Overhated

The prolific and controversial Bran De Palma was dealing with a few flops back in the mid-'80s, so he switched gears from dark thrillers to dark comedy, and the result was the loud, raucous Wise Guys. Longtime film critic Peter Sobczynski is on hand to defend this forgotten farce, and to remind us that at least a few influential folks went on record with a thumbs up on the flick.

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Already I can hear the cries: "how the HELL is this awesome movie even remotely 'hated'?!?" Well, let's look at how it was received when it first hit theaters! Big thanks to returning guest and film critic extraordinaire Sara M. Fetters

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There was a time when lots of people really wanted a sequel to Saturday Night Fever (1977). And then they got one. And most of them were unhappy with the result. Like, a lot of people. But not my old pal (and veteran film critic) Todd Gilchrist! Big thanks to Todd for picking an essential "bad" movie, which I can now scratch off the list, and also for a great chat.

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Gather 'round and I'll tell you the story of the Chinatown sequel that time forgot. Well, me and my guest, Ken Borsuk, a high-end film aficionado and longtime supporter of Overhated! Thank you, Ken, and thank you, patrons! And Effin Birds too!

Thanks for listening to Overhated! There are 100+ more episodes at patreon.com/scottEweinberg. Subscribe to hear them all now!

Check out the list of episodes here: bit.ly/3WZiLFk.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc. 

Overhated is now proudly sponsored by those Effin' Birds.com, the aw...

What happens when your nasty little sci-fi horror flick turns into a surprise hit ? You bang out a sequel as quickly as possible, without messing with any of the key components too much. For better or for worse, of course. Fortunately my guest Sean Redlitz (co-writer of a recent Shudder horror film called The Sacrifice Game) is mostly positive on this kooky sequel, which is nice considering it's standing at a robust 9% at Rotten Tomatoes.

Thanks for listening to Overhated! There are 100+ more episodes at patreon.com/scottEweinberg. Subscribe to hear them all now!

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It was bound to happen eventually; someone chose The Phantom Menace for the Overhated treatment. On this super-sized episode I am joined by actor / writer / director Graham Skipper, whom you'll know if you watch a lot of indie horror films, or if you read good books about the Godzilla films. (Because he wrote one.) Settle in for some truly nerdy Star Wars conversations,  folks. Plus this episode is bookended by lots of Godzilla talk, which is always fun.

Thanks for listening to Overhated! There are 100+ more episodes at patreon.com/scottEweinberg. Subscribe to hear them all now! Duration: 01:35:00

The video game movie is a frequently derided beast indeed. Sometimes even the half-decent ones get lumped in with the bottom of the barrel stuff. And that's just not fair. Big thanks to returning guest Cecil Trachenberg (check out GoodBadFlicks on youtube!) for picking this one, and double thanks to all listeners, patrons, and supporters.

Thanks for listening to Overhated! There are 100+ more episodes at patreon.com/scottEweinberg. Subscribe to hear them all now!

Check out the list of episodes here: bit.ly/3WZiLFk.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc...

The universe is packed with lambasted comedies that probably don't warrant a second look -- and then there are movies like Cabin Boy. Which do. Join me and podcaster / Survivor expert (and former contestant) Steven Fishbach as we rediscover the joys of a truly weird comedy that dealt with way too much venom back in the day. Big thanks to (Survivor Know-It-All) Steven, to all patrons and listeners, and to our sponsor Effin Birds. 

P.S. here's a link to the Cabin Boy article I mention / cite in the episode.

P.S.S. the final 10 m...

By now horror fans have accepted and embraced the opinion that Psycho II (1983) was better than it had any right to be, but what of 1986's Psycho III? What of that one?!? Well, Jarrod Hornbeck (of the highly enjoyable Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks Podcast) definitely has some thoughts on that one.

If you would have told me in 2004 that one day I'd be listening to someone praise this movie, I would have dismissed you as a lunatic! But time makes fools of us all, I suppose. Thankfully I have the great author / writer / comedian Owen Egerton aboard, and he really loves this crazy flick. Listen in for why!

