Shat The Movies isn’t your average movie review podcast. The name alone stands out, but the clever yet simple concept really makes it entertaining: Do the movies we loved as a youngster in the 80’s and 90’s still hold up when we watch them now?

The first episode we listened to was based on the classic movie ‘Labyrinth’, which featured heavily in both our childhoods. The hosts watch the film again, taking note of their thoughts, emotions and reactions to the film in present day, before recording the podcast. The podcast itself then takes you on a journey through the film, reminding you of the plot, characters and some of the best bits, interjected with the hosts’ anecdotes, memories and critique of the film.

What you get is a nostalgic trip down memory lane, with a lot of hilarity, debate, and some personal experiences shared by the hosts. The podcast feels so human – it genuinely feels like you are sat in a room enjoying and discussing the movie with your friends!

It has been over a year now of listening to each new episode, hours of entertainment and enjoyment, and we are pleased to feel a real part of the ‘Shat family’ of fans. That’s why we were ecstatic to have finally got the chance to interview Roger, Dick (Big D), and Gene!

You guys have been running for several years now – did you ever think the show would grow and become so popular?

Roger: I anticipated we’d get approximately 100 downloads by accident. We figured with a name like “Shat The Movies”, international podcast fans would assume our recordings were just hour-long fart sounds played randomly over classic 80’s & 90’s films…which it basically was in the beginning. Nowadays, Gene & Big D make me script out my fart sounds before we record.

Dick: “Shat the Movies” was the first podcast I’ve ever done (Roger & Gene used to do a Soccer Podcast together) so I guess I was a bit naïve, I thought we’d do “OK” maybe 300 downloads a week at best… and that would’ve made me perfectly happy, but the way our listeners have embraced us as individuals, and the podcasts as a whole has exceeded my wildest dreams. We’d have been crazy to think we could reach 5.8 Million downloads in 3 years.

Gene: I was pretty discouraged after Roger and I couldn’t get a soccer podcast off the ground, and I was even more sceptical that a TV and movies podcast would attract an audience. I’m not a big fan or TV or movies, so I couldn’t imagine anyone wanted to listen to a podcast about watching stuff. What I didn’t count on was Shat being a vehicle for us to discuss shared
experiences with the audience. That’s what it is about for me: service. And I guess our desire to serve is recognised by the listeners.

You also recently all met up for the first time ever to record a couple of shows – how did you find the experience?

Roger: I’ve had the pleasure to know both Big D & Gene for years before we began podcasting together, so I’ve been fortunate enough to hang out with both of them in person prior to that recording. I expected my two worlds would collide creating a rift in the space-time continuum over South Scottsdale and I would be sucked into a black abyss from whence no podcaster can escape. Luckily, that wasn’t the case, and we were able to record B2B pods that weekend.

Dick: I’ve known Roger for close to 15 years, but meeting Gene for the first time was bizarre to say the least. I met up with him in an Arizona dive bar at like 5 in the morning to watch an Arsenal match and have a drink. I couldn’t believe how nervous I was walking into that bar, I felt like I was meeting my Internet Russian bride for the first time… thinking… what happens if I don’t like the real Gene, what if he’s actually an Asshole? Thankfully though, we immediately hit it off, and the conversation felt completely natural, just like the thousands of hours we’d talked while recording the podcast.

Gene: – Honestly, I was fighting with Roger the entire weekend of our first meet-up. Poor Kerri Gross and Big D were caught in the crossfire. I actually made physical threats. It wasn’t pretty. But the second time around, we had an absolute blast. I’m a super busy person, so I rarely make an hour a week to talk to anyone. I spend more time talking with these guys than anyone
else in my life. Big D and I have spent less than 24 hours together in person, and I feel like he’s a brother.

The Shat-O-Meter – who came up with this wondrous scoring system?

Roger: I think we all know who came up with the Shat Meter. **points both thumbs enthusiastically towards self**

Dick: Probably Roger, but I came up with the “Shat the Movies” name-play on “At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert”… I thought it was a perfect name since we expected to be shiting on most of the movies we loved growing up.

Gene: If it’s fun, I didn’t invent it.

Pulp Fiction, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Back to the Future hold the top spot – any movies you haven’t done yet might join these elite ones?

Roger: Transformers: The Movie (the 1986 animated masterpiece) & Gremlins 2.

Dick: ‘Goodfellas’ (1990), ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991) or Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle S

Gene:  “Saving Private Ryan” (1998), “Forrest Gump” (1994), “Trainspotting” (1996)

Your Horror month is upon us (we really enjoyed it last year) any hints of what you might have planned to cover?

Roger: I was a bit disappointed that our Shat the Movies Spook-tacular was limited to only 2 movies this year, but they’re both solid entries. The ’80s & ’90s are full of horror films, we could dedicate an entire podcast to just that genre. Plus, as a cowardly husky boy with a vivid imagination and weak bladder, my parents wouldn’t allow me to watch scary movies, so I haven’t personally seen many of the classics. If we ever get the chance to review Killer Klowns From Outer Space, I’ll elaborate on the time my 5th-grade classmates tormented me by forcing me to watch it while on a field trip to Washington, DC. Additionally, one could argue that any of our Michael Bay reviewed films were horrors for us to watch.

Dick: I watched our Halloween movie with my brother in law (it was his first time)… and he kept saying.. “no…no…no… don’t go down that hallway…. don’t open the door!”… I contend an effective “horror movie” isn’t just defined by the number of times you jump in your seat. A good horror movie simply needs to make you feel uneasy and unsure about what’s really going on. I found a child riding his big wheel alone through the empty hallways of a hotel far more unsettling than Jason Voorhees with a machete.

Gene: We’ve been blessed this year with so many commissioned movies, and fulfilling those requests for the listeners is top priority right now. Nobody wants to wait 2 months to hear the movie they paid to record. So we had to limit the Spooktacular this year, but we’re going to get better about theme months because they get us in the spirit of the movie. I’m geeked for Christmas 2019.

You seem to have been overwhelmed with fans of the show commissioning movies – are there any movies you would draw a line at?

Roger: Never…I’m a sellout through and through…keep that money flowing. Daddy needs new storage space on Libsyn for our upcoming Shat on TV Series, Watchmen.

Dick: Although we really need the financial help from the commissions, we need to balance that with the content we provide to all our listeners. The only time I could see us actually saying “no” to a movie commission is if it was so obscure that most people haven’t seen the movie… then they most likely won’t listen to the review, so it can be tricky. 

Gene: Some of our best episodes came as a result of terrible movies. But the point of the podcast is to see if movies we loved really hold up. Watching something I’ve never seen before makes it really hard to judge what 9-year-old Gene would have thought of it.

Which podcast would you say is a personal favourite of yours (for us it has to be Dune or Willow – we laughed hard during those!)?

Roger: Believe it or not, I hate listening to myself on podcasts. I’m so cringeworthy, It’s no surprise Big D & Gene have tried to replace me multiple times. I suppose I’m the herpes of podcast hosts. They’re stuck with me, no matter what. 

Dick: I love Roadhouse and Predator 2. I really enjoy it when Roger gets confused by a movie plot or takes us down a conversation path that I didn’t see coming… so both of these fit.

Gene: Predator 2 makes me laugh every time I hear it. Each episode has a character of its own: how we were feeling that day, how was the movie, what time of day was it, what time of year, who was going through a breakup or family tragedy. I used to try to control all the variables for a consistent product, but I think there’s something special about the podcast secondarily serving as a subtle chronicle of our lives.

You also run the successful SHAT ON TV which was a huge success with Game of Thrones – aside from Westworld next year what shows are in your sights next?

Roger: Well, now that “The Big Bang Theory” is off the air, we have no other choice but to review HBO’s upcoming series: Watchmen.

Dick: At one time Roger and I honestly discussed doing Netflix “13 Reasons Why” but each episode would only be 13 minutes. Thankfully that didn’t happen.

Gene:– Watchmen, for sure. I really wish we had the resources and time to cover “His Dark Materials” on HBO. I think it’s going to be a smash hit, and I deeply enjoy the books.

We get that you are constantly watching movies and TV – anything in particular you have been loving?

Roger: Big D & Gene prevent me from watching any programs unrelated to the podcast. Most of the time, I’m strapped down to my recliner while the two of them deploy a shattier version of the Ludovico Technique in order to make me watch classic films such as “Videodrome” & “Gleaming the Cube”.

Dick: I’m so far behind on the shows that “I want to watch” because of the things that “I have to watch”, but I really liked Amazons’s “The Boys”… I would even consider covering season 2.

Gene: I wouldn’t say I’ve been loving it this season, but I try to watch every Arsenal match. And I read The Arizona Republic every day. Other than that, I only watch whatever we’re covering on Shat.

Finally, what is your tip of the day?

Roger: Don’t listen, only download. We need the numbers so I can finally quit my day job and retire on that sweet podcast money.

Dick: “Be Kind, Please Rewind”

Gene: There’s no dividing line between art and politics. Discussing film requires an awareness of the policies and social doctrines that shape it. Anything less is sipping the wine without tasting it.

Intrigued by the show? Then why not get on-board with the guys and check out their website Shat The Movies where you can find links for all their podcasts on the various different channels, check the ratings board, and much more! Let us know what you think!

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