Off The Shelf With Phil and Dave- A Movie Review Podcast

"It says... it says you're a dead podcast" - By popular demand Phil gets to take 1984's Friday the 13th - The Final Chapter (Part 4) off the shelf this week. Dave calls the audible and requests the next installment of Friday the 13th as he just could not wait to get back to Crystal Lake. He find the routine of the films to be wearing a little thin by now and with each movie, although recognizes the increased production value. Phil is excited to talk about what he thinks is one of the best in the franchise and when he thinks of this series of films, it is often this one.

"A new dimension in Podcast" - Halloween season continues as Phil takes 1982's Friday the 13th Part 3 off the shelf. After barely surviving part 2, Dave find the franchise to be at its nadir while the death toll rises, the performance quality and creativity falls. Despite this, is interested in what comes next. Phil recalls this movie being his favorite when he saw it but wonders exactly why that is the case. Almost nothing he remembers held up to this viewing but enjoys some of the kills and thinks that watching in 3D was a better experience. Both agree that the new theme song is awesome.

"I don't want to scare anyone, but I'm going to podcast straight about Jason. It's spooky season and Phil takes 1981's Friday the 13th Part 2 off the shelf. Dave reluctantly goes to Packanack Lodge, which rests on Crystal Lake. He questions his decision to watch more of these movies but engages with the movie a little more openly than the original. Phil find the cast of characters to be a little more enjoyable this time around, most notably, Amy Steel as Ginny and enjoys the attempt to elicit deeper sympathy in the characters as they have a very little more backstory. Neither of them can come up with a reason why Jason is even alive to bring the terror back in a sequel. 

"I don't want your podcast" - Dave takes to the gridiron as he takes 1999's Varsity Blues off the shelf this week. Phil has never seen the movie before and is reminded that even in the hallowed year of 1999, some bad movies still were released. He finds the stereotypes too much to deal and performances that don't quite hit the mark.  Dave remembers enjoying the movie upon release but doesn't think it lives up to his memory. While he enjoyed Jon Voight's performance but the character is too big to be believable. 

"I think I need a podcast. I definitely need a long, slow podcast. It's time to sing and dance as Phil takes 1986's Little Shop of Horrors off the shelf this week. Dave isn't eager to have another musical but finds the production design and a couple of performances to make it worthwhile. He alwlso locks in the Francis Award. Phil, however, remembers loving the movie as a kid and thinks fondly of most of the songs but the puppet and miniature work is where this movie shines. He is happy to revisit and has been humming some tunes since the re-watch. 

"Doctors say there is a 50/50 chance he'll podcast, though there is only a 10 percent chance of that" - Dave decides to bring the funny as he takes 1988's The Naked Gun off the shelf this week. Phil wonders how much of the references would be lost on today's viewers and is curious about anybody who is introduced to O.J. through this movie. Dave finds that the movie offers something for everyone's comedic sensibilities and both of them just laugh through the episode recalling the sheer amount of jokes. 

"What does he do, this man you seek? - "He Podcasts" - It's another winner of the "Big Five" this week as Phil takes 1991's The Silence of the Lambs off the shelf. He remembers seeing this movie at a pretty young age and finding it more of a thriller than a horror movie but loved that a movie with such subject matter was winning so many Oscars. Dave had never seen the movie before but, of course, knew some of the themes and moments as they have lived well beyond the film. Even a cameo from  his favorite security guard as Buffalo Bill. 

"Remember, Podcast is a good thing, maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies." - Dave keeps us locked up as he takes 1997's Shawshank Redemption off the shelf this week. One of the most popular movies ever made that does just about everything right to get an audience to love it. Phillip remarks how the emotional strings co tongue to get pulled and doesn't mind. Dave wonders why he hasn't seen this movie more but, in the end, doesn't really connect to the overall strength of the film. 

"Mmmmmm, podcast." Phil takes a trip to the "nuthouse" as he grabs 1975's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest off the shelf. We discuss the great performances and Louise Fletcher's ability to get us to hate such a seemingly nice person. Dave enjoys the casr of characters and how he recognized most of them from other things while Phil remembers how his heart sank as the story culminates..

"Oooh, ahhh, that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and podcasting" - Luckily for us there is Site B as Dave takes 1997's The Lost World: Jurassic Park off the shelf this week. Phil is fired up and offended at the precipitous drop in quality from one movie to the other. Turning Malcom from scientist to hero, from co-star to lead hurts the movie and the rest of the film fails to bring anything new to the table; except maybe the cast. New faces doing what may be their worst work. Dave, for a brief period, enjoyed this one more than the original! We'll dig into why.