Now vs. Then: The Movie Comparison Podcast

We’re going old school on a new Now vs Then. Like, really old school. Russel and Kyle get medieval on your ass as they pit silent classic The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) against modern masterpiece (?) A Knight’s Tale (2001) to decide which is the better Medieval Movie. God spede you!

Something old, something new…something borrowed? Something blue? Well whatever, love is in the air on a new episode of Now vs Then as Russel and Kyle stare into each other’s eyes and discuss romcoms past and present. Find out what gets their hearts most aflutter, as they compare 1940’s The Philadelphia Story to the John Hughes-penned Some Kind of Wonderful from 1987.

Russel and Kyle may be getting too old for this s**t, but that doesn’t stop them from taking on buddy cop movies in the latest episode of Now vs Then. Where else are you going to hear a comparison of Akira Kurosawa and Michael Bay, as the bad boys of podcasts pit OG buddy cop movie Stray Dog (1949) against 1995’s Bad Boys, just in time for the release of Bad Boys for Life? Will they crack the case or be too busy bantering? Listen to find out.

Russel and Kyle swing for the fences as they go to bat for their baseball movie picks (yes, there will be many puns). To decide who wins the pennant, Now vs. Then fields 1973’s Bang the Drum Slowly against 1984’s The Natural, while also discussing their own love of the game (or lack thereof). Play ball!

You know what the world needs more of? A podcast with two straight guys sitting around talking about women directors! You’re welcome. Jokes aside, Russel and Kyle tackle a bit of the history, or lack thereof, of female representation behind the camera as they compare Barbara Loden’s Wanda (1970) to Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk About Kevin (2012) on a new episode of Now vs. Then.

A new episode of Now vs. Then travels to the heart of pure cinema with a look at a couple of Marvel mo…I mean, Martin Scorsese movies. Oops. In honour of the release of The Irishman, Russel and Kyle take a look back at this legendary filmmaker’s career and pit gangster classic Mean Streets (1973) against the underrated The King of Comedy (1982) to determine which era of Marty’s storied career holds up best.  

War…is…hell. For as long as there have been movies, there have been war movies. Many of them are filled with adventure, heroics and patriotism. Others try to capture the true chaos and horror of conflict. In a new Now vs. Then, Russel and Kyle are exploring the latter category, pitting the grunt’s-eye-view perspectives of 1951’s The Steel Helmet and 1986’s Platoon against each other on the field of battle to see which best expresses the terror and turmoil of war.

When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will…record a podcast? Russel and Kyle get positively spooky for a special Halloween edition of Now vs. Then, which sees one of the OG zombie flicks, George Romero’s 1978 Dawn of the Dead, pitted against its own 2004 remake from director Zach Snyder. Which era does flesh-eaters better? Listen to find out.

It’s time for a check-up, as Dr. Russel and Dr. Kyle revive two great medical movies to see which has the cleanest bill of health. Join them as they put Bigger Than Life (1956) and Contagion (2011) through a series of exams; poking and prodding them to decide which has the best prognosis.

On a new Now vs. Then, it’s the ultimate machoman showdown when Russel and Kyle go mano a mano and put their picks for great leading men into the ring to see who comes out on top. From tents to coliseums, the star power burns bright this episode with two Oscar-winning lead performances: Burt Lancaster in Elmer Gantry (1960) and Russell Crowe in Gladiator (2000). Are you not entertained?

It’s September, which means it’s time for plenty of fresh-faced youngsters to leave home for the first time as they head off to college. And just because it’s been a good while since anyone has referred to them as “fresh-faced” or “youngsters,” doesn’t mean Russel and Kyle can’t do the same. We’re hitting the books and pulling an all nighter for the latest episode of Now vs. Then, as we put The Freshman (1925) and PCU (1994) to the test to see which college flick makes the grade. Class is now in session!

On this episode of Now vs Then: The Movie Discussion Podcast, we get into it mano a mano and monster a monster. We’re talking Creature Features, Monster Movies…whatever you want to call them, they’ve been a staple of the silver screen since pretnear the beginning. But which era brought the better beasts? Find out as Russel and I create the ultimate movie monster mashup by pitting King Kong (1933) against The Host (2006).  

We’re taking the corners fast and opening it up on the highway as we talk car chases on this episode of Now vs Then: The Movie Comparison Podcast. Ride shotgun with Russel and Kyle as they buckle up for an action-packed street race between Vanishing Point (1971) and Ronin (1998) to determine which is best behind the wheel. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.

He’s one of the most beloved, successful and, dare we say, handsome leading men of the last 60 (!) years, but what era Robert Redford is peak Robert Redford? Does the fiery young actor with the piercing blue eyes take the cake, or is it the elder statesman of cinema who comes out on top? That’s right: this episode of Now vs. Then is Redford vs. Redford as Russel and Kyle pit Downhill Racer (1969) against Spy Game (2001) to determine when the actor’s star shined brightest.

Politics. Have they really changed much over the years? Or has it been business as usual? In a new Now vs. Then, Kyle and Russel hit the campaign trail to take a look at what the movies have to say about the political landscape. It’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) versus Wag the Dog (1997).

It’s when men were…cowhands or gunfighters or gamblers. And women were…prostitutes?   Kyle and Russel are talking Westerns on this new episode of Now vs. Then: The Movie Comparison Podcast, as they pit the John Ford classic My Darling Clementine against the modern remake of 3:10 to Yuma to see which comes out on top.

Drugs. Whether they inspire you to join the counterculture as you ride a chopper across the USA, or make you and your stoner buddies try to pull off a jail break...they, well...what were we talking about? Oh right: drugs. Join Russel and Kyle as they celebrate legalization in Canada by pitting two stoner classics against each other in the quest for the Now vs. Then crown. It's Easy Rider versus Half Baked.

Meet Russel Lolacher and Kyle Wells, two friends and film buffs with some serious gaps in their movie watching. For Russel it's the old classics, for Kyle it's the new pop culture hits. Join them as they challenge each other to try something new and as they battle it out over what's better, old or new. 

The femme fatale. How has this character archetype changed over time? Has she become more sympathetic? More diabolical? Has how we approach this sort of character changed? For better? For worse? Find out with the VERY FIRST episode of Now vs. Then: The Movie Comparison Podcast, as Russel and Kyle pit Double Indemnity against Romeo is Bleeding. DING DING