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May 28 2013

How Coffins Work

40 min 9 movies discussed
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Sure, you've probably laid in one at the store or a funeral home, but how much do you know about receptacles used to bury the dead? We'll bet you'll learn plenty - like the difference between a coffin and a casket - in this episode.

AI Summary

Josh and Chuck dive into the fascinating and surprisingly complex world of coffins and caskets, exploring everything from the difference between the two terms to the bizarre history of "exploding coffin syndrome." They cover the evolution of the funeral industry, from local carpenters who "undertook" burials to modern mass-produced metal caskets, while sharing wild stories about safety coffins designed to prevent being buried alive and the mysterious hanging coffins of China's Bo people. Along the way, they sprinkle in plenty of "casket facts" and discuss everything from Walmart's budget options to Michael Jackson's $30,000 Promethean casket.


Movies Discussed

Big Trouble in Little China
Big Trouble in Little China
1986 1h 40m
★ 7.2
"Not to be confused with the hell of the upside down sinners in big trouble in little China. — Josh makes a humorous comparison between the hanging coffins of the Bow people and a scene from the Kurt Russell action film." — Josh
Cops
Cops
1989
★ 6.6
"One of my favorite things, if you watch the show Cops — Josh references the TV show Cops when explaining the PIT maneuver technique used in police pursuits." — Josh
Dexter
Dexter
2006
★ 8.2
"And then he turned into a serial killer. No. Well, on Dexter, yeah. — Josh references how the actor from Six Feet Under later played a serial killer on the TV series Dexter." — Josh
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
1971 1h 42m
★ 7.4
"Dirty Harry would put on and do like a Yui. — Chuck references Dirty Harry when discussing how undercover cop cars would put sirens on their roofs in movies." — Chuck
King of the Hill
King of the Hill
1997
★ 7.4
"Remember that king of the hill? Uh-uh. There's a king of the hill where Hank builds his own coffin. — Josh recalls a specific episode of the animated series where the main character builds his own coffin as a hobby project." — Josh
Phantasm
Phantasm
1979 1h 29m
★ 6.5
"Basically, anything that brings to mind the guy from phantasm, the funeral industry avoids those words. — Josh references the horror movie to illustrate how funeral directors avoid using dark or frightening language when discussing death-related services." — Josh
Six Feet Under
Six Feet Under
2001
★ 8.1
"And of course, we've ruined six feet under. And the Fisher and Sons, the boys. Such a great show. — Josh mentions the HBO series about a family funeral home business while discussing proper funeral industry terminology." — Josh
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
1969
★ 6.7
"You put an egg on it like a Brady Bunch. I remember that one. — Josh references The Brady Bunch while discussing police driver training with cones, comparing it to an episode where they put an egg on something." — Josh
Top Secret!
Top Secret!
1984 1h 30m
★ 7.1
"I learned about it from the movie Top Secret, where a Pinto just barely hits a tree — Josh mentions learning about Ford Pinto explosions from this comedy movie while discussing police car safety issues." — Josh

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