Video Store Podcast

• The One With The Best Thanksgiving Episodes

  November means Thanksgiving, and for me, that means holiday specials and Thanksgiving-themed TV episodes. One of the most popular shows to hit American television, Friends, had 10 Thanksgiving episodes across its 10-season run. I’ve picked 4 of my favorites for this week’s show. Bonus: if you want to watch the other 6, we’ve got the entire series here at the store. Season 5, Episode 8, “The One With All the Thanksgivings”If you’ve never seen Friends before, I bet you’ve seen some out-of-context images of Monica wearing a fez, sunglasses, and a 20 lb. turkey on her head. This is the episode where you get context for the wearing of a turkey. Don’t let the title fool you—this is not a repackaged clip show. Season 6, Episode 9, “The One Where Ross Got High”Monica and Chandler are bracing for an awkward Thanksgiving. Monica’s parents are coming to dinner, but they don’t know about their relationship, let alone that they’re living together. And to make it worse, they don’t like Chandler. In this episode, we get to the root cause of why the elder Gellers don’t like Chandler, and we also find out several other long-kept secrets. Season 7, Episode 8, “The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs”Chandler doesn’t like dogs, but Ross doesn’t like ice cream. We learn some more long-kept secrets in this Thanksgiving episode of the series. And we just can’t name that last state. However, by the end, it might just be a “Moo Point.” “The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs” features some of the iconic moments of the series and is well worth a watch. Season 8, Episode 9, “The One With the Rumor”Brad Pitt guest stars in this episode as Monica and Ross’ high school friend, Will, who’s had a glow-up since the last time they saw him. Will is in town for the holiday and is joining them for dinner. However, Rachel made his high school days miserable, and in a classic Rachel move, she doesn’t remember it all. That makes for an awkward Thanksgiving dinner. This episode gives us the concept we all require this time of year—Thanksgiving Pants™. We’re thankful for you at the Video Store Podcast, and we hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving with your friends and family. Thanks for reading Video Store Podcast! This post is public so feel free to share it. 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

  --------  

  13:26

  --------

  13:26
• It's a Mall, Mall, World

  When I was a kid if you wanted to talk to people about movies, you went to the local mom and pop video rental store… but if you wanted to hang out with other kids your age, you went to the mall. On this week’s episode of the Video Store Podcast, I’m recommending four movies that were filmed and heavily feature malls.First up is Fast Times at Ridgemont High, a film that follows several teenagers as they navigate the halls and malls of southern California. With a star-studded cast, this film opens in a mall, which sets the tone for the entire film.Next up is Dawn of the Dead, George Romero’s 1978 sequel to his original zombie film, Night of the Living Dead. In this film, four characters — two police officers and two news broadcasters — take cover in an abandoned mall… or is it? It’s not long before the mall is crawling with zombies and, eventually, pie-throwing bikers. Known as special effects wizard Tom Savini’s breakthrough film, this one features lots of bullets, brains, and blood. Third is the lesser known Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge, released in 1989. This lesser-known 80s slasher features a mall-roaming “phantom” who used to live on the land the new mall was built on. It’s not a great movie, but it does feature a young and pre-MTV Pauly Shore which… well, doesn’t make it any better, but does make it interesting. This movie contains lots of interior mall shots and even more bad actors. What’s not to love?Rounding up this episode is one of my favorite films of all time, Chopping Mall. In this 1986 horror classic, a group of teens plan a sleepover inside a furniture store inside their local mall. Unfortunately for them, that same night lightning strikes the building which short circuits the robots and turn them into killbots! If yo always wanted to know what would happen if Johnny 5 went bad — no, like, really bad — this will let you know.Today’s malls are nothing like they were back in the 1980s. If you want to see what they were like in their heyday, check out one of these films. Malls were full of lights, food, shopping… and apparently, lots of murder. 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

  --------  

  25:15

  --------

  25:15
• Rubber Monster Horror

  This week on The Video Store Podcast I’m talking about a handful of horror movies from the late 1980s that sit in a strange corner of the genre. They’re not the big ones you always hear about, just the kind of titles you’d find tucked on a back shelf of the local video store with a wild cover and not much else to go on.The first is The Kindred from 1987, directed by Jeffrey Obrow and Stephen Carpenter, the same team behind The Dorm That Dripped Blood. Joseph Stefano, who wrote the screenplay for Psycho, helped with the story. What really stands out are the effects, all done with elaborate practical work that’s wet, rubbery, and wonderfully overdone in that 80s way.Then there’s Scared Stiff, also from 1987. Richard Friedman directed it before going on to make Phantom of the Mall. It was shot in Florida, mostly inside a mansion that becomes the centerpiece for all the strange things that happen. It starts off like a haunted house movie, but by the end it drifts into something dreamlike and weird.The third pick is The Outing, sometimes called The Lamp. That double title confused people, but they’re the same film. Tom Daley directed it in Houston, and it’s remembered for its museum setting and a wish-granting genie that causes most of the trouble.Finally there’s The Unnamable from 1988, based on an H. P. Lovecraft story. Jean Paul Ouellette directed it in Massachusetts, and it’s one of those films that helped keep Lovecraft’s name circulating in low-budget horror through the decade. It even got a sequel a few years later.All four have their rough spots, but that’s part of what makes them interesting. They’re full of ambition, full of practical effects, and they capture that scrappy energy of 80s horror. The kind of movies you’d rent just because the box looked too cool or too strange to ignore.Thanks for reading Video Store Podcast! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. 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

