Dan, Manny, & Billy put a list of 6 cartoon theme songs to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “Thundercats was my thing.” -Manny Dan surprises Manny & Billy with a weird list of cartoon theme songs which all leads to the funniest reaction to M.C. Hammer’s “Pumps and a Bump” music video. You can watch the full episode on Substack. The list of theme songs include: Batman: The Animated Series Beetlejuice Attack of the Killer Tomatoes Hammerman I. Joe Filmation Ghostbusters For an episode that started with a few technical difficulties, this has to be one of the best of 2025! It’s full of childhood memories, tangents, and hot takes, plus you get to see M.C. Hammer “dance” in a banana hammock. Who wouldn’t want to see that (on Substack). So get your friends together, put on your favorite cartoon themed pajamas, and set up those G.I. Joes to do battle, because this is going to blow your minds. Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and topics for our next Nostalgia Test!

Dan, Manny, & Billy put New Found Glory’s Self-Titled pop-punk-emo “classic” to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “New Found Glory shoots their load on the first five songs of this album.” -Billy WARNING! This episode is a brutal takedown & nostalgic epiphany, so if you’re sensitive to hearing your favorite band be taken to task then listen still and email us your opinions to thenostalgiatest@gmail.com. We also have a special audience member/guest who was on the Little Monsters episode, Andrew Breen (rocktapusjones). Theres so much talk about what it means to be a “classic” band, the groups we have to leave behind, and the ridiculous things that happen hanging out past 2am. Nostalgia definitely doesn’t mean that things are good, and the guys get into that as well, and is emo-pop-punk a whole genre of dudes who were friend zoned, maybe. This gets talked about and so much more. So grab your oldest Warped Tour t-shirt, prep your voice for some unadulterated screaming, get ready to cry your heart out about that high school crush that “didn’t want to ruin the friendship,” and join us on a nostalgic walk down a 2000s memory lane. Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and topics for our next Nostalgia Test! Suggest A Test & Be Our Guest! We’re always looking for a fun new topic for The Nostalgia Test. Hit the link above, tell us what you’d like to see tested, and be our guest for that episode!

Dan, Manny, & Billy talk about the recent shutting down of MTV music channels in the UK and what that means for the future of MTV, while putting some iconic music videos that aired on MTV in the 80s and 90s to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “MTV created culture.” -Manny After hearing about MTV music channels being shut down in the UK after 40 years, the guys had to call an audible and to talk about what they think this means for the future of MTV, music videos, and the cultural impact that MTV had on pop-culture. They also talk about what this means for MTV in the US? The episode then dives into a celebration of iconic music videos that aired in MTV from the 80s and 90s, like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer,” and Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf.” There’s also the classic Nostalgia Test Podcast tangents, Billy’s hot take about Pearl Jam, and so much more. This is part 1 of a series on MTV, so stay tuned for episodes on TRL and Carson Daly, MTV2, Beavis & Butthead, and everything else MTV. Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and topics for our next Nostalgia Test!

Dan, Manny, & Billy put the 1987 quintessential 80s classic The Lost Boys to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “The amount of shoulder pads in this movie could start a football team.” -Manny In our 3rd Spooky Season episode, we are in peak 80s form a horror comedy classic. The boys talk about the extremely 80s cast of Corey Feldman, Corey Haim, Jason Patric, Keifer Sutherland, and Jami Gertz. It doesn’t get much more 80s than this! Dan lays down one of the most unhinged 80s movies multiverses of all time and proposes that The Lost Boys is really a love story between Keifer Sutherland and Jason Patric’s characters. Manny realizes that he has seen this movie and talks about it being a rip-off of an insane mashup of other 80s classics, Billy really wants to hang out with these metalhead vampires in the sunken resort, and can movies with kids on bikes ever be made again? And is that Rory Gilmore’s grandfather? Grab your best friends, find an abandoned hotel, uncork some Carlo Rossi, whisper sweet vampiric nothings, and fill the bathtub with holy water and garlic because this one is a wild ride! Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and topics for our next Nostalgia Test!

