Verbal Diorama

Rogue One was the first anthology movie announced post the Disney takeover of Lucasfilm in 2012; the year after Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens had enticed and delighted audiences across the world. The rogue one, you might say...Rogue One, born of the simple question "how did the Death Star plans end up with Princess Leia?" is probably most famous for its CGI recreations of Grand Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia, and its enduring of lengthy re-shoots to change the narrative of the third act and insert additional scenes. To be honest, it's not as dramatic a change as people think it is. The trailer contained shots that were never intended to even be in the finished movie.Grand Moff Tarkin.... well that's another issue entirely. At least Carrie Fisher was alive to approve her younger likeness....As a spin-off of the existing Skywalker Saga, Rogue One remains separate to the existing story enough to be talked about independently, but connected enough to matter in the timeline between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope.In fact, I'd argue it enriches the world of Star Wars. It shows the true sacrifice of rebellion; the nameless soldiers who gave their lives for a greater cause are given names. It's a powerful reminder on the cost of war. We never hear about Jyn, Cassian, Chirrut, Baze, Bodhi, Saw or K-2SO ever again (ignoring the fact that we can't, because the characters didn't exist in 1977!!) because we never hear the names of soldiers lost to war.Moral, ethical and character issues aside, it remains one of my favourite Star Wars movies. Not the favourite, but certainly up there. It's enjoyable, with some great cinematography, memorable characters, and like all rebellions, it's built on hope.Right now, we could all do with a little more of that.I would love to hear your thoughts on Rogue One! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Jason, Kristin and Cat for supporting Verbal Diorama.You can rate or review the show at Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@geeksaladradio@derekjones198@robinhoodpod@NerdsWithFriend@MoviesWork@TheMidnightMyth@DeepintoHistory@PulpCereal@AlamoLauren@CalumTheFilmGuy@Oral_mfc@OSWpodcast1@waffles_marioInstagram folk@_lady_hendo_Facebook chumsErik CarlsonTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Little Shop of Horrors, based on the off-Broadway musical, in turn based off the 1960 Roger Corman dark comedy The Little Shop of Horrors... is probably my favourite ever screen musical.It contains within several elements that never fail to delight me:-Rick Moranis - a true gem of a man, on-and-off screen, who was a regular for all us 80s and 90s kids growing up-It's a musical - with music and lyrics by the award-winning team of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman-Practical effects - the puppet work is some of the greatest ever put to screen, with Frank Oz at the helm and a talented team of professional puppeteers (including Brian Henson), Audrey II feels real, tangible and a genuine threat to our heroes Seymour and AudreyAt the time, the most expensive motion picture Warner Bros had ever released, it had a lot riding on its mean, green shoulders. It failed to deliver at the box office but has since become a cult classic on VHS, and it was the first ever DVD to be recalled for content.... and not for the busting of balls, although the song "Mean, Green Mother From Outer Space" was the first song containing naughty words to be nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. It didn't win, sadly. And nor did it win for Visual Effects, but at least it lost that to Aliens....The cast is flawless and an 80s/90s kid's dream;Rick Moranis is the perfect nerdy, unconfident Seymour that we can all immediately root for. Ellen Greene (reprising her role from the stage) has a meek, shrill voice for Audrey, which transforms into a powerful set of pipes once singing, showing Audrey's inner strength. Steve Martin's Orin Scrivello (D.D.S!) is memorable and threatening enough to be fed to a carnivorous plant without us caring all that much for his loss and additional cameos from Bill Murray, Jim Belushi, Christopher Guest and John Candy just add to the brilliance of the production.And finally, Levi Stubbs just IS Audrey II. His charisma and charm flows through an inanimate puppet, adding to the experience of seeing Audrey II come to life on screen.Famously filmed with an original ending which was scrapped due to a very negative test screening, a new ending was hastily put together and it was the only ending available until the previously only black-and-white footage was digitally coloured and enhanced for released in 2012. "Don't Feed The Plants" - the final song and footage from the Director's Cut, is available on YouTube. It's all table-top miniatures created by Richard Conway and it's delightful - watch it here!A remake is in the pipeline, but I guarantee it will never be able to emulate the charm, nostalgia or dream-like quality of this, and while this in itself is a remake, it's hard to not fall completely in love with everything about it. For me, this really is THE Little Shop of Horrors.Just don't feed the plants!I would love to hear your thoughts on Little Shop of Horrors! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Jason, Kristin and new Patron Cat for supporting Verbal Diorama.You can rate or review the show at Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@NFTDT@TimeShiftersPod@PulpCerealInstagram folk@friends_and_flayers@somewherethatsellengreene@steveharveyisboss@tfgifpodcastFacebook chumsAndy DeSistoTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

STOMP-STOMP-CLAPSTOMP-STOMP-CLAPSTOMP-STOMP-CLAPSTOMP-STOMP-CLAPIt's the unmistakable beat of Queen's 1977 anthem "We Will Rock You", filling an arena, as a massive crowd of people do a human wave. The competitors enter the stadium and the crowd goes wild at seeing their favourite sportsperson. The competitors are announced loudly, as a hush falls over the crowd, and the sport begins....It could be the scene at any modern sporting event, except it's actually in medieval Europe, the sport is actually jousting (and occasionally sword fighting) and Heath Ledger's William Thatcher is the star of the show. It was supposed to be his master Sir Ector, except he's sadly no longer of the mortal realm, or as Roland puts it, he's pooped himself to death (except he didn't use pooped!) William, with the help of his friends Roland, Wat and Geoffrey (Chaucer!) becomes the seeker of serenity, the protector of Italian virginity, the enforcer of our Lord God, the one, the only, Sir Ulllrrrich von Lichtenstein.... to prove that you don't need to be noble to be a knight.While not his most accomplished or memorable performance in his short career, it's a role Heath Ledger is perfect for - a charming, handsome, down-on-his-luck squire who just wants to change his fortunes and be more than what his destiny as a peasant offers him. It's something we can all relate to; the want to change our stars.A Knight's Tale isn't high art, award-winning or historically accurate, it's just a really fun time. It's got sport, it's got dancing, it's got David Bowie (music, not in-person) and it's got a cast that genuinely had a great time together making this movie.If anything, this movie just highlights what a brilliant and special young talent Heath Ledger was; it wasn't his first role, but it was his first lead role and his face alone was the focus of a massive marketing campaign for the movie, which ended up being marred by a critic called David Manning. He may sound familiar....While Heath Ledger undoubtedly went on to star in bigger and better roles in Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight, his untimely death aged just 28 is still a dagger to my heart. Just imagine what he could have achieved had he not passed away so young....Thankfully, we have wonderful performances like this to remember him by.I would love to hear your thoughts on A Knight's Tale! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Jason and Kristin for supporting Verbal Diorama.You can rate or review the show at Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@NFTDT@FilmBustersPaul@BeyondTheBoxSet@laurahhorsfall@Git_Shiddy@wafflesthemagicInstagram folk@blackcasediariespodcast@contrarianprime@bookofliespodcastFacebook chumsAndy DeSistoTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

