Weekly Movie Throwdown

Stories From the Gridiron Month finally wraps up this week with a spoiler-heavy discussion about HIM, the new football horror film from director Justin Tipping, starring Tyriq Withers and Marlon Wayans. This story of sacrifice and determination examines just how far its stars are willing to go to become the greatest of all time. Its reviews are like a hit from a 250-pound lineman, but did Mike and Steven like it any better? Listen and find out.
IN THE NEWS THIS WEEK:

• Changes at Hulu
• Apple decides to shelf Jessica Chastain's The Savant.

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WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!
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Stories From the Gridiron Month rolls on this week with a real doozy of a film. Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday from 1999 is a highly stylized story of a pro football team struggling to come together. Told in the director's everything-is-combat tone, it's an assault on the senses that is a lot of fun to discuss.
In the news segment:

• Is a Rambo prequel coming?
• Robert Redford

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STILL TO COME ON STORIES OF THE GRIDIRON MONTH:
Him (2025, dir. Justin Tipping)
On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.____________________
WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!Please drop us a line at [email protected], and follow us on social media:
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This week on the show, it's a Rewatch & Reconsider episode, where Mike and Steven revisit a film that is generally considered a clunker, and re-evaluate it to see if it's still bad or if it got better with time. This time around the guys are watching Wildcats, the Goldie Hawn-starring high school football film from 1986. With the first on-screen appearance of Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson, and an early rap from LL Cool J, Wildcats is very much of an era. Is it worth a watch in 2025? Check out the episode to find out!
In the news segment:

• Paramount/Skydance Looking to Acquire Warner Bros.
• Angel Studios IPO

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STILL TO COME ON STORIES OF THE GRIDIRON MONTH:
Any Given Sunday (1999, dir. Oliver Stone)Him (2025, dir. Justin Tipping)
On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.____________________
WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!Please drop us a line at [email protected], and follow us on social media:
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviethrowdown/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moviethrowdownpod/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@moviethrowdownpodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moviethrowdownpodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/moviethrowdownpod/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieThrowdownPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stories From the Gridiron Month 🏈 continues this week with 2000's The Replacements, directed by Howard Deutch. Mike and Steven called an audible this week, replacing John Frankenheimer's terror-at-the-Super-Bowl thriller Black Sunday with this bit of lighter fare. It's a familiar story of a rag-tag group of talented players, assembled from different walks of life, to come together and grow as a team—led by quarterback Keanu Reeves. The guys dig into the history of the NFL strike on which the film is based, where this falls in the filmography of Gene Hackman and Reeves, plus much more.
In the news segment:

• AI and Orson Welles
• Graham Greene

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STILL TO COME ON STORIES OF THE GRIDIRON MONTH:
Wildcats (1986, dir. Michael Ritchie)Any Given Sunday (1999, dir. Oliver Stone)Him (2025, dir. Justin Tipping)
On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.____________________
WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!Please drop us a line at [email protected], and follow us on social media:
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviethrowdown/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moviethrowdownpod/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@moviethrowdownpodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moviethrowdownpodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/moviethrowdownpod/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieThrowdownPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Mike and Steven kick off Stories of the Gridiron Month (see what we did there?) with 1993's The Program. This film, directed by David S. Ward, is one of only a few that turns its lens to college football instead of the pros, and shines a light on the pressure the student-players and coaches feel to succeed. The guys discuss the crazy actions these young men take, James Caan's acting, the film's controversial traffic scene, and a whole lot more. You'll want to listen all the way to the end!
In the news segment:

• The Amazon Digital Ownership Lawsuit
• A Knight Rider Reboot

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STILL TO COME ON STORIES OF THE GRIDIRON MONTH:
Black Sunday (1977, dir. John Frankenheimer)Rewatch & Reconsider (title TBD)Any Given Sunday (1999, dir. Oliver Stone)Him (2025, dir. Justin Tipping)
On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.____________________
WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!Please drop us a line at [email protected], and follow us on social media:
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviethrowdown/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moviethrowdownpod/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@moviethrowdownpodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moviethrowdownpodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/moviethrowdownpod/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieThrowdownPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast, Mike and Steven close out Physical Media Appreciation Month with a deep dive into John Landis’s horror classic An American Werewolf in London (1981). They're joined by horror aficionado and friend of the show, Andy Remondino, for a fun and detailed discussion on the film’s legacy and practical effects mastery.
Points of discussion:

• John Landis’s long journey to bring An American Werewolf in London to the screen
• Rick Baker’s groundbreaking werewolf transformation effects
• The film’s themes of alienation and its outsider allegory
• Why 1981 became the definitive "Year of the Werewolf" in horror cinema
• Plus cultural impact, and more!

In the news segment:Terrence StampThe Cat in the Hat Joe Caroff
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On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.____________________
WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!
Please drop us a line at [email protected], and follow us on social media:
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This week, we continue Physical Media Appreciation Month with a real mind-bender of a film. Christopher Nolan's Memento from 2000 is an exercise in manipulation, identity, and the reliability of memory. Told both forward and backward, it's a head-scratcher that you'll want to watch again and again. Mike and Steven each watched it on their own DVD and Blu-ray editions, which provided for two very interesting and unique experiences.
And in the news segment this week:
What's up with Dakota Fanning's new film, Vicious?Warner Bros. is having quite a good year with the success of things like Sinners, F1, and Weapons.____________________
On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.____________________
WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!
Please drop us a line at [email protected], and follow us on social media:
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviethrowdown/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moviethrowdownpod/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@moviethrowdownpodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moviethrowdownpodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/moviethrowdownpod/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieThrowdownPodWebsite: https://moviethrowdownpod.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Physical Media Appreciation Month kicks off this week with Sorcerer from 1977. This forgotten masterpiece from Exorcist director William Friedkin is newly available as an excellent 4K release through The Criterion Collection, filled with killer special features. In this episode Mike and Steven look at the film's storied production, its poor theatrical reception, and the newfound appreciation film buffs have found for it. This is a fun and detailed conversation that you won't want to miss.
And in the news segment this week:

• The future of Hulu
• Paramount buys High Side, the new project from director James Mangold and Timothée Chalamet.

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On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.____________________
WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!Please drop us a line at [email protected], and follow us on social media:
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviethrowdown/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moviethrowdownpod/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@moviethrowdownpodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moviethrowdownpodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/moviethrowdownpod/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieThrowdownPodWebsite: https://moviethrowdownpod.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast, Mike and Steven wrap up Stories of Summer month with a deep dive into Spike Lee’s 1994 coming-of-age classic, Crooklyn. Set in 1970s Brooklyn and co-written by Spike Lee, his sister Joie, and brother Cinqué, this heartfelt film offers an intimate, stylized portrait of a Black family navigating life, love, and loss during one unforgettable summer. The guys have a lot to say about Lee as a director, how this film fits into his filmography, the impact of that tough ending, and much more.
In the news segment:

• Jamie Lee Curtis to reboot Murder, She Wrote
• Tim Burton and Margot Robbie collaborate on a remake of Attack of the 50-Foot Woman

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NEXT WEEK ON PHYSICAL MEDIA APPRECIATION MONTH:
Memento (2000, Dir. Christopher Nolan)
On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.____________________
WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!Please drop us a line at [email protected], and follow us on social media:
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviethrowdown/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moviethrowdownpod/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@moviethrowdownpodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moviethrowdownpodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/moviethrowdownpod/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show, Stories of Summer Month continues, as Mike and Steven explore the 2023 comedy Theater Camp, directed by Nick Lieberman and Molly Gordon. Tune in as they break down the film’s hilarious improvised dialogue, its clever mockumentary style, and the emotional depth that gives Theater Camp its big heart. Plus, they discuss what they watched over the past week, including One Crazy Summer, Superman, and Eddington.
And in the news segment this week:

• The Night Manager returns
• Judge Dredd also returns, this time with Taika Waititi at the helm.

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STILL TO COME DURING STORIES OF SUMMER MONTH7/28: Crooklyn (1994) Dir. Spike Lee
On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.____________________
WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!Please drop us a line at [email protected], and follow us on social media:
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviethrowdown/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moviethrowdownpod/Threads: https://www.threads.net/@moviethrowdownpodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moviethrowdownpodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/moviethrowdownpod/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.