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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are realizing that we’ve got it pretty good after all. Sure, we’ve got some debt and bankers aren’t ever doing us any favors, but life is still worth living in the Frank Capra classic from 1946, It’s a Wonderful Life.

I want to get something out of the way right at the beginning: Potter’s a jerk. Just a straight-up, stone-cold, heartless bastard. He’s very frustrating to watch and doesn’t appear to have any redeeming qualities by the end of the film. He’s just a miserly, bitter old fool. He’s a great antagonist, though, I will say that. I can’t think of another film villain that is so deserving of all the ill will that’s aimed at him.

Yeah, I know, we should all get in the Christmas spirit. Being able to forgive others is an essential and good quality to have. I get it, but look, forgiveness should still be earned and Potter wouldn’t hesitate to step on your neck if it meant making more money. My advice? Spend your time and forgiveness on someone who deserves it.

Like George Bailey, for instance. Now there’s a stand-up fella. Does he have his flaws and shortcomings? Who among us doesn’t? He’s been dealt some unfortunate cards in life—he’s also been dealt some really great cards (I’m looking at you, Mary)—but he still does what’s right. He had great dreams and wanted to be a different person, but he understands that there are people who depend on him. Despite the disappointments he’s had in life, he’s always there for them.

More importantly, he’s like every one of us: he’s still human. He’s got his troubles and sometimes things get to be too much for him. We’ve all felt overwhelmed in our lives. The important thing to remember is life is worth living and there’s always someone out there who wants you to keep going. You’re never without someone cheering you on. For George, it was his family, his town, and dear Clarence.

This is a lovely movie and a classic for a reason. If you haven’t seen it, then give it a watch. It lives up to its reputation. If you’ve already seen it (and possibly many, many times), then give it another watch. It’s a heartwarming story about learning to love yourself.

Also, remember to ring a bell the next time you see one.

(Recorded on December 14, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

It’s a Wonderful Life - IMDb

It’s a Wonderful Life trailer - YouTube

Hallmark Channel

November Christmas - IMDb

Sam Elliott - IMDb

John Corbett - IMDb

My Big Fat Greek Wedding - IMDb

Mr. Potter - Wikipedia

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! - Wikipedia

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - IMDb

Christmas Vacation | More Movies Please! - Libsyn

Beverly D'Angelo - IMDb

Godfellas | Futurama - IMDb

The Big Bang Theory - IMDb

Jacob Marley - Wikipedia

The End | The Beatles - Wikipedia

Harry Potter - Wikipedia

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are dealing with the family—oh, the terrible family—and trying not to go absolutely insane during the holidays in the 1989 film from Jeremiah Chechik, Christmas Vacation.

It’s the most!

Wonderful time!

Of the year!

Unless you’re Clark Griswold, that is. Let us all thank our lucky stars that we don’t have to risk falling off our roofs, getting stuck in our attics, or dealing with an Uncle Eddie. At least, I’m hoping your holidays don’t involve any of those things. If they do, then you have our sincerest condolences. Nobody should have to live a single day like Clark, much less several.

It’s such a dang shame for him, too. Here’s a hard-working man who only wants to give his family a happy, memorable Christmas. Instead, all he gets in return is numerous near-death experiences.

Clark Griswold is all of us in 2020.

Is he without his faults? Heck no. The man sank away his entire year-end bonus on a pool before he ever got the cash, inadvertently terrorized his admittedly yuppie-punk neighbors way too often, and could have burned down his house with the 25,000 Christmas lights he strung up. That’s not even mentioning his clear anger management issues. Oh, his poor wife. She’s a saint for supporting him through all the craziness that he brings upon his family.

Still, through all the dry turkey-eating, cat-killing, squirrel-chasing, boss-kidnapping, sewer-exploding insanity, the Griswolds keep the true meaning of Christmas in mind. It’s all about spending time with your loved ones, even if you do wish you could kick them out of the house for good.

