The Franchise Forum Podcast

The Director Series kicks off a new set with the Coen Brothers and Miller's Crossing (1990)!

What's the rumpus? Greg starts his deep dive on the most prominent directing duo of all time, investigating how their work is impacted by their Jewish upbringing in his own home state of Minnesota. Ross is along for the ride on this episode to help provide some context to the brilliant elements of the film. The two share their hot takes about the writing, acting, and symbolism as they debate both sides of a critically polarizing movie. And they talk a...

Grab your mop, find the marble in the oatmeal, and tell the kids we’re going to Spatula City... The Franchise Forum is heading to U62!

After winning trivia twice in a row, Ross abuses his newfound power to select 1989’s gloriously unhinged UHF for our Third Frantasy episode: a movie that never became a franchise…but absolutely should have.

The guys revisit a childhood favorite built from satire stacked upon satire, where every 30 seconds brings another parody, sight gag, fake commercial, cultural reference, or blind man attempting a Rubik’s Cube. We rank the station’...

The Quentin Tarantino Director Series wraps up with Inglourious Basterds (2009). From the unforgettable opening farmhouse scene to the legendary performances from Christoph Waltz and Brad Pitt, Greg breaks down the film’s wild alternate-history take on World War II, its unforgettable characters, razor-sharp dialogue, dark humor, and explosive moments.

We'll explore what makes the movie so compelling, why Hans Landa is one of cinema’s most memorable villains, and how Tarantino turns history into a stylish, unpredictable revenge fantasy. Listen to the first half, watch the movie, and come back for the breakdown - there’s plent...

Franchise Forum closes out the original Evil Dead trilogy with Army of Darkness, the point where Sam Raimi more or less abandons horror and turns the whole thing into a medieval fantasy-action comedy.

Greg, Adam, Ross and Erik break down Bruce Campbell’s full evolution into Ash, Raimi’s wildly inventive filmmaking, skeleton armies, practical effects, Three Stooges energy, endless one-liners, and one very dependable boomstick.

Then it’s time for the Franchise Forum Awards, followed by a razor-close round of trivia that decides who picks the next franchise.

Three movies. One chainsaw. Hail t...

The Quentin Tarantino Director Series continues with his directorial debut - Reservoir Dogs.

Greg digs into the low-budget breakout film that not only put Tarantino on the map, but impacted the way filmmakers incorporated stylized dialogue and references to pop culture. This episode breaks down the iconic soundtrack, the acting performances, and the unconventional decision to focus on the aftermath rather than the heist.

Listen to the first half, watch the film, then come back for the second half as Greg breaks down everything you just saw. Just make sure to leave a tip before...

Widely regarded as one of the greatest horror sequels ever made, Sam Raimi's 1987 cult classic blurs the line between remake and sequel, transforming the relentless terror of the original into a manic blend of horror, slapstick comedy, and groundbreaking visual invention.

Greg, Adam, Ross, and Erik break down Bruce Campbell's iconic performance as Ash, Raimi's wildly kinetic camerawork, the film's Looney Tunes-inspired physical comedy, unforgettable practical effects, and why Evil Dead II feels less like a traditional horror film and more like a live-action cartoon possessed by demons. Along the way, they debate whether this sequel truly...

Our Director Series continues with Quentin Tarantino and Pulp Fiction.

One of the most influential filmmakers of the modern era, Tarantino takes center stage as Greg explores how Pulp Fictionshattered storytelling conventions and forever changed independent cinema. From its nonlinear structure to its unforgettable dialogue and cultural impact, this episode dives into what makes Tarantino's masterpiece one of the defining films of the 1990s.

As always, this episode is designed to be experienced in two parts: listen to the first half, watch the film, then come back for the second half as Greg breaks down...

This week, we dig into Sam Raimi’s 1981 cult classic, a movie that none of us fully knew how to process but all of us had to respect. Is it enjoyable? Not exactly. Is it inventive, relentless, gross, weirdly charming, and somehow one of the most impressive student-film-feeling debuts ever made? Absolutely.

We talk micro-budget filmmaking, stop-motion gore, suspiciously smooth tree branches, demonic sound design, the world’s most stressful cabin, and the way Raimi turns the camera itself into the villain. Ross explains why the movie is basically the best lengua taco he’s ever had, Adam g...

The Die Hard franchise comes to an end as the Franchise Forum crew heads to Moscow for A Good Day to Die Hard—the most criticized and controversial entry in the series. This week, we break down the father-son story between John and Jack McClane, debate whether the franchise lost what made it special, and ask if this movie really deserves its infamous reputation.

Along the way, we discuss the franchise's evolution from "wrong place, wrong time" thrills to globe-trotting action spectacle, hand out our final franchise awards, wrap up Die Hard trivia, and reveal the next fr...

The Franchise Forum crew is back… and John McClane has officially entered the digital age. This week, we tackle Live Free or Die Hard, the cyber-terrorism-fueled fourth entry that trades grimy ’80s grit for exploding helicopters, collapsing freeways, and Justin Long explaining the internet to Bruce Willis.

We break down the franchise’s controversial shift from hard-R to PG-13, debate Bruce Willis’ scorching hot take that this might actually be better than the original, and ask the important questions: does McClane still feel like McClane when he’s fighting hackers instead of Hans Gruber-types? Along the way we dive...

Franchise Forum: Director Series continues with Christopher

Nolan and Memento.

