Episodes
In 2011, Bennett Miller somehow made us care about baseball when he turned a book about the Oakland A’s and a couple of sabermetricians into a feature-length drama featuring Brad Pitt, his bff Jonah Hill, and the great Philip Seymour Hoffman. Sabermetricians? You’re goddamn right! I vocabulary like a mug. This flick struggled in production but Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian both brought on as pinch hitters to finish what would become a film adorned in accolades and box office earnings. But...
Published 03/10/24
In 2014, a puppy was kicked to death, and a tale of vengeance and healing followed with Chad Stahelski’s action banger, John Wick. Starring Keanu Reeves as the iconic title character who finds therapy in murder as he grieves his way through an organized crime family responsible for killing that puppy I mentioned earlier. This comic-inspired flick spurred too many sequels and spinoffs and made a metric ass-load of cash in the process. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent...
Published 02/25/24
In 2003 Tim Burton found himself hung up in tall tales with his fantastical family drama, Big Fish. This flick netted some huge talent with Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange and many other notable names and faces as we brave the waters of this father and son’s tumultuous relationship told over the backdrop of an old man’s often confused musings. Big Fish was nominated for a pile of awards that got away but did well critically. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon,...
Published 02/18/24
Len Wiseman’s debut in 2003 was no cause for celebration, but it could be said that Underworld, the film he popped his cherry on, was. Featuring Kate Beckinsale as Selene, the vampire enchantress who hunts werewolves and was responsible for the most sexual awakenings since Princess Leia went commando. This flick is basically Romeo and Juliet with sexy vampires and werewolves done with the late ‘90s glossy dark esthetic and broodiness. Oh, also, it spawned four sequels, a series, and a metric...
Published 01/28/24
It was the year 1999, and people were terrified of computers ending their life because they couldn’t handle change. But John McTiernan was cool as a cucumber working on what some people call The Thomas Crown Affair, his art heist remake/retake on the ‘60s flick of the same name. Pierce Brosnan faces off against Rene Russo and Denis Leary as he steals hearts and arts for the love of the game. This flick made over double its money back and was generally well-received. But does it hold up?...
Published 01/21/24
In 1997, we saw a dark comedy thriller-type flick called Suicide Kings. Peter O'Fallon directed this cast of B and C-level actors for their ill-fated plan to kidnap a mobster in hopes he can fund or find their kidnapped friend. This flick did not do well, making less than a couple million in the $5 million budget and struggled for positive reviews. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate proper kidnapping etiquette and why you should always bring a catheter as we find...
Published 01/14/24
1993 brought us Stephen Hopkins’ action flick, Judgement Night. This flick tells the story of a group of friends who take a wrong turn into a bad area of Chicago where they witness a murder and become hunted by Denis Leary and his gang as they attempt to clean up any witnesses. This flick is another sentimental one for a couple of us, so even though this was not critically lauded and it didn’t make any money, we remember this movie fondly. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and...
Published 01/07/24
In 2011 we were elevated watching Your Highness, David Gordon Green’s stoner fantasy flick starring and co-written by Danny McBride. This flick has us following a spoiled prince with a big heart and a substance abuse problem as he embarks on his first quest filled with danger and reluctant hand-jobs. This flick did not do well critically or financially, but the cast is good, and we remembered it fondly, so we decided to see if it could still crack us up. So, twist one up as Jon, Colin, and...
Published 12/31/23
We are celebrating Christmas with Ted Demme’s 1994 dark comedy, The Ref, starring Denis Leary, Kevin Spacey, Judy Davis, and Glynis Johns. The Ref tells the story of a burglar who ends up taking a family hostage as a way of eluding capture as the cops scour the area for him; however, he gets more than he bargained for when the family turns out to be wildly dysfunctional. This movie had a fantastic cast, director, and writer and was well reviewed critically. But does it hold up? Listen in as...
Published 12/24/23
1974 brought the controversy and the funny with Mel Brook’s Blazing Saddles. This flick undertook the mission of taking on racism and westerns through the story of a black, half-Dutch, sheriff appointed to a small town of morons to reduce it’s worth so a dirty politician can buy it up and gentrify it. Blazing Saddles features the sparkling chemistry of Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, alongside a large cast of familiar faces from the old silver screen, in a satirical flick that made $120...
Published 12/17/23
Welcome to Spaceballs, the writeup. As you have likely noticed, this week we are bringing you another silly flick and the first of two Mel Brooks movies that we’ll be doing this December. This one stars Bill Pullman, John Candy, Mel Brooks, and Rick Moranis in a spoof of Star Wars that became an all-time classic and one of the most quotable movies ever on top of making a decent amount of dough. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate who’s schwartz is bigger as we try...
Published 12/10/23
In 2004 we got royally baked with Danny Leiner’s 2004 stoner comedy, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. This silly flick stars John Cho and Kal Penn as the title duo who find themselves on an epic quest for the perfect high meal which leads to hijinx, a pile of great cameos, and a couple of sequels. Harold & Kumar brought in $23 million from the $9 million budget, made a couple of careers and brought one back. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate the rules of...