In 1943, Philip K. Wrigley (of chewing gum fame!) founded the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) in order to maintain sport and public morale during World War II, at a time when many eligible young men, including professional sportsmen, were drafted to fight overseas.Whilst A League of Their Own is a mostly fictional account of the players and founders behind the AAGPBL, it still tells a story of the real-life resilience, spirit and tenacity of the young women involved, many of whom had husbands fighting in the war, coming together to provide entertainment and boost the morale of the nation through sport, despite the sexism and misogyny of the era.Penny Marshall's 1992 movie remains my favourite, and dare I say it, the greatest sports movie of all time. A story of determination, sisterly love, sacrifice and friendship within the very real backdrop of World War II, when women could finally prove they were more than just potential housewives and mothers.Geena Davis embodies the 40s starlet as the statuesque, seemingly perfect Dottie Hinson. Tom Hanks, playing against type as alcoholic ex-player-turned-manager Jimmy Dugan delivers most of the movie's iconic lines. Lori Petty as Kit Keller, just wants to step out of her older sister's perfect shadow and Madonna, in probably one of her most beloved screen roles, as "All The Way" Mae Mordabito, with a great on-screen comedic partnership with Rosie O'Donnell's brash Doris Murphy.Even though the real AAGPBL was dismantled in 1954, its legacy lives on in this movie. It encapsulates a time in recent history that not many are still alive to tell the story of. Sadly, Mary Pratt, the last remaining member of that inaugural 1943 Rockford Peaches roster, passed away just before this episode was released. She lived to 101 and spent her life championing women's sport.These women were inspirational, trail-blazing, legacy-creating and really were in a league of their own.I would love to hear your thoughts on A League of Their Own! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek Jason and Kristin for supporting Verbal Diorama.You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@derekjones198@geeksaladradio@sophieBooGC1@movie_drone@numberonererun@TroytlePower@eRockReviews@rewindmoviecastInstagram folk@moviesatthematt@jjb_born_90Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

For clarification, this episode discusses and spoils:John WickJohn Wick: Chapter 2John Wick: Chapter 3 ParabellumThe Boogeyman. Baba Yaga. Mr Wick. Jonathan. Jardani Jovonovich.... John Wick is known by many names, but everyone knows of him and everyone should fear him. Especially if you kill the one thing he loves most in the world, and the only link to his recently deceased wife; the one woman who helped him leave this life behind. John Wick does what John Wick does best: rains vengeance on everyone involved, digging himself even deeper into the world he was so desperate to leave.John Wick is a man of myth and legend, so who better to join me to talk mythology, history and Slavic folklore than the incomparable Derek and Laurel of The Midnight Myth; two of the kindest and smartest people podcasting right now. It was a genuine joy to dissect these incredibly in-depth and beautiful movies with them.It's easy to dismiss the John Wick movies as mindless violence, and to declare Keanu Reeves a one-trick pony (I would never!), but we discuss the real life myths and legends surrounding the movie, how Keanu is the perfect John Wick and that these movies are deeper and more meaningful than you think they are.It was never just a puppy....I would love to hear your thoughts on John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2 or John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comMassive thanks to Derek and Laurel for being involved in this episode. You can download all episodes of The Midnight Myth from any podcast app, or visit their website at midnightmyth.com. They're also available on Twitter @themidnightmyth, Instagram & Facebook @midnightmythpodcast and I highly recommend their amazing podcast!Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Jason and Kristin for supporting Verbal Diorama.You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

The perfect homage and satire of classic 50s monster B-movies, Tremors initially failed to set the box office alight. Like most cult classics it found a resurgence on VHS and ended up spawning multiple sequels, a prequel, a 2003 one-season TV show and a failed 2018 TV pilot starring Kevin Bacon, back as Val McKee.Praised for its special effects work, the chemistry between Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward and a female lead character who's actually there to do something more than just look pretty and be damseled, Tremors remains a cult and fan favourite 30 years after its release in 1990. There's good reason why; it mixes humour and terror perfectly.This movie gave me serious nightmares as a child, and watching it now it's easy to see why. The Graboids are more than just dumb monsters, they learn and evolve and attempt to outwit the humans at every turn. The creature design is equal parts phenomenal and terrifying. Emulating Jaws by not showing the monster initially and only what it could do, worked wonders for a creature that made you afraid to walk through the desert. Having fully practical effects meant each Graboid (and their little snakey mouths) felt tangible and a real threat to our heroes.Substandard CGI-driven monster movies are ten-a-penny nowadays (thanks, Sharknado!) and Tremors is a movie that will no doubt be remade one day, but it'll never capture the heart, humour and horror that made the original such a classic.Everyone seems to love Tremors (except my mother....!)I would love to hear your thoughts on Tremors! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek and Jason, and new Patron Kristin for supporting Verbal Diorama.You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@gundam_guyver@ThatSequelGuy@Le_Meanderthals@VersusYours@chriswelford6@PheonixAnomaly@geeksaladradioInstagram folk@[email protected] chumsSheenaErikTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

