NostalgiaCast

Darin Lundberg

Taking a Look at Childhood Favorite Films to See If They Stand the Test of Time, Or If They're Past Their Prime

Subscribe Listen in podnodRSS feed Show website

20 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes20

Newest first

Tuesday · 56 min
Episode 149: PLEASANTVILLE (1998)
It looks like another sunny day here at NostalgiaCast, with a high of 72 and a low of 72 as Jonny and Darin tune in to PLEASANTVILLE, directed by Gary Ross and starring Tobey Maguire, Jeff Daniels, Joan Allen, and Reese Witherspoon. Friend and fellow podcaster Robert Yaniz Jr. is our very special guest for this episode, in which we discuss the peachy keen comedy, boss digital FX, and outta-this-world performances that bring this multi-meaning'd social commentary fantasy to life.
July 27 · 40 min
Episode 148: OUT OF SIGHT (1998)
You wanted to tussle? Let's tussle, as NostalgiaCast sets its sights on OUT OF SIGHT, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Steve Zahn, and Albert Brooks. Jonny and Darin discuss the movie as an Elmore Leonard adaptation with a voice, the jump cuts, freeze frames, and electric filmmaking choices that defined the rest of Soderbergh's career, and the megawatt movie star performances by Clooney and Lopez. Also, where does the movie rank among PULP FICTION wannabes?
July 20 · 1 hr 9 min
Episode 147: THE MASK OF ZORRO (1998)
Justice leaves its mark! Grab your whip and your fedora as NostalgiaCast celebrates cinema's other greatest pulp adventure hero with a retrospective look at THE MASK OF ZORRO, directed by Martin Campbell and starring Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Friend and fellow podcaster Stanford Clark joins Jonny and Darin for a swashbuckling, horse-riding, Spanish Tango-ing discussion of this '90s adventure classic, the characters (like Batman and Indiana Jones) that Johnston McCulley's iconic creation inspired, and the story choices and practical stuntwork that sets the movie apart from 99% of all blockbusters today. Visit Stanford's Movies Past And Present Podcast here: https://moviespastandpresent.com/
June 16 · 54 min
Episode 146: FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS (1998)
We can't stop here, it's bat country! Take a mind trip you'll never forget as NostalgiaCast kicks off its 1998 Bucket List retrospective with FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, Terry Gilliam's polarizing adaptation of the novel by Hunter S. Thompson. Jonny and Darin are joined by author/ podcaster/ Jonny's wife Ruth Harris Craddock to discuss the gonzo performances and camera tricks that immerse us in a world of debauchery and excess, and also delve into the '60s counterculture that inspired the book. Buy the ticket, take the ride!
May 2 · 1 hr 3 min
Episode 145: MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING (1997)
NostalgiaCast says a little prayer for you as Jonny and Darin welcome film critic, friend, and good luck charm Natasha Alvar for a joy-filled discussion of MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING, directed by P.J. Hogan and starring Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz, and Rupert Everett. They talk about the current state of romantic comedies in today's political climate, why modern movie watchers push back on the idea of imperfect protagonists, and also interview Natasha about her invaluable work cultivating the arts as editor-in-chief of The Fiction Department. Don't be the pus that infects the mucus that cruds up the fungus that feeds on the pond scum. Listen now! Read in-depth reviews of TV, film, books, and so much more by Natasha and her esteemed contributors here: https://thefictiondepartment.com/
April 24 · 1 hr 8 min
Episode 144: GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997)
How do you like them apples, it's the latest '90s Bucket List episode of NostalgiaCast! Jonny and Darin are joined by returning friend (and Matt Damon lookalike) Tim Hade for a deep-dive psychoanalysis of GOOD WILL HUNTING, directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, and Minnie Driver. Listen as they discuss the performances, Damon and Affleck's award-winning screenplay, and why a movie made up almost entirely of monologues positively should not work but absolutely does. Let the healing begin! Listen to Tim at Brown Pocket Radio here: brown-pocket-radio.mixlr.com
April 15 · 1 hr 7 min
Episode 143: CONTACT (1997)
Hey, podcast listeners: wanna take a riiiiiide? Search the stars for meaning and purpose as NostalgiaCast revisits Robert Zemeckis's CONTACT, starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey. Returning guest (and fellow philosophizer) Kevin The Critic joins Jonny and Darin to help make sense of the scientific/ religious/ political debate at the center of this mind-bending sci-fi classic, plus the glorious mix of spectacle and storytelling that defines Zemeckis's best work.
April 3 · 50 min
Episode 142: GROSSE POINTE BLANK (1997)
It's bing bing bing bing bang! popcorn! as NostalgiaCast winds back the clock to our high school days and GROSSE POINTE BLANK, directed by George Armitage and starring John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Dan Aykroyd, and Alan Arkin. Jonny and Darin talk about the movie as the "Second Coming of PULP FICTION" with its ironic violence and throwback soundtrack, plus its endlessly quotable dialogue and maybe possibly deeper meaning at its core. Give it a shot!
March 6 · 59 min
Episode 141: TWISTER (1996)
"We've got cows!" as NostalgiaCast weathers the storm to talk about TWISTER, starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Returning guest (and hat enthusiast) The Lady Wan of the ScreenRun podcast joins Jonny and Darin to discuss the thunderous action, earth-shaking special effects, and drizzly character dynamics of Jan De Bont's pulse-pounding disaster spectacle, then settle down to bemoan the state of blockbuster cinema today.
February 27 · 48 min
Episode 140: SLING BLADE (1996)
It's time for the latest episode of NostalgiaCast, m-hm, as Jonny and Darin sit down for an order of french-fried potaters and SLING BLADE, written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton and starring Billy Bob Thornton, John Ritter, and Dwight Yoakam. Listen as your hosts chat about the movie's origins, filmmaking choices, and how it became an Indie darling at the 69th Academy Awards, plus a discussion of the ongoing battle between streaming services and physical media. All right then!
February 20 · 1 hr 6 min
Episode 139: STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT (1996)
It's "Engage!", "Make it so!", and "Space—the final frontier!" as NostalgiaCast crosses another item off its bucket list with STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT, directed by Jonathan Frakes and starring Patrick Stewart, James Cromwell, Alfre Woodard, Alice Krige, and the entire NEXT GENERATION crew. Jonny and Darin welcome director, photographer and fellow Trekker/Trekkie Rachel Masters to the 'Cast for a discussion of the stellar performances, timeless FX, and terrific balance of TREK lore and blockbuster filmmaking that define what is arguably TNG's finest big-screen adventure. Listen now or risk assimilation! Check out Rachel's podcast Film Fritter, here: https://www.youtube.com/@filmfritter Check out Rachel's music video work, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1HhIXH-v1g
February 13 · 52 min
Episode 138: A TIME TO KILL (1996)
It's a time to question what you believe and no time for mistakes as NostalgiaCast opens its 1996 retrospective with A TIME TO KILL, directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, and Samuel L. Jackson. Listen as Jonny and Darin discuss the movie's hot-button subject matter as filtered through the blockbuster sensibilities, knockout performances, and questionable legal tactics that bring John Grisham's most personal novel to life. CONTENT WARNING: This episode features frank conversations about racial violence and sexual assault.
February 6 · 52 min
Episode 137: MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS (1995)
Podcasting is what happens while you're busy making other plans! NostalgiaCast closes out its 1995 retrospective with a look back at MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS, directed by Stephen Herek and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly, William H. Macy, and Jean Louisa Kelly. Listen as Jonny and Darin wax nostalgic about their high school days, how the movie captures the importance of art and imagination as well as the highs and lows of a life worth living, and Dreyfuss's tour de force performance. Also the masterful way that MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS spans 30 years without resorting to digital de-aging or other cheap tricks used ad nauseam by filmmakers today.
Dec 6, 2025 · 51 min
Episode 136: Discussing Tarantino's Best Films Of The 21st Century
It's Tarantino time, baby! In this special interim episode of NostalgiaCast, Jonny and Darin sit down for a discussion of Quentin Tarantino's "controversial" Top 20 Films Of The 21st Century (so far). Listen as your objective hosts chat about the subjectivity of "Best Of" lists, why it makes no sense to lose your mind over someone else's opinions, and even compile their own lists of the Top 10 films they loved most over the past 25 years, as a proof of concept as to why any list should be emphatically 100% your own.
Nov 29, 2025 · 1 hr 17 min
Episode 135: TWELVE MONKEYS (1995)
The future is history as NostalgiaCast winds the clock back... then forward... then back again for a mind-altering discussion of TWELVE MONKEYS, directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, and Madeleine Stowe. Jonny and Darin are joined by friend, film scholar, and Sonic Cinema podcast host Brian Skutle for an attempt to unravel the timey-wimey plot twists and wackadoo acting choices of a movie so apocalyptic, it takes several watches just to get your bearings on it. Plus, Jonny, Darin, and Brian rank their Top 3 films from Gilliam, Willis, and Pitt. Colonics for everyone! Listen now!
Nov 22, 2025 · 1 hr 19 min
Episode 134: APOLLO 13 (1995)
We are go for launch as NostalgiaCast welcomes friend, scholar, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic Manuel São Bento for a rocket-fueled chat about Ron Howard's APOLLO 13, starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Kathleen Quinlan, Gary Sinese, and Ed Harris. Manuel joins Jonny and Darin to discuss the movie's technical mastery, stellar performances, and out-of-this-world historical accuracy, plus an exploration of the introspective nature of film, and how our reactions say infinitely more about us than we possibly realize.
Nov 14, 2025 · 55 min
Episode 133: GET SHORTY (1995)
Look at me, Harry! NostalgiaCast kicks off its 1995 retrospective with a fond look back at GET SHORTY, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and starring John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, and Danny DeVito. Jonny and Darin don't say anything more than they have to, if that, as they compare this meta-comedy classic confection to the Elmore Leonard book on which it's based, gush over their favorite performances and dialogue, and marvel at how Sonnenfeld and screenwriter Scott Frank make the adaptation their own. Don't be a f*** ball. Listen now!
Oct 3, 2025 · 1 hr 18 min
Episode 132: TOMBSTONE (1993) / WYATT EARP (1994)
I'm your huckleberry! It's a tale of two Wyatts as NostalgiaCast gallops back to the Old West with a double dip into TOMBSTONE (directed by George P. Cosmatos and starring Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer) and WYATT EARP (directed by Lawrence Kasdan and starring Kevin Costner and Dennis Quaid). Our friend / above average fanboy Joe Buttice of the Reel Spoilers podcast joins Jonny and Darin to discuss the wiiiildly different approaches to the legend of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, the Gunfight At The O.K. Corral, and whether both versions stand better on their own or if they'd work better as an amalgam of aesthetics, writing, and performances.
Sep 26, 2025 · 56 min
Episode 131: QUIZ SHOW (1994)
Broadcasting nationally coast to coast, from New York to Los Angeles, from Seattle to St. Petersburg, coming up next, it's the latest episode of NostalgiaCast! Wind back the clock as Jonny and Darin investigate QUIZ SHOW, directed by the late great Robert Redford and starring Ralph Fiennes, Rob Morrow, and John Turturro. Listen as they dig in to the '50s scandal that rocked the nation, and how the performances and themes of truth and disillusionment still resonate so strongly today.
Sep 17, 2025 · 1 hr 26 min
Episode 130: THE LION KING (1994)
Sing "Nants' Ingonyama," "Hakuna Matata," and "Mamela lelando we" as NostalgiaCast returns to Pride Rock for a discussion of THE LION KING, starring the voices of James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, and Matthew Broderick. Rachel Wagner and Stanford Clark of the Talking Disney Classics podcast join Jonny and Darin to chat about the film's long-lasting legacy, stunning animation and adult Shakespearean themes, and place within the '90s Disney Renaissance.