Put up the Bat Signal! It's time for Matt, Alex, and Rocco to investigate the films that inspired Matt Reeves while making 'The Batman,' beginning with this hard-nosed crime thriller that won Best Picture. William Friedkin surrounds himself with New York's "Finest" for an "all gas, no brakes" approach to shooting a cop drama. And the Academy was like, "Sure, yes, this is exactly what we want right now." Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, and Fernando Rey hold on for dear life through 'The French Connection' (1971).

We dig into what qualities that Popeye Doyle and Bruce Wayne might share, what this kind of detective work foreshadows about the early crimefighting of Batman, and we find parallels in Frank Miller's iconic "Batman: Year One" series. Plus, by the end, you'll meet Cat Bat.

The NeverEnding Movie Marathon is a weekly podcastic celebration of cinema. Dive deep into fan-favorite films (#NoStinkers!), thematically curated to enhance your movie viewing by hosts Matt Detisch, Alex Logan, and Michael Rocco.

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