Verbal Diorama

Hail, holy Queen enthroned above; O Maria! Hail, mother of mercy and of love, O Maria!Triumph, all ye cherubim. Sing with us, ye seraphim! Heav'n and earth resound the hymnSalve, salve, salve, Regina!Let the clapping begin!Sister Act isn’t just a comedy. It’s a celebration of sisterhood, resilience, and the joys you find in unexpected places. It brilliantly flips the script on the traditional representation of nuns, when lounge singer and mobster's girlfriend, Deloris van Cartier, is thrown into the world of convent life after witnessing a murder. Instead of the serene and pious behaviour expected of her, she brings a vibrant, modern flair to the convent that has everyone questioning their notions of faith and community. The new Sister Mary Clarence's vibrant personality clashes with the strict convent rules. From her unique take on the church choir to her interactions with the stern Reverend Mother who, of course, puts her in charge of the choir.Sister Act's iconic soundtrack not only makes you want to sing along, but also showcases how the power of gospel and Motown can turn a group of nuns into a sensational choir, transforming traditional Catholic hymns into toe-tapping gospel hits.But Sister Act wasn't always intended as a starring vehicle for Whoopi Goldberg, and nor did the screenplay end up how it started, but it did lead to the writer, Paul Rudnik, visiting a convent in rural Connecticut, hoping to meet with the only Catholic nun to be a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...I would love to hear your thoughts on Sister Act !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle and Aaron.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Sonic’s journey from video game to blockbuster film should have been straightforward.From Sega’s fierce rivalry with Nintendo, to the chaotic path of bringing Sonic to life on the big screen, there are more twists and turns in this story than Green Hill Zone.Sega’s quest for a mascot that could rival Mario led to the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, but several attempts to make a movie fell at the first, second, third and fourth hurdles. Finally, after Sony put their project into turnaround, Paramount Pictures sped in and Sonic's new design was finally launched!The muscular legs, the fur, the gloveless hands, the human teeth!The fan criticism and backlash to Sonic's design was unprecedented, but so was what happened next...The uproar from fans was the catalyst for a superfast redesign, that not only respected the character’s legacy, but made him relatable to new audiences. Sonic’s evolution and the importance of fan engagement shaped the movie, leading it to become a beloved franchise. God bless Ugly Sonic!Ken Pender's pitch for Sonic ArmageddonI would love to hear your thoughts on Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle and Aaron.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Tonya Harding's story highlights the struggles of being an underdog in a highly elitist sport like figure skating, where social status can overshadow talent. The media portrayal of Harding changed public perception, making her the undisputed villain of the narrative.But there's always two sides to every story. Or three. And there may be truth, or there may just be someone's truth.I, Tonya sheds light on the cycle of abuse and the complexities of Tonya’s relationships with her mother and ex-husband. The infamous "incident" with Nancy Kerrigan transformed figure skating, bringing unprecedented attention and scrutiny to the sport. While Tonya Harding made mistakes, and was severely punished for them, her journey reflects the harsh realities faced by many women in sports and society at large. In the end, it's all about understanding the human behind the headlines and recognizing that everyone has their own truth, even if it's messy. I would love to hear your thoughts on I, Tonya !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle and Aaron.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Erin Brockovich proves that sometimes the biggest heroes come in the most unexpected packages, like a single mum with a penchant for swearing and a relentless drive for justice. With zero legal training but a whole lot of heart, Erin uncovers a scandal involving toxic waste poisoning a small California town’s drinking water, proving that you don't need a fancy law degree to take on a multi-billion dollar corporation. Julia Roberts, who snagged her first, and so far only, Oscar for her portrayal of Erin Brockovich, didn't just play a role; she smashed through Hollywood's glass ceiling, becoming the first woman to score a $20 million salary for her performance. Because who doesn’t love a good underdog story where the hero wears a tank top and has a potty mouth?This is 98% of a true story of David and what's-his-name?, with real-life implications of hexavalent chromium contamination and its devastating effects on the residents of Hinkley, California. Erin Brockovich isn't just a feel-good movie; it’s a sobering reminder of the real-world consequences of corporate negligence. Erin Brockovich reminds us that behind every legal fight, there are real people with heart-wrenching stories and dreams of better futures. I would love to hear your thoughts on Erin Brockovich !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle and Aaron.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Queen Elizabeth I was a formidable leader who defied the norms of her time, cleverly balancing the expectations placed upon her as a woman with her ambitions as a ruler. An Indian director and an Australian lead actor came together to bring us a truly brilliant biographical drama on the ascension to the-then Catholic English throne of the Protestant Elizabeth I, in Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth.Queen Elizabeth I was a powerful female figure in a male-dominated society, and Elizabeth accurately emphasizes her real life ability to navigate political waters with grace and power. Cate Blanchett's performance as the young Elizabeth is not just iconic; it's a masterclass in acting, showcasing her transformation from a naive young woman to a formidable queen. That doesn't mean this movie is particularly historically accurate in other things, though.There was no poisoned dress. It was totally fabricated. ;-)Regardless of accuracy, Elizabeth's legacy gives us a glimpse of what life may have been like for the UK without the Virgin Queen's influence, and its implications for contemporary discussions on gender and power. Elizabeth herself is not just as a historical figure but a symbol of resilience and strength for women everywhere. I would love to hear your thoughts on Elizabeth (1998) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle and Aaron.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

This month on Verbal Diorama, we celebrate Women’s History Month, and it’s the perfect time to highlight the Agojie; fierce African warriors of the kingdom of Dahomey, who fought not just for their country, but for a legacy that resonates today. Watching The Woman King is like stepping into a vivid tapestry of history, action, and empowerment that celebrates the resilience of women in an often overlooked narrative - 19th century black women in positions of power and influence.It’s not just about battles and victories; it's about the emotional journey of these women, their struggles, and their triumphs against the backdrop of a kingdom at war. There's no way to sugar coat the fact that the film's portrayal of Dahomey's involvement in the Atlantic slave trade isn't entirely accurate, however there are always nuanced discussions about historical representation in movies that are here primarily to entertain.And The Woman King does indeed entertain, as well as tell an important story of sisterhood, strength, bravery and shines a light on black women's excellence. While The Woman King is fictionalized, it still sheds light on significant female roles in African history - history that we may not know without this movie's existence.Representation matters, and The Woman King serves as a powerful example of how narratives centred around strong black women can inspire future generations. Let's just hope Hollywood sees fit to make more of them... I would love to hear your thoughts on The Woman King !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle and Aaron.Gina Prince-Bythewood on Oscars Shutout of The Woman King’This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

