1981
Body Heat • Member Bonus
The members have spoken! Our members voted that for our June member bonus episode, we return to our series on films from 1981, and of the options, they voted on Lawrence Kasdan’s debut ‘Body Heat.’ It’s sexy, it’s sweaty, it’s noir-y. We love it. Tune in!
Listen NowRaiders of the Lost Ark Revisited
Ten years ago, we decided to start up a little podcast called Movies We Like with a conversation about ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark.’ Well, that podcast has grown and blossomed over time, becoming The Next Reel, and the day this episode releases – November 11th, 2021 – will be our ten year anniversary! Join us as we return to where it all started for a look back at the origins of our podcast as well as Spielberg’s film.
Listen NowThe Hand
How realistic is any story about a severed hand that attacks people, and are we able to get past that premise to enjoy this movie? Is Michael Caine’s descent into madness effective or too much? Were the effects believable? And what is this film saying about psychology and science in the 80s? Tune in to this week’s show to get answers to these questions and more!
Listen NowTo the Stars by Hard Ways (Per Aspera Ad Astra)
What works and what doesn’t work in this film? What makes the interesting and sometimes dated effects work so well for us? And which version should you watch? Tune in to this week’s show to get answers to these questions and more!
Listen NowPennies From Heaven
Was this film too much of a shift for Steve Martin’s comedy fans? How does it work as a musical? And why are they lip syncing? Tune in to this week’s show to get these answers and more!
Listen NowScanners
Is this movie more than just an exploding head? Does the world building give us enough to go with? Can we just like it because it’s fun? Tune in to the show to get these answers and more!
Listen NowOutland
In the early 80s, Peter Hyams was trying to get a western made. Unfortunately for him, no studio was interested in the genre right then; as far as they were concerned, westerns were dead. Then Hyams made the realization that westerns were still alive but that they’d been transposed to the world of sci-fi. And with that, he wrote “Outland.” Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Movies and Their Remakes series with the ‘remake’ of “High Noon,” Hyams’ 1981 film “Outland.”
Listen NowStripes
Harold Ramis made his big screen debut acting in Ivan Reitman’s 1981 military comedy “Stripes,” which he also co-wrote for Reitman, having worked on “Animal House” and “Meatballs” with him a few years before. He’d go on to appear in a number of films throughout his career, and generally played the straight man to people like Bill Murray. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Harold Ramis series with 1981’s “Stripes.”
Listen NowThe French Lieutenant’s Woman
Meryl Streep received her first nomination for Best Actress in a film that one would think had been lost in time if not for the recent Criterion Collection release — Karel Reisz’s 1981 film “The French Lieutenant’s Woman.” She lost to Katherine Hepburn in “On Golden Pond,” which makes sense, but Streep’s performance is still a fascinating one. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Meryl Streep series with Reisz’s film.
Listen NowMad Max 2: The Road Warrior
With the international popularity of “Mad Max,” George Miller was excited to get back into the driver’s seat and continue with his hero as he wandered the dystopian wastes of Australia looking for fuel. It was a smart move as “Mad Max 2,” or “The Road Warrior” as it was released in the States, not only did well at the box office but helped build the cult following of this franchise. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Mad Max series with 1981’s “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior.”
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