Summer Blockbuster!?!
126 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 20 ratingsA podcast that examines those odd films that had no business being released in the blockbuster summer months.
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Episodes
Ep. #74-Killer Klowns From Outer Space
March 08, 2019 08:44 - 1 hour - 89.2 MBThis week, the Big Top spells big trouble as we take on 1988’s beloved cult classic KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE, directed by Stephen Chiodo. What happens when an alien race that resembles clowns invades a sleepy college town? Mayhem, kidnappings, decapitations and murder, of course! So does this film still hold up 30 years … Continue reading Ep. #74-Killer Klowns From Outer Space →
Ep. #73-My Best Friend’s Wedding
February 22, 2019 19:55 - 1 hour - 96.6 MBOn the eve of co-host Luke’s nuptials to beloved frequent guest Morgan, we take on 1997’s “romantic” comedy MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING, directed by P.J. Hogan, in which Julia Roberts attempts to sabotage her best friend’s big day when she suddenly realizes she’s in love with him. Lives are shattered, hearts are broken, and somehow … Continue reading Ep. #73-My Best Friend’s Wedding →
Bonus Episode-2019 Oscar Predictions
February 15, 2019 11:55 - 1 hour - 82.2 MBYeah, we know. 2018 was a real crappy year for movies. But that’s not going to stop us from our annual tradition of trying to predict the Oscar winners. Will Luke once again dominate? Can Morgan possibly pull ahead and take the lead even though she has the gall to defend BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY? Will Steve … Continue reading Bonus Episode-2019 Oscar Predictions →
Ep. #72-Little Black Book
February 01, 2019 08:50 - 1 hour - 95.7 MBIt’s February and love is in the air, so we kick things off by tackling quite possibly the most cynical romantic comedy ever produced, 2004’s LITTLE BLACK BOOK, directed by Nick Hurran. Brittany Murphy stars as a Carly Simon-obsessed career woman who begins to suspect that her boyfriend is keeping secrets, so she does what … Continue reading Ep. #72-Little Black Book →
Ep. #71-The Prophecy
January 18, 2019 23:20 - 1 hour - 88.1 MBThis week, a war between angels in Heaven makes its way to earth in 1995’s ridiculous gore-fest THE PROPHECY, directed by Gregory Widen. God only knows how a slew of respected character actors got roped into this silliness, but if you ever wanted to see Christopher Walken as the archangel Gabriel play the trumpet with … Continue reading Ep. #71-The Prophecy →
Ep. #70-Garden State
January 04, 2019 09:55 - 1 hour - 104 MBOn this week’s episode, we take on 2004’s Sundance sensation GARDEN STATE, directed by and starring Zach Braff as an angsty struggling actor suffering from a mid-midlife crisis who must confront his past when he returns home for his mother’s funeral. There’s also an epileptic, lying Manic Pixie Dream Girl played by Natalie Portman; veiled … Continue reading Ep. #70-Garden State →
Ep. #69-Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
December 24, 2018 10:03 - 1 hour - 101 MBOn this week’s episode, we take on 1947’s yuletide classic MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, in which the New York Supreme Court decides once and for all if there is indeed a Santa Claus. Meanwhile, we discuss our personal Christmas favorites, the temperament of senior citizens, rampant holiday consumerism, the perils of Imagination Nation, and hey, … Continue reading Ep. #69-Miracle on 34th Street (1947) →
Ep. #68-Gremlins
December 07, 2018 09:04 - 1 hour - 90.1 MBThis week, as we head into the holiday season, we take on 1984’s yuletide horror comedy GREMLINS, directed by Joe Dante. Little green monsters. Murder. Mayhem. Death by microwave. Yep, the staples of a classic Christmas genre flick are on full display. So does this movie still hold up 34 years later? Is Gizmo as … Continue reading Ep. #68-Gremlins →
Ep. #67-Dutch
November 21, 2018 07:27 - 1 hour - 104 MBJust in time for Thanksgiving, we take on 1991’s John Hughes-penned road trip comedy DUTCH, in which Ed O’Neill travels across the country to bring home his girlfriend’s bratty teenage son for Turkey Day. And nothing screams the holidays like child abuse, Marxism, thieving prostitutes, homeless shelters, fireworks, and horny teens. Yeah, this movie is … Continue reading Ep. #67-Dutch →
Ep. #66-O
