'80s Movie Montage

National Lampoon's Vacation

• Anna Keizer & Derek Dehanke • Season 6 • Episode 13

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In this episode, Anna and Derek chat about Clark's suspect husband behavior, not having the physical fortitude anymore when it comes to rollercoasters, and much more during their discussion of the Griswolds' first outing in National Lampoon's Vacation (1983).

Connect with '80s Movie Montage on Facebook, Bluesky or Instagram! It's the same handle for all three... @80smontagepod.

Anna Keizer and Derek Dehanke are the co-hosts of ‘80s Movie Montage. The idea for the podcast came when they realized just how much they talk – a lot – when watching films from their favorite cinematic era. Their wedding theme was “a light nod to the ‘80s,” so there’s that, too. Both hail from the Midwest but have called Los Angeles home for several years now. Anna is a writer who received her B.A. in Film/Video from Columbia College Chicago and M.A. in Film Studies from Chapman University. Her dark comedy short She Had It Coming was an Official Selection of 25 film festivals with several awards won for it among them. Derek is an attorney who also likes movies. It is a point of pride that most of their podcast episodes are longer than the movies they cover.

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SPEAKER_03:

I'm going to have fun, and you're going to have fun. We're all going to have so much fucking fun, we'll need plastic surgery to remove our goddamn smiles. You'll be whistling zippity-doo-dah out of your assholes. I gotta be crazy. I'm on a pilgrimage to see a moose. Praise Marty Moose! Holy shit! Dad, do you want to ask for something? Don't touch!

SPEAKER_01:

Hello and welcome to 80s Movie Montage. This is Derek.

SPEAKER_00:

And this is Anna.

SPEAKER_01:

And that was Chevy Chase as Clark and Anthony Michael Hall as Rusty Griswold in 1983's National Lampoon's Vacation.

SPEAKER_00:

That's right.

SPEAKER_01:

It's a lot.

SPEAKER_00:

Don't touch! That might be my favorite line in the entire movie. Don't touch! Which makes me curious how much was maybe improv'd to some degree. They had him

SPEAKER_01:

do that a few different ways to have more of a less profanity-laden version for TV purposes, but Ramos was like, yeah, that was... It was tough to get that... without it just being full of profanities.

SPEAKER_00:

The whole movie or that particular scene?

SPEAKER_01:

That scene in particular.

SPEAKER_00:

Got it. Okay. Somebody went through his fun facts.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that was a fun fact. This movie has a lot of fun facts.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, it does. National Lampoon's Vacation, 1983, like you said. This is one, although it had been a minute since I've watched it, I've seen this movie like a million times. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

So many times.

SPEAKER_00:

So many times. So this probably was the first time in a very long time that I've just like sat down to watch it with intention, so to speak.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And you do catch things. You do still catch things. So we'll go through all of that. Let's dive in. So many familiar names.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

What? And I don't mean to. keep talking about this now with every podcast. I feel like the last couple episodes I've mentioned people who have passed. I think, though, I think this might be the first time where literally everybody behind the camera has passed. Oh, really? Yeah. Oh. Yeah. And some greats, starting with John Hughes. So this is John Hughes before... He made his name as the writer slash director slash producer on all those teen flicks that he is so famous for. So this is just preceding him getting into that phase of his career. And we have brought him up. Many times.

SPEAKER_04:

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00:

The last time we brought him up, I think, almost positive, was Planes, Trains, and Automobiles from last fall. So go check that one out. I mean, I'm going to list off a ton of titles where I'm like, check this out. Because we've done a lot of episodes with him. So 53 writing credits. He was, and I think I've said this before, as probably a lot of people in the industry are, a much more prolific writer than he was like director or producer. Like he, to my recollection... he had scripts upon scripts when he passed that they whether or not they like became aware of them once he passed or not he just had a ton of ideas a ton of um specifically with john candy he had a lot more scripts that he had like wanted to do with candy but he passed away in 2009 which is insane to think he's already been gone for 15 years um all i think literally every credit writing credit that i have for him Various stages of maybe like financial success, but I think they're literally movies that like every single person has heard of. That's like how amazing this guy was. Yeah. The other film, which we have covered, and I love this movie, that came along before he broke out into kind of the teen genre was Mr. Mom.

SPEAKER_01:

That's the one that always surprises me. I always forget that that's him.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Love that movie so much. Yeah. Have a listen at that episode. I think that was just last season. And here we go. So a couple we have not covered yet, like 16 Candles.

SPEAKER_01:

Which is crazy. You

SPEAKER_00:

know what, though? Once upon a time, you said that would be the perfect movie if and when the day comes where we close out this podcast. You thought that that would be a good one to close on, and I agree with you. So we're probably going to hold off on that one for a minute.

SPEAKER_01:

Fair enough.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. But... We have covered The Breakfast Club. That was our very first episode. I

SPEAKER_01:

don't... Did we record that just on a phone sitting in another room? I know that we did it.

SPEAKER_00:

We did it. It was

SPEAKER_01:

very experimental.

SPEAKER_00:

And I do feel like that will be a perfect bookend. So we start with Breakfast Club and with 16 Candles. Yeah. Of course, he is the writer behind... Well... European Vacation and Christmas Vacation. And then like The Torch was kind of carried too. Like he probably had producing credits on the other vacation movies. Oh, he

SPEAKER_01:

didn't write Vegas Vacation? Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

So those. We also, as of yet, haven't done Weird Science or Pretty in Pink.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Maybe we'll get to one of those at some point. I've never watched

SPEAKER_01:

Pretty in Pink. What? Never seen it. Never seen it from start to finish. I've seen

SPEAKER_00:

like... You're lying.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm not.

SPEAKER_00:

You're married to me. You're lying.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, yes, and no.

SPEAKER_00:

You haven't watched it with me?

SPEAKER_01:

No.

SPEAKER_00:

You haven't watched any of it?

SPEAKER_01:

No, no, I've seen parts of it, but I've never deliberately watched from start to finish that

SPEAKER_00:

movie. You probably know the story, though. I

SPEAKER_01:

know of it.

SPEAKER_00:

You know of it? Yes. In the infamous dress, which is actually quite hideous, but... Yeah. Yeah, it's... Not great. There were so many other options she had with that dress. But in any case. It may not be

SPEAKER_01:

pretty, but it's pink.

SPEAKER_00:

But it's pink. We did do Ferris Bueller's Day Off. We did that one with Julia. Go check that one out. And some kind of wonderful. Go check that one out as well. Where

SPEAKER_01:

we all talk about our wonderful high school experiences.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, we do. I mean, that's what it brings up. So we... Yeah, we go through some catharsis in some of those movies. And like I mentioned just last fall, finally for Thanksgiving, we did Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Yep. And then he kind of veers away from– well, he does– she's having a baby, The Great Outdoors, Uncle Buck, like I mentioned, Christmas Vacation. And then I guess kind of once we get into the 90s, he– Goes more so into like kiddie fare or just...

SPEAKER_01:

More family comedy featuring like kids as the leads.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's a great way of putting it. So he is the writer behind Home Alone. And Home Alone 2, Lost in New York, Dutch. I like that movie.

SPEAKER_01:

With Ed O'Neill, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Correct.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Curly Sue. He did have a pseudonym. that he wrote under sometimes. So he did Beethoven as Edmund Dantes. Did that.

SPEAKER_01:

What an interesting pseudonym.

SPEAKER_00:

Wasn't Edmund Dantes from like the Count of Monte Cristo?

SPEAKER_01:

Possibly.

SPEAKER_00:

I think. Dennis the Menace, Baby's Day Out. So all kid fare. 101 Dalmatians, Flubber. And then one of his last credits was also, so now we're aging up a little bit, Made in Manhattan.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, okay.

