30something Movie Podcast

There are movies that come in and out of our lives, but sometimes there are films that can remind us, decades later, what it's like to be a kid discovering certain truths about the world for the first time. Stand By Me is one such movie.

For most of my life, I haven't liked Woody Allen. He gets on my nerves. Like a calmer, more neurotic Bobcat Goldthwait. Then I watched Hannah and Her Sisters, which I'll admit I wasn't excited about watching. Now I feel as though I need to give Woody Allen a second chance. If you enjoy a well-written story about relationships, give Hannah and Her Sisters a try.

You've got Bette Midler and Danny DeVito with a little Judge Reinhold thrown in for good measure... sorry, His Honor, Judge Reinhold. Are they ruthless enough to live up to the title? I'll tell you what's ruthless... whoever did the interior decorating on the mansion in his movie...

Watchmen was something rarely seen when it hit the shelves in 1986: superheroes dealing with the struggles and conflicts of real life. It's critical acclaim has earned it a spot on many "best of" lists, including Time magazine's list of 100 Best Novels. It was comics like Watchmen that helped the industry turn the corner from kids' books to serious literature and art.

We discuss many rivers in this episode. Phoenix, Joan... but mostly River's Edge. Did we jive with the flood of 80s teenage angst? Did this movie succeed in making us feel the tension in these kids' lives, or did it ultimately choke?

There once was a boy in Nantucket, True love was something he'd covet, Should he help the girl? He oughta. But he'll have to win the regatta. If I had a nerve, Bobcat Goldthwait struck it.

Molly McGrath knows, lives and breathes football. Unfortunately for her, she's coaching girls track. When she finally gets her shot at coaching a varsity football team, she has to gain the respect of her team and basically everyone around her to prove that she has what it takes to be a football coach: balls. Because if you don't have a ball, it's really tough to play football. That's what we meant...

We have a lot of respect for Rodney Dangerfield as we take a look at one of his best movies. It's August and it's back to school season anyway, so take your kids shopping for pencils, watch Back to School, then listen to this episode!

If you want to understand the basis for the modern take on Superman, you have to start with Richard Donner's 1978 film and John Byrne's 1986 comic book miniseries. The Crisis on Infinite Earths had just ended, the Silver Age Superman had bid everyone farewell, and it was time to establish a Superman for the modern age. In this episode, I review the 6-issue miniseries and talk about what it did wel...

There's this great movie... anybody?... with this great group of friends... anybody?... and they ditch school to go into the city... anybody? It's called Ferris Bueller's Day Off. We all agree it's a great movie, but is there ever a time when hitting a car is more than just hitting a car?

We start off by talking a little Comic Con and the amazing Justice League and Wonder Woman trailers, which you can check out  here . Then we dive into the high fantasy world of Ridley Scott's Legend. All of this and Pat just wants one of the fairies to freakin' blink already!

Could the famous line from the Kurgan in the church scene be an apropos summary of the Highlander series? Is it a movie that should have spawned all of the *ahem* "sequels" that it did, or was it better as a one-and-done? Also, we talk about how Bob Iger and John McTiernan may have lost their minds. It's all "a garage sale at the home of a berserk screenwriter" this episode. If you feel the Quicke...

We've got BIG TROUBLE this time around. Hop aboard the ol' Porkchop Express with us as we review the John Carpenter/Kurt Russell cult classic, Big Trouble in Little China! If we're not back in about an hour... call the president.

It's not the real thing, it's just a fantasy... and that's how we start off this month of fantasy movies! Eddie Murphy at the height of his career takes on the good and evil of Eastern mysticism in The Golden Child, which may be (unfairly?) compared to Big Trouble in Little China because they came out the same year and because we're reviewing Big Trouble next week!

Some have called it "The Year Comics Grew Up" and arguably 1986 stands as the most pivotal year for the modern comic book industry. So many of the stories and character changes that occurred then have affected the mythos of the characters, whether in comic book, animated, or live action form. John flies solo this time to talk a little bit about 1986 in comics!

We transformed ourselves into The 30something Home Improvement Podcast... not that you should follow our advice or that we know what we're talking about. We do know all about The Money Pit, though.

Come walkabout with us as we review the Australian globetrotting epic Crocodile Dundee!

What can one say about Howard? One podcaster left the room. Another threatened to throw up. Come along with us as we question ourselves, humanity, and the fate of time and space.

All of your favorite cops are back, along with a crop of new recruits, to save their beloved police academy. 

Paul Newman, Tom Cruise and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio have nine balls between them... and victory. "Fast Eddie" is back, 25 years after the events of the The Hustler (1961), and has discovered Vince, a ridiculously talented pool protégé. Will Vince become Eddie's ticket to riches, his redemption, or his nemesis?

It's the Marvel superheroes vs Robert E. Lee in Captain America: Civil War!

"Mercy is for the weak. We do not train to be merciful here. A man face you, he is enemy. Enemy deserve no mercy." This week it's The Karate Kid Part II. Does the sequel uphold the honor and tradition of the original, or does it crumble like a block of karate-chopped ice? Why was honking someone's nose never a finishing move in Mortal Kombat?

We shift from our sci-fi month of April to May Madness as we move from the sleepy town of Hadley's Hope on LV-426 to Hickory, Indiana. While they both have that small-town charm, both towns' locals have to deal with an invader that disrupts their way of life. For one it was aliens. For the other it's an outsider who's come to coach the basketball team. Confused? Don't know what the heck a Hoosier...

In space, no one could hear you scream. This time it's war. And this time we're hugging each other's faces and chest-bursting with excitement over the action-packed bug hunt that is ALIENS! We all mostly loved this movie... mostly. Check out our full website with additional articles, movie trailers and extras at  30podcast.com ! 

We ask the probing questions about Star Trek IV and have a whale of a time doing it! Is this the best Star Trek movie ever? Did the timeline skew off into an alternate 2286? Boldly go with us as we Voyage Home.