Have You SEEN This?

230 – The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t

Jen and Tim hold Josh Boerman of The Worst of All Possible Worlds podcast hostage in order to talk about a holiday musical that really wasn’t: The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t!

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For more of the Worst Possible boys, check out our collection of their guest appearances on the show! And of course you simply must hear The Worst of All Possible Worlds for yourself over at their Patreon!

If you haven’t yet laid eyes upon Tim’s monumental Myst Island Lego build, go see it at his website and marvel at it, it’s really something.

229 – Christmas Evil

Tim and Jen cover an unusual holiday movie that features a man beaten down by an uncaring society enough to become a self-appointed assassin. Wait, what year is this? It’s 1980 and this is Christmas Evil!

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There is a whole ass website about Whamageddon with the ruleset and everything, if you’d like to play or simply to inform yourself. We won’t be participating, though, because we love Wham! too much to refrain from listening to them. You could also listen to this “Last Christmas”-free megamix!

Need more gimmicky costumed killers? Listen to our episode on the Terrifier movies, but be warned: we don’t care for that clown at all.

228 – Toys

Jen and Tim grit their teeth through Barry Levinson’s oppressively whimsical passion project that literally no one liked, Toys. Also, take a drink every time we use a variant of the word “whimsy,” but please drink responsibly!

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Roger Ebert penned a more measured analysis of the film back in 1992:

There’s a curious residue of dissatisfaction after “Toys” is over. It opened so well and promised so much that we’re confused: Is that all there is?

Listen to Tim’s favorite song from the movie, “Happy Workers” sung by Tori Amos.

See the (in)famous Toys teaser trailer on YouTube.

Does it tickle you when Tim gets a real wild hair about a movie? Check out our collection of episodes with the succinct title Tim Hated It!

227 – Sleepwalkers

Tim and Jen rope old friend Paul Jay into talking about a very stupid Stephen King shapeshifting energy vampires vs. kitties flick, Sleepwalkers.

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Errata: Newsies actually came out April 8th, 1992, but it’s probably safe to assume that no one wanted to see it on that date, either.

IGN has a very good interview with director Mick Garris, in which he talks about his work on much better horror properties like The Stand.

Can’t get enough of Paul? Listen to the episode where he joined us to discuss Warren Beatty’s singular mania, Dick Tracy! Or just mainline all of his guest appearances via this collection!

226 – Tough Guys Don’t Dance

Oh God! Oh man! Jen and Tim and Mets devotee David J. Roth square up with Norman Mailer’s demented neo-noir, Tough Guys Don’t Dance.

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Read David’s piece on a true American original, B-movie stalwart Wings Hauser. Did you know that he was in Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time? Well now you do!

Collider profiled the one and only ersatz Charles Bronson (or the most prominent and successful, we assume), Hungarian actor Robert Bronzi.

Hear Wings Hauser sing the concluding track for Vice Squad, “Neon Slime.” His vocals have the same gusto as his average film performance, as you might imagine.

How to Come Alive With Norman Mailer (the documentary Jen wanted to call “How to Be a Cool Fuckin’ Guy”) provides a breezy overview of the colorful life of the author.

On YouTube: Mailer comes out swinging at Gore Vidal on the Dick Cavett Show, and gets bitch-slapped back by Vidal, Cavett and author Janet Flanner.

Want more conversation about inexplicable auteur statements? Try our episode on a certain Amazing Movie!

225 – Children of the Stones

Tim takes the reins to enthuse about a shockingly creepy British TV series for kids (?!), Children of the Stones.

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Watch the entirety of Children of the Stones on YouTube!

Hear the Reese Shearsmith-led podcast adaptation of Children of the Stones over at the Beeb.

Want more folk horror? Sample our collection of same!

224 – Valentino

Jen welcomes Darren Herczeg to help her rhapsodize about a movie even director Ken Russell didn’t like, Valentino!

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The wonderfully-named Phallic Frenzy gives Russell his due as an audacious filmmaker, and describes Valentino in complimentary terms.

See Nureyev fully commit to the bit by dancing “Swine Lake” on the Muppet Show in 1978.

The book on Fatty Arbuckle that Jen mentioned is called Room 1219: The Life of Fatty Arbuckle, the Mysterious Death of Virginia Rappe, and the Scandal That Changed Hollywood, and it’s well worth a read for anyone interested in early Hollywood.

Can’t get enough Darren? Check out our collection of his appearances on the show!

223 – Alien³

When a xenomorph comes along, you must whippet

Jen and Tim rationalize David Fincher’s unlucky first feature, Alien Cubed (aka Alien³). Turns out that Tim has A LOT to say about Alien movies!

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Read a 1992 interview with David Fincher, in which he’s quite candid about “the worst thing that ever happened to me”— that is, the production of Alien³.

A helpful fan wiki has provided a transcript of William Gibson’s first draft screenplay for the movie.

Love Fincher? Listen to our episode on a movie that people steadfastly refuse to engage with in good faith, Fight Club!

222 – The Rocketeer

Burning out his fuse in a failed Disney franchise

Tim and Jen are surprisingly hard on Disney’s amiable comics-based misfire, The Rocketeer!

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See Rondo Hatton in The Brute Man, but let the MST3k crew accompany you through this murky noir.

The Cocoanut Grove fire has been widely covered in media. The Fascinating Horror channel has an excellent recounting of the disaster, in the dispassionate and non-sensationalized style of the best YouTube channels.

This 1979 BBC biography of Errol Flynn offers illuminating interviews with people who knew him, including David Niven, Olivia de Havilland, and his daughter Deirdre.

You can purchase a copy of the Traveller supplement featuring “Vehicle Handbook: Airships of the Imperium” by a certain Tim H. at DriveThruRPG. Intrigued by the endless possibilities of tabletop space travel? Find more resources Tim created for Traveller at his personal website!