The Nostalgia Test Podcast

Dan, Manny, & Billy put the 2026 micro-vertical series Autnomous to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST (NOW)!

“What do you do? I drive Uber and kill f***ing people."
-Manny Coelho

What better way to celebrate Spooky Season than with a horrifyingly insane conversation about a possibly possessed autonomous car. In this episode, the boys dive deep into a 16-episode micro series by the creators of ZombieCon Vol.1 (168. Nostalgia Test Now! ZombieCon Vol.1 & 169. Nostalgia 101: Making ZombieCon Vol. 1 w/ Erin Áine & Kyle Valle) on Screamify Autonomous. Director Kyle Valle & writer/actor Erin Áine are courageous filmmakers, actors, and writers, and their latest indie endeavor ventures into the wild west of verticals, which according to a Creative Screenwriting article from June 2, 2025, “A vertical drama refers to a narrative that is specifically created and formatted to be viewed on mobile devices in a vertical (portrait) orientation. This format is a direct response to the increasing dominance of mobile platforms in everyday media consumption.”

This is uncharted territory and Autonomous takes a huge swing bringing horror to the vertical world.

The boys breakdown their skepticism of autonomous driving, Waymos, and one of the main character’s, Derek, age. There’s a detailed conversation about how Autonomous was filmed, the advantages and disadvantages of the vertical aspect ratio, and some of the practical aspects of the “GoMo” (the autonomous car), like how many were used, if they used a regular camera in the car to create that claustrophobic feeling, and why couldn’t they just jump out of the car. There’s also questions about how the script might have been written, where Dan, Manny, & Billy feel there could’ve been some heightening for scare factor, and they pitch several ideas for sequels and an expansive cross-over universe between Autonomous and ZombieCon.

Before they put it to the test, the guys give high praise for Erin Áine’s power acting and how they need to find her a co-star that can match her command of each scene, and make sure you listen for the extra horror film conversation that happens as Dan signs off.

So, bow to your AI overlords, get drunk in a Waymo like it's a limo to your prom, and throw caution to the wind while being driven into the woods by a possessed machine because what else are we going to do?!

Watch Autonomous on Screamify: https://www.screamify.com/

Check out Kyle and Erin’s other projects at Big Squid Productions: https://bigsquidproductions.com/

***

Rep Your Nostalgia @ Our Merch Shop.
Your favorite memories are now wearable. Rep the The Nostalgia Test Podcast, celebrate the past, and keep nostalgia alive.

***

If you love what we’re doing and want to support the podcast so we can keep this show going with better equipment and maybe meet up with each other to do some in-person recording, sponsor to The Nostalgia Test:
https://buymeacoffee.com/nostalgiatest

***

Lastly, we’re looking to be booked for podcast appearances, hosting gigs and parties, maybe you have a block party coming up, a BBQ that you want to be Nostalgia themed and you’re looking to make it seriously memorable, a reunion, etc., contact us to book the podcast. We’re ready to Get Nostalgic With You:
Contact For Booking

***

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!

***

Approximate Rundown

00:00 Cold Open Chaos

00:24 Welcome Back Check In

01:56 No Edits and Support Plugs

02:47 What Is a Vertical Micro Series

05:26 How They Shot It

06:04 Autonomous Premise and Cast

07:09 Waymo Talk and Safety Fears

11:19 Story Setup and AI Job Loss

12:18 Spoilers and What We Wanted

13:39 Monster vs Serial Killer Debate

20:49 Character Drama and Exposition

23:08 Bigger Themes and Horror Craft

25:06 Ending Fixes and Jake Theory

25:41 Open Ending and Final Girl Twist

26:46 Demon Hand or Scooby Doo

27:34 911 Call and GOMO Conspiracy

28:59 Vertical Storytelling Challenges

35:20 Flash Fiction and Vine Lessons

37:42 Horror Genre and Future Sequel

38:53 Tech Horror and Better Kills

42:09 Cast Praise and Universe Ideas

47:33 Final Thoughts and Support the Show

49:51 Low-Budget Horror Success Stories

51:09 Poltergeist Talk and Wrap Up Episode Quotes

***

Book The Nostalgia Test Podcast

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com or fill out the form at this link to book us on your podcast, host your special events, roast your friends & family, and for custom nostalgic themed events. The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We are the most dedicated guests! We bring it 100% of the time!

thenostalgiatest@gmail.com

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Merch Shop | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic. Other music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan & Manny have an old school show & tell and put some nostalgic toys to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“Come to Toys "R" Us and spend all your parents' money”
-Manny Coelho

Oh man! This is a fun nostalgic hangout all about toys, water fights, toy stores, candy, and classic Nostalgia Test Tangents. Dan & Manny bring a bunch of toys to surprise, show & tell, and put to the test. No one knows what the other is bringing, so you know this always leads to some fun nostalgic chaos. Some of the toys are plastic water guns, balls, sticky hands, and Silly Putty even makes an appearance! While all of this is going on, Dan takes it upon himself to have a side Nostalgia Test putting Life Savers and Bubble Tape to the ultimate test, and you can imagine how that goes.

In a time where all our fun is becoming more and more intangible, our imaginations are under attack, and our third spaces are being erased, talking about childhood toys and fun is more important than ever. We need to take these things back and engage in real messy fun. One of the moments in this episode that proves this is when Dan & Manny reminisce about having water fights in their yards. If you don’t know what a water fight is, get on looking it up, grabbing some friends, and having some old fashion wet and wild fun.

This isn’t just a comedic look back on a simpler toy past, it’s a necessary reminder that at one point in our history we were able to have fun with way less, that our lives weren’t a race to monetization, and that time with one another meant sometimes being bored together, going somewhere, and/or thinking up an original game a la Calvinball, shoutout Calvin & Hobbes. We might not be able to go back to these times, though we can make time to be silly; it might just save our lives.

So, call up your best friends, grab some water balloons, cheap water guns, some bouncy balls, and come over and hang out while we celebrate a simpler and more fun time, and who says it can’t be now.

***

If you love what we’re doing and want to support the podcast so we can keep this show going with better equipment and maybe meet up with each other to do some in-person recording, sponsor to The Nostalgia Test:
https://buymeacoffee.com/nostalgiatest

Lastly, we’re looking to be booked for podcast appearances, hosting gigs and parties, maybe you have a block party coming up, a BBQ that you want to be Nostalgia themed and you’re looking to make it seriously memorable, a reunion, etc., contact us to book the podcast. We’re ready to Get Nostalgic With You:
Contact For Booking

***

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!

***

Approximate Rundown

00:00 Podcast Intro & Toy Nostalgia

00:18 KB Toys & Mall Memories

00:39 Toys R Us Comeback Talk

02:08 Jingles & Toy Episode Setup

03:47 Shoutout Alisa Reyes

05:06 Five Below Toy Hunt

06:32 What Counts As A Toy

07:48 Bouncy Ball Nostalgia Test

11:25 Koosh Ball Origin Story

13:03 Old School Water Gun Wars

16:33 Water Balloons & Water Fight Escalation

21:03 Life Savers Side Snack

21:58 Sticky Slap Hand Chaos

27:22 Silly Putty Memories

28:23 Silly Putty Bounce Test Chaos

29:45 Silly Putty Stretch Snap Bite

31:11 Life Savers Review

32:24 Sound Machine Buttons

40:16 Mic Malfunction Break

44:02 Bubble Tape Challenge

45:35 Skee Ball Figurines

50:47 Wrap Up and Plugs

***

Book The Nostalgia Test Podcast

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com or fill out the form at this link to book us on your podcast, host your special events, roast your friends & family, and for custom nostalgic themed events. The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We are the most dedicated guests! We bring it 100% of the time!

thenostalgiatest@gmail.com

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic. Other music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan, Manny, & Billy put the 1989 baseball comedy classic Major League (1989) to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“We've been doing a load of dog shit so far and we [were in] need of a win. We needed a definite win."
-Dan Dissinger

Oh man! The journey to podcasting immortality starts with the 1989 classic Major League, a comedy that was able to be offensive, heartwarming, exciting, have a love story, easily making it a top 5 of baseball movie. It’s been a rough journey for our hosts and like they’ve been saying for months, they really needed a win.

