Unfortunate prequels and grotesque unsolved crimes are the topics on this week's podcast.

First we chat with the great film writer Tom Shone about Ridley Scott, the missteps of Promtheus, the pitfalls of prequels and the question of whether perfect films are even possible in today's world.

Then we visit with the New York Observer's Hunter Walker about his work hot on the case of the Hollywood Sign Killer, and how through tireless internet sleuthing he may have found a link between this case in Los Angeles and a notorious Canadian murderer.

Plus!  Thoughts about our era of super-duper-super-seriousness!

With intro and interstitial music by Kevin MacLeod.

A talk with one of the great cultural heroes of our time.  Singer, songwriter, actor and mensch Paul Williams joins the podcast.  His life is the subject of a new documentary, Paul Williams Still Alive which opens this week. We talk about his amazing journey through the highs of the 70's followed by the lows of his wilderness years in the 80's to the surprisingly wonderful place he's found himself in today.  He also shares the story of writing The Rainbow Connection, memories of Phantom of the Paradise, Bugsy Malone and how one goes about writing an iconic song.

Next we talk about another great icon of the 70's: David Bowie.  The Daily Beast's Chris Lee joins us on a balcony above Sunset Blvd to talk about his article about the greatest disappearing act by any rock mega-star of our times.   Is he really gone for ever, or is this just another mask for the man of a thousand faces?

Plus! Thoughts on movie theater texting!  And why the movies may have only themselves to blame!

Intro and interstitial music by Kevin MacLeod!  

It's a big show for obsessives this week on the podcast of the downfall of civilization.

First up, our roundtable of entertainment intellectuals convenes to discuss the network that made TV safe for nerds: HBO.  Jim Gibson, Hitfix's Geoff Berkshire and The AV Club's Claire Zulkey discuss the finales of Game of Thrones, Girls, Veep, the upcoming seasons of Trueblood and the new Aaron Sorkin show Newsroom and whether HBO's routine has become a formulaic pushing of cultural hot buttons, or is it still ground breaking and relevant to our times.

Then we take the temperature of geekdom in general with nerd royalty, comic book author Gerry Duggan.  As the E3 convention gathers in Los Angeles, Gerry breaks away to look over the changing face of nerds, what the geek culture has lost in becoming America's dominant entertainment voice and where it is headed.

Plus! Thoughts on the end of hype! As it relates to Presidents and TV shows.  And music by The Ventures!  

The most high faluten of podcasts this week focussing on the great issues in history and historic trash.'

First off,  America's grande dame of Gen Y literature, Nicole Cliffe author of the Lazy Book Reviews blog and Book Editor at the Hairpin joins us to talk about her column on classic trash.  We speak of Gone with the Wind, the Secret History, the Twilights and much more.

Then we take on the topic on everyone's mind this week - who was worse: Hitler or Stalin?  We bat the matter around with one of America's great gentleman historians Jim Sherman.

Plus - thoughts on the meanings of Wes Anderson and interstitial music by The Ventures!