The summer of 1987 was an amazing time to be a movie fan. Every Friday there was something fun to watch. And we even got amazing misfires like Masters of the Universe, Who's That Girl, and Jaws: The Revenge, which my old friend and massive movie nerd George Hickman (@popmortem) happens to like, thank you very much.

The great Ryan O'Neal passed away earlier this month, and my guest chose of one of the actor's early-'80s obscurities for the Overhated treatment. Screenwriter (and massive movie nerd) Larry Karaszewski (Ed Wood, Man on the Moon, Dolemite Is My Name) joins me to discuss Andrew Bergman's So Fine, which is a sex comedy, a broad farce, and three flavors of satire at once.

I finally got my old pal Joe "Mayhem" Lynch to sit down for an episode, and of course he chose an underloved 1993 genre classic: Abel Ferrara's Body Snatchers. It may not be as well-regarded as its older siblings (1956 & 1978, to be specific) but Joe and I found a whole lot to love in this adaptation all the same. And be sure to check out Joe's latest top-notch genre concoction: Suitable Flesh! 

The late '70s and early '80s were littered with all sorts of truly weird musicals, some of which have stood the test of time (like Grease), and many of which exist as relics of a truly bizarre era... like The Apple. Join me and filmmaker / podcaster / cinema junkie Julia Marchese as we discuss The Apple, a wide variety of these weird musicals, and the beauty of Stephen King adaptations. This last part comes up because Julia recently directed a short film based on King's short story, "I Know What You Need," which is super cool.

How did a movie with this much talent on both sides of the camera end up losing almost $50 million for its production company? I'm not entirely sure, but there are several good theories. Join me and frequent guest Andrew Carden as he breaks down why he has a lot of affection for this underloved Frank Darabont / Jim Carrey collaboration.

Audiences seemed mostly disinterested; critics were right on the fence; and the box office was generally unimpressive, all things considered. But who cares about all that stuff? How does Brad Bird's family-friendly sci-fi epic hold up after a particularly long eight years? My guest Rob Hunter (of the excellent Film School Rejects) offers a strong defense of this scrappily optimistic and undeniably beautiful-looking movie. (My apologies for using the word scrappily.)

Former film critic turned sassy wise-ass Eric D. Snider joins me once again, this time to discuss a darkly colorful movie best described as Act I of Superman combined with most of Damien: Omen II.

I'm joined by Overhated Bond expert Brian J. Salisbury to discuss an 007 adventure that may rank among the franchise's most underappreciated chapter. Great conversation if you ask me.

"I hate Daredevil so much." -- Ben Affleck

But you know who doesn't hate Daredevil? Cecil Trachenburg of the fantastic Good Bad Flicks YouTube channel. that's who(m).

For decades there was a "pirate movie curse" that doomed every movie that dared to dip its toe into that particular pool. (That curse was ultimately broken by Captain Jack Sparrow, of course.) And the poster child for that pirate movie curse has got to be Renny Harlin's 1995 financial disaster Cutthroat Island. But fortunately we have frequent guest Fred Topel on hand to offer a firm defense of a movie that lost about $100,000,000 and helped destroy an entire production company.

Once credited as the most expensive movie ever made, Rambo III is now mainly remembered for some uncomfortable political history, but does it hold up as just an enjoyably straightforward action flick? Well, author / humorist / "Effin' Birds" creator Aaron Reynolds is here to plead the film's case.  

Note: there are some mild audio glitches in the second half of the episode. I duly apologize for this, and I blame those effin' birds.

You could probably write a book on the insane headaches that took place on the Exorcist franchise between 2003 and 2005, or you could just listen to this episode of Overhated! Big thanks to reliable ol' Brian Salisbury, of Junkfood Cinema, for picking a film that's not only seasonal (it's October) and topical (Exorcist Part 6 just hit theaters), but also actually deserves a second look.   Thanks for listening to Overhated! There are 100+ more episodes at patreon.com/scottEweinberg. Subscribe to hear them all now!

Check out the list of episodes here: bit.ly/3WZiLFk.

Subscribe wherever you get yo...