With new movies and our lives being sanitized of color watching Major League reminds the audience of a time when films, lives, clothes, and the overall world was a fun place to live. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but the men and woman looked like people. The bodies were real bodies. It was more okay to age. Actors were age appropriate for their parts. Suspending disbelief was so much easier.

The guys talk all about these things while reciting their favorite lines, laughing about the many training montages, giving the late Bob Uecker his flowers, and talking about the power and lasting legacy of baseball movies like The Natural, Field of Dreams, and A League of Their Own. They also talk about how Major League has a killer cast, yet only 2 and a quarter speaking roles for women. What?!

All of this was going on while the New York Knicks were being destroyed in game 3 of the NBA Finals. You can listen to the other episodes where the guys talk about the mall while The Knicks are playing and then hear their reactions to the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history.

So, grab your baseball mitt, your best friends, fill a cooler with beer, and fire up the grill because baseball season is underway and this episode will have everyone singing “Wild Thing.”

***

If you love what we’re doing and want to support the podcast so we can keep this show going with better equipment and maybe meet up with each other to do some in-person recording, sponsor to The Nostalgia Test:
https://buymeacoffee.com/nostalgiatest

Lastly, we’re looking to be booked for podcast appearances, hosting gigs and parties, maybe you have a block party coming up, a BBQ that you want to be Nostalgia themed and you’re looking to make it seriously memorable, a reunion, etc., contact us to book the podcast. We’re ready to Get Nostalgic With You:
Contact For Booking

***

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!

***

Approximate Rundown

00:00 Major League Kickoff

00:27 Knicks Game Banter

01:08 Why This Movie Rules

01:59 Plot Setup & Ted Lasso

03:31 Personal Nostalgia Story

04:32 Baseball Movies & Misfits

05:46 Team Names & Mascots

08:08 Cast Talk Berenger vs Sheen

09:49 Jumping into the Movie

12:49 Quotes C Iconic Scenes

15:32 Spring Training & Trivia

19:45 Bob Uecker Steals It

23:21 Love Story Complaints

25:46 Winning Streak and Pacing

31:59 Can You Make This Today

35:16 Charlie Sheen Fastball Trivia

35:45 Halftime Superstition Spiral

36:32 Uecker Improvs & Steroids

38:22 Sheen Career Highs & Lows

41:30 Ranking Baseball Movies

47:40 Field of Dreams Road Trip

50:41 Signs and Sign Stealing

53:08 Major League II & Snipes

59:29 Nostalgia Test Verdict

01:00:50 Wrap Up & Plug

***

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic. Other music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan, Manny, & Billy celebrate 200 episodes of the podcast by putting the 1999 coming-of-age rated-R sex comedy American Pie to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“But I will say, like, if you haven't f***ed a pie, are you really even living?”
-Billy D’Elia

When we started this pop-culture adventure in 2020 with episode 1. Cocktail we never thought we’d still be at it in 2026, or that we’d meet so many amazing people and other podcasters, or even that our friends would want to come on and talk s**t with us on random Wednesday nights, or that we’d get the chance to interview creatives, actors, musicians, and academics from all over the world. We never thought that this indie engine that could would bring people joy and laughter, and at times make them angry at us, which that’s cool too, and we’re going to keep at it as long as we’re having fun.

This 200th episode is a classic Nostalgia Test from beginning to end. It’s filled with Mineola High School tangents, personal stories, and dirty jokes. This is what it’s like to hang out with us on a random night in our friend’s basement until 3am talking nonsense about a movie that’s a total reflection of our lives in 1999.

When American Pie came out in 1999, we were all in high school going into our senior year. Over 13 of us pre-gamed before going to the Raceway Movie Theater on Long Island, bought tickets at the door, loudly found an entire row of seats, and laughed our asses off. This movie is a time capsule of the time and became a pop culture phenomenon. Not a single Millennial of a certain age can ever look at an apple pie again and not think of this movie or hear the phrase “This on time at band camp...” and not know what comes next. These moments are burned into our brains.

Are there issues with this movie? Absolutely, and we talk about all of them, because you can’t watch some of these scenes with older eyes and let that stuff slide. At the same time, rewatching American Pie was more than the scenes, it was about what was happening outside the borders of the film. It’s about a time when groups of friends went places with each other, filled movie theaters together, went out after, and didn’t feel the need to post about it on social media or make content about the moment.

Those moments were for us.

Of course, we’re going to get into every detail of this movie, the Eugene Levy of it all, the sadness of Stifler’s reality, why Kevin is the worst character in cinema history, Tara Reid (need we say more), is Natasha Lyonne a ghost, and we have a deep (no pun intended) conversation about the reality of the pie scene and what the filmmakers originally had in mind.

So, call your longtime friends, sneak some Natural Ices down into the basement, turn up some late 90s pop-Punk, and join The Nostalgia Test Podcast celebration.

***

If you love what we’re doing and want to support the podcast so we can keep this show going with better equipment and maybe meet up with each other to do some in-person recording, sponsor to The Nostalgia Test:
https://buymeacoffee.com/nostalgiatest

Lastly, we’re looking to be booked for podcast appearances, hosting gigs and parties, maybe you have a block party coming up, a BBQ that you want to be Nostalgia themed and you’re looking to make it seriously memorable, a reunion, etc., contact us to book the podcast. We’re ready to Get Nostalgic With You:
Contact For Booking

***

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!

***

Approximate Rundown

00:00 American Pie Nostalgia Test

00:47 200th Episode Banter

01:07 Quicksand Trope Talk

01:54 Rocky Con Dreams

03:57 American Pie Facts Setup

04:54 Why 1999 Hit Different

07:01 Box Office & Summer 99

09:51 Theater Memories & Opening

12:12 American Pie Franchise & Rated-R Comedy Boom

14:47 Best Bits & Weak Chemistry

17:41 Party Scenes & Band Nerds

20:05 High School Stereotypes Debate

26:20 Stifler Character Breakdown

31:24 Pact Problems & Oz’s Date

32:49 Oz’s Pickup Disaster

33:05 Little Mermaid Joke Breakdown

34:01 Why Oz Is Single

34:51 Finch Is Insufferable

35:35 Stifler IRL Comparisons

36:28 MILF Era & Early Webcams

37:00 Condoms Everywhere

38:44 Lacrosse Rant

40:32 Oz Joins Choir

42:15 Fast Pace & Prank Peak

43:16 Eugene Levy Dad Moments

44:48 Warm Apple Pie Scene

50:31 Nadia & Webcam Fallout

01:00:53 Kevin Sucks as Friend

01:03:52 Oz Chooses Love

01:05:47 What Even Is the Pact

01:06:32 Prom Punchable Energy

01:06:51 The Band at the Prom

01:07:44 Kevin Loses It

01:12:19 Stifler's Mom Debate

01:15:48 Band Camp Michelle

01:21:25 Does It Still Pass

01:27:11 Webcam Time Capsule

01:29:35 Unrated Cut Trivia

01:34:23 Wrap Up & 200 Episodes

01:38:20 Listener Questions Finale

***

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic. Other music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan, Manny, & Billy share their Nostalgic memories about the mall, specifically their mall Roosevelt Field on Long Island and they put it to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

Yeah, it's like, "Where do you live?" "Uh, well, it used to be Modell's."
-Dan Dissinger

This is a special Nostalgic Reflections with all three longtime friends digging into the vanishing malls in the U.S., their memories of hanging out at The Roosevelt Field Mall, some of their favorite stores and some of the most ridiculous ones, how the food court free samples could be gathered into a meal, and how abandoned malls are being turned into apartments. Manny also tells a crazy story about being robbed at the Roosevelt Field mall movie theater and Dan tells a harrowing story about someone trying on hats in Macy’s for hours.

The guys also go off on some hilarious tangents about Christmas and Hanukkah, gifting a star to someone, Dan sending his mom to buy the self-titled Slipknot album, getting baked and doing holiday shopping, and this is all going on as the NY Knicks are mounting the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history (198. 🏀 Nostalgia Test Mini: Reaction to The Knicks’ 29-Point Playoff Comeback).

