PODCAST · tv
Director Showdown
by Delfinpod
Director Showdown is an idea that came about after months of intense arguments between Brent Carroll and Adam Daufen about which famous director was better: Spielberg or Kubrick? From those arguments, season one was created. Each new season pits two new directors against each other, and every other week Adam and Brent get together to make their case - sometimes with help from guests.
Episodes
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Transformers
Adam and Brent get into 'Transformers' with Delfinpod head honcho Emmanuel! They talk about what makes the action in this Michael Bay movie different from his others, other iconic franchises from the early-to-mid 2000's, and ponder why the leads of the movie had sex on top of their sentient car!...
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Sucker Punch
Adam and Brent get into Zack Snyder's audacious yet messy 2011 action film 'Sucker Punch'! They break down what works about it and what doesn't, where the disconnect might be for fully hitting on all cylinders, and what it means to make 'commentary about geek culture' and the inherent irony in...
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Bad Boys 2
Adam and Brent get into Michael Bay's Action-opus 'Bad Boys 2' with friend of the show Zach Cavender! They discuss the changes from the first movie to the second, embracing the psychotic insanity of Michael Bay's cynical worldview and the best jokes from each movie! It's a fun discussion of one…
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Watchmen
Erik Casarez is back to talk Snyder's 2nd comic book adaptation, 'Watchmen'! They get into the works of Alan Moore, what works and doesn't work in Snyder's approach to the material, and a Carla Gugino corner! Thanks so much for checking out the season so far, and make sure to recommend the show…
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Pearl Harbor
Adam and Brent break down Michael Bay's box-office hit and critical failure 'Pearl Harbor'! They get into comparisons to other epics of the time (especially Titanic), where it fails in comparison, but also ways it could've been really special. They also do their first live commentary on Brent...
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300
Adam and Brent are talking Zack Snyder’s epic follow-up to ‘Dawn of the Dead’, the adaptation of the graphic novel 300, with Sean Menard joining once again! They break down their history seeing this movie, it’s breakthroughs in VFX and the real Spartan history the movie is pulling from! They also...
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Armageddon
Sean Menard joins Adam and Brent to talk Michael Bay's Space epic 'Armageddon'! How does the movie hold up on it's 23rd anniversary (again falling on the day we recorded the episode!) How does it compare to similar twin-movie of the era 'Deep Impact', what makes this one stand out from the rest…
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Dawn of the Dead
John Casares (resident zombie expert of the pod) returns to discuss the modern day Romero adaptation 'Dawn of the Dead'! The guys get into a bit of Zack Snyder's origins in commercials and music videos, their favorite zombie movies, and where this movie falls in the huge zombie resurgence of the...
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The Rock
Adam and Brent get into the first Michael Bay film of the season with 'The Rock', recorded on the 25th anniversary of the movies release! Their friend Brian Menard returns to get into a bit of Nicolas Cage, the heavy hitting writers that worked on the script, why Ed Harris is one of our best...
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Army of the Dead
Adam and Brent kick off season 10 with Michael Bay vs Zack Snyder! Going a bit out of order to cover Snyder's recent film 'Army of the Dead', they get into what makes the movie so much fun and how it stacks up to Snyder's other movies. From here on out we're going back to the beginning of each...
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Dreams
Adam and Brent are talking Kurosawa's near-final film and pivotal magical realist exploration 'Dreams'! They get into each of the 8 vignettes, talk what works best and what doesn't, and the darkness behind Kurosawa's late-in-life world view. Beyond that, they also rank their movies discussed this...
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A Passage to India
The guys get into Lean’s final movie and penultimate episode this season, 'A Passage to India', the subversions they didn’t expect and what does/doesn’t work in execution. Brent also gives some context on the British Raj and Indian independence, areas that he definitely knew before the episode…
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Ran
Adam and Brent discuss the penultimate Kurosawa movie of the season, his 1985 King Lear adaptation 'Ran'! They talk the jarring evolution into color, 27 year gap between films, and his cynical approach to the story, drawing comparisons to Scorsese's 'The Irishman' and Miyazaki's 'The Wind Rises'!...
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Zack Snyder's Justice League
What kind of movie podcast hosted by 2 dudes would be complete without a discussion about all things Snydercut? How much is it an improvement on the mess released in theaters 4 years ago? Is it objectively good or only in relation to what we've already seen? These things and more discussed this...
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Doctor Zhivago
This week Adam and Brent are talking David Lean's sweeping romantic epic 'Doctor Zhivago'! They get into what makes the movie possibly an 'anti-epic', Omar Sharif's quiet and smoldering intensity, as well as Brent finding out what a 'gun name' is (he receives one in this episode) as well as what...
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The Hidden Fortress
Adam and Brent are talking Kurosawa once again, this week his influential film 'The Hidden Fortress'! They get into the many artists inspired by the movie, the sense of humor of it, and even get another surprise phone call from their new friend Kenneth Branagh! Brent also makes a very funny and...
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Lawrence of Arabia
Adam and Brent welcome back Brian Menard to discuss one of the most influential and impactful movies of the 20th century, 'Lawrence of Arabia'! The fellas get into some of the real history behind the events in the movie, the audacity to make a massive epic focused solely on such a strange,...
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Throne of Blood
Adam and Brent are breaking down Kurosawa's beloved Macbeth adaptation 'Throne of Blood'! They get into their history (or lack thereof) with Shakespeare's works, receive a call from a very special guest, and make a desperate appeal to the Tik Tok teens (Lets get #TarkovskyTikTok trending…
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The Bridge on the River Kwai
John Casares returns to the show this week to talk David Lean's WW2 epic 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'! The guys get into what makes the movie a classic, break down their favorite beats of the movie, and talk their favorite 'bridge' movies! They also get a little bummed that this movie would…
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Mank
Adam and Brent revisit David Fincher and talk his new movie 'Mank'! They get into the origins of the screenplay written by Fincher's dad, the history of Citizen Kane and fraught process of writing the movie, as well as the dense themes in Mank! It's one of Brent's favorite movies from 2020 and he...
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100th Episode: National Treasure
The guys decided for their 100th episode to discuss an under-appreciated franchise, National Treasure! They get into Jon Turteltaub's odd directing career, grandpa-movies as a genre, and National Treasure's bizarre place in Disney's franchise history! Also discussed is a bit about the shows…
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Seven Samurai
Adam and Brent are talking the 1954 classic 'Seven Samurai'! The fellas break down the structure of the movie, get into what makes Mifune's performance incredible, and the timeless place this movie holds in history, including the many projects it's influenced. It's one of the very best movies...
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Brief Encounter
Adam and Brent break down David Lean's underrated masterpiece 'Brief Encounter'. The guys discuss clever British writing, interiority and how it's portrayed in movies, and this movies long lasting impact on movies that would come out decades later. We think it's one of the best episodes of…
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Rashomon
Adam and Brent kick off season 9 talking Akira Kurosawa's acclaimed and influential film 'Rashomon'! The two discuss his origins as an assistant for many years, the philosophy of Rashomon's story, the power of story and narrative to shape the truth, as well as it's many influences on films for...
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Welcome to Marwen
Adam and Brent decided to close out the season with one more silly meme episode, so they took the trip to Hell (Marwen) once again! They get into Robert Zemeckis's (Bobby Z's) career, Steve Carrell's weird filmography, what makes this adaptation of the famous documentary so misguided and awkward,...
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Black Beauty
It's a special edition Equestrian-extravaganza this week as the guys and guest Amy talk Black Beauty! They get into the hot 90's trend of live-action animal movies, their favorites of that genre, horse trivia and their favorite horse breeds! If that sounds up your alley or even if it doesn't…
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Tenet
Adam and Brent are back talking Nolan with his new film 'Tenet'! Among topics discussed are the meta-narrative themes of the movie, the science behind the movies ideas and how the score helps underline the movies themes! We appreciate you being patient with us and stick around for our Dealer's...
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GOTTI
It’s our first random grab-bag bonus episode this season, and we decided to watch Kevin Connolly’s ‘Gotti’. It’s a truly awful movie that the guys had a lot of fun watching, with plenty of fun things to get into about what makes it such a badly executed riff on gangster movie tropes. There’s a…
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Jojo Rabbit
Adam and Brent welcome back season-opener Erik Casarez to the podcast to close out the season with ‘Jojo Rabbit’! The guys get into their favorite moments in the movie, what they believe Waititi’s intention to be in making it, and their final season rankings (and winner???). It’s a great one to…
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Baby Driver
Adam and Brent are once again joined by buddy Gus Kelley to talk ‘Baby Driver’! The guys get into their historical context of seeing it together (AKA Brent’s Big Piss), City Pop music from 70’s/80’s Japan, Slimepunk being an ACTUAL REAL THING and much more! Also a very deep dive into what Edgar...
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Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Adam and Brent are back from their break to talk one of Taika’s most recent films, ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’! The guys talk about what they’ve been up to, comparisons between Wilderpeople and Waititi’s ‘Boy’, a ‘Sam Neill’ corner, and what they’ve been watching in quarantine! It’s just the boys...
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Thor: Ragnarok
Adam and Brent are once-again joined by John and Delfin from ‘Countdown to Infinity’ to talk Thor: Ragnarok! The guys are back with their wealth of MCU and Marvel comics knowledge to talk one of the better MCU films. The guys get into a lot of Hollywood industry talk, the balance between making a...
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The World’s End
Brent and Adam are closing out the Cornetto trilogy with a bang, talking ‘The World’s End’ with some dynamite guests, John Casares and Emmanuel Delfin from Delfinpod! They get into the depth of ‘The World’s End’ compared to the other Cornetto films, which character they each think they are, and...
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What We Do in the Shadows
Adam and Brent are joined by David Rodriguez once again to talk Taika Waititi’s 2015 vampire mockumentary ‘What We do in the Shadows’! The guys get into favorite movies in each genre, What various attractions one could find at ‘Waititi World’ (Brent’s is a KILLER joke, one of the best of the...
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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Adam and Brent are talking Edgar Wright’s 3rd feature ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’. They get into the multiple influences that go into making a movie this weird, celebrity crushes, action directing and a brief tangent about Michael Cera’s weird career! It’s a great episode on a (still)...
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Boy
Adam and Brent are back talking about Waititi and his sophomore effort ‘Boy’! They get into why and how the movie is a drastic improvement on Eagle vs Shark (no offense to lovers of that one), how getting vulnerable and personal helps with authenticity, and Waititi as an actor as well as...
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Hot Fuzz
Adam and Brent are back talking Edgar Wright with his second film, ‘Hot Fuzz’. The guys talk the many influences of Edgar Wright’s filmmaking, dense plotting of Hot Fuzz and if they think this is low-key Edgar Wright’s best movie! Also, which country is better: New Zealand or Great Britain!?…
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Eagle vs Shark
Adam and Brent are once again joined by Erik Casarez to talk ‘Eagle vs Shark’, Taika Waititi’s debut film! The fellas talk about mid-to-late 2000’s indie films, the oddly massive impact of Napoleon Dynamite, and some of their issues with Waititi’s first film! It’s a fascinating first movie to…
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Shaun of the Dead
It’s finally time for Season 8 of Director Showdown: Edgar Wright vs. Taika Waititi, kicking things off with 2004’s ‘Shaun of the Dead’! We’re talking lighter fare this season, since the whole damn world is locked inside and quarantined. We’ve also been talking about covering comedy directors…
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Cats
Listen, you guys asked for it and here it is. Our shortest episode with a fittingly weird energy to discuss Tom Hooper’s cinematic travesty, ‘Cats’. We get into the financial loss of the movie, the indecision of any strong choices to make it something more interesting, and the inherent hubris of...
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Dealer’s Choice: Wet Hot American Summer
Adam and Brent are finally back with this seasons Dealers Choice winner ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ with Erik Casarez! It’s the first ‘good’ movie of the 4 Dealer’s Choice competitions we’ve had so far, and the fellas enjoy getting into the nitty gritty of David Wain’s cult comedy classic! The…
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Zero Dark Thirty
Adam and Brent finally wrap up season 7 with Bigelow’s acclaimed Bin Laden manhunt film ‘Zero Dark Thirty’! They get into the complicated legacy of the film, it’s depiction of torture scenes as well as the intense and realistic raid at the end of Zero Dark Thirty! Aside from that, they get into a...
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Avatar
Adam and Brent wrap up James Cameron for the season talking ‘Avatar’ with Brian Menard! It’s an episode filled with even more 2010 Oscar context, as well as discussions about the tropes of the movie and it’s many technological advancements. This one also has plenty of historical context from…
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The Hurt Locker
Adam and Brent are back talking Bigelow’s Best Picture-winner ‘The Hurt Locker’! The guys get into comparisons to both Point Break and the Safdie brothers’ Uncut Gems, the bomb sequences in the movie as well as a lot of good context for the 2010 Oscars, and the battle between Bigelow and Cameron!...
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Titanic
Adam and Brent are once again joined by Amy Kidwell to talk James Cameron’s box-office behemoth ‘Titanic’! They get into their personal histories with Titanic, it’s place in society as a huge cultural touchstone for generations, and the sexual awakenings caused by Leo DiCaprio. Some other topics...
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Strange Days
Adam and Brent are once again joined by friend David Rodriguez to discuss Kathryn Bigelow’s millenium-epic ‘Strange Days’! They talk the movies many themes, how it represents the era of late 90’s/early 2000’s , the ‘squid’ technology, and how it’s box office failure knocked her career off course...
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Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Adam and Brent are back to Cameron/Bigelow with James Camerons 1991 action classic ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’! This week, they’re joined by friends of the show Laura Banuelos and Alissa Perez! They get into their history (or lack thereof) with the franchise as a whole, middle school fashions,...
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Decade in Review: Top 10 of the 2010’s
Adam and Brent are kickstarting their return to Cameron V Bigelow with a look back with a ‘decade in review’! With 2020 quickly approaching, the guys picked their 10 favorite movies between the years 2010-2019, and count them down, talking about what they love about each one! After that, they…
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Point Break
Adam and Brent are talking 90’s action classic ‘Point Break’ with returning friend Erik Casarez! The guys get into the relationship at the center of the movie between Bodhi and Johnny Utah, as well as Keanu Corner and Swayze talk. They also introduce a new crucial segment called ‘Would Sinbad…
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Aliens
Aliens! After much talk and speculation, and a brief flirtation last season, Adam and Brent finally officially cross over with ‘Revenge of the Sequel‘ to talk Aliens! The ROTS guys add a lot of historical context on the movie and James Cameron’s career at this time, and the fellas get into their...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Director Showdown is an idea that came about after months of intense arguments between Brent Carroll and Adam Daufen about which famous director was better: Spielberg or Kubrick? From those arguments, season one was created. Each new season pits two new directors against each other, and every other week Adam and Brent get together to make their case - sometimes with help from guests.
HOSTED BY
Delfinpod
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Director Showdown have?
Director Showdown currently has 120 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Director Showdown about?
Director Showdown is an idea that came about after months of intense arguments between Brent Carroll and Adam Daufen about which famous director was better: Spielberg or Kubrick? From those arguments, season one was created. Each new season pits two new directors against each other, and every other...
How often does Director Showdown release new episodes?
Director Showdown is no longer actively publishing new episodes, but the existing catalog remains available.
Where can I listen to Director Showdown?
You can listen to Director Showdown on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening.
Who hosts Director Showdown?
Director Showdown is created and hosted by Delfinpod.
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