Verbal Diorama

Have you seen that movie by Edgar Wright?

Shaun of the Dead? I love that movie.

No, the other one.

Hot Fuzz - I always quote it!

No, neither of those, the one with the young lad as the lead

Baby Driver! Oh my god, such a cool movie, great soundtrack

None of those! The other other other other Edgar Wright movie!

The World's End?

Get out!

If this conversation has happened to you, you're not alone. Scott Pilgrim vs The World is actually brilliant, but so are all of Edgar Wright's other movies, and so poor Scott Pilgrim tends to be forgotten.

I want to change that. Scott Pilgrim has a phenomenal cast, great music, brilliant fight choreography and more video game references than all video games combined (probably). It about heart, strength, character and defeating your new loves' evil exes. What's more relateable than that?

Most importantly, I've found a new ringtone and a way to swear on the podcast without actually swearing - all thanks to this movie!

I would love to hear your thoughts on Scott Pilgrim vs The World! 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

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 (I always forget to say it in the episode!)

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

Twitter peeps

@capunderstands

@Le_Meanderthals

@Wyattrocks

@PulpCereal

@trivia_chic

@foodhistorypod

@thedcabrera

@TroytlePower

Instagram folk

@contrarianprime

@thethirstpod

@thereal_johng

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.

If you've downloaded this because you've seen The Iron Giant - big pat on the back and well done for doing so! Take a listen as I go on an almighty rant about why people under-appreciate animation and why The Iron Giant contradicts the myth that animation is just for children, whilst also being a master-class in animation, theme, characters and voice talent.

If you've downloaded this because you haven't seen The Iron Giant, but trust what comes out of my mouth, I'm going to say..... PLEASE WATCH THE IRON GIANT! And then come back and listen for all the reasons above. It saddens me you haven't seen it, but I understand why. 1999 was incredibly saturated for excellence in cinema. But this..... this is worth the watch. If you only trust me once, trust me on this.

This is not just animation. Animation is never just animation. The Iron Giant proves more so than any animated feature that to class animation as "just" animation is plain and simply idiotic.

Animation is not a genre.

Animation is everything.

The Iron Giant is a masterpiece.

Bravo Brad Bird. You clever amazing man. I might just love you more than Keanu..... (maybe not, but it's close!)

Pete Townshend's A Friend of a Friend animated video for 1989's The Iron Man is at https://youtu.be/LpiYXRt5MyM

I would love to hear your thoughts on The Iron Giant! 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

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

Buy yourself a copy of The Iron Giant for my birthday. Genuinely all I could ever want.

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their co ntributions to this episode:

Twitter peeps

@MoviesAtTheMatt

@HeresSandy

@LaunchingTPilot

@FeministHotdog

@20thCenturyGeek

@agirlherhorror

@RobertC46302033

Instagram folk

@itsnotjoe

@thethirstpod

Next up? Well you'll have to listen to find out, so go do the Wright thing..... ;-)

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.

There were lots of fantasy movies which came out in the 80s. Flash Gordon, The Dark Crystal, Krull, The Neverending Story, Legend and Labyrinth to name a few. None were, however, as sweet-natured, innocent and kind as Willow, with a marvellous central performance from a mature beyond his years teenage Warwick Davis. (He was actually 17 during filming, not 18 like I say in the episode.... ooops!)

You simply couldn't have Willow without Warwick. Nor could you have Willow without the ground-breaking special effects; a mixture of animatronics, stop-motion, miniatures, animation, over-sized sets, blue-screen compositing, rear projection, as well as ILM’s innovative 2D transformation system, called MORF. This movie contains so much state-of-the-art special effects work that they had to scale down production to stop the budget from being blown!

Don't even get me started on that James Horner score. It's so beautiful it makes me cry!

Simply put, whilst the story is simple, this movie is magic. Willow...... You Are Great!

I would love to hear your thoughts on Willow! 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

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

For Augstravaganza, please don't donate to Ko-fi. Instead please donate to shinecharity.org.uk/donate so they can provide advice and support to families dealing with spina bifida, hydrocephalus and related conditions. Any Ko-Fi donations I receive in the month of August will instead be donated to Shine.

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

Twitter peeps

@30podcast

@gundam_guyver

Instagram folk

@sheenanigans83

@rcarteaga_h24

@leppieladdie

@ginatinel

Next up is The Iron Giant - look out for that in your podcatcher on 31st August!

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.

Jarsoomians! Welcome to Barsoom Airlines. Exits are here, here, here and here. Please fasten your seat belts, there's a lot of turbulence on our journey and honestly we're all in for a bumpy ride to visit John Carter (of Mars).

John Carter, fictional hero of the American Civil War and of Edgar Rice Burroughs' popular Barsoom series of novels should have had an easy road to Hollywood glory. His name in lights should have enticed men, women and children to his big screen adventures, with multiple sequels, telling a story beloved by many. He should be as big as Star Wars or Avatar, movies that were inspired by his adventures.

He's not though. His movie spent 81 years in development hell before being released, flopping terribly and fading into relative obscurity. It's almost like it's a swear word in Disney canon, (because lest we forget, this is a Disney movie). The House of Mouse wants nothing more to do with this character or this movie.

