Listen Now

John Hughes month concludes on Cracked Movie Club! By 1989, John Hughes was closing out a decade of wild success with teen comedies and had been steadily branching out into more adult-oriented fare, most of which starred John Candy. Hughes kept that train rolling with Uncle Buck, starring Candy as the titular uncle who has to care for his brothers kids after a family tragedy. Out of the surprisingly few films of which Candy was the star, Uncle Buck was the most successful, and its production inspired John Hughes to create Home Alone, which isnt bad for a movie most of you probably havent seen. On this weeks episode, Tom is joined by Crackeds David Bell and The Bechdel Casts Jamie Loftus as they discuss how the movie was almost not filmed in Hughes home state of Illinois, whether or not Uncle Buck is in the mob, and why every teen in Winnetka is goth.

John Hughes month continues on Cracked Movie Club! Theres no better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than by watching John Hughes 1987 film Planes, Train and Automobiles, his first adult-centered feature after a string of teen angst hits. Although not a big hit when it was released, the movie has gone on to be arguably Hughes best liked film, as well as one of the best liked films of its two stars, Steve Martin and John Candy (Candys terrible mustache notwithstanding). On this weeks episode, Tom is joined by Crackeds Michael Swaim and comedian Matt Braunger as they discuss how John Hughes classic road trip movie became an unspoken classic, how the films stars managed to perform a near 200 page screenplay without committing any major felonies, and whether or not John Candys character is actually a vampire.

John Hughes month continues on Cracked Movie Club! In 1986, John Hughes was on a roll that had suddenly transformed him from a screenwriter of adult-oriented comedies to the king of teen angst movies. He kept that train rolling with Ferris Buellers Day Off, a movie he pitched and wrote in a week about a high school senior who skips school for the day and takes his girlfriend and his wet blanket best friend on a series of hijinks through Chicago. Meanwhile, they are pursued by the villainous Principal Rooney, who is played by a real-life child predator, which ups the stakes somewhat. On this weeks episode, Tom is joined by Crackeds Alex Schmidt and Katie Goldin as they discuss Hughes incredible ability to churn out quality films in such a short period of time, the unexpectedly brilliant casting of a 29 year old man to play Ferris put-upon best friend Cameron, and whether or not Ferris is a figment of Camerons imagination or is perhaps God Himself.

John Hughes month continues on Cracked Movie Club! In 1984, after writing a string of successful comedies, Hughes made his directorial debut with Sixteen Candles, which launched the careers of 80s it-girl Molly Ringwald, John and Joan Cusack, and that weird guy who would go on to play the janitor in The Breakfast Club. On this weeks episode, Tom is joined by guest host Bridgett Greenberg and Crackeds Kristi Harrison as they discuss the numerous amazing but often-overlooked performances in the film, how the films status as a classic coming-of-age comedy is weighed down by its many problematic aspects, and whether or not Jake Ryans pants have a belt built into them.

John Hughes month begins on Cracked Movie Club! Back in the 1980s, John Hughes changed the idea of a teen movie from a bunch of dopey kids dancing on the beach to a bunch of mopey kids talking about their depressing, broken lives (and also dancing). No other film more perfectly exemplifies this than 1985s The Breakfast Club, Hughes hit film about five misfits sharing a Saturday detention together, which set a template for teenage dramedy that Hollywood still follows to this day. On this weeks episode, Tom is joined by Crackeds Carmen Angelica and Jenny Jaffe, the creator and star of IFCs Neurotica, as they discuss the impact The Breakfast Club still has on teenagers decades after its release, how Nicolas Cage was too expensive for Hughes to cast (a problem no film made in the past five years has encountered), and whether John Bender is actually cool or just an insufferable, boring asshole.

John Carpenter month continues on Cracked Movie Club! In 1978, a young independent filmmaker named John Carpenter was approached to direct a movie called The Babysitter Murders, about a group of teenage girls being stalked by a killer. A title change and a William Shatner mask later, Halloween was released, launching Carpenter into the mainstream (or as close to the mainstream as he ever got) and setting the template for slasher films (and unabashed cash-ins) like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street for years to come. On this weeks episode, Tom is joined by Crackeds Alex Schmidt and bestselling horror novelist Jason Pargin aka David Wong as they discuss how the cultural landscape of America when Halloween was released contributed to the films success, the charming low-budget ingenuity that went into the films surprisingly sparse production, and how the movies male hero Dr. Loomis is easily the worst psychiatrist in the history of the universe.

The year was 1982, and John Carpenter was white hot. Coming off a string of successes like Halloween and Escape From New York, Universal Studios approached him to direct a remake of Howard Hawkes The Thing From Another World. The result was The Thing, a landmark sci-fi horror film that set the bar for practical special effects, creature design, and tin-can tension. And everyone hated it. This week, Tom is joined by Crackeds David Christopher Bell and comedian David Huntsberger as they discuss the construction of the incredible special effects for The Thing, the lengths Carpenter went to create a constant feeling of paranoia in the film, and how fantastically little of a shit Wilford Brimley gave about the whole operation.

As the 1980s drew to a close, John Carpenter released They Live, an indictment of Reagan-era politics, a sharp critique of the economic disparity in America, and also a movie about Rowdy Roddy Piper wearing a pair of magic sunglasses. On this weeks episode, Tom is joined by guest host Bridgett Greenberg and comedian Matt McCarthy as they discuss the surprisingly still-relevant themes of They Live, John Carpenters ongoing quest to discredit any and all forms of authority, and the legendary performance of Roddy Piper as John Nada, which is simultaneously soulfully understated and lip-wigglingly insane.

John Carpenter month begins on Cracked Movie Club! Way back in 1981, John Carpenter was an emerging low-budget horror director with a few modest successes to his name when he released his dystopian action masterpiece Escape From New York, the movie that launched Kurt Russells career as an action star by casting him as the most objectively ridiculous character in cinema history on a mission to rescue the president from the prison island of Manhattan. This week, Tom is joined by guest host David Bell and comedian Brodie Reed discuss the incredibly innovative miniature work that went into creating Escape From New York, the films post-Watergate anti-government themes, and exactly how many terrible snake tattoos Snake Plissken probably has on his body. This episode is brought to you by Bombfell (www.bombfell.com/MOVIECLUB).

Kathryn Bigelow month continues on Cracked Movie Club! In 1995, Bigelow released Strange Days, her vision of a near future in which people can record their everyday lives, and buying and selling those recordings has become the most popular form of entertainment. Meanwhile, civil unrest reaches a fever pitch after one of those recordings captures the murder of a prominent black entertainer at the hands of the LAPD. In other words, Bigelows predictions were absolutely correct. On this weeks episode, Tom and Abe are joined by Caitlin Gill as they discuss the technical wizardry required to create Bigelows visionary sci-fi film, the intense themes woven into the story, and how many times Ralph Fiennes mentions his ridiculous necktie. This episode is brought to you by Audible (www.audible.com/MOVIECLUB) and Hello Fresh (www.hellofresh.com code: MOVIECLUB30).

Kathryn Bigelow month continues on Cracked Movie Club! On a special live episode recorded at UCB Sunset, Tom and Abe are joined by Crackeds Soren Bowie and Carmen Angelica as they discuss 1991s Point Break, Kathryn Bigelows first major studio success and the movie that launched Keanu Reeves action career. Listen as they discuss the films themes of duality, its expertly directed action sequences, and whether or not Johnny Utah is secretly some kind of robot.

Kathryn Bigelow month continues on Cracked Movie Club! After making her major studio comeback with The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow was working on a follow-up film with screenwriter Mark Boal about the decade-long unsuccessful hunt for Osama Bin Laden when news broke that Bin Laden had been killed by a team of American operatives. Obviously this was a much better ending for a movie, so Bigelow reworked the entire project into what would become Zero Dark Thirty, a film that challenged Americans with its depiction of the brutality of the biggest manhunt in history, and also gave the world a super-swole Chris Pratt, continuing Bigelows tradition of launching obscure actors into lucrative Marvel Studios careers. On this weeks episode, Tom and Abe are joined by comedian Teresa Lee as they discuss the cultural impact of Zero Dark Thirty, whether it condemns or condones the actions taken to track down and eliminate one of the most infamous figures in modern history, and how much Bigelow likes using stray cats as metaphors.

