School of Movies

[School of Movies 2025] A bold new direction for the transforming robotic life forms. Fully digitally animated, with no need of Shia Lebeouf or Marky Mark, specifically an animated film theatrically released for the first time since 1986, and for the first time neither Peter Cullen nor Frank Welker is lending their voice to proceedings, despite this being an origin story for both Optimus Prime and Megatron. Instead Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry step up to lend unexpectedly Shakespearean weight to the dramatic dissolution of a friendship between these two eternal foes. It's a Transformers movie that's actually about something for a change, rather than just a McGuffin hunt, and Bumblebee won't SHUT UP! Guest: Dan Hoeppner  @MightyMegatron0  of Leftover Army Monsters

[School of Movies 2025] This one came out of nowhere after seven years of development and production at Sony Pictures Animation. Yet after all that, Sony execs had zero faith in its success, so they sold it (along with all sequel rights in perpetuity) to Netflix for the modest budget of $100 million and then a nominal $20m that they could call profit. Then it broke the goddamn internet! For many reasons that we will go into, this one hit just right with a huge audience, and is now the basis for decades worth of sequels and spinoffs and live action remakes. Netflix got more than they could ever have wanted. At the last minute on this commissioned show (many thanks to Chris Finik, Toby Skeels-Jungius, Tylor Long, Holly Dotson, Nama Chibitty and Tripas) we brought in our buddy Ryan who lives in Busan, Korea, and was able to give us a rich cultural perspective on many details that we as westerners completely missed. Huge thank you to Ryan for being so generous with his time. You can find his many adventures and projects here: www.ryanestrada.com Guest: Ryan Estrada Next Week: Transformers One

[School of Movies 2025] Time for a surprisingly good Marvel that meant a lot to a great deal of people... and still somehow underperformed. This thing was brewing for years, from as far back as the second Disney Plus show, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, back in Lockdown 2021. The original comic premise was simple enough; have a manipulative scumbag assemble a super-team of disguised villains in the absence of The Avengers. However, this team is only mildly superpowered, and are wildly unbalanced. They're all either prior living weapons or experiments gone badly wrong, most of them have been being used for shady corporate black-ops and all of them are a hot mess, emotionally speaking. Plus the scumbag decides the best thing to do is kill them all off, rather than get their own Avengers. What we end up with is a collection of disturbed individuals who have to work together as a team to deal with a very specific, exceptionally dark situation with one of their own. It is DC's first Suicide Squad movie from 2016 done far, far better. Let's peel back the surface and dive into the murk beneath. Next Week: K-Pop Demon Hunters

[School of Movies 2025] This is three After School Club episodes, trimmed and re-edited into one bumper Main Event show. To begin with you have my initial impressions on what is hopefully the last Ant-Man movie, way back in February 2023, then two and a half years rush by in the blink of an eye and suddenly we're in a different kind of place for both Marvel and the world. Revisiting with Sharon, we delve into how this film was positioned and the bait & switch of the final execution. Then with Captain America 4, AKA The Incredible Hulk 2, we look at a fictional and freshly recast General Thunderbolt Ross who turns into a giant, red rage-monster and smashes up Washington, yet still manages to be not the worst President ever! These are two of the most egregious cases of the MCU aiming for the middle of the road and winding up making something few could love. Fortunately, their future looks brighter, with a couple of bold new entries for 2025. Next Week: Thunderbolts*

[School of Everything Else 2025] For a long while we hoped this would be a project from the makers of WandaVision that would see hidden villain Agatha Harkness trying to make amends for her machinations during the Westview incident. By the end of the second episode she's unrepentant and off on a whole new adventure, romping down The Witches' Road with an uneasy new coven in tow. Like many of you, we drifted away and planned to come back once it was finished, but it wasn't until almost a year after that, when we finally sat down and saw the whole thing... and it's one of our unexpected favourite Marvels. Never would have guessed they would nail this one. That was quite a magic trick. Next Week: Quantumania & Brave New World

[School of Movies 2025] Here is a film we were very excitedly waiting for. We had already been waiting an age for the first Captain Marvel movie in 2019, a project that would have been put into effect had Ike Perlmutter not maintained for years that female-led superhero films wouldn't make money. The thing swept in just over a billion dollars and made a lot of boys on YouTube very cross. Four years and a pandemic later, two Disney Plus monoseries emerged over that time, the celebrated WandaVision, which featured the returning little girl Monica Rambeaux, now an adult and working for Nick Fury, and then there was the underseen Ms. Marvel, featuring the equally long-awaited first appearance of the endlessly charming Kamala Khan. Electing to bring together these three ladies in a spacefaring adventure was neat, however, as you'll hear from our extensive talk on the structure and narrative, nobody was well-served by the direction this took, least of all the excellent director of Candymen (2021), Nia DaCosta. Plus, I've forgotten the name of the villain! Next Week: Agatha All Along

