x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Old Roommates

Do our favorite movies and tv shows hold up as we get older? We change, but do they? And, does nostalgia beat quality? Join best friends, pop-culture junkies, and yes, old roommates, Brian Masefield and Christina Walsh as they experience old loves from the 70s, 80s and 90s all over again. Old Roommates is the only weekly podcast that revisits pop culture…through a middle-aged lens. Follow Old Roommates on Facebook, and @oldroommates on Twitter and Instagram.

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

62:26

Ep 208: "Kindergarten Cop" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/09/12

Arnold Schwarzenegger was kicking ass and taking names in the 1990 comedy Kindergarten Cop. Directed by Ivan Reitman, the movie combined a variety of genres - comedy, action, drama - with mixed results. But now, decades later, how does its Terminator-teaches-tots concept measure up? Are themes of child abuse, drug addiction, and divorce all too much for a PG-13 flick? And is Eleanor Crisp one of the scariest villains of the 90's? The Old Roommates march in single file and wait for the whistle while

en

74:09

Ep 207: "The Godfather" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/09/05

Season Premier! "Take the gun, leave the cannoli." Back in 1972, Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather took it all. Big box office, Academy Awards, and a place on many lists as one of the best films of all time. But now, over 50 years later, does the 3-hour saga give us an offer we "can refuse"? Was Brando's Don Corleone just too sensitive for his own good? Was Diane Keaton's Kay too understanding to be believed? And, why did Michael's eye take several years to heal? The Old Roommates go behind

en

69:46

Ep 206: Old Roommates 4th Anniversary Episode

Old Roommates ·

2023/07/25

Bonus: Our 4th Anniversary episode featuring The 3rd Annual Roomie Awards.Join us for a recap of our recaps! Brian and Christina take a look back at the films, tv shows, and music videos they've revisited over the past twelve months. They'll discuss their most-downloaded episodes, surprising stats, and their favorite moments. And after all the pleasantries are exchanged (cue drum roll) they'll present The Roomie Awards to the best and worst of their revisits. Which film will win "Biggest Waste of

en

28:29

Ep 205: "Mariah Carey Videos" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/07/18

"Fantasy" and "Always Be My Baby" were two #1 hits (among many) for Mariah Carey in the mid-90s. They also have the rare distinction of spawning music videos directed by the Queen of Christmas herself. Both videos featured Carey smiling, posing, lip syncing, and riding both roller coasters and tire swings. But now, decades later, are the videos as good as the songs? Do they need to be? And how many times can Mariah raise her hands in the air...before we just don't care? The Old Roommates fight the

en

38:00

Ep 204: "National Lampoon’s Vacation" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/07/11

Clark. Ellen. Rusty. And...Audrey. Back in 1983, National Lampoon's Vacation featured the Griswolds as the quintessential American family attempting to have a cross-country road trip. The fact that everything went wrong only made them more endearing to movie audiences, more than quadrupling the film's budget at the box office. But now, forty years later, what's the wear and tear on this thing? Is this Chevy Chase's finest "Vacation"? Did Aunt Edna deserve better? And is a dead dog ever a laughing

en

51:52

Ep 203: "Jaws 2" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/07/04

Just when you thought it was safe to re-watch a sequel. As co-host Christina exclaims in this episode, “No one talks about Jaws 2.” Back in 1978, though, they sure did, and for a variety of reasons.Most critics trashed it. Audiences devoured it. Roy Scheider didn’t even want to be part of it. Yes, “Jaws 2” tore people up with its clunky shark, screaming teens and awfully familiar storyline.But now, decades later, were we all too hard on this big-fish flick? Could it have ever lived up to the first

en

44:25

Ep 202: "Cruel Intentions" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/06/27

“I wanna f*ck!” Yes, friends, 1999’s “Cruel Intentions” didn’t beat around the bush in showcasing the carnal needs of its oversexed highschoolers.Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillipe and Reese Witherspoon formed a Dangerous Liaisons-inspired lust triangle with mixed results among audiences and critics.But now, decades later, has the movie’s edgy dialogue, casual coke-snorting, and borderline incestuous premise caught up us? Or do all these kids just need their mouths washed out with soap?And how

en

58:04

Ep 201: "Schoolhouse Rock" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/06/20

Conjunction Junction, what was your function? Many 70’s kids grew up singing and learning in 3-minute intervals thanks to those Saturday morning cartoon gems, Schoolhouse Rock.From the solar system to subtraction, Gen X youngsters were smitten with these educational earworms. But now, nearly half a century later, how much did we retain of the cartoons themselves? Did “Just a Bill” really prepare us for filibustering and a President’s right to veto? And perhaps the biggest question of all … was this

en

59:25

Ep 200: "The Talented Mr. Ripley" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/06/13

Our 200th Episode! For this amazing (and, quite frankly, shocking) milestone, we went back to 1999 to rewatch the first movie Brian, Christina, and their two best pals ever saw together. If only Christina could remember it. Yes, back then, The Talented Mr. Ripley had the hottest of young Hollywood stars - Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett and an Oscar-Nominated Jude Law. It also had a lot of time on its hands; The over-2-hour suspense thriller had its haters. But now, decades later, when

en

42:49

Ep 199: "Romancing the Stone" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/06/06

"You're the best time I ever had." Joan Wilder, as played by the incomparable Kathleen Turner, was a romance writer, a single gal, and a very devoted sister. She was also the main character in arguably the biggest rom-com adventure of the 1980s, Romancing the Stone. Directed by young Robert Zemeckis, written by a first-time screenwriter Diane Thomas, and co-starring Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito, the little $10 million 1984 crowd pleaser cashed in its stones to the tune of $115 million. Now

en

40:00

Ep 198: "Controversial Sex Videos" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/05/30

