The Nextlander Watchcast

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43: Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) May 08, 2023

Show notes

Another month means another theme on the old Watchcast, and this month's was voted on by our patrons! They chose "Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us", and to kick things off we've turned to a familiar and favorite director in John Carpenter and his '70s exploitation classic, Assault on Precinct 13!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:21) - Intro for our theme: Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us, and this week's movie, Assault on Precinct 13!
(00:08:21) - The '70s-ness of the whole thing.
(00:12:35) - Alex, how did this movie get made?
(00:16:26) - Our cast of mostly unknowns.
(00:25:09) - Setting up all the threads that lead to the titular assault.
(00:38:21) - Meeting the doomed dad and daughter.
(00:49:13) - Break!
(00:49:33) - We're back, all the people are in place, it's time for things to pop off.
(00:54:03) - Hot damn does Carpenter love his sequences that go on way longer than you'd expect.
(00:58:04) - Nothing good can ever come from having a jar of blood chucked at you.
(01:05:54) - The assault is over! Everything's OK, right? Right?!?
(01:09:11) - Leigh is kinda the secret bad-ass of this movie. Also, poor Wells.
(01:15:04) - A last stand plan begins to form.
(01:21:32) - And just like that, it's all over.
(01:27:33) - Final thoughts.
(01:35:22) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

42: Resident Evil (2002) May 01, 2023

Show notes

For our final video game movie for the month of April, we're checking out another Paul W.S. Anderson joint in his zombie and laser-grid filled attempt at making a Resident Evil movie.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:15) - Intro.
(00:00:41) - Our final video game movie for the month of April: Resident Evil!
(00:06:50) - Our histories with the Resident Evil games.
(00:13:28) - There is not a whole lot of Resident Evil in this Resident Evil movie.
(00:15:15) - How did this movie get made, and why is it like this?
(00:27:47) - Let's start talking about the actual movie.
(00:30:38) - Great intro, but things start falling apart a little bit after.
(00:35:52) - The Umbrella commandos arrive.
(00:40:13) - If Umbrella knows what's going on, this is a terrible plan. If they don't, this is still a terrible plan.
(00:44:55) - Break!
(00:45:13) - We're back, The Hive is open, and it's time for everyone to die.
(00:47:51) - The famous laser grid.
(00:54:18) - Say hello to the Red Queen.
(01:02:42) - Everyone's running around all willy-nilly. Plus, zombie dogs.
(01:12:11) - The senselessness of the T-virus.
(01:14:43) - Spence's heel turn and subsequent death.
(01:24:00) - Ridin' the train, high on, uh, antivirals? This rhyme doesn't work.
(01:29:48) - Put him in the Nemesis project!
(01:32:07) - The movie just refuses to end.
(01:37:03) - Chatting about the various sequels and reboots that came after.
(01:43:20) - What are we doing next month? (We already ran the poll, Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us won.)
(01:46:45) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

41: Mortal Kombat (1995) Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

Our first couple of video game adaptations this month were pretty dire, but business picks up this week as we check out Paul W.S. Anderson's first foray into games as cinema in Mortal Kombat!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:18) - Intro.
(00:00:52) - Our movie this week: MORTAL KOMBAT (caps to imply yelling). Plus our histories with the MK franchise.
(00:12:35) - Getting into the history of the games and the development of the film.
(00:19:18) - Good ol' Goro.
(00:22:41) - The injury list and fight choreography talk.
(00:24:24) - Our illustrious cast.
(00:37:37) - Getting into the film's ruthlessly efficient set-up.
(00:42:35) - The theme song and soundtrack.
(00:45:06) - Accepting the ridiculousness of it all and BIG SPOOKY BOAT.
(00:52:05) - Break!
(00:52:25) - Welcome to Shang Tsung's island.
(00:58:25) - It's banquet time, and Reptile's here.
(01:01:01) - My dinner with Goro.
(01:06:02) - Kicking off the tournament and a shout out to Hakim Alston.
(01:10:10) - Fight after fight after fight!
(01:20:32) - Fear is the mindkiller, or so we've heard.
(01:28:40) - Off to Outworld we go. If you understand the set-up for this Reptile fight, please explain it to us.
(01:33:28) - Time for Liu Kang to meet his destiny.
(01:40:51) - We did it! The world is saved! Nothing bad can happen now!
(01:45:05) - Final thoughts.
(01:47:46) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

