Now We Know

They're finally gettin' married! Following the conclusion of the Aladdin animated series—which itself was kicked off by an earlier straight-to-video sequel—Disney rolled out a final VHS installment headlined by the return of Robin Williams as the Genie. Also featuring Jonathan Rhys-Davies and Jerry Orbach, this movie bravely asks: am I really better than The Return of Jafar?

Throwing back to the classic (if slightly underheralded) animation of our youths, Kevin brings forth Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light, yet another Hasbro-backed vehicle reverse-engineered to sell toys. And, like the far more popular G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, this show was made by Sunbow Productions. Has lightning struck twice?

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On the occasion of the sad, premature passing of famed and influential manga author Akira Toriyama, Chris and Kevin look back at a trio of Dragon Ball Z movies that aired on American television in the late 90's—Dead Zone, The World's Strongest, and The Tree of Might.

With a reboot on the horizon, Kevin and Chris look back at 1992's X-Men cartoon series, a childhood staple clearly loved and well-remembered by many. Please, join us for a little mutant madness, and see how this once and future hit holds up in our brave new world.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Fleischer Studios' Superman animated shorts of the 1940's! Well, more accurately, we'll be talking about two of the classic Superman cartoons produced under the watchful eye of Max and Dave Fleischer, and one of the late-run entries produced by Famous Studios, Paramount's Fleischer successor studio. Join us for a look back at a trio of The Last Son of Krypton's adventures—The Mad Scientist, The Magnetic Telescope, and Jungle Drums.

Who you gonna call? Fortunately, not the police, but rather The Real Ghostbusters! That's right, with the unfathomably bizarre decision to release another self-serious Ghostbusters movie in theaters soon (wasn't what you loved about the original how maudlin it was?), Kevin revisits the classic 80's DIC cartoon series.

Step aside, Dumbo. Shove off, Horton. Get outta here, elephant... from... Operation Dumbo Drop... it's little Babar's time to shine! This episode we look back at Babar The Movie, a 1989 barely feature length flick which did screen in some theaters, raking in about $1.3 million at the box office, entertaining among others a three-year-old Chris Tognotti in his very first theatrical experience.

It's that time again, friends! For his first episode of 2024, Kevin revisits a noble Now We Know tradition, taking us on a trip through Christmas cheer, grim reflections on secondhand smoke, and even a visit to the sacred Halls of Medicine—it's Commercials of the 80's and 90's Vol. 6!

Happy New Year to all our friends, lovers, and of course, listeners! To ring in a new year, Chris finally uncorks an episode he's had in his back pocket since, well, roundabouts Christmas of 1997 — Titanic: A New Musical (now called Titanic: The Musical, as it is no longer in any way new). Debuting on Broadway the very same year as James Cameron's epic movie, although actually releasing several months earlier, it took a ton of rehearsals, a lot of money, some complicated hydraulics, and a public assist from Rosie O'Donnell to keep this show from sinking. (Note: A new production of the show is now available to stream on BroadwayHD, which is how we watched it. And if you'd like to imagine we're right there watching it with you, your prayers are answered — you can nab a watchalong track at Patreon.com/NowWeKnow. Thanks for your support, and here's to another year!)

Babes! Toys! Lands! Not really the first things you'd think of if you actually watched this made-for-TV movie, but here it is just the same. Noteworthy for performances by young Drew Barrymore, young Keanu Reeves, regular-aged Pat Morita, and for muddling Kevin's memories of 80s Christmastime with the things he watched yet again. Thrill to hear that one guy from Empty Nest say "Cinciwhatski" 100 times!

Baaaa bah bah BAH! Ba ba ba baaaah baaaah bah bah bah. BAAAAAH bah bah BAH! Ba ba ba baaaah baaaah bah bah bah. BAAAAAAAAAAH bah bah BAH! Ba ba ba baaaah baaaah bah bah bah! BAAAAAAAAAAH bah bah BAH! Ba ba ba BA buh buh buh BA BA buh buh buh BA BA buh buh buh BA BAH!

Happy soon-to-be Thanksgiving, everyone! In celebration of the traditional themes, tropes, and gastronomies of the season, Chris and Kevin dive into a trio of classic TV episodes tackling the Thanksgiving spirit: Happy Days' "The First Thanksgiving," Small Wonder's "Thanksgiving Story," and Amazing Stories' "Thanksgiving." Enjoy, everyone! Also — we're thankful for you and we know you're thankful for us. To see all the bonus content we have on offer, including episodes on contemporary releases, and watch-along tracks so you can enjoy the stuff we watch with us, check out Patreon.com/nowweknow! Thanks, all!

With spooky season 2023 in the rear view mirror, Kevin and Chris turn their weary eyes to We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, the ignoble, ill-fated Spielberg produced—though not directed—dino toon flick. Starring John Goodman, Walter Kronkite, Julie Kavner, and Jay Leno among others, this movie lays bare the fact that, while a Picasso scribble on a cocktail napkin may be worth millions, a tossed off Spielberg idea without the man himself at the helm is not.

Wooo wooo wooo wooo wooo wooooooooooo dun de da dun de dah (this is supposed to be the X-files theme) Fan favorite Miranda returns to the pod to dish on the classic 1990's sci-fi paranoia series! We look back at a pair of episodes: "Squeeze," and "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose."

The month of October is upon us, and so too are all the attendant ghosts, goblins, ambulatory skeletons—you know the drill. But here at Now We Know studios, a different sort of ghoul shambles out to center stage: Torgo, along with the Master, Michael, Margaret, little Debbie, and Manos (not pictured in this film). That's right, it's "Manos" The Hands of Fate, the basement-budget reviled cult horror flick made famous by those jokers at Mystery Science Theater 3000. We aren't here for laughs, however—we're here to tell you, when you strip away the wisecracking robots, and watch as writer/director/star Hal Warren intended, just how bad is Manos really?

Like a brilliant smoggy sunset against the skyline of 1990's Los Angeles, your loyal hosts are joined by returning guest Dr. Ian Werkheiser (PhD) to awe and delight you. This time we look back at L.A. Story, starring Steve Martin, Victoria Tennant, Richard E. Grant, and a cast of thousands! And don't worry—no showbiz phonies allowed.

Who’s ready for a little outback adventure? Kevin and Chris revisit The Rescuers Down Under, the oft-forgotten Disney movie which sits snugly between The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, in the early days of Disney’s animation renaissance. With Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor returning as those selfsame Rescuer mice Bernard and Bianca one last time (barring a new Bernard-only sequel—RIP Eva, but happy 94th Bob!), you hardly ever hear about this one, possibly because unlike its contemporaries, it’s not a musical. Is its relative obscurity deserved? Or is this an under-heralded gem?

Kevin and Chris traipse back to the mid-90's, of PBS "Mystery!" vintage, to revisit one of Kevin's favorite childhood detective characters—Poirot, Agatha Christie's indefatigable, razor-sharp Belgian dandy investigator, complete with his trademark immovable mustache. Kevin presents two episodes of the classic series, featuring David Suchet as the titular detective.

Kevin and Chris are joined by treasured returning guest Miranda to discuss FernGully: The Last Rainforest, a film which Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg attempted to pressure Robin Williams out of doing, on the grounds that his turn as the genie in Aladdin (which came out after this movie) would be crowded if he also portrayed the inimitable Batty Koda. Williams refused, however, joining Samantha Mathis, Tim Curry, Jonathan Ward, Grace Zabriskie, Tone Loc, and those daring young troubadours Cheech and Chong to lead an all-star cast. But of course, the vital question: was it any good?