Not Playing with Lex and Dan

We're back. But we still haven't seen a lot of movies. After season one's romp through the 80s, Lex and Dan return for a new season of watching movies that everyone else has seen--but that they haven't. And for season two, we're now part of The Incomparable podcasting empire. (Not that Lex has seen The Empire Strikes Back. Yet.) Season two kicks off with a movie neither Dan nor Lex had seen prior:...

Wax on, wax off, wax nostalgic: It’s the season finale of Not Playing, and we have both a special guest and a special movie. Neither Lex or Dan had ever seen the seminal 1984 martial arts classic The Karate Kid. And neither had The Incomparable host Jason Snell, who joins us to watch one of Ralph Macchio’s finest performances. Hot topics include Elisabeth Shue’s sweater collection, the power of th...

We’re not bad podcasters. We’re just drawn that way. Dan somehow never saw Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the 1988 American fantasy comedy classic directed by Robert Zemeckis, and starring every awesome cartoon character that ever was. And Roger Rabbit murders a guy. Or does he?! Hot topics include whether Donald Duck utters a racial epithet (no), whether it’s okay for humans to find Jessica Rabbit attr...

David Mamet. Brian De Palma. Lex Friedman. Dan Moren. There’s no prohibition on podcasts about 1987 American crime dramas, so this week, Not Playing watches The Untouchables. Hot topics include Sean Connery’s terrible accent, under-appreciated Naked Gun parody origins, and whether Andy Garcia could successfully portray a young Robert De Niro should the need arise. (Answer: Maybe.) You can support...

When you think of people who haven’t seen a lot of movies that most people have, think of Lex and Dan. And when you think of garbage, think of Akeem. Dan had never seen the 1988 classic starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall and Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall and Eddie Murphy and Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall and Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall: Coming to America. Hot topics include Eddie’s decision...

Lex is a gruff-but-loving family man. Dan is a maverick on the edge. Together, they team up for a mission only they can accomplish: watching the 1987 buddy-cop classic Lethal Weapon. Which Lex has never seen—otherwise he’d know exactly how that mission turns out. Hot topics include Mel Gibson’s hair, strange birthday rituals, L.A. traffic, and dealing with the dichotomy of the sometimes terrible t...

As the singer once sang, “Holiday ro-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ad.” Join us as we in turn join the Griswolds on their road trip across the United States in 1983′s comedy classic Vacation. The question: Will Dan, who’s never seen the Chevy Chase film, actually enjoy it? Hot topics include casual 1980’s movie racism, Anthony Michael Hall, girls in Ferraris, slapstick comedy, and…Steve Jobs? You can su...

This week we travel through time. It’s 1989’s Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, which Dan feels confident Lex will love. Time travel, comedy, and Keanu Reeves—what’s not to love?! Hot topics include Back to the Future, the later careers of fine comic character actors (like So-crates), and the best time travel moment in cinematic history. You can support Not Playing by watching Bill & Ted’s Excelle...

Up this week is 1987’s Mannequin, one of Lex’s favorite ’80s comedies. It’s the story of Andrew McCarthy meeting Kim Cattrall, the woman of his dreams, even though she is mostly inanimate. And James Spader is at his weirdest, which is really saying something. Hot topics include the appeal of window displays, the ancient Egyptians, and tolerance. Oh, and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.” Don’t have t...

It’s another homage to the heyday of 1989 this week, as Dan takes Lex on a trip—through the imagination!—to a land called Iowa, and a sport called baseball. Yes, we’re watching Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams. Hot topics include the rules of magic, the death of an American icon, and arguing with your parents. Don’t have the movie? Why not support Not Playing by picking up the Field of Dreams (Blu...

If you’ve never seen the 1989 cult classic UHF, well, you’re in good company. This week, Lex leads Dan through the wonderful world of Weird Al. Hot topics include kitchen accessories, paragons of acting, and the surprising curriculum vitae of ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic. Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

What better way to kick off the holiday season than with Bruce Willis’s star-making turn as an everycop? Dan introduces Lex to the best Christmas movie ever, 1988’s Die Hard. Hot topics include Alan Rickman’s death scene, expletives in movies, and the many lives of Alexander Godunov. Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.

It’s true: Neither Lex nor Dan had ever seen Beverly Hills Cop before 2013. For the debut episode of Not Playing, they sit down together to watch the 1984 Eddie Murphy classic. Hot topics include vests, asses, and who exactly is the title character. Lex Friedman and Dan Moren.