Episode 120: BACKDRAFT (1991)

It's "Plaaaaaay ball!" as NostalgiaCast steps up to the plate for a home run discussion of A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, directed by Penny Marshall and starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, and Madonna. Phoenix Clouden, good friend and co-host of the Curtain To Curtain podcast, helps Jonny and Darin wind back the clock to a time where men went off to war and women were tasked to keep America's favorite pasttime alive. Also batted around: a history of the AAGPBL and a roster of Phoenix-Jonny-Darin's favorite lines and performances in the film.  

Hickory dickory, Doc, Cain has picked his lock! NostalgiaCast goes a little mad with a De Mented, De Ranged, and De Lightful look back at Brian De Palma's RAISING CAIN, starring John Lithgow, Lolita Davidovich, and Steven Bauer. Horror Movie Maven and friend of the 'Cast Lindsay Washburn joins Jonny and Darin to discuss the movie's breathtaking tracking shots, tour de force performance from Lithgow, and oversized decorative sundials. Also discussed: the director's cut of the film that came from the unlikeliest of places.

Someday I think you and I are going to have a serious disagreement... but not today! NostalgiaCast continues its '90s Bucket List season with an action-packed look back at THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Wes Studi, and Madeleine Stowe. Jonny and Darin welcome their dear childhood bff Jenny Young for a discussion of Michael Mann's romantic historical epic, and how its visceral filmmaking, authentic-to-the-period visual style, and embracing of Native American culture either does or does not stand up to scrutiny today. Grab your muskets, knives, and tomahawks and join us!

It's corkers and Blarney Stones as NostalgiaCast takes a transatlantic trip back in time to discuss Ron Howard's FAR AND AWAY, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Jonny and Darin kick off their 1992 retrospective by welcoming Ruth and Rae of the Paperback Flicks podcast to chat about the history of Irish immigrants and the American frontier, along with the sweeping panoramic vistas, overblown Oir-ish accents, and megawatt star chemistry that made this period romantic drama a minor classic.

NostalgiaCast turns up the heat as Paul of The Countdown Podcast joins our latest '90s Bucket List episode for a fiery discussion of BACKDRAFT, starring real-life stuntmen Kurt Russell and William Baldwin, plus Robert De Niro, Donald Sutherland, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Grab your boots, gloves, and Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus as Paul, Jonny, and Darin obsess over the pyrotechnics, melodramatics, and classic Hans Zimmer score that brand Ron Howard's 1991 firefighter thriller.

It's "Vaya con Dios!" and "Utah, get me two!" as NostalgiaCast continues its '90s Bucket List season with a look back at POINT BREAK, directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, and Gary Busey. Join Jonny and Darin for a zen-filled discussion of all the wave-riding, high-flying, bank-robbing thrills that shape this bona fide cult classic. But is it still 100% pure adrenaline after 30+ years, brah? Or a bummer in between action scenes?

Grab your fava beans and your garrote piano wire as NostalgiaCast takes a deep-dive into Martin Scorsese's CAPE FEAR and Jonathan Demme's THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, two killer thrillers from two American masters not typically known for their horror chops. Jason of The Slashers and Binge Movies podcasts joins us to discuss the terror, torture, uncompromising head games, and oppressive existential dread that defines not just these two box office behemoths but also the current state of film criticism today. TRIGGER WARNING: This episode includes frank discussions of violence and sexual abuse as associated with the horror genre.

This... episode... is for YOU! Grab your scissors and your faux American accents as NostalgiaCast continues its "Bucket List" season of '90s favorites with a hypnotic look back at DEAD AGAIN, starring Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, and Robin Williams. Listen as Jonny and Darin recount their history with Branagh as actor, filmmaker, and connoisseur of Shakespeare, and how his attempt at a bombastic Grand Guignol neo-noir murder-mystery with a supernatural bent will either bore you or leave you mute with fear. 

Grab your bug spray and your makeshift flamethrowers as NostalgiaCast braves Frank Marshall's ARACHNOPHOBIA for the latest '90s Bucket List episode, starring Jeff Daniels, John Goodman, and the late, great Julian Sands. Listen as Jonny and Darin discuss the movie's creepy-crawly Spielberg-ian touches, its perfect balance of comedy and scares, and lament how modern moviegoers try to "outsmart" the films they watch instead of engaging with the magic of them. Let's rock 'n' roll! 

NostalgiaCast has the conch as Jonny and Darin continue their "Bucket List" season of '90s favorites with a look at LORD OF THE FLIES, directed by Harry Hook and starring child actors Balthazar Getty and James Badge Dale. Buddy and pal Jason Payne joins our hosts to discuss the origins and writing of the book by William Golding, its controversies among literary circles, and how Hook modernized the story by Americanizing the characters, acting styles, and dialogue.