Few movies of the 1990s have been discussed, debated, and rediscovered as much as Alien 3 has. So now it's time for Overhated to take a swing! We cover everything from that infuriating prologue to the rotten way David Fincher was treated by Fox executives, and by "we" I mean me and the co-hosts of a very fun podcast called Puppet Masters / Castle Freaks: Jarrod Hornbeck & Steve Guntli!

The hook is great: Dr. Watson is the actual brains behind all the mystery-solving, whereas Holmes is actually a drunken idiot hired to keep the media distracted. And boy do Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley have fun bickering and bantering their way through this unjustly forgotten farce. Big thanks to the illustrious wordsmith C. Robert Cargill for joining me on this one.

Very few filmmakers have been able to deliver a "quality streak" of movies like John Carpenter did throughout the 1970s and '80s. Some of the movies made money, some did not; but all of them seem to hold a special place in the hearts of countless movie nerds. (Check the episode for evidence of this epic streak.) But then John Carpenter signed on to make a movie with Chevy Chase, and this movie was the result. Big thanks to regular guest and awards guru Andrew Carden for picking this one.

When you're not only adapting but also modernizing the great Charles Dickens (and in only your second feature!) you're bound to go through some headaches. Seems like the great Alfonso Cuaron dealt with all sorts of headaches on Great Expectations, an overhated film chosen by the illustrious and frequent guest Courtney Howard!

Let's face it; it's hard to make an "alien attack!" movie that won't eventually find a few loyal fans out there. It's just a fun sub-genre! Big thanks to first-time guest @BrianJRoan for a great discussion.

If you need further evidence that every movie ever released into theaters has at least a handful of sincere fans, here's an episode on the second Poltergeist sequel. Big thanks to returning guest and podcast producer Jim Laczkowski for this amusing episode!

I said it an entire trilogy ago: JP3 is the second best Jurassic Park movie -- and I still believe that to be true. Big thanks to Spielberg guru Erik Childress for joining me for this one. Lots of potential factors to consider here!

The "aging star slasher flick" had a brief run in the early '80s,, while producers were still figuring out what a slasher movie actually was. Here is one such example: a very basic stalker tale with a surprisingly impressive ensemble cast. Not a huge fan of this one, if I'm being honest, so it's a good thing returning guest Andrew Carden (@awardsconnect) is.

I'm sure we'll cover the Space Jam sorta-sequel in a future episode of Overhated, but it won't be anytime soon. Instead it's me and Junkfood Cinema's Brian Salisbury continuing our Looney Tunes talk by focusing on Joe Dante's old-school insane Looney Tunes: Back in Action. This was a fun flick to revisit, I don't mind saying.

It's been called more advertisement than movie. It's also been called awesomely fun. Frequent guest and movie lunatic Brian Salisbury (of Junkfood Cinema!) is here to discuss one of 1996's most popular / hated movies; the Space Jam.

Hey, remember that movie Ben Stiller and Jack Black made together? The one about dog poop, dead horses, and uncomfortable emotions? Well I know someone who does, and he lives in France! Big thanks to my pal @JeremieHalimi for this episode.

When an old friend yells "Freddy's Dead is overhated, Weinbergggg!" you simply have to respond. If that's your name, I mean. So on this episode I'm joined by the great Trevor Trujillo { @TrevorTrujillo } and we spend 30+ minutes discussing one of the weirdest Part Sixes you'll ever see.

If it's a sequel that's got a 29% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, odds are I'll be covering it on Overhated with veteran film critic Fred Topel. So start those Diesel engines, and thank you, patrons.

Mid-November and kind of a mid-week for releases, but Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy do have five reviews for you including a pair of documentaries on two icons in the film and music world (Bogart: Life Comes in Flashes, Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley). They look at the latest from Andrea Arnold (Bird) and try to look at the new musical from Jacques Audiard apart from its controversies (Emilia Perez). Finally, Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans team up to rescue Santa Claus from the Christmas Witch. Yes, really (Red One).

Most of my conversations with writer / director / podcaster / dad Ben Rock revolve around the movies based on the works of Clive Barker. So that means this episode was pretty much inevitable. I think Rawhead Rex might be next on the docket. Big thank you to all patrons. P.S. check out the audio horror story Catchers on Audible. Ben wrote it with his partner Bob.

