Episode 211 - The Outsiders (1983)
Mary Versus the Movies
It's 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma, it's Greasers versus Soches, it's poor versus rich, it's murder and poetry, and it's a ton of future stars. We welcome back my sister Anne Jones to talk about her favorite movie. Starring C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Diane Lane, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, and Leif Garrett. Written by Kathleen Rowell from S.E. Hinton's novel. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
info_outline
Episode 210 - Taps (1981)
Mary Versus the Movies
Students at a prestigious military academy hold an insurrection when told the school will close. Gotta be honest, I never loved my high school that much. Starring Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise, Giancarlo Esposito, and George C. Scott. Written by Darryl Ponicsan and Robert Mark Kamen. Directed by Harold Becker.
info_outline
Episode 209 - Cocoon (1985)
Mary Versus the Movies
Florida seniors discover the fountain of youth--an abandoned pool full of alien cocoons from Atlantis. Naturally, they drain the aliens of their life force in order to save money on Viagra. Hey, sometimes humans are the real monsters. Starring Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Jack Gilford, Steve Guttenberg, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Gwen Verdon, Herta Ware, and Tahnee Welch. Written by Tom Benedek. Directed by Ron Howard.
info_outline
Hollywood Avalon, ep. 29 - 28 Years Later (2025)
Mary Versus the Movies
At first glance, the sequel to the zombie movie 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later is not an obvious pick for a podcast about Arthurian movies. However, after watching a few minutes, it's fairly evident that the movie isn't just a commentary on post-Brexit Britain, the weaponization of nostalgia, and the dangers of Little Englanders, it's playing with all of British history, from the end of its place as part of the Roman Empire--an end that leads to the creation of the Arthurian legend--to the Viking incursions, to the Henry V, the rise and fall of the British Empire, World War II, and the...
info_outline
Episode 208 - Possibly In Michigan (1983) with special guest Uncle Morty
Mary Versus the Movies
Mary and Dennis are tied up with their dayjobs this week, so as a Halloween treat, friend and fellow podcaster Josh Seybert asked his Uncle Morty to step into the breach with a review of Cecelia Condit's horror musical short Possibly In Michigan. Starring Jill Sands, Bill Blume, and Karen Skladany. Written and directed by Cecelia Condit. Check out Josh's many projects at and his show with Andy Mascola, Empathy at the Apocalypse:
info_outline
Episode 207 - Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
Mary Versus the Movies
A carnival blows into a sleepy town, promising to fulfill everyone's desires--but wishes always come with a catch. Can young Will and Jack resist temptation? Can Will's father save them before it's too late? And will the town be free of Mr. Dark and his carnival before the storms come and wipe everything away? Ray Bradbury's dark fantasy of Americana is a little let down in the directing, but Robards and Price's performances ground the battle between good and evil. Starring Jason Robards, Jonathan Price, Dianne Ladd, Pam Grier, Vidal Peterson, and Shawn Carson. Written by Ray Bradbury....
info_outline
Hollywood Avalon, ep. 26 - The Twilight Zone: The Last Defender of Camelot (1986)
Mary Versus the Movies
An immortal Lancelot, living in 1986, is attacked by a gang of punks, kidnapped by Morgan Le Fay, and forced by a mad Merlin to battle a magic suit of armor in a desperate attempt to bring back Camelot--something Old Man Lancelot really doesn't want. We visit the 1980s incarnation of The Twilight Zone with this adaptation of a Roger Zelazny short story, which originally aired April 11, 1986. Starring Richard Kiley, Jenny Agutter, Norman Lloyd, and John Cameron Mitchell. Written by George R. R. Martin based on the story by Roger Zelazny. Directed by Jeannot Szwarc. ...
info_outline
Hollywood Avalon, ep. 22 - Legend of the Sword (2017)
Mary Versus the Movies
What if Arthur was a bloke? You know, a regular street tough, a geezer, a guy up from the harsh streets of Londinium, who defeats an evil wizard-king with his merry band of criminals? Then you’d have Guy Ritchie’s version of the Arthurian story. And honestly? It’s not that bad. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not great–the story is silly, the CGI looks terrible, and there are parts that drag quite a lot. But it has Jude Law as the evil King Vortigern, swishing his way through the story, and Charlie Hunnam is pretty affable as a guy who goes from bouncer to king. Starring Charlie Hunnam,...
info_outline
Episode 206 - Bad Dreams (1988)
Mary Versus the Movies
The only survivor of a suicide cult wakes up in a mental institution after fifteen years in a coma, only to be haunted by the ghost of her former leader, urging her to finish the deed. Is this real? Or is she being manipulated by the hospital? Writer and relationships expert Alana Phelan is back with us to talk about a movie she was terrified by as a kid. Is it as scary as she remembers? Or is it all kind of silly nonsense? Starring Jennifer Rubin, Bruce Abbott, E.G. Daily, Dean Cameron, Harris Yulin, and Richard Lynch. Written by Andrew Fleming and Steven E. de Souza. Directed by Andrew...
info_outline
Episode 205 - House / ハウス (1977)
Mary Versus the Movies
A group of girls head to an elderly aunt's haunted house for the summer and are quickly consummed by the past. This cult classic is one of the strangest films we've covered in the show, full of wild video effects and a guy who turns into a pile of bananas. It rocks. Starring Kimiko Ikegami, Miki Jinbo, Ai Matubara, Kumiko Oba, Mieko Sato, Eriko Tanaka, Masayo Miyako, and Yōko Minamida. Written by Chiho Katsura. Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi
info_outlineWe’re subjected to a reboot of the Hellboy franchise, which amps up the Arthurian content–Hellboy doesn’t just battle a reanimated Vivian/Nimue, the sorceress who traditionally imprisoned Merlin, but it turns out Hellboy is descended of King Arthur and the only person who can wield Excalibur. But if Hellboy does so, he might give over to his demonic nature and initiate the apocalypse.
Sounds pretty cool, right? Well, this movie absolutely sucks. Just a real turd. Flat, dull, and incoherent. So much wasted potential.
Starring David Harbour, Milla Jovovich, Ian McShane, Sasha Lane, and Danie Dae Kim . Written by Andrew Cosby. Directed by Neil Marshall.
This is a preview of the latest episode of our series Hollywood Avalon. To hear the entire episode, join the Mary Versus the Movies patreon for $3/month to hear this and the entire series Hollywood Avalon: https://www.patreon.com/