Experts and Intermediates

Episode 28, Part 1: The War Starts at Midnight

Jason Eaken — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:23:22 GMT

It has finally happened. Two podcasts, separated at birth, have finally been reunited by sheer will, as Jason gets a double dose of Battleship Pretension with guests Tyler and David. Will Jason and Tyler reignite the battle over “A Beautiful Mind”? Will Jason be bombarded by a tag-teamery of California love for “Starship Troopers”? Or will Jason shock everyone by hating the much lauded assignment from Tyler, the epic comedy “The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp”? All this plus, how much will Jason pay to reclaim his childhood? Find out all the sordid details of how Alan Rickman and Clyde Drexler came to occupy the place of prominence in Jason’s apartment.

Episode 27: U.S. Is Not Us/ And Us Is Not We/ And We Are Not Satisfied

Jason Eaken — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:29 GMT

As the summer winds down, EaI moves into Season Two one host lighter than last year. Lucky for them that remain, we've got Hip-Hop Expert Nathan Potter to fill the void this week, as the they get Flobotic with it. Will Jason find the music too earnest, or will these Denver-bred polemics crack the ice currently encasing his heart? Also, try not to get lost in translation from stage to screen and keep up with Martin McDonagh's first feature film, "In Bruges," a film which presents cursing, hitmen, midgets, and tourism - a potent combination. So put on your fanny pack, the velcro sandals and don't forget to wear socks for episode 27.

Episode 26, Part 2: Welcome to Deadwood

Jason Eaken — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:23:01 GMT

In the first of what Jason assures us will become the weekly day for posting episodes, BJ's final show draws to a climactic close with a discussion of Season 1 of "Deadwood." Will BJ declare this show a modern-day Shakespeare, or just another profane drudgefest? And, how will our two hosts part ways, and what possible artistic endeavors shall divert their gazes from the other, till time should entreat their paths enclose upon another once more? Find out as these two friends and experts dole out their "Final Assignments" and bid their fond farewells.

Episode 26 - Part 1: Kill... The Batman!

Jason Eaken — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 00:46:35 GMT

BJ and Jason just don't know how to quit each other, so it should come as no surprise that for his final episode, BJ wouldn't stop talking. In Part 1 of their final episode together (before Jason takes the reins all by his lonesome) they give a Spoilers and all review of Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight." Will this be a two-faced review, or will our boys rally together and don this the greatest movie ever conceived? Plus, some quick details about Jason's trip to California, and, God love 'em, a trip down memory lane with an extended (and awkward) quotation from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II - The Secret of the Ooze.

Episode 25: The PIXAR Way

Jason Eaken — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:35:00 GMT

This week, in preparation for BJ's departure, the guys deal with their impending loneliness with a discussion of "Wall-E," a movie Jason has already dubbed "the most delightful movie of all time." How will this joy-fest compare with Pixar's other films? And what is it that makes their movies so special, so different? All this plus Jason delivers a timely political analogy by way of M. Night Shyamalan's latest film. Do not be confused, BJ and Jason are not flying... they're falling with style.

Episode 24: So It Goes

Jason Eaken — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 06:08:14 GMT

This week, BJ and Jason plum the depths of human suffering, unthinkable carnage, and other comedic fodder for a discussion of Kurt Vonnegut's WW2 sci/fi mind-bender, "Slaughterhouse Five." Then, Jason declares that the piano has been drinking, not him, as he spits out all the seedy details from the recent Tom Waits concert. Was it a life-altering experience, or will Jason be trading in his beloved troubadour for the artistic prowess of Nickelback? All this plus a very special announcement, that will have Jason asking, "Why me?"

Episode 23 - B Side: That Was a Great Party

Jason Eaken — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:11:13 GMT

In honor of America's birthday, BJ and Jason are here to deliver a patriotic look at the truly American novelty of Comicbook writer turned Hollywood pitch-master, as they review the autobiographical graphic novel "Fortune and Glory," by Brian Michael Bendis. Have a few hot dogs, some brewskies, blow some stuff up, and relax to the sounds of Geek Fandom at its finest. Mr. Bendis, America salutes you. More importantly, so do our hosts.

