watch this.

I’ve wanted to do this movie ever since I started Watch This two years ago, and now seems like a good time to finally bring it out. Chances are most of you are more familiar with the countless movies and TV shows that ripped off its plot. But this movie is worth watching not only to see the root of this common trope, but because its message of appreciating life is important and useful year-round. Let's watch It's a Wonderful Life! Also, even though there's a 99% chance no one will find this episode, happy holidays to everyone! And let's survive 2024! Intro song: SiIvaGunner - Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (NTSC Version) (from Pokémon Black & White) Outro song: Rent 2008 Broadway Cast - Seasons/Love Heals (A Rent Farewell) Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/frank-capras-its-a-wonderful-life (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

Remember back in the Humans episode where I promised we’d do this episode next Thanksgiving? Well that time is now and we’re finally doing Free Birds! This movie took the Internet by storm around this time last year thanks to the efforts of the Schaffgang. And why wouldn’t it? It’s about going back in time to the first Thanksgiving to get turkeys off the menu! That’s right… it’s Free Birds! Schaffrillas’ Free Birds video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGLyNcO8LcA Andrias/Taylor Swift fanart in the thumbnail belongs to @peebszzz on X/Twitter Intro song: Yoann Garel - Kami Spirit Outro song: SiIvaGunner - Wi-Fi Plaza: Parade (In-Game Version) Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/free-birds (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

Hokey smoke, it’s the second of two reunion episodes for the summer! If you’ve followed us closely enough you’ll remember this being my original birthday pick for this year, before a tragic event involving Schaffrillas Productions caused me to rethink doing the campy Y2K-era comedy. But with that long behind us, I thought I’d bring it out again, as a tribute to how far the Tres Hombres have come since that first episode, and how far we still have to go. As for the movie itself… it’s a fun romp that faithfully and respectfully adapts the iconic cartoon to the then-current era and deserves to be remembered as such. Let’s watch The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle! Intro song: Oatmello – Watching the Stars Outro song: t3. lilly the little car Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-adventures-of-rocky-and-bullwinkle (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

We’re back for a few more episodes this year! And for this first reunion episode we’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’ with Teen Beach Movie, the infectious Disney Channel musical comedy about two surfers who end up inside another beach musical. Along the way, we catch you up on what we’ve been up to between the Fabelmans and now. Cowabunga! Also sorry if I sound a little quiet this episode, this was the first episode made on my new computer and I guess the mic didn’t pick up my voice well enough. Intro song: Amaez & Moetown - Vivid Dreams Outro song: Leap of Faith - Light In The Dark Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/teen-beach-movie (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

This episode is dedicated with love to everyone who listened to us and supported us over the past year-and-a-half. Your support is legendary and we wish you all the best. As much as it pains me to say this, this will be the final Watch This for the time being, due to availability concerns and other issues. So instead of Climax, I thought it’d be nice to end our time together on a more hopeful note, through a film loosely based on the life of its director, Steven Spielberg. It’s The Fabelmans! For real, though, this was an incredibly hard episode for me to put together, as (barring any post-script episodes that may or may not be made) it marks the end of an era. Case in point, it was recorded on March 26 and only now am I getting the willpower to put it together and upload it. There’s also the timing - if I chose to upload the episode at the tail end of March or the start of April, it would be mistaken for an April Fools joke. Nonetheless, I hope you understand why this episode wasn’t out a week ago, and I’ll see you at the movies. Intro song: Michael Giacchino - Stuff We Did (slowed + reverb) Outro song: The Muppet Movie OST - The Magic Store (Outro) Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-fabelmans (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

Original episode airdate: January 30, 2022 Sorry for no new episode this week, but without revealing too much, Watch This is essentially running on fumes harder than it ever has before. As we prepare for a turnover in personnel, we're dialing it back to a happier time, where as many as four weirdoes could carry a conversation, and four other weirdoes and a dog could kick ass and take names during a robot apocalypse. Let's watch The Mitchells Vs. the Machines! Intro song: alex - i wasnt aloud to watch whose line as a kid but i think its pretty good now Outro song: FrankJavCee - Simpsonwave 1995 Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/connected-2020 (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

