Hold Up

The Exorcist

William Friedkin had a dream. He had a dream that he could make audiences pass out in their own vomit while prematurely birthing their babies. We are happy to say that thanks to 1973’s The Exorcist, he achieved his dreams and much more. The Exorcist stars a yet unknown Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair, alongside Max von Sydow and a few other unknowns, as all the other big-name actors had turned the movie down. The Exorcist tells the story of a young girl who is victim to demonic possession as her mother desperately tries to figure out what has befallen her before finally turning to the church for salvation. Made for $12 million, this movie made a pants-shitting $441 million from the box office and was the highest-grossing horror movie of all time until 2017’s IT. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss pea soup, crucifix sex toys, and religious sensitivity as we try to figure out if it holds up or if Christ compels us to turn it off.

The Ring (2002)

In 2002, Gore Verbinski made one of the prettiest remakes ever with the supernatural horror film The Ring. Originally a Japanese film based on a trilogy of novels by Koji Suzuki, The Ring featured legend Bryan Cox and Naomi Watts who was fresh off her first notable film, Mulholland Drive, solidifying her as a leading lady with some box office pull. In The Ring, journalist Rachel investigates the death of her niece and hears about a videotape that causes the death of anyone who watches it 7 days later. Harnessing the power of telemarketers, the videotape knows the phone number wherever you area and confirms your 7-day schedule, which is filled with visions, dreams, bloody noses, flies in/on television screens, and eventually, stretch face. This movie has two creepy kids and was made for a budget of $48M, and walked out with nearly $250M in the box office, and received some positive reviews along with plans for some shitty sequels. But does it hold up?  Listen as Jon, Colin and Brent watch the tape and then decide on whether they will try to save their own lives so they can praise this scary movie, or if they start counting the days to welcome a wet stretchy death from a creepy well girl.

Inception

In 2010 Christopher Nolan brought us his blockbuster mindfuck, Inception.  Originally written as a horror, Inception ended up as a complicated heist flick where one man is offered salvation in return for implanting an idea into another man’s subconscious. Featuring an absolute mammoth cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine, this film seemed destined for success from the beginning and brought home $836 million from the $160 million budget and a pile of awards and accolades. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate dreamscapes and the definition of convoluted as we try to determine if this is a dreamy heist film about sleeping, or a sleepy heist film about dreaming…or a sleepy dream heist in a dreamy sleep film about sleepy heisting dream heists.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

In 1993, Tim Burton humbly presented Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. This story features the Halloween King, Jack Skellington, discovering Christmas and deciding that he and his ghoulish friends shall kidnap the Sandy Claws and run Christmas themselves this year. Unfortunately, Halloween Town residents are fated to fail as everything they do edges towards the dark and nightmarish side of Halloween. This short little feature presented music by Danny Elfman and the voices of Catherine O’Hara, Chris Sarandon, and Uncle Lewis…I mean William Hickey. This nightmare was made for $18M and brought home a powerful $89M at the box office, along with critical praise and a cult following from those who love the dark holiday. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss death and dismemberment alongside holiday cheer as we try to determine if this flick deserves joy and goodwill, or if it is better left for dead.

Glengarry Glen Ross

In 1992 David Mamet adapted the David Mamet play Glengarry Glen Ross for the screen. This flick featured a loaded cast featuring Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Kevin “sneaky fingers” Spacey, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, Alec Baldwin, and Jonathon Pryce…holy fuck that is a good cast. Glengarry Glen Ross is the story of a high-pressure real estate sales office whose colourful salesmen are threatened with cuts, and the result is the theft of some valuable leads. Glengarry Glen Ross was made for $12 million and resulted in a huge box office of $10 million…but was and continues to be beloved by many and touted by the critics as a masterpiece. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate high-pressure sales techniques and salesmen ethics as we try to determine if this flick is a buy, or a sell. 

28 Days Later

In 2002, director Danny Boyle dipped his toe into the horror genre and released 28 Days Later, starring Cillian Murphy, Naomi Harris, Christopher Eccleston, and Brendan Gleeson. This zombie but not-zombie flick opens up with some amazing shots as Cillian Murphy (Jim) wakes from his hospital bed with no one in sight and walks through an eerily empty and desolate London. Soon enough, he stumbles upon some infected and is rescued by a couple of survivors, and so Jim and his new friends must now work together to escape the hoards and find a way to survive in this new dangerous world. Made for ~$8 million this flick brought in around $85 million globally, received many accolades, and scared the absolute shit out of a generation. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent put up the barricades and determine if this one eats our brains or our time.

My Cousin Vinny

In 1992 the world finally got to see a softer side of actor Joe Pesci in the Jonathan Lynn directed comedy, “My Cousin Vinny.” Bill (Ralph Macchio) and Stan (Mitchell Whitfield) are two young New Yorkers travelling through rural Alabama when are arrested and put on trial for a murder they didn’t commit. The hopes of these two yoots are put on the shoulders of Bill's cousin Vinny, a new lawyer with no courtroom experience or apparent feel for being a lawyer in general. But Vinny doesn't come to town alone, and the fish-out-of-water interactions with his girlfriend Mona Lisa Vito and the small-town people of the south present abundant opportunities for humor. But the real heart of the movie in the enduring performances of the actors including Marisa Tomei who won the Oscar for best-supporting actress. But does it Hold Up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent take a deep dive into this 30-year-old comedy and see if it is innocent of ageing badly, or if it should get sent to the electric chair for crimes against the audience. 

The Princess Bride

1987 got a little treat when Rob Reiner and William Goldman released The Princess Bride. TPB features an enviable cast of actors including Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant, Christopher Guest, Billy Crystal, Peter Falk, Fred Savage, and Carol Kane. We enter the story as a grandfather reading a fantasy novel to his sick grandson which then turns to the love story between two smoking hot farmers, Wesley and Buttercup, who are separated by tragedy but must find their way back together. Shot for $16 million The Princess Bride made $30M at the box office and quickly became a classic, but, does it hold-up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss whether this movie is true love, or is best thrown from the incontheivable cliffths of inthanity! 

 

Reservoir Dogs

In 1992 the world was introduced to director Quentin Tarantino with a little indy film called Reservoir Dogs. He was originally going to shoot on a shoestring budget of $30,000, but producer Lawrence Bender showed the script to his acting teacher who got it to Harvey Keitel, and the rest, as they say, is history. Reservoir Dogs introduced the world to actors like Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Steve Buscemi along with QT's special brand of dialogue and dark humour. The box office wasn't great, but the flick was a massive critical success and deemed a milestone in independent filmmaking. But does it hold up? Listen to Jon, Colin and Brent as they dissect this crime drama and try to determine if the gang's jewel heist is still worth watching, or would they rather be tied to a chair with Mr. Blonde and a straight razor.

The Naked Gun

In 1988 the main-stream world was introduced to Leslie Nelson, an actor who had been working since the 1950s. But the role of Frank Drebin in Naked Gun would cement his place in film comedy history. It was followed up by two sequels and countless spoof rip-offs where people tried to capture the silly magic of Airplane and Naked Gun. It launched franchises like Hot Shots, Scary Movie, and Haunted House. But does it hold up? Listen as Jon, Colin and Brent discuss this timeless comedy and see if it hits one out of the park, or if the slapstick and physical comedy is a swing and a miss and this movie is called out at the plate.