Digital Gonzo Episode 138: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
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://traffic.libsyn.com/gonzogaming/138._Batman_-_The_Dark_Knight_Returns.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window |...
Digital Gonzo 137: Man of Steel
This was an interesting one to cover. I went into a round-table debate with 18 pages worth of written material (only a small portion of it actually penned by me) and the intention to integrate broadly contributed prepared content with on-the-hoof discussion. Everybody seemed to have an opinion on this movie and many of the same points were covered over and over and over again. The end result was two and a half hours of raw material. Rather than just releasing that monstrosity to the world I have carefully trimmed it down for pacing and avoided duplication. The end result is a trim 87 minutes of engaging opinion, carefully blended. Not bad for a movie I originally didn’t have much to say about. HUGE thanks to my round-table guests Neil Taylor of GameBurst, Jerome McIntosh of Gonzo Planet and Sharon Shaw of Do Try This at Home. Approximate Running Order 1. Intro and Production History 2. Did I Love it? [By David Hartrick] 3. Round-table 4. Story and Character [By Daniel Floyd] 5. Thoughts from The Gonzo Community 6. Why I Love Man of Steel [By Jake Del Toro] 7. Regarding Clark [By Max Landis] 8. Downs and Ups [By Alex Shaw] 9. BONUS: The Death and Return of Superman [By Max Landis] —- #2 Read by Sharon Shaw #4 & #6 Read by Alex Shaw http://traffic.libsyn.com/gonzogaming/137._Man_of_Steel.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window |...
Digital Gonzo 135: Watchmen
Continuing our in-depth investigations into the most important big screen depictions of The Superman, this time we’re looking at the 2009 adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ seminal graphic novel, Watchmen. It contains a being of supreme power and a frightened world on the verge of self-destruction. It is also a satirical sideways glance at the otherwise ordinary people who put on masks and take to the streets to fight crime. I finally have a name for this new style. I’ve never been happy with the word “Review” to describe what we do here at Gonzo. A good critic can get a film reviewed in ten minutes. What these shows are, what they have been for years and now with the more delineated sections for focused audio articles by myself and other contributors I will, from now on be describing as… “Dynamic Analyses” I had to think up something punchy that was shorthand for ridiculously detailed and nerdy examination of every facet of a piece of media, from the viewpoint of multiple sources, and I think it fits rather well. Anyway, what better work to flex the new format to than the single most sacred cow in comic history. Who’s for steak? I kid, I kid… but seriously, we go into this one fearlessly and hold both book and film to account, whilst celebrating their strong points. Table of contents. 1. Intro 2. The Long and Winding Road to Watching Watchmen 3. Tales of the Black Freighter (Lorin Grieve) 4. A Digital Cowboy on Watchmen (Tony Atkins) 5. Round-table 1: Alternate History / Adaptation / Music 6. Four Points on Watchmen (David Hartrick) 7. Round-table 2: Cold war 8. Not Quite Watchmen (Joshua Garrity) 9. Never Read It (Matt Ramsey) 10. Time Observation 11. Round-table 3: Comedian / Rorschach 12. Silk Specter II: An Exercise in Ambivalence (Sharon Shaw) 13. Round-table 4: Dan Dreiberg / Doctor Manhattan / Ozymandias / The End 14. Walking With Giants 15. Epilogue — ——- 3. Read by Sharon Shaw 6. Read by Matt Ramsey All round-table sessions include Joshua Garrity and Sharon Shaw All other material written and read by Alex Shaw http://traffic.libsyn.com/gonzogaming/135._Watchmen.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window |...
Digital Gonzo 134: Superman Returns
I’m trying out a new format this week. Rather than the usual round-table discussion this is a series of audio articles on Superman and in particular the 2006 film Superman Returns. This is the perfect film to do this for because it’s hated by so many, liked by several, it opens up the archetypal hero for analysis in a way none of the earlier films did and it had an incredibly protracted development cycle of nigh-on twenty years. 1. Intro 2. Superman Returns: Good, Bad or Both? 3. Kryptonite 101 4. Kevin Smith on Superman Lives 5. The Non-Making of Superman 6. This is why Superman Doesn’t Work Alone 7. A Couple of Things You May Not Have Noticed 8. A Comic Fan on Superman 9. Superboy 10. The Joy of Lex 11. Lois’ Pain 12. Superman’s Return I hope you guys will find it entertaining, deep and funny. One of the benefits of this format is that it allows community members to get their views aired so that it facilitates a mix of viewpoints. I think this could potentially work a lot better than the cyclical bickering contest that contentious film reviews on podcasts sometimes become. Let us know on the forums what you think of it. Next week’s Watchmen will be in the same style. This won’t replace the standard Gonzo format, but it’s not every film lends itself to the same uniform manner of review and this is simply another approach. Chapter 2. Written by Lucas Windsor. Read by Matt Ramsey Chapter 6. Written and read by Sharon Shaw Chapter 8. Written by David Hartrick. Read by Matt Ramsey Chapter 11. Written by Alex Shaw. Read by Sharon Shaw http://traffic.libsyn.com/gonzogaming/134._Superman_Returns.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window |...
Digital Gonzo 133: Superman
[Star rating is for the first Superman movie] This is the first of five podcasts covering the Superman movies. Rather than being slavish to format and giving a show each to every single one including the many animated choices out there I have devoted my attention to the most interesting and significant portrayals of The Superman in the past three and a half decades. This episode covers all four of the Christopher Reeve films. 1978. Superman 1980. Superman II 1983. Superman III 1987. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace Next week will be Bryan Singer’s fan project, Superman Returns (2006) then Watchmen (2009), which centres around Alan Moore’s Superman analog, Doctor Manhattan. That film also got Zack Snyder directing duties on the next podcast subject, this year’s Man of Steel. We finish off with my current favourite take on the mythology, from 2008, the tale of a lonely, outcast, drunken, surly superbeing, Hancock, played with heart and humour by Will Smith. Fans of the Reeve films be aware, There are a few things I really like about these pictures and a whole heap of stuff that I don’t. There is ranting aplenty this week, and I am joined by Neil Taylor of GameBurst and Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet. http://traffic.libsyn.com/gonzogaming/133._Superman.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window |...
Digital Gonzo 89: Batman Begins
Finally we get to Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. After eight years away from cinema screens, and multiple stalled attempts at relaunching the franchise, Warner Bros knocked the Bat out of the park with the best film so far and arguably the most compelling and mature adaptation of Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego. With me for this super-serious analysis are Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse, Neil Taylor of GameBurst and KDS 2.0 and from Gonzo Planet; Sharon Shaw, Jerome McIntosh, Paul Gibson and a new voice for this series, Aquila Edwards. Many aspects are discussed and deconstructed including Christian Bale’s intense portrayal, ace cinematographer Wally Pfister’s erotic endeavours and why Hollywood on paper is a senile, avaricious old psychopath. At the end there is a rather important announcement about the imminent release of my most ambitious project to date, Batman: Breakdown. Next Week: The Dark Knight http://traffic.libsyn.com/gonzogaming/89._Batman_Begins.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window |...
Digital Gonzo 88: Batman – Arkham Asylum / Arkham City
Two of the finest games focused on a comic book hero, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are the subject of this week’s show. This is 50+ hours of content to cram into 123 minutes but my team of assembled guests are once again entirely dedicated to their art. They’re enormous and filled with secrets and we endeavour to uncover and explore some of the more intriguing aspects. We look at these cocktails of Batman history, character representation and citing the responses of FilmCritHulk the knotty situation of gender issues inherent in a small but significant percentage of one of these titles. In the Batcave; Neil Taylor of GameBurst, KDS 2.0 and Desert Island Gonzo and Jerome McIntosh and Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet. Next week: Batman Begins http://traffic.libsyn.com/gonzogaming/88._Batman_-_Arkham.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window |...
Digital Gonzo 87: Batman – Year One / Under the Red Hood / Return of the Joker
[Star rating is for Under the Red Hood] 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.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window |...
Digital Gonzo 85: Batman Forever / Batman & Robin
We’re back at the Bat! This week was going to be a pair of reviews of the 1995 film Batman Forever and the 1997 sequel; Batman & Robin, both directed by Joel Schumacher. What we found was that our problems with these films could not be separated and a great deal of the issues of the fourth Batman movie originated in the third, which usually gets off lightly as it is considered halfway watchable (we suspect because of Nicole Kidman). The truth is, I had real trouble pinning anybody down to help review this as the two are such tedious and incompetently constructed films. Everyone passed or fell ill or were otherwise engaged and frankly I don’t blame them. This was a review-set that filled me with anxiety over what to say. We know they’re a mess but the trick was how to explain why. In the end it was the Gonzo way of course; I did my homework and looked into how this odyssey of multibuggery came to pass. Gonzo Planet’s Paul ‘FlyingMuttley’ Gibson joined me for what ended up a bumper double-bill of savage critiquing. There is a special section on the making-of documentaries that has to beard to be believed. It reaches levels of self-delusion most often associated with war-criminals in denial. Next week we’re looking at one of my favourite Batman graphic novels, which I suggest you all pick up and read before listening in. It’s called ‘Hush’ and it’s perfect for both newcomers to Batman comics and old hands. The world presented is like the Arkham games or a gritter version of the Animated Series and most of your favourite characters are involved in this compelling mystery story. This is the two-volume edition of Hush on Amazon. Separate-volume editions are also available. http://traffic.libsyn.com/gonzogaming/85._Batman__Robin_Forever.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window |...
Digital Gonzo 78: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm / The Animated Series
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm [1993] This is the fourth of the Batman shows. This time we’re taking a deep dive into the absolutely underrated box-office bomb, virtually unknown by the general public, but possibly best film about Batman until the Nolan films came along; Mask of the Phantasm. By extension this allows us to talk about the Animated Series which this sprang from unexpectedly for all. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill head up the cast of relative unknowns in this melodramatic film noir which explores a key relationship at Bruce Wayne’s turning point as he assumes the cowl and cape of The Dark Knight. And in the present day he has to deal with the shadowy and murderous Phantasm as well as a rather terrifying Joker. If you like Arkham Asylum, you will recognize the voices and where that world began. Absolutely do pick this movie up and see it. The podcast has some prominent spoilers after a certain point. My guests this show are Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse, Neil Taylor of GameBurst and KDS 2.0 and Jerome McIntosh & Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet. Next; ALIENS (And when that long-running series is done we’ll be back with Batman Forever [1995] The horror… the horror… Here is a link to Mask of the Phantasm on Amazon £4.07 Once you’ve seen that and heard the podcast you may want to pick up… The first series on Amazon for a mere £5.49 http://traffic.libsyn.com/gonzogaming/78._Batman_-_Mask_of_the_Phantasm.mp3 Podcast: Play in new window |...
Love the Podcasts?
New Century
Podcast Series
DriftCon 2014
The total raised so far is:£1,412.00
If you would like to make a donation then please visit our Just Giving page which can be found here.
