Three cops. Three very different paths. One gritty crime drama. But does Brooklyn's Finest deliver on the strength of its impressive cast?

This week on Off the Shelf with Phil and Dave, we're reviewing Brooklyn's Finest (2009), director Antoine Fuqua's crime thriller starring Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Don Cheadle, and Wesley Snipes.

Dave finally pulls a movie off his shelf that he's owned since the closing days of the video store where he and Phil once worked. With neither host having seen it before, does this overlooked police drama deserve a permanent place in the collection?

We break down the film's three intersecting storylines: Eddie, a disillusioned cop approaching retirement; Sal, a desperate detective willing to cross moral boundaries for his family; and Tango, an undercover officer torn between his badge and his loyalty to a longtime friend.

Along the way, we discuss Ethan Hawke's intense performance, Richard Gere's troubled character, and why Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes bring some much-needed life to the film. We also examine the movie's gritty atmosphere, realistic violence, cinematography, questionable character decisions, and whether its ambitious three-story structure ultimately works.

Is Brooklyn's Finest an underrated crime thriller in the tradition of Training Day, or a missed opportunity with a terrific cast?

Join Phil and Dave for another honest, entertaining movie discussion as we decide whether Brooklyn's Finest deserves to stay on the shelf.

Let’s do the Time Warp again! This week on Off the Shelf with Phil and Dave, Phil brings one of his longtime favourites off the shelf: 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Dave is watching the cult classic for the very first time, and it’s safe to say he wasn’t quite sure what he was getting into.

Phil and Dave break down the movie, its unforgettable music, bizarre characters and wonderfully strange energy, from “Science Fiction/Double Feature” and “Dammit Janet” to the iconic “Time Warp.” They also dig into Tim Curry’s show-stealing performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick as Janet and Brad, and how a movie that struggled to find an audience in 1975 grew into one of cinema’s most enduring cult classics.

After 50 years of midnight screenings, audience participation and generations of devoted fans, does The Rocky Horror Picture Show still hold up? And more importantly, can Phil finally get Dave to give a musical his seal of approval?

It’s strange, funny, provocative and unlike just about anything else we’ve pulled off the shelf. Don’t dream it — listen to it.

Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt, but Mission: Impossible 2 is a very different mission. Phil and Dave revisit John Woo’s action-heavy 2000 sequel to discuss the slow motion, motorcycles, over-the-top stunts, Thandiwe Newton and Dougray Scott, and whether this actually feels like a Mission: Impossible movie. Does Woo’s signature style give the franchise a shot of adrenaline, or bury it beneath all the spectacle? Plus, plenty of kicking, questionable IMF hiring practices, and more doves than any spy movie probably needs.

Phil and Dave take on 1990’s Arachnophobia, the creepy-crawly horror-comedy starring Jeff Daniels and John Goodman. Does Frank Marshall’s blend of laughs, scares and killer spiders still hold up more than 35 years later? From the film’s practical effects and surprisingly effective tension to Goodman’s scene-stealing exterminator and Daniels’ terrified performance, the guys break down what makes Arachnophobia such a unique ’90s movie. Plus: childhood fears, unwanted encounters with bugs, familiar faces from Seinfeld, MacGyver and Star Trek, and whether this one deserves a permanent spot on the shelf.

This week on Off the Shelf with Phil and Dave, we’re doing our part and revisiting Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 sci-fi cult classic Starship Troopers. After years of requests, Dave finally gives the movie a proper watch, while Phil returns to the bug-infested battlefield for the first time in nearly 30 years.

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We dig into Casper Van Dien’s Johnny Rico, Denise Richards, Dina Meyer, Neil Patrick Harris and the always-welcome Michael Ironside, while debating the intentionally cheesy performances, massive bug battles, impressive practical effects and CGI, excessive gore and relentless military propaganda. But underneath all the carnage, how well does Verhoeven’s satire of fascism, patriotism, violence and manufactured information hold up today?

Dave is surprisingly hooked—at least for a while—while Phil discovers that talking about Starship Troopers might actually be more enjoyable than watching it..

Starship Troopers (1997) | Paul Verhoeven | Casper Van Dien | Denise Richards | Neil Patrick Harris | Sci-Fi Movie Review | 90s Movies | Cult Classic | Movie Podcast

This week on Off the Shelf with Phil and Dave, we head back to 1998 for Wes Anderson’s Rushmore. Phil has loved it for years, but can Jason Schwartzman’s endlessly ambitious—and occasionally insufferable—Max Fischer win Dave over?

We dig into Schwartzman’s unforgettable debut, Bill Murray’s surprisingly sad and layered Herman Blume, Olivia Williams as Rosemary Cross, and the soundtrack that first made Phil fall in love with the movie. Along the way, we debate Max’s questionable decisions, the escalating war between Max and Blume, Wes Anderson’s distinctive style, and how Rushmore manages to be funny, strange and genuinely melancholy at the same time.

Dave’s first viewing was a little touch-and-go—but a second watch changed things considerably. Is Rushmore worthy of a permanent spot on the shelf?

Rushmore (1998) | Wes Anderson | Jason Schwartzman | Bill Murray | Olivia Williams | Movie Review | Film Discussion | 90s Movies

This week on Off the Shelf with Phil and Dave, we’re accepting the mission and going back to 1996 for Brian De Palma’s Mission: Impossible. Dave has seen Tom Cruise’s first outing as Ethan Hunt countless times; Phil somehow made it 30 years without seeing it at all. Does this spy thriller still hold up?

We dig into the iconic CIA Langley break-in, that unforgettable theme, the very ’90s technology, Jim Phelps, Kittridge, the original TV series connection, De Palma’s direction and an explosive finale that may stretch the laws of physics. Plus, Dave discovers that after all these years, he may have a few more nitpicks than he remembers.

Mission: Impossible (1996) stars Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Emmanuelle Béart, Henry Czerny, Jean Reno and Ving Rhames. Join us for a funny, spoiler-filled look back at the movie that launched one of Hollywood’s biggest action franchises.

Martin Scorsese doing a dark comedy? This week on Off the Shelf with Phil and Dave, we revisit the bizarre, frustrating and increasingly absurd nightmare that is After Hours (1985). Phil thinks this overlooked Scorsese film is hilarious; Dave just watched wanted the night to end. We get into Griffin Dunne’s performance, the film’s strange cast of characters, its brand of deadpan comedy, the never-ending obstacles keeping Paul Hackett from getting home, and whether all that frustration is exactly what makes the movie work—or what makes it unbearable. Plus: Teri Garr, Catherine O’Hara, John Heard, Rosanna Arquette, Cheech & Chong, papier-mâché, subway fares and one very long night in SoHo.