Bob Zemeckis is Not a Butthead

Like men possessed, Richard and Kyle dive deep below the surface of Zemeckis’ supernatural thriller to uncover what lies beneath What Lies Beneath.

Richard and Kyle welcome back Cliff as they take a trip to the center of the universe with Zemeckis' epic hard sci-fi blockbuster.

Richard and Kyle dive deep into Zemeckis’ biggest commercial and awards hit, discovering there’s way much more to Gump than meets the eye. 

Richard and Kyle arrive all duded up and ready to button up of everyone’s favorite time traveling trilogy. Back to the Future Part 3 finds Bob Z working up a western romp, complete with romance, shootouts, and a great train robbery. Giddy up, buttheads! This one’s better than you remember.

After time-traveling through Zemeckis’ filmography for spooky season, Richard and Kyle return with tons of alternate timeline talk...fitting while looking back at Back to the Future Part 2!  Available where podcasts are available! Link in bio. by @ole_richie @mrkylebogart  #zemeckis (https://paper.dropbox.com/?q=%23zemeckis) #podcast (https://paper.dropbox.com/?q=%23podcast)

In addition to being an executive producer who helped get the show off the ground, Zemeckis directs three episodes of the HBO horror anthology series with the stories careening from Christmas horror to wartime father son drama and into a first person experiment that resurrects Humphrey Bogart as a part of a ‘Fearest Gump’ victory lap! Available where podcasts are available! Link in bio. by @ole_richie @mrkylebogart #zemeckis (https://paper.dropbox.com/?q=%23zemeckis) #podcast (https://paper.dropbox.com/?q=%23podcast) #talesfromthecrypt (https://paper.dropbox.com/?q=%23talesfromthecrypt)

With a new film released, Richard and Kyle had to dive in to give their hot takes on Zemeckis’ adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches. Available where podcasts are available! Link in bio. by @ole_richie @mrkylebogart #zemeckis (https://paper.dropbox.com/?q=%23zemeckis) #podcast (https://paper.dropbox.com/?q=%23podcast) #thewitches (https://paper.dropbox.com/?q=%23thewitches)

Death Becomes Her finds Zemeckis working in full Tales from the Crypt mode (that’s next episode - stay tuned!) with big performances and effects that hold up well today. The film took home an oscar for visual effects, further cementing Bob Z’s reputation as an effects director. But there’s so much more to enjoy in this film than just the effects, wonderful as they are.  The performances are impeccable across with board, with Streep and Willis playing strongly against type and Z’s use of the camera and editing are impeccable throughout. A little help on the photoshop this episode from @fakecriterioncloset!! Follow for more awesome fake criterion covers! A new fake criterion cover for a horror film every weekday in October! Available where podcasts are available! Link in bio. by @ole_richie @mrkylebogart #zemeckis (https://paper.dropbox.com/?q=%23zemeckis) #podcast (https://paper.dropbox.com/?q=%23podcast) #deathbecomesher (https://paper.dropbox.com/?q=%23deathbecomesher)

Roger Rabbit officially kicks off his reputation as a visual effects director. The technical craft in this film is so impressive you have to remind yourself that the rabbit is not real. But beyond the special effects, this film also represents the sum of all of his directorial tendencies to date. It’s subversive, naughty, and hilarious while threading the needle tonally between a bleak film noir and a cartoon for kids.  A big part of that tonal control comes via Alan Silvestri’s impressive score, and to celebrate Bob Z’s most frequent collaborator, Richard and Kyle welcome to the show Brian Satterwhite, a composer and film score historian.  Available where podcasts are available! Link in bio. by @ole_richie @mrkylebogart ft. special guest @bmsatter #zemeckis (https://paper.dropbox.com/?q=%23zemeckis) #podcast (https://paper.dropbox.com/?q=%23podcast) #rogerrabbit (https://paper.dropbox.com/?q=%23rogerrabbit)

Fresh off the overwhelming success of Back to the Future, Spielberg invites Zemeckis to direct the Halloween double episode of the 80s anthology TV show, Amazing Stories. It's a joyous 40 minute victory lap, pushing hard against the boundaries of a television budget. So fun you'll lose your head. Seeing Zemeckis work in the TV space for the first time seemed like a great occasion to chat about his two early shorts: The Lift and A Field of Honor. The latter of which won him a student Academy Award and impressed Spielberg, leading to friendship, mentorship, and the producing of his first feature. Buckle up...it's the film John Milius called 'socially irresponsible'.

After storming Spielberg's office with his short film in hand, Zemeckis found a mentor and his first Hollywood gig...writing an epic war comedy from a John Millius idea that would be Spielberg's next project after Close Encounters of the Third Kind. While 1941 is the rare black mark on Spielberg's career, the lessons he learned led directly to Raiders of the Lost Ark. 

You've heard it, hell you've probably even said it...Back to the Future is a perfect movie. And we're not here to argue, but there is so much to see beyond the impeccable 'notecard' screenplay. 

After the performances of I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Used Cars, and the Zemeckis-penned Spielberg flop 1941, Romancing the Stone was the hit Bob Z needed. Hired by Michael Douglas who wanted that Used Cars energy, Zemeckis takes a big swing on the story of the harlequin romance novelist who finds herself caught up in the plot of a romance novel.

Released with poor advanced marketing just a week before the 1980's iconic comedy Airplane!. Like I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Used Cars was poorly distributed and a box office disappointment despite being well received critically: It's packed with great gags, jaw dropping stunt work, and a charming irreverence that won over the audiences that actually saw it. Turns out Michael Douglas was a huge fan of the film, which led to Zemeckis taking the reins of Romancing the Stone, his first box office hit. 

Set over the course of 48 hours or so, four teenage girls set out to catch a glimpse of the Beatles before their iconic performance on the Ed Sullivan show. Big American Graffiti vibes with Zemeckis' particular brand of humor lacing the entire film, earning it a Criterion release. Be forewarned. After watching I Wanna Hold Your Hand, you will see Zemeckis in a new light.