Short # 49 - Mission Impossible: Headed Toward Retirement?
Release Date: 09/27/2023
Short # 60 - Shatner on Kirk's Death
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Wherein Andy and Justice exhume Captain Kirk because of William Shatner's recently proclaimed dissatisfaction with the legendary figure's death. We revisit that scene in Star Trek: Generations and discuss whether or not his opinion holds up. Would Kirk have appeared in NuTrek if he had not died? Would we have even wanted that? Was this an apporpriate end for him and a way to effectively pass the torch to Picard?
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Short # 59 - Alien: Romulus Review
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Wherein Justice and Andy run screaming from the theater to produce this review of the newest entry in the Aliens franchise, Alien: Romulus. Fede Alvarez daringly returns to the original films' timeline and style, setting it between the first and second films. What do we see in this new entry that distinguishes it from the others? Where does this film hit, and where does it miss? What did you think of the Ian Holmes digital recreation as Rook? (we did not care for it). As a mostly impressive film, we discuss the possible implications for the future of the franchise.
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Episode 35 - Deadpool & Wolverine & Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
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Wherein Andy and Justice slice into the question of whether or not Deadpool & Wolverine and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes can or have revitalized their respective franchises. TLDL: No. But seriously, both movies are worthwhile and Deadpool & Wolverine borders on excellence. Fight us. While Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes made some questionable narrative decisions and Deadpool & Wolverine purposefully criticized and tried to reboot the MCU, neither accomplished their goal of franchise revitalization. In the end, more attention is clearly...
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Short # 58 - Star Trek: Discovery Post-Mortem
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Wherein Justice and Andy burn down the final season and really the entire series Star Trek: Discovery. What once sounded promising turned into a catastrophe. From initially placing it just before the original series time and then spore-driving it nearly a millenium into the future where the Federation no longer existed, this show has made an unprecedented series of mistakes in the franchise: focusing too heavily on inner turmoil and questions of trauma, foreclosing on any other possible additions to the intervening time , and basically making pointless the contributions of TOS, TNG, DS9,...
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Short # 57 - Hades Games
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Wherein Andy and Justice run the guantlet of Supergiant's Hades franchise of games. While this episode mostly looks at The Hugo Award winning first game, we also talk about Hades 2 which is currently in early access. What makes these games so compelling, even for newcomers to the rougelike genre? For starters, its engagement with Greek mythology makes it attractive to those who encountered those stories early in life. Secondly, this isn't a traditional rougelike, but one that unfolds its story even through failure. Have a listen and get ready to die a thousand horrible deaths.
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Short # 56 - Fallout Show Review
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Wherein Justice and Andy dust themselves off after a trip through the wasteland in the new Amazon Prime series Fallout. How does the franchise adapt itself to this new medium? What is familiar from the games and what is original to the show? Where do we see this series going? And who keeps hiring Kyle MacLachlan?
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Episode 34 - Hyperion & Rebel Moon
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Wherein Andy and Justice welcome Tony Hoffmann, the man responsible for forcing us to watch Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon (2023) from beginning to end. Together we complain about Snyder's professional cannibalization of Star Wars, Dune, The Lord of the Rings, and so many more superior texts into the cinematic casserole that is Rebel Moon. By way of comparison, we also look at Dan Simmons' novel Hyperion (1989), which pays proper homage to literary texts of the past in a way that results in a science fiction masterpiece. What constitutes copyright violation? We get it, we've...
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Short # 55 - No More D&D for Larian Studios
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Wherein Justice and Andy lament the news of Larian Studios decision to not pursue a sequel to Baldur's Gate 3. And futher, that they have decided to leave the Dungeons & Dragons setting entirely. Is this a good business decision for the studio? Why leave when you've perfected the formula for a D&D rpg? We're sure their next project will meet the same standard of quality, but why don't they love us anymore?
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Short # 54 - Akira Toriyama (In Memoriam)
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Wherein Andy and Justice memorialize Akira Toriyama, best known as the creator of the Dragonball franchise. One of his other masterworks is the video game Chrono Trigger, the SNES RPG from 1995. We also mention the recently deceased musical genius Neil Peart, drummer and lyricist from Rush and accomplished author. We look back with some nostalgia on their works and what their deaths mean for their art.
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Short # 53 - The Monster Draft
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Wherein Justice and Andy draft a roster of monsters to pit against one another. The rules: Only two titans and the human-sized-ish monsters must have a semi-Earth origin. Crystal clear. We each pick five and debate their battles. Come and see who wins!
info_outlineWherein Justice and Andy sneak into the scuttlebut about the end of the Mission Impossible franchise. Is it in fact coming to an end? The lead actor and the studio seem to have different plans in mind. What do you think about a secret agent who can almost collect social security? Does the agency supplement Medicare... or provide supplements? But seriously, what do we think about Tom Cruise as an action star in his 60s? Should the series come to an end or should they James Bond it?