The Nextlander Watchcast

The Nextlander crew branches out into media that doesn't require a controller to enjoy! Join Alex, Brad, and Vinny as they watch the movies, shows, and anime they've either missed out on up to this point in their lives, or just want to revisit again.

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187 episodes
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Episodes187

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Jun 5, 2023 · 1 hr 55 min
47: Dredd (2012)
Grab your 3D glasses if you've got 'em and get your slo-mo inhaler ready, because we're closing out the month of May and our Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us theme with 2012's ultraviolent comic adaptation, Dredd! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:33) - Intro. (00:02:06) - Our final film for Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us month: Dredd! (00:03:47) - A little history on the Judge Dredd comic and how this movie adapts it. (00:11:17) - Talking how this adaptation came together. (00:16:45) - Our star-studded cast. (00:23:38) - Kicking things off with an all-timer of a future drug concept: slo-mo! And some 3D cinema talk. (00:32:08) - The plot may be thin, but it does the job. (00:42:15) - What sets that plot in motion (also how did we forget to mention Domhnall Gleeson). (00:50:41) - Break! (00:50:59) - We're back, and our judges are stuck. (00:57:22) - A brief aside on the monumentally bad choices the tower block's medical guy makes. (01:01:09) - Let the killing commence! (01:05:58) - Kay is an awful, awful dude. Ma-Ma is still somehow worse. (01:10:56) - Let's get mental. (01:16:52) - The dumbass kids and Anderson's capture. (01:22:58) - And here come the bad judges. (01:26:18) - Bye bye Kay. (01:32:13) - Wait! (01:36:15) - If you're going to hotwire your heartbeat to demolition grade explosives, don't skimp on the transmitter! (01:42:36) - Mopping things up after throwing Ma-Ma from the balcony. (01:47:50) - Final thoughts. (01:51:26) - Outro, and housekeeping notes for June and July's Watchcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 29, 2023 · 1 hr 35 min
46: The Raid (2011)
It's the reason for the season of Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us this week, as we tackle a movie Brad and Vinny have been dying to see in the 2011 Indonesian action epic, The Raid! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:53) - Intro and opening thoughts on our movie for the week: The Raid! (00:10:20) - How The Raid came to be. (00:24:01) - Grousing about the remake (which is supposedly still happening), and a brief discussion on the sequel. (00:26:32) - The set-up for the movie. (00:35:25) - Our good guys are in the building and have secured the lower floors. Hard part's over, right? (00:40:35) - And just like that, everybody's dying. (00:46:46) - Break! (00:47:04) - We're back, and it's popping off. (00:52:16) - An abundance of leg damage. (00:54:52) - Machetes through walls. (00:57:50) - A very bad use of a butter knife. (00:59:15) - Some big character moments for our main cops. (01:08:52) - Mad Dog's comin'. (01:12:30) - It's over for the brother. (01:15:47) - The last levels, and the last fight with Mad Dog. (01:22:23) - Winding to the conclusion. (01:29:06) - Final thoughts. (01:31:40) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 22, 2023 · 1 hr 48 min
45: Judgment Night (1993)
We're smack-dab in the middle of our Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us theme, and this week we talk at length about one of the greatest licensed soundtracks of all time in 1993's Judgment Night! And we talk about the movie too, if you're into that sort of thing. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:16) - Intro. (00:01:18) - Our movie for this week: Judgment Night! It has at least one thing going for it. (00:03:56) - Talking about the scared dudes of this movie vs. Trespass. (00:09:25) - Denis is not such a menace. (00:14:08) - Vinny reveals himself to be a Piven-head. (00:16:20) - A little info on how this got made. (00:22:06) - The story of the Judgment Night soundtrack. (00:42:55) - Larger feelings about the rap rock genre in general. (00:46:24) - Break! (00:46:45) - We're back! And we should probably talk about the actual movie now. (00:51:22) - Our protagonists, such as they are. (00:56:50) - Dropping our suburban boys into the post-apocalypse. (01:00:20) - Enter our crew of bad guys. (01:06:06) - The train yard. (01:08:58) - The blur of the next chunk of the movie. (01:15:29) - The endless rooftop sequence (with a not bad payoff, to be fair). (01:20:39) - Just what this movie was missing: a sewer level. (01:28:16) - Winding toward our extremely long and limp conclusion. (01:41:55) - Final thoughts. (01:45:49) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 15, 2023 · 1 hr 34 min
44: Trespass (1992)
Two weeks into May and some guys are still coming to kill us! Join us as we watch Bill Paxton and William Sadler make increasingly poor decisions as Ice Cube and Ice-T menace them in Walter Hill's Trespass! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:30) - Intro. (00:02:39) - Our movie for this week: Walter Hill's Trespass! (00:07:39) - Talking about our cast. (00:09:13) - An aside about the video camera motif. (00:11:09) - Back to the cast. (00:13:11) - Let's get into the plot. (00:16:52) - A little more history of how this movie came together, and some of the cultural stuff swirling around it. (00:23:52) - Aw shucks Bill Paxton and scumbag William Sadler. (00:26:54) - Bradlee, the closest thing this movie has to a hero. (00:32:41) - The gold and King James' crew. (00:36:03) - Our main characters meet, and it does not go well. (00:41:04) - Break! (00:41:27) - We're back, and Raymond's here. (00:43:56) - All the ways they try to kill these guys, and the gang's internal power struggle. (00:53:36) - Raymond and Savon's skullduggery. (00:57:53) - Here come the real cops. (01:00:29) - Lucky tries to break free, and, well... (01:05:05) - It's on. (01:13:43) - Well, at least Bill Paxton and Bradlee make it! (01:20:27) - Final thoughts, and some soundtrack discussion. (01:29:07) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 8, 2023 · 1 hr 38 min
43: Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
Another month means another theme on the old Watchcast, and this month's was voted on by our patrons! They chose "Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us", and to kick things off we've turned to a familiar and favorite director in John Carpenter and his '70s exploitation classic, Assault on Precinct 13! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:21) - Intro for our theme: Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us, and this week's movie, Assault on Precinct 13! (00:08:21) - The '70s-ness of the whole thing. (00:12:35) - Alex, how did this movie get made? (00:16:26) - Our cast of mostly unknowns. (00:25:09) - Setting up all the threads that lead to the titular assault. (00:38:21) - Meeting the doomed dad and daughter. (00:49:13) - Break! (00:49:33) - We're back, all the people are in place, it's time for things to pop off. (00:54:03) - Hot damn does Carpenter love his sequences that go on way longer than you'd expect. (00:58:04) - Nothing good can ever come from having a jar of blood chucked at you. (01:05:54) - The assault is over! Everything's OK, right? Right?!? (01:09:11) - Leigh is kinda the secret bad-ass of this movie. Also, poor Wells. (01:15:04) - A last stand plan begins to form. (01:21:32) - And just like that, it's all over. (01:27:33) - Final thoughts. (01:35:22) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 1, 2023 · 1 hr 47 min
42: Resident Evil (2002)
