The genre is called "splatstick" - a combination of gory horror and comedy. And the film that started it all is 1981's Evil Dead! Jeff, Buddy, and a reluctant Chad (who doesn't do gore) review the cult classic that's still being talked about, and produced on pay-cable, today! Written and directed by Sam Raimi, and starring Bruce Campbell, this film started it all, and was the first major work for both Raimi and Campbell! Co-starring Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly, and made on a shoestring budget, this film nevertheless gained a following worldwide and made Bruce Campbell a household name!
In the second half of our look at millennium anxiety films, we examine the incredible mind-bender that is 1999's "Fight Club." Directed by David Fincher, written by Jim Uhls (based on a novel by Chuck Palahniuk), the film stars Edward Nortan as simply "The Narrator," who takes us on a journey of discovery, rediscovery, and the perils of getting back in touch with our primal nature. Co-starring Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, and Jach Grenier, this is a movie that examines the concept of reinventing oneself in a different way than people usually think of it. Plus, learn what two films in a composite-genre the trio will be reviewing in episodes 56 and 57!
The year was 1999, and the coming turn of the century had created all sorts of uncertainty. The film "American Beauty" captures that angst, that disillusionment, that search for meaning in an increasingly meainingless world, with an honest, brutal integrity and ecstatic beauty! Directed by Sam Mendes, written by Alan Ball, and shot by the amazing cinematographer Conrad L. Hall, this film captures life at the turn of the 20th century and all the uncertainty that the new millenium brought with it. Starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Benning, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Peter Gallaghar, Allison Janney, Scott Bakula, Sam Robards, and the incredible Chris Cooper, this movie has a lesson to teach, both in how it looks and in what it says!
The second part of our look at John Landis-directed Eddie Murphy starring vehicles focuses on a film whose original story was also written by Eddie! Join Chad, Buddy, and Jeff as they look back at 1988's "Coming to America," the first romantic comedy starring Eddie Murphy, and the first film to feature Murphy (and co-star Arsenio Hall) in multiple roles within the same film. Backed up by greats James Earl Jones, Madge Sinclair, and John Amos, and co-starring Shari Headley, Eriq La Salle, Louis Anderson, Allison Dean, and featuring a very early appearance by none other than Samuel L. Jackson, this was the movie that proved that Eddie Murphy could handle more than broad comedy. Indeed, he's practically regal as an African prince, in New York, looking for love! Plus, find out what "millennial anxiety" produced at the end of the 90s, and which examples the guys will be reviewing in episodes 54 and 55!
This week, Jeff, Buddy, and Chad look at the first of two Eddie Murphy/John Landis films, 1983's "Trading Places!" This was the second movie that featured young comedian Eddie Murphy in a leading role, after his first film "48 Hours." Teaming him with SNL alumnus Dan Aykroyd, and putting him alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, Denholm Elliott, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, and Paul Gleason, created one of the best comedies to come out that decade, and demonstrated why Eddie Murphy would go on to become one of the top stars of the 80s. Also featuring cameos by Bill Cobbs, Bo Diddley, Jim Belushi, Tom Davis, and Al Franken (yes, Senator Al Franken), this modern twist on the Prince and Pauper stands still as one of the top comedies of all times!
The genre is called "splatstick" - a combination of gory horror and comedy. And the film that started it all is 1981's Evil Dead! Jeff, Buddy, and a reluctant Chad (who doesn't do gore) review the cult classic that's still being talked about, and produced on pay-cable, today! Written and directed by Sam Raimi, and starring Bruce Campbell, this film started it all, and was the first major work for both Raimi and Campbell! Co-starring Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly, and made on a shoestring budget, this film nevertheless gained a following worldwide and made Bruce Campbell a household name! 
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