We Love Dad Movies

Episode 81 - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 23:30:48 GMT

So this is Christmas...

We Love Dad Movies signs off 2024 with a BANG... a Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Ewan is joined by the tremendous Preston Mitchell yet again to talk Shane Black's 2005 masterpiece, action movie Xmas discourse in general, and what so many newer holiday films miss about the festive period...

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Episode 80 - Enemy of the State

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 17:00:11 GMT

December is here! While we're not quite yet in the full festive swing of things at We Love Dad Movies, that's just a great excuse to spotlight another Big Coat movie - and one that has a Christmassy setting at that! This week, Ewan is joined by wonderful podcasting extraordinaires Matt Bledsoe and James Coddington to discuss Tony Scott's prophetic 1998 banger Enemy of the State - a film as bristling with Big Coats and cold weather as it is with surveillance anxieties and millennium dread. Where does it sit within Scott's filmography, and in the canon of Will Smith's nineties peak? For answers to those questions and more, come along and spend a cosy hour with the WLDM podcast!

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Episode 79 - The Firm

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 14:00:46 GMT

It's been All Quiet on the Western Front here at We Love Dad Movies as we adjust to those dark, stormy nights, but we've managed to sneak in a couple of episodes on a theme we've teased in the past before we step into Christmas - The BIG COAT Movie!

Devoted to those cosy nineties offerings where the cast is draped top to bottom in coats that make you go "Oooo, that looks well nice!", we'll be looking at legal thrillers, espionage thrillers, and... well it's just two films, but they're great I promise!

First up: Ewan and Dan cover a gem of a film we wanted to discuss for its 30th anniversary last year but didn't get the chance to - Sydney Pollack's stylish and suspenseful adaptation of John Grisham's novel, The Firm. Starring Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman, Pollack pulls all of those paranoid seventies-era impulses together for a gripping post-mortem on the excess and greed of the Reagan years. Cruise and Hackman are also joined by Ed Harris, Wilford Brimley, Holly Hunter, Gary Busey, Tobin Bell AND David Straithairn, and yes, that does mean it has the best cast ever.

Full spoilers ahead for this one folks, so if you haven't seen The Firm yet, PLEASE DO. It's our platonic ideal of a nineties thriller, and a highlight from Cruise's filmography that doesn't get spoken about nearly as much as it should.

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Episode 78 - Tyneside Cinema Halloween All-Nighter 2024 Special

Sat, 02 Nov 2024 09:00:58 GMT

Just when you thought Spooky Season had left the building! Ewan and Zan re-team to bring an end to the Halloween festivities, discussing their time at this year's Halloween All-Nighter at the Tyneside Cinema! Covering Ghostwatch, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Scream 2, and The Exorcist III's Legion Cut, this isn't one you want to miss...

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Episode 77 - Poltergeist

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 22:48:56 GMT

Happy Halloween everybody! We're capping off spooky season with a We Love Dad Movies first - a double-bill, starting with a look back at Tobe Hooper's brilliant Steven Spielberg-produced Poltergeist with Carmelita Valdez McKoy! Grab a bowl of your favourite Halloween treats, sit back, and come along as we dive into the ins and outs of Hooper's eighties classic.

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Episode 76 - Van Helsing

Sun, 20 Oct 2024 18:00:59 GMT

The spooky vibes continue at We Love Dad Movies this week, as Ewan is joined by not one guest, but TWO to discuss Stephen Sommers' 2004 horror-action bomb, VAN HELSING. Along for this particular Transylvanian coach ride is fellow WhatCulture colleague, Josh Brown, as well as the Horror Legend that is Ash Millman! Come along as we explain why this was a film that demanded such a podcasting team-up, its formative influence in developing our own spooky vibes, and why the Brides of Dracula are totally innocent/the coolest characters of all time. (If you don't, well... "too bad... so sad!")

Catch the WhatCulture Gaming podcast here!

...and Ash's further misadventures on Twitch here!

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Episode 75 - Pale Rider

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 11:00:25 GMT

WE'RE BACK.

It's been a long time coming folks, but We Love Dad Movies is back in the saddle and ready to come out guns a blazing with a new spooky-themed episode all about Pale Rider! Stalwart guest Dan Grima returns for a lovely catch-up about what he's been up to (including an update on his Westerns journey) and to share his thoughts on this supernatural, slow-burn effort from Clint Eastwood...

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Episode 74 - Looney Tunes: Back In Action

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 12:00:53 GMT

I know what you're thinking... Looney Tunes: Back in Action? On We Love Dad Movies?? When it's not even a dad movie??? Well YEAH but also do you not want to listen to us talk about the Looney Tunes for about 50 minutes? Exactly! Ewan and Zan are back once again to delve into a big Canon Event film from their childhoods, and why it's still baffling that Joe Dante's superior Space Jam follow-up isn't as frequently discussed as it should be...

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Episode 73 - The Lost Boys

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 19:45:33 GMT

It's time... to party all night! We Love Dad Movies is heading back to the California coast this week to soak up the rays, read a few comics, and (maybe) kill a vampire or two with a chat all about Joel Schumacher's seminal blood sucker flick, The Lost Boys! Join Ewan and Zan as they take the beach and bask in those glorious Tim Capello vibes, heed the warnings of the Frog Brothers and discuss what makes Kiefer Sutherland's Michael an all-timer bad-boy vamp...