So, call up your closets friends, put on your baggiest jeans, your long-sleeved shirt under your short-sleeved shirt, your newest hat, and lace up your cleanest kicks, because it’s time to chill at the Roosevelt Field Mall all day long.

You can read Dan’s short essay on the Substack episode post.

***

If you love what we’re doing and want to support the podcast so we can keep this show going with better equipment and maybe meet up with each other to do some in-person recording, sponsor to The Nostalgia Test:
https://buymeacoffee.com/nostalgiatest

Lastly, we’re looking to be booked for podcast appearances, hosting gigs and parties, maybe you have a block party coming up, a BBQ that you want to be Nostalgia themed and you’re looking to make it seriously memorable, a reunion, etc., contact us to book the podcast. We’re ready to Get Nostalgic With You:
Contact For Booking

***

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!

***

Approximate Rundown

00:00 Mall Episode Kickoff

00:21 Hacky Sack Banter

01:48 Roosevelt Field Memories

02:41 Malls Then & Now

04:15 Source Mall Design

05:46 Mall Apartments Talk

08:27 Mall Food & Hangouts

13:42 Catholic Store Tangent

17:24 Back to the 90s Era

17:34 Movie Theater Nostalgia

20:06 Store List Electronics

20:46 Sharper Image Vibes

21:19 Engraved Gifts & Flasks

22:03 RadioShack Panic

22:52 Mall Sports Memorabilia

23:37 Things Remembered Scams

23:58 Naming a Star

25:55 Museum Company Oddities

26:42 Papyrus & Strip Malls

27:13 Mall Restaurants & Clubs

28:34 Basement Record Stores

29:49 CD Cover Shock Stories

31:38 Bookstores

33:22 Why Malls Mattered

33:56 Macy's Hat Odyssey

35:04 Game Break Chaos

36:08 Mall Memories & Mischief

39:23 Wrap Up & Sign Off

***

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic. Other music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

On this Nostalgia Test Mini episode, Dan, Manny, & Billy react to & celebrate The NY Knicks’ historic NBA Finals game 4 comeback and put their sports memories to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“Biggest comeback in NBA Finals history.”
-Billy D’Elia

On June 10th, 2026, while Dan, Manny, & Billy were recording the Major League & Mall Memories episodes, The New York Knicks were mounting the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. This episode is an immediate reaction to that win. The guys talk about their conflicting emotions and relationship to The Knicks since they were kids, how Dan hasn’t watched a Knick game since the dreaded Patrick Ewing finger roll debacle, what it’s like suffering as a fan, and Billy unearths a crazy Mineola-New York Knicks connection.

And the episode then goes off the Nostalgia Test Podcast rails (per usual) and the guys talk about diner fights, The World Cup, celebrity fans, The new Meet the Parents, sports fandom and front runners and all the nepo team owners. Dan, Manny, and Billy cover a ton of stuff in under 30 minutes and blurt out all forms of the word f***so many times that they should get an award.

So, put on your favorite NBA jersey, turn up those NY accents, and shout the word f*** at the top of your lungs, because this is a NY celebration.

***

If you love what we’re doing and want to support the podcast so we can keep this show going with better equipment and maybe meet up with each other to do some in-person recording, sponsor to The Nostalgia Test:
https://buymeacoffee.com/nostalgiatest

Lastly, we’re looking to be booked for podcast appearances, hosting gigs and parties, maybe you have a block party coming up, a BBQ that you want to be Nostalgia themed and you’re looking to make it seriously memorable, a reunion, etc., contact us to book the podcast. We’re ready to Get Nostalgic With You:
Contact For Booking

***

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!

***

Approximate Rundown

00:00 Knicks Shock Comeback

00:22 Breaking Down the Final Play

00:57 Why This Team Hooks Fans

01:45 San Antonio Collapse Fallout

02:09 Knicks Trauma & History

04:10 Brunson Heart & Doubters

05:56 Cautious Optimism & Choking Fears

06:46 Fans Loyalty & Frontrunners

08:17 Suffering Makes Winning Sweet

09:57 Celebrities Courtside Debate

11:13 Real Fans Versus Bandwagons

12:01 Celebrity Courtside Talk

12:20 Meet the Fockers Sequel

13:00 Why the Original Worked

13:25 Recording & Episode Plans

15:14 Knicks Nostalgia & Curses

16:02 Dolan Drama & Nepo Owners

19:04 World Cup & US Soccer

20:14 LeBron vs Jordan Rant

20:59 Beer League Podcast Idea

21:49 Friend Group Stories Wrap

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

Dan, Manny, & Billy put the American Gladiators franchise to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“It'd be a lot more American if they walked in the ring and just shot each other.”
-Billy D’Elia

While this episode was being recorded, the orange lunatic who’s technically our “president” was building a UFC octagon on the front lawn of The White House, which was ultimately a disaster (F Joe Rogan). We all should’ve seen the free-fall of America coming in the late 80s when we were all watching American Gladiators on TV. This episode attempts to figure out what this show is, why were people into it, and why was it resurrected, twice! That’s right, there is currently a new version with two seasons hosted by The Miz. Oh, and the first season of the 2026 version WAS FILMED IN FRANCE!?

Now, all credit goes to each and every gladiator that was on this show because in 1989 they were treated like trash. Safety wasn’t a thing, people were being knocked out, and gladiators were being forced to compete injured. Watching the “evolution” of American Gladiators is so interesting, because as the series continued the only thing that got updated were the games and the arena. They made it bigger and got rid of the cardboard cutout audience members. That’s right! They did that. At the same time, the gladiators remained overworked, injured, and forced to literally fight people like they were circus animals in an underground fight club.

This episode travels along a zig-zag path to get the controversial conclusion of the 2026 episode they watched, how The Miz is just screaming in people’s faces, some of the best knockouts, faceplants, and announcer quotes, all the way to the guys talking about how they need a 100% win for an episode because this is killing their souls.

So, grab your American flag bandanas, an oversized tank top, scream at the top of your lungs for no reason, and kick your best friend in the face, because it’s time to talk American Gladiators!

***

If you love what we’re doing and want to support the podcast so we can keep this show going with better equipment and maybe meet up with each other to do some in-person recording, sponsor to The Nostalgia Test: https://buymeacoffee.com/nostalgiatest

Lastly, we’re looking to be booked for podcast appearances, hosting gigs and parties, maybe you have a block party coming up, a BBQ that you want to be Nostalgia themed and you’re looking to make it seriously memorable, a reunion, etc., contact us to book the podcast. We’re ready to Get Nostalgic With You:
Contact For Booking

***

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!

***

Approximate Rundown

00:00 American Gladiators Setup

01:16 Show Format Challenge

02:18 Main Era Gladiators

03:20 Reboots & Hosts

05:34 Saturday TV Memories

07:44 Early Seasons Chaos

08:47 Games Evolve Over Time

10:17 Joust & Judge Bits

11:18 Reality TV Before Reality

13:12 Behind the Scenes Grind

14:48 Brutal Interviews &Trauma

17:33 Downfall & Exploitation

19:11 Injuries & Rule Nonsense

24:09 America Culture Context

25:38 Does It Pass Nostalgia

26:51 Competition Show Landscape

32:07 Steroids & Wild Stories

35:41 Trash TV Reboot Setup

36:50 Peak Games And 1996

40:10 Rewatch Reality Check

40:25 Hogan Ali Reboot

41:47 Schlock Backstories

43:00 Bad Names Bad Vibes

44:12 Water Hazards

50:32 Why It Failed

51:54 Miz Era Rant

54:45 Finale Disqualification

57:35 Filmed in France

01:06:06 Fixing the Format

01:11:22 Nostalgia Verdict

01:15:26 Next Episode Pick

01:17:10 Major League Storytime

01:19:25 Wrap Up & Plugs

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

Manny & Billy go head-to-head in the first Nostalgia Test Quiz Show—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“Please neuter your pets.”
-Billy D'Elia

On this special episode of The Nostalgia Test Podcast, Dan puts Manny & Billy up against each other in the new Nostalgia Test Quiz Show ™. Dan did a ton of work, research, and probably still got some of this wrong, and yet it was a ton of fun. Manny & Billy answer questions about movies, music, the podcast’s history, sports, and food. Find out how many times the guys said the word f*** on episode 185. Twinkie Anniversary, if either Manny or Billy have had Dino Nuggets within the last year, and how many baseball players have killed a bird?

