Verbal Diorama
83 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 40 ratingsHi. I'm Em. I love movies. I also talk a lot. A podcast was therefore inevitable...
Join me on my journey through the history and legacy of movies you know, and movies you don't.
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Episodes
Howl's Moving Castle
February 16, 2020 20:40 - 34 minutes - 15.9 MBVerbal Diorama has been going for one year! To celebrate, here's my favourite Studio Ghibli movie - Howl's Moving Castle Hauru no Ugoku Shiro Thank you so much for listening and supporting the podcast for the past year - you rock! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Support this podcast
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
February 06, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 31.8 MB"Alright, let's do this one last time. My name is Peter Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider, and for 10 years, I've been the one and only– Spider-Man. I'm pretty sure you know the rest." "Alright, people, let’s do this one last time. My name is Peter B. Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider. And for the last 22 years– I thought I was the one and only Spider-Man. What a day. I'm pretty sure you know the rest."" "Alright, people. Let’s start at the beginning one last time. My ...
The Lego Movie
January 30, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 28.9 MBOne day, a talented lass or fellow, a special one with face of yellow, will make the Piece of Resistance found from it's hiding refuge underground, and with a noble army at the helm, this Master Builder will thwart the Kragle and save the realm, and be the greatest, most interesting, most important person of all times. All this is true because it rhymes. Lego, the most popular toy in the entire world, does not need a movie based on it. In fact, Lego executives originally didn't want it to be...
The Incredibles
January 23, 2020 06:00 - 1 hour - 28.5 MBMost parents think their kids are gifted. Most kids think their parents are heroes (whilst also being really embarrassing!). Most families are super, but only the Parr family is Incredible. Unlike the other movies featured in the animation season so far, The Incredibles was a massive critical and commercial success for Brad Bird, the first out-of-house film-maker Pixar brought into the fold. While his previous movie, The Iron Giant (see episode 17!) failed to make a mark at the box office, T...
Kubo and the Two Strings
January 16, 2020 06:30 - 1 hour - 27.5 MBIf you saw Kubo and the Two Strings, you'd probably be in agreement with me when I say that's it's the most stunning achievement in stop motion filmmaking, and Laika deserve all the accolades. The problem is, not many people did see it. In fact although it's arguably Laika's best work, it's also one of their biggest financial failures, which is a travesty and we should all hang our heads in shame (me included - I first saw it on Blu-Ray!). Telling the story of a young boy on an epic quest, ...
Akira (ft Anita & Ciara from The Unexceptionals)
January 09, 2020 22:19 - 1 hour - 54.8 MBThe animation season continues with Akira, pre-recorded in November 2019, live at SAMM's Peterborough, where I met up with my special guests Anita and Ciara from The Unexceptionals podcast, and quite frankly they couldn't have been nicer and more brilliant. Set in 2019, the legendary anime Akira is more relevant to our real 2019 than our 1988 could have possibly predicted. It's a story of isolation, fear and the corruption of power and youth, and asks questions about our existence and the ev...
Arthur Christmas
December 24, 2019 19:36 - 40 minutes - 18.4 MBOur animation season kicks off with a heartwarming family Christmas favourite, starring Dasher, Dancer, Prancer....erm, Bambi, John, the one with the white ear and Santa's youngest son Arthur, who'll do anything to get young Gwen Hines a present on Christmas morning after she's accidentally missed by Santa's high-tech delivery system. It's a movie that comments on inter-generational conflict, inheritance, our reliance on technology and loss of tradition, as well as our own egotistical behavi...
Constantine
December 21, 2019 21:14 - 38 minutes - 17.4 MBKeanu Reeves is often criticised for not "acting" enough in his movies. He may not be the John Constantine of comic book fans dreams, but with his literal devil-may-care attitude and cynical despondence on full display, I think he pretty much nails this John Constantine - a man at the end of his life, desperate to save enough souls from damnation so he can go to Heaven after a teenage suicide attempt leaves him with no option but to go to Hell. Pair him with Rachel Weisz, (a woman who could ...
Stardust
December 15, 2019 21:53 - 42 minutes - 19.6 MBOnce upon a time, there was a prince. His name was Neil Gaiman. He wrote a book called Stardust. He wished upon a fallen star for it to be excellent, be directed by the extremely talented Matthew Vaughn and star some of Hollywood's all time greats plus a league of British comedic talent and a young up-and-coming actor called Charlie Cox. His wish came true. He lived happily ever after. The end. Stardust is great! Even my nephew loves it and he's three! Oh and I just realised Captain Shak...
Passengers
December 05, 2019 21:39 - 45 minutes - 20.8 MB2016's Passengers, starring Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence and Hollywood heartthrob Chris Pratt should have had an easy journey to sci-fi greatness. Its script was championed in the 2007 Hollywood Black List, it enticed an Oscar nominated director and Sony believed in it so much they upped the budget to $120 million. There was a lot riding on the success of the Starship Avalon's 120-year voyage to Homestead II. The problem is..... it's meant to be romantic, but just ends up feeling, well, re...
Mystery Men (ft Andy from Geek Salad)
November 14, 2019 22:37 - 1 hour - 91.3 MB"When you doubt your powers, you give power to your doubts." I'm joined by the mysterious and manly Andy from Geek Salad to discuss whoever smelled it dealt it, disco not being dead and clouds of radically fluctuating deviant chaotrons. With a huge and established cast of great 90s comedians and character actors as the Six Very Nearly Dead Guys With a Temporary Reprieve, 1999's Mystery Men had everything going for it. It was smart, daft and funny, it commented on capitalism and superhero cy...
Hush, Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4E10
October 31, 2019 07:00 - 39 minutes - 17.9 MBCan't even shout, can't even cry The Gentlemen are coming by Looking in windows, knocking on doors They need to take seven and they might take yours Can't call to mom, can't say a word You're gonna die screaming but you won't be heard. Happy Halloween! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Support this podcast
Legally Blonde
October 27, 2019 20:00 - 37 minutes - 17 MBNever judge a book by its cover. We're told that as children and throughout life, and yet we all still do it. We all revert to those tired stereotypes that blondes are dumb, ice-cold or overtly sexual bombshells who steal husbands. The truth is, although those tropes have been around in movies since the 1930s, change is coming. And whilst that change didn't start with Legally Blonde, it was definitely a massive catalyst for Hollywood to change its way of thinking, and also us... the viewing...
Edge of Tomorrow
October 17, 2019 06:30 - 47 minutes - 21.8 MBEdge of Tomorrow is not just your typical action sci-fi Edge of Tomorrow is not just your typical Tom Cruise action sci-fi Edge of Tomorrow is not just your typical Tom Cruise action sci-fi with time loops Edge of Tomorrow is not just your typical Tom Cruise action sci-fi with time loops where he dies spectacularly and hilariously every single time. Edge of Tomorrow is an Emily Blunt action sci-fi; because whilst Tom Cruise headlines the movie, Emily Blunt is the star and so is her charac...
Logan
October 06, 2019 19:59 - 58 minutes - 26.7 MBHugh Jackman's swansong as Wolverine is nothing like any superhero comic book movie ever. It's a brutal, gory, painful look at the life of an ageing hero, a man whose life consists of numbing his pain with booze whilst caring for a frail, elderly, dementia suffering Charles Xavier. You feel every inch of their suffering and vulnerability in a world where mutants are no longer born and where Charles is so unpredictable they've declared his brain a weapon of mass destruction..... And so we mee...
Scott Pilgrim vs The World
September 15, 2019 19:16 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBHave you seen that movie by Edgar Wright? Shaun of the Dead? I love that movie. No, the other one. Hot Fuzz - I always quote it! No, neither of those, the one with the young lad as the lead Baby Driver! Oh my god, such a cool movie, great soundtrack None of those! The other other other other Edgar Wright movie! The World's End? Get out! If this conversation has happened to you, you're not alone. Scott Pilgrim vs The World is actually brilliant, but so are all of Edgar Wright's other movies, ...
The Iron Giant
August 31, 2019 07:00 - 40 minutes - 18.4 MBIf you've downloaded this because you've seen The Iron Giant - big pat on the back and well done for doing so! Take a listen as I go on an almighty rant about why people under-appreciate animation and why The Iron Giant contradicts the myth that animation is just for children, whilst also being a master-class in animation, theme, characters and voice talent. If you've downloaded this because you haven't seen The Iron Giant, but trust what comes out of my mouth, I'm going to say..... PLEASE W...
