Tapeheads

Sean selects his VHS copy of the 1984 holiday horror classic Gremlins, written by Chris Columbus, directed by Joe Dante, and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Frances Lee McCain, Hoyt Axton, Dick Miller, and Corey Feldman.

Lyndsey selects her VHS copy of the 2000 Nancy Meyers blockbuster What Women Want, starring Mel Gibson (pre-meltdown), Helen Hunt, Ashley Johnson, Marisa Tomei, Sarah Paulson, Judy Greer, Bette Midler, and Alan Alda.

In this very special Halloween episode, the Tapeheads discuss the 1996 horror classic Scream, written by Kevin Williamson, directed by Wes Craven, and starring Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, Rose McGowan, and Drew Barrymore.

Lyndsey selects her VHS copy of the 1995 romantic comedy While You Were Sleeping, starring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman.

Globe-trotting diplomat and friend of the show Paul Fischer presents his VHS copy of Barry Levinson’s genre-defying 1992 film Toys, starring Robin Williams, Michael Gambon, Joan Cusack, Robin Wright, and an Oscar-worthy LL Cool J (!) for Tapeheads inspection.

Merry Quarantinemas! In this belated holiday special, Lyndsey and Sean tackle not one, not two, but THREE films of the Home Alone series that all began with director Chris Columbus' 1990 classic starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, and Catherine O'Hara. We also discuss the 1992-based Manhattan sequel featuring a memorable extended cameo from Tim Curry, plus the 1997 black sheep of the family starring Alex D. Linz. We hope you're ready to see hell!

Lyndsey and Sean discuss the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui and starring Kristy Swanson, Luke Perry, Donald Sutherland, Rutger Hauer, Paul Reubens, David Arquette, Hilary Swank, and a 3-second cameo by Seth Green. Red Snow is in its final days of crowdfunding, so go to www.RedSnowMovie.com to help Sean make the greatest vampire Christmas movie of all time!

To both celebrate Halloween and to kick off the crowdfunding campaign for his upcoming vampire film Red Snow, Sean selects his VHS copy of Interview with the Vampire, the hit adaptation of Anne Rice's classic horror novel starring Tom Cruise as Lestat, Brad Pitt as Louis, Kirsten Dunst as Claudia, Christian Slater as Malloy, and Antonio Banderas as Armand. Hear what Lyndsey and Sean have to say about the film and be sure to check out www.redsnowmovie.com to support Sean's movie!

Lyndsey dusts off her VHS copy of Shanghai Noon starring Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Lucy Liu, Xander Berkeley, and Walton Goggins. Topics of discussion include the trailers for rom-coms Keeping the Faith and Boys and Girls, genre mash-ups, intentional anachronisms, Kid Rock, and the deus ex machina of the Native American bride.

Lyndsey and Sean dive into the 1999 rom-com Runaway Bride, the blockbuster reunion of Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, and director Gary Marshall. Egg preferences, Gere's acting choices, and marriage conventions are discussed at length.

Philip Laird returns to Tapeheads with his sister Liz in tow to discuss the 1977 TV holiday special Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas, a Jim Henson tale that depicts a cute but dystopian world in which talented Muppet animals distract themselves from their extreme economic hardships with a little bit of washtub bass. Topics of discussion include the Laird siblings’ history with the tape, the Riverbottom Nightmare Band, and the baffling economic structure of Frogtown Hollow, which may in fact be a post-apocalyptic wasteland populated by mutant creatures.

Lyndsey chats with Sean about her VHS copy of 1999’s action-adventure remake The Mummy, directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, and Arnold Vosloo. Topics include the Egyptology craze of the 1920s, the performances, and (as always) the ads on the tape.

In this special Halloween episode of Tapeheads, Sean has Lyndsey watch his VHS copy of Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College and things get dark really fast. Talking points include: the little monster craze of the 1980s, Patrick Labyorteaux, Matthew Lillard, and the disturbing parallels between Ghoulies Go to College and current events.

