The Test of Time

Our hero is too cool for school in the 1986 flick, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. This week, we discuss the difference between a principal and a dean, the way Sloane sometimes talks with a British accent, and what it means to be "The Sausage King of Chicago." All the kids may think Ferris Bueller is a righteous dude, but does his movie stand the Test of Time?

The first Karate Kid centered around two rivals going head to head in a karate tournament. The sequel culminated in a fight to the death. And the third film, the climax of this blockbuster trilogy... all leads up to… another karate tournament.  As we wrap up our series on the Karate Kid franchise, we discuss good hair styles for bad guys, the stupidest thing you can force someone to do under dures...

Daniel-san and Mr. Miyagi travel to Okinawa for the fight of their lives—literally—in the 1986 sequel, The Karate Kid Part II. This movie contains a ridiculously traumatic breakup story, what might be the first fight club ever, and a super sharp hook that totally killed dozens of fishermen for no good reason. After discussing how Bill Maher kinda threw shade at us, we see if The Karate Kid Part II...

You're the best! Around! Nothing's gonna ever keep you down!!! That's right — this week, we're talking about the 1984 classic, The Karate Kid. Listen as we chat about the "best friend" who disappears after three scenes, Daniel's utterly brilliant Halloween costume, the subtle difference between wax-on/wax-off and sand the floor, and the one tournament rule that could totally kill someone. Don't sw...

A baby is destined to destroy an evil queen, and a farmer must lead an epic quest to protect the child in the 1988 fantasy film, Willow. This week, Sweetie and Sweety from the Large Marge Sent Us podcast come by to talk about Ron Howard's (alleged) ginger conspiracy, the one character in this movie with a semi-normal name, and how George Lucas "borrowed" ideas from Star Wars and Indiana Jones when...

Super Troopers, about a group of cops who'd rather prank each other than write speeding tickets, was a surprise hit when it was released in 2002.  This week, we discuss what this stoner comedy has in common with both Police Academy 3 and the works of William Shakespeare, we wonder if real Vermonters would ever actually chug syrup, and Alan mocks James for not knowing how to laugh. As the long-awai...

Two pissed off teenagers wreak havoc on their town with murders and forged suicide notes in 1989's Heathers. This movie left us with a lot of questions. Like, why do cool high school girls hook up with loser college guys? Did anyone ever really go cow tipping? What's up with all the croquet? And, most important of all, does Heathers stand the Test of Time?

A kid who's obsessed with action movies gets transported into a world of gratuitous explosions and cheesy one-liners in the 1993 flick, Last Action Hero. Join us as we discuss a terrible way to end a fictional blockbuster, how to get teenagers interested in Shakespeare, and why it's ridiculous that famed illusionist Harry Houdini would have an actual magic ticket. We also rant about the latest sea...

When a dead couple needs help scaring the yuppies who move into their house, they turn to Michael Keaton's ghost with the most in 1988's Beetlejuice. This week, we discuss Tim Burton's bureaucratic vision of the afterlife, the oddly spelled star that's Beetlejuice's namesake, and the deus ex machina that ultimately saves the day. Plus Alan sings Harry Belafonte, and James talks about his Star Wars...

The stars of a sci-fi TV show find themselves on an actual space adventure in 1999's Galaxy Quest. Tim Allen loses his shirt, Tony Shalhoub has the munchies, and Alan Rickman does what he does best: exude exasperation. And did you ever hear about the Star Trek actor who changed the course of American history? Join us as we discuss all that, and find out if Galaxy Quest stands the Test of Time.

A brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal spend Saturday detention together in the 1985 flick, The Breakfast Club. This movie is full of important life lessons: how not to pronounce "elephantiasis," how not to mold young minds, and how not to eat pixie sticks. And it proves that Anthony Michael Hall is the greatest actor of our lifetime. Well... maybe that's a stretch. We disc...

Back from the dead, a young man seeks revenge against the goons who killed him and his fiancée in the 1994 flick, The Crow. Special guest Dominic Monfre (who is totally "the goth" of our friends) is back as we chat about how Devil's Night is similar to The Purge, if it's ever okay for a musician to quote his own lyrics, and if the crow is actually kinda sexist. We also discuss the late Brandon Lee...

In The Big Lebowski, a laid back Californian known as The Dude gets mixed up with a shady philanthropist, nihilists, and a porn kingpin, all because someone peed on his rug… which really tied the room together.  This week, special guest Dominic Monfre drops in to see what condition his condition is in, and to chat about the difference between being waterboarded and getting a swirly, what it means...

