New Zealand-born actor, film producer and musician
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"I'm a fifty terrabyte, self-evolving, neural network, double backflip off the high platform. I'm not a swan dive." For the next entry in our Virtual Insanity series, we're diving headfirst into the world of early virtual reality—and the filmmaker who helped bring it to the big screen. This week, we're going behind the scenes on VIRTUOSITY, the 1995 cyber thriller starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. But before we get there, we're rewinding to 1992's THE LAWNMOWER MAN —the first film to seriously tackle VR on screen and the movie that launched director Brett Leonard's Hollywood career. We'll explore how THE LAWNMOWER MAN came to be, why it sparked a legal battle with Stephen King, and how its unexpected success set the stage for VIRTUOSITY, a film that had already been in development long before Leonard came aboard. It's a double feature of tech-noir chaos, '90s visual effects, and the strange, glitchy dream of cyberspace. Want to support the show? Subscribers of CinemaShock+ can enjoy an extended version of this episode, which includes bonus segments and additional content, plus get access to all episodes two days early, exclusive merchandise discounts, and more. Join now at cinemashock.net/plus. ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Andy Lancaster | asotirov | Benjamin Yates | Caverly | courtland ashley | curtcake5k | Elton Novara | Hunter D Mackenzie | Interzone78 | Jackson_Baker | Jvance325 | Lucy Lawson | MagicBloat | Nate Izod | Nathan Kelley | Robert Stinson Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy. This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop & Todd A. Davis. For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit cinemashock.net
Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! Hoy os ofrecemos un LODE puro y duro pero disfrazado de Extra-Órbita, dentro de nuestras Sesiones Golfas. La película nos encanta, aunque no sea de lo mejor de Ridley Scott, sí es un producto muy notable: AMERICAN GANGSTER. Con un duelo interpretativo de dos pesos pesados como son Denzel Whasington y Russell Crowe, adaptando la historia real del narcotraficante negro Frank Lucas que no parecería probable de no ser porque sabemos que ocurrió realmente. Así que tendremos que comparar la historia ficticia con la real, dar todos los datos de producción pertinentes y analizar cada trama como es debido. Monográfico típico de la casa con Manu Beltrán, Salva Vargas y Antonio Runa para nuestros queridísimos mecenas que, esperemos, os guste mucho. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals
Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! Hoy os ofrecemos un LODE puro y duro pero disfrazado de Extra-Órbita, dentro de nuestras Sesiones Golfas. La película nos encanta, aunque no sea de lo mejor de Ridley Scott, sí es un producto muy notable: AMERICAN GANGSTER. Con un duelo interpretativo de dos pesos pesados como son Denzel Whasington y Russell Crowe, adaptando la historia real del narcotraficante negro Frank Lucas que no parecería probable de no ser porque sabemos que ocurrió realmente. Así que tendremos que comparar la historia ficticia con la real, dar todos los datos de producción pertinentes y analizar cada trama como es debido. Monográfico típico de la casa con Manu Beltrán, Salva Vargas y Antonio Runa para nuestros queridísimos mecenas que, esperemos, os guste mucho. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals
(Photo: CTV News)
Hot patootie, bless my soul! Because we're joined by the legendary Aussie actor, Steve Bastoni! (Say what?! *faints*) This week, everybody's favourite former-Neighbour, Matrix reloader, and Bad Boy Prophet of Doom joins AW to review the Prophets of Rage's sole titular effort, before praying-upon Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom with the original Australian cast.Plus, we chat wrestling crocs, Steve's awkward experiences performing as the titular Rocky Horror, playing real-life criminals, the Peninsula Film Festival, honesty with mates, why we don't need to see people make omelettes, being mistaken for characters, and heaps more in this stunningly honest and warm interview!--SOCIALS--Steve: https://www.instagram.com/stevebastoni/Peninsula Film Festival: https://www.peninsulafilmfestival.com.au/Disney's Hercules on the West End Tickets: https://www.herculesthemusical.co.uk/TnT/Bloop Networkhttps://www.thetonastontales.com/listen -- https://www.patreon.com/bloomingtheatricals - https://twitter.com/thrashntreasurehttps://linktr.ee/thrashntreasure*****Help support Thrash 'n Treasure and keep us on-air, PLUS go on a fantastical adventure at the same time!Grab your copy of The Tonaston Tales by AW, and use the code TNT20 when you check out for 20% off eBooks and Paperbacks!https://www.thetonastontales.com/bookstore - TNT20 *****#saveneighbours! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Join Luke, Vonn, and Mitchell on an adventure through time to Ancient Rome that is equally action-packed and erotically charged when they examine Ridley Scott's Gladiator (2000), and the infamously orgiastic Caligula (1979)! In this week's episode, the website warriors break down Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Richard Harris, Oliver Reed, and Djimon Hounson! Get social with High & Low!Instagram @HighLowMovieShowThreads @ HighLowMovieShowJoin our Facebook Group The High & Low DungeonBuy Us a Coffee Twitter @HighLowMovieSho
This week, Robert dives into a flood of biblical fever dreams, stone angels, and Russell Crowe's thousand-yard stare, while Ira tries to figure out why no one brought a second unicorn. Join Robert and Ira as they discuss NOAH and share their top 5 boat movies. Listen for free through iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart Radio, or Google Podcast Music. So, if you've ever wondered what it would be like to be a dude in some barren land with a hot wife and family and with these ugly ass monsters, and God asks you to build an ark and water spurts out of the ground and travels all over the land and trees and springing up all over the place which gives you the wood to start building an ark but it turns out the ugly ass monsters aren't evil, they're just pissed and they help with the construction of the ark and first the birds show up and then the snakes, and then a band of no-goodniks get in the way and there's a big brouhaha and the ugly ass monsters defend you, but then the other tribe gets super aggressive and goes for the ark with a vengeance and it's a huge battle royale, and the rains come and it's a big ass storm, but then your son is pissed at you because you allowed his girlfriend to die, so your son helps get the bad dude on your ark and then your son gets his girlfriend pregnant and now you're majorly pissed want to kill the baby and then your son is asked to kill you and he sets you up and the girl gives birth to twins and a humongous fight ensues and you lie and tell your wife it's a boy and then the storm stops and all is right with the world, then this podcast is for you!
Dom, ILL, and Q saddle up for a wild ride through Sam Raimi's The Quick and the Dead (1995)! With Sharon Stone leading a stacked cast that includes Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, and a young Leonardo DiCaprio, this western showdown brings style, bullets, and a whole lot of revenge. The crew breaks down the film's intense duels, Raimi's signature direction, and whether "The Lady" delivers justice in the dusty town of Redemption. Is this a forgotten western gem or just shooting blanks? Find out in this Say Whats Reel review!TheQuickAndTheDead #MovieReview #SayWhatsReel #WesternMovies #SharonStone #LeonardoDiCaprio #RussellCrowe #GeneHackman #SamRaimi #90smoviesThe Quick and the Dead is a 1995 American revisionist Western film directed by Sam Raimi. The film stars Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, and Leonardo DiCaprio. The screenplay was written by Simon Moore, but includes contributions from Joss Whedon.[5] The story focuses on "The Lady" (Stone), a gunfighter who rides into the frontier town of Redemption, controlled by John Herod (Hackman). The Lady joins a deadly dueling competition in an attempt to exact revenge for her father's death.Find the SWR Crew DOM CRUZETwitter: https://twitter.com/itzdomcruzehoe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itzdomcruzehoe/QTwitter: https://twitter.com/King_Quisemoe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/king_quisemoe/00:00 In This Video05:01 Non The Quick and The Dead related15:26 First in Film 19:11 The Quick and The Dead Review 35:21 Best Moments of the quick and the dead38:28 Wrap up notes 46:33 Facts about the quick and the dead 49:47 Next Week films
We hop on Netflix to watch the final movie in the vaunted Sony Spider-Man Universe, Kraven the Hunter! Join us as we discuss...Can any Spider-Man villains carry a movie on there own?Like Madame Web, so bad it's good but in a different way!Being confused as to how many vials of magic Kraven juice are really out there!All these sexy actors but no romance at all???The X-Men TAS Podcast just opened a SECRET reddit group, join by clicking here! We are also on Twitch sometimes… click here to go to our page and follow and subscribe so you can join in on all the mysterious fun to be had! Also, make sure to subscribe to our podcast via Buzzsprout or iTunes and tell all your friends about it! Follow Willie Simpson on Bluesky and please join our Facebook Group! Last but not least, if you want to support the show, you can Buy Us a Coffee as well!
Catch The Jimmy & Nath Show with Emma live on the 1041 2Day Monday to Friday from 6am-9am! Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @thejimmyandnathshowwithemma Want your jokes to be on our pod? Send them in a voice note here: hello@jimmyandnath.com Subscribe on LiSTNR: https://play.listnr.com/podcast/the-jimmy-and-nath-showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On this episode of Remainders, we watch the 2003 war epic Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Based on the series of novels, Master and Commander is a chase movie that goes much deeper. Russell Crowe plays Captain "Lucky" Jack Aubrey, and Paul Bettany plays Dr. Stephen Maturin. The Captain represents leadership and duty, and the Dr. represents academia and revolution. As they chase the elusive French war ship The Acheron, the two men both test and help each other during the Napoleonic Wars. Old-school action filmmaking in a modern war epic – she's in her prime.Other topics include Peter Weir and Australian directors, more Russell Crowe buddy movies and L.A. Confidential, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Tom Cruise and Mission: Impossible, ai in movies and tv, and fast food we're eating and not eating lately.Song Picks of the WeekMuzzle by The Smashing PumpkinsHawaii by The StrokesRemainders Jukebox PlaylistWebsiteFacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitter
Denzel Washington as a disgraced cop with a shot at redemption. Russell Crowe as the perfect virtual psychopath birthed from some kind of geiger-esque alien egg. Leather cop suits with matching hats. Mechanical arms. Mid murder impromptu musical performance. This movie has a little bit of everything. It's reverse terminator, reverse matrix, reverse lawnmower man, maybe even a Jurassic Park reference. If it isn't already abundantly clear this movie is pretty wild, but we love it all the more for it. Even though some of us were unaware it even existed in the first place. Jump in for a fun chat about this underrated 90's techno thriller.
Hey Uncs, Welcome to meet you! Russell Crowe has new music out and it's funny as.Robbie recalls his time in a high school improv troupe and Dart assaults us with cringe he witnessed at his first improv show. The La's, yummy coffees and dead rats. And tell us, have you ever had a decent feed at a Gloria Jeans? Be safe and healthy, D+RALL OUR LINKS CAN BE FOUND HERE SIGN UP HERE TO GET ACCESS TO OUR PATREON EXCLUSIVE EPISODES
In this week's episode, I take a look at the movies and streaming shows I watched in Winter and Spring 2025. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebook versions of my anthologies at my Payhip store: JUNE25 The coupon code is valid through June 17, 2025. So if you need a new ebook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 252 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is May 23rd, 2025, and today we are looking at the movies and streaming shows I watched in Winter and Spring 2025. We missed doing an episode last week for the simple reason that the day before I wanted to record, we had a bad thunderstorm that knocked down large portions of my fence, so my recording time was instead spent on emergency fence repair. However, the situation is under control, so hopefully we'll be back to weekly episodes for the immediate future. And now before we get to our main topics, let's have Coupon of the Week and then a progress update on my current writing projects. So first up, Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebook version of all my short story anthologies at my Payhip store and that is JUNE25. As always, the coupon code and links will be available in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through June the 17th, 2025, so if you need a new ebook for this summer, we have got you covered. And now an update on my current writing projects. Ghost in the Corruption is finished. It is publishing right now. In fact, I paused the publishing process to record this and so by the time this episode goes live, hopefully Ghost in the Corruption should be available at all ebook stores. My next main project now that Ghost in the Corruption is done will be Shield of Power and as of this recording I am 15,000 words into it. My secondary projects will be Stealth and Spells Online: Final Quest and I'm 97,000 words into that, so hopefully that will come out very shortly after Shield of Power and I'll also be starting Ghost in the Siege, the final book in the Ghost Armor series as another secondary project and I'm currently zero words into that. So that is where I'm at with my current writing projects. In audiobook news, Ghost in the Assembly (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) is now out and should be available at all the usual audiobook stores so you can listen to that if you are traveling for the summer. Recording of Shield of Battle (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills) is underway soon. I believe he's starting it this week, so hopefully we will have another audiobook in the Shield War series for you before too much longer. So that's where I'm at with my current writing projects. 00:02:17 Main Topic: Winter/Spring 2025 Movie Roundup And now let's move on, without any further ado, to our main topic. Summer is almost upon us, which means it's time for my Winter/Spring 2025 Movie Roundup. As usual, the movies and streaming shows are listed in order for my least favorite to my most favorite. The grades are based upon my own thoughts and opinions and are therefore wholly subjective. With all of that said, let's get to the movies and our first entry is MacGruber, which came out in 2010 and in all honesty, this might be objectively the worst movie I have ever seen. The Saturday Night Live MacGruber sketches are a parody of the old MacGyver action show from the ‘80s. And so the movie is essentially the sketch stretched out to make a parody of an ‘80s action movie. It is aggressively dumb and crude. Its only redeeming feature is that the movie knows it's quite stupid and so leans into the stupidity hard. I'll say this in its favor, MacGruber has no pretensions that is a good movie and does not take itself seriously and then runs away hard with that fact. For that he gets a plus, but nothing else. Overall grade: F+ Next up is Down Periscope, which came out in 1996. Now the fundamental question of any movie is the one Russell Crowe shouted at the audience in Gladiator: “Are you not entertained?” Sadly, I was not entertained with Down Periscope. This wanted to be a parody of Cold War era submarine thrillers like The Hunt for Red October, I say wanted because it didn't really succeed. Kelsey Grammer plays Lieutenant Commander Thomas Dodge, an unorthodox US Navy officer who wants command of his own nuclear sub, but he's alienated a few admirals, which is not traditionally a path to career advancement in the military. Dodge gets his chance in a Navy wargame where he has to command a diesel sub against nuclear subs. Sometimes parodies are so good that they become an example of the thing they are parodying (Hot Fuzz and Star Trek: Lower Decks are excellent examples of this phenomenon). The trouble is that the movie takes itself too seriously and just isn't all that funny. A few funny bits, true, but not enough of them. In the end, this was dumb funny but didn't resonate with me the way other dumb funny movies like Dodgeball and Tropic Thunder did. Overall grade: D Next up is Deadpool and Wolverine, which came out in 2024. Unlike Down Periscope, I was entertained with this movie, though both movies reside on the dumb funny spectrum. Deadpool and Wolverine is basically one long meta in-joke/love letter for the last 30 years of superhero movies. If you've seen enough of those movies, you'll find those movies funny, if occasionally rather tasteless. If you haven't seen enough of those movies, Deadpool and Wolverine will just be incomprehensible. The plot is that Wade Wilson AKA Deadpool gets pulled into some Marvel style multiverse nonsense. To save his universe from destruction, he needs to recruit a Wolverine since in his universe, Wolverine died heroically. In the process, Deadpool stumbles across the worst Wolverine in the multiverse. Together they have to overcome their mutual dislike and attempt to save Deadpool's universe from destruction at the hands of a rogue branch of the Time Variance Authority. This means the movie can bring in a lot of cameos from past Marvel films. Hugh Jackman's performance really carries the movie on its back. Like I said, this movie is essentially one very long Marvel in-joke. I thought it was funny. I definitely think it can't stand on its own without having seen a sufficient number of the other Marvel movies. Overall grade: C Our next movie is the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, which came out in 2024. This is very loosely (with an emphasis on “very”) based on Operation Postmaster during World War II, when British Special Forces seized some Italian ships that had been supplying parts for German U-boats. It was entertaining to watch but it couldn't quite make up its mind tonally if it was a war thriller or a heist movie about Western desperados recruited into a crew. It kind of tried to do both at the same time, which killed the momentum. Like, the first parts of the movie where the protagonists take out a Nazi patrol boat and then free a prisoner from a base were good thriller stuff, but then the plot fused with the heist stuff and really slowed down through the middle forty percent or so. It was also oddly stylized with a lot of spaghetti western-style music that seemed out of place and some stuff just didn't make sense, like at the end after pulling off the mission, the protagonists were all arrested. That just seems bizarre since if anything, Winston Churchill and a lot of the British wartime leadership were enthusiastic about special operations and probably had too much confidence in the effectiveness of covert operations. So I did enjoy watching this, but I can see why it didn't make a lot of money at the box office. Overall Grade: C Next up is The Gorge, which came out in 2025. This was a peculiar mix of science fiction, romance, and horror. For the romance part, perhaps shooting zombies together is a good idea for a first date. Before I dig into the movie, a brief rant. In one scene, a character is using a chainsaw with no protective gear whatsoever and she's not fighting zombies or anything in a situation where she has to pick up a chainsaw without preparing first. She's trimming branches to pass time. If you're using a chainsaw, at a minimum you want protective eyewear and headphones. Ideally you'd want chainsaw pants as well to reduce the chance of serious injury if you slip and swing the saw into your leg. Since I became a homeowner, I've used a chainsaw a number of times and believe me, you definitely want good eye and ear protection. This has been your public safety announcement for this movie review. Anyway, loner former sniper Levi is approached by a high ranking intelligence officer giving him a mysterious job. He needs to guard a tower overlooking a mysterious mist-filled gorge for one year. On the other side of the gorge is another tower, guarded by an elite Lithuanian sniper named Drasa. Like Levi, Drasa has a fair bit of emotional damage and they're officially forbidden to communicate. However, they're both lonely and they soon start communicating over the gorge using telescopes and whiteboard messages. Eventually Levi gets emotionally close enough to Drasa to rig a zipline to cross the gorge and speak with her in person. Unfortunately, it turns out the gorge is full of twisted creatures that storm out and attack and the job of the two snipers is to keep them contained. If Levi and Drasa want to save their lives, they'll need to unravel the dark secret within the gorge. This movie was interesting and I enjoyed watching it, but it falls apart if you think about it too much (or at all). Like the chainsaw thing I ranted about above. The entire movie runs on that sort of logic. That said, I appreciate how the filmmakers were trying something new instead of something like Deadpool and Wolverine. Additionally, this was an Apple+ movie and it's interesting how Apple's approach to streaming is to just make a whole bunch of random stuff that's totally distinct, from Ted Lasso to Mythic Quest to Severance to The Gorge. It's like, “we have more money than most countries, so we're going to make Ted Lasso because we feel like it.” Then again, Apple+ is apparently losing a billion dollars every year, so maybe they'll eventually change their minds about that approach. Overall Grade: B- Next up is Click, which came out in 2006. Cross It's a Wonderful Life with A Christmas Carol and the comedic style of Adam Sandler and you end up with Click. Basically Sandler plays Michael Newman, a workaholic architect with a demanding boss and increasingly strained relationship with his wife and children due to his workload. In a fit of exasperation with his situation, he goes to Bed Bath and Beyond, where he encounters an eccentric employee named Morty (played entertainingly by Christopher Walken). Morty gives him a remote control that lets him fast forward through time, which Michael then uses to skip the boring and tedious parts of his life, but he overuses the remote and goes too far into the future and sees the disastrous results of his current life choices. Definitely a story used in A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life but effectively told and I was entertained (rather on the crude side, though). Overall Grade: B- Next up is Mr. Deeds, which came out in 2002. This was actually one of Adam Sandler's better movies, in my opinion. It was a remake of the ‘30s movie Mr. Deeds Goes To Town. In this new version, Sandler plays Longfellow Deeds, a popular pizzeria owner in a small New Hampshire town. Unbeknownst to Deeds, his uncle is the owner of a major media mega corporation and when he dies, Deeds is his legal heir. When the company's CEO and chief lawyer arrive at the pizzeria to inform him of this fact, Deeds goes to New York and soon finds himself involved in the CEO's sinister machinations. Yet he happens to rescue an attractive woman from a mugger, but there is more to her than meets the eye. The movie was funny and not as crude, well, not quite as crude as some of Sandler's other stuff. It had good story structure and several great lines, my favorite of which was “he was weak and cowardly and wore far too much cologne.” Sandler's movies, in a strange way, are often very medieval. Like various medieval fables had a savvy peasant outwitting pompous lords, greedy merchants, and corrupt clergymen. The best Adam Sandler protagonist tends to be a good natured everyman who defeats the modern equivalent of medieval authority figures- evil CEOs, arrogant star athletes, sinister bureaucrats and so forth. Overall Grade: B Next up is House of David, which came out in 2025 and this is basically the story of King David from the Bible told in the format of an epic fantasy TV series. Like if someone wanted to do an epic fantasy series about Conan the Barbarian, it could follow the same stylistic format as this show. And of course Conan and David followed a similar path from adventurer to king. Anyway, if one were to pick a part of the Bible from which to make a movie or TV series, the story of David would be an excellent choice because David's life was so dramatic that it would hardly require any embellishments in the adaptation. The story is in the Books of First and Second Samuel. King Saul is ruling over the Israelites around 1000 BC or so, but has grown arrogant. Consequently, God instructs the prophet Samuel to inform Saul that the kingdom will be taken away from him and given to another. God then dispatches Samuel to anoint David as the new king of Israel. David is a humble shepherd but then enters Saul's service and undertakes feats of daring, starting with defeating the giant Goliath and leading Saul's troops to victory and battle against Israel's numerous enemies. (The Iron Age Middle East was even less peaceful than it is now.) Eventually, Saul's paranoia and madness gets the best of him and he turns on David, who flees into exile. After Saul and his sons are killed in battle with the Philistines. David returns and becomes the acknowledged king after a short civil war with Saul's surviving sons and followers. If Saul's fatal flaw was his arrogance of pride, David's seems to have been women. While the story of David and Bathsheba is well known, David nonetheless had eight wives (most of them at the same time) and an unknown but undoubtedly large number of concubines. Naturally David's children from his various wives and concubines did not get along and David was almost deposed due to the conflicts between his children. Unlike Saul and later David's son Solomon, David was willing to repent when a prophet of God informed him of wrongdoing and to be fair to David, monogamy was generally not practiced among Early Iron Age Middle Eastern monarchies and dynastic struggles between brothers from different mothers to seize their father's kingdoms were quite common, but enough historical digression. Back to the show, which covered David's life up to the death of Goliath. I thought it was quite well done. Good performances, good cinematography, excellent battles, good set design and costuming, and a strong soundtrack. All the actors were good, but I really think the standout performances were Stephen Lang as Samuel, Ali Sulaman is King Saul, Ayelet Zurer as Saul's wife Queen Ahinoam, and Davood Ghadami as David's jerkish (but exasperated and well-intentioned) eldest brother Eliab. Martyn Ford just looks extremely formidable as Goliath. You definitely believe no one in their right mind want to fight this guy. Making fiction of any kind based on sacred religious texts is often tricky because no matter what you do, someone's going to get mad at you. The show has an extensive disclaimer at the beginning of each episode saying that it is fiction inspired by the Bible. That said, House of David doesn't really alter or deviate from the Biblical account, though it expands upon some things for the sake of storytelling. Queen Ahinoam is only mentioned once in the Bible as the wife of Saul, but she has an expanded role in the show and is shown as the one who essentially introduces Saul to the Witch of Endor. Goliath also gets backstory as one of the “Anakim,” a race of giants that lived in Canaan in ancient times, which is something that is only mentioned in passing in the Old Testament. Overall, I enjoyed the show and I hope it gets a second season. What's interesting, from a larger perspective, is to see how the wheel of history keeps turning. In the 1950s and the 1960s, Biblical epics were a major film genre. The 10 Commandments and Ben Hur with Charlton Heston are probably the ones best remembered today. Eventually, the genre just sort of ran out of gas, much the way superhero movies were in vogue for about 20 years and began running out of steam around 2023 or so. Like, I enjoyed Thunderbolts (which we're going to talk about in a little bit), but it's not going to make a billion dollars the way Marvel stuff often did in the 2010s. The wheel just keeps turning and perhaps has come back around to the popularity of Biblical epics once more. Overall Grade: A Next up is Chef, which came out in 2014. I actually saw this back in 2021, but I watched it again recently to refresh my memory and here are my thoughts. I quite liked it. It's about a chef named Carl Casper, who's increasingly unhappy with his work after he gets fired over a Twitter war with a writer who criticized his cooking. Carl is out of options and so he starts a food truck and has to both rediscover his love of cooking and reconnect with his ex-wife and 10-year-old son. In Storytelling: How to Write a Novel (my book about writing), I talked about different kinds of conflict. Carl's conflict is an excellent example of an entirely internal conflict. The critic is an external enemy, but he's basically the inciting incident. Carl's real enemy is his own internal conflict about art versus commerce and a strained relationship with his son. I recommend the movie. It was rated R for bad language, but there's no nudity or explicit sexual content and honestly, if you've ever worked in a restaurant kitchen or a warehouse, you've heard much worse in terms of language. The movie also has an extremely valuable lesson: stay off social media when you're angry. Overall Grade: A Next up is Thunderbolts, which came out in 2025 and I thought this was pretty good, both very dark and yet with quite a lot of humor to balance the darkness. Former assassin Yelena Belova has been working as a mercenary for the sinister director of the CIA, Valentina de Fontaine (now there's a villain name if there ever was one). Yelena has grown disillusioned with her life and career and is suffering from increasing depression since she never really dealt with the death of her sister. Valentina promises her one last job, only for Yelena to realize that Valentina decided to dispose of all her freelance contractors at once, which includes US Agent and Ghost (previously seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Antman and the Wasp). In the process of escaping Valentina's trap, Yelena stumbles across a mysterious man who identifies himself as Bob, who has no memory of how he got there, but shows increasingly unusual abilities. Yelena wants to deal with Valentina's betrayal, but it turns out one of Valentina's science projects has gotten out of control and is threatening the world. The movie was well constructed enough that it didn't rely too heavily on previous Marvel continuity. It was there, but you probably wouldn't be lost without it. It almost feels like Marvel looked at the stuff they did the last couple of years and said, okay, a lot of this didn't work, but makes great raw material for new things. It helped that the central conflict was in the end, very human and about the characters, not stopping a generic villain from getting a generic doomsday device. Overall Grade: A Next up is The Hound of the Baskervilles, which came out in 1988. This is a movie length episode of The Return of Sherlock Holmes television series, which had Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes and Edward Hardwicke as Dr. Watson. The plot deals with Sir Henry Baskerville, the American heir to an English manor set in the Windswept moors of Dartmoor. Apparently there's an ancestral curse laid over the Baskerville estate that manifests in the form of a spectral hound. Local rumors hold that the previous holder of the manor, Sir Charles Baskerville, was killed by the ghostly hound and many of the local people fear it. The local physician, Dr. Mortimer, is so worried about the hound that he comes to Sherlock Holmes for help. Holmes, of course, is skeptical of any supernatural explanation and soon becomes worried that an extremely subtle and sinister murderer is stalking Sir Henry. Jeremy Brett's version of Holmes is, in my opinion, the best portrayal of the character and Edward Hardwicke's version of Watson is a calm, reliable man of action who sensibly takes a very large revolver with him when going into danger. Definitely worth watching, Overall grade: A Next up is Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which came out in 2024. The 2020s have been a downer of a decade in many ways, but on the plus side, between Super Mario Brothers and Sonic the Hedgehog, people have finally figured out how to make good video game movies, so we've got that going for us. Sonic 3 was an excellent kids movie, as were the first two in the trilogy. In this one Sonic is living with Knuckles and Tails under the care of their human friends Tom and Maddy, but then a dark secret emerges. The government has been keeping a Superpowered hedgehog named Shadow in stasis and Shadow has broken out. It's up to Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails to save the day. Meanwhile, Dr. Robotnik is in a funk after his defeat at Sonic's hands in the last movie, but then his long lost grandfather, Gerald Robotnik returns seeking the younger Dr. Robotnik's help in his own sinister plans. Keanu Reeves was great as Shadow (think John Wick if he was a superpowered space hedgehog in a kid's movie). Jim Carrey famously said he would retire from acting unless a golden script came along and apparently that golden script was playing Dr. Ivo Robotnik and his evil grandfather Gerald. To be fair, both the Robotniks were hilarious. It is amusing that Sonic only exists because in the 1990s, Sega wanted a flagship video game character that won't get them sued by either Nintendo or Disney. It is also amusing that the overall message of the Sonic movies seems to be not to trust the government. Overall Grade: A Next up is Paddington in Peru, which came out in 2024. This is also an excellent kids' movie. In this installment, Paddington has settled into London with the Brown family and officially become a UK citizen. However, he receives a letter from Peru that his Aunt Lucy has mysteriously disappeared into the jungle. Distraught, Paddington and the Browns set off for Peru at once. Adventures ensue involving mysterious lost treasure, a crazy boat captain, and an order of singing nuns who might not quite be what they appear. Anyway, it's a good kids' movie. I think Paddington 2 was only slightly better because Hugh Grant as the chief villain, crazy actor Phoenix Buchanan, was one of those lightning in the bottle things like Heath Ledger as the Joker in the Dark Knight. Overall Grade: A Now for the two best things I saw in Winter/Spring 2025. The first of them is Andor Season Two, which came out in 2025. Star Wars kind of has an age range the way Marvel stuff does now. What do I mean by that? In the Marvel comics and some of the TV series like Jessica Jones, they get into some really dark and heavy stuff, very mature themes. The MCU movies can have some darkness to them, but not as much because they're aiming at sort of escapist adventures for the general audience. Then there are kid shows like Spidey and Friends that a relative of mine just loved when he was three. You wouldn't at all feel comfortable showing a 3-year-old Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but Spidey and Friends is just fine. Star Wars now kind of has that age range to its stuff and there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you want to see a dark meditation upon human nature. Sometimes you need something kid friendly to occupy the kids you're babysitting and sometimes you just want to relax and watch Mando and Baby Yoda mow down some space pirates or something. All that said, Andor Season Two is some of the darkest and the best stuff that Star Wars has ever done. It successfully shifts genres from Escapist Pulp Space Fantasy to a gritty Political/Espionage Thriller. We in the audience know that the emperor is a Sith Lord who can use Evil Space Magic and wants to make himself immortal, but that fact is totally irrelevant to the characters. Even though some of the characters are high ranking in their respective organizations, this is essentially a “ground's eye” view of the Rebellion and life under the Empire. In some ways, this is like Star Wars' version of Wolf Hall (which we're going to talk about shortly), in that we know how it ends already, but the dramatic tension comes from the harrowing emotional journey the characters undertake on the way to their inevitable destinations. Cassian Andor is now working for the nascent Rebellion under the direction of ruthless spymaster Luthen Rael. Mon Mothma is in the Imperial Senate, covertly