In this episode, Lyndsey revisits her VHS copy of the 1995 kids sports flick The Big Green, in which Olivia d'Abo takes it upon herself to teach a bunch of rag-tag rural Texas kids how to become competitive soccer players while dodging the advances of Deputy Steve Guttenberg. The film co-stars John Terry, Patrick Renna, and a goat. Ads on the tape include the Toy Story video game for Sega Genesis and SNES, Man of the House, A Kid in King Arthur's Court, and an extended music video starring Timon and Pumbaa.

Actor Ben Bellamy visits the podcast to revisit his beloved VHS copy of the 1997 Jim Carrey film Liar Liar in which an unethical lawyer cannot tell a lie for 24 hours after his son Max's birthday wish comes true. Topics include the tape's opening advertisements, Carrey's filmography, and the horrific implications of Max's powers. Ben can be seen as Caleb Zechman in Prep School, now streaming on Amazon Prime, iTunes, and cable on demand.

We're well into baseball season, which means its time for Tapeheads to revisit the 1989 Kevin Costner fantasy film Field of Dreams! Directed by Phil Alden Robinson and based on the novel Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella, the film tells the story of Iowa farmer Ray (Costner) who decides to build a baseball diamond in his corn fields after hearing a voice whisper "if you build it, he will come." The film co-stars Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, Burt Lancaster, and little Gaby Hoffmann.

Lyndsey revisits her VHS copy of Simply Irresistible (1999), a strange tale of witchcraft, love, and fine dining. The film stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sean Patrick Flannery, Patricia Clarkson, Dylan Baker, Larry Gillard Jr., Amanda Peet, and a magic crab. Ads on the tape: Anna and the King, Ravenous, Office Space, Wing Commander, Party of Five, and the soundtrack, which includes Katalina's "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered."

It's that holly jolly time of year, which means it's time for Sean to introduce Lyndsey to what he alone considers one of the great Christmas movies of the 20th century. 1986's Cobra stars Sylvester Stallone as hero cop Marion "Cobra" Cobretti who must face down an aimless psycho cult during the holiday season. The film co-stars Stallone's then-wife Brigitte Nielsen, Brian Thompson, Reni Santori, and Marco Rodriguez as the extremely memorable Supermarket Killer. "It's the way of the new world!" *Axes clank*

It's the Christmas season, which means it's time for Lyndsey to unwrap her VHS copy of Disney's 1994 hit The Santa Clause, starring Tim Allen, Eric Lloyd, Wendy Crewson, David Krumholtz, and Judge Reinhold. Together, the Tapeheads dissect the logistics of becoming Santa Claus, the 90's fascination with absentee fathers, and whether or not 1-800-SPANK-ME is a real phone sex number.

Gather up the coven, turn off the lights, and pop in this classic 90's VHS selection starring Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Rachel True, and Skeet Ulrich. Topics include abuse of witchcraft, Sean's childhood obsession with Neve Campbell, and the theme music to Charmed.

Hold on to your broomsticks! On this special Halloween episode of Tapeheads, Lyndsey selects her VHS tape of the 1998 supernatural family drama Practical Magic, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman!

"Would you excuse me? I cut my foot before and my shoe is filling up with blood!" In this episode of Tapeheads, Sean introduces Lyndsey to his VHS copy of 1997's Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, the cult comedy starring Mira Sorvino, Lisa Kudrow, Janeane Garofalo, and Alan Cumming.

I'll have what she's having! Lyndsey selects her VHS copy of the beloved 1989 rom-com When Harry Met Sally, starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, directed by Rob Reiner from a screenplay by Nora Ephron.

Utah! Gimme two! Tapeheads gets radical as Sean selects his VHS copy of Point Break, directed by Academy Award winning director Kathryn Bigelow and starring Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, Lori Petty, John C. McGinley, and the incomparable Gary Busey.

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!!! Lyndsey selects her VHS tape of the 1986 fantasy/sci-fi/Queen rock opera Highlander, starring Christopher Lambert (not Dennis Quaid), Clancy Brown, and the great Sean Connery as an Egyptian/Spaniard/Scotsman immortal named Ramirez. Topics include immortals, the quickening, the gathering, the prize, the swords, and the rampant 1980's homophobia.

