Old Roommates

Did you know 50% of the Bradford kids were mistakes? That’s just one of the lighthearted moments of sharing in the pilot episode alone. Yes, in 1977, the TV show Eight is Enough, walked that fine line between family hi-jinks and middle-class drama. Season one even throws in a quarantine episode – with a laugh track. Decades later, do the quirks still work? Is Nicolas as adorbs as we remember? And,...

Patrick Swayze sashayed onto the screen as Vida, a drag queen with a heart of gold. Armed with baggage (literal and figurative), the divas of To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar cruised gayly through a whimsical road trip...not counting the domestic violence subplot and a slur-slinging Officer Dollard. Twenty-five years later, does the sass still shine? Where’s Wesley Snipes’ Oscar? A...

Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” broke records in 1992. The song also concludes this love story between a diva and her, well, you know. Yes, the soundtrack is timeless, but is “The Bodyguard” as ageless? Why can’t Fletcher swim? And why is “Run to You” such a bad music video? The Old Roommates answer those questions, and Christina shares her vision of an alternate (and pretty...

Tears and laughter, but mostly tears, highlighted the Oscar-winning 1983 movie, “Terms of Endearment.” The film entered the pop culture lexicon as one of the biggest tearjerkers in history. Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger play mom and daughter through decades of lost loves, letdowns and disease. Almost 40 years later, are our tears so easily jerked? Is Jack Nicholson as rascally as we remember?...

Tori Spelling has a supporting role in the boy-meets-boy rom-com Trick, but she was the biggest name behind this 1999 little-seen crowd pleaser. Directed by Jim Fall, the beloved indie charmed gay and straight audiences with its one-night storyline and charismatic cast. Now, twenty years later, does the will-they-or-won’t-they suspense still satisfy? Does Mark’s hotness still...burn? And, can some...

Blair, Natalie, Tootie and…a bunch of other girls. That’s how it all began. A spin-off of Diff’rent Strokes, The Facts of Life showcased a ton of teen talent. The TV show also featured many ‘hot topics’. Sexuality, adultery, and racism for starters – and that's just in the first 5 episodes. Old Roommates revisits seasons 1 and 2 of this long-running NBC comedy. Is Christina a “Jo”? Is Brian a “Bla...

Weak trees, a hiding raccoon, and a crumbling staircase are among the many challenges faced by Tom Hanks and Shelley Long in The Money Pit. The 1986 hit was a comedy of errors about a house of construction horrors. Now that the Old Roommates are homeowners…is any of this a laughing matter? Who was originally cast in Long’s role, and would it have mattered? And which scene did Roger Ebert hate the...

“There comes a time when we heed a certain call.” Well, the Old Roommates have heeded. This week, they’re revisiting two iconic fundraising hit songs and music videos: “We Are the World” and “Do They Know It’s Christmas”. Big egos, mic hogs, and lip-syncing are on full display, but are their hearts still in the right place? And why can’t anyone seem to sing with their eyes open? Brian and Christin...

“Life moves pretty fast,” begins a witticism of the titular character in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Fast indeed. The John Hughes comedy is now over 30 years old. So, how does the day off hold up? Are fancy restaurants, museums, and sightseeing still on the senior year bucket list of high schoolers? And what’s Cameron’s problem anyway? The Old Roommates revisit the movie that made Matthew Broderic...

Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to revisit this movie called “Purple Rain.” In 1984, Prince was king of the box office and the music charts. Playing “The Kid,” Prince sang, danced and sulked his way through this major, musical melodrama. Now, over 30 years later, the melodies linger, but how about all that misogyny? Can the Old Roommates turn the other cheek when Apollonia and “Mother”...

Harrison Ford had both brains and brawn in 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. Outrunning boulders, solving puzzles, and dodging snakes, Indiana Jones excited audiences in a blockbuster filled with old-fashioned cliffhanger charm. Now, 40 years later, are we still up for the adventure? Is Marion an independent woman or a whiny damsel in distress? And is that German guy still as scary? The Old Roommate...

Watermelons, fox trots and a botched abortion. Yes, Dirty Dancing had it all. In 1987, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey took on big roles in a little independent film that became a pop culture phenomenon. Three decades and oodles of dance-based reality TV shows later, does it still sizzle, shake and shimmy as good as we remember? Is Johnny as dreamy? Is Baby as daring? And, did Mr. Kellerman have...

Winona rides again! Another 80s movie featuring our beloved raven-haired heroine, Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice was a comedy, a fantasy, and a ghost story all in one. But nowadays, is the visually impressive film as colorful under a middle-aged lens? Are the Deetzs bad people? Is death as funny as it was in ’88? And would Sammy Davis Jr have made a good Beetlejuice? The Old Roommates take a shallow div...

