[I Hate/Love Remakes] Mighty Joe Young

Another Lost Episode of I Hate Love/Remakes breaks loose from the cage as Tessa joins Evie and I for a look at Mighty Joe Young, the sorta spiritual spinoff from the makers of King Kong, and its 90s remake from Disney and the director of Tremors. Check it out here.

[Made of Fail] The Shannara Chronicles, episodes 16-20

At Made of Fail, I wrap up my episode breakdowns for the second season of Shannara Chronicles, which I sincerely doubt is ever going to have a season 3.

#16 "Crimson"
#17 "Warlock"
#18 "Amberle"
#19 "Wilderun"
#20 "Blood"

[Thundarr Road] Buzz Dixon Interview

At Thundarr Road, Michael, David, and I had the honor of chatting with Buzz Dixon about his work on Thundarr the Barbarian, including the unproduced film and sequel series, as well as Mighty Man and Yukk, Superstretch and Microwoman, Mork and Mindy, Little Clowns of Happytown, the legal woes of Filmation, working under Joe Ruby, his friendship with Steve Gerber, meeting Jack Kirby, the major shift of writing talent to Sunbow, and many, many more topics. Seriously, Buzz has long been a writing hero of mine, and it was an absolute treat hearing all of the stories he shared with us here. Check it out here.

[Schumacast] Sparkle

At Schumacast, Angie and I look at the 1976 Motown musical drama Sparkle, as well as the 2012 remake. Sparkle was the first screenplay written by Joel Schumacher, with origins going back to his fashion days in New York, and tells the story of three sisters struggling to rise through the ranks of the music industry. Check it out here.

[Made of Fail] The Shannara Chronicles, episodes 11-15

At Made of Fail, I resume my episode breakdowns of The Shannara Chronicles for the first half of Season 2.

#11 "Druid"
#12 "Wraith"
#13 "Graymark"
#14 "Dweller"
#15 "Paranor"

[Long Box Carpentry] Halloween Comics, Part 3 - Stefan Hutchinson and Devil's Due

At Long Box Carpentry, JD and I look at the final stretch of issues in Stefan Hutchinson's H20 comics timeline, which sadly ended half-way through a mini-series with yet another series in the works, as a result of Devil's Due's financial woes. Check it out here.

[I Hate/Love Remakes] The Lost Episodes: The Wolfman

In our latest recovered blast from the past, Evie and I are joined by Michael May, in the first of many podcasting adventures he and I have taken together in the time since. Here, we look at the Universal Monsters classic starring Lon Chaney Jr, and the not-so-classic and famously interfered with passion project remake starring Benicio Del Toro. Countless sequels are also explored, early scripts are appraised, a host disappears, and "but why?" is a phrase which often escapes our lips. Check it out here.

[Greystoked] Tarzan Escapes (1936)

In our latest Greystoked, David once again joins Michael and I as we look at the struggling third entry in MGM's line of Tarzan films starring Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan. The same old story beats are once again revisited, relatives show up just because we need a plot, the most sensible and modern of treehouses is somehow cobbled together, and massive reshoots mean we never get to see the promised vampire bats. That said, growling iguanas do indeed eat people! Check it out here.

[Long Box Carpentry] Halloween, Part 2 - Early Stefan Hutchinson

At Long Box Carpentry, JD and I dig into the second wave of tie-in comics for the Halloween franchise, as British author and documentarian Stefan Hutchinson begins sewing the seeds for what will continue to expand into his own new corner of the series. Initially released as convention exclusives and DVD extras, these one-shots set a new continuity wiping out everything between Halloween's 1 & 2 and H20 & Resurrection, exploring what Loomis and Michael were up to over those missing 20 years, his new victims, his effects on old victims, and what the hell, let's give Loomis a son! Check it out here.

[Thundarr Road] Episode 2 "Wizard Wars"

In our latest episode of Thundarr, Michael, David, and I ride alongside our heroic trio as they face dueling wizards, one a gleefully clapping octopus, the other a loud head in a jar. Battle cries are shouted, civilians are brainwashed, muttering little people are imprisoned in high chairs in a toy shop, elevators threaten all in the ruins of St. Louis, and Thundarr has no appreciation for Ariel's sense of humor. Check it out here.

[Schumacast] Virginia Hill

At Schumacast, Angie and I look at the sparse TV movie biopic of Virginia Hill, the love of mobster Bugsy Siegel, which is both Joel's directorial debut and his first produced screenplay (though not his first written). Las Vegas is built in a minimalist montage, much yelling and slapping is suffered, dramatic death droppings of jewelry are mocked, and there's no way this stood a chance in hell airing against M*A*S*H. Check it out here.

NEW SERIES! [Schumacast] The Early Life and Costume Designs of Joel Schumacher

In the introductory episode of Schumacast, Angie and I look at the early life of Joel Schumacher, his career in fashion, and his transition into cinema as we dig through the seven films he worked on as a costume/production designer. A surprisingly varied list of credits is appraised. Woody Allen is a creep. Someone else took Beyond the Batnipples so we wouldn't have to. And Roger Ebert occasionally had questionable taste in the 70s. Check it out here.

[I Hate/Love Remakes] The Lost Episodes: The Mummy

It's the return of I Hate/Love Remakes as we dust off some old episodes which were never released for various reasons. First up, horrendous audio issues and all, is our look at both versions of The Mummy, the 1932 Universal Monsters "classic" starring Boris Karloff, and the 1999 adventure/horror romcom with Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and some of the most quotable lines of the 90s. Gee, which do you think we prefer! Check it out here.

[Greystoked] The New Adventures of Tarzan (1935)

At Greystoked, Michael and I are joined by fellow podcaster Melissa Kaercher to discuss The New Adventures of Tarzan (aka Tarzan and the Green Goddess), the 1935 serial which was the single outing as Tarzan for Olympic shot putter Herman Brix, who later became actor Bruce Bennett. A multitude of variants of the film were released or failed to be released. An entire cast and crew journeyed to Guatemala with an ape (and potentially a fake foot). Entire said crew then kept hiding in the rain forest from creditors. Actors were almost eaten. Clothes were torn into perfectly tailored loincloths. And marriages and divorces abounded as the couples involved decided to make some swaps. Check it out here.

[Masters of Carpentry] The Ward

This is it. At Masters of Carpentry, Alex and I are again joined by my old Remakes co-host Evie to discuss The Ward, which is to date the final film directed by John Carpenter. Twists and trauma run rampant, Amber Heard is applauded as the awesome actress she is, we're shocked to learn the identity of Jared Harris' father, and we find out we ourselves might very well be aspects of John Carpenter's personality as he slowly and begrudgingly leaps out at us from a mirror. Then, we discuss the F/X test reel for Darkchylde, the film John almost directed from the 90s comic which was very briefly a hit. THEN, Julia once again joins us as we look back on the project and John Carpenter's career as a whole. Check it out here.

[Masters of Carpentry] Pro-Life

At Masters of Carpentry, Alex and I are once again joined by fellow podcaster Melissa Kaercher to discuss "Pro-Life", the second and final episode John Carpenter directed for the anthology TV series Masters of Horror. It doesn't go well. Check it out here.

[Greystoked] Tarzan and His Mate (1934)

At Greystoked, Michael and I are joined by blogger Kay for Tarzan and His Mate, the second of MGM's iconic series starring Johnny Weissmuller. The ethics of his romance with Jane are discussed, guys are creeps, copious nude swimming is beheld, and everyone is eaten by lions. Check it out here.

[Masters of Carpentry] Cigarette Burns

At Masters of Carpentry, Alex and I are once again joined by film podcaster Melissa Kaercher for the first of two episodes John Carpenter directed for Masters of Horror, "Cigarette Burns", about the search for a cursed film which drives audiences mad. Guts are projected, thematic resonance explored, and mutual appreciation for Udo Kier expressed. Check it out here.

