The Film With Three Brains

Holy Schnikes! Saturday Night Live alumni have crafted some of the best and worst comedies. Their success boils down to whether sketch bit actors can stretch their skills into a full-length feature. So where do Chris Farley and David Spade fall in line with this not-your-buddy salesmen's roadtrip shtick? Listen up, this'll only take a second…with the Brains.   You can also watch this episode with full video at your YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFilmWithThreeBrains

When Nicky the narcissist gets a contract on his head for ripping off the gang's boss, he calls childhood pal and gang co-member, Mikey, for help. As the night unravels, Mikey is faced with the years of rights and wrongs Nicky did to him and has to choose Nicky's fate as friend, frenemy, or foe. This rough-around-the-edges, indie-esque sleeper has all the ingredients of greatness, so is it? The Brains decide.  You can also watch this episode with video on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFilmWithThreeBrains

Action, mystery and drama adorn an updated story appreciated by audiences and critics alike.  Using the plot from a 60's black-and-white TV show (and a slew of writers and editors), Chicago native Andrew Davis directs Tommy Lee Jones chasing a not-presumed-innocent Harrison Ford through his hometown.  Don't miss this extra-special episode with a guest Brain! The Fugitive (1993), wherever you listen to podcasts.   You can also watch this episode with video on our YouTube Channel:   https://youtu.be/UOoU6eKhdjQ

Possibly the ultimate parody - or parody of the ultimate movie - this spoof was just what the universe needed, back when then was now. Star Wars remains ubiquitous, so should we return to Yogurt, Pizza the Hut and Barf? Or are those days as outdated as Dot Matrix? May the Schwartz be with you in deciding if you'll listen to the brains, bleeps, sweeps and creeps! You can also check out this episode with video on our YouTube channel and see our gorgeous mugs on camera yacking on and on about this film: https://youtu.be/G4-jXs_oYQE

Cameron Crowe scores the assignment of a lifetime - follow the rock 'n roll lifestyle of a rising band on the brink of stardom. Heartbreak ensues when like a rolling stone, he (journalist) falls for groupie, or rather, Band Aid - Kate Hudson. Does this bittersweet symphony still hit the high notes or has it gone out of tune with age? Come together with the Brains as they ramble on. Watch the video version of this episode on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFilmWithThreeBrains

Did the world need a third submarine movie?  Tony Scott thought so. He stuffed superstars Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington and their diametrically opposed opinions on leadership into a nuclear submarine and stuck them with a chain-of-command conundrum. Is it a floater or sinker? Submerge with the Brains and see if anything springs a leak. Crimson Tide (1995), wherever you listen to podcasts.    And watch the video version of this episode on our YouTube channel:   https://youtu.be/RHc3zclXP_k

The creation of a sentient A.I. humanoid to fill the emotional needs of a childless parents (or in this case, parents of a child in a coma) seems more relevant than ever, so does Spielberg provide a benchmark or omen in one of the only Sci-Fi-Drama-Adventures without the robots taking over? Also, why have the Brains moved their review dates into the future? Join us in 2001 to find out. Watch this episode on our brand-spanking new YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/MhJP1i-oBZQ?si=1k8U1kNle4S4xs3I

Of course you'd want to see a movie starring Sam Rockwell, Steve Zahn, Mark Ruffalo and Paul Giamatti - so why haven't you seen Safe Men? The Brains pontificate how this indie crime comedy can simultaneously be too much and too little yet still be fun. Steal away with us on our heistiest review yet!   This episode can also be viewed in video form on our newly formed YouTube channel, The Film With Three Brains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rThwcg2LYNk  

A reckless, thrill-seeking federal cop whose partner is "getting too old for this

One Brain can't get enough of amnesiac movies! This time it's Geena Davis suffering from the world's longest brain fart, with Samuel Jackson as her detective sidekick. Spoiler alert: she's a government assassin waking from 8 years as a small-town schoolteacher, just in time to save us from a "dangerously" underfunded CIA... how can you not remember it? Plot too forgettable? Have no fear - The Brains have a refresher ready for you.   And check out the video version on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkFAgSZTttE&t=71s

Eamonn Owens plays the charismatic only child of a troubled 60's family, courting disaster in his struggle with identity. His desperate search for connection and purpose is wryly funny but is this Neil Jordan dark comedy too bleak, even with a Sinead O'Connor cameo? Come take a wee nip of goofy, chaotic wisdom and judge which brains you find agreeable.

This is the movie that brought karate to every kid Bruce Lee missed. Audiences loved the teenage fish-out-of-water whose great mentor shows him it takes more than just going through the moves to break the mold. Just for kicks, tune in while the Brains wax poetic on whether Mr. Miyagi's still got his chops.

An amnesiac awakes from SLEEP to find something strange is at HAND where there's never RAIN and it's always dark. He finds his back against the WALL as reality warps, identities swap and mysteries unravel QUICK in this sci-fi flick that loosely inspired The Matrix, so why doesn't anybody remember it? BOOK your trip to Shell Beach... and Murdoch, we're coming to get you.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck kick off their careers with this Oscar-bait tale of an angry young genius who can't find his way in life. But what you really are left wondering is "can one dumbass line ruin a movie?" The Brains calculate and conclude: when life gives you apples, make cider.

Pre-too-cool-for-school, future Ferris starred as a gifted underachiever gamer who hacks (before it was a word!) his way into an Air Force supercomputer name WOPR. This "HAL" knockoff only plays high stakes and tries to trigger WWIII - in real life, unless Broderick and Ally Sheedy can save the world from the rogue AI and humans who keep upping the ante. Does this virtual premise hold up in the 21st century? Dial in and join the Brains in battle!

Ferocious fuzzballs from outer space descend upon a Midwest family farm for a feeding frenzy while morphologically-fluid alien bounty hunters give chase. Should you go watch this I-Can't-Believe-It's-Not-A-Gremlins-Knockoff? Or just watch it go? Grab some food and the Brains and tuck in!

"Do you guys want to see a dead body?" Stephen King and Rob Reiner capture a weekend of 1950's boys being boys via future star-studded adventure. Can post-millennial viewers relate to a yarn sans video game, smart phone, and heli-parent? Ah, who cares... these Brains would never let today's youth get int the way of a boss review.

Despite its glut of stars, memorable scenes, and winning performances, Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette's wild ride often gets overlooked. Can anyone romanticize a Mexican standoff better than Tarantino, even when director Tony Scott is the one visualizing his script? Hit the road with the Brains to see if this Hollywood rollercoaster leaves you queasy or jonesing for more.

Sly Stallone tops this aptly-named blockbuster by literally hanging off cliffs. John Lithgow is a big bad guy (not Bigfoot) for this weathering heights heist-gone-wrong in the Colorado wilderness. With a few decades dulling its star power, has it ascended beyond being Die Hard on a Mountain? Tune into the snow-it-alls! Baahhhh.

This 90's (rom?)-com starring Cameron Diaz and Ben Stiller was the inspiration for button-fly jeans and pet pythons. Is there still something about Mary? At the next rest stop, tune in the Brains and find out!

When a (30-year-old playing a) teenager invites her b-ball teammates over for a girls night, laughter turns to screams once an escaped killer arrives with his favorite power tool. Is it a sexploitation B-movie with feminist undertones? A poorly-made thriller? An ingenious parody gone a bit wrong? Put on your pjs and drill down with the Brains into cult movie mayhem!

A spooky-ass carnival led by Mr. Dark preys on small town misfortune by granting Monkey's Paw wishes in this older-audience Disney experiment. But could Disney resist being Disney? Why doesn't anybody remember this film!?! By the pricking of my thumbs, something Brainy this way comes.

A group of rootin' tootin' 80's heartthrobs strap on holsters and learn to cowboy to bring the exploits of Billy the Kid's Regulators to the silver screen. Emilio Estevez called it a "heavy metal western," so if you to rock, make the sign of the horns and blast the Brains!

Diane Keaton hauls in a Best Performance Academy Award on the Best Picture winner of 1977. How did Woody Allen funnel kvetching and pathos into an award-winning romantic comedy when so many are dead sharks? The Brains explore awkward moments like no other; come squirm with us!

VCRs, landline telephones, tube televisions, the Dewey Decimal System... what is scarier: antiquated 90's technology or a cursed VHS tape that kills hapless viewers? The Brains dismantle this Japanese export to discern how a cheesy premise provided such a spooktacular outcome.

Detective Nick Nolte gets con Eddie Murphy out of the slammer for 48 hours to catch a thief in Murphy's first major film. This early 80's buddy "cop" comedy inspired countless copycats. It's far from PC, but can modern film lovers enjoy this piece of history? The Brains own your ass, so tune in.

Joel and Ethan Coen helm a botched-kidnapping-indie-blockbuster boasting fascinating characters, Midwest accents, unapologetic violence, plus a search for a tan Ciera and a funny-looking guy, destined for the wood-chipper. With the bevy of low-budget 90's flicks, how do the Coen brothers uniquely cajole a simple plan into an unforgettable masterpiece? Put out an APB for the Brains or you might regret it, dontcha know?

Kevin Costner stars as a Robin Hood with the winning smile and bow skills to make maidens quiver. Yet it's Alan Rickman who steals the show portraying a villain dark as Snape and as cold as Hans Gruber. Is robbing the rich to help the poor even relevant today? Clamber up a tree and join the Brains in the 'Ewok Village' of Sherwood Forest!

This late 80's adaptation of a cyberpunk graphic novel kicked off America's fascination with Japanimation [sic]. Akira explores what happens when children have the power to destroy Tokyo. And The Brains consider, "aren't we all children?" Tetsuo!! Kaneda!! AKIRA! Wherever you listen to podcasts.

Can satire be so subtle no one gets it? Would Paul Verhoeven make an over the top space war movie just to mock the genre without letting the actors in on it? Would anyone suspect Starship Troopers to inspire such philosophical pondering? Hear the Brains work out the Bugs.

A precocious scientist goes to college at 15 for lessons on lasers and love. His roommate, Val Kilmer, earns an easy A as the unicorn of nerds: an extroverted, witty, charming, handsome genius. Will the government and an egotistical professor spoil their discovery, or will a kernel of revenge planted by students pop up at the right moment? Hear fake Brains discuss Real Genius (1985), wherever you listen to podcasts.

A rogue Martin Sheen surfs upriver in simultaneous pursuit of a mythical leader, a fellow soldier, an enemy and his destiny. There is no making sense of the Vietnam War, but this acclaimed Coppola passion-project adaptation may make you think differently about both war and moviemaking itself. Come aboard and let the Brains help you appreciate the darkness. Apocalypse Now, wherever you listen to podcasts.

Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short - what more could could a 1980's comedy ask for? The answer is more than just a plane with cajones, pero we'll get into that. Tres Brains review Three Amigos. Escucha hoy!

Ya der hey. Welcome to our movie review, ya hosers. This week is a beauty... we go to the Great White North to the Elsinore Brewery to see what's in der Strange Brew. Ready to take off, eh?

A creature feature sequel that echoes the plot of the original is usually a Hollywood recipe for disaster. So how did James Cameron simultaneously out-Alien "Alien" and create a gold standard for genre-swapping sequels? Game over, man, time to tune into the Brains for this bug-hunt-gone-bad!

While everyone was trying to make the next Star Wars, Ridley Scott unleashed the face-hugging, chest-bursting alien sci-fi horror film that inspired decades of imitations. Alien also gave birth to the first standalone female action hero: the unstoppable Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver. What not to like? The Brains will tell you.

