The Untouchables (1987)

Nobody Gets Off This Staircase: Krissy, Nathan, and Pete Take On The UntouchablesWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies. Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guest Pete Wright—podcast impresario and pod boss at TruStory FM—to dig into Brian De Palma's The Untouchables (1987), where the real question isn't whether Al Capone goes down, but how far a straight-arrow fed is willing to bend to make it happen.The central tension here is a juicy one: Kevin Costner's deliberately bland Elliot Ness surrounded by Sean Connery's full-voltage Obi-Wan energy and Andy Garcia's silk-jacketed handsomeness. Is Costner's wooden earnestness a character choice or just… Costner being Costner? The gang has feelings. Meanwhile, Pete makes a compelling case that David Mamet is at his very best when someone else is in the director's chair—and that De Palma's camera (hello, split diopter) transforms stilted period dialogue into something genuinely cinematic.What keeps the conversation sparking is the sheer audacity of the filmmaking: an improvised staircase sequence that became the movie's most iconic scene, Armani-clad gangsters that make everyone want to buy overcoats for a city they don't live in, and a baby carriage that shows up twice in two consecutive episodes of the pod. The episode stays premise-level throughout, so you can jump in clean and still feel every gut punch.TruStory FM | Membership (early, ad-free access + bonus content): Join | Socials: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | Learn more about the hosts: Neighborhood Comedy Theatre | Squishy StudiosIf you could only pick one scene from this movie to show someone who'd never seen it, which one would you choose—and why? ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website to learn more.

Breaking Barriers: Krissy and Nathan Strap In for The Right StuffWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Show. Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell strap in for Philip Kaufman's sweeping 1983 epic The Right Stuff — a film so genuinely, stubbornly good that it nearly breaks their ability to snark about it.The central tension here isn't between astronauts and gravity — it's between Krissy and Nathan and a movie that refuses to be easily summed up. With an extraordinary ensemble (Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Sam Shepard, Fred Ward, Jeff Goldblum, and at least ten more "wait, is that—?" faces), The Right Stuff sprawls across three hours and twelve minutes like a prestige mini-series that never quite got the memo it was a movie. The hosts dig into what makes it so entertaining moment to moment — the absurdist testing sequences, Goldblum perpetually racing in with news everyone already has, and the quiet, earned power of Ed Harris telling the Vice President to back off his wife.What you get here is two people genuinely wrestling with a film they admire deeply, laughing at the bits that deserve laughs and getting a little misty at the bits that earn it. The conversation is premise-level — no endings spoiled, no surprises given away — just an honest, warmhearted debate about what holds this sprawling, magnificent beast together.TruStory FM | Membership (early, ad-free access + bonus content): Join | Socials: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | Learn more about the hosts: Neighborhood Comedy Theatre | Squishy StudiosIf you could only keep one scene from The Right Stuff, what would it be — and why? ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website to learn more.

One Man Army, Zero Armadillos: The Invasion U.S.A. SituationWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Show. Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guests Francis Zagarigo and Jenna Jacobsen of the Very Fine Friends podcast to take on Invasion U.S.A. (1985) — the Chuck Norris one-man-army spectacular that Nathan has been lobbying to cover for years.The big question the crew keeps circling: is this a movie, or is it a spectacle? Because there's a difference, and Invasion U.S.A. lands firmly in one of those camps. The conversation digs into what happens when a studio decides the solution to a too-long cut is to remove everything that isn't an explosion — including, heartbreakingly, any resolution involving a pet armadillo. What's left is something the hosts describe as witnessing a chaotic family at a carnival, and somehow that becomes the episode's most affectionate note.Francis and Jenna bring fresh eyes and genuine Chuck Norris confusion to the table, which gives the rewatch crowd something to play off of. Whether you know the Norris filmography cold or only recognize him from over someone else's shoulder, the dynamic here keeps things lively — and surprisingly warm. This one stays at premise level throughout, so you can tune in knowing nothing.TruStory FM | Membership (early, ad-free access + bonus content): Join | Socials: Facebook | Instagram | Bluesky | Learn more about the hosts: Neighborhood Comedy Theatre | Squishy StudiosIf you had to defend the United States single-handedly, what 1985 action-movie weapon would you choose and why? ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website to learn more.

Dearly Beloved, We Are Gathered Here to Talk About Purple Rain Welcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast. Hosts Krissy Lenz (comedian and director at Neighborhood Comedy Theatre) and Nathan Blackwell (independent filmmaker at Squishy Studios) are joined this week by not one but two returning special guests—podcaster and writer Kyle Olson and podcast producer and improv impresario Pete Wright—to dig into one of the most electric, beguiling, and undeniably Prince films ever committed to celluloid: Purple Rain (1984).Neither Krissy nor Nathan had ever seen the movie before this episode—a confession that earns them some gentle ribbing from the two superfans across the table. What unfolds is a warm, funny, and genuinely insightful conversation about Prince as performer, The Kid as character, and what it means to watch a film that is less a story and more a time capsule from another world.🎸 The Concert Film That Got a Plot Attached to ItThe group quickly zeroes in on Purple Rain's greatest paradox: the performances are absolutely transcendent—opening on Let's Go Crazy, arguably one of the greatest concert openers in film history—while the story threading them together is, as Pete diplomatically puts it, a little rough around the edges. Kyle suggests there may exist a perfect 50-minute cut of this film that is simply the greatest concert film ever made. The consensus? Every time the band steps off stage, the movie struggles; every time they step back on, it soars.Pete brings essential context: Purple Rain was a massive cultural moment in 1984, released the same summer as Ghostbusters, and it landed especially hard for Minneapolis audiences who recognized First Avenue and Hennepin Avenue as their own streets, their own stomping grounds. Kyle—who lived in the Twin Cities from 2000 to 2010—had visited First Avenue many times without realizing he was standing in the house that Prince built. This film is a time capsule of a city and a singular artist in full ascent.👊 The Kid Is Kind of a Jerk—and That's Kind of the PointOne of the episode's richest threads is the group wrestling with the fact that Prince plays The Kid—a fictionalized character adjacent to his real life—and The Kid treats nearly everyone around him badly. Krissy notes that she kept waiting for more of the film to show Prince's creative genius on screen the way the music does; instead, we get a young man repeating cycles of trauma and slowly, reluctantly, learning to let others in.Pete makes a fascinating observation: despite Prince being the architect of essentially every creative element in the film—the bands, the songs, the image—he chose to let himself look genuinely bad on screen. That's not a vanity project move. It's something closer to art. The comparison to Eight Mile and Saturday Night Fever arises naturally: all three are films about someone with enormous talent trying to escape the gravitational pull of a difficult past.🎭 Morris Day, Jerome, and the Movie Inside the MovieNo discussion of Purple Rain would be complete without celebrating Morris Day and Jerome Benton, who the hosts agree feel like they wandered in from a much sillier, more vaudevillian film—and are absolutely electric every second they're on screen. Their onstage charisma is unmatched, their comedic chemistry reads as completely natural, and somewhere in the multiverse, per Nathan, there exists a Morris Day and the Time's Big Adventure that we all deserve to see.🎵 A Few More Things Worth Knowing Before You ListenThe group's scale for rating films this episode? Poofy white shirts—on a scale of one to ten.The synchronized choreography in the concert scenes sparks a delightful tangent about the continuum from the Temptations and Four Tops all the way to boy bands—and what was lost in between.Pete drops some genuinely surprising trivia about the iconic custom guitar Apollonia gives The Kid, where it was made, and where the last one lives today.The hosts discuss the original female lead who was meant to star opposite Prince—and the behind-the-scenes reason she didn't.Krissy shares a deeply personal and tearful moment involving the Stranger Things finale and two very specific Prince songs played at two very emotional moments.🎬 The VerdictAll four hosts land at seven poofy white shirts out of ten. The film is imperfect, occasionally baffling, and unmistakably of its moment—but Prince is Prince. Krissy sums it up perfectly: even the things she didn't like, she liked that she didn't like them. This is a movie that earns its place in the conversation, not because it's great cinema, but because it's a genuinely unrepeatable cultural artifact. And the music? The music is flawless, full stop.🎁 Bonus Content for MembersThis week's member bonus is a juicy one: all four hosts share their most epic superfan blowout stories—times they threw caution (and travel budgets) to the wind to follow an artist or experience something completely over the top but absolutely justified. Kyle and Pete's trip to the world premiere of the Purple Rain musical in Minnesota is just the beginning. Members get every episode a week early, ad-free, plus exclusive bonus content like this. Join at trustory.fm/join.💬 Have a Listen and Let Us Know:If you've ever watched Purple Rain, did you find yourself rooting for The Kid even when he was being insufferable? And if you haven't seen it—are you more of a first-time viewer like Krissy and Nathan, or a lifelong Prince devotee like Kyle and Pete? Come find us and tell us where you land.📻 Find the Show & ConnectLearn more about The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast and the TruStory FM network at trustory.fm.Follow and chat with us on social media:FacebookInstagramBlueskyLearn more about your hosts at Neighborhood Comedy Theatre and Squishy Studios.Be excellent to each other—and party on! ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website to learn more.

