Episode 115 - WILLOW

As Solo: A Star Wars Story swaggers into theaters, we turn our attention to the O.G. collaboration between Ron Howard and Lucasfilm: the epic fantasy Willow, a movie that leans hard into genre traditions while attempting to make children simultaneously giggle with delight and soil their pants in terror. Just your garden-variety '80s family film operating within a far more permissive ratings board culture.

Sean Davis, co-host of the After the Credits podcast, was there to experience the magic at the beginning, and shares his memories with us during the glorious conclusion of Not Quite Star Wars Month. Listen in to learn how Willow blends practical wizardry and cutting-edge technology, and how it serves a story that is by turns emotionally resonant, staunchly conventional, and wildly silly.

Willow (1988)
Directed by Ron Howard
Produced by George Lucas, Nigel Wooll, and Joe Johnston
Written by Bob Dolman
Story by George Lucas
Starring Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, Patricia Hayes, Kevin Pollak, Rick Overton, Gavan O'Herlihy, Pat Roach, and Billy Barty

Episode 114 - LOST IN SPACE

Not Quite Star Wars Month rolls on with Lost In Space, a confused jumble of galactic adventure, toxic masculinity, familial angst, and iffy CGI. Following the blueprint of so many kitschy TV-to-film adaptations, it inflates a very basic premise with an abundance of attitude, and we have trouble agreeing whether it's escapist fun or just a fresh coat of paint on a clunker.

Lieography podcast co-host John Parton joins our crew to chat about everything from Matt LeBlanc action figures to Looney Tunes-inspired distress signals. Danger, Will Robinson: it's another smashing WWWW debut!

Lost In Space (1998)
Directed by Stephen Hopkins
Produced by Carla Fry, Akiva Goldsman, Stephen Hopkins, and Mark Koch
Written by Akiva Goldsman
Based on Lost In Space created by Irwin Allen
Starring John Hurt, Mimi Rogers, Matt LeBlanc, Heather Graham, Lacey Chabert, Jack Johnson, Dick Tufeld, Jared Harris, and Gary Oldman

Episode 113 - SPACEBALLS

To celebrate May the Fourth (as well as the impending debut of a film about the solo adventures of a certain space rogue) your intrepid podcast hosts are proud to present Not Quite Star Wars Month! We get things rolling with Spaceballs, Mel Brooks's quotable spoof of sci-fi sagas. Kristal Bailey and Kevin Taylor drop by to share their thoughts on our favorite Rick Moranis performances, Lone Starr's "glow up," and the conspicuous amount of profanity in this PG-rated film.

Prepare your earbuds for ludicrous speed, and may the Force...er, may the Schwartz be with you!

Spaceballs (1987)
Directed and produced by Mel Brooks
Written by Mel Brooks, Thomas Meehan, and Ronny Graham
Starring Rick Moranis, John Candy, Joan Rivers, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, George Wyner, Dick Van Patten, and Mel Brooks

Episode 112 - TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II: THE SECRET OF THE BOOZE

A beloved childhood film meets a favorite adult pastime as we celebrate Cam's birthday with a very special commentary track/drinking game hybrid episode. Dust off your copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, as we offer two ways to enjoy it with us: listen along to our real-time observations about the movie and the Turtles phenomenon, and/or go ninja go ninja go hard with our original TMNT II drinking game. It's a bodacious birthday bacchanal!

Drinking Game Rules
Take a drink when...

• someone eats pizza
• "ooze" is seen or heard
• the Turtles demonstrate their personalities: Leonardo leads, Donatello "does machines" (acts like a nerd), Raphael is rude, Michelangelo is a party dude
• someone makes a pop culture reference

Chug your drink when...

• Vanilla Ice appears

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991)
Directed by Michael Pressman
Produced by Thomas K. Gray, Kim Dawson, and David Chan
Written by Todd W. Langen
Based on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird
Starring David Warner, Paige Turco, Ernie Reyes Jr., Francois Chau, Toshishiro Obata, Kevin Nash, Adam Carl, Laurie Faso, Robbie Rist, Brian Tochi, Kevin Clash, Frank Welker, and Vanilla Ice

Cowabunga! Check out more of our TMNT tributes:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Raph Punk

Episode 111 - DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR?

The stoner-friendly antics of Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott hit a definitive high when they combined forces in Dude, Where's My Car?, a meandering ode to a new generation of laid-back slacker bros. And much like the actual adventures of unambitious twenty-somethings, the movie combines a zest for frivolous fun with comedic instincts that, shall we say, lean toward the questionable.

Join us as we blaze through this totally dank episode--released entirely by coincidence on April 20--to answer two very nuanced questions: "Dude, what were we watching?" and "What were we watching, dude?"

Dude, Where's My Car? (2000)
Directed by Danny Leiner
Produced by Gil Netter, Broderick Johnson, Andrew Kosove, and Wayne Rice
Written by Philip Stark
Starring Ashton Kutcher, Seann William Scott, Jennifer Garner, Marla Sokoloff, Kristy Swanson, Charlie O'Connell, David Herman, Hal Sparks, Brent Spiner, and Andy Dick

Episode 110 - STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT

It is futile to resist Star Trek: First Contact, one of the most crowd-pleasing adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Though we may still be 45 years away from our fictional date of first contact, the time is ripe to examine the movie's impact on the Star Trek franchise, and its continuing ripple effect on the legacy of the TNG crew.

It turns out we're not alone in this podcast universe, as we assimilate the hosts of Reopening the Wormhole--Sam Stovold, Jack Stovold, and Kev Young--to synthesize a new life form capable of unparalleled Trekspertise and whimsical sci-fi mashups.  Sweet Jesus, it's a massive crossover event!

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Directed by Jonathan Frakes
Produced by Rick Berman
Written by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore
Based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry
Starring Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Alice Krige, Alfre Woodard, and James Cromwell

"The Resistance is futile."
-Snokutus of Borg

Episode 109 - THE MATRIX

The Matrix is a movie all about different kinds of awakenings, destined to trigger imaginations with its effective mix of heady themes, classic drama, and stylized action. Its groundbreaking visuals and mind-bending flourishes set the tone for a decade of blockbuster cinema, and its depiction of a human society tranquilized by technology still resonates today.

Special guest Andrew McNally joins the show to upload some especially fascinating insights on politics, philosophy, and Laurence Fishburne's dusty head. Come along as we finally awaken from our embryonic state of blindness, and find out how deep this rabbit hole goes.

The Matrix (1999)
Written and directed by the Wachowskis
Produced by Joel Silver
Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Gloria Foster, and Hugo Weaving

Follow the white rabbit to our Matrix content:
The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Animatrix
The Matrix Revolutions