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Failure to Franchise

94 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago -

A bi-weekly podcast devoted to infamous examples of failed film-franchise starters. In a Hollywood landscape dominated by giant tentpole movies, not all attempted franchises can succeed. Many intended first entries of a series fail to generate the planned sequels due to low box office, poor judgement, or, simply put... utter incompetence. This show is a celebration of (or perhaps a memorial for) those failures, as hosts Trev and Chris dissect what went wrong with these cinematic misfires.

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Episodes

Episode Eighty-Six - The Punisher (1989)

January 02, 2024 05:00 - 1 hour - 70 MB

Failure to Franchise is kicking off 2024 with our "New Year's Punishment Party!" No, it's not a weird S&M thing, ya freaks! Instead, we're spending January looking at not one, not two, but three failed attempts to start a movie franchise based on one of Marvel Comics most popular (and problematic) characters, Frank Castle, AKA the violent vigilante known as The Punisher. First up, we travel back to 1989, the year of Tim Burton's Batman, to look at the year's other comic book movie about a bl...

Episode Eighty-Five - The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

December 19, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 88.2 MB

The third annual "Failure to Franchise Presents Trev and Chris-Mas" wraps up (see what I did there?) with a look at 1999's The Thomas Crown Affair, a remake of the 1968 classic heist movie starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. This time around, the titular main character is played by Pierce Brosnan, taking a break from his then current role as James Bond (heard of it?), to try to add another blockbuster franchise under his belt. But despite bringing Rene Russo and Denis Leary along for th...

Episode Eighty-Four - The Nice Guys (2016)

December 05, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 73.7 MB

The Third Annual "Failure to Franchise Presents: Trev & Chris-Tmas" kicks off with Trev's present for Chris - a critically acclaimed but audience-ignored neo-noir comic crime-thriller from a celebrated screenwriter and starring two beloved movie stars. So why the heck did The Nice Guys sink like a fish at the box office in 2016? We're here to try to figure it out, as we discuss writer/director Shane Black's distinctive aesthetic, the comic abilities of Ryan Gosling, why a bigger Russell Crow...

Episode Eighty-Three - The Flash (2023)

November 21, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 95.3 MB

Our "DCPU" series concludes, with the most recent movie we have ever covered! That's right, we're going all the way back to, uh, earlier this year, for an in-depth look at the looong-in-the-works superhero epic, The Flash. Why are we already so confident this one will be a non-starter? Well, between the change in DC cinema leadership since its release, the multiple controversies surrounding the lead actor, and the lackluster box office, it seems a safe bet! But that's only scratching the sur...

Episode Eighty-Two - Black Adam (2022)

November 07, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 82.9 MB

Over ten years in development. A narrative connection to a recently successful superhero franchise starter, Shazam. And a globally beloved megastar in the lead role. And yet none of that could keep 2022's Black Adam from becoming the next entry in our "DCPU" series. So what exactly went wrong with this long-in-the-works entry about one of DC's biggest anti-heroes? How much blame can fall onto that leading man, Dwayne Johnson, who promised to change the hiearchy of the DC universe, but instea...

Episode Eighty-One - Green Lantern (2011)

October 24, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 89.1 MB

Happy HALoween!! Light your GREEN jack-o-LANTERN, and join us for an extra spooky(?) episode, as we continue our trip through the "DCPU" with 2011's Green Lantern. That's right, the superhero debacle so infamous, even its own star still frequently mocks it today. But how did a comic book movie released at the height of the character's comic popularity, and at a time when superhero movies were undeniably on the rise, end up such a pop culture punching bag? And is the reputation deserved? We d...

Episode Eighty - Superman Returns (2006)

October 10, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 102 MB

Our look at the "DC-PU" continues, with Superman Returns, directed by...uhh, never mind. The film stars Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, and...uhhh...never mind about that, also. Look, clearly this isn't the easiest movie to talk about that we've ever done, for obvious reasons. But it IS, nonetheless, an important part of the history of arguably the most iconic superhero of them all - an attempt to resurrect and reboot a failed franchise and send it soaring to new heights. But was it perhaps to...

Episode Seventy-Nine - Steel (1997)

September 26, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 65.2 MB

When is a Superman movie not a Superman movie? Heck, when is a superhero movie barely a superhero movie? And, just because a superstar athlete is charismatic both on and off the court, does that mean they're ready for movie stardom? We ponder all these questions and more, as our look into the "DC-PU" continues with 1997's Steel, starring Shaquille O'Neal. With a mega-producer shepherding the project and one of the world's most beloved cultural icons in the lead, this might have seemed like a...

Episode Seventy-Eight - Supergirl (1984)

September 12, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 79.5 MB

You've heard of the DCEU, but for the next three months, we're examining the "DC..P-U." That's right - we're looking at nearly 40 years' worth of failed DC superhero franchise starters. Kicking things off is 1984's Supergirl, a spin-off of the popular Christopher Reeve Superman series, but one so troubled and misguided that DC Comics parent company Warner Bros. washed their hands of it after financing it, and let another company altogether release it. Starring an unknown-at-the-time Helen Sl...

Episode Seventy-Seven - Artemis Fowl (2020)

August 29, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 79.7 MB

"Summer Surprise" concludes with what is, in some ways, our most unexpected episode yet. The randomizer has decided to send us back to a movie we both already watched together during COVID-19 quarantine, a movie neither of us were eager to visit again. It defeated us then...will it somehow defeat us again?? You'll have to listen to find out, as the discussion takes a turn, resulting in one of our most unique episodes yet. But hey, maybe that's appropriate for a Disney family movie where Josh...

Episode Seventy-Six - The Haunted Mansion (2003)

August 15, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 75 MB

"Summer Surprise" continues, with an unexpectedly relevant movie selection from the online randomizer! As Disney's recent Haunted Mansion reboot is currently bombing in theaters (most likely on its way to be covered on this show someday), we take a look back at the original cinematic take on the popular ride, from 2003. Released the same year as Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, this was meant to seal the deal that theme-park-rides-turned-movies would be Disney's next big m...

Episode Seventy-Five - Surf Ninjas (1993)

August 01, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 70 MB

And now, back to our regularly scheduled "Summer Surprise" programming. Travel back with us to the early nineties, a time when the world was still ninja-crazy, Leslie Nielsen's star-power was so on the rise that even a few minutes of screen-time seemed like it might boost a movie, and when Hollywood was ready to see if this Rob Schneider guy from SNL could maybe cross over into movies. Clearly designed by New Line Cinema to capitalize on their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles success, and meant ...

Episode Seventy-Four - Source Code (2011)

July 18, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 76.5 MB

"Jake JULYenhaal" concludes with a look at 2011's time-travel thriller, Source Code. But wait - was this legit hit actually meant to launch a franchise? We discuss the film's journey from spec script to movie to potential series starter, as well as diving into the movie itself. Do the story's logical and ethical hiccups hamper the film? Does it play fair by its own time travel rules? Is the man of the hour, Jake Gyllenhaal, better served here than he was in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Tim...

Episode Seventy-Three - Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

July 04, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 86.1 MB

We interrupt your regularly scheduled "Summer Surprise" programming to instead bring you "Jake JULYenhaal," a month dedicated to the failed franchise starters of Jake Gyllenhaal. First up, the 2010 video-game adaptation Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, a rare example of Gyllenhaal trying his hand at "action blockbuster leading man." Despite a poor track record for previous video game movies, Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer were confident this would be the next Pirates of the Caribb...

Episode Seventy-Two - Maximum Ride (2016)

June 20, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 73.7 MB

"Summer Surprise" continues with another YA lit adaptation, this time from one of the world's most successful authors. We're looking at Maximum Ride, the story of lab-created, winged teenagers on the run, based on the popular series by James Patterson. But this one has us in a new, confusing situation, as we're forced to question whether this even counts as a "movie." How does a bestselling series from a widely beloved author become something like...this? That's what we're here to try to fig...

Episode Seventy-One - The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (2007)

June 06, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 77.2 MB

June is here, so you (maybe) know what that means! That's right, it's time for the start of our annual "Summer Surprise," where we let an online randomizer choose which movies from our oh-so-long F2F list we'll be covering next. First up, it's back to the land of misguided YA adaptations trying to cash in on the Harry Potter phenomenon. But this time, the source material actually pre-dates JK Rowling's works, as we examine The Seeker: The Dark is Rising, the 2007 feature adaptation of Susan ...

