Somebody once told us to watch the 2001 ensemble road comedy Rat Race – we ain’t the sharpest tools in the shed, so we did it (along with our very own all-star, Theo Estes)!
The latest in a long tradition of star-studded broad comedies featuring groups of A-list actors on a wacky cross-country race, like It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Cannonball Run, Rat Race follows a half dozen strangers (including Whoopi Goldberg, Seth Green, Jon Lovitz, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Rowan Atkinson) who are tapped by a wealthy benefactor (John Cleese) to race from Las Vegas to Silver City, New Mexico, where $2 million awaits them. From there, it’s a madcap chase to the finish line as they run into murderous taxi drivers, cows on hot-air balloons, and charter buses full of Lucille Ball cosplayers.
Between Smash Mouth cameos, tongue studs and Mr. Bean in a motion picture, Rat Race is early-aughts as hell, but there are a few charms here and there. But hey, you never know if you don’t go, and you’ll never shine if you don’t glow – so listen to our podcast, and check out our custom cocktail and drinking rules below!
(Thanks to our sponsor Backblaze as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)
LISTEN HERE OR DOWNLOAD:
THIS EPISODE’S DRINK:
DRINKING RULES FOR RAT RACE:
- Any time a new piece of source music is played (classical music for the Seth Green physical comedy sequences, 2000s butt-rock from Smash Mouth and The Baja Men)
- Every time characters get onto a new mode of transportation
- Whenever the movie offers a lingering, desperate pause for laughter
FINISH YOUR DRINK WHEN:
Lovitz’s son shouts, “WHOA, IT’S SMASH MOUTH!” during the surprise concert at the end.
Next episode, we’ll get ourselves into some DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, as we watch the 1998 Lost in Space remake in advance of Netflix’s new TV reboot!
