Video Store Podcast

The XXV Winter Olympic Games are underway in Milan, Italy and I couldn’t be happier. I love the Olympics. I’ll admit, the Summer Games are my favorite, but growing up in the frozen tundra of the Midwest gave me a soft spot for nearly every Winter event.
So, while Team USA fights for gold, I figured: what better way to get into the Olympic spirit than by watching some great movies inspired by the Winter Games? Each of these films highlights the grind to reach the Olympics and the agony and ecstasy of chasing greatness.
Downhill Racer (1969)
We begin on the slopes with Downhill Racer, a character‑driven drama following American skier David Chappellet, a talented athlete desperate to earn his spot on the U.S. Olympic Ski Team. As he competes across Europe, David’s single‑minded obsession puts him at odds with teammates and coaches, but no one can deny his raw ability.
What makes Downhill Racer special is the realism and the psychology of ambition. The ski sequences are exhilarating, especially the first‑person shots barreling down European slopes. Those sequences alone are worth watching.
It’s a portrait of the cost of obsession and how the Olympic dream can consume a person.
The Cutting Edge (1992)
The Cutting Edge gives us a nice blend of rom‑com energy and Olympic ambition.
The movie opens at the 1988 Winter Olympics, where both main characters suffer devastating losses. Hockey star Doug Dorsey takes a blow to the head that ends his career. Figure skater Kate Moseley is dropped by her skating partner, ending her gold‑medal hopes.
Two years later, training for the 1992 Games, Kate and Doug team up out of necessity and desperation.
Doug’s rough‑around‑the‑edges hockey mentality smashes directly into Kate’s icy perfectionism. But as they train through long hours and grueling routines, their hostility slowly melts into respect, then friendship, then something more.
Cool Runnings (1993)
Cool Runnings tells the incredible true(ish) story of the first Jamaican bobsled team, a group of sprinters from a tropical island who dared to chase a Winter Olympics dream.
When sprinter Derice Bannock fails to qualify for the 1988 Summer Olympics, he discovers that legendary and disgraced bobsledder Irving Blitzer once tried to form a Jamaican sled team. Determined to get to the Olympics any way he can, Derice recruits Blitzer to train a team for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
Cool Runnings is a pure feel‑good movie, an underdog tale that radiates joy.It’s impossible to watch this movie without smiling. It’s comedy, heart, and Olympic determination all rolled into one.
Miracle (2004)
Miracle retells the iconic story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, one of the greatest underdog victories in sports history. At the center is legendary coach Herb Brooks
Brooks assembles a roster of young college players, not the most talented individuals, but the ones who will form the best team. He trains them relentlessly, reshapes their mindset and prepares them specifically to confront the Soviet Union, the unstoppable powerhouse of global hockey.
The final act recreates the legendary “Miracle on Ice” that stunned the world. Even if you know the outcome, the film delivers tension and suspense.
Miracle is more than a sports movie. It’s about grit, unity, sacrifice and the belief that a group of ordinary people can achieve something extraordinary.
Those are my picks for the Winter Olympic movie marathon, four films that capture the heart, struggle and triumph of the Games. They showcase the sacrifices athletes make, the hours of training, the impossible odds, and the pure joy of victory. They also deliver everything you want in a movie night: drama, laughs, and underdogs worth cheering for.
Enjoy the Games and enjoy the movies.
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Valentine’s Day is a holiday, so of course, I’m talking Valentine’s Day specials on this week’s Video Store Podcast. I’ve picked four specials for the staff picks wall this week that I think everyone should watch this time of year. These specials either make me laugh, have a different flavor than you might expect for a Valentine’s Day special, and one that actually changed popular culture. Grab that heart-shaped box of candy and let’s settle in for these specials.
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975)
First up is Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown. This is an underrated classic in the Peanuts special canon. The Peanuts gang is getting ready to celebrate the holiday that feels to me, just like elementary school. There’s a Valentine’s Day party, unrequited love, making homemade Valentine’s cards, and more. Plus, you’ve got a wonderful score from Vince Guaraldi, and with the main theme being the “Heartburn Waltz,” what’s not to like? Look for it in the Peanuts section.
