Gratuitous Pausing Podcast

We've finally made it to the semi-finals, and this week we have to decide which film makes it to the big game, Cool Runnings (1993) or Remember the Titans (2000). We finally get into the nitty-gritty of production, talk about mythology and ritual, racial stereotypes, historical revisionism,& the novelty of us talking about two Disney films again. 

This week we finish off our quarter-finals with our remaining women-focused films, Stick It (2006) vs Blue Crush (2002). Our conversation includes perception shifts on second viewings, protagonists choosing not to walk away, unfired Chekhov's guns, and brief history lessons on white people's surfing envy and gymnastics scoring.

We're halfway through the quarterfinals of our Sports Bracket, and this match feels a bit one-sided. We have The Karate Kid (1984) going up against Blades of Glory (2007). While we don't get to talk about historical accuracy this week, we do get to dig into the goings-on that brought these films about. We also touch on complex antagonists, editing techniques, and somehow one of our favorite anime. Listen to see how that happens!

This week we continue our proud tradition of ridiculous double features with Remember the Titans (2000) vs Space Jam (1996). After discussing the historical accuracy of both of these films, our conversations turns to the portrayal of coaching in media, the commodification of athletes, focusing on athlete's personal journeys or a love letter to the sport in film, and whether Patrick Ewing can breathe fire. Yeah, it's that kind of episode.

We're kicking of round 2 of our Sports Bracket with a Calgary Crossover. Both of this week's films, Eddie the Eagle (2016) & Cool Runnings (1993), take place at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. We'll see how they compare to the actual events from the games, look at parental and team-building arcs, and lament a missed opportunity for criticism of capitalism.

Here we are, the last round 1 match of our Sports bracket, Chariots of Fire (1981) vs Blue Crush (2002). Along with the serendipitous fire vs water themes this week we have lots of ground to cover. We get into, Oscar bait, overzealous color effects, music decision for good and ill, and training montages on beaches.

As we near the end of round 1 of the Sports Bracket, we have a whole episode of women centered narratives to discuss. In one corner we have the 1992 classic A League of Their Own, in the other we have 2006 underdog Stick It. Unfortunately one of these female focused films won't move on to the next round, but before we make our decision we'll discuss, misogyny, gender roles, the male gaze, and sibling rivalries. You don't want to miss this one.

This episode is our Showdown ON ICE, featuring Blades of Glory(2007) against Slap Shot(1977). Unfortunately, it's not just the sports that are chilly this week, so is our reception. But even so, we've been able to carve out an interesting discussion about technical competence, use of violence against itself, and surprising depictions of complex sexuality. This was a trip.

We continue on with round 1 of our Sports Bracket. This week's match is between The Karate Kid(1984) and Wimbledon(2004), and it's an impressive one. We'll touch on toxic masculinity, manic pixie dream-girls, cultural appropriation, and corny lines that shouldn't work but do.

Welcome to Match 4 it's 90's week, specifically 1996 the year that saw the release of both Space Jam and Kingpin. This week's discussion touches on commercialism, purposefully bad characters, how awesome unions are, and the importance of being earnest, the concept not the play.