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Episode 72 - Dirty Harry

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 13:00:59 GMT

Summer Vibes returns! We Love Dad Movies is back to kick off the summer with the series that celebrates the best of summery dad cinema - whether that be big nineties blockbusters like Men in Black, or films that fit that hot, sunshine feel, like Die Hard with a Vengeance. The first installment of the 2024 edition of this season sees Carmelita Valdez McKoy return to the podcast to discuss Don Siegel's iconic Clint Eastwood-led masterpiece, DIRTY HARRY. Join her and Ewan as they delve into the fascinating history of Siegel's picture, the Dirty Harry series more broadly, and why the original may not be as easily definable as consensus would say...

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Episode 71 - For A Few Dollars More

Wed, 29 May 2024 19:00:31 GMT

Dudes Rock season concludes! This week, We Love Dad Movies picks up its guns to discuss For a Few Dollars More, the second of Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy and Ewan's personal favourite Western of all time. But he won't be alone! Just as Clint Eastwood's Manco teams up with Lee Van Cleef's Colonel Mortimer, the wonderful Andy Gorham of the Imperial Scum podcast joins Ewan to talk all about Leone's classic, share in the joys of a heroic Van Cleef, and bask in what could be the greatest duel in the genre's history. When the chimes end, pick up your headphones!

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Episode 70 - Big Trouble in Little China

Thu, 16 May 2024 10:30:25 GMT

After years of waiting, it's finally here! This week's We Love Dad Movies takes the Porkchop Express straight into Ewan's FAVOURITE movie of all time - John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China! Join Ewan and Zan as they discuss what happened at Ewan's B-day shindig (a screening of the film at the Tyneside Cinema organised wonderfully by the latter), including some VERY exciting news; their shared love for Carpenter; the magic of Al Leong; and how even while beloved by many, Big Trouble still feels underappreciated in Carpenter's filmography. Yes sir, the check is in the mail!

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Episode 69 - Rio Bravo

Wed, 08 May 2024 11:00:57 GMT

"The sun is sinking in the west

The cattle go down to the stream

The redwing settles in the nest

It's time for a cowboy to dream..."

We Love Dad Movies returns this week with another installment of Dudes Rock season, with perhaps the dudes rockiest film of all time, Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo! Join Ewan and returning guest Preston Mitchell as they discuss what makes this particular Hawks masterpiece so euphoric, their own respective relationships with the filmmaker's work, and why Dean Martin gives one of the greatest performances of all time as Dude...

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Episode 68 - Midnight Run

Sun, 28 Apr 2024 11:00:03 GMT

Dudes Rock season continues! This week, Ewan is joined by Dom O'Brien - freelance writer and author of Budget Biomorphs: The Making of The Guyver Films - to discuss one of the greatest road movies ever made: 1987's Midnight Run, a Martin Brest-directed action-comedy co-led by Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin. Come along as Ewan and Dom discuss the personal significance Midnight Run has to each of them as film fans, why its uplifting powers are almost peerless, and how its Oingo Boingo-infused soundtrack binds it all together in the perfect way.

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Episode 67 - Lethal Weapon 2

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 11:00:50 GMT

Time to bust out the saxophones yet again folks, because We Love Dad Movies is heading back to the Lethal Weapon franchise. In the first episode of our specially dedicated "Dudes Rock" season, host Ewan is once again joined by Dan Grima of the Blind Spots Podcast discuss the majesty that is Lethal Weapon 2 - a sequel that cemented the series' formula of action and humour and expanded the duo of Riggs and Murtaugh into a titanic trio, with Joe Pesci joining as comic relief Leo Getz. Featuring plenty of great action, a banger George Harrison track and yet even more immaculate buddy cop vibes, Richard Donner's movie has to be one of the greatest sequels ever made. But does it top the first? Ewan and Dan discuss all of that and more, as the pod gears up for what's shaping up to be a busy April...

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Episode 66 - The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 11:00:17 GMT

We Love Dad Movies is selling its soul this week... for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre! Joining us to discuss this inimitable Golden Age Hollywood classic is Carmelita Valdez McKoy, who yes, is like the coolest person ever. Come along as she and Ewan mine deep into John Huston's peerless Western-noir fusion, discuss why it might be Bogey's best role, and how watching Looney Tunes preps you for a life of loving classic movies...

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Episode 65 - Ghostbusters

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 13:00:18 GMT

With a new Ghostbusters movie being unleashed upon the world in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, now seemed like as good a time as any for We Love Dad Movies to get suited and booted, slide down that firepole and cross the streams. It's time we take a look back at the 1984 classic that is the OG Ghostbusters! Following a great chat with Michael Hamflett on Ghostbusters II last year, there was only one person that we could have on to discuss the film that started it all - WhatCulture Gaming's Psy White! Join Psy and Ewan as they delve into the origins of their Ghostbusters fandom, what makes the original film so special, and why - actually - it's okay to get emotional about bustin' ghosts.

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Episode 64 - Deep Cover

Sun, 17 Mar 2024 17:00:48 GMT

We Love Dad Movies is bringing the neo-noir vibes HEAVILY this week, as Preston Mitchell joins Ewan to discuss Bill Duke's cult masterpiece, DEEP COVER. Starring Laurence Fishburne and Jeff Goldblum, Duke's sleek and stylish 1992 effort grappled fiercely with the War on Drugs, following Fishburne's undercover cop as he delves deeper and deeper into the criminal underworld, and the lines between justice become increasingly blurred...

