Verbal Diorama

51:06

Dante's Peak vs. Volcano

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/05/09

In 1997, two movies decided to erupt onto cinema screens at the same time, literally and figuratively. The chaotic rivalry between Dante's Peak and Volcano is one of the biggest examples of Hollywood's twin movies phenomenon, and while both were created organically, their rivalry would lead to condensed timelines and moved release dates, and a lasting legacy of "which 1997 volcanic eruption movie is your favourite?"For its part, Dante's Peak attempted to be more scientifically accurate than its

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41:28

M3GAN

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/04/30

The final episode of AIpril, M3GAN arrived in January 2023 as a modest Blumhouse horror release, and promptly became one of the most talked-about horror comedies of the year. On a budget of $12 million, it grossed over $180 million worldwide, spawned a franchise, and put a ten-second hallway dance sequence into the permanent vocabulary of internet culture.Director Gerard Johnstone insisted from the outset on a practical-effects-first approach, and supervising puppeteer Adrien Morot built a suite of

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52:49

Her (2013)

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/04/23

This AIpril, what is love, if not AI persevering? Spike Jonze's Her asks that question with such sincerity and precision that it never feels like a provocation; it feels like it's holding up a mirror to today's society.Her has become of one of the most quietly radical and prophetic films of the 21st century: a love story with no villain, no third act betrayal, just the aching reality of two beings in love, but evolving at different speeds.Released in 2013, Her imagined AI companions with emotional

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02:11:56

(From the Archive) Ex Machina (ft. Jack from...

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/04/16

As part of Aipril, I'm delving into the back catalogue to include one of the greatest modern AI movies... Ex Machina, and a rare episode I did back in August 2022 with a guest!Impulse. Response. Fluid. Imperfect. Patterned. Chaotic. All words to describe this podcast, but also uttered by Nathan describing the brain of his ultimate creation; Ava. But can Ava pass as human? Let's find out as we delve into Alex Garland's (sort-of!) directorial debut, EX MACHINA!My guest for this episode wasn't lucky,

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51:06

Minority Report

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/04/09

In 1992, a little-known Philip K. Dick short story was optioned as a sequel to Total Recall, with Arnold Schwarzenegger set to reprise his role. After a decade of Hollywood turbulence, involving a studio bankruptcy, a directorial hand-off, and two blockbusters that kept getting in the way, Steven Spielberg was finally behind the camera on what would become one of the most visually inventive science fiction films ever made: Minority Report.A sequence of remarkable events would lead to Tom Cruise

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51:06

Minority Report

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/04/09

In 1992, a little-known Philip K. Dick short story was optioned as a sequel to Total Recall, with Arnold Schwarzenegger set to reprise his role. After a decade of Hollywood turbulence, involving a studio bankruptcy, a directorial hand-off, and two blockbusters that kept getting in the way, Steven Spielberg was finally behind the camera on what would become one of the most visually inventive science fiction films ever made: Minority Report.A sequence of remarkable events would lead to Tom Cruise

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41:15

Short Circuit (1986)

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/04/02

In 1986, a clunky, tank-treaded robot, hungry for input, stole the hearts of cinema audiences worldwide. Short Circuit, the sci-fi comedy that gave us one of cinema's most beloved mechanical characters, might not be your first choice when you think of AI in cinema, but it is this podcast's first choice in AIpril.Director John Badham convinced a room full of designers, including legendary visual futurist Syd Mead, the man behind the look of Blade Runner and Tron, to design something genuinely unlike

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54:53

The Hunger Games

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/03/26

It started with a late-night channel surf. Author Suzanne Collins, flipping between reality TV competitions and news footage from the Iraq War, watched the two blur into something deeply unsettling, and from that collision of entertainment and violence, The Hunger Games volunteered as tribute. Published by Scholastic in September 2008, the novel didn't just become a bestseller; it became a cultural phenomenon, spending over 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and selling out before its

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54:09

Spice World

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/03/19

In 1994, five young women answered an ad in The Stage looking for "streetwise, outgoing, ambitious" singers. What happened next became one of the most explosive cultural phenomena of the 1990s. The Spice Girls didn't just dominate the charts, they redefined what a pop group could be, wresting creative control from their management, coining "Girl Power" as a global rallying cry, and selling millions of records worldwide. But their meteoric rise was matched by equally dramatic behind-the-scenes chaos:

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31:19

(From the Archive) Promising Young Woman

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/03/12

If this movie makes you feel uncomfortable, it's doing its job.TW: This episode covers suicide, rape, sexual abuse, lack of rape convictions, as well as a rant on the recent overturning by the US Supreme Court of Roe vs Wade, making abortions illegal in some US States and limiting reproductive healthcare.Believe womenRespect womenFight for womenIf you need to talk to someone - https://www.samaritans.org/Please consider supporting abortion and reproductive rights charities in the US -

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43:40

(From the Archive) Hidden Figures

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/03/05

More than half a century after NASA launched astronauts into space, you’d think all the stories about these groundbreaking missions had been told.But they hadn't.Margot Lee Shetterly's father worked at NASA, and the stories of the women of NASA were commonplace among the local community, but the world was yet to know the incredible true story of the African-American female mathematicians, and how integral their work was to the space race.Lee Shetterly's book, Hidden Figures: The American Dream and

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51:56

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/02/26

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish released in December 2022 as an unexpected masterpiece that caught audiences and critics completely off guard. What could have been just another disposable animated sequel instead became a profound meditation on mortality, anxiety, and finding meaning in our finite lives.Legendary swashbuckler Puss in Boots confronts his own death, quite literally, in the form of a terrifying wolf, after losing eight of his nine lives to reckless overconfidence. What makes this

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43:02

All Dogs Go To Heaven

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/02/19

Even naughty dogs can have a huge impact on animation.In 1989, animator Don Bluth dared to go it alone, without the might of George Lucas and/or Steven Spielberg, and pushed the boundaries of what animated movies could explore in All Dogs Go To Heaven; the third and final movie to celebrate this podcast's seventh birthday.Released on the exact same day as Disney's The Little Mermaid, this darker, grittier tale of redemption featured a con-artist dog literally escaping heaven to seek revenge on his

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39:34

The Land Before Time

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/02/16

Even baby dinosaurs can have a huge impact on animation.In 1988, three Hollywood titans, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Don Bluth, came together to create what would become one of the most emotionally devastating animated films ever made, and it is the second movie to celebrate this podcast's seventh birthday.The Land Before Time wasn't just another dinosaur movie: it was an ambitious attempt to recapture the magic of Bambi for a new generation, complete with a mother's death scene that

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44:17

An American Tail

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/02/12

Even a little Jewish mouse can have a huge impact on animation.The 1986 Don Bluth animated classic An American Tail, a film that became the highest-grossing non-Disney animated feature of its time and helped reshape the animation industry, is the first movie to celebrate this podcast's seventh birthday.The project began with a concept by David Kirschner that was first pitched to Jeffrey Katzenberg at Disney, but when it reached Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, the legendary director saw its

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53:53

The Princess and the Frog

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/02/05

In 2009, Disney released The Princess and the Frog, introducing Tiana as their first African-American Disney princess, paving the way for more diverse representation in animation.The CGI animation boom and the disappointing box office returns of the early 2000s had left a scar at Disney, and behind the scenes, there was huge change in the animation department. By 2004, then-CEO Michael Eisner had closed Disney's traditional 2D animation department, convinced that hand-drawn animation was dead.What

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52:34

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/01/29

From Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman's creation of mutated turtles wielding nunchucks, the history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles starts with humble, and slightly dark origins, but they would evolve from comic book characters to beloved animated icons and become their own pop culture phenomenon.The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie franchise in total has accumulated $1.15 billion across six movies from three studios since 1990, and so when Paramount were looking to reboot existing IP, it made

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47:57

Paprika

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/01/22

Animation is often dismissed as children's entertainment, but Paprika proves it's a sophisticated art form, capable of exploring complex adult themes with stunning visuals. It represents the culmination of Satoshi Kon's obsession with the boundaries between reality and illusion.Throughout his short career, Kon consistently explored how modern life makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish the real from the imagined. Paprika takes this to its logical extreme, literalizing the collapse of these

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01:00:41

KPop Demon Hunters

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/01/15

Verbal Diorama is a podcast all about How It's Done. It being movies, and to be honest, this one is as Golden as they come. I'm Free to Takedown the history and legacy of KPop Demon Hunters, with the outcome of me becoming Your Idol. This is What It Sounds Like... my little Soda Pop.When director Maggie Kang set out to create an animated musical combining K-pop, Korean mythology, and a demon-slaying girl group, she had a clear vision: to make a film authentically rooted in Korean culture. After more

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54:22

Monsters, Inc.

Verbal Diorama ·

2026/01/08

They scare, because they care. But do they? Do they really?Animation Season 2026 kicks off with Pixar's fourth feature, turning 25 years old this year, the incomparable Monsters, Inc.In the world of Monsters, Inc., fear is a power source, and children's screams fuel the world of Monstropolis, which is both clever and a bit dark. This is a bright colourful movie, that cleverly hides its darkness from kids, but adults will see it everywhere.James P. Sullivan, as Monsters Incorporated's number one

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