BACK 2 THE BALCONY

This week we cover the 1998 film, LITTLE VOICE!

A shy girl rarely ventures outside her bedroom and when her mother's boyfriend, a corrupt local promoter, spots her talent for mimicking famous singers, she is swept away by his promises of fame and fortune. However, the local hoodlums have other ideas.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

A drifter chooses to stop in the wrong town when his beloved Mustang develops engine trouble. Things seem to pick up when sultry Grace McKenna asks him home to help fix her curtains - until her husband Jake finds out. Jake then asks Cooper to kill Grace, but she has her own plans for Jake. Cooper, caught in the middle, had better choose the right side, or he risks losing his life.

Hear our take on the film and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERT.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

This week we discuss the subversive thriller - BLUE VELVET!

College student Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) returns home after his father has a stroke. When he discovers a severed ear in an abandoned field, Beaumont teams up with detective's daughter Sandy Williams (Laura Dern) to solve the mystery. They believe beautiful lounge singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini) may be connected with the case, and Beaumont finds himself becoming drawn into her dark, twisted world, where he encounters sexually depraved psychopath Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper).

Hear our take on the film and on the critique of...

This week we tackle the 80's bomb - HOWARD THE DUCK!

Howard the Duck is suddenly beamed from Duckworld, a planet of intelligent ducks with arms and legs, to Earth, where he lands in Cleveland. There he saves rocker Beverly from thugs and forms a friendship with her. She introduces him to Phil, who works at a lab with scientist Dr. Jenning. When the doctor attempts to return Howard to his world, Jenning instead transfers an evil spirit into his own body.

Hear our take on the film and on the critique of SISKEL AND...

This week we cover the classic arm-wrestling drama - OVER THE TOP!

A tale in which a truck driver with a lucrative sideline in arm-wrestling takes his estranged 12-year-old son on the road after the boy's mother falls seriously ill. The trucker is beginning to reach out to the boy as the pair head for Vegas and the arm wrestling world championships, but the lad's wealthy, unfeeling grandfather sends his thugs to put a stop to the bonding and bring the boy back.

Hear our take on the film and on the critique of SISKEL...

This week we cover Mel Brook's - LIFE STINKS!

Affluent and arrogant businessman Goddard Bolt (Mel Brooks), feuding with rival Vance Crasswell (Jeffrey Tambor) over a land deal, makes a bet with Crasswell that he has the wits and street smarts to live penniless and anonymous on the rough streets of Los Angeles for 30 days. But Bolt has a rude awakening when the reality of homelessness hits him. Still, he finds a silver lining in a burgeoning romance with Molly (Lesley Ann Warren), a former Broadway dancer who has fallen on hard times.

Hear our...

This week on the show - we cover the 1991 comedy, OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY.

Larry the Liquidator Garfield (Danny DeVito) is a corporate raider, deconstructing companies and selling off the parts for a profit. His new target is a small-town cable company that employs the majority of the town's residents. With everyone's livelihood depending on him, company chairman Andrew Jorgenson (Gregory Peck) hires his sexy stepdaughter, Kate (Penelope Ann Miller), to distract the ruthless raider. Larry takes the bait -- and soon finds that he must choose between Kate and money.

Hear our take on the...

THIS WEEK we cover the 1990 blockbuster film DICK TRACY!

Hard-boiled detective Dick Tracy (Warren Beatty) is searching for evidence that proves Alphonse Big Boy Caprice is the city's most dangerous crime boss. He may have found the key to unraveling the crime lord's illegal empire in Breathless Mahoney (Madonna), an enigmatic barroom singer who has witnessed some of Caprice's crimes firsthand. However, she seems more set on stealing Dick away from his girlfriend, Tess (Glenne Headly), than helping him solve the case of his career.

Hear our take on the film and on the critique...

This week we cover the 80's scif-fi classic, THE LAST STARFIGHTER!!

After finally achieving the high score on Starfighter, his favorite arcade game, everyday teenager Alex Rogan (Lance Guest) meets the game's designer, Centauri (Robert Preston) -- who reveals that he created Starfighter as a training ground for developing and recruiting actual pilots to help fight a war in space.

