Storybeater
136 episodes - English - Latest episode: 20 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingA podcast about writing, for new and aspiring writers. Hosted by Anthony Falcone and Andrew Wheeler.
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Episodes
Storybeater Episode 134: Delicious in Dungeon
June 25, 2024 16:04 - 1 hour - 52.2 MBAnthony and Andrew explore the dungeoneering tropes of the hit animated series Delicious in Dungeon, aka Dungeon Meshi.
Storybeater Episode 133: Planets of the Apes
May 28, 2024 13:52 - 1 hour - 50.7 MBAnthony and Andrew explore the themes and approaches of the three iterations of the Planet of the Apes movie franchise.
Storybeater Episode 132: Ten Years of Storybeater!
April 27, 2024 16:59 - 1 hour - 83 MBAnthony and Andrew mark ten years of the reading-and-writing podcast by reflecting on ten themes and trends in storytelling from the past decade, including streaming, shared universes, the state of the "sure thing", and the rise of cozy entertainment.
Storybeater Episode 131: Oscars 2024
February 29, 2024 20:16 - 1 hour - 67.9 MBAnthony and Andrew break down the runners and riders in the 96th Academy Awards categories for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay. Movies discussed include: American Fiction The Zone of Interest Barbie Oppenheimer Poor Things The Holdovers May December Past Lives Anatomy of a Fall Maestro
Storybeater Episode 130: The Assassin
January 28, 2024 02:37 - 54 minutes - 45.4 MBBeekeepers, bricklayers, painters, and John Wick. Anthony and Andrew dive into the world of the assassin in fiction. What's the appeal of the archetype, what does it represent, and how does it work?
Storybeater Episode 129: Hayao Miyazaki
December 22, 2023 17:41 - 55 minutes - 48 MBAnthony and Andrew discuss the themes, story structure, and worldbuilding of animator Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli movies, including My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Porco Rosso!
Storybeater Episode 128: Roald Dahl
November 25, 2023 10:59 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBAnthony and Andrew revisit a key author from their childhoods as they dip into the dark worlds of Roald Dahl, to mark both the release of Wes Anderson's adaptations of Dahl's short stories and the upcoming Wonka movie.
Storybeater Episode 127: Aliens!
October 27, 2023 18:31 - 55 minutes - 49 MBIt's time for the annual Storybeater monster episode. This year we're looking at aliens in fiction, where horror and sci-fi intersect, and what fears and anxieties aliens can represent.
Storybeater Episode 126: Star Trek
September 27, 2023 02:32 - 1 hour - 58.5 MBAnthony and Andrew discuss the recent series of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and take a look back over the history of the Star Trek franchise, from The Original Series to Lower Decks!
Storybeater Episode 125: Barbie
August 21, 2023 00:30 - 1 hour - 55 MBAnthony and Andrew unpack the blockbuster sensation Barbie. It's bright, its breezy, and it's shockingly smart!
Storybeater Episode 124: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
July 28, 2023 23:27 - 1 hour - 64.6 MBAnthony and Andrew check out the latest and last Indiana Jones movie to ask whether there's still life in the adventure genre, what the tropes of an Indiana Jones movie might be, and where there may yet be untapped potential in this fictional world.
Storybeater Episode 123: 60 Years of Doctor Who
June 20, 2023 21:13 - 1 hour - 56.3 MBWith the 60th anniversary of classic BBC sci-fi show Doctor Who fast approaching, Anthony and Andrew look back at their memories of the original series, the challenges of the modern day revamp, and their hopes for the future of the show.
Storybeater Episode 122: Fast X
May 23, 2023 00:28 - 1 hour - 72.1 MBAnthony and Andrew have a spoiler-filled discussion about Fast X, covering the trouble with Brian, the villain's queer coding, the need for a Johnny Tran resurrection, and what it might say about the franchise that the outlaws have become the in-laws.
Storybeater Episode 121: Roleplaying and Writing
April 27, 2023 03:13 - 1 hour - 58.8 MBAnthony and Andrew discuss how playing roleplaying games has shaped them as writers and what writers can learn from playing RPGs!
Storybeater Episode 120: The Last of Us
March 28, 2023 14:33 - 51 minutes - 45.9 MBAnthony and Andrew break down the latest and perhaps most successful video game-to-live action adaptation, HBO's The Last of Us, to look at how the source material shapes the story.
Storybeater Episode 119: Oscars 2023
February 27, 2023 16:27 - 1 hour - 76.9 MBAnthony and Andrew assess this year's Academy Award nominees for Best Adapted and Best Original Screenplay, including: Best Adapted: All Quiet on the Western Front Glass Onion Living Top Gun: Maverick Women Talking Best Original: The Banshees of Inisherin Everything Everywhere All at Once The Fabelmans Tár Triangle of Sadness
Storybeater Episode 118: The Benoit Blanc Mysteries
January 24, 2023 22:25 - 1 hour - 52 MBAnthony and Andrew discuss Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig's emerging murder mystery movie series, Knives Out and Glass Onion!
Storybeater Episode 117: Santa Claus
December 08, 2022 17:43 - 55 minutes - 51.1 MBAnthony and Andrew unpack the many faces of Father Christmas in fiction and the magic of the character's enduring appeal.
Storybeater Episode 116: Interview with the Vampire
November 22, 2022 22:34 - 1 hour - 51.5 MBAnthony and Andrew check out the first season of AMC's Interview with the Vampire, based on the work of Anne Rice. How has the story been adapted for the screen and how has this version evolved from Rice's own novel and the movie adaptation?
Storybeater Episode 115: Kaiju
October 27, 2022 18:08 - 55 minutes - 47.4 MBFor the annual Halloween episode, Anthony and Andrew look at the history and significance of the city-destroying giant monsters known as kaiju!
Storybeater Episode 114: Spider-Man
September 27, 2022 00:57 - 1 hour - 51 MBAnthony and Andrew pay tribute to Spider-Man on his 60th anniversary by examining the character's enduring appeal and the ways he's been reinvented in recent years.
Storybeater Episode 113: The Sandman
August 13, 2022 16:05 - 1 hour - 46.1 MBAnthony and Andrew discuss the Netflix adaptation of writer Neil Gaiman's iconic comic series The Sandman. What challenges did the show face in bringing the story to the screen, and how might future Sandman stories be adapted?
Storybeater Episode 112: Thor: Love & Thunder
July 17, 2022 14:24 - 1 hour - 38.9 MBAnthony and Andrew talk lettering, contracts, and the latest entry in the MCU, Thor: Love and Thunder. It's a rock concert in movie form, but how much Guns N Roses is too much Guns N Roses?
Storybeater Episode 111: Everything Everywhere All At Once
June 15, 2022 19:23 - 58 minutes - 42.7 MBAnthony and Andrew discuss the storytelling choices and resonances of the movie phenomenon of the year, the Daniels' Everything Everywhere All At Once, starring Michelle Yeoh.
Storybeater Episode 110: Julia
May 18, 2022 16:26 - 1 hour - 31.1 MBAnthony and Andrew check out the Julia Child biographical series Julia on HBO Max and talk about comfort TV, the joy of competence, and food on the screen.
Storybeater Episode 109: Our Flag Means Death
April 19, 2022 19:38 - 54 minutes - 24.9 MBAnthony and Andrew check out the new cult hit pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death and its place in the traditions of pirate storytelling!
Storybeater Episode 108: Oscars 2022
March 14, 2022 21:39 - 1 hour - 44.1 MBAnthony and Andrew discuss this year's Academy Award nominees for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay. The nominees are... BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Belfast Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh. Don't Look Up Written by Adam McKay and David Sirota, based on a story by McKay. Directed by Adam McKay. King Richard Written by Zach Baylin. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green. Licorice Pizza Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The Worst Person in the World ...
Storybeater Episode 107: Reacher
February 21, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 36.4 MBAnthony and Andrew check out the new Prime Video series Reacher and talk about the trope-heavy appeal of dad lit!
Storybeater Episode 106: Macbeth
January 21, 2022 16:22To mark the release of Joel Coen's new film adaptation of The Tragedy of Macbeth, Anthony and Andrew look at the appeal of William Shakespeare's great tragedy and the choices made in this latest version.
Storybeater Episode 105: The Matrix (1999)
December 24, 2021 19:54 - 1 hour - 43.4 MBTo mark the return of the Matrix movies to our screens, Anthony and Andrew revisit the original movie to see how it holds up, how it shaped our culture, and what sort of story decisions the Wachowskis made.
Storybeater Episode 104: No Time To Die
November 09, 2021 22:22 - 1 hour - 45.3 MBAnthony and Andrew break down the story choices in the final Daniel Craig Bond movie, No Time To Die. Warning: This discussion contains spoilers!
Storybeater Episode 103: Witches
October 13, 2021 20:29 - 1 hour - 40.4 MBThis year's Halloween episode looks at witches in fiction, from children's entertainment to folklore to our own storytelling choices!
Storybeater Episode 102: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
September 23, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 40.3 MBAnthony and Andrew look at the storytelling choices in the latest Marvel movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, including how it expands and diversifies the MCU and how it navigates some potential bombs!
Storybeater Episode 101: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
August 17, 2021 16:38 - 1 hour - 45.2 MBAnthony and Andrew check out the new Netflix series Masters of the Universe: Revelation and talk about the history of He-Man and what the franchise represents.
Storybeater Episode 100
July 20, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 43.7 MBAnthony and Andrew look back on seven years of Storybeater as they celebrate their 100th episode! They talk about what they've been writing since the podcast started, their favourite conversations from the last 99 episodes, and what they've been reading that shaped and influenced their work!
