Movie Memory Machine

Grunt Work Podcasts
  • 5.0 (7)
  • FILM HISTORY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Movie Memory Machine is your guide to the forgotten films of the ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, and beyond. Every week, our rogue time machine drops us into a different year to revisit wide-release movies that history left behind—cult favorites, forgotten flops, and everything in between. Along the way, we uncover behind-the-scenes trivia, oddball production choices, and the cultural baggage these movies left behind. Then we decide: does this movie deserve to return to modern memory—or stay lost in time?

  1. 2D AGO

    5 For: The Dream Team (1989)

    The Machine isn’t done roaming hospital corridors and city streets. After dropping Truman and Landen into The Dream Team (1989), it queues up five more films circling institutions, delusions, gentle outsiders, and what happens when “treatment” collides with humanity. The vibe? Compassion, satire, rebellion… and at least one starship. The Machine has selected the following five films for further study: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) – Rebellion inside the psychiatric system Titicut Follies (1967) – Unflinching documentary inside a state hospital Don Juan DeMarco (1994) – Romantic delusion or healing fantasy? Mister Lonely (2007) – Outsiders building their own fragile community Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) – Institutional logic meets human absurdity Each of these films explores institutions—psychiatric, societal, or bureaucratic—and the fragile, often beautiful humanity pushing back against them. From the countercultural defiance of Cuckoo’s Nest to the vérité exposure of Titicut Follies, from romanticized identity in Don Juan DeMarco to spiritual misfits in Mister Lonely, and even to the comedic outsider logic of Star Trek IV, the thread is clear: who gets labeled “crazy,” and who gets to define normal? It’s the same tension that powers The Dream Team, just refracted through wildly different genres and decades.   Subscribe & Follow Stay connected with Truman Capps and Landen Celano as the Machine continues flinging them through the forgotten, the flopped, and the strangely fascinating corners of cinema each week. Subscribe to keep up with every Main episode, Mini-Transmission, and 5-For journey. Official Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com Patreon (Bonus Episodes + Early Access): https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moviememorymachine YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine Instagram: https://instagram.com/moviememorymachine Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moviememorymachine Support the Show Enjoy the curated chaos of the Machine’s movie selections? Become a patron to access exclusive episodes, early releases, and help keep the Machine humming. Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod   The Dream Team, The Dream Team 1989, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Titicut Follies, Don Juan DeMarco, Mister Lonely, Star Trek IV The Voyage Home, Movie Memory Machine, movie podcast, film discussion, curated films, thematic film list, psychiatric films, mental health in movies, cult films, film history, cinematic analysis, ensemble comedy, institutional critique

    17 min

  2. 5D AGO

    Mini-Transmission: The Dream Team (1989)

    Truman and Landen wrap up stray thoughts, production quirks, and leftover laughs from The Dream Team (1989)—a movie that somehow combines gentle heart, New York grime, and Michael Keaton at his most unhinged. And as always, they play The Trailer Game, trying to guess what footage the marketing team thought best represented four escaped psychiatric patients wandering Manhattan before watching the trailer for the first time. Next week, the Machine sends them to May 28, 1999 with the clue: Question Reality—and it’s already cackling like Christopher Lloyd in a stolen hospital gown.   Subscribe & Follow Movie Memory Machine Keep up with every Main episode, Mini-Transmission, and bonus discussion as the Machine flings Truman Capps and Landen Celano through the forgotten, the flopped, and the strangely fascinating films of decades past. Stay connected and subscribe to follow every jump. Official Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine   Support the Show Enjoy the ride through cinematic history? Become a patron to access exclusive episodes, early releases, and help keep the Machine running. Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod   The Dream Team, The Dream Team 1989, Howard Zieff, Michael Keaton, Beetlejuice, Christopher Lloyd, Back to the Future, Peter Boyle, Stephen Furst, comedy, 1980s comedy, Movie Memory Machine, movie podcast, film discussion, trailer reaction, vintage trailers, forgotten movies, cult films, film history, cinematic analysis

    28 min

  3. FEB 6

    The Dream Team (1989) | Michael Keaton Leads a Chaotic Comedy Breakout

    The Machine yanks Truman and Landen straight into 1989 New York, where the pigeons are plentiful, the crime rate is questionable, and four psychiatric patients are somehow having a better day than our hosts. With a comedy tone that wobbles between screwball, satire, and “oh no they let who loose in Manhattan?”, the guys dive into a movie that’s equal parts heartwarming and wildly irresponsible.   The Dream Team is a chaotic, character-driven comedy starring Billy, a volatile former ad exec (Michael Keaton, Beetlejuice), Henry, an anxious perfectionist (Christopher Lloyd, Back to the Future), Jack, a delusional former newsman (Peter Boyle, Everybody Loves Raymond), and Albert, a childlike gentle giant who only speaks in baseball commentary (Stephen Furst, Animal House). Directed by Howard Zieff, the film follows four psychiatric patients whose group outing spirals into an unplanned odyssey through 1980s Manhattan when their doctor is attacked and hospitalized. Balancing slapstick mayhem with earnest sweetness, the movie captures a late-’80s moment when studios still greenlit high-concept ensemble comedies with surprising warmth.   Why This Film? Once a modest box-office success and a cable-TV staple, The Dream Team has largely faded from pop-culture memory despite its stacked cast and oddball charm. It’s a time capsule of pre-Batman Michael Keaton, scrappy New York street comedy, and a tone Hollywood simply doesn’t make anymore—all perfect ingredients for the Movie Memory Machine.   Subscribe & Follow Movie Memory Machine Join Truman Capps and Landen Celano every week as the Machine flings them through cinematic history to rediscover the forgotten, the flopped, and the strangely fascinating films of decades past. Stay connected and subscribe to keep up with every new episode. Official Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine   Support the Show Enjoy the journey through cinematic history? Become a patron to access exclusive episodes, early releases, and help keep the Machine running. Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod

    2h 16m

  4. FEB 2

    5-For: Tag (2018) | When Adult Friendships Become Contact Sports

    The Machine isn’t done sprinting yet. For this 5-For transmission, Truman and Landen are handed five studio comedies that orbit Tag (2018)—movies where grown adults, respectable jobs be damned, are dragged into escalating games, schemes, and misadventures that test friendship, masculinity, and the limits of insurance coverage.   The Machine’s Five Selected Films According to the Machine, these films share a common DNA: high-concept premises, ensemble casts, and the quiet fear that adulthood might already be over. Game Night (2018) – Murder-mystery stakes collide with suburban friendship dynamics Date Night (2010) – Marriage, mistaken identity, and chaos after bedtime Horrible Bosses (2011) – Workplace rage filtered through cartoonish criminal logic Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) – Male nostalgia weaponized into a sci-fi party comedy The Hangover (2009) – The modern blueprint for friendship-based disaster comedies   Why These Five? Together, these movies map out the late-2000s and 2010s studio comedy boom—where adult responsibility was repeatedly smashed into genre frameworks like action thrillers, crime capers, and sci-fi romps. Seen alongside Tag, they reveal a moment when Hollywood tried to keep the R-rated comedy alive by turning friendship itself into the central stunt.   Subscribe & Follow Movie Memory Machine Stay connected with Truman Capps and Landen Celano as the Machine continues flinging them through the forgotten, the flopped, and the strangely fascinating corners of cinema each week. Subscribe to keep up with every Main episode, Mini-Transmission, and 5-For journey. Official Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine   Support the Show Enjoy the curated chaos of the Machine’s movie selections? Become a patron to access exclusive episodes, early releases, and help keep the Machine humming. Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod     Tag, Tag 2018, Game Night 2018, Date Night 2010, Horrible Bosses 2011, Hot Tub Time Machine 2010, The Hangover 2009, ensemble comedies, R-rated comedy, studio comedies, friendship movies, high-concept comedy, Movie Memory Machine, movie podcast, film discussion, curated films, thematic film list, forgotten movies, cult films, film history, podcast episode, cinematic analysis

