Summer Special #20 - Better Off Dead (1985) [Non-Cannon ~ Episode 68]

Bit of a curveball this week! We go back a little further for John Cusack's breakout comedy, Better Off Dead. Directed by "Savage" Steve Holland, this dark comedy is a cult classic in all the best ways. It's weird, unpredictable, and with an odd sense of humor.

But it isn't perfect, either. We go into exactly why it isn't in the episode above. This might not be traditional "summer fare" but it is a summer movie in all the ways that count. Even if it has problems it is still an easy recommend for those who haven't seen it.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Up Next: Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead!

Summer Special #19 - The Big Green (1995) [Non-Cannon ~ Episode 67]

It was inevitable that we would be covering sports movies considering the era we are going over this summer. However, instead of going over one of the obvious selections from this era we have gone a bit more obscure and chosen a movie you might not remember so well. So that film chosen was today's subject of The Big Green from 1995.

Of course, being from its era means there are more than a few inescapable tropes you are certain to see, which makes it rather predictable. However, it does have a few things to it that are quintessentially of its era that you would never see today.

What are they? Tune in to find out.

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Up Next: Better Off Dead!

Summer Special #18 - 3 Ninjas (1992) [Non-Cannon ~ Episode 66]

Essentially, this movie is what it would have been like if Cannon made movies for kids. Not just family movies--they made those. No, 3 Ninjas is what it would look like if they decided to make a full blown action movie in the vein of American Ninja starring kids and for kids. And, directed by Jon Turteltaub, the results are better than you might think.

Make no mistake, this is a very '90s movie. Every single trend you can imagine from the time period is in this film. As a result, it never really transcends being the sum of its parts. That said, its parts are actually very well put together which leads to a surprisingly fun time. If you've got kids or younger relatives, this one has aged surprisingly well for them. Particularly if you're watching the international cut. But that's a whole other subject.

Find out about it in today's episode!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Up Next: The Big Green!

Summer Special #17 - Camp Nowhere (1994) [Non-Cannon ~ Episode 65]

Welcome to summer! It's time for a change of pace.

We decided to start with what is perhaps the most Gen Y movie ever made with 1994's Camp Nowhere. This a movie about a bunch of bored kids who make their own summer vacation by creating a camp of their own. A story about a bunch of mid-90s teenagers and younger kids, this is a film that couldn't have been made at any other time.

In this series we're taking on movies we might have or would have seen back in the day when we were the audience, so what better than a movie that existed before the concept of Millennials ever did? They aren't all going to be films like this, but most will have been made from this era. It's been a quarter of a century since 1996, so it's about time to look back at the things we've lost along they way. Not to say this is a masterpiece by any means, it's not, but they don't make them like this anymore. And they never will again.

Catch the episode above to see why that might be!

Randy's Score: 3/5

JD's Score: 3/5

Up Next: 3 Ninjas!