At Beyond The Box Set, we believe every great movie deserves a questionable sequel. Each week, we take a stand-alone cinema classic and compete to come up with the best, worst and most bizarre pitches to bring them back to the big screen.
Episodes
Friday Jul 13, 2018
Friday Jul 13, 2018
A disturbed teenage girl. A baby-snatching goblin king with a distractingly prominent codpiece. A supporting cast of creature features ranging from bizarre to frankly terrifying. Every scene of Jim Henson's Labyrinth is burned into the memories of a generation of movie viewers.
With the late-great David Bowie taking the iconic role of Jareth, the aforementioned well endowed Goblin King, any proposed sequel to this 80s classic would have to wrestle with the unthinkable prospect of recasting. Who could possibly step into his shoes? This week on Beyond The Box Set, we've challenged ourselves to come up with some ideas...
Labyrinth is a rare film that we both have equally strong memories of, proving that despite initially poor box office returns, the movie enjoys a truly timeless appeal. Join us on this week's episode as we discuss bad acting vs dream acting, the bizarre genius of the Bog of Eternal Stench and why Sir Didymus is the absolute worst...
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Beyond The Box Set is the hit British podcast in which two hapless but creative film nerds pitch sequel, prequel and spin-off ideas for classic standalone movies. We've been featured as a must-listen Podcast by Podbean, The Guardian and iTunes, and our show is available on virtually all major platforms.
We also have a dedicated Patreon page where fans can access a host of bonus content, including our weekly cinema review show 'Beyond BTBS' and the opportunity to choose a film for us to cover on a future episode of the main show - all for as little as £2 per month!.
00.00: Seriously, that codpiece...
27.50: Labyrinth Drinking Games
33.45: Labyrinth: A 30 Rock Production
47.40: Labyrinth 2: Revenge of the Goblin Queen
1.02.00: Listener Submissions & Episode 74 Preview
Thursday Jul 05, 2018
Thursday Jul 05, 2018
She sings! She acts! She directs! Barbra Streisand is perhaps the ultimate triple-threat pop icon, and she makes her Beyond The Box Set debut this week as we pitch sequel ideas for her 1983 passion project Yentl...
The story of a plucky young(?) Jewish girl whose insatiable passion for learning drives her to disguise herself as a man, Yentl was a movie over two decades in the making for Streisand. In addition to directing and starring in the movie, she also produced it and co-wrote the screenplay.
Her dedication was rewarded when the movie was released to strong box office returns and enthusiastic reviews - Steven Spielberg famously described the film as "the greatest directorial debut since Citizen Kane" - although his then-girlfriend Amy Irving played the second female lead, so he might have been slightly biased.
In this week's episode we discuss Yentl's surprisingly complex depiction of gender and sexuality, the unexpected sexiness of 80s Mandy Patinkin, why the soft focus lighting is practically a fourth character in this movie and much more... before moving on to sequel pitches that attempt to tackle the eternal question - who could possibly replace Barbra Streisand in a movie?
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Each week on Beyond The Box Set, we pitch fictional sequel ideas for classic standalone movies. From iconic hits like Titanic and Forrest Gump to cult hits and forgettable Jennifer Lopez vehicles - there's nothing we can't spin out into a fantasy franchise...
A combination of movie review, creative fan fiction and comedy, we've been featured as a Podcast of the Week by The Guardian and Podbean, in addition to being listed as a 'Binge Worthy Podcast' by iTunes. You can check out the show on all good Podcasting platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, aCast and Google Podcasts. We also have a Patreon page where you can access a wide range of exciting bonus content for as little as $2 per month.
00.00: God Damn Mandy Patinkin!
31.00: Yentl Drinking Games
38.20: Yentl: Master of Disguise
46.50: Yentl: A Titanic Talent
1.01.00: Listener Submissions & Episode 73 Preview
Thursday Jun 28, 2018
Thursday Jun 28, 2018
I'll tell you what we want, what we really, really want... a sequel to Spice World, the 1997 meta-comedy / cash in released to capitalise on the brief but phenomenal popularity of Scary, Sporty, Ginger, Baby and Posh - collectively known as The Spice Girls.
As a quintessential child of the nineties, John is a die-hard Spice Girls fan who's seen the band live, knows their albums inside out - even the rubbish third one - and still lives his life according to the principles of Girl Power. Harry vaguely remembers that his sisters used to listen to them occasionally...
Will our co-hosts find common ground in revisiting this musical time capsule? Join us as we discuss the impenetrable plot, pointless celebrity cameos and the unexpected comic genius of Victoria 'Posh Spice' Beckham...
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Beyond The Box Set is a hit British podcast that combines movie reviews, comedy and creative fan fiction to hilarious effect. Every week, we take a classic standalone movie and compete to pitch the most ridiculous sequel, prequel or spin-off ideas to bring them back to the big screen.
We've been featured as a Podcast of the Week by The Guardian and Podbean, in addition to being listed as a 'Binge Worthy Podcast' by iTunes. You can check out the show on all good Podcasting platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, aCast and Google Podcasts. We also have a Patreon page where you can access a wide range of exciting bonus content for as little as $2 per month.
00.00: Everyone who hates this movie is objectively stupid
23.20: Spice World Drinking Games
30.35: SGCU - A Spice Girls Cinematic Universe
44.10: Spice World II: Fallen Kingdom
59.45: Listener Submissions & Episode 72 Preview
Thursday Jun 21, 2018
Thursday Jun 21, 2018
In a very special Podcast crossover episode, Helen and Kobi from FlixWatcher join us to discuss David O.Russell's darkly comedic Gulf War movie Three Kings, starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube.
Released in 1999, Three Kings was a major breakthrough for O.Russell, grossing over $100 million and achieving widespread critical acclaim. It tells the story of four US soldiers attempting to steal a hidden cache of war gold from Iraqi soldiers during a tense 1991 ceasefire between the two countries, until a series of surprisingly brutal mishaps turn their adventure into a rescue mission.
Join us as we discuss on-set tensions, Mark Wahlberg's journey from The Funky Bunch to serious actor and the time Harry went on a family holiday to Iraq, before attempting to navigate our near-total ignorance of middle-eastern geopolitics in pursuit of some workable sequel ideas...
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Beyond The Box Set is a movie review podcast with a difference. Each week we take a classic standalone movie and compete to pitch sequel, prequel or spin-off ideas to bring them back to the big screen. Mainstream recognition includes being named 'Podcast of the Week' by The Guardian and a listing as a 'Binge worthy podcast' by iTunes.
You can find our show for free download or streaming on all good podcasting platforms, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and Stitcher. If you like the show, don't forget to check out our Patreon for a wide variety of incentives and bonus content.
00.00: This movie holds up. Silver Linings Playbook does not.
32.55: Three Kings Drinking Games
40.10: Three Kings II: Six Royals
47.00: Three Kings 2: Three Wise Men
1.02.30: Listener Submissions & Episode 71 Preview
Thursday Jun 14, 2018
Thursday Jun 14, 2018
There are certain actors we'll watch in just about anything. Cher is one, Winona Ryder is another. In Mermaids, the pair play mother and daughter, with Christina Ricci and Bob Hoskins in supporting roles and a fabulous 1960s soundtrack in the background. Let's be realistic, there was never any way we weren't going to love this movie.
Released in 1990, a time when both women were at the height of their movie careers, Mermaids is a gentle coming of age dramedy based on a novel by Patty Dunn. It's very much a product of its time, but a little bit darker and more thoughtful than you probably remember it being - particularly if, like us, your main memory of the film is that it featured Cher's cover of the Shoop Shoop Song.
This week on Beyond The Box Set, we're joined by returning guest Lucy Meredith to discuss iconic wigs, Winona's intense inner monologues, the ineffable sex appeal of Bob Hoskins and more. We also pitch some scenarios to reunite these two quintessential Hollywood survivors in a sequel - with ideas including a musical, multiple road trips and an unlikely genre-shift into 'Black Swan' style body horror...
