Episode 22 - True Stories (1986)

FromMary Versus the Movies

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Episode 22 - True Stories (1986)

FromMary Versus the Movies

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Length:

43 minutes

Released:

Aug 13, 2021

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

David Byrne's mockumentary about a small Texas town, starring John Goodman, was a fun surprise--Dennis called it "Koyaanisqatsi as a comedy", and to Mary was a marriage of Wes Anderson and The Church of the SubGenius.

Released:

Aug 13, 2021

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Sure, the 1980s were a great decade for film. But have you seen all of them? No, neither has Mary. In fact, some pretty big films passed her by, what with being in kindergarten at the time: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Moonstruck, My Neighbor Totoro... So it's time to fix that. Artwork, opening and closing themes by Dennis Lingg Produced and edited by Mary Jones

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Episode 14 - My Neighbor Totoro (1988): Things get personal on this episode, which is a little shaggier than most. What happens when Mary decides to watch the beloved children's film My Neighbor Totoro, written and directed by the great Hayao Miyazaki, and is reminded of painful childhood... by Mary Versus the Movies
35 min listen
Episode 25 - Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982): We went into this fearing a sleazy teensploitation skin flick; instead, it's funny, frank look at young people surviving high school and learning about sex and relationships, all set to a killer early 1980s soundtrack. It's also a real "hey, it's that... by Mary Versus the Movies
56 min listen
Episode 8 - Dune (1984): We really don't know what to make of David Lynch's space-opera adaptation of Frank Herbert's cult sci-fi novel Dune. As critic Nathan Rabin would ask, is it a Failure, Fiasco or Secret Success? Too long? Too short? And why in the world was Sting cast?... by Mary Versus the Movies
47 min listen
Episode 3 - Moonstruck (1987): Did Cher totally deserve an Oscar for her performance? Is Nic Cage's performance turned to 11? Should Danny Aiello just stay in Sicily? Is this the best movie we've covered so far? Does the moon really hit your eye like a big pizza pie? The answers to... by Mary Versus the Movies
34 min listen
Episode 6 - Maximum Overdrive (1986): Even Stephen King, who wrote and directed it, admits Maximum Overdrive is the worst film connected to his body of work. Do Mary and Dennis think he's right? Well, yeah, but only because Mary can't remember anything about the TV movie The Langoliers.... by Mary Versus the Movies
31 min listen
Episode 2 - Predator (1987): Mary muscles her way into Predator, and Dennis reminisces about the late, great premium cable channel PRISM. Also, choppers are gotten to. by Mary Versus the Movies
27 min listen
Episode 11 - Honky Tonk Freeway (1981): We didn't know what to expect with this obscure comedy from 1981; little did we know we had on our hands one of the biggest bombs in film history. A friend of the show called it "Nashville meets Cannonball Run", and she wasn't wrong. Is it good? Is it... by Mary Versus the Movies
42 min listen
Episode 10 - Fitzcarraldo (1982): We were left pretty astonished by Werner Herzog's epic adventure film about the world most reckless opera fan. by Mary Versus the Movies
47 min listen
Episode 12 - Outland (1981): Sean Connery is a marshal investigating a rash of suicides in a space mining colony in this somewhat obscure 1981 sci fi film. Mary was pleasantly surprised by this story of corruption described as "High Noon in Space". Is this one of Connery's best... by Mary Versus the Movies
35 min listen
Episode 5 - Road House (1989): What is there to say? One of the most famous "bad movies" ever made, and somehow Mary has never seen it, not even while flipping channels on cable, which is where everyone else encountered the Patrick Swayze masterpiece, which flopped in theaters. by Mary Versus the Movies
35 min listen
Episode 16 - Xanadu (1980): We went into 1980's Xanadu thinking "this is gonna be a bad movie", and folks, we were both very right and very wrong. Is the acting wooden? Is the plot almost too simple? Is the directing middling at best? Yes, yes, and yes. But is the music great?... by Mary Versus the Movies
32 min listen
Episode 38 - A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986): It's an old-fashioned Christmas in the Smoky Mountains when Dolly Parton runs away from L.A. and ends up running afoul of a sleazy sheriff, a jealous witch, seven orphan, and Lee Majors as a a mountain man named Mountain Dan. It's a cornball affair,... by Mary Versus the Movies
39 min listen
Episode 17 - Shag (1988): We had mixed feelings about this forgotten coming-of-age story set in 1963 Myrtle Beach, SC. The film is enjoyable, but a combination of Southern Pride and 1980s sexual politics left us a little unmoored. CW: talking about an attempted sexual... by Mary Versus the Movies
36 min listen
Episode 21 - Mystic Pizza (1988): "They don't make 'em like that anymore" is a very tired sentiment, but it's been a while since we've seen a movie in theaters about working class girls coming of age, and this is a good one. Come for the dissing of Connecticut's pizza, stay for the... by Mary Versus the Movies
