Talking Tropes Podcast

Recap and discussion of Part 2 of the RTD 2 Doctor Who specials, now available on iPlayer or Disney+

Recap and discussion of Part 1 of the RTD2 Specials, now available on iPlayer and Disney+

*SPOILERS* Happy Halloween everybody, it's the much anticipated finale of Chris Chibnall's final season of Doctor Who! What do you think of Yaz, the Doctor, and Chris's exit? Tweet at us @talkingtropes and keep an eye out for more Tardis Tropes content as we wait for the60th anniversary.

It's Chris Chibnall's last episode before the Centenary special and his final farewell. It's a pirate-themed adventure set in Qing dynasty China with a returning baddie, THE SEA DEVILS! In some ways, it's exactly what you'd expect from a Chibnall episode, but in other ways, it is WORSE. Listen to our hot takes on the lack of chemistry between The Doctor and Yaz!

This is the BIG ONE! If you only listen to one episode of Stanning Stanley Tucci, pick this one. Tucci's directorial and screenwriting debut, Big Night (1996). Co-starring Tony Shalhoub, we recap the real Italian-American story of two brothers trying to save their restaurant from the brink of bankruptcy. Listen to hear about Tucci's real life inspiration for the film, (There's even a secret reference to Tucci's role in Miami Vice). Tweet at us your first memory of seeing Big Night @talkingtropes and let us know if you want to be a guest Stan on a future podcast.

In this episode, we take a look at the controversy surrounding Netflix's Don't Look Up. One of us liked it! We also look at the history of the Doomsday Comet trope in film and television. Armageddon, Deep Impact and more comedic fare like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. Is doomsday upon us? Tweet your Don't Look Up hot takes @talkingtropes

Tucci reunites with indie director Alexandre Rockwell to do a little character acting with Rosie Perez. Somebody to Love is a boring title, but is there some hidden artistry here? Or is this just an American take on a Fellini film that sacrifices the New Wave aesthetic?

An obscure art-house film starring Tucci, who spends most of the movie bound and gagged. It ultimately fails to deliver on the psychosexual stage-play aesthetic and just comes across as if someone adapted a porno for the festival circuit. But Tucci is still good in it! Tweet at us @talkingTropes if you want to be a guest Stan on a future podcast

Am I feeling some déjà vu? I feel like I'm in a time loop reviewing another Chris Chibnall Dalek episode on New Year's Day 2022. This time Chibnall seems to have hit his mark with memorable characters and a fun time looping premise, but a beat-by-beat recap reveals that none of it actually makes any sense at all! Join us on this fantastic journey and let us know what you think by tweeting us @talkingtropes

First episode of the new year has us asking, What is Real? A little bit of Baudrillard and The Matrix: Resurrections help us understand why Facebook is now called Meta and why our reality is becoming harder to distinguish from virtual reality. Let's trace the history of the Metaverse to its source and look at how HBO Max is using it to showcase its intellectual property in The Matrix, Ready Player One, and even Space Jam. Please Tweet at us @talkingtropes or I swear to god I will make a Talking Tropes NFT. You have to stop me by tweeting what you think of this podcast or a topic we should do next or the blockchain will be stuffed full of TTNFTs.

Tucci plays a crooked Assistant DA in this remake of a 1940s mob movie. Joined once again by Nicolas Cage, and now by college classmate Ving Rhames, Tucci gives a fantastic dramatic performance while eating a hot dog. In Tucci News, we read selections from Tucci's September feature in an in-flight magazine.

It's the finale of the Flux and what an awfully dull adventure it all was. Are any secrets revealed in this big finale? No? Well you should listen to us talk about it anyway.

It's a spoiler-filled recap of the penultimate episodes of Doctor Who: Flux. Village of the Angels and Survivors of the Flux continue a trend of alternating straightforward monster episodes and convoluted multi-plot episodes. Secrets are revealed but are any of them satisfying? What does the Division actually do? Did Joseph Williamson, the top hat man actually have a point? Listen and jump into the void with us.

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving! This week, we look at some classic American tropes related to hair color. Do Gentlemen Prefer Blondes? Do they have more fun? Is there a darker side to the trope of the dumb blonde? Let's find out. You can watch our video podcast here: https://youtu.be/HhV6X982ODU Tweet at us @talkingtropes if you have a hot take about blondes, brunettes or any hair color on the visible spectrum!

