[ This is a video podcast! Link to the video below =) ]   Hey everyone! It’s a video podcast from us! But, it’s also fun just to listen. In belated honor of Shark Week, we watched and reacted to an In Search Of Episode from 1978 — The Shark Worshippers! This particular episode of In Search Of is a little rougher than I thought it would be as far as shark torture goes. We cut out something particularly offensive but if you want to see the gore, by all means find the episode here on youtube and watch it to your heart’s content. Talk about a show that would never make it on tv today. In the end I think we are leaning toward The Shark Worshippers was a ruse of an episode. Those people may live in Fiji, but I’m pretty sure anything ceremonial we saw was completely scripted and inauthentic. Make sure to check out all of our other episodes on MACKPodcast.com and also give our online radio station a try — MACKRadio.com. Thanks for listening!

Hi everyone! As you may or may not remember, our last episode was all about Very Special Episodes. This is a phenomenon that took place mostly in the 70s, 80s and 90s  —  a normally enjoyable and family-friendly half hour sitcom would all of a sudden become a cringe-inducing PSA. Subjects included drugs, kid touching and much more. Please do check out the first episode of this series if you haven’t already listened. In part two we go over Ranker.com‘s top 10 list of Very Special Episodes, as voted on by the people! While there are a few crossovers from the list we covered last time, there are some interesting episodes we hadn’t thought of. Thanks for listening, and as always you can catch up on all of our other episodes on MACKPodcast.com and listen to our groovy online radio station at MACKRadio.com. XOXOX Shecky

Hey there folks! Today’s show is all about Very Special Episodes. I’m not sure if this is just a US thing or if our friends in other countries also experienced these horrifying plots shoved into half hour comedy shows, but just in case  you aren’t familiar with the term: “Very special episode” is an advertising term originally used in American television promos to refer to an episode of a sitcom or drama series which deals with a difficult or controversial social issue.[1] The usage of the term peaked in the 1980s.” It seems as if every half hour comedy that aired in the 70s and 80s (and into the 90s as well) had to put a halt to the funny and take an opportunity to teach us about whatever. Child abuse, Pedos, Aids, Lesbians, Drugs — and more. It was a cringe fest as it happened and honestly, if you were young enough, it was also pretty traumatizing. There are quite a few lists of cringe inducing Very Special Episodes, so this will be a two-parter. In this show we tackle the many episodes that wikipedia deems “Very Special.” Lots of fun chat and many many tv show clips included in this one! If you’re interested in more TV talk from us, give Our Top 5 70s TV Shows and Our Top 10 Favorite TV Show Theme Songs a listen! Thanks for putting up with our nonsense! XOXOXO Shecky

Hey there good people! Today’s episode is about the Muse concert film, Simulation Theory. If you only follow our podcast and have never ventured into our YouTube channel, then you may not be aware of Dave’s many reaction videos. People suggest bands and songs and Dave watches and reacts in real time. A lot of people request Muse songs. A lot. We, of course, had heard of Muse — but we really didn’t know much about the band or their music. Fast forward over 30 Muse song reactions later, and we have become big fans of this band. Recently someone has recommended a more recent song of theirs, The Dark Side. So Dave reacted to it: This song came from a newer album that also had a concert film made of the tour. I really wanted to watch it with Dave and we finally were able to sit down and take it all in. My goodness. This was probably the greatest concert film I’ve ever seen and I am so happy for and jealous of everyone in attendance over those two nights in the O2 arena. Truly an amazing performance. It is so well recorded and produced that I can’t imagine anyone not liking it. We both went into this not know all of the songs that they played but it didn’t really matter. We were both just blown away by it all. There is a sci-fi narrative throughout the film, dealing with alternate realities (the simulation theory) and a main stream media that doesn’t seem to want to report the truth. And just to really blow your mind, there’s a virus/pandemic thrown into the mix. Is Muse from the future? Perhaps! You can rent this film on YouTube for 4.99 (for HD) and we both recommend you do. I try to explain that I think certain elements of this show are an homage to movies and bands that have influenced them in some way, but Dave becomes way too fixed on the word “homage” and we get a front and center seat as he dreams up a whole scenario based on what he thinks is New York State’s best wedding band, Homage. We drift a little bit off topic here and there while Dave shares some stories from the road. If you’re interested in hear some of our other music based episodes, here’s a link.  Thanks for listening everyone! XOXOXO Shecky

Hey everyone! Here we are! Spring in upstate New York is a wonderful time to do work on your house, your garden, your property etc. And that’s what we’ve been up to. Last year we put together two beautiful vegetable garden beds and then one day realized that we’d been invaded by these weird worms that just basically destroyed the whole thing. So this year we put together a make shift green house to try to combat those pesky buggers. Anywhoooooo, long story short, we’ve been taking advantage of some really nice weather to get things done around here. But today we’re back and we decided to talk about each of our top 5 favorite 1970’s tv shows. Some of Dave’s picks surprised me and I’m sure none of my picks surprised him. Personally I enjoy the hell out of 1970’s everything. Movies, tv shows, music. It was a better and more groovy time. Thanks to PlutoTV one of my favorite 1970’s tv shows has a channel all of its own so I get to watch it a whole bunch. If you are interested in hearing about how we rank various other things, follow this link right here and you’ll see we’ve been ranking things for quite a while. Also, don’t forget to check out Dave’s MANY youtube reaction videos along with other stuff we have posted throughout the years. Alsox2, Dave recently appeared on a friend’s album, playing on two songs. The album is Strange Mutations by Count Blastula. Dave’s handiwork can be heard on Tracks #3 and #4. Well, it’s been fun catching up! See you next time America! XOXOX

Hey there everyone! We’re back with episode 109 which is all about the Skinwalker Ranch. Well, mostly about Skinwalker Ranch. We do drift away from our topic from time to time. If you love paranormal shows of all types, the chances are pretty good that you’ve at least heard of the Skinwalker Ranch. The ranch is on a 500+ acre plot of land in Utah. There are many reports of crazy things happening in and around that area. Some even claim that the reports go back as far as the 1700s. There have been a ton of radio and television shows dedicated to the ranch and what goes on there. Zak Bagans, Portals to Hell, Art Bell, George Noory, Jeff Rense and even Joe Rogan have spent time discussing or investigating Skinwalker Ranch. In this episode we talk about the ranch and it’s history. We also listen to some George Knapp (he literally wrote the book on Skinwalker ranch) clips from various radio shows he’s been on. The ranch has changed ownership quite a few times. Most recently it was purchased by Brandon Fugal who has put together a team of scientists, researchers and experts to try and get to the bottom of what is really happening in that corner of Utah. The team, Brandon, and the ranch itself all starred in an 8 episode series on the History Channel, entitled “The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch.” There have been electricity problems, failing gear, radiation spikes, ufo sightings, animal attacks and a lot of other spooky stuff highlighted throughout the show’s run. It has been a pretty fascinating watch, especially if you’re into this sort of thing. Pssst, I am! And now they are about to start airing season 2. So, if you haven’t binged season 1 yet, now’s the time. You can watch it right here on the History Channel’s website – no login required. Also, Dave and I briefly discuss the latest (and maybe the greatest?) Nic Cage movie that was recently released. Willy’s Wonderland is so damn fun. A campy horror flick that I personally think deserves to achieve cult classic status ASAP. If horror/comedy is something you enjoy, we both recommend this one whole-heartedly! Alrighty, that’s it for this week. Thanks for listening! XOXOXO Shecky Hey, if you want to hear more of our conspiracy-centric episodes, head over here!

Hiyooo everyone! Today’s episode is mostly about the new movie Godzilla vs. Kong. It is also, at times, about Hostess vs Drakes. But mostly it’s Godzilla vs. Kong. Right off the bat, you may remember that I have pointed out that if Dave doesn’t like a movie or a topic, he just changes the conversation. There is a ton of that going on here. As for the movie, there are some plot holes, and there’s also a sub plot that is nonsensical. There are some things that don’t make too much sense. But there is Godzilla and there is King Kong, so at least they have that going for them. I will also say that Dave had no idea who Millie Bobbie Brown was and he goes on a bit of a rant about her name. Moving on, we both have a fondness for the old school 50s style Japanese monster movies. Their charm was the obvious low budget along with the guys in suits stomping on hastily constructed miniature towns. These newer, slicker, monster movies are fun at times but not in the same way. There’s no campiness to be found. And that’s a bummer for us. Dave steers us away from the movie because he has an urgent need to discuss twinkies and other snack cakes. There may be a taste test in our future. Who will win? Drakes or Hostess? I’m leaning toward #TeamHostess but Dave seems to be on the Drakes Train. Anyway, after our snack cake detour, we get back to the movie and Dave starts naming actors he would have preferred to see in Godzilla vs. Kong. Some of his choices just may surprise you. Especially if you’re Judge Reinhold. In the end we both gave this movie a 6/10 which isn’t awful. Dave did say he liked this movie better than Avengers: Infinity War. I am going to have to disagree with him on that but he’s entitled to his anti-Marvel opinions. If you want to hear us chat about other movies, you are in for a treat. Not only can you hear our MACK Podcast movie discussions but we also have our old movie review podcast [Dave & Shecky’s Groovy Boob Tube Review Show] from 2005-ish available too. Lots of movie talk happening up in here. Anywhooooo, this was a fun one for us! Thanks for listening! Shecky xoxoxox

Hi everyone! Today’s episode is all about Action Park and the recently released documentary Class Action Park. Action Park was a very popular summer destination for people from New Jersey and maybe some people outside of Jersey as well. The documentary and some recent articles have painted a picture of a park that was terribly mismanaged and downright dangerous. We can’t dispute the mismanaged part, it’s clear that Eugene Mulvihill had enthusiasm to spare but almost zero moral compass. However! Our Dave was a somewhat frequent visitor to Action Park in the early to mid 80s and he disputes the “dangerous” moniker. A lot of things that were fun back then were also fairly dangerous. Skiing, skateboarding, surfing — the kids all liked to do dangerous stuff for fun. Although 6 deaths is, of course, too many for any park, you may be surprised to learn how many fine people meet their untimely end a year at another big name theme park. We discuss the documentary, play some clips and go down memory lane with Dave as he recounts his time spent at Action Park. You may be surprised to learn what was the last straw that kept him from returning there. So, maybe it’s time to gofundme a new and improved Action Park, a tad bit less asbestos but let’s keep that exciting danger element, shall we? One day soon the powers that be may decide we aren’t allowed to go have any fun at all — so let’s get this going while we still can. Thanks for listening and if you want to hear more of our movie-based episodes please head here! XOXOXO Shecky    

Hello there friends! It’s time for another Conspiracies, Unsolved Mysteries & Deep Dark Secrets episode! You may or may not know that these are my absolute favorite kind of episodes. In this episode Dave reveals that he hates everything about them. I mean, he really hates them. If you have listened to us through the years, decades even, you know Dave is not a sci-fi guy. As such he apparently has zero love and zero tolerance for most conspiracies, unsolved mysteries and deep dark secrets. This may be the last one of these for a while then. Anywhooo, onto the episode. Dave decided he wanted to tackle the Unsolved Mystery first, which in this episode was — The Phoenix Lights From wikipedia: The Phoenix Lights (sometimes called the “Lights Over Phoenix“) were a series of widely sighted unidentified flying objects or UFOs observed in the skies over the U.S. states of Arizona, Nevada, and the Mexican state of Sonora on March 13, 1997.[2] Lights of varying descriptions were seen by thousands of people between 7:30pm and 10:30pm MST, in a space of about 300 miles (480 km), from the Nevada line, through Phoenix, to the edge of Tucson.  Dave’s fairly certain that the thousands of people who think they all saw a very large UFO that night are mistaken. Flying ducks with lights attached to them could be the answer here according to him. Next up we’ve got our Deep Dark Secret — Blippi Blippi is a youtuber who makes videos for children. As of this post he has over 11 Million subscribers. There’s just one problem. Before he dressed like a an over grown child and put on a creepy high pitched kid voice and posted videos FOR CHILDREN he was making an entirely different kind of video. He was pooping on his friends. He claims he was some sort of a gross out comic but personally I just can’t find the humor there. You know what’s really odd? He made the scat vids in 2013. And then in 2014 he decided he’d try his hand at influencing your children on youtube. Yeah, just a year later. I find it truly bothersome that there are parents out there who are fine to let this guy be their virtual babysitter. It’s also very weird that all of his videos have a tremendous number of downvotes. It would seem that a good number of his views are just people clicking on a video for the sole purpose of downvoting it. Blippi and his lawyers have worked tirelessly to make sure his poop videos are no longer available to view on the internet. Youtube will bend over backwards to delete all kinds of content,

[All links, photos and videos can be seen within the original post on MACKPodcast.com] Recently Netflix put out a 4 part &#8220;documentary series&#8221; about Elisa Lam and the events surrounding her disappearance as well as her tragic end at The Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. This episode — and probably these show notes too — contain a ton of spoilers. If you would prefer to watch the documentary first, just go ahead and save this show for later. Elisa Lam was a young and vibrant 21 year old who in a lot of ways was like many other 21 year olds. She went to college, she questioned her place in this world, she wanted to travel. So travel she did. In 2013 she planned a west coast trip that would bring her to San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. While staying in downtown Los Angeles&#8217; Cecil Hotel Elisa missed one of her daily phone calls with her mother. This missed phone call triggered not only a manhunt and investigation by the LAPD, but also a virtual investigation by a group of people online who were members of a community referred to as &#8220;web sleuths.&#8221; The LAPD released a 4 minute video of Elisa in an elevator at the Cecil Hotel in hopes that someone would recognize her and come forward with some information. The internet and more specifically, the web sleuths,  could not get enough of the video. Was Elisa speaking with someone? Why doesn&#8217;t the elevator door close? Who is she gesturing to? Who is she hiding from? Whose shoe is that? What&#8217;s up with the garbled time code at the bottom of the video? These web sleuths were mostly well-meaning, but their inability to separate fact from fiction as well as their eagerness to follow some very vague &#8220;clues&#8221; down a rabbit hole — although they made no rational sense — led to some very far out there theories regarding Elisa. Beyond that, their sleuthing also led to a Mexican Death Metal musican, Morbid, having his social media accounts shut down (early cancel culture rears its ugly head) and his eventual attempted suicide. There are quite literally thousands of videos about Elisa Lam&#8217;s disappearance on youtube. Some are rundowns of her timeline in Los Angeles. Some include theories as to what really happened to her in the hotel. And then there are the videos from internet psychic mediums who claim to be channeling Elisa and revealing the truth of that night. This last bunch, my God. They are repulsive. A quick check of rotten tomatoes shows you that this is not a very well-received documentary. I&#8217;m not sure it deserves these really low ratings from the critics and the audience. But! I will admit there are parts of this series that are not great. In one blog post Netflix omits a sentence, most likely because they think it will make Elisa less of a sympathetic character. How about you let the audience decide, Netflix? Why can&#8217;t it be that Mexican and Italian men dig her look? Maybe she&#8217;s had this happen to her quite a few times. She&#8217;s not falsely accusing someone of rape. She&#8217;s just making an observation. It&#8217;s so not a big deal to leave it in there. By taking it out Netflix made it a much bigger deal. For me anyway. One of the youtubers mentions in the doc that there are some interesting similarities between Elisa Lam&#8217;s case and the movie &#8220;Dark Water.&#8221; Dave reminded me that <a href="https://tunein.