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On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are ridin’ into the sunset with the most rootinest-tootinest B-movie bonus episode on this side o’ the ol’ Mississipp. Saddle up, ‘cause we’re talkin’ ‘bout Barry Sonnenfeld’s 1999 film, Wild Wild West.

Wild Wild West (Yeah!)

[YEAH!]

Jim West, desperado

[Sean Anderson, ghostly podcast voice. Nice to meet ya.]

Roughrider, you don’t want nada

[Hey, don’t get so down on yourself. You’ve surely got lots to offer!]

None of this, six-gunnin’ this, brother runnin’ this

Well, actually (pushes glasses up nose), I believe it’s called a six-shooter. Not a six-gun. Actually, I don’t know anything about guns. Don’t listen to me.]

Buffalo soldier, look, it’s like I told ya

[I’ve got nothing for this. Buffalo Soldiers are a fascinating bit of United States history. It was a nickname originally given to members of the 10th Cavalry Regiment and came to be synonymous with all African-American regiments formed in 1866.]

Any damsel that’s in distress

[They’re gonna look at your butt, apparently.]

Be outta that dress when she meet Jim West

[Oh, I guess they’ll be doing more than just lookin’ at that butt. (Wink-wink.)]

Roughneck, so go check the law and abide

[Wait, what do oil rig workers have to do with this film? Did I black out between Kevin Kline talking about his supple bosoms and Branagh walking on mechanical spider legs inside a giant mechanical spider? What’s happening?]

Watch your step or flex and get a hole in your side

[Is that a threat?]

Swallow your pride, don’t let your lip react

[I think that’s a threat! Come on, man. I was supporting you a minute ago.]

You don’t want to see my hand where my hip be at

[What? You’re gonna shoot me now? What the hell?! Where is this animosity coming from? I’ve done nothing to you!]

With Artemis, from the start of this, runnin’ the game

[You leave Artemis Gordon out of this! You never supported him! What, you take down someone with the worst goatee ever and now you’re suddenly best buds? You didn’t earn his love, you son of a bitch!]

James West, tamin’ the west, so remember the name

[(BANG!) Ow! You shot me! You actually shot me! I’m not going to forget your name now, you bastard! James West, you just made yourself one hell of an enemy. I’ll be back. When you least expect it, I’ll be back. I’ll make you remember my name then! …Medic!]

(Recorded on August 02, 2021)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Wild Wild West - IMDb

Wild Wild West trailer - YouTube

Inspector Gadget (TV Series 1983–1986) - IMDb

Will Smith - IMDb

Kevin Kline - IMDb

The Pursuit of Happyness - IMDb

Seven Pounds - IMDb

Collateral Beauty - IMDb

Men in Black - IMDb

Suicide Squad - IMDb

Hitch - IMDb

Safe Haven - IMDb

Kenn

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On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are trying to figure out how a massive celestial body doesn’t just completely screw up our planet in the Mike Cahill film from 2011, Another Earth.

Friends, we’ve got a doozy for you here today. Not only is there a freaking second Earth zooming up right on the planet that we all know and inhabit, but there’s a pretty messed-up romantic drama afoot, as well.

I’ve got to ask, say you’ve accidentally killed a person’s partner and their children. This is a purely hypothetical scenario, of course. You’ve destroyed this person’s life. They’re wallowing in abject misery and you’ve spent a good several years in prison for what you’ve done. After being released, who in their right mind would think that it’s okay to:

1. Make contact with your victim, and
2. Develop a personal and sexual relationship with them?

I guess the “right mind” bit is the crux of the issue here. Rhoda is clearly not in her right mind. She’s boiling within her own guilt and grief. Rational thought is not going to be something with which she’s graced. And yet…

And yet.

John should just be left alone. Surely, that’s something that should break through the fog and smack you right in the face. Grief is powerful and demanding, but wow. Leave the dude alone. He’s got enough to deal with; having to face the person who ruined his life is not something he wants. I think we can all agree on that. I suppose it made for some pretty chaotic drama, though. That’s always good in a movie.

