The Gen X Files

This week, we explore some Bad Boys, including Sean Penn, Esai Morales, Eric Gurry, Alan Ruck, and Clancy Brown, with help from Ally Sheedy, Reni Santoni, Jim Moody, and John Zenda. It's the Hollywood version of bored high school kids and the consequences of their actions. It's gritty and tough and filled with good lookin' Hollywood actors, directed by Rick Rosenthal, with a screenplay from Richard DiLello.

Join us as we start our Kids in Trouble month with Over the Edge, the 1979 masterpiece about a subdivision that didn't remember that kids made up 25% of their population, leading to a ton of kids in trouble. Written by Charles Haas and Tim Hunter, directed by Jonathan Kaplan, and starring Michael Kramer, Matt Dillon and Vincent Spano, along with a bunch of unknown actors. It's one of the best movies depicting the disaffected youth, ever made.

Join your ol' stepdads as we discuss how close we actually were to June Doom, along with the awful, not bad, and disappointing movies from this month. We chat a little about movies, a lot of really good TV (Netflix is killing it), and if video game subscriptions are worth it.

Join us as we dive into one of the most disappointing movies ever made: Nothing but Trouble. With Chevy Chase phoning it in (again), Demi Moore seeming completely out of her depth, John Candy (successfully) playing two completely different twins, and Dan Aykroyd playing two characters (both in heavy makeup!), directing, writing on set, and producing, Nothing but Trouble is a hot mess. Add in really bad studio notes and you get one of the biggest flops in modern movie history.

Join us as we cover the greatest movie about a talking horse giving a loser stock tips: Hot to Trot! Surprisingly, this movie is way way better than we were expecting (which isn't saying much). It was the only starring vehicle for Bobcat Goldthwait, but also stars Dabney Coleman, Virginia Madsen, and John Candy!

Welcome to June Doom IV, our annual tradition of covering disaster movies. This month, we're covering movies that were literal disasters! First up is Under the Rainbow, the best example of creative artists making every wrong choice. It's an absolute mess of a movie that suffers from the worst cinema sin: it's boring as hell. Listen to the podcast so that you don't have to watch it! Starring Chevy Chase, Carrie Fisher, Eve Arden, Billy Barty, Adam Arkin, and Mako!

Crack open that High Life and join us as we discuss the brilliance of Monty Python, The Last of Us season 2, Mickey 17, and if video game DLCs are worth it.

For their final film outing, the Pythons went back to their roots: a sketch show that's loosely connected, but now with a bigger budget and no censors to tell them their material is too risky. The Meaning of Life is the perfect endcap to an incredible 14-year run for Monty Python. Written and Starring John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Eric Idle, and Michael Palin.

With the show behind them and plenty of time to focus on writing, the Pythons put together their most ambitious film yet: the story of the guy who lived next to Jesus. It's Monty Python's Life of Brian! The movie that was banned in a number of countries, yet is still considered to be one of the funniest films of all-time. Written by Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, and Terry Gilliam, with directing duties from Terry Jones. It's the Pythons at their best.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail was the first movie that the Pythons wrote to be an actual movie and is an absolute classic. Written by Eric Idle, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam, with direction from the Terrys. Also, we do deep dives into the life and histories of John Cleese and Graham Chapman, who wrote together for decades.

Welcome to Monty Python May! First up is the one that started it all: Monty Python's Flying Circus. From the genius minds of John Cleese, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam. The show was insanely groundbreaking and inspired an amazing amount of sketch comedy shows that followed.

In this episode, we wrap up our McNerdy tribute to the early films of Patrick Dempsey, along with discussing a couple of movies, TV shows, and how it's a great time for the Gen Xer to get back into gaming!

For our third entry into McNerdy month, Patrick Dempsey must go on the run when he accidentally kills a mob boss's son. It's a thrill ride that made the director quit the movie business! Co-starring Kelly Preston.