[School of Movies 2025] This film began life before James Gunn was abruptly fired overnight, by Marvel. It languished for years through the triumph of Endgame, then the Pandemic, and Gunn's hiring by DC to direct their Suicide Squad sequel. The man who came back to pick up the script had been changed, and while Superman (2025) shows the sheer optimistic joy he's capable of imbuing his projects with, this farewell to the Guardians is a dark, furious requiem of betrayal, loss, bitter conflict and ultimately redemption. In choosing to make it all about Rocket Raccoon, the secret weapon of the MCU was taken out of the picture. He is attacked by newcomer Adam Warlock on Knowhere home turf, in a failed act of corporate reclamation. His killswitch is triggered, leaving him in a coma and it is up to the Guardians to investigate the Doctor Moreau-inspired High Evolutionary, and find out how to bring Rocket back. This leaves him absent for much of the present-day movie, stuck reliving his tragic past, and the earliest friends he made. These tragic events would twist his future actions into those of anger and neurotic rejection of even his closest companions. It is unlike any other MCU film, deeply personal and imbued with such vociferous anger that it actually becomes a mess, half hanging onto what was originally intended, half channelling the mixed, spiking emotions of going back to deal with your monster, saying goodbye to your dear friends and moving on to other and better things. The world is better for the confluence of events that led us to getting our new Superman and a brighter future of the DC Universe, but it was Gunn who took the damage, and this film exemplifies that. Next Week: The Marvels

[School of Everything Else] This one took a lot of consideration. We wanted to separate ourselves from the ragebait YouTubers who decided before it was even out that this was the worst TV show ever made. Even the thumbnail had to be put together in a way that conveys there are problems, but it's not because of BIG ANGRY WOMAN! (Seriously, what is it with basic dudes seeking attention and thumbnails of ladies mid-shout?) We liked a lot about this long-awaited debut of the onscreen adaptation of John Byrne's reimagined fourth-wall-breaking sassy jade giantess. And the casting for starters was excellent, as was Tatiana Maslany's firecracker chemistry with Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock. However, there are some deep-seated issues that go way beyond being so meta that you spend the climax of what would turn out to be your only season making multiple gags about how disappointing it is. It's a big old mixed bag, and we will be both ruthless and warm in our honesty. Ladies, gentlemen and all points in between of the jury, we present to you Exhibit S. Next Week: Guardians 3

[School of Movies 2025] A major milestone in British cinema, pairing up dramatic director Mike Newell with comedy mainstay Richard Curtis. This one is easy to handwave off as fluffy and light, but it is a favourite of one of our psychology-specialising friends Doctor Hunter Mulcare, who joined us for Love Actually and specifically requested that when we covered this film, we have him on as a guest. The principle is simple, based on Curtis' own experience of attending dozens of weddings for various friends and acquaintances in a very short space of time, being propositioned by a mysterious lady whom he turned down... the afterimage of that road not taken stuck in his head, forming the anxiety of Hugh Grant's lead character, Charlie. And when it comes to this chap and his gaggle of unmarried friends one thing is certain regarding funerals and weddings... we may not get one, but we'll definitely get the other. This film is frank, hilarious, often painful and an accurately acerbic portrait of the British people. Certainly it struck home enough to make its budget back fifty times over, back in 1995. It remains special and a favourite of our too. Next week: We begin Marvel Season Guest: Dr Hunter Mulcare @realhuntermmm  

[School of Movies 2025] This is a BIG one folks, the first major change in direction for silver screen DC comics adaptations since Nolan's Batman Begins in 2005 (though it has plenty of recent tonal forerunners to back it up, including Aquaman, Blue Beetle and the first Shazam! all of which we recommend seeing as well). This is what Warner Bros. were blushingly groping for in 2017 while trying to course-correct Zack Snyder's Justice League in the edit. But it isn't just a statement of intent for the future and a mission statement for potentially carving out a much more successful, crowd-pleasing cinematic universe, this is, first and foremost a GREAT superhero movie, bringing an even less-compromised version of Clark to the big screen than the classic Donner films. The red outerpants are back, bringing with them an unabashed joy at finally getting to be THIS version of itself, powered by phenomenally talented young stars and balancing humour with heart. The level of adulation and happiness we've seen exhibited over this one has been nourishing, and while there's plenty who have a bone to pick over decisions made within this flawed and messy movie I'd really like it to be the opposite of Snyder's take, and be a unifying rather than dividing force. So all are welcome, you don't have to agree with us, and maybe we can illuminate the qualities on show here in a way that helps some folks tentatively embrace Superman. Guests: From Sequentially Yours  Kaoru Negisa  @moonpanther22.bsky.social‬ and Debbie Morse  @bastet8300.bsky.social‬ Brendan Agnew from Cinapse @blcagnew.bsky.social‬ And you should follow us at @schoolofmovies.bsky.social‬

[School of Everything Else 2025] We return to the Forgotten Realms of Baldur's Gate III and do our best to remember what happened during our games. This time we get to talk about Shadowheart, a cleric who is deeply embroiled in an oppressive cult, in service to Dark Mommy (luckily, she just joined the club). On that note, we talk about character similarities as a strength and a weakness. We talk Karlach, a towering, flaming, somewhat terrifying Tiefling barbarian who spends most of her time on fire and is in fact sweet-natured, affable and excited to be doing quests with friends. We also discuss the limitations that rear their heads within a game where you can pretty much do anything. Then there's Wyll Ravengard, the Blade of Frontiers, who lost an eye and gained two horns, while in service of another Dark Mommy. And then there's the great big roly-poly bear, shapeshifting elf druid Halsin, who has proved... rather popular. We also talk about the most insidious villain in Act 1 of the game, as well as our smorgasbord of options when it comes to romancing. We will return with a third part in this series sometime soon, when at least I have finished the game (by which point, Will shall be on their third run!) and we will bring in some seasoned guests to talk about their further experiences. Once again, thank you to Sarah Montgomery, without whom these BG3 shows would not exist.

[School of Everything Else 2025] One of the most ambitious projects for our podcast to date, this commission required the purchase of a PlayStation 5 and presents myself, Sharon and our teenager Willow with a massive and exceptionally dense and rich 80-hour tabletop-style RPG to battle through... each on our own individual quests. To that end, this is the first of three shows covering the celebrated 2023 game by Larian Studios. The second is a session the three of us recorded the day after this one, covering more of our extensive notes and experiences, and the third is yet to be recorded at the time of release, but will entail bringing in many guests to talk about their personal adventures and the endgame. These initial two cover mostly the first act of three, as it makes sense to give us all a big chunky meal to chew over, but save dessert for last. It is relatively spoiler-free, as Sharon and I have no idea what's going to happen in the future and Willow, who has actually completed the game and raced up behind us in a second playthrough, is considerate enough to hold off on blabbing about big impending shifts in character arcs. To that end you can listen to these first two, having never played the game, and familiarise yourself with the often-daunting range of possibilities that this quite extraordinary game holds. Many thanks to backer Sarah Montgomery, without whom there is no way this trio of shows would have been made.

[School of Movies 2025] Maybe THE most American of children's properties from the 1980s, G.I. Joe began life as a big doll that boys could dress up for war, but as public sentiment turned against the conflict in Vietnam, Hasbro nudged their chunky action figure towards more of an adventure brand. Then in Reagan's 80s, Joe was relaunched as A Real American Hero, the first massively successful multimedia campaign designed to sell toys through cartoons and comics. But following that period of relative peacetime, Joe fared less well in the 90s, and most definitely struggled in the 2000s. In this show we discuss the cartoon and its characters, the 1987 animated film and the 2009 attempt to launch a live action movie franchise with The Rise of Cobra. Is it really as jingoistic and flag-waving as first impressions convey? Is it gross and macho or actually kind of sweet? We have further listening on this matter with two After School Clubs on the 2013 sequel, Retaliation (the one starring the Rock) and the solo Snake Eyes outing from 2021 starring Henry Golding (plus the best animated show so far, 2010's Renegades)

[School of Movies 2025] All the way back in 2013 when Man of Steel was coming out, I covered the four Christopher Reeve Superman movies on a single podcast with dutiful guests Taylor Nova and Paul Gibson. I recently re-listened to it in the run-up to James Gunn's Superman and I was flabbergasted at how much my attitude had changed; specifically to the first two films directed by Richard Donner and steered with confidence and the contributions of an amazing creative team. I was dismissive, persnickety and downright rude. So, here now is a much-needed revisit, twelve years wiser, and following the life and death (forced-resurrection and death again) of the Snyderverse. Now, in the 2020s the purity and heart and soul on display here are desperately needed. And after watching the exceptional Documentary "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" (2024) which is essential viewing and gets a trailer at the end of this show, I realised that going back to his Kal-El was in order. Joining us this time are two comic nerds we have sorely missed while they went off to become parents. Guests: From Sequentially Yours  Kaoru Negisa  @moonpanther22.bsky.social‬ and Debbie Morse  @bastet8300.bsky.social‬ And you should follow us at @schoolofmovies.bsky.social‬

[School of Everything Else 2025] It was a long time coming. The remake itself has been mooted as far back as the early 2000s, and the wait for it was half of my life. But then, when this astonishing game finally landed in 2020, a time when we all needed to escape to other worlds, I found myself paralysed with indecision within the game, unable to move for metatextual reasons. Finally returning to it in 2025 I was able to play through and savour the experience with Sharon and Willow watching along. It is magnificently chaotic and chaotically magnificent. How could a remake which goes so much further than the simple graphical and musical polish we were all hoping for still manage to knock it out of the park, despite the inherent need to drag old players out of their comfort zones and somehow impress upon new players, the meaning and significance imbued into every moment and character? On this show, following on from our 2023 episode on the 1997 original, Sharon and I do our best to elaborate on these mountainous strengths. Even if you've never played any version, this may help you appreciate why the game is so beloved. This episode also contains a segment submitted by Hanna Peregrine.

