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PODCAST

Movie Memory Machine

Grunt Work Podcasts

Movie Memory Machine is your guide to the forgotten films of the ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, and beyond.Every week, our rogue time machine drops us into a different year to revisit wide-release movies that history left behind—cult favorites, forgotten flops, and everything in between.Along the way, we uncover behind-the-scenes trivia, oddball production choices, and the cultural baggage these movies left behind.Then we decide: does this movie deserve to return to modern memory—or stay lost in time?

tv & film film history

All Episodes

130:54

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) | A Noir Mystery...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/03/06

The Machine strands Truman and Landen in 2018—an era of neon-soaked genre mashups, Big Swing studio projects, and the last gasp of mid-budget original thrillers—depositing them right at the doors of the El Royale. Before long, they’re knee-deep in false identities, shifting timelines, and enough stylish menace to make even the Machine a little uneasy.Bad Times at the El Royale is a pulpy neo-noir thriller starring Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges, The Big Lebowski), motel singer Darlene Sweet

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19:58

5-For: The Thirteenth Floor (1999) | Five Films That...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/03/02

The Machine isn’t done tampering with reality. After dropping Truman and Landen into The Thirteenth Floor (1999), it pulls five more films from across decades that poke at the same unnerving question: what if this world isn’t the base layer? From analog paranoia to blockbuster bullet time to art-house identity crises, this week’s 5-For explores cinema’s favorite existential glitch.The Machine has selected the following titles for further reality destabilization: World on a Wire (1973) – Rainer

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32:21

Mini-Transmission: The Thirteenth Floor (1999) |...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/02/27

Truman and Landen wrap up the lingering mysteries, theories, and stray code fragments left behind by The Thirteenth Floor (1999)—a movie that remains convinced your desktop computer is one bad day away from becoming God’s Etch A Sketch. And as always, they play The Trailer Game, trying to guess which moody shots of virtual L.A., green-screen cityscapes, and suspiciously calm Gretchen Mol the marketing team grabbed for the trailer before watching it for the first time. Next week, the Machine sends

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133:57

The Thirteenth Floor (1999) | The Sci-Fi Thriller...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/02/20

The Machine hurls Truman and Landen back to 1999—an already glitchy year in cinema—dropping them into a neon-soaked rabbit hole of corporate intrigue, VR head trips, and the uncanny feeling that somebody else is driving. It’s a sleek, paranoid slice of late-’90s sci-fi, and the guys are here to find out why this one slipped through the cracks.The Thirteenth Floor is a neo-noir science-fiction thriller starring Douglas Hall (Craig Bierko, Scary Movie 4), Jane Fuller (Gretchen Mol, Boardwalk Empire),

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16:50

5 For: The Dream Team (1989)

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/02/16

The Machine isn’t done roaming hospital corridors and city streets. After dropping Truman and Landen into The Dream Team (1989), it queues up five more films circling institutions, delusions, gentle outsiders, and what happens when “treatment” collides with humanity. The vibe? Compassion, satire, rebellion… and at least one starship.The Machine has selected the following five films for further study: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) – Rebellion inside the psychiatric system Titicut

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27:32

Mini-Transmission: The Dream Team (1989)

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/02/13

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135:34

The Dream Team (1989) | Michael Keaton Leads a...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/02/06

The Machine yanks Truman and Landen straight into 1989 New York, where the pigeons are plentiful, the crime rate is questionable, and four psychiatric patients are somehow having a better day than our hosts. With a comedy tone that wobbles between screwball, satire, and “oh no they let who loose in Manhattan?”, the guys dive into a movie that’s equal parts heartwarming and wildly irresponsible.The Dream Team is a chaotic, character-driven comedy starring Billy, a volatile former ad exec (Michael

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19:41

5-For: Tag (2018) | When Adult Friendships Become...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/02/02

The Machine isn’t done sprinting yet. For this 5-For transmission, Truman and Landen are handed five studio comedies that orbit Tag (2018)—movies where grown adults, respectable jobs be damned, are dragged into escalating games, schemes, and misadventures that test friendship, masculinity, and the limits of insurance coverage.The Machine’s Five Selected Films According to the Machine, these films share a common DNA: high-concept premises, ensemble casts, and the quiet fear that adulthood might

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41:04

Mini-Transmission: Tag (2018) | The Bromance Arms...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/01/30

Truman and Landen sweep up the leftover chaos from Tag (2018)—a movie that asked, “What if your friends never emotionally matured past recess, but in a kind of inspiring way?” They revisit dangling threads from the Main episode, dig into the real-life tag squad behind the film, and, as always, play The Trailer Game, trying to guess which slow-motion tackles and Jeremy Renner smirks the marketing department used before watching the trailer for the first time.Next week, the Machine sends them to

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131:38

Tag (2018) | The Wild, True Story of a Lifelong Game...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/01/23

The Machine hurls Truman and Landen back to 2018, where a perfectly normal adult world briefly stopped to witness a group of grown men sprinting, tackling, and emotionally spiraling through the most intense game of tag ever put to film. As the Machine reminds them, this bromantic stunt-comedy immortalized a real-life tradition—and maybe also proved that your thirties are just gym class with taxes.Synopsis Tag is a high-energy buddy comedy starring Hogan Malloy (Ed Helms, The Hangover), Bob

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17:09

5-For: War Horse (2011) | Cinema’s Most Heroic Horses...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/01/19

The Machine, perhaps inspired by War Horse (2011) and its belief that a single determined horse can survive anything short of a tank, has assembled five thematically linked films. Truman and Landen ride through a lineup that mixes equine legends, childhood-codex classics, and one devastating antiwar drama that reminds us what happens when there aren’t any noble steeds around to carry the emotional weight.The Machine’s Five Selected Films The Machine has selected a stable of titles that echo the

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33:00

Mini-Transmission: War Horse (2011) | Spielberg...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/01/16

Truman and Landen wrap up the loose ends from War Horse (2011) — a movie where Spielberg unleashes maximum sincerity, maximum sunsets, and a horse so noble it could probably negotiate peace treaties. They revisit the film’s stray thoughts, historical oddities, and emotional haymakers… and as always, they play The Trailer Game, trying to guess what images the marketing team deemed “horse-forward” enough to sell the film before watching the trailer for the first time.Next week, the Machine sends them

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142:52

War Horse (2011) | Spielberg’s Sweeping WWI Epic That...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/01/09

The Machine drops Truman and Landen squarely into 2011, a year when Spielberg decided the world desperately needed a World War I epic starring a horse with better instincts than most generals. Saddled with sentimentality and prestige energy, this film gives the hosts plenty to chew on as they gallop through its earnest battlefield odyssey.Synopsis War Horse is a sweeping historical drama starring Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again), Rose Narracott (Emily Watson, Breaking

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18:11

5-For: The Meteor Man (1993) | Five Films That...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/01/05

The Machine, still crackling with residual meteor energy, whisks Truman and Landen into a curated crash course on five films that reflect the DNA, ambitions, and cosmic oddities of The Meteor Man (1993). From DIY superheroes to VHS-era legends to comic-book icons perfected, this lineup shows every weird, heartfelt, and boundary-pushing direction the genre could have taken.The Machine’s Five Selected Films The Machine has chosen five thematically linked films that echo Meteor Man’s blend of

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35:37

Mini-Transmission: The Meteor Man (1993) | The...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2026/01/02

Truman and Landen wrap up stray thoughts, unanswered questions, and meteor-induced tangents from The Meteor Man (1993)—including the film’s galaxy of cameos, its hyper-earnest worldbuilding, and how it fits into the ’90s’ strange, pre-MCU superhero landscape. And as always, they play The Trailer Game, trying to guess which moments the marketing department thought were powerful enough to sell a community-focused superhero comedy to 1993 audiences before watching the trailer for the first time.Next

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150:01

The Meteor Man (1993) | The First Black Superhero...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2025/12/26

The Machine rockets Truman and Landen straight into 1993, drops a glowing meteor at their feet, and tells them to figure out how one of the decade’s most ambitious superhero comedies vanished from cultural memory. Along the way, they wade through neon-lit street gangs, sky-high optimism, and the strangely earnest worldbuilding of a film that tried to save the world with community organizing and superpowers.The Meteor Man is a family-friendly superhero comedy starring Jefferson Reed (Robert

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19:56

5-For: Marci X (2003) | Five Films That Explored...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2025/12/22

The Machine, clearly still amused by the cultural fallout of Marci X (2003), has curated five movies that embody the strange intersections of satire, identity, and early-2000s “what were they thinking?” energy. Truman and Landen dive into comedies that pushed boundaries, tripped over them, or sprinted through them in platform shoes.The Machine’s Five Selected Films The Machine has chosen five films that echo the wild tonal swings and culture-clash ambitions of Marci X: Pootie Tang (2001) – a

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32:38

Mini-Transmission: Marci X (2003) | When Friends...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2025/12/19

In this week’s mini-episode, we dive into the cringefest "Marci X." Through a lively discussion, we dissect its cultural commentary, character dynamics, and the cringe-worthy humor that permeates its narrative. Join us as we explore the layers of this film and its unexpected connections to modern pop culture.One of the podcast’s standout moments is the discussion about how "Marci X" caricatures hip-hop culture while simultaneously attempting to empower its characters. The film features a scene

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131:13

Marci X (2003) | Lisa Kudrow & Damon Wayans Teach Cringe

Movie Memory Machine ·

2025/12/12

In the latest episode of Movie Memory Machine, hosts Landen Celano and Truman Capps explore the quirky and often cringe-worthy early 2000s film "Marci X." This forgotten gem, featuring a clash of cultures and a peculiar romance, offers a nostalgic look back at a time when the film industry was experimenting with edgy humor and social commentary. Join us as we unpack the film's premise, cast, and the hosts' hilarious commentary that makes this episode a must-listen.Landen and Truman introduce the

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17:07

5 For: Surviving Christmas (2004) | Money,...

Movie Memory Machine ·

2025/12/08

The Machine, still shaking off the glitter and contractual awkwardness of Surviving Christmas, has decided Truman and Landen need a deeper look at the cinematic lineage surrounding holiday chaos, consumerism fantasies, and dysfunctional families. This week it spits out five thematically tangled films—some cozy, some chaotic, all spiritually connected to Affleck’s attempt to purchase a perfect Christmas.These five films have been chosen by the Machine for their shared DNA of holiday mayhem,

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146 results

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