Almost Cult Classics

Being that one of our favorite comic actors has a documentary out on his life and career (I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not), we decided to watch it and discuss in-depth. We touch on events covered in the documentary such as early SNL, The Chevy Chase Show, Community, Nothing But Trouble, and plenty of sidetracked tangents on celebrity ego and feuds.  Support us on Patreon for early episode access, r...

On this episode of Joe's Shelf, Joe curates a double feature of films inspired by our recent YouTube clip show on Rich Little's Christmas Carol . Kicking things off is the 1976 ensemble mystery parody Murder by Death , penned by Neil Simon and boasting an all-star cast including Peter Sellers, David Niven, Maggie Smith, Peter Falk, Alec Guinness, Elsa Lanchester, Eileen Brennan, James Coco, Truman...

We're finally back with the format that started it all! In this episode we dive into Norbit — Eddie Murphy's infamous 2007 comedy that managed to be both a box office hit and a long-running cultural punching bag. We talk about how it fits into Murphy's career, especially with the new Being Eddie documentary adding fresh context. And don't forget to check out our Patreon-only follow-up where we com...

On this movie catch-up, we dive into Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein adaptation for Netflix and discuss where it fits in the long legacy of monster movies! Support us on Patreon for tons of bonus content and features at: www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics Check out our YouTube channel for additional video episodes and more: https://www.youtube.com/@sidetrackspod You can also find us on X: Joe: ...

In this episode of Off the Radar , we dive into Mad Dog Time — the 1996 gangster comedy that somehow managed to assemble an all-star cast (Richard Dreyfuss, Jeff Goldblum, Diane Lane, and even Joey Bishop) yet (rightfully) still slipped completely under the cultural radar. Written and directed by Larry Bishop, this bizarre mix of noir parody, nightclub drama, and philosophical gunfights left criti...

We asked our loyal Patreon supporters to send us some questions they would like answered by us for our first ever Q&A special. We got a really great response that resulted in a 2 hour and 14 minute episode! Here is a preview of that episode. The full episode is out now only at:  www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.c...

Join us for a SPOILER heavy discussion on Zach Cregger's Weapons - a movie-going experience that involved us venturing to another state, following issues we- well, one of us- had with the closer alternatives. But at least we were able to get a nice beaver popcorn bucket, tax free! We also talk about the evolution of the podcast this past summer and what to expect in the future.  Support us on Patr...

We went to Regal to see the new Naked Gun movie... and we have some hot takes.  Support us on Patreon for tons of bonus content and features at: www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com

After months of speculation, it's finally here! Were our predictions correct? Let's find out. Support us on Patreon for tons of bonus content and features at: www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com

Joe's Shelf finally returns! In this series, I pick a movie that Ryan has never seen, we watch it, and then discuss. Groundbreaking concept for a podcast, I know. This time, in honor of Gene Hackman and Harris Yulin, I chose Night Moves - a 1975 neo noir directed by Arthur Penn. Man, do I just love a good private detective movie and Night Moves is one of the best to ever do it.  Support us on Patr...

We swear we'll be getting back to talking about movies very soon. In the meantime, here's more Jerry! Intro 0:00:00 Jerry's 7-11 Commercials 0:04:45 Jerry Attacks the Press 0:10:09 Jerry Messing with People 0:19:24 Jerry's Acting Roles 00:29:45 Stories About Jerry 00:32:29 Jerry's Ethnic Jokes 00:35:33 Jerry Gets Mad at Viewers 00:42:12 Old Jerry 00:45:17 Jerry Behind the Scenes (1989) 00:55:05 Je...

This is a true story. The events recounted in this podcast took place at a convention in 2025. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred. View some of the visuals from this episode exclusively on our Patreon at:  www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics .  You can also find us on Twitter: Joe:  https://twitter...

On this (potentially final) installment in our quest to cover Jerry Lewis, we dive into Jerry's MDA Labor Day Telethons, including segments from various broadcasts of the telethon, showcasing the best moments between Jerry and his announcer, Ed McMahon. In addition to those clips, we also watch more of Jerry's interviews where he defends himself against his critics, like Chris Wallace and Phil Don...

On this episode we finally revisit a movie we have been talking about doing since we launched the show - Brewster's Millions starring Richard Pryor and John Candy! We also wanted to profile the career of writer/director Walter Hill and we used this as an excuse to check out his early film work, which includes: Intro 00:00:00 Walter Hill's Screenwriting Work 00:11:29 Hard Times (1975) 00:20:50 The...

We're back with even more Jerry! The great response to our last Jerry Lewis episode inspired us to dive deeper and check out even more interviews with the King of Comedy. This time around, we not only listened but also watched a few interview clips with Jerry, where he opens up about a variety of topics including; Dean Martin, Las Vegas, cricket, the mob, Sammy Davis Jr., and more! Plus, we check...

On this random episode about nothing, we listen to interviews with comedy legend Jerry Lewis, where he shits on everyone from his fans to Joan Rivers to the Academy. We also discuss some of Jerry's later movie roles and controversies.   Want to hear more? Join us on Patreon for 40+ bonus episodes and discussions: https://www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics You can also find us on X: Joe:  https://t...

It's another new segment! On this series, we will look at some truly forgotten, OFF THE RADAR movies - mostly ones that were never released beyond VHS, if they even got a home video release at all. For our inaugral episode, Ryan chose Meet the Parents - not the 2000 film starring Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro, but rather the independent 1992 film of the same name that inspired the former, directed...

It's a brand new segment! We have been exploring ways to produce more content outside of the main show and we've come up with a few new concepts that we think you'll enjoy. The first up is something we are calling Joe's Shelf, where Joe will pick a movie from his physical media collection (must be PHYSICAL MEDIA) that Ryan has ideally never seen. The two of us will then discuss. As Ryan says in th...

We're back with a discussion on a movie we have been meaning to talk about since we launched the podcast - The Cable Guy! This dark comedy stars Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick, and was directed by Ben Stiller. We spent the first half of the podcast doing a deep dive on Ben Stiller's early acting career and the movies he directed, including: Intro 00:00:00 Hot Pursuit (1987) 00:14:23 Reality Bite...

Not sure how we got this carried away talking about what essentially amounts to seven movies, but here we are! On this catch-up, we discuss mostly newer theatrical and streaming releases, along with some older stuff as well. Spoilers are heavy so consult the timecodes below: Joe's BluRay Viewings (8 Million Ways to Die, 1917, Hang 'Em High)  - 00:00:00 Nosferatu (2025)... again - 00:14:27 Wolf Man...

Following our episode on The Matador, we decided to revisit another hitman comedy: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which was George Clooney's directorial debut. Ryan also revisited two later films by screenwriter Charlie Kaufman; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Synecdoche, New York. We also got sidetracked a bunch and talked about other topics like The Gong Show in its various iteration...

On this episode, we look back at 2005's The Matador - a really unique black comedy starring Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear, directed and written by Richard Shepherd. Before getting into the plot of the movie, we also discuss some other Pierce Brosnan movies such as The Long Good Friday, Nomads, Taffin, The Thomas Crown Affair, GoldenEye, and The Tailor of Panama. We also decided to talk about ano...

On our first movie catch-up of 2025, we discuss some of our favorite pieces of media from the previous year, along with some unrelated recent movies thrown in. As always, SPOILERS are heavy so timecodes to skip what you don't want spoiled are below: 00:00:00 - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle 00:10:40 - The Apprentice 00:23:50 - The Penguin (2024) & Batman Forever Revisited 00:40:25 - Anora 00:5...

Last year we had a discussion on a few David Lynch movies at the end of a Movie Catch-up, including The Elephant Man, Eraserhead, Lost Highway, and Inland Empire. We figured some of you might have missed this conversation and wanted to re-post it in tribute to him. Also included is a discussion we had on Blue Velvet on a later episode.  Here's the full episode from April 2024:  https://www.youtube...

Following our Kurt Russell triple-feature, we decided to talk about even more Kurt Russell movies on Patreon! Those movies ended up being Tango & Cash (1989), 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001), and Bone Tomahawk (2015). Here is a small snippet of our discussion on that first film. You can hear the full episode now only on Patreon at https:// www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics . You can also find us o...