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An unusually sensitive kids' movie that's notable for both its visual effects and its verisimilitude. This well-meaning adaptation strives to elevate the cultural discourse of the classic children's book series.

Listen to our Indian in the Cupboard episode here!

Somebody once told us the world was gonna roll us, but that was before we found the irreverent inspiration of Shrek, an ugly ogre underdog that turned the tables on Disney-fied fairy tales and launched a massively popular animated franchise/meme factory.

Hey now, you're an all-star, so cue this 'cast up and push play!

A digital adventure ahead of its time, TRON revealed the secret lives of computer programs and gave many their earliest glimpse of cutting-edge CGI cinemascapes. We raise our identity discs to hail this mainstay of modern geek culture. END OF LINE.

Listen to our TRON episode here!

Watched on Friday December 13, 2024.

Watched on Friday November 22, 2024.

Watched on Friday November 22, 2024.

Watched on Friday October 25, 2024.

An unusual tonal mosaic, which combines weighty topics like loneliness and mortality with family-friendly hijinks and juvenile humor, and mashes it all together like spaghetti and toothpaste.

Listen to our Jack episode here!

One of the most anarchic studio comedies of all time, representing both the peak of Tom Green's comedic powers and the end of his mainstream relevance. But does the movie deserve its infamy, or did it just arrive too early in the comedy landscape? Throw on your backwards suit and listen to our Freddy Got Fingered episode as we mine this critical flop for precious jewels!

Surreal shenanigans ensue in this sequel that takes a bold detour into harrowing and heavily symbolic adventures with adorable talking animals. Thank the pig!

Listen to our Babe: Pig in the City episode here!

What are the chances of us appreciating the insane quotability and uninhibited physical comedy of Dumb and Dumber? One in a hundred? One in a million? ...We're telling you there's a chance!

Listen to our Dumb and Dumber episode here!

Back to the Future Part II playfully folds the fabric of cinematic space-time to create a sci-fi comedy that's boldly pioneering and uncannily familiar.

Listen to our BTTF2 episode here!

Clone Wars is an adrenaline shot to the arm of the prequel saga. Genndy Tartakovsky's micro-series is a lesson in atmospheric storytelling, not to mention creative redemption. Each taut installment amps up the cool factor on many a prequel staple, while trimming the fat of plot and dialogue down to a prime cut of kinetic Star Wars action.

A film anchored by the conceit of some dudes swapping sarcastic jokes while obsessing over pop culture and the past - obviously, something this podcast knows very little about....

Listen to our top-five-worthy episode about High Fidelity here!

A disaster movie of the highest verisimilitude and example of human ingenuity both in space and on set.

Houston, we have a [podcast episode about this movie]!

Watched on Friday December 15, 2023.

Watched on Friday December 15, 2023.

Watched on Friday December 15, 2023.

Watched on Friday December 15, 2023.

Watched on Friday December 15, 2023.

Watched on Friday December 15, 2023.

Watched on Friday December 15, 2023.

Watched on Friday December 15, 2023.

Kenan and Kel still got it!

Listen to our Good Burger 2 episode here!

Listen to our episode about Gremlins 1 and 2 here!

Listen to our episode about Gremlins 1 and 2 here!

Spooky szn? More like spoof-y szn!

Listen to our episode about Scary Movie 1 and 2 here!

Spooky szn? More like spoof-y szn!

Listen to our episode about Scary Movie 1 and 2 here!

Just as poorly-received pulp serials (like The Phantom) and campy eye candy (like Batman & Robin) threatened to drain the superhero genre of its box office life force, new blood appeared in the form of a human-vampire hybrid with a serious vendetta against so-called "suckheads." Based on a character from Marvel's 1970s horror titles, Blade not only reimagined its titular antihero, but also set a stylish new standard for comic book action movies in the next decade and beyond.

Listen to our Blade episode here!

In which a bemused beefcake is surrounded by campy and/or deadpan scene partners gobbling up the exotic scenery. This underrated swashbuckling adventure capped the '90s revival of pulp heroes, and also sowed the seeds of the truly global big-budget superhero productions that were yet to come.

Slam Evil!™ by listening to our episode about The Phantom here!

