Episode 208 - NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION

It's that time...Christmastime is here...and we're saying hip hip hooray to the holiday hijinks of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. No yuletide tradition is safe from the film's combination of sardonic wit and slapstick hysteria, creating the perfect storm of holiday stress that feels exhaustingly relatable to this day.

But don't despair - there's still plenty of genuine Christmas spirit too! Our buddy Jake Beal returns to offer his perspective on the highs and lows of all our cherished holiday rituals. Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where's the Tylenol?

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Directed by Jeremiah Chechik
Written by John Hughes
Starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, William Hickey, Mae Questel, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Brian Doyle-Murray, and Randy Quaid

Episode 207 - AIRPLANE! / AIRPLANE II: THE SEQUEL

Happy Planes-giving! First, we're serving up a heaping helping of hilarity with Airplane!, the classic spoof from the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker comedy team. Then we're back for seconds - literally - with Airplane II: The Sequel, a continuing send-up of overwrought '70s disaster flicks.

Spoof movie superfan Josh Lee returns to save the day and land this episode safely. Surely you'll see he's serious about his love of these frantically funny films. (And don't call us Shirley!)

Airplane! (1980)
Written and directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker
Starring Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Stephen Stucker, Lorna Patterson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)
Written and directed by Ken Finkleman
Starring Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, Chad Everett, Rip Torn, Chuck Connors, John Vernon, Sonny Bono, and William Shatner

Episode 206 - THE MONSTER SQUAD

Under-appreciated in its time, The Monster Squad rose from '80s obscurity to become a cherished favorite of the cult movie crowd, as well as a key influence on other stories featuring kids fighting a supernatural threat. Striking a perfect balance between frights and frivolity, it's a screamingly clever and silly tale co-scripted by high concept wunderkind Shane Black.

Alisha Carderella is in the goddamn club as we celebrate the true spirit of spooky season. This episode's got nards!

The Monster Squad (1987)
Directed by Fred Dekker
Written by Shane Black and Fred Dekker
Starring Andre Gower, Robby Kiger, Brent Chalem, Ryan Lambert, Michael Faustino, Ashley Bank, Stephen Macht, Duncan Regehr, Jon Gries, Leonardo Cimino, and Tom Noonan

Episode 205 - A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

A League of Their Own is sports history, social history, and cinema history all rolled into one. It's also a rollicking crowd-pleaser that remains a fan favorite thanks to its deep bench of memorable characters and a comedic snap called up from classic sitcoms.

There's no crying in podcasting when Amy Ambler joins us to reminisce about the queen of all baseball movies, and the many ways its empathetic calls for equality still resonate today.

A League of Their Own (1992)
Directed by Penny Marshall
Written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel
Starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, Anne Ramsay, Megan Cavanagh, Bitty Schram, David Strathairn, John Lovitz, Garry Marshall, and Bill Pullman

Episode 204 - WARRIORS OF VIRTUE

A half-forgotten entrant in the '90s anthropomorphic hero team craze, Warriors of Virtue put its own dreamlike spin on the TMNT/MMPR formula with a healthy dose of Daoist philosophy and wuxia wire-fighting wizardry. 

Confused by the concept of kung fu kangaroos? Do not think thoughts! Just do the right thing and come along with us on this campily wholesome ride.

Warriors of Virtue (1997)
Directed by Ronny Yu
Written by Michael Vickerman and Hugh Kelly
Starring Mario Yedidia, Angus Macfayden, Marley Shelton, Chao-Li Chi, Dennis Dun, Michael J. Anderson, Tom Towles, and suit performers Jack Tate, Don W. Lewis. J. Todd Adams, Adrienne Corcoran, and Doug Jones

Episode 203 - TOYS

It's good to know what you're getting into with Toys, a surprisingly adult-oriented movie built around the childlike whimsy of Robin Williams in an especially impish performance. It's an elaborate and impractical contraption that dazzles with stunning visuals and zany comedy, even as it departs from its family-friendly roots early and often.

Kev Young joins us for this Christmas in July special to talk about misdirection, mischief, and the militarization of our youthful fascinations!

