Growing up as kid in the 80s had a unique undercurrent of knowing that at any moment nuclear Armageddon could be at hand, and there wasn't a damn thing anyone could do about it. By the time Pierre and I were in school they'd given up on the bogus "Duck and Cover" morale movies fom the 50s and 60s and pretty much everyone agreed that if shit goes down, we're all fucked, and if you're lucky you'll die instantly. Have a nice day.
To reinforce this fear and paranoia, two fantastic movies came out around the same time. One, an NRA-member's wet dream about armed-to-the-hilt rural high school kids completely fucking up the Commies' plans to take over 'Merica, and the other, intorudcing us to the internet, hacking, and the possibility that WWIII could start via computer glitch. Oops. Have a nice day!
Musical Interludes: "Hang me up to dry" by Cold War Kids, "Red Dawn Theme" from the movie, "History Lesson" by The Beepers, "Cold War" by Janelle Monáe
Just a few weeks ago Pierre and I reminisced about the 80s and Nancy Reagan's Say No To Drugs movement aimed at middle class 8 year olds watching He-Man and Thundercats.
One of the main things we noted was that the onslaught of PSAs and weird, awkward anti-drug propaganda has seemingly dried up, or become much more subtle in today's media climate.
Well, last night during the Super Bowl, the SNTD movement came back with a vengance, slapping America upside the head with an uncomfortable, awkward anti-heroin spot. It caught everybody off-gaurd, and is the talk of social media and email chains everywhere today.
In that sense, it was profoundly effective... I guess? You be the judge
In contrast to popular rumors, no, those two characters in the title are not one in the same. The super cool and talented Ms. Bellinger joins us from glitzy L.A. as our first ever YIRTS guest.
We kick back and have some silly laughs about fun stuff like sexual harassment, cyber-bullying, sexism in showbiz, and the 1993 Waco Tragedy. Good times and lulz all around! =D
Then we get dead serious and discuss acclaimed docudrama My Demon Lover, which was a guiding force in Gillian's young life and development. We also get her to dish on working with Red Letter Media and her lead role in Feeding Frenzy.
Finally, we try to find out why native Texans are so damn proud to be from Texas and Pierre pretends to relate. He's such a nice guy.
Check out everything Gillian is up to:
Musical Interludes: "All my exes live in Texas" (which is more or less accurate for Travis) by George Strait, "Our Love is in Love" by Jack Packard, "My Demon Lover Trailer" from the movie, "Let Go" by Intimate Strangers (which is actually starting to grow on me - I need help)
What's more terrifying than witnessing carnivorous pigs eating human bodies to cover up a serial killer's horrible deeds? How about not ever actually seeing that happen, but being told that things like that may be going on in town? If that sounds incomprehensibly stupid, then congratulations, you are not one of the producers of 1972's Pigs. (although in a newly edited version, there are a few pigs to be seen briefly... yay?) Director Marc Lawrence casts his own daughter in a role where she's raped by and murders her own father.. not sure even Freud could unravel those family dynamics.
Travis uses the term "creepy" about 487 times while describing this movie and that amount doesn't do it justice.
Meanwhile, giant radioactive mosquitoes are a minor inconvenience for a desert town of 10 or so uninteresting people. But there is that toymaker guy from Blade Runner (and former Oscar Nominee Michael J Pollard).. so that's something.
Musical Interludes: "Somebody's Waitin' For you" by Charles Bernstein, "Skeeter on my Peter" by John Valby, "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" by Pink Floyd
Yea Chad, we feel you. Re-watching all these old PSAs and horrific drug scare movies gave us a hangover too. And unlike you, we may have had more than a guilty sip of lite beer to get in good with the fat kid and the asian girl at the video store.
Take a trip with us (so to speak) as Pierre and I venture back to the days when drug pushers were just outside every elementary school, Kaybee Toys, and playground jungle gym just waiting to get sub-10 year old suburban white kids hooked on hardcore drugs. Or at least, that's what Nancy Reagan and every cartoon, sitcom, kids show, and anything for little kids ever assumed was happening throughout the 1980s.
This is a long one, but worth it. Also, Pierre swapped out the tin can and string for an actual semi-decent microphone, so enjoy his sultry voice, much in the way Chad Allen enjoyed Louis Gossett Jr's in the Fate Elevator™
Oh and I was wrong, he's totally still alive. My bad.
Musical Interludes: "Right to say No" or "Be an Original" (need to know who performed this, please), "Because I Got High" by Afroman, "Fate Elevator" by Louis Gossett Jr and whatever deranged people wrote it.
Little kids just love a horribly misguided cash-grab movie off a popular trading card. And like most movies for 9 year olds it features: Uncomforable sexual tension, attempted murder by torture and drowning, a creepy middle aged guy hand-bathing a barely-teenage boy, umm.. a look into the competitve world of independent fashion design(?) and of course, nightmare-inducing life-sized puppets. Also.. Peter Dinklage cameo!
Oh man, this one's got it all. A movie so wrong on so many levels it's almost... well.... right. Almost.
Before that we wax nostalgic about the cards themselves, which are much more appealing and appropriate for kids than the movie.
Musical Interludes: "You can be a Garbage Pail Kid" by Jimmy Scarlett and The Dimensions, "Working With Each Other" by the Garbage Pail Kids (robbed at the '87 grammys, IMO), "We Care A Lot" by Faith No More
Witness the work of auteurs who bring together David Naughton, Michael (J) Fox, and Pee Wee Herman in a role that will surprise you. No, I'm not just naming random 80s actors, these 3 and more appear in a true classic of retro absurdity called Midnight Madness. Brought to you by the same people who produced Cinderella, Snow White, and Star Wars Eps. VII-IX, enjoy a wacky comedic romp filled with mute nameless actors, racism, sexism, constant shameless fat jokes, and the greatest line in movie history. Pierre and I have decided this is the most in-depth, comprehensive examination of this movie ever, so yea.. Enjoy as we dissect this film like the rare specimen it is.
Also, if you somehow haven't seen this movie, from the 40:00 mark on are major spoilers, so you're warned.
Musical interludes: "Midnight Madness Theme" from the movie (duh), "Midnight Madness" by The Chemical Brothers