As we raise our glasses to the final installment of the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, Franchise Detours dives into the bittersweet, otherworldly journey of 2013's The World’s End. The film ends the series with a poignant commentary on friendship, nostalgia, and the inescapable march of time. Robert Stewart of Stew World Order joins the show to d…

Continuing our genre-blending trek through the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, we’re locking and loading for a deep dive into the explosive Hot Fuzz. Armed with sharp wit and a barrage of bullets, this entry takes aim at action movie conventions with a dash of murder mystery thrown in. Joining us is Lauren Robinson of the Beer’d Al Podcast. We’ll …

Just as the zombie genre returned to life, Shaun of the Dead emerged as a cult classic that redefined the landscape of horror-comedy. As we dissect the intricacies of the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy in our latest mega-series, we delve into the film that set the tone for Edgar Wright's signature work. Clare Brunton of W-Rated joins us to shed li…

Just when you thought Dark Phoenix put an underwhelming bow on the Fox era of X-Men movies, The New Mutants comes along to further complicate the franchise's legacy. In this BONUS episode to our mega-series following the X-Men movie franchise, we'll go in-depth on the oft-forgotten 2020 film. On paper, The New Mutants should have been an easy win. …

Our X-Men mega-series comes to a close (or does it?) with 2019's Dark Phoenix, as the franchise takes a second stab at one of the comics' most iconic storylines. With X-Men: The Last Stand far behind him, can first-time director Simon Kinberg (who cowrote that 2006 movie) right past wrongs? Darin Lundberg of NostalgiaCast joins us to unravel the my…

The claws are out and the adamantium is gleaming as we dive into the final chapter in the Wolverine trilogy. Hugh Jackman's iconic portrayal of the mutant hero faced a bumpy road in his solo films. But was 2017's Logan, featuring returning The Wolverine director James Mangold, worth the wait? Fans wondered if they'd ever see the character's true po…

After exploring time travel and creating a shared universe with X-Men: Days of Future Past, where could the sequel go next? Why, the gods, of course! For better or worse, 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse pits the Marvel mutants against their most formidable enemy yet: a big, blue Oscar Isaac. In this episode, Clare Brunton of W-Rated helps us uncover the t…

After The Avengers, superhero cinema has never been the same. Suddenly, everything needed to be interconnected, featuring tons of characters and an increasingly complicated timeline. Naturally, the X-Men series retroactively created its own shared universe of sorts with X-Men: Days of Future Past. Fourteen years after the first film, director Bryan…

Hugh Jackman's Wolverine has always been a fan favorite. But X-Men Origins: Wolverine called into question whether the mutant hero would get the opportunity to carry more than a single solo film. Thankfully, Jackman's desire to take Logan to Japan paid off in the form of 2013's The Wolverine. Adapting one of the character's most popular storylines,…

X-Men Origins: Wolverine was meant to slash open a whole new avenue for the X-Men movie franchise. Yet, despite its commercial performance, the tepid reception ultimately led the series to take another approach: going back to basics with a fresh start on the whole mutant saga. In hindsight, it might seem like 2011's X-Men: First Class was always me…

Despite the less-than-enthusiastic response from fans and critics, 2006's trilogy-ending X-Men: The Last Stand did at least offer fans something of a sense of closure (that final shot and post-credits scene notwithstanding). But it also outperformed its two predecessors at the box office. So it didn't take long for Fox to begin exploring ways to ex…

We interrupt your regularly scheduled mutant superhero mega-series already in progress for, well, another mutant superhero mega-series. It's time to dip back into the sewers for a return to the world of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Seven years have passed since the latest franchise revival fizzled out with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the …

Our X-Men mega-series continues, spanning 10 films and nearly 20 years. Following the success of X2: X-Men United, the franchise takes its first major shift. Director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour) steps in to helm 2006's polarizing X-Men: The Last Stand. But is it a satisfying finale to the original trilogy of mutant adventures? Or is the film the X-Men…

Welcome back, fellow mutant enthusiasts! As we celebrate the 23rd anniversary of the X-Men film franchise, we continue our journey through the groundbreaking series that revolutionized the superhero genre. In this episode, we dive deep into the sequel that took everything we loved about the first film and elevated it to new heights: 2003's X2: X-Me…

Twenty-three years have passed since the mutants of Marvel Comics made their big-screen debut. And it's an understatement to say the cinematic landscape has itself mutated since X-Men hit theaters. So on this 23rd anniversary of the film that started it all, we're taking a look back at Fox's dearly departed mutant saga with a mega-series covering 1…

Walt Disney is a name that has become synonymous with family entertainment. But back when Disney himself was running the company, the studio was pushing the boundaries of feature animation. And perhaps few films are as much of a testament to that as 1940's Fantasia. Brian Skutle of Sonic Cinema joins the show to discuss that film's ground-breaking …

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, mainstream comedies were dominated by just one man: Judd Apatow. As a writer, director, and/or producer, Apatow was behind many of the biggest hits of the era, including classics such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Superbad, Bridesmaids, The Big Sick, and -- as we've previously discussed -- The 40-Year-Old…

After nine films and three different incarnations, our Planet of the Apes mega-series ends here. We went in-depth on the original five-film series, dug up the oft-maligned Tim Burton "reimagining," and now we conclude our discussions on the recent reboot trilogy starring Andy Serkis as Caesar. David Rosen of Piecing It Together joins us to discuss …

Prior to its release, no one quite knew what to make of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. But after it became one of 2011's biggest surprise hits, it was clear just how much life was left in the decades-old sci-fi franchise. With its sequel, returning star Andy Serkis and director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Let Me In) raised the emotional stakes and s…

A full decade after director Tim Burton's "reimagining" of Planet of the Apes, the franchise seemed pretty much done. Hollywood turned its attention to other movie series, but after both Batman and Bond successfully relaunched by taking its iconic worlds back to basics, Fox ultimately took the same approach with one of its most successful brands of…

After the disappointment of Battle for the Planet of the Apes, the franchise limped on in the form of two short-lived television series. First came 1974's live-action Planet of the Apes TV series, followed the next year by the animated project Return to the Planet of the Apes. Neither caught on with fans, and despite a long development, a new film …

Evil Dead was only the second mega-series Franchise Detours covered. So it's only right that, with writer-director Lee Cronin's Evil Dead Rise now in theaters, we take a franchise u-turn back to that series. After a full decade of rest from the big screen, what are those pesky Deadites up to this time? Rob briefly interrupts the ongoing Planet of t…

Conquest for the Planet of the Apes sees Caesar (Roddy McDowall) lead an ape revolution that seemingly sews up the fate of humanity. So where could a sequel possibly take the story after the climactic turn of the previous film? As we continue our journey through the nine-film Planet of the Apes franchise, Battle for the Planet of the Apes gives us …

Escape from the Planet of the Apes set the franchise off on a brand-new course. And the sequel -- released just over a year after its predecessor -- follows the ape Caesar (Roddy McDowall, as a new character) as he plays a pivotal role in humanity's downfall in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Ryan Luis Rodriguez of One Track Mind joins the show…

No spoilers, but Beneath the Planet of the Apes seemed to negate the chances of a third Planet of the Apes film. And yet, the box office receipts sent a very different message to studio executives. And so Escape from the Planet of the Apes hit theaters in 1971, taking the series in a radical new direction. Film critic Sara Michelle Fetters joins th…

1968's Planet of the Apes was a watershed moment for science fiction cinema and, in hindsight, franchise filmmaking. But what lies beneath? That's the focus of this episode, as we take a look at the first of many sequels to attempt to on the original Planet of the Apes film. Jeremiah Stewart of Let's Talk helps us dig into 1970's Beneath the Planet…

We finally really did it. After spending the past several episodes with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Franchise Detours sticks to the world of anthropomorphic animals and prosthetic make-up for its longest mega-series yet: Planet of the Apes. On this episode, Thomas Greene of Perpetual Cinema joins the show to discuss the 1968 film that started…

2014's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles seemingly kicked off a whole new era of movies starring the title heroes. But after its solid box office performance, the sequel -- 2016's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows -- still struggled to keep that momentum going. Clare from W-Rated joins this final installment of our Teenage Mutant Ninja Tu…

Kevin the Critic joins Franchise Detours to talk about the 2014 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' reboot from producer Michael Bay. Connect with Crooked Table Productions on social media: Facebook | Twitter | InstagramBy Crooked Table Productions

As we continue our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mega-series, our very own Kai Yaniz makes her Franchise Detours debut as we discuss the oft-forgotten 2007 animated film TMNT. Connect with Crooked Table Productions on social media: Facebook | Twitter | InstagramBy Crooked Table Productions

As we approach the halfway point of our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles mega-series, we bid a final farewell to the live-action turtles. Following the defeat of the Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, the filmmakers had a big decision to make with regard to the story of the third film. Their answer? Send the turtles to…

Despite the success of the animated series, no one expected 1990's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to be such a blockbuster. So naturally, it didn't take long for a sequel to start inching toward production. And less than a year later, the turtles were back on the big screen with another adventure. Jeff Johnson and Kevin Smith from Suns and Shadows-Ca…

Kids growing up in the late 1980s/early 1990s had almost no choice but to love Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. From their love of martial arts to their passion for pizza, those heroes on a half-shell were a legitimate cultural touchstone, thanks to their animated series and, yes, the 1990 motion picture that brought the turtles to the big screen for …

After two adventures as Axel Foley, Eddie Murphy had sworn off the possibility of Beverly Hills Cop 3. The actor reportedly felt there was nowhere else to go with that character. And yet, here we are talking about the third and final installment in our Beverly Hills Cop mega-series. But was Murphy right when he initially refused to come back for a …

After 1984's Beverly Hills Cop solidified Eddie Murphy's superstar status, a sequel seemed inevitable. And although Beverly Hills Cop 2 perhaps lacks the cultural significance of its predecessor, it does bring a ton of fun additions to the franchise, particularly as director Tony Scott's follow-up to the previous year's highest-grossing movie, none…

It's impossible to imagine a world without Eddie Murphy. Throughout his career, he evolved from stand-up comic to Saturday Night Live breakout and finally, an Academy Award-nominated A-list movie star. And though Murphy had appeared in a few previous films, his ascension to the comedy star hall of fame didn't truly kick into gear until 1984's Bever…

Tom Cruise made his film debut in 1981's Endless Love. But it wasn't until five years later in Top Gun that Cruise truly emerged as an A-list leading man. That film -- directed by the late Tony Scott -- sparked a phenomenon that has endured for more than three decades. Case in point, 2022's long-awaited sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, became the year's …

Superhero cinema these days seems unwaveringly dedicated to never-ending stories. But a full decade ago, Christopher Nolan followed his groundbreaking 2008 blockbuster The Dark Knight not with another sequel but with the grand finale of his interpretation of the Batman mythos. But does 2012's The Dark Knight Rises end the trilogy on a satisfying no…

Batman Begins singlehandedly revived the DC superhero's film career. And The Dark Knight, well, it ensured that Batman would never stray far from the silver screen again. In this 2008 sequel, director Christopher Nolan took Christian Bale's Batman down a deeper, more morally complex path by pitting him against his ideological opposite: Heath Ledger…

Batman was in a characteristically dark place in the early 2000s. After 1997's Batman & Robin, Warner Bros. struggled to figure out what its next move would be for Bruce Wayne's DC Comics alter-ego. Then an up-and-coming filmmaker named Christopher Nolan came in, and the resulting trilogy would leave an impact that still lingers within superhero mo…

On paper, the introduction of an evil doppelganger for Kermit the Frog sounds like a worthy addition to the Muppet mythos. So why didn't the much-anticipated sequel to 2011's The Muppets connect with audiences? With the characters' popularity seemingly restored, Muppets Most Wanted saw Disney deflate this "viable franchise" soon after its reintrodu…

It was a dark time for moviegoers. After Muppets from Space failed to meet expectations, the Muppets took an extended break from the big screen. But following Disney's acquisition of the characters in 2004, they finally made their long-awaited return to cinemas with 2011's The Muppets. And judging by the box office receipts, the world welcomed them…

In 1999, Muppets fans probably expected Kermit and friends to dive headfirst into a third consecutive literary adaptation. Instead, Jim Henson Company Pictures -- this time under Sony Pictures, not Disney -- decided to boldly go where no Muppet movie had gone before: the realm of science fiction. And so Muppets from Space was born. Sandro Falce fro…

Once you've done Ebenezer Scrooge, the next logical step is Long John Silver, right? That's what Disney, Jim Henson Productions, and director Brian Henson apparently thought. After the success of 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol, the Muppets stuck with literary adaptations, this time plugging them into Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel Treasure …

Following the death of Jim Henson, the Muppets were absent from the big screen for nearly a decade. But under the guidance of director Brian Henson, Jim's son, Kermit the Frog and company finally returned with a twist in 1992. And 30 years later, The Muppet Christmas Carol is one of the most beloved installments in the Muppet movie franchise. In th…

First, the Muppets got a movie. They solved a great caper. But taking Manhattan? In this economy?! Well, that's next in our Muppets mega-series. In 1984's The Muppets Take Manhattan, Kermit and company aspire to become Broadway stars. And director Frank Oz brings as much heart and unforgettable songs as fans would expect from a Muppet movie. The Ve…

The Muppet Movie took Kermit the Frog and company from The Muppet Show all the way to Hollywood. But beyond the "approximate" story of how the Muppets got together, what does everyone's favorite group of frogs, pigs, bears, and whatevers do with their "rich and famous contracts"? The Great Muppet Caper, that's what. Ryan Luis Rodriguez of The Cooln…

It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights. It's time to meet the Muppets on a brand-new Franchise Detours mega-series. For the next eight episodes, we'll be covering every single theatrically released Muppet film, journeying through spanning 35 years of Muppets on the big screen. First up is the story of "approximately" how the Mup…

On its face, Happy Death Day feels very much like a slasher movie spin of 1993's time-loop comedy Groundhog Day. While it is that, director Christopher Landon manages to transcend that premise to create one of the best horror-comedies in recent years and a truly underrated sequel. On this episode, Robert Stewart of Stew World Order joins the show t…

For an entire generation, Pee-wee Herman was an integral part of their childhood. The character -- created by Paul Reubens -- made his big-screen debut in Tim Burton's Pee-wee's Big Adventure before landing the award-winning Pee-wee's Playhouse TV series. Now Franchise Detours takes a tour through Pee-wee Herman's "trilogy" of cinematic adventures.…