AN AMERICAN TAIL / FIREWALKER / THE WRAITH

This week we celebrate THE BIG 4-0 of Don Bluth joining forces with Steven Spielberg to challenge Disney with AN AMERICAN TAIL, Chuck Norris choosing an INDIANA JONES/ROMANCING THE STONE-style adventure over a sequel to INVASION USA, and Charlie Sheen working for exactly ONE DAY in THE WRAITH; as well as our Milwaukee BREWERS winning THE WORLD SERIES (yes, we recorded this episode a few weeks ago).Please remember to Rate, Like, and Subscribe; and we'll be back next week to wish three more 1986 films a happy BIG 4-0.

We are finally back in 1986 this week, wishing a very happy birthday to 52 PICK-UP nad HOOSIERS, who celebrate their BIG 4-0's on NOVERMBER 7th and 14th, respectively. We recorded this episode a couple weeks ago so some of the commentary on things like The World Series and Halloween is passe, but we address/update it all on next week's episode, where we wish a happy BIG 4-0 to AN AMERICAN TAIL, FIREWALKER, and THE WRAITH!

As we await the November 7th and 14th BIG 4-0's of 52 PICK-UP and HOOSIERS, respectively, we lost a 1980's supporting-player film icon this week with the passing of Tom Skerritt. And Arrow Video has just released a brand-new 4K of THE LAST BOY SCOUT (1991), which includes - for the first time - deleted scenes and all the bells and whistles Arrow does so well for a movie that truly deserves such a lavish package but has never even been available on a proper blu-ray in the USA (it shares a bare-bones blu disc with LAST MAN STANDING (1996), another movie that deserves a proper solo release). We discussed the chops and cuts made to THE LAST BOY SCOUT in a bonus, buddy-cop-themed episode a couple years ago, in which we also reviewed THE ROOKIE (1990), which just happens to feature Tom Skerritt as Charlie Sheen's father. So, since we're ahead of our Birthday Boys this week, we thought this would be as good a time as any to revisit our THE ROOKIE and LAST BOY SCOUT episode. Please remember to Rate, Like, and Subscribe; and we'll be back in 1986 next week with 52 PICK-UP and HOOSIERS (finally!).

Ron and Peter went deep on MAJOR LEAGUE and BASEKETBALL as a BONUS episode during The World Series three years ago. This year, your Milwaukee Boy co-hosts are rooting for their Milwaukee Brewers in the Series, so we thought it would be a good time to revisit this episode (it's also Halloween and we have some Halloween talk in this ep). Since we recorded this, Milwaukee and MLB legend - and MAJOR LEAGUE co-star/scene-stealer - Bob Uecker has sadly passed away, so we're also dedicating this episode to him. Ron recorded a new, up-to-the-moment intro, so please check it out! Please remember to Rate, Like, and Subscribe; and we'll be back in a week or so with new 1986 BIG 4-0 birthday wishes to 52 PICK-UP and HOOSIERS. The episode is already in the can, but those movies weren't birthed until 11/7 and 11/14, respectively; so to get us up to date/back on track, we may fire in another BONUS episode this week and save the new one for the first week in November. We'll see... It's all surprises here on THE BIG 4-0!!!

THE BIG 4-0 is back after an unplanned week off thanks to Wisconsin sports (GO BREWERS!!!). As well as celebrating our return we are celebrating the 40th birthdays of Jeff Daniels, Melanie Griffith, and a star-making Ray Liotta turn in SOMETHING WILD. C. Thomas Howell in controversial black-face in the would-never-get-made-today comedy SOUL MAN. And Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, and Liam Neeson in the religious epic THE MISSION. Oh, and if you fancy seeing your beloved BIG 4-0 co-hosts in video form, check us out on the UP NORTH AND NEXT DOOR podcast with our buddies Jer and Gary later this week (episode link forthcoming) where Ron and Peter discuss Billy Joel's 1989 album STORM FRONT (see, we haven't been just laying around watching sports).Please remember to Rate, Like, and Subscribe; and we'll be back next week to wish HOOSIERS, 52 PICK-UP, and SID & NANCY a very happy BIG 4-0!! *Apologies to Steve-O. We forgot to do "Steve's Thoughts" this week. We'll give you a double whammy next week!** Update: Apparently Steve didn't submit any thoughts on COLOR OF MONEY, PEGGY SUE, or JUMPIN' JACK FLASH, so never mind...

This week we celebrate THE BIG 4-0's of three 1986 films from big-name directors with big-name stars: Martin Scorsese's THE COLOR OF MONEY, staring Tom Cruise and Paul Newman in an Oscar-winning role. Kathleen Turner and Nicolas Cage in Francis Ford Coppola's time-travel dramady, PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED. And Whoopie Goldberg in Penny Marshal's directorial debut, JUMPIN' JACK FLASH. All three films even have similar 1960s-oriented soundtracks. Are they all as good as their pedigrees suggest? Listen now to find out!And Ron has bonus reviews of two recent horror releases: the latest RESIDENT EVIL film Zach Cregger and Eli Roth's much maligned ICE CREAM MAN.Please remember to Rate, Like, and Subscribe; and we'll be back next week to wish a Happy BIG 4-0 to three more 1986 films: SOMETHING WILD, THE MISSION, and SOUL MAN.

This week on THE BIG 4-0, we have an Oscar-winner (CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD), the return of a legendary Hollywood duo (TOUGH GUYS), and a film disowned by it's director (DEADLY FRIEND).Please remember to Rate, Like, and Subscribe'; and we'll be back next week to wish JUMPON' JACK FLASH, PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED, and THE COLOR OF MONEY a very happy BIG 4-0!

This week, Ron and Peter wish a very Happy BIG 4-0 to David Lynch's BLUE VELVET, a very belated BIG 4-0 to Michael Keaton in TOUCH & GO, and an early Happy BIG 4-0 to a true cultural phenomenon: Pau Hogan in CROCODILE DUNDEE.Please remember to Rate, Like, and Subscribe; and we'll be back next with a few more early BIG 4-0 celebrations: CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD, TOUGH GUYS, and DEADLY FRIEND.

This week, our BIG 4-0 Birthday Boy is Michael Dudikoff standing in for Chuck Norris in the would-be sequel to INVASION USA, AVENGING FORCE. We also wish a happy belated BIG 4-0 to NIGHT OF THE CREEPS and action director Renny Harlin's debut film, the controversial BORN AMERICAN.Please Remember to Rate, Like, and Subscribe; and we'll be back next week to blow out 40 candles for TOUCH & GO, BLUE VELVET, and CROCODILE DUNDEE!

Happy Labor Day, BIG 4-0 Heads! To celebrate four years (!) of recording this podcast, Peter and Ron thought it would be fun to post our never-before-heard very first attempt at doing this show. We recorded a handful of episodes before posting our premiere in December of 2022. Some of them were posted as BONUS episodes throughout our first year or so, but we always deemed this one to be un-postable. We did a little editing and tightening here and there, but we're largely sharing this one 'warts-and-all'. We thought it would be fun for us, and fans to hear, as well as a testament to how far (or perhaps, not far) we've come since day one. Ron's intro says it all: Pretty cringe, but that's still us ;)Enjoy, and we'll see you this week back in 1986!