Oh, and there’s another Earth floating above our planet. It’s a mirror world or something. That’s also a thing.

(Recorded on July 19, 2021)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Another Earth - IMDb

Another Earth trailer - YouTube

Brit Marling - IMDb

William Mapother - IMDb

Bart vs. Australia | The Simpsons - IMDb

What If Each Planet Replaced Our Moon? - What If

The Russian Cosmonaut | Another Earth - YouTube

Minority Report - IMDb

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - IMDb

Tom Cruise - IMDb

Avengers: Endgame - IMDb

It’s a Wonderful Life - IMDb

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On the podcast this time, Stabby Steven and Sean are moving back home and dealing with some serious family issues in the 2001 film from Wes Anderson, The Royal Tenenbaums.

I can’t even begin to imagine what the Thanksgiving dinners at the Tenenbaums must have been like. The holidays are a stressful time for a normal family, much less one that’s probably pictured next to the dictionary definition of “dysfunction.” Imagine what that must have been like: sullen children wishing they could be anywhere else, a mother weighed down by her husband’s behavior, and a father who’s critiquing how dry the turkey is even as he insists on cutting and serving it himself.

That’s not a holiday of which I would want to be a part. And yet, Owen Wilson’s character, Eli Cash, wanted nothing more than to be a Tenenbaum. Different strokes, I guess.

When you’re brought up and heralded by the media as a child geniuses—nay, part of a trio of family geniuses—then there’s bound to be something a little off with you. Speaking of which, dear listener of this podcast, if you were a child genius or savant of some sort, please write in and tell us about your life. We’d love to hear your tale.

We imagine it’s probably similar to what the Tenenbaum children—Richie, Chas, and the adopted daughter, Margot—had to endure. Talk about pressure! It’s no wonder that all three of them cracked in their own ways. Frankly, I’d be surprised if any of them turned out to be “normal.” Now that would be worth some serious attention.

None of this is helped by their asshole of a father, Royal. Ugh, that guy. It’s a damn shame that it took some serious family tragedy for him to snap out of himself and appreciate what he has. He probably could have saved his marriage if he had done that sooner.

All of this nonsense makes for a captivating, fun, and endlessly watchable film. It’s something that keeps rewarding you. Your first viewing will be a unique and enviable experience. Your tenth viewing will be just as enjoyable. Maybe some of the surprises will be gone, but there’s enough depth here to draw you in as few films can.

(Recorded on July 19, 2021)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

The Royal Tenenbaums - IMDb

The Royal Tenenbaums trailer - YouTube

Gene Hackman - IMDb

Bill Murray - IMDb

Zombieland - IMDb

Lost in Translation - IMDb

Wes Anderson - IMDb

Rushmore - IMDb

The Grand Budapest Hotel - IMDb

Danny Glover - IMDb

Saw - IMDb

Gwyneth Paltrow - IMDb

Anjelica Huston - IMDb

Ben Stiller - IMDb

Luke Wilson - IMDb

Owen Wilson - IMDb

Kumar Pallana - IMDb

Seymour Cassel - IMDb

Colin Farrell - IMDb

Scrubs - IMDb

Charlie Rose - IMDb

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are reliving our youthful ‘90s years with a very special guest in the 1995 film from Amy Heckerling, Clueless. We’re delighted to be joined by a new friend of the show, Corey Grosklos, a.k.a. Mr. Big Daddy.

For a special guest episode, would we ever dare watch a film that didn’t provide a completely good time for all to be had? As if! Nah, instead we’re going to watch a movie that’s somehow both timeless and also firmly stuck in the ‘90s. How it manages that great feat is what makes this one so magical.

