Verbal Diorama

Hellboy, as a concept, shouldn't work as well as it did in 2004. (Well, we saw what rebooting it in 2019 did....)Mike Mignola's comic blends folklore, mythology, the paranormal and Lovecraftian horror, and needed a director who could take all that and make it visually appealing, and coherent to the layman. It also needed a lead actor who could portray the strength, vulnerability and humour needed for a main character who would put off the most conservative of viewer just by being a big red demon with the word 'hell' his name.The winning combination of Guillermo del Toro's direction and Ron Perlman headlining made Hellboy from what could have been a dull, lifeless mess to a rich, funny, heartwarming, visually stunning story of a comic book hero that came years before the MCU made superheroes the norm.Ron Perlman simply is Hellboy. He will always be Hellboy. Sorry David Harbour, but it's true.With a cast rounded out by the master of bodily expression Doug Jones, a subdued but intense Selma Blair and the always

Verbal Diorama returns from partying with the Haitians..... I mean from the hiatus.... for one of the greatest comedies ever made - Clueless.On the surface, just like any of the umpteen other 90s teen movies, but dig a little deeper and Clueless is a sharp, satirical and heartfelt look at teenagers; the way they speak, dress and think, in a thinly veiled adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel Emma. Witty, sweet and way existential, Amy Heckerling directed, wrote and and enlisted a perfect ensemble cast of relative unknowns who have mostly all gone on to bigger and better things; including the likes of Paul Rudd and the late Brittany Murphy.The star of the show is undoubtedly Alicia Silverstone, plucked from an Aerosmith video, into the role of shallow, but sweet Cher. Misguided in love and life (other than trips to the mall) but don't underestimate her. Cher contains surprise depth and character growth and knows her Shakespeare as well as her Alaia (it's like, a totally important designer!). Alicia Silvers

Welcome to the first episode of year two and the final episode of my ten-episode animation season.Gosh, Treasure Planet is stunning. Every detail of its aesthetic is glorious to behold, and the fact that its directors Ron Clements and John Musker were so determined to get it made is truly an outstanding achievement.From its illustrious pedigree, to the 70/30 rule, to the use of Deep Canvas, this is a technical marvel of an animated movie that just seems to have been largely forgotten, but it doesn't deserve to be.While there are issues, it really does stand up as one of the most beautiful Disney movies I've ever seen. And it's quite like Titan A.E. In more ways than one.I would love to hear your thoughts on Treasure Planet! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to patrons Simon

Verbal Diorama has been going for one year! To celebrate, I asked Twitter to choose between Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke or Laputa: Castle in the Sky. Twitter chose Spirited Away.Sen to Chihiro no KamikakushiThank you so much for listening and supporting the podcast for the past year - you rock! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Verbal Diorama has been going for one year! To celebrate, here's the first ever Studio Ghibli movie I saw as a child - My Neighbour Totoro.Tonari no TotoroThank you so much for listening and supporting the podcast for the past year - you rock! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Verbal Diorama has been going for one year! To celebrate, here's my favourite Studio Ghibli movie - Howl's Moving CastleHauru no Ugoku ShiroThank you so much for listening and supporting the podcast for the past year - you rock! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"Alright, let's do this one last time. My name is Peter Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider, and for 10 years, I've been the one and only– Spider-Man. I'm pretty sure you know the rest.""Alright, people, let’s do this one last time. My name is Peter B. Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider. And for the last 22 years– I thought I was the one and only Spider-Man. What a day. I'm pretty sure you know the rest."""Alright, people. Let’s start at the beginning one last time. My name is Gwen Stacy. I was bitten by a radioactive spider, And for the last 2 years, I've been the one and only Spider-Woman. You guys know the rest.""My name is Peter Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider. In my universe, it's 1933 and I’m a private eye. I like to drink egg creams and I like to fight Nazis. A lot. Sometimes, I let matches burn down to my fingertips just to feel something, anything.""Hi, guys! Konichiwa! Hajimemashite yoroshiku! My name is Peni Parker. I was bitten by a radioactive spider

One day, a talented lass or fellow,a special one with face of yellow,will make the Piece of Resistance foundfrom it's hiding refuge underground,and with a noble army at the helm,this Master Builder will thwart the Kragle and save the realm,and be the greatest, most interesting, most important person of all times.All this is true because it rhymes.Lego, the most popular toy in the entire world, does not need a movie based on it. In fact, Lego executives originally didn't want it to be made. They didn't want it to potentially tarnish their legacy; a brand that had been successful for almost 70 years and sold 600 billion bricks.The fact that The Lego Movie exists is amazing in itself. That it's not just a shameless feature-length advertisement for toys is even more so. It's witty, smart, fun and appeals to all ages, a lot like the toy bricks it's representing but unlike those bricks, there are no rules other than the rule of enjoyment.It parodies everything, pays homage to everything, details everything and exag

