Tentpole Trauma

Following the commercial disappointment of the oppressively downbeat Alien 3, it stands to reason that 1997’s follow-up, Alien Resurrection, would attempt to recapture the fun, bug-hunt thrills of James Cameron’s Aliens. And while French auteur director Jean-Pierre Jeunet certainly lightened the mood—credited in part to the quippy, Joss Whedon-penned script—audiences were puzzled by this strange newborn, even with series heroine Sigourney Weaver returning and a solid supporting cast featuring Winona Ryder and Ron Perlman. Join Sebastian, Chris and Steve as they clone themselves 8 times, laser some whiskey cubes and lovingly cradle this bizarre hybrid of sci fi and French comedy/satire.

The late 90s found Kevin Costner on a serious losing  streak following high profile post apocalyptic flops Waterworld and The Postman, so it made sense that he would retreat to a sub-genre that had batted a thousand for him previously, the baseball drama. But despite the confident direction of a pre-Spider-Man Sam Raimi and a stellar supporting cast, For Love of the Game still struck out at the box office. Join Sebastian and Andrew as they take themselves out to the ballpark and see if this treacly romance is truly a no-hitter.

After Scream made him a semi-household name, David Arquette was poised for leading man status. Unfortunately, the first film he chose to lead was Eight Legged Freaks, a comedic, atomic age horror throwback featuring giant CGI spiders and Kari Wuhrer as his co-lead. But does this box office dud  have the power to catch Sebastian and Jennifer in its web of creature feature charm? Tune in and find out!

The Universal Monsters franchise has seen numerous failed re-launches over the years, but after Leigh Whannell’s Invisible Man hit big back in 2020, hopes were high that he could do the same for the Wolf Man. Sadly, despite a solid cast featuring Julia Garner and Christopher Abbot, the film could not overcome the stench of failure after a poorly received costume leak and lackluster trailers, resulting in tepid reviews and box office grosses. Join Sebastian, Jennifer and Rodney as they get down with the sickness and try to find the lycanthrope in this de-fanged failure.

After the meteoric success of Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, director Sam Raimi was poised to deliver another knockout with the franchise’s 3rd entry. Sadly, despite incredible success at the box office, Spider-Man 3 was met with a venomous reception from critics and fans, and the series was rebooted a few years later. Join Sebastian and Jennifer as they put their black suits and guyliner on and reappraise this much maligned Spider-threequel.

Despite the enduring popularity of  Spider-Man, Sony’s attempt to build a universe around the character’s rogue’s gallery—without the inclusion of Spidey himself— has, Venom movies aside, been an unmitigated disaster. Sadly, the Aaron Taylor Johnson led Kraven the Hunter continues that trend, but is it truly a pointless safari? Join Sebastian and Matt as they consume a little voodoo potion, put on their lion’s mane vests and get to cravin’ some Kraven.

Groundhog Day meets alien invasion seems a sure fire high concept pitch; add megastar Tom Cruise into the equation and you would assume a box office smash. And yet, despite this and a strong critical reception, Doug Liman’s Edge of Tomorrow met with a lackluster response, despite mech suits, Emily Blunt and innovative alien design. Join Sebastian, Chris and Rodney as they Live, Die and Repeat this movie over and over and over until they figure out why this wasn’t a huge box office hit.

Todd Philips' 2019 Joker took the world by storm, earning over a billion in box office receipts and winning star Joaquin Phoenix the Oscar. A sequel seemed all but inevitable, so when one was announced, and with pop superstar Lady Gaga in the role of Joker love-interest Harley Quinn, the stage was set for another smash hit. But the film's musical format and thematic departures did not entice audiences, resulting in a critical and commercial disaster. Join Sebastian and Chris from The Movie In Your Mind podcast as they slather on some greasepaint, strike up the band and try to find some point to this muddled, misbegotten musical mess.

Expectations for a sequel were sky high following the monumental success of Tim Burton’s Batman, hype only exacerbated by the addition of Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito to the cast. And while 1992’s Batman Returns was not a box office disappointment, the grotesque nature of DeVito’s Penguin coupled with the S&M appeal of Pfeiffer’s vinyl-clad Catwoman didn’t make family audiences or the toy companies very happy. Join Sebastian and Jennifer in decking the halls of Gotham for this holiday classic and arguably most delightfully twisted of all the Batman films.

Less a directorial effort than a vehicle for his pop singer daughter, M. Night Shyamalan's latest high concept thriller, Trap, features Josh Hartnett in a cat and mouse game taking place at the concert of a Taylor Swift-style fictional diva. Does Night manage to recapture the magic of his Sixth Sense glory days, or is the nauseating nepotism on display coupled with a crushing parade of implausibilities too much for a hapless audience to bear? Join Sebastian and Rodney for this special mini-episode discussion on what could be the year's worst mainstream movie.