The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
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Our second special Christmas episode takes a look at The Muppet Christmas Carol with guests Chris Jarvie and Christine Kinahan. How does it compare to the classic 1951 version? And is a comparison even fair? Has it enhanced the original or just cashed in with Disneylike touches that blow up what Dickens was trying to say? Or is it just a light piece of fluff we all need at Christmas? A fun listen - especially about the song and the scene they left out.
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A Christmas Carol (1951)
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Alistair Sim is easily the greatest Scrooge of all time in 1951's "A Christmas Carol" - or "Scrooge", as it's known in the UK. It's a movie that didn't have much success when released in North America but has gone on to become a beloved Christmas classic. Or is beloved to strong a word? Guest Ryan Sim doesn't think so - but then again he's related to Alistair Sim. It's a magical Christmas episode that's both funny and touching. Give it a listen.
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True Grit (1969)
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Guest Bret Measor wanted to talk about the remake of True Grit, not the original with John Wayne. Jimmy said no so Bret watched the original and blew both his socks off. The result is a fun romp as Bret finds himself starry eyed over one of the great icons of western movies. If it's a trifle long it's because he just had so much he wanted to talk about and we couldn't shut him up. The result is a review full of passion and excitement - and lots and lots of laughs.
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Diner (1982)
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Mario Bernardi revisits his youth with the movie Diner, in some ways the life of every boy wrestling with adulthood and in some ways in a world all its own. Did it hold up with Mario, the man who notoriously doesn't like to revisit old movies? And Jimmy, the host who rarely finds something to love in a movie like this? Either way, it's a fascinating look at big stars who hadn't yet crossed that threshold yet.
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Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
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They don't actually meet Frankenstein but they do meet a bevy of Universal's iconic creatures in this movie that's both funny and even a little chilling. Larry Smith takes us bacik to a different time when Abbott and Costello were the comedy kings of a generation and the way it works for a comedy team. Larry has a record of outstanding podcasts.
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The Mask of Zorro (1998)
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Chris Wuergler goes romantic - or is it action oriented? With Chris it's hard to tell. And so is the The Mask of Zorro - just one of the countless retellings of a story that's over a hundred years old that Jimmy insists can't decide what it wants to be. Despite its flaws its kinda fun, as is this podcast with guest engineer, Kristian Reimer.
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The Rock (1996)
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It's hard to see Chris Wuergler as an action movie afficianato but she's brought us more action movies than anyone else. Trouble is, now she's brought us The Rock, a slam-bam action movie that makes no sense at all - at least according to Jim. Guest engineer Kristian Reimer tries to keep things on an even keel in this episode that's just about as crazy as the movie.
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Days of Thunder (1990)
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The movie Chris Jarvie has been begging us to talk about. Is it the gem Chris remembers or is he just all caught up in the car racing thing? A little of both maybe but Jimmy and guest engineer Ryan Sim are intrigued by his stories of the race car exerpience. Not just a good movie review but a fascinating look into racing car culture.
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One Hour Photo/The Solid Gold Cadillac
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Ryan Sim joins Jimmy England to talk about the movie they think the other should watch. For Ryan Sim it's One Hour Photo with Robin Williams in a role that turns his comic persona on its head with a character who's both creepy and sympathetic.Jimmy makes the case for 1956's The Solid Gold Cadillac with Judy Holiday cutting s swath through 1950's big business and advertising that still resonates today. Will they agree or disagree they're both worth watching?
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The Blob (1988)
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Personal favourite Bob Kerr returns to extoll the virtues of 1988's remake of The Blob. It was a time of either great creativity moving towards a new way of story telling or sanitized dreck. Take a guess where Jimmy stands on this. A totally fun episode and possibly the only good thing to come out of this movie.
info_outlineGuest Greg Dobrowski wants to talk about a most unusual movie, 1981's Time Bandits. it's kind of like the Wizard of Oz on acid. It's kind of like a lot of things, but is it a good movie? Jimmy has some strong feelings here.