Greg jumps into Nolan's backward (and forward) story of revenge through the lens of anterograde amnesia, digging into the Academy Award-nominated editing and screenplay, the importance of mirrors, and the 2000 film that put Nolan on every film aficionado's radar.

Episode 3 of the Christopher Nolan Director Series.

We’re back with John McClane… and this time, the whole city’s in play.

In Episode 9, Greg, Erik, Adam, and Ross head to New York for Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) the sequel that ditches the building, turns everything into a puzzle, and somehow never slows down. From Central Park to Wall Street, Simon Gruber is pulling the strings and McClane is just trying to keep up.

We get into what works, what really works, and where this one might actually challenge the original… or fall apart right when it matters most. The pacing, the ridd...

Franchise Forum: Director Series continues with Christopher Nolan and Oppenheimer.

Nolan's most decorated film to date, Greg dissects how Oppenheimer blends genres, creatively tackles special effects, and uses symbolism in every way imaginable to take home seven Academy Awards including Best Picture.

Episode 2 of the Christopher Nolan Director Series.

Franchise Forum: Director Series begins with Christopher Nolan and Dunkirk.

One of the most celebrated directors of this century, Nolan becomes the focus as Greg breaks down how Dunkirk strays from the traditional war film mold and how Nolan’s signature style shapes the experience of this 2017 Best Picture–nominated film.

Episode 1 of the Christopher Nolan Director Series starts now!

In this Frantasy Episode, the Franchise Forum crew takes to the skies to revisit The Rocketeer, Disney’s 1991 love letter to pulp adventure, Art Deco design, and the golden age of aviation. Along the way we talk about why this film made such a strong impression on so many of us as kids, even if the pacing feels a little different through modern eyes. From the retro-futuristic world and James Horner’s soaring score to the film’s late-blooming action finale, we break down what works, what surprised us on a rewatch and why the image of the Rocketeer blasti...

We’re back with John McClane… and this time, it’s snowing. In Episode 8, the Franchise Forum crew heads to Dulles Airport to break down Die Hard 2 (1990), the sequel that tries to go bigger, louder, and somehow colder. Spoiler alert: none of us were exactly thrilled with the layover.

We dive into what doesn’t work, what almost works, and whether repeating the formula makes for comfort food or creative crash-and-burn. Plus, we play a round of Six Degrees of Separation, throw down some trivia, and debate whether this is just Die Hard on a runway… or the moment...

What if The Big Lebowski wasn’t just a cult comedy but the first chapter in a crooked, smoke-filled noir franchise that never was?

In the debut episode of Frantasy, we pour ourselves a caucasian, lower the lights, and follow The Dude as a hard-luck private eye stumbling through a mystery he never asked to solve. We break down how The Big Lebowski borrows from classic detective fiction, where it zigzags away from genre expectations, and what a full-blown noir franchise might’ve looked liked. Along the way, we talk tone, structure, missed opportunities, and the strange alch...

This week the crew heads to Nakatomi Plaza for a holiday party gone very, very wrong. We unpack John McTiernan’s Die Hard (1988) — the film that redefined the modern action hero, made Bruce Willis a movie star, and somehow became the most debated Christmas movie of all time. From “shoot the glass” to “Yippee-ki-yay,” we dig into the film’s perfect pacing and connective tissue, Alan Rickman’s suave villainy, the Christmas-in-L.A. irony, and why every action movie since has tried to be “Die Hard on a ___.” Grab your bare feet and a bag of glass... it’s Franchise Forum at its

The guys actually liked this one... though Erik was a little timid to admit it. In this episode, the crew returns to Isla Sorna for a wild ride through Jurassic Park III (2001), Joe Johnston’s leaner, meaner follow-up to Spielberg’s dino duology. From talking raptors to Spinosaurus supremacy, we dig into what works, what doesn’t, and why this stripped-down sequel somehow delivers more fun than expected.

Stick around until the end to find out which franchise we’re sinking our teeth into next. The dinosaurs are gone, but danger has a new address... and it’s 35 stori...

We take The Lost World: Jurassic Park on a three-hour safari and, well… no one makes it out unscathed. What starts as a sequel about dinosaurs turns into a deep dive on awkward champagne pours, gymnastic raptor kicks, and one very confused T. Rex on a boat. We pick apart every questionable choice and cinematic oddity until the island and our sanity, are both in ruins. 

On this episode we dig into Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, the blockbuster that redefined summer movies. From groundbreaking CGI and unforgettable sound design to the perfect blend of awe and terror, we break down why the T. rex attack, the raptors in the kitchen, and John Williams’ iconic score still hold up as some of the greatest moments in cinema.

Jetpacks, PG-13, and the Death of Officer Lewis | Franchise Forum Ep. 3
The trilogy limps to the finish line with RoboCop 3. We break down the PG-13 tone shift, the bizarre child-hacker subplot, and RoboCop’s sudden upgrade to jetpack mode. From corporate villains to the mishandled death of Officer Lewis, we dive into how the franchise traded its biting satire for kid-friendly chaos — and why it all feels so anticlimactic.

RoboCop 2 (1990) – Nuke, Corruption, and a Sequel on Overdrive | Franchise Forum Ep. 2

RoboCop (1987) – Corporate Greed, Satire, and the Ultimate Cyborg Cop | Franchise Forum Ep. 1