In the long-awaited season finale Gila shows Rob the 2000 ballet school drama "Center Stage." Will the film pass the audition, or will it sprain a cinematic foot? Wikipedia link for the film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_Stage_(2000_film) Questions? Comments? Suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us via email, social media, or voice: https://modern.technology/contact/ Subscribe to our email newsletter! https://modern.technology/emails/...
May 04, 2025•1 hr 38 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Rob shows Gila the 1983 Cold War hacker thriller "WarGames." Will Gila be game, or will the movie trigger an offensive response? Wikipedia link for the film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WarGames Questions? Comments? Suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us via email, social media, or voice: https://modern.technology/contact/ Subscribe to our email newsletter! https://modern.technology/emails/
Feb 04, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Gila shows Rob "The Baxter," the 2005 trope-deconstructing rom-com spoof by and featuring members of sketch group The State. Will the movie find love, or will Rob leave this DVD at the altar? Wikipedia link for the film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Baxter Questions? Comments? Suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us via email, social media, or voice: https://modern.technology/contact/
Aug 03, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Rob shows Gila 1953's groundbreaking alien-invasion scifi thriller "The War of the Worlds." Will Gila be able to survive the Technicolor onslaught, or will Gila be defeated by the littlest things which George Pal, in his wisdom, put upon the screen? Wikipedia link for the film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(1953_film) Questions? Comments? Suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us via email, social media, or voice: https://modern.technology/contact/...
Apr 07, 2024•1 hr 39 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Gila shows Rob 2011's "Bridesmaids," a zany adult comedy starring Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph and directed by Paul Feig. Will Rob enjoy the wacky wedding hijinks, or will the film leave him with embarassing digestive symptoms? Wikipedia link for the film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridesmaids_(2011_film) Please note the R-rated film being discussed in this episode is very heavy on explicit adult content, as is our discussion of it. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? We'd love to hear from y...
Dec 03, 2023•2 hr 8 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Rob shows Gila the 2016 monster movie "Colossal," an independent film about a troubled woman struggling through life, a giant creature from South Korea, and the mysterious link between them. Will Gila appreciate a truly unique entry in the kaiju genre, or will movie night implode like a smashed helicopter? Wikipedia link for the film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossal_(film) Please note the film being discussed contains adult content including frank references to adult relationships, addict...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Gila and Rob go to the theater to see 2023's "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret," the long-awaited film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Judy Blume about which Rob knows nothing but which means a great deal to Gila. Will the adaptation pass muster for Gila, will Rob be put off by the "girl stuff," or will there be enlightenment all around? Wikipedia link for the film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Are_You_There_God%3F_It%27s_Me,_Margaret._(film) Wikipedia link for the original nove...
May 25, 2023•1 hr 47 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Gila takes Rob out dancing with 1985's "A Chorus Line," the film adaptation of the iconic Broadway show about the lives, hopes, and dreams of an often-overlooked class of performers. Will this film make the final cut, or will Rob send it packing its leotards? Wikipedia link for the film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Chorus_Line_(film) Wikipedia link for the original show: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Chorus_Line Please note the film being discussed contains adult material and brief but fra...
May 04, 2023•1 hr 43 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Rob shows Gila the 1986 scifi adventure "Flight of the Navigator" in which a kid finds himself stranded out of time and away from the world he knows, with his only hope of assistance coming from a mysterious robot-controlled spaceship. Will Gila enjoy the ride? It may not take a NASA-style brain scan to find the answer. Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_of_the_Navigator Questions? Comments? Suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us via email, social media, or voice: ...
Dec 24, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Gila introduces Rob to "Bernie," Richard Linklater's 2011 black comedy dramatization of the events surrounding a murder in East Texas, as Modern Technology makes a triumphant return to podcasting after an extended break. Will Rob tolerate the twisted Texan tale, or will it load him with microaggressions until he snaps? Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_%282011_film%29 Experience Dick Pope's Oscar nomination announcement: https://vine.co/v/ODLa0ltK5i3 Questions? Comments? Sugge...