A flashy showcase for perhaps the granddaddy of urban crime-fighting vigilantes (including a certain nocturnal crusader in a cape). Combining Art Deco decadence with the angsty theatrics of the MTV generation, The Shadow revives the lurid spirit of prewar crime fiction with a delectable garnish of camp.

Listen to our episode about The Shadow here!

Listen to our Dick Tracy episode here!

Underneath its bubbly pop-punk tunes and girl power trappings, Josie and the Pussycats is a sly satire of conformity and commercialism that zips along with fun, campy energy. This endearingly clever and creative adaptation also marks an inflection point in pop culture: a crowning burst of late '90s/Y2K frivolity with winking humor and a kickass soundtrack.

Listen to our episode about Josie and the Pussycats here!

What if the White House was home to a moody, impetuous, loud-mouthed brat who was simultaneously blind to his immense privilege and yet pitiable for his seeming inability to acknowledge his own glaring flaws?

It's difficult to imagine this situation ever being a real-life possibility, so thankfully we have the Sinbad vehicle First Kid to answer that question with heavy doses of improvised schtick and '90s middle school signifiers.

The '90s were halcyon days for the movie star, so it was no surprise that Disney had confidence in Robin Williams to breathe new life into one of its more dated midcentury comedies. The name-above-the-title clout was paired with cutting-edge visual effects and enough marketing muscle to indoctrinate young minds with images of mambo-ing green homunculi.

Massive in scale, ego, and budget, Waterworld has been synonymous with grand cinematic boondoggles for nearly three decades. But dive beneath its surface, and you'll find a plethora of more interesting stories - and inspired examples of practical filmmaking - than the dominant narrative about the overreach of a supposed turkey.

So is the movie actually seaworthy, or are attempts at revisionism all wet? Either way, we enjoy marin(er)ating in the one-of-a-kind worldbuilding and prescient climate warnings of Waterworld.

Watched on Friday March 24, 2023.

Watched on Friday March 24, 2023.

Watched on Friday March 24, 2023.

Watched on Friday March 24, 2023.

Watched on Friday March 24, 2023.

Watched on Friday March 24, 2023.

Watched on Friday March 24, 2023.

Watched on Friday March 24, 2023.

Watched on Friday March 24, 2023.

Watched on Friday March 24, 2023.

Tabloids schmabloids, we're obsessed with the most wholesome royal drama ever in The Princess Diaries, a heartwarming coming-of-age tale about hidden pasts and found identity. It's a movie that wears its earnest heart on its sleeve while giving younger millennials their own enlightened update of the classic ugly duckling tale.

Watched on Tuesday January 24, 2023.

Watched on Tuesday January 24, 2023.

Watched on Tuesday January 24, 2023.

The films we have yet to cover on the What Were We Watching? podcast. Comment below if you have any suggestions for films not on the list that we haven't already discussed!

• 101 Dalmatians
• The 13th Warrior
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• 2010
• 2gether
• 3 Men and a Baby
• 3 Men and a Little Lady
• 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain
• 3 Ninjas Kick Back

...plus 852 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Movies that potential podcast guests have yet to call dibs on. If any friends are interested in guesting for any of these films, let us know!

• 101 Dalmatians
• 2gether
• 3 Men and a Little Lady
• 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain
• 3 Ninjas Kick Back
• 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up
• The 6th Man
• Adventures in Dinosaur City
• The Adventures of Huck Finn
• The Adventures of Pinocchio

...plus 263 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

A rotating list depending on the current Letterboxd Showdown prompt.

Current theme: Films about male friendship

• The Fox and the Hound
• The Sandlot
• Dumb and Dumber
• Tommy Boy
• The Indian in the Cupboard
• Toy Story
• Tom and Huck
• Good Burger
• A Night at the Roxbury
• The Wood

Classic sci-fi/fantasy films (1980 or earlier)

• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• The Wizard of Oz
• Jack and the Beanstalk
• The Phantom Tollbooth
• Star Wars
• The Cat from Outer Space
• Puff, the Magic Dragon
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• Flash Gordon
• The Watcher in the Woods

Films with location titles

• Camp Nowhere
• FernGully: The Last Rainforest
• Tombstone
• Dragonworld
• Congo
• Alaska
• Dante's Peak
• Halloweentown
• Pleasantville
• Lake Placid

