Heathers premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1989 and went on to become a Gen X cult classic, a Broadway musical, and a Paramount + series. Winona Ryder and Christian Slater star as the toxic duo who go full vigilante to battle the noxious side of high school life. Shannen Doherty*, Kim Walker, and Lisanne Falk star as the eponymous Heathers, the original Mean Girls. This dark comedy has no filter! But does it go too far? The Rated Gen X trio asks, “what’s your damage?”

You can watch Heathers on Amazon Prime, Hulu, Starz, and Tubi

Follow us on Instagram @ratedgenxpod

Check out our Gen X curated Heathers Mixtape on Spotify here

*Please note that this episode was recorded on May 18, 2024, prior to Shannen’s passing on July 13, 2024.

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, based on Stephen King’s 1977 novel is, by many, considered a psychological horror masterpiece. This 1980 film, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall*, is full of scenes that live on in pop culture infamy. Take a drive with us through the Rockies to the Overlook hotel as an ascent into the mountains becomes a descent into madness. We’ll also have some fun remembering the movie scenes that may have slightly scarred us for life. Because “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

You can watch The Shining on Amazon Prime, Fandango, AMC +, and YouTube

Follow us on Instagram @ratedgenxpod

Check out our Gen X curated The Shining Mixtape on Spotify here

*Please note that this episode was recorded on May 18, 2024, prior to Shelley’s passing on July 11, 2024.

This week Curtis, Erin, and Gabe (AKA the Other Raiders Kids) discuss Raiders of the Lost Ark. Was it a movie for boys? Which is more fun, playing with action figures or cosplay? What’s scarier than snakes? And did Indy rob the cradle? (His relationship with Marion is a little ick, right?) Plus, when it comes to rating the film, how many whip cracks will it get? And, Gabe will really tell you what he thinks of the sequels.

To shred our hot takes in this episode, email us at [email protected]

And be sure to like and follow Rated Gen X on socials. To disagree or suggest movies for future episodes, engage with us on Instagram @ratedgenxpod

Note: This episode might sound like our mics got melted by the Holy Spirit, but we're doing our best to keep things smooth. We're improving the audio quality each week, so stay tuned for even better sound in future episodes!

PLUS Curtis's Raiders Mixtape

All right, Hamilton! This week, Curtis, Erin, and Gabe (AKA the “Learn It. Know It. Live It.” Troika) head to SoCal in search of some tasty waves, linguine with white clam sauce, and romance.

Is Amy Heckerling's directorial debut—featuring an ensemble cast of future stars including Oscar-winners Sean Penn, Forest Whitaker, and Nicolas Cage (in a cameo as Nicolas Coppola), as well as knockout performances by Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, and Judge Reinhold—the definitive 80s high school film?

We'll discuss, we'll share our thoughts on Mike Damone's 5-point plan, and the boys will confess their version of "side one of Led Zeppelin IV." That's a 100% guarantee.

The most paused VHS moment ever!

A woman's view of pleasure and power in hard rock

What is prog rock?

You must listen to Karina Longworth's amazing podcast

Peanuts

The real Spicoli

Nicolas Cage was only 17

Fast Times for Dummies

To shred our hot takes in this episode, email us at [email protected]

And be sure to like and follow Rated Gen X on socials. To disagree or suggest movies for future episodes, engage with us on Instagram @ratedgenxpod

Note: This episode has some audio that sounds like Jefferson's car, but we're always working on improving the audio quality, so stay tuned for even better sound in future episodes!

PLUS:

Curtis's Fast Times Mixtape

In this bonus episode, Curtis, Erin, and Gabe (AKA the Bizarre Pod-rangle) rush into the virtual studio to discuss Andrew McCarthy’s documentary BRATS. Is it a self-indulgent whine fest? Or is there deeper meaning to McCarthy’s quest to connect with old friends, bury some hatchets, and exorcize some demons. We’ll discuss our favorite Brat Packers, dish on our fave BP film(s), and Curtis might even tell a story about an actor who didn’t return McCarthy’s calls. As a very, very special double bonus, we’ll create make a mix tape, live on the air! That’s when we ask ourselves, why do so many song titles from the 80s end in question marks?

THE Rob Lowe Poster

How Outsiders Got Made

Andrew McCarthy’s Midlife Crisis

Brats Book

THE Article

Tom Scocca’s article

Justice for Andrew!

Kitchen Break-up

John Hughes Films are White AF

Nostalgia = toxic impulse

Ordering Off Menu

Kate Bush Runs Up the Comeback Hill

The mixtape: https://spoti.fi/3zA4fwx

SHALL WE PLAY A GAME? Dust off your modem, reboot your AOL account and revist 1983’s WarGames. Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy star as teenage hackers who find themselves at the center of an International incident. This sci-fi thriller remains remarkably relevant in light of our current focus on AI, hitting on so many issues that continue to challenge us today. (But don’t take our word for it: Chat GPT wrote that last sentence, so it must be true!)

You can watch WarGames on Amazon Prime, Hulu, Fandango, and YouTube

Follow us on Instagram @ratedgenxpod

Check out our Gen X curated WarGames Mixtape on Spotify here

Holy debut episode, Batman! Listen in as Curtis, Erin, and Gabe – our dynamic trio – reveal their secret superpowers and dive deep into Gotham City’s (allegedly) dark, thrilling underbelly to explore Tim Burton’s 1989 blockbuster! Is it really that different from Adam West’s camp fest? Will it pass the Bechdel test? And what’s up with all that screaming? Stay tuned, Pod-fans, as we dissect this Batman and reveal our favorite Batman actors of all time! Same Pod-time, same Pod-channel!

Click on the links for more information about random things we discussed:

Would it pass the Bechdel test?

Kevin Smith’s hot take on Ben Affleck’s Batman

The legend of Prince’s Batman soundtrack is way hard core

Adam West autographed everything

Let's go to camp, Batman!

Guerrilla Girls

To shred our hot takes in this episode, email us at [email protected]

To disagree or suggest movies for future episodes, engage with us on Instagram @ratedgenxpod

Listen to this week’s Mixtape!