Pulp Culture Podcast

031 - Spiders, Subs & Skeletor

Pulp Culture Productions Season 1 Episode 31

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0:00 | 2:07:51

MJ & Nath swing into this week’s episode ready to surprise and delight you with another round of pop culture chaos. The boys chat about the new *Spider-Noir* limited series starring Nicolas Cage,

Elsewhere, Nath unleashes his best Skeletor impression and, moments later, his worst South African accent, a journey no one was prepared for. MJ also makes Nath deeply jealous by seeing Das Boot in its original format.

Plus, all the regular segments return, The Zest, The Re-View, The Aisle, The Weird Files, Mos Eisley Mailbag and The Tomb, for another packed week of movies, TV, comics, toys and everything in between. 

Spiders, submarines and suspicious impressions, t’s another wonderfully weird week on the Pulp Culture Podcast. 

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SPEAKER_02

Dan hell would just be like, I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_11

My dad has a capital.

SPEAKER_00

Let's get this podcast started. Here's your host, MJ and Nate.

SPEAKER_11

Hey, welcome to the Pop Culture Podcast, your weekly dose of all things pop culture freshly squeezed for you. I'm Nate.

SPEAKER_02

I'm MJ.

SPEAKER_11

Oh, he's back to normal and he's not Batman this week. That's good.

SPEAKER_02

It's uh yeah. Stay tuned.

SPEAKER_11

Anything's possible on this show.

SPEAKER_02

Anything.

SPEAKER_11

Absolutely anything. There's uh no barriers. Nah.

SPEAKER_02

There's no barriers, no no nets.

SPEAKER_11

The the animals have been let loose in the zoo.

SPEAKER_02

Yep.

SPEAKER_11

And good luck.

SPEAKER_02

They're they're they're running, appearing on, and editing the podcast.

SPEAKER_11

Oh boy. Go monkeys go. It's like that sim that Simpsons episode where Mr. Burns has got all his uh monkeys.

SPEAKER_13

Well they've written the greatest novel known to man. It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Stupid monkey.

SPEAKER_02

We are off the rails already.

SPEAKER_11

I'll put that in there anyway. You can have a listen to that. But uh yeah, it's amazing. So uh yeah, as always, we uh we guarantee chaos and uh and we and we're not apologetic about it.

SPEAKER_02

No and never will be.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah. Uh moving right along, we've actually let's go into the bag. Alright, so we uh we uh we we actually got some uh feedback. Okay. Um good good feedback or bad feedback? Yeah it's it's a death threat actually.

SPEAKER_02

So should we be talking about that on here?

SPEAKER_11

No, definitely not. Um it's that's with our lawyers anyway, that one. Um but no, actually we got some we got more like a popo situation. We got uh we we got some really uh positive uh feedback from uh from Christian Roo. Uh and uh so we've uh we've talked in the past with um uh about Christian. He was part of our special and some of his art that was uh featuring in one of the comic books. Yep, hello to Christian. And um so yeah, Christian uh he just said that uh he just wanted to uh to let us know um that it's uh that he wanted to uh just check in on us uh because he hasn't heard an episode uh for a few weeks. And it seems like the last uh the latest episodes weren't appearing uh on the Apple Podcast.

SPEAKER_02

Right, yes, yes. Well there's reasons for that, isn't there?

SPEAKER_11

And there is reasons for that, and we're still working on uh that particular platform with that particular platform to get us back on the air.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Um no fault of of of our own. And we I explained last week that it's um uh our our previous host who was uh who we we we we had it with um is sort of holding us to to ransom, so to speak. Um and uh won't won't won't release until we pay one million human dollars.

SPEAKER_02

So uh I want to call them scum, but is that is that is that gonna make it worse?

SPEAKER_11

Oh well it's a Star Wars reference. There's nothing wrong with that, right?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, call them scum and villainy.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah. Uh but he just said he just thought he'd uh he'd give us a heads up just in case something was wrong.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Um and uh anyway, he he goes on to say that uh he only noticed it because he saw that um Spotify uh feed was uh different to his Apple Podcast feed.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Um that it was real it was a real treat to discover a treasure trove of episodes to catch up on today.

SPEAKER_02

Oh good.

SPEAKER_11

Um and uh I'm glad he's looking at it positively. Yeah, absolutely. Uh thought it he thought it would let us know and uh just in case. Um and he said that also said that uh you and MJ have created a great show, very listenable and entertaining. He goes, thanks for the hard work. So well, there you go.

SPEAKER_02

It's nice that it's coming across as hard work.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah. Actually, there's a lot that goes in behind the scenes for us.

SPEAKER_02

So for you maybe, but not for me.

SPEAKER_11

It's all on uh you know, it's all on the surface. It's it's like we we're like influences, you know, where we're actually flying a plane and we're in there, we're in we're sitting there in our you know, luxury and uh you know uh nicely branded uh bathroom robes and yeah, that's that's that's that surface that we that we appear, but it's actually a lot of grunt work behind the scenes.

SPEAKER_02

Just to be clear, listeners, I'm missing out on all of these perks. Um and just to be clear and just to be clear with you, Nathan, we are way too old to be influencers and not nearly good looking enough.

SPEAKER_11

Oh, I think we can be influencers. You you tell us, listeners, what do you think? Tell us on uh all our socials on PopCod.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, can't wait for that feedback.

SPEAKER_11

We could be a different generational influencer, there's nothing wrong with that. So um watch this space, we'll see how we go. Hey, let's let's let's let's get 50 episodes out and then we'll go from there, right?

SPEAKER_02

I'll work on my duck face.

SPEAKER_11

Hey, uh let's uh get into uh the zest. Alright, Mr. Trailers, what have you got for us?

SPEAKER_02

Uh a couple of trailers this week, yeah. Um it's good to have some trailers. Yes, it is. Yeah, um uh it was a few days ago now, but um we had an X-Men 97 season two trailer. So good.

SPEAKER_11

Doesn't it look great? So good. There was so much in it too. Like it didn't really give anything away other than gave us a uh a full roster of who to expect, right?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. It gave it gave us a look at um, you know, different costumes and uh different looks for for characters and um it it looked like a dramatic uh sort of trailer as well.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, yeah. Well, I mean look, this is not gonna be uh this is not gonna be uh an easy uh season. No um because our uh X-Men uh are fractured and in through different time periods and um yeah, they're all dealing with their own their own stuff. And um, you know, when we've got someone like uh Wolverine who's got no adamantium and we've got Rogue who's dealing with you know the loss of Gambit and you know uh Survivor Guilt and you know and then to top that off, you've also got uh Apocalypse in the mix, which is going to really throw a spanner in the works for all of them in their different time periods.

SPEAKER_02

No, there's definitely a lot going on uh when when we start this season. Um I'm really excited about it.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, yeah, so I might you I mean you've you've already fallen in love with with Cyclops' new look. So I have, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I bought merch.

SPEAKER_11

So yeah, yeah, it's wild. I'm I I can't wait. I think it's all is it August that we're getting X-Men 97?

SPEAKER_02

Uh it's actually much sooner than that. Oh, is it? Yeah, well that was one of the things they they mentioned in the trailer that it's it's due to start on July the 1st.

SPEAKER_11

Oh, I'm already waiting for it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so as as we're recording now, it's four weeks away.

SPEAKER_11

Oh, bring it on. Can't wait.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, no, it is, it's it's out m it's out really soon.

SPEAKER_11

I wonder if they'll do what they did with the last season where we'll get uh a weekly, whether we'll just get it once a week or whether we'll get a couple drop, you know, at one time.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see. I'm yeah, I hope so. I hope it's weekly. Well, if if it's anything like last season, there'll be stuff to talk about. Yeah. Um and stuff to speculate about. And um and I enjoy I enjoy that process. Like I know that it doesn't suit every um every show. Um, you know, I'm kind of pleased in one way that we've got all of Spider Noir, for example, yes in one lot. I think it works really well for that one. Yeah, but I think for something like X-Men 97, I'm hoping that it'll come out weekly, but we'll see.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, yeah. Great, great trailer. If you haven't seen it, uh listeners, definitely uh give it a give it a watch.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, 100%. Um we've also had uh trailers for uh House of the Dragon. Yes. Uh for season three of House of the Dragon. That looks really dramatic as well.

SPEAKER_11

Very bloodthirsty in the trailer, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_02

Lots of action as well, yeah. Um I don't know whether it's all gonna be like whether they've taken those clips from you know one or two episodes or whether it's um indicative of what we're gonna see in the whole season. But I mean but I'm as a um Game of Thrones fan, I'm really excited.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Um it looks like there's there's gonna be some real some real drama.

SPEAKER_11

Is this the last season? Is this the season finale? Is this the finale? No, it's still going.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's still okay. It's still still going. I'm not sure whether they've put a a a number on how many seasons at this stage. If they have, I haven't heard. So um no, it's not the last one.

SPEAKER_11

Okay. Alright, cool. Yeah, it looks good though, nonetheless. I haven't I haven't watched any of that the this this um this version. Um The House of the Dragon. Yeah, The House of the Dragon.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Um, but and I was hoping that this was the last season, so then I could just binge all the way through. But no, no, I've got a I've got a bit of watching to do.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's I I'm I believe I I want to say that there's gonna be at least another season or two even after this one.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, cool.

SPEAKER_02

Um I know that they've got plans for the story to go on a bit longer, I believe.

SPEAKER_11

So bring on more of dragon action, as we say.

SPEAKER_02

It's a great show. Yeah like um yeah, Game of Thrones, like talk about a hard act to follow. Yeah. Um, the way that that show had its gripped um, you know, during the sort of 2010s um from week to week. Um House of the Dragon, uh it it's it's been very successful as well, I believe, but um it it it really has the same uh hits. You know, that there's uh story beats in it that really um spin your head and make your jaw drop. So it's it's a really good show. You should get on board.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, I remember I remember back in the day, you know, that the the conversation was like it was really water cooler conversation, you know, sort of the next day after it had completely it it was on. So I can imagine that this would be the same.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it it is it is the same, and there's um like at the end of season two, things were really starting to hit the fan. Yep. And so season three's got potential for there to be a lot of um surprises and shocks, and um, yeah, as I said, I'm I'm really excited uh uh for House of the Dragons season three. Yeah, that's right. Um an another trailer that we had uh just in the last couple of days, uh we've had a new trailer for another movie we've talked about on here, End of Oak Street.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, this was great, wasn't it? This is it does look great. This is fantastic. This is uh Jurassic Park in Suburbia. That's probably the best way to describe it, right?

SPEAKER_02

Well, a little yeah, um it it that's kind of the vibe.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, yeah, and I mean it's got a good cast. Uh Ewan McGregor and McGregor and also uh Anne Hathaway.

SPEAKER_02

So Yeah, no, it it really looks like a uh sort of Amblin Spielberg Stranger Things kind of um movie.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, Stranger Things meets meets uh Jurassic Park.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and the the the teaser that they gave us sort of um you know sort of dropped the dinosaurs as a bit of a an af not not an afterthought, but they they sort of they really did tease the dinosaurs, whereas this this trailer um shows you exactly what um our main characters are dealing with. Yeah, um, you know, they're their their entire suburb appears to have been dropped into the Jurassic period or something.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, and sits above level, so they can't even escape that that that that area either. So um something supernatural's happened, you know. They in the in the beginning of the trailer they talk about flashing lights and noises, and yeah, um, you know, the next day when they wake up, they're uh above ground, yeah. Um and their whole sort of suburb is is a complete Jurassic zone, so to speak.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and it looks amazing, and it looks really it actually looks quite funny too. Yeah, um some of the moments with Ewan McGregor in particular, yeah, in particular in the trailer, um, look like they they're gonna be quite amusing. So um it could be a fun time, this this movie.

SPEAKER_11

I think one of the things that I noticed about it is that the focus was really on um Anne and Ewan. Um we really didn't see, well, I mean we saw their kids, but we didn't really see supporting cast. Yeah, there wasn't really a a focus on them, it was really about the two stars and their kids. So I'm I'm interested to see what we did see some of their supporting casts. Well, we did see in in ways that you know they don't want to be seen, but um yeah, but we didn't actually see a lot of that that that sort of transpiring.

SPEAKER_02

No, but it it it it did make it clear that there's going to be other characters in the movie. Like the original teaser sort of looked a little bit like there was a chance that the family um unit of of four was the were the only people that were left left behind. Um whereas the the trailer makes it clear that that's not the case. Um uh so yeah, I I I think it's um it's gonna be an interesting watch.

SPEAKER_11

I can imagine it'll be a high body count.

SPEAKER_02

Well, there's the trailer had a high body count.

SPEAKER_11

That's why I'm saying it.

SPEAKER_02

Um so yeah, I I'm sure the movie will have one. But um, yeah, no, it looks like it's gonna be a wild time. But yeah, um it you know what else it reminded me of? Jumanji, the original.

SPEAKER_11

Oh yeah. Um at the end of the sort of towards the end of the film.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, when when you know all the animals were running rampant through the community and stuff. Yeah, um it sort of gave me those sorts of vibes.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, that's nice. Yeah, I like that.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, no, but I I think that looks really fun.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, well I hope it I hope what it does is gives us another another outlet to dinosaurs other than Jurassic Park.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I I I I think that um that's part of what's exciting to me is that it'll be a slight slightly different um spin and tone on dinosaurs. Yeah. Because I mean obviously we've had them. There was that Adam Driver movie, what was it, '65 or uh yeah, something like that.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, something like I remember that.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, we we've we've had a few, but but it but it it's sort of I mean, I love the Jurassic movies, yeah, and I think they're wonderful, and what they've you know done for uh the genre and cinema more broadly is amazing, but um you know dinosaurs are not uh uh wholly and solely the property of uh of Amblin and Steven Spielberg.

SPEAKER_11

And when anybody tries to do them, they're kind of in the shadow of, right? Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it'll just be I mean it'd be interesting to see if they I I suspect that this is going to push it a bit further in terms of the the horror aspect of dinosaurs, which um I I think it'll be really entertaining because you know the Jurassic stuff's scary enough at times. Yep. Um if they're gonna push it further than that, which I suspect that they will, um I think that'll be really fun.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_02

Um any trailers that I've missed?

SPEAKER_11

No, I think you covered all the ones that were on my list.

SPEAKER_02

My status as Mr. Mr.

SPEAKER_11

Trailers is uh it's still intact. Yep, absolutely. You can leave your uh certificate on the wall.

SPEAKER_02

So we get into some other little bits of uh bits of news.

SPEAKER_11

Yes, absolutely. Yeah? Do you want to go first?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I do want to go first. Okay, you go. But um uh there was news, I think it was today, that um uh Zack Snyder's apparently being looked at to do uh a reboot of Escape from New York.

SPEAKER_10

It's on that, it's the very first one on my list, actually.

SPEAKER_02

So it made me talk about it. I've been dying to hear what you what you think of this one.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, look, this is interesting. Um look, Zack Snyder did a great job with the with the DC universe. Yes, um, and and and I'm I I really do enjoy the films and the Snyderverse.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Um I I I wasn't too fussed on the Netflix production that he did, whatever that was called. Uh Rebel Moon, Rebel Moon, yeah. I wasn't I I kind of lost interest over that real quick.

SPEAKER_02

I watched the first one and I um and I have to admit it was a f forgettable.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So look, I mean, and and I think that that's because it's his own property. Um, it's a little bit different from taking uh you know characters that we know and love and giving it a new um you know surprise and delight. Yeah, maybe. Um so I'm I'm I'm try kind of going down the mindset of look, it's uh Escape from New York is is is a cult classic. Um you know, it's probably one of you know um Kurt Russell's best films that he's done.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Um and it's a John Carpenter film, which I'm a massive fan of.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Um so there's a lot going for it for me. I mean it's it's it sits in the same realm as Big Trouble in Little China or the thing or anything else that John Carpenter's done, it's it's hard to replicate.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Um and uh so but you know, a dystopian future prison on you know, New York New York is a prison. Yeah, uh, I can see how that would sort of really resonate with right now. Um so yeah, look, I like I said, I I I'm just gonna trust that he obviously has a property to sort of balance it off and see what the outcome is, and then I'll make a judgment based on that. So um yeah, like I said, if he if he goes down the path of a you know, Snyderverse DC universe, yeah, um who knows? I mean it all depends too. I mean, it's only just been announced he's gonna write and direct it. We don't have who's gonna star, you know, what that looks like. Have they even said whether it's a movie or a TV series or well I I I from everything that I've read today, yeah, um, because I pretty much did a deep dive to see if I could find out any more information.

SPEAKER_19

I bet you did.

SPEAKER_11

Um yeah, I I I went right into the to the New York prison system, so see if I could find any any files. But uh yeah, I couldn't thought you looked a bit tired. But uh I I I from everything I could see, I I'm making the assumption that it's a movie. So uh yeah, I mean look, they they did not too long ago, they did Running Man, which was an 80s film, yeah. Uh with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Um yeah, it probably didn't it didn't sort of land very well with me personally, yeah. Uh and it was very different from the original, yeah. And there was some liberties outside of the book as well.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Uh I I don't think it was a badly acted film uh by um Colin Powell.

SPEAKER_02

Uh Glenn Powell.

SPEAKER_11

Colin Powell by Glenn Powell. Uh however, um yeah, there was just storyline, it was a little bit, you know, it was it was very much um the the first, second, and third acts were very separate to each other.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Um so yeah, look, let's wait and see. I don't know. What do you what's your thoughts on it? Uh have you do you remember watching Escape from New York? I do, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Um it was probably I want to say it's that was the first John Carpenter movie I ever saw.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah. It's a good one to start with.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, and I saw it a number of times, particularly when I was younger. Um and I I mean my my take on this is that I'm actually excited. Yeah, I think that Escape from New York is a really good fit for Zack Snyder's um aesthetic. Yeah um I like most of what Zack Snyder has done. Um you know, with the exception of you know Rebel Moon, which it it it really didn't land with me. Um agreed, but pretty much everything else of his I've really enjoyed. Yeah, I'm a huge fan of Zack Snyder's Justice League. Um, you know, enjoyed the three I enjoyed 300, um of course. I loved his Watchmen. Um yeah, I'm really excited. Uh like I'm I'm eager to know more. Um I'm hopeful that maybe it's gonna be some sort of a TV series. Like I'm uh you you're right, we're probably best to assume it's gonna be a movie. Zack Snyder's not necessarily done um a whole lot of episodic television, yeah. But um there's just something about that property and that and that story that that kind of makes me uh hope that maybe it's uh a TV series.

SPEAKER_11

Well, you could definitely do it, right? I mean, you know, i you could just have one episode on him getting into New York. Completely. Uh it's good.

SPEAKER_02

I mean, it's it's it to me, it feels like a Last of Us Walking Dead type uh property uh in in in terms of its potential.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, eight eight episode prestige Netflix you know production, right?

SPEAKER_02

Well, I mean I'll definitely see a movie if they do it, but I just it it in in this day and age of streaming, it feels like an opportunity.

SPEAKER_11

Well, um he does have he does have uh like an exclusive deal with Netflix.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, well that was the other thing I was thinking too. I think that's what led me to to think that maybe it yeah, there was a chance it might be a series.

SPEAKER_11

Well, it could be just an assumption on my part, but like I said, everything that I was reading, you know, it was all it's saying is that he is doing a um Escape from New York, you know, these writing and directing Escape from New York.

SPEAKER_02

I think that that was all I read too, is that they're looking to develop a property and that he's the name that's attached. Yeah, but um that's enough to get me excited. I uh as I said, I I think that his aesthetic would work really well. I'd be eager to see who would star in it, a Snake Fliskin.

SPEAKER_11

That and that's a big call, right? That's a it it is a big call. It's it's like uh it's like uh in not on the same level, but but I would put it on the s but similar to you know, judgment would be made based on like a Superman or a Batman or you know, that's a a very defined character. Um and putting so you putting someone in that role, you they they're really gonna have to land apart, right?

SPEAKER_02

It's a it is it's a little bit like recasting um Indiana Jones or yeah um or or or something like that.

SPEAKER_11

It's an iconic character in in in it in its in its own right because you know when you look at Snake Plison he's got a he's got an eye patch he's got he's got an attitude he's got a specific look and style to him uh and i i I I kind of look at look at it from the same uh you know lens as as you know Batman or Superman or something like that. Of course each actor's going to have their own sort of you know take on how that should be presented.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

But overall aesthetically they're kind it's always the it's very much the same, right?

SPEAKER_02

Well yeah I I I it's he doesn't sort of have the brand recognition of a Superman or a Batman or no and I'm not saying that. No no but but I mean there's there's certainly people that that are um Dyed in the wool fans of Carpenter and um uh uh Kurt Russell and of of the movie itself uh you know they'll they'll be closely watching it but um I will be yeah yeah no you I know you will be but I mean I I'm I just think it'll be interesting to see um who they start looking at.

SPEAKER_11

I I I I look forward to it. Don't get me wrong I'm not I'm definitely not uh putting a a kibosh on it by any means. Yeah uh but I I I just want to I I think I just want to know more.

SPEAKER_02

Your your curse powder is still dry. Yeah absolutely haven't cursed the project yet no definitely not no no Danhausening here so no no naithhausen what about you anything else you want to you want to beat me to the punch on or no well yeah I've got uh other bits of news but um I'm happy to okay I'm happy to give you a go. I'll hit the tennis ball back over the net.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah fabulous okay I'm ready to be served it's better be good uh it is actually interesting uh with uh I'll be the judge of that with the with the success of Mortal Kombat and uh we've also got Street Fighter coming out yes uh which are game properties uh that have been turned into uh film yep uh Sega who uh very successful with uh Sonic the Hedgehog yes um they did do a a teaser trailer this week for uh number four yeah didn't give us anything it just said that number four is coming well they don't need to give us anything do they no we know that Jim Carrey's gonna be in it and um James Marsden and we're gonna get the characters and I think this time around we're getting the Sonic robot as well so whatever his name is sorry about the lack of knowledge listeners when it comes to Sonic the Hedgehog the character that I was trying to name but wasn't able to was Metal Sonic other than playing it on the Sega uh Genesis so uh I've barely done that or the Seega Master System I think it was oh so I don't know either. But um I mean that movie's gonna make um make a whole lot of money in the case yeah it's gonna make bank they'll keep doing it until such time as it doesn't I think we set mentioned that last week yeah um when we're talking about Jim Carrey and the Jetsons. But uh the reason I I I mentioned that is that uh Sega uh moving into another game property okay um a very popular one actually it's uh the 1991 side scrolling beat 'em up called Streets of uh Rage okay um and they're turning that into a uh in into a film so essentially uh the the game is about uh a group of guys that are trying to get from one location to another yeah um and uh there is a uh a bad guy by the name of Mr. X which is trying to stop them from getting to from one location to the other okay um and it's just a whole bunch of bad guys you know that uh you have to beat up right so um so Streets of Rage is is what it's called I can imagine that it would be I don't think that this is going to be a kid's film by any means. No I think we're getting into the same sort of category as Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter. Yeah um but let's we'll let's wait and see.

SPEAKER_02

I mean it's it's it sounds like the sort of thing that would appeal to to the to the same audience.

SPEAKER_11

Oh absolutely and I and I think that that's why they've they've chosen this property. Streets of Rage was one of those uh that was the beginning of those beat em side scroller beat'em ups that you would get like Double Dragon and those types of things.

SPEAKER_02

So that was sitting all around the same time same type of movements a lot of those uh movements that they had in that was then replicated uh for uh the teenage mutant ninja turtles game okay so you it's very similar very similar and and the Simpsons and you know like it's all in the same wheelhouse as each other yeah now I vaguely remember um Streets of Rage and and it um I I think that's uh a formula for a good a good a good time yeah absolutely and and and it's it's it's got a I mean it had four four arcade games between 91 and 95 I think it was um and then it moved on to continuing the series uh when it came on to um some of the game consoles.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah so it's it it definitely does have a following and uh so I'm I'm really interested to see where they go with it. I mean you know it's a great title too yeah Streets of Rage it's it's awesome. You know you look at something like Street Fighter like they have really leaned into the 90s right yeah when the game was released. Yeah so so instead of making it um camp like they did back in the 80s yeah um they've really you know leaned into that 90s sort of feel yeah and they're not unapologetic about it either so which is which is great. So if they're going to sort of follow that sort of uh formula yeah uh then I think that it will we'll be great.

SPEAKER_02

I think it's a lot of fun I think it's the way to go with these things. It's I've been uh listening to um is it uh Travis Knight yeah who's the director of Masters of the Universe.

SPEAKER_11

He's been so great to listen to uh about his method for Master of the Universe.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah I've just been uh fascinated listening to him talk about how they're really embracing the the the bright uh sort of film filmation uh colour of He Man. And I I really think it's a really uh uh i i it it's a really I guess unique and inspired way to go with these properties um you know embracing what it what it is uh about the originals um in the remakes yeah yeah did you see the by any chance have you seen that the short uh the short with uh Skeletour and with Evil Inn?

SPEAKER_11

Uh yes and and we got a we got a glimpse of uh Skeletor's laugh yes which which was like the comedic part of that was amazing.

SPEAKER_02

So uh yeah no I I think that they've um they've found a really good balance with with Skeletor.

