After Burton's first Batman revitalized the superhero movie as a pop culture phenomenon, he decided to get real strange with it in Batman Returns. Ostensibly, the film features a pitched battle between the Caped Crusader (Michael Keaton) and his arch-nemeses, the Penguin (Danny DeVito) and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer); but it manifests itself in a strange story about mayoral races, masquerade balls and fake news campaigns to discredit Batman. The most dastardly plan anyone has in the film is Trumpian billionaire Max Schreck (Christopher Walken), who schemes to, like... build a power plant?

None of the plot dressing matters, though, since the film itself is a dazzling display of Burton's biggest idiosyncrasies - pale outcasts with mountains of guyliner, Gothic cityscapes, and mountains of quirky Danny Elfman scoring. This is the least Batman-y Batman film to date (and we should know), which might well be the biggest point in its favor.

Anyway, listen to us debate the film's finer, freakier points, along with our custom drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Safehouse Chicago as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Harry Connickuh, listeners! For this episode, we take our appreciation for Harry Connick Jr. all the way to the beginning - his breakout film debut in the 1990 WWII drama Memphis Belle. Connick joins a cavalcade of other young 90s stars (Matthew Modine, Sean Astin, Tate Donovan, Eric Stoltz, Billy Zane and more) as the crew of a B-17 bomber on its last mission before ending its tour of duty.

While director Michael Caton-Jones (Asher) does an admirable job replicating the oo-rah spirit of old WWII pro-US propaganda films, that's also what keeps Memphis Belle from really taking off. It's hard to make a movie all that compelling when you have to keep track of ten similar-looking white dudes with one personality trait, all working as a unit to accomplish a pretty tension-free mission. The claustrophobic action, which mostly takes place inside the cramped bomber of the title, is novel, but it all gets dull after a while. Still, Connick's his laconic, charming self as always, and he even gets a couple songs to sing!

Check out our thoughts on this WWII homage, along with our custom drinking game for the film, here.

(Thanks to our sponsor Jackbox Games as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Sure, Goldeneye revitalized the Bond franchise, introduced a stellar new Bond in Pierce Brosnan, and updated the secret agent to reflect more on his "sexist, misogynist dinosaur" nature. But then Austin Powers came out and made a bunch of money, so 007 had to get goofy again with his next adventure. And goofy he gets, as Tomorrow Never Dies is a quaintly dated spy caper in which James Bond must stop a mincingly evil media mogul (Jonathan Pryce) from starting a war between Britain and China just to soak up all the ratings.

Still, for all its goofiness, it absolutely has its charms - from David Arnold bursting onto the scene with a bombastic score, a couple of great theme songs at both ends of the film, and Michelle Yeoh kicking ass as one of the most capable Bond girls to date.

It's an ugly duckling that Clint loves far too much for his own good. Hear us talk about its pros and cons on the podcast, and check out our drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Jackbox Games as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

The first of Timothy Dalton's two films as 007 (a criminally short tenure), The Living Daylights is one of the most thrilling Bond pictures no one talks about. Sure, the story is a bit muddy and convoluted - a disorienting spy caper involving botched defections, diamonds, opium, arms deals, cellos and two different villains (Joe Don Baker and Jeroen Krabbe)- but Dalton's stripped-down, intense take on the secret agent is a breath of fresh air after 14 years of Roger Moore camp.

The Living Daylights also has some of the most exciting, comparatively grounded action scenes in the franchise, and a cracking final score from John Barry that mixes electronic sounds in an unobtrusive way long before David Arnold came along. This film tends to be one of the unsung children of the Bond franchise, but damnit, we're going to sing its praises till the opium comes home.

Check out our thoughts on the film and its legacy in the Bond franchise, along with our custom drinking rules!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Chinn's script is relaxed and acerbic, the performances are naturalistic and witty, and Dixon's stylized approach captures the verve of Chicago alongside the jazzy, pop-infused score from Josh Coffey and Otto Sharp. (You can read our capsule review from our CIFF dispatches here.)

While at the festival, I got the chance to sit down with Chinn, Dixon and Gardner to talk about the struggles of getting the film made, Chicago as an vital artistic resource, and the importance for women of color to tell their own stories.

Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Along with guest panelist Gavin, Jared and Clint tackle the impertinence of Mattie Ross, a little history of Oklahoma, and the nuances of a John Wayne performance, as they provide their signature drinking rules for this film.

Sure, this is the one that doesn't have Jason in it - see our Freddy vs. Jason episode for our thoughts on the hockey-mashed butcher - but Mrs. Voorhees (Betsy Palmer) still has some bloody fates in store for the counselors at Camp Crystal Lake. From Kevin Bacon's horny teen to, well, the less-famous fodder around him, Sean S. Cunningham's inaugural effort in the long running franchise serves up plenty of arrow piercings, machete decapitations, and more.

But is it enough? Can we go back to a franchise almost forty years old and see the strengths of a straightforward slasher that was innovative at the time? Or do the kills and stripped-down simplicity seem quaint in today's world of horror pastiches and self-aware tropes? Let's find out - check out our podcast and drinking game!

Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

While at the Chicago International Film Festival, we sat down with Chomko for a roundtable discussion (along with Pat McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com and Al and Linda Lerner of MoviesandShakers.com) - with Forster popping in as a late-interview surprise. Check out our roundtable, along with that wonderful cameo, in our podcast below.

Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

We were lucky enough to sit down with Kahn himself to talk about the film, these issues, and the value of artistic merit in an increasingly commodified art world. Check out our podcast minisode featuring the interview here, and read the edited transcript below.

Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

In the vein of other 90s domestic horror films like The Hand that Rocks the Cradle and Unlawful Entry, Single White Female explores the kind of dangers that could happen even in the safety of your home. Here, that's manifested in Hedy (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the mousy new roommate of recently-separated fashion designer Allie (Bridget Fonda). The more time Hedy spends with Allie, though, the more she affects Allie's speech, mannerisms and appearance - right down to making moves on her estranged husband Sam (Steven Weber).

Does she want to be like Allie? Does she want to become Allie? The answers are surprisingly grotesque, and more than a little complicated - rooted in some clumsy, but well-intentioned, queer subtexts and a couple of deliciously arch performances from Fonda and Leigh, directed with a certain lurid sensibility by Barbet Schroeder.

Check out what we thought about this ominous tale of female sexuality and psychological desire, along with our custom drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

1. Any time you see a red flag (Hedy adopts another Allie-ism)
2. Every time you see a scene outside the apartment
3. Whenever you see nudity (this is an *erotic* thriller, after all)

Hedy looks into a mirror and says, "I love myself like this."

Join us next week as we conclude our Seven Deadly Sins edition of Horror Octorbor with Greed - best personified by Michael Mann's bat-nuts crazy 1983 film The Keep!

Director Felix van Groeningen (Broken Circle Breakdown) presents a handsomely tragic look at drug addiction, Nic's addiction coming in cycles of hope and despair while David tries desperately to save his son, before realizing that maybe that's not his job. While van Groeningen's direction is intriguing, structuring the film around elliptical flashbacks detailing the moments that punctuate Nic's relationship to drugs, the real meat and potatoes is seeing Carell and Chalamet's wounded, authentic performances. Carell's a master at this kind of anguished, darkly comic pathos by now - hell, he's about to do it again in Welcome to Marwen - but Chalamet continues to be one of cinema's greatest new discoveries. As Nic, he displays the kind of deeply felt pain and adolescent ennui of James Dean in his prime, his yearning eyes and squirming vulnerability as he runs through cycles of dependency and hope about drugs. It's not a perfect film by any means, and it certainly wastes fine actresses in Maura Tierney and Amy Ryan, but as a heartfelt two-hander about addiction, it's one to watch.

