Mary Versus the Movies

We really don't know what to make of David Lynch's space-opera adaptation of Frank Herbert's cult sci-fi novel Dune . As critic Nathan Rabin would ask, is it a Failure, Fiasco or Secret Success? Too long? Too short? And why in the world was Sting cast? We really never answer these questions, because we're too baffled by the whole experience. So come and experience Dune, starring Kyle MacLachlan, F...

Who knew this screwball comedy starring Rosanna Arquette, Aiden Quinn, Mark Blum, and most famously Madonna, would turn out to be a real gem of a movie? Definitely not Mary and Dennis, who were pleasantly surprised. Sit back, dream of a different life, get amnesia, and enjoy a trip through a pre-Giuliani New York City. Now updated with new music! For reasons!

Even Stephen King, who wrote and directed it, admits Maximum Overdrive is the worst film connected to his body of work. Do Mary and Dennis think he's right? Well, yeah, but only because Mary can't remember anything about the TV movie The Langoliers . Join Emilio Estévez, Yeardly Smith, and a mostly forgettable cast as they take on some very angry trucks and an extremely coked-up Stephen King.

What is there to say? One of the most famous "bad movies" ever made, and somehow Mary has never seen it, not even while flipping channels on cable, which is where everyone else encountered the Patrick Swayze masterpiece, which flopped in theaters.

Even though she grew up watching the show, this is Mary's first time seeing Tim Burton's first film, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. Does its child-like star irritate, or is he the heir to Bugs Bunny? How much do we miss Phil Hartman? And just how many times can Mary say "aesthetics" before you want to stop listening? All this and more.

Did Cher totally deserve an Oscar for her performance? Is Nic Cage's performance turned to 11? Should Danny Aiello just stay in Sicily? Is this the best movie we've covered so far? Does the moon really hit your eye like a big pizza pie? The answers to these questions and more can all be found in this episode.

Mary muscles her way into Predator, and Dennis reminisces about the late, great premium cable channel PRISM. Also, choppers are gotten to.

In our first episode, Mary and Dennis tackle the 1980 workplace farce 9 to 5 , starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Dabney Coleman. It's a story of sex, revenge, and the power of collective action. It also completely missed Mary growing up, despite her mom apparently identifying pretty closely with the film.