Off-screen it's Stallone versus Schwarzenegger. On-screen, Rambo's an unstoppable monosyllabic army of one, leaving a trail of death and destruction in the name of saving fellow POWs. This movie made Rambo (and his survival knife) a pop culture staple but does it still make sense? The Brains are coming to get you!

Dudley Moore is a rich Manhattanite tipsy with privilege and alcohol. Resigned to marry the high society bride of his family's choosing, a vivacious Liza Minnelli catches his eye despite the threat to his inheritance. Does this comedic drama still have heart and laughs? Get caught between the brains and New York City. "Arthur" 1981, wherever you listen to podasts.

Beavis & Butthead creator, Mike Judge grows up and gets - a desk job? Three software programmers discover the ultimate loophole to beat the system: stop caring! Has corporate culture changed in the last 25 years? People sure haven't. Cure your case of the Mondays with a hefty dose of Brains!

Arnold is back: a retired Special Forces Colonel looks for his kidnapped daughter and demolishes anyone in his way in this progenitor of John Wick, first-person shooters and over-the-top silly violence. With more muscles than plot, does this testosterone-fueled, macho bullshit still "kill"? Let of some steam with the Brains.

Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe share a precinct while being a world apart in their approach to policing the dirty underbelly of 1950's Hollywood. Are drugs, murder, double-crosses and celebrity lookalike call girls still off the record, on the QT and very hush-hush 70 years later? Join us for our best review yet!

Crooked clandestine government agents and a sadistic Nazi dentist give chase to Dustin Hoffman in this shoestring-plotted thriller. Does solid acting and a fast pace help the Marathon Man finish strong? Strap on your Adidas and try to keep up with the Brains.

Lemmon, Matthau and Ann-Margret form a love triangle that both threatens and redefines the men's grumpy friendship. Do they have enough spark to fuel this age-old plot? Can the frigit Minnesota setting nip at the hearts of viewers? Crack a cold Schmidt's and come warm up in the ice shanty with the Brains.

Melanie Griffith and Jeff Daniels are flirting with disaster (and each other) in this unpredictable flick. Does Something Wild refer to their weekend adventure or scriptwriting that meanders from goofy to ominous to violent? The Brains are back in town so come along for a wild ride.

In 1993, Sam was given a Jurassic Park t-shirt. He put it in storage assuming he would pull it out in 30 years and no one would remember it. The brains discuss how wrong he was.

Andrew "Dice" Clay, toxic misogynist comedian, becomes LA's Rock 'n' Roll Detective Ford Fairlane in this scarce cult film, chock full of raunchy jokes and surprising cameos. After sitting on the shelf a few decades, can it still make Brains giggle? Or just squirm?

Carl Reiner's steady collaboration with Steve Martin began with this cross-eyed comedy. Irreverent, uneven in execution yet imbued with Steve's charm and comedic bravado, is this throwback foolhardy - or fool-tastic?

A barren Russian landscape is the setting for this acclaimed, barren "psy-fi" film that explores whether or not we really want our deepest wishes to come true. Get into the zone on the brain train.

Hunt, Hurt, Brooks: a coworker love triangle, each angling to create ideal TV news at another's expense. Smart comedy always rings true, but does the integrity of broadcast journalism still mean anything? The Brains go live on the scene for an update on this 1988 Oscar nominee.

Robert De Niro hones his comic chops with Charles Grodin in this odd couple road trip flick. Grumpy bounty hunter De Niro is bound for L.A. with (and sometimes bound to) mob accountant Grodin, with feds and mafia hitmen in hot pursuit. Director Martin Brest caught lightning in a bottle with Beverly Hills Cop - did he nab another winner here? Catch up with the Brains before you come down with Fistaphobia.

Guillermo del Toro's creepy debut gives a new origin to the age-old vampire story. How did this low budget body-horror flick give birth to del Toro's career? Gather carcasses around the radio for a nibble of the Brains.