A light spry comedy with Robin Williams is just the tonic this world needs, so Andrew throws Johnny into the proverbial deep end with a Bobcat Goldthwait picture, and discusses the times he attempted to bring a second Williams/Goldthwait project to the forefront, because nostalgia and distraction are all we have left in this rotting world of ours.
192 - FUNNY PEOPLE
On the eve of The King Of Staten Island it’s time to check into Apatown for one more swing for the fences, and a 145 minute Adam Sandler cancer drama. Can Johnny make it through the extended runtime? Can Andrew make it through the extended lockdown? Are rhetorical questions good for adding mystery?
191 - TOP SECRET!
How silly can you get? Well, for Andrew and Johnny this is about the lockdown limit of silly. Coming off discovering 2 different planned films were no longer available to watch, plan C has gone into action, and comedy, and spy thriller, and musical, and all genres to fit in Val Kilmer’s crooning teen-hearthrob-hero Cold War spoof movie.
BONUS - CATS COMMENTARY
It’s digital release day for Cats in the UK and Johnny is all fur-ious that he’s not watching it with Andrew, and Andrew wishes he could paws life for the 2 hours it takes to sit through Tom Hooper’s Cats. Come join the experience through heaven or hell or heavyside layer, no matter your thoughts on the musical, you can all understand what listening to a tortured soul sounds like.
Now on Sky Cinema, if you dare! Here’s the UK TV Broadcast-syncable version:
190 - UNDER SIEGE 2: DARK TERRITORY
Andrew brings back Casey Ryback as Johnny tries to remember what it was like to be Under Siege the first time. Andrew also dishes out information on how to be Under Siege in Dark Territory, and how the film uses various semiotic, metaphoric and visual ways to create a siege that is in dark territory, and that is under said siege. It’s very clever.
189 - BRIMSTONE
Johnny loves this 150 minute frontier horror, and insists Andrew saddle up for a ride into hell and back, promising that Retribution Is Coming. Andrew, meanwhile, breaks down and contemplates what a serial killer horse could get away with back in olden times. Yep. That’s how the lockdown’s going, folks.
188 - THIS IS 40
A second trip to Apatown, a month after Knocked Up it’s the sort-of sequel, whilst preparing for Judd’s next film The King Of Staten Island coming in June. Discussion leads to aging, marriage, Lost and improvisational Mad Max.
BONUS - 101 DALMATIANS 1996 COMMENTARY
Andrew’s 30th birthday celebrations are isolated to watching films with friends, and Johnny’s plan to surround Andrew with many furry ones has succumbed instead to popping on Disney+ and watching the Glenn Close live-action comedy. Andrew hasn’t seen the film, has no connection to the work, it is not a meaningful choice by any stretch, but come watch the film with Andrew and Johnny. Fun, games, furs and frivolities included.
187 - GODS AND MONSTERS
The quarantine has adjusted everything somewhat, but no worry, there’s always a Brendan Fraser film to fall back on, and plenty of memories of Ian McKellen’s days feline up London with this Frankenstein of an episode where puns are always at play.
186 - GOTTI
Oh gotti, protect us. Andrew insists on watching a film directed by E from Entourage, and brings Johnny down with him. John Travolta plays a mob boss, but the real crime is against cinema, as the duo work out if films are bad or the isolation is just driving insanity further and further into our skulls.
185 - KNOCKED UP
Andrew throws on one of his all-time comfort comedies, and Johnny’s expectations are completely subverted as Seth Rogen puts a baby into our hearts. Snippets of The Irishman meeting It and ideas for additional sort-of sequels within the Apatowverse are presented to warn off insanity mid-quarantine.
184 - IMPRACTICAL JOKERS - THE MOVIE
Johnny takes the stage in an impromptu schedule shift, as The Tenderloins’ hit TV show reaches the big screen (A digital release because there are no ‘big screens’ anymore, up is down, cats and dogs are marrying my mother!), and insists we watch Impractical Jokers - The Movie just after its worldwide April Fool’s Day release. Andrew finds understanding in quality TV-To-Film adaptations and reality-meets-sketch hybrid creations, whilst Johnny hurts himself laughing.
183 - RANGO
We’re all isolated across the globe, but for this week it’s a trip to the desolate Mojave, as Gore Verbinski’s Oscar-winning western animated adventure comes into view. Talking family movies, quarantine life and the career of the Pirates Of The Caribbean director, maybe some sanity will be found here.
BONUS - ISOLATION TEST - DISNEY+ TALK
As Covid-19 has put us all in self-isolation, the usual episode feeling of being together, feeding off one-another’s energy is out the window. Testing out online recording for future use, Andrew and Johnny talk Better Call Saul (SPOILERS), Disney+, hint at next week’s episode and Johnny Cash of course comes up once again.
182 - MARGARET
Sitting on the shelf after a long time, we release an episode on Kenneth Lonergan’s much-delayed epic human drama, where Johnny has some sort of comprehensive understanding of humanity and the universe, and Andrew reminisces on the single-screen opening day in London.
181 - A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION
Robert Altman’s final film comprises death, country music and a huge cast. Are You Movie Mad?’s episode on Robert Altman’s final film comprises watching films, not singing music very well and two people in a room. It’s like yin meets yang!
180 - INSIDE MAN
The perfect bank robbery film deserves the perfect podcast episode. But for now, this’ll have to do, as Johnny gets another Spike Lee Joint under his belt, and Andrew remembers the wonderful times of 2006 cinema, when Clive Owen could do just about anything, except be Bond.
MINI-SERIES - FAST FRIDAYS - A PROLOGUE
Andrew announces a new mini-series in the Corona-infested world of action, family and turning enemies into friends.
Will he discover how the virus spread? What happened to John Cena? Why drop almost every letter in the titles for the 9th (or 10th) movie?
Begun, the adventure has.
179 - THE AFRICAN QUEEN
What other podcast can go from 2019 to 1951 in such a smooth move? Johnny’s not seen maybe any Katherine Hepburn picture before, and Andrew is forced to listen to Billie Eilish for the first time. Johnny then delves into time travel more as he explains the manifestations of DC’s TV shows.
178 - SMOKIN' ACES
Ryan Rodney Reynolds and the fridge seller-turned stand-up Jeremy “Plugs” Piven join on Joe Carnahan’s contract killer It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad World, the final episode in 18-rated month. Andrew reminisces about college, Johnny satisfies himself with his music collection.