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Episode 63 - Backdraft

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 12:30:48 GMT

We Love Dad Movies returns this week with a beloved nineties staple from the always lovely Ron Howard - BACKDRAFT, picked out by podcasting extraordinaire Jackson Boren, who joins us as a guest for this episode. Come along as Jackson and Ewan discuss the pleasures of a movie stacked with wall-to-wall GUYS (Scott Glenn and J. T. Walsh just two highlights), the genius of Donald Sutherland's "Flammable Lecter", and the simple pleasures of a Bruce Hornsby montage...

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Episode 62 - Jack Reacher

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 13:00:17 GMT

New week, new Dad Movie. We're flashing back not as far as we usually do for this week's episode, as months of Dan Grima "Jack Reacher Is Good" propaganda has finally paid off. Join Ewan and Dan as they discuss the first big adaptation of Lee Child's novels, its unique place as a pre-cursor to the formidable McQuarrie-Cruise partnership on Mission: Impossible, and how it brings some immaculate '70s vibes to a modern landscape.

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Episode 61 - The Living Daylights + Licence to Kill

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 12:00:52 GMT

Belated Bond episode inbound!

After a brief 007 infatuation last year which led to a rewatch of the Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig movies, Ewan teamed up with fellow WhatCulture office super-spy Joe Johnston for a We Love Dad movies episode all about two entries in particular: The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill. Join Ewan and Joe as they discuss what made Dalton's Bond the best of the bunch, how The Living Daylights falls just shy of being the series' finest hour, and why Gladys Knight's Bond Theme is a straight-up banger.

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Episode 60 - Heat

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 12:00:13 GMT

Aaaaannd we're BACK! After a mad January off, We Love Dad Movies has returned - and boy do we have some corkers in store. To show you that we mean business, our debut ep of 2024 is devoted to one of the greatest movies of all time - Michael Mann's HEAT. Join Ewan and Zan as they discuss the magic of seeing Mann's masterwork on the big screen, how the ending left them in bits, and why the action really IS the juice.

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Episode 59 - Jingle All the Way (+End of Year Review!)

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 12:30:23 GMT

Merry Christmas from We Love Dad Movies, amigos! We're finally over the COVID-enforced absence now, although it does mean we only managed to get one festive-themed episode out instead of the planned two (sorry Christmas Vacation - I will get to you next year!). Still, we do have a nice Christmas Cracker for you this week, with Dan Grima joining us to talk Jingle All the Way and look back on our year of movies in 2023. Hope you enjoy listening to this one - the podcast will be taking a short break in January to bank a few recording sessions, but we'll be back with a fresh new season in February! Thank you to all our listeners, guests, and supporters who have made the pod what it is this year - see you next year!

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Episode 58 - Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Sun, 17 Dec 2023 17:00:06 GMT

After two weeks of illness, We Love Dad Movies is BACK with another treat of an episode to kick off our December, as Ewan is joined by Lindsay Wilkins of The Schlock and Awe Podcast to discuss Peter Weir's magnificent Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World! Join us as we dive into the sights, sounds and smells of another enduring Weir Dad Movie classic, and the ridiculous weevil that it never got a sequel.

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Episode 57 - The Professionals

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 12:00:32 GMT

While your go-to "men on a mission" Western might be John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven, we here at We Love Dad Movies are here to say something that may gum up the works ever so slightly: The Professionals eats The Magnificent Seven for breakfast. Directed by Richard Brooks and featuring a legendary lineup in Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan and Woody Strode, The Professionals is an Oscar-nominated yet sorely underappreciated Western set during the Mexican Revolution. Released in 1966, Brooks' film interrogates the concept of revolution in the Vietnam era, making for one of the best genre efforts of the 1960s, albeit one overshadowed by the aforementioned Magnificent Seven, as well as Sam Peckinpah's landmark effort, The Wild Bunch, which released three years later.

While not as formidable as Marvin and co., this week's We Love Dad Movies episode has assembled a killer roster of its own, with Ewan being joined by regular co-host Dan Grima and a returning guest in Mike Scott of the Action For Everyone podcast. Saddle up with us as Ewan introduces The Professionals to Mike and Dan, and why the film deserves loftier accolades.

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Episode 56 - Ronin

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 16:00:32 GMT

We Love Dad Movies returns to the nineties this week with a look back at a late-career Jon Frankenheimer banger, RONIN. A ferociously tense, well-placed thriller from the man who directed The Manchurian Candidate and The Train, Ronin is essential nineties dad cinema, focusing on a group of former Cold Warriors led by Robert De Niro and Jean Reno now forced to operate as mercenaries - modern-day masterless samurai - in a world with no Cold War... or so we think. Joining Ewan to discuss this twisty-turny and unheralded nineties classic is professional podcast ronin (and Tony Scott appreciator) James Coddington, who was an absolute pleasure to talk to. Enjoy!

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Episode 55 - Tyneside Cinema Halloween All-Nighter!

Sat, 04 Nov 2023 12:00:00 GMT

A special bonus We Love Dad Movies episode this week, as Ewan and Zan discuss the wonderful time they had at the Tyneside Cinema's Halloween All-Nighter! Committing fully to the mystery "Sequels Do It Better" screening starting at 10 PM, we got three brilliant first-time watches in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, Psycho II, and A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors, plus a fun screening-capper with Halloween 3: Season of the Witch. Happy (belated) Halloween everyone!

