Battle Beyond the Movies - A Pod Clubhouse Podcast

Why are we, as humans, so certain that not only will we live to see the end times, but also that along the way, we will turn against each other in fundamentally brutal ways? At the heart of that brutality, at least with this episode’s movies, lies our own ability to continue on as a species. When forces conspire to prevent people from conceiving, what dystopian population control measures will we put up with? In The Handmaid’s Tale, in the fascist post-America called Gilead, the new authorities enforce a convoluted version of musical chairs to keep fertile women, called handmaids, pregnant as often as possible. This officially sanctioned slavery is supposed to perpetuate “the best” the country has to offer by mating the handmaids with “Commanders”, or governmental leaders. If the system sounds rigged to favor the same people responsible for creating it, you might be on to something. In Children of Men, things are worse, if that’s possible. Instead of dramatically low birthrates, there are NO births, and haven’t been for the last eighteen years. That future also depicts a fascist government trying to control its citizens through force, but hopelessness has become so ingrained in people that even patriots have become jaded. What’s the point of resisting when our shared doom is inevitable? In this podcast, Paul and Inez examine and compare these films as they approach women’s reproductive rights (and really all of their rights) in dystopian futures and then deliver their verdicts on which film dealt with that theme best. The hosts: Paul: Twitter | Instagram Inez: Twitter | Instagram Other Battles: The Amityville Horror – The classic vs. the re-make Master Detective vs. Master Criminal – Heat vs. The Dark Knight

Classic themes lead to classic stories… or is it the other way around? Since silent movies and keystone cops, Hollywood has shown a fondness for pitting detectives and criminals against one another on screen. In this episode of the podcast, we compare the stories of two pair of detectives and criminals at the top of their respective games featuring filmmakers and actors at the top of theirs. Micheal Mann’s 1995 film Heat features Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino at the height of their acting powers and on opposite sides of the law. Iconic and timeless, the downtown Los Angeles shootout remains unbeaten by modern filmmakers in terms of realism and suspense. Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight may depict the fictional Gotham City and its famed caped crusader, but the film’s gritty approach and unforgettable performances by Christian Bale and Heath Ledger drew devoted audiences inside and outside the normal comic-book enthusiast crowd. In this podcast, Paul and Myke will put both movies to the test and leave you with their own verdicts as to which movie, Heat or The Dark Knight, told the most effective crime story. The hosts: Paul: Twitter | Instagram Myke: Twitter | Instagram

Welcome to the first of a new series of podcasts from Pod Clubhouse: Battle Beyond the Movies! This podcast is an exploration and discussion (and maybe some debate) of the oft-repeated themes and subjects found in movies. Sometimes, we’ll even focus on movies that have such similar themes that they’re actually remakes/reboots – such as this first episode. In the premiere, Paul and long-time collaborator Sheila take a look at a haunted house story so compelling, people still discuss it and re-tell its bloody tale. Of course, I’m talking about Amityville (1979) and its 2005 re-make. In this podcast, Paul and Sheila will put both movies to the test and leave you with their own verdicts as to which movie, old or new, told the most effective haunted house story. The hosts: Paul: Twitter | Instagram Sheila: Twitter | Instagram