Big Flying Lizards

SomeBODY once told me we should cover ‘Shrek’, so Bryce and Ryan delve into the animated classic 'Shrek,' exploring its cultural impact, character dynamics, and humor. They discuss the film's themes of acceptance, vulnerability, and the nostalgia it evokes. The conversation highlights memorable moments, character analyses, and the significance of the film in the context of animated cin...

Now we know, vampires are not dragons, but we brought in an expert to discuss why Nosferatu needs to be discussed alongside dragon films. The connection may not be obvious at first, but when you consider the historical roots of vampire lore, it becomes clear. Vlad the Impaler, the infamous inspiration for Dracula, was known as the "Son of the Dragon" (or Dracula in Romanian), a title inh...

In this episode of Big Flying Lizards, hosts Chayce and Bryce delve into the final episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender, exploring key themes, character development, and significant episodes such as 'The Blue Spirit', 'The Fortune Teller', 'Bato of the Water Tribe', and 'The Deserter'. They discuss the complexities of Zuko's character, the philosophical implic...

Water, Earth, Fire, Air, Bryce, Chayce, and Ryley are back with another deep dive into Avatar: The Last Airbender! This time, we’re diving into episodes 7-12 of Book 1: Water, where the adventure heats up and the stakes grow even higher. Join us as we continue to explore the rich world of Avatar and unpack the latest developments in Aang’s journey to master the elements and restore balance to the...

Bryce and his guest, Chayce, dive headfirst into the captivating world of 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' with a deep dive into the first six episodes of Book 1: Water. Join them as they explore the origins of Aang, the last Airbender, and witness the unfolding of the Hundred Year War. Get ready for discussions on: The masterful world-building: From the vibrant cultures of the Water Tribes to...

Lets cover Disney's visually stunning 2021 project, Raya and the Last Dragon! This beautiful Disney adventure follows a fierce warrior princess on a quest to find the legendary last dragon, Sisu, and save her fractured land. Trust, courage, and the power of unity shine through in this visually captivating tale. Bryce will be joined by the Author of Titan's Nest, T.D. Orel! Check out T.D. socials a...

It’s time to talk about an undiluted, CLASSIC piece of Disney animation that ALSO features one of the greatest movie villains (and dragons) of all time! That’s right, at long last we’re covering Sleeping Beauty and grading the mother of animated dragons, Maleficent. Skumps! In this recording, Austin and Bryce break down the whole of it in absurd detail. This episode also features a special announc...

Somehow, some way BOTH of this show’s usual hosts had not seen Willow until checking it out for this recording, so we had to bring in and expert, the Captain of Comments himself, Mr. Josh Harrop! Turns out, we were goofin up by denying ourselves the pleasure or Ron Howard’s 1988 family fantasy feature! Industrial Light and Magic on the special effects?? Val Kilmer with the sexiest chin in all of c...

Just a couple of Utah boys talking about the finest (and only) dragon movie filmed in our great state! Dragonheart? We'll get to it. Reign of Fire? Maybe one day. Pete's Dragon? On the list, but Ryan Little's Age of the Dragons is a PRIORITY. Sure, maybe the budget wasn't quite there, but it's MOBY DICK with DRAGONS instead of whales! Danny Glover riding around in a medieval tank?! A solid dose of...

So far, it's a two-film competition for best dragon movie of 2024. Having already discussed Damsel, it's time we break down the even less-seen contender: Dragonkeeper! Chi magic, giraffe dragons and child murder... what's not to like?! Dragonkeeper may be one of the more borderline "family" films we've covered, but at least it makes for good discussion. In this recording, Austin and Bryce break do...

It's time for a lil Ghibli with Kimmy! Today we are honored to have Kimmy Hammons on the show to discuss one of the most acclaimed dragon films of all time, Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away. It's got everything you could want: a powerful coming-of-age story rendered through beautiful, hand-drawn animation, a rich, fantasy world full of memorable characters, and, of course, dragons. In this recording...

We have such sights to show you! In honor of the spooky season, we've decided to cover our first piece of horror content in Clive Barker's 1987 debut, Hellraiser. Perhaps the insanity of skinless Frank or the cenobites has made many viewers forget, but there is a dragon right at the end of this film. It's only there for a few seconds, but it's enough to qualify! That said, this is one of Austin's...