Episode 23: @#%&*! Smilers

Jason Eaken — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:26:56 GMT

Join BJ and Jason for a quick hitting episode, with no fewer than 15 reviews of summer movies, new music, and recent literary exploits. Will "The Happening" get two thumbs up? How does Aimee Mann's new CD compare to the rest of her body of work? Plus, see if BJ introduces his co-host to the real HULK SMASH when Jason takes the 5th Harry Potter book to task. It's a delicious smorgasbord of either critical insight, or pretentious dork-ery. And possibly both.

Episode 22: Will We be Infected - Sex and the City

Jason Eaken — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:53:41 GMT

NOTE: The telephone interview in this episode sounds much better if the volume is lower. There is less of a ring that way. The EaI Studios have officially been taken over by women in a grand Coup de Grace! And for their first act as Management, they have forced BJ and Jason to watch - nay, endure... nay, enjoy? - an entire season of HBO's chic chick sensation "Sex and the City" and then see the movie. Will our hosts be enticed in their cosmic, cosmo-filled, quasi-drunken state to fall in love with the four stars? Can we expect this show to trade in its trademarked misogyny for, say, a little bit of Gilmore Girls? Maybe some Nicholas Sparks? In other words, will BJ and Jason find their proverbial Ya-Ya's, or will their rage explode the ears of all who listen to this sacrelige? The answer is just moments away, in the longest podcast in (their own) recorded history!!!

Episode 21: Happy, Happy, Happy By Myself

Jason Eaken — Tue, 20 May 2008 06:08:30 GMT

Welcome to another testosterone-filled episode of EaI. BJ and Jason have been named the world's foremost dual-action authority on misanthropy by way exclusively of misogyny. Don't worry, they're even more confused than you are, but that's not stopping them from diving into the devil-may-care, male-dominated world of early 20th century gangsters for a discussion of William Wellman's "The Public Enemy." Also, BJ strips Jason down to his guitar and microphone and sends him fishing in the music of Greg Brown. Can Jason catch some good tunes, or was there not enough to bait his hook? All this, plus the boys weigh-in on summer movie trailers and break the news about next summer's sure fire, blockbuster collaboration: "Indiana Jones: Sex and the (Kingdom of the Crystal) City."

Episode 20: Perfect Crimes and Fistfuls of Dollars

Jason Eaken — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:36:08 GMT

It has been well established by this, the 20th episode of the show, that BJ is the lover and Jason is the fighter. Better put, BJ knows music and Jason knows movies. How, then, come we to the new episode in which BJ imparts the ways of Clint Eastwood and the wild wild west to Jason, who in turn quiets BJ's rage with the languid, poetic stylings of The Decemberists? Has the world gone topsy-turvy? Can our two hosts can put things right again, or has all been lost? Find out what happens when the experts change hats and receive assignments in their own areas of expertise!

Episode 19, Final Boss: A Brief, but Pertinent Tangent

Jason Eaken — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:44:19 GMT

And now, for the exciting conclusion to this week's episode! BJ blew a gasket and had to leave the room, so intense was his fury with Jason. This leaves only Jason and Peter, in a one-on-one showdown of intensified discussion, revolving around the game Lost Odyssey. Who will emerge the victor? Can Jason keep Peter on a single topic? Can Peter sift through Jason's circular logic? Tekken 2 ain't got nothin' on this fight!

Episode 19, Levels 1-5: All Your Base Are Now Belong to Us

Jason Eaken — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:22:28 GMT

These days, it seems everybody knows at least one hard-core "Gamer." The rest of us poke fun at them, we tease. But come Saturday night, when the ladies ain't takin' the bait, and the boy toys still haven't called, let's be honest…we call the Gamer and ask if we can join in. Just for one night. Just for a couple of hours. And we get our Halo on or strap on that Wii-Controller, and we enjoy it. Genuinely. But would we classify that experience as artistic? Even if not, would the Gamer? Should the Gamer? And if the Gamer, should everyone? Whether art is good or bad is very much in the eye of the beholder, but today, our humble hosts seek to find out if videogames are art in the first place. The task is more complex than your everyday FPS, so to help them get to the next level, our boys have brought back Guest Expert Peter Macy (now wearing badges for both Videogames and Comic Books…don't tell BJ). Can these three man-children come to any sort of useful conclusion? Can BJ revive Jason's arguments, when the HUD clearly states he needs a medic? All of this, plus, as an added bonus, hear Peter discuss the year's single Best Prequel to Final Fantasy 7…EVER!!!

