StorySmack
StorySmack is a podcast produced by Empty Set Entertainment about stories and storytellers in the world of pop culture. It is hosted by Scott Sigler and A Sigler and often features reviews and discussion about films, but occasionally ventures into discussions of books, television, combat sports and the craft of storytelling. Episode 52 was live-streamed and eventually released in the podcast feed.
With episode 58, Empty Set's Movie Maven, Rob Otto, joined A and Scott to round out a third perspective on the viewing topic.
In July of 2020, as part of the effort to provide regular entertainment to fans impacted by the stay-at-home orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Empty Set Entertainment started hosting live-stream story smacks, similar to the ones recorded at SiglerFest.
Hosts
- StorySmacks 1-52: Scott Sigler and A Kovacs
- StorySmacks 53-57: Scott Sigler and A Sigler
- StorySmacks 58- : Scott Sigler, A Sigler and Rob Otto
Episodes
StorySmacks 1-51 were pre-recorded and dropped into the normal podcast feed. At a few SiglerFests, StorySmack was audio-recorded live and then released in the podcast feed. During the 2020 Pandemic, Empty Set live-streamed StorySmack (starting with episode 52) with both video and audio. The audio was released into the podcast feed, and the video is available on multiple platforms. The links below for live-stream are provided to YouTube only, since no account is required to view them.
Episode | Podcast Date | Podcast Link | Live-Stream Date | Live-Stream Link | Description |
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1 | December 7, 2016 | Doctor Strange | Scott & ARealGirl get all mystical and chat about Doctor Strange. | ||
2 | December 16, 2016 | NEW HOPE & FORCE AWAKENS the same flick? | We’re off to see ROGUE ONE, and to celebrate, let’s talk Star Wars Smack! Many, many nerds have waxed endlessly how Episode IV: A New Hope (the original 1976 Star Wars flick), and Episode VI, The Force Awakens, are the exact same movie. Professor Sigler and the learned Doctor Kovacs delve deep into this comparison to give you a StorySmack diagnoses. | ||
3 | December 23, 2016 | The DIE HARD Christmas Special | In this episode, we get into the muck of one of the world’s greatest, most enduring philosophical questions: is DIE HARD a Christmas movie?
We also cover a shit-ton of tidbits, trivia and facts about this enduring classic, including:
| ||
4 | December 30, 2016 | FOUR ROOMS & New Year’s Eve! | Happy New Year from the Future Dark Øverlord and the Director of Døøm! And, yes, the Dog of Døøm as well. To celebrate the incoming wonders that 2017 brings, we review the quirky New Year’s Eve anthology comedy known as FOUR ROOMS. Join us for a discussion of Tim Roth‘s masterful physical performance that ties together a shit-show of short films by Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Allison Anders and Alexandre Rockwell. | ||
5 | January 7, 2017 | Galaxy Quest! | If you haven’t seen Galaxy Quest in all this time since 1999, let’s just say you’re missing out. Or, more correctly, if you’re a fan of this ‘cast, or scifi, or nerdom and you haven’t seen Galaxy Quest … you’re totally missing out. Just trust us, see it. | ||
6 | January 13, 2017 | Friday the 13th (the original!) | |||
7 | January 20, 2017 | Hollywood lessons learned from 2016 box office | |||
8 | January 27, 2017 | RESIDENT EVIL is worth one beeelion dollars. | |||
9 | February 3, 2017 | 2016’s Most Expensive Movies | |||
10 | February 11, 2017 | JOHN WICK & the danger of killing random dogs | |||
11 | February 17, 2017 | WAYNE’S WORLD 25th Anniversary | |||
12 | March 7, 2017 | LETHAL WEAPON 30th Anniversary | |||
13 | March 11, 2017 | GLADIATOR 17th Anniversary | |||
14 | March 27, 2017 | European Tour & how travel impacts storytelling | |||
15 | April 7, 2017 | Murder 1-2-3: courtroom definitions in storytelling | |||
16 | April 20, 2017 | HALF-BAKED: 4/20 Special Episode | |||
