Franchisography

Face front, True Believers! FRANCHISOGRAPHY returns with their most explosive, awe-inspiring series yet! An epic saga that spans the century and pierces the very heart of that mightiest and merriest of cinematic franchises… THE MCU. This is the Ballad of Tony and Steve, a colossal collaboration that uncovers the secrets of Iron Man, Captain America AND the Avengers! And it all starts Here!

We begin our ballad with the origins of Ol’ Shellhead himself, America’s favorite billionaire genius playboy philanthropist… Tony Stark! But if you can believe it, there was once a time when the Archduke of the Arc Reactor was seen as nothing more than a junior varsity benchwarmer in that Mighty Marvel House of Ideas. But destiny would have other plans for Stark. For it would be this character, along with two of Hollywood’s most interesting iconoclasts, director Jon Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr., that would reshape the Hollywood landscape forever and jumpstart a cinematic earthquake whose aftershocks we still feel to this very day.

This is IRON MAN.

Join Nick and Scott as they discuss the origin of the most successful franchise of all time!

NEXT WEEK: Iron Man 2!

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Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

It’s a Betweenisode!

Join Nick & Scott as they rank the RoboCop films, discuss where we’d like to see RoboCop be taken next, and announce our next franchise!

FRANCHISE POTENTIAL: Judge Dredd (1995) / Dredd (2012) episode now available on PATREON!

NEXT WEEK: A new franchise begins!

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plus bonus podcasts each week including Dueling Genre Tonight hosted by Nick & Scott!

Join the Dueling Genre Discord Server: https://discord.gg/rngwTkz8yw

Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

Two decades after the previous installment, RoboCop returns with a new coat of (black) paint and very earnest vibe shift.

Now owned by MGM Studios, Orion was interested in rebooting RoboCop in the “gritty and grounded” style of the time, heavily inspired by other franchise reboots like Casino Royale and Batman Begins. Director José Padilha was chosen to helm a fresh take on Alex Murphy based on the breakout success of his Elite Squad films.

This is ROBOCOP (2014).

Join Nick and Scott as they debate the merits of a film they respect more than they actually enjoy.

NEXT: RoboCop Betweenisode

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Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

After the lukewarm reception of RoboCop 2 at the box office, Orion decided that the blame should fall on its R-rating. They believed that kids really wanted to see the film, and had they been able to buy a ticket, the sequel would have been another massive success. And that’s why the next sequel had to be PG-13.

To direct, they would turn to a filmmaker known for making a film (The Monster Squad)that still felt scary and violent without being inappropriate for kids: Fred Dekker. Unfortunately, after successfully giving the studio exactly what they asked for, he would never direct another movie ever again.

This is ROBOCOP 3.

Join Nick and Scott as they defend a movie that is much more fun than it’s reputation suggests, even with a new actor in the suit.

NEXT: RoboCop (2014)

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plus bonus podcasts each week including Dueling Genre Tonight hosted by Nick & Scott!

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Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

Orion wanted a RoboCop sequel immediately. 

After a few false starts and a writer’s strike, Orion turned to non-union comic book writer/artist Frank Miller to write a sequel to a movie he had only seen once. To direct, the turned to a man who had successfully directed the sequel to a massive blockbuster once before: Irvin Kershner. 

This is ROBOCOP 2.

Join Nick and Scott as they are pleasantly surprised by a movie that doesn’t really work as a story, but ends up being a fun watch.

NEXT: RoboCop 3

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plus bonus podcasts each week including Dueling Genre Tonight hosted by Nick & Scott!

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Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

When writer Edward Neumeier met writer Michael Miner he realized that they were both working on remarkably similar ideas. Rather than be in competition with each other, the two decided to collaborate on an original script about the future of law enforcement. The script was praised by those who actually read it, but getting beyond the silly, B-Movie title was a hurtle few could overcome.

Enter producer Jon Davison and Orion Pictures, who agreed to finance the film if they could find a director. Rejected by almost every director in town, it wasn’t until it was read by Paul Verhoeven, fresh off of his historical adventure flop Flesh and Blood, that he could see the artist value in such a silly premise, going on to create one of the most celebrated films of the 1980s.

This is ROBOCOP.

Join Nick and Scott as they discuss this seminal work of sci-fi action satire.

NEXT: RoboCop 2

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plus bonus podcasts each week including Dueling Genre Tonight hosted by Nick & Scott!

Join the Dueling Genre Discord Server: https://discord.gg/rngwTkz8yw

Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

It’s a Betweenisode!

Join Nick and Scott as they wrap up The Hunger Games (for now) with lots of talk about where the franchise could go in the future. Is this the first time our hosts have had identical rankings?? Plus, a new franchise is on its way!

FRANCHISE POTENTIAL: The Giver (2014) episode now available on PATREON!

NEXT WEEK: A new franchise begins!

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plus bonus podcasts each week including Dueling Genre Tonight hosted by Nick & Scott!

Join the Dueling Genre Discord Server: https://discord.gg/rngwTkz8yw

Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

Despite the underwhelming response the two Mockingjay movies received from critics and moviegoers, Lionsgate and series producer Nina Jacobson eagerly awaited the next Hunger Games novel from author Suzanne Collins alongside a still ravenous army of readers. But they were just as surprised as fans were when Collins revealed her long awaited prequel novel would star none of the colorful cadre of supporting characters Katniss Everdeen fought alongside during the rebellion, but rather the odious and off-putting villain of the previous trilogy, Coriolanus Snow.

Returning director Francis Lawrence had the task of directing the adaptation of this 500+ page novel, the darkest and most thematically complex of the series so far, and this time he wouldn’t have the star power of Jennifer Lawrence to fall back on.

Would moviegoers flock to a Hunger Games movie without Katniss and Peeta? This is THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES.

Nick and Scott leave behind the world of Panem (for now!) but not before diving into a deep discussion on sociopathy, society and human nature itself in this epic episode of FRANCHISOGRAPHY.

NEXT WEEK: Hunger Games Betweenisode

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plus bonus podcasts each week including Dueling Genre Tonight hosted by Nick & Scott!

Join the Dueling Genre Discord Server: https://discord.gg/rngwTkz8yw

Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

We continue to interrupt your regularly scheduled mini-series with the third and final BONUS FEATURE episode focused on a new release films that is part of a past franchise!

Spider-Man is BACK! And this time, he has NOTHING. No friends, no family, no identity. Just a sad, lonely young man trying to keep the streets of New York City safe from crime. Until a new threat emerges in the form of [SPOILERS] and Peter is forced to confront everything he’s left behind. Also the Punisher and the Hulk are here!

This is SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY!

Join Nick and Scott as they discuss if new director Destin Daniel Cretton stick the landing, how we feel it ranks among previous Spider-Man movies, and which character we felt was the weakest link.

NEXT WEEK: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plus bonus podcasts each week including Dueling Genre Tonight hosted by Nick & Scott!

Join the Dueling Genre Discord Server: https://discord.gg/rngwTkz8yw

Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey

We continue to interrupt your regularly scheduled mini-series with the second of 3 BONUS FEATURE episodes focused on new release films that part of past franchises!

The deadites return and they’re meaner than ever in the latest installment of the Evil Dead franchise, but how do you make an Evil Dead movie without the Book of the Dead?

Join Nick and Scott as they discuss EVIL DEAD BURN, a film they each have WILDLY different opinions of.

NEXT WEEK: Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Become a Premier Tier PATREON supporter to hear our “Franchise Potential” companion podcast, plus bonus podcasts each week including Dueling Genre Tonight hosted by Nick & Scott!

Join the Dueling Genre Discord Server: https://discord.gg/rngwTkz8yw

Dueling Genre Associate Producer:
Matt Bennett
Mark Ybarra
Harley Winfrey