Reserved Recommendations

4.0 (1)
SOCIETY & CULTURE
UPDATED MONTHLY

Everyone has something they love, but wouldn't feel comfortable recommending to the general public. This is a weekly series of fascinating chats about problematic faves, great trash, and our complicated relationships with art and culture.

23H AGO

Episode 88 - Solo minisode: Winston Peters Has Always Been Like This

I take a solo minisode to explain what I've been up to for a month and a half, and how Winston Peters Has Always Been Like This. Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

34 min
JAN 30

Episode 87 - Asher Elbein (The Howling III: The Marsupials)

"The Howling III: The Marsupials" (1987) was genuinely the stuff of schoolyard legend when I was in primary school in the early 90s, due to a notorious sequence involving a female lycanthrope giving birth to a "joey" who seeks refuge in her pouch. I did not, however, know what this rumoured movie was *actually called* until I came across author and journalist Asher Elbein (www.asherelbein.com) on Bluesky talking about it. He very kindly agreed to come on the show to discuss it, and when I finally watched it I was *fascinated*. I had expected something good-bad and schlocky (and "The Howling III" is definitely both of those things) but this movie also has surprisingly deep and complex ideas on its mind about ecology and indigenous people's rights and struggles, and a strange and compelling folk-tale logic which is quite unique. It is a very weird swerve for a franchise which already took a weird swerve between the first and second movie, and which established itself initially for (as well as having some great gnarly 80's transformation sequences) being the *horny* werewolf series - and if you watch it, you will find yourself thinking about it for quite some time. A show about great trash, problematic faves, and difficult art hosted by Hugh Dingwall. Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

1h 3m
JAN 23

Episode 86 - Newsboys with Josh Boerman

Originally started by Peter Furler and George Perdikis in 1985, Newsboys are such an enduring mainstay of Christian rock that the band is still going strong absent any of the original members. Over that 40 year career, their sound has changed so drastically that if you say that you either love or hate Newsboys, the only logical response is "which Newsboys?" In addition, if you are a Kiwi or Aussie of approximately my vintage, you probably know their song "Take Me To Your Leader" which was a brief crossover hit here, and will earworm you for weeks if you go and look it up. For my first new episode of 2026, I'm joined by the illustrious Josh Boerman from Worst Of All Possible Worlds and Ill Conceived, who grew up in the evangelical world that spawned and nurtured this strange (and now kind of evil) band so that he can explain The Phenomenon. Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

59 min
12/12/2025

Reserved Recommendations Episode 85 - Elana Levin and John Cecil (Ska)

Admittedly, I love me a novelty instrumental cover (ask me about my surf rock habit) but I've never really understood the cringe that greets the mention of ska music. Part of this is probably being a kiwi - we have a different relationship with the pop-punk side of ska music than Americans do - but I've always felt like people who didn't appreciate the genre just hadn't found the good stuff yet. Elana and John (last heard on the Hair Metal episode) return to the show to give me an American perspective, and we chat about the high points of ska and how to find your way in as a newcomer. Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

55 min
10/31/2025

Reserved Recommendations Episode 84 Solo minisode ("The Poisoned Wound")

Prompted by last episode, in concert with a conversation about Normality the RPG, and a viewing of Cargo (2017), I talk about an idea cooking in the back of my head about the ways that people who say and do horrible things act like victims. A show about great trash, problematic faves, and difficult art hosted by Hugh Dingwall. Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

31 min
10/03/2025

Reserved Recommendations Episode 83 - Ross Palethorpe (Enemy 2013)

In a rare "reversed recommendations" situation, I recommend something for someone else to watch! I talk to Ross Palethorpe (@rossthesedays) about Denis Villenueve's 2013 film "Enemy" - a strange, hostile, deeply yellow movie which I first encountered as an online movie reviewer back when it was relatively new. We really get into it on this one (once Ross gets past cursing me for making him watch "a work movie") because there's a LOT here. Two equally haunted and awful Jake Gyllenhaals encounter one another in a dreadful, poisonous, spider-haunted Toronto, and nothing is exactly what it seems. CW on this one for discussions of misogyny and general masculine awfulness. Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of New Zealand On Air.

1h 5m

6 Episodes

Everyone has something they love, but wouldn't feel comfortable recommending to the general public. This is a weekly series of fascinating chats about problematic faves, great trash, and our complicated relationships with art and culture.