You could probably blame its source material for that. To be honest, I’ve not ever read Emma, by Jane Austen, but I do know that it’s also a timeless and inspirational story. Heck, they keep making movies based on its story, so it was no surprise to any of us when we ended up having a damn good time while watching Cher try to make it through high school.

She is super-rich, though, and that never hurts anything. I’d be willing to bet that my high school years would have been a little less stressful if my parents were super-rich. Heck, my current life would be a whole lot easier if that was the case. Do any rich people reading these show notes want to adopt an endearing and loving podcaster/podcast show notes writer?

I promise to be as pleasant and bubbly as Cher.

Since that’s probably not going to happen, I’ll just say that you owe it to yourself to give this film a watch, even if you’ve already seen it before. Don’t fall for the trap of being too influenced by the film’s marketing materials. Sure, these characters all speak with heavy Valley Girl accents, but that really shouldn’t be enough to turn you away. There’s a kind of innocence to this film. It’ll make you feel happy and keep you that way.

(Recorded on July 12, 2021)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Clueless - IMDb

Clueless trailer - YouTube

Alicia Silverstone - IMDb

'90s Fashion Trends That Are Finally Coming Back In Style - The List

Paul Rudd - IMDb

Ant-Man - IMDb

Donald Faison - IMDb

Scrubs - IMDb

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - IMDb

This Is 40 - IMDb

Beavis and Butt-Head - IMDb

10 Things I Hate About You - IMDb

O - IMDb

Romeo + Juliet - IMDb

Baz Luhrmann - IMDb

Poison Ivy - IMDb

Cryin' | Aerosmith - YouTube

Kids - IMDb

Some Like It Hot - IMDb

Breckin Meyer - IMDb

Brittany Murphy - IMDb

Jeremy Sisto - IMDb

Cruel Intentions - IMDb

Batman & Robin - IMDb

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On the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are tearing the jungle a new one with the 1987 film from John McTiernan, Predator.

If you’ve spent any time on the internet in the last half-decade or so, you’re probably more familiar with this film than you realize. That was the case with me, at least. Large portions of online language are borrowed directly from it. That bicep-flexing, hand-clapping handshake that Arnold and Carl Weathers share? Oh yeah, that’s from this film. “Get to the choppah!” This film right here. Um, pretty much everything else that Arnold says? Yeah, you know where to find it.

Because of its prevalence, you’ll probably find yourself feeling a bit of déjà vu while watching it. The thing has made its way into the global zeitgeist as few other films have.

For a film with such remarkable displays of machismo and clear compensating for small “egos,” it’s amazing to see that it’s also far more than the sum of its parts. It’s all too easy to go into this film for the first time and think that you’re just going to get a balls-to-the-wall, blow ‘em up action fest, but that’s not the case. You’re going to get a piece of film work that has stood the test of time for a good reason.

Not to toot our own horn, but you don’t get featured on this podcast for no good reason. Even the truly terrible films we’ve seen (and there have been a few) were talked about because there was something special about them. In the case of our B-movie bonus episodes, are those movies special because they’re truly god-awful? Oh yeah. We’re looking at you, Sharktopus.

With Predator, you have a monster movie (well, an alien movie, but that’s a different franchise) that transcends its action movie tropes. It goes beyond bullets, explosions, and greased-up pecs. By the end of it, you’ll have watched a thrilling cat-and-mouse adventure between one of the great action stars and a murderous, yet respectful monster.

Now, who doesn’t want to watch that?

(Recorded on July 12, 2021)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Predator - IMDb

Predator trailer - YouTube

Arnold Schwarzenegger - IMDb

Carl Weathers - IMDb

BROFORCE

Shane Black - IMDb

Bill Duke - IMDb

A Fish Called Selma | The Simpsons - IMDb

Superman II - IMDb

Alien vs. Predator - IMDb

Big Game - IMDb

Jesse Ventura - IMDb

Sonny Landham - IMDb

M. Night Shyamalan - IMDb

The Happening - IMDb

Blockbuster (Bend, Oregon) - Wikipedia

(Turns out that the last Blockbuster is in Oregon, and not Alaska. The second to last Blockbuster was the one in Alaska. There can be only one and now the Oregon Blockbuster is the Blockbuster Highlander.)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail - IMDb

Predator 2 - IMDb

Danny Glover - IMDb

The Predator - IMDb

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are gearing up with far too many guns to take on the baddest Mr. Big this side of Sex and the City in Keenan Ivory Wayans’ 1988 film, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.

