Hold Up

Lethal Weapon 2

In 1989, Shane Black and Richard Donner teamed up for the second of four action/ buddy-cop movies Lethal Weapon 2.  Once again starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, a third stooge was added to the mix for additional comic relief in Joe Pesci.  Promising more of what was delivered in the first movie, Lethal Weapon 2 has action, Eric Clapton riffs, houses on stilts, smooth jazz, South African diplomats with immunity, toilet bombs, car chases, krugerrands, and an addition of a love interest for Riggs.  Made for $50M, Lethal Weapon 2 brought in a franchise best $228M in the box office and was given generally favourable critical reviews.  This movie is also frequently part of discussions online concerning sequels that don’t suck.  But does it hold up?  Listen as Jon, Colin and Dave come back for part 2 and see if they can get off the toilet in time to save this movie from the shitter, or if their attempts to free South Africa fail and they are crushed by wave after wave of diplomatic immunity.

Batman Begins

In 2003, Christopher Nolan was given the reigns to the Batman franchise and 2005’s Batman Begins was the result.  Christian Bale was selected to be the dark knight, Michael Cane and Morgan Freeman were brought on board in major supporting roles, and the talented cast and crew set out to reinvent Batman to be grounded in reality, using plausible technology and ninjas.  Whether intentional or not, the entire comic book movie genre would forever changed following Batman Begins, as all prior comic book movies tried very hard to emulate the comic style, colors, and costumes.  Made for a whopping $150M, Batman Begins took in $375M in the box office, receiving rave critical reviews.  This spawned two direct sequels with the same director and main cast before the questionable Justice League movies were made, and the recently announced reboot of the series and character again.  But does the movie that started the genre reboot hold up?  Listen as Jon, Colin and Brent revisit Gotham and see if Batman can hold it together after the murder of his parents (again) to take non-lethal vengeance on criminals, or if he spirals out of control into darkness to hang out with his pet bats while dressing up in an uncomfortable rubber suit and mumbles in the dark.

Lethal Weapon

In 1987, Shane Black wrote and Richard Donner directed the timeless action/ buddy-cop movie Lethal Weapon.  Starring Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, and Gary Busey, Lethal was released in close proximity to Die Hard and put a fresh take on exciting action movies to include a strong hint of comedy.  The first of four films, Lethal Weapon is a fantastically successful franchise and now can be watched as a mediocre television series.  Made for $15M, Lethal Weapon went on to make $120M in the box office and had a strong critical reception, along with a very successful VHS and DVD release that gets revived after each new film.  But does it hold up?  Listen as Jon, Colin and Dave revisit the 80’s and see if the movie throws itself off of a building after busting Dixie, or if the day is saved by Riggs' and Murtaugh’s endless trail of bodies, jokes, and references to Looney Tunes and the Three Stooges.

True Lies

In 1994, James Cameron write, directed, and produced the action comedy film True Lies.  Working with Arnold Schwarzenegger once again following T2, Cameron took the effective but absurd action formula of James Bond movies and added more comedy and special effects, resulting in a film that impresses with its explosions as we roll our eyes at the situations our suave but flawed protagonist ends up in.  With a budget of over $100M, True Lies cleaned up in the box office, bringing in $379M, and earning a strong following in DVD and Blue-Ray sales.  Somewhat criticized for its misogyny and cruel treatment of a used car salesman, critics with less of a stick up their ass generally praise this film thanks to enough action and comedy to carry the movie through to its exciting conclusion.  But does it hold up?  Listen as Jon, Colin and Brent attempt to live double lives, on one hand being the ordinary every-man with a Mr. Universe body trying to hide our flaws and true mission to save the world, and on the other hand being international spies who kill, steal, and lie our way to success, no matter the cost.