UNKNOWN:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, another super familiar name who we brought up not too long ago, Harold Ramis. He is the director of this film. This is definitely earlier in his career as a director. He, too, has passed. He passed now a little bit over 10 years ago in 2014. And as far as like directing, specifically directing credits go, like he does have like some really great credits under his name, but not as prolific of a director as he was. Like he also a huge writer, contributed to so many scripts, so many comedic scripts.

UNKNOWN:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Wasn't in front of the camera as much in his later career, but I think a lot of people, obviously he is forever Egon. So a lot of people know him for his acting. But among his specific directing credits, we have Caddyshack.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, yeah. I always forget about that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. And that preceded this film. It feels

SPEAKER_01:

like it. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And, you know, we'll get to that one at some point. We'll for sure do that. Groundhog Day. Multiplicity. He did Analyze This and Analyze That. I brought this up not too long ago, Bedazzled. Oh, yeah. I actually do like that movie.

SPEAKER_01:

Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley?

SPEAKER_00:

Correct.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Nice pull. Year one, and then among his final credits, I think he directed four episodes of The Office. Yep. So there you go. Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

Do you want to know what those are? The

SPEAKER_00:

episodes? Sure.

SPEAKER_01:

A Benihana Christmas?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

safety training, beach games, which was a really...

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, that's a great episode. That's a

SPEAKER_01:

great episode, yeah. And then one in season six, the delivery part

SPEAKER_00:

two. So I'm going to be real honest with TV shows. Rarely would I ever know a show episode by name, but that is one of the... And I didn't even follow The Office when it was out. It was only because of you that I started getting into the American office.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And yeah. great great episodes i think between that and like maybe friends like the titles from friends i would know episodes immediately yeah

SPEAKER_01:

because the friends episodes are all like the one about this yeah the one about that

SPEAKER_00:

yeah

SPEAKER_01:

correct

SPEAKER_00:

okay this gentleman victor j kemper he passed away in 2023 we literally just brought him up because our previous episode was cloak and dagger oh really he shot Wow. Oh. I will always love saying the title of this movie. Who is Harry Kellerman? And why is he saying those terrible things about me?

SPEAKER_01:

What year is that movie from? Do we know? If we don't know, it's okay. It's got to be the 70s. Yeah, we need to watch it just to see

SPEAKER_00:

what it's all about. Just for personal satisfaction. Exactly. The Candidate, Dog Day Afternoon, The Last Tycoon, Slapshot. Wish that was an 80s film. Oh God, The Jerk, Xanadu, which I'd like to do at some point. He did shoot Mr. Mom. Okay. As mentioned, Cloak and Dagger. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. We also covered him for Clue. Go check that one out with Andy. Beethoven, Tommy Boy, and Jingle All the Way. Okay. Moving on to music. Interesting guy here, Ralph Burns. He passed in 2001. And from his filmography... It's clear that like really we've gotten this a couple of times where somebody maybe more so has. Does more like Broadway, more like live type.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, OK.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I think I think that really was where he came from. And if you look at his credits, I mean, he Oscar winning. But here's what's so interesting about his credits. I don't know how this works. He won. Two Oscars. However, for both those credits, he is uncredited. So I don't really...

SPEAKER_01:

You've done a hell of a job when you win an Oscar for an uncredited credited...

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I don't know if it's like he was later... Maybe in the moment he... I don't know. I don't know. But the two Oscar wins best original song score are for Cabaret and All That Jazz.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. I've heard of those.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. And then he also got an Oscar nom. So we did cover this movie. He was not the composer on Annie. He was the conductor slash music arranger. Oh,

SPEAKER_04:

okay.

UNKNOWN:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

I don't, like, look, I'll be really honest. I don't know the details of, like, who qualifies for certain Oscar categories. Like, sometimes it is a team that is, like, nominated. Sometimes it's a single person. So, but he was part of, I guess, the team that was nominated for Annie.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Some of his other credits include Lenny. So, like, the film with, I believe, Dustin Hoffman as Lenny Bruce. Urban Cowboy. My Favorite Year. Star 80. That is a dark movie. Okay. And then he pivots to The Muppets Take Manhattan. He does perfect. I will also never get tired of saying the title of this film. Burt Rigby, you're a fool. Fool. Love that. And then his final credit was All Dogs Go to Heaven.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. Nice.

SPEAKER_00:

All right. Moving on to film editing. Love this name. Pembroke J. Herring. What a name. He passed in 2020. Okay. Multi-Oscar nominated. Never won. I think actually this was his first film that he has a credit for. He got an editing Oscar nomination for Tora Tora Tora. He followed that up. I think it was maybe back to back even. Oscar nomination for Bound for Glory. Skipping ahead a little bit, he cut Little Darlings. We did cover him for 9 to 5. Go check that one out. He cut The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

SPEAKER_04:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Johnny Dangerously. He comes back for National Lampoon's European Vacation. He gets another Oscar nomination for Out of Africa. Some of his other credits include Legal Eagles, Who's That Girl, Great Balls Fire, Groundhog Day, so he reteams with Ramis on that.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

As well as his final credit was Multiplicity. Oh,

SPEAKER_01:

okay.

SPEAKER_00:

So... So it sounds like he probably, I think he was maybe around like 90 or so when he passed. And he passed in 2020, so Multiplicity was a 90s film. So it sounds like he probably retired after that point just to live his life.

SPEAKER_01:

Imagine naming your kid Pembroke.

SPEAKER_00:

Love it. Love that name. Okay, we're already at the stars of this film. Starting with, of course, Chevy Chase.

SPEAKER_01:

Everyone loves this guy. Right?

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, we know people who really do love him. I think

SPEAKER_01:

people love his work.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. I think that's a great way to put it. I definitely appreciate his humor. I especially appreciate his physical humor.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Great physical comedy.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Guy. Just

SPEAKER_01:

dancing with the sandwich in this movie.

SPEAKER_00:

He kind of reminds me, actually, as far as his physical comedy... I think there's a comparison to be made between him and John Ritter.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Yeah, I could see that.

SPEAKER_00:

Really similar.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Although I'd give

SPEAKER_01:

the edge to Ritter.

SPEAKER_00:

I do too he was

SPEAKER_01:

kind of next level but that's what I

SPEAKER_00:

oh my god that episode of Three's Company where he goes to like a party but he's like I don't know why he's high on drugs I remember do you know what I know the one you're yeah oh my god it's incredible yeah it's absolutely phenomenal it might be like one of the best like on par with like Lucille Ball like oh

SPEAKER_04:

yeah

SPEAKER_00:

amazing amazing uh but yeah Chevy Chase kind of reminds me of that so This is our introduction, this film, to the Griswold family. And Chase is the patriarch, Clark Griswold. So it has been a minute since we've talked about him. I think the last time we did, and honestly, there are plenty of other opportunities, I should say, to talk about him. He had a very strong 80s.

SPEAKER_01:

There are some really bizarre movies with him in the 80s.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

OK. I mean, maybe I'm not as familiar with those, but. Well,

SPEAKER_01:

I think the one where he gets psychic powers because he's driving behind a vehicle with radioactive nuclear waste.

SPEAKER_00:

What's that one called?

SPEAKER_01:

Modern Problems.

SPEAKER_00:

I think you've brought that up before. It

SPEAKER_01:

feels like like I know that I actually saw it as a kid. possibly my parents took me to the theater to see it which if we ever saw it you'd realize how bizarre of a choice that would have been by my parents but

SPEAKER_00:

yeah

SPEAKER_01:

yeah it's like a fever dream memory of this movie because it was just so wild i

SPEAKER_00:

do remember you bringing this up for something probably an episode and yeah he definitely will always be solidified as like a great comedian um Again, a very specific type of humor, especially in his heyday in the 80s. He's still working for sure, but I think most people know him from his work from the 80s.

SPEAKER_01:

People either know him from his movies from the 80s or from Community.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. And

SPEAKER_01:

everything that comes along with that.

SPEAKER_00:

Right. Yeah. Correct. And he, you know, I do have this credit down, like, but it comes a little bit later because of... When he finally kind of stopped on that series, just the way that IMDb ranks credits. But he started out like many of these guys on SNL. I think a lot of people, probably his most notable bit or shtick or whatever you want to call it, was like him being Gerald Ford.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And that's where I think he first showcased that physical humor because... Right or wrong. Yeah, accurate or not, which I don't think it actually was that accurate. They portrayed him as just being this like bumbling buffoon who, you know, trips over his own feet. Well, the

SPEAKER_01:

guy trips, I think, getting out of a plane or something like one of those types of things.

SPEAKER_00:

So like one time the guy trips and he's forever known as. Yeah. So among his credits, very early in the career, again, all films. So we have Oh, Heavenly Dog. Oh, yeah. We will at some point do Caddyshack. He does return for Caddyshack 2. We did cover him with Steve for Fletch, which very recently just had its 40th anniversary because Steve is a big fan of that film. So he brought that to my attention.

SPEAKER_01:

He's a big fan of the film and the books, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. Yeah. Yes, he definitely is. It's So I know that we've, like, largely just this podcast has evolved to be mostly you and me, but we've had guests on the show where it's very cool to see what people's, like, passions are and, like, interests are. Yeah. We've had so many guests where, like, Steve is one of them, where he loves, like, Fletch. He, I think, is a fan of Chevy Chase's work, his filmography. You know... David Mycor, huge Halloween fan, as well as huge Rocky fan. And we've done both with him. Of course, our good friend Casey, huge Back to the Future fan. Like, it's really fun to see all these people and what they love from this era. I really enjoy that. And so, yeah, he, of course, comes back for Fletch Lives. And then he is Clark Griswold. So he has been part of all the major vacation movies. So that includes European Vacation, Chris Christmas Vacation Vegas Vacation and then they did a film more recently just called Vacation

SPEAKER_01:

with Ed Helms and Christina Applegate

SPEAKER_00:

good job

SPEAKER_01:

yeah

SPEAKER_00:

and Ed Helms is like the adult Rusty

SPEAKER_01:

yes

SPEAKER_00:

so Chase has more of a cameo in that film because it really follows Rusty and his family

SPEAKER_01:

yeah

SPEAKER_00:

but he is definitely in it and then other huge 80s films Spies Like Us

SPEAKER_01:

definitely we have to cover that at some point yeah

SPEAKER_00:

That's with Ackroyd, correct?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Three Amigos with Steve Martin and Mark Short.

SPEAKER_01:

His name in that movie... Spies Like Us? His name in Three Amigos is Dusty Bottoms.

SPEAKER_00:

Nice.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Funny Farm, Nothing But Trouble, Man of the House, like we're moving into the 90s, Orange County. And so... Later in his career, more TV work. He was on Chuck for a while. I already mentioned that he did start out on SNL. The reason why I've listed that so late is because he must have made guest appearances and then they bump up down the line, that credit, chronologically. To your point, community, a lot, a lot, a lot has been said about that. A lot

SPEAKER_01:

has been said by... Joel McHale, other people who were on the show. So

SPEAKER_00:

like we're not going to go down that rabbit hole, but no need. But he was on it. And then more recently, a film called The Christmas Letter. So like he's still working. He just I think he's got to be close to 80.

SPEAKER_01:

You know that like. You're in high demand when it's just mostly him and Paul Simon in the music video for You Can Call Me

SPEAKER_00:

Al. Oh, sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And he does really show off a lot of his physical comedy and goofiness in that video.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. There's going to be, as we get through all these people, I'm going to make another comparison with somebody else who's featured in this film. Oh. But we'll get to that when we get to it.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay.

UNKNOWN:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Next, we're going to go over Beverly D'Angelo, who plays Ellen Griswold, Clark's wife. And she's great, too. I mean, she's had such an interesting career. I have actually really similar to Chase, where early in her career, I have a ton of films. And later on, she's done some TV. But she has this little bit part. It's not a big role, but I just wanted to call it that she was in Annie Hall. Oh, really? Yeah. I didn't know that. OK. Little role. Little role. Every Which Way But Loose?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, so there were two of the Clint Eastwood, him as a trucker with his orangutan buddy, Clyde, possibly. There was Every Which Way But Loose and Every Which Way You Can. And I can never remember which one's first. But that was the premise was that he was a truck driver who had an orangutan companion who made extra money on the side street fighting.

SPEAKER_00:

wow

SPEAKER_01:

yeah that was that was the premise

SPEAKER_00:

okay okay um okay yeah i know

SPEAKER_01:

it leaves you speechless just thinking about it i know i get it

SPEAKER_00:

she was in the film hair coal miner's daughter so she's in a lot of well hair i mean here's a musical but like more serious fare And then she starts up with like the vacation movies. And look, she's done far more than the vacation movies, but I think she will always be remembered most. for this franchise. I

SPEAKER_01:

think so.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. I don't know how she feels about that, but I think that that is probably what she will be known

SPEAKER_01:

for. Like Leslie Nielsen did serious stuff, but you're always going to remember him from The Naked Gun and from Airplane.

SPEAKER_00:

She has done drama since, and I'll get to one in particular. But yeah, so she's part of all those films too. So she comes back for European Vacation, Christmas Vacation, Vegas, and just Vacation. She was in the film Made to Order with Ally Sheedy, High Spirits, Man Trouble, Eye for an Eye. She has a very notable role in American History X.

SPEAKER_01:

Another family comedy.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, Jesus. Never watching that movie. It is...

SPEAKER_01:

Especially now. Especially now. It would be particularly difficult to watch now because it's as though the movie never existed and no one ever got the message.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Yeah. It...

SPEAKER_01:

Maybe people should watch

SPEAKER_00:

it now. It's a phenomenal movie. It is. The performances all around are absolutely astounding.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

From like everybody. But... And she plays the mom. Yep. So... But it is a highly challenging film to watch. It was then, and I'm sure it is now.

SPEAKER_01:

It was the kid from Terminator 2.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Right? And

SPEAKER_00:

Edward Norton? Norton, yep.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So I'm going to make a huge change in directions and say it's not as though it's a movie that may as well have never been made. It's like a movie that is probably more important for people to see now than ever to get a sense

SPEAKER_00:

of... It's kind of... Well, no, I shouldn't say this. I was almost going to say it's kind of insane that it got greenlit. But there's plenty of indies, real indies that do still get made today. But I mean, I'm glad it was made. I'm glad I watched it. I'm never going to watch it again because it's... It's really fucking tough.

SPEAKER_01:

It's difficult to watch.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

She also was in Sugar Town. And talk about a pivot. Harold and Kumar escaped from Guantanamo Bay. This might be the first and only time I ever bring up this movie on this show. She's in The House Buddy. Oh,

SPEAKER_01:

really? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

You were kind of in that. Yes. Right at the beginning, right?

SPEAKER_00:

And at the end. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So if anybody ever wants to watch the house, buddy. So in the opening sequence where Anna Faris is talking about her childhood. I

SPEAKER_01:

respect that they got, even though the pronunciation is wrong, they got Anna, Anna.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Yeah. From one Anna to another. So they're doing kind of this quick montage and like a series of photographs and And there's a class picture and they linger for a second on a little girl who air quotes looks normal. And then they pan over to kind of this like geeky looking girl and that's supposed to be her. I am the normal looking girl in that. And then at the very, very end of the movie, there's another photograph of all the sorority sisters. You actually could find me probably a couple times because we had to double up on some of the images. So I think I'm probably in that more than once. That's my claim to fame. That is probably the first and only time I'll ever be in front of a camera. And I'm not even really in front of a camera. It's just photos. Anyway, so there we go. There's that. And then she did have a stint on Entourage for a while. So now some TV shows, Shooter, and then I think it's already been canceled, but the TV series of True Lies.

