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PODCAST

Tentpole Trauma

Tentpole Trauma

A podcast where we look at movies that came with hype and high hopes, but left with crushing disappointment, either critically, at the box office, or both.

tv & film film history

All Episodes

02:16:17

Van Helsing

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/10/17

The early aughts saw Stephen Sommers riding high with the Universal monsters following the success of his Mummy films, so it seemed only natural that he would try his hand with a straight-up monster mash that featured Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man. The result was Van Helsing, a Hugh Jackman star vehicle that made money at the box office but failed to kickstart a franchise thanks to tepid reviews and the violent rejection of fans. Join Sebastian, Jennifer and Rodney as they scream into

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00:59:50

The Haunting (1999)

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/09/17

Jan de Bont’s remake of the 1963 Robert Wise classic promised to take The Haunting of Hill House into the new millennium, boasting state of the art special effects and an A-list cast. Unfortunately it also boasted a clunky script, ridiculous production design and CGI overload that robbed Shirley Jackson’s seminal ghost story of all of its terror and dread. Join Sebastian and Jennifer as they summon the spirit of Hugh Crain and question their sanity for watching this misguided misfire more than any

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01:44:28

Conspiracy Theory

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/09/10

Riding high off of their Lethal Weapon partnership, filmmaker Richard Donner and star Mel Gibson had every reason to believe their high concept action thriller Conspiracy Theory would be a success. And with the help of superstar Julia Roberts, a villainous turn by Patrick Stewart and a script by Oscar winner Brian Helgeland, it was, at least modestly so. Get to the bottom of why Sebastian and The Mighty Peculiar podcast’s Matt Anderson are covering this problematic in hindsight, brain boiling entry

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01:08:35

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/08/13

Fans of the 20th Century Fox mutant superhero series were anxious to see the backstory of fan-favorite character Wolverine explained, so Gavin Hood’s prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine landed with a box office bang in 2009. But despite a successful financial run, the film was lambasted by fans and critics for its shoddy special effects, mistreatment of beloved characters (including a disastrous debut for Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool) and some truly baffling story choices. Join Sebastian and Jennifer as

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01:29:54

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/07/09

George Miller’s gonzo, post apocalyptic masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road stunned audiences in 2015, earning widespread praise and cult status. But despite that goodwill, strong reviews and the presence of stars Anya Taylor Joy and Chris Hemsworth, Miller’s prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga stalled terribly at the box office this Memorial Day. Join Sebastian and Jennifer as they discuss the pitfalls of prequels, questionable character choices and their love of the world building in the Mad Max

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01:15:46

The Fall Guy

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/06/25

Based loosely on an 80s TV series, David Leitch’s stunt driven action rom com The Fall Guy was positioned to catapult Ryan Gosling’s post Barbie heat into the superstar stratosphere. But despite a winning turn from Gosling, co-star Emily Blunt and an array of comedic, dazzling stunt sequences, the film’s Hollywood insider trappings failed to translate to box office success. Join Sebastian and Jennifer for a by-request episode as they take a ten-story plunge with this enjoyable, under-seen gem.

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00:59:17

Madame Web

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/06/12

Based on an obscure comicbook character, Madame Web hoped to cash in on the goodwill of the tangentially related Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as the success of the animated Spiderverse films. But the Sony produced movie was ensnared in toxic buzz from the outset, the goofy trailers and mocking reviews ensuring that it would be yet another bomb for a female-led superteam. Join Sebastian and Jennifer as they flex their powers of premonition and suffer through this laughably awful

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01:50:42

The Avengers (1998)

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/05/22

Before Marvel’s Avengers became a household name, there was the quirky 1960’s British spy series made popular by the presence of Diana Rigg in a cat suit. More than thirty years past the show’s prime a big budget feature film was attempted, but despite the presence of OG James Bond Sean Connery, Ralph Fiennes and a post Batman & Robin Uma Thurman donning the catsuit, the movie met with disaster critically and at the box office. Join Sebastian and the Mighty Peculiar’s Matt Anderson as they try

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02:19:14

Argylle

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/05/09

Henry Cavill may be a fan favorite choice for Bond, but his forays into the super spy game have met with largely lackluster box office results. This has proven especially true for Argylle, director Matthew Vaughn’s Romancing the Stone riff that left Cavill fans unsatisfied and baffled most audiences and critics. Join Sebastian and Whiskey with Witcher hosts Tim and Valerie as they discuss the former Superman’s departure from the Netflix Witcher series, bizarre hairstyle choices and the questionable

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00:54:20

Planet of the Apes (2001)

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/04/28

Hollywood had been looking to get the Planet of the Apes franchise back into orbit for 20 plus years, but it wasn’t until Tim Burton signed on to direct that the 2001 remake took sh(ape). But despite boasting incredible Rick Baker makeups, Marky Mark as the lead human and an impressive box office haul, the reaction to the film was so toxic that 20th Century Fox studios declined to opt for a sequel. Join Sebastian and Jennifer as they make monkeys out of themselves trying to unpack the movie’s

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01:49:10

The Abyss

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/04/16

Coming strong after the one-two punch of The Terminator and Aliens, director James Cameron was poised to reach A-level status with his wildly ambitious underwater sci fi action film The Abyss. But despite overcoming a torturous and fraught-filled production, the would-be blockbuster left audiences confused upon its 1989 theatrical release and did not ascend to the box office or critical heights Cameron hoped for. Join Sebastian, Chris and Rodney as they deep dive into the new spectacularly restored

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01:10:01

The Marvels

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/03/27

After the billion dollar success of Captain Marvel, a sequel to the Brie Larson led superhero hit seemed destined for the stars. But even with the power of Marvel studios and Disney behind it, not to mention the addition of the characters of Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau, Nia DaCosta’s 220 million dollar team-up didn’t even make its budget back worldwide, a catastrophic blow for the once unstoppable brand. Join Sebastian and Jennifer as they switch powers, herd man-eating alien cats and try to

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01:20:28

Brainstorm

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/03/20

Special effects wizard Douglas Trumbull hoped to bring his mind-bending 2001: A Space Odyssey visuals down to earth with Brainstorm, a 1983 sci fi thriller starring Christopher Walken and Natalie Wood. Unfortunately Wood’s tragic death by drowning cast a pall over the film, delaying its release and resulting in a muddled narrative and baffling special effects sequences that failed to live up to Trumbull’s lofty ambitions along with any hope of box office redemption. Join Sebastian and Troy as they

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01:27:36

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/02/29

Russell Crowe returning to the historical epic genre at the peak of his post-Gladiator fame would seem a sure bet in 2003, and yet Peter Weir’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World met with a tepid box office response upon its maiden voyage. Despite being an exquisitely crafted adaptation of the beloved Patrick O’Brian novels and garnering several Oscars, the film failed to launch the hoped for franchise — though appreciation has grown for it over the years, particularly with millennials

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01:56:29

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/02/13

Probably no one would have predicted that in 2023 the duo behind Game Night would deliver the definitive cinematic take on the genre-defining TRS role playing game Dungeons & Dragons, and yet John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s Honor Among Thieves managed that seemingly impossible task. But despite a great cast, a clever and funny script and blockbuster level production values, the film failed to conjure magic at the box office. Join Sebastian and Richard as they roll the dice against

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01:45:33

Event Horizon

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/01/24

The late 90s saw horror in a transitional phase, and while the trend was favoring the post-modern tact of Scream, many filmmakers were taking their end-of-the-millennium angst to the stars. Despite being arguably the best of the spacefaring bunch, Paul W.S. Anderson’s Event Horizon failed to conjure excitement with critics and quickly fell into a box office black hole. Join Sebastian and Rodney as they grapple with the vacuum of space, open a portal to hell and debate the merits of this Alien by way

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01:43:24

The Black Hole

Tentpole Trauma ·

2024/01/17

In the wake of the meteoric success of Star Wars (and several decades before owning the franchise) Disney tried their hand at big budget space adventure with The Black Hole. But despite boasting impressive special effects and a promising premise, the movie’s dark tone, haunted house shenanigans and muddled science left audiences drifting in a void of indifference. Join Troy and Sebastian as they grapple with questionable physics, proverb pontificating robots and the far out ending to one of the

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02:03:48

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Tentpole Trauma ·

2023/12/20

After acquiring Lucasfilm in 2012, Disney was banking big on a 5th installment of the beloved and lucrative Indiana Jones franchise. After years of development and the passing of the torch from original director Steven Spielberg to the capable James Mangold, Harrison Ford — now in his late 70s — agreed to don the whip and fedora for one last adventure. Unfortunately the resulting Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny bombed hard at the box office to the tune of an estimated 100 million dollar loss

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02:00:10

Blue Beetle

Tentpole Trauma ·

2023/12/13

The first superhero film to emphasize Latino representation, Angel Manuel Soto's Blue Beetle was so well received by Warner Brothers executives that it was spared a straight-to streaming fate and awarded a theatrical release. But despite the presence of Cobra Kai's Xolo Mariduena, Latino comedian Geoge Lopez and Susan Sarandon in the villain role, the movie could not escape the DCEU death knell and fared poorly at the box office. Join Sebastian and Blue Beetle superfan Matt Anderson as they

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00:56:58

Wyatt Earp

Tentpole Trauma ·

2023/11/21

Despite being released a mere six months after the hit western Tombstone, Kevin Costner was confident that his telling of the Wyatt Earp story, with director Lawrence Kasdan in tow, would be the definitive take on the legendary lawman. But the film’s epic length and self-serious tone met with tepid critical reception despite strong performances, and roped in a disastrously small take at the box office, resulting in the first in a string of Costner-fronted mega bombs. Join Sebastian and Jennifer as

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166 results

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