The School of Movies Archive

The Lego Batman Movie

[School of Movies 2017]

Bob Moviebob Chipman and Brendan Agnew join us to delve into this deconstruction of the Batman mythos. While we do talk a lot about the movie, there's a great deal of pop culture analysis, examining the disparity between the colourful crime-fighter and the 'roided-up, armoured monster. I think that approach ended up kind of appropriate, since the film itself devotes much of its running time to the same concept, making the incidental events a lot less important than what they're actually saying.

Expect a hell of a lot of fun, some moments that are more than likely to become podcast memes and the messy business of taking to task overly obnoxious DC fans.

Reference Videos:

Cracked: So You Want to be Batman / Modern American History (As Taught by Batman Movies)
Folding Ideas: Everyone Batman Kills in BVS (And Why It Matters)
We Hate Movies: Mailbag (One Ticked Off BvS Superfan)
Moviebob: Does Batman Need a New Origin
School of Movies/Gonzo Planet: How to Fix The DC Movies With Just One Superman Film
Last Week Tonight: Ferguson, MO and Police Militarization

Bob Chipman Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/moviebob1/posts
Alex Shaw Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/alexandershaw

Guests:

Bob Chipman of Geek.com

Brendan Agnew of Cinapse

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

[Digital Gonzo 2013]

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.

Guests:

Matt Ramsey of GamerDork

David Hartrick of In Bed With Maradona

The Dark Knight Rises

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

The epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s game-changing Dark Knight Trilogy. It’s definitely not as straightforward as film two in the series because many people hate this film already, and an equal amount adore every inch of it.

It’s a tricky balancing act since so much of the most well-crafted and exceptional elements have already been discussed over three and a half hours reviewing Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Neither did I want this turning into a hail of disproportionate vitriol over perceived flaws.

Guests:

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

Neil Taylor of TheKiddDogg

James Carter of Cane and Rinse

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Aquila Edwards of Eyrie City

Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet

The Dark Knight

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

Part two of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. Following the powerful set-up of Batman Begins, the production team pulled out all the stops to deliver an epic crime thriller in the style of Michael Mann’s Heat. This is a story of a city in turmoil and a police force struggling to keep order, up against the ruthless mob. At the center are Batman and The Joker, forces of nature representing order and chaos. The only hope for Gotham may in fact be the White Knight, district attorney Harvey Dent.

But you all know this, because everybody and his dog saw this movie back in 2008. I just wanted to set the scene a little. Much is discussed, especially Heath Ledger’s extraordinary performance, but not forgetting the brilliant turns from Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal and the possible career-high score from Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard.

Guests:

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

Neil Taylor of TheKiddDogg

Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Aquila Edwards of Eyrie City

Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet

Batman Begins

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

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.

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.

Guests:

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

Neil Taylor of TheKiddDogg

Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Aquila Edwards of Eyrie City

Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet

Batman: Year One + Under the Red Hood + Return of the Joker

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

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.

Guests:

Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet

James Perkins of The Digital Fix

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

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 up and see it. The show has some prominent spoilers after a certain point.

Guests:

Neil Taylor of TheKiddDogg

Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet

Batman Forever + Batman & Robin

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

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.

Guest:

Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet

Batman Returns

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

This time we’re focusing on the popular, troubled, dark, flawed and twisted sequel to Burton’s 1989 smash hit.

This was the only big-screen Catwoman until this year’s Dark Knight Rises and the only Penguin if you don’t count the 1966 Batman film or the frankly fuck-awful Catwoman (2004). It has Christopher Walken acting as himself, Michelle Pfeiffer in skin-tight vinyl, licking herself, Batman murdering three men in cold blood, a raw-fish-munching, diminutive, obese, sex-pest and many, many clowns.

Guests:

Neil Taylor of TheKiddDogg

Sharon Shaw of School of Movies

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet

Batman

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

The 1989 film. This is the second of the Batman shows. This time we’re covering one of the most successful blockbusters of its day, a movie that redefined how Hollywood handled it’s big, fantastical character pieces. It followed on from Richard Donner’s Superman (1978) as the next significant step in comic-book movies, jump-starting a series that would dominate the 90’s in the way The Man of Steel dominated the 80’s.

With a soundtrack by Prince, a starring turn from Jack Nicholson’s Joker and spectacularly 80’s sensibilities, this review gave us so much meat to chew on and remains eminently quotable. Whatever your thoughts on Tim Burton are, he handled this film very well for the age of big business, shoulder-pads and rubber suits… and of course those wonderful toys.

Guests:

Neil Taylor of TheKiddDogg

Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse

Leah Haydu of Some Other Castle

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet

 

Batman: The Movie

[Digital Gonzo 2012]

The 1966 film. This is the first of more than twenty of our shows reviewing the many many movies that have been made about The Batman, starting way back with Adam West and culminating with The Dark Knight Rises.

On the chopping block we have an extremely divisive depiction. Some will find it irritating, shallow, pointless and boring, others consider it a masterclass of camp humour. Will we manage a balanced view?

Guests:

Neil Taylor of TheKiddDogg

Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

Paul Gibson of Gonzo Planet