  Falling Down is the story of a seemingly normal man's descent into violence and madness over the course of a single day.  This movie's "hero" looks like Frank Grimes, has terrible trigger control, and doesn't want to believe he's a bad guy... despite the fact that he's a racist who shoots up a fast food restaurant. If you wrote a think piece about the "forgotten white voter" after the 2016 elect...

Life with kids is like being on a roller coaster. Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Rick Moranis, and others are along for the ride in the 1989 film, Parenthood. This week, we talk about the cheesiest line of dialogue ever uttered by Keanu Reeves, the mistake made by this movie and Saved by the Bell, and the tragic—but ultimately hopeful—story of a kid named Cool. This flick's got a so...

Tom Hanks plays a heartbroken widower, and Meg Ryan plays an unhappily engaged reporter. They're both searching for true love, and they may find it thanks to a radio call-in show. Just in time for Valentine's Day, we're talking about the 1993 movie, Sleepless in Seattle. Special guest Courtney Noah joins us for a conversation about what qualifies as a rom-com, how this movie has absolutely nothing...

If podcasting about old movies is cool, consider us Miles Davis. This week, we're talking about Adam Sandler's classic comedy, Billy Madison. This movie dared to ask whether shampoo or conditioner is better, and special guests Joanna and Amanda Brief join us to ask even more burning questions. Who's the hidden cameo on a nudie magazine cover? What's the nature of the relationship between Veronica...

Solar flares and a ham radio connect a father and son across time in the 2000 movie, Frequency.  Join us for a conversation about the most amazin' baseball team ever (the '69 Mets, duh), how terrifying hospitals used to be, and the correct pronunciation of Yahoo. We also discuss using time travel to improve your life *and* your living room before deciding if Frequency stands the Test of Time.

Eddie Murphy plays an African prince (and a singer, a barber, and an old Jewish man) in the box office smash, Coming to America. This week, Amita Patel from the Inside Pop podcast joins us to talk about the movie with a pampered prince you pity, the most misogynistic song ever, and a mic drop before mic drops were even a thing. Plus it's got a young Cuba Gooding Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, and Louie A...

Six strangers find themselves in a geometric, booby-trapped maze in the 1997 thriller, Cube. This week, we're talking about prime numbers (like a couple of nerds), why the whole "five o'clock shadow" thing isn't true for everyone, and how this franchise missed a huge opportunity with its third movie. Plus we give our thoughts on Star Wars: The Last Jedi — and make a few Episode IX predictions — be...

The Last Dragon wasn't a hit when it was released in 1985, but it has since become a beloved cult classic. Special guest Jason Torres joins us to discuss why The Last Dragon's villain may be its true hero, the movie's shocking similarities with Kung Fu Panda, and why you should never try to catch a bullet with your teeth once, let alone twice. We also make our 2018 box office predictions before de...

Matt Damon plays a reformed gambler drawn back into the world of underground poker in the 1998 movie, Rounders.  Recorded live at Nick's Marathon, listen as we ponder the shelf life of a toothpick, why a good fake accent can still be distracting, and how this movie didn't really try too hard when it came to giving characters nicknames. (Worm? Joey Knish?? Teddy KGB???) We hope you don't call our b...

As a no-nonsense "cooler" (basically just a glorified bouncer), Patrick Swayze is bustin' heads and breakin' hearts in 1989's Road House.  Listen as we talk about Swayze's fatality move, when you should carry around your medical records, and what this movie's villain has in common with Mr. Burns. Not racy enough for you? Well hang on, because we also discuss the sounds that breasts make, the inven...

Robin Williams brings the jungle to life—literally—in 1995's Jumanji. This week, we discuss the worst way to tell someone that their parents are dead, the difference between alligators and crocodiles, and how parts of Jumanji are reminiscent of Back to the Future Part II, Big, and Pinocchio. We also come up with clever nicknames for both David Alan Grier and computer generated images, and we make...

What happens when you make a movie with Tom Selleck, Ted Danson, Steve Guttenberg, and an adorable infant? You get the #1 movie of 1987: Three Men and a Baby. Join us as we ask why three successful men in their 30's would want to be roommates, how drug dealers could confuse a baby with a brick of heroin, and why anyone would ever attempt to use a puppet to impress a woman. Come for the conversatio...