Back Through The Lens

We're hopping into our pink bunny suits and lighting our leg lamps for an episode all about A Christmas Story! We discuss the very specific reason our hometown of Cleveland, Ohio was chosen as a filming location, the confusion over when exactly this story is set, and its lasting legacy as both a Christmas classic and a Cleveland tourism site.

For many people, namely us, the Christmas season officially begins when it's time to rewatch The Muppet Christmas Carol. In today's episode we discuss the passing of Jim Henson and the impact that had on production, all the Muppet roles that could have been, and why this is inarguably the best retelling of A Christmas Carol, ever - at least for those of us that grew up watching it.

We could never forget Kevin McCallister or this Christmas blockbuster from our childhood. We might not be heading to Paris, but we are discussing Home Alone, including the writing machine that was John Hughes, Chris Columbus's Christmas dreams coming true, and of course, all those booby traps.

We're kicking off our very first Christmas season with National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation! We discuss some of our own Christmas traditions while diving into the history of National Lampoon movies, marveling at John Hughes's rise in Hollywood, and discussing the cast's reaction to making a genuine Christmas classic.

Join us in remembering Diane Keaton, specifically her work in the First Wives Club. We discuss the powerhouse cast of Diane Keaton teaming up with Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn, the 3-hour Jon Stewart cut, our childhood interpretations of this title, and how much better these lines land now that we're adults.

We wrap up our spooky season with the slasher film that started it all, John Carpenter's Halloween (1978). We detail how very low budget this production was, mispronounce "Samhain" a few times, and discuss the many, many sequels. 

What's your favorite scary movie? If it happens to be the original Scream from 1996, you're in luck! Today's episode dives into how this classic 90s slasher film got made, our personal memories of watching it for the first time, and the franchise it kicked off.

Today we're discussing 1982's Poltergeist - a movie that scared Joe as a kid and that Rachel had actually never seen before. We dive into the "Poltergeist curse," that PG rating, and the controversy over who was really directing this now-classic ghost story. They're here, indeed.

We call the four corners in today's episode so we can discuss the alternative girl power 90s classic, The Craft.

The Sanderson sisters are back! Kick off season 3 with us as we discuss the genuine horror credits behind the people involved with this family friendly Halloween film, it's long journey to becoming a holiday classic, and ponder the word "yabos."