Tardis Tropes 60th Anniversary Specials: Wild Blue Yonder
Recap and discussion of Part 2 of the RTD 2 Doctor Who specials, now available on iPlayer or Disney+
Dec 26, 2023•48 min
Talking Tropes Podcast
A Podcast about writing cliches, their origins, and their impacts on the stories we tell. Just two cousins with enough trope to hang themselves.
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Episodes
Tardis Tropes 60th Anniversary Specials: The Star Beast
Recap and discussion of Part 1 of the RTD2 Specials, now available on iPlayer and Disney+
Dec 26, 2023•54 min
Tardis Tropes: Power of the Doctor Recap
*SPOILERS* Happy Halloween everybody, it's the much anticipated finale of Chris Chibnall's final season of Doctor Who! What do you think of Yaz, the Doctor, and Chris's exit? Tweet at us @talkingtropes and keep an eye out for more Tardis Tropes content as we wait for the60th anniversary.
Oct 31, 2022•1 hr 24 min
Tardis Tropes: Legend of the Sea Devils Recap and Review
It's Chris Chibnall's last episode before the Centenary special and his final farewell. It's a pirate-themed adventure set in Qing dynasty China with a returning baddie, THE SEA DEVILS! In some ways, it's exactly what you'd expect from a Chibnall episode, but in other ways, it is WORSE. Listen to our hot takes on the lack of chemistry between The Doctor and Yaz!
Apr 28, 2022•50 min
Stanning Stanley Tucci in... Big Night (1996)
This is the BIG ONE! If you only listen to one episode of Stanning Stanley Tucci, pick this one. Tucci's directorial and screenwriting debut, Big Night (1996). Co-starring Tony Shalhoub, we recap the real Italian-American story of two brothers trying to save their restaurant from the brink of bankruptcy. Listen to hear about Tucci's real life inspiration for the film, (There's even a secret reference to Tucci's role in Miami Vice). Tweet at us your first memory of seeing Big Night @talkingtropes...
Feb 14, 2022•53 min
Talking Tropes 73: Comets and Commentary in Don't Look Up
In this episode, we take a look at the controversy surrounding Netflix's Don't Look Up. One of us liked it! We also look at the history of the Doomsday Comet trope in film and television. Armageddon, Deep Impact and more comedic fare like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. Is doomsday upon us? Tweet your Don't Look Up hot takes @talkingtropes
Feb 07, 2022•1 hr 20 min
Stanning Stanley Tucci in... Somebody to Love (1994)
Tucci reunites with indie director Alexandre Rockwell to do a little character acting with Rosie Perez. Somebody to Love is a boring title, but is there some hidden artistry here? Or is this just an American take on a Fellini film that sacrifices the New Wave aesthetic?
Jan 31, 2022•48 min
Stanning Stanley Tucci in... Sex & The Other Man (1995)
An obscure art-house film starring Tucci, who spends most of the movie bound and gagged. It ultimately fails to deliver on the psychosexual stage-play aesthetic and just comes across as if someone adapted a porno for the festival circuit. But Tucci is still good in it! Tweet at us @talkingTropes if you want to be a guest Stan on a future podcast
Jan 23, 2022•30 min
Tardis Tropes: Eve of the Daleks Recap and Review
Am I feeling some déjà vu? I feel like I'm in a time loop reviewing another Chris Chibnall Dalek episode on New Year's Day 2022. This time Chibnall seems to have hit his mark with memorable characters and a fun time looping premise, but a beat-by-beat recap reveals that none of it actually makes any sense at all! Join us on this fantastic journey and let us know what you think by tweeting us @talkingtropes
Jan 09, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Talking Tropes 72: The Matrix into the Metaverse
First episode of the new year has us asking, What is Real? A little bit of Baudrillard and The Matrix: Resurrections help us understand why Facebook is now called Meta and why our reality is becoming harder to distinguish from virtual reality. Let's trace the history of the Metaverse to its source and look at how HBO Max is using it to showcase its intellectual property in The Matrix, Ready Player One, and even Space Jam. Please Tweet at us @talkingtropes or I swear to god I will make a Talking ...
Jan 02, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Stanning Stanley Tucci in... Kiss of Death (1994)
Tucci plays a crooked Assistant DA in this remake of a 1940s mob movie. Joined once again by Nicolas Cage, and now by college classmate Ving Rhames, Tucci gives a fantastic dramatic performance while eating a hot dog. In Tucci News, we read selections from Tucci's September feature in an in-flight magazine.