Madonna's "Justify My Love" and George Michael's "I Want Your Sex" were two totally taboo music videos that were either banned from MTV or shown after 10pm back in the 80s and 90s. During their heyday, they were both the things everyone was talking about and the things no one could easily watch. But now, decades later, was all the fuss deserved? When is a kiss not just a kiss? And, isn't "monogamy" a good thing, whether you write in lipstick or not? The Old Roommates slip into something more

en

44:45

Ep 197: "The First Wives Club" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/05/23

Ivana Trump uttered the tagline of the 90s revenge comedy, The First Wives Club: "Don't get mad. Get everything." And, back in 1996, audiences did. A trio of megastars - Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton - joined forces for this tale of fidelity, friendship and lip fillers. The movie was a hit and helped squash the notion that female stars can't boost the box office without a male lead. But now, decades later, does the movie feel as old as its ideas? Do our three divas make sweet music

en

22:45

Ep 196: "Strange Brew" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/05/16

"I have to pee so bad I can taste it." Oh yes, 1983's Strange Brew is loaded with dialogue gems oodles of SCTV fans quoted ad nauseum. The movie, directed by and starring Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas, was a big hit on cable and VHS. Back then, if you didn't love Bob and Doug McKenzie, you were the problem, okay, you hoser? But now, decades later, is the buzz worth remembering or is it all just a comedy hangover? Is the mind-control plot too smart for its own good? And, how did they get the mouse in

en

54:02

Ep 195: "My Girl" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/05/09

Macauley Culkin may've got $1 million and a majority of movie poster real estate, but the "Girl" in this early 90's dramedy is Anna Chlumsky. Chlumsky plays Vada Sultenfuss, a hypochondriacal lass who lives in a funeral parlor with her dad and grandmother. The film was an adorable smash, helped by a post-Home Alone "Mac." But now, decades later, is "cute" enough to cut it for our middle-aged podcast hosts? Do senile grandmothers and bee-stung kids blend well with mortuary humor? And why or why does

en

97:10

Ep 194: "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/05/02

"Chuckles Bites the Dust" and "The Lars Affair" are often at the top of all-time best lists of TV comedy episodes. And both come from that 70s groundbreaker, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. During its 7-year run, the sitcom would win dozens of Emmys and create spinoffs for three of its beloved characters: Lou Grant, Phyllis Lindstrom, and Rhoda Morgenstern. But now, decades later, is the humor as drab as Murray Slaughter's sweaters or as delicious as a souffle made by Sue Ann Nivens? The Old Roommates

en

55:46

Ep 193: "Fear" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/04/25

Decapitating dogs. Changing clocks. Spanking Alyssa Milano's butt. Just how evil could Mark Wahlberg get in the 1996 thriller, Fear? The James Foley film received mixed reviews and only a so-so box office tally way back when. But now, decades later, was Fear as misunderstood as its muscular main character? Was Reese Witherspoon's Nicole ahead of her time? And is "ferris-wheel fingering" a sign of true love? The Old Roommates blow the dog whistle on the shenanigans, and, of course, rewatch it all

en

42:07

Ep 192: "Superman" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/04/18

Christopher Reeve beat out James Brolin, Perry King and oodles of other actors for dual role of Clark Kent and Superman. And yet, he still gets third billing after Brando and Hackman. Casting aside casting, Richard Donner’s 1978 “Superman: The Movie” was a record-breaking blockbuster. It also needed to be. At the time, it was the most expensive film ever made. But now, decades later, when every other movie is a superhero extravaganza, how does this comic book caper hold up? And, how will the Man of

en

31:45

Ep 191: "Airplane!" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/04/11

Surely, you've seen the 1980 disaster-movie parody, Airplane! But, have you seen it recently? (And don't call us "Shirley.") Written and directed by David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams, the movie was a major hit thanks to all kinds of comedy: surreal and slapstick, sight gags and puns, and more than its share of scatalogical humor. But now, decades later, is any of this a laughing matter? A pedo-pervy pilot? A young girl in need of a transplant? Subtitled jive-talking passengers? They're just a

en

52:50

Ep 190: "Romeo + Juliet" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/04/04

Baz Luhrmann schooled us all back in 1996 with his take on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The romantic crime drama fused a contemporary beach setting, a pop soundtrack, and ... Shakespearean English. The gamble paid off. The Leonardo DiCaprio / Clare Danes love story was a worldwide success. But now, decades later, does watching the proceedings feel more like doing a book report? How old is Juliet exactly? And, what is Mercutio's problem? The Old Roommates dust off their cinematic Cliff's

en

36:15

Ep 189: "Janet Jackson Videos" Revisited

Old Roommates ·

2023/03/28

Rhythm Nation and The Pleasure Principle were 80's music videos that caught our attention with iconic dance moves, female independence, and the power of Janet (Miss Jackson, if you're nasty). The videos would go on to win oodles of awards and inspire the likes of J Lo, Britney Spears and Mya. But now, decades later, are the vids still able to put a spring in our middle-aged step? Are the songs more memorable than the videos? And why, oh why, isn't Janet smiling? The Old Roommates dust off their

en

308 results

Similar Podcasts

BEHIND THE VELVET ROPE

David Yontef

Nerd Culture - A Gamekings Podcast

Blammo Media

UPodcast

UPodcast

The Writers Hangout

Sandy Adomaitis

The Sarah Fraser Show

Sarah Fraser