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Friday Mar 27, 2020
Friday Mar 27, 2020
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer was released on the cusp of what would become the superhero movie boom. A sequel to 2005's Fantastic Four—which was even more critically panned than this one—Silver Surfer premiered just a year prior to 2008's The Dark Knight and Iron Man, the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Even without the rising benchmarks or a more crowded field, Silver Surfer does little to distinguish itself; and it is only marginally better than the 2005 film. The action is mundane, the characters are bland, and it makes mincemeat of beloved villains from the team's lore—those being Dr. Doom and Galactus. Even the celestial being whose rise the title refers to is shortchanged.
Sure, it may have been ambitious in its scope, intertwining several of the key storylines from the Fantastic Four comics, but it didn't execute them on any level. As a kid who grew up reading the adventures of the Silver Surfer, Chumpzilla was not pleased. Capt. Cash was equally displeasured about its treatment of Doom (If you've heard the Corman pod, you know why).
To be fair, its shortcomings are rooted in that prior film. When that failed to grasp the audiences attention, Silver Surfer naturally had massive pressure upon its shoulders. Spoiler: It couldn't bear the load. Running just an hour and 31 minutes, it never amounts to more than a half-baked, overstuffed mess of a movie. And in earning over $30 million less than 2005's (just over $300 million total), it ultimately tanked the franchise.
But, hey, it can always be worse—*cough* Fant4stic. So sit back, clobber a couple Blueberry Maple Pancake Ales from Ellicottville Brewing Co., and get down on the good foot with Mr. Fantastic! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt. Cash, and Chumpzilla are hopping aboard our cosmic surfboards to take down the heralded fart cloud of doom!
This Week’s Segments:
Introduction/Plot Breakdown – Oh, the poor first family of Marvel. This, like the other three films, was a not-so fantastic entry. (00:00)
Fantastic Four-centric Questions and a Drinking Game Inspired by the Movie – Since we're all stuck indoors, you may as well Skype some friends and drink while watching this incredibly mediocre movie. (48:13)
Recommendations – Again, employ sound social distancing strategies, stay safe, and enjoy each of this week's picks. Next up, we begin our series of quarantine specials (i.e. films that were released early because of the ongoing crisis) with Bloodshot! (1:36:05)
And, as always, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook to check out all the interesting factoids—how The Incredibles handcuffed this movie's predecessor and more—from this week’s episode!
You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, and Spotify!
Thursday Mar 19, 2020
Thursday Mar 19, 2020
Speed 2: Cruise Control is an exemplar of an awful sequel. Is it bigger? Sure. Did it cost more? Most definitely. Is it more entertaining? Not even close.
The origins of its issues can be tracked back to two words: contractually obligated. Jan de Bont, renowned cinematographer and director of the original Speed, was tied to the sequel. He had no choice.
The stars of the first film—Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves—however, were not. You will be shocked to hear that after reading the script, Reeves could not be swayed to do it—even with $10+ million dollars waving in front of his face. Bullock relented, but only because she had her eyes on a passion project (Hope Floats), which she could parlay a large payday into.
Losing your central character is not exactly a deal breaker, but it is a troubling sign. For a moment, imagine the Karate Kid Part II without Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso or Terminator 2 without Arnold as the T-800. All the goodwill and familiarity they'd developed with the audience had to be rebuilt.
Suffice to say, it handcuffs the movie. It does not cripple it, though. What ultimately sinks Speed 2 is its, well, lack of speed. A cruise ship, traveling thousands of miles over the space of days, lacks the frenetic energy of a bus on the highway. There is never a sense of urgency in this movie. It's plodding pace and refusal to find a natural crescendo don't help that.
For all of the money thrown into this one—$110 million, compared to just $30 million for its predecessor—there is almost no bang for the buck.
If you love Speed, you won't love this. But, hey, we've all got plenty of time on our hands. So sit back, pound four to five Goin' Coastal IPAs from SweetWater Brewery, and strap on a LifeVest. I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt. Cash, and Chumpzilla are taking to the seas to foil the plot of the Willem Dafoenavirus!
