Hey, we’re Austinites here in this podcast. Does that make us more qualified to talk about an Austin-set movie from an Austin filmmaker? Does it even matter if the high school experience is, supposedly, universal? Find out how Alex, Julio, and, more importantly, elementary school teacher Lilian experienced DAZED AND CONFUSED on this rewatch! Is this Richard Linklater’s Contrarians redemption?

School’s out forever! Or so Richard Linklater proclaimed in 1993 when he released DAZED AND CONFUSED and bamboozled critics into confusing nostalgia for quality. Listen to Alex, Julio, and returning guest Lilian - a teacher herself - as they discuss the many ways in which Linklater’s beloved coming-of-age film has aged poorly!

The stage is set for yet another Contrarians battle. Alex will complain about how it used to be better, Julio will gently point toward streaming releases… but through it all, the main question will be answered: is LAST ACTION HERO a good movie or just a vehicle for nostalgia in the year 2022? And could you remake it today?

There wasn’t a bigger action star than Arnold Schwarzenegger in the early 90s. So, in a way, he was the only person who could headline a true spoof of action blockbusters - even though the world wasn’t ready for it. Listen to Alex & Julio extol the virtues of LAST ACTION HERO, a one-of-a-kind beast which was unfairly met with confusion and derision back in the day. Let’s show Arnie we don’t trust that 39% Tomatometer score!

Well, well, well. Julio has already admitted Jennifer Aniston is his second favorite Friends Cast Member, and Alex has already confessed to picking HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU only so he could get Ginnifer Goodwin in Contrarians Canon. So where does that leave us? Obviously we still need to talk about Ken Kwapis’ work, what was going on in Friends when this was released, and, more importantly, which character in this movie represents us the most!

It’s hard to believe it’s taken us 160 episodes to finally tackle a Ken Kwapis joint. Nevertheless, here we are, having a heated argument over HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU for our 16th Grey Area Episode. Listen to Alex on the defense and Julio on the offense as they debate the merits of one of the first star-studded ensemble romcoms and disagree on the validity of the Cult of Rachel Green in the final chapter of the Friendstravaganza!

As it’s been established time and again, The Contrarians have a fondness for 90s comedies. Does this feeling extend to bro-medies? Can Doug Ellin’s 1998 sensibilities redeem the ho-hum reception Alex & Julio gave the ENTOURAGE movie years ago? More importantly, where do we really land on the Bizarro Ross Experiment? All this and more in the Real Talk half of the show!

By 1998, David Schwimmer was sick and tired of being associated with Ross Geller. The solution? To play the least-Ross-Gellerish character in the underrated romcom KISSING A FOOL. Sadly, critics and audiences refused to embrace the actor’s metamorphosis, which is where The Contrarians come in. Listen to Alex & Julio as they extol the virtues of the Anti-Ross and the merits of bro-comedies! (bromedies?) Did we mention this was directed by Doug “Entourage” Ellin? Yup.

Oh boy. Patron Paul Meyers really threw us for a loop with this one. Can Alex & Julio even verbalize how they feel about Drop Dead Fred? Did Paul’s pick land better than his previous one, Dead Alive? Is there a British wall keeping Rik Mayall’s brand of humor at bay, or is it just a nostalgia wall? All this in Real Talk!

Barry Roskin Blake interviews Rik Mayall (in case you were wondering where those clips came from)

What if Peter Pan was actually a good story, one where Wendy was a traumatized adult and Peter was a British comedian? Much like it happened with Spielberg’s Hook, audiences and critics had a hard time appreciating DROP DEAD FRED’s fresh take on the classic story… which means it’s time for The Contrarians to set the record straight. Listen to Alex & Julio as they discuss their discovery of another gem in Phoebe Cates’ filmography! (Oh and Rik Mayall’s cool too.)