17 | April 28, 2017 | ALIENS: Scott’s favorite movie of all time | |||
18 | May 6, 2017 | The Fifth Element • 20th Anniversary Review | |||
19 | May 13, 2017 | [https://scottsigler.com/podcast/snatch/ SNATCH (with special guests: the FDØ’s nephews) | |||
20 | June 23, 2017 | PREDATOR 30th Anniversary | |||
21 | July 10, 2017 | MAD MEN First Episode 10th Anniversary | |||
22 | August 1, 2017 | Shallow Grave & guest, author Rob Reid | |||
23 | August 4, 2017 | LAST OF THE MOHICANS: 25th Anniversary | |||
24 | September 8, 2017 | Magic & Mullets: WARLOCK | |||
25 | September 15, 2017 | SUPERBAD came out a decade ago (yes, feel old) | |||
26 | September 22, 2017 | Upcoming movies & other hilarity | |||
27 | September 29, 2017 | Jerry Before Seinfeld | |||
28 | October 13, 2017 | The Big Lebowski, recorded live at SiglerFest2k17 | |||
29 | October 27, 2017 | Chinatown — the perfect screenplay? | |||
30 | November 17, 2017 | STARSHIP TROOPERS 20th Anniversary | |||
31 | December 12, 2017 | Good Will Hunting 20th Anniversary | |||
32 | December 29, 2017 | John Williams | |||
33 | January 17, 2018 | Pierce Brown live interview for IRON GOLD | |||
34 | March 10, 2018 | Han’s rescue — what, exactly, was the plan? | |||
35 | April 27, 2018 | SiglerFest2k18 — the ins and outs of a fan festival | |||
36 | May 18, 2018 | RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK | |||
37 | June 22, 2018 | Evan Diamond | |||
38 | September 27, 2018 | RUSH HOUR Twentieth Anniversary | |||
39 | October 1, 2018 | BLUE BALLS, a Very Special Episode … | |||
40 | October 17, 2018 | TREMORS, A Horror/Comedy Classic | |||
41 | October 23, 2018 | Fan festivals for creators – a SiglerFest2k18 recap | |||
42 | November 9, 2018 | BODIED Hollywood Premier | |||
43 | January 23, 2019 | SpiderMan: Into the Spiderverse | |||
44 | February 6, 2019 | The Storytelling Drama of Combat Sports | “But fights aren’t stories,” you say? WRONG-O, FISH-BREATH! Companies like the UFC are exceptional storytellers, creating tales with live performers and unwritten endings. A discusses her initial dismissal and disdain for combat sports, and how she’s come to change her mind. Scott talks about how getting punch in the mouth can lead one to discovering proper, civilized behavior. They both use UFC Fight Night 143 to discuss how these real-life storylines play out, with all the drama, violence, sacrifice and the built-in “Hero’s Journey” path. | ||
45 | February 2, 2019 | Groundhog Day | Groundhog Day on Groundhog Day? Are we in a time loop? Scott and A become gods (but not the god) as they discuss this 1993 classic, and the hordes of rodent-like movies “inspired” by it. | ||
46 | February 14, 2019 | My Bloody Valentine | Scott & A sat down this week to watch this 1981 horror … classic. It comes out pretty early on in the 80s slasher heyday, and it’s full of all that goodness: goofy plot devices, loads of teenagers sinnin’, plenty of gore and lots and lots of violence. All with great set design, some solid bloody prop work, and the world’s best dog actor. | ||
47 | March 22, 2019 | GFL VI pre-order info! | This ‘cast has all kinds of info for you so you can prepare. This podcast will answer most of your question. Yes, you! These are the most common questions we get with regard to the GFL pre-order. | ||
48 | April 17, 2020 | Pulp Fiction 25th Anniversary | It’s (almost) the 25th anniversary of Quentin Tarantino’s classic movie. We break the film down and talk about its many iconic elements. Joining us this episode is long-time Sigler fan Aaron Singerman, the CEO of RedCon1, and fitness blogger Arielle Singerman. Aaron talks about his own struggles with addiction, and how Scott’s podcast was one element of his recovery. | ||
49 | March 24, 2020 | 2012 – A Disaster(ous) Movie | Solar flares! Super neutrinos! Mega volcanoes! Fault lines chasing John Cusack! The core of the planet getting all hot and bothered! We take a deep-dive into the disaster(ous) movie “2012.” Joining Scott and ARealGirl is none other than Dr. Phil Plait, a.k.a. “The Bad Astronomer.” | ||
