The Power Of One (1995)
Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review
This week, Gene and Big D review The Power of One (1992), the historical drama directed by John G. Avildsen (Rocky) and starring Stephen Dorff, Morgan Freeman, John Gielgud, and a very young, very hateable Daniel Craig — in his feature film debut. Set in apartheid-era South Africa, the film follows Peter "PK" Keith, an Anglo boy navigating boarding school brutality, a German expat mentor, a prison boxing coach, and the weight of becoming a symbol for an oppressed people. It's ambitious, it's beautiful, and it completely bombed at the box office. This episode, the guys debate: Whether PK is...
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Cars (2006)
Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review
It's episode 503 and commissioner Shane — fantasy baseball champion, Jump Rope for Heart hero, and listener since episode four — finally gets his pick: Pixar's 2006 animated comedy Cars. Dick watched it with his daughter, Emma. Gene watched it for the first time, still unclear why so many Walmart shoppers wear Lightning McQueen Crocs. What follows is a full breakdown of the film — the stunning opening race sequence, the surprisingly rich world-building, the Route 66 economic collapse that hit harder than expected, and the central flaw neither host could ignore: Lightning McQueen is the...
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Meatballs (1979)
Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review
This week on Shat the Movies, we’re heading to Camp North Star for Meatballs (1979), the summer camp comedy that helped launch Bill Murray into movie stardom. Gene and Big D revisit the pranks, camp rivalries, and Murray’s unforgettable charm to see if this laid-back classic still delivers the laughs. Is it a timeless comedy or just a nostalgic trip back to summer vacation? Tune in and find out. Full movie info below: Meatballs (1979) is a comedy directed by Ivan Reitman and stars Bill Murray, Harvey Atkin, Kate Lynch, and Chris Makepeace. The film follows easygoing camp counselor Tripper...
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The Quest (1996)
Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review
Gene and Dick hit a milestone — episode 501 — and they're celebrating by going back to the '90s with Jean-Claude Van Damme's passion project, The Quest. Commissioned by Steven M. as part of the Month of Steven, this 1996 martial arts adventure finds Van Damme not just starring but directing — and the results are... surprisingly ambitious. In this episode: Is The Quest Bloodsport in 1925, or Van Damme's Indiana Jones? Gene and Dick can't agree. Roger Moore shows up and completely steals the movie. Dick makes a controversial case that he may have been a better Bond than Connery. The...
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Airborne (1993)
Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review
Episode 500 is here! To celebrate this milestone, the Shat Crew commemorated the occasion with a limited-edition Episode 500 Mission Patch, created as a special thank-you to listeners who helped us reach 500 movies. Get yours at while supplies last. For the 500th episode of Shat The Movies, Gene and Big D lace up their inline skates and head to Cincinnati for Airborne, the 1993 coming-of-age comedy that somehow blends fish-out-of-water humor, street hockey, aggressive inline skating and a roster of future stars. Starring Shane McDermott alongside a young Seth Green and Jack...
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Diggstown (1992)
Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review
James Woods is a con man you desperately want to punch, Louis Gossett Jr. fights 10 men at 48 years old, and Gene somehow thought this was a New Jack City knockoff. This week, Steven M. commissions the 1992 sports comedy con film Diggstown, and we ask the question: Is it actually clever, or does everybody in the room just think they are? We break down the complicated long con, the overcrowded cast, a dead man in the locker room that nobody seems particularly upset about, and whether Oliver Platt's truck is the real star of the film. Plus: is Inception a hustle movie? Would you fight Louis...
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Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review
This week on Shat the Movies, we’re signing on with Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), the war comedy that promised nonstop laughs and delivered something stranger, sadder, and more complicated. Robin Williams turns in one of his most electric performances as Armed Forces Radio DJ Adrian Cronauer, bringing chaos to the airwaves and headaches to his superiors. Gene and Big D break down the comedy, the culture clash, and whether the movie’s mix of humor, music, and Vietnam drama still works today. Is it a comedy, a drama, or just a Robin Williams showcase? Tune in and find out. Plot...
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Heavyweights (1995)
Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review
This week, Gene and Big D tackle a commission with a personal touch: Zach — a top 0.5% Shat the Movies listener and fitness industry pro — was gifted a review of the 1995 Disney comedy Heavyweights. Written by Judd Apatow and Steven Brill, the film follows a group of boys at Camp Hope who rebel against the unhinged fitness entrepreneur Tony Perkis Jr. (Ben Stiller) after he takes over their beloved fat camp. Gene and Big D dig into what made Heavyweights a touchstone for chubby '90s kids — and why it bombed at the box office. Along the way, they debate whether Ben Stiller has ever...
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American Pie (1999)
Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review
This week on Shat the Movies, we’re revisiting American Pie (1999), the movie that launched a thousand awkward teen comedies and permanently changed how people look at baked goods. Gene and Big D break down the friendships, bad decisions, late 90s soundtrack, and whether this coming-of-age comedy still works or feels trapped in another era. Does the heart and humor hold up, or should some memories stay in high school? Tune in and find out. Movie Summary: American Pie (1999) is a teen comedy directed by Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz and stars Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Eddie...
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Double Jeopardy (1999)
Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review
This week on Shat the Movies, we’re breaking down Double Jeopardy (1999), where Ashley Judd gets framed for murder and then finds out she can get away with it… at least in theory. Gene and Big D dig into the cross-country revenge plot, Tommy Lee Jones doing his best fugitive impression, and whether this legal thriller actually makes any sense. Is it a smart twist on the system or just nonsense with handcuffs? Tune in and find out. Full movie info belowDouble Jeopardy (1999) is a thriller directed by Bruce Beresford and stars Ashley Judd, Tommy Lee Jones, and Bruce Greenwood. The film...
info_outlineWhen the daughter of a Vietnam veteran asks you to review "Apocalypse Now," you answer the call. Both Gene and Dick agree this movie is epic, but the topic of Marlon Brando's weight sparks an all-out war.
This 1979 adaptation of "Heart of Darkness" is both miracle and masterpiece, expertly depicting drug use (Big D verified) and the convoluted crossroads of the Vietnam War (Gene is a bit of an expert.) The attention to detail, recklessness and introspection hit American audiences with a film unlike any they'd seen before, and the shockwaves still resonate on this 2023 podcast.
Where Dick Ebert sees a disjointed plot, Gene Lyons sees the direct DNA of Joseph Conrad's groundbreaking novella. And where Gene sees a disappointing ending, Big D tells the story of the John Milius ending that never was.
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