Hear our take on the film and on the critique of SISKEL AND EBERT.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

This week we cover the 1990 classic. GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH!

The magical collectibles store that Gizmo calls home has just been destroyed, and the tiny monster finds his way into a newly erected skyscraper. Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) and his bride-to-be, Kate (Phoebe Cates), who have previously dealt with Gremlins run amok, discover that Gizmo and an impish legion of reptilian pals are inhabiting the downtown building. The couple tries to stop the creatures from escaping into New York City, but this new batch of beasts might be uncontrollable.

Hear our take on the film...

This week we cover the 1995 sci-fi thriller - VIRTUOSITY!

A former cop who has been imprisoned for murdering the psychopath who killed his family, Parker Barnes (Denzel Washington) is recruited to test out a new virtual-reality program where the goal is to apprehend a computer-generated being called SID 6.7 (Russell Crowe), who has been modeled on hundreds of deranged criminals. When SID manages to escape into the real world, Barnes must capture or destroy him before the soulless entity can go on a killing spree.

Hear our take on the film and on the critique of...

This week we discuss the 1997 sci-fi action flick STARSHIP TROOPERS!

In the distant future, the Earth is at war with a race of giant alien insects. Little is known about the Bugs except that they are intent on the eradication of all human life. But there was a time before the war... A Mobile Infantry travels to distant alien planets to take the war to the Bugs. They are a ruthless enemy with only one mission: Survival of their species no matter what the cost...

Hear our take on the film and on the critique...

This week we cover 1995's OUTBREAK!

A dangerous airborne virus threatens civilization in this tense thriller. After an African monkey carrying a lethal virus is smuggled into the U.S., an outbreak occurs in a California town. To control the spread of the disease, a team of doctors is brought in that includes a contagious disease expert (Dustin Hoffman) and his ex-wife (Rene Russo). Once the Army intervenes to handle the situation, though, the doctors must fight against the clock to save the town and its residents.

Hear our take on the film and on...

This week on the show - we are covering the film HOOP DREAMS with special guest: MICHAEL BURGETT of the SCREEN NERDS PODCAST!

Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of...

This week we cover the 1995 adventure classic - FAR FROM HOME: THE ADVENTURES OF YELLOW DOG.

While sailing off the shore of British Columbia, John McCormick (Bruce Davison), his son, Angus (Jesse Bradford), and the boy's Labrador retriever, Yellow, encounter severe weather. When Angus and Jesse are knocked overboard, John struggles to rescue them, but to no avail. After washing up on the coast of a remote wilderness region, Angus and his dog do their best to survive, contending with both the elements and dangerous wildlife as the boy's parents embark on a quest to find them.<...

This week we cover the 1989 film - THE ADVENTURES OF MILO AND OTIS.

Milo is one lucky cat. He’s got nine lives and a best friend. When Milo the cat and Otis the dog are separated, they each set off on an adventurous and often perilous quest across mountains, plains, and snow-covered lands to reunite with one another.

We cover the film, our childhood memories of it, the animal cruelty controversy - and of course, the critique of Siskel and Ebert!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

This week we cover the 1997 film HOME ALONE 3!

When an inept group of criminals tries to get a stolen top-secret computer chip through airport security, it ends up in a toy car in the luggage of the elderly Mrs. Hess (Marian Seldes). Unable to promptly retrieve the chip, the felons follow Hess and the car to her neighborhood. After she gives the toy to young Alex Pruitt (Alex D. Linz), who is home sick from school, he becomes the target of the criminals. However, the precocious kid is on to their schemes and ready to fight the...

This week we cover Siskel an Ebert's appearance on the Nickelodeon program - RATED K FOR KIDS, BY KIDS. Running in the latter half of the 1980's , the show featured film reviews done by kids - and in this very special episode they were joined by ROGER AND GENE!

Check it out!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

This week we cover the 1996 adventure film - ALASKA!

Jake Barnes moves his daughter and son to Alaska and earns money by ferrying supplies to locations throughout the state. His daughter loves it, but her brother doesn't, and he can't wait to leave. However, they join forces to look for their father when they learn that he has gone down in an airplane accident. The official search party is called off and Jake is assumed dead, but the children will have none of it, and go off on their own into the Alaskan wilderness.

SUBSCRIBE...

This week we take a break from movie reviews and pay tribute to the late, great Rob Reiner. We discuss his films that were released during the time of Siskel and Ebert's TV run, as well as the critiques given.

We Miss You Rob!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

This week we continue our annual tradition of awarding our favorite and least favorite films, performers, directors and critiques of season 2!

Thanks to all our listeners and supporters for another great year!

See you in season 3!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

This week we cover the cult classic - TRAPPED IN PARADISE!

Fresh out of prison, Alvin (Dana Carvey) and Dave Firpo (Jon Lovitz) pull their brother Bill (Nicolas Cage) back into a life of crime. But the siblings' foolproof bank heist takes a tailspin when Alvin gets lost in the getaway car. That's how the criminal nitwits wind up trapped in the snowbound burg of Paradise, Pa., on Christmas Eve with a bag full of stolen cash. With suspicious police on one side and hospitable townsfolk on the other, could a change of heart be far away?<...

This week we tackle the review of Siskel and Ebert on the film BETTER OFF DEAD.

Lane Meyer (John Cusack) is a teen with a peculiar family and a bizarre fixation with his girlfriend, Beth (Amanda Wyss). When Beth dumps Lane, he decides to kill himself, making bumbling attempts at suicide. Outside of his morbid endeavors, Lane spends time with his oddball buddy, Charles (Curtis Armstrong), and befriends Monique (Diane Franklin), a visiting French student. Eventually, Lane resolves to race Beth's obnoxious new beau on the ski slopes, with unexpected results.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

This week we tackle the holiday classic - THE REF!

Denis Leary plays an unfortunate cat burglar, who is abandonded by his partner in the middle of a heist and is forced to take an irritating Connecticut couple (Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis) hostage. He soon finds that he got more than he bargained for when the couple's blackmailing son and despicable in-laws step into the picture. Before long they're driving him nuts with their petty bickering and family problems. The only way for him to survive is to be their referee and resolve their differences before...

This week we celebrate our 100th episode by appreciating our fans (and our critics) before we get into the critique of the 1997 film THE HOUSE OF YES!

Jackie-O is anxiously awaiting the visit of her brother home for Thanksgiving, but isn’t expecting him to bring a friend — and she’s even more shocked to learn that this friend is his fiance. It soon becomes clear that her obsession with Jackie Kennedy is nothing compared to her obsession with her brother, and she isn’t the only member of the family with problems. THANK YOU for helping us get t...

This week we tackle the 80's classic DIRTY DANCING!

Baby (Jennifer Grey) is one listless summer away from the Peace Corps. Hoping to enjoy her youth while it lasts, she's disappointed when her summer plans deposit her at a sleepy resort in the Catskills with her parents. Her luck turns around, however, when the resort's dance instructor, Johnny (Patrick Swayze), enlists Baby as his new partner, and the two fall in love. Baby's father forbids her from seeing Johnny, but she's determined to help him perform the last big dance of the summer.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!<...

This week we cover the 1991 Disney film - WILD HEARTS CAN'T BE BROKEN.

Thrilled by a performance she sees at a fair, Sonora (Gabrielle Anwar) tries to land a spot as a daredevil who rides horses off of high dives. With the help of Al Carver (Michael Schoeffling), whose father runs the show, Sonora works toward her goal. An injury to star rider Marie (Kathleen York) paves her way, and Sonora finds herself on the diving platform. Her life looks complete now that she and Al are in love, but Sonora is about to be thrust into...

This week we tackle the 1997 film MIMIC.

When a cockroach-spread plague threatens to decimate the child population of New York City, evolutionary biologist Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) and her research associates rig up a species of "Judas" bugs and introduce them into the environment, where they will mimic the diseased roaches and infiltrate their grubby habitats. So far so good ... until the bugs keep on evolving and learn to mimic their next prey -- humans.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

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!

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...

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...

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...

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!

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!

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 EBERT

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...