The Dirt Bike Kid (Classic)

Summary

Podcast Summary: How Did This Get Made? – The Dirt Bike Kid (Classic)

Podcast: How Did This Get Made?
Hosts: Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, Jason Mantzoukas
Episode: The Dirt Bike Kid (Classic)
Release Date: July 21, 2026

---

Main Theme

In this episode, Paul, June, and Jason take on the 1985 film The Dirt Bike Kid. Starring Peter Billingsley, the movie is dissected for its bizarre plotting, '80s kid-movie tropes, questionable messaging, and pure weirdness. The hosts explore the magic dirt bike’s role, the strange adult characters, and the convoluted bank-closure shenanigans—all with their signature blend of bemusement and comedic exasperation.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Premise & First Impressions

• The film’s tagline is, "If you’re crazy about magic, hot for action, ready for romance and wild about winning, this movie is for you."
• Paul opens: "Think Jack and the Beanstalk, but with a dirt bike… and a big bank." (02:13)
• Jason compares it to E.T.: “What if you had E.T., but E.T. was a bike?” (02:55)

2. Sentient Bike—Character Analysis

• June: “The thing about this bike is that it didn’t have a personality.” (03:07)
• Jason argues the bike emotes: “It has beeps and boops, headlights for eyes… they emote the bike like it’s the kid’s dog.” (03:21)
• Paul: “I would argue it has similarities to Herbie.” (03:56)

3. Nostalgia & Recognition

• Paul and Jason discuss the VHS cover’s nostalgia trigger—Peter Billingsley on a flying dirt bike.
• Jason on missing the film as a kid: “…this is exactly the age I was. If I had seen it, I would have wanted that dirt bike.” (04:48)

4. Plot Confusion & Meandering Focus

• June expresses her confusion: “I thought we were setting up a kid who wants to compete in a dirt bike race…” but the movie pivots to saving a local hot dog restaurant. (07:31)
• Multiple hosts point out unresolved plot threads, like the sudden importance of the hot dog “store” ("It’s a hot dog store!"/"It’s not." - 08:29).

5. Mike, the Hot Dog Store Owner

• June: “Mike is presented as a shell of a man, a man shattered.” (09:06)
• Jason on Mike’s Little League coaching: “He might as well be like, 'Give up. It’s over. Who cares? Life means nothing.'” (09:28)

6. Technical Tangent: June’s Audio and Wired Connection

• During the show, the hosts help June with her internet connection, resulting in a meta, improv-heavy interlude about plugging into the wall (11:00–15:10).
• June apologizes for previous episodes’ audio issues: “I will put some weight on you, Paul, and give a flawless…” (14:35)

7. Disturbing '80s Tropes & Gender Commentary

• Jason calls out the pervy kid best friend and “'80s trope of the young kid perv” (23:08).
• June on the casual normalization of sexual harassment: “Wow, I just consumed so much of rape culture as a child that I did not even… question it… that’s what movies were.” (24:29)
• They discuss Stuart Pankin’s predatory bank manager and the film’s underlying misogyny.

8. Villains and Banking Conspiracies

• Stuart Pankin’s over-the-top bank villain is dissected: “Why does this bank need such a large building?” (32:07)
• Jason on the plot: “This movie is 100% small town America… and yet he’s flying over a city with skyscrapers. Where the fuck…” (32:48)

9. The Old Man & the Magical Bike

• The bike’s provenance is creepily established with a Shel Silverstein-esque “Santa” saying: “It needs the right rider to make it special.” (28:03)
• June: “Classic grooming… it was really uncomfortable.” (28:49)
• Jason: glad the old man doesn't stick around: "He never recurred … he's just transactional." (29:00)

10. Inexplicable Mechanics & Logic Gaps

• The bike frequently drives itself through town, goes to jail twice (!), and flies by minute 13. The hosts marvel at the lack of wonder or concern from any adult. (40:18–41:12)
• Paul jokes: “The only reason why this bike would get this worked up is if the hot dog store was a gas station…” (41:39)

11. Baseball, Umpires, and Real-Life Regret

• June reveals her past as a junior softball umpire—and a haunting bad call she made (57:31–59:45).

  "It really does… it never haunts me." – June (58:14)

• The team attempts to clarify the rules of baseball as applied in the film, especially the blocking-the-base play.

12. The Film’s Unfinished Mysteries

• The hosts note we never learn the “why” of the bike’s magic.
• Jason: “No curiosity as to why the bike is alive, why the bike is doing this… I was thinking the old man would come back and tell us the story, but instead the bike just seems to be a magic talisman that goes from kid to kid.” (69:28)

13. Comparison to Other Films

• Herbie, E.T., Bad News Bears, Maximum Overdrive, Rad, and even Supergirl are referenced as better or clearer versions of the kid-with-magical-vehicle trope.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jason: “Let’s wallow in the mediocrity of subpar art.” (02:05)
• June: “Did you think the dad was the bike?” (69:31)
• Paul: “We rewound this movie two times… we were trying to figure out what was happening.” (31:23)
• Jason: “The bike is arrested and goes to jail twice. Police officers handcuff the bike like it’s a perp.” (40:18)
• June: “I was a junior ump. I think I did it one summer. I did make one very bad call… it never haunts me.” (57:53)
• Paul: “I am firmly in the middle. If someone out there did a supercut, it would be really fun to watch.” (77:14)

---

Noteworthy Segments & Timestamps

• [02:13] – Main plot framing: "Jack and the Beanstalk… with a dirt bike."
• [07:31] – June’s confusion: “Setting up for a dirt bike race… but no!”
• [09:06] – Mike, the broken hot dog store owner.
• [23:08] – The “kid perv” trope discussion.
• [32:48] – Small town vs. big city confusion.
• [41:12] – Magical bike’s abilities (and the town's blasé acceptance).
• [57:31] – June’s umpire confession and baseball rules digression.
• [69:28] – Lack of magical explanation for the bike.

---

Flow and Tone

The banter is fast, tangential, and irreverent, fueled by deep skepticism, nostalgia, and disbelief at the film’s logic gaps. The tone oscillates between playful ribbing (at Paul, June, and Jason’s expense) and sincere cultural criticism, especially regarding '80s tropes and gender politics. The team’s frequent asides (audio tech, June’s umpiring, and household wire installations) create a lived-in, improvisational atmosphere.

---

Final Judgments

• June: “That’s right. I just had a hard time with this one. It didn’t hit correctly.” (78:59) – Does not recommend.
• Jason: “I would say yes—yes, but fast forward. There’s some genuine silliness…” (76:34) – Mild recommend, mainly for nostalgia or absurdity.
• Paul: “If someone did a supercut… it would be really fun to watch.” (77:14) – Neutral; recommends only the highlights.

---

Memorable Running Joke

• Stuart Pankin’s character, “Mr. Hodgkins,”—with a full minute-long montage of the cast saying “Hodgkins” in every conceivable way (82:19–82:54).

---

Takeaway

A chaotic, meandering, and often jaw-dropping testament to '80s kid movie weirdness, The Dirt Bike Kid leaves the hosts both amused and confused. The hosts’ recommendation: watch only if you want to marvel at the bizarre, or locate a fan-made supercut.

---

Quotes attributed to the speaker and timestamped for your reference.

Transcript

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

To kids, summer isn't just time off, it is time spent building confidence and curiosity. But when school meals pause, millions of kids lose access to the food they count on during the school year. As a neighbor led network, Feeding America is deeply rooted in every community, ensuring summer meals continue nourishing growth and potential. Your support puts healthy food within reach, fueling the future for kids and their families. Give now at Feeding America. Nissan Frontier Doesn't Mess Around Frontier comes standard with a 310 horsepower V6, the most powerful naturally aspirated V6 in its class. It can tow up to £7,150 with nine speed automatic transmission. You get smooth power every time you hit the gas. Visit your local Nissan dealer to get a Frontier. No tricks, no trendy, unproven turbo or hybrid fad, just real truck power. Auto Pacific segmentation 2026 Frontier vs latest

[Paul Shear]

in market competitors in the midsize truck

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

class Base models compared based on manufacturers websites Alienware's back to school event is the perfect time to score top gaming gear with incredible features and advanced engineering. To go beyond performance, start your Alienware journey with the Alienware 15 gaming laptop featuring Intel Core processors, game live stream and multitask for hours on end. Pair your incredibly smooth gaming experience with immersive vis and sound by saving on sleek Alienware monitors, headsets and more. This limited time sale awaits you [e-mail] deals.

[Paul Shear]

Not since the Big Short have we seen such an indictment on the big banking system and their takeover of small town America. We saw the Dirt Bike Kid so you know what that means.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Now it's time for

[Paul Shear]

failure.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Let's wallow in the mediocrity of subpar art. Perhaps we'll find the answer to the question how did this get Made?

[Paul Shear]

Hello people of Earth and welcome to how did this Get Made? I am Tal John Shear and this week we are Talking about the 1985 classic the Dirt Bike Kid starring Peter Billingsley. The tagline for the movie is if you're crazy about magic, hot for action, ready for romance and wild about winning, this movie is for you. It is about a magical dirt bike. Think Jack and the Beanstalk, but with a dirt bike. But also forget the whole second part of Jack and the Beanstalk and replace it with a big bank. Anyway, we'll get into it. So now without any further ado, please meet my co host, Mr. Jason Manzoukas and Ms. June Diane Rayfield. How are you both?

[Jason Manzoukas]

I mean, I think it's wild that you think this is like Jack and The beanstalk. Because to me, this was like, what if you had E.T. but E.T. was a bike.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Oh, I saw it as the magical beans.

[June Diane Raphael]

I didn't see. Huh. The thing about this bike is that it didn't have a personality.

[Jason Manzoukas]

It has a voice. It has the lights. It communicates with him through the computer. It lights up.

[June Diane Raphael]

What do you mean it has a voice?

[Jason Manzoukas]

It's like beeps and boops. It's got, like. It has, like. It goes. It emotes with sounds, and when it's

[Paul Shear]

excited, it revs like ra. Like, you know. Yeah.

[Jason Manzoukas]

It does the headlight. The headlights are the eyes. It keeps focusing, and when it's, like, being taken away, it, like, puts its head down like it's sad. It. Like. They emote the bike like it's. Because the other thing they do is they treat it like it's one of those movies where the kid has a dog, and the kid has to be like, go on, get out of here, you dumb dog. I hate you. I don't even want you, you stupid dog. Get out of here. It's like that, but with a sentient dirt bike.

[Paul Shear]

And I would argue it has similarities to Herbie. Right. Am I remembering Herbie correctly?

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes. I think Herbie is a good comp.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah.

[Jason Manzoukas]

So you get Herbie, but, yes, I think that's probably true.

[June Diane Raphael]

I don't think that's a movie we ever did, did we?

[Paul Shear]

Well, we never did the originals, nor did we do the Lindsay Lohan Michael Keaton reboot of it that came out that Tom Lennon and Ben Grant actually wrote. I've never seen the remake.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Kirby Fully Loaded, I believe.

