Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Prodigious Saps
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 76: Say you can make ANY superhero movie. What's it going to be? | 18 juil. 2026 | 00:43:00 | |
Which overlooked comic-book characters would we bring to the screen, and what would we do with them? Chad makes the case for Firestorm and the Legion of Super-Heroes, while Brendan digs through decades of unproduced pitches and screenplays involving Zatanna, Captain Marvel (never Shazam), Hourman, Longshot, Adam Strange, Starman and more. Who would YOU like to see adapted to the big (or small) screen? Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 75: We loved SUPERGIRL (2026): Our FULL Review | 12 juil. 2026 | 01:34:56 | |
We both loved SUPERGIRL — so why has the reaction from critics been so mixed? In Part One of our review, we share their spoiler-free thoughts on Milly Alcock, Lobo, the film’s tone, and what the movie gets so right. Part Two dives into full spoilers and unbridled nitpicking. 00:00 - Non-Spoiler Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 74: Supergirl Meets Superman + More MAN OF TOMORROW Set Leaks | 11 juin 2026 | 00:43:22 | |
Right after we recorded our last episode, TONS more stuff dropped. We now have a new trailer and TWO full clips from SUPERGIRL. Tonight we're focusing on those two clips, which are both fascinating. ALSO: loads more tantalizing glimpses of MAN OF TOMORROW from the streets of Atlanta, where Superman and a mech-suited Lex Luthor are battling each other amidst angry Metropolis citizens. Brace yourselves, because there will undoubtedly be LOTS more coming! Kara lands on Earth clip: Supergirl bar fight clip: 00:00:00 — Kara lands on Earth scene Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 73: MAN OF TOMORROW set photos, SUPERGIRL, and more | 05 juin 2026 | 01:08:54 | |
Things are coming out faster than we can keep up with! We recorded this a couple days ago, before the final SUPERGIRL trailer dropped. Since then, loads more stuff has come out about MAN OF TOMORROW and SUPERGIRL. We will be recording a follow-up video ASAP! Anyway, today we're covering a bunch of different stuff:
00:00:00 — Man of Steel set photos Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 72: FULL breakdown of LANTERNS Teaser 2 | 20 mai 2026 | 00:58:45 | |
Here's our full nerdy analysis of the second LANTERNS teaser, laden with metric buttloads of speculation. PLUS: upcoming DC animated series and STAR WARS talk Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 71: Did Marvel finally let THE PUNISHER go Full-Frank? | 13 mai 2026 | 00:48:01 | |
We've just watched ONE LAST KILL and... it was pretty good! What did y'all think? ALSO: some jabber other MCU projects, STAR WARS, and why sometimes the best approach is simple: tell a good story and let the character do what they do best. No easter egg soup necessary. 00:00:00 — Punisher: One Last Kill PATREON : https://www.patreon.com/ProdigiousSaps Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 70: That DAREDEVIL finale was NUTS! | 07 mai 2026 | 00:44:39 | |
We're talking all about the DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN S2 finale... SPOILERS ABOUND! Also a bit of Punisher and Spider-Man speculation, and where Marvel might take Daredevil next. Also discussed: Star Wars rumors, Maul: Shadow Lord, Wonder Man, and some fun DCU stuff that James Gunn revealed recently. Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 69: Let's talk about BATMAN RETURNS (1992) | 21 avr. 2026 | 00:52:35 | |
In this episode, we revisit BATMAN RETURNS, one of the strangest major comic-book movies ever made. We talk Tim Burton’s over-the-top visual style, the movie’s tangled plot, Michael Keaton’s sidelined Batman, Michelle Pfeiffer’s unforgettable Catwoman, Danny DeVito’s grotesque Penguin, and Christopher Walken stealing scenes as Max Shreck. Messy, kinky, funny, stylish, and very Burton.
Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of @Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla Ciity Stories (@theteslacitystories7337). https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 68: Daredevil Born Again S2, Wonder Woman casting rumors, and more | 18 avr. 2026 | 01:04:52 | |
This might be the best DAREDEVIL has ever been on screen!
PATREON : https://www.patreon.com/ProdigiousSaps Daredevil: Born Again S2 is REALLY getting good.This might be the best these characters have ever been on screen. ALSO:
00:00:00 — Podcast updates Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of @Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla Ciity Stories (@theteslacitystories7337). https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 67: Following up on SUPERMAN (2025) with DC Comic artist CHRISTOPHER JONES | 16 avr. 2026 | 01:09:17 | |
The podcast is BACK! Today we're talking comics and SUPERMAN with CHRISTOPHER JONES.
PATREON : https://www.patreon.com/ProdigiousSaps Our friend DC Comics artist CHRISTOPHER JONES returns for a wide-ranging comic book conversation that starts with the strange logic of superhero storytelling and eventually circles back to one of our favorite recent topics: SUPERMAN (2025). Along the way we get into awkward sidekick tropes, why all-ages comics still matter, and what makes Superman’s moral core so enduring. ALSO: LANTERNS, THE BATMAN PART II, SPIDER-MAN, FANTASTIC FOUR, and the broader challenge of making comic book worlds feel emotionally grounded without sanding off everything that makes them weird. Check out Christopher Jones online: 00:00:00 — Welcome back CHRISTOPHER JONES Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 66: FULL breakdown of BATMAN v SUPERMAN (Ultimate Edition) | 20 janv. 2026 | 02:08:05 | |
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_OESPuVsBqg Three years ago, when we first started doing this show, Brendan admitted that he'd never seen BATMAN v SUPERMAN. Well, our brothers and sisters in nerddom... now he has. Chad requested that we review the Ultimate Edition, because he believes it is a better movie than the theatrical cut... for whatever that's worth. So what do you think of this movie? Good? Bad? Somewhere in-between? Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 65: FULL breakdown of MAN OF STEEL | 18 déc. 2025 | 02:19:30 | |
By popular demand, we have rewatched Zack Snyder's MAN OF STEEL. And yes, we have notes Watch this episode on YouTube: We both have a LOT to say about MAN OF STEEL because we care about the character of Superman so much... and of course, because this film has been such a remarkably divisive force in the fandom AND the industry ever since it came out. What do YOU think? 00:00:00 - Overview Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 64: FULL breakdown of BATMAN (1989) | 13 sept. 2025 | 02:33:21 | |
Watch this episode on YouTube: This week, P-Saps dive into Tim Burton’s BATMAN (1989). We revisit the movie’s cultural earthquake—how it reshaped the superhero genre, influenced blockbuster marketing, and gave us a darker Gotham than audiences had ever seen. We unpack Michael Keaton’s unlikely casting and why it works, Jack Nicholson’s show-stealing Joker, Danny Elfman’s now-iconic score, and the film’s role in paving the way for modern superhero epics. Along the way, we share personal memories of first encounters with the movie, highlight its strengths and quirks, and reflect on how Burton’s gothic style still stands apart decades later. Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 63: FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Review | 28 août 2025 | 01:03:27 | |
Here's our review of FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS Brendan LOVED it immediately, while Chad had to chew on it for awhile... but we're pretty much in full agreement about this one: it's pretty damn great. SPOILERS ABOUND... so proceed with caution. Watch this episode on YouTube: Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 62: Full breakdown of SUPERMAN RETURNS | 19 août 2025 | 02:05:42 | |
We are currently on a brief hiatus as Chad is on tour with his band, Blaggards... so in the meantime we're putting out this audio-only version of our long-awaited SUPERMAN RETURNS breakdown. The final YouTube edit will likely wind up being somewhat shorter. ENJOY, P-Saps! Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 61: SUPERMAN (2025): Our FULL Review | 24 juil. 2025 | 01:15:03 | |
Here's our FULL review of James Gunn's SUPERMAN, starting with a non-spoiler segment. FULL SPOILERS start at 15:15. Watch on YouTube: Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 60: The Day Superman Kissed the World (with CHRISTOPHER JONES) | 27 juin 2025 | 01:05:13 | |
Prodigious Saps No. 60: "The Day Superman Kissed the World" Our friend DC comics artist CHRISTOPHER JONES (perhaps most famous for his work on Young Justice) joins us again for a GREAT conversation about the upcoming SUPERMAN and James Gunn's vision for the DCU. We talk about all the stuff we're excited for, take some wild guesses at what's coming next, take a look back at past SUPERMAN films and tv shows, and geek out about stuff we'd love to see in the new DCU. CHRISTOPHER JONES is perhaps most well-know for his work on YOUNG JUSTICE, but he's also done BATMAN STRIKES!, AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES, and DOCTOR WHO, among many, many other titles. Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| FULL breakdown of SUPERMAN trailer | 19 mai 2025 | 01:06:47 | |
