Review Episodes

You can't handle the truth! And the truth is that was probably the laziest possible way to introduce this weeks Top 5, which is all about Courtroom scenes. From high stakes and huge drama to reindeer hit-and-runs and everything in between, be sure not to miss out. Andy Samberg's usual effervescence is exchanged for something approaching an almost zen like nihilism in PALM SPRINGS, showing on Amazon Prime this week. Taking the time loop conceit and adding anarchic new twists and a strong emotion...

Tom Twyker and the Wachowskis serve up what is surely one of the most ambitious films ever made with 2012's Cloud Atlas. Adapted from David Mitchell's supposedly unfilmable novel, Cloud Atlas follows characters inspired across time by acts of artistic expression in six short stories sharing an incredible cast including one of Sidey's least favourite actors, Tom Hanks, and one of his very favourite, Hugh Grant. With plenty of plot and thematic content to address in this epic 170 minute movie, th...

Just about my favourite thing in all of cinema is the long take or 'oner', whether it's to establish character or geography, to infuse a scene with intensity or drama or to present incredible skill and scale from impossible seeming new perspectives. They are often dazzling feats of vision and technical-endeavour, requiring countless hours of rehearsal and set dressing, incorporating complex camera moves, precision blocking and clever editing to achieve. So we're going to talk about them. There ...

When scholars look back at the history of human development it's almost certain that our greatest invention will be deemed to be language, eclipsing even lead paint, pornography and that device that delivers babies through centrifugal force by spinning the mother in a circle. There are many languages: more than 7000 in fact, although 23 of those account for in excess of half of the worlds population. Between the 5 of us Bad Dads we've just about mastered speaking English, so the idea that we cou...

Two Harry Potter movie fans sit down to discuss the third instalment in the franchise with a self-confessed Potter hater and someone who didn’t even bother to watch the film. J.K. Rowling's fantasy novel series for younger readers garnered huge success in its own right before it was adapted for the big screen in 2001 with the release of the first cinematic instalment, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The third highest-grossing film series of all time with an estimated worldwide box off...

The British drink tea, eat crumpets and are emotionally distant, class-obsessed xenophobes. The French wear berets, wouldn't be seen dead without a baguette under one arm and have questionable hygiene standards. The Italians are a nation of dark-haired, olive skinned plumbers who spend most of their time ingesting huge quantities of mushrooms, then jumping on the backs of turtles whilst on a quest to save a Princess. Yet despite our differences we collectively managed to establish the culture wh...

The Casino can be an intoxicating place in more way than one, especially if you like gambling which I don't. The unquestionable pathway to happiness that gambling guarantees, the glamour, the risk, the reward, the shared social experience: it all sounds awful, just as fake as the Eiffel Tower that famously adorns the Vegas strip. This weeks top 5 promises all of the subtlety and style of that famous American city, a mecca for the perpetually misguided and the intellectually stunted, so of course...

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has made in excess of 23 billion dollars worldwide since Iron Man's debut in 2008 and superhero movies have become so ubiquitous that we take them for granted but this wasn't always the case. When I was younger, the notion that there might be a shared cinematic universe featuring even top tier Marvel characters seemed fanciful, never mind the fact that we now have entire movies dedicated to the exploits of talking raccoons and mono-sentenced walking trees. 22 movies...

Our Midweek Mention begins our week long delve into the world of Marvel movies. Egged on by Sidey's unrelenting claims that Howard the Duck is the best Marvel movie, Reegs picked this classic tale of girl meets duck. There are many strange moments in this PG rated film. They include but are not limited to: duck wanking, potential rape, Dark Overlord transmogrification and flying a microlite. To summarise, this movie is fucking rad.

Imagine a world without music. No jazz, soul, punk, funk or gospel, no rock, no roll, no hip, no hop. You can't do it can you, and not only because your brain has been reduced to little more than a paperweight by endlessly scrolling the internet on your phone but also because it's impossible. People have music literally embedded in them; the human heart is by design an organ which is supposed to tirelessly and constantly beat in rhythm just for you to survive. Given the seemingly culturally univ...

"We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there. I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run." You must remember this one, surely? The whole movie is essentially a car chase from start to finish. It's 1977 and The Bandit (Burt Reynolds) accepts a bet from Big Enos Burdette and his son Little Enos who say he can't go to Texarkana, Texas and back to Atlanta, Georgia in a big rig with 400 smuggled cases of some of America's worst beer, Coors, in under 28 hours. Reynold's is 70's coolness...

Sidey's relentless bullying campaign finally pays off as Howie dramatically quits the show! Is just one of the ways the mainstream media would have wilfully misreported the fact that our favourite shouty ginger paddle boarder has decided to take a well earned break in order to recharge his batteries. We have a surprise guest instead and whilst I won't give away who it is let's just say that he has: featured on the pod before; not directed an amazing movie; not starred in a fascinating...

If you're not familiar with the rules of Mortal Kombat, allow me to explain it to you. It's a form of kombat (or martial arts kompetition) between fighters from different realms. For some reason our realm - including Earth which is a place I've become very attached to over the years - is on the brink of losing 10 konfrontations in a row which would be very bad so a team of kombatatants assemble themselves to kome to blows with their kompetitors, which include cyborgs, ninja's with freeze attacks...

A lot has been written about the Second Amendment to the United States constitution over the years, much of it in dispute over what the right to keep and bear arms means for individual Americans. What I'm sure we can all agree is that when this constitutional change was ratified in December of 1791, everyone attending shared a common dream that one day they would be able to see an immense Austrian man operating a belt fed machine gun like a childrens toy as he indiscriminately murders wave after...

A listener suggested we watch Clue, so we did.

Imagine you've been asked to think of the most appropriate film for a group of 40 something dads. Did you think of Mean Girls? Probably not, and yet here we are. Reegs was very keen that we all watched this one, so grab some snacks and the beverage of your choice and lets see what fascinating insights are in store in our Midweek Movie Mention.... Next week we have a listener suggestion submitted on Twitter. Feel free to suggest any movies you feel would benefit from our critical reappraisal. W...

When I was 7 years old I had a recurring nightmare for a while in which a Tyrannosaurus-Rex would grow from a single pixel on my old CRT television, slowly at first and then emerging far beyond the edge of the screen until its tremendous body broke through the ceiling. Pausing for a dreadful roar it devours me in a single mercifully quick obliteration. The television itself was a PHILIPS 27CS6895 BACH but I don't remember the movie I watched which no doubt inspired those terrifying sleepless nig...

Just as the vastness of space has inspired creators for as long as our species has been able to cast it's gaze upwards so have the depths of the world's oceans similarly stimulated tales of aquatic mystery. Whether seeking to evoke fear, create a feeling of adventure or show man tested to above and beyond his limits, the catalogue of great Ocean cinema is as engrossing at is varied, and this weeks Top Movies with a Porpoise showcases the very best of marine life ever committed to celluloid. In ...

Join the Dads as they take a trip back to 1989. Its yet another seminal 80s "classic" comedy that Sidey never bothered to see. What's his take on, not only the movie, but the work of its star, Mr John Candy? Join the debate online on twitter @dadsfilm, or stop by our website baddafsfilm.com That's all for now, until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

My father ran a successful construction company for many years and he was able to apply his fondness for maths, keen eye for engineering and practical skills on a daily basis to build anything from an individuals kitchen extension to complex and sizeable corporate or government driven erections (lol). What a huge disappointment I must be then when my DIY skills extend only as far as putting up pictures or installing a toilet roll holder - after several hours of fretting, crying and watching YouT...

From the stunningly detailed rendering of Avatar's Pandora through to the digital erasure of Arnie Hammer's testicles in Call Me By Your Name, the special and visual effects people have been bringing movie magic into the film making process for almost as long as the medium itself has existed. You probably won't find anything as magnificent as these examples in this weeks Top 5 Worst Special Effects. This weeks main feature is a darkly comic study of grief, loss and anger in writer/producer/dire...

Sidey's former life as a data analyst is probably one of the reasons why he loves this movie about baseball. Is there any other reason? On paper a film about a sport he doesn't understand, based on granular baseball data analysis doesn't sound like something we'd line up to see. But here we are, five or six viewings to the good. What other factors have made this such a repeat viewing favourite? The Bad Dads convened a (virtual) get together to find out why this is such a hit! Also, stay tuned ...

Now that you've willingly subjugated yourself to a tyrannical dictatorship which has you imprisoned in your own home for the rest of your life, you've finally got the chance to watch all those really long movies you never quite got round to in pre lockdown days. We're guaranteed to discuss some of your favourite directors as cinema's greatest are attracted to a long running time, whether it be Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola or Michael Bay. So sit back, take your hand from out of your trou...

With our finger firmly on the pulse we take a trip back to 2002 for The Bourne Identity. The movie is great. We love it so much that we veer off topic and discuss watches. Tune in to find out which brand of watch our noted horology fan Reegs doesn't approve of. Listen on in shock and awe as Sidey muses over his next potential watch purchase! There is also some discussion about the film, it's effect on the action movie genre and the behind the scene kerfuffles during its production. We love in...