Reel Deep Dive

Jun 02 2024 204 ep. 44 mins

Reel Deep Dive Podcast artwork

Does the world really need yet another movie podcast? Probably not, but I made one anyways. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ryan-valentine3/support

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Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

Jun 02 2024 42 mins

This is the second film adaptation of Sheila Burnford's classic children's novel, but the first where the trio of animal protagonists have their thoughts conveyed to us through celebrity voice actors (Michael J. Fox, Sally Field, and Don Ameche). Like in the book and in the 1963 movie, we center on two dogs and a cat going on a perilous quest through the mountains in order

Double Feature: A Hard Day's Night (1964) vs. Spice World (1997)

May 18 2024 60 mins

Filmed on a shoestring budget and released with modest expectations for box office success, A Hard Day's Night is a fluffy, goofy, and deeply unserious film that happened to capture one of the 20th century's most beloved cultural institutions at the apex of their popularity. The movie's approachable charm left a lasting influence on the marketing of pop musicians going

Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn (1995)

May 05 2024 33 mins

Originally intended as a light, comedic riff on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball soon outgrew that modest ambition and became one of the most popular action-adventure serials in modern storytelling. Soon expanding into a multimedia franchise, the Dragon Ball saga was spun off into at least twenty theatrically-released anime films; Ryan

Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation (1992)

Apr 21 2024 46 mins

Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation earns the esoteric distinction of being the first original animated movie to be released direct to video in the United States. That sounds like a minor fact (and it is), but the movie's commercial success paved the way for a cottage industry of similar projects to flood department stores and video rental establishments for decades t

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Apr 07 2024 49 mins

The smash success of Universal's 1931 Frankenstein adaptation made a sequel practically mandatory. Director James Whale felt that it'd be impossible to top the first film and was therefore reluctant to return, but the studio eventually lured him back with a juicy paycheck, a promise to greenlight one of Whale's passion projects, and nigh-total creative control over what

Fantastic Voyage (1966)

Mar 24 2024 44 mins

Taking place in a world where the United States and the Soviet Union are engaged in an arms race over shrink ray technology, Fantastic Voyage has the premise of a low budget B movie. 20th Century Fox, however, cast the film with prominent movie stars, spent lavishly on special effects, and promoted the film with an aggressive marketing campaign. While it didn't quite make it to

Shorts: Fleischer Superman (1941-43)

Mar 10 2024 87 mins

Produced for an unusually high budget in the nascent years of the character, the seventeen animated shorts starring Superman marked a significant high water mark in the Golden Age of Animation. Crafted with care and using tech that was on the bleeding edge of film animation, the shorts were highly successful and made a significant impact on both the cartoon medium and the developme

Shorts: Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared (2011-16)

Feb 25 2024 30 mins

Produced on a whim by a bunch of art students in between their proper assignments, the first Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared Short went viral on YouTube. Centering on some hapless puppets experiencing existential horror through vividly graphic musical numbers, Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared struck a chord with an online audience receptive to its ambiguity and strangeness. The un

Ponyo (2008)

Feb 11 2024 36 mins

Riffing on Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid", Ponyo centers upon a young sea creature who bonds with a little boy on the surface world. Their budding relationship, however, is put to the test when the fundamental balance of nature is placed in jeopardy by both magical interference and humanity's poor stewardship of the oceans. Directed by Hayao Miyaz

Double Feature: Murder on the Orient Express (1974 & 2017)

Jan 28 2024 47 mins

One of the most popular authors to ever write anything, Agatha Christie would inevitably find Hollywood eager to adapt her work to the silver screen. As per usual, the quality of their many attempts has been uneven at best, but the enduring appeal of the murder mystery means that it's hard to imagine that we won't keep seeing new takes. Murder on the Orient Express, arguabl