November 09, 2018 09:43 - 1 hour - 104 MBOn this week’s episode, Shakespeare meets high school–remember when that was a trend?!–as we take on 2001’s “O”, director Tim Blake Nelson’s controversial take on “Othello.” Mekhi Phifer stars as Odin, star player of his prep school’s basketball team and the envy of the duplicitous Hugo, played by the consistently bedhead-addled Josh Hartnett. How far … Continue reading Ep. #66-O →
Ep. #65-The Descent
October 26, 2018 05:00 - 1 hour - 88.7 MBThis week, our Month of Horrors Extravaganza comes to an end as we tackle 2006’s spelunking gore-fest THE DESCENT, directed by Neil Marshall. When six thrill-seeking friends take on an unexplored cave system, they battle more than just claustrophobia as they come face-to-face with some very pissed off gollums who seem to have an appetite … Continue reading Ep. #65-The Descent →
Ep. #64-Halloween: Resurrection
October 19, 2018 08:31 - 1 hour - 93.8 MBAs the latest HALLOWEEN makes its ways into theaters, why not take a step back in time and see how Hollywood tried to destroy one of the greatest slasher series of all time with 2002’S HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION, directed by Rick Rosenthal. Michael Myers is back, and he’s entering the digital age by targeting a group … Continue reading Ep. #64-Halloween: Resurrection →
Ep. #63-Deep Red
October 12, 2018 07:44 - 1 hour - 105 MBOur Month of Horrors Extravaganza continues this week as week take on 1976’s DEEP RED, from giallo master Dario Argento. When pianist David Hemmings witnesses the murder of a young woman, he takes it upon himself to become an amateur sleuth and find the killer. But who could it be? The sexy journalist covering the … Continue reading Ep. #63-Deep Red →
Ep. #62-Jeepers Creepers 2
October 05, 2018 08:41 - 1 hour - 96.9 MBOn this week’s episode, we kick off our Month of Horrors Extravaganza with 2003’s JEEPERS CREEPERS 2, directed by human piece of garbage Victor Salva. In this very stupid sequel to the not-half-bad original, our old pal The Creeper is back, and he’s ready to feast on a bus full of high school boys who … Continue reading Ep. #62-Jeepers Creepers 2 →
Ep. #61-The Legend of Billie Jean
September 28, 2018 08:09 - 1 hour - 92.9 MBOn this week’s episode, fair is fair as we take on 1985’s teen rebel cry THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN. Helen Slater plays the titular heroine, a modern-day Joan of Arc who simply wants the $608 owed to her family for a destroyed scooter. But after an accidental shooting, Billie Jean and her friends are … Continue reading Ep. #61-The Legend of Billie Jean →
Ep. #60-The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift
September 21, 2018 07:48 - 1 hour - 84.9 MBAs co-host Luke zooms off to the Toronto Film Festival, Steve calls on some friends–no, family–to take on 2006’s much-maligned action sequel THE FAST & THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT, directed by Justin Lin. Lucas Black plays an American goober who is shipped to Tokyo and discovers the unique form of car racing known as drifting. … Continue reading Ep. #60-The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift →
Ep. #59-The Rescue (1988)
September 14, 2018 08:18 - 1 hour - 94.4 MBOn this week’s episode, a group of ragtag teenagers sneak into North Korea to save their imprisoned military fathers in 1988’s action-adventure THE RESCUE, a film that is currently in the running for the stupidest thing we’ve yet watched for this podcast. Re-read that synopsis! But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a whole lot of … Continue reading Ep. #59-The Rescue (1988) →
Ep. #58-Blow Out
September 07, 2018 07:08 - 1 hour - 91.5 MBRAISING CAIN fans, take note! On this week’s episode, we head back to Brian De Palma country as we take on 1981’s political thriller BLOW OUT. John Travolta stars as a movie sound editor who accidentally records the murder of a potential Presidential nominee. But will our “ear witness” be able to solve this crime … Continue reading Ep. #58-Blow Out →
Ep. #57-Morgan
August 31, 2018 08:51 - 1 hour - 82.5 MBOn this week’s episode, we invite one of our favorite guests, the one and only Morgan, to take on the most Morgan of all films, 2016’s sci-fi thriller MORGAN, directed by Luke Scott. A genetically engineered human has had enough of being a lab rat and goes on a killing spree–although we’re most impressed by … Continue reading Ep. #57-Morgan →
Ep. #56-The Stupids
August 24, 2018 08:03 - 1 hour - 83.1 MBOn this week’s episode, we somehow manage to get even dumber than usual as we take on 1996’s family comedy THE STUPIDS, directed by John Landis(!). Tom Arnold stars Stanley Stupid, the patriarch of the world’s most simple-minded family. How stupid are they?!! Well, for starters, Tom Arnold is the patriarch. We kid! But what’s … Continue reading Ep. #56-The Stupids →
