opening weekend

3 men. 100 episodes. 247 movies.  Innumerable hand-farts.  

IN A WORLD…where movie theaters closed their doors during a worldwide pandemic, three best friends decided to hop into their mental DeLoreans, go back in time to talk about movies & opening weekends from the last 40 years, and bask in the buttery glow of nostalgia.  

Three and half years later they arrive at their 100th and final trip back in time…twice! 

First, the boys head AAALLL the way back to where it all started: early summer of 1977, and William Friedkin’s Star Wars squashed thriller, SORCERER.  

And then, in a space/time continuum-shaking rift, they jump forward to 2015 and the last time all three of them were in a movie theatre together, screaming their heads off like John Boyega, watching STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. 

And finally, the boys raise a glass to some MORE nostalgia with the Fourth Annual Golden Sheila Awards ©.  

PLUS a final visit from The Arthropod Squad and Gene Gene the Punning Machine: Mr. Shalit, himself.  

ALL the feels and ALL the farts on EPISODE 100 of OPENING WEEKEND!

Summary

In this episode, Dave and Matt discuss the performance of MCU movies, including 'The Marvels.' They express their concerns about the quantity and quality of content being produced by Disney and Marvel. They also critique Taika Waititi's comments about Marvel movies and express their disappointment with his work on the Thor films. They also mention Mark Millar's move to Dark Horse Comics. The conversation covers DC's new compact line of books, the affordability of these books as an entry point for new readers, and a debate on the size of trade paperbacks. Our hosts also express their opinions on DC's strategy. 

Takeaways

·       The performance of MCU movies has been declining since 'Avengers: Endgame,' indicating audience fatigue and a more discerning approach to spending on Marvel films.

·       Dave and Matt express their disappointment with Taika Waititi's comments about Marvel movies and his lack of respect for the source material.

·       They discuss the move of Mark Millar's imprint to Dark Horse Comics and the potential impact on the comic book industry.

·       There is a concern that Hollywood may resort to remaking the Infinity Saga in the future, prioritizing financial success over originality. DC is launching a compact line of books in 2024, featuring smaller trades at a reasonable price.

·       The compact books could serve as an affordable entry point for new readers and be available in locations outside of comic book stores.

·       There is a debate on whether the size of trade paperbacks affects the appeal to readers, with one host supporting the smaller size and price point, while the other disagrees.

·       Listeners are encouraged to share the podcast and engage with the hosts on social media.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Update

01:21 Celebrating 75th Episode

01:58 Discussion on MCU Movie Performance

05:22 Opinions on 'The Marvels' Movie

08:23 Critique of Disney and Marvel's Approach to Content

19:04 Taika Waititi's Comments on Marvel Movies

23:36 Mark Millar's Move to Dark Horse Comics

36:01 DC's Compact Line of Books

37:00 Affordable Entry Point

38:03 Debate on the Size of Trade Paperbacks

39:10 Banter

40:32 DC's Uncomplicated Plan

41:53 Call to Action

Follow us on Twitter:
@Dave_xBT817x
@Warden43tk
@NuclearIsLonely

Follow our Tiktok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@comicdudeswithattitudes

Follow Dave on Threads:
@xdavex9

Original Music by Alex Productions
Show notes include some AI generated content

If adventure has a name, it must be…Opening Weekend!

For their penultimate outing, the boys head back to one of their favorite movie eras ever, Summer ‘84, for a supersized episode wherein they wax on, wax off with THE KARATE KID, hit the jungles of India seeking fortune and glory with INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, beam down to the Genesis planet in STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK, and purify themselves in the waters of Lake Minnetonka with PURPLE RAIN.  

AND the amazing Robin Curtis (Star Trek III: The Search For Spock) joins the boys to discuss all things Saavik and the intricacies of Vulcan Pon Farr!

Throw in some intense games of ‘80s Trivial Pursuit, some even more intense private lip sync concerts, and some VERY intense feelings towards Morris Day on Jason’s part, and you’ve got an episode worthy of Kali Ma. 

No time for love, Dr. Jones! It’s time for Episode 99 of Opening Weekend!

“If it bleeds we can kill it.” 
Listen, Arnie, you may be able to take down the Predator, but you CAN’T take down Gene Shalit! That ‘stache don’t bleed!

