Episode 232 - JACK

Our self-proclaimed Robin Williams Man-Child Quadrilogy concludes with a look at Jack, the story of a 10 year old boy trapped in the rapidly-aging body of a full grown adult. We try to make sense of the film's unusual tonal mosaic, which combines weighty topics like loneliness and mortality with family-friendly hijinks and juvenile humor, and mashes it all together like spaghetti and toothpaste. 

And in the end, we simply must acknowledge that our podcast life is fleeting - so make a wish, think of Robin, and join us as we try to make this episode spectacular.

Jack (1996)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Written by James DeMonaco and Gary Nadeau
Starring Robin Williams, Diane Lane, Brian Kerwin, Jennifer Lopez, Fran Drescher, Adam Zolotin, and Bill Cosby

Episode 217 - THE PHANTOM

The Summer of Serials comes to a rousing conclusion with The Phantom, in which a bemused beefcake is surrounded by campy and/or deadpan scene partners gobbling up the exotic scenery. This underrated swashbuckling adventure capped the '90s revival of pulp heroes, and also sowed the seeds of the truly global big-budget superhero productions that were yet to come.

Jake Beal helps us Slam Evil!™ as we unravel the mysteries of the Ghost Who Walks. Hang on to your skintight purple bodysuits, listeners, because this one is un-be-liev-ableeeeee!

The Phantom (1996)
Directed by Simon Wincer
Written by Jeffrey Boam
Based on characters created by Lee Falk
Starring Billy Zane, Treat Williams, Kristy Swanson, James Remar, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Patrick McGoohan

Episode 181 - TWISTER

How many roads must an estranged couple walk down before you can call them groundbreaking tornado researchers? The answer, my friends, is blowin' in the high-concept thrills of Twister, a kinetic upscaling of classic Hollywood disaster flicks that's constantly driving forward like an unstoppable force of nature.

We go storm chasing with our good friend, the inimitable Jake Beal, who shares his Midwestern roots and teaches us all the right strategies for appreciating the well-crafted bombast of a prototypical '90s blockbuster. It's the wonder of nature, baby!

Twister (1996)
Directed by Jan de Bont
Written by Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin
Starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Ruck, Jeremy Davies, Sean Whalen, Joey Slotnick, Todd Field, Scott Thomson, Wendle Josepher, Zach Grenier, and Lois Smith

Episode 171 - HAPPY GILMORE

The Summer of Sandler strokes back with the cross-training classic Happy Gilmore. It's a film that helped solidify the Sandman's reputation as a sophomoric softie with a predilection for helping little old ladies and a knack for getting humiliated by cameo-ing celebrities. And not only that, it might've turned a generation of slackers into weekend hackers, and helped transform golf culture as we know it.

Jim Gallivan joins us for his first round of WWWW as we tee up all our favorite lines, and find out if Happy's sense of humor is still up to par...jackass!

Happy Gilmore (1996)
Directed by Dennis Dugan
Produced by Robert Simonds
Written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler
Starring Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Frances Bay, Kevin Nealon, Allen Covert, Joe Flaherty, Richard Kiel, and Carl Weathers

Episode 163 - DUNSTON CHECKS IN

No monkey business is too silly for Dunston Checks In, a film that takes pride in the commitment and craft of its slapstick hijinks. It feels as familiar as any movie pairing kids with mischievous animal pals—in this case, a trained orangutan forced to help his handler rob the guests of a luxury hotel. Yet it also remains a quasi-parody of said formula, blowing raspberries at the more wholesome conventions of its genre.

We extend our hospitality to Ryan Kasmiskie, co-host of No One Can Know About This, who makes his WWWW debut to express his appreciation of the film's many unique amenities. Join the orangu-gang and enjoy this five-star episode!

Dunston Checks In (1996)
Directed by Ken Kwapis
Produced by Todd Black and Joe Wizan
Written by John Hopkins and Bruce Graham
Starring Jason Alexander, Rupert Everett, Paul Reubens, Eric Lloyd, Graham Sack, Glenn Shadix, Nathan Davis, and Faye Dunaway

Episode 141 - MATILDA

Precocious young viewers saw a bit of themselves in Matilda, a dark power fantasy for gifted kids that's softened with eccentric humor and a kind-hearted Mara Wilson performance. It's a movie that delights in the comeuppance of several crooked and cruel authority figures. But the one that really grabs us by our pigtails is Agatha Trunchbull, an iconic villain determined to make sure that you never look at chocolate cake the same way again.

Kevin Chu returns to send us on our way to the golden age of Roald Dahl adaptations. Remember to return your library books, and don't miss this (tele)kinetic episode!

Matilda (1996)
Directed by Danny DeVito
Produced by Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, and Lucy Dahl
Written by Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord
Based on Matilda by Roald Dahl
Starring Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Pam Ferris, Embeth Davidtz, Kiami Davael, Tracey Walter, and Paul Reubens

Episode 125 - KAZAAM

It’s Shaq-Fu, Diesel, the Big Aristotle

About time you let me out the bottle

To spit like the colossal genie apostle

And a five thousand-year-old role model

Your deadbeat criminal dad’s a disgrace

I like to invade his airspace with my bass

Make it rain burgers after winning a bike race

And slam your momma’s French toast into your face

Pay attention even if you ain’t superstitious

I’m about to grant these three podcast wishes:

An episode so vicious, delicious, and auspicious

I’m true djinn, boy, my style’s never repetitious

Get ready for the original Shaq-tober jam

Courtesy my best friends Eric and Cam

Shout it over the air and across the land

I am…Kazaam!

Kazaam (1996)
Directed by Paul Michael Glaser
Produced by Bob Engelman, Scott Kroopf, and Paul Michael Glaser
Written by Christian Ford and Roger Soffer
Starring Shaquille O'Neal, Francis Capra, Ally Walker, James Acheson, Marshall Manesh, and John Costelloe

Episode 120 - MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE

From its stylized audiovisual design to its embrace of digital espionage, Mission: Impossible is more than Tom Cruise's overwhelmingly successful play for summer blockbuster job security. It's also an edgy departure from the TV series on which it was based, and a moody outlier in the bombastic, adrenaline-junkie franchise it spawned.

As the latest installment of the M:I series hits theaters, we gather intel on the film that started it all, realizing the most impossible thing about these missions is that no two of them are exactly alike.

Mission: Impossible (1996)
Directed by Brian De Palma
Produced by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner
Written by David Koepp and Robert Towne
Based on the TV series Mission: Impossible created by Bruce Geller
Starring Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Vanessa Redgrave, Ving Rhames, Jean Reno, Henry Czerny, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Emilio Estevez

Episode 110 - STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT

It is futile to resist Star Trek: First Contact, one of the most crowd-pleasing adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Though we may still be 45 years away from our fictional date of first contact, the time is ripe to examine the movie's impact on the Star Trek franchise, and its continuing ripple effect on the legacy of the TNG crew.

It turns out we're not alone in this podcast universe, as we assimilate the hosts of Reopening the Wormhole--Sam Stovold, Jack Stovold, and Kev Young--to synthesize a new life form capable of unparalleled Trekspertise and whimsical sci-fi mashups.  Sweet Jesus, it's a massive crossover event!

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Directed by Jonathan Frakes
Produced by Rick Berman
Written by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore
Based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry
Starring Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Alice Krige, Alfre Woodard, and James Cromwell

"The Resistance is futile."
-Snokutus of Borg

Episode 96 - SCREAM

What's your favorite serio-comic deconstruction of the horror genre? For many, there is no better answer than the prescient Scream series, which combined trendy self-awareness with old-school storytelling chops. The instantly iconic (and oddly bumbling) Ghostface villain not only breathed life back into slasher movies, but also inspired the trick-or-treating costumes of countless lazy teenagers for decades to come.

Daren Sprawls joins us in celebration of the Halloween season as we soak in the details of the classic bloody whodunit, and indulge in listing our favorite scary movies.

Scream (1996)
Directed by Wes Craven
Produced by Cathy Conrad and Cary Woods
Written by Kevin Williamson
Starring Neve Campbell, Drew Barrymore, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Jaime Kennedy, and Henry Winkler

Episode 84 - STAR WARS: SHADOWS OF THE EMPIRE

Priming the public for the return of Star Wars in its special edition and prequel forms, George Lucas cranked up the old hype machine for Shadows of the Empire, an ambitious storytelling experience spread out across multiple media platforms. The project encapsulated all the promise and pitfalls of the creative potential embedded in the so-called "expanded universe," leaning heavily on the film trilogy's distinct atmosphere and iconography to peddle franchise arcana.

We depart from our typical format in this very special episode, as guest hosts Brian Rudloff and Sam Stovold help us divide and conquer a book, a graphic novel, a video game, and a soundtrack that (theoretically) combine to create a single Star Wars story.

Shadows of the Empire (1996)
Novel written by Steve Perry
Graphic novel written by John Wagner and illustrated by Kilian Plunkett
Video game produced by LucasArts and directed by Mark Haigh-Hutchinson
Soundtrack composed by Joel McNeely

A bonus panel of swoop gang leader Gizman aka 'Big Gizz' from the Shadows comic book:

Swoop! (There It Is)

Check out the rest of our series on the Star Wars saga:
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Episode IV: A New Hope
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

Solo: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Star Wars: Clone Wars
Star Wars Holiday Special
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure

Episode 68 - FIRST KID

What if the White House was home to a moody, impetuous, loud-mouthed brat who was simultaneously blind to his immense privilege and yet pitiable for his seeming inability to acknowledge his own glaring flaws?

It's difficult to imagine this situation ever being a real-life possibility, so thankfully we have the Sinbad vehicle First Kid to answer that question with heavy doses of improvised schtick and '90s middle school signifiers. Internet raconteur and one-man content aggregator Manny Lozano makes his WWWW debut to help scrutinize the film's subtle political messages and major sartorial missteps.

First Kid (1996)
Directed by David M. Evans
Produced by Roger Birnbaum
Written by Tim Kelleher
Starring Sinbad, Brock Pierce, Timothy Busfield, Robert Guillaume, Blake Boyd, Fawn Reed, Erin Williby, Zachery Ty Bryan, Art La Fleur, James Naughton, Lisa Eichhorn, and Sonny Bono

Episode 58 - INDEPENDENCE DAY

 

Best remembered for boot-strapping highlights like Bill Pullman's rousing speech or Will Smith's aggressive greeting of an alien visitor, Independence Day teaches us that only good old-fashioned American courage and ingenuity can take down an intergalactic threat.

Sure, the film also tries to be a gallery of character moments tied together by vague, warm feelings of human resilience and unity in times of great crisis. But what other country's head of state is going to strap into a fighter jet and feed those E.T.s a steady diet of air-to-air missiles?

For this special Fourth of July episode, we welcome two real patriots--Brian Rudloff and Daren Sprawls--to debate the merits of ID4, from the appearance of its extraterrestrials and the dimensionality of its cast, to its tempered version of blockbuster machismo and its entertainment value relative to Mars Attacks!

Independence Day (1996)
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Produced by Dean Devlin
Written by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin
Starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox, Randy Quaid, Margaret Colin, Mary McDonnell, Robert Loggia, James Rebhorn, and Brent Spiner

Episode 40 - MICHAEL JACKSON'S THRILLER and MICHAEL JACKSON'S GHOSTS

Just in time for Mischief Night, it's a bonus double feature episode starring the celebrity who best embodies the season's brew of impish glee and creeping anxiety: Michael Jackson.

The King of Pop's iconic Thriller set a new standard for the music video, taking a serious approach to its scary subject matter with a noted horror director (John Landis) and a legendary makeup artist (Rick Baker).  Years later, Jackson tried to capture that magic again with the lavish, bombastic Ghosts, this time invoking the personal boogeymen who criticized his eccentric lifestyle.

Do we think MJ's Halloween offerings are tricks or treats?  Find out in our 2015 Halloween Special!

Michael Jackson's Thriller (1983)

Directed by John Landis

Written by John Landis and Michael Jackson

Starring Michael Jackson, Ola Ray, and Vincent Price

Michael Jackson's Ghosts (1996)

Directed by Stan Winston

Screenplay by Stan Winston and Mick Garris

Concept by Michael Jackson and Stephen King

Starring Michael Jackson

Episode 21 - SPACE JAM

"The customer is always right. The. Customer. Is. Always. Right... ALWAYS." This is the philosophy advocated by antagonist Mr. Swackhammer, as he mugs for the camera, within the first few minutes of Space Jam. His evil plan will consist of exploiting both the Looney Tunes and basketball legend Michael Jordan to be made attractions for his intergalactic amusement park, Moron Mountain. Are the filmmakers openly acknowledging the fact that Space Jam is ultimately an extended plug for Bugs Bunny, "His Airness," and its own merchandise? Were we the morons back in 1996?

Daren Sprawls, creator of our infectious theme song, finally joins us on the podcast to answer that question, dissecting our conflicting feelings of alienation from such a blatant commercial maneuver and unabashed nostalgia for the very things the movie advertised, namely that stellar soundtrack. Speaking of which, Daren tops it all off by treating us to a slam-dunk cover of R. Kelly's classic hit, "I Believe I Can Fly."

Welcome to the Jam. 

Space Jam (1996)

Directed by Joe Pytka

Produced by Ivan Reitman, Joe Medjuck, Daniel Goldberg

Written by Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris, Herschel Weingrod

Starring Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight, Bill Murray, Billy West, Dee Bradley Baker, Bob Bergen, Bill Farmer, Maurice LaMarche, June Foray, Kath Soucie, and Danny DeVito

Episode 16 - HARRIET THE SPY

Step into the baggy work pants of Harriet M. Welsch circa 6th grade and you’ll notice that your cozy, familiar world is transforming.  Everything seems more complicated and more fraught with expectation.  You’re breaking taboos you didn’t know existed simply by inching over the amorphous, invisible line that separates childhood from adulthood.  (Hint: most people won't react well when they learn that you record all their dirt in your diary.)

Harriet the Spy’s charm comes from its liberal sprinkling of ‘90s ephemera across a sturdy coming-of-age narrative born in the ‘60s, though these days Harriet’s tech-free lifestyle feels just as quaint as its optimistically orderly urban setting.  But even if city kids grow up faster than others, the point remains that they eventually realize they're part of a bigger picture and have to cope with it somehow.  In this episode, we navigate the pitfalls of preadolescence along with special guest Blythe Wolber, and come to understand what it's like to walk a mile in someone else's Dickies.

Harriet the Spy (1996)
Directed by Bronwen Hughes
Produced by Marykay Powell
Written by Douglas Petrie and Theresa Rebeck
Based on the book Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Starring Michelle Trachtenberg, Gregory Smith, Vanessa Lee Chester, J. Smith-Cameron, Robert Joy, and Rosie O'Donnell

Episode 14 - JINGLE ALL THE WAY

Not your typical heartwarming holiday tale, Jingle All the Way is an alternative Christmas classic that pokes fun at that most sacred value of the season: materialism.  Surprisingly cynical for a family film, it’s a skewering of crass consumer culture (thanks to an uncredited rewrite by Home Alone director Chris Columbus) that includes bomb threats, brawling Santas, and a suburban lothario played by the late, great Phil Hartman.  The bug-eyed, grunt-y performance of Arnold Schwarzenegger as a harried dad who’ll do anything to nab the perfect gift for his son is simply icing on the cake.

Jingle All the Way (1996)

Directed by Brian Levant

Produced by Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan, and Mark Radcliffe

Written by Randy Kornfield

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Rita Wilson, Jake Lloyd, Jim Belushi, and Phil Hartman