The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure...

Once again we are joined by fellow podcaster and book lover, Dave Alluisi, of The Bookhouse Boys and the Meandawg Top 5 podcasts for this look back at this much beloved and timeless film. Not only is the film adaptation of The Princess Bride celebrated and adored in the public consciousness but it is also an extremely well written and respected novel written by the novelist and screenwriter William Goldman.
Most of our comments throughout the commentary are guided toward comparing the book to the film, talking about the differences and similarities, but we also touch upon many other things including the casting, the score, it's timely nature, and Goldman's intentions in writing this classic tale. Simply a great film. Simply a great book. As Dave says, "It's a love letter to the genre of fantasy and adventure." I couldn't agree more.

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The Soulless Minions are joined by special guests -- Mike Ortiz and Damon Shaw of Geek Fights, Michael Felscher of Red Shirt Pictures and the mysterious Allen -- for a look back at the most underrated of the Star Trek films.

The Search for Spock is the 2nd chapter in what has come to be known as The Star Trek Trilogy. Nevertheless, because it bears an odd number it is assumed to suffer from the odd numbered curse. The Soulless Minions and guest commentators hope to dispel that notion to whomever may listen.

It may be not be as acclaimed as The Wrath of Khan or The Voyage Home but this 2nd act has a lot of great things going for it -- themes of life and death, friendship, sacrifice and a beautiful musical score.

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This commentary was recorded using a Region DVD.

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It might be a little difficult to believe but the film Drive Me Crazy was actually based on a book called How I Created My Perfect Prom Date by Todd Strasser. Todd Strasser is a very prolific writer in the realm of Middle Grade and Young Adult novels. How I Created My Perfect Prom Date is the 2nd part in what is know as the Time Zone High Trilogy.

Drive Me Crazy, although modestly successful financially as well as critically, holds a special place in one of the hearts of the Soulless Minions. It may not be perfect or incredibly deep but it does succeed in passing up some of the more cliched and formulaic teen films. It's got heart.

Most of the conversation involves the comparisons between the novel and film. Surprisingly there are some significant differences that I think might surprise some of you. My two guests, John of Sofa Dogs and J.D. of The Delta Quadrant and General Geekery, join me as I fill them in on the similarities and changes in the adaption. But the conversation also includes personal recollections on the film itself.

Is it all nostalgia or does the movie hold up? You'll have to listen to find out.

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Have you heard of this movie? I willing to bet most of you haven't.

Here's what the IMBD has to say about The Experts - When Travis and Wendell are kidnapped while on their way to opening a nightclub in rural Nebraska. The KGB spy Cameron Smith takes them to the U.S.S.R. instead with the intention of teaching KGB agents to be hip like Americans.

It may sound like a goofy premise but this is actually a pretty smart, funny, and witty film. As of this date the film is available on Netflix streaming. So go give it a watch and then five our commentary a listen.

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This commetnary was recorded using Netflix streaming

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One of the Soulless Minions is joined by a very special guest, Dave Alluisi, of The Bookhouse Boys and The Meandawg Top 5, for this commetnary on the 1975 film Jaws. Jaws is Dave's favorite film of all time so it was quite a pleasure to discuss this iconic and influential film with him. Most of the conversation focuses on the differences between the book and the film but we lightly touch upon the film's score, its well known production woes, its casting and comparisons to other literary works.

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This Commentary was recorded using a Region 1 DVD.

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Joining the Soulless Minions for this commetary on the 1997 film Batman and Robin are Tysto, Mike Ortiz and Damon Shaw of Geek Fights, and Mike Schindler of Commetary Track Stars.

Note: Mike Schindler arrives late to the commentary. Approximately 1hr and 1/2 in the film.

Most do not speak well of this film. However, our approach to this commentary is not in that vein. We admit its flaws but attempt to see the good things in it.

It's campy, bright and full of cheese.

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This commentary was recorded using a Region 1 DVD

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It's the 20th anniversary of the release of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. We decided to celebrate with a commentary. I'm joined by Mike of Geek Fights, John of Sofa Dogs, Mike and Max of Commentary Track Stars and J.D. of The Delta Quandrant.

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This commentary was recorded using a Region 1 DVD.

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I found myself alone in the Soulless Minions studio once again but thankfully I was joined by my fellow fan commentators -- Mike of Commentary Track Stars (http://maxhegel.podbean.com/) and John from Sofa Dogs (http://www.sofadogs.libsyn.com/) -- for this look at the 2000 cheerleading epic Bring It On. It might seem like an odd choice for John, Mike and myself considering that this movie is generally considered a "chick flick" in the eyes of most movie goers. But that doesn't really matter, we don't think, because this movie is just plain fun. It's poppy, bright and full of energy. And yet it's smart, clever and more nuanced than most other "teen films."