This podcast is now six! And to celebrate, some post-Renaissance Disney.If Atlantis really existed, no one wrote about it until Plato, who did so 9,000 years after its destruction. Atlantis: The Lost Empire draws from Plato's original Atlantis myth, as well as classic adventures stories like Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864) and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (1870), Victorian-era adventure fiction and steampunk, various New Age interpretations of Atlantis, and elements from Edgar Cayce's "readings" about Atlantis.This movie's interpretation of the Atlantis myth is firmly rooted in a technologically advanced civilization, with its own language (a language that only Milo Thatch can read!), and visually inspired by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola; everything about Atlantis: The Lost Empire was huge, in both style and scope. It remains one of the most beautiful and epic movies of Disney’s animated back catalogue. Despite its lacklustre box office, it's grown into a true cult classic and fan favourite in the years since its release, but it has also been accused of white saviour tropes, clichéd characters and plagiarism...I would love to hear your thoughts on Atlantis: The Lost Empire !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle & Aaron.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

This podcast is now six! And to celebrate, some Renaissance Disney.The story of Heracles is revered across Greek mythology, but this isn't Heracles. This is Hercules. Same guy, kind of, but this isn't just a retelling of a Greek myth—it's a whole exploration of what makes a true hero; taking some "creative liberties" with the original myth—goodbye tragic backstories, hello superhero narratives (as well as Disney's penchant for merchandise!)Hercules’ journey from zero to hero is basically the story of Superman (with a bit of Rocky thrown in for good measure) and the celebrity of Michael Jordan, introducing everything from his quirky sidekick Phil, antagonist Hades, love interest Megara, and the Muses who steal the show with their gospel flair. It's a stark contrast to the serious, more Oscar-bait films that preceded it, like Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.A movie about Hercules isn't really focused on Hercules though, because Hades exists, and Meg is also one of Disney's most complex and interesting heroines. The film's animation style was a bold departure from previous Disney works, merging traditional and modern techniques, taking inspiration from Gerald Scarfe.Hercules is fun, flawed and fascinating, it’s timeless and so very late '90s, and only exists so that John Musker and Ron Clements could make the movie they actually really wanted to make instead.... I would love to hear your thoughts on Hercules (1997) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle and Aaron.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

This podcast is now six! And to celebrate - some pre-Renaissance Disney.Basil may just be a little mouse, but this little mouse packed a mighty punch for Disney during a time when the animation studio was teetering on the edge of disaster. With a mix of clever storytelling, dark visuals, and a villain who’s as charismatic as he is frightening, Basil proves that sometimes, the smallest heroes can save the day—or in this case, an entire animation division! The Great Mouse Detective (or Basil the Great Mouse Detective!) played a crucial role in ushering in the Disney Renaissance, and how its success helped revive the company's animation legacy, after the critical and financial disaster that was The Black Cauldron.Coming out at a crucial time for Disney, with a changing of the senior management guard, and combining traditional animation with early CGI, Basil has never had the acknowledgement he deserves for persuading Disney's senior management that investing in new movies, rather than just re-releasing old ones, was the way forward...And they did all of this in one year, with a massively reduced budget. I would love to hear your thoughts on (Basil) The Great Mouse Detective !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle & Aaron.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Shrek and Fiona, fresh off their 'happily ever after', are invited to a Royal Ball in celebration of their marriage. It's being held, far far away in the kingdom of Far Far Away, by Fiona's parents, the King and Queen of Far Far Away, aka Mum and Dad. But hold on to your boots (Puss), because Shrek, being an actual ogre, faces a bit of a challenge fitting in with the royal family—especially when they expected the dashing Prince Charming, instead of a swamp-dwelling ogre. Shrek 2 builds on its predecessor, exploring themes of self-acceptance and the chaos of familial relationships, giving us more depth, elaborating on the story we’ve seen, and carrying it on naturally. He’s married the princess, now he has to meet the parents. Shrek 2 is seen by many as a perfect sequel. Not a perfect movie, but a perfect sequel. This is also a movie with heart, with a great central villain who’s clearly been in it for the long run, and all Fairy Godmother wants is her boy on the throne. Shrek getting a sequel was obvious, but wait, isn't this series making fun of Disney constantly churning out mediocre sequels? It's a good job this one is actually decent, right? But really, aren't we all just here for Puss in Boots? Just look at him, in his little boots! Awwwww!And where have all the good men gone? I would love to hear your thoughts on Shrek 2 !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine. Kyle & Aaron.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

In 1992, US President George H.W. Bush famously remarked, during a speech at the Annual Convention of the National Religious Broadcasters, that the American family needs to be “a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons.”The longest-running American animated series, longest-running American sitcom, and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series, both in seasons and individual episodes. The Simpsons is, quite frankly, a phenomenon, and the long-awaited The Simpsons Movie took nearly two decades to come to fruition, as fans eagerly anticipated a feature film adaptation of their beloved show. But despite being a long-running, beloved show, the making of the movie wasn't easy, and it faced numerous rewrites, with the script being revised over a hundred times before its release. Many iconic characters from the series made appearances, with a total of over 320 characters included throughout the movie, with creator Matt Groening aiming to create a cinematic experience that would appeal to both long-time fans and newcomers to the franchise. But appealing to newcomers led to many fan-favourite characters being omitted from the script, and somehow Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rainier Wolfcastle exist within the same universe? But who copied whom? I guess we'll never truly know... I would love to hear your thoughts on The Simpsons Movie (2007) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle & Aaron.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Speaking of a family with gifts, young Norman Babcock happens to be able to speak to the dead, making him a social outcast to humans, but also probably the only person who can stop zombies rising from their graves...ParaNorman's unique approach to horror allows it to explore serious societal issues through animation, and creatively blends animated horror with heartfelt themes of acceptance and understanding. Laika Studios have never been one to follow the leader, and while other studios were focusing on CG animation, Laika removed it's CG department purely for stop-motion. Developing groundbreaking techniques first used on Coraline, enhanced further for ParaNorman, including colour 3D printing, to create over 31,000 props. ParaNorman, which also features the first openly gay character in an American animated film, emphasizes the importance of communication and empathy in overcoming fear and prejudice. This is a movie that doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of the past, with historical references shaping ParaNorman’s story, particularly the Salem witch trialsLike Norman’s Grandma says when Norman tells her the zombie eats brains… “he’s going to ruin his dinner. I’m sure if they just bothered to sit down and talk it through, it would be a different story”.I would love to hear your thoughts on ParaNorman !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle & Aaron.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Welcome to The Family Madrigal, and the Surface Pressure hiding underneath the perfect façade of a magical family with wonderful gifts - everyone except Mirabel. Who probably wonders "What Else Can I Do?" on the regular, when her Abuela seems to blame her for everything.All Of You probably know the intergenerational trauma this movie perfectly depicts, but it's also a movie that took the time to show deep love and respect for Colombia, mi encanto. By having a Colombian Cultural Trust, and directors willing to take on suggestions and ideas, to make Encanto diverse and representative of real Colombian life, traditions and culture.Tuns out, Stephanie Beatriz was also Waiting on a Miracle, while recording that exact song.We Don't Talk About Bruno, except we do. Because Bruno is one of the most complex and interesting characters in this movie. And while Abuela has suffered great loss, become a refugee and a single parent to triplets in the space of one day, beautifully encapsulated by the Academy Award-nominated Dos Orugitas, she's also making her entire family suffer through her own anxiety and trauma.Basically Encanto is pretty special, and it's one of Disney's greatest modern animated films because of it.And that's why coffee's for grown-ups!I would love to hear your thoughts on Encanto !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle & Aaron.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