This episode is dedicated to the resilience of the Schaffgang (Schaffrillas Productions’ inner circle), and to the memories of Chris Schaffer and Patrick Phryllas, two of its founding members, whose humor and heart were instrumental in the development of the Schaffrillas brand. The entire gang was responsible for greater awareness of this little-seen gem that expertly pays homage to cheesy B-movies of the past with modern production values, and while it still isn’t that well known (to the point where it still doesn’t have a Wikipedia page as of this episode’s upload), it’s still worth checking out. Let’s watch Lake Michigan Monster - it's banned in four lakes! See Schaffrillas and friends’ video on Lake Michigan Monster here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pda4DfOlZHc Intro song: SiIvaGunner - Because I Love You (Alternate Version) Outro song: Harry Gregson-Williams & John Powell - Transformation/The End (Shrek score) Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/lake-michigan-monster (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

My second annual birthday episode has arrived, absurdly late due to circumstances beyond our control. But it’s here, and that’s all that matters. Furthermore, due to an unforeseen personal upheaval that affected all of us, I decided maybe we shouldn’t do Rocky and Bullwinkle (which was my original birthday pick) at this point, so instead we’re looking at 20th Century Women, Mike Mills’ Oscar-nominated story of a mother, a son and their friends living and loving together in 1979 California. Also I cough a lot in this episode, hope you don’t mind. Intro song: goosetaf - Silk Outro song: SiIvaGunner - MOTHER 3 Love Theme (Arr.) Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/20th-century-women (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

This week we’re watching a gem of a movie starring Jay Baruchel as Leon Trotsky. Sort of. He’s playing a guy who believes that he’s the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky and seeks to replicate every facet of the socialist revolutionary’s life. He starts a revolution among his fellow students and falls in love with an older woman named Alexandra. Meanwhile we’re out here talking about Ohio and terrible puns, as WE were fated to do, apparently. Let's watch The Trotsky! Intro song: Justin Jet Zorbas - Taro Coconut Outro song: Dreama - Dreaming of You Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/le-trostky (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

We’re heading to the Danger Zone with Top Gun, one of the most iconic movies of the 80s. It boasts a top-tier cast, a stellar soundtrack and some impressive effects for the era, not to mention a fairly recent sequel that pretty much everyone’s heard about by now. Let’s fly high with a Forced Family Fun Night! (We'll explain the context of that saying in the episode.) Intro song: trxxshed & lomtre - Forgotten Outro song: cxlt. & amies - Aurora Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/vesper-2022 (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

With its sequel now making waves on Netflix, we’re kicking off our 2023 lineup with Knives Out, the movie that made everyone forgive Rian Johnson for his polarizing Star Wars movie The Last Jedi. In fact, it was so successful that Netflix is making it into a trilogy, with the third Knives Out movie due to come out sometime in the next couple of years. And yes, this one's great! Intro song: Retro Aesthetic Boy - everything changed Outro song: DonLear - Ignore Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/knives-out (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

Once every 10 years, the British film magazine Sight and Sound puts out a ranking of the 100 greatest films of all time, as voted by over a thousand industry professionals. So we at Watch This thought it would be cool to discuss the movies that made the newest list (which came out in December), as this podcast as we know it may not be around for the next ranking. Also this is our unofficial first episode of 2022 - the Knives Out episode, the "true" first episode of 2022, will be out later this week. Intro music: g o g h _v i b e s - morning in nature Outro music: Pointy Features x Kanisan x Softy - Dozy See the list on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/bfi/list/sight-and-sounds-greatest-films-of-all-time/

And just like that, we’ve reached the end of another year of Watch This. Our 2022 has been much more eventful than our 2021, managing to last nearly the entire year. And you better believe that we’ll be discussing what we watched this year, plus some hopes for 2023 and beyond. Plus, you’ll get to find out what our first movie of 2023 is! (Hint: It’s gonna be super special. But you probably knew that already.) Intro music: Kenny G - Auld Lang Syne Outro music: Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone - City of Stars

Apologies for not having this episode out actually on Christmas, but that’s what happens when unavailability gets in the way. Anyway, here’s the Grand Finale of our second Holiday Moviethon, and our 2022 lineup in general. It’s the inspirational story of a man who shows up in New York City claiming to be Santa Claus - and it’s our first-ever bona fide Hollywood classic, not to mention the oldest movie we’ve done yet, and it couldn’t be a better way to end the year. Happy Holidays! Intro song: SiIvaGunner - Bubbly Clouds (OST Version) Outro song: Sesame Street Cast - Keep Christmas With You Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/miracle-on-34th-street (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in) Plus, a list of movies that would be fun to remake with Disney characters, which I made while recording the episode: https://letterboxd.com/fragglevision/list/movies-that-would-be-fun-to-remake-with-disney/