Dan & Billy welcome Naomi Carmack, the host of Dope Nostalgia, to put Halloween Music Videos to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “Other people’s kids are so creepy.” -Naomi This Spooky Season episode takes Dan, Billy, and their guest Naomi Carmack down a very weird music video path. 5-years ago, Dan & Manny put another five videos to the ultimate test, and so Dan had to really go searching for some real nostalgic gens this time. They dig into videos from The Backstreet Boys, the Ramones, Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Their spooky conversation covers everything from creepy children, Backstreet never really being gone, the power of Ozzy’s absolute insanity, low budget videos vs high budget videos, the Emo spirit of late-80s Ramones, and what exactly is Dragula? Also, they do a deep dive into the Will Smith video for “Nightmare on my Street” and Dan points out the odd Winnie the Pooh bedtime getup that Will Smith is wearing in the video, and is that a shot of his underwear (watch the episode to see this still shot)? All this and more! So, grab your favorite goblins, pour yourself a big glass of something foggy, and get ready to jam out with your favorite nerds. Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and topics for our next Nostalgia Test!

Dan & Manny welcome the cultural phenomenon Mike Ferguson to talk all about his creative journey and the power of positivity to achieve your biggest dreams. “Time is too short. Don’t put things off till tomorrow. Do everything you can in, in a day.” -Mike Ferguson This is an episode of Nostalgia 101 that will go down in history for The Nostalgia Test Podcast. Actor, YouTube star, and former tattoo artist Mike Ferguson drops some of the most inspirations knowledge that it leaves Dan & Manny speechless. Right from the start, Mike delves into how he’s become one of the most beloved YouTube stars and what it’s like to be recognized by kids everywhere he goes, how he’s helped blow up the channels of several content creators, and he shares how much work he’s doing daily. Let’s just say he’s a f***in beast! Mike shares some amazing stories from the sets of the countless movies he’s been on and even shares his acting origin story, which was shocking. The episode isn’t just about his work, Mike opens up about his personal journey, what it’s like to totally do a 180 later in life, and how COVID-19 played a huge role in this new era of Mike Ferguson. In the end, Mike leaves Dan & Manny with how staying humble, grateful, and positive amid his non-stop work schedule has allowed him to achieve everything he’s been able to achieve. Take some notes, because this one is going to change your life! Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and topics for our next Nostalgia Test!

Dan & Manny are joined by friend of the show, artist & pop culture enthusiast Andrew Breen to put the 1989 fantasy comedy horror film Little Monsters to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “Little Monsters is one of the most repellent, distasteful, truly creepy movies I’ve seen in a long time, a movie so unpleasant I can’t really figure out why anybody wanted to make it, and I don’t know why anybody would wanna see it.” -Roger Ebert It’s officially Spooky Season and what better way to celebrate than to put one of the weirdest and creepiest movies ever made to the ultimate test. Little Monsters makes the plot of every David Lynch film look totally normal. This movie was suggested by the guest, Andrew Breen, who’s an amazing artist and a pop culture nerd like Dan & Manny. Little Monsters looks like a club Bill Hader’s SNL character Stefon would be partying at until everyone turns into a pile of clothes. This movie has everything, Fred Savage, Daniel Stern on the verge of murdering his whole family, the woman who owned The Cleveland Indians in Major League, and a monster named Snick, who’s a cigarette cross from between the girl who turned into a blueberry before she died in Willy Wonka and a broke down Meatloaf. Not to mention a PCP riddled Howie Mandal as Maurice the monster, who is an eleven-year-old/200-year-old blue lunatic getting children grounded, yelled at, and probably hit (hey, it’s the 80s). So set your monster catching traps, make your peanut butter and onion sandwiches, make sure to check the apple juice before you drink it, and come hangout as we see if Little Monsters passes The Nostalgia Test. Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and topics for our next Nostalgia Test!