SPEAKER_11

Interesting interestingly enough I mean this is definitely uh zest worthy is that uh Jared Leto has not been seen as any part of the the uh marketing engine for promoting the uh the Masters of the Universe no for very good reason um based on his track record of films not being successful and he can be a little bit out there when it comes to his uh methods of of of acting on set yeah um however uh I I I think it's the right decision and uh I I I think that what that's done is is allowed for us as as viewers to anticipate what he's going to be like and really enjoy what he actually is and not be sort of shrouded by his very zany um antics when he's doing interviews.

SPEAKER_02

So yeah I I think um like I'm sure they had their reasons and and I'm sure he's done a great job but I always thought that Jared Lidd was an interesting choice for Skeletor to begin with. Yes. But more than anything um uh I think what we've seen on the press tour for um masters of the universe so far is that um when you've got uh a like a a a young pair of leads along the lines of Nicholas Galatzine and Camille Mendez um who are positive and um you know uh charming and amiable um you know why drag out Jared Leto? Well you know because between between those two and um Idris Elba and and some of the other actors whose names escape me the but the ones that are playing characters like Fisto um trapjaw you know the the they're all um so excited and enthusiastic about the the project Alice and Bree as well yeah um you know they're all uh putting a really great face on the the the the publicity bandwagon for this movie um I don't think they need Jared Leto as well no I don't think they do either and from from my understanding he didn't do a lot of the acting as Skeletor either he did a lot of the voiceover work for Skeletor yeah but not a lot of the actual scenery uh when it came to him being in costume yeah and that makes sense to me I I as I said I I I think he's an interesting choice. I'm sure he's done a very good job. But yeah I I I don't think there's any need for him.

SPEAKER_11

He's very easily transferable as well right yeah yeah totally so if he you know has bad publicity in the future and he's not sort of sitting well with the brand it's very easy for them to find a a a better voice act or a voice actor that will be able to do exactly the same job right? Yeah exactly so I I I think it was wise having someone of that notoriety to do the voice of him um but again very clever to be transferable just in case they need to switch out. Yeah totally uh just also to uh while we're talking of Master of the Universe uh there is a new animated series uh coming out called uh Masters of the Universe Tales of Eternia okay now this is really interesting it's really quiet it was announced last year in September um not much else was given about it uh they dropped a uh an image of uh some of the characters uh it looks like it's for a younger market okay uh it's it's it's actually coming out really soon so uh it's probably by the time this episode drops it will be very very close to it's coming out uh June the 10th where is this one showing uh it's going to be on YouTube of all places so uh Hasbro uh uh have uh done 20 short episodes now when they say 20 short episodes I'm guessing that that's probably gonna be around about the like 10-11 mark like we get with regular show adventure time and adventure time and all the rest of it and so if it if it's around like that I would say that we're gonna get it's gonna be very much on the same par as that audience right uh and and and reading into it uh Tales of Eternia kind of leaves it open that we're not just gonna get He-Man adventures yeah that we're gonna see other characters uh and taking taking some of the spotlight so uh yeah look uh we'll we'll post it on our socials um the images uh you can make up your own mind but yeah like like I said I I'm sort of just sort of drawing a long bow here that I think it will be for more of a regular show sort of um you know adventure time sort of um you know audience yeah interesting um I'll I'll definitely keep an eye out for it but my Masters of the Universe um sites are firmly focused on that movie. Oh yes and we'll be talking about it in uh the next episode you've got tickets I do I've got tickets excellent uh so uh we we won't be missing uh He-Man and the Master of the Universe not a chance and we posted on our socials that it's a big month for June um so we hope that you're gonna go to the to the cinema and go and see at least one of those films. Yeah uh so we've got Master of the Universe we've got Scary Movie Six we have uh Supergirl at the end and then we've got uh Toy Story Five in the middle so the Toy Story Five for the Taylor Swift Boogaloo yes so so yeah so there's some uh it's a it's a big month for film yep um and uh we hope that you'll uh join us on the ride to uh to viewership of uh one of all of those films.

SPEAKER_02

I'll be seeing almost all of those.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah I I think three out of the four I'll be seeing.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

So yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Yep.

SPEAKER_11

Yep. So anyway I won't tell you which one I'm not seeing. No I feel bad saying it as well but um that's just not my bag right you know scary movie films are not my thing.

SPEAKER_02

I wasn't sure that you were that was what you were saying.

SPEAKER_11

No it's definitely not no no no because I I'll I I mean you and I went and saw Toy Story at the cinema I thought you were going to be one of those.

SPEAKER_02

I know toys think toys are for kids what are you talking about? Toys are for us I know we're we're literally sitting with Lego figures in front of us at the moment. What else you got? Well what else have I got? Um this is another thing that happened today is um we we got some men of tomorrow uh news hey I was wondering when you were gonna get to this yeah like um I don't know whether there was more but I saw that um James Gunn uh posted a picture of um Nicholas Holt in the uh Lex suit or the war suit the war suit yes um uh which uh looked amazing looks a it and and it's so like you know for for for it to be real life this is as close as you're gonna get it to the comic I reckon I reckon it's as close as we're ever going to get to a live action Buzz Lightyear.

SPEAKER_11

Oh okay that's a that that's an interesting date oh yeah but look he does he looks like Buzz Lightyear but it's got the it's but it's got the green and purple which is so on point.

SPEAKER_02

Well the cut colour was lost on me.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah it's definitely on point for green and purple they're they're they're slightly darker but yeah exactly on point.

SPEAKER_02

But you know again what what we see and this is what what maybe not uh everybody understands is that when they're doing costumes yeah the costumes are not necessarily when we're seeing these uh on set yeah they're not necessarily uh designed to look that way on screen well do you remember the photos of of um david correnswet in his Superman suit yeah and all of the fuss about those yeah that's right that's exactly right yeah because I I think they probably did make some adjustments to those at some stage but um the original photos that came out for those people were losing their minds.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah they didn't think that it was tight enough they thought it was too blue they thought it wasn't blue enough yeah um all sorts of stuff but um but it was perfect right you know exactly come the film and the lighting and then and then post production you then get the end product right yeah yeah it you do have to wait to see what the end product looks like but I I thought that this photo of um you know Lex in his warsuit look looked great. I I I think it's really exciting I love James Gunn leaning into social media to to create the buzz for anything that he's doing.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah it's fun.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah I think it's great because he's what he's doing is he's uh and and it's a really clever move and more studios should be part of this is he's really leaning in to get buy-in from the fans yeah right so if the but if if we've got buy-in now and we're talking about it on on the show yeah as other other other podcasts will be doing yeah uh then you know by the time that comes around we're already all in right yeah completely and I think that that's a really clever move not just from a uh from from a you know personal point of view of his yeah but also from a marketing point of view for the studio as well. Yeah so yeah I I I think it's great. I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait.

SPEAKER_02

And we saw we got uh some photos of David Corinsweating the uh Superman suit again today as well. Oh he's holding up a car and standing and he was standing on a car as well he was I think he was standing on a car and he was holding something up that I suspect was probably going to be putting in post. Oh I thought it was a cart I thought it was the bottom of the cart oh no I don't think so I think he was holding he was definitely holding something something done but to me it sort of looked like uh uh something that was a placeholder for something bigger oh maybe my imagination ran wilder I thought it was a cart so I mean it was it was hard to tell the there were sort of low quality pitches but um I didn't need them to be high quality it was just great to see David Corin sweat back in the suit.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah and and on and on wire so yeah it's cool.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah no really exciting what else um the other bit of DC news that um I had come through this afternoon it's only uh I actually don't have heaps of details on it but I'm excited is that um uh the report was that uh Dreamer the character that um originated in the Supergirl TV series and has become uh bit of a staple in uh DC comics uh canon continuity um is set to become uh DC's first uh trans Wonder Wonder Woman. Oh yeah so apparently she's going to uh well I guess stop being Dreamer and be a uh a different Wonder Woman. Um and as you know people that have uh either watched Supergirl the the show or read any of the DC Pride comics. She was um yeah the the the character of Dreamer is a trans character um and so now she's gonna be sort of I guess crowned as a a an alternate Wonder Woman um then yeah she's gonna be uh DC's trans Wonder Woman which I think is uh wonderful um I'm a big fan of uh Nick Nicole Maynes who's the actress that originated the role of Dreamer um and who has continued to write the character of Dreamer in DC comics um pretty much ever since uh through the pages of Suicide Squad um and a number of other different uh different series um so I'm really excited to see what that's all about um because I think that that that uh sounds like a a a really wonderful thing um especially uh coming at the dawn of uh uh Pride Week uh Pride month uh 2026 um so yeah I'm excited about that news nice yeah nice one uh okay I've got some um I've got a couple of a couple of things on my uh on my list here that I need to tick off.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah uh we've got uh we've got news coming in uh that uh talking about reboots before uh that uh Neil Blomkamp will be uh helming a very faithful reboot of the 1997 Starship Troopers film Sony Pictures. Alright so he's apparently going to write and direct and uh executive produce that remind me who Neil Blomkamp is he did District 9.

SPEAKER_02

Yes uh the South African yeah the South African ever trying to do the accent well you just started to say uh and uh he was also in uh the A team yes uh he played in mad dog mad dog motor yeah yeah that's whatever I thought it was so yeah he's um yeah he's he's in that so uh he's going to he's going to uh to helmet so that's has great potential in my eyes I'm actually really excited about it I'd be really interested to see his take we had um Starship Troopers on at our house during the week oh um 17 year old was watching it as as I used to refer to it as Starship Hooters so it's a very small part of the film but very prominent nonetheless yes um yeah so I mean he's done some really good sci-fi he also did Chappie as well yes uh with um um uh Hugh Jackman Hugh Jackman thank you yeah uh so he uh look I I I think he does those though that that type of genre really well no it's definitely a great fit like um you know st uh Starship Troopers being uh watched in our house this week was making me think of di uh District District nine nine um and the the prawns um but yeah no they're they're very similar sort of um aesthetics at least um and I think Bloncamp would be would be really good for that. Yeah um yeah I'd be into it like I I'd forgotten not forgotten what a good movie Starship Troopers is but um yeah just watching the little bits and pieces that I saw as I was going in and out um uh this week it really is was a fun time um and and lots going on in terms of the the subtext of the of the of the script as well yeah um you know it it's there there's a lot to like about that movie it's it's much more thought provoking than um you know a lot of people would realise I I I think I think that's one of those films that's aged really well. Yeah and I think at the time I don't think that it was received the same way as it probably would now um if it was if it was released right it's funny how how that that how often that is said about Verhoven's films.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah yeah but it you know what you know what I mean by that. Yeah totally yeah and and you look at some of it like one of the smartest moves that Neil Patrick Harris did yeah was be in that film as one of as one of the stars of the film. Yeah and and that obviously put him in in in you know direct line of sight for How I Met Your Mother because you could see that He wasn't just trying to be a dramatic acting kid.

SPEAKER_19

No.

SPEAKER_11

That he actually had some acting chops about him with some really great comedic timing as well.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, completely. Yeah. And I mean, uh that's one of the things that I like about that movie, and and I think it's actually a really relevant movie to be looking at again now. Yes. Um both in a retrospective point of view in watching the original film, but also in in potentially remaking it, because there's there's a lot going on in the the the story of that movie that is uh frighteningly relevant to the world we live in now. Sure. Um, but uh in addition to that, it was really good fun time. So um yeah, no, I'm I'm excited to hear more about that as well.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Uh we saw on socials uh an introduction to Jam uh not Jumanji to Minecraft 2 the movies.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, there's been a little bit of publicity for that, hasn't there?

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, and uh and so we've got Jason Momoa uh and also uh Jack Black back for uh for round two of the Minecraft movie.

SPEAKER_02

Uh Daniel Brooks is back as well.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, but they also introduced a new character, yeah, uh, which is Alex uh in the game, uh, who will be played by uh Kirsten Dunst. Yes. So that's really cool. Um I'm really interested to see. I haven't even seen the first one, have you? Have you watched the first one? I have, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

No, um producer Kim and I went to the cinema and saw it.

SPEAKER_11

Did you throw popcorn around when Lava Chicken came on? No, we did not. Oh, that's really disappointing.

SPEAKER_02

No, and it was and you're getting it wrong anyway, because it wasn't the lava chicken scene, it was the chicken jockey.

SPEAKER_11

Oh, chicken jockey. My apologies.

SPEAKER_02

They're completely different scenes.

SPEAKER_11

Well, now I know what scene to throw my popcorn around when I watch it at home, right?

SPEAKER_02

Yes, okay. But how about when you watch it? I'll come and throw popcorn at you.

SPEAKER_11

Well, I was going to suggest maybe we do a viewing at your house.

SPEAKER_02

So we'll do it at your your house. Your dogs would love that. Sounds great. Um yeah, it was it was fun. But producer Kim and I went, like, we invited both of our boys because they were Minecraft fans when they were kids, and neither of them wanted to come. So the two of us went and I got a um uh popcorn bucket.

SPEAKER_10

Well, of course you didn't.

SPEAKER_02

I got a no, I did. I got a I got a it was a a dynamite uh cube or oh okay, right. TNT um uh cube and and I'll I love it. Um so I'm excited that they're doing another one um and looking forward to it. But I think they're shooting it in New Zealand now.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's happening right now. So uh, you know, watch this space and we'll uh we'll bring you more news when we hear hear more of it for uh Minecraft 2.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Uh huge rumour, huge rumour coming out of uh coming out of the wire at the moment. Uh the old uh interwebs uh is that Disney is about to reboot inspect the gadget.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_11

Uh who do you think that they're gonna they're they're in talks to attach to?

SPEAKER_02

Not Matthew Broderick.

SPEAKER_11

Definitely not Matthew Broderick.

SPEAKER_02

Um uh if you had to guess. If I had to guess, um I I'd say Jim Carey.

SPEAKER_11

No, but very close, very close. He's an SNL alumni.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_11

Will Farrell. Will Farrell? Will Farrell to play. All right. When I when I I when I read the reboot, I was like, okay, great. Yeah, we're we've definitely got uh we've got better effects now, it could probably do a you know a really good property of. Yes. Um however when I heard Will Farrell, I was like, okay, that's a interesting take uh on that. So that's that's the big rumour at the moment is that uh he's in talks to uh to to be the star as uh Inspector Gadget.

SPEAKER_02

I'd be down with that. I'm a big Will Farrell fan. I can't remember the last time he sort of headlined a a big um budget comedy.

SPEAKER_11

Well, I mean, you know, we've got uh uh Anchorman 3 coming out soon. Okay. Uh Anchorman 3's been announced. Uh so it'll be interesting to see what happens there. Uh I I I I I'm just interested to see the take, right, on that property because it's it's more of a a kid's film than it will be an adult's film. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Uh so I d I mean that depends on the script, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_11

Well, it does depend on the script, but I would think that they their their audience would be more in line with uh with Minecraft uh uh Minecraft movie audience, I would have thought. So um anyway, we'll we'll have to wait and see. Or Sonic, right? Same same type of audience. Yeah, maybe.

SPEAKER_02

I mean we've I think perhaps you're forgetting how old the Inspector Gadget property is.

SPEAKER_11

Oh I look, it's right up there, it's in the same era as Masters of the Universe.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, totally.

SPEAKER_11

Uh but Masters of the Universe is also gearing towards a a family-friendly uh property. It's not uh it's not leaning into a more ultra-violent um property.

SPEAKER_02

No.

SPEAKER_11

Um so that's that's all I'm saying, is it it'll just be interesting to see a a more uh curbed, family-friendly Will Farrell. So um looking forward to seeing that.

SPEAKER_02

Well, we've we've seen him do it before. I mean Elf, you know, Elf was family friendly.

SPEAKER_11

Favourite film of all time. So it's a great favourite Christmas movie of all time. Or die hard? I don't know. Anyway. That was a podcast. We actually did that. Yeah, I know, I know. It was one of our early on one of our earlier ones. One of our very early ones.

SPEAKER_02

But it's they're definitely not a June conversation.

SPEAKER_11

Um Well, it's it'll be for July for Christmas in July. So No, I don't believe in that.

SPEAKER_02

Um Yeah, no, I'm excited about that. Uh yeah, Inspector Gadget's fun and so's Will Farrell. So yeah, bring it on.

SPEAKER_11

100%. Last little bit of news from me is uh a really interesting one. Uh so Sarah Snook, uh Australian actress, Australian actress, uh who was in Succession.

SPEAKER_02

Yes.

SPEAKER_11

Uh is starring in and executive producing with Universal Pictures, a limited series of The Birds, Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_11

Uh that was announced today in our time uh that this is going ahead. Okay. Uh no, no such uh anything else about it.

SPEAKER_02

No.

SPEAKER_11

Uh however, I love Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, and um I've referred I I refer to quotes from that all the time um uh from that film.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

So uh so yeah, I'm really, really super excited to see what that looks like.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_11

Uh as a um as a limited series. So watch this space on that one.

SPEAKER_15

Yeah, interesting.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, and I and I think it's great because she's a great actress.

SPEAKER_02

Uh yeah, she is, yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Uh so yeah, more more more more of her, thank you very much.

SPEAKER_02

Yep.

SPEAKER_11

Agreed. Yeah, so that's it for the zest. We're coming up to your favorite uh part of the uh part of the show, the weird files. Okay, we've got uh we've got three is my silence speaking volumes? I I thought it was dramatic pause. Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Well, you were wrong.

SPEAKER_11

Oh, okay. Alright, okay. So let's do it. I'll have so much enthusiasm for Moss I'll be mailbag later, alright? Um you love it. Uh yeah, everything except Cyril. But anyway, we digress.

SPEAKER_02

Oh well, lucky there's not heaps of Cyril this week.

SPEAKER_11

Oh, fantastic. This is gonna be a good episode then. I'm looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_02

Wink wink.

SPEAKER_11

Anyway, uh, we have three. And I know that you're probably gonna wing towards one, but I I can assure you that there are two others better than that. One in particular.

SPEAKER_02

You don't know me.

SPEAKER_11

Because one might feature a Florida man. Uh so we've got Taco Smuggler.

SPEAKER_02

Yep.

SPEAKER_11

We have Night Surfing Alligator.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_11

And the new one is Dollar Store Petting Zoo.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_11

So we've got uh just so that you uh so you have some Japanese thinking time, we've got Taco Smuggler, Dollar Store Petting Zoo, and Night Surfing Alligator. Right. What's uh what's what's uh what's your what's your feel for uh tonight's weird file?

SPEAKER_02

Uh the Taco one.

SPEAKER_11

Taco Smuggler?

SPEAKER_02

Yes please.

SPEAKER_11

Alright, I lie. Florida man.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, he's back.

SPEAKER_11

Caught at Orlando Airport with 52 Taco Bell burritos. What? Concealed in a carry-on suitcase. Uh he modified to include uh a hidden insulated compartment over three weeks. Okay.

SPEAKER_02

So it took him three weeks to modify the the suitcase? The suitcase.

SPEAKER_11

Why is that relevant? So it was insulated. So it could take his I'll keep reading. So this is this is in Orlando, Florida. Yeah. So Florida man.

SPEAKER_19

Yes.

SPEAKER_11

Uh TSA agents at Orlando International Airport detained the 48-year-old man Thursday morning after an x-ray of his carry-on revealed what agent uh what the agent described as a false bottom situation carrying uh containing a uniform regular pattern. Uh oh, sorry, and uh yeah, a uniform regular pattern that smelled like beef and lime rice before we even opened it. Okay. I think that kind of gives it away, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_02

A little bit, yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah. Uh so uh the uh uh Florida man booked on a Delta flight to Portland, had purchased 52 Taco Bell burritos the previous evening. Okay, wrapped each one individually in foil and loaded them into a hidden insulated compartment that he had spent three weekends constructing inside a standard Samsungite carry-on using foam board uh insulation and uh a zipper track uh that he had sourced from a fabric store. Why though? Well, here we go. Compartment maintain uh compartment maintained an internal temperature of 141 degrees Celsius. So I think that that's roughly about 25 degrees, I think. Okay. Anyway, like a temperature for me so so that it will keep them, right? So they won't go off.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Uh and was stacked in four columns of 13, arranged by a variety, uh arranged by variety with stake uh with stake on the outside for structure support. Uh, and uh he'd researched Taco Bell locations and confirmed that the nearest was 24 minutes from his hotel. Uh, he described the distance as not acceptable for someone uh with my needs. So, anyway, when the agent asked how long the suitcase modification had taken, he said that it was three weekends and called it worthwhile. Uh, confirmed that he had tested the insulation with a thermometer uh before leaving the house and the suitcase exterior was unremarkable. Uh, had the luggage tag and had even been checked without issue twice before. So he's already done it like a couple of runs to see if he's gonna get away with it or not. Uh the agent noted that the compartment construction was cleaner than most furniture assembly that he had encountered personally, okay. And that the zipper track was professionally it was a it was a professional grade. He said that, and that uh that was not the uh not not a beginner project by any means. The burritos were confiscated, uh the agents all enjoyed a great lunch, and Portland's nearest Taco Bell remains 24 minutes away. Right. So he doesn't have a Taco Bell near his house. So he decided to because it was 24 minutes away from his original house in Portland.

SPEAKER_02

Right.

SPEAKER_11

He just happened to be obviously in Florida for whatever reason. So he thought, I'm gonna be in Florida. I will get it because it's really close to my hotel.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_11

I'll make a suitcase and pack, you know, so many burritos in in in there, or fit as many as I possibly can.

SPEAKER_02

Right.

SPEAKER_11

And uh then I can take them home and freeze them.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_11

And then he can join them at his at his you know, delight.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. What a f what a freak.

SPEAKER_11

I'm surprised he didn't try and like uh bribe them with some tacos.

SPEAKER_02

Well uh Yeah, uh I I um there's so many things that I have questions about. It's really weird.

SPEAKER_11

Like what why why go to all the effort for smuggling so many tacos? Yeah. What what what do you achieve other than pure satisfaction of smuggling 52 tacos or whatever it is um through through TSA? I mean, again, like this is his third run. He's done this twice before.

SPEAKER_02

What exactly is the violation of TSA rules?

SPEAKER_11

Well, it'd probably be similar to what we have where you're taking food uh across borders, right?

SPEAKER_02

Especially like meats and stuff like that. Oh, okay, so like a foot and mouth type thing.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, so so obviously so from that point of view they'd you'd probably get slapped with a fine and and you know the agents uh had a free lunch pretty much, right? Well it yeah. I I don't think I'd be eating anything out of the suitcase, but uh so they said it was a very professional job. I'm surprised when they didn't open it up that you know there was like napkins and sodas, so it was like a taco party, right? It was ready to go.

SPEAKER_02

Like a display case.

SPEAKER_11

It's like a little mini taco store. Like Taco Bell store.

SPEAKER_02

Now that that can be his next crafting project.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, well, I mean the good news is he's probably now got uh Taco Bell as his sponsor, and he'll be uh you know doing a couple of uh ads where he's you know Taco Bell's too good to you know miss out on, and you know, you can smuggle it across borders.

SPEAKER_02

I'd say I don't think that's would happen. No, um anything's possible.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, absolutely it is. So uh anyway, that's it for the weird file. So I'm glad you've got the uh the taco uh the uh taco smuggler out of the way.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, I'm glad that's over too.

SPEAKER_11

Look forward to another new one next week as well as the two that uh are sitting in bay for you. There's definitely one in those there that I I've I'm I'm putting right up there with the uh with our uh uh golden uh corral uh um wrestling. Okay. So um yeah, it's definitely another one sitting there, which is which is fantastic.

SPEAKER_02

No, but that that was definitely a story that inspired the um imagination. So um I'm hoping it lives up to that rap. Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

So what you did there, nice one. Uh well that's it for the wheelfiles. Uh should we get into the tomb? Yes, we should. Uh shall we talk about uh episode two of uh the mummy the animated series?

SPEAKER_02

Do you mean episode two, a candle in the dark? A candle in the dark. That I watched last night. Not in the wind, but in the dark. Yeah, candle in the dark. Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_11

Okay, go for it.

SPEAKER_02

Well, you've seen it?

SPEAKER_11

I have seen it.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Yes. Yeah, no, it was another good episode. They all die. No, no, they do they do not all die. There's they come close, though. That's why it's called the Mummy. It was very tense. Yes. Um for an animated series. It was, it was very tense. It was. Um there was no guarantees of of everybody surviving the episode.

SPEAKER_11

No.

SPEAKER_02

But they wouldn't do that. Other than the fact that there's gonna be another one next week.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah. Um otherwise they'd bring back a ghost Jonathan.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. No, no, it was a ri it was a good episode. I think the highlight of this one was that um they had some slightly different villains. Yes. Um, the the uh sh shadow demons. Yes. Um they sort of look like uh, you know, Egyptian um I can't remember the the god, the Egyptian god that's the dog.

SPEAKER_11

Is it Anubis or I think it's Anubis? Yeah, I think you're right.

SPEAKER_02

Um and they were sort of so they were sort of sh uh sh shadow shaped like uh I'm gonna say Anubis. Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Um I was using my uh I was using my Stargate history knowledge to to to remember which one was the uh was was was the god of the of the dog head. Right, so you're not your not your history doctorate from definitely not, it's it's it's my uh my my Stargate degree from uh from from Universal Pictures uh University.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I was gonna say the people are gonna start thinking that that all the only things that we that we know are from pop culture.

SPEAKER_10

Well, you know, uh we've got to have a degree in something.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Not a lot of it's very useful.

SPEAKER_11

Well, someone used to say to me, know a lot about a little and you'll get real far. And so, yep, that's my body.

SPEAKER_02

So far, so far that that checks out for both of us.

SPEAKER_11

Or or a recent or a recent one that I heard was no enough to be dangerous. So uh look out, listeners.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, I don't really I don't quite understand that one, and I don't I don't really like it. But um, you know, episode two, I thought it was a really um a really fun episode. What what did you think?

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, I really enjoyed it, and I I think you're right. Uh it it this is uh you know the first episode felt like a pilot. Yeah. It felt like this is this is the flavour, this is what what we want to go with, you know. It it sort of sits partially in the canon of of of the mummy two. Uh but this one is like a a different step, right? Yeah. And I and this, and I've seen three and four now. Uh and uh spoilers.

SPEAKER_09

They all die.

SPEAKER_11

Uh but you you this I think this is the direction that they're going now.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Where every every episode it has a cliffhanger, you know, leading into the end.

SPEAKER_02

I don't know whether my heart can take it.

SPEAKER_11

Oh, really? Yeah. Uh but uh again, it's it's it's fun, it's really light-hearted, um, but it but it's it but it's got some really dark moments in there, right? Yeah. So I I I thought it was great. I I really enjoyed it um for what it what it for what it is.

SPEAKER_02

I really enjoyed there was quite a lot of good stuff between um Alex, who was who is particularly annoying in this episode.

SPEAKER_11

Alex and Jonathan.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah and and Uncle Jonathan. Um and I really enjoyed that whole dynamic too.

SPEAKER_11

The bickering and the you know, at the same time helping each other. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Push and pull relationships getting each other into trouble and then getting each other out of trouble. Yeah, um, yeah, I really enjoyed that too. But yeah, the the shadow demons were the the highlight of this one for me. Um that that that's why I'd suggest people check it out.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, I I I don't think we've seen the last of them either. So uh spoiler alert.

SPEAKER_02

Oh, okay. No, that's fine. Uh as as I said, I I thought they um aesthetically were really cool and and just a a cool gen a cool villain in general.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah. So uh I I didn't introduce this as the tomb either, but you know, that's okay. We just we're so excited about talking about the mummy that we didn't even do the introduction to the tomb. But there you go, that's uh that's it for the tomb.

SPEAKER_02

Uh we're not journalists or professionals.

SPEAKER_11

Hey, we're semi-professional.

SPEAKER_02

We'll try again next week.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, we're like a Will Farrow movie semi-pro, so you know, we we're almost there.

SPEAKER_02

I like that reach.

SPEAKER_11

Uh well, gotta. There was there was definitely a segue from you know talking about Will Farrow earlier. Yes. It's just a really long segue. Yeah, definitely. Uh should we get into uh let's let's mix it up a little bit. Let's get into the Moss Isley mailbag.

SPEAKER_16

Okay.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, let's get Cyril out of the way for for listeners. Um they're either gonna they're either gonna stay with us or they're gonna tune out.

SPEAKER_02

No, no, no.

SPEAKER_11

Oh look, I I I I definitely know that there's some uh you know there's some fans there's definitely uh uh we we dislike Cyril fan club. Oh really? Yep, absolutely. It's um uh yeah, I'm the I'm the leader of it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

No, I f I find that distressing to you.

SPEAKER_11

There's only one member at this stage, but listeners, if anyone wants to join me, it's free. Okay, so yeah, and so there's there's not a group, it's just and you get a free pop culture podcast uh bookmark.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Nathal Nathal will even pay postage.

SPEAKER_11

So so last week's uh issue we had uh sexy skywalker on the front with uh holding a Sith lightsaber.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so the uh 80s music video uh MT.

SPEAKER_11

Oh yeah, you you referred to him as Aha.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, well I thought he looked like he was out of the aha um take on me music video.

SPEAKER_11

Yep, yep. Um the force.

SPEAKER_02

We're gonna do something a little bit different this week. Um because we're gonna uh look at uh some letters from two separate issues. Oh. Um just because I couldn't find you know too much in here that sort of pertained to the the stuff that we've been talking about in the Moss Isley mailbag uh previously. Yes. Um but I did find a couple of little uh bits and pieces. So uh the first one that I'm gonna look at is from uh Return of the Jedi magazine number 90, uh from uh March 9th, 1985. Um and this one was um uh it pertains to uh some of the stuff that we talked about previously in regards to uh sort of Star Wars crafting projects. You know, we've talked about making a jabba's sale barge and we've talked about building a sarlac um, you know, out of a hole in your backyard.

SPEAKER_11

I'm gonna I'm gonna build my lightsaber out of pipe and washes soon.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Just don't try and take it Yeah, so it's got uh rebel pilot uh the and the alien species is somewhat cataloged. So that's the description of the Abby?

SPEAKER_10

Catal.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, you have it?

SPEAKER_10

Uh sort of.

SPEAKER_02

Okay. Well, uh back to the letter. The the letter in question. Um the letter is titled Death Star in the Front Room. Uh Dear Cyril, here is a photo of a Death Star that I have made from cardboard boxes and silver paper. I hope you like it. Um and it's from David Rankin from I think it's from County Louth.

SPEAKER_11

Oh, I wonder if he knows um uh friend of the show, Dean Rankin. I'll ask him, Dean. Tell us.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, hit us up, Dean.

SPEAKER_11

Yep.

SPEAKER_02

Or David.

SPEAKER_11

Show me the uh picture. I'll show you the picture.

SPEAKER_02

Hasn't he done a great job of um of uh recreating the desk star there?

SPEAKER_10

Sure. That's great. Can you s can you see I can see like a little uh like an X-wing maybe uh in there?

SPEAKER_02

Can you see what it looks like a toilet roll?

SPEAKER_10

Oh yes, yeah, yeah, very creative. Yeah, very creative.

SPEAKER_02

Uh I'm adding this to the list of of projects. Okay. Slowly uh fleshing out my uh future uh crafting uh Star Wars Galaxy. I've now got yeah, Jabba's Palace, the Sarlac Pit and the Death Star to make so uh so design from David.

SPEAKER_11

So based on that, listeners, if you want to donate your toilet rolls uh to MJ, no, no, no, no. Please hit us up on the um pop culture podcasts on all our socials.

SPEAKER_02

No, no, that's not required.

SPEAKER_11

I will back up the truck personally.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, he'll do that on the same round trip when he's dropping off uh uh bookmarks, the listeners.

SPEAKER_11

And and popcorn for uh for when we do the uh watch party for Minecraft.

SPEAKER_02

Uh we're gonna be Dizzy little bees, aren't we? Um so yeah, that there's another project lined up for me. Yeah, nice. I like that. The second magazine we're looking at is Return of the Jedi number 72.

SPEAKER_11

It's a bit of a cop-out front cover this time around.

SPEAKER_02

Uh th it's not a cop-out, it's got C3PU and C3PO and R2D to it.

SPEAKER_11

Straight out of Return of the Jedi.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's a great photo.

SPEAKER_11

Why can we get an illustration like the other ones?

SPEAKER_02

That's our boys there.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Um, so yeah, uh, number 72, 3rd of November 1984.

SPEAKER_11

Maybe the budget was tight and they didn't couldn't afford someone to do a cover.

SPEAKER_02

Um you'll like these because these are about Cyril. Uh so.

SPEAKER_11

What's the deformed toaster? Is he wearing clothes this time, by the way?

SPEAKER_02

Uh I don't know, you can only see him from the neck up.

SPEAKER_11

Oh well there you go. He's hiding behind the panels.

SPEAKER_02

So first letter is from Mark Stone from Sleaford.

SPEAKER_11

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

I don't know where that is. Uh The Good, the Bad Ugly. That's in the UK. It's called The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Cyril.

SPEAKER_10

Well, I I'm not disagreeing so far.

SPEAKER_02

Dear Cyril, how do you do it? Every issue, every issue of your brilliant publication is better than the last. By issue 60, I thought that nothing could be done to improve your continual state of excellence, and then bang, your new look issue pushed the quality even further than ever before.

SPEAKER_10

How many how many issues? Sorry, he's just said issue 60.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, well.

SPEAKER_10

How many, what's what issue is that? This is 72. 72? Yeah. They come in every week. Oh.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_10

Like us.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, they're just pumping them out. Yeah, okay. Like we are.

SPEAKER_10

Excellent. Good. Anyway, keep going. Sorry, apologies. Apologies. Apologies.

SPEAKER_02

Um I'm totally amazed and staggered. Reading this, you may think that I'm a Harden Star Wars fan. I'm not. I generally am interested in all areas of science fiction. But the sheer quality, the colour, the value for money, and the interesting storylines coupled with the beautiful covers make Return of the Jedi magazine an indispensable read that should appeal to all readers and not just Star Wars fans. Something that has never perhaps been achieved by a weekly before. That was a long sentence, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_10

That was very long, yes.

SPEAKER_02

Um you can count on me as a regular reader, so that's that's from Mark Stone.

SPEAKER_10

Thanks, Mark.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Uh there's a follow-up letter.

SPEAKER_10

Oh, okay. What from Cyril?

SPEAKER_02

No, it's just from another reader.

SPEAKER_10

Oh, right.

SPEAKER_02

Um, I think you like this one.

SPEAKER_10

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Uh dear Cyril. You suck. The new look magazine is terrible. See, there you go. Why change it when the old look was so great? What's happened to the contents page? I'm sure lots of readers will agree with me on my next point. You said that you went out to get an artist to draw you a portrait. Why did you hire a five-year-old? If you really look like that, you should sit around with a paper bag on your head. Shots fired. Goodbye, and if the force was with you, you wouldn't have changed your comic. James Handon, Benfleet.

SPEAKER_11

That's actually my pseudonym. My pen name.

SPEAKER_02

So then the cartoon there is of Cyril looking bewildered and saying, A paper bag.

SPEAKER_11

He looks like he you know what he looks like. What? He looks like if Pigsy from Monkey Magic was a dro it was a droid.

SPEAKER_15

Okay. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_11

Or the count?

SPEAKER_02

You know what I reckon it looks like?

SPEAKER_11

The count from from from from uh Sesame Street. That's the point it is.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Um he looks like me about two seconds after I've woken up in the blur.

SPEAKER_11

We might do a uh side by side who will not be good who wore it best. No, we won't be good.

SPEAKER_02

I wouldn't do that to I wouldn't do that to the internet.

SPEAKER_11

Oh, meltdown.

SPEAKER_02

And an honourable mention for the um ad on the back of this magazine.

SPEAKER_11

I tell you, I love the ads.

SPEAKER_02

Well, you'll love this one. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Um this is uh are we mailing away for another figure?

SPEAKER_02

No, we're not. Oh, okay. It's it's this one's just a proper ad for some toys.

SPEAKER_11

Did I tell you? Did I tell you that I'd mailed away for the Rancor for the Rank Or Keeper?

SPEAKER_02

Did you?

SPEAKER_11

I uh still haven't received any anything yet. Okay, I was very specific about the offer expired in 1985. 55p, I'm still waiting. Alright. So let us know. Listeners, I'll let you know when I when I get my Rancor keeper, alright? Update us, please.

SPEAKER_02

Yep, sure. Um now the ad on the back of this is for um what at the time was probably very new uh Transformers Hasbro Toys. Oh yeah, look at that. And again, I'll I'll post this on our socials, so um although it's a a visual reference, uh I'll I'll let you all have a look.

SPEAKER_11

So definitely not like skybound worthy for the Transformers Comic now.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, well as I said that's still pretty cool in 1984. But um I thought it was fun because they've got little uh profiles on each of the Transformers they've got pictured here. Yeah, yeah. And they've got each of them in their robot form and in their vehicle form. Yeah. So we've got uh Sideswipe, uh Ratchet, Hound, Mirage, Blue Street, and Jazz. Yeah, Jazz. So they're all in their original 1984 forms.

SPEAKER_11

Do you know out of those has my favorite transformer ever? In this one? Yep. Who Hound. Hound is my favourite transformer. I had I had him and cherished him above all else.

SPEAKER_02

He's the Jeep.

SPEAKER_11

He's the Jeep. Yeah. And amazing. I actually I still have Hound somewhere.

SPEAKER_02

He has been in the Skybound stuff recently.

SPEAKER_11

Yes, he has, yeah. He's awesome. So he's uh he's actually featuring with G.I. Joe. He's undercover with G.I. Joe.

SPEAKER_10

Of course, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh in the He was undercover at one stage. Yes, he was, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

So uh and he's uh yeah, we'll see more of him coming up.

SPEAKER_02

So that's that's this week's Moss I think. Look, I don't I don't have serile love, a bit of serile hate.

SPEAKER_11

I I I don't disagree about the about the new look. I I think uh we need to have a chat to their marketing department.

SPEAKER_02

I think that ship is and they like the rank or keeper offer.

SPEAKER_11

Don't say that. Don't don't try and we're we're we're a positive, we're a positive network. We try and you know get out there and share the love. Don't don't don't put it down.

SPEAKER_02

You've sent twenty twenty you sent twenty-five p off in Dilly Ether.

SPEAKER_11

No, it's fifty-five. I've I've included inflation.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, well that's heaps better.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, I've I've included inflation. For the rank for the rank or keeper.

SPEAKER_10

You've got your maths wrong there.

SPEAKER_11

And and and also, like, you know, uh, you know, exchange for for changing it from Australian dollars to to the UK pounds.

SPEAKER_02

So Okay, let's move on from the talk with this. What what what what segment are we doing next?

SPEAKER_10

Uh shall we go into the aisle?

SPEAKER_06

This is the explaning, the star and beautiful world of Japanese anime. And this is your invitation to enter with the modern plastic Akira. Critics say Akira makes Blade Runner look like Disney World. It's action pack, the future of animation. Cisco at Everton, the video pick of the week. Akira is yours for only $4.95 with subscription when you order the best of Japanese animation collection series. With these State of New York sci-fi plastics, you will enter a world beyond imagination. A future out of control and an experience you will never forget. Don't say we didn't warn you.

SPEAKER_03

Call 1-800-414-4422 now to order Akira for only $4.95 plus $379 shipping in handler. Future volumes are $19.95 plus shipping, but your audience is only the refrigerator.

SPEAKER_07

And you can get a free free electronic fridge certificate or follow the number on the certificate, and the fridge will tell you how to get influenced with only four certificates and a $1 employee charge in details on specially marked DIO packages.

SPEAKER_01

I am He-Man. Call Shera and me at 1-900-909-2233. We'll journey to distant worlds, explore the universe, and leave that extemor toward along the way. Probably, Workout. There's a new adventure every day. We'll also tell you how to get an action figure or this colourful poster.

SPEAKER_11

Yes, we shall. Okay, let's do that. Okay, what have you been reading? I have been reading. Uh Firestorm, issue number two.

SPEAKER_15

What did you think?

SPEAKER_11

Uh, yeah, it's great. I'm really, really digging this. I'm really loving where this is going. Um look, I I don't know where this is going, and I think this is what I like about it. Agreed. Uh I I I really, you know, this this this issue is really focusing on Ronnie Raymond.

SPEAKER_18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Uh and dealing with imposter syndrome, which I really liked about this.

SPEAKER_18

Yes.

SPEAKER_11

Uh I I think that it's um it's really uh crafted really well, and we're getting a a completely different side of Ronnie Raymond that we don't normally get. Okay. Um, you know, Ronnie Raymond's very um, you know, he's he's very full of himself and you know, overconfident and all the rest of it, and it takes you know, Professor Stein to sort of you know pull him down from you know launching up into the clouds. Yeah. And so this is really giving us a very different perspective on internally who he is, yeah. And and and I really like that. I I like the the end of this is amazing. You know, the transformation of uh Firestorm without giving anything away, yeah. Uh scares the hell out of me of what what's coming. Yeah. Uh but you know, what we need to understand about Firestorm, and I think it's a big call, but I think Firestorm's probably one of the most powerful DC characters in the universe. I think that's so just so uh so you know they're really leaning into something big. Yeah. Um it'll be really interesting to see what um is it Starfire? No, not Starfire.

SPEAKER_15

What's your name? Um Firehawk.

SPEAKER_11

Uh Firehawk. See what happens with her uh because she's like taken off, and so it's left up to the military. And I don't know, I don't know what it is about the military, but they always think that they they've got the answer and that they know how they're gonna crush a super being. Yeah. Um, but that last page is like we're gonna get some KO action for sure. So I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in uh issue number three.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, no, I uh as I mentioned last week, I really enjoyed uh issue number two as well, and I'm I'm really excited to see more because I really think it's gonna develop into um um a fascinating story.

SPEAKER_11

I think what Raphael's doing as well with the uh with with past versus present uh paneling is really interesting. Yeah, he's sort of giving this sort of light and bright, very, very uh similar to like super friends sort of look.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's got a silver age feel in it.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, it really does. Uh and and even to the point where we actually see some golden age uh figures that he's playing with as well. So which was which was a rather cool cameo for for him to put in there. Yeah, yeah. Um, but I I really love that that sort of you know polar opposites to each other.

SPEAKER_18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Because when we get into modern day, it's looking very dark and grim, and um, you know, the the it's it's the the lines are really super crisp and sharp, and you know, there's there's definitely something not right about about those panels, right?

SPEAKER_02

It does, it feels very perilous.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, it's so so I I think Raphael's doing a great job when it comes to that. I think um Jeff Lemir is you know like he's just on point, right? He really he really gets the character, he's really pushing it in a new direction, which is really cool. I'm I'm really scared for my for my guy with with with Firestorm and what the outcome is. Yeah, um, but again, it's it's such a cool read. I mean, I remember uh quite a number of weeks, weeks ago I was in uh All-Star Comics, not a sponsor, but should be. Um but uh and I was talking to uh listener Larry, uh who was originally part of the Rad Lounge, uh, and uh and he said, Oh, what are you reading at the moment? And I said, Oh, I just finished reading issue one of Firestorm. Yeah, and he said, I'm not a fan, he said, but I'm so a fan now, yeah, right? And I think that that's what it's doing. I don't know whether you're sort of seeing that in the store.

SPEAKER_02

I yeah, definitely, like there's definitely been buzz about it, and and both of the first issues have sold out, um, which is a good sign. Yeah, um, uh I I was gonna say, I I think one of the things that it seems very clear to me is that Jeff Lemere clearly loves the character, yeah. Um, but he also is determined in this storyline to be to to um really uh demonstrate the potential of the character storytelling-wise. Yeah. Um and and to sort of push push the limits of what we've seen with Firestorm um into places that that that haven't necessarily been explored, or at least haven't been explored to the extent that we're seeing them now. Yeah. Um and and yeah, I I think that um you know Larry and uh and us and everybody else are a right to be excited about this series.

SPEAKER_11

With with DC saying all in, I I that is like so appropriate for for having that on the on the because I am all in with with with Firestorm. So I like what you did there. Yeah, I know. Uh what about you? What have you been reading?

SPEAKER_02

Um I've been reading uh well sticking with DC. Um I read the latest issue of of uh Flash number 33. Yep. Um what's old Wally up to these days? Uh he's um been taking care of business in um in Central City.

SPEAKER_10

Central City. Is he looking for a bomb? Is he is he looking for a bomb in this issue? Is he looking for a an explosive or something?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah. Um he's been um trying to find a bomb, but also uh dealing with uh a spate of uh people um indulging in activity that puts themselves in danger in order to get um likes and potentially win money off a social media competition. Oh, that sounds like Yeah, I know it's an influencer. Uh completely. Um yeah, so he's dealing with with quite a lot of stuff, but um probably the most interesting thing about this one was that um uh as the issue goes on, um Wally finds time to start uh pushing the boundaries with a a new superpower. Oh new aspect of his superpowers that he hasn't um either been aware of before or hasn't been able to exploit before. Okay. Um and by the end of this issue, he seems to have a bit of a grasp on it. Nice. Um, which is going to um make for some really interesting storytelling in in um future episodes.

SPEAKER_11

Piqued my interest, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_02

But I've just made a pun that I didn't mean to make. Um but uh yeah, no, it's I really enjoyed that latest issue. Um again, it's a little bit like Firestorm, although it's a much, much lighter um uh story. Yeah, um it's it's pushing the character uh sort of beyond the limits of what we've known uh him to be in in previous uh iterations. Yeah, and I'm I'm really um excited about uh the prospect of of where this might take um take Wally.

SPEAKER_11

D D C you know DC have really got it going on with their characters, they really have a really good, strong direction on what they're doing with each of those characters, how they interact with with each other in different properties, uh, what the future looks like for them. Uh you know, there was lots of there was a level of criticism about Jim Lee coming on board as um, you know, taking taking the helm of DC.

SPEAKER_18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Um, but I think he's got a really good grasp on uh the uh you know producers and writers and and and uh the the the art team and I I just think it's it's it's a really well-rounded company right now for DC.

SPEAKER_02

I think at the moment they're benefiting and I don't know who was responsible, but I mean, you know, Jim Lee's the guy in charge.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, that's right. He's gotta he's gotta sign the checks, right?

SPEAKER_02

So kind of a you've got to put uh a lot of the credit at his feet. Um but I think that that DC is really benefiting at the moment from um being brave, yeah, and pushing the boundaries of their characters, not sort of sitting back and resting on their laurels, but really putting people in charge of the uh the characters that um uh uh are willing to go an extra mile to try and um you know f find fresh um aspects to the storytelling. Um and yeah, I think that you know that's what we're seeing in definitely what we're seeing in Firestorm. It's obviously what we're seeing in the absolute books, um, and and it's starting to uh affect the the the um the regular canon of DC. Yeah um in characters like The Flash and even Zatana, like I I haven't you know made a note to talk about Zatana, but I've read uh issue number three of Jamal Campbell's uh Z Zatana series. Yeah and again I I I feel like um uh what what he's doing with that series is really asking some really interesting questions about what the limits of Zatanna's uh power uh uh uh powers are, yeah, and also what her mandate is in the universe, what her place is in the DC universe, what what what she what she really has to contribute and what the limits of it are. Yeah. Um and I find that really, really interesting. Um I I think it's really exciting times for DC and I'm finding it difficult not to buy and read everything that they produce.

SPEAKER_11

It's it's it's interesting, right? Because even from uh you know the creative teams, they all seem to be singing from the same tune as well. Yes. That that they're not having any gripes or issues with DC as a company or being you know stifled of their creativity when it comes to writing or or or doing the art on the on the books.

SPEAKER_18

No.

SPEAKER_11

bit of a walk around the park uh and and and see you know whether they'll sort of stay close. Uh and I and I really like that. I think it's I think it's great.

SPEAKER_02

Another thing that I've been reading is um uh a manga that we got in the shop um and I confess I bought these based on the card because I thought it was cool. And also because it was a it's it's numbers zero so it's a dialogue to what's uh obviously claimed to be a longer series.

SPEAKER_11

Was was that a regret?

SPEAKER_02

No not at all. Um it's called Dragon Circus. Okay.

SPEAKER_11

Well the dragons are your your bags Dragon action?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah I do like some dragon action. Yeah I like the title and I also like the juxtaposition but between the title and the very futuristic looking just showing Nathan covered very random we'll post it on our socials.

SPEAKER_10

Yes yes um Dragon Circus.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah it's by uhichi Shimizu and Tomahiro Shimaguchi well done on pronouncing um thank you yeah that's how I would approach it when this popped up on uh the All-Star previews album a few months ago it must have been um yeah it was the cover that struck me and the the prospect of getting into something from the ground up.

SPEAKER_11

Did you do a fry and say shut up and take my money?

SPEAKER_02

No I did not I just added it to the list and moved on with my evening. Oh okay nice um but I I really enjoyed this um as I said it's it's it's a prologue to what presumably is going to be a much bigger story. Okay. Um it's quite wacky like it's um as the title um implies there's dragons involved yeah it's uh it's a there's an incursion uh into the earth of um uh dragons um invading yeah Tokyo and the US and all sorts of other stuff um they and there's a a massive uh incident where a whole lot of people die um and then it cuts uh to sort of uh I think it's like 20 years in the future um and they're the start the humans are starting to get organized to try and uh tackle this uh dragon incursion but it also um coincides with uh the revelations that uh things like elves and pixies and vampires exist in the world so we've got a like a mystical law sort of sitting in the background totally well it makes sense right if there's dragons then why wouldn't there be others right? Yeah exactly um and and so yeah there's this whole um sort of jumble of uh different genres um you know giant uh mechanized robots um uh demons merged with technology um yeah uh uh dragons androids um elves uh magic users all sorts of stuff okay um but yeah it's really quite fun um the the arts uh really beautiful um the designs of the uh the technology technological type stuff um I think is really cool sort of reminds me of the old Robotech stuff that I used to read when I was in um probably primary school yeah um yeah no it was really good fun so yeah Dragon Circus if anyone's looking for some new uh fun manga to read um I highly recommend it yeah I I I think the thing I love about manga is there's no boundary right you know it doesn't you can you can have mechanised you know kaijus and uh and have uh mythical lore you know wrapped inside of it.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah I love it it's and it makes sense.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah they're just they're not not afraid to be um completely wacky and yeah and in many ways this one is as well it's it's got you know high stakes as well um and some great characters they're going through some you know traumatic sort of stuff um who who would have thought that you know chainsaw man would be you know as popular as it is yeah you know a guy with a chainsaw head and two arms with chainsaws on him yeah it's wild it's wild but it works right because it's because it's a manga book. Yeah so no I I really enjoyed this one. So as I said if anyone's looking for something new yeah that's rad then there's that. And then um again for something completely this is great.

SPEAKER_11

I saw you posted this and I'm really excited about this.

SPEAKER_02

I I bought this um pretty much almost as soon as soon as I saw it. Yeah um it was the art style that got me but it's a children's book um it's a Masters of the universe children's book it's right up my alley yeah skeletal has no friends he doesn't no he doesn't and it's it's really it's really great I mean you can I I'm showing again I'll post on it on the Instagram yeah um but Nate can see the the art style that is being um utilized in this um and I just find it really uh appealing um and yeah and and fun to look at it's you know highly stylised uh Merman's got like really big eyes yeah he does or as or as my son when he was young called Merman Fergus.

SPEAKER_11

Fergus I said do we know his name's Merman he said no it's his name's Fergus I've decided that he he he needs a real name and it's okay and it's Fergus so it's gonna stick in my canon now. Fergus has got some some really big eyes going on there which is amazing. I love the art style too.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah well that was one of the things that got me I mean I don't mind sitting back and reading a children's book yeah um especially when the art's uh you know appealing and spectacular like this one um it's a fun story it's it's um basically about um it starts with uh skeletor and a bunch of his henchmen and they're all playing a game of you know yeah and um you know yeah Marcel Universe you know well no no it's not really it's just you know see that would have been a great you know well see you can see they're all sitting around playing you know and um uh I think it's mm Beast Man um wings a hand using a a plus one bajillion card oh a draw bajillion card oh um that's it and you're done uh skeletor absolutely cracks it yeah um flips the table um sends everybody else home says he's never playing with the Orsaur you know what he would have said he would have said what's that beast man that's very good never do that again he immediately does it um no that's very good that's very good yeah very talented yeah that's that's as far as my repertoire goes for uh Skeletor uh you should explore yeah look out I'm I'll be in the next film taking over for Jared Lotto wouldn't that be a huge podcast that would be amazing yeah yeah you'd definitely get an invite to the uh premiere too busy to be on the podcast you'll be uh you'll be invited to the premiere for sure it's great it's a back seat but you'll be there yeah dress up as and dresses all go you know what the you know what the uh artwork actually reminds me of what's that uh friend of the show Sean Galloway's art okay uh I really I actually really dig that um you know it's it's really it's really simplistic but actually sophisticated at the same time oh yeah I love it and and I think it's great yeah it looks good uh as I said that that's one of the main reasons I bought the book I just wanted it in in my collection and in my life yeah it's amazing I shouldn't mention the the pictures um the artwork uh is by Andrew Kolb yeah um nice work andrew the the words in the book are are by Rob Perlman well I haven't read it but good but good job Rob yeah no it's it it is it's it's really good it's just basically about how skeletor needs to be nicer to his henchmen yeah he's never gonna do that because um no well it he basically that they basically end up convincing him to be just a little bit nicer with them so that they can all continue doing evil together. Oh okay and and I mean they don't doing evil is what they love.

SPEAKER_11

Well as as Dan Hausen would say very nice very evil. Yeah exactly um or in Skeletor's case very evil very evil um with a little bit of nice yeah but uh Skeletor has no friends uh uh shout out for this children's book um that's awesome if you want to share Masters of the Universe with your young kids I highly recommend it yeah get get on that train I I I you know I we we go back to Master of the Universe we were talking about this earlier but I'm really excited to see what this movie does for the property and for the new audience that it brings right because fans of Master Universe have held this you know up on a pedestal for such a long period of time and to a to a level that you know some fans could be condemned for you know holding hope to a to a property that hasn't really been taken seriously either but I think that with the likes of Kevin Smith bringing out though that that at the Netflix uh three-part animated series yeah I think has really made a big difference. We've got an audience there and now we've got a a you know an even bigger audience like you said with with having younger actors that can uh you know carry this franchise for a number of films yeah and and spawning you know properties like a TV like TV series the animated series that we're going to see on YouTube and things like that.

SPEAKER_02

So I think that one of the things that the Kevin Smith Netflix stuff stuff did and that I really enjoyed was um it embraced how fun this stuff is supposed to be. Yeah. And one of the things I mean that I loved about Masters of the Universe was sitting on the floor playing with my Masters of the Universe figures and having fun. Yeah. And I love the colour of the characters and I think that's one of the things that the film's embracing and I think that they've they've taken inspiration from the Kevin Smith animated stuff with that. You know they're embracing the colour they're embracing the fun they're embracing the silliness of it and I think that that's the way to go.

SPEAKER_11

I I hope that people just go um and have uh a silly fun time yeah um you know obviously fans like us but but other people too um and I hope it makes enough money that they do want to make another one because um yeah I I just want it to be a fun time yeah I I I think their marketing has been really on point it's um really uh really involving the fans I mean they're really getting behind I think you can now sort of uh download an app or get on TikTok I think it's on on the Tok Tok where you can uh you've got an a a new filter where you can be skeletor and so they're really sort of embracing technology as well to to for just different platforms and trying different things.

SPEAKER_02

As I said they're having fun with it.

SPEAKER_15

Yeah yeah I think it's great and I think it's really wonderful I'm excited I can't wait to see it later this week.

SPEAKER_02

100% I'm right with you there and look forward to uh next week's episode when we will be definitely uh talking all things uh masters of the universe we'll talk about it on the review oh well that's yes so good segue let's get into the review the Star Wars trilogy on video now the Star Wars trilogy on video in THX Go get us out of here feel the full force in THX it's a difference you can see and here without actually going into an asteroid field crazy to follow us when they buy the legend that rules the galaxy it is your destiny the original version of Star Wars on video buy it before it's gone forever they're here the Transformers on video in arrival from Cybertron a whole lake cartoon spectacular we're autobuys we're from Cybertron The Transformers Video 799 in the shops now find us the original soundtrack album to TV's mutant ninja turtles is excellent now hear these radical tunes on your telephone down the 1-900-8609000 and bookaloo to the turtle tunes pick up your phones and hear sounds that'll shake your bones the original soundtrack album so get up off your shelves and got a 1900 8609000 $2 the first minute $1 each additional call is under 18 to get your parents provision come along dude is almost as cool as pizza all right what have you been watching should we talk about the the big one last yeah we'll talk about the big one last okay um well we've already talked about the mummy yes um I went to the movies last week you saw dust boot I did I saw dust boot the director's cut and was it dust good it was dust excellent okay excellent yeah don't the excellent works out the the excellent um no it was wonderful yeah um I I don't think I sort of thought about what I was what it was that I was seeing yeah I I'd had I'd forgotten that I was seeing the director's car right so I didn't realise I was in for a three and a half minutes it's long um but it was really really good um there was a great crowd at the Aster um as I mentioned on last week's episode it was the closing night of the German film festival nice um and so there was a um uh yeah uh a suitably um um enthusiastic crowd of people there um and yeah we had uh got ourselves great seats um me and uh my one one of my sons and his his mate um and and all sat down for three and a half hours and watched um dust boot yeah and it was wonderful yeah it's it I I'd never seen it um you know I know it's been out for a long time but I just had never seen the film in any form um but uh I kind of didn't want it to end. Yeah you know it it did feel like three and a half hours yeah but um it's it's it's such a good film that um involves you in the plight of the characters so much. It's so quick to suck you in right completely and the performances of the actors too um they're they're they're really really wonderful um and a lot of that I'm sure has to do with the direction of Wolfgang Peterson yeah um but the the the actors do a a magnificent job um you just become so invested in in what it is that they're all going through yeah that you kind of don't want it to end because you sort of know that it's not necessarily going to end well. No it's dust bad. Yeah but but um it really you know even though it did feel like three and a half hours I don't mean that in a negative way. No. It was a really great experience and the the ASA of course is a great place to see a movie like that. It was an and and it wasn't a restored version either like it was it was it was an old 70mm or I I think that that's the I'm down with the aspects. Yeah um but but but it was old it was crackly the sound was coming and going from time to time.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah nice um nice but but I think that just sort of added to the ex the the charm and the experience um you know it was still stunning and beautiful and the sound was um intimidating and amazing and dynamic but um yeah no we we had a great time uh love love dice but it was it was a really good experience the thing I I like about the writing is that we didn't need a lot of exposition about each of the characters no we didn't need to know their backstory or who they were to how they got there we followed that journey with them along the way yeah and I and I and I think that Wolfgang did an amazing job of helping uh helping the audience to carry through that journey as well yeah and really love those characters to you know the ending that it is right so um I I agree with you I think um I think it's it's one of those ones that has become a cult classic for a for a really good reason. Yeah um so yeah I'm glad you went and saw it and I I'm kind of a bit envious now that you saw it in its in its natural state too you know with uh it it really was it it was great and then it was also great that um the the two lads that came with me loved it as well.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah I I know from talking with my son this week that that they've been talking about it um as the week's gone on. Yeah cool.

SPEAKER_11

You know they they they really enjoyed the experience too so it's a good atmosphere right you know going into it with with something that's a little bit original it's like it's like watching something in black and white it changes your perception. Yeah um and if something isn't isn't 4K and you know it's got golby surround sound or whatever it is yeah um you know that kind of like you said it adds to the charm. I I like that I I think that's rather cool.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah no it made it seem more precious I think yeah yeah yeah oh that's awesome. What about yourself?

SPEAKER_11

What do you remember yeah so I banged on last week about uh Widow's Bay you did uh I've watched the the next two they just like dropped two in a row is that so you've watched the whole thing uh six and seven so I think I've got one more to go or maybe it's ten I'm not too sure.

SPEAKER_18

Right.

SPEAKER_11

Um but holy cow we get a uh we go back into the past and we see why Widow's Bay is the way that it is okay and we learn about the history um of it's sort of around pilgrim time and they're uh they're sort of um uh you know found this island and creating a a a new uh community on this island okay and something happens and a deal's made and yeah everything goes awry this is super you know like you know those sort of um not so much horror movies but but thrillers that are set around that period like those 1800s where you know witches are being burned at the stake or is it earlier than that it's earlier than that 1600s isn't it yeah so like like the witch yeah so it's set around that sort of period yeah um yeah 1600s I think I was I was I was probably a little bit too far ahead there's a couple um not a crime but but yeah this is creepy as I'll get out um uh for the all the right reasons right yeah um because there's no uh because there's no electricity you know everything's by candlelight so you're jumping at shadows and that are not necessarily there or they are there and then you know that that sort of throws you into a whole new mix.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah well I mean they're in a new world. Yeah they they they don't know what's there.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah and and and you know the the the belief is supernatural is so high right yeah uh so unlike now you know everything's you know if something like that happened we'd just automatically assume that it's AI slop so before we made a real drawn conclusion that it's real right we might assume yeah no other people supernatural is real um conclusions yeah uh so uh so you so you and then uh and then episode seven we jump back to current time yeah and them dealing with the fallout of what we've seen in episode six fascinating uh and it's just it it really is a great show um I was you know because I've been talking about it it's popping up in my social feeds now uh and um thanks you thanks Instagram for your algorithm and listening to my phone I appreciate it um it's excellent uh and so I've I've been seeing some other podcasters talking about it now yeah uh and and and they're saying exactly what I'm saying you know this is a show worthy of of checking out yeah uh so so yeah that's that's one of the Apple TV uh shows that I've been watching the other one is I saw the first episode for Star City oh yeah now I I think that dropped this week uh and I haven't watched for all mankind I've got it there in my uh list of things to watch uh so I I think I started watching the first the the the pilot um but I haven't sort of gone too further than that um this is really good this is very different from For All Mankind uh you know as you said quite a number of weeks ago about the trailer uh this is uh set in in Germany uh and uh what that looks like uh Soviet Union sorry uh and and what that looks like for them being first on the moon and for them you know running ahead with the space race and uh you know giving America a run for its money and but the thing that's really compelling about this is that we've got uh a spy story in this yeah and and and so not only have we got the space race but we've also got you know a race to find the spy um that's you know uh giving out uh secrets yeah to to to the US yeah and and and and I I'm really enjoying you know it's only the pilot yeah but I'm really enjoying both sides of the coin here.

