Hate Watching with Dan and Tony

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The wild thing about War Of The Worlds (2005) is how quickly it earns our trust and how loudly it tests it later. We sit down on Heat Watching and walk through Spielberg’s alien invasion thriller beat by beat, starting with that terrifying, razor-tight opening stretch where ordinary people do the only “heroic” thing available: make one decent choice, then make the next one fast. The sound design, the crowd behavior, the dust-covered aftermath, and the sense of public systems failing all feel brutally real, and we talk about why the movie’s 9/11 allegory still hits.

Then we get into the stuff that makes us argue. Why give Ray a specific job that never pays off? Why does the timeline feel vague when the movie needs us to feel the long grind of survival? And what is the son’s arc actually doing besides forcing a few plot turns? We also talk performances: Tom Cruise is surprisingly great as a messy, selfish dad, while Dakota Fanning runs circles around almost everyone and keeps the emotion honest even when the script gets shaky.

Finally, we go straight for the big debate: the basement detour with Tim Robbins, the rushed sprint to the finish, and a climax that hinges on the common cold instead of a character-driven payoff. If you love Spielberg, disaster movies, alien invasion films, or film criticism that’s equal parts admiration and frustration, you’ll have opinions here. Subscribe, share the episode with a movie friend, and leave a review, then tell us: which scene would you rewrite first?

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Dan: @shakybacon
Tony: @tonydczech

And follow the podcast on IG: @hatewatchingDAT

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Someone shows up in Grand Central, claims he’s from a planet called K-Pax, and calmly starts wrecking everyone’s certainty. That setup sounds like classic sci-fi, but the more we talk about the 2001 film K-Pax, the more it turns into a debate about story logic, emotional truth, and what “proof” even means when a person is clearly suffering. One of us watches Prot (Kevin Spacey) and sees a fragile psychological mystery with a trauma core. The other sees a movie that dodges tension, ignores consequences, and stitches together scenes that don’t quite click.

We break down the big beats that make K-Pax so polarizing: the psychiatric ward as a strange little community, Jeff Bridges’ therapist walking the line between clinical skepticism and personal longing, the planetarium sequence that feels like undeniable evidence, and the blue bird moment that turns into a full-building celebration. We also get into the film’s loose rules about alien abilities, why the lack of outside scrutiny feels off, and how the movie’s “cures” can come across as a troubling take on mental health treatment, including its flirtation with regression hypnosis.

Then the story pivots into the Santa Rosa backstory, the sprinkler trigger, and the line that sums up the whole experience: “I found what I was looking for. I wish I hadn’t.” We close with bonus hate watching (Mindy Kaling’s Not Suitable For Work), a quick shot of World Cup joy, and what we’re watching next: Spielberg’s War of the Worlds. If you like movie podcasts that argue hard but stay curious, subscribe, share this with a friend who still defends K-Pax, and leave us a review.

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Dan: @shakybacon
Tony: @tonydczech

And follow the podcast on IG: @hatewatchingDAT

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A movie can be harmless and still drive you nuts, especially when you can see the better version hiding inside it. We go back to 2001 and rewatch Corky Romano, the Chris Kattan comedy that lives in a lot of people’s nostalgia, then we ask the uncomfortable question: why does it feel like the script keeps forgetting to write the joke?

We walk through the big story beats and the bigger craft problems, from the “one folder of evidence” FBI premise to the endless string of classic gag setups that never escalate into a payoff. We talk about what works in spurts, like Corky being genuinely good at his veterinarian job and the brief moment when that expertise could have become the running comedic engine. Then we get into what doesn’t work: inconsistent character rules, a romance that expects you to find workplace creepiness charming, and an ending that waves away consequences because the mob boss technically didn’t commit murder.

Along the way, we hit our favorite nitpicks and rewrite ideas, including the cocaine sequence, the evidence room weirdness, and the finale twist that barely matters. Then we pivot into what we’re obsessed with right now: the absurd Lego store consignment controversy exploding into lawsuits and body cam footage, plus Tony’s annual six-week Love Island USA lock-in. We also tee up next week’s rewatch, KPAX, and the arguments it’s about to resurrect.

Subscribe for more movie rewatch breakdowns, share this with a friend who still quotes early 2000s comedies, and leave a review with the one scene from Corky Romano you’ll never forget.

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Dan: @shakybacon
Tony: @tonydczech

And follow the podcast on IG: @hatewatchingDAT

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A spoof can be chaotic and still feel precise, but only if the movie commits. We just watched The Naked Gun reboot and ended up in a full-on argument about what modern parody movies need to work: clean setups, real escalation, and actors who play the moment like it’s life or death.

We dig into non sequitur comedy and why “random” isn’t the same as “surprising.” Tony loves the occasional left-field swing, Dan wants the jokes to build instead of getting tossed away, and we both agree performance is everything. We talk about the straight man role, why some deliveries feel like reading a punchline off a cue card, and why Danny Huston comes off like the person most in sync with the movie’s tone. We also shout out the bits that actually hit: the chili dog scene, the fish people riff that keeps heightening, the perfectly timed Dave Bautista moment, and a few blink-and-you-miss-it visual jokes.

Then we get into the risky stuff: reference comedy and who it’s for. When a film leans on Clippy, TiVo, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and niche culture jokes, is that clever specificity or just dating yourself on purpose? If you like movie review podcasts that go beyond thumbs up or thumbs down, this one gets into comedic timing, parody structure, and why a short runtime can be a blessing when the jokes are hit or miss.

Subscribe for more weekly watches, share the episode with a friend who loves spoof comedies, and leave a review with the one gag you laughed at the hardest. What was your funniest moment?

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Dan: @shakybacon
Tony: @tonydczech

And follow the podcast on IG: @hatewatchingDAT

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Shaq in a DC Comics superhero suit should be an automatic good time, but Steel (1997) somehow lands in the uncanny valley between Saturday afternoon fun and “please take this seriously.” We rewatch it scene by scene and call out the exact moments where the movie could have leaned into camp, tightened the story, or just admitted the premise is ridiculous. Instead, we get tanks creeping through the LA hills, a sonic weapon demo that goes sideways, and cops who treat chasing a seven-foot armored vigilante like a casual commute. 

We dig into what works (the self-aware free throw jokes, a few surprisingly solid sonic effects, the magnet hammer chaos) and what doesn’t (plot jumps, over-explained police work, and character dynamics that never pick a lane). Judd Nelson’s villain energy is a highlight, mostly because watching him posture up at Shaq will never not be funny. And yes, we talk about the moment the movie goes fully off the rails: reverse psychology saves the day, and Sparks’ wheelchair turns into an action-movie arsenal in a finale that’s equal parts confusing and unforgettable. 

After we close the Steel case file, we shift to what we’re watching lately, including new TV picks, plus a detour into a comedy podcast interview that left us with questions about Paul Walter Hauser. We also tee up next week’s plan to hit the new Naked Gun. Subscribe for more movie breakdowns, share this with a friend who loves a lovable mess, and leave us a review with your pick for the most baffling superhero movie.

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Be our friend!

Dan: @shakybacon
Tony: @tonydczech

And follow the podcast on IG: @hatewatchingDAT