Podcast
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Hops and Box Office Flops: GODZILLA VS KONG – Coming to a Universal Studios Near You
Godzilla vs Kong is a historic rivalry, yet it has been 59 years since these two giants of cinema last traded blows. That seems far too long, but fortunately for the “Monsterverse,” the timing couldn’t have been better. In our King of the Monsters (KotM) episode, Chumpzilla and I were bullish about the future of this series. We knew this movie would at least be made, but short of a miraculous run, KotM had sullied the stock. Turns out, we were wrong. In less than a week Godzilla vs Kong has grossed over $300 million worldwide, already nearing its predecessors totals. This comes amidst an ongoing global pandemic. Its reviews have also far surpassed that of KotM. It sits at…
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Hops and Box Office Flops: HULK – The Incredible Sulk
Ang Lee’s Hulk is ponderous—absurdly so—and mostly revolves around the gruesome father/son relationship between Bruce (Eric Bana) and David Banner (Nick Nolte). Reportedly, Lee wanted the film to evoke the weighty emotions of a Greek tragedy. It certainly does generate a palpable response, but it’s apathy. For a movie whose title character is a big, green, rage monster, the Hulk is seldom seen for the first hour. When he does show up, he’s relegated to fighting mutant poodles with a penchant for crotch attacks. Now, I’m not saying this movie wasn’t ambitious because it certainly was. Unfortunately, all its aspirations are for naught; and it all amounts to little more than odd familial drama…
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LET THEM FIGHT – Godzilla vs. Kong Review
In Mike and John’s latest episode, we discuss the latest entry in the MonsterVerse, Godzilla vs. Kong. The monster mash is a crazy action-packed battle between two titans. Spoiler discussion starts at the 20:05 mark. Godzilla vs. Kong is in theaters now and is available on HBO Max at no additional charge to subscribers.
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Hops and Box Office Flops: ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE – Little Fish Stick and Big Tuna
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is a cinematic anomaly. When Snyder had to step away due to a family tragedy, Warner Bros. (WB) essentially hacked the material he left them to bits. Under the guidance of Joss Whedon, Snyder’s originally footage was morphed into a soulless attempt to capture the magic of the MCU. It didn’t work—a topic we explored in-depth on our Joss-Stache League episode. That film appealed to no one, but it particularly riled those faithful to Snyder’s vision. Thus, #ReleaseTheSnyderCut was born—a fan movement spawned from the betrayal many felt the studio had committed. Make no mistake, folks, this movie is a whole new beast. From Steppenwolf’s arc to Darkseid’s ominous presence to…
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OFFICIAL: Mike and John at the Movies joins WOBAM Entertainment
One thing I love about WOBAM is that it’s here to amplify voices. We’re fans of many different things. Whether that be anime, video games, indie films, or comic book movies, WOBAM is here for fans to nerd out about what they love. WOBAM’s brain trust welcomed John and me with open arms, and we’re happy to contribute to their amazing line of podcasts. We’ll be posting new episodes on a bi-weekly basis, talking about our favorite films, old and new. I look forward to seeing you all there! As a bonus, here’s our latest episode! Mike and John at the Movies will continue to deliver the fun conversations you’ve…
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Hops and Box Office Flops: GHOST RIDER SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE – Ride Angry
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, which is a sequel to the 2007 original, is so insane it almost works. Nicolas Cage, the Rider or Johnny Blaze, goes full Cage. It’s equal parts glorious and dumbfounding. That is the movie in a nutshell. For everything that works—such as the Rider possessing humongous construction equipment—there are far too many other elements that do not. From the dude from Empire Records overacting literally every piece of dialogue to Idris Elba’s mindbogglingly bad French accent, there are just far too many palm face moments. That said, it is better than the first—despite what the reviews (18% on Rotten Tomatoes with 114 reviews) and the…
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Hops and Box Office Flops: JOSS-STACHE LEAGUE – Stiff Upper Lip
Joss-stache League (Justice League) is a cobbled together mess. It’s the Frankenstein’s monster of movies. I wish that were an understatement, but, sadly, it is not; and though it bears Zack Snyder’s name in the credits, it is not his movie. According to Fabian Wagner, the original cut’s cinematographer, up to 90% of what they shot is not in it. That’s right, folks: In under two months, Joss Whedon basically reshot the entire thing. Why? Well, the answer to that is long, winding, and even filled with heartbreak. To keep it brief, the studio was no longer in support of Zack’s vision. When Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice failed to break a…
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Hops and Box Office Flops: GREEN LANTERN – Shallow Hal Jordan
Green Lantern is a mess—an expensive one, at that. Its horrid CGI suit tells all the tales one needs to know about how misguided the project was. And it was a misfire that had serious ramifications. In 2011, Green Lantern was meant to serve as the kickoff to a new DC movie universe. That notion was immediately squashed. On a budget over $200 million, it grossed just $219.9 million worldwide. Worse, critics (26% on Rotten Tomatoes with 246 reviews) and audiences (45%) reviled it. There would be no sequel, and there certainly would not be an integrated universe with Ryan Reynold’s Hal Jordan at its center. When you watch it, none of the numbers…
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THE FANBOY: “Talking Zack Snyder’s Justice League w/ Batman-on-Film’s Bill Ramey, Superman and Lois Soars, Marvel’s Multiverse Amazes, and Latinos Take Over DC!”
On this week’s stacked edition of The Fanboy Podcast, host Mario-Francisco Robles welcomes Batman-on-Film’s Bill Ramey back to the show for an in-depth chat about Zack Snyder’s Justice League. From the project’s inception, to breaking the story that it was about to be entirely overhauled, the fallout from the theatrical cut, and the impending arrival of The Snyder Cut, the two share their unique perspectives on what a strange trip its been. MFR also speaks candidly with Bill about their differing approaches when it comes to dealing with the more toxic corners of Snyder’s fandom, and anyone who’s had an issue with him (or any of the BOF crew) are…
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Hops and Box Office Flops: BALLISTIC ECKS VS SEVER – Moaning Techno and Explosions
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever is bad. Like truly awful. Its plot is convoluted; its action is often nonsensical and unimaginative; and it does little to capitalize on its star power. Antonio Banderas literally has nothing to do. This guy was El Mariachi in Desperado, for Pete’s sake. Let him do more than smoke cigarettes and drink. Anyway, there is a boat load of slow motion, if you’re into that. Most of it is wholly unnecessary, but it’s there; and it probably adds 10 minutes to the runtime—a portion of your life you will never get back. There’s also a lot of sulking and staring. There’s an abundance of Ray Park in a…