I actually got the chance to sit down with van Groeningen around the time of opening night for a roundtable discussion with fellow critics Leo Brady of AMovieGuy.com and Lee Shoquist of ChicagoFilm.com - together, we talked about everything from adapting a book from two memoirs and working with such esteemed actors at the top of their game. Take a listen to the On Tap podcast below. (Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

This 1995 sexy-alien chiller (courtesy of Dante's Peak and The November Man's Roger Donaldson) features Ghosts of Mars' Natasha Henstridge as Sil, a sultry alien-human hybrid from outer space who escapes Ben Kingsley's government facility to seek out a mate for her alien babies. In hot pursuit is a rag-tag team of scientists (Marg Helgenberger, Alfred Molina), an 'empath' (Forest Whitaker) and a smarmy guy with a gun (Michael Madsen), all with personalities as loud as their clothing.

Species is a hell of a 90s time capsule, from the bulky fashions to the ridiculous character names (Madsen's character is literally called Press Lennox), and the Showtime-ready alien sexuality that was the film's clear draw. The creature design is the most direct translation of Alien designer H.R. Giger's bonkers techno-sexual style, rendered with the expected dated CG and prosthetic effects. It's Andromeda Strain meets Emmanuelle, and we're here for every ridiculous minute.

Take a listen to our thoughts, and check out our drinking game for the film below!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity, part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

1. Any time Sil changes clothes/outfits/appearance (special points for changing into her gross Giger form)
2. Every time Forest Whitaker's empath Dan talks about 'feeling'
3. Whenever you see nipples, male or female/human or alien

Press quips after saving Forest Whitaker's life, "I thought you'd drank your last Long Island Iced Tea there, Dan."

Join us next week as Horror Octorbor chugs along, exploring more of the seven deadly sins with the envy-fueled erotic thriller Single White Female!

For this special minisode of the podcast, Clint sat down for a phone interview with Rebeck to talk about the prevailing themes of her works, working with such an overqualified cast, and the intimate appeal of rural America. Take a listen!

(Thanks to our sponsor Overcast, part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Seven years in, and Alcohollywood is on its seventh Horror Octorbor! Some Kind of Goblin sets upon us a mission to explore films related to the seven deadly sins, so we're temporarily back to weekly episodes as we try to take this on!

For our first foray into sinful horror films, we dig into the sin of gluttony with 1996's Thinner, a goofy, more than a little racist bit of Stephen King schlock in which an unscrupulous, obese attorney (Robert John Burke) gets cursed by an elderly Romani (Michael Constantine) as punishment for running over his daughter. His curse? To grow "thinner" each day, no matter how much he eats, until his body consumes itself.

It's a wackadoodle premise told with incredible relish by director Tom Holland (the original Fright Night), and the film's latter half is full of fun beats courtesy of Kari Wuhrer and Joe Mantegna. But all of its outsized pulp can't quite overcome its unsympathetic, ugly characters. And, well, the whole "gypsy curse" premise itself doesn't age well (much like the makeup, though it's not like horror master Rob Bottin could anticipate the coming of HD).

Enjoy a heaping helping of our podcast, along with our drinking game for the film!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

1. Any time you hear the word "gypsy"
2. Every time Billy's appearance changes demonstrably (i.e. changes in the fat suit)
3. Whenever a character eats

Tadzu Lempke tells Billy to "Die clean, white man from town! Die clean!"

Join us next week as we continue our exploration of the seven deadly sins, moving on to Lust with the sexy-alien movie Species!

The Shrek spinoff wisely dispenses with a lot of the obnoxious, dated pop culture references of its parent series, and focuses on the adorably blustering outlaw Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) as he embarks on a quest to steal some magic beans from Jack and Jill (Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris). Along the way, he has to repair a fractured friendship with Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and romance the sultry cat burglar Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek). By DreamWorks standards, it's actually... not all that bad?

Check out our custom drinking game and enjoy! (Sorry, no cocktail this time around.)

(Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

We sat down with 3100 director Sanjay Rawal on the week of the film's Chicago premiere (perfectly timed, as the Chicago Marathon starts in a few weeks) to talk about the film's many challenges, as well as the mindset of those who use running as prayer. Take a listen, and read the full interview below.

(Thanks to our sponsor Backblaze as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

3100: Run and Become makes its Chicago premiere Friday, September 21st at the Gene Siskel Film Center, with Rawal in attendance opening weekend for audience discussion. For more information, head to 3100film.com.

Consequence of Sound film editor Dominick Suzanne-Mayer joins us in this exploration of one of Sean Penn's stranger performances, as a washed-up Robert Smith-type rock star who returns to America to hunt the escaped Nazi who tortured his father during the Holocaust. Like a lot of Sorrentino joints (see also: The Great Beauty), This Must Be the Place dabbles in complicated themes of aging, legacy, and the emptiness of excess and fame - unfortunately, it's saddled in an atonal, sluggish script that doesn't know when to laugh at itself or take itself seriously.

We throw on our red lipstick and Tim Burton wigs to deep dive into this relic of late-aughts navel-gazing indie cinema, so take a listen and check out our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Backblaze as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Starring a pre-fame John Barrowman (Doctor Who, Torchwood), Megalodon sees a Playa del Rey beach resort beset by a giant, roving shark thought extinct - now revived with the power of blown-up stock footage. Along with a sexy paleontologist and a grizzled ex-Navy John McCain-type, Captain Jack is ready to kill some sharks and make lewd remarks to costars!

As Jaws-y a Jaws ripoff as you'll ever see, Shark Attack 3: Megalodon is an unexpected bad-cinema curio we can't help biting into. Check out our podcast, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

For our latest On Tap mini-podcast, we sat down with Justin McConnell, the writer/director of the shape-shifting horror film Lifechanger, to talk about how the project got started, the subtextual appeal of living in a different skin, and the excitement of his impending sold-out world premiere at Fantasia 2018. Enjoy, along with the rest of our Fantasia coverage!

(Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Film critic for HollywoodChicago.com (and now Alcohollywood!) Jon Espino joins us to dive into a movie from our 80s-kid childhoods - a Joe Dante romp of the finest order that sees hotshot pilot Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) shrunk down to a microscopic level and injected into the body of nebbish hypochondriac Jack Putter (Martin Short). Together, the two have to evade corporate spies, silent Terminator-types, and navigate a very strange love triangle with Tuck's girlfriend Lydia (Meg Ryan).

In classic Joe Dante style, InnerSpace features a wonderful blend of surprisingly mature elements for a PG film (Dennis Quaid butt!), a charming sense of whimsy and lightness, and his signature stable of actors, from Dick Miller to Robert Picardo. Dante's a master of these kinds of breezy high-concept adventures, so it was a real treat to finally visit his delightfully devious oeuvre.

We had a blast talking about this crazy time capsule of a movie, so take a listen and check out our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

(Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

The Goldsmith Odyssey - a great podcast on the works of Jerry Goldsmith, who also sponsored this very episode!

(We also pepper in a few updates about our recent podcast hiatus, and some fun news for the future of the show.)

(Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

To kick off our (semi-) inaugural installment, Clint reviews Leigh Whannell's upcoming sci-fi thriller Upgrade. After losing his wife and the use of his limbs after a tragic attack, a man (Logan Marshall-Green) equips himself with an experimental technological upgrade to regain the ability to walk - using his newfound powers to track down the men who killed his wife. It's lean, bloody and immensely entertaining, with more than a few neat tricks to spice up its bone-crunching action and enticingly rendered near-future world.

Along the way, Clint sits down with Whannell to discuss the conception of the film's cyberpunk world, choreographing intricate fight scenes, and finding the perfect voice for Upgrade's all-powerful technology. Take a listen!

(To read Clint's full review of Upgrade, head over to Consequence of Sound.)

This kiddie caper set in an art-deco Manhattan hotel stars Jason Alexander as your classic overworked '90s dad, who must suddenly contend with a jewel-thief orangutan loose in his hotel. Luckily, his adorable kids (including Eric Lloyd from The Santa Clause) have already befriended Dunston, and they set out to stop his former master (Rupert Everett) from... stealing stuff, I think?

To our great shock and horror, we ended up liking Dunston Checks In a lot more than we expected. Come listen to our astonished, modest praise of this slapsticky kid's flick, and check out our custom cocktail and drinking game here!

(Thanks to our sponsor Second City Training Center as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Seagal's sole director credit, On Deadly Ground features He of the Ponytail as oil-fire specialist/secret military badass Forrest Taft, a fixer for evil petroleum exec Michael Jennings (Michael Caine, doing his damndest to sound American) in the Alaskan oil fields. After he uncovers a conspiracy to knowingly allow their new super-rig to blow up just so they can keep the rights to Native American land, Taft teams up with perpetually useless Native representative Masu (Joan Chen) to bludgeon, explode, and gun down every single one of Jennings' mercenaries - you know, for Mother Earth.

On Deadly Ground is suffused with a healthy dose of Steven Seagal earnestness, gross native mysticism, and a hamfisted environmental message that would make Greenpeace execs wrinkle their nose. (Don't forget the incredible non sequitur bar fight that suddenly turns into a treatise on toxic masculinity.)

It's a crazy, crazy ride, so take a listen and check out our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

Get your free tickets to our live show at Hotel Moxy, as part of the Moxy SoundOff Podcast Series - Monday, May 14th at 4pm!

Nathan Rabin's piece on Steven Seagal's alt-right novel The Way of the Shadow Wolves

Clint's piece on the goofy running of Steven Seagal and others at Crooked Marquee: "Chariots of Flail: Tracking the Goofiest Runs in Cinema History"

A previously-unrelated sci-fi thriller given the J.J. Abrams treatment, The Cloverfield Paradox turns Julius Onah's The God Particle into a confusing, meandering installment of Paramount's favorite clearinghouse for original sci-fi movies!

Here, the crew of the Cloverfield Station (Daniel Bruhl, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, John Ortiz, Chris O'Down, David Oyelowo, Ziyi Zhang, Aksel Hennie) run a Large Hadron Collider in space to solve the world's energy crisis. Once they fire it up, though, they find themselves in another reality with the Earth gone, a mysterious visitor (Elizabeth Debicki) stuck in the wall, and all kinds of crazy dimension-warping shenanigans.

That sounds really cool, right? Unfortunately, it becomes a boring slog of flat characters, confusing technobabble and some arbitrary connections to the rest of the otherwise-solid Cloverfield universe. Still, Clint and Jon soldier on for your pleasure - listen and check out our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Reverse-engineering the campy 60s TV show into a four-quadrant CG blockbuster, Lost in Space sees the Space Family Robinson (William Hurt, Mimi Rogers, Heather Graham, Lacey Chabert, Jack Johnson) hurtled into unknown space along with their Robot and cocky pilot Don West (Matt LeBlanc) after traitorous Dr. Smith (Gary Oldman) sabotages the ship. It's got everything you expect from the 90s - shitty techno remixes of the original theme, annoying CG space monkeys and pre-Youtube teen vlogging!

Clint thinks it has its charms (including Oldman, the bubbly, neon-soaked production design and the rousing Western-tinged score by Bruce Broughton); Jared and Lauren are...less than convinced by the hokey script and flat performances.

Does it deserve its status as the film that finally sunk Titanic from its 15-week reign at the box office? Or should we just wait for the Netflix show instead? Find out, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Simplecast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop! Use the promo code CHICAGO to get 50% off your first three months.)

Related links:

Clint's piece on the Netflix reboot of Lost in Space for Consequence of Sound

The latest in a long tradition of star-studded broad comedies featuring groups of A-list actors on a wacky cross-country race, like It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Cannonball Run, Rat Race follows a half dozen strangers (including Whoopi Goldberg, Seth Green, Jon Lovitz, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Rowan Atkinson) who are tapped by a wealthy benefactor (John Cleese) to race from Las Vegas to Silver City, New Mexico, where $2 million awaits them. From there, it's a madcap chase to the finish line as they run into murderous taxi drivers, cows on hot-air balloons, and charter buses full of Lucille Ball cosplayers.

Between Smash Mouth cameos, tongue studs and Mr. Bean in a motion picture, Rat Race is early-aughts as hell, but there are a few charms here and there. But hey, you never know if you don't go, and you'll never shine if you don't glow - so listen to our podcast, and check out our custom cocktail and drinking rules below!

(Thanks to our sponsor Backblaze as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

When a sleepy Irish town is beset by extraterrestrial octopods with a thirst for blood, the town must rally around an alcoholic local cop (Richard Coyle) and his straight-laced partner (Ruth Bradley) to fight them off the only way they know how - by getting piss drunk!

Much like previous podcast subject Attack the Block, Grabbers is deeply indebted to the droll horror-comedy humor of Edgar Wright, and manages to find its own charms within that level of sincere imitation. Check out our thoughts, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game, below!

(Thanks to our sponsor, The Second City Training Center, as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Set in a Cold War-era America filtered through del Toro's intricate dark-fantasy lens, The Shape of Water follows Eliza, a lovesick mute girl (Sally Hawkins) who falls for an man-like fish creature (Doug Jones) imprisoned in an American military research facility by the evil Strickland (Michael Shannon). Along with her band of outsiders and misfits, Eliza schemes to break the fishman out of the facility and get him home.

Opinions vary on whether this is one of del Toro's mythic masterpieces or a flawed blend of mish-mashed tones and influences, but it makes for an intriguing discussion all the same. Check out our episode, as well as our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Simplecast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

The lovely Katie Rife (The AV Club) joins us to discuss Sam Taylor-Johnson's joyless adaptation of EL James' dangerously unsexy Twilight fanfiction novels detailing the dom/sub love affair between clumsy ingenue Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) and brooding baby-billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). In between, we discuss issues of kink, consent, the dark underbelly of Christian and Ana's relationship, and the film's troubling absence of dong. Also, some fun Mad Libs of one of the book's steamier segments!

Enjoy our episode, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game below!

(Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

This Week in Academia: Meg Barker's "Consent is a grey area? A comparison of understandings of consent in Fifty Shades of Grey and on the BDSM blogosphere."

For this episode, we usher in 2018 with the found-footage horror flick Apollo 18, about a group of NASA astronauts at the height of the Cold War launching a clandestine moon mission to spy on the Russkies. What they find, however, is more than they expected... and, given the film's found-footage conceit, kinda hard to see. Join us (along with returning guest Nick Freed) as we plant our flag in this forgotten relic of the post-Paranormal Activity era, and see if it's got the right stuff. Check out our custom cocktail and drinking game below!

(Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

The brilliant space-race documentary For All Mankind, in HD on Youtube in full!

The full speech Nixon would have given if the Apollo 11 mission failed, featured in the film

This year, our old friend Derek Jarvis comes on the show to harken back to the 1940s with the Frankie Muniz boy-and-his-dog movie My Dog Skip!

Based on the memoir by William Morris, My Dog Skip follows young Willie (Frankie Muniz, voiced by Connick as an adult) growing up in the 40s with his adorable Jack Russell Terrier Skip. Along the way, he finds love, becomes a man, and defeats some moonshiners! (?) It's basically Tree of Life with a cute pupper instead of dinosaurs - what's not to love?

Check out our podcast, drinking game and custom cocktail below!

(Thanks to our sponsor Simplecast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Directed by Sean Baker (The Florida Project), Tangerine follows trans sex workers Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor) on one unseasonably hot Christmas Eve in West Hollywood. Sin-Dee wants revenge on her cheating boyfriend/pimp Chester (James Ransone), while Alexandra just wants the chance to perform at her favorite bar. Meanwhile, an Armenian cab driver (Karren Karagulian) intersects with their wild, crazy day in unexpected ways.

It's a bold, refreshing and wholly original film, both in subject matter and presentation (the whole thing was filmed on an iPhone!), and we think it's well worth some Christmas attention. Take a listen to our episode, and check out our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

(Thanks to our sponsor Backblaze as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

Watch Tangerine on Netflix

This Week in Academia: Amélie Ollivier's article in Feminist Spaces, "From Brokeback Mountain to Tangerine, LGBTQ Representations in Mainstream U.S. Cinema: Inclusive, Exclusive, or Counter Narratives?"

When a council estate comes under siege from pitch-black beasties from outer space, it's up to gang leader Moses (John Boyega), his group of streetwise toughs, and an innocent nurse (Jodie Whittaker) caught in the crossfire to stave off an alien invasion. Joe Cornish's only directorial effort to date is brisk, breezy, and effortlessly fun, with a light sprinkling of social commentary thrown in the mix.

Check out our episode on the film, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Creed, starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone (in a role that almost won him an acting Oscar - curse you, Mark Rylance!), is one of the most acclaimed and heartfelt sequels of all time. Charting the trajectory of Adonis "Donnie" Creed (Jordan) and his quest to fill his father Apollo's footsteps, Coogler and crew craft an incredibly heartfelt drama that also pairs as one of the best sports movies of the 21st century.

Check out our thoughts on Rocky's relationship to Creed, one-take boxing matches, and the long memories of turtles on the podcast below, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

CineFix's Top 5 Sequels of All Time (including Creed!)

Telling the fictional story of a one-hit wonder band in 1960s New Jersey, Eddie and the Cruisers follows the remaining members of the band (including Tom Berenger) trying to piece together their lives after the untimely death of frontman/visionary Eddie Wilson (Michael Pare).

Equal parts The Day the Music Died, Bruce Springsteen and Jim Morrison, Eddie and the Cruisers is a bafflingly dull music biopic with a few glimmers of inspiration (and an ambitiously soundalike soundtrack courtesy of Springsteen knockoff John Cafferty). Listen to us break down this cult favorite, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Overcast as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

A Spielberg pastiche that's equal parts E.T., Apollo 13 and Porky's, Space Camp follows a group of teen misfits (including Tate Donovan, Kelly Preston, Lea Thompson and a young Joaquin Phoenix) and their teacher (Kate Capshaw) as they learn the ins and outs of Space Camp. Thanks to some well-intentioned sabotage from a literal-minded robot (JINX, voiced by Frank Welker), the cadets find themselves flung into space, with only their wits - and some helpful Star Wars references - to aid them.

Released six months after the Challenger exploded, Space Camp suffers from some poor timing and even poorer scripting. But are there enough charms to make it watchable? Check out our podcast, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game to find out!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

When the President (Donald Pleasance) crash-lands on the island prison of Manhattan, only one (inexplicably famous) prisoner can save him - Snake Plissken! Equipped with nothing but his wits and a bomb in his neck that will go off in 24 hours, Snake must survive the trash-filled streets of a dystopian New York City that's just a dumping ground for prisoners.

Between Carpenter's nitty-gritty aesthetic, the synth score, and Russell's stripped-down performance, Escape from New York more than earns its cult reputation. Check out our thoughts, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Directed by 70s animation guru Ralph Bakshi, Wizards launches you into a classic tale of post-apocalyptic good vs. evil: the diminutive Avatar (voiced by a guy doing a hell of a Peter Falk impression) against his evil brother Bloodwolf for the fate of a bombed-out planet. Throw in some busty faeries, existential burlap robots, and rotoscoped footage from other movies, and you've got a stew going!

It's messy, unfinished, and full of unironic Nazi propaganda footage, but it's definitely a sight to behold. Check out our episode, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Swap.com as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Recorded at Chicago Theater Works as part of the 2nd Annual Chicago Podcast Festival, we take advantage of our 30-minute time slot to blitz our way through Trick 'r Treat's surprisingly fun short tales of candy and carnage. From deceptively sexy werewolves to the ghosts of dead children, to a demonic pump-kid with a burlap sack over his head, Trick 'r Treat has spooks and scares galore.

Take a listen to our live episode, and check out our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

Check out the other half of our live podcast double bill at the Chicago Podcast Festival, CinemaJaw!

Journeyman film critic extraordinaire Jacob Oller joins us as we break down John Boorman's out-there followup to the William Friedkin classic, as young Regan (Linda Blair) teams up with a disgraced priest (Richard Burton) and a psychiatrist (Louise Fletcher) to chase the demon Pazuzu everywhere from Deepest Africa to Regan's childhood home from the first film.

Along the way, we get supernatural hypnosis machines, James Earl Jones in a tribal locust outfit, and kids rolling foam octagons down hallways for no reason at all. Check out our podcast, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game below!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Written and directed by Gregory Widen (known for writing all the Highlander and Prophecy movies, and well, that's it), The Prophecy tells the convoluted story of an angelic civil war, the little girl who might hold the key to some evil spirit (or something?), and the bland humans who dedicate themselves to stopping it. It's boring and full of pseudo-religious gobbledygook, not to mention some confusing (and somewhat offensive) Native American mysticism. Still, it's mildly bolstered by a couple of great scenery-chewing performances from Walken and Viggo Mortensen, and some brief supporting turns from Amanda Plummer and Adam Goldberg as Walken's creepy familiars.

Check out our podcast, as well as our custom cocktail and drinking game, below!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Jon Espino of HollywoodChicago.com and The Young Folks partners with us again to tell the story of Kevin Lomax (a ridiculously Southern Keanu Reeves), an unscrupulous Florida lawyer brought up to New York with his wife (Charlize Theron) to join the law firm of grimy legal titan John Milton (Al Pacino). It's two and a half hours of goofy CGI demon faces, complicated legalese, and Trump allusions we'll never get back.

Still, we braved this decidedly goofy bit of 90s kitsch to bring you our custom cocktail and drinking rules, so take a listen!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Ever wanted to see Arnie fight Satan, all while secretly playing a Bruce Willis character? Come see a blue-period Schwarzenegger get gritty as a disgraced, suicidal ex-cop forced to protect a young woman (Robin Tunney) from being impregnated by Satan himself (a hammy Gabriel Byrne) on the eve of the New Millennium. As fun as that sounds, the results are grimmer and duller than you might think.

Check out our episode, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links:

Clint's guest spot on Nerd Outcast Podcast, talking about Star Trek Voyager!

Take a listen, and check out our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

Get tickets to our other live show at the Chicago Podcast Festival, 10/5 at Chicago Theater Works!*

*ANNOUNCEMENT: For Chicago Pod Fest, we're bringing on horror movie maven Ele Matelan to talk with us about the horror anthology Trick 'r Treat! You won't wanna miss it, so pick up your tickets now!

In this Joe Dante-directed mix of live action and animation, Daffy Duck gets fired from the WB lot because he's tired of playing second fiddle to Bugs Bunny. Before long, they (along with hapless human co-stars Brendan Fraser and Jenna Elfman) find themselves wrapped up in a curious spy caper, as Fraser must save his spy-actor dad (Timothy Dalton) from the clutches of the ACME Chairman (Steve Martin) and save the world from being turned into monkeys... or something. Check out our podcast, custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

Get tickets to our live show at PodSlam '17, 9/23 at iO Chicago!

Get tickets to our other live show at the Chicago Podcast Festival, 10/5 at Chicago Theater Works!

Preorder Mark Soloff's upcoming book The Silent Scream of Melania Trump from Inkshares!

When a young newlywed (Ingrid Bergman, in an Oscar-winning performance) moves in with her controlling new beau Anton (Charles Boyer) into her late aunt's home, she finds herself the victim of psychologically controlling behavior meant to keep her from suspecting her husband of criminal activities.

It's a cracking noir with beautiful performances from Bergman and Angela Lansbury (in her debut role), so check out our episode, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

Get tickets to our live show at PodSlam '17, 9/23 at iO Chicago!

Get tickets to our other live show at the Chicago Podcast Festival, 10/5 at Chicago Theater Works!

Alex Cox's deliberately weird, anarchic joyride follows an aimless young punk (Emilio Estevez) who finds himself employed at an unscrupulous auto repossession company. Learning the ins and outs of the repo life with seasoned veteran Bud (Harry Dean Stanton), he runs afoul of a Chevy Malibu which - surprise! - has radioative alien bodies in it! It's a trippy, quirky movie not for ordinary fuckin' people, and we had a blast talking about it.

Check out our episode, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

Get tickets to our live show at PodSlam '17, 9/23 at iO Chicago!

Get tickets to our other live show at the Chicago Podcast Festival, 10/5 at Chicago Theater Works!

Fresh off his Pulp Fiction success, Travolta leapt straight into this schmaltzy Nora Ephron rom-com, which gave him license to go full Adele Dazeem on a group of tabloid reporters (including William Hurt and Andie Macdowell) hoping to get a picture of a real-life angel - with wings and everything! It's kitschy and more than a little self-indulgent (the whole thing's clearly a Travolta vanity project), but it's certainly got its charms.

Check out our review, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

Get tickets to our live show at PodSlam '17, 9/23 at iO Chicago!

Get tickets to our other live show at the Chicago Podcast Festival, 10/5 at Chicago Theater Works!

Matt Damon plays a down-on-his-luck poker virtuoso/law student who gets dragged back into the world of underground high-stakes Texas hold 'em by his old friend Worm (Edward Norton), fresh out of prison with a huge gambling debt to repay. Will Damon choose the thrill of the cards over his law career and his bland, responsible girlfriend (Gretchen Mol)? Or will he go back for one last round with the cartoonishly Russian Teddy KGB (John Malkovich)? Is there even a question?

Load up a sleeve of Oreos like Malkovich does and check out our episode, along with our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

PRODUCER'S NOTE: We're trying a few different ideas regarding mic placement as we finish up work on the new recording studio, so apologies if some of the audio sounds a little more echo-y than usual. We'll get it sorted out soon, promise!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Equal parts raunchy and deliciously subversive even today, Blazing Saddles is a beautifully acerbic parody of the classic Western, following a black sherriff (Cleavon Little) tasked with defending/offending the puritanical town of Rock Ridge, while scheming huckster Hedy ("Hedley!") Lamarr (Harvey Korman) plots the down's demise. It's a drop dead hilarious movie that still holds up today, and is a wonderful testament to one of comedy's greatest filmmakers. Check out our episode along with our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

Get tickets to The Nerdologues Presents Your Stories: At the Movies!

For our 300th episode, the lovely Lauren Faits of the upcoming podcast She-Ra: Progressive of Power and Our Fair City joins us to talk about the cult 1987 anime film Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise!

From the makers of Evangelion, Honneamise is an early example of the fluid animation and mature themes that would fuel the anime craze of the 90s in the US. Set in an alternate Earth in which two steampunk societies gear up for war, the film follows a young man named Shiro and his desire to go the stars. Apart from one unfortunate scene, the film's a fascinating subject for discussion, so check out the episode along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

Watch Wings of Honneamise on HIDIVE!

Based on Thompson's free-wheeling quest for the American Dream in the early 70s, the film follows Thompson surrogate Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp, chewing as much scenery as he does cigarette filters) and his "attorney" Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) through casinos, acid trips, and the odd encounter with a dwarf. It's a kaleidoscopic tale perfectly suited to Gilliam's eccentricities, and we love it so very much!

Take a listen to our episode and enjoy our drinking game and cocktail - lovingly rendered below in a beautiful Steadman-esque drawing by Jared Latore himself!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Written by horror icon Clive Barker (a.k.a. Pervy Lovecraft) and based on his short story, Rawhead Rex sees the return of a goofy-looking hell demon to terrorize a small Irish village, with only an obnoxious American photographer and his sexy grey cardigan to stop it. Check out our episode, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

See Ele do foley work at The Second City for their latest show, 13 Treasons Why!

Sign up and submit your scary scripts for the 10th Annual DeathScribe: The International Festival of Horror Plays (courtesy of WildClaw Theatre!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

Cynthia Fuchs' review of How High in PopMatters

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

High and Low Podcast - this week's listener request! Find The Baby on streaming at Shudder!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Telling the story of Pink (The Boomtown Rats' Bob Geldof) from childhood to adulthood, Roger Waters' adaptation of his own concept album - with the help of director Alan Parker and stunning animation by Gerald Scarfe - leaves us as entertained as we are baffled. Join us as we talk about the meat, the pudding, and everything in between along with our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Field Notes as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Field Notes as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Field Notes as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

ANNOUNCEMENT: From now until September, we're emptying out the mailbag of all our remaining favorites and starting all over again. If there's a movie you want us to cover, don't forget to suggest it to us at our mailbag or on Twitter! (Also pledge to our Patreon if you want access to our upcoming bonus episode, where we talk about the mailbags we didn't quite get to!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Field Notes as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Know Your Company as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related links:

Polygon's excellent oral history of the making of Street Fighter: the Movie Every line Chris Klein says in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li

(Thanks to our sponsor Know Your Company as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Know Your Company as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Know Your Company as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related LinksThe Loose Canon Podcast - Podcast home of listener Caroline Fulford!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

It's that lovin' time of year, listeners, and this time around we're celebrating Valentine's Day with Baz Luhrmann's flashy modern retelling of William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes! Shannon of the Stage of Fools podcast and Mercy Street Theatre's Julia Rohed accompany us as we talk about Shakespearean language, unconventional film adaptations of the Bard, and Romeo and Juliet's utter lack of peripheral vision. Listen anon with thine custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

In Part 4, Indy (Nick Freed) tries to mollify moon-eyed college student Betsy (Betsy Stone), who threatens to....kill herself if she can't be with Indy? Geez, this got dark fast. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: This episode contains several unfunny scenes depicting attempts at suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

In Part 3, Indy (Nick Freed) commiserates with Marcus Brody (Chris Bashen) about his potential next mission, and all the sidekicks he's lost along the way. Wait...lost? Like, Sallah and everybody? Geez, that's a gut punch. Take a listen and enjoy!

Full Cast and Credits at http://www.alcohollywood.com

Part 2 sees Indy (Nick Freed) returning to his day job as a mild-mannered professor, only to face his greatest nemesis yet... angry students!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Full Cast and Credits at http://www.alcohollywood.com

In Part 1, our story begins with rugged adventurer (and mediocre fisherman) Indiana Jones (Nick Freed) visiting Scotland to enjoy some much-needed recreation, only to become ensnared in a murder investigation involving g-g-g-ghosts!

Full Cast and Credits at http://www.alcohollywood.com

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links:

Buy Alonso Duralde's book Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas!

(Thanks to our sponsor Field Notes as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links:Get tickets to Mercy Street Theatre Company's Merry Christmas, Mulch Pile, running December 8-11 at the Chicago Actors Studio!

(Thanks to our sponsor Jackbox as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links: Get tickets to VStheUNIVERSE's Holiday Geek Show (feat. Alcohollywood!) Get tickets to Mercy Street Theatre Company's production of Merry Christmas, Mulch Pile (feat. Clint!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Iron Galaxy as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Know Your Company as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

ANNOUNCEMENT: For the month of January 2017, we'll be pre-empting new episodes of the podcast in favor of bringing you our long-awaited full-cast radio drama Indiana Jones and the Monkey King! Don't worry, our spinoff shows Twin Cinema and Alcohollywood On Tap will run as scheduled.

Related Links:

Get your tickets for Filmspotting, Filmspotting: SVU, CinemaJaw and The Next Picture Show's live podcast performances at the Chicago Podcast Festival!Clint's guest spot on the Kill By Kill Podcast (Episode 14) Get Tickets for VStheUniverse's Holiday Geek Show (featuring Alcohollywood!)PUNCH Drink's article on movie drinking games, feat. Alcohollywood

(Thanks to our sponsor Basecamp as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

ANNOUNCEMENT: Look out later this week for the launch of our biweekly spinoff podcast, Alcohollywood: On Tap, which will cover new releases, independent films, and offer interviews and festival coverage! Subscribe on iTunes!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Basecamp as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Field Notes as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Basecamp as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Iron Galaxy as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor The Second City as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links:

Tickets to I Am No Bird, directed by Scout Tafoya, at 8pm on 8/20 at Chicago Filmmakers

(Thanks to our sponsor Iron Galaxy as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Basecamp as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links:

Get tickets for Consequence of Sound's Friday night midnight screenings at the Music Box Theatre!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links:Get tickets here for the Music Box's midnight screening of 2014's The Guest (hosted by Clint!) on July 29th in Chicago!

This Week in Academia:"A Cyborg Manifesto" by Donna Hareway "Dead Channel Surfing: The Commonalities Between Cyberpunk Literature and Industrial Music" by Karen Collins"Magical Girls and Atomic Bomb Sperm" by Annalee Newitz

Related Links:

Alcohollywood's official Patreon page is now launched! Click on the link to find out how you can contribute to the further success of the show, and get great perks like merch, bonus content, and even drink recipe cards!

(Thanks to our sponsor Iron Galaxy as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Second City as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alcohollywoodpodcast

Twitter/Instagram: @alcohollywood

Website: http://www.alcohollywood.com

(Thanks to our sponsor Emporium Chicago as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links:

The Nerdwriter's excellent video essay on In Bruges, "Morality In Dialogue"Our friends at Spirits Podcast!

THIS EPISODE'S DRINK: Fucky Charms

An ode to the high saturation of profanity, as well as the film's Irish pedigree and Belgian setting, we mixed Irish whiskey, orahovac green walnut liqueur, and walnut milk to craft an elegantly creamy cocktail befitting a sleepy stay in the oldest medieval town left standing.

3oz Irish whiskey 3oz walnut milk* 2oz Badel Orahovac fruit liqueur Dash, Belgian chocolate bitters

Combine ingredients in a rocks glass with large cold ice cubes, Stir to combine.

*To make the walnut milk, just soak a bunch of shelled walnuts in water overnight, then blend until it forms a thick white puree. Strain the bits out with a fine seive or cheesecloth and there's your walnut milk!

RULES:

1) Drink every time someone drops an f-bomb (PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY) 2) Drink any time a new major location in Bruges is shown 3) Drink whenever the characters drink

FINISH YOUR DRINK WHEN:

Harry shouts, "Don't be stupid, this is the shootout!"

Join us next week as we follow our mission from God with the Chicago classic The Blues Brothers!

Related Links:

Get tickets for Down in Front's upcoming live riff of Top Gun, guest-starring Clint from Alcohollywood, @ At North bar in Chicago on July 12th!

(Thanks to our sponsor Basecamp as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Second City as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor The Second City as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Iron Galaxy as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Starting off, returning guest Todd Kuhns joins us to talk 2002's post-apocalyptic dragon flick Reign of Fire, starring Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey! In the grim future of 2020 – presumably in the fiery wake of President Trump's first term – dragons rule the earth, and humans are left to huddle in castles and reenact Star Wars in front of children as myth. But when a group of roughneck US troops roll in (including a beardy, bald, bug-eyed McConaughey) to start slaying dragons, our heroes are in for the fight of their lives. Check out our thoughts, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Thanks to our sponsor Basecamp as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Emporium Chicago as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(NOTE: Given that autism is a serious issue, and the discourse around it can be complicated, we attempted to discuss it in as sensitive a way as we could – particularly in the context of the film. We're more than happy to hear feedback if there are terms, preconceptions or attitudes we use that do not reflect that experience accurately, so we can be more mindful in the future.)

(Thanks to our sponsor Iron Galaxy as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity, as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Basecamp as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Field Notes as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Jackbox as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Field Notes as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links:

Donation Page for Rocket Crocodile's Action Squad – We're helping out with a Flop House-inspired charity drive to raise $10,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – is a fantastic and much-needed cause we're happy to support. Donations will be matched, so your gift will do double the good!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity, as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Jackbox as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links:

The Loose Canon Podcast (recommended on the show!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Field Notes as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Iron Galaxy as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Field Notes as a proud part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsors Basecamp as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Returning guest Julia joins us to take on yet another John Hughes movie and yet another high school flick (both subgroups of film that Jared has historically hated). Will he be turned around by the charmingly self-centered travails of sexually frustrated teen Sam (Molly Ringwald), insecure predator The Geek (Anthony Michael Hall), and the "handsome but totally willing to let his girlfriend have blackout drunk sex with a stranger so he can go off and chase another girl" Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling)? We'll give you a hint: a few fun sight gags aside, this film does not age well in 2016. Still, take a listen along with our custom cocktail and drinking rules as we look at this comedy classic both in and out of its very specific cultural context!

(Thanks to our sponsor Brewpass as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

With Creed getting praise left and right, it's weird to think that so much of the plot of that Oscar-caliber drama is dependent on this splendiferous piece of '80s cheese, in which the Italian Stallion (Sly Stallone, also writing and directing) travels to Mother Russia on Christmas Day to fight roided-up Russian cyborg Ivan Drago (Dolph "You Gave That Guy Lines?" Lundgren) to avenge the death of his friend Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Full of freeze frames, training montages, and ostentatious displays of American spirit, Rocky IV isn't quite the inspirational classic of its first and latest films in the series.

Still, at least it's got Stallone giving Paulie a….robot?….for his birthday, Rocky climbing mountains and hauling logs to train for a boxing match, and James Brown in a leotard. Sit by the Christmas tree and take a listen, along with our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

(Thanks to our sponsor Basecamp as a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

*Oh, and be sure to hit up the Salt Lick BBQ. Yee-hah!

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Basecamp as a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Iron Galaxy as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

This week, Dusty Wilson of Mercy Street Theatre Company joins us in our much-needed respite from critically-acclaimed dramas and spooky foreign films to kick back with the schlocky Arnold Schwarzenegger flick The Running Man! The Running Man beats Battle Royale and The Hunger Games to the "game shows are like bloodsports, and we're obsessed with the media!" dystopic yarn, as Arnie's Ben Richards must navigate a hellish game show where harsh traps and over-the-top 'stalkers' seek to kill him with all manner of kitschy weapons. A silly, campy mish-mash that feels like Total Recall slammed in a blender with some Zubas, a copy of Buns of Steel, and some old episodes of Family Feud, this movie is as straight-out dumb as it is charming. Check it out along with our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

(Thanks to our sponsor Makespace as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity, a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

We're finishing up HORROR OCTORBOR FOUR-BOR, our exploration of foreign horror films, with Guillermo Del Toro's 2001 historical supernatural drama The Devil's Backbone! Justin Gerber of Consequence of Sound joins us to talk about Del Toro's spiritual sibling to his later film Pan's Labyrinth, in which a group of orphans deal with the ghost of their deceased friend while the staff of the orphanage tries to navigate the precarious sociopolitical climate of post-Civil War Spain in the 1930s. It's a great, atmospheric horror film, perhaps one of Del Toro's finest works, and it's well worth watching. Check it out along with our custom cocktail and drinking rules below!

