Replaying Favorites

Chris and Brie take one last look at the podcast: the highs, the lows, the surprises, the disappointments, the triumphs, the defeats. Maybe the REAL podcast was the friends they made along the way! (Well, they were already friends, so this one can probably just be taken at face value.)

Chris and Brie close out the year, and the podcast overall, with a light-hearted take on institutional racism, rampant sexual violence, and unadressed generational trauma. It sounds like a lot to overlook, but all is forgiven thanks to the love a weird old disgraced recluse shows to a teenage boy after dark in secret in a mall parking lot right before being violently murdered.

The men are sad and superfluous, the women are tragicomic and terrific, and the colors are pink and pink. This episode improbably contains Dylan McDermott's second concerning intrusion on a woman's privacy, as well as a delightful pitch for a sequel and an important announcement at the end about where this podcast is going.  

Brie gets Chris caught up to the early '80s in his cultural knowledge by serving him the second entry (or is it the fifth?) in the Star Wars saga. There's an expected cry over Carrie Fisher, a harsh rebuke of Obi-Wan's ability to give useful directions, and a fair amount of confusion about whether anyone in the movie even knows the Wampa exists. Come back in 20 years to see if technology will allow the hosts to retroactively add more dazzling content to this discussion.

Join Chris and Brie as they experience the secondhand trauma of visiting the family for Thanksgiving. Revel in the greatness of returning favorites Holly Hunter and Charles Durning, embrace the chaos of Aunt Glady, and shun the criminal acts perpetrated both on and off screen by Robert Downey, Jr.

The spooooooooky (sigh) Halloween theme continues this week as our hosts explore a house born bad. Unlike The Haunting's Eleanor, Chris wasn't taken over by Hill House, but was pretty enamored by the lesbian. Brie has some surprising further theories on both. Trick or treat!

Kicking things off in our month of spooky Halloween movies (which is a real easy assignment when there are only two episodes a month), Chris ropes Brie into his annual autumn tradition of bingeing this Cartoon Network classic. Learn which part actually scared Brie, which part Chris would play in the live-action remake, and which part should be excised entirely.

A plot by an acclaimed novelist directed by the guy who made the Ocean's movies starring two of the hottest stars of the past several decades supported by a cast of soon-to-be luminaries in minor roles. What could possibly go wrong? Well, funny you should ask...

This week, your intrepid hosts replay a movie that's horny for food, and somehow that turns into... listen, it's a horny episode. We've got all the standard Replaying Favorites favorites, plus a few new stars in the firmament. You're going to want to carbo load. 

It's a classic musical that you love if you saw it when you were eight and... well, maybe your parents shouldn't have shown you this when you were eight. Chris and Brie evaluate which parts (if any) hold up to scrutiny, and in the biggest plot twist of the series, they vote to keep the sports and throw away the section where Stockard Channing sings while trying on wigs. Truly we live in confusing times. (Also, there is a running tally on animated intros now.)

We remain on summer break! But that's no reason not to lace up your skates and get into The Long Kiss Goodnight with us. (It was real touch and go if Brie was even going to survive this one.)

Original show notes:

Where to even begin? Chris and Brie have their silliest conversation yet about the silliest movie they've watched so far. There's so much ground  to cover that brilliant moments (like Geena Davis snapping a deer's neck with her bare hands) aren't even mentioned. If you want to hear two cohosts wheeze with laughter as they struggle to make it through even  factual descriptions of what is occurring on screen, then look no further.

Somehow, our intrepid hosts manage to talk about something other than Keanu Reeves. (But it takes some effort.)

We're on summer break! Enjoy these dinosaurs. They *do* move in herds.

Original show notes:

It seems futile to even write a description for this one. You know what you're in for: Chris and Brie are going to spend 80% of the time agreeing that this is a spectacular viewing experience and listing all  the reasons why, then exasperate each other for the remaining 20% with a  fundamental disagreement about one of the lead actors. (See if you can guess which one!)