Dual performances

• The Parent Trap
• Mars Attacks!
• The Nutty Professor
• Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
• Back to the Future Part II
• The Parent Trap
• Mary Poppins
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• Face/Off
• Jumanji

Primates in film

• Dunston Checks In
• Monkey Trouble
• Planet of the Apes
• Ed
• Congo
• Harry and the Hendersons
• Mighty Joe Young
• MVP: Most Valuable Primate
• MXP: Most Xtreme Primate
• Tarzan

BAFTA Nominees

• Chicken Run
• The Borrowers
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Love Actually
• Notting Hill
• Bend It Like Beckham
• Bridget Jones's Diary
• The Full Monty
• Shaun of the Dead

Best long films

• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• Seven Samurai
• Titanic
• It
• Dances with Wolves
• Braveheart
• The Sound of Music
• My Fair Lady

First-name titles

• Matilda
• Clifford
• Annie
• Babe
• Casper
• Aladdin
• Mulan
• Jack
• Ed
• Andre

Battle royale scenes

• Star Wars: Clone Wars
• The Karate Kid
• The Fifth Element
• Blade
• Gladiator
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
• The Matrix Reloaded
• Kill Bill: Vol. 1
• Batman Begins
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Chamber-piece films.

• The Breakfast Club
• Airplane!
• The Thing
• Clue
• Die Hard
• Reservoir Dogs
• Clerks
• Apollo 13
• Titanic
• Phone Booth

Films about television

• UHF
• The Running Man
• Gremlins 2: The New Batch
• Wayne's World
• Stay Tuned
• The Cable Guy
• The Truman Show
• Pleasantville
• Galaxy Quest
• Death to Smoochy

Films about siblings

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• 3 Ninjas
• A League of Their Own
• Surf Ninjas
• Hocus Pocus
• Little Giants
• Double Dragon
• Wild America
• The Parent Trap
• Practical Magic

Underseen family films (less than 10k watches)

• Warriors of Virtue
• Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation
• Sidekicks
• First Kid
• The Big Green
• Dunston Checks In
• Harriet the Spy
• We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story
• Toys
• Return to Oz

Sweatiest films

• Anaconda
• Airplane!
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
• Predator
• Hot Shots! Part Deux
• Waterworld
• George of the Jungle
• Fight Club
• Gladiator
• Cast Away

Films about fandom

• Angels in the Outfield
• The Monster Squad
• Sidekicks
• Last Action Hero
• A Goofy Movie
• Scream
• Scream 2
• Galaxy Quest
• High Fidelity
• Josie and the Pussycats

Anthology films

• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Fantasia
• Fantasia 2000
• The Animatrix
• The Three Caballeros
• The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
• Fun and Fancy Free
• The Reluctant Dragon
• Melody Time
• Make Mine Music

80's horror films

• The Monster Squad
• Gremlins
• The Peanut Butter Solution
• Frankenweenie
• The Watcher in the Woods
• Mr. Boogedy
• Bride of Boogedy
• Little Shop of Horrors
• A Nightmare on Elm Street
• The Lost Boys

Stage-to-screen adaptations

• Anastasia
• Annie
• Peter Pan
• West Side Story
• The Wiz
• The Birdcage
• Grease
• The Sound of Music
• My Fair Lady
• Little Shop of Horrors

1. Pee-wee's Big Adventure
2. The Sandlot
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Dystopian worlds in film.

• Waterworld
• Total Recall
• RoboCop
• Judge Dredd
• The Fifth Element
• Starship Troopers
• The Matrix
• Minority Report
• A.I. Artificial Intelligence
• Planet of the Apes

Palme d’Or-nominated films

• Shrek
• Shrek 2
• Peter Pan
• Dumbo
• Make Mine Music
• Punch-Drunk Love
• Moulin Rouge!
• Ed Wood
• O Brother, Where Art Thou?
• Pulp Fiction

Films about a dad and his child on an adventure, or in which the father/child dynamic is integral to the adventure.

• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
• The Empire Strikes Back
• National Lampoon's Vacation
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
• Return of the Jedi
• Back to the Future
• National Lampoon's European Vacation
• Hook
• Getting Even with Dad
• The Santa Clause

...plus 12 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Films about filmmaking

• Last Action Hero
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit
• Matinee
• Ed Wood
• Bowfinger
• Scream 3
• Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
• Mulholland Drive
• Big Fat Liar
• Adaptation.

