Paul Verhoeven is officially a Born to Watch legend, but this week the boys go deep into his most infamous film to find out if Showgirls (1995) deserves a spot at the top of the Rank Bank or belongs buried under a mountain of glitter and regret. The Showgirls (1995) Review will be a lot of fun.

From the moment Nomi Malone hitchhikes into Las Vegas with dreams of stardom and a suitcase full of questionable choices, Verhoeven's neon-soaked disaster invites every kind of reaction. Whitey, G-Man and Damo rip through the plot with their trademark mix of outrage and disbelief, tackling everything from Elizabeth Berkeley's career-ending performance to Kyle MacLachlan's slippery pool scene that's become cinematic legend for all the wrong reasons.

Was Showgirls ever meant to be serious? Could it have worked as a satire? The crew debates whether Verhoeven's direction and Joe Eszterhas's ludicrous script are misunderstood genius or just cinematic malpractice. Damo argues that it's a "full mind-body spiritual experience," while Whitey insists it's “a masterpiece of shit." G-Man tries to stay objective, but even he can't defend dialogue this wooden or acting this drenched in baby oil.

The team delves into the film's troubled production history, including Berkeley's disastrous fallout from Saved by the Bell, Verhoeven's later confession that he pushed her into cartoonish exaggeration, and Kyle MacLachlan's stunned reaction at the premiere: "I was absolutely gobsmacked." They explore how Showgirls was panned on release, only to rise again as a cult classic, the sort of “so-bad-it's-good” masterpiece that packs midnight screenings and inspires drag-queen tributes around the world.

No Born to Watch review would be complete without the Snorbs Report, and this week it's a full-length epic. From the film's Razzie nominations to its $100 million home-video redemption, the boys chronicle how Showgirls became both an artistic failure and a commercial success. There's trivia about its banned trailer, its notorious NC-17 rating, and Verhoeven's history of pushing boundaries, from Basic Instinct to Starship Troopers.

In true Born to Watch fashion, the lads discover a few accidental highlights: Gina Gershon's camp brilliance, the hilariously terrible fight choreography, and Robert Davi's unforgettable line delivery that cements his place in movie-villain history. They even crown Showgirls the global champion of "wank-per-capita cinema", a category no one asked for but everyone understands.

By the end, they decide Showgirls is a film that must be seen to be believed. It's equal parts erotic thriller, unintentional comedy, and cautionary tale about a tragic career. Whether you love it, hate it, or just can't look away, Showgirls remains a cinematic experience unlike anything else.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Was Showgirls a misunderstood genius or glorious trash?
Is Nomi Malone the most unlikeable lead in movie history?
Did Verhoeven create art, or just soft-core chaos in heels?

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods.

Drop us a voicemail at BornToWatch.com.au and tell us where this one ranks in your guilty pleasures.

#Showgirls1995Review #BornToWatch #MoviePodcast #PaulVerhoeven #ElizabethBerkeley #CultClassic #SnobsReport #90sMovies #FilmReview #VegasNights

What do you get when you combine corrupt cops, a silent Chuck Norris, a robot tank named the Prowler, and one of the most confusingly gritty films of the '80s? You get Code of Silence (1985) and you get this week's episode of Born to Watch. Our first (and possibly last) Chuck Norris movie, this Code Of Silence (1985) Review was one of our hardest yet.

Originally meant to be a deep dive into the snow-covered world of Fargo, the team made a bold mid-week pivot. Why? Although the Coen Brothers’ classic has its place in cinema history, it lacks denim, moustaches, or Chuck Norris delivering silent justice with a cold stare. This week’s episode is a celebration and interrogation of what many believe to be Chuck Norris's best actual movie: Code of Silence.

Hosting this round is Whitey, joined by the returning G-Man (fresh off a brief sabbatical) and everyone's favourite intern, Will the Work Experience Kid, who's finally found a film with more fists than subtext. Together, the trio dig into the film's layers (yes, there are some), highlights its absurdities (many), and wrestles with the biggest question of all: was Chuck actually acting in this?

