72 avsnitt • Längd: 110 min • Månadsvis
What makes a film a ”Box Office Bust”? This question is what keeps NJ stand up comic Liam Wolfe up at night. Each week, Wolfe along with fellow cinephiles Matt Larue and Matthew Komar sit down, share laughs and discuss Hollywood’s most notorious failures. ”BOMBED!” is a film comedy podcast where we attempt to answer those burning questions and deep dive into the finer details to fully grasp what went wrong with these motion picture disasters.
The podcast BOMBED! is created by Liam Wolfe, Matt Larue, Matthew Komar. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
This week, Komar and Liam go head first into football lore to discuss one of the most notorious tales in soccer lore. Komar gets to gush about Timothy Spall, Liam mentions wanting to own a framed photo of Vinnie Jones crushing balls and the boys get deep in the soccer weeds. Lawsuits, drunk lore, fictionalized biographies and hooliganism galore!
DAMN THE MAN! SAVE THE EMPIRE!
This weeks episode, we get our POG collections out, drink a couple of Ok Cola and jam to some TOAD THE WET SPROCKET! The boys get into the 90s coming of age cult classic, Empire Records. Discussion includes Tobey Maguire losing his mind, an SUV car crash on set, Kimo Willis getting sent to prison, garbage tier 90s alternative acts, our collective hatred of Aerosmith and so much more.
PART TWO IN HERE! We continue our discussion of 1987's biggest blockbuster that every was with tales of internal sabotage, review bombing out of spite, broken friendships and we share our feelings on Ishtar itself.
WE GOT A HEAVY HITTER! This week starts our two part episode deep dive into one of the most notorious box office bombs of all time. Larue set the boys up with 1987's "misunderstood" comedy Ishtar, starring Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty.
In part one, we get into all the juicy chaos from productions. Beatty butting heads with director Elaine May, PLO trying to kidnap Dustin Hoffman, sweeping land mines before shooting, $100k dune flattening, a disastrous post production and so much more.
The gang get political! This week, Komar got the boys to sit down and watch the forgotten Oscar Bait political drama, 2018's The Frontrunner starring Hugh Jackman, Vera Farmiga, J.K. Simmons, Bill Burr and a list of other notable actors. Discussion includes Jason Reitman's very boring career, the tale of Gary Hart, failed Oscar films, Larue saying more outrageous things as usual, mumblecore and this weird little film that no one remembers.
GET ON THAT DANCE FLOOR AND KILL IT BABY!! This week on an insane two part episode, Liam gets deep into one of his Covid hype fixations as the gang discusses 2003's Party Monster starring Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green, Chloe Sevigny, Natasha Lyonne, Dylan McDermott, Wilmer Valderrama and Wilson Cruz. In part two, we finally get to discussing Party Monster (2003), it's limited release, how Party Monster twists the truth, and the epilogue on Michael Alig's post prison life and (spoiler alert) untimely death.
GET ON THAT DANCE FLOOR AND KILL IT BABY!! This week on an insane two part episode, Liam gets deep into one of his Covid hype fixations as the gang discusses 2003's Party Monster starring Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green, Chloe Sevigny, Natasha Lyonne, Dylan McDermott, Wilmer Valderrama and Wilson Cruz.
In part one, Liam dives into the true crime behind the biopic, discussing Michael Alig, Disco Bloodbath, the Club Kids of the early 90s, the murder of Angel Melendez and the bizarre true story that inspired Party Monster.
This week, the boys are back to take revenge on their biggest enemy, Lorne Michaels and NBC. We get into Norm Macdonald's leading role debut, 1998's Dirty Work, starring Macdonald himself, Artie Lange, Chevy Chase, Chris Farley (in his final role) and so many cameos.
Discussion includes making fun of Chris Kattan, SNL drama, Bob Saget, the summer of 1998, OJ Simpson and so much more.
This week, the crew sits down with the oldest movie they've covered and discuss John Huston's odd meta parody, 1953's BEAT THE DEVIL! Discussion includes car crashes, wrestling matches between Truman Capote and Humphrey Bogart, cliffside freefalls, decade re-evaluation and so much more. Plus, we found out the 1950s were loaded with horse movies and racist westerns.
THIS WEEK, the boys get their wrestling boots on for this slobberknocker of an episode, as the boys suffer thru 2000's READY TO RUMBLE! Discussions include as brief of a breakdown as possible on World Championship Wrestling (WCW), David Arquette winning the world title, Scott Caan being Scott Caan, Joey Pants, Rose McGowan suffering in this awful movie, one of the worst acting performances we've seen in a while, the death of WCW and so much more.
In part two of this brutally violent two parter, the gang get to discussing Near Dark in full, the demise of Near Dark's production company De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, their collective sadness over the passing of Bill Paxton and so much more.
This week, the boys get neck deep in vampire cinema as they discuss Kathryn Bigelow's 1987 cult classic Near Dark. On part one, we go deep into Kathryn Bigelow's career before Near Dark, some of the wackiest behind the scenes stories we've told on this podcast yet and we get into the Vampire craze of the 1980s.
This Week, the gang concludes their exploration into the Bennifer universe with part two of Gigli! We get into the movie itself, Liam introduces a new segment inspired by this trash, Christopher Walken and Al Pacino show up to be the best as always, Ben Affleck gives Kubrick stare to the ceiling while having sex with "Turkey Time" J-Lo, and so much more. It's pure madness this movie!
This week on this delayed Valentine's Day episode of Bombed, the gang attempt to get romantic with a two part heavy hitter episode. That heavy hitter being the notorious romantic comedy crime feature Gigli, starring Ben Affleck's lifeless eyes and Jennifer Lopez's lifeless expressions. Discussion includes a look into the "Bennifer" phenomenon, Don Johnson gets name dropped, Martin Brest's career prior to this dud, Sony Pictures being the worst and so much more.
This week, the boys roll the dice, hit the slots and experience existential limbo by discussing the debut feature of Paul Thomas Anderson, the 1996 drama Hard Eight. Discussion includes PTA's career, Liam confusing Reno for Vegas, the 90s indie director boom, Larue wanting to be invited to the cookout, Philip Seymore Hoffman and so much more.