SPEAKER_01:

Probably. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So, okay. As far as billing goes, these are not the two people that are billed next. I understand why they gave it to Imogene Coca, and we will get to her in a second. However, I'm just going to go over the entire Griswold family because... That's what I think makes sense.

SPEAKER_01:

We can do what we want.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So we're going to start with, of the two kids, Anthony Michael Hall. You mentioned him at the top. He is Rusty Griswold. I mean, it's hilarious because literally that's kind of, I don't know if I'd say it's the joke. Obviously, kids grow up and they somewhat keep these films static in time. Because they always have teenage kids.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. They grow up a little bit for Vegas Vacation. Sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. But they have to have kids. Except for this last movie, Vacation, they were always kids. And so, obviously, you've got to swap out the kids. You can't keep the same kids. They

SPEAKER_01:

barely kept him in this movie.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Anthony Michael Hall is the first Rusty.

SPEAKER_01:

Because he kept growing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

I imagine. So is that what you read that?

SPEAKER_01:

He was supposed to be the younger sibling, but he grew three inches from when they first started the film. So they kind of like switched that up. And you can notice in the beginning of the movie, he's about the same height as his mom, as Beverly D'Angelo. And then by the other scenes later, he's already grown. He's had like

SPEAKER_00:

this huge growth spurt. Did they film it in order? Yeah. well

SPEAKER_01:

no I was thinking of that as I said I and I don't I'm

SPEAKER_00:

not sure but okay

SPEAKER_01:

like you'll notice it in different scenes I'm not sure when you would see it but yeah

SPEAKER_00:

that's hilarious I mean yeah he's a teenager he's growing his puberty

SPEAKER_01:

they did really travel to all those locations they did

SPEAKER_00:

oh I would imagine so yeah

SPEAKER_01:

they visited all those spots that the you see and

SPEAKER_00:

that's why it was hilarious at the end when we were watching closing credits I was just like man it's wild how how things have and like look I'm not saying unnecessarily so but when you watch credits today even for the most indie films. It is a long list of credits. And the fact that they did travel to all these places and just what that would entail logistically.

SPEAKER_01:

There's some busy people.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I was surprised that there was such a small crew.

SPEAKER_01:

Although, I'll just bring this up. We noted, we were talking about when they get to the end, when they get to Wally World, it's obviously Six Flags, Magic Mountain. But when they're in the parking lot, that was actually the parking lot of Santa Anita.

SPEAKER_00:

That makes a lot of sense.

SPEAKER_01:

With like a big background.

SPEAKER_00:

We've been there. That makes a lot of sense. And they

SPEAKER_01:

were like, they're doing the run, like running back up to the entrance gate. It was like well over 100 degrees when they were doing

SPEAKER_00:

that. Oh, I can imagine. Yeah. And I think because what other movie did we film or did we cover where they... probably couldn't get the rights to the chariots of fire theme. And so they did something that was really similar, but it does sound like they did get the rights to the chariots of fire for this one. I

SPEAKER_01:

think so. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

They actually had some like legit songs in this, uh, the Ramones.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Maybe this is the best time to bring this up. Maybe somebody can let us know it. I love the song Holiday Road by Lindsey Buckingham, but it sounds like it's been sped up throughout the entire film.

SPEAKER_01:

So we watched it just through our spectrum, like our cable provider. You could watch it on demand through that. I was wondering, because we also had a version where it edited the profanities.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

I wonder if there was something where they compressed the front and back for a time. I don't

SPEAKER_00:

know. Maybe. I don't know. So back to... Anthony Michael Hall. I mean, he's great in this. He is. I really love this kid in this movie. He kind of has his dad's number the entire time. Yes. He has this really interesting demeanor about him. He kind

SPEAKER_01:

of knows his dad is full of

SPEAKER_00:

shit. Yeah. He kind of knows his dad's kind of this idiot, but he's still just... Kind of loves him anyway. Like, it's a really interesting performance.

SPEAKER_01:

Interesting when you consider he eventually turns into Ed Helms, who is the same.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

He turns into his dad.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And also what's so interesting about this is that this. OK, so Hughes was the writer. So this is probably the introduction between them because then he does go on.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And literally his next three films are 16 Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science.

SPEAKER_01:

He's great in this. So it makes sense, right?

SPEAKER_00:

It is. I think it is really interesting. And I do not fault him at all for what kind of like the different pivots he made in his career. Because like in this film...

SPEAKER_01:

Big time. He made some huge pivots.

SPEAKER_00:

He made some huge pivots. In this film, he's just a kid. And honestly, he's pretty savvy, like we were saying. And like not a... air quotes whatever not a nerd not a dork not a geek at all he's just a kid

SPEAKER_02:

yeah

SPEAKER_00:

and then once he gets into his like hughes era he is unfortunately every single role typecast as like literally in 16 candles his name is geek well like like that's the that's like the credit name that he has

SPEAKER_01:

and he didn't have to be right like I guess compared to the rest of the cast on that, that makes the most sense for him. But he wasn't a geek in this. Like

SPEAKER_00:

you said, he was just a kid. No, no, he wasn't.

SPEAKER_01:

He's the geekiest, though, in 16 Candles.

SPEAKER_00:

By far.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, Breakfast Club, he is, again, he is an archetype.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

In Breakfast Club, as they all are. And so, again, that's where he falls into. Weird Science is the most, like, kind of egregious in terms of, like, really over the top.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm not looking forward to when we do that and we have to talk about the club.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Yeah. Well, we have some stuff to talk about in this film, too. Yeah. We do. Yeah. So... Yeah, so he goes through his, like, Hughes era, and then he pivots hard out of that to try to, you know, I don't know if I'd say, like, rebrand himself. But, like, then he does the film Johnny B. Goode, where he's this, like, popular jock who gets all the girls. It's kind of a cringe film. Yeah. He, again, plays, like, this total meathead in Edward Scissorhands. Yeah. he's in Freddie got fingered. I've never watched that movie. So I don't know what that's about. Um, so he, he's in a video, I think it was like direct to video, but it's interesting cause he was in a film called the dead zone. And then that became a TV series, which he had it up.

SPEAKER_01:

So yeah, that was a Stephen King novel. I thought so. And the original movie was Christopher Walken playing that role. Yeah. Michael Anthony Hall plays later. Um, Yeah, it's about someone with, like, this... He's in a car crash. He's in a coma. When he comes back, he, I think, just shakes the hand of the president. That's right. Or a candidate for presidency. And he sees, like, into the future of, like, the apocalypse that this candidate will bring. And so then the rest of the movie is him kind of figuring out how to assassinate this potential candidate.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so I do remember you... You've brought up that film before, or

SPEAKER_01:

maybe just the book. Not really a John Hughes kind of story. No. Very much a pivot into different

SPEAKER_00:

stuff. Yes, yes, for sure. And this is now, we're like in the 90s. He, I think, has just a small role in The Dark Knight. He's done other TV work. He was on a TV show called Awkward for a while. This, okay, I don't mean to rag so hard on... The Halloween franchise. But... It's,

SPEAKER_01:

you know, we critique it because we love it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. I'm sure that's what other Star Wars fans would say about their toxic fandom.

SPEAKER_01:

No, they're just nuts.

SPEAKER_00:

But... So he's in Halloween Kills. He is the adult version of Tommy Doyle. And... Honestly, because I double-checked the filmography. I was like, does he have any cameo at all in either the 2018 Halloween or Halloween Ends? I don't think he does. I don't think he does. He's just in Halloween Kills. Yeah. So he's in that. He's in Clerks 3. I did not know that was a movie made. This makes all the sense in the world. He had a stint on the Goldbergs.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it does make sense.

SPEAKER_00:

And the TV show Reacher.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

So, okay, moving on to the daughter, Dana Barron. She plays Audrey in Same. This is her one and only, one and done as Audrey. Other actresses have taken on the role.

SPEAKER_01:

Not necessarily.

SPEAKER_00:

What?

SPEAKER_01:

She comes back.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, are you talking about the commercials? No.

SPEAKER_01:

So there's a TV movie called At least it's listed as a TV movie. Christmas Vacation 2, Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, so I saw that. What is that? I saw it. I didn't even bother with listing that for anybody. Fair enough. Okay, fair. I stand corrected. I stand corrected. She plays Audrey more than once. I

SPEAKER_01:

didn't even know that existed. I'm probably not going to...

SPEAKER_00:

Although once we get to Randy Quaid, he has such an interesting career. OK, so among her credits, I mean, she's still working. It's not as extensive a filmography, but she was in the film Heaven Help Us, Heartbreak Hotel. I don't know this show, but she had a extremely long stint on a series called Crossbow.

SPEAKER_01:

Never heard of it. Yeah. But it looks like it features archery of some kind.

SPEAKER_00:

Maybe. She, for a while, was on the original Beverly Hills 90210, as well as the TV series The Magnificent Seven, and then beyond that. And now we're going to start getting into everybody else who I've listed my common refrain of, like, she's done a ton of, like, one-offs and two-offs on TV shows. So, okay, now we're going to cover, and I love her first name, Imogene Coca.

SPEAKER_01:

That is a cool name.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So she played... Aunt Edna.

SPEAKER_01:

It's no Pembroke, but it's a cool name.

SPEAKER_00:

It is a cool name. Both her character name and real name. She passed in 2001. And here's what's like so interesting. This is just a fuck up, I think, on IMDb or whoever listed her credits. So she was a comedian, maybe very much akin to Lucille Ball. I am not super familiar with her work prior to this. This is like what I know her from. But she... was a very popular comedic actress, especially in television. Okay. And I think that one of her biggest shows is called Your Show of Shows. It was probably like... Your Show of Shows. Like sketch comedy, I think, type stuff.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And she was on it as like a regular series character, but she is only credited with one episode. That's

SPEAKER_01:

weird.

SPEAKER_00:

So... weird she had her own show she also had the imaging coca show okay so there you go she was on a tv show called grindle don't know as well as it's about time and just in general like i mean she was in other films but like really her her foot was solidly in tv and that's what she did for most of her career so okay moving on to randy quaid cousin eddie

SPEAKER_01:

Cousin Eddie, Jesus Christ. This guy. This guy. This whole family.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, look, I brought this up, I think, at the tail end of the previous episode of any vacation movies. And I know a ton of people absolutely love and adore Christmas Vacation. But this is my favorite of the vacation movies because it's the most subdued. And that includes Cousin Eddie's role.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. I think that's mostly right. I think... Like Christmas vacation gets pretty crazy. Two is just too jarring with like the changes to the cast. And it's just like.

SPEAKER_00:

You're being in vacation is like bananas.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. I actually, I do like Vegas vacation. I think it's really, I love the Papa Giorgio storyline for Rusty. I

SPEAKER_00:

don't.

SPEAKER_01:

He gets a fake ID. Oh,

SPEAKER_00:

okay.

SPEAKER_01:

And his name is like something Papa Giorgio.

SPEAKER_00:

And isn't Rusty the guy from Big Bang Theory? Yeah.

UNKNOWN:

Possibly.

SPEAKER_01:

But he just goes

SPEAKER_00:

on like... Oh no, that's Christmas Vacation. Never mind.

SPEAKER_01:

He goes on like this incredible winning spree. Wins the family cars. It's like... It's kind of nice to see something good happen to him.

SPEAKER_00:

Actually, I think Rusty is... What's his name from a far off place, right?

SPEAKER_01:

You're just like naming things now. I don't know. I was thinking maybe if I just keep talking about this win

SPEAKER_02:

streak...

SPEAKER_01:

I would have to admit that I'm not sure I understand the references. I'm not getting them.

SPEAKER_00:

It's... Oh, my gosh. It is... I know that Audrey is Juliette Lewis. And then... Oh, no! It was... Okay, wait. I just looked up Christmas Vacation. So Christmas Vacation, the kids are Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki. Yeah. So that's who... I meant from Big Bang Theory. So that's Christmas. And then Vegas Vacation. Yeah,

SPEAKER_01:

let's look at it. Let's get some quacking keys going.

SPEAKER_00:

What do we got? I try to be quiet about it. But then the kids. That's what I thought. Rusty is Ethan Embry. Okay. And then Audrey. I don't know her. Marisol Nichols. So, okay. There we go.

SPEAKER_01:

There

SPEAKER_00:

we go. All right. I'm sorry. You were saying?

SPEAKER_01:

I don't remember. Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

He got a fake ID.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, he became this Papa Giorgio character and just won. And to be fair, the whole family wins because that one guy dies playing that game at the end and they just take his

SPEAKER_00:

ticket. Oh, yeah, that's right. Yeah. That's right. Okay. So Cousin Eddie, Randy Quaid, what an interesting career. Indeed. He... Before these Vegas movies... had a fairly serious, like, I think was known a lot as a dramatic actor. I

SPEAKER_01:

mean, he's in one of the most serious fucking movies that you will

SPEAKER_00:

see. Midnight Express? Yes, that's the one. Yeah. I clocked that too. I am not, and this was, I learned a lot about his career. I, really only know him from the vacation movies and he has

SPEAKER_01:

Independence Day

SPEAKER_00:

Independence Day and then like I'm not gonna go down the rabbit hole but he's had a whole thing outside of like his work where he has I think behaved or said things that come across a little erratic a little wacky I'm

SPEAKER_01:

disregarding all of those for purposes of of this

SPEAKER_00:

yes same so I don't remember him. We watched this for a different podcast. Not our podcast. Last Picture Show. Really? Yeah, I don't remember him, like who he was in that. I don't

SPEAKER_01:

either, but I really enjoyed that movie.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I know you did.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, it's a good movie.

SPEAKER_00:

It's a great movie. And it's clear that he had a relationship with Peter Bogdanovich because he's in several of his movies. Last Picture Show is one of them. My favorite of his movies, probably, well, What's Up, Doc? He's in that. And the reason why I was like, eh, eh, is because I also love Paper Moon. Yeah. So he's in all those movies. He... is an oscar nominated actor he was up for best supporting actor in a film called the last detail he is in the film the missouri breaks you already mentioned midnight express he is in we could do this the wraith

SPEAKER_01:

oh we're going to i think yeah that's going to be like a halloween one right

SPEAKER_00:

If you want to pick the Wraith, then go for it. It wasn't my pick this year, but we have talked about it so much that maybe

SPEAKER_01:

we should. Because what's his name? Charlie Sheen is in that, right? Yeah. So I figured we would eventually. We

SPEAKER_00:

will eventually. Yeah. He is in Kitty Shock 2, so he kind of reteams with Chase. He's in a film. I remember this film. I never saw it. Parents. Isn't it like cannibalistic or murderous? Murderous parents? I have not seen that

SPEAKER_01:

movie, but you're- peeking my curiosity.