Dan, Manny, & Billy put the 1996 comedy classic Happy Gilmore and the 2025 legacy sequel Happy Gilmore 2 to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “[Happy Gilmore] is a top 10 comedy for me, easily.” -Billy This is an epic episode. 2 hours of Nostalgia Test Podcast love, comedy, and the hottest thot takes of all time. This is the most honest review of Happy Gilmore 2 out there, guaranteed. Dan, Manny, and Billy go over their favorite scenes, quotes, and characters from the first movie, how Carl Weathers and Christopher McDonald give are the standout performances, and what’s up with Julie Bowen’s hair? They Also talk about the unforgettable Bob Barker Adam Sandler fight scene and how Bob Barker did all his own fighting. And then the tide turns swiftly. The gang tears Happy Gilmore 2 to pieces. Billy goes deep on how Happ Gilmore is a horrible representation for all fathers, how there’s no way anyone would ever let their families down so bad, and that in real life you just have to “Get it done!” There’s a discussion on toxic masculinity, the racist representation of Chubb’s son, the waste of money on all these cameos, and how Hollywood needs to go much deeper than pure nostalgia. Dan does give bad Bunny his flowers for the best performance in the entire movie and possibly the only laughs, and Billy praises John Daly as well. Lastly, Manny reads some 1-star and 10-star reviews of Happy Gilmore 2 and they try to figure out how this movie has a higher Rotten Tomato rating than the Tom Cruise 80s masterpiece Cocktail. All this is so much more, so come hangout and email us your thoughts, opinions, arguments, hate, love, random thoughts, and whatever else, because we love you all.   Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and topics for our next Nostalgia Test News! Suggest A Test & Be Our Guest! We’re always looking for a fun new topic for The Nostalgia Test. Hit the link above, tell us what you’d like to see tested, and be our guest for that episode! Approximate Rundown 00:00 Introduction to the Nostalgia Test Podcast 00:15 Diving into Happy Gilmore Quotes 00:50 Meet the Hosts: Dan, Manny, and Billy 01:55 Discussing the Making of Rocky 02:54 The Appeal of Sports Documentaries 03:38 Revisiting Happy Gilmore: A Cultural Phenomenon 08:55 Adam Sandler’s Iconic Roles and Style 15:56 The Charm of Adam Sandler’s Movies 33:42 Favorite Cameos and Characters in Happy Gilmore 35:59 Funny Moments and Connections in Happy Gilmore 39:42 Shooter McGavin’s Iconic Performance 47:21 Casting Choices and Behind-the-Scenes Insights 50:19 Happy Gilmore’s Legacy and Impact 54:55 Dissecting Happy Gilmore 2: A Disappointment 01:14:15 Ranting About the Movie’s Quality 01:15:15 Offensive and Racist Elements 01:15:47 Formulaic and Nostalgic Critique 01:16:25 Cameos and Performances 01:17:14 Legacy Sequels Discussion 01:18:58 Comparing to Other Movies 01:23:32 Podcast Cameos and Exposure 01:27:03 Final Thoughts and Ratings 01:30:42 Audience Reactions and Reviews 01:50:34 Concluding Remarks

Dan, Manny, & Billy are joined by friend of the show, writer, & sole audience member Eric Althoff to dive into a whole bunch of nostalgic pop culture news and put it to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “No artist loved their fans more than [Ozzy] did” -Billy In this episode of Nostalgia Test News, recorded on August 19th, 2025, the boys get straight to it and with the rebooted Scary Movie, if there’s a need for a Rambo prequel, and what could Gremlins 3 possibly be about? Doesn’t everyone know about the rules after Gremlins 2? The boys are joined by Eric Althoff from the Street Fighter episode who just so happened to be in the Zoom audience. He weighs in on the age-old question, is Gremlins 2 better than Gremlins 1? The episode takes a crazy turn down a huge AI tangent, creepy celebrity stories from the set of Crush and Freaky Friday, driverless cars and delivery robots in LA, F**k Dean Cain, and did you know there was a 12-year-old kid with no legs in the ET puppet? Everyone reflects on the passing of Ozzy Osborne and Malcolm Jamal Warner and talk about their contributions to music, TV, creating the Reality TV, genre, poetry, and more. They also tackle the controversial legacy of Hulk Hogan after his passing. And last but not least (haha) they touch on Megadeath calling it quits and how Dave Mustaine is the most bitter musician in metal despite being extremely successful. All this and so much more! Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and topics for our next Nostalgia Test News!

