The Hip Pocket #410 - The Dumbest Films We Love

Even though we’ve been making the show for a little while now, there is still plenty to learn about my co-hosts.

I’ve known Craig for much longer than I’ve known Aundria, but at this point, I genuinely think of both of them as family. Part of being family is knowing that whatever topic we choose, and whatever films we pick, there’s not going to be any judgement. That’s not the game here. If Aundria picks Jaws 2 or if I pick The Big Easy or if Craig picks Six Pack, we’re going to talk about why we picked those films and what they mean to us, and we might have a little fun about it, but it's going to be a conversation built on respect. Our guests can pick anything and know that we’re going to give every film our full consideration. I think everyone who has come to play the game with us so far has had a good time, and I think we’ve made a really fun space to enjoy talking about every kind of film.

That’s good, because this week, we’re going to test that theory.

When we decided on the topic “The Dumbest Films We Love,” we really discussed what that meant. I think it’s important to establish that we’re not film snobs. I love all kinds of movies that I can’t really defend on a technical or aesthetic level, and I love them for all kinds of reasons. I don’t “ironically” like anything. My endorsement of any film is sincere, and for sincere reasons. I wanted to see how Craig and Aundria defined this exercise, and I think we all came at it in different ways.

Craig’s choice this week is Midnight Madness, a sort of low-rent live-action Disney comedy about a scavenger hunt-style game being played in and around Los Angeles one night. This is a film that was going to be a PG-rated Disney release until Disney got nervous and downplayed their own name in the marketing. You can read all about that over at The Last '80s Newsletter (You'll Ever Need). Aundria picked Jackass Number Two, and I will happily take any opportunity to talk about the Jackass movies and why they are Good, Actually. I love that series, and Number Two is a spiky, prickly, gnarly little thing, a sequel that feels cheerfully nihilistic. My pick is the only film written and directed by Dan Aykroyd, his expensive and deeply weird horror/comedy Nothing But Trouble. I think it is a fascinating movie about all of Aykroyd’s personal obsessions, and I genuinely find it compelling. It is also a near-total disaster that must have confounded the executives at Warner Bros. as they watched dailies rolling in.

We’ve still got plenty more for you this year. We’re recording our final 2026 guest today, and we definitely saved the best for last. This is our first time having on a guest whose work is already on The Hip Pocket list, and it’s going to be a real treat to discuss their line-up. Next week, we’ve got a rising star in the horror lit community as our guest, and I found their picks very surprising. We’re going to be talking about our favorite eye candy movies and some holiday picks as we wind the year down, and we’ll be off for Christmas and New Year’s.

Then it’s on to our first full year on a weekly schedule, which is going to make 2027 a whole lot of fun. Hopefully you’re enjoying all of this new energy, and if so, please rate and review the show wherever you get your podcasts. Your word of mouth is what helps new listeners find the show.

If you want to sponsor The Hip Pocket, we are looking for advertisers now. We want a good fit, though, so reach out to us and let’s see what we can do.

Support The Hip Pocket on BlueSky!

Drop us an email at itsthehippocket@gmail.com if you’d like! We’d love to hear about your favorite Hip Pocket films!

The Hip Pocket is hosted by Drew McWeeny and Aundria Parker.

Craig Ceravolo is the show’s bandleader and producer.

It is a Formerly Dangerous Production.

100% HUMAN-MADE © 2026 by Matt Kindt, LLC is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0