The School of Movies Archive

[Digital Gonzo 2013]

Returning to the seemingly never-ending stream of Batman movies ripe for Gonzo review, we’re back to cover the two-part animated adaptation of one of the most celebrated and important graphic novels of all time. The movies are way better than the book and we’ll tell you why throughout this podcast. These are available on DVD and Blu Ray and the second part is better than the first. Don’t wait for the box set. These are worth seeing right now. 

Joining me are Matt Ramsey of the Do Try This at Home podcast and Batman expert David Hartrick. David writes for major Football websites In Bed with Maradona and 500 Reasons to Love Football. His book on the world’s favourite sport; 50 Teams that Mattered is available from Ockley Books. Spoilers and foul language run throughout.

Guests:

Matt Ramsey of GamerDork

David Hartrick of In Bed With Maradona

[Digital Gonzo 2013]

This was an interesting one to cover. I went into a round-table debate with 18 pages worth of written material (only a small portion of it actually penned by me) and the intention to integrate broadly contributed prepared content with on-the-hoof discussion. Everybody seemed to have an opinion on this movie and many of the same points were covered over and over and over again. The end result was two and a half hours of raw material. 

Rather than just releasing that monstrosity to the world I have carefully trimmed it down for pacing and avoided duplication. The end result is a trim 87 minutes of engaging opinion, carefully blended. 

Not bad for a movie I originally didn’t have much to say about. 

Approximate Running Order 

1. Intro and Production History

—-

#2 Read by Sharon Shaw

Guests:

Neil Taylor of TheKidDogg

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

[Digital Gonzo 2013]

Continuing our in-depth investigations into the most important big screen depictions of The Superman, this time we’re looking at the 2009 adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ seminal graphic novel, Watchmen. It contains a being of supreme power and a frightened world on the verge of self-destruction. It is also a satirical sideways glance at the otherwise ordinary people who put on masks and take to the streets to fight crime.  I finally have a name for this new style. I’ve never been happy with the word “Review” to describe what we do here at Gonzo. A good critic can get a film reviewed in ten minutes. What these shows are, what they have been for years and now with the more delineated sections for focused audio articles by myself and other contributors I will, from now on be describing as…

“Dynamic Analyses” 

I had to think up something punchy that was shorthand for ridiculously detailed and nerdy examination of every facet of a piece of media, from the viewpoint of multiple sources, and I think it fits rather well. Anyway, what better work to flex the new format to than the single most sacred cow in comic history. 

Who’s for steak? 

I kid, I kid… but seriously, we go into this one fearlessly and hold both book and film to account, whilst celebrating their strong points. 

Table of contents.

1. Intro

———

3. Read by Sharon Shaw

Guests:

Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

[Digital Gonzo 2013]

This is going to be a challenge for me. We’re looking at a film that is not loved, not even regularly liked. It’s been derided, dismissed and largely forgotten. It holds a meager 41% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and I’m in the unique position of thinking it’s great. REALLY great. Not only that, but it’s my favourite Superman film to date and that includes Man of Steel. 

So if you’re not a fan of the 2008 movie, Hancock, allow me to paint you a picture of what I’m seeing. I know it’s going to be hard for a lot of you. All you will remember is a mess and the feeling of two mismatched halves shoved together. We’re going to uncover why they match perfectly, why it’s not messy at all and why it’s one of the greatest superhero films ever made. 

I am Jason Bateman, you are the good people of Los Angeles. Let me tell you why Hancock is important to all of us.

* Intro 

Guests:

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

[Digital Gonzo 2013]

I’m trying out a new format this week. Rather than the usual round-table discussion this is a series of audio articles on Superman and in particular the 2006 film Superman Returns. This is the perfect film to do this for because it’s hated by so many, liked by several, it opens up the archetypal hero for analysis in a way none of the earlier films did and it had an incredibly protracted development cycle of nigh-on twenty years.  

1. Intro 

I hope you guys will find it entertaining, deep and funny. One of the benefits of this format is that it allows community members to get their views aired so that it facilitates a mix of viewpoints. I think this could potentially work a lot better than the cyclical bickering contest that contentious film reviews on podcasts sometimes become. Let us know on the forums what you think of it. Next week’s Watchmen will be in the same style. This won’t replace the standard Gonzo format, but it’s not every film lends itself to the same uniform manner of review and this is simply another approach. 