Wahoo! Flux is actually living up to the hype with two completely different episodes with wildly different tones and plot structure! Sontarans riding horseback and whacky time shenanigans galore in this recap of the second and third episodes of Series 13 of Doctor Who.

Pauly Shore, master of the deeply unfunny, brings us the worst Stanley Tucci film so far, as we continue to review Tucci's entire IMDb history. A bizarre mish-mash of 12 Angry Men and Bio-Dome, Jury Duty (1995) gives Tucci a chance to shine in an otherwise forgettable "comedy." In Tucci news, we celebrate Tucci's latest Emmy award for his travel show Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. Let us know if you'd like to be a guest Stan on a future Tucci recap on Twitter @talkingTropes Watch our video podcast at https://youtu.be/TrbdXL69_y0

Tardis Tropes is back with more Doctor Who recaps and discussion. This week we have a bizarre series premiere and Halloween Special. Doctor Who Flux episode 1: The Halloween Apocalypse features Dog Man, Crystal Skull Man, Weeping Angels, Sontarans and Liverpudlians. Plenty to talk about and plenty of mysteries to solve.

Trick or trope! Talking Tropes is back with a Halloween episode about tricksters. Trickster Gods like Loki and Maui, trickster animals like Bugs Bunny and Br'er Rabbit, Clowns, and the devils and demons that trick mortals out of their souls! Could this figure represent something essential about human psychology across cultures? Do shapeshifters help us to transform ourselves? Spoilers for the character Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Let us know your favorite trickster by tweeting us @TalkingTropes Check out our video podcast here https://youtu.be/30y-0J_iDxM

Tucci plays a deadbeat, pathological liar, ex-husband to a waitress who gets a surprise tip of 2 million dollars from Nic Cage, who plays a lottery winner and the greatest cop in NYC. Is this movie Tucci's most naked role? Literally? And is it a hidden gem or a piece of propaganda for the New York Post? Find out in another Stanning Stanley Tucci!!! Tweet at us @talkingtropes if you want to be a guest Stan on a future podcast Watch the Video Podcast here: https://youtu.be/oMcaRy7pNog

With special guest Sarah, we deconstruct the Magical Girl genre of anime and manga, briefly recapping the history and evolution of tropes and analyzing the role it has played in changing perceptions of gender and femininity over the years. Do Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura commodify the female body or do they empower young girls to embrace their inner strength of character? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below or tweeting at us @talkingtropes Watch the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/xyREwlZM_Ok

Gather round the Algonquin Round Table, for an intellectual conversation about the lives of New Yorker columnists in the 1920s. Tucci has a brief cameo in this biopic starring Jennifer Jason Leigh as Dorothy Parker and Tucci's good friend Campbell Scott as her love interest Robert Benchley. And in Tucci news, we take a look at a recent profile of Tucci's wife, Felicity Blunt. Tweet at us @talkingtropes if you want to be a guest Stan on a future podcast Watch the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/etfM74jeIfY

This week, we share our weirdest, most out-there takes on Space Jam, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and their obvious predecessor Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Is it worth looking at these artifacts as more than just marketing tools for Warner Bros' most durable IP? Did A New Legacy change the genre of Space Jam completely? Just how have animation/live-action hybrids changed in the digital age? Tweet at us @TalkingTropes if you have any questions or arguments about any of these weird takes Watch the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/jprEw5od7mM

Tucci serves up some LOOKS in a John Grisham thriller as Khamel, a "middle eastern" assassin-for-hire. No he doesn't kill any pelicans. Is this the film where Tucci hit the mainstream? Find out on another Stanning Stanley Tucci! Tweet at us if you'd like to be a guest STAN on a future podcast @talkingtropes Watch the video podcast here https://youtu.be/7D903JQpO7I

Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma are novels so deeply rooted in the values and ideas of Regency England (c. 1811 – 1820) that it seems impossible to adapt them to our modern "Sensibilities" (pun intended). Yet, Hollywood has produced several Austen adaptations set in the turn of the 21st century. Today with special guest and Austen fan Liz DeKok, we look at three of these, Clueless (1995), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), and the somewhat obscure Prada to Nada (2011). Do these values translate? And how have Austen's novels contributed to the tropes and cliches of the Romantic Comedy? Special thanks to our editor Logan Tweet at us @talkingtropes if you have a Jane Austen adaptation hot take. Follow our guest Liz @lizdekok for more Austen takes and memes Watch the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/QVBgs3sJgqE

The Tooch plays Muerte, a buffoonish and stereotypical latino criminal who wants revenge on CIA agent Jeff Blue and his wife Jane for humiliating him in an attempted mugging. Tucci said of the role at the time that this was the most physically demanding film he had ever worked on, and the only one so far to make him take off his pants on screen. You won't believe our Tucci fun fact this week! Special thanks to our editor Logan McBride Tweet at us @talkingTropes if you would like to be a guest stan on a future podcast. Watch the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/U11F7xG_zOg

There's nothing about Luca that we dislike! Let's look at this simple yet powerful story of young love and being yourself...in the context of a censorship regime focused on producing inoffensive films with global appeal while at the same time appealing to progressive, queer-friendly audiences. Watch the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/sF1hu3s-a9A Tweet at us @talkingtropes if you have a different take on Luca or if you have a suggestion of what we should recap next Special thanks to our editor Logan Mcbride

In a special 4th of July episode, we compare two notable examples of Aliens invading America in the immediate aftermath of the cold war. How do these stories compare to the cold war-era films they draw from? Tweet at us @TalkingTropes to share your favorite alien invasion story

We continue to watch every Stanley Tucci IMDb credit. This week, Tucci plays a mobster in a neo-noir character drama starring Joe Pesci. Is this the hidden gem of the 90s mob movies you NEED to see? Also, we read a review of Tucci's food tourism show by a true Tucci stan from The Guardian, Stuart Heritage (@stuheritage) https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jun/21/stanley-tucci-the-flirty-hero-of-foodie-tv-you-need-in-your-life Watch the Video Podcast here: https://youtu.be/KCNuLXgCyUU Tweet at us @talkingtropes if you want to be a guest stan on a future episode. Special thanks to our editor, Logan McBride.

Cast reunions became a ubiquitous cultural form during the Covid-19 pandemic. Because of the shutdown of in-person production, actors had even more free time and fewer resources than during writers' strikes. Zoom became a popular way to organize charity events and look back fondly on the network era of television. HBO Max released two elaborately produced and highly publicized cast reunion specials to promote their newly acquired NBCUniversal properties, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996), and Friends (1994-2004) which were meant to establish Warner Media and AT&T as legitimate stewards for the legacy of these classic sitcoms. We discuss the ways these reunions function from a corporate strategy perspective and what they represent as works of art constructing nostalgic narratives around the production of 90s sitcoms. What are the tropes common to the two reunions? Are they fake or real? Tweet at us if you have a different take on these reunions @talkingTropes Special thanks to our editor Logan Mcbride If you want to watch the video podcast, click here https://youtu.be/148Xm2Gnpdk

Tucci the dognapper? It's a timely follow-up to our Cruella review, where we talk about how much we love Stanley Tucci in Beethoven, starring a St. Bernard and Charles Grodin as they butt heads to see who is the alpha of the Newton household! The audio quality might be a bit lower because we had to use the backup recording. Oops! Watch the video podcast here https://youtu.be/-KTs6dzkiXk Tweet at us if you want to be a guest Stan on a future podcast @talkingtropes Special thanks to our editor Logan McBride

The latest round of reboots, remakes, and retellings have taken on a new trend of villain origin stories or "villagins." What can we learn from the popularity of this trope in just the last five years? Does it say something about the role of trauma in media, the joys of cruelty and revenge, our sense of justice and happy endings? Let us know your thoughts Tweet at us @talkingTropes to let us know what you thought of Cruella or what trope we should talk about next. Special thanks to our editor Logan McBride Watch our video podcast here: https://youtu.be/Gl5_6HLD-QA

It's another recap of an obscure Stanley Tucci IMDB credit! Here we continue the chronicles of Tucci's long time collaboration with Steve Buscemi in one of Steve's first starring roles. This Sundance-winning art film depicts the absurdist vision of a filmmaker named Adolfo and his con-man "producer" Joe. Tucci plays Gregoire, a wacky French neighbor. Does any of it hold up? Listen and find out! Tweet at us if you want to be a guest Stan on a future episode @TalkingTropes Watch our Video podcast here https://youtu.be/4gJjqYCfuTc Special thanks to our editor Logan McBride

We continue to watch every Stan Tucci credit on IMDB. This week its a bizarre body-swapping romantic drama, Prelude to a Kiss starring Meg Ryan and a young Alec Baldwin who played the same role in the stage production. Tucci plays "Tay," Baldwin's best man and confidant, who perhaps has some subtextual romantic attraction to his BFF? If you'd like to be a guest stan on a future Stanning Stanley Tucci, tweet at us @talkingtropes You can also watch our video podcast here: https://youtu.be/J23b6HqxFg8 Special thanks to our editor Logan McBride

We don't have a full episode this week. As a continuation of our conversation about Netflix Rom-coms, Hannah and I talk about the two Cyrano De Bergerac teen romantic comedy adaptations that are on Netflix right now. Why is Sierra Burgess seen as a trashy story about catfishing where The Half of it is seen as a prestige, award-winning auteurist work from Alice Wu? Special thanks to Editor Logan McBride Tweet @TalkingTropes to give us your opinions on Cyrano, Sierra, and Ellie

Behind Her Eyes is a 2021 Netflix series starring Simona Brown, Eve Hewson and Tom Bateman. It's a romantic thriller that ends with a twist, Adele (Hewson) turns out to be a body swapper and DOUBLE-TWIST, her real name is Rob and she's a MAN! With special guest Talia Paone (@thepizzataco), we break down how transphobic twists like this are baked into so many body-switching, body-swapping, and gender-bending media. We also take a look at some nostalgic examples of Freaky Friday stories from our childhoods. Tweet at us if there's a Body-Switching movie or trope you want us to discuss @TalkingTropes Check out our Video podcast at https://youtu.be/MbR5VV6ayDg

We continue to Stan our favorite Tucci and watch every movie listed on his IMDB page. This week it's Billy Bathgate starring Dustin Hoffman and Nicole Kidman. Based on the historical fiction novel by E.L. Doctorow, Tucci doesn't even show up until an hour in! But could his role as "Lucky" Luciano be his most powerful mobster role yet? As a bonus, in Tucci News, we take a look at the Vogue article "Stanley Tucci's Best Roles Ranked." Tweet at us if you want to be a "Guest Stan" on a future podcast @talkingtropes Check out our Video Podcasts here: https://youtu.be/Ypljd6c6fE4 Special Thanks to our Editor, Logan McBride

What happens when a Sidekick is all grown up? The Superhero passes the torch, or some kind of baton or stick and the Sidekick becomes the new Superhero. On another Talking Tropes podcast, we discuss Marvel's reckoning with Captain America's legacy as they pass the Sidekick Graduations Stick from *SPOILER ALERT* Steve Rogers to Sam Wilson The Falcon. What other superhero sidekicks get a chance to take on the role of their crime-fighting partners? How do the themes of race and nationalism intersect with this TV Trope? Tweet your favorite superhero sidekick @TalkingTropes Check out our video podcasts here: https://youtu.be/mkL83nUn1bc Special thanks to our editor Logan McBride

In our continuing series, we continue to watch every Stanley Tucci IMDB credit in order. This week, it's Macbeth but with Italian mobsters! With an all-star cast of underrated character actors including Dennis Farina, Peter Boyle, and John Turturro, what could go wrong? If you want to be a guest stan on our podcast, tweet at us @talkingTropes Watch our video podcast here: https://youtu.be/KWgfVbrbHMM Special Thanks to our Editor, Logan McBride

Tropes and clichés abound in this particular Netflix genre. What started the trend of releasing these Teen romantic comedies exclusively on Netflix? What marketing and development strategies led to the recent success of The Kissing Booth and To All the Boys as franchise films? Besides Noah Centineo and Jacob Elordi's abs. Also, what do we do with all the low-self-esteem rom coms like Sierra Burgess, Tall Girl, and Dumplin'? Let us know if you want us to do a deep dive into the TV Tropes for any of these movies in the comments below! Tweet at us if you have an idea of what trope we should talk about next! @talkingTropes Watch the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/IyezQ5W14hs Special thanks to our Editor, Logan McBride

It's like Mad Men but in the 90s, check out Stanley Tucci playing his first non-criminal non-cop TV character. Tucci plays ad agency middle-manager Karl Draconis who hectors Michael Steadman on his terrible advertising ideas. Who will win in this battle of corporate acuity and marketing savvy? We watched Thirtysomething, Season 3 Episode 10 "Michael's Campaign" and Season 3 Episode 11 "Pulling Away" For Tucci news this week, please check out Helen Rosner's fantastic article: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-gastronomy/the-timeless-fantasy-of-stanley-tucci-eating-italian-food Special thanks to our editor, Logan McBride Watch the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/UrOA5KI9u8A Tweet at us @TalkingTropes if you are interested in being a guest on our Stanning Stanley Tucci Podcast!

