September 17, 2021
[School of Movies 2021]
One of the first huge blockbuster movies made by a western studio with a largely eastern cast, this one really underlines my abiding contention that "Superhero" is not a genre, and neither, as it turns out is "Martial Arts". Would we say Boogie Nights was a "Sex Movie?". Genre is an increasingly blurry construct to help marketers and those who want to know what to watch.
Luckily for us all though this particular Martial Arts Superhero movie is fantastic. Once again, we urge everyone to be as safe as possible and not take risks. But even if you aren't able to see this in the cinema, you have something special to look forward to on your TV screen in the near future, and while we discuss what happens we can't really spoil the movie for you. It's too rich and nourishing for that.
Guests:
Brenden Agnew @BLCAgnew of Cinapse
Jesse Ferguson @TheDapperDM
from the Recorded Tomorrow Podcast
![Loki (Season 1)]()
July 23, 2021
[School of Everything Else 2021]
A time-bending, space-bending, reality-bending miniseries about an unrepentant villain who did a colonialism on account of his upbringing in a society that was founded on precisely this principle.
And an introduction to yet another Marvel leading lady who has been kidnapped, gaslit and abused for most of her existence and definitely deserves better.
Loki has been a frustrating watch for many and a source of relentless joy for others. The slew of fan art that has dotted our Twitter feeds suggest people are getting a great deal of spicy satisfaction from the chemistry. But the slew of hot negative takes, also suggests it once again disappointed fans.
Our show on what we found out at the end was the first season is quite special for a number of reasons, so listen closely.
Guests:
Victoria Luna B. Grieve: @VixenVVitch
Theo Leigh of The New Century Multiverse
Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst
Jesse Ferguson @TheDapperDM
from the Recorded Tomorrow Podcast
July 16, 2021
[School of Movies 2021]
Two years have passed since we were last in the cinema watching a Marvel movie. It feels like an astonishing amount of time, and a lot of you folks will have watched on Disney+
This one has been a long time coming, kicking off Phase 4, despite the core concept of Natasha Romanoff's solo outing being ideally placed in Phase 1, prior to Avengers (perhaps instead of Iron Man 2), or Phase 2 when Avengers proved she was big-screen dynamite (perhaps instead of Thor 2) or Phase 3 where after all the years of lollygagging DC beat Marvel to the leading lady post by almost two years (even though this could have been ideally placed instead of Ant-Man 2: Featuring The Wasp).
As it stands, Black Widow serves many masters, and is about more than simply Natasha herself. It's a fitting send-off and a welcome introduction all at once.
Guests:
Brenden Agnew @BLCAgnew of Cinapse
Mackenzie Eastram @KenziePhoenix of Rainbow Connection @MuppetsPod
![The Falcon and The Winter Soldier]()
May 7, 2021
[School of Everything Else 2021]
Marvel's second TV show directly tying in with the MCU. What are we calling this now? As I write these words cinema is in a chrysalis, having gone to hide in there the moment James Bond looked like he might get another mission. And yet Falcon as a TV show is legitimately "Cinematic" in its presentation. I mean the dictionary definition of the word.
But then, so is a lot of TV now. And WandaVision was the most Televisual a show could get, by design. And there's something frustrating for everyone who invested in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Defenders shows, or those three who liked the way Inhumans was done. All this TV that purported to be part of this universe but was in fact filmed in a sealed pocket, unable to have any ramifications upon the wider saga.
Whatever name gets conjured (still waiting on what that Lion King remake can be defined as) Falcon is an incredibly gripping six episode miniseries that retains the feel of the latter Captaon America films. But there's new ingredients now, and highs and lows exhibit themselves as it becomes apparent that some elements of this story of carrying the shield in a troubled world play better than others.
Guests:
Alasdair Stuart of Escape Artists Inc. @AlasdairStuart
Greg Downing of Through the Wind Door @MightyGregDoge
Austin Wilden from our Discord @WC_WIT
March 19, 2021
[School of Everything Else 2021]
This one gets HEAVY. But what did you expect from a podcast which has examined every one of the MCU movies and found the hurt and pain at the core of the characters, being presented with a show that is absolutely about that principle?
Now all the rampant speculation has passed, we can sweep aside our assumptions regarding what this *might* have been about and focus on the melancholy story of its lonely antagonist.
One of the core themes explored is that everyone's line for forgiveness falls in a different place. We hope that two hours of delving into how it handles grief, bringing along some deeply personal accounts of loss, might lend some perspective on the MTVU's first big show.
Guests:
Victoria Luna B. Grieve: @VixenVVitch
From Sequentially Yours Kaoru Negisa @Moonpanther22
and Debbie Morse @bastet8300
Taylor Nova of GameBurst @TaylorNova6
Mike Hearn @MikePHearn
July 19, 2019
[School of Movies 2019]
The seventh live-action Spider-Man movie, but the eleventh big-screen outing for the wall-crawler. Following on from the creative magnificence of Spider-Verse was going to be a tough gig, but this movie seemed to please a lot of people.
This show is about how planet Earth is bouncing back from cataclysmic disaster, the key reasons Marvel villains differ from its heroes, how Peter Parker is not Iron Man, and how deception is a key enemy of our age.
Guests:
Theo Leigh of The New Century Multiverse
Maya Santandrea @mayasantandrea
Brenden Agnew of Cinapse
![Avengers: Endgame]()
May 10, 2019
[School of Movies 2019]
How could we possibly sum up this immensely important, densely packed three-hour odyssey that closes out eleven years and 22 movies worth of continuity?
The solution we came up with was a feat of organisation, collaboration and editing elegance that focuses on character arcs resolving and continuing with viewpoints from the biggest assembly of guests we have ever had in a single sitting. Appropriate, wouldn't you say?
Plus a wildly speculative Patreon bonus show all about the plot mechanics and the future of the MCU. This is one of our very best.
Guests
Brenden Agnew of Cinapse @BLCAgnew
Maya Santandrea of Hollywoo @mayasantandrea
Jesse Ferguson of Recorded Tomorrow @TheDapperDM
Neil Taylor of TheKidDogg @KidDogg
Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst @JeromeMci
Mackenzie Easton @KenziePhoenix of Rainbow Connection @MuppetsPod
From Sequentially Yours Kaoru Negisa @Moonpanther22
and Debbie Morse @bastet8300
"The Men by the Lake" written and read by Alasdair Stuart of Escapeartists.net @AlasdairStuart
And we are @SchoolOfMovies
Find our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/alexandershaw where you can support our weekly shows and get access to all sorts of bonus goodies including an hour-long bonus episode on Endgame wherein we talk about time travel and where Marvel go from here.
The New Century Multiverse podcast can be found here: https://newcenturyshow.podbean.com/
March 22, 2019
[School of Movies 2019]
Maybe our most eagerly-awaited, long-time-coming Marvel's of all finally arrives. And to distinguish this show from a LOT of the lukewarm dude-filled discussion about this movie we have four brilliant ladies talking and smiling as much or as little as they like.
We begin with my own list of every male hero in sci-fi, fantasy and superhero movies since the late 70s and an accompanying MUCH SHORTER list of female leads in the same space. After that I shut up as much as I can and let the women explore the themes, details and subtleties.
For everyone who just found it okay, we're hoping we can give you a fresh perspective on a really impactful film for a lot of women.
Guests:
Sharon Shaw @cai_boxer
Maya Santandrea @mayasantandrea
Mackenzie Easton: @KenziePhoenix
Debbie Morse @bastet8300
And we are @SchoolOfMovies
December 21, 2018
[School of Movies 2018]
After the operatic Infinity War we come to an entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that some people needed to see and some people really didn't.
Honest Trailers really nailed this one when they called it Marvel Season 3, Episode 8. That is what it feels like. And we begin the show with why I left the cinema muttering to myself. "Huh." Not with a question mark, that's a crucial conjuncture. Followed by a chunk of discussion on the stronger points that those who found this welcome and appealing relished.
I kept the cut of the main show hyper-focused to a precise hour, though there is 40 minutes of additional (somewhat meandering) chat that will be available on Patreon for those who want more.
Guests:
Kaoru Negisa @Moonpanther22 and
Debbie Morse @bastet8300 of Sequentially Yours
Collin Miller of The Cinema Cephalopod
Theo Leigh of The New Century Multiverse
May 4, 2018
[School of Movies 2018]
"We come to it at last, the great battle of our time."
This show recording ran surprisingly long as we went off on wild tangents discussing where Marvel might go from here. Those are contained in a separate 80 minute podcast called Beyond Infinity which will be on the Patreon.
What you have here is a super-focused 70 minute discussion about the film, with heavy reflections on what it means and elements that stood out. You see, I divided it into two and oh my god, I'm Thanos!
Guests
Brenden Agnew of Cinapse
Lorin Grieve
Theo Leigh
The New Century Multiverse podcast can be found here: https://newcenturyshow.podbean.com/
