306 - LIONS FOR LAMBS

April 9, 2025

Remember 2007? When Hollywood wanted to state they didn’t like what was happening, but also didn’t want to upset the concept of democracy that led to here because America rah rah even if erm-ooh-eck? Well, of course not, nobody could remember, it was a rough time for art. So we’re watching a series of actors-in-rooms-talking-tediously-about-not-much.

Here’s the carrot - Johnny watched A Minecraft Movie and Death Of A Unicorn, and the two discuss Jason Statham in A Working Man, plus The Naked Gun teaser chat and Andrew reminds you his first novel The Ferryman Upon The Plains is available to pre-order now at one bookstore, not a good one (amazon).

305 - DEEP IMPACT

March 26, 2025

It’s the other asteroid picture of 1998, and a host of actors cannot save Johnny’s boredom. Andrew details a notable incident of deep impact that the doc Zoo was based around and the two talk Black Bag, The Last Breath, In The Lost Lands, The Alto Knights, Snow White and Kraven The Hunter. Plus Andrew finally saw Wicked, was he a convert?

304 - THE NAKED GUN 2 1/2: THE SMELL OF FEAR

March 12, 2025

It’s the post-Oscar episode, a little late but as a movie show we HAVE to talk about it, that moment, of course, when… erm… Hey, Conan. Still prepping for August’s reboot of The Naked Gun, we’re driving into Washington D.C. of 1991 Bush-era first time around and contemplating David Zucker’s pivot to clear Republican sensibilities, mocking his own brother’s success with Ghost and what the hell a Scary Movie could be anymore. At least 2 people involved in this film were ignored from the In Memorium of this year’s ceremony and only one killed their ex and her partner.

303 - FRACTURE

February 26, 2025

I Recorded My Podcast… Prove It!

Johnny is a licensed driver and has taken to spending most of a week in the cinema, going Movie Mad. He brings with him thoughts on Captain America: Brave New World, The Monkey, Companion, Heart Eyes, A Complete Unknown, Flight Risk and Grand Theft Hamlet. All Andrew has to counter this is aunty Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, and that really cannot compete.

But Ryan Gosling, Anthony Hopkins and some nostalgia for early 00s middle-of-the-road adult-contemporary cinema takes hold, will Andrew recall his love for serious law drama? Will Johnny enjoy the non-courtroom-drama parts of this thriller? What contraptions is Anthony Hopkins drawing during the trial anyway? Is he Jigsaw? Prove it.

302 - CATCH AND RELEASE

February 12, 2025

It’s almost Galentine’s Day and Valentine’s Day, so it’s the perfect time to hang out and watch a movie about love, loss, the power of friendship and Kevin Smith in a rare acting role that isn’t a cameo or self-referential, besides the jerseys. Andrew weighs in on recent releases Wolf Man, September 5, A Complete Unknown and Presence, whilst Johnny remembers the time he went and tried to fish, did he catch? Did he release? Did he ever go again (Spoiler on that last one, no). Somehow this becomes a checklist of connections that prove Madame Web was right all along.

301 - U.S. MARSHALS

January 29, 2025

We’re on the run with the sequel to 1993’s The Fugitive and 2017’s The Fugitive AYMM episode. Tommy Lee Jones takes centre stage after winning an Oscar for the role years prior, and what follows is forgettable and sluggish, so we’re finding things to grab onto like, yup, more Cars-lore contemplation, as well as talking The Bank Of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger, A Real Pain and Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial career in full. What IF he played Mark Wahlberg though?

300 - JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX

January 15, 2025

EPISODE THREE HUNDRED!

Wow!

Woah!

What?

Wee!

Yep, we made it. Finally. Here is a big extravaganza and Andrew is all-singing-all-dancing through Johnny’s second-favourite film of 2024, a sequel to a film Andrew truly despised. Will Johnny convert Andrew to the Todd Phillips Joker sequel or will Andrew’s brain melt trying to make it through the panned flop film?

All will be revealed (as it is every episode).

BONUS - LESBIAN VAMPIRE KILLERS COMMENTARY

January 10, 2025

We live in a post-Gavin & Stacey world and superfan Johnny wants to talk all about the show, whilst Andrew, who recently witnessed every episode, only brings suffering by turning the screws on Johnny and the audience, making us all witness the maligned horror comedy starring Matthew Horne and James Corden that wanted so much to be Shaun Of The Dead for the Gavin & Stacey fandom. Cue games galore, trivia of the BBC sitcom and conversations about the state of comedy and cinema in Britain so as to avoid the on-screen atrocities.

The commentary syncs 5 seconds into the film and starts 20 mins 4 secs into the episode.

299 - THE NAKED GUN: FROM THE FILES OF POLICE SQUAD!

January 1, 2025

Happy New Year!