I find Paul Feig's directorial career fascinating; Spy, The Heat, A Simple Favour and Ghostbusters, all female-fronted and each of them a lot of fun and very enjoyable in their own right.2011's Bridesmaids really was the catalyst, not only for Paul Feig's career, but the Hollywood careers of Saturday Night Live alumna Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, for Rose Byrne to prove her comedic timing and for a standout Oscar-nominated performance by Melissa McCarthy. This is more than just "the female Hangover". This is Bridesmaids. It's better, it's funnier, it treats its characters like people and it's more relatable. Without Bridesmaids, we would almost certainly not have Girls Trip, Pitch Perfect, Booksmart or Trainwreck, among others, and our lives would be less rich without all of them. (They're all great - I highly recommend them!)Bridesmaids didn't just get a nomination for a supporting actress Oscar either; Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo's screenplay was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay.You think women can't be funny? Well, you're wrong. Women can be funny, they can be gross, they can be sweet and they can be powerful. Bridesmaids means more for women in Hollywood than you might think. It means more for women than you might think. It means a hell of a lot just to me.Bridesmaids, while it does resort to hilarious potty humour (literally!) also has a deep and meaningful core of the values of friendship, beneficial relationships and mental health that The Hangover doesn't dare go near. These women are real women, flaws and all, and they deserve that effing cookie!I would love to hear your thoughts on Bridesmaids! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek and Jason for supporting Verbal Diorama!You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@geeksaladradio@joshmikeking@BetamaxPod@robinhoodpod@Dave_J_Wood@emhig@sophieBooGC1@KirstieBennett8Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Four years after Hellboy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army came out. Bigger, bolder and more del Toro than its predecessor, it concentrated on its existing characters and introduced a more complex and interesting antagonist in the dedicated, skilled warrior Prince Nuada - fighting for the survival of his dying race as humanity continues its greed and desire to consume everything around it.Influences of Tolkien and del Toro's other famous works are apparent throughout, as is the lack of the occult and horror elements of the previous movie. This time, we have tooth fairies, trolls and elves to deal with, not to mention the small matter of 4900 golden mechanical indestructible robots.There will never be a day I don't lament the fact we will never see this trilogy come to fruition with a third Hellboy movie, but boy, am I glad we got Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army. In a world of superhero and comic book movies, these stand out independently and together as some of the most original, beautiful and interesting adaptations of their source material.While Peter Briggs did not co-write the sequel to Hellboy, he features once again to talk about the spin-off he was asked to write that ultimately never materialised: Hellboy: Silverlance. Thanks to Peter for permitting me to include this.I would love to hear your thoughts on Hellboy II: The Golden Army! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek and Jason for supporting Verbal Diorama!You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Massive thank you to the wonderful Peter Briggs, co-writer of Hellboy (2004) @ThePeterBriggs for being involved in this episode and for telling us all about the proposed spin-off Silverlance!.Twitter peeps@TheMidnightMyth@geeksaladradio@BLCAgnew@MoviesWork@SeanGeekPodcast@Stuntgoat75@Gaming_DadPaul@DWLundbergInstagram folk@wars_and_sawsTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Hellboy, as a concept, shouldn't work as well as it did in 2004. (Well, we saw what rebooting it in 2019 did....)Mike Mignola's comic blends folklore, mythology, the paranormal and Lovecraftian horror, and needed a director who could take all that and make it visually appealing, and coherent to the layman. It also needed a lead actor who could portray the strength, vulnerability and humour needed for a main character who would put off the most conservative of viewer just by being a big red demon with the word 'hell' his name.The winning combination of Guillermo del Toro's direction and Ron Perlman headlining made Hellboy from what could have been a dull, lifeless mess to a rich, funny, heartwarming, visually stunning story of a comic book hero that came years before the MCU made superheroes the norm.Ron Perlman simply is Hellboy. He will always be Hellboy. Sorry David Harbour, but it's true.With a cast rounded out by the master of bodily expression Doug Jones, a subdued but intense Selma Blair and the always wonderful late John Hurt, Hellboy really stands out as something special against the X-Men and Spider-Man movies of the same era.This episode also includes a virtual interview with the co-writer of the screen story, Peter Briggs, who very kindly took some time out to answer some questions I sent him and recorded his responses. He can be found on Twitter @ThePeterBriggs. This is only the second interview he has ever done on Hellboy, so I'm delighted he was able to feature on this episode! The first interview is available here and is an interesting read!Next week we conclude this double feature with Hellboy II: The Golden Army!I would love to hear your thoughts on Hellboy! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek and special thanks to new Patron Jason, who's joined as a Ted Theodore Logan patron, for supporting Verbal Diorama!You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Massive thank you to the wonderful Peter Briggs, co-writer of Hellboy (2004) @ThePeterBriggs for being involved in this episode.Twitter peepsAndy @geeksaladradio@cinema_recall@Stuntgoat75@realhuntermmm@schoolofmovies, who also have a Hellboy episode, and it's phenomenal. I highly recommend you check it out!@BLCAgnewTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Verbal Diorama returns from partying with the Haitians..... I mean from the hiatus.... for one of the greatest comedies ever made - Clueless.On the surface, just like any of the umpteen other 90s teen movies, but dig a little deeper and Clueless is a sharp, satirical and heartfelt look at teenagers; the way they speak, dress and think, in a thinly veiled adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel Emma. Witty, sweet and way existential, Amy Heckerling directed, wrote and and enlisted a perfect ensemble cast of relative unknowns who have mostly all gone on to bigger and better things; including the likes of Paul Rudd and the late Brittany Murphy.The star of the show is undoubtedly Alicia Silverstone, plucked from an Aerosmith video, into the role of shallow, but sweet Cher. Misguided in love and life (other than trips to the mall) but don't underestimate her. Cher contains surprise depth and character growth and knows her Shakespeare as well as her Alaia (it's like, a totally important designer!). Alicia Silverstone deserved to be a big star, but despite a few choice roles in the late 90s and early 00s her star never really materialised, but whatever.... she's a total Betty in this movie.This movie taught me the words 'sporadic' and 'tardy', and that there was such a thing as a Pauly Shore movie. There's not many movies that you can say teach you vernacular and that hold up this well 25 years later.And in conclusion may I please remind you that it does not say R.S.V.P. on the Statue of Liberty.I would love to hear your thoughts on Clueless! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel and Derek for supporting Verbal Diorama!You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Sade from @offscreenbabble, for suggesting the episode and providing her thoughts in audio form.Twitter peepsAndy @geeksaladradio@kolbymac@TimeShiftersPod@TheSavageSlavInstagram pals@moviesatthematt@ec12172001@kerry_wadhwaFacebook chumsErik CarlsonTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Welcome to the first episode of year two and the final episode of my ten-episode animation season.Gosh, Treasure Planet is stunning. Every detail of its aesthetic is glorious to behold, and the fact that its directors Ron Clements and John Musker were so determined to get it made is truly an outstanding achievement.From its illustrious pedigree, to the 70/30 rule, to the use of Deep Canvas, this is a technical marvel of an animated movie that just seems to have been largely forgotten, but it doesn't deserve to be.While there are issues, it really does stand up as one of the most beautiful Disney movies I've ever seen. And it's quite like Titan A.E. In more ways than one.I would love to hear your thoughts on Treasure Planet! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel and Derek for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your Keanu - you can now get the majority of episodes early too!You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@TheMidnightMyth@hanszargowInstagram pals@mobisze@whythisfilmpodcast@tmi_podcast2018Facebook chumsErik CarlsonAndy DeSistoTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Verbal Diorama has been going for one year! To celebrate, I asked Twitter to choose between Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke or Laputa: Castle in the Sky. Twitter chose Spirited Away.Sen to Chihiro no KamikakushiThank you so much for listening and supporting the podcast for the past year - you rock! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Verbal Diorama has been going for one year! To celebrate, here's the first ever Studio Ghibli movie I saw as a child - My Neighbour Totoro.Tonari no TotoroThank you so much for listening and supporting the podcast for the past year - you rock! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Verbal Diorama has been going for one year! To celebrate, here's my favourite Studio Ghibli movie - Howl's Moving CastleHauru no Ugoku ShiroThank you so much for listening and supporting the podcast for the past year - you rock! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

"Alright, let's do this one last time. My name is Peter Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider, and for 10 years, I've been the one and only– Spider-Man. I'm pretty sure you know the rest.""Alright, people, let’s do this one last time. My name is Peter B. Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider. And for the last 22 years– I thought I was the one and only Spider-Man. What a day. I'm pretty sure you know the rest."""Alright, people. Let’s start at the beginning one last time. My name is Gwen Stacy. I was bitten by a radioactive spider, And for the last 2 years, I've been the one and only Spider-Woman. You guys know the rest.""My name is Peter Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider. In my universe, it's 1933 and I’m a private eye. I like to drink egg creams and I like to fight Nazis. A lot. Sometimes, I let matches burn down to my fingertips just to feel something, anything.""Hi, guys! Konichiwa! Hajimemashite yoroshiku! My name is Peni Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider. I'm from New York in the year 3145. I have a psychic link with a spider who lives inside my father's robot, and we're best friends forever.""My name is Peter Porker. I was bitten by a radioactive pig. I'm a photographer for the Daily Beagle. When I'm not pooching around, I'm working like a dog trying to sniff out the latest story. I frolic, and I dance, and I do this with my pants....""Okay, let's do this one last time, yeah? For real this time. This is it. My name is Miles Morales. I was bitten by a radioactive spider, And for like 2 days, I've been the one and only Spider-Man. I think you know the rest. I finished my essay, saved a bunch of people, got hit by a drone, I did this with my dad, met my roommate finally, slapped a sticker where my dad's never gonna find it, and when I feel alone, like no one understands what I'm going through, I remember my friends who get it. I never thought I'd be able to do any of this stuff, but I can. Anyone can wear the mask. You could wear the mask. If you didn't know that before, I hope you do now. 'Cause I'm Spider-Man, and I'm not the only one. Not by a long shot."I would love to hear your thoughts on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel and Derek for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your Keanu - you can now get the majority of episodes early too!You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peepsAndy @geeksaladradio@capunderstands@derekjones198@FilmBustersPaul@trivia_chic@TimeShiftersPod@bingeablespod@FWESpodcast@moviesandteapod@TCbyTC@Stuntgoat75@TroytlePowerInstagram pals@kolbytoldme@eatcrime@friends_and_flayers@contrarianprimeFacebook chumsLaurel Hostak JonesTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

One day, a talented lass or fellow,a special one with face of yellow,will make the Piece of Resistance foundfrom it's hiding refuge underground,and with a noble army at the helm,this Master Builder will thwart the Kragle and save the realm,and be the greatest, most interesting, most important person of all times.All this is true because it rhymes.Lego, the most popular toy in the entire world, does not need a movie based on it. In fact, Lego executives originally didn't want it to be made. They didn't want it to potentially tarnish their legacy; a brand that had been successful for almost 70 years and sold 600 billion bricks.The fact that The Lego Movie exists is amazing in itself. That it's not just a shameless feature-length advertisement for toys is even more so. It's witty, smart, fun and appeals to all ages, a lot like the toy bricks it's representing but unlike those bricks, there are no rules other than the rule of enjoyment.It parodies everything, pays homage to everything, details everything and exaggerates everything. This movie really does have everything.EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!I would love to hear your thoughts on The Lego Movie! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to our Patreon Producer Sade, patrons Simon E, Jardiel, Claudia and Simon B for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your Keanu - you can now get the majority of episodes early too!You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peepsAndy @geeksaladradio@derekjones198@Pulp Cereal@TheIridescentA1Instagram pals@heamcast@snuggles2005Facebook chumsAndy DeSistoErik CarlsonTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.SPACESHIP!SPACESHIP!SPACESHIP! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Most parents think their kids are gifted. Most kids think their parents are heroes (whilst also being really embarrassing!). Most families are super, but only the Parr family is Incredible.Unlike the other movies featured in the animation season so far, The Incredibles was a massive critical and commercial success for Brad Bird, the first out-of-house film-maker Pixar brought into the fold. While his previous movie, The Iron Giant (see episode 17!) failed to make a mark at the box office, The Incredibles flew high, without capes, into the hearts and minds of millions.But don't be fooled. It's not just your standard superhero movie. It has layers and layers of complexity in its style and substance. It's a study about family, mid-life crises, marital problems and identity, and it does it whilst balancing action, comedy and character perfectly and most importantly, it never sugar-coats the serious real-world danger of being a superhero.It's bright, colourful, gorgeous, fun and endlessly quotable. This is my favourite Pixar movie for a reason. I think it's super.You sly dog, you got me monologuing! (Well, it's a solo podcast, so it's kinda inevitable)I would love to hear your thoughts on The Incredibles! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to our Patreon Producer Sade, patrons Simon E, Jardiel, Claudia and Simon B for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your Keanu - you can now get the majority of episodes early too!You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peepsAndy @geeksaladradioDave @NFTDTSade @offscreenbabble - Patreon producer Sade, here!@SeanGeekPodcast@derekjones198@AttheflicksPod@iused2watchthis@FriendsNFlayers@PulpCereal@kevin_thecritic@hugospostsFacebook chumsErik CarlsonLorraine PurdonTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.Go, confront the problem. Fight! Win! And call me when you get back, darling. I enjoy our visits. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

If you saw Kubo and the Two Strings, you'd probably be in agreement with me when I say that's it's the most stunning achievement in stop motion filmmaking, and Laika deserve all the accolades.The problem is, not many people did see it. In fact although it's arguably Laika's best work, it's also one of their biggest financial failures, which is a travesty and we should all hang our heads in shame (me included - I first saw it on Blu-Ray!).Telling the story of a young boy on an epic quest, it's a tale of the bond of family (especially mothers and sons), found family, courage, power, memories and ultimately that kindness is a strength, not a weakness.The sheer feat of skill, technology, engineering, innovation and determination is etched into every snowflake and leaf all the way up to a record breaking 16 foot tall skeleton puppet.In short, this movie surpasses technical achievement. It's exceptional. And, like me, you'll probably cry a lot.Visit Laika's YouTube Channel hereI would love to hear your thoughts on Kubo and the Two Strings! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to our Patreon Producer Sade, patrons Simon E, Jardiel, Claudia and Simon B for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your Keanu - you can now get the majority of episodes early too!You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@SYIMS_Podcast@FalseStartsPod@Robnoady@TheMiddleborne@GnarlyJimbobInstagram folk@mobisze@vegimorph@thisfilmislitTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

The animation season continues with Akira, pre-recorded in November 2019, live at SAMM's Peterborough, where I met up with my special guests Anita and Ciara from The Unexceptionals podcast, and quite frankly they couldn't have been nicer and more brilliant.Set in 2019, the legendary anime Akira is more relevant to our real 2019 than our 1988 could have possibly predicted. It's a story of isolation, fear and the corruption of power and youth, and asks questions about our existence and the evolution of humanity post-disaster. This version of Neo-Tokyo contrasts between the bright beautiful neon cityscape and the dismal dark downtown streets where young people like Tetsuo and Kaneda face an uncertain future.It's also a movie that continues to influence other movies; Inception, Chronicle and The Matrix all take themes from Akira and with a Taika Waititi-directed live-action remake in the pipeline, Akira will continue to inspire cinema for years to come. We also talk about the movies that influenced Akira's look, such as Blade Runner and Tron. Basically, this movie looks, sounds and feels stunning.In summary, I recorded Akira with the collective noun "A-Ciara" and we had, quite frankly, a massive amount of fun talking about an iconic anime that you should be watching!It's worth noticing there is occasionally a bit of an echo on my voice (because their mics also picked me up!) but I've tried to reduce it. Hopefully it's not too off-putting!Massive thanks to the hilarious and amazing Anita and Ciara for guesting on Akira. They can be found and followed at @_unexceptionals on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook, and the first season of The Unexceptionals can be downloaded wherever you get your podcasts from. The second season will be out early this year, so watch out for that!I would love to hear your thoughts on Akira! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to our Patreon Producer Sade, patrons Simon E, Jardiel, Claudia and new patron Simon B for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your Keanu!You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.Thanks to SAMM's Peterborough for allowing us use of their basement at the venue for recording! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Our animation season kicks off with a heartwarming family Christmas favourite, starring Dasher, Dancer, Prancer....erm, Bambi, John, the one with the white ear and Santa's youngest son Arthur, who'll do anything to get young Gwen Hines a present on Christmas morning after she's accidentally missed by Santa's high-tech delivery system.It's a movie that comments on inter-generational conflict, inheritance, our reliance on technology and loss of tradition, as well as our own egotistical behaviours, but mostly it's about the true meaning of Christmas - compassion, family, belief and the joy of giving.It's also gorgeous and very British, courtesy of the genius of Aardman Animation.Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!PS I swear I was not drunk during recording! Also, Jess was around for editing.I would love to hear your thoughts on Arthur Christmas! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to our Patreon Producer Sade and patrons Simon, Jardiel and Claudia for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your KeanuYou can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Keanu Reeves is often criticised for not "acting" enough in his movies. He may not be the John Constantine of comic book fans dreams, but with his literal devil-may-care attitude and cynical despondence on full display, I think he pretty much nails this John Constantine - a man at the end of his life, desperate to save enough souls from damnation so he can go to Heaven after a teenage suicide attempt leaves him with no option but to go to Hell.Pair him with Rachel Weisz, (a woman who could make a movie of herself cooking eggs and I'd watch it), and her effervescent charm, it really is great to watch them together.Religious subtexts aside, this is a movie about faith in humanity too. John's faith is restored by his dealings with Weisz's bereaved police detective Angela Dodson and although he becomes a hero, it's not really about his journey to heroism, more about giving the finger to authority and doing the right thing.Listen, I know you know how much I loved Dredd for its ability to adapt its source material so effectively, and Constantine is not without source material (and a more faithful TV show), but if this movie was called anything else, it wouldn't be as derided as it unfortunately was. It still looks good after 15 years, and while some of the performances stand out as being less than hellblazing (I'm looking at you Gavin Rossdale!), Keanu's is pretty great actually - and I'm not the only person who thinks so (thankfully!)I would love to hear your thoughts on Constantine! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to our Patreon Producer Sade, patrons Simon and Jardiel and new patron Claudia for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your Keanu (John Constantine is an option!!)You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@WooLongTalks@FilmbustersPaul@MoviesWork@movievirginspod@Capt_Hangry@kevin_thecritic@NerdsWithFriend@simon_exton@trivia_chic@tepidville@ComicsinMotionP@JRSP_1978@nle318@RobWadeVision@lukesolo73Instagram folk@talesofpeckTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Once upon a time, there was a prince. His name was Neil Gaiman. He wrote a book called Stardust. He wished upon a fallen star for it to be excellent, be directed by the extremely talented Matthew Vaughn and star some of Hollywood's all time greats plus a league of British comedic talent and a young up-and-coming actor called Charlie Cox.His wish came true.He lived happily ever after.The end.Stardust is great! Even my nephew loves it and he's three!Oh and I just realised Captain Shakespeare is a literal Sky Captain. Call back to Sky Captain!I would love to hear your thoughts on Stardust! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to our Patreon Producer Sade, and patrons Simon and Jardiel for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your Keanu.....You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@NFTDT@trivia_chic@thisfilmislitInstagram folk@contrarianprime@sherbert_lemons@bookofliespodcastReal LifeMy sisterMy 3 year old nephew!Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

2016's Passengers, starring Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence and Hollywood heartthrob Chris Pratt should have had an easy journey to sci-fi greatness. Its script was championed in the 2007 Hollywood Black List, it enticed an Oscar nominated director and Sony believed in it so much they upped the budget to $120 million. There was a lot riding on the success of the Starship Avalon's 120-year voyage to Homestead II.The problem is..... it's meant to be romantic, but just ends up feeling, well, really creepy.Passengers is a movie with a lot of promise. It wants to be a cautionary tale on our reliance on technology and trusting of big corporations, the social and class divide between the rich and the poor, for us to ask questions about moral quandaries, to empathise with a character’s isolation and loneliness and the broader implications of artificial intelligence but it kinda takes all these interesting and rich discussions and bookends them with “yeah, but they’re both really hot” and never really satisfactorily answers any of the moral questions it asks of itself. It's a shame. The thing is, it could very easily be fixed with a few choice edits....I would love to hear your thoughts on Passengers! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to our Patreon Producer Sade, and also our new patrons Simon and Jardiel for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your Keanu.....You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@BlkGirlsDoStuff@capunderstands@SYIMS_Podcast@BTipplers@MoviesWork@iused2watchthis@alwayscriticpod@RoleplayRetcon@robinhoodpod@kolbytoldme@core_xtra@cwordpod@CuylerisGreen@litgamingarena@reeltroublepod@agentcoop007@RobynandDani@Wizard_Matt@JasonKruppaInstagram folk@contrarianprime@eatcrimeFacebook budsErik CarlsonTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

"When you doubt your powers, you give power to your doubts."I'm joined by the mysterious and manly Andy from Geek Salad to discuss whoever smelled it dealt it, disco not being dead and clouds of radically fluctuating deviant chaotrons.With a huge and established cast of great 90s comedians and character actors as the Six Very Nearly Dead Guys With a Temporary Reprieve, 1999's Mystery Men had everything going for it. It was smart, daft and funny, it commented on capitalism and superhero cynicism but also came out well before the superhero genre boomed. In many ways, it was a movie before its time. Roughly 15 years before its time.It also had the unfortunate experience of coming out in the same day in America as The Sixth Sense, which dominated the box office, leaving Mystery Men feeling like the Invisible Boy at most cinemas. It also feels very reminiscent of Joel Schumacher's Batman movies, with a bright colour palette and vibrant neon CG cityscapes. Not the most pleasant comparison in the world to make, but a comparison it is. In the modern era of superhero movies dominating the box office, as well as all the merchandising and branding, it's refreshing to see a movie tackle the "other guys" and the fact that they are just everyday normal people, trying their best to be exceptional and to do the right thing. Everyone loves an underdog story. These are the forking biggest underdogs. No need to Shovel it in your face. I don't want to make you Furious.Will we ever find out if Lance Hunt and Captain Amazing are the same person? Lance Hunt wears glasses you see, and Captain Amazing doesn't, so it's really tricky to tell if those rumours are true....Slight mistake in the episode: Janeane Garofalo's character is called Carol, not Karen! Ooops. Don't set Carmine the Bowler on me, please!I would love to hear your thoughts on Mystery Men! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comYou can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Andy, from Geek Salad, obviously! He can be found over @geeksaladradio on Twitter and he's an absolute joy!Twitter peeps@BlkGirlsDoStuff@capunderstands@MoviesWork@ThefilmB@ContrarianPrime@FilmbustersPaul@trivia_chic@LatteThunder@FriendsNFlayers@ColbsBulbs@filmcellar@Hoovalicious84@AnotherfilmnerdInstagram folk@moviesatthemattTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Can't even shout, can't even cryThe Gentlemen are coming byLooking in windows, knocking on doorsThey need to take seven and they might take yoursCan't call to mom, can't say a wordYou're gonna die screaming but you won't be heard.Happy Halloween! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Never judge a book by its cover.We're told that as children and throughout life, and yet we all still do it. We all revert to those tired stereotypes that blondes are dumb, ice-cold or overtly sexual bombshells who steal husbands.The truth is, although those tropes have been around in movies since the 1930s, change is coming. And whilst that change didn't start with Legally Blonde, it was definitely a massive catalyst for Hollywood to change its way of thinking, and also us... the viewing public.Reese Witherspoon gives us a smart, funny, kind and thoughtful Elle Woods who just happens to be super popular and President of her sorority. Whoever you are, you can root for and find common ground with Elle. She's the feminist hero you never knew you needed, but we all need a bit more Elle in our lives.Getting into Harvard Law..... what, like it's hard?! It's really not, actually.I would love to hear your thoughts on Legally Blonde! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comYou can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@TheMidnightMyth@BlkGirlsDoStuffInstagram folk@moviesatthematt@_unexceptionals@lorraine_purdon_Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Edge of Tomorrow is not just your typical action sci-fiEdge of Tomorrow is not just your typical Tom Cruise action sci-fiEdge of Tomorrow is not just your typical Tom Cruise action sci-fi with time loopsEdge of Tomorrow is not just your typical Tom Cruise action sci-fi with time loops where he dies spectacularly and hilariously every single time.Edge of Tomorrow is an Emily Blunt action sci-fi; because whilst Tom Cruise headlines the movie, Emily Blunt is the star and so is her character Rita Vrataski.So, forewarning, this episode contains strong feelings towards Emily Blunt.... but to be fair I am nice about Tom Cruise too. This Cruise is my favourite Cruise and this movie is all the better for his performance.......but mainly because of Emily Blunt.I would love to hear your thoughts on Edge of Tomorrow! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comYou can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peepsAndy from @geeksaladradio@capunderstands@robinhoodpod@NerdsWithFriend@CookinWithGrief@Dreamofdragons@trevorcarlee@kevin_thecritic@30Podcast@jonboy274Instagram folk@shuffleonline@fuelled_funny@tfgifpodcast@moviesatthematt@vegimorphTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Hugh Jackman's swansong as Wolverine is nothing like any superhero comic book movie ever. It's a brutal, gory, painful look at the life of an ageing hero, a man whose life consists of numbing his pain with booze whilst caring for a frail, elderly, dementia suffering Charles Xavier. You feel every inch of their suffering and vulnerability in a world where mutants are no longer born and where Charles is so unpredictable they've declared his brain a weapon of mass destruction.....And so we meet Laura - a young mutant very much like Logan, a young mutant who brings Charles joy and gives Logan a reason to not walk away from this fight.Fox Studios could have made a standard CGI-filled world-ending standard superhero movie. The fact they chose to make something so personal, so character-driven and so emotionally-weighted with real world stakes was such a massive risk.It paid off. Critically, commercially and, most importantly, for characters we've known and loved since 2000.We need to see more studios make more movies like this.I would love to hear your thoughts on Logan! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comYou can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com (I always forget to say it in the episode!)Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peepsAndy from @geeksaladradio@capunderstands@trivia_chic@derekjones198@MoviesWork@robinhoodpod@cinema_recall@kevin_thecritic@GenuineChitChat@SSOUITSpodcast@gtthpodInstagram folk@thosemovieguyspodcast@moviesatthemattTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Have you seen that movie by Edgar Wright?Shaun of the Dead? I love that movie.No, the other one.Hot Fuzz - I always quote it!No, neither of those, the one with the young lad as the leadBaby Driver! Oh my god, such a cool movie, great soundtrackNone of those! The other other other other Edgar Wright movie!The World's End?Get out!If this conversation has happened to you, you're not alone. Scott Pilgrim vs The World is actually brilliant, but so are all of Edgar Wright's other movies, and so poor Scott Pilgrim tends to be forgotten.I want to change that. Scott Pilgrim has a phenomenal cast, great music, brilliant fight choreography and more video game references than all video games combined (probably). It about heart, strength, character and defeating your new loves' evil exes. What's more relateable than that?Most importantly, I've found a new ringtone and a way to swear on the podcast without actually swearing - all thanks to this movie!I would love to hear your thoughts on Scott Pilgrim vs The World! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comYou can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com (I always forget to say it in the episode!)Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@capunderstands@Le_Meanderthals@Wyattrocks@PulpCereal@trivia_chic@foodhistorypod@thedcabrera@TroytlePowerInstagram folk@contrarianprime@thethirstpod@thereal_johngTheme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

If you've downloaded this because you've seen The Iron Giant - big pat on the back and well done for doing so! Take a listen as I go on an almighty rant about why people under-appreciate animation and why The Iron Giant contradicts the myth that animation is just for children, whilst also being a master-class in animation, theme, characters and voice talent.If you've downloaded this because you haven't seen The Iron Giant, but trust what comes out of my mouth, I'm going to say..... PLEASE WATCH THE IRON GIANT! And then come back and listen for all the reasons above. It saddens me you haven't seen it, but I understand why. 1999 was incredibly saturated for excellence in cinema. But this..... this is worth the watch. If you only trust me once, trust me on this.This is not just animation. Animation is never just animation. The Iron Giant proves more so than any animated feature that to class animation as "just" animation is plain and simply idiotic.Animation is not a genre.Animation is everything.The Iron Giant is a masterpiece.Bravo Brad Bird. You clever amazing man. I might just love you more than Keanu..... (maybe not, but it's close!)Pete Townshend's A Friend of a Friend animated video for 1989's The Iron Man is at https://youtu.be/LpiYXRt5MyM I would love to hear your thoughts on The Iron Giant! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comYou can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!Buy yourself a copy of The Iron Giant for my birthday. Genuinely all I could ever want.My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their co ntributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@MoviesAtTheMatt@HeresSandy@LaunchingTPilot@FeministHotdog@20thCenturyGeek@agirlherhorror@RobertC46302033Instagram folk@itsnotjoe@thethirstpodNext up? Well you'll have to listen to find out, so go do the Wright thing..... ;-)Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

There were lots of fantasy movies which came out in the 80s. Flash Gordon, The Dark Crystal, Krull, The Neverending Story, Legend and Labyrinth to name a few. None were, however, as sweet-natured, innocent and kind as Willow, with a marvellous central performance from a mature beyond his years teenage Warwick Davis. (He was actually 17 during filming, not 18 like I say in the episode.... ooops!)You simply couldn't have Willow without Warwick. Nor could you have Willow without the ground-breaking special effects; a mixture of animatronics, stop-motion, miniatures, animation, over-sized sets, blue-screen compositing, rear projection, as well as ILM’s innovative 2D transformation system, called MORF. This movie contains so much state-of-the-art special effects work that they had to scale down production to stop the budget from being blown!Don't even get me started on that James Horner score. It's so beautiful it makes me cry!Simply put, whilst the story is simple, this movie is magic. Willow...... You Are Great!I would love to hear your thoughts on Willow! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comYou can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!For Augstravaganza, please don't donate to Ko-fi. Instead please donate to shinecharity.org.uk/donate so they can provide advice and support to families dealing with spina bifida, hydrocephalus and related conditions. Any Ko-Fi donations I receive in the month of August will instead be donated to Shine.My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peeps@30podcast@gundam_guyverInstagram folk@sheenanigans83@rcarteaga_h24@leppieladdie@ginatinelNext up is The Iron Giant - look out for that in your podcatcher on 31st August!Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Jarsoomians! Welcome to Barsoom Airlines. Exits are here, here, here and here. Please fasten your seat belts, there's a lot of turbulence on our journey and honestly we're all in for a bumpy ride to visit John Carter (of Mars).John Carter, fictional hero of the American Civil War and of Edgar Rice Burroughs' popular Barsoom series of novels should have had an easy road to Hollywood glory. His name in lights should have enticed men, women and children to his big screen adventures, with multiple sequels, telling a story beloved by many. He should be as big as Star Wars or Avatar, movies that were inspired by his adventures.He's not though. His movie spent 81 years in development hell before being released, flopping terribly and fading into relative obscurity. It's almost like it's a swear word in Disney canon, (because lest we forget, this is a Disney movie). The House of Mouse wants nothing more to do with this character or this movie.Join me, as we follow John to Mars, discover why Mars was actually deemed part of the problem, how an inexperienced director managed to get complete creative control over a $250 million movie and just how they managed to market an Edgar Rice Burroughs adaptation without even mentioning Edgar Rice Burroughs.The thing is, it's actually not a terrible movie. It's convoluted and confusing, but it's also fun and interesting. It's just not the masterpiece it should have been.Ock, ohem, oktei, weis, Barsoom!References:Bob Clampett's test footage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTAlgZlqwnQKerry Conran's presentation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfry_GeXst8John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood by Michael D Sellers - https://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Carter-Gods-Hollywood-filmmakers/dp/0615682316 I would love to hear your thoughts on John Carter! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comYou can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!For Augstravaganza, please don't donate to Ko-fi. Instead please donate to shinecharity.org.uk/donate so they can provide advice and support to families dealing with spina bifida, hydrocephalus and related conditions. Any Ko-Fi donations I receive in the month of August will instead be donated to Shine.My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peepsAndy @geeksaladradioMike @gundam_guyverJeff @AttheflicksPod@ComicsinMotionPChristopher @TimeShiftersPod@PulpCereal@Erikakamoviefan@Dreamofdragons@TheMiddleborne@Lawrencehoard91Next up is Willow - look out for that in your podcatcher in about a week's time!Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

What is The Matrix?No one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.I would love to hear your thoughts on The Matrix! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:[email protected] can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!For Augstravaganza, please don't donate to Ko-fi. Instead please donate to shinecharity.org.uk/donate so they can provide advice and support to families dealing with spina bifida, hydrocephalus and related conditions. Any Ko-Fi donations I receive in the month of August will instead be donated to Shine.My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comSpecial thanks to Lorraine & Harrie from Show Me The Podcast - come back to podcasting soon, we miss you!Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:Twitter peepsAndy @geeksaladradioJason @WooLongTalks@_unexceptionals@MeteorReviewsChristy @KillerFunPod@bluesoxcircle@cinema_recallJeff @AttheflicksPod@FeministHotdog@PulpCereal@iused2watchthis@SelectWomanTaftInstagram folk@richkidd266@vergimorph@unitanda@ozzy_aydoNext up is John Carter - look out for that in your podcatcher in about a week's time!Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

 I... I may not be an explorer, or, or an adventurer, or a treasure-seeker, or a gunfighter, Mr. O'Connell, but I am proud of what I am! I….. am the girl who really really loves The Mummy.Wholly, completely, absolutely despite its flaws, I love it. I can watch it every damn day. It's the perfect mix of action, adventure, romance, comedy and horror, with peak Brendan Fraser and perfect Rachel Weisz. Hollywood just doesn't make movies like this anymore.Like Evie Carnaghan, I need a Rick O'Connell to help me decipher the hieroglyphs of this wonderful slice of pulp cinema, and who better that literally one of the nicest guys in podcasting?!Despite the curse on this episode ("The curse, beware of the curse!"), I'm finally joined by Jason from WooLongTalks, on our third attempt, to gush over this movie. We avoid the Hom Dai, and delve into the tombs of Hamunaptra to find a nice gooey Mummy; its history involving the likes of legendary horror directors like Clive Barker and Wes Craven, but the main reason The Mummy exists at all? A little pig called Babe.Now listen, this movie is twenty years old this year and whilst it's aged reasonably well, we know it's not perfect. We chat a little about some of the problematic aspects of the movie and the quite gaping plot holes, but honestly, I still love it.Now this is the only Dark Universe we could ever need! Death is only the beginning.I would love to hear your thoughts on The Mummy! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:[email protected] can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!For Augstravaganza, please don't donate to Ko-fi. Instead please donate to shinecharity.org.uk/donate so they can provide advice and support to families dealing with spina bifida, hydrocephalus and related conditions. Any Ko-Fi donations I receive in the month of August will instead be donated to Shine.My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comThanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:My mum! She finds this movie very scary, but her thoughts are included, so thanks Mum!Twitter peepsSade from @offscreenbabble@PulpCerealClaudia @youreonclaud9@canuckinomicon@Capt_HangryCat @thingscatloves@ContrarianPrime@PopPrismPower@DrunkNetflixInstagram folk@vegimorph@therebooters@evie_the_cheeky_chiNext up is The Matrix - look out for that in your podcatcher in a week's time!Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe FacebookLyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Good morning Angels.Good morning Charlie!Three, is the magic number. You have three blind mice, three little pigs and you always, always have three Angels. Three extraordinary women who work for one man, Charles Townsend, played by three extraordinary actresses.Drew Barrymore and her production company Flower Films had a vision for a Charlie's Angels movie; she wanted it to be fun, campy and inspirational, where the women were just as sexy as they were funny, as they were skilled at martial arts. So she set out, with her production company partner Nancy Juvonen and pitched her idea, her choice of first time movie director and her vision to the studio. By some miraculous turn of events, she got it, and so did we, and boy it's just so much fun to watch!Charlie's Angels is often lampooned as a terrible movie. Whilst it's not perfect, it has a great cast who worked incredibly hard, and have built life-long friendships because of this movie. Just don't talk about that moonwalk. It's not a moonwalk, Drew!Also, don't talk about that time Bill Murray headbutted the director.Also also, don't talk about the argument between Lucy Liu and Bill Murray.Maybe just don't talk about Bill Murray at all, ok. Also, don't talk about salaries.Or the many many screenwriters and script edits.How is this movie even coherent?!I would love to hear your thoughts on Charlie's Angels! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:[email protected] can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!If you'd like to buy me a coffee, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/verbaldiorama My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comFor those interested in my amazing new theme song, here's some info about who did it and how you can get in touch with them if you want a cracking good new song for your podcast, or for any project really. If you do, make sure you say Em from Verbal Diorama sent you. Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme SongMusic by Chloe Enticott.Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)Compositions by Chloe FacebookProduction by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique StudiosEwenique Studios Facebook See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

The Phoenix will rise.....But will she, though?I'm joined by ChinLin from The Bingeables Podcast to talk about the final part of Fox's landmark X-Men franchise, which started in 2000 and all but kicked off the modern fascination with superheroes. There's been sequels, prequels, spin-offs and now this, an(other) adaptation of one of the X-Men's most well known and loved story lines: The Dark Phoenix Saga.Truthfully, the movie is a bit of a mess, however we both love the X-Men and so we find some things to enjoy, but we can't help but wonder what could have been of this movie had certain other events not been going on at the time. It could have been great, it should have been great. Mostly though, our thoughts are summarised by the phrase.... "What the Vuk was that?!" #WhatTheVukYou can find ChinLin and The Bingeables on Twitter @bingeablespod and you should follow and listen to ChinLin and Isaac if you don't already!I would love to hear your thoughts on X-Men Dark Phoenix! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:[email protected] can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!If you'd like to buy me a coffee, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/verbaldiorama My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comSpecial thanks to the following people for their contributions to this episode:@AtTheFlickspod@youreonclaud9@doctorshades24Lorraine from @smtpcast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for us.Gaaaah me hearties! Ahoy there! This be Em and I be joined by me co-captain for this voyage across the seven seas, Sade from Offscreen Babble. It might be trifle bad luck to have women aboard yer ship, but avast! We batten down the hatches to reach that horizon, stoppin' off on islands filled with Aztec gold and copious amounts of rum, where we will always remember the day we met Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?!Thar's blood, scares, violence and enough sexual tension to make the lily-livered faint. Be ye sure t'is a Disney movie?Don't end up in Davy Jones' locker! Hoist the Jolly Roger with us on the fastest ship on that there ocean - the Black Pearl! But be warned, there be a curse on this here ship, so watch out for Captain Barbossa and his mutinous crew!Are ye aboard? Say AYE!(The boring non pirate bit!)Massive thanks to Sade for coming on the show. You can find Offscreen Babble on Twitter @offscreenbabble, Facebook @offscreenbabble and Instagram @offscreenbabble and you should follow & listen to Sade & Kyle if you don't already!Their Etsy store is available at https://etsy.me/2Rxqqtc - please support them and buy one of Sade's amazing pins!I would love to hear your thoughts on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:[email protected] can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!If you'd like to buy me a coffee, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/verbaldiorama My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comAlso thanks to the following people for their contributions to this episode:@vegimorphAndy @geeksaladradio@alwayscriticpod@FalseStartsPod@BoxOfficePulp@TheMidnightMyth@hugosposts@salexanderfilm@CaitDoes See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

So, this is a little bonus episode I did after watching 2019's Aladdin and inevitably compared it to 1992's Aladdin; the movie I watched the most as a child.Spoilers for the new 2019 Aladdin (although to be honest, if you know the 1992 movie, you should really know the rough plot - it's very similar!)I also go into the production history of 1992's Aladdin, and the legacy of Robin Williams incredible performance and why we have Ferngully: The Last Rainforest to thank for all of this.I would love to hear your thoughts on either version of Aladdin! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:[email protected] can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!If you'd like to buy me a coffee, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/verbaldiorama My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Pop quiz hotshot. There’s a podcast in your ears. Once that podcast reaches 8 episodes a guest is introduced. If that guest chooses the best action thriller movie, this podcast blows up (and by that we mean figuratively rather than literally!) What do you do? What do you do?Turns out you do a lot, for a long time and then take ages to get it out of the door. Trust me, I understand the irony of a podcast episode about Speed being 3+ hours long and being released 1+ weeks late. It's a bit of a change to the usual format, but still enjoyable I hope!Thank you to the wonderful Kristin from So I'm Watching This Show for guest hosting on this very unspeedy of episodes, but honestly we had such a blast recording and just having a bit of a chat about one of the best action movies of the 90s; a movie that still raises the tension after 25 years, with great chemistry between its leads and a genuinely unhinged bad guy who constantly raises the stakes.Basically, we spend a long time gushing over how wonderful this movie is, despite the unrealistic depiction of traffic in Los Angeles and a bus that can go over 30mph - we know they don't exist in real life! Keanu is great, Sandra is great, Dennis is great. This is the pinnacle of 90s action movies and it still stands the test of time. (The less said about Speed 2 the better.)Get ready for rush hour!You can find So I'm Watching This Show at http://soimwatching.com and they're on Twitter @soimwatching and Instagram @soimwatchingthisshow and you should follow & listen to Wil & Kristin if you don't already!I would love to hear your thoughts on Speed! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:[email protected] can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!If you'd like to buy me a coffee, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/verbaldiorama My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comSpecial thanks to the following people for their contributions to this episode:My lovely friend Claudia @youreonclaud9@vegimorph Jeff @AtTheFlicksPod@days_podcastAndy @geeksaladradioLorraine @smtpcast@PhiltheBear@hugosposts See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

So, you have this girl, probably a virgin but always beautiful and occasionally really stupid. She's in a slasher movie, so you know she's going to run towards danger, ignore all the signs of the monster and probably witness all her friends being slaughtered. She's the final girl. She'll probably survive to star in your sequel.But what if there was a movie that wanted to deconstruct all the tropes of slasher movies? What if it's all a big reality TV show, where the "reality stars" are just the pawns of the corporate bigwigs who manufacture the arena? What if all those horror tropes are subverted? What if we take these tropes and satirise them, and essentially make fun of the whole genre whilst also paying homage to the genre?It's really rather marvellous that The Cabin in the Woods actually manages to achieve all those things!The Cabin in the Woods is brilliant at subverting those tropes. The characters are never who they seem to be, and neither are the monsters. Written by Joss Whedon (he who already successfully subverted the classic blonde girl in a horror movie who always dies first in Buffy the Vampire Slayer!) and Drew Goddard who also directed, they don't skimp on the horror, comedy or the classic horror Easter eggs. You think you know the story? Think again!I would love to hear your thoughts (and theories!) on The Cabin in the Woods! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:[email protected] can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!If you'd like to buy me a coffee, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/verbaldiorama My website is at https://verbaldiorama.comSpecial thanks to the following people for their contributions to this episode:Harrie from Show Me The Podcast - make sure you follow them @smtpcast on Twitter and subscribe at https://anchor.fm/show-me-the-podcast for more from Harrie & Lorraine!@SYIMS_Podcast@bingeablespod@WooLongTalks@BlkGirlsDoStuff@stephxmckenna@GidgitVonLaRue@blindlumination@TimeShiftersPod@PubDread@OneStarBazaar@TomTheToast See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Ahh, the 1950s. A time of tradition; where fathers were the breadwinners and worked the 9 to 5, mothers were homemakers and caregivers and children were obedient. Men ruled the roost, women ruled the kitchen and children were seen and not heard. Are you looking for the ideal place to raise your nuclear family? Choose Pleasantville! An idyllic black and white utopia with no sex, drugs, rock and roll or emotion of any kind. It's swell!Ahh Pleasantville. The town of choice for repressed sitcom families everywhere. The town of choice for 90s movie siblings to crash into and change irrevocably. Are you looking for the ideal movie about repression and the power of change? Choose Pleasantville! An idyllic black and white utopia, where you can introduce sex to the people, words into books, art onto walls and emotion into the every day lives of the perfect residents. It's pasty, but it won't be for long!Pleasantville is a movie that uses the metaphors of inserting colour into a predominantly black and white movie to represent change, and also the fear of change. On the surface it’s the story of a pair of teenagers who upset a fictional world, but underneath it has layers of deeper meaning. What is a perfect life? Who are we if all we do is follow the status quo? It’s a story about being more than what other people might want you to be.I would love to hear your thoughts on Pleasantville! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:[email protected] can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!If you'd like to buy me a coffee, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/verbaldiorama My website has been set up and is at https://verbaldiorama.com And remember, nothing is as simple as black and white.Special thanks to the following people for their contributions to this episode:Kristin from @soimwatching@philthebear@attheflickspod@VincentAsher See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Most movies contain some blue screen in some way (some, green!). If your movie is full of complex special effects, or set on some vast, wholly imagined alien world, you need that blue (or green) screen to be able to insert those computer generated backdrops, with your actors in the foreground pretending to be in that world. In the early 2000s, brothers Kerry and Kevin Conran had an idea..... what if they could shoot a complete movie using these blue screen backdrops, set in an alternative 1939 New York, where robots attack the city and only a brave pilot and a smart reporter could save the world?!Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow was the result of years of painstaking hard work and determination. Its effects were revolutionary for the time, and paved the way for modern movies. You think Sin City or 300 started this revolution? Nope, it was Sky Captain!Whilst the visuals don't always hold up 15 years later, the premise and ambition of the movie really does. Plus Jude Law is super hot, but this episode isn't 30 minutes of me telling you something you already know!Simply put, a lot of today's movies owe a great debt to Sky Captain, including the MCU, not only for the remarkable visual effects but also in other ways you might not realise.... I also talk about the Ottensian dieselpunk style of this movie, and reference a particular article - the link for which is below - if you're interested in knowing more about the differing styles of dieselpunk:http://web.archive.org/web/20110612203223id_/http://ottens.co.uk/gatehouse/dieselpunk_articles-4.phpI would love to hear your thoughts on Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:[email protected] can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!As I mentioned at the end of this episode, I've recently set up a ko-fi page and if you'd like to buy me a coffee, that would help me tremendously! You can do so at https://ko-fi.com/verbaldiorama and I'd be very grateful for your support!The battle for tomorrow is about to begin...Special thanks to the following people for their contributions to this episode:Rich from @WooLongTalks@TimeShiftersPod@thereelpundits@enrealidadnouso@VincentAsher@LaunchingTPilot@30Podcast@screenredeem@SoupComplex@bingeablespod See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Miracles don't happen every day, especially in Hollywood. If something is too complicated, they'll make it easier. If something goes over budget, they'll cancel it. If it's too raunchy, they'll tone it down. You get the picture. Making a movie; a good movie, is hard in any town, but especially in Toontown. This ain't no fairy-tale; it's a story of sex, violence, murder and patty cake. Why don't you do right, indeed!Who Framed Roger Rabbit was complicated, expensive and a feat of technological marvel. It had a long and difficult production, not to mention a vast array of characters, all of whom had to be individually licensed to appear. A movie like this will never be made again. It shouldn't exist but it does. It truly is a miracle. There's one man we have to thank, and rather surprisingly I don't mean Robert Zemeckis! This episode contains full spoilers for Who Framed Roger Rabbit, so if you haven't seen the movie, I'd highly recommend you do so! And where have you been all your life if you haven't seen this movie?! I would love to hear your thoughts on Who Framed Roger Rabbit! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:[email protected], darn ya, smile! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

It's not every day that you see a movie described as "a glorious ballad of bloodshed". Yeah, that's how I would describe Dredd and I did on this very podcast!I bet you're thinking of Stallone right now.... well get Sly out of your head because this Dredd is better, bloodier and more faithful to the source material than the 1995 version, and all the better for it. It's got a great score, great performances and looks so much more expensive than its budget would suggest, but not that many people saw it at the box office. Sad face. This episode does contain some spoilers for Dredd, but I implore you to download, stream or buy this movie if you can. It's a lot of fun, and as remakes go (because technically yes, it is a remake even if the original movie was inferior!) it's up there with the best you can think of. The Bring Back Dredd campaign was passionate and powerful, and although a second movie never has and probably never will materialise, it's time judgement came to the movie industry and Dredd is recognised for the masterpiece it truly is.I would love to hear your thoughts on Dredd! You can get in touch on:Instagram @verbaldioramaTwitter @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions: [email protected] time......!! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

SURPRISE!This is not episode 2.Well it is, but it also isn't, because episode 2 is about [redacted] and this is about Captain Marvel.I did a little minisode on Captain Marvel and how I felt about it after seeing it. The "real" episode 2 will be out shortly, but in the meantime have a listen to why I loved Captain Marvel so much.Let me know your thoughts on Captain Marvel too:Twitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaThanks for listening and keep your ears open for the actual episode 2, coming soon! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Welcome to the first episode of Verbal Diorama!In this inaugural episode, I discuss the movie that literally sunk Fox Animation Studios; the groundbreaking and risk-taking Titan A.E.; a movie that's rich in history and legacy, as well as infamous for being one of the biggest financial flops of all time. *Hint* It's actually not a bad movie, I liked it, but it does have issues!I also briefly talk about my favourite movie of last year, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse.You can follow me on:Instagram @verbaldioramaTwitter @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions: [email protected] for listening!Em See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacyOP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy