The Weekly Podioplex returns to find war. This week belongs to Caesar and the apes as they dominate the box office, but still have considerable ground to make up in their own franchise. Meanwhile, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Christopher Nolan's take on Dunkirk, and a Girls Trip will challenge the apes for the throne. Can they hold the line?

The home entertainment slate also stars an ape as Kong: Skull Island invades store shelves. Joining the king are a Promise, The 100, The Expanse, and the car-leaping antics of T.J. Hooker. After that, Denise wraps things up in the Quick Flicks with comic book news and a celebration of the Thirteenth Doctor. This and more comprise a new edition of The Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for July 18th, 2017

Introduction

Opening Clip: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – War for the Planet of the Apes – [New Release]
#2 – Spider-Man: Homecoming – [-1]
#3 – Despicable Me 3 – [-1]
#4 – Baby Driver – [-1]
#5 – The Big Sick – [+3]
#6 – Wonder Woman – [-2]

#7 – Wish Upon – [New Release]
#8 – Cars 3 – [-2]
#9 – Transformers: The Last Knight – [-4]
#10 – The House – [-3]

Tops From the Past

2012 – The Dark Knight Rises
2007 – I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
1997 – Men in Black
1987 – RoboCop
1977 – The Island of Dr. Moreau
 

Box Office Premieres for the week of July 21st, 2017

Wide

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets – [PG-13]

Dunkirk – [PG-13]

Girls Trip – [R]

Limited

Landline – [R]
The Midwife – [UR]

Home Entertainment for the week of July 18th, 2017

New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray

Kong: Skull Island – [PG-13]

The Promise – [PG-13]

New Releases on Digital Video

The Circle – [PG-13]

With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story (2010) – [UR]

TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

The 100: Season Four (2017)

The Expanse: Season Two (2017)

T.J. Hooker: Complete Series (1982-1986)

Blu-Rays From the Past 

State Fair (1962) – [NR]

Podcast Promos

British Invaders

The British Invaders podcast features a lively two-person exchange about different television series, tele-films and mini-series. These discussions serve as both an introduction and an entertaining conversation, catering to both those who have seen and those who have yet to see these British science fiction and fantasy shows. Each show is presented in two parts, with new episodes appearing every two weeks. British Invaders covers everything from story-lines to production details to spinoff material. Past topics have included Doctor Who, Sapphire and Steel, Red Dwarf, Day of the Triffids, Jekyll, Robin of Sherwood, and many more.

Quick Flicks

Martin Landau and George Romero
Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor
Wonder Woman’s strong box office performance
Ben Affleck’s script is out for Batman
The Joker is cured?

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
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Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

"BEAUTIFUL DREAMER"

AIRED: OCTOBER 22 and 29, 1966

This story has a lot of things that make it stand out from the others in the series.  First, it's the first two-part episode for the series.  Second, it's co-written by Lorenzo Semple.  But the real question is - is there enough story here to warrant two parts?  John and Jim discuss this as well as Britt's "type" of woman in the series.  Plus, we have an audio treat thanks to listener David Maska.  Listen to talk show host Mike Douglas interview Van Williams on the premiere of The Green Hornet back in 1966.

Take a listen and then let us know what you think of the episode by writing us here or at thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

After a brief break, The Weekly Podioplex has returned to news of an infestation at the box office. This week's winner is Spider-Man: Homecoming, which made a pretty big splash for a superhero whose only reward is supposedly action. The wallcrawler faces a new challenge as war comes to the Planet of the Apes. Simian or spider: Who will win?

The home entertainment slate goes high octane with The Fate of the Furious, a lost city, the Smurfs, and the unexplained between magic and time travelers on TV. After Leeloo Dallas Multipass goes 4K for a 20th anniversary, Denise returns with news of Netflix, gender and race conflicts in popular TV, and word that James Bond may expand to a whole shared universe of stories. This and more come together on a new edition of The Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for July 11th, 2017

Introduction

Opening Clip: War for the Planet of the Apes

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Spider-Man: Homecoming – [New Release]
#2 – Despicable Me 3 – [-1]
#3 – Baby Driver – [-1]
#4 – Wonder Woman – [Even]
#5 – Transformers: The Last Knight – [-2]
#6 – Cars 3 – [-1]

