The Machine hurls Truman and Landen back to 2018, where a perfectly normal adult world briefly stopped to witness a group of grown men sprinting, tackling, and emotionally spiraling through the most intense game of tag ever put to film. As the Machine reminds them, this bromantic stunt-comedy immortalized a real-life tradition—and maybe also proved that your thirties are just gym class with taxes.

Synopsis

Tag is a high-energy buddy comedy starring Hogan Malloy (Ed Helms, The Hangover), Bob Callahan (Jon Hamm, Mad Men), Randy Cilliano (Jake Johnson, New Girl), Kevin Sable (Hannibal Buress, Spider-Man: Homecoming), and Jerry Pierce (Jeremy Renner, The Avengers). Directed by Jeff Tomsic, the film follows a tight-knit group of friends who have spent nearly 30 years locked in a hyper-competitive, anything-goes game of tag—one that threatens to unravel when the ever-untouchable Jerry announces he’s retiring after his wedding.

Blending exaggerated action choreography with a sincere look at male friendship, Tag channels the late-2010s trend of “based on a true story, but played like a cartoon” studio comedies.

Why This Film?

Though it earned modest attention on release, Tag quickly slipped between genres—too heartfelt for pure slapstick, too absurd for straightforward sentiment. It’s a fascinating example of a studio trying to reinvigorate the R-rated comedy market while packaging a very real human-interest story inside blockbuster-style action beats.

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Tag, Tag 2018, Jeff Tomsic, Ed Helms, Jon Hamm, Jake Johnson, Hannibal Buress, Jeremy Renner, Isla Fisher, Rashida Jones, buddy comedy, action-comedy, based on a true story, R-rated comedy, Warner Bros, 2010s comedies, ensemble cast comedy, Movie Memory Machine, movie podcast, film discussion, forgotten movies, cult films, film history, podcast episode, cinematic analysis, adult friendship movies, high-concept comedies

The Machine, perhaps inspired by War Horse (2011) and its belief that a single determined horse can survive anything short of a tank, has assembled five thematically linked films. Truman and Landen ride through a lineup that mixes equine legends, childhood-codex classics, and one devastating antiwar drama that reminds us what happens when there aren’t any noble steeds around to carry the emotional weight.

The Machine’s Five Selected Films

The Machine has selected a stable of titles that echo the heart, heroism, and historical sweep of Spielberg’s film:

• Secretariat (2010) – a glossy, feel-good biopic about the most famous Triple Crown champion in history
• Seabiscuit (2003) – Depression-era racing legend as American underdog myth
• Black Beauty (1994) – the definitive “horse-as-narrator” classic of childhood heartbreak
• The Black Stallion (1979) – a gorgeously shot survival-and-bonding tale that remains a gold standard of equine cinema
• No Man’s Land (2001) – a razor-sharp, darkly comedic Bosnia War drama reminding us what human conflict looks like without Spielbergian sentiment

Why These Five?

Each of these films mirrors a facet of War Horse’s identity — from uplifting race-track mythology to boy-and-horse bonding to the harsh realities of wartime survival. Together, they form a panorama of how cinema uses horses (and sometimes their absence) to explore resilience, innocence, national myths, and the complicated ways we romanticize struggle. It’s a surprisingly rich genre constellation… and the Machine seems very proud of itself for finding it.

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War Horse, War Horse 2011, Secretariat, Secretariat 2010, Seabiscuit, Seabiscuit 2003, Black Beauty, Black Beauty 1994, The Black Stallion, The Black Stallion 1979, No Man’s Land 2001, Steven Spielberg, equine movies, horse movies, war films, WWI films, racing films, Movie Memory Machine, movie podcast, film discussion, curated films, thematic film list, forgotten movies, cult films, cinematic analysis, film history

Truman and Landen wrap up the loose ends from War Horse (2011) — a movie where Spielberg unleashes maximum sincerity, maximum sunsets, and a horse so noble it could probably negotiate peace treaties. They revisit the film’s stray thoughts, historical oddities, and emotional haymakers… and as always, they play The Trailer Game, trying to guess what images the marketing team deemed “horse-forward” enough to sell the film before watching the trailer for the first time.

