A man turns his farm into a baseball diamond inhabited by the ghosts of disgraced ballplayers in what might be the most boomer dad film ever made. Starring Kevin Costner, Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones, Amy Madigan, Burt Lancaster, and Timothy Busfield. Written and directed by Phil Alden Robinson.
Sidney is a washed-up playwrite; Myra is his rich and sickly wife; Clifford is his younger lover and protégé. Let's just say they're not a happy trouple in this comedy-thriller adapted from the long-running stage play. Starring Michael Caine, Dyan Cannon, and Christopher Reeve. Written by Ira Levin and Jay Presson Allen. Directed by Sidney Lumet.
My computer died, so you get a rant instead.
Four directors remake several classic Twilight Zone episodes, as well adding as their own material. Does it work? Do anthology films work? Can this movie escape the tragedy that occured during production? Is this a movie, or just tv on a big screen? Starring Dan Ackroyd, Albert Brooks, Vic Morrow, Scatman Crothers, Kathleen Quinlan, and John Lithgow. Oh, and Dick Miller. Directed by John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, and George Miller. Written by John Landis, Richard Matheson, Melissa Mat...
Aliens crash-land in the American southwest, and it's a race between NASA and the CIA over whether the truth is ever exposed. Also, it's a race between my attention and my eyelids--this is an incredibly soporific film. Starring Darren McGavin, Robert Vaughn, Gary Collins, James Hampton and Pamela Bellwood. Written by Thomas C. Chapman and James L. Conway. Directed by James L. Conway
A young blacksmith joins King Arthur's court and hopes to win the hand of the fair Linet, but first he must defeat Vikings, Druids, the villainous Sir Palamedies, King Mark, and a very burly guy in a turban. If it didn't feature brownface and a far-too-old Alan Ladd in the title role, it might have been a pretty good movie. Starring Alan Ladd, Patricia Medina, Peter Cushing, Patrick Troughton, Anthony Bushell, and Harry Andrews. Directed by Tay Garnett. Written by Alec Coppel, Bryan Forbes, and ...
It's the end of the world as we know it, and the living envy the dead. The threads of civilization are destroyed in a nuclear war, and Britain is thrust into a new dark age. And we don't even get to have any of the fun stuff like barbarians on motorcycles. Starring Karen Meagher, Reece Dinsdale, Steve Halliwell, and Jane Hazelgrove. Written by Barry Hines. Directed by Mick Jackson.
A manicurist from The Valley dumps her cheating doctor fiance for a trio of hairy aliens in this campy sci-fi musical comedy that's better than its reputation. Starring Geena Davis, Julie Brown, Jeff Goldblum, Damon Wayans, Jim Carrey, and Charles Rocket. Written by Julie Brown, Charley Coffey, and Terrence E. McNally. Directed by Julien Temple.
Newsboys of the streets unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains. We welcome back Anne Jones to talk about one of her favorite movies, Newsies , the story of the 1899 New York City newsboys strike, which Mary didn't know was a Disney musical. Life is full of surprises. Starring Christian Bale, Bill Pullman, Robert Duval, and Ann Margaret. Written by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White. Directed by Kenny Ortega. Music by Alan Menkin, lyrics by J. A. C. Redford. Support the Philadelphia Avengers: h...
Steve Martin is a lawyer. Lily Thomlin is dead. Can two souls inhabit one body without driving each other crazy? We go back to the Steve Martin/Carl Reiner well for this screwball comedy about living your best life, and have a great time doing it. Starring Steve Martin, Lily Thomlin, Victoria Tennant, Richard Libertini, and Dana Elcar. Written by Phil Alden Robinson. Directed by Carl Reiner.
We delve into some prime late 20th century nonsense when we watch a two-part episode of MacGyver , wherein our mulleted hero is conked on the head and wakes up in Camelot, uncovers an assassination plot against King Arthur, trades tips with Merlin, rescue a fair maiden, and does battle against Queen Morganna. Starring Richard Dean Anderson, Dana Elcar, Time Winters, Christopher Collet, Christopher Neame, Robin Strasser, and Colm Meany. Written by John Considine. Directed by Michael Vejar. This i...