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This commentary was recorded using a Region 1 DVD.

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For this commentary we're joined by three special guest commentators--Damon Shaw and Mike Ortiz of Geek Fights (http://www.geekfights.net/) and Michael Felsher of Red Shirt Pictures (http://www.redshirtpictures.com/) for a commentary on Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

Well, it's Star Wars...

...enough said.

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The commentary was recorded using a Region 1 DVD.

Special Note: The audio quality of this commentary isn't up to our usual standards. It's not perfect but it's listenable.

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My regular co-host was out of the studio on this one but thankfully I was joined by two very special guests and fellow fan commentators--Tysto of Tysto.com (http://www.tysto.com/) and John of SofaDogs.com (http://www.sofadogs.libsyn.com/)--for this commentary on the 1999 sci-fi comedy Galaxy Quest. You don't have to be a fan sci-fi to dig this movie because it's appeal is universal.

There's comedy, drama, suspense, explosions, spaceships, and really cool looking aliens. This movie has everything. It's a treat to behold. It really is. 

Which make me wonder...

Why doesn't this movie have a sequel?

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This commentary was recorded using a Region 1 DVD.

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Joining us for this commentary on the 1998 film Rushmore is a very special guest and fellow podcaster Dave Alluisi of The Meandawg Top 5 podcast (http://meandawg.com/podcasts/top5/) and the Bookhouse Boys podcast (http://bookhouseboyspodcast.podomatic.com/). Rushmore was the second film made by writer/director Wes Anderson. It was also co-written by actor Owen Wilson. It's a fine ensemble film and a touching coming of age tale and you need not be a fan of Wes Anderson and his signature style to enjoy it. If you haven't yet seen please do because it's just plain awesome in our humble opinion. It's not only strong in terms of writing and character but is also filled to the brim with many subtleties and nuances that are a real treat to look for and discover. It's a real gem.

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This commentary was recorded using a Region 1 DVD.

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Fellow fan commentator Tysto (http://www.tysto.com/) joined Justin and myself (Your Soulless Minions of Orthodoxy) in our recording studio for a collaborative commentary on the 1988 Sword & Sorcery Epic--Willow.

This was a blast to record because of course three heads are better than two. But also because the three of us of really like the film. Not only for nostalgia sake, but for the fact that its a stand out of its genre that still holds up today. As with other films of its kind Willow draws upon a shared pool of mythical elements - a child of prophecy, an evil queen, a lovable rogue, a hero on a journey, etc. But those familiarities shouldn't keep anyone of this generation or the last from enjoying this underrated film. Either young or young at heart Willow takes you on his journey with him.

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This commentary was recorded using a Region 1 DVD.

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The Soulless Minions (AKA - Justin & Josh) are lifelong Star Trek fans. So it is with much excitement and delight that we are presenting our first Star Trek Commentary. Justin and I are looking back at the 9th Star Trek film -- Star Trek: Insurrection. The year was 1998 and Insurrection was coming off the heels of the grandeur and success of Star Trek: First Contact. So Justin and I went into this film with very high expectations. As I'm sure was the case for most Star Trek fans. However, Insurrection left us disappointed. Perhaps our combined anticipation and expectations were to simply too high. Nevertheless, Insurrection is by no means a bad movie. It was well directed by Jonathon Frakes and competently produced. The film has quality and good production values. But is it a lack of scope? Often Insurrection has been noted as being more like an episode of the series than the cinematic adventure people were expecting. Justin and I share in that outlook. But as it is Star Trek we have warm feelings for it anyway despite our disappointment. Our commentary attempts to analyze the what we feel works and what we feel doesn't work. And also why the movie feels "small" in comparison to the other Star Trek films.

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This commentary was recorded using a Region 1 DVD.

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If you like the podcast please stop by the forums and support us. Registration is quick and easy. Also, please get the word out if you can. Link us on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, etc. Just point and click. And tell your friends, too. We'd really like some feedback.

Looking for more Star Trek? Then please check out http://www.treknologic.com/ for episode reviews, trivia and general discussion of all things Trek.  

The mother of the Soulless Minions joins us once more with this commentary. We're taking a look at the 1996 film aptly titled -- Mother. Its was co-written and directed by Albert Brooks and among all of his films we think its one of his best. It also stars Debbie Reynolds who delivers a very funny and down to earth performance. This is simply a great movie that might appear a bit low key on the surface but under that surface it's really a strong and true to life examination of the relationship between a mother and her son. And that's a kind of relationship that isn't often examned in film. It's really a hidden gem.

