CinemArcade

In 2010, M. Night Shyamalan, one of Hollywood's biggest blockbuster filmmakers, signed on to adapt Nickelodeon's "Avatar: The Last Airbender," one of the most popular and acclaimed animate shows of recent years. What could go wrong? Turns out a lot. This week we're holding our noses and covering THE LAST AIRBENDER, a bafflingly ill-conceived adaptation that manages to miss the point so hard it's actually offensive. We're digging into just what happened with the misbegotten franchise non-starter, and then dusting off the Wii adaptation, which, while being a weirdly difficult game for us to play for complicated reasons, is still vastly preferable to the film. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Starship Troopers 

This week we are, shockingly, tackling our first Dreamworks Animation feature! The studio has a prolific output with a ton of movies to choose from, but we're starting our journey with the 2010 superhero parody MEGAMIND! Starring Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross, and Brad Pitt, the movie is actually attempting to tackle some complex issues; how successful it is is a matter for debate. Plus: we talk a lot about PHANTOM THREAD, because why wouldn't we? Oh, and there's a game as well: MEGAMIND: ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN, which may be, and I say this lightly, the best Dreamworks game. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: The Last Airbender 

Nothing screams "2008" more than an action movie about a disaffected white guy who discovers the enervating power of ultra-violence! Timur Bekmambatov's WANTED, adapted from a graphic novel, offers plenty of high-octane, silly thrills, and if it doesn't have two brain cells to rub together, at least it keeps things lively. We're talking about the film as well as it's game adaptation, a sequel/prequel that offers some clever twists on the classic cover shooter formula. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Megamind

In one of our deepest cuts to date, we're looking back at the visionary steampunk adventure THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN! This 1995 French film from directors Jeunet and Caro developed a cult following for it's innovative visuals, but it's become relatively obscure over the years, so learning that it had a PS1 game adaptation was a bit of a surprise. Join us for our takes on Ron Perlman, French cinema, and the agonies of RESIDENT EVIL-style tank controls. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Wanted

Five Spice Girls, five podcasters; it really only makes sense. This week we're joined by two of our returning favorites, Ailish Collins and Ashley Park, for SPICE WORLD, the semi-notorious starring vehicle for everyone's favorite UK sensation, the Spice Girls. We're talking all about the infamous movie, which was lambasted by critics at the time but has developed a loyal cult following; then, we're talking about the 1998 PS1 game adaptation, which might be the least game we've ever played for this show. Zig-a-zig-hah! 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: The City of Lost Children 

Grab your hankies and get ready to fly into the rollicking adventure of UP! Disney/Pixar's 2009 classic has become one of the most revered modern animated films, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, but a highly emotional animated film starring an 80-year-old hero wasn't always the easiest sell. We're covering the film and the game adaptations! There are several different versions of this game, and well... we played the wrong one. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Spice World

Forget PLAN 9 and THE ROOM and TROLL 2; when it comes to the worst movie ever made, MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE stands alone. This week is all about the insane true story of the "worst film ever made," a film that went from an obscure West Texas curio to a canonical film thanks to its coverage on "Mystery Science Theater 3000." We're talking all about the movie, the show, and the long-belated 2012 video game based on the film, which also serves as a tribute to a lost era of great-bad movies. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Up

Oh what a lovely day! Today we're riding eternal, shiny and chrome into Valhalla with MAD MAX: FURY ROAD! This jaw-dropping 2015 masterpiece is one of the most technically accomplished and fully-realized visions of the last decade, but it had a long and, dare I say, furious road to conception. We cover some of the tumultuous behind-the-scenes stories behind the film, before getting behind the wheel ourselves for the massive open-world adventure MAD MAX for PS4, which borrows elements from the entire series. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Manos: The Hands of Fate

Rev up your Interceptor and get ready for a wild ride across the wasteland as we let loose with the first of our two-part retrospective on MAD MAX! This Australian indie film took the world by storm, becoming a surprise worldwide hit and ushering in a wave of post-apocalyptic knock-offs. While the 1979 original film doesn't much resemble the operatic madness that the series would embrace, it's still an important and captivating thriller overflowing with talent. We're talking about the film before checking out the 1990 NES game adaptation, which may be ahead of it's time in some of its clever (and punishing) ideas. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Mad Max: Fury Road

A thriller? A comedy? Nope; apparently, 1990's ARACHNOPHOBIA is a "thrill-omedy." Whatever you may make of that branding, there's no denying that Frank Marshall's slick, funny monster movie is wildly entertaining, and, for at least one of our co-hosts, almost unbearably scary. We'll dig into this creepy-crawly cult classic before dusting off the lost 1991 home PC game, a side-scrolling shooter and our THIRD game starring John Goodman. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Mad Max