Lee and Dan's Midnight Movie Club » Horror

Fright Night

Lee — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:45:52 +0000

So we started with a movie this week that Lee had seen but Dan didn’t, then it was a film that neither Lee or Dan had seen, but now upon further reflection Lee thinks that maybe he had seen this after all. It’s very confusing and frankly Lee wishes he hadn’t brought it up.

This week Lee and Dan watched Fright Night as it’s been remade and that’s the “other” movie marathon they are doing in between Star Trek films.

This week amongst other things Lee and Dan discuss:

More tales of Jones… including Nerf related subjects
Skills that Jones now has:

Financial ruin
Use of the internet
Weapons

Skills that Lee has:

Eating cocoa pops
Watching Clone Wars

Thoughts on Star Wars Episode III and The Clone Wars
Jedi morals
Job advice with Dan
Lee finished Uncharted 2 in time to play Uncharted 3
The intelligence behind buying an umbrella that looks like a samurai sword and travelling on public transport
SeaQuest season 3
Dan’s thoughts on Batman No Man’s Land
More DC reboot thoughts
Dan stopped playing Red Faction: Thingie and started playing Red Faction: Whatsit
Dan’s caught up with Doctor Who and they have a chat about what’s good and what’s bad with it

So did Dan spend a lot of time behind the couch?

Did Lee actually see this???

Next week we’re back to the final frontier with fan favourite Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country.

What are your thoughts on Fright Night and how awesome is SeaQuest!?!

Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The Midnight Movie Crew — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 22:59:56 +0000

Put away your Xander, ignore your Willow and hide your Giles and Spike CDs because this week Dan and Lee are watching the original Buffy The Vampire Slayer film for their Season Two finale! This is the 1992 Fran Rubel Kuzui directed film starring Kirsty Swanson and Luke Perry that came before the acclaimed television series.

Now as this is the finale episode there is a remarkable amount of silliness going on and you are not promised a completely coherent podcast like the boys usually serve up…

…well you know.

A big thanks to Andrew of the podcast Podcast Squared for taking part in the Three of the Best.

So the boys are riding off into the sunset for a well earned break, Lee is apparently excited to watch movies made within the last 10 years and Dan is building himself a Blue Beetle costume during his holiday*.

What does this mean for you though?!?

Well if you can just hang on for a week the boys are joining the Casta La Vista boys in another amazing crossover as they come together to celebrate the film Romancing the Stone.

So that’s not next week, but the week after and then you have to wait another week and then Lee and Dan will be back with season 3… or it may be the week after… or ummm ahhhhhhhh

Yay holidays!!!

Share your thoughts or your hopes and dreams in the comments!

*May be a lie.

Oh, and excuse us while we claim-my-podcast-in-podbean{scid-bWlkbW9jbHVi-ecid}

From Dusk Till Dawn

The Midnight Movie Crew — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:56:27 +0000

Yup this week Dan and Lee are stealing themselves a camper van, taking hostages and making for the border because this week they are watching the 1996 Robert Rodriguez horror romp From Dusk Till Dawn. Starring George Clooney and (who wrote the screenplay) plus a whole host of Rodriguez and Tarantino regulars this film is a double sided coin that possibly can’t be considered horror simply because it didn’t keep Dan behind the couch for very long.

Now there is a strong language warning for this episode as it would have been essentially impossible to discuss this film in any other way.

A big thanks this week to CS for sharing his Three of the Best, you can check out his blog at Big thoughts from a small mind.

Next week on the podcast Lee and Dan are sticking with the vampire theme for their season finale and watching the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer film. There is also going to be a bunch of silliness.

Share your thoughts in the comments!!

Frankenhooker (1990)

The Midnight Movie Crew — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 22:50:26 +0000

Lee and Dan discover that the name Frankenhooker may actually be funnier than the film which is of course quite shocking we know!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcSN3PEvtQo

Highlights:

we announce the winner of the Jaws books!!!
an actually well delivered synopsis, no really, seriously well delivered
Lee questions Dan’s taste
Lee questions 13 year old Lee’s taste
It’s pointed out that there is no below the waist nudity
Dan talks the film up until he suddenly realises what he’s doing
Dan and Lee would like to make it very clear that you don’t have to see this film
There are several new sections to enjoy!!!

Next week Lee and Dan are very excited to be watching the 1989 comic book extravaganza Batman.

Army of Darkness (1993)

The Midnight Movie Crew — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 22:39:16 +0000

This week Lee introduces Dan to the man, the myth, the legend that is Bruce Campbell and the simple joy that is Army of Darkness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THV1KkPXIxQ

Highlights:

Dan is confused by zombies and deadites
Lee does the bad thing in the synopsis that Dan did last week…
It wasn’t any better.
Lee and Dan kind of blame you for the poor quality of the synopsis.
Dan was a Bruce Campbell virgin.
The difference in tone to Evil Dead 1 & 2.
You can’t nitpick the film, it’s an exercise in futility. Nor should you.
Groovy.
Bruce Campbell is this film.
Klaatu barada nikto
Oldsmobiles and chainsaws
There are lots of quotes
Full moon films
Continue your Bruce Campbell education

Dan’s Rating: 8 out of 10 stars
Lee’s Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

Next week Dan and Lee are watching The Untouchables.

Jaws (1975)

The Midnight Movie Crew — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:41:09 +0000

Huge week this week for the club, big movie and our first competition (see below)!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucMLFO6TsFM

If this is your first time visiting the Midnight Movie Club then may I suggest that you check out the About Us page (remembering that those are ridiculously old photos and Lee no longer has a moustache… Dan does still walk around carrying butter knives like that though!?).

Highlights this week:

Fair warning Lee says the F word three times (possibly four… maybe five… mmmm six?) and Dan says it once.
The shortest synopsis yet!
Dan brings up the soundtrack for a change.
The icon of the Orca
Lee and Dan’s favourite scenes.
Dan loves Hooper, Lee loves Brody… lots of man love.
Lee doesn’t care about Mythbusters.
Dan doesn’t actually read shark or whale books.
Frankly Lee and Dan are terrified of sharks.
Alien and Jaws.
Stargate SG1 and Jaws.
Giant sharks versus hovercrafts.
There is a lot of Jaws the game talk.

Lee’s Rating: 10 out of 10 stars
Dan’s Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

The competition!!

Now for your chance to win the novels Jaws and Jaws 2 all you need to do is help us spread the word about the Midnight Movie Club – YAY!!

And it’s open to anyone worldwide – YAY!!

Entries close on 9/9/2010 – (ummm are we still saying yay?)

Three ways to enter:

Click on this Twitter button:Tweet

Like us and leave a comment on our Facebook wall:

Leave a review on iTunes (and let us know in the comments).

Lee and Dan will write everyone’s name down on tickets and draw them out of a hat on the 10/9/2010 (Australian time) – they’ll probably announce the winner on the site and on Twitter and Facebook…

Next week the boys are going all country and watching Young Guns 2!

Gremlins (1984)

The Midnight Movie Crew — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:14:15 +0000

Wow, that trailer really contains a bunch of spoilers!?!

Yes that’s right this week Lee and Dan are watching the 1984 film Gremlins which is a really hard film to classify so it’s been labelled a Science Fiction/Horror/Comedy.

in a departure from every other week Dan and Lee had technical problems
behold as the boys screw up Judge Reinhold’s name completely
Lee potentially creates ‘a famous illustrator’ in his mind and sees him in this film
was this released in the greatest weekend ever?
Gremlins scare Dan and Lee (possibly Lee more than Dan…)
Homages to other films including Spielberg’s
Lee can’t even remember the town’s name
Dan and Lee are loving Joe Dante
Stephen King and the construction of character and then doing something horrible to them
Dan identifies the connection to The Wizard of Oz
Lee bangs on about the soundtrack
The utter ridiculousness of the rules and the absence of science
Lee explores the metaphysics of the gremlins
Buffy the Gremlin Slayer – Dan is effing hilarious!!!
Lee and Dan discuss the mother’s place amongst science fiction heroes Ripley and Connor – she goes all Chuck Norris
Dealing with the dog
Dan does a great Gizmo impression!!
CGI vs Puppets
Oh, no more points go listen to the podcast already!!!!

Next week Lee and Dan are watching Dragnet!

Don’t forget your goat leggings!!

Starship Troopers 2 and 3

The Midnight Movie Crew — Wed, 26 May 2010 08:54:10 +0000

After the success of last week Lee, Dan and Arjan pressed ahead to watch the other movies in the Starship Troopers franchise.

The swearing is back!
Lee admits to occasionally making bad suggestions
Arjan “explains” what Starship Troopers 2 is about with his synopsis which runs in at about four minutes over the actual running time of the film.
Lee does Starship Troopers 3.
There is a lot of sniggering.
All military decisions appear to be random.
Once again Dan injects medieval England into a conversation.
The acting is bad even by Arjan’s level.
Lee wistfully thinks about Survivor season 1 for some reason.
Not enough shootings of Billy’s.
The subtleties of fixing doors and running over extension cables.
Lee pitches Starship Troopers 2 as a horror film.
Why give them crappy guns?!?
Dan likes Starship Troopers 3 more than 2 because it tries harder.
Dan, Lee and Arjan once again get to discuss nudity… but not in a good way.
Lee hates Starship Troopers 3
A lot.
Dan and Arjan didn’t hate it AS much.
Objectification of women in Starship Troopers 3
The most uncomfortable undressing scenes ever.
Lee says “boom boom chicky chicky boom boom”
Lee then defends T’Pol
Dan defends Casper.
Matt C wants mechs and he wants them now!!!
Dan quite likes… nothing to do with this film… giggle.
Arjan thought the singing was funny.
Lee did not.
Dan protected Kerry from the horrors of Troopers 2 and 3
Dan and Arjan turn on Lee
Reviewers are idiots.
Lee and Dan horrify Arjan with The Human Centipede trailer.

What are you waiting for!? Check out the podcast!!!

Next week despite promises of When Harry Met Sally Lee will be flying solo and talking Field of Dreams (which he’s never seen).

The Monster Squad (1987)

The Midnight Movie Crew — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 22:45:58 +0000

There is little secret to the reception that the Monster Squad are going to get in this week’s podcast as Dan and Lee have struggled through getting something recorded, in the end the podcast is about as professional as it always is…

Monster Squad business cards
Advice on taking very young children to monster’s homes
Lee only says the ‘F word’ three… maybe four times
Iron Man toy dildos
We refuse to refer to Arjan by his real name
How cool can someone actually be riding a bicycle in a black leather jacket?
How schools are teaching kids to make silver bullets in home economics now.

The Iron Man figurine dildo:

(listen to the podcast and all will be revealed)

This came with the Iron Man figurine!?

Just to illustrate it's intended purpose

Next week we are watching Highlander and it will be Lee’s very first time!!!

John Carpenter’s They Live (1988 – yes 1988!)

The Midnight Movie Crew — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:00:57 +0000

This week the club shuns dancing and corner putting and returns to manly popcorn flicks… well we hoped anyway. There are a lot of guns in this and a lot walking around but there is also what feels like the longest fight scene ever!

I’m never quite sure what to say in these little introductions since we’ll be talking about the film in the podcast and don’t want to give anything away in a sad attempt to interest you enough to listen. Lee and Dan nickname one of the characters ‘Dead Eyes’ if that helps? They also completely don’t bother to learn anyone’s name in the film except the guy who has no name… ummm I might quit whilst I’m ahead.

Join Lee and Dan as they talk about John Carpenter’s They Live!

Support the Midnight Movie Club

Next week we head back into what we hope is enjoyable film watching with So I Married An Axe Murderer!!

Tremors 2: Aftershock (1996)

The Midnight Movie Crew — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:00:05 +0000

Director: S.S. Wilson

Stars: Fred Ward, Christopher Gartin, Michael Gross, Helen Shaver

Earl Basset, a character from the original movie, is hired to clean up a infestation of giant subterranean worm creatures from a Mexican oil field.

This week we watched Tremors 2 and some people have already asked why we didn’t watch the first one, well in true Midnight Movie Club fashion Dan saw Tremors 2 late one night and knew straight away that we should watch it for the club.

So we watched it, we talked about it, have a listen:

It’s been a big week for the Midnight Movie Club as we slowly find our feet with the podcast and get various stuff organised.

If you cast your eyes over towards the side bar you can see that you can now subscribe to the podcast through:

If just one podcast a week isn’t enough for you you can also go to:

We’ve also set up an Amazon account so if you want to buy a movie that we’ve watched or am about to, a great way to support the club is by buying through our affiliate links.

Speaking of supporting us, if you liked the podcast why not share it with your friends on the various social networks and bookmarking sites or give us a review on iTunes!

Next week:

You’ll have the time of your life and you’ll owe all to us…

Scrooged

The Midnight Movie Crew — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:15:38 +0000

Scrooged (1988)

Director: Richard Donner

Starring: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, Bob “Bobcat” Goldthwait

Murray plays Frank Xavier Cross, a conceited, cynical television programming executive, in a modernization of the classic Dickens novella A Christmas Carol.

I’ve been thinking about it and I’m not sure that there’s anyone in the current crop of movie comedians who holds a candle to Bill Murray in his prime, or Steve Martin and John Candy come to that (not that they are in Scrooged of course)

No I agree with what you are saying, especially Bill Murray although I do enjoy some of his later stuff.

I guess now it is Steve Carrell and the Judd Apatow regulars that are taking on the humour mantle.

It may be just the way films are written these days rather than the quality of the performers.

