Monday 28 December 2020

Fringe Division- 1.6: The Cure

 

Episode six of Fringe sees exploding heads, Peter making deals he probably shouldn't and a dark secret from Olivia's past. We talk about all of that as well as our Walter line of he week and Jimmy has to beep out Martin's spoilers. Contains strong language. 

Premonition of Tomorrow by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Monday 21 December 2020

So, What's the Problem? Home Alone (1990)

It had to happen. In this longer than normal episode, Jimmy and Jen chat about a childhood favourite of both of theirs for a change. As well as the first movie, we also delve into the second briefly and basically just say what the original movie means to them. There are still problems, though. Kind of. 

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays everyone, see you next year!



Tuesday 15 December 2020

Drop the Pilot- Poor Devil (1973)


Jimmy and Tysto return to chat about the 1973 Sammy Davis Jr vehicle, Poor Devil. And it's set at Christmas! It aired on Valentines Day, though, for some reason. The pilot can be found on Amazon Prime for free in the US and for a fee in the UK. You can always watch the crappy quality version on Youtube. 

Monday 7 December 2020

Fringe Division: 1.5- Power Hungry

 


It's episode five of the hit TV show Fringe and despite a pretty bloody good opening scene, it's downhill from there. It's an odd episode, so much so that they guys struggle to find a good Walter line but at least it gives Martin something to talk about. Contains strong language. 

Premonition of Tomorrow by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Tuesday 1 December 2020

So, What's the Problem? Go (1999)

 

Aaaand, we're back in the 90s for a Jen pick. And it's almost Christmas! And what better way to celebrate than to talk about this Tarantino wannabe that's set on Christmas Eve? Buckle up, Jimmy's going to rant a little. Contains strong language. 

As someone who has worked in retail, I can relate...



Monday 23 November 2020

Fringe Division- The Arrival

 

Hey, folks, we're not sure but there may be a bald guy in a suit in this episode! It's episode 4 of Fringe and things are starting to happen. We obviously talk about the bald guy, who also gets a name this episode and Jimmy has a wee moan about the writing of Peter. Which Martin dismisses. Next episode will be out on December 7th. 

Monday 16 November 2020

Drop the Pilot- Beane's of Boston (1979)


Nick and Alex from the Release the Clowns podcast return to talk about the proposed American version of the classic UK sitcom, Are You Being Served? We talk abut the cast (as usual), the original show and why it was a weird choice adapting this particular episode for American audiences. Also, why did they change Peacock's title? Why demote him to just "Mr"? Well, we discuss this and many more things. The audio on my side isn't great on occasion but it's still listenable. Anyway, the pilot is on Youtube, the link is below.

Pilot on Youtube

Tuesday 10 November 2020

So, What's The Problem? Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

It's our early Thanksgiving special! And for this, we visit one of Jimmy's childhood favourites. Also, it's the first John Hughes movie on the show! How have we gone 15 episodes without covering his problematic ass? It's less so here but there are still things to discuss. We disagree on the characters but agree on the actors portraying them and Jimmy goes on a rant about the 80s music career of a former Beatle. Next episode is a new Drop the Pilot and So, What's the Problem shall return on December 1st. Contains strong language. 


We miss John Candy...


Monday 2 November 2020

Fringe Division- The Ghost Network

 

Episode three of Fringe gives us nice visuals, good character work and an interesting plot, all good so far. As we tend to miss talking about certain things that may have been important or interesting, I have inserted some clips of the show during this episode. Contains strong language. 

Saturday 31 October 2020

Bonus- The Faculty (1998) Commentary

 Jimmy and Jen talk about The Faculty in this feature length commentary. They talk about The cast, the obviousness of the lead alien and which parts of the plot just don't make sense. Jen is watching on DVD while Jimmy is watching on Blu-ray. Contains strong language and complaints about 90's hair. 

Thursday 29 October 2020

Bonus- An American Werewolf in London (1981) Commentary.

So, Tysto and I recorded a commentary for the second best Werewolf movie of the early 80s. Yeah, that's right, I said it. JOE DANTE RULES! Ahem... anyway, this is a joint production with Tysto's podcast and a slightly different version of it is available on tysto.com. Contains strong language. 

Saturday 24 October 2020

So, What's the Problem? Cherry Falls (2000)

                                   

Jimmy and Jen get into the Halloween spirit with this little seen horror comedy from the turn of the century. It's the one about the killer knocking off virgins in the small town of Cherry Falls. We talk about the premise, the cast, the very odd character beats, how the MPAA screwed the movie and, sadly, rape and pressuring people into having sex in the context of said motion picture. Contains strong language and adult themes. Recorded on 11th October 2020 (Jimmy's birthday). 


Brittany Murphy after reading the premise of the movie-




Wednesday 21 October 2020

Bonus: Urban Legend commentary

 

As a special bonus episode to celebrate the spooky season, Jimmy and Jen recorded a full length audio commentary to the 1998 teen slasher movie, Urban Legend. We discuss many things as the movie goes on, including how pretty the cast are, the score, how urban legends translate across the pond and much more. We pause the movie after the Phoenix Pictures logo and countdown to when we play the movie. Do the same and it'll be like we are watching the movie with you! While being really annoying while constantly talking over it. Enjoy!