This Week’s Segments:
Introduction/Plot Breakdown – We hated this movie, and we do not hesitate to tell you why. (00:00)
Interesting Facts and "Pop Quiz, Hotshot" Speed 2 Trivia Challenge – After going through the last of his facts, Chumpzilla challenges us to a host of Speed-related questions, ranging from odd casting what-ifs to the cost of renting a cruise liner. (1:08:31)
Recommendations – Stay indoors, stay safe, and enjoy each of this week's picks. Next up: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer! Oh, and we may have a new challenger to the Shit Movie Championship Belt! (1:19:44)
And, as always, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook to check out all the interesting factoids—the hurricane that did the ship's job and more—from this week’s episode!
You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, and Spotify!
Thursday Mar 12, 2020
Thursday Mar 12, 2020
The 1990s were not kind to the legendary John Carpenter. Case-in-point: 1996's Escape from L.A.—the long-gestating sequel to Carpenter's 1981 cult classic Escape from New York. L.A., like its predecessor, paints a grisly picture of future America. Los Angeles, which had devolved into a wasteland rife with crime, has been separated from the rest of the United States because of a massive earthquake.
Marooned on its own, it would be turned into a penal colony for all those deported for violating the harsh laws of America's oppressive theocratic regime. Its basis is not devoid of interesting ideas or even predictive social relevance. It's the execution of those ideas that is lacking.
L.A. is everything a sequel is meant to be. Its scope is grander, its budget is bigger, and it is not shy about capitalizing on the nostalgia held by fans of the franchise. Those things, though, are to its detriment.
For a film that cost $50 million dollars to produce—nearly 10 times more than New York's $6 million—you'd be hard pressed to identify where that money went. L.A. is rife with poorly designed visual effects—often so hokey that they take you out of the experience—and its central narrative doesn't just tread on the familiar, it trounces it. In nearly every way, L.A. is the same movie as New York.
In knowing that, its hard to ignore how it fails to live up to its vastly superior prequel in an meaningful way. It never does enough to set itself apart, either.
Its failure financially—earning just over $25 million on that ballooned cost—is certainly disappointing, but that pales in comparison to the sting of it wasting the opportunity to ingratiate the incredible character of Snake Plissken to a new generation.
But, hey, it's surprising enough that it even got made in the first place. So sit back, hang ten with a Surfari IPA from Pizza Port Brewing Co., and dust off those eye-patches. I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt. Cash, and Chumpzilla are launching half-court shots and catching sick post-apocalyptic tsunami waves!
This Week’s Segments:
Introduction/Plot Breakdown – Before covering the laughably derivative plot to this film, we discuss how it landed on the pod in the first place. (00:00)
Interesting Facts and Name the Movie to Feature this Song – After talking about some notable facts, we dive into a brand new challenge! I task Capt. Cash and Chumpzilla with naming the movie that a song was either prominently featured in or specifically written for. This was a legitimate thing in the 80s/90s, and this film was no exception, as it features the White Zombie track The One. (52:29)
Recommendations and the "Shit Movie Championship" Showdown – We offer our picks for the week. Then, we have our first official "Shit Movie Championship" showdown, pitting Cutthroat Island against Battlefield Earth. Who will emerge as the pod's grand champion of awful cinema? Next up: Speed 2: Cruise Control! (1:11:49)
And, as always, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook to check out all the interesting factoids—the CGI gaffes and more—from this week’s episode!
You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, and Spotify!
Tuesday Mar 03, 2020
Tuesday Mar 03, 2020
The course has been set; there is no turning back; prepare your weapons; and summon your courage for the cinematic adventure of a lifetime—Cutthroat Island!
The majority of the words above come from the trailer for the epic shipwreck that is Cutthroat Island. Yet they could also serve as a warning. Once you start watching it, there truly is no turning back; and it is a film that lives up to its infamous reputation.
Cutthroat Island is a mess from start to finish. From the hammy acting, to the suspect dialogue, to the overabundance of poorly choreographed action and explosions, there is little doubt as to why it once held the Guinness Book of World Records' dubious distinction of being the biggest box office bomb in history.
With a production budget of over $98 million, it grossed barely more than $10 million. Adjusted for inflation, it lost upward of $147 million. There was no pirate booty to be found in the Christmas season of 1995. It's loss was so traumatic that it helped bankrupt Carolco, the studio that produced it.
