Could a Coen brothers' film be (gasp) overhated? Let's sit down with film critic / author / biographer Shawn Levy (@shawnlevy) and find out! (He's also a poet.)

When you invite a comparison to John Carpenter's 1982 classic The Thing, you're kind of looking for trouble. But then to remove most of the practical monster FX at the last minute? That's just madness. Join me and horror writer Ben Rock (@neptunesalad) as we take a look back at this oddly fascinating prequel.

Any longtime Friday the 13th fan, especially the older ones, would probably agree that Part 8 is the most frequently maligned chapter of the original octology. (Well, Part 8 or Part 5, anyway.) So it was a lot of fun to discuss this movie with my good pal and Found Footage 3D director Steven DeGennaro (@stevendegennaro), a man who deeply loves horror movies.

If you need someone to defend an "indefensible" movie, veteran film writer Walter Chaw (@mangiotto) is someone you want on your starting team. One might think it'd be difficult to find positive things to say about this messy sci-fi bomb, but Walter has no problem doing so -- probably because he's been knee-deep in Walter Hill cinema in preparation for his new book! So if you're a big fan of the guy who gave us The Warriors, 48 HRS. and (yes) Supernova, then this episode is for you.

Sometimes your movie is just too dang expensive to turn a profit. Join me and astute film writer Daniel Carlson (@danielwcarlson) for an extensive discussion on a frequently lambasted movie that's also kinda low-key beloved in some ways.

This one was painful for me to revisit. Fortunately I have a very upbeat guest with which to discuss this misshapen combination of sweat, decibels, and paint. It's Jeffrey Patrick (@jeffmovieman) who was brave enough to (partially) defend (some of) this movie.

As a horror fan who grew up knee-deep in the 1980s, let me just say this: David Cronenberg's The Fly (1986) is one of the best horror films of the entire decade. Without question. And then they made a sequel!  Thanks to my old friend and ravenous movie nerd Rob Dean (@neuroticmonkey) of neonsplatter.com for being an excellent guest!

As a big thanks to all our listeners, I've invited Erik Childress to join me for a discussion regarding 2023's most overhated films. And yes, there were a few. We also run through a big batch of recent Patreon episodes, ramble a bit about random nerd minutiae, and talk about the show's awesome new sponsor. Fun stuff! 

It was the highest grossing movie of 2000, so how hated could it be, right? Big thanks to film nerd Merrill Barr (@merrillbarr) for his firm and energetic defense of the most controversial chapter in a widely adored franchise.

Call it The Quickening; call it The Renegade Cut; it's still Highlander 2, which means it's one of the most feverishly savaged movies we've ever covered on Overhated. Big thanks to veteran film critic Fred Topel (@fredtopel) for joining me in this very amusing conversation.

This episode is dedicated to my wonderful friend James Rocchi, who recently passed away at the age of 51. Today (12/29) was his birthday. It's mine as well.  This was one of James' favorite "popcorn movies," so I sat down with TV writer Shawna Benson (@shawnabenson), who also loved James deeply, to discuss the over-the-top lunacy of Battleship.

Back in 1986, right in between Beverly Hills Cop and Beverly Hills Cop II, Eddie Murphy did a movie for Paramount that opened, made a decent amount of money, and promptly vanished from our collective memory. In this episode you'll hear me and writer / producer Zack Stentz (@musezack) discuss our fond memories of this odd film, and our opinions on how it holds up now.

Early in his career M. Night Shyamalan became known as the "twist ending" director, which reminds me of a great Reggie Jackson quote: "the only problem with hitting four home runs in one game is that now people want you to do it every night."  In other words, this filmmaker painted himself into a "twist ending" corner, at least for one movie, and the result was an oddly beautiful period piece that people still love to complain / argue about. Big thanks to film critic Richard Newby (@richardLnewby) for joining me in this episode.

Nobody mocked Jules Verne when he wanted to travel into the center of the Earth in his stories -- so why does everyone love to pick on The Core so dang much? To answer that question about this movie we have guest host Amanda Smith (@amandasmithsays) of the Disaster Girls podcast.  If this movie ever needs a lawyer, she's who it should call.

What happens when a hard-headed young filmmaker butts heads with anonymous studio executives who hate his movie? In 1983 you'd get something like The Keep, which is half a mess and half a pretty damn good horror movie with a cool setting, some memorable music, and a very curious cast. Joining me for this discussion is filmmaker / DVD producer Charles de Lauzirika (@Lauzirika), and this is a man who knows a thing or two about reconstructing problematic movies. (Looking at you, Alien 3!)

You'd have to be a hardcore Christmas movie fanatic to truly enjoy this wacky Arnold farce from the mid-'90s, right? Perhaps. Fortunately we happen to have just such an Xmas fan in guest host / podcast producer Jordan Kauwling (@cinnamonlafemme), and she's got plenty to say about what she likes about this flick. As for me, well. I'm sort of a Scrooge in this episode.

My pal Jeff Bayer (@bayerjeff) has two little kids, and that's why he's grown to love this big-budget animated feature that made good money, yet still managed to help destroy an entire studio. (sad but true!) Join me Jeff, Santa, Easter Bunny, and the rest of the gang on this goofy episode of Overhated.

It's one of the biggest bombs in modern movie history; financially, critically, artistically, you name it. It's an infamous mess made all the more fascinating by Julie Salamon's fantastic book (and podcast!) The Devil's Candy, and it still stands as a movie that film nerds love to banter about. For example, in this episode I'm joined by film critic / author / old friend Jason Bailey (@jasondashbailey), and we pretty much can't shut up. Plus there's a good chunk near the end where we focus on Jason's excellent new book, Fun City Cinema: New York City and the Movies That Made It.

A few years ago it sure seemed like this follow-up to Casino Royale was the most hated Bond film of all time, but then Spectre showed up and all of a sudden Solace didn't seem quite so unwelcome. Join me and film critic / Bond fan Pramit Chaterjee (@pramitheus) for a discussion about "Casino Royale 2," and how it's not nearly as forgettable as we thought it was ten years ago.