BACK 2 THE BALCONY

This week we bring back the SISKEL AND EBERT QUIZ SHOW!It's Justin's turn to quiz me - he brings a handful of clips from the tv show and I get to guess what film they are reviewing!How did I do??SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we take on George A Romero's MONKEY SHINES! Athlete Allan (Jason Beghe) becomes quadriplegic after a horrific traffic accident. His friend Geoffrey (John Pankow), who is conducting experiments with monkeys, offers Allan a well-trained monkey named Ella to keep him company and raise his spirits. But the initially healthy bond, which even enables Allan to form a romantic relationship with Melanie (Kate McNeil), gradually disintegrates once Ella begins to channel Allan's underlying rage and takes it out on his loved ones. HEAR our take on the film and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERT.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we cover the 1986 sci-fi classic CRITTERS!When strange fuzzy creatures from outer space arrive on a farm, the Brown family -- Jay (Billy Green Bush), Helen (Dee Wallace-Stone), their daughter, April (Nadine Van Der Velde), and their son, Brad (Scott Grimes) -- must fend off the malevolent little aliens. Two bounty hunters with superhuman abilities follow the aggressive beasts from beyond, but the warriors aren't terribly effective, leaving the Brown family to battle the fur balls and rescue April from their clutches all by themselves.HEAR our take on the film and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERT.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we cover the 1998 horror/thriller FALLEN!After witnessing the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas), whom he arrested, police detective John Hobbes (Denzel Washington), and his partner, Jonesy (John Goodman), are soon investigating another murderer whose mode of operation is eerily similar to Reese's. In the course of the investigation, Hobbes meets theology professor Gretta Milano (Embeth Davidtz), who introduces him to the world of the occult and the possibility that an evil spirit is behind the killings.HEAR our take on the film and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERT.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we cover the 1987 SCI-FI thriller - THE HIDDEN! When average, law-abiding citizens suddenly turn to a life of hedonistic behavior and violent crime, Detective Tom Beck is tasked with helping young FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher determine the cause. HEAR our take on the film and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERT.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we discuss the 1996 horror classic - SCREAM!Wes Craven re-invented and revitalised the slasher-horror genre with this modern horror classic, which manages to be funny, clever and scary, as a fright-masked knife maniac stalks high-school students in middle-class suburbia. Craven is happy to provide both tension and self-parody as the body count mounts - but the victims aren't always the ones you'd expect.HEAR our take on the film and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERT.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we cover the bizarre mid-90's comedy - BABY'S DAY OUT! Posing as children's photographers, three crooks (Adam Robert Worton, Joe Mantegna, Lara Flynn Boyle) scheme their way into a mansion to kidnap an infant (Brigid Duffy, Eddie Bracken). Their hostage proves quite resourceful, however, escaping their hideout and making his way into downtown Chicago. Now the con men have to find their abductee, who believes that in order to return home he must reenact scenes from his favorite storybook, including trips to the zoo and a construction site.HEAR our take on the film and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERT.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we take on the misunderstood sequel - ROBOCOP 2! Cyborg Detroit policeman Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) is the sole officer on duty after the police force goes on strike against evil conglomerate Omni Consumer Products and its push to foreclose on the city of Detroit. Aside from dealing with the normal level of crime, Murphy must take on crime boss Cain (Tom Noonan), the spread of a dangerous new drug called Nuke and the attempt by psychologist Dr. Juliette Faxx (Belinda Bauer) to create another Robocop using a hardened criminal. HEAR our take on the film and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERT.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we are covering the so called misfire STAR TRAK V !Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), directed by William Shatner, is the fifth film in the Star Trek franchise. The story follows the crew of the USS Enterprise-A as they confront a renegade Vulcan, Sybok—Spock’s half-brother—who hijacks the ship on a quest to find the mythical planet Sha Ka Ree, believed to be the home of God. The film explores themes of faith, doubt, and the human need for meaning, but it was critically panned for its weak plot, uneven tone, and subpar special effects. Despite its ambition, it’s often considered the weakest entry in the series. SPECIAL GUEST: JOHN MADSEN of YOURS, MINE, AND THEIRS PODCAST!Hear our take on the film, and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERTSUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalconyYOURS, MINE, THEIRS: https://yoursminetheirspodcast.blogspot.com/

This week we discuss the 1988 film - THE GREAT OUTDOORS! t's vacation time for outdoorsy Chicago man Chet Ripley (John Candy), along with his wife, Connie (Stephanie Faracy), and their two kids, Buck (Chris Young) and Ben (Ian Giatti). But a serene weekend of fishing at a Wisconsin lakeside cabin gets crashed by Connie's obnoxious brother-in-law, Roman Craig (Dan Aykroyd), his wife, Kate (Annette Bening), and the couple's two daughters. As the excursion wears on, the Ripleys find themselves at odds with the stuffy Craig family.Hear our take on the film, and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERTSUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we are covering the Hugh Hudson classic - GREYSTOKE. It's the classic tale of the wild man raised by apes in the African jungle after his explorer parents are shipwrecked and then die while he is still a baby. Rediscovered by adventurers when he has grown to manhood, he is returned to the strange and unfamiliar world of the British aristocracy and discovers that, despite a doting grandfather and a female admirer, civilization can be a cruel place. Hear our take on the film, and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERTSUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

