Today’s Flop Story!

Max Fun members! The time has come! Check your member bonus feed for FLYSCRAPER! an original comedy script by me, Dan McCoy, which I’ve fully produced as an audio drama with SFX, music, and an all-star cast that’s a who’s who of FH friends and faves. Who’s in it (other than Elliott, Stuart, and myself)?

Zhubin Parang! Hallie Haglund! Natalie Walker! Josh Gondelman! Alex Smith and Franny Powers! Griffin Newman! John Hodgman! Barbara Crampton! Jesse Thorn! Griffin McElroy! Chuck Bryant! Matt Koff! Jordan Morris! Jenny Jaffe! Ben Harrison! Adam Pranica! Ben Hosley! Alex Barron! And my wife, Audrey Lazaro, as Fifi the Dog!

It’s truly the Avengers Endgame of podcasts! And it’s available to Max Fun members now (And if you’re not a member, there’s no time like the present!)

Last Chance Mailbag

Let’s take a quick trip to mailbag country!

Hi Peaches,

My mom has been sending me little text images of every DVD/vhs they have in their basement. My father is loathe to throw anything away (his parents did that to him...the Chicago Black Hawks sweater is a topic that may never be spoken of). She included my old deluxe DVD edition of of "Underworld" to my utter shame. I could not say "yeah, get rid of it mom" because I loved the director/actors commentary track. It was just Len Wiseman and Kate Beckinsale dunking on Scott Speedman the whole time and I could not stop listening to it as a teenager.

What are your favorite commentary tracks from DVDs or other sources. Funny or otherwise?

Love the show!
Rob

I have a special fondness for the director’s commentary for Boogie Nights, a DVD that I bought as a cinema-loving college student before I owned or had money for a DVD player, just because, as a movie buff, I knew I had to jump aboard this newfangled “Digital Versatile Disc” technology. I don’t think I’ve coveted something before or since like I coveted the sweet upgrade from fuzzy ol’ VHS to another set of three letters.

But that’s a nostalgic fave — two others that come to mind purely on the merits are Roger Ebert’s track on the Citizen Kane disc, which is an example of a knowledgable critic providing a commentary that’s just as edifying as anything from a filmmaker, and (of course) the legendary Armageddon commentary, where star Ben Affleck takes the piss out of the movie for two hours, including pointing out how ridiculous it is to teach drillers to be astronauts, rather than astronauts how to operate a drill.

From the other peaches, Elliott shouts out the This is Spinal Tap commentary, delivered in character as the band members, and Stu says “I remember the Blade 2 one with wesley snipes is very weird.” Dan: “Weird how?” Stu: “wesley snipes is a weird dude. very interested in blade being cool. which is unnecessary, since blade is THE COOLEST.”

Next on the Podcast

11/8 - Critic and producer Scott Weinberg from the Overhated podcast joins us to discuss 2024’s remake, THE CROW, a perfect movie for the creepiest guy in your life.

11/15 - And MOVEMBER is in full swing with our SECOND FULL EPISODE in as many weeks. For this one, the podfather himself, Jesse Thorn, joins us to discuss 2025’s SMURFS — a film definitely made to be watched and critiqued by four middle-aged men.

Plugging Away

FlopTV is going strong! We just discussed XANADU, including a bit where Stuart endangered his bones by strapping on some skates. These are the risks we take for our beloved audience! Individual tickets and season passes are both available!

As of this writing, tickets are still available to see the late show version of The Flop House LIVE IN CHICAGO on November 16, where we’ll be discussing the Jim Belushi buddy-cop-dog comedy K-9!

Speaking of Chicago — if you live in the area or are visiting for the Flop House show, you can come see Elliott earlier in the day, discussing his new book, Joke Farming, as part of a talk at 57th Street Books! That’s Sunday, 11/16 at 3 pm!

Elliott and Dan will be guests on an episode of Jordan Jesse Go! that drops 11/13! Why no Stuart? Did they murder him?!? You’ll have to listen to find out!

Years ago, Stuart and Dan had a small cameo in Snatchers, an indie comedy-sci-fi-horror movie that’s only now getting a streaming video release. If you love retro genre tributes, lampoons of Brooklyn culture, or seeing Dan try to act while visibly hungover, you can rent it here!

Stuart paints Warhammer models/chats with viewers most Fridays on his Twitch channel. And why not drop by one of his lovely Brooklyn bars?

Dan’s personal newsletter, Dan McCoy’s Special Interests comes out every non-Flop Secrets week, and the horror short story newsletter he helps edit, Deathbed, has new installments every Monday, and the most recent installment

You Made it to the End!

Here are some highlights from our Xanadu episode of FlopTV!