The Nostalgia Test Podcast

Dan & Manny put the 1988 Tom Hanks comedy classic 🔮Big to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. They talk about Josh's (Tom Hanks) friend Billy possibly having no parents, the iconic Robert Loggia /Tom Hanks piano scene in FAO Schwarz, and the unsettling relationship between Susan (Elizabeth Perkins) and Josh. Watch the original trailer for Big here.
And much more, including: 

Dan & Manny return to the1999 MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) to put the Breakthrough Video category to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. They really try to find some light at the end of this VMA category. The nominees they discuss are:
🙌Fatboy Slim – "Praise You"
🎤Busta Rhymes – "Gimme Some More"
🐍Eels – "Last Stop: This Town"
😇😈Eminem (featuring Dr. Dre) – "Guilty Conscience"
🌽Korn – "Freak on a Leash"
🐰Unkle (featuring Thom Yorke) – "Rabbit in Your Headlights"
Dan & Manny cover anthropomorphic talking carrots, they try to figure out the difference between Video of the Year and Breakthrough Video, and why the hell is 🙌Fatboy Slim – "Praise You" even on the list. 
And much more, including:

Dan & Manny put 4 Gross Toys to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. Our nostalgia-obsessed hosts discuss: 
🤪🥚Silly Putty 
😝🧶Silly String
🧑‍🎨Play-Doh
🤮GAK aka Nickelodeon Slime
Dan & Manny discover the meditative properties of 🤪🥚Silly Putty, they learn how the military created some of these toys and uses one of these toys in combat, and Manny gets 🤮GAK stuck in his hair and beard. 
And much more, including:

Dan & Manny put music from 5 movies from the 1980s to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. Our nostalgia-obsessed hosts discuss the songs: 
🦶"Footloose" by Kenny Loggins from the movie Footloose
🌃"Rhythm of the Night" by DeBarge from the movie The Last Dragon
⚡"Flash" by Queen from the movie Flash Gordon
😮‍💨"Take My Breath Away" by Berlin from the movie Top Gun
😢"No Easy Way Out" by Robert Tepper from the movie Rocky IV 
Official Robert Tepper Video
Dan & Manny try to figure out which of these songs can be played in a bar, urge everyone to see the movie The Last Dragon, and give everyone a glimpse into what a Rocky IV episode would be like. There's also a ton of bad singing, inconsistent facts, and so much confusion around Queen's song "Flash." 
And much more, including:

Dan & Manny invite actor Rob McCaffery from the Sanity is Overrated podcast to put the 1993 cult-classic Airborne to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. Dan, Manny, and Rob attempt to make sense out of Mitchell Goosen's choice to bring a surfboard to land-locked Cincinnati, Ohio in the middle of winter, they try to figure out if this a surfing movie or a rollerblading movie, or a hockey movie, and who can forget all of Goosen's Baja Hoodies.

Dan & Manny talked to Scott Barber, one of the directors of the recently released documentary The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story, "a documentary about the Nickelodeon Network, telling the story of its humble origins deep into the SNICK years." Scott discussed what it took to make and finance an indie documentary, opened up about why he thinks the 90s were Nickelodeon's best years, and told a really hilarious story about Coolio's appearance on All That. 
Scott Barber made his directorial debut with his film, The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story, featuring Kenan Thompson, Drake Bell, & Melissa Joan Hart. The film premiered at the DOC NYC Festival in 2018, to a sold-out crowd. His other projects include This Is GWAR and American Clown.As Nickelodeon superfans, Dan & Manny highly recommend Scott's documentary The Orange Years. You can rent or buy it on iTunes, Amazon, YouTube, Fandango, Google Play, and more.

Dan & Manny put the classic kids game show Nickelodeon GUTS to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. The 3 episodes they watched (links below) made them scream, "Do You Have It?" They talk about how there are no actual prizes for winning, the amazing Mountain Dew-like energy of host Mike O'Malley, and there's a bunch of Leslie Jones and Alex Trebek love in this episode.

