School of Movies

Richard Donner's Superman

[School of Movies 2025]

All the way back in 2013 when Man of Steel was coming out, I covered the four Christopher Reeve Superman movies on a single podcast with dutiful guests Taylor Nova and Paul Gibson. I recently re-listened to it in the run-up to James Gunn's Superman and I was flabbergasted at how much my attitude had changed; specifically to the first two films directed by Richard Donner and steered with confidence and the contributions of an amazing creative team. I was dismissive, persnickety and downright rude.

So, here now is a much-needed revisit, twelve years wiser, and following the life and death (forced-resurrection and death again) of the Snyderverse. Now, in the 2020s the purity and heart and soul on display here are desperately needed. And after watching the exceptional Documentary "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" (2024) which is essential viewing and gets a trailer at the end of this show, I realised that going back to his Kal-El was in order.

Joining us this time are two comic nerds we have sorely missed while they went off to become parents.

Guests:

From Sequentially Yours  Kaoru Negisa  @moonpanther22.bsky.social‬

and Debbie Morse  @bastet8300.bsky.social‬

And you should follow us at @schoolofmovies.bsky.social‬

The People's Joker

[School of Movies 2025]

After the harsh, oppressive atmosphere of I Saw the TV Glow we turn to an altogether funnier tale of trans discovery with Vera Drew's semiautobiographical, anarchic reshaping of DC's Clown Princess of Crime.

From the painfully normalising cornfields of Smallville, Kansas comes a child who asks their alarmed mother "Was in born in the wrong body?". The only possible response to this is of course sessions at Arkham Asylum with Doctor Crane and a prescription of Smilex to chase that depression and anxiety away.

We follow this confused young person to Gotham, where they find their calling in a thinly-veiled Saturday Night Live setup, doing stand-up comedy alongside The Penguin, Ra's al Ghul and a trans-masc chap named Mr J, riffing hard on both fallen Robin Jason Todd and Jared Leto's Joker. Our hero gives themselves the mantle of Joker the Harlequin... and comedy in Gotham will never be the same!

This movie was pulled together during lockdown, and thrives on a garage-punk, scrapbook style that energetically propels you through the troubled life of someone just trying to be themselves in a loud, chaotic world.

Guests

• Laura Kate Dale

• Alejandra Vargas

• Victoria Luna B. Grieve

The Dark Knight Rises

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

NOTE: This is a reissued episode from over 12 years ago. Please forgive the lower production values and boneheaded things I say.

The epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s game-changing Dark Knight Trilogy. It’s definitely not as straightforward as film two in the series because many people hate this film already, and an equal amount adore every inch of it.

It’s a tricky balancing act since so much of the most well-crafted and exceptional elements have already been discussed over three and a half hours reviewing Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Neither did I want this turning into a hail of disproportionate vitriol over perceived flaws.

Guests:

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

Taylor Nova of TheKiddDogg

James Carter of Cane and Rinse

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Aquila Edwards of Eyrie City

Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet

The Dark Knight

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

NOTE: This is a reissued episode from over 12 years ago. Please forgive the lower production values and boneheaded things I say.

Part two of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. Following the powerful set-up of Batman Begins, the production team pulled out all the stops to deliver an epic crime thriller in the style of Michael Mann’s Heat. This is a story of a city in turmoil and a police force struggling to keep order, up against the ruthless mob. At the center are Batman and The Joker, forces of nature representing order and chaos. The only hope for Gotham may in fact be the White Knight, district attorney Harvey Dent.

But you all know this, because everybody and his dog saw this movie back in 2008. I just wanted to set the scene a little. Much is discussed, especially Heath Ledger’s extraordinary performance, but not forgetting the brilliant turns from Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal and the possible career-high score from Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard.

Guests:

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

Taylor Nova of TheKiddDogg

Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Aquila Edwards of Eyrie City

Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet

Batman Begins

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

NOTE: This is a reissued episode from over 12 years ago. Please forgive the lower production values and boneheaded things I say.

