Libsyn Directory

Diner (1982)

Back to the Balcony

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Dead Poet's Society (1989)

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Mario Bernardi saw it when it first came out - but will he still love it thirty-five years later when anything he had in common with it is long gone? And then there's the question of how much sensitive Robin Williams is enough? An episode of surprising depth.

The Thin Man (1934)

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A classic movie gets a surprising reaction from two people who aren't really into classic movies. Join guests Mario Bernardi and Chris Jarvie in an exploration of a movie that still influences movies and tv shows today and spawned four sequels that are still regarded as some of the best of their type ever. A lot of people have never seen any of them but after listening to this episode you may find yourself tempted to see what all the fuss is about - if you can even find them. A really fun and illuminating episdoe.

A Knight's Tale (2001)

Back to the Balcony

Again we bend the rules for Chris Wuergler to talk about 2001's A Knight's Tale. She has a professed interest in bad boys on motorcycles, does this mean that's how she sees knights on horseback? Some interesting performances in the movie, some great observations and another rollicking podcast from Chris, Jimmy and Phil. Also the kick-off episode to season 10 of Back to the Balcony - although, Jimmy forgets to acknowledge it.

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