Tentpole Trauma

Oct 31 2024 147 ep. 93 mins 77

Tentpole Trauma Podcast artwork

A podcast where we look at movies that came with hype and high hopes, but left with crushing disappointment, either critically, at the box office, or both.

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Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers

Oct 31 2024 106 mins

After successfully resurrecting “The Shape” for Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers in 1988, producer and overlord Moustapha Akkad demanded a sequel the following year. The resulting film, boasting the Revenge of Michael Myers, was met with fan backlash and disappointment at the box office, falling to capitalize on the previous film’s murderous momentum. Join Sebastian a

Van Helsing

Oct 16 2024 136 mins

The early aughts saw Stephen Sommers riding high with the Universal monsters following the success of his Mummy films, so it seemed only natural that he would try his hand with a straight-up monster mash that featured Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man. The result was Van Helsing, a Hugh Jackman star vehicle that made money at the box office but failed to kickstart a franchise

The Haunting (1999)

Sep 16 2024 59 mins

Jan de Bont’s remake of the 1963 Robert Wise classic promised to take The Haunting of Hill House into the new millennium, boasting state of the art special effects and an A-list cast. Unfortunately it also boasted a clunky script, ridiculous production design and CGI overload that robbed Shirley Jackson’s seminal ghost story of all of its terror and dread. Join Sebastian and Je

Conspiracy Theory

Sep 09 2024 104 mins

Riding high off of their Lethal Weapon partnership, filmmaker Richard Donner and star Mel Gibson had every reason to believe their high concept action thriller Conspiracy Theory would be a success. And with the help of superstar Julia Roberts, a villainous turn by Patrick Stewart and a script by Oscar winner Brian Helgeland, it was, at least modestly so. Get to the bottom of why Se

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Aug 12 2024 68 mins

Fans of the 20th Century Fox mutant superhero series were anxious to see the backstory of fan-favorite character Wolverine explained, so Gavin Hood’s prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine landed with a box office bang in 2009. But despite a successful financial run, the film was lambasted by fans and critics for its shoddy special effects, mistreatment of beloved characters (including

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Jul 08 2024 89 mins

George Miller’s gonzo, post apocalyptic masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road stunned audiences in 2015, earning widespread praise and cult status. But despite that goodwill, strong reviews and the presence of stars Anya Taylor Joy and Chris Hemsworth, Miller’s prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga stalled terribly at the box office this Memorial Day. Join Sebastian and Jennifer as they dis

The Fall Guy

Jun 24 2024 75 mins

Based loosely on an 80s TV series, David Leitch’s stunt driven action rom com The Fall Guy was positioned to catapult Ryan Gosling’s post Barbie heat into the superstar stratosphere. But despite a winning turn from Gosling, co-star Emily Blunt and an array of comedic, dazzling stunt sequences, the film’s Hollywood insider trappings failed to translate to box office success. J

Madame Web

Jun 11 2024 59 mins

Based on an obscure comicbook character, Madame Web hoped to cash in on the goodwill of the tangentially related Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as the success of the animated Spiderverse films. But the Sony produced movie was ensnared in toxic buzz from the outset, the goofy trailers and mocking reviews ensuring that it would be yet another bomb for a female-led superteam. Join

The Avengers (1998)

May 21 2024 110 mins

Before Marvel’s Avengers became a household name, there was the quirky 1960’s British spy series made popular by the presence of Diana Rigg in a cat suit. More than thirty years past the show’s prime a big budget feature film was attempted, but despite the presence of OG James Bond Sean Connery, Ralph Fiennes and a post Batman & Robin Uma Thurman donning the catsuit, the

Argylle

May 08 2024 139 mins

Henry Cavill may be a fan favorite choice for Bond, but his forays into the super spy game have met with largely lackluster box office results. This has proven especially true for Argylle, director Matthew Vaughn’s Romancing the Stone riff that left Cavill fans unsatisfied and baffled most audiences and critics. Join Sebastian and Whiskey with Witcher hosts Tim and Valerie as the