Retro Spectacles

Retro Spectacles
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Comedians Mitcz Marzoni and Teddy Tutson are on a mission to look back in time - at least 10 years at a time - and uncover hidden gems, discuss nuances of cult classics, figure out why things popped off the way they did, dig deep into both short-lived trends and enduring legacies, and so much more. With a focus shifted more towards enjoyment and exploration, but never shying away from criticism, Retro Spectacles explores pop culture with two very opinionated media addicts in their 40s. They are here to think way too much about everything they've seen, read, heard and more, and to push each other - along with our audience - to think about and discuss it all at length. We invite you to peer through the lenses of our retro spectacles with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 16h ago

    Black Mirror (Part 3) : Is White Christmas Its Best Episode?

    Retro Spectacles continues its Black Mirror deep dive with the 2014 special that closes the show’s original Channel 4 era. Built around three interconnected stories, White Christmas brings the ideas, technologies, and moral questions of the first two series together for one ambitious final nightmare before Black Mirror’s move to Netflix. Jon Hamm and Rafe Spall play two men sharing Christmas in an isolated outpost, gradually revealing the events that brought them there. Their stories introduce dating assistance through Z-Eyes, digital copies known as cookies, and blocking technology capable of removing someone from another person’s world. Oona Chaplin, Natalia Tena, and Janet Montgomery round out a special that moves between dark comedy, relationship drama, psychological horror, and dystopian science fiction. Mitcz and Teddy discuss pickup-artist culture, wearable surveillance, digital slavery, and the difference between code and a person. Plus, whether anyone in White Christmas receives proportionate justice, and why they both consider White Christmas a five-star Black Mirror episode. Get your spectacles on and join us! Have thoughts on this episode? Let us know directly by checking the post for this episode on Our Official Website. Comments are not shown publicly, but noteworthy comments may be selected for on-air reading! For all relevant episode links, our social media accounts, and contact info, please visit retrospecspod.com If you'd like to support us directly, please visit patreon.com/retrospecs If you dig this, a review on your podcast app of choice is GREATLY appreciated and helps us rise to the top, where all the pretty people like yourself can slip on their Retro Spectacles! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. Jul 22

    Black Mirror Series 2: Grief, Punishment & Political Collapse

    Retro Spectacles continues its Black Mirror deep dive with Series 2, the three-episode Channel 4 run that pushes Charlie Brooker’s anthology into darker, more emotionally punishing territory. Be Right Back, White Bear, and The Waldo Moment move from grief and artificial companionship to public punishment and political collapse, testing just how bleak the show can become before its final Channel 4 special, White Christmas. Be Right Back stars Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson in a story about mourning, digital footprints, and technology promising to preserve someone after death. White Bear drops Lenora Crichlow into a violent public nightmare she cannot understand, while The Waldo Moment follows an animated provocateur whose crude popularity begins spilling out of entertainment and into electoral politics. Together, the episodes expand Black Mirror beyond technological cautionary tales into questions about grief, justice, spectacle, and power. Mitcz & Teddy discuss AI grief bots, digital resurrection, Replica, and why technology cannot provide a shortcut through mourning. They also unpack White Bear’s Justice Park, punishment as public spectacle, the real cases that influenced Charlie Brooker, and The Waldo Moment’s unexpectedly prescient take on political populism. Get your spectacles on and join us! Have thoughts on this episode? Let us know directly by checking the post for this episode on Our Official Website. Comments are not shown publicly, but noteworthy comments may be selected for on-air reading! For all relevant episode links, our social media accounts, and contact info, please visit retrospecspod.com If you'd like to support us directly, please visit patreon.com/retrospecs If you dig this, a review on your podcast app of choice is GREATLY appreciated and helps us rise to the top, where all the pretty people like yourself can slip on their Retro Spectacles! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Jul 15

