“I Wish I Were Big” (#114)

Big is one of a handful of 80s movies it felt as if everyone but me had seen. One of those movies you mention having missed out on, and someone’s jaw always drops open.

“I’m Your Number One Fan” (#113)

Kathy Bates’ portrayal of Annie Wilkes in Misery is one of those rare turns that rolls actor, character, and performance all into one. There’s no Misery without Kathy Bates. It’s inconceivable. That’s not to slight any other aspect of the film — James Caan’s miserable turn as the victim, Rob Reiner’s nimble direction, William Goldman’s […]

“Put ‘Em On The Endangered Species List” (#111)

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the 90s, an elite team of podcasters has been selected to journey deep into the jungle, dive deep into the ocean, and dig deep underground to locate some of the deadliest predators ever known to moviedom. Two of cinema’s greatest auteurs made creature features […]

“Who Is Your Daddy And What Does He Do?” (#110)

If you thought we had just one bun in the oven for our lineup of Arnold Schwarzenegger comedies about birth and child-rearing — surprise! This topic is actually twins! In our previous episode, we cooed over 1988’s Twins, in which Schwarzenegger popped his cherry as a humorous leading man and wowed us with his lack […]

“The Most Fully Developed Human The World Has Ever Seen” (#109)

Arnold Schwarzenegger became world famous in the 80s as the jacked up star of macho blockbusters like Conan The Barbarian, Predator, Commando, and The Terminator. But in the late 80s and early 90s, he teamed up with Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman for a trio of family-friendly comedies, starting with 1988’s Twins. Schwarzenegger’s comic chemistry with […]

“The Big Orange Couch Is In Place, So Hop On!” (#108)

The Midnight Society must be a lot more approving than I am. Clarissa, you have some explaining to do…

“I’ll Be Right Here” (#107)

You know the score. You know the quotes. You know the poster. Forty years ago, a wrinkly alien with a magic touch waddled into moviegoers’ hearts and made E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial one of the most beloved family films ever made. Steven Spielberg’s alien opus surpassed Star Wars as the #1 film of all time and […]

“Reality Is Very Disappointing” (#102)

Kids don’t always have the greatest taste in entertainment. Some of what we gravitate toward as children ends up aging gracefully and becoming a classic. Take Back To The Future or Beauty And The Beast or E.T., for example. But for every E.T., there are a dozen not-so-classic titles we watched and rewatched with equal […]

“Would You Please Check My Head For Signs Of Spoiling?” (#101)

As we discussed in our 100th episode, L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz delighted generation after generation of children, and MGM’s 1939 musical adaptation became one of the most popular and cherished motion pictures of all time. So it’s only natural that in the 80s, Disney decided to pay tribute to these Oz […]

“Bang On My Chest If You Think I’m Perfect” (#100)

Surrender, Dorothy! For the 100th episode of When We Were Young, Seth, Becky, and Chris have clicked their heels together three times and summoned a twister to whisk them all the way back to 1939, when the ultimate Hollywood classic landed on the big screen in glorious Technicolor. Watching The Wizard Of Oz has been […]

“Help Me Help You” (#99)

By the time I was pop culturally aware, Tom Cruise was already taken for granted as a movie star. He was always there, grinning and waving on red carpets, on the cover of all the tabloids and more legitimate magazines, every movie he was in an Event (and a hit that warranted the event status). […]

“Take Me To Bed Or Lose Me Forever” (#98)

Do you feel the need? The need to speed back to the 80s and bro out with Iceman, Viper, Wolfman, Slider, Goose, and Maverick all over again? We’ve got you covered in the first part of our cruise through the career of the galaxy’s biggest superstar (don’t tell Xenu), starting with the 1986 blockbuster that […]