Dan, Manny, & Billy are joined by their longtime friend Jeremy Madson to talk about a whole bunch of nostalgic pop culture craziness and put it to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “Now John Hammond self-fertilizes the dinosaur eggs.” -Billy This is what happens when a guest cancels on The Nostalgia Test, the wildest Nostalgia Test News episode yet! The opening monologue is part of Billy’s hot take of Jack Nicholson’s performance in The Shining. Then, because this was recorded before the summer, the boys give their live predictions and hot takes on the trailers for Happy Gilmore 2, The Naked Gun, and Spaceballs 2. They talk about Adam Sandler’s comedy legacy, the latest slew of comedies, can Liam Neeson be funny, and the wildest comedy of all time Tropic Thunder. Dan introduces a brand new “Rick Roll” and then we see which Metal songs pass the “Will Manny Metal” test! Approximate Rundown 00:00 Introduction and Initial Banter 00:08 Discussing Jack Nicholson’s Performance in The Shining 00:40 Confusion Over Shelly Long and Shelly Duvall 01:06 Nostalgia Test Podcast Introduction 02:02 Hot Takes on The Shining and Popeye Movie 04:37 Mission Impossible and Movie Trailers 12:12 Adam Sandler Movies Discussion 19:35 Rickrolling and Nostalgia Tangents 34:25 Debating the Effectiveness of Two-in-One Shampoo 34:47 Liam Neeson in Comedies: A Viewer’s Perspective 35:08 Recent Comedy Films: Hits and Misses 36:48 Nostalgic Comedy Films: A Trip Down Memory Lane 37:28 Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga 38:04 TV Shows and Their Impact 40:00 The Future of Comedy and Streaming Services 57:16 Will Manny Metal? A Musical Experiment 01:10:38 Final Thoughts and Farewell

Dan, Manny, & Billy put the 1992 comedy classic My Cousin Vinny to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “[My Cousin Vinny] is a Thanksgiving movie. -Manny This is an absolute lovefest of an episode with My Cousin Vinny quotes flying all over the place. From the start to the end there’s nothing but amazing things to say about the dialogue, the comedic timing of Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio, the late great Fred Gwynne, Mitchell Whitfield, Lane Smith, and Austin Pendleton. The boys try to find plot holes and come up empty, except for their star audience member Long Island artist Andrew Breen (@rocktapusjones_art) who finds one very minor issue. Manny does an amazing reenactment of Marisa Tomei’s “Hunting” monologue, they go through the hilarious prison scene with Joe Pesci and Mitchell Whitfield, and the perfectly ridiculous NY character names. In the end, they determine whether this movie passes The Nostalgia Test and discuss why My Cousin Vinny is a perfect Thanksgiving movie. Get ready for a nostalgic trip with these three yutes through possibly one of the best comedies of all time. Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and questions about this episode or anything else nostalgic on your mind and we’ll read it for next time on the pod!

Dan, Manny, & Billy invited The Fandalorians to put the 1985 Sci-fi/Comedy classic to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “We are making a lot of dark backstories to this movie.” -Mr. McDonald We had so much fun with the guys from The Fandalorians on this episode digging into all the ins and outs, the conspiracy theories, and our memories of Back to the Future. It’s just six dudes from Long Island trying to answer some really important questions like how the hell did Marty meet Doc Brown, is this better time traveling than Bill & Ted’s, the confusing family dynamics between Marty and his family and Lorraine (Lea Thompson) and her family, Billy Zane, why would the time lines change this way in the end, and can we figure out what’s up with Mount Airey Lodge and The Commack Motor Inn. Seriously though, this is one of our favorite conversations and we’re so grateful for the guys of The Fandalorians for coming on and being part of the Nostalgia Test chaos. Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and questions about this episode or anything else nostalgic on your mind and we’ll read it for next time on the pod! By day, Mr. Richardson, Mr. McDonald, and Mr. G. are dedicated educators shaping young minds. By night, they become The Fandalorians—diving into movies, TV, sports, comics, and everything pop culture… with plenty of laughs, hot takes, and relentless trolling of each other along the way. It’s Teachers by Day, Nerds by Night—where fandom meets faculty lounge, and no opinion is safe. https://linktr.ee/thefandalorianspod

Dan, Manny, & Billy invite friend & fan of the pod Meghan P. Nolan to put the 1985 action/adventure comedy The Goonies to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “I had this epiphany while I was watching it this time where I was like, ‘Holy shit! Like Goonies are just like a bunch of nerds, they’re all just sitting around playing D&D, Mikey is the dungeon master, and this is their quest.” -Meghan P. Nolan Around 2 years ago, Meghan sent us a suggestion to put The Goonies to the ultimate test and because Dan is super lazy it took him this long to get her on the pod. This episode is off the rails from the start filled with classic Nostalgia Test drops and a live Zoom audience of one, (haha! it’s a start) Courtney from the Fiction Fixation Podcast who added some hilarious ideas while Billy dealt with his North Carolina internet service. The gang talks about “Goonies” comes from their town name The Goon Docks, what did the parents of these kids do to get all their houses foreclosed on, why was Troy and his flunkies hanging around a wishing well, are the Fratellis really Italian, and who was resetting One Eyed Willie’s booby traps in the 1600s. They also analyze all the amazing characters, unpack the stereotypes, plot holes, and put Cindy Lauper’s song to a quick Nostalgia Test. Most importantly, they talk about the real heroes of this movie Rosalita and Sloth. This episode is what The Nostalgia Test is all about, laughter, hot takes, and a bunch of hypothetical scenarios for what a Goonies sequel or TV series might look like. This is a must-listen for any fan of 80s classics. Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and questions about this episode or anything else nostalgic on your mind and we’ll read it for next time on the pod!