Next week, the Machine sends them to June 15, 2018 with the clue: "We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." Frankly, it sounds like the Machine has traded in mud-slicked trenches for something equally chaotic.

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War Horse, War Horse 2011, Steven Spielberg, Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, David Thewlis, WWI film, historical drama, Spielberg movie, Movie Memory Machine, movie podcast, film discussion, trailer reaction, vintage trailers, forgotten movies, cult films, film history, cinematic analysis

The Machine drops Truman and Landen squarely into 2011, a year when Spielberg decided the world desperately needed a World War I epic starring a horse with better instincts than most generals. Saddled with sentimentality and prestige energy, this film gives the hosts plenty to chew on as they gallop through its earnest battlefield odyssey.

Synopsis

War Horse is a sweeping historical drama starring Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again), Rose Narracott (Emily Watson, Breaking the Waves), and Lyons (David Thewlis, Harry Potter). Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film follows a Devon farm boy and his extraordinary horse, Joey, who becomes entangled in the brutal machinery of World War I. Their story unfolds across trenches, cavalry charges, and occupied countryside, blending old-fashioned melodrama with Spielberg’s signature cinematic muscle.

Why This Film?

Once positioned as a major awards contender, War Horse has largely slipped from the cultural conversation — overshadowed by other Spielberg milestones and remembered mostly for its sincerity in an era drifting toward irony. That mix of ambition, sentiment, and prestige makes it ideal fodder for the Movie Memory Machine.

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War Horse, War Horse 2011, Steven Spielberg, Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, David Thewlis, World War I movie, WWI drama, DreamWorks, Touchstone Pictures, historical drama, Spielberg filmography, prestige cinema, Movie Memory Machine, movie podcast, film discussion, forgotten movies, cult films, film history, cinematic analysis, awards season movies

The Machine, still crackling with residual meteor energy, whisks Truman and Landen into a curated crash course on five films that reflect the DNA, ambitions, and cosmic oddities of The Meteor Man (1993). From DIY superheroes to VHS-era legends to comic-book icons perfected, this lineup shows every weird, heartfelt, and boundary-pushing direction the genre could have taken.

The Machine’s Five Selected Films

The Machine has chosen five thematically linked films that echo Meteor Man’s blend of underdog heroism, community stories, and genre experimentation:

• Blankman (1994) – another earnest, low-budget, inner-city superhero comedy powered by sheer sincerity
• Hollywood Shuffle (1987) – Robert Townsend’s satirical breakout, examining representation long before his meteor struck
• Be Kind Rewind (2008) – a handmade ode to community filmmaking and DIY mythmaking
• The Mask (1994) – a wild, effects-driven explosion of cartoon logic and early-’90s comic-book chaos
• Spider-Man 2 (2004) – the genre fully realized, marrying heart, spectacle, and responsibility in a way early pioneers dreamed of

Why These Five?

Each of these movies taps into a different facet of what The Meteor Man was reaching for—community empowerment, superhero reinvention, cultural commentary, and gonzo genre energy. Together, they map the winding evolution from scrappy, heartfelt genre experiments to the polished, emotionally rich superhero films that defined the 2000s. In short: this is the alternate history of superhero cinema the Machine wants you to remember.

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The Meteor Man, The Meteor Man 1993, Blankman, Hollywood Shuffle, Be Kind Rewind, The Mask, Spider-Man 2, Robert Townsend, superhero comedy, Black superheroes, early comic book movies, DIY filmmaking, cult films, 90s movies, 2000s superhero films, Movie Memory Machine, movie podcast, film discussion, curated film list, thematic film list, cinematic analysis

Truman and Landen wrap up stray thoughts, unanswered questions, and meteor-induced tangents from The Meteor Man (1993)—including the film’s galaxy of cameos, its hyper-earnest worldbuilding, and how it fits into the ’90s’ strange, pre-MCU superhero landscape. And as always, they play The Trailer Game, trying to guess which moments the marketing department thought were powerful enough to sell a community-focused superhero comedy to 1993 audiences before watching the trailer for the first time.

