From Under The Rock

'Tis the season for some holiday cheer! And what better place to find it than Nakatomi Plaza circa 1988. Join us as we dive into one of the greatest action (and Christmas ^_~) movies of all time, Die Hard! Starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman, this movie is a festive romp from start to finish. Willis shines as the plucky, unlikely hero NYPD officer John McClane, thoroughly out of his element in sunny southern California; while a young Alan Rickman gets his start in film by glowering gloriously at anything that moves and delivering his criminal mastermind's manifesto with the gravitas that made him into the universally revered actor that he was. Don't think a movie like this could possibly be a Christmas movie? Give us a listen and we'll make the case.

Of all the mystical and magical worlds of fiction, Oz is certainly among those that have inspired the most stories, retellings, speculations, and wonder. In keeping with that (and another little movie you may have heard just a little bit about lately), this week we're covering 1985's "Return To Oz," starring Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, and Brian Henson. Just a few months removed from her trip to Oz via tornado, Dorothy Gale is back in Kansas and missing her adventure and her Ozian friends whom she believes to be in trouble. When she returns to the land of the Emerald City, she can hardly believe what she finds. What is it? Listen along to find out.

Happy Anniversary, listeners! We can hardly believe that we've been doing this show for a full year now and we're thrilled that you have joined us along the way. To mark the occasion, this week we're covering one of the greatest and most classic films of all time, 1942's "Casablanca." Starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, this beautifully intimate story is a tale of love in a time of World War Two fear and intimidation. Will the jaded, hard-boiled saloon owner that is Bogart's Rick Blaine help a desperate man trying to flee the Nazi regime? Or will his passionate and complex feelings for that man's wife get in the way of his better angels? Come give us a listen and find out.

After a short mental health break, we are so back baby. And we're returning with the pure, mindless fun of 2008's "Stepbrothers," starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. What else is there really to say about this movie? It is every bit the insanely silly, childish romp you'd expect it to be and honestly, it was what we needed right now. We hope you guys will enjoy it too.

Holy fifty episodes, Batman! To celebrate this milestone we're bringing you the breakdown of this enormous, spectacular sequel from just earlier this year - Denis Villenueve's sweeping masterpiece of a cautionary tale, "Dune: Part Two." Set against the visually stunning backdrop of the desert planet of Arrakis, this film is a breathtaking journey from start to finish, filled with exemplary performances and uncomfortable truths to grapple with. Power, influence, the unbreakable ties of family, and the unintended consequences of messianic myths all come together to make this one truly a spectacle unlike any other.

Happy Halloween, listeners! This week we dug back into old Hollywood to bring back and cover one of the ultimate all-time classics - the Bela Lugosi "Dracula" movie from 1931. By far the oldest film we've covered so far, this one was a real treat to get to cross off of our list and provided an amazing glimpse into the origins of horror, monster movies, and really the evolution of entertainment in the early 20th century, as Hollywood was born and began to take some of our favorite stories from literature and the stage and put them onto film so that audiences could enjoy them time and time again in the format of moving pictures. There may never have been a more iconic visage than that of Lugosi's Dracula, so make sure you make some time alongside us for this one!

As spooky season marches on, it was high time that we cover a truly acclaimed horror film, so for this week's movie we watched 1996's "Scream." Starring Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, and Matthew Lillard, this iconic film revitalized the horror genre and launched a slasher franchise that is still going strong today. This one strikes a delightful balance between subverting/poking fun at horror tropes while still honoring and making skillful use of them. It's definitely one of the best horror romps of all time, you're not gonna want to miss this one!

This week, as spooky season continues, who better to visit with next than a truly extraordinary menagerie of some of the most iconic characters from gothic literature? Sean Connery stars as Allan Quartermain in a fictional ensemble that includes Dorian Gray, Captain Nemo, Mina Harkness, and Dr. Henry Jekyll (they also wanted THE Invisible Man, but couldn't quite get the rights, so audiences were forced to settle for AN invisible man XD). Join us as we unravel the mystery of this epic quest that pulled Allan Quartermain (and, in a way, Connery) out of his home for ~one last job.~

Continuing our spooky season coverage, this week we checked out the 2009 cult classic "Jennifer's Body." Starring Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, this thoroughly unhinged movie dances along the line between being a monster movie and being almost a parody of teen horror (while all the while seeming to be quite an allegory for the trials and tribulations of being a teenage girl - yes, that did go completely over our heads, whoops!). Whether you find it to be a masterpiece of campy horror cinema or a somewhat all-over-the-place romp, this is one movie we can almost guarantee you will have fun watching either way. Join us!

"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. Then rang the bells, both loud and deep, God is not dead nor doth he sleep."

It's spooky season, b****es! (And by b****es, we of course mean our dearly beloved listeners without whom we would be nothing). And in the spirit of the season, it's time for us to cover some movies that fit and/or set the vibe, starting with Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" from 1983, starring the wonderfully talented Jonathan Pryce, quite younger than I think either of us had ever seen him before. When Pryce's mysterious Mr. Dark and his carnival of pandemonium arrive in the night to a small town filled with ordinary folks and their ordinary fears, the conditions might just be quite right for he and his compatriots to take advantage...