Verbal Diorama

I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair.I hate the way you drive my car, I hate it when you stare.I hate your big dumb combat boots and the way you read my mind;I hate you so much it makes me sick, it even makes me rhyme.I hate the way you're always right, I hate it when you lie,I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry.I hate it when you're not around, and the fact that you didn't call,But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you, not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.The truth is, there's not even 1 Thing I Hate About 10 Things I Hate About You. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.It's got pitch perfect Julia Stiles, as rebellious, headstrong Kat Stratford and a breakthrough performance by Heath Ledger. Together, they're dynamite.There's honestly more than 10 Things I Love About 10 Things I Hate About You (and there's a difference between like and love, because I like my Skechers, but I love my Prada backpack!). It's just too goo

It's got awe-inspiring practical puppets, flawless CGI, fantastic performances, awesome cinematography and Unix systems (I know this!). Welcome to Jurassic Park!27 years later, it's still the T-Rex of action, adventure, horror and sci-fi, as billionaire John Hammond and his team of scientists spend so much time thinking they could, they don't stop to think if they should.Directed by Steven Spielberg, it remains one of his most enduring and appealing classics, and shades of his earlier classic Jaws are apparent throughout. The primary cast; Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum are returning for next year's Jurassic World: Dominion but as fun as those 'World' movies are (and I enjoy the first one very much), the pure Adrenalin, fear, sardonic wit and exquisite framing of Jurassic Park simply can never be topped by other dinosaur movies.Many have questioned why they thought it would be a good idea to resurrect man-eating dinosaurs for a theme park, and surely humans aren't that dumb and selfish. There are hum

Mutation: it is the key to our evolution. It has enabled us to evolve from a single-celled organism into the dominant species on the planet. This process is slow, and normally taking thousands and thousands of years. But every few hundred millennia, evolution leaps forward. X-Men, based on the comic books created in 1963 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, like many projects in Hollywood, moved around from studio to studio until it landed at Fox and in the lap of producer Lauren Schuler Donner. It turned out that her young assistant would make waves on this production, and end up becoming the most powerful name in superhero cinema.... but more on him another time.We have a lot to thank X-Men for. Despite being a team of super-powered mutants, X-Men's grounded style, deep roots in real life civil rights history and a real historical setting mean it remains relatable and focused on real marginalised groups, discrimination, ostracization and the fear of the unknown, unlike other superhero movies. It remains surpris

Make way, make way for Disney's first computer generated animated foray into the Polynesian islands, mythology and culture (although not the first animated foray - that goes to Lilo and Stitch!) to the island of Motonui, and its future chief Moana; a young woman who feels a call to the ocean (not surprising as her name literally means 'ocean') and is tasked with finding the demigod Maui, restoring the stolen heart of Te Fiti, and in doing so re-establish the natural ecological harmony, rediscover her voyaging heritage and save her people.Just an average mission for any sixteen-year-old girl, am I right?Directed by Disney stalwarts John Musker and Ron Clements, Moana is gorgeous, vibrant and dazzling; the characters are interesting and relatable, the almost entirely Polynesian cast are fantastic and the music.... you do not need to get me started on the music! The soundtrack is a delight from start to finish. Lin-Manuel Miranda really is a shiny treasure fit for the shell of Tamatoa. Moana is a Disney Princess

Computer, what topic is episode 54 on?"Galaxy Quest"Episode 54 is on Galaxy Quest!Pedal to the metal, and get ready for some vertical Thermian handclaps for the crew of the NSEA Protector with returning special guest Crewman #6..... aka Andy from Geek Salad! You may remember him from Episode 23 on Mystery Men. He's the plucky comic relief in this episode, and unlike Guy Fleegman's Crewman #6 on the show, he lives to the end of episode 54!Galaxy Quest's historical documents have been off-air for 18 years but the illustrious crew are still making appearances at conventions near you!We have Jason Nesmith, as the handsome, brave Commander Peter Quincy Taggart; Gwen (just how does she fit her boobs into her suit, though?) DeMarco as Lt. Tawny Madison; By Grabthar's Hammer, it's Alexander Dane as Dr. Lazarus; Tommy Webber, who's grown up so fast, as Lt. Laredo and Fred Kwan as the sardonic, sarcastic Tech Sgt Chen.It might have been off-air, but the fans still love the historical documents. Especially the Thermian