Support the Tyneside Cinema here: https://tynesidecinema.co.uk/about-us/support-us/

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Episode 54 - The Last of the Mohicans

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 20:00:40 GMT

We Love Dad Movies welcomes Craig Morris of the DIABOLICAL: Evil Schemes Done Better podcast this week to discuss Michael Mann's sweeping historical drama, The Last of the Mohicans! Join Ewan and Craig as they go into the ins and outs of Mann's 1992 movie, how it fits within his noir-focused filmography, and why despite its critical success it still feels slightly under-appreciated.

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Episode 53 - Paint Your Wagon

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 16:56:04 GMT

1969's Paint Your Wagon has a reputation as being an all-timer of a flop, and has also faced some Simpsons-induced mockery for "being the film where Clint Eastwood sings". However, We Love Dad Movies is here today to say, "Paint Your Wagon is great, actually!" Directed by Joshua Logan and starring Eastwood opposite a peak-of-his-powers Lee Marvin, Paint Your Wagon is a gloriously funny and strangely affecting send-off to the Wild West set during the California Gold Rush, telling the story of two business partners who strike it lucky, found a town of their own, and eventually enter into a polyamorous relationship with Jean Seberg. As Ewan and Zan discovered last week, it's a wonderful time - a fun romp, but one that finds deeper meaning through an examination of America's foundations as the 1960s drew to a close. So, make sure to grab your pick-axe, saddle up, hand down your can o' beans, as WLDM takes on its first musical, and discusses why Paint Your Wagon is better than you think.

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Episode 52 - Assault on Precinct 13

Sat, 07 Oct 2023 11:00:00 GMT

How has it taken this long? We Love Dad Movies finally dives into the dark and wonderful world of John Carpenter this week for 1976's Assault on Precinct 13. Join Ewan and Dan as they discuss what makes Carpenter's sophomore effort so excellent, those brilliant Howard Hawks influences, and why Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston and Laurie Zimmer form one of the coolest movie trios of all time.

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Episode 51 - Three Amigos

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 13:55:16 GMT

We Love Dad Movies heard someone was talking smack about our boy Martin Short, so naturally we thought the best way to weigh in would be with a look back at Three Amigos - the 1986 John Landis-directed comedy-Western which starred Short alongside comedy legends Steve Martin and Chevy Chase. Although poorly received at the time of its release, Three Amigos has developed a cult following and is largely well-remembered, with its Magnificent Seven-inspired plot lampooning genre tropes and the silent movie era.

Ewan and Zan join forces yet again for a new We Love Dad Movies episode to discuss this fun but flawed film, their love for Short, Martin, and Chase, and where Three Amigos sits within the canon of SNL-comedian films released in the 1970s and '80s.

One for each other and all for one!

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Episode 50 - The Untouchables

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 16:00:26 GMT

Woohoo! We made it to 50 episodes, folks! Thank you so much for listening and enjoying our ramblings on We Love Dad Movies. We didn't have anything majorly special planned (Ewan totally didn't clock this was the 50th ep to begin with), HOWEVER - the movie that is the focus of this week's episode couldn't be more fitting to mark that occasion: Brian De Palma's 1987 classic, The Untouchables.

A foundational and much-cherished movie for Ewan, De Palma's film is filled with lots of pulp goodness and features an all-star cast headlined by Kevin Costner and Sean Connery, who play a Treasury Agent and Chicago cop respectively desperate to take down Al Capone (Robert De Niro) at the height of prohibition. Artfully shot and topped off with one of Maestro Ennio Morricone's most affecting scores, The Untouchables is a true all-timer in the Dad Movie canon.

Scott Wiley of Action Addicts returns to the podcast this week, after previously coming on to talk U.S. Marshals. Join him and Ewan as they dive into the tonal combination that makes The Untouchables so endearing, their favourite scenes and quotes, and - of course - as they share lots of impeccable Connery impressions.

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Episode 49 - U.S. Marshals

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 15:30:20 GMT

The Summer Vibes are getting Hot and Humid this week on We Love Dad Movies, as we head deep into the southern swamps for one of the most unlikely but under-appreciated sequels ever, 1998's U.S. MARSHALS!

Following on from Andrew Davis' seminal Dadcore Thriller, The Fugitive, Marshals focuses entirely on Tommy Lee Jones' Samuel Gerard and his team as they find themselves hot on the heels of another fugitive - Wesley Snipes' Mark Sheridan. Joining them for the hunt is DSS Special Agent John Royce, played by a young Robert Downey Jr., but all is not as it seems...

Joining Ewan to go into U.S. MARSHALS is Scott Wiley of the Action Addicts podcast! Scott suggested this one pretty instantly after being invited on, and he has lots of cool things to say about it, and why it may be much better than its reputation lets on...

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Episode 48 - To Live and Die in L.A.

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 14:00:22 GMT

William Friedkin sadly passed away this month. A legendary filmmaker and a favourite of Ewan's, this week's We Love Dad Movies is dedicated to celebrating the Chicago-born director and one of his many masterpieces - 1985's To Live and Die in L.A. A spiritual, fluorescent successor to 1971's The French Connection, To Live and Die in L.A. features sensational performances from Willem Dafoe and William Petersen - one a counterfeiter, the other a Secret Service agent in his pursuit, both with a death wish. Dan Grima joins the podcast yet again for his first watch of the film, as we dive into what makes it and Friedkin so special.

