Biopics (Mostly) Suck Podcast

Episodes

1. 34

   Another Hiatus

   We all need a break now and then. We're taking one. For how long? Time will only tell.

   Jul 3, 2023

   1m
2. 33

   The Falcon and the Snowman

   Christopher Boyce was a straight A student. Then he met a fellow alter boy by the name of Andrew Daulton Lee. They smoked dope, flew falcons, and sold American military secrets to the Soviet government.​ ​But, that's only half the story. ​In this episode of Biopics (Mostly) Suck, we are going to...

   May 1, 2023

   1h 25m
3. 32

   War Dogs

   Stop me if you have heard this one before.​ ​Two twenty-something guys are international arms dealers and sell weapons to the US government. They do well at it, until they don't. Ok, that is the plot of the movie "War Dogs", but what really happened would be a movie more suited to a complex...

   Mar 1, 2023

   1h 21m
4. 31

   Loving

   Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter love each other. They got married, but cannot live as a married couple in Virginia, even though Virginia is for lovers. Why? He is white, and she is black. Or is she Indian? If she were Indian, the law says it would OK for her to be married to a white man in...

   Dec 31, 2022

   1h 32m
5. 30

   Tidbits And Pieces: Volume One

   It's time for a clip show!​ ​With 25 shows under our belts, and great cohorts like John and Dawn, we have discussions that have not seen the light of day. Now is the time! We will talk about what is the better baseball film - Moneyball or Bull Durham. We will finally hear what John thought of the...

   Apr 4, 2022

   1h 00m
6. 29

   Amadeus

   Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart was a prolific genius who has inspired people for centuries. I think we can count the movie "Amadus" in that tally, because Mozart's story (and the rumors of Salieri killing Mozart), inspired screenwriter Peter Schaffer to craft a brilliant play which inspired Milos…

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   Mar 7, 2022

   1h 21m
7. 28

   Moneyball

   Billy Beane brought sabermetrics to baseball. Well, at least according to the movie "Moneyball". Questions: If baseball is a game that has always been steeped in statistics? Why are statistics now controversial? ​ Has sabermetrics changed the game of baseball? Who did Aaron Sorkin throw under the...

   Feb 7, 2022

   1h 23m
8. 27

   Bernie

   Bernie Tiede was a killer who took advantage of an old, lonely woman. Or, did he provide a public service? Why did the director of this movie advocate for Tiede's release from prison? Why did Jack Black jump on board? ​The true story of this movie based on a true story really takes place after…

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   Jan 3, 2022

   1h 05m
9. 26

   The Trial Of The Chicago 7 - Part Two

   Aaron Sorkin is back with all his Sorkin-y traits: complete with impassioned monolouges and strange asides. It's not the first movie based on a true story he has done (we talked about "Molly's Game" a couple of episodes ago), but the question is, did he do justice to the true story of the Chicago...

   Apr 26, 2021

   49m
10. 25

    The Trial Of The Chicago 7 - Part One

    Aaron Sorkin is back with all his Sorkin-y traits: complete with impassioned monologues and strange asides. It's not the first movie based on a true story he has done (we talked about "Molly's Game" a couple of episodes ago), but the question is, did he do justice to the true story of the Chicago...

    Apr 22, 2021

    1h 05m
11. 24

    We Are Going On Hiatus

    Everyone needs a break now and then. After 21 episodes, it is time to rethink our approach to making this podcast. Enjoy what we have made and we will be back soon. Keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the handle @MostlySuck. Be sure to visit our website at...

    Feb 18, 2021

    5m
12. 23

    Talk To Me

    Petey Green was a drunk, and ex-con, a radio and television show host, a social advocate, and a voice of the Washington DC black community. If you don't know about Petey Green, you will be a fan once you listen to this episode. But, what did the filmmakers leave out? It was the very thing that...

    Jan 20, 2021

    1h 20m
13. 22

    Molly's Game

    Molly Bloom ​fell out of pursuing skiing as a profession and fell into running high stakes card games in Los Angeles. The celebrities that would attend were a means to attract players with money to lose. She ran a good game until the wheels fell off of the bus. There was the time she took a stake...

    Jan 7, 2021

    1h 13m
14. 21

    The Imitation Game

    Alan Turing should be hailed as an international hero. Instead, he was castrated by his government for being gay. He played a key role in decoding messages from the Nazi's during World War II, and by some estimates, shortened that war by two years and saved millions of lives with his genius.​…

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    Nov 19, 2020

    1h 10m
15. 20

    Dog Day Afternoon

    What would you do for the person you love? Would you give them something you don't want them to have? Would you rob a bank for them? Would you kill for them?​ ​"Dog Day Afternoon" is about the bank robbery, but it is wrapped up in the Gay Liberation movement that was kicked off just a few years...

    Nov 5, 2020

    1h 02m
16. 19

    Never Cry Wolf

    One of my favorite films that few people have heard of is this achingly beautiful story about a man who studies wolves in the arctic. The themes are complex, the actors are brilliant, and the film is unique in its depiction of man and nature. ​ ​While this movie is based on the book that is based...

    Oct 15, 2020

    1h 06m
17. 18

    Howl - Part Two

    The Beats. Iconoclastic representations of freedom. Romanticized. Criticized. Eulogized. But, what did it mean to be a Beat? ​"Howl" does not tell you because it is a biography of a poem. A poem that exercised the freedom of spoken word and thought. A poem that reinforced that same freedom as the...

