Tom Reimann

This week, Amy is joined by Tom Reimann and Abe Epperson of the podcast Cracked Movie Club to pit two Tom Cruise films against one another: “Top Gun” and “Minority Report.” They discuss the usage of “Top Gun” as a military recruitment tool, as well as the film’s unapologetic hyper-masculinity. Then, they discuss the theme of privacy and the use of CGI in “Minority Report” before giving their final arguments. Which Cruise flick will find its way into The Canon? Head to the Earwolf forums now to cast your vote!

This episode is sponsored by Paramount Pictures’ “Mother!” and The Harold Ramis Film School.

All the hip young kids are using a thing called the internet these days. In fact, if you’re reading this summary or listening to this episode, odds are you’re using the internet right now. But what if it all just went away? No podcasts, no turn-by-turn directions, no swiping for romantic partners, hell, most of us wouldn’t even have jobs if there were no internet (see: everyone at Cracked).

It’s an interesting thought experiment to…think about…and experiment on. What would you do for a living; how would you get by day-to-day without the comfort, the convenience, the necessity of the internet?

Alex Schmidt and Kristi Harrison ask the Cracked staff that very question in this episode. They chat with Abe Epperson, Tom Reimann, Ann Smiley, Saundra Sorenson and Brett Rader about the unthinkable–how could we live 21st century life without the internet?

East Coast! The Cracked Podcast is coming to you! The Cracked Podcast will be a part of the Now Hear This podcast festival in New York, taking place September 8th-10th. For $20 off your ticket, head to NowHearThisFest.com and enter code ‘CRACKED’ at checkout.

Guys. Gals. Aliens. Did you miss the premiere of Cracked’s newest podcast, Cracked Movie Club? Don’t worry. There’s plenty of time to catch up. Hosts Tom Reimann and Abe Epperson feature a new director each month as they do a deep into four of the director’s films with jokes, insane behind-the-scene stories and crazy fan theories. And July is devoted to none other than Steven Spielberg.

Listen to their episode about Raiders of the Lost Ark here: https://goo.gl/ygBfW1

Listen to their episode about Jurassic Park here: https://goo.gl/FK9gV4

And to hear the newest episode each and every Thursday, search for Cracked Movie Club in your podcast app of choice or click here to find it on Apple Podcasts: https://goo.gl/fQ2o72

Footnotes:

Data: Pew Research: Internet/Broadband Fact Sheet: https://goo.gl/zc7G2e

Article: Pew Research: How US Tech-Sector Jobs Have Grown, Changed In 15 Years: https://goo.gl/KfE5sx

Data: TechCrunch: Unicorn Leaderboard: https://goo.gl/QhMzds

Article: Mashable: Twitter’s Massive 2008: https://goo.gl/64sLFp

Book: Seneca: On The Shortness Of Life: https://goo.gl/sRJS3c

Article: MIT Technology Review: First Object Teleported From Earth To Orbit: https://goo.gl/dvhKiq

Article: New York Times: ‘Manspreading’ on New York Subways Is Target of New M.T.A. Campaign: https://goo.gl/BkS5r2

Big cardboard cutouts in movie theater lobbies. Promotional cups at fast food restaurants. Kickass soundtracks featuring Seal. These things were once not part of our summer movie lexicon. And in the case of the tie-in song from Seal, they sadly haven’t been for about twenty years.

Somewhere between the release of Jaws in 1975 and the mid-80s, the summer movie became it’s own genre. Not specifically action, horror, sci-fi or comedy, it can’t be placed into it’s own single category, but much like the Supreme Court’s views on pornography, you know it when you see it. There are certain movies like Jurassic Park, E.T., and even Guardians of the Galaxy, where they just make you feel like summer.

So, in anticipation of the launch of Cracked’s new podcast, Cracked Movie Club, Alex Schmidt is welcoming on the show’s two hosts, Tom Reimann and Abe Epperson for an ode to the summer movie. They trace the summer movie’s origins in the seventies through to the state of the summer movie today, and then crown one film the best summer movie of all time.

To subscribe to Cracked Movie Club and get the first two episodes when they premiere on July 13th, search for it in your podcast app of choice or click here to subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://goo.gl/fQ2o72

East Coast! The Cracked Podcast is coming to you! The Cracked Podcast will be a part of the Now Hear This podcast festival in New York, taking place September 8th-10th. For $20 off your ticket, head to NowHearThisFest.com and enter code ‘CRACKED’ at checkout.

Footnotes:

Video: Cracked: How An Indiana Jones Action Figure Created The PG-13 Rating: https://goo.gl/6E5xid

Documentary: Empire of Dreams: https://goo.gl/gTYC2X

Image: Alien poster: https://goo.gl/MGh0dx

Video: Alien trailer: https://goo.gl/MUNvkm

Image: Star Wars poster: https://goo.gl/HWqDfy

Image: Raiders of the Lost Ark poster: https://goo.gl/HJqNyU

Image: E.T. poster: https://goo.gl/nVZH7x

Image: Enemy Mine poster: https://goo.gl/yycWvK

Video: Seal, “Kiss From A Rose”: https://goo.gl/w8JLhF

Video: Transformers – Age of Extinction: Romeo & Juliet Law scene: https://goo.gl/KDrvu7

Believe it or not, the idea of the summer break wasn’t invented until very recently. Before kids got the summer off, school basically was the break from months of grueling farm work or any of the other countless horrors we subjected children to before modern labor laws. As people moved out of farming jobs into the cities and modes of transportation out of the cities became cheaper and more efficient, the travel and recreation industry took flight. 

By the end of the twentieth century, resort towns, roadside attractions and theme parks were a main staple of the summer vacation and a huge source of money for local economies. Or at least the ones you’ve heard of were.

On this week’s podcast, Alex Schmidt is joined by Cracked writers and editors David Christopher Bell and Tom Reimann to discuss the origins of the summer break, how Disneyland was built, and a weird catalogue of failed theme parks lost to history.

And if you’re in Los Angeles in July, make sure to come to our next live podcast taping. On Saturday July 8th at 7:00pm at the UCB Sunset Theatre, former zoo tour guide and current Cracked Podcast host Alex Schmidt will be joined by Cracked’s Daniel O’Brien and Katie Goldin as well as comedians Caitlin Gill, Joey Clift and Matt Kirshen as they discuss snakes, hippos, octopuses and every other animal that could Planet-0f-the-Apes us if they tried. Tickets are only $7 and available here: https://goo.gl/rVhzPC

Also, be sure to get caught-up on our Cracked Podcast mini-series ‘Looking the Part’ co-hosted by Soren Bowie and Daniel O’Brien. Each Friday, Soren and Daniel are taking a deep-dive into the theories and hidden meanings behind movie hair, costumes and make-up. They examine the cryptic psychological reason behind Superman’s dueling haircuts, why Ledger’s Joker has scars and Leto’s Joker has tattoos and a whole lot more. 

Check out episode 1 here: https://goo.gl/hwuUvB

Check out episode 2 here: https://goo.gl/81qZk3

And stay tuned to the Cracked Podcast for episode 3 this Friday.

Footnotes:

Article: Cracked: 8 Amusement Parks That Died Surreal and Bizarre Deaths: https://goo.gl/62P2xQ

Article: Slate: Do Kids Need a Summer Vacation: https://goo.gl/uVc9DB

Article: PBS: Debunking the Myth of Summer Vacation: https://goo.gl/ieCCvs

Article: Smithsonian Magazine: Where Was The Birthplace of the American Vacation: https://goo.gl/hiHiK8

Article: LA Times: How Disney Used Shell Companies To Start Its Magic Kingdom: https://goo.gl/1n8Lfj

Article: Disney Parks: Bob Foster and the Founding of a Disney Kingdom: https://goo.gl/wg5ArV

Article: Washington Post: This S.C. roadside attraction is garish, tacky and un-PC — but I stopped anyway: https://goo.gl/H3b4iV

Photo: Six Flags Over Texas: Map With Confederacy Land: https://goo.gl/r1b6ew

Photoset: Weather Channel: You Can Rent This ‘Wizard of Oz’ Them Park: https://goo.gl/1FkNwq

Article: Cracked: 6 Insane Summer Camps That Will Make You Wish You Were a Kid: https://goo.gl/CidkkH

Article: Cracked: 5 Disney Park Attractions You Won’t Believe Existed: https://goo.gl/uqFJ43

Article: Cracked: 6 Ways Fourth of July Used To Make ‘The Purge’ Look Tame: https://goo.gl/5Sthd1

Wikipedia: Shania Twain: https://goo.gl/3DvgrU

Understatement time: movies are hard to make. Every movie from The Godfather II to Joe Dirt 2 is the result of years and years of tireless hard work from artists, craftsmen, teamsters, executives and advertisers– all working in high pressure situations with tight deadlines, huge egos and insane amounts of money at play. Like GDP of a small island nation amount of money.

Odds are behind every movie, there’s an absolutely insane story of inappropriate behavior, blatant disregard for safety regulations and famous people trying to murder each other. This week on the podcast, Alex Schmidt is joined by Cracked’s Daniel O’Brien and Tom Reimann, comedian Jamie Loftus and writer Dave Schilling (The Guardian, Bleacher Report, Vice) to cover 17 movies with absolutely batsh*t behind the scenes stories, like basically every late-period Marlon Brando movie, the screwball comedy that shot an iconic scene on 9/11 and the backstage antics that led a very famous actor to punch James Cameron in the face.

If you need some hot new threads for the summer, be sure to check out our new Cracked Podcast Merch. And for a limited time, get 20% off your order when you use the code CRACKED at checkout: https://goo.gl/2J8Nh3

Footnotes:

Article: Cracked: 6 Insane Dick Moves By Directors Behind Famous Movies: https://goo.gl/JB88mh

Article: Cracked: 6 Famous Films You Had No Idea Were Hell Behind The Scenes: https://goo.gl/KoDcf7

Article: Cracked: 6 Great Movies That Were A Disaster Behind The Scenes: https://goo.gl/aElYpy

Article: Cracked: 5 Famous Movies That Were Insane Parties Behind The Scenes: https://goo.gl/lvZLQy

Article: Cracked: 7 Insane Behind The Scenes Problems Recent Movies Dealt With: https://goo.gl/3MlTNb

Article: Cracked: 6 Classic Movies Made Possible By Reckless Endangerment: https://goo.gl/dKgBU

Article: Cracked: 5 Great Movie Scenes Made Possible By Reckless Endangerment: https://goo.gl/81V33

Article: Cracked: 12 Classic Movie Moments Made Possible By Abuse And Murder: https://goo.gl/hvav0

Video: Marlon Brando Reads Cue Cards Off A Baby in Superman: https://goo.gl/eGiezr

Video: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Clip: https://goo.gl/fYCf45

Video: Master of Disguise – Turtle Club Clip: https://goo.gl/wU2VLS

Two years ago we told you the tales of some of the most badass people lost to the annals of history. There was Peter Freuchen, the 6’7″ Danish explorer who clawed his way out of an ice cave using a shovel he made out of his own feces; and Elmer Keith, who could shoot objects from hundreds of yards away with the accuracy of a sniper, except he could do it with a revolver, one of the least accurate guns you could use in long-range. That episode (https://goo.gl/nyhS0s) was so popular and there were so many people we had to leave out, it was absolutely imperative we come back with more epic stories of incredible people you’ve probably never heard of. Just to name a few, this year, we have a crazy land mine defuser, a ruthless pirate queen and a gay revolutionary war hero who was half Rambo/half Santa Claus. Co-hosts Jack O’Brien and Michael Swaim are joined by Cracked writers Alex Schmidt, Carmen Angelica, Josh Sargent and Tom Reimann, and comedians Ian Abramson and Blake Wexler. It’s a heroic tournament-style podcast where one person will be crowned the ultimate unknown badass, winning a very special prize of our temporary respect and adoration.

Footnotes:

Cracked: 5 Spies With Bigger Balls Than James Bond (#4 Fritz Duquesne): http://goo.gl/mORjz

Short Biography of Sybil Luddington: http://goo.gl/P4aAQu

Short Biography of Tisquantum: http://goo.gl/Zw6QHe

CNN Profile of Aki Rah: http://goo.gl/m4QAAd

Baron von Steuben’s Biography: http://goo.gl/jr3cDw

The Life of PT Barnum, Written by Himself: http://goo.gl/jhd5xN 

Rama Sukana and the Mythical Origins of Pencak Silat: http://goo.gl/sZygVs

Short Biography of Ching Shih: http://goo.gl/Mskvcv