Beyond The Box Set

Before James Corden found fame in the USA, he teamed up with his 'Gavin & Stacey' co-star Matthew Horne for Lesbian Vampire Killers, a crude and ill-conceived Shaun of the Dead knock-off that almost buried his career for good.  The film is considered so irredeemably awful that Corden himself has spent the rest of his career publicly apologising for it. But could it really be as bad as its reputation suggests? Turns out the answer is a fairly definitive yes, because this movie is garbage. In this week's episode, we reluctantly conduct a thorough post-mortem on everything from the nonsensical plot, the robotic acting, the dreadful special effects and the constant flurry of sexist, homophobic and generally laugh-free alleged jokes that pepper the mercifully brief 87 minute running time.  No sequel for this film will or should ever be made, so our challenge this week was to consider any acceptable way that this movie could theoretically be brought back to the big screen. Did we succeed? We'll leave the fin

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring an A-list 90s cast engaging in some highly variable accent work, Bram Stoker's Dracula is one of the most loyal screen adaptations ever made of the classic horror novel. As our Vampire season continues, we debate how successful the page-to-screen transition really is and attempt to pitch some sacrilegious sequels... Tune in to hear our thoughts on Keanu Reeves wooden acting, why Gary Oldman is the perfect choice to play the flamboyant prince of darkness, Anthony Hopkins hilariously poor bedside manner as the Vampire hunter Van Helsing, plus drinking games, listener pitches and more... ----- Every week on Beyond The Box Set, we take a look back at a classic standalone movie and attempt to pitch fantasy sequel, prequel or spin-off ideas to bring them back to the big screen. As it's October, we're currently engaging in our annual Halloween mini-season. This time around, we're focusing on movies about Vampires, from classic horror to modern comedy. Do you have a fa

Four vampires navigate the eternal struggle of flat-sharing in Taika Waititi's hilarious 2014 mockumentary 'What We Do In The Shadows'. As we kick off our season of Vampire movies, does this film still retain its comedic bite? In this week's podcast, we discuss undead etiquette, Werewolves vs Swearwolves, the legend of Stu and more, plus What We Do In The Shadows drinking games, listener pitches and of course our own fantasy sequel ideas... ----- Every week on Beyond The Box Set, we take a classic movie from the past and boldly attempt to pitch sequels, prequels and spin-offs to bring them back to the big screen. Throughout October 2019, we'll be focusing exclusively on Vampire movies, so tune in for a weekly bite of classic horror and fang-tastic sequel ideas... (sorry).  If you enjoy the show, please hit subscribe for a new episode every Friday morning, and don't forget to leave us a rating or a review on your preferred podcasting app - it really helps us to connect with new listeners and keep the show

A pointed political satire from Sideways director Alexander Payne, Election gave a young Reese Witherspoon the role of a lifetime as Tracy Flick, a hyper-ambitious young student who invokes the impotent rage of frustrated middle school teacher Matthew Broderick.  Two decades on, the narrative of a highly qualified female politician being judged more for her likability than her qualification feels more relevant than ever. With that in mind, having survived Broderick's attempted sabotage in the original movie, we were interested to discover where Tracy might go next... Find out in this week's episode, in which we also discuss 90s movie driving, lies in voiceover, why wildcard candidate Tammy might have accidentally predicted Donald Trump and more... ----- Each week on Beyond The Box Set, we take a classic movie from the past and boldly attempt to pitch sequels, prequels and spin-offs to bring them back to the big screen. From Titanic to The Shawshank Redemption, Mars Attacks to Maximum Overdrive, there's no

A spectacular Dickensian musical that traumatised multiple generations of children, Carol Reed's Oliver! is a bona fide classic... but somehow in fifty years, it's never been granted a direct sequel.  Far be it from us to claim we can top Charles Dickens for creativity, but with the great man long dead, we're sure he won't mind us stepping into his shoes for a while. Aussie Nerd Daniel Tickner joins us to share his love of (the first half of) this movie, and to discuss important matters such as the uncomfortable sexiness of Bill Sykes, The Artful Dodger's excellent colour co-ordination and why this movie's title character kind of sucks... ----- Every week on Beyond The Box Set, we take a classic movie from the past and boldly attempt to pitch sequels, prequels and spin-offs to bring them back to the big screen. From Titanic to The Shawshank Redemption, Mars Attacks to Maximum Overdrive, there's nothing we won't risk spoiling forever with our creative ramblings... If you enjoy the show, please hit subscrib

A micro-budget indie comedy with no recognisable stars, Napoleon Dynamite was a surprise crossover smash in 2004. However, it was also highly divisive - and up until now, John has actively avoided watching it. Can Harry and this week's special guest convince him to overcome his prejudices, or will this movie land like a cold slab of steak to the face? Tune into this week's episode to hear our thoughts on unlikable characters, questionable timelines, inexplicable Llamas and disgusting, disgusting food - plus our usual combination of drinking games, listener reviews and fantasy sequel pitches that attempt to imagine where Napoleon, Kip, Deb, Pedro and Uncle Rico might be today... ----- Every week on Beyond The Box Set, we take a look back at a notable standalone movie and attempt to pitch the perfect sequels, prequels or spin-offs to bring them back to the big screen. We've scored over 50,000 downloads, been featured in The Guardian and recommended as a top TV and Film podcast by Apple.  If you enjoy the sh

Quentin Tarantino's tribute to spaghetti westerns, Django Unchained certainly packs a punch - not to mention some capital letters ACTING from an Oscar-hungry Leonardo DiCaprio, an Oscar-winning Christof Waltz and a barely-recognisable Samuel L. Jackson... In this week's podcast we discuss revisionist history, Jamie Foxx's impeccable suit game, the unexpected origin of Big Daddy corp. and much more as we explore the further adventures of Django and his disappointingly passive bride.  ----- Every week on Beyond The Box Set, we feature a classic standalone movie and attempt to pitch fantasy sequel, prequel or spin-off ideas to bring them back to the big screen. We're currently on the front page of Apple Podcasts UK under 'Best-Selling Film Review Podcasts!' and we've been featured as a Podcast of the Week by Podbean, The Guardian and more.  If you enjoy this show, please hit subscribe to receive a new episode every Friday morning, and don't forget to leave us a rating and a review while you're there - it rea

Stephen King may have written the novels that inspired dozens of iconic movies, but he's directed only one... the 80s gonzo epic 'Maximum Overdrive'. Even King himself disowns this film as a cocaine-fuelled disaster these days, but could its audacious blend of gore, comedy and heavy metal be due for re-appraisal? Find out in this week's episode, as we discuss overly specific back-stories, terrible performances by future Simpsons actors, the definition of a road twitch and more... --- Beyond The Box Set is a movie podcast with a difference. Every week we take a look back at a standalone screen classic, before attempting to pitch creative sequel, prequel or spin-off ideas to bring them back to the big screen. We've been recommended by The Guardian, Podbean, Apple Podcasts and more, so tune in now for a journey into cinema history like no other! If you like our show, please hit subscribe to receive a new episode every Friday morning, and don't forget to leave us a rating and a review while you're there - it

In the annals of all-time great modern horror performances, psychotic fangirl Annie Wilkes would always rank highly. Sadly that dirty bird Stephen King killer her off at the end of Misery, but if this movie taught us anything, it's that with a little light persuasion, any franchise can be subject to a creative revival... Tune into this week's podcast for our thoughts on Kathy Bates as the proto-internet fangirl, the casting might've beens that could've seriously changed this movie and of course our reaction to that hobbling scene. All that, plus the usual mix of drinking games, listener submissions and some sequel pitches to help bring poor misunderstood Annie back from the grave.  ----- Every week on Beyond The Box Set, we explore a classic standalone movie from Cinema's past. After a lighthearted rundown, we set our creative juices to work creating sequel, prequel and spin-off pitches to bring them back to the big screen. Some are plausible, some are absolute nonsense, but we always aim to offer a fresh

Thinly veiled Jesus allegory? Platonic gay love story? The greatest movie of all time? Depending on who you ask, The Shawshank Redemption could be any and all of the above. One thing everybody can agree on - this adaptation of Stephen King's short story is a very popular film, despite the fact that virtually nobody originally saw it in the cinema.  In this week's podcast we're joined by Harry's brother Sam to discuss the mysterious appeal of Shawshank, Morgan Freeman's iconic narration, the mysterious heteronormative power of IMDB voters and much more, before subjecting this screen classic to the greatest test of all - trial by theoretical sequel!  ----- Beyond The Box Set is a British movie podcast that puts a creative twist on your favourite movies. Each week, we take a look at a classic piece of standalone cinema and compete to pitch ridiculous sequel, prequel or spin-off ideas to bring them back to the big screen. We've been as a Guardian Podcast of the Week, a Podbean Recommended Podcast and you can c

Our Stephen King mini-season kicks off this week with a quintessential coming of age classic, Rob Reiner's heartstring-tugging boys adventure tale Stand By Me. Adapted from King's short story The Body, Stand By Me stars a lineup of child stars - all of whose lives and careers eerily echoed their fates in the movie. In this week's podcast we discuss misleading titles, traumatic leech incidents, Keifer Sutherland perfecting the peroxide 80s asshole look and much more.  With the surviving actors now in their mid-late forties, is there any mileage in a middle aged Stand By Me sequel? That's the task we set ourselves this week as we pitch concepts to bring this iconic movie back to the big screen. Let's face it, most of these actors would probably be glad of the work... ----- Beyond The Box Set is a movie podcast with a twist. Each week we take a look at a classic standalone movie and compete to pitch fantasy sequel, prequel or spin-off ideas to bring them back to the big screen. We're currently front-page on

A new movie from Forrest Gump director Robert Zemeckis is generally a buzz-worthy event, but Welcome To Marwen alienated critics and died a swift death at the box office when released earlier this year.  Starring Steve Carrell as a traumatised man living out his fantasies via a meticulously constructed model town populated by kick-ass female soldiers based on his real-world friends and colleagues, Welcome To Marwen is easily one of the oddest movies we've ever discussed on this podcast.  Tune into this week's episode to hear our thoughts on documentary vs Hollywood, some re-castings that might have improved this movie, the very broad accent work of Gwendoline Christie and more.  As always, we also pitch up some good old fashioned drinking games in our efforts to make sense of this movie, and of course we round off with some of our own sequel ideas. Full disclosure - this week was a real challenge!  ----- Each week on Beyond The Box Set, we take a look at a notable standalone movie and come together to pi

An outrageous comedy hit that introduced the world to the irrepressible talents of Tiffany Haddish - and an eye-opening new use for the humble grapefruit - Girls Trip definitely left us hungry for more.  Tune into this week's podcast to hear our thoughts on explosive urination, dangerous levels of alcohol abuse, the most violent bar-fight we've seen since The Punisher and more. As usual, we also pitch some drinking games of our own - though they seem almost moot in the context of this movie - and discuss where we'd like to see these characters go next when the inevitable sequel rolls around... Girls Trip in Vegas, anyone?  ----- Beyond The Box Set is a movie podcast with a twist. Each week, we take a look at a classic standalone movie and compete to pitch sequels, prequels and spin-off ideas to bring them back to the big screen. From vintage blockbusters to modern cult classics, we believe every movie deserves a disappointing sequel, and if nobody else wants to write one - we're more than happy to step in

An inventive blend of superhero action, high school drama and found footage horror, Chronicle is the kind of auspicious debut that should have set director Josh Trank on the road to a glittering career. Then Fantastic Four happened... Disappointing follow-ups aside, Chronicle remains one of the most refreshing movies we've covered on this podcast in a while, and we'd definitely be open to some kind of sequel. In this week's episode, Lee Agne of the Connected Hearts podcast joins us to discuss hormonal superheroes, alien spunk, why every high school house party takes place in a mansion and more... ----- Beyond The Box Set is a weekly movie podcast with a creative twist. Every episode sees us taking a deep dive into a classic standalone movie, before competing to pitch ludicrous sequel ideas to bring them back to the big screen.    We've been recommended by publications including The Guardian and Podbean, and featured as a 'binge worthy podcast' on iTunes. We also have over 150 five-star user reviews at ti

Sharpen your nails and dust off your wittiest one-liners! This week, we're heading off on the road trip of a lifetime with a look back at The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert!  An outrageously camp Australian comedy shot on a minimal budget, TAO Priscilla, Queen of The Desert was an unlikely box office hit back in 1994, even picking up an Academy Award for Costume Design. It also made stars of Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, while Terrence Howard's turn as world-weary transgendered woman and reluctant drag queen Bernadette must go down as one of the most unlikely comeback performances in Hollywood history.  In this week's podcast, we discuss camp classics, lip sync extravaganzas and some... unfortunate racial stereotyping before pitching some sequel ideas that imagine how Bernadette, Felicia and Mitzi Del Bra might have fared in the modern LGBTQ+ culture. Hold onto your wigs!  ----- Beyond The Box Set is a movie podcast with a difference. Each week, we discuss a classic standalone movie that for

