A lot of podcasts have debated the greatest comedies of the 20th Century, but we decided to debate the greatest comedy FRANCHISES. It was an epic showdown between A-list properties such as Ghostbusters; Bill & Ted; Monty Python; Jay & Silent Bob; Home Alone; Austin Powers; The Naked Gun and more! We couldn't do this alone, so we brought in Mo and George from @GenXGrownUp and Amy from @PopCultureRetrospectivePodcast .

We're planning on making three more of these franchise brackets: scifi/fantasy; horror; and action/adventure. Be sure to subscribe to see which movies we think were the BEST franchises of their genres in the minds (and hearts) of Gen Xers!

FYI: we defined "franchise" as any series of movies that originated in the 20th Century that included 3 or more films; or 2 films plus one or more of the following: a TV show, animated series, video games; toys, etc. We did bend the rules a little at times, but anyone can reasonably agree these are some of the biggest properties in comedy movies in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

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HOWARD THE DUCK has already gone down in cinematic history for being one of the biggest flops of all time. Not even STAR WARS creator George Lucas, nor the screenwriters from INDIANA JONES could make this thing work. Most people don't know it's actually based on a MARVEL comic book (which would technically make it the first entry in the MCU).

We collab'ed with Mike and Christian from the PRETTY BAD MOVIE GAB podcast to look back at this infamous flick. We all saw it as kids in the 1980s, but it's been DECADES since our last viewing. Is it really as bad as its reputation, or is it one of those so-bad-its-good movies? Is there ANYTHING to enjoy, or is it just 110 minutes of puns, dad jokes, wildly inappropriate adult situations, and special effects that have aged like organic produce?! Listen and find out!

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Terminator 2 really needs no introduction. It's an EPIC Arnold Schwarzenegger action/scifi spectacle directed by James Cameron. As ground-breaking as the original Terminator film was, "Judgment Day" ups the ante to an extreme degree. Though its remembered for its mesmerizing "liquid metal" CGI; those SFX only add up to a few minutes of runtime. Everything else is practical effects and real stunts. They're still as impressive in 2026 as they were in 1991.

We saw this movie in the theaters for its 35th anniversary, and it was quite an event watching it on the big screen. Both Chad and Cristina had seen this multiple times back in the 1990s, but it's been a while since our last viewing. Going the old school route of actually leaving the house was the retro nostalgia experience we were hoping for.

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We conclude "Animation August" with a modern classic of sorts: BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA! This movie was penned and directed by Mike Judge who went on to create KING OF THE HILL, OFFICE SPACE, and IDIOCRACY among many other shows and films. Judge was also the creator of Beavis and Butt-Head, and provided their voices (along with many other characters).

GenXers probably remember Beavis and Butt-Head as being edgy, controversial characters of the 1990s. They were making crude, boorish jokes and literal toilet humor years before SOUTH PARK. At some point they just kind of vanished, but their 1996 movie will forever be remembered as the point Beavis and Butt-Head broke into the mainstream.

But does the lowbrow sense of humor still work 30 years later (if only as time capsule nostalgia)? Or are these characters aged relics who don't hold up today? Watch this episode and find out!

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We're big fans of Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse. Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Dogma were favorites of ours back in the 1990s. So when CLERKS: THE ANIMATED SERIES was announced during the Super Bowl in 2000, fanboys like us totally geeked out over the idea that Dante & Randall and Jay & Silent Bob would be on NETWORK TV during prime time!

Unfortunately, it really didn't work out that way. Only two of the six episodes ever actually made it to air... during the SUMMER (where new shows go to die). It wasn't until this was made available on DVD in 2001 that CLERKS: THE ANIMATED SERIES truly found its audience.

For those of you who LOVE nerdy/geeky humor with jokes about obscure pop culture references; Gen X youth nostalgia; and just random nonsequiturs - this show is for you! It'll remind you of The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park, Robot Chicken and countless YouTubers!

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Watch the video version👉 https://youtu.be/Vi-LUIR2c2U

Continuing with "Animation August," Cristina picked AN AMERICAN TAIL; Steven Spielberg's first foray into animation which was released in late 1986. This movie was directed by Don Bluth, who had a minor hit with "The Secret of NIMH" back in 1982.

Much like NIMH, this movie uses all hand drawn animation and painted detailed backgrounds. However, the tone is a little lighter as it contains quite a few musical sequences. The most famous being "There Are No Cats in America" and of course "Somewhere Out There" which went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Neither Cristina nor Chad has seen this since they were young children, so it was almost like a first time viewing for both. Is it as visually impressive as NIMH? Is it just a kids' movie or something adults can enjoy too? Did it make us cry? Does it hold up 40 years later? Listen to our podcast to find out!

Watch the video version👉 https://youtu.be/4Q4pSTfgTnw

Our SECRET OF NIMH review👉 https://youtu.be/T5DzoKaDEdQ

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It's "Animation August" so Chad picked AKIRA - the 1988 cyberpunk fever dream that introduced Japanese animation (or anime) to mainstream American audiences. This is definitely one of the most influential films across a variety of genres and Chad and Cristina both agree it's got a timeless quality.

If you've never seen Akira, it's rather difficult to describe because there are at least three or four sub-plots that interconnect and the pacing is rather frantic. It's one of those rare films that gets better upon repeated viewings. There's so much detail to both the story and the imagery; you'll notice something new each time you see it.

What other Japanese animation do you think we should watch? Let us know in the comments!

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Back in 1994 a show debuted on ABC that would pretty much define what it was like being a GenX/Millennial (Xennial?) of the day: MY SO-CALLED LIFE starring Claire Danes. Unlike other "teen dramas" of the day that were essentially prime time soap operas, this show took a fairly earnest approach of depicting life in the suburbs. The show centers around 10th grader Angela Chase and her relationships with friends Rayanne, Sharon and Brian; her crush on Jordan Catalano (Jared Leto); and her parents Patty and Graham (who tend to steal the spotlight quite often). This show only produced 19 episodes in the 1994-95 season, but it remains one of the greatest "one hit wonders" of TV.

Not surprisingly, we thought the best guest to discuss this show would be Natalie from @mysocalledgenxlife . In this podcast, we discuss the main cast; the most memorable, funniest and tearjerking moments; various fan theories; and everything that made it a perfect time capsule of the 1990s. We also contrast how we felt about it as teenagers versus how we view it through adult eyes. It's quite amazing what teens got away with back in the 20th Century!

Did you watch this show back in 1994? Did you catch it in syndication, streaming, or on DVD? Let us know in the comments what we got right and wrong!

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