Authors Micaiah Johnson ('The Space Between Worlds') and Carmen Maria Machado ('In the Dream House,' 'Her Body and Other Parties') join Nerdette host Greta Johnsen to discuss the Oscar-nominated film ‘Promising Young Woman.’ ‘Promising Young Woman’ is a genre-busting rape revenge tale starring Carey Mulligan as a flinty avenger on the hunt for so-called "nice guys." It has been nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress. Bo Burnham, Connie Britton, A...
Mar 16, 2021•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is this movie a documentary? Maybe a horror film? Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal ! It’s the podcast where we rewatch movies from 1999 and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. Today, it’s all about Office Space , a workplace comedy from Mike Judge that has firmly … (“I believe you have my stapler”) ... wedged itself … (“Hello Peter. What’s happening.”) … into the cultural lexicon … (“Somebody’s got a case of the Mondays!”). The film stars Ron Livingston as a corpora...
Nov 25, 2020•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast First thing we’re doing after this pandemic? Paintballing in Washington State, of course! Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal ! It’s the podcast where we rewatch movies from 1999 and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. Today, it’s all about 10 Things I Hate About You , a far more benign reimagining of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew with Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger and a whole lot of Tacoma, Washington. Listen as Peter, Tricia and Greta discuss Peter’s new favor...
Nov 18, 2020•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Fair warning: This movie can be really tough to watch. Boys Don’t Cry is a heart-wrenching biopic based on the true story of Brandon Teena, a transgender man who was raped and murdered in Nebraska in 1993. The film stars Hilary Swank, who won an Oscar for her performance, with a stellar supporting performance from Chloë Sevigny and a haunting one from Peter Sarsgaard. Listen as Peter, Tricia and Greta discuss what the movie meant at the time, how it holds up and how it doesn’t....
Nov 11, 2020•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast There’s an election going on! This podcast has absolutely nothing to do with it! Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal ! It’s the podcast where we rewatch movies from 1999 and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. Today, it’s all about Election , a very dark comedy featuring Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick and about 15 servings worth of cringe. Listen as Peter, Tricia and Greta compare Tracy Flick to Leslie Knope, analyze each candidate’s speech and reminisce about their ve...
Nov 03, 2020•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode is all about The Blair Witch Project , a 1999 film with a $60,000 budget and three unknown actors that made over $240 million. Listen as Peter, Tricia and Greta break it down, and then join us next week for Election ... just in time for the election . And don’t forget, we want to hear from you! Join the party and send us a voice recording about any of the movies we’re featuring. Just record yourself on your phone and send the audio file to nerdetterecaps@gmail.com ....
Oct 28, 2020•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast What is The Matrix ? Why, it’s a film that the matrix would make about the matrix, of course! Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal ! It’s the podcast where we rewatch movies and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. This time around, it’s all about the films of 1999. And today, we’re breaking down The Matrix , a seminal film from the Wachowski siblings starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss. Listen as Peter, Tricia and Greta break it down, and then join ...
Oct 21, 2020•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Quick! Name six iconic movies that hit theaters in the year 1999. Nothing?! Ok. We'll do it for you: The Matrix The Blair Witch Project Election Boys Don't Cry 10 Things I Hate About You Office Space And the craziest thing is? That's not even the half of it ! In honor of that crazy year in movies, Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal is back again, featuring recaps and analysis of the six films listed above (as well as updates on whatever Peter was doing 21 years ago). Take a listen to t...
Oct 14, 2020•1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Either Peter really hates the 1991 film Hook or he’s suffering from some serious Peter Pan envy … or maybe both! Welcome to a special bonus episode of Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal ! his week it’s all about Steven Spielberg’s Peter Pan sequel , starring Dustin Hoffman as the titular captain, Robin Williams as an adult Peter Pan and Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell. Listen as Peter explains why he thinks Hook is Spielberg’s worst film, hear Tricia defend it to the death and see Greta p...
Sep 30, 2020•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Six weeks of movie recaps and there still seems to be no sign of intelligent life anywhere. This week it’s all about the 1995 Pixar classic Toy Story, starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and all of our collective childhood memories. Listen as Peter, Tricia and Greta recall the moments that made them weep, search for hidden religious analogs and consider the system of ethics in the 'Toy Story' universe ....
Sep 16, 2020•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast The $5 milkshake. Once a shocking, exorbitant example of the scourge of inflation. Now, a hot bargain that shouldn’t be missed! Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal ! It’s the podcast where we rewatch movies of the ‘90s and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. Episode 5 is all about 1994’s Pulp Fiction, starring John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis. Listen to this conversation with Peter Sagal, Tricia Bobeda and Greta Johnsen, then join us next week f...
Sep 09, 2020•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Does Dazed and Confused have a plot? Barely! Does that matter? To some people, yes! This week's recap is all about 1993’s Dazed and Confused , starring young versions of Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Ben Affleck and Anthony Rapp. It’s also an early film from director Richard Linklater, who went on to make critically-acclaimed movies like Before Sunset, Boyhood and A Scanner Darkly . Listen to this conversation with Peter, Tricia and Greta, then join us next week for our discussion of Pulp F...
Sep 02, 2020•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast We didn’t ask him, but I think we can say it with certainty: Peter Sagal definitely cannot dunk. Episode 3 of Nerdette Recaps features our very first sportsball movie: 1992’s White Men Can’t Jump, starring Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson and Rosie Perez. It’s director Ron Shelton’s followup to Bull Durham and the script might just contain more obscenities than non-obscenities. Listen to this conversation with Peter, Tricia and Greta, then join us next week for our discussion of Dazed and Co...
Aug 26, 2020•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you’re a former fighter pilot and the world is facing annihilation at the hands of an alien species whose only motivation is permanently ending the human race, well then, who cares if you’re the president? You belong in the air, baby! Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal , the podcast where we rewatch movies of the ‘90s and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. Today is all about the 1996 blockbuster Independence Day, starring Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Vivica A. Fox, ...
Aug 19, 2020•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal! the podcast where we rewatch movies of the ‘90s and talk about them like the intense nerds we are. Our first selection is Clueless , the 1995 Emma adaptation filled with ridiculous footwear, Paul Rudd putting mayo on cold cuts and also Friedrich Nietzsche for some reason. Listen to our conversation, then join us next week for a discussion of Independence Day. And don’t forget, we want to hear from you! Join the party and send us a voi...
Aug 11, 2020•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast What better way to remember a simpler decade than by watching some of the biggest films from 30 years ago? Join Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal of NPR’s Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me! as they dissect movies from the ‘90s. (And yes, we’re totally gonna do Dazed and Confused.) Listen to this new trailer, then come back here on Wednesday, August 12 for fresh recap all about a classic film from 1995, Clueless ....
Aug 05, 2020•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Spoilers ahead! WHAT. A. FINALE. In the latest His Dark Materials , Will hunkers down in lots of places, Mrs. Coulter becomes increasingly unhinged, and we finally learn what the prophecy about Lyra’s betrayal really means. Join us as Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal break down the final episode of the first season.
Dec 24, 2019•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Now that’s what I call a bear fight! In the latest His Dark Materials , Iorek Byrinson returns to his homeland, Will Parry engages in mortal combat and we finally meet back up with Lord Asriel, who is strangely pleased to see Roger Parslow. Join us as Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal break it all down ahead of next week’s season finale. Plus, we play Peter a clip of himself three weeks ago in which he says he’s not going to complain anymore! Whoops Peter! We want to hear from you! Wh...
Dec 17, 2019•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast That was INTENSE. Lyra narrowly avoids disaster, has a heart-to-heart with mom, creates some chaos in Bolvangar, and … falls into a whole new disaster! Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal have some thoughts on the latest episode, as did you. So join us! P.S. We want to hear from you! Tell us: In the final episodes, are you willing to endure the noticeable dearth of CGI daemons in exchange for a sleuth of bears? Send us an audio file to nerdetterecaps@gmail.com....
Dec 10, 2019•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast The first season of His Dark Materials is more than halfway done and while things are coming together, we still have a lot of questions. Like much does it cost to CGI a daemon? What exactly are the Gobblers up to? And if you dial up a friend in another dimension, will the phone still ring? Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal are here to discuss the latest episode, which had more creepy creepers than usual....
Dec 03, 2019•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Armored drinking bears! Sassy thieving cowboys! Dudley Dursley for some reason! Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal are here to discuss the latest episode of His Dark Materials , which is either the moment this TV series comes to life or a terrible approximation of an excellent book, depending on who you listen to.
Nov 26, 2019•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast Holy plot developments! Based on how much we learned in Episode 3 of HBO’s His Dark Materials , it’s safe to say this young TV show is maturing quite rapidly! And as per usual, Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal are here to break it all down. Listen to the latest recap, and remember that we also want to hear from you! Join the conversation and share your own theories with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #NerdetteRecaps ....
Nov 19, 2019•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Boy is it getting DUST-y in here. (Haw haw, get it?) The second episode of HBO’s His Dark Materials sees Lyra travel to London with Mrs. Coulter as the Gyptians track down the so-called Gobblers and try to find their kidnapped children. And after some monkey business in Mrs. Coulter’s study, Lyra discovers that her surrogate mother is up to something in the North, but it’s not entirely clear what. Join us as we break it all down! And join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using...
Nov 12, 2019•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Grab your daemons and put on your snow boots, because Greta Johnsen and Tricia Bobeda of Nerdette and Peter Sagal of NPR’s Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me! are back together again to recap another HBO fantasy show: His Dark Materials . This week the team discusses the series premiere, which aired Monday, so beware, there are some episode 1 spoilers (but we avoid book spoilers the best we can!). If you’re not familiar with His Dark Materials , the show is based off the critically-acclaimed...
Nov 05, 2019•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast … Oxford! That’s right, just like Weezer, Sleater-Kinney, and the Spice Girls before them, the Nerdette Recaps crew is getting the band back together for the new HBO series His Dark Materials . Starting Tuesday, Nov. 5 — the day after the premiere episode of His Dark Materials airs — you’ll find all new episodes of Nerdette Recaps His Dark Materials with Peter Sagal right here in this podcast feed. And in honor of this auspicious occasion, Greta put Peter in a studio and gloated at him about her...
Nov 01, 2019•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s the end of an era. After more than 70 hours of television and nearly ten years of worrying about the Stark children, Game of Thrones is finally over. Tricia, Greta and Peter got together one last time to reflect on the series..
May 28, 2019•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Game of Thrones is over, and there is a *lot* to process. In this recap of the series finale, Tricia realizes she doesn’t like endings, Peter wants Jon Snow’s head and Greta observes the Valyrian word for Dorne appears to be Dornut . Listen to this recap of Game of Thrones Season 8, episode 6, titled “The Iron Throne.” Then be sure to come back next week for our final recap of the entire series , including a debate on the forthcoming spinoffs and whether or not we’ll truly ever get to read those...
May 20, 2019•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast That was pretty messed up! The penultimate episode of Game of Thrones has come and gone, and we all just witnessed Dany commit a few thousand war crimes. What just happened? Madness! How are we feeling? Conflicted! But there was some good news if you're a land speculator: Now might just be a great time to buy real estate in King’s Landing. Join Nerdette and Peter Sagal as we consider the super low mortgage rates!...
May 13, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast With the Battle of Winterfell over, the Stark clan needs to talk. What do we do about this Dany lady? And who’s making dinner Tuesday night? There are only two episodes left before Game of Thrones concludes, and Peter, Tricia and Greta have convened to discuss this episode's curious events. Consider: Jon decided to play telephone with his bombshell of a secret, Varys openly discussed treason against Queen Dany, and Qyburn once again refused to put on an undershirt (a simple crew neck would ...
May 06, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Don’t worry, if you couldn’t tell what exactly was going on last night, we’ve got your back. And a lot of feelings to process. The army of the undead finally descended on Winterfell, and it turns out the crypt really was one of the safest places to hide. (At least, compared to the carnage upstairs.) Tricia, Greta and Peter consider the undead, the newly dead and where we go from here on the latest recap of Game of Thrones . Also: Who run the world? GIRLS! P.S. Want our EXCELLENT #NerdetteRecaps ...
Apr 29, 2019•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