Kathryn Bigelow month begins on Cracked Movie Club! It seemed like the only movie anyone was talking about in 2009 was James Camerons Avatar, but as awards season approached, Camerons movie about big blue aliens was struck down by Kathryn Bigelows The Hurt Locker  a gritty, tension-filled snapshot of the Iraq war containing breakout performances by its then-unknown stars Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie. The film earned Bigelow the Academy Award for Best Director, marking the first time the award has ever been given to a woman, and launched Renner and Mackie into promising careers in the Marvel universe, where they are contractually obligated to remain until they die. This week, Tom and Abe are joined by Abes fellow Cracked video director Adam Ganser as they discuss the intense shooting conditions of The Hurt Locker, the numerous ways in which Kathryn Bigelow subverted traditional filmmaking rules to create a mood of constant chaotic tension, and exactly how many dudes Sergeant James tricked into wasting an entire evening looking for a brothel that doesnt exist. Don your Richard Nixon mask and luscious blonde Swayze locks. On Saturday, September 9th at 7pm at the UCB Sunset Theatre in Los Angeles, Tom and Abe are joined by Cracked's Soren Bowie and Carmen Angelica for Cracked Movie Club's first ever live show where they will discuss the 1991 bank-robbing, surfer bromance classic Point Break. Tickets are only $7 and available  here: https://goo.gl/SnioEt This episode is brought to you by Mack Weldon (www.mackweldon.com code: MOVIECLUB).

Christopher Nolan month concludes on Cracked Movie Club! In the mid-2000s, Christopher Nolan resurrected a Batman film franchise that had lain dormant since 1997s Batman and Robin, a movie bad enough to kill any superhero forever. Nolans idea of a Batman grounded in reality was such a success that his Dark Knight trilogy grossed $3 billion worldwide and simultaneously revived and forever ruined the superhero genre. This week, Tom and Abe are joined by Crackeds Associate Producer of Video Bridgett Greenberg as they discuss the epic sets, incredible stunts, and ridiculous voices that made the Dark Knight Trilogy such a landmark success, and how Bridgett really just wants to be Catwoman. Next week marks the beginning of September, and thus starts Kathryn Bigelow month on Cracked Movie Club. On Saturday, September 9th at 7pm at the UCB Sunset Theatre in Los Angeles, Tom and Abe are joined by Cracked's Soren Bowie and Carmen Angelica for Cracked Movie Club's first ever live show where they will discuss the 1991 bank-robbing, surfer bromance classic Point Break. Tickets are only $7 and available here: https://goo.gl/SnioEt This episode is brought to you by the new Paramount Pictures film, mother!

Christopher Nolan month continues on Cracked Movie Club! In 2014, Matthew McConaughey took to the stars to save his family from a life of eating exclusively corn-based meals. The result was Interstellar, a film thats simultaneously Christopher Nolans homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey and his own version of a dense sci-fi epic with cool robots. This week, Tom and Abe are joined by returning guest and recurring master of Cracked podcasts Alex Schmidt as they discuss the incredible lengths Nolan and his crew went to create the effects of Interstellar, the films themes of time and permanence, and how many times Alex cried while watching the movie.

Christopher Nolan month continues on Cracked Movie Club! Today, Christopher Nolan is one of the most famous commercial filmmakers in the world, but back in the year 2000, nobody knew who the hell he was. That all changed with the release of Memento, a psychological thriller written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan about a man struggling to solve a murder after being stricken with a rare form of amnesia that prevents him from making new memories. The movie's uniquely disjointed narrative structure made it an overwhelming success, and put Christopher Nolan on the map, where he has remained ever since.  This week, Tom and Abe are joined by comedian Eric Lampaert of Comedians Cinema Club to discuss Memento's themes of memory as an unreliable force, how much of the film's narrative we can actually trust, and whether or not you would starve to death if you couldn't remember the last time you ate. 

In 2010, Christopher Nolan pissed off Batman fans around the world by taking a break in between Dark Knight movies to make an original film about dream thieves. Inception went on to become a genuine phenomenon, grossing only slightly less money than either of Nolans Batman sequels and becoming the subject of countless message board arguments that pop up across the internet to this day. And it almost starred James Franco. This week, Tom and Abe are joined by Crackeds Head of Video Cody Johnston as they dive headfirst into the undeniable creative artistry behind one of the biggest films of all time, the imagery Nolan used to simultaneously connect and separate the dream world from reality, and how to make sense of what is easily the most nonsensical crime thriller ever produced. This episode is brought to you by RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who - The Five Doctors (www.fathomevents.com/RiffTraxDoctorWho).

Christopher Nolan month begins on Cracked Movie Club! Magic. Obsession. Fake beards. David Bowie. 2006s The Prestige is everything you could want from a Christopher Nolan movie, in that its a wildly entertaining film whose logic collapses upon repeat viewings. Made just after Nolan had hit the big time with his 2005 Batman reboot Batman Begins, The Prestige pits Hugh Jackman and Cristian Bale against each other as rival magicians in turn of the century London, competing over who can do a superior version of the same trick. Based on a sci-fi/horror novel of the same name, its arguably one of Nolans most narratively effective films, as well as a showcase of Michael Caines formidable ability to deliver expository dialogue in a way that doesnt feel ridiculous. This week, Tom and Abe are joined by comedian and co-host of The Bechdel Cast Jamie Loftus as they discuss the films creatively repeated themes of obsession and duality, the odds of two twins both being super into magic, and Jamies mission to wipe all magicians from the face of the earth. This episode is brought to you by Phil (www.phil.us/CLUB).

In 1975, a plucky young director named Steven Spielberg saw his first big success with the release of Jaws, a movie about a shark eating a bunch of wealthy beachgoers in a resort town in New England. Paradoxically being the least Spielberg of his films while simultaneously being one of the most famous films ever made, Jaws presented a huge early challenge to the director in the form of an intensely difficult shoot due to a number of factors, not the least of which was the fact that most of the movie takes place on the open ocean and features a legendarily unreliable robotic shark. Despite its troubled production and media coverage all too ready to seize on what seemed to be shaping up to be a huge box office dud, Jaws went on to become the biggest movie of all time, creating the summer blockbuster genre and forever changing the kinds of films Hollywood bets big on to this day. In this weeks episode, Tom and Abe are joined by comedian Brandie Posey as they discuss the grueling nightmare that was the production of Jaws, a series of calamities that almost derailed Spielbergs career before it even began. Along the way, they discuss how the shark was basically an underwater RC car (only a fraction as reliable), how the Director of Photography had to invent a brand new piece of technology just to film this cursed picture, and whether a shark from New England would sound like Casey Affleck or Peter Griffin. This episode is brought to you by Phil (www.phil.us/CLUB).

In the early 1980s, Steven Spielberg embarked on a mission to tell the story of his parents divorce through the lens of a wrinkly alien puppet with skeletal crab fingers and the voice of an old lady dying of emphysema. After being rejected by one studio for being too Disney (the early 80s were a time when Hollywood would give a hard pass to the words Spielberg and Disney), Spielberg finally got to bring his vision to life in 1982 with E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. The story of a young boy befriended a stranded alien sack of drooping flesh went on to become the number one movie of all time (a record that was not broken until Jurassic Park hit theaters eleven years later), and E.T. became one of the most beloved childrens characters despite the fact that E.T. scares the absolute shit out of most children. In this weeks episode, Abe and Tom are joined by Cracked stand-up and podcasting guru Alex Schmidt as they discuss all the whimsy, technical know-how, and armless children that went into making E.T. an instant classic. Along the way, they discuss how E.T. almost ate fistfuls of M&Ms, how Elliott was nearly scolded at school by Principal Indiana Jones, and how E.T. is apparently a plant. Like, a house plant. From outer space.