You’ll believe a man can sigh as Supergeeks Javi, Paul and - indestructibly - Producer Brad discover the third time’s not the charm with Superman III, though it does offer one unforgettable high-concept scene (and a truly funny setup and payoff). Our hosts boldly bend format this episode by picking three scenes each to examine (one of which may or may not involve bowling vandalism via Super-sneeze) as they struggle to maintain their sanity against the artificial Kryptonite of this threequel’s seemingly never-ending inanities. In stark contrast to the wonders that Rocky III rewarded us with by adding iconic adversary Mr. T (as recounted in our very first episode!), here we get Superman vs. Supercomputer (that’s an Atari) as programming prodigy Richard Pryor is extorted into villainy by evil tycoon Robert Vaughn. Despite their combined talents (and a psychic nutritionist stand-in for Miss Teschmacher), they are no Lex Luthor, just as director Richard Lester is no Richard Donner (and composer Ken Thorne is no John Williams). Still, while Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane is conspicuously sidelined for most of the film, we’re treated to Annette O’Toole’s lovely Lana Lang, and Christopher Reeve gets to play a creepy, scuzzy new character (Man of Heel?). You will not believe a man can ski off a skyscraper and survive, but you will enjoy this episode full of love for Superman and our hosts’ entertaining exasperation at this misguided misfire.

1983 Box Office

July 8, 1983 Weekend Box Office

Superman III Box Office Results

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When Paul, Javi, and the audacious Producer Brad see a great movie, the result is a podcast full of mirthful entertainment… but when it’s a movie that crashes and burns, the result is UNMITIGATED SNARK GREATNESS. What happens when Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham, the star and director of the hit films “Smokey and the Bandit” and “Cannonball Run”, reunite for a putative romantic comedy about a deviant NASCAR driver and a church lady turned fried chicken chain ad exec? Our horrified hosts weave a wonderment of wordplay, yet still somehow manage to run out words for “atrocity.” Loni Anderson, Jim Nabors, Ned Beatty, Parker Stevenson and Bubba Smith were all somehow forced to do time in this carceral excruciation of a film - and the Multiplex Overthruster crew has nothing but elucidating empathy as they perform a much-needed autopsy of one of the low points of the Summer of ’83: “Stroker Ace”! Trust us, this episode is worth it for its odes to Cassandra Peterson’s captivating cameo and how an AVOD ad break can offer an unexpected oasis of comfort — plus don’t miss a startling post-credit bonus revelation!

1983 Box Office

July 1, 1983 Weekend Box Office

Superman III Box Office Results

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What happens when screen legends Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche play obscenely wealthy commodities brokers who wager on an insidious, impromptu nature-vs.-nurture experiment that subjects an unwitting Eddie Murphy and Dan Ackroyd to radical reversals of fortune? You get an ’80s screwball comedy update of The Prince and the Pauper that also showcases the great Jamie Lee Curtis and Denholm Elliott, along with a host of amusing cameos by the likes of Al Franken, Bo Diddley, and Giancarlo Esposito, all set to an Elmer Bernstein score built on the shoulders of Mozart. And it’s a Christmas movie! (Kind of.) Join Javi, Paul and - inscrutably - Producer Brad as they learn more than they ever wanted to about pork belly and concentrated frozen orange juice futures trading, navigate the film’s alarmingly casual racism and homophobia (not to mention a painful bit involving a gorilla), and behold the biggest smoked salmon ever to grace the silver screen.

For a better understanding of commodities, short selling, and The Eddie Murphy Rule, check out this great episode of Planet Money.

1983 Box Office

June 24, 1983 Weekend Box Office

Trading Places Box Office Results

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