Thinking Outside The Long Box

After running down a list of Mel Gibson movies, this might be one that is least known about. Most people that watch this, or have watched this, generally think of it with positive thoughts, but I'm not sure many people would even remember it was made! We're talking about the Gibson film, Payback! "Porter (Mel Gibson) is a thief betrayed by both his wife, Lynn (Deborah Kara Unger), and his partner, Val (Gregg Henry), when he is shot in the back after a heist. Slowly, Porter recovers from his wounds and begins a search for Val, intent on recovering his share of the money they stole together. With the aid of prostitute Rosie (Maria Bello), Porter captures Val but still cannot find his cash. For this, Porter will have to challenge an imposing crime syndicate called the Outfit." This movie is less about revenge, and more about Gibson's character trying to get what he thinks was rightfully his. Now, most people in this movie think that what he wants is absurd for them, for a bunch of rich people. He's seeking his

The universe that today's episode falls within has been heavily scrutinized ever since the first one came out. While we think that a lot of it is undeserved, for some reason fans just are not really that into the Shazam universe! But, we are talking about and discussing Shazam: Fury of the Gods! "Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world." Now, at the time of the recording of this episode, this movie had an abysmal rotten tomatoes rating, which was in our opinion completely undeserved. This was a much better film than so many people gave it credit for. Not perfect of course, but it is exactly what I think a Shazam movie would be at this point. It's definitely worth the watch if y

I'm no longer sure if Rocky even lives in this universe, but we are talking about what might be the like 9th Rocky film? For sure it's the third in the Creed spinoff, aptly titled Creed 3!! "Still dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed is thriving in his career and family life. When Damian, a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces after serving time in prison, he's eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian -- a fighter who has nothing to lose." If you're looking for something that is fun, or light hearted, this is definitely not the movie for you. It's definitely taking a cue from its earlier Rocky movies, and doing its best to tug at your heart strings!! While, we do have an issue with Rocky not being in the movie, or not even being mentioned, I think we can agree that it's definitely not a bad film! Make sure you give it a watch if you ha

Listen, in what might be an unpopular opinion, today's topic is my least favorite of the original trilogy. The Last Crusade will forever be my favorite Indiana Jones movie! Now, don't get me wrong, Temple of Doom is not bad, it's just the worst of the three. But, I know that a lot of people really enjoy it, and so we're talking about it here today!! "Adventure sequel. Intrepid archaeologist Indiana Jones, on the trail of fortune and glory in Old Shanghai, is ricocheted into a dangerous adventure in India. With his faithful companion Short Round and nightclub singer Willie Scott, Indie goes in search of the magical Sankara stone, and uncovers an ancient evil which threatens all who come into contact with it." Technically, chronologically, this is the first movie in the Indiana Jones series! This is not a super well known fact! What do you think of this film, and it's place in Indiana Jones History? With the next, and supposedly final Jones to hit the theaters this year, it's a good time to reminisce on this

The Umbrella Academy is a series that continues to keep a buzz surrounding the series. The biggest reason for this is because the show has positioned itself to really be whatever it wants to be every season. While yes, the three seasons share some concepts as they go, because we're dealing with time travel, super powers, etc., these seasons still feel starkly different. We're here to talk about this third season! "The season, released on June 22, 2022[4], explores and explains the mystery of the Sparrow Academy, Hotel Oblivion, and the upcoming Kugelblitz caused by The Umbrella Academy that will swallow all of time and reality." With a season four already announced, it seems as though there is still plenty of life left in this series! If you like eclectic super hero shows, this is definitely the show for you! Don't sleep on the Umbrella Academy, and make sure you go watch on Netflix! SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Android |  Spotify | Pandora | RSS Tell us what you think! Leave us a voicemail at 970-573-6148

One could make the argument that there is superhero fatigue going on right now, or even more specifically, Marvel fatigue. Personally, I want Marvel AND DC to keep making movies and TV shows, so for more there is not fatigue, and I don't see it setting in. BUT, fatigue has never been the excuse when it comes to Ant-Man. For some reason, Ant-Man has always been treated with a little bit of disdain, even though, again, in our opinion, they've been making some really fun movies! Today's topic, Quantumania, is no exception! Not sure why it's getting some of the hate that it's getting, but we don't agree with it! "Ant-Man and the Wasp find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures and embarking on an adventure that pushes them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible." If there is anything that you can count on when it comes to an Ant-Man movie, it's that you're going to have some different gags that you won't get in other Marvel films, and these movies are going t

Listen. Today's episode is on a series that seems to have already been cancelled by Disney. BUT, it's also a series that seemed to want to bring in a younger crowd to a beloved universe, but they may have approached it in too much of a young kid kind of way. We're talking about the first, and maybe only, season of National Treasure: Edge of History. "22-year-old Jess Valenzuela's life is turned upside down when she meets a mysterious stranger who holds a clue to an ancient treasure linked to her long- dead father." The fact that National Treasure went off to make a TV show actually seemed like it would be something fun, especially if we would end up getting some cameos, and something from the main cast as a passing of the baton. What we got, while including some fun cameos, was something that seemed to be made for very young teenagers. I enjoyed it because I enjoy everything, and I do think that you should give it a watch, but I'm just not sure that it has the same gusto as the movies do. Maybe because ther

We're going back thirty one years, all the way back to 1992 in order to talk about today's pop culture classic! This movie choice pretty much came out of left field, and was only chosen because of some funny happenings at Juan's work! We are talkinga bout the Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson film, White Men Can't Jump! "Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) is a white basketball hustler who banks on black players underestimating his skills on the court. When he pulls one over on Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes), his victim sees a lucrative opportunity, and they become partners in the con game, plying their trade across the courts of Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Billy has to keep one step ahead of mobsters, to whom he owes money, while staying on the good side of his "Jeopardy!"-obsessed, motormouth wife (Rosie Perez)." The plot is pretty simple, as it is about two families who are doing everything they can to take themselves out of their life situations. That involves playing basketball, and sometimes scamming people out o

Whenever there is something new coming from M. Night Shyamalan, we're divided as to how to feel about it. He certainly has some good movies under his belt, that are super creative in their execution. BUT, because of that need for his films to have some kind of "twist" some of his films have been created just for the twist. BUT, Knock At the Cabin is a refreshingly good film! "While vacationing at a remote cabin in the woods, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand they make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. Confused, scared and with limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost." This is refreshing because it's pretty straightforward movie. For the most part the actors plays their parts well, and the plot is damn near exactly what it says it is. Not much guessing, and not too many surprises. BUT, the small surprises and exciting parts are great because they're unique, and because they come in small dose

When I say that the fanbase of today's topic was so excited for this series to come, it would be a tremendous understatement. When the first episode came out, the fans were already saying that it was going to be the best series of the year. Now, while that praise for the first episode might be a little much, The Last of Us did not disappoint at all through the rest of the first season! "Based on the 2013 video game developed by Naughty Dog, the series is set in 2023, twenty years into a pandemic caused by a mass fungal infection, which causes its hosts to transform into zombie-like creatures and collapses society." The beautiful thing about this series, is that, unlike most zombie topics, it spends time on the characters during it's first season rather than the zombies themselves. What this allows is for episodes to release that feel just like drama episodes, rather than episodes within a zombie universe. It does this SUPER well! We definitely recommend that you go and spend your time watching the show 100%

Justin Long has a career filled with so many different films that are designed to ensure that all you do is laugh. His career has mostly been designed to keep people happy, and excited to come back. This film presents a completely different attitude than most of Justin's films, and is way more in line with what he is doing now. We are of course talking about the 2022 film, Barbarian! "A young woman discovers the rental home she booked is already occupied by a stranger. Against her better judgment, she decides to spend the night but soon discovers there's a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest." Barbarian one of the weirdest movies that we've seen in a long time. What happens when you've been accused of sexual assault, and you need to liquidate all of your assets in order to try and prove your innocence? THEN, you find out that you have a murderous crazy monster living in the tunnels beneath your house? Sound crazy? That's not even the tip of the iceberg!! If you like weird scary movies, THIS

It's pop culture classic time, and we're going all the way back to 1989 for this crazy ride!! This film seems to be an amalgamation of a couple of different movies, and it definitely shows as you watch the film. Whether you think that's good or bad, is something that you need to decide for yourself. But, we are watching the 1989 movie, Leviathan!! "Hired by Martin (Meg Foster), the head of a major corporation, a crew including geologist Steven Beck (Peter Weller) descends to the ocean's depths for a mining project. When the undersea explorers find a sunken ship and investigate, they inadvertently bring a malevolent life form on board their vessel. The creature kills some crew members and causes them to mutate, resulting in a battle for survival against an unknown force far below the surface of the ocean." This is the story of why you should NEVER drink any liquor from a sunken ship. Whether the treasure looks great or not, it's just not worth the temptation! You might just end up turning into a monster, and

We are here to talk about a series so nice, we had to talk about it twice! The Legend of Vox Machina is a mixture of a bunch of different genres, and a bunch of different emotions. The reason for this is because it plays exactly like a game of Dungeons & Dragons. You have your serious moments, and a lot of light hearted moments mixed in with a ton of fantasy elements! We're here to talk about the second season of this fun show! “In Season 2, after saving the realm from evil and destruction at the hands of the most terrifying power couple in Exandria, Vox Machina is faced with saving the world once again – this time, from a sinister group of dragons known as the Chroma Conclave.” The Chroma Conclave adds another great element to an already fun series! The team has saved the world once, and it's time for them to do it again. This time though, it's from a group of dragons. Would cooler way to add more fantasy than a group of dragons!! Plus all of the funny shenanigan's that comes with this team filled with so