40: Street Fighter (1994) Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

For our second video game movie of the month we take a trip down Shadaloo way to check in on Guile, M. Bison, and the whole World Warrior gang as they shoot, explode, and rarely street fight their way through the incredibly ill-advised adaptation of Street Fighter.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:15) - Intro.
(00:01:32) - Our histories with the Street Fighter games.
(00:09:05) - Brad asked how this got made, and here's your answer.
(00:11:54) - Our illustrious cast.
(00:27:37) - The movie's peculiar character alignments.
(00:35:54) - The movie isn't nearly cartoonish enough, but Raul Julia is at least trying to get it there.
(00:41:29) - The set-up for all this stupid stuff.
(00:46:50) - Break!
(00:47:16) - We're back, and evil plans are afoot.
(00:51:21) - Bison's plan is bad, but Chun Li's plan isn't that much better.
(00:57:41) - JCVD's Oscar moment.
(01:02:17) - Bison's art gallery (and his big moment with Chun Li).
(01:09:24) - Fight sticks and catchphrases and illy colored camouflage.
(01:13:52) - Blanka might as well not even be in this movie.
(01:16:57) - Everyone's in place. Let's (FINALLY) have some fights.
(01:25:00) - Freeze frame!
(01:30:48) - Final thoughts.
(01:37:07) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

39: Super Mario Bros. (1993) Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

For the month of April the Watchcast crew will be digging through the detritus of early video game movies, and we're kicking things off with the mother of all game-to-cinema adaptations in the profoundly weird Super Mario Bros.!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:16) - Intro.
(00:04:59) - Talking a bit about earlier Mario adaptations.
(00:09:14) - The long and twisted history of how this got made.
(00:19:36) - Some casting what ifs.
(00:24:18) - Boy, the people who starred in this movie do not have nice things to say about it!
(00:33:11) - This is about as off-putting a "family" film as this era ever produced.
(00:35:18) - The set-up for this weird-ass movie.
(00:43:02) - Truly this is a movie about the plight of struggling working class plumbers and under-funded archaeologists.
(00:50:34) - Some special effects and set design talk.
(00:53:20) - The depiction of the Koopa dimension.
(00:59:00) - Break!
(00:59:18) - We're back, and things are nutty in this Koopa Kingdom.
(01:02:30) - A valid question: what is Koopa's plan?
(01:06:54) - The movie's endless parade of baffling aesthetic choices.
(01:14:05) - Yoshi, what have they done to you?
(01:18:35) - The bonkers car chase.
(01:24:17) - Nothing says Super Mario Bros. like a goofy club scene.
(01:29:52) - Finally, the Mario brothers get their jumpin' powers (and their awful secret handshake).
(01:36:43) - Heading into the final confrontation (which takes like 25 minutes).
(01:48:09) - Final thoughts on the film.
(01:51:47) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

38: Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

We close out Michelle Yeoh March by celebrating the film that won her the Oscar in 2022's madcap multiverse action comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once. So bust out your butt plugs and chomp down on some chapstick, because it's time to rescue Raccacoonie (and also save the universe).