Ep. #55-The Meg
August 17, 2018 08:29 - 1 hour - 83.9 MBOn this week’s episode, we head back to the movie theater to witness Jason Statham take on the mother of all sharks in 2018’s big-budget action spectacle THE MEG, directed by Jon Turteltaub. So is this film as much fun as the trailers would lead us to believe? Or are we looking at another tired … Continue reading Ep. #55-The Meg →
Ep. #54-DOA: Dead or Alive
August 10, 2018 08:36 - 1 hour - 85.8 MBOn this week’s episode, we tackle the least-respected genre in film today–the video game adaptation–as we discuss 2007’s DOA: DEAD OR ALIVE, directed by Corey Yuen. Watch as four of the most beautiful women on the planet strap on bikinis, play volleyball, and kick a whole lot of ass in a movie tailor-made for pretty … Continue reading Ep. #54-DOA: Dead or Alive →
Ep. #53-Chill Factor
August 03, 2018 07:25 - 1 hour - 96.9 MBBoiling summer temps got you down? Then come cool off with us as we take on 1999’s long-forgotten action-comedy CHILL FACTOR. Cuba Gooding Jr. and Skeet Ulrich star as a pair of mismatched working-class stiffs who are tasked with saving the world when they come in possession of a chemical bomb that will detonate if … Continue reading Ep. #53-Chill Factor →
Ep. #52-A Fish Called Wanda
July 27, 2018 08:25 - 1 hour - 85.6 MBOn this week’s episode, we head across the pond to tackle 1988’s Monty Python-esque comedy A FISH CALLED WANDA, directed by Charles Crichton. An all-star cast including Jamie Lee Curtis, John Cleese, and Oscar winner Kevin Kline star in this very unique and very British caper farce, which surprisingly was one of the biggest hits … Continue reading Ep. #52-A Fish Called Wanda →
Ep. #51-Wild At Heart
July 20, 2018 10:25 - 1 hour - 116 MBOn this week’s episode, Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern play seriously sensual lovers-on-the-lam in David Lynch’s twisted take on the The Wizard of Oz, 1990’s WILD AT HEART. So just how strange are we talking? Crispin Glover puts cockroaches in his underwear. Diane Ladd covers her face in lipstick and vomit. Nicolas Cage channels Elvis. … Continue reading Ep. #51-Wild At Heart →
Ep. #50-Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning
July 13, 2018 06:24 - 1 hour - 99 MBThis week, in honor of Friday the 13th, we take on the weirdest Jason flick in horror history: FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING. As a group of troubled teens try to overcome a variety of issues ranging from sex addiction to homicidal tendencies to, uh, stuttering, a certain masked killer crashes the … Continue reading Ep. #50-Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning →
Ep. #49-Twister
July 06, 2018 07:01 - 1 hour - 114 MBOn this Very Special Episode, we take on the film that serves as the basis for our podcast’s rating system: 1996’s TWISTER, directed by Jan de Bont and starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt. Once and for all, we are going to determine if this big-budget special effects extravaganza is indeed the most basic summer … Continue reading Ep. #49-Twister →
Ep. #48-Kazaam
June 29, 2018 08:24 - 1 hour - 82.8 MBOn this week’s episode, we return to the never-ending well that is Shaquille O’Neal’s prosperous acting career and take on his first starring role: 1996’s KAZAAM, in which the NBA legend stars as a 5,000-year-old genie who is summoned from his boombox prison by an obnoxious tween punk to help the kid through his daddy … Continue reading Ep. #48-Kazaam →
Ep. #47-Carnosaur
June 22, 2018 08:40 - 1 hour - 80.4 MBOn this week’s episode, we travel back to the summer of 1993 to tackle an epic dinosaur tale from a Hollywood legend: CARNOSAUR, courtesy of the one-and-only Roger Corman. Wait, was there another dino-related pic that year or something? We doubt Steven Spielberg or Michael Crichton could ever come up with a story about a … Continue reading Ep. #47-Carnosaur →
Ep. #46-Hereditary
June 15, 2018 08:07 - 1 hour - 115 MBOn this week’s episode, SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER!?! heads to the movie theater to check out 2018’s much-discussed and divisive thriller HEREDITARY, directed by Ari Aster and starring Toni Collette. So is this truly the scariest film ever made, or has A24 pulled another bait-and-switch on horror-loving filmgoers? And what the hell is going on in this … Continue reading Ep. #46-Hereditary →
Ep. #45-Xanadu
