May 8

52 Pick Up, 1986

The boys are back for a Spring Edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! Blake and Dion are covering a genre film near and dear to their hearts, going way into the racks to watch the John Frankenheimer/ Elmore Leonard classic 52 Pick Up, from 1986! So come on down as they dissect a forgotten b-side with an incredible cast, in an all new edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

February 23

A SNMS Side Chat, Feb 2024

Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers is coming at you, to open up the 2024 season. They boys are winging it this week since the tape got stuck and shredded in the VCR, having an off-the-cuff discussion about anything that comes to mind, which is usually about the good old days of childhood. Come have a listen as Blake and Dion head back down the alley yet again, in this very special installment of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

May 5

The Fugitive, 1993

The boys are back for a Spring 2023 edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! J. Blake and Dion Baia bring the band back together and cover a film near and dear to their childhood, The Fugitive from 1993. They discuss the movie’s origins and the epic original 1963 television series, and try to put into context how big of a deal this film was for their generation. So, grab your bucket of pizza and some Mega-jolt cola, because Dion and Blake are running from the law in this brand-new episode of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

March 24

SNMS Presents: The Winter 2023 Sidecast

The boys are back for a delayed 2023 edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! J. Blake and Dion Baia hook up to discuss what they’ve been watching over the 2023 winter season, which as regular listeners will know, leads some pretty interesting and off-the-beaten-track tangents. And the guys got some pretty fun ones today. So grab a cold brew or cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy some fun conversations, Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers-style!

June 26

F/X (1986) and FX2 (1991) Double Feature!

Welcome back to another exciting edition of the Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! Dion Baia and J. Blake are doing a double feature this week, covering a forgotten but classic franchise, F/X from 1986 and FX2 from 1991, both starring Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy. The boys discuss the many legendary character actors who fill out both movies, and amazing premise that has become a common theme on the podcast, the fascination movie audiences had/have with practical SFXs—specifically makeup FXs; and the terrific rollercoaster rides these films take us on. So come reminisce about 2 forgotten gems on another enthralling installment of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

February 22

Cliffhanger, 1993

Welcome to an all new episode of Saturday Night Movie SleepoversKung Fu February! (this year though, just minus the Kung Fu) Well the secret is out–the boys have been planning a mountain climbing double-feature for the month. So after hitting last week’s The Eiger Sanction from 1975, in which Clint Eastwood both starred and directed, J. Blake and Dion Baia thought what better way to follow that up then with the ultimate mountain/action/thriller foray, Sylvester Stallone‘s blockbuster Cliffhanger, from 1993!

Dion and Blake take on this epic classic, discussing its placement in Sly‘s career, the backstory of getting it made, and the other scrapped projects Stallone was connected to before leading up to Cliffhangerand what went into filming this odyssey in the Italian mountains–which doubled for the Colorado Rockies. They also discuss the casting, and opine about the poor choices the villains make in this story, while trying to pull over an air heist that leads to perhaps the ultimate action movie scavenger hunt ever. This week, it’s a party celebrating a classic action film, in an all new and exhilarating edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

Extras!

Check out this behind the scenes featurette for Cliffhanger!

Take a look at this great segment from the 1990’s Discovery Channel show Movie Magic!, that highlighted the climatic helicopter crash minature SFX work within the film!

And if you liked that, check out this second episode of Movie Magic!, where that show the behind the scenes SFX work that went into the plane crash.

February 17

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors, 1987

Welcome back to another edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! This week Dion Baia and J. Blake are dipping into a horror classic, one of the most iconic and famous characters within the genre and what better place to start than right in the middle of the series… that’s right, the boys are talking Freddy Krueger and specifically the 30th anniversary of A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors, from 1987.

A Nightmare on Elm St Part 3: Dream Warriors

That’s right, Blake and Dion start smack in the middle of the franchise, and after touching on the mysterious world that exists for children inside department store circular-coat racks, they jump right into the Elm Street lore; utilizing a largely forgotten Tobe Hooper directed episode of the 1988 series Freddy’s Nightmares, A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series which delves deep into Freddy’s backstory, something that was still really unexplored up until that time. They jump into Dream Warriors, discussing the Wes Craven‘s involvement and the original script he submitted, then deemed too dark and subsequently changed due to the subject matter. Dion and Blake get into the controversial topics that are presented in the film, which were still very taboo to cover in the 1980s, topics like depression, self-harm and teen suicide. So, how was this installment as a sequel; did it accomplish what it needed and set out to do? As an effects-heavy film, how do these practical FX hold up nowadays? How does this stack up in relation to the other A Nightmare on Elm Street movies? And what’s Dion‘s funny story about meeting actor Robert Englund back in 2009 and the autograph he asked for? Well all these intriguing and mind-blowing questions get answered, so grab some coffee or a Red Bull, because whatever you do, you don’t want to fall asleep during this week’s all new episode of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

Extras!

As discussed in the podcast, check out this rare episode of Freddy’s Nightmares, A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series, that explores the child murder Freddy Krueger’s nefarious history in coming the demonic villain we know him as today.

Here are both the original Wes Craven script deemed too dark by the studio, and the one that was ultimately filmed.

Check the Dokken music video for their song Dream Warriors, for the 3rd Elm Street film.

Have a look at the original trailer for A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors.

Take a look HERE and HERE at the photos of the unused SFXs of Freddy’s head on the nurse’s body.

As discussed in the podcast, check out J. Blake‘s appearance on the WrongReel Podcast, talking about the great Buster Keaton.

Here is the photo of Dion meeting Robert Englund in 2009.

Also brought up in the cast, here is the fascinating book The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell.

Lastly, also talked about, check out the amazing PBS American Experience documentary entitled The Lobotomist, about neurologist Walter J. Freeman and his once exulted way of dealing with our mentally ill in this country, by way of transorbital lobotomies.

 

May 20

Commando, 1985

Welcome back to another exciting episode of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! This week the boys are kicking the Summer Season off with a ‘bang’, taking on an epic action extravaganza, one that has become an out-and-out classic in cinema history and for some, the complete embodiment of the 1980s action genre on a whole. Dion Baia and J. Blake are going all in with absolutely no regards as they cover the Arnold Schwarzenegger exemplum, Commando, from 1985.

Commando

The fellas are unabashed about their love for this film, and as some attribute this movie a classic only because of it’s supposedly ‘camp’ valve or consider it a ‘guilty pleasure’, Blake and Dion instead firmly put their feet down and gush about their love for this Schwarzenegger classic. There’s so much to talk about here that they carefully break the film down, scene by scene, so not to miss any fan cherished moments, performances, or legendary dialogue. They explain the background behind the making of the film, realizing very quickly that this vehicle could be called the original version of the Liam Neeson fan-favorite, Taken. They methodically and painstakingly analyze the pacing, structure, and winding journey, leading to it’s eventual climax. So… how does this film hold up after 30+ years? Is it really ‘the gold standard‘ for action films of the time, and can it actually represent that genre perfectly on a whole? And is it the apex of that trend of 80s action-hero movies? Aside from Arnold, how are the other performances? And what the heck does the legendary silent film comedic star Harold Lloyd have to do with all of this? Well, grab your favorite Kalashnikov, RPG, combat vest and some burnt cork, because the boys are taking no prisoners in this brand edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

EXTRAS:

Take a look at the original trailer!

Have a look at this short documentary on Commando.

Check out this unbelievably awesome 1/6th statue of John Matrix, for sale courtesy of Sideshow collectibles.

Here’s Dion in 2013 with Cheech Marion and Tommy Chong.

Brought up in the podcast, take a look at his highly recommended 2010 documentary entitled Marwencol.

November 13

Harry and the Hendersons, 1987

The boys are back for an all new, exhilarating and enthralling episode of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! J. Blake and Dion Baia are both digging back into their childhoods and taking on the legend of the Sasquatch. Instead of looking at him as a terrible monster, they pick a film that makes everyone wish they could have a big, cuddly bigfoot of their very own… 1987’s Harry and the Hendersons.

Harry and the Hendersons

Dion and Blake discuss the mythology of the creature, particularly as it relates to cinema and the small screen of the 1970’s-80’s. They get into the mixed reviews that this feel-good film received upon its initial release, and frankly don’t hold back their opinions regarding the matter. They chat about the overall themes, and how it related then (and now) to the social and ecological movements of the era. They also segue to the other elephant in the room, the genius that is SFX pioneer Rick Baker and his body of work, and their mutual disgust that he announced earlier this year that he is retiring because…wait for it… there is not enough work out there because of the use of CGI today in moviemaking. And again, the lads don’t hold back on their thoughts on the subject. So get your tent, outdoor gear, and a pair of binoculars because we’re off looking for Sasquatch and Yeti’s in this weeks all new episode of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

Extras:

Listen to the complete novelization here, courtesy of Audiobooks for the Damned!

Take a look at the Harry and the Hendersons 25th Anniversary Panel, featuring SFX Artist Rick Baker and director William Dear!

Here’s Rick Baker in 1987 sculpting Harry!

Check out the Up Close look at Harry and the Hendersons Prop Animatronics Head With Rick Baker, from 1987!