

Finally, Strangers and Aliens takes on the topic of a book that is at the top of all of their lists of favorites: TILL WE HAVE FACES by C.S. Lewis! The first of two parts, this episode features backgrounds to the book, exploring the sources C.S. Lewis was inspired by, his time in his life when […]

Ben and Evan test some equipment and ended up doing a mini-episode about the movie Trolls. This is that episode.