Afleveringen

  • In The Loop & Power Rangers Time Force

    In The Loop & Power Rangers Time Force

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week we’re spinning in circles—in the best possible way—with our Top 5 Loops in film and television. Whether they’re time loops, narrative loops, or just delightfully circular plot structures, these stories keep us guessing and coming back for more. We’re also checking out Armando Iannucci’s razor-sharp satire In The Loop and revisiting the chronologically chaotic world of Power Rangers Time Force.

    🔁 Top 5 Loops in Film & TV

    1. Groundhog Day (1993)
    The time loop gold standard. Bill Murray’s cynical weatherman is stuck reliving the same day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, in a film that balances existential dread with comedic charm and surprising emotional depth.

    2. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
    Tom Cruise dies over and over in this sci-fi war thriller where each death resets the day. Smart, sleek, and full of great action, it turns repetition into a high-stakes training montage.

    3. Palm Springs (2020)
    A modern rom-com twist on the time loop trope. Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti bring warmth, wit, and unexpected darkness to a desert wedding that never ends.

    4. Star Trek: The Next Generation – "Cause and Effect" (1992)
    A textbook example of how TV can do loops right. The Enterprise explodes before the opening credits, and the crew must solve the mystery of their own deaths—over and over again.

    5. Russian Doll (2019–)
    A nihilistic, metaphysical spin on the loop narrative, where Natasha Lyonne’s Nadia keeps dying and resetting during her birthday. Funny, dark, and weirdly profound.

    🗣 Main Feature: In The Loop (2009)

    Armando Iannucci’s In The Loop is a profanely brilliant satire that acts as both a spiritual cousin to The Thick of It and a standalone skewering of Anglo-American war bureaucracy. As Britain and the US lurch toward conflict in the Middle East, government officials, spin doctors, and assistants scramble to justify it with illogical soundbites and barely disguised incompetence.

    Peter Capaldi’s Malcolm Tucker is the foul-mouthed puppet master, hurling insults and manipulating spin with terrifying speed. The dialogue is rapid-fire, the stakes are real, and the absurdity cuts frighteningly close to reality. It's a loop of political missteps, media manipulation, and ego-driven diplomacy where nothing ever really changes.

    A must-watch if you enjoy your comedy scathing and your truth barely exaggerated.

    ⏳ Kids Feature: Power Rangers Time Force (2001)

    Time travel, mutant villains, colour-coded heroes—it’s all here. In Time Force, the Power Rangers chase a criminal back to the year 2001 to stop a timeline-warping disaster. With a focus on fate vs. free will and even a romantic subplot, it’s one of the more emotionally ambitious entries in the Power Rangers canon.

    The kids get action. The dads get time paradoxes. Everybody wins.

    Whether you’re dodging aliens, reliving Groundhog Day, or spinning your wheels in government committees, loops keep things weirdly satisfying. Just don’t forget to take the exit eventually. 🎬⏱️👨

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  • Midweek Mention... Star Trek: The Next Generation

    Midweek Mention... Star Trek: The Next Generation

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week, we’re bending time, smashing starships, and looping through one of the most mind-bending episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season 5, Episode 18 – "Cause and Effect". It’s a perfect example of how sci-fi can take a deceptively simple concept—what if you’re stuck in a time loop?—and turn it into a suspenseful, clever, and surprisingly rewatchable piece of television.

    🌀 The Premise: Déjà Vu in Deep Space

    The episode opens with an explosive bang—literally—as the USS Enterprise-D is destroyed. Cue the opening credits. Then, everything resets.

    We soon realise that the crew is caught in a temporal causality loop, repeating the same few hours over and over again. They have no memory of previous loops, but subtle feelings of déjà vu begin to unsettle them. Dr. Crusher hears the same voices during poker, Data keeps shuffling the cards the same way, and Worf starts getting twitchy about how often the ship’s sensor data is “inconclusive.”

    🧠 The Genius of It

    Written by Brannon Braga and directed with tight suspense by Jonathan Frakes (a.k.a. Commander Riker), "Cause and Effect" is a masterclass in science fiction structure. Each loop slightly shifts, providing just enough new detail to keep the audience—and the characters—on edge. The growing sense of unease is perfectly balanced with sci-fi problem-solving, leading to Data using the number “3” as a subtle message to his future self in order to break the loop.

    And it works! Data realises that Riker’s plan, involving adjusting the ship's yaw, is the correct move—saving the Enterprise and escaping the loop… after 17 days of unknowingly repeating their deaths.

    Bonus Trek fact: The ship they collide with? The USS Bozeman, captained by Kelsey Grammer, stuck in the loop for 90 years.

    🚀 Why It Stands Out

    Narrative Precision: Few shows handle repetition this well without becoming dull. Here, it’s razor-sharp.Creeping Tension: The unsettling deja vu builds atmosphere rather than jumping straight to technobabble.Science with Stakes: The loop isn’t just a concept—it’s a matter of life and death. Again and again.That Cold Open: Blowing up the Enterprise before the title sequence? Bold.

    👨‍👧‍👦 A Dad’s Take

    It’s smart, eerie, and surprisingly accessible even for those new to Trek. You don’t need deep lore knowledge to enjoy the logic puzzle, the suspense, and the satisfaction of the crew finally cracking the loop. It’s a great episode for older kids or teens curious about sci-fi storytelling.

    "Cause and Effect" is one of TNG's most beloved episodes for good reason—it’s an elegant puzzle-box of an episode that proves Star Trek can do high-concept sci-fi with both brains and heart. A loop you won’t mind watching again and again. 🖖🎬💫

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  • Murderbot & Ridley Jones

    Murderbot & Ridley Jones

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week’s episode is all about singularity, identity, and what it means to be “the one.” We kick things off with our Top 5 'Ones' in film and TV, followed by a look at the emotionally complex Murderbot Diaries adaptation, and we round things out with the plucky preschool heroine Ridley Jones.

    🎯 Top 5 'Ones' in Movies and TV

    Neo – The Matrix
    The definitive “One.” Chosen by prophecy, forged by code. Neo’s journey from hacker to messiah redefined sci-fi cool and gave us bullet time and existential dread.Number One – Star Trek
    From Majel Barrett in The Original Series to Rebecca Romijn in Strange New Worlds, Starfleet’s Number One remains a beacon of calm leadership and intellect.The One Ring – The Lord of the Rings
    A different kind of "One"—a corrupting, all-powerful artifact. Its presence drives the entire trilogy, and its destruction is the only way to save Middle-earth.One – Dr. Who (The First Doctor)
    The original incarnation of the Doctor, setting the tone for decades of timey-wimey brilliance. Played by William Hartnell, he kicked off a legend.The Chosen One Trope (a.k.a. Every YA Hero Ever)
    From Harry Potter to Katniss Everdeen, this archetype is so omnipresent it deserves its own shoutout. Not always literal, but always dramatic.

    🤖 Main Feature: Murderbot

    We were excited to dive into the screen adaptation of Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries—and thankfully, it delivers. The story centers on a part-organic, part-cybernetic security unit that’s hacked its own governor module. Free from commands but still technically on the job, it spends most of its time watching soap operas and reluctantly saving humans.

    What makes Murderbot compelling is its complex interior life: it doesn't want to be human, but it does want autonomy. It hates social interaction, fears emotional closeness, and struggles with purpose—a surprisingly relatable arc wrapped in sci-fi action. The adaptation nails the tone: dry wit, corporate dystopia, and unexpected tenderness.

    🏺 Kids Feature: Ridley Jones

    Aimed at the younger crowd, Ridley Jones follows a brave little girl living in a museum where exhibits come alive. Think Night at the Museum with more musical numbers and stronger messages of inclusion and curiosity.

    Ridley is a great role model: courageous, empathetic, and ready to ask big questions. Whether she’s helping a dino find his roar or standing up for a mummy’s identity, Ridley teaches kids about leadership and kindness without preaching. (ED - we hated this beyond belief).

    This week’s picks remind us that sometimes being “the one” doesn’t mean being the strongest—it means making the hardest choices, asking the biggest questions, or just caring the most. Whether it’s bending reality, refusing control, or standing up for a friend in a museum, these "Ones" are all unforgettable. 🎬👨‍👧‍👦🤖💍

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  • Midweek Mention... Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

    Midweek Mention... Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week, we're jumping into the gritty, morally murky corner of the galaxy far, far away with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), the first of Disney’s standalone Star Wars films and one that dares to tell a story where the Force doesn’t offer easy answers—and not everyone gets out alive.

    Directed by Gareth Edwards, Rogue One is set just before the events of A New Hope and follows Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), the daughter of Imperial scientist Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), who’s coerced into building the Death Star. Recruited by the Rebel Alliance, Jyn finds herself at the heart of a desperate mission to steal the plans for the Empire’s terrifying superweapon.

    What sets Rogue One apart is its tone—it’s a war film through and through. There’s mud, sacrifice, and a real sense of stakes. The ensemble cast includes Diego Luna as the morally grey rebel Cassian Andor, Donnie Yen as the Force-believing monk Chirrut Îmwe, Alan Tudyk voicing the reprogrammed Imperial droid K-2SO (a scene-stealer), and Ben Mendelsohn as the deeply petty but brilliantly acted villain Director Krennic.

    This isn’t about Jedi or chosen ones. It’s about regular people—fighters, spies, defectors, believers—laying down their lives for a cause they believe in, even if they won’t live to see the outcome. That emotional weight gives the film a grounded, bittersweet tone that feels distinct within the Star Wars universe.

    Visually, Edwards brings a tactile realism to the film. The final battle on Scarif is one of the franchise’s most spectacular sequences—land, sea, and space warfare colliding in chaos. And of course, there’s that final hallway scene with Darth Vader, a terrifying, unforgettable burst of fan service done right.

    For those who’ve ever wondered what it really took to get the Death Star plans into Leia’s hands, Rogue One answers with a powerful, self-contained story that expands the mythology while standing firmly on its own. It’s bold, emotional, and a little darker than you might expect from a Star Wars film—which is exactly why we love it.

    This one’s for the rebels. 🛰️⚔️🌌

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  • The Graduate

    The Graduate

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week, we’re sinking into the beautifully awkward and emotionally layered world of The Graduate (1967), a landmark in American cinema that captured the confusion and alienation of a generation—and still resonates today.

    Directed by Mike Nichols and based on Charles Webb’s novel, The Graduate stars a breakout Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate adrift in a sea of expectations, ennui, and passive-aggressive dinner parties. Returning home to California, Ben finds himself stuck in a well-off suburban limbo, unsure of what to do with his future and utterly disconnected from the adults around him.

    Enter Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), the wife of his father’s business partner and one of the most iconic seductresses in film history. Their affair is sultry, weirdly funny, and shot through with a tragic edge that gives the film its unique tone—equal parts satire, drama, and coming-of-age fable. Complications multiply when Ben falls for Mrs. Robinson’s daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross), throwing everyone’s lives into romantic chaos and sparking a messy, impulsive pursuit that culminates in one of the most famous closing shots in cinema history.

    Visually, The Graduate is striking—Nichols’ inventive use of framing, reflections, and slow dissolves elevates the emotional subtext, and Simon & Garfunkel’s folk-heavy soundtrack ("The Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson") lingers in your head long after the credits roll. The music doesn’t just underscore the scenes—it becomes a character in itself, echoing Benjamin’s alienation and longing.

    But what really makes The Graduate endure is its tonal complexity. It's satirical, yes, but also melancholic. Benjamin isn’t a traditional hero; he's self-absorbed, indecisive, and often unlikeable. Yet in that uncertainty lies the film’s power—it taps into that restless moment between adolescence and adulthood where everything feels hollow, and rebellion can look like love, lust, or simply running away.

    Is the ending romantic or despairing? Is Benjamin a rebel or just another aimless rich kid? The Graduate leaves space for interpretation, and that ambiguity is what keeps it feeling alive, even decades later.

    So whether you’re watching for the sharp dialogue, the iconic performances, or just to see Dustin Hoffman awkwardly floating in a pool of existential dread—this one’s a classic for a reason. 🎓🍸💔🎬

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  • Midweek Mention... Wedding Crashers

    Midweek Mention... Wedding Crashers

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week, we're diving headfirst into the chaotic, outrageous, and undeniably quotable world of Wedding Crashers (2005), a film that helped define mid-2000s comedy with its mix of raunch, romance, and relentless party energy.

    Directed by David Dobkin, the film stars Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn as John and Jeremy—divorce mediators by day and professional wedding crashers by night. Their philosophy? Weddings are the perfect place to score free food, drinks, and flings, all while soaking up the joyful atmosphere and dancing with old ladies.

    Everything changes when the pair infiltrates a high-profile political wedding hosted by the powerful Cleary family. What begins as another con turns unexpectedly sincere when John falls for Claire Cleary (played by Rachel McAdams), throwing a wrench into the duo’s longstanding bro-code. Meanwhile, Jeremy finds himself entangled in a wildly unhinged relationship with Claire's aggressively forward sister Gloria (Isla Fisher), leading to one of the film’s most memorable comedic arcs.

    The movie thrives on the chemistry between Vaughn and Wilson, with Vaughn delivering mile-a-minute riffs and Wilson grounding the story with unexpected romantic sincerity. It’s a perfect example of the era’s “man-child comedy” formula: crude jokes balanced by a sentimental core and a redemptive character arc.

    But let’s be honest—Wedding Crashers hasn’t aged entirely gracefully. Some of its attitudes toward dating, gender roles, and consent feel uncomfortable through a modern lens, and the film’s relentless pursuit of laughs sometimes comes at the expense of taste. That said, it still delivers big on energy, memorable one-liners, and the sheer absurdity of the crash-and-burn lifestyle.

    Also: shoutout to Bradley Cooper as the smarmy villainous boyfriend and Christopher Walken doing his usual weird brilliance as the Cleary patriarch. Plus, the film’s surprise cameo in the third act is still one of the all-time great rom-com twists.

    Ultimately, Wedding Crashers remains a significant entry in the bro-comedy canon—problematic in parts, yes, but undeniably influential and still packed with crowd-pleasing laughs. Whether you're in it for the romance or the ridiculousness, there’s plenty to talk about. 🎉💒🥂🕺💬

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  • The Wedding Singer

    The Wedding Singer

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week we’re dusting off our ruffled shirts and setting our time machines to the 1980s as we revisit The Wedding Singer (1998), a rom-com that’s equal parts sweet, silly, and synth-soaked.

    Directed by Frank Coraci and starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, this nostalgic crowd-pleaser finds Sandler in perhaps his most charming role as Robbie Hart, a down-on-his-luck wedding singer trying to recover from heartbreak. After being jilted at the altar, Robbie befriends Julia (Barrymore), a waitress engaged to a Grade-A sleazeball, and the two strike up a will-they-won’t-they friendship filled with awkward moments, big hair, and a killer retro soundtrack.

    The Wedding Singer balances slapstick with sincerity and is elevated by the natural chemistry between its leads. Barrymore’s sweetness softens Sandler’s usual chaos, making for a genuinely endearing romantic pairing. And let’s not forget Christine Taylor, Steve Buscemi’s brilliant drunken best man speech, and Billy Idol playing himself in one of the most gloriously absurd plane-based finales ever filmed.

    The movie also serves as a love letter to the 1980s, cramming in everything from breakdancing to New Wave fashion to Wall Street-era villainy. It’s unashamedly sentimental, but also knowingly daft—like a mixtape of cheesy love songs and punchy jokes that somehow hits all the right notes.

    Whether you grew up in the ‘80s or just wish you had, The Wedding Singer delivers that warm, fuzzy vibe that makes it ideal for rewatching with mates—or maybe even at a wedding. 🎤💍🕺🍾🎬

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  • Midweek Mention... Hitch

    Midweek Mention... Hitch

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review, where this week we’re going full rom-com with a film that brings swagger, charm, and a surprisingly heartfelt message to the genre: Hitch (2005).

    Directed by Andy Tennant and starring Will Smith in peak smooth-talking form, Hitch follows Alex “Hitch” Hitchens, a professional dating consultant known as the “Date Doctor.” His job? Helping awkward men win over the women of their dreams. His golden rule? No tricks, just helping guys be the best version of themselves. But when Hitch meets his match in cynical gossip columnist Sara Melas (played by Eva Mendes), he quickly discovers that love isn’t something you can plan—or dodge.

    Alongside the central romance, the film pairs Kevin James and Amber Valletta in a charmingly awkward subplot where Hitch tries to coach James’ character, Albert, into wooing a high-powered heiress. The physical comedy here is excellent, and James’ earnestness offers a perfect counterpoint to Smith’s practiced cool.

    What sets Hitch apart from other rom-coms of its era is its big-hearted message: behind every confident exterior, there’s vulnerability, and real connection comes from authenticity. It’s stylish, funny, and doesn’t take itself too seriously—but still manages to land some surprisingly sincere moments.

    Will Smith brings effortless charisma, but it's the ensemble that makes the film tick, and its breezy pacing keeps the whole thing light and engaging. Hitch might be formulaic in structure, but it sticks the landing thanks to strong performances and a script that knows when to wink and when to swoon.

    Perfect for a date night, guilty pleasure viewing, or just remembering when rom-coms had swagger and sincerity in equal measure. 💘🕶️🕺📓🎬

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  • Nightmare Alley & The Amazing Digital Circus

    Nightmare Alley & The Amazing Digital Circus

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review, where things get a little surreal this week as we juggle fire-eaters, human oddities, and digital freakshows in our Top 5 Circuses in Film and TV. We also run away to the big top with Guillermo del Toro’s noir thriller Nightmare Alley, and finish with the technicolour brain-melt that is The Amazing Digital Circus.

    🎪 Top 5 Circuses in Film and TV:

    1. The Circus (1928) – Charlie Chaplin’s silent-era classic features The Tramp joining a circus by accident and—naturally—becoming its star. Melancholy and magic in perfect balance.

    2. Dumbo (1941) – Disney’s iconic tale of the big-eared elephant is equal parts heart-breaking and heart-warming. A cautionary tale about cruelty under the big top.

    3. The Greatest Showman (2017) – Hugh Jackman’s razzle-dazzle musical take on P.T. Barnum’s life is light on facts but heavy on spectacle (and earworms).

    4. Nightmare Alley (2021) – Guillermo del Toro paints the circus in grotesque hues in this moody noir where carny life is a gateway to darker temptations.

    5. The Amazing Digital Circus (2023– ) – This animated YouTube sensation turns the circus concept inside out, trapping characters in a surreal digital hellscape ruled by a chaotic AI ringmaster. It's wild, weird, and surprisingly poignant.

    🎥 Main Feature: Nightmare Alley (2021)

    Del Toro’s remake of the 1947 noir is a haunting, slow-burn descent into manipulation, identity, and the rot lurking under showbiz sheen. Bradley Cooper stars as Stanton Carlisle, a drifter who learns the tricks of mentalism at a travelling carnival, only to push the illusion too far in the high-society circuits of New York.

    The early circus scenes are packed with atmosphere—muddy tents, geek shows, and broken dreams—and del Toro leans hard into classic noir aesthetics, all velvet shadows and moral ambiguity. Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, and Rooney Mara round out a strong cast, but it’s Cate Blanchett who steals the second act as a coolly manipulative psychiatrist.

    It’s a stylish, cynical fable about ambition, deception, and the masks we wear—under the tent and in the world.

    📺 Kids Feature: The Amazing Digital Circus

    This one might not be for everyone, but it’s become a phenomenon. Set in a liminal VR prison run by the hyperactive and unhinged Caine, this wildly stylised show follows digital avatars trying to retain their sanity in a world where logic and limbs can bend at any moment.

    It’s bright, bizarre, existential, and occasionally terrifying—like ReBoot meets Five Nights at Freddy’s, with a dash of Beetlejuice energy. For older kids and teens into edgy internet humour, it’s compelling, creepy, and oddly emotional.

    🎭 Discussion Points:

    Why is the circus such a fertile space for stories about identity, illusion, and reinvention?Nightmare Alley as a mirror to both carny life and high society: are they really so different?Can a digital circus be more unsettling than a real one?

    Whether it's big to

    We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com.

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  • Midweek Mention... The Emperor of Paris

    Midweek Mention... The Emperor of Paris

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week, we travel back to the shadowy underworld of post-revolutionary France with The Emperor of Paris (2018), a gritty historical crime drama that combines lavish period detail with pulpy intrigue and one of France’s most infamous figures—Eugène-François Vidocq.

    Directed by Jean-François Richet (Mesrine), The Emperor of Paris stars Vincent Cassel as Vidocq, a real-life criminal turned detective who forged a remarkable path from the depths of prison to become the head of France’s first modern detective agency. This cinematic retelling dramatizes his journey as he battles both the criminal underworld he once ruled and the powerful institutions that mistrust his redemption.

    The film excels in its production design, immersing viewers in the dank alleys, foggy courtyards, and grand salons of Napoleonic Paris. The costumes, sets, and atmosphere evoke an oppressive, corrupt society where everyone’s wearing a mask—metaphorically, if not literally.

    Cassel brings gravitas and grit to the role of Vidocq, portraying him not as a clean-cut hero but a deeply flawed, resourceful survivor—a man at constant war with his past and those who’d rather see him dead than reformed.

    Why It Stands Out

    Vincent Cassel is magnetic as ever, anchoring the film with intensity and quiet menace.The action sequences—knife fights in narrow passageways, rooftop chases, and prison breaks—are shot with stylish energy.It explores themes of identity, reputation, and redemption, questioning whether a man can ever truly escape his past.

    A Dad’s Take

    If you like your period dramas with more grime than gloss, The Emperor of Paris delivers. It’s a fascinating look at a real historical figure who straddled both sides of the law. Think Les Misérables with less singing and more stabbing. Not quite a family watch—but definitely one for fans of moody, slow-burn crime epics.

    🎩⚔️🇫🇷📜

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  • The Pig, The Snake and the Pigeon & Patchwork Pals

    The Pig, The Snake and the Pigeon & Patchwork Pals

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review, where this week we slither into our Top 5 Snakes in movies and TV, and shed our skins with two slinky features: the gritty 2023 Hong Kong action flick The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon, and a far more family-friendly offering in Patchwork Pals.

    Top 5 Snakes in Film & TV

    Kaa – The Jungle Book (1967/2016)
    Hypnotic eyes, silky voice, and a penchant for wrapping himself around unsuspecting jungle creatures—Kaa is the ultimate slithering villain. Whether voiced by Sterling Holloway or Scarlett Johansson, he leaves a lasting impression.Nagini – Harry Potter series
    Voldemort’s devoted reptilian sidekick and eventual Horcrux, Nagini is both a terrifying presence and a tragic figure with a deeper backstory revealed in Fantastic Beasts.Snake Plissken – Escape from New York (1981)
    OK, not a literal snake—but Kurt Russell’s eye-patched anti-hero is too iconic to leave off. He’s venomous in attitude if not species.The Basilisk – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
    A giant snake living in Hogwarts’ plumbing system? Sure. Just don’t look it in the eyes.Sir Hiss – Disney’s Robin Hood (1973)
    This snooty, sycophantic serpent floats around in a basket and gets on everyone’s nerves—just the sort of snake you love to hiss at.

    Main Feature: The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon (2023)

    Directed by Wong Ching-po, this brutal neo-noir action thriller tells the story of Mok, a terminally ill gangster who finds out he has only days to live. With nothing left to lose, he sets out on a violent spree to go out in a blaze of infamy. But as his legend grows, so does the bounty on his head—and he becomes prey for a series of contract killers with styles as flamboyant as they are deadly.

    With its hyper-stylized violence, morally bankrupt characters, and pitch-black humour, this one is not for the faint of heart. It’s a fever dream of bloodshed, masculinity, and fatalism, with moments that almost border on the surreal. The action choreography is tight, the visuals are stylish, and the tone walks a fine line between grindhouse and art film. There are snakes here—not just the metaphorical kind—and they’re not easy to charm.

    Kids TV: Patchwork Pals

    In need of something to balance out the darkness? Enter Patchwork Pals, the gentle animated show aimed at preschoolers. Each short episode centres on a different soft toy animal who has a problem—and must find a creative, cooperative solution. The snake in Patchwork Pals is a colourful, friendly creature who isn't scary at all—just a bit stuck and in need of help from their pals.

    Wholesome, sweet, and ideal for very young viewers, it’s the kind of thing that soothes minds and teaches emotional intelligence, problem-solving, and kindness.

    Whether you’re charmed or chilled, this week’s show is full of bite. 🐍💥👶🎬

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  • Midweek Mention... Black Snake Moan

    Midweek Mention... Black Snake Moan

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review, where this week we tackle one of the more provocative and unexpected Southern dramas of the 2000s: Black Snake Moan. Directed by Craig Brewer (coming off the back of Hustle & Flow), this 2006 film is a steamy, blues-soaked morality tale that’s equal parts sweaty melodrama, redemption story, and twisted fairy tale.

    Set in the heat-hazed Deep South, the film centres around Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson), a recently heartbroken, God-fearing bluesman trying to make sense of his life after his wife leaves him. One morning he discovers Rae (Christina Ricci), a beaten, half-naked young woman, lying unconscious on the roadside outside his home.

    Rae, it turns out, is in the grip of a destructive form of hypersexuality, fuelled by childhood trauma and exacerbated by the departure of her boyfriend Ronnie (Justin Timberlake), who's been sent off to the military. Convinced that he’s been given a sign from God, Lazarus decides to "cure" Rae of her demons—by chaining her to his radiator and keeping her indoors until she’s healed.

    Yes, you read that right.

    Samuel L. Jackson gives one of his more underrated performances here, dialling down the swagger and leaning into quiet intensity. Christina Ricci is absolutely fearless—vulnerable, unhinged, and magnetic. Together, their dynamic is unpredictable and uncomfortable, but strangely compelling.

    Black Snake Moan is not one for a casual Friday night with the kids. It’s adult in every sense—narratively, thematically, and visually. But for those looking for a film that gets under the skin, challenges moral assumptions, and leans into some serious swampy weirdness, it’s worth the plunge.

    It’s also a rare thing: a redemption story that’s not afraid to be messy, ambiguous, and morally murky. You might not love it, but you probably won’t forget it.

    Like the blues songs it honours, Black Snake Moan is raw, aching, and full of contradictions. It’s about broken people trying to find healing in a world that doesn’t offer easy answers. Misunderstood by some, championed by others, it’s a film that howls with pain but hums with strange hope.

    🎸⛓️🔥🌾👨‍👧‍👦🍿

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  • Miracle Mile

    Miracle Mile

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    🎬 Miracle Mile (1988)

    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week we’re taking a trip back to the late ’80s for a cult favourite that defies expectations and genre conventions: Miracle Mile. Written and directed by Steve De Jarnatt, this 1988 thriller starts like a quirky romantic comedy before turning into a full-blown apocalyptic nightmare. It’s a film that asks a terrifying question: what would you do if you knew the world was ending—in 70 minutes?

    Harry (Anthony Edwards), a sweet, slightly awkward musician, meets Julie (Mare Winningham) in Los Angeles and sparks fly. They arrange to meet later that night, but fate intervenes when Harry accidentally sleeps through his alarm. Arriving at the diner hours late, he’s met with confusion—until a random call on a payphone changes everything.

    The caller, believing he’s reached his father, is panicked: nuclear war is imminent. The U.S. has already launched its missiles and retaliation is on the way. Harry suddenly has the burden of knowing the world may end in just over an hour—and worse still, nobody believes him.

    The film unfolds in real-time as Harry tries to find Julie and escape the city, all while chaos slowly blooms around them. The once-quirky atmosphere turns dark, frantic, and despairing, as Los Angeles begins to tear itself apart in anticipation of annihilation.

    Underrated in its time, Miracle Mile has grown a strong cult following thanks to its uncompromising narrative and haunting synth-heavy Tangerine Dream score. It’s one of those films you watch once and can’t quite shake.

    Miracle Mile isn’t one for the kids. The growing sense of dread, sudden violence, and bleak ending make it better suited to older teens and adults who can appreciate its boldness and craft. It’s a film about the end of the world—on a very human scale.

    It also feels eerily prescient in the age of social media, misinformation, and global anxiety. The panic is contagious, and the idea that everything could fall apart in a matter of minutes hits harder than ever.

    A strange, sad, and singular film, Miracle Mile is one of the great what-would-you-do thrillers. It doesn’t offer easy answers or comforting closure, but what it does provide is a uniquely gripping vision of love, fear, and impending doom. A true '80s oddity that’s well worth rediscovering.

    💥🕒📞🌆👨‍👧‍👦🍿

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  • Midweek Mention... Happy Gilmore

    Midweek Mention... Happy Gilmore

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review, where this week we’re dusting off the golf clubs and heading to the green for one of Adam Sandler’s most beloved and chaotic comedies: Happy Gilmore. Directed by Dennis Dugan and released in 1996, this sports-comedy cult classic swings hard with juvenile gags, unexpected heart, and more fistfights than you’d ever expect in a golf movie.

    Happy Gilmore (Sandler) is a failed hockey player with a temper problem and a surprisingly powerful slapshot. After discovering that his unique (and deeply unorthodox) swing can drive a golf ball the length of a football field, he stumbles into the PGA tour—not out of love for the sport, but to raise money to save his beloved grandmother’s house from foreclosure.

    But golf, as it turns out, is full of smug pros, snooty country clubs, and unspoken rules. Happy’s arrival—complete with loud trousers, foul language, and literal wrestling moves—ruffles feathers, especially with tour golden boy Shooter McGavin (a scene-stealing Christopher McDonald), who quickly becomes Happy’s nemesis.

    With the help of former pro Chubbs Peterson (Carl Weathers, complete with a wooden hand) and love interest/publicist Virginia Venit (Julie Bowen), Happy sets out to conquer golf in his own anarchic way. There’s also an unforgettable appearance from Bob Barker—yes, that Bob Barker—in one of the most unexpected and hilarious cameos in movie history.

    Happy Gilmore is probably best suited to older kids and teens thanks to the language and violence (including a man being hit by a Volkswagen and another being mauled by an alligator). But for grown-up kids of the ’90s, it’s a nostalgic gem that still delivers laughs—often in spite of itself.

    It’s not highbrow, it’s not subtle, and it’s certainly not refined, but it knows exactly what it is: a hilarious, scrappy underdog sports comedy with a foul mouth and a huge heart.

    Happy Gilmore is loud, juvenile, and a little bit stupid—and that’s exactly why it works. It’s a goofy celebration of doing things your own way, sticking it to pompous gatekeepers, and punching your way to success… even on the golf course. Fore! ⛳️👊👨‍👧‍👦🍿

    We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com.

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  • Missouri Breaks: The Ballad of Missouri Bill

    Missouri Breaks: The Ballad of Missouri Bill

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    🎬 Missouri Breaks: The Ballad of Missouri Bill (2024)

    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week we’re heading west—way west—with a striking little indie feature that punches well above its weight: Missouri Breaks: The Ballad of Missouri Bill. Directed by Jarrod Christman and Weston Grillo, this 2024 low-budget Western was filmed entirely in the Idaho wilderness and tells a stripped-back, gritty story of one man’s battle with his past and the unforgiving land around him.

    Set in the Idaho Territory in 1880, we follow the quiet, haunted figure of Missouri Bill—played with quiet intensity by Jon Grillo—a veteran of the Civil War who’s fled the violence of the East for a new life out West. But peace proves elusive. When a ghost from Bill’s bloody past emerges in the form of a mysterious pursuer, he’s forced to confront both physical and psychological demons in a brutal showdown that’s as much about memory as it is survival.

    Shot on location with a local cast and crew, this film leans into its limitations. There’s no grandiose shootouts or sweeping vistas here—just dusty trails, tense silences, and character-driven storytelling. The production design is minimalist but authentic, and the cinematography makes excellent use of the rugged Idaho landscape. The music—written and performed by director Jarrod Christman—underscores the mournful tone, adding a real sense of place and mood.

    Though made on a shoestring budget, Missouri Breaks: The Ballad of Missouri Bill is all about doing more with less. It's a quiet film, meditative in places, but with sharp edges. Think The Assassination of Jesse James on a micro-budget. The story isn’t breaking new ground, but its sincerity and focus on internal conflict give it emotional weight. And while the dialogue is sparse, the performances—particularly Grillo’s—carry the emotional load with surprising depth.

    This one may fly under the radar for most, but for fans of the genre—or anyone who appreciates a slow-burn indie drama with a dusty heart—this is well worth your time. It’s rough, it’s raw, and it’s got a heart as heavy as a saddlebag full of regrets.

    Final Verdict:
    A rugged, introspective indie Western that favours mood and character over action and spectacle. One for the lonesome cowboy in all of us. 🤠🌄👨‍👧‍👦🍿

    We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com.

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  • Midweek Mention... The Matrix

    Midweek Mention... The Matrix

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review, where this week we take the red pill and tumble down the rabbit hole into the genre-defining cyberpunk classic that is The Matrix (1999). Prepare for slow-mo shootouts, existential dread, and the most influential sunglasses in cinema history.

    Written and directed by the Wachowskis, The Matrix dropped like a black-leather-clad bomb on the sci-fi landscape in 1999 and changed the game forever. Keanu Reeves stars as Neo, a disillusioned computer hacker who learns that his reality is a simulated construct designed by sentient machines to subjugate humanity. Waking up to the "real world" — a dystopian nightmare where humans are harvested for energy — Neo is recruited by the mysterious Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and the fiercely cool Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) to help fight back.

    The plot may be straight out of a philosophy seminar, but it’s delivered with style, intensity, and more bullet-time than you can dodge.

    It turns out the dads still know kung fu. Revisiting The Matrix was a treat — we all had memories of our minds being blown by it the first time around, and it's still astonishing how well it holds up. While the sequels sparked debate, this original entry is tight, clever, and endlessly entertaining. A particular highlight was rediscovering how well the film balances its heady concepts with genuine emotion and momentum.

    We couldn’t help but chuckle at the turn-of-the-millennium cool factor, but there’s no denying that The Matrix still feels cool — and crucially, smart. It walks the line between popcorn blockbuster and brainy thriller with serious finesse.

    The Matrix remains one of the most influential films of the last 30 years. It changed action cinema, reshaped science fiction, and made philosophy sexy — all while kicking ass in slow motion. Whether you’re here for the kung fu, the coding metaphors, or just to watch Agent Smith get punched in the face, there’s always a reason to plug back in.

    💊🖥️⛓️👨‍👧‍👦🍿

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  • Hot Fuzz

    Hot Fuzz

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review, where this week we lock, stock, and double-tap our way into the gloriously over-the-top world of Hot Fuzz (2007), the second film in Edgar Wright’s beloved Cornetto Trilogy. With an outrageous body count and a razor-sharp script, it’s a love letter to action movies — by way of twee English village life.

    Directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg, Hot Fuzz stars Simon Pegg as Nicholas Angel, a no-nonsense London supercop who’s so good at his job that he’s making everyone else look bad. As a result, he’s reassigned to the sleepy village of Sandford, where crime seems suspiciously low — and the residents suspiciously Stepford.

    Teamed up with the bumbling but big-hearted PC Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), Angel initially struggles with Sandford’s slower pace — until a series of grisly “accidents” reveals something darker lurking beneath the surface. Cue a rampage of pensioners, hidden agendas, and a spectacular finale with more gunfire than the M25 at rush hour.

    This is one we could all agree on: Hot Fuzz is a near-perfect comedy that rewards repeat viewings. It’s cleverly constructed, endlessly quotable (“The greater good!”), and absolutely packed with details that make it a joy to dissect. Whether you’re a fan of action movies, British humour, or seeing Timothy Dalton with a smug smile and a hedge trimmer, there’s something here for you.

    Hot Fuzz takes the quiet menace of rural England and sets it ablaze with blockbuster spectacle and sharp comedy. It’s both homage and original, firing on all cylinders from start to finish. If you like your action with a side of Bakewell tart and local shop for local people energy, this one’s a must-watch.

    🚔🧨🌳👮‍♂️👨‍👧‍👦🍿

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  • Midweek Mention... Machine Gun Preacher

    Midweek Mention... Machine Gun Preacher

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review, where this week we take a look at the explosive and controversial biopic Machine Gun Preacher (2011), directed by Marc Forster and starring Gerard Butler. It’s the story of one man’s radical transformation from violent criminal to war-zone humanitarian — and yes, it’s exactly as subtle as it sounds.

    🎬 Main Feature: Machine Gun Preacher (2011)

    Gerard Butler stars as Sam Childers, a former drug-dealing biker who finds religion, cleans up his act, and then takes on a much bigger mission: fighting warlords in Sudan to protect orphaned children. It’s an incredible true story — emphasis on incredible — based on Childers' memoir Another Man’s War.

    Childers, after a spiritual awakening, travels to East Africa and builds an orphanage on the frontlines of a brutal civil war. As he witnesses the atrocities committed by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), he becomes increasingly militant, armed with both a Bible and a machine gun. The film asks: Can violent action be justified in the name of good?

    This one left us mixed. There’s no denying the story’s power — a man tries to make good by fighting evil in its rawest form. But the film’s lack of subtlety, uneven pacing, and one-note characters made it tough to connect emotionally. It wants to be gritty and spiritual at the same time, but often ends up caught between a sermon and a shootout.

    Still, there’s something undeniably compelling about the real-life Sam Childers, and the movie does manage to provoke thought, even if it doesn’t always land gracefully.

    Machine Gun Preacher is part faith-based redemption arc, part action-revenge flick, and it doesn’t always reconcile the two. It’s bold, loud, and full of conviction — much like its protagonist — but whether it inspires or exhausts may depend on your taste for moral ambiguity served with automatic weapons.

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  • Only God Forgives

    Only God Forgives

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review, where this week we’re taking a neon-lit, blood-soaked trip through the moody underworld of Bangkok with Nicolas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives (2013). If you thought Drive was a stylish slow burn, this one cranks up the stillness, strips back the dialogue, and drops you into a hallucinatory revenge opera that’s equal parts mesmerizing and maddening.

    Ryan Gosling stars as Julian, a quiet, emotionally blank drug smuggler running a Muay Thai gym as a front in Bangkok. When his volatile brother Billy is murdered for committing an unspeakable crime, their monstrous mother Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas) arrives in town demanding vengeance. Julian is reluctantly pulled into a spiral of violence and surreal symbolism, facing off against Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm), a sword-wielding police lieutenant who dispenses his own brutal, godlike justice.

    Refn drenches the screen in glowing reds and deep shadows, pairing every scene with an eerie, droning score from Cliff Martinez. The film is light on plot and even lighter on dialogue—Gosling speaks fewer than 20 lines—but the atmosphere is thick enough to cut with a katana.

    Only God Forgives is a fever dream of a film—icy cold yet visually scorching. It’s like a revenge thriller that’s been put through a Lynchian blender, leaving behind a hushed, haunted meditation on masculinity, vengeance, and judgement. If you want action, go elsewhere. If you want mood and madness, step right in.

    💥⚔️🇹🇭👨‍👧‍👦🍿

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  • Midweek Mention... Hundreds of Beavers

    Midweek Mention... Hundreds of Beavers

    · Bad Dads Film Review

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    Welcome back to Bad Dads Film Review! This week, we're diving whiskers-first into the utterly bonkers, wildly inventive indie oddity that is Hundreds of Beavers — a film that may be about trapping furry woodland critters but ends up capturing something much rarer: pure, anarchic cinematic joy.

    Directed by Mike Cheslik and starring frequent collaborator Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, Hundreds of Beavers is a near-silent, black-and-white slapstick adventure set in a surreal 19th-century frontier. It follows a hapless, hard-drinking applejack salesman (Tews) who finds himself stranded in a snowy wilderness and must learn the ways of the wild—specifically how to trap beavers—in order to survive, thrive, and maybe even win the heart of a fur trader’s daughter.

    What makes this film stand out isn’t just its lo-fi commitment to absurdity—it’s the hand-crafted world of practical effects, person-in-costume beavers, and cartoon physics that turn it into a live-action Looney Tunes episode by way of Buster Keaton.

    🧊 Why We Loved It

    Slapstick Supremacy: Tews delivers a physical performance that channels Chaplin, Keaton, and even a little Mr. Bean. It’s a film where a single man getting smacked in the face by an anthropomorphic beaver trap is not just funny—it’s art.Pure Visual Comedy: There’s barely a word of dialogue, but it doesn't matter. The storytelling is crystal clear through a perfect blend of timing, performance, and imaginative visuals. It’s modern silent cinema done right.DIY Wonder: This is microbudget filmmaking at its most inspired. The inventiveness and sheer commitment of the cast and crew to an utterly ridiculous premise makes this a cult classic in the making.A Celebration of the Absurd: From farting outhouses to exploding traps to a cast of fully costumed beavers engaging in battle, this is a film that leans all the way into its nonsense, but never loses sight of structure or charm.

    Hundreds of Beavers is a joyous, gonzo achievement—a slapstick snowstorm of ingenuity, beaver costumes, and frontier lunacy. It doesn’t take itself seriously, but it seriously delivers on laughs, creativity, and heart. Whether you're a connoisseur of physical comedy or just want to see a man wage war against the local fauna in increasingly unhinged ways, this is a film that rewards the curious.

    It’s not just one of the most original comedies we’ve seen recently—it’s one of the most original films full stop. 🦫❄️🎬

    We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at [email protected] or on our website baddadsfilm.com.

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