Maybe, but the quality of say, Ghostbusters, Uncle Buck, Planes Trains and Automobiles does rest a lot on the shoulders of some pretty fine comedians.

Yes, the stuff put out by the original Saturday Night Live crew in the 80′s and early 90′s stands way above the majority of the “Frat Pack’s” efforts.

I just remembered Three Amigos and giggled like a mad man.

Quick, add it to our Midnight Movie List.

Done!!!! OMG I want to bump it up on the list!!!

Shifting things back on topic a little, can I just say that I just love the psychotically violent Ghost of Christmas Present. Is it wrong of me to find her rather attractive?

BAHAHAHA when she hits him with the toaster!! That is gold!! I love her, of course it’s the only film I love her in but she is awesome in this, Bill Murray and her really play off each other really well.

Sexy sexy gold.

It’s Carol Kane isn’t it? The woman from Taxi?

It’s the voice isn’t it!? Yes it is Carol, she was also in Seinfeld, she got hit on the head with the pocket organizer. Her voice grates on me in that episode but it’s a delight in Scrooged.

No, it’s not the voice, it’s the toaster. I have a thing for toasters. I get very excited indeed when I watch Battlestar Galactica.

Oh dear.

Remind me not to order the toast at your place!!!

Hehe. Especially not the slice with the “special butter”

You were that guy who preferred Ghostbusters 2 because of the dancing toaster!!! That’s nasty.

Mmmmm lap-dancing toasters. Show me your bread slot baby.

Ok… I think we probably should move on now.

Do you think Bobcat Goldthwait talks like that at his kid’s parent teacher meetings? He must get through a hell of a lot of throat losenges.

God I hope so!!!! How good would it be him just ringing Pizza Hut!! They would so think he is ripping the piss out of them!

He’s the only man who could be excused for TYpiNG LiKE thiS as it acurately depicts his speaking style.

The other 5 million “wacky” emo types who do it should be shot on sight of course (there I go advocating genocide again)

You are a hard cynical bastard if you don’t get to the end of this film without even a shred of Christmas spirit. That’s easily me at the beginning of the film, I’m generally the one who claims that Christmas is a crock or a con but at the end of Scrooged I’m putting up Christmas trees and humming carols!

Well maybe not carols, I am humming “put a little love in your heart” though.

Oh thanks a lot. I’d only just managed to get that song out of my head.

I know what you’re saying though, that final scene and musical number certainly does provoke the old festive spirit. Although I was surprised to find it didn’t do that as much as it used to for me. Then again I’m generally having a hard time feeling Christmassy at all this year, so it’s probably not anything to do with the movie.

Perhaps I could do with a visit from a few ghosts myself. Preferably one’s wielding toasters (sweet, sweet toasters).

I think we’ve discovered the root of most of your troubles.

Watching Scrooged again reminded me of something that I forgot and that is how good this film is and how much I love it. I remember being so excited as a kid that it was coming out because it had Ghostbuster Bill Murray in it and at that stage anything with a Ghostbuster in it was gold.

Then Coneheads came out.

Coneheads? Quick add it to the Midnight Movie list…

Nah, on second thoughts, let’s not.

It’s a shame, but Dan Akroyd has certainly failed to live up to his earlier promise hasn’t he. Although to be fair it’s only Murray out of that generation of comedians that has managed to consistently forge a respected body of work.

Did you know Murray doesn’t even have an agent? Apparently he fields movie pitches via a private telephone number attached to a answer machine which he checks only sporadically. Mind you I learned that nugget from the mighty Wikipedia, so I could well just have just regurgitated a ton of crud.

He is also reported to have headbutted McG the director of Terminator Salvation, Murray denies this suggesting that he would rather had shot him. I’m going to side with Bill on this one.

Apparently when he was ‘negotiating’ to play Bosley on Charlie’s Angels he gave them the figure he wanted and then just disappeared, no calls, no contact, that was his negotiation.

Finally and this is the last I’ll go on about Murray’s eccentricities is that when he was in negotiations to be in the Ghostbusters game he would only sign if Ernie Hudson’s role was on equal footing with the three others.

This is something I find truly classy.

Whilst it is very clear that Bill Murray completely carries this film, it does not hurt that the rest of the cast is all very good, especially the ghosts. Both the ghosts of Christmas past and present have me in stitches with some of my favourite lines in the film. Of course it comes back to the way Murray interacts with them, they have a really great rapport with them especially with ‘Present’.

I was thinking a while back when writing about Indiana Jones 4 that I couldn’t think of anything else that Karen Allen had been in apart from Raiders of the Lost Ark and here is my answer, I completely forgot she was in Scrooged.

I get her mixed up with the woman who played Lois Lane.

Yeah, I bet I probably did too when I was a kid, although Lois Lane’s voice scares me with its deep rumble.

You’ve got a bit of a thing about voices haven’t you. Do you have very sensitive ears or something?

Toaster-boy.

HEY! Don’t judge me man!

Hey I’m not judging… actually yeah I kinda am.

Another scene from this film that always makes me laugh is the scene where Frank (Murray) is at lunch with his boss and the guy who was in Gremlins 2. The waiter in that scene is classic in the way that he reacts to Bill Murray screaming and carrying on about the eyeball in his glass and the waiter on fire. his eyes are comedy gold and the lines where he misinterprets what Murray is pointing at and advises him that ‘sir wouldn’t want that’.

That guy played Socrates in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

Wonderful. I love knowing useless stuff like that.

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure was a touchstone film for me when I was young and like Ghostbusters before it I tend to recognise or take notice of the actors in other stuff. The guy who played genghis khan was also in Die Hard (and then every terrorist role afterwards)

I was going to say, even I recogniose that guy. He’s in every single action film ever made. Isn’t he even in Big Trouble in Little China?

Never changes his look either. Yes he’s in BTILC.

You should have grown a mo’ like that guy had. That was a classic.

I think he has the copyright, you have to pay him royalties.

I found Scrooged a little scary in parts too though – the trapped souls in the chest of The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, and the bit where Murray gets burned alive in the coffin in particular.

I guess, I mean if you’ve never seen another scary film then sure.

HEY! That’s some scary stuff there man.

I mean if you’re a big baby sure.

Well bollocks to you, that’s what I say. Here I am trying to drag you back on topic before you go off on one about your precious Big Trouble in Little China, and that’s the thanks I get. Bloody charming.

I think you need your bottle and a lie down.

Perhaps you’re right.

Anyone object if I take the toaster with me too?

Good grief.

In fairness though to Dan’s sensitivities, I did find myself wondering about the gun scenes with Bobcat. I mean is he really trying to kill Murray? Then when he is holding the control room hostage and the gun goes off, those people look terrified. I doubt you would get away with that today, I certainly think the ratings board would take a close look at those scenes.

It does make me happy that the ratings board don’t go back and try to re-rate old films.

To be fair though, he was holding people ransom whilst using a silly voice. That’s got to count for something right? At least a few years knocked off the rating scale?

That’s the only voice he’s got!!!!

Even earlier in the film when he is playing normal the voice is still there!! Granted I would have Bobcat no other way.

For the purposes of research I looked into his later career. He’s a bit of a indy film writer/director these days you know. His last movie starred Robin Williams as a dad who faked his son’s suicide note after he died from auto-asphixiation.

Wow. That’s good for him though.

You should have researched that moustache dude’s career. We should at least get a name for him. We should use his moustache as a rating system.

Marvelous plan! He could become our offical mascot (seeing as though he’ll be in 80% of the films we review)

Well at the very least we should do a ‘watch’ for him and acknowledge his presence in each film

The actor’s name is Al Leong. His wikipedia page is great as instead of a photo it is an artist’s rendition of him. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Leong

Maybe no camera is big enough to handle that mighty moustache

He looks like he should be in Mortal Kombat.

Listen, I think we’re getting a little distracted here. perhaps it’s time for our final thoughts.

I think it’s fair to get distracted by the mighty Leong, despite him not actually being in this movie. Instead of a Christmas tree I want Al Leong standing in the corner of the living room defending our presents.

With baubles hanging off his ‘tash.

duh, it IS christmas.

…the Christmas spirit seems to manifesting itself in me through sarcasm.

So, to sum up: Scrooged stands up as well today as it did when it was made. In fact apart from a few cheesy 80′s suits and the lack of mobile phones it could be completely contemporary. Bill Murray is at his comedic best, and is ably supported by a cast of great character actors.

I’d even go so far to say that this is the best movie version of the Scrooge story out there, and that includes the Muppet Christmas Carol.

I’m going to give it eight diet cokes out of ten. I’d give it eight and a half except I can’t be bothered working out how to do that in photoshop.

And so all that’s left is to wish a Happy Christmas to you all. See you on the other side.

My final thoughts echo what Dan has already said, I certainly agree that this is the best adaptation of Scrooge out there.

So I will blatantly rip off his rating and give Scrooged eight double shot soy flat white out of the potential ten. If you are looking to watch something this Christmas Eve and you think Lethal Weapon is not festive enough, watch Scrooged!

Oh yeah and Happy Holidays!