Toys (1992)
Directed by Barry Levinson
Written by Barry Levinson and Valerie Curtin
Starring Robin Williams, Michael Gambon, Joan Cusack, Robin Wright, LL Cool J, Arthur Malet, Jamie Foxx, and Donald O’Connor

Episode 202 - CLIFFORD

Casting a middle-aged comedian as a 10-year-old terror is just one of the ways Clifford puts the lie to the wholesomeness of '90s precocious kid movies. Sure, it's unsettling...but it fits right in with the movie's zany spin on family dynamics, workplace politics, and the pitfalls of growing up.

Our bestest friend in the whole wide world, Matt Steele, helps us find the heart in this wonderfully acerbic, under-appreciated comedy.

Clifford (1994)
Directed by Paul Flaherty
Written by Jay Dee Rock and Bobby Von Hayes
Starring Martin Short, Charles Grodin, Mary Steenburgen, Dabney Coleman, Jennifer Savidge, Richard Kind, G.D. Spradlin, and Ben Savage

Episode 201 - TITAN A.E.

Don Bluth's directorial swan song Titan A.E. straddles the line between two eras of animation, merging  hand-drawn and computer-generated visuals to create a look befitting its extremely-Y2K style, soundtrack, and overall attitude.

We blast off with John Parton and Ace Cordova to chart a course for the future of humanity...or at least the future of big-budget epics from animation auteurs!

Titan A.E. (2000)
Directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman
Written by Ben Edlund, John August, and Joss Whedon
Story by Hans Bauer and Randall McCormick
Starring Matt Damon, Drew Barrymore, Bill Pullman, Nathan Lane, Janeane Garofalo, Ron Perlman, Tone Loc, and John Leguizamo

Episode 200 - PULP FICTION

Pulp Fiction is the film that changed the way we watched films. It was a gateway to a more sophisticated world of adult storytelling, and still reflects many of the reasons why we became cinephiles. Tastier than a Royale with Cheese, more precious than your great-grandfather's gold watch, it's our 200th episode special!

Pulp Fiction (1994)
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino
From a story by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary
Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken, Maria de Medeiros, and Quentin Tarantino

Episode 199 - The 8th Annual Dubbie Awards!

Prerecorded several miles east of the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California, it's the 8th Annual Dubbie Awards! It's our yearly tradition of honoring the best in entertainment, with a special nostalgic twist. And every listener has a front-row seat! (No formal wear required.)

This year's program of awards:

• Most Watchable Performances
• Worthiest Watches
• Best Comeback
• Most Unnecessary Throwback
• Future WWWW Candidate
• Most Nostalgic Moment
• Best New Oldie
• Best Performance by a Guest
• Best Musical Performance in a WWWW Episode
• Best Performance by a Co-host
• Best WWWW Episode of 2021

Episode 198 - THE NINJA TURTLE KNOCKOFF-OFF

It's Anthropomorph Madness! Nate Tapp helps us narrow down a bracket of eight animated talking-animal teams with attitude, until we crown a champion of The Ninja Turtle Knockoff-Off. Biker mice, steroidal sharks, alien hockey-playing ducks - we've got 'em all and more in this crazy critter clash!

Episodes included in this podcast:

Street Sharks - "Sharkstorm" (1994)
vs.
Extreme Dinosaurs - "Fossil Fooled" (1997)

Episode 197 - GHOST WORLD

Whether you're an alienated teenage misfit or a dorky, obsessive adult, Ghost World has you covered with humor and feels that cut to the bone. We talk to our cool counterparts from the Sexy Books Podcast - Blythe Rudloff and Claire Holland - about a cult classic that hits different but never stops being relatable.

Ghost World (2001)
Directed by Terry Zwigoff
Written by Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff
Based on the graphic novel by Daniel Clowes
Starring Thora Birch, Scarlett Johannson, Steve Buscemi, Brad Renfroe, Bob Balaban, Teri Garr, and Illeana Douglas 

Episode 196 - SPIDER-MAN 2

Spider-Man 2 brought a special blend of boldface emotion, action, and humor straight from the comics to the cinemas - and superhero films have never been the same. Newly-minted Ten Timers Club member Sam Stovold will turn you into a true believer as we try to discover the hero in all of us.

Spider-Man 2
Directed by Sam Raimi
Written by Alvin Sargent
Story by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar and Michael Chabon
Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, and Alfred Molina