This week, in true noir style, the gang gets heavy into a classic who done it. Specifically, "what killed The Long Goodbye's chances at the box office". The outcome may shock you!
Discussion includes a Robert Altman retrospective, Sterling Hayden's best Ernest Hemingway impression, the legacy of Phillip Marlowe, the many differences between Altman's Long Goodbye and the source material and so much more. Please don't feed your cat cottage cheese.
PART TWO!
This week, the gang continues their discussion on Brazil. On part two, the boys get into the film itself, the weird right-wing fanbase for the movie, Brazil's notorious ending, the release and legacy of Brazil and much much more. We also accuse several actors of killing their wives, coworkers and other crimes against humanity. The saga continues!
This week, the gang gets deep into another heavy hitter episode! On this two part episode, the boys discuss the 1985 sci-fi dystopian satire Brazil!
On part one, the boys discuss Terry Gilliam's legacy, the battle for final cut, the "love conquers all" edit of Brazil, Gilliam's tactics to save his vision of the movie, the production of Brazil, too many gas leaks involved and so much more.
This week, the boys take down another heavy hitter episode by discussing one of the more notorious box office failures of the 1990s. That being Rob Reiner's 1994 children's film North, the film that graced the world with Roger Ebert's infamous review and the film that crushed Rob Reiner's theatrical winning streak dead in it's tracks. Is North really that bad though?
Discussion also includes a retrospective on Rob Reiner's career pre-North, the career of Alan Zweibel, our new take on Forrest Gump, children's movie burnout in the early 90s and of course, our review on the notorious motion picture.
This week, Larue and Liam start off the new year right, with a twisted adaptation of one of Sci-Fi legend Philip K. Dick's most challenging and personal works. While Komar was out working on the New Path plantation, the rest of the gang sat down and discussed Richard Linklater's 2006 sci-fi cult classic A Scanner Darkly. The boys also get into the life and influence of Philip K. Dick, the sobering reality behind A Scanner Darkly, Linklater's filmography, mid 2000s politics and so much more.
This week, the gang close out 2023 with a true holiday classic, the 1985 sci-fi drama Enemy Mine! The story of warring factions, intergalactic racism, Mad Max rejects committing slavery and the bond between two soldiers having to survive on a deadly planet. Discussion includes plenty of Robert Evens impressions, baiting celebrities' to sue us, Wolfgang Petersen's filmography and so much more.
THIS WEEK, Larue has been a solo "Band on the Run", leaving Komar and Liam to discuss Paul McCartney's sole writing credit. The bizarre, elongated music video collection turned feature film named Give My Regards To Broad Street. Discussion included McCartney's very very bad 1980s, the Beatles being apart of MK-Ultra, a bunch of future episodes topping the box office, John Hinkley Jr and so much more. There is a lot to unpack this week.
This week, the crew seem confused after watching arguably Spike Lee's worst movie. That movie being 2004's dark comedy She Hate Me, what could be described as "Chasing Amy meets Enron: The Smartest People In The Room" and I WISH I WAS JOKING! Discussion also includes an hour long run thru of Spike Lee's career, the dreadful 1990 Academy Awards, Komar's love for the movie Sideways, Michael Moore, White Castles in New Jersey and so much more. We also try to understand what She Hate Me was trying to say.
This week, the gang get into the dark and dirty world of... early 2000s children's television? We talk about Danny Devito's 2002 black comedy Death to Smoochy. Discussion includes the dumb way to say Duane, Henry Rollin's audition for Spinner Dunn, 2000s era sitcoms, Robin William's "Dark Trilogy" and so much more.
This week, the gang sit down and discuss the last SNL film released theatrically, the love letter to 80s action films MACGRUBER! On this episode, discussion includes the other SNL failures (and future episodes), ghost sex, the 2008 WWE wrestling roster, MacGyver and so much more.
This week, the boys go deep down into the recesses of Dan Aykroyd's mind to understand his sole directorial effort, 1991's Nothing But Trouble. Discussions include the man himself Dan Aykroyd, how much of an asshole Chevy Chase is, Demi Moore giving her all, oversized baby prosthetics, a preview into future episode The Bonfire of The Vanities, penis noses, the Digital Underground (with a babyfaced Tupac Shakur), John Hughes being a moronic conservative, and so much more.
How could this possibly go wrong? How could letting known eccentric Dan Aykroyd direct a film could become one of the most well known disasters in cinematic history? What could... possibly... go wrong?
February 4th, 1983. The bizarre masterwork of Canada's own David Cronenberg, Videodrome, released to mass confusion and strong competition. With an odd advertising campaign, weird trailer releases and lack of direction in marketing, Videodrome stumbled in the box office even with rave reviews behind it. Years without video release, Videodrome garnered a strong cult following that has giving Videodrome the well deserved hype and praise it truly deserved.
This week, the gang closes out the Halloween season with Liam's choice and an all time banger at that one. Discussion includes Cronenberg's origins, James Wood's Twitter antics, failed sheep gut launching, MK-Ultra analogies, Debbie Harry surviving Ted Bundy, Matty Larue's gullibility towards actor's ages and so much more.
October 22, 1999. Martin Scorsese's Bringing Out the Dead was released to mixed reviews and a brutal box office. Over the years, Bringing Out the Dead has garnered much acclaim, ending up on several "most underrated film" lists over the years and being reexamined as a 90s masterpiece.
This week, we take a break from horror movies for a second to discuss one of Marty's more high profile fumbles in honor of The Killers of The Flower Moon's release. Discussion includes Larue's love of the film Mandy, savior complex, burnout at the Amazon Warehouse, the 9/11 Howard Stern episode, Tom Sizemore being chaotic, spirituality and much much more.
March 14th, 2008. Michael Haneke's remake to his depraved film in his filmography Funny Games gets released in limited capacity. Almost 10 years to the day of his first go around of the same name, the remake (along with the 1997 original) entered the American cult cinema circles after a decade in art house lore. The brutal message was missed again, now being compared to the likes of SAW and Hostel instead of the take down it truly was.
