the Mildly Frumpy Protagonist

In the mid-90s, multiplexes were invaded by an influx of movies centered on mankind’s first contact with extraterrestrials. And unlike the cute and friendly aliens we got to know in the 80s, like E.T. and ALF, the space invaders of the 90s mostly just wanted to annihilate us, starting with our favorite tourist destinations.

Part One of the When We Were Young Early Late Mid-To-Late 90s Summer Alien Invasion Spectacular looks at two of the deadliest interstellar assaults to ever breach the silver screen, both celebrating their 25th anniversaries this year.

First up, we celebrate the 4th of July in the most American way possible — with mass casualties, tons of military hardware, a bombastic presidential speech, and a stripper! Roland Emmerich’s record-smashing INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996) raised the bar for special effects-loaded summer entertainment, redefining the blockbuster with its cataclysmic destruction of U.S. landmarks (a popcorn movie hallmark ever since).

Next, we attempt to shield ourselves from Tim Burton’s outrageous sci-fi send-up MARS ATTACKS! (1996), with a cast so star-studded that it stars Jack Nicholson twice! The wacky comedy had just as much death and destruction as Independence Day, but came in for a crash landing when it opened in theaters, and has been largely forgotten since.

Which of these uncomfortably close encounters holds up better now that we’re viewing them from a distance? Do we prefer President Pullman to President Nicholson? A dog that outruns an explosion, or a chihuahua with Sarah Jessica Parker’s body? Will Smith’s fresh quips, or ack-ack-ack-ack? Get answers to these and other probing questions in a podcast that’s truly out of this world!

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts so more folks check out the show!

Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include recording remotely, purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

If ever a movie earned its exclamation point, it’s MOULIN ROUGE! In Part 2 of our Baz Luhrmann Spectacular Spectacular, we revisit the scintillating (and over-stimulating) 2001 musical that saw the likes of Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor belting out pop music’s greatest love songs.

Though the film earned several Oscar nominations (and two wins), it was a divisive cinematic experience upon its release, and twenty years later not much has changed. Luhrmann’s gift is his song—or rather his version of Elton John’s song—but is it one you’d want to re-open?

Sling back some Absinthe and join us as we debate the beauty, freedom, truth and love of Moulin Rouge! Why? Because we can can-can, that’s why.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts so more folks check out the show!

Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include recording remotely, purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

Baz, Baz, wherefore art thou Baz Luhrmann? On the latest episode of When We Were Young, we travel back to the mid-90s (and then even further back to the 16th century) to rewatch the Australian director's frenetic modern-day adaptation of WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S ROMEO + JULIET (1996). The film was a hit at the box-office and cemented Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes' status as the heartthrobs of their generation.

Plus, the film's soundtrack was considered one of the all-time greats, filled with original Bard-inspired tunes by the likes of Garbage and Radiohead. Shakespeare's tragic tale of star-crossed lovers is still considered a classic, but does Baz's exhilarating adaptation stand the test of time, too?

Pray, join us in merriment for Part I of our Spectacular Spectacular review of the films of Baz Luhrmann - or do you dare bite your thumb at us, sir?

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts so more folks check out the show!

Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include recording remotely, purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

Have the podcast hosts stopped screaming? Not yet! We follow last episode’s discussion of the Best Actress nominees of 1991 - including the groundbreaking, genre-defying tale of female outlaws Thelma & Louise - with a look at the night’s big winner, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. The serial killer thriller not only won the Best Actress Oscar, but also Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture - a feat accomplished by only two other films in the Academy’s 93 year history.

Like Thelma & Louise, The Silence Of The Lambs is now known for inserting intelligent, fully realized female characters into a genre typically dominated by men. And like Thelma & Louise, The Silence Of The Lambs generated plenty of controversy upon release, especially around its gender-bending antagonist, Buffalo Bill. Of course, it also birthed one of the most memorable and quotable screen villains of all time, with Anthony Hopkins’ brief but tasty turn as cannibal psychologist Hannibal Lecter.

In this episode, we dissect the film both as a crowd-pleasing, nail-biting thriller and through the lens of its sexual politics. Jodie Foster’s much-lauded performance made FBI trainee Clarice Starling one of the greatest screen heroines of the 90s, but does she still hold her own against the infamous Dr. Lecter 30 years later?

Is The Silence Of The Lambs still a snack? Or should we send this thing back to Baltimore? Grab your best bag and your cheapest shoes, lodge an exotic moth in your throat, and get a nice bottle of Chianti ready, because this podcast is going all the way to the FBI. Bon appétit!

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts so more folks check out the show!

Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include recording remotely, purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

When it comes to leading ladies, you’d have a hard time finding a more powerhouse lineup than 1991’s THELMA & LOUISE, which saw both of its stars nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars that year. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon play BFFs whose road trip goes seriously south when they shoot a rapist and end up as unlikely outlaws bound for Mexico — via the Grand Canyon, of course.

Callie Khouri’s original screenplay was so groundbreaking and audacious, it attracted the attention of nearly every actress in Hollywood — and was passed on by nearly every studio executive at the time, who pushed Khouri to make her characters more “ladylike” and change the controversial (and now totally legendary) ending.

In this episode, our hosts discuss a film that had the odds stacked against it ever getting a greenlight, which has since become one of the most iconic and beloved films of the 90s. We also dust off the two other runners-up from the 1991 Best Actress race, seeing how For The Boys’ Bette Midler and Rambling Rose’s Laura Dern stack up against Sarandon and Davis.

