Bad Dads Film Review Bad Dads

Welcome to another thrilling episode, where we, a merry band of Dads, deep dive into the entrancing world of film and TV, sharing our musings, reviews, and occasional dad jokes. This week, we've put together a divine roster of segments that will take you on a heavenly cinematic journey.


First off, we'll be exploring the 'Top 5 Gods in Movies'. From Greek to Norse, from benevolent to vengeful, we'll delve into the grandeur and mystique of these omnipotent beings as they've been portrayed in film. We explore how these depictions have evolved over time, reflecting society's changing attitudes and our enduring fascination with the divine. Buckle up as we ascend Mount Olympus, brave the chilling winds of Asgard, and even dare to enter Hades, all in the name of cinematic excellence.


For our moive choice, we're diving into the intricacies of religious dialogue and power dynamics with the 2019 film, 'The Two Popes'. Directed by Fernando Meirelles and penned by Anthony McCarten, this film explores the human side of the Vatican's highest echelons through the conversations between Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) and Cardinal Bergoglio, later Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce). We'll dive into the incredible performances, the sharp dialogue, and the insightful commentary on faith, tradition, and reform in a world that's changing faster than ever.


Lastly, we lighten the mood with our 'Kids TV Show of the Week' - 'Young Sheldon'. This charming prequel to 'The Big Bang Theory' has won us (err, not Sidey!) and our little ones over with its humor, warmth, and relatable family dynamics. We'll discuss Sheldon's early years, his eccentric genius, and how this show brilliantly balances comedy with moments of real tenderness.


From heavenly realms to papal dialogues, from child prodigies to ordinary family life, this week's ReelTalk episode promises a divine blend of insights, laughter, and thoughtful conversation. So grab your popcorn, get comfy, and tune in!


We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com.

Until next time, we remain...

Bad Dads

Today, we journey back to the 18th-century Vienna with the remarkable cinematic masterpiece, "Amadeus".
This 1984 film, directed by the virtuoso Milos Forman, is an opulent dramatization of the imagined rivalry between two of history's most influential composers - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. From a screenplay penned by Peter Shaffer, based on his own stage play, Forman constructs a lush tapestry of jealousy, divine talent, and the human tragedy tied to both.
We marvel at the tour de force performances of Tom Hulce (well remembered Dan!) as the youthful prodigy, Mozart, and F. Murray Abraham as the envious Salieri. The characters' intricate psychological interplay presents a rare dual protagonist-antagonist dynamic that resonates even decades later. And the meticulously crafted score, reverberating with Mozart's timeless symphonies, almost functions as a character itself.
"Amadeus" raises profound questions about talent and mediocrity, grace and obsession, making it a film that continues to stir heated discussions among us Dads. Tune in as we delve into the complex themes, the immortal music, and the brilliant cinematography that won this film eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Whether you're a Mozart aficionado, a historical drama enthusiast, or a film lover who enjoys a compelling narrative, "Amadeus" offers something for everyone. Join us as we traverse this cinematic symphony, only on this week's episode of Bad Dads. Let's 'play' on!
We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com.

Until next time, we remain...

Bad Dads

Strap on your surgical mask and/or your combat gear as we kick off Operation week with a discussion of the Top 5 Operations. You’ll no doubt remember that our operation theme was inspired by us picking two movies with the word ‘operation’ in the title in a row so we thought we’d double down on all that operation action. From various kinds and sizes of operations, to operations in different places and countries, right through to examples of operations within operations, and operations within operations within operations, we’ve got all your operation needs covered. It’s a very operationary week is what I’m trying to say.

We’d already unanimously decreed Yorgos Lanthimos a favourite of the pod for his absurdist comedy THE LOBSTER and he uses some of that film’s tone and style in 2017’s THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER. Troubled teenager Martin (Barry Keoghan) gradually insinuates himself into the life of Steven, (Colin Farrell) the cardiovascular surgeon who failed to save his fathers life, or maybe, man fails to take responsibility for his actions and is punished by the gods. Bizarre performances from fantastic actors, some seriously shocking and transgressive scenes, allusions to Greek mythology, yes I know what you’re thinking: that is literally everybody’s idea of a perfect movie but it’s also beautifully shot and edited and has a terrifying score so there’s that too. Difficult to recommend to everyone, but I’m still thinking about it way more than the last Marvel movie I watched, which is a grossly unfair and ridiculous comparison but I’ve just made it anyway.
Operation week finishes with HILLTOP HOSPITAL in which two conjoined twin Siamese cats are separated, with at least 50% of the patients surviving. Meanwhile a love triangle develops in the workplace between a cat, a dog and a hippo, while a human faced turtle scares Cris. Either a noble attempt to normalise hospitals and medical treatment for children or a surreal ER parody, it’s your call.
We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com.