Sometimes, your protagonist is too big because he's an extraterrestrial death machine and your antagonist is too evil because he's hell-bent on the destruction of a sleepy little village in Maine and your story is too dark because it's rooted in Sylvia Plath's suicide (and other tragedies we didn't even get to in the episode) and your budget is too tight because a Gary Oldman / Celine Dion musical flopped at the box office (no, really) and none of it matters because we still cry when the giant says "Superman" at the end.

It's Christmas in July! (There is a non-zero chance we selected this episode just so we could make this joke.) While we're on summer break, re-replay one of our silliest selections. And a warm hello again to the Krige-hive. 

Original show notes: 

Is it three weeks after Christmas? Sure. Is Brie's choice of a movie she's only seen twice a bit of a stretch for the purported rules of this podcast? Maybe. Does Chris maintain a steady scream and drop a hundred F-bombs for some reason? You bet. Nonetheless, join us on another profanity-laden journey through a modern classic that explores the value of a free press, the limits of a monarch's legislative purview, and the feasibility of stealth pursuit on horseback.

Before Olive got her easy A, before Cady met the mean girls, and before Kat hated ten things about you, Cher was clueless. Join our hosts as they revisit the choice fashions, compelling performances, and questionable relationship dynamics of this beloved mutual fave.

Our first summer break re-replay! Delight in questions like: What is a cat? Were more crimes perpetrated upon Dame Judi or Idris Elba? Should cats wear pants? Listen again to your two hosts wheezing through one of the most bananas things ever put on film. Happy summer!

Original episode notes:

This is either the true birth of the podcast or the beginning of the  end. It is both our liveliest discussion and the first shot fired in an escalating arms race of bad and baffling film assignments. If you've  ever wondered what a cat is, then prepare to remain unsure after listening.

A rivalry between two masters that deftly juggles deep discussions of art, religion, morality, and what it truly means to excel. An award-winning classic that remains riveting at almost three hours long. A showcase for once-in-a-generation talents. All ways that you could describe this film, but certainly not this podcast.

Would you marry Lee Pace if he was a bandit who held a princess against her will? What if he blamed all of his problems on an innocent woman? Terrorized a hospital's patients and staff alike? Lied to a small child and put her in mortal peril? Yeah, us too. All this and more in this week's discussion of a movie that you probably didn't watch because it's pretty hard to find.

If you're driving a Hollywood actor to a Hollywood party, is it reasonable to lie about working in Hollywood? If the details of your contract happen to allow you to terrorize your fake boyfriend's barely-of-age girlfriend, should you use that as a bargaining chip? If you wish your colleagues could dance better, is it OK to torment them until they can? And if Brie selects one of the most universally beloved musicals in cinema history, will Chris finally stop fixating on plot logic?

This week, Chris makes a highly calculated ploy to win Brie over with a film specifically engineered to elicit delight. The discussion is shorter than usual (because many of the plot points don't matter much and many of the specific cultural references fly right over the hosts' heads), but this live-action cartoon still packs enough charm into every punch to keep the peace for another week.

This week, Chris and Brie bring in their friend Poppy, both to keep things fresh for the audience and to get some respite from loathing each other's film selections. Poppy rises to the task admirably by being sweet and charming in general, and specifically by proposing a movie in which Cher and Olympia Dukakis soar to the absolute highest heights. Nicolas Cage is also discussed, albeit with less reverence.

Robots? Check. Monsters? Check. Goofball humor? Check. Trauma? Check. Parallels to environmental collapse and other global tragedies? You betcha. There's a little something for everyone in this week's episode, and our hosts have a lot of love and a healthy dose of critique for absolutely all of it.

If you liked how much Chris hated Better Off Dead, then you're going to get a real kick out of how torturous Brie found this week's selection. Despite many compelling counter-arguments (including Holly Hunter's voluminous hair, Ewan McGregor's dynamic musical performance, and a shirtless Stanley Tucci), she's burying this one under the trash can and never looking back. Well, maybe one more peek at Stanley.

