Ep. 05-17: Superman (1978)

Just before the destruction of the planet Krypton, scientist Jor-El (Marlon Brando) sends his infant son Kal-El on a spaceship to Earth. Raised by kindly farmers Jonathan (Glenn Ford) and Martha Kent, young Clark (Christopher Reeve) discovers the source of his superhuman powers and moves to Metropolis to fight evil. As Superman, he battles the villainous Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), while, as novice reporter Clark Kent, he attempts to woo co-worker Lois Lane (Margot Kidder).

Superman

What better way to soar into a new year than with the original Superman (1978)? This movie holds a nostalgic place in many of our hearts but isn’t really as good as its sequel you may recollect (as we did). Join us, as we discuss the pros and cons of this now classic film, its ambitious screenplay, solid director, and many players (all talented but some terribly miscast). Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys flees a dying planet in search of a new home, one where a man can fly.

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Ep. 05-14: Escape from New York (1981)

In 1997, a major war between the United States and the Soviet Union is concluding, and the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a giant maximum security prison. When Air Force One is hijacked and crashes into the island, the president (Donald Pleasence) is taken hostage by a group of inmates. Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell), a former Special Forces soldier turned criminal, is recruited to retrieve the president in exchange for his own freedom.

Escape From New York

Welcome to dystopian Manhattan in 1997, where only the savvy and savage survive. Escape from New York (1981) is one of those wonderful early Carpenter films with a certain je nais se quois (unlike many of his latter efforts). Join us as we discuss the film’s strengths and weaknesses, including the solid cast, crew, and cinematography. Listen, as Johnny Has the Keys has 24 hours to infiltrate the maximum security prison of Manhattan, rescue the President of the United States, and avoid global annihilation!

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Ep. 05-13: Them! (1954)

While investigating a series of mysterious deaths, Sergeant Ben Peterson (James Whitmore) finds a young girl (Sandy Descher) who cannot speak. As Peterson joins forces with FBI agent Robert Graham (James Arness) and scientist Dr. Harold Medford (Edmund Gwenn), he discovers that all the incidents are because of giant ants that atomic radiation has mutated. Peterson and Graham, with the aid of the military, attempt to find the queen ants and destroy the nests before the danger spreads.

THEM!

It’s been a while since we covered a Big Bug movie, so why not start with the one that started them all? Them! (1954) is a picnic basket of wonderful cinematic nostalgia and we all know what crashes a pleasant picnic in the 1950s: giant ants! Join us as we discuss why this film is a gold standard genre classic, including the star-studded cast (both primary and secondary), the script, and the fantastic (for the time) special effects. Listen, and Johnny Has the Keys goes deep down in the tunnels of Los Angeles, fighting enormous lethal insectoids, searching for the queen’s nest before the eggs hatch, migrate, and wipe out humanity!

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Ep. 05-11: Event Horizon (1997)

When the Event Horizon, a spacecraft that vanished years earlier, suddenly reappears near Neptune, a team is dispatched to investigate the ship. Accompanied by the Event Horizon’s creator, William Weir (Sam Neill), the crew of the Lewis and Clark, led by Capt. Miller (Laurence Fishburne), explores the abandoned vessel. However, it soon becomes clear that something sinister lives in its corridors, and that the horrors that befell the Event Horizon’s previous journey are still present.

EVNT HORIZON

It’s really hard to describe how badly we want to like this movie. It’s gorgeous, and the cast is solid, but the script and directing just do not hold up. Join us as we discuss the troubled history of the film and its cultish rise in popularity since tanking at the box office. Listen as Johnny Has the Keys travels to the outermost of our solar system, where a long-missing ship is now the gateway to something far colder than space.

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