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Episode 47 - The Rock

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 11:00:07 GMT

And we're back! After a brief hiatus for some wedding-related antics, Ewan is joined on the pod for the first time by Matt Bledsoe of the Film Feast podcast to talk about yet another Summer Vibes classic: Michael Bay's The Rock. Join us as we indulge in the goodness of some peak '90s Bruckheimer, and discuss why Sean Connery's pairing with Nicolas Cage is a highlight of Dad Cinema.

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Episode 46 - The Blues Brothers

Sat, 22 Jul 2023 10:00:16 GMT

Summer Vibes continues! This week on We Love Dad Movies, Ewan and Zan are shaking a tail feather into one of the greatest feel-good comedies of all time - The Blues Brothers! Join them as they discuss the charming enthusiasm of Dan Aykroyd, the ridiculous talent of the late John Belushi, and how this 1980 classic is the ultimate marriage of musical and comedy.

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Episode 45 - Die Hard with a Vengeance

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 10:00:41 GMT

Summer Vibes continues this week with a look back at my favourite Die Hard movie - Die Hard with a Vengeance! 1995 saw John McTiernan return to the series that changed the action genre forever, delivering a tense, action-packed buddy cop flick that divested from the original film's formula. Everyone thinks of Die Hard as a Christmas thing, but Vengeance shows that it also owns the summer.

Joining me to discuss the film this week is a friend from work, Adam Straughan! On top of doing work on WhatCulture's main channel, Adam also hosts two of his own podcasts: Last Week On (which focuses on TV) and the interview-style IntoYou. Die Hard with a Vengeance is also Adam's fave in the series, so needless to say we had a blast going through it. Yippee-ki-yay!

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Episode 44 - Men in Black

Sat, 08 Jul 2023 10:00:45 GMT

Welcome to Summer Vibes! For the next few months, We Love Dad Movies is going full Big Willie Style, taking a look at the movies that epitomise summertime - whether that be the big blockbusters that released in warmer months or those films that ensure the heat is on.

Kicking off the season today is our look back at 1997's Men in Black - a true summer banger featuring the king of summertime himself, Will Smith. Join Ewan and Zan as they go into what makes the movie so great - from Tommy Lee Jones' comedic chops to Vincent D'Onofrio's game-changing performance - and why it's arguably the definitive '90s blockbuster.

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Episode 43 - Indiana Jones and the Podcast of Fun

Sat, 01 Jul 2023 10:00:36 GMT

Indiana Jones is back on the big screen this week, so now seemed like as good a time as any to dive into the series and why it's so special! Join Ewan and Dan as they rank the original four Indiana Jones movies in preparation for Dial of Destiny, discuss the highs and lows of the series, and why The Last Crusade is one of the greatest dad movies ever.

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Episode 42 - Air Force One

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 11:00:49 GMT

Very cool things occurrin' on We Love Dad Movies in this week's episode! Regular guest Dan Grima took the long journey up to Newcastle to hang out with Ewan and watch one of his favourite ever dad movies on the big screen at the Tyneside Cinema - 1997's Air Force One! Join us as we dive into the great time that is Air Force One, its endearing End of History-ness, and ask why anyone would want to get off that plane when it's so fun.

Donate to Tyneside Cinema here: https://tynesidecinema.co.uk/about-us/support-us/

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Episode 41 - Rocky IV

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 10:30:39 GMT

Hearts are on fire on We Love Dad Movies this week, as Ewan and Zan dive into the brilliant excess of possibly the ultimate eighties movie: Rocky IV. This episode sees us dive into the Rocky series' place in the dad movie canon, the highs and lows of Sly's fourth outing as the Italian Stallion, and what makes it such a great time (aka, the "Paulie's Robot" factor).

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Episode 40 - The Fugitive

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 11:00:34 GMT

A truly special 30th-anniversary celebration on We Love Dad Movies this week, as Ewan and Dan jump into the cinematic brilliance of Andrew Davis' The Fugitive. One of the greatest films of the nineties and a contender for the Dad Movie Mount Rushmore, The Fugitive features Harrison Ford at his vulnerable post-Indiana Jones best as Dr. Richard Kimble and also has a tour de force performance from Tommy Lee Jones as his pursuer, U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard. Immaculately shot by Michael Chapman and featuring one of the best ensembles of the decade, '90s thrillers really don't come any better than this.

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Episode 39 - Windtalkers

Mon, 29 May 2023 11:00:47 GMT

Our wee Woo season comes to a close this week with a look back at one of the director's most underrated efforts: WINDTALKERS. Reuniting Woo with Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater, Windtalkers tells the story of the Navajo codetalkers who were instrumental in the US' island hopping campaign against the Japanese during World War 2. Although a critical and box office disappointment, Windtalkers has been reappraised in recent years as one of Woo's best Hollywood productions. So, how does it hold up? Joining Ewan to answer that question is Reel Early podcast host and Woovember extraordinaire Larry Sternshein, who actually hadn't seen Windtalkers until coming on for the show. All in all, this was a great way to end Woo season. Thank you all for joining us for the last few episodes!

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Episode 38 - Face/Off

Sat, 20 May 2023 09:30:34 GMT

Woo season continues with the first three-man installment of We Love Dad Movies! Zan and Dan team up to school Ewan on why Face/Off is the bee's knees, discuss the genius of Nicolas Cage, and what makes Woo's third Hollywood outing so iconic.

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Episode 37 - Broken Arrow

Sat, 06 May 2023 11:00:16 GMT

Our look into John Woo's Hollywood movies continues this week with Broken Arrow, the Hong Kong director's second American effort and one of his more underrated ones at that. Featuring a John Travolta performance that deserves just as many flowers as his more notorious turn in 1997's Face/Off, an all-timer score from Hans Zimmer, and a Graham Yost script that complemented Woo's intimate depictions of male relationships, Broken Arrow is one of the great '90s action thrillers and one that surely deserves greater recognition. Ewan is once again joined by Dan in this episode to discuss the ups and downs of Woo's sophomore Hollywood venture, and whether it could have benefited from a few different approaches to take it to the next level.

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Episode 36 - Hard Target

Sat, 29 Apr 2023 10:00:45 GMT

Ewan turned 27 last week, and to celebrate he invited everyone to a private screening of one of his favourite movies at the Tyneside Cinema - John Woo's 1993 Hollywood debut, Hard Target. A glorious team-up between a peak Jean-Claude Van Damme and one of the greatest action filmmakers of all time, Hard Target is one of the very best films of 1993 and of the action genre more generally, and is near enough peerless Dad Cinema. Join Ewan and Zan as they discuss last weekend's festivities, the joy of seeing Hard Target on the big screen, and why film peaked with Wilford Brimley flinging arrows at Arnold Vosloo in the bayou.

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Episode 35 - L.A. Confidential

Sat, 22 Apr 2023 10:00:39 GMT

"Off the record, on the Q-T, and very hush-hush."

It's noir time again on We Love Dad Movies! With Ewan recently finishing the third of James Ellroy's L.A. Quartet books, now seemed like as good a time as any to dive into Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland's late nineties masterpiece - the 1997 adaptation of L.A. Confidential. Join Ewan and Zan as they discuss the chemical draw of noir fiction, why Ellroy's prose is so devastatingly effective, and what makes the movie such a great adaptation despite leaving reams of material on the cutting room floor.

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Episode 34 - Shanghai Noon/Shanghai Knights

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 11:00:07 GMT

We're back folks! After a cheeky week off we have returned with a double whammy of an episode, delving into two 2000s action-comedy classics that are near and dear to our hearts: Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights. Join Ewan and Dan as they discuss their own Jackie Chan origin stories, and why his team-ups with Owen Wilson are the highlight of his time in Hollywood.

Support the Tyneside Cinema here: https://tynesidecinema.co.uk/about-us/support-us/lovetynesidecinema/

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Episode 33 - Hard to Kill

Sat, 01 Apr 2023 11:00:04 GMT

It was going to happen sooner or later - this week's We Love Dad Movies episode sees Ewan and Dan discuss the podcast's first Steven Seagal movie: Hard to Kill! Join them as they dive into the endearingly pathetic appeal of the action genre's most insecure star, the joy of taking someone to the blood bank, and what might just be one of the coldest line reads of the nineties. Superior attitude. Superior state of mind.

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Episode 32 - Speed

Sat, 25 Mar 2023 14:00:40 GMT

With John Wick: Chapter 4 once again bringing Keanu Reeves to the big screen, now seemed like as good a time as any to dive into one of our most beloved actors' dad movie classics - Jan De Bont's 1994 action-thriller, Speed. Join Ewan and Zan as they navigate all the twists, turns, and improbable 50-foot jumps of one of Keanu's greatest movies, what makes his performance as Jack Traven so special, and the chaos of Dennis Hopper's portrayal of explosives sicko Howard Payne.

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Episode 31 - Tombstone

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 12:00:40 GMT

The 1993 festivities continue this week as we dive into Tombstone - one of the greatest Westerns of the nineties and one that retells the story of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the legendary Earp Vendetta Rides. There's so much to love about Tombstone as a movie, but it also has an incredibly interesting behind-the-scenes story. Joining me to discuss the film - its highs, its lows, and its tumultuous production - is artist and Western fan David Lambert. Justice is coming!

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Episode 30 - Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 16:00:50 GMT

Somehow, despite loving Arnie, fantasy, and pulp adventure, I had gone 27 years on this planet without having seen Conan the Barbarian. Thankfully, the nicest man on Action Twitter, Andy Gorham, was kind enough to choose the film to be discussed in the latest episode of We Love Dad Movies! Join us as we dive into the enduring appeal of John Milius' high fantasy epic - including its brutal battle sequences and its surprisingly sensitive core - and how it showed how Arnie would become an action movie legend.

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Episode 29 - Last Action Hero

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 12:00:36 GMT

1993 was a banger year for Dad Cinema, and we're kicking off the first of many 30th anniversary retrospectives this year by diving into the ill-fated but ultimately misunderstood Last Action Hero, another directed by action legend John McTiernan starring Arnold Schwarzenegger with script contributions from Shane Black. Zan returns to the pod to discuss their first watch of LAH with me, as we get into why it's such a great "the movies!" movie.

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Episode 28 - Tango & Cash

Sat, 18 Feb 2023 17:00:08 GMT

"Tango and Cash... Cash and Tango..." - yes folks, it's time for us to jump into a true cinematic classic this week. 1989's Tango & Cash saw Sylvester Stallone team up with Kurt Russell in one of the decade's most unusually brilliant buddy cop efforts, with top officers Raymond Tango and Gabriel Cash joining forces to fight Jack Palance's sinister Yves Perret. Mired by a fraught production and competing visions, the finished product is an unintentional work of genius, resulting in a sort of coked-up, eighties version of a golden age pulp detective comic book, and one of my and my dad's favourite watches. I'm joined by fellow Tango & Cash appreciator Dan Grima for this week's episode, which pretty quickly devolves into us giggling like idiots and reciting dialogue from the movie. Hope you all enjoy!

