Legends Podcast #778: Tropic Thunder (2008)

Legends Podcast #778: Tropic Thunder (2008)

Around the same time that cinematic universes began to dominate every multiplex, one satire landed like a live grenade tossed directly into Hollywood's lap. Co-written, directed by, and starring Ben Stiller, the movie follows the catastrophically doomed production of an over-budget Vietnam War epic whose cast of self-absorbed actors - including Stiller's fading action hero, Jack Black's substance-abusing comedy star, and Robert Downey Jr. as a thespian who goes a little too method - find themselves dropped into a real jungle conflict in a parody proudly following in the footsteps of The Three Amigos and Galaxy Quest. Along with a platoon of scene-stealers and a nearly unrecognizable Tom Cruise, the film took a proverbial machete to prestige filmmaking, Oscar bait performances, and celebrity egos with a ferocity rarely seen in big-budget studio comedies. While it's undeniable that the film was a critical and commercial success, it feels equally unbelievable that Downey's performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. But nearly twenty years later, does this savage send-up of Hollywood excess still land laughs with explosive energy, or has "cancel" culture invaded film discourse to the point that merely discussing it feels like wading into a minefield? Join us as we pop open a fresh can of Booty Sweat, crank some Ludacris, and prepare to put ourselves in the shit with Tropic Thunder! For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com [http://gonnageek.com] You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail: LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com [LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com] You can write to Rum Daddy directly: rumdaddylegends@gmail.com [rumdaddylegends@gmail.com] You can find all our contact information here on the Network page of GonnaGeek.com Our complete archive is always available at www.legendspodcast.com [http://www.legendspodcast.com], www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com [http://www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com] Show Music:Danger Storm by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/]

Legends Podcast #777: Hook (1991)

Thirty-five years ago, Steven Spielberg released his updated take on the classic children's story Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie. Arriving in theaters in 1991 with enormous expectations, the film was toplined by four actors at the height of their fame: Robin Williams stars as an aged-up Peter, fresh off Dead Poets Society and Awakenings - and just a year away from Aladdin and Mrs. Doubtfire; Dustin Hoffman, riding high after his Oscar win for Rain Man, as the titular Captain Hook; Julia Roberts, newly-minted as America's sweetheart after Pretty Woman, donning the wings as Tinkerbell; and Bob Hoskins as Mister Smee, following up his breakout blockbuster Who Framed Roger Rabbit. With a prime Christmas release date and a sweeping John Williams score, the film looked destined to become an instant Spielberg swashbuckling classic. Instead, a famously troubled production - marked by massive (and expensive) sets, shooting that ran 40 days over schedule, and a strained relationship between director Spielberg and ingénue Roberts - resulted in a film that critics were quick to call indulgent and uneven. Spielberg himself later admitted frustration with the project, and despite solid box‑office returns, the film was seen as a disappointment during a peak period of Spielberg's career. And yet the pixie dust of nostalgia has quietly rewritten the narrative: the film has become something of a cult favorite, embraced by fans who grew up with VHS rewatches. Now we're dropping anchor in Pirates Bay to see if Hook conjures up any happy thoughts, or if it is better off getting lost, boy! For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com [http://gonnageek.com] You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail: LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com [LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com] You can write to Rum Daddy directly: rumdaddylegends@gmail.com [rumdaddylegends@gmail.com] You can find all our contact information here on the Network page of GonnaGeek.com Our complete archive is always available at www.legendspodcast.com [http://www.legendspodcast.com], www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com [http://www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com] Show Music:Danger Storm by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/]

Legends Podcast ITHACON 49 Special: Chris Condon & Ultimate Wolverine

Chris Condon is an acclaimed comic book writer known for his gritty, atmospheric storytelling and neo-Western themes. He is currently writing major titles for Marvel and DC Comics while continuing his celebrated creator-owned work at Image Comics and Oni Press. You may know him as the writer of: That Texas Blood & The Enfield Gang Massacre (Image Comics) Far Down Below (Mad Cave Studios); Hell is a Squared Circle (AfterShock Comics); The Goddamn Tragedy (Oni Press); News from the Fallout (Image); Green Arrow (DC Comics); The Peril of the Brutal Dark (DC's relaunched Vertigo imprint) Chris sits down with Jonolobster to discuss how he reinvented Marvel's flagship mutant as the dark, faceless assassin known only as… The Winter Soldier, in a brand-new Ultimate Universe. We explore the influences, development, writing, and future of Ultimate Wolverine in "Ultimate Warrior: How Chris Condon Reinvented Wolverine," recorded live on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at ITHACON 49. (Please note, this was recorded in a large room, not a podcasting studio, so it is a little echoey.) Ultimate Wolverine trailer from Marvel Comics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmuTw6SDZBY [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmuTw6SDZBY] For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com [http://gonnageek.com] You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail: LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com [LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com] You can write to Rum Daddy directly: rumdaddylegends@gmail.com [rumdaddylegends@gmail.com] You can find all our contact information here on the Network page of GonnaGeek.com Our complete archive is always available at www.legendspodcast.com [http://www.legendspodcast.com], www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com [http://www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com] Show Music:Danger Storm by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/]

Legends Podcast #776: The Secret of NIMH (1982)

On September 13, 1979, animators Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy left the feature animation department at Walt Disney Productions to set up their own independent animation studio. Their first feature, directed by Bluth, was based on the 1971 children's book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien. The book had originally been rejected by their former employer as "too dark" to be a commercial success. Bluth and Co. were followed soon after by twenty other Disney animators, dubbed "The Disney Defectors" by the trade press. The House of Mouse endured a "Dark Age," with flops like 1985's The Black Cauldron, while Bluth went on to direct hits like An American Tale, The Land Before Time, and All Dogs Go to Heaven. But the film that started it all, an adaptation of that book Disney rejected, was beloved by critics - even if it may have emotionally scarred a generation of children. Join us as we uncover, at the behest of Listener Jeff, the beautiful and terrifying Secret of NIMH! For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com [http://gonnageek.com] You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail: LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com [LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com] You can write to Rum Daddy directly: rumdaddylegends@gmail.com [rumdaddylegends@gmail.com] You can find all our contact information here on the Network page of GonnaGeek.com Our complete archive is always available at www.legendspodcast.com [http://www.legendspodcast.com], www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com [http://www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com] Show Music:Danger Storm by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/]

Legends Podcast Special: Interview with Ve Neill, Oscar-Winning Makeup Artist

This week, we have a special treat for you, as we are joined by Legendary makeup artist Ve Neill! After being inspired by Planet of the Apes cosplayers at a sci-fi convention, Ve began her career and has worked with makeup and effects artists like Fred Phillips, John Chambers, Rick Baker, Greg Cannom, and Stan Winston. Ve has collaborated with directors like Tim Burton, Chris Columbus, Ron Howard, Steven Spielberg, and Robert Zemeckis, and worked on famous faces like Johnny Depp, Danny DeVito, Paul Reubens, and Robin Williams. Her talents have featured extensively in blockbuster franchises including The Amazing Spider-Man, Batman, The Hunger Games, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Trek, and X-Men. She has won three Academy Awards, for her work on Beetlejuice, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Ed Wood, and has been nominated for eight Oscars in total. She's also won two Emmys and served as a judge on SyFy's reality TV makeup competition series Face Off. Most appropriately, Ve opened her own school, Legends Makeup Academy, in Los Angeles in 2021. Ve spills the tea on working with wonderful (and difficult!) celebs, her favorite projects, and behind-the-scenes stories from her decades in making movie magic! ! Follow Ve on Instagram: @therealve [https://www.instagram.com/therealve/] Check out Ve's new film The Wolf and the Lamb, in theaters April 24: https://www.thewolfandthelamb.com/ [https://www.thewolfandthelamb.com/] Support Ve's project Haunted Hookers on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mariacollis/haunted-hookers-movie [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mariacollis/haunted-hookers-movie] For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com [http://gonnageek.com] You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail: LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com [LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com] You can write to Rum Daddy directly: rumdaddylegends@gmail.com [rumdaddylegends@gmail.com] You can find all our contact information here on the Network page of GonnaGeek.com Our complete archive is always available at www.legendspodcast.com [http://www.legendspodcast.com], www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com [http://www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com] Show Music:Danger Storm by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/]