Jack – Tree House of Horrors

Francis Ford Coppola is one of the greatest directors ever. Period. Yet even his resume is not devoid of misfires and flops. Enter Jack, a dramedy about a 10-year old kid trapped in the body of a grown man. No, this isn't Big. In this 1996 film, the titular kiddo, Jack Powell, ages far faster than his peers. With that odd condition comes its own set of issues. As one may assume, yes, poor Jack would have a very short lifespan. Therein lies the problems. Not that a family film shouldn't include some moments of seriousness, but Jack generally doesn't balance the whimsy and the melancholy well. Hence its poor reception from critics. That aside, there is an earnestness to Robin Williams' performance, and the movie does have a few laughs. Are there enough for it to warrant a watch? That probably depends on the individual viewer's tastes. Now, sit back, age gracefully with a Buenos Tiempos from Belching Beaver Brewing, and save those red Gummy Bears! The Thunderous Wizard, Chumpzilla, and Bling Blake are drunkenly hashing out all our problems with Paulie. This Week’s Segments: Introduction/Plot Breakdown – For some people, 40 is the new 10. For Jack Powell, it's the other way around — literally! Lingering Questions – What do we want to be when we grow up? (30:54) The "Real Rectal Rockets" Trivia Challenge – The Thunderous Wizard challenges the field to trivia about the movie. (47:42) Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We continue our Best Director Flops series with Steven Spielberg's Hook! (59:55) And, as always, hit us up on Threads, X, Facebook, Bluesky, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids from this week’s episode!