Oct 14, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Prompted by current events, Gila and Rob use the 1996 film "Citizen Ruth" as a starting point to talk about the current state of bodily autonomy and reproductive rights in the United States. This is not a standard fun episode of "Modern Technology Watches," but it's the episode we needed to make this particular week. We appreciate your understanding. Content warnings: US politics, reproductive health and decisions, religious fanaticism, addiction. Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ci...
Jun 25, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Rob continues Gila's hacker-movie education with the 1992 film "Sneakers," a techno-classic in which an all-star cast engages in text-mode and heist-mode battles over a magic box of HAX. Will this be more fun for Gila than her previous forays into cyberpunk standards, or will it prove as incomprehensible as a pile of random Scrabble tiles? Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneakers_%281992_film%29 Stephen Tobolowsky's memories of the shoot: https://slate.com/culture/2012/09/robert-re...
Mar 07, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Gila christens the third season of "Modern Technology Watches" by showing Rob "Keeping the Faith," a quirky 2000 romantic comedy about a rabbi, a priest, and the woman they love. Will the joined forces of Ben Stiller, Edward Norton, and Jenna Elfman count Rob as a new believer? How well does the experience of watching Abrahamic clergy fight over Dharma hold up for Gila? Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keeping_the_Faith Questions? Comments? Suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! C...
Jan 30, 2022•1 hr 36 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Hack the planet! For the second-season finale of "Modern Technology Watches" Rob finally shows Gila 1995's "Hackers," a film with a firmly argued-about place in the history of the real-life hacker community as well as a firewall-protected place in Rob's hacker head. Will the movie win Gila's heart through cyberspace hijinks, or will she send it to the pool on the roof? Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackers_%28film%29 Visit https://hackerscurator.com , the premier "Hackers" movie ...
May 02, 2021•2 hr•Season 2Ep. 13
High school is a real-life game show as Gila shows Rob 2000's "Cheaters," a made-for-cable dramatization of the 1995 Steinmetz academic-decathlon cheating scandal. Will Rob accept the results and award medals accordingly, or will Gila get caught reading the answers to the podcast off her shoe? Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheaters_%282000_film%29 Questions? Comments? Suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us via email or voice: https://modern.technology/contact/...
Feb 21, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 12
In the mood for a quiet night in, Rob introduces Gila to Fritz Lang's 1927 silent scifi drama "Metropolis." How will Gila take to such a large dose of iconic German expressionism from between the World Wars? How much delicate explaining will Rob have to do? What's with all that floppy hair? Listen along as we break some new ground of our own. Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_%281927_film%29 Questions? Comments? Suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us via email...
Jan 29, 2021•1 hr 44 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Gila takes Rob on a trip down the dark side of high-school fake politics with the 1999 Alexander Payne dark-comedy "Election." Will this movie get Rob's vote, or will he rebel against it and get expelled from the audience? Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Election_%281999_film%29 Questions? Comments? Suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us via email or voice: https://modern.technology/contact/
Dec 15, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Major "Doctor Who" fan Rob shows not-very-fannish Gila the 2013 TV docudrama "An Adventure in Space and Time," a celebratory look at the creation and early years of "Doctor Who" and the people involved. Will Gila dig the looks at 1960s TV production and creative-human drama to be found among the scifi-flavored fanservice, or will Rob need anti-radiation gloves to protect him from the fallout? Join us in the control room as we find out! Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Adventure_i...
Nov 19, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Gila shows Rob the 1995 TV-movie version of the musical "Bye Bye Birdie." Catchy songs! Intense choreography! Sanitized nostalgia! Tyne Daly! No Paul Lynde! Listen along as we find out how it all comes together. Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bye_Bye_Birdie_(1995_film) Questions? Comments? Contact us via email or voice: https://modern.technology/contact/
Oct 29, 2020•1 hr 27 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Rob shows Gila the 1975 spoof "The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother." How does writer/director/star Gene Wilder and his band of Mel Brooks irregulars fare without Mel Brooks? Does this fit within Sherlockian canon? What's with the Kangaroo Hop? Listen and find out! Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventure_of_Sherlock_Holmes%27_Smarter_Brother As mentioned in this episode, check out MAD artist Sergio Aragones' "I Killed Marty Feldman" story: http://www.theofficialm...
