Missing Real with Mike D'Arrigo

Great movies take their place in history, but what about all the "turkeys" and disastrous flops littering the vast cinematic cesspool? If you really love movies, then what does it matter if a particular film won eight Oscars or eight Razzies? Sometimes over-the-top hammy acting, laughably choreographed fight sequences and rubber monster FX outdo even the most lavish productions in the Academy Awards echelon. So, whether it's an unsurpassed masterpiece or a piece of something else, every movie I talk about in this podcast is near and dear to my heart. Some you will know well, some you'd be well off never knowing at all, at least until hearing just how enjoyably awful they are, so plug in those earbuds or don your expensive blingy Beats, and let's take a trip to the movies! (Popcorn optional)

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Missing Real with Mike D'Arrigo

S12 E1: Firestarter

July 25, 2026 • Mike D'Arrigo • Season 12 • Episode 1

0:00 | 58:58

The year was 1984, and while Big Brother may have been watching you, in his spare time he might have also watched this excellent movie adapted from a Stephen King novel, starring a cute 8-year-old Drew Barrymore. No ordinary kid, of course. She's got the pyrokinesis thing going, so any time she throws a tantrum, things burn down. She can generate the greatest balls of fire Jerry Lee Lewis could ever dream of. Goodness, gracious! This has been a longtime favorite of mine, thanks to the stacked cast of great actors, lots of shit blowing up, and a magnificent score by German electronic music marvels Tangerine Dream. Our hot topic for this podcast is Firestarter! Can you take the heat?