New and a Bit Alarming: Recent Episodes
Brian Lynch
A pair of brothers look at all the ways stories can be twice-told, covering remakes, reboots, and adaptations of all stripes. Combining deep-dives on particularly interesting films with one-offs exploring more curious cases, this show proves that new isn't always bad, but sure does show up with some weird ideas.
In the final SMB episode, we review a rushed ending brought about by low budget, look at some very out of place product placement, revisit what it's like to be the first in a genre, and review the general state of video game movies.
In this episode, we debate Koopa's invasion plan, which involves sending a tiny expeditionary force to a planet that is FAR more populous and more technologically advanced to boot.
HIATUS... Well, not over, but temporarily back on schedule as we finish Mario. And in this episode, our final breather before getting back to the story, we play the Letterboxd game and make some jokes about The Flash that have aged depressingly well now that it's been released.
This week, Brian and Flonk discuss the show's hiatus and then play an incredibly conceptual game of FMK.
Flonk, Brian, and Maggie continue our alarmingly deep dive into Max Landis's insane garbage Mario script. This episode: It wasn't Earth all along, Kirby is full of Hell, and Sir George Carteret makes a truly baffling cameo appearance.
Flonk, Brian, and Maggie flomp our dorns over a truly awful Super Mario Bros epic fantasy action spec script from Max. MAX? You mean Max LANDIS? The garbage son of a helicopter murderer?
This week, exposition is repeated, Iggy and Spike reform offscreen, Mario culturally appropriates Islam, and the movie turns into another movie. Completely.
This week, Koopa decides that since a problem's come along, he must whip it, whip it good. Also: We reveal the odd listening habits of Cyclops from the X-Men, and Luigi takes his top off.
This week, Dennis has a bad trip, we forget to look up Fiona's name again, and we address the Goomba Question.
This week, "Tell, don't show" reaches new heights as the movie is about a third over, which is a GREAT time for massive exposition dumps from noted rockabilly punk Mojo Nixon. Koopa washes in mud, we speculate on the history of Dinosaur Planet, Dennis Hopper's cloaca is discussed, and David surprises us with a really good Toad impression.
Back from our mini-hiatus, Brian and Flonk try to record an episode on a failed semi-amateur Mario Bros movie pitch, but it turns into just an examination of Mario in other media, and then just goes way off the rails. Spider the Podcast Cat eats a tissue.
This week, David fulfils his dream, Rockabel invite us into their Blade Runner fantasy, and we have a special guest appearance from Mickey Mouse.
This week, David fulfils his dream, Rockabel invite us into their Blade Runner fantasy, and we have a special guest appearance from Mickey Mouse.
This week, we see some unfortunate haircuts, some uniformed goons, and take a tour of the nonstop thrill ride that is the back of the DVD box. Also, you're not gonna believe this, we've found some plot holes.
This week, we see some unfortunate haircuts, some uniformed goons, and take a tour of the nonstop thrill ride that is the back of the DVD box. Also, you're not gonna believe this, we've found some plot holes.
This week, after watching a VERY brief chunk of movie, we've already met all three protagonists! So efficient! Such storytelling!
This week, after watching a VERY brief chunk of movie, we've already met all three protagonists! So efficient! Such storytelling!
The Super Responsible Broz begin Super Mario Bros proper with... wait, TWO prologues!? In THIS economy?! We also discuss more behind the scenes names, analyze Rockabel's directing style, and Brian has a WHOLE thing about the internet. Also, David's mic is better! Not good. But better.
The Super Responsible Broz begin Super Mario Bros proper with... wait, TWO prologues!? In THIS economy?! We also discuss more behind the scenes names, analyze Rockabel's directing style, and Brian has a WHOLE thing about the internet. Also, David's mic is better! Not good. But better.
The Super Responsible Bros are back! And this time we're looking at one of the most curious examples of adaptation ever, Super Mario Bros! The first live action video game movie ever! And you can tell!
The Super Responsible Bros are back! And this time we're looking at one of the most curious examples of adaptation ever, Super Mario Bros! The first live action video game movie ever! And you can tell!
Two brothers look at two brothers, as we examine the trend-following masterpiece Surf Ninjas, one of many attempts to cash in on the early 90s ninja craze.
This week, NAABA takes a look at a new kind of story: The big budget feature film of a currently running series! A rare and sometimes misguided thing often left to animation, this is a rare live action example, and also one of the best ever put to film.
