Tentpole Trauma

Jan de Bont’s remake of the 1963 Robert Wise classic promised to take The Haunting of Hill House into the new millennium, boasting state of the art special effects and an A-list cast. Unfortunately it also boasted a clunky script, ridiculous production design and CGI overload that robbed Shirley Jackson’s seminal ghost story of all of its terror and dread. Join Sebastian and Jennifer as they summon the spirit of Hugh Crain and question their sanity for watching this misguided misfire more than any sane couple should.

Riding high off of their Lethal Weapon partnership, filmmaker Richard Donner and star Mel Gibson had every reason to believe their high concept action thriller Conspiracy Theory would be a success. And with the help of superstar Julia Roberts, a villainous turn by Patrick Stewart and a script by Oscar winner Brian Helgeland, it was, at least modestly so. Get to the bottom of why Sebastian and The Mighty Peculiar podcast’s Matt Anderson are covering this problematic in hindsight, brain boiling entry in the 90s thriller genre.

Fans of the 20th Century Fox mutant superhero series were anxious to see the backstory of fan-favorite character Wolverine explained, so Gavin Hood’s prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine landed with a box office bang in 2009. But despite a successful financial run, the film was lambasted by fans and critics for its shoddy special effects, mistreatment of beloved characters (including a disastrous debut for Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool) and some truly baffling story choices. Join Sebastian and Jennifer as they go full adamantium claws out on this misshapen mutant misfire and show gratitude for the recent corrective of Deadpool & Wolverine.

George Miller’s gonzo, post apocalyptic masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road stunned audiences in 2015, earning widespread praise and cult status. But despite that goodwill, strong reviews and the presence of stars Anya Taylor Joy and Chris Hemsworth, Miller’s prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga stalled terribly at the box office this Memorial Day. Join Sebastian and Jennifer as they discuss the pitfalls of prequels, questionable character choices and their love of the world building in the Mad Max universe.

Based loosely on an 80s TV series, David Leitch’s stunt driven action rom com The Fall Guy was positioned to catapult Ryan Gosling’s post Barbie heat into the superstar stratosphere. But despite a winning turn from Gosling, co-star Emily Blunt and an array of comedic, dazzling stunt sequences, the film’s Hollywood insider trappings failed to translate to box office success. Join Sebastian and Jennifer for a by-request episode as they take a ten-story plunge with this enjoyable, under-seen gem.

Based on an obscure comicbook character, Madame Web hoped to cash in on the goodwill of the tangentially related Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as the success of the animated Spiderverse films. But the Sony produced movie was ensnared in toxic buzz from the outset, the goofy trailers and mocking reviews ensuring that it would be yet another bomb for a female-led superteam. Join Sebastian and Jennifer as they flex their powers of premonition and suffer through this laughably awful spider-flop.

Before Marvel’s Avengers became a household name, there was the quirky 1960’s British spy series made popular by the presence of Diana Rigg in a cat suit. More than thirty years past the show’s prime a big budget feature film was attempted, but despite the presence of OG James Bond Sean Connery, Ralph Fiennes and a post Batman & Robin Uma Thurman donning the catsuit, the movie met with disaster critically and at the box office. Join Sebastian and the Mighty Peculiar’s Matt Anderson as they try to decode this baffling, inexplicable mess of a spy thriller.

Hollywood had been looking to get the Planet of the Apes franchise back into orbit for 20 plus years, but it wasn’t until Tim Burton signed on to direct that the 2001 remake took sh(ape). But despite boasting incredible Rick Baker makeups, Marky Mark as the lead human and an impressive box office haul, the reaction to the film was so toxic that 20th Century Fox studios declined to opt for a sequel. Join Sebastian and Jennifer as they make monkeys out of themselves trying to unpack the movie’s ruinously bananas twist endings.

Coming strong after the one-two punch of The Terminator and Aliens, director James Cameron was poised to reach A-level status with his wildly ambitious underwater sci fi action film The Abyss. But despite overcoming a torturous and fraught-filled production, the would-be blockbuster left audiences confused upon its 1989 theatrical release and did not ascend to the box office or critical heights Cameron hoped for. Join Sebastian, Chris and Rodney as they deep dive into the new spectacularly restored 4K director’s cut and argue over the merits of Michael Biehn’s villainous mustache.