Somehow, Brie proposed a dumb, fun, uncomplicated movie and Chris thought about it so hard he almost broke himself. As usual, there's laughter at something that wasn't intended to be funny, tears at a scene that didn't earn it, fawning over a supporting actor to the extent that the lead gets mostly overlooked, and a deep dive into a historical detail that the film barely grazes. All of which is a big swing from two hosts who routinely fail to learn even basic information like character names.

Remember being a preteen and staying home sick from school to watch a series of grisly murders? Chris does! This week, he gets to talk about wigs and false lashes AND inflict his childhood trauma on Brie, who is, as ever, here to chime in with knowledge of concurrent news stories and logistical questions about how exactly these murders went down. (She's a planner.)

This week, our cohosts do things that surprise each other but probably won't surprise you: Chris describes openly weeping twice during a children's movie (and, if you listen closely, nears tears again both times just talking about it), while Brie once more explains how the country's mood in the wake of a major tragedy helped shape the narrative of this film. (Conversely, she would throw the whole plot in the trash for the chance to watch more dogs, who care nothing for sociopolitical analysis.)

Mysteries abound this week. What is Audrey wearing? What is she eating? What is she thinking? Join us on this trip to a bygone era where nobody asks questions and the answers are lies half the time anyway.

Our intrepid hosts have an animated, inquisitive discussion about lead characters who are not nearly animated and inquisitive enough. At least this detour into the fantasy realm means that Chris has to talk about something other than wigs and Brie has to talk about something than the geopolitical context in which our characters operate.

Chris and Brie are only so-so at making a podcast, but their incessant nitpicking of this movie's take on spycraft suggests that they believe they'd be A+ government assassins. Maybe last week's selection gave them an undue level confidence. Regardless, enjoy our two would-be agents as they dissect something this project actually has left them decently qualified to explore: what intense women in the '80s looked like.

Where to even begin? Chris and Brie have their silliest conversation yet about the silliest movie they've watched so far. There's so much ground to cover that brilliant moments (like Geena Davis snapping a deer's neck with her bare hands) aren't even mentioned. If you want to hear two cohosts wheeze with laughter as they struggle to make it through even factual descriptions of what is occurring on screen, then look no further.

In a new experiment, Chris and Brie test the waters with a film neither of them has seen to decide if it could become a favorite. Several hypotheses are tested, including: How should one best approach weird, bearded Robert Duvall? Are you perhaps interested in further information about the Spanish-American War? Will people enjoy hearing two pandemic podcasters (shudder) crap all over a beloved childhood classic? Predictable results ensue.

What if it was the early 1600s but ALSO the mid 1990s? What if our leads were pop culture icons but ALSO kids in their first high school play? What if the director was a visionary auteur but ALSO kind of a hack? What if Paul Rudd was a decades-long mutual crush but ALSO the reason our two cohosts stop speaking to each other? Many questions are raised and none are answered in this week's trip down memory lane.

A movie that gives Chris the chance to admire several brassy broads and allows Brie to lay out the historical political context informing the narrative? Well, here we go again. Listen to our hosts share their insights on gross old New York, gorgeous young Eriq LaSalle, and the timeless, ageless joy of dogs looking directly to camera.

In what could have been this podcast's final episode, Brie finally shows Chris a film that taught her how to love, how to fight capitalism, and how to memorize a script. Revisit this cherished childhood classic, but keep your criticism constructive or the whole town is getting thrown in jail indefinitely.

This one has a lot of high highs and low lows. Are we talking about the plot, the cast, or our general opinions of the film? Yes. Seriously, count how many times Chris and Brie label something "the best [whatever] in cinema history," then compare it with how many times they say "this movie makes no sense." If you're craving a drinking game: you're welcome.