There's Nobody Like U, Turning Red.Turning Red is a ground-breaking animated film, rightfully kicking off Animation Season 2025 in style, with magical puberty front and centre, that addresses the universal struggles of adolescence through the story of Mei Lee, a 13-year-old girl caught between her familial obligations and her burgeoning independence.Domee Shi's feature-length directorial debut represents a significant milestone as Pixar's first solo female director and first female director of colour, as well as having the first all-female lead team, and a unique animation style influenced by anime and traditional Chinese culture, enhancing its visual storytelling. And Red Panda Mei is SO FLUFFY!It's also a deft exploration of cultural identity reflecting the immigrant experience, of balancing family expectations with personal desires, as well as tackling periods; a subject that remains taboo in most situations, encouraging open conversations about menstruation. It captures the awkwardness and excitement of teenage life—particularly for girls who feel the weight of both cultural and familial expectations.Critically acclaimed yet hugely financially underperforming, Turning Red highlights the challenges faced by diverse narratives in mainstream cinema. It's more than just a children's movie; it is a celebration of the regular, normal, everyday experiences that shape us all. Let's relive our awkward teen experiences together!4*Town 4 EVER!!!I would love to hear your thoughts on Turning Red !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle & Aaron.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Before we learn how all about the history and legacy of a modern Christmas classic, let's recite the "Code of the Elves," shall we? Number one; "Treat every day like Christmas." Number two; "There's room for everyone on the nice list." Number three; "The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear."Just for those listeners on Santa's nice list, the enduring appeal of Elf lies in its ability to resonate with audiences of all ages, and the importance of believing in the magic of Christmas, just like Buddy the Elf. Heavily inspired by the Rankin Bass animated Christmas specials of the 1960s, Jon Favreau's vision for Elf included using practical effects to evoke nostalgia, as well as keep it timeless. And casting Will Ferrell's as Buddy was a masterstroke; his improvisation ended up making the character even more innocent and funny. It didn't mean the movie was without issues though. The film's production faced legal scrutiny over its inspiration from those Rankin Bass holiday specials, but ultimately it was cleared of any infringement. The stop-motion, by the Chiodo Brothers, is a small but mighty part of how the movie feels as fresh as it did in 2003.Elf's heart-warming message of kindness, believing in magic, and family togetherness cements it as the modern Christmas classic. There are a lot of strange links to Lord of the Rings, though, and all of them are intentional.Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to you all!I would love to hear your thoughts on Elf !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine. Kyle & AaronThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Looks like you've found yourself on Santa's Naughty List!How the Grinch Stole Christmas isn't just a beloved holiday classic; it’s a deep dive into the complexities of acceptance, compassion, and the true spirit of Christmas, that also contains a Mean One!From Dr. Seuss's iconic original story to its 1966 animated version and the 2000 live-action adaptation featuring Jim Carrey, the Grinch's transformation from a cynical hermit to a figure of redemption mirrors our own struggles with loneliness and societal pressures during the holiday season. The live-action movie's rights were auctioned by Dr Seuss' widow, Audrey Geisel, in 1998; with a list of strict rules the winning studio had to follow. Ron Howard's idea to flesh out the backstory of the character, and to give more agency to Cindy Lou Who was part of the winning bid, and Geisel wanted a big name star like Jim Carrey to play her late husband's iconic green character.She got Jim Carrey. But his gruelling makeup and costume process would cause tensions on the elaborately designed set that brought Whoville to life.Christmas is about more than just presents; it's about togetherness and the power of kindness, regardless of how big our hearts might be. The Grinch's story is ultimately one of of acceptance and the true spirit of Christmas.I would love to hear your thoughts on How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle and Aaron.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Perennial Christmas classic Lethal Weapon redefined the buddy cop genre with its festive setting, unique characters and the undisputed chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. Shane Black's screenplay combined humour and action and made it a benchmark for future action films, and Richard Donner's direction brought a skilled touch to the film's pacing and storytelling. Unlike other buddy cop or action movies of the 80s, it also explores deep themes of depression, grief, and trauma, particularly through Riggs's character. Lethal Weapon broke new ground by incorporating themes of emotional vulnerability in its portrayal of masculinity.The cultural impact of Lethal Weapon is also prevalent, particularly how it addresses themes of race and the changing portrayal of law enforcement in cinema. The narrative resonates differently in today's context, especially regarding ongoing discussions about police conduct and racial dynamics in America. Lethal Weapon isn't just as a successful action film, but as a poignant commentary on friendship, trauma, and societal issues, as well as the power of found family - even if the dinner's aren't all that great... I would love to hear your thoughts on Lethal Weapon (1987) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine, Kyle and BRAND-NEW PATRON AARON!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Before I begin, I notice that Chancellor Jarnathan is not present...?I'm back from an extended break, deciding to do an episode on Dungeons & Dragons, and its fifty-year history and legacy as the most popular TTRPG in the world. Easing myself back into podcasting slowly, then, because it's safe to say nothing has impacted geek culture like Dungeons & Dragons, since its debut in 1974. It evolved from its early iterations to mainstream popularity, especially with the rise of its fifth edition. It wasn't without its controversies, though. Its associations with the 'Satanic Panic' significantly affected its public perception in the 1980s, and led to Evangelical Christian groups linking it with suicides.This isn't the first time Dungeons & Dragons has been adapted to the screen either, with the popular 1983-1985 animated series, and the not-so-popular movie in 2000, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves started its earliest conception in 2013, and had plenty of delays along the way.Despite ongoing rights issues and a global pandemic, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves remarkably manages to honour D&D's legacy and lore, while ensuring authenticity for fans, and accessibility for non-fans and casual moviegoers alike. Despite its critical success, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves faced challenges at the box office, mostly due to some Italian plumbers, but also a fan backlash against owners Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast. This movie deserves to find an audience, and hopefully it will, once Jarnathan arrives... Interested in finding out more about D&D or listening to others' campaigns? Here's some great indie D&D podcasts:Time to Die - https://timetodie.podbean.com/ Join The Party - https://www.jointhepartypod.com/ Dungeons & Dragons & Daughters - https://dungeonsdragonsdaughters.podbean.com/ Do Dragons Dream of Scorched Sheep? - https://shows.acast.com/scorchedsheep I would love to hear your thoughts on Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine and KyleThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Halloween has a complex and multifaceted legacy, intertwining themes of fear, adolescence, and societal commentary. The exploration of the concept of the 'Final Girl,' epitomized by Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. Laurie’s character represents resilience and survival, challenging traditional gender roles often depicted in horror films, and her casting was just a simple publicity stunt really. Her mother was the original scream queen, Janet Leigh, and Psycho's DNA is woven throughout this movie in more ways than one...John Carpenter and Debra Hill crafted a narrative for Halloween that goes beyond simple scares, incorporating deeper messages about innocence, morality, and the unpredictability of evil. Carpenter's innovative filming techniques, such as the use of point-of-view shots that enhance the sense of being hunted, a tactic that has become a staple in horror storytelling, leading Michael Myers to becoming the granddaddy of slashers, and the villain to end all villains.Halloween resonated with audiences, and the growing popularity of horror as a genre, and it remains not only a beloved classic but also a significant work that continues to inspire and provoke thought about the horror genre and society's fears.And it all started with the idea of murdering babysitters... I would love to hear your thoughts on Halloween (1978) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine and Kyle.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

