The 90s were a weird time for metal. The rise and fall of grunge, the rise of nu-metal, and the enshitification of some classic metal bands from the 80s all made for a weird time. And then there was Testament.

This week we dive into some Daredevil. Eden gives a great overview of "single issue" comics, and then we spend some time talking about these examples and our thoughts and experiences with them. For Peter, it was a very educational and interesting, and we hope it is for all of you as well!

Last week Eden and Cassi talked about video games in general. This week, Peter is back, and he and Eden get a little more specific with a face off between video game RPGs. We picked 64 we thought were worth mentioning and then pit them against each other to pick our favorite from each pairing.

This week Eden and Cassi come to the rescue. I've had some stuff going on that really put me in a place I wasn't going to be great co-host, so they graciously gave me the week off and came in with some hot video game talk. Give them a listen and a 5 star review for saving the week!

As the strike continues, we continue to avoid major Hollywood fare. This week Eden brings up a short story collection. Peter bounced off it hard, but Eden reminds us the importance of media that moves us to action, not just make us feel good.

A little teaser for your earholes.

Our initial plan this week was to watch an old, reportedly hilarious bad movie. But in an attempt at solidarity with the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, we jumped into some books this week. Join us as Eden and I discuss books that were foundational to us, that we love, and then throw shade at some books we think are bad.

Visual novels are flourishing in the modern era. They offer an opportunity to tell and experience a story that, traditionally, would have just been in the written format, but with technology, these stories can be enhanced both with visuals and sound design. And most importantly, can be made responsive the the choices of you, the reader. This week we discuss the visual novel "Heaven Will Be Mine" and our thoughts about both the story as well as the experience of "reading" a visual novel.

This week Eden and I get a little into the woods. We've talked many times about music, but we wanted to discuss some of the how and why music means so much to us, and also why we continually seek out new music, rather than continue to relish the music we listened to in our early years. Yeah, it's a little navel gazey, but there you have it.

Spider-Man returns, this time traveling across the Spider-Verse, as Eden and I discuss the sequel to Into the Spider-Verse. How does this film hold up to the absolute banger that was the first? Listen and find out. General impressions kick things off after we catch up on some new media, and then we go full spoiler mode and discuss the film. I'll just say this, this movie deserves your time, attention, and money.

It's Spider-Verse season! While we originally planned to discuss the recent release of Across the Spider-Verse this week, we made a last minute decision (mostly for scheduling reasons) to start with the first film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. And you know what? That was the correct decision. It is a movie that is so incredibly well and lovingly made that it is worth watching again and then gushing over for the next 30+ minutes, and that is exactly what we do.

It was finally Peter's turn to pick something, because he finally felt like he was in a position to do so. This week we took a look at the most recent issue of Uncanny Magazine, issue 52. Uncanny is an online magazine published every two months of speculative prose, poetry, and nonfiction works. Peter has been a subscriber for a bit now, but hasn't dived in and this seemed like a good time to finally get in and check it out.

Gamera returns! And with him comes the reckoning of some serious psychological trauma. In this conclusion to the trilogy, the movie takes a much darker and more psychological turn, and in the end, is it better for it? Listen along as we discuss our thoughts and opinions of this concluding movie.

Gamera returns! This week we dive into the second installment of this relatively recent Gamera trilogy, and see the might turtle take on Legion, a wild upside down crab looking monster. If you enjoyed the first, this one is sure to please, as it really takes everything about the first and levels it up in significant ways.

It should have been Peter's turn to come up with something. Should have. But like the solid that they are, Eden saved the day from Peter's incredibly overwhelming life to offer up a trio of kaiju films for us to watch, enjoy, and discuss. We kick this trio of episodes off with the 1995 film Gamera: Guardian of the Universe. If you aren't familiar with Gamera, listen and decide if you want to make yourself familiar. And as a first timer, Peter gives this film a hearty endorsement. Plus, it was free on Amazon Prime Video, so very little by way of excuse.

What is a close encounter? And how many kinds are there? Well, there must be at least three, because this week we discuss our experiences watching the 1977 Steven Spielberg classic movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. We also discuss some recent media we have been enjoying. Join us as we take this trip with a cast of eclectic characters.

We're no strangers to talking about music here on The Middle of Culture. And while, years ago, Eden and Peter shared many similar musical tastes, those tastes have diverged and matured. This week, we discuss essential albums that have shaped the way we listen to music, and the types of music we enjoy. Come along, as we discuss our most influential albums.

This week Eden decided to challenge Peter with some anime. Anyone who has listened has heard Peter lament about his inability to really get into anime, but there has to be a first time for everything, right? Well, turns out, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury just might be that. Listen in as we discuss the prologue and first three episodes from this most recent Gundam series.

Our winter of X-content is over. This journey has lasted many months, and culminates in X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Look folks, this movie has the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of any X-Men movie, by a significant margin. It is worse than Black Adam, and boy howdy, that movie is an abomination. This is a right stinker, and we end on the lowest of lows. Or do we? Listen as Eden and I discuss our surprising reactions to this movie, and then rank all 10 of the X movies we have watched together. I promise, we are sane and our decisions make complete sense.

This week we take a journey. After a brief discussion of the announced DCEU projects (can you say completely underwhelming?) we travel to 1940 by way of the 1973 Spanish film (that's Film with a capital F) The Spirit of the Beehive. It is one of Eden's very favorite films, and boy howdy, did Peter have a challenging time getting into it. But it makes for a very interesting discussion on the Spain at the time, and cinema in general. Plus, it can't be any more difficult to watch than our upcoming movie. It just can't.