Manny ambushed Dan with a surprise 1am Nostalgia Test Lightning Round where they put a variety of classic games to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! Our hosts riff on: 
❓Guess Who?
🚢Battleship
🕵️Clue
💰Monopoly 
🐭Mouse Trap
😤Chutes & Ladders
🐜Ants in the Pants
🧩Jenga
🦛Hungry Hungry Hippos
😮Uno
Listen to Manny & Dan discuss the stupidity of Guess Who?, if anyone actually played the game Mouse Trap, and the amazing "draw-four-stacking" house rule of Uno. 

Dan & Manny put another 3 Sega Genesis games, Kid Chameleon, Comix Zone, & Contra: Hard Corps, to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! This time around, they are playing these games in real-time while discussing them. Dan & Manny get extremely confused by Kid Chameleon's gameplay, they try to figure out why games from their childhood had so many levels, and they attempt to figure out the OG Contra 30 lives code.

Dan & Manny put the 1990 version of Supermarket Sweep to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! The 3 episodes they watched are below: 
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3 
Dan & Manny go over host David Ruprecht's classic sweater choices, how they'd be knocking over other people's carts during the "Big Sweep," and Manny's hilarious "Big Sweep" strategy.

Dan & Manny put the 1998 romantic comedy The Wedding Singer to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! Shout out to Sharon Brennan for suggesting this test. This movie confused our two hosts a lot. They talk about Adam Sandler's subdued whisper acting, how everyone in this movie is perverted, the guy from Goodfellas. Plus, there's a deep discussion about the meatball lady scene.

Dan & Manny put the Kellogg's Cereal Fun Pack to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. Our hosts get gastronomically taken down by: 
🌈Froot Loops
🍿Corn Pops
🍎Apple Jacks
🤎Cocoa Krispies
🐯Frosted Flakes
Listen to Manny go from super excited to eat cereal to angry and upset, the wet cereal vs dry cereal debate, and how Cap'n Crunch destroys your mouth when you eat it.

Dan & Manny put the classic Nickelodeon kids game show Double Dare to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. The 3 episodes they watched (links below) immediately brought them back to their childhood. They talk about how there are no rules to the physical challenges, the comedic genius of Marc Summers, and how the kid contestants weren't siblings OR friends, which makes Double Dare even more awkward!
Here are the links to the 3 Double Dare episodes mentioned: 
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3

Dan & Manny put the themes & openers from 5 action TV shows from the 1980s to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. Our hosts wrestle with some of the most confusing imagery and music from: 
Miami Vice
MacGyver
The A-Team
Knight Rider
Baywatch
Dan gets really frustrated with how many episodes other shows had versus Miami Vice, Manny makes an amazing Vanilla Ice/MacGyver connection, and Manny reenacts the Baywatch pitch meeting.

Dan & Manny welcome their longtime friend Mike Silva (aka The Bear, aka Price Hike Mike) to put the 1986 action film Iron Eagle to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. Dan, Manny, and Mike have the most insane discussion of what's probably the most ridiculous film of the 80s. They attempt to figure out how Doug (Jason Gedrick), Chappy (Louis Gossett Jr.), and a band of misfit Airforce highschooler kids hack the US Airforce, steal two fully armored F16s, the Hades Bomb, and fly across the world to wage an unauthorized attack to save Doug's dad from the most cliche 80s-American-propaganda-villain ever. Whew.

Dan & Manny put 5 Puzzle Games to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. They take on: Bop It, Brio Wooden Labyrinth, Waterfuls, Rubik's Cube, & Simon. Our hosts tear Bop It to shreds, make everything from their childhood into a drinking game, and are mesmerized by the Brio Wooden Labyrinth YouTube video.

Dan & Manny put comedian Brian Regan's 1997 album Brian Regan: LIVE to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. This episode brings our hosts back to their childhood in a serious way. They recite their favorite Brian Regan jokes, talk about how dumb it was to ride on bike pegs, their dads helping them to cheat at Boy Scouts challenges and science fairs, and their infamous summer custodial job. Settle in for a real Nostalgia Test Podcast adventure!

