Trimming The Movie Fat

"The dialogue is awful." Summary In this episode of 'Trimming the Movie Fat', host Stephen Nicholson and guest Paul Melon delve into 'Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones'. They discuss the film's box office performance, character development, the central romance between Anakin and Padmé, the significance of the clones, action sequences, special effects, and the soundtrack. The conversatio...

"The Phantom Menace gets the Star Wars prequels off to a bumpy start." Summary In this episode of 'Trimming the Movie Fat', host Stephen and guest Paul Melon delve into the Star Wars prequel, 'The Phantom Menace' (1999). They discuss the film's impact, character performances, the use of CGI, and the overall pacing and storytelling. The conversation highlights both nostalgic memories and critical p...

“And I thought my jokes were bad.” – Joker Summary Like 1989 before it, 2008 belonged to the Batman. The goodwill built up by Batman Begins (2005) and Heath Ledger’s sad, untimely death, made ‘The Dark Knight’ THE film to see that Summer. And it didn’t disappoint, becoming a critical and audience favourite, and the highest grossing movie of 2008. Join podcast host Stephen as critiques the movie an...

After 3 and a half years co-hosting at TTMF, Paul is hanging up his headphones for a new venture (coming 2025). Hear about it here and what Stephen’s exciting plans are for the future of the podcast.

Summary Back in 2023, we rewatched the Beverly Hills Cop trilogy and dedicated an episode to it. Since then, after 30 years, we’ve got a new movie: ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’, which podcast host Stephen reckons is the best of the sequels. So, strap yourself into the Fisher Price, LEGO looking police car, and get ready for some Axel F info, fun clips, and movie critique. Chapters 00:09 Introductio...

“It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” – Batman Summary Like Lazarus from the flames, the Dark Knight returned in glorious style with Christopher's Nolan's 'Batman Begins' (2005); a film very worthy of discussion. Podcast hosts Stephen and Paul critique the movie, sharing that they enjoyed the more serious take on the Batman character, the focus on the chara...

The original. The best. The one and only Sean Connery is back for one last adventure as Bond, James Bond, in Irvin Kershner’s 1983 movie ‘Never Say Never Again’. It was Bond v Bond in 1983. NSNA v Octopussy. Sean Connery v Roger Moore. Kevin McClory v Cubby Broccoli. Who won at the box office? Listen/Watch to find out. Is it the Best Bond movie in the world? No. Is it Connery’s finest hour? No. Bu...

The names Lazenby, George Lazenby, and he only ever played James Bond once after foolishly deciding to quit after making ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (1969). Good job it’s one of the greatest Bond movies of all time and a personal favourite of podcast hosts Stephen & Paul. So, settle down, pour yourself a vodka martini, shaken, not stirred, and listen to the boys talk about the movie and...

"I just thought it was absolutely amazing" Summary In this episode, Stephen and Paul discuss the beloved movie trilogy, Back to the Future. They talk about their love for the first movie, its great cast, and timeless humor. They also discuss the impact of the movie and how it has stood the test of time. They share their personal experiences of watching the movie and the various formats t...

"Joel Schumacher's tongue-in-cheek attitude hits an unbearable limit in Batman and Robin" Summary In this episode, Stephen and Paul discuss the 1997 film Batman and Robin. They critique the movie's campy and kid-friendly approach, highlighting its flaws such as cheesy puns, over-the-top characters, and unrealistic plot elements. They also mention a few positive aspects, including...

"She's smiling when she's doing it, and that's what makes it scarier." Summary In this episode of Trimming the Movie Fat, Stephen and Paul discuss the Omen franchise. They rank and review each film, starting with the original 1976 classic. They praise the film's brilliant cast, memorable scenes, and impactful kills. They also discuss the iconic ending and the contribution...

"It's one of those ones that I enjoyed at the time" Summary In this episode, Stephen and Paul discuss Val Kilmer’s sole outing as the Caped Crusader in 1995’s Batman Forever. They talk about the plot, box office performance, and ratings of the movie. They also share their personal experiences and opinions on the film, including the casting, music, set-design & introduction of Rob...

"With the exception of Mission to Moscow, this film is high in the running to become the worst movie in the franchise." Summary In this episode, Stephen and Paul review the Police Academy movie series. They discuss each film from Police Academy 4 to Police Academy: Mission to Moscow, highlighting the decline in quality with each installment. They share their thoughts on the plots, humor,...

