Matinee Heroes

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES A charming thief pulls together a mismatched crew of adventurers to recover a powerful lost relic. Along the way, they face deadly magic, old betrayals, dangerous enemies, and plenty of bad decisions. What begins as a simple mission becomes a chance for this band of misfits to become the heroes no one expected. Craig, Elisabeth and guest Annie Bulloch talk about unsung movie gems, bending the rules, halfling hotties and the movie "Dungeon and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" on this week’s Matinee Heroes. Show Notes 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:15 Craig, Elisabeth and Annie Bulloch talk about being a GM for D&D games. 00:12:29 Craig, Elisabeth and Annie discuss "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves." 00:53:46 Recasting 01:18:52 Double Feature 01:21:04 Final Thoughts 01:24:54 A preview of next week's episode "A Knight's Tale" Next week, medieval May continues with a fan favorite "A Knight's Tale."

STARMAN An alien answers a NASA message and comes to Earth in peace, but his ship is shot down by the military. Stranded, he takes the form of a dead man and forces the man’s widow to drive him to Arizona so he can meet a rescue ship. As the government hunts them down, the two form an unexpected bond. Craig, Elisabeth and guest Steve and Izzy talk about aliens on earth, road trips, Ape-ril and the movie “Starman” on this week’s Matinee Heroes! Show Notes 0:51 Craig, Elisabeth and Steve & Izzy talk deer and Ape-ril. 15:35 Craig, Elisabeth and Steve & Izzy discuss "Starman." 54:45 Recasting 1:20:37 Double Feature 1:28:59 Final Thoughts 1:39:25 A preview of next week's episode "Alien Nation." Next week, Alien April ends with the cult classic "Alien Nation."

Dane DeLiegro did not exactly take the usual road to Hollywood, and that is what made this live conversation at the 2024 Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio so entertaining. Before becoming the Predator in Prey, he played pro basketball in Europe, spent years apprenticing under a legendary Tuscan butcher, and nearly ended up in the culinary world instead of the film business. By the time he started describing what it took to bring the Predator to life, it was clear this was not your standard actor origin story. Before acting, DeLiegro spent years playing professional basketball in Europe and living in Tuscany during the off-seasons, where he apprenticed under famed butcher Dario Cecchini and learned traditional Tuscan butchery. His path into movies started almost by accident when a stand-in job on Free Guy led people on set to realize his size and physicality made him a natural fit for creature acting. DeLiegro detailed the intense physical demands of playing the Predator in Prey, including mime school, martial arts and parkour training, major weight loss, and performing scenes with extremely limited vision inside the suit. “Every morning you wake up and it’s a little Predator surprise party, remembering that you’re the Predator.” - Dane DiLiegro Want more exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes stories from the people who bring your favorite characters to life? Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your favorite podcasting platform for more behind-the-scenes stories and exclusive interviews.

THE LONG GOODBYE Private detective Philip Marlowe gives his friend Terry Lennox a ride to Mexico. But when Marlowe gets back to Los Angeles, he is pulled into the investigation of Terry’s wife’s death. Then comes word that Terry has died by suicide in Mexico but Marlowe isn’t buying it. As he starts chasing the truth, he takes on a new case from a woman who has a surprising connection to Terry’s past. Craig, Elisabeth and Alan talk about Robert Altman’s disjointed style, candle cults, the Oscars and the movie “The Long Goodbye” on this week’s Matinee Heroes! Show Notes 1:29 Craig, Elisabeth and Alan talk about the 2026 Oscars. 11:48 Craig, Elisabeth and Alan discuss "The Long Goodbye." 34:38 Recasting 54:23 Double Feature 59:54 Final Thoughts 1:06:43 A preview of next week's episode "Paul." Next week, Alien April kicks off with Elisabeth's feature film debut "Paul."

CHINATOWN A Los Angeles private detective thinks he is handling a routine infidelity case, until he meets the man’s real wife and realizes he was hired by an impostor. When the husband turns up dead, the case pulls him into a web of corruption, deception, and disturbing family secrets, with the wife’s powerful father at the center of it all. Craig, Elisabeth and guest Jeff Penn from Deep Cuts the game talk about private investigators, Canadian utopias, LA in the 30s and the movie “Chinatown” on this week’s Matinee Heroes! Show Notes 1:13 Craig, Elisabeth and Jeff Penn talk about Jeff's podcast Deep Cuts: The Game. 8:56 Craig, Elisabeth and Jeff discuss "Chinatown." 1:00:37 Recasting 1:20:14 Double Feature 1:25:25 Final Thoughts 1:33:45 A preview of next week's episode "Rear Window." Next week, Mystery March continues with the classic Hitchcock tale "Rear Window."

Kevin Conroy was not just the voice of Batman to a generation of fans. He was the voice. In this live conversation from the San Francisco Comic Con in 2018, he pulls back the curtain on how he landed the role, why his classical theater training made him the perfect Dark Knight, and how the emotional core of Batman shaped every performance he gave. Kevin Conroy explains how his classical theater training and deep understanding of Batman’s trauma helped him create a version of the character that felt real, grounded, and timeless. Conroy shares memorable Juilliard stories, including living with Robin Williams, which reveals both the humor and the serious craft behind great performance. He also discusses the creative chemistry between Batman and the Joker, especially his collaboration with Mark Hamill, and how strong scene partners helped elevate the animated series into something truly special. “I am vengeance. I am the night. I am Batman.” - Kevin Conroy Want more exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes stories from the people who bring your favorite characters to life? Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your favorite podcasting platform for more behind-the-scenes stories and exclusive interviews.

TIGHTROPE A New Orleans detective hunts a brutal sex killer stalking the French Quarter, but the case forces him to face the darkest side of his own personality. His Jekyll-and-Hyde inner conflict grows more intense when he falls for the psychologist assigned to help catch the killer. Craig and Elisabeth discuss awkward sex thrillers, New Orleans, directors with porn names and the movie “Tight Rope” on this week’s Matinee Heroes! Show Notes 0:57 Craig and Elisabeth talk about their visits to New Orleans. 12:06 Craig and Elisabeth discuss "Tightrope." 42:41 Recasting 50:07 Double Feature 1:00:04 Final Thoughts 1:02:49 A preview of next week's episode "Tightrope." Next week, we celebrate Black History Month with "Do the Right Thing."

LEGENDS OF THE FALL In early 20th-century Montana, Colonel William Ludlow lives on a ranch with his three sons: Tristan, Alfred, and Samuel. Their unconventional but tightly bonded life is shattered when Samuel is killed in World War I. Tristan and Alfred make it home, but the damage does not stop there. Soon after returning, both brothers fall for Samuel’s fiancée, Susannah, and their growing rivalry starts tearing the family apart. Craig, Elisabeth and guest Brendan Agnew talk about love triangles, Bart the Bear, snow in Oklahoma and movie “Legends of the Fall” on Elisabeth’s Matinee Birthday. Show Notes 1:20 Craig, Elisabeth and guest Brendan Agnew talk cold weather across the country. 11:36 Craig, Elisabeth and Brendan discuss "The Sound of Music". 58:46 Recasting 1:21:39 Double Feature 1:26:52 Final Thoughts 1:32:33 A preview of next week's episode "All the President's Men" Next week, we celebrate President's Day with "All the President's Men."

THE SOUND OF MUSIC Maria is a spirited, tomboyish young woman training at an Austrian abbey, and she’s sent out to work as governess for the seven children of a widowed naval captain. In the captain’s strict, quiet household, she shakes things up with warmth, playfulness, and music, gradually bringing the family back to life and forging an unexpected bond with their guarded father. Craig and Elisabeth wrap up F#@K Nazis month by talking about what’s happening in America right now, living with 8 kids, taking principled stands and the movie “The Sound of Music” on this week’s Matinee Heroes!! Show Notes 1:12 Craig and Elisabeth talk about the sad state of affairs in America. 13:42 Craig and Elisabeth discuss "The Sound of Music". 47:31 Recasting 59:05 Double Feature 1:04:29 Final Thoughts 1:07:47 A preview of next week's episode "Legends of the Fall." Next week, we celebrate Elisabeth's birthday with one of her favorite movies "Legends of the Fall".

JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG Judge Dan Haywood presides over the trial of four German judges accused of collaborating with the Nazi regime by sentencing innocent men to death during World War II. As testimony unfolds, the visiting Americans and their wary German hosts are forced to confront what the war did to their countries, and the lasting moral damage it left behind. Craig, Elisabeth and guest Valerie Cameron talk about society’s role in atrocities, fighting fascism at home, the film sports nerd Venn diagram and the movie “Judgement at Nuremburg” on this week’s Matinee Heroes. Show Notes 0:59 Craig, Elisabeth and guest Valerie Cameron (https://www.whattoseewithval.com/) talk about her latest musings and postings. 8:32 Craig, Elisabeth and Adam discuss "Marathon Man". 1:03:29 Recasting 1:29:34 Double Feature 1:33:54 Final Thoughts 1:36:58 A preview of next week's episode "Sisu." F#@K Nazis month continues with a movie that is just pure revenge "Sisu."

Recorded live in Utah after a two year wait, this CONversation with Craig drops you straight into a packed room with Christopher Eccleston and an audience ready to sprint into Doctor Who territory at full speed. Craig kicks things off by digging into Christopher’s take on Fagin in Dodger, including how you approach an iconic role that comes with real baggage. From there it turns into a smart, funny, occasionally sharp Q&A about stepping back into the Ninth Doctor with Big Finish, what it was like recording in isolation during COVID, and why the Doctor’s loneliness is not a side note, it is the engine. Chris describes the character in a way that keeps the charm and the danger intact, calling him “a kind of a Robin Hood figure,” but still someone with “a slightly dodgy, no pun intended, moral compass.” He also connects that damage to the Ninth Doctor, which is a neat little bridge between Dickens and the TARDIS. He talks about recording during COVID with only a sound engineer, how quickly the character came back, and how audio acting has its own rules. You cannot rely on sprinting down corridors or flailing your arms like a windmill. There is a great exchange about villains and what actually terrifies people. Eccleston points out how one story was designed with adults in mind. “Oh, he’s falling through time. He’s alone as we all are...really. He’s alone.” - Christopher Eccleston Want more exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes stories from the people who bring your favorite characters to life? Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your favorite podcasting platform for more behind-the-scenes stories and exclusive interviews.

NIGHT SHIFT Chuck has quit his stressful stockbroker life and now works the night shift at a New York City morgue because he wants something easy and quiet. His new co-worker, Bill, is a nonstop hustler who spots an “opportunity” when Chuck’s neighbor Belinda needs a safe place to see clients. Bill convinces Chuck to turn the morgue into an after-hours brothel, and the two of them start running the operation as her pimps. Craig, Elisabeth and guest Mark Woodring from the Visually Stunning Movie Podcast talk about Only Fans, 2025’s Movies, more egg nog and the movie “Night Shift” on this week’s Matinee Heroes! Show Notes 0:55 Craig, Elisabeth and guest Mark Woodring from the Visually Stunning Movie Podcast talk about the films of 2025. 12:51 Craig, Elisabeth and Mark discuss "Night Shift" 38:51 Recasting 55:19 Double Feature 58:10 Final Thoughts 1:02:28 A preview of next week's episode "Captain America: The First Avenger". The way the world's been lately, we feel we must make another public stand. So we're bringing back F#$K Nazis month, starting with "Captain America: The First Avenger".