For our final video game movie for the month of April, we're checking out another Paul W.S. Anderson joint in his zombie and laser-grid filled attempt at making a Resident Evil movie. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:15) - Intro. (00:00:41) - Our final video game movie for the month of April: Resident Evil! (00:06:50) - Our histories with the Resident Evil games. (00:13:28) - There is not a whole lot of Resident Evil in this Resident Evil movie. (00:15:15) - How did this movie get made, and why is it like this? (00:27:47) - Let's start talking about the actual movie. (00:30:38) - Great intro, but things start falling apart a little bit after. (00:35:52) - The Umbrella commandos arrive. (00:40:13) - If Umbrella knows what's going on, this is a terrible plan. If they don't, this is still a terrible plan. (00:44:55) - Break! (00:45:13) - We're back, The Hive is open, and it's time for everyone to die. (00:47:51) - The famous laser grid. (00:54:18) - Say hello to the Red Queen. (01:02:42) - Everyone's running around all willy-nilly. Plus, zombie dogs. (01:12:11) - The senselessness of the T-virus. (01:14:43) - Spence's heel turn and subsequent death. (01:24:00) - Ridin' the train, high on, uh, antivirals? This rhyme doesn't work. (01:29:48) - Put him in the Nemesis project! (01:32:07) - The movie just refuses to end. (01:37:03) - Chatting about the various sequels and reboots that came after. (01:43:20) - What are we doing next month? (We already ran the poll, Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us won.) (01:46:45) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 24, 2023 · 1 hr 49 min
41: Mortal Kombat (1995)
Our first couple of video game adaptations this month were pretty dire, but business picks up this week as we check out Paul W.S. Anderson's first foray into games as cinema in Mortal Kombat! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:18) - Intro. (00:00:52) - Our movie this week: MORTAL KOMBAT (caps to imply yelling). Plus our histories with the MK franchise. (00:12:35) - Getting into the history of the games and the development of the film. (00:19:18) - Good ol' Goro. (00:22:41) - The injury list and fight choreography talk. (00:24:24) - Our illustrious cast. (00:37:37) - Getting into the film's ruthlessly efficient set-up. (00:42:35) - The theme song and soundtrack. (00:45:06) - Accepting the ridiculousness of it all and BIG SPOOKY BOAT. (00:52:05) - Break! (00:52:25) - Welcome to Shang Tsung's island. (00:58:25) - It's banquet time, and Reptile's here. (01:01:01) - My dinner with Goro. (01:06:02) - Kicking off the tournament and a shout out to Hakim Alston. (01:10:10) - Fight after fight after fight! (01:20:32) - Fear is the mindkiller, or so we've heard. (01:28:40) - Off to Outworld we go. If you understand the set-up for this Reptile fight, please explain it to us. (01:33:28) - Time for Liu Kang to meet his destiny. (01:40:51) - We did it! The world is saved! Nothing bad can happen now! (01:45:05) - Final thoughts. (01:47:46) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 17, 2023 · 1 hr 39 min
40: Street Fighter (1994)
For our second video game movie of the month we take a trip down Shadaloo way to check in on Guile, M. Bison, and the whole World Warrior gang as they shoot, explode, and rarely street fight their way through the incredibly ill-advised adaptation of Street Fighter. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:15) - Intro. (00:01:32) - Our histories with the Street Fighter games. (00:09:05) - Brad asked how this got made, and here's your answer. (00:11:54) - Our illustrious cast. (00:27:37) - The movie's peculiar character alignments. (00:35:54) - The movie isn't nearly cartoonish enough, but Raul Julia is at least trying to get it there. (00:41:29) - The set-up for all this stupid stuff. (00:46:50) - Break! (00:47:16) - We're back, and evil plans are afoot. (00:51:21) - Bison's plan is bad, but Chun Li's plan isn't that much better. (00:57:41) - JCVD's Oscar moment. (01:02:17) - Bison's art gallery (and his big moment with Chun Li). (01:09:24) - Fight sticks and catchphrases and illy colored camouflage. (01:13:52) - Blanka might as well not even be in this movie. (01:16:57) - Everyone's in place. Let's (FINALLY) have some fights. (01:25:00) - Freeze frame! (01:30:48) - Final thoughts. (01:37:07) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 10, 2023 · 1 hr 54 min
39: Super Mario Bros. (1993)
For the month of April the Watchcast crew will be digging through the detritus of early video game movies, and we're kicking things off with the mother of all game-to-cinema adaptations in the profoundly weird Super Mario Bros.! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:16) - Intro. (00:04:59) - Talking a bit about earlier Mario adaptations. (00:09:14) - The long and twisted history of how this got made. (00:19:36) - Some casting what ifs. (00:24:18) - Boy, the people who starred in this movie do not have nice things to say about it! (00:33:11) - This is about as off-putting a "family" film as this era ever produced. (00:35:18) - The set-up for this weird-ass movie. (00:43:02) - Truly this is a movie about the plight of struggling working class plumbers and under-funded archaeologists. (00:50:34) - Some special effects and set design talk. (00:53:20) - The depiction of the Koopa dimension. (00:59:00) - Break! (00:59:18) - We're back, and things are nutty in this Koopa Kingdom. (01:02:30) - A valid question: what is Koopa's plan? (01:06:54) - The movie's endless parade of baffling aesthetic choices. (01:14:05) - Yoshi, what have they done to you? (01:18:35) - The bonkers car chase. (01:24:17) - Nothing says Super Mario Bros. like a goofy club scene. (01:29:52) - Finally, the Mario brothers get their jumpin' powers (and their awful secret handshake). (01:36:43) - Heading into the final confrontation (which takes like 25 minutes). (01:48:09) - Final thoughts on the film. (01:51:47) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 3, 2023 · 1 hr 53 min
38: Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
We close out Michelle Yeoh March by celebrating the film that won her the Oscar in 2022's madcap multiverse action comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once. So bust out your butt plugs and chomp down on some chapstick, because it's time to rescue Raccacoonie (and also save the universe). CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:51) - Intro. (00:05:48) - Talking about Everything Everywhere All at Once's Oscar run, and the Oscars in general. (00:13:30) - Who made this crazy movie, and how did it come to be? Also, some discussion of the current fixation on multiverses. (00:19:21) - Talkin' about our cast. (00:27:31) - Getting into the film itself. (00:33:18) - The IRS and the multiverse. (00:40:58) - Who or what is a Jobu Tupaki? (00:45:24) - Break! (00:45:40) - We're back, and picking up the conversation on the film's special effects and what went into creating them. (00:52:44) - Heaps of praise for Stephanie Hsu's performance. (00:56:18) - Raccacoonie and Wong Kar-wai. (01:03:18) - Digging into some of the nuances of Yeoh's performance. (01:06:09) - Curtis' IRS agent and Hong's Gong Gong. (01:09:42) - On another subject entirely: dildo fights. (01:16:22) - The couple of notes that maybe didn't quite land toward the end. (01:27:40) - The final "battle". (01:36:13) - Some final thoughts on the movie. (01:43:27) - Final thoughts on our theme for the month. (01:46:36) - Unveiling the films for next month's theme: video game movies! (01:52:22) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 27, 2023 · 2 hr 6 min
37: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Michelle Yeoh March continues apace as we fling ourselves skyward into Ang Lee's wuxia epic, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:34) - Intro. (00:01:17) - Our film this week is a banger: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon! (00:07:55) - Getting into a little (non-expert) background on the wuxia genre and the film's reception in China. (00:11:57) - Talkin' Ang Lee and the production history of the film. (00:21:43) - Launching into the film itself and some of its localization choices. (00:26:53) - Meeting Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien. (00:32:18) - And here comes Jen to wreck everyone's life. Plus, people can fly! (00:41:12) - Break! (00:41:32) - We're back, and it's time to suss out who stole the sword. (00:49:27) - Our first big rumble with Jade Fox. (00:57:27) - Jen and Li Mu Bai match skills for the first time. (01:05:03) - A brief acknowledgment that movies used to know how to properly light dark scenes. (01:06:36) - Flashback to the desert. (01:16:32) - Stop the wedding! (01:19:51) - Jen obliterates a restaurant. (01:25:25) - Shu Lien vs. Jen. Also, some more praise for the cinematography. (01:35:12) - Gliding through the trees. (01:38:13) - The killing of Jade Fox, and the death of Li Mu Bai. (01:49:18) - Jen's final act. (01:55:07) - Final thoughts. (02:02:04) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 20, 2023 · 1 hr 50 min
36: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Michelle Yeoh March continues apace as we move from Hong Kong to Hollywood in the second Pierce Brosnan Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:43) - Intro. (00:02:00) - Brad hasn't seen many Bonds, but he's now seen this one (and he also watched GoldenEye on his own time). Plus a little Bond historical discussion. (00:12:56) - What did Brad think of GoldenEye? (00:17:40) - Sheryl Crow's Bond theme is not exactly an all-timer. The k.d. lang song, though? Awesome! (00:20:12) - Getting into the premise of Tomorrow Never Dies. (00:28:32) - Some production history discussion. (00:42:24) - More soundtrack talk. (00:46:16) - Break! (00:46:41) - We're back, and we're going shopping at a terrorist supermarket. (00:52:37) - Some more comments on the opening theme/titles. (00:53:43) - Creating the conflict between the British and the Chinese. (00:57:33) - Talkin' Judy Dench's M. (01:01:14) - Time to party with a media mogul and get Teri Hatcher killed. (01:08:32) - Enter Michelle Yeoh's Wai Lin. (01:14:10) - Piloting a car with a proto N-Gage. (01:15:52) - Shout out to Vincent Schiavelli killing it in his one scene. (01:19:25) - HALO jumps: they're so hot right now. Boat explorations, less so. (01:21:54) - Bond and Wai Lin are captured! Surely they won't be able to wriggle out of this one? (01:29:53) - No better way to celebrate escaping mortal danger than with a sexy street shower. (01:31:31) - Wai Lin's secret base. (01:33:54) - Crashing the stealth boat. (01:40:04) - Final thoughts on the film and Brosnan's Bond. (01:46:51) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 13, 2023 · 2 hr 12 min
35: Yes, Madam! (1985) and Police Story 3: Supercop (1992)
We've got a whole month of Michelle Yeoh classics lined up for you, and we're kicking things off with the Watchcast's very first double feature! We've got two of her most exciting Hong Kong action films lined up in 1985's girls-with-guns progenitor Yes, Madam! and her thrilling team-up with Jackie Chan in Police Story 3: Supercop! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:15) - Intro. (00:09:26) - A little history of how Michelle Yeoh found her way into action cinema. (00:12:17) - A brief recap of the ridiculous lineage of In the Line of Duty movies. (00:13:54) - Cynthia Rothrock's origin story, and Yeoh's stuntwork. (00:18:18) - The rest of Yes, Madam's all-star cast. (00:20:29) - Launching into the film and its buckwild opening scene. (00:24:52) - The three thievin' brothers. (00:28:34) - Kickin' a dude's ass all over Kai Tak Airport. (00:33:25) - Talking about this era of HK cinema's preference for dubbing everything. (00:35:48) - A celebration of James Tien's evil laugh, and the trio of bad guys. (00:39:09) - Cynthia has no concept of police brutality, and our love for Tsui Hark's crazy apartment stunts. (00:43:22) - Aspirin's big play, and Strepsil coming to the rescue. Sort of. (00:48:28) - And here come the Madams! (00:57:59) - And we're done here. Bad guys win. Evil laugh. Gunshot. Credits. (01:02:35) - Break! (01:03:15) - We're back, and we need a Supercop. (01:04:50) - Talking abnout our histories with Jackie Chan movies. (01:09:58) - Why do we need a Supercop? Drug stuff! (01:11:48) - Talkin' Maggie Cheung and a little of the production history. (01:16:40) - Jackie's first fight against the mainland soldier. (01:22:03) - The prison break sequence, and Supercop's "hometown." (01:33:57) - The Tetris-playing villain. (01:38:29) - The Predator-ass jungle base sequence. (01:44:08) - Welcome to Kuala Lumpur. (01:48:46) - The ludicrous procession of stunts at the end here. (01:57:11) - The always welcome blooper reel. (02:00:11) - Final thoughts. (02:06:37) - The Rothrock Mystery. (02:08:05) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 7, 2023 · 2 hr 17 min
34: Johnny Mnemonic (1995)
Good friend of the crew and cyberpunk expert Austin Walker joins us to round out our month of '90s action/sci-fi "classics" with a deep dive into Robert Longo and William Gibson's troubled but fascinating Johnny Mnemonic. So plug your brain directly into this pod as we save the world from evil corporations and drop a few busses on people along the way. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:18) - Intro for the movie and our guest: Austin Walker! (00:02:59) - Our histories with this week's movie: Johnny Mnemonic. (00:06:12) - A little cyberpunk history overview. (00:12:13) - Talking about production history, and Gibson and Robert Longo. (00:18:07) - Discussing the different cuts of the film that are out there. (00:26:38) - What a cast we have floating in this cyberpunk soup. (00:36:40) - Let's get into the actual movie with a dramatic reading of the intro crawl. (00:44:08) - Johnny's brain tech and his role as a courier. (00:49:48) - The free city of...Newark? (00:51:33) - Johnny makes a bad decision, and some talk on Keanu's ability as a physical actor. (00:58:14) - Break! (00:58:31) - We're back, and laser razor wires are cool as hell. Also, talking about the movie's villain problem. (01:06:55) - Wasting away in the free city of Newark. Searching for my lost three pictures of anime. (01:14:54) - What's with the computer lady? (01:21:04) - Henry Rollins' big moment, and Johnny needs to get on the computer. (01:29:02) - The movie gets stuck in a weird gear for a while here. (01:33:02) - Johnny's big moment of clarity. (01:42:31) - The message will be delivered via the medium of the future: television. (01:50:18) - What a mess of a climax. (02:02:31) - View of a burning Pharmacom tower. Also, apologies for misidentifying a God Lives Underwater song as Stabbing Westward. We'll do better in the future. (02:06:54) - Final thoughts on the film. (02:13:06) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 27, 2023 · 1 hr 41 min
33: Freejack (1992)
On this week's watchcast we tackle a very dumb movie that is near and dear to Alex's heart in the Emilio Estevez/Mick Jagger future thriller Freejack. Come marvel along with us at all the janky tech, the insane plotting, and the goofy-ass battle gear they deck Mick out in. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:16) - Intro. (00:03:06) - Alex's dark secret reason for picking this week's movie: Freejack. (00:08:47) - Just what the hell is Freejack all about? (00:11:25) - How Did This Get Ma--wait, that's a different podcast. How did Freejack come to be? Yes, there we go. (00:15:59) - Talking about our star-studded cast. (00:25:14) - Our director may have been one of the big issues here (though certainly not the only one). (00:27:23) - Did Alex Furlong actually die? Does it matter? (00:35:35) - Who's afraid of the big bad freejack? (00:38:50) - The twist that ain't much of one. (00:40:47) - Aging makeup? Who needs it? (00:43:00) - Break! (00:43:17) - Brad's here! Brad's a turncoat. (00:46:48) - Julie doesn't buy that this is still Alex. (00:49:32) - The dumb motorcycle chase, and the even dumber champagne truck chase. (00:53:16) - Eagle Man! (00:58:32) - Grand L. Bush's dorky little sword. (01:00:18) - Trying to get Alex out of the city, the club scene, and an all-time nutshot. (01:12:56) - Furlong and Vacendak milling around in a warehouse for what feels like 15 minutes. (01:15:37) - Michelette reveals his dastardly plan. (01:18:31) - The spiritual switchboard. What a concept! (01:27:18) - The mind transfer. (01:32:17) - Nibble my ear so we can end this movie. (01:39:19) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 20, 2023 · 1 hr 58 min
32: Demolition Man (1993)
We're joined by Demolition Man superfan Tamoor Hussain as we introduce our man Bradley to Stallone and Snipes' '90s action classic, and do our best to try and finally settle the debate about what's up with the three seashells. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:16) - Intro for our film, Demolition Man, and our guest, Tamoor Hussain! (00:02:44) - What are our histories with this piece of magnificent cinema? (00:09:10) - The history of the production. (00:22:25) - Time to bungee jump into the film proper. (00:32:48) - Frozen Stallone. (00:36:04) - Welcome to 2032. (00:41:00) - Simon says: eye trauma. (00:48:58) - Break! (00:50:09) - The thawing of John Spartan, and and the recurring gag of the cuss detector. (00:53:54) - The three seashells. (00:57:16) - Museum curation of the future could use some scrutiny. Also, Tam's special cut of the movie. (01:02:07) - What's going on in the rest of the world? Also, let's talk about the franchise wars. (01:04:42) - Back to the big meaty men slappin' meat. (01:08:08) - Fine future dining, Dan Cortese, and Denis Leary. (01:16:04) - A meeting of the evil minds, and VR sex. (01:29:29) - Time to go down to where the scraps hang out. (01:38:29) - 20th century muscle car vs. Future car, and the LA Convention Center as future architecture. (01:43:19) - The final cryo-prison showdown. (01:51:50) - The ending theme. (01:53:11) - So what did we think? Does Demolition Man hold up? (01:56:40) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 13, 2023 · 1 hr 45 min
31: Virtuosity (1995)
The theme for month of February is goofy '90s action/sci-fi, and we're kicking things off with quite possibly the goofiest entry of them all in 1995's cyber-killer-thriller Virtuosity! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:27) - Intro. (00:03:13) - Our first goofy '90s action/sci-fi "classic" is: Virtuosity! (00:07:01) - A little bit of background on how this thing got made, and the very '90s soundtrack. (00:13:43) - Some notes on the cast. (00:16:47) - Let's get into just what the hell is going on in this movie, and the opening in VR. (00:22:00) - And heeeeeeereeeeee coooooooomes the exposition! Plus some talk about Russell Crowe. (00:31:47) - What in the heck is up with this prison scene. WHY DOES HE HAVE A ROBOT ARM. (00:34:51) - Sid's arrival into the real world. (00:46:01) - Break! (00:46:20) - Sid's on the loose! Parker's huntin' him! Madison's here too. (00:51:03) - What's up with this Grimes character? (00:54:07) - The club scene. The car chase. CINEMA. (00:58:54) - Boy the UFC sure was different in 1995. (01:04:31) - Parker plays a little Hogan's Alley in a subway station, and we learn more about Sid's motivations. (01:13:22) - Chekov's kidnapping victim. (01:15:24) - DEATH TV. (01:19:01) - The final (real world) fight. (01:22:05) - The final (virtual reality) fight. (01:27:45) - The one thing this movie definitely needed was a second, considerably worse ending. (01:33:54) - Our final thoughts, such as they are. And Roger Ebert's thoughts as a bonus. (01:44:31) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 6, 2023 · 2 hr 31 min
30: Star Trek: The Alternative Factor, The City on the Edge of Forever, and Operation -- Annihilate!
We've come to the conclusion of Star Trek's first season, and we're closing things out with a triple-header of The Alternative Factor, The City on the Edge of Forever, and Operation -- Annihilate! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:14) - Intro. (00:03:07) - We've got a triple-header for our finale, kicking things off with The Alternative Factor. (00:08:26) - Some background on the episode. (00:10:16) - They kinda do Lazarus dirty, and the episode kinda tips its hand early. (00:15:31) - There are like two things that happen in this episode and they happen over and over again. (00:21:31) - Getting into the nitty-gritty of what this episode is going for. (00:27:11) - Clearing up exactly what is going down in this final conflict. (00:33:39) - Break! (00:34:06) - We're back with our big time banger for the week, The City on the Edge of Forever! (00:36:13) - Getting into the history of the episode and its many, many rewrites. (00:43:28) - Surfing on the timewaves and McCoy wipes out. (00:49:44) - Say hello to the talking time portal. (00:58:10) - Welcome to the depressing '30s! (01:02:26) - The sheer incandescence of Joan Collins. (01:06:57) - Spock's perpetual irritation with 20th century tech. (01:09:30) - Edith's mission (heh) statement. (01:12:48) - Edith Keeler must live or die! One of the two! (Also Brad had a thing he forgot about the last episode.) (01:20:42) - OK, Edith Keeler definitely needs to die. (01:27:15) - It all comes together fast at the end. (01:33:10) - Final thoughts on the episode. (01:37:04) - Break! Again! (01:37:45) - We're back, and it's time to close things out with Operation -- Annihilate! (01:43:00) - Everybody's actin' real weird down on this planet. It's because of the puke parasites. (01:46:27) - Spock gets got. And Kirk's sister-in-law ain't doin' so hot. (01:53:30) - Parasites too strong, and the nature of these things is wild. (01:59:35) - Arriving at a solution through sheer force of Kirk brain. (02:06:43) - The SENSELESS blinding of Spock. (02:14:53) - Final thoughts on our experience with the first season of Star Trek. (02:21:44) - Talking about our future Watchcast schedule. And Brad's SHOCKING ADMISSION. (02:31:00) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 30, 2023 · 1 hr 42 min
29: Captain America (1990)
We've seen the high water mark for pre-MCU Marvel filmmaking, so now it's time to jump into the low tide waters with the 1990 adaptation of Captain America. Finally, a movie worse than Predator 2! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:16) - Intro. (00:02:17) - Kicking things off with a deep sigh for Captain America and the low-budget works of Albert Pyun. (00:07:16) - The convoluted history of this movie's production, and some bonus Cannon Group history. (00:16:11) - Our star studded cast. (00:19:08) - The movie's weird delayed release. (00:20:49) - Where do we even begin? How about with how close this movie hews (or doesn't) to the source material? (00:27:48) - What kind of bad is this movie? The fun kind? The interminable kind? (00:29:20) - Our intro to Steve Rogers and Italian Red Skull. (00:33:26) - The creation of Captain America. (00:37:44) - It's (not) time for a training montage! No time! Gotta go punch Red Skull! (00:41:20) - Punching Red Skull did not go according to plan. (00:49:23) - Break! (00:49:42) - We're back, and it's time to unfreeze Captain America. But first, some evil guys at a nice table. (00:58:32) - One of Cap's lesser known powers: faking car sickness. (01:02:48) - Cap's home. Sort of. (01:05:36) - The president has been kidnapped! Is Cap a bad enough dude to rescue him? (01:07:19) - Cap finds the old lab, and has a TERRIBLE fight. (01:09:53) - Ah, Italia (Yugoslavia). (01:15:13) - You will not believe how they discover Red Skull's identity. (01:17:47) - Everyone's kidnapped. Time for Cap to (finally) do something heroic. (01:23:15) - This final action sequence. Gee whiz. (01:33:56) - Our final thoughts on the film, and where this one ranks. See if you can guess! (01:41:00) - Outro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 23, 2023 · 1 hr 39 min
28: Star Trek: The Devil in the Dark and Errand of Mercy
We're winding our way toward the conclusion of Star Trek's first season, and this week we're getting our first visit from some brand new lifeforms in The Devil in the Dark and Errand of Mercy! CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening. (00:00:32) - Intro. (00:03:05) - Kicking things off with The Devil in the Dark. (00:06:54) - Some musings on the galactic economics of this era of Star Trek, and Kirk's role. (00:11:46) - Production background on the episode. (00:16:56) - Poor Schmitter. Well, no time to grieve, there's mining to be done! (00:21:49) - A new kind of life? Preposterous! (00:28:44) - As if things weren't dire enough, we also have a missing reactor part to find. (00:31:52) - The boys run afoul of the creature. (00:34:34) - Time to plug in our Vulcan to fix this situation. (00:40:55) - The miners don't care about the creature, they want vengeance! (00:44:53) - There's no number of murders that can't be forgiven when mutual profit is assured. (00:48:36) - Break! (00:49:03) - We're back, and it's time for some Klingons! (00:59:40) - Some additional production notes. (01:03:32) - Is there such a thing as radical pacifism? Because this planet is that. (01:10:41) - Look, Kirk's being kind of a dick about all this, but the Organians aren't exactly helping. (01:19:28) - 12 Hours until minds will be ripped. (01:23:53) - The Organians are revealed, and it's real stupid. (01:33:35) - Final thoughts on the episode. (01:36:28) - Outro (and Vinny's episode killing joke). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.