The American Dream has always been just that, a dream. Death of a Salesman (1985) is based off of the 1949 Arthur Miller play of the same name. This adaptation features powerful performances from Dustin Hoffman and a young John Malkovich. It’s thoroughly depressing, but magnificent to watch. Have something funny in your queue for viewing after.
It’s not just a philosophy teacher’s fever dream. Brazil, directed and co-written by Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam, has a lot to say about technology, bureaucracy, and loss of individual freedom between scenes of intestinal air ducts and suits full of sewage. There’s stuff we did and didn’t like, but I think we can all appreciate seeing Jonathan Pryce in one of his few leading roles. Grab your annotated copy of 1984 and settle in for this light sci-fi, absurdist criticism of society.
CHAMPION. CHARISMA. CHARACTER.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the epitome of badassness, is facing down Green Berets and Freddie Mercury mustaches. Not only will you see Arnold achieve his highest body count in a movie, you’ll see some really awesome stunts pre-CGI age. The script comes from Steven E. de Souza who also penned Die Hard, 48 Hours, and Judge Dread, so the violent act per minute rate is nice and high. Listen in as Jim and A.Ron as they discuss a movie that crashes, smashes, and overall is a raucous good time.
Today we’ve got Witness, the 1985 Harrison Ford-led visual guide to becoming Amish. In truth, it’s a romance film clad in suspenders, a milking hat, and the trappings of a noir thriller. The podcast was a lot of fun to record and hopefully just as much fun to listen to, especially if you want to hear about A.Ron’s father’s irrational dread of grain entrapment.
80s movies don’t get much more classic than this! Join us for The Breakfast Club, the genre-defining teenage drama from John Hughes. We talk about the pressures of being a teenager, how the movie explores those pressures, our own teenage years, and whether this movie holds up in 2021.
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Merry Christmas! Jim and I kick off the Bald Move Bad Ass Christmas celebrations for our Club Members with 1985’s Rocky IV. What makes Drago v Balboa a holiday film, you ask? Their climactic battle takes place on Christmas day. Plus, there’s snow, and pine trees like you wouldn’t believe. Very Christmasy. Anyway, this is a great terrible film that might have helped win the Cold War. We discuss the film, it’s place in the Rocky pantheon, and behind the scenes tidbits and stories straight from the Sly’s mouth. In case you missed it, we Live Watched this thing to, so be sure to check that out.
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Jim and A.Ron pre-game our Bald Move Bad Ass Christmas celebrations with a Live Watch of Rocky IV. Grab this video, play it on your mobile device or laptop, sync it up with your copy of the movie, and enjoy your commentary. As a bonus, we drink a dram of fine whisky at 30 minute intervals. Who will go the distance? Rocky, Drogo, or our livers?
Special thanks to Fernando Rodriguez, who commissioned the 1985 classic kid’s adventure movie, “The Goonies”. Directed by Richard Donner with a script by Chris Columbus, this movie really brings us back to our child hood days, which leads to us spending time fondly reminiscing about the film and growing up, and of course obsessively picking nits and busting “The Goonies” balls. Which of course, is our mothers’ favorite part. Stay tuned til the end as we invite a surprise guest to give their opinions as well!
Special thanks goes to Alafia McMurty for commissioning a podcast on the 1985 sci-fi comedy classic, “Back to the Future”. Starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, we’ve seen this movie a million times and love every second. Please enjoy the following mammoth podcast that covers nearly every aspect of the film, from the absurd to the poignant to the sublime.
Special thanks to D’Nique G, who commissioned us to watch the 1985 Steven Spielberg film, “The Color Purple”, based on the novel by Alice Walker and starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Danny Glover. While we found some of the tonal shifts and musical choices in the first half bizarre, the movie nevertheless drew us into the story of one woman’s triumph over countless adversities, and the ending of this movie has a heart as big, wide, and bright as Celie’s smile.