Our disaster movie season wouldn't be complete without a look back at Roland Emmerich's The Day After Tomorrow. Will this once-silly climate change thriller now read as a sobering warning from history in the cold light of 2019? Well... not exactly.  Tune into this week's episode to hear our thoughts on sentient ice, Tornadoes voiced by pissed-off failed actors, offensive British stereotypes and much more... ----- Every week on Beyond The Box Set, we take a look back at a classic standalone movie and compete to pitch the most ridiculous sequel, prequel and spin-off ideas to bring them back to the big screen. We've been featured in The Guardian as a 'Podcast of the Week' and recommended as a 'Binge worthy Podcast' by Apple.  We upload a new episode every Friday morning so please hit subscribe on your preferred podcasting app to stay up to date. While you're there, please take the time to rate or review us, it really does help us to attract new listeners and keep the show alive.  beyondtheboxset.com patre

For the second time this month, our disaster movie season lands on the bizarre latter-day career choices of Nicholas Cage. Based on a bestselling Christian book series, 2014's Left Behind is a low-budget, shoddily made train wreck that not even Jesus could save from box office oblivion.  With the help of our special guest Chris Scott from the Ask Karen podcast, we spend this week's episode discussing important spiritual matters such as Nicholas Cage's alarming headpiece, the suspiciously porn star-sounding character names, dwarf kicking, air hostess slut shaming and much more.  Along the way we also have the usual collection of drinking games - and trust us, you'll need it for this one - listener submissions and of course, sequel pitches! Given that this movie was intended to kickstart a nine-part franchise, theoretically we should have plenty to work with. You'll have to tune in to discover just how that turned out... ----- Every week on Beyond The Box Set, we take a look back at a classic standalone mov

A more thoughtful, character-driven take on the disaster movie genre that still finds room for exploding cars and city-crushing tidal waves, Deep Impact is easily the most respectable entry into our current mini-season... it even passes the Bechdel test with flying colours! Tune into this week's episode to hear our thoughts on the awesomely Presidential Morgan Freeman, a badly miscast Tea Leoni and her inexplicably Austrian father, strangely neglectful parenting and Elijah Wood finding a novel way of forcing his high school crush to marry him. As always, we've also got drinking games to play along with, and a pair of questionably creative sequel pitches to explore just what might have happened after the comet struck. Oceans rose, cities fell... but did hope really survive? Tune in to fund out... ----- Every week on Beyond The Box Set, we take a look back at a classic standalone movie and compete to pitch the most ridiculous sequel, prequel and spin-off ideas to bring them back to the big screen. From this

Somehow, Beyond the Box Set has managed to exist for two whole years without us ever diving into the filmography of the iconic human meme machine that is Nicholas Cage. Fortunately our current disaster movie mini-season offers plentiful opportunities to correct this oversight, so this week - on Harry's suggestion - we're discussing the suspiciously religious-feeling 2009 apocalypse epic Knowing. Despite garnering dreadful reviews (and deservedly so) this film topped out at over $200 million at the global box office. It stars Cage as a celebrated scientist turned day drinking - and inexplicably night barbecuing - widower who stumbles upon what he believes to be the formula for predicting the end of the world. Rose Byrne and Ben Mendhelson are also in it, but you could be forgiven for not noticing... Tune into this week's podcast to hear our thoughts on whispering Cage vs screaming Cage, the questionable taste levels of appropriating 9/11 for a schlocky Sci-fi conspiracy theory and why shoplifting Blu-rays ma

Gerard Butler and his distractingly thick neck race to save the world from ecological disaster in Geostorm, an instant ironic classic from the screenwriting team behind Independence Day. Featuring bad science, clunky dialogue and plot holes the size of the ozone layer, this 2017 bomb was a must for inclusion in our summer of Disaster Movies.  Join us as we discuss misplaced nationalism, inexplicable timelines, women in bikinis running from frozen tidal waves and the best-worst product placement we've ever seen in a semi-serious movie.  On its much-delayed release in 2017, Geostorm received scathing reviews and tanked hard at the box office, so sadly a sequel is unlikely to ever see the light of day. However, that doesn't deter us from pitching some ideas for the follow-up movie we'd like to see.  ----- Each week on Beyond The Box Set, we take a look back at a one-off movie from the past, and compete to pitch sequel, prequel or spin-off ideas to bring them back to the big screen.  Beyond The Box Set has b