This week I delve into some of the controversies surrounding the Guinea Pig films. This tangled web involves copycat killers, famous Hollywood actors, snuff films, the FBI, and a healthy dose of hobby drama. The Guinea Pig films: are they real snuff films, did they inspire real murders, and did a phone call from Charlie Sheen launch an FBI investigation?   Very special thanks to Chris Gore for sitting down for an interview with me!   Special thanks to DK of Nerds, Geeks, and the Kitchen Sink for helping me out and to George from The Best Little Horror House in Philly and Bones from the 5 Day Rentals Podcast for providing additional voices!   Show Notes: Guinea Pig (film series) (Wikipedia)Satoru Ogura (IMDB)Tsutomu Miyazaki (Wikipedia)Flowers of Flesh and Blood (Vice) Kerekes, D., & Slater, D. (1998). Killing for culture. Creation Books. A `Snuff' Video on S.F. Cable? (San Francisco Gate)About That Time Charlie Sheen Thought He Watched A Snuff Film And Started An FBI Investigation (Uproxx)TIL that Charlie Sheen mistakenly thought he had viewed a snuff film in 1991 and promptly started an FBI investigation into whether or not a real murder had occurred. (Reddit)Snuff Films (Snopes)Film Threat Video Guide, Issue 3Film Threat Video Guide, Issue 4Blackest Heart 2 (Archive.org)The Snuff Film: The Making of an Urban LegendDeep Red 7 (Special Edition) (Archive.org)GuineaPigFilms.com (Wayback Machine)Chris Gore - Celebrity Poop - "Video Dealer (True Story)" (Spotify)Pop My Culture #128: Chris Gore (Nerdist)   This episode of Mount Molehill was written, produced, and edited by Chris, with music by Chris and Alex Bainter / CC BY. Special thanks to George from the Best Little Horror House in Philly and Bones from the 5 Day Rentals Podcast for providing the voices of David E. Williams and Shawn Smith. All other voices featured in this episode apart from my own are computer generated.   If you have a molehill that you’d like us to turn into a mountain, email us at mountmolehillpodcast@gmail.com

During the first season of Mount Molehill there were a lot of episode topics that, for one reason or another, just didn’t work. In this episode, we take a look back at some of the topics that didn't quite make the cut. Why is the fake blood in giallo films so weird looking? Why don't we eat goose for Christmas anymore? Who invented the lawn?   Thanks for listening to the first season of Mount Molehill! Stay subscribed to the feed to hear about what we have in the works!   This episode of Mount Molehill was written, produced, and edited by Chris, with music by Chris and Alex Bainter / CC BY. This podcast features materials protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.

This week I’m trying to understand how and why clowns became scary and I’ll be looking at one clown in particular to help me find the answers: Jean-Gaspard Deburau, who in 1836 was tried for the murder of a young boy. What does this little-known incident from the 19th century have to tell us about our relationship to clowns today?   Special thanks to Dan from TYTD Reviews for providing additional voices!   Show Notes: Creepy clown sightings prompt La Jolla school advisory (YouTube)Disturbing clown account threatens New Haven schools on Instagram (YouTube)Jean-Gaspard Deburau (Wikipedia)Clown (Wikipedia) Nye, E. (2022). Deburau: Pierrot, Mime, and culture. Routledge, Taylor et Francis Group. Ambs-Dalès, J.B. (1836). Histoire de Debureau.   This episode of Mount Molehill was written, produced, and edited by Chris, with music by Chris and Alex Bainter / CC BY. Special thanks to Dan from TYTD Reviews for providing the voice of Jean-Gaspard Deburau. All other voices featured in this episode apart from my own are computer generated.   If you have a molehill that you’d like us to turn into a mountain, email us at mountmolehillpodcast@gmail.com

This week I’m doing things a bit differently. On this episode of Mount Molehill, I provide a brief update on my search for the Pancho’s Mexican Buffet jingle, and attempt to solve some minor, media-related mysteries from my childhood in real-time.   This episode of Mount Molehill was written, produced, and edited by Chris, with music by myself. This podcast features materials protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.   If you have a molehill that you’d like us to turn into a mountain, email us at mountmolehillpodcast@gmail.com

This week I’m recounting the story of Alligator People for the Atari 2600. This is a story of ill-advised licensed merchandise, scrappy startups, and the collapse of an entire industry. Alligator People: how did it get made, how was it lost, and how was it rediscovered?   Show Notes: Addams Family Values Videogame Rebate Offer Promo (YouTube)Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick | Playstation 2 Trailer (YouTube)Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game Promo (YouTube)David Crane (Atari) – Interview (ArcadeAttack)John Marvin Interview (Wayback Machine)E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (Atari 2600) (YouTube)Electronic Fun with Computer & Games - Vol 01 No 10 (Archive.org)The Alligator People (1959) Theatrical Trailer (YouTube)John Russell Video Game Credits (MobyGames)John Russell Innovations ST4096C (AtariMagazines.com)The History of Atari's Planet of the Apes Video Game (DailyGrindhouse)Atari 2600 - Planet of the Apes (YouTube)The Alligator People (AtariProtos.com)2600 Planet of the Apes (AtariAge)Screen shot of ALLIGATOR PEOPLE! (AtariAge)Alligator People (Prototype) for the Atari 2600 (YouTube) If you want to watch an entertaining documentary that touches on the Video Game Crash of 1983, check out Atari: Game Over! This episode of Mount Molehill was written, produced, and edited by Chris, with music by Chris and Alex Bainter / CC BY. Any voices featured on the podcast are computer generated unless otherwise noted. This podcast features materials protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.   If you have a molehill that you’d like us to turn into a mountain, email us at mountmolehillpodcast@gmail.com

