Games On Film

Harry and Rory are joined by comedian Sooz Kempner for a look at the much-anticipated big-screen outing of the blue blur himself, Sonic the Hedgehog. Since the early Sega console days, the iconic character has seen many video game sequels and spin-offs, starred in comics and cartoons, and inspired memes and questionable fan art, but following an original video animation, another earlier attempt to make a movie in the 90s, and a hasty non-nightmare-inducing redesign, is this new feature film the silver screen Sonic we've been waiting for or just another false start? This podcast contains SPOILERS for Sonic the Hedgehog (2020). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

Games on Film hits the big five-o and to celebrate this milestone, it's finally time for Podcasting Bros. Harry and Rory to meet Plumbing Bros. Mario and Luigi! It's almost impossible to talk about the video game movie canon without talking about the first such adaptation, and our relationship with Mario goes as far back as our first video game experiences. But with its troubled production, deviation from the source material and critical reception, has Super Mario Bros. since evolved into a cult classic ripe for reappraisal? This podcast contains SPOILERS for Super Mario Bros. (1993). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

Harry / Rory cross paths with Crank creators Neveldine / Taylor for their satirical sci-fi action film Gamer, as Slayer Gerard Butler, controlled by player Logan Lerman, fights for freedom from a kill-or-be-killed real-life gaming world. Over a decade since its release, Gamer remains relevant in its depiction of battle royale shooters, online identities, and e-sports celebrities, but how does the rest of it hold up today? This podcast contains SPOILERS for Gamer (2009). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

It's the future: the year 2007 to be precise. At least that's the setting for the first episode of 2020, Double Dragon! Harry and Rory hit the streets of New Angeles for the big screen beat-em-up adaptation that pits villainous tycoon Koga Shuko against brothers Billy and Jimmy in a quest to unite the two halves of the Double Dragon medallion and claim its awesome mystical powers. They discuss the source material and its own spin-offs, the strange dystopian world and its cinematic influences, and their reactions to some of the grotesque sights on offer in this 'family-friendly' action-adventure extravaganza. This podcast contains SPOILERS for Double Dragon (1994). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

It's Christmas time, and not only is the subject of this episode a new release, but a Christmas film (technically) too! For their final video game movie of 2019, Harry and Rory venture once more into the world of Jumanji to discuss one of the year's big blockbusters. Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan and Kevin Hart return, but the game has changed. With new characters, new locations and new players, is this sequel a level up from what came before? This podcast contains SPOILERS for Jumanji: The Next Level (2019). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

With the imminent release of The Rise of Skywalker, Harry and Rory are joined by comedian Stephen Trumble for a 'games based on films' special, as they combine podcasting and podracing for an episode focused on Star Wars. From the Atari arcade classic up to EA's recent Jedi Fallen Order, there have been dozens of titles spun off from the blockbuster sci-fi series, and the influence and impact it has had on video gaming is unmistakable. They discuss their own experiences of the franchise in its various forms, select highlights from their own (far, far away) galactic gaming adventures, and pick out some of the more curious entries in the back catalogue. This podcast contains SPOILERS for the Star Wars films (1977 onwards), and the game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

Having taken a Detective Pikachu detour earlier in the year, it's time for Harry, Rory and their guest (and sibling) Hamish Steele to resume their journey through the animated Pokémon saga with the third big screen instalment. Plus, there's a recap on the recent release of Pokémon Sword and Shield on Nintendo Switch and a look at the Pikachu & Pichu short before the main feature. Entei-tainment guaranteed! This podcast contains SPOILERS for Pokémon 3: The Movie (2000). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

Harry and Rory prepare to meet their Doom once again, with the new feature-film reboot of the first-person-shooter franchise. Doom: Annihilation promises a more faithful adaptation than what has gone before, as a squad of space marines do battle with demonic forces on a Martian moon. But is the film worthy of the wave of negativity it has received since it was first revealed, or is it actually an improvement on its Dwayne Johnson-starring predecessor? This podcast contains SPOILERS for Doom: Annihilation (2019). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

It's video gamers versus the Blood Countess from beyond the grave via a cursed horror game in spooky slasher Stay Alive. Harry and Rory discuss the inspirations and authenticity of the eponymous in-movie game, as well as time trial ghosts, fears of big buildings and literal blood baths - but can they stay alive and reach the end of the podcast? More to the point, can you? This podcast contains SPOILERS for Stay Alive (2006). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

Harry and Rory once again do bloody battle with the works of Uwe Boll, this time with the first instalment in his video game vampire trilogy. Kristanna Loken leads a star-studded cast as the half-human, half-vampire, half-titular Rayne, seeking vengeance against the so-called "King of the Vampires" Ben Kingsley, encountering booby traps, blood orgies and many a bad wig. Will it be fangs, but no fangs? This podcast contains SPOILERS for BloodRayne (2005). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

The third film in the Resident Evil series, Extinction is literally post-Apocalypse, as Milla Jovovich and a motley crew of survivors journey across the American wastelands and do battle with zombies, crows and a lot of sand. With the director of Highlander at the helm and a distinct setting, will Extinction prove to be an oasis in the desolate desert of video game movies or a mere Mad Max wannabe? This podcast contains SPOILERS for Resident Evil: Extinction (2007). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

Harry and Rory are joined by special guest Luke Owen to discuss his book 'Lights, Camera, Game Over! How Video Game Movies Get Made'. They chat about the genesis and writing of the book, hear about interviews and anecdotes with the casts and crews behind key adaptations, as well as those that got stuck in development hell, and generally ramble about video game movies past, present and future. Find out about the Sonic and Mario movies that never were, and which video game movies did not make the cut in the final publication, plus speculation about coming attractions like the Mortal Kombat reboot and the Tomb Raider sequel. Buy Luke's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lights-Camera-Game-Over-Movies/dp/0764353179 Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

It's a science-fiction double-feature as Harry and Rory jack into the virtual reality spectacle of the Lawnmower Man movies for this bumper episode. They discuss the works of Stephen King (and why this is no longer a Stephen King movie) and their experiences of VR and simulators in the early 90s, and then it's on to the first film, featuring brain-training, cyber-sex and a robo-chimp, and its sequel, a cyberpunk dystopia for kids! But which one is best? This podcast contains SPOILERS for The Lawnmower Man (1992) and Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

Harry and Rory fling themselves head first into the second big-screen outing for the titular angry birds and the rival green pigs, who must put aside their differences and team up to take on a new threat. They discuss the current state of the games franchise and how this new instalment compares to the first film. But will its slapstick cartoon capers, jukebox soundtrack and literal toilet humour make it fun-filled fare for all the family or strictly for little hatchlings only? This podcast contains SPOILERS for The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

Having already discussed three video game movie outings with his Hobbs & Shaw co-star, it's time for Jason Statham to make his Games on Film debut, leading an all-star cast in Uwe Boll's sword-and-sorcery epic, based on Dungeon Siege. Will The Stath aka Farmer save the Kingdom of Ehb from the savage Krug? With pantomime performances, psychic sword-fights and magical mumbo-jumbo, ITNOTK: ADST has it all. But most importantly, how does it square up against Harry's favourite fantasy show, BBC's Merlin? This podcast contains SPOILERS for In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

Harry and Rory set their sights on the first big-screen outing for IO Interactive's silent assassin, featuring doubles, double crosses and double sword fights. They talk blood, baldness and barcodes while trying to figure out the plot's twists and turns, but to what degree is the film a hit and/or miss? This podcast contains SPOILERS for Hitman (2007). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

Harry and Rory welcome Lisa Theresa Downey-Dent to the jungle (by jungle, we mean podcast) for a look at the "board game to video game" blockbuster sequel to Jumanji. Returning friend of the show The Rock (Doom, Rampage) is joined by Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan as the avatars of a group of teens trapped in the titular game world, filled with dangerous animals, relentless baddies and helpful NPCs. But does J:WTTJ capture the spirit of the original, and survive the transition to the video game realm? This podcast contains SPOILERS for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

It's Carry On Computer Games, as Harry and Rory take a look at 80s sex comedy / video game movie Joysticks, in which a mean old businessman does battle with young punks, nerds and slobs and tries to shut down their gaming paradise for good. A product of a simpler (though not necessarily better) time, the film features arcade antics, plenty of Pac-Man, and gratuitous nudity. But did Joysticks spark joy, or is it a film only a vidiot could love? This podcast contains SPOILERS for Joysticks (1983). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

With the recent release of series five of Black Mirror on Netflix, Harry and Rory step back in time and choose their own paths through the interactive movie / game / digital content that is Bandersnatch. They look at other episodes of the show, as well as earlier works by Charlie Brooker, before discussing video game development in 1980s Britain, the illusion of choice, and the eternal question - Sugar Puffs or Frosties? This podcast contains SPOILERS for Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com

How did the creators of Final Fantasy manage to encapsulate the many iterations of the long-running and beloved video game series into one ground-breaking animated feature film? Most would argue they didn't! But as Harry and Rory dig deeper into The Spirits Within, will they discover an underrated sci-fi classic that showed the shape of things to come or is it simply an extended FMV sequence in search of a game? This podcast contains SPOILERS for Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001). Visit our Website: gamesonfilm.wixsite.com/podcast Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/GamesOnFilmPod/ Music by David Lightfoot www.davidlightfootmusic.com