Moderate Fantasy Violence
212 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingWelcome to Moderate Fantasy Violence, a fortnightly podcast about pop culture and the world around it, as discussed by Nick Bryan and Alastair JR Ball. Nick will probably launch into a tangent about comics, Alastair will likely go for politics. Both are equally worthwhile.
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Episodes
MFV #212 - EBV (Extreme Bloody Violence)
April 11, 2024 07:01 - 49 minutes - 56.3 MBWe make a mockery of our podcast name this fortnight, tackling two releases where the violence is definitely not moderate - Invincible season 2 (15:03) and Monkey Man (34:15). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #211 - A void in Walthamstow
March 28, 2024 07:01 - 54 minutes - 60.4 MBBack to Nick's superhero territory this fortnight, with the second season of powers-focused sitcom Extraordinary (20:40) and the first two issues of the new Ultimate Spider-Man series (36:02) from Marvel Comics. Fuller shownotes on ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #210 - The Golden Honk of the Sandworm
March 14, 2024 07:01 - 50 minutes - 58.8 MBA big episode for Alastair this week, as we cover his annual Oscar predictions audio extravaganza, and the new Dune movie (16:11, with hard spoilers from 25:24), plus bonus piracy with Our Flag Means Death season 2 (36:52, spoilers from 43:34). Fuller shownotes on ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #209 - 80s Magic Mike
February 29, 2024 08:01 - 40 minutes - 46.1 MBSome seasonal February moments of dark intensity this fortnight, in The Iron Claw (12:19) and the new Mr & Mrs Smith series (26:37). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #208 - Teenage Milked Ninja Turtles
February 15, 2024 08:01 - 42 minutes - 47.9 MBWe're covering two separate ends of the movie spectrum this fortnight, with thoughtful current Oscar-contending movie American Fiction (15:40) on one side, and last year's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (29:38) on the other. Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #207 - True Confessions of a Serious Film Critic
February 01, 2024 08:01 - 43 minutes - 48 MBThis fortnight, 2024 begins in earnest with Oscar-nominated film Poor Things (14:07) and new Marvel show Echo (28:06). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #206 - Let’s quack on
January 18, 2024 08:01 - 47 minutes - 49.4 MBAs is traditional, the first episode of a new year is spent mopping up some leftovers from the end of the previous one, with What If... season 2 (12:49) and Slow Horses season 3 (31:17). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #205 - What’s Earthworm Jim up to?
January 04, 2024 08:01 - 1 hour - 69.1 MBThe new year 2024 has begun, and that can only mean one thing - time for Moderate Fantasy Violence to talk about the previous one! Nick and Alastair assemble to look back on the movies (9:47) and TV shows (35:47) of 2023, both giving a broad overview chat, then running down their top 5 favourites each. Fuller shownotes (and full-length year-end summary articles) at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #204 - New face! WAUUUGH!
December 21, 2023 08:01 - 51 minutes - 56.5 MBTime for our festive late-2000s nostalgia special, as we cover the Doctor Who 60th anniversary Fourteenth Doctor specials (11:38) and the new Scott Pilgrim Takes Off anime (36:36). Fairly liberal spoilers for both, so recommend watching them before listening if you're heavily invested in either property. Especially the Scott Pilgrim one. Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #203 - Is Saltburn a British film?
December 07, 2023 08:01 - 54 minutes - 59.6 MBThis fortnight, there's all kinds of sinister things happening at the universities, as we cover polarising dark academia movie Saltburn (13:49) and edgy superkids-at-uni show Gen V (37:05), a spin-off from The Boys. Fair warning - we manage not to explicitly spoil Saltburn, but do heavily imply the nature of the ending. You may want to see the film first if you feel strongly. Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #202 - He Who Complains
November 23, 2023 08:01 - 54 minutes - 60.6 MBRight into the state-of-Marvel discourse this week with The Marvels (14:55, post-credits mega-spoilers from 25:29) and Loki season 2 (33:38, ending spoilers from 39:30). Don't say we're not relevant. Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #201 - Someone’s gonna get sucked off
November 09, 2023 08:01 - 37 minutes - 36.5 MBBack to regular programming this fortnight, with the final series of Ghosts (12:10), the well-received BBC haunted house sitcom, and future-house scifi movie Foe (23:42). Fuller shownotes on ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #200 - Found families, related and otherwise
October 26, 2023 07:01 - 45 minutes - 48.2 MBIt's our double-centennial episode! And to mark this frankly unnecessary amount of podcasting, we recommend more of our all-time favourites, with Nick bringing popular comic series Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye (15:08) and Alastair supplying cult movie The Royal Tenembaums (32:52). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #199 - Bummer for you, bummer for you
October 12, 2023 07:01 - 42 minutes - 45.7 MBA robot rampage this fortnight, as we cover new scifi movie The Creator (11:40) and latest Star Wars streaming show Ahsoka (24:33). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #198 - And there’s a cowboy!
September 28, 2023 07:01 - 35 minutes - 41 MBThis fortnight, we're battling romance itself in Love Everlasting (12:43) and capitalism in How To Blow Up A Pipeline (23:34). Heavy stuff. Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #197 - Carmy’s famous family
September 14, 2023 07:01 - 43 minutes - 45.9 MBIntense times this fortnight, as we dive back into the hellish kitchen of The Bear's second season (14:14 with a few unlabelled spoilers, sorry), then a more literal underworld in Damn Them All. (31:44)
MFV #196 - Pandora's box of depressing jokes
August 31, 2023 07:01 - 44 minutes - 46.7 MBThis fortnight, we're both away in the lofty world of demons and angels in Good Omens 2 (12:27, ending spoilers from 23:01) and down in the dirty world of secret agents in Old Dog (29:55). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #195 - They Spoiled The Film
August 17, 2023 07:01 - 36 minutes - 37.7 MBIt's the return of the Netflix movie double-bill this fortnight, with They Cloned Tyrone (12:08) and Extraction 2 (23:47). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #194 - Oh Frank, how could you?
August 03, 2023 07:01 - 42 minutes - 44.8 MBTo our own surprise, we manage to cover burning-hot new movie Oppenheimer (13:29), along with some thoughts from Alastair about Barbie, along with latest Marvel mini-series Secret Invasion (28:32). Fuller shownotes on ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #193 - Can I complain now?
July 20, 2023 07:01 - 48 minutes - 52.1 MBThis fortnight, we're heading into the criminal underworld with Nimona (15:09) and then the literal underground with Silo season 1 (24:54). Fuller shownotes on ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #192 - Murders per day
July 06, 2023 07:01 - 39 minutes - 37 MBWe travel all across the different sides of America this episode, with the dark underbelly in Poker Face (13:56) and an altogether more whimsical angle in Asteroid City (26:52). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #191 - The Most Terrifying Bastard Imaginable
June 22, 2023 07:01 - 46 minutes - 47.4 MBA brutal duo this episode, as we cover cannibal teen drama Yellowjackets season 2 (15:02, mega-spoilers from 25:30) and ultraviolent Finnish revenge movie Sisu (34:08). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #190 - Screaming Service
June 08, 2023 07:01 - 52 minutes - 57.7 MBA pair of major cultural events this year, with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (8:45) and Succession season 4 (26:57, with finale-ruining spoilers from 37:35). Fuller shownotes on ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #189 - Are you Jedi or loser?
May 25, 2023 07:01 - 38 minutes - 41.8 MBAnother animated anthology this episode, with Star Wars: Visions season 2 (12:43), so Nick and Alastair sit down to give you the usual top 3 episodes, followed by their thoughts on new internet-horror comic W0rldtr33 (26:44). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #188 - All the Found Family you can eat
May 11, 2023 09:48 - 40 minutes - 43.7 MBThis fortnight, it's two different (but both wholly enjoyable) action movie flavours with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 (13:52) and Polite Society (28:18). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com and don't forget to back StoneCop, Nick's latest comics Kickstarter!
MFV #187 - Dark-shaped hole
April 27, 2023 07:01 - 41 minutes - 43.7 MBMFV back for another fortnight, and for the second time in our history, we're covering a season of The Mandalorian (12:18), followed by a comic written by Alex Paknadel - specifically All Against All with art by Caspar Wijngaard (27:50). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #186 - Metaverse or bust
April 13, 2023 07:01 - 42 minutes - 38.1 MBWe enter a world of imagination this fortnight, with two game-based movies: Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (14:23) and, of course, Tetris (28:01). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #185 - Get on with the crying
March 30, 2023 07:01 - 42 minutes - 45.7 MBA journey into two different dark corners of the human psyche this fortnight, with The Last Of Us (14:06) and Alan Partridge: Stratagem (28:01). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #184 - Oscar Results Honkathon 2023
March 16, 2023 07:01 - 36 minutes - 40 MBIt's Alastair's favourite time of year - he delivers his Oscar predictions, and then has them soundtracked by blaring sound effects by Nick. Oh, and we also reviewed Cocaine Bear (14:29) and Luther: The Fallen Sun (24:07).
MFV #183 - My brain is not happy with that
March 02, 2023 08:01 - 40 minutes - 43.6 MBThis fortnight, it's time to don our capes and take flight in an all-superpowers fortnight, with Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania (11:12) and Extraordinary (27:24). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com.
MFV #182 - Men not talking to each other
February 16, 2023 08:01 - 36 minutes - 38.1 MBThe episode of Alastair's dreams this fortnight, as we cover two Oscar Best Picture contenders - The Banshees of Inisherin (13:01) and Triangle of Sadness (23:52). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #181 - Back to the sea
February 02, 2023 08:01 - 34 minutes - 39.8 MBWe continue to scour 2022 for the best outstanding media, this fortnight covering Our Flag Means Death (11:19) and Newburn (23:44). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #180 - Crap Division
January 19, 2023 08:01 - 43 minutes - 47.4 MBStarting 2023 as we begin every year - with leftover culture from the last one. This time, it's the second season of Slow Horses (15:30) and the movie White Noise (29:17). Fuller shownotes on ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #179 - Their orgasmic relationship with dinosaurs
January 05, 2023 08:01 - 1 hour - 75.4 MBOnly a few weeks after everyone else did their Best of 2022 posts, we're finally weighing in! We're talking about the year in film (11:07) and then counting down our favourite movies (23:35), and then giving TV the same treatment of chat (44:02) followed by chart (53:52). Fuller shownotes and our end of year written articles available at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #178 - Musical Holiday Special
December 22, 2022 08:01 - 34 minutes - 39.4 MBMerry Christmas Violence! Yes, it's our annual somewhat festive special, this year covering The Peripheral (9:45, no Christmas content) and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (23:27, lots of it). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #177 - So, is it cannibalism?