Opera-loving director wants to make a movie about an opera-loving rubber baron who hauls a boat over a mountain in order to bring music to the jungle, and so he hauls an actual boat over a mountain. The lines between life and art, work and exploitation, madness and determination blur together in this documentary about the making of Fitzcarraldo . Starring Werner Herzog, Klaus Kinski, Jason Robards. Directed by Les Blank. Narrated by Michael Goodwin.
An American rock star gets caught up in intrigue in Cold War East Germany. Or is it World War II? Nazis, Communists, whatever, right guys? Anyway, from the guys who made Airplane, it's "what if Elvis made a spy movie", and it's pretty good. Starring Val Kilmer, Lucy Gutteridge, Omar Sharif, Michael Gough, Jeremy Kemp, and one very odd cameo from Peter Cushing. Written by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, and Martyn Burke. Directed by Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker.
A pig-headed pilot takes on air pirates and fascists while regaining his humanity in this adventure from Hayao Miyazaki. Set in 1929, it's a story of love, honor, pacifism, and resistance. For this, we watched the English dub from 2005; I know, I know, subs over dubs, but so it goes. Starring (in the dub) Michael Keaton, Cary Elwes, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Susan Egan, David Ogden Stiers, and Brad Garrett. Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
Look, I know it sounds crazy, but Star Wars has all kinds of Arthurian elements: an orphan boy with a secret destiny; a magic sword; a crazy magician; a princess who needs rescuing; and a big bad guy. Obviously the original film was influenced by all sorts of things ( The Hidden Fortress ; Lawrence of Arabia ; Dune ; even Lord of the Rings ) but it’s no surprise that the stories of King Arthur are a pretty prominent influence on the original movie about a farm boy who wants to be a hero, takes u...
Toys come to life and encounter a hallucinating camel, a sentient taffy pit that eats itself, and a paranoid king who only grows big when torturing and humiliating other people. You know, a kids movie. "Dennis Versus the Movies" month comes to an end with a really, really strange movie that Mary was obsessed with as a kid. Starring Didi Conn, Mark Baker, Claire Williams, George S. Irving, Fred Stuthman, and Joe Silver. Written by Patricia Thackray and Mark Wilk. Directed by Richard Williams. Mus...
"Dennis versus the Movies" continues as we welcome back to the show puppeteer and children's entertainer Zach Woliner to talk about the third Muppets movie, an homage to the Broadway musical films of the 1930s. The Muppets head to Manhattan with stars in their eyes and a dream of Broadway stardom, only to break apart, Kermit to get amnesia, and Miss Piggy to face down a New York full of muggers, cruel bosses, and sexual harrassment. It's a family film. Starring Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, ...
An ex-firefighter stuck in a dead-end job is offered a chance to live it up for a week if he jumps in a volcano and dies so a rich man can steal some natural resources from a tropical island. Well, who wouldn't say yes to that? Dennis Vs the Movies month continues, featuring an interview with Mary's mom! Starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Lloyd Bridges, Abe Vigoda, Robert Stack, Ossie Davis, Dan Hedaya, Amanda Plummer, and Nathan Lane. Written and directed by John Patrick Shanley....
Ray just wants a peaceful staycation--why do his neighbors have to be so weird? We kick off Dennis Vs. the Movies Month with one of Mary's favorite movies from her childhood. Starring: Tom Hanks, Henry Gibson, Bruce Dern, Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman, Brother Theodore, Wendy Schaal, and Carrie Fischer. Written by Dana Olsen. Directed by Joe Dante.
Robot security guards go rogue and start killing people at the mall. Don't worry, it's 2025, all our malls are dead already, and I'm sure our robot security guards will treat us well. Starring Kelli Maroney, Tony O'Dell, John Terlesky, Russell Todd, and Barbara Crampton. Written by Jim Wynorski and Steve Mitchell. Directed by Jim Wynorski
A young woman coming of age in a seaside town challenges the stuffy sexual mores and hypocrisy of post-war Britain in this dramedy from the writer of Mona Lisa . Starring Emily Lloyd, Tom Bell, Geoffrey Hutchings, and Pat Heywood. Written and directed by David Leland.
