In 1943, Philip K. Wrigley (of chewing gum fame!) founded the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) in order to maintain sport and public morale during World War II, at a time when many eligible young men, including professional sportsmen, were drafted to fight overseas.

Whilst A League of Their Own is a mostly fictional account of the players and founders behind the AAGPBL, it still tells a story of the real-life resilience, spirit and tenacity of the young women involved, many of whom had husbands fighting in the war, coming together to provide entertainment and boost the morale of the nation through sport, despite the sexism and misogyny of the era.

Penny Marshall's 1992 movie remains my favourite, and dare I say it, the greatest sports movie of all time. A story of determination, sisterly love, sacrifice and friendship within the very real backdrop of World War II, when women could finally prove they were more than just potential housewives and mothers.

Geena Davis embodies the 40s starlet as the statuesque, seemingly perfect Dottie Hinson. Tom Hanks, playing against type as alcoholic ex-player-turned-manager Jimmy Dugan delivers most of the movie's iconic lines. Lori Petty as Kit Keller, just wants to step out of her older sister's perfect shadow and Madonna, in probably one of her most beloved screen roles, as "All The Way" Mae Mordabito, with a great on-screen comedic partnership with Rosie O'Donnell's brash Doris Murphy.

Even though the real AAGPBL was dismantled in 1954, its legacy lives on in this movie. It encapsulates a time in recent history that not many are still alive to tell the story of. Sadly, Mary Pratt, the last remaining member of that inaugural 1943 Rockford Peaches roster, passed away just before this episode was (originally) released. She lived to 101 and spent her life championing women's sport.

These women were inspirational, trail-blazing, legacy-creating and really were in a league of their own.

Episode originally released 14th May 2020

Mentioned in this episode:

From the Archive

There's no new episode this week, so I thought you might be interested in revisiting this slightly older, but no less brilliant episode. Just bear in mind, this episode is several years old, it may not sound quite as polished as newer episodes, and new information may have come to light in recent years with regards to the making of this movie (please see above for the original date of release) Please enjoy this time capsule of an episode. Thanks for listening!

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Hello, I'm Em. And yes, I'm a podcast host. No, I said cappuccino. I'm here to talk to you about something very important. And no, it's not about me or my podcast. I'm here to talk about subliminal messages in rock and roll music. Or as it's simply known in some cultures, 'rock music'.

You see, for years the government has been wisely coercing teenagers to buy products they normally wouldn't want, just to get their money.

Fact! Kids don't have bills to pay. Fact! They don't pay taxes. But! They do babysit and hold minimum wage jobs that earn them wads of cash as substantial as, well, my body of work.

But kids today aren't dumb. They're not gonna buy just anything. That's why the government has been planting small subliminal advertising suggestions in today's rock music. The results? We can now get these kids to buy just about anything. We can have them chasing a new trend every week. And that is good for the economy. And what's good for the economy... is good for the country. So God bless the United States Of America - the most ass-kickin' country... in the world!

And god bless Josie and the Pussycats!

(Let's hope this episode isn't a "take the Chevy to the levy" situation. Du Jour means seat belts! Du Jour means crash positions!)

Ross Burlingame's IndieGoGo for Best Movie Ever: A Totally Jerkin' Book, an oral history of Josie and the Pussycats can be found here

Episode originally released 18th March 2021

Mentioned in this episode:

From the Archive

There's no new episode this week, so I thought you might be interested in revisiting this slightly older, but no less brilliant episode. Just bear in mind, this episode is several years old, it may not sound quite as polished as newer episodes, and new information may have come to light in recent years with regards to the making of this movie (please see above for the original date of release) Please enjoy this time capsule of an episode. Thanks for listening!

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From a great well-known cast of faces, such as William Sadler, Jada Pinkett, Billy Zane, Dick Miller and Thomas Haden Church to some genuinely spooky great practical effects and world building, Demon Knight really delivers in a way most low-budget horror movies don't.

Not to mention, it's probably the only horror movie where a black woman is the final girl, and she saves the world!

I never thought I'd say that Billy Zane was the best part of anything.... he chews the scenery like never before or again as The Collector. Maybe he's entranced me into doing this episode? Maybe I'm possessed? What is this green goo?!

Episode originally released 31st October 2020

Mentioned in this episode:

From the Archive

There's no new episode this week, so I thought you might be interested in revisiting this slightly older, but no less brilliant episode. Just bear in mind, this episode is several years old, it may not sound quite as polished as newer episodes, and new information may have come to light in recent years with regards to the making of this movie (please see above for the original date of release) Please enjoy this time capsule of an episode. Thanks for listening!

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy

Halloween has a complex and multifaceted legacy, intertwining themes of fear, adolescence, and societal commentary. The exploration of the concept of the 'Final Girl,' epitomized by Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. Laurie’s character represents resilience and survival, challenging traditional gender roles often depicted in horror films, and her casting was just a simple publicity stunt really. Her mother was the original scream queen, Janet Leigh, and Psycho's DNA is woven throughout this movie in more ways than one...

John Carpenter and Debra Hill crafted a narrative for Halloween that goes beyond simple scares, incorporating deeper messages about innocence, morality, and the unpredictability of evil.

Carpenter's innovative filming techniques, such as the use of point-of-view shots that enhance the sense of being hunted, a tactic that has become a staple in horror storytelling, leading Michael Myers to becoming the granddaddy of slashers, and the villain to end all villains.

Halloween resonated with audiences, and the growing popularity of horror as a genre, and it remains not only a beloved classic but also a significant work that continues to inspire and provoke thought about the horror genre and society's fears.

And it all started with the idea of murdering babysitters...

I would love to hear your thoughts on Halloween (1978) !

Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!

CONTACT....

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ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA

Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio

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There's a curse at Camp Crystal Lake. It's going to be a Long Night at Camp Blood. Except that didn't turn out to be the title of this movie.

The original Friday the 13th cleverly subverts horror tropes by making the killer a middle-aged mother, capitalizing on the fears associated with the number 13, as well as the success of Halloween in 1978.

Betsy Palmer's portrayal of Pamela Voorhees, who only shows up in the final moments, makes her one of horror's most subversive, and yet misremembered villains. Remember that scene in Scream? The answer is not Jason Voorhees, but it is for the myriad sequels to follow...

With memorable effects by Tom Savini, the success of Friday the 13th led to a surge of slasher movies throughout the early 1980s, not all as successful as this one, and also led to the death of the slasher, until A Nightmare on Elm Street came along to revive it...

They all should have listened to Crazy Ralph!

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40 years ago, slashers took a terrifying turn, when Wes Craven suggested that we could not only be haunted by our nightmares, but also die from the creatures within them.

Craven's creation of Freddy Krueger stemmed from a haunting childhood memory that inspired the character - called Fred Krueger in this movie only - and the true unexplained deaths of Cambodian immigrants who randomly died in their sleep. While cinema was becoming saturated with cheap, clichéd knock-offs after Halloween and Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street would successfully reinvent the genre; blending supernatural slasher horror with innovative visual effects on a low budget.

Despite initial rejections from major studios, New Line Cinema took a chance on this unique horror concept, leading to huge success for the fledgling independent production company, and Robert Englund's portrayal of Freddy Krueger would become one of horror's most iconic villains, and make Englund synonymous with the character across the franchise.

But don't pour blood-coloured water on live electrics...

I would love to hear your thoughts on A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) !

Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!

CONTACT....

• Twitter @verbaldiorama
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ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA

Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio

Patrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam and Elaine

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Horror icon Chucky was originally created by UCLA student Don Mancini, evolving from a script originally titled 'Batteries Not Included' which then became 'Blood Buddy', where the character was named Buddy.

Potential lawsuit with Hasbro aside, Buddy would eventually become Chucky; the movie was eventually renamed Child's Play, and would become a ground-breaking horror film that successfully combined dark comedy with genuine suspense. The animatronics used for Chucky were state-of-the-art for the late 1980s, and the film's success spawned an entire franchise that includes sequels, merchandise, and a television series.

But it wasn't all fun and games behind the scenes. Significant changes to Child's Play were made after poor test screenings, leading to a more streamlined movie and the controversy surrounding the entire Child's Play franchise, especially regarding violence, had lasting implications for horror films here in the UK.

I would love to hear your thoughts on Child's Play (1988) !

Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!

CONTACT....

• Twitter @verbaldiorama
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• Email verbaldiorama [at] gmail [dot] com
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SUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....

Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review

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ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA

Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio

Patrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam and Elaine

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Bill & Ted creators Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson, along with stars Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, always assumed Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey would be the last time anyone would see Bill S. Preston Esquire and Ted Theodore Logan together on the big screen ever again.

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey hadn't done the business of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, and so all four men went their own ways in Hollywood, each carving their own successful careers.

It wasn't until a random red carpet comment in 2005 that any of them thought seriously about reviving the characters, and not until 2008 that they got together at a BBQ to discuss ideas. And they ended up having a great idea, one they all wanted to do, but it meant writing a spec script, without having any of the rights in place to get this legacy sequel actually made.

