Chasing Childhood

It’s Turbo Time! Break out your best Arnold impression because we're reviewing Jingle All The Way (1996). This wacky tale of two fathers seeking out the hottest selling toy of the season for their respective sons isn't always at the top of people's Christmas classics list, but it's definitely full of zinger quotes and very eccentric scenes. Not to mention some piping hot tea about the studio that...

It’s a Christmas miracle! No, really. This week we’re diving into a seventy-four year old holiday classic with Miracle on 34th Street (1947). Despite being considered one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time, watching this black and white feature was a first for one of our hosts! While not only a uniquely original tale about what happens when the real Santa Claus ends up being the star...

Hoping for a snow day? We’re kicking off this year’s holiday countdown with a Holiday Q&A and then our review of The Ultimate Christmas Present (2000). It’s been a little while since we last reviewed a Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), but the nostalgia and plot formula are pretty much universal across the board! There are even a few familiar faces from other holiday movies and beloved Dis...

Happy Thanksgiving! This year we’re reviewing a film based around some Black Friday madness with Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009). While this comedy movie written and starred in by Kevin James actually came onto the scene when we were teenagers in high school, that still counts as childhood by our standards! It was stunningly popular in theaters yet loathed by critics, so we have to ask: is there somet...

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo! In honor of Maya’s birthday, we are transforming this week’s episode into another Disney battle between the animated Cinderella (1950) and its official live action remake (2015). While not our personal favorite princess movie from back in the day, we definitely still have some nostalgic memories associated with it. Not to mention with the multitude of spinoffs and modern adapt...

We hope you like talking donkeys and gumdrop buttons! Because this week we are traveling Far Far Away to revisit another sequel with Shrek 2 (2004). Despite being more lucrative at both the box office and during awards season compared to its predecessor, this film turned into more of a cult classic for diehard fans rather than a public success. So we have to ask: was the second installment of this...

Our podcast just got a little stranger! That’s right, this week we are revisiting our favorite spooky family with Addams Family Values (1993). As a sequel to the beloved movie The Addams Family, we jump right back into their macabre hijinks with a few newcomers added into the mix. The jokes are darker and the plot is wackier, but does this film live up to the original's hype ? Or are some stories...

Don’t say his name three times! That’s right, our Haunt-o-ween Countdown is finishing out the month with the tried and true Beetlejuice (1988). Neither of us watched this wacky Michael Keaton movie as children, but many of our listeners did! Steph came to appreciate the film later in life, however Lex was a first timer in the strange and unusual world of Tim Burton’s life after death. Which begs t...

It’s ALIIIIIIIVE! Mostly, anyway. This week we’re resurrecting Young Frankenstein (1974). While not a movie that was created in our childhoods, it’s definitely something that Lex and our guest host Jackie have seen plenty of times before. Considered one of the greatest comedy films of all time, we jumped into a quirky version of the Frankenstein tale with high expectations. Does this Mel Brooks cl...

This week during the Hauntoween Countdown, we’re seeing DOUBLE! No, seriously! It's a Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen original film called Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993). Even though it came out in the early 90s and was a staple in many homes during the spooky season, this was a fairly new watch for us. Full of memorable characters, shockingly deep one-liners, and the iconic Olsen twin humor,...

It’s terror time again! This week we're kicking off our yearly Halloween countdown with Scooby Doo on Zombie Island (1998). As another direct-to-video film in the same series as The Witch’s Ghost, we had some pretty high expectations going into our re-watch. Third Eye Blind might sing the infamous theme song, but it has some very dark scenes for a children’s movie. So naturally we have to ask: doe...

If we didn’t have you… Then we wouldn’t be able to dive into this wacky adventure with Quest for Camelot (1998). It’s another Cary Elwes film based in medieval times, but we definitely aren’t complaining. A progressive cartoon take on the legend of King Arthur, this move has everything from conjoined dragon twins to rooster-axes to Celine Dion. Though we have to ask, is the awesome music enough fo...

GOOOOAAAAAL! We’re taking it back to the mid-00s this week with She’s The Man (2006). Released at the height of Amanda Bynes’ fame and considered the big break that launched Channing Tatum into A list stardom, this movie is a beloved relic from the aughts era. While the hilarious improv and girl power shown in this film were staples for us back in the day, we have to question: is this Shakespeare...