June 08, 2018 08:35 - 1 hour - 87.9 MBOn this week’s episode, we tackle another ’80’s cult oddity: Robert Greenwald’s XANADU, a roller skating disco musical from 1980 that arrived about a year after disco officially died and is shockingly short on singing. But it sure has roller skating. So much roller skating. And Gene Kelly in what is arguably the most embarrassing … Continue reading Ep. #45-Xanadu →
Ep. #44-The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
June 01, 2018 07:02 - 1 hour - 87.7 MBOn this week’s episode, we hitch a ride to Crazy Town as we take on 1984’s cult curiosity THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI ACROSS THE 8TH DIMENSION, directed by W.D. Richter. ROBOCOP himself Peter Weller stars as the titular adventurer, just your average neuroscientist/rock star/samurai warrior trying to save the universe from an evil alien … Continue reading Ep. #44-The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension →
Ep. #43-Solo (1996)
May 25, 2018 07:37 - 1 hour - 95.8 MBOn this week’s episode, we’re talking all about SOLO–no, not the new STAR WARS spin-off, but the 1996 low-rent action flick starring Mario Van Peebles as the titular robot. When an android designed to be a top secret military weapon suddenly grows a conscience, he naturally goes on a violent killing spree, the irony of … Continue reading Ep. #43-Solo (1996) →
Ep. #42-Self/less
May 18, 2018 06:55 - 1 hour - 102 MBAs DEADPOOL 2 snarks its way into theaters this weekend, we take on another Ryan Reynolds flick that was completely ignored by audiences in the summer of 2015: the stupidly named thriller SELF/LESS, directed by Tarsem Singh. When terminally ill billionaire Ben Kingsley has his consciousness transferred into the body of Reynolds, he discovers that … Continue reading Ep. #42-Self/less →
Ep. #41-Moms’ Night Out
May 11, 2018 08:54 - 1 hour - 95 MBOn this week’s episode, in honor of Mother’s Day, we take on 2014’s religious family comedy MOMS’ NIGHT OUT, directed by The Erwin Brothers. What’s a harried mother to do when her obvious clinical depression is getting the best of her? How about a crazy night out with the girls?! Balls will be bowled, kidnapping … Continue reading Ep. #41-Moms’ Night Out →
Ep. #40-Milk Money
May 04, 2018 08:50 - 1 hour - 107 MBOn this week’s episode, SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER!?! celebrates its one-year anniversary by taking on another comedic catastrophe from MARCI X director Richard Benjamin: 1994’s MILK MONEY, in which a horn-dog 12-year-old boy attempts to set up his father with the prostitute he has hiding in his tree house. And did we mention the potential lovebirds are … Continue reading Ep. #40-Milk Money →
Ep. #39-Eyes Wide Shut
April 27, 2018 07:35 - 2 hours - 159 MBOn this week’s episode, steamy eroticism meets social commentary as we take on Stanley Kubrick’s controversial final film, 1999’s EYES WIDE SHUT. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman portray a status-obsessed couple whose marriage hits a rough patch, resulting in a journey of self-discovery that includes everything from masquerade orgies to sultry sailors to underage prostitutes–and … Continue reading Ep. #39-Eyes Wide Shut →
Ep. #38-John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars
April 13, 2018 08:12 - 1 hour - 106 MBOn this week’s episode, we’ve got something truly horrifying for your Friday the 13th: JOHN CARPENTER’S GHOSTS OF MARS, a film so bad that we actually kind of feel bad that Carpenter insisted on including his name in the title. An eclectic cast featuring Ice Cube, Natasha Henstridge, Pam Grier(!), and Jason Statham(!!) take on … Continue reading Ep. #38-John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars →
Ep. #37-Clean Slate
March 30, 2018 08:28 - 1 hour - 99.2 MBOn this week’s episode, Dana Carvey plays a bumbling private eye suffering from short-term memory loss in 1994’s film noir “spoof” CLEAN SLATE. What do you get when the director of the Whitney Houston vehicle THE BODYGUARD and the creator of THE GOOD WIFE combine forces to make Carvey into a sexy leading man? A … Continue reading Ep. #37-Clean Slate →
Ep. #36-Monkey Shines
March 16, 2018 08:53 - 1 hour - 98.3 MBOn this week’s episode, we tackle 1988’s truly nutso horror flick MONKEY SHINES, directed by the granddaddy of suspense, George A. Romero. What happens when a quadriplegic with anger issues is paired with a cute Capuchin that is undergoing sinister lab experimentation? Well, one could say monkey trouble, but we’re above such cheap puns here … Continue reading Ep. #36-Monkey Shines →
Ep. #35-Crash (2005)