Episode 18: Haughty Melodic

Jason Eaken — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:52:36 GMT

Have you missed them? If not, will you at least pretend you missed them, if we promise to pretend that they missed you, too? Busy, busy bees be BJ and Jason, but finally they have returned for what they claim will be the first of a steady succession of shows. In lieu of their absence, they are taking on the world in this episode and talking about music, movies, books, and even some live performing arts. Plus, finally and at long last, they dole out some new assignments, and BJ vows to complete at least half of one of them, on top of all the other incomplete assignments. Make of this what you will, and consider this to be an hour and a half long segment of "What Now?" Have you been up to nearly as much as our two hosts? Find out today!

Episode 17: Sweeny Todd vs. Daniel Plainview, or: There Will Be Discussion

Jason Eaken — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:18:15 GMT

If Sweeny Todd and Daniel Plainview got into a knock-down, drag-out fight, who would win? Better yet, what will happen when BJ and Jason decide to argue about who is better? Will BJ sing to Jason while cutting his throat? Or will Jason smash BJ's ankles with a bowling ball? Have yourself a personalized meat-pie, wash it down with a scrumptious milkshake and throw in all the news that's fit to print about Casper Van Dien, and you've got the all new episode of Experts and Intermediates! YUM!

Episode 16: Will We Be Infected – High School Musical

Jason Eaken — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 07:29:21 GMT

The heart is wild, for who can tame it? It wants…what it wants, and on this week's show, that could spell legal trouble for BJ and Jason as they take on the Disney Channel juggernaut, "High School Musical" and its sequel. Was Jason able to deny his heart's fervent desire dance, sing and, yes, "Jump In" with Corbin Bleu and the gang? Did BJ tear down his wall of crumudgery and bitterness to let the soft, sweet sounds of Zac Effron and Ashley Tisdale permeate his soul with rich delicious honey from their butterfly voices? And could either host find his way through the rip-roaring undercurrent of Tweeny-Bop Sex Appeal without a Prison Record? After hearing this week's show, you can BET ON IT!

Episode 15 - CHIL...DREN!!!

Jason Eaken — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 09:22:42 GMT

The boys here at EaI love a good holiday. And what better way to ring in the New Year than to bring home a long lost friend! Get ready for your heart to be warmed as these three reunite to do awesome battle on raps who want some static; namely, the beats of underground mega-hit Atmosphere. Will the guys get jiggy with it, or will they drop it like it's hot? As if that weren't enough, BJ and Jason tell the story of "Left-Hand, Right-Hand," and guest star Nathan gets creeped out alone in the dark by Robert Mitchum, in "The Night of the Hunter." Come on down the Expressionism River, sit with the hand on the front of your pants and ask yourself…Am I Legend?

Episode 14 – Whoa, Differences!

Jason Eaken — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 08:51:46 GMT

BJ always wanted to be a cowboy. Jason always wanted to kill people with an air canister. And both our hosts always wanted a stylin' shaggy-haired bowl cut. Did "No Country For Old Men" make their wildest dreams come true? Or did T. Lee J leave these guys yearning for the Coens of yore? Plus, just in time for the Holidays, the boys welcome Peter Macy, the Comic Book Guru and self-declared Tennis Champion of Northwest Shawnee, Kansas, for a two-faced discussion of "Batman: The Long Halloween." Can Jason (and you) survive this Code Red Nerd Alert? Ah, tis' the season for Christmas cheer, jingle bells, and sulfuric acid splash pages! You better watch out, 'cuz Santa Claus is coming to Gotham!

Episode 13 – Welcome to the Evil Empire Book Club

Jason Eaken — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 03:21:45 GMT

Fire is bright and fire is clean! Join the guys for a five-fisted quintilogy of government deception, hidden anarchy, and literary genius (or is it?). Is it possible for two people to agree on five books in a row? More to the point, will it make for an interesting podcast? Will BJ and Jason uncover the robotic underbelly of this futuristic utopia before they're driven mad by a Catch-22 of novel puns? And finally, as you listen, Doublethink not on whether or not you love Big Brother, but whether or not you love Big Brother ENOUGH. Run for your lives: BJ and Jason are watching you.

Episode 12, Part Deux: I Am the Spider

Jason Eaken — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 04:47:35 GMT

Have you found yourself wondering what BJ and Jason have been up to? Do you lie awake at night, tossing and turning, confounded by the emptiness in your mind that only a list of movies Jason has recently seen can fill? When you eat your breakfast, do you think, this doesn't taste half as good without knowing what new CDs BJ's bought recently. Dear Listeners, your fervent desires are about to be answered, as BJ and Jason unleash their recent exploits. Plus, Jason takes on BJ's childhood for a discussion of the Spiderman comic-book storyline, "Kraven's Last Hunt." Will Jason websling himself into expert status after just 6 issues, or will BJ accuse him of being a Vermin, unable to appreciate this exquisite art form? Wait no longer! Listen in the next ten minutes, and it's absolutely free!!! What a Deal.

Episode 12, Part 1: We Haven't Located Us Yet

Jason Eaken — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 07:06:16 GMT

This week, BJ and Jason follow Wes Anderson and Co. to India for their latest foray into quirkiness. Did BJ wear bandages on his head and make itineraries? Did Jason grow a mustache and get it on with Natalie Portman off-screen? Or were these guys so completely tired of Wes's signature "style" that they ditched the train, tipped over their own raft and hoped to drown? Please to stand directly in the center of the frame and be sure to have spiritual awakenings during the time appointed at the end of the episode. And this is only Part 1!!!

Episode 11: Will We Be Infected? (Take Me To Your Leader)

Jason Eaken — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:46:16 GMT

Come along for the 80-minute, feature length ride as BJ and Jason answer the Lord's call and shine His Holy Light onto the dark and sinful world of Christian music. They've listened to 3-1/2 hours of tantalizing "God Rock" in preparation, and they look like they've been fasting for a month. Will the boys give in to temptation and backslide into a recommendation, or did the Good Lord shield their ears from the blasphemy the devil seeks to pass off as quality music? Call your youth pastor and ask if you can skip church to pray for these two hosts as they walk through the valley of the shadow of death... and Carman.

Episode 10: Is It Me?

Jason Eaken — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:43:43 GMT

They're back! (Hopefully for good) This week, your hosts dip themselves in misogyny, butter themselves with cynicism, and get repulsive-with-it for their shower-side discussion of Neil Labute's "Your Friends and Neighbors." Should women everywhere run for their lives, or will BJ show Jason how to love again? Plus, find out if Wes Anderson has wheedled himself back into thier good graces, using only his left hand and his 13-minute deleted short film, "Hotel Chevalier." All this plus an action packed edition of "What Now!?" Warning! BJ forgot to take his meds today. Enjoy.

Episode 9, Part 1: Man Is a Wolf To Man

Jason Eaken — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:19:31 GMT

NOTE: Now that we have more space on our Website, we are going back and re-posting older episodes. This week on EaI, there's too much Aragorn-penis to be contained in one episode! That's right, BJ and Jason have bitten off WAY more than they can chew, so, for your listening pleasure, the boys provide you with two, count 'em, TWO episodes in as many days! Episode 9, part 1 plumbs the depths of pantless knife fights and Russian accents with a review of "Eastern Promises"! Can you handle it? CAN YOU??

Episode 8: If Music Be the Food Of Love... Play On!

Jason Eaken — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:36:37 GMT

It's a special and extended London edition of Experts and Intermediates. Jason has arrived home from his international travels with many a tale to tell. And since BJ blew it and only posted one show in his absence, Jason has brought along some recordings with Cory from overseas. Listen to all the adventures as our co-hosts make their way backstage for a Green Room discussion of all things Shakespeare, with countless curious tangents and the ever-looming presence of Martin Short. So stamp your passport and grab a pint of Guinness, and see how long you can stand to hear Jason's never-ending stories from the land of fish and chips.

Episode 2: Will We Be Infected? (The Bay Days of Summer)

Jason Eaken — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 05:03:30 GMT

Michael Bay is a Criminal. Criminals are HOT!!! Can it be so? Have BJ and Jason had a religious awakening via Michael Bay? Has he unfairly been the brunt of too many jokes, including our own?Well... put it this way. Ice Cube once said, "My jimmy runs deep...so deep, put your butt to sleep". If you remove the word "jimmy" and replace it with "Jason and BJ's hatred for Michael Bay", you've got a pretty good idea what the first installment of E and I's "Will We Be Infected?" is all about. Join the boys from Experts and Intermediates as they torture themselves by watching four of the Bay-Man's greatest hits over a 24 hour period, all in the name of science, entertainment and Ben Affleck. The social experiment of the century begins here!