Casting for Fun Podcast

For a special bonus episode this week, friend of the show Nathan Wolfe returns and we dive into the recent Nintendo Direct presentations that Nintendo just put on. We discuss what games we're excited about, the live action Legend of Zelda movie coming in 2027, bucket list locations to visit like the Nintendo Museum in Japan, and of course, the HD from the ground up remake of Ocarina of Time. November 5th can't come soon enough!

Continuing on with the Summer (and Fall) of Rock 1991 35th anniversary, we dive into Pearl Jams' monumental debut album Ten on this week's episode. The early history of the band, a track by track review of the album itself, and other cool facts about this landmark record in rock history!

We're celebrating the 35th anniversary of perhaps Nintendo's greatest console of all time, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System! My younger brother Danny returns to the show where we discuss the history of the console, the rivalry between the SNES and the Sega Genesis, the legendry Paul Rudd commercial advertising the console, and lastly our top ten SNES games of all time!

Continuing with the Summer of Rock 1991 35th anniversary, we're diving into the number one selling heavy metal album of all time, Metallica's self titled record commonly known as the Black Album. Hard rock enthusiast Davis Bench returns to the show to dive into all 12 tracks, give our thoughts and impressions, and discuss why this album stayed on the Billboard top 200 for 800 combined weeks, one of only four albums in music history to do so.

On a special Monday episode of the show, my wife Allison returns to dive into the original run of feel good comedy, Ted Lasso! We discuss the early iterations of the character going back to the skits that streamed on NBC's YouTube channel, the development of the show for Apple TV+, applying the wit and wisdom of Coach Lasso into our everyday lives, and much more!

35 years ago over the span of just under two months, seven legendary rock albums were released. In this week's episode we celebrate the first two of these incredible seven albums, Use Your Illusion I & II by Guns N' Roses. Over the next few weeks we will also dive into other noteworthy rock albums of the era with special guests.

To tie a bow on all things World Cup, podcast regular Eddie Ramirez returns to discuss the championship match between Spain and Argentina, the third place game between England and France which felt like a championship game, and everything else that went down over the past six weeks of amazing soccer! There was also a little pop culture event that took place this past weekend called Comic Con, you may have heard of it. We dive into that too! World Cup talk starts at 2:42 and Comic Con talk starts at 28:00.

Hey Yo! We're celebrating the 30th anniversary of one of Professional Wrestling's great storylines ever, the night that Hulk Hogan went bad and everything leading up to it! Danny Pineda returns to the show and we discuss the various intriguing stories lines presented on WCW tv leading up to that fateful night in Daytona Beach on July 7, 1996.

We're celebrating the 40th anniversary of one of the best sequels ever, the Karate Kid Part 2! Danny Pineda returns to dive into this classic from the 80's, discuss the unique setting of taking the franchise outside the confides of the San Fernando Valley, and the great performances from Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. Spoilers as usual!

More World Cup action coming at you here on the Casting for Fun Podcast! Eddie Ramirez, Sean Luevano (making his long awaited return to the show), and I dive into our favorite aspects of the tournament thus far, discuss the recent upsets from the round of 32 (Paraguay over Germany?! Morocco over The Netherlands?!) and get you ready for the massive USA vs. Bosnia game tonight, July 1st!

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of beloved 80's classic comedy, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, friends of the show Davis Bench and Nathan Wolfe both join me to discuss favorite scenes, interesting facts about the movie, the influence that the Ferris Bueller character has had on pop culture, and much more!

Part 2 of the World Cup 2026 recap sees Nick Turner and I discuss the exciting USA victory over Australia, the GOAT discussion between Messi and Ronaldo, stadiums across the land singing Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver, previewing the USMNT last group stage game against Turkey, and much more!

In the first episode recap of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, friend of the show Nick Turner returns to discuss the inspiring and exciting first game from the United States Men's National Team, including goals from Florian Belogun, the own goal by Paraguay, the reversed yellow card issued initially to the U.S. then reissued to Paraguay, and so much more! We also dive into highlights for some of the other games and get you ready for USA's big game against Australia.

My kiddos Avery and Liam join me for our annual traditional end of school year episode to talk about their life highlights including game winning softball hits, learning piano, painting Super Mario Bros. themed masterpieces, what they learned from their teachers this past year, and so much more!

The quirky, odd ball comedy with Jack Black, Nacho Libre, turns 20 this month and to celebrate, friend of the show Joel Tibbett returns to discuss our favorite scenes from the movie and how we quote the movie in our everyday lives! At the top of the show I briefly preview the 2026 World Cup and pay tribute to the recently departed Anthony Head (Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Nacho Libre talk with Joel starts at the 9:20 mark in case you want to skip ahead.

On a special Friday episode of the show, good friends Derek Dupre and Nick Turner return to celebrate the 25th anniversary of 311's From Chaos album. We dive into this 311 classic, track by track, and discuss the famous music video for the song You Wouldn't Believe with Shaquille O'Neil and the infamous performance that Shaq did with the band for the KROQ Weenie Roast that same year, 2001. For the record, You Wouldn't Believe is my all time favorite 311 song!

Friend of the show Steven Cable and first time guest Brig Landmeier join me to celebrate the 40th anniversary of an 80's classic movie, Top Gun. We go over favorite scenes from the film and discuss interesting behind the scenes aspects such as the reshot romance scenes of Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis and the story of the aerobatic pilot Art Scholl who tragically lost his life during filming and so much more.

Show regulars James Strong and Nathan Wolfe are on the podcast together for the first time to celebrate the 40th anniversary of an all time classic, the Queen is Dead by the Smiths. We go over all ten songs extensively and dive into why we love this band so much.

Doubling up for this week's episode of the show as my younger brother Danny and I review two albums recently released by bands we enjoy quite a bit: Iration and Social Distortion. There is a loose connection between the two albums that we go over during the episode. From the smooth reggae rock sounds of Iration to the hard hitting punk rock rifts of Social D, these are two new albums you should definitely check out.

We're celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Heath Ledger classic movie A Knight's Tale on this week's episode of the podcast. Show regulars Kimmy and Nathan Cross and Brianne Frodsham join me to go over favorite scenes, the use of modern music in a medieval action/comedy movie, and much more. I do briefly discuss the passing of comic book legend Gerry Conway and the recently released trailer for Ted Lasso season 4 at the top of the show. A Knight's Tale convo begins around the 7:40 mark if you wish to skip ahead.

With CinemaCon 2026 wrapping up last week in Las Vegas, it was the perfect time to bring back movie buff and friend of the show Eddie Ramirez to discuss what the Hollywood studios brought to the convention this year. We go over our most anticipated movies of the next few years including: Avengers: Doomsday, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, The Mandalorian and Grogu, Street Fighter, The Legend of Zelda, the Odyssey, Spder-Man: Brand New Day and so much more!

Friend of the show and sports correspondent Steven Cable returns to recap the 2026 March Madness tournament. (Steven won in our bracket group and gets the Mental Ward trophy for the next year.) Michigan winning it all, overtime first round victories for Kentucky and VCU, Duke's collapse, its all discussed here. We also dive into some Dodger talk and answer the question: can anyone stop LA this year? Short answer is No!

We are celebrating the 30th anniversary of my favorite episode of the Simpsons, 22 Short Films about Springfield for this week's episode the show! I go over my favorite scenes, including internet fan favorite short "Steamed Hams," and include an audio clip from Simpsons write Bill Oakley, discussing how the concept of 22 Short Films about Springfield came to be.

80's super fan and friend of the show Nathan Wolfe returns to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the cult classic BMX racing movie RAD! We go over interesting facts about the movie, favorite scenes particularly the awesome and cheesy dance floor scene on BMX bikes, and much more! At the top of the show I pay tribute to the recently departed Chuck Norris and Nicholas Brendon from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. RAD talk starts at the 11:19 mark if you wish to skip ahead.

This week I touch on several topics of interest to me: the first official trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the recent news of Nathan Fillion and crew attempting to bring back fan favorite show Firefly in animation form, and March Madness 2026! I go over my pick to win it all (Duke), and other aspects of the tournament that I find interesting. Here are specific time stamps if you wish to listen to a particular topics: Brand New Day trailer starts at 4:10, Firefly revival starts at 10:27, and March Madness talk starts at 17:48.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of fan favorite brat pack movie, Pretty in Pink, I am joined by my wife Allison to discuss so many great aspects of the movie. Particularly the ending we got and the ending that could have been. Who do you think Andie should have ended up with: Blane or Duckie? We also go over extensively the classic song from OMD, If you Leave, and how the new ending resulted in the creation of the band's biggest hit in North America. Pretty in Pink talk starts at the 11:55 mark.

LA Galaxy super fan Tim Welling returns to the show to discuss the upcoming season for the LA Galaxy! We go over the bad (Rique Puig suffering another ACL tear) and the good (four quality signings that should bolster the team for the 2026 season.

It's always great to catch up with old friends, even when discussing a less than stellar Super Bowl! Nick Turner and Tyler Ivancich return to the show to discuss all things Super Bowl 60. We go over the game itself and how cool it was to see Sam Darnold be the first USC quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl, as well as the delicious food options we had. We go over other stuff too, so give the episode a listen!

The Dream of the 90's is alive in Portland! We're celebrating this odd ball skit comedy show starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein for its 15th anniversary on this week's show. If you're familiar with this comedy show from the 2010's awesome, but if not you're in for a real treat. At least in my opinion. Put a bird on it!

Peter Hauge makes his return to the Casting for Fun podcast to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Batman '66! We go over extensively the adventures of the Caped Crusader and his battles with a host of colorful villains from this classic American television show. We do cover my all time favorite episode, Surf's Up Joker's Under, and many fascinating facts about this campy, but awesome iteration of Batman.

After a few week hiatus, the Casting For Fun Podcast is back! We're discussing all things Stranger Things in the 201st episode of the show. Show regulars the Crosses and Brianne are back to discuss the final 4 episodes of season 5, our favorite scenes from all five seasons, and what the legacy of Stranger Things will be the history of pop culture. Massive spoilers as usual.

It's the 200th episode of the podcast! To commemorate the occasion friends of the show Brianne Frodsham and Kimmy and Nathan Cross all return to discuss what we saw with the first four episodes of Stranger Things 5. We go over our favorite scenes and theorize as to what we may see in the remaining four episodes. And stay tuned for our follow up conversation on those lats episodes due out in January of 2026. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

In episode 199 of the show, my wife Allison joins me to discuss the Tim Burton classic Edward Scissorhands. We go over memorable scenes from the movie and discuss why both Tim Burton and Danny Elfman have declared this movie to be a personal favorite of theirs.

Is the Thanksgiving holiday a big deal in the city of New York? I always suspected that it is which is why the hit NBC sitcom Friends consistently did Thanksgiving themed episodes during its 10 season run. Friends super fan and my wife Allison return to the show to discuss our favorite Friends episodes based on Thanksgiving and Allison attempts to play the 50 state game that Ross introduced in an episode.

For the final episode of the three episode week of the show, frequent collaborator Eddie Ramirez returns to discuss the Ewoks: Battle for Endor for its 40th anniversary. We go in depth into this obscure made for TV Star Wars movie, favorite memories watching it as kids, and the subtle influence that this project has had on modern Star Wars.

For the second episode of the first three episode week of the podcast, we're celebrating the 40th anniversary of Rocky IV. Friends of the show Fernando Pineda and Nick Turner return to discuss all things Rocky IV. And stay tuned for Friday's episode looking about on the Ewoks: Battle for Endor.

In a special three episode week of the show, I review the first Pierce Bronson Bond movie, Goldeneye, for its 30th anniversary. This episode also contains other entertainment news such as Shohei Ohtani winning his 4th NL MVP award, Soundgarden's induction into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, the Super Mario Bros. Galaxy movie trailer, and much more! Goldeneye talk starts around the 17:00 mark.

One of the 80's best albums, Dead Man's Party by Oingo Boingo, just turned 40 years old and to celebrate the occasion, friend of the show James Strong returns to discuss the record track by track. We go over the themes of the Day of the Dead, Danny Elfman poking fun at himself for the music video to Weird Science, and how fun and entertaining this album truly is!