This is a good one. That's as far as I'll go, though. If I told you what it was, I'd lose my wonderful misdirect.
Yes, it's time for another almost-enjoyable episode of Laurie Davidson's star vehicle, Will! This week, Burbage gets negged, Will learns what a play is, Marlowe has a butt party, and Presto is also here.
We covered every version of "Tomorrow"... OR DID WE!? Time for us to cover the final filmed version by reviewing the ENTIRE made-for-TV sequel, "Annie: A Royal Adventure", or "Blitz? What Blitz?"
Annie draws to a close, as we look at some muddled finales, as well as one lovely finale that's like half an hour from the end of the movie somehow.
HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR THESE CHILDREN'S MUSICALS TO GET HORNT UP. Time for "Easy Street".
Let's go to the movies this week, because the city's ours! Which city? NYC! That's right, it's three different songs serving the same narrative function. One is good because of the writing, one is okay because of the acting, and one is GARBAGE.
Well, my arms are repaired! And it's time to break from the films for an EXCRUCIATINGLY deep dive into the emoji-only translation of "It's The Hard-Knock Life". Also, we take a quick break to analyze the Austin Powers franchise. And, weirdly, predict a plot point from The Batman several months before its release.
Hello! For those of you that follow me (Brian) on the socials, it turns out I broke both of my elbows. So the show is going to go on hiatus for a couple of weeks, because as I found out uploading this weeks Tinseltown, you use your elbows a surprising amount while typing and editing, which REALLY hurts. But I should be good to go before too long, and in the meantime, please enjoy this Tinseltown from a couple of weeks ago, in which we Annie it up. My special thanks to speech-to-text, which is able to properly capitalize Tinseltown. Nice work.
It's time for "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" at last! Brian mostly spends this episode defending slumming theatre legends!
The Responsible Boyz are NOT, as it turns out, doing "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here", which is fun and pleasant and plot-relevant. No, we're doing "Little Girls", which is a mean and bad song designed to lure older actresses to the set.
This week: Annie 99 adopts a dog! Annie 14 experiences a dissociative episode! And Annie 82 goes off the rails! It's "Tomorrow"!
This week, we look at "A Hard Knock Life", a song which is done reasonably similarly in all three versions, but with some... Well, some stark differences. Also, the orphans miiiiiiiight be trying to roofie Miss Hannigan.
Finding nothing much to say about "Maybe", a basically fine song with three basically fine adaptations, the #ResponsibleBoyz also do a quick overview of every song they're NOT reviewing.
The #ThreeResponsibleBoyz are here, and ready to review all three film versions of Annie, bit by bit. Also the Mummy movies. But not any of the ones you know.
Flonk and Brian contribute 2% to the total earnings of "Trojan War" a movie that is JUST GARBAGE.
Flonk and Brian take a look at that odd thing that shows up occasionally, movies with suspiciously similar plots that come out within months of each other. Spoiler: It's all a really convoluted excuse to review a reeeeeeeal chunk of crap.
I mean, sure everyone's taken their turn kicking around "Space Jam: A New Legacy". But we did the last one, so. you know.
The #ResponsibleBoys are taking a look at a flashy reboot of a franchise no living child has any affection for, "Yogi Bear". Also, this episode, you get THREE siblings! Because our brother was in the room and we ambushed him. That's what you get when you sit in a room with us for too long. Eventually a podcast just breaks out.
Welcome back to To Be or Not to Be a Bit Alarming, our Will recap podcast. Oh, you remember Will. It was on Pivot. It is so a real show! And channel!
Well, this dumb movie is over, and we're ready to be done. This week, the animators actually have to try a little, we make fun of something dumb Ben Shapiro did several months ago, and Chiwetel finally finds his inner ham.
This week, we cover yet another profoundly mediocre episode of the world's worst prank show, Pixar In Real Life.
The Choo-Choo Kid and Teach are back to be your responsible friends and also to watch TWO musical numbers! Also, Teach gets obsessed with Obsessed.
After watching a DECADENT fifteen minutes of film, we are left with almost nothing to say. Scar implies some backstory, Shenzi maybe has a grudge, and a beetle do what a beetle do with doo doo.
In this episode, the movie does "Hakuna Matata", we compliment an actor, and honestly, it's mostly talk about Academy Award musical performances.
