Media Montage Podcast 131: Documentary Films

This week Bruce and Larry take a look at a different kind of movie. 

Documentaries are non-fictional narratives on hundreds of topics from comics, to comedy to history to movies themselves.  They take a look at narrative bias and narrator ego, and how those affect documentary films.  They discuss favorite docs in the genre, and they talk about various sub-genres of documentaries.

When should a film maker insert themselves into their story? Should they ever?  What about sequels to successful docs? Larry finds one he doesn't care for? Will that documentary on the Roger Corman Fantastic Four movie ever come out? Find out the answers to those questions and more in Episode 131 of the Media Montage Podcast!

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Earthman Prime on Deviant Art

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Media Montage Podcast 130 - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Blockbuster season seems to arrive earlier and earlier every year. This year blockbuster season kicks off with an epic match up as two titans of pop culture meet on the big screen for the first time. 

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice pits the Caped Crusader against the Big Blue Boy Scout.  The Man of Steel takes on the Dark Knight, but why? What forces pit these two heroes against one another. And more importantly, is it any good? 

Dawn of Justice stars Henry Cavil as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and Jesse Eisenburg as Lex Luthor.

Bruce and Larry go in-depth on this highly anticipated film. What was great about the movie? What did they hate?  Who is the real hero? What about Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash? Does this movie establish a DC Movie Universe to rival that of Marvel?  Find out the answers to those questions and more in Episode 130 of the Media Montage Podcast!

Here is our Man of Steel Episode!

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Brain Teaser Comics

Earthman Prime on Deviant Art

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Media Montage Podcast 127: Snake Eater 2 - The Drug Buster (1990) or '89 or '91

John 'Soldier' Kelly, AKA Snake Eater, returns and this time he's out for vengeance against mobsters and drug dealers selling poisoned cocaine! He's not just a Snake Eater he's a Drug Buster!  

This week Bruce and Larry take a look at Lorenzo Lamas and Larry B. Scott in 1989's (or 1990 or 1991's) Snake Eater 2: The Drug Buster.   

How does one form a looney bin Justice League? Is that snow? Pizza and hookers, delivered! Does an insanity defense really immunize you from murder? These questions and more in Episode 126 of the Media Montage Podcast.

Be sure to listen to our in-depth coverage of the original Snake Eater!

Our Comics:

Brain Teaser Comics

Earthman Prime on Deviant Art

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Media Montage 113: Superheroes Outside of Comics

Superheroes are everywhere these days, and they all came from comic books right? 

Wrong! Lots of superhero characters emerged from TV, Film and Animation, independent of the four color page. Hancock, Defendor, MANTIS and the Greatest American Hero all originated outside of comic books.  

Parody, homage and ripoffs of superhero concepts are discussed as well in Episode 113 of the Media Montage Podcast!

Our Comics:

EarthmanPrime at Deviant Art

Brain Teaser Comics:  Brainteasercomics.com

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Media Montage Podcast 111: The Boy Who Could Fly (1986)

This week is a listener request...of a sort. Bruce's wife watched 'From Beyond' way back when he and Larry covered that movie in Media Montage Podcast Episode 14. 

As payback Mrs. Otter picked this week's film, 'The Boy Who Could Fly' from 1986 starring, Jay Underwood, Lucy Deakins, Bonnie Bedalia, Fred Savage, and Fred Gwynn.  

Eric Gibb is an autistic boy who finally makes a human connection with Milly,  a new girl in town and their relationship is taken to fantastic levels. Literally.

Steeped in angst, the characters endure one tragedy after another until the over-the-top, upbeat conclusion.  Good performances meet a heart wrenching script with  awhole lot weirdness thrown in. Find out if the boy really can fly in Episode 111 of the Media Montage Podcast!

BONUS! The Boy Who Could Fly trailer recut as a horror film:

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EarthmanPrime at Deviant Art

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Media Montage Podcast 109: San Diego Comic Con News and Notes

San Diego Comic Con is the big one. The Grand-Daddy of all the Comic Cons and always the source of tons of news, notes and controversy. Bruce and Larry take a look at some of the stories coming out of SDCC 2015. Movie and TV announcements, new comics and more in episode 109 of the Media Montage Podcast!

Our Comics:

EarthmanPrime at Deviant Art

Brain Teaser Comics:  Brainteasercomics.com

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Media Montage Podcast 105: The Beastmaster (1982)

He can talk to the animals! 

Dr. Doolittle? 

No! The Beastmaster. 

