The Movies That Made Us Documentary Series Is Out On Netflix (Dirty Dancing, Home Alone, Ghostbusters, Die Hard)

[HStallion]

Didn't see a thread about this series but its out now and its in the same style as The Toys That Made Us. Its basically a behind the scenes making of documentary series for anyone who hasn't watched the original show about the most famous toys like Lego and GI Joe. I've only watched the Home Alone and Die Hard episodes but its a pretty well made watch with some sometimes over the top editing choices but I think it works for the most part. I wish they had actually gotten Pesci to come on and talk about Home Alone but I actually didn't realize they'd made the entire film in a closed down school in Chicago especially building the flooded house set in the empty pool.

 

[Venatio]

Sweet, Home Alone and Die Hard were seminal movies for me. I'll definitely give it a watch.

 

[Deleted member 51691]

The Games That Made Us would be such a cool series

 

[Bane]

I heard about this as the newest season of Toys came out and thought it was a decent ways off. Awesome, I'm curious to see this given the approach he wanted to take with it.

 

[HStallion]

I heard about this as the newest season of Toys came out and thought it was a decent ways off. Awesome, I'm curious to see this given the approach he wanted to take with it.

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Its the same exact set up as The Toys That Made Us down to the narrator. No random re-enactment skits though. Seems like they also got a decent amount of people who worked on the films to talk about them though I haven't watched every episode yet. Bruce Willis was absent from Die Hard which sucked but not that surprising.

 

[Dogo Mojo]

The Games That Made Us would be such a cool series

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I can't even imagine how hard that might be to do for some big games.When you take into consideration that so much of the talent in early video games was Japanese I have to imagine that it would be a larger challenge. Unless your just going to get Nolan Bushnell flapping his gums about about Atari again.

As an example I'd love one on Castlevania but how many of the original team is available to talk about it? I wouldn't want some random Konami person talking about it.

The thing that's made this and Toys so interesting is getting the original people involved to go in depth about the process, successes, trials and tribulations.

On topic for Movies, The Ghostbusters episode is pretty great. It's crazy some of the stories that occurred during the making of some of these classic movies. Especially stuff like ghostbusters with the dicking around by Coca Cola, and so much of the staff being loaded with Coke back then.

 

[Bane]

Its the same exact set up as The Toys That Made Us down to the narrator. No random re-enactment skits though. Seems like they also got a decent amount of people who worked on the films to talk about them though I haven't watched every episode yet. Bruce Willis was absent from Die Hard which sucked but not that surprising.

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Yeah he said in an interview no one seemed to care about the re-enactments so he stopped them. He also said he wants to talk more to the people that don't get interviewed much for the movies so you're not hearing a bunch of the same stories that have been on home video special features and commentaries (though he did try a little to get Willis).

I think I'll start with Home Alone, I don't know much about the making of it. Thanks for pointing out it's up now.

 

[HStallion]

Yeah he said in an interview no one seemed to care about the re-enactments so he stopped them. He also said he wants to talk more to the people that don't get interviewed much for the movies so you're not hearing a bunch of the same stories that have been on home video special features and commentaries (though he did try a little to get Willis).

I think I'll start with Home Alone, I don't know much about the making of it. Thanks for pointing out it's up now.

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The Die Hard one focused a lot on Willis as it was his breakout performance so it would have been nice to have him say something though knowing modern day Bruce maybe its for the best.

I can't even imagine how hard that might be to do for some big games.When you take into consideration that so much of the talent in early video games was Japanese I have to imagine that it would be a larger challenge. Unless your just going to get Nolan Bushnell flapping his gums about about Atari again.

As an example I'd love one on Castlevania but how many of the original team is available to talk about it? I wouldn't want some random Konami person talking about it.

The thing that's made this and Toys so interesting is getting the original people involved to go in depth about the process, successes, trials and tribulations.

On topic for Movies, The Ghostbusters episode is pretty great. It's crazy some of the stories that occurred during the making of some of these classic movies. Especially stuff like ghostbusters with the dicking around by Coca Cola, and so much of the staff being loaded with Coke back then.

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But just imagine The Consoles That Made Us with Ken Kutaragi

 

[imbarkus]

The Games That Made Us would be such a cool series

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Just watch old Gametrailers or new Easy Allies Retrospectives!

 

[DrEvil]

Oh right up my alley. It is now on my list. Thanks OP!

 

[jett]

Nice will watch.

 

[Spectromixer]

Looking forward to checking this out.

 

[Dogo Mojo]

Just watch old Gametrailers or new Easy Allies Retrospectives!

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Its one thing to get someone who wasn't there talking about the history of something, it's another when you get the perspective of the people who were actually involved.

 

[jett]

Film footage used in this series is fucking awful. They couldn't be bothered to get the blu-rays?

 

[Sheng Long]

The Toys ones were cool. Anxious to see this.

 

[Shard Shinjuku]

The Dirty Dancing episode was quite good.

 

[Rhaknar]

The Die Hard one focused a lot on Willis as it was his breakout performance so it would have been nice to have him say something though knowing modern day Bruce maybe its for the best

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Thanks for reminding me we will probably never get a Bruce Willis guest star on Brooklyn Nine Nine which is a goddamn tragedy :(

Anyway still need to watch the latest toys and then this, cant wait.

 

[DJMicLuv]

But just imagine The Consoles That Made Us with Ken Kutaragi

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Wouldn't that be 'The Console That Broke Me'?

 

[Vern]

Someone @ me when they make one about The Neverending Story.

 

[Deleted member 4434]

Saw the Dirty Dancing episode last night, it was really good and interesting!
But the other movies I'm less interested in. I might watch the Home Alone episode but will probably stop after that.

 

[TAJ]

Saw the Dirty Dancing episode last night, it was really good and interesting!
But the other movies I'm less interested in. I might watch the Home Alone episode but will probably stop after that.

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With the toy series the episodes about toy lines I never had any interest in, like Barbie, were just as enjoyable.

 

[WhySoDevious]

I skipped the Dirty Dancing episode, but then I needed something to watch over lunch and decided to download that to my iPad.

That was probably my favorite episode of the season.

 

[Big-E]

When watching the Dirty Dancing one, I completely forgot Patrick Swayze died. I was thinking why wasn't he there and then I realized.

 

[Deleted member 25600]

Tried watching. The narrator/presenter gave me the shits.

 

[Anustart]

When watching the Dirty Dancing one, I completely forgot Patrick Swayze died. I was thinking why wasn't he there and then I realized.

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Nobody puts dirty dancing in the corner.

 

[Aaron]

I can't even imagine how hard that might be to do for some big games.When you take into consideration that so much of the talent in early video games was Japanese I have to imagine that it would be a larger challenge. Unless your just going to get Nolan Bushnell flapping his gums about about Atari again.

As an example I'd love one on Castlevania but how many of the original team is available to talk about it? I wouldn't want some random Konami person talking about it.

The thing that's made this and Toys so interesting is getting the original people involved to go in depth about the process, successes, trials and tribulations.

On topic for Movies, The Ghostbusters episode is pretty great. It's crazy some of the stories that occurred during the making of some of these classic movies. Especially stuff like ghostbusters with the dicking around by Coca Cola, and so much of the staff being loaded with Coke back then.

Click to shrink...

Do one about Sega in the 90s. Tom Kalinske and whoever was running Sega on the Japanese side of things at the time.

Just back-and-forth "Yo he said WHAT"

 

[Big-E]

This was actually pretty smart. They are running long in the tooth with the toys as there are not a tonne more to do. Movies pretty much lets them continue making these mini docs indefinitely.

 

[SneakersSO]

The most fascinating stories in each of these episodes are some of the production battles with the studios each project had.

Home Alone going from WB->Fox is worth the episode watch alone. Same for how Ghostbusters pulled off their name from Universal.

 

[Resetta Stone]

It kind of blew my mind that the interior sections of the Home Alone house were built in a high school gymnasium.

 

[Lord Fagan]

Hot take:

VH1 did the whole "hey, pop culture nostalgia!" thing much better with their I LOVE THE #0s series.

Yeah, I fuckin' said it.

 

[HStallion]

This was actually pretty smart. They are running long in the tooth with the toys as there are not a tonne more to do. Movies pretty much lets them continue making these mini docs indefinitely.

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I think they can get a few more seasons out of The Toys That Made Us. Stuff like Nerf and Magic The Gathering could easily be episodes by themselves. They could also do toys that were hot then not like Beanie Babies.

 

[HStallion]

Hot take:

VH1 did the whole "hey, pop culture nostalgia!" thing much better with their I LOVE THE #0s series.

Yeah, I fuckin' said it.

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But this isn't anything like that VH1 show even if they both wallow in nostalgia. It's a behind the scenes documentary that talks to people you don't usually hear from, not some show where comedians make lame jokes about random stuff from a certain year.

 

[Reckheim]

watched ghostbusters and home alone yesterday, they were both great.

 

[The Anonymous Wizard]

Do one about Sega in the 90s. Tom Kalinske and whoever was running Sega on the Japanese side of things at the time.

Just back-and-forth "Yo he said WHAT"

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I'm pretty sure this was actually getting made, I've not heard anything in a while but it was based upon the book Console Wars and from SEGAs perspective with Tom kind of being the protag... I hope it comes out it sounds interesting to me.

 

[Cipher Peon]

Is it made by the same team as Toys?

Wow. More shows that exist to make me feel incredibly young. Dirty Dancing and Die Hard are like peak mom and dad movies haha

 

[LuigiMario]

Hot take:

VH1 did the whole "hey, pop culture nostalgia!" thing much better with their I LOVE THE #0s series.

Yeah, I fuckin' said it.

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Eh, I like these because there's a lot more depth to the creation, zeitgest, and follow through on this. The VH1 series basically amounted to "REMEMBER THIS??" and funny memories during the zeitgeist. Still were good series, but these kinda satisfy someone who wants more details.

 

[andymcc]

I can't even imagine how hard that might be to do for some big games.When you take into consideration that so much of the talent in early video games was Japanese I have to imagine that it would be a larger challenge.

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The Toys that Made Us Power Rangers episode had lots of interviews/footage of Japanese staff. I presume the Transformers one is the same.

 

[HStallion]

The Toys that Made Us Power Rangers episode had lots of interviews/footage of Japanese staff. I presume the Transformers one is the same.

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There is an episode entirely about Hello Kitty. Getting Japanese creators on the show isn't an issue lol

 

[Lord Fagan]

But this isn't anything like that VH1 show even if they both wallow in nostalgia. It's a behind the scenes documentary that talks to people you don't usually hear from, not some show where comedians make lame jokes about random stuff from a certain year.

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Yeah. Because the VH1 episodes are better. More variety, more voices, more parsing across the years.

Besides, a BUNCH of the people that interviewed for VH1's analysis of past culture were people involved in making that stuff. Lots of singers and TV stars popped back into modern consciousness specifically because they appeared in that series discussing what was going on behind the scenes. Lionel Ritchie, the girl from Punky Brewster, and tons of other folks got some attention, at least on cable.

You're welcome to have your opinion, but this one's mine.

 

[HStallion]

Yeah. Because the VH1 episodes are better. More variety, more voices, more parsing across the years.

Besides, a BUNCH of the people that interviewed for VH1's analysis of past culture were people involved in making that stuff. Lots of singers and TV stars popped back into modern consciousness specifically because they appeared in that series discussing what was going on behind the scenes. Lionel Ritchie, the girl from Punky Brewster, and tons of other folks got some attention, at least on cable.

You're welcome to have your opinion, but this one's mine.

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But that's my point. That show covered all manner of stuff across each episode and often only focused on some piece of nostalgia for a few minutes, most of it the shitty jokes and maybe a quick recap of what they're talking about. It was by no means detailed or in depth on most subjects.

TMTMU spends an entire episode on a specific subject of nostalgia the endure l entire time from the building blocks of its inception, to the troubles creating something and then the impact and legacy. It's a far more focused and fuller show in every aspect except sheer breadth.

They're vaguely similar but the entire set up and presentation is totally different.

 

[Lord Fagan]

They're vaguely similar but the entire set up and presentation is totally different.

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Awesome.

I still like the VH1 stuff better, probably because it's not weighed down by all the elements you're knocking it for not having. Sorry if this bothers you, but I hope you continue to enjoy your show.

 

[HStallion]

Awesome.

I still like the VH1 stuff better, probably because it's not weighed down by all the elements you're knocking it for not having. Sorry if this bothers you, but I hope you continue to enjoy your show.

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Just a weird comparison considering VH1 has a far more apt analogue to use in the Behind the Music series and just making the comparison seemed like you hadn't even watched this series is all.

 

[Lord Fagan]

Just a weird comparison considering VH1 has a far more apt analogue to use in the Behind the Music series and honestly it makes you sound like you never even watched this show.

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Well, thanks so much for making assumptions about my viewing habits, my dude. I didn't even question whether you were arguing in good faith, but you did me like that anyway, and I sure do appreciate it.

I watched all the Toys That Made Us episodes. They were fine, but they all kind of just drug out a bit longer than I would have liked. Also felt like it could have benefited from some more input from folks that weren't as heavily invested in this stuff as a life's work, because it can be an enlightening counterpoint to contrast and compare against somebody so heavily invested in it. Maybe they don't need to be comedians you don't like making jokes you think are lame, but it'd be nice to have in there.

I saw this come up on Netflix two days ago. Watched a bit of the Die Hard one, but after a few minutes, it really just served to remind me that Moviebob is much better at this kind of analysis than either this doc series or VH1, so I stopped watching and just fired up his Really That Good playlist on Youtube.

There. Is my nerd cred back in good standing?

 

[Deleted member 4367]

Awesome.

I still like the VH1 stuff better, probably because it's not weighed down by all the elements you're knocking it for not having. Sorry if this bothers you, but I hope you continue to enjoy your show.

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Lol, you have been a bizarre presence in this thread.

 

[WhySoDevious]

Lots of amazing people gone too soon.

I was surprised that they didn't do an In Memoriam for Alan Rickman.

Watching that talk he did that's at the end of the episode really hit me in the feels.

 

[LBsquared]

Well, thanks so much for making assumptions about my viewing habits, my dude. I didn't even question whether you were arguing in good faith, but you did me like that anyway, and I sure do appreciate it.

I watched all the Toys That Made Us episodes. They were fine, but they all kind of just drug out a bit longer than I would have liked. Also felt like it could have benefited from some more input from folks that weren't as heavily invested in this stuff as a life's work, because it can be an enlightening counterpoint to contrast and compare against somebody so heavily invested in it. Maybe they don't need to be comedians you don't like making jokes you think are lame, but it'd be nice to have in there.

I saw this come up on Netflix two days ago. Watched a bit of the Die Hard one, but after a few minutes, it really just served to remind me that Moviebob is much better at this kind of analysis than either this doc series or VH1, so I stopped watching and just fired up his Really That Good playlist on Youtube.

There. Is my nerd cred back in good standing?

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Just leave. The last thing a thread like this needs is childish fighting.

Great show btw. Thanks for the heads up, OP.

 

[It’s Time To Go]

Loved the home alone episode. Love that movie.

 

[BFIB]

Watched the Home Alone episode. Blows my mind that the interior shots are all from a house built in a gym.

 

[Dogo Mojo]

The Toys that Made Us Power Rangers episode had lots of interviews/footage of Japanese staff. I presume the Transformers one is the same.

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absolutely which gives me some hope that a "games that made us" would be pretty interesting. It just seems like Japanese developers don't really get many opportunities to talk about the games they make/made unless it's a figurehead like Miyamoto or Kojima. On the opposite side US game designers, guys like Boon, Carmak, Romero have gotten many opportunities to talk about their work over the years.

I'd love for them to get guys like Akihiko Nagata for Castlevania , Hironobu Sakaguchi for Final Fantasy (I doubt SE would want that), Shigeharu Umezak for Contra, or some of the original staff from Street fighter 2 etc. Get some of the original programmers involved. I think the retrospectives that sites like gametrailers have done are good material but I'm more interested in what the people who were involved have to say about the games they made.

 

[Rhomega]

Just got done watching the Die Hard episode, and finished up the season. It's as entertaining as Toys, though I feel it tries to be overdramatic with production troubles. Man, so many shots of the Vestron logo and building.