Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review

"Goldeneye" gave us a new James Bond in Pierce Brosnan and type of villain with Alan Cumming's Boris The Hacker. But the 1995 blockbuster missed a Golden opportunity to reinvent a franchise that was long overdue for some growing up. Sure, there were highlights: a sadistically sexy Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp, another Sean Bean death and a cameo by Minnie Driver. However, the improbable stunts,...

"Willow" might be the saddest movie of all time, because what's sadder than wasted potential? How do you combine George Lucas, Ron Howard, Val Kilmer, a fantasy universe and a massive budget to create absolute crap? Start with casting actors strictly based on their height. Next, add recycled plot lines from "Star Wars." And finally, sprinkle the top with talking animals, absurd accents, nonsensica...

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" sets the bar for 80s movie effects. It boasts inventive techniques, tons of heart and neurotic attention to detail. Shocked? So we're we. But Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd and the Disney-Warner Brothers crossover made believers of three grown men. Also, Rog did way too much research for this one. Video: Breaking down the brilliant ways Roger Rabbit was animated - https:/...

The Fifth Element combined the action starpower of Bruce Willis, the sexuality of Milla Jovovich, the comedic genius of Chris Tucker, the incomparable talent of Gary Oldman and the fashion vision of Jean-Paul Gaultier. And it pretty much sucked. Shocked? So were we. In 1997, we worshipped this movie. In 2017, we were horrified to note the glacial pacing, meandering storyline and awkward fight chor...

Major League takes us back to a time when baseball was hot, actresses were sex objects, and Charlie Sheen was likable. And despite some racist overtones and plot holes, this 1989 comedy still holds up. Bob Uecker is still the best play-by-play on film. James Gammon is still the most believable baseball manager in Hollywood. And a shockingly young Wesley Snipes still dazzles in every scene. Rog lov...

"Twister" gave us all a horrifying glimpse into a world where the United States doesn't have any politically correct superpower enemies. Left with no face for our fears, director Jan De Bont made weather itself the enemy, and not even a star-studded cast including Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Cary Elwes could save the resulting shatstorm. If you were thrilled by this movie...

"Raising Arizona" introduced the world of the Coen brothers, Holly Hunter and Tempe, AZ. It also empowered John Goodman to truly display his abilities. But most of all, it showed us how funny Nicholas Cage could be. Infinitely quotable and impressively shot by Barry Connenfeld, "Raising Arizona" is a 1987 time capsule that hasn't aged a bit. It's every bit as funny now as it was when we were kids....

"Blade Runner" should be a classic sci-fi masterpiece. Should be. Ridley Scott directed it. Philip K. Dick wrote it. Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Daryl Hannah and Edward James Olmos brought it to life. "Blade Runner" brought dystopian aesthetics to life for American audiences in a way we'd never seen before. And it totally sucked. Before you cancel your Shat The Movies subscription in disgust, hea...

"The Shawshank Redemption" is one of the finest prison movies ever made, worthy of its 1995 Oscar nomination. But does it hold its own against the other cinematic giants of 1994: "Pulp Fiction," "Forrest Gump," "Quiz Show," and "Four Weddings And A Funeral?" And why did it cost Gene Lyons his first kiss from the girl of his dreams? Reminisce about the beauty and transcendence of Stephen King's tal...

Some say there's no such thing as a perfect movie. We say, "You need to rewatch 'Pulp Fiction.'" Quentin Tarantino's 1994 quasi-noir masterpiece has earned the first-ever perfect score from Shat The Movies. The mind-blowing cast includes Bruce Willis, John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Harvey Keitel, Uma Thurman, Ving Rhames, Christopher Walken, Tim Roth, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Steve Buscem...

Is "Highlander" the worst '80s movie? Perhaps. Is it the worst movie Shat The Movies has reviewed? Definitely. Christopher Lambert can't act. Sean Connery isn't Egyptian or Spanish. We still don't understand why "there can be only one." The movie starts on a high note with Freddie Mercury belting out Queen's "Princes of The Universe," and two very long hours later ends up in the toilet. "Highlande...

We all remember "Revenge of The Nerds" as a fun '80s college movie, but there's a much darker side when you watch it today. What we once saw as pig pranks, masked sex, panty raids, crazy house parties and fiery undies now can be viewed as animal abuse, rape, theft, arson, hate crimes and assault. Does that ruin the movie, or do the jokes still shine through? Do Booger's burps, Ogre's brawn or Taka...

"Terminator 2: Judgment Day" is the rare sequel that launched a franchise from good to unbelievably great. Does "Terminator 2" hold up after two decades? Absolutely. This prime specimen of sci-fi action perfection has it all: Edward Furlong escaping in the aqueduct chase. Arnold Schwarzenegger shredding cop cars in the mini-gun shooting gallery. Robert Patrick jamming his finger through countless...

"Beverly Hills Cop" launched Eddie Murphy's international movie career and was the biggest box office hit of 1984, but is it overrated?  No, dummy. This is the police comedy that brought us the banana in the tailpipe, the synth sounds of "Axel F," the lovable Judge Reinhold at Det. Rosewood and Bronson Pinchot's bizarre accent. Does Eddie Murphy's laugh get annoying? God yes. Do the action sequenc...

High School was a very different place for teenagers back in 1985. There were no cell phones, lockers were still in use, and there was this strange building on campus called the "Library" that housed books and delinquents on Saturdays. In this week's review, Rog, Big D, & Gene explore the hit film "The Breakfast Club". We explore whether or not the themes of teenage angst, High School stereotypes,...

Give "Commando" some respect! Seriously! This Arnold Schwarzenegger action extravaganza paved the way for watch-based action shows like "24," spawned Arnold comedies like "Kindergarten Cop" and proved you can, in fact, have too much calypso music in a movie. This episode has something for everyone: Big D wows by using his military experience to backseat drive the world's worst Special Forces opera...

Rocky IV punched its way into the heart of '80s kid by giving us an overload of all the things America loves: a dopy Sylvester Stallone, a terrifying-yet-misunderstood Dolph Lundgren, a sexy robot, Cold War speeches, Carl Weathers' mustache and training montages. Sure, the punches looked off, the scenes were largely recycled and A GUY DIED IN AN EXHIBITION FIGHT, but after 31 years we're still thr...

The Last Starfighter brought us Rylans, the Kodan, Zando-Zans, Grig, Beta Units and whatever the hell Centauri was. It also delivered childhood dreams of video game supremacy that would carry us to the stars. But does all that make up for hammy acting, eye-melting CGI and an alien race who look like balding boobs? That's this week's debate, and Shat The Movies' three-man panel is split like never...

"Tombstone" packed in the stars: Kurt Russel, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Dana Delaney, Powers Boothe, Charlton Heston, Jason Priestley, Steven Lang, Billy Bob Thornton and more. And it packed in the action with a relentless shoot-em-up pace. But did it pack as big a punch as we remember? From historical accuracy to production quality, let's cock the hammer on this 90's western and explor...

"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" tops nearly every list of favorite Christmas movies and holds a warm place in our hearts. But it isn't flawless. For every "shitter was full", there's an attic plank hitting Clark Griswold in the face. For every moment Chevy Chase shows his genius, there's a scene where he's forcing a laugh that never comes. If you're a huge fan of "Christmas Vacation" or a...

Home Alone is the perfect modern Christmas movie: full of gags, pranks and warm messages about the holiday season. Or is it? Take a trip back to 1990 as we explore the parenting skills of the McAllisters, policing in the Chicago suburbs, airport security pre-9/11 and why Uncle Frank is such a dick. Do you think the polka van was creepy? Do you think Old Man Marley was Jesus? Are you still afraid o...

This week Roger, Gene, and Dick cook up the perfect receipt for a delicious 1980's cinematic treat. With all the key ingredients on hand:  a cop trapped inside a high-rise, a team of desperate terrorists, an iconic villain with brains and panache, and a group of hostages including the cop's estranged wife and you've got yourself the classic 1998 Die Hard.   Subscribe & Follow Android: http://shatt...

This week Join Roger, Dick and their new friend Gene for a stroll down the Santa Carla beach boardwalk; as they review and rewind the 1987 classic The Lost Boys. Much like Tim Cappella playing his saxophone interpretation of "I Still Believe"  they are each shirtless, muscular, oiled up, and ready to grind their hips for you the listeners. So let's all slide on our skin-tight purple pants, leather...

This week Dick & Roger turn Investigative journalists to blow the lid off the lies behind Paramount Pictures decade's long cover-up of the Zamundian royal family and their atrocities. The film's plot revolves around the discontented Prince Akeem, who is tired of his pampered life and concocts a plan to travel to America with his servant Semmi to find a bide of his choosing. While purporting to foc...

To wet your whistle for the old west we decided to cover the 1973 "Classic" movie Westworld, so put on your chaps and saddle up… it's going to be a rough ride. Roger Roeper & Dick Ebert will host a weekly podcast that will cover Westworld the upcoming science-fiction thriller television series created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy for HBO, based on the 1973 film of the same name, which was writte...