Leave the Gun, Take the Nerd: The Godfather with Seth Vargas

Leave the Gun, Take the Nerd: The Godfather with Seth Vargas

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who have seen The Godfather, and those who have built an entire personality around not having seen it (a group that, until this week, proudly included our own Mandy Kaplan — a grown woman fully comfortable assigning Rotten Tomatoes scores to a film she had never once watched). Enter Seth Vargas of the Movie Friends podcast, back in the nerd chair to commit the bold act of sitting a self-described mainstream mom down in front of the most quoted movie in American history and asking her to actually have feelings about it. She does. Boy, she does. What comes out of it is a conversation about violence and family and loneliness and whether the most beloved father figure in all of cinema is secretly the devil — the kind of talk that sneaks up and turns profound while you’re still laughing at the pasta jokes. If you’ve been quietly running your own decades-long Godfather standoff, consider this your way out. Press play. GUEST SPOTLIGHT Seth Vargas is one half of Movie Friends [https://www.moviefriendspodcast.com/], the weekly film podcast he co-hosts with Michelle Rubinstein on a beautifully simple premise: Seth has seen it, Michelle hasn’t, and together they take a curious, friends-first tour through movie history one title at a time. This is Seth’s second visit to Make Me a Nerd — he and Michelle previously walked Mandy through the strange legacy of Ed Wood [https://trustory.fm/makemeanerd/movie-friends-michelle-rubinstein-and-seth-vargas-on-the-strange-legacy-of-ed-wood/]. Find Movie Friends on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/movie-friends/id1662559445], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2O5TcFC9k4VSyxBnb99tap], and on Instagram at @moviefriendspodcast [https://www.instagram.com/moviefriendspodcast/]. LINKS & REFERENCES The Films * The Godfather [https://letterboxd.com/film/the-godfather/] * The Godfather Part II [https://letterboxd.com/film/the-godfather-part-ii/] * Zootopia [https://letterboxd.com/film/zootopia/] * The Exorcist [https://letterboxd.com/film/the-exorcist/] * Rosemary’s Baby [https://letterboxd.com/film/rosemarys-baby/] * The Outsiders [https://letterboxd.com/film/the-outsiders/] * Peggy Sue Got Married [https://letterboxd.com/film/peggy-sue-got-married/] * Megalopolis [https://boxd.it/lPBS] * THX 1138 [https://letterboxd.com/film/thx-1138/] * Star Wars [https://letterboxd.com/film/star-wars/] * Jaws [https://letterboxd.com/film/jaws/] * Singin’ in the Rain [https://letterboxd.com/film/singin-in-the-rain/] * Hello, Dolly! [https://letterboxd.com/film/hello-dolly/] * Miss Congeniality [https://letterboxd.com/film/miss-congeniality/] * Analyze This [https://letterboxd.com/film/analyze-this/] * Mickey Blue Eyes [https://letterboxd.com/film/mickey-blue-eyes/] * All That Jazz [https://letterboxd.com/film/all-that-jazz/] * The Many Saints of Newark [https://letterboxd.com/film/the-many-saints-of-newark/] * Plan 9 from Outer Space [https://letterboxd.com/film/plan-9-from-outer-space/] * Ed Wood [https://letterboxd.com/film/ed-wood/] The Filmmakers & Cast * Francis Ford Coppola [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Ford_Coppola] * Mario Puzo [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Puzo] * Marlon Brando [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlon_Brando] * Al Pacino [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Pacino] * Diane Keaton [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Keaton] * Robert Duvall [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Duvall] * James Caan [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Caan] * Robert De Niro [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_De_Niro] * Lee Strasberg [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Strasberg] * George Lucas [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lucas] * Nicolas Cage [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Cage] * Hugh Grant [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Grant] * Roy Scheider [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Scheider] * Matt Dillon [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Dillon] People & History * Frank Sinatra [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Sinatra] — the rumored real-life inspiration behind Johnny Fontane * Joe Colombo [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Colombo] — the mob boss behind the real protest campaign Seth describes * Italian-American Civil Rights League [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian-American_Civil_Rights_League] — the organization that rallied against the film’s production * The Hays Code (Motion Picture Production Code) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Production_Code] Watch & Listen * Seth’s homework: the Vito Corleone mustache-to-tree dissolve [https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Godfather+Vito+Corleone+mustache+tree+dissolve] * Theme song: “Wonder Struck” by Jane and the Boy [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Wonder+Struck+Jane+and+the+Boy] Previously on Make Me a Nerd * Movie Friends Michelle Rubinstein and Seth Vargas on the Strange Legacy of Ed Wood [https://trustory.fm/makemeanerd/movie-friends-michelle-rubinstein-and-seth-vargas-on-the-strange-legacy-of-ed-wood/] * The Exorcist with Lester Ryan Clark and Kynan Dias [https://trustory.fm/makemeanerd/the-exorcist-with-lester-ryan-clark-and-kynan-dias/] While you’re at it… Check out this great show! * Sitting in the Dark [https://trustory.fm/sitting-in-the-dark/] — TruStory FM’s monthly horror deep-dive with Chelsea Stardust, Tommy Metz III, Pete Wright, and Kynan Dias --- Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website [https://makemeanerd.com/join] to learn more.

Prince with Kyle Olson and Pete Wright

Here’s a fun fact about Prince Rogers Nelson: that wasn’t a stage name. Prince was his actual, legal, on-the-birth-certificate first name. Once you accept that a man named Prince grew up to become the artist known as Prince, you’re already most of the way to accepting everything else. The 8,000 unreleased tracks in a literal underground vault. The candles balanced precariously on the mixing boards. The 2 a.m. phone calls to musicians who had to be at Paisley Park by sunrise because the basketball game just ended and inspiration had struck. Pete Wright and Kyle Olson have feelings about this man. Deep, well-organized, road-tripped-to-Minnesota-for-the-Purple-Rain-musical feelings. They’ve come to walk Mandy through the empire — the side projects, the symbol, the Warner Brothers war, the Rolling Stones opening slot that ended in chicken bones — and to make a case that the artist most people think they know is actually three or four artists they don’t. There are detours into Sinéad O’Connor, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson ping pong, and one of Mandy’s most committed pre-adolescent performance choices. Press play. Guest Spotlight Pete Wright and Kyle Olson are TruStory FM family — Pete is the engineer and producer behind much of the network (and Make Me a Nerd itself), and Kyle is a writer, playwright, and his frequent co-conspirator. Together they host Craft and Chaos [https://trustory.fm/craft-and-chaos], a podcast about staying creative through difficult times, and The Marvel Movie Minute [https://marvelmovieminute.com/], where they break down Marvel films five minutes at a time. Kyle’s plays can be found at the New Play Exchange [https://newplayexchange.org/users/26226/kyle-olson] (when he remembers to put his name on them — long story, listen to Craft and Chaos). Pete just released his debut work of fiction, a novella called Lattice, available at itsmepete.com [https://itsmepete.com/], Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. The Playlist Pete and Kyle’s Prince playlist on YouTube Music [https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDNp3Sc56urSWj2g1XPB0EH2Bq5Ez2NMZ&si=6qn0QOQ3eE2UUYY8] — the listening companion for this episode. Songs Mentioned * “My Name Is Prince” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=My+Name+Is+Prince+Prince] — Prince & The New Power Generation * “Darling Nikki” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Darling+Nikki+Prince] — Prince & The Revolution * “When Doves Cry” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=When+Doves+Cry+Prince] — Prince & The Revolution * “Let’s Go Crazy” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Lets+Go+Crazy+Prince] — Prince & The Revolution * “Little Red Corvette” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Little+Red+Corvette+Prince] — Prince * “Raspberry Beret” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Raspberry+Beret+Prince] — Prince & The Revolution * “1999” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=1999+Prince] — Prince * “Delirious” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Delirious+Prince] — Prince * “Head” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Head+Prince] — Prince * “Sister” [https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=lHa7eoyJLMY&si=fQE3SwoZLUrnlqVM] — Prince * “When You Were Mine” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=When+You+Were+Mine+Prince] — Prince * “I Feel for You” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=I+Feel+For+You+Chaka+Khan] — Chaka Khan (written by Prince) * “A Case of You” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=A+Case+Of+You+Prince] — Prince (Joni Mitchell cover) * “Nothing Compares 2 U” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Nothing+Compares+2+U+Sinead+OConnor] — Sinéad O’Connor (written by Prince) * “Nothing Compares 2 U” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Nothing+Compares+2+U+Prince] — Prince (original) * “Manic Monday” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Manic+Monday+Bangles] — The Bangles (written by Prince) * “Sugar Walls” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Sugar+Walls+Sheena+Easton] — Sheena Easton (written by Prince as Alexander Nevermind) * “The Glamorous Life” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Glamorous+Life+Sheila+E] — Sheila E. (written by Prince) * “A Love Bizarre” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=A+Love+Bizarre+Sheila+E] — Sheila E. (with Prince) * “Stand Back” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Stand+Back+Stevie+Nicks] — Stevie Nicks (co-written with Prince) * “Kiss” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Kiss+Art+of+Noise+Tom+Jones] — Art of Noise feat. Tom Jones (Prince cover) * “Round and Round” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Round+and+Round+Tevin+Campbell] — Tevin Campbell (from Graffiti Bridge) * “How Come You Don’t Call Me” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=How+Come+You+Dont+Call+Me+Alicia+Keys] — Alicia Keys (Prince cover) * “Thieves in the Temple” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Thieves+in+the+Temple+Prince] — Prince * “New Power Generation” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=New+Power+Generation+Prince] — Prince * “Get Off” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Get+Off+Prince] — Prince & The New Power Generation * “Tick, Tick, Bang” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Tick+Tick+Bang+Prince] — Prince * “Tamborine” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Tamborine+Prince] — Prince * “Scandalous” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Scandalous+Prince] — Prince * “Venus de Milo” [https://music.youtube.com/search?q=Venus+de+Milo+Prince] — Prince (Parade) Albums Mentioned * For You [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_You_(Prince_album)] (1978) * Prince [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(Prince_album)] (1979) * Dirty Mind [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Mind] (1980) * Controversy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversy_(Prince_album)] (1981) * 1999 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_(Prince_album)] (1982) * Purple Rain [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Rain_(album)] (1984) * Parade [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parade_(Prince_album)] (1986) * Sign o’ the Times [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_o%27_the_Times] (1987) * The Black Album [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Album_(Prince_album)] (1987/1994) * Batman [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_(Prince_album)] (1989) * Graffiti Bridge [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti_Bridge_(album)] (1990) * Love Symbol Album [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Symbol_Album] (1992) * http...

Sensual Creatures: Vampires, Frilly Shirts, and Interview with a Vampire with Jonny Lee Jr.

