Born To Watch - A Movie Podcast

40 Episodes
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By: Matthew White

Join four old mates on a cinematic journey like no other in the "Born to Watch Movie Podcast" the podcast where movies aren't just watched, they're experienced. Each week, dive into the films that reshaped their lives and, perhaps, even the world. With many thousands of hours of movie-watching under their belts, these friends bring a unique, seasoned perspective where they don't take themselves or the movies too seriously.

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This is Spinal Tap (1984)
#232
Today at 2:01 PM

This Is Spinal Tap Review takes Born to Watch somewhere few podcasts dare to go: backstage with Britain's loudest band, where amplifiers go to eleven, drummers have an alarming mortality rate, Stonehenge has serious measurement issues, and a beautiful piano composition can somehow be called “Lick My Love Pump”.

Whitey, Damo and Dan are back to revisit Rob Reiner's 1984 mockumentary masterpiece, This Is Spinal Tap, a movie that barely made a ripple when it first arrived but went on to become one of the most influential comedies ever made. More than four decades later, the question is simp...


The Untouchables (1987)
#231
09/08/2026

This week on Born to Watch, we head into Prohibition-era Chicago for The Untouchables 1987 Review, revisiting Brian De Palma's stylish gangster classic starring Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro and Andy Garcia. It's cops, Capone, Tommy guns, questionable accents, immaculate suits and enough testosterone to make this one of the great 1980s sausage fests. More importantly, this special episode is dedicated to our great mate Chupperz, who requested the film. Chupperz, this one is for you.

Released in 1987, The Untouchables takes us into the battle between federal agent Eliot Ness and Chicago crime boss Al Capone...


Fright Night (1985)
#230
09/01/2026

This week on Born to Watch, we sink our teeth into a Fright Night 1985 Review, revisiting one of the most recognisable vampire movies of the VHS era. For Whitey, this one comes loaded with childhood nostalgia, a movie discovered through an unforgettable video shop cover and watched countless times growing up. For Gow and Damo, however, this is essentially fresh blood. So, after more than 40 years, does Fright Night still deliver the perfect combination of horror, comedy and '80s vampire cool, or should some childhood favourites remain safely buried in the past?

Directed by Tom Holland...


Rambo III (1988)
#229
08/25/2026

If a movie was ever made for the Born to Watch treatment, this is it. In our Rambo III 1988 Review, Whitey is joined by two certified ’80s action tragics, Bones and DJ Glazby, to revisit Sylvester Stallone at his biggest, most shredded and possibly most ridiculous. The Russians are back, Colonel Trautman needs rescuing, Afghanistan is the battlefield, and John J. Rambo is about to discover that retirement is apparently not an option.

For Whitey, Rambo isn’t simply another action franchise. John J. Rambo has basically been part of his movie-watching life forever, and Rambo III was...


Get Shorty (1995)
#228
08/18/2026

The boys are heading back to the decade of slick crime flicks, sharp dialogue and Hollywood cool for our Get Shorty 1995 Movie Review. This is peak John Travolta, riding the post-Pulp Fiction wave; Gene Hackman is doing comedy without really doing comedy, and Dennis Farina has arrived to swear at practically everyone in Los Angeles.

Welcome back to Born to Watch, the Movie Review Podcast where we don't take the movies or ourselves too seriously.

This week Whitey and Gow are joined by a returning Dan, who has finally wandered back into the...


The Warriors (1979)
#227
08/11/2026

The Warriors 1979 Review is finally here, and this week on Born to Watch, Whitey, Gow and Damo are heading deep into enemy territory for a movie they've been circling since the early days of the podcast. Walter Hill's 1979 cult classic has leather vests, painted faces, subway trains, some of the strangest gangs ever assembled and one very simple objective: get back to Coney Island alive. The Movie Review Podcast, where we don't take the movies or ourselves too seriously, is about to find out if The Warriors can still come out to play.

For the boys, this...


Crimson Tide (1995)
#226
08/04/2026

This week on Born to Watch, we're diving deep beneath the surface for our Crimson Tide (1995) Review, revisiting Tony Scott's tense 1995 submarine thriller starring two absolute acting heavyweights, Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington. It's a film packed with military drama, explosive confrontations, unforgettable performances, and enough pressure to make anyone glad they never enlisted in the Navy.

Whitey and Damo return to the captain's chair to break down one of Tony Scott's most underrated films, a movie that proves you don't need endless explosions to create edge-of-your-seat tension. When a US nuclear submarine receives an incomplete launch...


