This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we crack open the Necronomicon and dive into The Evil Dead (1981) and Evil Dead II (1987). From Sam Raimi’s blood-soaked cabin in the woods to Bruce Campbell’s iconic chin, chainsaw, and one-liners, these cult horror staples redefined the genre with equal parts terror and slapstick. We talk gore, grit, and groovy filmmaking — but do these demonic classics still summon fear and fun, or have they rotted in the cellar of 80s horror?
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Mathew Stockton
Casts: Nicole & Evan
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we summon the vengeance demon himself with Pumpkinhead (1988)! Directed by special effects legend Stan Winston, this creature feature gives us pitchfork townsfolk, foggy forests, and practical monster mayhem. But does Pumpkinhead still deliver the chills, or is it just a dusty relic from the VHS horror bin? Time to find out.
Host: Olen Vanderleeden
Co-Hosts: Nicole & Evan Mallick
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we gather the squad to revisit 1987’s The Monster Squad! Dracula, the Wolfman, Frankenstein’s Monster, and a bunch of foul-mouthed kids trying to save the world. We talk 80s kid adventure tropes, and whether this cult classic still has bite or is better left buried.
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Mathew Stockton
Cast: Anthony, Nicole
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we dig up a true horror anthology 1982’s Creepshow! Written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero, it’s a comic book come to life full of revenge, monsters, and buckets of slime. We talk practical effects, pulpy scares, and whether this spooky classic still delivers the chills or just campy laughs.
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Mathew Stockton
Cast: Nicole & Anthony
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we follow Michael Douglas on the worst commute of all time in Joel Schumacher’s 1993 cult classic Falling Down. Equal parts social commentary and cinematic meltdown, we dig into whether this movie is a sharp critique of society or just a guy in a bad tie losing his cool. Does it still hit today, or is it simply too unhinged to hold up?
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Mathew Stockton
Cast: Sean & Clef Seeley
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we roll back to 1990 and step onto Rodeo Drive with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. It’s the fairy tale of a wealthy businessman and a Hollywood Boulevard sex worker that defined rom-coms for a generation. But is this movie still a charming romance, or does it feel more like a relic best left in the video store bargain bin?
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Mathew Stockton
Cast: Emily & Debbie
On this episode of Too Old or Pure Gold, we leash up with Tom Hanks and his slobbering co-star in Turner & Hooch (1989). It’s a buddy cop movie… except one buddy is a 110-pound French Mastiff with a serious drool problem. But does this odd-couple comedy-crime flick still charm audiences today, or is it best left in the doghouse?
Host: Olen Vanderleeden
Special Guest: Daragh Turner
Cast: Will Corry, Nicole
This week we revisit Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor in See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989). One’s deaf, the other’s blind, and together they’re caught in a murder mystery that’s part slapstick, part buddy comedy, and all 80s energy. But does this high-concept comedy still deliver the laughs, or is it a gag that’s lost its punchline?
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & David Purcell
Cast: Will Corry & Josh Fleming
Bob Mersereau joins us as we put on our sunglasses at night and hit the gas with The Blues Brothers (1980). It’s part musical, part demolition derby, and all chaos as Jake and Elwood try to save the orphanage "on a mission from God." But does this cult comedy classic still groove, or is it running on fumes?
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Mathew Stockton
Special Guest: Bob Mersereau
Cast: Clef Seeley & Anthony & Nicole
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we wrestle with the loincloth-laden cult classic The Beastmaster (1982). Ferrets, tigers, and more oily pecs than a barbarian expo; this sword-and-sorcery romp is peak cable-TV nostalgia. But is it truly an epic fantasy worth revisiting, or just a beastly mess from the VHS bargain bin?
Host: Olen Vanderleeden & Aaron Levitz
Cast: Sean & Clef Seeley
On this episode of Too Old or Pure Gold, we crank up the volume and dive into Heavy Metal (1981), the animated fever dream of sci-fi, fantasy, and rock ‘n’ roll. From glowing green orbs of doom to intergalactic cab rides, this cult classic is a wild ride through the strange and the surreal. But does this animated anthology still rock hard, or is it just a trippy relic best left in the past?
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Mathew Stockton
Cast: Clef Seeley
Joined by special guest Dan Sissons, we explore Jumanji's (1995) mix of 90s nostalgia, thrilling chaos, and heartfelt moments. Robin Williams stars in this adventurous fantasy about a magical board game that turns a quiet town upside down. Does Jumanji still roll the dice well, or is it trapped in the jungle of past glories? Let’s find out!
Special Guest: Dan Sissons
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden
Cast: Nicole, Sean & Anthony
We’re riding south of the border with Three Amigos (1986); the comedy western where Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short play silent film stars mistaken for real heroes. There’s singing, sombreros, sweater dances, and an absurd number of El Guapo jokes. But does this comedy classic still shoot straight, or should it be left in the desert dust?
This week Vinnie Tortorich joins us as we're turning the cap around and going full throttle into Over the Top (1987). It's Stallone, it's arm wrestling, it's fatherhood via trucking and it's everything 1987 had to offer. Join us as we break down whether this underdog story of biceps and bonding still hits, or if it's just flexing for nothing.
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Vinnie Tortorich
Co-Hosts: Anthony & Nicole
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we're pulling off a heist with A Fish Called Wanda (1988). With a cast stacked with John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin, this offbeat British-American crime comedy gave us laughs, betrayal, and some unforgettable fish-related trauma. But does its mix of farce and felony still land today, or does it belong in the vault?
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Mathew Stockton
Co-Hosts: Emily & Nicole
This week, we leap off rooftops and into shopping carts with Rumble in the Bronx (1995), the Jackie Chan breakout hit that brought his signature blend of action and comedy to American audiences. With wild stunts and awkward dubbing, we ask: does this martial arts mayhem still pack a punch, or is it just a bruised time capsule?
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Mathew Stockton
Co-Hosts: Sean & Anthony
This week, we enter the underground world of full-contact, no-rules martial arts with Bloodsport (1988). Jean-Claude Van Damme high-kicks his way through the legendary Kumite in a movie packed with slow-motion splits, dramatic grunts, and some very questionable training methods. Does this cult favorite still hit hard, or has it aged like a bruised banana? Time to find out: Too Old or Pure Gold?
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Mathew Stockton
Co-Hosts: Sean & Anthony
Aliens. Explosions. Jeff Goldblum uploading a virus with a 90s laptop. This week, we revisit Independence Day (1996), the blockbuster that blew up the White House and made Will Smith a one-liner legend. Does this sci-fi disaster classic still bring the fireworks, or has time zapped its power? Suit up and join us as we ask: Too Old or Pure Gold?
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Mathew Stockton
Co-Hosts: Will Corry
This week, we revisit Dirty Dancing (1987), the coming-of-age dance romance that made hearts race and boosted watermelon sales. With Patrick Swayze’s smooth moves, Jennifer Grey’s transformation, and one of the most iconic lift scenes in movie history, we ask: does this summer romance still sweep us off our feet, or is it stuck in the corner of 80s nostalgia? Let’s find out: Too Old or Pure Gold?
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Matthew Stockton
Co-Hosts: Will Corry, Jessica, Nicole
This week we take flight with Blue Thunder (1983). With cutting-edge (for the time) surveillance tech and some heavy 80s paranoia, does this action-thriller soar, or should it have been grounded back in the Reagan era? Strap in as we find out: Too Old or Pure Gold?
Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Matthew Stockton
Co-Hosts: Anthony & Clef Seeley