32 min listen
Episode 24 - ¡Three Amigos! (1986): We're back with another Steve Martin film, this time his homage to the singing cowboy pictures of from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Unfortunately, he's working with John Landis on the backside of his directing heights, and we end up with a... by Mary Versus the Movies
38 min listen
Episode 9 - Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982): As an homage to film noir and classic Hollywood, this movie was built for Mary. As a Steve Martin-Carl Reiner comedy, it was built for Dennis. Two great tastes are pretty tasty together in the 1982 film that mixes and matches films from all over the... by Mary Versus the Movies
38 min listen
Episode 4 - Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985): Even though she grew up watching the show, this is Mary's first time seeing Tim Burton's first film, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. Does its child-like star irritate, or is he the heir to Bugs Bunny? How much do we miss Phil Hartman? And just how many times... by Mary Versus the Movies
37 min listen
Episode 15 - Silverado (1985): Our first guest! Mary's sister Anne comes by to talk about 1985's Silverado, written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan, and starring Kevin Kline, Danny Glover, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Brian Dennehey, and on and on and on. By the 1980s, the Western... by Mary Versus the Movies
30 min listen
Episode 1 - 9 to 5 (1980): In our first episode, Mary and Dennis tackle the 1980 workplace farce 9 to 5, starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Dabney Coleman. It's a story of sex, revenge, and the power of collective action. It also completely missed Mary growing... by Mary Versus the Movies
32 min listen
Episode 26 - Hoosiers (1986): Folks, we had some problems with Hoosiers. Will this be the episode that loses us listeners? Probably! by Mary Versus the Movies
41 min listen
Episode 19 - Johnny Dangerously (1984): This Amy Heckerling comedy starring Michael Keaton was a favorite film of Dennis's when he was younger--will it hold up to his own memories? Or will Mary be unable to see what's so funny about this gangster parody? by Mary Versus the Movies
32 min listen
Episode 18 - The Apple (1980): It's MTV meets Brave New World meets Rocky Horror meets the Bible in this 1980 musical extravaganza that we still can't make up our minds about, because wow, that ending really took us right out of it. And yet... we like it? We found so much to talk... by Mary Versus the Movies
51 min listen
Episode 13 - The Thing (1982): We go a little long on this one, but come on, it's John Carpenter's The Thing, one of the greatest sci-fi horror films of the last 50 years. The story of men stationed in Antarctica, trying to figure out which one of them is a shape-shifting alien, is... by Mary Versus the Movies
44 min listen
Episode 7 - Desperately Seeking Susan (1985): Who knew this screwball comedy starring Rosanna Arquette, Aiden Quinn, Mark Blum, and most famously Madonna, would turn out to be a real gem of a movie? Definitely not Mary and Dennis, who were pleasantly surprised. Sit back, dream of a different... by Mary Versus the Movies
31 min listen
Episode 28 - The Witches of Eastwick (1987): Kicking off October's Spooky Month, it's The Witches of Eastwick, a comedy where Jack Nicholson's greasy ponytail is somehow able to pull down a harem that includes Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Directed by George Miller, who has one of... by Mary Versus the Movies
43 min listen
Episode 22 - True Stories (1986): David Byrne's mockumentary about a small Texas town, starring John Goodman, was a fun surprise--Dennis called it "Koyaanisqatsi as a comedy", and to Mary was a marriage of Wes Anderson and The Church of the SubGenius. by Mary Versus the Movies
43 min listen
Episode 68 - Hollywood Shuffle (1987): Robert Townsend's showbiz satire on the limited roles for black actors in the 1980s is sharp, funny, and an early example of the kind of self-financed movies that would rise to prominence in the 1990s. Co-written and co-starring Keenen Ivory Wayans,... by Mary Versus the Movies
41 min listen
Episode 32 - Angel Heart (1987): This is the notorious film that got Lisa Bonet thrown off The Cosby Show. Initially rated X for a scene that honestly is pretty tame by today's standards, it's a fascinating blend of noir and horror, starring Mickey Rourke as a private eye collecting... by Mary Versus the Movies
37 min listen
Episode 52 - Vibes (1988): We were excited for this psychic comedy starring Jeff Goldblume, Cyndi Lauper, and Peter Falk, but folks, the vibes were bad. by Mary Versus the Movies
40 min listen
Episode 23 - Sword of the Valiant (The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) (1984): Timed to coincide with the current film The Green Knight, this episode has readings in Middle English, an increasingly-irate Mary expounding on the meanderings of medieval literature, and some truly terrible music. Medieval literature and Arthuriana... by Mary Versus the Movies
42 min listen