(Also, Sean said this was the second Vacation movie in the opening. He couldn’t have been more wrong about that. This is actually the third Vacation movie. That guy should get his film lover’s certification taken away. Posthaste!)

(Recorded on October 19, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Christmas Vacation - IMDb

Christmas Vacation trailer - YouTube

National Lampoon's Vacation - IMDb

Doctor Who - IMDb

Doctor Who - IMDb

Looney Tunes - Wikipedia

Johnny Galecki - IMDb

Juliette Lewis - IMDb

Beverly D'Angelo - IMDb

Chevy Chase - IMDb

Randy Quaid - IMDb

Brian Doyle-Murray - IMDb

Doris Roberts - IMDb

Julia Louis-Dreyfus - IMDb

Seinfeld - IMDb

Caddyshack - IMDb

Fletch - IMDb

National Lampoon - Wikipedia

Dennis the Menace - Wikipedia

The Rocketeer - IMDb

Acme Corporation - Wikipedia

Cool Runnings - IMDb

South

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are kicking off the holidays with hilarity and cheer! We’re giving our beloved Christmas traditions one final hurrah before having to accept that we’re old adults now in the 2015 film from Jonathan Levine, The Night Before.

Right off the bat, I need to make clear that you should not, under any circumstances, do anything that Seth Rogen did in this film. I mean, who in the world takes that many drugs before a night out on the town with your three best friends? A bit of drugs seems handleable, but dude was not doing so well. Let this be a lesson to you, kids: enjoy your drugs responsibly, and please don’t vomit in the middle of any churches on Christmas Eve.

You’ll make Baby Jesus sad.

Nah, what you should do is spend time with your good buddies. I mean, that’s what the holidays are really all about, yeah? Spending time with the ones you love, eating some delicious cookies, and going all out getting to the completely kick-ass Nutcracker Ball that you’ve been dying to find for years. Seriously, be like Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s friends in this one. Sure, they were pretty danged selfish about their own messy lives, but they got him to the party by the end, and they had a memorable time doing it, too.

If you don’t make the time and effort to be a pal, then you could very well miss two of the most important things a human being could experience:

1. Meeting Miley Cyrus.
2. Realizing you need to get your nonsense together so you can be with the person you’re supposed to be with.

Otherwise, it could just slip through your fingers and then you’ll be stuck with an aimless, sad sack of a man who spends all his time pining for the woman he couldn’t hold on to. Nobody wants that to happen.

Be the best friend ever and make the holidays this year worth celebrating!

(Recorded on October 12, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

The Night Before - IMDb

The Night Before trailer - YouTube

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - IMDb

Seth Rogen - IMDb

Anthony Mackie - IMDb

Michael Shannon - IMDb

Randall Park - IMDb

Tracy Morgan - IMDb

Moana - IMDb

The Shining - IMDb

Grady Twins | Stephen King Wiki - Fandom

Playing the Piano Scene | Big - YouTube

Scrooged - IMDb

Die Hard - IMDb

A Christmas Carol - IMDb

A Christmas Carol - South Coast Repertory

It's a Wonderful Life - IMDb

Ilana Glazer - IMDb

Home Alone - IMDb

”Happy Trails, Hans” scene | Die Hard - YouTube

Saving Private Ryan - IMDb

Forrest Gump - IMDb

Love Actually - IMDb

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are dusting off their finest pin-striped suits and concocting a foolproof plan to win big with this week’s episode. It’s the 1973 film from George Roy Hill, The Sting.

Is there anything better than a Paul Newman-Robert Redford team-up? This one and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid goes to show us all that those two make some serious magic when they’re on-screen together. We love their work and wish they could have co-starred in at least one more film, but sadly ’tis not in the cards for us. We’ll always have those two, though. They’re satisfying enough.

In this film, we’ve got one of the greatest cons ever set to film. Who doesn’t love to pull a fast one over on ol’ Robert Shaw? If you’re anything like Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker, then you’re going to delight in taking advantage of him. Did he have it coming? Well yeah! Dude killed Johnny’s good friend, Luther Coleman. Of course he had it coming, and he deserved a hell of a lot more. He lost a bunch of money; Luther lost his life. How is that fair? What a damn shame.

Amid all this is a con artist story like you dream about. This is one of those classic films that so many others have tried to emulate. Most of them aren’t successful. It’s hard enough to capture lightning in a bottle once, and it’s danged near impossible to do it twice. The significance of The Sting reverberates throughout film history. Without it, we’d miss out on so many other thrilling stories.

We loved watching this film unfold, sometimes getting conned ourselves. It’s the sort of story that film lovers want to experience. If you enjoy watching a great movie with a stellar cast, confident writing, and wonderful direction, this is sure to be a good one for you.

(Recorded on October 05, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

The Sting - IMDb

The Sting trailer - YouTube

Wilhelm scream - Wikipedia

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope - IMDb

Raiders of the Lost Ark - IMDb

The Terminator - IMDb

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - IMDb

Paul Newman - IMDb

Robert Redford - IMDb

Robert Shaw - IMDb

Ocean's Eleven - IMDb

Ocean's Twelve - IMDb

Ocean's Thirteen - IMDb

Confidence - IMDb

Ocean's 11 - IMDb

Ocean's 8 - IMDb

Scott Joplin - Wikipedia

Baby Driver - IMDb

The Invisible Man - Art of the Title

The Invisible Man | More Movies Please! - Libsyn

Galaxy Quest - IMDb

Lassie - Wikipedia

John Wick - IMDb

Lawless - IMDb

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are welcoming the lovely and fun as hell Eimanne El Zein as our special guest. We’re going to need all the help we can get because we’re trying to figure out just what the hell is going on with Tommy Wiseau in one of the most famous of all bad movies, 2003’s The Room.

I mean… I don’t even know where to start with this thing. How does one write about what may be a legitimate terrible movie masterpiece? Do you try to peel back whatever fetid onion layers this movie may actually have and find something worthwhile underneath? Do you say “HELLS NAH!” to prospect of subjecting yourself to an hour and thirty-nine minutes of a man being torn apart?

Do you wonder just what happened in your life to get you to the point where you’re spending your time watching this film so you can discuss it at length with a couple other people on a movie appreciation podcast? I mean, just what happened? Did you sell your soul to the devil and this is your punishment? Are you trapped within a sadistic computer simulation?

Or rather, are you doing the good, honest work of trying to figure out the true mysteries of the universe by watching this movie? Seriously, why else could something like this exist? It’s got to be some sort of coded message sent to humanity from a hyper-intelligent, benevolent alien being. Perhaps that’s actually it. Tommy Wiseau isn’t a terrible filmmaker! He’s a creature from the stars who’s sending us this message in the hopes that we’ll puzzle it out and save us all from certain doom. There’s clearly no other explanation for anything that happened in this mess of a film.

We’re not meant to groan while watching The Room. No, instead we’re supposed to use this film as a motivator to help us all live better, healthier, happier, more inclusive lives. All for the sake of the planet.

Thank you, Tommy.

(Recorded on August 06, 2020 | There are occasional audio oddities happening in this episode. They’re rare and shouldn’t affect the wonderful conversation.)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

The Room - IMDb

The Room (fan-made) trailer - YouTube

Tommy Wiseau - IMDb

The Room Viewer & Participation Guide - Screen Rant

The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made | Greg Sestero - Goodreads

Adrian! | Rocky - YouTube

You Are Tearing Me Apart! full scene - YouTube

“The Room” Talking Johnny Bobble Head – Tommy Wiseau

This is the bobble head that Eimanne shows off during the episode. It’s such a wonderful, silly thing.

The Disaster Artist - IMDb

Ed Wood - IMDb

Army of Darkness - IMDb

Full House - IMDb

Best F(r)iends: Volume 1 - IMDb

Mars Attacks! - IMDb

Mars Attacks! | More Movies Please! - Libsyn

Jurassic Bark | Futurama - IMDb

Palm Springs - IMDb

Follow Eiman

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are crashing into armored cars and knocking off downtown banks in the classic, electric Michael Mann film, Heat.

