Honey, You Should Watch This.

The Super (1991)

Have you ever remembered a film fondly, and then came the day you rewatched and thought, "This is not that great." That's what we have this week with Greg's pick, The Super. No, not the Val Kilmer thriller. The 1991 comedy starring Joe Pesci, Vincent Gardenia, and Ruben Blades. Greg and Susan discuss how this film fell short in many different ways and some areas where it went right. After learning that director, Rod Daniel, turned in a two and half hour cut, Susan and Greg speculate about what might have been cut that could improve on the story and its emotional beats.

 

Roger Ebert's review:
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-super-1991

LA Times review:
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-10-04-ca-3233-story.html

Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy

This week, Susan has selected the 1996 cult comedy classic from the Kids in the Hall (KITH), Brain Candy. Greg and Susan discuss the targets of satire in the film: the pharmaceutical industry, corporate greed, grunge, and fame. They also talk about how the success of the film fell victim to individual struggles of KITH members, disagreements about the story between the troupe's members and Dave Foley, and pressures from the studio.

The couple also discusses trivia about the film and some history of the members and more memorable KITH characters.

Articles and videos referenced in the episode:

Kevin MacDonald Interview with Build Series
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V5pLX12zUw

Kids in the Hall: Laughing Ourselves Sick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNzOclTKgvo

PopMatters.com - Time only makes the cult grow stronger: Kids in the Hall Brain Candy
https://www.popmatters.com/time-only-makes-the-cult-grow-stronger-kids-in-the-halls-brain-candy-2495444355.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

Siskel and Ebert Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dheOm5JgwzM

Brain Candy Turns 20: A Conversation with The Kids in the Hall’s Scott Thompson

https://consequenceofsound.net/2016/04/brain-candy-turns-20-a-conversation-with-the-kids-in-the-halls-scott-thompson/

 

 

 

 

 

Major Payne

Listen up, turds. In this episode, Susan and Greg disucss Greg's pick of 1995's Major Payne (starring Damon Wayans and Karyn Parsons). Some of the humor was a bit lost on Susan and the two discuss how Wayans' choices for the former Marine killing machine now fish out of water may have made it difficult for a civilian like Susan to relate. She had a LOT of questions. Greg had answers often explained through his own experiences from Marine boot camp. The two also discussed the debut roles for the child to teen cast of JRTOC cadets ( Orlando Brown, Steven Martini, and Chris Owen), including some "Where are they now?" trivia.

Bachelor Mother

Greg and Susan try not to be a disgrace to the toy department as they discuss 1939's Bachelor Mother starring Ginger Rogers and David Niven and featuring Charles Coburn and Frank Alberston. The romantic comedy set between Christmas and New Years in NYC tells the story of a soon-to-be unemployed shopgirl who gets mistaken for the mother of a baby left at foundling home. Greg and Susan discuss the pairing of Rogers and Niven and speculate how the movie might have been much different if the original pick for the leading man was in the film. They discuss the best scenes featuring each central cast member. They also talk about the constraints of the plot due to the Hayes code.

Sources referenced:

https://www.popmatters.com/134616-bachelor-mother-2496101102.html

 

The Adventures of Ford Fairlane

The Adventures of Ford Fairlane

It's Booty Time, Booty Time, Across the USA! In this episode, Greg has Susan watch "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane," starring Andrew "Dice" Clay, Lauren Holly, Wayne Newton, Priscilla Presley, and features Gilbert Godfrey, Robert Englund, and Morris Day.

While this is one of Greg's favorites, Susan struggles to accept its tone and world-building. The two discuss the highs and lows of this early 90s Renny Harlin (mis)adventure and also discuss Clay's career, including the blurry line that separates "the Diceman" from the real man and other comedic influences on his performance and his standup routine.

Articles referenced in the episode:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/26/style/andrew-dice-clay-star-is-born.html

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-adventures-of-ford-fairlane-1990

 

Saving Silverman

Come on, yeah, ha! Susan introduces Greg to the beautiful dumpster fire that is 2001’s “Saving Silverman,” starring Steve Zahn, Jason Biggs, Jack Black, and Amanda Peet. The two discuss the crazy antics, ridiculous dialog, and discuss the parts of the film that did not age well. Greg shares the lost art that is “The Ballad of Saving Silverman” as part of our Neil Diamond discussion and trivia. As always, both Susan and Greg have questions. So many damn questions. Plus, the two pick their top three funniest moments of the film.

Find "Saving Silverman" on Amazon Prime.

Listen to the Ballad of Saving Silverman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsAhCdani7o

Articles/Interviews referenced:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/steve-zahn-and-jack-black-taught-neil-diamond-his-own-lyrics-while-making-%E2%80%98saving-silverman%E2%80%99/vp-BBSBJiy

https://www.stereogum.com/2023701/neil-diamond-saving-silverman-jason-biggs-theme-song/music/

https://people

 

Tucker and Dale vs Evil

Get the PBR and pickled eggs! Susan and Greg brace for a doozy of discussion about “Tucker and Dale Versus Evil,” starring Alan Tudyk, Tyler Labine, Katrina Bowden, and Jesse Moss and directed by Eli Craig. Greg picked this one, especially for Susan, who is not the biggest fan of redneck comedy. Susan tells Greg what she thinks, and two compare this comedy horror to others in the genre. As usual, they also talk trivia about the film and cast and how it fared at the box office and the film festival circuit. They try to keep it together as they run down the insanity of their favorite scenes while their cat keeps walking through their “studio.”

Please check out this video from Good Bad Flicks which provides a great deal of trivia about the film:

Good Bad Flicks. 2015, October 16. Exploring Tucker & Dale vs Evil. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/j3Lj0-GrRSQ

Rosemary's Baby

Greg and Susan are holding on to the Halloween spirit as she makes him watch Rosemary's Baby, the 1968 American psychological horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski, starring Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, and Sidney Blackmer. They talk about themes in the movie and the various ways that the film's antagonists - Roman and Minnie Castevet and Guy Woodhouse - exert control over the protagonist, Rosemary. The two trade multiple bits of trivia about the movie and the cast and pick their top three creepiest moments from the film.

Suicide Squad

In this episode, Greg has Susan watch the Warner Brothers’ 2016 film, “Suicide Squad: The Extended Cut.” written and directed by David Ayer. While Greg finds this movie fun, Susan finds it frustrating and the two debate about how this could have been a much better movie. The two disucss how DC’s attempts on catching up to the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been the downfall of the franchise as a whole. Susan does point out the one area where DC excelled and where Marvel struggled. The topic of Jared Leto’s portrayal of the Joker is also addressed. Was it as bad as everyone says it is? Did Leto get a fair shake? Performances by Viola Davis as Amanda Waller and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn are pointed out as the film’s two bright spots. As always, we have questions and some of them get answered!

 

Sources referenced:

Betancourt, Davidt (August 4, 2016), Margot Robbie on becoming Harley Quinn and ‘the most unpleasant thing I’ve ever done’. The Washington Post Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/08/04/margot-robbie-on-becoming-harley-quinn-and-the-most-unpleasant-thing-ive-ever-done/

Doty, Meriah (August 15, 2016), 5 Reasons Why ‘Suicide Squad’ Slayed at the Box Office. The Wrap. Retrieved from: https://www.thewrap.com/5-reasons-why-suicide-squad-slayed-at-the-box-office/

 

D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 8, 2016), Suicide Squad’ $133.6M Opening Breaks August Record To Push Warner Bros. Past $1B Domestic – Monday Final. Deadline. Retrieved from: https://deadline.com/2016/08/suicide-squad-weekend-box-office-opening-will-smith-margot-robbie-1201799046/

 

 

 

 

Network

Susan thinks Greg should watch 1976's "Network" -- an American satirical film written by Paddy Chayefsky, directed by Sidney Lumet, and starring Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, and Robert Duvall. The film also features Wesley Addy, Ned Beatty, and Beatrice Straight.

They talk about the film's central relationship - that between Holden's Max Schumacher and Dunaway's Diana Christensen. They point out how the movie's only sex scene seems to have inspired a similar scene in another film. Greg and Susan also focus the smaller roles which were the most memorable: including Beatty's pivotal performance as a corporate heavy and Marlene Warfield and Arthur Burghardt's scene-stealing turns as radical activists. Greg wonders if the Oscar wins by Finch, Dunaway, and Straight were deserving when compared to other nominees in the same year. The two make their picks for the three funniest scenes in the film.

Susan and Greg also discuss the elements of Todd Phillip's "Joker" that appear to be inspired by "Network."