  --------  

  22:24

  --------

  22:24
• John Carpenter, Master of Horror

  Welcome to the Video Store Podcast.I’m the new guy, you can all me Pitfall Gary. Today is my first time running the store alone. I’ve spent the last couple weeks watching training videos and stuck on the automatic rewind machine. With Halloween right around the corner I have a few movies from the master of Horror himself, John Carpenter. Not the normal Carpenter movies, these are a few of his underrated and often overlooked movies.Carpenter directed and composed the music for all of these movies. He wrote The Fog and Prince of Darkness, the other two are adaptations. These are good movies to watch this Halloween season.The Fog (1980)As the small coastal town of Antonio Bay prepares to celebrate its centennial, a mysterious, glowing fog rolls in, carrying the vengeful ghosts of leprous mariners who were betrayed and killed by the town’s founders a century earlier. The ghosts want their retribution, six lives, one for each of the founders. Now the descendants of the conspirators must fight for survival against the supernatural threat. A great movie starring the fabulous Adrienne BarbeauChristine (1983)Arnie Cunningham, a nerdy high school senior buys a dilapidated 1958 Plymouth Fury and names her Christine. As Arnie restores the car he goes through a personality transformation and becomes obsessed with Christine, which turns out to be a sentient, evil car with a deadly jealous streak. Christine begins to seek vengeance on Arnie’s bullies and anyone else who threatens their bond. Red heads are evil…even when they’re cars!Prince of Darkness (1987)The Brotherhood of Sleep have been guarding pure evil, in the form green swirling liquid for centuries. When the last member of the order dies evil will be unleashed on the world. Professor Birack and his quantum physicist students must unravel the mystery before it possesses them all and is unleashed on the world. A creepy movie with a great role for Alice Cooper.Vampires (1998)In this neo-western, Jack Crow and his Vatican-sponsored team of vampire slayers vow to kill every last vampire. With the help of a vampire prostitute, Jack must find and kill the powerful vampire, Valek before he can complete his transformation and become immune to sunlight. This is a great action packed, gore-filled vampire hunting movie!That’s the list of John Carpenter movies for this week. Each a unique take on the horror genre. I hope you decide to watch them. If you do, let me know what you think.Thanks for stopping by The Video Store Podcast, stop by again for more great movies to add to your list.Thanks for reading Video Store Podcast! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. 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

  --------  

  18:41

  --------

  18:41
• Underrated Halloween Specials

  Welcome back to the Video Store Podcast and welcome to Spooky Month! We’re halfway to Halloween, and I’ve picked four underrated Halloween specials to help you celebrate the season.Halloween is Grinch Night! (1977)This lesser-known Grinch special adds a bit of spooky, Seussian fun to the Halloween season. Young Euchariah Who gets lost on a trip to the “euphemism” during a wind storm and has an encounter with the Grinch. You shouldn’t go out on a night like this—instead, stay in with Halloween is Grinch Night!Doug Season 4 Episode 4 “Doug’s Halloween Adventure” (1993)This Halloween special is one that I’ve tried to watch every year since the 90s. Doug and Skeeter are spending Halloween at Funky Town, hoping, though not without trepidation, to ride Bloodstone Manor, the new horror ride. However, by the time they make it to the front of the line, the park is closed. Not disuaded, school Roger pushes them to sneak on anyway. Can they escape? Watch “Doug’s Halloween Adventure” and find out. Gargoyles Season 2 Episode 7 “Eye of the Beholder” (1995)This Halloween episode of Gargoyles has been shown as a Halloween special in the years since its original airing. Elisa and Goliath are tracking a werewolf-type creature…or should we say werefox? Can they rescue Fox from the effects of The Eye of Odin necklace? You’ll have to watch and find out. The Halloween Tree (1993)This Emmy-winning Halloween special is adapted from Ray Bradbury’s novel of the same name. The Halloween Tree focuses on the adventures of 5 kids on Halloween night who must learn the value of friendship and the true spirit of the Halloween season. With Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Moundshroud and narration by Ray Bradbury himself, The Halloween Tree is NOT to be missed. Thanks for joining us for another trip to the Video Store Podcast. Have a safe and happy Halloween season! Thanks for reading Video Store Podcast! This post is public so feel free to share it. 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

  --------  

  15:18

  --------

  15:18

More TV & Film podcasts

Trending TV & Film podcasts

About Video Store Podcast

Video Store Podcast: Podcasts in Family