Almost Cult Classics

Being that one of our favorite comic actors has a documentary out on his life and career (I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not), we decided to watch it and discuss in-depth. We touch on events covered in the documentary such as early SNL, The Chevy Chase Show, Community, Nothing But Trouble, and plenty of sidetracked tangents on celebrity ego and feuds. Support us on Patreon for early episode access, regular updates, and bonus content for just $5 a month! https://www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics Check out our YouTube channel for additional video episodes and more: https://www.youtube.com/@sidetrackspod You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com

We're finally back with the format that started it all! In this episode we dive into Norbit — Eddie Murphy's infamous 2007 comedy that managed to be both a box office hit and a long-running cultural punching bag. We talk about how it fits into Murphy's career, especially with the new Being Eddie documentary adding fresh context. And don't forget to check out our Patreon-only follow-up where we compare the original Jerry Lewis Nutty Professor with the Eddie Murphy remake: https://www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-gettin-144114931 Check out our YouTube channel for additional video episodes and more: https://www.youtube.com/@sidetrackspod You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com

In this episode of Off the Radar, we dive into Mad Dog Time — the 1996 gangster comedy that somehow managed to assemble an all-star cast (Richard Dreyfuss, Jeff Goldblum, Diane Lane, and even Joey Bishop) yet (rightfully) still slipped completely under the cultural radar. Written and directed by Larry Bishop, this bizarre mix of noir parody, nightclub drama, and philosophical gunfights left critics... and one of us baffled. Support us on Patreon for tons of bonus content and features at: www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics Check out our YouTube channel for additional video episodes and more: https://www.youtube.com/@sidetrackspod You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com

Join us for a SPOILER heavy discussion on Zach Cregger's Weapons - a movie-going experience that involved us venturing to another state, following issues we- well, one of us- had with the closer alternatives. But at least we were able to get a nice beaver popcorn bucket, tax free! We also talk about the evolution of the podcast this past summer and what to expect in the future. Support us on Patreon for tons of bonus content and features at: www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com

After months of speculation, it's finally here! Were our predictions correct? Let's find out. Support us on Patreon for tons of bonus content and features at: www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com

We swear we'll be getting back to talking about movies very soon. In the meantime, here's more Jerry! Intro 0:00:00 Jerry's 7-11 Commercials 0:04:45 Jerry Attacks the Press 0:10:09 Jerry Messing with People 0:19:24 Jerry's Acting Roles 00:29:45 Stories About Jerry 00:32:29 Jerry's Ethnic Jokes 00:35:33 Jerry Gets Mad at Viewers 00:42:12 Old Jerry 00:45:17 Jerry Behind the Scenes (1989) 00:55:05 Jerry Honors the Kennedys 01:10:04 Want to hear more? Join us on Patreon for 40+ bonus episodes and discussions: https://www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com

On this (potentially final) installment in our quest to cover Jerry Lewis, we dive into Jerry's MDA Labor Day Telethons, including segments from various broadcasts of the telethon, showcasing the best moments between Jerry and his announcer, Ed McMahon. In addition to those clips, we also watch more of Jerry's interviews where he defends himself against his critics, like Chris Wallace and Phil Donahue. Want to hear more? Join us on Patreon for 40+ bonus episodes and discussions: https://www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com

We're back with even more Jerry! The great response to our last Jerry Lewis episode inspired us to dive deeper and check out even more interviews with the King of Comedy. This time around, we not only listened but also watched a few interview clips with Jerry, where he opens up about a variety of topics including; Dean Martin, Las Vegas, cricket, the mob, Sammy Davis Jr., and more! Plus, we check out Jerry's notorious final interview where he makes a reporter squirm. Want to hear more? Join us on Patreon for 40+ bonus episodes and discussions: https://www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com Interviews used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fgEd29Re6E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmQuHMt8xbY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLZJQ5T2Kdk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGmyHivWyN8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzO0FoM79us

It's another new segment! On this series, we will look at some truly forgotten, OFF THE RADAR movies - mostly ones that were never released beyond VHS, if they even got a home video release at all. For our inaugral episode, Ryan chose Meet the Parents - not the 2000 film starring Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro, but rather the independent 1992 film of the same name that inspired the former, directed by and starring Greg Glienna. Universal aquired the rights to this movie along with Greg's script and have since refused to release this wonderful dark comedy. If you enjoyed this segment, be sure to check out our Patreon exclusive Off the Radar, where we take a look at Fever Pitch (1981): https://www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-off-1985-125175805 You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com

We're back with a discussion on a movie we have been meaning to talk about since we launched the podcast - The Cable Guy! This dark comedy stars Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick, and was directed by Ben Stiller. We spent the first half of the podcast doing a deep dive on Ben Stiller's early acting career and the movies he directed, including: Intro 00:00:00 Hot Pursuit (1987) 00:14:23 Reality Bites (1994) 00:17:12 Heavyweights (1995) 00:25:23 Flirting with Disaster (1996) 00:35:29 Zero Effect (1998) 00:41:16 Permanent Midnight (1998) 00:46:00 Zoolander (2001) 00:50:28 Tropic Thunder (2008) 00:56:43 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) 01:07:35 The Cable Guy (1996) 01:11:21 We kept the mics rolling for another hour and chatted about Jim Carrey, in particular the documentary Jim & Andy and the Ace Ventura movies. That bonus episode is available, along with dozens more, exclusively on our Patreon at: www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics. You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com

Following our episode on The Matador, we decided to revisit another hitman comedy: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which was George Clooney's directorial debut. Ryan also revisited two later films by screenwriter Charlie Kaufman; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Synecdoche, New York. We also got sidetracked a bunch and talked about other topics like The Gong Show in its various iterations. You can hear the full episode now only on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics. You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com

On our first movie catch-up of 2025, we discuss some of our favorite pieces of media from the previous year, along with some unrelated recent movies thrown in. As always, SPOILERS are heavy so timecodes to skip what you don't want spoiled are below: 00:00:00 - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle 00:10:40 - The Apprentice 00:23:50 - The Penguin (2024) & Batman Forever Revisited 00:40:25 - Anora 00:57:17 - Wicked 01:06:55 - Nosferatu & The Lighthouse 01:16:22 - Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl 01:18:39 - The Substance Check us out on Patreon for more awesome content: www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics. You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com

Following our Kurt Russell triple-feature, we decided to talk about even more Kurt Russell movies on Patreon! Those movies ended up being Tango & Cash (1989), 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001), and Bone Tomahawk (2015). Here is a small snippet of our discussion on that first film. You can hear the full episode now only on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/almostcultclassics. You can also find us on X: Joe: https://twitter.com/joeramoni Ryan: https://twitter.com/ryanlancello And don't forget to check out our website and merch store: https://www.almostcultclassics.com