Sep 22, 2020•55 min•Season 2Ep. 7
We double back to the imaginary town of Hill Valley for the final time as Rob shows Gila 1990's "Back to the Future Part III." Special guests Jen Sujin Yoon and Gabe Williams from The Dork Web join us once again as we all meet some cowboys and face some demons together. Is an old-West adventure what this series needed? What will Gila take away from this chapter, and the trilogy as a whole? Join us and find out! Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Future_Part_III Find more f...
Sep 08, 2020•2 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Gila shows Rob the 1999 queer-culture classic "But I'm a Cheerleader." Will this movie make Rob wave his pompoms and cheer, or will he just not like it in that way? Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/But_I%27m_a_Cheerleader (This movie is particularly centered around adult content, and so is our episode about it. Listener discretion advised.)
Aug 21, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 5
We take a spin in a broken sportscar back to 1971 as Rob shows Gila the cult Elaine May/Walter Matthau dark comedy romance "A New Leaf." Will Gila be forever fond of it like a frond from a fern, or will she find it ultimately poor? Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_Leaf_(film)
Aug 06, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 4
The future is now (a.k.a. five years ago) as Rob shows Gila 1989's "Back to the Future Part II." Special guests Jen and Gabe from The Dork Web return as we all skew into some tangents together. Will Gila enjoy the ride without roads, or will this sequel leave her hanging on a porch swing? Join us and find out! Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Future_Part_II Find more from The Dork Web: https://www.instagram.com/TheDorkWeb/ https://twitter.com/thedorkweb https://www.youtu...
Jul 08, 2020•2 hr 18 min•Season 2Ep. 3
April 8 is Rex Manning Day! Gila celebrates the day 1995's "Empire Records" takes place by, oddly enough, selecting 1995's "Empire Records" for her April 8 "Modern Technology Watches" pick. How will Rob react to this particular combination of twangy 1990s music and angsty 1990s dialogue? Pop this episode into your CD changer and find out! Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_Records
Apr 08, 2020•58 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Welcome to our latest episode! This is a big one; Rob is showing Gila 1985's "Back to the Future," one of his lifelong favorites, and special guests Jen and Gabe from The Dork Web are along for the 88MPH ride. Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_the_Future Find more from The Dork Web: https://www.instagram.com/TheDorkWeb/ https://twitter.com/thedorkweb https://www.youtube.com/user/inkjacket Some things we talk about in the episode: Rob's "Save the Clock Tower" flyer replica htt...
Mar 10, 2020•2 hr 21 min•Season 2Ep. 1
It's the first-season finale of "Modern Technology Watches," and Gila is capping off our inaugural run with 2012's a-capella-competition comedy "Pitch Perfect." Will Rob get in-tune with the cinematic approach to structured cover-band battles, or will it all hit a sour note? Listen along and find out! Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_Perfect
Feb 14, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Rob connects Gila to 1976's news-entertainment satire "Network." How will Gila react to this Oscar-winning world of live-televised meltdowns, corporate machination, and human manipulation? Will she count herself among the faithful audience awaiting their prophet, or will she be mad as hell about having to watch? Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_(1976_film)
Jan 14, 2020•1 hr 39 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Gila invites Rob on a trip to "Camp," a 2003 film about a theatrical Summer camp populated by theatrical characters putting on theatrical productions. Does the movie speak to Rob, himself an old theatre kid, or is this one closing early? Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_(2003_film)
Dec 24, 2019•1 hr 26 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Rob takes Gila on a trip to the dark and mysterious future of... *checks notes* ...November 2019, the futuristic setting of 1982's cyberpunk film noir "Blade Runner." Will Gila be uplifted like a flying cop car by the cinematic prowess on display, or will the film flop onto its back like a tortoise? Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner
Dec 05, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 10
