Defending Your Movie

Today's episode features a very special guest. Comic book writer/artist Tim Seeley comes on the show to discuss one of the forgotten DC Comics films Jonah Hex. We also discuss his new comic book launching this Wednesday called West of Sundown. One part wester, one part Dario Argento, this is a western and comic packed episode with one of the great comic creators! A link to the first issue is provided below. Don't forget to use promo code DEFENDING at The Cryptic Closet for 21% off your order. West of Sundown Issue 1- Special thanks to: Seth Decker, Patrick Hall Patreon:  Merch:  Cryptic Closet:  Guest Twitter: Music by: Kevin Aldridge

It's been a little while since the last episode. I took a break due to the birth of my first child! The show is back and guest Seth Decker returns to take a look at the sequel to the Ridley Scott Alien prequel Prometheus. This time we are looking at Alien: Covenant and shining a light on what may be a flawed film, but still manages to succeed as a Sci-Fi epic. Don't forget to use promo code DEFENDING at The Cryptic Closet for 21% off your order. Special thanks to: Seth Decker, Patrick Hall Patreon:  Merch:  Cryptic Closet:  Guest Twitter:  Music by: Kevin Aldridge

Well with this episode we have officially reached the last episode of the year. Director Denis Villeneuve os already known as a powerhouse director with movies like Dune and Arrival under his belt, but one of his earlier movies often feels overlooked. Generally loved by most who have seen it, Prisoners just doesn't seem like it reached the huge audience it deserved. Today I sit down with former guest Brandon Prosek as we look at one of Denis Villeneuve's hidden crime masterpieces Prisoners.  Don't forget to use promo code DEFENDING at The Cryptic Closet for 21% off your order. Special thanks to: Seth Decker, Patrick Hall Patreon: Merch: Cryptic Closet: Guest Twitter: Music by: Kevin Aldridge

The MCU at this point is so big that no ones list of their favorites looks the same. However I am willing to bet that in most people's list Thor: The Dark World is somewhere near the bottom. I personally never agreed with that opinion and for the first time I have two guests on the show who feel the same. Returning guest Seth Decker and Aerin Moriarty hop on the show to give a retrospective look on this maligned sequel and discuss how it may be perceived differently after Loki received his own Disney Plus series.  Don't forget to use promo code DEFENDING at The Cryptic Closet for 21% off your order. Special thanks to: Seth Decker, Patrick Hall Patreon: Merch: Cryptic Closet: Guest Twitter:     Music by: Kevin Aldridge

Slasher movies have never really been my jam. They always felt predictable and repetitive so I mostly avoided them. There were some stands outs like Scream but for the most part its a blank space in my film history. Today's episode sets out to correct that as J.D. Martin convinced me to watch one of the more interesting films in one of the bigger slasher franchises. Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. This was a major turning point for the Friday franchise and one of the many I had never seen from this franchise. J.D. puts the movie in a perspective that I can relate to as he tries to convince me that slashers can in fact be awesome. J.D. also has two podcasts of his own, Comics Quest and Fables and Reflections. Special thanks to: Seth Decker, Patrick Hall Patreon: Merch: Cryptic Closet: Guest Twitter: Comics Quest: Fables and Reflections:   Music by: Kevin Aldridge

Well it's the holiday season and everyone has Spider-Man on the brain! With Marvel looking to drop it's biggest Spider-Man movie yet this week, I decided to take a look back at the LAST time there was a third Spider-Man movie. The Sam Raimi, Toby Maguire starring Spider-Man 3. Before Andrew Garfield donned the mask, and before sequels weren't allowed to have numbers anymore, Spider-Man 3 was once the most expensive movie ever made with the most "meh" reception. So today I sit down with guest Trayvon Mack as we discuss Spider-Man 3's lackluster approval at the time, and how it may be perceived now. Don't forget to use promo code DEFENDING at The Cryptic Closet for 21% off your order. Special thanks to: Seth Decker, Patrick Hall Patreon: Merch: Cryptic Closet: Guest Twitter: Music by: Kevin Aldridge

Well it was inevitable that a Star Wars movie would show up at some point. Star Wars fandom is certainly one that can be all over the place, but every era has it's fans. However with this entry we step outside of the numbered films and take a look at what I consider to be the most under appreciated Star Wars film, Solo: A Star Wars Story. While not a perfect film I think Solo is one that gets better every time I watch it. Returning guest Allen Kesinger brings his Star Wars love to the conversation as we determine if Solo is a good movie, or just a cash grab. Don't forget to use promo code DEFENDING at The Cryptic Closet for 21% off your order. Special thanks to: Seth Decker, Patrick Hall Patreon: Merch: Cryptic Closet: Guest Twitter: Music by: Kevin Aldridge

The mid 2000s was an interesting time in film. I feel there was a lot of different things being attempted during that era a lot of the movies come out kind of hit and miss. Without A Paddle is a movie I didn't think much about when it came out. I watched it, I enjoyed it, I moved on. Today I sit down with guest Nic Woolfe as we revist this 2000s comedy with a stellar cast and see if it's better than we remember or just another forgotten film. Don't forget to use promo code DEFENDING at The Cryptic Closet for 21% off your order. Special thanks to: Seth Decker, Patrick Hall  Patreon: Merch: Cryptic Closet: Music by: Kevin Aldridge

Paul Verhoeven is maybe the king of the cult classic, and Starship Troopers is perhaps the most self aware of his blockbusters. A movie that was misunderstood when it was released, it later gained a large cult following that was strong enough to spawn multiple sequels, video games, and even animated movies. Today I sit down with Victor Grubbs  as we discuss the one of the best cult classics of all time. Do you want to learn more? Then give it a listen! Don't forget to use promo code DEFENDING at The Cryptic Closet for 21% off your order. Special thanks to: Seth Decker, Patrick Hall Patreon: Merch: Guest Twitter: Cryptic Closet: Music by: Kevin Aldridge

So this was something that has been in the works four a couple years now. During the run of my previous podcast a friend of mine, and former guest Brandon Prosek, wrote and produced a play called How Does That Make You Feel? Shortly after the play wrapped we talked about doing a retrospective on the process and through circumstances just never got around to it. Well that day has finally come!  Don't forget to use promo code DEFENDING at The Cryptic Closet for 21% off your order. Special thanks to: Seth Decker, Patrick Hall How Does That Make You Feel Act 1:   How Does That Make You Feel Act 2: Patreon: Merch: Cryptic Closet: Guest Twitter: Music by: Kevin Aldridge