The Movie Loft Podcast
The Movie Loft Podcast features three Boston boys, Tony, Phil and Thom, in an old barn loft talking about '80s movies and memories. The name and premise is also a nod to a titular Boston institution, The Movie Loft, featuring Dana Hersey, which ran on WSBK TV-38 throughout our formative years. This project started as an excuse to capture our conversations for posterity. Highlighting a different movie in each episode, we revisit some long forgotten memories, and in the process weave together a documentary of our salad days. The point of this show is not to walk anyone through a...
The Malden Chronicles — Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
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Just like I told you before. Another episode with some jolly old tales of Malden life.
Always On the Box ('85)
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Here's a quick hit from the loft. These are movies that always seemed to be on the cable box '85. And I got caught up in them every time. It was like the O.G. doomscroll, but with a great return. Don't even ask my how the '85 episode is longer than the '81–'84 episode.....
Green Line PC Audio Study Aid
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Study aid for the Green Line Physical Characteristics test.
Green Line PC – AUDIO TESTING
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This is not for you. Unless you love my melodious voice.
Green Line Stations – AUDIO TESTING
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This is not for you. Unless you love my melodious voice.
Green Line - Do Not Listen
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Back To The Future 1985
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SPEED LIMIT: AWKWARD
In this episode, we’re breaking down the 1985 classic Back to the Future, directed by Robert Zemeckis. We follow Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), a guitar playing, skateboard riding, teenager who accidentally erases his own existence. While Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown (Christopher Lloyd) turns a DeLorean into a time machine, proving that if you’re going to mess with the space-time continuum, you might as well do it with gull-wing doors.
Marty gets stuck in 1955 and has to play matchmaker for his own parents. He meets the...
Always On the Box (’81–’84)
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Here's a quick hit from the loft. These are movies that always seemed to be on the cable box between 1980-1984. And I got caught up in them every time. Hypnotic. It was like the O.G. doomscroll, but with a great return.
The Malden Chronicles — Death Wish
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Another brotherly tale of 28 and 36 Spring Street lore. Go ahead and google map it for reference. Maybe you can even follow the foot chase a little.
Beat Street Breakdown
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This is a minisode on one of my favorite films. One that feels so real for my age and station at the time that I feel like I could walk right into it. Just deserved a revisit. Hope it doesn't put you to sleep.
Home Alone 1990
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A John Hughes/Chris Columbus joint, Home Alone is the heartwarming tale of an upper-middle-class family who go to Paris and accidentally leave their youngest child behind like an extra carry-on they didn’t feel like paying for. Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister—played by a pint-sized, eyebrow-acting Macaulay Culkin—responds to this minor hiccup by eating junk food, watching gangster movies, and turning his house into a suburban Saw trap for two burglars whose crime is mostly being too stupid to quit. Those burglars are Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern<...
The Malden Chronicles — Robbin' Hood Trees Remix
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'Twas the week before Christmas, when all through our house
Not a creature was stirring, not even that big mouth
Our stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that the MPD would stay in the Square
The renters were nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of alchy bums danced in their heads
And mummy in her Star Market smock and I in my head spin hat
Had just settled our brains for a long...
Planes, Trains and Automobiles 1987
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It’s Thanksgiving, and we're carving up some Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and it’s not just as a holiday classic, but as a masterclass in comedic discomfort delivered by two legends at the peak of their powers: Steve Martin and John Candy. Martin is a symphony of simmering fury. A brilliant performance of the slow-motion dissolution of a WASP executive’s sanity. Meanwhile, Candy's a bulldozing force of good-natured, oblivious optimism. Martin’s precise, explosive rants are only possible because of Candy’s seismic, childlike sincerity. Elevating what could have been a simple roa...
The Monster Squad 1987
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The Monster Squad (1987) is what happens when a bunch of middle school monster nerds decide to take on Dracula, the Wolfman, and the rest of Universal’s greatest hits — armed mostly with sarcasm, bike helmets, and the power of friendship. The film was unfairly dismissed when it came out, possibly because audiences weren’t ready for a movie where a kid yells, “Wolfman’s got nards!” and somehow, it becomes cinematic poetry.
