Never Heard Of It

This week, Craig and Shawn talk about watching 1977's 'It Happened One Christmas', that Marlo Thomas movie that we teed up last week. When they said they were basing this movie on 'It's a Wonderful Life', boy howdy, they weren't kidding. Here all about how Orson Welles stacks up against Lionel Barrymore! How Marlo Thomas stacks up against Jimmy Stewart! How Christopher Guest stacks up against... the actor who played the same part as Christopher Guest! Man oh man, it's quite the celebration of Christmas spirit up in here!

This week, Shawn and Craig give you the backstory on 1977's 'It Happened One Christmas', a Marlo Thomas-produced TV movie that was based very, VERY heavily on 'It's a Wonderful Life'. Craig runs down the cast and crew - you'll be watching one of Christopher Guest's least known roles, for instance - and Shawn has some very cool info on how this movie was received both then and now. Let me tell you, this is one tee up that won't leave you wishing you'd never been born!

Oh, boy howdy, you guys, have we got a heavy episode for you today. We're talking about the background of 'Belladonna of Sadness' an animated film out of Japan from 1973. It sounds like it's gonna be an intense ride so make sure you're of a mature age and that you're at least this tall before you strap in. Craig will tell you all about the cast and crew, which at the very least has some connection to Astro-Boy and Kurasawa, and Shawn will tell you all about the behind-the-scenes stories like the fact that this movie didn't make its US premiere until 2009, when all the rest of you were out watching Avatar, for the fifth time. Come on and hear all about it and then go check out the movie!

This week, Shawn and Craig talk all about watching the 1924 silent thriller 'The Hands of Orlac'! It's all about this fella Orlac and how he loses his hands and how he gets the hands of a killer grafted on to his arm stumps. A chiller, to be sure. And if you ever wanted to know how much these two DON'T know, this is the episode for you. Do they know if hand transplants are real or not? Nope. Do they know which character wrote which letter and when they did it? No, thanks. Do they know if you'll listen all the way to the end of this episode? Certainly not. Let's all find out together! Got check out 'The Hands of Orlac' and then give this bad boy a listen.

This week, Shawn and Craig put their noses to the grindstone for 1924's 'The Hands of Orlac', a movie that asks 'If you HAD to be in an accident where you lost both of your hands and you HAD to have the hands of a killer grafted on to your wrist-stumps, would that really be so bad?' The answer, to judge by the poster, is a big YES. But judging by the cast and crew and behind the scenes stories, and the fact that his movie is nearly 100 years old, this is a body horror story with serious legs. Will it prove to be head and shoulders above the rest? The only way to know is to knuckle down, lend an ear to this episode, and then cast your eyes on the movie itself.

This week, Craig and Shawn give you all the background info they could find on Cheryl Dunye's 1996 film ' The Watermelon Woman'. We're talking about a first-of-its-kind movie, here, folks! You will not get a more first-of-its-kind movie from this podcast this week! We talk about everything from CRAZY long credits lists to the problem with showing beautiful, natural sexual relations when part of your film is comprised of an NEA grant. There's a lot to chew on here and that's really not a pun, I promise! 

This week Craig and Shawn talk not one, not two, not even three, but all four seasons when they tee up the Alan Alda directed 1981 comedy... 'The Four Seasons.' And if you can come up with a fifth season, they'll even talk about that. But until then, enjoy this tantalizing journey into the who, what, when and how this thing came to exist. They'll be back next week to weigh in with their thoughts on the film itself and, as always, thanks for listening!

This week, Shawn and Craig talk about watching 1976’s ‘Stay Hungry’. It’s a movie that throws Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Sally Field, and Jeff Bridges into a big stew that’s being stirred by Bob Rafelson and then serves it up hot. And this is an XXXL episode where we bring up questions they way Arnie brings up dumbbells - What are those capsules that guy is breaking and sniffing? Why is Jeff Bridges so sweaty? Arnold plays a fiddle? These questions and more will be either half-answered or at least alluded to - that’s the Never Heard of It guarantee!

This week, Shawn and Craig get into the details behind the Bob Rafelson-directed 1976 movie 'Stay Hungry'. This movie brings together Arnold Schwarzeneggar, Jeff Bridges and Sally Field in a one-time-only type of entertainment. Throw in Scatman Crothers, Robert Englund, Ed Begley, Jr., 32 metric tons of pectoral muscle and some questionable but still pretty fun karate moves and, boy oh boy, you've got our tee up for the one, the only, the Stay Hungry. Do give 'er a listen.

