Too Old or Pure Gold Movie Podcast

The Substitute (1996) – The Most Overqualified Substitute Teacher Ever?

Too Old or Pure Gold Movie Podcast

Show Notes

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we head back to school with The Substitute (1996), where Tom Berenger proves that the best way to deal with a difficult classroom is apparently to send in a mercenary. With gangs, corruption, covert operations, and a teaching style definitely not approved by the school board, this is peak 90s action-movie logic. But is The Substitute an underrated action gem, or should this class have been dismissed decades ago? Time to find out. Hosts: Olen Vanderleeden & Mathew Stockton Cast: Emily & Clef Seeley

More from Too Old or Pure Gold Movie Podcast

Oct 19, 2026

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we're heading to Haddonfield for Halloween (1978), the horror classic that taught an entire generation to fear babysitting, dark hallways, and anyone wearing a William Shatner mask. Nearly 50 years later, does Halloween still deserve its reputation as one of the greatest horror films ever made, or has Michael Myers finally lost his edge?

Oct 12, 2026

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we’re taking it all off with The Full Monty (1997). Robert Carlyle leads a group of unemployed Sheffield steelworkers who decide the obvious solution to their financial problems is to become strippers. Beneath the laughs, the film tackles unemployment, masculinity, friendship, body image, and self-worth with a surprising amount of heart. Nearly 30 years later, does The Full Monty still have what it takes to go all the way, or should these guys have kept their trousers on?

Oct 5, 2026

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we see the future with The Dead Zone (1983). Christopher Walken wakes from a five-year coma with the ability to see what’s coming and quickly discovers that knowing the future isn’t exactly the superpower it sounds like. Does The Dead Zone remain one of the best Stephen King adaptations, or should this vision of the future have stayed in the past?

Sep 27, 2026

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we slow things down and spend the summer with On Golden Pond (1981). Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn bring us aging, family tensions, old wounds, and one extremely cantankerous Norman Thayer, while Jane Fonda tries to repair a complicated relationship with her father. It’s quieter than our usual explosions, sword fights, and killer snowmen, but does this Oscar-winning drama still pack an emotional punch, or has On Golden Pond gotten a little too old?

Sep 21, 2026

This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we’re joined by Vinnie Tortorich to hit the mat with Vision Quest (1985). Matthew Modine plays a high-school wrestler who decides to drop weight and take on the toughest opponent around—all while navigating first love, brutal training, and peak 80s determination. With Linda Fiorentino, an unforgettable soundtrack, and Madonna stopping by to sing “Crazy for You,” does Vision Quest still make weight, or has this coming-of-age sports classic finally been pinned by time?

See all episodes →