Episodes
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After eight years, it's time for Chris, Donna, and Carlos to say farewell. So on this episode, they're taking off the rose-tinted glasses for their own show and reminiscing about all of the ups and downs HDYR has experienced over the course of its run.
They each highlight different episodes that stand out to them, share behind the scenes stories, and talk about how their own lives were changing as the show evolved.This chapter may be coming to an end, but if you'd like to stay connected with us or keep up to date on our future projects, here's where to find us:
27th Letter Productions: YouTube / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
Follow Chris:
Instagram and Twitter
Follow Carlos:
Twitter
Chris's podcast Rogues Gallery and his web series
The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler Theme Song: Missing You by Trash80 / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 Closing Song:
Hey, Do You Remember...? by Frankie + Rufus -
The next episode of HDYR is going to be our last (for now), so we thought it would be fitting to take a look back at some of our favorite series finales and discuss what made them so satisfying.
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Missing episodes?
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After complaints that Batman Returns had been too traumatizing for younger viewers, Warner Bros. set a clear mandate for the next film in their flagship franchise: lighter, brighter, and more fun.
Desperate to move away from the gloomier aesthetic of Tim Burton’s first two entries, the studio turned to Joel Schumacher - a director whose pop sensibilities were more in line with pushing happy meals and action figures.
Batman Forever was an absolutely massive hit at the box office in the summer of 1995, but it remains a divisive installment amongst fans. Join us as unpack its complicated legacy and also clear up some misconceptions about its development and production.
Topics include: whether or not there was ever actually any version of “Tim Burton’s Batman 3", how late into pre-production Michael Keaton dropped out and what that meant for the film, the much different story Schumacher initially pitched, some insane stories of the tension behind the scenes, the mishandling of Harvey Dent/Two-Face, the challenge of bringing Robin into live-action, alternate casting choices, how we felt about this new approach to the series as kids, where it ranks for us now, and much more!
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An important announcement from the HDYR gang.
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Carpe Diem, friends! The three of us all remembered the iconic lines and moments peppered throughout Dead Poets Society, but not much else. It turns out there's a pretty good explanation for that.
Peter Weir's film is a stacked deck in terms of its cast (especially the Oscar-nominated performance of Robin Williams), but does it actually engage with any of the ideas it espouses in its numerous sentimental platitudes? And does that ultimately even matter if there are so many other aspects of this that work? Topics include: the truly bizarre notes the studio had on how to improve the script, the type of career Robert Sean Leonard seemed destined for in the late 80s, the importance of establishing a clear audience identification character in a story like this, the response to Williams' performance at the time, actors who find out they've been cut from a film at the very last minute, and much more!
Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
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We're having the time of our lives with one of the most requested titles in the history of this podcast. Yes, we swear - it's the truth! And we owe it all to you.
Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
Topics include: how the director wound up using the real life tension between stars Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey to the film's advantage, the adverse conditions the production faced and where that's reflected in the movie, how many elements of this the screenwriter pulled from her own life, some mixed feelings about the inclusion of 80s pop music in an otherwise period appropriate, the maligned prequel, how shocked we were to discover just how much further this franchise has expanded beyond that, and more!
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It’s a holiday classic that’s become quintessential viewing every holiday season, but at the time Warner Bros. wasn’t even sure they wanted another Vacation movie. After the lukewarm response to European Vacation, the studio spent several years dragging their feet on the prospect of a second sequel.After they realized that 1989 had a surprising lack of holiday-themed movies from their competitors, they finally came around on the idea of getting the Griswold clan back together for Christmas Vacation. And what a lucrative decision that turned out to be! Not only did the film easily outgross its predecessor, it’s also now firmly entrenched in the pantheon of must-watch Christmas movies.
Topics include: the friction with Chevy Chase that caused the original director to quit right before filming began, how we reckon with hearing stories like that about actors or celebrities we were fans of, the bittersweet quality certain aspects of this took on watching it under our current circumstances, a couple of otherwise great scenes that feel like they happen in the wrong order, the original ending to the first film that was repurposed for this entry and whether or not it works better here, where this lands in our ranking of the Vacation movies, and more!
Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
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It's time to dig into this year's cinematic turkey and you'd be hard-pressed to find a more deserving title than Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. It wasn't just a commercial disappointment upon its initial release, it's also still widely regarded as one of the worst films ever made.
So what exactly went wrong here? The film was certainly never going to be amazing, but it had all the ingredients to at least be fun and enjoyable. It has all the posturing of a broad studio comedy and plenty of solid set ups for jokes, but it's as if somewhere along the way they just forgot to include punchlines.