When Puppets Get Grotesque: The Dark Crystal and the Gateway to Nightmare FuelKrissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell sit down with special guest Eric Weir—a tattoo artist and lifelong Jim Henson devotee—to tackle The Dark Crystal (1982), the film that proved Muppets could die on screen and parents could regret their viewing choices. One host comes in fresh with zero childhood nostalgia, while the other two grapple with how a movie this dark and grungy holds up against the comfort of Labyrinth.What Fuels the ConversationThe tension here isn’t about plot—it’s about whether The Dark Crystal still works when you strip away the rose-colored glasses or, conversely, whether it even lands if you never wore them. Eric makes a case for the film as a top-ten masterpiece, Nathan admits a soft spot despite rotating it out of the lineup, and Krissy finds herself surprised by how much she enjoyed a movie that seemed designed to keep her away as a kid. The trio wrestles with Jim Henson’s ambition to make something intentionally less cuddly, the grotesque beauty of the Skeksis (each hideous in its own special way), and whether the absence of songs was a missed opportunity or a bold choice. They also dig into the puppet mechanics, the nightmare-fuel death scenes, and how this film became a visual gateway drug for darker fantasy.Why You’ll Want to ListenThis one’s warm, weird, and genuinely curious—spoiler-light enough to stay at the premise level, but rich with debate over nostalgia, artistry, and what happens when you ask Muppets to walk like humans. Whether you’re Team Labyrinth or Team Dark Crystal, there’s plenty here to chew on.LinksTruStory FMMembership (early, ad-free access + bonus content): JoinSocials: Facebook | Instagram | BlueskyLearn more about the hosts: Neighborhood Comedy Theatre | Squishy StudiosIf you could only show one Jim Henson project to someone who’d never seen his work, would you pick the cute and cuddly or the dark and crumbling—and why? ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website to learn more.

It's time for season 9 of The Most Excellent 80s Movies!

Ice Pirates: Space Swashbuckling, Time Warps, and Robot BrothelsREBROADCASTWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Join hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell, along with special guests Sean Oliver and Drew Leatham of Third Productions, as they navigate the wonderfully bonkers 1984 sci-fi comedy Ice Pirates. In a galaxy where water is the most precious commodity, space pirates raid Templar ships, stumble upon a princess in a smoke chamber, and embark on a quest involving castration conveyor belts, unicorn-riding Amazons, and a climactic time warp that ages everyone decades in minutes. This movie has everything—and we mean everything.The crew dives deep into what makes Ice Pirates such a hidden gem of '80s cinema. Despite its slashed budget (down from $20 million to $8 million, forcing a rewrite as a comedy), the film delivers genuine laughs, impressive practical effects, and surprisingly likeable characters. Robert Urich charms as the roguish lead, while Anjelica Huston and Ron Perlman steal scenes as memorable supporting pirates. The group marvels at the film's commitment to its bits—from adorable space prairie dogs to baby donkeys that pay off brilliantly in the finale. They also grapple with the movie's confusing villain structure (or lack thereof), casual '80s-era problematic moments, and a sex scene set to a slideshow called "Passion Storm" that somehow involves wasting precious water during coitus.What emerges is a consensus: Ice Pirates rates around five or six robots-shitting-themselves when watched alone, but jumps to a solid eight when experienced with friends. It's the perfect midnight screening movie—campy, ambitious, and genuinely funny rather than just laughably bad. The practical effects hold up remarkably well, the comedy lands more often than not, and the time warp sequence remains an absolute highlight of creative chaos. Sean and Drew even share the wild story of their high school's stage adaptation of the film, complete with castration scenes and Mad Max sequences somehow translated to theater.Additional Highlights:The movie features pre-LED lighting with hundreds of tiny heated bulbs on the robot designs—a fire hazard waiting to happenBruce Vilanch makes a bizarre cameo on an Amazon planet, and nobody knows whyThe "redesign" process (castration and lobotomization) includes an oddly satisfying conveyor belt sequence with enthusiastic workersRobert Urich bears an uncanny resemblance to Bill Hader, leading to mental deep-faking throughout the viewingThe film ends abruptly upon finding Earth, leaving questions about legitimate trade routes versus creating the biggest water black market everThe hosts conclude that more people need to know about Ice Pirates—it's a genuinely ambitious effort that deserves cult classic status beyond obscure VHS shelves. Deep cut recommendations include Time Bandits, Flash Gordon (1980), and Nathan's web series Voyage Trekkers.Want more Most Excellent 80s Movies? Head to TruStory.fm to explore the full network. Become a member at trustory.fm/join for early, ad-free episodes and access to the True Story FM Discord for bonus content and community discussion.Connect with us:Facebook | Instagram | BlueskyLearn more about the hosts and guests:Neighborhood Comedy TheatreSquishy StudiosThird ProductionsDrew LeathamWhat's your favorite overlooked '80s sci-fi comedy that deserves more love? ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website to learn more.

