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Do you love drive-in movie theaters?
If you're a movie buff who has been on this planet for any length of time, then you know what a drive-in movie means. Cars full of family and friends, loaded up with chairs, drinks, and snacks, all parking in the middle of a gigantic lot in order to indulge in a double-feature of cinematic goodness under the stars. Many of us have been going to drive-in movies since we were children, and passing that experience down to our children. But in this day and age of hustle, does the average moviegoer have a desire to even watch films this way?
On this week's From The Outside In topic, we discuss drive-in theaters and whether or not there is still a place for them in today's environment of bombastic entertainment that demands a crisp screen and state-of-the-art sound system, as well as our favorite memories of drive-ins of the past.
Also this week: a news roundup, thoughts on characters randomly breaking into song, our spoiler-free reviews of Veronica Mars' Hulu revival, Crawl, Point Blank, and much more. Come back next week for our 2019 Comic-Con Wrap-Up!
Discussed on this episodeWhat are the most quotable movies in history?
If you're a fan of entertainment, then odds are you randomly drop movie or TV quotes as breadcrumbs to identify your fellow die-hards. The devoted amongst us love to utilize the work of far better writers than ourselves to broaden conversations on a daily basis, occasionally even making new friends in the process. "I'll be back", "Ouch", "You can't handle the truth!" - these are just a few of the quotes people use all the time, often without even realizing they're doing it.
On this week's From The Outside In topic, we discuss why it is we do this practice of using established pop-culture language to handle the conversing for us, as well as what our favorite movie quotes are, as well as the movies we most often find ourselves referencing seemingly every day of our lives.
Also this week: a news roundup, Netflix wages war on smoking after the internet protests, our spoiler-free reviews of Stranger Things Season 3, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Midsommar, and much more.
Discussed on this episodeAs we take the week off, here are four of our most popular topics from earlier this year: Cult Films, Building a Perfect Found Footage Movie, Shipping Our Favorite Characters in Movies and TV, and Politically Incorrect Comedies.
First up, from Episode 338: We discuss the world of cult films. Specifically, what defines a movie as a "cult" film? Is it a fluke, or perhaps the right material at the right time? Do popular films ever reach cult status? Why do films like Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Room carry on for decades, while thousands of other films disappear never to be heard from again? We tackle this, as well as what cult films defined us personally as Bill Fulkerson (director of Survival of the Film Freaks) joins in on a topic many of us debate on a daily basis.
Next, we head to Episode 341: Found footage is a subgenre in which all or a substantial part of the film is presented as if it were discovered film or video recordings. The events on screen are typically seen through the camera of one or more of the characters involved, often accompanied by their real-time, off-camera commentary. The footage may be presented as if it were "raw" and complete or as if it had been edited into a narrative by those who "found" it. We discuss the highs and lows of found footage, what works and what turns us off about the entire genre. We also each put together our personal takes on the genre itself and build a perfect found footage film.
Next, we head to Episode 340: The actual term "shipping" saw its origin around 1995 by fans of the TV show The X-Files, who believed the two main characters, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, should be or were engaged in a romantic relationship. They called themselves "relationshippers," at first; then R'shipper, 'shipper, and finally just shippers. The concept has spawned passionate fans of all types of media, resulting in everything from online arguments to full-on fan fiction. For this topic, we take a look at our favorite characters in both movies and television that we would love to see "get together", as well as discuss the ones who finally have and might not have worked out as positively as we had hoped.
Finally, we come to Episode 343: Did you grow up on films like Airplane, Blazing Saddles, or There's Something About Mary? Films that often made light of race, gender, sex, handicaps, and all other manners of things that shouldn't be mocked? If you're like us, you remember laughing at things that you knew, deep in your soul, were horrible to make light of. Yet, at the same time, these inappropriate outbursts of comedic inspiration broke down even the strongest composure, and even occasionally sparked a conversation that was previously too uncomfortable to have. This topic revolves around politically incorrect comedies, and specifically if the concept of such is currently as dead as the western.
Discussed on this episode of The Hollywood Outsider Movie and TV Podcast:
In an era of outrage, entitlement, and overwrought petitions, we wanted to spend one entire episode devoted to the joy of fandom. So for this special episode, we have a very open and candid discussion on the positivity and passion of fandom as we've experienced it. In hopes that this podcast will shine a light not on sensationalism in search of the next big outrage, but instead on the very fandom that binds us all together.
This podcast discusses a multitude of fan-related topics such as building communities, conventions, cosplay, the impact of fan reactions on storytellers, save TV campaigns, as well as several personal experiences directly related our various podcast endeavors.
We hope you find this discussion endearing and appreciative of fandom as a whole. For we're all fans too.
Discussed on this episodeWhat is the greatest vacation themed movie in history?
It is officially Summer, and you know what that means: VACATION! All across the globe, people are planning or taking a long week to relax and unwind from the stresses of the world. Therefore, we decided this was a perfect opportunity for another Movie Battle Royale! This time, 8 films decided on by a listener poll - all with a vacation theme - are vying for the title of The Greatest in the known universe!
