Episode 220 - GREMLINS / GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH

It's time for another Thanksgiving twin bill, and this year we're getting gluttonous with Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch. We're celebrating the sensibility of Joe Dante as he and his collaborators hurl a hearty 'nyah-nyah' at cherished American institutions from Christmas to capitalism.

Nate Tapp lifts up our holiday spirits in our anything-goes appreciation of these chaotic, cartoony classics. This is G1 and G2, people!

Gremlins (1984)
Directed by Joe Dante
Written by Chris Columbus
Starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Frances Lee McCain, Polly Holliday, Dick Miller, Glynn Turman, Judge Reinhold, Corey Feldman, and Howie Mandel as the voice of Gizmo

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Directed by Joe Dante
Written by Charlie Haas
Starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, John Glover, Robert Picardo, Robert Prosky, Haviland Morris, Dick Miller, Gedde Watanabe, and Christopher Lee with Howie Mandel as the voice of Gizmo and Tony Randall as the voice of the Brain Gremlin

Key and Peele - "Gremlins 2" Brainstorm

 

Episode 132 - HOME ALONE / HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK

The first two Home Alone movies didn't just give us ideas for inflicting pain and suffering upon hapless burglars. They affirmed the importance of familial bonds, turned Macaulay Culkin into a prepubescent celebrity icon, and sold kids a dream of heroic self-sufficiency via jury-rigged deathtraps and handheld voice changers. More than just a slapstick romp, Home Alone has blossomed into an essential holiday tradition.

Join us for a yuletide double feature as we thoroughly unpack the McAllister mythos, from its homespun John Hughes-ian roots to its emergence as an unstoppable--and unchanging--comedic force. Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals! (And a happy new year!)

Home Alone (1990)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Written and produced by John Hughes
Starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara, John Heard, Roberts Blossom, and John Candy

Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Written and produced by John Hughes
Starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara, John Heard, Tim Curry, Dana Ivey, Rob Schneider, Eddie Bracken, and Brenda Fricker

Episode 131 - MRS. DOUBTFIRE

Robin Williams spends the bulk of Mrs. Doubtfire demonstrating the many acting talents from his own résumé as his character vies to retain custody of his children in the guise of an elderly female housekeeper. The perfect vehicle for a beloved entertainer with a deep well of voices and slapstick chops, this poignant divorce dramedy sees the comedian don matronly movie makeup to prove his paternal prowess and remind us why he felt like a filmic father figure to a generation.

In keeping with the theme of family, we welcome our first guest appearance from a sibling! Eric's sister, Amy Ambler, joins us to bring the fourth and final round of our Robin Round Robin full circle with another Williams classic. He's the true champion in the eyes of these nostalgic podcasters, but we invite dissenting opinions! If Mrs. Doubtfire teaches us anything, it's that people can have their differences and keep their distance... and that's okay.

Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Produced by Marsha Garces Williams, Robin Williams, and Mark Radcliffe
Written by Randi Mayem Singer and Leslie Dixon
Based on Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine
Starring Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein, Robert Prosky, Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence, and Mara Wilson

Episode 69 - HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE

School is most assuredly in session during Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, a film tasked with translating a massive publishing phenomenon to the screen while conveying the franchise's emphasis on fantastical world-building and staunchly humanist themes. It's a whirlwind of new information that only scratches the surface of what's to come.

Professed Potter-head Kristal Bailey joins us to describe the thrill of seeing Hogwarts for the first time, and helps us determine if repeat viewings of this exposition-heavy introduction feel more like remedial education.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Produced by David Heyman
Written by Steve Kloves
Based on the novel by J.K. Rowling
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Ian Hart, and Richard Harris