‘I Want a New Drug’ and ‘If This Is It’ were both super-popular videos in 1984 for Huey Lewis and The News. Millions of YouTube views and decades later, they seemingly still are. But the 2 videos show different Huey personas: the broken-hearted loner and the shirtless adventure seeker. Who’s the real Huey? Does he have ‘fun uncle’ energy? Or, was he just plain hot? The Old Roommates investigate al...

The ultimate “nanny from hell” thriller, 1992’s The Hand That Rocks the Cradle was a greenhouse smashing…smash. Rebecca De Mornay starred as Peyton Flanders, a nanny who wastes no time exacting revenge against Claire (played by Annabella Sciorra). Will the twists, turns, and tampered-with asthma inhalers still breathe life into this exiting classic? Do the thrills still thrill 18 years later? And...

Christina’s choice! Brian had never seen Steve Martin’s 1979 classic, The Jerk…until now. The comedy hit, which remains Martin’s biggest box office take today, follows one man’s rags-to- riches-to-rags story. Has the Old Roommates’ middle-aged lens changed their taste in comedy? Does Christina still love it? Did Brian like it at all? And what happens when the punchline is longer than the setup? Li...

Careless Whisper and Wake Me Up Before You Go Go are two very different songs and videos from 80s London music duo Wham! The combo of Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael created beautiful music together, but what about their videos? Brian and Christina take a shallow dive and revisit both. How much neon is too much neon? How short is too short on shorts? And why isn’t Andrew in Careless Whisper? Th...

Duckie or Blane? That is the question before Andie, played by Molly Ringwald in the 1986 film, Pretty in Pink. Written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch, the film certainly had a great teen movie pedigree. But, did Andie have to choose? Was Duckie as annoying as we remember? And, why is Iona still single? Old Roommates explores all the angst, attitude and the questionable age of James S...

Sexy slapstick, provocative plots, and many misunderstandings were the foundations of the 1977 sitcom Three’s Company. The Old Roommates revisit some of the most famous roommates in primetime history: Jack, Janet, and Chrissy. In this episode, Brian and Christina will discuss the show that made Suzanne Summers a household name, introduced the world to The Ropers, and taught Brian what the word ‘ga...

Cher won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for this movie, and it isn’t even about her. No, the star of this 1985’s Mask is Eric Stoltz, who plays Rocky Dennis, a teenager living with “lionitis” (a craniofacial condition). It’s tough stuff, but fear not, the Old Roommates are here to revisit the tears, biker gangs, and…more tears of this unforgettable drama. Listen to this. Follow Ol...

“It must’ve been love…” but how well do we remember it? One of the most successful romantic comedies ever, Pretty Woman made audiences fall in love with prostitutes. (We kid.) Yes, the 1990 hit made Julia Roberts a mega star and relaunched Richard Gere’s career. So, why were the Old Roommates so bitter about it? Do their past gripes still ring true? And, who taught Vivian math? Listen to this. Fol...

How unusual was she? Let us revisit the 80s and count the ways. The Old Roommates revisit 2 videos from the amazing Cyndi Lauper. First up, the low-budget hit, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. Then, True Colors, featuring a chandelier headdress and a newspaper skirt. Two very different music videos. One original lady. Which one will make the coveted vault? Listen to this. Follow Old Roommates on Faceboo...

Special guest: Muppet oracle and podcast host, Chris Revill (of ‘Let’s Chat with Chris Revill’). Chris joins Brian and Christina to revisit 1978’s The Muppet Movie. In perhaps their deepest shallow dive to date, Old Roommates discuss the Muppets’ cinematic search for Hollywood success, Gonzo’s status as MVP, and if Janis needs her own origin story. Listen to this. Follow Old Roommates on Facebook,...

Aka: Live nude girls! Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh bare all in the 1992 thriller Single White Female. The ‘roommate from hell’ hit featured amazing lead performances, uncommon pathos, and even a murder-by-shoe shocker. Old Roommates revisit the thrill ride, along with Brian’s cat, Shorty, who apparently had a lot to say during the taping. Listen to this. Follow Old Roommates on Facebook,...

Music videos “Sledgehammer” and “Money for Nothing” were all over MTV in the mid-1980s. In what may be the shortest episode of Old Roommates ever, Brian and Christina revisit these vids to see if their middle-aged lenses can find deeper meaning in these ‘groundbreaking’ spectacles. Why are “chicks for free”? Where are the stories? And, would you sit under a glass table for 16 hours for anything? L...