Tom Hanks Defence Force

Dec 28 2024 36 ep. 43 mins 21

Tom Hanks Defence Force Podcast artwork

A film and TV podcast discussing the past, present and future of the film and TV world. Tom Hanks worshipers Alex and Jack have survived Death Star superlasers and asteroids the size of Texas to tackle its most pressing questions. Discussing everything from writing and audience influence, to technology and the studio system; the pair are joined by an exciting diversity of fellow fans and industry insiders, bringing fresh insight to the films and shows we love, hate and know surprisingly little about.

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How Will The Simpsons End?

Dec 28 2024 49 mins

Ay Caramba! The Simpsons is now in its astonishing 36th season. It’s the longest-running primetime scripted show in American history, second only to WWE Raw in the highest number of episodes. So this begs the question: When and how will The Simpsons actually end?For our stupid, sexy final episode of the year, Alex, Jack and Sideshow Ala delve into the storylines of its most belov

Horror Remakes: What could and should be reimagined?

Nov 28 2024 44 mins

The Ring, The Fly and Vanilla Sky - often considered the scariest remakes of all time. But what if there were more, frightful and fantastic, lurking in the depths of possibility?In today’s horror feature, Jack, Alex and an unexpected guest pay tribute to the art of reimagining. Delving into potentials and pitfalls alike, they ask ‘What could be remade now?’ and, perhaps more

Mystery Pitch: Wedding Season

Jul 15 2024 41 mins

What’s the most famous line from the entire Pirates franchise? “I love weddings! Drinks all around.” But what Captain Jack Sparrow didn’t realise was that in the wacky world of Tom Hanks Defence Force, weddings are far from conventional, especially when the reception is a Mystery Pitch. To celebrate co-host Jack’s upcoming nuptials, the boys ask questions and improvise to

Franchise Overkill? Not All Who Makes Sequels Are Lost

Jan 03 2024 51 mins

First there was France. Then there was Frank Sinatra. Now, there is Franchise. And they’re everywhere! Those dinosaurs didn’t just escape from their pens. Harry Potter spends seven years at Hogwarts. There’s more than one Hunger Game. But even for the world’s most diehard fans of palaeontology, capes, Jennifer Lawrence, 18th Century piracy and Gamorrean guards, is this all

Back to the Future - Is Nostalgia the Saviour We've Not Been Waiting For?

Nov 20 2023 61 mins

Nobel laureate William Faulkner once wrote: “The past is never dead. It isn’t even past.” Can this explain why you, a 32-year-old, skipped your uncle’s birthday to binge Dawson’s Creek? Why the older you get, the more you see yourself as Citizen Kane? And does the key to an industry competing to define the future lie embedded in the lyrics to Nickelback’s ‘Photograph�

What is the Future of BAFTA?

May 31 2023 60 mins

BAFTA, commonly mistaken for British After-Fart Trapped Air, has awarded the finest craftspeople in cinema since 1947. But does it still hold sway over the films we watch? Does the accomplishment of Best Film draw you in to click play? And how could the most prestigious of awards evolve in an age of constantly morphing audience tastes? Find out in BAFTA Defence Force.

Ad-Myersable: The Mad World Of What Halloween Almost Was

Nov 13 2022 50 mins

Why has the Halloween franchise, and in particular Michael Myers, withstood such a stirring test of time? Is it a fascination with ‘why’ he came home? Is it because he inspired Slipknot’s fashion? (Well, hopefully). Is it because we’re all secretly afraid of William Shatner? Let’s find out. And yet, the prevailing influence of this 1978 masterpiece leaves us with even mor

Amazon Spooky: The Treat Before Halloween

Sep 30 2022 10 mins

Everyone loves birthdays - especially your parents’, partner’s and friends’ debit cards. So on Jack’s birthday, we decided to treat him with a very special gift - a Mystery Pitch so random and chaotic, it makes The Joker’s brainstorming session look like Winston Wolf’s Netflix cleaning special. Joined by special guest and seasonal expert Eleanor Winterbottom, we pitch t

MergersBowl: The Tom Hanks Defence Force Take

Sep 01 2022 54 mins

There’s a lot of things merging in the 4 billionth, 545 millionth year of our great wet rock. The virtues of stoicism with your 12-year-old neighbour creating their TikTok account. The cost of living with the feeling of touching mould down the back of your sofa. The mixing of emotions when Mr Incredible finally becomes truly uncanny. But none are as complex and as fascinating as

T-Hanks For The Memories

May 12 2022 27 mins

Great things come in 50s. Jack Daniels’ alcohol percentage. Fines issued to the Conservative government under PartyGate. And shades of grey. But perhaps most importantly, Tom Hanks Defence Force episodes. In our 50th episode special, Jack and Alex finally ask a question that Oxford and Cambridge will be debating for years to come: What truly is the best Tom Hanks film? And using