Nick Nolte is a dirty, drunken jerk of a cop who needs Eddie Murphy’s help to find a couple of crazy killers loose in San Francisco. I discuss the role of film as a bridge between 1970s cop movies and 1980s cop movies, place it in context with similar films, and examine the unusual structure. I explore how it fits into director Walter Hill’s career as well as Nolte’s and Murphy’s. I pick apart the police procedural aspects, the weak romantic subplots, and the racial themes.

Join me as I deconstruct the movie’s theme of game-as-rite-of-passage and the Alan vs Van Pelt conflict; plan to make contingency plans for bad special effects if I write a screenplay; and laugh at the slow rhino. I also analyze the minor character roles, pick apart the rule that someone has to roll a 5 or 8 when there’s only one player left to roll the dice, and try to think of a reason to bury a really cool box full of something really cool so children can eventually find it.

Join me as I join The Doctor from Speakeasy Commentaries for the second time for a transoceanic fan commentary from two ridiculous movie/comic book geeks. The Doctor explains the back story and history of Iron Man in the comic books (the storyline “Demon in a Bottle” is the one where Tony confronts his alcoholism). I explain the connection to Ozzy Osbourne (Ozzy sang for Black Sabbath and did the song “Iron Man”). We discuss Robert Downey, Jr. and Jon Favreau’s other work and arrest records. However, we are both very excited by the prospect of Iron Man 2, as well as an Avengers movie, especially with Samuel L Jackson.

Michael J Fox leaps into the past in a nuclear-powered Delorean in Steven Spielberg’s Robert Zemeckis’s 1985 time travel movie to end all time travel movies (except for the two sequels and the cartoon series). I discuss the nature of time travel, point out the links to other films (like 1960’s The Time Machine), and blather on at some length about the cars and the history of rock and roll from 1951 to 1955.

Join me as I analyze the prequel adventure set in Asia, land of mystery and peril! I compare it to the first and third movies and try to ignore the fourth. I discuss my surprising affection for both Short Round and Willie. I marvel at Lucas and Spielberg’s ability to get child torture into a teen adventure film. (The secret: have a child also do the torturing!) I deconstruct the episodic nature of the film, which reveals the dullness of the middle part where they’re just trudging thru jungle, playing cards and getting scared by animals.

Join me as I take apart the fourth of the Bond films. I take the story apart, questioning why no one else notices the clues in the photos all the double-0 agents get, how weird and kind of pointless it is that Bond had a fight with the guy Blofeld hired to deliver his audio taped demands, and how weird and kind of pointless it is that Largo hooked up with the sister of the guy he recruited to steal the nuclear bombs. And I compare the film to the book and somewhat to the later non-Eon remake Never Say Never Again.

Quick: name two of the tallest and most influential people in history/fiction who were forced to confront slavery and the threat of the destruction of their civilization and who had beards. You thought of Abraham Lincoln and Qui-Gon Jinn, didn’t you?

Join me as I watch this SyFy channel video nasty for the very first time and marvel at the fake buttons, Ed Wood sets, and hot scientist-on-scientist action. I sing a little Debbie Gibson and call Lorenzo Lamas “Fernando Lamas” a couple of times (they’re father and son).

Join me as I take on the greatest ’80s action movie of all. Bruce Willis gets the crap beaten out of him as New York cop John McClane. I discuss the film as a chess match and compare it to the other Die Hard films and other action films of the era and the eras before and after. I examine why parts of the film are terrible despite the whole being a work of unparalleled genius. And I mock the Eurotrash bad guys from time to time and attempt to straighten out the “Shoot the glass” thing.

Join me and my guest Scott of Speakeasy Commentaries for the big 50th Tysto audio commentary, wherein we take apart the Will Smith/Isaac Asimov epic I, Robot.

We discuss the Asimov stories, action movies in general, the fundamental strengths and flaws of the film, and movies made from Philip K Dick stories, as well as making some Fresh Prince of Bel-Air jokes.