Tag Archives: filmmakers on film

Joe Dante: Matinee (1993)

This week we talk about a film that no one really saw: Matinee, starring John Goodman as a William Castle / Alfred Hitchcock hybrid who brings his B-movie “Mant!” to a small theater in Key West, Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis. What ensues is a fun, if a bit subdued, romp through B-movie nostalgia featuring the usual Dante players as well as a fun performance from Cathy Moriarty – who you may or may not know as the villain from Casper (1995). There’s also a greaser who writes poetry who terrorizes the protagonists dressed up as an ant, and Goodman’s monologue about the “first monster movie” provides a wonderful thesis for the film.

Are you ready to Dante?


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Joe Dante: Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

We continue our month of Joe Dante with a look at perhaps one of the zanier films in his filmography – Gremlins 2: The New Batch. There’s so much to love here, from the wonderful puppet design to the brilliant and comedic turn from Christopher Lee. Dante even got Chuck Jones to do the intro to the film, which should tell you everything else you need to know.

We also briefly discuss his film Small Soldiers and get into some of the hype surrounding that film. There’s a lot of discussion packed into this episode so be sure to keep your Mogwai hidden away in a cool, dry place (preferably with Rambo playing on a nearby TV) before settling down to listen to this week’s episode.


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Joe Dante: Hollywood Boulevard (1976)

We’ve tweaked our podcast formula a bit and are proud to present to you the first episode of BEHIND THE HYPE which looks back through a filmmaker’s career to examine their early or more obscure works. Every month we’ll tackle a different filmmaker, covering at least four of their movies.

This month we’re delving into the career of Joe Dante with his first film Hollywood Boulevard, from 1976. We also briefly discuss the short “French Ventriloquist’s Dummy” from the 1987 film Amazon Women on the Moon.


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Episode #303 – Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

STAR WARS
EPISODE III
REVENGE OF THE SITH

It is a time of great rejoicing as we’ve made it to the last and best episode of the prequel trilogy, and as such have ended our journey through all the Star Wars films. How does this one hold up compared to the others? Well, it looks great, and has one of the best lightsaber fights of the saga. Does it break our heart in other areas? Absolutely.

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Episode #302 – Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

STAR WARS
EPISODE II
ATTACK OF THE CLONES

It’s a very confusing time for Padme, coming into her own and embracing the Autassassinophiliac within her. And Anakin is dealing with…stuff. But hey, Kamino is pretty cool, and that third act is quite riveting, and we get to see Yoda do lightsaber fighting. I mean, at the end of the day it’s not a TOTAL loss, right? Right?

Right?

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Episode #301 – Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

STAR WARS
EPISODE I
THE PHANTOM MENACE

It’s a time of great hope, for a new Star Wars approaches after years of nothing but the original trilogy. Fans flock to the theaters in droves to see the origins of Darth Vader…and they get a Trade Federation? Gungans? Committees? Senators? Chancellors? Cool pod race, though. And Ewan Mcgregor really knocks it out of the park as Obi-Wan Kenobi.

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Episode #300 – 300

WE DID IT! We reached our 300th episode! To celebrate this momentous occasion we decided to something completely on-the-nose and unsubtle and review Zack Snyder’s 300…which is also on-the-nose and unsubtle! And fun was had by all. Oh, and also Happy Thanksgiving!

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Episode #299 – Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

STAR WARS
EPISODE VI
RETURN OF THE JEDI

It’s 1983, and fans eagerly line up to see the conclusion to the trilogy, with expectations soaring high. What they get causes some distress. Swashbuckling? Ewoks? Silly humor? Well, yeah. It’s the perfect distillation of everything we liked from the first two movies, and quite possibly the best way to end the trilogy. Of course, some additions have been made over the years that have made this chapter difficult to enjoy. Join us as we discuss Return of the Jedi!

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Episode #298 – Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

STAR WARS
EPISODE V
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

It is a dark time for the rebellion…but a pretty friggin’ sweet time for us because we get to talk about The Empire Strikes Back, easily the best Star Wars film ever made. If the last movie captured our imaginations, this one captured our hearts. It cemented our fandom and gave us the best ship in the galaxy: Han and Leia. It also gave us Yoda, Lando Calrissian, Lobot, and perhaps the biggest surprise this side of the galaxy. There’s a reason why this one sits at the top of many SW fan lists. So join us, won’t you?

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Episode #297 – Star Wars: A New Hope

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

STAR WARS
EPISODE IV
A NEW HOPE

It is a time of great nostalgia! Bryan, Chewie, Jon, and Emily come together to discuss the movie that changed history and made us the geeks we are today. We talk about our first introduction to the movie and what makes it so special to us. We also look ahead to the upcoming Rise of Skywalker in the hope that the final chapter will properly close the saga.

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