Ross is joined by professor of American Studies Dr. Benjamin Railton, author of and co-creator of Black and White and Read All Over. Together, they do a deep-dive on a relatively-obscure episode of The X-Files, "Unrequited", which looks at the contested legacy, cultural impact, and unresolved trauma of the Vietnam War and the POW/MIA movement. You don't have to be an X-Files fan to listen to this episode, but it does help if you remember what Ross Perot's 1992 campaign song was.

FURTHER READING:

Perlstein, Rick. The Enduring Cult of the Vietnam "Missing in Action".

Lembcke, Jerry. The Spitting Image:Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam.

FURTHER WATCHING:

Uncommon Valor (1983)

Missing in Action (1984)

Rambo: First Blood, Part II (1985)

Platoon (1986)

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Casualties of War (1989)

AND CHECK OUT:

Black and White and Read All Over!

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Ross is joined by Robert Spinelli and Dr. Bethan Jones to discuss the history of conspiracy theories in popular culture. They look at how conspiratorial thinking reflects social and political anxieties, the ways in which conspiracy theorists are depicted in media, and the difficulty in approaching these topics academically.

FURTHER READING:

Spinelli, Robert (Ed.). The Lizard People Don't Want You to Read This

Jones, Bethan. Participatory Culture Wars: Controversy, Conflict, and Complicity in Fandom

FURTHER WATCHING:

Community S2E9, "Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design"

JFK

The Truman Show

The X-Files

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Ross kicks off the new mini-series "Class Notes" by speaking with Dr. Josie Torres Barth about her courses on Film and Media History! They discuss the major trends and focal points of the subject, the challenges of teaching media studies in our modern cultural ecosystem, and much more.

FURTHER READING:

Hilmes, Michele. Radio Voices: American Broadcasting, 1922-1952.

Spigel, Lynn. Make Room for TV: Television and the Family Ideal in Postwar America.

Schatz, Thomas. The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era.

Monaco, James. How to Read a Film: Movies, Media, and Beyond.

FURTHER WATCHING:

"The Story of Film: An Odyssey"

"Babyface"

"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari"

"Cleo From 5 to 7"

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As we bid a fond farewell to a close friend and colleague, please enjoy this collection of fun moments from the HoFCast Archives.

SEGMENTS:

Biopic Mailbag Question: 3:50

Cartoon Music Trivia: 13:35

Christmas Movie Trivia: 38:00

Stranger Things Prediction: 51:16

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Ross is joined by Dr. Vaughn Joy to discuss how the Cold War and McCarthyism reshaped the American concept of Christmas. Dr. Joy's new book, Selling Out Santa: Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy looks at how Hollywood depictions of the holidays changed to reflect the pressures of domestic containment.

FURTHER READING:

Joy, Vaughn. Selling Out Santa: Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy.

Black and White and Read All Over

FURTHER WATCHING:

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Klaus (2019)

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Ross is joined by returning guest Paul T Klein to talk about Bond, James Bond- specifically the 1995 franchise revival film, "GoldenEye". They talk about how the film engages with the End of History moment, reinventing Bond for the 90s, as well as the tremendous impact the N64 adaptation had on gaming. Ross celebrates the career of Joe Don Baker.

FURTHER READING:

Chapman, James. "License to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films"

Knoor, Alyse. "GoldenEye 007"

FURTHER WATCHING:

"GoldenEra"

AND CHECK OUT MORE OF PAUL KLEIN'S WORK AT:

howtoreadmovies.com

Cold War Cinema podcast

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Ross is joined by Drs. Bethan Jones and Diane Rodgers to discuss the first of a multi-part series on "THE X-FILES". They discuss the show's history, its influence on popular culture and politics, how it helped shape fandom on the early internet, and more!

FURTHER READING:

Fenwick, James and Diane A. Rodgers, Eds. The Legacy of The X-Files.

Jones, Bethan. The Truth is Still Out There: Thirty Years of The X-Files.

FURTHER WATCHING:

"The X-Files": "Pilot" (S1E1)

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Ross is joined by the one and only Brian David-Marshall to discuss the history and fandom of Magic: the Gathering! The world's first trading card game, Magic has had a profound influence on gaming and popular culture, and BDM has had a profound influence on Magic. They also talk holiday cookie recipes, life imitating art, and the early history of online social networking.

FYI: This is part of an ongoing series of interviews I'm doing for a project, so if you are interested in hearing any more of these, let me know!

FURTHER READING:

Wakefield, Jamie. Quest for the Pro Tour, Secret Force: Quest for the Pro Tour 2, Tournament Reports.

Adams, Tyrone and Stephen A. Smith. Electronic Tribes.

Jenkins, Henry. Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture.

The Routledge Companion to Media Fandom.

FURTHER WATCHING:

"Igniting the Spark" (2025)

FURTHER GAMING:

Magic: the Gathering

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