Podcast
-
Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘THE LONE RANGER’
Wendigo Hammer The Lone Ranger is a modern adaptation of the popular 1930s radio series, as well as the late 1940s/1950s television show. It features a masked hero, the titular one, and his trusty Native American sidekick, Tonto. After decades of inaction, Disney went big to bring the duo back. They re-teamed Gore Verbinski with Johnny Depp—who’d collaborated on the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies; and they essentially wrote the director a blank check. In retrospect, that was a mistake, as was Depp’s baffling decision to play Tonto. With a budget ranging from $225 to $250 million, its modest $260.5 million take was disastrous for the House of Mouse. Depending on who…
-
Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘DUNE’
Spice Up Your Life Dune, based upon Frank Herbert’s classic 1965 novel, has been done before on both big screen and small, but never to this scope or scale. Denis Villeneuve—given the resources and technology—has crafted a faithful and awe-inspiring interpretation of the novel’s first half. Thankfully—based upon recent remarks—Paul Atreides’ adventure will not end here. This is literally half a story. And without the rest, it would not stand particularly well on its own. Unlike something like Zack Snyder’s Justice League—which has a definitive ending, despite teasing more—Paul’s story in this film ends on a cliffhanger. We won’t spoil it here, as we do over the pod, but Baron Vladimir…
-
Two Dudes Talkin’ Dune, Masterpieces, Hans Zimmer, and How to Pronounce That One Guy’s Name – Dune (2021) Afterthoughts and Spoiler Discussion – The WOBAM Experience
The desert takes the weak, and we were left feeling weak after Dune (2021)!Is it a masterpiece? (Yes) Is it GOAT status (Maybe) Is it spicy? (You best believe it). Listen in as Landon Beall and Michael Thomas discuss. Follow us on Twitter!Landon: https://twitter.com/thebeallmanMike: https://twitter.com/novicecinephileWOBAM Entertainment: https://twitter.com/WOBAMent Music: https://www.purple-planet.com
-
Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘CLUB DREAD’
Naughty Cal Club Dread—Broken Lizard‘s follow up to Super Troopers—is a riff on 80s slasher films; and it boasts a cast of characters that are eclectic, dumb, horny, and ripe for the picking. This, of course, is anchored by the Broken Lizard crew. There’s Dave, the drug-addled DJ (Paul Soter); Putnam, the buttoned-up tennis coach (Jay Chandrasekhar); Sam, the chief of the Fun Police (Erik Stolhanske); Lars, the smooth-operating new masseuse (Kevin Heffernan); and Juan, the promiscuous dive coach (Steve Lemme). Their characters here are wildly different from their respective turns in Troopers, and not all are created equal. There are a few swings and misses in the bunch. That is entirely forgiven, though, by…
-
6 Spooky Podcasts to Haunt Your Halloween Season
It’s spooky season, y’all! That time of year when the leaves are falling, the Pumpkin Spice must flow, the nights grow darker, and the frights keep you up at night. Whether you celebrate Halloween or not, we all need those escapes that give us some chills and cheap thrills. These podcasts are the perfect antidote to the monotony of 2020 2.0, so dive in and entertain your mind this Halloween season with some audio escapes we recommend. Full Body Chills From producers Ashley and David Flowers, Full Body Chills is an annual podcast from Audiochuck that tells short spooky stories read by a rotating cast of narrators. This season they’ve…
-
Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘THEY LIVE’
All Out of Bubblegum They Live is a bonafide cult classic. And it works not only as a critique on rampant consumerism and Reagan-era economics, but also as a guilty pleasure action movie. The premise is simple: Nada—played by “Rowdy” Roddy Piper—is awakened to the horrific reality the world is actually living in through the lenses of special sunglasses. That world is one run by an unknown alien race, who are bleeding humans dry and lulling them into complacency through the content they absorb. Television, billboards, magazines, and even money all instruct people to do as they are told—to not think or have imagination. Carpenter’s intentions are about as subtle as…
-
Slice of Dune: Part One: A Slice of Film Podcast
Katie dives deep into the latest release on Warner Bros’ HBO Max, and Denis Villeneuve’s latest film, Dune: Part One. What makes a good character driven exposition film, that also builds a world for a brighter future as a franchise? Is the ensemble cast worth it? How many jokes does Katie make about her talking to herself? You’ll have to listen to find out. Katie ends the show with a quick recap of what she’s been watching, including the film for the latest Slice of Film, No Time to Die, and Star Wars: Rebels, and what’s to come, including all four Ghostbusters movies for November, and a chat on Raimi’s…
-
Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘EVENT HORIZON’
Brain Dead Space Event Horizon was Paul W.S. Anderson’s follow up to Mortal Kombat. At the time, he was highly sought after. In the wake of that movie’s success, he was offered the sequel to MK and even an X-Men film, amongst other things. Wanting to veer away from PG-13 fare, Anderson settled on Event Horizon. The basic premise of the film is that a salvage crew is dispatched to secure the titular ship, the Event Horizon, which has been missing for seven years. What they find is not something they will ever un-see, even if they don’t need eyes to do so. Why? Well, in the ship’s journey through the pockets of space, it took a detour. As…
-
Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘TIN CUP’
Bland Trap Tin Cup re-teams director Ron Shelton with his Bull Durham star Kevin Costner. The pairing, which was stellar in 1988’s Durham, fails to rediscover the magic of that film. That’s primarily because Roy McAvoy, the titular Tin Cup, just isn’t likable. He’s an obtuse man-child—much more akin to “Nuke” Laloosh than “Crash” Davis. And his foibles, which are on full display throughout, are never adequately addressed. One would be justified in arguing that his growth arc may actually be a negative one. Despite that, there is fun to be had on the back nine, especially if you ignore the forced romance sub-plot; and Tin Cup is at its best when it’s tapping into the more spirited aspects…
-
Hops and Box Office Flops: “ED”
Monkey Trouble Ed is a movie centering around a chimpanzee who just so happens to be exceptional at baseball. As a concept, that sounds ridiculous, but kids movies have worked with that conceit—take Air Bud as an example. But Ed is a travesty. Plain and simple. It’s unfunny, nonsensical schlock, and it probably killed the notion that Matt LeBlanc could be bankable as a leading man. The film’s failings are not his fault. As devoid of charm as he may be in it, it’s just a rudderless enterprise. Other than the novelty of a chimp—who once belonged to Mickey Mantle—having a golden glove, there’s a distinct lack of focus. Ed ping pongs between plot points we’ve…