    Black Mirror Series 1: The Start of TV’s Bleakest Tech Nightmare

    Retro Spectacles begins a new deep dive into Black Mirror with Series 1, the original Channel 4 run that introduced Charlie Brooker’s bleak, funny, horrifying vision of modern technology staring right back at us. Before the Netflix era, before San Junipero, before the show became shorthand for “this terrible thing is basically a Black Mirror episode,” there were three brutal opening swings: The National Anthem, Fifteen Million Merits, and The Entire History of You. The National Anthem starring Rory Kinnear defined the brand in the most confrontational way possible and predicted a real David Cameron scandal four years early. Fifteen Million Merits is a pre-fame Daniel Kaluuya demo reel so convincing that Jordan Peele reportedly cast him in Get Out off the strength of it. And The Entire History of You, written by Jesse Armstrong four years before Succession, remains the only episode in the show's entire run without a Brooker writing credit. From the public appetite for humiliation to ad-saturated bike prisons to memory implants that would destroy every relationship on Earth, Series 1 still feels uncomfortably close to now. Mitcz & Teddy revisit how the series first made its way into their friendship, why Brooker’s comedy background matters, how these early episodes already establish the show’s core formula, and a "is this your fault or does this situation just suck" framework for sorting every episode. Get your spectacles on and join us! Links Doug Stanhope on ScreenwipeScreenwipe's 2016 Annual ReviewPhilomena Cunk on ScreenwipeHave thoughts on this episode? Let us know directly by checking the post for this episode on Our Official Website. Comments are not shown publicly, but noteworthy comments may be selected for on-air reading! For all relevant episode links, our social media accounts, and contact info, please visit retrospecspod.com If you'd like to support us directly, please visit patreon.com/retrospecs If you dig this, a review on your podcast app of choice is GREATLY appreciated and helps us rise to the top, where all the pretty people like yourself can slip on their Retro Spectacles! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Jul 8

    The NeverEnding Story: A Dark 80s Classic They Wouldn't Make Today

    Retro Spectacles continues "Good, Good for Its Time, or Good for My Time?" with Mitcz's pick: The NeverEnding Story. Wolfgang Petersen's 1984 fantasy is remembered as a whimsical childhood staple, but a rewatch reveals something much heavier. This is a movie that opens on a grieving, bullied boy and spends 90 minutes putting its heroes through loss after loss. The practical effects hold up better than most modern CGI. Built for roughly $27 million, reputedly the most expensive film made by a European studio at the time, every creature on screen is a physical puppet operated by teams of specialists. The grief allegory, the Giorgio Moroder synth score and Limahl theme, and the handmade monsters all combine into something that dates beautifully rather than badly. Mitcz & Teddy dig into the surprisingly dark themes, the truth behind the Artax drowning myth, author Michael Ende's lawsuit and war with the production, the 1980s dark fantasy landscape from The Dark Crystal to Labyrinth, and land on their verdict. Get your spectacles on and join us! Have thoughts on this episode? Let us know directly by checking the post for this episode on Our Official Website. Comments are not shown publicly, but noteworthy comments may be selected for on-air reading! For all relevant episode links, our social media accounts, and contact info, please visit retrospecspod.com If you'd like to support us directly, please visit patreon.com/retrospecs If you dig this, a review on your podcast app of choice is GREATLY appreciated and helps us rise to the top, where all the pretty people like yourself can slip on their Retro Spectacles! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Jul 1

    The Sandlot : Good For Its Time? Just Good? Needs Work?

    Retro Spectacles kicks off a new series, "Good, Good for Its Time, or Good for My Time?" with Teddy's pick that also doubles as a Fourth of July celebration: The Sandlot. Mitch saw it for the first time a month ago with zero nostalgia attached. Teddy grew up watching it on cable until it felt like he owned it. The question: does a beloved coming-of-age classic hold up when you strip the nostalgia away? The verdict is unanimous. Dennis Leary plays against type as a stepdad who isn't a jerk but has no idea how to parent. James Earl Jones elevates the entire third act with five minutes of screen time and a first-name-basis familiarity with Babe Ruth that only he could pull off. And Benny the Jet Rodriguez remains the blueprint for what it means to be cool enough to sprinkle cool dust on someone who has none. Mitcz and Teddy dig into what ages well and what doesn't, Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez as a Fourth of July icon, poor Bertram getting lost in the 60s, and why the Sandlot's version of America is the one worth celebrating. Get your spectacles on and join us! Have thoughts on this episode? Let us know directly by checking the post for this episode on Our Official Website. Comments are not shown publicly, but noteworthy comments may be selected for on-air reading! For all relevant episode links, our social media accounts, and contact info, please visit retrospecspod.com If you'd like to support us directly, please visit patreon.com/retrospecs If you dig this, a review on your podcast app of choice is GREATLY appreciated and helps us rise to the top, where all the pretty people like yourself can slip on their Retro Spectacles! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Jun 24

    Toy Story 5 (Franchise Deep Dive : Toy Story)

    Spoiler warning: this episode goes deep into every plot point, twist, and ending of Toy Story 5. Retro Spectacles closes out the Toy Story franchise deep dive with a full spoiler review of Toy Story 5. After weeks of deepening skepticism across six movies, both hosts walked in expecting to be underwhelmed. Pixar pulled it off again. Jessie takes center stage in the franchise's most parent-oriented installment, tackling screens vs. toys, cyberbullying, and what happens when a weird kid finds another weird kid. Joan Cusack delivers one of the best voice performances of the franchise, Greta Lee's Lily Pad continues the Pixar tradition of warm-voiced not-quite-villains, and Conan O'Brien's Smarty Pants single-handedly earned the franchise's first PG rating with a poop joke bonanza. Mitcz and Teddy dig into all that, plus whether Woody even needs to be in this movie, Buzz's unfortunate devolution into a lovesick bumbler, the criminal absence of "You've Got a Friend in Me," the Bonnie trilogy confirmation, and more. Plus, Teddy and Mitcz reveal their final rankings for all films in the franchise. Get your spectacles on and join us! Have thoughts on this episode? Let us know directly by checking the post for this episode on Our Official Website. Comments are not shown publicly, but noteworthy comments may be selected for on-air reading! For all relevant episode links, our social media accounts, and contact info, please visit retrospecspod.com If you'd like to support us directly, please visit patreon.com/retrospecs If you dig this, a review on your podcast app of choice is GREATLY appreciated and helps us rise to the top, where all the pretty people like yourself can slip on their Retro Spectacles! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Jun 17

    Lightyear (Franchise Deep Dive : Toy Story)

    Retro Spectacles nears the finish line on the Toy Story franchise deep dive with the spin-off that broke Pixar's streak. "Lightyear" (2022) opens with a title card: "This is the movie that Andy fell in love with in 1995." Teddy and Mitcz reject that premise within minutes. What was pitched as "Andy's Star Wars" landed as something far more somber and introspective than anyone expected from a Buzz Lightyear movie. As a standalone sci-fi film, it's genuinely good. As a Buzz Lightyear movie, it's unrecognizable. Tim Allen publicly called it disconnected from the toy. The audience agreed. Lightyear broke Disney's 30-year CinemaScore streak, returned only half its budget, and led to 75 layoffs at Pixar including director Angus MacLane. Mitcz and Teddy dig into all of that along with the Tim Allen vs. Chris Evans casting, the manufactured culture war over a two-second kiss, and what this flop means for Toy Story 5. Plus, dual ratings for Lightyear depending on whether you judge it as a standalone film or a franchise entry. Get your spectacles on and join us! Have thoughts on this episode? Let us know directly by checking the post for this episode on Our Official Website. Comments are not shown publicly, but noteworthy comments may be selected for on-air reading! For all relevant episode links, our social media accounts, and contact info, please visit retrospecspod.com If you'd like to support us directly, please visit patreon.com/retrospecs If you dig this, a review on your podcast app of choice is GREATLY appreciated and helps us rise to the top, where all the pretty people like yourself can slip on their Retro Spectacles! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Jun 10

    Toy Story 4 (Franchise Deep Dive : Toy Story)

    Retro Spectacles continues the Toy Story franchise deep dive with the sequel nobody asked for that made a billion dollars. Toy Story 3 closed the book on the Andy trilogy with a Best Picture-nominated goodbye. Toy Story 4 survived John Lasseter's Me Too departure, Rashida Jones and Will McCormack walking off the project, and a near-complete rewrite to deliver something tonally different from every Toy Story before it. More existential than whimsical, more dramedy than adventure, and anchored by Tony Hale's Forky asking what it means to be alive while Woody makes the most controversial decision in franchise history. Keanu Reeves steals the movie as Duke Kaboom through a blind Canadian-only casting search, Christina Hendricks' Gabby Gabby becomes the first Toy Story villain who wants the same thing the heroes want, and Annie Potts returns as a reinvented Bo Peep designed from the ground up by Pixar's all-women Team B. Mitcz & Teddy dig into whether Woody's ending is growth or betrayal, Forky as Pixar's most unlikely mascot, Tim Allen allegedly phoning it in, Disney's $10 billion box office year, the plush rush sequence, Tarantino calling Toy Story 4 a perfect film, and why both hosts land on the same order for their franchise ranking. Get your spectacles on and join us! Have thoughts on this episode? Let us know directly by checking the post for this episode on Our Official Website. Comments are not shown publicly, but noteworthy comments may be selected for on-air reading! For all relevant episode links, our social media accounts, and contact info, please visit retrospecspod.com If you'd like to support us directly, please visit patreon.com/retrospecs If you dig this, a review on your podcast app of choice is GREATLY appreciated and helps us rise to the top, where all the pretty people like yourself can slip on their Retro Spectacles! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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About

Comedians Mitcz Marzoni and Teddy Tutson are on a mission to look back in time - at least 10 years at a time - and uncover hidden gems, discuss nuances of cult classics, figure out why things popped off the way they did, dig deep into both short-lived trends and enduring legacies, and so much more. With a focus shifted more towards enjoyment and exploration, but never shying away from criticism, Retro Spectacles explores pop culture with two very opinionated media addicts in their 40s. They are here to think way too much about everything they've seen, read, heard and more, and to push each other - along with our audience - to think about and discuss it all at length. We invite you to peer through the lenses of our retro spectacles with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Retro Spectacles
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Retro Spectacles
  • Show Website
    Retro Spectacles