In the chaotic, spoiler-filled finale of Trucker Andy’s Edgar Wright retrospective on the Director’s Chair Network, Cayley, Christian Bladt, Ryan Rebalkin, Tony from Hack the Movies, Joe Sixpack, Producer Chris, and Tooké tear into the 2025 Glen Powell Running Man remake. The verdict is nearly unanimous: it’s a gorgeous, hyper-faithful Stephen King adaptation that looks stunning in IMAX but feels shockingly devoid of Edgar Wright’s trademark whip-pans, quick-cut gags, and infectious charm – trading them for grim dystopian satire, a safe studio choices, and an ending too scared to kill the kid. Highlights include Michael Cera’s unhinged Home-Alone sequence, Powell’s towel scenes, and Coleman Domingo stealing every moment he’s on screen, while the panel mourns the lack of gore, underused hunters, and the total disappearance of Wright’s personality
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2:02:19
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2:02:19
Blackhat
In Michael Mann’s 2015 cyber-thriller Blackhat, Chris Hemsworth trades Thor’s hammer for a keyboard as a jacked, brilliant hacker sprung from prison to hunt a mysterious “black hat” cyber-terrorist whose real-world-grade code has already triggered a nuclear-plant explosion and threatens global chaos. Despite a $70 million budget lavished on stunning global locations, hyper-authentic hacking sequences (vetted by ex-cons and NSA consultants), and Mann’s trademark razor-sharp visuals and brutal shootouts, the film bombed hard—making just $20 million worldwide—thanks to a thin script, Hemsworth’s eyebrow-raising casting as an MIT super-nerd, and a premise that felt too clinical and ahead-of-its-time for 2015 audiences; ten years later, with cyber threats now daily headlines, Mann’s prescient, gorgeous misfire is finally getting its vindication as a cult techno-thriller that looks better with every new data breach.
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45:55
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45:55
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Katie welcomes back guest Scott Murphy to dissect the 1987 John Hughes Thanksgiving classic *Planes, Trains and Automobiles*, starring Steve Martin as the uptight Neil Page and John Candy as the lovably chaotic Del Griffith; the duo explore the film's chaotic cross-country misadventures inspired by Hughes' real-life travel woes, its blend of slapstick hilarity (like the infamous 19 F-bombs in 60 seconds), heartfelt character growth culminating in genuine holiday generosity, and enduring quotable moments, while touching on Hughes' rapid scripting, cut scenes, casting what-ifs, and Scott's upcoming podcasts including *All 90s Action All the Time* and the Sam Peckinpah-focused *Bloody Sam*.
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1:12:00
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1:12:00
Last Night in Soho
In this penultimate episode of the Director's Chair Network's "All the Right Moves" limited series, host Andy and guest Tony from Hack the Movies dissect Edgar Wright's psychological thriller *Last Night in Soho* as a bold stylistic departure from his Cornetto Trilogy and *Scott Pilgrim vs. the World*, praising its meticulous mirror swaps, dream-reality editing, and 1960s Bond-girl aesthetic while critiquing plot holes in Eloise's "Shining"-like psychic visions, the post-Me Too vilification of men that abruptly flips to reveal the landlady as a vengeful killer, and co-writer Kristy Wilson-Cairns' influence shifting away from Simon Pegg's character-driven humor; they detour into ranking Wright's filmography (*Shaun of the Dead* reigns supreme for its horror-comedy balance), *Spaced* Easter eggs like male telepathy and Darth Maul red lighting, and hype for the upcoming *The Running Man* remake co-written with Michael Bacall.
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1:23:37
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1:23:37
Showgirls
Host Sicco and guest Craig Cohen unpack Paul Verhoeven’s fearless audacity as the Dutch provocateur who weaponized sex, violence, and razor-sharp satire to shatter Hollywood taboos, defending Showgirls as a hyperbolic big-budget exploitation masterpiece—an unapologetic art-house fever dream exposing Vegas as a brutal vice machine where unreliable dreamers like Nomi claw for reinvention amid pimps, push-downs, and NC-17 nudity, proving Verhoeven’s obsession with Jesus-like resurrection, female exploitation, and moral void turns trash into timeless provocation.
Join Ryan and many featured guests and other hosts as they break down and review a variety of directors and their films!
So far, this podcast has featured films from Edward Zwick, John Hughes, Brian De Palma, and Michael Mann.
Soon, we will feature Edgar Wright, Sam Peckinpah, Paul Verhoeven, and David Fincher!
New Zealand