Hot off the heels of the release of the trailer for "Gladiator II," we commemorate the 24th Anniversary of Ridley Scott's epic tale of a disgraced Roman General's quest for revenge, "Gladiator" starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. Send us a Text Message. Thank you for listening! Don't forget to rate & subscribe. New episodes bi-weekly. Also …

Today we will looking into baseball, soccer and break dance! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sergio-garcia401/support

Numerous Iron-Age nomadic alliances flourished along the 5000-mile Eurasian steppe route. From Crimea to the Mongolian grassland, nomadic image-making was rooted in metonymically conveyed zoomorphic designs, creating an alternative ecological reality. The nomadic elite nucleus embraced this elaborate image system to construct collective memory in r…

In 1900, Britain and America were in the grip of a cat craze. An animal that had for centuries been seen as a household servant or urban nuisance had now become an object of pride and deep affection. From presidential and royal families who imported exotic breeds to working-class men competing for cash prizes for the fattest tabby, people became en…

In Singaporean Creatures: Histories of Humans and Other Animals in the Garden City (NUS Press, 2024), historian Tim Barnard and his colleagues offer an edited volume of historical and ecological analysis, in which various institutions, perspectives and events involving animals provide insight into the development of Singapore as a modern, urban nat…

In this episode, I talk to Samuel Dolbee, Assistant Professor of History at Vanderbilt University. His book, Locusts of Power: Borders, Empire, and Environment in the Modern Middle East (Cambridge University Press, 2023). In this highly original environmental history, Samuel Dolbee sheds new light on borders and state formation by following locusts…

Today, the mention of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego conjures images of idyllic landscapes untouched by globalisation. Creatures of Fashion: Animals, Global Markets, and the Transformation of Patagonia (University of North Carolina Press, 2024) by Dr. John Soluri upends this, revealing how the exploitation of animals—terrestrial and marine, domesti…

In celebration of Tom Cruise's 62nd birthday, we are joined by Photographer & Videographer, Ben Gonzalez, all the way from Tokyo, Japan, to have an in-depth conversation about the birthday boys' second and final sci-fi collaboration with Steven Spielberg, 'War of the Worlds.' Send us a Text Message. Thank you for listening! Don't forget to rate & s…

This week, we examine the sounds humans make in order to monitor, repel, and control beasts. Author Mandy-Suzanne Wong’s Listen, We All Bleed is a creative nonfiction monograph that explores the human-animal relationship through animal-centered sound art. We’ll hear works by Robbie Judkins, Claude Matthews, and Colleen Plumb, interwoven with Wong’s…

Life on Earth is facing a mass extinction event of our own making. Human activity is changing the biology and the meaning of extinction. What Is Extinction?: A Natural and Cultural History of Last Animals (Fordham UP, 2023) examines several key moments that have come to define the terms of extinction over the past two centuries, exploring instances…

Christina M. García’s book, Corporeal Readings of Cuban Literature and Art: The Body, the Inhuman, and Ecological Thinking (University Press of Florida, 2024), looks at Cuban literature and art that challenge traditional assumptions about the body. García examines how writers and artists have depicted racial, gender, and species differences through…

Not only has Ted Stryker been a staple of the West Coast radio waves for over three decades, but he's also a a true connoisseur of cinema, who's brought to us one of the most intense music oriented films of the 2010's: Damien Chazelle's breakout hit, Whiplash! Send us a Text Message. Thank you for listening! Don't forget to rate & subscribe. New ep…

What is latitude and longitude? Find out in this episode!--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sergio-garcia401/support

Not only is Donald LeBlanc III a modern day renaissance man and a pro when it comes to digital fabrication, but he's also a fan of Quentin Tarantino, his films, and his first big budget outing'Pulp Fiction.' Join the conversation as we breakdown the elements that make this film a modern day cinema classic.…

Trailer to introduce you to the podcast. New episodes every week!--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sergio-garcia401/support

Enjoyed Season 1, Season 2 coming soon! Spread the word! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sergio-garcia401/support

From Al Pacino's electrifying portrayal of the enigmatic John Milton, to Keanu Reeves' poignant performance as the conflicted Kevin Lomax, listen as we unravel the layers of Taylor Hackford's cinematic gem, and explore the intricacies of power, temptation, and morality, as we dissect why this film holds a special place in one of our host's heart. S…

Entertainment journalist Josh Weiss joins us to talk about the the influence John Carpenter's iconic film had on 'The Hateful Eight,' the extensive research involved in creating “The Thing Oral History” for Syfy.com, and the work that's gone into producing and co-writing CREATORVC's upcoming expansive documentary, "The Thing: Expanded."…