Episode Seventy - The Love Guru (2008)

May 23, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 70.1 MB

"Mike MAY-ers" concludes with our look at 2008's The Love Guru, Mike Myers' ill-fated attempt to kick-start another character-based franchise in the vein of Austin Powers. Instead, this movie essentially ended his days as a leading man. So just what the heck happened? Is the film's heart in the right place, or is it an insensitive, offensive trainwreck that everyone involved with should have known better than to participate in? We discuss all this, plus, we discover the randomly chosen films...

Episode Sixty-Nine - The Cat in the Hat (2003)

May 09, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 73.7 MB

We're kicking off "Mike May-ers," a month devoted to Canadian comic icon Mike Myers, with a look at his ill-fated Dr. Seuss adaptation, The Cat in the Hat. One of the more..., let's say, perplexing movies we've looked at, this one begs a lot of questions. Do adult jokes have a place in Seuss adaptations? Is the Cat in the Hat an inherently sinister character? What's the logic of the Cat's powers? And should Seuss's short, verse-focused books even be adapted to feature length in the first pla...

Episode Sixty-Eight - The Phantom (1996)

April 25, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 80.1 MB

We're closing out two month's of "Pulp Frustration" with a look at 1996's ill-fated adaptation of Lee Falk's classic comic-strip hero, The Phantom. Intended as a star vehicle for Billy Zane, The Phantom was shepherded by two mega-producers, and came complete with a script co-written by beloved genre icon Joe Dante. But when the writers aren't on the same page as, well, nearly everyone else involved, it can spell disaster. How does The Phantom stack up against the other pulp heroes we've seen...

Episode Sixty-Seven - The Shadow (1994)

April 11, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 79.7 MB

"Pulp Frustration" continues, as we look at the movie based on arguably one of the greatest pulp heroes of them all, The Shadow! The Alec Baldwin star vehicle asks an intriguing question: When a character has a complicated, decades-long history, with various origins and abilities established across his different permutations in print, radio, and film, is it easy to make a definitive version of him onscreen? Well...nope! Still, in 1994, they gave it a try anyway. Join us as we discuss the f...

Episode Sixty-Six - The Rocketeer (1991)

March 28, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 95.9 MB

"Pulp Frustration" continues, as we look at another early-90s Disney action movie. But this time, it's not one of the original, beloved pulp characters from yesteryear, but rather an adaptation of a cult favorite 80s comic meant to pay homage to the classic serial heroes of old. Part superhero origin story, part historical pastiche, part Indiana Jones-esque adventure (complete with clubbering Nazi's), The Rocketeer seemed to be an easy recipe for success in a post Batman '89 world. And yet.....

Episode Sixty-Five - Dick Tracy (1990)

March 14, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 98.8 MB

We kick off our two-month "Pulp Frustration" series, dedicated to the 90s obsession with adapting pulp heroes to the big screen, with the 1990 Warren Beatty vanity project, Dick Tracy! How long was a Tracy movie in development before finally happening? How did Beatty convince an all-star cast to appear in something so outrageous? Was the character still relevant enough to entice modern audiences of the time? Why did the movie forever change how Disney did business moving forward? What the he...

Episode Sixty-Four - Vampire Academy (2014) w/ GUEST!

February 28, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 108 MB

"Will You Be My VAMPentine" concludes with a trip back to one of our most dreaded genres - the YA Lit adaptation! But this time, we weren't willing to do it alone. We're joined by our friend Jackie, an ardent fan of the Vampire Academy book series, to discuss its 2014 big screen adaptation. With the director of Mean Girls and the writer of Heathers(!!) in charge, what could have possibly gone wrong? Well...about that. We're taking a look at Vampire Academy's place in a post-Twilight world, a...

Success to Series #4 - Underworld

February 21, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 87.5 MB

In this special bonus "Will You Be My VAMPentine"-themed episode of our "Success to Series" spin-off, we're squeezing into our tightest leathers, cranking the early 2000's nu-metal, and diving into the immortal war between vampires and werewolves...err, sorry, "lycans." That's right, it's a look at Underworld, the critically maligned but financially successful action/monster mash-up that we can't help but love...maybe even more than its own leading lady. What is it about this series that att...

Episode Sixty-Three - Vampirella (1996)

February 14, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 85.8 MB

Travel back with us to a time when comic-book movies were less cool (and certainly less respectable), to examine how one of comic's most enduring cult heroines ended up with only one feature film to her name: a little-known, made-for-cable oddity from cult-movie king Roger Corman, and T&A/Schlock movie "maestro" Jim Wynorski. Between a leading lady the director didn't want, to the surprising casting of a famous rock star in the villain role, to a Vegas-based production fraught with problems....

Episode Sixty-Two - Charlie's Angels (2019)

January 31, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 82.7 MB

When the latest big-screen reboot of the popular 70s TV series Charlie's Angels - this time written and directed by Elizabeth Banks - hit in 2019, the franchise had already proven its cinematic bankability (Banks-ability??). And yet, despite the much-buzzed-about excitement of seeing Kristen Stewart taking on a "fun" role in a big Hollywood action-blockbuster, and the intrigue of two potential new stars with Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska, Banks's film failed to connect with audiences. But wa...

Episode Sixty-One - Baywatch (2017)

January 17, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 88.8 MB

Baywatch, the series, was once the most watched television show in the world. Baywatch, the movie, was...well...not the most watched movie of 2017, to put it lightly. So, what went wrong? Did they simply wait too long to make a Baywatch movie? Was it a bad idea to go the tongue-in-cheek parody route? Or could the problem perhaps lie with the lead actor, Dwayne Johnson, who - despite his oft-repeated "Franchise Viagra" reputation - failed to rescue this one from the choppy box office waters. ...

Episode Sixty - The A-Team (2010)

January 03, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 78.6 MB

Are you ready to "Ring in 2023 with the ABC's of TV?" That's right - we're kicking off the new year with three episodes dedicated to feature adaptations of beloved TV shows. First up, Joe Carnahan's adaptation of the classic 80s Mr. T action series, The A-Team. This movie version had a lot to accomplish - solidify Liam Neeson's new action-star career resurgence, make a movie star out of UFC fighter Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, prove Sharlto Copley's District 9 success wasn't a fluke, and show ...

Episode Fifty-Nine - Lost in Space (1998)

December 20, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 103 MB

In the second installment of this year's "Failure to Franchise with Trev & Chris-tmas," it's a blast from Chris's past, as we're looking at the 90s reboot of a beloved 60s sci-fi series whose reruns were a childhood favorite of Chris's. But does the movie version live up to the show? How does it play for someone less familiar with the original series, like Trev? And why the heck did this thing seemingly kill Matt Leblanc's Hollywood leading man status just as it was beginning? We discuss all...

Episode Fifty-Eight - Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

December 06, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 91 MB

The second annual "Failure to Franchise with Trev and Chris-tmas" kicks off with a tribute to the recently departed Kevin Conroy, in the form of an episode dedicated to the one theatrical adventure spun off from Batman: The Animated Series. Long considered by many fans to be one of the finest Batman films ever produced, why did Mask of the Phantasm nonetheless fail at the box office? And, despite its financial failure, how does it succeed in so many elements that the live-action Batman films...

Episode Fifty-Seven - The Last Witch Hunter (2015)

November 22, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 84.3 MB

After Vin Diesel's full return to the Fast & Furious franchise in 2009 steered the series back on track (see what we did there?), he once again enjoyed the sort of clout he hadn't seen since early in his career. He utilized this clout to indulge in some of his "nerdier" sci-fi and fantasy interests. First, by bringing back his beloved Riddick character for a third film. And then, in 2015, by trying to start up a brand-new franchise loosely based on the original character he had created for h...

Episode Fifty-Six - The Pacifier (2005)

November 08, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 98.4 MB

It's a time-honored "rite of passage" tradition. The biggest action stars of Hollywood attempt to also show their softer side with a light family comedy. Schwarzenegger had Kindergarten Cop. Stallone had Stop, Or My Mom Will Shoot! Dwayne Johnson had The Tooth Fairy. John Cena had Playing With Fire. Dolph Lundgren had, uh, Kindergarten Cop 2. And in 2005, one of the industry's more recent rising action stars teamed with Disney to make his own attempt at this image evolution. The film was a b...

Success to Series #3 - The SAW Franchise

October 31, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 84.8 MB

Do you want to play a game? It's Halloween, so we're dropping an extra-special surprise bonus episode. In the latest installment of our "Success to Series" spin-off, we're looking at one of our favorite horror franchises...Saw! That's right, the James Wan/Leigh Whannell created series that used to be synonymous with Halloween...and perhaps will be again soon? We discuss why we think the series is better than its critical reputation suggests, our favorite twists and traps of the various films...

