Back to the Balcony

Jimmy's new favourite episode. Guest Larry Smith and guest engineer Mitch McBeaudry bring a wealth of information and love for this movie. The result is hilarious, intriguing and hugely entertaining.

The ever horrifying Bob Kerr is back to talk about Stephen King's Cat's Eye. Is it a horror anthology? Is it a black comedy? Is it another attempt to gross Jimmy out? Okay, it's not very gross but it has some weird ideas.

Guest Nik Duncan surprises Jimmy with a rigorous defense of the virtues of Meet Joe Black. Includes a brief interlude where they may have been visited by the ghost of Barry White. Actually the 200th episode of Back to the Balcony - just not the 200th anniversary celebration of the show.

Better late than never (explanation for why we're a weak late will be in the next expisode). Chris Wuergler revisits her Hitchcock obsession with 1954's Rear Window, a fascinating movie that seems so unlikely to work but somehow does. Jimmy tries to poke holes but it's hard because this movie forces you to suspend your disbelief. Funny, as always but with some fascinating sidebars about eavesdropp...

We spend just about as much time talking about the political and social ramifications of this movie and events as we do about the movie itself. Like always it's funny but Jimmy and guest Mario Bernardi meander in a lot of directions with this one.

It's hard to review funny movies but Groundhog Day may be the most hilarious and the most well thought out comedy movie of all time. Guest Scott Faulconbridge makes a compelling argument for why it's so good and what we respond to in the movie.

What happens two distant generations meet a movie hit from the 40's? Will it stand up or was this a huge mistake? Mario Bernardi guests with Chris Jarvie (who is literally, half his age) to talk about the best of the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby road pictures, The Road to Morocco. Is here a renaissance coming, will a new generation embrace it? Will the old generation ev en remember it? Turns out to be...

Bret Measor joins Jimmy along with guest engineer Kristian Reimer (who forgot to turn his microphone on) to talk about the legacy of Rodney Dangerfield and his 1986 movie, Back to School. Bret loves it, Jimmy likes it but wishes it could have revealed more of Rodney and less shenanigans. Is he right or Bret? Give it a listen to find out. 

Ryan Sim and Mitch McBeaudry join Jimmy to figure out if Leslie Neilen is a great comedian or someone who just got lucky a couple times and coasted on that career ever afterwards. Ryan Sinm says he was a natural comedian and 1988's The Naked Gun proves it. Mitch says no, just look at 1995's Dracula: Dead and Loving It. Somewhere's along the way Mel Brooks gets bashed.

Just in time for Valentine's Day it's Chris Wuergler and Kristian Reimer the most romantic movie. Is it 2004's paean to gooey love The Notebook or that tale of gritty sacrifice, 1942's Casablanca? A fun episode that also speaks to the romance in all of us.

Mario Bernardi and guest engineer Ryan Sim join Jimmy to re-visit Uncle Buck and the curious idea that no one understands children like somebody who doesn't have any. That's just one of the plot holes in a movie that still stands up surprisingly well. Listen to find out why.

Guest Chris Wuergler and engineer Phil are totally in love with this movie. No, I mean really. I've never seen so much enthusiasm coupled with amazement that Jimmy doesn't share their infatuation.

Mario Bernardi revisits a movie he hated the first time around. His reaction this time is completely different. So what caused the change because it didn't have that effect on Jimmy.

Bob Kerr is one of our most thoughtful, insightful, truly original guests and a man who loves the magic of Christmas. And yet, his favourite Christmas movie is Ernest Saves Christmas. Jimmy thinks the only magic is what kept the franchise going to this point. A funny review that takes us all back to our younger days when the standards weren't as high.

Guest Ronald Hae sees Rush Hour as more comedy than drama. Phil leans towards the suspense. Jimmy leans towards end of life therapy if he ever has to watch it again. 

Somehow this got away from Jimmy when Patrick Coppolino admitted that Manolis Zontanos was right and Back to the Future was the better movie. But he still found enough redeeming value in Hot Tub Time Machine to put up a spirited defence. And then Manolis starts definding it. Very funny episode with a couple of naturally funny people.

Guest Greg Dobrowski wants to talk about a most unusual movie, 1981's Time Bandits. it's kind of like the Wizard of Oz on acid. It's kind of like a lot of things, but is it a good movie? Jimmy has some strong feelings here.

Guests Ryan Sim and Mitch McBeaudry face off again to determine not just the best movie but the best movie franchise, Friday the 13th versus Nightmare on Elm Street. Jimmy found both movies so scary he hosted the show from under the covers.

Guest Keh Dee dips way back in the past to the birth of Hag Horror for the classic tale of sisters and fame with 1962's Whatever Happened to Baby Jane starring two of classic Hollywood's screen divas - who happened to share a mutual hatred in real life. Jimmy can't believe she chose a movie he's wanted to talk about for eight years.

Bob Kerr returns with a new kind of horror, 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Funny as always but there's also an interesting segment about whether The Terminator movies are the source of everyone's anxiety about AI. Jimmy's not worried but then he's still getting over the shock of moveable type. That's a really smart joke.

Chris Jarvie and Ryan Schnider join Jimmy to decide the best James Bond movie of all time, 1989's License to Kill or 2006's Casino Royale. Weird fact: License to Kill has nothing to do with Bond's license and outside of the card game taking place there, Casino Royale has nothing to do with the casino. Where do they get these names?

Quick, name another movie where bicycle racing played a major part? Yeah, Jimmy and Mario couldn't either. Mind you, Mario contends this isn't a sports movie, it's a coming of age movie. Jimmy's not so sure. Special guest engineering by Len Perdic.

What's the best movie about show business? Chris Wuergler thinks it's 2018's A Star is Born. Barry Carter disagrees, he says it's 2008's Tropic Thunder. You couldn't get two movies that were further apart yet they both make a convincing argument. And Jimmy will say? Listen to find out.

This could very well be the companion  episode to the one we did a couple months ago about the movie Clue (with Dave Sokolowski). This time Mario Bernardi praises Murder By Death and Jimmy finds it's not the comic gem he remembers. Whose right? You may be surprised.

We know our 100th anniversary was a couple years ago but thanks to Covid we had to put off our big celebration - until now! So much fun, so many great memories - plus ice cream cake and champagne. Stories, insights, jokes - even a quiz. What a great way to kick off season 8.