🎄 Do these Christmas classics still hold up today or are we just blinded by the nostalgia of the season? 🎄

Welcome to our 2nd Annual Christmas Special and the one-year anniversary of our YouTube channel! 🎉 This holiday-sized episode goes bigger than ever, covering FOUR nostalgic Christmas topics.

In this special episode, we revisit:

🎁 90s Christmas Commercials - Were they magical, or just marketing wizardry?

🥜 Mixed Nuts (1994) - The Steve Martin holiday comedy everyone forgot… should it have stayed forgotten?

🎅 Santa Trackers - From NORAD to Google, is tracking Santa still “cool” in the modern tech age?

🎄 Ernest Saves Christmas - A holiday staple for some… but does it survive a modern rewatch?

Whether you grew up watching these movies, obsessively tracking Santa on Christmas Eve, or remembering a time when commercials felt like mini holiday events, this episode puts those memories to the test. Thanks for supporting us for an entire year and happy holidays! 🎅✨

📖 CHAPTERS 📖

00:00:00 Intro

00:02:48 90s Christmas Commercials

00:24:40 Cool vs. Nostalgia Results 1

00:36:43 Mixed Nuts

00:57:06 Cool vs. Nostalgia Results 2

01:01:10 Santa Trackers

01:15:02 Cool vs. Nostalgia Results 3

01:23:40 Ernest Saves Christmas

01:42:05 Cool vs. Nostalgia Results 4

Is It Cool Or Just Nostalgia? dives into the ultimate pop culture debate: which classics are still cool today, and which only feel great because of childhood memories. From Ghostbusters, Star Wars, James Bond, and Super Mario to Star Trek, Marvel vs DC, Nintendo, retro arcades, and throwback songs of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s — we put every nostalgic favorite to the test. Each episode, hosts Jeffrey, Michael, Andy, and Mike (The Deuce) explore and debate a classic retro topic and votes: Cool or Just Nostalgia? Expect lively arguments on everything from classic video games and blockbuster movies to TV cars, comic books, and iconic songs. New episodes every two weeks — subscribe to join the conversation and cast your own verdict on pop culture history!

🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more retro pop culture deep dives!

TAGS: nostalgia podcast, pop culture podcast, retro podcast, cool or just nostalgia, nostalgia vs reality, retro pop culture, throwback podcast, retro review, nostalgia debate, is it still cool, retro vs modern, classic vs reboot, nostalgia trip, 70s 80s 90s 2000s nostalgia, retro gaming, retro movies, retro music podcast, classic TV shows, childhood memories podcast, Nintendo nostalgia, Sega nostalgia, PlayStation nostalgia, comic book nostalgia, Marvel vs DC, Star Wars nostalgia, Ghostbusters nostalgia, James Bond movies, Star Trek nostalgia, retro arcades, retro toys, Saturday morning cartoons, MTV nostalgia, 90s kids nostalgia, Y2K nostalgia, snack nostalgia, pop culture icons, 90s Christmas, Ernest Saves Christmas review, nostalgic Christmas movies, 90s Christmas commercials, Mixed Nuts movie review, Steve Martin Christmas movie, retro holiday nostalgia, NORAD Santa Tracker, Google Santa Tracker, Jim Varney Ernest, 90s holiday movies, vintage Christmas ads, Christmas movie reviews, 80s Christmas nostalgia, pop culture nostalgia, holiday movies that hold up, forgotten Christmas movies, 1990s nostalgia, retro Christmas memories, Christmas special episode

#ChristmasNostalgia #90sChristmas #HolidayPopCulture

The Abyss (1989) — a deep-sea sci-fi that won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects and introduced one of cinema’s first photoreal CGI moments. 🐙🌊

We dive into whether The Abyss still holds up in 2025 — story, performances, and the VFX that changed the industry. Join us as we break down Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn’s performances, the movie’s career-defining water “pseudopod,” and how the film’s practical and digital effects blended to win the Academy Award for Visual Effects.

🎬 WHAT WE'RE COVERING:

✓ The groundbreaking water tentacle CGI that changed cinema forever

✓ Ed Harris's near-death experience (he literally punched James Cameron!)

✓ That BRUTAL drowning/CPR scene with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

✓ Special Edition vs Theatrical Cut - which version matters?

✓ Does the underwater tension still work today?

📖 CHAPTERS 📖

00:00:00 Intro

00:03:22 The dissection begins...

