Film Logic

Film Logic

A Retrologic movie podcast about the films of yesterday, today, and tomorrow with every fandom in between. Mike and Adam jaw about comic book movies, sci-fi, classics, comedies, and action films. Hear our opinions!!

  1. The Adventures of Buckeroo Banzai

    FEB 3

    The Adventures of Buckeroo Banzai

    Join Ivy, Mike, Adam, and Vin for a movie that is hard to understand, but not easy to look away from The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) is one of the quintessential "cult classics"—a movie that was almost universally ignored at the box office but became a legendary piece of pop culture due to its bizarre, dense world-building and dry wit. The movie is famously written as if it is the 10th or 11th entry in a long-running franchise that doesn’t actually exist. It follows Dr. Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller)—a physicist, neurosurgeon, test pilot, and rock star. The Catalyst: Buckaroo successfully drives his "Jet Car" through a mountain using the Oscillation Overthruster, a device that allows matter to pass through matter. In doing so, he briefly travels through the 8th Dimension and inadvertently discovers alien life. The Conflict: This success catches the attention of Dr. Emilio Lizardo (John Lithgow), a scientist possessed by the tyrannical Lord John Whorfin. Whorfin is the leader of the Red Lectroids, a group of evil aliens from Planet 10 who were exiled to the 8th Dimension in 1938. The Stakes: Whorfin and his Red Lectroids (all named "John" and disguised as humans working at Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems) want the Overthruster to free their army and retake Planet 10. Meanwhile, the peaceful Black Lectroids threaten to orbitally bombard Earth to prevent Whorfin's escape, which would trigger a nuclear World War III. The Resolution: Buckaroo and his team, The Hong Kong Cavaliers (including Jeff Goldblum as "New Jersey"), team up with the Blue Blaze Irregulars (his civilian fan club) to storm Yoyodyne, rescue Buckaroo's love interest Penny Priddy, and destroy Whorfin's escape pod before the Black Lectroids pull the trigger on Earth. Despite its star-studded cast, the film was a significant financial failure upon release, largely because audiences didn't know how to categorize its deadpan, "in-on-the-joke" style. Fun Fact: The film ends with a teaser for a sequel titled Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League. Because of the poor box office performance and complex legal rights issues, the sequel was never filmed, though it has since been adapted into comics and a novel. Would you like me to find out more about the "World Crime League" sequel that never happened, or perhaps the famous "watermelon in the vise" mystery? The Plot: A "Day in the Life" of a PolymathBox Office & ReceptionMetricDetailsBudgetApproximately $12 million (some sources suggest up to $17M with marketing)Domestic Gross$6.3 millionOpening Weekend$620,279VerdictBox Office Bomb. It grossed roughly half of its production cost.

    1h 36m
  2. Tubi Decided: Tammy and the T-Rex

    11/13/2025

    Tubi Decided: Tammy and the T-Rex

    Overview Tammy and the T-Rex is a 1994 American horror-comedy/teen sci-fi film directed by Stewart Raffill. Wikipedia+1 The film stars Denise Richards as “Tammy” (though in the credits she’s listed as “Tanny”) and Paul Walker as her high-school boyfriend Michael. Wikipedia+1 Plot synopsis: Michael is brutally attacked and falls into a coma, and meanwhile a mad scientist (Dr. Wachenstein) implants Michael’s brain into an animatronic Tyrannosaurus rex. The dinosaur (now Michael) escapes and seeks revenge on his tormentors, while Tammy tries to reunite with him. Wikipedia+1 The film blends teen romance, high-school drama, dinosaur monster mayhem and mad science — a wild mix of genres. Critics and viewers generally view it as campy and “so bad it’s good”. rottentomatoes.com+1 It has achieved cult status over time, partly because of its absurd premise, early performances from Richards & Walker, and the bizarre execution. The Independent The original U.S. release was in 1994 and has a runtime of about 82 minutes in its standard version. Wikipedia+1 The film was originally shot with more gore and horror sequences, but the U.S. release had some of the gore edited out to broaden its audience. Wikipedia+1 A later “uncut” or “Gore Cut” version was restored and released in 2019 by the label Vinegar Syndrome, which includes previously excised material. amherstcinema.org+1 On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the standard version of the film holds an approval rating of 43% based on 7 reviews. rottentomatoes.com+1 The “Gore Cut” version (2019) apparently has a higher approval among a niche audience (100% based on 9 reviews) though these tend to be fewer and favourable for cult-appreciation rather than mainstream. rottentomatoes.com Audience commentary often highlights the film’s joyfully absurd nature and low-budget charm. For example: “My ‘bad movie club’ and I just watched this … Every single scene … entertaining.” Reddit Despite its cult status, I could not locate reliable, publicly documented box-office grosses for Tammy and the T-Rex. The usual databases (Box Office Mojo, The Numbers) do not list complete theatrical earnings for this title (or at least not visible publicly). Given its nature (low-budget, limited release, niche appeal) it appears the film was neither a major commercial hit nor widely reported in box-office tracking. Therefore, in absence of verifiable figures, it’s best described as a cult film that likely had modest theatrical returns and found more of its audience later via home video, re-releases, and streaming. Early career appearances by future stars: Denise Richards and Paul Walker. A truly bizarre concept: brain transplant into a mechanical dinosaur. The mix of genres (teen romance, horror, sci-fi, monster movie) gives it a unique position. Its status as a “so bad it’s good” B-movie gives it enduring interest among cult-film fans. Release & VersionsReceptionBox OfficeWhy It Stands Out