There's a curse at Camp Crystal Lake. It's going to be a Long Night at Camp Blood. Except that didn't turn out to be the title of this movie.The original Friday the 13th cleverly subverts horror tropes by making the killer a middle-aged mother, capitalizing on the fears associated with the number 13, as well as the success of Halloween in 1978.Betsy Palmer's portrayal of Pamela Voorhees, who only shows up in the final moments, makes her one of horror's most subversive, and yet misremembered villains. Remember that scene in Scream? The answer is not Jason Voorhees, but it is for the myriad sequels to follow...With memorable effects by Tom Savini, the success of Friday the 13th led to a surge of slasher movies throughout the early 1980s, not all as successful as this one, and also led to the death of the slasher, until A Nightmare on Elm Street came along to revive it... They all should have listened to Crazy Ralph!I would love to hear your thoughts on Friday the 13th (1980) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine and Kyle.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

40 years ago, slashers took a terrifying turn, when Wes Craven suggested that we could not only be haunted by our nightmares, but also die from the creatures within them.Craven's creation of Freddy Krueger stemmed from a haunting childhood memory that inspired the character - called Fred Krueger in this movie only - and the true unexplained deaths of Cambodian immigrants who randomly died in their sleep. While cinema was becoming saturated with cheap, clichéd knock-offs after Halloween and Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street would successfully reinvent the genre; blending supernatural slasher horror with innovative visual effects on a low budget. Despite initial rejections from major studios, New Line Cinema took a chance on this unique horror concept, leading to huge success for the fledgling independent production company, and Robert Englund's portrayal of Freddy Krueger would become one of horror's most iconic villains, and make Englund synonymous with the character across the franchise.But don't pour blood-coloured water on live electrics... I would love to hear your thoughts on A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam and ElaineThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Horror icon Chucky was originally created by UCLA student Don Mancini, evolving from a script originally titled 'Batteries Not Included' which then became 'Blood Buddy', where the character was named Buddy.Potential lawsuit with Hasbro aside, Buddy would eventually become Chucky; the movie was eventually renamed Child's Play, and would become a ground-breaking horror film that successfully combined dark comedy with genuine suspense. The animatronics used for Chucky were state-of-the-art for the late 1980s, and the film's success spawned an entire franchise that includes sequels, merchandise, and a television series. But it wasn't all fun and games behind the scenes. Significant changes to Child's Play were made after poor test screenings, leading to a more streamlined movie and the controversy surrounding the entire Child's Play franchise, especially regarding violence, had lasting implications for horror films here in the UK.I would love to hear your thoughts on Child's Play (1988) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam and ElaineThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Bill & Ted creators Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson, along with stars Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, always assumed Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey would be the last time anyone would see Bill S. Preston Esquire and Ted Theodore Logan together on the big screen ever again.Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey hadn't done the business of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, and so all four men went their own ways in Hollywood, each carving their own successful careers.It wasn't until a random red carpet comment in 2005 that any of them thought seriously about reviving the characters, and not until 2008 that they got together at a BBQ to discuss ideas. And they ended up having a great idea, one they all wanted to do, but it meant writing a spec script, without having any of the rights in place to get this legacy sequel actually made.And then they found out MGM was planning their own reboot called Bill & Ted's Friggin' Badass Voyage...I would love to hear your thoughts on Bill & Ted Face the Music !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine and KyleThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Verbal Diorama: It’s hip, it’s now, it’s wow and how?!After the huge success of both Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, Sam Raimi wanted to finish his Spider-Man trilogy with a bang.Originally planning to have Sandman and the Vulture, along with a non-New Goblin Harry Osborn against Peter Parker's newly adored Spider-Man, plans would evolve somewhat as time passed, with Avi Arad instead wanting fan favourite anti-hero Venom to be a secondary antagonist alongside Sandman.Sam Raimi wasn't keen on Venom, he didn't fit Raimi's themes of humanity, and to show flaws in his hero. He also wanted a key theme of forgiveness. The alien symbiote represented none of this, but he eventually reluctantly agreed to reshape the movie to take out Vulture and include Venom.Then producer Laura Ziskin suggested he add Gwen Stacy to an incredible busy mix too.You can understand the logic - both Venom and Gwen are fan favourite characters, but in an-already busy movie, it just got busier and more bloated.But Spider-Man 3 does have great things underneath the bloated exterior - the birth of Sandman still looks great, Mary Jane is given more to do than just scream, and we got the ultimate meme - Emo Peter and the Bully Maguire. People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul!I would love to hear your thoughts on Spider-Man 3 (2007) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine and BRAND-NEW PATRON KYLE!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Batman Forever, for all its neon grandiose spectacle, was purely created as the anthesis to Batman Returns. While retrospectively, Batman Returns is seen as one of the best Batman movies, the backlash around the movie's dark, violent and sexual nature led to parents revolting, and Warner Bros scrambling to make Batman family-friendly again.Enter Joel Schumacher, a guy with a strong movie making record, who was more than happy to follow Warner Bros family-friendly mantra, with his own accoutrements.So, we got colour! We got manic humour! We got a new Batman, two new foes, a new sidekick, a new love interest, Bat Nipples™, and a really earnest attempt at the duality of Batman; about the two sides of your persona; your public and private sides, your billionaire and vigilante sides, your serious Batman movie and your goofy jokes. This is a movie that talks fairly seriously about Bruce Wayne’s psyche, but then can also say “holy rusted metal, Batman”Because... the ground, it's all metal. It's full of holes.But there was darkness to Schumacher's vision, and fifty minutes of material was removed from the final cut for being "too dark", including Bruce coming face to face with a huge animatronic bat, and in turn coming face to face with his destiny.I would love to hear your thoughts on Batman Forever !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam and ElaineThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

