A Podcast Club – we listen so you listen to what's good

Marvels

By corbett on Friday, December 11, 2020

Marvels | 👍🏻👍🏽👍🏾👍🏿 Another fantastic tale about the struggles of superheroism, but this time from the perspective of non-super heroes! Megafans will enjoy references honoring print comics that bring together characters not typically seen working with (or against) each other in blockbuster movies. This investigative story is told in between multiple time lines requiring the listener’s attention to detail. Which brings us to our only critique: The trigger for alerting the audience to a time jump was inconspicuous. Most of our confusion during debriefs would have been resolved with a clearer understanding of the timeline (production could take a note from #homecomingpodcast ). Overall, the mystery the story presents, the earnest voice acting, and the layered sound design was as rock solid as the Thing! We say “Flame On” to this series. #podcast #MarvelsPodcast @Marvel @Stitcher @annasophiarobb @stitcherpodcasts @methodmanofficial

About the show | Based on a graphic novel Marvels takes place during the Vietnam War in the aftermath of the Fantastic Four’s battle with Galactus, high above New York City, for the fate of the world. One intrepid photographer, an ambitious college student, and a cynical journalist embark on an investigation to confirm or debunk one of the most super-powered conspiracy theories of all time.

.✒️Review by: @pirate_ali_vega 📷Photo by: @odhuie photo

fiction thriller

Hunted

By corbett on Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Hunted | 👍🏻👍🏽👍🏾👍🏿 Play it safe and don’t listen to this one while driving. The podcast features incredible visual storytelling with exceptional acting and superior sound design (which led some of us to miss our exit on the freeway). Parker Posey’s stubborn drive paired with her delicate southern accent carries you through this tense manhunt. Each of us found ourselves getting lost in a beautifully woven auditory escape: pun intended. The story puts the listener in the detective seat, guessing the convicts’ next move, all while trying to piece together the motives of this motley crew. The group felt the podcast would have benefited from an additional episode to flush out Deputy Marshall Barnes backstory. We found ourselves questioning her motives based on the few breadcrumbs we were given. What’s our final verdict? We recommend this dramatic and captivating listen and are hoping for a season 2! #podcast @endeavoraudio @wolfentertainment @itsparkerposey

About the show | When four convicts escape from a maximum security prison, Deputy Marshal Emily Barnes is called in to pursue the criminals in one of the most treacherous and violent manhunts in United States history. Directed by Shawn Christensen (#BLACKOUTPODCAST) and produced by Jenny Radelet Mast (@Marvel #WolverinePodcast).

✒️Review by: @itsacherrylife @ohcando @pirate_ali_vega 📷Photo by: @itsacherrylife

documentary true crime

Unfinished: Deep South

By corbett on Monday, November 16, 2020

Unfinished: Deep South | 👍🏻👍🏽👍🏾👍🏿 Given the current circumstances surrounding racial injustice in America, the release of season one was very timely. Over the course of 10 episodes, the journalists’ investigation leads down several rabbit holes. We were given a glimpse into the normalized practice of racial lynching in the segregated South and its devastating repercussions for generations of Black families and communities. Even 75 years later, we witness how people are still resistant to recognize or admit the racist history and practices of their community leaders, friends, and family. The ending was very thoughtful and inspiring, giving us as listeners an opportunity to look inward at what can be done to help change the narrative of what it means to be Black in America. Although this podcast is left unfinished it does not leave you without answers and we recommend giving it a listen.

@witnessdocs #witnessdocs #documentarypodcast #unfinisheddeepsouth #isadorebanks #truecrime #stitcher #stitcherpodcast

About the show | At the dawn of the Civil Rights era, a wealthy African American farmer and veteran named Isadore Banks was lynched on the Arkansas Delta. More than 60 years later, two journalists join members of the Banks family on a quest to find out who killed Isadore and restore his legacy. What they find will shake a small Southern town from its silence, explore the story of African American prosperity on the Delta, and trace the roots of racial terror from Isadore’s day up through our own.

.✒️Review by: @itsacherrylife 📷Photo by: @ohcando

documentary

The Immaculate Deception

By corbett on Sunday, September 20, 2020

The Happiness Lab | 👍🏻👍🏽👍🏾👍🏿 Lockdown and the anxiety the uncertainty Covid brought made our group seek out a positive and uplifting podcast. We needed more happiness in our lives and this podcast served up what the doctor ordered. Dr. Laurie Santos was an incredible host who made you feel like you were sitting right in her lecture hall, which housed the most popular class in the 300 year history of Yale University. The episodes provided profound and thought provoking ideas on how to achieve happiness, which actually simplified the pursuit of it.

Dr. Santos’ delivery was captivating and engaging as she made our group discuss how our own actions impacted our happiness and affirmed some of the things we were already doing to contribute to our happiness, which included our @aPodcastClub discussions through @marcopolo and subsequent Podcast Club live discussions through @messenger (fun filters added to our happiness of course). It fit into the genre of self-help and was backed by scientific research, a perspective we all could appreciate.

Review …#podcast @pushkinpods #apodcastclub #happinesslabpod #lauriesantos #Yaleuniversity #scienceofhappiness #HappierPodcast

About the show | You might think you know what it takes to lead a happier life… more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations. You’re dead wrong. Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos has studied the science of happiness and found that many of us do the exact opposite of what will truly make our lives better. Based on the psychology course she teaches at Yale—the most popular class in the university’s 300-year history—Laurie will take you through the latest scientific research and share some surprising and inspiring stories that will change the way you think about happiness.

.✒️Review by: @odhuie photo 📷Photo by: @pirate_ali_vega

documentary Lifestyle

The Happiness Lab

By corbett on Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Review …#podcast @pushkinpods #apodcastclub #happinesslabpod #lauriesantos #Yaleuniversity #scienceofhappiness #HappierPodcast

.✒️Review by: @odhuie photo 📷Photo by: @pirate_ali_vega

Uncategorized

1865

By corbett on Friday, June 19, 2020

1865 | 👎🏽👎🏾👍🏻👍🏽👍🏾👍🏿

Unless you’re a history buff you probably don’t remember much about the tumultuous history surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Frankly, many don’t remember the significance of the time prior to and following his assassination. The podcast 1865, produced by Wondery, breaks down this time in history in a beautifully dramatized version of the main events in 1865. Bear in mind there are creative licenses taken with the story, but it’s used to tie together the historical facts rather than subverting the overall truth — and only adds to your listening pleasure.

Listeners are very easily transported to the post-Civil War time with unmatched audio-production which provides so much auditory detail, it made for easy visualization of the scenes.

Our appreciation of the production was enhanced with the in-between bonus episodes which break-down the process and artistry behind creating visuals with sound. The bonus episodes as a whole were imperative in our discussions. Aside from clarifying the historical aspects of the content and also highlighting the areas of creative licenses that the writers took, it gave us a greater understanding of what was happening in the story against the big picture of what happened in history.

There were some slow episodes towards the end, but overall this is an incredible podcast that we highly recommend. Definitely listen to the bonus episodes, even the bonus Booth episodes at the end – they’re spicy!

About the show | April 15, 1865. President Lincoln is dead and the country in turmoil.Secretary of War Edwin Stanton takes control, determined to bring the assassin to justice—but the hunt for John Wilkes Booth isn’t all that grips Stanton. Lincoln’s successor, Vice President Andrew Johnson, is likely to bend to southern interests and undo the very progress for which Lincoln died. Edwin Stanton must employ every bit of political wile he can muster to secure the future of the freed slaves, and the nation.

@1865podcast #1865podcast @Elephrank

documentary

The Habitat

By corbett on Monday, March 23, 2020

👍🏻👍🏾👍🏿 This is the true story of a fake planet. This serialized documentary records the experience of six modern day explorers as they simulate life on Mars and live for one year in a small dome-shaped home on a Hawaiian volcano.

From the moment the team touched down into their new life on the faux-red-planet it was clear that each character would offer a very different personality and tempo to the show. Gimlet Media storytellers did a fantastic job of painting a picture of extreme isolation and how different people react to feelings of loneliness and helplessness. The story blends in archived audio of past NASA missions to shed light on the challenges of space exploration. The documenting of the team through the use of voice recordings attempts to probe the human psyche and constantly teased the potential of conflict and romance, but generally there was no planet shattering drama that came to be. Which is good news for humanity, right? Ultimately we want the team to be successful and prove that there is hope for mankind to co-habitat on the surface of Mars.

Although we recommend this podcast, know it will not leave you on the edge of your seat. We would have liked more information about how the data being collected will be used by NASA. Will NASA improve the communication systems in the space suits? Will NASA take Habitats lead — and issue a lavatory schedule? I guess we may never know. @gimletmedia #thehabitatpodcast #podcast #apodcastclub #gimletmedia

About the show | The true story of a fake planet. This documentary follows six volunteers secluded in an imitation Mars habitat simulating the life of astronauts for one very real year. The goal: to help NASA understand what life may be like on the red planet—and what variable humans play in this interplanetary prospecting. Seven episodes, set in the remote mountains of Hawaii, chronicle the experiment from the moment the crew sets foot in the habitat, and documents the crew’s discoveries, frustrations and evolving relationships.

