Old Roommates

Season 6 Premiere! Rodney Dangerfield earned As from audiences and critics in 1986's Back to School. Jam packed with one liners, hijinks, and the occasional boob, the Alan Metter directed movie was a big hit. But now, decades later, are we too smart for our own good? Would any child be thrilled at the prospect of their parents attending college with them? Would any woman be thrilled at the thought...

Number 5 is alive! Join us as we revisit the year that was. Filled with surprising stats, fun facts, and our favorite revisits, this episode just may inspire you to check out an episode you may have missed. And it doesn’t stop there. We’ll also present our 4th Annual Roomie Awards, where we celebrate and shame the cinema and stars who will forever hold a place in our memories … for better or worse...

John Cusack held up a boombox and the rest was history. Yes, the Cameron Crowe romcom holds a place in the hearts of many a Gen Xer. Lloyd Dobbler and Diane Court faced peer pressure, a keg party, and (oh, yeah) an IRS investigation into Diane’s father, played by John Mahoney.  Audiences in 1989 were left swooning as the two flew off into an English sunset. But, decades later, was the movie a trip...

Hakuna Matata means “no worries,” and back in the mid-90s, Disney’s The Lion King didn’t have a worry in the world. A massive box office smash, the animated coming-of-age musical would go on to win 2 of its 4 Oscar nominations and surface a hit Elton John sung soundtrack. But now, 30 years later, maybe there was cause to worry. Is a talking-animal Hamlet too heavy for a G-rated audience? Is the br...

"Fair is fair!" Billie Jean Davy: Buzzcut rebel. Voice of a generation. Cute girl. Helen Slater led a young cast through a cross-Texas odyssey in 1985's The Legend of Billie Jean. Yes, the brazenly named flick didn't quite live up to its title upon release, but went on to cut out a name for itself on cable and VHS. But now, decades later, is $608 even worth the road trip in this economy? Is Billie...

Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and director Penny Marshall knocked it out of the park with 1992's A League of Their Own. A fictionalized retelling of the real-life All American Girls Professional Baseball League, the film scored big at the box office thanks to a game cast, big drama, and iconic screenplay ("There's no crying in baseball."). But now, decades later, does the 2-hour plus run time feel like o...

Dudes, babes, and Napoleon were among the cast of characters of the 1989 hit, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves played the titular dimwitted duo with a radical relish that audiences ate up. But now, decades later, does this adventure feel more dim than witted? Is celebrating ignorance something better left in the 1980's? And what is George Carlin doing in this sci-...

Sal's pizza isn't the only thing heating up in Spike Lee's smash, Do the Right Thing. From the story's raging temps and racial tensions, to the film's countless accolades and critical success, the 1989 slice-of-Brooklyn saga had a zeitgeist to burn. But now, decades later, in a post-Obama country where racist "Karens" fuel our social feeds, does Do the Right Thing now feel like the alarm bell we a...

MTV charted new territory with their reality TV groundbreaker, The Real World. Back in 1992, not only did we discover what happens when people stopped being polite, we also saw real GenX conversations about race, gender, sexuality, and abortion. These roommates had a lot to say and audiences tuned in to hear it. But now, decades later, does anyone over 50 really want to hear what 19-year-olds have...

Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks came, saw, swam, and conquered the box office in Ron Howard's hit, Splash. Audiences couldn't get enough of the boy-meets-mermaid romcom back in 1984. Who could blame them? With iconic scenes (lobster, anyone?), cool underwater sequences, and great supporting work from John Candy, Splash was an all-around crowd pleaser. But now, forty years later, will our common sense s...

“It twirrrrrrled up!” Back in 1990, Mike Nichols’ “Postcards from the Edge” also twirled up some big box office. Meryl Streep and Shirley Maclaine laughed, cried, and sang their way to critical and audience acclaim, thanks Carrie Fisher’s acerbic script, loosely based on Fisher’s life and best-selling novel. But these days, how much sympathy can we truly “twirl up” for these privileged, fictious,...

"My son is not a freak!" No, there was nothing subtle about the 1976 John Travolta made-for-TV movie, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, yet we remember it fondly. Sun-dappled horses, loving parents, and a kindhearted kid in a plastic tube certainly ring the bells of nostalgia, but how well do we really remember it? Is Gina just a girl next door or a cold-blooded, money hungry bully? Is the family doc...

Whoopi Goldberg was a nun on the run in the 1992 megahit Sister Act. The Emile Ardolino directed comedy had its offering plate overflowing in box office bucks, with audiences unable to get enough of the film's pop-song-singing Sisters. But now, decades later, is the novelty of the "nunsense" enough to sustain a rewatch? Does the movie still take us to church, or have us reaching for earplugs? And...

