The Gen X Files

Join your ol' Stepdads this week as we discuss kids in trouble, what movies we've been watching, TV shows we're excited to see, and what video games are worth playing.

For our third entry into Kids in Trouble, we're covering one of the best indie movies of the '80s: River's Edge. An amazing study on death, apathy, and friendship, this movie is a phenomenal look into what it is to be a kid and have to grow up, quickly. Written by Neal Jimenez, directed by Tim Hunter, with incredible performances from Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye, Roxana Zal...

This week, we explore some Bad Boys, including Sean Penn, Esai Morales, Eric Gurry, Alan Ruck, and Clancy Brown, with help from Ally Sheedy, Reni Santoni, Jim Moody, and John Zenda. It's the Hollywood version of bored high school kids and the consequences of their actions. It's gritty and tough and filled with good lookin' Hollywood actors, directed by Rick Rosenthal, with a screenplay...

Join us as we start our Kids in Trouble month with Over the Edge, the 1979 masterpiece about a subdivision that didn't remember that kids made up 25% of their population, leading to a ton of kids in trouble. Written by Charles Haas and Tim Hunter, directed by Jonathan Kaplan, and starring Michael Kramer, Matt Dillon and Vincent Spano, along with a bunch of unknown actors. It's one of the b...

Join your ol' stepdads as we discuss how close we actually were to June Doom, along with the awful, not bad, and disappointing movies from this month. We chat a little about movies, a lot of really good TV (Netflix is killing it), and if video game subscriptions are worth it.

Join us as we dive into one of the most disappointing movies ever made: Nothing but Trouble. With Chevy Chase phoning it in (again), Demi Moore seeming completely out of her depth, John Candy (successfully) playing two completely different twins, and Dan Aykroyd playing two characters (both in heavy makeup!), directing, writing on set, and producing, Nothing but Trouble is a hot mess. Add in reall...

Join us as we cover the greatest movie about a talking horse giving a loser stock tips: Hot to Trot! Surprisingly, this movie is way way better than we were expecting (which isn't saying much). It was the only starring vehicle for Bobcat Goldthwait, but also stars Dabney Coleman, Virginia Madsen, and John Candy!

Welcome to June Doom IV, our annual tradition of covering disaster movies. This month, we're covering movies that were literal disasters! First up is Under the Rainbow, the best example of creative artists making every wrong choice. It's an absolute mess of a movie that suffers from the worst cinema sin: it's boring as hell. Listen to the podcast so that you don't have to watch it! Starring Chevy...

Crack open that High Life and join us as we discuss the brilliance of Monty Python, The Last of Us season 2, Mickey 17, and if video game DLCs are worth it.

For their final film outing, the Pythons went back to their roots: a sketch show that's loosely connected, but now with a bigger budget and no censors to tell them their material is too risky. The Meaning of Life is the perfect endcap to an incredible 14-year run for Monty Python. Written and Starring John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Eric Idle, and Michael Palin.

With the show behind them and plenty of time to focus on writing, the Pythons put together their most ambitious film yet: the story of the guy who lived next to Jesus. It's Monty Python's Life of Brian! The movie that was banned in a number of countries, yet is still considered to be one of the funniest films of all-time. Written by Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idl...

Monty Python and the Holy Grail was the first movie that the Pythons wrote to be an actual movie and is an absolute classic. Written by Eric Idle, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam, with direction from the Terrys. Also, we do deep dives into the life and histories of John Cleese and Graham Chapman, who wrote together for decades.

Welcome to Monty Python May! First up is the one that started it all: Monty Python's Flying Circus. From the genius minds of John Cleese, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam. The show was insanely groundbreaking and inspired an amazing amount of sketch comedy shows that followed.

In this episode, we wrap up our McNerdy tribute to the early films of Patrick Dempsey, along with discussing a couple of movies, TV shows, and how it's a great time for the Gen Xer to get back into gaming!

For our third entry into McNerdy month, Patrick Dempsey must go on the run when he accidentally kills a mob boss's son. It's a thrill ride that made the director quit the movie business! Co-starring Kelly Preston.

For our second entry into McNerdy month, we bring you Loverboy, quite possibly the worst movie we've covered on the show. It's a weird, vapid mess. Starring Patrick Dempsey, Carrie Fisher, and Kirstie Alley.

We'll give you all we've got to give because we don't care too much for money, cuz money Can't Buy Me Love. It's the beginning of McNerdy month, as we dive into the early films of Patrick Dempsey, Dr. McDreamy (or McSteamy, or whatever he was called). First up is Can't Buy Me Love, co-starring the amazing Amanda Peterson and underutilized Courtney Gains. It's a high sch...

Join your ol' stepdads as we discuss Steve's Hot Carl, have a spirited debate about a movie we both watched (channeling the spirits of Siskel & Ebert), how replaying video games can be better than playing new games, and Jim's love of a show that NO ONE saw coming.

For our last foray into Steve's Hot Carl, we're presenting perhaps the best of the bunch: All of Me. Directed by Carl Reiner, written by Phil Alden Robinson and Henry Olek, and starring Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin, Richard Libertini, and Victoria Tennant. It's the last time that Martin and Reiner worked together, but is just possibly their best effot.

Steve Martin and Carl Reiner team up again for the third time in their spoof of classic sci-fi movies. Starring Martin, Kathleen Turner (in only her second feature film!), and David Warner (with an uncredited cameo from Sissy Spacek). It's everything you want from Steve's Hot Carl.

Take 1 Steve Martin, 1 Carl Reiner, add in a ton of old film noir stars in clips from some of their most famous movies, blend it up, and what do you get? Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, a fun experiment of a film from Martin and Reiner to see if they could come up with a new story by inserting Martin into old clips. It not only works, it's funny as hell. Co-starring Rachel Ward, Reni Santoni, a...

Join your ol' Stepdads as we discuss one of our greatest heroes, John Candy, what we've been watching and what we've been playing over the course of a short February month.

We finish out our Sweet Candy month with one of the best, most down-to-earth romantic comedies: Only the Lonely, written and directed by Chris Columbus. Starring John Candy, Maureen O'Hara as his overbearing mother, and Ally Sheedy as Candy's love interest, Only the Lonely shows just how good John Candy could be and what his amazing acting career could've been, if he hadn't been ro...

It's time to take a trip to The Great Outdoors! Written by John Hughes, directed by Howard Deutch, starring John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening, and Bart the Bear. It's a fun, down-to-earth comedy about dealing with family.

We kick off February in style, with the start of our Sweet Candy month, focusing on the softer, more down-to-earth side of the late, great John Candy. First up is Summer Rental, directed by Carl Reiner. It's a fun movie pitting Candy against a wonderfully mean Richard Crenna. There's boats and beaches and it's a fun summer!