This week, as the Halloween season rolls on, Komar's pick left a lot of discussion to be had. That discussion includes a dissection of both versions of Funny Games, the tragic fall of Michael Pitt, the even more tragic fate of Funny Games 97's cast, violence in media, Larue's 18th birthday all those years back and so much more.
September 10th, 2021. James Wan's giallo inspired horror film released in theaters as well as on HBO MAX for the masses to see. Still in the throws of the Covid-19 pandemic and with Warner Brothers releasing it digitally as well as in theaters, Malignant was fighting an uphill battle from the start. Unable to succeed at the box office, the film soon garnered a decent cult following with the likes of Nick Cage and Stephen King as fans.
This week, the Bombed! boys start the month of October strong as they begin to celebrate the Halloween season proper. Discussion includes "the splat pack", Larue's ability to fall for fake news, giallo films as a whole, the wonderful works of James Wan, and so much more.
September 28th, 1990. Abel Ferrara's gangster epic King of New York debuted in theaters after receiving scorn and hatred at the festival circuit. Gutted by steep competition and polarizing reception, King of New York became another failure under Ferrara's belt... at first. In the coming years, King of New York gained a strong cult following on home video and DVD as well as major hip hop greats like Notorious B.I.G. making references to the film throughout his music. Today, King of New York is widely considered a masterpiece.
This week, Liam waxes poetic about one of his favorite films of the 90s to the Matts. Discussion includes Abel Ferrara's alleged crack usage, his notorious Conan O'Brien interview, "Larry" Fishburne, neo lib gangster Frank White (played by Christopher Walken), the tragic career of David Caruso and so much more.
November 16th, 2018. The critically acclaimed political action drama Widows released worldwide. The 4th motion picture release from British director Steve McQueen (no not the actor), Widows got swamped out by the likes of Fantastic Beasts and Bohemian Rhapsody. While not a financial success, Widows ended up winning several best of the year awards and being a critical darling upon release.
This week, after suffering for weeks with the worst movies of all time, the gang decided collectively to start discussing great films for a change. Discussion includes Steve McQueen's career, the worst Best Picture race of all time, Viola Davis, long takes and we end up gushing for an hour about the greatness that is Widows.
July 29th, 2013. Paul Schrader's bizarre and bleak independent film The Canyons. With a script written by American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis, starring Lindsey Lohan and pornstar James Dean and loaded with on set antics reported nonstop, Schrader's erotic thriller released with no fanfare. Debuting in 2 theaters, the film shot straight to VOD upon release.
This week, the gang go over what can be described as the most miserable episode of the podcast so far. Discussion includes Lohan's rap sheet, Schrader stripping naked, the terrible crimes of James Dean, Bret Easton Ellis being the worst, Kanye West and the film's deplorable existence among other things.
Christmas Day, 1985. Goldcrest Film's Revolutionary War epic releases under the radar just in time for awards contention. The powerhouse British film studio were looking to get another best picture award at The Academy. However, the only thing Goldcrest received upon release was ridicule. The pretentious, dull war epic failed to connect with audiences and scored several Worst Picture nominations.
This week, the gang try not to fall asleep while talking about one of the worst films we've covered so far. Discussion includes Al Pacino's fall in the early 80s, the rise and fall of Goldcrest Films, bizarre casting and shooting decisions, bad colonial accents, Donald Sutherland's hairy mole and so much more.
October 4, 1995. Gumby the Movie, a five plus year project by mastermind Art Clokey, was released to no fanfare. Gumby, the once beloved cartoon claymation, was out of their element releasing in a landscape of Disney renaissance releases and Pixar innovation.
This week, the boys kick back and discuss the life and creations of Art Clokey, the legacy of his works and we kinda discuss Gumby the Movie. We get into Clokey's acid use, his weird Christian show Davey and Goliath, dated references and the retro stylings of Gumby themselves.
April 18th, 2001. The release of Tom Green's creative dice roll Freddy Got Fingered. A movie so reviled and despised, it still gives a chill to culturally destitute masses everywhere. Tom Green was and still is a polarizing figure in comedy, with his bizarre and crass brand of alternative sketch comedy reaching international cable channels during the last legs of the 1990s. By 2001, the Canadian comedy icon wore out his welcome and Freddy Got Fingered was enough of a boot to kick him out of the main stream.
This week however, the gang sit down and answer the hardest questions they've encountered yet. Is Freddy Got Fingered secretly the smartest comedy of the modern age? Are people wrong about Freddy Got Fingered? Is Tom Green... a genius? All those questions and so much more is answered this week... on Bombed!
August 25th, 1989. The release of the film adaptation of Bob Woodward's disgraceful John Belushi biography, "Wired". By the release of Woodward's book, Belushi had only been dead for two years and had his reputation tied to his drug habits than to his comedic acting. By the release of "Wired" the film adaptation, Belushi's friends and family went scorched earth on Woodward, dragging the films release and threatening all involved with it's production....rightly so.
This week, the gang suffer thru the worst film they've watched for the podcast thus far. Discussion includes Michael Chiklis's early acting career, the life of John Belushi, known scumbag Ray Sharkey, cocaine binges, Bob Woodward being a tool, bad Dan Aykroyd impersonations and so...so much more.
BAM! BONUS EPISODE!
This Week, the gang wanted to pay homage to the late William Friedkin, director of two of the greatest movies ever made... and a ton of future episode.
October 10th, 1975. Hot off the success of the Who musical Tommy, Ken Russell (along with producer David Puttnam) release the second of their planned musical composer cinematic universe. That film being the bizarre rock musical Lisztomania, starring Who frontman Roger Daltrey as the legendary composer Franz Liszt. The film too a bit more than lead actor from Tommy too. Celebrity cameos, luxurious set design and the pure chaotic energy, Lisztomania was pure black tar Russell.
This week, the gang sits down to discuss one of the many Ken Russell masterpieces we'll eventually cover. Discussion includes The Who's demise, penis guillotines, Larue and Liam's lack of international history knowledge, Ken Russell's career and so much more.
MAY 17th, 1991. The film debut of Brian "The Boz" Bosworth, Stone Cold, arrived in theaters to massive apathy. The former college football hero turned NFL bust ran to the silver screen after being forced to retire from the gridiron due to injury. Relying on his "Boz" persona, Bosworth seemed like an action star straight out of a test tube. Instead, the wooden plank known as Brian Bosworth had to be carried by legendary character actors, ultraviolent stunt showcases and ... pet Monitor lizards?
This week, the gang jump head first into the wild world of late 80s/early 90s action flicks. They discuss college football, the career of "The Boz", Lance Henriksen being the best, William Forsythe being the second best, downer endings and much much more.
July 21st, 1989. Smack dab in the middle of one of the greatest summers of film, Orion Pictures released UHF to the masses. UHF was the star vehicle for music parody icon Weird Al Yankovic who was soaring in the Billboard charts throughout the 80s. Alongside Weird Al, UHF starred a whose who of alt-comedy legends like Emo Phillips, SNL alumni Victoria Jackson and pre Kramer/pre Laugh Factory Michael Richards as well as stand out actors like Fran Drescher and Kevin McCarthy. From cast and crew to Orion Pictures themselves, everyone felt they had a massive hit on their hand... until it was released and smoked at the box office.
This week, the gang sit down and dare you to be stupid with them as they discuss UHF, Weird Al, the now mildly cursed casting, Spatula City, Conan The Librarian, raw fish in hot warehouses and much much more.
February 9th, 1970. European arthouse director Michelangelo Antonioni, riding the hype wave of his masterpiece Blow-Up, brought the world his next cinematic experience Zabriskie Point. Wanting to capture the US hippie movement the same way he captured Swinging London with Blow-Up, Antonioni's Zabriskie Point holds the same vibes Antonioni's known for. However, due to countless chaotic production hiccups and several scheduling setbacks, Zabriskie Point burnt out in the box office upon release. While some despise the "vibes" Zabriskie Point brings to the table, others have considered Antonioni's hate letter to the love generation as a misunderstood classic.
This week, Liam and Komar sit down and discuss the insane tale of Antonioni's American cultural dissection, the two unknown leads and their bizarre lives before and after Zabriskie Point's release and everything in between.
June 30th, 1999. As the summer season drew to a close, Warner Brothers released their western action comedy Wild Wild West. Bringing together the dynamic duo of director Barry Sonnenfeld and 90s megastar Will Smith, Wild Wild West should have been a slam dunk for Warner Brothers. Instead, Wild Wild West is mostly known as a punchline for a Kevin Smith story. What happened here?
This week, the gang discuss the 60s TV to film adaptation fad of the 90s, Will Smith the superstar, giant mechanical steampunk spiders, known coke filled Hollywood producer Jon Peters and much much more.
FINALLY! After several months of grinding, working, editing, recording, producing and publishing, season 2 is COMING! Join The Matts (Matt LaRue and Matthew Komar) and Liam Wolfe as they recount the crazy tales of Wild Wild West, Wired, Freddy Got Fingered, Zabriskie Point, Lisztomania, UHF and much MUCH more.
Wednesday the 12th, we welcome you to the newest season of BOMBED!
June 25th, 1982. John Carpenter's sci-fi horror remake The Thing released in theaters into a crowd of angry, venom filled spectators and critics. Disgusted and reviled by the intense special effects by lead FX artist Rob Bottin, The Thing never gained traction in the box office and leaving defeated after going toe to toe against ET, Poltergeist, Blade Runner and the musical Annie. However, once it reached home video, The Thing earned the cult following and praise it rightfully deserved upon release. Unfortunately by the time of home release, Carpenter was disillusioned by Hollywood and was pushed into "director for hire" hell.
ON THIS SPECIAL HALLOWEEN EPISODE OF BOMBED!, the boys sit down for three hours and discuss what Liam cited as "one of my favorite films of all time". We go into Rob Bottin's health concerns during productions, Tobe Hooper's bizarre original pitch, the Howard Hawks (not Howard Hughes) original drive-in creature feature, Ennio Morricone's unused soundtrack, Carpenter's fall from grace and every detail in-between. Join us as we go over one of, if not the greatest remake of all time (sorry De Palma). John Carpenter's The Thing here... on BOMBED!
JOIN US @BOMBEDcast on IG
April 27, 2007. WWE Studios, an media development department for pro wrestling company WWE, produced and released (through distribution studio Lionsgate) their edgy action feature The Condemned. Starring attitude era megastar Stone Cold Steve Austin and soccer hooligan turned Guy Richie regular Vinnie Jones, The Condemned was set to be a next big action blockbuster of 2007...if it wasn't released in the spring...or was any good. For various reasons, The Condemned failed to land an audience and fall into obscurity, turning into a time capsule of a decade long ago. Now, host Liam Wolfe and stand up comic Daniel Caprio rip apart this forgotten """"gem"""" for almost two hours on this weeks episode... of BOMBED!
FOLLOW THE BOMBED!CAST OVER ON IG @BOMBEDCAST
FOLLOW ME @liam_wolfe_mann ON IG AND TWITTER FOR PODCAST UPDATES
January 21st, 2000. The Boondock Saints, after years of strife and chaos, finally gets released to five theaters through a deal between Franchise Pictures, Duffy and Indican Pictures. Burning every bridge possible, Duffy reluctantly signed a dreadful contract for a front side position of the revenue. However, the landscape has changed significantly since Duffy shopped around his bullet riddled action film. While The Boondock Saints entered production, the world was heartbroken by the events behind the Columbine Massacre, making a film about two trench coat wearing spree shooters seem tasteless. Troy Duffy and his passion project was about to enter a completely new, hyper sanitized Hollywood landscape, a world where Duffy's violent feature felt like a relic of a time gone by.
On the second part of The Boondock Saints, the mad lads (Liam Wolfe, Matt Larue) finally got around to talking about The Boondock Saints. We go deep into the film in all it's juvenile, disgusting glory. We get into William Defoe playing a self hating gay FBI agent, vigilante justice, racist jokes, the most laughable mafia of all time, Cannes film festival applicants, mass shootings and so much more.
