Pete and Trevor want to take this opportunity to thank Charles Krantz for 39 great years! Thanks Chuck! And thanks for Mike Flanagan for making this little miracle of a movie that we were lucky enough to see in theatres. Listen to hear our immediate reactions (while giving you plenty of warning before heading into spoilers).

This is also the seventh week for our ongoing Project Superman, wherein we watch every single live-action theatrical Superman movie. Today we talk Superman Returns, the forgotten early 2000s entry into reviving the Superman franchise.

Don’t forget to enter our ongoing contest to win a subscription to Letterboxd Patron: https://boxd.it/Gbt3O

Intro and history with Stephen King and Mike Flanagan (0:00)

Review of Superman Returns (9:28)

Spoiler-free review of The Life of Chuck (39:40)

Spoiler-talk (53:30)

About The Life of Chuck:

The Life of Chuck is a 2024 film inspired by Stephen King’s novella from his collection If It Bleeds. The story unfolds in three parts, told in reverse, tracing the seemingly ordinary life of Charles “Chuck” Krantz against a backdrop of strange cosmic events.

Charles “Chuck” Krantz – Tom Hiddleston

Young Chuck – Jacob Tremblay

Marty Anderson – Chiwetel Ejiofor

Felicia Gordon – Karen Gillan

Sarah Krantz – Mia Sara

Albie Krantz – Mark Hamill

Also starring – Carl Lumbly, David Dastmalchian, Matthew Lillard, Q’orianka Kilcher, Annalise Basso, Rahul Kohli, Violet McGraw, Kate Siegel, Benjamin Pajak, Cody Flanagan, Heather Langenkamp

Mike Flanagan – Director / Screenwriter / Editor / Producer

Trevor Macy – Producer

Stephen King – Story (original novella)

Eben Bolter – Cinematographer

The Newton Brothers – Composer

About Superman Returns:

Superman returns to Earth after a five-year absence to find that the world has moved on without him

Brandon Routh – Clark Kent / Superman

Kate Bosworth – Lois Lane

Kevin Spacey – Lex Luthor

James Marsden – Richard White

Frank Langella – Perry White

Sam Huntington – Jimmy Olsen

Eva Marie Saint – Martha Kent

Parker Posey – Kitty Kowalski

Kal Penn – Stanford

Tristan Lake Leabu – Jason White

Marlon Brando – Jor-El (archive footage and CGI)

Bryan Singer – Director / Story / Producer

Michael Dougherty – Screenwriter / Story

Dan Harris – Screenwriter / Story

Jon Peters – Producer

Gilbert Adler – Producer

Newton Thomas Sigel – Cinematographer

John Ottman – Editor / Composer

Elliot Goldenthal – Additional Music

For those of you who are excommunicado, exiled from The Continental, and out of favour with The High Table, this is the podcast for you.

Pete and Trevor saw Ballerina, the latest entry in the John Wick universe. Listen for our immediate reactions to the movie after immediately leaving the theatre.

This is also the sixth week for our ongoing Project Superman, wherein we watch every single live-action theatrical Superman movie. Today we talk Superman IV: The Quest for peace, closing out the Christopher Reeve era. Next week we discuss Superman Returns.

Don’t forget to enter our ongoing contest to win a subscription to Letterboxd Patron: https://boxd.it/Gbt3O

Intro and our history with John Wick (0:00)

Review of Superman IV (16:10)

Spoiler-free review of Ballerina (39:00)

Spoiler-talk (55:06)

About Ballerina:

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina

Eve Macarro once dreamed of becoming a ballerina. Instead, her father’s brutal murder draws her into the shadows of the Ruska Roma assassin network. Trained in a deadly ballet of knives, guns, and improvised weapons, Eve becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Ana de Armas as Eve, Keanu Reeves as John Wick, Ian McShane as Winston, Anjelica Huston as The Director, Gabriel Byrne as The Chancellor, Norman Reedus as some guy, Lance Reddick as Charon

Directed by Len Wiseman, written by Shay Hatten, produced by Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Chad Stahelski, and Len Wiseman, cinematography by Nigel Bluck, music by Marco Beltrami, edited by Brett M. Reed.

About Superman IV:

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) finds the Man of Steel facing his most ideological challenge yet. Disturbed by the escalating threat of nuclear war, Superman (Christopher Reeve) takes it upon himself to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent / Superman, Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, Mariel Hemingway as Lacy Warfield, Mark Pillow as Nuclear Man, Jackie Cooper as Perry White, Jon Cryer as Lenny Luthor, Jim Broadbent as Jean Pierre Dubois, Sam Wanamaker as David Warfield

Directed by Sidney J. Furie, story by Christopher Reeve and Lawrence Konner & Mark Rosenthal, screenplay by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal, produced by Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan, cinematography by Ernest Day, music by John Williams (themes) and Alexander Courage, edited by John Shirley, production design by John Graysmark.

Turn car on, turn car off. Pete and Trevor took a trip to see the Karate Kid: Legends, another legacy sequel (but one that Pete loves). Will this live up to the high-expectations out of Cobra Kai? How will the Will Smith/Jackie Chan remake fit into this? Listen for our immediate reactions after leaving the theatre.

This is also the fourth week for our ongoing Project Superman, wherein we watch every single live-action theatrical Superman movie. This week we discuss Supergirl, which although does not contain an appearance by the man of steel himself, it still serves as an important part of the Christopher Reeve franchise (in that they tried to create an expanded universe and fell flat).

Don’t forget to enter our ongoing contest to win a subscription to Letterboxd Patron: https://boxd.it/Gbt3O

Intro and Pete’s history with Karate Kid (0:00)

Review of Supergirl (19:00)

Spoiler-free review of Karate Kid: Legends (35:50)

Spoiler-talk (51:40)

Karate Kid: Legends

Ben Wang (Li Fong), Jackie Chan (Mr. Han), Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso), Sadie Stanley (Mia), Joshua Jackson (Victor Lipani), Ming-Na Wen (Dr. Fong), Aramis Knight (Conor), Wyatt Oleff (Alan), Shaunette Renée Wilson (Ms. Morgan), Tim Rozon (O’Shea), Marco Zhang (Young Li Fong), William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence – cameo), Pat Morita (Mr. Miyagi – archival footage)

Director: Jonathan Entwistle

Writer: Rob Lieber

Producer: Karen Rosenfelt

Executive Producers: Ralph Macchio, Jenny Hinkey

Cinematographer: Justin Brown

Editor: Dana E. Glauberman

Music: Dominic Lewis

Casting Director: John Papsidera

Production Designer: Maya Sigel

Supergirl:

Cast: Helen Slater (Kara Zor-El / Supergirl), Faye Dunaway (Selena), Peter O’Toole (Zaltar), Mia Farrow (Alura), Brenda Vaccaro (Bianca), Hart Bochner (Ethan), Peter Cook (Nigel), Maureen Teefy (Lucy Lane), Marc McClure (Jimmy Olsen), Simon Ward (Zor-El)

Director: Jeannot Szwarc

Writer: David Odell

Producers: Timothy Burrill, Ilya Salkind

Music: Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography: Alan Hume

Editor: Malcolm Cooke

Production Designer: Richard Macdonald