The Wizard (1989)

[HotTubFoot 3]

Fred Savage's movie vehicle - also is a 90 minute Nintendo commercial. Want to hear the crew pick up on the most glaring plot hole in the history of cinema toward the end.

[andreslucero 38]

California!

[engineerdoug 6]

I watched The Wizard a week ago when it came up on Netflix. I couldn't help but think this is the perfect candidate. Very similar to Mac & Me as far as product placement and shit go.

[jughead 189]

The Power Glove!

[ChaseRoper 64]

You guys are crazy. The Wizard is my joint! That was the best commercial for the power glove and Super Mario Bros. 3 ever.

[ChaseRoper 64]

You guys are crazy. The Wizard is my joint! That was the best commercial for the power glove and Super Mario Bros. 3 ever.

[jughead 189]

I have to agree. Although it is definately a Nintendo commercial, you can at least follow the plot easily and at the time it was pretty exciting to get a peek at a new video game that hadn't been seen before. Cheesy as hell?....Yes. But, I woulnd't call it worthy of HDTGM. If your only criteria for them reviewing a movie is the use of Ad-Nauseum commerical placement then take your pick, because there are tons of movies like this. I mean do you want them to review Cast Away? Because that is basically a 2 hour commerical for Fed-Ex. Especially the scene at the end where he is sitting in the airport and a Fed-Ex plane slowly drives by the window. God damn that pissed me off!

[ChaseRoper 64]

I take it back. This movie is a prime candidate. Re-watched it with my kids. The boy has autism, clearly, so guess he'll have to be put in a home?! During Mario 3 in the final round of Video Armegeddon, this is supposed to be a brand new game that nobody has ever seen or played. But Fred Savage and that girl keep telling Jimmy what all the items are for. She told him, "Jimmy, that's the enchanted flute! It opens the Warp Zone!" How did she know that!?

[EarBear 460]

Spot on, Chase. I think that's the plot hole Tim was referring to. If you guys do this movie, you should get Fred Savage or co-star / future hipster goddess Jenny Lewis on as the guest...

[paultab 225]

Ladies and gentlemen: THE WIZARD.

[Henry 3777]

Kind of like Nintendo's version of "Mac & Me" with a "Rain Man" type of feel.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

When I saw that first footage of Super Mario Brothers 3 on the big screens (because 8-bit graphics blown up on giant screens look fantastic, right?), I blew my load. I didn't realize it right away though. I mean, I was 11, I didn't know what a load was until a little later, but looking back, I'm pretty much 100% sure that that's what happened...

[Wien 401]

You tempt dark fates with this recommendation, fool.

 

This movie was very much so a giant commercial for Super Mario 3 and the Power Glove, and 80s kids like me not only knew it... but we openly accepted it and REVELED in it.

 

Who cares about what the story is, or about Fred Savage and that chick from Rilo Kiley... this movie taught me how to do the level warp trick, and for that it will always be an A+.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

I just remembered that they also handed out a special mini-issue of Nintendo Power at the theater that pretty much hyped all the big games that were coming out soon, like Metal Gear 2: Snake's Revenge! Jesus, why don't I ever remember USEFUL shit?!?!?

[Henry 3777]

You tempt dark fates with this recommendation, fool.

 

This movie was very much so a giant commercial for Super Mario 3 and the Power Glove, and 80s kids like me not only knew it... but we openly accepted it and REVELED in it.

 

Who cares about what the story is, or about Fred Savage and that chick from Rilo Kiley... this movie taught me how to do the level warp trick, and for that it will always be an A+.

 

Yeah, I realize it may be a sensitive issue, and I was excited about the Mario 3 stuff back then too. I'd even gone to the theaters to see this the week it came out, and I was too young to recognize what product placement even was so obviously I loved it with no suspicion of any ulterior motives. All nostalgia aside though, this movie is not good and has lots of nonsense in it. Although I'd still watch the whole thing all over again. (I might even do it right now )

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt4C4pJvC6A

[Johnny Unusual 525]

Personally, I think this one needs to be done and needs to be done with the Brothers Chaps from Homestar Runner and Yo Gabba! Gabba!. Anyone else think of some good guests for this episode?

[AndyTalarzyk 34]

No. I rewatched this movie the other day and it is still as awesome as I remember it. Are there messed up moments? Definitely. A chick who lives in a trailer in the middle of the desert, a kid with a learning disability, a dead sister, a runaway manhunter, pedo guy, fred savage, people betting on Nintendo arcade games, The power glove "it's bad"...and...shit...They're gonna do this one for sure.

[seanotron 2307]

Worth noting that the girl is Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley fame. She must love it when people bring this movie up.

[wakefresh 689]

DO NOT DO THIS MOVIE! This movie is great and I still stand by it. It was a good 1hr+ commercial for Super Mario Bros 3 and the Power Glove. Plus you Fred Savage at the height of his Fred Savageness.

[RyanSz 3140]

I like in this movie that a kid can just get autism after suffering a traumatizing event, shows that they filmmakers really put thought into it. There is also bounty hunters who specialize in finding kids and video game hustling. The movie also had Tobey Maguire was one of the villain kid's cronies.

[gtocchini 0]

Common, people, this has got to be one of the next ones.

 

Fred Savage

Christian Slater

Beau Bridges

 

Please, let's made this the next "How did this get made"

[choochoo_the_wonder_slut 740]

This was on tv today. I kept thinking how great a shot-for-shot/line-for-line remake of this would be with Jason as Fred Savage, June as Haley and Paul as Jimmy.

 

ps - Haley was definitely on a sad, inevitable trajectory to becoming a Craigslist hooker in Vegas.

[RyanSz 3140]

Holy shit just rewatched this and it is INSANE. If Mac and Me was a 90 minute semi-commercial for McDonald's, this is a mega commercial for Nintendo where nearly every adult is an attempted rapist and Fred Savage is a mega douche.

[Rattrap007 52]

"He touched my breasts!!!"

[RyanSz 3140]

"He touched my breasts!!!"

Which is the most fucked up thing to say on a whim, and she says it without hesitation leading me to believe that she has done this numerous time. And I forgot about the step-dad basically says to Beau Bridges "I'll look for my retarded stepson because I'm legally obligated now, but your son who took him can go fuck himself and die."