On Cinema at the Cinema Season 5 Episode 7: "Let's Be Cops" and "The Expendables 3"

This week our host rates two unmissable summer hits and discusses his action-espionage heroes, while guest Gregg Turkington premieres another exciting On Location segment.

Tim opens the episode by thanking the audience for the success of Decker so far. His guest, Gregg Turkington, seems to have warmed up to the idea of being in the show, saying he was “a little skeptical at first,” but began to change his mind thank to the cards and letters he received. Tim says he is glad Gregg realized he was wrong, and that Gregg should be thanking him since he didn't “have to do very much work.” Gregg replies that making movies would make for fun work; Tim opines that fun and easy things ultimately tend not to be worthwhile endeavors.

Tim thanks the audience for watching and the lights dim, before he realizes he forgot to get to the movies. First up is Let's Be Cops. Midway through the synopsis, Tim admits he didn't see the film, and is ready to skip to the next film. Gregg jumps in with his review, describing it as a typical summer movie with your typical “cop buddy” theme. He awards it five bags, and Tim concurs based on Gregg's review.

The Expendables 3 has a large, star-studded cast (including Arnold Schwarzenegger), and Tim takes the time to read every name, including Tom Hanks, Jack Lemon, Paul Newman, and others. Gregg immediately picks up on the practical joke, as he knows “who's dead and who's alive.” Tim calls it his favorite Expendables film, and predicts it will NOT win an Oscar, but should. He gives Arnold Schwarzenegger five bags, and the film ten bags. Gregg awards the film five bags, and defends Schwarzenegger from accusations of using steroids. He says he loves these kinds of films, and that Decker is in the “same vein.” He suggests that Decker be “expanded on” and made into a movie. Tim concurs, noting that people like Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Chuck Norris were his inspirations. (But not James Bond.)

Gregg's On Cinema On Location segment features the supermarket (at least, he's “pretty sure” it is) from the film Oh God! (1977, 98 mins). Tim seems perturbed at yet another Oh, God! segment, and asks Gregg if the segment is a practical joke. Gregg denies this, saying that he wanted to focus on locations from the film for this season. Tim says that Gregg has to clear conceptual things like that with him, but Gregg disagrees. The two bicker about the issue until Tim threatens to abandon the show and go back to Jackson Hole; Gregg retorts that he'll simply fall over as soon as he mounts the bike. Tim finally drops the issue, and sees another segment written on the card, Tim's Mail Bag, but he nixes the segment and ends the episode.

Let's Be Cops (2014, 104 mins.)
Tim: 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿
Gregg: 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿 + a couple of mini Hostess donuts

The Expendables 3 (2014, 89 mins.)
Tim: 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿, OSCAR PICK (?)
Gregg: 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿 + 2 vitamin C pills that people think are steroids (for Schwarzenegger)

• The supermarket Gregg visits is at 4600 East Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach, California. As of 2024, the store was a Sprouts Farmers Market.