Tag Archives: John David Washington

The Toy Department – Episode 326

  By toyAdmin | December 30, 2022 - 2:43 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 326, Madden and Kolsky wonder whether Derek’s jinx powers are enough to bring about the end of the world before dismissing that danger and locking in on:

  • The latest from The Challenge: Ride or Dies (2:00), including the heartbreak of another Nelson loss and what might be in store as we head towards TJ’s Final…
  • The Banshees of Inisherin (24:00) and how it infuriated one of our hosts beyond belief…
  • The largely enjoyable sloppy mess that was Amsterdam (37:50) and how it was too convoluted to be particularly good…
  • The harmless fun of Glass Onion (42:50) and how it left the guys wanting a bit more…
  • The bizarre approach of Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio (47:30) and the needlessness of Nazis…
  • Homework for next Friday (55:05), including: the movie White Noise on Netflix, the documentary WOO! Becoming Rick Flair on Peacock and The Recruit (the Noah Centineo CIA show) on Netflix… and OF COURSE the next episode of The Challenge: Ride or Dies…

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The Toy Department – Episode 274

  By toyAdmin | September 9, 2021 - 12:12 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 274, Madden and Kolsky briefly discuss Kolsky’s plan to head off marital distress at the pass with a football babysitter before moving to more pop-culture-relevant concerns, including:

  • The new season of American Crime Story on FX/Hulu — Impeachment (3:15) and how one episode may not be enough to say a lot more than “there’s some good acting here…”
  • Netflix’s John David Washington film Beckett (11:15) and how it is mediocre enough to make the hosts wonder why Denzel’s very talented son isn’t getting better material to work with…
  • A few quick thoughts on the return of Billions on Showtime (14:40) and how it continues to be the fun-times-with-bad-billionaires favorite that it has been for several seasons…
  • LOTS of stuff from The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies (16:20) and how the rookies have now turned on each other as vets continue to cruise along, plus lots of great Devin moments and a heartbreaking injury disqualification…
  • Homework for next Thursday (47:05), including: more of The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies, plus HBO’s new show Scenes from a Marriage, Hulu’s new comic-book based show Y: The Last Man, the debut of Top Chef: Family Style and plenty of response to the start of the NFL season…

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The Toy Department – Episode 247

  By toyAdmin | February 9, 2021 - 10:37 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 247, Madden and Kolsky once again confront Kolsky’s infirmity before attempting an elusive short episode covering:

  • ESPN’s embarrassing 30 for 30 film Al Davis vs. the NFL (2:45) and how a goofy gimmick torpedoed what could have been a tremendous documentary…
  • Marvel’s new TV series WandaVision (9:45) and whether a creative approach is enough to soften Madden’s distaste for superhero content…
  • The new Netflix film Malcom & Marie (18:30) and what exactly director Sam Levinson and star Zendaya (who reportedly had significant input) are going for…
  • Some thoughts on the new NBC sitcom Mr. Mayor (27:10) and what makes it funnier than the average network fare…
  • A few quick thoughts on the Super Bowl (32:40) and what an unpleasant experience it was…
  • Homework for next Tuesday (35:35), including: the NYT-made documentary Framing Britney Spears, the third To All The Boys movie (which drops Friday on Netflix) and the new film Judas & the Black Messiah (available Friday on HBO Max)… and DON’T MISS our coverage of The Challenge: Double Agents on Thursday!!!

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The Toy Department – Episode 129

  By toyAdmin | August 14, 2018 - 1:51 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 129, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky return for a varied pop culture discussion covering:

  • Two returning HBO shows — Insecure (1:35) and Ballers (9:50) — and how not much has changed with either show, though that means very different things for each…
  • The new Spike Lee joint BlackkKlansman (12:15) and how it successfully creates a vibe and feeling from a different era that says a lot about today…
  • Another new film, Eighth Grade (29:10), written and directed by Bo Burnham, and how it took both Kolsky and Madden back to the turbulent times and emotions of that period in their lives…
  • The return of AMC’s Better Call Saul (42:15) and how it continues to build on its sturdy foundation, heading towards the inevitable crash before the start of the Breaking Bad timeline…
  • Madden confronts Kolsky over a golf tweet (49:00) before challenging his enjoyment of golf with a variety of alternative sporting events…
  • Homework for next week (1:06:20), including: the first few episodes in the new season of The Sinner on USA (starring Carrie Coon), plus whatever else Madden and Kolsky come up with during the week…

By the way, if you like this podcast, TELL A FRIEND!! And if you want to subscribe via iTunes/Stitcher/Google Play/etc. you can just click on the link below the player (and don’t forget to leave us a review!!)… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com… or tweet us: @MaddenOnAir & @thekolsky.

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