It’s The Great Escape! Not really, but there’s definitely a break out in the feathery flick better known as Chicken Run (2000). A plucky claymation story about friendship and perseverance, this movie was strangely beloved by critics and lukewarm with audiences. As one of the rare films that we haven’t seen in almost twenty years, we have to ask: does it still fly 21 years later? Or should we have...

Can you dig it? We’re uncovering some nostalgic greatness this week as we rewatch Holes (2003). Based on a book of the same name, this movie holds a bunch of A list celebrities on its roster and contains one of the most intricate storylines we’ve reviewed thus far. Love, friendship, and the power of breaking family curses all intertwine together in what we remember as a delightfully complex plot a...

Happy 50th episode and 1 Year Anniversary of Chasing Childhood!! It’s already been a year of laughter, questionable movie takes, and a whole lot of reminiscing. For our celebration special, we aren’t reviewing a childhood movie as usual. Instead we share more about ourselves as hosts while taking a look back at the last year to determine the highs (and hilarious lows) of making this super fun podc...

G’Day, Mate! This week we’re reviewing a movie that comes from a land down under with Kangaroo Jack (2003). While this comedy was Lex’s pick for our countdown to the 50th episode celebration, it was a fairly big part of both our childhoods growing up. A reckless, outlandish, and sometimes off-putting tale of what happens when you put your lucky jacket on a “dead” kangaroo, the film was just quirky...

We’re diving super far into the past this week and going way back to the prehistoric era with The Land Before Time (1988). This movie is considered an ultimate found family trope and with good reason when you consider how they incorporated dinosaurs into the framework. So it’s no wonder that the film cemented its legacy into our brains through such unique storytelling… Not to mention about a billi...

Hey, Alexa? Play Chasing Childhood’s episode of Smart House (1999). This week we're reviewing a beloved Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) that set the stage for what automations we could all expect to see in our homes one day, and it wasn’t terribly far off! In a world where technology has become almost inescapable, it’s hard to believe that this movie was once considered totally futuristic. Th...

You know what they say, never judge a book by its cover. Unless the cover is a 1 hour+ episode of your favorite podcast. This week we’re going into yet another Disney remake battle for Beauty and The Beast (1991) and its live action adaptation (2017). A famous tale of love overcoming both physical and questionable personality differences, this story has captivated people for decades. As always our...

It's time to put on your dancing shoes and join us in exploring a lesser cartoon called Cats Don't Dance (1997). A heartwarming tale about what happens when you follow your big dreams and believe in yourself, this movie has all the makings of an animated classic... If only it had been promoted by Warner Bros! Complete with talking animal characters and one unhinged little girl, it's baffling how w...

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Okay, not really. We know that it's the middle of summer, but we couldn't resist a chance to celebrate Christmas in July with an all time classic: Home Alone (1990). Considered one of the greatest Christmas movie staples of the last thirty years (sheesh we feel old), this film has always been considered as heartwarming as it is clever in its holiday hijinks. As always, we're force...

Bust out your best hosiery, we're singing songs and telling raunchy jokes while reviewing Robin Hood: Men In Tights (1993). An early 90s parody film based on the tried and true (and sometimes predictable) tale of Robin Hood and his merry men, particularly the infamous blunder from 1991. Filled to the brim with original movie references, tropes, and over-the-top acting, this flick is definitely cha...

This week’s episode is a little smaller than normal and with good reason. We’re shrinking down to properly review Thumbelina (1994). Based on the Hans Christian Anderson tale of the same name, this story follows the misadventures of a girl no bigger than her mother’s thumb who learns that size really isn’t everything. After watching such an eccentric tale, we have to ask if this movie is still as...

It’s time to Stand Out this week as we jump back in time to check out A Goofy Movie (1995). An overlooked classic from Disney’s Renaissance era, this film brings to life the hilarious and chaotic world of Goofy and his son Max. Complete with unique plot twists and a superstar named Powerline (whose album we’re still waiting on), is this movie still as show stopping as we remember? Or do we just no...