    1h 25m
  3. Tubi Decided: Love Bites

    10/29/2025

    Tubi Decided: Love Bites

    The 1993 movie Love Bites is a comedy-horror film starring 1980s pop star Adam Ant as a vampire named Zachary Simms. ​🧛 Plot Summary ​Zachary Simms is a 350-year-old vampire who wakes up in his coffin after having overslept for 100 years. ​He finds his crypt is now under the house of a modern career woman named Kendall Gordon (Kimberly Foster). ​Zachary and Kendall fall in love, leading the vampire to try and "re-humanize" himself to be with her—by doing things like eating human food. ​His attempts are complicated by his jealous vampire creator and former lover, Nerissa (Michelle Forbes), who demands his return, and Kendall's jealous ex-boyfriend, Dwight (Roger Rose). ​The humor comes from Zachary's comical collision with the modern world as he tries to adapt to the 1990s. ​🎭 Box Office Performance ​Information regarding the theatrical box office performance of Love Bites is not widely available in easily searchable public records. This is often the case for smaller, independent, or straight-to-video releases from that era. ​The film was released in 1993, but it does not appear on typical lists of top-grossing films for that year, suggesting it had a limited theatrical release or was quickly moved to the home video market (VHS/rental), which was common for genre films and lower-budget comedies at the time. ​The film is sometimes listed with the alternate title Love Bites: The Reluctant Vampire. ​Would you like to know more about the cast, or perhaps other vampire-themed comedies from the 1990s?

    1 hr
  4. Jackie Chan Milks a Rhino (The Panda Plan)

    10/17/2025

    Jackie Chan Milks a Rhino (The Panda Plan)

    Mike, Ivy, Adam, and Vic watch The Panda Plan starring Jackie Chan. The film The Panda Plan (also known as Xiong mao ji hua) is an action-comedy starring Jackie Chan. ​Here is a description of the movie and its reported box office performance: ​Description of the Movie ​Plot: The film stars Jackie Chan as a version of himself—an aging, legendary international action star. He is invited to adopt a rare baby panda named Hu Hu, distinguished by having a dark circle around only one eye. ​The plot thickens when a notorious international crime syndicate sets its sights on Hu Hu, offering a massive bounty for the panda's capture. ​Chan teams up with his agent and the panda's dedicated caretaker to launch a "rescHu" mission, using his signature blend of comedic martial arts and stunts to outwit and outfight the mercenaries at a wildlife zoo. ​The movie is reported to return to Chan's classic kung fu comedy roots, featuring nostalgic stunts and action, though critics have suggested the humor and action fall short of his prime-era work. The baby panda is created using CGI. ​Box Office Performance ​Budget: The reported production budget for The Panda Plan was ¥180 million (approximately US$25 million). ​Box Office: The reported worldwide box office gross is US$42.2 million. ​The movie's box office performance was substantial enough to cover its production budget and make a profit, with the producers reportedly viewing the movie as the start of a "Panda Plan" series aimed at promoting Chinese culture and conservation.

    1h 30m

About

A Retrologic movie podcast about the films of yesterday, today, and tomorrow with every fandom in between. Mike and Adam jaw about comic book movies, sci-fi, classics, comedies, and action films. Hear our opinions!!