Verbal Diorama

Hellboy, as a concept, shouldn't work as well as it did in 2004. (Well, we saw what rebooting it in 2019 did....)

Mike Mignola's comic blends folklore, mythology, the paranormal and Lovecraftian horror, and needed a director who could take all that and make it visually appealing, and coherent to the layman. It also needed a lead actor who could portray the strength, vulnerability and humour needed for a main character who would put off the most conservative of viewer just by being a big red demon with the word 'hell' his name.

The winning combination of Guillermo del Toro's direction and Ron Perlman headlining made Hellboy from what could have been a dull, lifeless mess to a rich, funny, heartwarming, visually stunning story of a comic book hero that came years before the MCU made superheroes the norm.

Ron Perlman simply is Hellboy. He will always be Hellboy. Sorry David Harbour, but it's true.

With a cast rounded out by the master of bodily expression Doug Jones, a subdued but intense Selma Blair and the always wonderful late John Hurt, Hellboy really stands out as something special against the X-Men and Spider-Man movies of the same era.

This episode also includes a virtual interview with the co-writer of the screen story, Peter Briggs, who very kindly took some time out to answer some questions I sent him and recorded his responses. He can be found on Twitter @ThePeterBriggs. This is only the second interview he has ever done on Hellboy, so I'm delighted he was able to feature on this episode! The first interview is available here and is an interesting read!

Next week we conclude this double feature with Hellboy II: The Golden Army!

I would love to hear your thoughts on Hellboy! You can get in touch on

Twitter @verbaldiorama

Instagram @verbaldiorama

Facebook @verbaldiorama

YouTube @verbaldiorama

Letterboxd @verbaldiorama

or you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:

verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com

Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek and special thanks to new Patron Jason, who's joined as a Ted Theodore Logan patron, for supporting Verbal Diorama!

You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

Massive thank you to the wonderful Peter Briggs, co-writer of Hellboy (2004) @ThePeterBriggs for being involved in this episode.

Twitter peeps

Andy @geeksaladradio

@cinema_recall

@Stuntgoat75

@realhuntermmm

@schoolofmovies, who also have a Hellboy episode, and it's phenomenal. I highly recommend you check it out!

@BLCAgnew

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Verbal Diorama returns from partying with the Haitians..... I mean from the hiatus.... for one of the greatest comedies ever made - Clueless.

On the surface, just like any of the umpteen other 90s teen movies, but dig a little deeper and Clueless is a sharp, satirical and heartfelt look at teenagers; the way they speak, dress and think, in a thinly veiled adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel Emma. Witty, sweet and way existential, Amy Heckerling directed, wrote and and enlisted a perfect ensemble cast of relative unknowns who have mostly all gone on to bigger and better things; including the likes of Paul Rudd and the late Brittany Murphy.

The star of the show is undoubtedly Alicia Silverstone, plucked from an Aerosmith video, into the role of shallow, but sweet Cher. Misguided in love and life (other than trips to the mall) but don't underestimate her. Cher contains surprise depth and character growth and knows her Shakespeare as well as her Alaia (it's like, a totally important designer!). Alicia Silverstone deserved to be a big star, but despite a few choice roles in the late 90s and early 00s her star never really materialised, but whatever.... she's a total Betty in this movie.

This movie taught me the words 'sporadic' and 'tardy', and that there was such a thing as a Pauly Shore movie. There's not many movies that you can say teach you vernacular and that hold up this well 25 years later.

And in conclusion may I please remind you that it does not say R.S.V.P. on the Statue of Liberty.

I would love to hear your thoughts on Clueless! You can get in touch on

Twitter @verbaldiorama

Instagram @verbaldiorama

Facebook @verbaldiorama

YouTube @verbaldiorama

Letterboxd @verbaldiorama

or you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:

verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com

Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel and Derek for supporting Verbal Diorama!

You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and Podchaser and I'd very much appreciate that!

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

Sade from @offscreenbabble, for suggesting the episode and providing her thoughts in audio form.

Twitter peeps

Andy @geeksaladradio

@kolbymac

@TimeShiftersPod

@TheSavageSlav

Instagram pals

@moviesatthematt

@ec12172001

@kerry_wadhwa

Facebook chums

Erik Carlson

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to the first episode of year two and the final episode of my ten-episode animation season.

Gosh, Treasure Planet is stunning. Every detail of its aesthetic is glorious to behold, and the fact that its directors Ron Clements and John Musker were so determined to get it made is truly an outstanding achievement.

From its illustrious pedigree, to the 70/30 rule, to the use of Deep Canvas, this is a technical marvel of an animated movie that just seems to have been largely forgotten, but it doesn't deserve to be.

While there are issues, it really does stand up as one of the most beautiful Disney movies I've ever seen. And it's quite like Titan A.E. In more ways than one.

I would love to hear your thoughts on Treasure Planet! You can get in touch on

Twitter @verbaldiorama

Instagram @verbaldiorama

Facebook @verbaldiorama

YouTube @verbaldiorama

Letterboxd @verbaldiorama

or you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:

verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com

Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel and Derek for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your Keanu - you can now get the majority of episodes early too!

You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

Twitter peeps

@TheMidnightMyth

@hanszargow

Instagram pals

@mobisze

@whythisfilmpodcast

@tmi_podcast2018

Facebook chums

Erik Carlson

Andy DeSisto

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Verbal Diorama has been going for one year! To celebrate, I asked Twitter to choose between Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke or Laputa: Castle in the Sky. Twitter chose Spirited Away.

Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi

Thank you so much for listening and supporting the podcast for the past year - you rock!

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Verbal Diorama has been going for one year! To celebrate, here's the first ever Studio Ghibli movie I saw as a child - My Neighbour Totoro.

Tonari no Totoro

Thank you so much for listening and supporting the podcast for the past year - you rock!

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Verbal Diorama has been going for one year! To celebrate, here's my favourite Studio Ghibli movie - Howl's Moving Castle

Hauru no Ugoku Shiro

Thank you so much for listening and supporting the podcast for the past year - you rock!

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"Alright, let's do this one last time. My name is Peter Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider, and for 10 years, I've been the one and only– Spider-Man. I'm pretty sure you know the rest."

"Alright, people, let’s do this one last time. My name is Peter B. Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider. And for the last 22 years– I thought I was the one and only Spider-Man. What a day. I'm pretty sure you know the rest.""

"Alright, people. Let’s start at the beginning one last time. My name is Gwen Stacy. I was bitten by a radioactive spider, And for the last 2 years, I've been the one and only Spider-Woman. You guys know the rest."

"My name is Peter Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider. In my universe, it's 1933 and I’m a private eye. I like to drink egg creams and I like to fight Nazis. A lot. Sometimes, I let matches burn down to my fingertips just to feel something, anything."

"Hi, guys! Konichiwa! Hajimemashite yoroshiku! My name is Peni Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider. I'm from New York in the year 3145. I have a psychic link with a spider who lives inside my father's robot, and we're best friends forever."

"My name is Peter Porker. I was bitten by a radioactive pig. I'm a photographer for the Daily Beagle. When I'm not pooching around, I'm working like a dog trying to sniff out the latest story. I frolic, and I dance, and I do this with my pants...."

"Okay, let's do this one last time, yeah? For real this time. This is it. My name is Miles Morales. I was bitten by a radioactive spider, And for like 2 days, I've been the one and only Spider-Man. I think you know the rest. I finished my essay, saved a bunch of people, got hit by a drone, I did this with my dad, met my roommate finally, slapped a sticker where my dad's never gonna find it, and when I feel alone, like no one understands what I'm going through, I remember my friends who get it. I never thought I'd be able to do any of this stuff, but I can. Anyone can wear the mask. You could wear the mask. If you didn't know that before, I hope you do now. 'Cause I'm Spider-Man, and I'm not the only one. Not by a long shot."

I would love to hear your thoughts on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse! You can get in touch on

Twitter @verbaldiorama

Instagram @verbaldiorama

Facebook @verbaldiorama

YouTube @verbaldiorama

Letterboxd @verbaldiorama

or you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:

verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com

Thank you to patrons Simon E, Sade, Jardiel, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel and Derek for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your Keanu - you can now get the majority of episodes early too!

You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

Twitter peeps

Andy @geeksaladradio

@capunderstands

@derekjones198

@FilmBustersPaul

@trivia_chic

@TimeShiftersPod

@bingeablespod

@FWESpodcast

@moviesandteapod

@TCbyTC

@Stuntgoat75

@TroytlePower

Instagram pals

@kolbytoldme

@eatcrime

@friends_and_flayers

@contrarianprime

Facebook chums

Laurel Hostak Jones

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One day, a talented lass or fellow,

a special one with face of yellow,

will make the Piece of Resistance found

from it's hiding refuge underground,

and with a noble army at the helm,

this Master Builder will thwart the Kragle and save the realm,

and be the greatest, most interesting, most important person of all times.

All this is true because it rhymes.

Lego, the most popular toy in the entire world, does not need a movie based on it. In fact, Lego executives originally didn't want it to be made. They didn't want it to potentially tarnish their legacy; a brand that had been successful for almost 70 years and sold 600 billion bricks.

The fact that The Lego Movie exists is amazing in itself. That it's not just a shameless feature-length advertisement for toys is even more so. It's witty, smart, fun and appeals to all ages, a lot like the toy bricks it's representing but unlike those bricks, there are no rules other than the rule of enjoyment.

It parodies everything, pays homage to everything, details everything and exaggerates everything. This movie really does have everything.

EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!

I would love to hear your thoughts on The Lego Movie! You can get in touch on

Twitter @verbaldiorama

Instagram @verbaldiorama

Facebook @verbaldiorama

YouTube @verbaldiorama

Letterboxd @verbaldiorama

or you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:

verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com

Thank you to our Patreon Producer Sade, patrons Simon E, Jardiel, Claudia and Simon B for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your Keanu - you can now get the majority of episodes early too!

You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

Twitter peeps

Andy @geeksaladradio

@derekjones198

@Pulp Cereal

@TheIridescentA1

Instagram pals

@heamcast

@snuggles2005

Facebook chums

Andy DeSisto

Erik Carlson

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

SPACESHIP!

SPACESHIP!

SPACESHIP!

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Most parents think their kids are gifted. Most kids think their parents are heroes (whilst also being really embarrassing!). Most families are super, but only the Parr family is Incredible.

Unlike the other movies featured in the animation season so far, The Incredibles was a massive critical and commercial success for Brad Bird, the first out-of-house film-maker Pixar brought into the fold. While his previous movie, The Iron Giant (see episode 17!) failed to make a mark at the box office, The Incredibles flew high, without capes, into the hearts and minds of millions.

But don't be fooled. It's not just your standard superhero movie. It has layers and layers of complexity in its style and substance. It's a study about family, mid-life crises, marital problems and identity, and it does it whilst balancing action, comedy and character perfectly and most importantly, it never sugar-coats the serious real-world danger of being a superhero.

It's bright, colourful, gorgeous, fun and endlessly quotable. This is my favourite Pixar movie for a reason. I think it's super.

You sly dog, you got me monologuing! (Well, it's a solo podcast, so it's kinda inevitable)

I would love to hear your thoughts on The Incredibles! You can get in touch on

Twitter @verbaldiorama

Instagram @verbaldiorama

Facebook @verbaldiorama

YouTube @verbaldiorama

Letterboxd @verbaldiorama

or you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:

verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com

Thank you to our Patreon Producer Sade, patrons Simon E, Jardiel, Claudia and Simon B for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your Keanu - you can now get the majority of episodes early too!

You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

Twitter peeps

Andy @geeksaladradio

Dave @NFTDT

Sade @offscreenbabble - Patreon producer Sade, here!

@SeanGeekPodcast

@derekjones198

@AttheflicksPod

@iused2watchthis

@FriendsNFlayers

@PulpCereal

@kevin_thecritic

@hugosposts

Facebook chums

Erik Carlson

Lorraine Purdon

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

Go, confront the problem. Fight! Win! And call me when you get back, darling. I enjoy our visits.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you saw Kubo and the Two Strings, you'd probably be in agreement with me when I say that's it's the most stunning achievement in stop motion filmmaking, and Laika deserve all the accolades.

The problem is, not many people did see it. In fact although it's arguably Laika's best work, it's also one of their biggest financial failures, which is a travesty and we should all hang our heads in shame (me included - I first saw it on Blu-Ray!).

Telling the story of a young boy on an epic quest, it's a tale of the bond of family (especially mothers and sons), found family, courage, power, memories and ultimately that kindness is a strength, not a weakness.

The sheer feat of skill, technology, engineering, innovation and determination is etched into every snowflake and leaf all the way up to a record breaking 16 foot tall skeleton puppet.

In short, this movie surpasses technical achievement. It's exceptional. And, like me, you'll probably cry a lot.

Visit Laika's YouTube Channel here

I would love to hear your thoughts on Kubo and the Two Strings! You can get in touch on

Twitter @verbaldiorama

Instagram @verbaldiorama

Facebook @verbaldiorama

YouTube @verbaldiorama

Letterboxd @verbaldiorama

or you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:

verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com

Thank you to our Patreon Producer Sade, patrons Simon E, Jardiel, Claudia and Simon B for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look over at https://www.patreon.com/verbaldiorama and choose your Keanu - you can now get the majority of episodes early too!

You can rate or review the show in iTunes or at Apple Podcasts and I'd very much appreciate that!

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

Twitter peeps

@SYIMS_Podcast

@FalseStartsPod

@Robnoady

@TheMiddleborne

@GnarlyJimbob

Instagram folk

@mobisze

@vegimorph

@thisfilmislit

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.