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Episode 143 - Stranger Than Paradise (1984): A gambler's cousin shows up from Hungary and suddenly turns his dirtbag life upsidedown, sending them on a roadtrip around America. Starring John Lurie, Eszter Balint, and Richard Edson. Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. by Mary Versus the Movies
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Hollywood Avalon 13 - Camelot, Part II: We return to Camelot with a look at the 1967 film production of the Lerner & Loewe musical, again starring Richard Harris as King Arthur. At three hours, it's an overly-long production that loses steam in its third hour, but the first two are lush... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 142 - Eating Raoul (1982): A black comedy about a sexually-repressed couple who fund their dream of opening a restaurant by posing as sex workers and robbing and murdering Los Angeles swingers. When a local thief worms his way into the scheme, everything goes haywire,... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 141 - D.A.R.Y.L. (1985): A mysterous boy is adopted by a couple and soon shows himself to be unnervingly perfect. Is he really a robot? Maybe even a secret military project? Yeah, of course he is, this is the 1980s. It's not great. Starring Barret Oliver, Michael McKean, and... by Mary Versus the Movies
41 min listen
Episode 140 - Dream a Little Dream (1989): We welcome back Alana Phelan to the show to talk about a Corey Feldman-Corey Haim fantasy with weirdo philosopher Jason Robards inhabiting Feldman's body as he tries to romance Meredith Salinger. It's a very weird movie loved by this weeks' guest.... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 139 - Dragnet (1987): Dan Ackroyd's misguided take on the copaganda classic Dragnet was a huge disappointment when Dennis saw it in theaters back in 1987. Does his opinion hold up? Or is the film even worse than he remembers? Should he have talked Mary out of covering this... by Mary Versus the Movies
41 min listen
Hollywood Avalon, episode 12 - Camelot, Part I (1960/1981): We start the first of a two-part series examining the musical Camelot, the Broadway hit based on T.H. White’s The Once and Future King, which I recently re-read in preparation. For part one, we look at both the original cast recording from... by Mary Versus the Movies
5 min listen
Episode 138 - Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare (1987): We finish "Dennis versus the movies" with a very silly Canadian hair metal horror movie wherein Jon Mikl Thor battles a rubbery devil. It's the kind of goofy trash they used to show at 3 a.m. when we were a proper country. Starring Jon Mikl Thor.... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 137 - The Last Unicorn (1982): The Rankin-Bass adaptation of Peter S. Beagle's fairy tale about the last unicorn in the world and the small band of humans who help her is a melancholy story gorgeously animated by the Japanese studio Topcraft. This was a favorite movie of Mary's as... by Mary Versus the Movies
71 min listen
Episode 136 - After Hours (1985): "Dennis vs. the Movies" continues with a look at Martin Scorsese's black comedy about a yuppie who meets the wrong woman, is stranded overnight in Soho, and hunted by an angry mob. It's a comedic take on the country's feelings about New York,... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 135 - The Great Muppet Caper (1981) with special guest Zach Woliner: We kick off "Dennis versus the movies" month with a viewing of the second Muppet movie, The Great Muppet Caper, in which the Muppets go to England and get tangled up with Charles Grodin and a jewel heist. Joining us is our special guest, Zach Woliner,... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 134 - Wild At Heart (1990): David Lynch's violent romantic drama plays like William Faulkner had written The Wizard of Oz starring Elvis Presley--a strange, campy, Southern Gothic road trip through America that Lynch described as "a love story in Hell". Starring Nicolas... by Mary Versus the Movies
