Dirty Sons of Pitches

Between new episodes, we're opening up some of our favorite back catalogue episodes to give you a chance to relisten to what we consider some of the most entertaining episodes across the decade-plus of podcasting.

"The "Dirty Sons of Pitches" are walking the walk and sitting down to watch and discuss the notorious 3.5 hour Western that destroyed recently deceased director Michael Chimino's (The Deer Hunter) career, ended United Artists, and shut the door on the autuer director era of the 1970s. Ben and Nate talk about several merits to be found with the movie amidst its excess and bloat. They'll save you two hours and you'll be better for it.

Available on Apple and Spotify"

Direct download: dsop_heavens_gate.mp3
Category:Best Of -- posted at: 9:10pm EDT

The "Dirty Sons of Pitches" are looking at the four films from Alex Garland, notable genre screenwriter who began his directing career with 2015's Oscar-winning "Ex Machine," and followed it up with disorienting and challenging movies like "Anihilation" and "Men," both of which didn't quite work for the gents. They also use the occasion as an excuse to talk about Garland's latest directing effort, A24's "Civil War," supposedly following journalists treading through the terror of the United States at war with itself. 

Available on Spotify and Apple

Direct download: alex_garland.mp3
Category:Director's Cut -- posted at: 8:56pm EDT

The "Dirty Sons of Pitches"

Available on Spotify and Apple

Episode 405 includes:

-What's the opposite of an R.I.P. for O.J. Simpson?

-Trailer reaction for "Joker 2" and a possible new "Matrix" movie from a not-Wachowski?

-Nate has finally seen "Indy 5" and... it's even worse than he worried. 

-"Godzilla x Kong" is a silly monster smash 'em up that works on its own dumb fun terms. 

-By the Decade -- 1990s Bonus - "The Shadow" / "Matinee" / "Quiz Show"

-The guys close out the awesome decade of cinema that was the 1990s with a misguied big-screen revamp of 1930s radio serial action hero "The Shadow" with Alec Baldwin, then discuss the pleasures of Joe Dante's nostalgic and warm-hearted ode to the appeal of movies with "Matinee," and end on analyzing the commentarry and impact of the little-talked about Oscar-nominee for Best Picture for 1994, the behind-the-scenes movie on the early TV gameshow scandal, "Quiz Show." 

Direct download: pitch_405.mp3
Category:By the Decade -- posted at: 8:26pm EDT

This week, as a special episode of their "Saturnday Night Live"-themed podcast "Saturday Night Jive," brothers George and Ben discuss the small club of SNL alums who have received Oscar nominations, with Robert Downey Jr. the only winner. The guys discuss the different nominated performances, the movies, the years of nominated movies, and the ongoing history of "SNL" and its legacy. It's yet another opportunity to listen to Ben complain about the Oscars on another podcast!

Available on Apple and Spotidy

Direct download: 351___Give_It_To_Mushnik__-_SNL_At_The_Oscars.mp3
Category:Saturday Night Jive -- posted at: 5:03pm EDT

The "Dirty Sons of Pitches" are close to finishing the 1990s examination of film, leading to the final year, one that stands as one of the greatest in movie history. The guys have taken on even more this week, starting with the failed pilot from a lot of comedy heavies, "Heat Vision & Jack," the dark side of "Babe" with the TV movie adaptation of "Animal Farm," and then Martin Scorsese's "Brining Out the Dead" with Nicolas Cage. 

Available on Apple and Spotify

Episode 404 includes:

-Trailer reactions: "The Crow," "Good Times," "Wicked," and response to the "Quiet on the Set" doc series. 

-Nate says "The Beekeeper" is an enjoyably bonkers Jason Statham action movie. 

-Ben says "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" is a fun if lesser adventure for the larger fandom. 

-By the Decade -- 1999 -- "Heat Vision & Jack" / "Animal Farm" / "Brining Out the Dead"

-The guys discuss the much-heralded failed TV pilot co-written by Dan Harmon, directed by Ben Stiller, and starring Jack Black and Owen Wilson as the voice of a sentient motorcycle, then the TV adaptation of George Orwell's classic allegoray "Animal Farm" about the Russian Revolution, and finally Martin Scorsese's overlooked fever dream of Nicolas Cage struggling with life as an EMT in "Bringing Out the Dead." 

Direct download: pitch_404.mp3
Category:By the Decade -- posted at: 1:53pm EDT

Direct download: mdm_holdovers.mp3
Category:My Dad & the Movies -- posted at: 8:51am EDT

The "Dirty Sons of Pitches" are back and crusin' through the radical 1990s of cinema, this time stopping to examine "Deep rising," the creature-feature that helped launch Stephen Sommers before "The Mummy," and a failed TV pilot directed by Joe Dante, "Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy," otherwise known also as "The Osiris Chronicles," a sci-fi TV show that never got further than its second introductory episode. 

Available on Apple and Spotify

Episode 403 includes:

-R.I.P. Richard Lewis and the creator of Dragon Ball and its many iterations.

-2024 Oscar recap and Nate finally reviews "Oppenheimer."

-Ben has some complicated thoughts on "Poor Things."

-Netflix's "Damsel" isn't quite Ben's "Damsel," and it suffers because of this. 

-By the Decade -- 1998 -- "Deep Rising" / "Warlord: Beyond the Galaxy"

-The monster movie is an enjoyably campy B-movie that showcases the strneths of Sommers and his love of the sci-fi/action movies of old, and the guys have very little positively to say about "Warlord" and its failed attempts to develop an interesting new future world and characters worth following. It's a big miss. 

Direct download: pitch_403.mp3
Category:By the Decade -- posted at: 8:25am EDT

The "Dirty Sons of Pitches" are back and ready to sing the praises of the cinematic year that was 1997, primarily with the subversive classic that today's modern fascists confuse as being pro-fascism, "Starship Troopers," and less so the second Full Moon Pictures selection of the 90s, "Hideous!", a movie about rich jerks who collect genetically deformed freaks who then break loose and wreck terror... or should have.

Available on Apple and Spotify

Episode 402 includes:

-Nate is perplexed by the one-half Coen Brother lesbian sex comedy "Drive-Away Dolls."

--Ben comes to "Dune Part Two" with some significant praise and some grumbling over extnesive ength. 

-By the Decade -- 1997 -- "Starship Troopers" / "Hideous!"

-"Starship Troopers" is still as aweosme today as it was back then, even more ahead of its time and socially relevant in an age of rising fascism and rightwing forces, and then "Hideous!" is a low-budget creature feature with some promising ideas and a lack of imagination to do anything with them, plus some of the most gratuitous nudity for one poor woman in the cold. 

Direct download: pitch_402.mp3
Category:By the Decade -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

Between new episodes, we're opening up some of our favorite back catalogue episodes to give you a chance to relisten to what we consider some of the most entertaining episodes across the decade-plus of podcasting. 

"The "Dirty Sons of Pitches" are adding another new format change to their long-standing podcast, this time examining similar movies released in short order from one another. The guys kick things off by exploring the two Christopher Columbus biopics released in 1992, both of which are bad but for different reasons. "Columbus: The Discovery" is the cheaper, sillier, but strangely more accountable version, whereas Ridley Scott's "1492: Conquest of Paradise" is the bigger production but far more boring and more morally egregious even as it had less exploitation aims.

Available on Apple and Spotify

Episode 362 includes:

-Trailer reactions for "The Whale," the Guilermo del Toro "Pinnochio," and "Glass Onion."

-Elon Musk and Kanye West.... finally bearing some consequences of their idiocy.

-Ben feels like "Black Adam" is a step down for The Rock.

-The Weird Al biopic is about eveyrhting you would want it to be.

-Double or Nothing -- "Christopher Columbus: The Discovery" / "1492: Conquest of Paradise"

-The guys discuss the dueling Christopher Columbus movies released in 1992, marking the 500th anniversary but delivered to a very different market. Both movies have some fleeting artistic merit but are mostly hagiogrpahies of Columbus and excuse his many historical atrocities to other convenient guilty parties. This is a figure whose historical evaluation has gone through great changes, but even in 1992, he was protrayed by Hollywood as a heroic visionary ahead of his time, and the movies are just wrong in so many frustrating ways."

Direct download: dsopthrowback_pitch_362.mp3
Category:Best Of -- posted at: 7:09pm EDT

Between new episodes, we're opening up some of our favorite back catalogue episodes to give you a chance to relisten to what we consider some of the most entertaining episodes across the decade-plus of podcasting. 

