Hate Watching with Dan and Tony

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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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Dan: @shakybacon
Tony: @tonydczech

And follow the podcast on IG: @hatewatchingDAT

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A guy wakes up alone on a colony ship, stares at a sleeping stranger for a year, and then makes a choice the movie wants to frame as romance. That’s the moment Passengers (2016) loses us, and we can’t stop talking about why.

We walk through the film’s best ingredients: a slick sci-fi setting, a genuinely scary isolation setup, a talented Jennifer Lawrence, and a premise that could have powered a tense space thriller. Then we dig into the uncomfortable stuff the screenplay keeps sanding down, from consent and confinement to how quickly the story tries to move past the damage. Along the way we roast the ship’s “rules” (food tiers, crew access, the one medical pod for thousands) and call out how the stakes keep evaporating right when they should spike.

The most fun part is the fix: we pitch a version of Passengers that starts with Aurora waking up and lets the truth unravel slowly, turning the movie into the horror story it keeps accidentally teasing. We also hit the Laurence Fishburne section, the rushed malfunction plot, and the ending that asks you to feel warm and fuzzy after everything that came before.

If you’re into movie review podcasts, sci-fi movie critiques, and conversations about narrative structure, character accountability, and why some “romance” plots age terribly, queue this one up. Subscribe, share it with a friend who hates this movie too, and leave us a review with your verdict: horror, romance, or both?

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Dan: @shakybacon
Tony: @tonydczech

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Tron: Ares made us do something we almost never do: we hit play, heard the soundtrack kick in, and immediately wished we could keep the speakers on while turning the screen off. Dan and Tony break down the new Tron sequel with a very specific question in mind: how can a movie look this polished and still feel like nothing is happening? We get into Jared Leto’s Ares, why the “program becomes human” arc never shows up on screen, and how the movie leans on dialogue to claim growth instead of building it through choices.

From there, we pull on the threads that keep snapping: the permanence code timer that should create tension but rarely changes anyone’s strategy, the laser printing tech that can seemingly create anything without limits, and the corporate world details that make the characters feel smaller than the story says they are. We also talk through the chase beats, the ENCOM tower moment, and the strange action editing choices that keep fights from reading clearly. Along the way, we compare key moments to Tron: Legacy and why that film’s locked-in camera language and game structure still land.

We close with the finale, Athena’s wasted potential, the post-credit Sark tease, and a quick detour into shows we are actually enjoying right now, including Alien Earth, Widow’s Bay, and The Pitt. Next week we are watching Passengers, and we strongly recommend going in cold.

Subscribe for more movie talk, share the episode with a Tron fan, and leave a review so more listeners can find us. What is the one thing you would fix first in Tron: Ares?

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Dan: @shakybacon
Tony: @tonydczech

And follow the podcast on IG: @hatewatchingDAT