I Eat Movies Podcast

Graciously joined by Emmy winning writer and co-host of Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast, Frank Santopadre, cohosts Dino & Mike tackle two Baltimore-based tales of redemption and hope in I Eat Movies #37: FRANK SANTOPADRE SELECTS! - The Accidental Tourist (1988) / Men Don't Leave (1990). First up, Lawrence Kasdan adapts Anne Tyler's best-seller The Accidental Tourist (1988) where William Hurt (Body Heat), struck by tragedy and living an isolated existence, glimpses a chance at a new beginning with the most unexpected of people. Co-starring Geena Davis (Beetlejuice) in the role that earned her an Oscar, the ensemble cast and tonal shifts from melancholy to quirky humor made this a critical hit deserving of more eyes on it. Next up, director Paul Brickman's long awaited (and only!) follow-up to Risky Business, Men Don't Leave (1990) serves as a complimentary drama with a stellar lead performance from Jessica Lange that came and went with little fanfare... until now. Also, Frank has prescriptions older than Mike, contrasting critical notices on Kasdan's drama from Ebert, Maslin & Kael, cinematic “big swings”, and the state of dramatic adult fare in the movies of today are all discussed in this latest helping of I Eat Movies!

The heat is on as cohosts Dino and Mike embark on a mission concerning many Bond’s in I Eat Movies #36: Casinista! - Casino Royale (1967). Despite being a massive hit at the time, this wildly indulgent romp of a parody with a psychedelic flair has had its fair share of detractors. Charmed with lavish production design, a hefty cast and a most groovy score that rivals any true 007 adventure, Dino and Mike examine the wild tales behind the spy spoof’s making, its multiple directors as well as setting the record straight on some of its outrightly unfair critical assessments. Despite our doctor’s strict orders to not have bullets enter our bodies at any time, don’t shoot the messenger as I Eat Movies #36: - Casino Royale (1967) takes aim at reassessing this smarter than some might recall satire.

As we bid farewell to the summer season, cohosts Mike and Dino regroup to blab about their own individual courses of cinema consumption in I Eat Movies #34: Seen Report, Vol. IV. From high caliber westerns like Rio Bravo and a 90s rave-based DTV hoot from the head of Lionsgate (!!!) starring Christina Applegate to ghostbusting hijinks on glorious 35mm, the fellas also highlight their shared drive-in excursion to experience Lethal Weapon and all of Mel Gibson's mullet glory on celluloid. Plus, Mike gushes about Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's best effort and his longtime infatuation with Ed Wood himself, a UFO lands outside of Dino's window not long after selling the merits of Fred Olen Ray's Deep Space and the Chuck Connors starring sci-fi effort, High Desert Kill. All this and even more movie eating have been nicely prepared in our latest serving of I Eat Movies so ditch the bib and gorge yourself!

Spring has sprung and cohosts Dino and Mike return to bask in the neo-noir glow of Neil Jordan's breakout hit in I Eat Movies #32: Mike's First Time - Mona Lisa (1986). Charting the symbiotic relationship between Bob Hoskins' turn in The Long Good Friday (1980) and arguably his best performance here as a recently released prisoner turned chauffeur to a high-class call girl he falls for, Mona Lisa deals with a man's complexity in understanding women as well as a society he longer recognizes. In addition, Mike and Dino dish on the humorous relationship between Hoskins and IEM alumni Robbie Coltrane, Michael Caine's chilling turn that his real life wife loathed and Jordan's beautifully constructed script. In addition, Mike reveals his favorite song of all time while discussing Genesis' memorable inclusion in the film while, the importance of ambiguity and resistance in spelling everything out within a plot makes a stronger film is discussed. We may never be like normal people but, take a stroll with us on the boardwalk of this most tragic love story where manipulation is its key export.

Cohosts Dino and Mike aren't necessarily being blackmailed (yet) but, reinforcements were greatly appreciated in I Eat Movies #31: Elmore or Less - The Ambassador (1985) / 52 Pick-Up (1986)! Joined by cohosts of CinemaTalk, Ben Reiser (cohost of 70 Movies We Saw in the 70s and Lifers) and Jim Healy, (Director of Programming at UW Cinematheque), the heat is on as the quartet discuss the dual Cannon Films adaptations of Elmore Leonard's novel. Relocated to Israel, we dive into the heavily deviated from its source material (save for the blackmailing scheme) take in The Ambassador and discuss the controversy that led to Robert Mitchum joining the production. In addition, we applaud Ellen Burstyn's physicality and the workhorse-like directing chops of J. Lee Thompson who made Cannon films his home for the 1980s. Next up, we hightail it to the City of Angels for the undeniably better and sleazier take of the same material in 52 Pick-Up. In addition, Ben and Mike share their love for Jaws 2, Jim crushes it with his best John Glover "Balmorese" impression and Dino gives insight on the machinery displayed throughout the film. Plus, Frankenheimer, porn stars and Vanity slaying round out this hefty convo on one of Cannon's most taut thrillers.

After an extended holiday hiatus, cohosts Dino and Mike are back on the mics to close off Season 3 before they bid the concepts of seasons farewell due to their inability to properly count in I Eat Movies #30: Mike's First Time - Inside Moves (1980). Honoring the late Richard Donner, Mike and Dino examine a more intimate, character driven opus from the man behind Superman: The Movie and the Lethal Weapon films that he hailed as his personal favorite amongst all his features. A notable black sheep in a sea of bigger-budgeted studio fare, John Savage (The Deer Hunter) stars as a broken man who unsuccessfully attempts suicide only to find new purpose through the regulars of a local bar and a best friend in a bartender (David Morse, The Green Mile) with ambitions of becoming a pro basketball player. Pride, loyalty, friendship and the concept of community are all discussed in this virtually forgotten opus co-written by Barry Levinson (Diner, Rain Man) and Valerie Curtin (And Justice for All, Best Friends) and co-starring Diana Scarwind (Mommie Dearest, Psycho III) who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role.