Episode 247 - PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

Transportation travails are just the tip of the emotional iceberg in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, a classic two-hander that reveals new layers to its heroes with each misadventure. Find out how a homecoming fable gives us all the feels--and artfully unloads all its f-bombs--in this heartwarming Thanksgiving episode!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
Written and directed by John Hughes
Starring Steve Martin and John Candy

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 71 - FLUBBER

The '90s were halcyon days for the movie star, so it was no surprise that Disney had confidence in Robin Williams to breathe new life into one of its more dated midcentury comedies. The name-above-the-title clout was paired with cutting-edge visual effects and enough marketing muscle to indoctrinate young minds with images of mambo-ing green homunculi.

So why is this John Hughes-scripted movie often relegated to the bench of Williams' filmography? Where are all the Professor Brainard cosplayers at Disneyland? Wither Flubber? We answer that last question with a "hopefully not" as we pick apart this sentimental science fair of slapstick.

Flubber (1997)
Directed by Les Mayfield
Produced by John Hughes and Ricardo Mestres
Written by John Hughes
Original screenplay The Absent-Minded Professor by Bill Walsh
Based on "A Situation of Gravity" by Samuel W. Taylor
Starring Robin Williams, Marcia Gay Harden, Christopher McDonald, Raymond J. Barry, Ted Levine, Clancy Brown, Wil Wheaton, and Jodi Benson