Hollywood Video Guys

This Podcast Goes to 11!!!! The Best of Christopher Guest.

On this episode the Hollywood Video Guys podcast Mike, Don and Randy dive deep into the mockumentary films of Christopher Guest. Guest is famous for his fake documentaries in which real actors portray people in seemingly mundane situations. These movies frequently cast the same amazing set of actors who are experts at improvisation. The first film on the list is the one that started it all 1984’s This is Spinal Tap (12:35). Written by Guest and directed by Rob Reiner. Reiner plays Martin "Marty" Di Bergi, a documentary filmmaker who follows the heavy metal band Spinal Tap whose members include Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), and David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) on their American tour. Our second film of the episode is the charming and hilarious Best in Show (42:10). This 2000 comedy follows the exploits of five sets of dog owners who have all entered into the prestigious Mayflower Dog Show. The film is notable for the additions of Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara, as well as a scene stealing performance by Fred Willard. The last movie in this mockumentary showcase is the 2003 film A Mighty Wind. Starring the same cast as Best in Show, this film depicts a folk music reunion concert in which three folk bands reunite for a television performance for the first time in decades. With genuine heart and some legitimately great music this film may be the most wholesome of the three. 
 
What is your favorite Christopher Guest Film? Leave a comment and let us know. Also if you have suggestions for new episodes or thoughts on previous episodes reach out to us at hvgpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on Instagram and Threads @hvgpodcast. 

Arnold Pt.2: The Terminator Franchise

In part two of our two part Schwarzenegger series your HVG hosts take a deep dive into the Terminator Franchise. Your hosts begin with the film that started it all: 1984's The Terminator (14:18). Starring Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Terminator tells the tale of Kyle Reece (Biehn) a soldier from the future sent into the past to protect Sarah Connor (Hamilton) from a Cyborg assassin (Schwarzenegger) tasked with killing her to prevent Sarah from giving birth to the savior of humanity. Next the Hollywood Video Crew deep dives into what many consider the greatest science fiction movie ever made 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day (27:45). Schwarzenegger and Hamilton both reprise their roles from the first film while adding Robert Patrick and young actor Edward Furlong. Judgment Day introduces Sarah Connor’s 10 year old son John (Furlong). The terminator is once again sent back in time but now it is tasked with protecting John from a more advanced and even more deadly assassin, the T-1000 (Patrick). Finally, your hosts would be remiss if they didn't touch on the many sequels, reboots and sequelboots of the Terminator franchise(1:15:00). 
 
What do you think of Terminator and T2? Where do you place it on the list of great SciFi movies? Drop us a line at hvgpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on instagram and Threads @ hvgpodcast. Be on the look out next week for part 2 The Terminator Franchise. 

The best of Arnold Pt.1

In part one of a two part series your HVG hosts take a special look at the action mega star Arnold Schwarzenegger. From Conan The Barbarian to his Netflix show Fubar no one actor has optimized the action genre quite like Arnold. Though each host agrees that the Terminator franchise is Arnold's best work, for this episode the Hollywood Video Guys each pick their favorite Arnold movie that is not Terminator. Don starts things off with the 1987 Sci-Fi Action thriller Predator (14:15). In the Movie Arnold stars as special forces commando Dutch who along with 80’s action icons such as Carl Weathers and Jesse Ventura travel deep into a remote jungle on a secret rescue mission. While the mission seems successful at first the commandos soon find they are being hunted by a creature from beyond this world. Next, Mike changes gears with the 1988 comedy classic Twins (34:30). Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito this movie tells the tale of twin brothers Vincent played by Devito and Julius played by Schwarzenegger. The unlikely pairing of these two actors as twin brothers is wholesome and hilarious. Last, Randy brings it home with the 1994 film True Lies (50:18). The film stars  Schwarzenegger as Harry Tasker, a U.S. government agent who struggles to balance his double life as a spy with his familial duties.
 
What's your favorite Arnold movie? Drop us a line at hvgpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow us on instagram and Threads @ hvgpodcast. Be on the look out next week for part 2 The Terminator Franchise. 

The Best Movies of 2023

As the Hollywood Video Guys head into the new year we wanted to take a look back at some of our favorite movies of 2023. In this episode your hosts break down not only their favorite movies of 2023 but also older movies they had discovered in the year. Some of the movies discussed in this episode include, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse, Strange Days, Killers of The Flower Moon and of course the phenomenon that was Barbenheimer. 
What was your favorite movie of 2023? Leave us a comment on Instagram and Threads @hvgpodcast or at our email hvgpod@gmail.com. 

The best of Hitchcock

On the newest episode of the Hollywood Video Guys podcast your hosts Don, Randy and Mike say good evening to three classic Alfred Hitchcock films. Listen as the HVG crew reminisces about their first exposure to the films of Hitchcock before diving into three of the famed director's most iconic movies.    First on the list is the 1958 psychological thriller Vertigo (19:30). Starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novack, this film tells the tale of A former San Francisco police detective who juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail. The next Hitchcock film is 1959’s North by Northwest (27:50). In the film Carry Grant is A New York City advertising executive who goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt. Finally, no Alfred Hitchock episode would be complete without what many consider to be his greatest film 1960’s Psycho (42:00). Starring Janet Leigh as A Phoenix secretary who embezzled $40,000 from her employer's client. While on the run she checks into a remote motel run by a young man (played magnificently by Antony Perkins) under the domination of his mother. Listen as the Hollywood Video Guys relive their first times watching Psycho, the heart stopping scenes in the film, as well as a history making performance by Anthony Perkins.    Follow the Hollywood Video Guys podcast on instagram @hvgpodcast and tell us what your favorite HVG film is. You can also drop us an email with movie review suggestions at hvgpodcast@gmail.com.  