Long before the franchise turned into an international lunatic circus that defies all known laws of physics, and rather stylishly I might add, the Fast Furious flicks were all about cars, man. And bros, bro. Speaking of bros., I'm joined by frequent guest Brian "Junkfood Cinema" Salisbury; we normally Bond flicks together, but we also like to break the rules. We're crazy.

If there's one thing you need to know about film critic Matt Singer, it's that he loves Arnold Schwarzenegger. And also that he has a book about Siskel & Ebert coming out later this year. Anyway here's me and Matt talking about an Arnold flick that arrived and vanished pretty dang quickly. Big thanks to Matt, who will be back to discuss Last Action Hero, and to all listeners.

This workmanlike action flick came and went back in early 2006, but considering it showcases some strong work from a great director, an immortal action star, and several rock-solid character actors, it definitely seems worthy of a revisit. Big thanks to Sonic Cinema's Brian Skutle (@skutlelemur) for guesting on this one, and thanks to the listeners.

Our Bond guru is back; the legendary Brian Salisbury returns to discuss another frequently lambasted James Bond movie, this time the outer space one. Yep, that one. That highly goofy one that arrived between The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only. It's time to Moonrake.

The wonderful, hilarious Gene Wilder will always be remembered for his work in Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Stir Crazy, and Willy Wonka -- among others, of course -- but the lovable clown also had his fair share of creative misfires. His final effort as director is, depending on who you ask, one such misfire. But it's still a rather difficult movie to dislike, especially if you love (very) old horror movies. Big thanks to my guest Andrew Carden (@AwardsConnect) for suggesting this one! 

It seemed like a pretty safe bet for the summer of 2010: an energetic action comedy (with romance!) from two of the planet's biggest, prettiest movie stars. But then it hit theaters, everyone from film critics to moviegoers said "meh, what else you got?" And despite a few good notices and some solid overseas business, it vanished pretty quickly. But is it overhated? Frequent guest / film critic Courtney Howard says, "well, yes. It is." 

We had to cover this one eventually, and so I broke out a heavy hitter of a guest. That's right: Junkfood Cinema's Brian Salisbury is once again on hand to help deliver a very fun episode. Waterworld will always be remembered as one of the '90s most trashed, pilloried, and derided movies -- but that was then. Let's talk about now.

Thanks for listening to Overhated! There are 100+ more episodes at patreon.com/scottEweinberg. Subscribe to hear them all now!

Check out the list of episodes here: bit.ly/3WZiLFk.

Subscribe wherever...

I can already hear the cries of GenX-based incredulity. But yes, there are people who don't like The Goonies. I've read the articles. Plus I wonder if it speaks to younger generations at all, despite the good stuff. Anyway we just thought it would be a fun movie to discuss, and our resident Spielberg expert Erik Childress is on hand to offer his insights. 

Although best known for being a wildly popular author, the late Michael Crichton had a rather intriguing career as a screenwriter and movie director. Riding high after successes like Coma and The Great Train Robbery, Crichton set his sights on a satirical noir-ish chase thriller known as Looker. And every member of Generation X saw it at least once on HBO. Big thanks to returning guest Rodney Ascher, who is a director and massive movie fanatic, for choosing this diverting little time capsule of a movie.

If you were a young movie nerd in the 1980s you had to have an opinion on these crazy new Troma movies. And if you wanted to know what a Troma movie was all about, you just had to start with the certifiably insane horror/superhero satire known as The Toxic Avenger. Big thanks to guest Ed Havens (@The80sMoviePod) for suggesting this one, and for bringing some solid historical context.

Good ol' reliable Ben Rock (@neptunesalad) is back, and this time he's bringing along one of the weirdest, wackiest, and ickiest studio-released horror movies, maybe ever. No, not maybe! Thanks Ben, thanks listeners, and you know what?