[Paul Shear]

Yes, that's right. But I do believe that this movie was extremely popular because I didn't recognize the title. But when I saw the poster of Peter Billingsley, the kid from A Christmas Story, on that dirt bike flying over a city, I was like, oh, yeah. This is always in, like, the kids section of my local video store when I was a kid. And I wanted.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I was shocked that I never saw it. I was like. I was like, how have I never seen this? This is exactly my, like, the age that I was. And I feel like if I had seen it, I would have been like, I want that dirt bike. Oh, my God. I want to be. I want to take on the bad At Stuart Pankin at the bank. I wanted, like. I feel like it would have been a movie as a kid. I would have been like, oh, this is so cool.

[Paul Shear]

I mean, there is nothing more 80s than Stuart Pankin as a bad Guy and Dirt Bikes. I mean, this movie. This movie had never.

[June Diane Raphael]

What is this movie called? What is it called?

[Jason Manzoukas]

Wow. What minute are we at? We're at minute. What? We're at two minutes in.

[Paul Shear]

What do you think?

[Jason Manzoukas]

Called. What is Me and My Dirt.

[June Diane Raphael]

I honestly was looking at the photo behind you, and I was like. I was about to say Me and My Dirt Bike.

[Jason Manzoukas]

My Dirt Bike, by the way, better title, better title.

[June Diane Raphael]

Me Life with My Dirt Bike. With a musical number, I'm guessing.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I would love it if this movie had a musical number to Me and My Dirt Bike where they dance together. Because the thing about the dirt bike is it revving up the avenue. Anyway, here's the thing, because the bike. What's crazy about it is.

[June Diane Raphael]

What is it called? What is this movie called?

[Jason Manzoukas]

We're never gonna kill you. I just. I would have preferred if throughout the episode, we just kept asking you, now what do you think it's called?

[Paul Shear]

Yeah, I made a mistake. Did you hear me, June? Did you hear me?

[June Diane Raphael]

I did the Dirt Bike Kid. The Dirt Bike Kid.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Me and My Dirt Bike, though, is unquestionably a better title.

[Paul Shear]

I gotta. Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

Sorry, Jason, what were you gonna say?

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, I just was about to say, like, one of the things that is. Was shocking to me and I loved was, like, the. Like, in my comp of. It's E.T. at the end of the movie, Elliot and E.T. are on the bike, and the bike flies across the moon. And because of ET's magic, the bike is able to fly. In this movie, Peter Billingsley buys a dirt bike for $50, cleans it up in the garage, and at minute 13 is flying above Los Angeles. He's flying on the dirt bike. At minute 13, I was like, where is this going?

[Paul Shear]

So unimpressed with the flying. Wow, this is cool.

[Jason Manzoukas]

This is crazy.

[Paul Shear]

Look at that.

[June Diane Raphael]

It's beautiful. There's no. It's like he lives in a world. Well, that's what was so strange. It's like he lives in a world where you can fly under bikes. Yes. Cause that scene had me thinking, like, oh, can you fly under bikes in this world? Like, what is. What. What is this reality? Here's my main problem with the movie. And it's the only problem I have.

[Jason Manzoukas]

The only. There's only one problem.

[June Diane Raphael]

Otherwise it's perfect.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Otherwise.

[June Diane Raphael]

Which. The title was more memorable. But other than that. No. I. I thought from the beginning of the movie, we were gonna. We were setting up that this is a child who wants desperately to compete in a dirt bike race.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

And now all roads were gonna. Were going to lead to him being the guy who gets to win and beat these other guys in a dirt bike race.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Right.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I agree.

[June Diane Raphael]

And then we, like, crazily take a left turn and start to understand he's a little league player. And the whole, like, heartbeat of the movie is about saving the. Well, I'm going to get into the hot dog place in a second. But saving that restaurant, which they constantly refer to as a store. Saving the rest because they sell hot dogs.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yeah, it's the hot dog store.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah, it's a hot dog store.

[June Diane Raphael]

It's not.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I'll meet you at the hot dog store. What do you not get about that? Yeah, I mean, where should we go for dinner? Should we go eat at the hot dog store?

[Paul Shear]

And look, if you ate in the restaurant, you'd be eating in the restaurant. But they're just going there for the store part. They're buying the hot dogs in the act.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Because there's also an arcade. There's an arcade there. There's, you know, it's a hot dog

[Paul Shear]

store and meets an arcade and a restaurant. It's three things.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, it's also a food fight store. It's also a food fight store where we go to have food.

[Paul Shear]

Can you imagine how much you would have to clean that place? I mean, the food fight they were having.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay, so that's my question.

[Jason Manzoukas]

You'd have to shut down for days. You'd have to shut down for days.

[June Diane Raphael]

But do you think Jason and Paul. Paul, you can respond to this too. But Mike is presented, the owner of the hot dog store is presented as a shell of a man. A man shattered.

[Jason Manzoukas]

He's destroyed.

[June Diane Raphael]

Shattered. Like, life has been so cruel to this man. He looks like he's in the middle

[Paul Shear]

of a nervous breakdown and that he's taken down, man.

[Jason Manzoukas]

When he is coaching those kids. When he's coaching the kids at Little League and he's trying to give them a pep talk at the beginning of the game, he is like. He might as well be like, give up. It's over. Who cares? Life means nothing.

[June Diane Raphael]

Entire movie.

[Jason Manzoukas]

He's despondent.

[June Diane Raphael]

He's despondent. And then after I saw that food fight, though, I was like, oh, maybe this is a man who's just been, like, shattered by these food fights happening every day. Like, he must stay there till like, four in the morning cleaning up.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I have a question. How long did it take you? Because I'm gonna say it took me a while. How long did it take you to realize he own the hot dog store.

[Paul Shear]

Well, it took me a while because

[Jason Manzoukas]

I did not feel like it was evident at the beginning. It took me a while until the bank forecloses.

[Paul Shear]

Oh, I knew it a little bit earlier than that. There was a moment when he was actively playing the video game machine where I was like, this is odd. This man who coaches the little league team is off in the corner playing his own arcade. Well, I didn't know it was his own arcade machine. I just thought, here's a man playing an arcade machine in the corner by himself. He's depressed. And then when it became clear that he owned the place and he was in the corner playing the arcade machine, I was even more depressed. Oh, it's. Oh, wait, you're having trouble hearing me, June?

[June Diane Raphael]

A little bit.

[Paul Shear]

Okay, we'll ratchet it up.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, boy.

[June Diane Raphael]

You know what? Not saying Internet unstable. I'm going back.

[Paul Shear]

You want to just plug into the Internet, June?

[June Diane Raphael]

What do you mean, plug in?

[Paul Shear]

Oh, that's why we installed that. That line right under your desk.

[June Diane Raphael]

This is the first time hearing about it.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Keep this in. Keep all this in.

[Paul Shear]

Remember, when you shoot off, you shoot off the construction workers. Keep this in.

[Jason Manzoukas]

And Devin put. Put the music. The. Like the. The xylophone music put underneath this discussion.

[June Diane Raphael]

This is the first time I'm hearing about a line. I had no idea I was wired in.

[Paul Shear]

Would. Would you like me to come down there and.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, just tell me if I plugged in. The thing that goes to the monitor. Is that is plugged in?

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yeah, it looks like a. Oh, okay.

[Paul Shear]

Well, no, it looks like. It looks like a.

[Jason Manzoukas]

It looks like a phone cord. Yeah, it looks like a phone cable. Not a cable cable.

[Paul Shear]

And it should be plugged into your. That little. That little, like, gray box that goes into your computer. Don't look under the desk.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, okay, I see it. It's not plugged in. I'm gonna go plug it in now.

[Paul Shear]

Okay.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Plug it in. Wow.

[June Diane Raphael]

So you're telling me that thing. Wow. Okay.

[Paul Shear]

Well, now you have to shut off. Well, now you would shut off WI Fi.

[June Diane Raphael]

That's terrifying. Okay. Here goes nothing.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, boy. Here we go.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay. See you on the other side. I'm still here.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

All right.

[Paul Shear]

There you go.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Wow, this is amazing. This is the content that people need in 2021.

[June Diane Raphael]

Wow. Wow, wow, wow. I've been. Just so you both know, I've been switching from 5G back to regular G to up, back to.

[Jason Manzoukas]

This is all you need. This is all you. This is the stablest, most protected version

[Paul Shear]

of this Now, Yeah, this is what

[Jason Manzoukas]

you would like, because you're not connected, you're not wireless. You're getting it straight from the wall.

[June Diane Raphael]

And when were you planning on telling me about this, Bob?

[Paul Shear]

Well, we had. We had. We had. Well, first.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Well, first of all.

[Paul Shear]

You know what?

[Jason Manzoukas]

You're right. My bad.

[Paul Shear]

I'm going to walk you back through a few conversations we had about it. The first being when we were doing our live video shows. We decided that we needed to get one so we wouldn't lose connection. And then the gentleman, Gray and his team came over to the house and they needed to install it. And you shooed them away, then they came back.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yep.

[Paul Shear]

And then they came back another time and then they installed it. And then when they came back the

[Jason Manzoukas]

second time, I like the image of people trying to come and hook up technology at the house and June with a broom, like, chasing them away.

[June Diane Raphael]

Listen, get out of here. It's never a good time.

[Paul Shear]

It's never mice.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Like, they're mice that are loose in the house.

[Paul Shear]

Never a good time for people to come to the house that have been booked for weeks. They are often shooed out of the house, asked to be. Wrap it up, guys. We gotta wrap it up.

[June Diane Raphael]

My retreat and my haven and I just can't take all of the goings on. But this is something. Now that we're on this subject, I actually do want to. And I will own this next one. I will completely own it. Because I received a number of DMs and people were mentioning me on Twitter. And I know that in the last episode, there was a lot of terrible noise on my audio.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

And there were a lot of questions around it clicking and clacking and people were very upset. And I was accused of getting a manicure during the episode. And I was.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Yep.

[Jason Manzoukas]

That was.

[June Diane Raphael]

So I want to apologize to our listeners and to their ears. And honestly, I will put some weight on you, Paul, and give a flawless.

[Jason Manzoukas]

You can hear it.

[Paul Shear]

Oh, that's amazing. Yeah. I mean, Devin had to work.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, shit.

[Paul Shear]

But, Devin, how long did you have to work to get that cleaned up?

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, four hours.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Three.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Four hours.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, Devin.

[Jason Manzoukas]

And people still. And people still could hear it. Oh, my gosh.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Yes.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, my gosh.

[June Diane Raphael]

So sad. Now, this is another thing. I will. This is amazing responsibility for Paul.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Me?

[Paul Shear]

Yeah. No, me, apparently. It's my fault.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I'll fall on my sword.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay, so this is what I want you to take some responsibility for.

[Paul Shear]

Sure.

