Too Much Information

Jordan and Alex pod it off there, boss, to talk about one of the most iconic films of the 20th century. They delve into the life of the sailor-turned-failed-safecracker who wrote the novel the film is based on, travel down the winding road of Florida court records to explore the sad fate of the real-life Luke, and perhaps most importantly, determine exactly how many eggs Paul Newman ate in that iconic scene. They'll also uncover Newman's preferred salad recipe from the era and get to the root of the shouting match he had with the film's director directly before shooting a key scene. You won't find any failure to communicate here, just a lot of George Kennedy impressions and a whole host of reasons to fall back in love with the film (and Newman).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The two taxmen of trivia are back to explore side two of the Fab Four’s 1966 masterwork. They go track by track to discuss the surprising song that inspired “Good Day Sunshine,” why Paul McCartney wrote “For No One” in the toilet after a fight with his girlfriend, the real-life NYC doc who gets name-checked in “Doctor Robert,” and which future George Harrison classic got rejected during the sessions. You’ll also learn how the album was nearly recorded at a landmark Memphis recording studio and named after a groan-worthy Rolling Stones pun.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lennon-McCartney of trivia revisit the Fabs' game-changing 1966 record, which also happens to be Jordan’s favorite record of all time. Listen as Alex tries and fails to stop him from having a full-on attack of Beatlemania over the course of this two-part episode. You’ll discover how John Lennon was nearly electrocuted during sessions for “Yellow Submarine,” why Paul McCartney’s composition teacher didn’t think “Eleanor Rigby” was any good, how a broken sitar string changed the course of rock history, and why the solo on “Taxman” nearly caused an inter-band incident. You’ll also learn why a proposed western movie starring the Beatles almost derailed the sessions, hear how George Harrison sucks at coming up with song times — and get the insane story of two teen girls who hired a helicopter to buzz The Beatles’ rental house. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jordan and Alex discuss a Disney Halloween classic much beloved by their fellow Millennials. It’s a tale chock full of rotted pumpkins, bad Boston accents, an army of black cats, and even LSD. You’ll learn about all of the weird ties this movie has to the film Titanic and the show Friends, in addition to Sarah Jessica Parker’s ancestral ties to the Salem Witch Trials. You’ll also discover why Kathy Najimy was initially afraid to appear in the movie, why the producers led Disney exec Jeffrey Katzenberg through a homemade elementary school-style haunted house, why actor Doug Jones had to walk around with real moths in his mouth, and why this film broke Steven Spielberg’s heart. Plus, Massachusetts-native Jordan will get to the bottom of why everyone in New England says “wicked” — an insane explanation that, incredibly, involves The Wizard of Oz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex and Jordan set the controls for the heart of the Scholastic Book Fair with a deep-dive on the world-conquering, multi-medium-spanning success of R.L. Stine's Goosebumps! They'll explore literally every job Stine had as a struggling writer before making it big, a brief history of evil ventriloquist dummies and horror icon George A. Romero's sadly unrealized attempt to make a feature film out of the series' first book. Along the way, they'll get way too granular about the work that went into those iconic book covers and the Canadian-produced children's horror-TV rivalry of "Goosebumps" vs. "Are You Afraid of the Dark!" Alex won't stop calling Stine "Robert Louis Stinevinson:" Listener beware, you're in for a scare!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jordan and Alex explore the creation of everyone’s favorite coming-of-age psycho-horror New Wave time-travel flick — with rabbits. Listen to learn all the ways rookie director Richard Kelly beat the hellish odds to make his incredibly ambitious feature film debut, why Jason Schwartzman was very nearly the title character, and how this movie quite literally couldn’t have happened without Drew Barrymore, the true MVP of the production. You’ll also find out what song was supposed to be used for the Sparkle Motion dance sequence, why Gary Jules’ haunting “Mad World” cover was a last-minute addition, and why Donnie Darko is real-life neighbors with Ferris Bueller. Plus, the TMI Boys make a valiant effort to parse apart the many theories about the true meaning of this unexplainable movie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jordan and Alex are discussing perhaps the most twisted example of the ‘90s teen movie boom — a film about deception, seduction, borderline incest and cocaine stuffed in a crucifix. Listen and learn about how Ryan Phillipe threw up on the set, how they got Reese Witherspoon drunk to get her to sign on, and why Katie Holmes got the boot from the cast. You’ll also hear how a pornographic actress created a stir on the set, how Selma Blair prepped for that famous kissing scene with Sarah Michell Gellar, and why Ross Gellar from ‘Friends’ is partially responsible for making this all happen. Plus, they’ll talk about all of the ill-fated attempts to bring the story to television, and why the fake cocaine on the set gave SMG an allergic reaction.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex and Jordan kick off TMI’s Halloween Spooktacular month with a look back at the Nickelodeon show that taught a generation of kids how to fear. They’ll discuss the roster of pre-fame child actors who populated the show, creator D.J. MacHale's burning hatred of both the Midnight Society, Nickelodeon AND Canadian television, and the classic literature that helped inspire some of the plots. They’ll also delve into the show’s groundbreaking representation and diversity, the complex psychology of the scares, and what exactly was in that magic dust they’d throw into the campfire. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex and Jordan explore the psychotic lengths Donald Fagan and Walter Becker went to create their ’77 yacht rock classic — including the time they burned through nearly a dozen of LA’s best studio guitarists in search of a single guitar solo, the time they spent more than six hours trying to nail a two-word phrase, or the time they persuaded a legendary session drummer to play garbage can lids. They’ll also explain the origin of the album’s title, the Hollywood tragedy that supposedly inspired “Peg,” the tour with jazz-royalty they scrapped at the last minute, and the mystery of the missing master tapes. Plus, they'll delve into the rap beef they inadvertently started, and luxuriate in every glorious second of Michael McDonald’s pillowy vocal harmonies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's better? Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Jordan and Alex go head-to-head in a bittersweet (eh? EH? C'mon!) grudge match presided over by celebrity chef Richard Blais (Top Chef, MasterChef, etc.) Which confection will come out on top and will our intrepid semi-sweet morsels of minutiae still be friends when the wrappers settle? Listen in and find out! Food Court with Richard Blais is a production of iHeart Radio, just like yours truly! Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.