This week I’m trying to figure out why my Star Trek subtitles contain a cryptic call to action about something called Clearway Law. What is Clearway Law and why does someone need to stop them? Let’s make a mountain out of this molehill.   Show Notes: What is the Clearway Law Controversy About?About Clearway Law (YouTube)Clearway LawAlistair Vigier and Clearway Law using lawyer profiles without the consent of lawyers (Reddit)Clearway Law ???? In my subtitles (Reddit)   This episode of Mount Molehill was written, produced, and edited by Chris, with music by Chris and Alex Bainter / CC BY. Any voices featured on the podcast are computer generated unless otherwise noted. This podcast features materials protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.   If you have a molehill that you’d like us to turn into a mountain, email us at mountmolehillpodcast@gmail.com

This week I delve into the cryptozoological mystery of the Bird of Washington, a sea eagle first described by famed American ornithologist John J. Audubon in 1826. Is it real, or is it a hoax, and if it is, why would one of America’s most beloved naturalists lie about its existence?   Show Notes: The Lochness Horror Trailer (YouTube)John James Audubon (Wikipedia)Substantiating Audubon's Washington's EagleKyle Blaney's Townsend's Finch PhotosMatthew R. Halley's WebsiteAudubon's Bird of Washington: unravelling the fraud that launched The birds of AmericaAmerican Birding Podcast feat. Nate Swick and Matthew R. HalleyPee-Wee Herman "Knitting" (YouTube)The Bird of Washington by James G. Clark   This episode of Mount Molehill was written, produced, and edited by Chris, with music by Chris and Alex Bainter / CC BY. Any voices featured on the podcast are computer generated unless otherwise noted. This podcast features materials protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.   If you have a molehill that you’d like us to turn into a mountain, email us at mountmolehillpodcast@gmail.com

This week we have a lost media mystery. I’m searching for a missing jingle for the once popular but now nearly-defunct Texas restaurant chain, Pancho’s Mexican Buffet. Does anyone else remember it? Who made it? Why can’t I find it anywhere? Does it even really exist?   Show Notes: Dalworth Carpet Cleaning Ad - 1994 (YouTube)Pee Wee's Big Adventure - Deep in the Heart of Texas (YouTube)Busta Rhymes - Dangerous (YouTube)Long Island Poison Control Center PSA (YouTube)G-Unit - My Buddy (YouTube)My Buddy Commercial (YouTube)Earworm (Wikipedia)History of Pancho's Mexican Buffet Inc.Pancho's Mexican Buffet 1994 Commercial - Raise the Flag (YouTube)Ramones - I Wanna Be Well (Feb 18th 1978) (YouTube)StevyFire - Pancho's Busboy (Soundcloud)Brewish - All You Can Eat (YouTube)Stuffed & Busted - Episode 1: All You Can Hear (Archive.org)Hey Everybody, It's Jimbo - Tex-Mex - 111 (Archive.org)King of the Hill - S3E19 (TikTok)Barry's Thoughts - Pancho's Mexican Buffett Review - March 2022 (YouTube)Pancho's Mexican Buffet Corpus Christi, TX. 1995 Commercial (YouTube)KDMX 102.9 Dallas - 30 May 2000 (Archive.org)Southwestern Pancho's Music (Wayback Machine)Kevin Toomey - The Mysterious Jingle That Changed My Life (YouTube)The power of nostalgia: What science tells us about longing for the past5-19-2002 KDFW Local Commercials (YouTube)Pancho's Mexican Buffet Commercial (Raise The Flag!) (YouTube)   This episode of Mount Molehill written, produced, and edited by Chris, with music by Chris and Alex Bainter / CC BY. Any voices featured on the podcast are computer generated unless otherwise noted. Special thanks to Kevin Toomey on this episode for trying to help me out. This podcast features materials protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act. All rights reserved to the copyright owners.   If you have a molehill that you’d like us to turn into a mountain, email us at mountmolehillpodcast@gmail.com

Welcome to Mount Molehill, a podcast where even the smallest mysteries become mountains. Each episode I tackle a different low-stakes mystery that’s been stuck in my craw. Mysteries that you didn’t even know were mysteries, mysteries that I might need your help to solve. Season 1 of Mount Molehill premieres on July 24th.   Mount Molehill is written, produced, and edited by Chris, with music by Chris and Alex Bainter / CC BY.