- 1991movierewind
Episode #149: Mystery Date
Listen to Episode 149 of the Podcast here while you enjoy the show notes.
SUMMARY - In Mystery Date, Tom McHugh (played by Ethan Hawke) is smitten with Geena, a girl in his neighborhood (played by Teri Polo) but he doesn’t have the courage to talk to her. His older brother Craig (played by Brian McNamara) intervenes and sets him up with his clothes, his wallet, his car, and unbeknownst to Tom, a whole lot of people who are hunting Craig down.
Screenplay by Parker Bennett and Terry Runte; Directed by Jonathan Wacks; and released on August 16,1991.
FILM DISCUSSION
The movie starts off on a not so great note. Peaking in the neighbor's windows and looking through trash to con her into a date.
Plus the older brother is a total asshole to everyone, including the flower delivery boy. That won't be a thing that recurs, right?
So, the main conceit of the plot hinges on younger brother being mistaken for older all the time. Why?
Hi Gwar.
Teri Polo plays our other lead with a lot of open mindedness and charm. Maybe too open-minded?
Meanwhile BD Wong plays a villain with a ton of charm
Oh the flower guy comes back and starts stalking the wrong brother and does some cartoony shit? How...fun?
This movie goes a few places, but it's confusing as to why she goes along with the whole thing for so long. And why are we watching this boring story and hoping something unique will happen?
Awards Talk: None to speak of this time.
TRUE CRIME & POP CULTURE
This week our true crime segment focuses on the death/murder of co-writer Terry Runte
Here are some articles outlining details of his death
In terms of music, here are the newly released songs as of August 17, 1991. How many do you recognize?
Hi-C - I’m Not Your Puppet
Billy Falcon - Power Windows
B.G. The Prince of Rap - This Beat is Hot
RTZ - Face the Music
Donna Summer - When Love Cries
PC Quest - After the Summer’s Gone
RANKINGS & RATINGS
Nikki 1-5 star scale - 1 out of 5
Jon 0-4 star scale - 1 out of 4
Would you watch it again? - Not a chance. What a disappointing adventure this turned out to be. We were really hoping for more humor, a more sensical plot, more intrigue, something more interesting. Nikki says this reminded her of a bunch of different other movies that would be a much better choice than this lackluster film.
If you want to watch Mystery Date, as of this recording in February 2024, it’s available on Tubi, Pluto, Roku Channel, Hoopla, VHS, DVD. Check your local listings.
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