Willow
August 26, 2019 18:51 - 35 minutes - 16.1 MBThere were lots of fantasy movies which came out in the 80s. Flash Gordon, The Dark Crystal, Krull, The Neverending Story, Legend and Labyrinth to name a few. None were, however, as sweet-natured, innocent and kind as Willow, with a marvellous central performance from a mature beyond his years teenage Warwick Davis. (He was actually 17 during filming, not 18 like I say in the episode.... ooops!) You simply couldn't have Willow without Warwick. Nor could you have Willow without the ground-bre...
John Carter
August 19, 2019 20:43 - 34 minutes - 15.9 MBJarsoomians! Welcome to Barsoom Airlines. Exits are here, here, here and here. Please fasten your seat belts, there's a lot of turbulence on our journey and honestly we're all in for a bumpy ride to visit John Carter (of Mars). John Carter, fictional hero of the American Civil War and of Edgar Rice Burroughs' popular Barsoom series of novels should have had an easy road to Hollywood glory. His name in lights should have enticed men, women and children to his big screen adventures, with multi...
The Matrix
August 13, 2019 20:55 - 1 hour - 28.1 MBWhat is The Matrix? No one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself. I would love to hear your thoughts on The Matrix! You can get in touch on Twitter https://twitter.com/VerbalDiorama (@verbaldiorama) Instagram https://www.instagram.com/verbaldiorama (@verbaldiorama) Facebook https://www.facebook.com/verbaldiorama (@verbaldiorama) or you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions: [email protected] You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at htt...
The Mummy (1999) (ft Jason from Woo Long Talks)
August 04, 2019 20:20 - 2 hours - 147 MBI... I may not be an explorer, or, or an adventurer, or a treasure-seeker, or a gunfighter, Mr. O'Connell, but I am proud of what I am! I….. am the girl who really really loves The Mummy. Wholly, completely, absolutely despite its flaws, I love it. I can watch it every damn day. It's the perfect mix of action, adventure, romance, comedy and horror, with peak Brendan Fraser and perfect Rachel Weisz. Hollywood just doesn't make movies like this anymore. Like Evie Carnaghan, I need a Rick O'C...
Charlie's Angels (2000)
July 21, 2019 20:25 - 49 minutes - 22.8 MBGood morning Angels. Good morning Charlie! Three, is the magic number. You have three blind mice, three little pigs and you always, always have three Angels. Three extraordinary women who work for one man, Charles Townsend, played by three extraordinary actresses. Drew Barrymore and her production company Flower Films had a vision for a Charlie's Angels movie; she wanted it to be fun, campy and inspirational, where the women were just as sexy as they were funny, as they were skilled at mart...
X-Men Dark Phoenix (ft ChinLin from The Bingeables Podcast)
July 07, 2019 18:45 - 1 hour - 104 MBThe Phoenix will rise..... But will she, though? I'm joined by ChinLin from The Bingeables Podcast to talk about the final part of Fox's landmark X-Men franchise, which started in 2000 and all but kicked off the modern fascination with superheroes. There's been sequels, prequels, spin-offs and now this, an(other) adaptation of one of the X-Men's most well known and loved story lines: The Dark Phoenix Saga. Truthfully, the movie is a bit of a mess, however we both love the X-Men and so we f...
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (ft Sade from Offscreen Babble)
June 28, 2019 21:23 - 3 hours - 173 MBYo ho yo ho a pirate's life for us. Gaaaah me hearties! Ahoy there! This be Em and I be joined by me co-captain for this voyage across the seven seas, Sade from Offscreen Babble. It might be trifle bad luck to have women aboard yer ship, but avast! We batten down the hatches to reach that horizon, stoppin' off on islands filled with Aztec gold and copious amounts of rum, where we will always remember the day we met Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?! Thar's blood, scares, violence and enough sexu...
Aladdin 1992 & Aladdin 2019
June 16, 2019 19:54 - 18 minutes - 8.52 MBSo, this is a little bonus episode I did after watching 2019's Aladdin and inevitably compared it to 1992's Aladdin; the movie I watched the most as a child. Spoilers for the new 2019 Aladdin (although to be honest, if you know the 1992 movie, you should really know the rough plot - it's very similar!) I also go into the production history of 1992's Aladdin, and the legacy of Robin Williams incredible performance and why we have Ferngully: The Last Rainforest to thank for all of this. I wo...
Speed (ft Kristin from So I'm Watching This Show)
June 13, 2019 19:00 - 3 hours - 88.7 MBPop quiz hotshot. There’s a podcast in your ears. Once that podcast reaches 8 episodes a guest is introduced. If that guest chooses the best action thriller movie, this podcast blows up (and by that we mean figuratively rather than literally!) What do you do? What do you do? Turns out you do a lot, for a long time and then take ages to get it out of the door. Trust me, I understand the irony of a podcast episode about Speed being 3+ hours long and being released 1+ weeks late. It's a bit of ...
The Cabin in the Woods
May 19, 2019 16:56 - 35 minutes - 16.3 MBSo, you have this girl, probably a virgin but always beautiful and occasionally really stupid. She's in a slasher movie, so you know she's going to run towards danger, ignore all the signs of the monster and probably witness all her friends being slaughtered. She's the final girl. She'll probably survive to star in your sequel. But what if there was a movie that wanted to deconstruct all the tropes of slasher movies? What if it's all a big reality TV show, where the "reality stars" are just ...
Pleasantville
May 06, 2019 17:03 - 32 minutes - 14.9 MBAhh, the 1950s. A time of tradition; where fathers were the breadwinners and worked the 9 to 5, mothers were homemakers and caregivers and children were obedient. Men ruled the roost, women ruled the kitchen and children were seen and not heard. Are you looking for the ideal place to raise your nuclear family? Choose Pleasantville! An idyllic black and white utopia with no sex, drugs, rock and roll or emotion of any kind. It's swell! Ahh Pleasantville. The town of choice for repressed sit...
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
April 22, 2019 18:06 - 33 minutes - 15.1 MBMost movies contain some blue screen in some way (some, green!). If your movie is full of complex special effects, or set on some vast, wholly imagined alien world, you need that blue (or green) screen to be able to insert those computer generated backdrops, with your actors in the foreground pretending to be in that world. In the early 2000s, brothers Kerry and Kevin Conran had an idea..... what if they could shoot a complete movie using these blue screen backdrops, set in an alternative 193...
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
April 07, 2019 19:59 - 33 minutes - 15.5 MBMiracles don't happen every day, especially in Hollywood. If something is too complicated, they'll make it easier. If something goes over budget, they'll cancel it. If it's too raunchy, they'll tone it down. You get the picture. Making a movie; a good movie, is hard in any town, but especially in Toontown. This ain't no fairy-tale; it's a story of sex, violence, murder and patty cake. Why don't you do right, indeed! Who Framed Roger Rabbit was complicated, expensive and a feat of technologic...
Dredd
March 17, 2019 20:05 - 40 minutes - 18.7 MBIt's not every day that you see a movie described as "a glorious ballad of bloodshed". Yeah, that's how I would describe Dredd and I did on this very podcast! I bet you're thinking of Stallone right now.... well get Sly out of your head because this Dredd is better, bloodier and more faithful to the source material than the 1995 version, and all the better for it. It's got a great score, great performances and looks so much more expensive than its budget would suggest, but not that many peop...
Captain Marvel
March 10, 2019 16:42 - 9 minutes - 4.19 MBSURPRISE! This is not episode 2. Well it is, but it also isn't, because episode 2 is about [redacted] and this is about Captain Marvel. I did a little minisode on Captain Marvel and how I felt about it after seeing it. The "real" episode 2 will be out shortly, but in the meantime have a listen to why I loved Captain Marvel so much. Let me know your thoughts on Captain Marvel too: Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Thanks for...
Titan A.E.
February 16, 2019 19:03 - 41 minutes - 19 MBWelcome to the first episode of Verbal Diorama! In this inaugural episode, I discuss the movie that literally sunk Fox Animation Studios; the groundbreaking and risk-taking Titan A.E.; a movie that's rich in history and legacy, as well as infamous for being one of the biggest financial flops of all time. *Hint* It's actually not a bad movie, I liked it, but it does have issues! I also briefly talk about my favourite movie of last year, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. You can follow me on...