This week’s comparison features two movies that reflect on the state of society and free will - it’s A Clockwork Orange vs The Stepford Wives (2004). Stanley Kubrick’s 80 hour so-called masterpiece is a dark future world of ultraviolence, while The Stepford Wives is a hilarious satire that follows Nicole Kidman’s entry into an idyllic town straight out of Leave It To Beaver. These movies are shockingly similar in how they deal with conformity, control, and what it means to be a human.
Women Scorned: Fatal Attraction vs Obsessed
I have watched many an erotic thriller in my day, so I thought it fitting we talk about one of the first versus one of the best — it’s Fatal Attraction vs Obsessed.
Was Michael Douglas a sex symbol? Why was everyone in Fatal Attraction so into spaghetti? Why haven’t you all watched Obsessed?! Idris Elba is a hot rich guy who sends his wife, Beyoncé, flowers every week, while Ali Larter munches on strawberries and wears a trench coat. The choice between these two films is clear.
Puppet Masters: Ferris Bueller's Day Off vs Cruel Intentions
I LOVE CRUEL INTENTIONS.
I had to get that out there first. I love it so much. This episode focuses on high school megalomaniacs who manipulate everyone around them: Ferris Bueller in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Kathryn Merteuil in Cruel Intentions.
I think Ferris is a full on monster, maybe related to my difficult negative emotions surrounding Matthew Broderick, and I think Sarah Michelle Gellar as Kathryn is one of the all time best characters committed to film.
Listen on Apple, Google Play, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get podcasts.
In Cold Blood: Zodiac vs Copycat
We are fascinated by serial killers, some to an unhealthy degree. Of course they’ve crept into our media, and so I’m pitting a crime drama about one of the most infamous serial killers of all time against an A+ thriller featuring a serial killer that mimics those who came before him. It’s Zodiac vs Copycat.
Zodiac features Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Dermot Mulroney, Chloe Sevigny, and about 100 other unnecessary people. Copycat stars Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, and also Dermot Mulroney, who in this movie puts a cheeseburger in his pocket in one of the kindest acts I’ve ever witnessed.
Family Matters: Mrs. Doubtfire vs Striptease
Two movies that are shockingly similar in their theme of parents willing to go to any lengths for their children are Mrs. Doubtfire and Striptease. Spoiler alert, I’m going to convince you that you’re better off watching Striptease with your kids than Mrs. Doubtfire because Striptease has better morals.
Out of this World: E.T. vs Earth Girls Are Easy
Today we dig into one of the biggest disagreements among all humans: what do aliens look like?! Are they grey with big eyes? Are they super hotties? E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Earth Girls Are Easy chose different portrayals for their central aliens, but both movies feature a human in need of a friend and an alien in need of a savior.
Tomb Raiders: Indiana Jones vs Lara Croft
It's the showdown we've all been waiting for — two movies that feature people who should really wear gloves when they go to work and stop getting their finger oils on priceless artifacts aka Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark vs Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
Wack Pack: The Grand Budapest Hotel vs Butter
The Grand Budapest Hotel and Butter both feature a bunch of weirdos with passions they excel at and children that are not annoying, a real feat for any movie. The cast of characters in both films is extensive and impressive, leading to a real grab bag of humor, emotions, and insanity.
Glow Up: Easy A vs The Princess Diaries
Easy A and The Princess Diaries are two coming-of-age movies about young women in high school who get makeovers, stop being invisible, and have to figure out who they really are.
Anne Hathaway is a comedic gift, Mandy Moore's Wild Hope is my favorite album of all time, and none of us appreciated the friendship of Heather Matarazzo as much as we should have.
Make a Killing: Gone Girl vs Wild Things
Here are two movies where women have complicated crime schemes and the viewer goes on a real crazy ride - it's Gone Girl vs Wild Things.
In this episode, I also take a moment to give an impassioned defense of the erotic thriller genre as a whole.
Spoilers ahead for both films, but honestly I could tell you every beat of Wild Things and you should still watch and enjoy it.