Most parents think their kids are gifted. Most kids think their parents are heroes (whilst also being really embarrassing!). Most families are super, but only the Parr family is Incredible.Unlike the other movies featured in the animation season so far, The Incredibles was a massive critical and commercial success for Brad Bird, the first out-of-house film-maker Pixar brought into the fold. While his previous movie, The Iron Giant (see episode 17!) failed to make a mark at the box office, The Incredibles flew high, without capes, into the hearts and minds of millions.But don't be fooled. It's not just your standard superhero movie. It has layers and layers of complexity in its style and substance. It's a study about family, mid-life crises, marital problems and identity, and it does it whilst balancing action, comedy and character perfectly and most importantly, it never sugar-coats the serious real-world danger of being a superhero.It's bright, colourful, gorgeous, fun and endlessly quotable. This is my favo

If you saw Kubo and the Two Strings, you'd probably be in agreement with me when I say that's it's the most stunning achievement in stop motion filmmaking, and Laika deserve all the accolades.The problem is, not many people did see it. In fact although it's arguably Laika's best work, it's also one of their biggest financial failures, which is a travesty and we should all hang our heads in shame (me included - I first saw it on Blu-Ray!).Telling the story of a young boy on an epic quest, it's a tale of the bond of family (especially mothers and sons), found family, courage, power, memories and ultimately that kindness is a strength, not a weakness.The sheer feat of skill, technology, engineering, innovation and determination is etched into every snowflake and leaf all the way up to a record breaking 16 foot tall skeleton puppet.In short, this movie surpasses technical achievement. It's exceptional. And, like me, you'll probably cry a lot.Visit Laika's YouTube Channel hereI would love to hear your thoughts on&

The animation season continues with Akira, pre-recorded in November 2019, live at SAMM's Peterborough, where I met up with my special guests Anita and Ciara from The Unexceptionals podcast, and quite frankly they couldn't have been nicer and more brilliant.Set in 2019, the legendary anime Akira is more relevant to our real 2019 than our 1988 could have possibly predicted. It's a story of isolation, fear and the corruption of power and youth, and asks questions about our existence and the evolution of humanity post-disaster. This version of Neo-Tokyo contrasts between the bright beautiful neon cityscape and the dismal dark downtown streets where young people like Tetsuo and Kaneda face an uncertain future.It's also a movie that continues to influence other movies; Inception, Chronicle and The Matrix all take themes from Akira and with a Taika Waititi-directed live-action remake in the pipeline, Akira will continue to inspire cinema for years to come. We also talk about the movies that influenced Akira's look,

Our animation season kicks off with a heartwarming family Christmas favourite, starring Dasher, Dancer, Prancer....erm, Bambi, John, the one with the white ear and Santa's youngest son Arthur, who'll do anything to get young Gwen Hines a present on Christmas morning after she's accidentally missed by Santa's high-tech delivery system.It's a movie that comments on inter-generational conflict, inheritance, our reliance on technology and loss of tradition, as well as our own egotistical behaviours, but mostly it's about the true meaning of Christmas - compassion, family, belief and the joy of giving.It's also gorgeous and very British, courtesy of the genius of Aardman Animation.Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!PS I swear I was not drunk during recording! Also, Jess was around for editing.I would love to hear your thoughts on Arthur Christmas! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd&nbs

Keanu Reeves is often criticised for not "acting" enough in his movies. He may not be the John Constantine of comic book fans dreams, but with his literal devil-may-care attitude and cynical despondence on full display, I think he pretty much nails this John Constantine - a man at the end of his life, desperate to save enough souls from damnation so he can go to Heaven after a teenage suicide attempt leaves him with no option but to go to Hell.Pair him with Rachel Weisz, (a woman who could make a movie of herself cooking eggs and I'd watch it), and her effervescent charm, it really is great to watch them together.Religious subtexts aside, this is a movie about faith in humanity too. John's faith is restored by his dealings with Weisz's bereaved police detective Angela Dodson and although he becomes a hero, it's not really about his journey to heroism, more about giving the finger to authority and doing the right thing.Listen, I know you know how much I loved Dredd for its ability to adapt its source material

Once upon a time, there was a prince. His name was Neil Gaiman. He wrote a book called Stardust. He wished upon a fallen star for it to be excellent, be directed by the extremely talented Matthew Vaughn and star some of Hollywood's all time greats plus a league of British comedic talent and a young up-and-coming actor called Charlie Cox.His wish came true.He lived happily ever after.The end.Stardust is great! Even my nephew loves it and he's three!Oh and I just realised Captain Shakespeare is a literal Sky Captain. Call back to Sky Captain!I would love to hear your thoughts on Stardust! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedback or suggestions:verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] comThank you to our Patreon Producer Sade, and patrons Simon and Jardiel for supporting Verbal Diorama! To support the show on Patreon from just $2 a month, have a look o