Episode Fifty-Five - Shocker (1989)

October 25, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 87.9 MB

In the 70s, Wes Craven shocked unsuspecting audiences with the unrelenting brutality of The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes. In the 80s, he redefined what the slasher-film could be with A Nightmare on Elm Street. In the 90s, he gave horror a thrilling meta-edge with both New Nightmare and Scream. But in 1989, he was, uh, a little less successful with Shocker. So what exactly went wrong with Craven's own attempt to out-do Freddy Krueger with the creation of a new supernatural s...

Episode Fifty-Four - Masters of the Universe (1987)

October 11, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 86.9 MB

After multiple years as a best-selling toy-line and popular animated series, it seemed like a live-action movie was a can't-miss proposition for Mattel's Masters of the Universe property. But between an untested leading man, a notoriously cheap studio, and disagreements over what the movie should be between various involved parties, even the mighty He-Man was no match for the difficulties of Hollywood franchise filmmaking. "Fall Back to the 80s" continues as we take a look at the film that c...

Episode Fifty-Three - Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985)

September 27, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 82.1 MB

Positioned as a "red, white, and blue-collar" alternative to the James Bond franchise, based on an extremely popular series of paperback novels, and starring an up-and-coming leading man...the producers of REMO WILLIAMS has every reason to believe the adventure would not just begin, but continue for many years. So what the heck went wrong? Why is a future Star Trek captain so wasted here? Did Wilford Brimley charge producers more if they asked him to stand up? And is it even possible to disc...

Episode Fifty-Two - Streets of Fire (1984)

September 13, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 87.8 MB

"Custom cars, kissing in the rain, neon, trains in the night, high-speed pursuit, rumbles, rock stars, motorcycles, jokes in tough situations, leather jackets and questions of honor." These were the elements director Walter Hill (The Warriors, 48 Hrs.) said he wanted to include in Streets of Fire, a "Rock'n'Roll Fable" which he saw as a tribute to everything he loved about movies in his youth. But did this mixture of so many influences result in a pretentious, style-over-substance mess, or a...

Success to Series #2 - Rocky "The Italian Stallion" Balboa

August 30, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 77.6 MB

In the second edition of our "spin-off" series focusing on franchises that actually succeeded, we're sticking with the "Fall Back to the 80s" theme to take a look at a series that might not have started in the 80s, but nevertheless is often associated with the decade thanks to two of its most bombastic entries. So what is it about the saga of Rocky Balboa that speaks to audiences so much? Why do these films transcend the mere "sports movie" label? Are the Creed movies a worthy successor to t...

Episode Fifty-One - The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)

August 16, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 87.2 MB

It's own lead actors didn't understand the script. The studio had no idea how to market it. And many critics of the time were utterly baffled by it. And yet, over the years, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension has still attracted a devoted cult following. Is this wild tale of a rock'n'roll scientist battling interdimensional aliens actually a misguided failure, or a misunderstood masterpiece? We're here to discuss that very question, in the latest installment of our "F...

Episode Fifty - Flash Gordon (1980)

August 02, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 89.2 MB

Join us as we "Fall Back to the 80s" (yeah, we know we're starting in the summer...what of it??), a special three-month event dedicated to some of the most infamous failed franchise starters of the 80s. First up, Dino De Laurentis' cult-classic adaptation of a beloved sci-fi character, Flash Gordon. Not only was this movie clearly made to cash in on the Star Wars-mania of the time, but it even has another fascinating connection to George Lucas. But, needless to say, the movie did not fare as...

Episode Forty-Nine - V.I. Warshawski (1991)

July 19, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 78.1 MB

A bestselling book series about a tough-talking female detective, adapted into a feature starring one of the most successful actresses of the previous decade. It sounds like a can't-miss proposition. And yet 1991's V.I. Warshawski failed to connect with audiences, denying star Kathleen Turner her own crime-thriller franchise. So what happened? Was the hard-boiled style simply out of style? Was the mix of comedy and drama too tough for viewers to take? Or was it just that damn title? Like War...