After seeing what Guy Ritchie did with Sherlock Holmes (twice!) it should come as no surprise to learn that his rendition of King Arthur is a hyper-kinetic, irreverent, and frequently insane movie. And boy did a lot of people dislike that combination. But I'm joined by the legendary Vern (yes, @outlawvern himself) to discuss why and how this flick might be, you guessed it, overhated.

Now this was a fun movie to revisit, reassess, and discuss with my old pal Erik Childress aka @erikthemovieman on twitter.

I know more about ancient Roman dating customs than I do about professional wrestling, so it's a good thing I have not one but two guests who seem to know their stuff, especially when it comes to this widely derided novelty comedy. Big thanks to patron and pal Paul Andolina (@scoochslam) for suggesting and discussing this one, and also to regular visitor Brian Salisbury of Junkfood Cinema, who offers a few random thoughts as well.

Ask a Bond fanatic to name the worst of all the movies and you're bound to get at least ten answers. OK maybe six. But for most of young life, Golden Gun was generally considered to be among the biggest snoozers in the whole franchise. So I talked to Junkfood Cinema's Brian Salisbury about it. He loves these flicks.

I've spent a good deal of my time on this planet defending three very specific movies: Popeye, Flash Gordon, and 1941. I'm pleased to have Erik Childress (@erikthemovieman) join me for this super-sized episode of Overhated, because I still love this bizarre Spielberg comedy more than I probably should.

I could easily devote an entire month of Overhated to the movies of Mr. Roland Emmerich, and I'd be smart to re-invite my guest, film critic Rachel West (@rachel_is_here), because she seems to get the appeal of these crazy disaster movies -- even when they're supremely goofy.

Found footage plus space horror sounds like a perfect equation for someone like me, but I remember walking away from this flick feeling disappointed, confused, and slightly annoyed. But you know who absolutely adores this movie? Prolific author, horror expert, and movie nut Daniel Kraus (@DanielDKraus), that's who(m)! Daniel's next novel is about a man who has to escape from inside a whale, and I cannot wait to read that.

The fourth sequel in the initial Planet of the Apes cycle seems to be a fairly divisive chapter among Ape nuts, and it's pretty easy to see why. Fortunately, I have returning guest Richard Jensen (@theragingcelt) on hand, who can explain what he likes about Apes Part 5, and why.  And yes I'll get to the other Apes sequels eventually.

The box office returns weren't awful, and critics were mostly on the fence about the movie, but how does Ivan Reitman's My Super Ex-Girlfriend hold up today? I have a some personal bias when it comes to this movie, but my guest and loyal patron Shawn Cain (@sdcain) is a big fan.

With a new Dungeons & Dragons movie (finally) hitting the screens, I thought it'd be a good time to look back at a widely ridiculed stinker that virtually everyone seems to dislike -- except for my guest Will Walker, who is a patron, youtuber, and general movie nerd. And somehow... he actually makes a few good points.

Bring up The Matrix and it won't take long for someone to interject with "too bad about those sequels, eh?" -- which is weird because Matrix Part 2 is pretty damn fantastic across the board. My old friend and great writer Scott Beggs is on hand to rattle off numerous reasons that The Matrix Reloaded might be considered overhated, despite being a massive hit.   Thanks for listening to Overhated! There are 100+ more episodes at patreon.com/scottEweinberg. Subscribe to hear them all now!

Check out the list of episodes here: bit.ly/3WZiLFk.

Subscribe wherever you get yo...

Director Paul W.S. Anderson was coming off a box office disappointment called Event Horizon when Soldier hit the screens... and this Kurt Russell action flick fared even worse at the box office. Critics trashed it as well. So how does it hold up now? I'm joined by patron and pal Jeremy Wickett, who happens to be a pretty big fan of this film.

It's one of the most reviled sequels ever made... but is it really that bad? That's the question we always ask here on Overhated, and you may be surprised to hear what film critic / returning guest Fred Topel and I have to say about it. Or not. Either way it's a fun episode.

The Broken Lizard comedy troupe hit the big time with their cult classic Super Troopers, but their next movie wasn't received quite as warmly. My friend Peter Hall would like to officially kick-start the cult classic status for this insane horror comedy. Plus we spend some time honoring the great Bill Paxton, praising some of this year's best horror movies, and promoting Pete's new horror novel, The Dead Friends Society!