50 | April 8, 2020 | ALIEN Director’s Cut | Clearly, we took too long getting this episode out, but enjoy! In space, no one can hear you scream — but good thing we’ve got this nice pressurized starship, so we can hear you scream all dang day long! Scott & A discuss the documentary “Memory: The Origins of ALIEN” as well as the bizzaro ALIEN Director’s Cut. | ||
51 | May 6, 2020 | THE PLATFORM | Scott and A break down this wild Spanish scifi/horror flick directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia. It’s a brutal flick, with a concept that makes the small budget look much bigger. It’s on Netflix, so watch it before you listen! | ||
52 | December 9, 2020 | THE GAMERS: DORKNESS RISING | July 26, 2020 | THE GAMERS: DORKNESS RISING | Scott and A dive into this wonderful indie comedy. It’s about nerds and roleplaying games — it us! The feature-length flick alternates between roleplayers and their characters within the game’s setting. If you ever D’ed the D, you might dig it. |
53 | August 12, 2020 | THE VAST OF NIGHT | Scott and A chat about this killer indie flick directed by Andrew Patterson. It's available on Amazon Prime. | ||
54 | November 13, 2020 | SPACEBALLS | August 29, 2020 | SPACEBALLS | Scott and A discuss this 1987 parody/comedy/classic. Join us and get your Schwarz on! |
55 | December 5, 2020 | 42 | September 12, 2020 | 42 | Scott and A discuss the Chadwick Boseman / Harrison Ford movie “42,” the story of Jackie Robinson, the first black player in the modern era of the Major Leagues. Robinson’s accomplishments were a huge influence on Scott’s scifi series, the Galactic Football League. |
56 | September 26, 2020 | THE GAMERS: HANDS OF FATE | |||
57 | December 16, 2020 | THE FRENCH CONNECTION | October 17, 2020 | THE FRENCH CONNECTION | Scott & ARealGirl break down this tour de force from legend Gene Hackman, who won an Oscar for Best Actor in this 1972 classic. The movie won five Oscars in total and reinvented the cinematic car chase. |
58 | December 28, 2020 | THE SHINING | October 31, 2020 | The Shining | At Halloween, on the 40th anniversary of this legendary horror film, Scott, ARealGirl, and Rob Otto break down THE SHINING.
Iconic, enduring, and still influencing pop culture to this day, Stanley Kubrick’s interpretation of the Stephen King bestseller features the amazing cast of Shelly Duvall, Scatman Crothers, and Jack Nicholson. Four decades on, how does this flick hold up? Join this erstwhile trio of vacationers as we visit the Overlook and find out. |
59 | November 14, 2020 | Caddyshack | |||
60 | February 25, 2021 | THE KARATE KID | November 28, 2020 | The Karate Kid (1984) | That’s right, wax it on, wax it off. Scott & A do a deep dive into this sports movie classic, along with the help of Rob Otto, Empty Set Movie Maven, and 16th-place runner-up at the 1991 All Valley Karate Tournament. |
61 | March 4, 2021 | A CHRISTMAS STORY | December 12, 2020 | A Christmas Story | Join ARealGirl, Scott, and Empty Set Movie Maven & Midwest BB Gun Champ Rob Otto as we break down the cast and the story behind one of the greatest holiday movies of all time. We’ll talk your ear out. SONSABITCHIN BUMPUSES!!! |
62 | March 11, 2021 | POINT BREAK | January 9, 2021 | Point Break | Can you believe it’s been 30 years since this beast of a flick came out? Join Scott, ARealGirl, and Empty Set Movie Maven Rob Otto as we cover this Bigelow/Reeves/Swayze classic. |
63 | March 18, 2021 | EXECUTIVE DECISION | January 23, 2021 | Executive Decision | We take a deep dive into this schlock-tastic 90s action flick, starring Kurt Russel, Steven Segal, and Halle Berry. Did you know the on-set feud between Russel and Segal forced a rewrite of the script? We will cover that and more! |
64 | February 6, 2021 | Swingers | |||
65 | February 20, 2021 | Big Trouble in Little China | |||
66 | March 6, 2021 | From Dusk Till Dawn | |||
67 | March 20, 2021 | Boondock Saints | |||
68 | April 3, 2021 | Coming to America |