There Can Be Only Fun!

On this episode of Time Bandits, we’ve got a triple feature!

In what would become a trend for Arnold Schwarzenegger, he released two films in the year 1990: Total Recall and Kindergarten Cop – a sci-fi action film and comedy, respectively. You’d think all three of our hosts could agree on these flicks, but you may be surprised! Listen in to hear their thoughts on the special effects extravaganza that is Total Recall, and if the kid-comedy-meets-cop-picture fusion of Kindergarten Cop holds up these days. Then, it’s time to pop in a cassette – but don’t hurt ’em! It’s MC Hammer’s smash hit Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em – and does this album hurt to listen to? We checked it out, and will tell you!

Joining us on our journey for his third appearance, is Gavin Fox (Orphan Black, Nikita, Murdoch Mysteries.)

On a very special episode the boys engage in a general discussion about the films of 1990 with special attention to one in particular: Gremlins 2:The New Batch. This anarchic sequel to Joe Dante’s holiday classic was a disappointment upon release – deemed to be more of a series of gags than a standalone movie by many critics. Some of us have loved it, and some of us are checking back in on the movie, so listen in to hear our thoughts on this Looney Tunes inspired comedic romp. But first, lots of movie talk, with a focus on the first half of 1990 – what do we think of Revenge? How about Madhouse? And don’t forget some alcohol, because we’ve got an official Time Bandits Drinking Game to go along with this episode!

Our guest this week is Beatriz Picardal-Lyons (although she doesn’t talk much).

This week on Time Bandits, we’re watching Heart Condition! It’s a woefully misguided buddy-comedy-ghost-fantasy-action-romance flick starring Denzel Washington and Bob Hoskins as a sleazy lawer and cop (respectively) – when the former passes away and the latter receives his heart through a transplant, Hoskins is followed around by Washington’s ghost who helps him avoid cheeseburgers and help solve his own murder. Convoluted, right? It’s also shockingly unfunny. Then, we listen to the seminal metal album Rust In Peace by Megadeth. Are our opinions of this record coloured by what was to come with the band, or will we mosh straight through this influential record? Headbanging along with us, is Antony East of The ’92 Blue Jays! Check them out on Bandcamp, right now!

It’s time for another trip through… time… as Greg and Dan go it alone this week, accidentally landing in 1996. Scared and alone, they wander into a video store and pick Roller Gator off the shelf – a no budget crap-fest that is literally one of the worst films they have ever had to watch. Hopefully you like inane acoustic guitar playing, because this movie’s soundtrack never stops playing! Then, they cleanse their ears by listening to one of the greatest albums of all time – Beck’s Odelay. You know that’s where it’s at.

This week we try to bring ourselves back from the brink of extreme boredom as we check out one of the most nineties thrillers ever made, Flatliners. Can Joel Schumacher pull this stacked cast and amazing conceit into something wholly worthwhile, or will the film itself flatline? Then we explore what Neil means to us all with Neil Young’s guitar-heroics-packed album Ragged Glory.

Our guests this week are filmmaker Ryan Stephenson Price and musician Robb Johannes of the Toronto band PAINT.

Uh oh! THE TIME MACHINE IS BROKEN AGAIN! This time, the Black Knight medallion has  sent us all the way back to 1985, where we eat weird giant live alien grubs with a weird live alien Lou Gossett Jr. in Enemy Mine. Did you know Wolfgang Peterson directed this right after The Neverending Story? Did you know that in the future, space glass will be super brittle? Did you know this movie really takes a dive in the final act? We’ll talk about all of that, plus a lot more. Then, we pretend to smoke some cigarettes in the dark (since Greg and Casey quit smoking years ago) and check out Tom Waits‘ near perfect 1985 album Rain Dogs. Get yer gravelly voices ready, because it’s another episode of Time Bandits!

This week on Time Bandits, we hop on Falkor and travel back in time – even if he’s not a time-travelling lucky dragon, we did it anyway – and get spooked by Patrick Swayze‘s shirt in the 1990 blockbuster romance-thriller-horror-comedy film Ghost. How does this financial juggernaut hold up? We find out! Then we listen to George Michael‘s album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. I without prejudice. A follow-up to the smash hit Faith, this album found George Michael pushing back against his pop-star persona, creating a dense and atmospheric record which deals directly with his struggles with fame. Is this record a hidden gem? You’ll have to listen in to hear our thoughts! All of this, plus our special guest Athena Maikantis-LeGros – Greg’s wonderful wife and past Time Bandits guest!

WHAT THE HOLY HELL IS HAPPENING!?

The time machine broke and sent us to 1982! Looks like we’ll just have to make the best (?) of a bad situation and watch The Beastmaster. Is Marc Singer really the heir to the Singer fortune? Just how many times has Greg watched this movie? Did Dan even make it through the whole thing? And what did Casey think? The answers are yours to hear, today! Then, while we’re here we might as well check out one of the best albums of all time, Elvis Costello and the Attractions‘ Imperial Bedroom. As three major Costello fans, there’s a lot to work through when discussing this topic – so get started by hitting that play button, stat!

This week we try to figure out the appeal of Andrew ‘Dice’ Clay when we check out The Adventures of Ford Fairlane. Then we defend the planet against GWAR‘s seminal album, The Scumdogs of the Universe. Our guest this week is returning favorite, Jeremy Schultz (Modern Superior’s DrinkAlong).

This week on Time Bandits, we face our fears and watch the incredibly entertaining Arachnophobia. Then, we check out Public Enemy‘s Fear of a Black Planet, where the only scary thing is just how amazing this album is. Our guest on the show this week, is Matthew Price (of Let’s Scare Matthew Price To Death and MAMO! podcasts).