Vampires, as a concept, should not work. They are dead. They are allergic to weather. Their entire dating strategy is "what if I bit you." And yet — somehow, Anne Rice took this nonsense, draped it in frilly eighteenth-century shirts (a look Jonny Lee Jr. has, to his eternal credit, brought to this very podcast), and produced one of the most genuinely seductive pieces of pulp fiction of the twentieth century. This week, Jonny returns to walk Mandy through the entire blood-soaked architecture of Interview with the Vampire — the 1994 film, the AMC series, and the lore that Anne Rice constructed to power both. Along the way: Cher was almost cast as Louis (yes, that Cher; yes, in a corset; no, it would not have worked). Tom Cruise was, by Anne Rice's own admission, the wrong man for Lestat — right up until he opened his mouth on screen and became the only possible man for Lestat. Brad Pitt may have been miserable filming this and you can, if you squint, kind of tell. Kirsten Dunst, age eleven, delivered a performance so calibrated that they auditioned a thousand other children and quietly admitted defeat. And Anne Rice herself wrote Claudia — a five-year-old trapped in eternal childhood — because her own five-year-old daughter had died of leukemia, which recontextualizes the entire story so violently that you may need to sit down. Also covered: why blood drinking, in the Anne Rice cosmology, is better than sex (the vampires are the most sex-positive characters in 1990s cinema); why the second half of the movie kind of falls apart the moment Antonio Banderas shows up to monologue at everyone; why the AMC series is gayer than the movie which is gayer than the books which are already pretty gay; and the fact that one of the most cinematic shots in nineties film involves a child vampire worrying about getting blood on her pink satin shoes. Welcome back to nerd-dom. GUEST SPOTLIGHT Jonny Lee Jr. is one of Make Me a Nerd's original guests and a self-described "very well-rounded nerd" — a designation he has now earned across episodes on Zelda, Sailor Moon, and the present descent into Anne Rice's vampire universe. He is an actor and singer with the rare ability to make you genuinely excited about a frilly eighteenth-century shirt, and he has read every single Vampire Chronicles novel, which is the kind of qualification you cannot fake. Links & References Past Make Me a Nerd Episodes Referenced * Moon Prism Power, Make Me a Gorgeous Podcaster: Sailor Moon with Jonny Lee Jr. [https://trustory.fm/makemeanerd/moon-prism-power-make-me-a-gorgeous-podcaster-sailor-moon-with-jonny-lee-jr/] * Make Me a Nerd Takes a Hearty Breath of the Wild with Jonny Lee, Jr. [https://trustory.fm/makemeanerd/make-me-a-nerd-takes-a-hearty-breath-of-the-wild-with-jonny-lee-jr/] — the Zelda episode * Mommie Dearest with Abdi Nazemian [https://trustory.fm/makemeanerd/mommie-dearest-with-abdi-nazemian/] Film & Television Discussed in depth * Interview with the Vampire (1994, dir. Neil Jordan) [https://letterboxd.com/film/interview-with-the-vampire/] * Interview with the Vampire (AMC series, 2022–present) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interview_with_the_Vampire_(TV_series)] * Byzantium (2012, dir. Neil Jordan) [https://letterboxd.com/film/byzantium/] — the Saoirse Ronan vampire film Jonny was trying to remember on air * Queen of the Damned (2002) [https://letterboxd.com/film/queen-of-the-damned/] Referenced in passing * The Crying Game (1992, dir. Neil Jordan) [https://letterboxd.com/film/the-crying-game/] * Mommie Dearest (1981) [https://letterboxd.com/film/mommie-dearest/] * Hook (1991, dir. Steven Spielberg) [https://letterboxd.com/film/hook/] * Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991) [https://letterboxd.com/film/madonna-truth-or-dare/] * Desperado (1995, dir. Robert Rodriguez) [https://letterboxd.com/film/desperado/] * Philadelphia (1993, dir. Jonathan Demme) [https://letterboxd.com/film/philadelphia/] * Top Gun (1986) [https://letterboxd.com/film/top-gun/] * Legends of the Fall (1994) [https://letterboxd.com/film/legends-of-the-fall/] * Nine (2009, dir. Rob Marshall) [https://letterboxd.com/film/nine/] * Sliding Doors (1998) [https://letterboxd.com/film/sliding-doors/] * Game of Thrones (HBO series) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_Thrones] * Will & Grace (2017 reboot) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_%26_Grace_season_9] Books * Interview with the Vampire (1976) by Anne Rice [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interview_with_the_Vampire] * The Vampire Lestat (1985) by Anne Rice [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vampire_Lestat] * The Queen of the Damned (1988) by Anne Rice [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Queen_of_the_Damned] * The