Here's our breakdown of the first full-length SUPERMAN trailer with all kinds of nerdy theories about everything we've seen so far. Watch this episode on YouTube: Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| THUNDERBOLTS review | 10 mai 2025 | 00:35:25 | |
Here is our review of Marvel's THUNDERBOLTS. ALSO: weird similarities to SUPERMAN IV and the post-credits scene BOMBSHELL. 00:00:00 — THUNDERBOLTS review There's a much longer version of this review on Patreon and Channel Memberships: PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/posts/thunderbolts-128323873 Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 59: We have FANTASTIC FOUR and SUPERMAN theories | 27 avr. 2025 | 00:58:48 | |
Prodigious Saps No. 58: "Embrace Comics or Go Away" Here is our breakdown of the latest FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS trailer, plus more SUPERMAN speculation. Watch this episode on YouTube: 00:00:00 — Overview Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| SUPERMAN theories and speculation | 17 avr. 2025 | 00:46:46 | |
SUPERMAN theories and speculation based on recent interviews with Gunn, Corenswet, Brosnahan, and Hoult.
PATREON : https://www.patreon.com/ProdigiousSaps Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IULoJ_gKvBk Here's our latest nerdy discussion on SUPERMAN, based on details revealed in recent interviews. We discuss character motivations of Superman, Lois, and Lex, and get really nerdy with some theories and speculation about where SUPERMAN and the DCU is headed. Here are the two interviews we're referencing: The cast of 'Superman' chats with ET at the CinemaCon The cast of 'Superman' talk with Fandango at CInemaCon: BobaTalks Sneak Peek Breakdown: 00:00:00 — Intro Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of @Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla Ciity Stories (@theteslacitystories7337). https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| FULL breakdown of SUPERMAN Sneak Peek | 07 avr. 2025 | 00:23:39 | |
This is our breakdown of the SUPERMAN Sneak Peek that came out last week. Watch this episode on YouTube: The UNCUT version on Patreon and YouTube channel memberships is almost twice as long: Here are the two interviews referenced in the breakdown:
00:00:00 — YAY we don't have to watch MINECRAFT Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of @Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla Ciity Stories (@theteslacitystories7337). https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 58: SEVERANCE is insanely great | 02 avr. 2025 | 00:58:33 | |
Here is our review of SEVERANCE, mostly centered around the season 2 finale.
PATREON : https://www.patreon.com/ProdigiousSaps JOIN: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJaU6rw754l-Z0HQ4SB3gwA/joinProdigious Saps No. 58: "The Dumb Person's Smart Show" SEVERANCE is not our usual fodder, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity to talk about this amazing show now that the long-awaited second season has wrapped up. SPOILER WARNING 00:00:00 — Spoiler-Free Overview Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of @Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories (@theteslacitystories7337). https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 57: DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN | 20 mars 2025 | 01:05:43 | |
Prodigious Saps No. 57: "The Devil You Say, The Devil You Know" So far we've only seen the first three episodes of DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, but we're digging it so much we couldn't wait to start talking about it. ** SPOILER WARNING for the first three episodes of DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN! ** ALSO: SUPERMAN |||, SUPERMAN 2025, and SEVERANCE. Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD | 06 mars 2025 | 01:05:11 | |
Here is our review of CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD. It's been getting mixed reviews, but we both dug it... while also acknowledging its faults. Did you see it? What did you think? 00:00:00 — Captain America: BNW Review Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 56: SUPERGIRL (1984) | 21 févr. 2025 | 01:13:34 | |
Here is our breakdown of SUPERGIRL (1984)