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This Commentary was recorded using a Region 1 DVD

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What an awesome movie! Justin and I had a great time looking back on this classic from 1985. Not only is it a favorite from our youth but it holds up remarkably well considering its age. We both feel whole heartedly that there's a fair amount grace, charm and subtlety under the surface of what some may dismiss as "just another 80's movie". Having not seen it in a number of years we both found it to be surprisingly touching and heartfelt. We hope you will as well. Maybe it's not perfect but it's pros outweigh its cons.

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This Commentary was recorded using a Region 1 DVD.

Any comments our questions please visit or community forum: http://soullessminions.yuku.com/  

The 1989 film Millennium was adapted from a novel written by John Varely. However, before it became a full length novel it was at first a short story entitled Air Raid--also written by Varley. Varely initially began adapting his short story into a screenplay--around the time of the late 70's-- with hopes of turning it into a film. In the intervening years the short story was fleshed out into the full length novel. Having recently read the novel (which was very good) we spend a lot of time making comparisons between it (the novel) and the finished film. Also, we are fans of time travel in general and Millennium is one of our favorites so it was fun to go back and give it a deeper look. As a film it incorporated a lot of interesting concepts into the story and the concept of time travel that work quite well and still hold up today. But is it good? We think so. Good but not great. We feel it has its shortcomings but we also feel its a notable entry into the time travel sub genre.

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This commentary was recorded using a Region 1 DVD.

Any comments our questions please visit or community forum: http://soullessminions.yuku.com/

Upon its initial release David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune was considered by many to be a great disappointment. We, however, enjoy it very much despite its flaws. Just as many others do. We know we're not alone in that respect. Nevertheless, it is generally looked upon negatively to this day.

As this is the theatrical version there's a lot of comparison to the extended cut. As well as the book and 2000's miniseries adaptation.

So we are very excited to present this commentary and hope we gave the movie its proper dues.

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This commentary was recorded using a Region 1 DVD.

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Some might call it a chick flick, I guess. Most do actually. But a good movie is a good movie. And this one hits the marks without fail. It's a great story about the bonds of friendship. And that's something relatable to either gender.

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This commentary was recorded using a region 1 DVD.

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Note: This commentary was recorded using a PAL (Region 2) DVD.

This film has become synonymous with the word--failure. Many remember it as a notorious box office bomb and also the many, many woes that plagued its long and delayed production. Nevertheless, we believe many people have come to see this movie as very underrated and unfairly judged since its initial release in 1987. "Criminally underrated" is actually a more apt definition. Maybe this movie doesn't succeed on every level but we feel there's a lot of stuff to be admired in it. More of it works than what doesn't and the stuff that does work is pure gold. (The chemistry between Hoffman and Beaty is the highlight.)

In the end its a movie about guy love and pursuing your dreams no matter what it takes.

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Having recently read the novel from which the film was based I thought it would be interesting to go back and take another look at this much maligned film. Justin and I talk about the book of course--it's similarities and differences from the movie. We also give our own overall impressions of the movie--what we feel works and what we feel doesn't. Perhaps it isn't the best movie in the world but it certainly isn't the worst.

Special Note -- This commentary was recorded using a Region 2 (PAL) DVD.

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The Day the Earth Stood Still is a classic piece of Sc-Fi. It's simply a wonderful film. We give a lot of praise through out the film but mostly we discuss its story and message.

We also talk about the remake ... a little bit.

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This commentary was recorded using a Region 1 DVD (Blu-Ray).

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The Time Machine by H.G. Wells is a classic piece of literature in the realm of science fiction. Also, the 1960 film directed by George Pal and starring Rod Taylor is also regarded as a classic. But what about the 2002 adaptation starring Guy Pearce and directed by Simon Wells? It wasn't very well received and quickly faded from memory. It's not a bad movie. It's just nothing exceptional. Sadly.

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This commentary was recorded using a region 1 DVD.

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Superman IV was critically panned and ignored by audiences at the time of its release and is generally not remembered in a kind way. But there was a lot of ambition and good intentions behind this production. Maybe it's a bit goofy at times but like it or not we think there's some good stuff in it.

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This commentary was recorded using a region 1 DVD.

Any questions or comments please visit or community forum: http://soullessminions.yuku.com/

Planet of the Apes is a classic piece of Sci-Fi. But what about its sequels? We're taking a look at the third film in the franchise. Overall we enjoy this movie quite a bit, however, we do attempt to deconstruct its plot and characters a little bit in an attempt to make sense of some of its loose story threads.

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This commentary was recorded using a region 1 DVD.

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Having recently read the novelization of the film (which was based on the original screenplay) we uncovered many aspects of the story that didn't make it to the screen. Join us as we discuss those missing elements and our very fond memories of this film.

This commentary was recorded using the Region 1 DVD.

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The sequel is out so we thought it would be fun to go back and take a look at the original.

This commentary was recorded using the 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition Region 1 DVD.

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