318. The Dark Crystal directed by Jim Henson & Frank Oz

"Another world, another time, in the age of wonder." We watched "The Dark Crystal," directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, and that "other time" was back when they made movies for kids creepy as all get out.  They really don't make 'em like they used to, and this movie is proof. The eerie Skeksis still haunt our dreams, the bohemian Mystics are living out our hippie desert dwelling fantasies, and the ethereal Gelflings are giving us fashion inspo for days. Henson and Oz stretched the limits of puppetry on film and created an entire handmade world without a human to be seen. The art of illustrator Brian Froud and his fantasy creatures is on full display, and The Dark Crystal transports us to a fantastic place that exists only in our memories— the 1980s.  Thank you for listening, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts! www.patreon.com/moviesthatmadeusgay Facebook/Instagram: @moviesthatmadeusgay Bluesky: @MTMUGPod.bsky.social Scott Youngbauer: Twitter @oscarscott / Instagram @scottyoungballer Peter Lozano: Twitter/Instagram @peterlasagna Cover Art by Shaun Piela 

"Nobody drink the beer, the beer has gone bad!" We watched "Can't Hardly Wait" with our friend Ronnie Sullivan from "Why Yes, We're Friends," and we're definitely feeling our age. This "classic" teen comedy from 1998 practically ushered in the teen movie craze of the late '90s and early 2000s. If you had a headshot and a SAG card in 1998 and were in your early-late or late-mid twenties, you were most likely in this movie. The cast list is a who's who of young Hollywood, and there is very nearly something for everyone here— not the least of which being our leads, Ethan Embry and our girl, Jennifer Love Hewitt. Can you get any cuter leads than those two? Ethan Embry was definitely an awakening for many a queer boy, and JLH was practically everyone's dream girl. The rest of the cast flow in and out in their respective vignettes; they have become iconic in the pantheon of teen party movies. Co-directors and writers Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont really had their fingers on the pulse of young people at the time, and the duo would go on to direct another MTMUG classic— "Josie and the Pussycats." This movie has it all— cute boys, fierce girls, and a killer soundtrack. I just know we're going to be quoting this one for days. "She is NOT prettier than Gwyneth." Thank you for listening, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts! www.patreon.com/moviesthatmadeusgay Facebook/Instagram: @moviesthatmadeusgay Bluesky: @MTMUGPod.bsky.social Scott Youngbauer: Twitter @oscarscott / Instagram @scottyoungballer Peter Lozano: Twitter/Instagram @peterlasagna Cover Art by Shaun Piela 

"Leeloo Dallas multipass" We watched "The Fifth Element" from 1997, directed by Luc Besson, and we love a future filled with supermodels, high fashion latex activewear, and Ruby Rhod on the airwaves. This movie has a lot of things going for it and possibly just as many going against it. For all the stunning visuals, A+ casting, and high fashion, there's a convoluted plot, third-act issues, and a practically non-existent antagonist. But we're willing to look past those problems because this movie is a fun watch, and our two leads, played by Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich, are just so darn watchable. We won't try to filter down the plot to a few sentences— that's nearly impossible— but we will say Willis, as the war-hardened flying cabbie Korben Dallas, is really showing us why he's a certified action hunk (in orange latex, no less). And Milla Jovovich is stunning as the ethereal, otherworldly, divine being Leeloo. Orange hair and bleached eyebrows never looked so good. Milla makes dialogue in a constructed language sound natural, and her physicality really shows the action star she would soon become. Story problems aside, this movie is still a ton of fun and a treat to watch.  Thank you for listening, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts! www.patreon.com/moviesthatmadeusgay Facebook/Instagram: @moviesthatmadeusgay Bluesky: @MTMUGPod.bsky.social Scott Youngbauer: Twitter @oscarscott / Instagram @scottyoungballer Peter Lozano: Twitter/Instagram @peterlasagna Cover Art by Shaun Piela 