This week, Shawn and Craig talk all about watching 1988's 'The Beast'. You guys, this is one of those movies - sadly overlooked and for no good reason. We'll get into everything with a little help from an email from Executive Producer Dale Pollock. You'll find out what the CORRECT title of this movie is, you'll hear an INCREDIBLE facsimile of the original 'The Beast' pitch, and you'll find out what you should do on the first day of shooting when none of your tanks show up. It's quite a ride! So come on in and check it out.

This week, Shawn and Craig tee up 1988's 'The Beast' a.k.a. 'The Beast of War' a.k.a. the Kevin Reynolds movie that doesn't star Kevin Costner. They get into it real good, too, from Craig getting excited about crew who worked on Night of the Creeps to Shawn's deep dive on Dale Dye. Don't dilly dally on this deep Dale Dye dive, dudes. Do it!

This week, Shawn and Craig talk all about watching 1973's 'Touki Bouki', a film straight out of Senegal that had them alternately thrilled, beguiled, intrigued, inspired and confused. But that's not terribly surprising, is it? These guys could barely make heads or tails of Teen Wolf back in Season 1. Who are we foolin'? Regardless - we all know their charm lies in their ignorance and these dudes have charm to spare. So go check out the movie on your own and then come back to have a good hardy laugh.

This week, Craig and Shawn tee up the 1973 Senegalese film 'Touki Bouki' (aka 'Journey of the Hyena'). This is a true never heard of it this week, you guys. None of that soft-boiled 'haven't heard about it in a while' or 'I watched it with one eye closed'. Neither of these ne'er-do-wells had any idea this movie existed until probably a couple of weeks ago. But there are plenty of people who are very aware of it - does the name 'Martin Scorsese' mean anything to you? No? How about 'Criterion Collection?' Still no? How about 'Abraham Lincoln'? Just checking because you seem pretty unfazed by all of this. The point is - we're gonna tee up something we are in no way prepared for and what's better than that? Give us a listen and then go check out the film!

This week, Craig and Shawn hitchhike down 2018's 'Thunder Road'. Find out what Jim Cummings and crew laid down and if Craig or Shawn could handle any of it. Some things they weren't clear on. Other things? Very clear. But which things? Will they agree? Disagree? There's only one way to find out. Check out 'Thunder Road' and then come give this one a listen. 

This week, Shawn and Craig tee up the 2018 indie 'Thunder Road'. They'll talk about the relatively new blood involved in getting this movie to the screen, there will be a number of mispronounced names, Craig will incorrectly guess a Best Picture winner, and Shawn will discuss his plans to move to France. It's all in here, so come and get it!

This week, Shawn and Craig get a little antsy about 'Phase IV', the 1974 Saul Bass-directed sci-fi flick. There's just so much to talk about - from the macro photography and acting chops of the ants to the regular photography and acting chops of the humans. What happened to Clete? Can the ants read minds? It's a lot to digest. So jump on down into this anthill and let's do this.

No foolin', this week Shawn and Craig tee up the 1974 Saul Bass sci-fi insect freak out "Phase IV"! Man, this one's got a crazy pedigree. Not only is it directed by the guy who gave us both the titles for North by Northwest AND the logo for the YMCA, but it's also produced by the same guy who produced Manimal! What more do you need to know, right? Well, luckily there's plenty more that you need to know and this episode's got it. So go get it!

This week, Shawn and Craig talk all about their experience watching Neil Jordan's 1988 movie 'High Spirits'. They'll talk good gags and bad gags, O'Toole and how he just doesn't phone it in, and even what might have been before this movie was taken away from Mr. Jordan. They also talk a bit about the movies they've watched recently, so you know this is gonna be a humdinger. Get on it!

This week, Shawn and Craig talk about the 1988 Neil Jordan movie 'High Spirits'. Craig gives you the rundown on this A-list cast that runs very deep. And Shawn talks about some behind-the-scenes drama that left at least one director of the movie none too pleased! So give a listen to this background on the movie and then go check it out!

This week, we get ready for Saint Nic to come to town! Shawn and Craig get into all the nitty gritty details of the 1994 Nic Cage Christmas movie 'Trapped in Paradise'. This is a movie with a pretty crazy pedigree - I mean, that cast! - and the behind-the-scenes stories do not disappoint. Do you like bank robberies? Madcap antics? Micky Rourke impressions? If it's any of the above, you are in for a great time!

Shawn & Craig talk about the 1979 Shaw Brothers movie 'Dirty Ho'.