Hold Up

Today we’re travelling back to 1964 to explore the cold war and Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Starring George C Scott, Peter Sellers, Sterling Hayden, and Slim Pickens; Dr. Strangelove satirically spins the cold war by telling the story of a General gone rogue who sends a nuclear strike to Russia, the bomber crew who is carrying the payload, and the American war room which is rushing to stop the attack before the world is destroyed. Made for a budget of $1.8 million, Dr. Strangelove brought in $9.4 million at the box office, is Kubrick’s highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes, and now is heralded as a classic. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate impending doom, precious fluids, communist indoctrination, and mutually assured destruction as we try to see if Dr. Strangelove deserves the strange love or: how we learned to stop worrying and never watch this movie again. 

In 1989, Rob Reiner brought us his orgasmic café rom-com, When Harry Met Sally. This film explores relationships through the intertwining and often contemptuous relationship of Harry and Sally. The two meet on a cross-country road trip but are polar opposites and the friendship appears not meant to be. However, through chance, their paths continue crossing and as they push back and forth in their understanding of one another, their relationship develops and grows more complex. Starring Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, and Bruno Kirby; When Harry Met Sally made $92 million from a $16 million budget, received much critical and audience acclaim, and brought us one of the most iconic scenes in cinema. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate Billy Crystal’s beard and wagon wheel tables as we figure out if this one is as lovely as some pecan pie, or if it’s faking it.

In 2003, Terry Zwigoff sought to bring a dark spin to the holidays with his black comedy Christmas story, Bad Santa. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, John Ritter, and Bernie Mac, Bad Santa follows Willie, a mall Santa with a brutal alcohol and sex addiction, and his partner Marcus, his Elf helper, and this dynamic duo rob whichever mall they’re working at on Christmas eve. However, as Santa’s drinking and fucking spiral out of control, he also meets an unlikely friend who has a surprising effect on him that challenges Willie’s and Marcus’ Christmas plans. Made for $23 million, Bad Santa brought home $76 million and became a cantankerous Christmas favourite for many. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss plus size women and fixing sandwiches as we determine if this belongs on the naughty, the nice, or the so naughty its nice list.

In 1946, Frank Capra brought us a story to warm our hearts during the holiday season with It’s a Wonderful Life. This film tells us the story of George Bailey, a good man who has sacrificed his own life and dreams for the good of the people around him despite life continuously feeding him shit sandwiches. However, when George finally has enough and goes to off himself, God sends Clarence the angel to give him perspective and a new lease on life. Starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, Wonderful Life only brought in $3.3 million on a budget of $3.1 million and had studios questioning Capra’s abilities despite being nominated for multiple Oscars and ending up a timeless Christmas Classic. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate Christmas cheer as we try to determine for whom the bell tolls.

This week we bring you Christopher Nolan’s 2002 thriller, Insomnia, starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank. Escaping some internal affairs pressure back in LA a detective and his partner travel to Alaska to assist with a murder investigation. However, plagued by stress, and a lack of sleep the investigation gets complicated and a cop must find a way to set things right while things spiral out of control. Made for $46 million Insomnia brought home a nice $113 million return at the box office and good initial reviews. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate jet lag and blackout curtains as we try to see if this one is worth a watch or if you can sleep through it.

Back to our Spielberg month which has spilled over to December due to fucking Hocus Pocus of all things…Anywho, Jaws baby! We’ve got Spielberg’s huge fucking shark monster movie this week, brought to you from 1975 where all the shark phobia began.  Based on a book of the same name from a year prior, Jaws featured the story of a quaint beach resort town that is terrorized by a giant shark and the men who try to stop it. Featuring an iconic score from composer John Williams, Jaws stars Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, and a big shark! Spielberg’s first real feature directorial job was over budget and over schedule, making the studio nervous AF. Thankfully, everyone loved it upon release and received as much critical acclaim as it did box office revenue and neurosis. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent, discuss shark fin soup recipes as we try to determine if this one is the catch of the day, or if it has become smelly chum.

As we progress through Steven Spielberg month, we decided to throw in 1991’s Hook, because what the hell, right? Hook is a reimagining of the Peter Pan story. After leaving neverland to bone Wendy’s granddaughter and have some kids, Peter Pan has become a shitty father and a surprisingly good businessman, although he has forgotten where he came from or who he was. After his kids are kidnapped one night, he is transported back to neverland by Tinkerbell and must remember who he was or lose his Kids to the dreaded Captain Hook. Starring Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Bob Hoskins, and Julia Roberts. Hook brought in $300 million from a $70 million budget and became a childhood favourite for a generation. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss progressive pirate relationships as we try to determine if this is one of our happy thoughts or if it deserves the hook!

In 2005, Steven Spielberg brought to life his historical action thriller, Munich, based on the novel Vengeance by George Jonas. Munich tells the story of the Israeli retaliation for the murder of 11 members of the Israeli Olympic squad by the Palestinian terror organization Black September during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Germany. Eric Bana leads as Avner Kaufman, a man enlisted to lead the top-secret mission of revenge, alongside Daniel Craig, Geoffrey Rush, and Ciarán Hinds. Munich opened to critical praise alongside a modest box office of $131 million off a $70 million budget. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate the modern complexities of assassination as we try to see if this one goes for gold or never leaves the runway.

In 1998 Steven Spielberg gave audiences everywhere PTSD when he released his World War 2 epic, Saving Private Ryan. When it’s discovered that 3 of 4 sons are killed in battle, a General sends a Captain and his squad of Rangers on a FUBAR mission of humanity to find and return Momma Ryan's last son home. SPR features a massive cast featuring Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Adam Goldberg, Ted Danson, Dennis Farina, Paul Giamatti, Nathan Fillion, and eventually Matt Damon. SPR was made for $70 million, brought home almost $500 million at the box office, was nominated for 11 Oscars and ended up winning 5. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss battle accuracy and war crimes as we decide if this is one to remember or lest we should forget.

July 16th, 1993, a day that will live in infamy. The day Bette Midler’s real teeth were unveiled. A release day roughly 3 months before Halloween, for some reason…the day that Hocus Pocus was released in theatres. That’s right, on that day 27 years ago, Kenny Ortega brought the world Hocus Pocus, the story of 3 witchy sisters who resurface 300 years after being hanged for killing a little girl and now need to feed on the life force of more children before midnight on Halloween or die forever. Made for $28 million and bringing in a meagre $44 million, Hocus Pocus initially struggled with critics and fans but has since been embraced as a Halloween favourite. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate the aerodynamics of vacuums and why Disney hates virgins as we decide if this flick puts a spell on us or if it’s just indigestion.

William Friedkin had a dream. He had a dream that he could make audiences pass out in their own vomit while prematurely birthing their babies. We are happy to say that thanks to 1973’s The Exorcist, he achieved his dreams and much more. The Exorcist stars a yet unknown Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair, alongside Max von Sydow and a few other unknowns, as all the other big-name actors had turned the movie down. The Exorcist tells the story of a young girl who is victim to demonic possession as her mother desperately tries to figure out what has befallen her before finally turning to the church for salvation. Made for $12 million, this movie made a pants-shitting $441 million from the box office and was the highest-grossing horror movie of all time until 2017’s IT. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss pea soup, crucifix sex toys, and religious sensitivity as we try to figure out if it holds up or if Christ compels us to turn it off.

In 2002, Gore Verbinski made one of the prettiest remakes ever with the supernatural horror film The Ring. Originally a Japanese film based on a trilogy of novels by Koji Suzuki, The Ring featured legend Bryan Cox and Naomi Watts who was fresh off her first notable film, Mulholland Drive, solidifying her as a leading lady with some box office pull. In The Ring, journalist Rachel investigates the death of her niece and hears about a videotape that causes the death of anyone who watches it 7 days later. Harnessing the power of telemarketers, the videotape knows the phone number wherever you area and confirms your 7-day schedule, which is filled with visions, dreams, bloody noses, flies in/on television screens, and eventually, stretch face. This movie has two creepy kids and was made for a budget of $48M, and walked out with nearly $250M in the box office, and received some positive reviews along with plans for some shitty sequels. But does it hold up?  Listen as Jon, Colin and Brent watch the tape and then dec

In 2010 Christopher Nolan brought us his blockbuster mindfuck, Inception.  Originally written as a horror, Inception ended up as a complicated heist flick where one man is offered salvation in return for implanting an idea into another man’s subconscious. Featuring an absolute mammoth cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine, this film seemed destined for success from the beginning and brought home $836 million from the $160 million budget and a pile of awards and accolades. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate dreamscapes and the definition of convoluted as we try to determine if this is a dreamy heist film about sleeping, or a sleepy heist film about dreaming…or a sleepy dream heist in a dreamy sleep film about sleepy heisting dream heists.

In 1993, Tim Burton humbly presented Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. This story features the Halloween King, Jack Skellington, discovering Christmas and deciding that he and his ghoulish friends shall kidnap the Sandy Claws and run Christmas themselves this year. Unfortunately, Halloween Town residents are fated to fail as everything they do edges towards the dark and nightmarish side of Halloween. This short little feature presented music by Danny Elfman and the voices of Catherine O’Hara, Chris Sarandon, and Uncle Lewis…I mean William Hickey. This nightmare was made for $18M and brought home a powerful $89M at the box office, along with critical praise and a cult following from those who love the dark holiday. But does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss death and dismemberment alongside holiday cheer as we try to determine if this flick deserves joy and goodwill, or if it is better left for dead.

In 1992 David Mamet adapted the David Mamet play Glengarry Glen Ross for the screen. This flick featured a loaded cast featuring Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Kevin “sneaky fingers” Spacey, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, Alec Baldwin, and Jonathon Pryce…holy fuck that is a good cast. Glengarry Glen Ross is the story of a high-pressure real estate sales office whose colourful salesmen are threatened with cuts, and the result is the theft of some valuable leads. Glengarry Glen Ross was made for $12 million and resulted in a huge box office of $10 million…but was and continues to be beloved by many and touted by the critics as a masterpiece. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent debate high-pressure sales techniques and salesmen ethics as we try to determine if this flick is a buy, or a sell. 

In 2002, director Danny Boyle dipped his toe into the horror genre and released 28 Days Later, starring Cillian Murphy, Naomi Harris, Christopher Eccleston, and Brendan Gleeson. This zombie but not-zombie flick opens up with some amazing shots as Cillian Murphy (Jim) wakes from his hospital bed with no one in sight and walks through an eerily empty and desolate London. Soon enough, he stumbles upon some infected and is rescued by a couple of survivors, and so Jim and his new friends must now work together to escape the hoards and find a way to survive in this new dangerous world. Made for ~$8 million this flick brought in around $85 million globally, received many accolades, and scared the absolute shit out of a generation. But, does it hold up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent put up the barricades and determine if this one eats our brains or our time.

In 1992 the world finally got to see a softer side of actor Joe Pesci in the Jonathan Lynn directed comedy, “My Cousin Vinny.” Bill (Ralph Macchio) and Stan (Mitchell Whitfield) are two young New Yorkers travelling through rural Alabama when are arrested and put on trial for a murder they didn’t commit. The hopes of these two yoots are put on the shoulders of Bill's cousin Vinny, a new lawyer with no courtroom experience or apparent feel for being a lawyer in general. But Vinny doesn't come to town alone, and the fish-out-of-water interactions with his girlfriend Mona Lisa Vito and the small-town people of the south present abundant opportunities for humor. But the real heart of the movie in the enduring performances of the actors including Marisa Tomei who won the Oscar for best-supporting actress. But does it Hold Up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent take a deep dive into this 30-year-old comedy and see if it is innocent of ageing badly, or if it should get sent to the electric chair for crimes against th

1987 got a little treat when Rob Reiner and William Goldman released The Princess Bride. TPB features an enviable cast of actors including Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant, Christopher Guest, Billy Crystal, Peter Falk, Fred Savage, and Carol Kane. We enter the story as a grandfather reading a fantasy novel to his sick grandson which then turns to the love story between two smoking hot farmers, Wesley and Buttercup, who are separated by tragedy but must find their way back together. Shot for $16 million The Princess Bride made $30M at the box office and quickly became a classic, but, does it hold-up? Listen in as Jon, Colin, and Brent discuss whether this movie is true love, or is best thrown from the incontheivable cliffths of inthanity!   

In 1992 the world was introduced to director Quentin Tarantino with a little indy film called Reservoir Dogs. He was originally going to shoot on a shoestring budget of $30,000, but producer Lawrence Bender showed the script to his acting teacher who got it to Harvey Keitel, and the rest, as they say, is history. Reservoir Dogs introduced the world to actors like Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Steve Buscemi along with QT's special brand of dialogue and dark humour. The box office wasn't great, but the flick was a massive critical success and deemed a milestone in independent filmmaking. But does it hold up? Listen to Jon, Colin and Brent as they dissect this crime drama and try to determine if the gang's jewel heist is still worth watching, or would they rather be tied to a chair with Mr. Blonde and a straight razor.

In 1988 the main-stream world was introduced to Leslie Nelson, an actor who had been working since the 1950s. But the role of Frank Drebin in Naked Gun would cement his place in film comedy history. It was followed up by two sequels and countless spoof rip-offs where people tried to capture the silly magic of Airplane and Naked Gun. It launched franchises like Hot Shots, Scary Movie, and Haunted House. But does it hold up? Listen as Jon, Colin and Brent discuss this timeless comedy and see if it hits one out of the park, or if the slapstick and physical comedy is a swing and a miss and this movie is called out at the plate.