Rootin Tootin Westerns

Yeehaw little doggies, in this episode of the Hollywood Video Guys podcast your hosts Mike, Don and Randy strap on their six shooters and dive into the genre of Westerns. Though Western films are few and far between these days there was a time when the genre reigned supreme. From Gene Autrey to John Wayne, from Gary Cooper to Clint Eastwood the Western genre ruled Hollywood for decades. 
 
The first movie on deck is the 1959 hit Rio Bravo (9:16). Starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson and Angie Dickinson. John Wayne, a small-town sheriff in the American West enlists the help of a disabled man, a drunk, and a young gunfighter in his efforts to hold in jail the brother of the local bad guy. Listen as the HVG crew break down the film focusing on the acting of Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson, as well as the somewhat controversial musical interlude before the climax of the film. 
 
The last movie your hosts reviewed is 1969’s The Wild Bunch (38:35). This film stars William Holden, Earnest Borgnine and Warren Oates as outlaws in the dying embers of the wild west. An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them. First, your hosts discuss the plot of the film before diving into the themes and ultra-violence prevalent throughout this Sam Peckinpah class.
 
Follow the Hollywood Video Guys podcast on instagram @hvgpodacst and tell us what your favorite Western film is. You can also drop us an email with movie review suggestions at hvgpodcast@gmail.com. 

The Best of Bond

It’s Video…..Hollywood Video. In this episode your hosts are once again joined by Deuce from Legion Gaming to discuss the ultimate movie spy James Bond. Spanning 60 years and 22 films the British secret agent has been the epitome of cinema cool. Fast cars, daring fight scenes, crazy gadgets, and beautiful femme fatales are the mainstays of a great 007 movie but which Bond movie is best? 
 
To settle this once and for all each host has brought what they consider the quintessential Bond movie. First on the list is 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me (18:49). This movie sees Bond (Roger Moore) going up against the megalomaniac Karl Stromberg as well as the deadly Russian spy Anya Asimova known as XXX. Next is the 1989 film License to Kill (40:47). In this film Bond (Timothy Dalton) goes rogue to avenge the death of his best friend's wife. 007 gives up his license to kill to infiltrate the drug empire of kingpin Franz Sanchez. The last two films are the book ends to the modern day Bond actor Daniel Craig. We begin with the 2006 film Casino Royale (1:02:36). In many ways a Bond origin story, this film finds our British secret agent putting all the cards on the table in a deadly poker game against the terrorist financier Le Chiffre. Our final film of the night is 2021’s No Time To Die (1:28:04). In this film we find an older more grizzled Bond giving up his life as a 00 until an old friend comes calling asking for Bond to join him on one last mission.
 
After your hosts go over each movie it's time to decide which movie is the Bond of all Bonds. Listen as the picks for best Bond don’t go exactly as planned. In the end only one 00 will get their martini shaken and not stirred. 
 
Follow the Hollywood Video Guys podcast on instagram @hvgpodacst and tell us what your favorite Bond film is. You can also drop us an email with movie review suggestions at hvgpodcast@gmail.com.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Guilty pleasures are the name of the game on this episode of the Hollywood Video Guys podcast. Your hosts are joined once again by Donny's brother Bob to discuss movies that may be overlooked or under appreciated. The first movie on the list is the 1989 Weird Al classic UHF (4:19). Next, the guys will turn their attention to the always hilarious Jack Black and Steve Zahn in the 2001 film Saving Silverman (20:22). Finally, the boys will discuss the Disney superhero film  from 2005 Sky High starring Kurt Russel and Michael Angarano (43:00). Listen as your Hollywood Video crew breaks down each film and explains why they top the list for guilty pleasures.
As always please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also follow us on instagram @HVGPodcast. Leave a comment with your favorite guilty pleasure. 

Top 10 Superhero Movies

With great rental power comes great responsibility! In this episode of the HVG podcast the guys are joined by Deuce from legion gaming to discuss their personal top 10 superhero movies. First, the guys will present their personal top 10s. Then, the HVG crew will critique each others picks. Finally, the boys will discuss the genre as a whole as well as some honorable mentions that just missed the cut. Whether you dance the Batusi or are one of Stan Lee's true believers you won't want to miss this episode! Excelsior!!! 

Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, and Hulk Hogan....Oh My!

On this episode of the Hollywood Video Guys podcast the guys are joined by Donny's brother Bob. Bob has brought to the counter three action movies Double Impact, Showdown in Little Tokyo, and Suburban Commando. Listen as the HVG crew breaks down each film going through the highlights and lowlights of these 1991 action gems. Ultimately, the guys can pick only one movie to reign supreme.