The Iron Giant
[SOM #101] Alex’s 400th podcast. And what better way to celebrate a broadcasting career like this than with something lovingly crafted, and beloved by its small but enthusiastic fanbase? This summer everyone fell in love with Groot, voiced by Vin Diesel. Journey back fifteen years to a very similar performance in a lost film to be found and absolutely treasured. The Iron Giant was one of the final hurrah’s for 2D cell animation at the end of a decade that marked a major renaissance for Disney, on the cusp of a new age of 3D animation. The mid 1950s and the sleepy town of Rockwell, Maine is visited by an alien behemoth. A titan of iron, innocent and inquisitive, found and befriended by a young boy and the cause of alarm and violent aggression from an America living under the shadow of the mushroom cloud. It’s funny, clever, sweet, beautiful, tragic and ultimately as life-affirming as it gets, so naturally hardly anyone saw it. Warner Bros were in the process of dismantling their animation division and pratfall comedy Inspector Gadget was playing next door with the marketing clout of Disney behind it so there was no contest really. Ironically Warner not being too invested in the sale of this thing to America granted the creative team all manner of freedom to make the film they really wanted to. Our team of intrepid explorers fight the red menace of apathy and delve into the Giant’s metal frame to root out every riveting detail, Dan Floyd of Extra Credits, Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse and The Animation Archives, Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst and Nama Chibitty of the Digital Drift Community. Next week, we continue the giant, metal alien visitors theme and begin our Transformers shows. Be sure to find us, follow us, like us and email us. Facebook: www.facebook.com/digitaldriftuk Twitter: @DigitalDriftUK Email: [email protected] Website: www.digitaldrift.co.uk http://schoolofmovies.podbean.com/mf/web/xrgd5f/30_The_Iron_Giant.mp3Podcast: Play in new window |...
![Digital Gonzo 144: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [Part 2]](/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/144-600-116516_240x240.jpg)
Digital Gonzo 144: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [Part 2]
[Star rating is for the 2007 movie] On this episode we continue the Ninja Turtles discussion through the 2003 show, the 2007 CG movie and the 2012 Nickelodeon CG show. Two things become clear over the course of events. One is that despite being less popular now than at the height of early 90’s Turtle Power the output itself is getting better and better, the other is that on a long enough timeline without a full reboot every so often, the TMNT framework descends into inane nonsense. Once again I have with me Matt Ramsey of Do Try This at Home and Neil Taylor of GameBurst. Next week we’re staying green with a look at a DC superhero from the Justice League who’s NOT Batman or Superman. This will be the first of several shows where we discuss the merits of the core characters Warner Bros has yet to fully capitalise on with their new run of interlinking Marvel Cinematic Universe style movies. So we’ll be talking about the comics, the 2011 movie and the animated adventures of Green Lantern. Some of them are rubbish, but some of them are really, truly, unexpectedly excellent as we found when researching for this podcast. At some point later on we will give The Flash and Wonder Woman the same treatment. http://traffic.libsyn.com/gonzogaming/144._Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles_Part_2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window |...
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
[SOM #70] Returning to the seemingly never ending stream of Batman movies ripe for Gonzo review, we’re back to cover the two-part animated adaptation of one of the most celebrated and important graphic novels of all time. The movies are way better than the book and we’ll tell you why throughout this podcast. These are available on DVD and Blu Ray and the second part is better than the first. Don’t wait for the box set. These are worth seeing right now. Joining me are Matt Ramsey of the Do Try This at Home podcast and Batman expert David Hartrick. David writes for major Football websites In Bed with Maradona and 500 Reasons to Love Football. His book on the world’s favourite sport; 50 Teams that Mattered is available from Ockley Books. Spoilers and foul language run throughout. We’ll be back in a few days time with another podcast covering the second half of this conversation; a comprehensive guide to the very best Batman graphic novels, framed as a history of the Dark Knight’s career. After that will be the long awaited follow up to last year’s Batman: Breakdown audio drama, a full-cast adaptation of Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke. Listen out for an Easter Egg in this very show. This is our twelfth Batman review show for Gonzo. The others include… 1. Batman: The Movie (1966) 2. Batman (1989) 3. Batman Returns 4. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm / The Animated Series 5. Batman Forever / Batman & Robin 6. Batman: Hush 7. Batman: Year One / Under the Red Hood / Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker 8. Batman: Arkham Asylum / Arkham City 9. Batman Begins 10. The Dark Knight 11. The Dark Knight Rises 12. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns And of course if you haven’t yet had the pleasure of listening to Breakdown, it’s probably the best work I’ve ever done, so make sure all your friends know and check out the two-part making of show, to discover the depth of secrets and detail found within. http://schoolofmovies.podbean.com/mf/play/hxsc5a/138_Batman_-_The_Dark_Knight_Returns.mp3Podcast: Play in new window |...
Batman – Year One / Under the Red Hood / Return of the Joker
[Star rating is for Under the Red Hood] [SOM #50] This week we’re looking at three of the best Animated Batman Movies. 1. Year One (2011): The retold origin by Frank Miller, published in comic form in 1987. This film focuses on Bruce first donning the cape and cowl at the same time that Jim Gordon arrives at Gotham City PD and encounters overwhelming corruption. This was the inspiration for Batman Begins and Mask of the Phantasm and reminded everyone of the tragic event that caused Bruce Wayne to dedicate his life to fighting crime. 2. Under the Red Hood (2010): Based on Under the Hood by Judd Winnick, this is a very personal story about Bruce being confronted by a shadowy figure from his past and a complex, emotional revenge tale. Genuinely frightening at times with a new portrayal of Joker courtesy of John DiMaggio. 3. Batman Beyond – Return of the Joker (2000) The finale for the three-season series wherein an aged and crippled Bruce Wayne attempts to train a new Batman to protect Gotham. When the Joker shows his grinning face for the first time since his apparent death 50 years previously, all Hell breaks loose and we learn sad and disturbing secrets about how things ended with Robin and Batgirl. Next: Arkham Asylum & Arkham City. http://traffic.libsyn.com/gonzogaming/87._Batman_-_Three_Animated_Movies.mp3Podcast: Play in new window |...
A Christmas Carol / Muppet Christmas Carol
[SOM #23] This is an extensive Gonzo review of two versions of the same classic tale by Charles Dickens: 1. A Christmas Carol [Disney, 2009] 2. The Muppets Christmas Carol [Disney, 1993] Myself, Neil Taylor of GameBurst and KDS 2.0 and Matt Ramsey of DorkTunes take you back to the winter-swept streets of London in 1843 as we take a close look at the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge and his transformation from mean-spirited miser to warm-hearted philanthropist literally overnight. And all it took was a life-changing series of ghostly visitations upon one very long Christmas Eve. Fantastic music from composers Miles Goodman, Paul Williams and Alan Silvestri punctuate this review, along with some choice snippets of dialogue and of course those singing Muppets. Digital Gonzo is going off the air for a few weeks as I am moving house and waiting for the phone lines to be set back up. Next week the Digital Cowboys Community Cast will be making a welcome comeback with its fourth instalment. May every one of you have a Merry Christmas. I’ll be back in the new year. http://schoolofmovies.podbean.com/mf/play/94avwq/52AChristmasCarol.mp3Podcast: Play in new window |...
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