Marky Mark in a movie about porn? Sign us up! Yes, back in 1997, the anticipation for the film Boogie Nights was bigger than Mark Wahlberg's 13-inch prosthetic penis. Back then, the story of Dirk Diggler certainly was exciting, but it was also depressing as f*ck. But now, decades later, does the A-list cast outweigh all the moaning about what this film wasn't? Why did Burt Reynolds hate one of his...

We need to talk about Willie. Any fan of Indiana Jones holds a special place for Willie Scott, the oh-so-loud lounge singer played by Kate Capshaw in 1984's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. But is that special place in their hearts or in hell? Now decades later, does time heal all cinematic wounds? Has Harrison Ford ever looked better? And why did Ke Huy Quan's Short Round never get a spin-of...

Reese Witherspoon's 11th film, Election, nabbed her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress, and turned her into a critics' darling. Though the movie vanished at the box office, Reese's Tracy Enid Flick was unforgettable. But how well do we remember the rest of this dark comedy, 25 years after its release? Is Matthew Broderick's boyish charm enough to forgive his sleazeball character? Are elect...

"I'm sorry I blew up your mom, Ricky." This line was uttered by Lane Meyer. Lane neglects his chores. Flunks his classes. Drives recklessly. And falls asleep on the job. And he's the good guy. Yes, back in 1985, audiences loved a John Cusack anti-hero. But now, decades later, do we want our 95 minutes and our two dollars back? Is our nostalgia for this little comedy strong enough to withstand its...

"The Shawshank Redemption" RevisitedThe voice of Morgan Freeman helped a prison movie break into the hearts of moviegoers everywhere. Back in 1994, everyone was swooning over convicted killers, thieves, and other criminals in Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption. Based on a novella by Stephen King and graced with an odd name, the movie got shanked at the box office but soon became a classic o...

"Come On Eileen" and "Mickey" were two iconic tunes from the early 1980s. Both were #1 hits. Both were about objects of affection. And both were earworms we couldn't get enough of. But how well do we remember their music videos? Did it turn the earworms into eyesores? Were Dexy's Midnight Runners in need of new clothes and a bath? Did Toni Basil's crush on Mickey border on crazy? And why is it oka...

“The bloodsucking Brady Brunch.” As we learned from 1987’s The Lost Boys: vampires are people too. From shop owners to runaways to hippie teens who love concerts, vampires were everywhere. And movie audiences couldn’t get enough of them. A 17-year-old Kiefer Sutherland led a fanged gang while “the Coreys” (Haim and Feldman) fended them off. But now, decades later, does this adolescent adventure ki...

Live nude girls! Now that we have your attention, let’s discuss 1996’s lesbian-lovers crime thriller, Bound. Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon stole scenes while their characters stole mafia money. Upon release, people couldn’t stop talking about the Wachowskis stylish directorial debut … they just couldn’t see it. Available only in limited release then, the film achieved iconic LGBTQ status on DVD....

Bruce Willis and Kirstie Alley brought their TV comedy chops to a romcom with a baby-voiced twist, Look Who’s Talking. The 1989 flick delivered big numbers at the box office, spawned two sequels, and gave John Travolta a career rebirth. But now, decades later, has the new-baby smell worn off? Are toddlers and romantic comedies ever a winning formula? And what on earth is Oscar winner Olympia Dukak...

Keanu Reeves got buff and buzzed for his action-hero turn in 1994's runaway hit, "Speed." The movie hit the ground running, delivering two hours of suspense, big numbers at the box office, and a star-making performance from Sandra Bullock. But now, decades later, does our common sense pump the brakes on all the sideswiping shenanigans? Is Dennis Hopper's "Payne" a madman with a heart of gold? And...

Bob Newhart struck sitcom gold for a second time with the 1982 launch of Newhart. The TV comedy featuring Manhattanites who open a Vermont B&B welcomed oodles of quirky characters, fans, and dozens of Emmy nominations. It also introduced the world to “Larry, Darryl, and Darryl” in its second episode, and swapped out a chunk of the cast by its third season. The show was a mainstay for CBS for e...

He had the head of a camel and the neck of a crocodile, but back in 1977, the one thing Pete’s Dragon didn’t have was much love from the critics. For all its star power, courtesy of Helen Reddy, Shelley Winters, Jim Dale, Red Buttons, and Mickey Rooney, the Disney live-action-meets-animated adventure did only flittering box office. But now, decades later, was the movie as misunderstood as Pete? Ho...