Next week, the Machine sends them to December 25, 2011 with the clue: Separated by war. Tested by battle. Bound by friendship.

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The Meteor Man, The Meteor Man 1993, Robert Townsend, Robert Townsend director, Eddie Griffin, James Earl Jones, superhero comedy, 90s superhero movies, Black superheroes, early MCU era, Movie Memory Machine, movie podcast, film discussion, trailer reaction, vintage trailers, forgotten movies, cult films, film history, cinematic analysis

The Machine rockets Truman and Landen straight into 1993, drops a glowing meteor at their feet, and tells them to figure out how one of the decade’s most ambitious superhero comedies vanished from cultural memory. Along the way, they wade through neon-lit street gangs, sky-high optimism, and the strangely earnest worldbuilding of a film that tried to save the world with community organizing and superpowers.

The Meteor Man is a family-friendly superhero comedy starring Jefferson Reed (Robert Townsend, Hollywood Shuffle), Michael (Eddie Griffin, Undercover Brother), and Simon (Roy Fegan, The Five Heartbeats). Directed by Townsend, the film follows a mild-mannered teacher who gains extraordinary powers after being struck by a mysterious green meteor. As he becomes an unlikely guardian of his D.C. neighborhood, the story blends early-’90s social commentary with the era’s emerging interest in big-screen superheroes, buoyed by an ensemble of comedians, musicians, and cameos that could only exist in 1993.

Why This Film?

The Meteor Man is a rare example of a filmmaker independently mounting a Black superhero blockbuster decades before Hollywood was ready to take the genre seriously. Ambitious, well-intentioned, and tonally all over the map, it’s the kind of pop-culture swing the Movie Memory Machine lives for—an artifact that shows what the superhero genre might have become if the ’90s had listened.

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The Meteor Man, The Meteor Man 1993, Robert Townsend, Eddie Griffin, Roy Fegan, James Earl Jones, Bill Cosby, Robert Townsend director, superhero comedy, early 90s movies, Black superheroes, Hollywood Shuffle, family superhero films, cult movies, forgotten films, Movie Memory Machine, movie podcast, film discussion, cinematic history, superhero movie analysis, 1990s cinema, community superhero stories

The Machine, clearly still amused by the cultural fallout of Marci X (2003), has curated five movies that embody the strange intersections of satire, identity, and early-2000s “what were they thinking?” energy. Truman and Landen dive into comedies that pushed boundaries, tripped over them, or sprinted through them in platform shoes.

The Machine’s Five Selected Films

The Machine has chosen five films that echo the wild tonal swings and culture-clash ambitions of Marci X:

• Pootie Tang (2001) – a surrealist superhero satire that speaks a language all its own
• Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) – a razor-sharp mockumentary skewering pop-culture fame and music-industry ridiculousness
• The Birdcage (1996) – a warm, big-hearted farce about performance, identity, and chaotic public image management
• White Chicks (2004) – an undercover-identity comedy that escalates its premise into pure early-2000s absurdity
• Leprechaun in the Hood (2000) – the horror-comedy collision no one asked for, but everyone remembers

Why These Five?

Each of these films occupies the same cultural neighborhood as Marci X: comedies wrestling with identity performance, satirized subcultures, and Hollywood’s often-misguided attempts to bottle “edgy” flavor. From deeply self-aware gems to deeply baffling curiosities, they form a lineage of movies that show just how hard — and how strangely — studios have tried to tell stories about communities they only half understood.

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Marci X, Marci X 2003, Pootie Tang, Popstar Never Stop Never Stopping, The Birdcage, White Chicks, Leprechaun in the Hood, Lisa Kudrow, Damon Wayans, hip-hop satire, comedy films, Movie Memory Machine, movie podcast, film discussion, curated films, thematic film list, forgotten movies, cult films, film history, podcast episode, cinematic analysis