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Heart of Ice has become the signature episode of Batman: The Animated Series, but it's just the tip of the iceberg (see what we did there?) We're using this bold reinvention of Mr. Freeze as a jumping-off point to talk about the history of this seminal show and why it remains our favorite adaptation of the Caped Crusader and his rogues.
Topics include: Freeze's Silver Age origins (where he was known as Mr. Zero), his handful of appearances on the 60s Batman show, the perception of him prior to Batman: The Animated Series, the story behind this dramatically revamped iteration of the character, the surprisingly nuanced approach the creators took with so many of the villains, the incredible voice cast, how B:TAS successfully synthesized fifty years worth of Batman into something that felt new and familiar at the same time, Freeze's evolution across his subsequent appearances, how this depiction was eventually introduced into the comic books, why this remains the high watermark for so many of these characters, and much more! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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The Hitcher wasn't particularly well-received when it was released in 1986, but it has developed a dedicated following in the intervening years. And a big part of that is unquestionably due to Rutger Hauer's standout performance as the title character. It's as menacing, beguiling, and unusual as the film itself. So join us as we hitch a ride with this cult classic and open up a case file on the mysterious John Ryder. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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Be our guest as we dive into the enchanting world of Beauty and the Beast. In this episode, we explore the origins of the original fairy tale, Disney's prior attempts to bring it to the big screen, why the character of Gaston was instrumental in finally making this all work, how the film helped set the stage for the era known as the "Disney Renaissance", its direct-to-video follow-ups, the live-action remake from 2017, and much more! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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The legacy of The Crow is inextricably intertwined with tragedy. A devastating loss inspired the creation of the original comic book and then another would cast a shadow over its feature film adaptation.
But this blistering tale of love, revenge, and catharsis struck a chord with a legion of fans... and for one of your hosts, this was a story that found them at exactly the right time. In this episode, we're doing a deep dive into all of it: the comic, the film, the accident, the aftermath, and so much more. Fire it up! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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Fargo, eh? You're darn tootin'! After the disappointing reception to their previous film, the Coen brothers decided to retreat into something much smaller in scope. And although they expected Fargo to have somewhat limited appeal, it would go on to become one of their biggest hits.
Topics include: the nebulous nature of the movie's claim that this is based on a true story, the lengths William H. Macy went to in order to secure his role, how Roger Deakins' cinematography reinforces the major themes of the story, the origins of the film's unusual but iconic score, pushback on the idea that this is in any way punching down at Minnesotans, the movie's unexpected success, the first attempt to turn it into a television series back in 1997, the more successful incarnation that began in 2013, and much more! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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This is no dream. This is really happening! Join us as we move into the Bramford building and get to know the new neighbors. In this episode, we're investigating the history and impact of Rosemary's Baby. Topics include: the state of the horror genre when this movie was released, why there was initially some resistance to the idea of hiring Roman Polanski to direct this, their atypical choices for the two lead roles and the more conventional names that were considered, how the decision to make the supernatural elements more ambiguous created multiple ways to interpret the film, the less successful follow-ups, the degree to which Polanski's controversial legacy hangs over all of this, and much more! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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It's a brand new season of Rogues Gallery and we're kicking things off with what's become our most requested title... The Silence of the Lambs! Topics include: Hannibal Lecter's first on-screen appearance in the film Manhunter, why director Jonathan Demme was an unlikely choice to helm this, alternate casting choices for the lead roles, how hard Jodie Foster campaigned for Clarice and the reason this project meant so much to her, Anthony Hopkins' transformative (and star-making) performance, whether or not Ted Levine's turn as Buffalo Bill has been overshadowed by the complicated and controversial aspects of that character, the unexpected critical and commercial success the movie received, all of the various attempts to cash in on that success (sequels, prequels, and TV shows), why certain iterations of Lecter are more effective than others, and much more!
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Welcome foolish mortals... to the season finale of Rogues Gallery! To celebrate Halloween, we're investigating the history, development, and lasting legacy of the world's most famous haunted house attraction: Disneyland's Haunted Mansion.
Topics include: earlier iterations of the ride's plot, why the opening was delayed for so long, key differences between the Disneyland and Disney World versions, the surprisingly low-tech approach to many of the incredible effects, how the ride has evolved over the years, the reasoning behind some of the big changes made to the attraction for international parks, the two live-action movies, the Muppet special, unproduced screenplays, and much more!
Rogues Gallery will return with new episodes on January 10th!
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This one's probably not taking the top spot in anyone's ranking of the Halloween movies, but The Revenge of Michael Myers has a pretty interesting behind-the-scenes story brimming with fascinating what-ifs, missed opportunities, and cautionary tales.
Topics include: how earlier drafts tackled Part 4's cliffhanger ending, Rachel's early exit and her controversial replacement, mixed feelings about the inclusion of more overtly supernatural elements, the underdeveloped subplot about Jamie and Michael's connection, the awkward addition of The Man in Black, your answers to Ultimate Match Up, Kristen's predictions for Halloween 6, and more! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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The leaves are changing color and the air is feeling a little crisper. Fall is here and you know what that means...
It's time for Fall Verhoeven!
It's our annual retrospective of the films of Paul Verhoeven and this year we're enlisting for a tour of duty with the brave citizens of Starship Troopers. Although it's loosely based on Robert Heinlein's seminal (and controversial) novel, the movie is less an adaptation and more of a satirical takedown of its source text. A fact that went over the heads of most critics and audiences back in 1997. Since then, Starship Troopers has undergone a fairly dramatic reappraisal and is now a beloved entry in Verhoeven's filmography for many of the same reasons it was initially panned.
Topics include: the film's development as "Bug Hunt At Outpost Nine" and the makeover it received once the studio acquired the rights to Heinlein's novel, how a scathing indictment of fascism and militarism wound up being accused of championing those ideals, some of the major cuts and alterations that had to be made in order to bring this in on budget, the many factors that contributed to its dismal box office performance, all the straight to video sequels, rumors of a more faithful adaptation, and much more!
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We're canceling the apocalypse and opening up a case file on Guillermo del Toro's kaiju vs. mech slugfest Pacific Rim.
Topics include: how the film reignited del Toro's passion for filmmaking after a handful of other projects fell apart, the deliberate decision to avoid any gratuitous references to its key influences, whether or not the incredibly detailed lore is offset by occasionally thin characterization, the underwhelming sequel, some surprisingly strong comic book and animated tie-ins, a few theories on why this wasn't a bigger hit, and much more!
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In honor of its 30th anniversary, we’re opening up a case file on The Fugitive! Although the film wound up being a critical and commercial hit, it first had to survive a surprisingly arduous development process and an even more chaotic production. It’s actually kind of a miracle that it turned out this good. So join us as we investigate The Fugitive’s long journey from development hell to bona fide classic.
Topics include: the 1960s TV series and the real-life case that inspired it, how drastically different earlier iterations of the film’s plot were, alternate casting choices for Kimble and Gerard, why they had to start shooting without a finished script, subplots that were cut, the new ending that was added, how the story was further transformed in editing, the forgotten sequel, other adaptations, and more!
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Park Chan-wook’s action/thriller Oldboy was a watershed moment for South Korean cinema. Here in the West, the film’s success led to a slew of “extreme” movies that emphasized over-the-top gore and violence. And while Oldboy certainly doesn’t skimp on bloodshed, its most disturbing aspects emanate from the taboo subject matter and dark themes it’s exploring.
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Topics include: the original manga that the film is loosely based on, how Park Chan-wook’s attitude towards the depiction of sex and violence in his movies has changed over the years, the clever subversion of certain antihero tropes, different interpretations of the ending, the 2013 American remake, and more!
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It’s time to re-open our case film on the Springwood Slasher and investigate the chaotic production of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. We’re entering a particularly rough patch of this franchise and by all accounts, everyone involved with this entry realized pretty quickly that the deck had been stacked against them.
Topics include: the producers settling on a title and a poster before there was a script, their desire to return the series to its darker roots, how successfully this deals with the complicated issues its tackling, the continued muddling of an already confusing mythology, standout sequences, the lackluster reception, and much more!
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The plot of World War Z is pretty straightforward, but the film's journey to the big screen was anything but. In this episode, we investigate why the filmmakers deviated so substantially from the novel and how this became one of the most troubled productions in recent memory.Topics include: why they rejected an initial script that was much closer to the source material, how almost everyone involved was in over their head, the disastrous first cut, the extensive reshoots, bizarre remnants of that original version, whether or not the movie succeeds on its own terms, how it became a bigger-than-expected box office hit, the frustrating reason a very promising sequel never came together, and much more!
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There have been several adaptations of Patricia Highsmith's Ripley novels, but 1999's The Talented Mr. Ripley remains the definitive cinematic interpretation of the cunning con artist. And that's despite the fact that it makes some pretty substantial changes to the source text and the title character.
In this episode, we compare and contrast the book and the film, discuss Highsmith's complicated reputation and how her own personal demons infused her work, discover just how many new elements writer/director Anthony Minghella added to the story, and touch on some of the other Ripley adaptations and the upcoming TV series. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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For many fans of the Predator franchise, Prey was simultaneously a welcome return to form and a refreshing expansion of the mythology. In this episode, we track the film's top-secret development, detail its grueling production, and speculate where the series might go from here.
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The Mist is a largely faithful adaptation of Stephen King's original novella with one major exception. It's a decision that viewers have been debating since the film was released in the fall of 2007. In this episode, we compare and contrast both versions of the story, the film's long road to the big screen, how its box office success was hobbled by its marketing and release date, where it ranks in the pantheon of King adaptations, and much more!
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When Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was released in 1984, many audiences and critics felt it was too dark and too weird in comparison to its predecessor. But for a whole other subset of the fandom, those elements were precisely what made this one so special.
In this episode, we investigate the behind the scenes circumstances that led to an Indy sequel that zigged instead of zagged and see how the most divisive entry in the franchise holds up nearly forty years later. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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Gird your loins! The Devil Wears Prada gave Meryl Streep an opportunity to sink her teeth into a deliciously villainous character, but you might be surprised to discover how different the film is from the bestselling novel it's based on. In this episode, we investigate the real-life inspiration for the character of Miranda, how that bolstered and hindered the development of the movie, a major subplot from the book the filmmakers decided to excise, why so many fans dislike Andy's boyfriend, how the film became a surprise hit, why the novel's two sequels were never adapted, and much more!
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