Retro Ramble – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Charlie and George are back in Bond territory, as they celebrate 60 years of Goldfinger! 

Tackling the third film in the series, this classic Connery caper established a lot of the Bond formula we know and love.    The brothers discuss behind the scenes trivia, casting, a brassy John Barry score and some of the most iconic moments in the Bond franchise!   Do you expect us to talk? No, expect us to Ramble! 

Charlie and George board the USCSS Nostromo to discuss one of the biggest influences on modern sci-fi horror: Alien!   To celebrate the upcoming release of Alien: Romulus, they'll be delving deep into the film that gave birth to a mega-franchise.   From the original script to the talented concept artists and a new up-and-coming director, one Ridley Scott, they will cover it all!   Remember, in space, no one can hear you scream, but we certainly hope you listen to this episode!

Charlie and George are joined by returning guest Andy Hughes to discuss 20 years of Kill Bill! To celebrate they are revisiting "the whole bloody affair", which means both volumes 1 & 2!   It's a bumper episode taking in first memories, soundtracks, iconic anime, elaborate fight choreography and a brief overview of all things Tarantino.   There's also alternative casting in Coulda Woulda Shoulda, alternate cuts and mooted sequels/spin offs.    Retro Ramble 2023      

Charlie and George head to Antarctica to discuss the horror classic, John Carpenter's The Thing.    They delve into the film's origins, its haunting Morricone score, Rob Bottin's ground-breaking practical effects, and several Suspicious Spin-Offs!   Listeners can expect a healthy dose of paranoia, poor impressions, and fawning over Kurt Russell.    If you're in the mood for more John Carpenter spookiness, make sure to check out their thoughts on Halloween (1978) and They Live! (1988) over on their Patreon channel at https://www.patreon.com/retroramble.

Charlie and George are back in sweaty LA with a slick slice of early nineties action with The Last Boy Scout!

Brought to us by a holy action quartet of star Bruce Willis, writer Shane Black, producer Joel Silver and director Tony Scott - explosive action (on and behind the camera) is guaranteed!

We dive deep into this film's production and share some juicy behind-the-scenes facts. Plus, in our "Coulda Woulda Shoulda" segment, we'll be discussing some alternative casting choices that could have made this movie very different!

But it's not all about our thoughts - we want to hear from you too! Let us know where The Last Boy Scout ranks on your list of favourite 80s/90s action movies. Don't be shy, let us know what Last Boy Scout means to you!

Retro Ramble 2023

Charlie and George don their tuxedos to celebrate the 40th anniversary of two competing Bond films, Octopussy and Never Say Never Again! 

Features a behind-the-scenes discussion regarding the complicated ownership of James Bond rights in cinema, dating back decades. The hosts also compare the strengths and weaknesses of both films, including casting choices and production values. 

As always, expect a plethora of bad impressions!

Further reading

As discussed in the episode, we recommend all Bond fans check out the following books, which massively helped our research:   Some Kind of Hero by Ajay Chowdhury and Matthew Field The Battle for Bond by Robert Sellers

Charlie and George slip on the black leather jumpsuits for some naughties comic book action, X-Men! 

The first of a 13 film franchise and years before the birth of the MCU, there's much to discuss - years in development, script challenges, budget constraints and behind the scenes drama*    As usual, there's alternative casting in Coulda Woulda Shoulda and plenty of Ian McKellen impressions.   *For more insight to the drama here's the Hollywood Reporter article referenced in the episode https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/bryan-singers-traumatic-x-men-set-movie-created-a-monster-1305081/    

Charlie and George go in search of The Holy Grail, as they saddle up to review Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade!

With Indy's fifth and final adventure in cinemas, the McGhee boys revisit the original closing chapter of the action adventure saga!

They talk the crazy early scripts (possibly including monkeys and biomechanical Nazis) alternative casting, practical effects and stunning stunts!

Retro Ramble 2023

In this month's episode, Charlie and George head from grimy Detroit to sunny Los Angeles, that's right, we're finally reviewing Beverly Hills Cop!   The brothers discuss everything from it's more serious origins, Eddie Murphy's rise to stardom and the villains you love to hate! There's also some very interesting alternative casting in Coulda Woulda Shoulda and the usual bad impressions!   Sit back, enjoy, maybe make yourself an espresso with a little lemon twist?   Retro Ramble 2023

In this month's episode, Charlie and George are willing to believe a man will fly - with a podcast special on Superman The Movie and Superman 2!

  The films had a big effect on the Brothers McGhee growing up and as it's the Man of Steel's 85th anniversary (and 45th anniversary of the first movie) it felt the right time to revisit the classic comic book epics!   There's a whole lotta Superchat to get through, gigantic scripts, creative accounting, crazy casting, location changes, and plenty of behind the scenes drama!   The lengthy chat only covers the theatrical cuts of these films, however we will be covering the Richard Donner Cut of Superman 2 in a Patreon special in the near future!