Episode 14: DIE HARD

Christmas is here, so we're breaking out the egg nog and putting Santa hats on dead European terrorists as we watch Sean's holiday favorite, Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Alexander Gudonov, Reginald VelJohnson, Robert Davi, and William Atherton.

Talking points: Violence brings the family together. Die Hard as the perfect Christmas movie. The Fly II is gross. A Fish Called Wanda. The perfect action movie? John McClane as the mortal hero. The Die Hard legacy. Simple but effective. Alternate casting. The shirt color change. Limo vs. ambulance. The rose bushes. The balance of grimness and humor. Running on glass. Economic storytelling. Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber. Memorable henchmen. Sgt. Al Powell. The sequels. Argyle. Late 80's tech. The media as a villain. Holly McClane as a believable hero. Ellis. Blowing up the roof. The music. Christmas trappings. Buy it/rent it/tape over it. Die Hard drinking game. Chloe Schildhause.

Episode 08: DEATH BECOMES HER

It’s Meryl vs. Goldie as Lyndsey picks the “immortal” 1992 classic Death Becomes Her.

Talking points: A mean and catty movie. No trailers for Lyndsey. Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn as rivals. Fighting over milquetoast Bruce Willis. Morbidly obese cat lady. No positive qualities in these characters. The Robert Zemeckis eye for detail. Cosmetologist for the dead. Isabella Rossellini. Eternal life. Iconic imagery. A timeless world. Wardrobe. Lessons learned. Sean’s favorite line. Kevin Kline. The floating nun anomaly. Dead celebrity party. The funeral. Don’t drink the potion. Alternate Swiss Alps ending. Brave roles for women. The duality of Goldie Hawn. Alan Silvestri’s score. Lyndsey’s VHS memories. Critical reception. The cult legacy of the film. Bruce’s Babylonian pontoons. Buy it/rent it/tape over it. Cynical Zemeckis. Gearing up for Halloween.