Big Wednesday (1978)
#225
07/28/2026

This week on Born to Watch, the boys dive into a true cult classic with our Big Wednesday Movie Review, the coming-of-age surfing epic that has inspired generations of surfers while leaving plenty of movie fans wondering what all the fuss is about. Directed by the legendary John Milius, Big Wednesday isn't just about riding waves; it's about growing up, friendships, the passing of time, and the harsh reality that life eventually catches up with everyone. 

Whitey, G-Man and Damo paddle out into one of the most personal films ever covered on the podcast, and the discussion q...


Air Force One (1997)
#224
07/21/2026

This week on Born to Watch, it's time for our Air Force One Movie Review, the movie review podcast where we don't take the movies or ourselves too seriously. Whitey, G-Man, and Will the Worky climb aboard one of the most patriotic action films ever made, as Harrison Ford swaps his whip and fedora for the Oval Office and proves that sometimes the President really can save the day.

Released in 1997 and directed by Wolfgang Petersen, Air Force One became one of the biggest blockbusters of the year, delivering a simple but irresistible premise. Terrorists hijack the...


Interstellar (2014)
#223
07/14/2026

The Interstellar (2014) Movie Review has finally landed on Born to Watch, the movie review podcast where we don't take ourselves or the movies too seriously, and this week Whitey, Damo and the G-Man strap themselves into the Endurance to tackle one of Christopher Nolan's most ambitious films.

Love it, hate it, or spend three hours trying to figure out what a tesseract actually is, there's no denying that Interstellar is one of the most talked-about science fiction films ever made.

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine and an unforgettable surprise appearance from...


Lethal Weapon 2 (1990)
#222
07/07/2026

Lethal Weapon 2 Movie Review is here, and this week we're diving back into one of the greatest action sequels of all time on The Movie Review Podcast, where we don't take the movies or ourselves too seriously. Join Whitey and Damo as they revisit the explosive 1989 classic that proved lightning really can strike twice. With bigger action, bigger laughs, and one unforgettable diplomatic immunity speech, Lethal Weapon 2 remains a benchmark for the buddy cop genre.

After the gritty success of the original film, director Richard Donner returned with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover to deliver a sequel...


The Crow (1994)
#221
06/30/2026

The Crow (1994) Review is finally here, and the Born to Watch boys are diving headfirst into one of the most iconic cult films of the 1990s. Directed by Australian filmmaker Alex Proyas and forever linked to the tragic death of Brandon Lee during production, The Crow has become far more than just another comic book adaptation. It's a film surrounded by myth, emotion and an unforgettable soundtrack, but does the movie itself still deserve its legendary reputation?

Whitey is joined by Gow, Damo and returning fan favourite Adam "Strangles" Strang as they revisit the dark, rain-soaked streets...


Any Given Sunday (1999)
#220
06/23/2026

Any Given Sunday Review | Born to Watch Podcast

Our Any Given Sunday Review takes the Born to Watch boys back to 1999 for Oliver Stone's chaotic, testosterone-fuelled dive into the world of professional football. Featuring Al Pacino, Jamie Foxx, Dennis Quaid and peak Cameron Diaz, Any Given Sunday promised everything a sports movie fan could want. But does it still hold up, or is this one all style and no substance?

Whitey, Dan and special guest Will strap on the shoulder pads and revisit Oliver Stone's divisive NFL epic. What starts as a love...


Project Hail Mary (2026)
#219
06/16/2026

This week on Born to Watch, the boys boldly go where they rarely venture, into the world of brand-new cinema, with their Project Hail Mary Movie Review. Based on Andy Weir’s bestselling novel and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, this 2026 sci-fi epic arrives with huge expectations, a massive budget, and one very important question: can modern Hollywood still make crowd-pleasing blockbuster entertainment that leaves audiences smiling?

Whitey, Damo and special guest Will the Worky strap themselves into the Hail Mary spacecraft and dive headfirst into one of the biggest films of the year. With Ry...


The Sixth Sense (1999)
#218
06/09/2026

This week on Born to Watch, the boys take on one of the most iconic psychological thrillers ever made in this The Sixth Sense 1999 Review. Released in the legendary movie year of 1999, M. Night Shyamalan's breakthrough film became a cultural phenomenon, launching a career, creating one of cinema's most famous twists, and leaving audiences speechless as they walked out of theatres around the world.

Whitey, G-Man and Damo dive deep into the movie that turned Haley Joel Osment into a household name and gave Bruce Willis one of the most memorable performances of his career. More than 25...


Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
#217
06/02/2026

The boys are back for part two of the Born to Watch fourth birthday celebration, and this week’s feature is Quentin Tarantino’s love letter to a vanished era, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Review. Set against the backdrop of 1969 Los Angeles, this is Tarantino at his most nostalgic, most personal, and possibly most indulgent, but when it looks this good and feels this immersive, who cares?

