Storybeater

Anthony and Andrew discuss the story challenges (and failures) of Game of Thrones season five, including the show's story-breaking approach to heroes, the use of violence against women as a narrative device, and whatever the heck happened in Dorne.

Plus! Following on from last episode's look back at the classic Jurassic Park, the chaps follow up with a quick breakdown of Jurassic World. What worked, what didn't work, and what really, really didn't work?

With this weekend's release of Jurassic World, Anthony and Andrew revisit the 1993 classic, looking at the scale and pace of the movie, the character of the dinosaurs, and how special effects play into how movies tell stories. 

Plus, Anthony digs up an old cookbook, and Andrew talks about the disappointment of Sense8.

Anthony and Andrew talk about the writing and storytelling in George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road, covering the development of the Mad Max world, feminism and the presentation of women, and the movie's masterful use of show-don't-tell.

They also talk about digging up old stories, writing lettering drafts, Pitch Perfect 2, the latest TMNT movie, and cheesecake. (Actual cheesecake.)

Anthony and Andrew look at the unique comic book phenomenon of the massive multi-part crossover event. Which ones succeeded, which failed, what makes them work, and what can writers learn from these events?

Anthony and Andrew discuss the villainy, the romance, the world-building, the character arcs, and the plot holes of Avengers: Age of Ultron. 

Anthony and Andrew discuss Marvel's Daredevil TV show, including the strengths of the Netflix format; the themes of gentrification and fatherhood; nerdy worldbuilding; the Karen Page arc; morality, Catholicism and death; and the future of the Marvel project.

They also talk about what they're writing and what they're reading. This episode, they've both been reading Marie Kondo's self-help book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which prompts a discussion of how hard it is to declutter your bookshelves!

Anthony and Andrew talk about the latest installment in one of their favourite movie franchises, Furious 7. How does the movie establish and use its world, what roles do the villains play, how did the death of Paul Walker affect the work, and where does the franchise go from here?

The books we read as children shape us as adult readers and as adult writers. Anthony and Andrew discuss some of their formative influences, including Roald Dahl, Robert Westall, Robert Munsch, Jackanory and Reading Rainbow, and Bunnicula and Mary Plain! 

Anthony and Andrew talk about writing and narrative in video games, from the simple games they grew up with to the complexities of modern day games! 

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most enduring and iconic characters in modern fiction, still celebrated in his original form, but also constantly reinvented for new audiences. Andrew and Anthony discuss the strength of Arthur Conan Doyle's original creation, the elements of his world, and the most recent reinventions of the character.