The Muppet Christmas Carol vs. The World
In this episode of The Middle of Culture, we catch up with hosts Eden and Peter to discuss their recent activities and interests. We chat about Peter's recovery from a cold, Eden's preparation for Free Comic Book Day at their shop, and Peter's experience seeing his wife perform as Mary Poppins in a local production. Peter shares his latest music discoveries in the metal scene, while Eden dives into their gaming adventures with Claire Obscure Expedition 33 and recounts a quirky trip to House on the Rock in Wisconsin. We wrap up with a playful bracket tournament pitting Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and Muppet properties against each other, ultimately crowning The Muppet Christmas Carol as the supreme winner.
SHOW NOTES
What We've Been Up To
Peter's Update:
- Recovering from a cold
- Saw his wife Elissa perform as Mary Poppins in local theater
- Unable to watch planned content like Andor and Daredevil Born Again
- Finished playing Avowed, started Eternal Strands but finding limited character progression
- Considering returning to Dragon Age: The Veilguard and excited about Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Eden's Update:
- Preparing for Free Comic Book Day at their comic shop
- Working with local artists Phil Hester and Eric Gapster who will be signing
- Special coffee brew called "Daydreams" and beer samples planned for the event
- Recently visited House on the Rock in Wisconsin, describing it as a fascinating collection of oddities created by an eccentric collector
Gaming Corner
- Peter discusses his frustrations with Eternal Strands' limited character progression despite enjoying the gameplay
- Eden is playing Claire Obscure Expedition 33, describing it as "Super Mario RPG's combat with very slick French production value"
- Both agree Oblivion is worth revisiting, with Eden calling it "the best Elder Scrolls game"
- Discussion of Oblivion's unique development quirks, including voice actors recording lines alphabetically rather than by scene
Music Highlights
- Peter recommends several new metal releases:
- Dormant Ordeal - Tooth and Nail
- Kardashev - Alunea
- Tribunal - In Penitence and Ruin
- Conan - Violence Dimension
- Structure - Heritage
Bracket Tournament: Disney vs. Marvel vs. Star Wars vs. Muppets
- We conduct a bracket tournament comparing properties from these four franchises
- Notable matchups include The Incredibles vs. Muppet Christmas Carol and Iron Man vs. The Great Muppet Caper
- The Muppet Christmas Carol ultimately emerges as the champion
- Discussion of what makes the Muppet movies so special, particularly Michael Caine's serious performance alongside Muppets
Coming Up Next
- In two weeks: Special episode reviewing Ang Lee's Hulk (2003) starring Eric Bana
- Peter has never seen it, while Eden maintains it's "still the best version of the Hulk"