Mean Streets (1973), with Andrew Crites
Our Hero De Niro
This week on Our Hero De Niro, Mike and Mike are joined by their friend Andrew for a deep dive into Mean Streets, Scorsese’s raw, Catholic guilt–soaked breakthrough and Robert De Niro’s first iconic role as the chaotic Johnny Boy. Together, they discuss the film’s wandering structure, evocative street-level style, and what it means to live with sin when absolution isn’t coming. Plus: the nature of expressionism, needle drop overload, and Tyler Perry vs. Ernest Films. Wikipedia page for . Films recommended this episode: Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd: and , email them...
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All Mike’d Up – Shark Tale Listener Mail
Our Hero De Niro
In the first episode of All Mike’d Up, Mike and Mike ditch De Niro and settle into a looser, anything-goes conversation. They read listener emails from friends of the pod, cover Shark Week memories, and discuss proper theme park bathroom etiquette. It’s the podcast-within-a-podcast that's part catching up and part comedy free-for-all. Supplemental Link:
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Guilty by Suspicion (1991)
Our Hero De Niro
This week on Our Hero De Niro, the Mikes dive into Guilty by Suspicion, a sobering drama about the Hollywood blacklist era, starring Robert De Niro as a principled director navigating loyalty, fear, and career collapse during the Red Scare. They examine the film’s historical framing, De Niro’s restrained performance, and how the story avoids big courtroom theatrics in favor of quieter moral tension. Plus: Breaking Bad montages, the war on TikTok brain rot, and whether or not the Mikes would flip during the Red Scare. Wikipedia page for . Films recommended this...
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Men of Honor (2000)
Our Hero De Niro
This week on Our Hero De Niro, the Mikes discuss Men of Honor, the inspirational military drama starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as Carl Brashear, the first Black U.S. Navy Master Diver, and Robert De Niro as his grizzled, racist-turned-mentor. They unpack the film’s classic biopic formula, its effective performances, and the tension between its uplifting message and Hollywood gloss. Plus: inspirational yelling, underwater acting, and military racism as a fixable personality flaw. Wikipedia page for . Films recommended this episode: Next week:
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Shark Tale (2004)
Our Hero De Niro
This week on Our Hero De Niro, Mike and Mike tackle Shark Tale, DreamWorks’ aggressively early-2000s animated mob comedy where Robert De Niro voices a mafia shark and Will Smith plays a fast-talking fish with debts to pay. They unpack the film’s wild tonal dissonance, endless pop culture references, and questionable audience—while asking: who exactly was this movie for? Plus: DreamWorks vs. Pixar, cursed animation choices, and the eternal mystery of how this thing made $375 million. Our Hero De Niro is now on Instagram ! Wikipedia page for . Films recommended this...
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Mailbag Spectacular
Our Hero De Niro
It’s our 30th episode, and we’re breaking format to celebrate the citizens of De Niro Nation! We pop some beers and dive into your letters — responding to burning questions about De Niro’s comedic chops, the accuracy of mental health portrayals in film, and which directors lost the plot after early success. One Mike surprises the other with a few unrehearsed “burning questions,” and we both reflect on our favorite episodes so far. Also: comfort films, De Niro Multiverse Theory, and a surprise visit from Barack Obama. Thank you to everyone who’s been with us so...
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Midnight Run (1988)
Our Hero De Niro
This week on Our Hero De Niro, the Mikes finally reach Midnight Run—one of De Niro’s most beloved performances and a gold-standard buddy comedy. They celebrate the film’s perfect casting, sharp script, and emotional core, while digging into what makes Jack Walsh and Jonathan “The Duke” Mardukas such a compelling odd couple. Plus: train food, Danny Elfman discourse, and a lecture on inflation. Wikipedia page for . Films recommended this episode: Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd and and email them at Next week: ...
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The Good Shepherd (2006)
Our Hero De Niro
In this episode of Our Hero De Niro, the Mikes dig into The Good Shepherd, a somber, sprawling CIA origin story directed by Robert De Niro and starring Matt Damon as a buttoned-up spymaster slowly consumed by secrecy and sacrifice. They explore the film’s bleak tone, dense plot, and De Niro’s quiet hand as a director, while considering what the film reveals about institutional loyalty, paranoia, and post-9/11 storytelling. Wikipedia page for . Films recommended this episode: Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd and and email them at ...
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Wag The Dog (1997), with Caroline Lamarque
Our Hero De Niro
This week, Mike and Mike are joined by returning guest Caroline for a deep dive into Wag the Dog, Barry Levinson’s razor-sharp political satire about media manipulation and manufactured war. Together they unpack the film’s uncanny relevance, its best one-liners, and the very weird energy of late-90s media cynicism. Plus: government interference, catchy patriotic jingles, and a whole lot of Albania talk. Wikipedia page for . Films recommended this episode: Follow Mike and Mike on Letterboxd and and email them at Next week:
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Arthur and the Minimoys (2006)
Our Hero De Niro
This week on Our Hero De Niro, the Mikes suffer through Arthur and the Minimoys (a.k.a. Arthur and the Invisibles), Luc Besson’s baffling animated/live-action hybrid featuring a thousand-year-old princess, hideous elf creatures, and Robert De Niro as a pointy-eared king. They unpack the film’s awkward visuals, Madonna’s mind-numbing voice acting, and whether this is the worst De Niro performance by default. Plus: librariancore fashion, weeb tropes, and reminiscing about Freedom Fries. Wikipedia page for . Films recommended this episode: Follow...
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