Whitey, Damo and G-Man dive deep into the neon-soaked streets of old Hollywood, where television cowboys still mattered, stuntmen drank beer on rooftops, and everyone smoked enough cigarettes to s...


Kill Bill Vol.1 (2003)
#216
05/26/2026

Kill Bill Vol. 1 Review is finally here, and for the fourth birthday episode of Born to Watch, the boys celebrate in style with one of the most stylish revenge films ever made. Quentin Tarantino's blood-soaked martial arts epic gets the full Born to Watch treatment as Whitey, Dan, and Will "The Worky" dive headfirst into samurai swords, anime flashbacks, outrageous violence, feet discourse, and the pure chaos of Tarantino at his most indulgent. 

From the very beginning, the episode feels like a celebration. It's four years of Born to Watch, Will's "Grecoversary," and a return to one o...


1982: A Year in Review
#215
05/19/2026

This week on Born to Watch, Whitey flies solo for a massive deep dive into 1982: Year in Review, revisiting one of the most important, influential and completely stacked years in cinema history. While 1982 might not officially hold the crown as the greatest movie year ever, it delivered a collection of films that completely changed Hollywood forever.

In this special episode, Whitey breaks down how one single year gave us E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Blade Runner, The Thing, First Blood, Rocky III, Poltergeist, Conan the Barbarian and Tron all within the same incredible stretch of cinema history.

<...


Creed (2015)
#214
05/12/2026

In this week's episode of Born to Watch, the boys step back into the ring for a full Creed 2015 Movie Review, diving deep into the legacy sequel that had the impossible task of continuing one of cinema's most iconic franchises. 

The Rocky series is sacred ground for movie lovers, sports fans and anyone who's ever wanted to punch frozen meat in a warehouse while inspirational music blasts in the background. But can Creed escape the shadow of Rocky Balboa and become something more than just another nostalgia cash grab?

Whitey, G-Man and Dan on the L...


The 80's Action Movie Draft
The 80's Action Movie Draft episode artwork
#213
05/05/2026

80's Action movie Draft is here, and this week Born to Watch flips the script with something completely different… and completely unhinged.

Instead of breaking down a single film, the boys jump into a full snake draft to build the ultimate lineup of 80s action movies. It sounds simple. It absolutely is not.

Whitey, Dan, Bones and DJ Glaz enter the draft with a clear plan… which lasts about 30 seconds.

The rules are straightforward. Every pick must be an action movie released between 1980 and 1989. The draft runs snake style, meaning the order flips ever...


Forrest Gump (1994)
#212
04/28/2026

Forrest Gump 1994 Review is here, and this week the boys take on one of the most iconic, quoted, and emotionally loaded films of all time… but not everything is as sweet as that box of chocolates.

Whitey, Damo, and the Work Experience Kid (still fighting for a full-time contract) dive into Forrest Gump, the Oscar-winning classic starring Tom Hanks as the unforgettable Forrest. From the jump, the episode sets the scene: 1994 was an all-time year for cinema, with heavy hitters like Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption… yet somehow, Forrest Gump took home Best Picture.

So t...


Face Off (1997)
#211
04/21/2026

Face Off 1997 Review is here, and this week the boys take a long, hard look at one of the biggest action blockbusters of the 90s… and ask the question, what the hell happened?

Whitey and Gow dive back into Face/Off, the John Woo-directed chaos fest starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage, a film that once felt groundbreaking but now might just be completely cooked.

Right from the start, the boys acknowledge the harsh reality of revisiting old favourites. What once felt like peak cinema now feels like a two-hour fever dream filled with slow mo...


Poltergeist (1982)
#210
04/14/2026

The Poltergeist 1982 Review is here, and this one sits right in that sweet spot of childhood nostalgia and genuine horror. Back in the day, this was the movie that introduced a lot of us to scary films, not full nightmare fuel, but just enough to mess with your head when the lights went out, and the TV started crackling.

This week, Whitey, Damo, and special guest Bones dive into one of the most iconic supernatural films of the 80s, and the big question is simple: Does Poltergeist still hold up in 2026, or is it just a gateway...


The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
#209
04/07/2026

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo 2011 Review is on the table this week, and the boys are diving headfirst into David Fincher’s icy, brutal, and deeply unsettling thriller. What started as scepticism about the need for an English-language remake quickly turns into appreciation, because this is one dark ride that absolutely earns its place.

Whitey, Gow, and Dan break down the 2011 adaptation of Stieg Larsson's global phenomenon, unpacking the mystery of Harriet Vanger, the twisted history of one of cinema's worst families, and the unforgettable pairing of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. From the jump, the la...


American Ninja (1985)
#208
03/31/2026

The American Ninja 1985 Review is finally here, and this one might be the ultimate test of childhood nostalgia versus cold, hard reality. Back in the day, ninja movies were everything. You'd watch them with your mates, then head outside, convinced you could take on an entire army with nothing but a headband and a questionable understanding of martial arts. But does American Ninja actually hold up, or is it another victim of the "we loved it as kids… but it's actually rubbish" category?

This week, Whitey, Damo, and Gow step into the dojo to break down one of...


The Bourne Identity (2002)
#207
03/24/2026

The Bourne Identity 2002 Review kicks off a brand-new era of action cinema, and this week on Born to Watch, the boys break down the movie that changed everything.

After a chaotic start that only this crew can deliver, Whitey, Dan and Will dive into The Bourne Identity, the film that flipped the script on what an action hero looks like. Gone are the invincible muscle-bound icons of the 80s and 90s, enter Jason Bourne, a confused, calculated and absolutely lethal operator played by Matt Damon in a career-defining role.

Pulled from the ocean with no...


Trading Places (1983)
#206
03/17/2026

This week on Born to Watch, Whitey, Gow and Damo head back to 1983 for a full Trading Places 1983 Review, revisiting one of the most iconic comedy films of the 1980s. Directed by John Landis and starring Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis, Trading Places is a movie that perfectly captures the raw, outrageous humour of the decade. But more than 40 years later, the big question for the Born to Watch crew is simple: Does this comedy classic still hold up?

Set in the world of high-stakes Philadelphia commodities trading, Trading Places follows privileged stockbroker Louis...


Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
#205
03/10/2026

In this Terminator 2: Judgment Day Review, the Born to Watch crew dives headfirst into what many consider the greatest sequel ever made. James Cameron didn't just follow up the original Terminator… he reinvented the blockbuster. Released in 1991, Terminator 2: Judgment Day changed action movies forever with groundbreaking visual effects, unforgettable characters, and one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's most iconic roles.

This week the full team is back, and the discussion kicks off with a simple but loaded question, is Terminator 2 the greatest sequel of all time? From the opening future-war battlefield to the legendary showdown between the T-800 and th...


2025: Hit, Sleeper, Dud
#204
03/03/2026

2025 Hit Sleeper Dud is here, and this year it’s a solo pod.

Whitey is on the road, the Academy Awards are looming, and the team is temporarily scattered, but the show must go on. So in true Born to Watch fashion, we break down the year in film the only way we know how, by calling it straight. The hits. The sleepers. The duds. No fence-sitting. No safe takes. Just movie love, movie rage, and a bit of chaos in between.

First up, the HITS.

Leading the charge is F1, starring the fo...


Logan (2017)
#203
02/24/2026

Logan (2017) Review kicks off this week's episode of Born to Watch, and boys… this is not your usual superhero movie.

Whitey, Gow and Damo head into the wasteland of 2029 to talk about the final outing for Wolverine, and right from the start the big question is asked, is this actually a superhero movie at all… or is it a western wearing claws?

After nearly two decades of Hugh Jackman playing Logan, the X-Men universe throws away the colourful costumes, the CGI sky beams and the multiverse nonsense, and replaces it with dust, silence and a dyin...


Hard to Kill (1990)
#202
02/17/2026

Our Hard to Kill 1990 Review kicks off with a simple truth: the late 80s and early 90s were the golden age of action heroes. Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Willis ruled the world… and then along came a man with a ponytail, a whisper voice and an absolute obsession with breaking forearms.

This week Whitey, Dan and Will the Worky step back into the dojo to tackle Steven Seagal's second ever film, Hard to Kill (1990). A movie that, at the time, felt like the arrival of the next unstoppable action icon… and now feels like a fever dream involving aiki...


The Perfect Storm (2000)
#201
02/10/2026

This week, the boys jump aboard the Andrea Gail for The Perfect Storm 2000 Review, the Wolfgang Petersen disaster epic that tried to answer one simple question:
What if Mother Nature just decided you were finished?

It's a Monday night. You've done your research.
You head down past Burleigh, just west of Palm Beach. Three chairs are waiting. Gow's checking stats, Damo's preparing the Snorbs Report, and Whitey's tweaking the levels.

Game time.

Based on the true story of a sword-fishing crew who sailed directly into a once-in-a-lifetime weather system...


Boogie Nights (1997)
#200
02/03/2026

Boogie Nights 1997 Review: 200 episodes in, and Born to Watch hits a milestone with a film that feels weirdly, uncomfortably autobiographical.

From the moment Whitey declares this the perfect way to celebrate the show's 200th episode, it's clear this isn't just another movie review. Boogie Nights is loud, chaotic, hilarious, messy, strangely heartfelt and absolutely stacked with characters who think they're on top of the world until reality comes crashing in. In other words, it's the ideal Born to Watch film.

Set against the late-70s and early-80s adult film industry, Paul Thomas Anderson's second...


Extreme Prejudice (1987)
#199
01/27/2026

The boys are back for 2026, and they are not easing into it gently. Born to Watch kicks off the new year with a full-blooded dive into one of the most aggressively 80s action films ever put on VHS shelves, Walter Hill's Extreme Prejudice (1987). Cowboy hats, cocaine, mercenaries, sweat, testosterone and a whole lot of unexplained shoulder shots, this one has it all. In this Extreme Prejudice (1987) Review, Whitey, Gow and Damo reunite as the A-team and take on a film that feels like The A-Team pilot collided head-on with a dusty Western, then detonated somewhere on the Texas–Mexico bo...


Best Movies of this Century (2000-2025)
#198
01/20/2026

What happens when you try to rank the Best Movies of This Century, one year at a time, with no safety net, no do-overs, and your family sitting right beside you? You get chaos, passion, nostalgia, and one of the most honest movie conversations we've ever recorded on Born to Watch.

In this special episode, Matt is joined by two very special guests, his wife, Meagan, and his daughter, Bel, as they attempt the impossible task of selecting the single best movie from every year between 2000 and 2025. One movie per year. No ties (mostly). No backing out...


Flying High (Airplane) (1980)
#197
01/13/2026

Comedy is the hardest genre to get right. Making people laugh once is tough; making them laugh for decades is almost impossible. Yet here we are in 2026, revisiting a film released in 1980 that still lands gags at a rate modern comedies can only dream of. This week on Born to Watch, Whitey and Gow tackle the undisputed benchmark of parody comedy in our Flying High (Airplane) Review, a movie that didn’t just spoof disaster films; it rewired comedy forever.

Known as Flying High here in Australia and Airplane! Everywhere else, this is the film that taught ge...


Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)
#196
01/06/2026

Welcome to a special holiday edition of Born to Watch as we kick off 2026 with our first episode of the year, diving headfirst into James Cameron's latest visual behemoth, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Released during the peak Christmas blockbuster window, this third chapter continues Cameron's decades-long obsession with Pandora, spectacle, and pushing cinematic technology to its absolute limits. In this Avatar Fire and Ash Review, Whitey and Damo reunite for what has now become a strange but sacred tradition, reviewing each Avatar film together as it hits cinemas. Sixteen years after the original Avatar changed blockbuster filmmaking forever, Fire...


Ghostbusters 2 (1989)
#195
12/30/2025

In our Ghostbusters 2 (1989) Review, Whitey and Damo strap the proton packs back on and head to New York City for a sequel that arrived five years too late and never quite captured the lightning in a bottle of the original. After seeing Ghostbusters (1984) an almost unhealthy number of times, expectations for the follow-up were sky high. What we got instead was a softer, louder, more kid-friendly sequel that trades sharp satire and genuine menace for slime, singing and some very questionable creative choices.

Set against a New Year’s Eve backdrop, Ghostbusters II reunites Bill Murray, Dan Ay...


Die Hard 2 (1990)
#194
12/23/2025

It's Die Hard 2 Review time, and because it's Christmas Eve, lightning has apparently decided to strike twice. After saving Nakatomi Plaza barefoot and bleeding in 1988, John McClane is back in 1990, this time trading skyscrapers for snowstorms, terrorists, and one very inconvenient airport. Die Hard 2: Die Harder had massive shoes to fill, and the big question is simple: Did it deliver, or did it just repeat the formula louder?

In this episode of Born to Watch, Whitey, Damo, and Dan reunite for a festive breakdown of one of the most debated action sequels of all time. Expectations were...


Life Changing Movies
#193
12/16/2025

There are movies you enjoy, movies you love, and then there are Life Changing Movies, the ones that hit you at the exact right moment and quietly shape how you see the world. In this special Born to Watch episode, Whitey and Gow sit down on the couch for a rare daytime recording to unpack the films that genuinely changed them, not just as movie fans, but as people.

Originally planned as a solo episode, Whitey quickly realised this topic needed conversation, reflection, and a bit of friendly back-and-forth. What follows is a deeply personal walk through...