Episode 177 - THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

I wish I could tell you that The Shawshank Redemption was the greatest movie ever made, and just leave it at that. I wish I could tell you that...but podcasting is no fairy-tale world. A theatrical disappointment that found a second life on TV and home video, the film has earned its classic status with great storytelling and disarming sentimentality in depicting hope's hard-fought battle against despair.

We hope you enjoy the mononymous Barm (aka Tyler Neufeld) in his WWWW debut. We hope our love and gratitude fill this special Shanksgiving episode. We hope you have many reasons to give shanks, too. We hope.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Written and directed by Frank Darabont
Produced by Niki Marvin
Based on the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
Starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows, and James Whitmore

Episode 124 - SISTER ACT 2: BACK IN THE HABIT

Comedy sequels rarely enjoy the longevity, let alone the renown, of their predecessors. Not so in the case of Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, an inspired follow-up that turns a fish-out-of-water tale into an underdog story with a funky fresh twist. Whoopi Goldberg puts on her inspirational teacher hat for the movie that courageously celebrates the true heroes of America's failing education system: show choirs.

Blythe Rudloff joins our mighty chorus to rap about the awesome power of musical performance. So if you want to be somebody and want to go somewhere, you gotta wake up and pay attention to this divine episode!

Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)
Directed by Bill Duke
Produced by Scott Rudin and Dawn Steel
Written by James Orr & Jim Cruickshank and Judi Ann Mason
Based on characters created by Paul Rudnick
Starring Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkenna, Mary Wickes, Lauryn Hill, Ryan Toby, Alanna Ubach, Barnard Hughes, Michael Jeter, Maggie Smith, and James Coburn

Episode 60 - FREE WILLY

A memorable title and a simple, sincere premise is all it takes to attain pop culture immortality. That's just one of the things we learned from Free Willy, which has endured as a compassionate snapshot of a troubled youth and a blueprint for preteen environmental activism.

Can a captive orca whale still capture your heart? We'll find out as we also discuss lenient foster parents, the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the fashion sense of '90s juvenile delinquents.

Free Willy (1993)
Directed by Simon Wincer
Produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend
Written by Keith A. Walker and Corey Blechman
Starring Jason James Richter, Michael Madsen, Jayne Atkinson, Lori Petty, August Schellenberg, Michael Ironside, Mykelti Williamson, and Keiko the Orca

Episode 30 - D2: THE MIGHTY DUCKS

Disney's Mighty Ducks franchise re-invented the moribund "ragtag youth sports" genre for the 1990s, sanding off the edges of the protean and profane Bad News Bears and kid-ifying the wild wooliness of adult entertainments like Slap Shot and Bull Durham.

But of the many lessons children learned from the most lovable peewee hockey team in Minnesota - believing in yourself, working hard, and being true to who you are - none of them could boast the incredible stakes introduced in the second film, which doused the series' inspirational fire with a can of jingoistic kerosene.

Just in time for the 4th of July, special guest Lindsay Marie Mead joins us to look back at how D2: The Mighty Ducks and Team USA imprinted our minds with formative images of national pride, ethnic and regional stereotypes, and amazing female goaltenders who only get to play for 30 seconds of an entire tournament.

D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994)
Directed by Sam Weisman
Produced by Jon Avnet and Jordan Kerner
Written by Steven Brill
Starring Emilio Estevez, Kathryn Erbe, Carsten Norgaard, Joshua Jackson, and Kenan Thompson