(Special thanks to our sponsor Iron Galaxy - and their upcoming game Capsule Force - as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

New guest/filmmaker Jimmy Moore joins us this round to talk 1977's Italian horror flick Suspiria! Directed by horror icon Dario Argento, Suspiria is considered the poster child for the giallo film. Argento's classic stuns with bold, colorful cinematography and subtle eroticism, along with gory kills. Check out our episode as we talk witches, baby Udo Kier, and Blind Andy Samberg getting killed by a gargoyle along with our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

(Thanks to our sponsor Makespace, as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links: Our guest spot on Nina's Arena, where we talked about Phantom of the Paradise (also starri

NOTE: If Jared sounds a little tinny for the first few minutes, it clears up at about minute 8. Sorry for the inconvenience, but it gets fixed quickly!

(Thanks to our sponsor Basecamp as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links:

Trish's fantastic fanart for Some Kind of Goblin!

(Thanks to our sponsor Field Notes, as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Jackbox Games as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to this episode's sponsor Emporium Arcade Bar as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links:

The Recobbled Cut on Youtube Persistence of Vision, the Documentary on the Making Of The Thief and the Cobbler Tickets for Our Fair City: Human Resources (still running until the 13th, if you're in Chicago! See Clint and Jared in a live radio play!)

(This episode is sponsored by Field Notes as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(This episode is sponsored by Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links: The 'Cast Next Door - Clint's co-hosting duties covering another Rob Cohen movie! OFC Fringe Show - Get Tickets to Our Fair City: Human Resources! Fan Page on "(She Can) Do That," the Bowie/BT Song used in Stealth

(Thanks to our sponsor Lodge Management Group, as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links:

Our Fair City Fringe Show! The 'Cast Next Door! The full movie on Youtube, TV edited to take out all those devilish swears

(This episode is sponsored by Utter Nonsense! as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

(Thanks to our sponsor Jackbox Games, a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links: Our episode on Felony (the origin of 'double-crossed'!) Trailer for our upcoming 200th episode special, Indiana Jones and the Monkey King!

(Thanks to our sponsor Lodge Management Group and Wingfest, as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

THRILL as Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) wryly smirks his way through a rescue mission in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown, oblivious to his role as the film's sidekick! GASP as mystical Raidens and old mascara-d ghost-men kidnap green-eyed girls for demonic rituals involving mall escalators! We chat about all this and more, so give us a listen and check out our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

(Special thanks to our sponsor Cards Against Humanity, a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links:

Our Wizard World episode, feat. our interview with James Hong! The Thing episode for Alcohollywood

Along the way, we ask the important questions: What is Lola Bunny doing here, and why does she get five minutes of screentime? Is the film a hidden exploration of Michael Jordan's personal demons and his temporary retirement from basketball? Why is this movie about cartoon basketball called Space Jam?! Listen to find our answers and more, including our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

(Special thanks to our sponsor Basecamp, a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)

Related Links: The Space Jam website (which is still up!) Amazon page for Chuck Amuck, the Chuck Jones memoir referenced in the episode

Along the way, we ask all manner of questions, including: Did George Washington have to campaign for the presidency? How distrustful are we of people without American accents? Does Ben Gates think about all the historical artifacts he destroys along the way to the treasure he doesn't even really want? Find out these answers and more, along with our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

(This episode is sponsored by Iron Galaxy as part of the Chicago Podcast Cooperative!)

Related Links: This Week in Academia – National Treasure and American Scripture: Form, History, and the Aesthetic Politics of the Declaration of Independence

Along the way, Pest manages to reference every 50s or 60s movie and TV figure the presumed kid audience of the film would not get, as well as scores of 1940s-era racial stereotypes so pernicious they almost become anti-humor. Listen to us shake our collective heads at this baffling piece of cinema, along with our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

(Special thanks to this episode's sponsor Jackbox, as part of the Chicago Podcast Cooperative!)

Related Links:Scout Tafoya's Sorcerer video essay on The UnlovedFan edit from Louisa (@infamoussphere) - Our 80s truck-building montage dream come true! Louisa Fan edit 2 - Thanks Infamous Sphere for your amazing gift!

We found quite a bit to talk about, from apocalypse theories to the unfortunate Director's Cut. Throw on your tight blue jeans and brown leather vest, 'cause we're ready to play-ee-ay with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

Related Links: Tickets for Edge Productions' revival of MacSith, beginning April 3rd at the Pendulum Space in Chicago!This Week in Academia: "Film Chronicle: Trash and Poetry" by Vernon YoungThe (Terrible) Intro to the Director's Cut ("Over Two Millenniums Ago...")

Related Links:

LAMBCast #265 – Clint's Guest Spot on the Furious 7 Episode Alcohollywood's Live from NMX Vegas Episode on Diamonds Are Forever, with special guest John Campea Our Episode on The Lost Weekend (another serious film about alcoholism)

Related Links: Clint's Fresh Pour review of Hercules

This week on Alcohollywood, we're getting shibby with returning guest Nick Ostrem to talk the 2000 stoner comedy Dude, Where's My Car? When perpetually-stoned Jesse and Chester (Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott, who never actually smoke anything in the film) try to track down their car, they stumble upon a mad chase between "hot chicks," dudebro jocks, space nerds and Hugo Boss models in order to track down a magical Space MacGuffin and get their twin girlfriends back. Some of us went into this expecting to hate it, but our responses might surprise you. Along the way, we also chat about the gender politics of space hot chicks, Fabio's run-ins with fowl, and the unfortunate history of the TV show Sliders. Check out the episode, along with our drinking rules and custom cocktail!

For a movie that needs no introduction, we find a surprising amount to talk about, from the fanbase's crazy conspiracy theories (9/11! Benghazi!) to the intriguing Reagan-era conservative links between Future and Forrest Gump and so much more. Flip on the flux capacitor to 1.21 jiggawatts, crank the engine up to 88 miles per hour, and check out our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

Related Links: Kooky 9/11/JFK Back to the Future Video The Power of Love Music Video The Worlds of Back to the Future (a cool book of critical essays on the films, if you're into that sort of thing) B To The F, a Tumblr deconstructing the novelization of the film

(This episode is sponsored by Cards Against Humanity as part of the Chicago Podcast Cooperative.)

Join us as we fawn over Connery's Bing Crosby-esque singing voice, and try to figure out just where those little leprechaun-sized horses come from! (Don't forget to enjoy our custom cocktail and drinking rules as well.)

(This episode was sponsored by Basecamp, in conjunction with the Chicago Podcast Cooperative.)

(This episode was sponsored by Busy Beaver Button Co. as part of the Chicago Podcast Cooperative.)

Columbus' footprints are all over this, as the movie plays out much like the first two Harry Potter movies (complete with a blonde bully for Sherlock). Still, we found it tremendously charming, and we've got some drinking rules and a custom cocktail to wash down all the adolescent intrigue!

Happy Oscar season, listeners! This week, Jared's been "kidnopped" by Keanu Reeves once more, so our special guest Theo from Twin Cinema drops in to help Clint talk Best Picture nominee Birdman, along with returning guest Andrew Saenz! The latest film by Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu is a dizzying, one-shot wonder starring Michael Keaton as thinly-veiled Keaton allegory Riggan Thomson, a washed-up superhero actor attempting to gain cred as a serious artist by putting on his own show on Broadway, with all the drama, introspection and telekinesis that typically entails.

It's a good movie, but it does have its problems, from an uneven script to an exhausting desire to do too much at once. Still, we delve into those issues and more in detail in the episode below, along with our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

(Stay tuned later today or tomorrow for a special Oscar-chat minisode where Clint and Julia go over the nominees!)

ANNOUNCEMENT: Clint will also be joining the boys at MovieBoozer on Oscar night in a live stream discussion of the Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, so be sure to head here when the festivities start for a very special summit of drinking/movies-related-website legends!

(NOTE: This is our first episode with our brand-new setup, so we should sound a bit more profesh! We're still messing with sound levels, however, so be patient with us as we get everything down and get used to the new equipment. If you want to help us with our expensive new equipment, too, be sure to head to the Donate button at the sidebar of each page on the site and help us out! Thanks!)

A gonzo combination of the 'devil's cult' and road movie genres of the 1970s, the film certainly elicited varying reactions from us, including: Why do our protagonists have to steal library books? Is everyone in Texas a Satanist? Why does everyone immediately let their guard down as soon as the immediate danger is over? Should there have been more snakes? Learn the answers to these questions and more in our episode, along with our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

NOTE: We didn't have time to work out the kinks of our new setup before recording this one, so this is still the same room-mic setup we've had for awhile. Stay tuned next week, though, since our sound should be totally changing!

External Links:

Clint's Recommendation: the BMW short film Beat the Devil (2003), dir. Tony Scott Clint's First Guest Spot on A Talking Cast!?! - Episode 37: Minute 36

Along the way, we get some imps, surprisingly modern goblin henchmen, and Frozen parallels, as we chat it up about our favorite movie Satans, find even more euphemistic uses for the word 'magic,' and so much more. Check out our custom cocktail and drinking game below, and be sure to listen to (and share) the episode!

With its incredibly schizophrenic pace and high ambitions, the movie throws everything at the wall and tries to see what sticks, creating a film that you will either absolutely love or absolutely loathe. Who loved it? Who hated it? Find out in our episode, and be sure to check out our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

Still, we manage to find a few topics that haven't been discussed about this much-talked-about film, including: Should the characters have all died of blood loss at the end? Was Westley really gonna slap Buttercup? Would Fred Savage have gotten along with Bastian from The NeverEnding Story? Is the bit with Billy Crystal a bit too schtick-y? Find out the answers to these questions and more, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

NOTE: There may be a bit of light buzzing/static throughout the audio track due to some technical difficulties, for which we apologize. We've cut it down as much as possible, but it might still be there. We'll do our best to limit that in the future - sorry about that!

We had an awesome year in 2014, from contributing to another book, having at least another 25,000 downloads, getting awesome guests like Nathan Rabin of The Dissolve and Justin Gerber and Randall Colburn of Consequence of Sound, and more. Thanks so much for everyone who's been listening and supporting us, and we plan on making 2015 better than ever!

*If you want to see pictures of the boozy Russian-inspired pastrami on rye Clint made for the recording session, be sure to check out our Instagram page!

From herds of nude old men to dozens of children in rucksacks to defensive use of gingerbread, this movie's got quite a bit of charm to it, and we highly recommend it if you're not just gonna be watching The Interview on Christmas Day. Check out our custom cocktail to lighten up your holidays, not to mention our drinking rules!

While Weaver and Hunter are both great in it, the characters are stuck in an unfortunately workmanlike thriller that can't quite get over its own sloppiness. We also delve into a variety of subjects, including poopsocking, ancient Chinese racial slurs, and a ukulele-based Connickuh carol for all to enjoy!

It's a tremendous work of animation, with an incredible, fluid visual style and plenty of thematic material to unpack - we do our best in the episode, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

Relevant Links: Every Frame a Painting's Video on Kon's use of space in time in his films, including Paprika Radioclub.jp (click on the GUEST BOOK to find our secret message)

ANNOUNCEMENT: We recently contributed to a book on the Thin Man series of detective comedies, called Thoughts on the Thin Man, which you can find in print and Kindle form on Amazon!

(If you need more information on just what the hell Samurai Cop is, the Red Letter Media interviews with Matt Hannonhimself provide some desperately required context for the film's unique madness.)

ANNOUNCEMENT: We've got a Twitter contest coming up too! Tweet @alcohollywood or email clint@alcohollywood.comwith the subject line 'HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 CONTEST' and tell us your favorite 'boss' in film history, and you may be chosen to win a prize pack of swag and promotional passes to see Horrible Bosses 2! Entries are restricted to within the United States, and the contest ends Tuesday, December 2nd, so hurry up and send us your picks!

The film follows the infamous Azaria Chamberlain case, in which a months-old baby girl was tragically lost and killed out in the outback, and their parents, Lindy (Meryl Streep, in one of her many Academy Award-nominated performances) and Michael Chamberlain (Sam Neill) are put on trial for murder. The film's surprisingly great, with two strong performances centering a sensitive and complex drama about the way media affects public perception of events, the willingness of a discriminatory public to think the worst of grieving parents, the coding of women's behavior in the public eye, and more. We can't honestly recommend the film enough, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game!

(Nathan Rabin's written about Last Action Hero before in his book My Year in Flops, which you can get here!)

(Don't forget to check out our alternate intro below, in which an improv bit goes horribly wrong/right, and we keep it for posterity!)

Instead of following the Michael Myers formula, John Carpenter and director Tommy Lee Wallace chose to try to make Halloween an anthology series with this installment - here, an evil Irish corporation hatches a scheme to summon the forces of darkness through kitschy Halloween masks, with only a dorky May-December couple to stop them. The film's still a big mess, but there's a bit of goofy fun to be had, with its odd mixture of Invasion of the Body Snatchers psychological torment and just the right amount of camp. Even still, we've got a custom cocktail and drinking game to go along with it, so check it out below!

Also, click here to check out Clint's recent guest spot on The Lair of the Unwanted!

ANNOUNCEMENT: Early next week, between this episode and our last Horror Octorbor episode, we'll be doing a mini-episode of Clint's coverage of the 2014 Chicago International Film Festival – including an interview with Evolution of a Criminal director Darius Clark Monroe. Stay tuned for that!

All your life, you've wanted a custom cocktail and drinking game to one of the more insane entries to the Saw series.

Today, this opportunity will be given to you.

Clint and Jared of Alcohollywood (along with returning guest Dusty Wilson of Mercy Street Theatre Company) continue their month-long exploration of the third entry in a number of horror series with Saw III, in which Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) offers another series of karmic rust traps for yet another group of ungrateful, hapless protagonists. You will listen to this episode, watch the film and enjoy their drink. If you do not, you will... well, just miss out on a really fun dissection of a bat shit-crazy torture porn flick.

Drink or don't; make your choice."

This week, returning guest Derek joins us to talk about WarGames! The mid-80s Cold War-paranoid/video-game thriller follows David Lightman (a baby-faced Matthew Broderick), an enterprising hacker who accidentally prods a new supercomputer into starting preparations for World War III. The film is a perfect time capsule for so many cultural fears we had in the 80s, from the terror of nuclear annihilation, the distancing effect of technology on war, and the linking of video games to military technology. Check out what we thought of this Cold War war film/cyberpunk ghost story, along with our custom cocktail and drinking game below!

Also, if you haven't heard us on the CinemaJaw podcast, we visited our other Chicago film podcast buds just this last week to talk performances by actors playing themselves – check it out here!

*Episode rule: Drink every time Clint says the word 'skinny.'

(Forgive the coughing; Clint was a little under the weather during this recording.)

TO OUR FANS: Thanks so much to everyone who listens to Alcohollywood, whether it's in your car, at the gym, or just sitting on your ass reading the Internet (as we are most likely to do). Each and every one of you who listens, gives us feedback, comments, talks to us on Facebook or Twitter, etc., is a star, and we raise our glasses to you. If you haven't already, be sure to share the love by subscribing on iTunes or Stitcher, rating and reviewing us there, following us wherever we may be (even our Instagram, where we have videos of the punishment shots!), and just talking about us. If you're feeling generous, you can even donate or buy our book – another one's coming next year! We wouldn't keep doing this if you weren't still listening and reading, so please keep it up. It means the world to us.