PATREON : https://www.patreon.com/ProdigiousSaps Prodigious Saps No. 56: "Zip ZAP!" Watch this episode on YouTube: This movie is so weird! Which is something you will hear us say about a dozen times in the episode, honestly due to sheer disbelief and the resultant lack of words. Similar to Brendan never having seen Superman III and IV, this was one that Chad had never seen. Not because he was actively avoiding it... he just literally never had any interest in seeking it out. Is it bad? Oh yes. The movie is so innocuous we can't be bothered with feeling disappointed. It's kinda like airplane food... of course it's flavorless and unsatisfying, but what did you expect? Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 55: SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE (1987) | 10 janv. 2025 | 01:40:40 | |
At long last, here is our breakdown of SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE. The last time Christopher Reeve portrayed Superman. Yeesh. Needless to say, neither of us like this movie, but we did have a lot of fun talking about it. We also talk about some recent James Gunn/DCU stuff towards the end. 00:00:00 — Overview Watch this episode on YouTube: Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 54: Talking SUPERMAN with DC Comics artist CHRISTOPHER JONES | 21 déc. 2024 | 01:44:53 | |
CHRISTOPHER JONES is perhaps most well-know for his work on YOUNG JUSTICE, but he's also done BATMAN STRIKES!, AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES, and DOCTOR WHO, among many, many other titles. We talk about his experiences working in the comics industry, and also (of course)... SUPERMAN! We talk about the movies, the radio show, the George Reeves tv series, the animated universe, and of course James Gunn's upcoming SUPERMAN (2025) https://blog.christopherjonesart.com/ Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 53: THE PENGUIN and AGATHA ALL ALONG | 07 déc. 2024 | 01:13:08 | |
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-GIoV9LNWSU First up: we touch on a few SUPERMAN-related topics and poke fun at our "It's just a movie" critics in the comments of our YouTube channel. We also wrestle with a couple of technical glitches right at the top, but it made for some funny so I left it all in. Then we move on to our reviews of THE PENGUIN and AGATHA ALL ALONG. SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT watch the second half of this episode until you've seen both of these shows! I mean, unless you actually WANT to be spoiled on two brilliant seasons of TV with many surprising twists that should never, ever be spoiled. Next episode: SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE! 00:00:00 — Superman's "used to play this game in school" line Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 52: SUPERMAN III (1983) | 26 nov. 2024 | 01:36:56 | |
Watch this episode on YouTube: Well, here we are. The people asked for it, and today we deliver. Brendan has finally watched Superman III. But... he's not happy about it. Our opinions of the movie are fairly similar, only I am much softer on it because I saw it so many times on cable TV when I was a kid, and came to terms with its mediocrity decades ago. Brendan is still reeling from it, as you will see straight away. Brace yourselves. There's a lot of things I could say about Superman III, but I think the real tragedy is that pretty much everything Richard Donner fought to prevent from happening to a Superman movie happens here... like, all within the first five minutes. And to make matters worse, Superman is reduced to a supporting character in his own film. It's not even a good Richard Pryor movie, and we love Richard Pryor. Not everyone hates this film... in fact, a lot of people actually love it. So if you feel we're being too harsh, tell us why! But you know, maybe give Brendan a minute. It's been a rough couple of weeks. Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 51: Are we the SUPERMAN channel now? | 08 nov. 2024 | 00:58:21 | |
Watch this episode on YouTube: SORRY for the lateness on this getting this one out! Several clips have been culled from this episode already, but there's still plenty of fun stuff in here that y'all haven't seen yet. Several things on the agenda this time:
...and MORE undisclosed nerdy crap. Thank you all for your continued support! 00:00:00 — Channel update Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 50: SUPERMAN II & the DONNER CUT | 01 nov. 2024 | 01:38:54 | |
Watch this episode on YouTube: Here is the second installment in our SUPERMAN rewatch series! And this one is a doozy, because we're covering two very different versions of the same movie. If you're unfamiliar with either version of SUPERMAN II, as usual we're spoiling pretty much everything, so be warned! The story of these two cuts is pretty legendary, but in a rambly nutshell: Richard Donner was hired to direct both the first SUPERMAN and SUPERMAN II simultaneously, but midway through production they decided to put the sequel on the backburner and focus on getting the first one done. Then, after the premiere of SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, Donner was fired and replaced with Richard Lester (most famous for directing A HARD DAY'S NIGHT and HELP! with the