Carolco, though, was not the only casualty. Careers were legitimately affected by Cutthroat Island's critical and financial drubbing.
Geena Davis, who starred as pirate captain Morgan Adams, worked sparingly for years after; this was also due in part to an acrimonious divorce from the director of this film, Renny Harlin. Her co-star, Matthew Modine as William Shaw, would see his days as a leading man float off into the sunset, a rudderless ship adrift.
Oddly enough, Harlin—who had become a commodity because of his work on Cliffhanger and on franchises like Die Hard (he directed Die Harder), as well as A Nightmare on Elm Street (he was at the helm of the abysmal, but successful The Dream Master)—would continue to get semi-prominent gigs.
Despite evidence such as this to dispel the notion of his early promise, he'd be tapped to direct several other high profile films over the course of multiple decades—Deep Blue Sea, Driven, 12 Rounds, Skiptrace. Hollywood can be weird.
That said, Cutthroat Island did expose his myriad of flaws as a filmmaker. If given the freedom and the money to pursue his wildest desires, he couldn't find a happy medium or produce a competent picture. Style over substance works if the style is actually interesting. Here, it wasn't. Not even remotely.
In any event, this movie is a sight to behold. You'll laugh; you'll cry; you'll drink until it all makes some semblance of sense. So sit back, enjoy an aged barrel of Blackbeard's Breakfast from Heavy Seas Brewing, and get ready set sail for turbulent seas. I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt. Cash, and Chumpzilla are waging pirate war with Uncle Dawg for a fabled trove of plastic treasure!
This Week’s Segments:
Introduction – We drop anchor on one of cinema's all-time disasters, examining everything from the best line of the film (is there one?) to the over-the-top brilliance of pod favorite Frank Langella. (00:00)
Mind Boggling Questions and Pre-Mortem One-Liners – Well, we all had questions about what the hell happened with this movie; and after being subjected to its awful banter, Capt. Cash challenges us to identify who uttered some classic movie phrases and to whom they said them. (34:57)
The Cutthroat Island Drinking Game and Recommendations – Capt. Cash attempts to kill you all with a booze-filled way to watch this movie, and we offer our picks for the week. Next up: Run, baby, run ... it's Escape from L.A.! (1:04:29)
And, as always, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook to check out all the interesting factoids—the bizarre V8 Juice obsession, the video game tie-in, and more—from this week’s episode!
You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, and Spotify!
Friday Feb 21, 2020
Friday Feb 21, 2020
UHF is every bit a reflection of its co-writer "Weird Al" Yankovic. It's an eccentric and peculiar film, driven by the scattershot musings of Yankovic's mind. Like his music, none of it is meant to be taken seriously. It is an amalgamation of goofy satire—some great, some not so—that's best served for repeat viewings. But again, like his music, its appeal is limited to a certain audience.
Which begs the question: Why release a film like this in the heart of the summer movie season? Surrounded by massive box office hits of 1989 like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Batman, and Ghostbusters II, it was doomed to fail. And fail it did. On a budget of $5 million, it grossed just $6.1 million.
Certainly low risk, but the reward wasn't much better. The studio had banked on it being otherwise. After positive test screenings—Orion's best since Robocop—they were sure they had a hit on their hands. To be fair, UHF is unique in comparison to those other offerings. And it even pokes fun at their self-seriousness. It just lacks the massive scale of most summer fare, no doubt causing it to become lost in the shuffle.
Despite its underperformance, it is an amazing showcase for Michael Richards, who would become one of the great comedic actors of the 1990s with his portrayal of Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld. The fingerprints of what would be hallmarks of that character—in particular the physical comedy—are all over this movie. As Stanley Spadowski—the inadvertent hero of Channel 62—Richards steals the show, outpacing his co-stars with a spastic performance for the ages.
Truly, for any fan of Seinfeld, it is one that must be seen. So sit back, pour yourself a Tangerine Express IPA from Stone Brewing, and get ready to drink from the fire hose. I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), and Chumpzilla are taking a trip Stanley Spadowski's Clubhouse!
This Week’s Segments:
Introduction – From Raul's Wild Kingdom to Spatula City, we discuss all of Uncle Nutsy's bonkers ideas. (00:00)
Interesting Facts, and the “Wheel of Fish” Trivia Challenge – Chumpzilla provides some lesser known tidbits about the film, and then, in a reversal of roles, he tasks me with some UHF trivia. (27:40)
Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We set a course for Cutthroat Island! (53:10)
And, as always, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook to check out all the interesting factoids—Orion's dismal fate and more—from this week’s episode!
You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, and Spotify!
Friday Feb 14, 2020
Friday Feb 14, 2020
D3: The Mighty Ducks is the culmination of the greatest youth sports trilogy in history. Now, I understand the competition for that title is thin, but for a group of plucky youngsters from Minnesota, the distinction is a high honor.
Though it is the finale, and sort of a fitting end, D3 is also irrefutably the worst film of the series. It over exaggerates its own cannon—Charlie Conway (Joshua Jackson) was never really the official captain—is a step down in scale from its immediate predecessor, and boasts some of the worst sports scenes ever put to film. None of those are in any way a stretch, but I will only elaborate on the first.
Conway—the lovable little scamp with the heart of gold—was an abysmal hockey player. You don't earn a nickname like "Spazway" if you're good. Sure, he scores the winning goal to defeat the dastardly Hawks in the district championship, but he also steps down from his role on the team in D2 to ensure a roster spot is available for Russ Tyler (Keenan Thompson) after Adam Banks returns from injury. Tyler's only notable skill is shooting the puck in a way that ignores the laws physics.
So why does Conway give up his spot? Again, because he's sub-par. As a result, he does what many mediocre players do: He becomes a coaching assistant. Thus, anchoring the core emotional hook of D3 to Conway being stripped of his captaincy is beyond dumb and beneath the lofty standards established in this fictitious world of youth athletics. He never even had a "C" on his jersey until this film.
There is contradictory evidence that I will in turn refute. Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) opts for him to take that aforementioned penalty shot in the first film, but that means little. Bombay was just pushing the right buttons, instilling a boost of confidence in a player renowned for his penchant to choke. That's what great coaches do.
And when Gunner Stahl refers to him as "Captain Duck" in the handshake line in D2, it's more a consequence of bad translation; and, needless to say, Gunner is hardly an authority on the hierarchy of the Ducks locker room. He can't even decide if he's a goalie or a right wing; or if he's an American or from Iceland.
Perhaps the most damning evidence is that the captain, whether they offered or not, would never be a healthy scratch, nor would they quit the team because the coach was too strict and preached a commitment to defense. I mean, come on, he's essentially this franchise's Timmy Lupus (Bad News Bears).
I digress. D3, for its many faults, is still a Mighty Ducks movie; that affiliation alone carries it past other dumb movies with kids who suck at stuff and then somehow win, defying all logic. It's also far more grounded than most of those other aforementioned silly movies with the underdog kids.
And, in truth, D3 was a more believable follow up than D2. It is much more reasonable to accept they'd go one to become the JV team at a prestigious high school. A house team from suburban Minnesota would not be the go to squad to represent the US of A in the Junior Goodwill Games.
Anyway, it was a flop. It grossed just $22.9 million. It didn't lose money because it was made on the cheap—see my comment about the actual hockey scenes—but it did gross far less than the previous two. Mighty Ducks took home $50.8 million, and D2 wasn't too far behind with $45.6.
For all those who chose to sit this one out when it was released in 1996, you killed Hans (Joss Ackland). Murderers, the lot of you. Just kidding ... Ackland is alive and well, but he hates you as much as his character hated Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon 2.
Now, sit back, enjoy a fine Molson, and sharpen those skates. I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt Cash, and Chumpzilla are forming the Flying V to stickhandle our way through the heart of the Varsity defense!
This Week’s Segments:
Introduction – Quack, quack, quack ... We reunite the District 5 all-stars to break down the finale of the Mighty Ducks trilogy; a debate that includes the trial of "Captain" Conway. (00:00)
Interesting Facts, and the “Ducks Fly Together” Trivia Challenge – Turns out, there's a lot to learn about the making of this movie, and much of that is woven into the quiz I tasked Capt. Cash and Chumpzilla with. (41:14)
Recommendations – We look forward to future episodes and present our picks for the week. (1:01:27)
And, as always, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook to check out all the interesting factoids—Time's oral history and more—from this week’s episode!
You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, and Spotify!
Wednesday Feb 05, 2020
Wednesday Feb 05, 2020
Upon its release, I examined the underlying issues behind Solo: A Star Wars Story becoming box office bantha fodder. I will not rehash that all here. Suffice to say, though, it was a financial failure and not just a small one.
Solo, for all the power and hype of the Disney machine, couldn't even break $400 million worldwide. For a film not tethered to a storied franchise like Star Wars, that wouldn't be too bad. But Solo is, and somehow, it grossed less than any of the original trilogy. Those films, for perspective, came out in 1977, 1980, and 1983. A lot has changed in the dynamics of the box office since then, not to mention the inflation of the dollar, so these numbers are more than just troubling.
Not only was Solo meant to launch a series of films, chronicling the adventures of a young Han, it was meant to demonstrate the power of the brand. It did neither
Its grand aspirations were nothing more than delusions; it fell flat. Yet it shouldn't have. It's a fun, smaller scale Star Wars adventure. Sure it may answer some questions we probably never needed answers to, but it also introduces us to Han outside of the main narrative. We get to see he and Lando (played by Donald Glover, who steals the show) match wits; we come to understand why he shot first (and, yes, he did shoot first, Harrison); and we even get a mind blowing reintroduction to a beloved character from the series' lore.
Certainly it did not reinvent the wheel, but it did do the character justice. Alden Ehrenreich, who was also fantastic, and the rest of the actors deserved better. Even if you may not have wanted his backstory, or even cared to see it, there was enough good in it to warrant its existence.
And, hey, it's free to stream now, so sit back, deal a hand of Sabaac, and sip on a Han Shot First Double IPA from Evil Genius Beer Company. I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt Cash, and Chumpzilla are plowing headfirst into the Maelstrom, navigating our way through the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs!
This Week’s Segments:
Introduction – We recap Han's journey to the seedier side of galaxy life, debating the good and bad that it encompasses. (00:00)
The Drama, the Interesting Facts, and the "She's Fast Enough for You, Old Man" Han Solo Trivia Challenge – We discuss Lord and Miller's unceremonious departure, as well as Ehrenreich's struggles to channel ford; uncover the Easter eggs hidden within the film; and then, I put Capt. Cash and Chumpzilla's knowledge of the character to the test with a quiz covering his entire history. (50:08)
Oscar Predictions – In our heart of hearts, we share who we are pulling for on Oscar Sunday. (1:11:46)
And, as always, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook to check out all the interesting factoids—the director shake up, the casting what ifs, and more—from this week’s episode!
You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, and Spotify!
Friday Jan 24, 2020
Friday Jan 24, 2020
PCU, or Politically Correct University, is a comedy centered around a college campus that has lost its edge. Everyone is divided into sub-groups, and they are all offended or outraged by something. In a way, the movie was predictive of the times to come.
This zero tolerance, fun free landscape is how we are introduced to pre-frosh Tom Lawrence (Chris Young). He's visiting the fictional Port Chester University for the weekend, and he just happens to be paired with super duper senior James 'Droz' Andrews (Jeremy Piven). Tom, with a lack of real adult guidance, proceeds to tick off several of the on-campus cliques.
This may sound like the film aims to be obtusely offensive, poking fun at those in the minority or the absurdity of finding fault with everything (i.e. Cancel Culture today), but it is satirical look at those—as the movie deems them—"cause heads"
Now, admittedly, it is a bit dated, especially with how it stereotypes. That said, PCU's central theme is more about embracing the freedom of unsupervised adulthood and not taking the trivial things too seriously. To those ends, it is rather successful. PCU is definitely a humorous film—one that was unfortunately overlooked upon its initial release. It earned just over $4 million on a budget double that.
In the following years, though, it did gain some traction on cable TV and amassed a loyal following, earning it near cult status. It's also a film that you can look back on and see the birth of a budding star. Jeremy Piven as Droz owns this movie. Like Bill Murray in Meatballs or Ryan Reynolds in Van Wilder, PCU gives him the keys and lets him drive the car. The film is better for it. He has a natural charisma.
All in all, similar to many comedies of the 1990s, PCU is a silly film with some memorable moments and some unforgettable characters (Jake Busey as Mersh or John Favreau as Gutter).
So sit back, shotgun a couple of Terminally Chill IPAs from La Cumbre Brewing, grab those frisbees, and do a deep dive on the Caine-Hackman Theory while performing a kegstand. I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt Cash, and Chumpzilla are headed back to college to toss meat at vegans and chug brewdogs with George Clinton!
This Week’s Segments:
Introduction – We recap the wild events of pre-frosh Tom Lawrence's insane weekend visiting Port Chester University. (00:00)
Interesting Facts about the Movie and the "Where are They Now: Port Chester University Class of 1994?" – We dive into some crazy facts about the film, and then Capt. Cash, Chumpzilla, and I attempt to pinpoint what became of PCU's Class of 1994. (36:26)
Recommendations – After this brief bit of nostalgia theater, we offer our recommendations for the week. (1:04:28)
And, as always, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook to check out all the interesting factoids—the mythical softball showdown with the cast of another movie and more—from this week’s episode!
You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, and Spotify!
Tuesday Jan 14, 2020
Tuesday Jan 14, 2020
Cats ... how would one describe it? Well, quite frankly, it's a nightmarish, music-infused trip through the bizarre and oddly seductive world of Jellicle cats. The Jellicle are a tribe of cats all vying to be selected to go to the Heaviside Layer (cat heaven?). They do so by engaging in frivolous song and dance, all in the hopes of appeasing Old Deuteronomy (Judi Dench). She's their matriarch, and I assume they follow her because her hands are literally just human ones. No fur, nothing. *Just general hands.
That's literally the movie; it's frolicking, other vainglorious pageantry, and an overabundance of cat horniness. It happens for nearly two hours. It's baffling, to say the least, but you can never look away. It's a slow motion car crash with two vehicles being driven by cat/human homunculi. I'm not sure why it was made, who thought it was a good idea, and why this is the aesthetic they chose. Heck, I'm hard pressed to identify why it was such a hit on Broadway and beyond. What I do know is: I'll never forget what unfolded on the screen the night I saw it.
As strange as the movie is, though, that wouldn't have mattered much if it was a hit. Therein lies the issue. Cats, for all its disastrous effects, was an even bigger failure financially. Meow, let's break down these numbers. Cats has clawed its way to just under $59 million worldwide on a budget of $100 million. It cost an additional $100 million to market.
It has already been estimated to lose more than it cost to make—talk a bout a bad fur day. It finished ninth, exercising all its lives, in only its second weekend; and in that weekend, the five-day Christmas Holiday, it generated a paltry $8.7 million. It was also buried like a fresh turd in the litter box by critics. It sits at 20% with 279 reviews (53% with viewers—really?).
This all sounds fairly grotesque—a fur ball hacked up and discarded—but you have to see this movie; and you should witness it, in all its glory, with as many of your friends as possible. It's an ideal piece of cinema to poke fun at with others, while also appreciating some of the immense talent that is on display.
So sit back, lap up a saucer of milk, chug a few Stranger than Fiction Porters from Collective Arts Brewing, and stretch those tails. I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Capt Cash, and Chumpzilla will guide you though the fantastical world of theatrical feline humanoids!
This Week’s Segments:
Introduction – We do our damndest to describe what this movie was actually about and why it veered so far off the rails. We also officially become cats, assigning each other our Jellicle names. (00:00)
Interesting Facts about the Movie and the “Cat-Tastic” Trivia Challenge – After briefly discussing some interesting facts about the movie, Capt. Cash and Chumpzilla engage in a battle of wits to become the pod's official "Jellicle Choice." (47:17)
Recommendations – To aid us in our recuperation from seeing Cats, we offer slightly less horror-inducing fare. (1:01:40)
And, as always, hit us up on Twitter or Facebook to check out all the interesting factoids—the ballad of Pugnacious Prrrcival Pawsford and more—from this week’s episode!
You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, and Spotify!
*As a note: this was apparently corrected in the finished cut of the film, which was released days after its premiere, but in my viewing, it was not.