Episode 150 - Why Dune?

Julian Meush April 22, 2020

After taking a short break from the regular show (lots of Star Wars: The Clone Wars content for you though!), the guys are back to discuss the latest in film and television news. It’s been a few weeks so there are a couple lingering stories to catch up on. Not the least of which being the new photos from the set of Dune and the cancellation of Comic-Con. There was also a fair bit of Disney related news. Some good, some bad. The good news, Disney+ has surpassed 50 million subscribers, the bad news, COVID19 is costing the company $30 million a day. Julian, Daniel, and Jeremy (via the internet) break all of that down, and much more, on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast!

Episode 149 - Superman: Red Son

Julian Meush March 16, 2020

With much of the world in lock down due to the Corona Virus, it doesn’t hurt to turn to the world of entertainment for a little distraction. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has effected that as well. Julian and Jeremy discuss the delays resulting from the virus, including James Bond: No Time to Die, Mulan, and more. Afterwards, in an effort to lighten the mood, the guys discuss the latest in film and TV news, with The Last of Us announcement from HBO taking up much of the discussion. Finally, a review of the latest DC Animation adaptation concludes the show with a in depth look at Superman: Red Son. Stay healthy everyone, and stay tuned for more ToB Podcasts during these trying times!

Episode 148 - Pattinson's Batsuit

Julian Meush February 19, 2020

With awards season now firmly behind us, the ToB Crew can start concentrating in the things that REALLY matter again - things like the Batsuit! Matt Reeves released a brief (and very red) test footage clip of Robert Pattinson in the new Batsuit, so Julian, Jeremy, and Dan combed through each frame to pull out all the possible clues. Meanwhile, rumour has is that Sam Raimi is in talks to direct Dr. Strange 2, the new James Bond theme was released, the insane set technology used on The Mandalorian was revealed and much more! Plus the guys recap their picks from the Oscars!

Episode 146 - The 2019 Tobie Awards

Julian Meush December 25, 2019

Once again it is time for the annual Tobie Awards! Known for their prestige and import, the Tobies are a look back the year’s best in film and television. As is tradition, this years ceremony is hosed by Julian Meush, Daniel D’Souza, and Jeremy Kozier. The ToB Crew walk through each of their picks, laying out their justifications for their top 3 choices. 2019 was chalk full of amazing films and television programs, regardless of their appearance on anyone’s list, and is of course deserving of praise in their own right, but only the select few are lucky enough to take home a Tobie. Let the listing begin!

Episode 145 - DC Check-In

Julian Meush December 7, 2019

The ToB Crew is back with another regular episode of the ToB Podcast. A lot has happened, especially at Warner Brothers, so the guys decide to do a recap of all things DC. Variety is reporting that DC brass don’t know how to make Superman relevant to modern audiences, all while Henry Cavil drops some Superman nuggets, Michael B Jordan is pitching Superman ideas, and Ben Affleck is stoking the flames of #ReleaseTheSynderCut with a tweet. Needless to say there’s a lot to talk about. The guys also touch on the new “Sonic the Hedgehog” trailer, Mark Wahlberg’s casting in the “Uncharted” movie and much more!

Episode 144 - Green Lantern In My Loins

Julian Meush November 7, 2019

After recording a Watchmen ToB Breakdown the guys jumped into an impromptu, full episode, of the ToB Podcast. There was so much to cover, from “The Batman” news to the deluge of announcements that came along with the HBO Max content reveal, what was supposed to be a quick catch-up episode became a 2-hour deep dive Green Lantern, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, The Matrix and more. Luckily there’s lot of meat on the news bones for Julian, Jeremy and Dan to chew on.

Episode 143 - Arm-Fall-Off-Boy

Julian Meush October 18, 2019

Martin Scorsese’s comments would have been old news by the time the ToB Crew got around to recording the latest episode of the podcast, fortunately he decided to double down on those comments, making it a whole new story! Julian, Dan, and Jeremy try to dissect Scorsese’s thought process and try to put all the fallout into context. They also discuss the set photo leaks from Suicide Squad that reveal a crazy cast of characters, Damon Lindleoff suggesting that HBO’s Watchmen may only be one season, and the latest Picard trailer. All that, and much more, on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast!

Episode 142 - Spider-Man: Returning Home

Julian Meush October 3, 2019

After weeks of “Slow News Day” podcasts the the floodgates have finally opened and there’s almost too much too talk about. The main story of course is Spiderman’s triumphant, albeit temporary, return to the MCU; the guys discuss both the implications for the MCU as well as potential Sony Universe concepts. From there we transition to Star Wars with news that Kevin Feige may be bringing his Marvel experience to Disney’s other cinematic universe, also, the Obi-Wan series has found a director and J.J. Abrams opinion on Emperor Palapatine’s inclusion in the Episode IX. All this plus some crazy trailers and a couple “Agree or Disagree” segments.. feels good to have a real show again.

Episode 141 - A Return to Middle Earth

Julian Meush September 19, 2019

On this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast the guys ask the timeless question; are there too many trailers when you go to the theatre? That’s right, it’s ANOTHER slow week, but there’s still a few fun stories. Not the least of which being the impressions of the Jurassic World short film, “Battle at Big Rock”. Plus, Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series announces it will be filming in New Zealand, and James Gunn reveals the full cast of The Suicide Squad. Finally, Julian and Jeremy review Titans S2E2!

jurassic-world-battle-at-big-rock-short-film-1187189-1280x0.jpeg

Episode 140 - Young...ish Elrond?

Julian Meush September 12, 2019

Another slow news week means that once again, the critical darling, “Joker” leads off the show. “Joker” took home the Golden Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival and made it’s North American debut at TIFF, so you know there was some news bits to follow up on. Besides that, came the surprising news that a Jurassic World short film is dropping next week, and that an actor who looks suspiciously like Elrond was cast in Amazon’s “Lord of the Rings” series. Plus, Julian and Jeremy review the first episode of the new season of “Titans”. All that and… not that much else to be honest, on this week’s Tower of Babble Podcast.

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Jun 5, 2025

SSSW - Tales of the Underworld

Jun 5, 2025

Lucasfilm Animation has been hard at work on their next major project, 'Maul: Shadow Lord', but they've found the time to deliver another installment in their "Tales of" anthology series. The first ones covering the Jedi and the Empire, they now turn their focus towards the Underworld. However, be warned, this is a bit of a misnomer. Don't expect any crime syndicates or really any large scale criminality here. These 2 mini-arcs instead focus on Asajj Ventress (I know, not the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions the Underworld) as she assists a young Jedi on the run from the Empire, and the origin story of Cad Bane. Which admittedly is closer in line with the criminal underworld concept, but is really more interested in telling a western style revenge story instead. All in all, despite the always great visuals and sound/music design, and few interesting ideas, there's not enough meat on the bone here to satisfy most viewers. But most disappointing is its failure to capitalize on the potential of the Underworld concept.

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SSSW/ToB Film Club - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

May 22, 2025

It's hard to believe that 'Rogue One' premiered nearly a decade ago. At the time, it was fairly well received, considered to be a decent first step into the standalone Star Wars movies, if not a bit messy. As the years passed, we learned more about the production. Gareth Edwards, who retained sole directing credit, was assisted by Tony Gilroy to "fix" the project. Tony went so far as to call it a "corpse" when he came aboard for rewrites and reshoots. It was Tony's inclusion that brought us some of the movies most memorable moments, and ultimately led him to leading the charge on 'Andor', a prequel project that flew under the radar as hits like 'The Mandalorian' hogged the spotlight. With 'Andor' now complete, considered by many to be a masterpiece in storytelling, not just in Star Wars but on television in general, now is the most appropriate time to reexamine the movie that spawned the Cassian-centered prequel series with fresh eyes. 'Andor', which leads directly into the events of 'Rogue One' recontextualizes much of the film, creating a unique viewing experience that pays off a multitude of threads that are brilliantly laid over the two seasons of 'Andor'. It takes the movie, which was already pretty good, and makes it great. Now existing as part of a whole that weaves a cohesive narrative from the nascent moments of the Rebellion all the way through to the destruction of the Death Star in 1977 (the seed that begat ALL Star Wars, and what we appropriately align our Star Wars BBY calendars to). It all feels wholistic and considered when viewed from the broader perspective - an accomplishment that should set a shining example of what Star Wars can and should aspire to.

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SSSW - Andor S2 Finale

May 15, 2025

After only 4 weeks - the blink of an eye - it's all over. The best Star Wars story since the Original Trilogy has graced our screens and left us in awe. These final three episodes weren't able to reach the emotional highs of last week's arc, but that wasn't the goal. Instead, it provides time to look back at what brought us here, and sets the stage for the climax of the story to take place not in this moment, but within the now recontextualized film that birthed all of this in the first place, 'Rogue One'. And while the show may carry Cassian's name on the title screen, it's been the cast of characters we've met along the way that truly elevated this experience. Not to pick favourites, but in particular, Luthen and Kleya, who get an episode all to themselves this week are the standouts. And what an episode it was, as their story which shepherded much of the series came to an end, as we all expected it would have to. Embracing those feelings of closure, in the final moments of the series, as Cassian flies off into 'Rogue One', we are treated to our last glimpses of our heroes and villains. From Dedra to Vel and even Perrin, we are left to consider their fates as the story marches with inevitability into what begat all of this way back in 1977. Will we ever see Kleya, Vel, Wilmon, or Bix again? One can only hope - and rebellions? Well, they're built on hope.

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SSSW - Andor S2 E7 - 9

May 9, 2025

When dealing in the world of prequels, it’s impossible to escape the inevitable - Anakin will fall, Han will win the Falcon, Cassian will die on Scarif. Somehow, in the midst of some of the most thrilling episodes of television ever put to screen, Tony Gilroy and his team found a way to address that impending doom and weaponize it against the audience to induce some of the most gut wrenching and heart breaking moments we’ve yet to see on ‘Andor’ - “There’s some place he needs to be”. At a larger scale, the show continues to outdo itself on a weekly basis, proving that the Star Wars galaxy provides a colour pallet of some of the richest hues from which to paint bold and personal stories. Proving you can go beyond the larger than life stories of heroics and grandeur to human stories of loss and pain and everything in between. That’s without mentioning the deft touch in pulling in themes that resonates with the contemporary while remaining timeless - a feeling that is a staple of Star Wars. Every detail is considered, every character is deep and interesting. There isn’t much more that can be said about such a powerful piece of art, except that not even the audience can escape the inevitable - only one week remains of this masterpiece.

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