96. Big Trouble in Little China, Bro-Country, Baby Yoda

Every Damn Thing

Phil & Jake are back to rank John Carpenter's 1986 film Big Trouble in Little China, the musical subgenre known as Bro-Country, and Baby Yoda on the List of Every Damn Thing.

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SHOW NOTES:

• The kid in Madonna's Open Your Heart video isn’t Leo Dicaprio, he's Felix Howard, who is now an A&R guy.
• Actors that we talk about include Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, Victor Wong, James Hong, Danny Trejo, He Huy Quan, Al Leong (here's his wedding announcement), Dennis Quaid, Harrison Ford, Jason Mantzoukas, Tom Cruise, Jackie Chan and Rodney Dangerfield.
• Other movies discussed include Everything Everywhere All at Once, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Overboard (which Phil thinks is really indefensible because Kurt Russell’s character brainwashes Goldie Hawn’s; “it's a Rapemantic comedy”), Minority Report, Dreamscape (filmed in Stockton, CA), Innerspace, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Golden Child, Friday, Caddyshack, The Matrix, Trading Places, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Flashdance, The Truman Show, The Wizard of Oz, Howard the Duck and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
• Jack Burton is a very influential protagonist, maybe even more so than Snake Plissken. He's sort of John Wayne as a buffoon. Bruce Willis' persona owes something to Jack Burton.
• If you want to hear an even more in-depth discussion of Big Trouble in Little China, check out this episode of the Blank Check podcast.
• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson owns the remake rights to Big Trouble in Little China and makes noises about a remake from time to time.
• John Carpenter’s soundtrack (and especially the theme song) are a must-listen.
• Here’s the New York Magazine article in which Jody Rosen first coined the term “Bro-Country.”
• Here’s a history of the Country laundry-list song.
• Dr. Suess’ pants with no one inside them are from the last story in the Sneetches book.
• “Cruise” by Florida Georgia Line is maybe the ur-text of Bro-Country. Or– going further back– in could be either “Honky Tonkin’” or “Jambalaya” by Hank Williams.
• Other songs discussed by include “Big Green Tractor” and “Dirt Road Anthem” by Jason Aldean, “Sand in My Boots” by Morgan Wallen, “Jack & Diane” by John Mellencamp, “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” by Trace Adkins, “Dilemma” by Nelly w/ Kelly Rowland, “If That Ain’t Country” by David Allan Coe, “That’s My Kind of Night” by Luke Brian, “Friday” by Rebecca Black, “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight” by Hank Williams Jr., “If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got the Time” by Lefty Frizzell, “Friends In Low Places” by Garth Brooks, “Tulsa Time” by Don Williams, “Boys Round Here” by Blake Shelton, “New Truck” by Dylan Scott, “Beer With My Friends” by Shy Carter, “Beer” and “Turned Up On the Weekend” by Branchez & Big Wet, “American Pie” by Don McLean, “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” by Dionne Warwick, and “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt.

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