THIS WEEK WE DISCUSS HUDSON HAWK!Thief extraordinaire Hudson Hawk (Bruce Willis) has just been released from prison and all he wants is a nice cappuccino. However, before he can savor his favorite beverage, the highly eccentric and wealthy Darwin Mayflower (Richard E. Grant) and his equally odd wife, Minerva (Sandra Bernhard), rope Hawk into an ambitious series of heists. Soon Hawk is stealing no less than major works by Leonardo Da Vinci, priceless pieces that the Mayflowers plan to use in an exceedingly nefarious way.Hear our take on the film and on the review of SISKEL and EBERT.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we discuss the film EXCALIBUR! The magical sword of Excalibur starts off in the hands of British lord Uther Pendragon (Gabriel Byrne) and then, years later, finds its way to his bastard son, Arthur (Nigel Terry), the knave destined to become king. Aided by the sorcerer Merlin (Nicol Williamson), Arthur fulfills his fate by bringing together the Knights of the Round Table at Camelot and unifying the country. However, this flawed monarch faces greater tests ahead in pursuit of love, the Holy Grail and his nation's survival. Hear our take on the film and on the review of SISKEL and EBERT.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we tackle the 1987 Comedy / Drama GOOD MORNING VIETNAM! The film, directed by Barry Levinson, stars Robin Williams as Adrian Cronauer, a real-life Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) DJ stationed in Saigon during the Vietnam War. Cronauer's irreverent humor and unconventional approach to radio broadcasting made him immensely popular with the troops but created friction with his superiors. The film is celebrated for its blend of humor, drama, and social commentary, offering a unique perspective on the Vietnam War through the lens of radio broadcasting. Hear our take on the film and on the review of SISKEL and EBERT.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we cover the 1993 B-Movie Curiosity - CARNOSAUR!When nefarious geneticist Dr. Jane Tiptree (Diane Ladd) plots to wipe out all humans and replace them with flesh-eating dinosaurs, it's up to security guard Doc Smith (Raphael Sbarge) to stop her. As Jane plans to release her dangerous prehistoric creations, one of them accidentally kills a number of environmental activists as well as Doc's friend Ann Thrush (Jennifer Runyon). Dodging deadly dinosaurs left and right, Doc must somehow prevent Jane's plans from coming to fruition.Hear our take on the film and on the review of SISKEL and EBERT.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we discuss John Carpenter's MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN. Nick Halloway (Chevy Chase) is an average businessman who undergoes an extraordinary change when an experiment gone awry turns him invisible. Government operative David Jenkins (Sam Neill) discovers Nick in his see-through condition at the scene of the accident and arranges for him to be taken into custody, but he escapes. As Nick tries to find out more about his strange situation, he receives aid from Alice Monroe (Daryl Hannah), a pretty acquaintance who helps him avoid capture. Hear our take on the film and on the review of SISKEL and EBERT.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we tackle the 90's comedy - COP AND A HALF! Young Devon Butler (Norman D. Golden II) lives with his grandmother, Rachel (Ruby Dee), spending his days obsessing over television cop shows and his aspirations to be an officer of the law. When he witnesses a murder committed by a gang led by Vinnie Fountain (Ray Sharkey), Devon refuses to testify unless he is offered the chance to be a policeman. To humor him, Devon is paired up with fiery cop Nick McKenna (Burt Reynolds) for a day as the two pursue the killers. Hear our take on the film and on the review of SISKEL and EBERT.SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we discuss the 1985 film - MASK. Rocky Dennis (Eric Stoltz) is an intelligent, outgoing and humorous teenager who suffers from a facial deformity called "lionitis" and has now outlived his life expectancy. While his mother, Rusty (Cher), struggles to fight for his acceptance in the public school system, he proves himself to be a highly accomplished student. Though Rocky endures ridicule for his appearance, he finds love and respect from his mother's biker gang family, and even experiences his first love. Hear our take on the film and on the review of SISKEL and EBERT. SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we tackle the 1993 film A HOME OF OUR OWN!Widow Frances Lacey (Kathy Bates) is being sexually harassed by her boss while she tries to provide for her brood of six children. Also, her oldest son, Shayne (Edward Furlong), is constantly in trouble. When she's fired from her job, Frances decides to abandon Los Angeles. She and her family end up in Idaho, where she buys a dilapidated piece of land and tries to build a home. As she struggles to make a fresh start, Frances encounters both encouragement and new problems.Hear our take on the film and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERT!Be sure to subscribe on your favorite pod platform and our YOUTUBE channel!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

This week we discuss the film CASUALTIES OF WAR. Pvt. Max Eriksson (Michael J. Fox) is stationed in Vietnam under Sgt. Tony Meserve (Sean Penn). Though Meserve saves Eriksson's life during battle, the two men clash when the callous senior officer orders the abduction of Than Thi Oanh (Thuy Thu Le), a young Vietnamese woman, to be used as a sex slave. When Eriksson refuses to take part in the abuse of Oanh, tensions between him, Meserve and the rest of the unit heat up and finally explode during a firefight with Viet Cong troops. Hear our take on the film and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERT!Be sure to subscribe on your favorite pod platform and our YOUTUBE channel!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony