Podcasts about CinemaScore

Kristian Harloff breaks down the biggest movie and TV news stories of the day, including major DCU updates, new casting rumors for The Batman Part II, and the latest reactions to X-Men '97 Season 2. Jason Momoa weighs in on Wonder Woman casting speculation involving Adria Arjona, while new reports claim to reveal Sebastian Stan's role in Matt Reeves' The Batman Part II and suggest Brian Tyree Henry could be playing Harvey Dent. Plus, a DC Studios executive shares major updates on The Brave and the Bold, future Justice League plans, and confirms a Gorilla Grodd HBO series is in development. The show also covers the latest box office disappointment for Masters of the Universe, the CinemaScore for Disclosure Day, and the Rotten Tomatoes score for X-Men '97 Season 2 as critics weigh in on the first episodes. Stories For Today: Supergirl Star Jason Momoa Sidesteps Adria Arjona As Wonder Woman Prompt: "She's Hot" The Batman Part II: Sebastian Stan's Real Role Reportedly Revealed - Brian Tyree Henry Will Play Harvey Dent DC Studios Boss Talks The Brave And The Bold, Justice League, And Confirms Gorilla Grodd HBO Series Disclosure Day CinemaScore Revealed As Masters Of The Universe Becomes Summer's Second Box Office Flop X-Men '97 Season 2 Rotten Tomatoes Score Revealed As Critics Weigh In On First Four Episodes Today's show is packed with DC and Marvel updates as new details emerge about the future of the DCU, including Wonder Woman, Batman, Justice League, and The Brave and the Bold. Kristian also discusses whether Masters of the Universe can recover from its disappointing theatrical run and what critics are saying about the highly anticipated second season of X-Men '97. If you're a fan of DC Studios, Marvel, Batman, Wonder Woman, X-Men, Justice League, Matt Reeves, James Gunn, or the latest movie news, this episode is for you.

Kristian Harloff breaks down the biggest movie and TV news stories of the day, including a disappointing box office start for Masters of the Universe. With weak opening numbers and a disappointing CinemaScore, can the live-action He-Man movie recover, or is this another major setback for a beloved franchise? Kristian dives into what went wrong, audience reactions, and what the future may hold for Eternia on the big screen. Plus, new details emerge about James Gunn's expanding DCU as a potential title for a Superman spin-off series is revealed, Wonder Woman's Paradise Lost series finally gains momentum with a creative team and possible release window, and Sophie Thatcher addresses rumors linking her to the role of Rogue in Marvel Studios' upcoming X-Men reboot. Topics include: Masters of the Universe box office discussion He-Man movie opening weekend analysis Masters of the Universe CinemaScore reaction James Gunn's Superman spin-off updates Paradise Lost Wonder Woman series news Sophie Thatcher responds to Rogue casting rumors Kristian Harloff reactions and analysis #MastersOfTheUniverse #HeMan #Superman #DCU #WonderWoman #ParadiseLost #XMen #Rogue #Marvel #JamesGunn #KristianHarloffShow SPONSORS: KA'CHAVA: Go to https://kachava.com and use code KRISTIAN for 15% off your first order. CASHAPP: Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/76rlxe00 #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Cash App Green features, Savings, Direct deposit, Round ups, Overdraft coverage and Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit https://www.cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.  

The Boys end, Star Wars returns, and Nicolas Cage finally gets his Spider-Man moment. This week on the podcast, we review The Mandalorian and Grogu, break down the first two episodes of Spider-Noir and Citadel Season 2, and unpack the shocking finale of The Boys. Is Star Wars back? Can Nicolas Cage carry a Spider-Man series? And did The Boys stick the landing? Episode Index Intro: 0:07 Citadel Season 2 Episodes 1-2: 6:00 The Boys Season 5 Episode 8: 20:21 Spider-Noir Episodes 1-2: 31:42 Mando and Grogu Review: 42:32 Citadel – Season 2 (Amazon Prime) Episode 1: Baked Alaskas Air Date: May 6, 2026 Director: Joe Russo Writer: David Weil Summary: Mason Kane struggles with lingering identity issues while Nadia attempts to keep her daughter safe from emerging threats. Bernard recruits former CIA operative Hutch to investigate billionaire Paolo Braga as a new conspiracy begins to take shape. Episode 2: Baked Alaskas Air Date: May 6, 2026 Director: Joe Russo Writer: David Weil Summary: The hunt for Paolo Braga intensifies as Mason, Nadia, Bernard, and Hutch uncover a global operation with ties to Manticore. New allies and enemies emerge as the scope of the conspiracy grows. Rating Out of 10 Is Hutch the New Mason Kane? Brian: 7/10 Darryl: 6.2/10 The Boys – Series Finale (Amazon Prime) Episode 8: The Last Stand Air Date: June 2026 Director: Philip Sgriccia Writer: Eric Kripke Summary: With Homelander’s grip on America nearing complete control, Butcher and the remaining members of The Boys launch one final assault. Alliances fracture, secrets are revealed, and the stage is set for the end of the war between Supes and humanity. Ratings Out of 5 When Clark Loses His Powers He Woops Lex’s Ass, Homelander does he’s a Bitch Brian: 1/5 Darryl: 1/5 Rating Season 5 Out of 10 Thank God it’s Over Brian: 6.22/10 Darryl: 5.8/10 Rating Out of 10 The Boys On Amazon Prime A Catalog of Missed Opportunity Brian: 7.3/10 Darryl: 7/10 Spider-Noir (Amazon Prime) Episode 1: Step Into My Office Air Date: May 25, 2026 (MGM+) / May 27, 2026 (Prime Video) Director: Harry Bradbeer Writer: Oren Uziel Summary: Ben Reilly, a former vigilante turned private investigator, is drawn into a dangerous case involving organized crime, corruption, and a mysterious woman connected to a growing criminal conspiracy. Episode 2: Tread Lightly Air Date: May 25, 2026 (MGM+) / May 27, 2026 (Prime Video) Director: Harry Bradbeer Writer: Christopher Chen Summary: As Ben continues his investigation, he discovers connections between New York’s criminal underworld and influential figures in the city. The deeper he digs, the harder it becomes to escape his past as The Spider. Rating out of 10 If you’re Not Watching in Black & White, are you Even Watching Brian: 5.1/10 Darry: 7.5/10 The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) Release Date: May 22, 2026 Director: Jon Favreau Writers: Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Noah Kloor Cast: Pedro Pascal as Din Djarin / The Mandalorian Sigourney Weaver as Colonel Bishop Jeremy Allen White as Rotta the Hutt Jonny Coyne as Brendol Hux Steve Blum as Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios Grogu Summary: Din Djarin and Grogu are recruited by the New Republic to rescue Rotta the Hutt, drawing them into a conflict involving Imperial remnants, criminal syndicates, and threats lurking throughout the Outer Rim. Production Notes: Originally developed as The Mandalorian Season 4 before becoming a theatrical feature. First Star Wars theatrical release since 2019. Budget estimated at approximately $165 million. Heavy use of practical creature effects, puppetry, and animatronics. Nearly 50 minutes presented in expanded IMAX format. Box Office: $81.7 million opening weekend (domestic) Approximately $102 million Memorial Day 4-day weekend Approximately $165 million worldwide opening Reception: Critics were mixed-to-positive, praising the practical effects and action sequences while questioning whether the story warranted a theatrical release. Audiences responded more favorably, earning the film an A- CinemaScore. Rating Out of 10, Why You Gotta Bart Simpson Grogu Brian: 6.2/10 Darryl: 7.5/10 Contact Us The Infamous Podcast can be found wherever podcasts are found on the Interwebs, feel free to subscribe and follow along on social media. And don't be shy about helping out the show with a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts to help us move up in the ratings. @infamouspodcast facebook/infamouspodcast instagram/infamouspodcast stitcher Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Play iHeart Radio contact@infamouspodcast.com Our theme music is ‘Skate Beat’ provided by Michael Henry, with additional music provided by Michael Henry. Find more at MeetMichaelHenry.com. The Infamous Podcast is hosted by Brian Tudor and Darryl Jasper, is recorded in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show is produced and edited by Brian Tudor. Subscribe today!