There are so many more ridiculously hilarious moments on the episode that you’ll want to invite the podcast to come host a Quiz Show Night at your next party, reunion, online gathering, and even baby shower, just like Billy said.

So, grab your favorite nerds, drinks, and snacks and see if you can out score Manny & Billy.

***

If you love what we’re doing and want to support the podcast so we can keep this show going with better equipment and maybe meet up with each other to do some in-person recording, donate to The Nostalgia Test: https://buymeacoffee.com/nostalgiatest

Lastly, we’re looking to be booked for podcast appearances, hosting gigs and parties, maybe you have a block party coming up, a BBQ that you want to be Nostalgia themed and you’re looking to make it seriously memorable, a reunion, etc., contact us to book the podcast. We’re ready to Get Nostalgic With You:
Contact For Booking

***

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!

***

Approximate Rundown

00:00 Game Show Kickoff

01:03 Rules and Scoring

02:00 Who Goes First

03:09 Wheel Setup and Categories

04:14 Movie Scores Challenge

06:23 Nostalgic Food All Play

12:25 Music Hits Trivia

13:59 Worst First Pitch

17:23 Podcast F Word Count

19:01 DuckTales Crossover

19:36 90s Movie Output Quiz

22:20 Bird Killed By Pitch

24:27 Podcast Guest Stats

27:14 SNL Bans Trivia

28:14 Most Downloaded Episode

30:28 Discontinued Fast Food

36:18 Fresh Prince Aunt Viv

37:10 AFV Bob Saget Years

39:36 Final Spins Countdown

42:28 Biggest Movie Flop

44:09 Deadly Toys And Prices

47:14 Winner Wrap Up

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

Dan didn't do a soundcheck because he's dumb, so his mic sounds like it's episode 1!

Dan & Manny welcome back longtime friend & Nostalgia Test Podcast all-star Steve Herrera to put the 1994 Pure Moods CD to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“This music is at a very unsuccessful orgy.”
-Dan Dissinger

Oh. My. God! If anyone can describe the mood of this episode, please email thenostalgiatest@gmail.com, because wow. There’s really not a language to understand how Pure Moods from 1994 even begins to make sense as music, as an album, and how it went basically triple platinum. Maybe it’s the aura of Kenny G, or the mysteriousness of Enya that creates the “pure” in Pure Moods. It could be the intimate energy of “Lily Was Here” which is on the Saxuality album that creates the mood that Pure Moods was trying to infuse in our 1994 existences. Who really knows, and Dan, Manny, & Steve actually never get to the bottom of this 90s existential portal, and would it even matter it they did?

One thing for sure is this album wormed its way into our brains when we fell asleep on the couch and woke up at three o’clock in the morning wondering why the hell Tubular Bells was playing and why were we scared out of our minds. Maybe Steve is right that this album was being played on a loop at some random orgy in the middle of Sedona. Or Manny is right and this is the soundtrack to our mom’s housecleaning and is the album for crazy Aunts with crystals. There’s a chance Dan’s right and this is the suburban psychedelic CD that adults played when they had too many Zimas and Bacardi Breezers, and that one leftover hippie neighbor pulls a crumpled-up joint they confiscated from their kid the other day so they can all relive their naked-Woodstock-summer-of-love glory days before waking up the next day to sell insurance.

Either way, Pure Moods from 1994 is a nostalgic phenomenon that baffles our hosts and their longtime friend.

So, fire up some incense, stare into the middle distance contemplating the 5th dimension, and light a movie’s love scene worth of candles because you’re about to get into the mood, Pure Moods with The Nostalgia Test Podcast.

***

If you love what we’re doing and want to support the podcast so we can keep this show going with better equipment and maybe meet up with each other to do some in-person recording, donate to The Nostalgia Test: https://buymeacoffee.com/nostalgiatest

Lastly, we’re looking to be booked for podcast appearances, hosting gigs and parties, maybe you have a block party coming up, a BBQ that you want to be Nostalgia themed and you’re looking to make it seriously memorable, a reunion, etc., contact us to book the podcast. We’re ready to Get Nostalgic With You:
Contact For Booking

***

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!

***

Approximate Rundown

00:00 Pure Moods Setup

00:37 Infomercial Vibes

01:23 Movie Soundtrack Talk

02:24 Album Origins Explained

02:56 Who Bought This

04:03 Sales Numbers Shock

04:56 Saxuality Discovery

06:24 Yoga or Orgies

07:32 Return to Innocence Credits

10:14 Moms and Crystal Aunts

11:36 The Infomercial Copy

13:16 Pure Moods Festival Idea

14:16 Kenny G and Pure Moods

14:35 Serial Killer Soundtrack Jokes

15:23 Billys Podcast Sacrifice

16:51 Robert Palmer Dare

18:15 Blink Album Comparison

19:21 Wheel of Bad Movies

20:01 Does It Pass Nostalgia

21:01 Best Tracks Debate

22:14 Three AM Infomercial Vibes

24:10 Wrap Up and Plugs

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan, Manny, & Billy report on Gen Z’s recent obsession with Hacky Sacks, their journeys to find them in the wild, and they put them to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“I don't ever remember buying a sack, but I always knew I had a sack. And then you would just, like, play sack, and then the sack would go into someone's pocket, and then you would have that sack. It was like, Dan, you compared it to, like, a lighter. Yeah. Like, did you ever buy that lighter?”
|-Manny Coelho

A few weeks ago, Manny called up Dan to tell him that Hacky Sacks were back. He was seeing kids playing with them in the neighborhood, his nephew asked him if he knew what they were, and then there was a random hacky sack in his sister’s basement. All signs were pointing to the resurgence of this stoner activity (shoutout Bajas) by Gen Z so Manny, Billy, & Dan went looking for them in stores (check out the journey on Instagram) and two out of three of the hosts found them!

This episode is like a late-night hack session, there’s no logic, it’s random, there’s a lost sense of time, and in the end, it never was about hacky sack at all. It’s just about hanging out with your friends. The guys talk about Spencer’s Gifts, how Gen Z is messing up hacky sack, the game of Combat, playing catch, Pods, Magic the Gathering, the drinking game Asshole, and so much more.

Oh! And just like any good shroom trip, the guys somehow verbally wander full circle back to hacky sacks and finally figure out why hacky sacks are back. Not to spoil anything, but it’s all Ryan Gosling’s fault.

So, put on your baggiest jeans or corduroy pants, put on a beanie no matter the temperature, grab at least 3 friends, and get hackin, because this episode is classic Nostalgia Test fun.

***

If you love what we’re doing and want to support the podcast so we can keep this show going with better equipment and maybe meet up with each other to do some in-person recording, donate to The Nostalgia Test: https://buymeacoffee.com/nostalgiatest

Lastly, we’re looking to be booked for podcast appearances, hosting gigs and parties, maybe you have a block party coming up, a BBQ that you want to be Nostalgia themed and you’re looking to make it seriously memorable, a reunion, etc., contact us to book the podcast. We’re ready to Get Nostalgic With You: Contact For Booking

***

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!

***

Approximate Rundown

00:00 Special Report Begins

00:21 Hacky Sack Comeback

01:30 Nephew Sparks Mystery

03:12 Footbag vs Hacky

04:18 How We Learned

07:11 Where to Buy One

08:22 Mall Store Nostalgia

10:40 Three Day Hunt

13:47 Gen Z Hacky Trends

16:56 Will It Last

18:52 Next Nostalgia Wave

21:10 Pogs Memories Return

22:22 Pogs Comeback Theory

23:15 DIY Merch Ideas

23:58 Snap Bracelet Nostalgia

25:02 Hacky Sack Reality Check

28:23 The Movie that Sparked The Trend

30:13 Frisbee and Simple Fun

31:09 Playing Catch Memories

33:32 Backyard Live Game Night

35:24 Asshole Card Game Rules

38:26 Wrap Up and Callouts

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan, Manny, & Billy welcome Actor, Producer, and Musician Alisa Reyes to discuss how she went from being on Nickelodeon’s All That, to evolving into a high-powered multi-hyphenate talent, and being the voice of LaCienega Boulevardez on the award-winning show The Proud Family.