#7 – The House – [-1]
#8 – The Big Sick – [+4]
#9 – 47 Meters Down – [-2]
#10 – The Beguiled – [-2]

Tops From the Past

2012 – Ice Age: Continental Drift
2007 – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
1997 – Men in Black
1987 – Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise
1977 – The Deep
 

Box Office Premieres for the week of July 14th, 2017

Wide

War for the Planet of the Apes – [PG-13]

Wish Upon – [PG-13]

The Big Sick – [R]

Limited

Lady Macbeth – [R]
Chasing Coral – [NR]
Blind – [R]

Home Entertainment for the week of July 11th, 2017

New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray

The Fate of the Furious – [PG-13]

The Lost City of Z – [PG-13]

Smurfs: The Lost Village – [PG]

Big Miracle – [PG]

New Releases on Digital Video

Going in Style – [PG-13]

TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

The Magicians: Season Two (2017)

Class: Series One (2016)

Blu-Rays From the Past 

The Fifth Element (1997) – [PG]

Podcast Promos

11.22.63: A Look Back
Join your hosts, Troy Heinritz and Wayne Henderson, for in-depth theories, discussion, fun, and your thoughts on Hulu's TV series 11.22.63.

Quick Flicks

Top Gun 2 in 2019
Netflix Class of 2018
Gillian Anderson takes on The X-Files writer’s room
A James Bond Universe of films?
Gemini Man gets a release date
Hawaii Five-O shakeups
The Umbrella Academy
Wonder Woman
John Carpenter on the small screen: Tales for a Halloween Night

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

Greek restaurateurs have their say on this episode of “Presenting the Transcription Feature.”  We start off with a fictional one, the loveable Parky of “Meet Me at Parky’s.”  A famous food critic is coming to his restaurant, and Parky is desperate for a good write-up.  So desperate that he looks for help from con-man Orville Sharpe, the only person of Parky’s acquaintance with more of a talent for malapropisms than he.  Then, on “You Bet Your Life,” Groucho Marx welcomes an actual Greek restaurateur.   Other contestants include a Las Vegas masseur and a real-life “Rosie the Riveter.”

Episodes

Meet Me at Parky’s

March 3, 1946

“Visit from a Gourmet”

2:19

You Bet Your Life

April 21, 1954

“The Secret Word is People”

32:33

On an all-new double digest edition of The Weekly Podioplex, the Transformers won the weekend, but it was a hollow victory based on sales. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman and Cars 3 picked up the slack. The next two weeks will be a test for the numbers two and three as Gru, the Minions, and Spider-Man make their debuts. It's kids and comics against kids and comics, and the winners are us.

On the home entertainment slate, Power Rangers, The Boss Baby, The Zookeeper's Wife, Prison Break, and Homicide make their way to your shelves alongside others. The Lodger celebrates 90 years and Fievel Goes West, then Denise tells us all about replicants, Han Solo's director issues, and an assembling of Avengers. Put it all together like a LEGO Death Star and you have another edition of The Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for June 27th, 2017

Introduction

Opening Clip: Spider-Man: Homecoming

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Transformers: The Last Knight – [New Release]
#2 – Wonder Woman – [Even]
#3 – Cars 3 – [-2]
#4 – 47 Meters Down – [+1]
#5 – The Mummy – [-1]
#6 – All Eyez on Me – [-3]

#7 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales – [-1]
#8 – Rough Night – [-1]
#9 – Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie – [-1]
#10 – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – [-1]

Tops From the Past

2012 – Ted
2007 – Ratatouille
1997 – Face/Off
1987 – Dragnet
1977 – The Rescuers
 

Box Office Premieres for the week of June 30th, 2017

Wide

Despicable Me 3 – [PG]

The House – [R]

Baby Driver – [R]

Limited

13 Minutes – [R]
The Little Hours – [R]
The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography – [R]

Box Office Premieres for the week of July 7th, 2017

Wide

Spider-Man: Homecoming – [PG-13]

Limited

A Ghost Story – [R]
City of Ghosts – [R]
Patti Cake$ – [R]
Santoalla – [NR]

Home Entertainment for the weeks of June 27th and July 4th, 2017

New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray for June 27th

Power Rangers – [PG-13]

CHIPS – [R]

T2: Trainspotting – [R]

New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray for July 4th

The Zookeeper’s Wife – [PG-13]

New Releases on Digital Video for June 27th

The Lost City of Z – [PG-13]

New Releases on Digital Video for July 4th

The Boss Baby – [PG]

TV on DVD and Blu-Ray for June 27th

Prison Break: The Complete Series (2005-2017)
Prison Break: Resurrection (2017)

The Strain: Season Three (2016)

TV on DVD and Blu-Ray for July 4th

Homicide: Life on the Street: The Complete Series (1993-1999)

Blu-Rays From the Past for June 27th 

The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) – [UR]

Blu-Rays From the Past for July 4th 

An American Tale: Fievel Goes West (1991) – [G]

Podcast Promos

The Shared Desk

From the writing desk of award-nominated and award-winning authors and podcasters Philippa Ballantine and Tee Morris comes The Shared Desk, a writer's show that explores collaboration, science fiction, fantasy, and just about anything that catches their fleeting attention spans.

Quick Flicks

Han Solo divorces from Lord and Miller
Blade Runner 2049 and Deckard’s replicant status
World War Z 2
Jurassic World: Falling Kingdom
The Infinity War roll call

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

On an all-new edition of The Weekly Podioplex, Lightning McQueen won the race, but can he match Wonder Woman's box office endurance as she continues to take down her DCEU brethren? This week, they both face off against a new set of cars as a popular '80s franchise gets another movie chapter in Transformers: The Last Knight. The question is how the Michael Bay action spectacle will match against two movies with feeling.

On the home entertainment slate, the pickings are equally slim as Life, Kong, Jake and the Fatman, and Under the Dome make their way to various shelves. To top it off, Denise discusses remakes, squees about DuckTales (woo-oo!), laments Cruise control, and says goodbye to Batman. Add it all together and you have another edition of The Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for June 20th, 2017

Introduction

Opening Clip: Transformers: The Last Knight

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Cars 3 – [Second Week]
#2 – Wonder Woman – [-1]
#3 – All Eyez on Me – [New Release]
#4 – The Mummy – [-2]
#5 – 47 Meters Down – [New Release]
#6 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales – [-2]

#7 – Rough Night – [New Release]
#8 – Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie – [-5]
#9 – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – [-4]
#10 – It Comes at Night – [-4]

Tops From the Past

2012 – Brave
2007 – Evan Almighty
1997 – Batman & Robin
1987 – The Witches of Eastwick
1977 – The Deep
 

Box Office Premieres for the week of June 23rd, 2017

Wide

Transformers: The Last Knight – [PG-13]

Limited

The Big Sick – [R]
The Beguiled – [R]
The Bad Batch – [R]

Home Entertainment for the week of June 20th, 2017

New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray

Life – [R]

Altitude – [R]

New Releases on Digital Video

Kong: Skull Island – [PG-13]

TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Jake and the Fatman: The Complete Series (1987-1992)

Under the Dome: The Complete Series (2013-2015)

Blu-Rays From the Past

The Lawnmower Man (1992) – [R]

Podcast Promos

Earth Station One

Earth Station One is a pop culture podcast & blog celebrating our love for all things Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comics & much, much more.

Quick Flicks

Adam West (1928-2017)
The Mummy’s performance due to Cruise control?
The Cannonball Run remake (sorry, John)
Big Trouble in Little China comic series Old Man Jack
DuckTales (woo-oo!)
Black Mirror goes literary

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

Episode 42—The Ape is Back in Town

Science fiction writer Scott Pearson and his daughter, Ella, discuss Kong: Skull Island in depth, including how it compares to earlier Kong films, its relationship with Godzilla (2014), how it holds up under repeated viewings, and differences between the film and its novelization. Double-length episode!

