Down To Watch

This week, Down to Watch is down but not out in Beverly Hills! Dan, Raul, and Jonnie take a trip to the fancy side of 80s revivals as Eddie Murphy brings back a classic action comedy character in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. All the hosts have seen the original, some more recently than others, and the whole gang is on board for a return to fast talkin', quick thinking Axel as he deals with rich guy villains, flashy cops who sold out and a ton of 80s tropes revisited with a modern mentality. Does the old cast bring back all the chemistry they had in the original, and do the new characters add or remove from the fun of the fantastic first movie and its sequels of arguable quality? If they're laughing funny, sporting dodgy accents, and doin' the Neutron Dance, it's on this pod!

The temp is rising, the BBQs are lit, and new TV shows are hot off the grill and into our living rooms this July! Dan and Raul are checking the summer snacks served by the multitude of streamers who want our hard-earned subscriptions. Among the burgers and dogs awaiting us are spicy new offerings like Natalie Portman's Not Being a Lady in the Lake, Nic Cage and a pair of Longlegs, and Rashida Jones's seeing the 'Sunny' side of a scary situation.  On the animated menu, Kite Man says Hell Yeah to some more adventures; somehow, a show is called Exploding Kittens, and the BBQ links keep coming in Sausage Party: Foodtopia. There’s a mess of returning shows, a whole Olympics, more Maxxxine and a really sick party in The Decameron (whatever that is), so come summer with us!

This week, Down to Watch is on summer vacation! Dan and Raul met up IRL with podfriend Hannah to watch the 25th (ish?) anniversary re-release of the German time loop film Run Lola Run. Rebel and indie filmmakers had a resurgence in the 90s, and this kinetic electro-fable still stands among the most lauded German productions ever, with critics, award groups, and a wide cult following on display in theaters over the last few weeks. All three hosts were glad to revisit this film at the Los Angeles staple, Landmark's Nuart Theater, and they have tons to say about it!

Big franchises collide with indie drama in this week's two-show showdown on Down to Watch! Dan and Raul have been observing the hype around the new Star Wars series The Acolyte with a bit of skepticism after the last few TV tries from the Skywalker clan resulted in a mixed bag at best. The new show might be angering fans and podcast hosts alike early in the first episode as well, but can the pilot turn fan opinions around by the closing credits? But first, there's a show about a missing kid and his dirtbag dad being desperate enough to find them that they enlist the help of an imaginary friend of the child's to delve into a seedy underbelly. Although the premise is familiar, Benedict Cumberbatch's new Eric is far more dour and sinister than the similarly plotted Happy! from a few years back. Boasting proper acting talent, will this show be back on the pod for a season recap? It does have puppets! 

This week, the DtW trip through the 80s film landscape hits a bit of a bumpy road! Dan and Raul watched Firestarter, a 1984 Stephen King adaptation starring a tiny Drew Barrymore alongside plenty of Hollywood talent about a rogue couple and their pyrokinetic daughter on the run from the clandestine sci-fi government organization responsible for all their unnatural talents. Despite the talent on screen and the material's pedigree, this film was torched back in the day, but the cult following it may have garnered since belies a secret classic of the weird and paranoid that gave us titles like Videodrome and Scanners. Or maybe it's just bad; come find out!

This week on Down to Watch, it's a handy June guidebook for what's going on in TV and in theaters! Dan and Raul find the new TV offerings to be meager so the monthly look forward includes many returning shows and trips to the theater. On the new TV front, there's an NBA scandal, a hyped-up Star Wars series, Jake Gyllenhaal getting into legal limbo, and a look back at the pack full of brats. Out in theaters, the summer starts with a remake of The Crow, a re-release of Run Lola Run, M Night's daughter's first twist vehicle, the first days of A Quiet Place, and a possible hit, man. We also welcome back a mayor, some boys, a bunch of angry dragons, the staff of a tasty sandwich shop, and more! Get out of the hot sun and check 'em out!

This week, DtW takes a trip to 80s Louisiana to admire the flowers and friendly faces in Steel Magnolias! Dan and Raul continue to complete their education in the cultural classics by watching a movie both remember as very well loved but never got around to watching. With a half dozen powerhouse women playing the cadre of close friends at the center of the film, there was no doubt this would be a showcase of incredible talent, but will the story hold its shape, or is it as dated as a big frizzy do? This definitely isn't Fried Green Tomatoes!

This week, DtW takes a look at both sides of a sad, scary, and strangely funny story of The Sympathizer! Dan and Raul checked out the Max streaming, HBO-branded adaptation of the darkly comedic novel of the same name, and are both impressed after a few eps. Lead character The Captain walks a frighteningly fine line between soldier, spy, and effective enemy operative as he weaves between his Vietnamese allies on both sides of the confrontation. Peppering in A-Listers in surprising roles at times helps keep the pace bouncy alongside the playful narrator, but is it worth sticking with, or do a few small issues add up to anything serious? Who's to say what side is the right side, It's best to listen and find out!

DTW is dipping into docs this May with several entries in the upcoming month telling stories that are as strange as they are true! Dan and Raul found they were looking forward to many of the same true tales lined up for the next few weeks, including a look into the life of Muppet inventor Jim Henson, the story of the melodic musical legends The Beach Boys, and an odd but well-documented life in Japan called The Contestant. The oddness continues with a return to hit doc The Jinx, a popular show thought completely told. Scripted TV stays weird with more Outer Range, more multiverse in Dark Matter, some spy stuff, and even movies in this one, so May...be have a listen!?

In anticipation of the soon-to-be-streaming prequel, The First Omen, this week, DtW flashes back to the original 1976 The Omen! Dan sees it for the first time while Raul revisits a classic he used to watch on constant rotation, with star power in the front and satanic panic pushing it forward. Gregory Peck stars in a familial nightmare with a political tinge, detailing a family's fall after unknowingly adopting the son of Satan. Famous moments from scary movie history were made possible by this nefariously apocalyptic tale, but the fears present here were also fueled by an outsized fear of the devil saturating the culture of the age. Does it still scare and compel, or were these fears and feelings only indicative of 70s American unease? Let's talk about it!