Join me, as we follow John to Mars, discover why Mars was actually deemed part of the problem, how an inexperienced director managed to get complete creative control over a $250 million movie and just how they managed to market an Edgar Rice Burroughs adaptation without even mentioning Edgar Rice Burroughs.

The thing is, it's actually not a terrible movie. It's convoluted and confusing, but it's also fun and interesting. It's just not the masterpiece it should have been.

Ock, ohem, oktei, weis, Barsoom!

References:

Bob Clampett's test footage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTAlgZlqwnQ

Kerry Conran's presentation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfry_GeXst8

John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood by Michael D Sellers - https://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Carter-Gods-Hollywood-filmmakers/dp/0615682316

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

Twitter @verbaldiorama

Instagram @verbaldiorama

Facebook @verbaldiorama

YouTube @verbaldiorama

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

verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com

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

For Augstravaganza, please don't donate to Ko-fi. Instead please donate to shinecharity.org.uk/donate so they can provide advice and support to families dealing with spina bifida, hydrocephalus and related conditions. Any Ko-Fi donations I receive in the month of August will instead be donated to Shine.

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

Twitter peeps

Andy @geeksaladradio

Mike @gundam_guyver

Jeff @AttheflicksPod

@ComicsinMotionP

Christopher @TimeShiftersPod

@PulpCereal

@Erikakamoviefan

@Dreamofdragons

@TheMiddleborne

@Lawrencehoard91

Next up is Willow - look out for that in your podcatcher in about a week's time!

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.

What is The Matrix?

No one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.

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

Twitter @verbaldiorama

Instagram @verbaldiorama

Facebook @verbaldiorama

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

[email protected]

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

For Augstravaganza, please don't donate to Ko-fi. Instead please donate to shinecharity.org.uk/donate so they can provide advice and support to families dealing with spina bifida, hydrocephalus and related conditions. Any Ko-Fi donations I receive in the month of August will instead be donated to Shine.

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Special thanks to Lorraine & Harrie from Show Me The Podcast - come back to podcasting soon, we miss you!

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

Twitter peeps

Andy @geeksaladradio

Jason @WooLongTalks

@_unexceptionals

@MeteorReviews

Christy @KillerFunPod

@bluesoxcircle

@cinema_recall

Jeff @AttheflicksPod

@FeministHotdog

@PulpCereal

@iused2watchthis

@SelectWomanTaft

Instagram folk

@richkidd266

@vergimorph

@unitanda

@ozzy_aydo

Next up is John Carter - look out for that in your podcatcher in about a week's time!

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.

 I... I may not be an explorer, or, or an adventurer, or a treasure-seeker, or a gunfighter, Mr. O'Connell, but I am proud of what I am! I….. am the girl who really really loves The Mummy.

Wholly, completely, absolutely despite its flaws, I love it. I can watch it every damn day. It's the perfect mix of action, adventure, romance, comedy and horror, with peak Brendan Fraser and perfect Rachel Weisz. Hollywood just doesn't make movies like this anymore.

Like Evie Carnaghan, I need a Rick O'Connell to help me decipher the hieroglyphs of this wonderful slice of pulp cinema, and who better that literally one of the nicest guys in podcasting?!

Despite the curse on this episode ("The curse, beware of the curse!"), I'm finally joined by Jason from WooLongTalks, on our third attempt, to gush over this movie. We avoid the Hom Dai, and delve into the tombs of Hamunaptra to find a nice gooey Mummy; its history involving the likes of legendary horror directors like Clive Barker and Wes Craven, but the main reason The Mummy exists at all? A little pig called Babe.

Now listen, this movie is twenty years old this year and whilst it's aged reasonably well, we know it's not perfect. We chat a little about some of the problematic aspects of the movie and the quite gaping plot holes, but honestly, I still love it.

Now this is the only Dark Universe we could ever need! Death is only the beginning.

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

Twitter @verbaldiorama

Instagram @verbaldiorama

Facebook @verbaldiorama

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

[email protected]

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

For Augstravaganza, please don't donate to Ko-fi. Instead please donate to shinecharity.org.uk/donate so they can provide advice and support to families dealing with spina bifida, hydrocephalus and related conditions. Any Ko-Fi donations I receive in the month of August will instead be donated to Shine.

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Thanks to the following for their contributions to this episode:

My mum! She finds this movie very scary, but her thoughts are included, so thanks Mum!

Twitter peeps

Sade from @offscreenbabble

@PulpCereal

Claudia @youreonclaud9

@canuckinomicon

@Capt_Hangry

Cat @thingscatloves

@ContrarianPrime

@PopPrismPower

@DrunkNetflix

Instagram folk

@vegimorph

@therebooters

@evie_the_cheeky_chi

Next up is The Matrix - look out for that in your podcatcher in a week's time!

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.

Good morning Angels.

Good morning Charlie!

Three, is the magic number. You have three blind mice, three little pigs and you always, always have three Angels. Three extraordinary women who work for one man, Charles Townsend, played by three extraordinary actresses.