Segments

Intro :28

King Kong Through the Years 1:01

First Thoughts on Skull Island 5:18

Character Development: Kong v. Godzilla 6:48

Missing the Boat on Fighter Pilots 12:43

No Forced Romance, Hooray! 15:34

Kong as a Character 17:40

Respecting the Natives 19:48

Monarch and the Kaiju 21:18

Samuel L. Jackson is Angry 23:24

Hey, This Ape Ain’t So Bad 25:07

That’s a Lot of Choppers 26:04

Let’s Talk Monsters 29:22

Who is Captain Conrad? 31:05

Apocalypse Kong 32:15

The Boat that Pilots Built 34:10

What About the Female Characters? 34:57

Vietnam v. Kong 36:45

Coming Back to We’ll Meet Again 41:19

Kong and the Godzilla Template 42:08

The After Credit Scene 43:48

Kong v. Kong v. Kong v. Kong 49:18

Creating a Shared Universe 52:52

Skull Crawlers 54:34

They Sound Like Birds 55:02

John C. Reilly and the Old Flight Suit 55:40

Final Thoughts 56:44

Apocalypse Kong Redux: The Rewatches 57:10

All-Star Choppers Review 58:43

We Need a Map 1:00:47

Still a Fun Flick 1:04:12

Motion-Capture Connections 1:05:36

Thoughts on Three Viewings 1:09:26

The Novelization: Bulking up the Backstories 1:13:40

NOTE: Apologies to Michael and Denise for the delay in producing this episode - JD

On an all-new edition of The Weekly Podioplex, The Mummy could not defeat Diana of Themiscrya, and the other newbies couldn't even keep up. The race is still on this week as Wonder Woman defends her crown against the might of Disney, Pixar, and Lightning McQueen. Can ka-chow defeat the Amazon princess or will she make it a box office three-peat?

On the home entertainment slate, Bones, The Vampire Diaries, and Grimm all say goodbye as LEGO Batman, John Wick, and the Power Rangers say hello. Add in some Rockford Files, a prison break, and Denise with comic news in the Quick Flicks, and you have another edition of The Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

For Father’s Day, we start off with “The Great Gildersleeve.”  He’s only an uncle, but he’s been like a father to his niece and nephew, so they decide to get him a great, big, stuffed club chair.  They aren’t the only ones.  This episode is a classically-structured farce with people and chairs coming and going to beat the band.  Then on the science fiction anthology program “X Minus One,” a couple of lab rats find themselves caught up in government bureaucracy.  

Episodes

The Great Gildersleeve

June 21, 1942

“Father’s Day Chair”

2:09

X Minus One

November 21, 1956

“Chain of Command” 

32:00

On an all-new edition of The Weekly Podioplex, it was no contest as Diana of Themiscrya stormed the box office and made massive waves. This week may pose no threat to her reign as Tom Cruise tries to reboot The Mummy. The world has Wonder Woman.

On the home entertainment slate, it's Disney debuts the live action Beauty and the Beast, the Doctor makes his tenth season premiere, and another Disney classic celebrates 75 years in our hearts. He can call us flower if he wants to. It's a nice thing to say. Wrap it all up with Denise and the Quick Flicks, and we come to the end of another edition of The Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for June 6th, 2017

Introduction

Opening Clip: The Mummy

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Wonder Woman – [New Release]
#2 – Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie – [New Release]
#3 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales – [-2]
#4 – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2  – [-2]
#5 – Baywatch – [-2]
#6 – Alien: Covenant – [-2]

#7 – Everything, Everything – [-2]
#8 – Snatched – [-1]
#9 – Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul – [-3]
#10 – King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – [-2]

Tops From the Past

2012 – Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
2007 – Ocean's Thirteen
1997 – Con Air
1987 – Beverly Hills Cop II
1977 – Star Wars
 

Box Office Premieres for the week of June 9th, 2017

Wide

The Mummy – [PG-13]

Megan Leavey – [PG-13]

It Comes at Night – [R]

Limited

The Hero – [R]
Beatriz at Dinner  – [R]
My Cousin Rachel  – [PG-13]

Home Entertainment for the week of June 6th, 2017

New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray

Beauty and the Beast – [PG]

A Cure for Wellness – [R]

The Young Pope (2016)

New Releases on Digital Video

Don’t Knock Twice – [R]

TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Doctor Who: Series Ten, Part One (2017)

Van Helsing: Season One (2016)

CHiPs: Season Six (1982)
CHiPs: The Complete Series (1977-1983)

Blu-Rays From the Past

Bambi (1942) – [G]

Podcast Promos

Earth Station Who
A fun mashup celebrating over 50 years of the Doctor Who universe.

Quick Flicks

Wonder Woman sequel coming (!)
Tales from the Crypt stalled
Top Gun: Maverick
John Wick 3 gets a writer and start date
The Punisher coming soon
Nosferatu, Pandora, and Silent History on AMC

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included