Sunglasses, Skull Faces, and the Longest Fight Scene EverREBROADCASTWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by returning guest Adam Marshall Rini to dissect John Carpenter's 1988 cult classic They Live. What starts as a simple tale of a drifter looking for work quickly transforms into a mind-bending sci-fi commentary on consumerism, Reaganomics, and subliminal control—once Roddy Piper finds those magical sunglasses, of course. But is this film a masterpiece of political satire or just "Noam Chomsky for 14-year-olds"? The hosts debate whether They Live is best enjoyed with tacos and beer or if it's essential viewing for understanding capitalism's grip on society.The conversation flows from the film's jarring tonal shifts—peaceful drifter to trigger-happy action hero in minutes—to that infamous alley fight scene that seems to go on longer than the movie itself. Krissy experiences the film with fresh eyes and finds herself both fascinated and bewildered by its pacing, while Nathan and Adam appreciate it as a "beer and taco movie" that hits different emotional notes depending on your age when you first watch it. They explore Carpenter's knack for making outsiders the heroes, the shocking violence of the police raid scenes, and why casting a professional wrestler was the perfect choice to reach a teenage audience. The panel also wrestles with the film's abrupt ending and that peculiar final shot that seems designed purely to earn its R rating.Additional Highlights:The group debates whether the sunglasses actually get you high or just tax your brain with information overloadDiscussion of how They Live influenced everything from Shepard Fairey's "Obey" artwork to South Park episodesAnalysis of why Keith David elevates every scene he's in, even when he's being forced to wear sunglasses against his willExamination of the film's stark division between the haves and have-nots, with no middle class in sightThe revelation that this screenplay follows textbook structure, hitting its major plot point at exactly the 30-minute markThe hosts land on vastly different ratings: Nathan gives it 8 pairs of sunglasses as a fun genre piece, Adam awards it an honorary 14 for its cultural importance to young minds, and Krissy settles on 5—acknowledging its significance while admitting it's just not for her. Their deep cut recommendations range from the video game Fallout: New Vegas to Noam Chomsky's Understanding Power to Green Day's “American Idiot,” proving this film's influence extends far beyond cinema.Learn More:Discover more about the podcast and TruStory FM at trustory.fm. Members get early, ad-free access to episodes plus exclusive bonus content—join at trustory.fm/join. Connect with the show on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky. Check out the hosts' creative work at Neighborhood Comedy Theatre and Squishy Studios.Have you ever wondered what you'd do if you found sunglasses that revealed hidden messages everywhere? Would you immediately start a revolution or just try to convince your skeptical best friend? ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website to learn more.

