Ruined Childhoods

As comic book heroes continue to be adapted and re-adapted for film, one has remained untouched for nearly 30 years. Dan and Jon reminisce about first impressions of Warren Beatty’s passion project, Dick Tracy , and add their more recent takes on its style, plot, and casting. In the process, they share their thoughts on how could be brought back to the silver screen. Also, first impressions of the...

In their second celebration of June releases, Dan and Jon saddle up and ride with the City Slickers . They review what made the 1991 original so special, and what they feel went awry with City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold . Also, Dan shares his deep admiration for the screenwriting team of Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel , while Jon continues to express his deep admiration for Michael Sh...

In honor of major June releases, Dan and Jon discuss Speed (1994) and Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997). And in honor of a month of recasting June Squibb movies, they talk about who might replace Al Pacino and Chris O’Donnell in Scent of a Woman (1992). ValKilmer.com Next episode: City Slickers Next recast: In & Out

In the final installment of “May the Fourth be with You”, Dan and Jon go back to the fourth installment of the James Bond franchise, Thunderball . They debate the ethics of Bond’s womanizing, whether “for Queen and country” or otherwise, and discuss the impact of Thunderball and its 1983 remake, Never Say Never Again , on the Johnny English and Austin Powers films. Also: Dan and Jon express their...

Continuing on with their “May the Fourth be With You” theme, Jon and Dan explore the cultural time capsule and boxing epic that is 1985’s Rocky IV , as well as its parallels to 2018’s Creed II . Next: Thunderball (1965)

Yippee kai-yay, melon farmers! For this “May the Fourth be With You” installment of Ruined Childhoods, Dan and Jon explore the expectation-exceeding Live Free or Die Hard , its connections to and deviations from the previous films in the series, and ways it could tie into future installments. Next Episode: Rocky IV

Many people overlook Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol , but Dan and Jon look at it for exactly what it is — it’s a fun collection of gags that culminates in the ONLY hot air balloon chase scene in cinematic history. It’s also the first installment of MAY THE 4th BE WITH YOU - the Ruined Childhoods celebration of the 4th installments in movie franchises. Next episode: Live Free or Die Hard

Frank Oz’s 1991 comedy What About Bob? is the focus of Ruined Childhoods’ final “April’s Fools” installment. Dan and Jon assess the story’s treatment of mental illness and how it could be updated to reflect society’s evolved understanding of and attitude towards mental illness and therapy. They also determine the best options to expand the story and explore the characters further, including books...

“April's Fools” month on Ruined Childhoods concludes with a singing bush and a plethora of piñatas - it’s 1986’s ¡Three Amigos! Jon and Dan discuss the more memorable aspects of the movie, assess how the role of Dusty was a stretch for Chevy Chase, and brainstorm options of how they might expand the world of the Three Amigos, with or without the Amigos. Also: Dan journeys into the depths of hi...

In this installment of April's Fools, Dan and Jon wax poetic about 1992's Brain Donors , a Marx Brothers homage set in the ballet world. Not only do they brainstorm sequels, prequels, etc, but stay tuned until the VERY END for a GREAT surprise. Next Episode: ¡Three Amigos!

Disorderlies On the first of three episodes celebrating April’s Fools, Dan and Jon celebrate the insanity of the 1987 cult classic Fat Boys feature, Disorderlies. Dan has a Memento moment and recalls the bizarre circumstance under which he first saw the film and Jon has a Beautiful Mind-style wall of string that connects Disorderlies with the next film in the April’s Fools series… Brain Donors (19...

Masters of the Universe On this very special episode of Ruined Childhoods, Dan and Jon have the power of Grayskull as they speculate about the upcoming Masters of the Universe reboot and break down the original 1987 live-action adaptation of the popular toy line and animated series. Dan takes a deep nostalgia dive as he reminisces about his love for the “He-Man” action figures, the movie posters o...

Avoid exposing them to bright light. Don’t get them wet. Never feed them after midnight. While these rules may not apply to Dan and Jon, they do apply to the creatures at the center of one of 1984’s biggest hits, Gremlins , and its 1990 sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch . Listen in on their discussion of the finer points that make these movies stand out, the potential of reboots and sequels, and Wa...

This week, the Ruined Childhoods brothers take on the Benedict brothers - as in Vincent and Julius Benedict from 1988’s TWINS . Dan and Jon debate the potential of the long-rumored sequel, TRIPLETS, their ideas for possible prequels and remakes, and the career revivability of Kevin Hart. Next episode: GREMLINS ( 1984 & 1990 ) Email us! RuinedChildhoodsPod@gmail.com

Dan and Jon get creepy, kooky, ooky, and spooky as they talk all about The Addams Family . They revisit the history of the characters, from their origins in the cartoons of Charles Addams, through the beloved 1964 TV adaptation and the hit films from the 1990’s, right up to their newest incarnation - an animated feature film, expected to hit screens in October 2019. Also, Jon’s ideas to expand the...

This episode takes us to Amity Island then south to “Bahama Island” as Dan and Jon dig into the legacy of Steven Spielberg’s 1975 classic, Jaws , and its not-quite-so-classic sequels, Jaws 2 , Jaws 3-D , and Jaws: The Revenge . Dan shares his theory about the only possible justification for Jaws: The Revenge ’s absurd premise, while Jon finds some creative crossover/reboot inspiration from an unli...

In this episode, Dan and Jon are joined by their brother, Scott, to discuss one of their most beloved movies from childhood, 1984’s The Last Starfighter. They debate the pros and cons of a remake or reboot versus a straight-up sequel, but not before reminiscing about how they ended up owning the VHS copy they rented back in 1985. Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review! Email RuinedChildhoodsPod@gm...

Hop in the time-traveling phone booth with Dan, and Jon as they celebrate the legacy of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure , including a breakdown of the brilliance of Bogus Journey and their speculation about the long-awaited third part. Dan also shares his thoughts on the teaser for Disney’s live-action Aladdin and reminisces about his experience seeing Excellent Adventure in the theater back...

Dan and Jon both watched Groundhog Day on Groundhog Day so that they could get to the bottom of the eternal question - should it be given a prequel, sequel, re-make, or should it just be left alone (and adapted into a Broadway musical)? Also covered: R.I.P. Albert Finney; Leigh Wanell’s potential Escape from New York remake/sequel; Questions and thoughts about the upcoming Child’s Play remake. Nex...

1989’s cult classic Weekend At Bernie’s is under the microscope this week as Dan and Jon discuss and debate the finer points of the original and touch upon its significantly less successful sequel, as well as potential ideas for a remake. Also covered are recent news regarding 2021’s Affleck-less BATMAN reboot, Molly Ringwald’s thoughts on a hypothetical BREAKFAST CLUB remake, and of course, Fyre...

In the debut episode of “Ruined Childhoods”, brothers/cinephiles Dan and Jon begin their ongoing discussion of Hollywood’s trend of reviving franchises with long-awaited sequels, prequels, spin-offs, remakes, and/or reboots. This week’s focus is on the 1986 sci-fi comedy Short Circuit , the existing speculation regarding a hypothetical “Part 3”, and their suggestions should Hollywood move forward...