Chapter 2. Written by Lucas Windsor. Read by Matt Ramsey

Guests: 

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

Matt Ramsey of GamerDork

[Digital Gonzo 2013]

This is the first of five podcasts covering the Superman movies. Rather than being slavish to format and giving a show each to every single one including the many animated choices out there I have devoted my attention to the most interesting and significant portrayals of The Superman in the past three and a half decades. 

This episode covers all four of the Christopher Reeve films. 

1978. Superman

Next week will be Bryan Singer’s fan project, Superman Returns (2006) then Watchmen (2009), which centres around Alan Moore’s Superman analog, Doctor Manhattan. That film also got Zack Snyder directing duties on the next podcast subject, this year’s Man of Steel. We finish off with my current favourite take on the mythology, from 2008, the tale of a lonely, outcast, drunken, surly superbeing, Hancock, played with heart and humour by Will Smith.

Fans of the Reeve films be aware, There are a few things I really like about these pictures and a whole heap of stuff that I don’t. There is ranting aplenty this week.

Guests:

Nikki Taylor of TheKiddDogg

Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet

[Digital Gonzo 2013]

This is principally a review of the 2009 film directed by J.J. Abrams. Now every podcast I have listened to covering this movie is largely negative, so if you want to hear something along those lines you have an ocean of choice available to you. My crew and I however, love the film for a multitude of reasons of which we will go into in great detail, not forgetting of course to point out the bits that don’t make sense. So if that’s something you’d like to hear then you came to the right place.

There is a brief history of Star Trek at the beginning and an extended essay running throughout. i’m actually surprised at the depths we ended up reaching, having never been a fan before this film.

Guests:

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Michael Fox of Little Metal Dog

[Digital Gonzo 2013]

This podcast is several things at once. First and foremost it’s a review of the 2011 film; The Muppets. Although I have to be honest and say that what I tend to do on Gonzo goes somewhat beyond the term ‘review’. The search is now on for a word to accurately describe just what that is. 

Secondly it’s a look back on Muppet history, The Muppet show and their precious six theatrical movies. Third it’s a musical journey closer to one of the Sound of Gonzo episodes. I found during the edit that the songs were so intrinsically linked with the tone and performance that to render them faithfully was the only way to match the emotional flow of the film. I thoroughly recommend buying the soundtrack, it’s been on repeat in our house since I picked mine up.

Guest:

Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

The board is set, the pieces are moving and the final battle for Middle-earth begins. In this episode we discuss the thankless task of expertly performing Denathor, Arwen’s ultimate decision and some of the shakier moments in the trilogy. This final film was the product of an insane amount of high pressure, respite-free work for Weta and it is testament to their brilliance that this still became the box-office triumph of the series.

By far the most emotionally draining of all the podcasts in this series and maybe the most complicated editing process for a film podcast that I’ve undertaken. There were several occasions where I fell apart and had to pick myself up again here. The most epic battle of all time concludes and the ring-bearer reaches Mount Doom. I can only hope that myself and my team did these films an iota of the true depth of discussion they deserve. 

With me at the end of all things are Sharon Shaw of DorkCast, Chris Eason of GameBurst and Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet. This is the last of the Lord of the Rings movie reviews but not the final podcast. We still have an Unexpected Journey to discuss as a new trilogy begins, followed soon after by a sound of Gonzo episode devoted to the wonderful scores by Howard Shore.

Guests:

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

Chris Eason of GameBurst

Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

The middle of a trilogy is always going to be a tall order. You can’t start and you can’t stop. What you’re delivering is an *episode* and the best you can hope for is some great characterization and memorable events, broadening the scope of the world you’ve already introduced. The Two Towers, especially in its extended cut manages this and more.

Things get tense as the battle for Helm’s Deep begins. Merry and Pippin try their best to motivate the most boring creatures on Middle-earth and Frodo meets a character given entirely new depth and purpose by the film series. We learn about Theoden’s complex relationship with both shame and pride, and what moment really pushed Smeagol over the edge, never to return from the powerful grip of Gollum.

Guests:

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

Chris Eason of GameBurst

Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse