Episode 242 - PREDATOR

For the next few months, WWWW is investigating phenomena of extraterrestrial origin in our newest seasonal series: "Summer...from Space!" We kick things off with Predator, a meat-and-potatoes sci-fi action classic that indulges in '80s movie machismo before transforming into a primal struggle for survival against an alien warrior.

Daniel Borders-Ashe joins us in a manly bicep-flexing handshake as we peer into a jungle of chauvinism to find genre innovation, enduring creature design, and the source of many Arnold soundboard classics.

Run! Go! Get to the podcatcher...and listen to this explosive episode!

Predator (1987)
Directed by John McTiernan
Written by Jim Thomas and John Thomas
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham, Richard Chaves, Shane Black, Elpidia Carilllo, and Kevin Peter Hall

Episode 187 - TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY

Like a robot foot crushing the skull of an obsolete lifeform, Terminator 2: Judgment Day demolishes the mold of blockbuster sequels. It's a sleek, sexy upgrade jam-packed with iconic imagery, pitch-perfect performances, and groundbreaking special effects. An impressive achievement in every way, it set a standard for action dramas--not to mention gun-toting mama bears and cyborg father figures--that's endured for three decades.

Daniel Borders-Ashe joins us to talk about all things Terminator, and takes us on an emotional thrill ride that'll melt even the coldest metallic heart. So say "Hasta la vista" to your preconceptions, and 'cast with us if you want to live!

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Directed by James Cameron
Written by James Cameron and William Wisher
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Joe Morton, and Edward Furlong

Episode 129 - BATMAN & ROBIN

Forever frozen in time as an aggressive expression of comic book camp, Batman & Robin had a chilling effect on the entire superhero genre: its icy reception did much to precipitate our current cinematic reality. And while our culture has buried the movie in an avalanche of snark, consider this podcast our modest attempt to bring it in from the cold.

That chill dude, Gensho Tasaka, joins us once again as the Robin Round Robin enters round two with the toyetic tour de force that is Batman & Robin. 

Batman & Robin (1997)
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Produced by Peter MacGregor-Scott
Written by Akiva Goldsman
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Elle Macpherson, and Robert "Jeep" Swenson

Check out all current episodes in our Batman series:
Batman
Batman Returns
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Batman Forever
Batman & Robin

Episode 123 - LAST ACTION HERO

Last Action Hero had the misfortune of releasing a mere week after the hottest movie of 1993: “Big mistake!” As Jurassic Park signaled the dawn of a new age of special effects-driven spectacle, audiences understandably approached this uneven send-up of tired tropes with caution. When the trifecta of '80s action legends Arnold Schwarzenegger, Shane Black, and John McTiernan struggles to pump up your enthusiasm, you know it’s truly the end of an era.

So how does the film stand up today? Will it be remembered as a prescient example of the meta deconstruction that now permeates pop culture? Does it succeed as a pastiche of Arnie's on-screen persona? Grab your magical movie ticket and step into this episode with us to find out!

Last Action Hero (1993)
Directed by John McTiernan
Produced by John McTiernan and Steve Roth
Written by Shane Black and David Arnott
Story by Zak Penn and Adam Leff
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austin O'Brien, Charles Dance, Robert Prosky, Tom Noonan, Bridgette Wilson, F. Murray Abraham, Anthony Quinn, Mercedes Ruehl, Frank McRae, and Art Carney

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

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