It is often said we're living through "unprecedented times", and I must admit that it rings true when reading the news. Normally, we're fortunate enough to be discussing the frivolous world of entertainment - shielding us from much of the dower nature of the the modern world. Unfortunately, that does not mean we are immune - this week proves there's still plenty of bad news in the entertainment world to go around. And while we try to focus on the fun stuff, sometimes the bad stuff threatens things we love, like creators, and movie theatres, and therefor must be called out. As such, Matt and Julian spend the front half of the show talking about the Netflix/WB deal, and the Disney's investment in AI. Pick your poison on that one. However, stick around, as things take a turn back to the fun as the latest in film and tv news is covered, including discussions about a new '28 Years Later' movie, a new 'Men in Black', 'Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair', and 'Stranger Things',. All this and so much more on this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!
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Bonus Episode - Warner Bros. Sales Chaos - Daily DVR
Julian joins Axel and Andy on The Daily DVR Podcast to wring out all the angst surrounding the impeding sale of Warner Bros. and their myriad of assets, including HBO, to Netflix. With Paramount still sniffing around this is far from done but all of it is far from good for fans of movies and TV.
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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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Bonus Episode - ToB Film Club - Mad Max: Fury Road & Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
It's hard to believe that it's been nearly a decade since we were thrust against the back of our collective theatre seats with the release of 'Mad Max: Fury Road', which is now regarded as one of the greatest action movies ever made. The return to the wasteland brought with it the introduction of a new character to accompany our titular Max, Charlize Theron's Furiosa stole the spotlight and now, 9 years later, has been rewarded with a prequel film that explores the "odyssey" of her life before the events of Fury Road. With such a formidable connection between these two films, it really only makes sense to discuss them as a whole. Julian and Jeremy unpack 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' in context with it's predecessor to look at the whole picture. A series of films so epic is scope and ambition that it is a disservice to not mention them both in the same breath. Note that spoilers for 'Furiosa' are gated at approximately the halfway mark of the episode (Timestamp 00:35:33). Welcome back to the unhinged mind of George Miller. We couldn't wait to talk about this one. Witness Me!
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Episode 191 - Take Me Back to 2018
As the ToB Crew kickoff 2024, we begin by lamenting what we lost. If only we could return to the simpler times, pre-pandemic. Alas, this is not to be, so instead Julian and Jeremy rely on "ol' faithful", which of course means reviewing the latest news concerning film and television. Unfortunately, they immediately lose focus, perhaps subconsciously staying true to the nostalgic undertone that accompany the start of a new year, and enjoy a fun sidebar discussion about the state of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars in the early 2000s (We didn't know how good we had it back then). All of which was of course an offshoot of the news of John Williams un-retirement. Next the guys unpack some Star Wars news, and then lean into Marvel. Specifically the fresh legitimacy the Netflix 'Defenders' saga shows have received as Daredevil is pulled further into the MCU. They also save some time to review the Golden Globe winners and look ahead at the Emmys (which were happening live during the recording). All that and so much more on this week's episode of The Tower of Babble Podcast.
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Episode 189 - Marvel Feeling Desperate
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.
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Episode 181 - Transformers Beast Something
After what feels like a lifetime, Julian returns to the studio to catch up with Jeremy on all the latest in film and TV news. With a massive backlog of stories to cover, it's hard to know where to start. Thankfully, WB obliged with a juicy story about James Gunn's first couple moves with the newly minted "DC Studios", not the least of which being the shelving of 'Wonder Woman 3'.With more turmoil at WB, the guys dive deep into the possible ins-and-outs of this type of shake-up. Meanwhile, on the lighter side of things, trailers for 'Indiana Jones 5', now with it’s official title “Dial of Destiny”, 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts', and 'Guardians of the Galaxy 3' all dropped around the same time, and all of it is dsucsussed in detail. All that and so much more on this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!
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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 178 - Batgirl Shelved & Marvel Comic-Con
The turmoil at Warner Brothers Discovery continues, this time in the form of bloodletting. News broke early this week that the HBO Max original ‘Batgirl’, which was finished shooting and in late stages of post production. was going to be cancelled by the studio. Shortly after, an official statement was released and the outcry online was loud. This comes amongst rumours of further shakeups coming to the studio, specifically around their HBO Max streaming service, as they apparently look to pivot away from scripted programming nearly across the board, in favor of cheaper unscripted options. Naturally, Julian and Jeremy break down all the details surrounding this unprecedented decision and what it means for the future of DC on the big and small screens. Meanwhile, on the fun side of the news, over at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel held no punches as they discussed the next 2 phases of the MCU, and announced A LOT of new movies and shows, while finding time to drop a spectacular trailer for ‘Black Panther 2’, amongst a whole pile of other announcements. Oh and a new trailer for ‘Andor’ dropped. The show looks stunning, but you’ll have to wait an extra 3 weeks as they have pushed the premiere to September. That pretty much takes up all the time this episode, but trust us, it’s more than enough.
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Episode 177 - Not All Sunshine and Rainbows
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!
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