funneling money to the Rebellion and realizing just how much the Rebellion will require of her before the end. Syril Karn, the ineffective corporate cop from Season One, has fallen in love with the ruthless secret police supervisor Dedra Meero, but he's unaware that Director Krennic has ordered Meero to manufacture a false flag incident on the planet Gorman so the planet can be strip-mined for resources to build the Death Star and Dedra has decided to use Syril to help accomplish it. All the actors do amazing jobs with their roles. Seriously, this series as actors really should get at least one Emmy. Speaking of Director Krennic, Ben Mendelson returns as Orson Krennic, who is one of my favorite least favorite characters, if you get my drift. Krennic is the oily, treacherous middle manager we've all had to deal with or work for at some point in our lives, and Mendelson plays him excellently. He's a great villain, the sort who is ruthless to his underlings and thinks he can manipulate his superiors right up until Darth Vader starts telekinetically choking him. By contrast, the villain Major Partagaz (played by Anton Lesser) is the middle manager we wish we all had - stern but entirely fair, reasonable, and prizes efficiency and good work while despising office drama. Unfortunately, he works for the Empire's secret police, so all those good qualities are in the service of evil and therefore come to naught. Finally, Episode Eight is one of the most astonishing episodes of TV I've ever seen. It successfully captures the horror of an episode of mass violence and simultaneously has several character arcs reach their tumultuous climax and manages to be shockingly graphic without showing in a lot of actual blood. Andor was originally supposed to be five seasons, but then Peak Streaming collapsed, and so the remaining four seasons were compressed down to one. I think that was actually to the show's benefit because it generates some amazing tension and there's not a wasted moment. Overall Grade: A+ Now for the second of my two favorite things I saw, and that would be Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, which came out in 2024, but I actually saw it in 2025. This is a dramatization of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall novels about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, who is King Henry VIII's chief lieutenant during the key years of the English Reformation. The first series came out in 2015, but the nine year gap between this and between the second series and the first series actually works quite well since Thomas Cromwell looks like he ages nine years in a single year (which may be what actually happened given how stressful working for someone like Henry VIII must have been). Anyway, in The Mirror and the Light, Cromwell has successfully arranged the downfall and execution of Anne Boleyn, Henry's previous queen. Though Cromwell is haunted by his actions, Henry still needs a queen to give him a male heir, so he marries Jane Seymour. Cromwell must navigate the deadly politics of the Tudor Court while trying to push his Protestant views of religion, serve his capricious master Henry, fend off rivals for the King's favor, and keep his own head attached to his shoulders in the process. Since Cromwell's mental state is deteriorating due to guilt over Anne's death and the downfall of his former master Cardinal Wolsey and Henry's a fickle and dangerous master at the best of times, this is an enterprise that is doomed to fail. Of course, if you're at all familiar with the history of Henry's reign and the English reformation, you know that Cromwell's story does not have a happy ending. Rather, Wolf Hall is a tragedy about a talented man who didn't walk away from his power until it was too late and he was trapped. Anyway, in my opinion, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light was just excellent. All the performances were superb. Mark Rylance is great as Cromwell and has some excellent “WTF/I'm SO screwed” expressions as Cromwell's situation grows worse and worse. Bernard Hill played the Duke of Norfolk in the first series, but sadly died before Series Two, so Timothy Spall steps in and he does an excellent job of channeling Hill's portrayal of the Duke as an ambitious, crude-humored thug. Damien Lewis is amazing as Henry VIII and his performance captures Henry's mixture of charisma, extreme vindictiveness, and astonishing self-absorption. The real Henry was known for being extremely charming even to the end of his life, but the charm was mixed with a volcanic temper that worsened as Henry aged and may have been exacerbated by a severe head injury. Lewis's performance can shift from that charm to the deadly fury in a heartbeat. The show rather cleverly portrays Henry's growing obesity and deteriorating health by having Lewis wear a lot of big puffy coats and limp with an impressively regal walking stick. Overall, I would say this and Andor were the best thing I saw in Winter/Spring 2025. I wouldn't say that Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light is an accurate historical reputation. In real life, Cromwell was rather more thuggish and grasping (though far more competent than his rivals and his master) and of necessity the plot simplifies historical events, but it's just a superb historical drama. Overall Grade: A+ As a final note, I should say that of all the 2024 and 2025 movies mentioned here, the only one that actually saw in the theater was Thunderbolts, and I hadn't actually planned to see it in theaters, but a family member unexpectedly bought tickets for it, so I went along. Which I suppose is the movie industry's biggest problem right now. The home viewing experience is often vastly superior to going to the theater. The theater has the big screen and snacks, but at home you can have a pretty nice setup and you can pause whatever you want, go to the bathroom, and you can get snacks for much more cheaply. That's just much more comfortable than the movie theater. Additionally, going to the theater has the same serious problem as booking a flight in that you're an enclosed space with complete strangers for several hours, which means you're potentially in a trust fall with idiots. All it takes is one person behaving badly or trying to bring their fake service dog to ruin or even cancel a flight, and the theater experience has much of the same problem, especially since the standards for acceptable public behavior have dropped so much from a combination of widespread smartphone adoption and COVID. The difference between the movie industry and the airline industry is that if you absolutely have to get from New York to Los Angeles in a single day, you have no choice but to book a flight and hope for the best. But if you want to see a movie and are willing to exercise some patience, you just have to wait a few months for it to turn up on streaming. I'm not sure how the movie industry can battle that, but sadly, it is much easier to identify problems than to solve them. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe, stay healthy, and see you all next week.
This week, Giles Alderson is absolutely thrilled to be joined by one of the most influential and respected producers in independent cinema today: the visionary Ken Kao! As the co-founder and President of Waypoint Entertainment, Ken Kao has been the driving force behind an incredible slate of diverse and thought-provoking films and has recently formed a strategic partnership with the acclaimed distributor Neon. Ken has produced a dozen feature films, with an impressive filmography that includes working with cinematic titans like Martin Scorsese on the powerful drama Silence, and Terrence Malick on his contemplative films Song to Song and Knight of Cups. He also produced the action-comedy The Nice Guys, starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, and The Glass Castle, adapted from the bestselling book by Jeannette Walls and starring Brie Larson and Woody Harrelson. His work also extends to the intense Western Hostiles starring Christian Bale, the suspenseful Tau, and the gritty police drama Rampart. His recent projects include the highly anticipated Project Hail Mary, again starring Ryan Gosling, and the horror film Cuckoo. It's worth noting that Ken also co-founded a production company with his frequent collaborator, the acclaimed actor and filmmaker Ryan Gosling, a partnership dedicated to developing a wide range of unique material for film and television. Ken's dedication to diverse and impactful storytelling truly sets him apart. Join Giles and Ken as they delve into the intricate world of film producing. We'll be discussing the art of identifying compelling stories, the challenges of navigating financing and distribution in the independent sector (especially with Waypoint's recent partnership with Neon), the collaborative process with visionary directors and talented casts like Ryan Gosling, and Ken's philosophy on fostering creativity while bringing ambitious projects to fruition. This is an unmissable conversation for anyone aspiring to produce, passionate about independent film, or simply curious about the crucial role of a producer in shaping cinematic masterpieces. Let's welcome the extraordinary Ken Kao to The Filmmakers Podcast! LINKS DIRTY BOY Premiere at Raindance tickets https://raindance.eventive.org/schedule/dirty-boy-68234eda5e47ea122831f7f4 https://raindance.eventive.org/schedule/dirty-boy-68234eda5e47ea122831f7f4 FILM FORGE FILM COURSES info here. FOOD FOR THOUGHT documentary out NOW | Watch it HERE. A documentary exploring the rapid growth and uptake of the vegan lifestyle around the world. And if you enjoyed the film, please take a moment to share & rateit on your favourite platforms. Every review & every comment helpsus share the film's important message with more people. Your supporttruly makes a difference! PODCAST MERCH Get your very own Tees, Hoodies, onset water bottles, mugs and more MERCH. https://my-store-11604768.creator-spring.com/ COURSES Want to learn how to finish your film? Take our POST PRODUCTION COURSE https://cuttingroom.info/post-production-demystified/ PATREON Big thank you to: Serena Gardner Mark Hammett Lee Hutchings Marli J Monroe Karen Newman Want your name in the show notes or some great bonus material on film-making? Join our Patreon for bonus episodes, industry survival guides, and feedback on your film projects! SUPPORT THE PODCAST Check out our full episode archive on how to make films at TheFilmmakersPodcast.com CREDITS The Filmmakers Podcast is written, edited and produced by Giles Alderson @gilesalderson Logo and Banner Art by Lois Creative Theme Music by John J. Harvey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome back to The Movie Draft House! We're continuing our year-long theme of "one degree of separation" where each new film we review has to have some connection to it from the previous weeks' film. This week we are reviewing the 2013 Zack Snyder film "Man of Steel" starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Diane Lane, and Kevin Costner. Tune in to find out what we thought of this one...Here's the rundown of how we got here...We finished 2024 with "A Simple Favor" starring Anna KendrickAnna Kendrick was also in "Life After Beth" which starred Paul ReiserPaul Reiser was also in the film "Whiplash" which starred Miles TellerMiles Teller was also in "Top Gun: Maverick" which was written by Peter CraigPeter Craig also wrote "Gladiator II" starring Pedro PascalPedro Pascal was also in "Drive-Away Dolls" starring Margaret QualleyMargaret Qualley was also in "The Substance" which starred Demi MooreDemi Moore starred in "Indecent Proposal" which also starred Billy Bob ThortonBilly Bob Thorton was in "Armageddon" which also starred Steve BuscemiSteve Buscemi was in "Fargo" which also starred Frances McDormandFrances McDormand was in "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" which also starred Sam RockwellSam Rockwell was in "Seven Psychopaths" which also starred Collin FarrellCollin Farrell was in "Saving Mr. Banks" which also starred Tom HanksTom Hanks was in the film "Dragnet" which also starred Christopher PlummerChristopher Plummer was in the film "Inside Man" which also starred Denzel WashingtonDenzel Washington was in the film "Training Day" which was written by David AyerDavid Ayer directed the film "Fury" which starred Shia LaBeouf Shia LaBeouf was in the film "Disturbia" which also starred Matt CravenMatt Craven was in the film "Public Enemies" which also starred Stephen DorffStephen Dorff was in the film "Blade" which was written by David S. GoyerDavid S. Goyer also wrote the film "Man of Steel"...Follow the podcast across all social media!Twitter Instagram TikTokYouTube
This week we leap with Russell Crowe to Scott's second pick - 2010 crime thriller The Next Three Days. We hope you enjoy.
Huzzah! Sean continues to recommend some of his favourite films to Sarah. Next Up: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. "This ship is our home. This ship is England!".Discussion Points:-The Did You Even F**king Watch This Film? returns.-Sarah's disgraceful lack of nautical knowledge.-Sarah and Sean discuss the rich characters, anchored by the performances of Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany.-Why Sarah isn't "fully sold" on Russell Crowe.-Whether or not we get too many films based in the Twentieth Century.-Sean tries to put the film into historical context.-The idea of having a Jonah onboard.-The importance of the class system if you're English.Raised Questions:-How had Sarah never seen this?-Why didn't we get any sequels?-Was this film badly promoted?-Are some people just not suited to lead?-Did you recognise that actor from 'Shameless'?-Why does Sean say certain words poshly?-Are we too fixated on "Now"?-Do men need to be governed?-Is it true that he would pun would pick a pocket?-Would you trust any of your friends to help you operate on yourself?Chapters1:03 Introduction to Master and Commander2:21 The Royal Navy2:56 Debating Historical Accuracy4:09 Marketing and Reception Issues5:31 Misleading Film Descriptions7:30 Character Depth and Development11:56 The Role of Trailers13:11 The Impact of Historical Context18:43 Exploring the Ship's Dynamics20:43 The Importance of Leadership22:33 The Nature of Naval Warfare25:04 The Complexity of Relationships26:29 The Emotional Weight of Loss29:31 Class Dynamics onboard34:13 The Tension of Decision-Making37:47 The Symbolism of Superstitions42:31 Themes of Friendship and Loyalty43:19 The Balance of Power and Respect47:47 The Philosophical Undertones52:06 The Intersection of Science and Warfare59:52 The Struggles of Life at Sea1:01:23 Tensions on the Ship1:22:12 The Battle Begins1:40:45 Reflections on Victory1:51:28 Did You Even F**king Watch The Film?1:59:26 Looking Ahead to Future EpisodesThanks for Listening!Find us here: X: @YourselfReviewInstagram: reviewityourselfpodcast2021YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReviewItYourself Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For some reason, Sony Pictures decided that MORBIUS wasn't enough to inflict on the public. Thanks to that we got the exciting chance to bring Mac back and scrape some fun out of watching their follow-up, KRAVEN THE HUNTER. Support Zac's Patreon: www.patreon.com/ThumbsJ Check out all earVVyrm podcasts at www.earvvyrm.com Email us at generalnerderypod@gmail.com
Gene Hackman left us in shocking and tragic circumstances on February 18, 2025. With his signature intensity, he may be one of the least stony actors of all time, but he was one of the best. To pay tribute to him we have his trippiest movie this side of CISCO PIKE (1971) with the quick-cut, dolly-shot, bullet-hole-cam madness of Sam Raimi's THE QUICK AND THE DEAD (1995). In this tribute to Sergio Leone's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968), Gene Hackman delivers one of his most villainous performances as old west tyrant John Herod, who draws every shootist to his desert town for an annual gunfighting competition where the contestants duel to the death. Joining us to talk about Raimi's modern spaghetti western is actor LENNIE LOFTIN, who plays the grizzled townie Foy and gets to toss around an up-and-coming Russell Crowe in the movie. THE QUICK AND THE DEAD also stars Sharon Stone in the gender-swapped Man-with-No-Name role, Crowe in his first U.S. picture, and then rising star Leonardo DiCaprio as the cocky kid who is pretty good with a six-shooter. Plus Lance Henriksen, Keith David, Pat Hingle, Raynor Schiene, Roberts Blossom, and the great Woody Strode in his final film. Just about everybody's in this one and we are so lucky to have Loftin here to talk about this amazing film. Also joining host Bob Calhoun in her OMFYS debut, Rosemary Picado. Now you have heard her haunting vocals in the "O Nosferatu" carol in our NOSFERATU CHRISTMAS episode, but this is her first time as a panelist. She's a QUICK AND THE DEAD expert and fanatic, so we couldn't do this episode without her. Cory, Greg, and Philena are on assignment but they'll be back for The PhilenApocalypse III: Drag Story Time where Philena returns to torture the olds with TO WONG FOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING! JULIE NEWMAR (1995) and HURRICANE BIANCA (2016). Subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss it. Old Movies for Young Stoners Theme by Chaki the Funk Wizard. Used with permission. Web: www.oldmoviesforyoungstoners.com Bluesky: @oldmoviesystoners.bsky.social Instagram/Facebook (Meta): oldmoviesforyoungstoners TikTok: @oldmoviesforyoungstoners Contact: oldmoviesforyoungstoners AT gmail DOT com
Ridley Scott's epic regeneration of the swords and sandals genre made megastars out of Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix and bagged a whole load of metal for the trophy cabinet, alongside a heap of box-office kerching. But 25 years on, does this tale of blood, brutality, bread, circuses and vengeance still thrill? Mick, Hannah and Jen share their thoughts. Unleash hell. Or just have a listen, your call. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Emerging as a multifaceted talent, he made his opening Hollywood debut in the film 'The Pope's Exorcist,' fascinating audiences with his dynamic presence on screen. I am honored to have spoken to Peter about his role in this film. The casting director obviously chose the right individual for the role of Henry – Peter delivered flawlessly, and I can unequivocally say without a doubt that he is super talented. He went into great detail how he prepared for the role and how he landed it. Aside from working alongside Russell Crowe, this movie holds a endearing place in my heart and is still one of my favorites.Overall, great interview! And if you have no watched it, please do. Peter also stars in other horror movies: Little Red, The 13th Child, Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare, and Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 and other films that are still in development. Head on over to Peter's profile on Instagram and show your support for this young, talented actor!
Tell us what you though of the episodeStep behind the scenes of Ridley Scott's American Gangster in this captivating episode featuring renowned Art Director Sonja Klaus. Klaus shares her unique approach to visual storytelling and the behind-the-scenes challenges of filming across Thailand and New York. From navigating union hurdles and recreating Bangkok markets in Chiang Mai to using unexpected props like mules, her stories are as vivid as the film itself. With tales of lavish butler service and unpredictable on-set moments, this episode is a must-listen for anyone who loves cinema, design, and the art of filmmaking.Sonja Klaus is a renowned British production designer known for her work on major films like Gladiator, American Gangster, Prometheus, and Taboo. She began in theatre before transitioning to film, collaborating extensively with Ridley Scott. Klaus has also designed acclaimed series like Taboo, A Christmas Carol, and Great Expectations, earning multiple awards and nominations. She is a BAFTA and AMPAS member and former Chair of the British Film Designers Guild.#movies #masterfuldirection #bestmovies #complexcharacter #denzelwashington #ridleyscott #russellcrowe http://twitter.com/dreamingkingdomhttp://instagram.com/kingdomofdreamspodcasthttp://facebook.com/kingdomofdreamspodcast Watch the feature films that I have directedCitizen of Moria - https://rb.gy/azpsuIn Search of My Sister - https://rb.gy/1ke21Official Website - www.jawadmir.com
On the pod: When has a famous person told you off? Too broke to break up BTS at Gracie Abrams Trending now with Emma Chow Catch The Jimmy & Nath Show with Emma live on the 1041 2Day Monday to Friday from 6am-9am! Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @thejimmyandnathshowwithemma Want your jokes to be on our pod? Send them in a voice note here: hello@jimmyandnath.com Subscribe on LiSTNR: https://play.listnr.com/podcast/the-jimmy-and-nath-showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hello friends welcome to another episode of Trudge Report. This is our monthly guest podcast. This episode we welcome good friend of the guys, music and tattoo enthusiast, sober member of the community, and all around good guy, Tyler Foss. Tyler talks about his early life in addiction and a previous stint in recovery before getting sober for good this time. He talks about being heavy in the music industry and in a successful band both sober and not sober and some of the things behind the scenes. His real passion is not only his recovery work but what he does in his professional life, running a non-profit with one of his lifelong friends to help bring underprivileged children into the music and art scene in local communities. Tyler was a fantastic guest we hope you enjoy. Below is how to access his websites for the nonprofit and the Instagram for his band. Please check them out and support. www.accessartfl.orgwww.pbtattooexpo.comBand Instagram - spit.truthAmerica will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. -Abraham LincolnDon't forget to like, share, rate, and download the podcast on all of your listening platforms. Check out and subscribe to our YouTube channel, @trudgrereportpod, for other content surrounding sports and trending topics. Trudge on good people. Contact the Guys:Instagram: @trudgereportpodFacebook: Trudge ReportTikTok: trudgereportpodYouTube: @trudgereportpod
Dana and Tom with 10x guests, Robb Conlon (Founder of Westport Studios and Host of B2B Business Class) and Kieran B. (Host and Creator of the Best Picture Cast; @bestpicturecast on X, IG, Letterboxd - BPC, Letterboxd - Personal) discuss the Best Picture Winner of 2000, Gladiator: directed by Ridley Scott, written by John Logan, David Franzione, William Nicholson, cinematography by John Mathieson, music by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Richard Harris, and Djimon Hounsou.Plot Summary: In Gladiator, Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) leads his army to victory in a decisive battle under Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The emperor, disillusioned with his son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), wishes to pass power to Maximus to restore the Roman Republic. Before this plan can be enacted, Commodus murders his father and seizes the throne.Refusing to serve the new emperor, Maximus is sentenced to death. He escapes execution but returns home to find his wife and son brutally murdered by Commodus's men. Captured and sold into slavery, Maximus becomes a gladiator under the training of Proximo (Oliver Reed), a former gladiator himself. Maximus ultimately works his way to Rome, igniting a battle not just for revenge but for the soul of Rome.As the story builds to a final confrontation, Maximus must fight one last time—against a corrupt emperor and the cruelty of the empire—to restore honor and justice and to fulfill a dying emperor's last hope.Guests:Robb ConlonFounder of Westport Studios and Host of B2B Business ClassLinkedIn: Robb / Westport StudiosPreviously On: Alien (1979), Aliens (1986), Die Hard (1988), The Godfather (1972), John Wick (2014), The Dark Knight (2008),
Craving more Kraven? We got y'all covered! Russ and Jared are back to break it down, and what a breakdown it is (more of the nervous kind). The guys are talking about Kraven the Hunter (2024), starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott, Russell Crowe, and Tom Reed. Sure to disappoint fans of both comic books and movies, this flick didn't fail to not deliver!
RIDLEY SCOTT DIRECTS GLADIATOR STARS!! American Gangster Full Reaction Watch Along: https://www.patreon.com/thereelrejects With Denzel Washington soon to be re-teaming with Director Spike Lee for 2025's Highest 2 Lowest, Coy & Aaron give their American Gangster Reaction, Recap, Commentary, Analysis, Breakdown, and Spoiler Review! Start your online business with a $1 per-month trial when you visit https://www.shopify.com/rejects! Visit https://huel.com/rejects to get 15% off your order Coy Jandreau (DC Studios Correspondent) and Aaron Alexander react to the iconic crime drama American Gangster directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Blade Runner, The Martian, Alien, Black Hawk Down). We revisit Denzel Washington's (Training Day, Remember the Titans, Malcolm X, Man on Fire, Fences, The Equalizer, Flight, Inside Man, The Book of Eli, The Magnificent Seven) towering performance as Frank Lucas, and Russell Crowe's (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, L.A. Confidential, Master and Commander, The Nice Guys, Man of Steel, 3:10 to Yuma, Robin Hood, The Insider) gripping portrayal of Detective Richie Roberts. We break down unforgettable scenes like Frank Lucas' "My Man" moment, the bold "Blue Magic" confrontation, the intense court scenes, and the explosive final showdown, while also exploring the true story behind the movie's real-life crime saga. This gritty masterpiece blends powerful performances with an unflinching look at ambition, loyalty, and corruption in 1970s New York. Follow Aaron On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealaaronalexander/?hl=en Follow Coy Jandreau: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@coyjandreau?l... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coyjandreau/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoyJandreau YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYH2szDTuU9ImFZ9gBRH8w Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Follow Us On Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en Twitter: https://x.com/reelrejects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad: Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Since the revival of Othello with Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhall is tearing it up on Broadway and the Los Angeles Rennaisannce Faire in full swingit seems an opportune time to replay our Shakespearean episode with Lisa Ann Goldsmith and Owen Thompson of the award winning podcast "The Bardcast: It's Shakespeare You DicK" Podcasts collide this week as Mark and Nicole welcome actor/directors/scholars Lisa Ann Goldsmith and Owen Thompson of the award winning podcast "The Bardcast - It's Shakespeare You Dick!" to the lighter side of the dark side. Lisa Ann and Owen discussed the amount of dick jokes and sex in Shakespeare's work, how technology is proving he wrote his plays and also that he likely was a stoner and a bit of a thug. They break down the good and the bad in the new Tragedy of Macbeth and other Shakespearean films. Lisa Ann talks about starring in the show "Chicks with Dicks" (the dick is not where you would think) and Russell Crowe being a bit of a diva until you stand up to him. Owen talked about directing immersive theater, what it was like to cast legendary author Quentin Crisp in drag and how their podcast got its provocative name from bikers at a Renaissance Fair and more... This podcast is sponsored by Eddie by Giddy FDA Class II medical device built to treat erectile dysfunction and performance unpredictability. Eddie is specifically engineered to promote firmer and longer-lasting erections by working with the body's physiology. Get rock hard erections the natural way again. Using promo code DARKMARK20, you can save 20% on your Eddie purchase, and you and your partner will be chanting incantations of ecstasy together faster than you can say “REDRUM.” Go to buyeddie.com/DarkMark for 20% off your purchase using code DARKMARK20 today. Raze Energy Drinks Go to https://bit.ly/2VMoqkk and put in the coupon code DMS for 15% off the best energy drinks. Zero calories. Zero carbs. Zero crash Renagade CBD Go to renagadecbd.com for all of your CBD needs Tactical Soap Smell Great with Pheromone infused products and drive women wild with desire! Go to https://grondyke-soap-company.myshopify.com/?rfsn=7187911.8cecdba
Saddle up—it's Book Club Month on So Many Sequels, and this week, we're diving into Elmore Leonard's gritty Western adaptation, 3:10 to Yuma (2007). Featuring powerhouse performances from Christian Bale and Russell Crowe, this film offers more than gunfights—it's a tense exploration of honor, fatherhood, and redemption.We explore the film's themes of masculinity in crisis, the dynamic between Dan Evans and Ben Wade, and the surprising emotional core at the heart of this modern Western. Is this one of the best genre remakes of the 2000s? Does the short story adaptation expand or stretch too far? And how does the ending compare to Leonard's original vision?Whether you're a Western fan or a curious newcomer, this one's worth the ride.
Is this another one of the guys' craven attempts to get you to buy ITMT merch or Russ' book HOST, available wherever you buy books? Of course not, they would never! Instead Russ and Jared are talking about the trailer for Kraven the Hunter (2024), starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott, Russell Crowe, and Tom Reed. What a way to end the Sony live-action Spider-Man villain series. Stay tuned for the breakdown episode next week!
HDTGM all-star Jessica St. Clair helps the gang discuss the 2025 Spider-Man adjacent movie Kraven the Hunter starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, and the king of vague accents himself, Russell Crowe. LIVE from The Moody Theater in Austin, they go off on the Rhino's backpack, how Kraven is basically Dr. Dolittle with abs, Calypso's hot leather outfit, and if Russell Crowe gave off John Goodman vibes. Plus, June expresses her feelings on men in bathrobes and an audience member wonders if Tony Bennett was in this movie. Get tix for our May 9th Toronto show at hdtgm.comHave a correction or omission for Last Looks? Call 619-PAULASK to leave us a voicemail!Buy HDTGM merch at howdidthisgetmade.dashery.com/Order Paul's book about his childhood: Joyful Recollections of TraumaJoin the HDTGM conversation on Discord: discord.gg/hdtgmShop our new hat collection at podswag.comPaul's Discord: discord.gg/paulscheerPaul's YouTube page: youtube.com/paulscheerFollow Paul on Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/paulscheerSubscribe to Enter The Dark Web w/ Paul and Rob Huebel: youtube.com/@enterthedarkwebListen to Unspooled with Paul and Amy Nicholson: unspooledpodcast.comListen to The Deep Dive with Jessica St. Clair and June Diane Raphael: thedeepdiveacademy.com/podcastInstagram: @hdtgm, @paulscheer, & @junedianeTwitter: @hdtgm, @paulscheer, & msjunediane Jason is not on social mediaEpisode transcripts available at how-did-this-get-made.simplecast.com/episodesGet access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using the link: siriusxm.com/hdtgm
Text us about COMICS! Or about whatever. It's your life. Let's go Legion, happy Friday! It's new podcast day! And we've got one of the BIGGEST box office flops in recent history. Let's talk about saving animals, a voodoo, lawyer, archery lady, staring into the camera whilst shirtless, and how Russell Crowe should have been Kraven all along. It's Kraven the Hunter! Ugh.New Episodes Every Week, mostly!Support us on Patreon! Get exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/legionofcc SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://bit.ly/LegionOCCBrett Garwood - Man Behind The Curtain: https://redbagmedia.com/Our totally rad intro music comes from: Alex at Chop.it.up.productionsListen to our Podcast - Legion of Comic Correction - on all major podcasting platforms!Legion Website: legionofcc.comLCC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LegionofCC LCC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legionofcc/Support the show
It is Geek Salad's Disney month but this year's topic is more Disney-adjacent. Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe came to be, most of its offerings have been met with praise. However, as time went along, there have been some MCU properties that have been maligned, not for reasons of quality, but for much more arbitrary and superficial reasons. To go over some of these, Geek Salad is back with Episode 254: Wokeanda Forever! (AKA Russell Crowe's Rage Scarf). Join Andy, Mike, Joe, and Katherine as they discuss which MCU offerings they feel were snubbed by some members of the fanbase for reasons of a more superficial nature. From Iron Man 3 to Agatha All Along, the gang covers both movies and TV shows. So tune in if for no other reason than to find out what a Russell Crowe Rage Scarf is. Geek Salad is available at www.geeksalad.podbean.com, or can be subscribed to at the iTunes store by using keyword “geek salad.” Geek Salad is also available on Spotify,iTunes, iHeart Radio and wherever else you get your podcasts! Also, check out the Podbean App where you can stream and download the entire Geek Salad archive right from your Android or iPhone! You can get the app at either the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store! Want Geek Salad swag? Check out our new store on Tee Public, where you can get t-shirts, mugs, stickers, and so much other stuff!!! Shop here! Geek Salad episodes are now also available to stream on YouTube. “Like” and Subscribe to their channel at Geek Salad Podcast at www.youtube.com Contact Geek Salad at geeksaladradio@gmail.com. Geek Salad is also available on Facebook under the group heading “Geek Salad Podcast.” Check out their website at www.geek-salad.com, and please subscribe to their Twitter/X, Threads, and Blue Sky feeds: @geeksaladradio Geek Salad is intended for adult listeners and contains coarse language and profanity. Listener discretion is advised.
In this episode of The Cocktail Academy, host Damian sits down with Laura Bonner, founder of The Muff Liquor Company, for a deep dive into how a Donegal girl with a bold dream turned her family roots (and potatoes!) into a premium international spirits brand.Laura shares the very real ups and downs of building a business—from an idea sparked by her grandfather's poitin to launching a spirits range that's now taking the U.S. by storm. You'll hear the unfiltered story behind the cheeky brand name, the fight to be taken seriously, and how she landed global investors like Russell Crowe and Ed Sheeran.Whether you're into Irish spirits, brand-building, or just a sucker for a great origin story, this one is packed with lessons, laughs, and serious hustle.
One of the biggest guests ever on Chubstep, Steed and Big Money Banks are joined by the controversial and elusive Easter Bunny. Before the interview the guys discuss why eating rabbit is better than chicken, and the history of the Easter Bunny from ancient Greek's to Germanic tribes. Listeners will be surprised to hear the Irish female sounding bunny discuss rabbit genocide, how she traded her sexual desires for an egg hole in return for living forever, a surprise appearance from Santa which opens up the tumultuous relationship between him and the Easter Bunny, Abe Lincoln in Reno Nevada, her relationship with Russell Crowe, and a parting song.
Are You In The Muff Market? Are You A Muff Liquor Man? Ok folks, we're going to have fun on this one. When I started the research for this episode, I wasn't sure whether the "Muff Liquor Company" name was a tongue-in-somewhere thing or a hard lean-in. Turns out it's the latter with a healthy dose of the former. It is a company based in Muff, Ireland that makes liquor, and yes they know what the name means. If you doubt it, check out their April Fool's Day post from this year...just delightfully dirty. Once you're past the name, though, you've got to have a good product for me to care, and boy do they. I'm joined by Laura Bonner, founder of Muff Liquor Company and probably the closest connection I'll ever have to Jimmy Carr and Ed Sheeran. She's made Muff Liquors of these men, joining Russell Crowe and other notable celebs as spokespeople and investors. The journey was long and hard, and nothing came easy (ok, last puns, I promise). COVID nearly put them under before they could begin. Now, they're thriving, and the US market awaits. Muff Liquor's Irish Whiskey is a delicious pour, smoked apples and gentle, sweet peat, at a ridiculously affordable price point (all of their products are $34.99 MSRP, give or take). Take a shot - see if you enjoy diving into the Muff as much as I did (ok, THAT's the last one). Thank you to Laura for entering to the Whiskey Ring! Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, BAXUS Baxus is the world's leading collectible spirits marketplace, with user-friendly options for buyers, sellers, and collectors looking to vault their collections. Use my link below to visit the BAXUS.CO website and sign up! BAXUS Website BAXUS on Instagram BAXUS on Facebook BAXUS on Twitter/X BAXUS on LinkedIn _________________________________________________________ If you haven't joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so at patreon.com/whiskeyinmyweddingring The Bottle Share Club - the $25/month Patreon level - is SOLD OUT! You can still support the podcast for as little as $1/month, and $5/month patrons will have first dibs if a $25/month member retires. If you haven't yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. The Muff Liquor Company The Muff Liquor Company Website The Muff Liquor Company on Instagram The Muff Liquor Company on Facebook The Muff Liquor Company on X The Muff Liquor Company on YouTube
The gang is back after a busy week to recap all their shenanigans! GET YOUR AUTISM SHIRTS & support an amazing cause! https://www.bunkerbranding.com/collections/unsubscribe-podcast-shirts Watch this episode ad-free and uncensored on Pepperbox! https://www.pepperbox.tv/ WATCH THE AFTERSHOW & BTS ON PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/UnsubscribePodcast ------------------------------ THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! TRUE CLASSIC Upgrade your wardrobe and save at https://trueclassic.com/UNSUB #trueclassicpod MANSCAPED Get The Beard & Balls Bundle for 20% OFF with FREE International Shipping using code “UNSUB” at https://manscaped.com #ManscapedPartner ------------------------------ UNSUB MERCH: https://www.bunkerbranding.com/pages/unsubscribe-podcast ------------------------------ FOLLOW THE HOSTS: Eli_Doubletap https://www.instagram.com/eli_doubletap/ https://www.twitch.tv/Eli_Doubletap https://x.com/Eli_Doubletap https://www.youtube.com/c/EliDoubletap Brandon Herrera https://www.youtube.com/@BrandonHerrera https://x.com/TheAKGuy https://www.instagram.com/realbrandonherrera Donut Operator https://www.youtube.com/@DonutOperator https://x.com/DonutOperator https://www.instagram.com/donutoperator The Fat Electrician https://www.youtube.com/@the_fat_electrician https://thefatelectrician.com/ https://www.instagram.com/the_fat_electrician https://www.tiktok.com/@the_fat_electrician ------------------------------ unsubscribe pod podcast episode ep unsub funny comedy military army comedian texas podcasts #podcast #comedy #funnypodcast Chapters 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:07:29 - Shooting Tanks Experience 00:13:02 - Spicy Energy Drinks ️ 00:19:11 - Hot Sauce Origins ️ 00:26:10 - Funny College Stories 00:33:10 - Manscaped Promotion ️ 00:42:54 - Deadliest Warrior Talk ️ 00:49:11 - Public Executions 00:54:34 - Crime and Punishment ️ 00:59:51 - Russell Crowe's Missed Role 01:07:15 - Movie Commentary 01:12:45 - Guy Ritchie Films 01:18:28 - Blood Diamond Talk 01:27:46 - YouTube Journey 01:33:00 - Flight Home Chaos ️ 01:39:40 - Detainment Story Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bren Foster is a man on a mission. Fresh from the positive reactions to his blistering 2024 martial arts revenge drama, 'Life After Fighting' - which also marked his directorial debut - Bren is now keen to show the world a new kind of action hero. The former soap star, who made his name on shows like 'Days of Our Lives' and 'Home and Away', is now capitalising on his incredible martial arts abilities to star in more fight films. His next will be an MMA actioner with Russell Crowe and Luke Hemsworth, called 'Beast in Me', in which he also provides fight choreography. This will be music to the ears of many martial arts movie fans who, before 'Life After Fighting', could only glimpse at Foster's extraordinary physical abilities in small bursts - like on the documentary series, 'Fight Science', or his roles in two Steven Seagal films, 'Maximum Conviction' and 'Force of Execution', or on the small screen in the series, 'The Last Ship'. If anything, 'Life After Fighting' saw Bren making up for lost time, throwing himself into every aspect of the film - providing roles for his own family and casting many of his students, and even filming at his own martial arts school. As well directing, he writes, stars, produces, and provides fight choreography. Despite its low budget, the film still packs a major punch, and was one of my favourite fight films of 2024. We discuss a life dedicated to the martial arts and competition, the toils of low-budget filmmaking, working with Steven Seagal, and his next steps in an already fascinating career.LINKSBren Foster on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1248409/Bren Foster on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brenfosterreal/Bren Foster on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brenfosterofficialBren Foster profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://kungfumovieguide.com/profile-bren-foster/ Bren Foster on 'Fight Science': https://youtu.be/cU4j-t2oYA0'Life After Fighting' trailer: https://youtu.be/KMdiYlC_cA8'Life After Fighting' review on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://kungfumovieguide.com/life-after-fighting-2024/Watch 'Life After Fighting' on Paramount Plus UK: https://www.paramountplus.com/gb/movies/video/JPOVHXAdlJw50eEVsCzk8tXMySV_yp9P/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week Dan has a clear answer to the question have you ever been to a harvester before? Gavin has started playing a game that he thinks makes him a loser but gets him walking. Dan turned up late to a gallery before going to an arcade to play some old school games. Gavin tells a story about an old relationship and Dan quizzes us on Russell Crowe films. This weeks recommendations: TMTK : ARDN Man Of Ill Repute : My First Time Pretty : Jaymadeit Talk to us here : Email : betherewithbelson@gmail.com X : @therewithbelson Instagram : @betherewithbelson
After ten long years of podcasting, it's come to this: another What's New to Netflix commentary episode. We give a full-length commentary to a movie streaming now on Netflix, though in the case of this title, you might have to watch it somewhere else, unfortunately. If you do end up getting the chance to view this flick from the comfort of your couch, you'll be joining us as we watch The Nice Guys, starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, who, as the poster suggests, are "not that nice." Shane Black directs this goofy period neo-noir from 2016 featuring lots of heavy drinking and limbs getting injured. It's a groovy scene, man! WARNING: This is not a typical episode of What's New to Netflix. This is an audio commentary. This episode is meant to be listened to while you watch The Nice Guys. If you try to listen to this episode and you are not watching The Nice Guys along with us, a lot of this will not make any sense. got a suggestion for the show?: whatsnewtonetflix@gmail.com
WARNING! This post and episode both contain spoilers!We are back to discuss Gladiator II, the sequel to Ridley Scott's smash hit Gladiator (2000). Gladiator II is set in the joint reign of Caracalla and Geta. These emperors were brothers in real life, but not the creepy twins shown in the movie. However, let's not get caught up in historical detail! After all, Lucilla should have been executed by Commodus in the first film if we were sticking to the facts.In Gladiator II, we learn that Lucilla's precious son, Lucius Verus, was hidden away in the provinces after Commodus' death and became alienated from the imperial family. He clearly inherited the military skills of his real father (Maximus or Russell Crowe), as Lucius is something of a local hero in his new home.But no one can resist the power of Rome forever. After a military defeat, Lucius ends up in the arena and spends the film wrestling with his past, his trauma and the corruption of Rome. Just like his dad!Whilst Lucius Verus is the hero of this film, as is so often the case in movies about Ancient Rome, the villain steals the show. Macrinus (Denzel Washington) is a master manipulator, skilfully playing a dangerous political game. Will the ghost of Maximus past allow Lucius to finally set Rome on a virtuous path? Or is Rome doomed to be dominated by corrupt politicians? And boy, do we have a treat in store for you all! We were privileged to talk to a giant in the field of classical reception, a man who has spent many decades studying Roman history on film.Martin M. Winkler is Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Classics at George Mason University in Northern Virginia. His research interests include classical mythology, Roman history, classical literature, the classical tradition, and classical literature, history and myth on film. Professor Winkler's list of publications is long indeed, but we will cite a few of our favourites. The Roman Salute: Cinema, History and Ideology (2009), Ovid on Screen: A Montage of Attractions (2020) and most recently, Classical Antiquity and the Cinematic Imagination (2024). Professor Winkler has edited and contributed to volumes on the films Troy (from 2004), Kubrick's 1960 Spartacus, and importantly for today, Ridley Scott's original 2000 Gladiator.We hope that you enjoy our conversation with Professor Winkler in which we discuss:The characters of Maximus and Lucius VerusThe aesthetic of Gladiator IIThe representation of the army and praetorian guard in the sequelThe Roman Senate of Gladiator IIHistorical accuracy in Gladiator IIFor our full show notes and transcript, head over to our website: https://partialhistorians.com/2025/04/03/special-episode-gladiator-ii-with-professor-martin-m-winkler/ For our full show notes and edited transcripts, head on over to https://partialhistorians.com/Support the showPatreonKo-FiRead our booksRex: The Seven Kings of RomeYour Cheeky Guide to the Roman Empire Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's Rob's choice for movie night and he has chosent the 1995 Western "The Quick and the Dead" starring Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. Also on the show: "What Excites Us?" #western #podcast #90smovies #90s #moviereview #sharonstone #Genehackman
Did you know Sam Raimi, visionary Director behind The Evil Dead and the Spiderman Trilogy one time made a western? Not only that but its absolutely amazing! This week we are heading to the old west to review 1995's The Quick and the Dead. A gunslinger revenge film with one of the deepest rosters of amazing actors. From complete unknowns like Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio to established A-listers like Gene Hackman and Sharon Stone. This film packs a literally punch and pays homage to the spaghetti westerns of yesteryear but with Sam Raimi's visual style. Joining us this week is our own mistress of the macabre, our friend Anastasia Elfman is back to help us tackle this amazing western. Learn more about Anastasia Elfman Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/dahliadimont/ Bloody Bridget- https://bloodybridget.com/ NEWSLETTER and UNCUT REELS!!!!! We are adding a weekly companion newsletter for the podcast that will feature EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT, our raw discussions on movies, tv, and life that don't fit the podcast! We're calling it "UNCUT REELS!" SIGN UP HERE TO GET THE BONUS CONTENT!! https://mailchi.mp/41902cbf6549/exclusive-newsletter Follow The Cinema Psychos Show on Socials ❤️
Producer Doug Wick takes us behind the scenes of the legendary Gladiator and its highly anticipated sequel, Gladiator II. Initially marketed as a fight movie, it attracted mostly men; however, Wick shares how the dramatic and harrowing themes drew in female audiences, transcending the film beyond its action elements. He shares his firsthand experience working with visionary director Ridley Scott and how Scott's detailed storyboarding for both films streamlined the shooting process and created a clear vision for the cast and crew. From collaborating with Gladiator icons Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix to assembling an all-star cast for Gladiator II, including Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, and Pedro Pascal, Wick offers thrilling insights into the epic world of the Gladiator franchise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Owen Ó Súilleabháin|How can the genius of Ireland help our modern world today?Owen Ó Súilleabháin is a multifaceted artist, renowned for his work as a singer, composer, speaker, and leadership coach. He draws on his rich heritage in the performing arts and academic background in philosophy, Greek and Roman civilization, and Peace Studies to inspire creativity and leadership. Owen believes in the transformative power of art and has collaborated with notable figures such as Steven Spielberg, Russell Crowe, Nigel Kennedy, and The Chieftains.In 2024 he established Inner Soul Circle, an online community focused on Celtic spirituality and the arts, alongside his mother Rev. Nóirín Ní Riain Ph.D and his brother Mícheál Moley Ó Súilleabháin.Owen's work spans various fields, including education, healthcare, and the corporate world, where he emphasizes the importance of listening and creativity for personal and organizational transformation. His contributions to the arts and leadership are recognized and sought after by numerous organizations globally.https://www.turasdanam.com/membershipSupport PEG by checking out our Sponsors:Download and use Newsly for free now from www.newsly.me or from the link in the description, and use promo code “GHOST” and receive a 1-month free premium subscription.The best tool for getting podcast guests:https://podmatch.com/signup/phantomelectricghostSubscribe to our Instagram for exclusive content:https://www.instagram.com/expansive_sound_experiments/Subscribe to our YouTube https://youtube.com/@phantomelectricghost?si=rEyT56WQvDsAoRprPEG uses StreamYard.com for our live podcastshttps://streamyard.com/pal/c/6290085463457792Get $10.00 Credit for using StreamYard.com when you sign up with our linkRSShttps://anchor.fm/s/3b31908/podcast/rss
We finally did it! After months of promises we finally got around to covering the (probably) last of Sony's Spider-Man-less Spider-Man movies. It's 2024's Kraven the Hunter, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, and Russell Crowe. After a cold open action sequence in a Russian prison that serves as Aaron Taylor-Johnson's sizzle reel for his Bond audition, we are transported to the distant past of probably around 2012. Sergei (Taylor-Johnson) and Dmitri (Fred Hechinger, the Tim Robinson-looking fellow who played Caracalla in Gladiator II) Kravinoff are taken out of boarding school by their mob boss father Nicoli (Crowe) after their mother's suicide. The best healing can only be done once they hunt down a lion serial killer in the savanna named Zar. Unfortunately, Zar gets the drop on Sergei and he's horribly mauled. However, the lion's blood, combined with a magic potion administered by passer-by Calypso (DeBose) brings him back to life AND gives him Captain America-level superpowers. He leaves home and heads to Siberia to murder poachers and hone his skills. Years later, Dmitri is kidnapped by rival mob boss Aleksei (Alessandro Nivola) a.k.a. the Rhino, who he got a surgical procedure to turn into a rhino man unless he's constantly pumping anti-rhino venom into his body through a backpack. Sergei, now going by Kraven, goes off on a series of expensive-looking adventures to save him. Can Kraven save his brother in time? Who's really behind this kidnapping? And, most importantly, when does Kraven get his VEST? You'll have to listen to find out!
Grab your hunting gear and journey with us in to the jungles of Africa, the hunt the most dangerous game possible, a Sony spider-verse movie. We watched Kraven the Hunter starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, and Russell Crowe. But first we highlight another prominent female voice, as part of our spotlight during women's history month. Then we play a Catch that Quotable that has us feeling nostalgic. Then finally we get into the movie Kraven the Hunter. We talk about plot holes, accents, and Sony's decision making. Follow Us on Social Media: https://linktr.ee/FilmsInBlackandWhiteRemember you can join our patty family, and help produce the show by going to Patreon.com/filmsinblackandwhiteLinks: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/photos/2017/08/women-who-changed-hollywoodhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2024/12/12/kraven-the-hunter-killed-sonys-chaotic-spider-man-universe/Plugs:Support the Mantra: Never Offended Always Humble - https://linktr.ee/MarcusJ.DestinThe LoveNerds - www.etsy.com/shop/thelovenerds
We start out our special "Films Without Spider-Man" theme month (in honor of Max Fun Drive -- please consider supporting our show!) with one of the more ostentatiously-Spider-Man-free films of last year: Kraven the Hunter. C'mon, Kraven, we KNOW you guys know one another--remember that last hunt? Just swallow your pride and phone Spidey to drop by! We're cravin' it!We're doing a ton of extra stuff for Max Fun Drive this year -- check out our event calendar!Wikipedia page for Kraven the HunterRecommended in this episode:Dan: Last Stop in Yuma County (2023)Stuart: The Monkey (2025)Elliott: Mr. Vampire (1985)
This week on Forgotten Cinema, The Mikes are diving into Michael Mann's The Insider (1999), starring Russell Crowe and Al Pacino in a tense, real-life whistleblower drama about Big Tobacco, journalism, and corporate corruption.But while Mike Field considers it a masterpiece of slow-burn storytelling, Mike Butler has broken Field's heart by thinking it's too long! So, does The Insider earn its nearly 160-minute runtime, or could it have used some editing? The Mikes break down the performances, Mann's signature style, and whether it still holds up today.So, grab your popcorn and soda, please notice the exits to the left and right of you and settle down for Forgotten Cinema. What do you think? Masterpiece or overlong? What's your favorite Mann film? Let us know in the comments!