In tribute to the late great Roger Moore, 007 enthusiast Sean selects his VHS copy of 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me, starring Moore as James Bond, Barbara Bach as Russian agent XXX, Curt Jürgens as fishman supervillain Stromberg, and Richard Kiel as the immortal henchman Jaws.

On our fiftieth episode spectacular, Lyndsey pulls a switch-a-roo when she realizes her VHS copy of Matilda has gone missing. Instead, we watched Nora Ephron's 1993 romantic comedy blockbuster Sleepless in Seattle, starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and Bill Pullman. Topics include the heart-wrenching performance of Bill Pullman, inevitable You've Got Mail comparisons, love at first sight, and the morality of Meg Ryan's actions. Commercials on the tape include Hook, A League of Their Own, and a twofer soundtrack spotlight.

Quack! Quack! Quack! From the depths of Sean's VHS collection, wading into the open beak of the Tapeheads' increasingly unreliable VCR, comes 1992's The Mighty Ducks, starring Emilio Estevez as Gordon Bombay, the most reckless asshole to ever coach a pee-wee hockey team. Co-starring Joshua Jackson, Shaun Weiss, Lane Smith, Marguerite Moreau, and Joss Ackland as mysterious (imaginary?) hockey guru Hans (seriously, he may be a ghost in this film). D2 may be the superior movie, but we really can't say at this time.

Filmmaker Alrik Bursell drops by the podcast to watch the 1984 sci-fi classic The Terminator on VHS. Topics include: Alrik's experience watching the movie on a CED video disc; the films of James Cameron; the original Terminator as a horror movie; the sequels; the performances of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, and Lance Henriksen. Be sure to check out Alrik's podcast Making Movies is Hard at www.makingmoviesishard.com and watch his award-winning short films Strange Thing and Brother at www.bursellproductions.com

Lyndsey selects her VHS copy of The Man with One Red Shoe, the bizarre 1985 spy comedy starring Tom Hanks, Lori Singer, Jim Belushi, Carrie Fischer, Edward Herrmann, and Dabney Coleman. This film is a 20th Century Fox Selection, which is "a selected series of films available at a special value for a limited time".

Michael! It's time to watch your VHS copy of The Lost Boys, Michael! It stars Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Edward Herrmann, Jami Gertz, and Barnard Hughes, Michael! It was directed by Joel Schumacher, Michael!

Can three wealthy bachelors raise a baby on their own? Lyndsey investigates with her VHS copy of the 1987 blockbuster Three Men and a Baby, directed by Leonard Nimoy and starring Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson. Trailers: Cocktail, Beaches.

Spend this Valentine's Day with a lovable Disney prostitute in Gary Marshall's beloved 1990 rom-com Pretty Woman, starring an excellent Julia Roberts, a possibly miscast Richard Gere, an evil Jason Alexander, and everyone's fairy godmother, Hector Elizondo.

Sssssmokin’! Lyndsey opens her underwater treasure chest to revisit Chuck Russell's The Mask, the second of three big Jim Carrey movies to debut in 1994. The film co-stars newcomer Cameron Diaz, the villainous Peter Greene, a very talented dog, and a sidekick who is not Tom Arnold. Talking points: The rise of Jim Carrey. Are there any good comedy sequels? A likable banker. The soundtrack. Pop Secret. Space Ghost. Convincing CGI. 1994: the year of Jim Carrey. Dumb and Dumber. Ace Ventura. Female characters. Signed photos of Jim Carrey and R.L. Stine. Julia Roberts.

I want my two dollars! Sean selects his VHS copy of Savage Steve Holland's 1985 cult classic Better Off Dead, starring John Cusack, Diane Franklin, and Curtis Armstrong.

Happy 2017! We're kicking off the new year with Lyndsey's treasured VHS copy of Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, the 1993 Disney remake about three pets -- wise Golden RetrieverShadow (Don Amiche), pompous Himalayan cat Sassy (Sally Field), and scrappy American Bulldog Chance (Michael J. Fox) -- who try to find their way back home after a serious miscommunication from their milquetoast owners. Trailers include montages for the Disney Family Film Collection and the Disney Masterpiece Collection.