Dec 19, 2021•42 min
Tardis Tropes Flux Finale
It's the finale of the Flux and what an awfully dull adventure it all was. Are any secrets revealed in this big finale? No? Well you should listen to us talk about it anyway.
Dec 12, 2021•1 hr 10 min
Tardis Tropes Flux 3: Angels and Exposition
It's a spoiler-filled recap of the penultimate episodes of Doctor Who: Flux. Village of the Angels and Survivors of the Flux continue a trend of alternating straightforward monster episodes and convoluted multi-plot episodes. Secrets are revealed but are any of them satisfying? What does the Division actually do? Did Joseph Williamson, the top hat man actually have a point? Listen and jump into the void with us.
Dec 05, 2021•56 min
Talking Tropes 71: Blondes have more Tropes
Hope you had a good Thanksgiving! This week, we look at some classic American tropes related to hair color. Do Gentlemen Prefer Blondes? Do they have more fun? Is there a darker side to the trope of the dumb blonde? Let's find out. You can watch our video podcast here: https://youtu.be/HhV6X982ODU Tweet at us @talkingtropes if you have a hot take about blondes, brunettes or any hair color on the visible spectrum!
Nov 28, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Tardis Tropes Flux 2: Sontarans and The Planet Time
Wahoo! Flux is actually living up to the hype with two completely different episodes with wildly different tones and plot structure! Sontarans riding horseback and whacky time shenanigans galore in this recap of the second and third episodes of Series 13 of Doctor Who.
Nov 21, 2021•1 hr 6 min
Stanning Stanley Tucci In... Jury Duty (1995)
Pauly Shore, master of the deeply unfunny, brings us the worst Stanley Tucci film so far, as we continue to review Tucci's entire IMDb history. A bizarre mish-mash of 12 Angry Men and Bio-Dome, Jury Duty (1995) gives Tucci a chance to shine in an otherwise forgettable "comedy." In Tucci news, we celebrate Tucci's latest Emmy award for his travel show Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. Let us know if you'd like to be a guest Stan on a future Tucci recap on Twitter @talkingTropes Watch our video ...
Nov 14, 2021•37 min
Tardis Tropes Flux: The Halloween Apocalypse
Tardis Tropes is back with more Doctor Who recaps and discussion. This week we have a bizarre series premiere and Halloween Special. Doctor Who Flux episode 1: The Halloween Apocalypse features Dog Man, Crystal Skull Man, Weeping Angels, Sontarans and Liverpudlians. Plenty to talk about and plenty of mysteries to solve.
Nov 07, 2021•56 min
Talking Tropes 70: Trickster Treat, it's a Jungian Halloween Special!
Trick or trope! Talking Tropes is back with a Halloween episode about tricksters. Trickster Gods like Loki and Maui, trickster animals like Bugs Bunny and Br’er Rabbit, Clowns, and the devils and demons that trick mortals out of their souls! Could this figure represent something essential about human psychology across cultures? Do shapeshifters help us to transform ourselves? Spoilers for the character Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Let us know your favorite trickster by tweeting us @Tal...
Oct 31, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Stanning Stanley Tucci In... It Could Happen To You (1994)
Tucci plays a deadbeat, pathological liar, ex-husband to a waitress who gets a surprise tip of 2 million dollars from Nic Cage, who plays a lottery winner and the greatest cop in NYC. Is this movie Tucci's most naked role? Literally? And is it a hidden gem or a piece of propaganda for the New York Post? Find out in another Stanning Stanley Tucci!!! Tweet at us @talkingtropes if you want to be a guest Stan on a future podcast Watch the Video Podcast here: https://youtu.be/oMcaRy7pNog
Sep 02, 2021•42 min
Talking Tropes 69: Mahou Shoujo, a History of Transformation
With special guest Sarah, we deconstruct the Magical Girl genre of anime and manga, briefly recapping the history and evolution of tropes and analyzing the role it has played in changing perceptions of gender and femininity over the years. Do Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura commodify the female body or do they empower young girls to embrace their inner strength of character? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below or tweeting at us @talkingtropes Watch the video podcast here: htt...
Aug 23, 2021•1 hr 28 min
Stanning Stanley Tucci In... Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994)
Gather round the Algonquin Round Table, for an intellectual conversation about the lives of New Yorker columnists in the 1920s. Tucci has a brief cameo in this biopic starring Jennifer Jason Leigh as Dorothy Parker and Tucci's good friend Campbell Scott as her love interest Robert Benchley. And in Tucci news, we take a look at a recent profile of Tucci's wife, Felicity Blunt. Tweet at us @talkingtropes if you want to be a guest Stan on a future podcast Watch the video podcast here: https://youtu...
