Episode 198 - Art by Committee

Julian Meush October 9, 2024

Between the chaos surrounding 'Joker 2', the hate pouring out of fandoms like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, and the commercial failures of critical darlings like 'Transformers: One', and 'Furiosa', it's easy to understand why it's so hard to predict success in these wildly uncertain times in Hollywood. Todd Phillips 'Joker' made over one billion dollars in 2019, and took home the Best Actor Oscar for it's trouble, but the sequel, which adds the massively popular Lady Gaga to the mix is set to be a massive box office bomb. Why? Julian and Jeremy examine that question, and try to put things in context with the recent Variety article about Hollywood executives cow-towing to angry fans. All this and more on this episode of The Tower of Babble Podcast!

SSSW - Bonus Episode - The State of Star Wars

Julian Meush September 11, 2024

Following the cancellation of ‘The Acolyte’, many fans are taking a step back and asking questions about the state of the franchise. And rightly so, considering the confused state that many have been left in. Especially considering that Lucasfilm continues to leave us in the dark, with no official word following the recent cancellation. They've also done very little to inspire trust in their current creative process given the number of high profile project announcements that have never come to fruition. Meanwhile, the fandom is imploding on itself. Creators and influencers in the community are pitted against each other, seemingly in a fight for influence over control of the narrative surrounding each new project. Debates over what is or isn’t "Star Wars" wage on the internet as fans dodge bad-faith landmines across their social feeds. Julian and Rachel look at where things stand with Star Wars today, how we got here, and what the future might hold.

Episode 179 - The Drama Continues

Julian Meush September 2, 2022

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'.

Episode 162 - Snyder Cut, Mortal Kombat and Scorsese

Julian Meush March 1, 2021

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!

SSSW - Star Wars Oscars

Julian Meush September 3, 2020

Inspired by the creative minds at @starwarstuff on Twitter, Small Screen Star Wars is back with more podcasting goodness. This week’s theme is Star Wars Oscars (not to be confused with Star Wars AT the Oscars, where John Williams owns). Julian and Rachel pick the best of the best from across Star Wars on film (and television of course). Who’s the best Star Wars director? What is the best lightsaber duel? The best droid? (spoilers, there’s only 1 correct answer for this. I’m sorry, but we don’t make the rules) Tune in to find what is OBJECTIVELY (subjectively) the best stuff in Star Wars!

ToB Interlude - Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker - Spoiler Cast

Julian Meush January 9, 2020

With the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere now far enough in the past and the discourse surrounding the divisive picture now quieted down, it’s finally time for the ToB Crew to dive deep into the final chapter of the Skywalker saga. Full spoilers ahead, as Julian, Daniel, and Jeremy discuss the ins and outs of a movie that has A LOT to break down. Plus the guys try to fully flush out how this movie follows what was left by Rian Johnson’s “The Last Jedi” (A conversation that may never end). Ultimately, there’s enough content in this movie to keep podcasters busy for years, and this will likely not be the last ToB word on this subject.

Small Screen Star Wars - Trailer

Julian Meush November 12, 2019

With the launch of Disney+, so too comes the launch of another Tower of Babble recap podcast. This one however, much like the source materiel, is bigger than just one show - It’s an entire galaxy! Julian Meush, Daniel D’Souza, and Jeremy Kozier, bring their podcasting talents to the world of Star Wars. Listen as they discuss some of their favourite Star Wars films in anticipation of the launch of The Mandalorian. The flagship series for Disney+ and the show that will kick off a new chapter in Star Wars history. As a bonus, enjoy an interview with Lucasfilm Executive, Pablo Hidalgo, that Julian and Dan were lucky enough to conduct at FanQuest 2018.

Episode 139 - Smile for the Camera

Julian Meush September 4, 2019

While first impressions of the Joker movie sound promising, the jury is still out on the Gotham City story that will follow it. The guys discuss both the critical success Joker has seen so far, and a recent interview with Robert Pattinson detailing his role in the upcoming Matt Reeves Batman film. Some recent remarks from J.J. Abrams spark debate over episode IX and how it will be affected by what came before it. In trailers we have: The King; a period piece emphasizing practical effects and historical accuracy, and Primal; an stylized, prehistoric cartoon with no regard for historical accuracy and a focus on primal violence.

Episode 107 - The 2017 Tobie Awards

Julian Meush January 3, 2018

It's time again for one of our favourite shows of the year. The episode where we talk about the best shows and movies that we saw in 2017. Previously it would have simply been called the "Best of 2017" but this year we would like to introduce you to "The First Annual Tobie Awards!", or "The Tobies" for short. It's essentially the same thing, we discuss our favourite shows and movies of the last year, but now it has a more official name. Join Daniel, Julian and Jeremy as they discuss the best of the best in what was a great year for both film and television.

ToB Interlude - Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Julian Meush December 18, 2017

Another year, another Star Wars movie. Last year we took a detour back to the days of The Empire in Rogue One, this year we return to the trilogy started by J.J. Abrams in The Force Awakens. This time it's Rian Johnson at the helm as Rey, Finn, Poe, Leia, Luke and more return for another instalment in the core Star Wars saga! A film that has turned out to be fairly polarizing among fans. Julian, Daniel and Jeremy give their take and break down every scene on what might be the biggest movie of the year.

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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