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Dive deep into John Hughes' 1987 teen romance *Some Kind of Wonderful* – the gender-flipped spiritual successor to Pretty in Pink that's often called the better film! We break down the heartfelt story of unrequited love, class divides, standout performances (Eric Stoltz as Keith, Mary Stuart Masterson as Watts, Lea Thompson as Amanda Jones), iconic moments (diamond earrings, drum solos, that epic kiss), the killer 80s soundtrack, and why this underrated gem holds up with more emotional depth and smarter writing than many Hughes classics. Special guest Steve Smith joins for trivia, behind-the-scenes stories, and honest takes on the tropes, twists, and timeless themes.

Dive into the ultimate breakdown of **RoboCop (1987)**, Paul Verhoeven's groundbreaking sci-fi action film! Join host and guest Sean (from the defunct "I Must Break This" Dolph Lundgren podcast) as we explore why this violent, satirical masterpiece still holds up 40 years later. We cover Verhoeven's culture shock satire of American society, the over-the-top violence, Christian metaphors (RoboCop as the American Jesus), behind-the-scenes chaos with Peter Weller's suit, Kurtwood Smith's iconic villain Clarence Boddicker, strong female sidekick Lewis, and why sequels and the remake pale in comparison. From the shocking Murphy death scene to the ultraviolent director's cut elements, we unpack the film's social commentary on corporate greed, media sensationalism, and resurrection themes. Perfect for fans of 80s action, Verhoeven's filmography (Total Recall, Starship Troopers), or anyone revisiting this cyberpunk classic.

Join Ryan  as he ranks all of Michael Mann's films, pulling from his detailed reviews on The Director's Chair Network podcast where he's broken down the legendary director's entire filmography in an epic retrospective. This is a must-watch for film buffs craving honest critiques and fresh perspectives on one of cinema's most influential directors. Whether you agree with Ryan's top picks or have your own hot takes, this ranking will spark debate! 

Katie welcomes superfan Doug Greenberg for a hilarious deep dive into the 1989 holiday classic National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, exploring its enduring relatability as adults grapple with family chaos, holiday pressures, and Clark Griswold's optimistic disasters, from epic light displays to Cousin Eddie's antics, while sharing personal traditions, trivia, and why John Hughes' script remains a timeless yuletide staple.

In Sam Peckinpah's overlooked directorial debut The Deadly Companions (1961), Brian Keith stars as Yellowleg, a scarred ex-soldier driven by vengeance against a former comrade (Chill Wills) who tried to scalp him, only to accidentally kill the young son of a tough, ostracized dance-hall woman (Maureen O'Hara) during a botched bank robbery; wracked with guilt, he joins her perilous trek across Apache territory with two shady companions to bury the boy beside his father, exposing themes of grief, fragile morality, hypocrisy in a harsh frontier world, and the seeds of Peckinpah's signature cynicism—yet the film ultimately feels dry and emotionally flat despite strong performances and striking visuals.

In this cozy holiday episode, host Katie welcomes back regular guest Ryan Rabalkin to dive into the 1994 John Hughes-scripted remake of Miracle on 34th Street, exploring why this nineties update of the 1947 classic became its own nostalgic time capsule filled with Christmas magic. The duo opens a 1994 time capsule with top VHS rentals like Sleepless in Seattle, The Fugitive, and Forrest Gump, iconic commercials like Skittles' "Taste the Rainbow," and headline making events including the Nancy Kerrigan attack, the O.J. Simpson chase, and Kurt Cobain's death, before dissecting the film's cast, led by Richard Attenborough's heartfelt Kris Kringle, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, and young Mara Wilson, its philosophical courtroom drama on faith and belief, comparisons to the sharper original, romantic subplot quirks, and whether it's truly a kids' movie or an adult reflection on the spirit of Christmas.

Katie and guest Andy from The All Apologies Podcast take a nostalgic deep dive into the 1992 sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, revisiting Kevin McCallister's chaotic Big Apple adventure against a vibrant early-'90s backdrop of neon windbreakers, Crystal Pepsi, and emerging boy bands. They kick off with a fun 1992 time-capsule trivia round nailing hits like Boyz II Men's "End of the Road," Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back," Kris Kross's "Jump," Vanessa Williams's "Save the Best for Last," and TLC's "Baby-Baby-Baby", plus iconic snacks like Lunchables, Totino's Pizza Rolls, and chewy Chips Ahoy. The duo praises the comforting John Williams score, standout performances from Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara, and a delightfully suspicious Tim Curry, while appreciating clever plot setups that believably strand Kevin again. They critique repetitive booby traps, underused New York City locations, missed opportunities (like a toy store finale showdown), and the film's class-warfare themes that fall short on real compassion, ultimately agreeing it's enjoyable holiday comfort food but not quite as sharp as the lightning-in-a-bottle original. Wrapping up with warm holiday vibes, they celebrate the movie's charm, slapstick fun, and enduring rewatchability while teasing more John Hughes explorations.

In this candid Michael Mann season finale for a Michael Mann retrospective, Ryan and Hughezy dissect the director's 2023 biopic  Ferrari, starring Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari, with brutal honesty, calling it dull, miscast, and a box-office disaster that lost over $50 million despite its $95 million budget, while slamming Adam Driver's performance, Shailene Woodley's bizarre accent, Penélope Cruz's over-the-top portrayal, and Mann's obsessive car nerdery that prioritized replica vehicles and technical gimmicks over compelling storytelling. They also reflect on Mann's declining legacy post Heat and Collateral, express skepticism about the upcoming Heat 2 sequel, and highlight absurd behind the scenes trivia like Mann charging fans $65 for exclusive archives access.

Join Ryan and Sicco for a passionate 40th-anniversary celebration of Paul Verhoeven’s brutal, chaotic medieval epic Flesh and Blood (1985). The two dive deep into the film’s unique place in Verhoeven’s career as the transitional work between his raw Dutch style and the hyper-stylized American films that followed, exploring its grimly realistic portrayal of medieval life, its total lack of heroes, the central role of religion and superstition, Jennifer Jason Lee’s fearless performance as the cunning noblewoman Agnes, Rutger Hauer’s frustrated attempt to play a heroic mercenary, and the chaotic, dangerous production that tested everyone involved. They also touch on the film’s influence on later works, its satirical take on the Church, and why it remains a fascinating, ahead-of-its-time cult classic despite its initial commercial disappointment.

Katie welcomes Evan and Andrew from the Nothing Worthwhile Podcast for a deep-dive rewind into the 1990 holiday juggernaut Home Alone. The trio kicks off with a lively 1990 pop-culture trivia wheel (nailing jelly bracelets, Magic Eye posters, Hammer pants, “Just Do It,” Chili’s baby-back-ribs jingle, and the Billboard Top 5), then unpacks everything that makes John Hughes’ script (directed by Chris Columbus) an enduring classic: Macaulay Culkin’s perfect child performance, Joe Pesci & Daniel Stern’s lovable-yet-menacing Wet Bandits, Catherine O’Hara’s heartfelt mom energy, John Williams’ iconic score, the Old Man Marley redemption arc, cartoonish slapstick violence, and how the film brilliantly balances heartfelt family themes with pure chaotic joy – all while marveling at its $477 million box-office domination and timeless rewatchability 35 years later.

Host Sicco and guest Craig Cohen unpack Paul Verhoeven’s fearless audacity as the Dutch provocateur who weaponized sex, violence, and razor-sharp satire to shatter Hollywood taboos, defending Showgirls as a hyperbolic big-budget exploitation masterpiece—an unapologetic art-house fever dream exposing Vegas as a brutal vice machine where unreliable dreamers like Nomi claw for reinvention amid pimps, push-downs, and NC-17 nudity, proving Verhoeven’s obsession with Jesus-like resurrection, female exploitation, and moral void turns trash into timeless provocation.

Katie rewinds to 1991 to unpack the forgotten John Hughes-scripted road-trip comedy Dutch – a working-class guy vs. spoiled prep-school brat odyssey starring Ed O’Neal and a young Ethan Embry (billed as Ethan Randall) that bombed hard at the box office ($4.6M against $17M) yet somehow earned a 6.5 on IMDb and a soft spot in holiday watchlists. From class warfare and fireworks fails to hitchhiking disasters, prostitute pick-ups, homeless-shelter revelations, and one very questionable BB-gun payback at the Thanksgiving table, Katie argues it’s basically an uncredited Over the Top rip-off, drops 1991 pop-culture trivia (Cindy Crawford Pepsi ad, “Everything I Do” overload, Vanilla Ice arrests), and wonders why this Planes, Trains & Automobiles lite sequel never became the annual tradition it probably deserves to be.

In the chaotic, spoiler-filled finale of Trucker Andy’s Edgar Wright retrospective on the Director’s Chair Network, Cayley, Christian Bladt, Ryan Rebalkin, Tony from Hack the Movies, Joe Sixpack, Producer Chris, and Tooké  tear into the 2025 Glen Powell Running Man remake. The verdict is nearly unanimous: it’s a gorgeous, hyper-faithful Stephen King adaptation that looks stunning in IMAX but feels shockingly devoid of Edgar Wright’s trademark whip-pans, quick-cut gags, and infectious charm – trading them for grim dystopian satire, a safe studio choices, and an ending too scared to kill the kid. Highlights include Michael Cera’s unhinged Home-Alone sequence, Powell’s towel scenes, and Coleman Domingo stealing every moment he’s on screen, while the panel mourns the lack of gore, underused hunters, and the total disappearance of Wright’s personality

In Michael Mann’s 2015 cyber-thriller Blackhat, Chris Hemsworth trades Thor’s hammer for a keyboard as a jacked, brilliant hacker sprung from prison to hunt a mysterious “black hat” cyber-terrorist whose real-world-grade code has already triggered a nuclear-plant explosion and threatens global chaos. Despite a $70 million budget lavished on stunning global locations, hyper-authentic hacking sequences (vetted by ex-cons and NSA consultants), and Mann’s trademark razor-sharp visuals and brutal shootouts, the film bombed hard—making just $20 million worldwide—thanks to a thin script, Hemsworth’s eyebrow-raising casting as an MIT super-nerd, and a premise that felt too clinical and ahead-of-its-time for 2015 audiences; ten years later, with cyber threats now daily headlines, Mann’s prescient, gorgeous misfire is finally getting its vindication as a cult techno-thriller that looks better with every new data breach.

Katie welcomes back guest Scott Murphy to dissect the 1987 John Hughes Thanksgiving classic *Planes, Trains and Automobiles*, starring Steve Martin as the uptight Neil Page and John Candy as the lovably chaotic Del Griffith; the duo explore the film's chaotic cross-country misadventures inspired by Hughes' real-life travel woes, its blend of slapstick hilarity (like the infamous 19 F-bombs in 60 seconds), heartfelt character growth culminating in genuine holiday generosity, and enduring quotable moments, while touching on Hughes' rapid scripting, cut scenes, casting what-ifs, and Scott's upcoming podcasts including *All 90s Action All the Time* and the Sam Peckinpah-focused *Bloody Sam*.