A chain-smoking department store Santa must stop a Nazi plot to create a new master race of two-foot elves on Christmas Eve! No, we're not making this up. It's 1989's Elves, starring Dan Haggerty (Grizzly Adams), a deep cut from Sean's holiday VHS collection. Topics include the trailer for Alien Seed, incest, rape culture, conspiracy theories, weirdo professors, cover art, and our favorite VHS Instagram accounts.

Ho, ho, ho! For the holiday season, Lyndsey revisits her VHS copy of the Olsen twins classic, To Grandmother's House We Go from Full House creator Jeff Franklin. The film stars Mary-Kate and Ashley (of course), with co-stars Cynthia Geary, J. Eddie Peck, Rhea Perlman, and Jerry Van Dyke. Topics include egg nog cocktails, the absence of likable characters, and a major ethical dilema that goes largely ignored. Trailers: The Little Princess, The Secret Garden, Black Beauty, and a lot of Dual Star productions.

In a flailing spiral of stomach-churning agony and dread, Disney's Tom and Huck did not seem like an appropriate choice for the historical moment that is November 2016, so we watched Sean's VHS copy of the 1979 post-apocalyptic classic Mad Max, starring Mel Gibson and directed by George Miller. Topics of discussion include the awful American dub, Goodtimes Entertainment, The Road Warrior, Mad Max: Fury Road, simple storytelling, and the complete lack of exposition in this film. No ads on the tape.

In this episode, Lyndsey selects her VHS copy of 1991's Beauty and the Beast, the beloved animated film that upped the bar for the Disney renaissance of the 1990s. Trailers discussed: Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio, and 101 Dalmatians.

Dee-doo-doo-dee-doo-doo-dee-doo-dee-doo! This time we're doing not one, not two, but THREE spooky VHS selections with Sean's own specially curated "chillogy" (or "thrillogy") of select films in the Halloween series, specifically John Carpenter's classic 1978 original, Rick Rosenthal's direct sequel Halloween II, and Steve Miner's polished Halloween: H20, all starring Jamie Lee Curtis in her breakout role of Laurie Strode. Topics include Dean Cundey's beautiful cinematography, Donald Pleasance as Michael Myers' deranged hype man Dr. Loomis, the music, the masks, those other sequels, and so much more!

Happy Halloween! For the spookiest month of the year, Lyndsey selects her VHS copy of 1990's The Witches, based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name and starring Angelica Huston as the grand high witch.

Get off my plane! Sean picks the 1997 hostage thriller Air Force One, a Die Hard clone with political ambitions starring Harrison Ford as President James Marshall and Gary Oldman as his nemesis Ivan. Bit parts played by Glenn Close, Xander Berkeley, and William H. Macy.

Lyndsey selects her VHS copy of the 1988 fantasy adventure Willow, from the minds of George Lucas and Ron Howard, starring Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whaley, and Phil Fondacaro.

It's time to go to camp! Camp Crystal Lake, that is! Sean selects the 1980 horror classic Friday the 13th, starring Adrienne King, Betsy Palmer, and Kevin Bacon.

Methode Sauvage winemaker Chad Hinds returns to Tapeheads with his VHS copy of 1999's found footage phenomenon The Blair Witch Project, starring Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams. To learn more about Chad's wines, visit www.methodesauvage.com!

Hey kids, wanna save the rainforest? Lyndsey selects her VHS copy of the 1992 animated film Ferngully: The Last Rainforest, starring Samantha Mathis, Christian Slater, Robin Williams, Tim Curry, Jonathan Ward, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, and Tone Loc.

John Cusack re-teams with writer-director Savage Steve Holland in 1986's One Crazy Summer, the companion film to the cult classic Better Off Dead. Demi Moore, Bobcat Goldthwaite, Joel Murray, Curtis Armstrong, and Jeremy Piven co-star.

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.

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.

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.