Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review

It's the Spooktacular 2026 finale! Gene and Big D close out horror season with Wes Craven's 1991 social horror comedy The People Under the Stairs, commissioned by listener Chris H (aka Trucker Seaman). A young boy breaks into his landlords' house and discovers a dark secret in the walls — but is this movie a horror film, a kids adventure, a social satire, or an unholy mix of all three?

Big D had never seen it. Gene hadn't watched it since childhood, when it scared the hell out of him on VHS. Together they unpack whether Craven's ambitious mashup of ge...

This week on Shat the Movies, we're seeing dead people with The Sixth Sense (1999), the supernatural thriller that made M. Night Shyamalan a household name and had audiences questioning everything they just watched. Gene and Big D revisit Bruce Willis playing against type, Haley Joel Osment's unforgettable performance, the creepy encounters, and one of the most famous twists in movie history. Does the movie still deliver when you already know the secret, or was the surprise doing most of the heavy lifting? Tune in and find out.

Full movie info below:
The Sixth Sense (1999) is a...

When listener John S. commissioned the 1983 cult slasher Sleepaway Camp, Big D had zero expectations. Gene was cautiously optimistic after two disappointing summer camp films. Neither was prepared for what they got.

What starts as Meatballs with murder — beehives, boilings, and drownings — escalates into something far darker, culminating in one of cinema's most shocking twist endings. Gene calls it his favorite slasher finale of all time. Big D says it's up there with The Terminator, Empire Strikes Back, and Back to the Future Part II.

In this episode:

When a filmmaker gets a second chance at the same idea and decides to just fucking lose his mind, you get Evil Dead 2. Gene and Big D continue their Shat Spooktacular Halloween celebration with Sam Raimi's 1987 horror-comedy sequel — the film that turned Ash Williams into a legend and gave us the one word that defines an entire franchise: "Groovy."

Commissioned by Spooktacular junkie John, this episode digs into the remake-vs-sequel debate, Bruce Campbell's transformation from likable lead to chainsaw-handed icon, a shell-company distribution workaround to dodge an X rating, and the stop-motion skeletons that still divide the ho...

This week on Shat the Movies, we're heading into the woods with The Evil Dead (1981), where five friends discover that renting an isolated cabin is apparently the fastest route to demonic possession. Gene and Big D break down Bruce Campbell's early Ash, Sam Raimi's inventive camera work, buckets of blood, questionable decision-making, and special effects held together with imagination and whatever they could afford. Is this low-budget horror landmark still genuinely scary, or has forty years of imitation turned it into something closer to a comedy? Tune in and find out.

Full movie info below:
The...

The 10th Annual Shat Spooktacular kicks off with a bang. People are melting. A penis is flying through the air. And somebody brought a woodwind.

Commissioner John kicks off our first-ever full month of horror by taking us back to 1987 for Street Trash, the cult splatter comedy where a Brooklyn liquor store sells poisoned Tenafly Viper to the local homeless population and things go exactly as wrong as you'd expect. With a budget of roughly $100,000, this movie had no stars, no money, and no business being as memorable as it is — and yet here we are, still ta...

This week on Shat the Movies, we're going rogue with Licence to Kill (1989), the Bond movie where 007 forgets about saving the world and makes things very personal. Timothy Dalton's Bond quits MI6 and goes after drug lord Franz Sanchez, giving us revenge, exploding tankers, questionable undercover decisions, and one seriously pissed off James Bond. Gene and Big D break down Dalton's darker take on the character and whether this stripped down Bond adventure was ahead of its time. Does Licence to Kill deserve another look, or was this just too much Bond for 1989? Tune in and find out.
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Commissioned by Michael S. from the UK, "Dragonheart" promised swordplay, knights and old codes. What it delivered was a Funko Pop-headed CGI dragon, Dennis Quaid auditioning for an Oscar that was never coming, and a plot hole so big you could fly a wyvern through it.

Gene and Big D break down the visual effects that aged like milk, the casting choices that could have saved the film (Schwarzenegger?!), the one question the movie never bothers to answer, and why Dennis Quaid delivers "Honor won't feed my belly, nor shoe my horse" like he's filming Braveheart.

We're going back to 1985 for the teen action drama Tuff Turf—starring James Spader, Robert Downey Jr., and Kim Richards. What starts as a goofy '80s teen comedy about a new kid who falls for the wrong girl spirals into a bloodbath with switchblades, fire axes, and rottweilers. It's Grease meets The Karate Kid meets Friday the 13th, and nobody on set seemed to notice.

Gene calls it "one of the dumbest stories ever seen on screen" while Big D calls it "surprisingly enjoyable and wild."

Commissioner Heather adds to the mix with an em...

This week on Shat the Movies, we're hunting a serial killer with Kiss the Girls (1997), the thriller that introduced Morgan Freeman as detective and psychologist Alex Cross. Gene and Big D break down Freeman's effortless authority, Ashley Judd fighting back, the creepy Casanova mystery, and a plot packed with enough twists and suspicious dudes to keep everyone guessing. Does this late 90s serial killer thriller still deliver, or was Hannibal Lecter already casting too big a shadow? Tune in and find out.

Shat on Entertainment
Kiss the Girls (1997) is a psychological thriller directed by Gary Fleder...

Cheech Marin steps out from Tommy Chong's shadow for his directorial debut, and Gene and Big D dig into whether this immigration comedy still holds up 40 years later.

The Shat Crew breaks down the film's boldest gamble — leaving huge chunks of dialogue untranslated — plus the sight gags that still kill, the sketches that don't, and why Rudy's romance with Dolores might be the real heart of the movie.

The conversation goes deeper than the jokes: workplace immigration raids in the '80s, the real cases (and real consequences) behind the comedy, and why Cheech says this...

This week on Shat the Movies, we're heading to the White House with Dave (1993), where an ordinary guy who looks exactly like the president suddenly finds himself running the country. Gene and Big D break down Kevin Kline's double duty, the surprisingly sweet romance with Sigourney Weaver, and a political fantasy built around the idea that maybe common sense could actually fix Washington. Is Dave still a charming political comedy, or does its optimism feel completely insane today? Tune in and find out.

Full movie info below:
Dave (1993) is a political comedy directed by Ivan Reitman...

This week on Shat the Movies, we're going back to school with Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), the story of a musician who takes a teaching job while dreaming of something bigger. Gene and Big D break down Richard Dreyfuss' decades in the classroom, the students he inspires, the family he sometimes neglects, and whether Mr. Holland is actually the inspirational teacher we remember him being. Is this a moving tribute to teachers, or does nostalgia deserve most of the credit? Tune in and find out.

Full movie info below
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) is a drama directed by...

This week, Gene and Big D review The Power of One (1992), the historical drama directed by John G. Avildsen (Rocky) and starring Stephen Dorff, Morgan Freeman, John Gielgud, and a very young, very hateable Daniel Craig — in his feature film debut.

Set in apartheid-era South Africa, the film follows Peter "PK" Keith, an Anglo boy navigating boarding school brutality, a German expat mentor, a prison boxing coach, and the weight of becoming a symbol for an oppressed people. It's ambitious, it's beautiful, and it completely bombed at the box office.

This episode, the guys debate:

It's episode 503 and commissioner Shane — fantasy baseball champion, Jump Rope for Heart hero, and listener since episode four — finally gets his pick: Pixar's 2006 animated comedy Cars.

Dick watched it with his daughter, Emma. Gene watched it for the first time, still unclear why so many Walmart shoppers wear Lightning McQueen Crocs.

What follows is a full breakdown of the film — the stunning opening race sequence, the surprisingly rich world-building, the Route 66 economic collapse that hit harder than expected, and the central flaw neither host could ignore: Lightning McQueen is the least interesting car in his own mo...

This week on Shat the Movies, we're heading to Camp North Star for Meatballs (1979), the summer camp comedy that helped launch Bill Murray into movie stardom. Gene and Big D revisit the pranks, camp rivalries, and Murray's unforgettable charm to see if this laid-back classic still delivers the laughs. Is it a timeless comedy or just a nostalgic trip back to summer vacation? Tune in and find out.

Full movie info below:
Meatballs (1979) is a comedy directed by Ivan Reitman and stars Bill Murray, Harvey Atkin, Kate Lynch, and Chris Makepeace. The film follows easygoing camp...

Gene and Dick hit a milestone — episode 501 — and they're celebrating by going back to the '90s with Jean-Claude Van Damme's passion project, The Quest.

Commissioned by Steven M. as part of the Month of Steven, this 1996 martial arts adventure finds Van Damme not just starring but directing — and the results are... surprisingly ambitious.

In this episode:

Episode 500 is here! To celebrate this milestone, the Shat Crew commemorated the occasion with a limited-edition Episode 500 Mission Patch, created as a special thank-you to listeners who helped us reach 500 movies. Get yours at www.shatpod.com/movies/patch while supplies last.

For the 500th episode of Shat The Movies, Gene and Big D lace up their inline skates and head to Cincinnati for Airborne, the 1993 coming-of-age comedy that somehow blends fish-out-of-water humor, street hockey, aggressive inline skating and a roster of future stars. 

Starring Shane McDermott alongside a young Seth Green and Jack Black, Air...

James Woods is a con man you desperately want to punch, Louis Gossett Jr. fights 10 men at 48 years old, and Gene somehow thought this was a New Jack City knockoff. This week, Steven M. commissions the 1992 sports comedy con film Diggstown, and we ask the question: Is it actually clever, or does everybody in the room just think they are?

We break down the complicated long con, the overcrowded cast, a dead man in the locker room that nobody seems particularly upset about, and whether Oliver Platt's truck is the real star of the film. Plus: is...

This week on Shat the Movies, we're signing on with Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), the war comedy that promised nonstop laughs and delivered something stranger, sadder, and more complicated. Robin Williams turns in one of his most electric performances as Armed Forces Radio DJ Adrian Cronauer, bringing chaos to the airwaves and headaches to his superiors. Gene and Big D break down the comedy, the culture clash, and whether the movie's mix of humor, music, and Vietnam drama still works today. Is it a comedy, a drama, or just a Robin Williams showcase? Tune in and find out. 

P...

This week, Gene and Big D tackle a commission with a personal touch: Zach — a top 0.5% Shat the Movies listener and fitness industry pro — was gifted a review of the 1995 Disney comedy Heavyweights. Written by Judd Apatow and Steven Brill, the film follows a group of boys at Camp Hope who rebel against the unhinged fitness entrepreneur Tony Perkis Jr. (Ben Stiller) after he takes over their beloved fat camp.

Gene and Big D dig into what made Heavyweights a touchstone for chubby '90s kids — and why it bombed at the box office. Along the way, they de...

This week on Shat the Movies, we're revisiting American Pie (1999), the movie that launched a thousand awkward teen comedies and permanently changed how people look at baked goods. Gene and Big D break down the friendships, bad decisions, late 90s soundtrack, and whether this coming-of-age comedy still works or feels trapped in another era. Does the heart and humor hold up, or should some memories stay in high school? Tune in and find out.

Movie Summary:
American Pie (1999) is a teen comedy directed by Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz and stars Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Thomas...

This week on Shat the Movies, we're breaking down Double Jeopardy (1999), where Ashley Judd gets framed for murder and then finds out she can get away with it… at least in theory. Gene and Big D dig into the cross-country revenge plot, Tommy Lee Jones doing his best fugitive impression, and whether this legal thriller actually makes any sense. Is it a smart twist on the system or just nonsense with handcuffs? Tune in and find out.

Full movie info below
Double Jeopardy (1999) is a thriller directed by Bruce Beresford and stars Ashley Judd, Tommy Lee Jo...

This week, Shat The Movies heads to Chicago for The Negotiator, the 1998 hostage thriller that asks a simple question: What happens when the best hostage negotiator in the city takes hostages of his own?

Starring Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey in a battle of wits, the film turns a police corruption investigation into a tense, talk-heavy showdown filled with double-crosses, suspicious cops, and enough flashbangs to outfit a small army.

Gene and Big D revisit a late-'90s thriller that feels like a mashup of Die Hard, The Fugitive, and a Chicago tourism commercial g...