"Back in 2013, the "Dirty Sons of Pitches" had a great idea, to watch the lowest-grossing wide release film of all time, "The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure." It'll be fun, they reasoned. Oh how wrong they were. Recording minutes after finishing that awful children's movie, the guys unleash their thoughts and reflections, trying to make sense of what will never make sense. If you've ever wanted to know what this movie was about, or what makes it... special, then this podcast will be enlightening and entertaining."

Available on Apple and Spotify

Direct download: throwback_pitch_43.mp3
Category:Best Of -- posted at: 6:54pm EDT

A special new podcast subset featuring Nate and his father. "My Dad & the Movies" is a monthly series where Nate and his father, George, discuss a movie of his father's choice, maybe a favorite or a formative work that made him the cinephile he is, and father and son can talk about their shared love of the movies. It's the start of a new season, the third in this series, and the first movie up for discussion is 2014's epic yet alienating Biblical adaptation from Darren Aranofsky, "Noah," a movie both gentlemen thoroughly enjoy and definitely recommend, and Nate's father finally goes on the record as a preacher who hates "church movies." 

Available on Spotify and Apple

Direct download: mdm_noah.mp3
Category:My Dad & the Movies -- posted at: 6:56pm EDT

It's been a while but the "Dirty Sons of Pitches" are back with an even bigger episode, as there's much to discuss and get caught up on, as well as transition into the fils of 1996, this time the indie comedy about two Italian brothers trying to save their restaurant in "Big Night" and then "The Island of doctor Moreau," the unholy mess that became the sci-fi action thriller about animal-human hybrids made even more famous by Marlon Brando's bizarre onset behavior and the production firing its director after four days. 

Available on Apple and Spotify

Episode 401 includes:

-At long last, reactions to the 2024 Oscar nominations and snubs. As usual, Ben is unamused.

-We have a Fantastic Four cast, and does Marvel have a vision for going forward?

-The guys have survived the twisted web of "Madame Web," a sperhero movie nobody wanted. 

-The guys split on "Argylle," Matthew Vaughn's latest spy action-comedy. 

-By the Decade -- 1997 -- "Big Night" / "The Island of Doctor Moreau"

-The indie comedy ends up not quite being what the guys hope for whereas the ridiculous movie that has animal-human orgies, Val Kilmer impersonating Marlon Brando, and Fauriza Balk as a cat lady ends up delivering way more entertainment than could possibly be hoped for regarding the movie's reputation. 

Direct download: pitch_401.mp3
Category:By the Decade -- posted at: 12:42pm EDT

Between new episodes, we're opening up some of our favorite back catalogue episodes to give you a chance to relisten to what we consider some of the most entertaining episodes across the decade-plus of podcasting. 

"The "Dirty Sons of Pitches" were not expecting this. They were not expecting a movie so cringe-inducing, maddening, and filled with artificial whimsy that bordered on delusional sadism. The new sequel "Mary Poppins Returns" get the guys going like few others as they try and make sense of what they have just watched as if they have witnessed a Lovecraftian god, which Mary Poppins just might be. Enjoy their lively and disturbed critical and comical analysis of the Disney movie that begs to be belittled and feel bad for Emily Blunt and Lin Manuel-Miranda. And you thought "A Wrinkle in Time" was a bad move for Disney. Just you wait. Just you wait."

Available on Spotify and Apple. 

Direct download: dsop_throwback_-mary_poppins_returns.mp3
Category:Best Of -- posted at: 6:22pm EDT

The "Dirty Sons of Pitches" have revealed their top films of 2023 and now it's time to go in the other direction, as the guys discuss the movies that frustrated them, made them angry, and plain confounded them. The guys discuss the worst movies they watched for the year as well as offer their selections for Overrated and Underrated movies. Plus stick around to the very end for Ben's long-awaited thoughts on the movie many are deeming the best film of 2023, Christopher Nolan's acclaimed three-hour opus, "Oppenheimer."

Available on Spotify and Apple

Direct download: pitch_400.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:34pm EDT

The "Dirty Sons of Pitches" are finally revealing their individual lists for the Top Ten best films of 2023, a year that left them a little deflated despite the Barbenheimer of it all. The guys discuss the movies that just missed the final cut, some notable 2023 releases that weren't going to end up on their lists, and reveal in descending order what they believe are the best movies of this past year.

Stay tuned for the next episode where the guys reveal their Bottom Ten lists for the worst films of 20023.

Available on Apple and Spotify

Direct download: pitch_399.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:49pm EDT

 

A special new podcast subset featuring Nate and his father. "My Dad & the Movies" is a monthly series where Nate and his father, George, discuss a movie of his father's choice, maybe a favorite or a formative work that made him the cinephile he is, and father and son can talk about their shared love of the movies. It's the last episode of season two, the finale, and the last movie is 1945's "Leave Her to Heaven," an Academy Award-winning noir mellodrama where Gene Tierney is an obsessive woman who won't stop until she eliminates any other alternative for her husband's attention and affections. Also, this could be the source of the warning about not swimming until 30 minutes after you finish eating. Season three coming next month, folks. 

Available on Spotify and Apple

Direct download: mdm_leave_her_to_heaven.mp3
Category:My Dad & the Movies -- posted at: 6:35pm EDT

The "Dirty Sons of Pitches" are working their way through the kickass 1990s and this week's episode places them square in the middle, 1995, and both movies are about sci-fi future worlds about downloadable experiences that nefarious forces are after. It's the Keanu Reeves pre-"Matrix" vehicle, "Johnny Mnemonic," and the slightly classier yet still sordid "Strange Days" starring Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett. 

Avaialble on Apple and Spotify

Episode 398 includes:

-Trailer reactions: "Abigail," "Spaceman," "The First Omen," and "Lisa Frankenstein."

-They've used A.I. to reanimate George Carlin for a "new" "comedy" "special," and it's an ehtnically troubling brave new world for any dead celebrity. 

-Nate runs through thoughts over "Maestro," "Leave the World Behind," "Poor Things," "The Zone of Interest," "Bottoms," and "American Fiction."

-Ben discusses "Aproia," "Nimona," "Corner Office," and "The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster."

-By the Decade -- 1995 -- "Johnny Mnemonic" / "Strange Days"

-The guys tackle the schlocky cyberpunk future that has Keanu Reeves as a human courier where his brain is the flash drive that a lot of weirdos want and Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron's collaboration about a scary future world where humanity is prone to paying for voyueristic experiences catered to them, plus a noir-style murder mystery and police brutality conspiracy at no extra charge. 

Direct download: pitch_398.mp3
Category:By the Decade -- posted at: 9:36am EDT

A special new podcast subset featuring Nate and his father. "My Dad & the Movies" is a monthly series where Nate and his father, George, discuss a movie of his father's choice, maybe a favorite or a formative work that made him the cinephile he is, and father and son can talk about their shared love of the movies. It's season two and the eleventh episode is looking at the newest movie in the show's run, the new monster movie from Japan that's breaking box-office and impressing fans and critics alike, the suprisingly emotional and evocative "Godzilla Minus One." 

Available on Spotify and Apple

Direct download: mdm_godzilla_minus_one.mp3
Category:My Dad & the Movies -- posted at: 5:53pm EDT

The "Dirty Sons of Pitches" are working their way through revisiting the 1990s of film, and this week it's 1994's turn as the guys watch the John Carpeneter horror freakout "In the Mouth of Madness" and Peter Jackson's "Heavenly Creatures" with stunning debut performances by Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet. 

Available on Apple and Spotify

Episode 397 includes:

-R.I.P. great character actor Tom Wilkinson and the rich dad guy from "Parasite."

-Nate reviews a lot of movies like "Godzilla Minus One," "The Boy and the Heron," "Napoleon," and more.

-The guys are left thoroughly unimpressed by Zack Snyder's "rebel Moon: Part One."

-By the Decade -- 1995 -- "In the Mouth of Madness" / "Heavenly Creatures"

-The gents findspooky merit in John Carpeneter's forgotten ode to Lovecraftian madness with a very game Sam Neill and celebrate Peter Jackson's proof of concept movie with "Heavenly Creatures" that he can do serious Oscar-worthy dramas with his style and signature too. 

Direct download: pitch_397.mp3
Category:By the Decade -- posted at: 8:28am EDT

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