Put your Nostalgia helmet on and join Dan & Manny on a dangerous journey to put some 90s Commercials to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “I’m surprised we survived. Like, what we were putting in our bodies, what they were allowing us to play with. It’s amazing that we even got this far” -Dan Before Billy joined the chaos, Dan & Manny embarked on a weird walk down memory lane with these super odd 90s commercials. They try to figure out why anyone would by their kid a doll that pees, if Nerf is just human dog toys, why were water guns to big and crazy, and how did anyone go to Action Park. Plus, Dan tells a ridiculous story about his dad, the time he went to Action Park, and Manny slowly loses his mind. This is one of those weirdo episodes you’ll want to watch so you can see all the commercials they’re talking about. So, grab your Super Soakers, polish those Nerf Vortexes, grab your favorite Kid Cuisine and get ready for a Nostalgia Test like you’ve never seen and heard before. Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and questions about this episode or anything else nostalgic on your mind and we’ll read it for next time on the pod!

Dan, Manny, & Billy put the 1993 action/drama Free Willy to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “[They abused a whale] to make a movie about whale awareness [...] You fucking basically murdered [a whale] in the making of [Free Willy].” -Billy Okay everyone, this was a weird journey back for us because no one knew what to expect from Free Willy. We didn’t remember it was two hours long. We didn’t remember about Jesse’s friend Perry. We sure didn’t remember Mykelti Williamson being saddled with another clueless white person? And that’s just the tip of this nostalgic iceberg because we go on a Metalocalypse tangent, how Orcas were attacking sailboats, adopting a manatee in elementary school, and we expose the unfortunate story behind Kiko, the Orca in Free Willy.   Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and questions about this episode or anything else nostalgic on your mind and we’ll read it for next time on the pod! APPROXIMATE RUN OF SHOW: 00:00 Introduction to the Nostalgia Test Podcast 00:18 Iconic Quotes and Characters from Free Willy 01:03 Reflecting on 90s Movie Culture 01:38 Free Willy: The Plot and Performances 02:54 The Cast and Their Other Works 05:28 Memories of Watching Free Willy as Kids 07:01 The Harsh Realities of Captivity 10:49 The Bond Between Jesse and Willy 16:20 The Climax: Freeing Willy 34:00 The Ethics of Animal Training and Captivity 38:13 Critique of the Characters’ Jobs and Skills 38:28 The Absurdity of Recording Dolphins and Whales 39:13 Plot Holes and Lack of Security 40:25 The Plan to Free Willie 43:03 The Ridiculous Escape Plan 54:46 The Fate of Kiko, the Real-Life Willie 01:05:21 Final Thoughts and Nostalgia Test

Dan, Manny, & Billy are joined by their longtime friends Jeremy & Mike to talk about a whole bunch of craziness to put to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “Hellraiser, I think is the most overrated horror franchise of all time.” -Dan Dan, Manny, & Billy pulled this Nostalgia Test News/Audience Suggestions/Friend Hangout out of left field! They’re surprised by their longtime friends Jeremy (from Mrs. Doubtfire, the Metallica episodes, and the 2024 Hangout) & Mike (from the Iron Eagle episode). This dives into SNL funny or not, Reboots (again), Hockey and can Dan find a skate for a size 14 shoe, 100 men vs 1 gorilla, and insane drinking stories. The conversation goes even further back into memories of playing manhunt and if that game can be played today, a cool idea for a horror movie, stories from summertime at the public pool, diners, drinking Black Haus and After Shock, and so much more. This is an episode for the ages, a true inside look at these guys’ friendships and what makes The Nostalgia Test Podcast so much fun. Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and questions about this episode and leave us topics for next time! APPROXIMATE RUN OF SHOW: 00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene 00:16 Discussing the End of Popular Shows 01:06 Nostalgia and SNL 02:23 Podcast Dynamics and Drinking Habits 03:48 Reboots and Guilty Pleasures 08:56 Surprise Guests and Birthday Wishes 14:32 Hockey Talk and Parenting 20:11 Debating Gorilla vs. Humans 25:19 Hockey Expenses and Parenting Challenges 29:22 Mike’s Instagram Alerts 30:13 The Search for the Purple CD 32:10 Pickleball Takes Over 33:03 Nostalgia and Childhood Memories 39:54 Horror Movie Franchises 48:57 Reboots and Sequels 54:42 Sperm Racing and Other Oddities 58:49 Movie Talk: From Hackers to Scooby-Doo 59:46 The Frighteners and Other Horror Flicks 01:00:32 Podcast Shoutouts and the “Daddy Stories” Confusion  01:04:24 Nostalgia: Childhood Games and Manhunt 01:09:16 Late-Night Diners and Drinking Stories 01:24:27 Rocky Rankings and Final Thoughts

