Episodes

Friday Jul 24, 2020
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Friday Jul 24, 2020
Friday Jul 24, 2020
[School of Movies 2020]
This time around, rather than those nasty little monsters attacking small-town Norman Rockwell America they have their sights set on the big city. The original was clearly a horror movie made with kids in mind. This one is a comedy with a ghoulish sensibility. A corporate lifestyle filled with technology that is supposed to make things easier but only serves as a hindrance? That is fertile ground for gremlin-based chaos!
It is also the one where Gizmo steps up and becomes a real character with intentions and regrets, and for that reason we consider G2 downright essential viewing, whether you've seen G1 or not. It's also a better initial foray for youngsters because they swap the malevolence for hilarity. The kids can always go back and watch New Batch: Origins after that.
Guests
Brenden Agnew of Cinapse @BLCAgnew
Neil Taylor of TheKidDogg @KidDogg

Friday Jul 17, 2020
Gremlins
Friday Jul 17, 2020
Friday Jul 17, 2020
[School of Movies 2020]
Small town Americana is laid siege to, by a hoard of violent little monsters. It's tough to say whether this is appropriately frightening or frighteningly appropriate, seeing as it's all about ignoring the very clear rules given by those who are aware of what damage can be done by an outbreak like this. "I don't care what the experts say. I'll feed my mogwai after midnight and throw as much water on him as I like!"
This was an early movie for Joe Dante, produced by Spielberg, written by Chris Columbus, creature effects by Chris Walas. And it's dark and nasty and gruesome and hailed as an anti-holiday classic.
This episode was commissioned by Andy Rodriguez.
Guests
Brenden Agnew of Cinapse @BLCAgnew
Neil Taylor of TheKidDogg @KidDogg

Friday Jul 10, 2020
A Few Good Men
Friday Jul 10, 2020
Friday Jul 10, 2020
[School of Movies 2020]
A tough and hard episode for a tough and hard year. We don't usually cover courtroom dramas, but this was both a commissioned episode and one of Sharon's favourites as a teen.
A young Aaron Sorkin penned this play about what happens when a certain unauthorised military disciplinary practice goes horribly wrong. It was based on a real life account, and was used to juxtapose the untouchability of the top brass with the scapegoating of young marines who pledged their life to their unit.
We do talk about parallels with the police, and this episode, while swift is fairly merciless. There's also a few uses of the other F-bomb in the movie clips. It's also the third Rob Reiner film we've covered without planning to in the space of just a few months. At this rate we'll have his body of work done by year-end (which should happen in around 280 years time).
This episode was commissioned by Martin Hooie

Friday Jul 03, 2020
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Friday Jul 03, 2020
Friday Jul 03, 2020
[School of Everything Else 2020]
A completely spoilerific discussion on all five seasons of the modern, second version of She-Ra. I honestly don't know how much someone who has never seen the show will get out of this one, but if you've finished it you'll be in hog heaven.
We have eight minds and voices gathered, and they are all going to talk about 25+ characters over a tightly focused two and a half hour runtime. It may sound too strictly controlled, but I marvelled at how incisive everyone managed to be under these restrictions. This is quite a feat of podcasting.
This episode was commissioned by Zac Malm, Carsten Immel and James Glass .
Guests:
Maya Santandrea
Lyra Shaw
Lauren Yeomans
Mel Curtis
Holly Dotson
Collin of The Cinema Cephalopod

Friday Jun 26, 2020
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Friday Jun 26, 2020
Friday Jun 26, 2020
[School of Movies 2020]
The year of Spielberg continues (though I have a feeling 2020 isn't going to be remembered for this, no matter how good we make the shows) with the second Indiana Jones movie, which is in fact a prequel. There's... reasons for that.
Ditching the writer of The Empire Strikes Back, producer George Lucas brought in the duo who would pen Howard the Duck, and decided to really lean on the colonial atmosphere of movies that were racist as hell fifty years before this film emerged into cinemas.
I think the best way I put it is you can easily *watch* Raiders of the Lost Ark followed by Temple of Doom, and have a good time with both, but it's quite another thing to start an explorative and enthusiastic film analysis with the first and then graduate to the second. It feels like a booby trap and the floor falls away. And you tumble into a pit of spikes, lava and dodgy representation for Asian people, women, frankly even white dudes!
Guest
Chris Chipman of The Chipman Bros Tangent @The Chippa

Friday Jun 19, 2020
This is Spinal Tap
Friday Jun 19, 2020
Friday Jun 19, 2020
[School of Movies 2020]
Hot on the heels of The Princess Bride our unexpected Rob Reiner mini-season continues with one of the loudest mockumentaries of all time. Fictional band Spinal Tap gear up for their big American comeback tour carrying them from New York to Japan. Along the way they experience inconsistent catering presentation, an album cover with zero visual information and a bust-up between their two passionate creative forces that may spell the end of their musical career.
And all of it is captured on film in improvised, painfully human fashion. Join us as we void our musical guts with the band that has had more drummers than albums.
This episode was commissioned by Kevin Veighy, Dan Mayer and Nick Ord.
- Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You
- Gimme Some Money
- Hell Hole
- Sex farm
- Nigel Tufnel Solo
- America
- Rock and Roll Creation
- Stonehenge
- Break Like the Wind
- Jazz Odyssey
- Big Bottom
- Cups and Cakes
- Listen to the Flower People
- Heavy-Duty Rock & Roll
- The Majesty of Rock
Guests
Brenden Agnew of Cinapse @BLCAgnew
Nick Ord of the Midnight Movies blog https://midnightmoviesonline.wordpress.com/

Friday Jun 12, 2020
The Good Dinosaur
Friday Jun 12, 2020
Friday Jun 12, 2020

Friday Jun 05, 2020
Mystery Men
Friday Jun 05, 2020
Friday Jun 05, 2020
[School of Movies 2020]
As we languish in the ellipses between Phases 3 and 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as Batman goes on hold, Superman hangs in the balance, Wonder Woman waits for her delayed sequel release, and the X-Men are quietly reshaped by Disney's Fungineers, and the only big bit of news for this breakdown in the age of superheroes is the Snyder Cut finally getting a chance to be put together.
So tonight, we here at School of Movies remember the other guys (not the movie with Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell) the losers (not the movie with Zoe Saldana and Chris Evans) the outsiders (not the movie with Matt Dillon and the Karate Kid), the wannabe vigilantes who just end up making things worse (not Watchmen).
Adapted from the Flaming Carrot comics, but not actually featuring the Flaming Carrot, this movie is almost entirely inept, shambolic, misjudged and ridiculous. Wholly appropriate, considering who it's about; a cadre of buffoons who want to help people in a city of the delusional, where the appointed good guys are actually kind of self-aggrandizing idiots too. Mystery Men has all the makings of a cult favourite, beloved by its fans (including us), and here you'll find out why.
This episode was commissioned by Jamas Enright.
Guests
Em from Verbal Diorama @VerbalDiorama
Victoria Grieve @VixenVVitch

Friday May 29, 2020
The Princess Bride
Friday May 29, 2020
Friday May 29, 2020
[School of Movies 2020]
It is inconceivable that we've not covered this movie yet, but there is a shortage of perfect movies, and it would be a shame to waste one. We've danced around doing this abbreviated adaptation of a kissing book for years, and eventually a commission gave us no further excuses, we had to say 'as you wish'.
Both well-known and beloved with the fervour afforded cult classics, this clever spin on fairy tales leaves most of the other attempts in the dust, through a combination of an amazing cast, a razor-sharp script delivered with impeccable, deadpan timing, and at the core a big, beating, romantic heart.
This episode was commissioned by Chris Finik.
Guests
Victoria Grieve @VixenVVitch
Brenden Agnew of Cinapse @BLCAgnew
Mackenzie Easton @KenziePhoenix of Rainbow Connection @MuppetsPod
Nathan Bertram @bertnerdtram of Video Game: The Movie: The Podcast @VGTMPodcast

Friday May 22, 2020
Shrek
Friday May 22, 2020
Friday May 22, 2020
[School of Movies 2020]
On the 19th anniversary of the release of this game-changing animated movie, we look back on the alchemy at work which made this such an abiding hit.
Effectively one giant, green middle-finger to Disney, this caper resonated strongly with audiences who wanted to defy that wholesome, controlling and overbearing megacorporation with its twee fairy tales of slender, pretty people with dreams and songs and irritating animal sidekicks. Shrek was more like regular people, selfish, bitter and obnoxious, with irritating animal sidekicks.
As well as the movie, we get to highlight some of the best aspects of the Shrek musical, which in a strange way carries things full-circle. This show was rather special, for reasons you'll find out at the end.
Guests:
Victoria Luna B. Grieve: @VixenVVitch