Stay ConnectedWhat are the The Best 1980s & 1990s Movies? Do you find yourself asking if the movies we loved while growing up were really that good? Have you caught yourself thinking, “why don’t make movies like they use to?” Can you still remember spending your Friday Nights searching for the perfect movie rental at Blockbuster Video? Do you know what Blockbuster Video is? If you answered yes, then this is the podcast for you!
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Commissioned by Michael S. from the UK, "Dragonheart" promised swordplay, knights and old codes. What it delivered was a Funko Pop-headed CGI dragon, Dennis Quaid auditioning for an Oscar that was never coming, and a plot hole so big you could fly a wyvern through it.
Gene and Big D break down the visual effects that aged like milk, the casting choices that could have saved the film (Schwarzenegger?!), the one question the movie never bothers to answer, and why Dennis Quaid delivers "Honor won't feed my belly, nor shoe my horse" like he's filming Braveheart.
Plus: listener emails from a 25-year veteran teacher who vindicates our Mr. Holland's Opus take, and a new listener who recently found the pod and has been binging from episode one.
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We're going back to 1985 for the teen action drama Tuff Turf—starring James Spader, Robert Downey Jr., and Kim Richards. What starts as a goofy '80s teen comedy about a new kid who falls for the wrong girl spirals into a bloodbath with switchblades, fire axes, and rottweilers. It's Grease meets The Karate Kid meets Friday the 13th, and nobody on set seemed to notice.
Gene calls it "one of the dumbest stories ever seen on screen" while Big D calls it "surprisingly enjoyable and wild."
Commissioner Heather adds to the mix with an emotional letter about what the podcast means to her during the hardest summer of her life. Big D pitches a horror movie version of The Karate Kid, and Dick's foster cats run the studio.
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This week on Shat the Movies, we're hunting a serial killer with Kiss the Girls (1997), the thriller that introduced Morgan Freeman as detective and psychologist Alex Cross. Gene and Big D break down Freeman's effortless authority, Ashley Judd fighting back, the creepy Casanova mystery, and a plot packed with enough twists and suspicious dudes to keep everyone guessing. Does this late 90s serial killer thriller still deliver, or was Hannibal Lecter already casting too big a shadow? Tune in and find out.
Shat on Entertainment Kiss the Girls (1997) is a psychological thriller directed by Gary Fleder and stars Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Cary Elwes, and Tony Goldwyn. Based on James Patterson's novel, the film follows forensic psychologist Alex Cross as he searches for his kidnapped niece and becomes involved in the hunt for a serial kidnapper known as Casanova. His investigation leads him to Kate McTiernan, a woman who escaped captivity and may be the best chance of finding the other missing women. The film was the first big screen appearance of Alex Cross, with Freeman returning to the role in Along Came a Spider.
Cheech Marin steps out from Tommy Chong's shadow for his directorial debut, and Gene and Big D dig into whether this immigration comedy still holds up 40 years later.
The Shat Crew breaks down the film's boldest gamble — leaving huge chunks of dialogue untranslated — plus the sight gags that still kill, the sketches that don't, and why Rudy's romance with Dolores might be the real heart of the movie.
The conversation goes deeper than the jokes: workplace immigration raids in the '80s, the real cases (and real consequences) behind the comedy, and why Cheech says this movie now plays more like a documentary. Also covered: the good, the weird, and the completely bananas ending — featuring a Neil Diamond needle-drop and a border-storming finale nobody saw coming.
This week's commissioner, Fernando Z., waited almost two years for this review — and it was worth it.
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This week on Shat the Movies, we're heading to the White House with Dave (1993), where an ordinary guy who looks exactly like the president suddenly finds himself running the country. Gene and Big D break down Kevin Kline's double duty, the surprisingly sweet romance with Sigourney Weaver, and a political fantasy built around the idea that maybe common sense could actually fix Washington. Is Dave still a charming political comedy, or does its optimism feel completely insane today? Tune in and find out.