✒️Review by: @ohcando and @pirate_ali_vega 📷Photo by: @pirate_ali_vega

fiction thriller

Carrier

By corbett on Wednesday, January 29, 2020

👍🏻👍🏽👍🏾👍🏿 QCode has put the rubber to the road and taken sound quality to the next level. The comprehensive sound design made us jump in our car wondering “was that a truck horn or the podcast?” This fictional story follows Raylene as she hauls a mysterious truckload – which had us theorizing in every debrief. We made a lot of creative guesses but none as inventive as the cunning writers. The episodes build to an intense experience that had us on the edge of our seats. Most of the characters were well developed, however we felt the motivation for some of Raylen’s decisions could have been better set-up. The sleuths in the group would have appreciated a few more clues leading up to the ending, but overall this is a very entertaining show and worth a listen. @aqcodemedia @cynthiaerivo #podcast #apodcastclub

About the show | What happens when a truck driver picks up a loaded trailer, but has no idea what’s really inside? Raylene (Cynthia Erivo) journeys down a dark and lonely highway in this original scripted thriller. With immersive audio techniques that create a dimensional listening experience, the audience is strongly advised to use caution, wear headphones if possible, and listen… carefully.

✒️Review by: @pirate_ali_vega 📷Photo by: @odhuie photo and @pirate_ali_vega

documentary true crime

The Thing About Pam

By corbett on Sunday, January 5, 2020

👍🏻👍🏽👍🏾👍🏿Dateline’s podcast format is just as engaging, if not more, than the TV version. Longtime Dateline host, Keith Morrison, takes us on an intriguing true crime journey with twists and turns that even the best fiction writers could not script. Dateline, the original true crime gurus, investigates the murder of Betsy Faria during Christmas of 2011 and the diabolical schemes of Pam Hupp, that left us on the edge of our car seats. The podcast is short – only six episodes – and each episode fills a standard 30 minute commute. Our club found the podcast compelling and gave us a lot to discuss. Unlike other true crime podcasts we listened to which left us feeling unresolved, this one was wrapped up with a nice bow at the end, a perfect precursor to Christmas! We all agreed that this podcast would rank high on a list of all the true crime podcasts we have listened to this year. We highly recommend this podcast for it’s engaging story telling (Keith’s voice and intonations are killer, no pun intended), stranger than fiction storyline, and satisfying resolution at the end…no spoilers of course. @datelinenbc #apodcastclub #truecrime #thethingaboutpam #datelinepodcast

About the show | Two days after Christmas, 2011, Russ Faria came home from game night to find his wife, Betsy, dead. He was soon charged and convicted of her murder. But Russ Faria insisted he did not kill his wife. Betsy’s brutal murder set off a chain of events that would leave one mandead, another man implicated, and expose a diabolical scheme.

✒️Review by: @odhuie 📷Photo by: @odhuie photo

documentary

Wild Thing

By corbett on Sunday, December 8, 2019

👍🏻👍🏽👎🏾👎🏿 Production & Sound Quality ✔️, Storytelling ✔️, Entertaining & Engaging Host ✔️ Subject ✖️. The podcast follows host Laura Krantz as she explores the scientific research conducted over 30 years ago by her distant cousin, anthropologist Grover Krantz. The podcast covers a wide range of angles about Bigfoot including the influence in pop culture such as “Harry and the Henderson’s” and the exploitation of this character in the retail world. With sightings, locations and descriptions of what this elusive behemoth must look like, it’s fun to follow the myriad of stories out there. As a group we discussed our own opinions and debated the likelihood of the existence of Bigfoot. However, as the podcast highlights there is no definitive evidence that such a creature exists, so it was hard for us to get on the Sasquatch bandwagon. The guiding mission within the season is of DNA testing and the potential to find hard evidence that this mysterious bipedal-being is roaming wild in the Pacific Northwest. We found ourselves asking “why not ask this?” or “why not find out about that?” when it came to the proof. The season was well crafted, with a satisfying ending, but the topic just wasn’t captivating enough for all of us. @wildthingpod #bigfoot #sasquatch #science #cryptozoology #cryptid #legend #lore #myth #encounter #podcast #wildthingpod

About the show | Believe in Bigfoot? Think it’s total BS? Host Laura Krantz spent a year in the woods and in the lab, trying to answer that question. What she found might surprise even the staunchest non-believer. This legendary creature represents a mystery that still captures our imaginations and Sasquatch is as popular now as it’s ever been. Part of this is tongue-in-cheek—Bigfoot as hipster accessory. But many people take Sasquatch seriously—perfectly rational people who swear to its existence. Why does this creature ignite our imagination? Where does that fascination come from? And why does it persist?

Review written by @ohcando photo by @pirate_ali_vega