Double Bill

Spearheaded by co-host Michael Postle and guest Gregory Parks, there was skepticism on the Joshua Humphrey and Brian Watson-Jones front regarding this entry. The Facebook messenger rants we exchanged, trading thoughts on originality and what a superhero movie must do and set up, were barbed and long-winded. But we, in the spirit of compromise, united to bring you a slug fest on superheroes: a match-up of Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice: Extended Cut.*

I suppose, just like Superman and Batman, we too can put aside our differences for the greater good of defeating some sort of cave troll.

*This many colons is likely not appropriate by Chicago Manual of Style standards, but if Zack Snyder doesn’t care about narrative structure, then neither do I care about proper use of punctuation.**

**For further thoughts punctuation, see Double Bill, episode 19, The Voices / A Talking Cat!?!

Leave your corpse-related phobias at the door–today we’re matching up Weekend at Bernie’s and Swiss Army Man.

The 80’s buddy comedy and the 2016 (horror? independent? romantic comedy?) film utilize corpses as props, both for different purposes. Bernie is used as a social equalizer, allowing Larry (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard (Jonathan Silverman) to freely hob-nob with 80s “elites,” while Manny (Daniel Radcliffe) is used as a literal swiss army knife to help Hank (Paul Dano) out of any number of situations.

Up next: Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman.

Double Bill took a break for awhile, but we have a few episodes in the hopper waiting for your listening pleasure.

First up, we have passion projects from two creators: “Weird Al” Yankovic’s “UHF” and Mike Jittlov’s “Wizard of Speed and Time.” Listeners may recognize the first but have no idea about the second. Both are narratives about outsiders striving to create in worlds hostile to their visions.

While Yankovic’s career is long, storied, and popular, Jittlov’s seemingly faded after the “Wizard of Speed and Time” was finally released. Yankovic’s work, for lack of a better word, has heart, and element that is missing from “Wizard of Speed and Time.” There is passion and some inspired sequences, but that is not enough to sustain it.

Up next: “Weekend at Bernies” and “Swiss Army Man.”

Alex Collyard joins us in our continuing series of audience suggestions. We present for your edification frozen yogurt v. gelato, the case of the century! Will frozen yogurt see itself vindicated, and its status as ice cream’s healthy successor restored? Or will the Double Bill judges find for gelato and its marshmallowy texture and overall presentation? And, of course, what does Oscar Wilde have to say? Next, on Law & Order: Dessert.

We last tackled documentaries when we paired Religulous and Going Clear. We return to the documentary well with Pumping Iron, the documentary that brought bodybuilding into public consciousness, and Bigger Stronger Faster*, which looks critically at steroid usage in American culture.

We’re joined this week by special guest Bill Stiteler! Bill is part of no less than three podcasts: Movie Date with Bill, The Birdchick Podcast, and Brandi and Bill talk about Blaxploitation.

Up next, we dip back into our listener suggestions!

Alex Collyard joins us in our continuing series of audience suggestions! This episode, we mash up Dad’s Old Fashioned Root Beer with an alcoholic version, Not Your Father’s Root Beer. Just like a certain DS9 bartender, we have opinions about root beer.

Up next, we’re moving into the fascinating world of body-building:

and

Levi Weinhagen is host of The Pratfalls Podcast, co-host of Regret Labs, and a comedy-maker. But most importantly for our purposes, he’s a Robert Ludlum aficionado, and he joins us for a discussion of 1988’s The Bourne Identity miniseries coupled with 2002’s The Bourne Identity.

Which Identity will prevail? Will Richard Chamberlain’s gloriously furred chest beat out Matt Damon’s smooth pecs? Will Jaclyn Smith win or lose in a head-to-head with Franka Potente?

Up next: more audience suggestions!

Elevate your podcast enjoyment with the first of our audience suggestions: an audio version of The Picture of Dorian Gray and Grey Poupon. Suggested by Alex Collyard of the fellow NoisePicnic podcast, Cold Read, this is a cross-media pairing: one the best of the printed word, the other the best of the mustard genre.

Alex will be joining us for other audience suggestions. But up next, we have one from fellow podcaster, Levi Weinhagen:

The Bourne Identity (1988):

The Bourne Identity (2002):

Jeremy Motz brings us a combination Halloween/Thanksgiving episode with Ravenous and Cannibal: The Musical. Alferd Packer, confessed cannibal, serves as inspiration for both films (one more directly than the other).

Up next: a selection of audience suggestions from our August live show.

In August at the NoisePicnic Podcast Festival, we Double Billed two shorts by filmmaker Paul von Stoetzel: Pet Peeve and Here’s to Old Friends. Take a watch, come back, and listen as  we talk local theatre and film, the tension between horror and comedy, and clowns. Lots and lots of clown talk. Consider this a clown trigger warning.

If you’re more interested in Paul’s work, check out Killing Joke Films and his work with Shadow Horse Theatre. I also previously interviewed Paul for my old podcast Twin Cities Theater Connection.

Special thanks to everyone who helped make the live show happen!

Next up, special guest Jeremy Motz brings us a double bill about cannibalism. Don’t worry; we’re not torturing you with Cannibal Holocaust and Green Inferno. Yet.

and…