SPEAKER_00:

I think that's somewhere around what it's about. He does come back for Christmas vacation and Vegas vacation. He's not a European because they're in Europe.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, right? God, we're all ripped off. We don't get the

SPEAKER_00:

cousin Eddie experience. We're ripped off? Yes. I don't know who he possibly could play. He's in Days of Thunder.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, Days of Thunder, to the extent it's a movie about NASCAR racing, he could be virtually anyone.

SPEAKER_00:

Sure. I did not know that he was on Saturday Night Live. I

SPEAKER_01:

didn't either.

SPEAKER_00:

So that show, I don't know it. It's called the Dave or I'm sorry, just Davis Rules. He was in the film The Paper. And then to your point, probably the two other films that he is most well known for Independence Day and Kingpin.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. Big time. Kingpin.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Yeah. He was in another teen movie. I don't know who he would have played in this, but he is in Brokeback Mountain.

UNKNOWN:

Hmm.

SPEAKER_01:

Just probably a rancher or cowboy dude.

SPEAKER_00:

And then he reteams yet again with Chase because he too is in The Christmas Letter.

SPEAKER_01:

The Christmas Letter.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Is that a Hallmark movie?

SPEAKER_00:

Maybe.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh.

SPEAKER_00:

Or Lifetime. I don't know. Who knows? All right. Moving on to Cousin Catherine, Miriam Flynn. She... You know what? Of any of the characters, she remains understated, I think, for all of her stints as Cousin Catherine.

SPEAKER_01:

I think she has to, to balance that out. Yeah. It'd be too much if they were both like Cousin Eddie. Agreed.

SPEAKER_00:

And she is still very much working to this day. Very early in her career, she was on a TV show called Maggie, which I think she might have even been the... She was Maggie? Yeah. We brought her up for Mr. Mom.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, she like one of the neighbors? Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

She's like the normal neighbor who actually kind of, she's the neighbor that doesn't hit. She's not

SPEAKER_01:

the affair neighbor.

SPEAKER_00:

No, she is not the affair neighbor.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Now I recognize her. So she's great. I love her role in that film. So she's in that. She's in For Keeps, Stealing Home. She, too, comes back for Christmas Vacation, Vegas Vacation. She's done a ton of voice work. So some of the shows, like animated shows that she's done voice for, Tasmania, The Spooktacular New Adventures of Casper, Chalk Zone. Yeah. Other movies, Waiting for Guffman, Evolution. And she's done shows where she's like in front of the camera, like Grounded for Life, Call Me Cat, and just a lot more TV work. Like both for voice and in front of the camera. Okay. Okay. So this is what I brought up. This is the last person we're going to like really feature. Eddie Bracken. So he is Roy Wally. Wally World.

SPEAKER_01:

Of Wally World, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Correct. Yeah. Passed in 2002. And... Are you familiar with him at all?

SPEAKER_01:

I have to admit, I am unfamiliar with his work.

SPEAKER_00:

That's okay. So he had a huge career before this movie ever came along. But, you know, it's totally cool if people of a certain generation only know him from this film. Huge comedic actor. And he was in a couple films from probably my all-time favorite filmmaker, Preston Sturgis. Okay. And, I mean... If there's anybody in the industry who I admire and am like a little envious and jealous of, it's Preston Sturgis. He was a phenomenal writer, phenomenal director. He was so adept at clever comedy mixed with slapstick. He just was amazing. And if I– ever brought him up to you is probably for The Lady Eve. Oh,

SPEAKER_01:

yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Which is actually a little bit more of one of his subdued comedy films.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, I'm not... Just generally speaking, it feels the way... I've seen some others that you've shown me that are...

SPEAKER_00:

Sullivan's Travels is probably his most well-known film. However, Bracken... was in two films that I do love, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek and Hail the Conquering Hero. Probably more well known for The Miracle of Morgan's Creek. It is a little bit more of a frantic film than the ones that you have seen, or Lady Eve at least. But he's phenomenal. He is phenomenal in these movies. And honestly, he is a much earlier version in some regards to Chevy Chase or John Ritter in terms of that type of comedy. And I... want to take a guess that they brought him on this film in large part as like homage to, to that type of comedy that was so popular with screwball comedy back then. I

SPEAKER_01:

would assume that that held some influence over like Ramis.

SPEAKER_00:

I would think so. If they know anything about their film history.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. And I'm sure they

SPEAKER_00:

do. And Chase. They did. Yeah. And maybe even Hughes. And, and he was just phenomenal. And honestly, I think like, I don't I don't know why I'm like pitting people. But like he he's he is a superior version even of Chase. Like Chase is great. But like if you go back to Bracken's early work, he's amazing. So if ever you want to check out who he was 40 years prior. What's

SPEAKER_01:

the name again?

SPEAKER_00:

Go. If you're going to pick one of the two, go to Miracle Morgan's Creek.

SPEAKER_01:

OK.

SPEAKER_00:

So anyway. Yeah. Huge career success. When he was younger, besides those two films, Hold That Blonde, We're Not Married, both with exclamation points. So Hold That Blonde, We're Not Married. Skipping ahead decades, he's in the movie Oscar. He is in Home Alone 2, Austin, New York, Rookie of the Year, Baby's Day Out. So he must have had some kind of friendship with Hughes. And his final credit, I think he was just on one episode of the TV series, Ed. But besides a ton of film work, also a ton of TV work. Okay. Okay. Now, I'm not going to single them all out in their individual filmographies, but I did want to note a ton of cameos. There's a lot. Yeah, there's a lot. I guess you would say probably the most prominent is Christie Brinkley.

SPEAKER_01:

The girl in the Ferrari.

SPEAKER_00:

So let's talk about that.

SPEAKER_01:

Look, she held her ground and did not did not get nude for this movie. No. Which they wanted her to. But she like, you know, stripped down underwear before hopping in the pool. Yeah. But but it early versions of the movie before Jason Ramis had done some like unofficial, I don't know, rewrites, uncredited rewrites. It was going to be a younger character who Probably not her, Brinkley. But it was going to be like a love interest for Rusty. Oh. And that was changed to like what we now see with it being this like weird like obsession with Clark. But it's just so bizarre. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

It was a really interesting choice to have that be part of the film because look, it's not great. It's pretty skeevy that he is like obsessing over this chick.

SPEAKER_01:

This guy had one fight with his wife on the road trip and is stripping down and jumping naked

SPEAKER_00:

into pools. Yeah. And I may say this to you, like I can say this to you because it would never happen, but I was like, There'd be a way bigger problem if I ever caught you naked in a pool with somebody.

SPEAKER_01:

Because he just comes back in and it's like...

SPEAKER_00:

And she's more than anything, she's like, do you like her? Is that what you want? I'd be fucking throwing down if I caught my partner doing something like that. He

SPEAKER_01:

tried to convince Rusty that she was like a waitress, a swimming waitress. And Rusty's like... Ah, you think mom's going to fall for that?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, because like I said, Rusty knows what's up. And look, maybe this is as good a place as any to... Talk about, like, almost every film we cover, there's stuff that hasn't aged well.

SPEAKER_01:

And... It makes me wonder, like, because this was based supposedly in part on, like...

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, Vacation 58.

SPEAKER_01:

Vacation, like, yeah, from John Hughes. So I'm like, what happened on your vacation to where, like, was this part of it or was this just, like, added in? I hope...

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. I mean, look, Christie Brinkley was hugely popular then. So it probably was a way to just get more eyes on the film.

SPEAKER_01:

There's a cutout of her... For like a sunblock, suntan lotion ad or like a cardboard cutout you'd see if you're going to buy some sunblock in one of the places that they visit in the movie.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, that's fun.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. But the whole storyline is just kind of icky. It

SPEAKER_01:

happens in all of them, though. Like, in every one of them. Like, in Christmas Vacation, there's, like, the...

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, the woman at the store. Yeah. Yeah. It's gross. And it... Clark is not the best husband. No, no, he's not. And I, again, you know, like, look, I'm not going to get too deep on this for vacation, but like, I hate the way that Ellen responds.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

That she just is like, oh, is that what you want? Instead of being fucking

SPEAKER_01:

pissed. Well, that's why it's nice, again, bringing up Vegas vacation. She basically gets her own vacation. The Wayne Newton experience.

SPEAKER_00:

That's right. Yeah. That's right. So, and then what I was going to say about other things that haven't aged well.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh my God, are you talking about when they were trying to find directions?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Holy shit.

SPEAKER_00:

So look, as a lot of 80s movies are, this is a very white movie. Yes. And very white. The only, and it is almost like so starkly white. jarring in this film because they make jokes out of it yeah both instances the only time people are of color are shown is to be the butt of a joke is to be the butt of a joke with horrible stereotypes yeah or just outright like humiliation and and you know a character is literally treated as a dog yeah and as it is gross that that is played for a joke and And then, yes, earlier when they find themselves in East St. Louis, they're surrounded by men who, you know, are presented as like gangbangers or whatever and steal from them and rip them off money wise. And it's just it's gross. And it's

SPEAKER_01:

the look, I think the portrayal of East St. Louis. Fair enough.

UNKNOWN:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

I don't know. I mean, I've driven through East St. Louis. I don't know. But it's not great. In terms of

SPEAKER_01:

the potential danger generally associated with East St. Louis.

SPEAKER_00:

Regardless of, you know, creed, color, race, ethnicity, background of the people who live there. But, yeah. So just calling that out. It's really unfortunate. I hate... And, like, this is not to excuse anyone. I know that, like, we, again... A lot of 80s films are very problematic in a lot of ways. This, again, just seems so stark because of the jokes that are made out of those stereotypes and just the way that people of color are used in this film. And I hate that it's associated with two filmmakers that I, in a lot of ways, have esteem for in terms of Ramis and Hughes.

SPEAKER_01:

I hadn't seen the movie before. from the very beginning and so long that I completely forgot about the whole East St. Louis bit.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, more so Hughes than Ramis, and I can say this as being somebody who has done a lot of study and has done a lot of evolution on my thoughts on Hughes. Hughes legitimately, in retrospect, leaned heavy into gross stereotypes about a lot of different ethnicities. Yeah.

UNKNOWN:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Again, I'm not going to go on a deep dive, but I just want to call that out because it is something that we both clocked

SPEAKER_01:

for this film. And the reason I brought up not seeing it in a while is because without seeing that bit at the beginning, you don't really make that same connection at the end.

SPEAKER_00:

Correct.

SPEAKER_01:

Because without that, it's just like, oh, there's like another- But it's like twice now. But yeah, exactly. You see it again, you're like, oh, shit.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So other cameos. We have Bill Murray's brother, Brian Doyle Murray. So he's the clerk- I mean, it's funny little. So it's when they're staying in those tents. Yeah. And he's not like over the top redneck or whatever you would describe him. He's more just like a guy who's kind of eating a sandwich. And I don't know what are the funny more understated things. like bits for me was when Chase is like, why do you need my address? He's like, we send a mailer. Like, I don't know why I found that so funny, but he's just because he plays it so straight. Yeah. We said to me, we said to Miller. So he's in it. I think a lot of people clock Eugene Levy at the very beginning of the film as the car salesman.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So he's great. He's great. Of course, John Candy. He is Russ Lasky.

SPEAKER_01:

Million bucks for that for that appearance.

SPEAKER_00:

Really?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, he was so, so early in his career, but okay. Like, wow. And

SPEAKER_01:

then funny enough, they, they created a like Wally world water park, I think in Canada possibly. And they tried to get him for like the opening. They could not afford him.

SPEAKER_00:

They could not afford him. You know, it's kind of funny. Cause it's like, uh, Hughes really liked working with him, but even, you know, part of it is he was just in such high demand. He was so busy up until his passing. But, you know, they had a literal, like, 24-hour clock for him on Home Alone. Like, they had to just, like, power through those scenes because he was only available for literally, like, a day. Wow. Yeah. So... There you go. And then maybe you said this when we were watching it. You're like, oh, I did not realize that was Jane Krakowski. So she is cousin Vicky.

SPEAKER_01:

She has the most horrifying line possibly in the entire movie when she's talking about like making out and French kissing. And Audrey's like, that's not a big deal. I've done that. And what is her line? Like, yeah, but my dad says I'm the best at it.

SPEAKER_00:

I don't like it at all. I don't like it at all. I

SPEAKER_01:

forgot about that. Oh my God. Oh

SPEAKER_00:

yeah. So probably at the time they didn't realize this was going to be a franchise where that character was going to keep coming back. But I

SPEAKER_01:

mean, it's not the only inappropriate joke that they make like throughout the franchise.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh no. And even like, look, I really don't even want to repeat it, but Wally has a terrible stereotype line. Oh, yeah. I'm not going to. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Not going to do it.

SPEAKER_00:

So, yeah. And then lastly, Popeye the dog as Dinky.

SPEAKER_01:

Fun fact. Fun fact time. Chevy Chase adopted that dog after the movie.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I love that. Yeah. Oh, I love that so much. Wait. How was that dog not already...

SPEAKER_01:

No, that was my first question as well. There's no answer to that question. All I can tell you is that he adopted that dog.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, because I would highly suspect that I was a trained dog to, on cue, be able to bite and do what it did. So, interesting.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. Maybe not. Maybe...

SPEAKER_00:

They just literally grabbed a dog from the shelter. Maybe that's just

SPEAKER_01:

what it did.

SPEAKER_00:

Maybe. I know they've done that before. Actually, what were we watching? We covered something for the show where they literally pulled a dog from a shelter because they...

SPEAKER_01:

Maybe Dinky was a pro and was trained to do all this, but maybe Dinky was ready to retire.

SPEAKER_00:

Maybe. And

SPEAKER_01:

Chevy

SPEAKER_00:

Chase gave him that home. God, I would... Anyway. Okay. Look, I love adoption stories. Film synopsis.

SPEAKER_01:

What do you got?

SPEAKER_00:

The Griswold family's cross-country drive to the Wally World theme park proves to be much more arduous than they ever anticipated. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, if they had included something about like wild madcap misadventures, I would have accepted that too.

SPEAKER_00:

Sure. Yeah. Very accurate. Yeah. Fine. Yeah. I'm fine with it. Good one.

SPEAKER_01:

Thumbs up. No notes.

UNKNOWN:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, you know, it's interesting because, like, now that I'm thinking about it with the franchise, the first two films are very much them traveling from place to place, and that's how a lot of the comedy comes about is kind of them brushing up against these, like, absurd locales or scenarios that they find themselves in, whereas– Christmas Vacation Vegas, they're pretty static in one location. And it's just the things that happen to them while they are there. But then they kind of go back, I think. Although I saw it, but I haven't seen it since the first time I saw it. Vacation with just Ed Helms, I think, goes back to kind of more of the original concept. I think so. In terms of travel, actual travel. The

SPEAKER_01:

first studio that they were shopping it to felt like, well, it's too episodic. And they were like, yeah, but it's a road trip. So, of course.

SPEAKER_00:

Both are right.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Both are right. It is an interesting film in that regard because, yeah, it's a bunch of little bits that are strung together.

SPEAKER_01:

Last fun fact. Yes, that was them on the rides. And yes, they had to do it over and over again. And yes, Beverly D'Angelo, I think, was literally passed out afterwards because they were all getting sick from going on the rides over and over again.

SPEAKER_00:

Really? I would have loved it.

SPEAKER_01:

Like, Rusty... michael anthony hall was like legitimately terrified on some of them

SPEAKER_00:

like really yeah they did he did a great job acting because he looked like he enjoyed every second of it

SPEAKER_01:

but the uh the one the it's it's in real life called the revolution that was that was just the revolution ride which at the time was the first to have like that um loop in it

SPEAKER_00:

oh really but

SPEAKER_01:

they've definitely like retrofitted that with more like over the shoulder like a different kind of harness because you wouldn't have just like a lap restraint

SPEAKER_00:

for that now no no no no i mean i Yeah. Yeah. I don't think my physical body tolerates them as well as it used to. It

SPEAKER_01:

has been a very long time since I've been to Six Flags. But I was there when they had what was at the time a new coaster called Goliath, which has this insane drop. And then... kind of a couple turns that pull enough Gs that you will start blacking out. And if I blacked out then, I don't know if I'd make

SPEAKER_00:

it. I mean, my whole thing growing up outside of Chicago was Great America. Also Six

SPEAKER_01:

Flags.

SPEAKER_00:

And the big ride at that one was called like the Eagle.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Super rickety, like all wood. I think at one point it was like riddled with termites. Perfect. But they had that. That was the big ride. But yeah, I mean, I've always really enjoyed roller coasters. I think, what's the one where like, was it a, now I'm beginning to mix up like my amusement parks, but like there's one where it's like kind of just a loop-de-loop and you just keep going back in this

SPEAKER_01:

loop-de-loop. That is featured at Knott's Berry Farm and that's called Montezuma's Revenge.

SPEAKER_00:

It's got to be another place because I've actually never been to Knott's Berry.

SPEAKER_01:

That's the one at Knott's Berry Farm, though. You take off, do a loop, and then you go through the whole thing backwards.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, exactly. They have that in a couple different places because that one, after a while, you're like, oh, my God, enough. But they're fun. I mean, the last roller coaster we were on was... What's the other half of Disney?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, California

SPEAKER_00:

Adventure. There you go. Yeah. The Incredibles ride.

SPEAKER_01:

That's decent. It's

SPEAKER_00:

pretty decent. Yeah. No, I like it a lot. Yeah. So watching this film again. Sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

I'll do it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Definitely. I mean, I think we've said it a couple of times now lately. Not a movie I need to just sit down and watch. Could have it in the background doing whatever, I guess. It

SPEAKER_01:

is a movie that's on quite a bit. It just happens to be on if you have any kind of cable subscription whatsoever. Or if you just want to search for it, you can try. We didn't find it on anything.

SPEAKER_00:

Although I will say that I think probably... film for film, Christmas Vacation is the one that gets the most airtime nowadays. Even for a very limited amount of time, it's on constantly at the holidays. It

SPEAKER_01:

is. I'd honestly rather watch this than Christmas. Christmas is... I don't know how I think about european vacation i don't really watch it because it's just kind of annoying in parts

SPEAKER_00:

i mean we'll probably cover at some point i love the fact that i'm pretty sure amy heckerling directs it so it's like okay female directed but it's it's my least favorite by a long shot yeah um and

SPEAKER_01:

maybe i've just been like overexposed to christmas vacation at this point it's just on

SPEAKER_00:

yeah i think that's probably what it is it's just like saturation yeah that film so it's Call to action. Actually, okay, so this leads right into it. I'd love to know what people's favorite vacation movie is. Oh, yeah. And why. I was going to say, what's your favorite roller coaster? That's fun, too. Yeah. Or just amusement park. Are all Six Flags affiliated with Looney Tunes?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, jeez. I don't know. You know, they probably are, but I've only been to the Magic Mountain one, Valencia.

SPEAKER_00:

And Great America was very much affiliated with Looney Tunes. I

SPEAKER_01:

mean, I heard that they just laid off a ton of people, so that's not great.

SPEAKER_00:

So beware if you decide to go on these roller coasters. So

SPEAKER_01:

it might be like the movie where there's just no one there and you're setting it up yourself.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I was like, no way would that ever happen. Actually, now that we're into summertime, I've been seeing around town local carnivals, never going on a carnival ride again. Look,

SPEAKER_01:

I'm not going to... Ride a carnival ride that's on Van Nuys Boulevard blocked out in the middle of summer where

SPEAKER_00:

it's like... Or Ventura. There's one on Ventura. Maybe it's gone already. I didn't see it this morning. But yeah, not doing it. The one thing I might do is the one where you're stuck to the wall. Oh, the

SPEAKER_01:

Gravitron?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. I don't know why that feels a little bit safer, but I'm not doing anything else. I don't

SPEAKER_01:

know if it's safer. It's essentially climbing into a giant... drum from a washing machine or something and just going on spin cycle.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, but it is hilarious. So if you want to get in touch with us, we'd love to answer whatever you want. We'd love to hear from you. You can reach out through Facebook, Instagram, or Blue Sky. It's the same handle at all three. It is at 80s Montage Pod and 80s is 8-0-S.

SPEAKER_01:

Sneak

SPEAKER_00:

peek!

SPEAKER_01:

What do we got?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, this is super interesting. We have gotten recommendations before. But I've never had a recommendation. And now look, to be fair, this wasn't put forth as like, oh, you should do this for the podcast. It was just like, you should watch this movie.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

And it was from a co-worker. Yeah. Actually, my boss's boss. Wow. Yeah. So

SPEAKER_01:

basically, it's a requirement.

SPEAKER_00:

It's a mandate.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

No, but here's the thing. It's a film that I know of, but I know that it exists. I know nothing about the movie, and I only know the star. That's all I know, too. And what is that movie? Sorry, I totally... What is that movie?

SPEAKER_01:

It is Thief starring James Caan.

SPEAKER_00:

Cracked.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. No, I'm super excited because, like, look, I know James Caan in two very different ways.

SPEAKER_01:

Elf.

SPEAKER_00:

Cracked.

SPEAKER_01:

That's all I got. Oh, Misery. Misery.

SPEAKER_00:

No.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

No.

SPEAKER_01:

Those are two very different ways, though.

SPEAKER_00:

They are, so it does qualify. But no, what do you think I know him from? I

SPEAKER_01:

don't know. I just said the two things that I know. Oh,

SPEAKER_00:

oh, oh. I'm tilting my head at you right now.

SPEAKER_01:

Sunny from The

SPEAKER_00:

Godfather. Yes, yes, yes. Yeah. So- I really don't know him well outside of those roles. And I'm super excited to see him in this.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So that is coming up on deck. In the meantime, thank you so much for taking the time to tune in to the show. We really appreciate it. Lots of options as always. I think every day, just more podcasts coming out. So thank you for taking the time to hang with us, and we will talk to you again in two weeks' time. Oh, I totally forgot. Oh, what's happening? I totally forgot, because we never do this. People have already left, though. I know, I know, but I'm going to still do it. Okay. It's our halfway through the season anniversary. Yes, it is. Yes, we are officially halfway through season six.

UNKNOWN:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

And I only ever do this midway through and at the end of the season. Oh, yeah. This is when

SPEAKER_01:

we start our pledge drive, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly. This is when we say, if you want to listen to us on Patreon. No.

SPEAKER_01:

For the avoidance of doubt, we do not have

SPEAKER_00:

a Patreon. We don't have a Patreon.

SPEAKER_01:

We never will.

SPEAKER_00:

No, I don't think we will. But anyway, but what I will say is if you do enjoy listening to this podcast and we really appreciate that you do tune in, Give us a review. Algorithms matter. And we don't do it often because we just don't want to really be that kind of podcast. Smash that

SPEAKER_01:

like button.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so to speak. So if you want to give us a review on whatever platform you listen to this podcast on, we'd really appreciate that. And that is all. We will talk to you again in two weeks' time. Five stars on Yelp.