May the Schwartz Be With You: A Spaceballs Deep DiveWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guest Adam Marshall Rini to close out Season 8 with Mel Brooks' 1987 sci-fi parody Spaceballs. The trio explores whether this childhood favorite still holds up with "grown-up eyes," debating everything from Rick Moranis' concussed helmet performance to Pizza the Hut's grotesque puppet design. Spoiler alert: opinions are divided, with ratings ranging from a nostalgic seven cans of Perri-Air down to a disappointed four.What Really Works (and What Doesn't)The hosts agree that Spaceballs operates on a hit-or-miss ratio—about 50-50, which they concede is pretty solid for parody films. Nathan finds himself pleasantly surprised by how much heart the film retains compared to other spoofs, noting that Mel Brooks maintains character development even while throwing jokes at the wall. The merchandising gags, the "now/then" video scene, and Rick Moranis playing with dolls all earn praise as moments that still land decades later. However, Adam feels the weight of having seen Brooks' masterpieces like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, making Spaceballs feel disappointingly broad by comparison.Nostalgia vs. RealityThe conversation reveals how much expectation shapes our viewing experience. Nathan went in prepared to groan but found genuine enjoyment, while Adam's fond childhood memories collided with adult disappointment. Krissy appreciates the film's innocent, joyful approach to parody—it celebrates Star Wars rather than targeting it with edgy mockery. The group also notes how many dated references (Ford Galaxy cars, Michael Winslow's radar sounds) create an unintentional time capsule effect that's now charming rather than topical.Additional Highlights:The film's constant exposition and repeated revelations feel either intentionally melodramatic or surprisingly sloppyGeorge Lucas loved the movie and allowed Brooks to park the Millennium Falcon at the dinerBill Pullman's face-plant sound effect and Mel Brooks buckling a bear into a space pod remain comedy goldThe Yuma, Arizona sand dunes provided the perfect backdrop for the desert planet scenesWatching double features of Mel Brooks films reveals his decline from Blazing Saddles through Robin Hood: Men in TightsFinal VerdictDespite mixed ratings, the hosts agree Spaceballs remains a revisitable piece of 80s comedy—even if it doesn't quite reach the heights of Brooks' earlier work. Whether it's a prince or just Prince Valium depends entirely on what you bring to it.Ready to dive deeper? Head to TruStory FM to explore more episodes and learn about the network. Members get early, ad-free access plus exclusive bonus content—join at trustory.fm/join.Connect with the podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky.Learn more about the hosts at Neighborhood Comedy Theatre and Squishy Studios.What's your take on Mel Brooks' parody style—does it hold up better than other 80s spoofs? ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website to learn more.

He's Crude, He's Crass, He's Family: An Uncle Buck Deep DiveWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Join hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell, along with special guest Heath Wilcock, as they make themselves at home with John Hughes' 1989 comedy Uncle Buck. In this lovable exploration of family dynamics, the trio discusses how John Candy's portrayal of the slovenly bachelor turned temporary guardian perfectly captures the heart of what makes this film a timeless classic—even when he's threatening to show up to school in his bathrobe.The hosts dive deep into what makes Buck Russell such a magical character, from his giant pancakes the size of trash can lids to his absurdist approach to parenting ("I have a friend in the crime tech lab"). They explore how the film balances John Hughes' signature blend of sincere character moments with cartoonish comedy, discussing everything from the iconic rapid-fire questioning scene with young Macaulay Culkin to Tia's remarkable character arc. Heath shares his lifelong love for the film, while Nathan reflects on rewatching it after 20 years, and Krissy relates to it with fresh eyes as a parent of a teenager. The conversation touches on how Uncle Buck directly inspired Hughes to write Home Alone, the film's surprisingly dark moments (kidnapping Bug, anyone?), and why John Candy remains irreplaceable in the role—despite studio interest in Tom Cruise.Additional Thoughts:The clap-on moment that lights up Buck's entire building exemplifies the film's magical realismJean Louisa Kelly's performance as Tia walks the perfect line between venomous and vulnerableThe film's blissfully short runtime keeps everything moving without feeling episodicMarcy Dahlgren-Frost remains one of cinema's strangest neighbor charactersBuck's laundry-in-the-microwave running gag never gets oldFinal Verdict: Heath gives it a perfect 10 giant pancakes with butter, praising the tight storytelling and character work. Nathan awards 7 pancakes, noting some episodic pacing in the middle but celebrating Hughes' cleverness and Candy's charm. Krissy serves up 9 pancakes, highlighting how well the film holds up for family viewing.Deep Cut Recommendations: Heath suggests The Haunted Hotel on Netflix for another lovable problematic uncle. Nathan offers Elf for seasonal viewing, plus Yojimbo for those seeking a samurai take on the catalyst character. Krissy rounds it out with A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole for comedy with a larger-than-life protagonist.Want to hear this episode early and ad-free? Become a member at trustory.fm/join for bonus content and early access to every episode!Connect with the show:FacebookInstagramBlueskyLearn more about the hosts:Krissy at Neighborhood Comedy TheatreNathan at Squishy StudiosDiscover more at trustory.fmWhat's your favorite John Hughes film and why does Uncle Buck's car backfire haunt your dreams? ---Learn more about supporting this podcast by becoming a member. It's just $5/month or $55/year. Visit our website to learn more.