Topics include: why Sylvester Stallone might be the film's harshest critic, the insane story of how Arnold Schwarzenneger tricked him into taking this role, why Estelle Getty was really the only one effected by the movie's poor reception, the irony that one of the writers went on to pen a very popular book on screenwriting, whether or not this is actually one of the worst movies ever made (is it even Stallone's worst movie?), and more!
As mentioned on the show, the first episode of Chris and Kristen's web series The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler is out now! Watch it here: https://www.27thLetterProductions.com/lucychandler Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
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It should have been the next E.T. Instead, Explorers is a film that many of you have probably never even heard of. How is it that a sci-fi/adventure movie from the director of Gremlins and featuring the big screen debuts of Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix hasn't garnered more notoriety?
The answer unfortunately arrives once the film enters its final act. Explorers was taken away from Dante during post-production and as a result, nearly an hour's worth of material wasn't just excised... it was never even finished. You'll spend the first 2/3 wondering why this isn't a bonafide classic and the final 1/3 bemoaning all of that wasted potential.
The studio's mismanagement of Explorers is heartbreaking, but despite all of the missed opportunities, this was a beloved staple of Chris's childhood and he thinks there's still enough about it that works to recommend more people check it out.
Topics include: why it was actually the studio's faith in the film that caused all of its problems, the subplot we're most upset they were forced to ditch, how all of the loose threads were tied up in the original ending, Jerry Goldsmith's incredible score, recent plans for some type of remake, and more!
As mentioned on the show, the first episode of Chris and Kristen's web series The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler is out now! Watch it here: https://www.27thLetterProductions.com/lucychandler Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
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Happy Halloween, friends! This year we're headed to the coastal town of Southport for a look back at I Know What You Did Last Summer. Loosely based on Lois Duncan's novel of the same name, it was the second smash hit for Scream creator Kevin Williamson.
The impressive box office numbers were offset by less-than-favorable reviews, especially in comparison to Williamson's more sophisticated debut. And although IKWYDLS was just the first of many teen-centric horror films that tried to capitalize on Scream's success in the late 90s, this one might have more going for it than you remember.
Topics include: Duncan's reaction to her young adult thriller being transformed into a slasher film, a young cast that was right on the cusp of super-stardom, whether or not The Fisherman is a credible slasher icon, why this has more in common with a high-concept thriller than it does a Friday the 13th movie, the lackluster sequels, the upcoming TV series, and much more!
As mentioned on the show, the first episode of Chris and Kristen's web series The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler is out now! Watch it here: https://www.27thLetterProductions.com/lucychandler Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
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Darkest Child by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3615-darkest-child
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ -
The Breakfast Club and Weird Science were both released in 1985 and it's sort of apparent which one writer/director John Hughes was more invested in. Although he was well known for having an insanely fast turnaround time on his screenplays, it sounds like he would have been the first to admit that this one could have used a little bit more work.
The accelerated production schedule was part of an overall deal he made with Universal and the experience definitely took a toll on him. It may also have contributed to the falling out he had with Anthony Michael Hall during filming, which meant this was their final collaboration. And in the end, Hughes didn't even get final cut on the film. So even though it's still revered by those who grew up with it, it's hard not to notice how different it is from the other teen-centric comedies he made around this time.
Topics include: why Kelly LeBrock originally turned down the role of Lisa and how they spent several weeks shooting with a different actress in that role, the unusual reason the bar scene was added to the film, some mixed feelings about Lisa's powers, how this almost feels like two different premises awkwardly stitched together, the TV series that ran for several seasons, a remake that never came to fruition, and much more!
Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
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The marketing for A Knight's Tale sold the film as a raucous, rock 'n roll jousting movie. Although its anachronistic soundtrack features some pretty catchy needle drops, all of us walked away from this one feeling like we didn't really get the movie we were promised.
It sort of bails on that main conceit halfway through, but the good news is that there's still a lot about this that works as a more straightforward period piece.
Topics include: the director's explanation for utilizing a more modern soundtrack and how he responded to criticisms of that decision, the incredible "before they were famous" cast and the teen idol phase of Heath Ledger's career, the surprisingly long running time and some indications that some of this may have been dramatically shuffled around in editing, a couple of deleted scenes we really wish they had made room for, and much more! Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
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This one's probably a deep cut for some of our listeners, but there are probably just as many of you out there who remember when this was in constant rotation on The Disney Channel.
The Boy Who Could Fly has some surprisingly heavy subject matter considering its target demographic, but even more surprising is how effectively the film manages to hold all of that together. Thanks to some incredibly deft direction, what could have easily spun out into melodrama instead feels genuine and pretty darn heartwarming.
