Double Impact

062 - It turns out 1992 was a massive year for basketball. The Dream Team lit up the small screen as they made their debut at the Barcelona Olympics, while Woody and Wesley lit up the big screen with White Men Can't Jump. To say this movie had an influence on us growing up is an understatement; the street ball, the fashion, the trash talk, and Rosie Perez, all impacted us in profound (yet slightly varying) ways. So join us as we dive deep into the whole damn thing - exploring the film's backstory (including some questionable pre-casties), soundtrack, the careers of our 3 leads, and how the film holds up in 2020. Added bonus: we also crack the code on what the ideal film project would be for Woody and Wesley reunion.

061 - Lord knows how it took us 61 episodes to get to a Burton picture, but here we are, and what better place to start than 1988's BEETLEJUICE? It's easy to forget just how early this weird-unit of a film was in Burton's career, being his second feature. Same goes for Michael Keaton, who aside from Mr Mom, was more of sitcom guy, and even Alec Baldwin hadn't reached his final form yet - so yes plenty do discuss here. As usual, we dive into the film's rich origin story, unpack its even weirder original script, and ultimately pull the whole damn movie apart and put it back together again all in an evaluate whether it holds up in 2020. Oh and it's a 1988 movie so Greg gets absurdly excited again.

060 - It's another JCVD week, hallelujah. Every 10th episode we get one movie deeper into the Van Damme filmography, and this one is a biggie - UNIVERSAL SOLDIER. This film comes as a turning point for young JC, busting into the mainstream with co-star Dolph Lundgren, and terrifying two young lads names Tristan and Greg back in the early 90s. In this episode we cover the films origin story, re-capping Jean Claude's journey thus far, pull apart the plot, and put it back together with a few re-pitchies along the way, and ultimately discuss how it holds up in 2020. We also provide a pretty meaty Campaign 2000 update if you're into that kind of thing.

059 - We are in a weird place right now, and something about watching movies like 1995's OUTBREAK seems to make us a feel better; so that's what we were covering this week. We make all the usual stops - from the film's origin story, to it's ultimate verdict - but along the way we compare this movie to others of its kind that are also trending right now, as well as attempt to uncover exactly why it is that we are drawn to these kinds of movies at times like this. We hope you're all doing well, staying safe, and that this episode can add a bit of spice to your quarantine playlist - hang in there guys!

058 - So this is not technically an 80s or 90s picture, but it is certainly one that we grew up with. And while the movie itself categorically holds up (it's literally the most influential movie of all time), a lot of the behind the scenes shenanigans certainly do not - But beyond the controversy and drunk munchkins, we explore just how vast this film's cultural impact has spread in 2020, and how they managed to make something nearly 100 years ago, that still manages to hold up today.

We had the week off this week, BUT in honour of International Women's Day, we thought we'd repost the first, and possibly only movie we have covered that passes the bechdel test - A League of Their Own. This was originally published all the way back at episode 12 (which is why we sound... a little fresh), so most of you probably haven't heard it - but it's a great movie and deserves a re-visit, so get around it this International Women's Day! -------- How many female legends can you fit into one motion picture? This is the question 'A League of Their Own' attempts to answer. This was a family favourite in both of our households growing up, and is a fascinating watch in 2020 for all the reasons you might expect. We go deep on its origins and its maestro, Penny Marshall, and uncover that the story of this film getting made ain't all that different than the story it's trying to tell. All this plus bad John Lovitz impressions!

057 - This movie THRIVED on VHS (but less so at the box office) and has become a cult classic for many. We barely remembered it, so figured it was time for a revisit. There is quite a bit to unpack here - like, why did the director of Grease make a sharp pivot to Sci-fi? How did this go from a Norwegian indie, to a Disney epic? Why does the spaceship sound like Pee-wee Herman (we get that it's Paul Ruebens, but...). Join us on a journey through time and space, as we decide whether this cult hit holds up today, or is best left in the past.

