Episode 66 - BEETLEJUICE

Beetlejuice is an example of collaborative filmmaking at its finest, combining a wonderfully weird script, startling visual realizations of director Tim Burton's macabre vision, and virtuosic comedy from the likes of Catherine O'Hara and Michael Keaton. It's a shambling story that feels made up on the fly, but to fans--much like the outpouring of appreciation for the movie's perverse title character--the blemishes simply contribute to a greater overall charm.

Brian Rudloff returns to help us unfurl our freak flags as we examine a movie that looms large in early nightmares and latter-day nostalgia alike.

Beetlejuice (1988)
Directed by Tim Burton
Produced by Michael Bender, Richard Hashimoto, and Larry Wilson
Written by Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren
Starring Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Winona Ryder, Glenn Shadix, Sylvia Sidney, and Michael Keaton

Episode 65 - BASEKETBALL

For a film with modest ambitions, BASEketball proved to be quite prescient in two ways. First, it brutally mocked the greed, hypocrisy, and sanctimony of professional sports years before the blogosphere assumed that responsibility 24/7. And second, it boosted the signal (perhaps unintentionally) of Trey Parker and Matt Stone's humor, long before their controversial little cartoon evolved from a heavily-merchandised youth culture fad into a comedic institution.

South Park and sports aficionado Kevin Taylor joins us in this episode to talk about the populist message of BASEketball and how the subtly different wavelengths of its stars and its writer/director, David Zucker, contributed to the appeal of this oddball cult comedy.

BASEketball (1998)
Directed by David Zucker
Produced by Robert LoCash, Gil Netter, and David Zucker
Written by David Zucker, Robert LoCash, Lewis Friedman, and Jeff Wright
Starring Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Dian Bachar, Yasmine Bleeth, Jenny McCarthy, Robert Vaughn, Bob Costas, Al Michaels, and Ernest Borgnine

Episode 64 - THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT

A shrewd blend of the old and the new made The Blair Witch Project a polarizing phenomenon and a runaway box office hit in the summer of 1999. It was a nearly ancient story--naive young people get lost in the spooky woods--dressed up in a fresh (at the time) found footage approach, implying through its first-person perspective and savvy marketing that this time, the horror was real.

But are the gimmicks that turned Blair Witch into one of the most successful independent films of all time still as effective after so many imitators made its innovations seem trite and commonplace? We gird ourselves to experience the worst student film shoot ever and search for meaning in this infamous cinematic experiment.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez
Produced by Robin Cowie and Gregg Hale
Written by Jacob Cruse and Eduardo Sanchez
Starring Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard

Episode 63 - WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Willy Wonka is a character full of contradictions. He's both a famous recluse and a consummate showman, a whimsical dreamer and a cynical realist. Such an eccentric figure could only be played by a singular performer: Gene Wilder. His personality defines Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, animating Roald Dahl's classic fable with a twinkly-eyed melancholy perfect for the story of a poor little boy realizing his one chance to live out every child's fantasy.

Much like the famous confectioner he portrayed, Wilder became a pop culture icon to several generations of viewers, and his passing in August 2016 was deeply felt by fans around the world. Come join us in a world of pure imagination and help us pay homage to the incomparable Gene Wilder as we revisit his most indelible role.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Directed by Mel Stuart
Produced by David L. Wolper
Written by Roald Dahl and David Seltzer
Based on the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Starring Gene Wilder, Peter Ostrum, Julie Dawn Cole, Denise Nickerson, Paris Themmen, Michael Bollner, Aubrey Woods, Diana Sowle, and Jack Albertson

Episode 62 - AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY

The film that launched a million bad impressions, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery also deserves to be remembered as an inspired showcase of Mike Myers' comedic gifts. Kevin Taylor makes his WWWW debut as we discuss how the movie hits that adolescent sweet spot between silly and salacious.

Will this episode make you horny, baby? Gosh, we hope not. Will it remind you just how groovy Mike Myers can be? Yeah, baby!

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
Directed by Jay Roach
Produced by Jennifer Todd, Suzanne Todd, Demi Moore, and Mike Myers
Written by Mike Myers
Starring Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, Mindy Sterling, Will Ferrell, Tom Arnold, Carrie Fisher, Mimi Rogers, and Michael York

Episode 61 - HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS

It's not too much of a stretch to look at Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and see a sly portrait of the American nuclear family in crisis, fractured by the stresses of work, technology, and the pursuit of a mythical suburban ideal. In this light, the concept of a fantastical shrinking ray is a clever way to illustrate how the movie's young protagonists gain a different perspective on the importance of accepting others and getting along--a lesson in maturity that's earned without ever leaving the backyard.

We welcome Screen Invasion editor-in-chief Kristal Bailey to help us discuss how the film's micro-adventures inspired our own imaginations, as well as a couple of beloved theme park attractions. Plus: sympathy for aging dads, insect phobias, and a sidebar on paternity issues in Ghostbusters II. It's all part of this big episode about tiny people!

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
Directed by Joe Johnston
Produced by Penney Finkelman Cox
Written by Ed Naha and Tom Schulman
Starring Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, Kristine Sutherland, Amy O'Neill, Robert Oliveri, Thomas Wilson Brown, and Jared Rushton

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