Tower of Babble

The trailer for this final season of 'The Bad Batch' teased the return of a fan favourite character from 'The Clone Wars'. A Sith assassin who has been part of Star Wars since the Tartakovsky animated shorts, who seemingly died in a novel adapted from an unused story from an animated series, only to return in all her glory as neither Sith nor Jedi. That's right folks Asaj Ventress returns to the screen as the titular "harbinger" of bad news. Julian and Rachel discuss Asaj's big return, what the information she delivers about the "m-count experiments" means for Omega, and whether we think this is the last we see of this assassin turned bounty hunter.

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and leave a nice review on Apple Podcasts, and check out Patreon.com/TowerBabbleCast to become one of our latest patrons.

SSSW - The Bad Batch S3E9 "The Harbinger"

Julian Meush and Rachel Wilkinson

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After an exciting two-parter last week, where the larger clone conspiracy plotline was brought to the fore, we return to something a bit more quaint. This week's episode falls more into the "mission of week" type format. Something we got pretty used to from seasons 1 and 2, but haven't seen much of this season. That is likely due to the fact that this is the final season, and there just isn't as much time to spend on episodes that don't really drive plot or character development. This week's A and B plot format attempted to tackle both of those tasks, but largely fell short of being a satisfying enough on either level. We see Hunter and Wrecker working with fan favourite bounty hunter, Fennec Shand, as they look for clues on the Empire's "M-Count experiments". Meanwhile, Omega tries to help Crosshair heal is hand tremors. Julian and Rachel unpack the episode scene by scene as well as discuss the first trailer for 'The Acolyte'.

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and leave a nice review on Apple Podcasts, and check out Patreon.com/TowerBabbleCast to become one of our latest patrons.

SSSW - The Bad Batch S3E8 "Bad Territory"

Julian Meush and Rachel Wilkinson

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Julian finds some time to link up with Jeremy between the weekly ‘The Bad Batch’ reviews to discuss the winners from this year’s Oscars, the big wins from ‘Oppenheimer’ and the state of the ceremony itself. The guys also review ‘Dune: Part Two’ and preview ‘X-Men ‘97’. Plus some general Marvel and DC news to keep things flowing. All that and so much more on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast!

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and leave a nice review on Apple Podcasts, and check out Patreon.com/TowerBabbleCast to become one of our latest patrons.

Episode 194 - Oscars Recap and Dune Part Two

Julian Meush and Jeremy Kozier

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Show Notes

• The Oscars

  • Recap and review of the ceremony

  • Discussion on winners and ‘Oppenheimer’

  • Prediction scores review

• ‘Dune: Part Two’ review

General News

• According to a recent poll ⅔ adults in the USA prefer to watch movies on streaming rather than theaters.

• The Bear is filming seasons 3 and 4 back-to-back.

• Patty Jenkins is apparently working on ‘Rogue Squadron’ again.

• ‘The Batman 2’ has been delayed to Oct 2, 2026.

• Rumours include:

• Joker being a Hannibal type in Arkham.

• Clayface being a serial killer who uses his victims skin to change the appearance of his face.

• There will be more actions sequences than the first movie.

• Is it actually canceled?

• Should Batman kill?

• James Gunn’s ‘Superman: Legacy’ has been renamed to simply ‘Superman’

• ‘X-Men ‘97’ preview

• Eternals 2 was canceled as the studio wants to take less risks and focus on more “guaranteed hits”.

• Disney’s new live action boss, David Greenbaum reportedly pitched his approach to green-lighting projects as one question: “does this film need to exist?”

• A ‘NOVA’ project is in early development.

Agree or Disagree:

Jonathan Nolan says when he developed ‘Fallout’, he thought it would be a “fool’s errand” to set out to please fans:

“My approach is to make the show you want to make trusting, as fans of the game, we would find pieces that were essential to us”

The larger clone struggle returns to center stage with the return of some fan favorites, in what feels like a sequel to the stellar “Clone Conspiracy” episode from season 2. This two-part episode ramps up tension quickly and then relieves it with exciting action set pieces framed by gorgeous scenery. Crosshair and Omega continue to play a vital role at the center of the plot, and with the assassin clones becoming a larger part of the mystery, we are eager to learn more about how everything ties together. These episodes do a great job of clarifying the stakes for the remainder of the season while also planting seeds for things we know are still coming.

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and leave a nice review on Apple Podcasts, and check out Patreon.com/TowerBabbleCast to become one of our latest patrons.