We’re pretty astounded that this film is now as old as it is (and will only continue to get older because that is indeed, perhaps unsurprisingly, how time works) considering how timeless it is. Sure, there are still pagers shown in this movie and the cops would never be able to make it to the downtown bank that’s being robbed because there’s so much more traffic there now, but it still somehow feels evergreen!

Let’s put that down to the magic of filmmaking.

In a movie that’s nearly three hours long, it’s amazing how engrossing and energetic it still feels. Is it any wonder why when it stars so many phenomenal actors? I mean, you’ve got your De Niros, your Pacinos, your Kilmers and Judds and Brennemans. And then you throw them all on the screen together, sometimes even at the same time? It doesn’t get any better than this movie!

And we haven’t even gotten to the intense action sequences. Seriously, the opening armored car robbery and the bank robbery that happens midway through are still some of the best pieces of action that have ever been put on film. If you can, make sure to watch this one with great speakers.

You’ll feel like you’re living in the movie and also probably upset your neighbors.

The sound design in Heat is on another level. The bank robbery scene is a great example of how the audio in this film elevates every other moment in it. There’s a reason why this film and that particular action scene is still so well-loved. We think it’s due in large part to its realistic sound design. ‘90s era Los Angeles has also never been shot better than it was by Dante Spinotti in this film. There’s a certain glittering realness to how everything looks that just isn’t easy to achieve anymore. We loved every moment of this film.

(Recorded on May 14, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Heat - IMDb

Heat trailer - YouTube

Pager - Wikipedia

Here’s what that ancient technology know as the “pager” looks like for those of you who are somehow still younger than us relatively young folks.

Reservoir Dogs - IMDb

Dennis Haysbert - IMDb

Leon: The Professional - IMDb

Dante Spinotti - IMDb

Follow Us:

Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!

Our Libsyn site!

Our Instagram profile!

Our Twitter profile!

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are selling some highly illegal moonshine and doing our damned best to stay away from the creepiest Guy Pearce we’ve ever seen in the 2012 film from John Hillcoat, Lawless.

Have you ever seen something so terrifying, so gut-wrenching, so deep-down disturbing that you wonder how you’ll ever be able to sleep without nightmares again? Well, if you don’t want to experience that, then make sure to avoid looking at Guy Pearce in this film. He’s taking creepy to a whole new level in this one. From his horrid haircut to his no eyebrow-having face to his assault on, well, everyone, he’s just, as John Ralphio would say, the WOOOOORST!

I mean, the good ol’ Bondurant boys just want to make some illicit alcohol out in the forests of Virginia and sell it to the locals. Is that so bad? Come on, Prohibition’s on. People need to get booze into their bodies somehow! Why can’t it be a trio of enterprising capitalists like them? Cracking down on them for breaking just a little teensy law is… You know what? I’m just going to say it. It’s downright un-American. They’ve got their own thriving small business going. They’re pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, as the most out of touch and harmful among us like to say. They’re what we all strive to be.

And yet, they’re getting hassled by the law at every turn. Their distilleries are raided and blown up. Their throats are sawn open. Poor Shia LaBeouf can’t even give the girl he’s sweet on a nice sundress in peace. All because they wanted to reach a little way above their lot in life…

What a damn, cryin’ shame.

[Editor’s note: none of this is to say that we’re supporting the manufacture and distribution of the “harder” drugs out there. Just because those previous paragraphs made it sound like we condone breaking the law doesn’t mean we want there to be heroin flooding the streets or anything. Sheesh.]

If you’re a fan of the film, The Proposition, then you’re likely to enjoy this one. We did a previous episode on that one (find the link to it below). They share the same director and screenwriter, so you know this one’s going to be good and intense. Also, this one’s a lot less dusty. The’s some amazing cinematography and sound. This one was designed so well that you’re likely to feel you’re actually living in the 1930s.

