Off The Shelf with Phil and Dave PHIL AND DAVE

Podcast, Podcast Podcast! Dave takes 1988's Beetlejuice off the shelf this week. Phil explains why this movie, though loved, is a dvd he never opened. He finds the imagination and creativity to elevate a pretty thin plot. Dave finds the leads to be charming and enjoyable but does think that there are some holes in the plot and questions the relationships

"This pod really ties the room together" as Phil takes 1998's The Big Lebowski off the shelf. Phil remembers not really liking this movie when it came out and watched it become a cultural phenomenon in the years since. He enjoyed it much more over subsequent viewings and respects the Coen Brother's ability to change things up with each movie. Dave found the characters to be engaging and is taken by the troupe of actors. He didn't love the dream sequences, welcomes Sam Elliot but wonders why he is there.

"Everybody Podcasts" and we're no different as Dave takes 2002's Minority Report off the shelf. Phil is reminded why he hasn't seen this movie since its theatrical release and explains why this led to a 15 year long boycott of Spielberg movies. Dave revisits a favorite and finds a few more flaws than before but generally enjoys what the movie has to offer and is impressed by the performances.

We fall off the wagon as Phil takes 1945's The Lost Weekend off the shelf. This Billy Wilder movie is dark and moody but conveys the desperation of addition as good any any movie Phil has seen. Dave found the realities of alcoholism to be realistic and occasionally triggering. Both agree that the ending resolves a little too easily and leaves us wondering if Don has really beat the bottle.

The boys of summer are back on the field this week, and Dave takes 2012's Trouble With the Curve off the shelf. Phil found the movie to be a bland mix of common themes. Amy Adams manages to elevate some of them but struggles with a story that doesn't quite reach the heights it could have. Dave found the characters to be one note and the script to be pretty pedestrian. The movie culminates with too many "easy" answers to questions it barely asks.

Let's snap to it! Phil takes 1991's Oscar off the shelf. Phil remembers a very early theatrical experience and a newspaper headline that has never escaped him. Dave wonders what this movie is about for far too long but once he figures it out enjoys it. We discuss the complicated history of Stallone's comedies and John Landis' 90s.