But which will it be? There are cases to be made for all of our finalists: Jaws, The Great Outdoors, Cabin in the Woods, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, EuroTrip, What About Bob, and the two-handed punch of National Lampoon's Vacation and sequel, Christmas Vacation. Any one of them could be a winner, so take a listen as we debate, argue, and vote our way to the winner.
Also this week: a news roundup, a review of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, 1989's Batman turns 30, our spoiler-free review of the latest X-Men film, Dark Phoenix, and much more. Come back next week for a special episode centered around the positivity and passion of fandom.
Discussed on this episodeWhat makes a great monster movie?
There is something uniquely special about walking into a movie and watching enormously overpowered beasts wreak absolute havoc and mayhem, occasionally even destroying a city or two in the process. It's exciting and cathartic. But why do we enjoy rooting for these gigantic beasties? What is it about these types of films and their wonton destruction that appeals to our basic human nature?
This week, we dive into the concept of monster movies, specifically what makes for a great one. We also debate what actually constitutes a monster movie - does Jason or Freddy count, and what about werewolves or vampires - and our favorite memories while watching them.
Also this week: a news roundup, reviews of Good Omens and Rocketman, a Disney version of Movie Innuendo, and then stick around after our normal show for a Godzilla: King of the Monsters spoilercast! Come back next week for a special episode centered around the positivity and passion of fandom.
Discussed on this episodeWhen does fan outrage become entitlement?
Here are just a few of the thing fans have expressed outrage about recently: Star Wars: The Last Jedi was apparently so horrendous fans petitioned for a remake, fans petitioned to rehire James Gunn for Guardians 3 after Disney dumped him over Twitter issues (which Disney did, in fact, do), Sonic the Hedgehog had teeth that terrified fans and filmmakers took it to heart by pushing the film back to February 2020 to alter the design, once again fans petitioned for a new Batman after Robert Pattinson was cast in the role, and fans that didn't care for the final season of Game of Thrones famously petitioned for a remake of the season to the tune of 1.5 million plus signatures and counting. Oh, and to connect it all, they also demanded that Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss be banned from Star Wars.
Therefore, this week our topic revolves around this sometimes toxic and other times necessary aspect of fandom. Specifically, we debate when does fan outrage become nothing more than entitlement?
Also this week: a news roundup, reviews of Aladdin, Brightburn, Booksmart, Slasher Season 3, new releases, and much more. Come back next week for our topic, what makes a great monster movie, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters Spoilercast.
Discussed on this episodeAs Game of Thrones has completed its official journey through HBO's adaptation of George R. R. Martin's classic novels, A Song of Ice and Fire, it is time for us to venture back and discuss the final season of one of the most celebrated series in television history. On this special episode, we discuss the major happenings over the course of this final season, and debate what we loved or loathed about our favorite heroes and villains - and heroes that became villains - as they struggled to defeat the Army of the Undead, the Night King, Cersei, and themselves all in the pursuit of the ultimate symbol of power: the Iron Throne!
Unlike many podcasts, we will not be breaking things down chronologically. Instead, we're taking the story from The Great War that has been prophesied for years, all the way to the Last War. From Winterfell to Dragonstone to King's Landing and back to The Wall – plus thoughts and awards on the complete series - it's all here in this exciting Season 8 and complete series wrap-up podcast.
Jon, Daenerys, Cersei, Jamie, Tyrion, Bran the Broken, Sansa, Arya, Euron, Brienne, even The Hound! The gang's all here, and we're ready to tackle this season in the most cutthroat way possible. Take a listen as we break down the final season of one of the greatest TV series of all-time, Game of Thrones!
Discussed on this episodeSummer at the movies.
All of us that are entertainment fans love this time of year. The biggest movies, full of spectacle and big-screen excitement, always seem to land right here. Though times have changed and summer keeps getting bigger, that does not always mean it's getting better. So this week, we take a look back at how the summer movie experience has changed over the years.
More than just reflection, we are going to break down our discussion by decade: the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. How have our trips to the cinema changed over past several decades? Ticket prices have surged, sure. But there is so much more that begs to be remembered and discussed. So get your nostalgia goggles ready, we're going back in time!
Also this week: a news roundup, TV cancellations, our review of The Hustle, and a round of 'You Can Do It', where we each take a film we're not fond of and add a positive spin. Come back next week for our Game of Thrones Season 8 Spoilercast!
Discussed on this episodeAll of our favorite television shows have supporting actors we get behind: Jesse on Breaking Bad, Tyrion on Game of Thrones, Norm on Cheers, George Costanza on Seinfeld. Whenever you discuss the shows you love with friends, these are the supporting characters that will always float to the top of conversation. But what about the other supporting characters? Those that don't often find themselves on Best Of lists?
On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we discuss the most unappreciated supporting characters on television, as well as what unappreciated even means to us. From shows like Fringe, Sons of Anarchy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and many others, we debate why we love these respective characters and the actors who portray them, as well as why we think audiences never quite appreciated them.
Also this week: a news roundup, spoilers forget the rules, directors are lashing out at critics, reviews of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile and The Intruder, and much more. Come back next week for our discussion on How Summer Movies Have Changed!
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