Over the years, The Monster Squad has crawled out of its coffin and earned its cult status — a true hidden gem for...
The Malden Chronicles — The Hook
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Another pull from one of The Malden Chronicles episodes that's worth a revisit.
Jacobs Ladder 1990
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Jacob’s Ladder is part psychological horror, part spiritual breakdown, and all sweaty paranoia. Tim Robbins nails it as a Vietnam vet whose post-war life turns into a fever dream of demons, flashbacks, and truly bad subway etiquette. It's the kind of movie that makes you question reality, mortality, and why anyone would trust a chiropractor named Louis with existential advice.
Come for the psychological trauma, stay because you can’t tell what’s real anymore.
Woods And Whippets Minisode
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People, places and things.
The Thing 1982
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Grab your flamethrower and your blood test kit, because we’re thawing out John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) — the frosty freakshow where Kurt Russell, Keith David, Wilford Brimley, and the gang learn the hard way that trust is dead and the dog is definitely not okay. And remember, it’s not paranoia if your best friend’s head just grew spider legs.
And that Entertainment Tonight intro music I used just happens to be from June 25, 1982. Youtube is a strange and wonderful place.
Evil Dead 2 1987
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Groovy.
The Naked Gun 1988-2025
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This is a special double header is brought to you hot from theater to loft. Bask in the greatness of a franchise that we're glad to see propagate through the decades. From Leslie to Liam, and Priscilla to Pam. Chef's kiss.
Return Of The Living Dead 1985
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July 3, 1984, 5:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time.
"Burt, I...I think things are gettin' outta hand!"
If that isn't the understatement of the '80s. Return Of The Living Dead is serving up more brains, just in case all that mystery meat in them hotdogs you ate on the 4th whet your appetite. James Karen, Linnea Quigley, Clu Gulager and Don Calfa bring the heat in this comedy horror. Sure, pitting punks against zombies might be a staple of the genre now, but at...
Vision Quest 1985
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"My name's Louden, Louden Swain. Last week I turned 18. I wasn't ready for it. I haven't done anything yet. So I made this deal with myself. This is the year I make my mark."
What to say about Vision Quest? It's a staple of any well rounded '80s film diet. Unless you're cutting weight at an unhealthy rate. And let it be known, since I don't think I quite drove it home during this episode....this is one of my all time (unlikely) favorite movies.
Matthew Modine and...
Real Genius 1985
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This scientific romp was part of the ultimate trio released in August 1985. Real Genius, Weird Science, and My Science Project were released within one week of each other and just one month after Back to the Future. With Martha Coolidge at the helm, this movie spared the usual sophomoric fare we all love the '80s for. I love those sentence-ending prepositions. I ain't know much, but I know what I like. And I likes me some Val Kilmer.
With no pandering to the usual bully/nerd tropes, this movie was r...
The Malden Chronicles — Diamonds In The Rough
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Just some low key stories for posterity in this episode. Linden love and the lumps along the way.
The Malden Chronicles — Let It Whip
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Once again sitting down with my brothers Jamie and Jeff. This is the caliber of story that barely makes the cut for public consumption. Anything south of this stays in the family vault of recordings. If you've listened to any of The Malden Chronicles, the background and reference as to how this kind of scenario came to be is of little concern. And how it all went away is a tale unto itself. If you find it offensive or hard to take, please forgive me.
Remote Control 1988
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Here's another one from 2020 that was never going to see the light of day. It was originally over an hour. We can't put anyone through us walking through the movie minute by minute, so it's now about 25 minutes. Enjoy the silence....
No Retreat, No Surrender 1986
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November 27, 2020: We're going back to 2020 with this episode. Well before The Movie Loft Podcast was available on any streaming platform. As I've mentioned before, we have a whole unreleased first season in the back of our vault. It may not rival the Paisley Park archives, but there are obviously some uncut gems in there. And No Retreat, No Surrender is one of them. A 1986 classic featuring JCVD 1.0.
I was truly shocked to find this in there. Trust me when I tell you that there are some unreleasable episodes. We were feeling o...
The Malden Chronicles — Pig And A Poke
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Here is an excerpt from The Malden Chronicle – Crime Does Pay episode. This is a slightly longer edit of the original story, so you can hear that some of what hits the cutting room floor is just as juicy.
The Malden Chronicles — Ninja On The Loose
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This is an excerpt taken from The Malden Chronicles – Tales Of The City episode. I always remembered it as a story of my brother intervening to protect a woman from her attacking boyfriend. How wrong I was....
The Malden Chronicles — Stuck In The Middle With You
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This is an excerpt from The Malden Chronicles – Rooms For Rent episode.
That time a stereo of ours grew some legs and moved to a new address.
The Malden Chronicles — Malden vs Melrose Matinee
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This is an excerpt from The Malden Chronicles – Rooms For Rent episode.
That day at the Granada Theater when the Melrose football team wanted to see what all the fuss was about with the Malden/Medford rivalry.
The Malden Chronicles — The Song Remains The Same
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This is a short excerpt from the Midnight Madness epiode. The Song Remains The Same riot at Granada Theater, Malden Square, December 1980.
Nosferatu & Running Scared 1986
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I'm splashing out four dollars for going six minute over my plan this month....you better appreciate it. Whatever your favorite six minutes may be, imagine that is where I spent all that extra scratch, just for you.
On Christmas night, we went to see Nosferatu in the theater for a TMLP field trip. And although Robert Eggers had us huddled together and quaking with fear afterward in the lobby, we still had something left in the tank. Enter Running Scared, a 1986 Peter Hyams epic tale starring Gregory Hines and Billy C...
A Black Christmas Story 1983
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Christmas is a coming and the egg is in the nog!
Enjoy our holiday double header of A Christmas Story and Black Christmas! Two great Bob Clark offerings that go great together. And don't forget to get over to Zayre for those last minute gifts for the grandparents. They're usually bought real close to the register itself. Am I the only one that was confused about Sears and Zayre as a child? Probably.
Christmas Rappin'
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Here's some holiday company brought to you from a few Maldonians, Derek, Mic and Jamie. They sit down with me to shoot the proverbial shit. It should have been more Christmas centric, and that's in there for sure. I just took my hands off the wheel too much. So the edit is light and the episode is long. Hopefully you can find your way through this TMLP visit.
And if you are a Maldonian, maybe you got an honorable mention. We were all over the road with this one.
M...
The Malden Chronicles — The Lost Christmas of 1982 Minisode
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Here's an excerpt from and olde Malden Chronicles that needs to be highlighted this Christmas season. Enjoy Jamie's lost Christmas Eve of 1982. All the way from Malden to Littleton Massachusetts....the spirits were felt.
The Malden Chronicles — Robbin' Hood Trees
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This is a simple tale of entrepreneurship, from brothers Donahue. Delivered early this year, here is the 28 Spring Street holiday classic, Robin Hood Trees. You don't need to sift through our catalog to find it. And what brings you this gem before Thanksgiving has even arrived at your miserable doorstep? Well, I was behind an 18 wheeler filled to the brim with trim this morning. All that green being delivered to Christmas tree lots in my neck of the woods. The truck even turned onto my road! For shame.
Here's to doing...
The Evil Dead 1983
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The Evil Dead is Sam Raimi's entrance into the world of proper filmmaking. And what an entrance it is. With his ragtag group of friends in tow, Sam handles this supernatural horror flick and all the demonic entities that have been conjured along with it handily. Trust us, Bruce Campbell and his boomstick make this the must-see spookablast treat of the Halloween season!
The Witch 2015
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There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to . . . 2015's The Witch: A New England Folktale.
This Robert Eggers masterpiece is worth every lock of Michael J Fox's hair I harvested to get us there. Ralph Ineson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Harvey Scrimshaw and Kate Dickie made it more than worth our while. And being set in the 1630...
Creepshow 1982
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Creepshow is the pinnacle of '80s horror anthology, and we're here for it. The dream team of horror came together to create this masterpiece. And that team is George Romero, Stephen King and Tom Savini.
Tell me how a cast including Leslie Nielson, Ted Danson, Hal Holbrook, Ed Harris, Adrienne Barbeau, E.G. Marshall and Fritz Weaver (among many others) somehow created a campy comic book based horror anthology for the ages. I'll wait.
