Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review – Details, episodes & analysis

Shat The Movies' Nicolas Cage block continues with a commission for listener Frank F. And if you thought "Con Air" was wild, we dare you to watch "Face/Off." John Woo's stateside directorial debut had Dick and Gene talking about acceptable Dude Wipe usage, the proper order for face-swapping surgery, gratuitous police deaths, and how two women and one man can make a sex sandwich.

Plot Summary: "Face/Off"

In the 1997 action-thriller Face/Off, directed by John Woo, John Travolta stars as Sean Archer, an FBI agent obsessed with capturing Castor Troy, a notorious terrorist played by Nicolas Cage. Years earlier, Troy murdered Archer’s young son, sparking a relentless pursuit. Archer finally captures Troy after a dramatic and intense shootout. However, Archer's victory is bittersweet, as he discovers that Troy has planted a deadly bomb in Los Angeles set to detonate soon, and only Troy’s imprisoned brother, Pollux Troy, knows its location.

To extract the bomb's location, Archer undergoes a radical and secretive surgical procedure to swap faces with the comatose Troy, adopting his enemy’s identity. Disguised as Castor Troy, Archer enters a high-security prison to gain information from Pollux. But the mission goes disastrously wrong when the real Troy awakens from his coma and forces the surgeons to swap his face with Archer’s, taking over his enemy's life. Now, Troy lives freely as Archer, assuming his role in the FBI and infiltrating his family, including his wife, Eve (Joan Allen), and daughter, Jamie (Dominique Swain).

Trapped in Troy's body and on the run, Archer must navigate the criminal underworld to survive, reclaim his true identity, and stop Troy from destroying his life and loved ones. What follows is a gripping game of cat and mouse filled with explosive action, high-speed chases, and intense shootouts. As both men exploit their new identities, they blur the lines between hero and villain, leading to a climactic showdown that tests their limits.

Face/Off delivers a unique blend of psychological drama and over-the-top action, featuring standout performances by Nicolas Cage and John Travolta as they expertly swap roles. Tune into our podcast review to see if this 90s classic still captivates modern audiences with its blend of thrilling action and complex characters

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If Michael Bay movies are orange juice, "Con Air" is orange-juice concentrate—loaded with stars, explosions and plot holes. What else would you expect from Shat The Movies commissioner extraordinaire Frank F?

Simon West's directorial debut had the Shat Crew scratching their heads. The geography makes no sense. The crime makes no sense. The courts make no sense. Even prison had Dick and Gene confounded.

But there was no mystery to the entertainment factor of this summer blockbuster. Cartoon bad guys, over-the-top action sequences, and some of 1997's hottest actors make "Con Air" a standout movie ... even if it isn't a particularly good one.

Plot Summary:

In the 1997 action-packed thriller Con Air, directed by Simon West, Nicolas Cage stars as Cameron Poe, an honorably discharged Army Ranger who is imprisoned after a deadly confrontation defending his wife, Tricia (Monica Potter). After serving eight years, Poe is finally paroled and set to reunite with his family. His trip home, however, takes a dangerous turn when he is placed aboard a prison transport plane, the "Jailbird," filled with some of the most violent and notorious criminals in the country.

John Malkovich co-stars as Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, a psychopathic mastermind who leads a group of inmates in a daring hijack of the plane. With his fellow convicts, including Diamond Dog (Ving Rhames) and Garland Greene (Steve Buscemi), Cyrus plans to escape to a foreign country, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Poe, who wants no part of the escape but is determined to protect his diabetic cellmate, Baby-O (Mykelti Williamson), and a female guard (Rachel Ticotin), covertly works against the convicts while keeping his identity as a free man a secret.

Meanwhile, U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin (John Cusack) races against time on the ground to stop the convicts from reaching their destination. As Poe navigates the chaos on board, he must outsmart the criminals and take control of the plane to ensure the safety of the innocent people onboard and finally make it home to his family.

Con Air is a high-octane ride filled with explosive action, memorable one-liners, and intense performances from its ensemble cast. Tune in to our podcast review as we dissect the film's over-the-top action sequences, unforgettable characters, and the classic 90s charm that has made it a cult favorite. Does this adrenaline-fueled blockbuster still soar with audiences today?

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A comedic send-up of the grim circumstances of the Middle Ages as told through the story of King Arthur framed by a modern-day murder investigation. When the mythical king of the Britons leads his knights on a quest for the Holy Grail, they face a wide array of horrors, including a persistent Black Knight, a three-headed giant, a cadre of shrubbery-challenged knights, the perilous Castle Anthrax, a killer rabbit, a house of virgins, and a handful of rude Frenchmen.

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"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is, without a doubt, a Halloween movie. It's got blood, gore, murders, a creepy castle — what more do you want? And the best way to see it is in a crowd, so Big D flew 5,000 miles to experience his first viewing in a theater with props, a shadow cast and Gene Lyons.

In this Shat The Movies Halloween Spooktacular commissioned by listener Jeremy, Ash joins Dick and Gene to discuss whether the "Time Warp" deserves to be the film's most famous song, whether Dr. Frank N. Furter is hot or dangerous and whether film reviewers should consider audience participation when rating a movie.

The Shat crew also drools over young Susan Sarandon, discovers changes in Big D and retells the story of how this cult classic nearly was a flop.

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Before Rambo was an action figure, cartoon character, and lunchbox cover, Sylvester Stallone starred in "First Blood," an action-drama that spotlights the displaced and disillusioned veterans of the Vietnam War. Big D and Gene recorded this episode live on Twitch.

Of course, the Shat Crew debated the movie's biggest controversy: Did John Rambo kill Art Galt? But the conversation also took us to some unexpected places: Is this an accurate depiction of the veteran experience? What was with Rambo's POW mustache? Is Col. Sam Trautman a hero or a monster? And is the Yamaha XT250 the coolest dual sport motorcycle ever built?

This episode also covers Gene's failed childhood booby traps, the effectiveness of the W.A.N.G., Stallone's meltdown and, of course, the film's theme song, "Long Road."

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Sam Mendes earned an Oscar for his debut film, "American Beauty." But more importantly, he gave the Shat Crew fuel for discussing couch sex, Chekov's dick, the ignorance of youth and world peace through blowjobs. 

Longtime Shat listener Lucas passed on a chance to commission "Beastmaster," and instead requested a true masterpiece that explores how parents mess up their kids, what can happen when you fall in love young and grow old, and how flexible Annette Bening is. 

In this episode, the Shat Crew discusses The Plastic Bag Scene, Ash's attraction to creepy-ass Ricky, Gene's try-hard tendencies and unexpected parallels to "Uncle Buck." 

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Brothers and prolific Shat The Movies commissioners Josh, Adam and Jon R. have always been there for us. When a shooter attacked their beloved Highland Park on July 4, it was our duty and honor to be there for them. Thanks to some very generous Shat listeners, this recording raised $1000 for the shooting response fund.

In this special live episode, the Shat Crew celebrates the 1989 love letter to Highland Park and Chicagoland as a whole: “Uncle Buck.” One of John Hughes’ lesser-known films, this John Candy comedy gave us Macaulay Culkin before his breakthrough role in “Home Alone.” It also touched Big D’s heart as a father and sexually confused a young Gene Lyons. 

As always, we dive into unexpected topics like fat shaming, menacing comedians, ‘80s montages, and missed opportunities with clowns.

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We made it to Episode 300! This "Ghostbusters II" review has it all: Ash learns about New Coke; Gene learns he might not like young Bill Murray; Big D teaches us all about "Tears in Heaven;" and a plot summary is so ridiculous we can't stop laughing.

In our second discussion of the Ghostbusters franchise, the Shat Crew examines birthday packages, debates the quality of Vigo's painting, contrasts movie montages, dives deeper into the new Ghostbusters logo, weighs when it's OK to clean your host's apartment, discovers someone's been throwing out her partner's belongings and outlines the appropriate use of children in comedies.

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Shat The Movies has covered "The Silence of The Lambs," but that wasn't enough for film elitists who scoff at the mainstream appeal of Sir Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecktor and Jodi Foster's Clarice Starling. They insisted we review the movie that started it all: "Manhunter."

It was hard to validate this movie without comparing it to everything that came after: Buffalo Bill dancing to "Goodbye Horses," Mads Mikkelsen bringing sex appeal to the series or Frederick Chilton getting some flesh to his character. But that's OK, because those comparisons revealed some of "Manhunter's" subtle strengths.

In this episode, Gene admits he doesn't understand some of Michael Mann's artsy decisions; Big D illuminates some of the guerilla filmmaking that went into "Manhunter;" and Ash gets pissed on behalf of murder victims' families.

The Shat Crew also discusses Brian Cox's version of Hannibal, chuckles at William Petersen's spirited self-talk and explores whether a little romance can help elevate an '80s thriller.

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Big D returns from a booze cruise just in time to tackle a 1998 sci-fi sleeper that explores the nature of individuality, the impact of memories and the allure of Jennifer Connelly's mustache. Pack your bags for "Dark City!"

In this episode, Gene laments the movie's opening spoiler, and Ash ties together the look and feel of pretty much every '90s goth-industrial-hacker-vampire film while drooling over Rufus Sewell. Meanwhile, Big D takes a shot at Kiefer Sutherland, and everyone agrees "Dark City" has some badass set design.

Is there a difference between time travel and the mastery of telekinesis? Are Riff Raff and Mr. Hand the same person? Why wasn't this movie 10 minutes long? We raise these questions and more on behalf of longtime listener and author Ryan C.

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