What’s the first movie you remember seeing in a movie theater?

It’s one of the three questions I ask every guest on What If I Don’t Like It?, and when Brett Kelley mentioned during his There Will Be Blood episode that the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was his answer, I knew we had to come back to it.

Brett, the artist behind Gourdfolk, joins me to revisit the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a movie that helped shape his love of comics and remains a memorable part of his childhood.

We get into the film’s roots in Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s darker comic books, the incredible practical effects from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and how this surprisingly gritty adaptation became a box office hit. We also discuss why it feels so different from the animated series and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, its connections to martial arts cinema and Daredevil, and how the franchise evolved from an independent black-and-white comic into a global phenomenon.

Brett brings his TMNT knowledge and personal history with the franchise to a conversation about what makes this adaptation so distinctive, why its darker tone works, and why the original still deserves a closer look.

What's the first movie you remember seeing in a theater? Let me know, and tell me which turtle is your favorite!

CONNECT WITH BRETT KELLEY

Artwork & Shop: https://ko-fi.com/bkartmerc/shop

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MORE CONVERSATIONS WITH BRETT

Check out our other conversations about

The Usual Suspects: https://tinyurl.com/4v88b77u

There Will Be Blood: https://tinyurl.com/4s4kur7t

and Heavy Metal: https://tinyurl.com/49en7sev

ABOUT WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE IT?

Hosted by Kt Baldassaro, What If I Don't Like It? explores what happens when filmmakers, artists, writers, and performers finally watch movies they've avoided because of their expectations, biases, or preconceived notions. Through thoughtful, occasionally irreverent conversations, we explore the films we love, the ones we're skeptical of, and why stories connect with us.

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieRuntime

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/w877hmn8

👂 Spotify Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/mrxu764f

#TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles #TMNT #MoviePodcast

Why do movies and TV shows keep making people vomit?

Vomiting scenes are everywhere in film and television. Sometimes they’re funny. Sometimes they’re horrifying. Sometimes they’re meant to make us uncomfortable. And sometimes they seem to exist for no reason other than making the audience think, “Do we really need to see this?”

In this special episode of What If I Don’t Like It?, I sit down with filmmaker Jaina Cipriano - who you may recognize from our ConAir episode, No. 45 - to investigate the history and purpose of vomiting scenes in movies and TV. We talk about how vomiting went from something filmmakers largely kept offscreen to something we now see in increasingly graphic detail, and what that shift says about changing ideas of censorship, realism, comedy, disgust, and audience expectations.

We get into Hitchcock and Rebecca, the Hays Code, The Exorcist, Monty Python and the Meaning of Life, Yellowjackets, Triangle of Sadness, and some of the most memorable vomiting scenes in film history.

This conversation is especially personal for Jaina. She has lived with emetophobia for more than 20 years, so watching vomiting on screen isn’t an abstract exercise in film criticism. We talk about what it’s like to have a phobia repeatedly confronted by movies and television, how filmmakers use vomiting to provoke a physical reaction from an audience, and why Jaina eventually made a short film exploring her own emetophobia, called Actualization.

We also ask why filmmakers so often use vomiting as shorthand for excess, disgust, illness, intoxication, humiliation, or emotional overwhelm. When does a vomiting scene actually tell us something about a character? When is it effective horror or comedy? And when is it simply a cliché?

And if filmmakers are trying to make vomiting feel realistic, why do so many movies and TV shows leave out the very things that actually make the experience human?

This is a conversation about vomiting in movies and TV, film history, censorship, horror, comedy, disgust, emetophobia, and the strange power of one of the most universal bodily functions we have.

### FIND JAINA

🎬 Website: www.jainaciprianophotography.com/

🎥 Short film: www.jainaciprianophotography.com/actualization-2026

📸 Instagram: instagram.com/jainastudio

### WATCH / LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

🎙️ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MovieRuntime

🎧 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/2iyYtsB5zeuoCJZ3D3fKJt

🍎 Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-if-i-dont-like-it-a-movie-discussion-podcast/id1719394737

**GUEST:** Jaina Cipriano / ⁨@jainastudio⁩

**HOST:** Kt Baldassaro / ⁨@MovieRuntime⁩

What do you think is the most memorable vomiting scene in a movie or TV show?

#FilmAnalysis #FilmHistory #Movies #FilmCriticism #HorrorMovies

Why does Hudson Hawk have such a terrible reputation?

Episode 50 of What If I Don’t Like It? is here. And I’m celebrating by digging into one of the strangest action comedies of the ’90s.

The 1991 Bruce Willis action comedy is one of those movies people seem to either love or absolutely hate. But the story behind it is almost as strange as the movie itself.

I’m joined by Ben Feldman, a longtime Hudson Hawk fan, to dig into how this bizarre movie came together, and why it turned out so differently from the film that was originally conceived.

We get into the original Hudson Hawk screenplay, Daniel Waters’ idea of deconstructing the action genre after Heathers, the decision to let the filmmakers go completely nuts, and the hour of footage that was ultimately cut.

We also get into Bruce Willis’ original idea for Hudson Hawk, rewrites during production, the movie’s unusual approach to comedy, the candy-bar villains, and some of the tiny details that make this movie even stranger the closer you look.

So was Hudson Hawk simply a spectacular misfire, or was it attempting something people weren't expecting from a Bruce Willis action movie?

If you’ve always thought Hudson Hawk was terrible, this might change how you look at it.

🎬 What If I Don’t Like It? | Hudson Hawk with Ben Feldman

Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

What if one of the most iconic movies ever made just... isn't your thing?

Filmmaker, actress, and writer Lindsey Deland watched Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994) for the first time. Her verdict? ½ star.

I loved it. She... really didn't.

In this episode of What If I Don't Like It?, Lindsey and I take a deep dive into Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino, and the very different ways we experienced one of the most influential movies of the 1990s.

Why did Pulp Fiction feel disjointed and meaningless to Lindsey? How much does knowing the older movies Tarantino references change the experience? And can you recognize that a movie is influential, beautifully constructed, and important to film history while still simply... not liking it?

Because Lindsey is a filmmaker, actress, and writer herself, we also look at Pulp Fiction from a filmmaking perspective. We talk about Tarantino's cinematic influences and use of bricolage, nonlinear storytelling, cinematography, reaction shots, monologues, iconic scenes, and the filmmaking choices Lindsey appreciated even when the story didn't work for her.

We also get into film fandom and gatekeeping, the pressure to love movies considered “masterpieces,” gender and lived experience when watching violent films, and the difference between appreciating a filmmaker's choices and actually enjoying a movie.

Before we get to Pulp Fiction, Lindsey talks about finding her path in film, screenwriting, her current creative projects, her first movie memories, and the films that shaped her.

So how does a filmmaker give Pulp Fiction half a star while I still love it? Listen and find out!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

03:24 Meet Lindsey Deland

04:20 Finding a Path in Film

18:19 Current Projects & Creative Influences

23:20 First Movie Memories & Comfort Films

37:04 First-Time Viewing: Pulp Fiction

43:26 First Reactions to Pulp Fiction

59:49 Monologues, Cinematography & Iconic Scenes

01:19:58 Fandom, Gatekeeping & Film Culture

01:38:14 Art, Artists & Interpretation

01:41:55 Final Verdict & Filmmaking Takeaways

02:00:35 Writing for Yourself & the Audience

About Lindsey Deland

Lindsey Deland is a filmmaker, actress, and writer currently developing her own feature film. You can watch her film Dark Places on Tubi.

Instagram: @lindzthenerd

Letterboxd: @lindzthenerd

YouTube: @lindzthenerd

🎬 Watch Dark Places on Tubi:https://tubitv.com/movies/100053018/dark-places

About What If I Don't Like It?

What If I Don't Like It? is a movie podcast hosted by Kt Baldassaro where people watch films they think they won't enjoy and then unpack what happens when they finally press play.

Follow Kt @MovieRuntime:

TikTok: @movieruntime

Instagram: @movieruntime

Letterboxd: @MovieRuntime

Listen to What If I Don't Like It? on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

What if one of the most important films ever made is also one of the hardest to bring yourself to watch?

Writer and filmmaker Joey Paul Calhoun joins What If I Don't Like It? to discuss Schindler's List, exploring why its reputation can feel intimidating and what makes Steven Spielberg's Holocaust drama endure more than 30 years later.

At its core, this episode is about the difference between a film's importance and the experience of actually watching it. We explore why Schindler's List carries so much emotional weight before you ever press play, how Spielberg approached one of history's darkest chapters, and why the film continues to resonate with audiences decades after its release.

Joey and I also talk about historical storytelling, filmmaking, and the responsibility of adapting real events for the screen. Rather than asking whether Schindler's List is "good," we discuss what it means to create a film that challenges, educates, and moves its audience.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why so many people put off watching Schindler's List
• The difference between an important film and an entertaining one
• Steven Spielberg's approach to telling a true story
• Oskar Schindler as one of cinema's most unexpected protagonists
• The role of hope in stories about unimaginable tragedy
• Why historical films continue to matter

Follow Joey Paul Calhoun:🎬 YouTube: @followthevoid🎥 TikTok: @v0idech0📸 Instagram: @the_vi0dech0

Joey is a writer and filmmaker whose work explores character-driven storytelling, and he brings a thoughtful perspective to one of cinema's most widely discussed films.

