After the initial wave of Avengers film, people started wishing that Marvel had the Fantastic Four film rights, so that they could apply the same MCU formula to the first family in comics. Years later, Disney obtained those rights as part of their overall acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Fantastic Four: First Steps is the result. For this episode we dive deep into the story. We talk about the characters, the choices that were made in the depictions, and how we feel those resonate. We debate some of the story decisions and how well those worked for us. We discuss whether origin stories are necessary, the pros and cons of shorter films, and how we think that this movie will fit into the overall MCU storyline. Give it a listen and let us know what you think!
This week’s Five-Minute Controversy asks what we think of Nintendo’s unasked for announcement that Peach and Mario are not a couple but just “very good friends”.
This week Stephen, Michael, and Page join the cast.
Show Notes:
Nintendo says Peach and Mario are “just good friends”
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We discussed the Gargoyles in episode 265, but there was such interest in this topic that we had to do it again. Many years ago someone told Nathan that men and women view Gargoyles differently, but would not explain to him how, so we decided to do an experiment. Last time the women told us what they thought of Gargoyles. This time the men speak. Along the way we discuss favorite characters, favorite stories, and what makes Gargoyles unique and interesting. We also talk about the proposed live action reboot of Gargoyles and what we think of the idea. We get a lot of data, and we want to know from YOU if you think that our two panels view Gargoyles differently and what you think that is.
Star Trek: Discovery completed its course after a five-year mission spanning CBS All Access and Paramount Plus. It was the first of the “new” Trek series and spawned its share of controversies as well as accolades. In this episode we review the fifth and final season of the series. We talk about the quest plotline and how we feel about the payoff. We discuss the utilization of the characters and whether we felt that they were used fittingly. We also get into the coda scene and whether we felt that it was a fitting ending for the series. Along the way we talk about lore expansions, narrative payoffs, and Discovery’s main achievements and failures.
In this episode we go to Chicago TARDIS 2024 to present you with an interview discussion with Jan Chappell and Brian Croucher who played Cally and Travis in the TV series, Blake’s 7. The duo discuss convention memories, why they think that interest remains in the series, what they enjoyed about their characters, whether romances existed, thoughts on how their series relates to Doctor Who and so much more.
Phase Five of the MCU completed this year. The phase was unique in that it had more content than prior Marvel phases. In this episode we take a deep dive on Phase Five. We discuss our favorite parts of this portion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We debate the perceived drop in quality among fandom and whether we think that there’s any merit to those arguments. We also discuss where these arguments are coming from. We also give our opinions on what we know is coming in Phase Six as well as speculate on what we think is coming that hasn’t been announced yet. 
Screen Reads is back to discuss another film and compare it to the comics that form its roots. In this installment we delve into the 2003 movie Daredevil and compare it to issues 173-184 of the Daredevil comic as well as the director’s cut of the film. We talk about the differences between the director’s cut and theatrical editions and what we thought worked better in each. We debate what elements we think could have been changed and what worked better. We get into the Daredevil issues and talk about the quality of the story as well as how it was used to inform the choices of the movie. We also give our opinions of the cast performances and various elements of the film. 
Gargoyles debuted in 1994 as part of the Disney Afternoon – a programming block of Disney Animation aimed at children just getting out of school. The series provided complex multi-episode stories with complex characters that was rare for children’s animation. In this episode we take a look back at Gargoyles from a female perspective. We discuss the complexities of the stories and the most impactful moments. We talk about our favorite characters and the phenomenal vocal work that went into them. We also delve into the mythologies and stories that were used as the basis for so much of the series. We end with discussions of Gargoyles in other media and if we’d ever like to see a live-action film version of the series. 
Ironheart was the final installment of Marvel’s Phase Five. Delayed and extended by Covid as well as the writer’s and actor’s strikes, Phase Five of Marvel felt like it took significantly longer to complete than the previous phases. In this episode we review the character of Ironheart. We talk about what we each knew about the character before this and how Black Panther: Wakanda Forever handled the introduction of her character. We examine her place in the world and how the series handles her race, gender, socio-economic status, and her potential. We discuss her motivations and how her background informs her decisions. We also talk about the series’ endpoint and whether or not we each feel that it’s fitting for the character and satisfying narratively. Along the way we get into street-level magic, villainous vibes, making iron suits overnight in a garage, and the culmination of something fans have been screaming for since 2021. 
Doctor Who continues to light up our television screens after sixty-two years. In all those years there have been periodic discussions within fandom over whether a particular story or time period within the series is sexist or even if Doctor Who as a whole has sexist undertones. In recent years, the charge has come that Doctor Who’s classic decades are much more sexist than its newer iteration. In this episode we take a look at Doctor Who from the beginning in 1963 to now. We discuss various aspects of the series and whether we consider those to be sexist. We also compare the classic series to the new series and debate how the series stacks up on this topic now versus then. 
The film, Spartacus, is an epic story released in 1960. Starring Kirk Douglas and directed by Stanley Kubrick, the film boasts a star-studded cast and beautifully filmed scenes in Super Technirama 70, which recorded 6K of resolution and making it ideal for display on the modern Ultra High Definition (4K) TV’s that we have today. In this episode we discuss the details of the film. We talk about the preservation of the film as well as the skill of the shots and direction. We discuss the characters and their motivations and what we feel that they mean to us today. We also get into the themes of the movie and how we think that they resonate now as well as what they may have meant at the time. Along the way we also get into censorship in film, the legacy of the movie, and whether or not we think that this is worth watching by modern audiences. 
