We are revisiting the heavy hitter that basically proved superhero movies could be billion-dollar behemoths, Sam Raimi's 2002 Spider-Man. We dig into the sheer cultural impact of this massive blockbuster, the brilliant mix of a practical Spidey suit with some wonderfully rubbery early-2000s CGI, and how J.K. Simmons delivered an absolute masterclass as J. Jonah Jameson, or was it the other way around? We also tear into some of the movie's rougher edges, from the plastic Power Ranger like Green Goblin armor, to Tobey Maguire’s complete inability to cry convincingly on camera. Plus, we hash out the great organic versus mechanical web-shooter debate.

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We're kicking off our Vigilantes and VHS summer by heading straight to Gotham to revisit the film that arguably launched the modern superhero era: Batman Begins. You know, the one where Christian Bale adopts the gravel voice and drives a tank over a fragile wood-framed roof. We break down Bruce Wayne’s unnecessarily complicated method of kicking party guests out of his house, debate whether the famously stiff cape is actually functional, and marvel at Michael Caine delivering the perfect Alfred. Ryan has a few bones to pick with Bruce's decision-making regarding Rachel's safety and vocal tone, while we both agree that giving Gary Oldman the campy lines was certainly a choice. From “holy property damage Batman” to the undeniable blueprint this film laid out for Iron Man and the MCU as a whole, we're putting Christopher Nolan's origin story under the microscope to see if it still holds up. So grab your $300,000 tactical suit and let's go spelunking.

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We're running a prequel to our upcoming superhero summer series with a deep dive into M. Night Shyamalan's 2000 superhero origin story, Unbreakable. A massive thank you to Wilford81 for the recommendation, mostly because it gave us an excuse to argue about whether water is actually a believable kryptonite for a superhero on a planet covered in it. Ryan came into this rewatch with his comic book reader glasses fully on, absolutely loving the patient, panel-by-panel visual storytelling and grounded realism. Meanwhile, Deric couldn't help but feel the pacing drags just a hair when compared to the rapid-fire cinema we're so used to today.

We break down the sheer, suffocating tension of that kitchen scene, praise Bruce Willis and Sam Jackson for carrying the emotional weight of the film, and, naturally, complain about Shyamalan insisting on awkwardly casting himself in his own movies. It’s a dark, slow-burn look at what it takes to be a hero—even if keeping all your incriminating supervillain evidence neatly organized inside a comic book art gallery seems like a bold logistical choice.

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We finally took a road trip down to Alabama to revisit a bona fide 90s classic, My Cousin Vinny. Turns out, we kinda missed this gem growing up, so we get the rare treat of a completely fresh perspective on Joe Pesci's legendary courtroom antics. We break down the surprisingly accurate legal procedures (seriously, actual law schools use this movie to teach procedure), the undeniable chemistry between Pesci and Marisa Tomei, and the sheer brilliance of the owl and grits scenes. We also dive into how Pesci perfectly balances his physical comedy with his dramatic mob-movie roots, debate if Robert De Niro could have done better, and cap it off with a hilarious behind-the-scenes story about a deer that you absolutely have to hear.

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We're stepping into the Kumite to talk about the 1988 martial arts cult classic, Bloodsport. Sure, the movie claims to be based on the "true story" of Frank Dux , but considering practically none of his claims can be verified, we're treating this purely as the magnificent work of fiction it clearly is. We break down Jean-Claude Van Damme's questionable acting, fantastic skills (and his mandatory, unprompted splits) , the absolute absurdity of the tournament rules , and the random phantom cat noises littering the soundtrack. Despite the completely unnecessary subplots and the sheer lack of a cohesive storyline , there's no denying the action in the ring still holds up today. Grab your favorite Betamax tape and get ready for a nostalgic rewatch of a movie that somehow manages to be both terrible and entirely entertaining all at once

What happened

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We’re breaking our own sacred 20-year rule because Deric decided to cash in a "golden token" and drag Ryan kicking & screaming into the 2017 Jumanji reboot. To everyone's shock—including his own—the resident reboot-hater actually liked it, dare we say, loved it. We dive into how Jack Black somehow delivered the most convincing performance of a teenage girl in cinematic history and why the chemistry between The Rock and Kevin Hart is undeniable, even if we’re tired of seeing them together(we still want more). We also get into the nitty-gritty of the game mechanics, from the hilarity of exploding over a piece of cake to our very serious grievances about a PlayStation that somehow uses cartridges? It’s a rare look at a reboot done right, even if the CGI jaguars look like they were rendered on a toaster.

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"This Podcast Takes Tokens for those who seek to find a way to connect with the childhood they left behind."

This week, we roll the dice on the 1995 Robin Williams classic, Jumanji. We dive deep into the production lore, including why the director was terrified to hire Robin Williams, the dark theory that Van Pelt is actually a manifestation of Alan’s father and a few theories of our own.

We also break down the surprising box office numbers—did you know this movie only made $11 million its opening weekend? Ryan was shocked too —and we share our honest (and slightly brutal) thoughts on those CGI monkeys that definitely do not hold up in 1995 or 2026.

In this episode:

Retro Ramble: We discuss our favorite board games of all time, featuring zombies and public transit.

Stale Popcorn: Ryan visits a classic record shop in KC , and Deric catches the Running Man remake on a long flight.

Gum Under the Seat: We read your comments.

Token Scores: Don’t miss the final score on this episode, we almost did.

Love quoting old movies? Join the conversation LIVE every Thursday on YouTube!

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Grab your controllers and drop in your quarters. This week we’re attempting the impossible: ranking our Top 5 Favorite Video Games of All Time.

Ryan brings a list heavy on sweeping narratives, time travel, and mind-bending mechanics. Deric, on the other hand, just wants to build a city, avoid the stress of massive open worlds, and shoot alien bugs in an arcade cabinet. From the cel-shaded controversies of Wind Waker to the stealth espionage of Metal Gear Solid, we break down the games that defined our childhoods and ate up all our free time, and TOKENS.

In this episode:

The Main Event: Ryan and Deric’s Top 5 Video Games.

Stale Popcorn: The new Jay and Silent Bob beat-'em-up and the wild connection that proves Seinfeld and Friends share a universe .

Gum Under The Seat: We read your comments on Last Action Hero, Godzilla vs. Kong, and your favorite pro wrestlers.

Retro Ramble: We discuss the games we always wanted to play as kids, but never got our hands on (and whether they held up when we finally did).

Next week, we are rolling the dice on the 1995 Robin Williams classic, Jumanji

Love quoting old movies? Join the conversation LIVE every Thursday on YouTube!

Stay tuned after the show for Retro Ramble & Gum Under The Seat.

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