William Bibbiani Talks 'Citizen Kane' on The Nerd GOAT Podcast!

Who's the greatest fictional character in history? That's the question they answer every week on Nerd GOAT, hosted by Ed Greer and Ron Swallow. Our very own William Bibbiani is their latest guest, and after debating such motion picture icons as Laurie Strode, Jason Voorhees and Moose from the "Step Up" films, settled on Charles Foster Kane from "Citizen Kane."

Why is Charles Foster Kane the greatest movie character of all time? You'll have to listen to the episode to find out!

Listen: William Bibbiani Calls Charles Foster Kane the Greatest Character of All Time on Nerd GOAT

Top Photo: RKO

Canceled Too Soon #121: 'Fred and Barney Meet The Thing' (1979)

Welcome, to our MARVELOUS MONTH OF MARVELS! Every episode of Canceled Too Soon in November is dedicated to a failed television series based on a Marvel comic book, and we're starting off with one of the weirdest cartoon series ever made, in which Fantastic Four hero Ben Grimm, a.k.a. The Thing, has been transformed into a teenager who can summon his aging Brooklynite rock monster alter ego using magic rings, and by uttering the words "Thing Ring, Do Your Thing!"

Naturally, he uses those godlike powers to make picnics slightly less annoying.

Was this Hanna-Bareara cartoon, and one of the oddest footnotes in Marvel multimedia history, canceled too soon? We can't wait to find out! Join William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold as they delve into every episode of this inane cartoon series, and stick around, because our MARVELOUS MONTH OF MARVELS is only beginning!

Give it a listen!

Witney Seibold Says the 'Super Mario Bros.' is Just Like 'Orpheus'

25 years ago, there was a film about brothers. Mario brothers. And they were super. But the "Super Mario Bros." movie, based on the iconic video game, was a bizarre and extremely loose adaptation that ticked off the fans, tanked at the box office, and confused film critics around the world.

But not all critics hate "Super Mario Bros." Our very own Witney Seibold argues in favor of the strange artistic qualities of this unsung cult oddity by comparing it, believe it or not, to "Orpheus," as iconic a myth as has ever been told.

Yes, really. You're going to want to read this one, folks!

Read: Witney Seibold Equates "Super Mario Bros." and "Orpheus" at SMBMovie.com!

Top Photo: Buena Vista

Happy Halloween: It’s William Bibbiani’s Favorite Spooky Music Videos!

I was recently asked to write a review of “Elvira’s MTV Halloween Special” and I was delighted to discover that it concluded with Elvira hosting her favorite spooky music videos. It reminded me that there was a time when MTV vj’s were considered the coolest people on television, and many was the time I fantasized about being gainfully employed as a hip trendsetter whose whole job was to say what music video was about to be played next.

Years went by and I grew up, and discovered that I just wasn’t cool. Also, MTV fell into a stinky quagmire of pointless, non-musical programming. But the fantasy remained and it’s been reawakened. So, inspired by Elvira, I’ve decided to share with you my own favorite (not necessarily the best) spooky music videos to watch and enjoy on Halloween. 

William Bibbiani Reviews 'Elvira's MTV Halloween Special' (1986)

[The following article was sponsored and assigned by our Patreon subscriber Salem Horror Fest. To learn how to sponsor and assign articles to William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold for publication at Critically Acclaimed, visit our Patreon page.]

It’s staggeringly passé to suggest that, in the wake of media like “Stranger Things” and “It” and “[Insert Nostalgia Property Here],” nostalgia for the 1980s is at an all-time high. Of course it. People love the 1980s. Or rather, they love the stuff they remember about it, a.k.a. the stuff that still glitters. 

The 1980s were a time when media consumption was escalating, thanks to the increasing availability of home video and cable television. Filmmakers, producers and artists were struggling to create enough content to occupy that vast new landscape, and for every all-time classic we still remember today there’s a well-intentioned, amiable but slapdash outing like “Elvira’s MTV Halloween Special.”

Witney Seibold Reviews 'The Visitor' (1979)

[The following article was sponsored and assigned by our Patreon subscriber Anthony Peronto. To learn how to sponsor and assign articles to William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold for publication at Critically Acclaimed, visit our Patreon page.]

I first encountered Michael J. Paradise's “The Visitor” at an after-hours, by-invite-only screening curated by my local video store. 

You see: The managers of said video store would, on a weekly basis, acquire whatever 35mm prints they could get a hold of for cheap and/or free. These prints consisted of obscure German comedies, weird sex films, lost genre oddities, sci-fi epics with missing reels, and, in one baffling bout of programming, “My Giant.” Then, in conjunction with a helpful projectionist at the movie theater next door (where I worked at the time), the store managers would invite over employees and friends of employees to view said films, eager to talk aloud in the theater and openly discuss the insanity on screen. These were magical nights of baffling cinematic exploration, and I'm glad to have been invited on several occasions.

It was in this milieu that I was introduced to Michael J. Paradise's 1979 sci-fi epic “The Visitor,” perhaps one of the most baffling films ever produced. It was such a moving experience that I rushed to my (now long-neglected) criticism blog to review it. That was in 2007. The time has now come to re-visit “The Visitor” and see what new lessons can be learned. Luckily, the film is just as brain-melting as it always was.

Canceled Too Soon #120: 'Kolchak: The Night Stalker' (1974-1975)

He's the best reporter in the world, but you'd never believe a word he's written. He's "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," and from his humble office in Chicago he blows the lid off bizarre supernatural and sci-fi conspiracies, including headless biker ghosts, metal-eating aliens, satan-worshipping politicians and killer moss monsters.

Kolchak, as played by Darren McGavin, is one of the most iconic heroes in sci-fi/horror, and helped inspire the blockbuster 1990s TV series "The X-Files," but the original series only lasted one season! Was this iconic show Canceled Too Soon?

William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold review the whole series, including the two TV movies, and break it down monster by monster, guest star by guest star in this very special episode of Canceled Too Soon, as our monthlong Scarytober event comes to an end!

Give it a listen!