FOLLOW US OVER @bombedcast ON IG
Follow me over @liam_wolfe_man on IG and Twitter
Los Angeles, 1996. South Boston transplant Troy Duffy witnesses a dead heroin addict leaving his apartment complex on a stretcher. Filled with pure anger, Duffy writes what would end up becoming The Boondock Saints, a bullet riddled action drama about two brothers looking to seek vengeance against the scourge of society. Handing his draft over to a low rung staffer at New Line, the script changed hands between studios and producers. After a grueling bidding war, Harvey Weinstein and Miramax scored the rights to Duffy's draft, granting the first time screenwriter $450,000 and the ability to direct his magnum opus.
Within a matter of months, Duffy's dreams would turn to ash in front of his eyes as his ego and his radical decisions help ruin cinema forever.
On the first episode of a two part podcast, Liam and returning guest Matt Larue head into the tale behind the production of... The Boondock Saints. We talk about Duffy the man, his terrible attitude, his dog shit band, his stupid opinions and worldviews and all the reasons why "the overnight success story" turned into a complete joke within months.
The story of Gambino crime boss and ruthless mobster John Gotti needs no introduction. The Teflon Don's legacy has gone down in the history books as a tale of the "last big name in Mafia history", a true outlaw that got one over the law while committing countless atrocities within the underworld. A movie based on Gotti's life was inevitable, but the notorious 2018 bio-pic wasn't the first time John Gotti's tale made it to celluloid. However, it's insane production history, chaotic casting choices and disastrous release could be just as notorious as the Teflon Don himself.
This week, stand up comic and dedicated Italian VJ Preziosi joins Liam to deep dive into 2018's 'Gotti'. We discuss Movie Pass, Joe Pesci's lawsuit against the production, Gotti Jr's actor given hair spray paint to look older, awkward wedding songs, MR. WORLDWIDE, roasting tombstones, Movie Pass buying tickets to their own movie to fluff up numbers and so...so much more... The insane tale of the fictional life of John Gotti here... ON BOMBED!
Guest's Social: @vjpreziosicomedy on IG and Twitter
FOLLOW US HERE @bombedcast on IG.
Liam's Socials: @liam_wolfe_man on IG and Twitter
December 5th, 2008. Lionsgate Studios released the ultra-violent Marvel Comics adaptation, Punisher: Warzone, into an oversaturated holiday market. Placing the hyper violent tale of Frank Castle and his every growing vengeance-based vigilante pursuit of justice in the whimsical holiday season of December was one of the many bizarre choices from the studio that brought hyper gory horror films Saw and Hostel to light. Released before Marvel had a cinematic stranglehold on movie theaters, Punisher: Warzone was tossed into a sea of Disney family films and future Oscar contenders, never truly standing a chance at catching a crowd.
On this long awaited episode of BOMBED! , the Foul House Mates reunite as Dan Caprio (@dancaprio on IG) joins Liam in discussing the most surreal MCU film ever made. We talk Lionsgate's creative control, grindhouse levels of gore, meth head parkour rasta gangs, MRE consumption, weird speeches from the evil police guard from The Green Mile, over-Italian accents and much much more.
Anyone else listens to Staind?
Also, WE'RE BACK BABE! WOOOOOO! Typical "what's going on, been going on" update audio check.
Thank you all for the support over the last few months. See you next Wednesday!
February 6th, 1974. The world was introduced to John Boorman's surreal sci-fi action epic Zardoz. Following a falling out to a United Artist produced Lord of The Rings adaptation, Boorman wrote, produced and directed his own high fantasy inspired science fiction film about a post apocalyptic, "Wizard of Oz"-esk universe of immortal god-like beings encountering a brutal executioner, played by Sean Connery. Off his rocker on psychedelics, Boorman was able to create a dreamlike apocalyptic Earth on the back of a micro-budget of $1.57 million dollars. However, it's confusing narrative and surreal imagery confused critics and audiences alike, pushing people away from the world of Zardoz and causing Boorman's high science fiction to fail financially. Over the following decades, Zardoz finally gained the following it deserved as the drug fueled epic it represents.
This week, stand up comic, GQ writer and returning guest Kevin Hall joins the podcast to go into depth about one of his favorite science fiction features. We go deep into Boorman's psychedelic classic while constantly lamenting on not getting a Dune episode out. Discussion also includes Sean Connery in a speedo, fetishizing death, a LOT of Dune discussion, Boorman's fixation on ass, the IRA, giant stone head deities and so much more. THE GUN IS GOOD! THE PENIS IS EVIL!
Guest's Socials: IG: @thehallway1, Twitter: @thehallway1
FOLLOW US OVER @bombedcast on IG.
May 22nd, 1998. Warren Beatty's political dark comedy Bulworth hit the theatrical campaign trail after Beatty's eight year absence from the silver screen. Following the mild disappointment of Dick Tracy, Warren Beatty came back with a biting take on the racial hypocrisy of Clinton era Democrats and the endless empty promises from politicians. While it barely made it's budget back and ended up failing in the box office, Bulworth garnered a cult following from critic and audiences alike. Even 44th President of the United States Barack Obama as admitted to be a fan.
On this week's episode, New Jersey underground hip-hop legend Seth "The Wrist" Michaels joins host Liam Wolfe to express his love for Warren Beatty and late 90's hip hop in an epic two hour conversation. We get into the massive album (that was way more popular than this movie), rapping Warren Beatty, Paul Sorvino being obviously evil, coke head Oliver Platt, jive talk, Halle Berry's tongue dance, Cypress Hill being overrated after 1994, the rise and fall of Cannabis (the rapper) and much much MUCH MORE. So send in your ballots and join this cinephile filibuster as we go into Bulworth here... ON BOMBED!
December 13th, 1985. The board game adaptation Clue sleuths its way into theaters with a wild marketing campaign, multiple endings and a star studded cast. Unfortunately, Clue's multiple ending gimmick would confuse audiences, receive middling reviews and ended up suffering in the box office. However, that's not where the mystery lies with Clue. Rather, the mystery of Clue comes from it's lasting legacy as a cult classic comedy.
In this week's episode, Liam's joined by stand up comic Joe Polizzotti to discuss and tear down Joe's favorite movie of all time. We go into the casting choices (and the actors who almost were cast), the multiple endings and the lost forth ending, Tim Curry being the G.O.A.T. and much much more.