Films with limited dialogue

• The Snowman
• Steamboat Willie
• Geri's Game
• Bambi
• Fantasia
• Fantasia 2000
• Cast Away
• The Black Stallion
• Silent Movie
• 2001: A Space Odyssey

Nothing signifies cool like a tip of the shades. 😎

• Back to the Future Part II
• Back to the Future
• Look Who's Talking
• Look Who's Talking Too
• Doc Hollywood
• Sister Act
• Son in Law
• Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
• Blank Check
• First Kid

...plus 4 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Swiss Family Robinson
• Ernest Scared Stupid
• Jack
• The Sandlot
• The Monster Squad
• Hook
• Tarzan
• Return of the Jedi
• Warriors of Virtue
• Dennis the Menace

...plus 2 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Friendship-duo films

• Dumb and Dumber
• Toy Story
• Good Burger
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
• Ghost World
• The Fox and the Hound
• Romy and Michele's High School Reunion
• Tom and Huck
• Mac and Me
• The Adventures of Milo and Otis

Films about fresh starts.

• The Mighty Ducks
• The Muppet Christmas Carol
• Billy Madison
• The Shadow
• Jumanji
• Sister Act
• An American Tail
• Mean Girls
• 50 First Dates
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Best Oscar-nominated film editing

• Apollo 13
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit
• Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Star Wars
• The Matrix
• The Parent Trap
• Babe
• Forrest Gump
• Speed
• Die Hard

Best meal scenes in film.

• Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
• Charlotte's Web
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
• Pee-wee's Big Adventure
• Beetlejuice
• Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• Hook
• Scary Movie 2
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Best femme fatales in film.

• Cruel Intentions
• Kill Bill: Vol. 1
• Kill Bill: Vol. 2
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit
• The Witches
• Batman Returns
• Batman & Robin
• Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
• Dick Tracy
• Thelma & Louise

Paperback-trash cinema

• Dick Tracy
• The Rocketeer
• The Shadow
• The Phantom
• The Mask of Zorro
• Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze
• Flash Gordon
• Conan the Barbarian
• Brenda Starr
• Tarzan

Grimy films.

• Joe's Apartment
• RoboCop
• Beetlejuice
• Batman
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• Super Mario Bros.
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• The Crow
• Spawn
• Fight Club

Weirdest women in film.

• Ghost World
• Bedazzled
• But I'm a Cheerleader
• Romy and Michele's High School Reunion
• The Craft
• Matilda
• Hocus Pocus
• Death Becomes Her
• The Witches
• The Little Mermaid

Films about Jewish life.

• An American Tail
• An American Tail: Fievel Goes West
• The Prince of Egypt
• Eight Crazy Nights
• Meet the Parents
• The Birdcage
• The Hebrew Hammer
• Schindler's List
• Dirty Dancing
• Fiddler on the Roof

Nocturnal films!

• The Shadow
• Blade
• Batman Returns
• Gremlins
• Die Hard
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• The Monster Squad
• The Crow
• Dark City
• Can't Hardly Wait

Animal-human communication in film.

• The Rescuers Down Under
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• FernGully: The Last Rainforest
• We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story
• Hocus Pocus
• Congo
• Space Jam
• George of the Jungle
• Warriors of Virtue
• Doctor Dolittle

Love triangles in film.

• Beauty and the Beast
• The Mask
• The Phantom
• Batman & Robin
• Titanic
• Can't Hardly Wait
• Cruel Intentions
• Fight Club
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
• Spider-Man 2

Best films depicting stage productions.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Coming Out of Their Shells Tour
• Peter Pan
• Addams Family Values
• Hook
• Pinocchio
• Scream 2
• Spider-Man 2
• Moulin Rouge!
• Dead Poets Society
• One Froggy Evening

Scientists in film!

• Back to the Future
• Jurassic Park
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze
• Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
• Independence Day
• Spider-Man 2
• Young Frankenstein
• Ghostbusters
• Apollo 13
• Flubber

Dolls-come-to-life films we've either discussed or would discuss on the podcast in the future!

• Small Soldiers
• Toy Story
• The Indian in the Cupboard
• Toys
• Pinocchio
• The Adventures of Pinocchio
• A.I. Artificial Intelligence
• Babes in Toyland
• The Nutcracker Prince
• Life-Size