Two decades after the original tv show aired, in universe, comes the sequel series to a very popular show! That 70's Show was crazy popular at its height, and a sequel series has already been tried, which failed miserably! BUT, we're here to talk about That 90's Show, and I'm here to tell you that it is worth all of the time to check it out on Netflix! "The show centers on Leia Forman, the teenage daughter of Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti, forming bonds with other teenagers as she spends the summer of 1995 with her grandparents Red and Kitty in Point Place, Wisconsin, 15 years after the events of That '70s Show." That 90's show touches on a lot of the things that made That 70's show so popular! Not only does it touch on some of the best themes, but it also brings back some of the most popular cast members from the original show. Red and Kitty are the backbone to both series', and they're still funny as ever! This first season is not very long, and it is totally worth all of the time! Go check it out! SUB

Today's episode is about a prequel series! We're talking about a series that is trying to hold on to some of the hype and the nostalgia from Supernatural, which was, and still is, a VERY popular tv show. Because of this, the prequel, The Winchesters, was created. As of the publishing of this episode, there still is no word on whether the second season has been greenlit or not, but the first full season has already come to an end. "The Winchesters is a Supernatural prequel produced by Jensen Ackles. The series' story primarily focuses on the early days of Sam and Dean's parents, John and Mary. The series follows the couple's love story while trying to save the world." Now, there definitely seems to be some differences in this prequel, that were thought to have already been established in the main series, but that may have been explained in the finale of the series as well, as this was filmed prior to the season ending. I THINK this is what has informed Doyle's opinion of the show to this point. BUT, if you'r

Today's sequel is a sequel that is thirteen years in the making! There had been rumors of an Avatar sequel ever since the first movie came out in 2009! Well, it's finally here, and we're talking about it. It is Avatar: The Way of Water! "Jake Sully and Ney'tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans." This takes the esthetics of the first Avatar, and really ramps them up! Not only does it look better, but if you do any kind of research, you'll find that the sequel actually created a few new ways to make a movie look, as far as the programming goes. If there is one thing that we can't really knock the movie for........well maybe just a little bit, if you listen to the show.............but the way the movie looks is definitely leaps and bounds over many movies that are full of CG. Give it a watch if you haven't already! SUBSCRIB

Today's topic takes us back to 2009! Fourteen years ago, the world was taken by storm, and people flocked to the movie theaters in order to see what all the hype was about. James Cameron had created a movie, that not only was popular, but changed the way that many movies looked, at this point in movie history! We are of course talking about one of his most popular movies, Avatar! "On the lush alien world of Pandora live the Na'vi, beings who appear primitive but are highly evolved. Because the planet's environment is poisonous, human/Na'vi hybrids, called Avatars, must link to human minds to allow for free movement on Pandora. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paralyzed former Marine, becomes mobile again through one such Avatar and falls in love with a Na'vi woman (Zoe Saldana). As a bond with her grows, he is drawn into a battle for the survival of her world." Now, we might be in the minority, because I know that the world was on FIRE for this movie, but I'm not quite sure how excited we are for it. Now, ju

When Doyle recommended today's subject, I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into, because I'd never heard of the movie before. All he told me that it was a western, and that was enough for me to give it a chance! When I saw that Tim Blake Nelson was in it, it made me even more excited, but I thought that I was getting a western comedy. We are in fact talking about Old Henry! "A quiet man and his son take in a wounded stranger near his homestead, along with a bag full of cash. The stranger claims he's a sheriff being pursued by outlaws, but the man can't be sure." This is NOT a comedy at all, but is in fact, a straight western film. I won't talk about it too much here because to talk about it in any kind of depth might spoil the fun twist. But, you get Nelson playing an old cowboy who just wants to get away from everything, and doesn't want to be bothered. He's raising a resentful son, who thinks that his father is just an old hermit crab, and is taking his life away. BUT man, those like fifteen

Today we're talking about the very first episodic TV show that stars the one and only Sylvester Stallone! It's crazy to think that after the career he has had all of this time, it's never included any real time on a TV show. BUT, this was definitely the TV show to start with, Tulsa King! "Tulsa King follows New York Mafia capo Dwight "The General" Manfredi, just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma." This show is silly on many levels, but somehow it works. Stallone plays Stallone, but again, somehow it works. It feels like Rocky joined the mob while he was boxing, and this is the afterlife. It's fun, and you should definitely give it a try, even if you're not a big Stallone fan! It's worth the watch! SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Android |  Spotify | Pandora | RSS Tell us what you think! Leave us a voicemail at 970-573-6148 Send us feedback and/or MP3's to outsidethelongbox@gmail.com Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Today's episode is a double shot of Willow! We are combining our pop culture classic episode, with it's newer version!! We are of course talking about Willow, which now has a bit of a universe. The movie was quite a spectacle when it originally aired, and it was even more so, when the TV show was unexpectedly announced!! "Enter the world of "Willow." Journey to the far corners of your imagination, to a land of myth and magic, where dream and reality live side by side ... to a place that never existed, a time that never was. It is a world where a young man named Willow lives out an adventure that explodes beyond the boundaries of his own hopes and fears." If you're a fan, make sure you take a look back at the movie, then jump into the show, THEN come listen to us talk about it, and let us know what you thought as well! SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Android |  Spotify | Pandora | RSS Tell us what you think! Leave us a voicemail at 970-573-6148 Send us feedback and/or MP3's to outsidethelongbox@gmail.com Follo