We take a break from our prepared remarks to discuss "Lambert the Sheepish Lion", a short that Flonk found by mistake.
I hope you were already prepared, because the song Be Prepared is not going to really inspire you to engage with preparation in any meaningful way.
"HYENAS AND LIONS HAVE BEEN AT WAR WITH LIONS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME."
- Shenzi, this movie
Did you know rhinoceroses can't dance? Strange but true facts like these are yours to behold, as the #ResponsibleBoys take on "I Just Can't Wait to be King".
As the plot begins, we start questioning in earnest what the point was, analyze some voice acting, and explore the strange world of tropical bird skeletons.
As the movie begins proper, the Responsible Boys discuss Jonny Favs, his career choices, his passive-agressive masterpiece, and the surprising English translation of the famous Zulu lyrics of the opening song.
It is time for our new main season, in which we review The Lion King, the live action remake that is a cartoon! In our intro episode, we talk a bit about both versions, compare casts, and buckle up for a quiet stroll through Jon Favreau's easiest job ever.
NOTE: Flonk’s microphone gets up to its old tricks in the first chunk of the episode, but we mostly work it out.
This week, Flonk and the Mayor make our own fate, as we review Terminator Gynysys, a trash movie that tries to be a remake and a reboot and a sequel all at the same time, and isn’t good at any of it. Starring Nolan Gross as 12 year old Skynet.
Brian and Flonk look at "The Watch", as Brian provides the fan perspective (It sucks because it's a terrible adaptation), and Flonk provides the newcomer perspective (It sucks on its own merits).
Here on Tinseltown, we honor all forms of remakes, reboots, reimaginings, and perpetual franchises. That said, Space Jam is bad and you're wrong if you like it.
The brothers watch and surprisingly enjoy an episode of Honey I Shrunk The Kids, a surprisingly long running TV adaptation of the classic film. In this episode, someone shrinks!
It's time for To Be or Not to Be a Bit Alarming, the only podcast - we're sure this time, about Will, the sexy Shakespeare show starring Laurie Davidson!
Devlin returns to wrap up Cats with us, as we learn what the "Three Words" are, determine our own words, and read some fan theories.
As Cats draws to a close, Tom FINALLY has one of them address the camera, and freaks out the squares in the audience.
On the eve of completing our mission, Devlin joins us to talk about a time in American history when we learned our life lessons from the cats of Cats.
The return of Grizabella! The return of Flonk's old terrible microphone! The return of our briefer runtimes! The return of... I don't know, democracy? Actually, no, Old Doot probably isn't on board with that.
AAl and Amanda come by to talk about Macavity. We debate Taylor Swift's role, confound AAl with our talk of madness, and debut our highly accurate TS Eliot impression.
Meow-y Cats-mas! I'm paws-itively sorry this episode is late, but we've got the purr-fect cat for it, because let's be honest, this is the one worth waiting for. Matt and Mal join us for "Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat"!
Theatre people talking theatre cats! IMPORTANT: "Asparagus" is not "such a fuss to pronounce", especially compared to the rest of these dang names.
I let Flonk pick our breather episode and he's making us review every Mentos commercial. But since I'm the one who uploads these, I'm putting it on the record that Mentos is a bad candy.
THIS IS THE LAST EPISODE WITH TERRIBLE MIC PROBLEMS. I think. Anyway, this week we are joined by LEGIT CATS PROFESSIONAL and former roommate Erin to talk about like ten songs.
This week, Victoria runs afoul of some swingers and Mr. Mistoffelees is back on his nonsense.
Flonk has a new microphone! DPR does a questionairre! And a little man named James teaches us all how to love again.
Brian and Flonk talk about Grizabella, because no one else will. Lee makes a reference joke!
Sorry about Flonk's microphone. Time to talk about The Rum Tum Tugger and his MIIIIIIIIIILK!
You know what Tom Hooper likes? Ruining the flow of a song with schtick. You know what he hates? People who aren't skinny. Both of those things cause trouble here.
The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter, so we brought on our sister, an expert cat-namer, to talk about it.
I was going to call it the Voight-Kattf Test, but I thought the pun was a bit sweaty. Also, Robbie might be a Jellicle Cat.
No, we are NOT just making excuses because we feel like watching Cats! It's technically a remake! Very technically.
Plagued with technical trouble, Brian and Flonk trudge through the four less-than-fantastic attempts to make a Fantastic Four film, and do our best to cast our own for the inevitable next version.
Brian and Flonk return to their roots to talk about Star Trek, specifically the semi-remake reboot that is Star Trek: Into Darkness
Flonk thinks doing an episode where we talk about what we could do next would be boring, so to punish him, Brian makes them review "The Pirate Movie", which he had previously believed to be a crypto-remake, but turned out to be a regular mockbuster. Oops.
True to their promise to periodically entertain you during the hiatus, Brian and Flonk use a terrible early 2000s sitcom ad as an excuse to talk about everything from racist breakfast foods to driving distances between California cities. Enjoy! And check back here soon for some updates on what movies we might do next.
Hello! Sorry for the delay in programming. Flonk and I are here to explain why the delay, what happened in Aladdin, a brief update on Pixar in Real Life, the future of this show, and of course, a lot of dumping on Quibi.
It ain't Alan's fault. Alan's doing fine. Alan's looking out for Alan. Go watch Harley Quinn or Doom Patrol or, like, any other recent Disney movie if you want to hear him given something to work with.
It's a proven fact of any romcom. Especially when half of the B-couple is the endlessly charming Willard C. Smith and the other half is Nasim Pedrad, whom you KNOW I LOVE.
WOO! Ha ha, ha ha. Uh! Big Will! What what! WOO! Uncle Phil!
Good news, Internet of several months ago, Genie is fine.
Not gonna lie, bit of a dull spell here as Aladdin spends five minutes wandering through a cave, so we start talking about what old man actors could play the disguised Jafar if they included him. Dick Miller? Mickey Rooney? Mel Brooks? Betty White?
Little bit loving this movie, really. This week, we meet the white dude they stuck in the movie, but he's actually kinda cool, so we'll allow it. Also we get into fictional vexillology and make a joke about "Corona" that would be very different if we weren't recording in January.
In this episode, we discuss character posters, childhood filmgoing experiences, and Aladdin takes one jump ahead. And I get mad about Beauty and the Beast AGAIN.
SEASON 1.5 IS HERE!
Flonk joins the Mayor for a grueling day of watching a pretty okay movie with the 2019 remake of Aladdin! Except here in Episode 0 where we mostly talk about Cats. INEFFABLE.
As the servants start transforming back in a variety of hideous ways, we discuss Audra's intestines, Gugu's boobs, Ewan's hair, and we learn that Spencer doesn't know how babies are made.
Now that we finally have our prince, Emily wants to revisit a list of hot Disney guys I helped compile from back in the day. She seems to think anyone besides her voted for Mufasa. NOT EVEN SIMBA.
As the servants slowly waste away to death, Emily, Spencer, and I celebrate being a topical podcast for once by chatting about the Birds of Prey.
It's a mad scramble to the finish line, as I realize I accidentally recorded over two episodes, and have to enlist those horny bastards Emily and Spencer to finish out the movie. WE ARE IN THE ENDGAME.
Courtney finally returns to conquer the film singlehandedly. Well, with me, so doublehandedly. And we each have two hands.
For ONCE there is too much to talk about for us to go on digressions. Not that that really stops us.
In this segments of the movie, there are several things that can be recognized as jokes.
After less than a minute, we run into another terrible remake change for the characters, and unfavorably compare Bill to Orson Welles.
In this episode, we are joined by friend of the shows Sarah, and also by noted British lyricist Tim Rice.
Robbie sees a certain prop, and loses the ability to speak English. Also, the Beast fishes for it HARD.
In this episode, David reveals a neck fetish, and the movie throws another unnecessary explanation.
Sorry for the week off, I misread the calendar again. And here we've been sitting here just wondering what Haydn Gwynne has been staring at all this while.
If you thought the heavily implied flashback was bad enough, it's time for a literal one. Also David joins us and reveals another chunk of his fascinating, terrible life story.
Colleen is lucky enough to be hanging around when the DUMBEST THING IN THE MOVIE HAPPENS
In this excessively meandering episode, we talk about just any damn thing. Just... just any damn thing. Also, we get REALLY excited about a movie that's now won an Oscar and everyone loves it but the trailer had just come out when we recorded this, okay?
Hey, remember that romantic moment in the original movie when The Beast gives Belle a library? Did you want it to instead be a passive-aggressive flex about his wealth and education? Lucky you, you freak.