Films and filmmakers mentioned include Steven Spielberg, Schindler's List, The Pianist, Life Is Beautiful, Saving Private Ryan, The Zone of Interest, and other films that explore history, war, memory, and the Holocaust.

Did Schindler's List live up to its reputation? More importantly, why has this film remained essential viewing for more than three decades? Listen to find out.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow Kt Baldassaro / MovieRuntime:🎬 YouTube: @MovieRuntime📸 Instagram: @movieruntime🎞️ Letterboxd: @MovieRuntime

What if Interstellar isn’t actually as intimidating as its reputation suggests? Filmmaker Riley Cosby joins What If I Don’t Like It? to watch Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic for the first time and unpack whether its emotional core lives up to the hype or the legend around it.

At its core, this episode is about expectation versus experience, and how “big” movies often come with a lot of baggage before you ever press play. We dig into why Interstellar feels larger than life, and whether its emotional core hits harder than its science-heavy reputation suggests.

We also talk about filmmaking, film festivals, and the shift from consuming movies to creating them, as Riley shares his path from aspiring YouTuber to independent filmmaker working across horror, comedy, and experimental film.

In this episode we discuss:• Why “film bro” recommendations shape how we approach movies• Horror as a tool for processing fear and emotion• Independent filmmaking and the festival circuit• The balance between science fiction and emotional storytelling• Whether Interstellar is actually as complicated as people claim• Why every movie connects differently depending on the viewer

Was Riley won over by one of the most talked-about sci-fi films of the last decade? Listen to find out.

Riley’s work:Mercy, Queen of the UndeadThe Art of DescentOpening KillDie TogetherAizo (festival release)

Follow Riley Cosby:YouTube: @cabbageboyInstagram: @riley_is_Cabbage

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts
Follow Kt Baldassaro / MovieRuntime:🎬 YouTube: @MovieRuntime📸 Instagram: @movieruntime🎞️ Letterboxd: @MovieRuntime

Films and filmmakers mentioned include Christopher Nolan, Interstellar, The Matrix, Arrival, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and more across sci-fi and genre cinema.

First time watching Con Air (1997)… and somehow this absurd action movie actually works.

Is Nicolas Cage the reason this chaotic ‘90s classic still holds up, especially for first-time viewers?

In our newest episode of What If I Don’t Like It?, I’m joined by multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker Jaina Cipriano for her first-ever viewing of Con Air... and the results are not what we expected!

We break down:

- Jaina’s honest first reaction to Con Air

- Why the movie’s absurd tone actually works

- How ‘90s action films differ from modern blockbusters

- The role of humor in high-stakes storytelling

- Nicolas Cage’s performance—and why it carries the film

- Whether this movie is secretly… good?

Plus, we talk about Jaina’s work as a multidisciplinary artist, immersive storytelling, and how fear can shape creative work.

🎧 ABOUT THE PODCAST What If I Don’t Like It? is a film podcast where guests confront their biases by watching movies they think they won’t enjoy, and then we unpack what actually happens!

📍 FOLLOW Jaina Cipriano

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jainastudio/

Website: https://www.jainaciprianophotography.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jainaphoto

X (Twitter): https://x.com/jainastudio

📍 FOLLOW Kt Baldassaro ( @MovieRuntime )

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movieruntime

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movieruntime/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieRuntime

Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/MovieRuntime/

🎬 MORE EPISODES YOU’LL LIKE Check out our episodes on Heavy Metal and Bad Boys for more unexpected movie deep dives.

👇 🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more film analysis, movie deep dives, and filmmaker conversations.

Timestamps:

00:00 First Time Watching Con Air?!

01:10 Meet Jaina Cipriano

04:30 Art, Photography & Filmmaking

10:45 Storytelling Across Mediums

16:30 Fear, Creativity & Immersive Work

24:50 First Movie Memories

27:15 Comfort Movies & Favorites

30:50 Movies That Should Be Made

33:00 Why Jaina Avoided Con Air

35:30 First Impressions of Con Air

39:00 Nicolas Cage Performance Breakdown

44:30 Why the Movie Actually Works

49:30 90s Action vs Modern Blockbusters

54:30 Cinematography & Visual Style

58:30 The Absurdity Factor

1:02:00 Favorite Scenes

1:05:30 Final Thoughts: Does It Hold Up?