The Franchise Forum Podcast

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 plenty to discuss with this one. This might just be a masterpiece...

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 to the king, baby...

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 you go and don’t ask why you have to be Mr. Pink…

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 surpasses the original, uncover behind-the-scenes stories from the production, and celebrate one of horror's most influential films.
Join the gang for the full scene-by-scene breakdown, horror movie draft, trivia and plenty of laughs.

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 everything you just saw.

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 goes deep on the splatter-film era, Erik tries to understand why horror fans love being punished, and Greg leads us through the chaos with plenty of production history and trivia.
Join us. Join us.

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 franchise heading to the Franchise Forum treatment.
Yippee-ki-yay, Mother Russia. One last ride with John McClane.

 
 
 
 
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 into the film’s insane production schedule, wildly over-the-top action set pieces, and whether Len Wiseman’s slick visual style helped modernize the franchise… or sanded off too much of what made Die Hard special in the first place.
Plus: trivia, tangents, tech panic, traffic-light conspiracy theories, and the continuing evolution of Bruce Willis’ hairline.
Yippee-ki-yay… mostly.

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 riddles, the chaos, the heat of a New York summer, it’s all on the table. And yeah… we’re not exactly on the same page this time.
Plus, we debut the Villain Draft... each of us builds our own lineup of the most iconic, chaotic, and unforgettable villains in pop culture. Some picks make sense… others might start a fight.
Grab a sign, don’t ask questions… and try to keep up.