Monday 19 October 2020

Fringe Division- The Same Old Story

 


Extremely fast births, rapidly aging babies, eyes standing up on their stalks, Peter singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat and Walter sleeping in a closet, it's all happening in episode 2 of Fringe. Contains strong language. 


Premonition of Tomorrow by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Monday 12 October 2020

Drop the Pilot- The Return of the World's Greatest Detective (1976)

 


Tysto and Jimmy discuss the pilot with the longest name ever. It would have been called Alias Sherlock Holmes if it went to series, a fact the two idiots forgot to mention. They also discuss other mystery shows (Tysto is a fan of the genre) as well as other Larry Hagman projects. Jimmy has an issue with the way a character is written (shocker) and there is brief strong language. Drop the Pilot will be back in November. 


Listen to "Drop The Pilot Podcast" on Spreaker.

Monday 5 October 2020

Fringe Division- Pilot

 


Jimmy and Martin join forces to co-host a brand new bi-monthly podcast, all about the TV show Fringe. It's a spoiler free podcast, so you can watch with us even for the first time. We give a plot synopsis even if you aren't watching along. We also talk about the cast and our memories of watching it for the first time. Fringe is available on StarzPlay in the UK and IMBD TV in the US. We are watching on DVD (Martin) and Blu-ray (not Martin). Next episode- 19th October. 

Premonition of Tomorrow by Keys of Moon  https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon

Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Tuesday 29 September 2020

So, What's the Problem? St. Elmo's Fire (1985)

  It's Jen's turn and she picked one of the most angsty, pretentious movies of the 1980s with one of the worst cast of characters ever. Prepare yourself, folks, because there will be ranting. Contains strong language and talk of stalking and attempted rape in the context of this stupid movie. 

This movie predicted 2020-



Tuesday 22 September 2020

So, What's the Problem? Drop Dead Fred (1991)

 It's Jimmy's pick this time round and he chose a favourite from his youth. Did Jimmy's childhood love for Rik Mayall blind him to how bad this movie actually is or is the movie actually good? Does it use mental illness for cheap laugh or is it actually a smart assessment on the subject? Also... is Fred real? They answer all those questions with strong language and talk of childhood trauma, abandonment and mental health issues. 


Ummm... isn't this a kid's film? (They answer that question too)





Monday 14 September 2020

So, What's the Problem? The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)

 

It's another one of Jen's favourites and one Jimmy hadn't seen until a few days before recording. Does he like it? Does Jen still? Actually, we all know the answer to that second one. Contains some strong language, but not a lot and we tell you what the next movie is that we're covering. Clue... we're still going to be in the 90s. But it's Jimmy's pick, so expect something weird or lesser known. 



Janeane Garofalo hates this line-



Monday 7 September 2020

Drop the Pilot: Lost in Space (1973)


Jimmy is in his element as he and Tysto talk about Hanna Barbera's 1973 pilot for a Lost in Space animated series. They talk about the one returning cast member, the animation and ramble on about Hanna-Barbera cartoons for a bit. Contains strong language.

Sunday 30 August 2020

So, What's the Problem? Reality Bites (1994)


It's Jen's pick this week and she chose a favourite of hers that spoke to a generation of Americans. Jimmy, however is Scottish and just wonders what all the fuss is about. They both agree on one thing, however... one of the characters is the absolute worst. This leads to a discussion about our memories from watching movies as a kid and how, as we get older, our tastes change as do our perceptions of certain people or circumstances. Oh and we both love the cracking soundtrack. The audio on this one isn't great but because of this, there should be no ads during the episode. Just couldn't do that to you guys/gals. Contains strong language. 

Infamous, wholesome fun scene where they dance to a song about an adult who prefers teenage girls:

Monday 24 August 2020

So, What's the Problem?: The Good Son (1993)

Jimmy and Jen delve into the sheer nothingness of the movie MacCaulay Culkin made for Fox right after Home Alone 2 because he was still bankable. This was the last movie kid Culkin made for Fox. They talk about the casting, the cinematography and how the overall tone just does not fit. Jen wages war against the movie's choice of font and Jimmy gets annoyed at the dialogue. Contains strong language and adult themes in a movie primarily about kids. 


Ooooh, edgy!

Saturday 22 August 2020

Coming Soon... A Brand New Podcast

                                       


So... Martin and Jimmy are doing a Fringe re-watch podcast. We are still sorting things out but when we do, we'll let you know. Fringe is a sci-fi TV show created by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. It ran for 100 episodes over 5 seasons on Fox in the US and Sky One in the UK from 2008-2013. It's currently streaming on StarzPlay on Amazon in the UK and IMDB TV in the US, if you want to re-watch with us or watch for the first time. It's a good show or so we remember. Back soon with more info and a start date. 

