Episode 101 - Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
No Time For Heroics
It's the superhero movie of the century (until the next one!) and Anthony and Andrew and dusting off the mics to tackle Marvel's The Avengers's: Infinity War! Can anything stop the Grimace (from winning a best actor Oscar?) Would this all be better as a high-end tv show on some kind of exclusive Marvel app? How does E.T. smell? How awesome is that Hawkeye was jettisoned from this movie!? Spoilers galore! But it's been out for like a month now, so y'know. We're back, moving to an intermittent schedule, for Infinity War!
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ONE SHOT: Last Jedi and the Death of Fan Criticism
No Time For Heroics
We've not been around for a while. Here's why! We talk about Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the good, the bad, and the fan reaction that killed Andrew's interest in having a fan reaction. And as such, we take a crack at it too. Is Last Jedi an deep cut into Star Wars lore that elevates the series? Is it a victim of conservative conspiracy? Or is it just an okay movie with some structural problems?
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Episode 100 - Birdman (2014)
No Time For Heroics
Holy centennial, Birdman! I mean, holy centennial. Birdman! For our 100th episode, we take on the only superhero movie ever to win Best Picture, 2014's Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue Ignorance). Is there anything objectively more important about "high-art" theatre compared to "low-art" blockbusters? What is the relationship between love and truth? Is Michael Keaton actually just a real superhero pretending to be an actor this whole time? Join us for our 100th episode special edition two-fisted, power-packed, knock down, drag out, cosmic collection of critical theory engaging with the...
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Episode 99 - The Crow (1994)
No Time For Heroics
Just by way of a trigger warning, we have a pretty frank discussion of rape in movies for a bit here. Which is basically what this dark, dark movie was about, so you probably knew that going in, but just to be aware. It's Halloween, and we finally get to do the halloweeniest request we've ever got, and do the 1994iest superhero movie of all, The Crow! How does this movie avoid the Hellboy pit with judicious use of a creepy sister? Is the crow The Crow, or is it the guy? Why is Devil's Night getting so commercial? ISN'T THERE ANY ONE... WHO KNOWS WHAT DEVIL'S NIGHT IS ALL ABOUT? Also, how many...
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Episode 98 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
No Time For Heroics
Awesome! Bodacious! Podcastic! We watched the most underrated comic book movie of all time, 1990's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Is April actually a terrible reporter? Why the hell are they throwing their bloodied, comatose brother head first into a half-filled bathtub? How does Splinter both teach his family mindfulness and love, and then WEAPONIZE this to crush their enemies? BONUS! Andrew reveals possibly the most embarrassing secret of his childhood. Classic pod!
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Episode 97 - Mighty Orbots (1984)
No Time For Heroics
WHO ARE/IS MIGHTY ORBOTS!? Andrew has no idea, he's never heard of this. But one of our listeners requested it, so we're diving into this extremely frenetic, bizarre, but immaculately rendered 80s cartoon. Does putting on a change of clothes actually transform you into their purpose? What are the grammatical logistics behind plural names used for singular beings? Is this cartoon just a secret backdoor Scientology tract? PLUS! Is this even a superhero thing, and if so are we opening a door to basically every 80s cartoon ever? We'll find out today!
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Episode 96 - Sesame Street Superheroes (1974- 1989)
No Time For Heroics
We're rocking it old (pre)school and talking about a celebrated trio of Sesame Street superheroes! Does the vigilantism of Super Grover do more harm to the fabric of society than good? Is Captain Vegetable secretly in the pocket of Big Veg? Does Teeny Little Super Guy have a secret superpower in his killer soundtrack? Why the hell doesn't Anthony like Pigs in Space!? Captain Vegetable has suggested a more streamlined test to see if someone is a superhero: will they eat a carrot? Man, this has seriously streamlined our process going forward.
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Episode 95 - Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
No Time For Heroics
By listener request, this week we take on the neo-pulp serial/cg proof of concept picture Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow! Is this a backdoor Crimson Skies movie? What does this movie have in common with Nancy comic strips in terms of using archetypal symbols to communicate? Why is Jude Law so immaculately, tortuously handsome? If Hollywood accepts cool pitches like this on their face, will we be able to get a producer on our new Sky-Captain-Inspired blaxploitation flick 'Grainy and Brown"? All this, and some crash-course knowledge bombs about Ancient Hebrew and plate tectonics! Watch...
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Episode 94 - It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman: The Musical (1975)
No Time For Heroics
Enough of these dreary, grimdark Supermen! Let's go back to the carefree days of 1975 to a sprightly supermusical, featuring singing gangsters, colour(less) sets, and... Superman committing suicide? How close is Perry White's musical newsroom to Andrew's actual newroom? (pretty close) Why doesn't anyone like Robert Altman's Popeye? Is this musical setting Superman up as an opposing force to "the American way"? What the hell is the difference between tights and leggings? Does the phenomenological study of Superman as a concept make for compelling podcasting? We'll find out today, in the musical...
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Episode 93 - Spider-Man 3 (2007)
No Time For Heroics
Well, you should just call us a bunch of little Brian Setzer Orchestras cause it looks like we're bringing back swing! Eh, that was a pretty belaboured metaphor. But not as belaboured as whatever's going on in the much-loathed Sam Raimi-headed goulash of a movie: Spider-Man 3. How much of Sandman's sand can you replace and have him still be Sandman? Why the hell do we have an alien conveniently crashing right next to the only superhero in New York instead of using the previously established astronaut to go and get it? What is the secret of notable polymath James Franco? Are Manhattan subway...
info_outlineIt's Jack Kirby's 100th birthday, and despite being one of the most prolific and influential artists of the 20th century, there are very few movies based on his work. Unless you count Abraxas, Star Wars, the upcoming Justice League and the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
So we took a look at a movie that was a secret adaptation of one of his most beloved and obtuse creations, the Fourth World, in the 1987 oddly un-he-man-ish He-Man movie, Masters of the Universe!
What to people eat on Eternia? Where are all the people in this town they're in? Why isn't Frank Langella getting an Oscar for this Skeletor performance?
C'mon, can you imagine "And the Oscar goes to Skeletor?" The WORLD would change. Also, check out the Hall of Great Justice for some Jack Kirby centennial reading!