Episode 131: Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)

Welcome to a sequel that I bet a bunch of people didn’t know was a sequel! Yes, Mel Gibson’s first outing as Max Rockatansky (yes, the character has a last name) in 1979 wasn’t exactly widely distributed (or known) over here in the States; the initial release even had Gibson’s voice dubbed, for fear that his thick Australian accent? would baffle U.S. audiences.  Okaaay, sure.  Here’s a sequel that at the very least is more memorable than the original.  Is it as good? Better? Does it have more mohawks, leather outfits, and butt-less leather pants? Yes, I’d say that’s a pretty fair bet.  So, join us for this week’s Mad Max, Mad Mike; Mad Movies (we’re just mad about movies! Ah heh heh heh . . . heh . . . I’ll stop now, I’m so sorry).  It’ll be humongous!

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ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/

Black Lives Matter: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

Southern Poverty Law Center: https://donate.splcenter.org/

Episode 130: The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

Welcome, dudes, to another of our, like, “Leave ‘Em Wanting More” . . . thing.  ‘cuz we’re talking about, y’know, sequels and stuff . . . so, like, you ever think that maybe we’re all living in, sort of a big computer game or whatever? And we don’t, like, even know it and junk? Yeah . . . yeah . . . us too . . . and, like, did you ever want a really involved explanation of why all this is happening and like have guys make what seems like a cool idea pretty much . . . what’s the word . . . incomprehensible? Yeah, us too! Whoa . . . is that a coincidence, or some kind of conspiracy, dude? Whoa.
Yes, we all liked the original Matrix (well, for the purposes of this paragraph, let’s assume we all did).  But what happens when a sequel comes out with more fights, more action and what everyone REALLY wanted: lots more vague and confusing explanations for what happened in the first movie! Yeah! Because THAT’S what people wanted in the follow-up to a visually remarkable kick-ass action movie: more exposition! Heaps more! Do we get that in this movie? How much? Does it help? Does it make sense? Despite all our rage, are we still just rats in a cage? Tune in to find out the answers, except probably for that last one.

George Floyd Memorial Fund:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/

Black Lives Matter: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

Southern Poverty Law Center: https://donate.splcenter.org/

Episode 129: The Godfather Part II (1974)

From the people who brought you “Max, Mike; Movies” comes “Max, Mike; Movies II: The Returning Revenge of the Origins to the Future of the Next Generation on Fury Road.” In other words, we’re starting a new series called “Leave ‘Em Wanting More” and it’s all about sequels! Sequels, sequels and more sequels.  Those things that Hollywood used to carefully consider creating but now it’s “Your movie made five dollars over it’s budget? Sequels! Lots of sequels! Must have forty sequels!” [actual transcript of meeting with Famous Hollywood Producer Who Shall Remain Imaginary].  But let’s face it: there are sequels and there are sequels.  Some sequels are shameless cash grabs, some are dictated by an adapted medium and some exist . . . for eldritch reasons beyond time and space, where if you think about it too hard your spleen will turn into a third kidney.  It happens more often than you’d think.  This week, we’re talking about one of those rarest of beasts, a sequel that many believe is actually superior to the original, Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather Part II.”  Does it surpass the original? Does it equal the original? Give a listen and see what we think.  Why do we do this? Because this is the business we have chosen.

George Floyd Memorial Fund:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/

Black Lives Matter: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

Southern Poverty Law Center: https://donate.splcenter.org/

Episode 128: You’ve Got Mail (1998)

What is love? Baby don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me, no more . . . ow! Dang, I hurt my neck doing that head-bob thing. Here we are at the final episode of “Isn’t It Romantic” and what exemplifies romance more than those three little words: “you’ve got mail.” So many songs written about them . . . We’ve got another movie written by Nora Ephron and starring Meg Ryan (so it’s GOTTA be good), and it involves that most timely, never-dated online service: America Online! Where my AOLies at? Prodigy peeps? CompuServers? GEnie G’s? Oh lord, I’m so old . . . Anyway, in the days before easy access to the internet, people found love on these services and on these services only (having meet-cutes in bars or restaurants was a class 1 felony).  And that’s how this week’s couple, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks meet. Is it cute? Does this remake of a 1940 Jimmy Stewart/Margaret Sullivan movie charm and delight? Plug in your 28.8k modem and download this week’s episode! Should only take two or three hours.

George Floyd Memorial Fund:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/

Black Lives Matter: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_blm_homepage_2019

Southern Poverty Law Center: https://donate.splcenter.org/