"Wish me a happy Valentine's Day when you call. That'd be... nice!" We watched "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" with our friend Amber Shaw, and we need to wash the Blue Ruin hair dye out of our hands. Could this be the most romantic movie of all time? To a generation of millennials, the answer just might be yes. This loopy, Möbius strip, timey-wimey love story could only have been constructed by writer Charlie Kaufman and put to screen by visionary director Michel Gondry, and it has forever left a stamp on our impressionable minds. Jim Carrey gives a rare but memorable dramatic performance as the nebbish, lovelorn Joel Barish, and Kate Winslet delivers an Oscar-nominated performance as the prototype Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Clementine Kruczynski. Gondry's analog, sci-fi world brings us back to a pre-social media era in which one could plausibly have an entire relationship erased from their memory, and a mere postcard could seal the deal to your friends and family. Maybe smartphones would have been the death knell for Lacuna Inc., but we're glad to harken back to those naive days in the before times. There are theories about Joel and Clem's future relationship and whether or not they continued to have the erasure procedure done over and over again. Maybe meeting each other for the first time is their happy place. This movie just might be ours.  Thank you for listening, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts! www.patreon.com/moviesthatmadeusgay Facebook/Instagram: @moviesthatmadeusgay Bluesky: @MTMUGPod.bsky.social Scott Youngbauer: Twitter @oscarscott / Instagram @scottyoungballer Peter Lozano: Twitter/Instagram @peterlasagna Cover Art by Shaun Piela 

It's our favorite season on the podcast, awards! We invited over our friends and Oscar experts Joshua Clement and Harper Thomson back on the podcast to talk about our annual Oscar episode where we break down the delightfully chaotic categories of the 98th Annual Academy Awards, that are airing March 15th. With categories this year that are close calls like best actor. Has Timothée Chalamet's cocky campaign cost him the win? Will Ethan Hawke or Leonardo DiCaprio pull off a surprise win? Or will Michael B. Jordan's strong finish with the Actor's Award send him to victory? This might be the most we've talked about one of the male categories ever on the Oscar episode. We get into all the categories and talk about snubs with a full examination of wha' ha' happened with Wicked For Good, and our love Amanda Seyfried in Testiment of Ann Lee. And we do the second annual Empty Mug Awards!  Thank you for listening, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts! www.patreon.com/moviesthatmadeusgay Facebook/Instagram: @moviesthatmadeusgay Bluesky: @MTMUGPod.bsky.social Scott Youngbauer: Twitter @oscarscott / Instagram @scottyoungballer Peter Lozano: Twitter/Instagram @peterlasagna Cover Art by Shaun Piela 

"Droughts are for poor people. You think J-Lo has a brown lawn? People who use extra water have extra class." We watched "A Cinderella Story" with our friend Gabe Muñoz, and we've written this entire synopsis using T9 texting. Our gal, Hilary Duff, is having a moment with her new album release, so we took a stroll down memory lane and watched this early aughts modern fairy tale classic. For a teen romance based on a fairy tale, this didn't need to be as charming as it is, and a lot of that charm can be attributed to the stellar supporting cast - Regina King and Jennifer Coolidge in the same movie… fierce. Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray are Millennial royalty, but Jennifer and Regina as "wicked stepmother" Fiona and "fairy godmother" Rhonda are giving us everything - comedy, looks, a cat fight. It's like a "Drag Race" acting challenge come to life. This movie, like Hilary herself, has given way to some classic memes and has become woven into our collective consciousness. Like Hilary taught us - "laugh out loud." Thank you for listening, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts! www.patreon.com/moviesthatmadeusgay Facebook/Instagram: @moviesthatmadeusgay Bluesky: @MTMUGPod.bsky.social Scott Youngbauer: Twitter @oscarscott / Instagram @scottyoungballer Peter Lozano: Twitter/Instagram @peterlasagna Cover Art by Shaun Piela 

"No, I'm a star! Please, I'm a star!" After years of resisting the spell Mia Goth has cast on all of us, we're covering Pearl! Shot back-to-back with X during the dark days of the pandemic, Ti West's mélange of horror and 50's melodrama captivated audiences. We talk about how the movie feels outside the studio system and how it lends itself to its odd Technicolor fever dream tone. Who we'd take out of the 2023 Best Actress Race to fit in with Mia Goth's incredible performance, and the delightfully camp moments Pearl gives us.  Thank you for listening, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts! www.patreon.com/moviesthatmadeusgay Facebook/Instagram: @moviesthatmadeusgay Bluesky: @MTMUGPod.bsky.social Scott Youngbauer: Twitter @oscarscott / Instagram @scottyoungballer Peter Lozano: Twitter/Instagram @peterlasagna Cover Art by Shaun Piela 

"Strange that the victim had only one testicle stuffed in his mouth. I believe they usually come in pairs." It's the premiere of season eight of Movies That Made Us Gay, and we invited over the director of "Psycho Beach Party," Bob King, to talk about its twenty-sixth anniversary. Part 60s surf movie, part slasher, and part Hitchcock thriller - we love this movie. From the brilliant mind of the icon Charles Busch, this wacky love letter to cult cinema still holds up after all of these years. Bob breaks it all down for us, from casting memories like finding breakout talent the likes of Lauren Ambrose and Amy Adams, to iconic filming locations along Malibu Beach. "Pyscho Beach Party" is camp, queer joy, and we're so happy to bring this conversation to you for our Season 8 premiere.  Stick around for a very special edition of "Weekly Rewind featuring our own "America's Next Top Model" special correspondent Garrett Mitchell to talk "Reality Check" Inside Americals Next Top Model." Thank you for listening, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts! www.patreon.com/moviesthatmadeusgay Facebook/Instagram: @moviesthatmadeusgay Bluesky: @MTMUGPod.bsky.social Scott Youngbauer: Twitter @oscarscott / Instagram @scottyoungballer Peter Lozano: Twitter/Instagram @peterlasagna Cover Art by Shaun Piela 

"I just want to consult the big Avon handbook." It's Christmas at Movies That Made Us Gay, and we watched "Edward Scissorhands." We've been enchanted with this Tim Burton-directed gem for decades, and it feels like we've waited that long to cover it on the pod. Edward is a suburban goth Frankenstein, and our teen angst hearts were forever taken with his Clara Bow makeup, Robert Smith hair, and Johnny Depp's subtle performance. Gen X Queen Winona Ryder is giving ethereal "Tim Burton Blonde," but she's no damsel in distress. Winona and Johnny famously went on to become a '90s power couple, and we likely have this pairing to thank. We adore the rest of the women in Edward's orbit; Dianne Wiest charms us as Peg Boggs, his Avon Lady savior, and the gossipy neighbors played perfectly by the likes of Kathy Baker, Conchata Ferrell, and O-Lan Jones are hilarious as the neighborhood's Greek Chorus of busy bodies.  We watch this movie every year and listen to the soundtrack on repeat. The real ones know Danny Elfman's score is top tier— this movie deserves nothing less. Regardless of how you feel about Tim Burton's latest films, this movie stands out as a masterpiece, and a Christmas classic.  Thank you for listening, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts! www.patreon.com/moviesthatmadeusgay Facebook/Instagram: @moviesthatmadeusgay Bluesky: @MTMUGPod.bsky.social Scott Youngbauer: Twitter @oscarscott / Instagram @scottyoungballer Peter Lozano: Twitter/Instagram @peterlasagna

"What is the matter with you? I thought mothers were sweet and nice and patient. I know loan sharks who are more forgiving than you. Your husband ain't dead, lady. He's hiding." We watched "The Ref" with our friend Darren Elms and if you're still looking for last minute gifts for us - Slipper Socks. Medium. We're so glad we got around to reviewing this true Christmas cult classic. If you're not quite sure why we decided on this one, the cast alone should reveal all. Judy Davis, Christine Baranski and Glynis Johns are the real queen divas of this film and, stay with us here, but 1994 Denis Leary can get it. Judy Davis is serving up her '90s mom realness with her spiky pixie cut and trademark brown lipstick and her performance is nothing short of perfection as the acid tongued Caroline. You absolutely love to hate Glynis Johns as the mother-in-law from Hell and MTMUG All Star Christine Baranski has some majorly quotable lines. Speaking of the legendary Ms. Baranski, we sneak in a Leading Ladies quiz commemorating Seven movies with Christine and it's a ton of fun. This underrated family dramedy is pretty hilarious and a nice little Christmas movie to add to your regular holiday re-watch rotation.  Thank you for listening, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts! www.patreon.com/moviesthatmadeusgay Facebook/Instagram: @moviesthatmadeusgay Bluesky: @MTMUGPod.bsky.social Scott Youngbauer: Twitter @oscarscott / Instagram @scottyoungballer Peter Lozano: Twitter/Instagram @peterlasagna