Serenity, the continuation and culmination of Joss Whedon's one-season space western TV show Firefly, had the full backing of Universal after acquiring the rights of Firefly from Fox, who really didn't have a clue what Firefly was, or even the common decency to air all the episodes in order.... this is not the first time Fox have been world-class a-holes on something I've featured on this podcast.Although arguably Serenity exists because of Universal's desire for the project, Joss Whedon's skills as a writer/director and the returning cast for bringing these beloved characters back to life, it actually exists because of one reason:The Browncoats.Fandom is power, passion, strength and unity. Fandom grew Firefly and made Serenity happen. Without the Browncoats, we would never have had Serenity. They don't just aim to misbehave, they aim to transform this miscarriage of justice.Although fandom wasn't enough to resurrect Firefly for a second season or create a sequel to Serenity, the fact we got Serenity at all i

The Nice Guys, upon its release in May 2016, found itself facing off against a comedy sequel, an animated movie of a million-selling mobile game and two separate superhero franchise sequels. It's really no wonder it suffered at the U.S. box office. An original idea, from the always brilliant mind of Shane Black, needed room to breathe and find its feet. Sadly, it never got to do that. Had it been released in June, like it was supposed to, it might have made the $217 million that the other comedy buddy movie it swapped release dates with did. Can you tell I'm bitter about that? The Nice Guys had two big name stars (Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling), several up-and-comers (Margaret Qualley and the terrific Angourie Rice) and a Hollywood icon (Kim Basinger) in its cast. It followed Shane Black's other directorial efforts; his debut Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and the 20th highest grossing movie of all time, Iron Man 3. It's really quite brilliant, actually. For the titular (and ironic) "nice guys who aren't

Paying tribute to the classic no-sex sex comedies from the late '50s and early '60s, Down With Love is a wonderful, bright, kitschy romcom classic that seems to be well regarded, if not completely well remembered.Renee Zellweger (fresh from Chicago) and Ewan McGregor (fresh from Moulin Rouge) tackle roles similar to those made famous by girl-next-door-turned-sex-symbol Doris Day and serious-actor-turned-romantic-lead Rock Hudson, in a genuinely wonderful pastiche to their movies Pillow Talk (1959), Lover Come Back (1961) and Send Me No Flowers (1964). (I watched Pillow Talk as part of my prep for this episode, and I have to say it's a truly delightful movie and Doris Day is incredible in it! Please watch it if you can!)Down With Love is so impressive in its desire to not only be set in the sixties, but also to be filmed like it were filmed in the Sixties. It's meant to look like it was filmed in Technicolor. The thought that went into it is insane, from authentic props and vintage fabrics for costuming, to wa

Here we are.... 50 episodes later! It's been a genuine delight to produce fifty episodes of this podcast and I wanted to do something special for #50.There's no animated movie so ingrained in modern culture, so beloved by everyone and such a pioneer in modern animation than Pixar's Toy Story. But I didn't just want to tell the story of Toy Story, because the story of Pixar is integral to the story of Toy Story.Pixar knew they wanted to make the first feature-length fully computer animated film. They knew they could do it. They just had to figure out how....The whole creation of Toy Story was fraught with issues. It's remarkable it ever made it to the screen at all.But it did, and look what it did.....The early test animation for Toy Story, featuring a completely different character of Woody, can be found hereThe Toy Story full length live-action remake can be found hereWhether this is your first episode listening or your 50th episode.... thanks for being here. I've really appreciated your support. Here's to t

It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights, it’s time to meet The Muppets on Verbal Diorama tonight... today...In this special Patron-chosen episode, I go behind the curtain on 2011's The Muppets. The Muppets have been in everyone's lives, whether through The Muppet Show, the eight big screen offerings, or just through general media. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal et al. are some of the most famous faces and names in Hollywood.This episode is a little different to most episodes of Verbal Diorama. I wanted to pay tribute to The Muppets, to this movie and to the people behind the scenes, but without losing any of the magic that make The Muppets such a unique and wonderful part of all our lives. It's important to have those warm, safe feelings of nostalgia and also to introduce the things we love to the next generation.The Muppets teach us to always be kind, to love others and yourself and to embrace your weirdness. We could all do with more of The Muppets in our lives.Whether you

