Hey, Do You Remember...? - TopPodcast.com

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License To Drive May 27, 2016

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So here's the deal - none of us had actually ever seen License to Drive before, but it came highly recommended from a listener who predicted the three of us would have a lot to say about it. They were not wrong.

Topics include: our familiarity with The Two Coreys as kids and the movies we tend to associate them with, our own experiences at the DMV and the stress of passing Driver's Ed, the surprisingly strong opening and Chris' desire for more moments with that level of absurdity, the countless subplots and characters that the movie does nothing with, Donna's dissatisfaction with the treatment of Mercedes, a round of 2 Truths 1 Lie, and much much more!

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The Truman Show May 13, 2016

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Much was made of Jim Carrey's first high-profile dramatic turn in 1998's The Truman Show, but the truth is the original version of the film was much darker and a lot more cerebral. The HDYR gang traces the project's origins as an edgy sci-fi thriller and discuss how it evolved into this decidedly lighter take. They also reminisce about the novelty of seeing Carrey branch out into more serious fare and whether or not his previous work colored their expectations going in. Other topics include: the benefits of making the audience aware of exactly what's going on right from the start vs how great it might have been to make these discoveries with Truman, the other A-list directors that were considered before Peter Weir came aboard and what their versions might have looked like, how prescient so much of this was, how mundane a lot of it might seem to a younger generation now, and much much more!

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The Princess Bride Apr 29, 2016

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It's been almost thirty years since The Princess Bride was released and the film remains imminently quotable and almost universally beloved. Chris, Donna, and Carlos each discovered it at different ages and thus had very different reactions to it. They see where their experiences line up, where they diverge, and offer their thoughts on what makes the movie so endearing.

Topics include: the difficult process of adapting William Goldman's novel into a feature film and how director Rob Reiner cracked the code, the pitch-perfect tone that shifts from sincerity to absurdity over the course of the running time, why Wallace Shawn is sweating so profusely in his big scene, the unconventional way one cast member stayed warm during production, the mystery of The Sloppy Poodle Man, and much much more!

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Batteries Not Included Apr 15, 2016

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As it turns out, none of us actually remembered all that much about Batteries Not Included except for a few key images. We knew we had seen it, we were pretty sure we'd enjoyed it, but this definitely wasn't an instance where it was difficult to take off those rose-tinted glasses. Which is not to say we didn't enjoy it! The film certainly left us with A LOT of questions, but there was something so nonchalant about its weirdness that we couldn't help but be won over by it. Topics include: the project's origins as an episode of Steven Spielberg's anthology series Amazing Stories and which elements we're guessing they added when the narrative had to be expanded, how well most of the robot effects hold up, a great deal of confusion over the layout of this apartment building, conflicting feelings over how little we know about the Fix-Its, some surprisingly dark and salacious moments, and much much more!

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Clueless Apr 01, 2016

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There was a perfect storm of factors that led to Clueless becoming a full-fledged phenomenon in the summer of 1995 - the buzz surrounding up-and-comer Alicia Silverstone, a series of ads that ran on MTV that made the film impossible for its target demographic to ignore, and a subversive style of comedy that perfectly tapped into our mid-90s zeitgeist. It didn't just resuscitate the teen movie, it redefined it. So pop in your Rollin' with the Homies cassette and join the HDYR gang for a look back at this endlessly quotable gem. Topics include: the project's origins as a TV series, alternate casting choices for a few of the lead roles, the details we can't believe we missed on our first viewing, how much we care about a group of characters that would be the villains in any other teen movie, the film's ties to Jane Austen's Emma and the trend of taking classic works of literature and placing them in a modern high school setting, our versions of being "that girl who fell down the stairs", and much much more!

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Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope Mar 18, 2016

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We knew we had to pick something big for our 75th episode and what could be more monumental than the original Star Wars? These days it's tough to separate the saga's mythology from the real world controversy surrounding the Special Editions, the prequels, and the revisionist history Lucas constantly seems to be rewriting, but we do our best to acknowledge all of that while simultaneously celebrating what a tremendous achievement this was back in 1977 and why it still means so much to so many of us today.

Topics include: Our varying degrees of Star Wars fandom and the different perspectives we're all coming at this with, the influence this franchise has had on the film industry and culture at large, the real problem with the concept of "Special Editions" and the particularly noteworthy missteps this one makes, the unsung heroes of the series who were unceremoniously erased from its history, the incredible realization of Lucas' "used future" concept for the look of the film, lightsaber battles in the OT vs the PT, Darth Vader's minimal screen time and why keeping him on the peripheral works so much better, how different the second act of the film almost was, why Chewbacca doesn't get a medal, and much much more!

