Honey, You Should Watch This.

Dirty Work (1998)

In this episode, Greg selects 1998's "Dirty Work" starring Norm MacDonald, Arte Lange, Jack Warden, Traylor Howard, and Christopher McDonald. It features Chris Farley and Chevy Chase and has cameo appearances by Don Rickles, Rebecca Romjin, John Goodman, Adam Sandler, and Gary Coleman. 

 

The story about two down on their luck friends, Mitch and Sam, who start a revenge-for-hire business to raise funds to get Sam's father, "Pops," to the top of a heart transplant work is the only feature-length film directed by Bob Saget. Greg and Susan discuss how the film, initially intended by MacDonald and his team of writers to have an R-rating, was changed by the studio to have a PG-13 rating. The couple agrees that the studio interference led to a much weaker film. The two disagree on the level of comedy in this film and discuss what they liked and didn't about the film.

 

The two also discuss trivia about the film, the actors, and other related topics as well as share their top three favorite scenes.

 

Resources referenced in the episode:

 

Norm MacDonald talks to David Letterman about Being Fired from SNL Weekend Update

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzD1yVupxcc

Little Monsters (2019) / The Girl with All the Gifts

Another week of "Safe at Home," and Susan and Greg record another double feature episode.  This week Susan choose two zombie flicks, "Little Monsters" - starring Lupita Nyong'o, Alexander England, and Josh Gad -  and "The Girl with All the Gifts"  - starring  Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, Glenn Close, and Sennia Nanua.

The two films have completely different tones, but share similar elements: children, zombies, and soldiers.

While Greg and Susan have some disagreements about  the apocalyptic "The Girl with All the Gifts," they agree entirely on the horror-comedy, "Little Monsters."  

Join them for a fun, spoiler-filled discussion about two interesting takes on the zombie genre.

The Expendables 1 & 2

When the podcast started, Susan knew the day would come when she would have to watch "The Expendables." Little did she know that "The Expendables 2" would also come with the deal. In the end, Susan had a lot more fun talking about these films than watching them (after she located an estrogen patch)!

 

The first film co-stars Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Terry Crews with cameos by Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It features Steve Austin, Eric Roberts, and Mickey Rourke.

 

The second keeps its principal cast and features Willis, Schwarzenegger, Jean Claud Van Damme, Liam Hemsworth, and Chuck Norris.

 

Susan and Greg discuss these films as a love letter to the 80s action genre with testosterone-fueled, over the top action sequences. Susan does her best to explain why the first film lacked aspects with which she could not identify and pointed out story beats that she could have done without that would not have impacted the story at all. The two also compare the first film to the second and discuss what made the latter a better ride. They also try to brainstorm a list of actors who have not yet been in the franchise but should be.

As always, Greg and Susan share trivia from the movie and share their top three moments from each.

 

Resources referenced:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expendables_(2010_film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expendables_2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amFwg_BOM5I

Rebecca

In this episode, Susan introduces Greg to "Rebecca," the 1940's romantic thriller based on the novel by Daphne de Maunier. The film is significant is it is the first film produced by David O'Selznick after "Gone with the Wind" and is the first American film directed by Alfred Hitchock and is his only Best Picture win.

 Starring Joan Fontaine, Lawrence Olivier, Judith Anderson, and George Sanders, the film tells the story of a naive young bride living in the shadow of her husband's late wife. Greg and Susan discuss the plot points, the performances of Foutaine and Olivier, and the long list of actresses who were under consideration for the leading role. The two also trade bits of trivia about the conflict between Selznick and Hitchcock, the tension between Olivier and Fontaine, and a long list of movie tricks and unique bits of direction that gave the movie its eerie atmosphere. 

 As always, Susan and Greg share their top three favorite moments and volley back and forth over a few queries for "I Have Questions."

 

Sources referenced:

http://www.classicmoviehub.com/facts-and-trivia/film/rebecca-1940/

https://www.movie-locations.com/movies/r/Rebecca.php

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristenlopez/2018/11/19/is-it-crazy-to-remake-rebecca-not-necessarily/#46af60f53a17

Unforgiven

Beware the Duck of Death! In this episode, Greg and Susan discuss "Unforgiven," the 1992 American revisionist Western film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood and written by David Webb Peoples. The film stars Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris, and Frances Fischer.

The couple discusses the various ways in which the film subverts the tropes of classic Westerns that formed the foundation of Eastwood's career. Themes of violence, transformation, the past, and legend versus reality are reviewed. Susan and Greg also explore the complexity of different characters of the film - including Hackman's Little Bob, Eastwood's Will Mooney, and Harris' English Bob - and discuss the ways certain characters counterbalance others in the movie.

