In what is a somewhat new format for ToB, Julian starts off this episode solo, and is joined by Jeremy mid-stream. Julian, and then also Jeremy, unpack the absolute mess that has been left in the wake of DC's latest box-office bomb. With so much weight of expectations resting on the shoulders of 'The Flash' (thanks a lot Tom Cruise and Stephen King) it may not be a surprise that it wasn't able to reach those lofty heights, but it doesn't make the situation any rosier for WB executives who backed a chaotic lead, shelved 'Batgirl', and spurned Snyder fans, for this flop. The guys discuss the film itself (was it actually any good?), possible reasons it failed financially, and what it means for the future of the DCU.
Read MoreEpisode 185 - Too Busy for its Own Good
Julian and Jeremy get together for a quick news roundup, including: DC's plan to continue with Ezra Miller after 'The Flash', Martin Scorsese's new trailer and his meeting with the Pope, HBO's reluctance to greenlight the Jon Snow 'Game of Thrones' sequel, the end of the Arrowverse on CW, the latest from Quinton Tarantino, and Mark Hamill's stance on recasting Luke Skywalker. Plus Julian brings some impressions from 'Fast X'.
Read MoreEpisode 182 - Gods and Monsters
James Gunn waited until the last possible day to fulfill his promise of revealing details about his upcoming slate of DC projects. Releasing a pre-recorded video on January 31st, Gunn laid out the projects that will make up his first phase, which they are calling "Gods and Monsters". It will feature a Superman and Supergirl movie, a Wonder Woman prequel series, a new Batman film, this time featuring Robin, as well as series for Booster Gold, Amanda Waller, and even Green Lanterns. You can't forget the titular "Monster" either, as Swamp Thing is also getting a movie. Plus animated projects and video games are all announced to be part of this new DCU (no longer the DCEU). It's a lot to unpack, so Jeremy and Julian break down each announcement with an eye of optimism as things finally seem to be looking up for a franchise that has seen nothing but turbulence for nearly a decade.
Read MoreEpisode 176 - News Ketchup
It feels like a lifetime since we did a news show. What with ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ coverage, reviews of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Dr Strange’ sucking up all of our time, it’s no wonder it’s been so long! Ultimately, this means that Julian and Jeremy have a smorgasbord of movie and TV news to unpack. Not the least of which being the all sorts of fun stuff coming out of the mounting ‘Avatar: The Way of the Water’ press barrage, which includes not only the teaser trailer, but also some VERY fun comments from the legend himself, James Cameron. Next up, is another round of DC related news out of Warner Bros. Between the ‘Flash’ movie now being in limbo, the lackluster trailer for ‘Black Adam’ and the constant befuddlement of their new CEO, there’s practically enough there for a whole episode on it’s own. But we have more! The guys also cover the odd reactions to Marvel’s CG in ‘Thor’ and ‘She-Hulk’, the box office success of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, another ‘Game of Thrones’ spin-off series (this time it’s interesting I promise!), and a metric ton of “what we’ve been watching”. All that and so much more on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast!
Read MoreEpisode 173 - Obi-Wan Kenobi Trailer, Netflix Havoc, and DC Delays
How long have we been waiting for trailer for the Obi-Wan show? It feels like an eternity. Well the wait is finally over and Julian and Jeremy are here to break it all down, along with some other exciting teasers for 'The Boys' season 3, a new alien themed horror comedy from Jordan Peele, 'Nope', and even Marvel's exciting new addition to their Disney+ series lineup, 'Ms Marvel'. But that's not all, there's also a metric tonne of news to cover as well. Including, Netflix's controversial move toward limiting password sharing, or in a similar vein, Disney adding an ad-supported tier to Disney+, all while WB announces another set of delays for their DC films. On a lighter note, announcements of new projects include a surprising sequel to Will Smith's 'I Am Legend', a reboot of Charlie Cox's 'Daredevil' on Disney+, a sequel series to ‘Blade Runner 2049’ with Ridley Scott attached at Amazon, and even a 'Sonic' spin-off series starring Idris Elba's Knuckles in the works. All this and so much more on this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!
Read MoreEpisode 169 - DC Fandome 2021
Last year’s DC Fandome set the gold standard for web events in the entertainment space. At that time we were hopeful that we’d be able to “get back to normal” by this time in 2021. Unfortunately, that’s turned out not to be the case, and with San Diego Comic-Con being a digital shell of it’s in-person self, coupled with every other entertainment companies own digital events all seemingly landing with a thud, it felt like there was little to look forward to this year for fan events. DC Fandome seemed to be the one exception. With not a peep from DC since last year’s Fandome on their major projects we here at ToB were amping up for some big reveals. Unfortunately, that is not really what we got. In a bit of a change of formats from their multi-channel approach last year, DC paired things down to one 4-hour stream. This meant everything from a new Justice League mobile game, to the ‘Super Pets’ movie and everything in between had equal representation next to the big tent pole film and game franchises we’ve all been waiting for, like namely ‘The Batman’, ‘The Flash’, ‘Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’ and ‘Black Adam’. This made for a more muddied affair, especially as there were not many new surprises and A LOT of time spent speaking to their CW franchises (we don’t need a tour of the Kent family farm). Overall though, the things that hit, really hit (hello ‘Batman: Caped Crusader’), and the rest can largely be forgotten until they come up again at next year’s event. Join Julian and Jeremy as they discuss all the major stories from this year’s DC Fandome in this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast!
Read MoreToB Interlude - Now on Wednesdays
With Dan out of town, Julian and Jeremy sit down for a casual news catch-up that takes the guys through a myriad of different topics, including: Disney+ moving their original content premiers to Wednesdays, ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ announcement , Jensen Ackles Batman voice, James Cameron’s Avatar, the value of physical media and the role of “special features” in 2021, and much, much more!
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 MoreEpisode 162 - Snyder Cut, Mortal Kombat and Scorsese
If you’ve been listening to the show for awhile you’ll know that the ToB Crew have been closely following ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’, or as it’s colloquially known, ‘The Snyder Cut’, since the theatrical release of the film waaay back when. So of course it’s big news when the official trailer drops, so the guys dive deep into that (and unfortunately, the ongoing drama surrounding it). But when it rains it pours, becasue we also got the trailer for the new ‘Mortal Kombat’ film (another long standing focus of the show) along with another rant from Martin Scorsese who’s back in the news talking about how streaming services are devaluing film (which means it’s time for another “Agree of Disagree” segment!). In addition to all of that, Marvel revealed the official title for Tom Holland’s ‘Spider-Man 3’ and ViacomCBS rolled out details for Paramount+. All this, and so much more, on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast!
Read MoreEpisode 160 - Cap Coming Back?
With 2020 now firmly in the rearview mirror, ToB can now return to it's regularly scheduled programming. Or at least as close to it as we can get! It's been a few weeks since a full news show, so there's a lot to discuss. Julian, Dan, and Jeremy break down the biggest stories in the world of film and television, not the least of which being that Warner Bros is apparently doubling down on 'Harry Potter'. They've installed a new VP to oversee the franchise and a live-action series is in early development at HBO Max. On top of that, rumours are swirling about the possible return of Chris Evans' Captain America to the MCU. Plus, Snyder confirms that his Justice League will not be a 4-part series afterall, and instead will be a 4 hour film. Oh did we mention that Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' series got an official synopsis? Well the guys are covering that too! All that and so much more on this week's Tower of Babble Podcast.
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