A Charlie Brown Valentine (2002)
This is one of the “new” Peanuts specials that I think is worth your time. A Charlie Brown Valentine focuses on Charlie Brown trying to muster the courage to talk to the Little Red-Haired Girl and tell her how he feels. But simultaneously, both Marcie and Peppermint Patty are interested in Charlie Brown and would like him to be their Valentine! Miscommunication, obliviousness, and Charlie Brown’s classic wishy-washy attitude make this a fun special. There are segments that make me laugh out loud every time I watch, so I think you’ll have a good time with this one. Look for it in the Peanuts section.
The Berenstain Bears’ Comic Valentine (1982)
For a deep cut Valentine’s Day special, I’ve selected The Berenstain Bears’ Comic Valentine, which aired on February 13, 1982, on NBC. This is the fourth of five Berenstain Bears specials produced for NBC from 1979 - 1983. In this special, Brother Bear has a championship hockey game coming up. He’s focused on getting ready for the game, but Valentine’s Day is coming up, too. He starts received Valentine’s from his Secret Admirer, Honey Bear. Brother doesn’t know a Honey Bear, so all he can do is speculate. Meanwhile, Papa Bear is looking for a way to show Mama Bear just how much he cares, and Sister gets into the Valentine’s Day spirit, looking to send Valentines to everyone, including the giant, Big Paw up on the Mountain. Will Brother figure out who his secret admirer is in time for Valentine’s Day? Grab this one from the animation section to find out.
Parks and Recreation season 2 episode 16 “Galentine’s Day”
Ovaries before brovaries, uteruses before duderuses, it all starts here with “Galentine’s Day” from Parks and Recreation season 2. This episode, which aired on February 11, 2010, added a new pop culture holiday and gave the Valentine’s Day season a little more fun. Gather your best gals and join me on the couch for this all-time great from one of the greatest comedies on television, you brilliant, powerful musk ox.
From all of us here at the Video Store Podcast, we hope you have a safe and happy Valentine’s Day.
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If you’ve been snowed in thanks to last week’s winter storm, you’re not alone. The entire parking lot of our Video Store is covered with three feet of snow. I’ve been stuck here for three days, living off of popcorn, Hot Tamales candy, and Red Bull. You and I are not the only ones completely snowed in — so were the characters in these films. I say “were” because not everyone makes it to the end of their respective films. In fact, almost no one does. Warm up the cocoa, turn on the fireplace, and enjoy these four films in which people got snowed in.
Snowbeast (1977)
The Colorado ski resort in this film has everything guests could ever want, and one thing they don’t want: a murderous Yeti. With a plot that closely mirrors Jaws, guests and locals do their best to warn others of the two-legged beast while the owners of the resort do their best to downplay the danger. Once the bodies start piling up there’s nothing left to do but to track down the Snowbeast… before it tracks them down! Sure, this is basically Jaws with a killer Yeti instead of a killer shark, which is exactly why I love it.
Screams of a Winter Night (1979)
If you’re a sucker for horror anthology films, this one’s a slow 70s burn with more atmosphere than blood. When a group of young adults become snowed in while staying in a winter cabin, they exchange stories — three, to be exact — in an attempt to entertain (and more importantly, scare) their friends. It’s all fun and games until the Native American spirit known as Shataba arrives at the cabin. This deep cut is worth a watch for fans of anthology films and brooding 70s horror.
Terror Train (1980)
It’s New Year’s Eve and a group of college graduates are throwing a costume party on a train. Everyone’s there — the graduates, David Copperfield (no, really), and Kenny, a former classmate whom the group pranked years ago, leaving him in an apparently bad state of mind. Fresh out of Halloween, it’s up to Jamie Lee Curtis, her friends, the train’s conductor and yes, David Copperfield, to put an end to Kenny’s rage-filled rampage. But which costume is Kenny wearing? Only his victims know for sure. Come for the magic show, stay to see the audience disappear one by one.
Iced (1989)
If we’ve learned anything from 1980s slasher films it’s to politely decline anonymous invitations to stay at a cabin or resort for free. The characters of Iced learn that lesson the hard way. Four years after the group’s friend Jeff skied over the side of a cliff after being humiliated by his friends, the group find receive anonymous invitations to stay at the Snow Peak ski resort. Once they arrive it seems Jeff may be there too, based on the number of bodies that begin piling up. Featuring all the classic misdirection and creative deaths we came to expect from an 80s slasher film.