March 02, 2018 09:57 - 1 hour - 112 MBOn this week’s episode, Oscar Month comes to a close as we tackle 2006’s Best Picture winner CRASH, a film often cited as the worst to ever receive the Big Prize. Has time been kind to the racially-charged ensemble drama? Or does it deserve the ridicule and scorn? Sandra Bullock hurls ethnic slurs, Ludacris gets … Continue reading Ep. #35-Crash (2005) →
BONUS EPISODE-2018 Oscar Predictions
February 23, 2018 18:19 - 1 hour - 89.4 MBThis week, we’re bringing you a special bonus episode of SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER!?!, as Luke, Steve, and three of their favorite guests tackle the 2018 Oscar nominations. Can GET OUT win the big prize? Will Gary Oldman finally get some Oscar love? And can someone please explain to us what the heck ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. … Continue reading BONUS EPISODE-2018 Oscar Predictions →
Ep. #34-Love & Friendship
February 16, 2018 10:30 - 1 hour - 78.5 MBOn this week’s episode, we continue to celebrate everything Oscars by tackling 2016’s LOVE & FRIENDSHIP, Whit Stillman’s comedy of manners that seemed to tick off all the Oscar boxes: Critically-acclaimed writer/director; period piece; big castles; fancy costumes; English countryside; Jane Austen. So why, then, did it get the shaft come awards season? And did … Continue reading Ep. #34-Love & Friendship →
Ep. #33-Beyond Rangoon
February 02, 2018 10:25 - 1 hour - 89.8 MBIt’s Oscars month here at SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER!?!, and we kick things off by discussing 1995’s BEYOND RANGOON, a white savior-thriller whose awards prospects were pretty much dashed the moment director John Boorman decided that audiences should view the violent political uprising in 1980’s Burma through the eyes of a near-comatose Patricia Arquette. Can our heroine … Continue reading Ep. #33-Beyond Rangoon →
Ep. #32-Baahubali: The Beginning
January 19, 2018 09:32 - 1 hour - 96.8 MBOn this week’s episode, Summer Blockbuster!?! meets Bollywood as we take on 2015’s Indian epic BAAHUBALI: THE BEGINNING, a film that is 90% CGI and 100% batshit insane. Will our hero ever discover that he is the long-lost son of the titular, all-powerful warrior? It might be a whole lot easier if he would stop … Continue reading Ep. #32-Baahubali: The Beginning →
Ep. #31-200 Cigarettes
January 05, 2018 08:34 - 1 hour - 85.9 MBOn this week’s episode, we celebrate the new year by taking on 1999’s New Year’s Eve comedy 200 CIGARETTES. An all-star cast parties like it’s 1981 as everyone from Ben Affleck to Dave Chappelle to Christina Ricci try to find some approximation of love before the clock strikes midnight. Can Paul Rudd and Courtney Love(!) … Continue reading Ep. #31-200 Cigarettes →
Ep. #30-Surviving Christmas
December 22, 2017 08:19 - 1 hour - 91.3 MBOn this special holiday edition of SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER!?!, we take on 2004’s SURVIVING CHRISTMAS, a yuletide comedy that was apparently so subversive the studio found it necessary to release it two weeks before Halloween–or, more likely, ashamed and embarrassed. And who can blame them? Ben Affleck plays a seemingly coked-up advertising exec who rents James … Continue reading Ep. #30-Surviving Christmas →
Ep. #29-Die Hard
December 08, 2017 09:45 - 1 hour - 99.1 MBOn this week’s episode, we take on a film that helped to define what a summer blockbuster truly is, 1988’s action classic DIE HARD. Yes, we know this goes against everything this podcast stands for, but it’s the holiday season, and we’re in a giving mood. Plus, who thought it was a good idea to … Continue reading Ep. #29-Die Hard →
Ep. #28-Justice League
November 22, 2017 10:09 - 2 hours - 145 MBOn this week’s episode, we flip the SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER!?! formula on its head as we tackle a behemoth of a film that was tailor-made for mindless air-conditioned consumption but instead released just in time for the holidays–2017’s JUSTICE LEAGUE. We bring in the biggest comic book nerd we know to determine if DC has struck … Continue reading Ep. #28-Justice League →
Ep. #27-Son-in-Law
November 10, 2017 09:45 - 1 hour - 120 MBOn this week’s episode, we get into the festive spirit with 1993’s SON-IN-LAW, and nothing screams the holidays like a Thanksgiving-set Pauly Shore flick originally released on Fourth of July weekend. Cones will be cupped, grindage will be munched, and gigs will be weized, as The Weasel takes on Midwestern farm life, buuuuuuuudy! And–spoiler alert!–we … Continue reading Ep. #27-Son-in-Law →