27: "Constantine" with Helene Wecker
Nebula and World Fantasy Award-nominated author Helene Wecker joins Antony to talk Constantine’s unjustly maligned visual feast, the angelic Tilda Swinton, and the size of Keanu’s hands.
Episodes
Unjustly Maligned
A pop culture show about the sometimes strange things we love, that other people… don’t. Each episode, comics and games writer Antony Johnston asks a new guest to explain why that thing you hate is actually really great.
Episodes
26: "Genesis" with... Antony Johnston?!
For one week only, the tables are turned as guest host Jason Snell welcomes Antony to rant about the genius of Genesis (!) Look, we tried to stop him, but it’s his birthday.
25: "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" with Mike Klimo
Film critic and controversial prequel fan Mike Klimo joins Antony to explain his unorthodox Ring Theory, and how he believes it proves “Episode II: Attack of the Clones” is unjustly maligned. It’s kind of intense.
24: "Monopoly" with Cory Casoni
Marketing guru and board game nerd Cory Casoni joins Antony to roll the dice and move his mice, while explaining that everyone who unjustly maligns “Monopoly” is simply playing it wrong.
23: "Romance Novels" with Maya Rodale
Bestselling romance author Maya Rodale joins Antony to convince him her chosen field is unjustly maligned, explain how romance is a feminist genre, and ask just what is up with all the dukes, anyway?
22: "Face/Off" with Neven Mrgan
Programmer and game designer Neven Mrgan joins Antony to defend John Woo’s “Face/Off”, lament the march of realism in action movies, and wonder why anyone would own a double-sided mirror.
21: "Gremlins 2" with Rich Dansky
Game writer and novelist Rich Dansky joins Antony in a fun, but in no sense civilized, tribute to the late Sir Christopher Lee as they get wet, stare at bright lights, and feast after midnight on the unjustly maligned “Gremlins 2”.
20: "Jupiter Ascending" with Serenity Caldwell
Journalist and podcaster Serenity Caldwell joins Antony to revel in one of the most unjustly maligned movies of 2015, “Jupiter Ascending”. We love dogs!
19: "Dragon Age II" with Liz Myles
Writer and podcaster Liz Myles joins Antony to complain that “Dragon Age II” is unjustly maligned, how saving the world yet again simply isn’t that exciting, and why you just can’t trust a wizard.
18: "Dave Matthews Band" with Casey Liss
Whoever the hell Casey Liss is, he joins Antony to persuade him the Dave Matthews Band is unjustly maligned, that you can’t beat a good drummer, and just what is a jam band, anyway?
17: "Buckaroo Banzai" (the novelization) with David Loehr
Playwright and theatre producer David Loehr joins Antony to convince him the novelisation of “Buckaroo Banzai” is unjustly maligned, mainly due to its association with a terrible movie, and how they threw away all the best bits.
16: "Star Trek: Voyager" with Brianna Wu
Game designer Brianna Wu joins Antony to convince him “Star Trek: Voyager” is unjustly maligned, explain why the world just wasn’t ready for feminist Trek, and why Seven of Nine is actually the best character in the whole franchise.
15: "Watchmen" with Merlin Mann
Writer and podcaster Merlin Mann joins Antony to stand up (mostly) for the “Watchmen” movie, discuss the difficulty of separating source material from its adaptation… and then there’s that ending.
14: "Dragonriders of Pern" with Lisa Schmeiser
Writer and bookworm Lisa Schmeiser joins Antony to defend the “Dragonriders of Pern” novels from being unjustly maligned, discuss her changing views of them over the years, and muse their suitability for young girls today.
13: "Popeye" with Monty Ashley
TV critic and podcaster Monty Ashley joins Antony to explain why the “Popeye” movie is unjustly maligned, that the story of its making is more unlikely than the movie itself, and just how many times you should watch a movie to recognise its genius.
12: "Murder, She Wrote" with Scott McNulty
Writer and podcaster Scott McNulty joins Antony to explain why “Murder, She Wrote” is unjustly maligned, how it changed the TV landscape, and why it’s basically a proto-“Castle”.
11: "Hudson Hawk" with Dan Moren
Tech journalist and podcaster Dan Moren joins Antony in a celebration of what may be the ultimate Unjustly Maligned movie, “Hudson Hawk”. It’s so much better than you realize, and they’re going to tell you why.
10: "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" with Erika Ensign
Podcaster and handwavium aficionado Erika Ensign joins Antony to explain why “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” is unjustly maligned, that audiences should judge a movie in what it’s trying to be rather than what it’s trying to live up to, and how George Lucas never grew up.
9: Megadeth's "Risk" with Brian LeTendre
Writer and metalhead Brian LeTendre joins Antony to persuade him that Megadeth’s 1999 album “Risk” is unjustly maligned, why nerdy is state of the art, and why Metallica owes it all to Mustaine.
8: "Kim Possible" with Glenn Fleishman
Writer and podcaster Glenn Fleishman joins Antony to convince him that kids’ cartoons like “Kim Possible” aren’t just for children, explain why good stories don’t need recaps, but everyone in the ’90s did need all those pockets.
7: "Doctor Who: The Movie" with Al Kennedy
Geek critic and podcaster Al Kennedy joins Antony to bemoan the unjust maligning of the 1996 “Doctor Who” movie, explain how Paul McGann was a great Doctor, and why he always drezzzzzes for the occasion.
6: "Italian cartoon theme tunes" with Emma Vieceli
Comic writer and artist Emma Vieceli joins Antony to convince him her favourite cheesy Italian theme tunes to 1980s anime are unjustly maligned, how theme songs learnt as children can unite people across borders, and why Oscar isn’t a real Lady.
5: "Last Action Hero" with Alison Baker
Comics podcaster and Charles Dance fangirl Alison Baker joins Antony to convince him the existential 1993 Schwarzenegger movie “Last Action Hero” is unjustly maligned, how the movie was sadly ahead of its time, and why Dance should thank Alan Rickman’s agent.
4: "Tron" with Wil Wheaton
Actor and supergeek Wil Wheaton joins Antony to protest that the original “Tron” movie from 1982 is unjustly maligned, to explain how its very existence created a rift among animators, and why he’d happily go on the game grid.
3: "The Wizard" with Moisés Chiullán
Arthouse cowboy and podcasting wunderkind Moisés Chiullán joins Antony to convince him the 1989 videogame movie “The Wizard” is unjustly maligned, how the movie has a surprising personal connection to him, and why he loves the power glove — it’s so bad.
2: "Twilight" with Leigh Alexander
Games journalist and feminist critic Leigh Alexander joins Antony to stand up for the “Twilight” books, explain how it’s OK to indulge in fantasy, and why separating fiction from reality is not a gender-specific trait.
1: "Stargate SG-1" with Jason Snell
Tech writer and geek podcaster Jason Snell joins Antony to explain why “Stargate SG-1” is unjustly maligned, how this long-running TV show seems to have been erased from the cultural conversation, and why fun is underrated.