Michael Kamen – Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers

Nothing But Trouble , 1991

Welcome back to another exciting, all new installment of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! J. Blake and Dion Baia are getting lost in the backwoods this week, covering a cult classic and very polarizing film, Dan Aykroyd‘s only directorial effort, Nothing But Trouble, from 1991.

The boys talk about the script changes and editing to make it a PG-13 from a Rated R, as well as how wacky this comedic-horror genre is, and perhaps why this zany film bombed at the box office. Is it really that bad? They also go through the insane story that Warner Bros. let Aykroyd put on the screen. So come on down and bail Dion and Blake out before it’s too late as they give some love to this forgotten gem, on this hilarious and fun all new edition of the Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers‘ podcast!

Extras!

Have a look at the amazing unused Boris Vallejo poster for Nothing But Trouble !

Check out Digital Underground‘s music video for Some Song (Featuring 2Pac), with cameos from Dan Aykroyd, Daniel Baldwin and even Eazy-E and Dr. Dre!

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Category: Adventure, Comedy, Horror | 1 Comment

December 7

Die Hard, 1988

‘Tis the Season! J. Blake and Dion Baia are kicking off the Christmas season with a spectacular edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! For this holiday installment the boys are covering a genre-pioneering action-adventure epic–that’s also celebrating it’s 30th birthday this year. It’s the Bruce Willis classic, Die Hard, from 1988!

Die Hard It’s been a long night (and long year) for the SNMS crew and the lads have started hitting the old holiday ‘nog a little early this sleepover night. Dion and Blake layout the history of this holiday essential, unpacking the history of how it was originally a sequel to a Frank Sinatra property, and it’s journey to becoming one of the most influential action movie’s of the 80’s. Blake also reminisces about seeing a screening of this film introduced by the late great Alan Rickman, and what he had to say when a film asked him a very specific script logic question regarding the storyline. So grab your sleigh bells, your yule tide cheer, your Berettas and most importantly your shoes, cause the guys are taking a trip to Nakatomi Plaza in this 2018 holiday edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

And thank you to this week’s sponsor, Robinhood!

Extras!

Out this week, please go pick up a copy of Dion Baia‘s debut novel, Blood in the Streets, available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble.com, Target.com, Simon & Schuster, or at your favorite bookstore in paperback, ebook & audiobook!

Check out the original theatrical trailer for Die Hard, with lines no included in the final version!

Have a look at this great collection of Die Hard bloopers!

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Category: Action, Adventure, Classic, Thriller | 3 Comments

December 22

Lethal Weapon ,1987

The boys are back for their last episode of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers for 2017! J. Blake and Dion Baia are going back once again to that endless well that has been so plentiful for them this year, and tackling one more from 1987! This time around they’re chatting an action classic, one that kick-started an entire franchise. To answer the age-old question: what do you get when you take an unhinged cop who gets partnered up with another whose got retirement on the mind? Well you get the Richard Donner essential, Lethal Weapon, from 1987.

Lethal Weapon Poster

The guys jump right into this Christmas-centric flick by discussing the sub, subgenre of Christmas-related action movies. They chat about what the allure is of having so many of these type of genre films set within the Holiday season. They talk about screenwriter Shane Black and the original script that was even deemed “to dark” by the studio and others involved. Dion and Blake analyze the insane ‘what-if ‘ game for this go-around, looking at how different of a movie this could have been with an alternate cast, had the other actors considered, been chosen. They also look back at the other influences in cinema and within the ‘police genre’ that led Hollywood to Lethal Weapon, and how this benchmark reset the action film for the years to come. So, what 1980’s action flick do the boys think should have been set at Christmas time? Was this actually the first use of a modern cellphone within a movie? And did Dion actually think once upon a time that the film’s title had to be spoken within the movie? Well everyone better make sure their Beretta‘s and Smith & Wesson‘s are cleaned and ready for use, cause the boys are taking you for one last ‘ride along’ on this last, all new 2017 holiday edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!

Extras!

Here’s the deleted opening bar scene that was to originally intro Martin Riggs.

Check out this deleted scene of Riggs picking up a prostitute just to watch the Three Stooges with him.

Have a look at the notorious deleted sniper-at-a-school scene, that was another way of introducing Riggs.

Take a look at the original ending for Lethal Weapon.

Here’s the extended jumper scene.

Lastly, check out this original teaser trailer for Lethal Weapon, that features some scenes that did not make it into the final cut.

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Category: Action, Adventure, Classic, Crime, Police, Thriller | 3 Comments

January 20

Adventures in Babysitting, 1987

Welcome back to another all new episode of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers! This week Dion Baia and J. Blake are going deep into the video store rack in the SNMS vault, and bringing out an 1980s classic which was quietly rebooted on the Disney Channel in 2016- a Chicago-based film that integrates 80’s teen-high school drama with action, comedy, intrigue and the seedy, funky-electric blues… that’s right, the boys are showcasing the legendary movie, Adventures in Babysitting, from 1987.

Adventures in Babysitting

The podcast starts out with the fellas reminiscing about the old days of film and television and the analog equipment that predated the modern digital era; buying novelizations on the web; and then after receiving a care package from SNMS friend and cohort, the Chicago-based Mike Vanderbilt, they segue into this epic movie, Adventures in Babysitting. Blake and Dion play their famous “What-if” game, and try to figure out if any of the conjecture online of the many other supposed actresses vying for the Elizabeth Shue role were truly factual. They discuss the similarities between this project–the directorial debut of Chris Columbus–and the characters and themes of another famous influential writer, producer and director of that era, the Illinois-based John Hughes. They also go into the other eccentricities related to the fabulous city Adventures takes place in, such as the fabulous R&B and Electric-Blues based soundtrack. The lads also discuss the long forgotten unsold 1989 CBS TV pilot based off the film that only aired once, and the amazing cast that starred in that spinoff. So was this Chicago-centric film really even shot in the Windy City? How long had this property ‘supposedly’ been laying around in Hollywood? And what hilarious and awkward Keith Coogan story does Blake have? And did Dion date Debbie Gibson?! Well get ready, cause the boys are talking teens-on-an-adventure, the Blues, and Playboy…among other things, in an all new edition of Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers!