Tom Barnard

Tim Lammers, movie reviewer to the stars is back.  And you know what that means.  That's right, we're comparing different modes of transportation and their relative danger levels.  Also the topic of driving while intoxicated.  We concluded that it's not a good idea.  But are tires made out of food a good idea?  That remains to be seen.  And tasted.

We're finally back after a record-breaking hiatus.  These things will happen when the entire country freezes over.  Snowpocalypse was a disappointment compared to last week, and it didn't even get a name this time.  That's okay, because we're inside thinking about the warm ocean air anyway, because we're all Beach Boys fans.  David is too, as evidenced by the fact that he wrote God Only Knows: The Story of Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys and the California Myth.  You've gotta be a pretty big fan of something to write a book about it.  Even moreso to wake up early to talk about it.

Debby Boone has been singing since the 70s, and given her legacy that makes sense.  What else makes sense is promoting her cover of Snow from White Christmas in the middle of a winter storm.  Listen to it during your two hour drive back home tonight.  It's thematic.  After all, what is Christmas with no snow?

Slashing can be a good thing or a bad thing.  Let's say you have a bunch of suspicious moles.  You want those slashed off, right?  Or how about slashing costs by firing 70% of your workforce?  That one might be a mixed bag.  Then there's the bad kind, which generally involves a chainsaw or rusty machete or something.  What's the appeal?  How does something like that get 13 movies spanning 44 years?  And how do people find the time to watch them when they have fully booked schedule of spreading disease in central Florida?  Some mysteries simply have no answers.

If you're Minnesotan or a Hoosier, you've probably heard about the Vikings vs Colts game.  Biggest comeback in NFL history and all that.  But that's not what Minnesota is really interested in this week.  Step aside, purple pride, because Tom quitting the morning show is the real historical event.  At least in this room it is.  Our frame of reference may be somewhat limited.

Quick, name three 2022 blockbusters.  Harder than it sounds, isn't it?  The movie industry continues to struggle to make anything anyone cares about, while the TV industry is apparently in another golden age.  There's never been a better time to sit at home and do nothing.  Especially since every investment out there is apparently a Ponzi scheme now.  I guess there's also never been a better time to commit wire fraud.  Disclaimer: please don't commit wire fraud.

Get ready for some controversy, because Liz is back and she's written a book claiming that the literal media firestorm surrounding the death of George Floyd is clouded with lies and manipulation.  Definitely don't get caught reading this one in Minneapolis.  You also don't want to be caught being a Vikings fan lately, because - just as the prophets foretold - they suck now.  Will they continue to suck, or will they pull off their first ever double twist and become good again just in time for the playoffs?  Hey, miracles happen sometimes.

A Christmas Story is one of those movies that everyone remembers fondly and seems to unite the generations.  It was made almost 40 years ago, so it's the perfect bridge between the Boomer, Gen X, and Millennial generations.  It's also, after all this time, gotten a sequel: A Christmas Story Christmas.  Shot in the original house and everything, right?  No, not even close.  Today we learned a surprising fact about the movie that makes you more cultured than you realize.

Twists can be tough to do.  When they're good, people will be talking about your movie for decades.  When they're not so good, they basically ruin the entire thing.  M Night Shyamalan is the undisputed king of both types of twist.  And speaking of kings, here's the opposite of a twist: Tim and Tom are both still watching Tulsa King.  Can you believe it? 

What's scarier than nuclear fission?  Actually, a lot of stuff.  But for some reason, we've been conditioned to be afraid of it.  Everything is going to be another Chernobyl.  Robert is a professor of philosophy, so naturally, he asks "why"?  Unfortunately for him, we aren't also philosophers, so the best we can do is say that people are stupid.  Hey, we're not wrong.  Then, Alex inadvertently asks what is apparently the world's hardest Vikings trivia question.  Drop a reply on Facebook or Twitter if you knew what she was talking about before we figured it out, because nobody else in the room did.