Olen Vanderleeden
A Gen X creative whose career spans cannabis, clean tech, and media, but his real passion is stuck in a time warp somewhere between a VHS rental and a training montage. As the creator, producer, and co-host of Too Old or Pure Gold, Olen channels his lifelong love of 80s cinema, especially the high-kicking, synth-scored, gloriously weird corners of it, into a podcast that celebrates, critiques, and reexamines the movies that shaped a generation.
Appears in 115 Episodes
TOPG Ep 119: The Toy
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we revisit The Toy (1982), the Richard Pryor comedy that asks one of the strangest questions in movie history: what if a billionaire...
The Substitute (1996) – The Most Overqualified Substitute Teacher Ever?
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we head back to school with The Substitute (1996), where Tom Berenger proves that the best way to deal with a difficult classroom is...
TOPG Ep 117: 9½ Weeks
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we turn down the lights and revisit 9½ Weeks (1986). Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger star in the erotic drama that became a pop-cultu...
TOPG Ep 116: Being John Malcovich
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we crawl through a tiny office door and straight into John Malkovich’s head with Being John Malkovich (1999). Charlie Kaufman and Sp...
TOPG Ep 115: Scanners
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we plug into David Cronenberg's Scanners (1981), the sci-fi horror classic that gave us one of the most unforgettable scenes in movi...
TOPG Ep 114 w/ Brad Elliott
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we journey to the mystical world of The Dark Crystal (1982) with special guest Brad Elliott. Jim Henson and Frank Oz created one of ...
TOPG Ep 113: Phantasm
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we crack open one of horror’s strangest cult classics: Phantasm (1979). With the mysterious Tall Man, deadly silver spheres, killer ...
TOPG Ep 112: The Abyss (1989) w/ Kirk Krack
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we dive into James Cameron’s underwater sci-fi epic The Abyss (1989) with special guest Kirk Krack, one of the world's leading freed...
TOPG Ep 111: Jason and the Argonaughts
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we set sail with Jason and the Argonauts (1963), the mythological adventure that inspired generations of filmmakers. From clashing s...
TOPG Ep 110: Princess Bride
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we revisit The Princess Bride (1987), the fairy tale that somehow has everything: sword fights, true love, revenge, pirates, giants,...
TOPG Ep 109: Magnolia
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we dive into Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling epic Magnolia (1999). With an all-star cast including Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Phil...
TOPG Ep 108: Straight Talk
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we revisit Straight Talk (1992), the comedy where Dolly Parton accidentally becomes a radio advice host despite having absolutely no...
TOPG Ep 107: Three Men and a Baby
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we revisit Three Men and a Baby (1987),where three bachelors and one unexpected baby attempt to be comedy gold. Starring Tom Selleck...
TOPG Ep 106: Gymkata
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we tackle Gymkata (1985), the movie that asked a question nobody else dared: what if gymnastics was the ultimate martial art? Olympi...
TOPG Ep 105: Ferris Bueller's Day Off
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we call in sick and spend the day with Ferris Bueller. John Hughes' 1986 classic follows the world's most confident teenager as he s...
TOPG Ep 104: Fast Times at Ridgemont High
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we head back to Ridgemont High to revisit Cameron Crowe’s 1982 coming-of-age classic. From Jeff Spicoli’s legendary classroom antic...
TOPG Ep 103: Towering Inferno w/ Nanoose Bay Fire Department
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we head into the flames with The Towering Inferno (1974), the disaster epic that turned a skyscraper into the world’s worst workplac...
TOPG Ep 102: True Lies with Peter Kent
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we revisit True Lies (1994) with a very special guest Peter Kent, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s longtime stunt double! From harrier jets a...
TOPG Ep 100: The Empire Stikes Back
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we head back to a galaxy far, far away with The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Darker, colder, and packed with iconic moments, this seq...
TOPG Ep 99: ReAnimator
This week on Too Old or Pure Gold, we crack open the glowing serum and revisit Re-Animator (1985). Jeffrey Combs goes full mad scientist as Herbert West, bringing the ...