Aug 19, 2021•35 min
Talking Tropes 68: Space Jams - Todorov, the Uncanny, and the Fantastic
This week, we share our weirdest, most out-there takes on Space Jam, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and their obvious predecessor Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Is it worth looking at these artifacts as more than just marketing tools for Warner Bros' most durable IP? Did A New Legacy change the genre of Space Jam completely? Just how have animation/live-action hybrids changed in the digital age? Tweet at us @TalkingTropes if you have any questions or arguments about any of these weird takes Watch the video ...
Aug 12, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Stanning Stanley Tucci in... The Pelican Brief (1993)
Tucci serves up some LOOKS in a John Grisham thriller as Khamel, a "middle eastern" assassin-for-hire. No he doesn't kill any pelicans. Is this the film where Tucci hit the mainstream? Find out on another Stanning Stanley Tucci! Tweet at us if you'd like to be a guest STAN on a future podcast @talkingtropes Watch the video podcast here https://youtu.be/7D903JQpO7I
Aug 05, 2021•29 min
Talking Tropes 67: Jane Austen Tropes and Hollywood Sensibilities
Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma are novels so deeply rooted in the values and ideas of Regency England (c. 1811 – 1820) that it seems impossible to adapt them to our modern "Sensibilities" (pun intended). Yet, Hollywood has produced several Austen adaptations set in the turn of the 21st century. Today with special guest and Austen fan Liz DeKok, we look at three of these, Clueless (1995), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), and the somewhat obscure Prada to Nada (2011). Do these v...
Jul 29, 2021•1 hr 5 min
Stanning Stanley Tucci in... Undercover Blues (1993)
The Tooch plays Muerte, a buffoonish and stereotypical latino criminal who wants revenge on CIA agent Jeff Blue and his wife Jane for humiliating him in an attempted mugging. Tucci said of the role at the time that this was the most physically demanding film he had ever worked on, and the only one so far to make him take off his pants on screen. You won't believe our Tucci fun fact this week! Special thanks to our editor Logan McBride Tweet at us @talkingTropes if you would like to be a guest st...
Jul 15, 2021•26 min
TT Mini 8: Luca and the Power of Subtext
There's nothing about Luca that we dislike! Let's look at this simple yet powerful story of young love and being yourself...in the context of a censorship regime focused on producing inoffensive films with global appeal while at the same time appealing to progressive, queer-friendly audiences. Watch the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/sF1hu3s-a9A Tweet at us @talkingtropes if you have a different take on Luca or if you have a suggestion of what we should recap next Special thanks to our edi...
Jul 08, 2021•26 min
Talking Tropes 66: Independence Day vs Mars Attacks
In a special 4th of July episode, we compare two notable examples of Aliens invading America in the immediate aftermath of the cold war. How do these stories compare to the cold war-era films they draw from? Tweet at us @TalkingTropes to share your favorite alien invasion story
Jul 04, 2021•46 min
Stanning Stanley Tucci in... The Public Eye (1992)
We continue to watch every Stanley Tucci IMDb credit. This week, Tucci plays a mobster in a neo-noir character drama starring Joe Pesci. Is this the hidden gem of the 90s mob movies you NEED to see? Also, we read a review of Tucci's food tourism show by a true Tucci stan from The Guardian, Stuart Heritage (@stuheritage) https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jun/21/stanley-tucci-the-flirty-hero-of-foodie-tv-you-need-in-your-life Watch the Video Podcast here: https://youtu.be/KCNuLXgCyUU T...
Jul 01, 2021•41 min
Talking Tropes 65: Sit-Com Reunions, HBO Max, and Nostalgia
Cast reunions became a ubiquitous cultural form during the Covid-19 pandemic. Because of the shutdown of in-person production, actors had even more free time and fewer resources than during writers’ strikes. Zoom became a popular way to organize charity events and look back fondly on the network era of television. HBO Max released two elaborately produced and highly publicized cast reunion specials to promote their newly acquired NBCUniversal properties, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996), ...
Jun 25, 2021•51 min
Stanning Stanley Tucci in... Beethoven (1992)
Tucci the dognapper? It's a timely follow-up to our Cruella review, where we talk about how much we love Stanley Tucci in Beethoven, starring a St. Bernard and Charles Grodin as they butt heads to see who is the alpha of the Newton household! The audio quality might be a bit lower because we had to use the backup recording. Oops! Watch the video podcast here https://youtu.be/-KTs6dzkiXk Tweet at us if you want to be a guest Stan on a future podcast @talkingtropes Special thanks to our editor Log...
Jun 17, 2021•29 min
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