[School of Movies 2025] An absolutely fascinating 2018 movie where the challenge for the filmmakers was to confine themselves only to a computer screen and the various apps and websites, embodying John Cho's frantically worried David Kim as a blinking cursor, scouring the internet for any trace of his missing teenager Margot. None of this would be anywhere near as riveting if they didn't hook you early with a small, personal tale of a fragile, happy family, made familiar in digital home movies. The opening of the film rivals Pixar's UP in terms of soft-hearted appeal and devastating loss until you're fully on board and wholly behind the salvaging of the strained father-daughter relationship that remains. But the formerly exciting information superhighway is now an intimidating labyrinth that devours people's lives whole, and Margot may now be beyond David's reach. This was a commission for Greg Downing and we firmly suggest you watch Searching before listening to our show. But don't wait, don't put it on hold. Go find it now. Track it down like a cybernetic sleuth and experience one of the most innovative indies of the past decade.

[School of Movies 2025] One of the most astonishing action epics in cinema history, and almost nobody who saw it managed to do so in the cinema! At least in the West. This historical epic, popularised by Netflix plays extremely fast and loose with the facts, reimagining the lives of two of India's most celebrated revolutionaries to have intersected. RRR tells the story of Komaram Bheem, a man of the Gond Tribe who is searching for a little girl taken from his people by despicable English Colonial Governor Scott Buxton. Worried about the human tsunami inbound, Buxton's awful wife brings in Police Officer Raju to intercept and catch Bheem alive. BUT in Shakespearean fashion, the two under assumed identities unknowingly become firm friends, and as it turns out Raju is secretly trying to climb the ranks and gain access to guns for a revolution, and the best way to do that will be to stop his new brother-in-arms and bring him in for execution. It is a rip-roaring tiger-tale of unbound ferocity, mixed with a refreshingly gentle take on male bonding. It is also of course rather troubling in its political and cultural implications, which we will elaborate upon in this firestorm of a podcast.

[School of Movies 2025] Two of the most successful films of the 20s, both of them built on the winning formula of bewildered people from the real world being plunged into an alternate dimension which allows them to encounter pleasingly recognisable elements from the video games that general audiences like, on their way towards assisting with deposing a tyrannical warmonger. The problem for us is that Super Mario Bros. is a long-running and beloved series of platformers, kart racers and RPGs, whereas Minecraft is a creative building block survival indie hit gone corporate phenomenon, that wound up dominating the 2010s to the point of being used as a teaching aid in schools. These are VERY different kinds of games... so why are their movies the same? This show combines my 2023 first impressions After School Club on the Mario movie, and new recordings where Sharon and especially Willow (the catchment audience) talk about both of them.

[School of Everything Else 2025] Neurodivergent elf seeks party for spell-gathering, demon-slaying and appreciating life a whole lot more... Despite our longstanding NO ANIME rule (which nevertheless still allows us to occasionally do shows on the movies we love within that medium, and you folks have been good as gold insofar as overprescribing anime shows when you know it will overwhelm us with volume) this commissions season saw us so in need of emergency funds that we opened the door to not one but two beloved recent series'. However, while we instantly found Delicious in Dungeon to be captivating, funny, charming, hilarious and nerdy in the most appealing easy-sell way possible, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End was much more of a slow-burn. And while we came out the other side appreciating many of the subtleties there were some glaring creative decisions which actively ruffled our feathers. So, to ensure this would be talked about with passion and enthusiasm in a way that would help us see the best in it, we brought in a brace of guests who gave us the lowdown on both the show and the manga. Many thanks to our extremely patient backers for this episode; Tylor, Banzai and Painter47 Guests Alejandra Vargas Bradford Yurkiw

[School of Everything Else 2025] Chances are you have neither played nor even heard of this 2024 sci-fi indie game. We hadn't, and as we proceeded through a tale of a dystopia where everyone is cloned from the same person, yet has their own distinct name, outfit and personality, we couldn't see exactly why Hollywoo actress Maya Souris commissioned it... And then we got to Act 3. The prospect of watching this as a Let's Play went out the window. I have never seen a video game justify its medium so hard and confidently, and I recommend listening to this whole show, regardless of your intention to play.