Drew Barrymore and her production company Flower Films had a vision for a Charlie's Angels movie; she wanted it to be fun, campy and inspirational, where the women were just as sexy as they were funny, as they were skilled at martial arts. So she set out, with her production company partner Nancy Juvonen and pitched her idea, her choice of first time movie director and her vision to the studio. By some miraculous turn of events, she got it, and so did we, and boy it's just so much fun to watch!

Charlie's Angels is often lampooned as a terrible movie. Whilst it's not perfect, it has a great cast who worked incredibly hard, and have built life-long friendships because of this movie.

Just don't talk about that moonwalk. It's not a moonwalk, Drew!

Also, don't talk about that time Bill Murray headbutted the director.

Also also, don't talk about the argument between Lucy Liu and Bill Murray.

Maybe just don't talk about Bill Murray at all, ok.

Also, don't talk about salaries.

Or the many many screenwriters and script edits.

How is this movie even coherent?!

I would love to hear your thoughts on Charlie's Angels! You can get in touch on

Twitter @verbaldiorama

Instagram @verbaldiorama

Facebook @verbaldiorama

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

[email protected]

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

If you'd like to buy me a coffee, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/verbaldiorama 

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

For those interested in my amazing new theme song, here's some info about who did it and how you can get in touch with them if you want a cracking good new song for your podcast, or for any project really. If you do, make sure you say Em from Verbal Diorama sent you.

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott.

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Compositions by Chloe Facebook

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studios

Ewenique Studios Facebook

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

The Phoenix will rise.....

But will she, though?

I'm joined by ChinLin from The Bingeables Podcast to talk about the final part of Fox's landmark X-Men franchise, which started in 2000 and all but kicked off the modern fascination with superheroes. There's been sequels, prequels, spin-offs and now this, an(other) adaptation of one of the X-Men's most well known and loved story lines: The Dark Phoenix Saga.

Truthfully, the movie is a bit of a mess, however we both love the X-Men and so we find some things to enjoy, but we can't help but wonder what could have been of this movie had certain other events not been going on at the time. It could have been great, it should have been great.

Mostly though, our thoughts are summarised by the phrase.... "What the Vuk was that?!" #WhatTheVuk

You can find ChinLin and The Bingeables on Twitter @bingeablespod and you should follow and listen to ChinLin and Isaac if you don't already!

I would love to hear your thoughts on X-Men Dark Phoenix! You can get in touch on

Twitter @verbaldiorama

Instagram @verbaldiorama

Facebook @verbaldiorama

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

[email protected]

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

If you'd like to buy me a coffee, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/verbaldiorama 

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Special thanks to the following people for their contributions to this episode:

@AtTheFlickspod

@youreonclaud9

@doctorshades24

Lorraine from @smtpcast

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

Yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for us.

Gaaaah me hearties! Ahoy there! This be Em and I be joined by me co-captain for this voyage across the seven seas, Sade from Offscreen Babble. It might be trifle bad luck to have women aboard yer ship, but avast! We batten down the hatches to reach that horizon, stoppin' off on islands filled with Aztec gold and copious amounts of rum, where we will always remember the day we met Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?!

Thar's blood, scares, violence and enough sexual tension to make the lily-livered faint. Be ye sure t'is a Disney movie?

Don't end up in Davy Jones' locker! Hoist the Jolly Roger with us on the fastest ship on that there ocean - the Black Pearl! But be warned, there be a curse on this here ship, so watch out for Captain Barbossa and his mutinous crew!

Are ye aboard? Say AYE!

(The boring non pirate bit!)

Massive thanks to Sade for coming on the show. You can find Offscreen Babble on Twitter @offscreenbabble, Facebook @offscreenbabble and Instagram @offscreenbabble and you should follow & listen to Sade & Kyle if you don't already!

Their Etsy store is available at https://etsy.me/2Rxqqtc - please support them and buy one of Sade's amazing pins!

I would love to hear your thoughts on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl! You can get in touch on

Twitter @verbaldiorama

Instagram @verbaldiorama

Facebook @verbaldiorama

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

[email protected]

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

If you'd like to buy me a coffee, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/verbaldiorama 

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

Also thanks to the following people for their contributions to this episode:

@vegimorph

Andy @geeksaladradio

@alwayscriticpod

@FalseStartsPod

@BoxOfficePulp

@TheMidnightMyth

@hugosposts

@salexanderfilm

@CaitDoes

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

So, this is a little bonus episode I did after watching 2019's Aladdin and inevitably compared it to 1992's Aladdin; the movie I watched the most as a child.

Spoilers for the new 2019 Aladdin (although to be honest, if you know the 1992 movie, you should really know the rough plot - it's very similar!)

I also go into the production history of 1992's Aladdin, and the legacy of Robin Williams incredible performance and why we have Ferngully: The Last Rainforest to thank for all of this.

I would love to hear your thoughts on either version of Aladdin! You can get in touch on

Twitter @verbaldiorama

Instagram @verbaldiorama

Facebook @verbaldiorama

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

[email protected]

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

If you'd like to buy me a coffee, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/verbaldiorama 

My website is at https://verbaldiorama.com

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