On their 1st episode of 2021, Dan & Manny travel back to 1995 to put that year's MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) Best Alternative Rock Video category to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. They get serious, silly, and go down some famous Nostalgia Test Podcast tangents talking about:
Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song
Hole - Doll Parts
Green Day - Basket Case
The Cranberries - Zombie
Weezer - Buddy Holly

In our last Holiday Season episode, Dan & Manny bring back Steve Herrera from Episode 16: 🤡 Killer Klowns From Outer Space and Billy D'Elia from Episode 20: 🍻Road House (1989) to hang out and talk all things The Nostalgia Test Podcast. And of course, they travel down a bunch of tangents--reminiscing on the first time they drank a beer, Black Haus liquor, and rollerblades. So grab a drink, settle in, and join us for an old fashioned Long Island hang.

In the 3rd Holiday Season episode, Dan & Manny put the 1994 Christmas comedy The Santa Clause to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! Dan and Manny try to deal with all the mom-pants, the tucked-in shirts, and those insane sweaters. Not to mention the bowl haircuts. Super 90s. Manny presents the most unbelievable take in The Nostalgia Test Podcast history: Scott Calvin (Tim Allen's character) is being taken over by a Santa Claus parasite. And Dan needs to know what happened to all those Denny's dads at the beginning?

Dan & Manny put the 1984 horror-comedy Christmas movie Gremlins to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! There was so much to talk about, and Dan and Manny try to cover it all. They tried to figure out if Gizmo is a vampire or an alien, how old is Billy (the main character) and why is he hanging out with a middle school kid (Corey Feldman), and Billy's dad being the absolute worst husband, dad, and inventor. Settle in, because this movie, to quote Manny, is "Chockful of Nostalgia."

Dan & Manny put 5 Christmas songs to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! In the 2nd Holiday Season episode, they take on "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" by Elmo & Patsy, "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (Bruce Springsteen live at C.W. Post College, 1975)," "Christmas in Hollis" by Run-DMC, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey, and "Last Christmas" by Wham!. They talk about the murder conspiracy that is "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer," do terrible Bruce Springsteen impressions, and discuss how people need to respect "Christmas in Hollis" way more.

To kick off the Holiday Shopping Season, Dan & Manny put 6 classic T.V. Toy Commercials (Pogo Bal, Skip It, Lite Brite, Crossfire, My Buddy & Kid Sister, and The Animal)to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. This is an eye-opening episode into the world of 80s & 90s toys. Dan & Manny try to figure out why anyone would ever buy or play with the Pogo Bal, they come up with an amazing reboot idea for Skip It, and they discuss the dystopic world of Crossfire.

Happy Thanksgiving! This week, Dan & Manny put the 1st Thanksgiving episode from season 1 of Friends to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! Dan & Manny try to figure out how much money it cost to fly to Vail, CO on Thanksgiving in 1994, all the turtleneck sweaters, and discuss how much the friends disrespect Monica. This episode kicks off our Holiday Episode Series, so get ready for the Holiday Nostalgia Test fun!

Dan & Manny put sitcom theme songs from Perfect Strangers, Family Matters, Step By Step, Growing Pains, Married With Children, Full House, Saved By The Bell, City Guys, and California Dreams to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! Dan & Manny talk about all the high-fives in the Perfect Strangers opener, do some in-depth lyric breakdowns, and try to figure out what the f*** was Unhappily Ever After about. And just like with all the music episodes, there's some amazing singing. So get ready.

Dan & Manny welcome their longtime friend Bill D'Elia to put the 1989 action movie Road House to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! There's just so much to say about how amazing this episode is. It'll make you laugh. It'll make you think: It'll make you watch Road House for the first time. It'll make you rewatch Road House 100 times. These three friends try to figure out why everyone brings a knife to the bar and why the bouncers (or coolers) can't stop this, what the f*** is a cooler, and who can forget Patrick Swayze's ass?! Oh, and those weird sounds are just Billy's microphone moving up and down. Seriously.

