Talking SMAC: Superheroes, Movies, Animation & Comics

177.1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Josh and Alex are... Celebrating..? 10 years of the Hobbit trilogy releasing in theaters.
First on the menu is inarguably the best of the Hobbit Trilogy: An Unexpected Journey.
We feel older (1:09)
Casting Views promo (5:15)
How we felt about An Unexpected Journey in 2012 (5:45)
How do we feel about An Unexpected Journey now? (16:20)
The Prologue: The Fall of Erebor (19:03)
Josh takes the Dwarf name quiz (19:25)
The Shire prologue (21:00)
The tonal whiplash (24:23)
Radagast the Brown (29:12)
Is Thorin likable? (39:09)
Set ups and punchlines/When are prophecies made? (42:23)
An Unexpected thesis statement (45:01)
Gandalf’s bad at scheming (54:29)
Please remember to check out the Casting Views podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

175. Gladiator II + Wicked w/Justin Henson

Josh, Alex and Justin (FROM THE MOVIE WIRE PODCAST) discuss the legacy of Gladiator, the issues with Gladiator 2, our love of Denzel Washington, and fawn all over Wicked, while also discussing our love of theater in general
(0:21) intro & theater experiences 
(6:32) Super Familiar with the Wilson's promo 
(7:02) Gladiator 2 & Padding in Peru teaser
(9:21) Gladiator 2 full spoilers
(13:02) God bless Denzel Washington
(33:00) Smac-Rating
(34:19) Wicked review! Praise and cheers for Jon M. Cho, Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande
(1:00:32) Jeff Goldblum love
(1:02:11) Act One song frontloaded plays
(1:12:13) Smac-Rating
Please remember to check out the Super Familiar with the Wilsons podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

174. 'Sex Lives of Superheroes' Interview w/Diana McCallum (From Superheroes Network)

Josh and Alex are privileged to chat with Diana McCallum, of the From Superheroes Network, about her new book Sex Lives of Superheroes. We dive into her witty exploration of superhero relationships, the behind-the-scenes stories that inspired the book, and how it offers a hilarious deep dive into the sex lives (or lack thereof) for some of our favorite superheroes.
(0:27) Welcome to Diana
(1:55) What'cha doin', Diana? Fanfiction of 9-1-1 franchise, Bones, and more
(6:13) 'Sex lives of superheroes' inspiration and research
(15:24) What stays in, what gets left out of the book and personal opinions on Captain America's virginity
(29:35) Wolverine's immortal sperm body horror and Loki gives birth to a horse
(36:10) What in the MCU do we not want to see adapted? Marvel Zombies, The Ultimates, Spider-Man: Reign, Hydra-Steve/Secret Empire, and vending machines
(46:42) Surprises & fun while writing the book
(52:22) DC comic/movie speculation, our love of Batman and which Robins we don't like. 
(1:05:53) Wrap up
Please remember to join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

172. Agatha All Along Review

Get ready to close out spooky season with the surprising Wandavision spinoff Agatha All Along series on Disney+. 
Josh gets a scam call (0:25)
The tangents begin: Inside Man, an underrated heist movie (3:44)
Introductions to the episode finally happen (4:48)
Movie Wire promo (5:42)
Agatha All Along; the show we didn't know we wanted (5:59)
Skaar Wars (15:02)
Kristen Anderson & Robert Lopez filmography and achievements (17:14)
*SPOILERS* How does Agatha All Along fit into the MCU?  (21:11)
Please remember to check out the Movie Wire podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

171. Venom: The Last Dance Review

Josh & Matt break down Venom: The Last Dance, the last(?) chapter in the Sony's lone successful non-Spider-Man Spider-Man franchise.
The guys discuss the the franchise as a whole, the impact of Knull in the movie and the fan service moments that stood out most. Is Venom 3 a must-see or pass? Hit that play button and find out! 
Intro (0:00)
I Hate It. Let's Watch It promo (3:58)
Matt likes Riverdale and Josh's most useless fact (4:27)
Thoughts and opinions on Venom as a character (6:24)
What the Venom franchise means to Talking SMAC (11:29)
Venom: The Last Dance Non-Spoiler Review (14:22)
Spoiler Review (16:35)
Eddie's Bare Foot Subplot (22:13)
Juno Temple's in this movie! (25:24)
How the Studios Interfere with the Storytelling of the Venom Movies (32:03)
Venom 3 is Loaded with Borrowed/Stolen Ideas (33:37)
Josh's Theory About Where Sony's Non-Spider-Man Movies are Going (40:11)
Josh gets his mind blown by the weekend box office (48:58)
There are how many symbiotes in this movie!? (51:57)
We finally talk about the hippy family (57:34)
That time Venom said "Fu*k it. I gotta dance!" (1:02:15)
 The plot is weightless (1:05:26)
The finale of Venom 3 (1:07:44)
Was Venom: The Last Dance fun? (1:09:46)
The SMAC rating: Must-See or Pass? (1:15:31)
Let's Get Outta Here! (1:17:01)
Please remember to check out the I Hate It. Let's Watch It podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

170. 2014 Was 10 Years Ago?!

Josh & Alex turn the dial back to the year 2014, a year packed with cinematic gems! From indie classics like Whiplash and Birdman to blockbuster hits like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The LEGO Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy and How to Train Your Dragon 2, we’ll dive into the films that defined the year and explore why 2014 remains a standout in modern cinema.
You can find the YouTube version of this episode here
Please remember to join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

169. Hollywood Learned the Wrong Lessons from John Wick

Alex & Justin discuss their views on how Hollywood may have learned the wrong lessons from the success of the John Wick franchise.
We explore how studios have focused on replicating the stylized violence and action, while overlooking the importance of world-building, character depth, and storytelling that made the John Wick movies stand out. 
(0:01) 3-year return of TalkingSmac!
(1:38) Cultworthy promo
(1:58) Hollywood's history of copycat success: The Matrix, buddy comedies, rom-coms, superheroes, Jason Bourne
(4:04) Marvel didn't copy the action, but Extraction, Nobody, Violent Night, and others did.
(10:14) Needing emotional connections; Jackie Chan's method of building a fight scene
(14:08) Relatability of heroes and losing that connection: Die Hard, etc
(21:49) John McTiernan, Shane Black: letting writers have passion for a project
(26:00) We need heroes that fail: suffer injuries, lose battles, have problems, and feel vulnerable
(33:56) Hopes for Ballerina: Ana De Armas and future movies
Please remember to join our Discord and check out our merch store! 

168. 10 Years of John Wick

Continuing their retrospective on the stacked year in movies that was 2014, Josh & Alex discuss the 10-year anniversary of John Wick, the 2014 action thriller that reinvigorated Keanu Reeves' career.
We break down the film's intense choreography, its world-building, and the legacy it created in action cinema. Tune in as we revisit the birth of an iconic franchise
(0:01) John Wick returns to theaters, because of Josh
(1:49) Casting Views promo
(2:22) First impressions of John Wick and Keanu's career between Matrix and John Wick, including Key & Peele's 2016 'Keanu'
(8:17) Wick's impressive cast: Michael Nyqvist, Lance Reddick, Willem Dafoe, John Leguizamo, Adrianne Palicki, Alfie Allen, Bridget Moynahan, Dean winters
(13:17) In which we agree with John Wick, how dare you harm a puppy
(20:12) Dean Winter's Mayhem, Flo from Progressive & the Geico Cavemen
(23:44) Action sequences galore & world building
(33:30) Keanu's speech and 'Something's Got to Give' acting praise
(44:00) Does the High Table offer retirement plans?
(47:19) Wrap up
Please remember to check out the Game Club Pod podcast, join our Discord and check out our merch store!