Summary In this episode, Stephen and Paul discuss Tim Burton's 1992 film Batman Returns. They talk about the plot, box office performance, and ratings of the movie. They also share their personal experiences and opinions on the film, including the casting, set design, and focus on the villains. Finally, they rank the film top, middle or lower tier Batman. Come back next time for Batman Forever...

Summary Tim Burton's Batman (1989) was a cultural phenomenon and a game-changing movie. The film's success was evident in its box office gross and critical reception. It also had a profound effect on podcast host Stephen Nicholson. Join Stephen now as he shares his personal experiences with the movie; provides Batman information; picks his favourite scenes; and talks about the massive amou...

Summary In this episode of 'Trimming the Movie Fat,' hosts Stephen and Paul discuss the Police Academy franchise. They rank the first three films and share their favourite scenes. They also discuss the outdated and controversial elements of the movies, such as stereotypes and sexism. The hosts reminisce about their fond memories of watching the films as a family and share interesting facts about e...

Like Batman without Robin, Stephen is leaving behind co-host Paul as he travels to Gotham City to critique each of the Batman movies. Summary Batman the movie from 1966 is a campy and humorous take on the iconic superhero. It features Batman and Robin battling various villains in an over-the-top and tongue-in-cheek manner. The movie was a financial success, grossing nearly three times its budget....

Summary In this episode, TTMF hosts Stephen and Paul discuss the Indiana Jones films, focusing on Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) and The Dial of Destiny (2023). They provide interesting facts, review the movies, and discuss their rankings. They also discuss the use of CGI and the aging of the characters. Ultimately, they decide to remove the last two films from the franchise and preserve the...

We’re donning our fedora and picking up our whip to bring you another episode of Trimming The Movie Fat.  And it’s the first episode of a two parter celebrating the legacy of the Indiana Jones franchise, starring Harrison Ford. In part one we celebrate the glory years of the world’s most famous archaeologist: - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - Temple of Doom (1984) - The Last Crusade (1989) Which...

Hi. How are you? We hope you had a good festive season & are looking forward to what 2024 has to offer. Yeah, we know. We’ve been quiet lately. But…Join us for this short teaser as we look ahead to the music, movies & social media episodes/content that we have in store for you this year. Like the podcast? Why not show your appreciation by buying Paul & Stephen a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.c...

With our bananas ready to stick in multiple tailpipes, we’re back for another episode of Trimming The Movie Fat. In the sights of our Detroit issued Police Department handgun, are the first 3 movies in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, starring Eddie Murphy: - Beverly Hills Cop (1984) - Beverly Hills Cop 2 (1987) - Beverly Hills Cop 3 (1994) Which will be given a badge of honour? Which will be put...

“There can be only one” ☝️ Ah, if only the producers of the original Highlander movie had followed these words of wisdom from the character of Connor MacLeod and not made any inferior sequels 🍿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Podcast hosts Stephen & Paul are big fans of the original Highlander movie (1986) having rented the video back in the eighties. Stephen seen its sequel (The Quickening) at the cinema in 1991 a...

Watch the episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/poCQOWI-rIc?si=Q3FUo0ZJpKZ6ZaKO ”The names Fat, Trimming The Musical Fat”.Prepare to take a trip to double O heaven as we set our sights on Roger Moore’s James Bond movies. In part one, we take a deep dive into his four 1970s movies:- Live and Let Die- The Man With The Golden Gun- The Spy Who Loved Me- Moonrakerto critique, rank & share our own s...

“I know where you keep your gun. I suppose that’s something.” A blond Bond! An under 6 foot Bond! A Bond that wears a lifejacket! Daniel Craig’s announcement as the new James Bond in 2005 was not universally welcomed. However, after Casino Royale, he proved the doubters wrong and went on to star in 4 more hugely successful 007 movies, including the highest grossing Bond movie of all: 2012’s Skyfal...

”It’s a scream, baby!” Welcome back for the concluding part of our look at the Scream movie franchise. In the previous show we cast our eye over the original Scream trilogy. In this, we turn our attention to: Scream 4 (2011) Scream (2022) & Scream VI (2023) Podcast hosts Stephen & Paul Nicholson critique each movie and provide relevant movie information like box office grosses, critical an...