Goodfellas

Once in a rare moment, movies are released and then emulated for the next 20 years.  1990 was such a time as Martin Scorsese wrote and directed Goodfellas.  Spanning 25 years, Goodfellas was based on a true story and followed the life of Henry Hill as he went from mafia obsessed high school student to right hand man of local crime boss Paulie Cicero to excommunicated snitch. Starring Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Paul Sorvino, and Lorraine Bracco, the cast competently carries this movie, and the result was 6 academy award nominations, and one win for best supporting actor Pesci. Made for $25M, Goodfellas received strong a critical reception and nearly doubled its budget, making $47M at the box office.  A huge inspiration for the Sopranos, Goodfellas and this HBO hit series share 27 actors.  But nearly 30 years after release, does Goodfellas hold up?  Listen as Jon, Colin and Brent travel back in time and visit with the Cicero crime syndicate for 25 years and see if the life and times of this gangster group are worth the lives and money it takes, or if the cocaine, guns, and paranoia turn them into snitches that tell anyone who’ll listen about the faults of this film.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

In 1981, George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg combined their creative juices to bring us the action adventure film that made archeology out to be sexier than it actually is, Raiders of the Lost Ark.  This movie has guns, whips, Nazi’s, history, monkeys, excessive drinking, and fisticuffs all over the world, and impressed audiences and critics alike with it’s style and mixture of intense action, high stakes with lighthearted character interactions.  Made for $18 mil, Raiders made $390 mil at the box office, and believe it or not, Raiders won 5 academy awards.  But does it hold up?  Listen as Jon, Colin and Brent travel the globe with Indy and Marion and try to stay ahead of the occult obsessed Hitler to see if they are worthy of surviving the ark’s opening because of their good hearts and intentions, or if they get their faces melting for thinking criticizing thoughts about this campy but fun classic.

Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring

In 2001, J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books were definitively brought to life with Peter Jackson’s The Fellowship of the Ring.  Over 4 years in development, Jackson and his crew scouted locations in New Zealand and found ways to seamlessly bring this fantasy world to life in a very realistic way, molding sets into the landscape in a way that made them seem like they had always been there.  Many fans consider the casting to be perfect for the characters they portrayed, and the art design and costumes helped to immerse movie goers into the world of Middle Earth.  Made for $93 mil, The Fellowship of the Ring went on to make just under $900 mil at the box office, and single handedly re-invigorated the epic fantasy trilogy movies movement in Hollywood.  But does it hold up?  Listen as Jon, Colin and Dave journey to Bag End and beyond to travel with the fellowship to see if the trip is smooth sailing and safe behind sword, axe and bow, or if Sauron and Saruman are too strong a tag team, using magic and fire to burn everyone’s memory of this movie.

Misery

In 1990, Stephen King’s psychological thriller novel Misery was adapted for the big screen.  With Rob Reiner directing, James Caan and then unknown but soon to win an Oscar actress Kathy Bates were brought on board to play Paul Sheldon and Annie Wilkes.  Made for $20 mil, Misery took in over $61 mil in the box office, with fans drawn in by the claustrophobic setting, insane female lead, and unforgettable hobbling scene.  Stephen King himself regards this movie as one of the best adaptations from his novels, and critics continue to rank Misery as one of the best horror films ever made.  But does it hold up?  Listen as Jon, Colin and Brent see if this adaptation can stand up to the harsh weather and slippery slopes of this somewhat disturbing flick, or if things spiral out of control and crash and burn in the ditch, waiting for Annie Wilkes to drag us out and break our ankles with her love.

Blade Runner

In 1982, Ridley Scott brought the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep to life with Blade Runner.  Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young and Edward James Olmos, Blade Runner was a very deliberate sci-fi film that initially disappointed critics and movie goers for its lack of action, but later caught on as audiences realized that the film was ahead of its time in many ways.  Made for $28 Mil, Blade runner was disappointing in the box office, taking in only $34 Mil, but over time this movie spawned a sequel, and its influence on film, particularly in the sci-fi genre has been remarkable.  But does it hold up?  Listen as Jon, Colin and guest Dave come out as human or skin job as Deckard administers his void comp test, and see whether they will be on the run from, or safe in the arms of the Blade Runner.

Unforgiven

In 1992, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the Oscar winning western Unforgiven.  For more than 20 years, the Unforgiven script floated around until it found its way to Eastwood who waited until the right moment to make this near perfect flick.  Made for $14 Mil, this movie made nearly $160 mil worldwide, and it was a resounding commercial and critical success.  With an amazing cast that included Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, and Sir Richard Harris, Unforgiven was nominated for 9 Oscars, winning for best picture, best supporting actor, best director, and best film editing.  But does it hold up?  Was there ever any doubt?  Listen as Jon, Colin and Brent revisit this classic and see if William Munny is too old, slow, and crusty to carry this film to its exciting conclusion, or if he is as deadly as ever and makes quick work of Little Bill and his posse.