This week Bruce and Larry visit a faraway time and place filled with magic, prophecy and loincloths. They take a look at Don Coscarelli's 1982 fantasy epic starring Marc Singer, Rip Torn, Tanya Roberts and John Amos.  Singer plays Dar, a child born of prophecy and gifted with the power to communicate with and control animals.  He fights against the evil powers of Maax (Rip Torn) and the evil horde of Juns.  

Beastmaster is a cable TV classic and seemingly ran forever on HBO and WTBS in the 1980s and 90s, developing cult film status. Is that status deserved?   Does Dar need to take some sensitivity training? Did that tiger really die from an allergic reaction to black dye?  Those questions and more in Episode 105 of the Media Montage Podcast.

Our Comics:

EarthmanPrime at Deviant Art

Brain Teaser Comics:  Brainteasercomics.com

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Media Montage 104: Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

It's high school reunion time! Larry and Bruce go back to 1997 to take a look at the 10 year high school reunion of Martin Blank. Martin's life is complicated by the fact that he's a contract killer, the government is after him and the love of his life isn't ready to let him back into her life.

Grosse Pointe Blank is a 1997 black comedy starring John Cusack as Martin, Minnie Driver as Debbie, and Dan Ackroyd as Martin's relentless rival, Grocer.

Are we our jobs? Can we move past what we do for a living, and be better people? When is the right time to let go of the past? Those questions and more in Episode 104 of the Media Montage Podcast!

Our Comics:
EarthmanPrime at Deviant Art
Brain Teaser Comics:  Brainteasercomics.com

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Media Montage 95: Tom Cruise Double Feature - Oblivion (2013) Edge of Tomorrow aka Live, Die, Repeat (2014)

This week Bruce and Larry have a Tom Cruise Science Fiction Double Feature! 

They take a look at Oblivion (2013) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014) aka Live, Die Repeat.   

Both films star Tom Cruise. He's joined in Oblivion by Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, and Olga Kurylenko in a post-apocalyptic wasteland with a deep mystery at its core. 

Edge of Tomorrow is rounded out by Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, and Brendan Gleeson battling for earth's freedom in a war against alien invaders. 

These two films have a lot in common, in that they weren't blockbusters, have some similar themes and are better than their box office receipts might suggest. Time Travel, The Tet, Tower 49, Alpha, Omega and more in episode 95 of the Media Montage Podcast!

Our Comics:

EarthmanPrime at Deviant Art

Brain Teaser Comics:  Brainteasercomics.com

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The Topic of AI on the Media Montage Podcast

Tomorrow, Bruce and Larry take a look at CHAPPiE,   Neill Blomkamp's new Sci-Fi film tackling that very interesting topic:



The Media Montage Podcast has explored the topic of AI a number of times over the last couple of years, catch up here then listen to our CHAPPiE episode tomorrow for another in depth discussion of Artificial Intelligence!

Media Montage 38: Is Google Becoming Skynet?

Media Montage Podcast 41: Robocop(s) 2014 vs 1987

Media Montage Podcast 49: The Outer Limits Soldier and Demon With A Glass Hand

Media Montage Podcast 50: The Terminator (1984)

Media Montage Podcast 93: Short Circuit (1986) and Short Circuit 2 (1988)

Media Montage Podcast 93: Short Circuit (1986) and Short Circuit 2 (1988)

Number 5 is alive! Loveable robot Johnny 5 is in the spotlight this week as Bruce and Larry revisit the 1980s Short Circuit films.  

Tim Blaney as Number 5, Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenburg, Fisher Stevens and Michael McKean appear in Short Circuit (1986) and Short Circuit 2 (1988). 

These sweet family comedies explore some important science fiction themes about humanity,  the potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence, and what it means to be 'alive'.  Short Circuit was also an especially prescient film on the topic of military robots and how they would be used. 

How do these films hold up against modern movie magic?  How do they hold up as comedies?  Were they any good to begin with? Find out in episode 93 of the Media Montage Podcast!

Our Comics:

EarthmanPrime at Deviant Art

Brain Teaser Comics:  Brainteasercomics.com

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Media Montage Podcast 86: Lost Highway (1997)

This week Bruce and Larry take a surreal trip down a Lost Highway, visiting the 1997 David Lynch film of that name. 

Starring Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Robert Blake and Robert Loggia, this bizarre psychological noir thriller leaves you asking more questions than it answers.  

Questions like, 'What REALLY happened?' and 'Yeah, but what REALLY happened?' 

We talk about duality, reality and fantasy. We explore Lost Highway's connection to and influence from Carnival of Souls, an MMP favorite! 

All that and more in episode 86 of the Media Montage Podcast!

An interesting Fan Theory from the Twin Peaks Gazette.

