With TV now out of the way we can move on to the medium that TV wishes it was - film! Part 2 of the 2023 Tobie Awards focuses in on the best in movies from last year. The Oscars seem to think that there was one movie that stood head and shoulders above the rest, in ‘Oppenheimer’, at least based on how many nominations it got, and Julian, Vince, and Jeremy, certainly give it it’s due, but there is a lot of other worthwhile films to cover on this list. Especially on the genre side of things - movies that would more often than not, never fall under the Oscars purview. Buckle up as the ToB Crew discuss a wide array of top tier films from across the spectrum. Enjoy!
Read MoreEpisode 178 - Batgirl Shelved & Marvel Comic-Con
The turmoil at Warner Brothers Discovery continues, this time in the form of bloodletting. News broke early this week that the HBO Max original ‘Batgirl’, which was finished shooting and in late stages of post production. was going to be cancelled by the studio. Shortly after, an official statement was released and the outcry online was loud. This comes amongst rumours of further shakeups coming to the studio, specifically around their HBO Max streaming service, as they apparently look to pivot away from scripted programming nearly across the board, in favor of cheaper unscripted options. Naturally, Julian and Jeremy break down all the details surrounding this unprecedented decision and what it means for the future of DC on the big and small screens. Meanwhile, on the fun side of the news, over at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel held no punches as they discussed the next 2 phases of the MCU, and announced A LOT of new movies and shows, while finding time to drop a spectacular trailer for ‘Black Panther 2’, amongst a whole pile of other announcements. Oh and a new trailer for ‘Andor’ dropped. The show looks stunning, but you’ll have to wait an extra 3 weeks as they have pushed the premiere to September. That pretty much takes up all the time this episode, but trust us, it’s more than enough.
Read MoreToB Interlude - Zack Snyder's Justice League - Spoilercast
The original release of 'Justice League' hit theatres all the way back in 2017. To say it was poorly received would be an massive understatement. It was a disappointment in almost every sense. To make matters worse, the whole production was mired in studio meddling in its most incompetent form. During those turbulent times, tragedy struck. It was during that time that Zack Snyder stepped away from the project and was replaced by Joss Whedon. A decision that has been widely criticized since. When Snyder left the picture, his original vision was discarded. Replaced by something tonally similar to what Joss had brought to the MCU. Almost immediately following the theatrical premiere in 2017, fans starting calling for the "Snyder Cut" to be released, spawning the infamous hashtag. At the time, the existence of Snyder's version of the movie was considered to be a myth. But slowly over time, more evidence of the existence of the infamous directors cut began to surface. Fuelled by support from Snyder himself, as well as stars like Ben Affleck, the push for the release of the “Snyder Cut” reached a fever pitch. Warner Brothers took notice, and when they needed flagship content for their fledgling streamer, HBO Max, the dream became a reality. ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ would premiere in its full, uncut, 4 hour runtime (and even get a black and white version) to home viewers everywhere. The ToB Crew has spent those 4 long years since Whedon’s version discussing the nuances and discourse surrounding the “Snyder Cut” (for better or for worse), but the time has come to now discuss the film itself. Julian, Dan, and Jeremy break it all down and discuss what worked and what didn’t for what is, in many ways, an unprecedented piece of entertainment. Be warned, full spoilers ahead!
Read MoreToB Interlude - DC Fandome 2020
With no San Diego Comic-Con (or any comic-con for that matter) this year, the big comic companies are turning to alternate means to get their message out. DC decided the best way to spread the word about their latest projects, was to host their own comic-con, completely online. With intimate panels to massive reveals across their TV, film, and print, properties, the goal was to replicate the feeling of being in the San Diego Convention Centre, but from the comfort of your own home. By all estimations, they largely succeeded in that endeavor. Their 24-hour stream was chock-full of major announcements and reveals. Not the least of which being the first teaser for Matt Reeves “The Batman”, which largely stole the spotlight. Though the trailer for the Snyder Cut of “Justice League” was also exciting (especially for Jeremy). That is without even mentioning the details we got about “Black Lightning” (JSA whaaat!), “The Flash”, or “The Suicide Squad” (gotta love that cast!). Speaking of the Suicide Squad, the latest game from Rocksteady “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League”, was also announced along with “Gotham Knights” a co-op Batman game. Long story short, there’s plenty of content to fill you ears as the ToB Crew break it all down in excruciating detail.
Read MoreEpisode 151 - The Snyder Cut Is Real
Some people thought it was a myth, others assumed it was only an eventuality, the rest just got bombarded with the hashtag for 2 years, but against all odds, the “Snyder Cut” of Justice League is real, and it’s coming to HBO Max. Julian, Jeremy, and Dan discuss the exciting news and debate over how to process it all while trying to considering it in context of the vocal minority that made it happen (not as easy to do as you might think). The guys also dive into the latest Tennent trailer and ponder if it’s the last best hope to save movie theatres in a post COVID world. Speaking of which, AMC vs Universal Pictures is also discussed before moving onto to some less depressing news from the galaxy far far away, with the announcement of Taika Waititi taking on a Star Wars feature film of his own. All that and so much more in the latest Tower of Babble Podcast!
Read MoreEpisode 129 - The 2018 Tobie Awards
It’s that time of year again - where we reflect on the year that was. What was special, scary, moving, heart pounding or mind bending. The movies, television shows and games of 2018 have now all come and gone, so Julian Meush, Daniel D’Souza and Jeremy Kozier sit down for a retrospective look at the year that was. 2018 brought with it some absolute gems in all three categories. Whether it was comic tent-poles at the theatre that left audiences stunned, whip-smart comedies on TV that always brightened your day, or some of the most ambitious games ever made that dropped your jaw in awe of their scale and scope, it was a good year to be a fan of entertainment. Here’s to another great in entertainment!
Read MoreEpisode 128 - Aquaman
It’s Julian and Jeremy in The Tower this week as the two review a bounty of DC related content, including the season finale of Titans, CW’s big “Elseworlds” crossover event, and of course the latest instalment in the much maligned DCEU, Aquaman. The guys also briefly touch on some Marvel news coming from Netflix, Kevin Feige, and Sony, as well as touch on the first look at Will Smith’s Genie in the live action Aladdin remake. All that, and much more, in this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast.
Read MoreEpisode 127 - Trailers Galore
It’s been over a fortnight since the last full ToB Podcast but the guys are back to unpack a metric ton of nerdy news. Starting with Marvel, who certainly didn’t help lighten the news load, as they dropped both a Captain Marvel trailer AND a teaser for Avengers 4, now titled Avengers: Endgame. On top of that Disney released the first teaser for their Lion King remake, which quickly became an internet sensation. Plus, as we get closer to the premiere of Aquaman, DC treated us to even more footage with their final trailer. Julian, Dan and Jeremy also discuss the latest drama out of the Oscars, debate Christmas movie lists and question the strange Sonic the Hedgehog “motion poster”. All that, and much more, on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast!
Read MoreEpisode 123 - Titans, The Mandalorian and More!
The full ToB Crew is here this week to break down the latest in genre movie and television news. On the docket this week: the Aladdin live action remake gets a teaser trailer, James Gunn is in talks with Warner Brothers to write and possibly direct Suicide Squad 2, Jon Favreau’s live action Star Wars show is revealed to be called The Mandalorian, along with an official image and announcements of the who will be directing the episodes. Plus, Titans first episode premieres and Julian and Jeremy give their impressions of what turned out to be a show with a lot of potential. All that and much more on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast!
Read MoreEpisode 117 - San Diego Comic-Con 2018
San Diego Comic-Con International 2018 has come and gone and in it's wake it left behind a massive pile of nerdy news to discuss. Julian, Jeremy, and Daniel break down the biggest announcements, trailers and controversies from this year's SDCC. Starting with James Gunn's firing, moving on to the Aquaman and Shazam! trailers, the cringe worthy Titans teaser and DC Universe details, the surprise resurrection of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and much, much, much, more! This is a jam packed show, so sit down, strap in, and get ready for a torrential downpour of nerdy discourse.
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