A standard college melodrama makes a hard-right turn into an anti-abortion screed in a move that's almost as bizarre as Kirk Cameron's horrible Southern accent. We welcome back Alana Phelan to the show with a movie she really loved as a kid, but viewing it as an adult, a few things suddenly stand out. Starring Kirk Cameron, Jamie Gertz, Roy Scheider, and Tim Quill. Written and directed by Douglass Day Stewart. Content warning: this episode discusses rape, abortion, and general sexual topics. The...
A Russian tank unit is lost during the Soviet-Afghan war, leading to a breakdown in order, attempted mutiny, and dessertion to the Mujahideen. Part Moby Dick , part Lawrence of Arabia , and a little bit Rambo , it's a meditation on war, revenge, and mercy. Starring George Dzundza, Jason Patric, Steven Bauer, Stephen Baldwin, Erick Avari, and Don Harvey. Written by William Mastrosimone. Directed by Kevin Reynolds
We took a look at a British tv series from the 1950s, dramatising the Arthurian story in a high-romance fashion. Believe it or not, it’s pretty good! Starring William Russell–who later played “Ian” on Doctor Who–it’s a fairly faithful rendering of the story, with Lancelot as an outsider who comes to Arthur’s court, Gawain as his rival, a belligerent Kay, and a Merlin who is part magician, part con-man. Lancelot isn’t just the best of knights here, he’s also a champion of underdogs, defying the m...
James Bond goes up against Hugo Drax, a billionaire with a private space rocket company who's secretly a eugenicist, plotting to kill everyone on earth and replace them with his idea of a master race who lives in space. I don't know why this sounds so familiar. Also, Jaws the Henchman shows up and goes through so many near-deaths, you'd think he was fighting Bugs Bunny. Starring Roger Moore, Michael Lonsdale, Richard Kiel, Lois Chiles, and Corrine Clery. Written by Christopher Wood from Ian Flem...
David Lynch's first film is an exploration of the fear of fatherhood, set against a grim industrial backdrop, featuring surreal, nightmarish imagry that would reoccur throughout his career. An influential, landmark American film of the midnight movie scene, and ultimately, one hell of a bad trip. Starring Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Jeanne Bates, Judith Anna Roberts, and Robert Fisk. Written and directed by David Lynch.
Nazis hiding in South America have been cloning Hitler, and one researcher is crossing the globe, trying to stop their plans to resurrect the Third Reich. A thriller from the writer of Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives that culimates in two very old men slapfighting over the future. Starring Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, Lilli Palmer, Steve Guttenberg, Uta Hagen, and Jeremy Black. Written by Ira Levin and Heywood Gould. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner....
Nebbish Seymour Krelborn finds an extraterrestrial plant that offers him everything he wants—fame, money, the love of his coworker Audrey—in return for fresh human blood. What started as a 1960 Roger Corman schlockfest is turned into a campy musical from the guys who brought us… The Little Mermaid ? Wait, really? Starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Steve Martin, and Bill Murray. Written by Howard Ashman. Music by Alan Menkin. Directed by Frank Oz
Here it is, John Boorman's epic retelling of King Arthur's conception, Camelot, the Holy Grail, and his final betrayal by his own son. It's mostly Thomas Malory's 15th century romance Le Morte Darthur, mashed up with bits of Jessie Weston's 1920 book, the Grail study " From Ritual to Romance" and with a heavy dollop of 1960s Neopaganism. It has plenty of sex, violence, swords, and sorcery to grab the attention of any young teen watching HBO in the 1980s, and enough Before They Were Stars for the...
It's the musical version of A Christmas Carol , featuring one of the more surprising diss tracks in all musical cinema. Join us as we dissect Dickens' classic one more time. Starring Albert Finney, Alec Guinness, Edith Evans, Kenneth Moore, and Laurence Naismith. Directed by Ronald Neame. Written and with music by Leslie Bricusse.
