100 episodes
Failure to Franchise Trev & Chris
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- TV & Film
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4.6 • 20 Ratings
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A bi-weekly podcast devoted to infamous examples of failed film-franchise starters. In a Hollywood landscape dominated by giant tentpole movies, not all attempted franchises can succeed. Many intended first entries of a series fail to generate the planned sequels due to low box office, poor judgement, or, simply put... utter incompetence. This show is a celebration of (or perhaps a memorial for) those failures, as hosts Trev and Chris dissect what went wrong with these cinematic misfires.
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Episode Ninety-Five - The Avengers (1998)
May is here, and that means it's time for "Summer Sweeps," a five-episode look at failed cinematic adaptations of classic television series. First up, The Avengers. No, not those Avengers! We're talking about the 1998 attempted-blockbuster, starring Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman, and Sean Connery, based on the cult-classic British spy action-comedy series of the '60s. While the original show - which had a fascinating development history - was popular in both the UK and North America, and made stars out of both Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg, the '98 movie was, well, less well-received. But what went wrong? Does the movie manage to capture the campy-charm of its source material? Can the entirety of a decade-spanning, ever-evolving series really be encapsulated in a 90-minute movie? And is there a potentially more successful longer-cut of the film, waiting to be seen? We discuss all this, and more!
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Episode Ninety-Four - Evil Dead (2013)
"Evil Easter" concludes, with a look at 2013's Evil Dead...uhhh, remake? Reboot? Re-imagining? Look, whatever you want to call it, it's another movie where a bunch of kids in a cabin get murdered by demonic forces, okay? The question is, without the franchise's beloved, iconic leading man, Bruce Campbell, and with series director Sam Raimi now just in a producer role instead of in the director's chair, could new director Fede Alvarez and a brand new cast manage to capture the bloody-good-time spirit of the original trilogy? And what tone would the 2013 entry even aim for, given the tonal smorgasbord of the first three movies? Come with us as we head to the cabin, stupidly read from the obviously evil book, and seek to answer these questions, and more.
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Episode Ninety-Three - Evilspeak (1981)
Our "Evil Easter" month kicks off with Evilspeak, from 1981...or, uh, 1982. Look, we'll explain. All you need to know is this a Satanic Panic-fueled story of a bullied young cadet at a military academy who uses an Apple II computer to translate the Latin passages in a mysterious old book he finds, in the process allowing demonic forces to take over the computer, and - eventually - him, as well. Yeah, yeah, a really common story, but this one has Clint Howard in his first movie leading role! A gory cult classic that was intense enough to end up on the infamous UK "Video Nasties" list, Evilspeak still didn't manage to earn any sequels, even in a decade quick to create supernatural-slasher franchises when it could. So, what happened? We discuss this, as well as our thoughts on the film, and Clint Howard as a performer, in general.
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Episode Ninety-Two - Dragon Wars: D-War (2007)
"Monster March Madness" concludes with our look at 2007's totally-normal-named Dragon Wars: D-War, the first South Korean film to receive a wide theatrical release in North America! Wow, with a fact like that, it must be something special, right? Well, yeah, sorta...just not in the way you might think. Join us as we discuss the film's, uh, interesting writer/director, Shim Hyung-rae, before delving into Dragon Wars' FX, characters, and narrative decisions. Take our word for it...this is a wild one.
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Episode Ninety-One - Godzilla (1998) w/ The Kaiju Transmissions Podcast
We're kicking off "Monster March Madness," a month dedicated to giant monster movies, with one of the biggest movies (literally) we've looked at yet, the first American attempt at adapting Godzilla as a Hollywood blockbuster. The Japanese Godzilla series is one of the longest-running, most successful film franchises in cinema history. So what could go wrong when you choose the director of a recent smash-hit sci-fi summer blockbuster and let him loose on the property, armed with cutting-edge Hollywood FX? Well, almost the entire Godzilla fanbase could answer that one for you, but we're gonna discuss it, too! And we're not doing it alone. For this episode, we've recruited two very special guests who are no strangers to this movie or Godzilla, in general - the hosts of the Kaiju Transmissions Podcast, Kyle Byrd & Matt Parmley. So join us for an epic podcast crossover as we talk unsold toys, extreme usage of Simpsons cast-members, Jurassic Park comparisons, and more.
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Episode Ninety - A.X.L. (2018)
"FRIENDruary" concludes, with our look at the 2018 robotic-dog movie that we swear actually exists! No, really! Based on a Kickstarter-funded short film, A.X.L. is yet another movie that combines robo-dogs with the gritty world of off-road motorbike racing. But even if you're sick of that old chestnut, maybe you'll like it more with a little helping of The Punisher himself, Thomas Jane?? Well, maybe not, but even still, why not sit back and listen to our discussion of the movie, as we try to figure out if writer/director Oliver Daly's gamble to turn his short into a big-screen adventure paid off....creatively, if not financially.
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Customer Reviews
Passes the Dredd test
This is my favorite podcast.
The premise is fun and original.
Very informative
A huge fan of the King Arthur 2004 movie so was glad to find an in depth review on it. Enjoyed the episode and look forward to listening to other reviews moving forward.
Finding Fun in Failure!
I followed Trev over from the Kaiju Transmissions podcast and I’ve enjoyed every episode so far. It is amazing how many of the films they have covered I had actually ponied up to see in the theater (ULTRAVIOLET).
The structure of each episode is similar: Trev’s Intro. Chris gives the budget and box office returns. There follows some background on the film’s development. Then trailer and a brief synopsis are followed by the discussion of the films merits (or lack there of) by the hosts.
Chris’ flippancy aside, the pair deliver some very interesting facts about each of the films. They do their research. The age difference in the hosts also offers a unique perspective on what works and what doesn’t.
But the best recommendation I can give the podcast is that, with each episode, Chris and Trev manage to pique my interest in the film they covered. Whether it is a rewatch of something I had seen and liked (DREDD or SPEED RACER) or one I had never watched before (SALT or BATTLESHIP). They manage to make even drek like CATWOMAN entertaining. If you are looking for a fresh take on some cinematic misfires and should’ve beens, give these guys a listen.
I just wish Chris would ease up on the f-bombs. Then MAYBE I could listen with my kids in the car. ;)