[Thundarr Road] Episode 1 "Secret of the Black Pearl"

At Thundarr Road, Michael, David, and I explore the series debut, where the dome-encrusted remains of New York house rodent men, a flame-wielding resurrected Statue of Liberty, and a confusingly two-faced wizard named Gemini. Also, Ookla fails to fly a helicopter. Check it out here.

[Thundarr Road] Introduction

In the debut of our new series exploring Thundarr the Barbarian, Michael, David, and I geek out about the interesting history of the series, our past experiences with it, and its place as a transitional point between 70s and 80s animated shows. Check it out here.

[Greystoked] Tarzan the Fearless (1933)

At Greystoked, Michael and I are joined by comic writer Christopher Mills to discuss the awkward serial Tarzan the Fearless, starring Buster Crabbe shortly before he was immortalized as Flash Gordon. Producer Sol Lesser makes his first of many appearances in the franchise, Butthead chuckles are evoked, and a meaty pair of buns flash their way into our hearts. Check it out here.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2007 film)

So Valerian is... okay. I hate to say that, as I hung a lot of hopes on this film, especially since I'm a fan of wild space opera adventures, which is a genre that's always struggled to take off outside of Stars Wars or, more recently, Guardians of the Galaxy. Jupiter Ascending was a painful film to see bomb, even though I fully get why it didn't take off, and I still want someone to adapt Lensmen, dammit, so we need something more to show this genre has viable legs. Unfortunately, Valerian isn't going to change that. I enjoyed watching it, it's funny, exciting, looks beautiful, and does a nice job exploring a James Bond-style globes-spanning espionage thriller in a setting filled with aliens and even tourist-rich alternate dimensions.

[Masters of Carpentry] Halloween: Resurrection

At Masters of Carpentry, Alex and I usher the original Halloween franchise to its close as we digest, discuss, and frequently laugh at the eight entry in the franchise, where Laurie Strode dies of a contractual obligation, metacommentary explorations of reality tv and video games are underdeveloped yet appreciated, and Busta Rhymes delivers flying roundhouse kicks to our feared killer's head. Check it out here.

[Masters of Carpentry] Ghosts of Mars

At Masters of Carpentry, Alex and I are again joined by Kevin O'Shea to discuss the scifi/action/horror mashup which almost marked the end of John Carpenter's feature directorial career. Language is garbled by denchers, balloons erupt in a multitude of explosions, Jason Statham is snubbed out of a lead role, and Ice Cube tells us all to put our damn hands down. Check it out here.

[Greystoked] Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)

At Greystoked, Michael and I are joined by comic writer Ron Marz for the 1932 classic Tarzan the Ape Man, the first of twelve films starring Johnny Weissmuller in a role that became a cinematic icon. Check it out here.

[Masters of Carpentry] Silent Predators

At Masters of Carpentry, Evie and I do our best to find things to talk about as we explore the 1999 tv movie Silent Predators, based on a screenplay John Carpenter wrote all the way back in 1976. A small town finds itself invaded by a horde highly-toxic, highly-territorial hybrid snakes, and their only hope is the perpetually confused stare of Harry Hamlin. Check it out here.

[A Random Podcast] Iron Fist

Download MP3

My friend (and Long Box Carpentry co-host) JD and I had many things we wanted to say about the Netflix TV series adaptation of Iron Fist, so we figured, hey, why not record a completely random podcast about it. And debut the episode 2 months after the TV show was released and everyone else has moved on from talking about it. Yay!

Follow JD DeMotte on Twitter, and check out his shows Comics Are Awesome! and From the Pages on YouTube, and his occasional appearances on The Defenders Podcast.

[Greystoked] 1910-1920s Recap

Michael and I look back on the first two decades of Tarzan in cinema, placing it against the backdrop of the original novels, other appearances in pop culture, and other jungle heroes created before and along the way. Check it out here.

[Long Box Carpentry] Halloween, Part 1 - The Chaos! Year

The first of three episodes in which JD and I look at comic book tie-ins for the Halloween films, beginning with the year they spent at a comic company so EXTREME that they have an exclamation point right there in the logo. Join us for the continuing adventures of Tommy Doyle and the Cult of the Thorn as the writer of Halloween 6 keeps trying his damnedest to make Halloween 6 relevant. Check it out here!

[Greystoked] Tarzan the Tiger (1929)

Michael and I are once again joined by David May for a look at this transitional film which, while still largely silent, began adding in sound effects, a synched score, and our very first awkward Tarzan yell! Frank Merrill, the former stunt double of Elmo Lincoln, is back in the pelts for the second and final of his headlining serials, as Tarzan faces a jealous queen, multiple amnesiac blows to the head, a massive rubber crocodile, and the prettiest pouch of pebbles you've ever seen. Check it out here!

GUEST SPOT! Shot/Reverse Shot: Five Came Back

Edwin Davies (who writes magnificent film reviews on A Mighty Fine Blog - seriously, I can't recommend his work highly enough) had me on his film podcast Shot/Reverse Shot to discuss Five Came Back, a new Netflix documentary series where modern legends of the film industry talk about the group from the past who banded together during WWII to make propagandist films which not only drove the public perception of the war, but established new techniques for how documentaries would continue to be made for decades to come. Check it out here!

GUEST SPOT! A Reel Education: The Quiet Man

Melissa and Tim were kind enough to have me back on A Reel Education for only the second John Ford film I've ever seen in my life. John Wayne returns to his family lands in Ireland, faces down old-fashioned beliefs with newer old-fashioned beliefs, beholds the might of Maureen O'Hara, tells a countless number of cigarettes to fuck off, and gets into one of the most epic fistfights of all time. Check it out here!

[Greystoked] Tarzan and the Golden Lion (1927)

Evie, my old friend and co-host from I Hate Love Remakes joins us for a look at this matinee quickie where James Pierce, the soon-to-be-son-in-law of Edgar Rice Burroughs in his lone outing as Tarzan, finds himself up against an unexpected sister, Boris Karloff in blackface, a Halloween store onesie, and the most unfortunate ape funeral captured on film. Check it out here!

[Masters of Carpentry] Halloween H20

Alex and I finally reach WHAT SHOULD BE the final chapter of the Halloween saga, as Kevin Williamson and Jamie Lee Curtis craft a personal and operatic character piece exploring where Lori ended up 20 Years Water. Teens are killed, the career of Josh Hartnett is launched, middle-aged couples get their due, and John Carpenter almost makes a triumphant return. Check it out here!

[Greystoked] The Adventures of Tarzan (1921)

Michael and I are once again joined by his son David as we look at the silent serial edited from an even longer silent serial which marked the final outing of action star Elmo Lincoln as the iconic jungle king. Beards are grown and shorn, dudes are tossed left and right, and lions spring from all around. Check it out here!

[Masters of Carpentry] Vampires

It's held up by fans as a recent classic and a return to form for John Carpenter, but we have many thoughts about the badass 90s look at the manly men hired by the Vatican to eradicate all bloodsucking kind. Melissa of Xanadu Cinema Pleasure Dome once again joins us as we cut up some priests, spit out some burgers, and wonder what the deal is with James Woods and his fascination with what causes people to pitch tent. Bonus: there's a sequel starring Jon Bon Jovi! Check it out here!

GUEST SPOT! A Reel Education: La Dolce Vita

A Reel Education is a wonderful series introducing people to the classic of cinema, and is co-hosted by Melissa Kaercher, whom you've likely seen me mention in the past for episodes of her other show Xanadu Cinema Pleasure Dome on which I've appeared, and her own guest spots on Masters of Carpentry. As I'd never seen a single film by Federico Fellinni (despite him being a favorite of my dad's), I was invited to sit in on their discussion of La Dolce Vita, his stylish and for some reason beloved 1960 exploration of the vapidity of celebrity. Check it out here!

Annual Miscellanea - 2016

All the random comics and TV shows I read and watched over the last year.