Rogues Gallery

Latest Episodes:

Case File 082: Pacific Rim Sep 06, 2023

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We're canceling the apocalypse and opening up a case file on Guillermo del Toro's kaiju vs. mech slugfest Pacific Rim.

Topics include: how the film reignited del Toro's passion for filmmaking after a handful of other projects fell apart, the deliberate decision to avoid any gratuitous references to its key influences, whether or not the incredibly detailed lore is offset by occasionally thin characterization, the underwhelming sequel, some surprisingly strong comic book and animated tie-ins, a few theories on why this wasn't a bigger hit, and much more!

Case File 081: The Fugitive Aug 23, 2023

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In honor of its 30th anniversary, we're opening up a case file on The Fugitive! Although the film wound up being a critical and commercial hit, it first had to survive a surprisingly arduous development process and an even more chaotic production. It's actually kind of a miracle that it turned out this good. So join us as we investigate The Fugitive's long journey from development hell to bona fide classic.

Topics include: the 1960s TV series and the real-life case that inspired it, how drastically different earlier iterations of the film's plot were, alternate casting choices for Kimble and Gerard, why they had to start shooting without a finished script, subplots that were cut, the new ending that was added, how the story was further transformed in editing, the forgotten sequel, other adaptations, and more!

Case File 080: Oldboy (2003) Aug 09, 2023

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Park Chan-wook's action/thriller Oldboy was a watershed moment for South Korean cinema. Here in the West, the film's success led to a slew of "extreme" movies that emphasized over-the-top gore and violence. And while Oldboy certainly doesn't skimp on bloodshed, its most disturbing aspects emanate from the taboo subject matter and dark themes it's exploring. Topics include: the original manga that the film is loosely based on, how Park Chan-wook's attitude towards the depiction of sex and violence in his movies has changed over the years, the clever subversion of certain antihero tropes, different interpretations of the ending, the 2013 American remake, and more!

Case File 079: Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child) Jul 26, 2023

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It's time to re-open our case film on the Springwood Slasher and investigate the chaotic production of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child. We're entering a particularly rough patch of this franchise and by all accounts, everyone involved with this entry realized pretty quickly that the deck had been stacked against them.

Topics include: the producers settling on a title and a poster before there was a script, their desire to return the series to its darker roots, how successfully this deals with the complicated issues its tackling, the continued muddling of an already confusing mythology, standout sequences, the lackluster reception, and much more!

Case File 078: World War Z Jul 12, 2023

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The plot of World War Z is pretty straightforward, but the film's journey to the big screen was anything but. In this episode, we investigate why the filmmakers deviated so substantially from the novel and how this became one of the most troubled productions in recent memory.

Topics include: why they rejected an initial script that was much closer to the source material, how almost everyone involved was in over their head, the disastrous first cut, the extensive reshoots, bizarre remnants of that original version, whether or not the movie succeeds on its own terms, how it became a bigger-than-expected box office hit, the frustrating reason a very promising sequel never came together, and much more!

Case File 077: The Talented Mr. Ripley Jun 28, 2023

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There have been several adaptations of Patricia Highsmith's Ripley novels, but 1999's The Talented Mr. Ripley remains the definitive cinematic interpretation of the cunning con artist. And that's despite the fact that it makes some pretty substantial changes to the source text and the title character. In this episode, we compare and contrast the book and the film, discuss Highsmith's complicated reputation and how her own personal demons infused her work, discover just how many new elements writer/director Anthony Minghella added to the story, and touch on some of the other Ripley adaptations and the upcoming TV series. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Spotify Chris's Instagram & Twitter | Kristen's Instagram Chris & Kristen's Web Series: The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler Chris's Substack Newsletter: Chris Fights Demons

Case File 076: Prey (2022) Jun 14, 2023

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For many fans of the Predator franchise, Prey was simultaneously a welcome return to form and a refreshing expansion of the mythology. In this episode, we track the film's top-secret development, detail its grueling production, and speculate where the series might go from here. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Spotify Chris's Instagram & Twitter | Kristen's Instagram Chris & Kristen's Web Series: The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler Chris's Substack Newsletter: Chris Fights Demons

Case File 075: The Mist May 31, 2023

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The Mist is a largely faithful adaptation of Stephen King's original novella with one major exception. It's a decision that viewers have been debating since the film was released in the fall of 2007. In this episode, we compare and contrast both versions of the story, the film's long road to the big screen, how its box office success was hobbled by its marketing and release date, where it ranks in the pantheon of King adaptations, and much more! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Spotify Chris's Instagram & Twitter | Kristen's Instagram Chris & Kristen's Web Series: The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler Chris's Substack Newsletter: Chris Fights Demons

Case File 074: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom May 19, 2023

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When Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was released in 1984, many audiences and critics felt it was too dark and too weird in comparison to its predecessor. But for a whole other subset of the fandom, those elements were precisely what made this one so special. In this episode, we investigate the behind the scenes circumstances that led to an Indy sequel that zigged instead of zagged and see how the most divisive entry in the franchise holds up nearly forty years later. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Spotify Chris's Instagram & Twitter | Kristen's Instagram Chris & Kristen's Web Series: The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler Chris's Substack Newsletter: Chris Fights Demons

Case File 073: The Devil Wears Prada May 03, 2023

Show notes

Gird your loins! The Devil Wears Prada gave Meryl Streep an opportunity to sink her teeth into a deliciously villainous character, but you might be surprised to discover how different the film is from the bestselling novel it's based on. In this episode, we investigate the real-life inspiration for the character of Miranda, how that bolstered and hindered the development of the movie, a major subplot from the book the filmmakers decided to excise, why so many fans dislike Andy's boyfriend, how the film became a surprise hit, why the novel's two sequels were never adapted, and much more! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Spotify Chris's Instagram & Twitter | Kristen's Instagram Chris & Kristen's Web Series: The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler Chris's Substack Newsletter: Chris Fights Demons

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