The Miracle on 34th Street episode was gonna be out for this weekend, but last-minute availability problems prevented that from happening. Rest assured, the episode will be out sometime after Christmas, along with two special bonus mini-episodes (one of which is our second annual roundtable; the other will be a bit of a surprise). In the meantime, and in belated celebration of this beloved holiday movie’s 30th anniversary, here is last year’s commentary for The Muppet Christmas Carol, featuring special guest Citizen HAL! You’re gonna love it, I guarantee! (Also we just may do a redux commentary for this one sometime in the next few years for the complete version of this movie with When Love is Gone reinstated… just keep an eye out.) Intro song: Muppet Christmas Carol Soundtrack - Overture Outro song: Sesame Street Cast - We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Reprise) Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-muppet-christmas-carol (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

The third entry in our 2022 Holiday Moviethon is a brave tale of two fathers duking it out to find the same sought-after toy for their kids during the last-minute gift rush. In the 26 years since its release, it’s become highly prophetic in regards to Black Friday rushes and the like. But does the rest of it hold up? And what other strange topics will our conversations veer towards? Find out when we watch Jingle All the Way! Intro song: SiIvaGunner - Title Theme (Jeopardy on Genesis) Outro song: Elise Ecklund and RYANcomedy - If Christmas Songs Were Honest Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/jingle-all-the-way-1 (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

From the director of Roger Rabbit, Back to the Future, Forrest Gump and that terrible Pinnochio movie from earlier this year that doesn’t involve Pauly Shore, comes this delightful motion-capture fantasia about a train bound for the North Pole in a world where everyone has the face of Tom Hanks. While it’s mostly well-liked, the general consensus is that there’s too much filler and the animation is weird. But what do you think? Intro song: Muppet Race Mania OST - Old London Town Outro song: SiIvaGunner - Ending (Alpha Mix) (Super Mario Bros. 3) Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-polar-express (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

This episode is dedicated to Bob McGrath, whose passing we learned of during recording shortly after it was announced, and Kirstie Alley, whose passing I was notified of during the editing phase. Our second annual Holiday Moviethon is officially underway, and we’re kicking it off with an out-of-left-field choice: a TV movie based on a popular Disney Channel kidcom from the early ‘10s. Good Luck Charlie, It’s Christmas is exactly what you’d expect from a made-for-TV holiday comedy, but for those who grew up on Disney Channel’s late 2000s-to-early 2010s output (i.e. me and Andrew), it provides a goldmine of memories. Let’s begin our Christmas celebration with the Duncans! Intro song: Sesame Street - Christmas Overture Outro song: SiIvaGunner - Contest Menu (Beta Mix) (Check Mii Out Channel) Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/good-luck-charlie-its-christmas (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

This is a super special episode. Not only is it the last non-holiday Watch This of 2022, but it’s our 50th episode AND the one where we finally get a glimpse of the myth, the legend, Dewey Cox. Possibly the greatest biopic parody of all time (besides the recent Weird Al one on Roku), Walk Hard features some banger songs, brilliant satire and a tour de force performance from John C. Reilly, and in case you couldn’t tell I’m quite fond of this guy. Anyway, come for our reactions to the songs and story, stay for our insight on everything else that has nothing to do with it. Let’s Walk Hard! (Also we’re watching the Unrated Version, which runs for half an hour longer and is generally considered the superior version, so you’re gonna want to find that one if you’re planning on watching it with us.) Intro song: Towerz x Hi Jude - Something to Cherish Outro song: SiIvaGunner - 35 Legends Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/walk-hard-the-dewey-cox-story (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)

With one episode to go until the big 5-0, and with Thanksgiving and all it entails on the horizon, we’re watching a movie about a family gathering for the holiday in a crappy, bare-bones NYC apartment. A bit like last year’s Thanksgiving selection (Pieces of April), but more dysfunctional and depressing. And while a fictional family is at the center of this story, *our* family has a lot to say about the recent madness regarding Twitter and HBO Max, a “quiz” regarding the lyrics to Imagine by John Lennon, and a movie that shares a name with one of the more notable albums to be covered on Rock of Ages. Intro song: kainbeats - where light cant reach (ft. Sleepermane) Outro song: SiIvaGunner - Wi-Fi Plaza: Parade (In-Game Version) Where to watch the movie: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-humans-2021 (if not in the U.S. then set “Streaming in” to whatever country you’re in)