Watching Dead - A Walking Dead Podcast - 708 – Hearts Still Beating

AMC’s The Walking Dead entered it’s mid-season hiatus last night with the episode, “Hearts Still Beating”, which had Jim and A.Ron asking if their hearts were still stirred by the drama on screen. Your mileage may vary, but we found it doing just enough to make up for the missteps this season, and promising just enough up tempo pacing that we’re, knock on wood, excited for it’s return in February? That maybe losing more than a 1/3rd of it’s audience in a season will scare the creative and studio types enough to stop dicking around and get serious about bringing this show to some sort of satisfying conclusion. In addition, we talk about mysterious boot person, the reunion of one of television’s most potent bromances, express concern for Maggie’s ripped uterus, and show mock concern about the show’s latest shocking death.

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Bald Move Pulp - Die Hard (1988)

The Bald Move Bad Ass Christmas rolls on as we take a look at 1998’s Die Hard. Starring Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman, and directed by the master of action/thrillers John McTiernan, is explores an eventful Christmas Eve in the life of one John McClane, a hard boiled NYPD detective. In a wide ranging conversation, we discuss the differences between a great movie and an awesome one, Bruce Willis’ career, professionalism and consent dealing with actors, and non-traditional Christmas classics in general. Hope you enjoy, and Merry Christmas!

Watching Westworld - 110 – The Bicameral Mind

A.Ron and Jim are very pleased with how the violent delights over season one would up having violent ends in the finale episode for Westworld, “The Bicameral Mind”. Sure, maybe the first third of the episode was merely review for a class that has studied their podcasts and their reddit. But once Hector and Armistice got their hands on the P90s, it was pedal to the metal until the conclusion that we found extremely satisfying. Not only that, it setup season two so well that it’s almost criminal that we’ll have to wait until 2018 to find out more. But you won’t have to wait that long for Watching Westworld, we’ll be back next week for a wrap up podcast where we’ll consider your ideas for next season, including theories, thoughts on consciousness and sentience, casting suggestions, and who knows what else. See you then!

Watching Dead - A Walking Dead Podcast - 707 – Sing Me A Song

A.Ron and Jim are pleased to note that “Sing Me A Song” is an improved, if far from perfect episode of The Walking Dead. We discuss invisible Jesus, Carl being gun shy, Rosita being unreasonable and Eugene proving her claims of cowardice true, Spencer’s Latin studies finally paying off, and Rick and Aaron up to something awesome that unfortunately we’ll have to wait until next week to actually see. All this and a ton of feedback, coming your way!

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Bald Move Pulp - Rocky IV (1985)

Merry Christmas! Jim and I kick off the Bald Move Bad Ass Christmas celebrations for our Club Members with 1985’s Rocky IV. What makes Drago v Balboa a holiday film, you ask? Their climactic battle takes place on Christmas day. Plus, there’s snow, and pine trees like you wouldn’t believe. Very Christmasy. Anyway, this is a great terrible film that might have helped win the Cold War. We discuss the film, it’s place in the Rocky pantheon, and behind the scenes tidbits and stories straight from the Sly’s mouth. In case you missed it, we Live Watched this thing to, so be sure to check that out.

Bald Move Pulp - Screamers (1995)

Special thanks to Josh Wilson who commissioned the 1995 cult sci-fi movie, “Screamers”. Starring Peter “Robocop” Weller, it works as both a goofy b-grade science fiction flick and a semi-serious work based on a short story by no less than Phillip K. Dick. It punches well above it’s weight in terms of concept, set, and costume design, but then surrounds Weller with below replacement value actors such as “Poor Man’s Bill Paxton” and “Homeless Man’s Val Kilmer” with mixed results. Still, it managed to provide both laughs and scares, and we feel we enjoyed it in the spirit it was intended.

Watching Westworld - 109 – The Well-Tempered Clavier

Many more puzzle pieces fell into place over the weekend as HBO’s Westworld deployed episode 109, “The Well-Tempered Clavier”. But there is still a lot left to uncover. Why did Dr. Ford deploy the reverie code? What is his ultimate intentions for his new narrative and indeed future of the park? What are those sentient robots doing hiding up in the hills of Westworld? And what does the Man in Black intend to do with Delores once he finds her? We’re excited to see how things wrap up next week, as we’re hoping to get a glimpse of how Nolan and Joy intend to expand this series going forward. See you then!

Watching Dead - A Walking Dead Podcast - 706 – Swear

Jim and A.Ron wonder if it’s all worth it anymore after seeing a historically bad episode of AMC’s The Walking Dead, number 706, “Swear”. Aside from being the dreaded single POV focus episode featuring a second-tier character, so much of this made no sense and seemed pointless. From the zombie action sequences involving improbable combinations of dump trucks and sand, to the 538th, 539th, and 540th time we’ve heard one character bemoan the degradation of humanity to another, to questionable directorial and editing decisions, a lot of time and effort was spent to tell us of the existence of a community with an axe to grind against the Saviors that is heavily armed but suffering a shortage of effective warriors. Gee, where ever could we find a place that is disarmed with a crew of killers with itchy trigger fingers? We’re just one broken promise away from getting that creamy peanut butter inside that chocolate folks. Oh, and Heath has gone missing. “PPP” is somehow involved. And Tara has some weird tattoo. And we have feedback! Is this thing on? Is anyone still listening?! YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE OUT THERE! THEY AIN’T US! HERE’S NOT HERE!

Bald Move Prestige - The Voices (2014)

Julie Webster of “Teeth” commissioning fame/infamy is back again with another movie to bend our noodles. This one a criminally overlooked Ryan Reynolds movie, “The Voices”. Under the direction of Academy Award winner Marjane Satrapi, and joined by co-star Anna Kendrick, Reynolds really comes out swinging as a poorly understood young man with non-existant social skills just trying to find happiness in life. Unfortunately, for reasons both nature and nurture, his search is in vain, and the movie spirals down an ever increasing dark path. An impressive movie, and one worth watching if you don’t think Ryan Reynolds is capable of any kind of nuanced, interesting work. Just be warned, this movie is pitch black, and very uncomfortable in places.