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Beyond The Box Set is a movie review podcast with a twist. Each week we take a classic standalone movie and compete to pitch sequel, prequel or spin-off ideas to bring them back to the big screen. We were recently featured as a 'Podcast of the Week' by The Guardian and have been listed as a 'Binge worthy podcast' by iTunes.
You can find us on all good podcasting platforms, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and Stitcher. If you like the show, don't forget to check out our Patreon for a wide variety of incentives and bonus content.
00.00: Demented monologues and iconic slap scenes
36.00: Mermaids Drinking Games
43.20: Mermaids 2: Search For The Merman
57.00: Mermaids 2: A Body Horror With Actual Mermaids In It
1.04.45: Mermaids II: On The Road
1.12.35: Listener Submissions & Episode 70 Preview
Thursday Jun 07, 2018
Thursday Jun 07, 2018
Jennifer Lopez is a diva, an icon and one of the defining celebrities of the 21st Century... that's what co-host John thinks, anyway. Harry, on the other hand, has never knowingly seen or heard anything she's ever done.
Hence, the latest edition of our increasingly inaccurate 'Sing Your Way To An Oscar' mini-season offers a crash-course in J.Lo, as we revisit one of her most recent cinematic successes - the campy, ridiculous but strangely compelling The Boy Next Door.
Like much of J.Lo's oeuvre, The Boy Next Door received scathing reviews but proved to be oddly critic-proof; grossing $52.4 million against a 4 million budget. While the movie doesn't exactly leave the door open for a sequel, we definitely think there's franchise potential here.
Join us in this feature-length episode as we celebrate some of our favourite ludicrous scenes - from J.Lo's improbably glamour to Kristen Chenoweth's gleeful scenery chewing - before diving into some sequel pitches that include a classic slasher and the unlikely but possibly genius concept of Jenny from the Block doing a Spike Jonze movie.
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Beyond The Box Set is a movie podcast with a difference. Each episode sees co-hosts Harry and John take on a classic - or questionably classic - standalone movie and compete to pitch the most ridiculous sequel, prequel or spin-off ideas to bring them back to the big screen. Our show has been featured by Apple Podcasts, Podbean, The Guardian among others.
00.00: Costumes by Versace, Lighting by Streisand
56.00: The Boy Next Door Drinking Games
1.03.50: The Boy Next Door: Who Is Jennifer Lopez?
1.24.00: The Boy Next Door II: The Obligatory Straight to DVD Sequel
1.36.00: Listener Submissions & Episode 69 Preview
Thursday May 31, 2018
Thursday May 31, 2018
If you have any doubt about how important Jack Black was to the success of School of Rock, just try to imagine literally any other comic actor in his age range playing the part. The role of Dewey Finn, a dangerously unqualified supply teacher who nevertheless uses his musical talent and boundless enthusiasm to inspire a class of pre-teens is probably the purest expression of Black's talents ever seen on the big screen.
It's also a movie that's aged phenomenally well - give or take a dodgy reference or two. So despite John's general antipathy towards rock 'n' roll purists, it was a surprising delight to revisit. In this episode, we talk questionable nicknames, daytime rock concerts and the instant screen legend that is Billy the costume designer, before pitching some ideas for a long overdue class reunion...
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00.00: It's not tacky, and we don't hate it
25.30: School of Rock Drinking Games
32.30: The Culinary School of Rock
46.00: School of Rock 2: Growing Up
56.20: Listener Submissions & Episode 68 Preview
Thursday May 24, 2018
Thursday May 24, 2018
Whether you love or loathe his signature brand of whimsical storytelling and themes of upper middle-class ennui, Wes Anderson is one of the most recognised and decorated auteur directors currently working in Hollywood. Inspired by the realisation that neither of us had really seen a lot of his work, we decided to dive into his 2001 breakthrough hit The Royal Tenenbaums - in many ways the quintessential Wes Anderson movie.