Should old acquaintance be forgot then that’d be awkward indeed as Andrew holds Johnny’s hand to the Leslie Nielsen franchise-starting comedy classic that leads to the upcoming Liam Neeson reboot in 2025. Fear not, though, before getting into the ZAZ weeds there’s important talk on Luca Guadagnino’s Queer and the contractually obligated Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim, and a good discussion about AI-centric 4K remastering that’s plagued us all of late.

BONUS - SHARING CHRISTMAS COMMENTARY

December 24, 2024

It’s our final episode of the year, and it’s a Hallmark Christmas Movie commentary. On Peacock, Hallmark, and little else, but don’t worry if you can’t watch along, we provide as much plot as we can find in this empty vessel whilst playing a lot of fun festive film games.

Because this film starts so quickly, we roll in on 0 seconds into the film, no good sync point, no real point in the film…

The commentary begins at: 00:15:48

298 - NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATON

December 18, 2024

It’s our fa-la-la-la-la la-la la-last episode of the year and we’re going back on the Griswold Family Vacation Train to finally have Johnny witness a good old family tradition of a movie, whether he wants to or not. But Johnny tells us about his journeys through Oz from Great And Powerful to Wicked Part One, and Andrew has finally, finally, seen Memoir Of A Snail and gets to talk a little sad-sack stop-motion before the festive spirit takes flight for good.

297 - WHY HIM?

December 4, 2024

It’s Christmastime, we’re sitting in the world of Bryan Cranston comedy, and talking the problematic Franco brother. We’re also dragging in Paddington In Peru, GladIIator, Red One, an Irish filum with Paul Reiser and the Steve Martin Pink Panther movies, which turn out to be relevant to the feature presentation. If you’re looking for a slight dive into Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels, then this episode is for you and you alone.

296 - OVER THE HEDGE

November 20, 2024

Andrew stocks up on snacks and takes Johnny through the suburbs with best friends Steve Carell Squirrel and Nick Nolte Bear. They read Netflix top 10s, 2006 video game award nominations and hide from the aftermath of something that happened 2 weeks ago that shall go undiscussed forever if you live in cinemaland instead.

295 - NATIONAL LAMPOON'S EUROPEAN VACATION

November 5, 2024

Americans, get out of there whilst you still can, before the votes are counted on election night 2024. We’re going on the holiday road with the Griswolds through Europe, and discussing our own brief encounters across the continent. We also have a shamelessly packed chat about recent films, including Heretic, Juror #2, The Wild Robot, Piece By Piece and the third Venom venom venom venom and Terrifier films.

294 - CASTLE FREAK

October 23, 2024

Based on the mentions on another podcast, Andrew loads the final episode of Scare You Movie Mad 2024 with Stuart Gordon’s HP Lovecraft adaptation from the mid-90s, and Johnny discusses post-birthday malaise and missing out on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new Warriors musical adaptation because time has been unkind. Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut is discussed as well as the continual fallout of Joker: Folie A Deux.

BONUS - DOOR-TO-DOOR MANIAC/FIVE MINUTES TO LIVE

October 19, 2024

Johnny’s celebrating another birthday and we’re sat together in different countries watching his beloved Johnny Cash in another movie, this time whilst singing and playing guitar he’s also got a gun and is playing a New Jersey criminal, with accent reaching about the border of Tennessee.

293 - IN A VIOLENT NATURE

October 9, 2024

Cronch cronch cronch, walking on dried leaves and bark, a ramble in the woods to start October’s Scare You Movie Mad run, we’re looking at the conceptual killer movie of 2024 about… walking. And sometimes a li’l murder for fun. Andrew eggs Johnny on to be more like the Johnny of the movie, and Johnny sings us his thoughts of new films including Joker: Folie A Deux, Megalopolis, The Substance and The Outrun. Andrew, though, slams down on some Salem’s Lot for good measure. We’re coming into Halloween month swingin’!

292 - REPO MAN

September 25, 2024

Ordinary Effing People!

Andrew details John Lithgow’s new London stage performance, Johnny takes a drive in a repossessed car and Alex Cox’s punk-social-satire gets examined before a dive into the world of Letterboxd and Emilio Estevez’s career take charge. What will be left come the end of the journey and who will They Live?

291 - NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION

September 11, 2024

Vacation - All we ever wanted. Vacation - Had to get away.

It’s September and we’re sitting around, reminiscing on holidays long past as we pack the car and take a first trip with the original Griswold family. On top of stops on the road we spend the time discussing Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, spoilers galore, and Kneecap, as well as comparing the 1983 comedy with the 2015 reboot and run through the legacy of National Lampoon as a brand.

290 - ROAD HOUSE 2: LAST CALL

August 28, 2024

Straight from the bowels of DVD-only content comes the first attempt to lionise Road House as a modern classic, with Jake Busey and Will Patton and no Swayze. Will anyone have their throat ripped? Will animals (living or stuffed) attack baddies? Will this establish what the sequel to the Jake Gyllenhaal version should explore? Let’s find out together.