Franchise Detours Crooked Table Productions

Chucky made some friends. Ash got groovy with Deadites. Now it's time for Freddy Krueger to slash his way into the spotlight, as we kick off Franchise Detours' first horror mega-series since 2021 with an in-depth chat about writer/director Wes Craven's 1984 classic A Nightmare on Elm Street.

In keeping with tradition, screenwriter/actor Bri Azmoudeh — who previously joined us for Child's Play and The Evil Dead — returns to welcome another horror franchise to the show. We'll explore the legacy of Freddy Krueger, why he endures, and how Craven's vision still holds up.

As A Nightmare on Elm Street celebrates its 40th anniversary, grab your crucifix, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and stay awake with us as we dissect how this groundbreaking film left an indelible mark on the horror genre and how it continues to influence filmmakers four decades later.

As we raise our glasses to the final installment of the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, Franchise Detours dives into the bittersweet, otherworldly journey of 2013's The World’s End. The film ends the series with a poignant commentary on friendship, nostalgia, and the inescapable march of time.

Robert Stewart of Stew World Order joins the show to discuss director/co-writer Edgar Wright and co-writer/star Simon Pegg's grand sci-fi finale. We'll discuss how The World’s End blends genre elements with the raw emotion of revisiting one’s past and the trilogy’s signature comedic punch.

Join us as we unpack the legacy of the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy. Let's explore how this third film’s sci-fi elements enhance its underlying themes, its recurring motifs and gags, and how the character arcs have evolved from Shaun of the Dead to Hot Fuzz and, finally, The World's End.

Continuing our genre-blending trek through the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, we’re locking and loading for a deep dive into the explosive Hot Fuzz. Armed with sharp wit and a barrage of bullets, this entry takes aim at action movie conventions with a dash of murder mystery thrown in.

Joining us is Lauren Robinson of the Beer’d Al Podcast. We’ll explore how Hot Fuzz balances adrenaline-fueled action with moments of genuine camaraderie and heart. With a plot as twisted as Sandford's country roads, the film is a testament to director Edgar Wright and star Simon Pegg.

So buckle up for a ride-along with Franchise Detours as we navigate the action, the laughs and the legacy of Hot Fuzz. Let's discuss the film’s intricate comedy, its homage to action classics, and the subtext hidden beneath its surface. Join us, won't you? After all, it’s all for the greater good.

Just as the zombie genre returned to life, Shaun of the Dead emerged as a cult classic that redefined the landscape of horror-comedy. As we dissect the intricacies of the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy in our latest mega-series, we delve into the film that set the tone for Edgar Wright's signature work.

Clare Brunton of W-Rated joins us to shed light on how Shaun of the Dead balances gore and gags to create a cleverly constructed satire. Taking aim at the mundanity of life and horror tropes, Wright and co-writer/star Simon Pegg set a standard for genre fusion that's rarely been matched.

So grab a Cornetto (if you can find them near you), and listen in as we unravel how 2004's Shaun of the Dead laid the groundwork for a thematic trilogy of comedy genre mash-ups that continue to captivate and entertain audiences worldwide decades later. How's that for a slice of fried gold?

Just when you thought Dark Phoenix put an underwhelming bow on the Fox era of X-Men movies, The New Mutants comes along to further complicate the franchise's legacy. In this BONUS episode to our mega-series following the X-Men movie franchise, we'll go in-depth on the oft-forgotten 2020 film.

On paper, The New Mutants should have been an easy win. Taking the X-Men universe headfirst into horror seemed like an intriguing departure. Then, of course, The New Mutants' continual delays led the world to (perhaps rightfully) suspect something was amiss behind the scenes.

Jackson Smith of Nightfall Entertainment joins the final Franchise Detours of 2023 as we explore the unique world of The New Mutants. We'll discuss the film's horror aesthetic, its connection to the broader X-Men universe, and how it aimed to give the franchise a fresh perspective 11 films in.

Join us as we venture into the eerie and enigmatic world of The New Mutants and determine why this risky experiment didn't quite pay off.
LISTEN on Apple, Spotify, GoodPods, and other podcatchers: https://linktr.ee/crookedtable

Our X-Men mega-series comes to a close (or does it?) with 2019's Dark Phoenix, as the franchise takes a second stab at one of the comics' most iconic storylines. With X-Men: The Last Stand far behind him, can first-time director Simon Kinberg (who cowrote that 2006 movie) right past wrongs?

Darin Lundberg of NostalgiaCast joins us to unravel the mysteries of Dark Phoenix. We'll explore the film's poor reception, its role as the series' unintended conclusion, and Sophie Turner's lead performance as Jean Grey. Most of all, we'll address whether Dark Phoenix does justice to this story.

Join us as we witness the rise of the Phoenix and determine where Dark Phoenix leaves the X-Men movie legacy ahead of the mutants' MCU debut.
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