Episodes
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Tardis Tropes 60th Anniversary Specials: Wild Blue Yonder
Recap and discussion of Part 2 of the RTD 2 Doctor Who specials, now available on iPlayer or Disney+
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Tardis Tropes 60th Anniversary Specials: The Star Beast
Recap and discussion of Part 1 of the RTD2 Specials, now available on iPlayer and Disney+
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Tardis Tropes: Power of the Doctor Recap
*SPOILERS* Happy Halloween everybody, it's the much anticipated finale of Chris Chibnall's final season of Doctor Who! What do you think of Yaz, the Doctor, and Chris's exit? Tweet at us @talkingtropes and keep an eye out for more Tardis Tropes content as we wait for the60th anniversary.
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Tardis Tropes: Legend of the Sea Devils Recap and Review
It's Chris Chibnall's last episode before the Centenary special and his final farewell. It's a pirate-themed adventure set in Qing dynasty China with a returning baddie, THE SEA DEVILS! In some ways, it's exactly what you'd expect from a Chibnall episode, but in other ways, it is WORSE. Listen to...
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Stanning Stanley Tucci in... Big Night (1996)
This is the BIG ONE! If you only listen to one episode of Stanning Stanley Tucci, pick this one. Tucci's directorial and screenwriting debut, Big Night (1996). Co-starring Tony Shalhoub, we recap the real Italian-American story of two brothers trying to save their restaurant from the brink of...
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Talking Tropes 73: Comets and Commentary in Don't Look Up
In this episode, we take a look at the controversy surrounding Netflix's Don't Look Up. One of us liked it! We also look at the history of the Doomsday Comet trope in film and television. Armageddon, Deep Impact and more comedic fare like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. Is doomsday…
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Stanning Stanley Tucci in... Somebody to Love (1994)
Tucci reunites with indie director Alexandre Rockwell to do a little character acting with Rosie Perez. Somebody to Love is a boring title, but is there some hidden artistry here? Or is this just an American take on a Fellini film that sacrifices the New Wave aesthetic?
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Stanning Stanley Tucci in... Sex & The Other Man (1995)
An obscure art-house film starring Tucci, who spends most of the movie bound and gagged. It ultimately fails to deliver on the psychosexual stage-play aesthetic and just comes across as if someone adapted a porno for the festival circuit. But Tucci is still good in it! Tweet at us @talkingTropes…
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Tardis Tropes: Eve of the Daleks Recap and Review
Am I feeling some déjà vu? I feel like I'm in a time loop reviewing another Chris Chibnall Dalek episode on New Year's Day 2022. This time Chibnall seems to have hit his mark with memorable characters and a fun time looping premise, but a beat-by-beat recap reveals that none of it actually makes...
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Talking Tropes 72: The Matrix into the Metaverse
First episode of the new year has us asking, What is Real? A little bit of Baudrillard and The Matrix: Resurrections help us understand why Facebook is now called Meta and why our reality is becoming harder to distinguish from virtual reality. Let's trace the history of the Metaverse to its…
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Stanning Stanley Tucci in... Kiss of Death (1994)
Tucci plays a crooked Assistant DA in this remake of a 1940s mob movie. Joined once again by Nicolas Cage, and now by college classmate Ving Rhames, Tucci gives a fantastic dramatic performance while eating a hot dog. In Tucci News, we read selections from Tucci's September feature in an…
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Tardis Tropes Flux Finale
It's the finale of the Flux and what an awfully dull adventure it all was. Are any secrets revealed in this big finale? No? Well you should listen to us talk about it anyway.
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Tardis Tropes Flux 3: Angels and Exposition
It's a spoiler-filled recap of the penultimate episodes of Doctor Who: Flux. Village of the Angels and Survivors of the Flux continue a trend of alternating straightforward monster episodes and convoluted multi-plot episodes. Secrets are revealed but are any of them satisfying? What does the...
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Talking Tropes 71: Blondes have more Tropes
Hope you had a good Thanksgiving! This week, we look at some classic American tropes related to hair color. Do Gentlemen Prefer Blondes? Do they have more fun? Is there a darker side to the trope of the dumb blonde? Let's find out. You can watch our video podcast here…
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Tardis Tropes Flux 2: Sontarans and The Planet Time
Wahoo! Flux is actually living up to the hype with two completely different episodes with wildly different tones and plot structure! Sontarans riding horseback and whacky time shenanigans galore in this recap of the second and third episodes of Series 13 of Doctor Who.
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Stanning Stanley Tucci In... Jury Duty (1995)
Pauly Shore, master of the deeply unfunny, brings us the worst Stanley Tucci film so far, as we continue to review Tucci's entire IMDb history. A bizarre mish-mash of 12 Angry Men and Bio-Dome, Jury Duty (1995) gives Tucci a chance to shine in an otherwise forgettable "comedy." In Tucci news, we...
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Tardis Tropes Flux: The Halloween Apocalypse
Tardis Tropes is back with more Doctor Who recaps and discussion. This week we have a bizarre series premiere and Halloween Special. Doctor Who Flux episode 1: The Halloween Apocalypse features Dog Man, Crystal Skull Man, Weeping Angels, Sontarans and Liverpudlians. Plenty to talk about and…
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Talking Tropes 70: Trickster Treat, it's a Jungian Halloween Special!
Trick or trope! Talking Tropes is back with a Halloween episode about tricksters. Trickster Gods like Loki and Maui, trickster animals like Bugs Bunny and Br’er Rabbit, Clowns, and the devils and demons that trick mortals out of their souls! Could this figure represent something essential about...
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Stanning Stanley Tucci In... It Could Happen To You (1994)
Tucci plays a deadbeat, pathological liar, ex-husband to a waitress who gets a surprise tip of 2 million dollars from Nic Cage, who plays a lottery winner and the greatest cop in NYC. Is this movie Tucci's most naked role? Literally? And is it a hidden gem or a piece of propaganda for the New…
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Talking Tropes 69: Mahou Shoujo, a History of Transformation
With special guest Sarah, we deconstruct the Magical Girl genre of anime and manga, briefly recapping the history and evolution of tropes and analyzing the role it has played in changing perceptions of gender and femininity over the years. Do Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura commodify the female...
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Stanning Stanley Tucci In... Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994)
Gather round the Algonquin Round Table, for an intellectual conversation about the lives of New Yorker columnists in the 1920s. Tucci has a brief cameo in this biopic starring Jennifer Jason Leigh as Dorothy Parker and Tucci's good friend Campbell Scott as her love interest Robert Benchley. And…
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Talking Tropes 68: Space Jams - Todorov, the Uncanny, and the Fantastic
This week, we share our weirdest, most out-there takes on Space Jam, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and their obvious predecessor Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Is it worth looking at these artifacts as more than just marketing tools for Warner Bros' most durable IP? Did A New Legacy change the genre of…
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Stanning Stanley Tucci in... The Pelican Brief (1993)
Tucci serves up some LOOKS in a John Grisham thriller as Khamel, a "middle eastern" assassin-for-hire. No he doesn't kill any pelicans. Is this the film where Tucci hit the mainstream? Find out on another Stanning Stanley Tucci! Tweet at us if you'd like to be a guest STAN on a future podcast...
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Talking Tropes 67: Jane Austen Tropes and Hollywood Sensibilities
Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma are novels so deeply rooted in the values and ideas of Regency England (c. 1811 – 1820) that it seems impossible to adapt them to our modern "Sensibilities" (pun intended). Yet, Hollywood has produced several Austen adaptations set in the turn…
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Stanning Stanley Tucci in... Undercover Blues (1993)
The Tooch plays Muerte, a buffoonish and stereotypical latino criminal who wants revenge on CIA agent Jeff Blue and his wife Jane for humiliating him in an attempted mugging. Tucci said of the role at the time that this was the most physically demanding film he had ever worked on, and the only…
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TT Mini 8: Luca and the Power of Subtext
There's nothing about Luca that we dislike! Let's look at this simple yet powerful story of young love and being yourself...in the context of a censorship regime focused on producing inoffensive films with global appeal while at the same time appealing to progressive, queer-friendly audiences....
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Talking Tropes 66: Independence Day vs Mars Attacks
In a special 4th of July episode, we compare two notable examples of Aliens invading America in the immediate aftermath of the cold war. How do these stories compare to the cold war-era films they draw from? Tweet at us @TalkingTropes to share your favorite alien invasion story
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Stanning Stanley Tucci in... The Public Eye (1992)
We continue to watch every Stanley Tucci IMDb credit. This week, Tucci plays a mobster in a neo-noir character drama starring Joe Pesci. Is this the hidden gem of the 90s mob movies you NEED to see? Also, we read a review of Tucci's food tourism show by a true Tucci stan from The Guardian, Stuart...
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Talking Tropes 65: Sit-Com Reunions, HBO Max, and Nostalgia
Cast reunions became a ubiquitous cultural form during the Covid-19 pandemic. Because of the shutdown of in-person production, actors had even more free time and fewer resources than during writers’ strikes. Zoom became a popular way to organize charity events and look back fondly on the network...
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Stanning Stanley Tucci in... Beethoven (1992)
Tucci the dognapper? It's a timely follow-up to our Cruella review, where we talk about how much we love Stanley Tucci in Beethoven, starring a St. Bernard and Charles Grodin as they butt heads to see who is the alpha of the Newton household! The audio quality might be a bit lower because we had…
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Talking Tropes 64: Cruella and the Villain Origin
The latest round of reboots, remakes, and retellings have taken on a new trend of villain origin stories or "villagins." What can we learn from the popularity of this trope in just the last five years? Does it say something about the role of trauma in media, the joys of cruelty and revenge, our...
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Stanning Stanley Tucci in... In the Soup (1992)
It's another recap of an obscure Stanley Tucci IMDB credit! Here we continue the chronicles of Tucci's long time collaboration with Steve Buscemi in one of Steve's first starring roles. This Sundance-winning art film depicts the absurdist vision of a filmmaker named Adolfo and his con-man...
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Stanning Stanley Tucci in...Prelude to a Kiss (1992)
We continue to watch every Stan Tucci credit on IMDB. This week its a bizarre body-swapping romantic drama, Prelude to a Kiss starring Meg Ryan and a young Alec Baldwin who played the same role in the stage production. Tucci plays "Tay," Baldwin's best man and confidant, who perhaps has some...
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TT Mini 7: Sierra Burgess vs. The Half of it
We don't have a full episode this week. As a continuation of our conversation about Netflix Rom-coms, Hannah and I talk about the two Cyrano De Bergerac teen romantic comedy adaptations that are on Netflix right now. Why is Sierra Burgess seen as a trashy story about catfishing where The Half of…
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Talking Tropes 63: Transphobic Body-Swapping in Behind Her Eyes
Behind Her Eyes is a 2021 Netflix series starring Simona Brown, Eve Hewson and Tom Bateman. It's a romantic thriller that ends with a twist, Adele (Hewson) turns out to be a body swapper and DOUBLE-TWIST, her real name is Rob and she's a MAN! With special guest Talia Paone (@thepizzataco), we…
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Stanning Stanley Tucci 11: Billy Bathgate (1991)
We continue to Stan our favorite Tucci and watch every movie listed on his IMDB page. This week it's Billy Bathgate starring Dustin Hoffman and Nicole Kidman. Based on the historical fiction novel by E.L. Doctorow, Tucci doesn't even show up until an hour in! But could his role as "Lucky" Luciano...
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Talking Tropes 62: Sidekick Graduations Stick in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
What happens when a Sidekick is all grown up? The Superhero passes the torch, or some kind of baton or stick and the Sidekick becomes the new Superhero. On another Talking Tropes podcast, we discuss Marvel's reckoning with Captain America's legacy as they pass the Sidekick Graduations Stick from...
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Stanning Stanley Tucci 10: Men of Respect (1990)
In our continuing series, we continue to watch every Stanley Tucci IMDB credit in order. This week, it's Macbeth but with Italian mobsters! With an all-star cast of underrated character actors including Dennis Farina, Peter Boyle, and John Turturro, what could go wrong? If you want to be a guest...
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Talking Tropes 61: Netflix and the Teen Rom-Com
Tropes and clichés abound in this particular Netflix genre. What started the trend of releasing these Teen romantic comedies exclusively on Netflix? What marketing and development strategies led to the recent success of The Kissing Booth and To All the Boys as franchise films? Besides Noah…
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Stanning Stanley Tucci 9: Thirtysomething (1990)
It's like Mad Men but in the 90s, check out Stanley Tucci playing his first non-criminal non-cop TV character. Tucci plays ad agency middle-manager Karl Draconis who hectors Michael Steadman on his terrible advertising ideas. Who will win in this battle of corporate acuity and marketing savvy? We...
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Talking Tropes 60: Zack Snyder's Tom and Jerry
Finally Tom and Jerry can be watched in its four-hour hyper-violent glory! Can Jerry resurrect Superman before Tom gathers the infinity stone/allspark/motherboxes and destroys the world? We recap all the differences between the Joss Whedon cut and the Snyder Cut of the HBO Max tent-pole...
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Tardis Tropes: Revolution of the Daleks Recap/Reaction
Three Whovians (does anyone still use that term?) take a nuanced look at the new Doctor Who New Year's Special of 2021, Revolution of the Daleks, written by the inconsistently terrible Chris Chibnall. Is this his best episode yet? Watch the Video Podcast here https://youtu.be/JEWY4MqI06Q Tweet us...
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Talking Tropes 59: Doctor Who Christmas Specials Ranked
Three friends rank all the Doctor Who Christmas Specials and grade them on Christmas-ness and Englishness. Watch to the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/VDa4xgjjTmw Tweet us your least favorite Doctor Who specials @talkingtropes
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Stanning Stanley Tucci 8: Wiseguy
Two cousins continue to watch every Stanley Tucci IMDB credit. In Wiseguy (1989), a CBS crime drama, Tucci plays Ricky Pinzolo, a crime boss in the Garment district on 7th Ave. NYC. He tries to defraud and acquire the business of one Eli Sternberg, a Jewish businessman played by none other than...
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Talking Tropes 58: Hanukkah Episodes
We watch all the Hanukkah or Chanukah episodes and specials we could find. Let's talk about why these token Jewish episodes feel so empty and why they have been crushed by the overwhelming volume of Hallmark Christmas Specials. Watch to the Video Podcast at https://youtu.be/t3qD3mpLM70 Tweet us...
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Stanning Stanley Tucci 7: Fear, Anxiety, and Depression (1989)
We're still watching every Stanley Tucci IMDB credit, and this time we have special guests Mac and Max from YouTube's "Under the Influence" Podcast to discuss one of their favorite filmmakers, Todd Solondz's first film and Tucci's biggest film role at the time: Fear, Anxiety, and Depression. This...
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Stanning Stanley Tucci 6: Quick Change (1990)
Why so serious? Why not listen to us recap a comedy clown bank robbery movie featuring Stanley Tucci, who continues to be typecast as the most interesting mafioso in the room. Sure, Quick Change is forgettable trash, but this is Tucci's first interaction with Tony Shalhoub! Watch the video…
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Talking Tropes 57.5: Thanks-Gibbs-ing Part 2, NCIS: New Orleans
Let's finish up our festive Thanksgiving special episode by recapping the two NCIS: New Orleans Thanksgiving episodes. Is New Orleans the superior NCIS show? Well if nothing else, it has Scott Bakula and CCH Pounder. Let's talk Turkey, Tropes, and COINTELPRO. Check out our video podcast here:...
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Talking Tropes 57: A Very NCIS Thanks-Gibbs-ing Special
What's the most American holiday? Thanksgiving! And what's the most American TV show? NCIS of course. We return to our most beloved(?) crime procedural and all of their bizarre and tangentially Thanksgiving-related specials. Watch here for the video podcast: https://youtu.be/TOL6Rz1puX4 Or tweet…
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Stanning Stanley Tucci 5: Slaves of New York (1989)
As we continue to watch everything on Stanley Tucci's IMDB page in order, we stumble upon a clear example of late 80s white feminism with the obliviously titled Slaves of New York. Taking place in the pretentious and exploitative art world, Tucci is cast as Darryl, perhaps the only honorable man…
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