FanFare

[TRAILER] The Freelings (JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson) have escaped their haunted house, which is now being studied by paranormal investigators, including shaman Taylor (Will Sampson). When Taylor realizes that the Beast, masquerading as the Rev. Kane (Julian Beck), knows where young Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O'Rourke) now lives, he goes to warn the family that their daughter is in danger again. To protect Carol, her family must plot to take down the Beast. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Dec 12, 2024 - 5 comments

For a change we're doing a "Just The Jokes" riff. The way these work, you use your audio player of choice to play the MP3 of Mike, Kevin and Bill along with the movie of your choice. Follow Mike's directions on when to start the file, then listen for "Disembaudio," their distinctive synthesized voice, to speak a line of dialog at the same time as a character in the movie. If Disembaudio speaks slightly early, pause the audio file for just a moment, and if the movie's early, pause it momentarily instead. Or alternatively, you can use the free Rifftrax app to do the syncing for you on your smartphone. Rifftrax got their start doing Just The Jokes riffs like these 18 years ago as an end run around releasing commentary on movies they didn't have rights to, and while these days they tend to focus on movies that they can legally mix their riffs directly into, they still release new ones from time to time. As for the movie, Ready Player One is a big ol' pandering mess that they managed to get Steven Spielberg to direct. Much of it is set in a virtual world where every 80s and 90s media property owned or licensed by Warner Bros can all interact, making it a special kind of crossover hell. I realize that sounds like Space Jam: A New Legacy, but that was actually three years after this movie. The riff was released October 18, 2018.
posted by JHarris on Aug 15, 2024 - 1 comment

[TRAILER] Ten-year-old Sophie (Ryby Barnhill) is in for the adventure of a lifetime when she meets the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance). Naturally scared at first, the young girl soon realizes that the 24-foot behemoth is actually quite gentle and charming. As their friendship grows, Sophie's presence attracts the unwanted attention of Bloodbottler (Bill Hader), Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) and other giants. After traveling to London, Sophie and the BFG must convince Queen Victoria (Penelope Wilton) to help them get rid of all the bad giants once and for all. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 13, 2023 - 2 comments

[TRAILER] John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) summons chaos theorist Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) to his home with some startling information -- while nearly everything at his Jurassic Park had been destroyed, his engineers happened to have a second site, where other dinosaurs were kept in hiding. It seems the dinosaurs on the second island are alive and well and even breeding; and Hammond wants Malcolm to observe and document the reptiles before Hammond's financiers can get to them. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 13, 2023 - 7 comments

[TRAILER] On the brink of the First World War, Albert's beloved horse Joey is sold to the Cavalry by his father. Against the backdrop of the Great War, Joey begins an odyssey full of danger, joy, and sorrow, and he transforms everyone he meets along the way. Meanwhile, Albert, unable to forget his equine friend, searches the battlefields of France to find Joey and bring him home. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 13, 2023 - 4 comments

It's the height of the Cold War, and famous archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), returning from his latest adventure, finds out his job at Marshall College is in jeopardy. He meets Mutt (Shia La Beouf), a young man who wants Indy to help him find the legendary Crystal Skull of Akator, and the pair set out for Peru. However, deadly agent Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) is searching for the powerful artifact, too, because the Soviets believe it can help them conquer the world. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 6, 2023 - 35 comments

An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing "Mister" Albert Johnson (Danny Glover), things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa. Based on the novel by Alice Walker. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 6, 2023 - 6 comments

Married small-time crooks Lou-Jean (Goldie Hawn) and Clovis Poplin (William Atherton) lose their baby to the state of Texas and resolve to do whatever it takes to get him back. Lou-Jean gets Clovis out of jail, and the two steal their son from his foster home, in addition to taking a highway patrolman hostage. As a massive dragnet starts to pursue them across Texas, the couple become unlikely folk heroes and even start to bond with the captive policeman. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 6, 2023 - 5 comments

After the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, the Israeli government secretly assigns Avner Kaufman (Eric Bana) to carry out a series of strategic retaliations. With the help of a driver (Daniel Craig), a forger (Hanns Zischler), a bomb-maker (Mathieu Kassovitz) and a former soldier (Ciarán Hinds), Avner conducts a worldwide operation, targeting 11 individuals. As the assassinations pile up, Avner begins to doubt the morality of his actions. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 6, 2023 - 5 comments

Aerial firefighter Pete (Richard Dreyfuss) risks himself and his vintage World War II airplane in a constant and death-defying quest to fight forest wildfires, much to the dismay of his girlfriend, Dorinda (Holly Hunter). His love for Dorinda and the advice of fellow pilot Al (John Goodman) convince Pete to give up his perilous career, but he flies one last mission. Pete heroically saves Al's plane from certain destruction, but with supernatural consequences. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 6, 2023 - 11 comments

Dockworker Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) struggles to build a positive relationship with his two children, Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin). When his ex-wife, Mary Ann (Miranda Otto), drops them off at Ferrier's house, it seems as though it will be just another tension-filled weekend. However, when electromagnetic pulses of lightning strike the area, the strange event turns out to be the beginning of an alien invasion, and Ferrier must now protect his children as they seek refuge. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 6, 2023 - 17 comments

A robotic boy, the first programmed to love, David (Haley Joel Osment) is adopted as a test case by a Cybertronics employee (Sam Robards) and his wife (Frances O'Connor). Though he gradually becomes their child, a series of unexpected circumstances make this life impossible for David. Without final acceptance by humans or machines, David embarks on a journey to discover where he truly belongs, uncovering a world in which the line between robot and machine is both vast and profoundly thin. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 2, 2023 - 15 comments

After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, residents of California descend into a wild panic, afraid that they might be the next target. Among them are Wild Bill Kelso (John Belushi), a crazed National Guard pilot; Sgt. Frank Tree (Dan Aykroyd), a patriotic, straight-laced tank crew commander; Ward Douglas (Ned Beatty), a civilian willing to help with the American war effort at any cost; and Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell (Robert Stack), who tries his hardest to maintain sanity amid the chaos. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 2, 2023 - 8 comments

In 1839, the slave ship Amistad set sail from Cuba to America. During the long trip, Cinque (Djimon Hounsou) leads the slaves in an unprecedented uprising. They are then held prisoner in Connecticut, and their release becomes the subject of heated debate. Freed slave Theodore Joadson (Morgan Freeman) wants Cinque and the others exonerated and recruits property lawyer Roger Baldwin (Matthew McConaughey) to help his case. Eventually, John Quincy Adams (Anthony Hopkins) also becomes an ally. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 2, 2023 - 2 comments

Steven Spielberg's second TV movie (after the terrific Duel) is a solidly-directed, but underwhelmingly scripted haunted house picture. A young couple moves into a farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania. What they don't know is that there is an unseen presence in the house, and that it wants to take possession of the wife. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 2, 2023 - 0 comments

After arriving in India, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone. He agrees... and stumbles upon a secret cult plotting a terrible plan in the catacombs of an ancient palace. Co-Starring a young Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) in his screen debut, as Short Round. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Feb 2, 2023 - 21 comments

Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth. [more inside]
posted by octothorpe on Nov 29, 2022 - 9 comments

John Anderton is a top 'Precrime' cop in the late-21st century, when technology can predict crimes before they're committed. But Anderton becomes the quarry when another investigator targets him for a murder charge. [more inside]
posted by nubs on Nov 10, 2022 - 16 comments

Jamie Graham (a young Christian Bale), a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor, who looks out for him while they are in the camp together. Even though he is separated from his parents and in a hostile environment, Jamie maintains his dignity and youthful spirits, providing a beacon of hope for the others held captive with him. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Oct 5, 2022 - 20 comments

As U.S. troops storm the beaches of Normandy, three brothers lie dead on the battlefield, with a fourth trapped behind enemy lines. Ranger captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) and seven men are tasked with penetrating German-held territory and bringing the boy home. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Sep 30, 2022 - 12 comments

Paleontologists Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) are among a select group chosen to tour an island theme park populated by dinosaurs created from prehistoric DNA. While the park's mastermind, billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), assures everyone that the facility is safe, they find out otherwise when various ferocious predators break free and go on the hunt. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Sep 28, 2022 - 20 comments

Businessman Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) arrives in Krakow in 1939, ready to make his fortune from World War II, which has just started. After joining the Nazi party primarily for political expediency, he staffs his factory with Jewish workers for similarly pragmatic reasons. When the SS begins exterminating Jews in the Krakow ghetto, Schindler arranges to have his workers protected to keep his factory in operation, but soon realizes that in so doing, he is also saving innocent lives. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Jul 20, 2022 - 14 comments

Barely 21 yet, Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled forger who has passed as a doctor, lawyer and pilot. FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) becomes obsessed with tracking down the con man, who only revels in the pursuit. A true story, based on the book Catch Me If You Can: The Amazing True Story of the Youngest and Most Daring Con Man in the History of Fun and Profit [trailer]
posted by Ten Cold Hot Dogs on Jul 13, 2022 - 6 comments

Two youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy. Directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler (in her feature film debut) with Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, and Rita Moreno. [more inside]
posted by rogerroger on Dec 10, 2021 - 14 comments

Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) is a man without a country; his plane took off just as a coup d'etat exploded in his homeland, leaving it in shambles, and now he's stranded at Kennedy Airport, where he's holding a passport that nobody recognizes. While quarantined in the transit lounge until authorities can figure out what to do with him, Viktor simply goes on living... and courts romance with a beautiful flight attendant (Catherine Zeta Jones). [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Mar 30, 2021 - 3 comments

A typical American family discovers there is more than meets the eye in their suburban home. [more inside]
posted by Fukiyama on Dec 29, 2020 - 21 comments

While restoring an old Iowa farmhouse, Sam discovers a time portal in the storm cellar that transports him to 1919. [more inside]
posted by KTamas on Mar 8, 2020 - 10 comments

After an accidental encounter with otherworldly vessels, an ordinary man follows a series of psychic clues to the first scheduled meeting between representatives of Earth and visitors from the cosmos. [more inside]
posted by MoonOrb on May 3, 2018 - 13 comments

Archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis. [more inside]
posted by MoonOrb on Apr 10, 2018 - 41 comments

When the creator of a virtual reality world called the OASIS dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune.
posted by Stanczyk on Mar 31, 2018 - 41 comments

A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between journalist and government. [more inside]
posted by DevilsAdvocate on Jan 15, 2018 - 13 comments

Dr. Brenner holds Hooper and Joyce for questioning while the boys wait with Eleven in the gym. Back at Will's, Nancy and Jonathan prepare for battle. (season finale)
posted by oh yeah! on Jul 17, 2016 - 176 comments

Eleven struggles to reach Will, while Lucas warns that "the bad men are coming." Nancy and Jonathan show the police what Jonathan caught on camera. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Jul 17, 2016 - 28 comments

A frantic Jonathan looks for Nancy in the darkness, but Steve's looking for her too. Hopper and Joyce uncover the truth about the lab's experiments. [more inside]
posted by oh yeah! on Jul 17, 2016 - 24 comments

Hopper breaks into the lab while Nancy and Jonathan confront the force that took Will. The boys ask Mr. Clarke how to travel to another dimension. [more inside]
posted by Fizz on Jul 17, 2016 - 36 comments

Refusing to believe Will is dead, Joyce tries to connect with her son. The boys give Eleven a makeover. Nancy and Jonathan form an unlikely alliance. [more inside]
posted by Fizz on Jul 17, 2016 - 43 comments

An increasingly concerned Nancy looks for Barb and finds out what Jonathan's been up to. Joyce is convinced Will is trying to talk to her. [more inside]
posted by Fizz on Jul 17, 2016 - 37 comments

Lucas, Mike and Dustin try to talk to the girl they found in the woods. Hopper questions an anxious Joyce about an unsettling phone call. [more inside]
posted by Fizz on Jul 17, 2016 - 28 comments

In a laboratory run by the U.S. Department of Energy, a Scientist is taken by an unseen force. Will Byers, a young boy goes missing after witnessing a strange creature on his bike ride home. After Will goes missing, a young girl appears at a restaurant wearing a hospital gown and shaved head. After running away from the restaurant, Lucas, Mike and Dustin, Will's friends, find her in the woods during a storm.
posted by Fizz on Jul 16, 2016 - 58 comments

A business commuter is pursued and terrorized by the malevolent driver of a massive tractor-trailer. [more inside]
posted by valkane on Apr 15, 2016 - 18 comments

An American lawyer is recruited by the CIA during the Cold War to help rescue a pilot detained in the Soviet Union. [more inside]
posted by MoonOrb on Oct 17, 2015 - 4 comments