[June Diane Raphael]

I have done this before and the listeners haven't noticed. Okay. So I Listen, I'm trying to meet beauty standards that are honestly impossible to meet, and I'm set up to fail in the society that we live in. Yes, I have to get mannies and petties and all manner of thing to simply exist as a woman in the world. And there's only so much time in the day. And so did I know I was going to be sitting here without doing anything else but the podcast and just talking? Yes, I did. I thought that was a perfect time to get my nails and toenails done. Now I have gotten it done before and it hasn't been heard, which makes me think that whatever this was, Cody, whatever new microphone you got me, whatever new setup, the sound is so much better.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Are you blaming Cody for getting you good equipment?

[June Diane Raphael]

All I'm saying is, when I had the old equipment, no one could tell. And now I've got all this fancy stuff I got wired in, and I got special things over the mic so my peas don't pop and this and that and the other thing. And now people are picking up.

[Paul Shear]

I'm going to. I'm going to. I'm going to jump in here and just say, when I came downstairs, this is Cody's now blaming me. Cody says, my fault because June's apology

[Jason Manzoukas]

left this at Paul and Cody's feet.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah. So basically my fault is that I gave her a better microphone because I thought that she could use a better microphone.

[June Diane Raphael]

But I don't want this microphone to pick up everything that I'm doing. Just my voice.

[Paul Shear]

Now, here's what I'll say. Here's what I will say. When I came down to see, I

[Jason Manzoukas]

specifically requested one that would make my voice sound good, but wouldn't pick up my farts.

[Paul Shear]

Today's podcast is brought to you by our friends over at Squarespace. You know, I love Squarespace because with Squarespace, everything that you need to succeed online is in one spot.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

From claiming your domain to building a

[Paul Shear]

beautiful website promoting your work and taking payments.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

It's all there.

[Paul Shear]

Whether you're just starting out or ready to grow easily, create a standout site using designer templates or AI with drag and drop editing. It makes a everything so easy.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

I have so many sites.

[Paul Shear]

The dinosaur site, the how did this get made site, the Paulshear.com. it's all there. And they're all completely different because Squarespace allows me to adapt my style for each one of those sites into a

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

format that they make look good.

[Paul Shear]

Does that make sense? I make sense to me.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Look, whatever you want to do, offer services, book clients, get paid.

[Paul Shear]

It's all in one place with Squarespace, right? You can even do scheduling invoices and they have email tools built in people.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

It's great. I love Squarespace.

[Paul Shear]

Go to squarespace squarespace.com bonkers for a free trial and when you're ready to launch, use the offer code bonkers to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

There are things in life that you don't want to be transparent, like your swimsuit or your search history. But when it comes to your wireless bill, transparency is everything. That's why Mint Mobile's wireless plans have no gimmicks and no gotchas. Just high speed data and reliable coverage on the T Mobile 5G network. And right now, all plans are $15 per month, even unlimited. So to get your new wireless Plan for just 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.com hdtgm that's mintmobile.com hdtgM and cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com hdtgt that's it. There's no catch. Upfront payment of $45 for three months, $90 for six months or $180 for 12 months. Plan required $15 a month equivalent taxes and fees extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes. May slow when network is busy. Includes up to 20 gigabytes. Hotspot capable device required. Availability, speed and coverage vary. See mint mobile.com Is there a language

[Paul Shear]

that you'd like to learn in preparation for a trip?

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Yeah, of course there is. When you go out of the country, you don't want to feel like a stupid American. You want to have some semblance of the language. So when you're traveling this summer, there is one thing you need to pack. It is Babbel. That's right. Babbel is built for real life. Not vocab lists, not verb charts, but real conversation practice. Even just 10 minutes a day with Babbel can help you start having real conversations in as little as three weeks. Lessons are quick, practical and built by more than 200 language experts. I absolutely love my experience with Babel. Every day I make a little time for me and Babel to learn and I'm learning just for fun. I'm learning Spanish. And here's the thing, I'm starting to really understand it. It feels truly like a magic trick. I love this app. If you got summer travel coming up, now is the time to start so you can actually use what you learn on the trip. Right now Babbel is offering listeners up to 60% off. Go to babbel.com bonkers. That's Babbel. B-A B-B-E-L.com bonkers for up to 60% off. Rules and restrictions may apply.

[Paul Shear]

Anyway, time is money. And that is why Mike is so upset in the Dirt Bike Kid. Because, unlike Jason, I knew that he was the owner of the hot dog. But I was sad to see him so disengaged. He never seemed to be a person to go behind the counter to see him playing his own arcade machine in the middle of the day really made me depressed for this man.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, yeah. Well, that's when I. That's. I feel like in that scene is where he says they're going to close the place down or whatever. And I was like, oh, wait, this is his place.

[Paul Shear]

Oh, they give an exposition dump in this moment. That is massive. And what makes it even more massive is that we weren't even clued into this being part of the plot.

[June Diane Raphael]

What's the matter, Mike?

[Jason Manzoukas]

I've never seen you so steam.

[Paul Shear]

Why don't you ask Mr. Hodgkin's personal assistant?

[June Diane Raphael]

A comprehensive analysis made by the bank's computer selected this site as the location for the new bank. Mr. Hodgkins has given Mike one week to vacate before they tear down the dog. But I'm sure, Michael.

[Jason Manzoukas]

You sure, Michael?

[June Diane Raphael]

What?

[Jason Manzoukas]

Go on, Ms. Clavel.

[Paul Shear]

What don't you understand? Don't you and your computer understand that I'm about to lose everything in my life, Everything I've worked for? We don't things like that compute in

[Jason Manzoukas]

your comprehensive analysis, huh? Like for me, inside of this movie. Again, we're only like, maybe 15 minutes in and we've been introduced to. Cause I, like June, thought this movie was gonna be a little bit, like, rad or something like that. Where the. The racing. Because. Because to be clear, at the very beginning of the movie, Peter Billingsley rides his regular bike to a dirt bike rally race, or whatever that's called on a motocross race.

[Paul Shear]

You know, on a mission to mom or from mom to. Oh, that's right, $50 worth of groceries.

[Jason Manzoukas]

With their last $50. She says, this is the end of. This is our last $50. Go buy groceries.

[Paul Shear]

I was a latchke, you know, I was a kid that was home alone a lot. And I have to say that I don't think this mom was juggling being a single mom as good as she could be. Because she's really wanting him to Do a lot of very hard tasks. I mean, she's like, you should be cooking the bacon. I don't believe that a little kid should be in charge of a hot, greasy frying pan. I don't think the kid should be in charge of getting $50 worth of groceries. He was doing some insurmount tasks for his age, in my opinion.

[June Diane Raphael]

How old is he?

[Jason Manzoukas]

That's what. Exactly what I was going to ask because I wrote down at one point, how old is this kid? Because how old are all of these kids? Because I was going to say 12.

[Paul Shear]

Okay, 12.

[June Diane Raphael]

I hope 12. Because actually it was his little best friend who's obsessed with boobs and was like, very sexual. Made me so uncomfortable because I was like, oh, is. Is he 10 or 9 or 12?

[Jason Manzoukas]

That's because that, to me, that kid, I was like, when I wrote. When I watched that, I was like, oh, that's right. The 80s trope of the young kid perv.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, it's so horrible. It's so horrible.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Is such a thing that is not done anymore, doesn't exist. But was so prevalent in these movies of this time is that there was always a kid who was like, always looking at boobs and butts, and he's talking about girls and all this stuff. And he's like, Peter Billings, he's his best friend.

[Paul Shear]

And we know that he's a little bit more of a cad because he's wearing a Hawaiian shirt. And I feel like that was a big deal. Like, even in Splash John Candy, when we were introduced to him, I think as a kid, his game was that he would spill change on the ground and then terrible habits to teach children and, and. And pick up the change to look up women's skirts. But, like, the same energy was like, where he doesn't care about the dirt bikes, he just cares about the boobs. Peter Billingsley.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Bo is that kid's name. And he says this line, which I think best sums up who Bo is. He says, after, After Peter Billingsley has told him all about, like, the. The motorbike, the dirt bike. Rather take flying around and taking him on. The kid goes, I don't believe in fairy tales. I believe in Playboy magazine. I was like, listen, this kid is insane.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah, I mean, I had a hard time that. I had a hard time with this movie because of those reasons. Like this sexualizing these young boys or making them like these lustful, you know, pubescent kids was just uncomfortable. And then the boss and I mean, I don't know, I actually had a moment Where I was watching this, where I was like, wow, I just consumed so much of rape culture as a child that I did not even. I wasn't even able to identify it. It was just. It just was what movies were. Oh, no, they didn't question it. And it was just like, oh, that. That's what we do to women. That's what we all. That's it.

[Paul Shear]

I mean, he.

[Jason Manzoukas]

And it's inside of, like, that's what the villain does. Like, the Stuart Pankin character is the villain, and he behaves reprehensible towards women. And that's the way it's kind of framed. But it is behavior that is, like, across the board insane and not just like, once, but is repeatedly reinforced. And not only that, but he is like a predator.

[June Diane Raphael]

He's a predator. But not only that, there's that moment that really. I wanted to cry when explaining to Jack why she's not taking the job. And she says, like, oh, there were other reasons. And he goes, oh, that. It was such a bummer because it was like, oh, this child understands this, and this child doesn't question this. And this child has accepted that this is the way of the world and there's nothing to be done about it. Cause this is how we understand things to go. And it was just. It really. This movie really depressed me, and I swear I won't cause any more trouble.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, and, Mom, I'm really sorry about

[June Diane Raphael]

costing you that job. Really, I am. It doesn't matter. I don't think I could have lasted

[Jason Manzoukas]

very long with Mr. Hodgkins anyway.

[June Diane Raphael]

He wasn't interested in my abilities.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

What.

[Jason Manzoukas]

What was he interested in?

[Paul Shear]

Never mind. Oh, yeah, that. That scene. This kid has been through a lot, and maybe I take it back that the mom. Look, the mom is being hit on pretty hard by Mr. Hodgkins, who. They say his name so many times in this movie. I. I love a movie where.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Well, because it's also the name of the bank too. So it is. Yes. They. It's constantly being said.

[Paul Shear]

We will actually do a little montage of all the Hodgkins later on April. Cut together an amazing Hodgkin's clip. But, yeah, there's something so weird with this movie because it goes against everything that this movie should be. And it keeps on taking detours, and at the same time, nothing is happening. But the movie is so long, it's almost interminable to get through it keeps

[Jason Manzoukas]

setting things up that aren't real. So like we were saying at the beginning, Peter Billingsley goes to a dirt bike race. And so you think, okay, he's gonna get a dirt bike. Which he immediately does.

[Paul Shear]

From a weird man, by the way. Can we just talk about this weird man?

[Jason Manzoukas]

We gotta talk about this creep. We gotta talk about this creep at the dirt bike race who is like the creep who owns the bike. What is his idea?