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Episode 27 - Patriot Games

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 10:00:13 GMT

We're diving into some peak Dad-tier filmmaking in this week's episode! This time, Ewan is joined by comics creator, editor, and journalist Claire Napier to talk all about Patriot Games - Harrison Ford's first venture as Jack Ryan and the first of two Tom Clancy adaptations helmed by Phillip Noyce. Be sure to check out Claire's work on her website, as well as her upcoming comic book, The Magic Necklace, which you can support on Zoop!

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Episode 26 - Dan's Western Challenge

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 11:00:13 GMT

Howdy folks! 2023 is the year WLDM goes hard on Westerns - myself and my dad's favourite genre! WLDM regular Dan Grima is starting off the year with his own Westerns challenge, so I thought it would be fun to dive into that list, what films Dan has watched so far, and what he has to look forward to in a dedicated episode. Join us as we scratch the surface of Leone and Spaghetti Westerns, the genre's evolution in the sixties and seventies, and just where exactly is the best place to start for a genre newcomer.

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Episode 25 - Ghostbusters II

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 12:46:34 GMT

We Love Dad Movies has a very important statement to make this week: Ghostbusters II is good, actually! Joining Ewan to talk about this underrated gem of a sequel in the latest WLDM episode is WhatCulture Wrestling's Michael Hamflett, who came to the realisation last year that Ghostbusters II is actually his favourite movie ever. Join us as we dive into the Ghostbusters' upgraded (and heartbreakingly underused) wardrobe, that immaculate Bobby Brown-fronted soundtrack, and why the film itself is way better than the consensus would lead you to believe.

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Episode 24 - Ambulance

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 12:00:17 GMT

We Love Dad Movies is BACK, and we're starting January in the best way. Joining Ewan for our inaugural 2023 episode is Mike Scott of the Action for Everyone podcast, who wanted to chat about one of the best films of 2022 - Michael Bay's Ambulance. Mike's favourite 2022 movie and one of his all-time favourites too, join us as we dive into Bay's place in the Dad Movie genre, and how Ambulance stacks up as one of his finest efforts yet.

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Episode 23 - The Long Kiss Goodnight

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 15:28:17 GMT

We Love Dad Movies closes out Shane Black Season with one of the biggest bangs in action movie history - the perennially under-seen Long Kiss Goodnight. Starring Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson, Long Kiss saw Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger director Renny Harlin team with Black to tell the story of an amnesiac assassin whose accidental reemergence unearths a deadly government conspiracy. Ewan is joined by Dan (for his first watch) in this week's episode, which is also the last WLDM installment of 2022.

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Episode 22 - Lethal Weapon

Sun, 11 Dec 2022 12:00:09 GMT

Part two of our Shane Black season is here! This week we're diving into another Christmas cracker with the original Lethal Weapon - Shane Black's debut script and the greatest buddy cop movie of all time. Packing razor-sharp dialogue and two iconic performances from Gibson and Glover, but also a dark story rooted in the legacies of the Vietnam War, the first Lethal Weapon is distinct from its goofier (but no less enjoyable) sequels. Settle down, bust out your favourite sax, and join Ewan and Zan for more cosy Christmas vibes!

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Episode 21 - The Last Boy Scout

Sun, 04 Dec 2022 11:00:08 GMT

Merry Shanemas everyone! For December, We Love Dad Movies is dedicating each episode to the action Christmas GOAT himself, Shane Black. Kicking off the month we have THE LAST BOY SCOUT, a truly tremendous noir action written by Black after LETHAL WEAPON, starring Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans as a has-been private detective with a disaster family life and a football player whose career was destroyed by gambling and drugs respectively. Directed by the late, great Tony Scott, TLBS also happens to be one of the most gorgeous-looking action films of the decade, as well as a perfect slice of Dad Movie cinema. Ewan is joined by Dan again this week to discuss this beaut of a film, and why it deserves more recognition.

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Episode 20 - True Grit

Sun, 27 Nov 2022 12:00:00 GMT

We're closing out November with a hail of gunsmoke! This week, Ewan is joined by Screen Rant's Christopher Teuton to talk all things True Grit - a favourite across three generations of Patersons, and the film that won John Wayne his sole Academy Award. Chris also discusses the 2010 Coen Bros. remake and the original True Grit novel by Charles Portis, revealing which incarnation of the story he thinks is best, and how it stacks up compared to the other Westerns of the late sixties.

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Episode 19 - Demolition Man

Sun, 20 Nov 2022 11:00:40 GMT

The year is 1996. Taco Bell has proven victorious in the Franchise Wars, and the last remnants of the 20th century are ad jingles and the (terrific) poster for Lethal Weapon 3. In a sinister utopia that has abandoned the violent ways of the past, a megalomaniac criminal and his valiant cop enemy reignite a destructive rivalry - but all is not as it seems. In this week's episode of We Love Dad Movies, WhatCulture Gaming's very own Scott Tailford joins us to discuss one of Sly's wildest offerings - Demolition Man! - and to convince Ewan that it's actually a banger.

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Episode 18 - Witness

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 11:00:34 GMT

We all know that Harrison Ford is the Dad Movie King, but do you also know that Witness is probably maybe his best performance ever? In this week's episode, Dan Grima joins Ewan to discuss one of Ford's most acclaimed yet now strangely overlooked efforts, which saw the actor take on the role of a police detective forced to go into hiding in Pennsylvania's Amish community. (It's also one of Ewan's faves.)

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Episode 17 - Cape Fear

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 12:00:33 GMT

Spooky season may be over, but like the best slasher film We Love Dad Movies still has one last surprise scare! In this episode, Ewan is joined by Josh Brown to discuss Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake of Cape Fear, why it's unique in the director's filmography, and how it compares to the 1962 original.

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Episode 16 - Cobra

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 10:00:10 GMT

Sylvester Stallone's 1986 banger COBRA is an action movie with the heart of a slasher - and it was also one of dad's faves, so it's basically the perfect movie for October. Join Ewan and Dan as they dive into the ludicrously enjoyable paranoia of Sly's Dirty Harry, and why it's a must-watch for action fans.

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Episode 15 - Jaws

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 11:00:35 GMT

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into your favourite podcast... join Ewan and Zan as they discuss the masterpiece that is Jaws, and why it's one of the greatest monster movies of all time.

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Episode 14 - Aliens

Sat, 08 Oct 2022 13:00:57 GMT

Spooky season is officially here, and what better way to kick off the festivities than with an especially spooky guest? Horror Queen and PlayStation Access host Ash Millman joins the We Love Dad Movies podcast this week to discuss James Cameron's seminal 1986 sci-fi horror classic Aliens, and why Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley is such an enduring icon.

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Episode 13 - The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 15:00:01 GMT

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen has gone down as one of the most infamous comic book adaptations ever. It suffered poor reviews and ended careers. Thing is... it's actually quite good! Join Ewan and Zan for another episode of We Love Dad Movies, as they discuss the highs and lows of Stephen Norrington's ill-fated blockbuster, and why it never really deserved the hate.

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Episode 12 - In the Line of Fire

Sat, 17 Sep 2022 14:00:13 GMT

It's late era Clint versus sicko Malkovich in the late Wolfgang Petersen's IN THE LINE OF FIRE. Join Ewan and Dan as they discuss this weirdly neglected '90s thriller which earned John Malkovich an Oscar nom, and why it's top-tier Dad Movie content.

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Episode 11 - The Mummy & The Mummy Returns

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 16:27:36 GMT

We were lucky enough to get to watch both The Mummy and The Mummy Returns on the big screen last week, so we HAD to do an episode on them. Join Ewan and Zan as they discuss the magic behind Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz's two horror-adventure blockbusters, and why they're so special.

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Episode 10 - Prey

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 16:23:45 GMT

Capping off the Summer of Predator with PREY, Dan Trachtenberg's new entry in the franchise that has recently premiered on Disney+. Join Ewan and Zan as they discuss how it holds up compared to the original Predator and its sequels, and their hopes for the series going forward...

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Episode 9 - Predator 2

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 15:00:34 GMT

We Love Dad Movies returns this week in the build-up to PREY to talk about one of the great underrated movie sequels: PREDATOR 2. Join Ewan and Dan as they discuss why the OG Predator follow-up is the ideal dad movie, and how it's responsible for turning the Predator from a sci-fi icon into a true franchise behemoth.

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Episode 8 - Thief

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 15:00:46 GMT

James Caan sadly passed away the other week, so it only made sense for the next episode of WLDM to focus on one of his films. THIEF is arguably Caan's best performance, which sees him cast in the role of Frank, a master criminal looking to finally retire. Join Ewan and Zan as they dive into Michael Mann's debut picture, and what made Caan such a unique screen presence.

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Episode 7 - Saving Private Ryan

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 12:00:00 GMT

As voted by our Patrons, this week's episode of We Love Dad Movies is all about Steven Spielberg's essential WW2 epic, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. Join Ewan and Zan as they discuss the film's shocking but corrective contributions to the war movie genre, and why it more than deserves its classic status.

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Episode 6 - Predator

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 21:53:53 GMT

It's PREDATOR's 35th anniversary this month, so now's the perfect time to fast-rope in and talk all about the movie that birthed a sci-fi icon (and a dad movie classic). Join Ewan and Zan as they go into what makes John McTiernan's studio debut so special, and why Arnold Schwarzenegger is just the best ever.

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Episode 5 - The Hunt For Red October

Sat, 18 Jun 2022 15:47:55 GMT

Adam Clery joins Ewan for this week's episode of We Love Dad Movies, and this time, it's all about The Hunt for Red October! Engage those caterpillar drives, grab your favourite tea, and settle into some classic John McTiernan goodness.

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Episode 4 - Top Gun: Maverick

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 21:21:39 GMT

Join Ewan and Zan as they discuss the dad movie that's got all eyes in the sky - TOP GUN: MAVERICK. (Spoiler alert: we loved it.)

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Episode 3 - The 51st State

Thu, 26 May 2022 18:00:00 GMT

It's Champions League Final week, and what better way to get ready for the game than to watch The 51st State? Join Ewan and Zan as they discuss the film that brought Samuel L. Jackson to Liverpool, and why it's so much fun.

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Episode 2 - Con Air

Sat, 14 May 2022 19:00:48 GMT

Join Ewan and Zan for their round trip to Simon West's CON AIR, a 1997 Bruckheimer special starring Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, and John Malkovich.

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Intro

Sat, 30 Apr 2022 20:30:27 GMT

Join Ewan and Zander for the introductory episode of the We Love Dad Movies podcast, a series dedicated to the movies dads love and what makes them so great.

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