Sources referenced:

http://www.artsrn.ualberta.ca/william_beard/Unforgiven.htm
https://nofilmschool.com/2017/09/unforgiven-deconstructing-western
https://deepfocusreview.com/definitives/unforgiven/

 

Heathers

The students of Westerberg High would kill to get into the popular clique known as The Heathers; Veronica Sawyer would kill to get out.

To wind down the episode streak of cult films, Susan introduces Greg to "Heathers," the 1989 cult classic starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, and Shannen Doherty. Greg is having a hard time relating to this "Mean Girls" predecessor and Susan attempts to talk him through.

The two discuss the screenwriter's (Daniel Waters)and director's (Michael Lehmann) opinions about this dark comedy/satire and how "Heathers" was a takedown of other teen films of the 80s.

The two discuss the key story beats, characters, and the darker elements of the film. Susan points out the color symbolism and the minute details of the film that seem to be inspired by the work of Stanley Kubrick.

The episode winds down with a discussion on how the film bombed at the box office but found new life as a cult classic inspiring both "Heathers: The Musical" and a TV show along with "I Have Questions" and Greg and Susan's top 3 moments.

Sources referenced:

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/heathers-30-years-on-how-the-dark-teen-comedy-predicted-everything-1.3583180

https://filmschoolrejects.com/21-things-we-learned-from-the-heathers-commentary-439a871c1f8c/

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/aug/04/michael-lehmann-on-the-legacy-of-heathers-cult-teen-film

 

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180803-is-heathers-too-shocking-for-2018

Velocipastor

Susan and Greg are joined by their friend Sara to discuss Sara's choice: The Velocipastor (A Man of the Claw). This 2018 film is a soon-to-be cult movie classic that tells the story of a Pastor who is cursed with the power to turn into a dinosaur when angered. The group discusses each of the movie's deliberately absurd moments one by one. The laugh-filled review provides commentary on Velocipastor's dialogue, special effects, storyline, and more. They also brainstorm sequel concepts.

Promo: OneMoviePunch

Please check out Sara's company, Potion Bath, at www.potionbathco.com.

 

One Cut of the Dead

Greg and Susan are joined by special guests Joe and Amy, from the One Movie Punch Podcast to discuss the 2017 Japanese cult hit "One Cut of the Dead." This spoiler-filled conversation covers the film's major twist and the creative way in which the story unfolds. The group also discusses the importance of supporting independent and foreign films to encourage innovative ways of storytelling and expand a person's worldview. You can watch the movie on Shudder, and rent or buy on Amazon prime (Spoiler..... we highly encourage you to watch this... you will not be disappointed.)

 

What We Do in the Shadows

In this episode, Greg and Susan have some vampy fun talking about 2014's "What We Do in the Shadows" by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi. Susan is all in on Greg's pick as it ticks off all the boxes for her: it's a mockumentary, it has quirky and dark humor, and it features New Zealanders and vampires. After Susan attempts to use vampiric hypnosis on the audience, the two discuss the movie's humor and talented cast, which features Clement, Waititi, Johnathan Brugh, Ben Frensham, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Stu Rutherford, Jacki van Beek, and Rhys Darby.

The two share trivia about the film's origins and influences as well as point out the finer details that make up the film's aesthetic.

Sources referenced in this episode:

How Taika Waititi, Paul Simms Found the Comedy-Gore Balance in ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/what-we-do-in-the-shadows-podcast-taika-waititi-paul-simms-1203168466/

What We Do in the Shadow: Some Interviews with Some Vampires https://youtu.be/AB4ERbk0EVY

A Vampires Guide to Wellington: https://youtu.be/WGvyjKLLnp4

Behind the Lid: The Wellington Sign: https://youtu.be/YKRdjHWkXeI

Taika Waititi Explains Why He Bailed On Writing ‘Moana’ https://theplaylist.net/taika-waititi-writing-moana-20171106/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gone Girl

2014's Gone Girl, directed by David Fincher and adapted for the screen by author Gillan Flynn, raises a lot of questions. Is it a mystery? A thriller? An absurdist satire? Susan and Greg cannot agree. And that's marriage.

Despite his initial concerns when Susan picked this film, Greg found himself enjoying the movie until the third act. Greg has a laundry list of what he feels are massive plot holes. Susan digs into the psychology and complexity of the film's villain, Amy Dunne - played masterfully by Rosamund Pike. Both discuss how excellently the film was cast and discuss performances by Ben Affleck, Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris, and Carrie Coon. As always, they discuss trivia about the film, box office, and their favorite moments.

Promo: Kolby Told Me Podcast

Resources referenced:

https://www.creativeplanetnetwork.com/news/news-features/david-fincher-creating-satire-gone-girl-606914

https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/interview-david-fincher/
https://www.vulture.com/2014/10/gone-girls-gillian-flynn-on-cool-girls.html

Why Gone Girl's Amy Dunne is the Most Disturbing Female Villain of All Time | Psych of a Psycho

https://youtu.be/CdxInrVPUzg