00:57:34 Cool vs. Nostalgia results

Is It Cool Or Just Nostalgia? dives into the ultimate pop culture debate: which classics are still cool today, and which only feel great because of childhood memories. From Ghostbusters, Star Wars, James Bond, and Super Mario to Star Trek, Marvel vs DC, Nintendo, retro arcades, and throwback songs of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s — we put every nostalgic favorite to the test. Each episode, hosts Jeffrey, Michael, Andy, and Mike (The Deuce) explore and debate a classic retro topic and votes: Cool or Just Nostalgia? Expect lively arguments on everything from classic video games and blockbuster movies to TV cars, comic books, and iconic songs. New episodes every two weeks — subscribe to join the conversation and cast your own verdict on pop culture history!

🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more retro pop culture deep dives!

Check our YouTube channel!

TAGS: nostalgia podcast, pop culture podcast, retro podcast, cool or just nostalgia, nostalgia vs reality, retro pop culture, throwback podcast, retro review, nostalgia debate, is it still cool, retro vs modern, classic vs reboot, nostalgia trip, 70s 80s 90s 2000s nostalgia, retro gaming, retro movies, retro music podcast, classic TV shows, childhood memories podcast, Nintendo nostalgia, Sega nostalgia, PlayStation nostalgia, comic book nostalgia, Marvel vs DC, Star Wars nostalgia, Ghostbusters nostalgia, James Bond movies, Star Trek nostalgia, retro arcades, retro toys, Saturday morning cartoons, MTV nostalgia, 90s kids nostalgia, Y2K nostalgia, snack nostalgia, pop culture icons

#TheAbyss #JamesCameron #RetroMovieReview

Why we loved Blockbuster, and should we mourn the video-rental era? 🍿📼

In this episode, we dive deep into the golden age of movie and video game rentals—from the iconic blue and yellow Blockbuster signs to mom-and-pop video shops that defined Friday nights in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. We're asking the hard questions: Was browsing physical VHS tapes and DVDs actually better than endless Netflix scrolling? Did late fees really build character? And why does Gen Z romanticize an era they never experienced?

✨ WHAT WE COVER:

- The rise and fall of Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, and family-owned rental stores

- Why video rental was a SOCIAL EXPERIENCE vs. today's isolated streaming

- Were video stores ACTUALLY better, or are we viewing the past through rose-tinted glasses?

- How recommendation algorithms compare to chatting with knowledgeable store clerks

- The ritual of Friday night movie rentals and what we lost when streaming took over

🎮 From racing to grab the last copy of the newest release to the thrill of discovering hidden gems in the "Staff Picks" section, video stores were more than just rentals—they were cultural hubs. But let's be real: Were they objectively better, or do we just miss being younger?

📖 CHAPTERS 📖

00:00:00 Intro

00:02:24 The dissection begins...

01:05:26 Cool vs. Nostalgia results

Is It Cool Or Just Nostalgia? dives into the ultimate pop culture debate: which classics are still cool today, and which only feel great because of childhood memories. From Ghostbusters, Star Wars, James Bond, and Super Mario to Star Trek, Marvel vs DC, Nintendo, retro arcades, and throwback songs of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s — we put every nostalgic favorite to the test. Each episode, hosts Jeffrey, Michael, Andy, and Mike (The Deuce) explore and debate a classic retro topic and votes: Cool or Just Nostalgia? Expect lively arguments on everything from classic video games and blockbuster movies to TV cars, comic books, and iconic songs. New episodes every two weeks — subscribe to join the conversation and cast your own verdict on pop culture history!

🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more retro pop culture deep dives!

Check our YouTube channel!

TAGS: nostalgia podcast, pop culture podcast, retro podcast, cool or just nostalgia, nostalgia vs reality, retro pop culture, throwback podcast, retro review, nostalgia debate, is it still cool, retro vs modern, classic vs reboot, nostalgia trip, 70s 80s 90s 2000s nostalgia, retro gaming, retro movies, retro music podcast, classic TV shows, childhood memories podcast, Nintendo nostalgia, Sega nostalgia, PlayStation nostalgia, comic book nostalgia, Marvel vs DC, Star Wars nostalgia, Ghostbusters nostalgia, James Bond movies, Star Trek nostalgia, retro arcades, retro toys, Saturday morning cartoons, MTV nostalgia, 90s kids nostalgia, Y2K nostalgia, snack nostalgia, pop culture icons, Blockbuster nostalgia, video rental stores, 90s nostalgia, 2000s nostalgia, VHS tapes, movie rental history, Netflix vs Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, retro pop culture, nostalgia marketing 2025, streaming vs physical media, Gen X nostalgia, millennial nostalgia, is nostalgia real, video store memories, 80s nostalgia, pop culture podcast

#Blockbuster #Nostalgia #90s