It’s a gritty story with some real heart. Oh, and it’s got Tom Hardy. What more could you ask for?

(Recorded on September 28, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Lawless - IMDb

Lawless trailer - YouTube

The Proposition | More Movies Please! - Libsyn

Prohibition in the United States - Wikipedia

Homer vs. the 18th Amendment | The Simpsons - IMDb

John Hillcoat - IMDb

The Proposition - IMDb

Nick Cave - Wikipedia

Tom Hardy - IMDb

Jason Clarke - IMDb

Shia LaBeouf - IMDb

Guy Pearce - IMDb

Iron Man 3 - IMDb

The King's Speech - IMDb

Memento - IMDb

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean have hired some existential detectives to help solve the mysteries that are plaguing them in the David O. Russell film from 2004, I Heart Huckabees.

Did you know that Shania Twain hates mayo? Like, totally hates it. Can’t eat a single bit of it. She can’t have a chicken salad at all. Be prepared to move out of the way if you ever give her any because she’s going to be throwing up all over you the next moment. We give her tuna fish sandwiches instead, but she’s not buying it. So we tell her we’re allergic to mayo (a total lie, by the way) and eat a couple of them to make her feel better. She eats one and a half of them—one and a half!—before realizing… they’re chicken salad.

Mayo aside, we’re talking about a movie that’s got some real depth and layers to it. Albert Markovski goes to see a husband and wife team of existential detectives because he’s been having some peculiar coincidences that he just can’t figure out. They’re driving him a little batty! Not to mention he’s having difficulties at work because some punk named Brad Stand is basically trying to take over his environmental non-profit. He gets teamed up with a disaffected fireman to help him figure out the cause of his troubles. There’s a… well, there’s a lot of heady stuff that goes on with this film. How can someone condense it all into this meager space in the show notes of a podcast episode?

Instead, I want to tell you this story about Shania Twain and chicken salad sandwiches. Did you know she hates them? She can’t eat mayo. No mayo!

This is an interesting film in David O. Russell’s oeuvre. It’s the last film he made that could be considered a straight-up comedy (so far), and yet it’s a peculiar one. It’s unique and eccentric. Then he went off and did heavy as hell things like The Fighter and American Hustle.

It’s a fun one, though. It flew way under the radar when it came out, so it’s been overlooked by many. It evolves into a story with real emotion and consequences as its running time progresses. By the end of it, you’ll probably find yourself asking what exactly does everything mean?

Oh, and did we ever tell you about the Shania Twain-mayo story?

(Recorded on September 21, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

I Heart Huckabees - IMDb

I Heart Huckabees trailer - YouTube

Chutes Too Narrow | The Shins - Wikipedia

Garden State - IMDb

Jason Schwartzman - IMDb

Rushmore - IMDb

Jojo Rabbit - IMDb

David O. Russell - IMDb

Game of Thrones - IMDb

Hunt for the Wilderpeople - IMDb

Robin Williams - IMDb

Shania Twain - Wikipedia

Newton's laws of motion - Wikipedia

Doctor Who - IMDb

Christopher Eccleston - IMDb

Matt Smith - IMDb

David Tennant - IMDb

Wall•E - IMDb

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are going deep, deep, deep into our dreams in the 2010 film from Christopher Nolan, Inception.

What more can be said about this film that hasn’t already been said? I mean, it’s Inception for crying out loud! Say what you will about the various Nolan Batmens, this might be the one that really put him on the map. In fact, we should probably start designating world time as B.I. and A.I.: Before Inception and After Inception.

The world of this film is fascinating. It’s instantly recognizable, and yet it’s full of this future technology that allows people to slip into the dreams of others. It’s a testament to the writing prowess of Christopher Nolan that he’s able to construct this fantastic technology and make it seem like the most natural, obvious thing. With each new level these people travel to, the more we understand and believe this dream-sharing thing. By the end of it, we almost take it for granted.