47 min listen
Episode 133 - Mona Lisa (1986): Neil Jordan's neo-noir romance about a jailbird driver, a high-priced escort, and the mob boss running everything is a bleak, sometimes-funny look at duplicity, delusion, and the seedy side of London. Starring Bob Hoskins, Cathy Tyson, Michael... by Mary Versus the Movies
44 min listen
Hollywood Avalon, Episode 11 - Unidentified Flying Oddball: From the nadir of Disney filmmaking comes yet another spin on Mark Twain's Connecticut Yankee, this time featuring Dennis Dugan as a NASA engineer accidentally sent back in time with his android twin Hermes. It's not the worst movie we've covered for... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 132 - My Beautiful Launderette (1985): Omar, a young Brit from a Pakistani family, and his boyfriend Johnny, a former skinhead, attempt to open the nicest laundromat in London while tackling issues of family, race, class, sex, crime, and Thatcher-era austerity. Starring Saeed Jaffrey,... by Mary Versus the Movies
42 min listen
Episode 131 -A Room With a View (1985): Merchant-Ivory's lush adaptation of E.M. Forster's novel of romantic struggle against Edwardian repression is the best possible version of those PBS dramas your mom likes to watch--better, even, because this one has full frontal male nudity. ... by Mary Versus the Movies
50 min listen
Episode 130 - Liquid Sky (1982): New York's hottest club is Liquid Sky. This club has everything: heroin, David Bowie impersonators, aliens, necrophelia, shrimp, cocaine, a Fairlight CMI synthesizer, Germans, murder, and anorgasmia. (A UFO causes havoc in the New York downtown... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 129 - Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989): It's a cyberpunk body-horror story of sex and violence, shot through with the kind of late 1980s indie movie aesthetics that we seriously miss, sitting somewhere between David Lynch and MTV. Starring Shinya Tsukamoto, Tomorowo Taguchi, and Kei... by Mary Versus the Movies
37 min listen
Hollywood Avalon - Episode 10 - The Green Knight: David Lowrey’s rewriting of the medieval poem Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight is well-acted, and has some lovely art direction, it ultimately misses the mark in several ways: the CGI is murky, the crucial section at Sir Bertilak’s castle is... by Mary Versus the Movies
6 min listen
Episode 128 - Misery (1990): Toxic fandom by way of Stephen King, with one of the most famous torture scenes in cinema. Look, our fans are great, and we're gonna keep saying that, please put down the hammer. Starring James Caan, Kathy Bates, Richard Farnsworth, Frances... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 127 - Matinee (1993): Joe Dante's love letter to the midcentury monster movie, nestled in a comedy about a William Castle-type director promoting a film in the Florida Keys during the Cuban Missile Crisis, is a deliriously silly movie that feels made for Mary and Dennis.... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 126 - Diner (1982): Barry Levinson’s first film, set in that quiet week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, is a surprisingly smart examination of young men and relationships, and why people should (or shouldn’t) get married. It’s nostalgic without being overly... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 125 - The Dead (1987): John Huston's final film is a surprisingly warm adaptation of James Joyce's short story about a Twelfth Night Christmas party that shows the cracks in a marriage, opening up questions about love, identity, and how well we can truly know one... by Mary Versus the Movies
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Episode 22 - True Stories (1986)

Episode 22 - True Stories (1986)

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Mary Versus the Movies

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