Hold Up

Dirty Dancing

It’s 1963, you are a horny young woman on vacation with your family in a stale lakeside resort intended to entertain uptight yuppies in a way that would barely entertain your blind grandma. You see a handsome young man wearing his jeans concerningly high and you gush a noticeable puddle on the wood floor of the cabana. You must know him. You find out his partner has come down with an awful case of the pregnancy and you decide to help by borrowing a large sum from your aloof father so she can get a roadside coathangering. It all goes wrong but you fall in love with the twink with the nipple-high slacks and decide to help them perform a dance routine. It fails but your love persists. Your dad is angry, the girl mortally ill, the boy’s nipples chafed. Things are about to get dirty… Welcome to 1987’s dirty dancing directed by Emile Ardolino and starring Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, and Jerry Orbach. This flick made a foot-stomping $214 million dollars from a $4.5 budget and even won an academy award for a song in here. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss cuckolds and putting babies in corners as we figure out if this one is a successful lift or a roadside abortion.

Up (2009)

In 2009, Disney and Pixar changed the course of animated movies forever with comedy-adventure flick, Up. Up shares the story of Carl Fredricksen, a curmudgeon widower who is holding on to memories of his recently passed wife by holding out on selling the home they met in and shared for many years. After it becomes clear that there is no stopping progress, Carl turns his house into an airship using a whole lotta balloons, and unwittingly takes Russell the Wilderness Explorer with him. Carl and Russell befriend a bird and a talking dog, but soon find that meeting your childhood hero may not be all they are cracked up to be. Spending over 5 years in development, Up both a critical and commercial success, grossing $735M off of a substantial $175M budget, winning Academy Awards for Animated Feature and Original Score. But does it hold up? Listen as Jon, Colin and Brent debate grumpy old men, overnight trips to other continents, and talking dogs as we see if adventure is out there, or if we should stay home and yell at hippies all day.

The Golden Child

In 1986, Director Michael Ritchie followed up Fletch, starring Chevy Chase, with The Golden Child, starring Eddie Murphy. So sayeth The Golden Child, every 1000 years, a golden child is born, but some people can't have nice things, and when ne'er-do-wellers set their mind to it, they can evil the shit out of any golden situation. And so we find Sardo Numspa kidnapping and attempting to murder a poor little boy (played by a little girl), and Chandler Jarrell (Murphy) and Kee Nang (Charlotte Lewis) must set out to rescue the child and see how well sunlight shines into basements. The Golden Child made $150M off of a $25M budget but was met with skepticism by non-believers and pretty much everyone else too. As such, while Ritchie's Fletch was to be followed up by Fletch Lives, there was not quite as much outcry for The Golden Child 2: The Golden God. But does it hold up? Listen as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate Claymation, Eddie Murphy's charm, and the good guy's decision to retrieve the Ajanti Dagger in the first place, and see if this one is a golden good time or a giant pile of shit made of fool's gold.

Apocalypse Now

The end was nigh in 1979 when Francis Ford Coppola released his epic Vietnam mind fuck, Apocalypse Now. Featuring Martin Sheen as Captain Willard, a man who is given a mission to travel up the Nung River to assassinate a rogue Colonel Kurtz, played by Marlon Brando. Apocalypse Now’s cast is peppered with talent beyond the two heavyweights previously mentioned including, Laurence Fishburne, Harrison Ford, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper. Noted for its wild and tumultuous filming, Apocalypse Now ended up becoming a classic and winning a number of awards. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate the horror and the smell of victory as we determine if this one is apocalypse now or never.

Bridesmaids

In 2001, the chick flick got a makeover when Paul Feig released his raunchy r-rated comedy, Bridesmaids. Bridesmaids tells us the story of a down on her luck woman approaching middle age who must work through her insecurities after her best friend gets engaged and her friendship and identity become threatened. Featuring an all-killer cast including Kristen Wiig (also a co-writer), Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd, Jon Hamm, Rebel Wilson, Ellie Kemper, and Wendi McLendon-Covey, Bridesmaids was in no short supply of talent, made $288 million off of a $32 million budget, and even secured two Oscar nods. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent, debate the proper Xanax to scotch ratio as we decide if this flick deserves a spot at the head table, or if it is no better than shit in the street.

Wall Street

In 1987, Big Poppa Oliver Stone released Wall Street, a movie about Wall Street… This aptly named flick tells the story of a young stockbroker, Bud Fox, who is trying to land one of the big-time investors, Gordon Gecko. Gecko shows Fox the path to success, but he’ll have to sacrifice his morals and challenge his relationships to get there. Starring Charlie Sheen, his daddy Martin Sheen, Michael Douglas, Darryl Hannah, and Terrence Stamp, Wall Street was made for $16 million, made $43 million at the box office and became an instant classic. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent, ask whether greed is good and how to get tiger blood as we determine if this flick is bullish or bullshit.

The Last Samurai

2003 brought us another Edward Zwick epic when he released his period piece action drama, The Last Samurai. The Last Samurai leads us into the world of the late 1800s Japan during a culture war as they westernize and have enlisted the help of some American military to assist in the training of their army to crush a rebellion. When captured, one of them will find his truth with the Samurai and switch sides. Starring Ken Watanabe, Tom Cruise, Billy Connolly, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Tony Goldwyn, The Last Samurai was very well received and made $456 million from a $150 million budget, on top of being nominated for 4 Oscars. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent contemplate ritual suicide and throwing samurai swords as we try to figure out if this one should find some long-sought peace, or commit seppuku. 

Trading Places

In 1983, John Landis brought us the double fish out of water comedy, Trading Places. Landis’s classic examines the nature vs nurture debate as two Wealthy wall street investors bet to see if a smooth-talking homeless conman can be converted into a successful executive, while an upper-crust executive will turn to crime when everything good in his life is stripped from him. Starring Dan Akroyd, Eddie Murphy, and Jamie-Lee Curtis, Trading Places was an instant hit making $90 million from a $15 million dollar budget, securing an Oscar nomination for the music, and was an instant classic. But, does hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate margin calls and gorilla love affairs as we try to determine if this one is worth a dollar or leaves us ruined.

48 Hrs.

In 1982, Walter Hill showed us that being openly racist, drinking and driving, and bus chases were all the fashion with his blockbuster buddy comedy 48 HRS.  Veteran actor Nick Nolte plays Jack Cates, a desperate San Francisco detective who signs out a slick-talking prisoner Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy in his first role) out of jail for two days to help him catch a cop killer. Jam-packed with gritty action, car chases, and the occasional fistfight in the streets, this movie showed audiences that Eddie was the real deal. His chemistry with Nolte is magical and the two shine on screen as we watch them roust cowboy bars and bust Reggie's former trick-happy associates. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate Reggie's unique methods of trying to get laid and Nolte's poor use of his flask to see if this action-comedy still packs a punch, or if we should lock it up and throw away the key. 

Memento

In 2000, Christopher Nolan released his backward forward thriller, Memento. Memento tells the story of an insurance salesman who is struck on the head when defending his wife from home invaders and develops anterograde amnesia, which prevents him from creating new memories. He then becomes totally engrossed in the hunting of his wife’s killer, using a system of pictures, notes, and tattoos to inform him where his memory is unable. Starring Guy Pearce, Carrie-Ann Moss, and Joe Pantoliano, Memento had box office and critical success and was applauded for its innovative structure. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent, discuss at-home tattoo techniques as we determine if this flick is worth remembering, or better forgotten.