Tv/Movie Rewind

The TV/Movie Rewind Podcast, with Matt & Todd, returns this week with a returning guest, Gabe Crate, for our return to the Planet of the Apes franchise with: Return to the Planet of the Apes (1975).This is the 6th and final installment of the series that began in 1968 and branched into at least three different timelines from its Charlton Heston beginnings, now arriving at its final, animated end.What Return lacks in animation frames, it more than makes up for in stunning art detail headed by Director Doug Wildey, settling on a more modern look at life on Earth in the 3000s. The Apes have established modern cities complete with movies, TV, radio, airplanes, the works of William Apespeare, and even a bit of kaiju action.Return to the Planet of the Apes (1975) features the voices of:Bill Hudson — voiced by Tom Williams and Richard BlackburnDr. Zaius — voiced by Richard BlackburnJeff Allen — voiced by Austin StokerJudy Franklin — voiced by Claudette NevinsGeneral Urko — voiced by Henry Corden (…wait, is that Fred Flintstone?)Cornelius — voiced by Edwin Mills and Henry CordenZira — voiced by Philippa HarrisDespite its short run (13 episodes), the series is a fascinating artifact: a high‑fantasy, high‑concept reinterpretation of Apes lore that feels like a Saturday‑morning cartoon filtered through the aesthetics of pulp sci‑fi paperback covers. It’s weird, ambitious, and absolutely worth revisiting as the final animated echo of the original Apes saga. And as peculiar as the advanced Ape society might seem to fans of the film and TV installments, these elements more closely reflect aspects of the novel (and the original Rod Serling treatment) that were hindered by film‑budget constraints._____________Matt has over 100+ lists for movie suggestions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can reach out on Bluesky:@MovieMattSirois Terrible movies often find him, even under under the alias Marcus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow who we follow at the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Once Upon a Geek⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheFade Out Podcast⁠⁠⁠s⁠

Today Matt & Todd explore two historically linked war epics: Zulu (1964) and Zulu Dawn (1979)We’re tackling them in reverse order of release because that’s the chronological order of the battles themselves. It’s a rare case where watching the films backwards actually gives you the forward momentum of history.Zulu Dawn (1979): The Disaster at IsandlwanaDirected by Douglas Hickox, Zulu Dawn dramatizes the catastrophic British defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana in a moment that shattered the myth of imperial invincibility. The film features an enormous cast, including:Burt LancasterPeter O’TooleSimon SabelaSimon WardNigel DavenportRonald LaceyBob Hoskins…and thousands of Zulu extras whose presence gives the film its sweeping, overwhelming sense of scale.Though critically the weaker of the two films, Zulu Dawn is the necessary first chapter: a portrait of arrogance, miscalculation, and political maneuvering that pushed the British Army into an ill‑conceived invasion of Zululand. The Zulu kingdom had been cooperating with colonial authorities to that point — but the British government’s desire for expansion, coupled with manufactured provocations, set the stage for one of the empire’s most humiliating defeats.The film leans into the tragedy of command failures: scattered forces, poor reconnaissance, and a fatal underestimation of Zulu strategy. When the Zulu impis finally strike, the British camp collapses under the sheer force and coordination of the attack. It’s a war epic, but also a cautionary tale about hubris.Zulu (1964): The Stand at Rorke’s DriftDirected by Cy Endfield, Zulu is technically the “sequel,” though released 14 years earlier. It depicts the Battle of Rorke’s Drift in a desperate defensive action occurring just hours after the disaster at Isandlwana.The film stars:Stanley BakerJack HawkinsChief Mangosuthu ButheleziUlla JacobssonJames BoothMichael Caine (in his breakout role)…and, again, thousands of Zulu extras.Where Zulu Dawn is about collapse, Zulu is about endurance. A tiny British outpost, barely fortified, poorly supplied, and shaken by news of the earlier massacre, suddenly becomes the target of a massive Zulu strike. The film’s tension comes from the contrast: the Zulu forces are disciplined, coordinated, and relentless, while the British defenders are a mix of professionals, malcontents, and men simply trying to survive.The film is famous for its choreography of battle: shield walls, rifle volleys, chants, and the haunting rhythm of Zulu war songs. It’s also more character-driven, exploring class conflict, leadership under pressure, and the uneasy admiration between two sides locked in mortal combat.Neither film is a documentary. Both take liberties: compressing timelines, inventing characters, reworking the entire embodiment and sentiment of others, and shaping events for dramatic effect. But taken together, they form a compelling cinematic diptych: one battle lost through overconfidence, the next survived through grit, desperation and guile.What they absolutely nail is the sense of place: the sweeping hills of KwaZulu-Natal, the stark beauty of the African landscape, and the sheer physicality of the battles. These are rousing adventure epics, filled with unforgettable imagery and some of the fiercest large-scale combat sequences ever put on film.

Today Matt and Todd are Joined by Logan to discuss the great Jack Palance.Jack Palance wasn’t just any actor, he was a force of nature who lived more lives than most people could fit into a century. Before he ever stepped in front of a camera, he was:A coal miner, a boxer, a college football star, a United States Army veteran, a sportswriter, a short‑order cook, a waiter, a lifeguard, a model… and then one of the finest actors of his generation.Commercials, stage, television, film... Jack Palance could do anything. He even recorded a country‑western album!His career spans over fifty years, dozens of genres, and a level of intensity and charisma that few performers have ever matched.Today we’re diving into some of the highlights we’ve come to love over the years and roles that show the full spectrum of what Palance could do. Know that even in the worst films of his catalogue, his performances were always top‑notch. A true professional. A legend.If you’re not familiar with him, we hope this inspires you to check out some great movies and discover why Jack Palance remains one of the most unforgettable presences in cinema history.ShaneAttack!10 Seconds to HellKill a DragonMonte WalshChato’s LandDraculaWithout WarningAlone in the DarkYoung GunsCity SlickersTango & CashFew actors could combine menace, charm, humor, and gravitas the way Jack Palance did. Few ever will.Thanks as always for listening—and we hope you enjoy revisiting one of cinema’s true originals._____________Matt has over 100+ lists for movie suggestions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can reach out on Bluesky: @MovieMattSirois Terrible movies often find him, even under under the alias Marcus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow who we follow at the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Once Upon a Geek⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheFade Out Podcast⁠⁠⁠s⁠

Today Matt & Todd return to the HBO classics of our early days with 1981’s Victory (also known as Escape to Victory).Before soccer was a mainstream American pastime, before the FIFA movie, HBO introduced many of us to a strange, earnest, unexpectedly thrilling hybrid: a World War II prison‑camp adventure mashed together with 30 minutes of genuinely great football choreography. The film was released in theaters but did not perform well, and didn't enjoy a wide release. Some sleepy HBO Saturday is probably the first time a lot of us saw this film.Released in the summer of 1981, Victory tells the story of Allied POWs challenged to a football match staged for Nazi propaganda. Despite its star power, Sylvester Stallone is here in full “I can do anything” mode, the film landed softly in the U.S. but resonated strongly in Europe and South America, where the sport and its legends were already cultural monoliths.And that’s the secret weapon: Pelé.The Brazilian megastar (and Whit Bissell co‑winner) choreographed the on‑field action, designing plays and sequences executed by real professional players cast as POWs and German guards. The result is a thrilling, authentic stretch of football cinema that still holds up—fast, clever, and caps an unforgettable ending.Victory is also a remake of the 1961 Hungarian film Two Half‑Times in Hell, itself inspired by disputed accounts of real matches played in occupied Ukraine between former Dynamo and Lokomotiv Kiev players and their Nazi overseers. The details vary, but the myth endures: sport as resistance, pride, and survival.Forgotten by many in the U.S., Victory remains a fantastic film worth revisiting, especially now that soccer has finally found its footing here and we're still close to a world cup hangover. Much like the sport itself, you may discover it’s actually pretty great.Main Cast: Sylvester Stallone as Captain Robert Hatch Michael Caine as Captain John Colby Whit Bissell Award Winner Pelé as Corporal Luis Fernandez Max von Sydow as Major Karl von Steiner Gary Waldhorn as Hauptmann Rainer Mueller, German coach Tim Pigott-Smith as Major Rose Julian Curry as Wing Commander Shurlock Whit Bissell Award Winner Anton Differing as CommentatorThe PlayersVictory's thrilling footlball moments brought by a long list of international pros listed here (by country of birth):(Argentina)Osvaldo Ardiles (Allied Player)(Belgium)Paul Van Himst (Allied Player)(Brazil)Pelé (Allied Player)(Denmark)Søren Lindsted (Allied Player)(England)Michael Caine (Allied Player)Bobby Moore (Allied Player)Mike Summerbee (Allied Player)Russell Osman (Allied Player)Mike Summerbee (Allied Player) Robin Turner (German Player)Laurence Sivell (German Player)(Hungary)Sándor Egervári (German Player)Ferenc Fülöp (German Player)Imre Boda (German Player)(Ireland)Kevin O'Callaghan(Netherlands)Co Prins (Allied Player)(Norway)Hallvar Thoresen (Allied Player)(Poland)Kazimierz Deyna (Allied Player)(Scotland)John Wark (Allied Player)(USA)Sylvester Stallone (Allied Player)Werner Roth (German Player)_____________Matt has over 100+ lists for movie suggestions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠You can reach out on Bluesky: @MovieMattSirois Terrible movies often find him, even under under the alias Marcus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow who we follow at the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Once Upon a Geek⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheFade Out Podcast⁠⁠⁠s⁠

Today Matt & Todd swing back into sci‑fi television with the short‑lived but fascinating 1974 TV series: Planet of the Apes.Long before the modern reboots, CBS took a swing at bringing the Apes universe to weekly television. The result is a real fun and earnest adventure series that carries the torch of its larger brethren surprisingly well. The TV version of Planet of the Apes is a perfect time capsule of 1970s genre television: equal parts Logan’s Run, The Incredible Hulk, and Wagon Train… but with orangutans.The show follows astronauts Burke and Virdon, who crash‑land on a future Earth ruled by intelligent apes. With their chimpanzee ally Galen (played by the always‑awesome Roddy McDowall) they wander from settlement to settlement helping humans, dodging gorilla soldiers, and trying to uncover the truth behind their own timeline. Given a few more seasons to cook, this series might have carved out an enduring legacy in its own right.What makes the show compelling today is how much time it gives the world to breathe. The humans are always in danger, but the pacing would allow for calmer exploration of culture, of power dynamics, of the uneasy coexistence between species. It’s less about revolution and more about compassion, curiosity, and the small victories of people trying to survive in a world stacked against them.If you’re a fan of the original films, classic TV sci‑fi, or just curious how the Apes franchise reinvented itself on the small screen, this series is a fully entertaining detour. It works beautifully as a companion to the movies—distilling their energy into a slower, more thoughtful crawl, and it stands on its own as a look at the divide between those who have power and those who don’t.It was a short run but it took a very hard swing and connected, even if it only had the one at-bat.Why did this become a baseball analogy?I don't know either.It just felt right somehow...Planet of the Apes (Television 1974) Main Cast:Roddy McDowall as GalenRon Harper as Colonel Alan VirdonJames Naughton as Major Peter J. BurkeMark Lenard as Security Chief UrkoBooth Colman as Councillor Zaius_____________Matt has over 100+ lists for movie suggestions on ⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠You can reach out on Bluesky: @MovieMattSirois Terrible movies often find him, even under under the alias Marcus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠⁠⁠.Follow who we follow at the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Once Upon a Geek⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheFade Out Podcast⁠⁠⁠s⁠