Every highly successful director seems to have one, and hopefully just one: a "vanity" project that goes over-budget and flops at the box office while critics scratch their collective head and moviegoers simply go see something else. Barry Levinson's Toys qualifies here; in this episode I'm joined by returning guest Laurel Vail, who loves this weird flick a whole lot. 

What happens when you remove the few moments of Christmas-themed sweetness from a franchise otherwise known for wildly over-the-top comedic violence? You get Home Alone 3, which Roger Ebert liked more than the first two. It's true. Big thanks to my guest, film critic Courtney Howard.

The success of Dick Tracy led to a few strange movies: there's The Rocketeer, which is awesome, and The Shadow, which is not, and The Phantom, which is what Junkfood Cinema's Brian J. Salisbury is here to discuss today.

Astute horror fans know this one, but beyond that I'd say Cherry Falls is a virtually unknown horror film. Suffice to say it might also be the most 2000 movie ever made, just based on the cast alone. But this movie had a wildly difficult journey from script to (TV) screen. It's a very long story, but for this episode we have a fascinating guest indeed. Randy Ostrow (@Mad_Randolph) is a producer in his own right, but back in 2000 he was the VP of production for the now-extinct October Films -- and wow does he have some crazy stories.<...

Can a Spielberg film even be Overhated? Certainly, with all things being relative and all that. The topic comes up on social media all the time, partially because the man is such a consistently impressive filmmaker. So I've tapped Spielberg scholar Erik Childress (@erikthemovieman) to discuss one of the director's less widely adored movies.

Two underappreciated Walter Hill films in a row? Yep. And we have author Walter Chaw (@mangiotto) back as well. And we may just do more Hill films down the road. We're unpredictable. But for now we focus on this oddly satisfying musical melodrama starring Ralph Macchio. We also spend some time on Brewster's Millions (1985) because why the hell not.

As always, thank you, patrons! Also: please subscribe to Overhated in your regular podcast app! We'll be publishing the first 70+ episodes through all the normal sources. Thanks.

Walter's book on Walter Hill! -->  https://mzs.press/ Duration: 00:34:47

Already I can hear your cries of "who could hate this movie?!?" and while I agree with the sentiment, the sad truth is that this movie bombed and the box office, and critics trashed it. It took about a decade of heavy HBO rotation for it to morph into one of the decade's most beloved cult films. And I've got Walter Hill expert Walter Chaw (@mangiotto) on hand to talk about it.

Walter's book on Walter Hill! -->  https://mzs.press/

Our goofy Stephen King adaptation double feature concludes with a 1984 movie that recently got its own remake that may be eligible for Overhated in a few years. (or maybe not.) Big thanks to Erik Childress (@erikthemovieman) for closing Halloween 2022 out in style.

Stephen King fans will remember this one as "the movie he sued," and won, but beyond that nobody really remembers The Lawnmower Man. My friend Ben Rock (@neptunesalad) does, to a point, and he explains why here. I remain unconvinced. 

Check out Ben's new podcast at Audible! It's called Catchers, and it's free for subscribers.

Thanks for listening to Overhated! There are 100+ more episodes at patreon.com/scottEweinberg. Subscribe to hear them all now!

Check out the list of episodes here: bit.ly/3WZiLFk.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: Apple P...

I had to break out a personal favorite for the 100th episode, and Ridley Scott's Legend certainly qualifies. As a kid I saw / liked it, and yearned for a chance to see the legendary" European cut," but I never actually expected to see that insanely cool Universal DVD release from a few years back. Anyway, big thanks to my guest, film critic and fellow Legend fan, Sarah Fetters (@MoviefreakSara), for discussing this kooky yet lovable old movie.

This movie was almost directed by John Woo, and it shows. Big thanks to veteran film critic Fred Topel (@fredtopel) for having me revisit a seriously fun action flick that got very little respect from film critics, and even less from ticket buyers.