    20 min

  5. JAN 30

    Mini-Transmission: Tag (2018) | The Bromance Arms Race Continues

    Truman and Landen sweep up the leftover chaos from Tag (2018)—a movie that asked, “What if your friends never emotionally matured past recess, but in a kind of inspiring way?” They revisit dangling threads from the Main episode, dig into the real-life tag squad behind the film, and, as always, play The Trailer Game, trying to guess which slow-motion tackles and Jeremy Renner smirks the marketing department used before watching the trailer for the first time. Next week, the Machine sends them to April 7, 1989 with the clue: "This morning they were playing ping-pong in the hospital rec room. Now they're lost in New York and framed for murder. This was never covered in group therapy." Neither host is prepared for what that implies about their insurance deductibles.   Subscribe & Follow Movie Memory Machine Keep up with every Main episode, Mini-Transmission, and bonus discussion as the Machine flings Truman Capps and Landen Celano through the forgotten, the flopped, and the strangely fascinating films of decades past. Stay connected and subscribe to follow every jump. Official Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine   Support the Show Enjoy the ride through cinematic history? Become a patron to access exclusive episodes, early releases, and help keep the Machine running. Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod   Tag, Tag 2018, Jeff Tomsic, Ed Helms, Jon Hamm, Jake Johnson, Hannibal Buress, Jeremy Renner, Isla Fisher, action comedy, buddy comedy, based on a true story, 2010s comedies, movie podcast, trailer reaction, vintage trailers, Movie Memory Machine, film discussion, forgotten movies, cult films, cinematic analysis

    41 min

  6. JAN 23

    Tag (2018) | The Wild, True Story of a Lifelong Game Taken Too Far

    The Machine hurls Truman and Landen back to 2018, where a perfectly normal adult world briefly stopped to witness a group of grown men sprinting, tackling, and emotionally spiraling through the most intense game of tag ever put to film. As the Machine reminds them, this bromantic stunt-comedy immortalized a real-life tradition—and maybe also proved that your thirties are just gym class with taxes.   Synopsis Tag is a high-energy buddy comedy starring Hogan Malloy (Ed Helms, The Hangover), Bob Callahan (Jon Hamm, Mad Men), Randy Cilliano (Jake Johnson, New Girl), Kevin Sable (Hannibal Buress, Spider-Man: Homecoming), and Jerry Pierce (Jeremy Renner, The Avengers). Directed by Jeff Tomsic, the film follows a tight-knit group of friends who have spent nearly 30 years locked in a hyper-competitive, anything-goes game of tag—one that threatens to unravel when the ever-untouchable Jerry announces he’s retiring after his wedding. Blending exaggerated action choreography with a sincere look at male friendship, Tag channels the late-2010s trend of “based on a true story, but played like a cartoon” studio comedies.   Why This Film? Though it earned modest attention on release, Tag quickly slipped between genres—too heartfelt for pure slapstick, too absurd for straightforward sentiment. It’s a fascinating example of a studio trying to reinvigorate the R-rated comedy market while packaging a very real human-interest story inside blockbuster-style action beats.   Subscribe & Follow Movie Memory Machine Join Truman Capps and Landen Celano every week as the Machine flings them through cinematic history to rediscover the forgotten, the flopped, and the strangely fascinating films of decades past. Stay connected and subscribe to keep up with every new episode. Official Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine   Support the Show Enjoy the journey through cinematic history? Become a patron to access exclusive episodes, early releases, and help keep the Machine running. Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod   Tag, Tag 2018, Jeff Tomsic, Ed Helms, Jon Hamm, Jake Johnson, Hannibal Buress, Jeremy Renner, Isla Fisher, Rashida Jones, buddy comedy, action-comedy, based on a true story, R-rated comedy, Warner Bros, 2010s comedies, ensemble cast comedy, Movie Memory Machine, movie podcast, film discussion, forgotten movies, cult films, film history, podcast episode, cinematic analysis, adult friendship movies, high-concept comedies

    2h 12m

  7. JAN 19

    5-For: War Horse (2011) | Cinema’s Most Heroic Horses (Plus One Brutal Battlefield)

    The Machine, perhaps inspired by War Horse (2011) and its belief that a single determined horse can survive anything short of a tank, has assembled five thematically linked films. Truman and Landen ride through a lineup that mixes equine legends, childhood-codex classics, and one devastating antiwar drama that reminds us what happens when there aren’t any noble steeds around to carry the emotional weight.   The Machine’s Five Selected Films The Machine has selected a stable of titles that echo the heart, heroism, and historical sweep of Spielberg’s film: Secretariat (2010) – a glossy, feel-good biopic about the most famous Triple Crown champion in history Seabiscuit (2003) – Depression-era racing legend as American underdog myth Black Beauty (1994) – the definitive “horse-as-narrator” classic of childhood heartbreak The Black Stallion (1979) – a gorgeously shot survival-and-bonding tale that remains a gold standard of equine cinema No Man’s Land (2001) – a razor-sharp, darkly comedic Bosnia War drama reminding us what human conflict looks like without Spielbergian sentiment   Why These Five? Each of these films mirrors a facet of War Horse’s identity — from uplifting race-track mythology to boy-and-horse bonding to the harsh realities of wartime survival. Together, they form a panorama of how cinema uses horses (and sometimes their absence) to explore resilience, innocence, national myths, and the complicated ways we romanticize struggle. It’s a surprisingly rich genre constellation… and the Machine seems very proud of itself for finding it.   Subscribe & Follow Movie Memory Machine Stay connected with Truman Capps and Landen Celano as the Machine continues flinging them through the forgotten, the flopped, and the strangely fascinating corners of cinema each week. Subscribe to keep up with every Main episode, Mini-Transmission, and 5-For journey. Official Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine   Support the Show Enjoy the curated chaos of the Machine’s movie selections? Become a patron to access exclusive episodes, early releases, and help keep the Machine humming. Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod   War Horse, War Horse 2011, Secretariat, Secretariat 2010, Seabiscuit, Seabiscuit 2003, Black Beauty, Black Beauty 1994, The Black Stallion, The Black Stallion 1979, No Man’s Land 2001, Steven Spielberg, equine movies, horse movies, war films, WWI films, racing films, Movie Memory Machine, movie podcast, film discussion, curated films, thematic film list, forgotten movies, cult films, cinematic analysis, film history

    17 min

  8. JAN 16

    Mini-Transmission: War Horse (2011) | Spielberg Prestige, Battlefield Horses, and Next Week’s Leap

    Truman and Landen wrap up the loose ends from War Horse (2011) — a movie where Spielberg unleashes maximum sincerity, maximum sunsets, and a horse so noble it could probably negotiate peace treaties. They revisit the film’s stray thoughts, historical oddities, and emotional haymakers… and as always, they play The Trailer Game, trying to guess what images the marketing team deemed “horse-forward” enough to sell the film before watching the trailer for the first time. Next week, the Machine sends them to June 15, 2018 with the clue: "We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." Frankly, it sounds like the Machine has traded in mud-slicked trenches for something equally chaotic.   Subscribe & Follow Movie Memory Machine Keep up with every Main episode, Mini-Transmission, and bonus discussion as the Machine flings Truman Capps and Landen Celano through the forgotten, the flopped, and the strangely fascinating films of decades past. Stay connected and subscribe to follow every jump. Official Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine   Support the Show Enjoy the ride through cinematic history? Become a patron to access exclusive episodes, early releases, and help keep the Machine running. Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod   War Horse, War Horse 2011, Steven Spielberg, Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, David Thewlis, WWI film, historical drama, Spielberg movie, Movie Memory Machine, movie podcast, film discussion, trailer reaction, vintage trailers, forgotten movies, cult films, film history, cinematic analysis

    33 min
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About

Movie Memory Machine is your guide to the forgotten films of the ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, and beyond. Every week, our rogue time machine drops us into a different year to revisit wide-release movies that history left behind—cult favorites, forgotten flops, and everything in between. Along the way, we uncover behind-the-scenes trivia, oddball production choices, and the cultural baggage these movies left behind. Then we decide: does this movie deserve to return to modern memory—or stay lost in time?

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