https://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?sid=tindogpodcast&_pgn=1&isRefine=true&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l49496 Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a 2001 American animated science fiction adventure film directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, produced by Don Hahn, and written by Tab Murphy. Produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, it stars Michael J. Fox, James Garner, Cree Summer, Don Novello, Phil Morris, Claudia Christian, Jacqueline Obradors, Florence Stanley, David Ogden Stiers, John Mahoney, Jim Varney, Corey Burton and Leonard Nimoy. Set in 1914, the film follows young linguist Milo Thatch, who gains possession of a sacred book, which he believes will guide him and a crew of mercenaries to the lost city of Atlantis. Development of the film began after production had finished on The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). Instead of another musical, directors Trousdale and Wise, producer Hahn, and screenwriter Murphy decided to do an adventure film inspired by the works of Jules Verne. Atlantis: The Lost Empire was notable for adopting the distinctive visual style of comic book artist Mike Mignola, one of the film's production designers. The film made greater use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) than any of Disney's previous traditionally animated features and remains one of the few to have been shot in anamorphic format. Linguist Marc Okrand constructed an Atlantean language specifically for use in the film. James Newton Howard provided the film's musical score. The film was released at a time when audience interest in animated films was shifting away from traditional animation toward films with full CGI. Atlantis: The Lost Empire premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on June 3, 2001, and went into its general release on June 15. The film received mixed reviews from critics. Budgeted at around $90–120 million, Atlantis grossed over $186 million worldwide, $84 million of which was earned in North America; its lackluster box office response was identified as a result of being released in competition with Shrek, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Fast and the Furious and Dr. Dolittle 2. As a result of the film's box office failure, Disney cancelled a planned spin-off animated television series, Team Atlantis; an underwater Disneyland attraction; and a volcanic Magic Kingdom attraction based on it. Atlantis was nominated for several awards, including seven Annie Awards, and won Best Sound Editing at the 2002 Golden Reel Awards. The film was released on VHS and DVD on January 29, 2002, and on Blu-ray on June 11, 2013. Despite its initial reception, reception in later years became favorable and has given Atlantis a cult following[5] and reappraisal from critics as a mistreated classic, due in part to Mignola's unique artistic influence.[6][7] A direct-to-video sequel, Atlantis: Milo's Return, was released in 2003. Plot In 1914 Washington, D.C., archaeo-linguist Milo Thatch obsesses over finding the legendary lost city of Atlantis, believed to have sunk thousands of years ago. His employers ridicule his theories, but he gains an unexpected ally in eccentric millionaire Preston B. Whitmore, a friend of Milo's deceased adventurer grandfather who also sought the city. Determined to honor his old friend's quest, Whitmore recruits Milo for an expedition to Atlantis, having recently uncovered the Shepherd's Journal, an ancient Atlantean manuscript that contains directions to the lost city. Aboard the submarine Ulysses, Milo meets his teammates: Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke, Lieutenant Helga Sinclair, demolitions expert Vincenzo Santorini, geologist Gaetan "Mole" Molière, medical officer Joshua Sweet, mechanic Audrey Ramirez, radio operator Wilhelmina Packard, mess cook Jebidiah "Cookie" Farnsworth, and a platoon of mercenaries. Upon reaching a cave entrance leading to the lost city, the submarine is destroyed by a massive mechanical leviathan, killing most of the crew. Milo and the survivors escape in smaller craft, navigating through the cave to emerge among ancient ruins. Milo translates the journal, guiding the team through caves beneath a dormant volcano until they reach the worn remains of Atlantis. There, they are greeted by Princess Kidagakash "Kida" Nedakh, who, despite being around 8,500 years old, has the appearance of a young woman. She leads them to her father, King Kashekim, who orders them to leave. Learning that Milo can read their language—a skill lost to the Atlanteans over millennia—Kida asks for his help in uncovering their forgotten history and highly-advanced technology, without which the city has declined and resources have dwindled. Milo learns that Atlantis is powered by the Heart of Atlantis, a massive crystal that grants longevity and health to its citizens through the smaller crystals they carry. Rourke betrays Milo and the Atlanteans, revealing his true intention to steal the Heart for profit, despite knowing the Atlanteans will perish without it. He mortally wounds the King while seizing control and uncovers the crystal's hidden location beneath the city. Sensing the danger, the crystal merges with Kida, who is then captured by Rourke. He departs with the crystallized Kida and his mercenaries, except for Vincenzo, Molière, Sweet, Audrey, Packard, and Cookie, who refuse to take part in the Atlanteans' destruction. Before dying, the King reveals that Atlantis was devastated by a megatsunami after he attempted to weaponize the crystal's vast power. To protect the city, the crystal merged with a royal family member, Kida's mother. This created a protective dome over the city's inner district, shielding it from total destruction as Atlantis sank beneath the waves, but Kida's mother never returned. To prevent the crystal from ever merging with Kida, the King hid it, inadvertently accelerating Atlantis' decline. He warns Milo that Kida will be lost forever if she is not soon separated from the crystal and pleads with him to save her. Alongside his allies, Milo rallies the Atlanteans to reactivate their long-dormant flying machines. Together, they eliminate Rourke and his mercenaries in the volcano. Milo and the others fly the crystallized Kida back to Atlantis as the volcano erupts. Kida ascends into the air and awakens Stone Guardians, who erect a barrier that shields the city from the lava flow. With Atlantis saved, the crystal separates from Kida and remains suspended in the sky. Milo chooses to stay in Atlantis with Kida, having fallen in love with her. Before returning to the surface, Vincenzo, Molière, Sweet, Audrey, Packard, and Cookie each receive a small crystal and a share of treasure. The six reunite with Preston on the surface and agree to keep their adventure a secret to protect Atlantis. Preston opens a package from Milo containing his own crystal and a note thanking him. The newly crowned Queen Kida and Milo carve a stone effigy of her father to join those of past rulers floating beside the Heart of Atlantis, as the city stands restored to its former glory. Voice cast Production layout sketch of Milo and Kida. Milo's character design was based in part on sketches of the film's language consultant, Marc Okrand. Michael J. Fox as Milo James Thatch, a linguist and cartographer at the Smithsonian who was recruited to decipher The Shepherd's Journal while directing an expedition to Atlantis. James Garner as Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke, the leader of the band of mercenaries for the Atlantean expedition. Cree Summer as Kidagakash "Kida" Nedakh, the Princess of Atlantis and Milo's love interest. Natalie Strom provided dialogue for Kida as a young child. Summer also voiced the unnamed Queen of Atlantis, Kida's mother and Kashekim's wife who was "chosen" by the Crystal during the sinking of the city. John Mahoney as Preston B. Whitmore, an eccentric millionaire who funds the expedition to Atlantis. Lloyd Bridges was originally cast and recorded as Whitmore, but he died before completing the film. Mahoney's zest and vigor led to Whitmore's personality being reworked for the film.[8] Claudia Christian as Lieutenant Helga Katrina Sinclair, Rourke's German-born second-in-command. Don Novello as Vincenzo "Vinny" Santorini, an Italian demolitions expert. Phil Morris as Dr. Joshua Strongbear Sweet, a medic of African-American and Arapaho descent. Jacqueline Obradors as Audrey Rocio Ramirez, a Puerto Rican mechanic and the youngest member of the expedition. Corey Burton as Gaetan "Mole" Molière, a French geologist who acts like a mole. Jim Varney as Jebidiah Allardyce "Cookie" Farnsworth, a Western-style chuckwagon chef. Varney died in February 2000, before the production ended, and the film was dedicated to his memory. Steven Barr recorded supplemental dialogue for Cookie. Florence Stanley as Wilhelmina Bertha Packard: an elderly, sarcastic, chain-smoking radio operator who is also the expedition's photographer. Leonard Nimoy as Kashekim Nedakh, the King of Atlantis and Kida's father. David Ogden Stiers as Fenton Q. Harcourt, a board member of the Smithsonian Institution who dismisses Milo's belief in the existence of Atlantis. Production Development The production team visited New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns to get a sense of the underground spaces depicted in the film. The idea for Atlantis: The Lost Empire was conceived in October 1996 when Don Hahn, Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise, and Tab Murphy lunched at a Mexican restaurant in Burbank, California. Having recently completed The Hunchback of Notre Dame,[9] the producer, directors and screenwriter wanted to keep the Hunchback crew together for another film with an "Adventureland" setting rather than a "Fantasyland" setting.[10] Drawing inspiration from Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (1870), they set out to make a film which would fully explore Atlantis (compared to the brief visit depicted in Verne's novel).[11] While primarily utilizing the Internet to research the mythology of Atlantis,[12] the filmmakers became interested in the clairvoyant readings of Edgar Cayce and decided to incorporate some of his ideas—notably that of a mother-crystal which provides power, healing, and longevity to the Atlanteans—into the story.[13] They also visited museums and old army installations to study the technology of the early 20th century (the film's time period), and traveled underground in New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns to view the subterranean trails which would serve as a model for the approach to Atlantis in the film.[14] The filmmakers wanted to avoid the common depiction of Atlantis as "crumbled Greek columns underwater", said Wise.[15] "From the get-go, we were committed to designing it top to bottom. Let's get the architectural style, clothing, heritage, customs, how they would sleep, and how they would speak. So we brought people on board who would help us develop those ideas."[16] Art director David Goetz stated, "We looked at Mayan architecture, styles of ancient, unusual architecture from around the world, and the directors really liked the look of Southeast Asian architecture."[17] The team later took ideas from other architectural forms, including Cambodian, Indian, and Tibetan works.[18] Hahn added, "If you take and deconstruct architecture from around the world into one architectural vocabulary, that's what our Atlantis looks like."[19] The overall design and circular layout of Atlantis were also based on the writings of Plato,[18] and his quote "in a single day and night of misfortune, the island of Atlantis disappeared into the depths of the sea"[20] was influential from the beginning of production.[9] The crew wore T-shirts which read "ATLANTIS—Fewer songs, more explosions" due to the film's plan as an action-adventure (unlike previous Disney animated features, which were musicals).[21] Language The Atlantean letter A, created by artist John Emerson. Kirk Wise noted that its design was a treasure map showing the path to the crystal, "The Heart of Atlantis". Main article: Atlantean language Marc Okrand, who developed the Klingon language for the Star Trek television and theatrical productions, was hired to devise the Atlantean language for Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Guided by the directors' initial concept for it to be a "mother-language", Okrand employed an Indo-European word stock with its own grammatical structure. He would change the words if they began to sound too much like an actual, spoken language.[16] John Emerson designed the written component, making hundreds of random sketches of individual letters from among which the directors chose the best to represent the Atlantean alphabet.[22][23] The written language was boustrophedon: designed to be read left-to-right on the first line, then right-to-left on the second, continuing in a zigzag pattern to simulate the flow of water.[24] The Atlantean [A] is a shape developed by John Emerson. It is a miniature map of the city of Atlantis (i.e., the outside of the swirl is the cave, the inside shape is the silhouette of the city, and the dot is the location of the crystal). It's a treasure map. — Kirk Wise, director[25] Writing Joss Whedon was the first writer to be involved with the film but soon left to work on other Disney projects. According to him, he "had not a shred" in the movie.[26] Tab Murphy completed the screenplay, stating that the time from initially discussing the story to producing a script that satisfied the film crew was "about three to four months".[27] The initial draft was 155 pages, much longer than a typical Disney film script (which usually runs 90 pages). When the first two acts were timed at 120 minutes, the directors cut characters and sequences and focused more on Milo. Murphy said that he created the centuries-old Shepherd's Journal because he needed a map for the characters to follow throughout their journey.[28] A revised version of the script eliminated the trials encountered by the explorers as they navigated the caves to Atlantis. This gave the film a faster pace because Atlantis is discovered earlier in the story.[29] The directors often described the Atlanteans using Egypt as an example. When Napoleon wandered into Egypt, the people had lost track of their once-great civilization. They were surrounded by artifacts of their former greatness but somehow unaware of what they meant. — Don Hahn, producer[30] The character of Milo J. Thatch was originally supposed to be a descendant of Edward Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard the pirate. The directors later related him to an explorer so he would discover his inner talent for exploration.[31] The character of Molière was originally intended to be "professorial" but Chris Ure, a story artist, changed the concept to that of a "horrible little burrowing creature with a wacky coat and strange headgear with extending eyeballs", said Wise.[32][33] Don Hahn pointed out that the absence of songs presented a challenge for a team accustomed to animating musicals, as action scenes alone would have to carry the film. Kirk Wise said it gave the team an opportunity for more on-screen character development: "We had more screen time available to do a scene like where Milo and the explorers are camping out and learning about one another's histories. An entire sequence is devoted to having dinner and going to bed. That is not typically something we would have the luxury of doing."[16] Hahn stated that the first animated sequence completed during production was the film's prologue. The original version featured a Viking war party using The Shepherd's Journal to find Atlantis and being swiftly dispatched by the Leviathan. Near the end of production, story supervisor John Sanford told the directors that he felt this prologue did not give viewers enough emotional involvement with the Atlanteans. Despite knowing that the Viking prologue was finished and it would cost additional time and money to alter the scene, the directors agreed with Sanford. Trousdale went home and completed the storyboards later that evening after visiting a strip club where he boarded the new sequence on a napkin.[34] The opening was replaced by a sequence depicting the destruction of Atlantis, which introduced the film from the perspective of the Atlanteans and Princess Kida.[35] The Viking prologue is included as an extra feature on the DVD release.[36] Casting Kirk Wise, one of the directors, said that they chose Michael J. Fox for the role of Milo because they felt he gave his characters his own personality and made them more believable on screen. Fox said that voice acting was much easier than his past experience with live action because he did not have to worry about what he looked like in front of a camera while delivering his lines.[37] The directors mentioned that Fox was also offered a role for Titan A.E.; he allowed his son to choose which film he would work on, and he chose Atlantis.[38] Viewers have noted similarities between Milo and the film's language consultant, Marc Okrand, who developed the Atlantean language used in the film. Okrand stated that Milo's supervising animator, John Pomeroy, sketched him, claiming not to know how a linguist looked or acted.[24] Kida's supervising animator, Randy Haycock, stated that her actress, Cree Summer, was very "intimidating" when he first met her; this influenced how he wanted Kida to look and act on screen when she meets Milo.[39] Wise chose James Garner for the role of Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke because of his previous experience with action films, especially war and Western films, and said the role "fits him like a glove". When asked if he would be interested in the role, Garner replied: "I'd do it in a heartbeat."[40] Producer Don Hahn was saddened that Jim Varney, the voice of Jebidiah Allardyce "Cookie" Farnsworth, never saw the finished film before he died of lung cancer in February 2000, but mentioned that he was shown clips of his character's performance during his site sessions and said, "He loved it." Shawn Keller, supervising animator for Cookie, stated, "It was kind of a sad fact that [Varney] knew that he was not going to be able to see this film before he passed away. He did a bang-up job doing the voice work, knowing the fact that he was never gonna see his last performance." Steven Barr recorded supplemental dialogue for Cookie.[41] John Mahoney, who voiced Preston Whitmore, stated that doing voice work was "freeing" and allowed him to be "big" and "outrageous" with his character.[42] Dr. Joshua Sweet's supervising animator, Ron Husband, indicated that one of the challenges was animating Sweet in sync with Phil Morris' rapid line delivery while keeping him believable. Morris stated that this character was extreme, with "no middle ground"; he mentioned, "When he was happy, he was really happy, and when he's solemn, he's real solemn."[43] Claudia Christian described her character, Lieutenant Helga Katrina Sinclair, as "sensual" and "striking", and was relieved when she finally saw what her character looked like, joking, "I'd hate to, you know, go through all this and find out my character is a toad."[44] Jacqueline Obradors said her character, Audrey Rocio Ramirez, made her "feel like a little kid again" and she always hoped her sessions would last longer.[45] Florence Stanley felt that her character, Wilhelmina Bertha Packard, was very "cynical" and "secure": "She does her job, and when she is not busy, she does anything she wants."[46] Corey Burton mentioned that finding his performance as Gaetan "Mole" Molière was by allowing the character to "leap out" of him while making funny voices. To get into character during his recording sessions, he stated that he would "throw myself into the scene and feel like I'm in this make-believe world".[47] Kirk Wise and Russ Edmonds, supervising animator for Vincenzo "Vinny" Santorini, noted Vinny's actor Don Novello's unique ability to improvise dialogue while voicing the role. Edmonds recalled, "[Novello] would look at the sheet, and he would read the line that was written once, and he would never read it again! And we never used a written line, it was improvs, the whole movie."[48] Michael Cedeno, supervising animator for King Kashekim Nedakh, was astounded at Leonard Nimoy's voice talent in the role, stating that he had "so much rich character" in his performance. As he spoke his lines, Cedeno said the crew would sit there and watch Nimoy in astonishment.[49] Animation For comparison, the top image (panoramic view of Atlantis) is cropped to Disney's standard aspect ratio (1.66:1); the bottom image was seen in the film (2.35:1). At the peak of its production, 350 animators, artists and technicians were working on Atlantis[50] at all three Disney animation studios: Walt Disney Feature Animation (Burbank, California), Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida (Orlando), and Disney Animation France (Paris).[51] The film was one of the few Disney animated features produced and shot in 35mm anamorphic format. The directors felt that a widescreen image was crucial, as a nostalgic reference to old action-adventure films presented in the CinemaScope format (2.35:1), noting Raiders of the Lost Ark as an inspiration.[52] Because switching to the format would require animation desks and equipment designed for widescreen to be purchased, Disney executives were at first reluctant about the idea.[16] The production team found a simple solution by drawing within a smaller frame on the same paper and equipment used for standard aspect ratio (1.66:1) Disney-animated films.[52] Layout supervisor Ed Ghertner wrote a guide to the widescreen format for use by the layout artists and mentioned that one advantage of widescreen was that he could keep characters in scenes longer because of additional space to walk within the frame.[53] Wise drew further inspiration for the format from filmmakers David Lean and Akira Kurosawa.[16] The film's visual style was strongly based upon that of Mike Mignola, the comic book artist behind Hellboy. Mignola was one of four production designers (along with Matt Codd, Jim Martin, and Ricardo Delgado) hired by the Disney studio for the film. Accordingly, he provided style guides, preliminary character, and background designs, and story ideas.[54] "Mignola's graphic, the angular style was a key influence on the 'look' of the characters," stated Wise.[55] Mignola was surprised when first contacted by the studio to work on Atlantis.[56] His artistic influence on the film would later contribute to a cult following.[57] I remember watching a rough cut of the film and these characters have these big, square, weird hands. I said to the guy next to me, "Those are cool hands." And he says to me, "Yeah, they're your hands. We had a whole meeting about how to do your hands." It was so weird I couldn't wrap my brain around it. — Mike Mignola[56] The final pull-out shot of the movie, immediately before the end-title card, was described by the directors as the most difficult shot in the history of Disney animation. They said that the pull-out attempt on their prior film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, "struggled" and "lacked depth"; however, after making advances in the process of multiplaning, they tried the technique again in Atlantis. The shot begins with one 16-inch (40.6 cm) piece of paper showing a close-up of Milo and Kida. As the camera pulls away from them to reveal the newly restored Atlantis, it reaches the equivalent of an 18,000-inch (46,000 cm) piece of paper composed of many individual pieces of paper (24 inches [61 cm] or smaller). Each piece was carefully drawn and combined with animated vehicles simultaneously flying across the scene to make the viewer see a complete, integrated image.[58] Scale model of Ulysses submarine by Greg Aronowitz, used by digital animators as reference during production.[59] At the time of its release, Atlantis: The Lost Empire was notable for using more computer-generated imagery (CGI) than any other Disney traditionally animated feature. To increase productivity, the directors had the digital artists work with the traditional animators throughout the production. Several important scenes required heavy use of digital animation: the Leviathan, the Ulysses submarine and sub-pods, the Heart of Atlantis, and the Stone Giants.[60] During production, after Matt Codd and Jim Martin designed the Ulysses on paper, Greg Aronowitz was hired to build a scale model of the submarine, to be used as a reference for drawing the 3D Ulysses.[59] The final film included 362 digital-effects shots, and computer programs were used to seamlessly join the 2D and 3D artwork.[61] One scene that took advantage of this was the "sub-drop" scene, where the 3D Ulysses was dropped from its docking bay into the water. As the camera floated toward it, a 2D Milo was drawn to appear inside, tracking the camera. The crew noted that it was challenging to keep the audience from noticing the difference between the 2D and 3D drawings when they were merged.[62] The digital production also gave the directors a unique "virtual camera" for complicated shots within the film. With the ability to operate in the z-plane, this camera moved through a digital wire-frame set; the background and details were later hand-drawn over the wireframes. This was used in the opening flight scene through Atlantis and the submarine chase through the undersea cavern with the Leviathan in pursuit.[63] Music and sound Since the film would not feature any songs, the directors hired James Newton Howard to compose the score after they heard his music on Dinosaur. Approaching it as a live-action film, Howard decided to have different musical themes for the cultures of the surface world and Atlantis. In the case of Atlantis, Howard chose an Indonesian orchestral sound incorporating chimes, bells, and gongs. The directors told Howard that the film would have a number of key scenes without dialogue; the score would need to convey emotionally what the viewer was seeing on screen.[64] Gary Rydstrom and his team at Skywalker Sound were hired for the film's sound production.[65] Like Howard, Rydstrom employed different sounds for the two cultures. Focusing on the machine and mechanical sounds of the early industrial era for the explorers, he felt that the Atlanteans should have a "more organic" sound utilizing ceramics and pottery. The sound made by the Atlantean flying-fish vehicles posed a particular challenge. Rydstrom revealed that he was sitting at the side of a highway recording one day when a semi-truck drove by at high speed. When the recording was sped up on his computer, he felt it sounded very organic, and decided to use it in the film. Rydstrom created the harmonic chiming of the Heart of Atlantis by rubbing his finger along the edge of a champagne flute, the sound of sub-pods moving through the water with a water pick, while a ceramic pot from a garden store was used for the sounds of the movement of the Giant stone guardians.[66] Release Atlantis: The Lost Empire had its world premiere at Disney's El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on June 3, 2001[67] and a limited release in New York City and Los Angeles on June 8; a wider release followed on June 15.[4][61] At the premiere, Destination: Atlantis was on display, featuring behind-the-scenes props from the film and information on the legend of Atlantis with video games, displays, laser tag, and other attractions. The Aquarium of the Pacific also loaned a variety of fish for display within the attraction.[68] Promotion Atlantis was among Disney's first major attempts to utilize internet marketing. The film was promoted through Kellogg's, which created a website with mini-games and a movie-based video game give-away for UPC labels from specially marked packages of Atlantis breakfast cereal.[50] The film was one of Disney's first marketing attempts through mobile network operators, and allowed users to download games based on the film.[69] McDonald's (which had an exclusive licensing agreement on all Disney releases) promoted the film with Happy Meal toys, food packaging and in-store decor. The McDonald's advertising campaign involved television, radio, and print advertisements beginning on the film's release date.[70] Frito-Lay offered free admission tickets for the film on specially marked snack packages.[71] Home media Atlantis: The Lost Empire was released on VHS and DVD on January 29, 2002.[72] During the first month of its home release, the film led in VHS sales and was third in VHS and DVD sales combined.[73] Sales and rentals of the VHS and DVD combined would eventually accumulate $157 million in revenue by mid-2003.[74] Both a single-disc DVD edition and a two-disc collector's edition (with bonus features) were released. The single-disc DVD gave the viewer the option of viewing the film either in its original theatrical 2.39:1 aspect ratio or a modified 1.33:1 ratio (utilizing pan and scan). Bonus features available on the DVD version included audio and visual commentary from the film team, a virtual tour of the CGI models, an Atlantean-language tutorial, an encyclopedia on the myth of Atlantis, and the deleted Viking prologue scene.[72] The two-disc collector's edition DVD contained all the single-disc features and a disc with supplemental material detailing all aspects of the film's production. The collector's-edition film could only be viewed in its original theatrical ratio, and also featured an optional DTS 5.1 track. Both DVD versions, however, contained a Dolby Digital 5.1 track and were THX certified.[72][75] Disney digitally remastered and released Atlantis on Blu-ray on June 11, 2013, bundled with its sequel Atlantis: Milo's Return.[76] Reception Box office Before the film's release, reporters speculated that it would have a difficult run due to competition from Shrek and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Regarding the market's shift from traditional animation and competition with CG-animated films, Kirk Wise said, "Any traditional animator, including myself, can't help but feel a twinge. I think it always comes down to story and character, and one form won't replace the other. Just like photography didn't replace painting. But maybe I'm blind to it."[61] Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly noted that CGI films (such as Shrek) were more likely to attract the teenage demographic typically not interested in animation, and called Atlantis a "marketing and creative gamble".[77] With a budget of $100 million,[3] the film opened at #2 on its debut weekend, behind Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, earning $20.3 million in 3,011 theaters.[78] During its second weekend, it would drop into fourth place behind the latter film, Dr. Dolittle 2 and The Fast and the Furious, making $13.2 million.[79] The film's international release began September 20 in Australia and other markets followed suit.[80] During its 25-week theatrical run, Atlantis: The Lost Empire grossed over $186 million worldwide ($84 million from the United States and Canada).[4] Responding to its disappointing box-office performance, Thomas Schumacher, then-president of Walt Disney Feature Animation, said, "It seemed like a good idea at the time to not do a sweet fairy tale, but we missed."[81] Critical response Atlantis: The Lost Empire received mixed reviews from critics,[82][83][84] many of whom criticized its story.[85] The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 48% of 144 professional critics have given Atlantis: The Lost Empire a positive review; the average rating is 5.5/10. The site's consensus is: "Atlantis provides a fast-paced spectacle, but stints on such things as character development and a coherent plot".[86] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 52 out of 100 based on 29 reviews from critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[87] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[88] While critics had mixed reactions to the film in general, some praised it for its visuals, action-adventure elements, and attempt to appeal to an older audience. Roger Ebert gave Atlantis three-and-a-half stars out of four. He praised the animation's "clean bright visual look" and the "classic energy of the comic book style", crediting this to the work of Mike Mignola. Ebert gave particular praise to the story and the final battle scene and wrote, "The story of Atlantis is rousing in an old pulp science fiction sort of way, but the climactic scene transcends the rest, and stands by itself as one of the great animated action sequences."[89] In The New York Times, Elvis Mitchell gave high praise to the film, calling it "a monumental treat", and stated, "Atlantis is also one of the most eye-catching Disney cartoons since Uncle Walt institutionalized the four-fingered glove."[90] Internet film critic James Berardinelli wrote a positive review of the film, giving it three out of four stars. He wrote, "On the whole, Atlantis offers 90 minutes of solid entertainment, once again proving that while Disney may be clueless when it comes to producing good live-action movies, they are exactly the opposite when it comes to their animated division."[91] Wesley Morris of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote positively of the film's approach for an older audience: "But just beneath the surface, Atlantis brims with adult possibility."[92] Other critics felt that the film was mediocre in regards to its story and characters, and that it failed to deliver as a non-musical to Disney's traditional audience. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a C+ rating, writing that the film had "gee-whiz formulaic character" and was "the essence of craft without dream".[93] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said the storyline and characterizations were "old-fashioned" and the film had the retrograde look of a Saturday-morning cartoon, but these deficiencies were offset by its "brisk action" and frantic pace.[94] Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote, "Disney pushes into all-talking, no-singing, no-dancing and, in the end, no-fun animated territory."[95] Stephanie Zacharek of Salon wrote of Disney's attempt to make the film for an adult audience, "The big problem with Disney's latest animated feature, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, is that it doesn't seem geared to kids at all: It's so adult that it's massively boring."[96] Rita Kempley of The Washington Post panned the film, calling it a "new-fashioned but old-fangled hash" and wrote, "Ironically Disney had hoped to update its image with this mildly diverting adventure, yet the picture hasn't really broken away from the tried-and-true format spoofed in the far superior Shrek."[97] In 2015, Katharine Trendacosta at io9 reviewed the film and called it a "Beautiful Gem of a Movie That Deserved Better Than It Got" and said that the film deserves more love than it ended up getting.[6] Lindsay Teal considers "Atlantis" to be "a lost Disney classic". Describing the film as highly entertaining, she praises the writing and characterisation – in particular, Sweet, Helga and Kida.[7] In particular, much praise has been given to the character of Kida.[98] Summer has regarded the character of Kida as one of her favourite roles and even considers the character among the official Disney Princess line-up. Themes and interpretations Several critics and scholars have noted that Atlantis plays strongly on themes of anti-capitalism and anti-imperialism. M. Keith Booker, academic and author of studies about the implicit messages conveyed by media, views the character of Rourke as being motivated by "capitalist greed" when he pursues "his own financial gain" in spite of the knowledge that "his theft [of the crystal] will lead to the destruction of [Atlantis]".[99] Religion journalist Mark Pinsky, in his exploration of moral and spiritual themes in popular Disney films, says that "it is impossible to read the movie ... any other way" than as "a devastating, unrelenting attack on capitalism and American imperialism".[100] Max Messier of FilmCritic.com observes, "Disney even manages to lambast the capitalist lifestyle of the adventurers intent on uncovering the lost city. Damn the imperialists!"[101] According to Booker, the film also "delivers a rather segregationist moral" by concluding with the discovery of the Atlanteans kept secret from other surface-dwellers in order to maintain a separation between the two highly divergent cultures.[102] Others saw Atlantis as an interesting look at utopian philosophy of the sort found in classic works of science fiction by H. G. Wells and Jules Verne.[103] Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water controversy When the film was released, some viewers noticed that Atlantis: The Lost Empire was similar to the 1990-91 anime Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, particularly in its character design, setting, and story.[104] The similarities, as noted by viewers in both Japan and America, were strong enough for its production company Gainax to be called to sue for plagiarism. According to Gainax member Yasuhiro Takeda, they only refrained from doing so because the decision belonged to parent companies NHK and Toho.[105] Another Gainax worker, Hiroyuki Yamaga, was quoted in an interview in 2000 as saying: "We actually tried to get NHK to pick a fight with Disney, but even the National Television Network of Japan didn't dare to mess with Disney and their lawyers. [...] We actually did say that but we wouldn't actually take them to court. We would be so terrified about what they would do to them in return that we wouldn't dare."[105] Although Disney never responded formally to those claims, co-director Kirk Wise posted on a Disney animation newsgroup in May 2001, "Never heard of Nadia till it was mentioned in this [newsgroup]. Long after we'd finished production, I might add." He claimed both Atlantis and Nadia were inspired, in part, by the 1870 Jules Verne novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.[106] However, speaking about the clarification, Lee Zion from Anime News Network wrote, "There are too many similarities not connected with 20,000 Leagues for the whole thing to be coincidence."[107] As such, the whole affair ultimately entered popular culture as a convincing case of plagiarism.[108][109][110] In 2018, Reuben Baron from Comic Book Resources added to Zion's comment stating, "Verne didn't specifically imagine magic crystal-based technology, something featured in both the Disney movie and the too similar anime. The Verne inspiration also doesn't explain the designs being suspiciously similar to Nadia's."[110] Critics also saw parallels with the 1986 film Laputa: Castle in the Sky from Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli (which also featured magic crystals, and Atlantis directors Trousdale and Wise both acknowledged Miyazaki's works as a major influence on their own work)[104] and with the 1994 film Stargate as Milo's characteristics were said to resemble those of Daniel Jackson, the protagonist of Stargate and its spinoff television series Stargate SG-1 — which coincidentally launched its own spinoff, titled Stargate Atlantis; the plot of the 1994 film is also paralleled involving a group visiting an unknown world, a fictional language made for the other world's people, the main protagonist having apparent knowledge of the people's culture, falling in love with one of the female locals and electing to stay behind when the others return home.[111] Accolades Award Category Name Result 29th Annie Awards[112] Individual Achievement in Directing Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise Nominated Individual Achievement in Storyboarding Chris Ure Nominated Individual Achievement in Production Design David Goetz Nominated Individual Achievement in Effects Animation Marlon West Nominated Individual Achievement in Voice Acting – Female Florence Stanley Nominated Individual Achievement in Voice Acting – Male Leonard Nimoy Nominated Individual Achievement for Music Score James Newton Howard Nominated 2002 DVD Exclusive Awards[113] Original Retrospective Documentary Michael Pellerin Nominated 2002 Golden Reel Award[114] Best Sound Editing – Animated Feature Film Gary Rydstrom, Michael Silvers, Mary Helen Leasman, John K. Carr, Shannon Mills, Ken Fischer, David C. Hughes, and Susan Sanford Won Online Film Critics Society Awards 2001[115] Best Animated Feature Nominated 2002 Political Film Society[116] Democracy Nominated Human Rights Nominated Peace Nominated World Soundtrack Awards[117] Best Original Song for Film Diane Warren and James Newton Howard Nominated Young Artist Awards[118] Best Feature Family Film – Drama Walt Disney Feature Animation Nominated Related works Main article: Atlantis (franchise) Atlantis: The Lost Empire was meant to inspire an animated television series entitled Team Atlantis, which would have presented the further adventures of its characters. The series would have been akin to an animated steampunk version of The X-Files and feature a crossover with Gargoyles. However, because of the film's underperformance at the box office, the series was not produced.[119] On May 20, 2003, Disney released a direct-to-video sequel titled Atlantis: Milo's Return, consisting of three episodes planned for the aborted series.[120] Disneyland planned to revive its Submarine Voyage ride with an Atlantis: The Lost Empire theme with elements from the movie. These plans were canceled and the attraction was re-opened in 2007 as the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, its theme based on the 2003 Pixar film Finding Nemo, which was far more successful commercially and critically.[121] In addition, after the Submarine Voyage's Magic Kingdom counterpart, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage, closed down in 1994, four years before Disneyland's, there were proposals of a new attraction that would take its place, with one of them a volcano attraction inspired by that film's Vulcania location, being approved for the Magic Kingdom's Adventureland area. Around 1999, during development of Atlantis: The Lost Empire, it was decided that it would be themed to the movie, with it taking place in 1916, two years after the film's events. The ride would have focused on Preston Whitmore, a character from the film, seeking to make Atlantis existence public and offer expeditions to visitors in newly developed vehicles. However, due to mishaps, the vehicles would be forced to make a detour through the lava-filled caverns of the volcano. The attraction would have used a unique hybrid ride system, in which it would start as a standard coaster before the trains hook up to a suspended track midway through to fly through the caverns. The attraction would have been accessed by a new canyon path in between Pirates of the Caribbean and a re-routed Jungle Cruise that would have led to a Whitmore Enterprises base camp at the edge of the Walt Disney World Railroad path, with the mountain itself being built outside the berm. However, like the previous Submarine Voyage retheme, the ride was cancelled due to the film's disappointment in the box office.[122]

Our guest in this episode is Rick Altizer, an award-winning film director, recording artist, music producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and radio show host. Altizer directed the Kendrick Brothers' documentary Show Me the Father, which played in more than 1,100 theaters nationwide and earned an A+ CinemaScore—an honor achieved by only a handful of films each year. He also directed Russ Taff: I Still Believe, which received nine film festival awards. In addition, Altizer has directed three award-winning documentaries for comedian Chonda Pierce: Unashamed (#2 film in America), Enough (#2 film in America), and Laughing in the Dark (#5 film in America). A two-time Dove Award–nominated music producer, Altizer has sold more than one million albums and has produced music for artists including Johnny Cash, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, and Russ Taff. As a recording artist, he has released seven studio albums and earned three Top 10 singles. Altizer is currently directing the feature documentary He Calls Me Daughter. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Jan. They have two sons, David and Matthew, two daughters-in-law, Laura and Kimmy, and three grandsons: Ryan, Caleb, and JJ. To learn more about this film visit: https://hecallsmedaughter.org/

On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Nadiah Koh dive into the stories everyone’s talking about. First, we explore a viral sensation out of China: a scrap metal refiner nicknamed “The Alchemist” who extracted real gold from discarded SIM cards, sparking a rush for old electronics online. Could your junk drawer be hiding treasure? Then, we turn the spotlight to Hollywood and politics, with Melania Trump’s new documentary. Despite harsh reviews from critics, audiences are loving it. With an ‘A’ CinemaScore and a $7 million opening, it’s the biggest documentary debut in a decade. We unpack why it’s dividing critics and fans alike, and what this tells us about celebrity, curiosity, and the stories we can’t stop watching. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wonder Project and Amazon MGM Studios' hit series House of David tells the story of the ascent of the biblical figure, David, who eventually becomes the most renowned and celebrated king of Israel. Season one captivated over 44 million viewers worldwide, reaching #1 on Prime Video in the U.S., and now season two is exclusively available on the Wonder Project subscription on Prime Video in the U.S., with the upcoming season finale on Sunday, November 16. Jon Erwin serves as co-director, writer, and executive producer on the series.In season two of House of David, Israel nears collapse as Saul's reign falters. David rises from shepherd to warrior, caught between loyalty and destiny, while the Age of Iron transforms warfare. As families fracture, forbidden loves spark, and alliances shift, faith and power collide in a struggle that will decide Israel's future. In the season finale, family loyalties are tested while Israel hurtles toward a kingdom-shaking reckoning.   House of David was based on an idea by Jon Erwin, acclaimed, multi–GMA Dove Award-winning director, writer, producer and entrepreneur, who is also the Founder and Chief Creative Officer for Wonder Project. Wonder Project's subscription on Prime Video offers audiences more than 125 licensed titles and over 1,000 hours of hand-picked films and TV series across multiple genres that embody the company's mission: to entertain the world with courageous stories, inspiring hope and restoring faith in things worth believing in. The service also includes a curated section offering the TV-edited versions of popular films while also making the original versions available—underscoring Wonder Project's commitment to increasing choices for premium co-viewing experiences. Upcoming Wonder Project originals on the subscription include It's Not Like That, a family drama series with Amazon MGM Studios starring Scott Foley and Erinn Hayes; the inspiring music documentary for KING + COUNTRY: No Turning Back, about the extraordinary rise of global music superstars Joel and Luke Smallbone; Redemption, chronicling the faith journey of members of The Ohio State football team's 2024 championship season; and a festive holiday special hosted by Little Big Town's Kimberly Schlapman.Jon Erwin is the first and only director to receive an A+ CinemaScore® four times. His 2023 film JESUS REVOLUTION grossed $52M worldwide and was a breakout hit for Lionsgate. Along with his brother Andrew, Jon co-wrote, produced and co-directed films like MOMS' NIGHT OUT, WOODLAWN, and the surprise hit I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, which became the #1 independent film of 2018, earning more than $83 million at the box office. In 2019, Jon and Andrew launched Kingdom Story Company. The first film from that venture was I STILL BELIEVE, a biopic about CCM megastar Jeremy Camp which was released by Lionsgate in 2020, followed by AMERICAN UNDERDOG in 2021, which told the story of NFL MVP and Hall of Famer Kurt Warner.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

Wonder Project and Amazon MGM Studios' hit series House of David tells the story of the ascent of the biblical figure, David, who eventually becomes the most renowned and celebrated king of Israel. Season one captivated over 44 million viewers worldwide, reaching #1 on Prime Video in the U.S., and now season two is exclusively available on the Wonder Project subscription on Prime Video in the U.S., with the upcoming season finale on Sunday, November 16. Jon Erwin serves as co-director, writer, and executive producer on the series.In season two of House of David, Israel nears collapse as Saul's reign falters. David rises from shepherd to warrior, caught between loyalty and destiny, while the Age of Iron transforms warfare. As families fracture, forbidden loves spark, and alliances shift, faith and power collide in a struggle that will decide Israel's future. In the season finale, family loyalties are tested while Israel hurtles toward a kingdom-shaking reckoning.   House of David was based on an idea by Jon Erwin, acclaimed, multi–GMA Dove Award-winning director, writer, producer and entrepreneur, who is also the Founder and Chief Creative Officer for Wonder Project. Wonder Project's subscription on Prime Video offers audiences more than 125 licensed titles and over 1,000 hours of hand-picked films and TV series across multiple genres that embody the company's mission: to entertain the world with courageous stories, inspiring hope and restoring faith in things worth believing in. The service also includes a curated section offering the TV-edited versions of popular films while also making the original versions available—underscoring Wonder Project's commitment to increasing choices for premium co-viewing experiences. Upcoming Wonder Project originals on the subscription include It's Not Like That, a family drama series with Amazon MGM Studios starring Scott Foley and Erinn Hayes; the inspiring music documentary for KING + COUNTRY: No Turning Back, about the extraordinary rise of global music superstars Joel and Luke Smallbone; Redemption, chronicling the faith journey of members of The Ohio State football team's 2024 championship season; and a festive holiday special hosted by Little Big Town's Kimberly Schlapman.Jon Erwin is the first and only director to receive an A+ CinemaScore® four times. His 2023 film JESUS REVOLUTION grossed $52M worldwide and was a breakout hit for Lionsgate. Along with his brother Andrew, Jon co-wrote, produced and co-directed films like MOMS' NIGHT OUT, WOODLAWN, and the surprise hit I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, which became the #1 independent film of 2018, earning more than $83 million at the box office. In 2019, Jon and Andrew launched Kingdom Story Company. The first film from that venture was I STILL BELIEVE, a biopic about CCM megastar Jeremy Camp which was released by Lionsgate in 2020, followed by AMERICAN UNDERDOG in 2021, which told the story of NFL MVP and Hall of Famer Kurt Warner.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

Just in time for Halloween, we sit down with author, filmmaker, and cultural critic Brooke Obie to talk Sinners—and why this film has had the culture in a chokehold for over six months. From vampires and fairies to faith, grief, and sensuality, this conversation dives deep into what it means to feel seen, turned on, and spiritually awakened all at once. We also talk about Black excellence in film—with Sinners holding strong at 97 % Certified Fresh and earning a rare “A” CinemaScore (the first horror film to do that in 35 + years). Brooke's Club Juke event in L.A. brought all this energy to life—movie discussion, dinner, dancing, and raising funds for Project 43—and though we missed it this time, we're bringing her voice straight to Royal Fetish Radio so none of us miss the message again. Vampires, sensuality, spirituality, and a little righteous rebellion—perfect Halloween vibes.

Encore! Encore! - This fall we needed a laugh, so we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes. What better way to laugh than bask in the hilarity of 3 great 1970's comedies with some of the funniest film moments in film brought to us by; Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein (1974), Arthur Hiller's Silver Streak (1976) and Animal House (1978) produced by Ivan Reitman! Join us for Episode 14: "We Might Never Stop Laughing." Where else can you have a Mary Shelley classic and mash it up with Irving Berlin to make monsters loveable, or twist up a take on a Hitchcock thriller by pairing two comic geniuses and taking a real look at what the social life off a gentlemanly college fraternity  was like in 1962?   To find out more about this and past episodes' movies, including trivia and other fun facts, visit our official Cinema Sounds and Secrets website.  

Encore! Encore! - This fall we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes. This time its a minisode! Lets take another look at one of the most famous sound effects in fim history.  The scream originated in 1951 and is often used for scenarios in which someone is shot, falls from a great height or is thrown from an explosion, adding comedy to situations often thought to be to serious.  To find out more about this and past episodes' movies, including trivia and other fun facts, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website. 

In our latest tribute, Janet, John, (and Pen) celebrate the life and career of a revered Greek musician and composure who found success  across many different genres... Vangelis! His career began in rock bands,  where with Aphrodite's Child he helped create the album 666, which would become a progressive-pyschadelic rock classic. He continued to find success in the music industry before transitioning to scoring films with Charitos of Fire in 1981, for which he would win Best Original Score at the Academy Awards. His career was launched to new heights and would continue making music for classic moves movies such as Blade Runner (1982), Missing (1983), Antarctica (1983), The Bounty (1984), 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), and Alexander (2004). His career in music spanned over 50 years, making him one of the most important figures in modern film music.  To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

Welcome, everyone, to tonight's episode. We're diving into A Simple Favor and its sequel Another Simple Favor — two stylish, twisty thrillers that sit at the intersection of dark comedy, mystery, and melodrama. But behind the glamour and plot turns lies an interesting story of studio strategy, financial risk, and evolving distribution models.Let's start with the original. A Simple Favor (2018) is directed by Paul Feig, from a screenplay by Jessica Sharzer, and stars Anna Kendrick as Stephanie and Blake Lively as Emily. The film is based on the 2017 novel by Darcey Bell. Its budget was modest — around 20 million dollars — and it went on to gross nearly 98 million worldwide. Critics generally responded well, with a Metacritic score in the high 60s and audiences giving it a CinemaScore of B+. Rotten Tomatoes praised it as “twisty, twisted, and above all simply fun.” Part of the allure is the tone: it plays like a “mommy noir” — elegant, sharp, with sharply drawn characters and unpredictable turns. It was a strong showing for a midtier studio film, and helped cement A Simple Favor as a cult favorite in the thriller and women-driven mystery niche.Fast forward to 2025, and we have Another Simple Favor. This sequel is not based on a book — unlike the original, it's an original screenplay by Jessica Sharzer and Laeta Kalogridis. The production is a co-venture: Lionsgate still participates, but distribution shifted. Another Simple Favor was released on Amazon Prime Video rather than in theaters, with Amazon MGM handling distribution. Filming took place in 2024, in locations like Capri and the Villa Adriana in Italy. Critically, the sequel has earned mixed reviews. Some praise Lively's magnetic presence, gorgeous costumes, and the ambition of the story's escalation. But others argue it feels overstuffed, that pacing sags in parts, and that it lacks some of the tightness or novelty of the first film. One reviewer summed it up: “It works better when its characters are just allowed to be marvelous instead of mysterious.” It also premiered at SXSW in March 2025 before its streaming release on May 1. The fact that its home is Prime Video, rather than a theatrical run, signals some of the shifting business realities behind studio films — especially for sequels that may carry higher risk.These two films provide an ideal case study in how creative ambition, risk, and studio strategy collide. The first film was a midbudget gamble that paid off. The second gives us lessons in modern distribution, content partnerships, and the pressures on midsize studios to share risk or cede control with streaming giants.Tonight, we're going to compare the narratives, the characters, the successes and stumbles — but also look behind the curtain: how studios like Lionsgate are navigating a volatile business environment, why a sequel would skip theaters, and whether the shift in approach gives Another Simple Favor an edge or a handicap.So grab your martini, or mocktail — let's get into A Simple Favor and Another Simple Favor.Disclaimer: The following may contain offensive language, adult humor, and/or content that some viewers may find offensive – The views and opinions expressed by any one speaker does not explicitly or necessarily reflect or represent those of Mark Radulich or W2M Network.Mark Radulich and his wacky podcast on all the things:https://linktr.ee/markkind76alsohttps://www.teepublic.com/user/radulich-in-broadcasting-networkFB Messenger: Mark Radulich LCSWTiktok: @markradulichtwitter: @MarkRadulichInstagram: markkind76RIBN Album Playlist: https://suno.com/playlist/91d704c9-d1ea-45a0-9ffe-5069497bad59 

In our latest tribute, Janet, John, (and Pen) celebrate the life and career of a revered American actor who found fame in a leading role across many different genres... Vel Kilmer! His career page on the stage, beocming the youngest person at the time to be accepted into Juilliard, and get his start in an off-Broadway musical The Slab Boys (1983) with Kevin Bacon and Sean Penn. His overnight breakthrouhg came with the 1984 comedy Top Secret!, marking his first major motion picture role, launching him into mainstream Hollywood almost instantly. A couple years later, Kilmer was fimly planted in the Hollywood A-list with his role as Iceman in Top Gun (1986). Kilmer became the go to leading man for every genre throughout the 1990s, raning from the likes of Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993) to Batman in Batman Forever (1995). The films he starred in would grossed more than a whopping $3.8 billion worldwide, which include but not limited to Top Gun (1986), The Doors (1991), Tombstone (1993), and Batman Forever (1995), Heat (1995), The Prince of Egypt (1998). His final role came in the form of a reprisal of Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick (2022).   To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). This week, Janet, John, (and Pen) explore something we all share and go through, the growing pains, teen angst, and tween heartache, memorably explored in these two award winning films. One examines what it's like moving to a new town finding it impossible to fit in, while the other explores the complexities of good and cruelty through the eyes of a young girl. Join us in celebrating these two amazing coming of age stories! To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

Encore! Encore! - This summer break, we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes from the last year. This time its a very special Minisode: Why Marlene?

Encore! Encore! - This summer we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes. This time its a minisode! Lets take another look at one of, if not the most ledgendary costume designer in cinema history,  Edith Head! By the end of her Golden-Age spanning career, she made her mark on the fabrics of over 400 Hollywood films and dressed some of the biggest American stars of the past century. Receiving a record 35 Oscar nominations for Best Costume Design and 8 winning a record 8 times, she most awarded and most nominated woman in the Academy's history. We are, of course, referring to Edith Head, likely the most prolific costume designer Hollywood has ever seen! To find out more about this and past episodes' movies, including trivia and other fun facts, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website. 

Welcome to another Cinema Sounds & Secrets Tribute Episode! This week, Janet, John, (and Pen) dive into the life and career of an incredible composer who wrote his first compositions when he was just six years old! A five-time Oscar nominee and a two-time winner, its none other then the ledgendary Ennio Morricone! Born in Rome, Italy on November 10th, 1928,  his father, a trumpet player himself taught Ennio to read music and how to play many instruments. It was in his childhood he met his future collaborator and ledgendary director and pioneer of the Spagetti Western, Sergio Leone. During the 50s and early 60s, Morriconne composed songs for Italian and international jazz and pop stars, selling millions of copies of his music worldwide, eventually finding his way composing music for film, with his breakout film being released in 1964, Fistful of Dollars. Morricone would go on to score countless of films in the western genre and beyond, composing more than 400 across his entire career. The last notable project he worked on was with another iconic director, Quentin Tarantino, for the film, The Hateful Eight. Some of Ennio Morricone's most notable scores include, Fistfull of Dollars (1964), The Good The Bad And The Ugly (1966), Days of Heaven (1978), The Mission (1986), Untouchables (1987), and The Hateful Eight (2015). To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!  

Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now in theaters. This film was first announced to be in development six years ago this weekend and it's extremely exciting that Marvel's First Family finally has a worthy big screen adaptation. I've loved these characters ever since I was a kid and I've been praying for a good F4 adaptation since I was a kid. This movie had heart, humor and all the family that I'd want from a Fantastic Four movie, finally complete with the sci-fi wackiness too. The film scored an A- Cinemascore, the same as Thunderbolts* and Superman, and made more money than expected on its opening weekend. It seems like this is finally going to be another win for Marvel Studios. Today though, I'll be taking a deep dive into my SPOILER-FILLED thoughts on the movie, and even reflect on how this movie compares to James Gunn's Superman. Along with that, I'll be going over all the easter eggs I noticed and any comic book tie-ins that might hint at future stories. So relax, grab some popcorn and enjoy!

Encore! Encore! - This summer we're revisiting some of our favorite episodes. What better way to escape the heat than watching cowboy gunfights across desert expanses! Join us for Episode 4: "The Best of the West" Redford and Newman, nowdays those names go together like Damon and Affleck, but there was a time, not so long ago when the first real Bromance team almost didn't happen… and did you know one of the iconic American Westerns was directed by an Italian auteur? Get ready for some gun-slinging and some hit song singin'... To find out more about this and past episodes' movies, including trivia and other fun facts, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website. 

Encore! In Honor of James Gunn's newly released Superman (2025), we're revisiting the FIRST episode of Cinema Sounds & Secrets! Westside Story (1962) and Superman (1978) Our first film was a groundbreaking musical based on a smash Broadway show, and the other a movie from a very different planet – so what do they have in common?  Both films are the best of their genre – the film musical and comic book superhero and both films brim with star power. To learn more about this episode and others, visit the Official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

Janet, John, and Pendleton are on summer break! We're playing some of our favorite episodes, tributes, and extra bits (because we love those extra bits), for your enjoyment. Encore! Encore!

Welcome to another Saturday Matinee With Friends episode! This week Janet, John, (and Pen) sit down for a discussion with American media executive David Madden! After graduating from Harvard, Madden took part in theater before exploring the film industry and eventually becoming president of Fox Television Studios and executive at Paramount Pictures. A few of his legendary production credits include Runaway Bride (1999), The Shield (2002), Something the Lord Made (2004), The Shield (2002), The Americans (2013), Doctor Who (2005), Better Call Saul (2015), Killing Eve (2018) and many more!  To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

Welcome to Multiverse News, Your source for Information about all your favorite fictional universesMarvel Studios has been in the news a lot during the last week with varying topics. We'll break them down, but first some bullet points.- Thunderbolts* took the top spot at the box office with a $76 million domestic opening and a global total of $162.1 million. For those CinemaScore fans, the movie is sitting at an A-. SPOILER ALERT: The studio also flipped the title of the movie based on the events that occur within it and the film is now being marketed as The New Avengers - the big reveal of what the asterisk stood for. Marvel Comics even joined in with this gag, revealing today that a previously announced new series called New Thunderbolts* is actually going to be called The New Avengers.- Jeremy Renner was interviewed by podcast High Performance about his new memoir “My Next Breath,” and revealed Marvel offered him a role in a second season of Hawkeye, but only offered half the salary he received in season one.- The Hollywood Reporter has received information from sources saying that Ryan Reynolds is in the early stages of developing a new Deadpool movie that would feature X-Men characters with Deadpool potentially in a supporting role.- Lastly, Fantastic Four: First Steps Director Matt Shakman revealed that voice actor Matthew Wood is doing the voice work for the role of HERBIE in the film. Wood is known for voicing General Grievous and has worked in sound for Lucasfilm and Disney for many years.Perhaps the biggest story to hit Hollywood since the writers/actors strikes a few years ago, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his social media platform on Monday that he aims to start including Hollywood in his tariff plan. In his comments, Trump announced he wants to institute a 100% tariff on movies coming into the United States and that are produced in foreign countries. It is unclear how this would be implemented at this time as films are not goods. However, many films take advantage of tax incentives offered by states and countries to film in their locations and these could be affected. In an already turbulent time for Hollywood, what could this mean for the future?FX has officially confirmed an upcoming season two of its Emmy-award winning series Shogun. The series co-creators and showrunners Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks recently wrapped a writers room for the coming season which will begin production in January of 2026.Guy Ritchie has signed on to direct Road House 2, the sequel to Amazon MGM Studios' hit action movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Will Beall, whose credits range from comic book movies such as Aquaman to action movies including Bad Boys: Ride or Die, is writing the script.Sgt. Rock, DC Studios' action war movie that was to shoot this summer, will no longer move forward at the current schedule due to location shooting issues. The film, set to be directed by Luca Guadagnino and star Colin Farrell, apparently needs to be shot during the summer and not the winter, which held up production. Insiders tell the Hollywood Reporter that the project is not necessarily going away however, and would be reassessed at the end of the year for a possible summer shoot in 2026.Chris Hemsworth has been cast to star in Subversion, a submarine thriller that Patrick Vollrath will direct for Amazon MGM.Star Wars: The Last Order, is a newly-announced novel, written by Kwame Mbalia and will look at Finn and Jannah's mission to save more children from the First Order. The novel will be released this year on October 21.AppleTV+ has renewed Seth Rogan-led series The Studio for a second season ahead of its May 21 season one finale.Practical Magic 2, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, will release in theaters on September 18, 2026.In box office news, Sinners crossed $240 million worldwide while A Minecraft Movie continues to creep to a billion dollars with an $875 million worldwide total.

Mostly Superheroes Podcast: Spoiler-Free Review of Sinners (2025) This episode of Mostly Superheroes features a spoiler-free review of Sinners (2025), the latest horror thriller starring Michael B. Jordan in dual roles. Scotty caught this one on The Big Show at Alamo Drafthouse St. Louis, where the immersive experience made the film's eerie atmosphere even more intense. About the Film Sinners is directed by Ryan Coogler, marking his fifth collaboration with Jordan after Fruitvale Station, Creed, and both Black Panther films. The film is produced by Proximity Media and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Set in 1932 Mississippi, Sinners follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack, World War I veterans who return home to start fresh. Their plans to open a juke joint take a dark turn when supernatural forces descend upon their town. The cast includes Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, and Delroy Lindo. The film's cinematography is handled by Autumn Durald Arkapaw, with editing by Michael P. Shawver and a score composed by Ludwig Göransson. Box Office & Budget Sinners premiered on April 3, 2025, and was released theatrically on April 18. With a budget of $90–100 million, the film has already grossed over $236 million worldwide, making it the fifth highest-grossing film of the year. It opened with $48 million domestically, outperforming expectations and earning an “A” CinemaScore—an extremely rare feat for a horror film. Behind-the-Scenes Fact Principal photography took place from April to July 2024. The film was shot using IMAX cameras, enhancing its visual depth and intensity. Warner Bros. secured distribution rights after a competitive bidding war, highlighting the industry's confidence in Coogler and Jordan's ability to deliver a compelling original story. See Movies with Mostly Superheroes Want to experience films like Sinners in the best possible way? Catch screenings with Mostly Superheroes at Alamo Drafthouse St. Louis, where fans can engage with the community and win prizes. Plus, with Alamo's Season Pass, you can see unlimited movies, up to one per day, with reserved seating and exclusive perks. Stay tuned for more reviews, discussions, and movie nights with Mostly Superheroes! www.mostlysuperheroes.com ©2025 Carrogan Ventures, LLC

The Outsiders (1983), Ferris Bueller's Day Off  (1986), and Say Anything (1989). This week, Janet, John (and Pen) take a look at three films that explore the lives of teenagers and angst in the 80s with very different tones and intentions. Whether the story explores a teen in the perfect urban home with mom, dad, and kid sister, a real loner with a dream, or only finding solace with a gang of other misfit kids, everyone wants to connect. To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!   

GET YOUR MULTIVERSE NEWS MERCH HERE:https://multiverse-news-shop.fourthwall.com/Welcome to Multiverse News, Your source for Information about all your favorite fictional universesMarvel Studios skipped a countdown or other hype train idea and finally gave us the first full trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps last Wednesday. We're treated to a longer taste of Matt Shakman's take on Marvel's First Family as well as our first real look at Julia Garner's Silver Surfer who heralds the film's big bad, Galactus.Over the last weekend, Lucasfilm held Star Wars Celebration in Japan. Celebration typically takes place every one or two years. The next event will be in Los Angeles in April 2027. As far as the news from this year's event, let's break it down into bite-sized chunks.- Shawn Levy's Star Wars film starring Ryan Gosling will be called Star Wars: Starfighter and will come out in May 2027. The film takes place a couple of years after The Rise of Skywalker, but is a standalone project.- A Darth Maul animated series starring Sam Witwer called Maul: Shadow Lord will debut on Disney+ in 2026.- First footage from The Mandalorian and Grogu was shown to attendees, but no trailer has been released yet for the 2026 film from Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni.- Animated anthology series Star Wars: Visions will return for a third season this October with three of the most popular storylines from season one continuing.- Dave Filoni talked about Ahsoka season 2, confirming Hayden Christensen will return and showed first looks at Rory McCann as the replacement for Ray Stevenson in the role of Baylan Skoll.Netflix released the first trailer for the second and final season of The Sandman. The trailer showed us more of the family of cosmic beings who are coming together after Morpheus, the King of Dreams, has been rebuilding his kingdom. The show will release six episodes on July 3 and the final five on July 24.Alicia Silverstone is attached to reprise the role of Cher Horowitz in a Clueless sequel series at Peacock that is currently in early development.Warner Brother's Ryan Coogler film Sinners took the number one spot at the domestic box office from A Mincraft Movie this weekend, pulling in $45.6 million dollars. The film is the first R Rated horror movie to earn an A Cinema Score in 35 years.A reboot film of Highlander directed by Chad Stahelski and starring Henry Cavill has been in development for nearly a decade at Lionsgate. Now, the project is moving forward, but it will be headed to Amazon MGM Studios' United Artists, which is in final negotiations to acquire the package from Lionsgate.The first trailer for Jordan Peele's latest horror film Him has been released. The film stars Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers and will be released in theaters on September 19.Oscar voters will no longer be able to cast final ballots in categories in which they haven't seen all of the nominees, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Monday.Lost showrunners Carlton Cuse and Nick Cuse are developing a Star Wars series for Disney+ that is in the very early stages of development.Michael Bay and Sydney Sweeney are teaming up for a film adaptation of the Sega racing video game OutRun for Universal. Bay will direct and Sweeney will produce. The project is in the very early stages of development.Sarah Michelle Gellar and Elijah Wood have been cast to star in Searchlights Ready or Not: Here I Come. The film from Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett is a follow up to 2019's horror hit Ready or Not. Gellar and Wood will star alongside Samara Weaving, who reprises her role as Grace, and Kathryn Newton.The first trailer has been released for season 8 of Rick and Morty. The new season will begin streaming on May 25 on Adult Swim.Another Enola Holmes film is officially in the works at Netflix, the third in the series. Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill will both return to star. Production is now underway in the UK.

Alyssa is off this week, so Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark) and Peter Suderman (Reason) are joined by Ben Dreyfuss (Calm Down) to discuss all things Sinners. In cons and nons, they ask if Coogler's unusual deal granting him copyright on the movie 25 years hence will really “destroy the studio system.” And then they review the film, which has done boffo box office and earned a coveted A from CinemaScore audiences. Make sure to swing by Bulwark+ on Friday for a bonus vampire movie draft. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.comThank you for your patience on this episode going up Tuesday vs Monday and happy Easter, coconuts ❤️

On episode 284 of The AwardsWatch Podcast, Executive Editor Ryan McQuade is joined by AwardsWatch Dan Bayer to review the latest film from director Ryan Coogler, Sinners, and talk about their favorite horror films of the century so far. The film world has been buzzing the last two weeks in the anticipation for Ryan Coogler's Sinners, a Southern gothic vampire musical that in one of the most original, authentic studio films released in sometime. After a strong opening box office and even stronger word of mouth from audiences, receiving an “A” CinemaScore this past weekend, Sinners is being considered one of, if not the best film of 2025 released so far. Ryan and Dan breakdown their extensive thoughts on the film, avoiding spoilers yet diving deep into the complex, exciting world Coogler has built. After they are done reviewing the film, they dive into a discussion over the horror genre for the last 25 years, and how it has evolved and changed over the course of the last two and a half decades. Films mentioned in their conversation ranged from Get Out, Saw, The Ring, The Cabin in the Woods, The Conjuring, Drag Me to Hell, The Others, American Psycho, The Witch, Midsommar, It Follows, Green Room, The Substance, Nosferatu, Suspiria, Titane, and many more. You can listen to The AwardsWatch Podcast wherever you stream podcasts, from iTunes, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Amazon Music and more. This podcast runs 1h17m. We will be back in next week for an extensive 2025 Summer Movie Preview. Till then, let's get into it. Music: “Modern Fashion” from AShamaleuvmusic (intro), “B-3” from BoxCat Games Nameless: The Hackers RPG Soundtrack (outro).

In this week's tribute episode, Janet, John, (and Pen) explore the life of one of Britain's most acclaimed stage and screen stars. The second of only four actresses to have won two Golden Globes in the same year and made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004… it's Joan Plowright. With a career spanning over six decades, she received accolades including an Olivier Award, a Tony Award and nominations for an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and Emmy. You may know her from films like Moby Dick (1956), The Entertainer (1960), Uncle Vanya (1963), Three Sisters (1970), Equus (1977), Avalon (1990), Dennis the Menace (1993), Enchanted April (1991), 101 Dalmatians (1996),  Jane Eyre (1996), and more. To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

In this week's tribute episode, Janet, John, (and Pen) discuss the life and career of a wonderful American comedian and actor who came to prominence in 1960 and is known for his deadpan delivery style... Bob Newhart. Starting out by engaging in humorous telephone conversations with a friend in which he improvised characters to alleviate boredom at his office job, the actor would go on to receive three Grammys, an Emmy, and a Golden Globe Award. After catching attention from a local DJ he began his career as a stand-up comedian, and transitioned to working in television in the series Newhart after his album of comedic monologues became a bestseller. Known for films like  Hell Is for Heroes (1962), Hot Millions (1968), Catch-22 (1970), Cold Turkey (1971), The Rescuers (1977), In & Out (1997), First Family (1980), Elf (2003), and more. To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!   

Bonnie & Clyde (1967) and Heaven Can Wait (1978). This week, Janet, John (and Pen) discuss two masterpieces from a legendarily great actor/director/producer. Warren Beatty's groundbreaking movies rocked the film industry in 1967 with unflinching violence and amazing folk scores that would later become Oscar-winning favorites.  To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

PS5 Contesthttps://www.strandedpanda.com/ps5Matt's Daredevil Album Fundraiser:https://igg.me/at/daredevilalbum/x/24216561#/Multiverse News Merchhttps://multiverse-news-shop.fourthwall.com/Welcome to Multiverse News, Your source for Information about all your favorite fictional universesToday, Marvel held a five and a half hour long casting announcement live stream. Twenty-six cast members were announced painstakingly slowly and wordlessly, via the backs of chairs and it all ended with Robert Downey, Jr. himself strolling in and shushing the viewer.  Also in an interview this week, Scarlet Witch herself, Elizabeth Olsen, claims Wanda will not be returning for either of these Avengers films.Amy Pascal and David Heyman have officially been named as producers on the next James Bond film, according to a Variety article from Tuesday. Pascal is known for her work at Sony and continues to work with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller on different projects such as Spider-Man: Noir. Heyman's name ought to be familiar to Harry Potter fans as he produced all eight of the original films and is also in pre-production on the new series. Though it took first place this weekend, the $43 million domestic opening of Disney's live action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a box office failure. Along with dismal revenue for the controversy-embroiled film, it has received an overall CinemaScore of B+ - something no Disney live action remake has done yet. Robert DeNiro's Alto Knights also debuted to disappointing figures and the Jonathan Majors-led Magazine Dreams only cracked $700,000 in its limited release.Apple's streaming service had a huge win after finishing the second season of Severance last week when the show became the most-streamed series on AppleTV+, surpassing Ted Lasso. Severance hit the Nielsen streaming report for five consecutive weeks, clocking in with 681 million minutes viewed. Apple CEO Tim Cook quickly gave the show the greenlight for a third season last Friday morning. On the heels of this news, it may be surprising - or not - to hear that Apple loses $1 billion a year on the streaming service and only has 45 million subscribers. But based on what the tech giant has said in the past, this may not matter.Speaking at Disney's annual shareholder meeting, Bob Iger confirmed that Pixar is developing a sequel film to Coco with a targeted theatrical release date sometime in 2029. The sequel will bring back members of the creative team from the original film, including director Lee Unkrichn and co-director Adrian Molina. Mark Nielsen will produce.WME is shopping the rights to the Jason Bourne franchise as well as the full library of Robert Ludlam properties to potential suitors since the rights have officially expired at Universal. Skydance, Apple and Netflix are said to have met with the estate for the rights. Universal, too, could potentially win the rights back if it made an attractive bid.Sherman Augustus has joined the cast of HBO's Lanterns in a recurring role. He will play John Stewart's father, John Senior. J. Alphonse Nicholson was also cast last week in the series and will play a younger version of John Senior.Agency Verve, which has represented the rights for the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise since 2017, is reportedly looking to sell the rights to revive the franchise. A rumored interested party, according to Deadline, is filmmaker JT Mollner and producer Roy Lee and if they get a script together, word is that Glen Powell would like to read it. A24, Lionsgate and others are reportedly expressing interest in that vision. Mollner and Lee are currently coming off the heels of cult hit Strange Darling.Two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz and two time Oscar winner Renee Zellweger have joined Only Murders in the Building Season 5.

What's up, dudes? Merry Christmas 2!! “Santa Claus: The Movie” is a fantastic origin story, made better by Henry Mancini's score and a killer song of Sheena Easton. Thus, Robert Nicholas from Behind the Bells joins me to really dig into a particular cue from the “Santa Claus: The Movie” score and dish about the Christmas carol medley of it all as well.First, we get into the nostalgic synths with "It's Christmas All Over the World". Played during the end credits, the mid-tempo song set the stage for the emotions of Christmas, washing over the audience like a warm blanket. Written originally with Freddie Mercury in mind, the song eventually was recorded by Sheena Easton. Likewise, the film also features a track by Aled Jones of "The Snowman" fame.Mancini purposely chose to score and arrange the orchestra as traditionally as possible. Subsequently, his score evoked a sense of wistfulness and comfort, harking back to days of yore. According to an interview with Randall D Larson for CinemaScore in 1987, Mancini stated:"One thing we had to satisfy was that you can't have picture about Christmas or Santa Claus and not touch on the traditional. I decided that it would be a good idea to get all of those numbers in one place, rather than spotting them here and there throughout the film. So on Santa's first flight I used them in a piece by itself, and it all worked out well because the montage was well conceived and it made sense. But from there on we went to original music.”Of course, the piece he was speaking of was "Christmas Rhapsody." The cue begins with a triumphant rendition of Deck the Halls before segueing into Joy to the World. A melodic and intimate version of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing follows, succeeded by The 12 Days of Christmas, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, and O Tannenbaum. Finally, the cue ends with majesty and serenity with The First Noel and Silent Night.Tchaikovsky-esque instrumentation? Check. Catchy Santa Claus theme? Got it. Synthesizer? Yes, but only if a pop star is singing! So grab your celesta, join the orchestra, and play along to this episode all about the “Santa Claus: The Movie” score and soundtrack!Behind the BellsFB: @BehindtheBellsIG: @behind_the_bells_podcastGive us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

Disney's live-action Snow White has officially hit theaters… but the numbers aren't exactly what the Mouse House was hoping for. Kristian Harloff and John Rocha are breaking it all down on today's show! Did the online controversy and social media backlash play a role in Snow White falling short of expectations? Was the movie's reception doomed from the start, or was it a case of audiences just not connecting with another remake? The guys discuss the latest reports showing Snow White pulling in just $43 million domestically and $44.3 million internationally, landing the film at an $87.3 million global total—far under the $65M domestic target. We'll talk about Deadline's comparison to Dumbo, the CinemaScore, and the film's polarizing reactions. Plus, did Rachel Zegler's casting really hurt or help in certain markets? And what about those claims that the film overperformed in conservative counties despite the “Snow Woke” criticism? But that's not all! Kristian and Rocha also cover:

Welcome to another Cinema Sounds & Secrets Tribute episode! This week Janet, John, (and Pen) highlight one of the most honored American screenwriters in motion picture history… Bo Goldman! Called the “the screenwriter's screenwriter” Goldman received two Academy Awards for his screenplays of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and Melvin and Howard (1980), two Golden Globe Awards, two Writers Guild of America Awards and the Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. Listen to learn more about one of the true greats, known for films like The Rose (1979), Shoot the Moon (1982), Scent of a Woman (1992), and Meet Joe Black (1998).  To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!  

Welcome to another Cinema Sounds & Secrets Tribute episode! This week Janet, John, (and Pen) discuss the life and career of an incredible Canadian-born actor whose film and television career spanned seven decades. From a cool hippie Literature professor and a billionaire to a grieving and murderous father in a raft of great sci-fi and horror films… Donald Sutherland! With an education from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, he moved to Hollywood, where he was cast in several WWII films and life was never the same. He found fame in movies like The Dirty Dozen (1967), MASH (1970), Klute (1971), Don't Look Now (1973), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Animal House (1978), Ordinary People (1980), The Hunger Games franchise and many more.  To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!  

