This week, Arlill reads one of his short stories called Anger Management using the time-tested audio-book format! Or…as close to it as an amateur could do...
This week, Arlill talks about 5 important things that he still doesn’t know how to do. We completely understand if you want to leave an infuriated comment under this halfpisode.
In time for the release of independent animator/filmmaker Don Hertzfeldt’s latest short film, World of Tomorrow, Arlill talks about Hertzfeldt’s most famous short films and what effect they had on Arlill's life. Here’s a hint about next week’s episode!
Welcome to the pilot episode of the solo podcast! Like I explained here, episodes will be between 5-20 minutes, and on an assortment of many, many topics. I’m always open to suggestions though, so feel free to post any comments/criticism you have in the comments below or on Facebook. This episode is a very brief but intimate discussion about the short films I’ve made so far.
Laser Time does a Simpsons episode, we do a King of the Hill episode! In the first segment, the brothers talk about one of the most underrated animated series in recent years, discussing what endeared them to the Hill family and who they'd prefer as their father: Hank Hill or Homer Simpson. In the second segment, the brothers reminisce about the show’s greatest moments/episodes before talking about the bizarre yet brilliant King of the Hill YouTube Poop shorts by YouTuber Durhamrockerz. We're also including a blooper from RC Episode 12 at the very end which is perhaps the cutest mistake we've ever had on the show!
DOWNLOAD [39:23] (Google Drive music player can’t play files that are over 25 megabytes. Click on the download arrow at the top of the page to download the episode. Thanks!)
Random Chatterings returns (...again) from a brief hiatus with a sort-of new episode! Arlill briefly gives everyone an update on the podcast's absence before delving into the behind-the-scenes process of making the podcast (almost) every week. Then we dive straight into our personal collection of bloopers/outtakes we've collected over the past 2 years of doing the podcast.
(Google Drive music player can’t play files that are over 25 megabytes. Click on the download arrow at the top of the page to download the episode. Thanks!)
We are constantly tweaking the podcast format so if you have any suggestions for episodes or general questions, feel free to post them in the comments.
Technical info:
Recorded with Adobe Audition CC by Arlill and Gary Rodriguez
Edited with Adobe Audition CC by Arlill Rodriguez
"Random Chatterings Theme Song (piano and orchestrated versions)" composed by Sergiy Turchyn
"Green Hill Zone [Genesis Version]" composed by Masato Nakamura
"Knuckles Theme (from Sonic 3)" composed by Brad Buxer and Bobby Brooks
Podcasts are one of the most recent media formats that’s swept the internet landscape. It’s also something that is mocked and called background noise for people who work or something that just fills the emptiness of a room. It’s kind of remarkable how podcasts can get any kind of major following since there are so many podcasts available today, mostly from famous people, which is why I want to put my spotlight on one of my personal favorite podcasts, Laser Time.
Better than bullet time!
What is Laser Time?
Laser Time Network is the podcast network for former GamesRadar employees who have multiple podcasts about video games, wrestling, comic books and other forms of pop culture. Laser Time, the main podcast on their site, is hosted by Chris Antista, with his friends and co-hosts, Brett Elston, Mikel Reparaz, Tyler Wilde, Henry Gilbert, Michael Grimm, and Dave Rudden.
Each episode of Laser Time explores a different aspect of pop culture, going from adult jokes in kids’ cartoons to the worst accents in film, but taking an informally analytical approach to everything. What do I mean by that? Think about any conversation you’ve ever had with one of your friends about why a particular movie/book was worth seeing/reading and never saying “it’s good/bad”? Laser Time also acts like, what Chris Antista calls, “pop culture curators” and we get an in-depth look at the forgotten relics of pop culture AKA things that were relevant years ago. Examples of this include their episode about hotline numbers (immortalized by The Simpsons in Lisa the Greek), failed talk shows, and cartoons that were vanity vehicles for celebrities. The hosts’ rather informal approach to pop culture history make it easier to grasp and I’m amazed by how much random information I’ve been able to retain.
It’s the subtle differences that truly set Laser Time apart. Host Chris Antista does everything he can to entertain his friends (and in essence, the podcasting audience) and he actively uses humorous sound effects to capitalize or punctuate some of the jokes he makes but don’t worry, it’s nothing like an obnoxious radio morning zoo. Chris is also the main editor of Laser Time and he includes both an opening and closing segment in every episode. More amazingly, Chris includes the very faint hint of music playing in the background of every episode, just loud enough that it adds an interesting taste to their already riveting discussions. I can’t imagine how long it must take to do that for every episode, let alone on a weekly basis!
Laser Time’s consistent quality ultimately falls on one thing: the people. Laser Time is both one of the most vulgar and dark podcasts you’ll ever hear, and for me, that’s the type of humor I can cherish dearly. It’s evident in the opening minutes how close the hosts are to each other and that works effectively for establishing the back-and-forth dynamic that keeps their discussions interesting. People reviewing Laser Time on iTunes mention how the podcast is like listening to your best friends talk and that is what endeared me to the Laser Time crew in the end.
