August 18

Predator, 1987

Hello again and welcome back to an all new episode of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! This is a very special time for J. Blake and Dion Baia, because this signifies the 20th anniversary of their friendship. So they decided to tackle a movie that not only turns 30 this year, but also was something that they mutually loved when they entered film school and bonded over when they shared a dorm room. So this go around the boys are talking the Arnold Schwarzenegger/John McTiernan classic, Predator, from 1987!

Predator, 1987

After briefly reminiscing about their serendipitous pairing freshman year in college, Dion and Blake immediately realize that this is the first movie where the entire cast and most of the prominent crew have already appeared on SNMS, and should all be inducted in the SNMS Hall of Fame. The boys then get into the nuts and bolts of the film, while not in anyway hiding their love for this property. They first have an in depth discussion about the original alien suit and the Jean-Claude Van Damme controversy, and what led to bringing in Stan Winston for a complete redesign of that suit, to what we all love and know today. They compare elements of the novelization and some of the significant differences between it and the story we see in the finished film. And Dion also proposes a new theory for the creatures’ initial motivation to engage Arnold‘s elite team. So, in the novelization, why is the Predator hunting humans in the first place? What famous story concerning the folklore of this film does Blake take slight umbrage with? Does Van Damme actually get a raw deal here through the prism of history? And how many quotes and imitations can the boys fit into one humble podcast? Well grab your gear, face-paint and M134 miniguns, and make sure you watch your six, cause the boys are taking ‘Old Painless into the jungle and down memory lane on this all new and very special installment of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! #sleepovermischief

*Dion misspoke during the podcast- he meant the term “Over The Transom“.

Extras:

Here is some footage and behind the scenes of the original Predator costume with Jean-Claude Van Damme, and the story behind it.

Check out a deleted scene talked about in the podcast, of Dutch attempting to escape the Predator.

For more information about all the unique and custom weaponry in this film, check out it’s Internet Movie Firearms Database webpage!

Have a look at a great ‘making-of’ documentary from 1987, for Predator.

Take a glance at the original theatrical trailer for the film.

Lastly, here is Dion with Jesse ‘the Body’ Ventura, circa 2006 or 2007.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Category: Action, Adventure, Classic, Fantasy, Horror, Sci Fi, Thriller | 4 Comments on Predator, 1987
August 4

The Lost Boys, 1987

Hello again and welcome back to another all new episode of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! This week Dion Baia and J. Blake are talking another absolute cult classic film that turns 30 this week. A movie about beach boardwalks, teen angst, and of course vampires, Joel Schumacher‘s The Lost Boys from 1987.

The Lost Boys Poster

The boys fondly reminisce about the era The Lost Boys came out within, and how the concept of teenage vampires was a relatively new idea for audiences. Blake and Dion discuss the vampire lore and the ‘classical’ representation these characters had in cinema, and how this film kind of turned that traditional idea on end. They talk about the obvious connections to novelist J.M. Barrie‘s story Peter Pan, as well as the other cultural influences peppered in the story, such as the reoccurring presence of rock icon Jim Morrison and the symbolism invoked, which goes to the greater themes layered within. They discuss the family dynamics in the story, be it the Emerson family’s or the Lost Boys gang themselves. The lads go into the Corey connection, and the relationship between Haim and Feldman that all started with this movie. They compare this film to the novelization, and interject some of the subplots and scenes that were discarded in the final cut of the 1987 movie. And they also chat about the sexual tension between the main characters in the story, and ponder the question: who is really attracted to who here? So, how monumental was The Lost Boys’ soundtrack when it came out? Did director Joel Schumacher maybe put himself a little bit into young Corey Haim‘s character? What’s Blake‘s Billy Wirth story? How about Dion‘s Jason Patric encounter? Well it’s about time that you sharpen those wooden stakes, gather as much Holy Water as you can find, and above all, don’t invite any strangers into your house because an all new edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers is coming your way!

(* The two stories referred to in the podcast that predate Bram Stoker‘s 1897 Dracula, were the 1819 short story entitled The Vampyre by John William Polidori, and the 1872 lesbian vampire novella Carmilla, by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu– both in public domain and available online free to read.

Extras:

Check out the original trailer for The Lost Boys!

Watch the deleted scenes, here!

And check out more deleted scenes from the film, here!

Take a look at Corey Haim and Feldman talking about The Lost Boys!

Have a look at the 2004 The Lost Boys 17 year old Retrospective!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Category: Books, Fantasy, Horror | 6 Comments on The Lost Boys, 1987