Yes, it’s been a loooong wait, but the boys are back to warm up your fall pumpkin lattes with…hot summer movies! 

This week the guys hop back to Summer 1987 to revisit Jack Nicholson and THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK, Paul Verhoeven’s satirical sci-fi gore-fest, ROBOCOP, Costner and crew as THE UNTOUCHABLES, and the man-meat testosterone-filled jungle that is PREDATOR. 

You pull a knife, Sean Connery, we pull Episode 98. THAT’S the Opening Weekend way!

“E.T. phone Zmed!”
It’s the summer of ‘82 and Jason, Dan, & Fred are lining up outside the movie theater to see the most anticipated movie of the year…GREASE 2! 
Also, there was apparently a movie about an alien called E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL that people liked, too. 

Jason is getting sued for Smurf copyright-infringement; Olivia Newton John is helping Dan get Physical…with himself; and Fred is stealing magic balls and slicing up fetal pigs…ya know, your typical early tween summer in the 80s. Let’s bowl, let’s bowl, let’s rock and roll with EPISODE 97 of OPENING WEEKEND! 

This week Paul and Mike discuss the ebb and flow of a normal box office cycle and why this past week was pretty typical. They also take a look at why is so important to keep expectations in check when projecting opening weekend box office. They wrap up the show by looking ahead to a busy July and August at the multiplex. 

Up from the depths, 30 stories high,  breathing fire, his head in the sky…GENE SHALIT?!? No, it’s just the three big openers from May 22, 1998: Terry Gilliam’s fever dream adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, the Warren Beatty political satire BULWORTH, and the Roland Emmerich disaster….movie…?….GODZILLA!

It’s the spring of ‘98, and while Fred is playing on subway platforms to strangers, Dan is playing on stages to no one, and Jason is playing in bathrooms with EVERYONE. 
Beatty is rapping, Depp is ranting, and the audience for Godzilla ‘98 is retching. 

Roland Emmerich, you Swine! 
Get ready to go Gonzo for EPISODE 96 of OPENING WEEKEND!

“There was an idea, to bring together a group of three mildly remarkable nerds to see if they could become something more. So when we needed another movie podcast, they could hand-fart the Superhero songs that we never could.” Opening Weekend fans…ASSEMBLE! It’s a Summer Superhero Smorgasbord as the boys head back to 2012 to revisit Andrew Garfield’s take on THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, Christopher Nolan’s trilogy topper, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, and the MCU Mothership,THE AVENGERS! 

And if you thought Gotham had a reckoning, wait until you FINALLY hear all about Fred’s failed colonoscopy in the greatest post-credits scene ever. 

HULK SMASH EPISODE 95 of OPENING WEEKEND!

If you’re looking for something soft, round, succulent, and covered with just the right amount of fuzz, you’ve come to the right place! No, this isn’t the new Grindr podcast, it’s EPISODE 94 of OPENING WEEKEND! This week the boys head back to April 12, 1996 to revisit the David O. Russell/Ben Stiller black comedy FLIRTING WITH DISASTER and the animated film version of the Roald Dahl classic, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH. And don’t worry, there’s not one single mention of Fred’s failed colonoscopy!

“You’re killing me, Smalls!” Spring has sprung, the bases are loaded, and Robert Redford is paying Demi Moore a million dollars to take him out to the Ball game…HEY OH!!! It’s April 7th, 1993 and the boys are slidin’ into home at THE SANDLOT and heading out to Vegas to make an INDECENT PROPOSAL.  As Shakespeare once wrote, “Exit pursued by Rip Taylor and a Hippo.”  We’ll pay you a million dollars to listen to EPISODE 93 of OPENING WEEKEND!

“Children of the Corn? I don’t remember eating Children of the Corn?” It’s March 9, 1984 and while Ms. Channing picks through her poop searching for bits of Malachai, the boys will be checking in to THE HOTEL NEW HAMPSHIRE, getting fishy with SPLASH, and walkin’ behind the rows with, yes, Stephen King’s CHILDREN OF THE CORN. Don’t hold it in anymore, Fred, ‘cus Jason and Dan are rollin’ like Fonda (it’ll all make sense) on Episode 92 of OPENING WEEKEND! 

And we can build this dream together, standing strong together, nothing’s gonna stop Opening Weekend now! It’s been a while, but the boys are back and revisiting February 13, 1987 to go OVER THE TOP with Sly Stallone and come alive like a MANNEQUIN making love to Andrew McCarthy. And they’ll talk about some movies, too! As Kenny Loggins once said, “Meet me halfway, across this guy….” with a Gabe Kaplan-adjacent new episode of OPENING WEEKEND!

 This week the boys dive into May-December romances, High School regrets, and eating dog food with Nick Nolte. And then they start talking about movies! 

In January ‘86, Robin Williams and Kurt Russell were reminiscing about THE BEST OF TIMES, Sally Field and James Garner were engaging in MURPHY’S ROMANCE, and our good pals Nick Nolte and Richard Dreyfuss were getting DOWN AND OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS. To quote the Punky QB known as McMahon, “We’re not here to start no trouble, we’re just here to do the Opening Weekend Episode 90 Shuffle!”

LET IT RAIN, STILLERPALOOZA!  That’s right, it’s 2004 and it’s all Stiller all the time! This week the boys head back to January 2004 to revisit that month’s Big Ben Opener (Hey oh!), ALONG CAME POLLY, as well as two other Stiller-led movies from that same year: STARSKY & HUTCH and DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY.  Just like Patches O’Houlihan always said, “If you can dodge a wrench you can dodge Episode 89 of OPENING WEEKEND!” WHITE CHOCOLATE!

¡Feliz Na’vi-dad and Happy I-See-You Year! 

To ring in 2023 Jason, Dan, and Fred are heading back to December 2009 and the release of James Cameron’s epic screen-saver of a blockbuster, AVATAR! And then moving from “blue” material to “material” that blew, the boys throw on their tuxes and multi-colored bow-ties for the THIRD ANNUAL GOLDEN SHEILA AWARDS! Wake up, Jake Sully, it’s Episode 88 of OPENING WEEKEND!

Blow me down, it’s a new disgustipatin’ episode of Opening Weekend!  It’s December 12, 1980 and the boys are putting down their Hoth play-sets and Rubik’s Cubes to go STIR CRAZY with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. And then Dave Itzkoff (NY Times, “Robin”) joins the boys for a deep dive into the Robin Williams/Robert Altman musical oddity POPEYE! “I’m strong to their finich ‘cus I eat my spinach, I’m EPISODE 87 of OPENING WEEKEND!”

F*** The Golden Globe nominations! It’s time for the Golden Sheila Nominations!

That’s right folks; it’s time to go back and bone up on the last 20 episodes from 2022 and vote for your favorite moments!

Favorite Episode 

Favorite Childhood Story

Best Shalit Review

Best Celebrity Guest Phone Call

Favorite Arthropod Squad Member

And any other category you want to make up, because, let’s face it: waxing nostalgic about a podcast about waxing nostalgic is about as strange as a fictional super fan from Sacramento who’s DNA was spliced with a murder hornet having a baby with a possibly fictional Richard Dreyfuss who’s DNA was spliced with a salmon and a quail and having children who are now babysat by….oh, forget it…just send in your nominations!

Leave a comment, DM or email at:

info@openingweekendpodcast.com

“Well, double dumb-ass on you!” This week the boys are lacing up their roller skates, heading up the Coast and slingshotting around the Sun to revisit November 26, 1986 and STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME, THE MOSQUITO COAST, and SOLARBABIES.  Power up those Dilithium crystals, ‘cus it’s time to beam up Episode 86 of OPENING WEEKEND! 

“Drink your juice, Shelby.” Mermaids, Magnolias, and Murphy; that’s what November 19th, 1989 was offering up at the multiplex. This week the boys take a deep dive under the sea with Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID, hit the hair salon for STEEL MAGNOLIAS, and roll the dice with HARLEM NIGHTS. Grab your dinglehopper and get ready for Episode 85 of Opening Weekend!

Donuts. Entrepreneurship. Donuts.

Our guest today is Zewiditu Jewel bringing vegan donuts from Baltimore to Brooklyn. Zewiditu is the shop operator for the Brooklyn Heights location of Cloudy Donuts, and they have been working on their 3rd location - the Brooklyn Heights bakery - for 2 years, and just celebrated their opening weekend.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Opening Soon by becoming a member!

Opening Soon is Powered by Simplecast.