Drop the Pilot is back again, this time with a good show! Jimmy doesn’t think so, but I think it had a lot of potential even if the episode was terrible. Bunco has Tom Selleck and Robert Urich, but it stars Donna Mills and a cast of amazing character actors from 1977 that will make your head spin.
Starship Troopers
Join Mehul and me for a revisiting of the undaptation of Robert A Heinlein’s Starship Troopers. We try to figure out which parts came from the book and which parts were original to the screenplay that had little to do with the book. We notice that it’s kind of two movies in one and neither one is much of an actual story.
We compare it to other Paul Verhoeven movies, Aliens, Full Metal Jacket, Philip K Dick adaptations, the 19th century British Navy, World War 2 movies, World War 2 itself, and Melrose Place. We praise the effects and action (by which me mean a bit of the old ultraviolence). Mehul waxes poetical about the music. I wax poetical about Dina Meyer. (I’m still available, Dina!)
I’m watching the DVD; he’s watching the Blu-ray; and we pretty much stay in sync. Start after the Tri-Star logo on the countdown.
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Drop the Pilot! “Callahan”
Jimmy B invites me back on Drop the Podcast to talk about the failed Hart Bochner/Jamie Lee Curtis trifle Callahan. Everything about it is pretty terrible, and Jimmy is in deep denial. Make no mistake tho: our stars are very, very pretty.
The Phantom
Join me as I am joined by Olly to watch SLAM EVIL with the oddly still watchable comic book movie from 1990s. No, not The Rocketeer. No, not The Shadow. No, not Dick Tracy. Yes: The Phantom! We argue over the cowl and discuss other costume matters. We praise the cast and, especially, the amazing art direction and cinematography, and the seaplanes… but not necessarily the overall mise-en-scene. A certain actor comes in for criticism as well as some of the stunts.
We agree the film lacks a certain punch despite having many punches and that it could nevertheless have done with a sequel, but not with those box office numbers. We compare it to its contemporary comic book movies, the new crop of comic book movies, romantic comedies, James Bond movies, Indiana Jones movies, Frazier, Due South, and Monkey Island video games.
I’m watching the streaming version free on Amazon Prime; Ollie is watching a PAL version and tries to keep in sync. Cue up the first frame of black after the studio logo.
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Star Wars 8: The Last Jedi
Join Drew and me for a rollicking adventure following all your favorite characters from The Force Awakens (except the ones who died) where they… uh… try to escape the First Order and try to get Luke to return to civilization, and ride some llama-dogs at a racetrack, and some of them eventually meet for the first time… What is this movie about?
I guess we praise the acting and set design and dialog but sort of not? We compare it to Phantom Menace and Harry Potter.
Note: I failed to ensure my microphone was set up correctly, so my side is recorded thru the built-in microphone. Luckily, Drew does most of the talking because he’s the expert and also he understands what’s going on most of the time.
We’re watching on Blu-ray. Start right after the Lucasfilm logo on the countdown.
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The Long Kiss Goodnight
Join John Pavlich of Sofa Dogs as I join him and Jimmy B to talk about The Long Kiss Goodnight. It’s a Shane Black thriller about mommies and memories set at Christmas, so it’s perfect for April of 2018, AKA the Year With No Spring.
We’re watching it on various devices. Cue up the first frame of black after the studio logo.
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Drop the Pilot! “Evel Knievel”
Jimmy B is back, and this time we’re having a look at the pilot for the 1974 action/mystery/comedy(?) Evel Knievel, named for the world’s greatest motorcycle jump daredevil, Evel Knievel. He’s played here by the fine and mustacheless Sam Elliot, and oh my god does he look like Scot Bakula. Wow. It’s uncanny. Good theme song. Nothing else of substance.
My Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle… Awesome fun.
The Truman Show
Join John Pavlich of Sofa Dogs as I join him to talk about The Truman Show. We love the film and praise nearly every aspect of it. I regard it as a nearly perfect film and try to rewrite it as a comedy. We muse about the different levels of meaning, whether or not Truman is crazy (John: it’s not paranoia if they’re really out to get you; me: oh he’s nuts) and why a TV studio with its own ocean doesn’t have any working boats. We wax poetical about the art design, writing, and cast, if not the acting (me vs Laura Linney; John vs Jim Carey). It’s a great film that speaks to us personally. After all: all the world’s a stage and all the people merely players. You can tell people I said that. I don’t think anyone has made that observation before. We hardly say word one about director Peter Weir, so here it is: he’s great.
On a related note: please consider reaching out to John and helping him get thru some medical and personal difficulties.
We’re watching it on Netflix and DVD. Cue up the first frame of black after the studio logo.
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Drop the Pilot! “Alligator Point”
Jimmy B is back with more failed TV pilot goodness. In this episode, we look at the the Kelsey Grammar-produced sitcom Alligator Point, starring Nathan Fillion and Jaime Pressly. I love it, Jimmy hates it, and over the course of things we meet somewhere in the middle (we both hate it).
Drop the Pilot! “Coming to America”
My good friend Jimmy B has started a new podcast recently in which he and guests, including yours truly, discuss failed TV pilots (or, as I believe they call them in Scotland, “telly puddings”).
In this episode, we look at the the Tommy-Davidson-vehicle movie follow-up Coming to America.