2016's Passengers, starring Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence and Hollywood heartthrob Chris Pratt should have had an easy journey to sci-fi greatness. Its script was championed in the 2007 Hollywood Black List, it enticed an Oscar nominated director and Sony believed in it so much they upped the budget to $120 million. There was a lot riding on the success of the Starship Avalon's 120-year voyage to Homestead II.The problem is..... it's meant to be romantic, but just ends up feeling, well, really creepy.Passengers is a movie with a lot of promise. It wants to be a cautionary tale on our reliance on technology and trusting of big corporations, the social and class divide between the rich and the poor, for us to ask questions about moral quandaries, to empathise with a character’s isolation and loneliness and the broader implications of artificial intelligence but it kinda takes all these interesting and rich discussions and bookends them with “yeah, but they’re both really hot” and never really satisfactorily an

"When you doubt your powers, you give power to your doubts."I'm joined by the mysterious and manly Andy from Geek Salad to discuss whoever smelled it dealt it, disco not being dead and clouds of radically fluctuating deviant chaotrons.With a huge and established cast of great 90s comedians and character actors as the Six Very Nearly Dead Guys With a Temporary Reprieve, 1999's Mystery Men had everything going for it. It was smart, daft and funny, it commented on capitalism and superhero cynicism but also came out well before the superhero genre boomed. In many ways, it was a movie before its time. Roughly 15 years before its time.It also had the unfortunate experience of coming out in the same day in America as The Sixth Sense, which dominated the box office, leaving Mystery Men feeling like the Invisible Boy at most cinemas. It also feels very reminiscent of Joel Schumacher's Batman movies, with a bright colour palette and vibrant neon CG cityscapes. Not the most pleasant comparison in the world to make, but

Can't even shout, can't even cryThe Gentlemen are coming byLooking in windows, knocking on doorsThey need to take seven and they might take yoursCan't call to mom, can't say a wordYou're gonna die screaming but you won't be heard.Happy Halloween! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Never judge a book by its cover.We're told that as children and throughout life, and yet we all still do it. We all revert to those tired stereotypes that blondes are dumb, ice-cold or overtly sexual bombshells who steal husbands.The truth is, although those tropes have been around in movies since the 1930s, change is coming. And whilst that change didn't start with Legally Blonde, it was definitely a massive catalyst for Hollywood to change its way of thinking, and also us... the viewing public.Reese Witherspoon gives us a smart, funny, kind and thoughtful Elle Woods who just happens to be super popular and President of her sorority. Whoever you are, you can root for and find common ground with Elle. She's the feminist hero you never knew you needed, but we all need a bit more Elle in our lives.Getting into Harvard Law..... what, like it's hard?! It's really not, actually.I would love to hear your thoughts on Legally Blonde! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFaceb

Edge of Tomorrow is not just your typical action sci-fiEdge of Tomorrow is not just your typical Tom Cruise action sci-fiEdge of Tomorrow is not just your typical Tom Cruise action sci-fi with time loopsEdge of Tomorrow is not just your typical Tom Cruise action sci-fi with time loops where he dies spectacularly and hilariously every single time.Edge of Tomorrow is an Emily Blunt action sci-fi; because whilst Tom Cruise headlines the movie, Emily Blunt is the star and so is her character Rita Vrataski.So, forewarning, this episode contains strong feelings towards Emily Blunt.... but to be fair I am nice about Tom Cruise too. This Cruise is my favourite Cruise and this movie is all the better for his performance.......but mainly because of Emily Blunt.I would love to hear your thoughts on Edge of Tomorrow! You can get in touch onTwitter @verbaldioramaInstagram @verbaldioramaFacebook @verbaldioramaYouTube @verbaldioramaLetterboxd @verbaldioramaor you can email me general hellos, feedbac

Hugh Jackman's swansong as Wolverine is nothing like any superhero comic book movie ever. It's a brutal, gory, painful look at the life of an ageing hero, a man whose life consists of numbing his pain with booze whilst caring for a frail, elderly, dementia suffering Charles Xavier. You feel every inch of their suffering and vulnerability in a world where mutants are no longer born and where Charles is so unpredictable they've declared his brain a weapon of mass destruction.....And so we meet Laura - a young mutant very much like Logan, a young mutant who brings Charles joy and gives Logan a reason to not walk away from this fight.Fox Studios could have made a standard CGI-filled world-ending standard superhero movie. The fact they chose to make something so personal, so character-driven and so emotionally-weighted with real world stakes was such a massive risk.It paid off. Critically, commercially and, most importantly, for characters we've known and loved since 2000.We need to see more studios make more movi