Published 12/03/23
In 1980, we were flying high with the directorial debut of the trio known as ZAZ when their careers took off with the hit Airplane!. This silly slapstick flick stars Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty alongside the comedic debut of Leslie Nielson as we watch a relationship explode amidst bad fish and faulty autopilots. This movie made a silly amount of money, turning its $3.5 million budget into a $175 million payday and has been the most quoted movie since 1980, source missing. But does it hold...
Published 11/26/23
This glorious Sunday the gang got down with alliteration and gossip when we watched What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Lasse Hallström’s ’93 family drama. Starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, and Leonardo DiCaprio in a role that secured him his first Oscar loss and a ton of confused first interactions afterwards. This flick brought in a whopping $1 million at the box office but still resonates in the cinema sphere due to the sincerity of the performances and the dramatic setting. But does it hold...
Published 11/19/23
Back in 2008 we learned the value of family when Adam McKay introduced us to his Step Brothers, starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. This flick brings us the trials of two adult men trapped in mental adolescence who are forced to take care of themselves when their newlywed parents have enough of their antics after the two crash a boat load of hoes. Step Brothers brought in a good payday and became a cult classic despite the critics overall distaste for the film. But does it hold up?...
Published 11/12/23
Today, we are sneaking in with a Steven Soderbergh flick that did not have a theatrical release but rather premiered on TV. The film? Behind the Candelabra starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon as Liberace and the jaded lover who wrote the book from which the movie was based. Speaking of based, HBO was the only company based enough to make a movie deemed “too gay” by the smooth brains at various studios. The result was two great actors getting what might be the best roles of their lives....
Published 11/05/23
It’s that groovy time of year when the dead come back to life as we watch Evil Dead rise from the grave for Fede Álvarez’s 2013 remake of Sam Raimi’s cult classic. This flick brought a complete reimagining of the original with a number of nods to the flick that started as a proof of concept from two friends and refused to die, bringing us 5 films so far and a spin-off TV series starring the original Ash himself. This flick made its original proud by bringing in about 5x the budget at the box...
Published 10/29/23
Welcome to The Cell, Tarsem Singh's beautiful and haunting vision brought to the big screen in this awe-inspiring SciFi-horror. Starring Jenny from the block and a couple of Vinces we are brought into the mind of a twisted serial killer in a desperate attempt to find and free his final victim from certain death. This film performed very well at the box office but was split in the critical realm where some found it to wander while others saw a careful balance between the various plots,...
Published 10/22/23
In 2007, David Fincher brought us his aptly named gritty true-crime thriller based on the Zodiac killer, Zodiac. Fincher is joined by Jake Gyllenhall, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr., alongside several other familiar faces for this murderous journey down memory lane as we watch the case unfold from various perspectives. Zodiac was nominated for multiple awards and was well-reviewed overall (the movie, not the killer), but bad timing meant it just couldn’t perform at the box office...
Published 10/15/23
In 2014 John Erick Dowdle directed a little horror flick he and his brother wrote called As Above, So Below. Taken from some ancient religious and alchemical source material, this flick takes us on a ride through the Paris catacombs in search of The Philosopher Stone, pre-Hogwarts era, and finds us trapped in the depths of hell with cool cults and bloody fingers. This flick has a few recognizable yet lesser-known faces but managed to make $40 Mil on a budget of $5 Million and pee in the pants...
Published 10/08/23
Back in ’93, or Before Shrek, we call it, BS for short, we were treated to a soft entry into the spooky dark comedy basement with So I Married an Axe Murderer. This flick was directed by Thomas Schlamme and features Mike Myers as the star character, but includes some familiar faces in bit-roles throughout. As the title suggests, Myers finds himself in a relationship with a woman he begins to suspect may be a murderer, and then we watch the comedic outlay of that. Also, he’s a beat poet, so,...
Published 10/01/23
Imagine this: it’s 1984, the date, not the bleak political statement, but nonetheless, you are concerned because you have just sat down with a finite amount of popcorn and candy but an infinite amount of story with the incorrectly titled The Never Ending Story. This story tells the story of a little meatball getting picked on all the time because he’s an intellectual, unlike the dullards chasing him from dumpster to dumpster. But this little bowl-cut kid wanders into a bookstore with a creepy...
Published 09/24/23
Today, we travel back to a time of perms and material girls with James Foley's 1986 At Close Range. This flick features Sean Penn as a troubled young guy who wants to connect with his deadbeat dad and do some crime, but when the nice crime turns to bad crime, things get dangerous. Anywho, this flick lost money but has a ton of star power and most importantly, was a fan request so we did it because we're nice f*****g guys (and you can always blame Mike). So, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon,...
Published 09/17/23
The year is 2000. The world is terrified of the Y2K bug, but not as terrified as Hollywood Directors were of Steven Soderbergh, who felt that his best chance of a Best Director Oscar was to be nominated twice, which paid off with a win for Traffic. Traffic tells the story, well, three stories actually, of the war on drugs from the viewpoint of a drug lord and his wife, a drug czar and his kid, and a drug cop and his Mexico. An ensemble cast stars in this multi-filtered flick, whose last names...
Published 09/10/23