Shat The Movies hits the open road with The Hitcher, the 1986 horror-thriller that transformed an ordinary highway drive into pure nightmare fuel. Starring Rutger Hauer as the terrifying and impossibly calm John Ryder, the film follows a young traveler who makes the mistake of picking up a hitchhiker—and spends the rest of the movie trying to survive the consequences.

Gene and Big D break down why Hauer's performance feels less like a human villain and more like an unstoppable force of nature, debate whether C. Thomas Howell's Jim is incredibly unlucky or catastrophically stupid, and revisit the...

This week, Shat The Movies steps into the crossfire with Rapid Fire, the 1992 action thriller that gave Brandon Lee his best showcase as a leading man. Commissioned by listener Rob H., this early-'90s cult favorite blends Chicago mobsters, Chinese Triads, and some of the most inventive martial arts choreography of the decade. Listener Rob calls it "an absolute belter" and wonders how big Brandon Lee might have become had tragedy not cut his career short.

Gene and Big D revisit Lee's undeniable screen presence, Powers Boothe's mustache-free oddness, and a string of brilliantly staged fight scenes...

This week, Shat The Movies dives into Jerry Maguire, Cameron Crowe's 1996 romantic dramedy that gave us mission statements, sports agents, and more endlessly quoted lines than almost any movie of the decade.

Tom Cruise stars as Jerry, a high-powered agent whose sudden moral awakening costs him everything except one loyal client, one overwhelmed single mom, and one very intense kid obsessed with the human head.

Gene and Big D revisit Cuba Gooding Jr.'s explosive Oscar-winning performance, debate whether Jerry is genuinely changing or just professionally spiraling, and unpack why this movie somehow works as...

This week on Shat the Movies, we're revisiting True Colors (1991), where friendship and ambition collide in a very 90s way. John Cusack and James Spader play college friends whose paths split as one chases power in politics and the other tries to hold onto his ideals. Gene and Big D break down the betrayals, the moral gray areas, and whether this drama still feels relevant today. Does it land as a sharp look at ambition, or just a polished soap opera? Tune in and find out.

Full movie info below

True Colors (1991) is a political...

This week on Shat the Movies, we're diving into The Way of the Gun (2000), where kidnapping goes sideways and nobody is as smart as they think they are. Ryan Phillippe and Benicio del Toro play low-rent criminals who stumble into a job way over their heads, and things get messy fast. Gene and Big D break down the brutal realism, awkward silences, and a shootout style that feels way too grounded to be comfortable. Is this a hidden gem or just a cold, slow burn that never quite pays off? Tune in and find out.

Full movie...

This week on Shat the Movies, we're strapping in for Apollo 13 (1995) where everything goes wrong, and somehow it still becomes one of the greatest space stories ever told. Gene and Big D break down the tension, the teamwork, and Tom Hanks calmly telling NASA, "Houston, we have a problem."

Does this real-life disaster still keep you on the edge of your seat, or does knowing the ending take away the thrill? Tune in and find out.

👇 Full movie info below 👇

Movie Summary:
Apollo 13 (1995) is a historical drama directed by Ron Howard and stars...

It's the annual Shat The Movies Fantasy Football Champion's Commission!

In this episode, we dive deep into Rocky beyond the punches and training montages. Gene Lyons and Big D explore Adrian's subtle transformation, the complex dynamics of consent in Rocky's apartment scene, and Rocky's unconventional approach to fighting Apollo Creed.

We unpack:

This week on Shat the Movies, we're suiting up for Men in Black (1997), where aliens live among us, the government knows everything, and Will Smith learns the hard way not to touch the red button. Gene and Big D break down the perfect mix of sci-fi, comedy, and '90s cool, from Tommy Lee Jones' deadpan delivery to Vincent D'Onofrio's bug-eyed nightmare performance.

Does this blockbuster still feel fresh, or is it just a relic of peak '90s attitude? Tune in and find out.

👇 Full movie info below 👇

Movie Summary:
Men in Bla...

