Blind Spots & Second Thoughts

Heather hasn’t seen Gladiator

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?! Heather finally sees one of the biggest movies of the year 2000, the Academy Award winner for best picture Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. What did she think of the Ridley Scott-directed swords and sandals epic? How has the movie held up over 26 years later? We do a deep dive into the movie and also get behind-the-scenes, so give it a listen. And if you find yourself alone, laughing with headphones on, do not be troubled. For you have already subscribed to the podcast, and you’re already listening!

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accolades_received_by_Gladiator

Cinema: The Empire Strikes Back - TIME

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/10-behind-the-scenes-stories-gladiator/

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/gladiator-20th-anniversary-russell-crowe-ridley-scott-joaquin-phoenix-1234590906/

Heather hasn’t seen Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Yub Nub! Heather finishes her journey into a galaxy far, far away, wrapping up the Original Trilogy by watching Star Wars Episode VI, Return of the Jedi for the first time. What will she think about it?

In this episode, we’ll talk about the differences between the 1983 theatrical cut and the newer Special Editions. We also go deep into behind-the-scenes production problems, Ewoks, gold bikinis and more, so prepare your assault team, make sure your codes check out, and jump to hyperspace along with us!

Sources & Reference

https://archive.ph/5lEZF

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases

https://screenrant.com/star-wars-george-lucas-special-edition-changes-reasons/

https://collider.com/ian-mcdiarmid-casting-return-of-the-jedi/

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_changes_in_Star_Wars_re-releases

https://theasc.com/magazine/starwars/articles/jedi/pdir/pg1.htm

https://www.in70mm.com/presents/1963_blow_up/titel/r/return_jedi/remember/index.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_of_the_Jedi

https://www.rogerebert.com/features/return-of-the-jedi-turns-40

https://www.knowitalljoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Return-of-the-Jedi-Press-Kit2.pdf

https://www.lucasfilm.com/news/star-wars-celebration-panel-preview-the-40-year-history-of-blue-harvest/

https://www.lucasfilm.com/productions/episode-vi/

https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/return-of-the-jedi/production.html

https://www.looper.com/810752/what-it-was-really-like-to-see-return-of-the-jedi-in-1983/

Heather hasn’t seen Iron Man 3

You know who we are. Heather continues her first time through the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the first film of Phase III and the last standalone Iron Man film, Iron Man 3. Will she be as underwhelmed as she was for Iron Man 2, or will she love the Shane Black of it all?

We get into a recap of the movie, along with why there was script retooling, multiple villain changes, over an hour of footage cut from the film, and a significantly different version of the film for China. When is a podcast not a podcast? When it’s as explosive as this one.

Sources

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/lethal-weapon-wunderkind-party-boy-892186/

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/keven-feige-thor_n_4177411

https://uproxx.com/movies/shane-black-the-nice-guys-iron-man-3/

https://bootlegcomparisons.com/2019/02/10/iron-man-3-theatrical-blu-ray-vs-chinese-theatrical-version/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/chinese-iron-man-3-cut-431747/

https://bleedingcool.com/movies/marvel-studios-offered-shang-chi-or-mandarin-for-first-avengers-movie/

https://torontosun.com/2016/09/13/tiff-16-rebecca-hall-says-marvel-reduced-her-part-in-iron-man-3

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/iron-man-3-red-bull-2-452228/

Heather hasn’t seen Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

The odds that someone hasn’t seen all of the original Star Wars trilogy are approximately 3,720 to one, but never tell Heather the odds. Heather continues her journey into a galaxy far, far away with her first time ever watching the beloved 1980 classic Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back. What will she think? Will she search her feelings and love the movie the way most Star Wars fans do, or would she sooner kiss a wookie? Find out hot takes on how the movie holds up, along with lots more background and behind-the-scenes information, as we jump to hyperspace in this episode!

Sources

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/64240/10-fascinating-facts-about-empire-strikes-back

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-aug-12-la-et-gary-kurtz-20100812-story.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Empire_Strikes_Back

https://www.starwars.com/empire-40th

https://www.lucasfilm.com/news/defining-moments-i-know/

Heather hasn’t seen Goodfellas

“As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.” Heather gets made and watches the iconic 1990 gangster movie starring Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Lorraine Bracco for the first time. Did she enjoy this Martin Scorsese classic? Or does she think it deserves to get whacked? Just remember: podcasters come with smiles, they come as your friends, the people who’ve cared for you all your life.

Sources

https://womenfilmeditors.princeton.edu/schoonmaker-thelma/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelma_Schoonmaker

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Hill

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodfellas

https://www.moviemaker.com/goodfellas-tracking-shot-three-minutes/

Heather hasn’t seen The Avengers

No, you’re not reading that wrong. One of the biggest box office hits and cultural touchpoints of the current century, arguably the film that reshaped Hollywood, and the first big screen assembly of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Heather hasn’t seen it.

How does the 2012 movie written and directed by Joss Whedon hold up? Is it still fun? Is it the beginning of the end for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? How does the movie fare nearly 15 years later? Find out in this supersized superhero podcast episode!

Sources:

Avengers Kazoo theme by Joosebox

https://www.vulture.com/article/joss-whedon-allegations.html

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-apr-17-la-et-mg-gwyneth-paltrow-avengers-story.html

https://www.slashfilm.com/1996570/agent-coulson-avengers-death-marvel-kevin-feige-decision/

https://comicbookmovie.com/avengers/the-avengers-joss-whedon-on-harry-dean-stantons-cameo-why-he-was-chosen-for-his-scene-with-mark-ruffalo-a59032

https://youtu.be/B8y842AXRN4

https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-avengers/

https://ew.com/article/2012/11/29/avengers-shawarma-scene/

Heather hasn’t seen Serenity (2005)

Can’t stop the signal! In the second part of our two-part episode, we take a look at the not-exactly big budget sequel movie to the beloved TV show Firefly, Serenity, starring Nathan Fillion and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Now having watched the TV series for the first time, what will Heather think about the movie? Spoiler alert: she is not a leaf on the wind, and her calm is most assuredly damaged. What are our other thoughts on the first movie written and directed by Joss Whedon? Find out in the full episode now, and make sure to listen to part one where we do a full episode recap of the TV show and talk in-depth about Whedon and the show’s production. Shiny!

Heather hasn’t seen Firefly

YOU CAN’T TAKE THE SKY FROM ME! In the first part of our two-part episode, we go deep into the cult favorite sci-fi western TV series Firefly, starring Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, and created by Joss Whedon. We talk about the history of the show, lots of behind-the-scenes and production stories, and how watching the show in 2026 for the first time reflects on when the show was made and how the show has aged. We really get in the weeds about Joss Whedon and talk about his background and his current self-inflicted troubles in Hollywood, and we do an episode-by-episode recap. So listen to the full episode now, or I swear on my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you.

Citations:

https://archive.ph/To03I

https://www.thewrap.com/joss-whedon-feminist-hypocrite-infidelity-affairs-ex-wife-kai-cole-says/

https://www.reddit.com/r/television/comments/s6ac3o/the_undoing_of_joss_whedon_the_buffy_creator_once/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_(TV_series)#Episodes

Heather hasn’t seen Dr. Strangelove

…or: How I stopped worrying and learned to love the bomb. That’s right, we sit down to watch the 1964 black and white dark comedy about the cold war and mutually assured destruction from Stanley Kubrick starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott. Is the movie relevant today? Is it actually funny? What’s with all the silly names like General Turgidson and Slim Pickens? Find out what Heather thinks of her first time watching the classic film in this full podcast episode!

Notes and Links

• Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was True | The New Yorker
• https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057012/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Strangelove
• https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/jan/29/dr-strangelove-stanley-kubrick-anniversary
• Making of Dr. Strangelove: Stanley Kubrick's Nightmare Comedy
• Stories from Terry Southern | by Scott Myers | Go Into The Story
• https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/dr-strangelove-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying/

Dan hasn’t seen Bring It On

This is not a podcast, it’s a cheercast. We’re going back to the year 2000 for the classic high school movie Bring It on, starring Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, and Gabrielle Union. What will Dan think of this time capsule of a high school cheerleading movie? Only one way to find out!