"Be excellent to each other, and party on, dude..." In 1989, Bill S. Preston, Esq. and Ted "Theodore" Logan embarked on a journey, that could've had a "most heinous" outcome if it weren't for one literary legend's input. Have a listen as we breakdown this most excellent movie in the most triumphant fashion. Send us a Text Message. Thank you for lis…

Pet Revolution: Animals and the Making of Modern British Life (Reaktion, 2023) by Dr. Jane Hamlett & Dr. Julie-Marie Strange tracks the British love affair with pets over the last two centuries, showing how the kinds of pets we keep, as well as how we relate to and care for them, has changed radically. The book describes the growth of pet foods and…

In a rare one on one episode, we discuss the elements of Stanley Kubrick’s 1956 film ‘The Killing’ that influenced ‘Reservoir Dogs,’ and why it’s Quentin Tarantino’s favorite heist movie.By C.E. Garcia & Gabe Jacobo

In our longest episode ever, we dive deep into Guy Ritchie's comedic, British, crime noir caper, 'Snatch,' with the foremost expert on the subject, iHeartMedia & Big Boy’s Neighborhood Senior Producer, Sketch O’matic. Send us a Text Message. Thank you for listening! Don't forget to rate & subscribe. New episodes bi-weekly. Also available on YouTube…

Carl Zimmer investigates one of the biggest questions of all: What is life? The answer seems obvious until you try to seriously answer it. Is the apple sitting on your kitchen counter alive, or is only the apple tree it came from deserving of the word? If we can’t answer that question here on Earth, how will we know when and if we discover alien li…

In this very special “format breaking episode,” we are joined by iHeartMedia, and Big Boy’s Neighborhood Senior Producer, Sketch O’matic, to talk about the real life ‘Tales of Tarantino’ he experienced firsthand at his early days at Power 106, and so much more!!By C.E. Garcia & Gabe Jacobo

What does cow care in India have to offer modern Western discourse animal ethics? Why are cows treated with such reverence in the Indian context? Join us as we speak to Kenneth R. Valpey about his new book Cow Care in Hindu Animal Ethics (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019). Valpey discusses his methodological odyssey looking at ancient Hindu scriptural acco…

In Nature's Wild: Love, Sex, and Law in the Caribbean (Duke UP, 2021), Andil Gosine engages with questions of humanism, queer theory, and animality to examine and revise understandings of queer desire in the Caribbean. Surveying colonial law, visual art practices, and contemporary activism, Gosine shows how the very concept of homosexuality in the …

Fresh off the heels of its 6th Anniversary, and as the world prepares for the release of 'A Quiet Place: Day One,' the trio discusses this sci-fi / horror smashup, how this movie almost became part of the Cloverfield universe, and just how much comedy can be gleaned from an otherwise depressing tale of a world ravaged to extinction by creatures wit…

Pet Revolution: Animals and the Making of Modern British Life (Reaktion Books, 2023) tracks the British love affair with pets over the last two centuries, showing how the kinds of pets we keep, as well as how we relate to and care for them, has changed radically. The book describes the growth of pet foods and medicines, the rise of pet shops, and t…

Settler Ecologies: The Enduring Nature of Settler Colonialism in Kenya (University of Toronto Press, 2024) tells the story of how settler colonialism becomes memorialized and lives on through ecological relations. Drawing on eight years of research in Laikipia, Kenya, Charis Enns and Brock Bersaglio use immersive methods to reveal how animals and p…

“For the greater good” and the 17th Anniversary of this dynamic take on the "buddy-cop" genre, we welcome writer/director David Wong to the podcast, and breakdown this wild, British, action/comedy, the upcoming film he's both writing and directing, and exactly why Mr. Wong is our favorite bro/bruh. Send us a Text Message. Thank you for listening! D…

In this episode of High Theory, Mackenzie Cooley talks about animals. The animal lies at the center of science and the human, from imperial conquest and Enlightenment thought to the creatures on our dinner plates and beside us at the table. The practices of animal breeding and the politics of making life are, in Mackenzie’s account, key to understa…

Historians of early America, slavery, early African American history, the history of science, and environmental history have interrogated the complex ways in which enslaved people were thought about and treated as human but also dehumanized to be understood as private property or chattel. The comparison of enslaved people to animals, particularly d…

As an ethnography of a Japanese dairy farm while having theoretical values going beyond the specific context, Hokkaido Dairy Farm: Cosmopolitics of Otherness and Security on the Frontiers of Japan (SUNY Press, 2024) offers a historical and ethnographic examination of the rapid industrialization of the dairy industry in Tokachi, Hokkaido. The book b…

Do you know your ones, your twos, and your threes..? Celebrating its anniversary this year, the story of Jamie Escalante and his crusade to help the students of Garfield High School pass the AP Calculus Exam, is still as iconic and inspirational as it was 36 years ago. Send us a Text Message. Thank you for listening! Don't forget to rate & subscrib…

In the 20th century, capitalist animal agriculture emerged with a twofold mission: to ruthlessly exploit animals for their labour time and enlarge human food supplies. The results of this process are clear. Animal-sourced foods have expanded exponentially. And simultaneously, hundreds of billions of animals confront humans and machines in brutal, a…

Bigfoot is an instantly recognizable figure. Through the decades, this elusive primate has been featured in movies and books, on coffee mugs, beer koozies, car polish, and CBD oil. Which begs the question: what is it about Bigfoot that's caught hold of our imaginations? Journalist and self-diagnosed skeptic John O'Connor is fascinated by Sasquatch.…

"You're a smooth, smoothie, yah know?" - Join us as we celebrate the 28th Anniversary of this 'homespun murder story,' from the brilliant minds of the filmmaking duo, the Coen Brothers, and discover why we think this movie works so well, and why it's one of the most flawless pieces of cinema ever made. Send us a Text Message. Thank you for listenin…

In this very special bonus episode, we talk Oscar predictions, which one of us has seen the most nominated films this year, and who we think will be worthy enough to take home the gold. Send us a Text Message. Thank you for listening! Don't forget to rate & subscribe. New episodes bi-weekly. Also available on YouTube.…

It's a rare occasion when we all get to see a new movie at the same time, let alone a blockbuster, sci-fi, epic such as Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune: Part Two.' In this episode, we discuss the high & lows of this magnum opus, and discover which one of us has replaced their all time favorite movie, with this one. Send us a Text Message. Thank you for li…

Cristina Brito's book Humans and Aquatic Animals in Early Modern America and Africa (Amsterdam University Press, 2024) deals with peoples' practices, perceptions, emotions and feelings towards aquatic animals, their ecosystems and nature on the early modern Atlantic coasts by addressing exploitation, use, fear, empathy, otherness, and indifference …

In the early 90's, Shane Black was the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood, Bruce Willis one of the highest paid action stars, and Tony Scott was quickly becoming the most sought after director when it came to spectacle. As we close out "football season," we breakdown whether or not 'The Last Boy Scout' was worth the $43 million dollar price tag…

Japan is often imagined as a nation with a long history of whaling. In The Gods of the Sea: Whales and Coastal Communities in Northeast Japan, c.1600-2019 (Cambridge UP, 2023), Fynn Holm argues that for centuries some regions in early modern Japan did not engage in whaling. In fact, they were actively opposed to it, even resorting to violence when …

As the show's format continues to evolve, we passionately discuss Johnny Depp and Jerry Bruckheimer's actiion, comedy, western vehicle, "The Lone Ranger," and how Gore Verbinski sought to turn the classic genre on its head.By C.E. Garcia and Mike Cuevas

It's Valentine's Day everybody!! And in celebration of this special day, we welcome the return of Jesmoniq, wife of CE Garcia, to discuss the timeless love story of Noah & Allie. That's right!! “The Notebook.” Send us a Text Message. Thank you for listening! Don't forget to rate & subscribe. New episodes bi-weekly. Also available on YouTube.…

Our future diet will be shaped by diverse forces. It will be shaped by novel technologies, by geopolitical tensions, and the evolution of cultural preferences, by shocks to the status quo-- pandemics and economic strife, the escalation of the climate and ecological crises--and by how we choose to respond. It will also be shaped by our emotions. It …

India imposes stringent criminal penalties, including life imprisonment in some states, for cow slaughter, based on a Hindu ethic of revering the cow as sacred. And yet India is among the world's leading producers of beef, leather, and milk, industries sustained by the mass slaughter of bovines. What is behind this seeming contradiction? What do bo…

Why are some things cute, and others not? What happens to our brains when we see something cute? And how did cuteness go global, from Hello Kitty to Disney characters? Cuteness is an area where culture and biology get tangled up. Seeing a cute animal triggers some of the most powerful psychological instincts we have - the ones that elicit our care …

"Life is a contact sport..." On the jumbo-sized season 2 premiere, we dive headfirst into the adrenaline-fueled world of football, and football movies, spotlighting a film that the director wanted to resemble a scene out of Saving Private Ryan, Oliver Stone's 1999 gridiron epic, "Any Given Sunday." Send us a Text Message. Thank you for listening! D…

Camelids are vital to the cultures and economies of the Andes. The animals have also been at the heart of ecological and social catastrophe: Europeans overhunted wild vicuña and guanaco and imposed husbandry and breeding practices that decimated llama and alpaca flocks that had been successfully tended by Indigenous peoples for generations. Yet the…

In this eye-opening and compelling work, psychologist Melanie Joy reveals the common denominator driving all forms of injustice. The mentality that drives us to oppress and abuse humans is the same mentality that drives us to oppress and abuse nonhumans and the environment, as well as those in our own groups working for justice. How to End Injustic…