Episode 285: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 & Missouri Comic Con's RAD Movies or BAD Movies
CatBusRuss presents the 1986 RAD Movies or BAD Movies as a TEDTalk to Missouri Comic Con 2026.
The punch and pie helped draw in a fair-sized crowd of dedicated movie nuts who were very patient and involved with Russ's conversation about 1986 movies that may have been green lit to either counter program another studio's release or just capitalize on what was going to be hot. In a time before the dominance of home video, movie studios were doing their best to beat each other to the punch when it came to a film premise. Our host is not interested in who landed the first strike, but who had the knock out blow.
"Top Gun" may have made the most money in 1986, but is the story about an arrogant pilot going to dogfight college truly better than a high schooler and Louis Gossett Jr. stealing fighter jets for a rescue mission? Eddie Murphy may have saved the world from Chinese black magic, but was he cooler than Kurt Russell?
Along with these conversations, CatBus does go on some tangents about how Joe Pantoliano could have probably made all of these movies better, how he missed on a 1996 version of this panel that he would call "HOT Movies or NOT Movies", and his classic belief that movies should kill more dogs. The latter argument is probably why "Mars Attacks" is superior to "Independence Day".
To gain a better understanding of 1986 knock off cinema, Russ finally got around to Tobe Hooper's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2". His first feature with the Cannon Group, "Lifeforce" is one our host constantly recommends. Does the return of the Sawyer Family live up to naked space vampires?
If you need certainty when it comes to a healthier snack recommendation, try a flavor from Doich! Snacking Dough. It is cookie dough with more protein, less sugar, and none of the eight major allergens. Our host is not a cookie fan, but this stuff taste great and leaves you feeling full quickly. Follow the link below to save 20% on your order and give Chocolate Chip, Birthday Cake, or WTFudge Brownie dough a try.