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.
Groundhog Day
Join John Pavlich of Sofa Dogs as I join him to talk about Groundhog Day. We praise the acting, the plotting, and the locations. We compare it to Edge of Tomorrow, Goethe’s Faust, Scrooged, and falling in love. I explain my head canon that makes it all work for me. And we try to decide what would make it better in general.
We’re watching streaming versions . Cue up the first frame of black after the Columbia logo.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Star Trek 79 “Turnabout Intruder”
Space: the final frontier. Our five-year ten-episode mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.
Olly and I overcome communications issues, swap bodies, and have a look at the final episode of Star Trek! We discuss Shatner’s acting, the challenge of doing a body swap episode, the likelihood of fooling the bridge officers, the fact that Spock never met a mutiny he didn’t like, and much, much more.
I’m watching the Netflix streaming version; Olly is watching something else; and we kind of stay in sync. Start at 0:00:00 on the countdown.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
2010: The Year We Made Contact
Join Mehul and me as we again explore the vastness of space and decide whether or not getting mean texts constitutes “contact”. We compare it to 2001, 2002, 2003, etc., Contact, Alien, The Abyss, Leviathan, Deepstar 6, submarine movies, Seaquest DSV, Star Trek’s “The Tholian Web”, and Rocky 5*.
We discuss and praise the cast, the miniatures, and cinematography. We mock the slow burn, the Russian tech, and the politics. We suss out the motivations of everyone except the monolith. We try to figure out how gravity works. And we try to decide if Roy Scheider is a love interest.
* I don’t use Roman numerals because, as previously discussed, I DON’T SPEAK LATIN.
I’m watching the Blu-ray; he’s watching a streaming version and re-sync a few times. Start after the MGM logo on the countdown.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Baby Driver
Faldor is back! We sit down for a look at Edgar Wright’s new flick about the heartwarming romance between boy and his iPod and also a girl he kind of likes, but maybe not LIKE likes, ’cause he’s not gonna get all mushy or anything. We compare it to other Edgar Wright films, crime pictures of the ’60s and ’70s, Reservoir Dogs, Ant-Man, Highlander, James Bond films, John Wick, Layer Cake, Highlander, Harry Potter, Where Eagles Dare, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Oedipus Rex, The Omen, and, of course, the first in the series: Baby’s Day Out.
Martin (Faldor is just a code-name he tells everyone) recommends the Ford Ka as a getaway car. We recast Doc. We disbelieve that any adult was a toddler when iPods came out. We try to figure out the timeline of the third act. We try to figure out why Kevin Spacey bothers to pack up his tiny car collection. And we try to figure out why Bats has bats tattooed on his neck (theory: everyone likes bats).
We’re watching the Blu-ray and a download and stay in sync. Start the movie on the countdown after the logos, right before the bank scene fades up.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Star Trek 64 “The Tholian Web”
Space: the final frontier. Our five-year ten-episode mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.
Olly and I reestablish contact after slipping thru a rift in the fabric of space-time and a debilitating bout of space madness to talk about “The Tholian Web”! Oh those punctual Tholians cause no end of vexation while Spock tries to catch Kirk on the next swing around the ol’ space carousel (or whatever. Honestly, i have no idea what’s causing this). It’s great fun seeing Spock in charge and endlessly put upon, and it makes wonderful use of the whole cast; even Nurse Chapel!
I suggest we could have a whole series of this stuff. Olly insults Chekov, as usual. I suggest the Tholians might be teenage girls in disguise. Olly defends the sparkly spacesuits. It’s a haunted house! Kirk-light! It’s Shakespearean!
I’m watching the Netflix streaming version; Olly is watching something else; and we kind of stay in sync. Start at 0:00:00 on the countdown.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
2001: A Space Odyssey
Join Mehul and me as we explore the vastness of space and discover it full of stars character actors! We contemplate the nature of the universe, discuss alien life and intelligence, talk about the film’s influence on our culture and movies, and generally have a very good time with this slow, contemplative, visual feast of a film.
Altho we discuss what we think could have made it better, and altho I don’t say it, I consider this to be a nearly perfect film. But is it entertaining…? Eeeee, maybe not as much as it could be.
We’re watching the DVD and streaming versions and pretty much stay in sync. Start after the MGM logo on the countdown.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Duck Soup (1933)
Olly is back, and this time we’re discussing the distressing idea of incompetent clowns taking charge of a country. Will they be able to make Fredonia great again? Will they Frexit?
We compare it to other Marx Brothers movies—with and without Zeppo—commedia dell’arte, the Muppets, Bugs Bunny, MASH, Blazing Saddles, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We figure out why comedies aren’t funny anymore (no hats). We argue over the name of the dog (Pastrami) and what women are wearing (underwear and a peignoir*). Olly constructs a conspiracy theory about Harpo doing radio. I repeatedly mix up the names of the brothers. Olly can’t think of a name (Davy Crockett). I urge temperance. Olly urges driving yourself to madness.
* As determined by a grueling and exhaustive search of lingerie pictures on the Internet.
I’m watching the Region 1 DVD; Olly is watching the Region 2 slowed down; and we roughly stay in sync. Start at on the countdown.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Join John Pavlich of Sofa Dogs as I (and some spoooky devil dogs) join him and together we wax poetical about George Romero and his zombie film, the one that all zombie films afterward use as a template.
We discuss the enduring format of the siege picture, the race and gender issues, the acting, the direction, the difference between zombies and ghouls (ghouls rule, zombies drool), and of course whether Harry & Helen are Homer & Marge Simpson or Thurston Howell III & Lovey (me: both; John: neither).
We compare it to all the other zombie movies, disaster movies, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. We discuss the social commentary, the social impact, and social media. Bonus: I explain women’s suffrage, altho frankly everyone should know about it already from the rockin’est School House Rock song of all time.
We’re watching streaming versions (great HD one on YouTube). Cue up the first frame before the title-card-on-the-road opening.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download