Our Comics:

EarthmanPrime at Deviant Art

Brain Teaser Comics:  Brainteasercomics.com

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Media Montage Podcast 81: Willow (1988)

The 1980s saw a number of fantasy films released, and the genre culminated in 1988's Willow, starring Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer from the minds of George Lucas and Ron Howard. 

It was a highly anticipated effects filled movie that represented the advent of some new filmmaking techniques.  

Bruce and Larry have some differing opinions on this film. Does it hold up? How does it compare to modern fantasy films, and the other fantasy releases of its era?  Where does it fit between Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings?

Bruce and Larry discuss story, effects and the broader 80s fantasy genre in Episode 81 of the Media Montage Podcast!

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Media Montage Podcast 76: Dr. Strange (1978 TV Movie)

The Media Montage Podcast continues with Halloween themed episodes all month long.

In this episode Bruce and Larry go back to the magical era 1978 and visit a Marvel Comics adaptation of Dr. Strange.  Peter Hooten as Doctor Strange, Clyde Kusatsu as Wong, Jessica Walter as Morgan Le Fay and as Clea Lake.

Was this a faithful adaptation of the comics? Was there any real potential in this pilot for an ongoing series.  Did this movie make the upcoming Dr. Strange feature more or less anticipated? Find out in Episode 76 of the Media Montage Podcast!

Our Comics:
Magna Comica:  magnacomica.thecomicseries.com
Brain Teaser Comics:  Brainteasercomics.com

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Media Montage Podcast 74: The Burning (1981)

The Media Montage Podcast continues with Halloween themed episodes all month long. 

In this episode Bruce and Larry take a look at another overlooked cult film. This time we visit the slasher genre of horror films in 1981’s The Burning.  

An Urban Legend comes to camp in the form of Cropsy, a garden shears wielding fiend with vengeance on his twisted mind.  

A fantastic script and a cast of future stars including Jason Alexander, Fisher Stevens, Brian Backer and Holly Hunter elevate The Burning above a lot of other slasher fare in Episode 74 of the Media Montage Podcast! 

Our Comics:

Magna Comica:  magnacomica.thecomicseries.com

Brain Teaser Comics:  Brainteasercomics.com

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Media Montage 55 - X-Men Days of Future Past: The Movie

We finish our 3 week exploration of the seminal Days of Future Past storyline from Uncanny X-Men 141 and 142 . This week, in Part III Bruce and Larry look the recently released X-Men: Days of Future Past live action film.
We look at what we liked, what we didn’t, what characters drove the film, and what characters were little more than props.
We argue about whether the X-Men film’s continuity may or may not matter, and Bruce and Larry have VERY different opinions of Days of Future Past-The Movie on episode 55 of the Media Montage Podcast!

Our Comics:
Magna Comica:  magnacomica.thecomicseries.com
Brain Teaser Comics:  Brainteasercomics.com

Twitter
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Media Montage Podcast 54: X-Men Days of Future Past - The Animated Series

We continue our 3 week exploration of the seminal Days of Future Past story line from Uncanny X-Men 141 and 142, soon to be adapted into the fifth X-Men film.

This week, in Part II Bruce and Larry look at 1993 episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series adapting the Days of Future Past story. We compare and contrast this animated story with the comic book source material.

Lumpy characters; Voice acting: The Good, the Bad and the Sexy; and Larry dressed as Gambit!  Days of Future Past-The Animated Series on episode 54 of the Media Montage Podcast!

Our Comics:
Magna Comica:  magnacomica.thecomicseries.com
Brain Teaser Comics:  Brainteasercomics.com

Twitter
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Coming Soon... The Terminator

A bit of 80's Tech-Noir directed by James Cameron starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Biehn, Bruce and Larry can't hide from... THE TERMINATOR!

Media Montage Podcast 48 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Bruce and Larry take a look at the latest Marvel Movie. We look at the story, characters and themes of this blockbuster film.

We also look at the Agents of SHIELD crossover episode, and Bruce confuses Scarlett Johansson and the Scarlet Witch…repeatedly. Yield to the shield in Episode 48 of the Media Montage Podcast! 


Our Comics:
Magna Comica: magnacomica.thecomicseries.com 
Brain Teaser Comics: Brainteasercomics.com
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Media Montage 45: Roger Corman's Fantastic Four (1994)

2015 will bring us a reboot of the Fantastic Four film franchise, but Bruce and Larry travel back to 1994 to take a look at the first, doomed live action Fantastic Four movie.

Is it as bad as legend says?

We look at the film on its own merits and come to some surprising conclusions. 

Our Comics:
Magna Comica: magnacomica.thecomicseries.com 
Brain Teaser Comics: Brainteasercomics.com

 Twitter
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