Revenge of the Sith with The Skeeter Stevenson Variety Hour
Release Date: 01/12/2024
The Lord of the Rings (1978) with Alex Campo
Bad First Impression
Who's that silhouette I see through a piece of cheesecloth backlit red? It's BFI regular Alex Campo, here for a discussion of Ralph Bakshi's 1978 film The Lord of the Rings! This week we dive deep on the first ever theatrical feature adaptation of Tolkien's work to discover if there's anything worthwhile in it. A strange, compromised adaptation of Fellowship of the Ring and about a third of Two Towers, LOTR '78 is a strange piece of the puzzle that is the franchise. At what point do the live action elements stop being artistic choices and turn into cost-cutting measures? Why was a political...
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The Hobbit (1977)
Bad First Impression
At long last, we're starting our Lord of the Rings series. This week, Devin and KeriAnn kick things off with a movie that everyone definitely remembers: Rankin Bass' 1977 adaptation of The Hobbit! A TV movie created under dubious legal circumstance, The Hobbit is nonetheless the first released film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's world. How is it? Honestly, it has its moments! Listen in as we make our first deep dive into a Lord of the Rings movie by arguing if any of this movie's many, many songs are good, radical changes to the depiction of Gollum, and what the ideal runtime for an...
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Deadpool & Wolverine with Sebass Maroun, Bobby Martin, and Kevin Wingertzahn
Bad First Impression
Welcome to our first ever meta-podcast. Not really! We just like to say RaNdOm stuff like that sometimes. From the Skeeter Stevenson Variety Hour, Kevin Wingertzahn and Sebass Maroun along with Bobby Martin make their return to the show for a... discussion? of the latest blockbuster MCU film: Deadpool & Wolverine. Why are we covering this movie? SEO, mostly. Did we like it? You'll just have to listen and find out! Remember to rate five stars, follow, and leave us a review! Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, or on YouTube for video episodes! | | ...
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Longlegs with Alex Campo
Bad First Impression
We forgot we had our long legs on! Nicolas Cage expert Alex Campo returns to the show to discuss the new release: Os Perkins' Longlegs! It's a fantastic suspense film even if it doesn't live up to the marketing campaign dubbing it "one of the scariest movies of the decade," and it features an absolutely gonzo supporting performance from Nic Cage that rivals any of the work he's put out during his current career resurgence. So strap in, because Alex and I go very long(legs) discussing the current state of horror, what it takes to be a financial success in today's film market, and whatever...
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The Lord of the Rings: Series Trailer - There and Back Again... Again!
Bad First Impression
We're going there and back again... Again! KeriAnn Eng is back to kick off our new miniseries together: a comprehensive review of the entire Lord of the Rings franchise! What do we hope to gain by doing this? Honestly, we're not even sure yet, so join us as we figure out why- after taking a three hour bus each way to see each of the LOTR original trilogy movies' extended editions in Staten Island- we are using this series to drive ourselves further into insanity. It'll be fun! Follow us on social! | | Follow on YouTube or wherever else you get your podcasts! | | Logo...
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Jersey Girl with Lily Steinberg
Bad First Impression
It's the end of an era! Lily Steinberg is back to close out this season of Guest Defense episodes by discussing Kevin Smith's schmaltzy family comedy Jersey Girl. We get into the weird baggage this movie was asked to shoulder and why Kevin Smith should make his extended Snyder Cut of Jersey Girl more widely available. Also: We are so, so sorry for this episode's art work. Are you following us on social? There are episode clips as well as coverage schedules, including for our upcoming Lord of the RIngs series! | | Subscribe on YouTube and wherever else you get your podcasts! Remember to...
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Lifeforce with Max Evry
Bad First Impression
Is that a naked space vampire? So close! It's Max Evry- author of A Masterpiece in Disarray- coming on the pod to discuss Tobe Hooper's box office bomb Lifeforce. But first, Max talks to me about his experience writing an exhaustive history of the production, release, and legacy of David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of Dune and some of the insights he got from talking to over three dozen people involved in the production of the film. Once we switch back over to Lifeforce, discussion topics include: Seriously- why is this movie not titled Space Vampires? Does this movie contain...
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The Kissing Booth Trilogy with Connor Kwiecien
Bad First Impression
Co-owner of and comedian Connor Kwiecien steps away from the controls and in front of the mic for a defense of Netflix's Kissing Booth Trilogy! I sat down and watched this whole trilogy- without even going to Staten Island- and I have questions. Connor, the world's foremost Kissing Booth scholar, has answers! Chief among those questions are: Is The Kissing Booth 2 the longest movie ever made? How are we supposed to relate to these characters' problem when they live in the most luxurious beachside mansions ever? Was it the smartest choice to have this trilogy kick off with a "mom gets sick...
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The Master of Disguise with Cameron Lindsey
Bad First Impression
Boasting an almost impressive 1% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Master of Disguise is often cited as one of the worst movies ever made. But is this movie actually turtle-y enough to be considered a good time? That's what guest Cameron Lindsey, host of Everyone's Better Than Me, is here to argue. We dive deep on this movie to try to understand why it was received so negatively and what about it might be worth sticking around for. Did Dana Carvey hold a moment of silence for the victims of September 11th while wearing his Turtle Guy costume? Has a movie ever had a lazier premise than "what if I just...
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Meet the Feebles with Bobby Martin
Bad First Impression
When we have repeat guests back, they often start to develop patterns with the movies they're on to discuss. Having said this, Bad First Impression is extremely proud to welcome back Bobby Martin as our resident Explicit Nudity on Puppets Expert for a discussion of Meet the Feebles! A somewhat forgotten curio from Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, Meet the Feebles is a... showbiz satire? Proto-edgelord parody? Softcore fetish content? Aping the framework of The Muppets, Meet the Feebles is a lot of things, but boring is definitely not one of them. Watch along as Bobby makes the case...
info_outlineReturning to the show this week for our very first video episode are Sebass Maroun and Kevin Wingertzahn from The Skeeter Stevenson Variety Hour to discuss one of the most over-discussed film series of all time- that's right, we're talking Star Wars! After a midnight screening of Revenge of the Sith at the IFC Center, we sat down for an exhaustive conversation about Star Wars, how our relationships to it have changed over time, and what place it has and will continue to have in the culture at large. Topics include:
- Did George Lucas actually want to make this movie?
- Can any new Star Wars project avoid being too reactive to the reception of the last one?
- Were Yoda and Chewbacca always intended to be friends, and is Chewie's Ewok fetish problematic?
All this, and more!
Logo by Kristen Eng
Episode artwork by Lily Steinberg