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:51) - Intro.
(00:05:48) - Talking about Everything Everywhere All at Once's Oscar run, and the Oscars in general.
(00:13:30) - Who made this crazy movie, and how did it come to be? Also, some discussion of the current fixation on multiverses.
(00:19:21) - Talkin' about our cast.
(00:27:31) - Getting into the film itself.
(00:33:18) - The IRS and the multiverse.
(00:40:58) - Who or what is a Jobu Tupaki?
(00:45:24) - Break!
(00:45:40) - We're back, and picking up the conversation on the film's special effects and what went into creating them.
(00:52:44) - Heaps of praise for Stephanie Hsu's performance.
(00:56:18) - Raccacoonie and Wong Kar-wai.
(01:03:18) - Digging into some of the nuances of Yeoh's performance.
(01:06:09) - Curtis' IRS agent and Hong's Gong Gong.
(01:09:42) - On another subject entirely: dildo fights.
(01:16:22) - The couple of notes that maybe didn't quite land toward the end.
(01:27:40) - The final "battle".
(01:36:13) - Some final thoughts on the movie.
(01:43:27) - Final thoughts on our theme for the month.
(01:46:36) - Unveiling the films for next month's theme: video game movies!
(01:52:22) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

37: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

Michelle Yeoh March continues apace as we fling ourselves skyward into Ang Lee's wuxia epic, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:34) - Intro.
(00:01:17) - Our film this week is a banger: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon!
(00:07:55) - Getting into a little (non-expert) background on the wuxia genre and the film's reception in China.
(00:11:57) - Talkin' Ang Lee and the production history of the film.
(00:21:43) - Launching into the film itself and some of its localization choices.
(00:26:53) - Meeting Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien.
(00:32:18) - And here comes Jen to wreck everyone's life. Plus, people can fly!
(00:41:12) - Break!
(00:41:32) - We're back, and it's time to suss out who stole the sword.
(00:49:27) - Our first big rumble with Jade Fox.
(00:57:27) - Jen and Li Mu Bai match skills for the first time.
(01:05:03) - A brief acknowledgment that movies used to know how to properly light dark scenes.
(01:06:36) - Flashback to the desert.
(01:16:32) - Stop the wedding!
(01:19:51) - Jen obliterates a restaurant.
(01:25:25) - Shu Lien vs. Jen. Also, some more praise for the cinematography.
(01:35:12) - Gliding through the trees.
(01:38:13) - The killing of Jade Fox, and the death of Li Mu Bai.
(01:49:18) - Jen's final act.
(01:55:07) - Final thoughts.
(02:02:04) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

36: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

Michelle Yeoh March continues apace as we move from Hong Kong to Hollywood in the second Pierce Brosnan Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:43) - Intro.
(00:02:00) - Brad hasn't seen many Bonds, but he's now seen this one (and he also watched GoldenEye on his own time). Plus a little Bond historical discussion.
(00:12:56) - What did Brad think of GoldenEye?
(00:17:40) - Sheryl Crow's Bond theme is not exactly an all-timer. The k.d. lang song, though? Awesome!
(00:20:12) - Getting into the premise of Tomorrow Never Dies.
(00:28:32) - Some production history discussion.
(00:42:24) - More soundtrack talk.
(00:46:16) - Break!
(00:46:41) - We're back, and we're going shopping at a terrorist supermarket.
(00:52:37) - Some more comments on the opening theme/titles.
(00:53:43) - Creating the conflict between the British and the Chinese.
(00:57:33) - Talkin' Judy Dench's M.
(01:01:14) - Time to party with a media mogul and get Teri Hatcher killed.
(01:08:32) - Enter Michelle Yeoh's Wai Lin.
(01:14:10) - Piloting a car with a proto N-Gage.
(01:15:52) - Shout out to Vincent Schiavelli killing it in his one scene.
(01:19:25) - HALO jumps: they're so hot right now. Boat explorations, less so.
(01:21:54) - Bond and Wai Lin are captured! Surely they won't be able to wriggle out of this one?
(01:29:53) - No better way to celebrate escaping mortal danger than with a sexy street shower.
(01:31:31) - Wai Lin's secret base.
(01:33:54) - Crashing the stealth boat.
(01:40:04) - Final thoughts on the film and Brosnan's Bond.
(01:46:51) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

35: Yes, Madam! (1985) and Police Story 3: Supercop (1992) Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

We've got a whole month of Michelle Yeoh classics lined up for you, and we're kicking things off with the Watchcast's very first double feature! We've got two of her most exciting Hong Kong action films lined up in 1985's girls-with-guns progenitor Yes, Madam! and her thrilling team-up with Jackie Chan in Police Story 3: Supercop!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:15) - Intro.
(00:09:26) - A little history of how Michelle Yeoh found her way into action cinema.
(00:12:17) - A brief recap of the ridiculous lineage of In the Line of Duty movies.
(00:13:54) - Cynthia Rothrock's origin story, and Yeoh's stuntwork.
(00:18:18) - The rest of Yes, Madam's all-star cast.
(00:20:29) - Launching into the film and its buckwild opening scene.
(00:24:52) - The three thievin' brothers.
(00:28:34) - Kickin' a dude's ass all over Kai Tak Airport.
(00:33:25) - Talking about this era of HK cinema's preference for dubbing everything.
(00:35:48) - A celebration of James Tien's evil laugh, and the trio of bad guys.
(00:39:09) - Cynthia has no concept of police brutality, and our love for Tsui Hark's crazy apartment stunts.
(00:43:22) - Aspirin's big play, and Strepsil coming to the rescue. Sort of.
(00:48:28) - And here come the Madams!
(00:57:59) - And we're done here. Bad guys win. Evil laugh. Gunshot. Credits.
(01:02:35) - Break!
(01:03:15) - We're back, and we need a Supercop.
(01:04:50) - Talking abnout our histories with Jackie Chan movies.
(01:09:58) - Why do we need a Supercop? Drug stuff!
(01:11:48) - Talkin' Maggie Cheung and a little of the production history.
(01:16:40) - Jackie's first fight against the mainland soldier.
(01:22:03) - The prison break sequence, and Supercop's "hometown."
(01:33:57) - The Tetris-playing villain.
(01:38:29) - The Predator-ass jungle base sequence.
(01:44:08) - Welcome to Kuala Lumpur.
(01:48:46) - The ludicrous procession of stunts at the end here.
(01:57:11) - The always welcome blooper reel.
(02:00:11) - Final thoughts.
(02:06:37) - The Rothrock Mystery.
(02:08:05) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

34: Johnny Mnemonic (1995) Mar 07, 2023

Show notes

Good friend of the crew and cyberpunk expert Austin Walker joins us to round out our month of '90s action/sci-fi "classics" with a deep dive into Robert Longo and William Gibson's troubled but fascinating Johnny Mnemonic. So plug your brain directly into this pod as we save the world from evil corporations and drop a few busses on people along the way.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:18) - Intro for the movie and our guest: Austin Walker!
(00:02:59) - Our histories with this week's movie: Johnny Mnemonic.
(00:06:12) - A little cyberpunk history overview.
(00:12:13) - Talking about production history, and Gibson and Robert Longo.
(00:18:07) - Discussing the different cuts of the film that are out there.
(00:26:38) - What a cast we have floating in this cyberpunk soup.
(00:36:40) - Let's get into the actual movie with a dramatic reading of the intro crawl.
(00:44:08) - Johnny's brain tech and his role as a courier.
(00:49:48) - The free city of...Newark?
(00:51:33) - Johnny makes a bad decision, and some talk on Keanu's ability as a physical actor.
(00:58:14) - Break!
(00:58:31) - We're back, and laser razor wires are cool as hell. Also, talking about the movie's villain problem.
(01:06:55) - Wasting away in the free city of Newark. Searching for my lost three pictures of anime.
(01:14:54) - What's with the computer lady?
(01:21:04) - Henry Rollins' big moment, and Johnny needs to get on the computer.
(01:29:02) - The movie gets stuck in a weird gear for a while here.
(01:33:02) - Johnny's big moment of clarity.
(01:42:31) - The message will be delivered via the medium of the future: television.
(01:50:18) - What a mess of a climax.
(02:02:31) - View of a burning Pharmacom tower. Also, apologies for misidentifying a God Lives Underwater song as Stabbing Westward. We'll do better in the future.
(02:06:54) - Final thoughts on the film.
(02:13:06) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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