GUEST'S IG: @joepolizzotti
FOLLOW US HERE AND OVER @Bombedcast ON IG
February 5th, 1999. The Mel Gibson action comedy Payback was released to the public after a bitter dismissal from director Brian Helgeland over the creative direction of his neo-noir feature. Helgeland looked to create a dark, gritty adaptation to the 1962 crime novel, "The Hunter" till the executives at Paramount and WB forced the project to be a silly crime comedy. Retooling a bleak action feature into a dark comedy crime caper didn't really pay off in the long run, but three comics decided to sit down and talk about this feature for almost three hours.
This week, Liam Wolfe is joined by the Colonel Mastodon Power Hour, Reggie Parker and Dan Farley to recount the wild, insane, nonsensical story behind and around Payback. Discussion includes Bill Duke's swag, Lucy Liu as a dominatrix, "Hubba Hubba Hubba", car phones in the 1970s, "The Outfit", corrupt cops, casual anti-Semitism, heroin dealers from Venice Beach, James Coburn, a late replacement Kris Kristofferson and the wonderful world for Mel Gibson's Payback!
GUEST'S SOCIALS:
Reggie Parker: @rpcomedy (ig)
Dan Farley: @danfarley18 (ig)
FOLLOW US OVER @bombedcast
April, 1981. Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate was re-released into theaters off the initial disastrous release back in November, 1980. For the last two years, Cimino's western epic had been in the crosshairs of critics and Hollywood executives alike. Seemingly everyone wanted Cimino's head on a pike after Heaven's Gate fell flat upon it's initial November release. In due time, not only will Cimino's career be in free fall but with Heaven's Gate's failure also came another column tumbling down from the 'New Hollywood' era.
On the conclusion of our two part deep dive into Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate, host Liam Wolfe and the Matts get into the post-production process, Cimino's 5 hour original cut, "We Don't Do This Here!?", John Hurt being wasted, Heaven's Gate's original release, the dreadful critical reception and a brief analysis into the fall of "New Hollywood".
GUEST'S Socials:
Matt Larue: @pesoeyes (IG)
Matthew Komar: @h0mErth0mps0n (Twitter), @brzeczyszczykiewiczzz (IG)
FOLLOW US OVER @bombedcast on IG
LIAM WOLFE: @liam_wolfe_man (IG/twitter)
November 19th, 1980. Michael Cimino's controversial western epic Heaven's Gate was released to the masses. Prior to it's release, Heaven's Gate was garnering criticism and scorn from industry insiders, colleagues in the film industry and average Americans alike for the scandalous behind the scenes reports from it's production. Animals getting mauled and killed, 10+ hour work days for every minute of celluloid shot, constant fights and firing on set, interstate prop transportation and exhausting shooting schedules plastered the pages of Variety, LA Times and every news outlet across the United States. Cimino seemingly had production company United Artists by the balls and if his magnum opus didn't rake in double it's $44 million dollar budget (which adjusted for inflation would be closer to $120 million in todays money), his career would be finished. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate would not only become one of the highest profile box office bombs in film history, but would take United Artist as a company, tarnish his legacy and would be blamed for being the final death nail in the "New Hollywood" coffin. But was the hate warranted? That... is debatable.
On the first of a TWO PART deep dive into Michael Cimino's underappreciated western, Liam is joined by THE MATTS (returning guest Matt Larue and newcomer Matthew Komar) to analyze the tragic tale of Heaven's Gate. For part one, the gang gets into United Artist's history as a studio, Michael Cimino's early career, the betrayal and backstabbing from Cimino to UA, the countless animal cruelty cases on set, "Camp Cimino" and everything in and around Heaven's Gate's production. We also talk about the movie of course, it's shortcomings, "vibe filmmaking" and the negative consequences to auteur filmmaking. Sit back cause it's gonna be a long one.
GUESTS SOCIALS: @pesoeyes , @brzeczyszczykiewiczzz
FOLLOW US @bombedcast on IG for updates on new episodes, clips and some extra fun stuff.
It's hard to believe it now, but Mike Myers' The Love Guru was supposed to be a return to form for the SNL alumnus. Myers had been busy lending his acting talent to voice the beloved green ogre Shrek before The Love Guru's release, with his last major live action role being the dreadful adaptation of Dr. Seuss's The Cat In The Hat playing the title role. With Wayne's World and Austin Powers far in his rear view, Mike Myers made the effort to attempt a triumphant return to his comedic roots. Upon release on June 20th , 2008, media outlets were preparing to give Myers his homecoming parade back to the world of comedy. However, what critics and audiences got from The Love Guru was a dated, needlessly crass and borderline racist piece of cinema which broke the cardinal sin of presenting a cinematic comedy without laughs. Myers seemed to have left his humor back in 1998 and never evolved with the times, causing The Love Guru to feel like a script finished off in the late 90s and left on Myers' shelf for a decade before dusting it off. Based on the contents left on celluloid, The Love Guru probably should have stayed on that shelf. How could a titan of 90s comedy fall so hard on his face?...not in the intentionally funny sort of way mind you.
This week, stand up comic Richard Dweck jumps onto the pod to cause Liam to tear his own hair out. Discussion includes Extreme's More Than Words, big dicked Quebecers, a drug addicted Stephen Colbert, Mariska Hargitay, Hindu defamation league and so much more.
GUEST'S IG: @rdweck93
WHAT THE HECK WITH RICHARD DWECK: @whattheheckrd93
FOLLOW US OVER @bombedcast ON IG
September 10th, 2010. Joaquin Phoenix's surreal "mockumentary" I'm Still Here was released to a completely unprepared crowd not ready for the bizarre trip they're about to witness. Blurring the lines between fiction and reality, the coke filled satire caused more head scratching than praise upon it's release. Fading from the public conscious in the following years, I'm Still Here's lasting legacy has whittled down to the #metoo accusations towards director Casey Affleck and one very awkward David Letterman interview.
On this week's episode, the film bros attack! Liam Wolfe is joined by close friend and cinephile Matt Larue to deep dive the madness that is contained within I'm Still Here's 106 minute run time. Discussion includes a critical look into method acting, #metoo and Casey Affleck, should rich white guys have rap careers, Mos Def, Greenberg and that dreaded Letterman interview. This is certainly gonna be an odd one.
Guest's Twitter: @protojerk
FOLLOW BOMBED! @bombedcast ON IG
November 24th, 2010. Two pop music icons from the present and the past, Cher and Christina Aguilera, co-starred in a musical for the ages. Burlesque entered the box office and was on course to make a significant amount of money...if it wasn't for the stacked competition released at the same time. For those unlucky enough to miss this clash of pop champions, Burlesque attempts to fuse a jukebox musical with a overly dramatic storyline and it succeeds...somewhat.
This week, Liam sits down with "Mama Wawa" herself, stand up comic and co-host of the Hell Yeah comedy show Erin Wohlberg to talk about this glitter filled masterpiece. Deep dive into incompetent direction, creepy love interests, powerful Cher ballads and one supposedly alcoholic Kristin Bell with us. It's Burlesque here...on BOMBED!
Guests IG: @erin.wolhz , @hellyea.comedy
Follow the podcast over @bombedcast for updates on new episodes and content.
October 18th, 1991. Cool As Ice, the Vanilla Ice acting vehicle no one wanted, dropped into theaters to almost critical hatred. By the time of release, the oversaturation of Ice's skills (or lack there of) was reaching critical mass, causing a massive backlash to Ice's ascent to stardom. At the same time, Vanilla was dealing with court cases, terrible musical project and one very violent Suge Knight. From an onlooker's perspective, the young MC's time in the limelight was heading straight into a brick wall.
This weeks episode, stand up comic Chris Pruneau joins Liam in talking the trials and tribulations of the one and only Robert Matthew Van Winkle.
Guest's IG: @fatman_danish
Follow our IG: @BOMBEDcast
February 18, 2005. The day that changed actor, comedian and professional wildcard Jamie Kennedy's career forever. The release of Son of the Mask, the sequel to the 1994 Jim Carry comic book adaptation, was met with a swamp of negativity. Critical reception was rock bottom with critics slamming Kennedy's performance in review after review. Box office returns were worse than anticipated, not even making back it's initial $85-100 million budget. Somehow, the failure of Son's weak script and unfunny CGI hijinks landed on the shoulders of Jamie Kennedy who didn't even want the role in the first place. Stunted by the failing of Son of The Mask, Kennedy's movie career never reached the heights of his previous efforts, 2003's "white boy" comedy Malibu's Most Wanted and his role as Randy in the Scream franchise.
This Week, young actor and good friend Joseph Kane joins Liam in a semi-deep dive into Son of the Mask, it's production troubles, the infamous Nintendo Power "The Mask 2" contest from the 1990s and of course... the triumphs and tribulations of Jamie Kennedy. Was Son of The Mask doomed from the start? Was Jamie Kennedy to blame for it's failing? Who let him host Activision's E3 conference in 2006? Sit back and enjoy the ride.
Guest's IG: @joey_oax
BOMBED! IG: @bombedcast
May 27th, 2015. An FBI sting operation took place in a small hotel room in Zurich, Switzerland. Nine FIFA officials were arrested and indicted on corruption charges. Just a few weeks later, on June 5th, the FIFA biography United Passions graced ten lucky theaters in the United States. After earning under $169,000 at the box office off of it's $32 million dollar budget, FIFA faced not just box office disaster but legal turmoil. Under the iron fist of Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA at the time, the soccer organization was as well know for bribery and corruption as it was for soccer and the World Cup. Unfortunately, none of that is discussed and explained in FIFA's self produced biography film United Passions.
This week, freelance writer, stand up comic and avid fan of "The Footie" Kevin Hall joins Liam in what could only be described as "one of the worst films either of them has ever seen." The two sit down and discuss everything FIFA is too scared to talk about. The bribes, the investigations, the slave labor, the sexual harassment allegations, Sepp Blatter's terrible tenure as FIFA president, Gerard Depardieu being the absolute worst and so much more. Lace up those cleats and score some penalty goals. It's United Passions here... on BOMBED! ... WHO MAKES A SPORTS MOVIE ABOUT EXECUTIVES?!?!
Guest's Social Media:
IG: @thehallway_1
Twitter: @Thehallway1
November 7th, 1997. Paul Verhoeven, director of Total Recall, Robocop and Basic Instinct, releases his sci-fi satire Starship Troopers to the masses. Adapted from Robert Heinlein's 1959 novel of the same name, Verhoeven's Starship Troopers twisted Heinlein's original by turning the jingoistic messaging in the original novel and sent it to it's natural end, a fascist utopia built for endless war exclusively. A 1997 audience didn't get the joke, taking Verhoeven's fascist satire seriously and showed nothing but distain for Starship Troopers. Yet over the years, Starship Troopers grew a significant cult following. Critics who originally demonized the picture were writing op-eds praising Starship Troopers for it's cutting critique of a government that prioritizes military service above everything else, something that seemed a little too real in a post-Iraq War United States. Would you like to know more?
This week, Better Off Drunk co-host and stand up comedy Mike Lauro joins Liam in a dissection of Heinlein's novel, Verhoeven's satiric adaptation and everything in between. Nazi allegories, CGI bugs, Michael Ironside, "Dukie Himmler", naked directors and so much more. COME ON YOU BASTARDS DON'T YOU WANNA LIVE FOREVER! It's Starship Troopers here... on BOMBED!
Guests IG: @mikelaurocomedy / @betteroffdrunk
FOLLOW ME (if you want): @liam_wolfe_man
FOLLOW THE POD: @bombedcast
January 6, 2006. Happy Madison productions releases their gaming stoner comedy 'Grandma's Boy' to a theatrical audience that would rather sit in late 2000s X-Box Live lobbies than go see it in theaters. Failing to earn any spare change in the box office, the crass stoner comedy gained a cult following through VOD and DVD, earning back their budget and then some through DVD sales. While some find 'Grandma's Boy' to be a hilarious romp akin to frat house comedies like 'Animal House' meets 'Clerks' nerdy dialogue, watching the film in 2021 could be considered "insufferable" at best.