Topics include: the PSA that used to run before the movie and why that maybe wasn't the worst idea in the world, unintended consequences of action figure funerals, how seeing more of the kids at school could have streamlined and clarified certain plot points, what other powers Eric might secretly be harboring, and much more! Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
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Since we had to scrap the episode that we'd originally planned to release due to technical difficulties, we thought this was a fitting subject to explore.
Hollywood history is loaded with so many interesting stories of roads not taken. There have been so many films that were announced, developed, and sometimes even started shooting that just never made it across the finish line for one reason or another. On this episode, we're highlighting some of the most tantalizing examples of this.
And as mentioned, here’s the link to Innsmouth: Beneath the Surface by Megan K.S. Roberts.
Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
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The show will be back next week, but in the meantime we wanted to release something to help hold you over. This is one of our Off The Clock bonus episodes from Patreon where we each took turns suggesting movies that pair well with one another.
And if you're already a patron, we've got something new for you as well. The latest episode of Off The Clock just went up last night so check your feeds!
Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
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Twins wasn't technically Arnold Schwarzenegger's first foray into comedy, but it was the first time he was deliberately playing against type after establishing himself as an icon in the action genre. He also knew this was all a little outside his wheelhouse, so he really stacked the deck when it came to the director, his co-stars, and an unlikely mentor that helped him hone his comedic chops.
Topics include: an investigation into this film's unusual connection to Suburban Commando, how Twins wound up netting Arnold a bigger payday than any of his previous movies, some surprising evidence that Cormac McCarthy may have been a huge fan of this film, whether or not this much backstory was required to justify the pretty straightforward premise, the long in development sequel, and more!
Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
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Home Alone's meteoric success in the winter of 1990 took John Hughes by surprise. It also (for better or worse) set the latter half of his career down a slightly different path. So in some ways, 1989's Uncle Buck represents the end of an era.
On this episode, we examine how Hughes and his frequent collaborator John Candy straddle the line between the writer/director's golden age of output and the type of comedy that would define the next decade of his career.
Topics include: Hughes' original (and somewhat surprising) choice for the title role, the studio's even more unusual pick, how an abandoned high school was transformed into a mini-movie studio, why Candy's performance doesn't totally match what's on the page and how that's ultimately a good thing, the ways in which a more formulaic structure might have actually helped this story, why there was never an Uncle Buck 2 despite Hughes' interest, and much more!
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When we revisited Judge Dredd for the podcast, we couldn't help but notice how much of it seemed like a less successful version of Demolition Man. Since then, we've been anxious to rewatch this one to see how accurate that assessment was.
"Prescient" is not a word you'd expect to use when describing one of Stallone's overblown early 90s blockbusters, but it turns out Demolition Man is full of surprises.
Topics include: the film's origins as a fairly straightforward sci-fi movie and how it evolved into a more satirical (and action-heavy) look at the future, a key subplot that was removed from the final cut, the unintended confusion caused by its absence, why the final act doesn't quite live up to the promise of the first 2/3, some unusual alternate casting choices, Stallone's intentions to develop a sequel, and more!
Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
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M. Night Shymalan has become a somewhat controversial figure and he's certainly had his share of ups and downs as a filmmaker, but way back in 1999, no one was walking into The Sixth Sense with any preconceived notions or expectations. In fact, it was probably the last time that would be the case for any of his movies.
The twist ending played like gangbusters and the resulting word of mouth transformed this modestly-budgeted thriller into the second highest grossing film of the year. Of course, this one has a lot more going for it than its big reversal, but somewhere along the way we reduced its pop culture cache to that final scene and the line "I see dead people".
So let's go back and figure out how The Sixth Sense pulled off its magic trick, why repeat viewings are just as rewarding, and what makes Shymalan such a polarizing filmmaker.
Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
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Check it out! You can now get HDYR merch exclusively through TeePublic!
It's taken almost 25 years to get a Space Jam sequel off the ground and if you're wondering why Warner Bros. just wouldn't let it go, consider this - when you factor in all of the merchandising and licensing deals, this movie has generated around SIX BILLION DOLLARS worth of revenue!
If you were a kid in the fall of 1996, this was probably the biggest thing happening in your world. Doubly so if, like us, you grew up in the Chicagoland area and were already invested in the Bulls and Michael Jordan.
Although the idea of combining one larger than life brand (Jordan) with another (the Looney Tunes) goes back to the popular Hare Jordan Superbowl commercial, there was actually more to the timing of this film than meets the eye.
We take a look at what was going on in Jordan's career leading up to this and how those events might help explain some of the choices they made with this movie.
Topics include: the film's inescapable marketing campaign, the soundtrack, new (and bizarre) revelations about the Looney Tunes gang, why so many people in the industry were skeptical of this, how Bill Murray's one-scene cameo expanded into a bona fide supporting role, why it took so long to get a direct sequel made, the anthology approach they almost took instead, and much more!
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