“Don’t Forget To Breathe” (#119)

The Karate Kid features one of the most beloved movie mentors of all time in Mr. Miyagi, who teaches young Daniel valuable lessons about patience (taking time to breathe), efficiency (putting the whole body’s strength into a single punch), and achievement (if you can catch a fly with chopsticks, you can accomplish pretty much anything).

“Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy” (#118)

Following Big from a few episodes back, The Karate Kid is another beloved 80s movie I thought I might’ve seen — until I watched it.

“A Blue Furry Charles Dickens Who Hangs Out With A Rat?” (#117)

Do you feel that chill in the air? This holiday season, When We Were Young’s listeners will be visited by three all-knowing spirits who serve as guides through the past, present, and future of all things Muppet.

“Music To Hug Frogs By” (#116)

It’s When We Were Young’s most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational episode yet! Gonzo, Miss Piggy, Fozzy, and friends may be best known for kid-focused fare these days, but Jim Henson’s world-famous puppets originally had roots in more grownup entertainment, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, the first season of Saturday Night Live, and a […]

“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 […]