Does Thelma & Louise still feel as fresh as it did 30 years ago? Would the film still ruffle as many patriarchal feathers if it were made today? And what ever became of that handsome newcomer who plays the drifter? Climb in your Thunderbird, lock a cop up in the trunk, and leave your sex hair as is, because we’re in hot pursuit of the ultimate female buddy movie — and we think we have it in our sights!

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts so more folks check out the show!

Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which includes purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

We came away from our musical journey through the #1 Pop Singles of the 1980s loving many of the biggest hits of the decade. Good job, 80s! The 90s? Well, that’s another story.

We’ve already discussed some of the decade’s biggest breakouts on the podcast, including No Doubt, Alanis Morissette, Spice Girls, and Nirvana, all of whom got to #1 on our own personal charts at one point in time. But the #1 Pop Singles of the 1990s are a much more scattered affair, veering from upbeat pop cheese to gangsta rap to disco-dance throwbacks, with a whole lot of “adult contemporary” in the mix.

As it turns out, the Billboard charts of the 90s watched America go through a diverse range of musical moods, from mourning the death of British royals to celebrating barely-contained boners on the dance floor — plus a lot more Costner worship than should be permitted in one decade. Of course, the mid 90s also saw a Latin-flavored dance craze that’s not just a #1 Pop Single, but also the #1 Most Cringe-Worthy Aspect of the whole decade! (Maybe even the entire 20th century!)

So which songs do we want to “Hold On” to, and which have reached the “End of the Road?" Be forewarned — just because these songs were #1 does NOT mean we will always love them.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts so more folks check out the show!

Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which includes purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

In the days before YouTube and Spotify, most people discovered new music through a little device called the radio, and tracking the popularity of hit songs was much simpler. Back in the 80s, Billboard determined which songs charted through sales of physical singles on cassette tapes or CDs, and of course, airplay on the radio — which is how singles by artists like Blondie and Prince became inescapable at that moment in time.

In this episode, your When We Were Young co-hosts take Billboard’s #1 charting pop single from every year of the 80s out for a spin — and the results are mixed! If “80s music” makes you think of Madonna, Billy Joel, Van Halen, or even A-ha, you’re not alone — but none of these popular artists actually dominated the charts in any given year of the decade. (Believe it or not, neither did the King of Pop himself!)

While some tracks, like 1983’s chart-topper “Every Breath You Take,” are no-brainers, there are a few head-scratchers in the mix, too. The 80s were surprisingly big on ditties about Oscar-winning divas and the gaits of ancient peoples. So put on your best aerobics attire and join us as we whisper carelessly about the #1 Pop Singles of the 1980s —the ones we still have plenty of “Faith” in, those we’re desperate to “Look Away” from, and everything in between.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts so more folks check out the show!

Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which includes purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

We’ve been afraid… been VERY afraid… for most of 2020. Now we’ve made it to the New Year - a time of change, of hope, of possibility. But if you’re considering mutating into a human-insect hybrid as your New Year’s resolution, may we suggest… not?

After chilling with John Carpenter’s barf bag classic The Thing in our previous episode, we’re buzzing about another horror maestro’s take on 50s sci-fi - David Cronenberg’s THE FLY remake (1986), starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis as a couple that meets cute, falls in love, and soon has a baby on the way - while daddy is sprouting coarse insect hairs, vomiting milky white acid, and losing his teeth and fingernails in the most graphic way possible. It’s not a good look!

We talk about how The Fly embraces its B-movie roots, while also elevating body horror to new heights of critical and commercial success (plus an Oscar for its all-too-convincing makeup effects). And we admit that, at the tail end of a most unusual year, we can relate to this mad scientist’s unease about becoming a slimy, shriveled hermit. So join us in kissing off 2020 the way it deserves - with exploding baboons, larvae babies, and displaced appendages. You’ll be disgusted… you’ll be VERY disgusted!

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts so more folks check out the show!

Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which includes purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

Is this a podcast, or is it merely pretending to be? It’s 2020, so we’re celebrating the holidays a little differently this year. We’ve swapped twitching tentacles for twinkling lights, exploding wolfdogs for red-nosed reindeer, lighting killer space beasts aflame for roasting chestnuts, and a creeping existential dread for jolly good cheer. Ho, ho, ho!

The 1980s saw a revival of 50s sci-fi B-movies, with notable remakes offering similarly bizarre chills and thrills with one major upgrade — some of the most stomach-churning special effects ever put to the screen. John Carpenter’s THE THING (1982) is a horror staple now, but it wasn’t so warmly received when it opened for audiences who had just fallen in love with Spielberg’s cuddly alien pal E.T., and Carpenter's career never fully recovered.

We discuss how late 20th century horror masters took the traditions of drive-in camp classics and made them their own with gross-out gore and cringey body horror, then hunker down and contend with The Thing in all its goopy, arm-chomping glory. Did Carpenter’s classic deserve to be left out in the cold? Or was it a masterpiece merely imitating a box office bomb? Zip up your parka, secure your blood bags, and prepare for a not-so-silent night, because this is one story of immaculate reproduction that isn’t so blessed.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts so more folks check out the show!

Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which includes purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

As if 2020 couldn't get any more dismal, we sat down to rewatch Darren Aronofsky's REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, a movie so depressing that many of its viewers refuse to ever watch it again. Released in the year 2000 to positive reviews and horrified audiences, Aronofsky's film about drug addiction and the depths people will go to get their fix still carries the reputation of being a traumatizing film-watching experience.

Is "Requiem" just as viscerally unnerving twenty years later? Join our discussion as we consider the appeal of disturbing cinema and share why Ellen Burstyn's performance as Sara Goldfarb is in a category all its own.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts so more folks check out the show!

Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which includes purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung