Movie Show Theater: The Podcast

Well... Ben picked Hairspray so we had to watch it. What were we supposed to do? It's not that we (as 3 dudes) don't like or appreciate musicals (I was a theater kid), but this one is just so... John Waters. Before getting into THAT, let's play some trivia!! I chose some, Ben chose some, and I came up with a new game that I don't have a name for yet. Let's call it... As The Plot Thickens. I also extend a Halloween movie challenge that was extended to me, and of course, we also touch on the never ending battle between Marvel & DC. Thanks for your support and thanks for listening to Movie Show Theater!

Well we had to do it. The news of Gene Wilder's passing was pretty crushing. He survived 'the business' for over 50 years, and he set the bar high for everyone who thinks they are funny. After much discussion, we landed on Blazing Saddles to serve as our vessel for remembering a legend, and honoring a true legend. And.. uh.. it gets lighter from here. Thanks for supporting Movie Show Theater!

Today comes from a slightly different angle as I take a plunge into the unknown depths of solo podcasting. And there's never been a better vessel than one of favorite films of all time, as I've seen it at least twenty times. Is that weird? Is that unnecessary? Probably yes, but there's so much here to appreciate. Especially considering I am NOT a Adam Sandler fan. Like, at all. I tried watching The Do Over, just for funzies. No fun was had, but Punch Drunk Love is so endearing, fascinating, and fun to watch. Paul Thomas Anderson directed this just before starting on There Will Be Blood, so this didn't get a whole lot of attention. However, Adam Sandler DID receive a Golden Globe nomination for his performance, and I say well deserved. The story is great, but the music and color tell a different story just below the surface. If you've never seen it, get a hold of me and I will find a (free and legal) way to get you to it. It's THAT important to me. The story, cinematography, and especially the score by Jon Br

So this is the last time we discuss Stranger Things for a while, but we went out on a very geeky bang. It's been out for over a month since its release on Netflix, and we're talking about EVERYTHING today! This includes conspiracies, fan theories, news about season 2, and everything we caught watching the season again. We were geeky, and thorough. And geeky. Thanks for listening to Movie Show Theater!

Ever seen this movie?! If not, you really really should. Watch it because it is a movie going experience like no other. If you don't understand how a movie can be so bad that it's good, than this movie is for you. Tommy Wiseau, a true man of mystery, spent six million dollars on this film's production. We discuss some of the lesser known facts and mythology about The Room, as well as a special guest who recently went to a midnight showing of The Room. Love it or hate it, you have never seen a movie like The Room. Thanks for listening!

Another episode from the vault, we took two standards from the gangster film genre and pitted them against each other. We weren't going for a 'which one is better' mindset, because we simply won't choose. But these are incredibly effective films, and both have a tremendous amount of staying power. Mobster films seem to have timeless elements incorporated into their stories that help keep them relevant. Either way, Goodfellas and The Godfather are truly alpha male badassery at its finest. Always good for an afternoon viewing, enjoy our look at Goodfellas and The Godfather! Thanks for supporting Movie Show Theater!

While this is a really good film, we don't spend an hour worshipping the ground on which it stands. It's a bit long, and nail that gritty look it was trying so desperately to achieve. However, it is about the most alpha male old school cool as it gets. Watching this again makes me realize what an incredible gem Paul Newman was to Hollywood. Also famous funny man Jackie Gleeson takes on a most serious role, and totally hits his mark. We found some pretty fascinating stories attached to this film, and we'd like to tell you about them. Won't you listen? Thanks for listening.

We got a request from Cody Cornwell of Peoria to do Requiem For A Dream this week, so... We did Requiem For A Dream this week. Ben and I both own this movie, but haven't watched it in a long time. It's an incredible film, but not a sunny day kind of movie. It's not supposed to be either, as it is meant to evoke very specific emotions and tell a pretty harrowing tale. Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Pi, The Wrestler, The Fountain) is one of the most talented directors of my generation, and chooses his projects very carefully. With only six feature films to his name since 1998, he seems to have a personal attachment to every movie he directs. Requiem For A Dream is a movie about addiction across the board, whether that addiction is TV, food, hope, or dope. This movie doesn't "end well", but we all think it's worth the journey. We think. Anyway, thanks for listening to Movie Show Theater!!

We got a request to do Dogma!! ! Isn't that great?! The movie is hilarious to me, but some people disagree. This movie sparked a lot of controversy, as do most religious centered films. This is a film you need to approach with a sense of humor, and realize that Kevin Smith was not trying to bring down the Catholic church with his film. On another level, it is a really interesting story a woman who has lost her faith. Also there's a poop monster. So... enjoy! And thanks for supporting Movie Show Theater!!

Before The Office and before Borat, we were introduced to Nigel Tufnel, Derek Smalls, and David St. Hubbins. All of Christopher Guest's film are cringe-worthy hilarious, but Spinal Tap is something special. Real life famed director, Rob Reiner, plays (fictional) director Marty DiBergi filming this documentary on the legendarily awkward (and fictional) rock band Spinal Tap. I'm here to tell you, this movie stands the test of time. It's only gained relevancy over the thirty-two years since its original release. We don't often tackle comedies, but this is more of a standard of comedy. The Edge and Tom Waits are famous for not laughing at this at all, as they were not aware it was supposed to be a comedy. It's that true to life and that accurate. There's too many amazing lines to even begin quoting. Enjoy and thanks for supporting Movie Show Theater!

We thought we'd lighten the mood with some (we thought) fantastically bad movies from the world of home video. Without being too obscure, we chose: Reefer Madness (1936) Suburban Commando (1991) Battlefield Earth (2000) These aARE bad, but bad movies are often time so much fun to watch! What makes a bad movie good? What makes a good movie bad? After today, you'll know what makes a bad movie bad. I do, still like watching Suburban Commando. Instead of reading my poorly worded sentences, let's just enjoy some good commentary on some very bad films. Thanks for giving us a shot!

Back when we all shared a microphone, we talked about two racially charged films released 42 years apart. This film comparison was requested by my mother, so how could I not? Anyway, this topic will always be relevant, but these two films are still very different in nature. However there are some very common cultural threads, as we'll talk big city racists and country bumpkin racists, and still manage to keep things pretty light. Thanks for recommendation, mom! And thanks for listening to Movie Show Theater!

We have a super weird show for you today! We have a few guests joining us via Skype to help out us out with some (virtually) spoiler-free discussion on Stranger Things. This show is taking over the internet, and it's no surprise to us! The show is a fitting homage to 1980's culture, and an incredibly effective retro-chic Netflix original series. But the first half of the show we'll be jumping back into movies to discuss Sam Ball and CJ Johnson's film that was just released today! Watch it for free at www.speedintothemoon.com Speed Racer: Behind the Wheel is a short film that was written, edited, and directed by Joey Fandel. He had a bit of help along the way, I've heard. Sam Ball plays Speed Racer and CJ Johnson is a sound wizard. I've seen it and you should check it out. It's hilarious, under 20 minutes, and for sure NOT for young children. Actually, this episode probably isn't either. We'll also dish out some trivia, and I find out I am terrible to play trivia with. Please pardon our less perfect sound, as

In an effort to reduce the amount of time you spend skipping past movies on Netflix you know you'll never watch, we've got six films just for you. We're going to attempt to sell you six films in less than sixty minutes. Sounds fun, right? The films: House of the Devil (horror, 2009)- USA Super (dark comedy, 2010)- USA Predestination (sci-fy/ drama, 2014)- USA Last Action Hero (action/ comedy, 1993)- USA The Protector(martial arts, 2005)- Thailand Tampopo (comedy, 1985)- Japan

This movie was done by request of Matt Wehrmann, and we were happy to oblige. This movie was sufficiently funny when it was originally released in 1998 and had a respectable performance at the box office. But it was until about 10 years ago that The Big Lebowski hit worldwide cult classic status. Why is that? What happened? I attended a LebowskiFest a few years back in Peoria that did not go so well, but I'll tell you more about that in the episode. Joel and Ethan Coen are two of my absolute favorite directors of all time, and I'll always hold Raising Arizona very near and dear to my heart. But The Big Lebowski is funny, too. Like really funny. Largely due to Jeff Bridges' particularly hilarious character, but everyone turned out great performances for this movie. I think that is a key component to a truly great director. The Coen brothers seem to have the ability to bring out the best possible performances in the actors they work with. I won't tell you what it's about or why I like it, or why John Turtor

Stu chose the cute, yet vulgar and violent Four Rooms from magical 1995. If you've never heard the tale of 1995, legend tells of 1995 being the best year of movies in the history of film. We discuss in greater length in this episode, but here's a short list as an example: Braveheart, Toy Story, The Usual Suspects, 12 Monkeys, Se7en, Apollo 13, The Bridges of Madison County, Heat, Casino, Mallrats, and Desperado (there's seriously like 20 amazing films from '95). So Four Rooms is a collection of 4 short films centered around an anxious and extremely neurotic bellhop named Ted, played flawlessly by Tim Roth. It's a good watch if you haven't had the pleasure. If nothing else, Tarantino directs the last segment, and his acting is especially bad. Also, we all decided Bruce Willis was legit intoxicated whilst filming this movie. No one is THAT good of an actor. Robert Rodriguez directs my favorite segment called The Misbehavers, and starring a wonderfully arrogant Antonio Banderas. I think this is a great date nig

This is (obviously)the follow-up sequel to the 2011, Captain America: The First Avenger. The Russo Brothers (Anthony and Joe if you'd like to know) directed this film, as well as Captain America: Civil War. They did well enough to score the Avengers: Affinity War gig, as well as a currently untitled additional Avengers film set for a 2019 release (Affinity War Part two if I had to guess). I realize there are a lot of people out there who are tired of the superhero/ comic book movie movement that seems to be picking up speed in Hollywood. While this is totally understandable (I get it, I've never read a single comic book), I know they are making studios an unimaginable amount of money, meaning this is no longer a trend in Hollywood. Needless to say, we get pretty geeky for this episode. But superhero franchises aside, I've always been fascinated by Captain America's origin story. The first live action Captain America film came out in 1979, and it's.... really sweet. I'm an asshole. They didn't have many resou

This was our first episode at the new studio. Kubrick films are always fun to pick apart because they are full of symbolism and hidden meanings, not to mention his insane genius. This movie is full of content that pushed the boundaries of what could be portrayed on screen. Even though you could pretty much get away with whatever you wanted with film in the 70's (Ever seen Phase IV or Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires?), Clockwork Orange contains a few mindless beatings and two rape scenes within the first ten minutes of the film. Kubrick liked to test his audiences to see what he could get away with and how much he could get away with. His eye for cinematography and his use of haunting visual imagery is largely why he has remained such a legend. This film also shows off Kubrick's talent for seamlessly blending music and visuals in a very non-traditional way (ie beating a man half to death while singing the Gene Kelly classic Singing In The Rain). The overall visuals and post-apocalyptic feel of a futuristic Lon

We managed to talk about The Phantom for more than an hour, so that's pretty impressive. Was that mean? It's not that it was so bad, just kind of forgettable. Billy Zane trained hard, bulked up, and shaved his head for his role, but sadly it lost a lot of money. It's always awkward when the end of a movie is a direct set-up for a sequel, but no one wants one. Poor Billy Zane. He played this purple goofball just one year before Titanic, so he did OK. This is an adventure, action, comedy, family-friendly, swashbuckling, comic book, superhero movie. See where I'm going with this? Anyway, listen to us and think about how great your childhood was. Doesn't that sound nice? Thanks!

We chose two very successful sequels to very different movies released exactly ten years apart. We created a criteria for judging and evaluating sequels specifically for this episode. Doesn't that sound exciting?! I thought so. Which of these films would make better stand alone films? Which of these films serves as a better sequel? And can that question even be answered? At the top of the show, Ben pulls out some interesting trivia questions and the answers might surprise you. How many pairs of glasses did Daniel Radcliffe go through during the filming of the Harry Potter series? Listen in to find out! As always thanks for supporting Movie Show Theater!