[June Diane Raphael]

Or a Santa or like a BMX Santa.

[Jason Manzoukas]

But I'd give for a bike like that.

[Paul Shear]

Oh, that bike is special. Special.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Oh, yes.

[Paul Shear]

But it needs the right rider to make it special. That boy doesn't deserve it. I'm gonna have to buy it back.

[Jason Manzoukas]

This old man comes up to him at the thing and says, well, that's a very special bike. But it takes a special ride or something like that. And he says it with this real creepy weight. And he's like a stone cold creep.

[Paul Shear]

Oh, he looks like. He looks like. What's the gentleman who used to write all those. Shel Silverstein like, like. Like he looks like that mixed with that guy who used to do religious programming on. On like pbs. Like a big white beard and. And just. He's very. He's too kindly. I didn't trust him because he was almost too kindly. Any.

[June Diane Raphael]

It was like classic grooming. Like, here, have this special bite. Like, it was. It was really uncomfortable.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Which is why I was glad he never recurred. He never came back.

[Paul Shear]

Well, until the end.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Until the end when he gives it to another kid. But I mean, he never came back into Peter Billingsley's life. He wasn't like, Peter Billingsley isn't like doing his bidding or Peter Billingsley doesn't have to interact with him again. He's just transactionally there to make sure that the bike gets where it needs to go.

[June Diane Raphael]

Because at one point. Well, because at one point I thought, oh, the personality of the bike. Cause I thought the bike was pretty creepy and lacked a personality. That is that guy. Like, that was a second.

[Paul Shear]

You think that he is the bike?

[Jason Manzoukas]

I don't think so. Here's why. Because when the bike wants to communicate with Peter Billingsley, he has to use the computer. And if he was the old man, the old man would just show up and be like, I need to tell you this.

[Paul Shear]

What if the old man showed up in his window and like, hey, that's what I mean.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Like, the old man would have said something. But instead the bike uses the computer to talk to Peter Billingsley and just uses like pictographs.

[Paul Shear]

Like he accesses the computer to say computer telephone. Or he says like telephone lines Bank, Telephone lines. Bank. Like, that's how he's communicating with him.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yeah, it's crazy. So anyway, what I was gonna say is, so at first it seems like it's gonna be, oh, he's gonna get a bike and then he's gonna enter the race. And that's what the movie's gonna be like. No. Then it's about little league. So it's about his scrappy team that is part of Mike's hot dog Store. Bad News Bears versus Vers. Exactly. Versus the. The Richie Rich bank team. And so I was like, oh, that's gonna be the movie. The movie is gonna be this rivalry between the scrappy Bad News Bears kids and them. Nope, that's not the movie either.

[June Diane Raphael]

Nope.

[Jason Manzoukas]

It's really about this kid versus the bank because the bank is gonna close down the hot dog store.

[Paul Shear]

And his commitment to it is that it's his baseball team's managers. Like, it's the place where they hang out after the games. But it seems like this kid doesn't care that much about baseball when his mother also has a job.

[Jason Manzoukas]

They never play another game. They play a baseball game at minute seven, and they never play another game.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay. And not only that, but, like, why did the Richie Rich bank kids. The Richie Rich bank kids team also goes to the hot dog store for some after game fun. So wouldn't they. Why do they want that bank there? Wouldn't they also want to keep that fun hot dog store?

[Paul Shear]

Well, we find out through a tremendous amount of insanity that Stuart Penkin actually has no money and that he owns land. And when they're breaking.

[June Diane Raphael]

So complicated.

[Paul Shear]

We rewound it, by the way. We rewound this movie two times. Well, we were.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yes, I did too. You know what I kept doing? I kept stopping watching it because I was like, this is crazy. I don't know what's. I'm like. I'm like, stressed out about this. And I had to stop and come back, like, 20 minutes later. We were watching it down.

[Paul Shear]

We were watching it on Pluto tv.

[Jason Manzoukas]

And they're about Stuart Pankin when the woman flees out of Stuart Pankin's window. And he goes, that's the second one today. I'm gonna have to put bars on these window windows. And it's the afternoon. I was like, what is this movie?

[Paul Shear]

No, I mean, Stuart Paikin uses a dog. Uses a dog to trap a woman in his study that he is trying to. I mean, by the way, like, I believe that he's doing it multiple times a day because when he is trying to woo Peter Billingsley's mom, he pulls out champagne. And the champagne doesn't have a pop. It kind of has a. Like, it, like, almost like he shoved it back down. There was a. A lack of a pop, which means that he has already tried to give another woman champagne there. And by the way, why does this bank need such a large building? Like, why would it need, like, a Nakatomi Tower?

[Jason Manzoukas]

This gets at something else I want to talk about, which is the movie is 100% small town America. Would you guys agree?

[Paul Shear]

Yes.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Right. It feels like everybody knows each other's business, even when everybody knows each other.

[Paul Shear]

Even when he flies over the town. There's no landmarks, though. Oh, my God, this is beautiful.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Skyscrapers. He's flying over a city with skyscrapers. Right? And I'm like, where the fuck.

[Paul Shear]

I think it's the same green screen they use in Supergirl, by the way.

[Jason Manzoukas]

That's what it is. They're flying over Los Angeles, but he lands in, like, Ohio. Yeah, something like that, you know, I mean, like, I was like, this doesn't add up at all. Like, I get it. So Stuart Penkin seems to be like, building a big city bank, but the town is miniature, you know, Again, why

[Paul Shear]

would you need, like, Stuart Penkin's bank

[Jason Manzoukas]

Seem very like, mom and pop. The mom and Pop is four people, right? Board of directors is four people.

[Paul Shear]

And the board of directors. And he seems to be the face of the bank in so many ways. So much so that like. Like when they walk into the bank, it says, like, good rates, good service, good banker. And it's all these really terrible photos they clearly took with Stuart Penkin, like during a costume fitting day. Like, if you look around at every photo in this, it's like just a tight closeup of Stuart Penkin's face. And they. And they've put it in FR on walls. It's all over the place.

[June Diane Raphael]

I love that. Sirupinken also in the bank. Well, actually a couple times. Also during the press conference. He acts as though the models that project what this building is going to look like that will take over Mike's hot dog shop are the thing itself. Like he. When they get destroyed by the bike. Because the bike.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Right?

[Paul Shear]

Yes. Not the actual. Like, they're not women models. The. The.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, sorry. The sort of like.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Wait, were there women models?

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

No, I just.

[Paul Shear]

For people who are not going to clearly movie, I wanted to make sure

[Jason Manzoukas]

that it was clear that, like, there are architectural models. Architectural models?

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes, like little dollhouses. The the main sort of action sequences in this movie are the bike heading into indoor spaces. Like, the bike is constantly riding into the back. Okay. And. And crashing into these model structures. And Stewpink is behaving as though the bank itself has been crashed into or that his project has been destroyed because these little sculptures have been destroyed. It's very strange, by the way.

[Paul Shear]

This reeked of ladybugs to me. It felt the same way. An obscene loyalty to a tabletop architecture of what the future will be. And it's. Oh, no, no, no. My buildings, my. And the motorcycle, I have to say, is very ginger, because when it does even jump up on the table and use its front wheel to kind of crash the model, it doesn't really destroy it. It just kind of like, knocks it down like a house of cards, you know?

[Jason Manzoukas]

And to be clear, like, what's happening in the movie is that Peter Billingsley is on the dirt bike. This is a motorized. This is a motorcycle. This is a small motorcycle, right?

[Paul Shear]

Yeah. This is not a BMX bike. Yeah.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Just so everybody understands, this is not a bike you pedal. This has a motor, and this goes f. What a building does it mean?

[June Diane Raphael]

But what, Jason, is the difference between a motorbike and a motorcycle?

[Jason Manzoukas]

I think it's just my. My guess would be the size of the engine such that, like. So, like a moped or a motorbike is, like, has a smaller engine and can only go so fast. And a motorcycle has a bigger engine. But that's just. That's just me guessing at what the difference could be.

[June Diane Raphael]

The bike that you have downstairs, that's considered a. What? What?

[Paul Shear]

An electric bike.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay. That's an electric bike.

[Paul Shear]

Yes.

[Jason Manzoukas]

So that's like a new thing, though. Like, I don't. You know, like, the type of bike. This is it, to me, seems like the junior version of what motocross people

[Paul Shear]

drive to me when I was a kid.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Horses.

[Paul Shear]

You know, I wanted a dirt bike when I was a kid, but I didn't want. I didn't understand it.

[Jason Manzoukas]

You mean like a motorized dirt bike?

[Paul Shear]

No, I, like, understood a dirt bike to be like a BMX bike. Like, it felt like.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I agree.

[Paul Shear]

That's how I understood it.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yes.

[Paul Shear]

No, well, that one. The one in the movie. Yes, because that's. That is a motorcycle. Like, the one that I wanted was like a b.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Just.

[Paul Shear]

Was like a BMX bike that just had cooler wheels. And you're like, oh, yeah, this is a good dirt bike. Not a. I believe that when we did rad, those were dirt bikes. Those were not motor.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Those are like. Those are like BMX bikes.

[June Diane Raphael]

He has, is actually not a dirt bike.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I think it was probably at the time called a dirt bike or some. I think we're getting into like the weeds here of like nomenclature because I think like probably it was referenced because at the time there was no electronic bike. There were bikes with motors and bikes that you pedal to move.

[Paul Shear]

Right. Dirt bikes are definitely how they are portrayed here in this movie. I think for, for me growing up, dirt bike felt like a pedal BMX bike.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I agree. Like for example, I would have described Rad as a dirt bike movie.

[Paul Shear]

Yes.

[Jason Manzoukas]

You know, but I, but I think there. But I. I don't know. It's. It's a nebulous bike.

[Paul Shear]

Here's kind of a thing here. I looked it up. Got it. Bmx, a true BMX bike started it all back in the late 60s. They were knockoffs of motocross motorcycles and they were designed for racing over jumps and around berms in the dirt. So what we're talking about is that's a motocross motorcycle. That's what he has.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I think he just has a junior version of that. Like a not. It doesn't go as fast. Not as powerful perhaps.

[Paul Shear]

Yes.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Because a 13 year old. And by the way, all of the kids in this town, even when later at the hot dog shop, the hot dog store, rather later, Bo is talking to two girls their age and they are also on motorized bikes. Everybody in this town, every child in this town is on a motorized gasoline powered vehicle. And for 50, 25 miles an hour.

[Paul Shear]

I mean this kid bought this one. The reason why we're introduced to not

[Jason Manzoukas]

a helmet in sight except for on Peter Billings.

[Paul Shear]

Oh no. Peter Billingsley. Peter Billingsley has one of the funniest bits in this entire movie with where he constantly can't take on or take off or put on his helmet because his glasses are on his face. So the glasses are constantly being pushed down and he's gotta take them off and put them through the lens area or take them off. Like it.

[Jason Manzoukas]

It's a very helmet. Yes, his helmet glasses business was pretty funny. I will say it's pretty great.

[Paul Shear]

And so the way we meet the dirt bike without a name, the Herbie with no name, is that he's being abused by Max, a bully, a dirt bike legend in this town who takes $50 and Peter Billingsley's pedal bike and the John Candy friend makes him a worse deal. He's like, here's 50 bucks. Well, first of All Peter Billingsley goes, I'll give you 50 bucks for this bike. And this kid's like, are you crazy? 50 bucks for a bike? And then the kid, the friend comes over and says, how about you throw in your gear and your helmet? And he gives you the other bike. Bike and the $50. To which Peter Billings says, but this is my last $50. But two seconds ago, he had offered up the $50 to buy the bike. He's getting a good deal. I think he's getting a good deal. I mean, that dirt bike is worth more than 50 bucks.

[Jason Manzoukas]

The bike is a sentient and full of magic. So he gets a very good deal.

[June Diane Raphael]

Here's my question about the bike. So do you think. Do you think the bike was throwing magic, Max off of itself? Because it was the. Okay, so it definitely was.

[Paul Shear]

Oh, yeah.

[Jason Manzoukas]

What we find out. What we find out is that the bike. Because the bike can drive itself. The bike. Keep in mind, in the middle of the day, throughout this movie, the bike with nobody on it is driving through this town. Like, the bike drives out of the bike shop after the mom sells it and goes and finds Peter Billingsley at the baseball field. That bike was unmanned. There was nobody on it, and it went all the way. And nobody goes to jail. This bike is arrested and goes to jail twice. In this movie, police officers handcuff the bike like it's a perp.

[Paul Shear]

No one reacts to this bike being sentient in any way. Like, I will still go on and just say that we. That it never does. Peter Billingsley say, oh, mom, my bike can fly. That seems to be like, just yet another interesting thing. Like, I get, like, look, I get the sentient. I get controlling the Internet and the computers. I'm kind of losing it at flying. Like, it becomes a.

[Jason Manzoukas]

The flying is crazy because I think what you're meant to assume is Peter Billingsley is doing nothing. He's just sitting on the bike. The bike does everything. I don't think he knows how to drive the bike. I think the bike is doing all of the work, and he's just a passive passenger. Would you agree?

[Paul Shear]

Yes, I would agree. Now, here's my argument. The only reason why I think this bike would get this worked up is if the hot dog store was a gas station. Sure. Because they were taking away the gas station. Like, what vested interest does the bike have in saving the. Yeah, seems to be.

[Jason Manzoukas]

The bike seems to be somehow wanting to help Peter Billingsley's character. It's kind of like, isn't this kind of like ET the bike wants to help Peter Billingsley's character with his journey, but the bike is too much, and he has to keep kind of pulling it back from exposing itself or from going too far.

[Paul Shear]

But wouldn't his journey be to get his mother a job so they could actually have some money in groceries? I don't know.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I agree, but he seems more interested in helping the hot dog store.

[Paul Shear]

That's what I'm saying. He seems to be irrationally.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, it's a long way. It's. We got a long road to get there. But she does end up taking on the hot dog store. Store as a client. Now, what her role is, I don't know, because it's.

[Paul Shear]

She's unemployed.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, but she says, she has a line where she says, I'm so happy to take you on as a client.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

And I was trying to wrap my mind around, like, what. And then he sort of takes her in the store to see all of the changes she's implemented in the hot dog store. But what is her job?

[Jason Manzoukas]

You know, she. At the beginning of the movie, in the very first scene, Peter Billingsley's watching tv and she's on the phone with the bank because they're gonna give her a job interview. And she says, yes, I can do this. I can do that. I've done this before. I've done that before. So everything you need, I can do. And so I am assuming it's some sort of marketing. Marketing, publicity. Something in that realm that she was going to do at the bank, was willing to do at the bank if they had hired her. If Stuart Penkin hadn't been such a. A creep. And now she's doing it for Mike's hot dog.

[Paul Shear]

And Mike. Mike. Mike has as much money to hire her and keep her on payroll.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I. That. I don't know. That I can't see.

[June Diane Raphael]

It seems all she's doing is like, setting up the red ribbon, you know, to cut through.

[Jason Manzoukas]

But, I mean, I, I listen, I'm glad she's employed because Paul's right. I'm sure by Paul's definition, perhaps she'll be a better mother now. Geez.

[Paul Shear]

I mean, look, I just feel like. Look, I was a latchkey kid. My mom never made me do all of these things. And also, I have to say, you

[June Diane Raphael]

know, you did cook for yourself.

[Paul Shear]

I did. At a certain point, you're right. But I feel like bacon was. You know, there were certain things that I was better at.

[June Diane Raphael]

Did you have a line of bacon?

[Paul Shear]

Well, I guess I could.

[Jason Manzoukas]

So your so your real problem was just the bacon?

[Paul Shear]

I just felt like she really burdened him with this bacon in the morning. Like, it's Saturday morning. It's this kid's chest.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, he was not responding. She called him five million times and

[Paul Shear]

she was not responding. Well, I mean, look, this mother cut the cord to the remote control. Not the tv, by the way, too. I mean, if you remember that kind of old school tv, the remote was connected.

[June Diane Raphael]

You go with the cords again, and what cord needs to be connected to what? Chord, we get it. We get it.

[Jason Manzoukas]

You know, June is shooing away this conversation.

[Paul Shear]

I just feel like I just wanted, I don't know, I just wanted her. Like, I feel like the mom actually was very cool. I'm not, I don't have any issues with the mom.

[Jason Manzoukas]

So you're at, you're saying that the mom is the real villain of this movie, not Stuart Pankin, that the mom is the villain.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

I just feel.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

If you, if the kids did not look up or even acknowledge that you were screaming their names and asking for help over and over and over again, like, wouldn't you freak out?

[Paul Shear]

I wouldn't destroy my own tv, because then how would I get to watch my stories?

[June Diane Raphael]

I mean, I think that what she was trying to teach him was like, yeah, young man. Like, get in the kitchen and learn how to cook and learn how to die.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Don't you hear the smoke a lot?

[Paul Shear]

Yeah, right, right.

[Jason Manzoukas]

She says, don't you hear the smoke alarm?

[Paul Shear]

I mean, he's dreaming about, you know, he's dreaming about, about, like. Well, again, this movie does the dirt bike race.

[Jason Manzoukas]

The commercial for the dirt bike race. Didn't he, Wasn't that it or something?

[Paul Shear]

Yeah. And, you know, maybe he, maybe he needs a moment to daydream. You know, they always say the creatives need a moment to daydream. You know, maybe he just needs a moment. You know, if he wasn't, if he wasn't open to this, maybe he would never have gotten to the point place to get the bike, to get his mom a job working in advertising so

[Jason Manzoukas]

that he can start doing comedy and he can figure out how to start podcasting and, and really figure out how to get his life going. It's really interesting how much you identify with the Jack character.

[Paul Shear]

I'm just saying that Jack, you know, is a little bit misunderstood. I, I, I, I do also. I am.

[June Diane Raphael]

Listen, by the way, if he had continued to watch tv, like, we wouldn't have a movie.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

You know, if she kept that cord in the right.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah, you're right.

[Jason Manzoukas]

If he continued to watch tv, he wouldn't have. If his mom hadn't made him do the grocery shopping, which you have criticized her for, Paul. She's making him do. You. You said all, all of the grocery shopping.

[Paul Shear]

50 bucks to say your last 50 bucks to give to a 14 year old and expect them to go there without a.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Now he's 14. Now he's 14. Interesting, interesting. So he has to do. So the mom is the villain. This poor kid. But if she hadn't forced him out of the house, he would never have gone. The creep would have never set him up with the bike. He would never have gotten it from the bully, and he would never have flown and saved the day and become the hero that he became. So maybe the mom is the hero.

[Paul Shear]

Okay, all right. You've had. You definitely, you know, you definitely have opened my eyes to something. You know. You know, I do think that the mom was very chill with. And he did say, hey, mom, I lost the last $50. She never got mad. The mom was pretty even keeled for the last $50 to be spent and her to have no reaction. And for her to also just be. I mean, I guess she's negligent. She puts the Walkman on, doesn't know that this boy has disappeared for the entire night. Flying, literally flying around, being chased by the police. She's just bopping around on her Walkman listening to like Simply Red or something. And you know, I just feel like this mom should just know her kids. Wow.

[June Diane Raphael]

Wow. I cannot stand for this. Like, she is doing the very best she can. She takes an interview at like 10:00pm at night.

[Paul Shear]

Well, all the interviews in this movie are wild because it seems like he's watching tv, it's Saturday in the morning, he's eating potato chips, she's making bacon. She's on the phone doing a full interview with the bank on a Saturday morning for advertising position. I mean, look, there's some timeline issues.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yeah, they also do that thing where, where things are happening in the middle of the day that would absolutely be happening at night. It makes no sense.

[Paul Shear]

And she doesn't react. Like her son literally runs into this office. I mean, yes, he saves her from an assault, but also her son's on a motorcycle running through the bank and an office. And she never seems to be like, what is going on? She doesn't seem to be overly concerned.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Or is she?

[Jason Manzoukas]

Well, it would be one thing if her son showed up at the bank.

[June Diane Raphael]

Bank.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Because of an emergency.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Right.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Right. Okay. Now that he shows up at the bank, inside the bank, inside Stuart Pankin's office on the motorbike. And then the motorbike destroys the model. Not Helena Christensen, but the model bank, the architectural model. Like, I would feel like the mom would be. Would have every right to absolutely ground him and get rid of that bike, but not the case. Like, she's very, very forgiving of him, you know, in a generous way. She seems very generous. I mean, look, because he is. He is. His behavior is insane.

[Paul Shear]

Well, I mean, that's.

[Jason Manzoukas]

That's what I'm saying.

[Paul Shear]

And thank Jason for getting on my side here because again, I'm going to

[Jason Manzoukas]

say that I'm not on your side.

[Paul Shear]

You are.

[Jason Manzoukas]

And I really. She's a saint.

[Paul Shear]

Well, she cuts the cord on the. She cuts the cord on the TV for. That's what you're mad at, you know, hearing.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I think you're mad that she cut off his tv.

[June Diane Raphael]

That's it.

[Jason Manzoukas]

That's it right there.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

All.

[Paul Shear]

I want my ladies to be more like Mrs. Covell. I want Mrs. Covell.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

I want more.

[Paul Shear]

Ms. Covell's less.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Wait, do you mean Mrs. Clavel?

[Paul Shear]

Oh, Clavel. Yes. I want more Mrs. Covelle. I just kept on saying Covell because of the local wine bar.

[Jason Manzoukas]

The name of a wine Bar in LA.

[Paul Shear]

Yes, I want Mrs. More Mrs. Clavel. I thought that I loved her relationship with Mike. I thought that there was something steamy there. I thought there was a love there. I thought that as an adult watching this movie, I'm like, I get this is a. This is a kids movie, but it's got a deeper. Yeah, a deeper emotional resonance.

[Jason Manzoukas]

The movie. The movie definitely obeys kid logic. Like, the movie is not interested in adult logic or adult, normal, adult storytelling. It is kid logic.

[June Diane Raphael]

Except Jason for the sort of like trying to understand the corporate holdings of the bank and what. Exactly.

[Jason Manzoukas]

But that's actually. I would argue it's so confusing that it is. Kids don't understand it.

[June Diane Raphael]

I guess you're right.

[Jason Manzoukas]

It is kid logic. Because they literally. It's at a certain point, it's just jargon that kids don't understand. But it's like when Bo.

[June Diane Raphael]

But it's sort of what he's supposed to. It's what Jack is supposed to nail him on. Like, we know you're doing this. And Paula and I watched that scene three times and I was like, doing what? What is he do. What? What is it? What's the what here?

[Jason Manzoukas]

Okay, so my basic understanding is that Stuart Pankin.

[June Diane Raphael]

It wasn't like a wework situation. I haven't seen the documentary, but like how he worked.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I don't know what the we work situation is.

[June Diane Raphael]

Basically like owning real estate and then renting it back to themselves or whatever they were doing.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yes, I think that's exactly what he's doing. Yes, yes.

[Paul Shear]

So he was doing. He was positioning himself even though he had the pocket watch and the giant mansion. He was not as rich as he appeared. He only had $1,000 in the bank, but he owned property that he was going to have the buy, but he actually owned it. So he was going to make more money. But it even seemed like the money was low, like the bank. The plot of land seemed like it was $5,000.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Like 500,000.

[Paul Shear]

500,000. Okay. So. So he was going to make a lot of money there. I don't know where his money was spent. I mean, clearly he's financing baseball teams. He has time to leave work to go to baseball games. With a cane. Did he have a cane or am I imagining?

[Jason Manzoukas]

I'm honest. The thing that is the most upsetting for him in terms of being a good manager is when Beau, the pervy friend and Jack go to the computer lab. Which is where, Question mark. I don't know where they go. The library? They go someplace. No, it's the middle of the night. They go someplace in the middle of the night and they go to a computer lab and they hack the bank system. And when they do, they just wreak havoc. Like Bo gives the widow in town a million dollars. You know, they just start like very war games.

[Paul Shear]

Like very war games esque.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Right?

[Paul Shear]

Like, ok, now we can control everything. Yeah.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Stuart Penkin doesn't seem to be upset that there's a million dollars that's going to the wrong place. He's just focused on getting his own half a million dollars. I was like, I don't understand this at all.

[June Diane Raphael]

I don't know.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Well.

[Paul Shear]

Cause it's FDIC insured, you know, I mean, now, June, are you doing a

[Jason Manzoukas]

Hodgkin's bank commercial right now? Is this episode sponsored by Hodgkin's Bank?

[Paul Shear]

I just think that Hodgkins has his head on straight. He supports the town. And you know what? Who needs those hot dogs when you can get. You know, I'm sure the bank would probably have like a nice little Starbucks in the front or something like that. The kids could eat something a little bit more healthy, like an egg and some fruit.

[Jason Manzoukas]

No, not cool. Not cool, man.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Oh, so sorry.

[Jason Manzoukas]

With me right here. So sorry. With me right here.

[Paul Shear]

So sorry.

[June Diane Raphael]

That was.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, so you want, oh, so you'd like there to be some sort of egg shop? An egg store? You want there to be an egg store in front of the bank, you get an egg store.

[June Diane Raphael]

That night, my mom was like, asked him to fry a bunch of eggs

[Jason Manzoukas]

right in front of me.

[Paul Shear]

Oh, my God. Now, now you know what? You come down on me. I wanna throw the. I wanna throw June back pocket of big egg. I am, you know, a little bit. Look, the, the lovely people who sponsor all of our egg programming here. I thank the Egg Federation for giving us a large amount of money.

[Jason Manzoukas]

A large amount. I have to get my EpiPen.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Getting a new pair of glasses can make you feel like a completely new person. Wireframes and suddenly what you're doing the Crossford every day and a pair of Gradient aviators. Come on, man. Look at you.

[Paul Shear]

You're a rebellious biker.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

That's right. You change your glasses, you change your personality. And now with Zen frames, you can get a pair of eyewear for every version of you. With affordable frames and lenses, you can switch it up whenever you feel like it. Pick from prescription glasses, sunglasses, blue light lenses and thousands of styles. Choose a new style with Zenny's virtual try on, grab your prescription and then get them shipped straight to your door. I love my Zenny. I got myself a pair of, of killer sunglasses which I just wore on a cruise. And you know what was great about it? I always lose my sunglasses, but Zenny gave me a pair that were affordable and fashionable. So I didn't feel this pressure of,

[Paul Shear]

oh my God, if I lose these

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

glasses, I'll go nuts. And guess what? I never lost them. And I got many compliments on them. And I said, oh, where'd I get them? Zenni.com and then they said, what, are you sponsored by them? I said, actually, yes, I am. I have a podcast. And then just started walking away. Anyway, if your glasses are overdue for a refresh, now is the time. Go to zenni.com podcast and use the code podcast for 15% off your first order. The styles sell out, so don't sit on it. That's Z-E-N-N-I.com podcast promo code podcast15. One thing about summer is that everything should just feel easy. It's the season for comfortable, go anywhere pieces that make getting dressed simple. That's what I love about Quint, because they are going to give you the essentials that you're going to live in all summer long. Now Quince's 100% European linen pants and shirts are breathable, easy to throw on, and the summer of upgrade that your rotation needs. I mean, their tees are soft enough to live in all day and lightweight cotton sweaters are exactly what you want when summer nights cool down. I, I've been wearing a lot of their tees and they are so comfortable. Like, I don't know what it is, but it felt amazing. And yeah, I got a pair of linen pants because you know what? I am doing summer, right. They look amazing. And here's the best part about it. They're not as expensive as competitors. Okay. Make your summer wardrobe easier. Go to quints.com bonkers for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q U I-N-C-E.com bonkers for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quints.com bonkers let's talk about that feeling. That feeling that you get when you are three days out from someone's birthday and you have no idea what to get them. I mean, you want to get them something good, something that feels, feels personal, but not a gift card gets a little too generic. You know, you want to get them something that is memorable. Well, that's where Zazzle comes in. Zazzle is a custom marketplace where you can take any product, a mug, a tote bag, a card, a phone case and make it mean something. You're not buying a gift, you're making one. You can browse millions of designs or start from scratch and build something completely your own. Either way, you are the designer now. We actually, actually tried this out and it was pretty amazing. We made Zippo lighters with the how did this get made logo on them. They are awesome. It was very easy to do and it feels kind of cool and personal. So whatever you want to do, you can make for a friend and make them feel good. And right now you can save 25% off your first order at zazzle.com that's 25% savings on your first order at zazzle dot com Go make something zama amazing. Zazzle dot com

[Paul Shear]

June, you I want to just, I don't want to call you out for this, but you, I think, didn't like the way that Peter Billingsley played baseball either. I mean, we did rewind that section of the movie quite a few times because you felt that Peter Billingsley.

[June Diane Raphael]

I was not to make anyone uncomfortable here, but I was an Umpire.

[Paul Shear]

Wait, wait. What? Wait. Wait a second. I. I was waiting for you to say I did play softball.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, I didn't play softball.

[Jason Manzoukas]

That's what I assumed, too.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes, I did play softball, and I was also an umpire. And so a junior ump.

[Jason Manzoukas]

At what age?

[June Diane Raphael]

I was. I was a regular ump. Like, when I was a teenager, during the summer, I ump.

[Jason Manzoukas]

For, like, younger kids. Right. For, like, kids this age.

[June Diane Raphael]

Like, when you were younger kids this age older who were playing softball, you were umping.

[Paul Shear]

I never knew that you were an umper.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

And, I mean, I didn't. I think I did it one summer. And.

[Paul Shear]

So how many games, June? Like, let's. Let's get, like, four.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, I did make one very bad call. That, to be quite honest, like, never haunts me. Like, this is real talk. It really does. Like, I don't know what I was thinking about.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Let's get into it. What was.

[June Diane Raphael]

Was sort of. I think it was the infield fly rule that I was always. I was always a bit fuzzy on. And. And I don't know. I really don't know what happened.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I don't. I don't actually know what the infield fly rule is. Serious.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah. Let's see. I'm going to.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I'm going to.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, don't look it up yet, but I believe the infield fly rule was that if in softball it's hit in the infield and it's up and it's like, it's go, it's going to sort of be lobbed into the infield that it's automatically called out. So you call the out before someone catches it. Huh.

[Paul Shear]

Okay.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

So.

[Paul Shear]

Okay. Would you like me to tell you what it is?

[June Diane Raphael]

That's my memory.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I'm being serious. I genuinely don't know this. I played little league, but my father once told me. He was the coach. He said, I knew that you weren't really interested because I put you at shortstop, and when I looked over, you were practicing moonwalk walking.

[Paul Shear]

That is pretty cool.

[Jason Manzoukas]

In the middle of a game. In the middle of a game. I was practicing my moonwalking, break dancing. It's all I cared about.

[June Diane Raphael]

In the position that's, like, gets the most action.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yep. Nope. Just moonwalking.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah. No time.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Just out there trying to perfect the moonwalk.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah. Yep.

[Paul Shear]

Okay. So this is the rule, June, and I think you're kind of right, which is the infield fly rule is a rule of baseball and softball that treats certain fly balls as though caught before that ball is caught. Even if the infielder fails to catch it or drops it on purpose, the umpire's declaration of an infield fly means the batter is out and all force plays are removed, regardless of whether the ball is caught. The rule exists solely to prevent the defense from executing a double play or triple play by deliberately failing to catch a ball that an infielder could catch with ordinary effort.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah. Yes. So.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, even. Even you explaining that? I'm a little confused, but okay, cool. But that.

[Paul Shear]

A ball batted into the air subjects base runners to a dilemma. If the ball is caught, they must return to their original base. If not caught, the batter becomes a runner, and certain runners are forced to advance to the next base. Base runners study the field and advance

[June Diane Raphael]

only far enough, equitably, kind of even out.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I get. I. I understand that a little more. So.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay, so I think I call. I either didn't call it, or I called it when I shouldn't have. And it was before. It was like a winning in. Yeah, in the final moment. And my dad saw me do it, and he was really upset, and the coaches and parents were screaming at me. I mean, I had to, like, run. Run to my car to get out of there. And I also knew it was wrong, but I did.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Wait, were you being chased by an angry mob?

[June Diane Raphael]

Pretty much.

[Paul Shear]

Long island mob. A Long Island.

[June Diane Raphael]

But I also didn't know how. My umpire training did not.

[Paul Shear]

I guarantee you went to an afternoon of umpire training, and you repped two games.

[June Diane Raphael]

It did not prepare me for the scenario in which you make the wrong call and then you want to back out of it.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Undo it.

[June Diane Raphael]

Undo it. But I don't know what that rule's called, you know, so you can't undo

[Paul Shear]

a rule like you need another outcome. Well, let me ask you this, June. Let me tell you this. There are many things that you are not only good at, but amazing at. Well, thanks, but it seems to me that umpiring is not one of them, because you adamantly, and watched it four times on replay, accused Peter Billingsley of being out, and you were upset with this, and you kept on rewinding, kept on going. Rewind, rewind it, rewind it, rewind it.

[Jason Manzoukas]

That's your umpire training come into play.

[June Diane Raphael]

I had seen in Slo Mo.

[Jason Manzoukas]

And I said to her, give me that instant replay.

[Paul Shear]

And I said to her, I go, june, he's blocking the bass. That's the issue. And you go, no, he got him out. I go, but he's blocking the bass.

[June Diane Raphael]

So I think the problem was. And this is the same problem that Mrs. Clavel had, I think, which was perspective. I couldn't. Couldn't quite see where the base was. And so to me, it looked like he. Like, I don't know why Peter Billingsley was trying to slide from that far away. Like, if I were him, I would have either. It's just hard because I did think that catcher was just simply trying to

[Paul Shear]

catch the ball, but he was.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Well, here's what's interesting. Here's what's interesting. And I think the movie tells us something by making the catch catcher. The bad kid. Max.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah, the bully.

[Jason Manzoukas]

So the bad guy is the catcher. So I think we're meant to believe and infer from that he would cheat, you know, or he would be in the wrong because he's. He's. Because he's on the bank.

[June Diane Raphael]

Guys, here's how it would be clearer if he. If they had set it up so that they were. He was directly. The catchers directly behind the base, caught the ball, and then instead of jumping on the base, like, jumped on. On what's his face as he was sliding in. But that's not the way they shot it, so it's genuinely unclear.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Well, because it's not. The bases aren't loaded, so he has to hit Peter Billingsley. He can't just touch home base and get him out.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, you're right. I can't believe I forgot that as an umpire.

[Paul Shear]

Well, by the way, I guess I did look up here that umpires can reverse calls.

[June Diane Raphael]

June, by the way, I wish I had known that. I'm telling you.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Do you want to make some calls right now?

[June Diane Raphael]

Honestly, I'm glad to say it in a public forum because there's certain things in life where you just, like, regret things you did, you know, And I. I have a list of things that I really regret having done and this.

[Paul Shear]

Any that involve me?

[June Diane Raphael]

No. Well, yeah, of course. Just things that. Yes, Absolutely not things like things that I've done. Yeah, absolutely. I have tons of regrets, but that moment was one of them because I. I knew it was wrong and I didn't know what to do, so I ran away. But you're right, Jason. So he had to tag him. But. So.

[Jason Manzoukas]

But you're right in the sense that the argument that they're making in the movie that sad coach Mike, who owns Mike's Hot Dog Store, is arguing, is that the kid was blocking the base, is that Max the bully was blocking home plate.

[Paul Shear]

And by the way, we also are told that this kid is as bad as Stuart Penkin. Because Stuart Penkin goes, ooh, you could become a bank manager one day. He likes that kind of moxie on a kid. Can we just maybe talk about a little bit more about. I mean, the end is just so long. That bike ride is so stupid. But I do want to talk about the relationship because we did talk about Mike and how beaten down Mike is. And I think that his arc, as far as anyone's arc in this movie is the most well thought out. It's the most beautifully told. It is really, truly a masterful story of love between him and Mrs. Clavell. And I think that, first of all, I love that they put in 1985 a woman in a position of power by being a Little League coach. You know, and she was, you know, kind of in a world where I think that she didn't get as much respect. And then she gets a lot of respect and she helps him find respect for himself. I mean, I. I'm all in on this relationship.

[June Diane Raphael]

Wait, can I say one thing about her position? Because I was excited. Listen, as a female umpire, I'm always thrilled to see women in sports. But I. I was confused when. What's the bank guy's name again?

[Jason Manzoukas]

Stuart. Stuart Pinkin.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah. When Stuart Pinkin is talking to his board of trustees and they're taking a vote to figure out if women can play in their softball league. Is he referring to the kids Little League? If he is, is there also an adult?

[Paul Shear]

No, I think it's the kid. And he called the little kids bimbos. The little girl bimbo.

[Jason Manzoukas]

He says, bye bye bimbos. He says, bye bye bimbos.

[Paul Shear]

Bye bye.

[June Diane Raphael]

I was like, whoa, about like either 12 year old or 10 year old girls.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Well, that Jack's team had girls on it. I noticed. Jack's team. Yeah. Well, that's all I did. Yes, I. At least one. I saw at least one girl. So. So yes, there are girls on the Little League team. But I was also unclear as to whether they were talking about the Little League team or the. The, like an adult league. But I assume it's the Little League team.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah.

[Jason Manzoukas]

And that they're keeping. They're keeping the Hodgkin's bank team. You know, girl free

[June Diane Raphael]

players, male. But then have a woman coach them.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Well, it seems as though Mr. Hodgkins, Stuart Pankin seems to think that Ms. Clavel is like doing his bidding. You know, that's why, that's why when, when the umpire makes the bad call and Mike is like, Ms. Clavell come on. You saw. She says I didn't have a good viewpoint or I did. She kind of. She kind of knows that Stuart Pankin needs them to win. She knows a little bit. So I feel like she's a little bit at the beginning of the movie, but she feels really bad because she's trying to warn Mike that they're going to foreclose on him. And he keeps putting her off. You know, he keeps being like, timely later, let's talk about it later or whatever. And she keeps trying to tell him of this thing she heard at the bank, which turns out to be that his hot dog store is going to be closed, which means who knows where people are going to have their. But we're going to buy their hot dogs and have food fights.

[Paul Shear]

Their post game. Yeah, they're post game hot dogs.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, God.

[Paul Shear]

I mean, there's so much.

[Jason Manzoukas]

It's overwhelming. Like Stuart Pankin on the back of the bike. The pie fight, the. The bulldozer versus dirt bike fight. I mean, by the way, there's a

[Paul Shear]

lot of Supergirl stuff in this movie. There's bulldozers, there's flying around a city.

[Jason Manzoukas]

There's a lot I've completely forgotten about Supergirl. I know. It was like two months ago.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah, I did, too. But I feel like there are similarities. I'm just going to go out and say it.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I think you're right.

[Paul Shear]

I do still want to play a little bit of Mike. Just Mike kind of regaining his confidence here.

[June Diane Raphael]

What about the spirit you put in those kids? You never let them quit.

[Paul Shear]

Wait a minute, wait a minute. I am quitting, aren't I?

[June Diane Raphael]

What?

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

When the.

[Jason Manzoukas]

When the tough.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, no.

[Paul Shear]

When the going gets tough, the.

[June Diane Raphael]

The tough get going.

[Paul Shear]

It's not over till it's over.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I mean, it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight and the dog.

[Paul Shear]

This fight isn't over yet. I gotta believe what I've been telling these kids all along.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Now you're talking. It also reminded me of Maximum Overdrive.

[Paul Shear]

Oh, you're right. Anderson elements.

[Jason Manzoukas]

There's so many. So many vehicles without drivers. You know, I want to get into

[Paul Shear]

this with why it's bold to make. I mean, Herbie, I believe, is the spirit of a race car driver inside a car. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna look at it right now because I don't think it's just a sentient car. I thought like, somebody dies and then. Well, that's the thing.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Okay, so that's a Great point. Which is we never learn the story of the bike.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

Nor the dad.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Nor the dad.

[June Diane Raphael]

At one point, did you think the dad was the bike?

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

No.

[Paul Shear]

Like Jack Frost.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, I never. Oh, that's interesting. Oh, that's cool. No, I didn't. That would have been interesting. But then that's proven not true by the fact that the bike then responds to. At the end of the movie, a new kid gets the bike and the bike takes him on it. Presumably takes him on it if adventure. But that what I felt like was missing was like there's no curiosity. Jack or anybody else seems to have no curiosity as to why the bike is alive, why the bike is doing this. Where. Where is. What is the story of this bike? And the old man, the creepy old man seems to be the only keeper of this knowledge and he just doesn't share it like I was. I kept thinking, oh, at the end of the movie that old man's gonna show up again and he's gonna tell us us the. The story of the bike, you know, and we'll get. We'll get some closure on this. But instead the bike just seems to be like a magic talisman that goes from kid to kid. Like turning them into a hero, I guess. I don't know.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah, it seems like Kirby is not the. He's just a sentient car. It's just a car that, you know, it doesn't seem like we know why. So. Yeah, so I guess it's similar to the same idea. I mean there is a herby the Love Bug movie where he gets possessed. But that's interesting. Seems different by jewel thieves.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh my God.

[Paul Shear]

But.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh my God.

[Paul Shear]

But here's a little bit.

[Jason Manzoukas]

There are bikers in this movie. There are real.

[Paul Shear]

God becomes a banker. A biker to banker.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yeah. One of them about the kid, he says, I'm gonna light this kid on fire.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh God.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Can you imagine being a kid watching this movie and being like wait, adults can light kids on fire?

[Paul Shear]

By the way, that's.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Is that an option?

[Paul Shear]

By the way, that's another reason why it's similar to Supergirl girl. Because those like those truckers kind of try to beat up Supergirl and these bikers have no problem. Like beating the out of a 14 year old kid. I will say.

[Jason Manzoukas]

And These are like 40 year old men.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Oh yeah.

[Jason Manzoukas]

On motorcycles.

[Paul Shear]

Mr. Slimy or something like that.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yes. I can't remember.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah, something I. I did. I did like when they. Well, I mean there's a lot of destruction in this town. Especially when the cop with the, with the side car. I mean it's cop and sidecar.

[Jason Manzoukas]

That cop was funny.

[June Diane Raphael]

I will say yes, I thought so too. Was funny like 500 year old security guard was funny who clearly was ADR

[Paul Shear]

by somebody in the booth doing an old man voice. Hey you kids get out of here. Clearly was not his voice but it was like the, the person who sound mixing was like I can do it. I got it. Don't worry about it. Give him two lines.

[Jason Manzoukas]

All of the police, all of the police stuff was like pure like Simpsons Chief Wiggum level police work. It was really making me laugh.

[Paul Shear]

It is so good. All right, well obviously we had an opinion about this movie, but there are people out there with a different opinion. It is now time for second opinions.

[Jason Manzoukas]

The movie was a piece of,

[June Diane Raphael]

yet

[Jason Manzoukas]

this person recommends it. Tell me what is the message? Maybe that art is subjective. I need a second opinion.

[Paul Shear]

Nate Kiley did some some good work this week. There are 253 reviews of the Dirt Bike Kid and The the average 81% are five star reviews. 81% love this movie, but you're going to see a little bit of a trend coming up here too. The first one kind of makes sense from Trevor C. Trevor C. Writes good movie as a kid still. Okay. And even better after a joint. If you were a boy that wanted a dirt bike and watched us in the 80s, grab a fat joint and a 40 old E and enjoy five stars. That's, that's what we got there.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Wow. Now this person is like, I love that. This whole review is like get up and watch this movie.

[Paul Shear]

I mean I there, there's definitely a way to watch it. Now this one, as Nate points out, is one of the most chilling reviews I've ever seen. Says bought this for a co worker and she has watched it multiple times and so have her kids. 5 stars. It feels like that and a pain level like forcing a movie onto somebody. It doesn't feel like that person wanted to watch this movie. Didn't feel like.

[Jason Manzoukas]

So I'll be honest. If I was working someplace and somebody as a secret Santa gift gave me the dirt bike kid, I might be like, oh, thanks. I'll check it out.

[Paul Shear]

I'll get it. I'll get into it. Now here's where it gets pretty interesting. This is, this is from N. Zane. The title is fun movie for kids. Guess you had to be there. And the review is while this movie is not a big kids film, low budget and came out without a lot of fanfare when it hits Theaters. I worked on the film and my son was the scorekeeper. So what am I gonna say? I waited for this film to come out on DVD and it went straight to Blu Ray. I have a dusty copy of the original video which my son had a hard time finding. It was fun to see again. Five stars. And then followed immediately by Candy Overby, who writes, I had a little part in this movie, so I bought it for my kids. Five stars.

[Jason Manzoukas]

That's also cute.

[Paul Shear]

People are. People are getting in here, giving it five stars because they're in it, simply because they're in it. And that we should do that more. And then finally Jared B. Writes, love this movie. Better than Herbie. Five stars. So there we go.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Better than Herbie. Putting Herbie on blast.

[Paul Shear]

If you were in this movie, you gave it five stars. And if you hate Herbie, you're giving it five stars. Yeah, like I said, the budget was $800,000, but the director 85. And the director says they sold 100,000 VHS copies of it, which I believe to be true only because I recognize this dvd and it was written by David Brandes, who wrote On Fraggle Rock. And also it was a story by the person who wrote Chopping Mall, Julie Corman.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, wow.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah.

[Jason Manzoukas]

So was this before or after Christmas Story? I meant to look back.

[Paul Shear]

I have a feeling it was after Christmas Story because I think it was.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Because I was wondering. It was two years after, says Molly in the chat. Okay, thank you, Molly. Okay, that's interesting. So this is cuz. Peter Billingsley, I feel like is like that movie. I remember being like genuinely popular.

[Paul Shear]

You know what I mean?

[Jason Manzoukas]

Like that was a. A real big movie. So this is the ne. One of the next things that's fascinating.

[Paul Shear]

This is like. This is like his, his. You know, he's like got to take that Christmas Story success and bring it to a different market. The. The B. All right, final thoughts. June Jason, do you recommend this movie?

[Jason Manzoukas]

You know. No, go ahead.

[June Diane Raphael]

No, that's. I mean, knows a complete sense.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Knows the answer. You know, I would say yes, I think. I mean, I would say yes. Yes. But fast forward, you know, like there's stuff in here that's like you don't need to watch. But like there's some genuine silliness in this. There is some like real. And maybe it's just because it really was hitting 80s nostalgia for me in a way that I was enjoying and it had like that like a lot of silliness in it that I was on board for. But it's by no means like a great movie, but I would say yes just to be, like. Just to get an eyeball on what we're talking about. I would say, like, throw it on and, you know, scrub through. And you might. There's some stuff in here.

[Paul Shear]

I am firmly in the middle of both of you because I found it to be, like, if someone out there did, like, a super cut of this movie, it would be really fun to watch. What I found to be interminable about this film was we watched it on Pluto tv, so we had to sit through commercials.

[June Diane Raphael]

Oh, God.

[Paul Shear]

And it made the movie so much longer to watch commercials and commercials.

[Jason Manzoukas]

And commercials. I rented it on Amazon.

[Paul Shear]

Oh, see, I should have just done that. I don't know know why.

[June Diane Raphael]

Sometimes it's so jarring to see those commercials.

[Paul Shear]

But it was also.

[June Diane Raphael]

It was also the.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Paul.

[June Diane Raphael]

The break I needed.

[Paul Shear]

Okay, so you needed to. Yeah, I found myself really checked out at the end. Like, the race scene went on for far too long, but I did, like, some elements of it. And look, Stuart Penkin is playing a creep, and we have not revealed him to be a creep in real life. And I do feel like he really cornered the market on embracing and playing these roles very well. Like, there's something about Stuart Penkin that I always will love. Like, I feel like I used to watch not necessarily the news as a kid so much, and. Yeah, so even though we keep on calling him a creep, I think he's really. He's chewing the scenery in the best way. Yes.

[Jason Manzoukas]

I'm just talking about. Even though we're using his name, we're. We're talking about the character.

[Paul Shear]

But I just want to say, like, I just want to call out that. I do think that he is effectively, like, making the most out of what he's got here.

[June Diane Raphael]

Like, what?

[Paul Shear]

Truly.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Oh, I think he's doing a great performance. I think. I think the mom is. I think there's a lot of really funny performances.

[Paul Shear]

Yeah, I like them all.

[Jason Manzoukas]

It's. You know, but it's. It's nuts. This movie is nuts.

[Paul Shear]

So for June, it's definitely a pass because of the umping, but also a pass because of the plotting.

[June Diane Raphael]

That's right.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

I. I just had a hard time with this one. It didn't hit correctly.

[Paul Shear]

All right, so I think that if you can find a super cut, I think then Jason and I are probably on the same page there. All right, so is there anything that you want to plug. Talk about, tell anybody to listen to?

[Jason Manzoukas]

Check out if you. I have a small part in Steve Conrad's stop motion animation show on AMC called Ultra City Smiths. It's fantastic and really interesting. If you liked Patriot or any of his other stuff. Also in a couple of weeks I am in. I'm a voice in the new Star Trek animated series Prodigy. That's going to be coming on pretty soon. So. So it's like it's super adventure Star Trek kind of with Kate Mulgrew, right?

[Paul Shear]

Kate Mulgrew is with.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Yes. Cape. It's Kate. It's Captain Janeway is the, it's her character and then it is a group of of teenage like adventurers and she is kind of helping. She is like they're the person who's sending them on adventures and it's gorgeous and awesome.

[Paul Shear]

I'm very excited. I'll continue the Star Trek plugs and say that if you're not watching Lower Deck decks right yet, do it. It's on Paramount plus I am in it. An amazing cast of people including Tani Newsome and Eugene Cordero and Jerry o' Connell and Jack Quaid from the Boys. It's a super funny Star Trek that is also very true to Star Trek Next Generation created by Mike McMahon who is the co creator of Solar Opposites and was running Rick and Morty for a little bit of time. So it's a very funny, cool show that is right now on Paramount plus. So if you have a chance to get Paramount plus, get Paramount plus check it out and if you like this show, our show, make sure you head on over to our Discord and get the conversation going and continue to keep the conversation going. It's Discord. GGHDtgm. Then there's brand new shirts in our store. We got ratcheted out shirts. We have a lot of shirts. Where does the butt start because of that mannequin re release. So check out our store, tpublic.com stores hdtgm. A big thank you to the person who picks all of our movies every single week. That's Avril Halley, our movie producer picker and she's got a great YouTube channel called Movie Bitches where you can hear little snippets of that on our mini episodes. But a giant thank you to our super producer Cody Fisher, the brother of Kobe Bryant, our sound engineer Devin Bryant, of course our MVP Molly Reynolds and the person who gives us all the research. Everything that we need to know for every one of these episodes goes through Amazon reviews in a ridiculous degree. I'm talking about Nate Kiley. Nate, thank you so much for doing all your hard work and the person whose last stop everything goes through him, July Diaz. Thank you July for everything that you do. Thank you everybody at earwolf and all the people who design and make all this amazing art like the ghost of Craig T. Nelson and Kyle Waldron. We love your art and you can follow all of our art on our Facebook and how did this get made pages on Instagram? We are in all the social media places so Facebook. Follow us, listen to us Rate subscribe all the things that you need to do. We will see you next week on a mini episode. Bye for now. It looks like Hodgkin's bank is about to cash in. Mr. Hodgkins, Mr. Hodgkins, Mr. Hodgkins, Mr. Hodgkins. My little Hodgkins.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

Hodgkins.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Mr. Hodgkins, Mister Hodkins. Hodgkins, Mr. Hodgkin, Mr. Hodgkins, Mr.— Hodgkins, Mr. Hodgkins and Mr. Hodgkins, Mr. Hodgkins, Mr. Hodgkins, Mister Hodgkins, Mr. Hodkins,

[June Diane Raphael]

Mr. Hodkins, mister Hodgkins, Mr. Mr. Hodgkins.

[Paul Shear]

Mr. Hodgkins.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Hodgkins, Hodgkins, Hodgkins, hodgkins, Mr. Hodkins, Mister Hodgkins, Mister Hodgkins,

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

mister Hodgkins, Hodgkins, Mr. Hodgkins.

[June Diane Raphael]

Hodgkins, mister Hodgkins. Hodgkins, Mr. HodGkins, Mr. Hodgkins, mister Hodgkin, Mr. Hodgkins.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Mr. Hodgkin, Mr. Hodgkins, Hodgkins, Hodgkins.

[Paul Shear]

Hodgkins, Hodgkins.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Hodgkin, Hodgkins, Hodgkins, Hodgkin, Hodgkins, Hodgkin, hodgkins, Hodgkins. Hodgkins. Hodgkins, hodgkins, hodgkins. Hodgkins, hodgkins. And Mr. Hodgkins, Hodgkins, hdgkins, Hodgkins, Hodgkin.

[June Diane Raphael]

Confidence, it's listening to your gut. It's moving forward even when the path ahead is uncovered.

[Jason Manzoukas]

Clear.

[June Diane Raphael]

For nearly 160 years, Pacific Life has helped people keep their promises, building confidence for generations. Whether you're confident in your financial future or just beginning to envision it, we're here to help. Ask a financial professional how Pacific Life the Power of a Promise Pacific Life Insurance Company, Omaha, Nebraska. And in New York, Pacific Life and Annuity, Phoenix, Arizona.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

PNC bank brings you call of the wild Money Moves. Hear that?

[Paul Shear]

Yolo. That's an Internet troll telling you to

[Jason Manzoukas]

put all your money into a single investment.

[Paul Shear]

He wants you to liquidate your emergency fund YOLO and buy a digital racehorse named Silicon Steve. YOLO stay vigilant. He's very persistent.

[Sponsor/Ad Reader]

YOLO guard against wild money moves with

[Jason Manzoukas]

PNC bank brilliantly boring since 1865.