Dodger Nation is going insane! This week we celebrate the 9th World Series title in franchise history as LA's Dodgers are the 2025 World Series champs! Regulars to the show Fernando Pineda, Jeff Haskins, and Nick Turner all return to discuss the many interesting aspects and exciting plays of the World Series, go in detail into the epic 18 inning game 3 victory, and what the Dodgers may do moving forward into 2026.

Linkin Park's landmark debut album is turning 25th and to celebrate the occasion, my younger brother Danny returns to discuss this incredible album track by track. We briefly go over the early history of the band, discuss how we first discovered the band, and the appeal of an album that deals with topics of loneness and isolation to the tune of heavy guitars and rap beats.

Nintendo of America has a vast, interesting history and as we commemorate the 40th anniversary of the NES's North American launch, friend of the show and gaming fanatic Nathan Wolfe returns to discuss the early history of the company dating back to the end of the 19th century, the development of the Famicom in Japan, and the gamble and success of the NES in America. We also go over our picks for the ten best NES games. What's your favorite Nintendo game?

It's time for Dodgers Post Season Baseball! We're discussing the incredible games we have gotten so far from the boys in Blue as the team looks to run it back for 2025. Dodger super fans Jeff Haskins, Tadd Turner, and Nick Turner all return to discuss game one of the National League division series against the Phillies, preview game two, and discuss the legendary career of Clayton Kershaw.

We're back after a brief hiatus to discuss the highly anticipated 14th season of King of the Hill! Friend of the show Eddie Ramirez returns to discuss our favorite episodes and jokes from season 14, where the show may be headed in season 15 and beyond, and briefly discuss the Dodgers and the MLB postseason at the top of the show.

I'm flying solo this week to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the cult classic film, Serenity. I go over my favorite scenes and memories watching this movie 20 years ago and discuss the great performances from Nathan Fillion, Summer Glau, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and the rest of the amazing cast. Spoilers as usual. Shiny!

Sports correspondent and friend of the show Steven Cable returns to discuss a wide range of sports topics: the return of the NFL, what's going on with College football including the touchdown of the year candidate by Ja'Kobe Lane of USC, the recent struggles of the Dodgers but the bright spot that Clayton Kershaw has been for the team, and the crazy Phillies Karen women! Lastly, we discuss a fantastic event happening at Cable airport this upcoming Saturday, September 13. Be sure to check it out if you're local!

We're celebrating the 20th anniversary of arguably the best album by Jack Johnson, In Between Dreams. My wife Allison returns to the show discuss this amazing album track by track and extensively go into the song, Better Together. We also discuss other recent things going on with the Pineda family. Jack Johnson talk beings at the 18:56 mark in case you wish to skip ahead.

The longest running live action sitcom in television history, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, just celebrated its 20th anniversary and to commemorate the occasion, Philly super fans and friends of the show Danny, Nick, and Derek all return to discuss our favorite episodes and why a show about 5 flawed, greedy, and sometimes stupid people is so enduring 20 years since we first met them.

Frequent collaborator Nathan Wolfe returns to the show to discuss Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World for the 15th anniversary of the film's release. We go over watching the movie in theaters in the summer of 2010 (being among the few who actually did!), the amazing cast and what they would go on to do, and our favorite scenes from this odd ball but awesome comic book flick you should definitely rewatch if you haven't done so recently!

With the long awaited sequel now streaming on Netflix, friend of the show Nick Turner and I decided to look back at Happy Gilmore. We go over being first introduced to the comedy of Adam Sandler and discuss our favorite scenes and quotes from this classic 90's comedy.

We're less than a week away from the long awaited return of fan favorite Fox animated comedy King of the Hill! What better time than now to reflect back on how memorable and hilarious the show truly was. To do so, fan of the show my younger brother Danny returns and we discuss 20 can't miss episodes of this endearing animated sitcom, including my personal favorite Bobby Goes Nuts. We also pay tribute to the recently departed Pro Wrestling Superstar, Hulk Hogan.