About The Show
Hi, my name is Mario Lanza and I have been a movie fan since about 1978. And let me tell you, I have watched a LOT of movies over the years. Both the good, the bad, the obscure, the blockbusters, the TV movies, and the straight-to-video. And this is my podcast dedicated to all the underrated and forgotten and just plain underloved movies out there in the world, Staff Picks. Enjoy the episodes!
Oh, and feel free to email me at staffpickspodcast@gmail.com if there are any movies you'd like to see me feature in an episode in the future. The more obscure and unknown the movie, the better!
Episodes
Nov 22, 2019
Nov 22, 2019
1hr 11 min
Lawyer and fellow Mel Brooks fan Brad Culpepper joins me to discuss one of my favorites comedies of all time, 1981's celebration of bad taste, History of the World, Part I
Oct 31, 2019
Oct 31, 2019
2hr 17 min
Horror author and Haddonfield resident Matt Carter joins me to discuss the greatest horror movie of them all, and the template for just about every other scary movie that came after it, John Carpenter's surprisingly bloodless 1978 original, Halloween. P.S. Laurie is not Michael's sister.
Oct 28, 2019
Oct 28, 2019
1hr 20 min
Horror movie fan Jessi Bentley joins me to discuss what I would argue is the greatest and most hardcore Stephen King horror movie of them all, 2007's The Mist
Oct 23, 2019
Oct 23, 2019
1hr 20 min
Teacher and non-demon Jason Rasmussen joins me to discuss Bill Paxton and axes and religion and the creepy 2001 horror movie, Frailty
Oct 18, 2019
Oct 18, 2019
1hr 31 min
My own daughter, Vanessa Lanza, joins me to discuss her favorite horror movie of all time, the 1973 gut punch masterpiece, The Wicker Man
Oct 15, 2019
Oct 15, 2019
1hr 42 min
Actor and screenwriter Mike Harlow joins me to discuss my favorite serial killer movie of all time, the 1995 psychological thriller, Copycat
Oct 8, 2019
Oct 8, 2019
2hr 2 min
Movie theater projectionist Will Holston returns to discuss one of the most underrated horror movies of all time, Kate Hudson and the 2005 twist ending creepfest, The Skeleton Key
Oct 5, 2019
Oct 5, 2019
1hr 30 min
Australian movie fan Cable Brandon joins me to discuss one of the creepiest movies ever made, the 2003 shark/snuff film, Open Water
Sep 30, 2019
Sep 30, 2019
1hr 38 min
Professional DJ Amy Twieg joins me to discuss the better of the two magic movies from 2006, the masterpiece of art and misdirection and showmanship know as The Illusionist
Sep 30, 2019
Sep 30, 2019
1hr 27 min
Magic fan and Christopher Nolan expert Bruce Ragas joins me to discuss the better of the two magic movies from 2006, the twist ending masterpiece known as The Prestige
Sep 27, 2019
Sep 27, 2019
1hr 8 min
Rock music journalist Aaron Conn joins me to discuss the tragedy and the triumph of the infamous 1994 Brandon Lee movie, The Crow
Sep 8, 2019
Sep 8, 2019
1hr 29 min
Former video store clerk Michael Allbright joins me to discuss a movie that I have always thought was quite beautiful. It's Tamlyn Tomita and a couple of other people in 1986's The Karate Kid Part 2.
Aug 30, 2019
Aug 30, 2019
1hr 19 min
New Zealand science expert Joshua Muir joins me to discuss one of the goofiest sci-fi/action movies ever made, 1993's tribute to verbal morality and anal hygiene, Demolition Man
Jul 20, 2019
Jul 20, 2019
1hr 22 min
Teacher and history expert Joni Newman joins me to discuss why Titanic never should have faced the backlash it did after it won Best Picture of 1997.
