Legends Podcast

Skyscraper featured Dwayne Johnson as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest, set in a Towering Inferno-meets-Die Hard pyrotechnic spectacular. However, the film was less successful domestically than it was overseas, grossing only $68 million in North America while it stacked up $236 million in foreign cinemas, playing off its Hong Kong setting and diverse cast. But finances aside, does Skyscraper live up to towering expectations? Or does it need to take the express elevator to the bargain basement?

The highest-grossing movie of 1999 was the summer release of the long-anticipated return of Star Wars to the big screen. After Star Wars experienced a resurgence in the ‘90s thanks to the comic books, and the Special Edition re-release of the original trilogy. George Lucas capped the decade with Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace.. Legends Podcast is joined by Jedi Master Kent from Arthouse Legends to discuss the movie that started it all… from a certain point of view.

Crazy Rich Asians earned $238 million worldwide in 2018. Based on the novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians boasted the first time a film featured a majority-Asian cast in a modern setting since 1993’s The Joy Luck Club. And along with fellow 2018 megahit Black Panther, Crazy Rich Asians proved that American audiences are craving diversity in films. Now Legends Podcast is taking a first class flight to Singapore to learn how to make dumplings the old fashioned way.

1999's The Mummy, starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, revived a long-buried horror franchise. The Mummy also paid homage to Hollywood adventure films like Raiders of the Lost Ark… which was paying homage to other Hollywood adventure films, proving that there’s nothing that can’t be dug up and brought back to life. Except, perhaps, The Mummy, as 2017’s Tom Cruise misfire proved. But twenty years later, does The Mummy of ‘99 still have the moves? Or should it stay under wraps?

Ten years ago, director J.J. Abrams brought Star Trek back to the big screen in grand fashion, with a young cast and a surprising link to the original series.It was a summer hit. It was also J.J. Abram’s audition reel for a gig directing Star Wars - which he always professed was his first love. But a decade later, as J.J. wraps up his Star Wars run with The Rise of Skywalker, has the intervening time dimmed the shine of Star Trek’s lens flare? Or can we still detect a hint of that brand-new starship sme

Video game movies usually disappointing fans. And perhaps no video game franchise has been more beloved - in a wider variety of formats - Pikachu and his ilk of “pocket monsters” have captivated fans and garnered zealous devotion. And though Pokémon has inspired many animated stories, it always seemed unlikely that there would ever be a live-action movie. Detective Pikachu presented a rare opportunity. But is this movie a “gotta catch” in the theater, or is it not effective at bringing the game to

2017's Guardians represented an original attempt to recreate some of the success of American superhero films, typified by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for another nation’s audience. Using archetypes from the comic book genre, Guardians assembles a fantastic group of individuals with superhuman abilities, and pits them against a mad scientist bent on world domination. Sound familiar? In the end, does Guardians manage tear down this wall of cliches, or do all of its superheroics get lost in translation?

There was an idea. To make a movie franchise last for twenty-two movies over ten years, building an interconnected universe based on comic book heroes. Avengers: Endgame snapped into theaters last week with massive expectations and even bigger box office results. Currently sitting at number two, worldwide, of all time, Endgame also earned rave reviews from critics and fans. The hosts of Legends Podcast assemble to talk about what might just be the most legendary movie ever. We’re in the Endgame now!

2008’s Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay was the long-awaited sequel to the original burger-based movie. Starring John Cho and Kal Penn as two Amsterdam-bound potheads, the film’s surreal storyline was underscored by political and social satire as the film took jabs at the War on Terror, racial stereotyping and profiling, and the presidency of George W. Bush. But does this moveable feast (which also name-checks the Hemingway book) a cure our wanderlust, or does it leave us at stranded the gate?

It’s April 20th - 4/20 - and we’re nearing our 420th podcast. What else are we going to do but talk about the highest calibre of film that American cinema has to offer: the stoner comedy? 2004’s Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle was a sleeper hit on DVD, grossing almost twice on home video as it made at the box office. Starring John Cho and Kal Penn as two slider-craving potheads, the film’s surreal storyline was underscored by the two characters wrestling with life-changing decisions.

The Meg spent two decades in development hell while the Jurassic Park franchise went extinct and came back from extinction with a similarly-sized underwater beastie. Starring Jason “I’m what you’d call a champagne problem” Statham, The Meg scarfed up over half a billion dollars that the international box office last summer, much to the chagrin of my co-hosts. But is this shark tale worth taking the bait? Or does it stink like yesterday’s catch?

In a post-apocalyptic thriller set in a world where vicious monsters hurt and kill anything they… hear? A Quiet Place takes a very different approach to the traditionally scream-filled horror genre with a toned-down soundscape and only about 25 lines of spoken dialogue. The movie was an instant hit, grossing $340 million off a $20 million budget. But is A Quiet Place worth making noise over, or should we save our breath?

One of the most inventive films of 1999 came in the form of Warner Bros.’ kung fu/cyberpunk mash-up from two unknown directors, the Wachowskis. The Matrix mixed science, philosophy, religion, and mysticism with hacker culture, anime, A.I. paranoia, and the hero’s journey narrative to emerge as one of the most influential films of the year. Resetting the paradigm for science fiction in a year when Star Wars was making its long-awaited(disappointing) comeback. But twenty years on, is The Matrix still The

Peter Parker has been played by 3 actors, including the latest, Tom Holland, who also appeared in Civil War and Infinity War, bringing the total Spider-Man movie outings to 8. Add the dozen or so animated series, a live-action show from the ‘70s, 20-ish video games, and the most expensive musical in Broadway history, and it’s hard to imagine that Hollywood would have anything new to say about the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler. Last year’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse proves that theory so wr

Captain Marvel starring Brie Larson; featured a de-aged performance by Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, as well as references that flesh out the backstory of the cinematic universe. Despite a troll campaign to derail the film via review bombing, Captain Marvel smashed expectations and scored a box office haul in the top ten opening weekends of all time. But does Captain Marvel earn “top gun” with our hosts, or is the film full of sound and Fury, but signifying nothing special?