The Movie Breakdown

Halloween is right around corner, so we're dedicating this episode to horror movies. More specifically, horror franchises. Even more specific, we're creating our own ultimate horror movie franchises.  How are we doing this? We are both trying to create our own ten movie horror franchise. We are creating them from choosing one movie from various horror franchises. We can only pick one movie from a specific franchise, and the choice needs to be in the same chronology of its franchise with our franchise. So, for example, our number five movie must be the fifth from a franchise. Yes, it is complicated. It gets more complicated when you realize many horror franchises are littered with reboots and remakes and spin-offs. We tried our best to play the game within the laid out rules. It was a fun show even if the rules meant some of the movie mentioned may not be even close to our favourite horror movies ever. It allows us to spotlight a whole slew of different kind of horror movies. As always, we had a blast recording the episode, and if you have a blast listening to it then please help us out by sharing us on social media, so other movie fans can find us. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music.

October is all about the trick or treats. This week on The Movie Breakdown we're offering both. Last week, we promised a deep-dive on the new theatrical release, Halloween Kills, but that was a trick. Instead, we're reviewing 2018's Halloween, which is also a treat, because you get to listen to me revisiting a movie that I didn't like initially and now shift my opinion.  We not only really dig into the 2018 movie that was a direct sequel to the original and retconned out all the sequels, but we also look at the impact and history of the entire series. This is a fun one for fans of the franchise. As always, we had a great time and we really hope you do too. If you do, please pass the word on social media, so that other movie fans can find us. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music.

  Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers and listeners. Nothing says a Canadian Thanksgiving more than emotional scarring. That is why this week we're both listing ten movie moments that haunted and traumatized us as kids. These are not necessarily horror movies but actually, most of them were billed as children and family movies but had that scene that caused us many sleepless nights and running out of our room nightmares. We were both 1980s kids, so there were countless movies that did that to us, because that is just how we rolled back then. You weren't entertaining kids unless you were also causing years of therapy and counselling bills. As always, it was a great time talking movies and we really hope you enjoy listening to some of those traumatic movie moments. If you do love the episode, then please help us out by spreading the word on social media, so other movie fans can discover us. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music.

We are trying out something different this week that is similar to a special episode we did way back at the beginning of The Movie Breakdown. In 2013, we did something called Mockbuster vs. Blockbuster where we compared a big blockbuster movie against the Asylum knock-off of that movie to see which one was better. We only ever did one episode. This time, two major movies are going to be matched in what may turn out to be a few times a year special. The inaugural grudge match will see two beloved sci-fi thrillers from the 1980 go head-to-head in The Terminator vs. The Thing. There will be ten rounds in this big match-up. Each category will look at a specific aspect of the movie like the plot and lead performance and score. Both hosts will decide which movie they feel wins in that category, and then in the end, we add up the score to see the 1980s sci-fi thriller that is the true champion. Now of course, with their being ten rounds and two hosts, there is a chance that this all ends in a tie. But what is the chances of that? It is also a great chance for us to discuss and celebrate two of our favourite movies ever. We had a great time discussing them, and we hope you love it as well, If you do, then please help us out by spreading the word to other movie fans. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music.

  Last year, we decided to revisit our 2013 top ten lists to see how it held up, and if we still loved the same movies that we did then. It was a lot of fun or at least, it was for us. For anyone who has listened to show for a long time, knows that we have declared many times that opinions and feelings with movies can evolve over time. This time, we wanted to revisit our 2014 list, which was a year that we believed to be one of the great years for movies. On this revisit, we can reaffirm that it is one of the best years since we started podcasting. This week, we look back at our original best of 2014 lists, and analyze where those movies stand with us now. We also create a new 2014 lists with movies that connect with us now. Obviously, some movies remain on the list, but there are some new movies to appear on the list that we now champion. As always, it was a great time discussing 2014 movies, and we really hope you love the episode. If you do, then please help us out by spreading the word to other movie fans. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music. Christopher's Top Ten:  10. Two Days, One Night (used to be Blue Ruin)9. The Babadook (used to be Gone Girl)8. Like Father, Like Son (used to be Life Itself)7. Selma (used to be Interstellar)6. Boyhood (used to be Only Lovers Left Alive)5. John Wick (used to be Like Father, Like Son)4. Nightcrawler (used to be Under the Skin)3. We Are the Best! (same)2. The Grand Budapest Hotel (same)1. Under the Skin (used to be Boyhood) Scott's Top Ten:  10. The Drop (used to be Edge of Tomorrow)   9. Edge of Tomorrow (used to be Grand Budapest Hotel)  8. A Most Wanted Man (used to be Guardian of the Galaxy) 7. Gloria (used to be Virunga)  6. The LEGO Movie (used to be Begin Again) 5. John Wick (used to be Nightcrawler)   4. The Babadook (used to be The LEGO Movie)   3. Birdman (used to be A Most Wanted Man)    2. Nightcrawler (used to be Boyhood)   1. The grand Budapest Hotel (used to be Gloria)