Viewer (or podcast listener?) be warned: this is a straight-up spoof film. This is not the sort of high-brow comedy film that Sean was expecting, nor was it solely a drama or action film. It feels kind of strange to say, but this is a piece of work that has some deep layers. Indeed, very much like an onion, as the saying goes.

It’s a tale as old as time. A highly decorated man comes back from the military to find that his brother has been killed by a surplus of gold jewelry. He discovers that the dreaded Mr. Big has been filling the street with the shiny stuff and vows to take down this lowlife piece of scum. After reuniting with his dear, ass-kicking mother and his beloved girl, he forms a supergroup of black heroes from the ‘70s to back him up in his quest for revenge. Along the way, he tussles with hooligans, gets into fights with little people, and hangs out with freaking Isaac Hayes.

You have everyone’s permission to dig it, friend.

If this film sounds more serious than what it actually is, then you’re in good company. Sean had no idea what he was in store for, but in his defense, the trailer for the film paints a different picture of its content (make sure to check it out in the links below). Once you can get over its absurdity, you’ll undoubtedly have as good a time watching this as Steven did.

There’s a lot of silliness to be had in this film. It is a film that parodies the blaxploitation movies that were so popular back in the ‘70s. It does so with obvious love and respect. It doesn’t look down on its source material. It puts a ridiculous spin on it instead. If that isn’t a perfect recipe for a B-movie bonus episode, then I don’t know what is.

Make sure you listen to find out if we thought this one was brilliant, a blunder, or a flunder of a film.

(Recorded on July 05, 2021)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

I’m Gonna Git You Sucka - IMDb

I’m Gonna Git You Sucka trailer - YouTube

A Low Down Dirty Shame - IMDb

Deep Murder - IMDb

Airplane! - IMDb

Keenen Ivory Wayans - IMDb

Rubber - IMDb

Bernie Casey - IMDb

Tropic Thunder - IMDb

Robert Downey Jr. - IMDb

Sherlock Holmes 3 - IMDb

Scrubs - IMDb

Community - IMDb

Isaac Hayes - IMDb

The Jack Spade-Cheryl scene that Sean recounted - YouTube

Chris Rock - IMDb

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - IMDb

Shaft - IMDb

Michael Keaton - IMDb

Batman - IMDb

Danny Elfman - IMDb

The Flash - IMDb

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are becoming depraved, hollow husks of our normal selves as we sell our souls to the financial devil in Oliver Stone’s film from 1987, Wall Street.

Bear with us for this one, because we hardly know half of what everyone’s talking about. We’re but humble podcasting fellows. Not the sort of fast-talking, free-wheeling Wall Street goons that would actually understand all the finer points of what’s going on between Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen.

To our credit, we’re not completely lost, but at times, enjoying and understanding this movie requires at least a Master’s degree in some sort of high finance. Heck, we have filmmaking degrees for crying out loud! What do we know about the trading floor, backroom deals, and cocaine-fueled ‘80s parties?

What we do know is great acting, and Michael Douglas delivers like nobody’s business with this one. Is it any surprise that he won an Oscar for his performance as the conniving and slimy Gordon Gekko? He elevates a film that would otherwise have had the thrill and pace of a middle-of-the-road documentary.

His seduction of Charlie Sheen’s character is so well-managed and ultimately so heartless that it’s clear why Sheen idolized the man. It’s also clear how he amassed as much power as he did.

In the end, though, what we witness with this film is a work of prescience. The events fictionalized in this movie may have taken place in the ‘80s, but they’re as relevant now as ever. Cast your mind back to the global financial troubles that we all endured in 2008. Look at what’s happening these days. While this film may have taken place decades ago, its warnings are as current as ever.

(Recorded on June 21, 2021)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Wall Street - IMDb

Wall Street trailer - YouTube

The Big Short - IMDb

Margot Robbie - IMDb

Charlie Sheen - IMDb

Michael Douglas - IMDb

The Lion King - IMDb

Martin Sheen - IMDb

The Price Is Right - IMDb

Unions at The Ringer and Gimlet Media announce their first contracts. - The New York Times

Eric Eddings on Twitter - Twitter

(This is a searing and important perspective from someone who worked at Gimlet before and during the time of their Bon Appétit debacle. He was given the short shrift and was devalued as an employee and a person. His story is absolutely worth a read and your time.)

You’ve Got Mail - IMDb

Love Actually - IMDb

Airplane! - IMDb

Casablanca - IMDb

Citizen Kane - IMDb

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps - IMDb

Daryl Hannah - IMDb

Pretty Woman - IMDb

Fight Club - IMDb

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are going to land this damn plane even if it kills us in the 1980 film by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, Airplane!

WARNING! If you don’t like hilarious puns of all sorts coming at you non-stop, then this is not the film for you. WARNING!

ANOTHER WARNING! If you’re the sort of person who doesn’t like the amazing puns that this film gives you, then I don’t think we can be friends. In fact, we may never want to even associate with you. Yes, that’s the sort of brilliance with which we regard this ‘80s masterpiece. ANOTHER WARNING!

Oh, you think that opening a film with an airplane flying through clouds to the Jaws theme isn’t funny and clever? Do you think that a man getting smacked in the face by his own boomeranged clothing is a bore? Do you think that an inflatable autopilot named Otto is scraping the depths of the comedic well?

I’ve got news for you, pal! You’re not the sort of person we want associating with this here fine podcast! We demand you never speak its name again. More Movies Please! is too good for you, and we’re going to stand by that for the rest of our lives. Indeed, we hope you get stuck in an abandoned taxi in the unloading zone at an airport for the rest of your life!

Or is it the loading zone? …It doesn’t matter one bit! You get the point!

Now, if you are the sort of person to enjoy the hilarious and harrowing antics of the passengers on board this ailing aircraft, then welcome home. We’re glad to have you here for this episode. Please enjoy our admiration for the hilarity of this film. It’s a good one.

(Recorded on June 21, 2021)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Airplane! - IMDb

Airplane! trailer - YouTube

Mel Brooks - IMDb

Spaceballs - IMDb

Jaws - IMDb

Saturday Night Fever - IMDb

Seppuku - Wikipedia

Robert Hays - IMDb

From Here to Eternity - IMDb

How unusual was the winter of 2010 world-wide? - KNMI

2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull - Wikipedia

Airplane II: The Sequel - IMDb

Tropic Thunder - IMDb

Tropic Thunder Opening Trailers - YouTube

Ben Stiller - IMDb

Jack Black - IMDb

Robert Downey Jr. - IMDb

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story - IMDb

Justin Long - IMDb

Monty Python - Wikipedia

Lloyd Bridges - IMDb

Leslie Nielsen - IMDb

Sharknado - IMDb

Disaster Movie - IMDb

Scary Movie - IMDb

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are on our way to America where there are surely, definitely, um, maybe no cats in the 1986 film from Don Bluth, An American Tail.

Imagine leaving your home in a freezing part of Russia because of terrorizing cats, traveling all the way to America for a better, cat-free life, and you end up finding out that there are indeed cats there, too. Not just any regular cat, but crafty and conniving cats. Isn’t that how it always goes?

And mid-way through your perilous journey across the Atlantic Ocean, you lose your beloved mouse son to the raging sea. There’s seemingly no hope of saving him and now you’ve got to live a depressed life because your dear boy is gone.

All the while, you need to find a way to provide for your family in this new, huge, scary country. Everything is rife with uncertainty. You task yourself with doing anything you can to give your family that good ol’ “American Dream” that you hear so many people talking about. There are just so many opportunities in this new land! Anything would probably be better than where you came from, but you’re having to start from nothing. That’s always a scary situation.

In your heart, you know that all this would be better if you just had your dearly missed son.

Yeah, that’s An American Tail. While all this is happening, your son is mostly okay, but he’s also depressed and getting into such terrible trouble. He’s also wondering if he’ll ever get to see his family again as he’s running from murderous cats.

From the cover of this movie, you wouldn’t think that it’s such a harrowing tale of early American immigration and isolation, but you’d be wrong! Get ready for a deep, complex, and necessary history lesson. Oh, and it’s all told by mice.

(Recorded on June 14, 2021)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

An American Tail - IMDb

An American Tail trailer - YouTube

Mr. Magoo - Wikipedia

Mr. Bean - IMDb

Rat Race - IMDb

‘I was completely inside’: Lobster diver swallowed by humpback whale off Provincetown - Cape Cod Times

The Great Mouse Detective - IMDb

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West - IMDb

Fantasia - IMDb

Up - IMDb

Christopher Plummer - IMDb

Ellis Island - Wikipedia

Steven Spielberg - IMDb

Capernaum - IMDb

Kristin Chenoweth - IMDb

Trojan Horse - Wikipedia

Avatar: The Last Airbender - IMDb

The Last Airbender - IMDb

M. Night Shyamalan - IMDb

The Lion King - IMDb

Airplane! - IMDb

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are falling for our first true loves… and then getting our hearts broken hard in the Cameron Crowe film from 1989, Say Anything.

If you didn’t want to be Lloyd Dobbler when you were just out of high school, then I’m just going to assume that you’re a liar, liar, pants on fire. Is he a little intense about life and work? Yeah, but then again, who wasn’t at that age? Who didn’t wax lyrical about the plight of the heart on its quest for love and acceptance?

Being the world’s worst poet is just a symptom of being young and seeing the world in a new and unadulterated way. You can’t help but put your entire self on the line when something captures your attention. It’s a fact of life that you’re going to run into a few immovable objects. If you don’t crash and burn a few times, then are you even really living life?

The hard part is when those immovable objects come in the form of unimpressed parents or spurned affections. That’s when things really hit the fan, as they say.

What’s a person to do when they fall in love with Diane Court, but her dad isn’t too fond of your lack of ambition and she’s about to jet off into her future? Well, most people might just give up and call it quits. Maybe they’d sleep around for a while. Perhaps travel across Europe, learning how to smoke cigarettes from French people, drink wine from Italians, and eat olives from Greeks. Lloyd isn’t most people, though.

He doesn’t give up on love. He keeps fighting for what he thinks is right. He does what he can to prove his worth. Does it sound like he can’t take a hint from Diane, in this case? Yeah, kind of. I mean, it’s almost fortunate for him that Diane’s dad was locked up in prison, otherwise she’d have no real reason to get back together with him. He wouldn’t be traveling to England with her. He’d end up looking desperate and verging on creepy.

But hey, things worked out for love. That makes for a great romance, right? Shame about her dad, though…

(Recorded on June 14, 2021)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Say Anything - IMDb

Say Anything trailer - YouTube

Cameron Crowe - IMDb

Elizabethtown - IMDb

John Mahoney - IMDb

John Cusack - IMDb

Ione Skye - IMDb

Ron Weasley - Wikipedia

Hermione Granger - Wikipedia

Jeremy Piven - IMDb

Entourage - IMDb

The Ice Storm - IMDb

Ang Lee - IMDb

Tobey Maguire - IMDb

Elijah Wood - IMDb

Philip Baker Hall - IMDb

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