And then they found out MGM was planning their own reboot called Bill & Ted's Friggin' Badass Voyage...

I would love to hear your thoughts on Bill & Ted Face the Music !

Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!

CONTACT....

• Twitter @verbaldiorama
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SUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....

Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review

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ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA

Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio

Patrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine and Kyle

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Verbal Diorama: It’s hip, it’s now, it’s wow and how?!

After the huge success of both Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, Sam Raimi wanted to finish his Spider-Man trilogy with a bang.

Originally planning to have Sandman and the Vulture, along with a non-New Goblin Harry Osborn against Peter Parker's newly adored Spider-Man, plans would evolve somewhat as time passed, with Avi Arad instead wanting fan favourite anti-hero Venom to be a secondary antagonist alongside Sandman.

Sam Raimi wasn't keen on Venom, he didn't fit Raimi's themes of humanity, and to show flaws in his hero. He also wanted a key theme of forgiveness. The alien symbiote represented none of this, but he eventually reluctantly agreed to reshape the movie to take out Vulture and include Venom.

Then producer Laura Ziskin suggested he add Gwen Stacy to an incredible busy mix too.

You can understand the logic - both Venom and Gwen are fan favourite characters, but in an-already busy movie, it just got busier and more bloated.

But Spider-Man 3 does have great things underneath the bloated exterior - the birth of Sandman still looks great, Mary Jane is given more to do than just scream, and we got the ultimate meme - Emo Peter and the Bully Maguire.

People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul!

I would love to hear your thoughts on Spider-Man 3 (2007) !

Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!

CONTACT....

• Twitter @verbaldiorama
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SUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....

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ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA

Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio

Patrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam, Elaine and BRAND-NEW PATRON KYLE!

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Batman Forever, for all its neon grandiose spectacle, was purely created as the anthesis to Batman Returns. While retrospectively, Batman Returns is seen as one of the best Batman movies, the backlash around the movie's dark, violent and sexual nature led to parents revolting, and Warner Bros scrambling to make Batman family-friendly again.

Enter Joel Schumacher, a guy with a strong movie making record, who was more than happy to follow Warner Bros family-friendly mantra, with his own accoutrements.

So, we got colour! We got manic humour! We got a new Batman, two new foes, a new sidekick, a new love interest, Bat Nipples™, and a really earnest attempt at the duality of Batman; about the two sides of your persona; your public and private sides, your billionaire and vigilante sides, your serious Batman movie and your goofy jokes. This is a movie that talks fairly seriously about Bruce Wayne’s psyche, but then can also say “holy rusted metal, Batman”

Because... the ground, it's all metal. It's full of holes.

But there was darkness to Schumacher's vision, and fifty minutes of material was removed from the final cut for being "too dark", including Bruce coming face to face with a huge animatronic bat, and in turn coming face to face with his destiny.

I would love to hear your thoughts on Batman Forever !

Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!

CONTACT....

• Twitter @verbaldiorama
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ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA

Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio

Patrons: Sade, Claudia, Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Dave, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip K, Adam and Elaine

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After Steven Spielberg took the reins for both Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic World, it was time for some fresh meat for Jurassic Park III, which was the first to not be directed by Spielberg and not be based on a Michael Crichton novel.

Jurassic Park III would start to have problems early, though. The original script was thrown out five weeks before filming was due to start, with the project already having spent $18 million. New writers Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor were quickly hired to improve the story and characters , but they never actually completed a script.

Filming would start without a complete script, which would lead to a myriad of problems. It meant entire days shooting only one or two scenes, and quickly the production was behind schedule.

While Jurassic Park III is mostly known for "Alan", being the shortest movie in the franchise at a lean 92 minutes, and the lowest grossing movie of the franchise, it was also quietly revolutionary with its visual effects - the practical led by the legendary Stan Winston Studio and the CG by Industrial Light and Magic.

And who knew it would predict an actual scientific discovery on dinosaur behaviour?

I would love to hear your thoughts on Jurassic Park III !

Verbal Diorama is now an award-winning podcast! I won the Best Movie Podcast in the inaugural Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards recently. I am beyond thrilled, and hugely grateful to the Ear Worthy team. It means so much to me to be recognised by a fellow indie outlet, and congratulations to all the other winners!

CONTACT....

• Twitter @verbaldiorama
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ABOUT VERBAL DIORAMA

Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em | This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song. Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe. Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!) Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio

Patrons: Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Pete, Heather, Danny, Aly, Stu, Brett, Philip M, Michele, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Russell, Philip K Adam and BRAND-NEW PATRON ELAINE!

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