With the Oscars behind us, Joel revisits the year 2022 in movies by reviewing the winner and losers and the show itself. He’s joined by Jason Fylan-Mares, and neither guy has seen all the nominated films and neither really cares. Joel explains why the movies aren’t what they used to be, why his interest declined in The Oscars and why TV is way more interesting now. Plus, stand-up comedy is booming, Joel’s other podcast is going well, and TV reviews of Yellow Jackets, The Last of Us, Shrinking, P...
Mar 14, 2023•2 hr 5 min
After an extended break, Joel – and Layla – return with stories of their holiday visit to NYC, including seeing The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, Hugh Jackman in The Music Man, and dining on legendary eats that Joel never tried before. Also, reviews of Oscar-buzzworthy movies The Fabelmans, Avatar 2, and Glass Onion. Plus, Joel’s new podcast venture takes off ( listen to this !). Joel and Layla freezing in NYC December 2022...
Jan 08, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Another year, and tons more movies! Joel ruined his social life by watching all of the movies nominated for Oscars in 2022, so you don’t have to! He has his list of the fifteen best, his Oscar predictions, and why he just can’t watch Shakespeare – sorry, Denzel! He’s joined by Jason Fylan-Mares who shares his own list, which includes superheroes, video game characters and Oasis! Great list! Also, find out the worst films of the year including at least one nominated for Best Picture. This is alwa...
Mar 20, 2022•2 hr 47 min
Jason Fylan-Mares returns to Joel Radio to discuss a health scare in Joel’s household, the shootings close to home in Oxford, MI and a promise to keep the show funny and light, really! Jason talks about his hometown of Oxford and how he’s hoping to help the town with a big comedy benefit on December 29th . Joel explains why he’s living in a hotel for a week, pledges his support for the Oxford benefit, describes seeing The Rolling Stones for probably the last time, and details how his father’s pa...
Dec 22, 2021•2 hr 4 min
Joel returns with the sad news of his Dad’s passing in August, the reason he took a break from the show, and shares his family’s story of dealing with the ravages of Alzheimer’s on a loved one. He also details why he missed the Gathering of the Juggalos this year and you can probably guess why. If that wasn’t enough, Norm Macdonald, passed and the world finally recognized what a genius he was. Find out what happened when Norm and Joel had dinner one night. On the sunnier side, Layla joins the sh...
Oct 14, 2021•1 hr 40 min
Joel rarely talks about Pro Wrestling on this show, but he has a long history with it as a fan and as a ring announcer, and he shares some of those stories on this week’s show. He’s joined in this by Chicago-area and JCW wrestling legend Vito Thomaselli, who hadn’t seen or talked to Joel in over twelve years! Vito’s got a lot going on now like appearing on WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures on A&E recently , and his own animated wrestling TV show, The Carnies. Vito and Joel talk what it’s like to w...
Jul 22, 2021•1 hr 21 min
Joel’s main squeeze Layla returns to the podcast to talk their awful experience in returning to a movie theater after over a year of not going to one. The movie was good (A Quiet Place Part 2), but the people were not. Hear why this was all Joel’s fault – according to Layla! – and how he would run movie theaters differently if he was in charge. Also, Layla remembers Bill Hildebrandt, and the end of Covid restrictions and why Joel was 100% right about how to distribute the vaccine. Plus, tons of ...
Jun 23, 2021•1 hr 15 min
It is with a very heavy heart that Joel says goodbye to his mentor, friend and “Comedy Dad”, Bill Hildebrandt who passed recently. Joel tries to avoid crying (and fails!) by inviting some of Bill’s good friends, comedians Derek Richards and Kevin Kramis on the show. Joel and Derek talk Bill’s time playing in Vegas, the history of “The Mug” and its accompanying bit, and why Bill was the curmudgeon comedian we all loved. Kevin joins to talk about Bill as a comedy teacher, working with Soupy Sales,...
