Not a Bomb

Welcome to the Ministry of information Podcast. Please complete all appropriate paperwork, including form B37-42 subsection C, and listen to the latest episode of Not A Bomb. On this vey bureaucratic episode, the guys discuss 1985’s science fiction/dystopian film - Brazil. Directed by Monty Python troupe member, Terry Gilliam, Brazil is known as one of the most visually stunning films of all time with an especially “dark” ending. While the film had no problem being released internationally, Universal studios had an issue with the length of the film as well as the depressing ending. The story of what transpired behind the scenes is almost as fascinating as what showed up on the big screen!

Brazil is a satirical take on corporate work life, which seems to be too close to home for both Troy and Brad. Additionally, Brazil sparks comparisons to Southland Tales which leads Brad to say a few nice words about the Richard Kelly opus.

Brazil is directed by Terry Gilliam and stars Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Michael Palin, Ian Richardson, Peter Vaughan, and Kim Greist.

If you want to leave feedback or suggest a movie bomb, please drop us a line at [email protected]. Also, if you like what you hear, leave a review on Apple Podcast.

Cast: Brad, Troy

It’s celebration time! Not A Bomb has reached 50 episodes! This a big milestone so the guys needed a big guest that could really shake the pillars of heaven! Troy and Brad welcome Cameron Sauer to the podcast to discuss one of the greatest films of all time - Big Trouble in Little China.

Spoiler alert, there is no way this film is a bomb and this episode is purely an excuse to geek out over Kurt Russell, the master filmmaking of John Carpenter, and the perfect ensemble cast. More importantly, Troy and Brad get to hear from a younger fan to find out if Big Trouble in Little China resonates with the youth of today.

So, sit back and listen to Not a Bomb’s insights on this beloved classic. Jack Burton may be in some serious trouble but we know you’re in for some serious fun!

Big Trouble in Little China is directed by john Carpenter and stars Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong, Victor Wong, Kate Burton, and Suzee Pai.

If you want to leave feedback or suggest a movie bomb, please drop us a line at [email protected]. Also, if you like what you hear, leave a review on Apple Podcast.

Cast: Brad, Troy, Cameron

On this week’s EXPLOSIVE episode of Not A Bomb, Troy, Brad, and John travel to stupid city and discuss the straight-to-television movie - Live Wire. Here we find Pierce Brosnan playing an FBI bomb expert who disposes explosive devices in Washing D.C.

This movie has it all: dummies standing next to explosions, naked Pierce Brosnan, physical title screens, exploding clowns, pistol whipping old people, terrible American ascents, a horrible Ron Silver haircut and so, so much more. Oh, and an affair which seemingly everyone in our nation’s capital knows about.

Live Wire is directed by Christian Duguay and stars Pierce Brosnan, Ron Silver, Ben Cross, and Lisa Eilbacher.

If you want to leave feedback or suggest a movie bomb, please drop us a line at [email protected]. Also, if you like what you hear, leave a review on Apple Podcast.

Cast: Brad, Troy, John

Welcome back to the Not a Bomb Podcast! This week’s show is one for the ages. It’s a match up that would rival the greats! Forget Balboa Vs. Creed, Zoolander Vs. Hansel, or Maverick Vs. Iceman! We introduce Anderson Vs. Sauer. In this battle, the guys trade punches on the 2006/2007 science fiction/Melodrama/Satire film - Southland Tales. Yep, there is a clear disagreement on this episode! Directed by Richard Kelly, the mastermind behind 2001’s Donnie Darko, Southland Tales tells the tale of the end of the world…not with a whimper but with a bang.

Known as one of the most divisive films in recent history, Southland Tales was screened during the 2006 Cannes Film Festival where it was one of the worst reviewed films shown. Eventually, the finished product would be released to terrible reviews and one of the lowest box office performances of 2007. Now, the Not a Bomb Podcast examines why Southland Tales failed so catastrophically while trying to make sense of the plot, themes, influences, and performances. This one is a bit dense.

Southland Tales is directed by Richard Kelly and stars Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar (Stigmata), Mandy Moore, Justin Timberlake, Miranda Richardson, Wallace Shawn, and Bai Ling.

If you want to leave feedback or suggest a movie bomb, please drop us a line at [email protected]. Also, if you like what you hear, leave a review on Apple Podcast. 

Cast: Brad, Troy

In a podcast far, far away….NOT A BOMB: Episode 47 - The Podcast Strikes Back! Welcome back to Not A Bomb, the podcast where we examine movies that bombed at the box office or didn’t do well with the imperial film critics. On this week’s show, Troy and Brad are joined by Jenny Lou and Joshua Browning of The VHS Files. To celebrate our first four person podcast, the gang jumps to hyperspace and tackles 2018’s - Solo: A Star Wars Story. Known as the only bomb among the theatrical Star Wars films, Solo was marred in productions issues, director changes, and backlash from Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi.

The gang talks about how they were introduced to the franchise and what it was like growing up in a Star Wars household. We also get to hear about Troy’s unique Luke Skywalker action figure as well as a deep discussion on toxic fans. Oh, and Troy still can’t get last names correct……or first names for that matter!

Solo: A Star Wars Story is directed by Ron Howard and stars Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandiwe Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, and Paul Bettany.

If you want to leave feedback or suggest a movie bomb, please drop us a line at [email protected]. Also, if you like what you hear, leave a review on Apple Podcast. Also, please catch out our friends over at The VHS Files.

Cast: Brad, Troy, Josh, Jenny Lou

Hey Bombers! Welcome back to Not a Bomb and episode 46 - The Dead Pool. The crew welcomes back Sammy from Gentlemen’s Guide to Midnight Cinema to discuss this over the top action film from the 80’s. The Dead Pool is the last film of the “Dirty Harry” series and, once again, finds Inspector Callahan prowling the streets of San Francisco to find a killer.

Since Dirty Harry is played by the iconic Clint Eastwood, the guys discuss some of their favorite films from the iconic actor/director. Plus, there is plenty of discussion about jogging in sweatpants, the impact of Dirty Harry on the film industry, cats from outer space, and remote control cars.

Stick around after the outro music for a little surprise…

The Dead Pool is directed by Buddy Van Horn and stars Clint Eastwood, Patricia Clarkson, Liam Neeson, and Evan Kim…oh and James Carrey.

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If you want to leave feedback or suggest a movie bomb, please drop us a line at [email protected]. Also, if you like what you hear, leave a review on Apple Podcast.

Cast: Brad, Troy, Sammy

Oh Hey, Bomb Squad! Welcome back to your weekly dose of Not A Bomb Podcast. On this week’s show, we take a deep dive into the world of movie studio finances and give a crash course on how movies make money. Hope you like math and spreadsheets! We also discuss John Carter, AKA John Carter of Mars. Known as one of Disney Studios biggest flops, John Cater finds its titular character zapped (or copied or……we aren’t entirely sure how it works) to the planet of Barsoom, or Mars to us Earth folk.

A pseudo passion project for director Andrew Stanton, John Carter was a $250 million science fiction/action film which relied heavily upon special effects and the acting of skills of one, Taylor Kitsch. Needless to say, Disney took a bath with this movie but the production history and studio drama make it one of the more interesting films discussed on Not A Bomb.

John Carter is directed by Andrew Stanton and stars Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Dominic West, James Purefoy, and Williem Dafoe (oh, hey Spider-Man).

If you would like to sign-up for our upcoming newsletter, please sign-up here.

If you want to leave feedback or suggest a movie bomb, please drop us a line at [email protected]. Also, if you like what you hear, leave a review on Apple Podcast.

Cast: Brad, Troy

The time has come! This is the moment Troy has been waiting for! It’s the Jackie Chan episode! To celebrate the man, the myth, and the legend, Not A Bomb is discussing 1988’s action/comedy - Dragons Forever. Known as the last film of “The Three Dragons”, Dragons Forever was seen as a box office failure when compared to the trio’s other films and didn’t live up to the studio’s expectations. Also, audiences weren’t crazy about Sammo, Jackie and Yuen playing against their traditional film personas.

Not A Bomb couldn’t tackle such a hard hitting film like Dragons Forever on our own, so we brought in our stuntman correspondent - Jose. Listen as Troy swoons over everything Jackie Chan, Brad makes some really bad jokes, and Jose gives a history lesson on Hong Kong cinema.

Dragons Forever is directed by Sammo Hung and Corey Yuen and stars Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Deannie Yip, Pauline Yeung, and Crystal Kwok.

If you want to leave feedback or suggest a movie bomb, please drop us a line at [email protected]. Also, if you like what you hear, leave a review on Apple Podcast.

Cast: Brad, Troy, Jose

Hey Bomb Crew, welcome back to Not A Bomb and episode 43 - The Fall…wait no 47 Ronin. Due to The Fall’s lack of streaming presence, Not A Bomb called an audible on this episode and will be discussing 2013’s Samurai/Ronin Fantasy epic by first time director Carl Rinsch. Universal’s answer to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit series, 47 Ronin is a fictional retelling of the real-life Ronin of the 18th century who avenged the death of the master by confronting his rival.

This film was greenlit with an initial production budget of $175 million and was a vehicle for first time director, Carl Rincsh. That’s right! Businessmen thought it was a good idea to hand a blank check to a director who had only completed four short films prior to directing this film. But hey, 47 Ronin gives Troy and Brad an excuse to talk about samurai, Keanu Reeves, Mortal Kombat, and Kurosawa.

47 Ronin is directed by Carl Rinsch, and stars Keanu Reeves. Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi, and Ko Shibasaki.

If you would like to sign-up for our upcoming newsletter, please sign-up here.

If you want to leave feedback or suggest a movie bomb, please drop us a line at [email protected]. Also, if you like what you hear, leave a review on Apple Podcast.

Cast: Brad, Troy

Welcome Back, bombers! On this listener requested episode of Not a Bomb, Troy and Brad tackle their first heist movie, 1990’s Quick Change. Notable for being Bill Murray’s directorial debut, Quick Change finds Bill Murray and crew pulling off a daring heist and then trying to escape New York City. This box office bomb failed to recoup it's $17 million production budget, but critics and audiences alike hail the performance of Bill Murray.

Listen as Troy and Brad discuss the wonders of mechanical keyboards, seasonal allergies, the sexiness of Stanley Tucci, Jackie Chan’s directing output, Christmas Vacation vs. Independence Day, and whether Jason Robards is the greatest actor of all time.

Quick Change is co-directed by Howard Franklin and Bill Murray, and stars Bill Murray, Geena Davis, Randy Quaid, and Jason Robards.

If you would like to sign-up for our upcoming newsletter, please sign-up here.

If you want to leave feedback or suggest a movie bomb, please drop us a line at [email protected]. Also, if you like what you hear, leave a review on Apple Podcast.

Cast: Brad, Troy