I mean, hats off to Nolan for that one. Is it any wonder that he was nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award? We think not.

We thought everything about this film was well done. It’s remarkable how adept Nolan is at being his own dream architect. We loved every performance given in this film. Seriously, there is no standout performance in it because they’re all standout performances. The cinematography is astounding; is it any wonder that D.P. Wally Pfister won an Oscar for this one? The soundscape is legendary and award-winning for a damn good reason. The visual effects are mind-blowing while also being completely believable…somehow. I mean, the city folding in on itself? How cool was that?

This film, as with any other film, may have its flaws—exposition much?—but none of them feel like they’re enough to turn this into a chore to get through, much less a bad film. Nah, this one always goes by in an engrossing flash, and it’s two and a half hours long! If you haven’t seen it in a while, and especially if you haven’t ever seen it, then treat yourself to a trip down the dream rabbit hole.

(Recorded on September 14, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Inception - IMDb

Inception trailer - YouTube

The Architecture of Inception infographic, by Rick Slusher - Fast Company

This is a beautiful and elegant visual explanation of the dream levels in the film. You owe it to yourself to check out this wonderful bit of graphic design, even if you already know how the dream levels work.

Christopher Nolan - IMDb

The Sixth Sense - IMDb

The Dark Knight Rises - IMDb

The Dark Knight - IMDb

Inception Limited Edition Briefcase - Amazon

Blade Runner - IMDb

Blade Runner (Five Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition) - Amazon

Dexter Blood Slide Box Set - Amazon

Scrubs - IMDb

I Love Lucy - IMDb

CBS All Access

Memento - IMDb

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On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are bringing the band back together again and it is glorious. We’ve got a special guest coming along this film journey with us today. It’s the one and only Greg Dengler! It’s a good thing he’s here with us because we’ve got a legion of Deadites to smite back into the netherworld in the Sam Raimi film from 1992, Army of Darkness.

Don’t you just hate it when you narrowly escape from murderous demons who want to do what they do best only to find yourself sucked way back in time when you have to destroy an army of… murderous demons who want you dead? Mondays, am I right?

If your name is Ash, then you’re probably well acquainted with that unfortunate conundrum. Dude just wanted to spend some sexy time with his special lady friend out in a spooky cabin in the woods and this is what he’s got to deal with? Can’t the dude ever catch a break? Oh, he’s got to find an ancient evil book, bound in human skin and written in blood, and deftly perform a deceptively tough ritual with it to send all the baddies back to hell where they belong? Anything else you want this poor, beleaguered man to do?

He’s totally up to the task, though. I mean, the dude (momentarily) has a chainsaw for an arm. If anyone can squash the minions of darkness, it’s a guy with logging gear strapped onto him.

We had a wonderful time watching this one with Greg. His deep knowledge of filmmaking and cult movies makes for a fascinating conversation about one of Sam Raimi’s earlier works. We loved watching a filmmaker like Raimi really come into his own with this film. His storytelling and production confidence are on full display here. It’s no wonder that he’s become one of the most respected directors working today.

If you’re looking for a spooky good time, and a stellar B-movie, then you’ve come to the right place. Just be sure not to forget your boom stick.

(Recorded on September 10, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Army of Darkness - IMDb

Army of Darkness trailer - YouTube

The Art Institutes

The Evil Dead - IMDb

Evil Dead II - IMDb

Deadites Online

The Room - IMDb

Bruce Campbell - IMDb

Deadite | Evil Dead Wiki - Fandom

Hostel - IMDb

Ash vs Evil Dead - IMDb

Evil Dead - IMDb

Teeth - IMDb

Teeth Trailer - YouTube

If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor by Bruce Campbell - Goodreads

Hail to the Chin: Further Confessions of a B Movie Actor - Goodreads

Spider-Man - IMDb

Spider-Man 2 - IMDb

Burn Notice - IMDb

Ripley's Believe It or Not! - IMDb

Evil Dead: Hail to the King - Wikipedia

BROFORCE

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