How could such a classy film be overhated? Well, first let's look at the box office... and then the number of Oscar nominations. And when was the last time anyone even discussed this movie? Well, our guest Rodney Ascher (@rodney_ascher) of Room 237 fame likes this movie a whole lot, and he explains why!

Frank Marshall's old-fashioned jungle adventure Congo turned out to be a pretty solid hit back in the summer of 1995, and it still seems to have fans today, so how could it ever be overhated? Well, in this case it was those pesky film critics. (Like me, but that's not the point.) And maybe that goofball gorilla. Big thanks to "Scripts Gone Wild" host Billy Ray Brewton (@BillyRayBrewton) for suggesting this one and sitting in to defend the flick.

Anyone out there remember Doomsday? the sci-fi / action / horror combo from the director who was hot off of Dog Soldiers and The Descent? Well, I do. And so do lots of hardcore genre fans like my pal / patron David (@colorsmitty) Smith. He chose it, and we discuss it! 

A smash hit that quickly spawned a sequel, Fantastic Four '05 seems to have been virtually forgotten by the current superhero movie nerds, but does it really deserve to be lumped in with A) Roger Corman's infamous F4 movie, B) that Silver Surfer sequel, and C) the 2015 Fantastic misfire that many have dismissed as an outright debacle? Listen in as my guest Linda Maleh (@lindastvpicks) makes a strong case for this particular movie. 

My weird obsession with the cinema of 1980 continues, and this time we're covering a movie I don't even like very much! But it's not every day you get to see Kirk Douglas, Harvey Keitel, Farrah Fawcett, and a very large robot chasing each other through a space station. Nor should it. Big thanks to my pal Richard Jensen (@theragingcelt) for sitting in on this one.

Pretty much every MCU movie has been a smash hit, and most of them have earned plenty of praise, positive reviews, and accolades. But a few seem to have been dismissed, disliked, or basically forgotten. I (once again) sit down with regular guest Rob Dean (@neutoricmonkey of @Neon_Splatter) to discuss the universe's least favorite Thor movie.

To say this movie was impactful on a young Generation X audience would be an understatement -- and very few of us saw it in theaters. That alone should tell you something interesting about this insane concoction cooked up by Tobe Hooper and Cannon Films. Big thanks to Hooper-head and episode guest Patrick Bromley (@fthismovie) for suggesting this one.

When you think of the late John Hughes, you probably recall beloved movies like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, or Planes, Trains & Automobiles. But the man did have his name on a fair share of semi-forgotten films too. Which brings us to Career Opportunities and my good friend, film critic Erik Childress (@erikthemovieman).

Safe to say that Rob Zombie's movies have proven to be fairly divisive among horror fans, which is a good thing because differing opinions inspire compelling conversations. (I just made that up.) And one of Mr. Zombie's most "love it or hate it" movies is 2009's Halloween II, so I sat down with film critic / horror nut Dede Crimmins (@dedecrim) to discuss it. 

For a movie that A) made $215,000,000, B) played on HBO virtually every day for three years, and C) came free with the purchase of most DVD players, this mountain climbing flick is virtually forgotten. And the critics weren't all that nice to it either. But my guest Sarah Bea Milner (@sarahbeamilner) remembers this movie quite fondly indeed.

Back in the late 1970s and early '80s you couldn't swing a sword without hitting a few high fantasy films. The studios had their pricey efforts like Dragonslayer, Legend, and Labyrinth, and the indie world had tons of cheaper releases like Ator the Fighting Eagle, Deathstalker, The Beastmaster, and the British cult classic known simply as Hawk the Slayer. Big thanks to author and screenwriter Gary Whitta (@garywhitta) for suggesting this movie.

As a director, we can thank James Wan for the massively popular horror franchises called Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring. But he's also had one of two stumbles at the box office. Case in point: Dead Silence! Big thanks to Alexandra Burwood (@obsessafilma) for suggesting this movie. 

PS: this episode is a bit shorter than usual, and it's my fault. We had an irritating audio glitch in the mid-section, so I had to cut about six minutes. To make up for it, Alexandra will be back soon to discuss a widely detested sequel that she likes. To h...