Dan & Manny put cartoon theme songs from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Darkwing Duck, TaleSpin, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, DuckTales, Captain Planet, He-Man, Transformers, Animaniacs, & Ren & Stimpy to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. After an epic trilogy of Spooky Season episodes, Dan & Manny were looking forward to getting back to something "serious." They get into it on this one, trying to figure out if Launchpad from Darkwing Duck and Ducktales is the Lee Tergesen of the animated world (see Ep.11: Wayne's World), Dan's obsession with why some cartoon characters wear pants and some don't, and Team Voltron vs Team Captain Planet. Plus, there's plenty of "amazing" singing.

Dan & Manny put the 1990 dark fantasy comedy The Witches (based on the 1983 Roald Dahl novel) to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST. This is the 3rd & final Spooky Season episode and a perfect way to get into the Halloween spirit (no pun intended). Dan & Manny really get into the delinquency of every single adult in this movie, try to figure out exactly how high Luke's grandmother is, and wonder why the f*** is there a naked kid at the end of the movie (spoiler alert)? Plus, it wouldn't be right not to talk about the frightening genius of Angelica Huston.

On their 2nd Spooky Season episode, Dan & Manny put 5 Halloween music videos, This Is Halloween, Ghostbusters, Somebody's Watching Me, The Monster Mash, & Thriller to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! This episode starts out in a sane place, but these songs slowly eat away at any sense that Manny & Dan had left this day. They try to avoid the entire episode at the start, but quickly get into what it would be like to play This Is Halloween at a party, the genius of Ray Parker Jr., and what the f*** is Disney up to with these creepy Halloween Music Mashup videos?

Dan & Manny welcome their second guest, longtime friend, and killer musician Steve Herrera on their first Spooky Season episode to put the 1988 "horror" movie Killer Klowns From Outer Space to the ULTIMATE TEST! This episode has everything, minus any sort of logic, but what do expect when you're talking about a horror film with a soft-core porn plotline. Dan, Manny, and Steve attempt to make sense of the worst character names of all time, why no one will just leave this town, and what's with the drugstore owner!? RUN THE F*** OUT OF THERE! (You'll see). 
Oh, and if you think they didn't bring up Matt Antoniou, you're wrong.

Dan & Manny go back to 1995 with their friend and first guest Jess Stanisic to put that year's MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) Best R&B Video category to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! This Nostalgia Test trio gets all 1995 when it comes to talking about:
TLC – "Waterfalls"Boyz II Men – "Water Runs Dry"Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson – "Scream"Jade – "5-4-3-2 (Yo! Time Is Up)"Montell Jordan – "This Is How We Do It"

Dan tricks Manny into doing another food-based Nostalgia Test. They put OG Pringles, Barbeque, Sour Cream & Onion, and Salt & Vinegar flavored potato chips to the ULTIMATE TEST! This episode has it all: loud crunching sounds, stomach aches, and one of the longest most surprising deep-dive into the history of the Pringles.  

This week's episode of The Nostalgia Test Podcast is an epic one, and rightfully so because Dan & Manny put the 1991 Keanu Reeves Patrick Swayze action movie Point Break to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! You thought they lost their minds on Episode 3: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) when they combed through every single detail of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Well, you thought wrong, because this episode is absolutely BADASS.
Dan & Manny talk about their favorite one-liners, is it bro, brah, or braahh, and most importantly the romantic relationship between Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) and Bodi (Patrick Swayze). That's right people. Pay close attention because there's a lot going on.

Dan & Manny dig through the 90’s Pop Radio Hits playlist on Spotify and put an insane amount of random music to the ULTIMATE TEST! This episode has it all: Rock, Pop, Hip Hop, R&B, and Dance music, and it’s just like Dan & Manny to take it a little too far by talking about 28 songs (list below). There are serious discussions, tangents, and a ton of love for some of their favorite songs. We’re not experts, we make mistakes with the info, and these are just our opinions. So PLEASE share your thoughts on our Instagram, Twitter, and in the show’s comments. See if some of your favorite songs passed The Nostalgia Test.

Dan & Manny's brains when they put 1992's Wayne's World to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! They try really hard to figure out what this movie is, does it have a plot, and is Rob Lowe's character just Patrick Bateman from American Psycho? Really though, is Wayne's World just a blackout dream that Patrick Bateman is having? Oh, man. Also, Dan & Manny attempt to figure out how old Wayne and Garth are, where are their parents, and did Garth kill that guy in the club where Meatloaf is the bouncer? Seriously, people, there are a ton of questions for this iconic 90's film.

