Eye of the Duck: A Film Podcast

Municipalities, start your engines!! Or… get ready to eat each other?

We’re finishing off our Rings series today with the final (?) major live action narrative production from Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and the whole WETA gang. It may not be Tolkien-related, but hey, Hugo Weaving wields a blade in it!

It’s tragic that the film didn’t start a new era for Jackson, and we’re sorting through its disastrous box office fallout this week along with some predictions for what the future has in store for WETA.

Next week, we close the book on Tolkien once and for all with our series finale (including some thoughts on WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM) and an announcement for what comes next!

Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Okay, Hobbitses, it’s our last journey through Middle Earth! And Bilbo’s first!

Dom’s back, and so is Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, Ian McKellan, Andy Serkis, Elijah Wood, and… Radagast the Brown?!

Although this is our only episode on the Hobbit trilogy, we’re not just covering UNEXPECTED JOURNEY this week. Listen in for some cross examination of the two (troubling) sequels, the many fan edits (especially the one from Maple Films), and Guillermo Del Toro’s greatest unmade production.

A very special thanks from Dom to all the listeners who reached out with support during his absence. And thanks to Stephen Hilger for pinch hitting!

Next week, it’s Jackson’s final (?) narrative film, MORTAL ENGINES (2018) from director Christian Rivers.

Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This steampunk fantasy world has everything: dæmons, talking polar bears, Daniel Craig with a snow leopard, and Nicole Kidman in her villain era! 

Attempting to replicate the success of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, New Line Cinema tries to kick off a new trilogy by adapting Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass, but it… doesn’t quite work out. Our favorite JRPG expert Stephen Hilger returns to help us figure out why!

Next week: DOM IS BACK!!! Our king returns just in time for us to talk THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY! Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Come for the breezy fantasy, stay for Robert De Niro actively trying to speed run himself out of the movie – it's STARDUST!

Our very own Sky Pirate, Stephen Hilger, returns to help us drag Claire Danes across the land so that we can finally prove ourselves to Sienna Miller. Ya know, normal fantasy stuff!

Next week New Line Cinema tries to jump start another fantasy trilogy adaptation with THE GOLDEN COMPASS. Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This Labyrinth has everything: a dude with eyeballs in his hands, a sassy faun, a big ass toad, and bugs that are also fairies! 

This week our guest host, good friend, and Joe Dirt expert Stephen Hilger helps us get lost in dark heart of Guillermo del Toro's PAN'S LABYRINTH.

Next week it’s Matthew Vaughn’s first foray into blockbuster filmmaking with STARDUST! Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

• Special Features
  • del Toro and Funke
  • The Power of Myth
  • Pan and the Fairies
  • The Color and the Shape
  • The Melody Echoes the Fairy Tale
  • Doug Jones
• Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth: Inside the Creation of a Modern Fairy Tale by Mark Cotta Vaz and Nick Nunziata
• Cinefex #109 Production History
• American Cinematographer Production History
• The Hollywood Reporter 15th Anniversary Academy Q&A
• Guillermo Del Toro Writes His Own Subtitles

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we're taking a moment to share a brief but important update with you.

Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s the Chronic-WHAT-cles of Narnia! That’s right the Chronic-WHAT-cles of Narnia!

When choosing movies inspired by THE LORD OF THE RINGS to cover for our series, Disney's mega-budget adaptation of the iconic children's classic felt essential. Joining us through the Wardrobe from the Land of Spare Oom is our old friend – and expert on famous fantasy bros Tolkien & Lewis – Sarah Welch-Larson! 

Next week it’s Guillermo Del Toro’s Academy Award winning, (VERY) dark fairy tale PAN'S LABYRINTH! Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

And check out the latest edition of Sarah's (very good!) book about our beloved ALIEN franchise, Becoming Alien, here: https://wipfandstock.com/9798385236329/becoming-alien-second-edition/

References:

• Special Features
  • The Children’s Magical Journey
  • Chronicles of a Director
• Cinefex #104 Production History
• Cameras in Narnia: How The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe Came to Life by Ian Brodie
• Dark Horizons Adam Adamson Interview
• Los Angeles Times Production History
• Rotten Tomatoes Richard Taylor Interview
• Ashton Gleckman Harry Gregson-Williams Interview
• C.S. Lewis Is Responsible for The Lonely Island
• Kingdom of Dreams Podcast Jim May Interview

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It is a kingdom of conscience, or nothing! This week we’re going Ridley Mode™️! 

Join us as we embark on a journey through one of Scott’s most polarizing films, its many cuts, many characters, and its place in historical epic film history.

Next week it’s Andrew Adamson’s big screen adaptation of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE! Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

• Special Features
  • Commentary
  • Cast Rehearsals
  • Colors of the Crusade
  • Path to Redemption
• Kingdom of Heaven: The Ridley Scott Film and the History Behind the Story
• Kingdom of Heaven Production Notes
• IndieWire Ridley Scott Interview
• Animation World Network Alain Bielik Interview
• Harry Gregson-Williams Career Interview
• Kingdom of Dreams Dody Dorn Interview
• Collider Ridley Scott Interview

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week we’re jumping from one big adaptation of British literature to another. It’s a movie about a fellowship, but this time, they call it a league. And it’s extraordinary!!

Joining us for this bonus (!!) is returning champion Stephen Hilger of the very great Into the Aether podcast! We’re piecing together one of the strangest movies out there… and still trying to figure out why Sean Connery turned down Gandalf but said yes to Quartermain.

Next week it’s Ridley Scott’s historical epic, KINGDOM OF HEAVEN Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

• Special Features
  • Assembling the League
  • Attire
  • The Nemomobile
  • Making Mr. Hyde
  • Resurrecting Venice
  • Sinking Venice
• StarLog #312 Production History
• StarLog #313 Production History
• Los Angeles Times on Stephen Norrington
• Box Office Reports on Film Failure
• Film Faces Lawsuit
• Entertainment Weekly On-Set Report
• League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Reboot in Works
• Prague Reporter Production History
• X2 Promotes the Film
• TV Reboot in Works
• Stephen Norrington Making The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
• Light the Fuse Podcast Dan Lausten Interview Part 2
• Star Chat Stuart Townsend Interview
• Jason Flemying Needs To Go 10-1
• Sean Connery Is Done With Idiots
• Shane West Blackfilm Interview
• Theo van de Sande Turns Down League

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listeners, the power of the Three Rings is ended. This week we fulfill our oath and complete the Peter Jackson LOTR trilogy!

We’re talking Denethor (aka Dennis Thor), the army of the dead, Aragorn’s long sword, Eowyn being horny, the Mouth of Sauron being repugnant (put him back into the theatrical cut, cowards!) and how fun it is to see what Gandalf looks like when he sleeps.

Also….Death! Death! Death!

Next week, we’re throwin’ in a bonus! It’s another super-important adaptation featuring many famous literary characters…THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN (2003). With a super secret very special guest! Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPod

References:

• Special Features
  • From Book to Script: Forging the Final Chapter
  • Designing Middle-earth
  • Home of the Horse Lords
  • Cameras in Middle-earth
  • Weta Digital
  • Editorial: Completing the Trilogy
  • Music for Middle-earth
  • The Soundscapes of Middle-earth
  • The End of All Things
  • The Passing of an Age
• Peter Jackson: A Filmmaker’s Journey by Brian Sibley
• Cinefex #96 Production History
• Cinefex Peter Jackson Interview
• ASC Cinematography Breakdown

Credits:

Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.

This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari.

This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.

Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shop

The "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.

Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.

Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.