Are You Movie Mad?

Happy New Year! Should old acquaintance be forgot then that’d be awkward indeed as Andrew holds Johnny’s hand to the Leslie Nielsen franchise-starting comedy classic that leads to the upcoming Liam Neeson reboot in 2025. Fear not, though, before getting into the ZAZ weeds there’s important talk on Luca Guadagnino’s Queer and the contractually obligated Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim, and a good discussion about AI-centric 4K remastering that’s plagued us all of late.

It’s our final episode of the year, and it’s a Hallmark Christmas Movie commentary. On Peacock, Hallmark, and little else, but don’t worry if you can’t watch along, we provide as much plot as we can find in this empty vessel whilst playing a lot of fun festive film games. Because this film starts so quickly, we roll in on 0 seconds into the film, no good sync point, no real point in the film… The commentary begins at: 00:15:48

It’s our fa-la-la-la-la la-la la-last episode of the year and we’re going back on the Griswold Family Vacation Train to finally have Johnny witness a good old family tradition of a movie, whether he wants to or not. But Johnny tells us about his journeys through Oz from Great And Powerful to Wicked Part One, and Andrew has finally, finally, seen Memoir Of A Snail and gets to talk a little sad-sack stop-motion before the festive spirit takes flight for good.

It’s Christmastime, we’re sitting in the world of Bryan Cranston comedy, and talking the problematic Franco brother. We’re also dragging in Paddington In Peru, GladIIator, Red One, an Irish filum with Paul Reiser and the Steve Martin Pink Panther movies, which turn out to be relevant to the feature presentation. If you’re looking for a slight dive into Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels, then this episode is for you and you alone.

Andrew stocks up on snacks and takes Johnny through the suburbs with best friends Steve Carell Squirrel and Nick Nolte Bear. They read Netflix top 10s, 2006 video game award nominations and hide from the aftermath of something that happened 2 weeks ago that shall go undiscussed forever if you live in cinemaland instead.

Americans, get out of there whilst you still can, before the votes are counted on election night 2024. We’re going on the holiday road with the Griswolds through Europe, and discussing our own brief encounters across the continent. We also have a shamelessly packed chat about recent films, including Heretic, Juror #2, The Wild Robot, Piece By Piece and the third Venom venom venom venom and Terrifier films.

Based on the mentions on another podcast, Andrew loads the final episode of Scare You Movie Mad 2024 with Stuart Gordon’s HP Lovecraft adaptation from the mid-90s, and Johnny discusses post-birthday malaise and missing out on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new Warriors musical adaptation because time has been unkind. Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut is discussed as well as the continual fallout of Joker: Folie A Deux.

Johnny’s celebrating another birthday and we’re sat together in different countries watching his beloved Johnny Cash in another movie, this time whilst singing and playing guitar he’s also got a gun and is playing a New Jersey criminal, with accent reaching about the border of Tennessee.

Cronch cronch cronch, walking on dried leaves and bark, a ramble in the woods to start October’s Scare You Movie Mad run, we’re looking at the conceptual killer movie of 2024 about… walking. And sometimes a li’l murder for fun. Andrew eggs Johnny on to be more like the Johnny of the movie, and Johnny sings us his thoughts of new films including Joker: Folie A Deux, Megalopolis, The Substance and The Outrun. Andrew, though, slams down on some Salem’s Lot for good measure. We’re coming into Halloween month swingin’!

Ordinary Effing People! Andrew details John Lithgow’s new London stage performance, Johnny takes a drive in a repossessed car and Alex Cox’s punk-social-satire gets examined before a dive into the world of Letterboxd and Emilio Estevez’s career take charge. What will be left come the end of the journey and who will They Live?

Vacation - All we ever wanted. Vacation - Had to get away. It’s September and we’re sitting around, reminiscing on holidays long past as we pack the car and take a first trip with the original Griswold family. On top of stops on the road we spend the time discussing Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, spoilers galore, and Kneecap, as well as comparing the 1983 comedy with the 2015 reboot and run through the legacy of National Lampoon as a brand.

Straight from the bowels of DVD-only content comes the first attempt to lionise Road House as a modern classic, with Jake Busey and Will Patton and no Swayze. Will anyone have their throat ripped? Will animals (living or stuffed) attack baddies? Will this establish what the sequel to the Jake Gyllenhaal version should explore? Let’s find out together.

From Gamer To Racer! Johnny was hyped for this film in 2023 and it became his big summer obsession. Now a year on, Andrew hasn’t caught the game adaptation based on the true story yet, and it is prime time to turn life into content through the medium of podcasting. Will it be a pole position for this film, or will it spin out and not finish like Andrew’s reaction to CHAPPiE?

Ending Eddie Murphy Month with a look at a Paramount action comedy that kinda doesn’t exist but was big for a moment, Andrew and Johnny discuss Deadpool & Wolverine (spoiling things), Eddie Murphy’s music career and Meet Dave/Twisters, because everything is intertwined now and cinema is definitely a dead art form.

Eddie Murphy Month rolls on and we give thoughts to Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, discuss the recent situations of cinema, politics and the world, go down a Cameo rabbit hole, recall how films are made and find anything to talk about when broaching the subject of this entirely empty attempt at satire.

It is Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F release day and the start of our Eddie Murphy Month, we’re playing not-the-hits but some of his others. Starting off with Steve Martin and Frank Oz’s Hollywood satire, a film that Andrew holds dear to his understanding of the world and art, and Johnny brings his brain to many ‘what-if-this-film-got-Bowfingered’ scenarios.

Last ep was for Johnny but this one’s Andrew taking the bike and riding it hard. What if an NFL star did Point Break in a Commando violent explosive fest featuring a komodo dragon, Lance Henriksen, a January 6 riot and every possible vehicle becoming a fireball in a single touch? We also redo previous episodes on the Bad Boys franchise and talk Ride Or Die, Inside Out 2, The Pope’s Exorcist and announce July’s theme month!

It’s June, and Johnny’s taking the show into his personal love, Johnny Cash and the people around him. Holding off for months since dropping on Paramount+, Johnny finally gets to watch the documentary on June Carter Cash, with talking heads from Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, whilst Andrew discusses a month-long movie he’s started watching and discussions of similarly-titled movie Dune and Dune Part 2 occur, with requisite failed throat singing to boot.

Happy Towel Day! Yes, an episode long-in-gestation, since Johnny told Andrew there was a towel day and it was directly related to one of Andrew’s core art loves. We go sweary talking Sam Rockwell, The Office, Garth Jennings’ career, waking up early for a screening of this film and Jerry Seinfeld’s Unfrosted (And subsequent commencement speech). Grab a towel, stick out your thumb and don’t panic.

The sequel to a barely-seen 84 minute indie horror splatter picture was of course a film longer than Star Wars (Episode IV) and made a tidy $15m worldwide, but what is it about the film, Damien Leone’s blank cheque and Art The Clown that gets audiences riled up and excited for more of his nasty, gory shenanigans? Andrew and Johnny probe the hard questions on the second half of an all-nighter recording that may have broken everything in both hosts’ brains, not in the way Art usually handles gooey organs though.