Vampire Armand (1998) by Anne Rice [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vampire_Armand] * The Vampire Chronicles (series overview) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vampire_Chronicles] Stage * Lestat (musical, Broadway 2006) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lestat_(musical)] — music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin * Nine (musical) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_(musical)] — the 2003 Broadway revival, dir. David Leveaux, starred Antonio Banderas and Jane Krakowski People Creators * Anne Rice [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Rice] (1941–2021) * Stan Rice [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Rice] — Anne Rice's husband, the real-world basis for Lestat * Christopher Rice [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Rice] — Anne and Stan's son * Neil Jordan [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Jordan] 1994 film cast * Tom Cruise [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Cruise] * Brad Pitt [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Pitt] * Kirsten Dunst [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirsten_Dunst] * Antonio Banderas [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Banderas] * Stephen Rea [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Rea] * Thandiwe Newton [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thandiwe_Newton] — credited in 1994 as "Thandie Newton" * Christian Slater [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Slater] * Evan Rachel Wood [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_Rachel_Wood] — the other actress considered for Claudia AMC series cast * Sam Reid [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Reid_(actor)]

Shoot Again! Talking Pinball with Clark Hill

Pinball looks like two buttons and a ball. It is not two buttons and a ball. It is a 300-pound machine with layered rules, competitive leagues, wrist injuries, a flow state, and — this will surprise you — an expectation that you will physically grab the machine and move it while playing. That last part is legal. Encouraged, even. This week, Mandy's new neighbor Clark Hill, who carries quarters at all times in case he passes a machine in the wild, joins her to watch Shoot Again, a documentary that is essentially pinball propaganda, and to explain why none of this is as simple as it looks. The conversation covers flow states, wizard modes, the Dolly Parton machine, a proposed cats-themed machine (the cats, not the musical), and at least one incident involving a toddler on the glass. Press play. GUEST SPOTLIGHT Clark Hill is a theater nerd, Magic: The Gathering player, pinball league competitor, and Mandy's new neighbor — a convergence of circumstances that the universe has clearly been building toward. He is currently active in a pinball league in Van Nuys, California, carries quarters on his person at all times, and has a deep personal relationship with the work of game designer Keith Elwin. He has also, on at least two occasions, had to ask a father to remove a toddler from the glass surface of a pinball machine. Connect with the Show Follow Mandy on Instagram: @mandy_kaplan_klavens [https://www.instagram.com/mandy_kaplan_klavens?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==] Make Me a Nerd runs on curious people. If that's you, the inner circle is at makemeanerd.com/join [https://makemeanerd.com/join] — it's where the show goes deeper between episodes, and where Mandy's most embarrassingly enthusiastic fans have found their people. --- Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website [https://makemeanerd.com/join] to learn more.

The Truth is RIGHT HERE: X-Files with Chelsea Stardust

The X-Files is, technically, a show about two FBI agents investigating extraterrestrial activity, government conspiracy, and the unexplained — which is why it's mildly hilarious that filmmaker Chelsea Stardust's curated onramp for Mandy contains, by Mandy's own count, exactly zero alien episodes. What it does contain: a man who hibernates in a nest every thirty years and squeezes through air ducts; a parasitic humanoid Flukeman swimming around the sewer system (related, somehow, to Chernobyl); a gentle psychic played by Peter Boyle who can see exactly how everyone is going to die; an inbred Pennsylvania family hiding their quadruple-amputee mother under the bed; and Bryan Cranston's head, which will explode unless he keeps driving west. Mandy was, against every instinct she possesses, completely charmed. What emerges across the conversation is a love letter to a show whose secret weapon turns out not to be the monsters at all. It's the writing (Vince Gilligan, pre-Breaking Bad, was already writing Vince Gilligan episodes). It's the sparing use of special effects, which means the few times you actually see the Flukeman, you really see him. It's a theme song Mark Snow created by smashing his forearm onto a keyboard in frustration, which is the most rock-and-roll origin story in television scoring. And it's the Mulder-Scully dynamic, which Chelsea makes a passionate case is the actual core of the entire enterprise — the relationships first, the body horror second, the Cigarette Smoking Man a distant third. By the end, Mandy has watched five episodes, formed strong opinions about Scully's footwear ergonomics, identified Roseanne's Dan Conner's best friend Chuck in a guest spot decades later, and developed genuine sympathy for a sewer-dwelling parasite. Chelsea has confessed that she's never gotten to talk about The X-Files on a podcast before, which feels like a crime against nerd culture and is hereby corrected. GUEST SPOTLIGHT Chelsea Stardust is a writer, director, and producer with a deep bench of horror credentials. She made her directorial debut with the sci-fi thriller All That We Destroy (Hulu, part of Blumhouse's Into the Dark series); directed the horror-comedy Satanic Panic (written by novelist Grady Hendrix, available on VOD); and most recently co-directed Grind, a horror anthology about the gig economy that premiered at SXSW 2026. She co-hosts the horror movie podcast Sitting in the Dark with Tommy Metz III on TruStory FM, runs the Losers Book Club in Los Angeles, and is generally the kind of person who treats nerdiness as a vocation. Find her on Instagram at @chelseastardust and her book club at @losersbookclubla. * Chelsea Stardust on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chelseastardust/] * Sitting in the Dark podcast (TruStory FM) [https://trustory.fm/sitting-in-the-dark/] * Losers Book Club LA on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/losersbookclubla/] Chelsea’s Films * All That We Destroy (2019) [https://letterboxd.com/film/all-that-we-destroy/] * Satanic Panic (2019) [https://letterboxd.com/film/satanic-panic-2019/] * Grind (2026) [https://letterboxd.com/film/grind-2026/] The X-Files Episodes Discussed * “Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 1) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_(The_X-Files)] * “Squeeze” (Season 1, Episode 3) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squeeze_(The_X-Files)] * “The Host” (Season 2, Episode 2) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Host_(The_X-Files)] * “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” (Season 3, Episode 4) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clyde_Bruckman%27s_Final_Repose] * “Home” (Season 4, Episode 2) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_(The_X-Files)] * “Drive” (Season 6, Episode 2) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive_(The_X-Files)] * “Monday” (Season 6, Episode 14) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monday_(The_X-Files)] People Mentioned * Grady Hendrix [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grady_Hendrix] — novelist; wrote Satanic Panic * Dave Grusin [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Grusin] — composer of The Firm score * Tommy Metz III on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tommymetz3/] — Sitting in the Dark co-host Referenced Books * The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Southern_Book_Club%27s_Guide_to_Slaying_Vampires] by Grady Hendrix * It (Stephen King novel) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_(novel)] — referenced for thematic parallels with “Squeeze” Referenced Films & Series * Scanners (1981) [https://letterboxd.com/film/scanners/] — Cronenberg; cited for the “Drive” cold open * Speed (1994) [https://letterboxd.com/film/speed/] — the spiritual cousin to “Drive” * The Goonies (1985) [https://letterboxd.com/film/the-goonies/] — Mandy’s prior episode reference * The Firm (1993) [https://letterboxd.com/film/the-firm/] — for Mandy’s Dave Grusin score reference * It (1990 miniseries) [https://letterboxd.com/film/it-1990/] — Tim Curry as Pennywise * Disclosure Day (2026) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disclosure_Day] — the Spielberg UFO film Chelsea referenced Past Make Me a Nerd Episodes * It’s Our Time Down Here: A Goonies Comfort Rewatch with Krissy Lenz [https://trustory.fm/make-me-a-nerd/] — series hub (specific episode page) Make Me a Nerd * Make Me a Nerd membership [https://makemeanerd.com/join] * Mandy Kaplan on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mandy_kaplan_klavens/] * @mandymiscast on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@mandymiscast] --- Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website [https://makemeanerd.com/join] to learn more.