Jun 10, 2021•1 hr 44 min
The annual massive Movie Mania show consisting of Joel’s best movies of the year, the worst movies of the year, Oscar predictions and more is here! Joel is joined once again by Jason Fylan-Mares (or is it Jason FM?), and the guys have included a symbolic chair for the late, great Corey Hall to join them in spirit. Some of the highlights are Joel saying that Mank is representative of the problems with Netflix’s original programming, why Tenet is just a Christopher Nolan James Bond movie, and why ...
Apr 08, 2021•3 hr 21 min
Joel welcomes pro wrestler/comedian and would-be filmmaker Mikey Gordon to the show. Mikey and Joel met at The Gathering of the Juggalos, and have crossed paths at diverse places over the years including Detroit, California and Oklahoma City. Mikey details his attempt at making a feature film, how you can help support it , and the unique way way it will eventually be released. Mikey also tells tales of jobbing on WWE Raw, drive-thru wrestling, and Joel revisits the night a pro-wrestler him in th...
Mar 19, 2021•1 hr 47 min
After celebrating the death of Larry King, Joel returns to celebrate the death of Rush Limbaugh! Joel runs down all of Rush’s failings and scandals and tells his tale of being invited to hang out at a “Rush Room” in the 1990s. He also details all of Limbaugh’s progressive and positive ideas for the United States and its citizens – yeah nothing at all in this column! Zip! FU RUSH! Rest in Hell, dickhead. Plus, Layla joins for TV and movie reviews with Oscar darling Nomadland, Framing Britney Spea...
Feb 25, 2021•1 hr 21 min
Joel hasn’t reveled in a celebrity death for a while, but he’s not missing out on dumping on Larry King, one of the most famous and absolutely worst interviewers in history. Joel tells you how Larry didn’t prepare at all, and had no follow up questions for his guests and generally sucked at his job. Joel also details how Larry reveled in his callers’ geography, hit on old starlets, and was divorced multiple times including recently when he was in his 80s! He also uncorks his Larry King impressio...
Jan 28, 2021•1 hr 32 min
On this show Joel follows up on the problems distributing the COVID-19 vaccine, and why it’s important to figure how to get it right now instead of later. He also talks about the folks that stormed the Capitol Building in D.C. and why you should figure out what your Mom, Dad and Uncles are up to on the internet. There’s a grim reality to the show’s open, but it lightens up as Layla joins Joel to discuss some of the Oscar season films like the excellent Promising Young Woman, Herself, Sound of Me...
Jan 15, 2021•1 hr 20 min
The last show of 2020 has Joel updating everyone on his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Spoilers, he’s doing fine, and he’s encouraging for people to take it themselves when they can. Joel is joined by journalist Steve Miller who feels the delivery of the vaccine could be a problem and the guys come up with some inventive ways to distribute it. Perhaps the most obvious – just give it to anyone who wants it! Listen to this and be encouraged with the world’s fight against Covid-19, even thoug...
Dec 31, 2020•2 hr 1 min
Joel takes a Covid-19 vaccine trial and talks all about it on this show. He documents his journey to getting into the trial, the side effects he felt after the shot, the possibility of getting a placebo, how it affects a possible future vaccine mandate and much more. Should you get the vaccine yourself? Joel has a definite opinion on the subject – don’t miss this show! Plus, Joel’s girlfriend Layla returns to co-host and why Covid made that a necessity. And there’s a giant TV and movie rundown i...
Dec 07, 2020•1 hr 50 min
After eight long months away, Jason Fylan-Mares returns to the show for the first time since Movie Mania 2020. Jason’s stayed busy producing his own comedy shows , performing, and doing something Joel has not dared to – going to the movies! Joel details how he voted this year, going against long-standing convictions with a specific goal in mind. He also skips tons of stuff on the ballot, too! Find out which races he can’t be bothered with and why the American Solidarity Party will have to wait a...
Oct 29, 2020•2 hr 32 min
It looks like stand-up comedy is returning, even in a smaller, socially-distanced way, and Joel talks to the formerly retired comedian Ted Moss about what’s about to happen. Joel tells you about The Comedy Castle’s new procedures for the November re-opening and is proud to announce the return of the Advanced Comedy Class! Ted has already done some shows and has more coming up, when he’s not making episodes of his ever-growing podcast. Also, find out the beef between David Crosby and the recently...