“It is all about uplifting humanity during Mother Earth's ascension right now, and we just gotta ride this wave gracefully, and we all gotta just stay connected and keep uplifting the vibration of humanity [...] that's why we all do what we do.”
-Alisa Reyes

This is a special episode of Nostalgia 101, because Alisa Reyes has been part of so many of the pop-culture moments in all our lives, so it was an honor to have her on the podcast to talk about her time on All That, Teen NBC’s One World, what it’s like to keep evolving and transitioning so successfully in such an ever-changing industry, and her recent time on the award-winning show The Proud Family.

We also got to hear about some of the fun things she’s been able to do, like being on Celebrity Family Feud with Soleil Moon Frye, Keke Palmer, Paula Jai Parker, and Kyla Pratt, to face Salt-N-Pepa and Kid 'n Play, producing documentaries like The Orange Years and Butterfly in the Sky, being on Reading Rainbow, and what it was like to be on one of the most unhinged soap operas ever, Passions.

The guys also got to ask some fun Nostalgia Test Podcast pop-culture questions, and Alisa reveals that she watched a very random sitcom that floored Dan because he’s never heard anyone, ANYONE, say they watched this show.

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!

Alisa Reyes is a born and raised New Yorker who is Irish, Italian and Dominican and now resides in California. She is known for her role on Nickelodeon's "All That" as a series regular season (1-3) & season 11 where she played herself and multiple roles.

Alisa is also a series regular on the Emmy & NAACP Award Winning Disney Plus cartoon "The Proud Family: Louder & Prouder" with new episodes airing now. Alisa plays the bossy, but oh so lovable "La Cienega Boulevardez". You can also check out Alisa as "Lacienega" on Disney's "Broken Karaoke" & "Theme Song Take Over".

She has also starred in NBC's "One World" as the Cuban-born entrepreneur of the group. Peter Engel created the TNBC show. Alisa received the coveted Hollywood Young Star Award for her role of Marci Blake in "One World". Thinking you may recognize her from some other show? Well check out her credits on "Without A Trace" (CBS), "Strong Medicine" (LIFETIME), "NYPD Blue" (ABC), "ER" (NBC), as well as the controversial Trina on "Boston Public" (FOX) and "Six Feet Under" (HBO) and on the Emmy nominated PBS series "The American Family", portraying the younger Vangie. The list is endless, with lots more to come. Alisa was also on NBCs "Passions", where she joined the cast as the beautiful and exotic singer Sydney Valentine causing nothing but heartache for the lovelorn super couple Chad and Whitney, but also making her mark as a strong recording artist. She also was a recurring on CBS's "The Bold & the Beautiful" as the sassy Ginger.

Check out Alisa's latest film "Sisters" written and directed by Jahmar Hill. She plays the role of Elise in this crime/thriller airing currently on BET and BET Plus. You can also see Alisa star in "Break Even" which is out now. The film is written by CJ Walley and directed by Shane Stanley. This will be Alisa's 4th project with Shane Stanley. Alisa plays Rosie in the film. "Break Even" is an action, adventure, love story you will not want to miss.

Alisa also starred in films such as "Daze", "The Biz" and "FreezerBurn"to name a few. Along with other films such as "A Trip to the Dark Side" and "My Trip Back to the Dark Side" directed by Shane Stanely. Alisa is also in a film called "Heavenly Deposit" which is supported by The Dove Foundation as the role of Jenny. You can also make it a movie night and watch her movie "Players" she stars in with Freddie Rodriguez. Along with her latest documentary that she is producing alongside Scott Barber and Bill Parks starring as herself called "The Orange Years" about 80s & 90s Nickelodeon nostalgia which is out on Hulu and most platforms. You can also see Alisa in a documentary called "Butterfly in the Sky" which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and is now streaming on Netflix

Alisa's latest music single " Back & Forth" featuring and produced by Linnie King Twigg and mixed & mastered by DJ EVIL DEE, along with her single "Sexy Hot" are now available on all media platforms through TuneCore, iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify and more. Alisa prior to her solo music career was in a girls group called "3G's" signed with Hollywood Records. The group had a song on "The Princess Diaries Soundtrack" called "Second Chance".

Follow Alisa on socials at @alisareyes
Website: https://alisareyes.com/

Approximate Rundown

00:00 Back to School Intro

01:54 Meet Elisa Reyes

03:00 New York Roots

04:13 Elisa’s Career Snapshot

05:50 All That Origins

08:39 Auditions and Set School

10:46 Mom’s Support System

13:13 Parenting and Balance

16:03 From All That to One World

20:28 Big Roles and Industry Legends

22:17 Winning An Award for One World

24:22 Voice Acting and Self Tapes

31:17 Proud Family Reboot and Relevance

34:37 Celebrity Family Feud Stories

36:43 Blossom Hats Influence

38:47 Soap Opera Wildness

42:29 Reading Rainbow Memories

47:16 Nickelodeon Nostalgia Shift

49:02 Phones Algorithms Parenting

51:55 Social Media Cringe Culture

55:07 Cartoon Universe Picks

57:46 90s Fashion Comeback

59:38 TGIF Favorites Trauma TV

01:03:06 Kids Shows Vibes Wrap

01:05:10 Plugs Farewell Outro

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Warning!

Dan didn't do a soundcheck because he's dumb, so his mic sounds like it's episode 1

Dan & Manny welcome back longtime friend & Nostalgia Test Podcast all-star Steve Herrera to put The Delta Force (1986) & Sidekicks (1992) to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“I feel like we were fed a pack of fucking lies as kids.”
-Manny Coelho

In honor of Chuck Norris’ life, the boys decided to do a double feature of his movies and, oh boy, not so sure if this was a good idea. The Delta Force & Sidekicks are examples of two very different parts of Chuck Norris’ career, the mass-explosions-fighting-stereotyped-bad-guys one-liners-guns-guns-roundhouse-kick film and the “comedy”-making-fun-of-marginalized-groups-stereotyped-characters-weird-sexual-undertones-one-liners-what-is-the-plot movies. Sure, Dan & Manny could have done a really good movie of Chuck Norris’ like Lone Wolf McQuade, but is that even good?

Dan, Manny, & Steve try to figure out what these two movies are actually about, they wrestle with the fact that our collective nostalgia for the 80s and 90s is possibly clouding the social judgement of what’s actually good from our childhoods, and Dan lays down the law about the Nostalgia content creator community. They also take down gym teachers, tell a funny story of actual quicksand at their high school in Mineola, and try to deal with the high amount of racism that these two movies seem to be able to pack in for some reason.

Also, what they hell is The Delta Force even about? Is Sidekicks a mass hallucination, Joe Piscopo (that's all that needs to be said), and why is the dad character in Sidekicks one of the most useless characters in cinema history. The guys give major props to the late great Jonathan Brandis for acting his ass off and they name the true sidekick of Sidekicks.

So, grab a plate of scrambled eggs a la The Delta Force, prepare for some intense hallucinations, breathe deeply, and set some bricks on fire because this might be the episode that destroys the guys’ will

Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, & episode idea for The Wheel of Nostalgia!

