Debates

Where they disagreed

The Rewatchables

— Bill posits that Scorsese's 80s films are superior to his 90s and potentially even his 70s output, a bold claim considering the presence of Goodfellas in the 90s. Sean acknowledges Goodfellas' greatness but agrees with the 80s assessment.
— The hosts discuss the polarizing ending of After Hours. Bill defends the ending, finding it clever and fitting, while acknowledging its divisive nature. Sean agrees.
— Bill expresses disbelief and disappointment that Linda Fiorentino never appeared in The Sopranos, considering it a missed opportunity. Sean engages with the hypothetical, suggesting various roles she could have played.
— Sean repeatedly questions the logic of Paul Hackett's inability to simply walk home despite the distance, considering it a plot contrivance. Bill offers possible explanations but ultimately agrees that it's a weak point.

Die Hard With A Vengeance

The Rewatchables

— Hosts debated how a real-life John McClane would be perceived after saving two cities. Would he be a hero like Sully or ostracized?
— Hosts discussed whether Die Hard 3 is better than the original, acknowledging its flaws but appreciating its entertainment value.
— Hosts analyzed the impact of Pulp Fiction and Die Hard 3 on Jackson's career, highlighting his unique approach to role selection.
— Simmons argued that the Simon Says plot could have been a successful franchise on its own.

Dodgeball

The Rewatchables

— Comparing Stiller to Ferrell; debating if Stiller is underrated.
— Discussing if Vaughn underplayed his role and his contribution to the movie.
— Comparing White Goodman to Derek Zoolander.
— Debating whether Ben Stiller or the director benefited most from the film's success.
— Analyzing the rules of dodgeball and whether the final play was correctly called.
— Hosts have differing recollections of seeing or consuming Vitamin Water recently.

Elastica

Bandsplain

— Debate about whether her upbringing was truly working class or privileged given her father's success.
— Conflicting accounts of her musical tastes and knowledge before joining Suede, with Brett Anderson claiming she was unfamiliar with indie music.
— Discussion on whether Elastica's "poor" image was genuine or fabricated for marketing purposes.
— Discussion on whether her relationships with Brett Anderson and Damon Albarn helped or hindered her career and musical development.
— Implication in the book "Love is Poison" that Justine Frischmann may have introduced Brett Anderson to heroin, but lack of definitive proof.
— Discussion about the contributing factors, including creative differences, drug use, and Justine's relationship with Damon Albarn.
— Yasi expresses skepticism about the necessity and sometimes poor quality of band reunions, using Elastica as an example.

Elio Materialists And The Phoenician Scheme

Hey Fam

— One host (Sam) claims Soldier Boy was ahead of his time in selling pre-loaded retro consoles, fostering an 'insane community,' while the other host disputes the existence or significance of such a community at that time.
— One host posits that the lack of Pixar shorts before films is due to Disney+ converting them into series, suggesting a diminished cinema experience. The other host agrees, feeling they're 'getting less' for their money.
— Sam vehemently dislikes 'Materialists,' calling it a 'clunker,' 'unfocused,' and 'tonally all over the place,' feeling it was a significant disappointment and a 'sophomore slump' for the director. The other host notes his wife enjoyed it more, suggesting a potential gender divide in reception, but Sam dismisses this.
— One host passionately argues for Aladdin's superior songs ('bangers for days') and overall quality, while the other declares Beauty and the Beast as their favorite, citing its Oscar win and enduring appeal.

F1 Tinkerbell

Hey Fam

— Hosts debated whether it was their best song.
— Discussed whether she's a pixie or a fairy and the lore surrounding the Tinkerbell movies.
— Levin points out the racist elements in the Disney movie.
— Compared the excitement and quality of the two movies, with Levin preferring Maverick.
— Discussed whether his performance was phoned in and compared it to other roles.
— Angus expresses nostalgia for Jurassic Park 3, while Levin criticizes the sequels.
— Debated which upcoming superhero movie would be better.

Happy Mondays And The Stone Roses Part 1 The Birth Of Baggy

Bandsplain

— Hosts debated the relative importance and influence of the Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses in the development of the Madchester scene and Britpop.
— Hosts had a humorous disagreement about the cultural meaning of "tea" as a meal and its timing.

Jurassic World Rebirth

The Rewatchables

— Amanda enjoyed the film's sequences and visuals while Sean and Chris found the plot and script lacking, repetitive, and insulting to the intelligence. Chris found it representative of the decline of franchise filmmaking.
— Disagreement on James Cameron's criticism of Christopher Nolan for not depicting the Hiroshima bombing in Oppenheimer. Sean supported Cameron, while Chris and Amanda disagreed with Cameron's stance.
— Sean described his enjoyable experience with the animatronic dinosaurs at Universal Studios, finding it superior to the movie itself. Chris disagreed strongly, preferring the cinematic experience.

Maps

60 Songs That Explain the 90s

— Nico Strauss argues that Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and "Maps" specifically, possess qualities of dad rock, despite not being typically categorized as such. He highlights the song's earnestness and vulnerability as key elements.
— Rob debates the popular theory that "Maps" is an anagram for "My Angus, Please Stay," citing a blogger who suggests it's a Wikipedia loop of misinformation.

Oppenheimer 25

The Big Picture

— Hosts initially disagreed on whether any of Nolan's films deserved a spot, and if so, which one. Amanda initially didn't want any, while Sean championed The Dark Knight and later Oppenheimer.
— While both hosts agreed The Dark Knight is excellent, Sean ultimately felt Oppenheimer was a better representation of Nolan's work and more deserving of the list slot.
— Sean posed this question, and Amanda agreed he's highly significant but perhaps not *the* defining figure.