Dan & Manny welcome Jen & PT from The Long Take Review to put Jim Henson’s classic Labyrinth to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “We might spend the most time on fart jokes.” -P.T. Much like the topic of this episode, the conversation is a collection of twists, turns, deceptions, off-color fart jokes, confusion about David Bowie’s tights, and hallucinations. The gang goes into their love of Henson’s use practical effects, they talk about all the memorable characters, the film’s lasting impact on cinematic history, and did we say fart jokes. They also touch on the announcement of a sequel directed by Robert Eggers, is Gremlins 2 better than the OG, the influence of David Bowie’s performance, and the broader legacy of Jim Henson’s creations like The Dark Crystal. It wouldn’t be an episode of The Nostalgia Test without all the tangents, memories of Matt Antoniou, and Manny ignoring Dan trying to end the podcast, though he had help from P.T. Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, and questions about this episode and Labyrinth we’ll talk answer them on the next episode.

Dan, Manny, & Billy welcome writer and director Jonathan Salemi to talk all about filming the indie action drama film The Last Deal. “A couple places ran with the headline, [The Last Deal] is the biggest guerrilla film in the last two decades. I have no proof of that or against it, but I’d say we’re definitely in the running.” -Jonathan Salemi This episode of Nostalgia 101 is a detailed lesson from writer and director Jonathan Selmi on what it takes to make an indie film in the recent state of the movie industry. Jonathan starts with his experience interning at Sony Pictures to field producing for major networks like Lifetime and History Channel. He talks about the many stories behind filming The Last Deal guerrilla style in LA during the COVID-19 lockdowns, the true story that inspired the movie, and his experience shooting in various LA locations without permits. Jonathan answers the guys’ questions about specific scenes in the movie, he shares some behind-the-scenes anecdotes and what went into casting. They end the episode with Jonathan’s upcoming project and his ranking of the Rocky movies. There’s so much more! Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts and opinions about this episode and we’ll talk about them on a future episode.

Dan & Manny are releasing a lost Nostalgia Test News from Sept. 2024. This was an audible so it’s more chaotic than usual, and then Billy joins them to put 55 classic toys to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “ I recently was, had a chance to play with a hacky sack and I was like, fuck that.” -Manny Coelho With the Yankees Dodgers playoff game in the background, Dan & Manny discuss the bombardment of potential sequels like Beetlejuice, Constantine, and Goonies. Manny reflects on playing catch for the first time in ages, they try to figure out surprising developments like an Oregon Trail movie and a streaming service from Chick-fil-A. Billy joins in later while Dan & Manny dive into a list of 90s nostalgic toys, evaluating their significance and impact. This is one of many lost episodes waiting to be released. If this one does well, we’ll release more lost eps!

Get ready to take a deep-dive down the nostalgia wormhole with Dan, Billy, & Manny as they put nostalgic jingles and commercials to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST! “Before the barbecue sauce [goes on the McRib] it looks like corpse flesh. Like I worked at McDonald’s, and it’s like the color of like corpse flesh.” -Billy D’Elia The guys put the commercial & jingles from their childhood to the test like ’Zestfully Clean’, ’Big Red’, ’Pizza Bagel Bites’, and the infamous ’Chili’s Baby Back Ribs’. They also try to figure out what was so fancy about Mount Airy Lodge, how did anyone survive Action Park, the infamous ‘Crocodile Mile,’ and let’s not forget the most Long Island commercial of all time for the ’Commack Motor Inn’. This classic Nostalgia Test, so come hangout, chop it up, and drop your favorite commercial in the comments!