Jul 12, 2019
Jul 12, 2019
1hr 54 min
Podcaster and former pageant winner Mike Bloom joins me to discuss one of the funniest movies of all time, 1999's ode to Jesus and America and young girls everywhere, Drop Dead Gorgeous
May 24, 2019
May 24, 2019
1hr 23 min
Andrew Dick of the That Week in SNL podcast joins me to discuss one of the most criminally underrated comedies of all time, Will Forte's masterpiece of bad taste, MacGruber
Apr 19, 2019
Apr 19, 2019
1hr 48 min
Horror movie fan Brian Farrell joins me to discuss what I would call the one pretty good Friday the 13th movie, 1986's so-far-ahead-of-its-time Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives
Apr 11, 2019
Apr 11, 2019
1hr 18 min
Political movie fan Peter Haley joins me to discuss one of the great cynical comedies of the late 90's, the movie that predicted how the media would later be used to influence elections, 1997's Wag the Dog
Apr 4, 2019
Apr 4, 2019
1hr 43 min
Improv comic/icehole George Hanns joins me to discuss one of my all-time favorite movies, the immensely quotable 1984 cult comedy Johnny Dangerously
Mar 19, 2019
Mar 19, 2019
1hr 11 min
Horror movie fan Jack Mourouzis joins me to discuss what might be the best horror movie anthology ever made, 2007's playful and fun, yet still incredibly creepy Trick 'r Treat
Mar 16, 2019
Mar 16, 2019
1hr 41 min
90's movie fan and former Jewish basketball legend Adi Heller joins me to talk about one of the greatest movies of the 90's, 1992's tale of perception and ethics and Jeopardy and street hustling, White Men Can't Jump
Mar 10, 2019
Mar 10, 2019
1hr 24 min
Comedian and Brady Bunch enthusiast Taylor Cotter returns to the show to talk about 1996's much-darker-but-almost-as-funny-as-the-original A Very Brady Sequel
Feb 24, 2019
Feb 24, 2019
1hr 57 min
Podcaster and comedy historian Vic Shuttee joins me to celebrate what is maybe the funniest movie of all time, Sacha Baron Cohen's 2006 masterpiece, Borat
Feb 11, 2019
Feb 11, 2019
1hr 10 min
Therapist and child of the 80's Leann Lindsley joins me to discuss one of the great unsung comedies of the early 80's, Michael Keaton and Teri Garr in 1983's Mr. Mom.
Oct 8, 2018
Oct 8, 2018
1hr 5 min
The always eccentric Coach Benjamin Wade joins me to discuss a movie that had a big impact on his life, 2003's woefully underrated epic The Last Samurai
Oct 5, 2018
Oct 5, 2018
1hr 24 min
YA horror author Fiona Carter joins me to discuss yet another great Canadian horror movie that should get a lot more attention, 2000's ode to teen lycanthropy, Ginger Snaps
Sep 30, 2018
Sep 30, 2018
1hr 12 min
Fellow Quentin Tarantino fan Will Holston joins me to discuss the one Tarantino movie that never got the love it deserved, 1997's ode to South Bay Los Angeles, Jackie Brown
Sep 24, 2018
Sep 24, 2018
1hr 22 min
80's movie fan Heather Cannon joins me to pay tribute to what I think was the best teen movie of the 80's, 1982's drama-disguised-as-a-comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Sep 11, 2018
Sep 11, 2018
1hr 36 min
Podcaster and new mom Jessica Liese joins me to talk about the ultimate nanny flick from hell, one of my favorite suspense thrillers ever, 1992's creepy/goofy The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
Sep 7, 2018
Sep 7, 2018
1hr 27 min
Former New Yorker Celia Curran joins me to discuss the New York-bashing movie that Bill Murray once called one of the two funniest Bill Murray movies, 1990's woefully underappreciated Quick Change
Aug 27, 2018
Aug 27, 2018
1hr 12 min
Younger version of me Michael Feeney joins me to discuss the obscure teen movie from the 80's with THAT ENDING that will just punch you right in the face, 1982's Last American Virgin
Aug 22, 2018
Aug 22, 2018
1hr 16 min
Former NFL player and fellow Mel Brooks fan Brad Culpepper joins me to discuss the importance and the hilarity of the 1974 western spoof, Blazing Saddles
Aug 20, 2018
Aug 20, 2018
1hr 21 min
Actor and screenwriter Mike Harlow joins me to discuss the 1996 Albert Brooks/Debbie Reynolds masterpiece, Mother
Aug 15, 2018
Aug 15, 2018
1hr 47 sec
12-year-old baseball expert Joe O'Regan joins me to discuss the 1993 baseball classic, The Sandlot
Aug 9, 2018
Aug 9, 2018
45 min
Writer/producer/director Jim Wynorski joins me to talk about my favorite B-movie of all time, the ridiculously fun Deathstalker 2 he created back in 1987
Aug 5, 2018
Aug 5, 2018
1hr 35 min
Actor and comedy fan Jay Fischer joins me to discuss the brilliant meta comedy that was so far ahead of its time, it's Tom Berenger's 1985 magnum western opus Rustlers' Rhapsody
Aug 1, 2018
Aug 1, 2018
1hr 16 min
Horror author and reviewer Matt Cowan joins me to discuss one of the greatest ghost story movies ever made, 1980's The Changeling starring George C. Scott
Jul 23, 2018
Jul 23, 2018
1hr 38 min
Podcaster and comedy historian Vic Shuttee joins me to discuss what I think was the funniest movie of the 2000's, the insane comedy masterpiece Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Jul 20, 2018
Jul 20, 2018
1hr 30 min
Teacher and mythology fan Jason Rasmussen joins me to discuss the importance and the awesomeness of the original 1981 Clash of the Titans
Jul 16, 2018
Jul 16, 2018
1hr 34 min
Star Trek expert Mark Kalzer joins me as we set our phasers to fun, and we discuss 1999's awesome sci fi parody Galaxy Quest
Jul 12, 2018
Jul 12, 2018
1hr 37 min
Pop culture writer Robb Posch joins me to talk about a weird little movie that traumatized a lot of unsuspecting kids in the 80's, it's 1985's snuff film/kid's film, Fortress
Jul 5, 2018
Jul 5, 2018
1hr 31 min
Horror author Matt Carter joins me to discuss Sam Raimi's horror/comedy masterpiece, 2009's rollercoaster ride Drag Me To Hell
Jul 3, 2018
Jul 3, 2018
1hr 22 min
7-time video game champion Jason Lundgren joins me to discuss Fred Savage and the odd, incomprehensible universe of 1989's The Wizard
Jun 29, 2018
Jun 29, 2018
1hr 36 min
Ten-frame bowling Englishman Dennis Goodman joins me to discuss maybe the funniest movie ever that flopped in the theaters, 1996's Farrelly Brothers masterpiece, Kingpin
Jun 26, 2018
Jun 26, 2018
1hr 24 min
RHAP's own Rob Cesternino joins me to discuss a movie about sex, pizza, face-down photographs, and anchovies. It's 1989's Loverboy starring Patrick Dempsey.
Jun 23, 2018
Jun 23, 2018
1hr 28 min
Ice cream eater and winner Emily Malakoff joins me to discuss that fun little indie movie with the awesome ending, 2006's Little Miss Sunshine
Jun 19, 2018
Jun 19, 2018
1hr 15 min
Token young guy Kevin Cummins joins me to discuss one of the funniest movies of the 2000's, the masterpiece of bad taste known as 2001's Not Another Teen Movie
Jun 15, 2018
Jun 15, 2018
1hr 16 min
Movie fan and trivia expert Sarah Casa joins me to discuss Dark Helmet, Druish princesses, and the censored vs. non-censored versions of 1987's Spaceballs
Jun 12, 2018
Jun 12, 2018
1hr 29 min
Hollywood screenwriter Brian Scully joins me to discuss maybe the greatest paranoia thriller of them all, 1999's unbelievably vicious Arlington Road
Jun 4, 2018
Jun 4, 2018
1hr 21 min
Baseball fan Will Olsen joins me to talk about the best baseball movie most people never saw, 1994's unfairly overlooked Little Big League
May 30, 2018
May 30, 2018
1hr 32 min
History teacher Steve Williams joins me to discuss the greatest action movie ever made, 1996's celebration of adrenaline, The Rock
May 28, 2018
May 28, 2018
1hr 9 min
Actual medical doctor Robert Allison joins me to discuss what I consider Steve Martin's funniest and most underrated movie, 1983's The Man With Two Brains
May 25, 2018
May 25, 2018
1hr 19 min
RPG podcaster and movie fan James D'Amato joins me to discuss maybe the greatest classic rock jousting movie of them all, 2001's wonderfully anachronistic A Knight's Tale
May 7, 2018
May 7, 2018
1hr 13 min
Pop culture writer and fellow Albert Brooks fan Shawn Macomber joins me to discuss Brooks' 1985 masterpiece, Lost in America
May 4, 2018
May 4, 2018
1hr 15 min
Attorney and reindeer expert Kass McQuillen joins me to discuss her family's beloved family Christmas movie, 1983's Trading Places
Apr 27, 2018
Apr 27, 2018
1hr 10 min
Horror movie fan Justin Jones joins me to discuss the movie Stephen King once called the most underrated horror film of all time, 1979's inexplicably PG-rated Tourist Trap
Apr 26, 2018
Apr 26, 2018
1hr 12 min
Jessica Liese from RHAP joins me to talk about arguably the greatest John Denver/George Burns collaboration of them all, it's 1977's mega hit Oh, God!
Apr 22, 2018
Apr 22, 2018
1hr 10 min
Superhero fan and toxic waste expert Nicholas Allan Tate joins me to discuss the legitimately funny 2005 Disney comedy, Sky High
Apr 19, 2018
Apr 19, 2018
1hr 34 min
Baseball and pop culture expert Dan Fields joins me to discuss my favorite movie of all time, the legendary original 1976 Bad News Bears
Apr 17, 2018
Apr 17, 2018
1hr 7 min
Writer/Director Candice Cain joins me to talk about one of the absolute forgotten gems of the mid 80's, 1986's Peggy Sue Got Married
Apr 14, 2018
Apr 14, 2018
1hr 12 min
Horror author Fiona Carter joins me to appreciate one of the most innovative and creative horror movies of recent years, 2015's Skype session from hell, Unfriended
Apr 11, 2018
Apr 11, 2018
1hr 25 min
Playwright and actor Ryan Lisman joins me to discuss one of the mostly oddly endearing movies I have ever seen in my life, 2017's instant indie classic, Brigsby Bear
Apr 10, 2018
Apr 10, 2018
1hr 19 min
Fellow Camp Northstar devotee Mike Stevenson joins me as we discuss the legend of Bill Murray, and how it all started here, in the endlessly quotable 1979 movie, Meatballs
Apr 6, 2018
Apr 6, 2018
1hr 8 min
Entertainment reporter and Schwarzenegger fan Josh Wigler joins me to discuss the underrated and notorious 1993 bomb, Last Action Hero
Mar 25, 2018
Mar 25, 2018
1hr 14 sec
Fellow 80's movie junkie Randy Bailey joins me to discuss 1987's Three O'Clock High, which is really a 90's teen movie that was just a few years ahead of its time
Mar 21, 2018
Mar 21, 2018
1hr 19 min
Improv comedian George Hanns joins me to talk about one of the greatest indie films of all time, 1996's ode to Los Angeles dating life, Swingers
Mar 18, 2018
Mar 18, 2018
1hr 21 min
Video game expert and Atari 5200 enthusiast Ryan Weiss joins to me to discuss one of the most awesome (yet forgotten) movies of the 80's, 1984's kneecap-shooting extravaganza Cloak and Dagger
Mar 14, 2018
Mar 14, 2018
1hr 6 min
Podcasting superstar Liana Boraas joins me to talk about Dan Fogelberg music, Journey psyche-outs, and the strangely important 1998 comedy, BASEketball
Mar 6, 2018
Mar 6, 2018
1hr 18 min
Horror author Matt Carter joins me to talk about one of the creepiest paranoia movies in recent years, 2015's indie horror film The Invitation
Mar 2, 2018
Mar 2, 2018
1hr 13 min
Scott McCulloch and I delve into the massive 1995 flop that never should have flopped, Sam Raimi's cartoony Western masterpiece The Quick and the Dead
Feb 26, 2018
Feb 26, 2018
1hr 19 min
Former junior high punching bags Jay Framson and I discuss one of the greatest teen movies ever made, 1980's long forgotten classic My Bodyguard
Feb 22, 2018
Feb 22, 2018
1hr 25 min
Australian movie fan Cable Brandon and I delve into the memorable and creepy 2001 thriller, Joy Ride (aka Roadkill)
Feb 8, 2018
Feb 8, 2018
1hr 19 min
Michael McCullar and I delve into what we think is by far the funniest Tom Hanks movie, 1984's good-natured sleaze fest Bachelor Party
Feb 6, 2018
Feb 6, 2018
1hr 11 min
Improv comic and Brady enthusiast Taylor Cotter joins me to talk about the unexpectedly awesome 1995 parody, The Brady Bunch Movie
Feb 3, 2018
Feb 3, 2018
1hr 20 min
Horror movie fan Michael Feeney joins me to discuss the most influential horror movie you have never seen before, 1974's supremely creepy Black Christmas
Jan 30, 2018
Jan 30, 2018
1hr 21 min
Screenwriter Brian Scully joins me to talk about the sad tale of loss that everybody misinterpreted and hated at the time, 2004's massively underrated The Village
Jan 23, 2018
Jan 23, 2018
1hr 7 min
Former video store clerk Michael Allbright joins me to discuss the most underrated of all the ZAZ comedies, 1984's long forgotten Top Secret!