Upon Closer Inspection

Back to back episodes! Hot on the heels of our review of Free Willy comes Andre (1994), a film about a girl and her best friend, a seal named Andre, that was obviously meant to cash in on the Free Willy craze!  Allison and Kyle are joined by none other than Sarah MacLellan, host of Halifax's very own Intalksicated podcast! She talks about why this movie meant so much to her as a little girl, and why she thinks it set her up for TERRIBLE RELATIONSHIPS WITH MEN. Topics include:  The bizarre movie poster that took this nostalgic story set in the 1960s and made it seem like a TOTALLY AWESOME 90S MOVIE! SKATEBOARD! KICKFLIP! What it feels like to be a weirdo kid who relates to animals! The strength of character it takes to forgive the man who tried to MURDER YOUR PET with a PITCHFORK.  The dark secret behind this movie (the actor who plays Andre isn't a seal at all!) Is Andre the best friend we've ever had, or ever will have? Find out when we check it out UPON CLOSER INSPECTION!  

It's an image that everyone remembers: an orca whale suspend in the air, mid-jump, over his young boy friend as he escapes from an EVIL aquarium. Free Willy (1994) was a massive hit and absolutely iconic - but it's a much weirder movie than you remember. In today's episode, Allison's friend Nick joins us to talk about being OBSESSED with Free Willy and find out whether or not he STILL loves it! Topics include: How homeless kids were depicted in 90s movies! (HINT: it's a mix of Charles Dickens and a skate park) Just how EVIL the bad guy is!  How terrifying Michael Madsen being a supportive step-dad really is!  How weird it is that all of the main characters friends die on the streets! (THIS IS CONJECTURE BUT PROVE US WRONG).  Does Free Willy hold up? Find out on UPON CLOSER INSPECTION! 

It's a magical moment when you learn something new about a friend: in today's episode of Upon Closer Inspection, we learn that Allison has a CRAZY GOOD impression of the tiny titular pig from 1995's Babe. If it weren't so adorable, it would be creepy. Allison and Kyle chat about how good this movie still is, how intense it gets, and how they hope everybody has a chance to see it whether young or old. Topics include: How deeply, and secretly, Australian this movie is! The complexity of morals in children's movies! The time Allison won a radio call-in quiz with an incredibly inappropriate answer!  The WORST thing you can say to a child who your dog just bit (SOURCE: Allison's life) It's a fun episode with a lot of heart! 

The Skulls (2000) is about a University secret society who somehow manages to stay secret even though their clubhouse has an enormous skull logo and all its members have skull shaped branding scars on their wrists. So very secret! This week, Allison and Kyle take on this move that made a LASTING impression on Allison for one very special reason: Paul Walker's abs. Starring Josh Jackson (Dawson's Creek) and Paul Walker (Paul Walker's abs) this movie whisks us back to a more innocent, and more stupid, time in our lives. Topics include: The Skulls connection to the even faker sounding secret society, The Skull and Crossbones!  How badly the movie wants us to believe that Pacey is really, really cool! How college movies are meant for teenagers, like how Seventeen magazine was for 13-year-olds!  Paul. Walker's. Abs.  Join us, won't you? 

1986's Space Camp was a fun movie about kids learning how to fly a NASA shuttle... and then having to do it for real when they're accidentally launched into the stratosphere!  ...Except it came out after the Challenger disaster, the fiery shuttle wreck that claimed the lives of 7 crew members and traumatized a generation. Oops! Justin O'Hearn joins Allison and Kyle to talk about why this movie disaster traumatized him - or maybe didn't. Topics include:  Whether this movie was written by nerds or jocks The Phoenix kids' weird names (a young Joaquin stars in this film, billed as Leaf - NOT LEIF - Phoenix) The touching - and creepy - relationship between a boy and a multi-million dollar robot that NASA couldn't care less about Whether or not kids in the 80s gave a care about Dire Straits and Eric Clapton

Welcome to the Upon Closer Inspection reboot! Host Allison Tweedie returns with new co-host Kyle Carpenter to talk about Courage Mountain, the gritty WWI Heidi of The Swiss Alps reboot that NOBODY asked for, "starring" Charlie Sheen! Topics include: The first time Kyle remembers his mother LYING TO HIS FACE The inappropriate age difference between Sheen and his young co-star, Juliette Catton (they were ten years apart, with Catton only being 14 at time of filming!) Why so many "classic" children's films depict orphans in misery Heidi's heroic "no child left behind" policy (SPOILER: she leaves every child behind) It's a hilarious chat about a movie nobody has seen. But maybe you should? No, you definitely shouldn't. But give this episode a listen!