CinemArcade

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON is a beautiful anomaly in the American cinematic landscape. The Taiwanese martial arts epic crossed over in a big way when it hit stateside in 2000, garnering universal acclaim, 10 Oscar nominations, and an appreciative mainstream audience. More importantly, it helped change the way action-adventure movies were viewed for the next decade, and opened up a world of international cinema to Western moviegoers. We're talking all about Ang Lee's ambitious masterwork, and then talking about the little-remembered 2003 game adaptation, which is decidedly less magical than it's film version. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, a...

What's up, doc? We're concluding our hodgepodge LOONEY TUNES miniseries with a look at Joe Dante's 2003 attempt to restore the Tunes to their early glory: the wacky metacomedy LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION! Costarring Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, and Steve Martin and featuring a host of easter eggs and classic Looney Tunes bits, the movie was a big flop upon release, but were audiences of the time wrong? We'll dig into it with our good friend Mason Clark, who grew up with both the film and the game, a Gamecube action platformer that proved to be a struggle for...

It's been 25 years since we've seen a sports superstar team up with Bugs Bunny, but surely things haven't changed that much... have they? This week we're talking about the long-belated sequel SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY! LeBron James is subbing in for Michael Jordan, and the film is overloaded with branded characters from every corner of Warner Bros.' IP server-verse... but is this a story that would have benefitted from less? We'll get into it before discussing the brief and breezy game adaptation, which is probably sitting unplayed on your XBox right now. 

Hosted by Steve G...

Welcome to the Jam! We're kicking off an ersatz Looney Tunes miniseries this week, starting with the movie that reintroduced Bugs Bunny and company to the zeitgeist for an entire generation: SPACE JAM! This goofy 75-minute advertisement fused two of the most heavily marketed pop culture figures in history: the Looney Tunes, and NBA legend Michael Jordan. We dig into Jordan's illustrious career, the stranglehold he and the Bulls had on the culture at large at the time, and the waxing and waning fortunes of Warner Bros.' flagship cartoons. Plus, we're playing the SPACE JAM game for PS1...

Hang on! This week we're revisiting the oeuvre of one Sylvester Stallone for maybe his last unambiguous hit, the larger-than-life, dumber-than-rocks thriller CLIFFHANGER! This classic "Die Hard on a mountain" action flick features some of the most incredible stunts ever put to film, but is that enough to overlook the goofy script? We'll find out before checking out the game adaptations for NES, SNES and Genesis!  

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemA...

Steve and Ailish are getting married this week! And to celebrate the occassion, Ailish is joining the gang for a conversation about her very favorite thing: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER! We're bending the rules a bit here, since the 1992 movie is the least impactful part of the BUFFY experience; we're mostly going to be talking about the iconic 90's action series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, as well as it's surprisingly robust stable of video game adaptations! 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com...

Rev up your mowers and get ready to step into a virtual world beyond your dreams as we cover the bizarre, weirdly off-putting Stephen King "adaptation" THE LAWNMOWER MAN! This 1992 thriller starring Pierce Brosnan and Jeff Fahey portended a terrifying future of VR mind control that... didn't totally happen. We'll talk all about this bizarre little oddity before talking about a series of games for the SNES, Genesis, and Sega CD. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Instagram/Threads: @cine...

We're finally paying the balance and revisiting our long-lost episode from early in in CinemArcade history: the 1988 fantasy adventure WILLOW! Ron Howard and George Lucas' high-fantasy epic has been a slow-growing cult favorite, and whether the franchise has a future or not, it's still an exceptionally crafted and entertaining romp. Even more exciting, we were able to coax Thirty Twenty Ten podcaster JR Ralls out of semi-retirement to talk about one of his beloved favorites, as well as play two different game adaptations: an arcade hack-and-slash adventure, and an NES ZELDA-style RPG!

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "...

We're gazing into the future this week for the heady sci-fi blockbuster MINORITY REPORT! Based on the novella by Phillip K. Dick, this film brought megastars Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg together for the first time, and tackles a cool idea in a kinetic and entertaining fashion. We're talking about the film before checking out the AAA game adaptation from the makers of SPIDER-MAN 2! 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

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Groovy, baby! This week is all about AUSTIN POWERS, the swinging 60's spy comedy that became a pop culture juggernaut. We're talking about the first film, INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY, but touching upon the entire AUSTIN POWERS phenomenon, including some of the downright strangest video game tie-ins we've ever played. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Minority Report

We're blasting off this week with the secret Marvel adaptation BIG HERO 6! Disney's smash hit superhero saga has heart, humor, and some gorgeous animation... but does it play it too safe for it's own good? We dig into it before discussing the weird dearth of BH6 games, aside from the 3DS adaptation BATTLE FOR THE BAY! 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Austin Powers: International Man of Mys...

The grandaddy of the modern action picture, Clint Eastwood's iconic crooked cop DIRTY HARRY was a huge, controversial hit in 1971. The movie has a huge legacy and a number of infinitely quotable lines, but how does a movie about a ruthlessly brutal cop who takes the law into his own hands play in 2026? We find out before checking out the 1990 NES game adaptation, and discussing the open-world Harry Callahan story that could have been. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

In...

Everyone's favorite fearless feline hero gets to take center stage in the 2011 spin-off PUSS IN BOOTS! We're joined this week by Austin comedian and podcaster Aaron Salinas, who takes us through his history with Antonio Banderas' loveable swashbuckler, before booting up the Wii game that makes expected use of the console's swordfighting capabilities. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Dirty Harry

Our SHREK-sploration comes to a close this week as we say goodbye to the big green ogre with SHREK FOREVER AFTER! This most recent entry (to date) sports much more sophisticated animation and a cleaner, more plot-focused structure, but has the series lost it's grimy soul? We'll get into it before busting out the PS3 multiplayer action game, which is already showing diminishing returns over the previous game. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

You...

Is THE THIRD time the charm for the big green ogre? We're breaking it down this week as we cover SHREK THE THIRD as our shreksploration of Dreamworks' flagship franchise continues apace! Ailish Collins is back once again, stepping in for an absent Justin, as we struggle to remember the details of this air-light follow-up. Then, we're playing the PS2 action game that weirdly recalls beat-em-ups like DEVIL MAY CRY. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podc...

The big green ogre changed the game when SHREK debuted in 2001, and it's 2004 sequel showed that its success was not just a fluke. This week we're covering the monumentally successful SHREK 2, perhaps the financial and creative pinacle of the entire franchise. We're chatting this week with return guest Ailish Collins, who shares her special connection to the movie and also to the Gamecube game adaptation, a rare couch co-op adventure that actually does get better the more people you have playing. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

It's time to kick off one of our most-requested series to date: a five-episode deep dive into the swampy, fairy tale world of America's favorite ogre, SHREK! Hannah Neuhauser returns to the show to discuss the 2001 original, a fun summer comedy that wound up changing the way animated films were made and warping the collective brains of an entire generation. Then, we're checking out the Xbox game adaptation and discussing the proud history of video games with a dedicated fart button. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Tough-talking guys, gorgeous gals, and lots of cars that go vroom; that's right, it's time for another Justin's Choice! This time, our resident gearhead has us in the pit for 1990's DAYS OF THUNDER, which reuinites the star and director of TOP GUN for a very TOP GUN-esque melodrama. Featuring Tom Cruise at his sexiest and Robert Duvall at his most lovably cantakerous, the movie doesn't have a lot going on upstairs, but does it still work as popcorn entertainment? We'll find out before digging in to two of our least-interesting games to date, one a semi-3D racer...

It's our 150th episode! We thought we'd mark this milestone by digging up one of the least-likely movies to ever have a game adaptation: the 1982 raunchy teen sex comedy PORKY'S! This tiny little gross-out comedy from director Bob Clark became an unlikely sensation, making more than $200 million on a $4 million budget and creating an entire subgenre of horny high school knockoffs, but understandably, not every part of this film has aged well. We're joined this week by Ultra 64 regular Lynsey Pennington, who helps give us some context for the film before we dust off the Atari 2600 game adaptation, which...

Are ya ready kids? Because this week we're tackling the tiny yellow sponge who became a media juggernaut: SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS! We're covering the charming invertibrate's debut feature film from 2004, and exploring the generation-defining phenomenon that lives in a pineapple under the sea. Then, we're checking out the game adaptation for Xbox and discussing how SpongeBob is quietly one of the most dominant characters in gaming! 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

...

Sam Raimi, the enfant terrible of the indie horror scene, made his major studio debut in 1990 with DARKMAN! An original superhero story not-so-loosely inspired by "The Shadow," DARKMAN provides an early lead role for Liam Neeson, and a sort of prototype for what would become the Raimi house style. But is this an excercise in style over substance or is there something substantial lurking in the dark? Our friend Benjamin Blattberg joins us to find out, and to try out the NES game adaptation from 1991! 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Lo...

No other movie star has loomed quite as large as GODZILLA! This week we're checking out the icon of Japanese cinema in his very first appearance from 1954, and covering the long, complex, and fascinating history of filmdom's greatest kaiju. Then, we're digging in to a couple of classic games based on the character and his universe, including two oddball NES games and the SNES title SUPER GODZILLA! 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTu...

I am, I am... going to talk about NACHO LIBRE! This 2006 luchadore comedy offers an early starring role for Jack Black and a feature film follow-up for the director of NAPOLEON DYNAMITE. But is this the right team to be telling this story? Or does this quirky family comedy offer enough charms to overcome that? We'll find out before popping in the DS-exclusive game adaptation, a hybrid of touch-screen minigames and wrestling action! 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Inst...

Step through the giant ancient portal with us as we travel to a distant planet that looks strongly like ancient Egypt; if any of that made sense to you then you must be a fan of STARGATE! Roland Emmerich's splashy sci-fi spectacle has had a long and impactful tail in nerd culture, but is this movie the least essential part of it's legacy? We'll get into it, before playing the Sega Genesis game which, strangely, is one of Steve's most-played games of all time. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

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We're going from zero to hero this week as we cover Disney's 1997 interpretation of HERCULES! Coming right smack in the middle of the studio's major renaissance, the film was dinged at the time for being too lightweight, but it's that very breeziness that makes it a delight. We're covering the film before booting up the 2.5-D action platformer for the PS1 and PC!

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next...

Get ready to head to the hyperkinetic world of the future, where hands are used for feet and even the grass can kill you, as we cover the 2005 bomb AEON FLUX! Adapted from the cult MTV animated series, this movie gave Charlize Theron her start as an action heroine, but heavy studio meddling left moviegoers more baffled than enthralled. We go into exactly what went wrong before checking out the action-heavy Xbox game adapation, which conveniently comes with a free movie ticket! (Oh wait, it's expired...)

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

This week we're closing the sarcophagus on the MUMMY franchise by looking at the oft-overlooked third entry, THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR. This movie mixes up the formula by adding a new villain, a new setting, and a new Evie, but do all these changes work for the better or is the series being resurrected for no good purpose? We'll find out before checking out the last of our MUMMY games, a PS2/Wii adventure that models itself after TOMB RAIDER and UNCHARTED. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Lo...

The Rock arrives as a movie star in the goofy barbarian actionerTHE SCORPION KING from 2002! This spinoff of the MUMMY franchise centers the pro wrestler to see if he has legs as an A-list star, and (spoiler alert) the guy has got the goods! We talk all about the Rock's career, review some of the history of the sword-and-sandal genre, and then take on two games: RISE OF THE AKKADIAN on Gamecube and SWORD OF OSIRIS for Game Boy Advance!

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

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Our buddy Jeffrey Chatman joins us this week to talk about the splashy sequel THE MUMMY RETURNS! Made less than 2 years after the original became a sleeper hit, the movie falls into a lot of traps that sequels often do, resulting in some predictable plot beats and some legendarily shoddy CGI. But is there anything worth salvaging from this quickie sequel or is is better left to rot in its tomb? We're covering that plus two games for the Game Boy Color and PS2, the latter of which finally lets us play as the Mummy himself!

Hosted...

This week we're unearthing a new four-part miniseries exploring the 1999 reboot of the Universal classic THE MUMMY! Starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, the rip-snorting crowd-pleaser became a generational favorite and something of an awakening moment for a large portion of the population, launching a huge franchise in the process. We're checking out the first film in the series, as well as its accompanying PS1 and GBC game adaptations!

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

Guys! The guardians! They're rising! And we're here to capture the holiday-ish magic! 
This week is all about Dreamworks' largely forgotten animated film RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, in which the public-domain representatives of holidays (and seasons? And the concept of sleep?) come together to defeat the forces of cynicism. Which is ironic, because I feel like we approach this episode with a great deal of detachment and cynicism. We're talking all about the film before dusting off the old Wii U for the couch co-op brawler game adaptation. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Ju...

Merry Christmas and a bah, humbug to you all! This week we're fully embracing our Christmas cheer (or lack thereof) by checking out the 2009 iteration of Charles Dickens' timeless classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL! Robert Zemeckis' stop-motion animated film features Jim Carrey as Scrooge, but don't expect the manic energy he brought to the Grinch: this is Carrey at his most stately and subdued, and weather that works for this adaptation is a matter for debate. But we'll get into it, just before checking out the Nintendo DS-exclusive game adaptation, which features minigames, puzzles, and the full text of the...

Dr. Seuss' timeless holiday classic gets a loud and abrasive feature-film adaptation with Ron Howard's HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS from 2000! Jim Carrey is putting in some work behind all of that amazing (and apparently agonizing) makeup, but is that enough to get past the film's harsh and weirdly creepy tone? We'll get into it, before we check out the game adaptation for the Dreamcast and PS1! 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTu...

What's this? Why it's an episode on the exquisite animated holiday staple THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, the perfect way to bring us into a month of Christmas movies! We cover the entire grueling saga of getting Henry Selick and Tim Burton's vision to the screen, and wax nostaligic about the incredible animation and timeless Danny Elfman score. Then, we're checking out two long-belated video games that continue the story of the film: the Xbox game action game OOGIE'S REVENGE and the GBA Metroidvania THE PUMPKIN KING!

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Don't you dare interrupt our groove, because this week is all about Disney's fun and featherlight comedy THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE! Despite it's loose and silly trappings, this was actually one of the most troubled Disney animated productions ever, and it was almost a very different movie than the one we ended up with. We're joined this week by actor and improviser Ananya Roy to revisit this 2000 animated classic, and to check out the PS1 game adaptation, which bears a striking resemblence to the game of a certain purple dragon, and we're not mad about it. 

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Catch the excitement! Catch the adventure! Catch... the baffling vanity project and massive box office bomb HUDSON HAWK! This week, we talk about the film that almost killed Bruce Willis' career before it had even really begun, a wildly expensive, tonally scattershot action comedy that suffered more behind-the-scenes drama than almost any other film of the 90s! And since this is the early 90s, any movie released in the summer has to have an obligatory Nintendo game, so we're checking that out as well! 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

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We're going big this week, and we do mean big: we're talking about Guillermo Del Toro's giddy genre throwback PACIFIC RIM, in which massive mechs pummel the crap out of gargantuan monsters, and we just get to sit back and enjoy the popcorn. It's a film that seems tailor-made for a video game adaptation, and yet the film produced only one half-hearted effort that isn't even available anymore; thankfully, our own game wizard Justin helped us dig up a copy so we can give you the full scoop. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin W...

For this month's JBan's Choice, we're heading to the far distant fantasy land of Jim Henson's THE DARK CRYSTAL! This 1982 high fantasy flick features some jaw dropping visuals and an incredible well of creativity... but is it any good? We get into it, as well as discussing one of our earliest games, the 1983 text-adventure HI-RES ADVENTURES #6: THE DARK CRYSTAL. 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

Instagram/Threads: @cinemarcade_podcast 

YouTube: @CinemArcade 

Next week's episode: Pacific Rim 

This one is monumental, y'all. An independent film that not only changed how movies are consumed but helped invent an entrie genre, John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN remains one of the most important horror films of all time. Which is why we had to give it its due with one of our longest episodes ever! We're joined once again by Puppet Masters/Castle Freaks co-host Jarrod Hornbeck to talk about his all-time favorite movie. Then we're checking out two oddities: the HALLOWEEN video game adaptation for the Atari 2600, and the recent mashup platformer RETROREALMS: HALLOWEEN! 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, J...

It's time to do the Time Warp... again! This week we're discussing the cult movie to end all cult movies, the word-of-mouth musical sensation ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW! The original Midnight Movie is celebrating 50 years of gender-bending, rice throwing, and pure antici..... pation, and we're joining in on the fun! Return guest Ailish Collins joins us as we talk about the hard-to-define movie, and then check out the three (!) games based on the film! 

Hosted by Steve Guntli, Jennifer "JBan" Bannister, and Justin Wilhelm 

Logo by Douglas McCambridge 

Email: cinemarcadepodcast@gmail.com 

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