Episode 151 - The Snyder Cut Is Real

Julian Meush May 25, 2020

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!

Episode 127 - Trailers Galore

Julian Meush December 12, 2018

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!

Episode 93 - Sour Grapes Over Rotten Tomatoes

Julian Meush April 4, 2017

It's a big show this week and it kicks off with a bang as the guys play a Spider-Man themed version of Nerd Association in honour of the new trailer as well as discuss the news that Spidey might be leaving the MCU sooner than we thought. Julian, Dan and Jeremy then dissect the Justice League, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Mummy trailers before examining Ghost in the Shell's abysmal box office performance. Moving on, and in what is quickly becoming a staple of the ToB Podcast, the Agree or Disagree segment returns, this time asking whether Rotten Tomatoes is truly the "destruction" of the movie business. On the TV front, Buffy celebrates 20 years, followed by briefly talking about several shows that had either their season or series finales including Legion on FX (A show that everyone should be watching) and Star Wars: Rebels (Another show everyone should be watching) and Black Sails. Plus, True Detective season three might happen after all! The show then continues into a bit of gaming news and a discussion on Mass Effect: Andromeda before closing out on a brief discussion on diversity in comics. All this and so much more on this week's Tower of Babble Podcast, which is nothing if not chock-full of nerdy goodness. Enjoy!

May 22, 2025

SSSW/ToB Film Club - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

It's hard to believe that 'Rogue One' premiered nearly a decade ago. At the time, it was fairly well received, considered to be a decent first step into the standalone Star Wars movies, if not a bit messy. As the years passed, we learned more about the production. Gareth Edwards, who retained sole directing credit, was assisted by Tony Gilroy to "fix" the project. Tony went so far as to call it a "corpse" when he came aboard for rewrites and reshoots. It was Tony's inclusion that brought us some of the movies most memorable moments, and ultimately led him to leading the charge on 'Andor', a prequel project that flew under the radar as hits like 'The Mandalorian' hogged the spotlight. With 'Andor' now complete, considered by many to be a masterpiece in storytelling, not just in Star Wars but on television in general, now is the most appropriate time to reexamine the movie that spawned the Cassian-centered prequel series with fresh eyes. 'Andor', which leads directly into the events of 'Rogue One' recontextualizes much of the film, creating a unique viewing experience that pays off a multitude of threads that are brilliantly laid over the two seasons of 'Andor'. It takes the movie, which was already pretty good, and makes it great. Now existing as part of a whole that weaves a cohesive narrative from the nascent moments of the Rebellion all the way through to the destruction of the Death Star in 1977 (the seed that begat ALL Star Wars, and what we appropriately align our Star Wars BBY calendars to). It all feels wholistic and considered when viewed from the broader perspective - an accomplishment that should set a shining example of what Star Wars can and should aspire to.

May 15, 2025

SSSW - Andor S2 Finale

After only 4 weeks - the blink of an eye - it's all over. The best Star Wars story since the Original Trilogy has graced our screens and left us in awe. These final three episodes weren't able to reach the emotional highs of last week's arc, but that wasn't the goal. Instead, it provides time to look back at what brought us here, and sets the stage for the climax of the story to take place not in this moment, but within the now recontextualized film that birthed all of this in the first place, 'Rogue One'. And while the show may carry Cassian's name on the title screen, it's been the cast of characters we've met along the way that truly elevated this experience. Not to pick favourites, but in particular, Luthen and Kleya, who get an episode all to themselves this week are the standouts. And what an episode it was, as their story which shepherded much of the series came to an end, as we all expected it would have to. Embracing those feelings of closure, in the final moments of the series, as Cassian flies off into 'Rogue One', we are treated to our last glimpses of our heroes and villains. From Dedra to Vel and even Perrin, we are left to consider their fates as the story marches with inevitability into what begat all of this way back in 1977. Will we ever see Kleya, Vel, Wilmon, or Bix again? One can only hope - and rebellions? Well, they're built on hope.

May 9, 2025

SSSW - Andor S2 E7 - 9

When dealing in the world of prequels, it’s impossible to escape the inevitable - Anakin will fall, Han will win the Falcon, Cassian will die on Scarif. Somehow, in the midst of some of the most thrilling episodes of television ever put to screen, Tony Gilroy and his team found a way to address that impending doom and weaponize it against the audience to induce some of the most gut wrenching and heart breaking moments we’ve yet to see on ‘Andor’ - “There’s some place he needs to be”. At a larger scale, the show continues to outdo itself on a weekly basis, proving that the Star Wars galaxy provides a colour pallet of some of the richest hues from which to paint bold and personal stories. Proving you can go beyond the larger than life stories of heroics and grandeur to human stories of loss and pain and everything in between. That’s without mentioning the deft touch in pulling in themes that resonates with the contemporary while remaining timeless - a feeling that is a staple of Star Wars. Every detail is considered, every character is deep and interesting. There isn’t much more that can be said about such a powerful piece of art, except that not even the audience can escape the inevitable - only one week remains of this masterpiece.

May 2, 2025

SSSW - Andor S2 E4 - 6

I'm sorry to tell you all, but we're already halfway through this final season of 'Andor'. Fortunately, the quality hasn't dipped one bit as we accelerate into the finish. Join Julian and Rachel as they savour every minute of this 3-episode arch that takes us to Ghorman for the first time on screen. Tony Gilroy and the team at Lucasfilm outdid themselves yet again in crafting every detail. The size of the set alone is impressive, but they take it a step further by developing a unique culture and even language different from anything we've seen in Star Wars before. It all fits seamlessly into this next chapter of the story that has a heavy emphasis on spycraft as the pressure ramps up for both the Rebellion and the Empire.

Episode 151 - The Snyder Cut Is Real

Episode 127 - Trailers Galore

Episode 93 - Sour Grapes Over Rotten Tomatoes

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