School of Movies

John Wick: Chapters 2/3/4

[School of Movies 2023]

We covered the first film in May 2019 just before the third hit theaters, and since then they have shaped up to be four of the finest action films ever made. They boast laser-focused attention to choreography, physical genius, artfully photographing long, unbroken takes with astonishing lighting and otherworldy music. All of it revolves around a firestorm of a performance from Keanu Reeves, himself experiencing a deserved renaissance.

The fourth film ends on a definitive and deeply satisfying melancholy note. So, while the series itself limbers up for all manner of spin-offs, sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, reboots and action figures, let us take stock of what made this quartet special. 

'John Wick Turbo' has been a re-editing project, where I sought to trim away a little of the second film's world-building, adjust the third film's pacing and dial back the fourth film's runtime, bringing all of them to the 101-minute sweet spot of the 2014 original. And talking about this process allows us to really get granular about the impressive strengths of each. 

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.

Batman Beyond

[School of Everything Else 2023]

The DC Animated Universe marathon watch, which began all the way back in 2020 as Lockdown started continues! And this is a show Sharon and I had never sat down to watch before, so it was almost entirely new to us. 

I knew this was pitched as "What if Batman was Spider-Man?" but I did not know the circumstances of how that premise came about. Warner Bros. wanted an animated series about a specifically *young* Batman. Toy marketing indicated that kids would engage more with a teenager than they would with a man in his thirties. The double-bind was that Kevin Conroy's Batman, as established in this continuity didn't don the cowl until well into adulthood. 

It was this information that Bruce Timm and company conveyed at a meeting with the studio heads. Then when asked to think of a way around it "What if Bruce Wayne was old and got a younger person to wear the suit and do all the superheroics?" was put on the table. Then they had to dream up an entire show to fit with that premise.

Guests:

Toby Jungius @TJungius of Through the Wind Door

Kevin Veighey @KevinTimeGeek86 whose Let's Plays on YouTube can be found here

Chris Finik @finmonster09

Bradford Yurkiw 

The Big Mermaid

[School of Movies 2023]

For many years we have been planning a show or a series of shows on the Disney live action + CG remakes. The plan was to start with the 2015 Cinderella (or even the 1994 Jason Scott Lee version of The Jungle Book, thence to 101 Dalmatians with Glenn Close) and we would watch every single one of them, and talk about the good and the bad. 

But over time, having covered the details of all of the originals in our Disney animated series, the job itself grew insanely huge and exhausting, with so little to say that wasn't already being said by every film pundit on YouTube (because Disney gets you maximum clicks). Luckily this one came along, 8 years into the remake period that boasts both high points and low for the whole concept. 

By absolutely NO means anywhere near the level of the small original 1989 film with its $40m budget and its changing of the world of cinematic animation in a way that would not be matched and diverged from until Toy Story and then Shrek, there are still definitely things to like about Mermaid '23, including the earnest and talented Halle Bailey as Ariel. 

However, with its $250m budget and the remit of adherence to photorealism at the expense of abstraction that Disney seem to have slammed all of these with, it makes for an extensive focus point to talk about many of the elements which have been frying our fishes. Back as a special guest this week is Willow. 

F9: The Fast Saga / Fast X

[School of Movies 2023]

Another ton of fun for the summer as we go back to the most unkillable series of all time. You kill this thing and it will come right back, walking out of the explosion to cool music. If this franchise has any enemies they will be friends the next time we see them. Did I say friends? I meant FAMBLY!

What we have here to start with is an edited, supercharged version of my first impressions of F9 (one of the very first movies I got to see when cinemas reopened in summer 2021). 

After that is my brand new talk about 2023s Fast X which brings Jason Momoa to the barbecue. We look at the recurring issues as the series moves from era to era and zero in on how they may have shot themselves in the foot in terms of the drama that this Nos-Opera hit the big leagues with. 

Black Adam / Shazam: Fury of the Gods

[School of Movies 2023]

This is the second and third instalments of the Shazam Trilogy, we covered the first back in 2021. Now The Rock will assure you that Black Adam is nothing to do with Shazam, but we have comics that say otherwise.

We start with my 2022 first impressions of Black Adam having just returned from the cinema, originally put out as a Patreon Exclusive. Then we follow up with a brand new section where I tell Sharon about Shazam's last movie, at least with this cast and format. 

What we said back when we talked about the original still stands, kids grow up, but also grown actors do and say regrettable things that impact the metatext of otherwise simple sci-fantasy action films. 

