Old Roommates

"You're the best time I ever had." Joan Wilder, as played by the incomparable Kathleen Turner, was a romance writer, a single gal, and a very devoted sister. She was also the main character in arguably the biggest rom-com adventure of the 1980s, Romancing the Stone. Directed by young Robert Zemeckis, written by a first-time screenwriter Diane Thomas, and co-starring Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito, the little $10 million 1984 crowd pleaser cashed in its stones to the tune of $115 million. Now decades later, is it as good as we remember? Will we be as romanced by its charms as we were then? And, what scene did Brian rewind three times? The Old Roommates jump on the first bus to Cartagena and give it all a rewatch. Listen to this.Old Roommates can be reached via email at [email protected].
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#RobertZemeckis #DianeThomas #KathleenTurner #MichaelDouglas #DannyDeVito

Madonna's "Justify My Love" and George Michael's "I Want Your Sex" were two totally taboo music videos that were either banned from MTV or shown after 10pm back in the 80s and 90s. During their heyday, they were both the things everyone was talking about and the things no one could easily watch. But now, decades later, was all the fuss deserved? When is a kiss not just a kiss? And, isn't "monogamy" a good thing, whether you write in lipstick or not? The Old Roommates slip into something more comfortable and rewatch these two groundbreaking music videos, all through their middle-aged lenses. Listen to this.
Old Roommates can be reached via email at [email protected]. Follow Old Roommates on Instagram and YouTube @OldRoommates for bonus content and please give us a rating or review! Thanks for listening!
#Madonna #GeorgeMichael

Ivana Trump uttered the tagline of the 90s revenge comedy, The First Wives Club: "Don't get mad. Get everything." And, back in 1996, audiences did. A trio of megastars - Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton - joined forces for this tale of fidelity, friendship and lip fillers. The movie was a hit and helped squash the notion that female stars can't boost the box office without a male lead. But now, decades later, does the movie feel as old as its ideas? Do our three divas make sweet music together or is it all just a song and dance? And how long does it take the NYC postal service to deliver a suicide note? The Old Roommates sign a prenup and revisit the blockbuster through their middle-aged lenses. Listen to this.Old Roommates can be reached via email at [email protected].
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#HughWilson #RobertHarling #OliviaGoldsmith #BetteMidler #DianeKeaton #GoldieHawn

"I have to pee so bad I can taste it." Oh yes, 1983's Strange Brew is loaded with dialogue gems oodles of SCTV fans quoted ad nauseum. The movie, directed by and starring Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas, was a big hit on cable and VHS. Back then, if you didn't love Bob and Doug McKenzie, you were the problem, okay, you hoser? But now, decades later, is the buzz worth remembering or is it all just a comedy hangover? Is the mind-control plot too smart for its own good? And, how did they get the mouse in the bottle anyway? The Old Roommates crack open a six pack and revisit this cult classic through their middle-aged lenses. Listen to this.
Old Roommates can be reached via email at [email protected]. Follow Old Roommates on Instagram and YouTube @OldRoommates for bonus content and please give us a rating or review! Thanks for listening!
#RickMoranis #DaveThomas

Macauley Culkin may've got $1 million and a majority of movie poster real estate, but the "Girl" in this early 90's dramedy is Anna Chlumsky. Chlumsky plays Vada Sultenfuss, a hypochondriacal lass who lives in a funeral parlor with her dad and grandmother. The film was an adorable smash, helped by a post-Home Alone "Mac." But now, decades later, is "cute" enough to cut it for our middle-aged podcast hosts? Do senile grandmothers and bee-stung kids blend well with mortuary humor? And why or why does Vada run so oddly? The Old Roommates pop on some age-inappropriate makeup and discuss the 1991 favorite. Listen to this.
Old Roommates can be reached via email at [email protected]. Follow Old Roommates on Instagram and YouTube @OldRoommates for bonus content and please give us a rating or review! Thanks for listening!
#AnnaChlumsky #MacaulayCulkin #DanAykroyd #JamieLeeCurtis

