For the Fourth of July, Lyndsey selects her copy of the 1996 alien invasion blockbuster Independence Day, starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman, and Jeff Goldblum.
Episode 27: ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN (w/ Chloe Kiester)
Comedian Chloe Kiester offers up a VHS copy of Don Bluth's unhinged canine musical All Dogs Go to Heaven, starring Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, and the late Judith Barsi.
Episode 26: AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
Sean unwraps a "new" VHS copy of 1981's An American Werewolf in London and tries to explain to Lyndsey why John Landis' gory travelogue is a perfect werewolf film.
Episode 25: YOU'VE GOT MAIL
Lyndsey selects her VHS copy of Nora Ephron's 1998 romantic comedy You've Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
Talking points: You've Got Mail is better than Sleepless in Seattle. A dated AOL reference. The soundtrack. Shop Around the Corner. Book stores. The golden age of romantic comedies. What was the last good rom-com? The cafe scene. Gendered interests. The finale. Dial-up internet. Quirky co-workers. Buy it/rent it/tape over it. Werewolves again.
Episode 24: THE STEPFATHER
Terry O'Quinn seeks the perfect family in 1987's psychological thriller The Stepfather, co-starring Jill Schoelen and Shelley Hack.
Talking points: A companion film to Man of the House. A kid in a wheelchair does not fall into a meat grinder in Stepfather 3. A Man in Love. Reel Deals. Defense of the Realm. A masterful performance by Terry O'Quinn. Brother-in-law subplot. Therapist. Family values. Gratuitous nudity. The finale. Sequels and a remake. Buy it/rent it/tape over it. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
Episode 23: EVIL DEAD II (w/ Gavin Murray)
Cinematographer Gavin Murray stops by with his VHS copy of Sam Raimi's immortal horror comedy classic Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn, starring Bruce Campbell in his signature role of Ash Williams.
You can check out some of Gavin's work at www.gavinvmurray.com!
Talking points: The death a 25¢ videotape. A psychedelic religious experience. Box art. Army of Darkness. Bruce Campbell gives an incredible physical performance. Ted Raimi as the horror hag. Spider-Man 2. Headless muppet. Lights and colors. The sun and the looking glass. A nonstop powerhouse. Continuity. A manual horror film. Crabs! Ranking the Evil Dead trilogy. Buy it/rent it/tape over it. Brunch. Batman and Robin. Man of the House as a horror film.
Episode 22: THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES TRILOGY (1990-1992)
Cowabunga! It's a turtle triple feature as Lyndsey gets radical with her VHS selections, picking the 1990 smash hit Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its sequels, 1991's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and 1992's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles in Time.
Talking points: A triple feature. The comics, cartoon, and movies. The original film. Pizza party at Pizza Hut. Cartoons on VHS. The Foot as an allegory. Leonardo, Michelangelo, Corey Feldman as Donatello, and Josh Pais as Raphael. Rapid turnover in cast. A gritty first installment that feels like a reboot. Casey Jones. A violent and fully realizedworld. Secret of the Ooze. The BK Kids Club. Suburban Commando. Stepkids. Ernie Reyes Jr. These turtles look different. Paige Turco replaces Judith Hoag as April O’Neil. Out of the shell and on Oprah Winfrey. What does Splinter eat? Tokka and Rahzar fill in for Bebop and Rocksteady. Everything is toned down. Go Ninja by Vanilla Ice. Missed opportunity with the anti-mutagen. The third film. Army of Darkness. The soundtrack. A Hanes commercial. Surf Ninjas. All Effects Company takes over from Jim Henson, turning Splinter into a dog puppet. Oregon fills in for feudal Japan. Time travel. Romeo and Juliet subplot. Jokes for adults. A demon gives CPR. No pizza or consequences. Human-turtle relationships. Lame villains. A double role for Elias Koteas. Favorite turtles over the years. Buy it/rent it/tape over it for the series. Other adaptations of TMNT. Turtle nostrils. An American Werewolf in London.
