What did you think of Wonder Woman 1984?

On this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we dive head first into the pastel-colored waters of the 80s with an in-depth discussion on DC's return to the world of Gal Gadot's Diana Prince, Wonder Woman 1984. This time, Diana is forced to grapple with the power of wish fulfillment as she tangles with Kristen Wiig's Barbara Minerva / Cheetah and Pedro Pascal's Maxwell Lord. From the 80s fashion to bombastic homages to malls and Raiders of the Lost Ark to the problematic return of Chris Pine, everything is on deck as we debate 2020's most anticipated film.

Also, Troy Heinritz from The Blacklist Exposed joins Aaron to review the Disney+ release SOUL, as well as our review of director Emerald Fennell's nuanced take on a revenge thriller in Promising Young Woman. 

Discussed on this episode

Direct download: HO419_WW84_Soul.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:00am PDT
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In TENET, The Protagonist (John David Washington) is an agent who takes a cyanide capsule – which turns out to be a ruse – after an operation goes south, rather than turn on his government, which wins him favor with a secret organization in need of such fierce loyalty.

This is where The Protagonist learns about inversion; the ability to essentially rewind time and possibly save the world from destroying itself in the past, or from the future to the past, or is the past the future? The concept is fascinating and hilariously convoluted – brace yourself for exposition as clear as a Yoda TED Talk – yet ultimately clicks as we wade into the final act. Inversion is time travel for people who love to pine on about the complications and philosophies of the topic. Like Christopher Nolan, we imagine.

Now that Tenet is on home video, enjoy our review and spoilercast for Nolan's latest film.

Also, Aaron reviews the new On Demand thriller, Hunter Hunter, about a family living remotely who come to fear they are being targeted by a lone wolf in the wild. 

Direct download: Tenet_review_and_spoilercast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:11am PDT
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It’s the 2020 HOliday Special!

Every year, we love to celebrate the holiday season with our listeners, and there is no better way to do that than with our 7th Annual Holiday Special!

It all started with a random idea, we were big fans of holiday specials, yet podcasts seemed to skip over the idea completely. Therefore, we decided we can do whatever we want here at The Hollywood Outsider, so let’s create our own tradition and the Annual Holiday Special was born!

Every year we do a little something different, so this year we’re celebrating going into our 10th year as a podcast by looking back at previous holiday specials and assembling some of the best moments from every host - Aaron, John, Amanda, Brian, Scott, and Justin - for the most fantastic holiday special ever! Debating what constitutes a Christmas movie - including a little Die Hard - and specials we love, taking our Movie Battle Royale and sprinkling some Christmas magic on it for a Santa Battle Royale, Christmas cliches we love, and so much more. 

That’s not all, oh no. The Christmas spirit kicks into overdrive as we open up and share our personal memories of the holiday season, stories that remind us of Christmas. And no holiday special would be complete without a visit from the big man himself, so get ready for as much St. Nick as legally allowed as Santa Claus drops by the studio to tell us just how naughty or nice we are, all throughout the episode!

With a special game from Amanda, Santa in his sleigh, Scott’s annual Christmas Poem, and a lot of fun for everyone – This is the one podcast you don’t want to miss this holiday season!

Direct download: 2020_Holiday_Special.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:48am PDT
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What do you think is the future of movie theaters?

Originally, HBO Max made a deal with a handful of theater chains to simultaneously release Wonder Woman 1984 in theaters and on HBO Max the same day and date. Both parties agreed to it, because of the circumstances of theaters currently during the Covid-19 crisis. Last week, Warner Brothers dropped the further news that they will be debuting ALL of their 2021 releases – Matrix 4, Conjuring 3, Godzilla vs. Kong, In the Heights, and more – on HBO Max and in theaters on the exact same day and date. Thing is, theaters haven’t – as of this recording – agreed to that. Also, the creatives and talent behind those films had no idea it was coming either. Christopher Nolan even lashed out and called HBO Max "the worst streaming service". Now, currently HBO Max is stating this is only for one year due to COVID, but the internet is already reacting as if this is the future of movies. Settle in and get your ears ready, because on this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast, we're discussing the entirety of this debate.

Also on this episode: Aaron's interview with a movie theater general manager on coping with the constant struggles that 2020 produced as well as his thoughts on the HBO Max news, recommendations and discussion on MANK, and our HO Teachable Minute!

Discussed on this episode

  • (0:00 – 07:21) Opening | Spider-Man 3 Update
  • (07:21 – 51:33)Warner Brothers, HBO Max, and the Future of Movie Theaters
  • (51:34 – 1:06:47) Interview: Movie Theater General Manager
  • (1:06:48 – 1:22:23) Recommendations | HO Teachable Minute | Outtakes
  • Please support The Hollywood Outsider and gain immediate access to bonus content, including Patreon exclusive podcast content, by visiting Patreon.com/ TheHollywoodOutsider
  • Be sure to join our Facebook Group
  • Do your shopping via our Amazon Link!
Direct download: HO417_Warner_Brothers_Future_of_Theaters.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:20am PDT
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FATMAN, newly available on demand, is a modern, gritty, almost realistic take on the Santa Claus legend, starring Mel Gibson and Marianne Jean-Babtiste as Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.

While Santa - aka Fatman - deals with shrinking sales due to a noticeable lack of NICE in the world, little Billy (Chance Hurstfield) is obsessed with getting everything he wants. When Santa gives Billy a lump of coal because he’s been extremely naughty this year, Billy decides to hire Walton Goggins’ contract killer Skinny Man to hunt down the Fatman and take him out, once and for all.

It's darkly comedic, twistedly violent, extremely clever holiday thriller that features strong performances across the board.  Enjoy this interview with the writers and directors of Fatman, Ian and Eshom Nelms!

Direct download: Fatman_Directors_Ian_and_Eshom_Nelms.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT
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Who are your favorite typecast actors that took a chance?

This week, we talk about our favorite typecast actors that branched outside their norm. A typecast actor is one who becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups. For example, if you think of Jason Statham's acting career, you'd probably think of him as the straight-faced action-movie killer. However, he took a chance in the movie Spy where he played a humorous character. Adam Sandler is famously known for his man-child characters, yet with Uncut Gems, he proved yet again there are many layers wrapped into the Sandman. Others might include Robin Williams, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, etc.

Also on this episode: our HOT TAKE game where a host takes a movie that is universally loathed but that host loves it, spoiler-free reviews of The Christmas Chronicles 2, Buddy Games, The Hillbilly Elegy, and Fatman; a news roundup, new releases, and our HO Teachable Minute!

Discussed on this episode

  • (0:00 – 28:40) Opening | News Roundup | HOT TAKE! Christmas Edition
  • (28:41 – 55:22) Reviews: The Christmas Chronicles 2, Buddy Games, The Hillbilly Elegy, and Fatman | New Releases
  • (55:23 – 1:25:12) From The Outside In: Typecast Actors Who Took A Chance
  • (1:25:13 – 1:29:51) Recommendations | HO Teachable Minute | Outtakes
  • Please support The Hollywood Outsider and gain immediate access to bonus content, including Patreon exclusive podcast content, by visiting Patreon.com/ TheHollywoodOutsider
  • Be sure to join our Facebook Group
  • Do your shopping via our Amazon Link!
Direct download: HO416_Typecast_Actors.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:58am PDT
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