December 08, 2022 08:01 - 48 minutes - 51.1 MBAnother heaping helping of premium telly this fortnight, with hot new Star Wars series Andor (8:55) and eagerly awaited boat show 1899 (26:13, with hardcore utter spoilers from 33:57). Fuller shownotes from ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #176 - The End of Everything
November 24, 2022 08:01 - 43 minutes - 47.1 MBA high-calibre menu this fortnight, as we cover Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (10:31) and The Bear (29:07). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #175 - Go outside!
November 10, 2022 08:01 - 42 minutes - 45.7 MBOur (slightly belated) BBC centennial special hits the airwaves, with reviews of Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor (10:06) and Ghosts series 4 (28:26). Fuller shownotes on ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #174 - Part Thing/Part Man
October 27, 2022 07:01 - 50 minutes - 48.1 MBThree big TV shows this Halloween as we cover Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (13:36), She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (27:33) and, just in time for the season, Werewolf by Night (39:41). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #173 - Unusual Clunking Noises
October 13, 2022 07:01 - 46 minutes - 43.3 MBThis fortnight, we're trapped in a basement in Inside Man (14:36) and the metaphorical prison of our own grief in After Yang (31:54). Fuller shownotes on ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #172 - Kraven's Visceral Hunt
September 29, 2022 07:01 - 48 minutes - 45.2 MBTraumatised by the hellish present day, we return to the eighties to recommend each other beloved childhood franchise classics. Nick gets Alastair to read Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt (14:36), while Alastair is going for Doctor Who: Earthshock (30:23). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #171 - Locke & Newquay
September 15, 2022 07:01 - 42 minutes - 49 MBFact takes on fiction this fortnight, as we return to the fantasy world of Game of Thrones with House of the Dragon (12:23), then dive into a big deep cave of reality with Thirteen Lives (26:39). Fuller shownotes on ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #170 - A cyclone of meth-related violence
September 01, 2022 07:01 - 42 minutes - 47 MBTwo of the TV events of the year arrive all at once this episode, as we cover Netflix's adaptation of The Sandman (12:11) and the final episodes of Better Call Saul (27:49, hard spoilers from 32:41). Fuller shownotes on ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #169 - Eat, Prey, Nope
August 18, 2022 07:01 - 43 minutes - 48.2 MBThis fortnight, it's a cinematic extravaganza with new Jordan Peele movie Nope (13:23, full spoilers from 16:00) and Predator prequel Prey (32:33). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #168 - Even sorrier about the covid
August 04, 2022 07:01 - 41 minutes - 46.9 MBThis fortnight, we've seen The Umbrella Academy (12:15) and read acclaimed comic mini-series The Many Deaths of Laila Starr (27:02) - the latter is a slight change to the advertised programme, as Nick finally got covid so couldn't go to the cinema. And if you forget that at any point, don't worry, he'll remind you. Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #167 - Sorry about the helicopter
July 21, 2022 07:01 - 55 minutes - 62.3 MBPicked a busy week for a heatwave, as we try to fit in Thor: Love & Thunder (10:32), The Boys season 3 (23:32) and Ms Marvel season 1 (38:56), against a backdrop of crime. Fuller shownotes on ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #166 - Other stories exist, guys
July 07, 2022 07:01 - 46 minutes - 54.3 MBThis fortnight, we're all about those six episode miniseries with Obi-Wan Kenobi (13:57, with final episode spoilers from 19:50) and We Own This City (27:27). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #165 - Acid flashbacks to childhood
June 23, 2022 07:01 - 42 minutes - 46.5 MBWe're stretching the boundaries of the possible this fortnight, with meta-animated comedy Chip & Dale: Rescue Rangers (15:25) and silent comic Step By Bloody Step (29:33). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #164 - Sound the honks!
June 09, 2022 07:01 - 52 minutes - 59.4 MBIt's a dark world this fortnight, as we cover the beginning of the end for Better Call Saul (12:28, with full spoilers from 23:27), and then the dystopian sci-fi tales of Love, Death & Robots volume 3 (33:42). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com
MFV #163 - The ghost of George Best
May 26, 2022 07:01 - 50 minutes - 59.4 MBA high-powered episode this fortnight as we cover Everything Everywhere All At Once (15:16) and the final run of Derry Girls (30:35). Fuller shownotes at ModerateFantasyViolence.com