SPEAKER_02

That's fascinating to me because like that there's there's aspects of the like you in in for all mankind you know that there's spies at work yes um and so to be able to see the flip side of that is going to be fascinating. I haven't watched any of Star City yet um but I but I definitely will get onto it soon.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah this reminds me of a little bit like um Man in the High Castle. Yes I'm not surprised and and and and it so it has that sort of feel to it where it's you it it's not it's not as it's not as nice and you know sort of gleaming with hope like the Americans are with with the space race. And also thought and words are dangerous oh yeah a hundred percent and and you see that very quickly In um within the first say 20 minutes of the of of the of the pilot episode.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

So I'm hooked. I'm in. Again, another Apple TV production.

SPEAKER_15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

And they just keep pushing out banger after banger after banger.

SPEAKER_15

So there's lots of good stuff on there to watch.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_15

Again, not an ad. Not an ad, but should be.

SPEAKER_11

That shouldn't be. What about you? What have you been watching?

SPEAKER_02

Well, the only other thing that I've been watching this week is Spider Noir. Oh, yes. How much of Spider Noir have you watched?

SPEAKER_11

I have one episode to go. Have you watched them all? I haven't.

SPEAKER_02

I've watched uh four episodes. Right. Yeah, we watched two the first night, I think, and then we watched the third one, which ended on a cliffhanger. Yes. But we did watch episode four last night.

SPEAKER_11

Watching watching in black and white?

SPEAKER_02

Yes, yeah, watching in black and white. Producer Kim made me uh go back and uh have a look at some of the different frocks and dresses um to see what colour they were in in colour last night.

SPEAKER_11

I I just love that they they they filmed this in black and white and then recoloured it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

I I think this is something really uh you know I was talking to uh to my son about this uh while I was watching it and I was explaining to him that's what they did, is that? Yeah, that's right. So they've they've actually filmed it, filmed it and then recoloured it in post in post. Right? Um that's why they're calling it true true hue or true colour or whatever it is. So they've done like they did with uh the Wizard of Oz. Yeah. Right, where they've recovered where they've coloured it after the fact.

SPEAKER_02

Well it's what um they used to do with the old uh TCM turn of classic movies. Exactly. Really interesting. Um yeah, no, we've we've been watching it in black and white, and I I love it in black and white. I think it's stunning.

SPEAKER_11

Well, there's something unique about doing it in black and white too, because they have to you know they have to do it a certain way that it that it will uh appeal to the viewer based on the types of colours that they actually choose in uh while they're filming it. Yeah so that that way they'll stand out, yeah. And the shadows that play with lighting, so there's a lot of technical aspects to this that make it really appealing. Yeah. Um, if you're a bit of a tech nerd like I am when it comes to film. Uh so so you you know, some of those darker scenes that we're seeing him in his apartment, uh they're amazing, like they're amazing shots. Um you know, an amazing cinematographer.

SPEAKER_02

Um every shot in the whole thing is beautiful. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, even the even the ones that you sort of think would not be so spectacular, I'd just want to spend forever there.

SPEAKER_11

I I I think the the really interesting thing about this is this out of I think any of Nicolas Cage's you know uh sort of repertoire up until now, this is kind of like this is the part that he was born to play. Yeah, it really is sits right in his wacky wheelhouse.

SPEAKER_02

He is so good in this role, yeah. Um I I'm I I'm not not a Nicolas Cage fan, but I'm not a huge Nicolas Cage fan. Like I don't have to see everything Nicolas Cage makes. Um he's amazing in this role. Um, the way that he embodies like a Humphrey Bogart style, um uh you know crotchety old uh leading man type character, um, but also he he's so funny, yeah. Like he he's just so funny in in in sometimes very obvious ways, but but in really subtle ones as well, yeah. Um uh and understated stuff. Yeah. Um I I'm loving it, I think it's it's wonderful. And I mean I'm really enjoying the other actors as well. Like I I talked about how I was a fan of um Jack Houston. Yes. Um I didn't realise that Lucas Haas was in it um uh until he showed up. Yeah, um Brendan Gleason's amazing. Yeah, um and I've I've forgotten her name who plays Kat Hardy, but she's uh wonderful and stunning. And another character that we've really fallen in love with, uh producer Kim and I is is Janet. Oh Janet. Janet is like amazing.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, she's uh she's a pinwheel, isn't she? She really is.

SPEAKER_02

Like the the actress that that plays her is uh fantastic. The character is written so wonderfully as well. Like every episode a different layer of her is laid there, yeah. Um and and she's such a good character.

SPEAKER_11

She I I think uh as the as this this series goes on, yeah, I think she gets better and better.

SPEAKER_17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

As as with each and they give her lots of range as well. Yeah. You know, she's not just the secretary, she's way more than that. She means more than that. And and and so I I I really like where they're going with her as well. Yeah. You know, she keeps I I think she's like the the the moral compass for um for Ben Riley. Yeah, yeah. Uh the the interesting thing about it is is and it's it's it's not a spoiler here. Um there was a lot of talk about why he was called Ben Riley and not called Peter Parker.

SPEAKER_17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

Um in a later episode, and and like I said, it's not a spoiler, it's just a line. It's it's it's a it's a very quick throwaway, throwaway line.

SPEAKER_17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

So ha if you haven't watched it, you look out for it. But it actually refers to him, it's like you changed your name. Right? Okay. So there's an incident, they'll talk about the incident, and and then and they said, and then you came back and you changed your name.

SPEAKER_17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

And so what they've done very, very carefully and crafted very nicely into the series as an explanation as to why he's called Ben Riley and he's not called Peter Parker.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, interesting.

SPEAKER_11

And I think it's a really good take and a really good way of uh a bit of fan service, right? And because there was a lot of noise about that. There was like, oh, why isn't he called Peter Parker? He's you know the characters called Peter Parker. Why is he taking on the name of Ben Riley? But it makes perfect sense when you actually get to that point and you know the reason why. Alright, so look at look out for that. Like I said, it's it's a really quick throwaway line, it's not something that they they draw a lot on because there's so much going on with that particular storyline.

SPEAKER_18

Okay.

SPEAKER_11

Um that will that part to get you to where he is. Yeah, yeah. Um, but yeah, like I said, look out for that part because it it is actually really it's a really important part of the history of Spider Noir.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, wonderful. Yeah, I look no, I look forward to that. Yeah. Um just wanted to mention as well, um uh the actress that plays Kat Hardy is Lee Jun Lee, um, and the actress that plays Janet Janet is uh Karen Rodriguez. I've sort of put some respect on the name because they've been doing an amazing job. Um, and also a shout-out to Lamore Morris who plays Robbie Robertson, a bit like Nicolas Cage. Um I think he's playing uh character with the character with great gravitas, but he's also so funny. Um like I've seen him in a number of things from uh Fargo, um, and also there was a uh sort of dramatised uh series about the birth of the internet that he was in as well. Yeah um and Lamore Morris is is great.

SPEAKER_11

I I I I think Robbie is is is he's a scene stealer when he's when he's on when he's there, yeah, I I I just instantly sort of gravitate towards his character really quickly.

SPEAKER_17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

I don't know, I I don't think it's on purpose, and I don't think that it's distracting at all. I just think he's really good at what he's doing.

SPEAKER_17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

And and and I I kind of just I do want to see more of his adventures and and what he's putting himself in and how he's getting himself out of things, and um yeah, I I I love him. I think he's fantastic in in in this. I I I will say that um the more the episodes, the za the the more this becomes a Nicolas Cage production.

SPEAKER_17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

It gets weirder, right? It gets weirder and zany and crazy and all the rest of it. I'm down. Uh but it it actually sits right in the pocket and it makes sense. Okay. And and I really like that Nicolas Cage went right into this and and said, well, I'm just gonna I'm just gonna go for it, right? Okay. I'm just gonna go go wild and and and see see what sticks. Right. And but when you understand why it is, it makes perfect sense. So, you know, I'm trying not to give anything away spoiler-wise, but I am saying, like, if if you're looking forward to if if you if you are hoping that you're gonna see Crazy Nick Cage, hands down, this guy dials it up to 11 on this one for sure.

SPEAKER_15

Alright, there's something to look forward to.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, absolutely. But we'll be talking about this probably next week. It'll probably get overshadowed by Masters of the Universe, but um we'll find time. I'll I'll have one episode to go. Hopefully, you'll be more than halfway through it by next week.

SPEAKER_02

I wouldn't be surprised if we're not done.

SPEAKER_11

Um, but it it's I I did uh I did see uh someone asked the question, will we get a season two? Yeah. Uh he did say that he feels that they have done everything that they can with this season. Okay. However, he's open to an opportunity if it if it you know sort of presented itself. And so I I I like that. I mean, it was always uh sort of you know positioned as a as a one and done limited series.

SPEAKER_19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11

So it is I I would expect that we're gonna get it relatively rounded, you know, for a satisfied audience. Yeah, yeah. Uh however, you know, it is doing well in the you know, it is rating well for streaming.

SPEAKER_02

People are definitely enjoying it and talking about it.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, and and uh the thing I like about this production too is it's different, right? It's not your typical Marvel Sony production.

SPEAKER_18

No.

SPEAKER_11

This is very, very, very different, and and it's I I would put it on the on the same scale as Wonder Man, where they're they're actually, you know, uh taking a hit. You know, they're really like they're lined up and they're gonna just like give it a good bash and see see if it works. Yeah. Uh they're taking, you know, some some real sort of swings to see if it's gonna, you know, uh resonate with audiences. Yeah. And I think it has, right? You know, this is this is really taking it in another direction. And I like where you know, if this is what Marvel if the future of Marvel is, I I I actually really like what they're doing.

SPEAKER_02

I think it's a really um uh nice homage to uh the storytelling of cinema in the 1940s. Yeah. Um I I I I think it's really introducing to a new audience and reminding those of us who've watched a lot of cinema from that age about what exactly what was great about those stories. Yeah. Um, you know, whether it's the the visuals or the fashion or the dialogue or the um you know heightened characters, um Prohibition, the you know, the prohibition, the the the you know, the the the the cars, the everything. Yeah. Um and and I I think that it's it's doing something really special in that it's highlighting that um period and that genre, but it's doing it in such a uh an attractive, um, stunning, modern, beautiful looking way. Yeah. Um I think it's really special and it uh I I'm just enjoying this season for what it's worth. Yeah. Um if if we happen to get more in the future, then I'd be happy. Um in my wildest fantasies, what what we would get would be a crossover between this and uh uh Batman, the Cape Crusader animated series that uh is on uh Prime, Amazon Prime.

SPEAKER_11

Which is coming out later this year.

SPEAKER_02

Another season, yeah. Um because uh they're kindred spirits. Yeah. Um but I would love to see a crossover between that version of Batman and this version of the spider.

SPEAKER_09

Yeah, that'd be cool.

SPEAKER_02

Obviously, it'll never happen, but um no. Never we'll never say never.

SPEAKER_11

Never say never. Yeah. Uh the uh I I do like that we've got it we've got three out of the six sinisters in the in this series. Yes. Uh I you know it'd be really nice to see the other three, um, but we're not gonna get that. Uh unless we get a season two. Yeah, unless we get a season two, but that would be amazing. Um and I love the you know, the connection bet of each of those of those that are playing their roles as well. So I think it's fun.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, yeah, definitely. It's it's been really, really good, and I'm looking forward to watching the remaining episodes.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, absolutely. One thing we will be talking about next week while we're talking about Spider-Man is uh hopefully a trailer that will be released by the time this comes out, you might have already seen it.

SPEAKER_02

We've got another one coming.

SPEAKER_11

We've got another one coming um later in the week for us. Alright. Um, but it's probably come out for you, the listener. Uh, as well as a possible uh Doomsday, Avengers Doomsday trailer. Um because we we have a couple of events coming up that that are gonna take full opportunity of of uh of showing that. Okay. Uh so yeah, watch this space for next week. We hopefully we can uh we can talk about those Mr. Trailer.

SPEAKER_15

There's always something to talk about, isn't there? Absolutely, there is. Beautiful. That's um I I think we're almost done.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, we are. We're at the end of the show again. Thanks for your company. Yeah, uh it's been another big episode. Yes. Um we never we never think it's gonna be a big episode until we start talking and then it's all over. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Uh but that was the case before we were doing a podcast. Anytime we we'd catch up, we'd we'd never run out of stuff. No, no, no. That's the whole reason we started recording.

SPEAKER_11

Yeah, and and uh, you know, thanks for uh being invited into our conversation. So uh but uh thanks for being here. Stay tuned next week uh for our conversation when you'll hear MJ say.

SPEAKER_02

You go in, you find the president, you bring him out in 24 hours, and you're a free man.

SPEAKER_11

I would have liked that more in the Snape Puiscan style, but thanks very much. Stay fresh.

SPEAKER_00

Like what you're hearing? Tell your friends. Follow us on socials at Pop Culture Pod. And if you're feeling generous, drop us a five-star review on your favorite podcast platform.

SPEAKER_14

The colors bad from the photo crab.

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