SSSW - The Bad Batch S3E6+7 "Infiltration" & "Extraction"

Julian Meush and Rachel Wilkinson

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The exciting escape last week left us with the unresolved conflict between Crosshair and the rest of his former squad. In the podcast we discussed how it would be a good idea for the show to slow down for a moment and let Crosshair hash things out with Hunter and Wrecker before jumping back into a larger plot driven narrative. Fortunately it seems like the folks over at Lucasfilm Animation were way ahead of us, as they did just that this week. With a return to Pabu for a reset, the team meets up with Echo to gather additional intel on the whereabouts of Tantiss. The mission takes Crosshair back to the events of "The Outpost" for a spiritual sequel, which feels more than appropriate considering where Crosshair is now in his character arc. Julian and Rachel break down every moment of discord whilst Crosshair does the difficult work of earning back trust.

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and leave a nice review on Apple Podcasts, and check out Patreon.com/TowerBabbleCast to become one of our latest patrons.

SSSW - The Bad Batch S3E5 "The Return"

Julian Meush and Rachel Wilkinson

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Last year, Julian was forced to look back at the Oscar alone. This was back when Twitter was still called Twitter and they still had a feature called "Spaces". He wondered aloud at that time, "what would next year's Oscars show look like?". Well Fast-forward one year and you have your answer. Things are quite different, for one thing Twitter is now called "X" for some stupid reason, and more importantly Julian is no longer alone. In the spirit of this year's ToB effort to expand the cast and bring more people into the show, he's instead joined by long time friend of the show, Axel Foley from the 'Daily DVR Podcast'. The original format returns as the two hosts take a look at each of the Best Picture nominees before moving into predictions for who they think will take home the hardware, as well as who they think SHOULD win the awards.

Play along at home with your own predictions! Find a full list of Julian's predictions linked below for reference, but feel free to fill out your own ballot with the attached PDF from Variety and send them into the show! Email them to [email protected] and we'll shout out whoever had the most accurate predictions in an upcoming episode!

• Who Julian thinks WILL win 

• Who Julian thinks SHOULD win 

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and leave a nice review on Apple Podcasts, and check out Patreon.com/TowerBabbleCast to become one of our latest patrons.

ToB Interlude - 2024 Oscars Preview Show

Julian Meush and Axel Foley

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Predictions*

*Winners and scoring have been added after the ceremony.

Best PictureWho We Want to Win:

• Axel: Anatomy of a Fall

• Julian: Oppenheimer (Correct)

Who Will Win:

• Axel: Oppenheimer (Correct)

• Julian: Oppenheimer (Correct)

Best DirectorWho We Want to Win:

• Axel: Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)

• Julian: Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) (Correct)

Who Will Win:

• Axel: Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) (Correct)

• Julian: Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) (Correct)

Best Actor in a Leading RoleWho We Want to Win:

• Axel: Paul Giamatii (The Holdovers)

• Julian: Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) (Correct)

Who Will Win:

• Axel: Paul Giamatii (The Holdovers)

• Julian: Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) (Correct)

Best Actress in a Leading RoleWho We Want to Win:

• Axel: Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall)

• Julian: Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)

Who Will Win:

• Axel: Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall)

• Julian: Emma Stone (Poor Things) (Correct)

Best Actor in a Supporting RoleWho We Want to Win:

• Axel: Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction)

• Julian: Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things)

Who Will Win:

• Axel: Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) (Correct)

• Julian: Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) (Correct)

Best Actress in a Supporting RoleWho We Want to Win:

• Axel: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) (Correct)

• Julian: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) (Correct)

Who Will Win:

• Axel: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) (Correct)

• Julian: Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer)

Best Adapted ScreenplayWho We Want to Win:

• Axel: American Fiction (Correct)

• Julian: Barbie

Who Will Win:

• Axel: Oppenheimer

• Julian: Oppenheimer

Best Original ScreenplayWho We Want to Win:

• Axel: Anatomy of a Fall (Correct)

• Julian: Past Lives

Who Will Win:

• Axel: The Holdovers

• Julian: Anatomy of a Fall (Correct)

Best Original ScoreWho We Want to Win:

• Axel: American Fiction

• Julian: Oppenheimer (Correct)

Who Will Win:

• Axel: American Fiction

• Julian: Poor Things

Best CinematographyWho We Want to Win:

• Axel: Maestro

• Julian: Poor Things

Who Will Win:

• Axel: Oppenheimer (Correct)

• Julian: Oppenheimer (Correct)

Scoring

Axel:

• Should Win: 3/10

• Will Win: 4/10

Julian:

• Should Win: 5/10

• Will Win: 7/10

With the extra large premiere out of the way, Julian and Rachel can settle back into the traditional weekly cadence. Unfortunately life finds a way to disrupt well laid plans. As such, this podcast drops a day later than usual - apologies. The episode itself was high stakes and thrilling from the jump, and had a potent finish that gave us a good reset for the rest of the season. We got to explore a new planet, Lau, which is already under a heavy Imperial presence and ruled by the iron fist of Captain Mann, a greasy Imperial leader who is out to enrich himself while stationed on a backwater world. The setting makes for an intriguing backdrop as Omega, Crosshair, and Batcher look for a way off the planet.

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and leave a nice review on Apple Podcasts, and check out Patreon.com/TowerBabbleCast to become one of our latest patrons.

SSSW - The Bad Batch S3E4 “A Different Approach”

Julian Meush and Rachel Wilkinson

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When it comes to sci-fi in the real world, the idea that we'd add an extra day at the end of February, every 4 years, would rank amongst the ideas that sound like they come out of a Frank Herbert novel. Which is appropriate considering that the sequel to Denis Villeneuve's adaption of the novel of the same name, 'Dune', releases across the globe today on February 29th, 2024. To celebrate the occasion, Julian and Jeremy look back at the first installment in the series from 2021 and deliver their in-depth review (with a fun "Transformers" sidebar for good measure) as a bonus, publicly available, installment of the ToB Film Club. Something typically reserved for Patrons only, but what the heck, it's a leap year! We recommend taking a hit of some Spice Mélange before diving in. It will help you make more sense of all of Paul's visions and set you up nicely to transition directly into the sequel over the weekend.

Next Month: the 1989 Rowdy Herrington cult classic, 'Road House'. Just in time for the Jake Gyllenhaal remake! 

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and leave a nice review on Apple Podcasts, and check out Patreon.com/TowerBabbleCast to become one of our latest patrons.

Bonus Episode - ToB Film Club - Dune (2021)

Julian Meush and Jeremy Kozier

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Smell that regs? That's the smell of fresh Star Wars animation - breath it in. 'The Bad Batch' dropped it's hotly anticipated 3-part premiere this week and your Small Screen Star Wars hosts are back to unpack each beautifully crafted moment from "Confined", "Paths Unknown", and "Shadows of Tantiss" . Buckle up, as the three episodes come in around 90 minutes in total, which means you are in for a full 2.5 hour recap and review from Julian and Rachel, as the melancholy journey toward the series finale begins. Fortunately each step (episode) on that journey so far has been up to standard. This premiere brings back the gorgeous look and feel from Lucasfilm Animation and the consistently strong storytelling to setup what looks to be an exciting final season. With the board now set it's time to tune in each week to see how this all comes together. We're betting it'll end with a well deserved bang. You know Wrecker wouldn't have it any other way.

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and leave a nice review on Apple Podcasts, and check out Patreon.com/TowerBabbleCast to become one of our latest patrons.

SSSW - The Bad Batch S3 Premiere

Julian Meush and Rachel Wilkinson

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With TV now out of the way we can move on to the medium that TV wishes it was - film! Part 2 of the 2023 Tobie Awards focuses in on the best in movies from last year. The Oscars seem to think that there was one movie that stood head and shoulders above the rest, in ‘Oppenheimer’, at least based on how many nominations it got, and Julian, Vince, and Jeremy, certainly give it it’s due, but there is a lot of other worthwhile films to cover on this list. Especially on the genre side of things - movies that would more often than not, never fall under the Oscars purview. Buckle up as the ToB Crew discuss a wide array of top tier films from across the spectrum. Enjoy!

If you enjoy the show please subscribe and leave a nice review on Apple Podcasts, and check out Patreon.com/TowerBabbleCast to become one of our latest patrons.

Episode 193 - The 2023 Tobie Awards (7th Annual) - Movies

Julian Meush, Jeremy Kozier, and Vince Hosein

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Show NotesMoviesJulian

1. Oppenheimer

2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

3. TMNT: Mutant Mayhem

Honourable Mention:

• Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Asteroid City (plus his Roll Doll shorts), The Super Mario Bros Movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3, The Iron Claw

Disappointment:

• The Flash, Rebel Moon Part 1, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Vince

1. The Super Mario Bros Movie

2. Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3

3. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Honourable Mention:

• Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Disappointment:

• The Flash, Rebel Moon: Part 1, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Jeremy

1. Oppenheimer

2. The Iron Claw