After Steven Spielberg took the reins for both Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic World, it was time for some fresh meat for Jurassic Park III, which was the first to not be directed by Spielberg and not be based on a Michael Crichton novel.Jurassic Park III would start to have problems early, though. The original script was thrown out five weeks before filming was due to start, with the project already having spent $18 million. New writers Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor were quickly hired to improve the story and characters , but they never actually completed a script.Filming would start without a complete script, which would lead to a myriad of problems. It meant entire days shooting only one or two scenes, and quickly the production was behind schedule.While Jurassic Park III is mostly known for "Alan", being the shortest movie in the franchise at a lean 92 minutes, and the lowest grossing movie of the franchise, it was also quietly revolutionary with its visual effects - the practical led by the legendary Stan Winston Studio and the CG by Industrial Light and Magic. And who knew it would predict an actual scientific discovery on dinosaur behaviour?I would love to hear your thoughts on Jurassic Park III !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Russell, Philip K Adam and BRAND-NEW PATRON ELAINE!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Bong Joon-ho’s dedication to making Snowpiercer, and making it his way, is as always a true testament to his greatness as a director, and a visionary director at that. You don’t start something in 2005 and take seven years to develop it if you don’t have that passion for the project. In many ways the scale and scope of Snowpiercer led Bong to want to make smaller films - his next film would be Okja for Netflix, and then he’d make Parasite - undoubtedly his most important, acclaimed and successful film, and the gateway for many in the west to truly accept Korean and international cinema after it swept the boards at the Oscars.But Snowpiercer remains one of his most special, and most overlooked entries, despite the star-studded cast, terrific action set pieces and thoughtful social commentary. This would be Bong's first English language movie, and the irony is that in a movie where the entire train is controlled by a wealthy white power-mad elitist, a wealthy white power-mad elitist would end up controlling its release...It's also the annual birthday episode; I've got a lovely black jelly birthday cake here, I wonder what it's made out of.... I would love to hear your thoughts on Snowpiercer (설국열차) (2013) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Russell, Philip K and Adam!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Hollywood cinema has often featured Native American men in Westerns as brutal, hypermasculine barbarian warriors, and Native American women as hyper-sexualised or a quiet subservient. They'd also often be portrayed by white actors in brownface.How remarkable that a Predator prequel aimed to set this injustice right?Despite not being of Native American descent, director Dan Trachtenberg and writer Patrick Aison knew that they needed to make this movie as authentic as possible to the 1700s in the Great Plains, and not only did they get the advice of the Native communities, they involved them in every aspect of making Prey, and this started with producer Jhane Myers - the VIP of this movie.Myers was instrumental on the authenticity and representation of the Comanche in Prey, as well as ensuring that a variety of roles, both in front and behind the camera, were First Nations people, with Native interns in the crew at all levels, as well as first time Native actors, led by an impeccable lead performance by Amber Midthunder.But the greatest contributions came from community and tribal elders, who advised not only on language and specific tribal culture, including weapons, customs, face painting and regalia. Comanche is classified as a severely endangered world language, which makes it even more incredible that we got a Comanche dub of this movie. It’s more important than ever to preserve this language.Prey is as authentic to Comanche tradition as it can be, and it's the best Predator movie by far. Yeah, I said what I said. I would love to hear your thoughts on Prey (2022) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Russell, Philip K and BRAND-NEW PATRON ADAM!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

From the depths of the Mexican jungle, an elite team of special forces are sent in to rescue hostages, but unbeknownst to them, they're the ones who are being hunted.Predator, originally known as Hunter, was a spec script by brothers Jim and John Thomas that was slid under the door at 20th Century Fox, and ended up being sold without an agent or a lawyer. While its premise changed slightly from that initial iteration, it did under the weight of its star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who would be a huge muscular manly macho man, but also an every man.Casting of Vietnam veterans aside, this is a movie steeped in Vietnam imagery, the traumas of conflict, and a commentary on masculinity.But mostly it's just an excuse for some really buff guys to show off their incredibly big and powerful guns (not at all a penis metaphor), but one buff guy was let go in the middle of filming, and there are at least seven reasons why Jean-Claude Van Damme is not in this movie...If it bleeds, we can kill it.Full credit to Predator: The Musical by legolambs on YouTubeI would love to hear your thoughts on Predator (1987) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Russell and Philip K!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is beloved by fans of the franchise, and lauded as the best Star Trek movie, with Khan himself as one of the standout villains, and Spock's sacrifice and resulting death as an emotional high point.That wasn't always the case though. In fact, Spock's death was leaked to fans during production, and fans were not happy, even resorting to sending death threats to producer Robert Sallin.Sallin, though, is one of the MVPs of this whole production. He would never work on Star Trek (or really in Hollywood) again after this movie, but his influence, ideas and steady hand would lead The Wrath of Khan to becoming a fan favourite. He was a man who put decency and integrity above his own selfish gains. Gene Roddenberry was not happy about losing the creative control he had on Star Trek: The Motion Picture, but Paramount blamed him for a lot of the issues that movie had, and for the sequel, it would be a controlled affair, especially when it came to the budget... Please listen to Episode 259 for the history and legacy of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, because that story is integral to the setting up of this one... I would love to hear your thoughts on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Russell and BRAND-NEW PATRON Philip K!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Starting life as a skit for the VH1 Fashion awards, Derek Zoolander would become an international sensation, and be vying for his fourth consecutive VH1 Male Model of the Year. It's an impressive feat for a man as ridiculously good-looking as he is.Inspired by the success of Austin Powers, the idea was to make a feature length movie out of Derek's life and successes, but filming during the 2000 Autumn fashion season in New York, and at the real VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards, meant they could only film during commercial breaks.Luckily, Derek's fashion industry and celebrity friends were there to help, with Donatella Versace agreeing to co-star alongside Derek in that moment, and his life story, the movie Zoolander, would eventually be released in September 2001.And nothing bad happened in September 2001... right?I would love to hear your thoughts on Zoolander !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and Russell!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Cloverfield, or one of its many other names, was greenlit in a shroud of secrecy, and that secrecy continued throughout production.Actors were auditioned without even being told what they were auditioning for, just that it was a new untitled J.J. Abrams project, and the Abrams name was enough to whet the appetites of not only the actors involved, but also the general public.After a teaser trailer debuted alongside Transformers in the summer of 2007, fans were desperate to find out anything about this mysterious film, titled 1-18-08, with online theories suggesting it was a massive lion monster or a new Godzilla entry.Websites for the movie started to weave a web of intrigue, with a whole backstory evolving, leading to one of the most effective viral internet marketing campaigns of the 2000s...I would love to hear your thoughts on Cloverfield !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards in July 2024. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and Russell!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Remember when action movie heroes didn’t have to think and just beat up a load of bad guys? Jason Bourne heralded the change when The Bourne Identity came out in 2002, and heroes became as vulnerable as they could be dangerous.It was a troubled production, led by Doug Liman, who fought for years to get the rights to the material, and get the movie made in his own chaotic and frenetic directorial style - a style that didn't sit well with the producers or the executives at Universal.Liman didn't just want another generic action spy movie, but an art film that the studio could sell as an action movie, and his lead actor Matt Damon agreed. Damon wanted to play this every man hero - the All-American boy next door who could also take on several trained operatives at once.The production was plagued with multiple delays, rewrites, reshoots and shots of Jägermeister.Warner Bros had let the rights they originally hold revert back to the original author Robert Ludlum in 1999, so how did they end up in a lawsuit over lost royalties from The Bourne Identity, a movie not even made by them?I would love to hear your thoughts on The Bourne Identity (2002) !Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and Russell!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Roland Emmerich is not known for being an auteur director, but he is known for his disaster movies; the most defining and well-known of which is Independence Day. A movie that was almost called Doomsday. Can you imagine celebrating our Doomsday every 4th of July? A movie called Independence Day, released around Independence Day 1996, was never going to be anything other than a spectacle of American patriotism and the archetypal blockbuster. It was expensive, it was lucrative, and it was bombastic, and it could have only come out in the 90s. It would pay homage to The Day The Earth Stood Still, The War of the Worlds, and 70s disaster movies like The Towering Inferno, Airport and The Poseidon Adventure.Emmerich and his writing partner Dean Devlin knew they wanted to make an alien invasion movie. Surely no one else was doing one at the same time? Oh, hi, Tim Burton. Checkmate.I would love to hear your thoughts on Independence Day !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and Russell!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Last year, Super Mario Bros celebrated its 30th anniversary. It was a fairly muted celebration, but its acknowledgement for the most part came with the release of the new Super Mario Bros Movie, an Illumination animation starring Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy & Jack Black, with many websites also acknowledging the movie that came thirty years before.It's well documented that this is a movie with problems, but what it really was, was the true definition of "creative differences". It would have a young directing team with previous experience of futuristic dystopia, an Academy Award-nominated producer, and would take inspiration from Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Everyone involved agreed they wanted something different to the light, fluffy games, but at least eight different scripts would confuse the tone, switching between serious brotherly drama, to The Wizard of Oz style fantasy, to Blade Runner and Mad Max inspired action, to something more family-friendly.The producers didn’t want to work with the directors, the directors were getting the blame for everything (and they continued to get the blame for thirty years), the writers were being told one thing by producers and another by the directors - no-one was talking to each other. Threats were being thrown around, the set was chaos, no-one knew what was going on, no-one knew what they were going to be filming.But while the producers, directors and stars were at metaphorical war, literally everyone else was stepping up and going above and beyond on this movie, despite all the problems, including the terrific special effects teams, set designers and production designers. What we ended up with was something brave, bold, innovative, pioneering and special; most definitely not the bob-omb everyone has been led to believe it is... The entire Super Mario Bros: The Movie Archive - a comprehensive fan site detailing everything you could ever want to know about the making of Super Mario Bros. - can be found at smbmovie.comI would love to hear your thoughts on Super Mario Bros. (1993) !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and Russell!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

As a movie about movie making, Bowfinger leaves no stone unturned in its ruthless attempt to expose filmmaking in Hollywood, and just like this podcast, how difficult it is to get any movie actually made. Granted, it is slightly harder when your action hero doesn't know he's in it... It mocks the range of cliched Hollywood personas, from the waning diva to naïve ingenue turned sexy starlet. It pokes fun at studio executives who seem to be primarily concerned with their vintage vehicles rather than their children or ex-wives, and shows Mexican immigrants as highly capable and intelligent people, who learn on the job, and become probably the most professional people in the whole crew. Bowfinger is more than just a funny movie, although it definitely is that. It also makes astute observations about immigration, institutional racism, ageism, sexism and the cult of cults (definitely not Scientology).Gotcha suckers!I would love to hear your thoughts on Bowfinger !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and Russell!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Star Trek ran for three seasons on NBC before being cancelled in 1969 due to low ratings. It was after this that the show went into syndication, that its popularity started growing, and it developed a cult following.Due to the original series' popularity in syndication, Paramount Pictures began to consider making a Star Trek film as early as 1972 and by 1975, a film version of Star Trek was announced - Star Trek: Planet of the Titans (although that wasn't the only one!)Star Trek: Planet of the Titans would become the TV series Star Trek Phase II.Star Trek Phase II would be the basis for what would become Star Trek: The Motion Picture, but it would take a huge amount of both time and money to become what we got. With actors embroiled in lawsuits, constant script issues and a visual effects company that didn't deliver any visual effects, given all that transpired in the years leading up to Star Trek: The Motion Picture’s release in December 1979, it’s a miracle that the film was released at all, let alone coherent.I would love to hear your thoughts on Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and Russell!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

After finishing Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, director Rian Johnson had a brief window of opportunity to make another movie, and decided to go back to an old idea from the mid 2000s, based on the Agatha Christie's murder mysteries and the Choose Your Own Adventure books he loved reading as a child.Wait a minute - I read a tweet about a New Yorker article about this episode... Taking cues from Alfred Hitchcock, he would devise Knives Out, a whodunit where you would find out who did it up front, but did they actually do it? The death of 85-year-old murder mystery author Harlan Thrombey the night of his birthday party appears to be suicide, but can we trust the Thrombey family's stories, recollections of the night, or their intentions for Harlan's million dollar inheritance? Or can we only trust Great Nana Wanetta? It's a weird case from the start. A case with a hole in the centre. A doughnut.Johnson's story of immigration, class and privilege didn't need to be this smart and fun. It also only cost $40 million... with this incredible ensemble cast and attention to detail; production and set design beyond words. Rian Johnson. Hugh did this. I would love to hear your thoughts on Knives Out !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and Russell!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

West Side Story's origins as a Tony award-winning stage musical based on Romeo and Juliet meant it was ripe for a film adaptation. Stage director and choreographer Jerome Robbins was set to co-direct with Oscar-winning director Robert Wise; it would be written for the screen by Ernest Lehman, retaining the beautiful score, songs and lyrics by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim.Wise would direct the dramatic scenes, and Robbins the musical sequences, in a lavish, expensive adaptation, shot on 70mm film. Robbins was a notorious perfectionist, often making the dancers vomit due to exhaustion and dehydration, injuries on set were rife, and his repeat takes meant the production ended up almost a month behind schedule. Those weren't the only issues, though; the actors playing Puerto Ricans were forced to wear brownface, and Natalie Wood, who played Maria, despised her co-star Richard Beymer, who played Tony. Robbins was unceremoniously fired from the production, but his contribution would lead to him receiving a co-director credit, and an Oscar win. West Side Story would win 10 out of the 11 Oscars it was nominated for, including Best Supporting Actress for Rita Moreno, the first Latina to win an Academy Award.Moreno would return to West Side Story sixty years later, as an executive producer on Steven Spielberg's new lavish adaptation of the original stage musical, as well as starring in a new role as Valentina. Gone were the brownface and white actors playing Puerto Ricans. A contemporary story from the early 60s about bigotry and xenophobia, patriotism and cultural divides would become a period piece about bigotry and xenophobia, patriotism and cultural divides, and a long-time passion project for Spielberg.Its release would be postponed by the Covid-19 pandemic, but while it would lead to a box office disappointment, it would also lead to the first Afro-Latina, and first queer woman of colour, to win an Academy Award; for the same role that Rita Moreno played sixty years prior... I would love to hear your thoughts on West Side Story (1961) & West Side Story (2021) !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and Russell!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

The Italian Job (1969) is the epitome of what would become Cool Britannia. It celebrates its 55th anniversary this year, and has lost none of its Britishness. In fact, for the quintessentially British cult classic, they had to have the cool car of the 1960s youth - the Mini - for the quintessential British heist.Setting the film in Turin also gave them the bonus of having access to Fiat's locations and vehicles. Fiat and the city of Turin were incredibly welcoming to the production, despite all the chaos caused by filming. Fiat would also offer a huge cash incentive to swap the British Leyland Minis for Fiat 500s. Obviously that never happened!While it would flop in the US, The Italian Job remains an icon of cinema in the UK, and although Paramount insisted the movie was in debt, they were still keen to remake it in 2003...The Italian Job (2003) would show a character watching The Italian Job, while having characters named after characters from The Italian Job, and referencing "The Italian Job" as the inspiration for their own heist that's remarkably similar to The Italian Job's Italian Job, without being an Italian Job that's actually set in an Italian city. You'd think its writing team had never seen the original before... and you'd be correct!This version of The Italian Job would have its own pioneering stunts though, including the creation of the first ever electric powered BMW MINIs...I would love to hear your thoughts on The Italian Job (1969) & The Italian Job (2003) !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno & Russell!Special Thanks to: Ben MarchiniThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

After Night of the Living Dead, George Romero branched out, not wanting to be typecast as a zombie movie director. It was a tour of the Monroeville Mall that put the idea in his head, of a satire about consumerism. He would quickly have a rough idea in his head, a follow-up venture into the world of the undead.Romero and his producer Richard P. Rubinstein started the process of procuring US investors for his new zombie movie, but no one showed any interest. No one in the US anyway.Romero's friend Dario Argento would not only give him a place to write the movie in Rome; he'd also help him secure financing for Dawn of the Dead, but Romero would have to give him distribution rights to the non-English version of the movie, and the freedom to edit his own cut in return...Fast-forward to a post 9/11 early 2000s, and producers Eric Newman and Marc Abraham approached Rubinstein with their vision of a reimagining of Dawn of the Dead. Rubinstein had never granted the remake rights before, but there was something about their pitch that won him over. James Gunn would step up to write, and a young Zack Snyder would get his feature directorial debut... I would love to hear your thoughts on Dawn of the Dead (1978) & Dawn of the Dead (2004) !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and Russell!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Release the Kraken! Twice!Clash of the Titans had been an idea since the late 1950s, with writer Beverley Cross writing a treatment in 1969 called Perseus and the Gorgon's Head. At the time, producer Charles H. Schneer and legendary animator Ray Harryhausen were working on other films, and so what became Clash of the Titans would have to wait until 1977 to start pre-production.It would eventually release in 1981 and include not only one of Harryhausen's most memorable creatures, Medusa, but also signal the beginning of the end of his career. Clash of the Titans would be his final film, in part thanks to a scathing review.Clash of the Titans would inevitably be remade one day, and that remake fell to Louis Leterrier, and new writers Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, using an original script by Travis Beacham based on Cross' original script. Updated to modern audiences' needs for big budgets, big-name actors and huge CG spectacle, Warner Bros would notice the huge 3D revolution started by James Cameron's Avatar, and decided to convert Clash of the Titans to 3D in post-production... I would love to hear your thoughts on Clash of the Titans (1981) & Clash of the Titans (2010) !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and Russell!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

64 years ago, The Flintstones became the first ever animated prime time sitcom in the US, and 30 years ago, the live-action film was released. A live action adaptation of The Flintstones first came about in 1985, but it wouldn't be 'til Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment acquired the rights in 1992 that the project started moving forward, but by that point eight writers had already had a crack at the script...Once Spielberg, and mega fan director Brian Levant, got involved, many more writers would have a pass, but only three would ever be credited for their work after the Writer's Guild of America got involved.Credit to the team of writers behind The Flintstones...Steven E. de SouzaDaniel GoldinJoshua GoldinPeter Martin WortmannRobert ConteMitch MarkowitzJeffrey RenoRon OsbourneMichael J. WilsonJim JenneweinTom S. ParkerGary RossAl AidekmanCindy BegelLloyd GarverDavid SilvermanStephen SustarsicNancy SteenNeil ThompsonBrian LevantRob DamesLenny RippsFred Fox Jr.Dava SavelLon DiamondDavid RichardsonRoy TeicherRichard GurmanMichael J. DigaetanoRuth BennettLowell GanzBabaloo MandelThat's 32 writers. 29 of which never received credit. This movie has incredible production design, set design, costumes, puppet work and casting. It does not deserve to be as derided as it is. Let's celebrate The Flintstones! Yabba dabba doo!I would love to hear your thoughts on The Flintstones (1994) !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and Russell!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