Coming this weekend to the Patreon bonus feed, we talk about one of my favourite movies starring the Rock, one where he gets knocked all over the place and comes off better for it; The Rundown. 

Heckboy

[School of Movies 2023]

Most of you will probably already know how much I care about both the comic book character of Hellboy and the magnificent Guillermo del Toro movie adaptations from 2004 and 2008.

However, considering its dismal box office of $55m (on a budget of $50m) and its dismal critical reception (17% RT) statistically speaking most of you did not see the 2019 reboot, and even fewer of you enjoyed it. Directed by Neil Marshal (The Descent, Centurion, Dog Soldiers) and starring everyone's favourite big red violent uncle David Harbour, this as an alternative to the proposed third movie by Del Toro should have been a new beginning. Instead it was a wretched embarrassment and a blight upon the mythology. 

This episode starts with a condensed and abbreviated edit of my 2019 first impressions followed at the 44 minute mark by a very special guest. Not their first appearance on the show but definitely their most impassioned so far, Willow Shaw has entered the arena... and they have things to say about how their beloved Hellboy was treated here. 

O Brother, Where Art Thou? / Inside Llewyn Davis

[School of Movies 2023]

The Coen Brothers season continues with Part IV here, and we picked two of the most musically focused for a double-bill of hapless singers wandering America.

The first is arguably the most high-profile and broadly celebrated film, which comes at the end of their golden age. Their eighth movie, O Brother is an ambitious retelling of Homer's Odyssey, set in the 1930s dust bowl and concerning three escaped prisoners on a treasure hunt. It's a screwball comedy, closer in tone to Raising Arizona than something like Fargo. This mix of Americana was received with adulation by the Academy, and the bluegrass music at its core became a brief travelling sensation.

Inside Llewyn Davis however, is from 2013. Thirteen unlucky years after their peak, and by this time they were indie darlings again. It concerns Oscar Isaac's titular character based on the careers and music of certain Greenwich Village folk singers from 60s New York. Llewin is reeling from the death of his singing partner, and his travels take him from conflict to conflict as he tries to find his place. It's a fine example of a grower movie, since when we first meet him he is appallingly selfish and obnoxious and doesn't seem to change, to the point where he seems to circle back around to where he literally started. But as with Lebowski, the more you watch it, the more you listen, the more of an impression this restless, lonely ghost of a man will leave.

2000: O Brother, Where Art Thou?

2013: Inside Llewyn Davis 

The Studio Ghibli Series Part 3: Kiki’s Delivery Service

[School of Movies 2020] 

The first anime we have ever covered on a Main Event show (if you listen to our 2017 Scott Pilgrim episode you'll find it starts with a lengthy explanation as to why), but depending on how anime fans react to this one we might do more.

It's a simple tale of a little witch who moves to the big city to start her own business. Kiki is goodhearted and well-meaning but faces many challenges along the way. This charming basket of innocence is delivered to us by master director Hayao Miyazaki, and may seem twee and super-sweet on the surface, but there's something to be learned from what happens.

I also talk at length about how in 2010 the American language track was altered by Studio Ghibli themselves for release in HD, and what that did to the film.

This episode was commissioned by our two guests and Aaron Good

Brendan Agnew of Cinapse  @BLCAgnew  

Theo Leigh of The New Century Multiverse   

Legends of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

[School of Everything Else 2023]

This is actually the fourth of an ongoing series of Zelda episodes begun all the way back in 2010 when we had a guest-filled clip show covering every title from the NES original to the then-latest instalment, Spirit Tracks on DS. After that came Skyward Sword in very early 2012 after its release on the Wii, then in 2017 when Breath of the Wild emerged, we did a third show covering the remakes and remasters up to Majora's Mask on 3DS. 

And now here, just as Tears of the Kingdom gushes forth, so too do we, about what may in fact be not only my favourite Zelda game of all time... but maybe my favourite game!

We and our guests talk at length and depth about this series high-point for many, only rivalled by one other across many rankings and polls. But absolutely warranting of detractors deeply frustrated by a system of weapons that seem to be made from crackers lightly glued together. We look at the pitfalls and soaring heights of this astonishing achievement in building a world that begs to be explored. My original intention, since the recording ran to over two and a half hours was to trim out 45 minutes or so. I couldn't. It's all simply too good. 

Guests

James Batchelor of the Bond and Beyond podcast @James_Batchelor 

Brenden Agnew of Cinapse  @BLCAgnew

Eric Jones of Waxing Cinematic, FilmCut and Photoflow Terror in the Stars

Nama Chibitty @namathenerd

Derrick Ritchie @thenewdelboy