It’s the return of Careers, a fun and popular board game from the 1950s! Will anyone choose to become a uranium prospector? Who will get wrecked at sea? And how many opportunities are too many opportunities?

Careers 4

Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky with Mikah Sargent, Kathy Campbell and Sebastian Runnings

Another Candlekeep mystery begins with—you guessed it—more book problems for Frittat’ha, Hermioneigh, Naiasa, N’iss, and Paulie.

Candlekeep - Sarah of Yellowcrest Manor, Part 1

Tony Sindelar with Erika Ensign, James Thomson, Jason Snell, Kathy Campbell and Tiff Arment

It is the end of Agatha! After a brief climatic fight fight fight all is revealed about The Road, Agatha’s past, and the fates of our friends. It’s a double-whammy witchy finale full of feels and fantastical fun.

Dan Moren, John Moltz and Guy English

There are so many different ways to define fast food. Is pizza fast food? Also, Jason has a story about the Shake Shake in the Minneapolis airport.

John Siracusa and Jason Snell

Previously, on Lions, Towers & Shields, we’ve talked about one western. It was an unusual one, and included themes a modern audience tends to read as gay. Well guess what? We’re doing it again. Desert Fury puts Lizbeth Scott, Bert Lancaster and John Hodiak into a love triangle. Film noir expert Eddie Muller says this is the gayest movie ever produced in classic Hollywood. But is it? Please enjoy the lush color, and the Miklos Rosza score. And look, there’s Mary Astor and Kristine Miller, too. So we have a very noir cast getting together to ride a present-day version of the range.

Desert Fury

Shelly Brisbin with Randy Dotinga, Nathan Alderman and Micheline Maynard

We move into the eighth inning of our baseball season. This time, Dan and Lex follow a coulda-been-a-contender pitcher in 2002’s The Rookie. Hot topics include Disney movie formulas, offscreen plot developments, and how this is basically two movies in one.

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

Lex Friedman and Dan Moren

Is it a Gothic Romance series if we don’t wander the English moors? Of course not! Join our agents as they discuss Jane Eyre focusing on the 2011 movie and the book. While we like the moody story of Jane and her Mr. Rochester, we have a few suggestions for the next adaptation.

Jane Eyre (2011)

Annette Wierstra with Heather Berberet and Moisés Chiullán

Just like the proverbial dog who got run over by the pineapple truck, we’ve caught hold of an early “Magnum” episode that contains all the core tropes. Sexy stewardesses? Yup! The Lads chasing Magnum? Check! Rick’s character not entirely locked down? Uh-huh! Also, it’s some light entertainment about the Troubles in Northern Ireland with a surprise twist! Drink your wine. Life goes on.

Jason Snell, Philip Michaels and David J. Loehr

Our heroes deal with a wish-granting non-genie, disagreeable keys, and a powerful lich in this, the concluding chapter of Tomb of Horrors!

Shocktober 2024, Tomb of Horrors Part 4

Scott McNulty with Annette Wierstra, Mikah Sargent, Monty Ashley and Nick Scott

All this has happened before, and it will all happen again. Threads weave together as our favourite witches try to avoid needing stitches as swords of Damocles dangle above their heads. Pull up a chair and draw a card because this ep is always a winner.

Dan Moren, John Moltz and Guy English