The history and legacy of Shakespeare in Love is long-winded and complicated, but how is it that a movie can be wholly and completely tarnished by one man?I don't know. It's a mystery.From its beginnings as a project for Universal starring Julia Roberts, to it being shut down after spending $6 million and losing Julia Roberts, to being resurrected in the worst possible way by actual real-life villain Harvey Weinstein; the story of Shakespeare in Love has comedy, romance and tragedy, just like an actual Shakespeare play.Nowadays its mostly known as being the "unworthy" winner of the Best Picture Academy Award in 1999, beating Saving Private Ryan, in an unprecedented marketing and bad-mouthing campaign that changed awards season.Was Saving Private Ryan really "robbed" of its Best Picture Oscar? Or were more Academy voters just charmed by a period romantic comedy than a war epic that year? I guess we'll never truly know the answer, other than it ends as stories must when love's denied; with tears and a journey.I would love to hear your thoughts on Shakespeare in Love !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno and BRAND-NEW PATRON Russell!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

After making The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, Stephen Sommers wanted to make a small movie; no monsters, no action, no visual effects, just something simple, but then he started thinking about all the Universal monster movies he loved as a child, and came up with a collective story of three monsters, connected by one man - Van Helsing - but not the Abraham Van Helsing you knew....Gabriel Van Helsing would be serving alongside Dracula with the Knights of the Holy Order before having to kill him. He would ask for his memories to be removed to purge himself of his sins, and end up walking the Earth for 400 years with no memories and end up at the Vatican. Hugh Jackman, fresh from playing Wolverine in X-Men, would be Van Helsing, and when Universal realised what they had, thoughts of a franchise appeared in front of them...It would be Universal's Dark Universe, before Universal's Dark Universe....I would love to hear your thoughts on Van Helsing (2004) !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos, Sean and Ryno!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Great Scott, it’s the 250th episode! Where we’re going, we don’t need roads, and if my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to get the history and legacy of Back to the Future! It's a story of how Romancing the Stone, Coca-Cola's takeover of Columbia and Double Indemnity came together to make Back to the Future a possibility.Back in the days when Ronald Reagan, the actor! was president and you needed a nuclear reaction to generation 1.21 jigowatts of electricity to power a DeLorean, a young man called Calvin Klein changed the course of his own personal history by going back to 1955, meeting his parents and technically then accidentally dating his own mother; jeopardising his future in the process.I guess you guys aren’t ready for that yet, but your kids are gonna love it. It’s your density to listen. So, make like a tree, and get outta here.... pop your 1980's headphones on, turn up the volume and listen to this!I would love to hear your thoughts on Back to the Future ! THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR 250 EPISODES!CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos and Sean!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

In 1993, before they were acquired by Eidos, a little games developer in Derby called Core Design were working on their new action adventure game. It was an Indiana Jones-style 3D platformer; revolutionary for its time, and not just because of the immense 3D world and cleverly designed levels, but the protagonist was a woman.Her name was Lara Croft, and the game was Tomb Raider.In the mid-90s, Lara Croft became a virtual celebrity, and while Eidos demanded more and more Tomb Raider games, the wheels were in motion to give Lara the cinematic outings she deserved.Lara Croft: Tomb Raider had a revolving door of writers, and a special clause in the contract between Eidos and Paramount, which meant production had to start, and start quickly. Director Simon West only wanted Angelina Jolie for the main role, and ended up putting together a two-hour plus first cut. The problem was, Paramount hated it, ended up firing West and getting in one of Hollywood's most famous fixers to save the movie... Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life was the opportunity to fix the mistakes of the previous movie. Angelina Jolie had refused to return unless Lara was more well-rounded, so Lara was given more personality, more character and more stakes. The budget would be smaller, but the director would be a coup - Jan de Bont. This time there was one writer, a lead actress who was happier with the direction of her character, and no issues with editing, however the experience would lead to Jan de Bont retiring from directing...I would love to hear your thoughts on Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) & Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003) !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos and Sean!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Sport biopics are usually only reserved for well known big-name sportspeople from yesteryear - people like Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, James Hunt and Niki Lauda, or stories based in reality with fictional characters.What makes Fighting with My Family, and Paige’s story so different, is that not only did she achieve the WWE Divas Champion at the tender age of 21, she also won that title just ten years ago, and she comes from a working class family from Norwich, that had just so happened to be the feature of a Channel 4 documentary in 2012. Women’s sporting achievements are rarely commended or highlighted in Hollywood, but working class women’s sporting achievements are less so. A meeting with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson just before winning the Divas title in 2014 would change everything for Paige. Not only would she take the title from AJ Lee, but Johnson had seen the documentary, related to her story, and told her that very day that he wanted to make a movie of her incredible story.Fighting with My Family perfectly captures the spirit of a family brought together by wrestling, and you'll find something to love whether you're a wrestling fan or not. Ironically, it was the wrestling that made it such a hard sell to studios in the first place...I would love to hear your thoughts on Fighting with My Family !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos and Sean!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

For Women's History Month and Mother's Day, here in the UK, silence is deafening for a spec script written in an unconventional way, that happened to get picked up by Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes production company.Taking inspiration from silent movies from Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati, as well as horror classics like Jaws, Alien and Alfred Hitchcock's filmography, A Quiet Place started life as an almost dialogue free script, written in 2016.The original screenplay can be found hereJohn Krasinski's involvement came much later, but he was instrumental in getting the project made, and his casting choices would change everything. Not just by his wife Emily Blunt's eventual involvement, but the casting of a young deaf actress, and the inclusion of American Sign Language would make A Quiet Place one of the freshest and most atmospheric new horror films in years... I would love to hear your thoughts on A Quiet Place !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele, Xenos and BRAND-NEW PATRON Sean!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

It's International Women’s Day tomorrow, and if we’re talking about someone who represents feminism, women’s rights, gender equality and reproductive rights, there’s no fictional character used to represent this as frequently on International Women’s Day than Wonder Woman.A character born from polyamory, first-wave feminism and also linked to the very first birth control clinic in the United States; Wonder Woman was the only one of DC's top tier heroes to not have her own solo headline movie, after Superman in 1978 and Batman in 1989, and their numerous sequels. With the MCU blazing a trail for the superhero cinematic renaissance, the race to get the first female headlining superhero movie of the 2010s was on. It was a race that DC won, rather wonderfully. That doesn't mean it was quick, easy or free from studio mandated scenes... I would love to hear your thoughts on Wonder Woman !CONTACT.... Twitter @verbaldiorama Instagram @verbaldiorama Facebook @verbaldiorama Letterboxd @verbaldiorama Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com Website verbaldiorama.comSUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review Join the Patreon | Send a Tip | Buy Merch ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMAVerbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudioPatrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip, Michele and Xenos!This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy