Not a Bomb

Listener request month rolls on! This week, Not A Bomb discusses the 2009 American crime drama, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. Directed by the legendary Werner Herzog, BL: PoCNO sees Nicolas Cage as a drug abusing, corrupt cop searching for a murderer in New Orleans. Though this film is neither a remake or a sequel to 1992’s Bad Lieutenant, both films center on a corrupt lieutenant’s slow descent into chaos and drug addiction.

Upon its release, BL: PoCNO was praised for Herzog’s direction and Cage’s unhinged performance. Sadly, the film was crushed by its competition.

Listen to Troy and Brad talk about their experience with this bold, independent filmmaker and determine if the eccentric BL:PoCNO deserves to be called a bomb!

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is directed by Werner Herzog and stars Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendas, Jennifer Coolidge, Val Kilmer, Brad Dourif, Alivin “Xzibit” Joiner, and Fairuza Balk.

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

Happy New Year, film fans! Welcome back to a brand new episode of Not A Bomb Podcast ! For 2021, Not A Bomb is kicking off the year with listener request month. The first recommendation comes from listener Nick, who suggested the 1988 war film - The Beast (also known as The Beast of War). Troy and Brad jump right into things as they discuss 80’s war films, the Soviet-Afghan War, Stephen Baldwin’s acting chops, the Mujahideen, Oliver Stone, 9/11, and director Kevin Reynold’s odd filmography (I bet you never expected to see Stephen Baldwin and the Mujahideen in the same sentence)!

Upon it’s initial release, The Beast made hardly any money at the box office and critics simply ignored the film. Now, Not A Bomb examines what makes this unique war film special and ponder it’s relevancy in 2021.

The Beast is directed by Kevin Reynolds and stars George Dzundza, Jason Patric, Steven Bauer, Stephen Baldwin, Erick Avari, and Don Harvey.

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! As 2020 comes to a close, so does Not A Bomb’s lookback at the bombs of 2020. This week Troy, Brad, and John assemble to discuss the much-delayed, Disney acquired - The New Mutants. Originally slated to be released way back in 2018, The New Mutants was sent into Limbo for various reasons and didn’t get an official release until August 2020.

The New Mutants was intended to be a superhero horror film based on the Marvel Comics franchise of the same name. Unfortunately, studio interference and a corporate merger derailed the original vision for the film. Now, it’s time for Not A Bomb Podcast to decide if The New Mutants truly deserves to be called a bomb.

The New Mutants is directed by Josh Boone, and stars Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Blu Hunt, and Henry Zaga.

Additionally, the crew talk about some of their favorite films of 2020 including Da 5 Bloods, Extraction, Mank, The Invisible Man, Project Power, Love and Monsters, The Old Guard, and Dick Johnson is Dead.

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

What’s up, Bombers! Welcome back to a very Russian edition of Not A Bomb Podcast. Troy and Brad continue their look back at the bombs of 2020 with the absurdist comedy/drama - Why Don’t You Just Die! Originally released back in 2018 for the European film festival circuit, Why Don’t You Just Die! vanished upon its release in Russian. Now, due to distribution from Arrow Video, Why Don’t You Just Die! is available in all of it’s bloody glory.

Set almost exclusively in an apartment, Why Don’t You Just Die! is what you get when you mix early Tarantino, Edgar Wright and Sam Raimi with a whole lot of vodka. The output of chaos has to be seen to be believed.

Why Don’t You Just Die! is directed by Kirill Sokolov, and stars Alexander Kuznetsov, Vitali Khayev, Evgeniya Kregzhde, Mikhail Gorevoy, and Yelena Shevchenko.

Troy and Brad also give their picks for their favorite non-2020 films they discovered during 2020.

Brad’s picks are:

Vice - 2018

Shadow - 2019

Nightcrawler - 2014

Midnight Special - 2016

The Counterfeiters - 2007

Troy’s pick are:

Tin Men (1987)

Four Lions (2010)

Gallants (2010)

Big Heat (1953)

Extreme Job (2019)

If you want to leave feed 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.

FLASH - AH - AH! Savior of the universe! On this very special episode of Not a Bomb Podcast, Troy and Brad are joined by The VHS Files host , Josh, to discuss the 1980 space opera - Flash Gordon. Released in the shadow of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Flash Gordon is known for its amazing costume design, practical sets, and questionable dialogue.

Based on the comic strip from the 1930’s, Flash Gordon finds our titular character battling for the fate of Earth against the evil Ming the Merciless. Since it’s initial release, Flash has garnered a cult following and has become one of the most influential science fiction films of the last 50 years.

Join us as we travel to planet Mongo and discuss the production history of Flash Gordon and whether or not this colorful, little film is a science fiction classic.

Flash Gordon is directed by Mike Hodges, and stars Sam Jones Melody Anderson, Ornella Muti, Max von Sydown, Topol, TImothy Dalton, Mariangela Melato, Brain Blessed, and Peter Wyngarde.

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.

The end of 2020 is here, so Not A Bomb Podcast is looking back at this unprecedented year in film and examining the biggest bombs of the year. First up is Disney’s Mulan, starring friend of the podcast - Donnie Yen.

Based on the “Ballad of Mulan” and the beloved 1998 animated film of the same name, Mulan didn’t get a US theatrical release due to COVID-19. The film was finally released in the United States on Disney+ for an additionally $29.99 fee (Chinese audiences got to experience the film in the theaters). The controversies don’t stop there. The film was criticized for it’s cultural appropriation, historical inaccuracies, filming in a controversial part of China, lack of representation behind the camera, and the lead actors support for police brutality.

Troy and Brad examine all the controversies, as well as the inevitable comparisons to the 1998 film, and ultimately decide if this Disney spectacle is a ‘bomb”. Yep, two grown men with daughters spend over two hours talking about a Disney movie - pack a lunch, it’s a long episode!

Mulan is directed by Niki Caro, and stars Yifei Lui, Donnie Yen, Tzi M, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Ron Yuan, Gong Li, and Jet Li.

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.

Ladies and Gentlemen turkey month has come to an end and that can only mean one thing - Not A Bomb Podcast has saved the biggest WTF movie for last. On this week’s show, Brad and Troy are joined by John Nance as they skate through the desert to discuss Solarbabies…Solarwarriors…or Solarfighters. Whatever you call it, it’s a turkey.

Produced by Mel Brooks, Solarbabies is the story of….well I don’t really know. There is something called Skateball, weird nazi wannabes, mythic John Stamos, Tiretown, a ball named Bodhi, and so, so much more. This movie has to be seen to be believed.

Solarbabies is directed by Alan Johnson and stars Richard Jordan, Jami Gertz, Jason Patric, Lukas Haas, Charles Durning.

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.

Additionally, the guys discuss the following films:

Santa Claus: The Movie - 1985

Santa with Muscles - 1996

Deck the Halls - 2006

It’s turkey week here at Not a Bomb and to celebrate the gang discusses what might possibly be the biggest turkey of all time - the 1991 direct-to-video action film, Samurai Cop. This film stars one of the worst wigs in cinema history and a man who has become known as “The Face”.

Joined by our good friend, Nathan Atkinson, the guys examine what makes Samurai Cop such a “special” movie. Is it the awkward sex scenes? The fact a man changes ethnicity after burning? The dialogue and ADR? Or, simply that the film’s hero wears a ridiculous wig for half the movie?

Samurai Cop is directed by Amir Shervan and stars, Matt Hannon, Robert Z.Dar, Mark Frazer, Gerald Okamura.

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.

Additionally, the guys discuss the following films:

Stray Dog - 1949

Frogs - 1972

Running Scared - 1986

The Nice Guys - 2016

Samurai Cop 2: Deadly Vengeance - 2015

Enter the Samurai -2016

Welcome back, Bomb Squad, and get ready to fly the friendly skies of Con Air. In this episode, Troy and Brad take this special opportunity to examine the career of the one and only Nicolas Cage. They then tackle one of Cage’s most financially successful films that also didn’t fair well with the critics, Con Air.

Why does a movie called Con Air spend so much time on the ground? Is Nic Cage for real with that hair? What is going on with that Alabama accent? Why does Troy hate 1996’s The Rock so much? And would a plane crash landing in Las Vegas kill thousands of people? Oh, let’s talk about terminal velocity (not the Charlie Sheen film but the physics concept)!

Con Air is directed by Simon West and stars Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich, John Cusack, Ving Rhames, Colm Meaney, Steve Buscemi, Wykelti Williamson, Dave Chappelle, Danny Trejo, and M.C. Gainey.

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.

Additionally, the guys discuss the following films:

Fast Times at Ridgemont High - 1982

Vampire’s Kiss - 1988

Wild at Heart - 1990

Passenger 57 - 1992

Red Rock Wests - 1993

The Rock - 1996

Face/Off - 1997

Air Force One - 1997

Adaptation - 2002

Outcast - 2014

Mom and Dad - 2017

Welcome back, Bombers and LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE! For this week’s episode Brad and Troy are joined by fellow podcaster, Alex McAlister, from the Friends with Cinefits podcast to discuss 2000’s comedy/wrestling epic - Ready to Rumble. The boys step into the squared-circle to find out how Brian Robbins’ wrestling opus fairs under the stress of Not A Bomb’s figure four leg lock.

Ready to Rumble draws in many wrestling personalities from the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) promotion and finds man child - Gordie, along with his best friend Sean, on a mission to find Jimmy “The King” and get him back into the ring. Get ready for septic tank jokes, gay panic, David Arquette yelling, and the smallest wrestling crowds ever. Oh…and some epic Michael Bolton jokes….epic!

PS - Brad melts down.

Please check out , Friends with Cinefits wherever you find podcasts and leave them a review.

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.

Additionally, the guys discuss the following films:

They Live (1988)

Back in Action (1994)

Tough and Deadly (1995)

Fast Five (2011)

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

You Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020)