Episode Forty-Eight - The Darkest Minds (2018)

July 05, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 88.3 MB

The "Summer Surprise" series continues, with this look at the adaptation of the first book in Alexandra Bracken's popular YA dystopian sci-fi series. A world where the only surviving children of a mysterious plague all end up with superpowers, and are thus targeted for extermination, or worse, by the government - it should have been a perfect match-up of the successful YA and Superhero genres. So what happened? Was it simply too late in the YA movie cycle, or were there larger problems at pl...

Episode Forty-Seven - Son of the Pink Panther (1993)

June 21, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 79.4 MB

In the second installment of our second annual "Summer Surprise," we're looking at the final feature film of a legendary comedy director. Not only that, but it was another entry in a mega-successful, beloved franchise from that very same director. So why didn't this attempt to restart the series after a long break catch on with audiences? Well, there are many answers to that (and we discuss many of them here), but let's just go ahead and say the transition from Peter Sellers to Roberto Benig...

Episode Forty-Six - Men In Black: International (2019)

June 07, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 81.8 MB

It's the first instalment of the second annual "Summer Surprise," where we're letting an online randomizer choose our next watches. First up, a very recent attempt to relaunch a once mega-successful summer sci-fi/comedy blockbuster series...without the original stars or director. But is the addition of two MCU actors (Chris Hemsworth & Tessa Thompson) fresh off the success of another humorous box-office hit (Thor: Ragnarok) enough to nevertheless revive this franchise? Well...no. The real qu...

Episode Forty-Five - Vacation (2015)

May 24, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 74.6 MB

In part two of "May the Farce be with You," we're looking at 2015's attempt to reboot a beloved comedy franchise...but this time with a new leading man, new attitude, and without a signature part of the original title. What makes for an effective "legacy sequel?" Is Ed Helms as strong a lead as Chevy Chase?  And just how mean-spirited is too mean-spirited, when it comes to comedy? All this and more is discussed, as we look at "NOT National Lampoon's" Vacation. Our Twitter Our Facebook ...

Episode Forty-Four - Mortdecai (2015)

May 10, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 89.7 MB

Our "May the Farce be with You" event kicks off with a look at 2015's Mortdecai, the movie that seeks to answer the eternal question - just how many jokes can one film make about a single mustache? While star Johnny Depp had enjoyed an impressive, long-time-coming reign as one of Hollywood's biggest stars during the first decade of the 2000's, his career was clearly floundering by the time he strapped on Mortdecai's signature handlebar mustache...and the resultant critical and box-office rea...

Episode Forty-Three - Sky High (2005)

April 26, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 81.6 MB

In part two of "April Showers Bring April Powers," we're looking at Disney's mid-aughts superhero comedy, Sky High. With Kurt Russell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Danielle Panabaker, Kelly Preston, Bruce Campbell, Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Kevin Heffernan, Lynda Carter, Jim Rash, Cloris Leachman, and even the voice of Patrick Warburton, it's one of the most impressively geek-friendly casts of all time. But was a pre-MCU audience ready for a movie designed to poke fun at tropes that hadn't yet...

Episode Forty-Two - Hancock (2008)

April 12, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 92.2 MB

In a surprisingly topical kick-off to our "April Showers Bring April Powers" event, we're taking a look at a film where beloved Hollywood "good guy" Will Smith plays a jerk who the public doesn't really trust, and who is in desperate need of some image-restoring PR. Sound oddly familiar? Well, that's just a happy coincidence, because Hancock was actually a long-gestating project - a superhero genre deconstruction that, ironically, hit theaters just as the superhero genre was really about to ...

Episode Forty-One - The Rhythm Section (2020)

March 29, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 78.5 MB

Is 2020's THE RHYTHM SECTION an artsy, introspective deconstruction of the spy-movie and revenge-thriller genres, or is it a high-octane, blockbuster attempt to create a new female-led James Bond-style franchise? The answer, depending on who you ask, is "yes," and therein perhaps is the problem. When EON Productions decided to branch out from Bond and give another literary spy-action series a whirl as a cinematic venture, they probably figured their experience guiding the most successful, en...

Success to Series #1 - James Bond 007

March 15, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 63.7 MB

And now, for something completely different. In the first edition of our new "spin-off" show, we're turning out attention from the world of failed franchises to franchises that not only very much worked, but that we're big fans of. Join us as we discuss the James Bond franchise, sharing our thoughts on what makes this particular franchise work - why it's so iconic, why it has stood the test of time, and how we each rank the individual Bond actors. All this and more, in what we hope is a litt...

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