Don’t let it be said that The Tower of Babble Podcast is not generous. Julian and Jeremy are in the giving spirit for the festive season, and in that spirit, they sat down on a wintery weekend morning to discuss in detail a Christmas movie that doesn't get enough attention, the Nicolas Cage vehicle, ‘The Family Man’. Both enjoyed this movie, mostly carried by the great performances, which seems to present a pretty clean moral message. But if you look a layer deeper (which the guys were happy to oblige) it reveals a pretty odd and mixed perspective on what it actually means to have an "ideal life". Luckily that tonal weirdness matches Cage's energy quite well, and ultimately creates a very enjoyable movie. But the ToB gifts don't stop there as your hosts shift gears to provide a bonus conversation around James Gunn's new ‘Superman’ teaser. Happy holidays everyone!
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Episode 199.5 - Marvel/DC News Roundup
For the most part, genre entertainment news has been relatively light. Yes we’ve had a round of castings for DC projects, and Kevin Fiege is slowly opening the kimono for X-Men info, but on the whole nothing earth shattering (who knows, we might see a planet shatter whenever the ‘Superman’ trailer finally comes). This makes for a perfect time to defer the 200th episode of the show and take a look at the state of things over at DC and Marvel. They are both looking to emerge from a slump, despite taking very different approaches (though I’m sure DC would have loved a $1B hit that allowed them to have their cake and eat it too). The guys unpack the similarities and differences and sprinkle in a few different news bits along the way. All that and so much more on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast!
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Episode 187 - Hollywood Turmoil Paired With A New Superman
Julian and Jeremy get together to try to make sense of the current tumultuous state of Hollywood. With the actors joining the writers on strike, the pressure mounts for studios, who are currently going through an almost unprecedented streak of box office failures. It's not looking good out there folks! Which is why it was necessary to revive the "Agree or Disagree" segment of the show to really dive into the complexities of the situation. Meanwhile, DC Studios continues to try to steady the ship by announcing casting news for 'Superman: Legacy'. Surprisingly they've gone further than just announcing who will be playing Clark and Lois, and added character announcements for the likes of Guy Gardner, Hawk Girl and more. Unsurprisingly, this leads to some debate on the merits of James Gunn's recent decision making. On top of that, the guys discuss a grab-bag of movie topics to round out the show. All this and so much more on this week's episode of the Tower of Babble Podcast!
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Episode 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.
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Episode 179 - The Drama Continues
Another episode, another dump of bad news out of WBD. This time, following their investors call, we learn that they've been pulling content from HBO Max liberally, while 'Shazam 2', and 'Aquaman 2' get pushed again. Have no fear, they have a 10 year plan they say. Fortunately, HBO seems to have been spared the knife so far, featuring 'House of the Dragon' pulling in record numbers for it's premiere. In fact, prosperity seems to be abound across the nerd world when it comes to adapted material, with 'Sandman' on Netflix hitting the mark, and 'She-Hulk' at Disney+ capturing even Jeremy's attention. The guys sit down to discuss all of that and more, including 'Avatar's' return to theatres, 'Green Lantern: Beware My Power', and a final word on 'Prey'.
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Episode 157 - Green Lantern, James Bond, and Moon Knight
After a brief hiatus, the ToB Crew returns to cover the latest in film and television news. Of course the film part seems to be less and less relevant these days as streaming services have become the defacto home for all things motion picture. Unfortunately, that means much of the film news is sad and depressing. Like the passing of Sean Connery, or the impending death of movie theatres. But it also means more news from the land of Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and the like. Such as, additional details about the Green Lantern series coming to HBO Max, Oscar Isaac's casting as Moon Night for Disney+, and that Netflix is, once ,again, raising it's subscription prices. The guys also dive into an interesting 'Agree or Disagree' segment revolving around the state of Warner Brothers. Plus a brief discussion on the first season of HBO's Lovecraft Country. All that, and so much more, on this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!
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Episode 153 - DC, Tron 3, TMNT, and AMC
It’s been almost a month since the ToB Crew conveeded, and in that time A LOT has happened. Making for a jumbo sized episode of The ToB Podcast! Starting with just DC, there’s news on The Snyder Cut, Michael Keaton’s Batman, Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern, Henry Cavill’s Superman, two animated features, and the future of their streaming service. That’s without even mentioning the rest! The guys also dive deep into Tron 3, a reboot to Twister, the AMC Theatres saga, a new TMNT movie (and possible also a live action show?), the strangeness of Qubi, a Fallout show at Amazon Prime, and so much more (if you can believe it)! On a slightly more serious note, Julian, Dan, and Jeremy also examine the recent move of white voice actors stepping down from voicing non-white characters, as well as the deaths of Joel Schumacher and Ian Hom.
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Episode 145 - DC Check-In
The ToB Crew is back with another regular episode of the ToB Podcast. A lot has happened, especially at Warner Brothers, so the guys decide to do a recap of all things DC. Variety is reporting that DC brass don’t know how to make Superman relevant to modern audiences, all while Henry Cavil drops some Superman nuggets, Michael B Jordan is pitching Superman ideas, and Ben Affleck is stoking the flames of #ReleaseTheSynderCut with a tweet. Needless to say there’s a lot to talk about. The guys also touch on the new “Sonic the Hedgehog” trailer, Mark Wahlberg’s casting in the “Uncharted” movie and much more!
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Episode 135 - Real Fish People
With another Disney remake dropping this week the guys sit down to reminisce and talk Lion King, Mulan teaser, and Little Mermaid casting news. After Disney the show naturally segues into an R-rated Mortal Kombat adaptation (with an emphasis on Fatalities), Joker movie news, and a rumoured villain for the third Spider-Man movie rounding out the movies segment.
Plus Mandalorian Season 2 information, Zack Snyder and Jay Oliva teaming up for an anime Norse mythology series, and brief impression of Stranger Things Season 3.
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Episode 124 - Top 5 DC Animated Films
If we’re being honest, it’s been a slow week. Wonder Woman 1984 is delayed and Luke Cage was cancelled, but besides that it’s been pretty quiet on the nerdy news front. Luckily, the guys have been saving their lists of the “Best DC Animated Films” for just such an occasion. Julian, Daniel and Jeremy break down their 5 favorite films from the pantheon of DC’s animated features. Some of DC’s best movies exist in obscurity because they aren’t live action. From the sombre and beautiful Batman: Mask of the Phantasm to the bombastic yet complex Justice League: Crises on Two Earths and more, the ToB Crew explore what makes these underappreciated superhero adventures worth your time.
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