If it was Risky Business and Top Gun that launched Tom Cruise into the Hollywood stratosphere, then it was Cocktail that cemented a rule that would last another 20+ years, and that rule is this: Tom Cruise owns Hollywood. For this episode I'm joined by Cocktail fan Nick Larue (@filmsnobbery)! Join us on a brief trip back to 1988, when clothes were awful and neon was prevalent.

I'm joined by my old friend Eric D. Snider (that's @ericDsnider) to discuss Predator Part 4 and this might just be the silliest episode of Overhated, ever. Got another episode on the way tonight to make up for this madness.

It's easy to forget this movie even happened, given how massive popular the "do-over" movie turned out to be, but in this episode I'm joined by one Patrick Bartlett (@alleywaykrew), and he may just be the biggest fan this film has ever had.

Joe Leydon has been a film critic since before the internet existed, so I was very pleased to get him on Overhated. In this episode we sit down to discuss one of his favorite topics: the western. More specifically, a dropped and forgotten western from 2016 that might be worth a second look.

They have yet to join the MCU in an official capacity, but the Fantastic Four has already received four movie adaptations! One you've probably never seen, two you've probably forgotten about, and the infamous 2015 version that everyone seems to hate. Except for one man:  my guest John @Gholson: writer, artist, actor, and comic book mega-nerd.  

After numerous unexpected delays, this afterthought of an X-Men entry hit theaters and was then quickly forgotten -- but is it actually a bad movie? I'm joined by my old friend Rob Dean (@neuroticmonkey), a comic book & horror nerd who's happy to go to bat for the young mutants.

This insane sequel upped the violence, the satire, and the nastiness to a dizzying degree, and it still holds up as one of the darkest, strangest Hollywood sequels ever made. Listen in as I discuss the movie with comic book editor Andy Khouri (@andykhouri), who of course has some insights on Robocop 2 screenwriter Frank Miller.

Critics hated it, audiences mostly ignored it, but if 2009's Gamer were to become a cult film, the support would start right about now.  And my friend Shana (@geekgirldiva) would be the cult president.

You'll learn more about this "asterisked" James Bond movie in 35 minutes than you'll ever need, thanks mostly to my frequently returning guest Brian Salisbury (@briguysalisbury), of the infamous Junkfood Cinema podcast.

This medieval adventure tale was meant to be a family film, to a degree, but things didn't really work out that way -- mainly because the movie, to its credit, is a lot darker than one would normally expect from the Disney brand. But enough typing. Listen in as I discuss Dragonslayer with Mr. Vincenzo Natali (@Vincenzo_Natali), a filmmaker you'll know if you've seen high-end genre films like Cube, Splice, or In the Tall Grass (or TV series like Hannibal, The Strain, or Westworld).

This Disney musical vanished from theaters real quick back in 1992, but it managed to do three things: it helped kick-start the career of Christian Bale, it grew a very strong following of fans over the course of 20 years, and then it inspired a huge Broadway hit. So it's a fun story. Big thanks to my friend Laura Fawcett (@roguefour) for sitting in on this one.

I've been saving this infamous box office disaster for a fitting guest, and suffice to say that I found one in author / film critic / fellow Philadelphian Carrie Rickey (@carrierickey). I suspected she'd have some great insights on this movie, and she did not disappoint. Big thanks to Carrie, as well as all listeners, patrons, and pals.

The phrase "The Great White Hope" has been used in professional boxing for decades, so that's where the movie's title comes from. But how well does the satire hold up in this semi-forgotten ensemble comedy from the mid-1990s? Join me and my pal J.C. DeLeon (@jcdeleon1) to find out. Also check out his sports movie podcast: Love & Game Film.

Heading back to remake country! We do spend a lot of time there, come to think of it. Big thanks to Jason Krawczyk (@every1question) for picking a flick with a strong ensemble. That does help a lot. Be sure to check out Jason's movie He Never Died (from 2015) as soon as possible, especially if you love Henry Rollins.

The year was 1987. Madonna was unstoppable. Unless you count movies. 

Big thanks to my pal Laurel Vail (@laurelvail) for returning! And thanks to all listeners, patrons, supporters, and their pets.