"Chuckles Bites the Dust" and "The Lars Affair" are often at the top of all-time best lists of TV comedy episodes. And both come from that 70s groundbreaker, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. During its 7-year run, the sitcom would win dozens of Emmys and create spinoffs for three of its beloved characters: Lou Grant, Phyllis Lindstrom, and Rhoda Morgenstern. But now, decades later, is the humor as drab as Murray Slaughter's sweaters or as delicious as a souffle made by Sue Ann Nivens? The Old Roommates turn the world on with their smiles and re-watch the iconic show through a middle-aged lens. Listen to this.
Old Roommates can be reached via email at [email protected]. Follow Old Roommates on Instagram and YouTube @OldRoommates for bonus content and please give us a rating or review! Thanks for listening!
#TheMaryTylerMooreShow #MaryTylerMoore #EdAsner #TedKnight #GavinMcleod #ClorisLeachman #ValerieHarper #BettyWhite

Decapitating dogs. Changing clocks. Spanking Alyssa Milano's butt. Just how evil could Mark Wahlberg get in the 1996 thriller, Fear? The James Foley film received mixed reviews and only a so-so box office tally way back when. But now, decades later, was Fear as misunderstood as its muscular main character? Was Reese Witherspoon's Nicole ahead of her time? And is "ferris-wheel fingering" a sign of true love? The Old Roommates blow the dog whistle on the shenanigans, and, of course, rewatch it all through a middle-aged lens. Listen to this.
Old Roommates can be reached via email at [email protected]. Follow Old Roommates on Instagram and YouTube @OldRoommates for bonus content and please give us a rating or review! Thanks for listening!
#JamesFoley #MarkWahlberg #ReeseWitherspoon #AlyssaMilano

Christopher Reeve beat out James Brolin, Perry King and oodles of other actors for dual role of Clark Kent and Superman. And yet, he still gets third billing after Brando and Hackman. Casting aside casting, Richard Donner’s 1978 “Superman: The Movie” was a record-breaking blockbuster. It also needed to be. At the time, it was the most expensive film ever made. But now, decades later, when every other movie is a superhero extravaganza, how does this comic book caper hold up? And, how will the Man of Steel’s CGI look through our hosts’ middle-aged lenses? The Old Roommates found the nearest phone booth (it wasn’t easy) and re-watched the Krypton classic. Listen to this.
Old Roommates can be reached via email at [email protected]. Follow Old Roommates on Instagram and YouTube @OldRoommates for bonus content and please give us a rating or review! Thanks for listening!
#RichardDonner #ChristopherReeve #MargotKidder #MarlonBrando

Surely, you've seen the 1980 disaster-movie parody, Airplane! But, have you seen it recently? (And don't call us "Shirley.") Written and directed by David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams, the movie was a major hit thanks to all kinds of comedy: surreal and slapstick, sight gags and puns, and more than its share of scatalogical humor. But now, decades later, is any of this a laughing matter? A pedo-pervy pilot? A young girl in need of a transplant? Subtitled jive-talking passengers? They're just a few of the characters being looked at again, this time, through a middle-aged lens. The Old Roommates grab their one-way tickets and give it all a rewatch. Listen to this.Old Roommates can be reached via email at [email protected].
Follow Old Roommates on Instagram and YouTube @OldRoommates for bonus content and please give us a rating or review! Thanks for listening!
#DavidZucker #JerryZucker #JimAbrahams #RobertHayes #JulieHagerty

Baz Luhrmann schooled us all back in 1996 with his take on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The romantic crime drama fused a contemporary beach setting, a pop soundtrack, and ... Shakespearean English. The gamble paid off. The Leonardo DiCaprio / Clare Danes love story was a worldwide success. But now, decades later, does watching the proceedings feel more like doing a book report? How old is Juliet exactly? And, what is Mercutio's problem? The Old Roommates dust off their cinematic Cliff's Notes and rewatch the saga through their middle-aged lens. Listen to this.
Old Roommates can be reached via email at [email protected]. Follow Old Roommates on Instagram and YouTube @OldRoommates for bonus content and please give us a rating or review! Thanks for listening!
#WilliamShakespeare #BazLuhrmann #LeonardoDiCaprio #ClaireDanes #PaulSorvino #JohnLeguizamo