Finally we get to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. After eight years away from cinema screens, and multiple stalled attempts at relaunching the franchise, Warner Bros knocked the Bat out of the park with the best film so far and arguably the most compelling and mature adaptation of Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego.

Many aspects are discussed and deconstructed including Christian Bale’s intense portrayal, ace cinematographer Wally Pfister’s erotic endeavours and why Hollywood on paper is a senile, avaricious old psychopath.

Guests:

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

Taylor Nova of TheKiddDogg

Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Aquila Edwards of Eyrie City

Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet

Justice League Unlimited

[School of Everything Else 2024]

Our years-long journey through the DC Animated Universe comes to a close, and it is both melancholy as we say goodbye to Kevin Conroy and at the same time wildly enthusiastic for some of the very best episodes across all that we have watched.

It is strange to think that we started this in 2020 when the DC movies at the cinema were on a high note: After years of the only success story being Batman, they had a billion-dollar hit with Aquaman, a cheerful adventure with the original Shazam!, we were moving past the embarrassments of Justice League and Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman was still a shining beacon and even though barely anyone saw it Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey kicked absolute ass... and now as we finish it, Aquaman 2 was a damp squid that made about a third of the original's box office, Black Adam finally appeared after over a decade of development for a "...that was it?" response, Shazam 2 pootled away the goodwill of the original, Justice League came back to satisfy the Snyder Cult... who then demanded more Snyder, James Gunn tried a Suicide Squad, but without Joker there, nobody came (everybody came to Joker), new management stepped in, they locked Batgirl in the dungeon and threw away the key, The Flash ran through time and space and development purgatory, resulting in a big, cringing NOPE! from audiences, Wonder Woman went back to 1984, her beacon puttered out and now she does birthday party cameos, and Blue Beetle kicked absolute ass... even though barely anyone saw it. The only big success story... was the Batman.

I honestly hope James Gunn can rescue ALL the heroes from this turd-fire, but whether or not that is possible, School of Movies can now definitively say that this IS the superhero universe to be held up as that shining beacon again (absence of a much-needed Wonder Woman: the Animated Series notwithstanding).

My personal final rankings are...

1. Justice League Unlimited

2. Batman: The Animated Series

3. Superman: The Animated Series

4. Justice League: The Animated Series

5. The New Batman Adventures

6. Batman Beyond

Between those, a breadth of the DC comic characters and settings was laid out in such a rich and consistent manner that makes this the definitive encapsulation of the mythology. If you've never had the pleasure of watching these in remastered High Definition, you will have your breath taken away by the artistry on show.

Guests:

Toby Jungius @TJungius of Through the Wind Door

Nama Chibitty @namathenerd

Justice League: The Animated Series

[School of Everything Else 2024]

The DC Animated Universe marathon reaches its Avengers phase, as the established animated Batman and Superman from their own Animated Series' which had already crossed over, team up with Wally West's Flash (who had guested on Superman) John Stewart's Green Lantern (as opposed to the Kyle Raynor who guested on Superman) Diana Prince who should absolutely have gotten her own Wonder Woman: The Animated Series, J'onn J'onzz the Martian Manhunter (not to be confused with the unrelated Manhunters from the later Green Lantern: the Animated Series, which takes place in the Young Justice timeline) and Shayera Hol, Hawkgirl (not to be confused with Carter Hall, the unrelated Hawkman) of Thanagaria, the bird-people planet. Comics are weird.

The first two seasons, simply called Justice League are an odd fit. It doesn't have an explosive beginning that has all these new personalities playing off each other, and the event of them being revealed and meeting feeling like a special, momentous thing, they're just kind of all there, converging on a bunch of boring aliens to fight. The following episodes are almost across the board two-parters, making it less easy to sit down and just enjoy one. And they are still remarkably coy about getting inside their heads and playing out the drama of being this close to other supremely powerful beings. Making them gods first is always less appealing to me than making them people first.

Fortunately, when those first two seasons concluded we moved onto Justice League Unlimited. Self-contained episodes, even stronger animation and music, really making use of a massively expanded roster of seemingly everyone in the DC Universe, and a deft handling of smaller, more personal stories, with grand overarching umbrella plots. We get into some of that on this episode as there is some intersection between the two very different formats, (as well as a discussion of the Batman-Beyond closing episode 'Epilogue') but the grand finale will come in next week's concluding episode to the entire DCEU.

Guests:

Toby Jungius @TJungius of Through the Wind Door

Nama Chibitty @namathenerd

(And on the Epilogue, originally recorded on our Batman Begins session)

Chris Finik @finmonster09

Kevin Veighey @KevinTimeGeek86

Bradford Yurkiw

Green Lantern: The Animated Series

[School of Everything Else 2023]

This is the good stuff. Look no further than the 2012-2013 one-season 3D animated show for the absolute best Green Lantern experience. Co-Created Giancarlo Volpe of Avatar and Bruce Timm, one of the key figures in the beloved and critically acclaimed classics of Batman: The Animated Series, along with the connected Superman, Batman Beyond, Justice League Unlimited, all of which constitute a true encapsulation of the DC comic heroes.

What we have here is the archival spoiler-free section from our 2013 Digital Gonzo episode talking about this fantastic cartoon. That is then followed by a 90-minute, spoilerific contemporary discussion about what happens to the various characters. This series is so unappreciated that we actively recommend you listening to this whole thing. It's the NOBODY watching it that's the real spoiler.

• Hal Jordan (Earth's GL lost in space with this tiny crew)
• Razer (A disgraced Red Lantern trying to make amends) 
• Aya (The prototype ship's computer, learning everything about the universe)
• Kilowog (A Bolovaxian GL, big, blunt and kind-hearted)

Many thanks to our guests, both old and new. 

Guests:

Toby Jungius @TJungius of Through the Wind Door

Matt Ramsey of GamerDork

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Alex Eding of Plaid Hat Games

Green Lantern (Revisited)

[Digital Gonzo 2013]

This is a special, re-edited, re-release of a classic episode of Digital Gonzo. Back in 2013 we talked all about Green Lantern, under the impression that Warner Bros. & DC had big plans for superheroes over the next decade. And while they have genuinely given more heroes an airing, audiences seem to only be interested in The Bat and the Joker, (oh, and Aquaman, because he has laser-sharks).

So, what this is is a pared-down and pacier version of the first part of that show with more focus and music. This is then followed by a contemporary take as Sharon and I rewatch the film with the benefit of hindsight to see if it has perhaps improved with age. The second half of the 2013 podcast was all about the extremely good Green Lantern: The Animated Series, and that will be coming next week with an all-new 90-minute full-spoilers discussion to tie into our DC Animated Universe shows.

1. The History of Green Lantern (2013)

2. The Comics (2013)

3. The 2011 Movie (2013)

4. The Movie Revisited (2022)

-------------------

• Who You Callin’ Yellow? by Jamas Enright
• Going Green by Movie Bob, from the Big Picture show on The Escapist
• Weakness and Strength by Nama Chibitty
• Alex Eding a True Lantern Fan’s Rant on the Green Lantern Movie

Guests:

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

Matt Ramsey of GamerDork

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Alex Eding of Plaid Hat Games

The Flash

[School of Movies 2023]

This one was a long time coming. There's a solid argument to be made that to set the tone for the planned DC Cinematic Universe all the way back in 2012, around the time Avengers was doing gangbusters by brazenly copying the Marvel formula by building up the characters the general public don't know yet *before* throwing Superman and Batman at us again.

But since Green Lantern was terrible in 2011 Warner Bros. clearly concluded they needed to establish a foundation of superheroes everybody knows *then* do a Justice League, THEN introduce us to those new superheroes in a way that feels more like a spinoff than a build-up. They did not have the faith that these costumed icons could carry a movie without Batman. So, accordingly this film that now seems to be closing out that first protracted attempt has (at least) two Batmans!

Against expectations, considering the nightmare production, the lead actor's disturbing real life crime spree and the extremely muddled tone and story, I actually enjoyed this well-intentioned mess. Full spoilers of course, but I feel like everyone's level of enjoyment on this movie is going to be the same whether they know what's coming or not.