Beatles). In addition to completing the movie, Lester wound up reshooting a lot of things Donner had already shot, simply so he could earn the sole director's credit. The heartbreaking thing about this was while Donner had a deep respect for SUPERMAN as a character and a unique vision of what a SUPERMAN movie should be, Lester simply just didn't. To make matters worse, Gene Hackman, screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz, and several other key members of the crew refused to come back and finish the sequel. Thankfully, what we wound up with was still a great movie, but not everything it could and should have been. BUT... many years later, Donner and Mankiewicz were able to put together their version of SUPERMAN II after a huge trove of their footage was rediscovered, thanks mostly to the tireless work of editor Michael Thau. So... is the Donner Cut an improvement over Lester's theatrical cut? Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 49: SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978) | 21 sept. 2024 | 01:29:02 | |
Prodigious Saps No. 49: "Down the Love Hole" SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@prodigioussaps?sub_confirmation=1 This week we have a long, critical discussion about Richard Donner's SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, a movie we both love dearly... in part to demonstrate that we don't think of it as completely flawless. We did find it hard to only concentrate on nitpicks, because despite all its flaws it is STILL such an amazing film, even after all this time. Next we'll be talking about SUPERMAN II, something we both have many more major quibbles with, and comparing it to the DONNER CUT. Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 48: Terry Gilliam's BRAZIL (1985) | 27 août 2024 | 00:39:15 | |
Prodigious Saps No. 48: "The International Fund for Interesting Directors" At long last, here is our piece on Terry Gilliam's masterpiece BRAZIL. This was well over a year in the making... not because it literally took that long to finish it, but just in that I was so hellbent on not half-assing the edit that I kept kicking it down the road. It's still not perfect, but tonight, I'm letting it go. And Brendan, thank you contributing so much heart to this discussion, and for being patient with my obsessive, perfectionist video editing ass. 🙏 CHEERS ALL Watch this episode on YouTube: There is also a completely UNCUT version of this episode on our Patreon: and available to YouTube channel members as part of the P-Saplings tier: Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 47: THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL | 17 août 2024 | 00:59:44 | |
This one is all about the acclaimed Prime Video series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", which completed its fifth and final season last year. SPOILERS ABOUND in this episode about all five seasons of Mrs. Maisel (particularly the last one), so if you've never watched the show you may want to hit pause on this one and come back to it later. You have been warned. Why is this show P-Saps worthy? Well, not only is it EXCELLENT television about an aspiring female stand-up comic in the early 1960s, but the lead role is played by none other than RACHEL BROSNAHAN.... who is also playing LOIS LANE in James Gunn's upcoming SUPERMAN. ALSO the supporting cast in Mrs. Maisel is absolutely stellar across the board, terrific writing, direction, music, set and costume design, the whole shebang. If you're familiar with Brosnahan's performance as Midge Maisel and you remember the great Lois Lanes of the past like Phyllis Coates, Noel Neill and Margot Kidder, you'll know why we're so excited about this casting choice. Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 46: DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE | 02 août 2024 | 01:02:35 | |
Prodigious Saps No. 46: "My Zing-Zang Heart"
PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/ProdigiousSaps PODCAST: https://prodigioussaps.fireside.fm/We've both seen the highly anticipated DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE. We will be spoiling the bejesus out of this movie today. You've been warned. BUT FIRST... we react to the big bombshell from SDCC. The bombshell that has shocked and befuddled the nerd world, raising nerd eyebrows, gaping nerd jaws and curling nerd toes across the globe. We are of course referring to the deeply weird news that none other than ROBERT DOWNEY JR. will be returning to the MCU to portray Victor von Doom, a.k.a. DR. DOOM, in the upcoming AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY. What does this mean? Should we be excited or concerned? More importantly: what do YOU think? ALSO, guess what? We just hit 1000 subscribers on YouTube! We couldn't do it without you, so as always THANK YOU so much for your support, lovely P-Saplings! 00:00:00 — Intro Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of @Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla Ciity Stories (@theteslacitystories7337). https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 45: STOP! Superman Time | 12 juil. 2024 | 00:38:47 | |
Watch this episode on YouTube: You'll have to excuse our rampant enthusiasm for these SUPERMAN set photos, because there is still quite a bit to talk about. This time we geek out about the potential reveals of Krypto, Ultraman, and Supergirl, and try valiantly to piece together bits of storyline from everything we've seen unfolding on streets of Cleveland, Ohio. 00:00:00 — Intro Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 44: Super Twirly Powers | 01 juil. 2024 | 00:43:59 | |
Watch this episode on YouTube: Last week, James Gunn's SUPERMAN began shooting on location in Superman's birthplace of Cleveland, Ohio. And as many people predicted, the leaked photos are JUMPIN' and the nerddom is high. So in this episode, we excitedly discuss the absolutely thrilling photos that appeared on Twitter during the first two days of shooting. We have now a REALLY great look at Superman's new costume, as well as characters like Mr. Terrific, Lois Lane, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, Ron Troupe, Cat Grant etc. But possibly the most surprising reveal we saw those first two days of shooting was Clark Kent's hair. We've never seen Clark sport a curly hairstyle like this before, which is dramatically different from his Superman hairstyle. What's up with that? Is this really Clark's normal hairstyle? And how will Clark make his hair-transition to Superman the movie? 00:00:00 — Intro Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of @Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla Ciity Stories (@theteslacitystories7337). https://linktr.ee/prodigioussaps RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 43: PLANET OF THE APES (1968-1973) | 10 juin 2024 | 01:01:18 | |
Here is the EXTENDED version of our nitpicky deep dive into a classic nerdy franchise (made before Hollywood really had any idea how to handle nerdy franchises), which has inspired a truly remarkable reimagining in the newer films. A shorter version focusing on the original films is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2UTXOZPjabQ Are you familiar with the original PLANET OF THE APES? The four sequels that followed? And are you a fan of the recent films (featuring Andy Serkis)? Let's talk about it! Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 42: MADAME WEB | 18 avr. 2024 | 00:50:14 | |
Prodigious Saps No. 42: "Where's my Spider?" In this episode: the phenomenal failure of MADAME WEB... will Sony ever get their shit together? ALSO:
00:00:00 — Preview Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 41: Elsewords | 10 avr. 2024 | 00:51:19 | |
An extended version of this episode is available on our Patreon: This is a very Superman-heavy episode of P-Saps... so much news has been dropping about James Gunn's upcoming SUPERMAN (previously titled SUPERMAN: LEGACY) that it's hard to keep up with, and we couldn't be more excited. Lots of other stuff to talk about as well..
Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. Join us on PATREON: RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 40: How STAR WARS blew our minds in 1977 | 22 mars 2024 | 01:02:46 | |
Prodigious Saps No. 40: "I Want a Wookiee Pal" FINALLY, as long promised, today we're joined by our friend Jerry Chrisman to talk STAR WARS... our memories of seeing it for the first time, the seismic impact it had on us and the world around us, and what it was like growing up while the Original Trilogy was unfolding. We also talk a bit about the Special Editions and Prequels. Just to give a little bit of context... Brendan and Jerry went to high school together, were in the band Zsu-Zsu's Petals together (which is when I met them both), and they now run Tesla City Stories together. The three of us have known each other for a very long time (30+ plus years), so the chemistry here is pretty damn special. Jerry is also a graphic designer, multimedia artist and web developer... as well as an extremely talented keyboardist and composer. And like Brendan and I, he is also a huge nerd. There will be more of this in the pipeline very soon, as there's still TONS more to talk about. We still have to get to the sequels and the Disney Plus era of Star Wars. What about y'all? What was your first Star Wars experience? Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 39: Marvel's ECHO | 29 janv. 2024 | 00:46:18 | |
This week on P-Saps:
00:00:00 — Intro Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 38: AQUABRO | 21 janv. 2024 | 00:52:07 | |