  It wasn't critically acclaimed or a massive box office powerhouse, but Weekend at Bernie's not only had quite a few fans upon its release but it is probably better remembered now then many bigger hits from the 1980s. Something about two guys trying to pretend a corpse is still alive has resonated with some movie fans. The Movie Breakdown has decided that the comedy needed some deep-dive attention as we talk over an hour about this picture. If you are a huge fan then you may not like our review of it, but we try to be fair and look at some of the history and analyze why we think it has endured longer than other comedies. As always, we had great time recording the episode and we really hope you love it as well. If you do, then please help us out by spreading the word to other movie fans. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music.

The kids are back to school, and that means a great time to review a high school comedy. In the early 1980s, there was several teen sex comedies like Porky's that were huge hits, but they'd start to get replaced by the equally popular but much better made John Hughes style teen dramas and comedies by the mid-1980s. The teen genre stalled by the end of the 1980s, but then entertainment focusing on teens started to take-off again in the later 1990s. American Pie came along as something different because it blended the two classic elements of past teen comedies. It had the sex crazed teenagers but also had the sincerity and heartfelt moments of the John Hughes movies. At its core, it was about a lot more than just sex, even if most of the humour was raunchy and many parents probably wouldn't be comfortable with their teens going to see it. It did create what felt like authentic teens and has some nice message about the importance of authentic relationships, the challenges of growing up and the respect that must be shown to women. We do a deep-dive of this controversial comedy, American Pie. I am sure there are listeners that have fond memories of this movie, there are some that despise it and others that have stayed away from it. I will admit that I was a fan when it came out. It had been a long time since I last saw it, so I was interested in how it connected now as a 40 plus year old father who is a long way off from being a teenager. As always, we had great time recording the episode and we really hope you love it as well. If you do, then please help us out by spreading the word to other movie fans. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or subscribe on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music.

It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a podcast. That's right, it is The Movie Breakdown and we're reviewing the first big budget superhero event picture in Superman: The Movie from 1978. While it may be decades before MCU really made superhero movies the biggest event at the theatres, this movie was definitely one of the most influential of all-time and along with Star Wars, shaped the type of movies studios would greenlight through the 1980s and beyond. This week, we deep-dive into this major picture looking at its impact and seeing what earned it such an enduring legacy. We analyze things like the importance of Christopher Reeves as the title character, what Margot Kidder did for Lois Lane, how this movie changed how mainstream perceived comic books, how it launched the idea of the origin story and so much more as we go over 100 minutes discussing this iconic movie. As always, we had a great time recording this podcast and we really hope you love it too. If you do, please help us out by spreading the word to other movie fans. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or subscribe on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music.

  It is time for the annual look at the best movies that came out during the first half of the year. Much like last year, it is a few months late, because in Ontario, we didn't even have open theatres until July. We decided to hold off and wait for some of the big summer blockbusters to come out, so we could include them in the show.  What a fun show it is, as we talk movies for two and half hours. It is slightly different than previous years as we include more movies in each category, so we can discuss pictures that haven't been reviewed on the show. Of course, I have recently done several movies reviews in the last few weeks that you can read, and yes, some of them get discussed on this episode. We discuss all kinds of movies from Oscar nominees to big blockbusters to animated adventures to lesser known dramas and thrillers. We had a great time talking movies, and we really hope you love it too. If you do, please help us out by spreading the word to other movie fans. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or subscribe on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music.

  The summer movie season is often where we get the biggest and most popular movies of the year. It is the time that studios serve up their event movies that they hope will draw in giant crowds. It is the movies they put most of their budgets and attention with spectacular special effects, big stars and massive marketing campaigns. Sometimes these major movies turn into giant flops. or they may be short-term hits that are plagued by a negative perception by critics and movie fans. This week we pick ten movies that we considered big summer pictures that were either unfairly ignored or have a negative reputation that isn't deserved. We champion these movies, and believe you need to track them down. This is a great show if you're looking for some recommendations for some fun big summer movies. We want to apologize for the delay of this getting out today. We had some major technical issues during recording, then issues with editing and uploading it, but we now think we have a good quality episode for you to enjoy. As always, we had a great time recording this show and we really hope you love it. If you do, please help us out by spreading the word on social media, so other movie fans can find us. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or subscribe on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music. Christopher (Order by release): 1. Dragonslayer2. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension3. The Black Cauldron4. Last Action Hero5. Waterworld6. Con Air7. The Lone Ranger8. The Nice Guys9. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets10. Long Shot Scott (kind of ordered by most liked): 1. Ready or Not2. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World3. Last Action Hero4. Bowfinger5. Predators6. Hangover Part 27. Escape from L.A.8. Mystery Men9. The Hitman's Bodyguard10. Event Horizon

  Eddie Murphy had already turned into a movie star with 48 Hrs. but with Beverly Hills Cop he rocketed up to being the biggest box office star of the 1980s. It is hard to explain in modern times, where there isn't the same focus on star power, the rabid popularity of Eddie Murphy. Beverly Hills Cop was a mega-hit thanks to Eddie Murphy, and it turned him into the most in-demand star. It would be like if the MCU was an actual living person. There is a lot to discuss in this movie and its impact is more than just the presence of Eddie Murphy. We dig deep into what works, if it is action or comedy, the strength of the other performances, the direction of Martin Brest and the lasting influence of the movie As always, we had a great time recording this show and we really hope you love it. If you do, please help us out by spreading the word on social media, so other movie fans can find us. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or subscribe on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music.

The Movie Breakdown loves a good action movie. We also realize one of the things that really makes a great actioner is having an engaging and charismatic lead that you care about. This week we want to pay tribute to ten action stars including the mighty kings of our childhood, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, by both of us each picking the movie that we feel best defines them. We aren't really following any criteria other it being a movie that we feel you'd get a good taste of the type of action star that they are by watching this specific movie. We are looking at a variety of stars from a few different time periods, and this is a great show if you are looking for some action movie recommendations. As always, we had a great time talking movies. and we really hope you love the episode. If you do, then please help us out by spreading the word to other movie fans. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or subscribe on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music.

My brother was a big fan of the R.L. Stine Goosebumps series, but by the point those books became popular, I had already started gobbling up Stephen King novels. If the series was around when I was a bit younger, then I'm sure I'd have loved them, and it would have had a major impact on my childhood.  I must confess I am not well-versed in the different works of this beloved author, and I know very little about the Fear Street series of YA books. I know they were popular and that they also now have an R-rated movie trilogy based on them. What is interesting about this new movie series is that they were released one week apart from each other on Netflix, which along with the trilogy spanning mystery made it feel like one long movie broken into three distinct chapters. Besides the release strategy, there are many other things that make this stand-out amongst other horror slashers. It is a homage but also a movie that reimagines the subgenre and tries to explore some complex themes. Scott and I dig deep into all three movies on this week's episode. As always, we had a great time analyzing and reviewing these three movies. and we really hope you love the episode. If you do, then please help us out by spreading the word to other movie fans. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or subscribe on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music.

Way back in 1993, there was no way of knowing that Groundhog Day would turn out to be one of the most influential movies. Its formula has been repeated by multiple movies in multiple genres. We actually reviewed ten different movies on the podcast that followed this formula including the classic Groundhog Day. We call them time loop movies because it is about at least one character that is stuck in a day that continues to repeat over and over. One day we asked ourselves what are the best of this little subgenre? How would we rank each of these movies? This week we do exactly that as both Scott and I present our ranking of the ten major time loop movies that we've reviewed in past episodes. It is a bit of a different episode, but we still had a blast revisiting these pictures. As always, we had a great time recording this show and we really hope you love it. If you do, please help us out by spreading the word on social media, so other movie fans can find us. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or subscribe on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music.

  Long time listeners of The Movie Breakdown will have heard us mention all kind of different things on a recurring basis. One of them is that we have been against the critical consensus when it comes to the first Rambo movie, First Blood. The other thing we often mention is that we love revisiting movies and getting our opinions changed with a fresh perspective and viewing. It has been a long time coming for us to finally review and deep dive into the Sylvester Stallone action picture that kicked off a massive 1980s and beyond franchise, First Blood. We discuss some of the reasons for why we both initially were not big fans of this movie. We then reveal how we feel about the movie now, and what worked much better this time but also what issues we still have with the picture. We look at all aspects of this movie, provide some trivia and analyze its lasting impact. It is a huge show and one that has been building since the day we started this podcast. As always, we had a great time recording this show and we really hope you love it. If you do, please help us out by spreading the word on social media, so other movie fans can find us. Reminder that you can subscribe either to The Movie Breakdown feed (a subscription link is at the top right hand of this site), or subscribe on sites like Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, CastBox, and Amazon Music.