Chuck Norris stars as Eddie Cusack, a no-nonsense Chicago cop caught in the middle of a brutal gang war and a police department riddled with corruption. When Cusack refuses to back up a dirty cop, he's iced out by his fellow officers and forced to take on the criminals, the corrupt cops, and a killer in a trench coat... completely solo. Well, almost solo. He does have The Prowler, a remote-controlled robot tank that can shoot gas grenades, blow up doors, and completely derail the realism of the film's final act.

In classic Born to Watch fashion, the boys break it down across all the key angles:

The Plot
Whitey leads the charge, recapping the film's surprisingly tight (yet sometimes baffling) storyline. The team debates Eddie Cusack's moral choices, questions whether Chuck understood his own lines, and marvels at the film's commitment to making stairwells more perilous than actual shootouts.

The Performances
G-Man lays out the argument that this is Chuck Norris's best performance, not just his best movie. With fewer lines and more brooding, Norris actually builds a character with a code. Will's take? He still prefers action over nuance but admits Chuck's stone-faced stare works better here than in Missing in Action or Delta Force.

Direction & Style
Andrew Davis gets some serious love this episode. Before The Fugitive made him a household name, Code of Silence showed he could stage gritty action, squeeze tension out of silence, and give Chuck an actual platform to do more than kick things. The cinematography gives Chicago a grimy, lived-in feel, and the pacing is tighter than expected until the Prowler shows up and explodes all sense of realism.

The Prowler
Will's favourite part of the episode, and the film, is the laughably amazing Prowler, a piece of proto-RoboCop tech that somehow exists in 1985 and gets deployed by one man for reasons no one can explain. Does it break the movie? Maybe. Do we love it anyway? Absolutely.

The Fashion
It wouldn't be Born to Watch without taking a closer look at the outfits. Norris's iconic turtleneck/sweater/denim combo gets a lot of airtime, as does the question of whether a moustache makes you more believable as a cop, or just more '80s.

And of course, no episode would be complete without:

• The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly segment (with bonus Prowler praise)
• Listener shout-outs and rogue OnlyFans tangents
• A few wildly off-topic theories about whether Chuck could've gone full prestige actor if he kept working with directors like Davis

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

• Is Code of Silence Chuck Norris's best dramatic role?
• Should cops with robot tanks be allowed in stakeouts?
• Was the Prowler basically RoboCop before RoboCop?

Drop us a voicemail at 👉 https://www.borntowatch.com.au and tell us: is Code of Silence an underrated gem or just 80s action fluff in a knit jumper?

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods. Don't forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and report any rogue neckerchiefs immediately.

#CodeOfSilence1985Review #BornToWatch #ChuckNorris #AndrewDavis #80sAction #PoliceThriller #RetroCinema #FilmPodcast #MovieReview #CultClassicCinema

Nothing screams the early '90s more than a Tom Clancy thriller, and The Hunt for Red October (1990) might just be the finest adaptation of the bunch. This week on Born to Watch, we take a deep dive into Cold War tension, Sean Connery's questionable Russian accent, Alec Baldwin's finest non-30 Rock performance, and why this film still makes waves decades later. And yes, we're calling this the definitive The Hunt for Red October 1990 Review.

It's all systems go as Whitey, G-Man, and DJ Strangles man the periscope and dive deep into this submarine classic. From the moment Connery's Ramíus announces his defection plan to the epic underwater cat-and-mouse chase, the boys break down what makes this a tight, thrilling, and surprisingly rewatchable flick.

We cover everything: from Connery's incredible second-act career run (is Red October peak Connery?), to Alec Baldwin's short but strong tenure as Jack Ryan, to the underrated gravitas of Scott Glenn and Sam Neill. Add in a stellar supporting cast that includes Tim Curry, James Earl Jones, and Stellan Skarsgård, and you’ve got a Cold War nail-biter filled with testosterone, torpedoes, and tense moral decisions.