Full movie info below: Dave (1993) is a political comedy directed by Ivan Reitman and stars Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Kevin Dunn, Ving Rhames, and Ben Kingsley. Kline plays Dave Kovic, a presidential impersonator recruited to secretly stand in for the President of the United States after a medical emergency. What begins as a temporary deception becomes increasingly complicated when Dave starts taking the job seriously. The film earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and became a warmhearted alternative to the darker political thrillers of the era.
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This week on Shat the Movies, we're going back to school with Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), the story of a musician who takes a teaching job while dreaming of something bigger. Gene and Big D break down Richard Dreyfuss' decades in the classroom, the students he inspires, the family he sometimes neglects, and whether Mr. Holland is actually the inspirational teacher we remember him being. Is this a moving tribute to teachers, or does nostalgia deserve most of the credit? Tune in and find out.
Full movie info below Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) is a drama directed by Stephen Herek and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly, Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy, and Jay Thomas. The film follows composer Glenn Holland over three decades as a temporary teaching job gradually becomes his life's work. Richard Dreyfuss received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance, and the film became a popular 1990s story about teaching, family, sacrifice, and the different ways a person can leave a legacy.
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This week, Gene and Big D review The Power of One (1992), the historical drama directed by John G. Avildsen (Rocky) and starring Stephen Dorff, Morgan Freeman, John Gielgud, and a very young, very hateable Daniel Craig — in his feature film debut.
Set in apartheid-era South Africa, the film follows Peter "PK" Keith, an Anglo boy navigating boarding school brutality, a German expat mentor, a prison boxing coach, and the weight of becoming a symbol for an oppressed people. It's ambitious, it's beautiful, and it completely bombed at the box office.
This episode, the guys debate:
Plus: Dick fosters five-week-old kittens named Band Camp and Space Camp. Gene drunkenly watched the FIFA World Cup final before recording. Rob's commissioner letter about his late mum brings the whole episode to a halt.
This commission comes courtesy of Rob H. (UK), part of his upcoming block of commissions. Rob's letter — including his childhood trip to Zimbabwe, his memories of Victoria Falls, and a Zulu phrase he made Gene Google live on mic — is one of the best we've received in 500 episodes.
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It's episode 503 and commissioner Shane — fantasy baseball champion, Jump Rope for Heart hero, and listener since episode four — finally gets his pick: Pixar's 2006 animated comedy Cars.
Dick watched it with his daughter, Emma. Gene watched it for the first time, still unclear why so many Walmart shoppers wear Lightning McQueen Crocs.
What follows is a full breakdown of the film — the stunning opening race sequence, the surprisingly rich world-building, the Route 66 economic collapse that hit harder than expected, and the central flaw neither host could ignore: Lightning McQueen is the least interesting car in his own movie.
Also on the docket:
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This week on Shat the Movies, we're heading to Camp North Star for Meatballs (1979), the summer camp comedy that helped launch Bill Murray into movie stardom. Gene and Big D revisit the pranks, camp rivalries, and Murray's unforgettable charm to see if this laid-back classic still delivers the laughs. Is it a timeless comedy or just a nostalgic trip back to summer vacation? Tune in and find out.
Full movie info below: Meatballs (1979) is a comedy directed by Ivan Reitman and stars Bill Murray, Harvey Atkin, Kate Lynch, and Chris Makepeace. The film follows easygoing camp counselor Tripper Harrison as he tries to boost the spirits of campers at Camp North Star while competing against the wealthy Camp Mohawk in the annual Olympiad. A surprise box office hit, Meatballs launched Bill Murray's film career and helped establish the summer camp comedy as a popular genre throughout the 1980s.
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Gene and Dick hit a milestone — episode 501 — and they're celebrating by going back to the '90s with Jean-Claude Van Damme's passion project, The Quest.
Commissioned by Steven M. as part of the Month of Steven, this 1996 martial arts adventure finds Van Damme not just starring but directing — and the results are... surprisingly ambitious.
In this episode:
Also in this episode: a listener reports that someone trained AI on Big D's voice to sell knives on TikTok, the guys lock in two months of Spooktacular horror films, Beastmaster gets commissioned, and next week brings a summer camp classic from 1979.
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