May 17, 2021
Today’s podcast is a Playback review of the 2013 climate-fiction film ‘Snowpiercer’. Written and directed by Bong Joon-Ho, and starring Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Song Kang-Ho and Ed Harris, ‘Snowpiercer’ is a post-apocalyptic tale about a second ice age where the last remaining humans and animals live on board a futuristic supertrain. However, if the train stops, everyone freezes to death and humanity is lost forever. The film also explores deeper themes of class, privilege, inequality, and ultimately, survival.
May 10, 2021
The hashtag says it all!
On today's episode, we chop up writer and Winter Soldier co-creator Ed Brubaker's recent comments on the Fatman Beyond podcast. Ed spoke candidly about his unease at seeing the character's success and popularity in the MCU and now, streaming online.
We also discuss other well known comic book creators who haven't **really** been shown the money like Marv Wolfman, Bill Mantlo, Dave Cockrum and the late Len Wein.
May 7, 2021
Swain offers a few words in remembrance of comics artist John Paul Leon (Static, The Winter Men, Earth X), who passed away on May 1, 2021.
He was an immense talent whose mastery of black and white picture-making was truly respected by his peers and fans alike. In addition, Leon was a former guest and friend of our podcast.
(Photo by Luigi Novi)
May 3, 2021
The unlikely duo of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes are back, only this time as ‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’, streaming right now on Disney+. The Marvel Studios series made its dynamic debut in March 2021 and took off (no pun intended)!
Plenty of action, plenty of buddy cop chemistry between Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, and lots of new characters who weren't introduced in the films such as Karli Morganthau and the Flag Smashers, Isaiah Bradley, and John Walker as, um, the new Captain America.
A few familiar faces from the MCU proper do show up in the series like former SHIELD agent Sharon Carter, the Dora Milajie's Ayo from ‘Black Panther’, and the nefarious Baron Zemo.
We unpack all six episodes including the spectacular series finale!
April 26, 2021
On today's podcast, we attempt to figure out whatever happened to the writer-artist in mainstream comics.
In the 1970s and 1980s, artists like Jack Kirby, Jim Starlin, John Byrne, and Frank Miller wrote and drew mainstream books featuring flagship characters. Be it a miniseries like Miller’s ‘The Dark Knight Returns’, Byrne’s five-year run on ‘The Fantastic Four’ or even Walt Simonson's incredible three years on ‘The Mighty Thor’ — fans ate it up to tremendous sales and acclaim.
However, we see a different version of the writer-artist working in contemporary mainstream comics.
Why?
April 19, 2021
Who remembers the old Dell, Gold Key and Charlton comics? Weird, offbeat characters like Magnus: Robot Fighter, Doctor Solar, Turok, and the original Blue Beetle? How about Archie Comics with its never-ending soap opera about a group of teenagers living in the fictional town of Riverdale?
Today, we discuss those publishers, their titles, and even some of the creators who worked for them on this episode we're calling — ‘Forgotten Comics’.
April 12, 2021
Our review of the mesmerizing 1999 crime thriller ‘The Limey’. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Terence Stamp, Luis Guzmán, Leslie Ann Warren, and the late Peter Fonda, the movie is about an estranged father's journey for revenge, forgiveness, and ultimately, redemption. ‘The Limey’ is considered by many fans to be one of Soderbergh's best films.
April 5, 2021
“I smell a rat!”
On today’s podcast, we interrogate a murderers’ row of classic L.A. crime movies like The Big Sleep, Chinatown, True Romance, Reservoir Dogs, Heat, Jackie Brown, and L.A. Confidential. For years, audiences have been captivated by the seedy underbelly of the ‘City of Angels’ depicted on film. We go deep undercover to find out why.
March 29, 2021
Today's episode is a deep dive into Vietnam War movies. We did our best to cover all of the big ones (The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket) and even a few that often get overlooked (Dead Presidents, The Siege of Firebase Gloria, Rescue Dawn). Lastly, we discuss some of the tropes and overused storylines in these films, as well as how patriotic filmmaking can easily turn into jingoistic wish fulfillment.
March 22, 2021
Oliver Stone's 'Platoon' celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. We recon all the classic scenes and unforgettable characters: Charlie Sheen as Taylor, Tom Berenger as Sgt. Barnes, Willem Dafoe as Sgt. Elias, as well as Keith David, Kevin Dillon, Forest Whitaker and John C. McGinley rounding out the rest of the squad.
We also chop up some behind-the-scenes trivia related to the making of the film and discuss Platoon's place in the pantheon of Vietnam War films.
