Episode #810: Beethoven (1992)
Added 2025-07-08 04:00:05 +0000 UTC“That image should not be in the movie!” - Chris on the drool shot
On this week’s episode, the Summer Blockbuster Extravaganza goes to Family Film Country as we chat about the 90’s dog classic, Beethoven! How much of a knock-off Wet Bandits are Stanley Tucci and Olive Platt in this? Does Grodin’s character think he’s gonna take over the world with this air freshener company? Why is a plot point in this children’s film a dog needing to be shot in the head? And did Beethoven inadvertently save this family from total annihilation? PLUS: Steve recalls a tale of elevator-related horror!
Beethoven stars Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt, Dean Jones, Nicholle Tom, Christopher Castile, Sarah Rose Karr, Olive Platt, Stanely Tucci, David Duchovny, Patricia Heaton, Laurel Cronin, O-Lan Jones, and Chris the Dog as Beethoven; directed by Brian Levant.
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Original cover art by Felipe Sobreiro.
Comments
Always saw this movie at the rental place as a kid, never was interested in checking it out. I never would have guessed it's mostly about trying to blow the dog's head off. HUH???
Emily B
2025-07-23 21:23:48 +0000 UTCYour joke about White God piqued my curiosity, so I found it on Prime and watched it. It wound up being one of those movies that makes me appreciate the craft of film, particularly editing. Thanks!
JG Park
2025-07-14 16:35:26 +0000 UTCRemember beethoven from when I was a kid, don't think I liked it. No memory of the sequels and uk tv is notorious for showing these types of films back in the 90s for weekend afternoon films so I'm surprised I don't lol.
Kureigu
2025-07-11 20:44:57 +0000 UTCIve noticed that cabin turns into Eric when eric's not around. It's no wonder they're fucking friends.
Jonathan Lyons
2025-07-11 00:16:06 +0000 UTCI’ve never seen this and spent most of the episode thinking the “dog shot in the head” plot was just a wild riff you guys were doing. Holy smokes!
Craig
2025-07-10 06:58:15 +0000 UTCI love Charles Gordin in the Great Muppet Caper. Surprised it wasn’t mentioned.
Dawn Elicia Billings
2025-07-10 01:22:54 +0000 UTCSomething tells me Eric would've been fun to have on this one, what with his fascination w animal torture.
Brandon
2025-07-09 22:41:22 +0000 UTCBecause sometimes thinking about those pigs is something our brains can't bring themselves to do and frankly, I'm fine with that. - Andrew
We Hate Movies
2025-07-09 19:57:09 +0000 UTCHow you went through the whole episode without making a Kristi Noem joke is beyond me.
Justine Prudhomme
2025-07-09 18:51:25 +0000 UTCDude same! When I saw the notification for this I felt a weird sense of dread lmao.
Rhea
2025-07-09 17:31:35 +0000 UTCMan this movie makes me so uncomfortable, I haven’t seen it as a kid but the thought of it makes my skin crawl. No idea why.
Rhea
2025-07-09 17:30:01 +0000 UTCCharles Grodin is great in Heaven Can Wait
chris pike
2025-07-09 15:56:35 +0000 UTCRock solid pull on the So, I Married an Axe Murderer cameo. Legit one of the funniest moments I've seen from him.
Busiris
2025-07-09 05:52:57 +0000 UTCBrilliant episode, 10/10, no notes. Grodin was great in everything he was in, even if the movie around him was total ass. Top 5 Grodin performances: The Heartbreak Kid, The Lonely Guy, Midnight Run, Clifford and his cameo in So, I Married an Axe Murderer.
CharlesGrodin'sToupee
2025-07-09 02:03:11 +0000 UTCThe scene where he's so horny for Ms. Piggy that he can barely talk is one of my favorite bits of acting in any movie
Tim O'
2025-07-09 01:49:43 +0000 UTCLOL at Steve's bit about "Your family is falling apart, and you're talking about a dream?". Here's a mostly unexplored angle on WHM: the writer's room in so many "kids" movies of that era, was stuffed with bitter white guys in bad marriages, probably in their 80s or so by now. It would be hilarious to hear those characters pitch movie scenes, like the "stoned" version of this bit
Local Man Loses Pants, Life (LMLPL)
2025-07-08 23:45:54 +0000 UTCSpeaking of David Boreanaz, check out “Mr. Fix It” from 2006 if you want to watch a shockingly bad movie. Plot: Boreanaz is hired by ex-boyfriends to date and treat their ex-girlfriends like crap to show them their previous boyfriend wasn’t that bad. I bought the DVD from eBay and it has the most unhinged director’s commentary I’ve ever listened to. One thing that was revealed in the commentary is how enthusiastic David was about the script. I’m surprised everyone involved wasn’t locked into movie jail for life.
Shawn
2025-07-08 23:28:52 +0000 UTCvalid, but I'm still gonna go see Work, Bitch!
StylinGreymon
2025-07-08 19:04:12 +0000 UTCMilk chocolate usually won't be too detrimental to dogs. Dark chocolate is dangerous.
Zack Hansen
2025-07-08 18:30:04 +0000 UTCNichole Tom was also on Worst Cooks in America.
Katie Hopkins
2025-07-08 18:01:19 +0000 UTCAndrew's delivery of line about what Beethoven was gonna do after raising those kids, had me properly laughing out loud...
David Thompson
2025-07-08 16:13:58 +0000 UTCThat's our specialty! - Andrew
We Hate Movies
2025-07-08 16:09:54 +0000 UTCI am a whole entire job-having, tax-paying, 37yo adult and this movie was TOO upsetting for me last night. Like I'd rather watch Bring Her Back three times in a row. Why were '90s kids' movies so demented?!?
Rose Esposito
2025-07-08 15:41:10 +0000 UTCI love how all the Grodin impersonating sounds nothing like Grodin yet exactly like Grodin at the same time.
James C Harris
2025-07-08 15:28:08 +0000 UTCSorry, Jan. I had COVID and a fever! Wish I could've been there. Maybe for Beethoven's 2nd! - Eric
We Hate Movies
2025-07-08 15:27:37 +0000 UTCTheater watch for me. As I’m researching, Grodin had 26 fucking years on Bonnie Hunt when they filmed this, good lord. The unofficial prequel to this is 1980’s Neil Simon’s Seems Like Old Times, with Chevy Chase, Grodin, and Goldie Hawn owning 6dogs, one being a St. Bernard.
Daniel Cloud
2025-07-08 15:25:21 +0000 UTCOne of the funniest moments is the lady singing Lady Marmalade (a song about 'gettin it') with the kids. Never would've picked up on this at 9 years old. Also, I need more Grumpy Grodin movies. He kills it in So I Married an Ax Murderer.
Oh! That Guy.
2025-07-08 14:37:10 +0000 UTCPlease do yourself a favor and watch the 1972 classic immediately. It is readily available on Youtube or just track down a DVD of it. Shame it never got a Blu-Ray release.
CharlesGrodin'sToupee
2025-07-08 14:33:32 +0000 UTCI’m also glad that I wasn’t the only one who thought the kid, Mark, was a little wiener. Even at 5 I knew that.
TJ Gaines
2025-07-08 13:45:26 +0000 UTCMy thoughts? What the H is Eric busy doing?? Basterd
Jan
2025-07-08 13:06:08 +0000 UTCI want a whole podcast episode dedicated to Steve’s puggle.
HockeenightsCT
2025-07-08 12:52:09 +0000 UTCSteve’s elevator story was something. But he’s 100% right. That kind of small talk is the worst.
TJ Gaines
2025-07-08 12:14:41 +0000 UTCCharles Grodin’s performance in The Great Muppet Caper is a masterclass in comic acting.
Robin Fry
2025-07-08 12:11:08 +0000 UTCI was at the theater the other day and I saw a poster for Megan 2.0, and "WORK, BITCH: M3GAN 2.0" would have made for a stronger title and more intriguing poster
Tim O'
2025-07-08 11:40:36 +0000 UTCWhat do dogs think movies are? https://youtu.be/vjqwH9PKNiE?si=L4Yo_3Qk4LsNe3LA
Comrade Trash Panda
2025-07-08 10:48:18 +0000 UTCI liked this movie as a kid and I haven't seen it since before 9/11. Been looking forward to this episode 😄
Tim O'
2025-07-08 10:09:35 +0000 UTCShould be a good one, plot of this is insane for any film let alone a kids film
David Thompson
2025-07-08 06:47:10 +0000 UTCI’m in the same boat as you Steve, when I go under I want that 90s universal logo music playing as well. That music and logo kicks ass.
Luke Gordnier
2025-07-08 06:41:39 +0000 UTCSaw this one a TON growing up and I think this episode was something I've wanted for a good few years now. A surefire classic episode, for sure. I really need to take Cabin's suggestion on The Heartbreak Kid. I need more great Grodin performances but I avoided that one because I saw the 2007 Farrelly Bros. remake and viscerally hated it - which in retrospect sure ain't the original 1972 movie's fault.
Busiris
2025-07-08 06:25:58 +0000 UTCI absolutely HATED this movie as a kid. And I hated it so much I blocked out why I hated it because I don't remember the reason. I just remember refusing to ever watch it again after my family rented it or it came on HBO.
Adam Ray
2025-07-08 05:58:52 +0000 UTCViva Rock Vegas is absolutely a stay tuned for Alan Cumming's JibJab Great Gazoo performance alone
Tyler Weeks
2025-07-08 05:01:24 +0000 UTC
