Supermoan: Movie Moan's Ultimate Superman Retrospective Episode 6 - 'Superman Returns' (2006)

You can watch this week's show on Blip:

Or on Youtube:

"He was gone for five years, she waited a week or two in."

It is the 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' of Superman films.  It is at once a crazy sequel/remake/retcon hybrid which drowns in plot holes and slavish devotion to the previous movies, but it is also the completely unique vision of one filmmaker.  It is both genius and frustrating, touching yet cold, richly thematic yet never hits the marks it truly needs to resonate.  It tugs at the heartstrings but never makes us soar.  It is a film of infinite contradiction.  It is 'Superman Returns' and it demands a double length episode just to cover all of it.

Just like our first piece on 'Superman The Movie', this week's episode isn't so much about laughs and nostalgia, but a thought provoking analysis on what the character of Superman means to us and what we expect from a modern cinematic interpretation. 

And just like that first discussion, we've brought back the Supermoan all stars to cover it; Robert Meyer Burnett, who was on the set of 'Superman Returns' every day to bring us all of the behind the scenes video content, and who has the perspective of what the film should have been, and what the sequel could have been; Justin Korthof, whose life was changed when he got the opportunity to play host to Bryan Singer's web blogs in the build up to the release of the film on BlueTights.net; and of course the never ending battle for truth, justice, and all that stuff is fought once again by Randall Maynard, Jamie Williams, and myself.

I really hope you enjoy this one cause I've worked on it for so long that I can't tell if it's good anymore.

Download the audio only MP3 version right here:

Supermoan Movie Moan’s Ultimate Superman Retrospective Episode 6 – Superman Returns (2006) – Audio Version

Movie Moan - Melting Into Money

Lots of craziness happens in Now You See Me. Nothing, however, can explain how the magician protagonists physically turn into money. We’re stumped too, folks.

It's a bare-bone, no bells-and-whistles edition of Movie Moan. Straight talk led by the British Gentleman Agent Phil Gee, his Mouth from the South sidekick Jamie Williams and frequent guest, their pal Gabe Toro, film critic for The Playlist and Jumpcut Junkies. Spoilers ahead, kids!

Gabe reviews After Earth, the newly reviled sci-fi actioner, theorizes a race-bent angle to the hatred of the Smiths, if Will Smith has a Nicolas Cage or mid 80s soda name and the group ponders how many more chances will M. Night Shyamalan get before Hollywood throws in the towel. Jamie sits through The Hangover Part III, admits his personal (family-related) bias and how it could have been William Friedkin thriller from 1982.

The afore-mentioned Now You See Me is discussed at length, including Phil's ABC pitch "My Pal Bob Orci" and how Mark Ruffalo talks with plenty of Michael Caine impressions. Gabe concludes the podcast reviewing Behind the Candelabra, the final ("final," if you believe him) film from the great Steven Soderbergh and how it couldn’t have been a theatrical release.

All of that plus Phil and Jamie talk up meeting in 2 weeks, seeing Man of Steel for the first time, the frustrations of bad customer service and dealing with US/UK theaters (ahem when trying to bring in a video camera!)

Movie Moan: Melting Into Money

Supermoan: Movie Moan's Ultimate Superman Retrospective Episode 5 - 'Superman IV: The Quest For Peace' (1987)

 You can watch this week's show on Blip:

 Or on Youtube:

"Excuse me gentlemen, before you help this man with a heart attack..."

Phil has finally had it with this character.  We've seen Christopher Reeve's Clark Kent/Superman do some terrible things before but he takes it to the giddy limit in his final film outing; brain warping Lois Lane, playing both his personas off her and Mariel Hemmingway in a twisted double date, almost killing a gym teacher, allowing a subway train driver to die, and finally, of course, forcing the hand of the World Super Powers into kickstarting nuclear Armageddon.

But though we're finding it hard to love the character, we find it easy to love the film.  So join Phil Gee, with Jamie Williams, Justin Korthof, and Randall Maynard as we lovingly guide you through the earnestness, the nostalgia, the Nuclear Men, the great story trying to get out, and those other-worldly special effects in, what is arguably, a better film than 'Superman III'

It's our greatest adventure......and it's for all of you.

Download the audio only MP3 version right here:

Supermoan Movie Moan's Ultimate Superman Retrospective Episode 5 - Superman IV (1987) - audio version

Movie Moan - The No-Win Scenario

 You asked for it.  You got it.  No longer do you have to put up with Blip.  Now, you can watch and rewatch the Movie Moan magic with Youtube.  And you'll want to do that this week as the always wonderful Gabe Toro, film critic for The Playlist and Jump Cut Junkies, unloads an unstoppable collection of one liners which will sum up the last Star Trek movie for us all.

Also joining Phil and Jamie this week is the Southern magic that is Mr Spencer Perry, writer for Coming Soon, Superhero Hype and Shock Till Ya Drop:-

5:45 mins - Gabe sums up the 'spoiler' culture for all of us and how we need to move on.

9:50 mins - Our spoiler filled dissection of 'Star Trek Into Darkness'.

56 mins - Phil gives us his EXTREME thoughts on 'Fast & Furious 6'.

66:40 mins - Do we have a double standard when reviewing summer blockbusters?

73:50 mins - Jamie and Phil say goodbye to 'The Office'.

Download the audio only MP3 version right here:

Movie Moan - The No-Win Scenario (audio version)

Supermoan: Movie Moan's Ultimate Superman Retrospective Episode 4 - 'Supergirl' (1984)

You can watch this week's show on Blip:

Or on Youtube:

"Squirt!"

We tried folks; we try very hard to treat the forgotten, unloved child in the Superman film series with respect and serious analysis.  But it just keeps throwing fucked up shit at us every time we try.  So join your host Phil Gee, with Jamie Williams, Justin Korthof, and Randall Maynard as we try to make sense of it all.

Why is Argo City made from garbage bags?  Why is Supergirl's first encounter with human life a pair of redneck rapists?  Why is our main villain a trainee witch who doesn't know what the hell she's doing?  Why won't the filmmakers actually reference the Superman movies in any way?  Why won't anyone help Ethan in the street?  Why is that monster INVISIBLE?

On top of trying to make sense of these issues, we also take an ever so slightly serious look at the character of Supergirl in DC mythology and whether she has a place on the silver screen again, let alone in the comics.

This may well be our funniest episode.

Download the audio only MP3 version right here:

Supermoan Movie Moan's Ultimate Superman Retrospective Episode 4 - Supergirl (1984) - audio version