Until next time, we remain...

Bad Dads

Ridley Scott's terrific depiction of the events of the Battle of Mogadishu kicks off Operations week as we watch 2001's BLACK HAWK DOWN. I thought I was being so clever picking this, with the disastrous events of Operation Gothic Serpent in which US troops extracted General Mohamed Farrah Aidid from the Somali capital at a terrible human cost providing the backdrop to a memorable scene of impromptu battlefield femoral artery surgery. If I'd patted myself on the back any harder at the idea of picking a movie that featured a memorable operation within a memorable operation I'd have broken my own spine so naturally when a listener offers up an example of an operation within an operation within an operation for us to discuss in this week’s main episode it crushed my fragile ego to oblivion. Bravo listener! Also bravo to Ridley Scott, who delivers up a still spectacular looking by today’s standards action masterpiece with an incredible cast of, well, too many to mention really but Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor, Orlando Bloom, William Fichtner, Jason Isaacs, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Jeremy Piven, Ioan Gruffudd, Sam Shepard, Ewen Bremner, Ashton Kutcher and Tom Hardy debuting here as 'Thomas'. You can see the influence this had on video game franchises, with everything from its saturated colour palette to its pro-military but anti-war themes copied comprehensively in first person shooters. Another strong recommend from the Dads. 
We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com.

Until next time, we remain...

Bad Dads

Argentina week kicks off with us getting raw as we discuss the Top 5 Movie steaks. Whether they're used as symbols of the choice to willingly subjugate yourself to an artificial reality like they are in THE MATRIX, the manifestation of your burgeoning animal instincts as in MADAGASCAR or even doing something really odd with them like eating them as they do in GOODFELLAS, the well-seasoned Dads have probably got you covered.
 
OPERATION FINALE is the incredible story of the capture and extraction of Adolf Eichmann from Argentina to Israel to face justice for his crimes as one of the orchestrators of the Holocaust. What begins as a spy drama with a heist type feel gradually evolves to be a character study of the man who inspired the phrase 'banality of evil', Eichmann (Ben Kingsley) and the reputationally damaged Mossad agent Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac) whose personal experiences of the horrors perpetrated by Nazi Germany drives him on the daring mission. AMERICAN PIE director Chris Weitz was the obvious choice to tell such a thrilling story and even manages to insert a toilet scene in amongst the many powerful discussions about the differences between justice and vengeance and sequences describing the devastating personal effects of the Nazi's genocide. Such a spectacular true story probably doesn't need a pointlessly fabricated for Hollywood romantic sub-plot but we're lucky enough to get one here.
 
We finish Argentina week where else but Indonesia in Netflix's 2021 animated series CARMEN SANDIEGO. In "The Sticky Rice Caper' the super thief repels a plot by VILE who have produced a bioweapon capable of devouring massive crops of rice in hours leaving the entire population liable to starve. Simple but striking animation and with an educational element cleverly integrated into the action this was a hit with all of us and not just because Carmen herself is super-hot. Peter provides a bonus review of the 1994 cartoon because he watched the wrong episode, the sweaty sausage-fingered ninnyhammer that he is.
We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com.

Until next time, we remain...

Bad Dads

Gripping legal procedural ARGENTINA, 1985 continues the Dads education in the South American countries cinema following our earlier viewing of THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES and this shares some similarities with that dazzling crime drama not least of which is star Ricardo Darin. Public prosecutor Julio César Strassera (Darin) reluctantly finds himself making the government's case against the former leaders of the military junta for crimes against humanity, as Argentina's nascent democratic government struggles to establish itself.
We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com.

Until next time, we remain...

Bad Dads