Tuesday 18 August 2020

Drop the Pilot: 17th Precinct (2011)

 


Martin (and Drop the Pilot) returns to talk about a Battlestar reunion of sorts. Same creator and stars but this is about a world where science doesn't exist, so cops have to solve crimes using magic. Yup. This was Martin's pick and has he finally go what he wanted, that diamond in the rough???? Contains strong language. 

Monday 10 August 2020

"So, What's the Problem?" Mrs Doubtfire (1993)


I can hear you all now, "no, not my beloved Mrs Doubtfire?!?" Afraid so, but that's the point of this podcast, we can still enjoy problematic things, remember? The thing is, though, this particular movie has one MAJOR problem that Jimmy rants about. Strap in, folks, although, it may not be what you think...  Contains strong language. I have included a link to the "Mrs Doubtfire as a horror movie" trailer below. 


The stuff of actual nightmares-

Mrs Doubtfire Horror Trailer

Sunday 2 August 2020

So, What's the Problem? Pretty Woman (1990)


Hey, we're tackling another well made movie, what's going on? This is an unusual episode because we can't really find problems with the movie so we discuss other people's problems with it. Audio is not 100% perfect but it doesn't take away from the episode. Contains strong language and adult themes. 
One of the most wonderfully natural moments in film-


Monday 20 July 2020

So, What's the Problem? The Goonies (1985)


                                                       
Jimmy and Jen talk about one of Jimmy's favourite childhood films... Oh dear. Does he still like it? Did Jen ever like it? Which character is the absolute worst? Listen to find out. Please. 

Best movie mom, ever?

Monday 13 July 2020

So, What's the Problem? Splash (1984)



Jen and Jimmy watch a Disney movie. From the 1980s, uh-oh. Jimmy watched the Disney+ version with the edits so we talk about that, the cast, the use of captions to tell us the era and our dislike for a particular character. Contains strong language. 

I mean... look at this!

Monday 6 July 2020

So, What's the Problem?-Can't Hardly Wait (1998)


Jen and Jimmy talk about one of the former's favourites, a teen movie that the latter has maybe seen twice, thrice, tops. They talk about the stacked cast, cultural appropriation and the movie's satirical use of it and just what does Jimmy have against lead character Preston, who Jen defends? Yeah, if you want to hear two grown ass adults disagree over a '90s teen comedy, this is the episode for you, gentle listener. Jimmy's sound isn't the best but it should be fixed for next time, sorry. Contains the swears. 

 Random Gif of Jason Segel eating a watermelon-



Monday 29 June 2020

Drop the Pilot- Ice (2001)



Martin and Jimmy talk about Ice about a bunch of misfits stuck together in an Antarctic research centre. Like the characters,  Jimmy and Martin just want to be elsewhere because this one is so dull. So, expect tangents and strong language but they do go over the plot as usual.  See the pilot on Youtube, link is below. 

Tuesday 23 June 2020

"So, What's the Problem?" Police Academy (1984)


Jen wonders just what she agreed to as she joins Jimmy to talk about a childhood favourite of his. Yes, he watched this as a child. This is the first time Jen has seen this and therefore has no emotional attachment but Jimmy loved the series growing up and even bought the comic book. Yes, there was a comic book. Based on the animated series. Yes, there was an animated series. There was a live action one too. Is it racist, sexist and homophobic or is it a bit progressive for an early 80s comedy? This episode was recorded in May, before the death of George Floyd and the madness that happened after. 
 
Kid Jimmy used to think this was so fucking funny-

The trailer gives pretty much everything away, obviously- See it here




Monday 15 June 2020

Drop the Pilot- Twin Detectives (1976)



Aaaaaaaaaand, we're back. Tysto and Jimmy chat about the really rather dull Twin Detectives which tells the story of, obviously, twins who are detectives. Or rather, detective, singular, as they pretend to be one person to solve crimes and to generally wind people up. We discuss the cast and, as it's the 70s, I enjoy the theme, which I play at the end of the show. Contains no strong language, shockingly. 


Tuesday 9 June 2020

So, What's the Problem?-The Net (1995)

This episode, Jen and Jimmy tackle the Sandra Bullock movie, The Net. Is it an ahead of its time thriller or just a dull piece of crap? Eh, kind of a bit of both? In one of our opinions, anyway, the other one liked it... Contains strong language.  


 Yeaaaaaah, nope, not in 1995 ya don't-

Monday 1 June 2020

So, What's the Problem?-Sleepless in Seattle (1993)


In the first official episode, Jen and Jimmy talk about Sleepless in Seattle and go through just what is wrong with it through a modern eye. Don't worry, folks, neither of us hate the movie, it just has... issues... but we want to prove we can cover good movies and not just stuff like The Crush. Although, Jimmy does wage war against an item of clothing... If you have any suggestions for films to cover, email us at contact@shiftybench.co.uk


Jessica's the best-

The Labyrinth (1986) Problem

 We're back, happy 2024! Jimmy and Jen ring in the New Year with a discussion on a childhood fave of the former. Is it a whimsical fanta...