056 - After a couple of deep cuts, we are back in mainstream territory this week, with the 1993 Disney bobsledding blockbuster, COOL RUNNINGS. You know how this works, we dive deep on the film's 'inspired by true events' origin story, we pull the plot apart and put it back together again, break down the pro's and con's - all in an effort to determine whether this film holds up today, or if it's best left in the past. Tune in and find out!

055 - We are back with another deep cut from 1995 - the serial killer thriller, Copycat. You may think you don't remember this film, but I'd argue that you do, somewhere deep in your unconscious - and we are here to dislodge and extract all those juicy memberberries for you, from Harry Connick Jr with red hair, to Sigourney Weaver with glasses. Too superficial for you? We also dive into the mid 90s obsession with serial killers, and compare it to the true crime obsessions of today; the cultural impact Harry Connick Jr had on a decidedly un-woke Australia back in the early 2000's; and we finally get to talk about a movie that passes the bechdel test! So join us as we answer that all-important question: does Copycat hold up today, or is it best left in the past?

054 - Most podcasts would look at Jurassic Park before Congo. Not us. That would be too easy - where's the tension? We prefer digging up those movies we sorta remember yet sorta forget. So what better Michael Crichton picture to start with than the sorta-blockbuster, Congo. This movie has it all: a talking gorilla, Tim Curry, Tim Curry's weird accent, volcanos, other various accents, the list goes on. Join us as we dive deep into where this movie came from and how it holds up today.

053 - It's a slight change of pace this week, as we cover our first ever live-action musical, Little Shop of Horrors. There is a LOT to unpack with this one, from the impeccable cast (Rick Moranis, Ellen Green, Levi Stubbs, Steve Martin and Bill Murray), to one of the most bizarre origin stories we have ever uncovered. It's also just an all-round weird movie directed by Yoda himself, with absurd music by the two guys that went on to write almost every Disney song you have ever loved - so join us we attempt to answer that all-important question: does Little Shop of Horrors hold up today, or is it best left in the past?

052 - After a few deep cuts we are taking it back to our bread and butter with the film that changed the future of both James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzegger. Schwarzenneger would become the kind of Hollywood, and Cameron would become, self-proclaimed, 'king of the world' marrying several Hollywood women along the way (two of which came from this very movie). In all seriousness though, it's too easy to take this franchise for granted, with at least 3 too many sequels contaminating the public consciousness - but it's important to look back at where it all began, and what a fundamentally different movie this one actually was, vs where the franchise has ended up. Join us as we dive into the films origin story, cultural analysis, circular chats around time travel, and what we would argue is a half-decent re-pitch for how this franchise could have been better tackled as a clean little trilogy.

051 - This week's movie had the lowest box office return of any film we have covered, yet it's legacy is one of the biggest - without Swingers, we have no Iron Man, no Avengers, no MCU - or no Vince Vaughn and no Elf! It was a biggie for us budding film geeks back in the day also, but legacy aside, is this a film that holds up on its own in 2020? Or is it best left in the past?

050 - This is a milestone episode, guys. 50 episodes in the can, 2 Van Dammes in the one movie, and the film's title is the namesake of this very podcast - it's 1991's DOUBLE IMPACT. You know how this works, every 10th episode is a JCVD vehicle that we evaluate against our patented universal JCVD authenticity test. Of course we also dive into this films origin story, and uncover a HUGE bit of Van Damme lore that, up until now, seems to have gone largely unnoticed (and it involves one of Hollywood's biggest starts of all time). Anyways, join us for this milestone episode, dedicated to JCVD's milestone movie.

049 - This is apparently our first foray into the year that was 1998, so what better time capsule to kick it off than the cross-cultural shenanigans of Chris Tucker trying Chinese food for the first time? This movie wears its 1998 on its sleeve - its got it all - from its celebration of ill-fitting baggy suits and a Dru Hill soundtrack, to its multicultural stereotypes and a plot rooted in the English handover of Hong Kong. But most importantly, JACKIE FREAKING CHAN! So, join us as we dive deep on this late 90's pop-cultural-artefact and decide if it hols up today, or is best left in the past.