There's time to unpack the politics, too, the Clancy realism, the U.S. Navy flex, and that juicy little nugget of 1990s pre-internet espionage fantasy. But of course, it's not all sonar pings and missile tubes. The crew gets sidetracked (as always) by tales of sub dreams, questionable airline bear policies, and Damo's beer-and-hot-dog benchwarmer story.

The team also revisits the box office and critical legacy of The Hunt for Red October. Was it Oscar-worthy? How do the effects hold up in 2025? Is this really the best Jack Ryan movie? Spoiler: the debate gets passionate, and there's no clear winner between Baldwin, Ford, Affleck, Pine, and Krasinski, but there is a winner for worst submarine hygiene. Cigarettes below deck? Not a good time.

With classic Born to Watch segments like “Overs and Unders," "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,” and a brilliant fan voicemail, this episode has something for every cinephile, Cold War nerd, and nostalgic '90s action fan.

So fire up the Caterpillar Drive, crank the Basil Poledouris score, and set your course for one of the most unexpectedly hilarious and insightful takes on a certified action-thriller classic.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

• Is The Hunt for Red October the greatest Jack Ryan movie?
• Should smoking on submarines be an executable offence?
• Did Jack Ryan seriously buy a business class seat for a teddy bear?

Drop us a voicemail at https://www.borntowatch.com.au and tell us if this Cold War classic is a certified banger — or just blowing smoke.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods. Don’t forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and always question political officers with bad attitudes.

#TheHuntForRedOctober1990Review #BornToWatch #SeanConnery #JackRyan #SubmarineMovies #TomClancy #AlecBaldwin #MoviePodcast #ColdWarThriller #FilmReview

Before “Drive to Survive,” before Lewis Hamilton made Formula One fashionable, and long before IMAX cameras were strapped to carbon-fibre rockets, there was just a snorbs reporter with a dream… and Brad Pitt behind the wheel. In our F1 The Movie (2025) Review, we will unpack it all.

It's 2025. The team at Born to Watch trades nostalgia for noise as they deep dive into one of the year's biggest cinematic engines: F1 The Movie. With Pitt playing Sonny Hayes, a one-time F1 star turned paddock has-been, and Damson Idris as the cocky rookie you'll want to punch with a wrench, this week's episode is a fast, furious, and occasionally feral take on a film that tries to be Top Gun: Maverick on four wheels.

Whitey sets the pace with a bold take: Is F1 even about the story, or is this Avatar-level immersion with fuel and friction? He breaks down how this one's less about the emotional arc and more about tech flexing at 300km/h. Gow, never one to pass up a pit stop, steers us through Morgz parallels, real-life F1 credentials, and why Brad Pitt is still Hollywood's smoothest operator, even when he's getting screamed at by a 38-year-old playing a 60-year-old's mum.

Dan on the Land delivers one of the pod's all-time greatest analogies: F1 The Movie is the tale of a man returning from back surgery and bourbon benders to coach a team of year-nine canoeists. Add Damo's unexpected "this is about me” speech, and you've got a review that's half cinema, half confession.

The pod delves into the cry-o-meter (0%), the popcorn meter (full), and how the audience ultimately comes to like the car more than the characters. There are debates over whether Kerry Condon was miscast, who should've punched JP first, and whether Javier Bardem's surgically-enhanced nose deserved its own credit. Bonus points for the Han Solo theory. Double bonus points for calling JP the most punchable character since Bob Sugar.

Also: Damo reveals his Snorbs report special, a future film starring Jennifer Lawrence and featuring full-frontal nudity. Naturally. Dan shares a story about custom condoms and splashdowns that we cannot print here. And Whitey invents a new Oscar category: best use of tennis balls in a montage.

And just when you think it’s over, someone brings up Chuck Norris, and the podcast goes sideways in the most Born to Watch way possible.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

1. Was this just Top Gun: Maverick with gear changes?
2. Is JP the worst teammate in movie history?
3. Should Brad Pitt be allowed to keep that hair at his age?

Drop us a voicemail at https://www.borntowatch.com.au and tell us whether this movie deserves a podium or a pit lane penalty.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods. Don’t forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and always yell “PLAN C” when walking into a bar.

#F1TheMovie2025Review #BornToWatch #BradPitt #FormulaOneMovie #IMAXExperience #SnobsReport #MoviePodcast #RacingMovies #FilmReview #DriveToSurvive

Before "Ted Lasso," before viral Super Bowl speeches, and long before anyone tried to give athletes emotional depth in a rom-com, there was Jerry Maguire. The year was 1996. The Cold War was over, the NFL was king, and Tom Cruise was still a god among men, only this time, he wasn't flying jets, breaking into vaults, or sliding around in his jocks. He was having an existential crisis... over sports marketing. Join the team for this Jerry Maguire (1996) Review.

This week on Born to Watch, the team gets personal with Cameron Crowe's career-defining genre-bender. It's a sports film. It's a romantic drama. It's a corporate takedown. It's an Oscar-worthy performance from Cuba Gooding Jr., a breakout role for Renée Zellweger, and the movie that made grown men cry, "You complete me."

Whitey sets the tone, reminding us that Tom Cruise's 90s run, A Few Good Men, The Firm, Mission: Impossible, Magnolia, is better than most actors' entire careers. He dives headfirst into Jerry's meltdown, that now-iconic mission statement, and the truth that integrity doesn't pay… until it suddenly does. Gow takes us into the heart of the Rod Tidwell storyline and how one man's love for his family and the almighty bonus created one of cinema's most quotable characters. Will? He gets emotional. There are tears. Multiple.

The pod goes all in on the movie's cry meter, with Whitey clocking in at a solid three sobs, and Gow recommending we scrap the popcorn scale for tears-per-scene metrics. We break down why this movie hits so hard: the kid with glasses saying "You said fuck," the kitchen kiss, the living room apology, and yes, the car radio singalong that still gives everyone anxiety.

The team also has questions: What was Jerry doing on that porch? Is Bob Sugar the most punchable man in cinematic history? Could Tom Hanks have pulled this off, or did Cruise's signature manic energy make this role iconic? And what's with Dickie Fox and his "wake up happy" nonsense? Do we buy it, or want to slap him?

As always, we hit The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. The good? The chemistry between Cruise and Cuba. The soundtrack that absolutely slaps. Bonnie Hunt is an underrated MVP. The bad? The wedding scene. Jerry's inability to fake happiness. That mission statement is being printed at Kinko's. The ugly? A porch makeout scene that doesn't belong in a PG-13 film, especially with a child and a sister literally ten feet away.

The cast breakdown gets the complete treatment: Zellweger's rise from indie darling to Oscar winner, Cuba's perfect moment before a long string of missed roles, and a deep, reluctant appreciation for Jay Mohr's ultra-hatable Bob Sugar. Also: Jonathan Lipnicki, secret weapon. Human heads weigh 8 pounds. Who knew?

Legacy-wise, Jerry Maguire doesn't just survive; it thrives. It's more relevant in 2025 than ever: in a world that prizes hustle and brand, it reminds us what it means to care. It's messy. It's heartfelt. And it's full of awkward truths that still sting.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

• Is this Tom Cruise's most human role?
• Did the mission statement actually change anything, or make him broke?
• Who deserves the bonus: Jerry or Rod?

Drop us a voicemail at https://www.borntowatch.com.au and show us the listener love.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods. Don't forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and whisper "You had me at hello" to strangers in the street.