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Charlie's Angels Mar 04, 2016

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One of the most surprising things about McG's big screen reboot of Charlie's Angels is that it took as long as it did to materialize. The trend of reheating old TV shows by giving them a glossy new paintjob was already starting to feel a little played out when this was released in the fall of 2000, but excitement for the film was bolstered by the star power of its eclectic cast and a wildly successful tie-in soundtrack. Not even a year later, the world would change in an unbelievably profound way and it turns out there's a lot about the movie you sort of have to view through that prism. It wants to be a rallying cry for a new generation of girls who are just discovering "girl power" and feminism while simultaneously appealing to the juvenile sensibilities of 15-year-old boys. It's a tight rope that the film only occassionally manages to walk, but overall it still feels like its heart was in the right place.

Topics include: why this was exactly what Donna needed when it was first released, the premise of the opening sequence and how it acts as a microcosm of everything that's wrong with this plot, Chris' issue with the angels feeling too indistinguishable from one another, what exactly was going on with Bill Murray at this point in time, the overuse of wire-fu and bullet time in the wake of The Matrix, an aspect of the fight choreography that actually works really well, the inspired casting of Crispen Glover and how much he brought to his role, the fun structure of the script that makes it feel like several mini-episodes of the show, and much much more!

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Galaxy Quest Feb 19, 2016

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This week Chris, Donna, and Carlos bid a fond farewell to Alan Rickman. They each recall how they first became aware of him as an actor, discuss some of their favorite movies that he appeared in, and then do a deep dive on the oft-requested 1999 comedy Galaxy Quest. One of the most impressive things about the film is that whether you're a dyed-in-the-wool Star Trek fan or you've never seen a single episode, it works just as well. A large part of that is due to the incredible cast that was assembled and how much they elevated an already hilarious and clever script. It may not be Rickman's most renowned work, but it does showcase a different side of the iconic actor and in the wake of such sad news, we couldn't think of a better tribute than a movie that made so many of us so deliriously happy.

Topics include: the famous filmmaker who almost directed this and why he left the project, alternate casting choices for some of the main roles, how various members of Star Trek's cast & crew responded to the good-natured ribbing, the part Kevin Spacey and Steven Spielberg played in shaping the final product, the pitch-perfect blend of parody and homage, certain details only hardcore Trek fans might notice, and much much more!

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Can't Buy Me Love Feb 05, 2016

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Chris remembered exactly one shot from this movie, Donna had never seen it, and Carlos was only familiar with the 2003 remake Love Don't Cost A Thing. Nevertheless, after receiving several requests for it and then reading the bonkers plot description on Netflix, we slapped an "Outrageous!" sticker on the wall, moved the TV into the fireplace, cut all of our t-shirts into midriffs, and traveled back to a time when McDreamy was McDweeby.

Topics include: the unfortunate passing of Amanda Petersen and how much we all liked her in this role, the fact that Ronald seems to have two goals here and why they unintentionally come in conflict with one another, the difference in the way the film treats the popular guys vs. the popular girls, that sweet Paula Abdul choreography, a prepubescent Seth Green as proto-Ferguson, some concerns over how lucrative a lawn mowing business in Arizona would be, Patrick Dempsey's run of late 80s movies where he played the young stud everybody wanted to sleep with, pranks we played as kids, the triumphant return of our favorite retro jam, and much much more!

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Big Trouble in Little China Jan 22, 2016

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The HDYR gang kicks off 2016 with a look back at John Carpenter's cult favorite Big Trouble in Little China. Carlos and Donna had never seen this one, so Chris was excited to hear how they'd react to the strange and wonderful world they were unknowingly stepping into. Although the film is largely beloved, one aspect that seems to remain pretty divisive is the decision to make the Jack Burton character completely unaware that he's not the central figure in this story. We have a fairly spirited discussion about the pros and cons of that choice and ultimately decide that the problem isn't really with Jack at all.

Other topics include: the project's origins as a western set in the 1880s, the rushed production and excessive studio meddling that may have compromised a couple of key elements, the original choices for the roles of Jack and Wang, expendable supporting characters that could have been merged or cut completely, the amazing fight choreography and how beautifully Carpenter staged those sequences, the one detail of Lo Pan's plan that he overlooked, the upcoming remake, and much much more!

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