Episode 189 - Marvel Feeling Desperate

Julian Meush November 15, 2023

We're hitting the ground running as we attempt to get back to a regular cadence this week with one of the biggest stories in Hollywood right now. If you've been listening to this show for awhile you know that we've paid close attention to the troubles that have beset Warner Brothers over the last few years. My have the tables been turned. Variety has put out a pretty scathing article (hit piece?) on the current state of Marvel Studios that didn't hold back in its indictment of the management (mismanagement) by Disney for what was, up until very recently, a nearly unblemished brand. Julian and Jeremy unpack how they got themselves in this situation and ponder what moves they can make to bring people back into the world Stan built. Meanwhile, of course, WB still manages to find it's way into the limelight with it's latest attempt to burry a film for tax credits, so of course that is touched on as well.

Episode 177 - Not All Sunshine and Rainbows

Julian Meush July 22, 2022

The era of shady business practices continues it seems in the Hollywood world. This time it's not just WB involved, but their own "distinguished competition", at Marvel that's up to no good this week. Rolling Stone released a piece on the Snyder Cut movement, identifying 13% of the online activity being attributed to bots. This on it's own is not big news, as it was largely known, but it's the timing of the piece that's most questionable. Over at Marvel, they're up to their usual tricks of not properly compensating comic book creators, now being accused of "bait and switch" tactics to stiff writers and artists when their characters appear on the screen. Julian and Jeremy break down both stories, while also diving into a plethora of more lighthearted fare, including: news on 'Mortal Kombat 2' and 'Top Gun 3', a Powerpuff Girls animated reboot, a fun "Agree of Disagree" segment, and much more on this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!

Episode 176 - News Ketchup

Julian Meush July 7, 2022

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!

Episode 173 - Obi-Wan Kenobi Trailer, Netflix Havoc, and DC Delays

Julian Meush March 24, 2022

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!

Episode 156 - Too Soon for the MCU Spider-Verse

Julian Meush October 9, 2020

With about a month since our last full show, there's been a lot of news piling up. The guys dive into all the juiciest stories to cover the latest in film and television (oh and obviously the biggest story of the month, Steve joining Super Smash Bros). Unfortunately, before getting to the fun stuff, Julian, Dan, and Jeremy, hypothesize about a grim future where movie theatre chains have all gone out of business. It's truly the darkest timeline, but one that seems all too possible, with all the remaining blockbuster releases for this year being moved into next year (or later in some cases). On a more exciting note, the news of Jamie Foxx's Electro joining the MCU for Spider-Man 3, along with Doctor Strange, begs the question if it's too soon to start introducing a multiverse in the MCU. On the DC front, it's discovered that reshoots for the Snyder Cut of Justice League will cost $70 million, and the much maligned streaming service, DC Universe, will officially close its doors as all it's major shows will move to HBO Max (don't worry, it'll live on in a comic book subscription form). Speaking of TV, 'The Boys' is getting a spin-off series, Ted Lasso is renewed for season 2 (I had to mention it) and Nick Fury is getting his own Disney+ series. All that and so much more (I know, I always say that, but this time there's literally so much more stuff!), on this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!

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Episode 138 - D23 2019

Julian Meush August 29, 2019

The news train just never stops. Coming off the heels of last week’s Spider-Man bombshell is Disney’s annual D23 Expo that brought with it even more Marvel news, plus a lot more! From a dark version of Rey in the Star Wars Episode IX footage (never mind the incredible The Mandalorian trailer) to the deluge of new shows coming to Disney+ just from Marvel alone, there was a lot to discuss as Julian, Dan, and Jeremy got together to break down the biggest stories out of the Disney convention and the rest of the entertainment world this week.

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May 22, 2025

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

May 22, 2025

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 22, 2025

May 15, 2025

SSSW - Andor S2 Finale

May 15, 2025

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 15, 2025

May 9, 2025

SSSW - Andor S2 E7 - 9

May 9, 2025

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 9, 2025

May 2, 2025

SSSW - Andor S2 E4 - 6

May 2, 2025

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.

May 2, 2025