#JerryMaguire1996Review #BornToWatch #TomCruise #YouCompleteMe #ShowMeTheMoney #CameronCrowe #MoviePodcast #SportsRomance #FilmReview #90sMovies

Before Call of Duty, before The Hunger Games, and long before kids with rifles were standard streaming fare, there was Red Dawn, a film where teenagers in Colorado picked up hunting rifles, hid in the woods, and waged war on the Soviet-Cuban invasion of suburban America. In 1984, World War III didn't start with a bang. It began with a history teacher getting machine-gunned through a classroom window. Wolverines, assemble. This Red Dawn 1984 Review is gunna be epic!

This week on Born to Watch, the team revisits John Milius' unlikely cult classic, the first PG-13 movie ever released, and still one of the most bizarrely patriotic action flicks of its time. Whitey sets the scene: Cold War hysteria at its cinematic peak, where the solution to global conflict is apparently a football quarterback, a couple of dirt bikes, and a stash of grenades. Gow marvels at how dark and unexpectedly bleak the movie is upon rewatch. And special guest Chris, who watched this on loop in a Canadian compound in Saudi Arabia (seriously), adds depth, nostalgia, and just the right amount of North American sincerity.

The pod kicks off with a bang (and a few technical apologies), diving straight into awkward romances, surprisingly competent teens, and Patrick Swayze's transition from ballet shoes to combat boots. There's plenty of love for the Outsiders alums in the cast, from Swayze to C. Thomas Howell to Charlie Sheen in his screen debut, "He looks like he's been acting for 20 years," Whitey insists. Jennifer Grey and Lea Thompson round out the '80s dream team, while Powers Boothe arrives halfway through the movie like a red-blooded Deus Ex America, delivering monologues about freedom, death, and being "super Catholic unless he needs to be super Anglican."

And yes, the Wolverines' origin story is still insane. A bunch of high schoolers flee to the hills, build underground bunkers with trap doors, and become insurgents overnight. The pod breaks down every logical inconsistency and still comes away loving it: why did the Russian soldiers...take the picnic basket? Why did Darryl betray them? And how the hell did they learn to use claymores?

As always, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly delivers the heat. The good? A refreshingly sincere slice of 80s teenage warfare, where death has weight and characters grow (or die trying). The bad? Avenge me! Avenge meee! Screams Harry Dean Stanton in a moment so melodramatic it becomes unintentionally iconic. And the ugly? Powers Boothe, nearly getting frisky with Lea Thompson, cut in post, thank God, but still creepy on rewatch.

The conversation also swerves into great side quests. Gow takes us through Ordinary People, tying every cast member back to The Outsiders or Back to the Future in six degrees or less. Whitey flexes his film nerd muscles with a deep dive into director John Milius, writer of Apocalypse Now, Dirty Harry, and the infamous USS Indianapolis speech from Jaws. There's also the obligatory "One Degree of Kurt," tying the film back to Russell via Tombstone and Powers Boothe. Born to Watch bingo, complete.

Set pieces get their due: the shock of the paratroopers in the opening scene, the forest ambush montages, the tragic final shootout between brothers. There's genuine reverence for how gritty and grim the film gets, even with its wild premise. "This movie's better than it has any right to be," is the consensus.

Legacy-wise, Red Dawn didn't just launch a thousand VHS replays; it set the template for teen action cinema, and even inspired a less-than-stellar 2012 remake (which the boys pretend doesn't exist). No Oscars here, but in the Book of Born to Watch, it gets a solid star on the Walk of Cult Classics.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

• Should Jed have let Darryl live?
• Is Red Dawn better than it should be—or just a patriotic fever dream gone rogue?
• Would YOU survive a Soviet invasion with nothing but camping gear and high school trauma?

Please leave us a voicemail at https://www.borntowatch.com.au and join the rebellion.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods. Don't forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and yell "WOLVERINES!" at strangers to promote the show.

#RedDawn #Wolverines #borntowatchpodcast #80sAction #CultClassic #PatrickSwayze #ColdWarCinema #MoviePodcast #FilmReview

By 2016, the Star Wars galaxy was splintered. Disney had bought the keys to the kingdom, and The Force Awakens had opened the floodgates of nostalgia; fans were debating whether the magic still remained. Enter Rogue One, a gritty, grounded war film that not only connected the dots between trilogies but also reminded us what sacrifice actually looks like in a galaxy far, far away. Our Rogue One (2016) Review could be our boldest Star Wars exploration yet. Listen to find out.

On this week's Born to Watch, the team rallies on Yavin 4 to break down the boldest entry in Disney's Star Wars canon. Whitey brings the heat with tales of midnight screenings and family rewatches, calling Rogue One the "Everest" of modern Star Wars. Damo, initially underwhelmed, admits it took a second viewing to appreciate the depth and daring of this standalone story. And Bones? Let's just say he came armed with more trivia than a Death Star databank, from K-2SO's comic origins to what Chirrut Îmwe's staff is really made of.

The episode begins with the squad sharing their first impressions, ranging from faulty cinema projectors to kids ditching mid-movie, before diving into the film's iconic trailer. Vader's breath. The Rogue One theme. Mon Mothma's icy resolve. It still rocks. The boys dissect what made the trailer work and laugh at the glaringly absent "I rebel" line that somehow vanished between teaser and final cut.

Naturally, the Born to Watch crew doesn't just scratch the surface. They dive deep into what makes Rogue One so special: a fresh cast of characters who aren't chosen ones or lightsaber prodigies, but ordinary rebels making impossible choices. Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) gets major love for her no-frills attitude, while Diego Luna's Cassian Andor earns newfound respect thanks to the phenomenal Andor series, which Whitey all but begs Damo to finally watch.

And then there's K-2SO, the sardonic droid voiced by Alan Tudyk (aka "Two Dicks”, don't ask, just listen). Easily one of the funniest characters in the franchise, K-2 delivers punchlines and gut-punches with equal finesse. The same goes for Donnie Yen's Chirrut and Wen Jiang's Baze, a dynamic duo who bring martial arts, mysticism, and machine guns to the battlefield.

Ben Mendelsohn's Director Krennic gets the Aussie shoutout treatment, with the team praising his imperial smugness and exquisite cape work. Forest Whitaker's Saw Gerrera? A source of debate, gasps, and conspiracy theories, is he a Vader prototype? A puffed-up Darth Hipster? Either way, "Bo Gullet" lives rent-free in everyone's head, even if no one quite understands what he's doing there.

And then comes the scene. You know the one. The Vader hallway massacre. It's cinematic perfection, a horror movie, action flick, and fan fantasy rolled into one red lightsaber ignition. The team agrees: it might be the greatest single moment in Star Wars history. Period.

From there, it's time for Good, Bad, and Ugly, where the sets, the new worlds (Scarif, Jedha), and the grounded stakes all get high praise. The team relishes how Rogue One finally explains the Death Star's ridiculous design flaw, praises its minimal use of nostalgia, and wonders how Jyn Erso climbs that 500-metre tower without even puffing.

Legacy-wise, Rogue One is a billion-dollar box office hit that somehow still feels underrated. No Skywalkers. No prophecy. Just a desperate, beautiful mission and a finale that dares to kill every single lead. The episode wraps with laughs, trivia, a tease of a Star Wars Trivial Pursuit rematch, and a reminder that Rogue One is the rare Disney-era film that actually elevates what came before.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

• Is Rogue One the best Star Wars movie since the original trilogy?
• Would you rather pilot an X-Wing or be one with the Force like Chirrut?
• Is K-2SO the most underrated droid in the galaxy?

Drop us a voicemail at https://www.borntowatch.com.au
and be part of the show!

Listen to the full episode now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods.

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#RogueOne #StarWars #BornToWatch #MoviePodcast #CassianAndor #K2SO #DarthVader #FilmReview