Laser Time has released 150+ episodes by this date and yet, I’ve listened to each episode twice and some episodes multiple times. When life becomes truly chaotic and the encouraging words from your friends and family just isn’t enough to brighten up your spirits, Laser Time has always been there to bring everything back to normality through the hosts’ own experiences and interpretations of the truly absurd journey of life. At once just a curiosity of the internet, now a permanent fixture of my daily routine, Laser Time is just the right amount of profanity and intellectual insight to make your day just a little bit brighter than usual.
Chris, Brett, Michael, and Henry talk about the state of video game journalism, specifically game reviews, after the impact of #GamerGate, then discuss and defend their picks of games they awarded 10s to when they worked at GamesRadar.
Without a doubt, an episode I’ve listened to at least a hundred times. The Laser Time crew talk about their favorite WWE wrestlers from the different eras of pro wrestling. This episode has such remarkable pacing to it that I would want to perform it as a live-stage version of it if I could. Even if you don’t like wrestling, this episode might convert you.
Exactly what it says, Chris, who wrote for A Cartoon Christmas for 4 years, brings up the absolute worst X-mas specials ever made that range from the bizarre to the appallingly awful. A must if you’re a fan of obscure animation!
Did I mention that Laser Time is a vulgar program? This episode, however, explores instances of innocent/childhood characters and public personalities saying “naughty” things.
A hilarious episode from beginning to end, Brett names off some of the stranger spam accounts and messages he’s encountered from the spam filter of his website VGMpire.
In the first segment, the Laser Time crew talk about the 2011 movie then reminisce their childhood experiences with the Muppets. In the second segment, Brett quizzes Chris, Henry, and Tyler on which titles are either from Marvel comics or Star Trek episodes.
The Laser Time crew talk about songs that they are kind-of ashamed to admit they like. It contains one of the most hilarious reactions from Michael Grimm that I’ve ever heard.
Chris names his list of the top 5 unaired comedy pilots while the hosts bring up an interesting perspective on the inner workings of television in the 90’s.
A legendary episode that exemplifies the best of Laser Time. Both an engaging look at a time capsule of television, the Very Special Episode, and a hilarious deconstruction of the Very Special Episode format, this episode will make you feel wonderful and guilty for laughing. Warning: gets very uncomfortable in the end.
Props must be given to Chris Antista for editing together this 6 hour epic, celebrating the 100th episode of TalkRadar, his first podcast before Laser Time. This episode includes only the greatest hits TalkRadar reached up to that point. Like I said though, it’s 6-hrs. Break out the confetti and champagne!
This episode is technically a holdover episode with "new" material due to many, many things going on that Arlill explains in the intro. This time, we made sure to include entertaining anecdotes and moments since the last episode was a bit heavier in terms of the material we usually present. In this episode, Arlill talks about his dream with Ellen Page, argues with Gary about things, and has a candid discussion about Toy Story 3's ending. DOWNLOAD[17:48]
We are constantly tweaking the podcast format so if you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to post them in the comments.
Technical info:
Recorded with a Sansa Fuze and Adobe Audition CC by Arlill Rodriguez
Edited with Adobe Premiere CS6 and Adobe Audition CC by Arlill Rodriguez
"Feel It All Around" by Washed Out
Random Chatterings Theme Song (piano and orchestrated versions) by Sergiy Turchyn
Prologue to this episode: http://randomsquiggledwords.blogspot.com/2011/09/summerchicken-plate.html This episode is technically a holdover episode with "new" material due to many, many things going on that Arlill explains in the intro. Like Episode 5, this episode is comprised of older recordings from 2010 related to the beginning of summer and Arlill's fears and concerns with the future. We'll be back to our regular schedule very soon! DOWNLOAD[18:50]
We are constantly tweaking the podcast format so if you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to post them in the comments.
Technical info:
Recorded with a Sansa Fuze and Adobe Audition CC by Arlill Rodriguez
Edited with Adobe Premiere CS6 and Adobe Audition CC by Arlill Rodriguez
"Final Zone～Genesis version～" from Sonic 1 composed by Masato Nakamura
Random Chatterings Theme Song (piano and orchestrated versions) by Sergiy Turchyn
"Swan Lake, Op. 20 - Scene, Act 2 #10" composed by Tchaikovsky
"Symphony #5 In C Sharp Minor - 4. Adagietto Sehr Langsam (Conclusion)" by Mahler
In this episode, the Rodriguez brothers deliberate on what it means to be an awkward person in our modern society. In the first segment, Arlill describes what, for him, is awkward about social interactions. In the second segment, Arlill reveals to his brother some unused ideas and premises for Awkward Arley. DOWNLOAD [35:09]
We are constantly tweaking the podcast format so if you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to post them in the comments.
Airplane Interruptions this week: 29
Technical info: Recorded with Garageband ‘14 by Arlill and Gary Rodriguez
Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 and Adobe Audition CC by Arlill Rodriguez
Random Chatterings Theme Song (piano and orchestrated versions) composed by Sergiy Turchyn
"Frolic-Curb Your Enthusiasm theme" composed by Luciano Michelini
