Sam Morris
Co-Host of Monkey Off My Backlog
Sam Morris (she/they) is Monkey's resident Gen Xer. She is an assistant professor of English, specializing in young adult literature and secondary English education. Sam writes primarily about music (mostly pop), television, and movies. Elsewhere, she has written about John Green, Harry Potter, and The Hunger Games; Hayley Williams as the anti-manic pixie dream girl; and Pearl Jam as utopian philosophers.
Here, she is your source for all things Taylor Swift, Keanu Reeves, Friday Night Lights, and all manner of pop culture trivia. She may not remember what he had for dinner last night, but she can tell you some obscure fact from an album’s liner notes that she read thirty years ago.
Sam Morris has hosted 188 Episodes.
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Ep. 56 - The Problem with Apu, Shirley, Good Morning, Vietnam w/Elyse
Episode | June 28th, 2021 | 53 mins 6 secs
documentary, elisabeth moss, good morning vietnam, movies, murder she wrote, robin williams, shirley, the problem with apu, the simpsons
This week, we're joined by Elyse from 'Podwraiths,' who discusses the 2020 film 'Shirley.' Sam talks about 'The Problem with Apu,' and Tessa watches the classic Robin Williams film 'Good Morning, Vietnam.'
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Ep. 55 - Pitch Black, The Last Witch Hunter, Girlfight w/Megan Spell
Episode | June 21st, 2021 | 41 mins 17 secs
f9, girlfight, michelle rodriguez, movies, pitch black, riddick, the chronicles of riddick, the fast & furious saga, the last witch hunter, vin diesel
This week, we're joined by friend of the podcast Megan Spell to get psyched for 'F9' by talking about the films 'Pitch Black,' 'The Last Witch Hunter,' and 'Girlfight.'
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Ep. 54 - Station 19, Bugsnax, Becoming Bond
Episode | June 14th, 2021 | 1 hr 3 mins
007, abc, becoming bond, bridgerton, bugsnax, george lazenby, grey's anatomy, james bond, netflix, ps5, shonda rhimes, station 19, tv, video games, young horses
This week, we're joined by once again by friend of the podcast Nigel to talk about the Young Horses' game 'Bugsnax.' Tessa catches up with 'Station 19,' and Sam watches the George Lazenby biopicdoc 'Becoming Bond.'
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Ep. 53 - Space Jam, Mass Effect, Lucifer, w/Colby Waddell
Episode | June 7th, 2021 | 57 mins 55 secs
bugs bunny, looney tunes, lucifer, mass effect, michael jordan, movies, nba, neil gaiman, sandman, space jam, sports, tv, video games
This week, we're joined by Colby Waddell to talk 'Mass Effect,' sports, and anime. Also, Tessa is welcomed to the 'Space Jam,' and Sam gets acquainted with 'Lucifer.'
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The Call-In Show! Plus Eurovision and a Summer Film Festival
Episode | May 31st, 2021 | 58 mins 30 secs
eurovision
This week, Sam and Tessa take your calls and tweets and provide pop culture recommendations. They also react to their first ever 'Eurovision' and preview their summer film festival.
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Ep. 50 - Josie and the Pussycats, Bit, Fate/stay night
Episode | May 17th, 2021 | 44 mins
anime, archie comics, bit, fate/stay night, fate/stay night: heaven's feel i. presage flower, josie and the pussycats, movies, nicole maines, parker posey, riverdale, vampires
This week, Sam watches the cult classic 'Josie and the Pussycats,' Tessa gets her vampire on with 'Bit,' and Andy confuses us all with 'Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel I. presage flower.'
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Ep. 47 - Star Trek: TOS, If I Was Your Girl, and Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo
Episode | April 26th, 2021 | 55 mins 11 secs
adolescent literature, anime, books, gankutsuou, gankutsuou: the count of monte cristo, if i was your girl, star treak: the original series, star trek, the count of monte cristo, tv, yal, young adult literature
This week, Sam finally watches season 1 of 'Star Trek: The Original Series.' Tessa reads 'If I Was Your Girl,' a young adult novel about a trans girl coming of age in the South, and Andy tells us all about 'Gankutsuou,' an anime adaptation of 'The Count of Monte Cristo.'
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Ep. 44 - Mamma Mia!, Metropolis, Attack on Titan
Episode | April 5th, 2021 | 39 mins 5 secs
abba, academy awards, amanda seyfried, anime, attack on titan, bill & ted face the music, da 5 bloods, delroy lindo, fritz lang, mamma mia, meryl streep, metropolis, movies, music, oscar snubs, palm springs, silent film, sonic the hedgehog, spike lee, the invisible man
This week, Sam talks music with the film adaptation of the ABBA musical 'Mamma Mia!,' Tessa goes silent with Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis,' and Andy agonizes his way through 'Attack on Titan.' We also have thoughts about Oscar snubs.
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Kaiju Fight! Godzilla, Kong, and More!
Episode | March 29th, 2021 | 1 hr 6 mins
colossal, gamera, gamera the giant monster, godzilla, godzilla king of the monsters, godzilla vs kong, kaiju, king kong, king of the monsters, kong skull island, movies, pacific rim, shin godzilla, skull island, toho
Kaiju Fight! Tessa and Andy are joined by Ariel Rada to talk kaiju movies they've crossed of their backlog as well as some of their favorite kaiju movies in anticipation of 'Godzilla vs. Kong.'
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Ep. 41 - Atlanta, Devs, Arctic Monkeys, Purple Rain w/James
Episode | March 15th, 2021 | 1 hr 6 mins
alex garland, arctic monkeys, atlanta, dev, donald glover, fx, movies, music, prince, purple rain, tv
Nigel is back! This week we discuss Donald Glover's 'Atlanta,' Alex Garland's FX/Hulu series 'Devs,' English rock band Arctic Monkeys, and Prince's 'Purple Rain.'
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Ep. 38 - Hannibal, A View to a Kill, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl-Senpai
Episode | February 22nd, 2021 | 1 hr 46 secs
We talk about Bryan Fuller's Hannibal TV show, We discuss Joss Whedon, We talk about the oldest James Bond, and We Dream of Bunny Girls. . . senpai!
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90s Action Movies
Episode | December 28th, 2020 | 50 mins 27 secs
brian de palma, bruce willis, con air, die hard 3, die hard with a vengeance, ed harris, emilio estevez, face/off, jerry bruckheimer, john malkovich, john travolta, john woo, jon voigt, kathryn bigelow, keanu reeves, michael bay, mission: impossible, movies, nicolas cage, patrick swayze, point break, samuel l. jackson, sean connery, steve buscemi, the rock, tom cruise, ving rhames
It's time for Tessa and Sam's Annual Movie Marathon: 90s Action Movie Edition. Sam forces Tessa and Andy to watch and unironically appreciate six classic action movies from the 90s IN ONE DAY: 'Point Break,' 'Die Hard 3,' 'Mission: Impossible,' 'The Rock,' 'Con Air,' and 'Face/Off.'
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9 Days of Fast & Furious: Series Wrap-Up
Episode | December 25th, 2020 | 29 mins 53 secs
fast & furious, movies
It's Christmas Day, and Sam, Tessa, and Megan are back with one more chat about the 'Fast & Furious' franchise. Merry Christmas!
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9 Days of Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw
Episode | December 24th, 2020 | 46 mins 49 secs
david leitch, dwayne johnson, fast & furious, helen mirren, hobbs & shaw, idris elba, jason statham, justice for han, kevin hart, movies, roman reigns, ryan reynolds, the rock, vanessa kirby
Tessa and Sam count down to Christmas Day with the 'Fast & Furious' franchise and spread some holiday cheer. Megan Spell is back! We're talking 'Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.'
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9 Days of Fast & Furious: The Fate of the Furious
Episode | December 23rd, 2020 | 35 mins 16 secs
dwayne johnson, elsa pataky, f. gary gray, fast & furious, fate of the furious, helen mirren, jason statham, justice for han, kurt russell, ludacris, michelle rodriguez, movies, nathalie emmanuel, scott eastwood, the rock, tyrese gibson, vin diesel
Tessa and Sam count down to Christmas Day with the 'Fast & Furious' franchise and spread some holiday cheer. Today they're talking about the eighth film in the franchise, 'The Fate of the Furious.'
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9 Days of Fast & Furious: Furious 7
Episode | December 22nd, 2020 | 51 mins 3 secs
charlize theron, dwayne johnson, elsa pataky, fast & furious, furious 7, gal gadot, james wan, jason statham, jordana brewster, justice for han, kurt russell, ludacris, michelle rodriguez, movies, nathalie emmanuel, paul walker, scott eastwood, sung kang, the rock, tyrese gibson, vin diesel
Tessa and Sam count down to Christmas Day with the 'Fast & Furious' franchise and spread some holiday cheer. Friend of the podcast Steve Guntli stops by to help discuss the seventh film in the franchise, 'Furious 7.'