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 214 - JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS

Underneath its bubbly pop-punk tunes and girl power trappings, Josie and the Pussycats is a sly satire of conformity and commercialism that zips along with fun, campy energy. It also marks an inflection point in pop culture: a crowning burst of late '90s/Y2K frivolity with winking humor and a kickass soundtrack.

DuJour means friendship on this totally jerkin' episode, as we rock out retro-style with Kristal Bailey and celebrate an endearingly clever and creative adaptation.

Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
Written and Directed by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan
Based on the comic and the TV series Josie and the Pussycats created by Dan DeCarlo
Starring Rachael Leigh Cook, Rosario Dawson, Tara Reid, Alan Cumming, Parker Posey, Gabriel Mann, Missy Pyle, Paulo Costanzo, and Carson Daly

Episode 200 - PULP FICTION

Pulp Fiction is the film that changed the way we watched films. It was a gateway to a more sophisticated world of adult storytelling, and still reflects many of the reasons why we became cinephiles. Tastier than a Royale with Cheese, more precious than your great-grandfather's gold watch, it's our 200th episode special!

Pulp Fiction (1994)
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino
From a story by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary
Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken, Maria de Medeiros, and Quentin Tarantino

Episode 176 - SCREAM 2

Sequels suck! Or do they? That's just one pillar in the tantalizing metatextual framework of Scream 2, a sly, sneaky, savage whodunit that builds upon the foundation of its trope-savvy predecessor. The redux uses a wealth of suspenseful setpieces and hilariously knowing dialogue to create a fine-tuned cinematic ouroboros that's always several steps ahead of audience expectations.

Daren Sprawls inexplicably returns from our first encounter with the Woodsboro gang to discuss the commodification of horror violence, debate the relative merits of movie sequels, and go deep on another soundtrack of eclectic '90s tunes. 

Scream 2 (1997)
Directed by Wes Craven
Produced by Cathy Konrad and Marianne Maddalena
Written by Kevin Williamson
Starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Jerry O’Connell, Jamie Kennedy, Timothy Olyphant, Elise Neal, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jada Pinkett, Omar Epps, Liev Schreiber, and Laurie Metcalf

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 96 - SCREAM

What's your favorite serio-comic deconstruction of the horror genre? For many, there is no better answer than the prescient Scream series, which combined trendy self-awareness with old-school storytelling chops. The instantly iconic (and oddly bumbling) Ghostface villain not only breathed life back into slasher movies, but also inspired the trick-or-treating costumes of countless lazy teenagers for decades to come.

Daren Sprawls joins us in celebration of the Halloween season as we soak in the details of the classic bloody whodunit, and indulge in listing our favorite scary movies.

Scream (1996)
Directed by Wes Craven
Produced by Cathy Conrad and Cary Woods
Written by Kevin Williamson
Starring Neve Campbell, Drew Barrymore, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Rose McGowan, Jaime Kennedy, and Henry Winkler