Too Old or Pure Gold Movie Podcast

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we slow things down and spend the summer with On Golden Pond (1981). Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn bring us aging, family tensions, old wounds, and one extremely cantankerous Norman Thayer, while Jane Fonda tries to repair a complicated relationship with her father. It’s quieter than our usual explosions, sword fights, and killer snowmen, but does this Oscar-winning drama still pack an e...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we’re joined by Vinnie Tortorich to hit the mat with Vision Quest (1985). Matthew Modine plays a high-school wrestler who decides to drop weight and take on the toughest opponent around—all while navigating first love, brutal training, and peak 80s determination. With Linda Fiorentino, an unforgettable soundtrack, and Madonna stopping by to sing “Crazy for You,” does Vision...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, there can be only one! We’re joined once again by special guest Mark Wolters to revisit Highlander (1986), the movie that gave us immortal sword fights, Sean Connery playing an Egyptian Spaniard with a Scottish accent, and a Queen soundtrack that had absolutely no reason to go this hard. Does this gloriously strange 80s fantasy still deserve immortality, or is it finally time to take its hea...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we revisit The Toy (1982), the Richard Pryor comedy that asks one of the strangest questions in movie history: what if a billionaire bought a person as a plaything for his spoiled son? With Pryor's legendary charisma, Jackie Gleason chewing the scenery, and a premise that raises more than a few eyebrows today, we break down the laughs, the heart, and the uncomfortable moments. Does this forgotten ...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we head back to school with The Substitute (1996), where Tom Berenger proves that the best way to deal with a difficult classroom is apparently to send in a mercenary. With gangs, corruption, covert operations, and a teaching style definitely not approved by the school board, this is peak 90s action-movie logic. But is The Substitute an underrated action gem, or should this class have been dismiss...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we turn down the lights and revisit 9½ Weeks (1986). Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger star in the erotic drama that became a pop-culture phenomenon thanks to blindfolds, refrigerators, and a whole lot of questionable relationship decisions. We revisit the chemistry, the controversy, and that unforgettable soundtrack to ask: is this still a seductive 80s classic, or has 9½ Weeks aged into 117 minutes...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we crawl through a tiny office door and straight into John Malkovich’s head with Being John Malkovich (1999). Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze give us puppets, identity crises, questionable relationships, and one of the strangest premises ever committed to film. More than 25 years later, is this surreal comedy still as clever and original as we remember, or is it weird simply for the sake of ...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we plug into David Cronenberg's Scanners (1981), the sci-fi horror classic that gave us one of the most unforgettable scenes in movie history. Beyond the exploding heads, we explore psychic warfare, corporate conspiracies, and Cronenberg's uniquely unsettling vision of the human mind. Is Scanners a true body horror masterpiece, or is it remembered for one spectacular moment? Join us as we find out...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we journey to the mystical world of The Dark Crystal (1982) with special guest Brad Elliott. Jim Henson and Frank Oz created one of the most ambitious fantasy films ever made, bringing an entire world to life without a single human actor. From the unforgettable Skeksis to the breathtaking puppetry and world-building, we explore whether this fantasy classic still captivates audiences—or if it...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we crack open one of horror’s strangest cult classics: Phantasm (1979). With the mysterious Tall Man, deadly silver spheres, killer dwarfs, and a plot that feels like it was dreamed up at 3 a.m., this low-budget horror icon has been unsettling audiences for decades. But does Phantasm still deliver the chills, or is it just a bizarre relic from horror's golden age?

Host: Olen Vanderleeden &...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we dive into James Cameron’s underwater sci-fi epic The Abyss (1989) with special guest Kirk Krack, one of the world's leading freediving and underwater experts. Together, we explore the film’s groundbreaking visual effects, the realities of deep-sea diving, and the incredible performances from Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Does The Abyss still stand as one of Cameron&rsqu...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we set sail with Jason and the Argonauts (1963), the mythological adventure that inspired generations of filmmakers. From clashing skeletons and towering bronze giants to gods meddling in mortal affairs, Ray Harryhausen’s groundbreaking stop-motion effects remain legendary. But over 60 years later, does this fantasy epic still feel magical, or has it become more of a museum piece?
Host:&...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we revisit The Princess Bride (1987), the fairy tale that somehow has everything: sword fights, true love, revenge, pirates, giants, rodents of unusual size, and one of the most quotable scripts ever written. It's a movie beloved by multiple generations, but does it still enchant first-time viewers, or is its reputation bigger than its legend? 
Cast: Olen Vanderleeden & Mathew Stockton...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we dive into Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling epic Magnolia (1999). With an all-star cast including Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, and Jason Robards, this ambitious drama weaves together stories of love, regret, forgiveness, and... frogs. Does this critically acclaimed masterpiece still captivate audiences, or is it simply too long and too strange for mod...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we revisit Three Men and a Baby (1987),where three bachelors and one unexpected baby attempt to be comedy gold. Starring Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson, this fish-out-of-water comedy mixes parenting chaos, friendship, and just enough 80s charm to fill a nursery. But does this family favorite still deliver the laughs, or should it stay in the playpen of nostalgia?
Host: Olen Vand...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we tackle Gymkata (1985), the movie that asked a question nobody else dared: what if gymnastics was the ultimate martial art? Olympic gymnast Kurt Thomas flips, kicks, and pommel-horses his way through an absurd action adventure filled with ninjas, secret missions, and the most conveniently placed gymnastics equipment in movie history. Is Gymkata an overlooked action gem, or a glorious train wreck...

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we call in sick and spend the day with Ferris Bueller. John Hughes' 1986 classic follows the world's most confident teenager as he skips school, steals a Ferrari, crashes a parade, and somehow convinces everyone he's the good guy. But does Ferris still charm modern audiences, or would he be TikTok-famous for all the wrong reasons? Join us as we revisit one of the most beloved comedies of the 80s.&...