The snow is starting to melt in the parking lot. Soon, all this white stuff will be a memory but these films will stick with you for years to come. You may actually need therapy to forget them.
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This week on the Video Store Podcast I am recommending four sequels that understood what they were doing. Not every follow up needs to top the original. Sometimes the smarter move is to change perspective, lean into experience, or admit that the audience already knows the rules. These films take different approaches, but all of them show intent rather than obligation.
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
James Whale treats the sequel as a chance to reshape the story rather than extend it. The film is openly stylized, emotionally direct, and comfortable mixing humor with unease. Elsa Lanchester appearing as both Mary Shelley and the Bride signals how self aware the film is from the start. At just over an hour it wastes nothing, and every choice feels deliberate. Universal horror rarely let directors put this much personality on screen, which makes it stand out even now.
Psycho II (1983)
Instead of chasing shock, this film focuses on Norman Bates after years of confinement. Anthony Perkins plays him with restraint and patience, letting the tension come from uncertainty rather than spectacle. The movie also knows the audience brings baggage with them, and it uses that knowledge carefully. Released at a time when many horror sequels went broader, this one went inward.
The Color of Money (1986)
Paul Newman returns to Fast Eddie Felson as someone shaped by time and compromise. Martin Scorsese treats The Hustler as history, not a template to be copied. The film is about pride, mentorship, and what it means to keep competing when winning is no longer simple. Newman earned his Oscar here, and it feels tied to the character’s accumulated weight rather than a single performance beat.
Gremlins 2 The New Batch (1990)
Joe Dante uses the sequel to tear the whole idea apart. The film is packed with effects, jokes, and commentary, and it never pauses to justify itself. It openly mocks sequels, corporate culture, and even the audience’s expectations. The commitment is total, and that confidence is why it works.
These four films do not share a tone, a genre, or a strategy. What they share is clarity. Each one knows why it exists and what it wants to explore next. That is what makes them worth renting again, not as curiosities, but as examples of sequels that made real successful choices.
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Welcome to the Video Store Podcast.
I’ve been watching a lot of football lately. College bowl games are on just about every night and the NFL playoffs are in full swing.
Really the only thing better than watching a football game is watching a movie about football and there are some great ones to watch.
This week on the Video Store Podcast, I’m spotlighting four movies about football.
These are football movies where the game matters but the real story happens off the field. It’s about making tough choices, challenging authority and forging character.
Necessary Roughness (1991)
Necessary Roughness is a comedy straight from the ‘90s, starring Scott Bakula, Hector Elizondo, Sinbad and Kathy Ireland.
The Texas State Armadillos have repeatedly violated NCAA rules and the entire football is banned from playing. New coach Ed “Straight Arrow” Gennero is tasked with fielding a new team with no scholarships and no support.
Gennero pieces together a misfit team with more heart than talent. Eventually they come together and take on the cross state rivals, Texas Colts.
We Are Marshall (2006)
What do you do when the unthinkable happens?
In 1970, a plane carry the Marshall University football team crashes killing all 37 players and coaches on board.
Stricken with grief the University decides to rebuild the team and hires coach Jack Lengyel for the impossible task.
Through grit, determination and sorrow the Marshall Thundering Herd football team takes the field to honor the lost players.
Johnny Be Good (1988)
Johnny Be Good is a late 80s coming-of-age comedy.
Johnny Walker is the most wanted high school quarterback in the country and college recruiters will do anything to land him.
The movie takes an satirical and exaggerated look at college recruiting practices of the 80s.
It’s a movie about integrity, self-respect and choosing your own path, no matter the cost.
All The Right Moves (1983)
Trapped in a dead-end, go-nowhere town Stefan Djordjevic’s only hope is a football scholarship to college but clashes with his controlling coach make that dream seem impossible.
Stefan watches as his friends go down the wrong path and their dreams fade away. His talent propels him but his ego keeps getting in the way.
Through humility and respect Stefan realizes he must make All the Right Moves to succeed.
Thanks for visiting the Video Store Podcast. I hope you enjoy the movies whether you’re watching them for the first time or rediscovering them all over again.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.videostorepodcast.com