It seems futile to even write a description for this one. You know what you're in for: Chris and Brie are going to spend 80% of the time agreeing that this is a spectacular viewing experience and listing all the reasons why, then exasperate each other for the remaining 20% with a fundamental disagreement about one of the lead actors. (See if you can guess which one!)

This week, our hosts use every ounce of their combined willpower to talk about something other than how hot Stanley Tucci is in this movie. Also explored: why Cam Gigandet needed to be hospitalized, how to avoid trying to pronounce Cam Gigandet for an entire hour, and whether anyone involved in the making of this movie has ever read The Scarlet Letter.

Calling the very premise of this podcast into question, Chris offers up a film that he hasn't seen in 30 years. Listen along as he catches some of the R-rated comedy that went over his head the first few times, Brie discovers a new actor to become obsessed with, and they both recoil from the many derogatory ways women's bodies were discussed in the 1980s.

Our first movie to need a proper spoiler alert! So seriously: SPOILER ALERT. You've been warned. Other than revealing key plot details, Chris and Brie also cover whether the Midwest is inherently bad, which 90s starlet they would have cast in the lead role, and why there should absolutely never be a sequel to the novel or film. (There's also an unbelievable anecdote about a cap that got left on the cutting room floor, but go ahead and read the IMDb trivia page for that little nugget.)

Surprising no one, Chris selects a mid-90s comedy about men dressing as women. In between rave reviews of the lead actors, he and Brie cover pageant bylaws, the supernatural and governmental powers of drag queens, and a surprising potential romance hidden in the film's subtext.

Is it three weeks after Christmas? Sure. Is Brie's choice of a movie she's only seen twice a bit of a stretch for the purported rules of this podcast? Maybe. Does Chris maintain a steady scream and drop a hundred F-bombs for some reason? You bet. Nonetheless, join us on another profanity-laden journey through a modern classic that explores the value of a free press, the limits of a monarch's legislative purview, and the feasibility of stealth pursuit on horseback.

Chris, perhaps unwisely, tries to branch out from his predictable rut of decades-old comedies starring brassy women and/or men pretending to be brassy women. The discussion skips over big action sequences like the multi-ship battle with the Borg cube and the weird magnet boot spacewalk in favor of smaller details like who's looking after Alfre Woodard and where we should store that flesh-eating green gas.

This could have been a full 90-minute discussion of Holly Hunter's best qualities if Chris and Brie hadn't shown better judgment while recording and editing. Though much praise is heaped on this diminutive dynamo, ample time is also spent discussing how far a Chicagoan should reasonably travel for a romantic encounter and whether hanging out with stand-up comedians is as enjoyable as the script seems to imply.

Good morning, Baltimore! John Waters' tale of unity across a tense divide brings Chris and Brie back into harmonious discourse. Topics include hinged hair, Pia Zadora (again, somehow), and a surprising reveal about which of our hosts would enjoy driving around in that weird tiny car.

Careful listeners will no doubt catch one or two subtle indicators that our hosts disagree slightly on the merits of this week's movie. Chris' voice has an almost indiscernible edge to it as he shares his feelings about Brie's selection. Likewise, Brie's laughter conveys the barest hint of discomfort about his chilly tone. Will their (platonic) love survive? (It will.)

This is either the true birth of the podcast or the beginning of the end. It is both our liveliest discussion and the first shot fired in an escalating arms race of bad and baffling film assignments. If you've ever wondered what a cat is, then prepare to remain unsure after listening.

Is 80s technology really that durable? Can the human mind truly accept a big, mean Lee Pace? Should every movie have a raccoon in it? Join us for another deeply intellectual discussion.

Gather round, you friends of mine! It's time to hear our intrepid hosts wade into the unforgiving wilderness of 1980s fashion, 1980s materialism, 1980s feminism, and 1980s racial stereotypes. This episode also features what will hopefully be our only discussion of a literal log.