For our second entry into McNerdy month, we bring you Loverboy, quite possibly the worst movie we've covered on the show. It's a weird, vapid mess. Starring Patrick Dempsey, Carrie Fisher, and Kirstie Alley.

We'll give you all we've got to give because we don't care too much for money, cuz money Can't Buy Me Love. It's the beginning of McNerdy month, as we dive into the early films of Patrick Dempsey, Dr. McDreamy (or McSteamy, or whatever he was called). First up is Can't Buy Me Love, co-starring the amazing Amanda Peterson and underutilized Courtney Gains. It's a high school tale of be careful what you wish for.

Join your ol' stepdads as we discuss Steve's Hot Carl, have a spirited debate about a movie we both watched (channeling the spirits of Siskel & Ebert), how replaying video games can be better than playing new games, and Jim's love of a show that NO ONE saw coming.

For our last foray into Steve's Hot Carl, we're presenting perhaps the best of the bunch: All of Me. Directed by Carl Reiner, written by Phil Alden Robinson and Henry Olek, and starring Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin, Richard Libertini, and Victoria Tennant. It's the last time that Martin and Reiner worked together, but is just possibly their best effot.

Steve Martin and Carl Reiner team up again for the third time in their spoof of classic sci-fi movies. Starring Martin, Kathleen Turner (in only her second feature film!), and David Warner (with an uncredited cameo from Sissy Spacek). It's everything you want from Steve's Hot Carl.

Take 1 Steve Martin, 1 Carl Reiner, add in a ton of old film noir stars in clips from some of their most famous movies, blend it up, and what do you get? Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, a fun experiment of a film from Martin and Reiner to see if they could come up with a new story by inserting Martin into old clips. It not only works, it's funny as hell. Co-starring Rachel Ward, Reni Santoni, and Carl Reiner (in a hysterical send-up of stupid Nazis).

Join your ol' Stepdads as we discuss one of our greatest heroes, John Candy, what we've been watching and what we've been playing over the course of a short February month.

We finish out our Sweet Candy month with one of the best, most down-to-earth romantic comedies: Only the Lonely, written and directed by Chris Columbus. Starring John Candy, Maureen O'Hara as his overbearing mother, and Ally Sheedy as Candy's love interest, Only the Lonely shows just how good John Candy could be and what his amazing acting career could've been, if he hadn't been robbed from us at such a young age.

It's time to take a trip to The Great Outdoors! Written by John Hughes, directed by Howard Deutch, starring John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening, and Bart the Bear. It's a fun, down-to-earth comedy about dealing with family.

We kick off February in style, with the start of our Sweet Candy month, focusing on the softer, more down-to-earth side of the late, great John Candy. First up is Summer Rental, directed by Carl Reiner. It's a fun movie pitting Candy against a wonderfully mean Richard Crenna. There's boats and beaches and it's a fun summer!

Pull up a stool and listen to your ol' Stepdads ramble on about the crazy adventures they've been on, the movies and TV shows they've been watching, and what video games they've been playing.

It's time to open your mind and let your imagination run wild, as we cover The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, the near-perfect film from Terry Gilliam, starring John Neville, Sarah Polley, Eric Idle, Winston Dennis, Charles McKeown, Jack Purvis, Jonathan Pryce, Uma Thurman, and the incredible Oliver Reed! (Oh, and a rather weird cameo from Robin Williams.)

Adventure month continues as we delve into the mundane world of babysitting... unless you're Elizabeth Shue and have a crazy friend Brenda who tries to unsuccessfully run away from home. That's right, it's Adventures in Babysitting, the feature film debut of Chris Columbus, co-starring Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, Maia Brewton, Ron Canada, George Newbern, and Vincent D'Onofrio.

Orion Pictures wanted a 'red, white, and blue-collar Bond' in Remo Williams, but budget cuts didn't allow the movie to truly bloom. It's still a rollicking good time, even if you don't think it's as good as it was when you first saw it. Starring Fred Ward, Joel Grey, Wilford Brimley, J. A. Preston, and Kate Mulgrew.

Welcome to Adventure month! First up the cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension! Written by Earl Mac Rauch, directed by W. D. Richter, and starring Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Lewis Smith, Christopher Lloyd, Clancy Brown, Vincent Schiavelli, Dan Hedaya, Robert Ito, Pepe Serna, and Carl Lumbly. It's a weird movie that deserved to be seen by so many more people when it debuted.

Pull up a piece of carpet and take a secret sip of beer with your ol' stepdads as we discuss the Christmas movies we've covered this month, along with new TV, movies, and video games we've been playing. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

While this is definitely a Christmas movie, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York should not have been made. It's a remake of Home Alone that came out 2 years before, but with worse pacing and less stakes. Written by John Hughes, directed by Chris Columbus, and starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard, Tim Curry, Brenda Fricker, and Catherine O'Hara. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

Well, look at that, it's our 200th episode! We're celebrating by having a Christmas Vacation, courtesy of National Lampoon, John Hughes, and Chevy Chase! Also starring Beverly D'Angelo, Johnny Galecki, Juliette Lewis, Brian Doyle-Murray, Randy Quaid, William Hickey, Mae Questal, Miriam Flynn, Diane Ladd, John Randolph, E.G. Marshall, and Doris Roberts! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

Is it a Christmas movie? Not in the conventional sense, but yes, it takes place over Christmas and culminates with a bunch of New Yorkers singing on New Year's Eve: it's the return of the Ghostbusters in the underrated Ghostbusters II! Starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, and Peter MacNicol. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

These four epic comedies range from the most amazing comedy ever made (It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World) to a fantastic British historical comedy (Those Fantastic Men in their Flying Machines) to a waste of talent (Scavenger Hunt) to the best modern epic comedy, which is saying a lot, since it came out 43 years ago (The Cannonball Run). We'll also discuss movies and tv and video games! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

We close out our epic comedies month with the most successful epic comedy (after the perfection of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, of course): The Cannonball Run. Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr, Adrienne Barbeau, Mel Tillis, Terry Bradshaw, Jack Elam, Jackie Chan, and Jamie Farr having a ton of fun on screen. Written by Brock Yates, who created the actual race the movie is based on and directed by Hal Needham, a stuntman-turned-director. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

Today, we cover and overlooked gem that had the best cast of actors, doing their best with a pretty dreadful script. It's Scavenger Hunt, a wannabe It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, from 1979! Starring Richard Benjamin, James Coco, Scatman Crothers, Ruth Gordon, Cloris Leachman, Cleavon Little, Roddy McDowall, Robert Morley, Richard Mulligan, Tony Randall, Dirk Benedict, Willie Aames, Stephanie Faracy, Stephen Furst, Richard Masur and cameos from Meat Loaf, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Vincent Price! Directed by Michael Schultz, who also directed Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Last Dragon! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

-or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours and 11 Minutes (for the completists). For our second epic comedy, we have this fantastic period comedy about the early days of men trying to fly. Starring Stuart Whitman, Sarah Miles, James Fox, Alberto Sordi, Robert Morley, Gert Frobe, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Irina Demick, Eric Sykes, Terry-Thomas, Red Skelton, Benny Hill, and Yujiro Ishihara. Written and directed by Ken Annakin. Produced by Daryl F. Zanuck. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

Join us as we delve into the greatest, most epic comedy of all time: It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, from Stanley Kramer, starring dozens of the greatest comedians of all time: Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas, Jonathan Winters, Edie Adams, and Dorothy Provine. Including an insane amount of cameos and guest stars in the epic 197-minute run time. It's 60 years old, but is still one of the funniest movies ever made. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

Pull up a spot on the floor on listen to your old stepdads talk about body horror, the movies and tv shows we've been watching this month, what video games we've been playing, and a special guest (for real this time)! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

This isn't your mama's werewolf movie... in fact, it isn't a werewolf movie at all! It's Wolfen, based on the Whitley Streiber novel, directed by Michael Wadleigh, in his only feature film directing foray. Starring Albert Finney, Diane Venora, Edward James Olmos, Gregory Hines, Tom Noonan, and Dick O'Neill. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

Strap yourself in for a trippy mindbender from the one and only intensely insane director, Ken Russell. Featuring psychedelic drugs and sensory deprivation tanks, it's the feature film debut of William Hurt and also stars Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, and Charles Haid. The production was so intense, it might have just killed Paddy Chayefsky. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

While appearing to be a 'remake' of a beloved 1956 thriller, based on a 1955 novel, but much like the Pod People, there's way more to the 1978 Invasion of the Body Snatchers than what appears on the surface. Starring Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum, and Veronica Cartwright and Directed by Philip Kaufman. It's one of the best movies we've ever covered and deserves to be watched in the Halloween season. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

In this episode, we wrap up Bill Pullman Month by talking to Bill Pullman! But really, we discuss his early movies, how much he means to us, and what movies, TV shows, and video games caught our attention during the month. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

For our third Bill Pullman movie, we're covering one of his best performances in one of the weirdest movies we've ever seen: Brain Dead. Also starring Bill Paxton, Bud Cort, Nicholas Pryor, and Patricia Charbonneau. Written by Charles Beaumont 27 years prior and directed by Adam Simon. It's a wild and wacky movie that you have to see to believe. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

Today, we celebrate Friday the 13th by exploring our second Bill Pullman film, and his first leading role: The Serpent and the Rainbow, directed by Wes Craven. It's a weird fever dream of drugs and zombies and voodoo and the political turmoil of Haiti in the mid-'80s. It's a hell of a journey. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

With this episode, we start our most unexpected month, honoring the early movies of one of our favorite actors: Bill Pullman. He's a brilliant comedic talent, and our first Bill Pullman movie proves it. It's Ruthless People, from ZAZ (Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker), the guys who brought you Airplane!, Top Secret!, and The Kentucky Fried Movie. Co-starring Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold, and Helen Slater. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

Join us as we close out another Dog Days of Summer! We reminisce about Oh! Heavenly Dog, K-9, Turner & Hooch, and Top Dog (which we wish we hadn't watched). We also discuss games, movies, and TV shows we've been watching this past month. It's been a great, hot, month, and it officially ended with a cat randomly showing up on the studio's balcony. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

Our last Dog Days of August film is also perhaps the worst film we've ever covered: Top Dog. It was so bad, it killed Chuck Norris's theatrical career. A mish-mash of genres with a tone that jumps around more than a kid in a bouncy castle, it's mostly noted because it came out 9 days after the Oklahoma City bombing... and features a terrorist group attempting to bomb a Unity rally. It's just bad. But the dog is good! Reno is a good boy! And a Briard, which is a breed of dog we didn't know existed. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

Now for perhaps the best dog movie of the month (let's not discuss the ending): Turner & Hooch, starring Tom Hanks, Craig T. Nelson, Reginald VelJohnson, Mare Winningham, and John McIntire. Almost directed by Henry Winkler, but actually directed by Roger Spottiswoode. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

Take the younger brother of a famous comedian trying to make his own name and a police dog that doesn't play by the rules, and you get K-9, the 1989 film starring James Belushi and Rando the German Shepherd as Jerry Lee. It's a mystery that James Belushi needs to solve, and only Jerry Lee can help. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

What happens when you ask Chevy Chase to make a dog movie? You make him a P.I. and kill him off, only to be reborn as BENJI! It's Oh! Heavenly Dog, the weirdest Benji movie ever made. Starring Chevy Chase, Jane Seymour, Omar Sharif, and Benji! Written and directed by Joe Camp. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support

Gather round the campfire with your ol' Stepdads, as we discuss the Blockbuster Bombs, Howard the Duck, Hudson Hawk, and Last Action Hero. We also discuss some great movies we've watched, TV shows we're into, and Video Games we just can't put down. Oh, and Jim has a rant about some words that he LOATHES. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thegenxfiles/support