Featuring an A-list cast that inclues Gene Hackman, Angelica Huston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller and Luke Wilson, The Royal Tenenbaums tells the story of a family of burned-out eccentrics who reunite after their long-estranged father returns claiming he has just weeks to live and wishes to make amends with his suspicious children.
Join us as we discuss American royalty, inconsistent narration and Gwyneth's impeccable smoky eye while attempting to determine whether the Anderson brand is a taste we can see ourselves acquiring in the long term. We also create some drinking games and of course pitch our own sequel ideas for the movie - a surprisingly challenging proposition that leads to some out-of-the-box ideas including a gameshow, a reality TV crossover and the first ever Beyond The Box Set Board Game.
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00.00: Everyone must have terrible body odour in this movie...
25.25: The Royal Tenenbaums Drinking Games
35.00: The Royal Tenenbaums 2: The Royal Kardashians
54.45: The Royal Tenenbaums 2: All About Margot
1.07.15: Listener Submissions & Episode 66 Preview
Friday May 18, 2018
Friday May 18, 2018
Finding a Disney movie with no sequels is a pretty tall order, so this week we drafted in a professional. James Mason PHD has an actual doctorate in Disney - making him the perfect guest to talk through the underrated 2002 sci-fi Treasure Planet - a rare misfire that was swiftly buried by the Disney corporation after its warm reviews failed to translate into box office receipts.
The long-gestating passion project of directors Ron Clements and John Musker, Treasure Planet takes Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure Treasure Island and reboots it in a colourful futuristic galaxy populated by robots and aliens. The film is a notable change of pace from many Disney animations, with a lack of big musical numbers and a plot that eschews traditional love interests and focuses instead on the complicated father-son relationship played out by Hawkins and the morally compromised Long John Silber.
In this episode, we discuss daddy issues, horrible Goo Goo Dolls songs and 'The Jar Jar Factor' - all of which make Treasure Planet a flawed but fascinating addition to the Disney Animated canon. We also pitch our own sequels to the movie, including a prequel that reveals the fate of Jim Hawkins' absent father, a round of recontextualised spin-offs featuring dinosaurs, mean teens and 90s sitcom stars, and what we're pretty sure would be Disney's first ever LGBT-themed part-animated murder thriller...
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00.00: The Muppets Did It Better
29.40: Treasure Planet Drinking Games
41.40: Treasure Planet 2: The Map To Treasure Planet
55.50: Treasure Planet: A Disney Crime Story
1.03.05: Treasure Granite, Treasure High-Land and Treasure I-Friends
1.18.50: Listener Submissions & Episode 66 Preview
Thursday May 10, 2018
Thursday May 10, 2018
You may find this week's episode of Beyond The Box Set to be bloated, incoherent and confused. If so, consider it a tribute to this week's featured movie. Directed by Kevin Reynolds with a lot of alleged back-seat meddling from star Kevin Costner, Waterworld is an unholy mess of an action-adventure epic that quickly went down in history as one of the most notorious bombs of its time.
Watching the movie back to day, there's actually a lot to enjoy about Waterworld, and the film certainly has its defenders. But it's also a film that makes a lot of baffling choices, leaving a potentially interesting premise drowning in jarring tonal shifts and bewildering plot mechanics.
In this week's extended episode, join us as we spend the best part of an hour just attempting to untangle Waterworld's plot, discuss the bizarre un-likability of Kevin Costner and attempt to salvage this movie from its watery grave with some potential sequel ideas - including a Wonder Woman inspired return to Dryland, and an apocalyptic crossover with shades of Dan Harmon...
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00.00: What's Kevin Costner's Appeal?
56.50: The Science of Waterworld w/Ross Burton
59.55: Waterworld Drinking Games
1.07.20: The Shape of Waterworld
1.24.50: Waterworld 2 - The Four Elements
1.38.15: Listener Submissions & Episode 65 Preview