This week, Shat The Movies puts on the sunglasses and uncovers John Carpenter's They Live, the cult classic that turns Reagan-era paranoia into a full-blown alien conspiracy. Starring "Rowdy" Roddy Piper as a drifter who discovers the world is secretly controlled by skull-faced elites, this 1988 sci-fi satire pulls no punches—and barely bothers with subtlety.

Gene and Big D dig into Carpenter's blunt-force messaging, Piper's surprisingly effective everyman performance, and the film's legendary alley fight that somehow goes on forever—and still works. Along the way, they debate whether They Live is brilliant social commentary or just an e...

This week on Shat the Movies, we're asking the important question: what if Bigfoot was just… a really hairy houseguest? Harry and the Hendersons (1987) brings us a giant, gentle creature, a suburban family, and way more emotional damage than anyone signed up for. Gene and Big D break down the mix of slapstick, heart, and surprisingly heavy moments that somehow made this a childhood staple.

Is Harry adorable or just a walking mess? And why does this movie hit harder as an adult than it ever did as a kid? Tune in to find out if this fu...

Shat The Movies heads to New York City for Quick Change, the 1990 crime comedy starring Bill Murray as a master planner who pulls off the perfect bank robbery… only to discover escaping Manhattan is the real heist. Directed by Murray and Howard Franklin, the film pairs Murray's signature dry frustration with a city that seems determined to sabotage every step of the getaway.

Gene and Big D break

This week, Shat The Movies tackles one of the most bafflingly successful high-concept comedies of the '80s: Twins, the movie that asked, "What if Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito were genetically engineered brothers?" and somehow convinced the world to buy a ticket.

Gene and Big D revisit Ivan Reitman's unlikely buddy comedy to examine Arnold playing against type as a naive, hyper-intelligent gentle giant, while DeVito leans hard into sleaze, scams, and short-man rage. The guys debate whether the fish-out-of-water humor still works, unpack the film's bizarre science experiment premise, and marvel at how much charm...

This week, Shat The Movies heads behind the Iron Curtain—or at least a Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker version of it—with Top Secret!, the absurdist spy spoof that introduced the world to Val Kilmer as a legitimately charismatic movie star who could also sing, dance, and commit fully to absolute nonsense. Long before Top Gun or The Doors, Kilmer was playing it dead serious in a movie where cows wear boots and visual gags never stop firing.

Gene and Big D break down how Top Secret! feels like the forgotten middle child between Airplane! and The Naked Gun, debate whet...

This week, Shat The Movies parks the surveillance van and cracks open Stakeout, the 1987 buddy-cop hit that proved Richard Dreyfuss could be both wildly neurotic and a believable romantic lead. Gene and Big D revisit this Reagan-era crowd-pleaser to figure out how a movie about police spying on a civilian somehow became a rom-com, a workplace comedy and an action-thriller all at once.

The guys dig into Dreyfuss's escalating obsession, Emilio Estevez's mustachioed energy, and how the film casually treats stalking, harassment and undercover ethics as punchlines. They break down hot crooks, the very loose definition of "...

This week, Shat The Movies heads into the Pacific Northwest wilderness with Shoot to Kill, the late-'80s thriller that blends serial killers, mountain survival, and peak "competent adult movie" energy. Starring Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger, and Kirstie Alley, this 1988 sleeper feels like the kind of grown-up studio thriller Hollywood simply doesn't make anymore.

Gene and Big D break down Poitier's no-nonsense authority, Berenger's quietly unhinged menace, and Kirstie Alley's refreshingly capable romantic lead. Along the way, they discuss outdoorsy masculinity, Reagan-era law enforcement vibes, and why this movie works so well despite flying completely under the...

This week, Shat The Movies heads to rural Iowa for Field of Dreams, the baseball fantasy that turns whispered voices, cornfields and unresolved daddy issues into cinematic magic. This episode is especially meaningful as it marks the first episode edited by our first-ever intern, Elias, officially ushering in a new era for the show. If you build it… apparently Elias will cut it.

Gene and Big D revisit Kevin Costner's earnest everyman performance, debate whether this movie is genuinely profound or expertly engineered emotional manipulation, and confront the fact that Field of Dreams hits very differently depending on...