Video Days Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/video-days A film history podcast about the artists who made the movies of the mom and pop video store era and the odds they overcame to make them. One film, one episode. 1982-1992. @ 2026 Joe Valdez af333e53-048d-5366-8270-eaa67a95aeb5 yes en Sat, 12 Sep 2026 20:34:02 -0700 Sat, 12 Sep 2026 20:34:13 -0700 https://www.videocassettedays.com/ https://img.transistorcdn.com/28J_XF2kfa0PUwQYh_qSpXgm55mEGMzoFfy-0HY6pjM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS83MDZi/NGIzMjFmZjk3YWYz/N2M3NWZmOGZlMDIx/MjdiYS5qcGc.jpg Video Days https://www.videocassettedays.com/ episodic Joe Valdez A film history podcast about the artists who made the movies of the mom and pop video store era and the odds they overcame to make them. One film, one episode. 1982-1992. A film history podcast about the artists who made the movies of the mom and pop video store era and the odds they overcame to make them. Film history, 1980s movies, 1990s movies, movie podcast, film production, filmmakers, movie directors, cult movies. Joe Valdez No Yes Singles (1992) 6 6 Singles (1992) full 35f29f43-9a8a-466d-99cf-c2675c94d305 https://www.videocassettedays.com/p/singles?r=56a5vl Six strangers in one Seattle apartment building, a soundtrack that broke the film out of release limbo, and a movie the "grunge rock" craze almost overwhelmed.

Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, Singles follows a group of twentysomethings circling the question of whether to commit to someone or stay single. Kyra Sedgwick, Campbell Scott, Bridget Fonda, and Matt Dillon lead the ensemble, with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Soundgarden's Chris Cornell, and much of Seattle's music scene woven into the cast and score. Finished in 1991 and shelved by Warner Bros., Singles remained in limbo until Nirvana's album Nevermind turned the Seattle sound into a national phenomenon. Struggling against misconceptions about its intentions, and against its own problems of structure and casting, the romantic comedy has since aged into a time capsule of the exact moment it was accused of exploiting.

Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Six strangers in one Seattle apartment building, a soundtrack that broke the film out of release limbo, and a movie the "grunge rock" craze almost overwhelmed.

Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, Singles follows a group of twentysomethings circling the question of whether to commit to someone or stay single. Kyra Sedgwick, Campbell Scott, Bridget Fonda, and Matt Dillon lead the ensemble, with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Soundgarden's Chris Cornell, and much of Seattle's music scene woven into the cast and score. Finished in 1991 and shelved by Warner Bros., Singles remained in limbo until Nirvana's album Nevermind turned the Seattle sound into a national phenomenon. Struggling against misconceptions about its intentions, and against its own problems of structure and casting, the romantic comedy has since aged into a time capsule of the exact moment it was accused of exploiting.

Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Sat, 12 Sep 2026 20:33:49 -0700 Joe Valdez Joe Valdez 2250 Six strangers in one Seattle apartment building, a soundtrack that broke the film out of release limbo, and a movie the "grunge rock" craze almost overwhelmed.

Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, Singles follows a group of twentysomethings circling the question of whether to commit to someone or stay single. Kyra Sedgwick, Campbell Scott, Bridget Fonda, and Matt Dillon lead the ensemble, with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Soundgarden's Chris Cornell, and much of Seattle's music scene woven into the cast and score. Finished in 1991 and shelved by Warner Bros., Singles remained in limbo until Nirvana's album Nevermind turned the Seattle sound into a national phenomenon. Struggling against misconceptions about its intentions, and against its own problems of structure and casting, the romantic comedy has since aged into a time capsule of the exact moment it was accused of exploiting.

Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Singles, Cameron Crowe, 1992 Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, Bridget Fonda, Matt Dillon, Campbell Scott, Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder, Chris Cornell, Soundgarden, Seattle, Art Linson No Clue (1985) 5 5 Clue (1985) full 7c717c7f-f669-417c-bcc8-fb349204631f https://www.videocassettedays.com/p/clue-at-40?r=56a5vl Six suspects, one house, three different killers — depending on which theater you walked into. Jonathan Lynn directs a board-game adaptation built on a gimmick so bold it nearly sank the film, only for that same gimmick to become the reason it never really left theaters.

Written and directed by Lynn from a story by John Landis, Clue reimagines the Parker Brothers game as a fast-talking whodunit, trapping six guests, a butler, and a body count inside one stormy mansion. Tim Curry leads an ensemble that includes Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, and Michael McKean, produced by Debra Hill. The film's signature stunt — three different endings, randomly assigned by theater — split audiences and critics at the time, and Paramount's marketing struggled to explain a joke that wouldn't fully land until home video let viewers see all three. What played in 1985 as a box-office disappointment has spent the decades since becoming exactly the cult object its ending-swap always seemed designed for.

Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Six suspects, one house, three different killers — depending on which theater you walked into. Jonathan Lynn directs a board-game adaptation built on a gimmick so bold it nearly sank the film, only for that same gimmick to become the reason it never really left theaters.

Written and directed by Lynn from a story by John Landis, Clue reimagines the Parker Brothers game as a fast-talking whodunit, trapping six guests, a butler, and a body count inside one stormy mansion. Tim Curry leads an ensemble that includes Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, and Michael McKean, produced by Debra Hill. The film's signature stunt — three different endings, randomly assigned by theater — split audiences and critics at the time, and Paramount's marketing struggled to explain a joke that wouldn't fully land until home video let viewers see all three. What played in 1985 as a box-office disappointment has spent the decades since becoming exactly the cult object its ending-swap always seemed designed for.

Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:27:00 -0700 Joe Valdez Joe Valdez 2858 Six suspects, one house, three different killers — depending on which theater you walked into. Jonathan Lynn directs a board-game adaptation built on a gimmick so bold it nearly sank the film, only for that same gimmick to become the reason it never really left theaters.

Written and directed by Lynn from a story by John Landis, Clue reimagines the Parker Brothers game as a fast-talking whodunit, trapping six guests, a butler, and a body count inside one stormy mansion. Tim Curry leads an ensemble that includes Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, and Michael McKean, produced by Debra Hill. The film's signature stunt — three different endings, randomly assigned by theater — split audiences and critics at the time, and Paramount's marketing struggled to explain a joke that wouldn't fully land until home video let viewers see all three. What played in 1985 as a box-office disappointment has spent the decades since becoming exactly the cult object its ending-swap always seemed designed for.

Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Clue, Jonathan Lynn, John Landis, 1985 Films, Debra Hill, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Lesley Ann Warren, Michael McKean, Paramount Pictures, Screenwriting, Peter Guber, Anthony Pratt No Explorers (1985) 4 4 Explorers (1985) full c1839ccf-8cb2-47ea-b9d1-332ff9c34913 https://www.videocassettedays.com/p/explorers?r=56a5vl Three boys build a spaceship the studio never let them finish. Joe Dante directs an autumn tale where childhood wonder meets adult ambition, only to have that conflict play out behind the camera.

Written by Eric Luke, Explorers imagines three suburban kids who build their own spaceship from junk and dreams, only to discover the universe is stranger and lonelier than they'd imagined. Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix lead the young cast in their earliest screen roles, backed by Rob Bottin's creature effects work and a score from Jerry Goldsmith. The production's real story runs parallel to its plot. A regime change at Paramount installed new executives over the film mid-production, and Explorers arrived in theaters incomplete, rushed out before Dante or his collaborators considered it finished.

Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Three boys build a spaceship the studio never let them finish. Joe Dante directs an autumn tale where childhood wonder meets adult ambition, only to have that conflict play out behind the camera.

Written by Eric Luke, Explorers imagines three suburban kids who build their own spaceship from junk and dreams, only to discover the universe is stranger and lonelier than they'd imagined. Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix lead the young cast in their earliest screen roles, backed by Rob Bottin's creature effects work and a score from Jerry Goldsmith. The production's real story runs parallel to its plot. A regime change at Paramount installed new executives over the film mid-production, and Explorers arrived in theaters incomplete, rushed out before Dante or his collaborators considered it finished.

Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Sat, 01 Aug 2026 21:39:44 -0700 Joe Valdez Joe Valdez 2467 Three boys build a spaceship the studio never let them finish. Joe Dante directs an autumn tale where childhood wonder meets adult ambition, only to have that conflict play out behind the camera.

Written by Eric Luke, Explorers imagines three suburban kids who build their own spaceship from junk and dreams, only to discover the universe is stranger and lonelier than they'd imagined. Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix lead the young cast in their earliest screen roles, backed by Rob Bottin's creature effects work and a score from Jerry Goldsmith. The production's real story runs parallel to its plot. A regime change at Paramount installed new executives over the film mid-production, and Explorers arrived in theaters incomplete, rushed out before Dante or his collaborators considered it finished.

Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Explorers, Joe Dante, Eric Luke, 1985 Films, Rob Bottin, Paramount Pictures, Screenwriting, Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Jerry Goldsmith, Industrial Light & Magic No Fandango (1985) 3 3 Fandango (1985) full 8e1ef149-5a32-48e9-89ff-190b401ed6c7 https://www.videocassettedays.com/p/fandango?r=56a5vl Road trip comedy too soulful to sell, too scattered to stick its landing. Kevin Reynolds writes and directs a coming-of-age story about five Texas college graduates on one last drive before the real world catches up with them. Trace how Reynolds' death-defying student film Proof caught Steven Spielberg's attention and how Warner Bros. never figured out how to sell Fandango, the feature-length version that followed. Find transcripts, screenshots and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Road trip comedy too soulful to sell, too scattered to stick its landing. Kevin Reynolds writes and directs a coming-of-age story about five Texas college graduates on one last drive before the real world catches up with them. Trace how Reynolds' death-defying student film Proof caught Steven Spielberg's attention and how Warner Bros. never figured out how to sell Fandango, the feature-length version that followed. Find transcripts, screenshots and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Sun, 12 Jul 2026 18:28:54 -0700 Joe Valdez Joe Valdez 1329 Road trip comedy too soulful to sell, too scattered to stick its landing. Kevin Reynolds writes and directs a coming-of-age story about five Texas college graduates on one last drive before the real world catches up with them. Trace how Reynolds' death-defying student film Proof caught Steven Spielberg's attention and how Warner Bros. never figured out how to sell Fandango, the feature-length version that followed. Find transcripts, screenshots and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Fandango, Kevin Reynolds, Kevin Costner, Judd Nelson, Steven Spielberg, Amblin Entertainment, 1985 Films, Coming of Age, Road Movie, Warner Bros No Tremors (1990) 2 2 Tremors (1990) full 360ede9f-9092-43a3-8d66-c53de9d1e633 https://www.videocassettedays.com/p/tremors?r=56a5vl A creature feature that runs two tracks — straight monster thriller and tongue-in-cheek comedy — without ever losing its footing. Trace how Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson's screenplay, Ron Underwood's direction, Gale Anne Hurd's production, and Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr.'s creature effects built one of the era's most entertaining horror-comedies. 

Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> A creature feature that runs two tracks — straight monster thriller and tongue-in-cheek comedy — without ever losing its footing. Trace how Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson's screenplay, Ron Underwood's direction, Gale Anne Hurd's production, and Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr.'s creature effects built one of the era's most entertaining horror-comedies. 

Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Tue, 23 Jun 2026 22:28:08 -0700 Joe Valdez Joe Valdez 1636 A creature feature that runs two tracks — straight monster thriller and tongue-in-cheek comedy — without ever losing its footing. Trace how Brent Maddock and S.S. Wilson's screenplay, Ron Underwood's direction, Gale Anne Hurd's production, and Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr.'s creature effects built one of the era's most entertaining horror-comedies. 

Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Tremors, Ron Underwood, Brent Maddock, S.S. Wilson, 1990 Films, Horror-Comedy, Creature Features, Universal Pictures, Screenwriting, Practical Effects, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr. Yes The Lost Boys (1987) 1 1 The Lost Boys (1987) full 1439af28-3b01-4f3a-bf45-2bf25790371e https://www.videocassettedays.com/p/the-lost-boys?r=56a5vl A teenage horror-comedy that couldn't decide what it was—and is timeless for it. Follow how director Joel Schumacher and Richard Donner's competing visions, Warner Bros.' ambitions, Santa Cruz locations, and cutting-edge makeup effects resulted in the most memorable vampire film of its generation. Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> A teenage horror-comedy that couldn't decide what it was—and is timeless for it. Follow how director Joel Schumacher and Richard Donner's competing visions, Warner Bros.' ambitions, Santa Cruz locations, and cutting-edge makeup effects resulted in the most memorable vampire film of its generation. Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> Tue, 09 Jun 2026 19:26:28 -0700 Joe Valdez Joe Valdez 1770 A teenage horror-comedy that couldn't decide what it was—and is timeless for it. Follow how director Joel Schumacher and Richard Donner's competing visions, Warner Bros.' ambitions, Santa Cruz locations, and cutting-edge makeup effects resulted in the most memorable vampire film of its generation. Find transcripts, screenshots, and source links at videocassettedays.com.

]]> The Lost Boys, Joel Schumacher, Richard Donner, 1987 Films, Horror-Comedy, Vampire Films, Warner Bros., Script Development, Casting, Location Scouting, Makeup Effects, Santa Cruz No