Joining Liam this week is stand up comic and avid fan of 'Grandma's Boy' Brandon Wunderlich (@bwunderz) as they spend an hour and a half talking about everything except 'Grandma's Boy'. G4TV, Gamergate, MTG at community college and Matrix obsessions are discussed in length. So grab a few quarters and welcome to DIE! It's 'Grandma's Boy' here... ON BOMBED!
Christmas Day, 2006. Alfonso Cuaron's dystopian sci-fi thriller 'Children of Men' was released during the most wonderful time of the year. It's bleak look into a future where humans are unable to procreate due to a zero percent fertility rate won critics' favor, ending up in the Oscars race the following year. Considered one of the best films of the 00's, 'Children of Men' initial run couldn't find it's audience, mostly blamed on the nihilistic tones and lack of any real marketing campaign.
This week, Blazo Comedy's very own Chris Park joins Liam to deep dive what has been called "The best movie covered on this podcast so far". The lads go into 'Children of Men' themes of fate, the 1992 novel and how it compares to it's feature film counterpart, John Lennon impersonations and Liam's inability to pronounce the casts' names correctly. This is a professional podcast for sure.
ig: @bombedcast, @liam_wolfe_man
Guest: @chrisparkcomedy
February 1, 1980. Penthouse's pornographic Roman epic Caligula gets released in the United States through indie playhouses and art house spaces. The year prior, Bob Guccione's magnum opus was released in his home country of Italy and was met with shocked viewers and authoritarian action from Italian officials. Caligula toed the line between pure pornography and mildly interesting exploitation, earning it the ire and scorn of law makers worldwide. As soon as Caligula's reels reached US shores, law suits and state bans were thrown at Guccione's feet. Widely considered one of the most extreme, disturbing films released, Caligula had to be cut down multiple times to avoid the ire of the law. However, the most expensive independent film of all time (at the time) never got passed the negative press and censorship attempts from law enforcement, failing to make back it's budget and going down as one of the biggest box office busts of all time.
On this weeks episode of BOMBED!, the Foul House Mates have reunited and it feels...kind of gross. Stand up comic and FHM co-host Daniel Caprio joins Liam Wolfe in discussing his favorite movie, the shocking Roman epic Caligula. Countless lawsuits, a frustrated Gore Vidal, an even more screwed up Peter O'Toole and the creative back stabbing of Bob Guccione are all covered here this week. If only this film had just one cut! It's Caligula here... on BOMBED!
December 13th, 1996. Sci-Fi satire Mars Attacks! blasts off into theaters, coming as closes as second place in the weekend box office rankings. Tim Burton's dark take on '50s drive-in alien invasion features proved to be a risky venture from Warner Brothers who put in $70 million dollars into the Topps' trading card brand adaptation. Unfortunately, it didn't pay off as the competition from the following week took Mars Attacks! out of the running entirely, with multiple bangers and mixed, confused reviews coming in after it's debut weekend. While not a success initially, Mars Attacks! has garnered a significant cult following over the following decades.
This week, Liam's joined by musician(the ax man behind that killer intro) and best friend in the whole world Jacob O' Brien (VolutedTadpole on Twitch) for this ACK ACK filled discussion. Early CGI, star studded casts, mean spirited political satire and...a possible stolen Howard Stern bit? It's Mars Attacks! this week... ON BOMBED!
ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK
IG: @bombedcast
July 28th, 1995, Universal Pictures released Waterworld, the Kevin Costner led post apocalypses feature film which was set up to become a massive disaster from day one. Starting pre-production all the way back in the early 1990s, Waterworld would go from a simple $60 million dollar budgeted action film to a nightmare production which shot the budget up to $175 million dollars. That leap in budget price made Waterworld the most expensive movie ever made for the time. The jump in budget comes from the hellish 166 days of shooting which included fights between cast and crew, near fatal stunts and a nasty hurricane season that sunk an entire massive set. By the time of release, the backstage drama was so known within the industry that journalists were already writing Waterworld off as a guaranteed box office failure. Luckily enough, Waterworld somehow recouped it's budget, but the damaging legacy of the film haunts Universal, director Kevin Reynolds and Kevin Costner to this very day.
This week, stand up comic and artist Steve Posten jumps aboard the U.S.S. BOMBED for a massive dissection of one of the most notorious action productions in American film history. Hope you didn't like Kevin Costner before this episode cause you're certainly not gonna like him after this podcast.
On July 29th, 1983, Colombia Pictures released Krull, their attempt at the space opera genre Star Wars made popular and profitable back in 1977. By the early 80s, every studio had rushed out their very own Star Wars-esk franchise starter, only to crash, burn and be forgotten years and decades after their releases. Krull was unfortunately one such attempt, an action adventure pulled straight outta someone's Dungeons and Dragons campaign and onto celluloid. If only Krull didn't release only three weeks after Return of The Jedi, the third and (for the time being) final entry in the Star Wars trilogy (at the time).
On this episode, Liam Wolfe is joined by stand up comic and fellow media geek Mark Yobs for a deep dive into the cheesy, wildly campy universe of Krull. Space opera cheese, future predicting cyclopes, "the Glaive", dubbed over actresses, massive budgets and set design, disgruntled directors and...fire mares? This is the surreal world of Krull this week on BOMBED!
August 10, 2001, Warner Brothers released Osmosis Jones to the United States. The legendary gross out comedy duo, The Farrelly Brothers worked with animation directors Piet Kroon and Tom Sito to bring the buddy-cop adventures of Ozzy & Drix to the silver screen with...mixed success. While critics adored the animated buddy-cop action comedy, the same critics didn't have a single nice word to give to The Farrelly Brother's snot and vomit ridden wrap around talk of Bill Murray's deadbeat dad and his unhealthy life choices. With a budget of $70 million, Osmosis Jones grossed a dreadful $14 million, ending up in critical condition at the box office.
This week, Liam's joined by the mad lads at Comics, Cartoons and Craft Beer (Joe Webber and Jon Beecroft) to discuss Osmosis Jones's cult status, gross out comedy in the early 2000s, William Shatner's Nixon impersonation, body part puns and the insane possible casting choices. What was supposed to be Warner Brother's cure for their animation division turned out to be a placebo pill at the end of the day. It's Osmosis Jones this week on BOMBED!
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.