Finally Tom and Jerry can be watched in its four-hour hyper-violent glory! Can Jerry resurrect Superman before Tom gathers the infinity stone/allspark/motherboxes and destroys the world? We recap all the differences between the Joss Whedon cut and the Snyder Cut of the HBO Max tent-pole blockbuster, TOM and JERRY!!!! Lots of controversial opinions in this one, folks! Watch to the video podcast here https://youtu.be/NpwWCsY_W-E Tweet at us @talkingTropes to let us know what TV Tropes you want us to talk about next.

Three Whovians (does anyone still use that term?) take a nuanced look at the new Doctor Who New Year's Special of 2021, Revolution of the Daleks, written by the inconsistently terrible Chris Chibnall. Is this his best episode yet? Watch the Video Podcast here https://youtu.be/JEWY4MqI06Q Tweet us your Chibnall opinions @talkingtropes

Three friends rank all the Doctor Who Christmas Specials and grade them on Christmas-ness and Englishness. Watch to the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/VDa4xgjjTmw Tweet us your least favorite Doctor Who specials @talkingtropes

Two cousins continue to watch every Stanley Tucci IMDB credit. In Wiseguy (1989), a CBS crime drama, Tucci plays Ricky Pinzolo, a crime boss in the Garment district on 7th Ave. NYC. He tries to defraud and acquire the business of one Eli Sternberg, a Jewish businessman played by none other than Jerry Lewis. An undercover cop named Raglin, with the help of his boss McPike (played by Breaking Bad's Jonathan Banks) try to take him down from the inside. Watch the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/2mVQbNgN9jA If you love Stanley Tucci, tweet at us @talkingtropes

We watch all the Hanukkah or Chanukah episodes and specials we could find. Let's talk about why these token Jewish episodes feel so empty and why they have been crushed by the overwhelming volume of Hallmark Christmas Specials. Watch to the Video Podcast at https://youtu.be/t3qD3mpLM70 Tweet us your favorite Chanukah episode @talkingtropes

We're still watching every Stanley Tucci IMDB credit, and this time we have special guests Mac and Max from YouTube's "Under the Influence" Podcast to discuss one of their favorite filmmakers, Todd Solondz's first film and Tucci's biggest film role at the time: Fear, Anxiety, and Depression. This one is very much in keeping with the trend of starving artists in NYC, but this time with much more of a Woody Allen vibe. Check it out! Also check out our guests here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzNHJZuUdxG7lFSJI1B3Bng Check out our video podcast here: https://youtu.be/IlJdBay4yTw Tweet at us if you want to be a guest Stan on our show @talkingtropes

Why so serious? Why not listen to us recap a comedy clown bank robbery movie featuring Stanley Tucci, who continues to be typecast as the most interesting mafioso in the room. Sure, Quick Change is forgettable trash, but this is Tucci's first interaction with Tony Shalhoub! Watch the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/zhfIE1H0hxs Tweet us your favorite Tucci IMDB credit @talkingTropes

Let's finish up our festive Thanksgiving special episode by recapping the two NCIS: New Orleans Thanksgiving episodes. Is New Orleans the superior NCIS show? Well if nothing else, it has Scott Bakula and CCH Pounder. Let's talk Turkey, Tropes, and COINTELPRO. Check out our video podcast here: https://youtu.be/6-LfyF8Iggg Tweet us your favorite FBI coverup @talkingtropes

What's the most American holiday? Thanksgiving! And what's the most American TV show? NCIS of course. We return to our most beloved(?) crime procedural and all of their bizarre and tangentially Thanksgiving-related specials. Watch here for the video podcast: https://youtu.be/TOL6Rz1puX4 Or tweet us your favorite Thanksgiving episode @TalkingTropes

As we continue to watch everything on Stanley Tucci's IMDB page in order, we stumble upon a clear example of late 80s white feminism with the obliviously titled Slaves of New York. Taking place in the pretentious and exploitative art world, Tucci is cast as Darryl, perhaps the only honorable man in NYC. Watch the Video Podcast here: https://youtu.be/MvnOMMztjAU Tweet at us @TalkingTropes if you want us to do The Witches next

All of our interactions at work, with friends, and with our education are now done through Zoom video chat. Why shouldn't our TV be the same? We take a look at all the fictional TV shows integrating Zoom interfaces into their TV specials and new series.