Episode 173 - THE LITTLE RASCALS

Kids say the darndest things...when they're not acting out an adorable and sometimes unsettling microcosm of the adult world. That's what we see in The Little Rascals, a modernized take on the scrappy Our Gang serials that relocates the antics of unsupervised moppets to the suburbs of the late 20th century. It also happens to be a lesson on maturity, inclusion, and gender equity pitched at a kindergarten reading level.

Ariel Quist Sprawls helps us explore how a Depression-era staple made a lasting impact on a generation of '90s kids, and challenged us to recognize the necessity of personal growth and societal change. The struggle is real, but you don't have to worry: Everything's gonna be oh-tay.

The Little Rascals (1994)
Directed by Penelope Spheeris
Produced by Michael King and Bill Oakes
Written by Paul Guay, Stephen Mazur, and Penelope Spheeris
Based on Our Gang created by Hal Roach
Starring Travis Tedford, Bug Hall, Brittany Ashton Holmes, Kevin Jamal Woods, Ross Bagley, Zachary Mabry, Blake McIver Ewing, and Petey the Dog

Episode 93 - KINDERGARTEN COP

After almost three decades, Kindergarten Cop still represents an aspirational standard for the thespian trapped in a cycle of typecasting: Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the crest of his rough-and-ready muscleman trajectory, poking fun at his brawny persona and spinning it into comedy gold. Real-life educators Daren Sprawls and Ariel Quist Sprawls help us rate the movie's classroom verisimilitude and celebrate its tremendous quotability, evident in its contributions to a classic prank call soundboard.

How do six-year-olds stack up against a former Mr. Universe? Why are so many family classics filmed in Astoria, Oregon? Who is your daddy, and what does he do? Find the answers to these questions and much more in this special back-to-school episode!

Kindergarten Cop (1990)
Directed by Ivan Reitman
Produced by Ivan Reitman and Brian Grazer
Written by Murray Salem and Herschel Weingrod & Timothy Harris
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pamela Reed, Penelope Ann Miller, Richard Tyson, Carroll Baker, Christian Cousins, Joseph Cousins, and Linda Hunt