Brendan's disappointment in Aquaman II prompts a discussion of why it's often a problem when studios wind up "bending the character around the actor". Also look back at the failed DCEU and the incoming DCU. Also: the Doctor Who Christmas Special, Slow Horses Season 3, Batman... and more! Our Patreon has an uncut version of this episode containing 20 minutes of extra material, including Netflix's "Cunk on Earth", season 2 of Marvel's "What If?", and the recent news about Marvel embracing Netflix's Daredevil continuity: https://www.patreon.com/posts/prodigious-saps-96203780 00:00:26 — AQUAMAN 2 and Why the DCEU failed Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 37: Maybe He Just Never Puts on Pants | 16 janv. 2024 | 01:26:55 | |
In this one we talk about the 60th Anniversary DOCTOR WHO specials featuring the return of David Tennant and show runner Russell T. Davies, and the introduction of Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. ALSO: SUPERMAN: LEGACY casting news, GODZILLA: MINUS ONE, AQUAMAN, and BLUE BEETLE. Available on Patreon NOW: our review of Ncuti Gatwa's first full episode as the Doctor, the Christmas special "The Church on Ruby Road": 00:00:00 — Intro Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 36: THE MARVELS and LOKI Season 2 | 24 nov. 2023 | 01:32:45 | |
As promised last week, in this episode we dig deep into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We review THE MARVELS and LOKI Season 2, and talk about the recent wild news about the upcoming Disney Plus series DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN. Also discussed: Madame Web, Spider-Man, Juggernaut, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and a few vintage selections from Chad's comic book collection. Beyond Marvel, we talk about recent trailers for AQUAMAN II and GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE... the latter prompting a belated review of 2021's GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE. Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 35: The Beatles "Now and Then" | 16 nov. 2023 | 01:15:05 | |
P-Saps No. 35: ""This Little Portal to an Alternate Universe" We are both huge Beatles fans, so with the recent release of their new single "Now and Then" (advertised as "the last Beatles song"), we decided to do a whole episode about the Beatles. Among the topics discussed:
Also, towards the end we touch on some of the recent Marvel (MCU) news, but decide to put in a pin in that for a future episode. 00:00:00 — Intro Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 34: Into the Fonzie-Verse | 28 oct. 2023 | 01:03:32 | |
This week we weave an odd but surprisingly coherent path from Happy Days and Mork & Mindy through to Jerry Lewis, Walter Matthau, Jerry Reed and Jackie Gleason... eventually winding up talking about the Marx Brothers again, because OF COURSE. The highlight of this episode, though, is Brendan's passionate solo vocal performance that followed Chad's computer suddenly shutting off (the full performance and more bonus material is available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ProdigiousSaps). 00:00:00 — The Fonzie-Verse Find the audio-only podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Pocket Casts, etc. Blaggards main channel Join our MAILING LIST Show dates
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| Episode 33: The Sculler (Kolchak: the original Sculley & Mulder) | 25 sept. 2023 | 01:37:13 | |
Watch this episode on YouTube: This week we welcome our very first guest JOHN CAMPBELL, Brendan's fellow cast member of Tesla City Stories and also a very prolific podcaster himself. Among many other shows, John does two podcasts with Brendan: the ongoing "Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters" and the patron-exclusive "Nights Talking" about the cult classic 1970s tv show KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER, which was famoustly a direct influence on THE X-FILES. We talk about KOLCHAK quite a bit, and also do a rundown of all the major summer "blockbusters" of 2023, while also talking about upcoming things like James Gunn's SUPERMAN: LEGACY. Check the chapter markers for full list of topics. It was GREAT fun having John on and we'll definitely be doing this again. Punch Up Entertainment: Tesla City Stories 00:00:00 — Funny moment from THE NIGHT STALKER ––– Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||
| Episode 32: David Byrne Stepping on Jabba the Hut's Tail | 13 sept. 2023 | 01:17:32 | |
On the docket this week:
Watch this episode on YouTube: 00:00:00 — Preview Also a side note, I've been having fun with our TikTok account lately: https://www.tiktok.com/@prodigioussaps Join us Patreon for early releases and additional content: Cheers y'all! And as always THANK YOU SO MUCH for your support. Prodigious Saps: profusive nerdery from Chad Smalley of Blaggards and Brendan Jones of Tesla City Stories. RELATED LINKS: Blaggards SlapperCast: a weekly podcast/road diary from Blaggards: Tesla City Stories Breakfast of the Gods Campbell & Jones Meet the Monsters | |||