73. The Journeyman: Curtis Hanson #5: The Little Dragons (AKA Karate Kids USA) (1979/80)

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Curtis Hanson is finally back in the director’s chair, from start to finish, and it is for the now quite obscure kids movie The Little Dragons, AKA Karate Kids USA (1979) Unsurprisingly, this is not a movie that comes up in interviews with Hanson so we had a hard time digging up any background or behind the scenes information. Bryan and A.J. try to make sense of this movie about a pair of young brothers who use their karate skills to foil a kidnapping that is trying to be a mix of The Bad News Bears, The Hardy Boys, and Deliverance. We speculate on how and why this movie changed titles, marvel at the long life and career of character actor Charles Lane, and share the moments that broke our brains. This episode’s themed drink was: cans of beer. 

48. Coppola Cast #29: Jack (1996)

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It’s time for Bryan and A.J. to make sense of perhaps the oddest movie in Francis Coppola’s filmography, Jack (1996). We break down what works and what doesn’t as this kids movie swings from silly kid friendly comedy to heavy themes of mortality and whether or not Jack, a child who ages rapidly, will have a full life. Of course we talk about the career and performance of the late and forever great Robin Williams. We are surprised by how much there is to discuss about Jack and how it surprisingly ties into the rest of Coppola’s filmography. Our conversation leads to an unexpectedly emotional tangent about The Coneheads and a discussion of the 1996 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards. This episode’s Coppola wines were: Diamond Collection Pinot Grigio 2019 and 2020.