Dan & Manny made it to their 10th episode, and what better way to celebrate this milestone than by putting the 1989 box office hit Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! With the recent release of the third installment of the franchise, Bill & Ted Face The Music on August 28th, this episode couldn't have come out at a more excellent time. As usual, Dan & Manny get into it in this episode. They try to figure out the complex multiverse/inception/sci-fi time-traveling going on in the film, Bill's crop top, the lack of help from Rufus (George Carlin), and they debate whether Bill is in love with his stepmother.

Dan and Manny put 1993's The Sandlot to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! This episode gets deep, gets silly, and gets serious. Dan & Manny try to figure out where their treehouse is built, if Smalls' stepfather Bill (Denis Leary) purposely hit him in the face with a curveball, and how many times was Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez said in full. Also, the 1992 movie Radio Flyer tries to derail the entire conversation.

Dan & Manny put Mitch Hedberg's first album Strategic Grill Locations to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! They share what it was like to hear Mitch Hedberg for the first time, recite their favorite jokes from both the official and unofficial release, and read a special letter from Mitch Hedberg to the Uniball company.

Dan & Manny get serious about the multi-platinum 1996 Hip hop album The Score from The Fugees and put it to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! They discuss how much they miss that "90's sound," what happened to all the Hip hop groups, and the lyrical/vocal power of Ms. Lauryn Hill. Also, Sister Act 2 might make an appearance. 

Dan & Manny put three Sega Genesis franchise darlings, Sonic the Hedgehog, Ecco the Dolphin, & ToeJam & Earl, to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! They discuss how truly difficult these old-school Genesis games are, Ecco's extraterrestrial heritage, and what the f*** is ToeJam & Earl?! Manny is on FIRE in this episode. 

Dan and Manny embark on a gastric adventure of sugary mishaps, putting 4 candy bars from their childhood, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, & Whatchamacallit: to the ultimate test--THE NOSTALGIA TEST! They talk about how hard it was to get a Whatchamacallit, who's truly eating the 3 Musketeers, the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups controversy, and much more. If you listen carefully, you can hear the exact moment the sugar starts to shut their brains down.

Dan and Manny put Dane Cook's Harmful If Swallowed to The Nostalgia Test. They talk punching bees in the face. The extreme differences between listening to this Dane Cook album vs watching the special. And they look back on the two different times they saw Dane Cook live in NYC. This is episode might look short, but it's packed with nostalgia goodness!

Dan and Manny put the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie from 1990 to the Nostalgia Test this week. This is an epic podcast adventure, so settle in and get ready as they try to figure out who the real leader is (Leonardo or Raphael), what's up with NYC in 1990, and if this movie is a romantic tale between April O'Neil and Raphael. 
This episode is filled with spoilers, so if you've never seen this movie just know we give EVERYTHING away. You can watch the original trailer here.

Dan and Manny put Blink 182's two biggest albums Enema of the State (1999) and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001) to The Nostalgia Test. They talk about their personal connections to the albums post-high school graduation. Does selling out really exist? Their favorite songs and their least favorite songs from both albums. Plus, a deep-dive into the lyrics from "Happy Holidays, You Bastard." And so much more!

Dan and Manny put Tom Cruise's 1988 romantic comedy Cocktail through the first Nostalgia Test. They try to understand what a "saloon" is, break down each of Coughlin's laws, and discuss the power of Tom Cruise's on-screen charm. This is one of Manny's favorite films. Will it survive the Nostalgia Test? 
If you haven't seen Cocktail, you can watch the trailer here.

Long-time friends Dan Dissinger and Manny Coelho are about to start an amazing adventure through their pop-culture past together. Living on opposite coasts (Dan in LA and Manny in NY) isn't going to stop these two from putting their eyes, ears, and tastebuds through it all to find out what's nostalgic, what's still genuinely good, and what needs to be erased from history. In the intro episode, they talk about why they decided to embark on this treacherous journey and what makes something nostalgic or not.