Our Hard to Kill 1990 Review kicks off with a simple truth: the late 80s and early 90s were the golden age of action heroes. Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Willis ruled the world… and then along came a man with a ponytail, a whisper voice and an absolute obsession with breaking forearms.

This week Whitey, Dan and Will the Worky step back into the dojo to tackle Steven Seagal's second ever film, Hard to Kill (1990). A movie that, at the time, felt like the arrival of the next unstoppable action icon… and now feels like a fever dream involving aikido, silk shirts and extremely uncomfortable sex scenes.

Seagal plays Mason Storm, a cop who uncovers political corruption and is immediately shot, along with his wife, in what might be the least secure safe house ever filmed. Storm survives after being pumped full of shotgun pellets and spending seven years in a coma. Yes, seven years. And apparently, all it takes to recover is a massage, a training montage and a nurse who instantly falls in love with him.

From there, the movie becomes a revenge story, but also, somehow, a romance, a conspiracy thriller, a martial arts film, and a weird Seagal self-fantasy all rolled into one.

The boys dive deep into:
• The unbelievable hospital security
• The most aggressive love scene ever filmed
• Mason Storm's questionable medical recovery
• The ponytail era of action cinema
• And why nobody recognises the villain's voice despite him repeating the same catchphrase constantly

There are discussions about video store culture, the 1990 action boom, and how Seagal briefly convinced the world he belonged alongside the legends.

But time has not been kind to Hard to Kill. Watching it today reveals something different. Schwarzenegger knew he was in on the joke. Bruce Willis had charm. Seagal genuinely believes he is the most dangerous man alive… and that may be the biggest reason this film is unintentionally hilarious.

Still, there are broken bones, exploding pool cues, corrupt cops and more arm snapping than a chiropractor convention.

And honestly… that’s why we kind of love talking about it.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Is Seagal the strangest action star of all time?
Does Hard to Kill accidentally become a comedy?
And is this the most confident bad movie ever made?

Leave a review, share the episode and send it to a mate who still thinks Seagal could win a real fight.

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This week, the boys jump aboard the Andrea Gail for The Perfect Storm 2000 Review, the Wolfgang Petersen disaster epic that tried to answer one simple question:
What if Mother Nature just decided you were finished?

It's a Monday night. You've done your research.
You head down past Burleigh, just west of Palm Beach. Three chairs are waiting. Gow's checking stats, Damo's preparing the Snorbs Report, and Whitey's tweaking the levels.

Game time.

Based on the true story of a sword-fishing crew who sailed directly into a once-in-a-lifetime weather system, the film brings together an all-star cast, George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly, Diane Lane and a collection of "hey-that-guy!" actors, but the real star might just be the ocean itself.

Whitey is deep in his Clooney phase and openly declares him possibly "the most handsome man we've ever reviewed," while Gow and Damo debate whether the movie actually needs characters at all once the waves hit 100 feet.

Because this is Born to Watch, the conversation doesn’t stay serious for long.

We cover:

• The legendary boat-on-the-wave shot
• Why every sea captain is basically Captain Ahab
• The world's worst job (professional fisherman easily makes the grand final)
• Mark Wahlberg's historically patchy beard
• The glow-stick responsibilities aboard a fishing vessel
• Whether the crew should've just sailed to Portugal instead

The boys also dig into the film's strange structure. Half character drama, half disaster movie, half weather documentary, and somehow still compelling once the storm begins. Even critics admitted the storytelling problems stop mattering once the chaos kicks in.

There's praise for the James Horner score, debate about the true events versus movie invention, and an unexpected emotional reaction to the funeral scenes.

Plus:

• The 2000 Movie Lottery (Remember the Titans vs Bring It On vs The Cell)
• Box office success vs critic ratings
• The Snores Report returns
• Michael Ironside is officially considered for Born to Watch Royalty

And of course, the most important question of all:

If you knew the storm was coming… would you still turn the boat around for the payday?
Because sometimes the scariest part of a disaster movie isn't the wave, it’s the decision that leads to it.

JOIN THE CREW

If you enjoyed the episode, don't just listen, become part of the Born to Watch community.
Leave a rating on Spotify or Apple, drop a YouTube comment, and tell us:

Did Billy Tyne make the right call… or did he doom the Andrea Gail?

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Boogie Nights 1997 Review: 200 episodes in, and Born to Watch hits a milestone with a film that feels weirdly, uncomfortably autobiographical.

From the moment Whitey declares this the perfect way to celebrate the show's 200th episode, it's clear this isn't just another movie review. Boogie Nights is loud, chaotic, hilarious, messy, strangely heartfelt and absolutely stacked with characters who think they're on top of the world until reality comes crashing in. In other words, it's the ideal Born to Watch film.

Set against the late-70s and early-80s adult film industry, Paul Thomas Anderson's second feature is a sprawling ensemble piece that follows the rise and fall of Eddie Adams, reborn as Dirk Diggler. Mark Wahlberg's breakout performance anchors the film, but this is never just Dirk's story. It's about a group of outsiders who form a surrogate family, chasing success, validation and meaning, until excess, ego and changing times pull them apart.

The boys dig into the idea that Boogie Nights is really two films stitched together, the euphoric disco-soaked rise of the 70s, followed by the darker, cocaine-fuelled collapse of the 80s. It's a tonal shift that mirrors the characters' journeys, from optimism and community to paranoia, loneliness and self-destruction. When Little Bill exits the film, everything changes, and the show explores how that moment symbolises the end of innocence for the entire group.

There's plenty of love for the ensemble cast. Burt Reynolds' Jack Horner is discussed as both mentor and flawed father figure, a man clinging to an artistic vision while the industry evolves without him. Julianne Moore's Amber Waves is heartbreaking and layered, especially when the conversation turns to her custody battle and the illusion of freedom within the industry. John C Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Don Cheadle, Heather Graham and William H Macy all get their flowers, with Hoffman's painfully awkward Scotty and Macy's tragic Little Bill standing out as performances that linger long after the credits roll.

As always, the Born to Watch humour cuts through the heavy themes. There's banter, self-reflection, side-tracking, and more than a few laughs at the absurdity of certain scenes, including the legendary Alfred Molina drug-deal sequence, which the team agrees is one of the most anxiety-inducing moments PTA has ever put on screen.

The episode also looks at Boogie Nights in context, how it landed in 1997 alongside juggernauts like Titanic and LA Confidential, why it underperformed at the box office, and how it grew into a cult classic that feels even richer with repeat viewings. It's a film you can dip in and out of, catch individual scenes, and still be completely absorbed.

Ultimately, this Boogie Nights 1997 Review becomes a celebration, not just of the film, but of the journey Born to Watch has been on for 200 episodes. It’s messy, honest, occasionally inappropriate, and full of love for movies that take big swings.

And really, what better way to celebrate than strapping on the roller skates and heading back to the Valley?

BORN TO WATCH – JOIN THE CONVERSATION

• Is Boogie Nights Paul Thomas Anderson’s most rewatchable film?
• Does the movie completely change once the 80s arrive?
• Which character hits hardest on a rewatch?

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or at BornToWatch.com.au

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