    Oct 1, 2020

    47m
18. 17

    Howl - Part One

    The Beats. Iconoclastic representations of freedom. Romanticized. Criticized. Eulogized. But, what did it mean to be a Beat? "Howl" does not tell you because it is a biography of a poem. A poem that exercised the freedom of spoken word and thought. A poem that reinforced that same freedom as the...

    Sep 17, 2020

    53m
19. 16

    Norma Rae

    What do you know about "Norma Rae"? I mean, aside from the five second clip which is shown at the Oscars every year of Sally Field standing on top​ of a table holding a sign that says "UNION". ​ Did you know she was a real person? Did you know that the movie helped union efforts in the United...

    Sep 3, 2020

    1h 09m
20. 15

    I Should Have Hit Record

    What happens when you plan a great episode and forget to hit the record button? You end up with no episodes to release and a date coming up quick. What to do, what to do. I know! Let's do a personal journey episode. If I ever use the term "influencer" please put me out of my misery.​

    Aug 20, 2020

    16m
21. 14

    The Informant!

    What happens when a ​true story about corporate greed and mental illness become a comedic film? The answer is a lot of great things. But, what happens when you talk about what really happened? It turns out that it is not as funny anymore, and I think I ruined the film for John. Join us as we talk...

    Aug 6, 2020

    1h 21m
22. 13

    A Coal Miner's Daughter

    This is one of those movies which you are always told is great, but you never get around to seeing it. To tell you the truth, if it had not been for Lolita, I don't think I ever would have seen this film. And, I would have missed out on what is probably the biopic that sets the bar for all other...

    Jul 16, 2020

    49m
23. 12

    Frost-Nixon

    Did David Frost "get" Richard Nixon to apologize to the American people for Watergate? Was it a winner-take-all situation? How did checkbook journalism play into the Nixon/Frost Interviews? Rob is joined by John Helix and Dawn to talk about the true story behind "Frost/Nixon".​ Will they be...

    Jul 2, 2020

    53m
24. 11

    iTonya

    What happens when you don't come from the right stock?​ What happens when you aren't accepted? Do you rebel? Do you succeed? Do you whack a fellow skater on the knee? Maybe not. ​"iTonya" is the brilliant movie about the life of Tonya Harding. The things that are true in this movie will surprise...

    Jun 18, 2020

    1h 02m
25. 10

    Hidden Figures

    What a surprise to see a piece of history that has never been brought to the forefront. "Hidden Figures" is an enjoyable, feel-good film, but does it provide the tribute the filmmakers intended? Listen as Rob and John talk about White Savior Trope and white privilege in an episode that is topical...

    Jun 4, 2020

    1h 00m
26. 9

    The End Of The Tour

    What happens when a writer becomes a public figure? How much of yourself should you have to give to the rest of the world, just because you wrote a book? Can you trust that a reporter will present the person you are? ​ These are the questions that David Foster Wallace wrestled with when his book,...

    May 21, 2020

    42m
27. 8

    Raging Bull

    Jake La Motta was a monster. But is there a value to having monsters like him in our society? Rob will talk about that, and much more with his guest, musician John Helix. as we gain some insight into the mind of a boxer.

    May 7, 2020

    45m
28. 7

    Saving Mr. Banks

    P.L. Travers was a fascinating and flawed woman who stood on her own. Walt Disney was a man who knew what he wanted, and he knew how to get it. Is "Saving Mr. Banks" the story of a woman who has a cathartic experience and comes to terms with issues with her father, or is it about a woman who is...

    Apr 16, 2020

    1h 04m
29. 6

    Tag

    Do grown men really play a game of tag? Do they really break into each others' homes to tag each other. Do they let girls play?​ ​ In the spirit of tag, John and Dawn will visit the podcast to talk about men playing a children's game and why Isla Fisher is inspiring and scary at the same time.​

    Apr 2, 2020

    34m
30. 5

    Trailer - 2020

    Trailer for the 2020 season of Biopics (Mostly) Suck.

    Mar 28, 2020

    1m
31. 4

    Cadillac Records

    Chess Records in Chicago is influential in the world of rock and blues music. The artists that came out of this label include Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Willie Dixon and Etta James. ​ ​Chicagoland blues musician Joel Tarpinian joins me for this episode to talk about…

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    Oct 8, 2019

    1h 05m
32. 3

    Rocketman

    Yes, another biopic about a British rock star in the 70's. And, it's a musical!. Join us as John Helix and I talk about the life of Elton John and how it compares to the movie, "Rocketman". We'll also find out why John won't see the movie. And. we discover the life of Long John Baldry. Who's…

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    Sep 18, 2019

    1h 21m
33. 2

    The Doors

    Jim Morrison. Poet. Rock Star. Icon.​ ​In Oliver Stone's movie, "The Doors", a version of Morrison is shown to us. Is this the real Jim? Are we really seeing Oliver? Rob and his guest, John Helix break down what is true and false in this movie about excess as they provide rarely heard details of...

    Jun 5, 2019

    1h 24m
34. 1

    Bohemian Rhapsody

    "Bohemian Rhapsody" is the story of Freddie Mercury and the rock band Queen. How much of the true story is in this movie based on a true story? Join me and my friend, John Helix, San Diego area singer and songwriter, as we talk about the movie and the facts.

    May 22, 2019

    1h 06m