Storybeater Episode 099: Raiders of the Lost Ark
June 14, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 47.4 MBTo mark the 40th anniversary of the release of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Anthony and Andrew look at what makes the movie such an enduring classic, some of the awkward ways it's showing its age, and how Indiana Jones breaks some familiar storytelling "rules".
Storybeater Episode 098: The Fast and the Furious (2001)
May 19, 2021 15:59 - 1 hour - 45.7 MBTo mark 20 years since the release of the original The Fast & The Furious movie, Andrew and Anthony reexamine that movie's appeal and look at how the franchise has evolved and expanded its world over the past two decades!
Storybeater Episode 097: Oscars 2021
April 18, 2021 18:29 - 1 hour - 38.9 MBAnthony and Andrew offer their thoughts on this year's Academy Awards screenplay nominees, including: Minari Judas and the Black Messiah Trial of the Chicago 7 Promising Young Woman Sound of Metal Nomadland Borat Subsequent Moviefilm The Father The White Tiger One Night in Miami
Storybeater Episode 096: WandaVision
March 15, 2021 00:12 - 1 hour - 46.8 MBThe Marvel Cinematic Universe returns with its first Disney+ TV show, WandaVision. Anthony and Andrew unpack the grief, the villainy, the sitcom tropes, the twists, the fan theories, and the future for Wanda and Vision!
Storybeater Episode 095: Romeo & Juliet
February 08, 2021 22:03 - 1 hour - 34.9 MBWith Valentine's Day just around the corner, Anthony and Andrew revisit the greatest love story ever told, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. But is it actually a great love story, or just a tale about two stupid kids?
Storybeater Episode 094: Bridgerton
January 18, 2021 21:25 - 55 minutes - 32.3 MBAnthony and Andrew look at the choices, subversions, and conventions explored in the new Netflix regency romance series Bridgerton. Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading!
Storybeater Episode 94: Bridgerton
January 18, 2021 21:25 - 55 minutes - 32.3 MBAnthony and Andrew look at the choices, subversions, and conventions explored in the new Netflix regency romance series Bridgerton. Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading!
Storybeater Episode 093: The Mandalorian
December 19, 2020 23:38 - 1 hour - 41.4 MBAnthony and Andrew discuss the Star Wars streaming show The Mandalorian -- with spoilers for the most recent episode! Is it a good show, is it good Star Wars, and is there a tension between those two ambitions? Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing!
Storybeater Episode 092: The Crown
November 25, 2020 21:02 - 1 hour - 43.3 MBAnthony and Andrew look at the fourth season of Peter Morgan's The Crown, the blockbuster Netflix series about the life of Queen Elizabeth II. What are the unique challenges of writing a biography, and especially of fictionalizing the lives of people who already feel familiar?
Storybeater Episode 091: Lovecraft
October 28, 2020 14:13 - 1 hour - 37.7 MBFor this year's Halloween episode, Anthony and Andrew dig into the horror style and influence of H.P. Lovecraft, and look at the recent HBO series Lovecraft Country and the novel that inspired it.
Storybeater Episode 090: The Super Team
August 28, 2020 18:31 - 1 hour - 46.5 MBAnthony and Andrew count down their favourite superhero and supervillain teams and talk about what makes a team dynamic work! Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading!
Storybeater Episode 089: The Cowboy
June 17, 2020 22:26 - 1 hour - 32.8 MBAnthony and Andrew discuss the cowboy archetype in fiction, including the tropes, classic and modern interpretations, masculinity, America, and the archetype's relationship to politics and privilege.
Storybeater Episode 088: Hercules
May 20, 2020 23:04 - 52 minutes - 26.3 MBAnthony and Andrew explore the legend of Hercules, what he represents, and how his stories have been told. Plus, they talk about what they're reading and what they're writing.
Storybeater Episode 087: Inward & Onward
April 26, 2020 17:25 - 1 hour - 33.2 MBAnthony and Andrew get together (remotely) to talk about writing in the age of Covid-19. How are they adapting, what are their coping mechanisms, how do they think this will shape their work, and do they feel an obligation to produce great works during lockdown? (Spoiler: No!) They also talk about the new Disney Pixar movie Onward, released direct to Disney+ following the movie theatre shutdown, and they talk about what they're been reading and distracting themselves with in quarantine!
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
March 29, 2020 18:42 - 2 hours - 46.9 MBDue to the current and ongoing crisis, we're not recording new episodes of Storybeater at present. Instead, Andrew has read and recorded the full text of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll -- because in difficult times, we need great stories! Enjoy this reading, and check out some of our past episodes if you're looking for more entertaining distractions, including our episodes on detectives, Mary Poppins, Robin Hood, Marvel movies, and more. Thanks for listening!