You Watched It Wrong

You Awarded It Wrong for 2023

Wade and Siggy run down their ballots for the top Oscar categories, plus some of their own special awards, for the films of 2023.

Midnight Madness (1980)

WE REACHED THE 1980s, PEOPLE!!! After a long hiatus, Wade & Siggy return to discuss another Wacky Race entry: 1980's MIDNIGHT MADNESS.  Get ready for a diverse range of jokes: fat jokes, obese jokes, jokes about being overweight and the many, many reasons one becomes so fully packed: overeating. Plus reductive views on an entire gender! Tastemakers rejoice! Is there genuine humor to be found here, among the ugly staples of 80s comedies?  Wade & Siggy debate that very topic to see which one of them watched it wrong...  

Cut For Time: The Missing Story about a Sneeze

In the last episode discussing 1979's Scavenger Hunt, Siggy promises a story about a sneeze.  Well, as with most promises, we forgot it until after our signature sign off. Luckily, our recording devices are smarter than we are and this tale about the origins of the scavenger hunt itself - that also involves a sneeze - can finally be presented to you for your listening pleasure...

Scavenger Hunt (1979)

Finally! It's HERE! The Wacky Races' raison d'etre has finally arrived and...sadly, it turns out to be 1979's Scavenger Hunt.  This film is currently hard to find, but - I don't know - maybe don't bother? Siggy and Wade watched it for you so you don't have to! And don't miss the exciting new induction into the Wacky Races' Two-Timer's Club!!!

Our apologies for the delay in release. We needed the time to make sure this one was exceedingly long. 

Beau Is Afraid (2023)

A special phonesode! We take a break from our Wacky Races miniseries for a casual conversation about Ari Aster's latest nightmare horror comedy. (And Siggy now wishes he had thought to compare the ending to Brazil.)

Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977)

Disney gets in on this Wacky Race action with the third installment in their Herbie the Love Bug franchise, starring Dean Jones, Don Knotts, Julie Sommars, and the The Young and the Restless-Guy!  More appropriately titled "Horn Dog Herbie" for reasons that will become apparent, this movie has everything: sexually aroused cars, necessary racing, unnecessary diamond heist subplots with liberal cribbing from Return of the Pink Panther, bumblers who don't bumble, fuel filler lines with widths are the size of forearms, a Muppet Borat, physics defied, and - of course - oil spurting on to people's shoes like a dog urinating on a hydrant. (It's never not funny...!)  Wade & Siggy discuss this outlier's contributions to the Wacky Races sub-genre, what works and doesn't work, and the Herbie franchise as a whole. They dig deep into the effect of later retconning Herbie's origin story and the incongruous attempt to define his personality, noting that he could very well be a narcissistic sociopath who only looks out for No. 53. And a deadbeat dad. Fun was had by all. 

Before listening to our spoiler-filled discussion, check out Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, available on Disney+ and VOD.  "It really picks up once they go to Monte Carlo!" 

Jeanne Dielman, Apal-Porsche 1600GT, 24 Heures du Mans 1977

Wade & Siggy are THRILLED to be discussing this little-seen, barely written-about 1977 sequel to Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, also directed by Chantal Akerman. This follow-up finds Jeanne Dielman behind the wheel of a race car competing in the 24-hour endurance race of Le Mans.  Jeanne Dielman 1 made quite the stir after topping Sight & Sound's 2022 Best Films Poll, which begs the question: Why did S&S's write-up (nor anyone's, frankly) not contain even a passing mention of the existence of this sequel? Wade & Siggy dig deep into the (lack of) existing information on this production, and explore what connects the two films, where this one succeeds, where it fails, and what could everyone have possibly been thinking in following up the first movie like this!  

You Awarded It Wrong for 2022

Wade and Siggy hand out their movie awards for the 2022 slate! Hear their picks for:

 

15. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

14. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

13. BEST ORIGINAL SONG (Siggy) / BEST MUSICAL SCORE (Wade)

12. BEST EDITING

11. BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

10. BEST SEQUENCE

09. BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

08. BEST SCENE

07. BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

06. BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

05. BEST MOMENT

04. BEST ACTOR

03. BEST ACTRESS

02. BEST DIRECTOR

01. BEST PICTURE

The Gumball Rally (1976)

The SEVENTH entry in our Wacky Races mini-series is (somewhat?) at the mid-point of our ever-growing exploration of ensemble movies centered on a competition where the rules of the game break the rules of society.  Wade & Siggy discuss the welcome spirit The Gumball Rally brings to the genre, how conflicts that are set up but never come into play are just fine, the raw sexuality of Raúl Juliá, where has Tricia O'Neal been all our lives, a novel way of mooning people, and ticking off more boxes of the series' use of elements from Spy Hunter.  GUMBALL!!!!

SENSITIVITY WARNING:  This episode includes discussion of the film's use of the threat of sexual assault. 

Next Episode: Scavenger Hunt (1979)

Holiday Greeting 2022!

A surprise gift for you! We start off with a quick recap of 2022 (even though we agreed before recording that weren't going to do that, and Wade says in the episode that we're not doing that), we talk about the Christmas movies and specials we've watched lately (such as Guardians of the Galaxy and Spirited), talk about our perennial favorites, and present our gifts using the magical power of podcasting. May peace and goodwill reign!