Oct 16, 2020•2 hr 27 min
Podcaster and (retired) comedian Ted Moss, returns to the studio to tell Joel about how lockdown has been treating him and not unlike Joel it’s been challenging. Both guys talk renovating their kitchen with limited funds and Ted’s clever scheme that may or may not work. Joel bemoans the government’s response to comedy clubs closing, his own unemployment situation and why most “solutions” do nothing to combat the virus. Plus, more love for Fargo, Ted loves Catastrophe, Class Action Park is as cra...
Sep 11, 2020•2 hr 15 min
Joel returns with comedian Bill Hildebrandt in studio. Bill details his first comedy gig in months – outside no less – and how he’s dealing with COVID-19 by going the right way down the aisle at the supermarket, even if it feels wrong. Joel and Bill talk going to Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and why you should go there, too. Joel reviews Irresistible, Palm Springs, Host, and I Used To Go Here. One of those is really good! Plus, more memories of Corey Hall and a special, never-before-h...
Aug 14, 2020•1 hr 34 min
On this show, Joel remembers his friend and co-host Corey Hall who passed away suddenly at age 44. It’s an emotional two hours as Joel talks about Corey’s life and career, how the two met, their successes and failures as podcasters and much more. Hear about their good, but ultimately doomed audition for commercial radio, the favorite shows they did together, what they fought about and what they both loved. There’s other tributes to Corey, too: one from NPR , his family’s obituary and a very nice...
Jul 16, 2020•2 hr 5 min
It’s another week of lockdown and Joel has watched a million different movies and TV shows and checks in with reviews. Actually, there some things even he, or phone-in guest Corey Hall, refuse to watch, including a new David Spade film on Netflix that looks like the worst thing ever. He’s pushing sixty years old, and Spade still hes acting like a teenager, being too good for the 20-years-his-junior woman that is by any standard attractive. Speaking of attractiveness, Joel details the real crime ...
May 20, 2020•1 hr 37 min
The world is so weird right now, and as a guy who likes to tell the truth Joel is here to say nobody knows anything. Not the doctors, the scientists, especially not the politicians. Everybody’s guessing, and Joel is, too. He chats with comedian Kevin Kramis who “won” the right to mow his, and other’s, lawns. Kevin says why he stopped live streaming comedy, how he’s being taken care by unemployment and his new hobby to fill the time. Later, girlfriend and viewing companion, Layla joins Corey Hall...
Apr 29, 2020•1 hr 10 min
Another week in lockdown has Joel calling up his friends. He starts with Ted Moss, who isn’t buying into all the stay at home restrictions and just wants to paint his house, or go out on a boat or whatever else they tell him he can’t do. Ted has also returned from a big podcasting conference and will soon be famous with his own YouTube channel and other podcast gimmicks that all cost him money. Later, Corey halls joins Joel and his girlfriend Layla to discuss what to watch while you’re doing not...
Apr 14, 2020•1 hr 40 min
Joel checks in during the pandemic to interview journalist Steve Miller about coronavirus, America’s response to the crisis and taking guesses at when it all might end. Steve’s also been doing a bunch of reporting on a sensational Florida murder-for-hire case , but he still hasn’t seen Tiger King. Also, comedian Derek Richards checks in from Las Vegas on the state of Vegas, and why comics might actually get a raise out of unemployment. Plus, Joel’s quarantine-mate Layla check in on how they’re s...
Mar 30, 2020•1 hr 39 min
Comedian and all-around curmudgeon Bill Hildebrandt returns to chat about how the corporate comedy show is done wrong, the effect of coronavirus on the business and why comedy agents are weasels. It’s an inside comedy talk for sure, but it’s hard to disagree with him – unless you’re an agent or a corporation looking for fun-but-misguided way to entertain your employees. Also, Joel takes Rob Schneider out for breakfast, Atlanta traffic sucks, what happens when a big store closes, and movie produc...
Mar 10, 2020•1 hr 29 min
