Nostalgia Be Damned

A stacked cast. A killer crocodile. And a whole lot of sarcastic quipping. Zach & Brandon take a look back at one of the more popular creature features of the 1990s. Released just two weeks before Deep Blue Sea, 1999's Lake Placid was a modest box office success but became a hit on home video- spawning five sequels. It's blend of horror and humor left critics and audiences mixed. But everyone seemed to agree that witnessing Betty W...

Grab your shovel and get digging! Zach & Brandon revisit the acclaimed family adventure Holes, based on the best selling novel of the same name. The book's author actually wrote the script for the film. It's a densely plotted story about a boy who gets sent to a juvenile detention camp in the middle of nowhere Texas to dig holes. Why? Because it builds character. Tune in to hear if the beloved film is worthy of its nostalgia or if ...

Mr. Toilet Man, nightmare-fuel baby puppets, and one very dysfunctional family- there's a whole lot to cover here. Zach & Brandon take a look back at the 1990 sequel to the monster hit family comedy Look Who's Talking. John Travolta, Kirstie Alley and Bruce Willis return to yuck it up with little Mikey's baby sister, voiced by Roseanne Barr, entering the fold. Does this one hold up to the original? Was it ever a good movie? The boy...

Before Spider-Man, Hulk, Daredevil, or Fantastic Four, Marvel kicked off the 2000's with one of their most influential comic book movie adaptations. X-Men helped shape the superhero movie formula and kicked off a trend that's even more popular today. But is it any good? Zach & Brandon revisit this beloved blockbuster of their youth to see if it holds up. Hear all their thoughts on the film's incredible cast, it's problematic direct...

Zach & Brandon look back at one of Tim Burton's most strange and juvenile films, 1996's sci fi comedy satire Mars Attacks! It's filled with a stacked cast of 90s all-stars, featuring the likes of Jack Nicholson (in two roles), Michael J. Fox, Danny DeVito and Glenn Close. And most are reduced to a couple minutes of screen time with not much to do! Tune in to hear Zach & Brandon's thoughts on the bizarre alien design, it's endless c...

It's not often Zach & Brandon review Academy Award winning films on the show, but when they do it has a main character nicknamed B-Rabbit, climactic rap battles and a glorious appearance by Michael Shannon. They take a look back on the Eminem pop cultural phenomenon of the early 2000s as well as his acting debit in 8 Mile. It's all covered here-  it's Oscar winning song, Scary Movie 3 parody references, Cheddar Bob, even mom's spag...

Suit up for a trip back to 1995- at the height of Power Ranger popularity. Studio execs fast-tracked this theatrical adaptation of the hit children's TV show that licensed footage from older Japanese properties. Zach & Brandon relive this strange time in all its glory by reviewing Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. They discuss their former appreciation of the pop culture phenomenon as well as the film's eccentricities- from ...

True love is worth the weight! Zach & Brandon take a look back at the 2001 romantic comedy fantasy Shallow Hal. Directed by the Farrelly Brothers, it paired Gwyneth Paltrow with Jack Black (in his first leading role) for a high concept love story about a guy who's hypnotized into seeing women's true inner beauty. More sentimental than the directors' previous efforts, it's a romcom that wears its heart on its sleeve but has taken he...

Problematic New England accents, an all star cast and big budget special effects combine to create The Perfect Storm. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, this disaster drama recounts the true story of a doomed commercial fishing boat caught in the storm of the century back in 1991. Join Zach & Brandon as they revisit this 2000 box office hit and discuss it in detail, from George Clooney's John Deere hat to shark kicking- it's all covere...

Grab your tots and chug that milk! Zach & Brandon revisit the 2004 indie comedy Napoleon Dynamite. With all its quirks and bizarre sense of humor, this was a film that both hosts disliked upon release. But over the years it grew on them more and more. They remove the nostalgia goggles to look at this sleeper hit more objectively. Tune in to learn more about the making of the film as well as the their thoughts on Jon Heder's breakou...

'YOU'RE KILLING ME SMALLS!' Take a trip back to the 1960's with Zach and Brandon as they revisit a seminal 90's baseball classic. It's the summer of 1962 and an abandoned patch of sand and grass becomes the summer oasis for a ragtag group of friends. 1993's The Sandlot is a movie built on nostalgia in the vein of Stand by Me and A Christmas Story. But does hold up today? Chewing tobacco, junkyard dog puppets, the infamous pool scen...

Don't graduate, celebrate! Zach & Brandon head back to school to party with the king of Coolidge College in 2002's National Lampoon's Van Wilder. In his first lead performance in a studio film, Ryan Reynolds tears into the role with his trademark sarcasm and sardonic charisma. It's a role built for the actor- a persona he'd revisit throughout the next twenty years of his career. He's a lovable underachiever who's managed to spend s...

Zach & Brandon tackle their first video game movie adaptation! Technically the fourth film based on a video game property to get theatrically released, 1995's Mortal Kombat remains one of the best according to fans. Critically reevaluated in recent years, it's gained a resurgence in popularity. The boys discuss if it's worthy of that praise or if video game adaptations are so terrible that it's cult following is unwarranted. They d...

Zach & Brandon debate if a ringing phone needs to be answered in the 2003 thriller Phone Booth. Colin Farrell loses his Irish accent to portray a New York City publicist trapped in a phone booth, pinned down by a sniper voiced by Kiefer Sutherland. A relic of the early 2000s, it's a dated premise that might feature just enough clever direction and plot contrivances to keep it moving at a breakneck speed. Plus it has everything we k...

Join Zach & Brandon as they revisit the testosterone-fueled football epic, 1999's Any Given Sunday. It's a sprawling drama touching all corners of the industry and everyone involved. Directed by controversial filmmaker Oliver Stone, the boys discuss whether this film attempts to condemn or glamorize the sport. They discuss the all-star cast, the aggressive editing & shot selection, as well as Jamie Foxx's rap song, Al Pacino's droo...

'Ain't no rule that says the dog can't play basketball!' With that sound logic, Zach & Brandon revisit a seminal 90's favorite, Air Bud. Spawning 13 sequels/spinoffs, the boys discuss what audiences saw in the original to make this largely direct-to-video franchise so popular. Was it the alcoholic animal abusing clown played by Michael Jeter? Was it the coach violently pelting one of his players with basketballs in an attempt to ma...

Zach & Brandon revisit the movie everyone was hyping up back in middle school as one of the scariest films ever, 2002's The Ring. An English language remake of an Asian horror hit, this box office juggernaut was dubbed my many as one of the best horror films of its decade. But how does it hold up nearly two decades later? The boys discuss their general disdain for the wave of remakes this film ushered in, as well as the disturbing ...

HEADS WILL ROLL! The boys celebrate Halloween with one of Brandon's favorite films to watch to get into the holiday spirit, 1999's Sleepy Hollow. Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci star in this big budget adaptation that became a box office hit and even earned a few Academy Award nominations. Tackling their second Tim Burton feature on the show, it's a first time viewing for Zach. They discuss their introduction to the Headless Horsem...