Pubcast

Brendan is joined by Allison and Eric to break down Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery -- an underrated comedy classic from 1997. It's certainly memorable with all of its quotes and pop culture influences, but almost 30 years later, it somehow feels underappreciated. I particularly like all of the references to the 1960s James Bond movies, and it really shows off Mike Myers' particular brand of comedy that seemed to dominate the late 90s.

Brendan is joined by Allison and Eric to break down this 2003 kung fu revenge classic from director Quentin Tarantino. This amazing, action-packed fight-fest of a movie is stuffed with dozens of references, homages and outright thefts of shots from 1970s kung fu movies and spaghetti westerns. It's great; it's fun; it's...seriously underrated.

Brendan is joined by Allison and Eric to break down this 2003 Christmas classic from John Favreau and Will Ferrell on its 20th anniversary. This comedy has all the hallmarks of those Rankin/Bass stop-motion movies with the comedy flavor of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. The first time I saw it, I knew it would be a classic that we’d watch every year.

In a very special episode of the Pubcast, Allison and Eric join me to break down the two sequels to Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Temple of Doom from 1984 and 1989’s The Last Crusade. (No, we don’t even recognize Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.) Since we covered it in the Raiders of the Lost Ark episode, we don't do "Recasterbate" and the "How Much Are They Worth?" game, but we do break down the best and worst bit of these 80s classics.

Brendan is joined by Allison and Eric to break down this 1977 classic from Steven Spielberg. It's a great personal, sci-fi movie filled with nostalgia for those of us who grew up in the 1970s and 80s. The depiction of that era plus the United States' potential for paranoia and fear of government cover-ups makes for a timeless classic.

Allison, Rob and Pauly join me to break down a movie we held in high regard for some reason...Striking Distance. This 1993 crime drama features Bruce Willis as a river cop in Pittsburgh and provides some of the worst performances from actors you like in other stuff (Bruce Willis, Tom Sizemore, Dennis Farina, Sarah Jessica Parker, etc.). So, despite the recommendations from our younger selves, we rip Striking Distances to shreds in this very special episode of the Pubcast.

Allison and Eric join me to break down one of our favorite movies, Groundhog Day. This is a classic that bears watching and rewatching in late January or early February (around Groundhog Day), but honestly, it's a movie for any season and one of Bill Murray's best performances. This 1993 classic from director Harold Ramis is packed with the funny lines you'd expect, but it goes a few layers deeper if you're paying attention.

Allison and Eric join me to break down this amazing and overlooked comedy from 2002. Undercover Brother spoofs the Blaxploitation movies…Shaft, Superfly, Coffy, Foxy Brown…but does it with a wink and a nod to the audience. Eddie Griffin provides an amazing performance in this hilarious, fast-paced comedy.

Brendan O'Neill is joined by Allison and Eric to break down this Thanksgiving classic from 80s icon, director John Hughes. Steve Martin and John Candy perfect (or maybe invent) the modern road trip comedy genre and create a rough template for another one of my favorites, Tommy Boy.

Brendan O'Neill is joined by Allison and Rob to break down this great 1995 classic from director Michael Mann. This is the first time DeNiro and Pacino appeared in the same scene together - they were both in Godfather 2, but never in the same scene. Heat might be the pinnacle of Mann’s gritty 80s aesthetic and features one of the greatest shootouts in film history.

Brendan O'Neill is joined by Allison and Eric to break down what might be Arnold Schwarzenegger's most iconic movie outside of the Terminator films: 1987s Predator. It's cheesy and over-the-top and features a classic monster/villain.

Brendan O'Neill is joined by Allison and Eric to break the first(?) movie - or at least the funniest movie - based on a board game: Clue. This 1985 cult classic delivers great comedic performances with a gag-per-minute ratio to rival any comedy of the past 40 years.

Allison, Rob and Ed join me to break down this 1990s classic starring Chris Farley and David Spade. This movie holds a special place for us, as we all went to Marquette University, as did Chris Farley…and the character Tommy Callahan even graduates from Marquette in the beginning of the movie. This movie, like a lot of the SNL movies, runs high on the jokes-per-minute scale, and this is arguably the funniest of all the Saturday Night Live movies. It’s extremely quotable and rewatchable, and really feels like a timeless comedy.

Brendan O'Neill is joined by Allison and Eric to break down the 1987 fairy tale, The Princess Bride. A timeless classic, this comedy is accessible and fun and quotable and memorable, thanks to director Rob Reiner and stars Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant and Wallace Shawn.

Brendan O'Neill is joined by Allison and Eric to break down the most influential movie of the last 25 years: The Matrix. This 1999 sci-fi, cyberpunk classic introduced us to a new way of visual story telling, new special effects and new fight scene choreography. 

Allison, Rob and Patrick join Brendan O'Neill to break down the Coen brothers' 1998 masterpiece, The Big Lebowski. The characters - flawless. The dialogue - perfection. The performances - unforgettable. No mater how you slice it, this is a GREAT movie...despite the underwhelming box office performance. The Dude abides.

Brendan O'Neill is joined by Allison, Eric and Jill to break down the Wes Anderson classic, Rushmore. Arguably his best movie and certainly his most accessible film, Rushmore solidifies Anderson's signature style, where every frame is centered and symmetrical, and the movie feels almost vintage as he leans into heightened nostalgia.

Allison and Eric join Brendan O'Neill for an emergency episode of the Pubcast. It's Daniel Craig's final outing as James Bond, and we've been waiting out a two-year delay for No Time to Die. Well, it's here, so we share our expectations right before we see this movie, and our reactions immediately afterward. Does No Time to Die hold up to the likes of Casino Royale and Skyfall? Listen to find out.

Allison and Eric join Brendan O'Neill as we welcome Patrick Keane to the Pubcast for the first time. Stripes remains a beloved 1980s comedy, and features Bill Murray continuing his brand of smart-ass characters previously seen on Saturday Night Live, Meatballs and, to some extent, in Caddyshack. Stripes is one of the most quotable movies from a very quotable decade, and introduced many of us to the genius of John Candy.

Allison, Eric, Rob and Rachel join Brendan O'Neill for our most contentious episode ever, as we break down The Money Pit. Tom Hanks is arguably at his comedic best (with all respect due to his smash hit Big), and Shelley Long used this movie as the springboard to leave her hit sitcom, Cheers. Like it, love it, or dare I say, hate it, The Money Pit has maybe the most memorable on-screen laugh in movie history.