Out For Justice

The Rewatchables

— Bill posits that Segal was completely unaware of his maniacal ego and bad acting, comparing him to Arnold and Tyson who were self-aware. Kyle suggests Segal *landed* on his star persona and ran with it.
— Kyle introduces the infamous story, and Bill expresses a strong desire to believe it, comparing it to the Richard Gere gerbil rumor. Producer Craig unequivocally states he believes it happened, while AI research provides a nuanced, unconfirmed answer.
— Bill argues Hanks would be too self-aware for the role's unintentional comedy, while Kyle notes Cruise's past struggles with accents. Craig is brought in as a tie-breaker and picks Cruise for his potential for unintentional humor.
— Bill complains about having to pay for the movie, wishing it was free on a streaming service. Kyle, having rewatched it, regrets *not buying* it for a slightly higher price, indicating its rewatch value to him.

Pitch Perfect

The Rewatchables

— Hosts debated whether she was properly cast and whether her character, Becca, was the true villain of the film. Kate strongly argued that Becca is the worst, citing her disruptive behavior and general meanness.
— Jodie argued that the Troublemakers' final performance was better, while Juliette and Kate favored the Bellas'. They debated the quality of the vocals, choreography, and overall energy of each group.
— Jodie praised Ben Platt's singing, while Juliette expressed her dislike for his voice. They discussed his performance in the film and his career trajectory.
— Kate defended the use of the song in the finale as a great needle drop and an important moment for the characters, while Juliette found the song overrated.

Since Youve Been Gone

60 Songs That Explain the 90s

— Rob debates the merits of the nominees for the Brit Award for Best British Album (1980-2010), strongly favoring Oasis's '(What's the Story) Morning Glory?' and arguing for the inclusion of George Michael's 'Faith'.
— Rob argues that only two American Idol winners, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, have become legitimate pop stars.

The 2025 Movie Auction Returns

The Big Picture

— Sean enjoyed the film while Chris and Amanda found it to be poor. Chris challenged Sean about his positive reaction multiple times throughout the episode.
— Chris expressed strong dislike for the Avatar films, citing them as a waste of resources and talent. Sean defended the films, highlighting their visual achievements and storytelling.
— The hosts discussed the proposed changes to the scoring system for their movie auction, debating the merits of including box office, Metacritic scores, and Oscar nominations.
— Chris expressed his frustration with James Cameron's focus on the Avatar franchise, suggesting he could be utilizing his talents elsewhere. Sean defended Cameron's work.
— The hosts debated the impact of Netflix's film strategy on box office performance and awards recognition.
— The hosts discussed their individual strategies for the movie auction, including the importance of box office, critical acclaim, and personal preferences.

The Chicago Movie Draft Live In Chicago

The Rewatchables

— Sean questions the eligibility of 'The Great Ziegfeld' because 'only a little bit of this movie takes place there,' sparking an implied challenge.
— Amanda highlights the hosts' 'uniformly disagree' about eligibility, leading to 'backroom dealings' and the decision to 'hash it out live' on stage, indicating pre-show conflict.
— Sean argues his pick is 'spiritually Chicago' despite significant parts taking place elsewhere, met with immediate skepticism and challenge from Chris and Tracy regarding its geographic representation.
— Chris firmly states 'The Dark Knight is a Chicago film, and Dark Knight Rises is a Pittsburgh movie,' which Tracy sarcastically questions with 'Has anyone confronted him about this?'
— Amanda declares 'In my opinion, Minor De Palma,' which Tracy vehemently counters with 'you're so wrong! What are you talking about?' leading to a lively disagreement.
— Amanda's pick is met with audience protest ('I was just informed that the suburbs are not Chicago'), forcing her to defend its eligibility based on a major O'Hare sequence.
— Chris places 'Risky Business' in Drama, immediately prompting Sean and Tracy to argue it's a comedy or comedy-drama. Amanda concedes it's 'a stretch' while allowing it.
— Chris declares 'I prefer it to Butch and Sundance, honestly,' sparking strong disagreement and surprise from Amanda and Sean.
— Amanda places it in Drama, but Sean and Tracy immediately question the choice, with Sean playfully suggesting she was planning category fraud due to her leniency on Risky Business.
— Amanda asks the audience if 'Mean Girls' is 'too suburban,' receiving mixed responses and audience interjections about Madison, Wisconsin, ultimately leading her to opt for a backup pick.
— Sean launches into a detailed, elaborate, and somewhat absurd defense of 'Sinners' as a Chicago movie due to a post-credits scene at Buddy Guy's club, which Amanda had not seen.

Working Girl

The Rewatchables

— Bill and co-hosts debate whether Christian Zell in Marathon Man or Christoph Waltz's Landa in Inglourious Basterds is the single best Nazi villain, discussing their unique 'moves' and screen presence. They can't definitively decide.
— Bill expresses that he ranks Hoffman 'pretty far down' among 70s actors like Pacino, De Niro, Duvall, and Hackman, finding him more limited and always 'Dustin Hoffman in the movie.' Craig and other hosts agree it's not a common 'favorite actor' sentiment.
— There's a debate about the change in the movie's ending from William Goldman's novel, where Babe guns down Zell and Elsa. Hoffman reportedly pushed for the change, leading to a 'trash-talking' rivalry between Hoffman and Goldman for decades. Bill sides with Goldman.
— Bill, Amanda, and Joanna discuss how unbelievable Tess's rise and successful merger would be in real life, given she's a secretary pulling it off for two weeks without being caught. Amanda defends it by stating 'if the human emotion works' it doesn't matter if the premise is absurd.
— Amanda states that Harrison Ford is at his 'hottest' in Working Girl, surpassing Han Solo or Indiana Jones, a hot take given Molly Rubin's preference for 'Witness.' Bill pushes back with a specific vulnerable moment for his character in Working Girl.