Guilty as Charged

We won't usually blog on Fridays, but then again, we won't usually release multiple episodes either. But we read somewhere that it's good to have at least three episodes available when you start a podcast, and it was on the internet, so it must be true. (From now on, look for new content every Tuesday.)

Eric's first guilty pleasure was a film from the 1990's called Point of No Return. Not a terrible film, really, all things considered. After all, nothing with Anne Bancroft can be all bad, can it?

But what's terrible about this, in Eric's mind, is that he likes it so much better than the French film it was based on, La Femme Nikita (which received a score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, as opposed to the 48% earned by Point of No Return). Nikita is a superior piece of filmmaking; everyone acknowledges that, even Eric. But gosh darnit, if Point of No Return isn't just a lot more fun to watch. To the typical American viewer, it's a comfy pair of jeans while Nikita is the pair of pants you wear to the office that have been given a little too much starch.

Eric's next guilty pleasure is a secret love of comic books, particularly those published by DC Comics, and particularly those featuring superheroines, and even more particularly, Batgirl. Eric is apparently 14 years old.

Eric is quiet, but inside he's screaming, YAAAS!

He didn't mention this in the episode, but he recently went so far as to buy a hardcover volume commemorating Batgirl's 50th anniversary. It's called Batgirl: A Celebration of 50 Years, and it details many of her most important adventures in the pages of the comics, including her debut, that time she kept getting a run in her tights which naturally distracted her from fighting crime (no, really), and an installment from the amazing Batgirl: Year One, a nine-issue series that details the character's origin story, from the daughter of a cop whom no one will take seriously to amateur vigilante to a trusted colleague of Batman himself.

And while we're on the subject of Batgirl, a quick update. While Eric opined a few weeks back that no one would ever make a Batgirl movie, it seems that someone is -- and that someone is none other than Joss Whedon, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame. Needless to say, Eric is very excited -- like the stunted adolescent that he is.

When it was time for Stacey to share her guilty pleasures, she started with a doozy: a reality show called Temptation Island (click the link to watch the first episode ... if you dare).

The set-up is certainly ... something. Three heterosexual couples go off to an island, and are separated from one another, boys on one side, girls on the other. Once parted, they are greeted by 26 singletons of the opposite sex. You have an island - you have temptation. It's Temptation Island! Hosted by the other Mark Wahlberg.

Stacey figured she hated reality shows because they were filled with horrible people, but she soon discovered that if the people are extra horrible, suddenly the shows are a lot more enjoyable. When relationships were torn asunder and hearts were broken on this particular show, filled with these objectively awful cretins, the gleeful schadenfreude was just overwhelming.

From the tawdry to the timid, Stacey's next pick was 180 degrees away from her first: the British television series (available to American media consumers via the Netflix service) Midsomer Murders, now in its 19th season.

Someone has been mercilessly killed. By a psychotic donut, apparently.

You'd think that a television series that dealt with cold-blooded murder, week in and week out, would have a bit of edge. You'd be wrong. This is a show that's almost appallingly sweet (just like that donut). But when Stacey curls up under a big blanket to watch another installment of her beloved Midsomer Murders, she's not looking for edge. She's looking for a simple tale of good triumphing over evil, with old-fashioned values and plummy British accents. And perhaps a crumpet.

Of course, we'd love to hear what your guilty pleasures are. If you're brave enough to admit them. We won't judge. Oh, who are we kidding, we'll so judge you for this sh*t. But do it anyway. Guilt is stupid.

As always, thanks for listening, subscribing, checking us out on Facebook, Twitter, and all the rest.