Do you realize how bad a movie has to be to put an end to the NeverEnding Story?? My goodness, what a disaster. No film title has ever felt quite so threatening. Indeed, on this trajectory, it's likely for the best that we never got a "chapter four." Anyway, Bastian, Falkor, Rockbiter and the gang (minus Atreyu) are back for their wackiest adventure yet. Thrust into our reality, the creatures of F...

The story continues to not end as Bastian and the gang reconnect for another adventure in Fantasia! Hey, that's funny, everyone and everything looks a little different this time around. Why does the Rock Biter sound like he has cancer in his rock lungs? Bastian, when did your eyes change from brown to blue? And why are wishes bad now, because wasn't that the whole point of the previous film? Geez,...

We already talked cat dragons for The Hobbit (1977), now it’s time for the dog to have his day! Falkor remains one of the most iconic movie dragons of all time, so a discussion of The NeverEnding Story TRILOGY felt like a perfect Big Liz miniseries. You’ll have to wait for the third episode to hear our final thoughts on the good ‘ol boy, but there are plenty of practical monsters, childhood trauma...

They say two heads are better than one! For our first bit of multi-headed dragon coverage, we’ve returned to a childhood favorite. Quest for Camelot may not be the best remembered family feature from the ‘90s, but it sure made an impression on this podcast’s hosts. I mean, Gary Oldman voices a deranged villain who combines his minions with weapons to make metal monsters. What more do you want? In...

What would YOU do if your Prince Charming turned out to be a member of a dragon-based death cult? I mean, talk about BAGGAGE. I dunno if it's gonna work out. Anyway, today we're covering a serious contender for THE dragon movie of 2024, regardless of quality. Millie Bobby Brown Bongiovi has to navigate the beast's lair and team up with magic glowworms and stuff. It's cool. In this...

To round out the makeshift animated “Tolkien trilogy,” today’s episode of Big Flying Lizards is about The Return of the King. No, not THAT Return of the King, the Rankin/Bass TV special from 1980! Piggybacking on the Bakshi film from two years before, this weird and wonderful little curio adapts roughly the final third of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Doing so in less than 100 minutes is quite...

Welcome to the meat of our "Tolkien sandwich!" Just one year after the Rankin/Bass Hobbit special, an entirely different team led by director Ralph Bakshi released The Lord of the Rings. It is an ambitious, two-hour adaptation of the seminal fantasy novel, although that still only gets us just past the battle of Helm's Deep. To achieve this monstrous runtime (the film broke the exist...

The greatest adventure? We'll be the judges of that! For our first work of animation to cover on the show, we've chosen the original Rankin / Bass adaption of J. R. R. Tolkien's novel, The Hobbit. It's the classic story of Bilbo the halfling off to slay Smaug the dragon with the help of Gandalf and 13 dwarves. This 1977 TV special is a bit janky at times, but its heart is in the ri...

For our first piece of feature film coverage, we have gone back to one of the most seen and perhaps most hated dragon movies of all time: Stefen Fangmeier's Eragon. At the time, it was panned by critics for being unoriginal and despised by book fans for deviating from its source material, but how does the only film adaptation of Christopher Paolini's bestselling novel (so far) hold up 18 y...

For our final piece of House of the Dragon content this year, it’s time to determine once and for all the BEST DRAGON that season two had to offer! In this recording, Austin and Bryce grade the five previously ungraded dragons from season two with the most screen time: Moondancer, Sunfyre, Seasmoke, Silverwing and Vermithor. A video version of this podcast is hosted on YouTube. Follow us on social...

In this special bonus episode, Austin and Bryce give their picks for the best elements from season two of HBO's House of the Dragon. Categories include Best Performances, Best Dragon Moments, Ultimate Fit Picks, and many more! A video version of this podcast is hosted on YouTube. Follow us on social media @BigLizPod. Outro music by Tyler Eddington. Timecodes: (00:00:00) Intro (00:00:58) Though...

Season three when??? I mean, this has gotta be the biggest tease in Game of Thrones / House of the Dragon history, right? Sure, it’s a solid episode filled with exciting character moments from Rhaenyra, Daemon and Alicent, but that ending montage was just cruel. Ehh, we'll probably get over it in a couple years. The season two finale gave us pirates, Corlys on a boat, and by far the best Harre...

At last, we're back to the show living up to its title! In this dragon-heavy episode, Rhaenyra pushes her luck with Vermithor and Silverwing, Daemon reckons with the new leader of the Riverlands, and Alicent takes a little time just for herself. In this recording, Austin and Bryce break down the whole of it in absurd detail. A video version of this podcast is hosted on YouTube. Follow us on so...