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 Chuck Norris Double Feature

01:04 Steve Herrera Returns

04:15 Why This Episode Exists

08:02 Martial Arts Movie Tangents

10:11 Starting With Sidekicks

10:23 Brandis and Cast Breakdown

12:16 Plot Summary and Stats

13:03 Karate Kid Comparison

13:47 Ninjas and 90s Trends

14:17 Dreams Hallucinations and Asthma

17:59 No Plot No Payoff

20:09 Racism and Piscopo Rants

22:40 Random Scenes and Bikers

26:46 Gym Teachers Then vs Now

28:21 Training Montage and Tournament Logic

29:20 Stunt Doubles and Ending Twist

31:49 Nineties Parenting Logic

32:27 Wheelchair Kid Mystery

33:16 Dream Theory Spiral

34:20 Chuck Norris Cameo

34:35 Announcers Roast Session

36:28 Piscopo Cartoon Villain

38:05 Weird Sidekick Love Arc

40:30 Tournament Brick Chaos

42:48 Bizarre Production Trivia

44:32 Nostalgia Test Verdicts

50:32 Switching to Delta Force

50:48 Cannon Films Breakdown

53:20 Delta Force Plot Madness

54:45 Racist Stereotypes Talk

57:34 Sweatiest Plane Hijack

01:03:07 Rocket Bike WTF

01:04:30 Motorcycle Missile Reveal

01:05:50 Sharing the Clip Chaos

01:06:20 Extras Steal the Show

01:07:42 Missing Subtitles Confusion

01:09:57 Cotton Field and Plot Holes

01:14:21 Mannequin Death Effects

01:17:34 Reporters and Training Plane

01:20:23 Ratings and Real Story

01:23:49 Behind the Scenes Trivia

01:25:45 Listener Reactions and Memories

01:27:23 Chuck Norris Jokes

01:31:31 Does It Pass the Test

01:38:19 Wrap Up and Plugs

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com

or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan, Manny, & Billy welcome back Nostalgia Test Podcast all-star Meghan Nolan to put the 1996 Pauly Shore Stephen Baldwin “comedy” Bio-Dome to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“Dude, could you think of a worse person to get high with than Pauly Shore? Like, there is literally no one that I would rather less get high with than Pauly Shore. 'Cause I would be like, "Dude, shut the fuck up. Shut the fuck up." Could you imagine that, dude?”
-Billy D’Elia

Dear Nostalgia Testers, this is the episode that almost broke the podcast. The guys decided to put their fate in The Wheel of Pauly Shore and was given the task of putting Bio-Dome to the test, and boy was it a huge... well. This movie defines the major issues with the 90s and why Manny talks about 80s cheese vs 90s trash. This movie seems like it was written by AI but was instead written by three people. That’s right?! It took three people to write these lines that Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin literally fart out for 90 minutes.

This movie sets the bar lower than low for men and is an insult to any and all men. The so-called jokes use sexual assault as a punchline, there’s a Nazi salute that happens as all these morons go into the bio-dome, homophobia, and more badly developed body humor and horror than a David Cronenberg film. Dan, Manny, Billy, and Meghan go through some deep self-reflection starting with shame, shame that they all saw this movie, some more than 5 times, denial that they thought it was ever good, anger that this movie was even made, and acceptance that this is why they do this podcast.

Dan creates a Bio-Dome “Would You Rather” game, and let’s just say someone would rather wear a diaper for a week than watch Bio-Dome.

So, take something really strong to calm yourself down, gather all your Pauly Shore movies and adoration, light a huge dumpster fire, and join The Nostalgia Test Podcast as we attempt to erase this part of the 90s from existence.

Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, & episode idea for The Wheel of Nostalgia!

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 Welcome Back Meghan Nolan

01:11 Brain Rot Title Sequence

02:16 First Time Watching Bio-Dome

05:08 Mall Theater Memories

07:16 Forced Into Bio-Dome

09:45 How Was This Made

11:38 Pauly Shore Career Context

13:22 Writers and Director Breakdown

15:22 No One to Root For

19:12 Gross-Out Humor and Bad Acting

26:43 Problematic Jokes and Garbage World

27:43 What Even Is the Bio-Dome

29:51 Breaking Into Bio-Dome

31:07 Kids React to the Chaos

32:24 Problematic Jokes and Nazis

32:44 Carrot Scene Confusion

34:44 Sudden Fame Makes No Sense

36:26 Cameos and Bad One Liners

37:20 Sensors and Alarm Logic

38:36 Real Bio-Dome Documentary

41:06 Yogurt Lines and Sexism

43:20 Baldwin Overacting Rant

46:20 Flashbacks and Dog Shaving

47:03 Whip-Its and SPAM Meltdown

50:50 Goofy Movie Nostalgia Detour

54:25 The Key Escape Plot Hole

56:40 Party Trash the Dome

58:54 Terrible Band Mystery

59:08 Bug Room Chaos

01:00:39 Cameos And Characters

01:01:42 Ending Makes No Sense

01:02:51 Would You Rather Gauntlet

01:12:51 Raw Eggs And Swing Life

01:16:23 Final Verdict Pop Culture Mistake

01:24:55 Wrap Up And Earth Day

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com

or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan & Billy welcome back longtime friend & Nostalgia Test Podcast Allstar Jeremy Madson for the final episode of the Metallica Eras journey, The Legacy Era: Death Magnetic, Hardwired...to Self-Destruct, & 72 Seasons and put them to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“That's an interesting comparison, Metallica to The Beatles [...] The Beatles, depending on how you count them, were only around for, like, six or eight years, right? And they were hyper prolific. They put out all their shit, and that was basically Metallica from however you wanna measure it, from, from Kill 'Em All up to Black or even through Justice, right? They cranked out just, like, absolute pinnacle, God-level material. But instead of, you know, tearing each other down and going off and doing their own thing, they just decided to stick around.”
-Jeremy Madson

Dan, Billy, & Jeremy talk about the most recent albums of Metallica’s long and confusing career, Death Magnetic (2008), Hardwired... to Self-Destruct (2016), and 72 Seasons (2023). They try to figure out why Metallica made these albums, if they should’ve stopped after Death Magnetic, Metallica’s consistent cover art fails since Load, and why does Metallica insist on recording songs longer than 3.5 minutes at this point. Is Death Magnetics’ mixing really a problem, especially after Saint Anger or is it just some bulls**t to complain about? Their conversation inevitably returns to the influence of Lars on the band’s trajectory after the death of Cliff Burton and how the band might have imploded anyway if Cliff didn’t die. At the end of the episode, and this is an epic one so hang on and hangout, the guys give their individual rankings of all the studio albums from worst to best (minus LuLu, Garage Inc, & the live albums) and Jeremy creates an aggregate scoring of all 11 albums.

We hope you enjoy this final episode. Grab your concert T’s, your closets Metal friends, push yourself through the pit, and let’s scream our heads off together. Come chill!

Listen to the other Metallica Eras Episodes:

• 136:🤘Metallica’s Thrash Era w/ Longtime Friends Billy D'Elia & Jeremy Madson

• 142. 🤘Metallica's MTV Era: The Black Album, Load, & Reload

• 172. 🤘Metallica's Saint Anger & Some Kind of Monster Documentary Era: How Metallica Almost Died

Listen to the episode that started it all:

• 128. 🤘Metallica's the Black Album w/ Longtime Friends Billy D'Elia & Jeremy Madson

Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, & episode idea for The Wheel of Nostalgia!

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 Pre Show Setup

00:23 Planning The Format

01:50 Ranking Metallica Albums

02:55 Zoom Tech and Sweater Talk

04:21 Legacy Era Intro

05:55 Skipping Lulu

06:51 Release Timeline Shift

09:38 Metallica As Corporation

11:28 Death Magnetic Relief

13:13 Rick Rubin and Album Length

16:45 Bob Rock Debate

19:34 Death Magnetic Track Takes

26:24 Unforgiven Three Debate

31:07 Production Loudness War

33:13 Producer Pop Quiz

33:48 Fidelman and Death Magnetic

34:24 Death Magnetic Nostalgia Test

35:53 Unforgiven III S&M2 Gem

36:30 Hardwired Facts and Setup

37:48 Double Album Debate

38:42 Cover Art Roast Session

40:27 Hardwired Track Highlights

45:13 Filler Songs and Titles

46:48 Every Song Gets a Video

50:52 Kirk Riffs Lost and Aging Band

52:52 Hardwired Nostalgia Verdicts

56:12 72 Seasons Stats and Awards

57:50 72 Seasons Cover and Anxiety

59:23 Song Titles and Vocal Critique

01:01:57 Lux Aeterna and NWOBHM

01:03:27 Riffs Tease Then Stop

01:05:08 Justice Tone Fan Remix

01:06:36 Why Make New Albums

01:09:34 Mustaine Stays in Metallica

01:10:45 Fixing Metallica Song Lengths

01:12:21 Cliff Bob Rock and Decline

01:13:44 Bands That Still Deliver

01:15:34 Radiohead as a Counterexample

01:16:19 Jason Rob and Lars Control

01:18:36 Do We Need New Albums

01:23:26 72 Seasons Live vs Studio

01:27:43 Meh Verdict and Listener Qs

01:31:47 Kirk Hammett Respect Debate

01:38:42 Ranking the Discography Begins

01:41:22 Reload Roasted

01:42:27 Ranking Number Nine

01:43:58 Hardwired Cover Jokes

01:46:59 Sevens and Sixes

01:48:42 Death Magnetic Cutoff

01:55:05 Black Album Line

01:59:09 Kill Em All at Four

02:01:07 Top Three Debate

02:05:41 Justice vs Puppets

02:11:03 Aggregate Scores Revealed

02:14:49 Series Wrap Up

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com

or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan, Manny, & Billy rank the stereotypical top 5 Rock bands of all time and put them to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“We're numb to everything, including like extreme things that are bad, and also great things [...] You see something great and you're just like, oh, whatever, you know? And it's like, there's pure artists going on and you don't even give a fuck because you're just scrolling to the next thing and that sucks in a way.”
-Manny Coelho

The Nostalgia Test boys challenge their musical fortitude by trying to rank from best to worst The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Queen. They dig deep to explain each one of their takes, which no doubt are going to make a lot of people angry, share some of the funniest memories of listening to Pink Floyd’s Ummagumma, and how that particular album served as a “test” to see if people could hang. One thing they can all agree on is their placement of The Rolling Stones and hold on to your butts (as Samuel L. Jackson’s ill-fated Jurassic Park character famously said) because they truly don’t care what anyone thinks about their opinions.

So, grab your headphones, get comfortable on some inflatable furniture, turn on the black light, and get ready to be transported by the largest wave of nostalgia in the podcast universe.

Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, & episode idea for The Wheel of Nostalgia!

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 Sugar Crash Intro

01:28 Group Chat Chaos

03:07 Ranking Rules Setup

03:20 Number Five Rolling Stones

04:43 Stones Controversy Talk

07:29 Number Four Picks

11:03 Beatles Debate Deep Dive

13:40 Number Three Led Zeppelin

20:00 Rock Genre Tangent

24:02 Number Two Queen Praise

28:50 Pink Floyd at Two

31:26 Number One Queen Stories

36:59 Freddie Mercury Mythos

37:54 Content Overload Numbness

38:39 Phone Free Concerts

40:08 Dance Fear Meme Culture

42:42 Studio 54 Then Now

45:12 Pink Floyd Takes Top Spot

47:58 Deep Cut Floyd Albums

49:05 Umma Gumma Trip Stories

54:17 Friends Rankings Rundown

58:53 Honorable Mentions Debates

01:01:49 Modern Bands Live Shows

01:09:06 Wrap Up and Next Episodes

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com

or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan shares a Nostalgic Reflection on The Cranberries’ 1993 hit “Dreams.”

“Dreams is like a signal and electric shock, awakening the mind, body, and spirit so that we're prepared to receive a new energy that's going to shatter the mundanity of our lives.”
-Dan Dissinger

Dan starts a new series on The Nostalgia Test Podcast called “Nostalgic Reflections.” These will be solo episodes about very personal connections, curiosities, and thoughts about the hosts’ pop culture pasts. On the first Nostalgic Reflection Dan reads an essay about the song “Dreams” by The Cranberries and the transcendent power of lead singer/lyricist Dolores O’Riordan’s voice. He talks about the timeless energy of the music, how it’s soundtrack magic, and when he specifically loves to listen to this song. He also gets philosophical about dreams and how they remind us all to embrace the unknown.

You can read Dan’s essay here on Substack.

Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, & episode idea for The Wheel of Nostalgia!

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 Welcome to Nostalgic Reflections

00:39 From TikToks to Longform

01:43 Why Dreams Transcends Nostalgia

04:17 Lyrics and Rock Bottom Shift

05:36 Dolores Voice and Timelessness

06:32 6 AM Bus Listening Ritual

07:55 How the Song Unfolds

10:03 Dreams as a Film Opening

12:03 Being Open to Premonitions

13:40 Host Reflection and Thanks

15:18 More Episodes and Call to Action

16:15 Final Tribute and Goodbye

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com

or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan, Manny, & Billy put 8 oldies from the 50s & 60s to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“The fact that [“The Twist”] goes on for more than a minute boggles my mind because at weddings usually it's in a mix of oldies. Right? [...] So imagine twisting over the whole length of this song.”
-Manny Coelho

This is a fun look back at the oldies from the 50s and 60s that filled the streets of the boys’ black parties (also, are block parties only a NY thing?), weddings, family BBQs, and their homes. It’s music that was playing daily on 101.1 FM on Long Island. The songs that Dan, Manny, and Billy put rank and put to the test are, Bobby Darin’s “Splish Splash,” Little Richard’s “Rip It Up,” The Four Tops’ “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” Aretha Franklin’s “Think,” The Supremes’ “Baby Love,” The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” Sinatra’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” and Chubby Checker’s “The Twist.” They also talk about some honorable mentions, their favorite cocktails, mob movies and the music that made them so memorable, and more block party talk.

This is an episode that opens a whole new part of The Nostalgia Test Podcast because these are songs that were popular way before any of the hosts were born, so can these be nostalgic? Is nostalgia period specific for the individual? This episode answers these questions with a lot of reflections on family and those free concerts in the part that if you were from Long Island your parents dragged you to during the summer. Sometimes there were fireworks, sometimes there were drunken adults dancing the lindy with each other, and most times there was a collection of Igloo coolers being carried with folding chairs and blankets.

See, these songs create a time capsule of both the moment they were released and the moments of childhood for kids from the 80s and 90s.

So, grab your most comfortable folding chairs, a chill group of friends, set up in the street out front on your block, crack a few domestic beers, and wait to be called in when it’s too late. This is a good one.

Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, & episode idea for The Wheel of Nostalgia!

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 Oldies Episode Kickoff

00:16 Sweatin Headband Debate

00:47 Podcast Intro and Setup

01:27 Why 50s 60s Oldies

05:43 Songs List Breakdown

10:38 Ranking Rules Begin

10:43 Number Eight Picks

14:19 Twist Wedding Memories

17:02 Number Seven and Block Parties

23:25 Number Six Sinatra Talk

27:06 Cocktails and Martini Tangent

29:50 Number Five Starts Baby Love

30:10 Baby Love Debate

32:34 Top Four Begins

32:47 Rip It Up Reactions

37:08 Little Richard Lyrics Lore

40:07 Top Three Rankings

42:42 Four Tops at Number Two

48:30 Aretha and Ronettes Number One

52:36 Honorable Mentions

55:36 Mob Movie Music Tangent

58:46 Wrap Up and Block Parties

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com

or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan, Manny, & Billy give their honest opinions on the slew of reboot, remake, and legacy sequel slop and rumors, and they put it all to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“I feel like as a society, we just went back in time anyway, and [...] should we be happy about it? Like there's so many things that are happening that are like from our era, like, Brittany Spears got arrested for DUI [we’re] back at war with the Middle East. I mean, like, we're in the nineties. Even the government wanted to be nostalgic. I think what I'm going to say, I wanna blame us for this.”
-Manny Coelho

If you’ve been a longtime listener to the pod then you know the boys’ opinion on reboots, and they really don’t veer away from their absolute hatred and confusion of the reboot craze and legacy sequels that aren’t Top Gun 2: Maverick. They react to the news of reboots for Starship Troopers and Faces of Death, and then Billy gives a brief and honest breakdown of the 2025 reboot of Youngbloods. They comes the endless legacy sequel rumors and news. They question the logic for a Demolition Man 2, Face/Off 2, Heat 2, Riddick 4, Toy Story 5, another Conan the Barbarian, Predator w/ Schwarzenegger, and why not do a legacy sequel for one of the most unhinged 80s action movies ever made Commando.

Days of Thunder legacy sequel anyone? This one causes the guys to pause and think about what Tom Cruise would be able to do in this film, what’s the big stunt, and Dan has a suggestion for Mr. Cruise.

Then the guys try to figure out how William Shatner got so famous being so mediocre, Dan gives an energetic F-you monologue to Gene Simmons and then graces everyone with his rendition of the Different World theme song because, that’s right, they’re producing a sequel series! Why not, right.

And while we’re at it, let’s make a confusing to figure out when it would start Man on Fire Series. If Hollywood is listening (or is interested at all) Billy is ready to help write and produce the Ghost Rider movie we all deserved.

So, grab your nerdiest friends to debate this bucket of reboot vomit, make a pitcher of Long Island Iced Teas (oh, it’s that sort of episode), and rage with The Nostalgia Test Podcast!

Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, & episode idea for The Wheel of Nostalgia!

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 Dan & Billy Remember Snot

01:17 Nostalgia Test Returns

03:37 Kids These Days’ Music

04:25 Arnold Sequel Rumors

06:43 Commando vs Conan Debate

09:59 Days of Thunder Sequel

15:04 Franchise Kings Talk

18:11 Starship Troopers Reboot

21:34 Ghost Rider Redemption

23:05 Face/Off 2 Why

25:02 Demolition Man 2 Talk

29:08 Heat 2 Casting News

31:09 Long Movies Need Breaks

32:01 Heat Two Backlash

32:57 Jackass and Social Media

35:56 Youngblood Reboot Debate

38:33 Scary Movie Returns

40:44 Faces of Death Remake

43:38 Riddick Four and Fast

48:25 Shatner Goes Metal

50:23 Different World Sequel

52:02 Man on Fire Series

54:25 Rock Hall Gatekeeping

55:55 Toy Story Five Tablet

01:03:06 Wrap Up and Goodbye

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan, Manny, & Billy celebrate the anniversary of the Twinkie by putting this classic snack to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“The literal first ingredient is sugar, even before flour.”
-Billy D’Elia

The food episodes are back with a vengeance as the boys test their childhood and stomachs with the Twinkie. So many god memories, so many tangents, and let’s not forget Billy’s kickass hat, “IMMIGRANTS MAKE AMERICA GREAT!” Because the f***in do! The guys talk about the possibly poisonous ingredients, what it was like top track Twinkles down, how Hostess was taken over by the Mexican company Bimbo, and the history of Twinkies being filled with banana cream pre-WWII. Then they eat them, and, well, you’ll have to listen to see the reactions because it’s the greatest reactions to food in the podcast’s history.

They guys also talk about their childhood memories of Entenmann's cakes and chocolate chip cookies, the Ghostbusters Twinkie reference, and they read the results of the online poll. Oh, and wait for a sort of “secret track” to get Dan. Manny, & Billy’s off the mic reactions.

So, grab a tall glass of strawberry milk, stare into the abyss of despair that is 2026, and get ready to go on a gastric nostalgia test journey like no other.

Special shoutout to Beleafer CBD for getting Dan through this episode.

Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, & episode idea for The Wheel of Nostalgia!

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 Cold Open Chaos

00:17 Twinkie Myth Setup

00:52 Podcast Intro Twinkie Test

01:23 Text Thread vs Podcast

02:07 Vaping Sponsor Tangent

02:35 Why Food Hits Different Now

03:21 Twinkie Obsession Memories

04:04 Ingredients and Dye Rant

05:10 Hunting for Twinkies

08:06 Captain Crunch Mouth Cuts

08:47 Regional Snacks and Mann's

11:09 Entenmann's Cookie Debate

12:24 Ghostbusters Pop Culture

13:32 Twinkie Origin Story Stats

16:43 Bankruptcy and Iconic Junk Food

17:34 Hostess Snack Cake Roll Call

18:07 Snack Cake Throwbacks

18:46 Unwrapping Road Trip Classics

19:18 Shrinkflation And Smell Test

20:02 Recipe Change Reveal

21:16 First Bite Reality Check

23:00 Nutrition Label Shock

24:08 Rant And Better Alternatives

31:03 Instagram Poll Results

34:00 Final Verdict And Aftermath

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected

Dan & Billy invite Nostalgia Test Podcast all-star Meghan Nolan to put the 1988 Nicolas Cage black “comedy” Vampire’s Kiss to the ultimate test—THE NOSTALGIA TEST!

“This is a steaming pile of sh*t. I hate everything about it. It is not nostalgic for me. You cannot be nostalgic, I'm gonna say it again, about a movie that's about him raping somebody [...] It's not a comedy. It's a film that doesn't even know what it is. It doesn't make me nostalgic about the 80s. It doesn't make me nostalgic about bats. It doesn't make me nostalgic about anything. This is a hard fail. I never wanna see this film again. I'm sad that I watched it.”
-Meghan Nolan

There’s not really much else to say. Dan & Billy’s guest, Meghan, sums it up pretty well. This “movie” (if you can call it a movie) is an abysmal piece of chaos that should’ve tanked Nicolas Cage’s career, but because of his status as a Coppola in Hollywood he was absolutely fine and was able to continue to run amok forever. In fact, one of the main points in this episode is how it took almost 16 years for Jennifer Beals’ career to recover from Vampire’s Kiss. Sure, she was in the Denzel Washington movie Devil in a Blue Dress in 1995, but her comeback wasn’t until her role in The L-Word in 2004. Yet, Cage was in a string of insane failures and chaotic bullsh*t since 1988, and he continues to have this momentous acting career, even after 1997's Con Air. Another movie that should’ve killed his career.

But I digress.

This episode has everything a classic Nostalgia Test episode has, tangents, regrets, jokes, and all the insane laughter about Nic Cages need to have warm yoghurt poured on his toes so her can be “aroused” in a sex scene with Jennifer Beals. Again, this man was allowed to have a career after this! Also, justice for Alva, the poor secretary played by María Conchita Alonso who has to endure being verbally, emotionally, physically, and sexually abused by Peter Loew (Nic Cage) in this abomination of a film.

So, grab your fake plastic vampire teeth, reschedule your appointment with your inappropriate therapist, and brace yourself for one of the most insane breakdowns for a movie so bad that the podcast consensus is they’d rather watch Happy Gilmore 2.

Email us (thenostalgiatest@gmail.com) your thoughts, opinions, & episode idea for The Wheel of Nostalgia!

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 Cold Open Chaos

00:38 Show Intro and Guests

02:43 First Impressions and Memes

03:34 Trailer vs Reality

04:31 Plot Setup and Alva Abuse

05:43 Noir Opening and No Plot

07:15 Bat Scene and Weird Sex

09:28 Accent Rant and Acting Choices

12:07 Office Contract and Harassment

13:52 Therapist and Vampire Teeth

15:57 Club Meet and Pasties Theory

25:47 Nick Cage Trivia Hot Yogurt

28:16 Career Context and No One Said No

31:49 Alva Home Life and Escalation

36:28 Time to Lean Quote

37:38 Bag Soup Confusion

38:48 Blanks and Assault Scene

39:30 Not a Dark Comedy

41:09 Cage Acting Trivia

42:19 Mimes and Street Filming

44:18 Roaches Pigeons Coffin

45:38 Club Murder Breakdown

49:31 Nepotism and Careers

54:02 All in His Head Theory

56:09 Therapy Session Madness

57:35 Reviews and Poll Results

01:02:06 Nostalgia Test Verdicts

01:11:01 Final Wrap and Next Picks

BookThe Nostalgia Test Podcast

Bring The Nostalgia Test Podcast's high energy fun and comedy on your podcast, to host your themed parties & special events!

The Nostalgia Test Podcast will create an unforgettable Nostalgic experience for any occasion because we are the party! We bring it 100% of the time!

Email us at thenostalgiatest@gmail.com or fill out the form at this link.

LET'S GET NOSTALGIC!

Keep up with all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast on
Instagram | Substack| Discord | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube | Facebook

The intro and outro music ('Neon Attack 80s') is by Emanmusic.

The Lithology Brewing ad music ("Red, White, Black, & Blue") is by PEG and the Rejected