Welcome to another Cinema Sounds & Secrets Tribute episode! This week Janet, John, (and Pen) delve into the life and career of American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader… the incomparable Quincy Jones. Born Quincy Delight Jones Jr. on March 14, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois, this gifted musician discovered a love for the piano at age 11 and would go on to win 28 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy, and a Tony. Jones explored music throughout high school, becoming passionate about the trumpet, and would eventually collaborate with incredible artists like Lesley Gore, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, and many more. In 1961, he composed music for The Pawnbroker (1964), the first of his nearly 40 film scores. To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

On today's show, we chat with Jon Erwin!JON ERWIN – Based on an idea by; Executive Producer, Co-Director Jon Erwin is an acclaimed, multi GMA Dove Award-winning director, writer, producer, and entrepreneur. He is the creative force behind HOUSE OF DAVID and serves as Chief Creative Officer for Wonder Project. He is also the first and only director to receive an A+ CinemaScore® four times. His 2023 film JESUS REVOLUTION grossed $52M worldwide and was a breakout hit for Lionsgate.  Along with his brother Andrew, Jon co-wrote, produced and co-directed films like MOMS' NIGHT OUT, WOODLAWN, and the surprise hit I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, which became the #1 independent film of 2018, earning more than $83 million at the box office.  In 2019, Jon and Andrew launched Kingdom Story Company. The first film from that venture was I STILL BELIEVE, a biopic about CCM megastar Jeremy Camp which was released by Lionsgate in 2020, followed by AMERICAN UNDERDOG in 2021, which told the story of NFL MVP and Hall of Famer Kurt Warner.HOUSE OF DAVID is directed and written by Jon Erwin (Jesus Revolution) and Jon Gunn (Ordinary Angels), and stars Michael Iskander as David who was cast following a four-month international search, and is fresh off his role in the Tony Award-winning musical "Kimberly Akimbo." The series also stars Ali Suliman (Jack Ryan, Arthur the King) as King Saul, Ayelet Zurer (Angels And Demons, Man Of Steel) as Saul's trusted wife Queen Ahinoam, Stephen Lang (Avatar franchise, Don't Breathe) as Samuel; Indy Lewis (Industry, King and Conqueror) as Mychal, Saul's daughter, and Martyn Ford (Mortal Kombat 2, The Sandman) as Goliath. HOUSE OF DAVID tells the story of the ascent of the biblical figure, David, who eventually becomes the most renowned and celebrated king of Israel. The series follows the once-mighty King Saul as he falls victim to his own pride. At the direction of God, the prophet Samuel anoints an unlikely, outcast teenager as the new king. As Saul loses his power over his kingdom, David finds himself on a journey to discover and fulfill his destiny, navigating love, loss, and violence in the court of the very man he's destined to replace. As one leader falls, another must rise.@primevideochristianmusicguys.com@christianmusicguys

Cinephile, film publicist extraordinaire, and technicolor advisor guru to directors like Coppola and Scorsese, Bob Hoffman sits down with Janet to talk about the magic of color, how it came to be, and what it's like to work in the dream factory of Hollywood, from ALL angles.  To learn more about this episode and others, visit the Official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website. And check out our Instagram, @cinemasoundspod!  

Welcome to another Cinema Sounds & Secrets Tribute episode! This week Janet, John, (and Pen) delve into the amazing career of an actor whose film, stage, and television career spanned nearly seven decades… Gena Rowlands! From growing up in Madison, Wisconsin to attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, Rowlands was a true star from the Golden Age of Hollywood and a pioneer of independent film. The four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner is known for her incredible performances in films like A Child Is Waiting (1963), Faces (1968), A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Opening Night (1977), Gloria (1980), Tempest (1982), Love Streams (1984) and more. To learn more about this episode and others, visit the Official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website. And check out our Instagram, @cinemasoundspod!  

KEVIN DOWNES (Kingdom Story Company Co-Founder / CEO / Producer)As co-founder and CEO of Kingdom Story Company, Kevin Downes has built an impressive career in producing, directing, acting, and writing, spanning over 30 years. As an actor, Downes played memorable roles in COURAGEOUS, MOMS' NIGHT OUT, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, JESUS REVOLUTION, THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER, and more. Kingdom Story Company is the premier destination for making films that ignite a rush of hope. In partnership with Lionsgate, Kingdom Story Company prioritizes faith, inspiration, and positive impact in storytelling. Their films have consistently opened in the top ten at the box office, earning the coveted A+ CinemaScore® rating six times, including the hit film JESUS REVOLUTION in 2023.Other notable films include AMERICAN UNDERDOG, THE JESUS MUSIC, JOHNNY CASH: THE REDEMPTION OF AN AMERICAN ICON, and I STILL BELIEVE, further solidifying the company's reputation for high-quality storytelling. In 2024 Kingdom Story Company released ORDINARY ANGELS, UNSUNG HERO, WHITE BIRD, and THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER nationwide. THE UNBREAKABLE BOY releases in February 2025. SARAH'S OIL and I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2 are upcoming. 

Captain America" Brave New World just broke another record -- the lowest CinemaScore of ANY Marvel movie to date. Yes, even worse than The Marvels, The Eternals and Ant-Man 3. Will this affect it's box office in Week 2? ✨ Shadowbinders Pin Set Campaign - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nydaria/shadowbinders-steampunk-fantasy-hard-enamel-pin-set-series-1

Welcome to another Cinema Sounds & Secrets Tribute episode! This week Janet, John, (and Pen) explore the life and career of a true humanist and good soul, a character-driven director with a brilliant eye, and gorgeously framed films… Jonathan Demme! The five-time Academy Award winner was born in New York in 1944 and is known for films like The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Something Wild (1986), Philadelphia (1993), Caged Heat (1974), Rachel Getting Married (2008), Melvin and Howard (1980), and Married to the Mob (1988). To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!  

Robert Winfree, Alexis Hejna and Mark Radulich present their Companion 2024 Movie Review!Companion is a 2025 American science fiction thriller film written and directed by Drew Hancock. It stars Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid as a couple on a weekend getaway with friends at a remote cabin, which unravels into chaos after a revelation that one of the guests is a companion robot. Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, and Rupert Friend also appear in supporting roles.Companion was released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on January 31, 2025. The film received positive reviews from critics.On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 158 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "A fiendishly clever contraption that doesn't rest on the laurels of its twists, Companion thrillingly puts the demented into domestic bliss." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 72 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.Chris Evangelista of /film gave the movie a 9/10, calling it "the first great film of 2025" and praising the performances of Thatcher and Quaid and the film's originality.Disclaimer: The following may contain offensive language, adult humor, and/or content that some viewers may find offensive – The views and opinions expressed by any one speaker does not explicitly or necessarily reflect or represent those of Mark Radulich or W2M Network.Mark Radulich and his wacky podcast on all the things:https://linktr.ee/markkind76alsohttps://www.teepublic.com/user/radulich-in-broadcasting-networkFB Messenger: Mark Radulich LCSWTiktok: @markradulichtwitter: @MarkRadulichInstagram: markkind76RIBN Album Playlist: https://suno.com/playlist/91d704c9-d1ea-45a0-9ffe-5069497bad59

Welcome to another Cinema Sounds & Secrets Tribute episode! This week Janet, John, (and Pen) discuss influential American country songwriter, singer, actor, and outlaw country movement figure Kris Kristofferson! His debut album Kristofferson (1970) introduced us to iconic songs and he eventually fell into movie stardom with legendary roles like Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), A Star Is Born (1976) — for which he won a Golden Globe — and the Blade trilogy (1998–2004). To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

For this week's main podcast review, I am joined by Lauren LaMagna, Josh Parham & Tom O'Brien to review and discuss the sequel to the Oscar-winning 2019 film "Joker," Todd Phillips's "Joker: Folie à Deux" starring Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener & Zazie Beetz. Already igniting a ton of discourse amongst fans, including receiving the lowest CinemaScore in history for a comic book movie (D), this depressing, dark musical from the original team behind the first film has subverted expectations and given everyone much to talk about regarding its themes, performances, musical numbers, technical craftsmanship and more. Tune in as we discuss these elements, its awards season chances, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Multiverse News, Your source for Information about all your favorite fictional universes. Marvel Studios surprised fans with our first official glimpse of the upcoming Thunderbolts* film, by quietly dropping the teaser trailer Monday morning. The footage, set to the tune of Where is My Mind? by The Pixies, features Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, most heavily, and is in keeping with descriptions that came out of both D23 and San Diego Comic Con earlier this year, along with a few surprises. The search for the DCU's Hal Jordan has finally come to an end, according to sources from The Hollywood Reporter, with Emmy winner Kyle Chandler set to star in the HBO Lanterns series. Chandler's name was not among the top contenders being bandied about the last few weeks, which included the likes of Timothy Olyphant and Chris Pine, as well as Josh Brolin, as we previously reported. The Lanterns series, developed by Ozark's Chris Mundy, Lost's Damon Lindelof and Eisner Award winner Tom King, has often been likened to HBO's True Detective in terms of tone and story. Seems like we've been celebrating more box office wins than losses as of late, but Transformers: One was decidedly less than meets the eye, at least with audiences, as the animated prequel debuted to a soft $25 million, a near franchise low. The muted response may come as a bit of a surprise coming of the heels of strong critic reviews and an A Cinemascore, but neither were enough to dethrone reigning box office champ BeetleJuice BeetleJuice, which just held the top spot, making $26 million in its third week. Last week, Warner Brothers released the first trailer for Mickey 17, Bong Joon Ho's highly anticipated sci-fi film starring Robert Pattinson, Mark Ruffalo, Steven Yeun, Naomie Ackie, and Toni Collette. The film arrives in theaters on January 31, 2025. AMC has canceled Orphan Black: Echoes, after one season. Set in the near future, the sequel series starring Krysten Ritter shared the same world as the BBC cult hit starring Tatiana Maslany. Netflix's One Piece has cast Joe Manganiello as "Mr. 0" and Lera Abova as "Miss All Sunday" for Season 2. Director-writer Jared Bush is replacing Jennifer Lee as chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios. Lee will return to a filmmaking role at the company and will focus on writing and directing Frozen 3 and executive producing Frozen 4. Netflix has released the first teaser trailer for Squid Game season 2 which begins streaming on December 26th. Netflix announced The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, an animated film debuting on February 11, 2025, with Doug Cockle reprising his voice role as Geralt of Rivia from the CD Projekt Red video games. An exclusive clip is now available online. Netflix has dropped the first teaser for Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, an animated series adaptation of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell video game created by Ubisoft. Liev Schreiber will voice Sam Fisher, the protagonist of the series. Warner Bros has confirmed that Baz Luhrmann's next feature film at the studio will be Jehanne d'Arc, an epic story about the French teenage military commander Joan of Arc. Tamara Smart is joining Percy Jackson and the Olympians as Thalia Grace, the demigod daughter of Zeus. She'll recur in season two, which is in production and slated for a 2025 premiere. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are set to star in Emerald Fennell‘s feature adaptation of Wuthering Heights. MRC has tapped LuckyChap Entertainment to produce the film that is based on author Emily Brontë's classic novel of the same name. Warner Brothers has released the first trailer and poster for Sinners, the Prohibition era horror film from Ryan Coolger starring Michael B. Jordan that has been under wraps for the past year. The film hits theaters on March 7th, 2025. Daveed Diggs has been cast as a series regular for the fifth and final season of Amazon's The Boys.