When it came to thinking of a horror movie I'd love to feature, The Thing (1982) was top of my list. It's not a movie most would associate with someone who admits to not liking horror, but the combination of science fiction and horror remains one of my favourite genre mixes (see also Alien!)It's also a movie that continues to delight and terrify me. The practical effects, created by Rob Bottin (only 21 years of age at the time) still hold up as visually inventive, repulsive and unforgettable, almost 40 years later. It's an accolade that the recent 2011 prequel could never have lived up to (and yes, I saw it recently, so I will talk about it a little, if only to serve as a highlight to how excellent the 1982 movie really is!)On the surface a graphic, gory body horror, but it's not the gore that makes it scary, it's the emotional and mental horror, as it depicts the descent into fear, madness and paranoia that this group of twelve men encounter and the toxic masculinity which prevents them from actually working

Princess Mononoke, or Mononoke Hime to give it its Japanese name, could have been covered in February for the anniversary along with Howl's Moving Castle, My Neighbour Totoro or Spirited Away, but honestly I'm glad I can devote a whole regular-sized episode to it, because it's so jam-packed full of greatness. As much as I love all the aforementioned movies from the legendary writer/director Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke really is something more epic.It's more adult, more complex, more violent and graphic, and while Mr Miyazaki himself would never admit to it being a masterpiece, it truly is.With an English dub written by Neil Gaiman, it's widely considered one of the best translations of the original Japanese script. While Ghibli loved Gaiman's work, his name was removed from the credits and the U.S. release of Princess Mononoke was purposely ruined by real-life villain and nasty piece of work Harvey Weinstein, who gets mentioned several times just for being a massive a-hole when Disney appointed Miramax

Rogue One, or Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to give it its full name, was the first anthology movie announced post the Disney takeover of Lucasfilm in 2012; the year after Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens had enticed and delighted audiences across the world. The rogue one, you might say...Rogue One, born of the simple question "how did the Death Star plans end up with Princess Leia?" is probably most famous for its CGI recreations of Grand Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia, and its enduring of lengthy re-shoots to change the narrative of the third act and insert additional scenes. To be honest, it's not as dramatic a change as people think it is. The trailer contained shots that were never intended to even be in the finished movie.Grand Moff Tarkin.... well that's another issue entirely. At least Carrie Fisher was alive to approve her younger likeness....As a spin-off of the existing Skywalker Saga, Rogue One remains separate to the existing story enough to be talked about independently, but connected enoug

Little Shop of Horrors, based on the off-Broadway musical, in turn based off the 1960 Roger Corman dark comedy The Little Shop of Horrors... is probably my favourite ever screen musical.It contains within several elements that never fail to delight me:-Rick Moranis - a true gem of a man, on-and-off screen, who was a regular for all us 80s and 90s kids growing up-It's a musical - with music and lyrics by the award-winning team of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman-Practical effects - the puppet work is some of the greatest ever put to screen, with Frank Oz at the helm and a talented team of professional puppeteers (including Brian Henson), Audrey II feels real, tangible and a genuine threat to our heroes Seymour and AudreyAt the time, the most expensive motion picture Warner Bros had ever released, it had a lot riding on its mean, green shoulders. It failed to deliver at the box office but has since become a cult classic on VHS, and it was the first ever DVD to be recalled for content.... and not for the busting of

STOMP-STOMP-CLAPSTOMP-STOMP-CLAPSTOMP-STOMP-CLAPSTOMP-STOMP-CLAPIt's the unmistakable beat of Queen's 1977 anthem "We Will Rock You", filling an arena, as a massive crowd of people do a human wave. The competitors enter the stadium and the crowd goes wild at seeing their favourite sportsperson. The competitors are announced loudly, as a hush falls over the crowd, and the sport begins....It could be the scene at any modern sporting event, except it's actually in medieval Europe, the sport is actually jousting (and occasionally sword fighting) and Heath Ledger's William Thatcher is the star of the show. It was supposed to be his master Sir Ector, except he's sadly no longer of the mortal realm, or as Roland puts it, he's pooped himself to death (except he didn't use pooped!) William, with the help of his friends Roland, Wat and Geoffrey (Chaucer!) becomes the seeker of serenity, the protector of Italian virginity, the enforcer of our Lord God, the one, the only, Sir Ulllrrrich von Lichtenstein.... to prove that

In 1943, Philip K. Wrigley (of chewing gum fame!) founded the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) in order to maintain sport and public morale during World War II, at a time when many eligible young men, including professional sportsmen, were drafted to fight overseas.Whilst A League of Their Own is a mostly fictional account of the players and founders behind the AAGPBL, it still tells a story of the real-life resilience, spirit and tenacity of the young women involved, many of whom had husbands fighting in the war, coming together to provide entertainment and boost the morale of the nation through sport, despite the sexism and misogyny of the era.Penny Marshall's 1992 movie remains my favourite, and dare I say it, the greatest sports movie of all time. A story of determination, sisterly love, sacrifice and friendship within the very real backdrop of World War II, when women could finally prove they were more than just potential housewives and mothers.Geena Davis embodies the 40s starlet

For clarification, this episode discusses and spoils:John WickJohn Wick: Chapter 2John Wick: Chapter 3 ParabellumThe Boogeyman. Baba Yaga. Mr Wick. Jonathan. Jardani Jovonovich.... John Wick is known by many names, but everyone knows of him and everyone should fear him. Especially if you kill the one thing he loves most in the world, and the only link to his recently deceased wife; the one woman who helped him leave this life behind. John Wick does what John Wick does best: rains vengeance on everyone involved, digging himself even deeper into the world he was so desperate to leave.John Wick is a man of myth and legend, so who better to join me to talk mythology, history and Slavic folklore than the incomparable Derek and Laurel of The Midnight Myth; two of the kindest and smartest people podcasting right now. It was a genuine joy to dissect these incredibly in-depth and beautiful movies with them.It's easy to dismiss the John Wick movies as mindless violence, and to declare Keanu Reeves a one-trick pony (I w

The perfect homage and satire of classic 50s monster B-movies, Tremors initially failed to set the box office alight. Like most cult classics it found a resurgence on VHS and ended up spawning multiple sequels, a prequel, a 2003 one-season TV show and a failed 2018 TV pilot starring Kevin Bacon, back as Val McKee.Praised for its special effects work, the chemistry between Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward and a female lead character who's actually there to do something more than just look pretty and be damseled, Tremors remains a cult and fan favourite 30 years after its release in 1990. There's good reason why; it mixes humour and terror perfectly.This movie gave me serious nightmares as a child, and watching it now it's easy to see why. The Graboids are more than just dumb monsters, they learn and evolve and attempt to outwit the humans at every turn. The creature design is equal parts phenomenal and terrifying. Emulating Jaws by not showing the monster initially and only what it could do, worked wonders for a crea

I find Paul Feig's directorial career fascinating; Spy, The Heat, A Simple Favour and Ghostbusters, all female-fronted and each of them a lot of fun and very enjoyable in their own right.2011's Bridesmaids really was the catalyst, not only for Paul Feig's career, but the Hollywood careers of Saturday Night Live alumna Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, for Rose Byrne to prove her comedic timing and for a standout Oscar-nominated performance by Melissa McCarthy. This is more than just "the female Hangover". This is Bridesmaids. It's better, it's funnier, it treats its characters like people and it's more relatable. Without Bridesmaids, we would almost certainly not have Girls Trip, Pitch Perfect, Booksmart or Trainwreck, among others, and our lives would be less rich without all of them. (They're all great - I highly recommend them!)Bridesmaids didn't just get a nomination for a supporting actress Oscar either; Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo's screenplay was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay.You think w

Four years after Hellboy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army came out. Bigger, bolder and more del Toro than its predecessor, it concentrated on its existing characters and introduced a more complex and interesting antagonist in the dedicated, skilled warrior Prince Nuada - fighting for the survival of his dying race as humanity continues its greed and desire to consume everything around it.Influences of Tolkien and del Toro's other famous works are apparent throughout, as is the lack of the occult and horror elements of the previous movie. This time, we have tooth fairies, trolls and elves to deal with, not to mention the small matter of 4900 golden mechanical indestructible robots.There will never be a day I don't lament the fact we will never see this trilogy come to fruition with a third Hellboy movie, but boy, am I glad we got Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army. In a world of superhero and comic book movies, these stand out independently and together as some of the most original, beautiful and interesting