Tom Hanks Defence Force

2019 was one hell of a year. Climate change awareness grew rapidly, David Attenborough came to Netflix, and bucket hats made a comeback. But it was also an extraordinary year for film. From Joker to Star Wars, and Endgame to Ad Astra, we discuss the films that made 2019 the magnificent year it was. Beam us into 2020, Scotty!

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all over the house, everyone was watching films, especially Mickey Mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Tom Hanks soon would be there. Jack and Alex were nestled, all snug in their beds, while visions of Henry Cavill’s Witcher danced in their heads. Merry Christmas from Tom Hanks Defence Force! To celebrate the festive season,...

From genres to newspaper headlines, and beginnings to endings, Mystery Pitch has become a several-headed hydra, where no concept is safe from Alex and Jack taking ridiculous synopses and turning them into the most absurd films ever pitched. Now, it’s time for the lads to turn the concept on its head once again. With no rules or regulations, Tom Hanks Defence Force have free reign to pitch whatever...

It’s almost Halloween - the fourth scariest time of the year after April Fool’s Day, Black Friday, and the day when everyone forgets it’s their mum’s birthday next week. And, surprise surprise, it’s the time when a surge of new horror films hit the big screen. With the likes of Doctor Sleep, The Lighthouse, Last Christmas, and Eli all due for release in the next few weeks, 2019 looks set to honour...

In 2017, Pennywise – a name synonymous with fear, clowns, and fiscal responsibility – returned to the big screen for the first time since 1990. Earning over $700 million at the box office, it quickly became the highest-grossing horror film of all time. In 2019, the terror returns, as director Andy Muschietti brings us back for Chapter Two. But compared to the novel, how do these films bring Stephe...

Newspaper headlines are designed to make your eyeballs bulge. Their one and only goal - suck you in and make you want to read more. So in this episode of mystery pitch, Alex and Jack decided to task each other with pitching films based entirely on two of the craziest headlines out there. How will Batman and Buzz Lightyear break up that chip shop brawl? How successful will the quest to hunt Big Foo...

Before the announcement that Amazon's Lord of the Rings series will be set in the 2nd Age, Jack and Alex sat down to chat about the history of the show’s development, the franchise itself and what they want from the series, as well as what time period they'd like it to be set in, which characters they'd like to see featured, and (perhaps most importantly) which creatures we want back. Gather your...

20 years ago, a ground-breaking sci-fi movie starring Keanu Reeves came out that changed cinema forever. That film was The Matrix. But that's not the film we're talking about today. That;s right, also celebrating its 20th anniversary is Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its UK release, on 16th July 1999, Jack and Alex freestyle the episode. No plan, no s...

The most important part of the film is the beginning (arguably). If the opening doesn’t make your audience sound like the aliens from Toy Story, they’ll immediately lose interest and switch over to something delicious, like The Office. In this episode of Mystery Pitch, Jack and Alex ask the question: How would you start the most epic film ever made? Will four babies robbing a bank turn out to be a...

When you think of horror films, a masked knife-wielding serial killer is probably one of the first images that comes to mind. But despite being one of the most iconic sub-genres in the horror pantheon, the slasher has experienced success as high as the kill count in John Wick, and failures as low as that time Middlesbrough beat Man City 8-1. But now, with the success of films like Happy Death Day...

To make a film memorable, filmmakers must go all out for their endings. That's why in this episode of mystery pitch, Alex and Jack give each other endings - endings which they then have to build the rest of their film around. Jack gives Alex a film that results in US Vice President Mike Pence sword fighting England football manager Gareth Southgate at the party of Leicester City striker Jamie Vard...

Game of Thrones is arguably the biggest and most important TV show of our time. Since its humble beginnings, it has grown to become the most anticipated show on the planet. But what does the future hold once the final episode airs? What will happen to the cast and crew? What will be the next greatest franchise and fill the void that Game of Thrones has left? Alex and Jack sign up for the Nights Wa...

Freestyle is a new show from Tom Hanks Defence Force. We take one topic and let the conversation lead us anywhere. In our debut, we discuss the Lord of the Rings trilogy with special guests Euan Brook and Freddie Brown. The boys start with Gothmog and finish with The Invisible Man. Together, their unchained analysis of The Lord of the Rings and everything in between takes them deeper than the Mine...