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For more than two decades, the first week of May launched the summer movie season with the latest entry in a beloved franchise. In 2002, we got Spider-Man. In 2012, it was The Avengers, followed by Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame arriving the last week of April in 2018 and 2019. But with the […]

The post The Legend of Zelda Movie’s Release Date Confirms Rise of Video Game Movies appeared first on Den of Geek.

Before the film Chopper came along, small-time Australian criminal Mark Read achieved the type of celebrity that might only occur in the ‘90s. Despite serving time in the Australian prison system after being convicted for shooting a mate in the chest, Read became an unlikely bestselling author and interview subject, always happy to take credit on the page for crimes he was convicted of—as well as many more he was not.

Yet what fully cemented his legend was that 2000 movie, a crime film so innovative that it introduced writer-director Andrew Domink, star Eric Bana, and of course the man and myth that was Chopper to an international audience—as well as many more who came up afterward reared on the legend. That includes fellow Australian Jai Courtney, who admits that as a kid growing up in the ‘90s, he never even heard of Read until someone slipped him the Chopper DVD.

“God knows if I was even allowed to watch it,” Courtney laughs 25 years after the film’s release. “It was probably one of those things that kicked around on DVD and you passed between your mates.” Yet it found its way into his DVD player—and many more since. “If you meet someone and you’re talking about the films that are your favorite films, and someone hasn’t seen it, it’s a must… I’ve even been guilty of buying a DVD player and finding the DVD on eBay in order to screen it for people who haven’t seen the movie before.”

It became a touchstone for the future star of Suicide Squad and The Exception, and one which echoes in the work Courtney still does today. For example when he stops by our studio to appear on the In the Den video series above, it is ahead of the release of this summer’s bloody clever riff on the serial killer and shark movie subgenres, Dangerous Animals. In that film, Courtney plays a little bit of both predators as a guy named Tucker—someone who takes tourists out to swim with sharks, and sometimes ends up feeding them to the sharp-toothed beasties.

“Tucker is such a performer,” Courtney explains. “He’s such a storyteller that the boat deck even functions as a kind of stage for him.” He is a guy who may not bring all tourists home, but no matter how the excursion goes, he’s having a good time. “He loves it. I think he’s really passionate about it, passionate about his conservation and the crusade he’s on, he really sees himself as one with the shark.”

It’s also a turn that Courtney admits might have subconscious influences from watching what Bana did with the real-life Chopper Read in the 2000s.

“I think what you see Eric do with that role is quite profound,” Courtney considers. “He turns what could maybe be interpreted as a sort of two-dimensional kind of villain type into something that’s incredibly lovable. I mean, I’m sure if you’ve ever seen any interview with Mark ‘Chopper’ Read himself, you understand just how insanely good this is. It’s almost like an impersonation, honestly. He’s like an excellent mimic, Bana is.”

In fact before Chopper made Bana an international star, paving the way for everything from Hulk and Troy to Steven Spielberg’s Munich, the actor was known primarily as a standup and sketch comic on shows like Full Frontal in Australia. “He had a few great, very quotable characters,” Courtney says of his memories watching the show as a kid. And according to legend—aka Mark Read—the real-life Chopper was also a fan who watched the series in prison before telling Andrew Dominik that he should cast this Bana kid as the movie version of himself.

“I don’t know how true that is, but from what I understood, he kind of handpicked him,” Courtney says. “I’m sure he’d lay claim to that whether it was true or not.” As the movie Chopper shows, the real-life Read had a knack for taking credit for crimes he probably had nothing to do with as well.

“One of the interesting facts about him being such a colorful character is he laid claim to many more killings than he was certainly ever prosecuted for,” Courtney points out, “and there was a sort of perception to some of that, that it might have been completely made up. And I think that damaged his ego somewhat, which is interesting.”

But for a young aspiring actor growing up in Australia, the appeal of Chopper was just the bravado of the performance, and being able to quote so many of Bana-as-Read’s lines. In spite of the film’s real-world roots, and the fact that even most of the first half of Chopper is filmed in Pentridge Prison, the Victorian correctional facility that Read spent decades in—his flashes of theatricality and violence feel like something out of a Hollywood crime thriller.

Consider two early sequences in that prison setting, one where Chopper stabs Keithy George (David Field) and, later, when his own supposed mate Jimmy Loughnan (Simon Lyndon) shivs Chopper. In both scenes, Bana plays first the attacker and then the victim as quasi-astonished and even sympathetic to the person on the other end of the knife.

“There’s that incredibly acute attack on Keithy,” Courtney recalls, “which kind of comes out of it being very calculated. There’s an opportune moment, and then it’s a hyper violent beat and this kind of explosion [of violence]. But then he’s almost remorseful immediately after and he’s passing him a cigarette. There’s an empathy to it there. He was just this dude that had so much light and shade, and I find that just such a dynamic performance. It’s really inspiring.”

It was the performance that ended up taking Bana to Hollywood around the same time that a similarly deranged turn by Russell Crowe in Romper Stomper (1992) led eventually to Gladiator—and not that long even after Mel Gibson set a template for this style of Aussie genre mania in the acutely titled Mad Max (1979). There’s a reason in his review for Chopper in 2001, Roger Ebert wondered “is everyone in Australia a few degrees off from true north?”

“That’s a good quote,” Courtney laughs. He also notes how many of those performances of fellow Australians like Bana and Crowe inspired him when he was starting out.

“Russell’s a friend,” says Courtney. “I got to work with him some years ago now, about 10 years ago, but those guys are a huge inspiration. Heath Ledger, of course, and Hugh Jackman, and a little closer to a contemporary of mine is Joel Edgerton. I was looking at all those guys who were cracking through at a time when it was either starting to become just like a distant dream in my eyes or something that felt like I was on the cusp of.”

The line also invites comparisons to the heightened and genre madness in the distinctly Australian Dangerous Animals, which is directed by the Tasmanian-born Sean Byrne.

“It’d be cool,” Courtney muses about folks making comparisons with Dangerous Animals. “It was an interesting film to make. I didn’t quite know what I was stepping into. You can’t predict really anything in these processes. All you can do is make a kind of educated guess at how you’d like things to turn out, and Sean was a great collaborator. So when I read it, my instinct was that I needed to go big with this character in order for it to work, and to give it that color. Because I think if he’s played with this wash of evil intention, it’s just less interesting to me. But Tucker felt like someone you could be stuck on the bus next to, the guy you sit down next to in the bar, the dude driving your taxi that won’t shut up. There’s a familiarity to him.”

Like sharks in the sea, you can’t escape these guys.

Dangerous Animals is now playing in the U.S.

The post Jai Courtney Dives into the Legacy of Chopper and Australian Genre Cinema appeared first on Den of Geek.

Have you read the news lately? I wouldn’t recommend it. You’re better off looking out of a window at any available sunshine, trees, and – if you’re lucky – the occasional dog. That said, the window solution is broadly limited to daylight hours. Come nightfall, you’ll need to turn elsewhere for diversion. That’s where the […]

The post The Best British TV Series of 2025 (So Far) appeared first on Den of Geek.

Before the film Chopper came along, small-time Australian criminal Mark Read achieved the type of celebrity that might only occur in the ‘90s. Despite serving time in the Australian prison system after being convicted for shooting a mate in the chest, Read became an unlikely bestselling author and interview subject, always happy to take credit on the page for crimes he was convicted of—as well as many more he was not.

Yet what fully cemented his legend was that 2000 movie, a crime film so innovative that it introduced writer-director Andrew Domink, star Eric Bana, and of course the man and myth that was Chopper to an international audience—as well as many more who came up afterward reared on the legend. That includes fellow Australian Jai Courtney, who admits that as a kid growing up in the ‘90s, he never even heard of Read until someone slipped him the Chopper DVD.

“God knows if I was even allowed to watch it,” Courtney laughs 25 years after the film’s release. “It was probably one of those things that kicked around on DVD and you passed between your mates.” Yet it found its way into his DVD player—and many more since. “If you meet someone and you’re talking about the films that are your favorite films, and someone hasn’t seen it, it’s a must… I’ve even been guilty of buying a DVD player and finding the DVD on eBay in order to screen it for people who haven’t seen the movie before.”

It became a touchstone for the future star of Suicide Squad and The Exception, and one which echoes in the work Courtney still does today. For example when he stops by our studio to appear on the In the Den video series above, it is ahead of the release of this summer’s bloody clever riff on the serial killer and shark movie subgenres, Dangerous Animals. In that film, Courtney plays a little bit of both predators as a guy named Tucker—someone who takes tourists out to swim with sharks, and sometimes ends up feeding them to the sharp-toothed beasties.

“Tucker is such a performer,” Courtney explains. “He’s such a storyteller that the boat deck even functions as a kind of stage for him.” He is a guy who may not bring all tourists home, but no matter how the excursion goes, he’s having a good time. “He loves it. I think he’s really passionate about it, passionate about his conservation and the crusade he’s on, he really sees himself as one with the shark.”

It’s also a turn that Courtney admits might have subconscious influences from watching what Bana did with the real-life Chopper Read in the 2000s.

“I think what you see Eric do with that role is quite profound,” Courtney considers. “He turns what could maybe be interpreted as a sort of two-dimensional kind of villain type into something that’s incredibly lovable. I mean, I’m sure if you’ve ever seen any interview with Mark ‘Chopper’ Read himself, you understand just how insanely good this is. It’s almost like an impersonation, honestly. He’s like an excellent mimic, Bana is.”

In fact before Chopper made Bana an international star, paving the way for everything from Hulk and Troy to Steven Spielberg’s Munich, the actor was known primarily as a standup and sketch comic on shows like Full Frontal in Australia. “He had a few great, very quotable characters,” Courtney says of his memories watching the show as a kid. And according to legend—aka Mark Read—the real-life Chopper was also a fan who watched the series in prison before telling Andrew Dominik that he should cast this Bana kid as the movie version of himself.

“I don’t know how true that is, but from what I understood, he kind of handpicked him,” Courtney says. “I’m sure he’d lay claim to that whether it was true or not.” As the movie Chopper shows, the real-life Read had a knack for taking credit for crimes he probably had nothing to do with as well.

“One of the interesting facts about him being such a colorful character is he laid claim to many more killings than he was certainly ever prosecuted for,” Courtney points out, “and there was a sort of perception to some of that, that it might have been completely made up. And I think that damaged his ego somewhat, which is interesting.”

But for a young aspiring actor growing up in Australia, the appeal of Chopper was just the bravado of the performance, and being able to quote so many of Bana-as-Read’s lines. In spite of the film’s real-world roots, and the fact that even most of the first half of Chopper is filmed in Pentridge Prison, the Victorian correctional facility that Read spent decades in—his flashes of theatricality and violence feel like something out of a Hollywood crime thriller.

Consider two early sequences in that prison setting, one where Chopper stabs Keithy George (David Field) and, later, when his own supposed mate Jimmy Loughnan (Simon Lyndon) shivs Chopper. In both scenes, Bana plays first the attacker and then the victim as quasi-astonished and even sympathetic to the person on the other end of the knife.

“There’s that incredibly acute attack on Keithy,” Courtney recalls, “which kind of comes out of it being very calculated. There’s an opportune moment, and then it’s a hyper violent beat and this kind of explosion [of violence]. But then he’s almost remorseful immediately after and he’s passing him a cigarette. There’s an empathy to it there. He was just this dude that had so much light and shade, and I find that just such a dynamic performance. It’s really inspiring.”

It was the performance that ended up taking Bana to Hollywood around the same time that a similarly deranged turn by Russell Crowe in Romper Stomper (1992) led eventually to Gladiator—and not that long even after Mel Gibson set a template for this style of Aussie genre mania in the acutely titled Mad Max (1979). There’s a reason in his review for Chopper in 2001, Roger Ebert wondered “is everyone in Australia a few degrees off from true north?”

“That’s a good quote,” Courtney laughs. He also notes how many of those performances of fellow Australians like Bana and Crowe inspired him when he was starting out.

“Russell’s a friend,” says Courtney. “I got to work with him some years ago now, about 10 years ago, but those guys are a huge inspiration. Heath Ledger, of course, and Hugh Jackman, and a little closer to a contemporary of mine is Joel Edgerton. I was looking at all those guys who were cracking through at a time when it was either starting to become just like a distant dream in my eyes or something that felt like I was on the cusp of.”

The line also invites comparisons to the heightened and genre madness in the distinctly Australian Dangerous Animals, which is directed by the Tasmanian-born Sean Byrne.

“It’d be cool,” Courtney muses about folks making comparisons with Dangerous Animals. “It was an interesting film to make. I didn’t quite know what I was stepping into. You can’t predict really anything in these processes. All you can do is make a kind of educated guess at how you’d like things to turn out, and Sean was a great collaborator. So when I read it, my instinct was that I needed to go big with this character in order for it to work, and to give it that color. Because I think if he’s played with this wash of evil intention, it’s just less interesting to me. But Tucker felt like someone you could be stuck on the bus next to, the guy you sit down next to in the bar, the dude driving your taxi that won’t shut up. There’s a familiarity to him.”

Like sharks in the sea, you can’t escape these guys.

Dangerous Animals is now playing in the U.S.

The post Jai Courtney Dives into the Legacy of Chopper and Australian Genre Cinema appeared first on Den of Geek.

Batman Forever was a transitional film in the history of Batman on screen and superhero movies in general, which is why it’s important that the original cut of the film submitted by director Joel Schumacher finally see the light of day. It was 30 years ago this month that Warner Bros. Pictures released Batman Forever, […]

The post Batman Forever: It’s Time to Release the Schumacher Cut appeared first on Den of Geek.

Before the film Chopper came along, small-time Australian criminal Mark Read achieved the type of celebrity that might only occur in the ‘90s. Despite serving time in the Australian prison system after being convicted for shooting a mate in the chest, Read became an unlikely bestselling author and interview subject, always happy to take credit on the page for crimes he was convicted of—as well as many more he was not.

Yet what fully cemented his legend was that 2000 movie, a crime film so innovative that it introduced writer-director Andrew Domink, star Eric Bana, and of course the man and myth that was Chopper to an international audience—as well as many more who came up afterward reared on the legend. That includes fellow Australian Jai Courtney, who admits that as a kid growing up in the ‘90s, he never even heard of Read until someone slipped him the Chopper DVD.

“God knows if I was even allowed to watch it,” Courtney laughs 25 years after the film’s release. “It was probably one of those things that kicked around on DVD and you passed between your mates.” Yet it found its way into his DVD player—and many more since. “If you meet someone and you’re talking about the films that are your favorite films, and someone hasn’t seen it, it’s a must… I’ve even been guilty of buying a DVD player and finding the DVD on eBay in order to screen it for people who haven’t seen the movie before.”

It became a touchstone for the future star of Suicide Squad and The Exception, and one which echoes in the work Courtney still does today. For example when he stops by our studio to appear on the In the Den video series above, it is ahead of the release of this summer’s bloody clever riff on the serial killer and shark movie subgenres, Dangerous Animals. In that film, Courtney plays a little bit of both predators as a guy named Tucker—someone who takes tourists out to swim with sharks, and sometimes ends up feeding them to the sharp-toothed beasties.

“Tucker is such a performer,” Courtney explains. “He’s such a storyteller that the boat deck even functions as a kind of stage for him.” He is a guy who may not bring all tourists home, but no matter how the excursion goes, he’s having a good time. “He loves it. I think he’s really passionate about it, passionate about his conservation and the crusade he’s on, he really sees himself as one with the shark.”

It’s also a turn that Courtney admits might have subconscious influences from watching what Bana did with the real-life Chopper Read in the 2000s.

“I think what you see Eric do with that role is quite profound,” Courtney considers. “He turns what could maybe be interpreted as a sort of two-dimensional kind of villain type into something that’s incredibly lovable. I mean, I’m sure if you’ve ever seen any interview with Mark ‘Chopper’ Read himself, you understand just how insanely good this is. It’s almost like an impersonation, honestly. He’s like an excellent mimic, Bana is.”

In fact before Chopper made Bana an international star, paving the way for everything from Hulk and Troy to Steven Spielberg’s Munich, the actor was known primarily as a standup and sketch comic on shows like Full Frontal in Australia. “He had a few great, very quotable characters,” Courtney says of his memories watching the show as a kid. And according to legend—aka Mark Read—the real-life Chopper was also a fan who watched the series in prison before telling Andrew Dominik that he should cast this Bana kid as the movie version of himself.

“I don’t know how true that is, but from what I understood, he kind of handpicked him,” Courtney says. “I’m sure he’d lay claim to that whether it was true or not.” As the movie Chopper shows, the real-life Read had a knack for taking credit for crimes he probably had nothing to do with as well.

“One of the interesting facts about him being such a colorful character is he laid claim to many more killings than he was certainly ever prosecuted for,” Courtney points out, “and there was a sort of perception to some of that, that it might have been completely made up. And I think that damaged his ego somewhat, which is interesting.”

But for a young aspiring actor growing up in Australia, the appeal of Chopper was just the bravado of the performance, and being able to quote so many of Bana-as-Read’s lines. In spite of the film’s real-world roots, and the fact that even most of the first half of Chopper is filmed in Pentridge Prison, the Victorian correctional facility that Read spent decades in—his flashes of theatricality and violence feel like something out of a Hollywood crime thriller.

Consider two early sequences in that prison setting, one where Chopper stabs Keithy George (David Field) and, later, when his own supposed mate Jimmy Loughnan (Simon Lyndon) shivs Chopper. In both scenes, Bana plays first the attacker and then the victim as quasi-astonished and even sympathetic to the person on the other end of the knife.

“There’s that incredibly acute attack on Keithy,” Courtney recalls, “which kind of comes out of it being very calculated. There’s an opportune moment, and then it’s a hyper violent beat and this kind of explosion [of violence]. But then he’s almost remorseful immediately after and he’s passing him a cigarette. There’s an empathy to it there. He was just this dude that had so much light and shade, and I find that just such a dynamic performance. It’s really inspiring.”

It was the performance that ended up taking Bana to Hollywood around the same time that a similarly deranged turn by Russell Crowe in Romper Stomper (1992) led eventually to Gladiator—and not that long even after Mel Gibson set a template for this style of Aussie genre mania in the acutely titled Mad Max (1979). There’s a reason in his review for Chopper in 2001, Roger Ebert wondered “is everyone in Australia a few degrees off from true north?”

“That’s a good quote,” Courtney laughs. He also notes how many of those performances of fellow Australians like Bana and Crowe inspired him when he was starting out.

“Russell’s a friend,” says Courtney. “I got to work with him some years ago now, about 10 years ago, but those guys are a huge inspiration. Heath Ledger, of course, and Hugh Jackman, and a little closer to a contemporary of mine is Joel Edgerton. I was looking at all those guys who were cracking through at a time when it was either starting to become just like a distant dream in my eyes or something that felt like I was on the cusp of.”

The line also invites comparisons to the heightened and genre madness in the distinctly Australian Dangerous Animals, which is directed by the Tasmanian-born Sean Byrne.

“It’d be cool,” Courtney muses about folks making comparisons with Dangerous Animals. “It was an interesting film to make. I didn’t quite know what I was stepping into. You can’t predict really anything in these processes. All you can do is make a kind of educated guess at how you’d like things to turn out, and Sean was a great collaborator. So when I read it, my instinct was that I needed to go big with this character in order for it to work, and to give it that color. Because I think if he’s played with this wash of evil intention, it’s just less interesting to me. But Tucker felt like someone you could be stuck on the bus next to, the guy you sit down next to in the bar, the dude driving your taxi that won’t shut up. There’s a familiarity to him.”

Like sharks in the sea, you can’t escape these guys.

Dangerous Animals is now playing in the U.S.

The post Jai Courtney Dives into the Legacy of Chopper and Australian Genre Cinema appeared first on Den of Geek.

Mike Flanagan‘s new movie The Life of Chuck is one of the most idiosyncratic films to hit screens in some time. Based on the short story by Stephen King, The Life of Chuck has a strange, three-part narrative, all about the cosmic importance of one non-descriptive businessman named Charles Krantz (Tom Hiddleston). For fans of […]

The post Mike Flanagan’s Best Tearjerker Monologues appeared first on Den of Geek.

Before the film Chopper came along, small-time Australian criminal Mark Read achieved the type of celebrity that might only occur in the ‘90s. Despite serving time in the Australian prison system after being convicted for shooting a mate in the chest, Read became an unlikely bestselling author and interview subject, always happy to take credit on the page for crimes he was convicted of—as well as many more he was not.

Yet what fully cemented his legend was that 2000 movie, a crime film so innovative that it introduced writer-director Andrew Domink, star Eric Bana, and of course the man and myth that was Chopper to an international audience—as well as many more who came up afterward reared on the legend. That includes fellow Australian Jai Courtney, who admits that as a kid growing up in the ‘90s, he never even heard of Read until someone slipped him the Chopper DVD.

“God knows if I was even allowed to watch it,” Courtney laughs 25 years after the film’s release. “It was probably one of those things that kicked around on DVD and you passed between your mates.” Yet it found its way into his DVD player—and many more since. “If you meet someone and you’re talking about the films that are your favorite films, and someone hasn’t seen it, it’s a must… I’ve even been guilty of buying a DVD player and finding the DVD on eBay in order to screen it for people who haven’t seen the movie before.”

It became a touchstone for the future star of Suicide Squad and The Exception, and one which echoes in the work Courtney still does today. For example when he stops by our studio to appear on the In the Den video series above, it is ahead of the release of this summer’s bloody clever riff on the serial killer and shark movie subgenres, Dangerous Animals. In that film, Courtney plays a little bit of both predators as a guy named Tucker—someone who takes tourists out to swim with sharks, and sometimes ends up feeding them to the sharp-toothed beasties.

“Tucker is such a performer,” Courtney explains. “He’s such a storyteller that the boat deck even functions as a kind of stage for him.” He is a guy who may not bring all tourists home, but no matter how the excursion goes, he’s having a good time. “He loves it. I think he’s really passionate about it, passionate about his conservation and the crusade he’s on, he really sees himself as one with the shark.”

It’s also a turn that Courtney admits might have subconscious influences from watching what Bana did with the real-life Chopper Read in the 2000s.

“I think what you see Eric do with that role is quite profound,” Courtney considers. “He turns what could maybe be interpreted as a sort of two-dimensional kind of villain type into something that’s incredibly lovable. I mean, I’m sure if you’ve ever seen any interview with Mark ‘Chopper’ Read himself, you understand just how insanely good this is. It’s almost like an impersonation, honestly. He’s like an excellent mimic, Bana is.”

In fact before Chopper made Bana an international star, paving the way for everything from Hulk and Troy to Steven Spielberg’s Munich, the actor was known primarily as a standup and sketch comic on shows like Full Frontal in Australia. “He had a few great, very quotable characters,” Courtney says of his memories watching the show as a kid. And according to legend—aka Mark Read—the real-life Chopper was also a fan who watched the series in prison before telling Andrew Dominik that he should cast this Bana kid as the movie version of himself.

“I don’t know how true that is, but from what I understood, he kind of handpicked him,” Courtney says. “I’m sure he’d lay claim to that whether it was true or not.” As the movie Chopper shows, the real-life Read had a knack for taking credit for crimes he probably had nothing to do with as well.

“One of the interesting facts about him being such a colorful character is he laid claim to many more killings than he was certainly ever prosecuted for,” Courtney points out, “and there was a sort of perception to some of that, that it might have been completely made up. And I think that damaged his ego somewhat, which is interesting.”

But for a young aspiring actor growing up in Australia, the appeal of Chopper was just the bravado of the performance, and being able to quote so many of Bana-as-Read’s lines. In spite of the film’s real-world roots, and the fact that even most of the first half of Chopper is filmed in Pentridge Prison, the Victorian correctional facility that Read spent decades in—his flashes of theatricality and violence feel like something out of a Hollywood crime thriller.

Consider two early sequences in that prison setting, one where Chopper stabs Keithy George (David Field) and, later, when his own supposed mate Jimmy Loughnan (Simon Lyndon) shivs Chopper. In both scenes, Bana plays first the attacker and then the victim as quasi-astonished and even sympathetic to the person on the other end of the knife.

“There’s that incredibly acute attack on Keithy,” Courtney recalls, “which kind of comes out of it being very calculated. There’s an opportune moment, and then it’s a hyper violent beat and this kind of explosion [of violence]. But then he’s almost remorseful immediately after and he’s passing him a cigarette. There’s an empathy to it there. He was just this dude that had so much light and shade, and I find that just such a dynamic performance. It’s really inspiring.”

It was the performance that ended up taking Bana to Hollywood around the same time that a similarly deranged turn by Russell Crowe in Romper Stomper (1992) led eventually to Gladiator—and not that long even after Mel Gibson set a template for this style of Aussie genre mania in the acutely titled Mad Max (1979). There’s a reason in his review for Chopper in 2001, Roger Ebert wondered “is everyone in Australia a few degrees off from true north?”

“That’s a good quote,” Courtney laughs. He also notes how many of those performances of fellow Australians like Bana and Crowe inspired him when he was starting out.

“Russell’s a friend,” says Courtney. “I got to work with him some years ago now, about 10 years ago, but those guys are a huge inspiration. Heath Ledger, of course, and Hugh Jackman, and a little closer to a contemporary of mine is Joel Edgerton. I was looking at all those guys who were cracking through at a time when it was either starting to become just like a distant dream in my eyes or something that felt like I was on the cusp of.”

The line also invites comparisons to the heightened and genre madness in the distinctly Australian Dangerous Animals, which is directed by the Tasmanian-born Sean Byrne.

“It’d be cool,” Courtney muses about folks making comparisons with Dangerous Animals. “It was an interesting film to make. I didn’t quite know what I was stepping into. You can’t predict really anything in these processes. All you can do is make a kind of educated guess at how you’d like things to turn out, and Sean was a great collaborator. So when I read it, my instinct was that I needed to go big with this character in order for it to work, and to give it that color. Because I think if he’s played with this wash of evil intention, it’s just less interesting to me. But Tucker felt like someone you could be stuck on the bus next to, the guy you sit down next to in the bar, the dude driving your taxi that won’t shut up. There’s a familiarity to him.”

Like sharks in the sea, you can’t escape these guys.

Dangerous Animals is now playing in the U.S.

The post Jai Courtney Dives into the Legacy of Chopper and Australian Genre Cinema appeared first on Den of Geek.

Before the film Chopper came along, small-time Australian criminal Mark Read achieved the type of celebrity that might only occur in the ‘90s. Despite serving time in the Australian prison system after being convicted for shooting a mate in the chest, Read became an unlikely bestselling author and interview subject, always happy to take credit […]

The post Jai Courtney Dives into the Legacy of Chopper and Australian Genre Cinema appeared first on Den of Geek.

Before the film Chopper came along, small-time Australian criminal Mark Read achieved the type of celebrity that might only occur in the ‘90s. Despite serving time in the Australian prison system after being convicted for shooting a mate in the chest, Read became an unlikely bestselling author and interview subject, always happy to take credit on the page for crimes he was convicted of—as well as many more he was not.

Yet what fully cemented his legend was that 2000 movie, a crime film so innovative that it introduced writer-director Andrew Domink, star Eric Bana, and of course the man and myth that was Chopper to an international audience—as well as many more who came up afterward reared on the legend. That includes fellow Australian Jai Courtney, who admits that as a kid growing up in the ‘90s, he never even heard of Read until someone slipped him the Chopper DVD.

“God knows if I was even allowed to watch it,” Courtney laughs 25 years after the film’s release. “It was probably one of those things that kicked around on DVD and you passed between your mates.” Yet it found its way into his DVD player—and many more since. “If you meet someone and you’re talking about the films that are your favorite films, and someone hasn’t seen it, it’s a must… I’ve even been guilty of buying a DVD player and finding the DVD on eBay in order to screen it for people who haven’t seen the movie before.”

It became a touchstone for the future star of Suicide Squad and The Exception, and one which echoes in the work Courtney still does today. For example when he stops by our studio to appear on the In the Den video series above, it is ahead of the release of this summer’s bloody clever riff on the serial killer and shark movie subgenres, Dangerous Animals. In that film, Courtney plays a little bit of both predators as a guy named Tucker—someone who takes tourists out to swim with sharks, and sometimes ends up feeding them to the sharp-toothed beasties.

“Tucker is such a performer,” Courtney explains. “He’s such a storyteller that the boat deck even functions as a kind of stage for him.” He is a guy who may not bring all tourists home, but no matter how the excursion goes, he’s having a good time. “He loves it. I think he’s really passionate about it, passionate about his conservation and the crusade he’s on, he really sees himself as one with the shark.”

It’s also a turn that Courtney admits might have subconscious influences from watching what Bana did with the real-life Chopper Read in the 2000s.

“I think what you see Eric do with that role is quite profound,” Courtney considers. “He turns what could maybe be interpreted as a sort of two-dimensional kind of villain type into something that’s incredibly lovable. I mean, I’m sure if you’ve ever seen any interview with Mark ‘Chopper’ Read himself, you understand just how insanely good this is. It’s almost like an impersonation, honestly. He’s like an excellent mimic, Bana is.”

In fact before Chopper made Bana an international star, paving the way for everything from Hulk and Troy to Steven Spielberg’s Munich, the actor was known primarily as a standup and sketch comic on shows like Full Frontal in Australia. “He had a few great, very quotable characters,” Courtney says of his memories watching the show as a kid. And according to legend—aka Mark Read—the real-life Chopper was also a fan who watched the series in prison before telling Andrew Dominik that he should cast this Bana kid as the movie version of himself.

“I don’t know how true that is, but from what I understood, he kind of handpicked him,” Courtney says. “I’m sure he’d lay claim to that whether it was true or not.” As the movie Chopper shows, the real-life Read had a knack for taking credit for crimes he probably had nothing to do with as well.

“One of the interesting facts about him being such a colorful character is he laid claim to many more killings than he was certainly ever prosecuted for,” Courtney points out, “and there was a sort of perception to some of that, that it might have been completely made up. And I think that damaged his ego somewhat, which is interesting.”

But for a young aspiring actor growing up in Australia, the appeal of Chopper was just the bravado of the performance, and being able to quote so many of Bana-as-Read’s lines. In spite of the film’s real-world roots, and the fact that even most of the first half of Chopper is filmed in Pentridge Prison, the Victorian correctional facility that Read spent decades in—his flashes of theatricality and violence feel like something out of a Hollywood crime thriller.

Consider two early sequences in that prison setting, one where Chopper stabs Keithy George (David Field) and, later, when his own supposed mate Jimmy Loughnan (Simon Lyndon) shivs Chopper. In both scenes, Bana plays first the attacker and then the victim as quasi-astonished and even sympathetic to the person on the other end of the knife.

“There’s that incredibly acute attack on Keithy,” Courtney recalls, “which kind of comes out of it being very calculated. There’s an opportune moment, and then it’s a hyper violent beat and this kind of explosion [of violence]. But then he’s almost remorseful immediately after and he’s passing him a cigarette. There’s an empathy to it there. He was just this dude that had so much light and shade, and I find that just such a dynamic performance. It’s really inspiring.”

It was the performance that ended up taking Bana to Hollywood around the same time that a similarly deranged turn by Russell Crowe in Romper Stomper (1992) led eventually to Gladiator—and not that long even after Mel Gibson set a template for this style of Aussie genre mania in the acutely titled Mad Max (1979). There’s a reason in his review for Chopper in 2001, Roger Ebert wondered “is everyone in Australia a few degrees off from true north?”

“That’s a good quote,” Courtney laughs. He also notes how many of those performances of fellow Australians like Bana and Crowe inspired him when he was starting out.

“Russell’s a friend,” says Courtney. “I got to work with him some years ago now, about 10 years ago, but those guys are a huge inspiration. Heath Ledger, of course, and Hugh Jackman, and a little closer to a contemporary of mine is Joel Edgerton. I was looking at all those guys who were cracking through at a time when it was either starting to become just like a distant dream in my eyes or something that felt like I was on the cusp of.”

The line also invites comparisons to the heightened and genre madness in the distinctly Australian Dangerous Animals, which is directed by the Tasmanian-born Sean Byrne.

“It’d be cool,” Courtney muses about folks making comparisons with Dangerous Animals. “It was an interesting film to make. I didn’t quite know what I was stepping into. You can’t predict really anything in these processes. All you can do is make a kind of educated guess at how you’d like things to turn out, and Sean was a great collaborator. So when I read it, my instinct was that I needed to go big with this character in order for it to work, and to give it that color. Because I think if he’s played with this wash of evil intention, it’s just less interesting to me. But Tucker felt like someone you could be stuck on the bus next to, the guy you sit down next to in the bar, the dude driving your taxi that won’t shut up. There’s a familiarity to him.”

Like sharks in the sea, you can’t escape these guys.

Dangerous Animals is now playing in the U.S.

The post Jai Courtney Dives into the Legacy of Chopper and Australian Genre Cinema appeared first on Den of Geek.

Even after thousands of years of ocean exploration, many of its wonders remain a mystery, hidden beneath the surface in a vast, interconnected world of species and habitats that are constantly evolving. Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios’ new powerful feature-length documentary, Ocean With David Attenborough, which premieres on June 7 on National Geographic and […]

The post Ocean With David Attenborough Isn’t Just A Documentary; It’s a Wake-Up Call appeared first on Den of Geek.

Before the film Chopper came along, small-time Australian criminal Mark Read achieved the type of celebrity that might only occur in the ‘90s. Despite serving time in the Australian prison system after being convicted for shooting a mate in the chest, Read became an unlikely bestselling author and interview subject, always happy to take credit on the page for crimes he was convicted of—as well as many more he was not.

Yet what fully cemented his legend was that 2000 movie, a crime film so innovative that it introduced writer-director Andrew Domink, star Eric Bana, and of course the man and myth that was Chopper to an international audience—as well as many more who came up afterward reared on the legend. That includes fellow Australian Jai Courtney, who admits that as a kid growing up in the ‘90s, he never even heard of Read until someone slipped him the Chopper DVD.

“God knows if I was even allowed to watch it,” Courtney laughs 25 years after the film’s release. “It was probably one of those things that kicked around on DVD and you passed between your mates.” Yet it found its way into his DVD player—and many more since. “If you meet someone and you’re talking about the films that are your favorite films, and someone hasn’t seen it, it’s a must… I’ve even been guilty of buying a DVD player and finding the DVD on eBay in order to screen it for people who haven’t seen the movie before.”

It became a touchstone for the future star of Suicide Squad and The Exception, and one which echoes in the work Courtney still does today. For example when he stops by our studio to appear on the In the Den video series above, it is ahead of the release of this summer’s bloody clever riff on the serial killer and shark movie subgenres, Dangerous Animals. In that film, Courtney plays a little bit of both predators as a guy named Tucker—someone who takes tourists out to swim with sharks, and sometimes ends up feeding them to the sharp-toothed beasties.

“Tucker is such a performer,” Courtney explains. “He’s such a storyteller that the boat deck even functions as a kind of stage for him.” He is a guy who may not bring all tourists home, but no matter how the excursion goes, he’s having a good time. “He loves it. I think he’s really passionate about it, passionate about his conservation and the crusade he’s on, he really sees himself as one with the shark.”

It’s also a turn that Courtney admits might have subconscious influences from watching what Bana did with the real-life Chopper Read in the 2000s.

“I think what you see Eric do with that role is quite profound,” Courtney considers. “He turns what could maybe be interpreted as a sort of two-dimensional kind of villain type into something that’s incredibly lovable. I mean, I’m sure if you’ve ever seen any interview with Mark ‘Chopper’ Read himself, you understand just how insanely good this is. It’s almost like an impersonation, honestly. He’s like an excellent mimic, Bana is.”

In fact before Chopper made Bana an international star, paving the way for everything from Hulk and Troy to Steven Spielberg’s Munich, the actor was known primarily as a standup and sketch comic on shows like Full Frontal in Australia. “He had a few great, very quotable characters,” Courtney says of his memories watching the show as a kid. And according to legend—aka Mark Read—the real-life Chopper was also a fan who watched the series in prison before telling Andrew Dominik that he should cast this Bana kid as the movie version of himself.

“I don’t know how true that is, but from what I understood, he kind of handpicked him,” Courtney says. “I’m sure he’d lay claim to that whether it was true or not.” As the movie Chopper shows, the real-life Read had a knack for taking credit for crimes he probably had nothing to do with as well.

“One of the interesting facts about him being such a colorful character is he laid claim to many more killings than he was certainly ever prosecuted for,” Courtney points out, “and there was a sort of perception to some of that, that it might have been completely made up. And I think that damaged his ego somewhat, which is interesting.”

But for a young aspiring actor growing up in Australia, the appeal of Chopper was just the bravado of the performance, and being able to quote so many of Bana-as-Read’s lines. In spite of the film’s real-world roots, and the fact that even most of the first half of Chopper is filmed in Pentridge Prison, the Victorian correctional facility that Read spent decades in—his flashes of theatricality and violence feel like something out of a Hollywood crime thriller.

Consider two early sequences in that prison setting, one where Chopper stabs Keithy George (David Field) and, later, when his own supposed mate Jimmy Loughnan (Simon Lyndon) shivs Chopper. In both scenes, Bana plays first the attacker and then the victim as quasi-astonished and even sympathetic to the person on the other end of the knife.

“There’s that incredibly acute attack on Keithy,” Courtney recalls, “which kind of comes out of it being very calculated. There’s an opportune moment, and then it’s a hyper violent beat and this kind of explosion [of violence]. But then he’s almost remorseful immediately after and he’s passing him a cigarette. There’s an empathy to it there. He was just this dude that had so much light and shade, and I find that just such a dynamic performance. It’s really inspiring.”

It was the performance that ended up taking Bana to Hollywood around the same time that a similarly deranged turn by Russell Crowe in Romper Stomper (1992) led eventually to Gladiator—and not that long even after Mel Gibson set a template for this style of Aussie genre mania in the acutely titled Mad Max (1979). There’s a reason in his review for Chopper in 2001, Roger Ebert wondered “is everyone in Australia a few degrees off from true north?”

“That’s a good quote,” Courtney laughs. He also notes how many of those performances of fellow Australians like Bana and Crowe inspired him when he was starting out.

“Russell’s a friend,” says Courtney. “I got to work with him some years ago now, about 10 years ago, but those guys are a huge inspiration. Heath Ledger, of course, and Hugh Jackman, and a little closer to a contemporary of mine is Joel Edgerton. I was looking at all those guys who were cracking through at a time when it was either starting to become just like a distant dream in my eyes or something that felt like I was on the cusp of.”

The line also invites comparisons to the heightened and genre madness in the distinctly Australian Dangerous Animals, which is directed by the Tasmanian-born Sean Byrne.

“It’d be cool,” Courtney muses about folks making comparisons with Dangerous Animals. “It was an interesting film to make. I didn’t quite know what I was stepping into. You can’t predict really anything in these processes. All you can do is make a kind of educated guess at how you’d like things to turn out, and Sean was a great collaborator. So when I read it, my instinct was that I needed to go big with this character in order for it to work, and to give it that color. Because I think if he’s played with this wash of evil intention, it’s just less interesting to me. But Tucker felt like someone you could be stuck on the bus next to, the guy you sit down next to in the bar, the dude driving your taxi that won’t shut up. There’s a familiarity to him.”

Like sharks in the sea, you can’t escape these guys.

Dangerous Animals is now playing in the U.S.

The post Jai Courtney Dives into the Legacy of Chopper and Australian Genre Cinema appeared first on Den of Geek.

Most of what you need to know about the Nintendo Switch 2 is right there in the name: this is the direct sequel to the Switch. It’s bigger, more powerful, more refined, and builds on a strong foundation. If you liked the first Switch, you’re almost certainly going to like the Switch 2. But whether […]

The post Nintendo Switch 2: Is It Worth Buying at Launch? appeared first on Den of Geek.

Before the film Chopper came along, small-time Australian criminal Mark Read achieved the type of celebrity that might only occur in the ‘90s. Despite serving time in the Australian prison system after being convicted for shooting a mate in the chest, Read became an unlikely bestselling author and interview subject, always happy to take credit on the page for crimes he was convicted of—as well as many more he was not.

Yet what fully cemented his legend was that 2000 movie, a crime film so innovative that it introduced writer-director Andrew Domink, star Eric Bana, and of course the man and myth that was Chopper to an international audience—as well as many more who came up afterward reared on the legend. That includes fellow Australian Jai Courtney, who admits that as a kid growing up in the ‘90s, he never even heard of Read until someone slipped him the Chopper DVD.

“God knows if I was even allowed to watch it,” Courtney laughs 25 years after the film’s release. “It was probably one of those things that kicked around on DVD and you passed between your mates.” Yet it found its way into his DVD player—and many more since. “If you meet someone and you’re talking about the films that are your favorite films, and someone hasn’t seen it, it’s a must… I’ve even been guilty of buying a DVD player and finding the DVD on eBay in order to screen it for people who haven’t seen the movie before.”

It became a touchstone for the future star of Suicide Squad and The Exception, and one which echoes in the work Courtney still does today. For example when he stops by our studio to appear on the In the Den video series above, it is ahead of the release of this summer’s bloody clever riff on the serial killer and shark movie subgenres, Dangerous Animals. In that film, Courtney plays a little bit of both predators as a guy named Tucker—someone who takes tourists out to swim with sharks, and sometimes ends up feeding them to the sharp-toothed beasties.

“Tucker is such a performer,” Courtney explains. “He’s such a storyteller that the boat deck even functions as a kind of stage for him.” He is a guy who may not bring all tourists home, but no matter how the excursion goes, he’s having a good time. “He loves it. I think he’s really passionate about it, passionate about his conservation and the crusade he’s on, he really sees himself as one with the shark.”

It’s also a turn that Courtney admits might have subconscious influences from watching what Bana did with the real-life Chopper Read in the 2000s.

“I think what you see Eric do with that role is quite profound,” Courtney considers. “He turns what could maybe be interpreted as a sort of two-dimensional kind of villain type into something that’s incredibly lovable. I mean, I’m sure if you’ve ever seen any interview with Mark ‘Chopper’ Read himself, you understand just how insanely good this is. It’s almost like an impersonation, honestly. He’s like an excellent mimic, Bana is.”

In fact before Chopper made Bana an international star, paving the way for everything from Hulk and Troy to Steven Spielberg’s Munich, the actor was known primarily as a standup and sketch comic on shows like Full Frontal in Australia. “He had a few great, very quotable characters,” Courtney says of his memories watching the show as a kid. And according to legend—aka Mark Read—the real-life Chopper was also a fan who watched the series in prison before telling Andrew Dominik that he should cast this Bana kid as the movie version of himself.

“I don’t know how true that is, but from what I understood, he kind of handpicked him,” Courtney says. “I’m sure he’d lay claim to that whether it was true or not.” As the movie Chopper shows, the real-life Read had a knack for taking credit for crimes he probably had nothing to do with as well.

“One of the interesting facts about him being such a colorful character is he laid claim to many more killings than he was certainly ever prosecuted for,” Courtney points out, “and there was a sort of perception to some of that, that it might have been completely made up. And I think that damaged his ego somewhat, which is interesting.”

But for a young aspiring actor growing up in Australia, the appeal of Chopper was just the bravado of the performance, and being able to quote so many of Bana-as-Read’s lines. In spite of the film’s real-world roots, and the fact that even most of the first half of Chopper is filmed in Pentridge Prison, the Victorian correctional facility that Read spent decades in—his flashes of theatricality and violence feel like something out of a Hollywood crime thriller.

Consider two early sequences in that prison setting, one where Chopper stabs Keithy George (David Field) and, later, when his own supposed mate Jimmy Loughnan (Simon Lyndon) shivs Chopper. In both scenes, Bana plays first the attacker and then the victim as quasi-astonished and even sympathetic to the person on the other end of the knife.

“There’s that incredibly acute attack on Keithy,” Courtney recalls, “which kind of comes out of it being very calculated. There’s an opportune moment, and then it’s a hyper violent beat and this kind of explosion [of violence]. But then he’s almost remorseful immediately after and he’s passing him a cigarette. There’s an empathy to it there. He was just this dude that had so much light and shade, and I find that just such a dynamic performance. It’s really inspiring.”

It was the performance that ended up taking Bana to Hollywood around the same time that a similarly deranged turn by Russell Crowe in Romper Stomper (1992) led eventually to Gladiator—and not that long even after Mel Gibson set a template for this style of Aussie genre mania in the acutely titled Mad Max (1979). There’s a reason in his review for Chopper in 2001, Roger Ebert wondered “is everyone in Australia a few degrees off from true north?”

“That’s a good quote,” Courtney laughs. He also notes how many of those performances of fellow Australians like Bana and Crowe inspired him when he was starting out.

“Russell’s a friend,” says Courtney. “I got to work with him some years ago now, about 10 years ago, but those guys are a huge inspiration. Heath Ledger, of course, and Hugh Jackman, and a little closer to a contemporary of mine is Joel Edgerton. I was looking at all those guys who were cracking through at a time when it was either starting to become just like a distant dream in my eyes or something that felt like I was on the cusp of.”

The line also invites comparisons to the heightened and genre madness in the distinctly Australian Dangerous Animals, which is directed by the Tasmanian-born Sean Byrne.

“It’d be cool,” Courtney muses about folks making comparisons with Dangerous Animals. “It was an interesting film to make. I didn’t quite know what I was stepping into. You can’t predict really anything in these processes. All you can do is make a kind of educated guess at how you’d like things to turn out, and Sean was a great collaborator. So when I read it, my instinct was that I needed to go big with this character in order for it to work, and to give it that color. Because I think if he’s played with this wash of evil intention, it’s just less interesting to me. But Tucker felt like someone you could be stuck on the bus next to, the guy you sit down next to in the bar, the dude driving your taxi that won’t shut up. There’s a familiarity to him.”

Like sharks in the sea, you can’t escape these guys.

Dangerous Animals is now playing in the U.S.

The post Jai Courtney Dives into the Legacy of Chopper and Australian Genre Cinema appeared first on Den of Geek.

Wes Anderson has said more than once that the idea of The Phoenician Scheme began while he was reading biographies on 1950s European tycoons. These were the titans of industry who became a peculiar kind of celebrity in their day; men like Aristotle Onassis and Gianni Angelli. Yet one of the most amusing things for […]

The post Wes Anderson Talks Fatherhood, Interest in Making a Musical, and Why He Had Benicio del Toro Channel The Mummy appeared first on Den of Geek.

One of Phineas and Ferb’s most enduring features is its music, which is an integral component of the show’s identity, formula, and soul. The hit songs from Disney’s longest-running animated series have no business going as hard as they do. The tunes aren’t simply just catchy earworms, but genuine bops that have stood the test of time. Man, they are remarkable. 

As season five promises to bring some excellent songs back into our memories, let’s look back and rank the best 10 songs from the entire run of the show. We’re leaving out the songs to the movies: Candace Against the Universe and Across the 2nd Dimension, as well as the specials Summer Belongs to You and Star Wars, just to add a little challenge. Because, let’s be honest, if Across the 2nd Dimension was included, it would overrun this list.

10. Alien Heart

Ladies and Gentlemen, Meet Max Modem

There’s something so charming about Rocky Horror Picture Show composer Richard O’Brien being cast as the voice of Lawrence, the laid-back father of the Flynn-Fletcher clan. To hear him sing in the episode “Ladies and Gentlemen, Meet Max Modem” is even more delightful. In an episode that pokes fun at these musicians, the composition of Alien Heart bears a sweet melody and appears to be a tribute to ‘80s synth and new wave music, including DEVO and Oingo Boingo. It is unfortunate that this little song hasn’t made it onto any of the official soundtracks.

9. Quirky Worky Song

Multiple Episodes

Yes, that scatting song that goes “Soo-dee-up, boo-dee-up. Beedla-bee doo-doo-dah” that plays during every montage sequence of the boys constructing one of their contraptions has a name. Yes, it’s such an earworm. No lyrics, just series composer Danny Jacobs scatting over a bass and acoustic guitar beat. And truthfully, that’s all you need. 

8. You Snuck Your Way Right Into My Heart

Dude, We’re Getting the Band Back Together

There’s no doubt that “Dude, We’re Getting the Band Back Together,” is a classic episode for many reasons. It was the first time PnF delivered a 22-minute tale. It was also the first fully musical-oriented episode. Most importantly, it introduced the in-universe ‘80s rock band Love Händel. This ultimate love ballad didn’t sneak its way into our heart. It moved right in. The lyrics capture such a lovely, romantic tune, and the vocals by none other than the legendary Jarret Reddick of Bowling For Soup—I recently discovered this and, as a major fan, I am embarrassed—made for a rocking song and the perfect finale song for one of the show’s finest episodes. GOOD NIGHT, TRI-STATE AREA! 

7. There’s a Platypus Controlling Me

Brain Drain

Dr. Doofenshmirtz spit game is so fire, my laptop is overheating just typing this entry out. All kidding aside, it’s absurd and entertaining enough to have a rap song about Doof explaining how Perry the Platypus uses a mind-control device to control his movements while he spins records that are glued to his hands to a crowd of punk teens. But what takes it to the next level is the misunderstanding of the situation; as the teens interpret that, “platypus is a metaphor for whatever’s keeping you down.” Then proceeds to name things that are Platypus’ including “cooperations, parents, the government,” and it goes so hard! It’s the perfect blend of comedy and great songwriting that only Phineas and Ferb can pull off.

6. Perry the Platypus Theme

Multiple Episodes

Oh there you are, Perry! None of the James Bond songs have anything on this semiaquatic egg-laying mammal of action’s theme song. Agent P’s song got everything: dramatic horns, backup vocalists calling his name, and Randy Cranshaw doing a strong Tom Jones impersonation that makes one assume that Tom Jones is actually singing about a badass secret agent platypus. It’s one of the recurring songs within the series, and it’s a joy whenever it plays, whether it be the instrumental or just the jingle. Come on. It’s PERRY! PERRY THE PLATYPUS!

5. Today’s Gonna Be a Great Day

Multiple Episodes 

There are simple facts of life. One plus one is two. We all live till we die. There’s 104 days of summer vacation till school comes along just to end it. The theme song for Phineas and Ferb, performed by Bowling For Soup, is definitely one of the best tracks of the series. It captures the tone and premise of the show with an infectious punk rock tune full of optimism and joy. In fact, during the summer I find myself listening to it occasionally just to get my day going. “Today’s Gonna Be a Great Day” Ferb-tastic serotonin bottled in a perfect theme song that makes you feel as if every day will be the best day ever. 

4. S.I.M.P (Squirrels in My Pants)

Comet Kermilian

Long before the term “simp” had a negative connotation, it was associated with “squirrels in my pants.” A whole generation shook their legs and stomped the ground in imitation of squirrels in their pants to the ridiculous hip-hop song about them scuttling around in Candace’s pants. “S.I.M.P (Squirrels in My Pants)” is without a doubt the funniest song out of the series. Ashley Tisdale’s Candace cries out squirrels in the chorus in time to the beat will always be funny. A certified hood classic and a hilarious song. 

3. Busted 

I Scream, You Scream

Ashley Tisdale and Olivia Olson are undoubtedly the best vocalists of the series. It’s just facts. So when this Candace/Vanessa duet dropped in the episode “I Scream, You Scream,” every viewer was absolutely gagged. It became as iconic as Monica and Brandy when they released “The Boy is Mine” or Beyonce and Gaga with “Telephone.” Tisdale and Olson’s voices are so beautifully matched in this song about their determination to bust their family members to their mom — Candace with her brothers building machines and Vanessa with her dad being evil. The lyrics are extremely catchy; it pains me every time just how short it is considering how hard it goes. At the season five premiere this past weekend, Tisdale and Olson performed the song live while dressed in the similarly colored attire as their cartoon counterparts. Now my FOMO has been busted!

2. Ain’t Got Rhythm

Dude, We’re Getting the Band Back Together

Another song from “Dude, We’re Getting the Band Back Together,” this one features Phineas and former Love Händel drummer-turned-librarian Sherman/Swampy, in a rhythmic duet that excitedly builds to a progressively louder crescendo throughout. It was so darn remarkable that it ended up landing a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. Sadly, it lost to “I’m F–ing Matt Damon,” which…fair. However, “Ain’t Got Rhythm” triumphs in so many facets: being a ballad of Sherman’s backstory, having a song that builds towards an uproarious finish, and testing the heights of Vincent Martella and Steve Zahn’s singing voices. Oh yeah, Steve Zahn is Swampy, and he has pipes! His range!

1. Gitchee Gitchee Goo

Flop Starz

The first of what ended up being many times Phineas and Ferb’s co-creators Dan Povenmire & Jeff “Swampy” Marsh’s love for music was on full display. Phineas and Ferb‘s ‘80s-styled pop song, which they attempted to transform into pop star one-hit wonders in the satirical episode “Flop Starz,” ultimately became the most unforgettable song in the entire series. Given that this was one of the first songs released for the show, Disney asked the songwriters to compose music for each episode after “Gitchee Gitchee Goo” received such a great reception. It was THE trailblazing song that gave Phineas and Ferb the musical identity we know and love— or “Gitchee Gitchee Goo” rather — it for. Without “Gitchee Gitchee Goo,” we definitely wouldn’t have this list of certified bangers and more.

Phineas and Ferb season 5 premieres Thursday, June 5 on Disney Channel and will be available to stream the next day on Disney+.

The post The 10 Best Phineas and Ferb Songs appeared first on Den of Geek.

One of Phineas and Ferb’s most enduring features is its music, which is an integral component of the show’s identity, formula, and soul. The hit songs from Disney’s longest-running animated series have no business going as hard as they do. The tunes aren’t simply just catchy earworms, but genuine bops that have stood the test […]

The post The 10 Best Phineas and Ferb Songs appeared first on Den of Geek.

One of Phineas and Ferb’s most enduring features is its music, which is an integral component of the show’s identity, formula, and soul. The hit songs from Disney’s longest-running animated series have no business going as hard as they do. The tunes aren’t simply just catchy earworms, but genuine bops that have stood the test of time. Man, they are remarkable. 

As season five promises to bring some excellent songs back into our memories, let’s look back and rank the best 10 songs from the entire run of the show. We’re leaving out the songs to the movies: Candace Against the Universe and Across the 2nd Dimension, as well as the specials Summer Belongs to You and Star Wars, just to add a little challenge. Because, let’s be honest, if Across the 2nd Dimension was included, it would overrun this list.

10. Alien Heart

Ladies and Gentlemen, Meet Max Modem

There’s something so charming about Rocky Horror Picture Show composer Richard O’Brien being cast as the voice of Lawrence, the laid-back father of the Flynn-Fletcher clan. To hear him sing in the episode “Ladies and Gentlemen, Meet Max Modem” is even more delightful. In an episode that pokes fun at these musicians, the composition of Alien Heart bears a sweet melody and appears to be a tribute to ‘80s synth and new wave music, including DEVO and Oingo Boingo. It is unfortunate that this little song hasn’t made it onto any of the official soundtracks.

9. Quirky Worky Song

Multiple Episodes

Yes, that scatting song that goes “Soo-dee-up, boo-dee-up. Beedla-bee doo-doo-dah” that plays during every montage sequence of the boys constructing one of their contraptions has a name. Yes, it’s such an earworm. No lyrics, just series composer Danny Jacobs scatting over a bass and acoustic guitar beat. And truthfully, that’s all you need. 

8. You Snuck Your Way Right Into My Heart

Dude, We’re Getting the Band Back Together

There’s no doubt that “Dude, We’re Getting the Band Back Together,” is a classic episode for many reasons. It was the first time PnF delivered a 22-minute tale. It was also the first fully musical-oriented episode. Most importantly, it introduced the in-universe ‘80s rock band Love Händel. This ultimate love ballad didn’t sneak its way into our heart. It moved right in. The lyrics capture such a lovely, romantic tune, and the vocals by none other than the legendary Jarret Reddick of Bowling For Soup—I recently discovered this and, as a major fan, I am embarrassed—made for a rocking song and the perfect finale song for one of the show’s finest episodes. GOOD NIGHT, TRI-STATE AREA! 

7. There’s a Platypus Controlling Me

Brain Drain

Dr. Doofenshmirtz spit game is so fire, my laptop is overheating just typing this entry out. All kidding aside, it’s absurd and entertaining enough to have a rap song about Doof explaining how Perry the Platypus uses a mind-control device to control his movements while he spins records that are glued to his hands to a crowd of punk teens. But what takes it to the next level is the misunderstanding of the situation; as the teens interpret that, “platypus is a metaphor for whatever’s keeping you down.” Then proceeds to name things that are Platypus’ including “cooperations, parents, the government,” and it goes so hard! It’s the perfect blend of comedy and great songwriting that only Phineas and Ferb can pull off.

6. Perry the Platypus Theme

Multiple Episodes

Oh there you are, Perry! None of the James Bond songs have anything on this semiaquatic egg-laying mammal of action’s theme song. Agent P’s song got everything: dramatic horns, backup vocalists calling his name, and Randy Cranshaw doing a strong Tom Jones impersonation that makes one assume that Tom Jones is actually singing about a badass secret agent platypus. It’s one of the recurring songs within the series, and it’s a joy whenever it plays, whether it be the instrumental or just the jingle. Come on. It’s PERRY! PERRY THE PLATYPUS!

5. Today’s Gonna Be a Great Day

Multiple Episodes 

There are simple facts of life. One plus one is two. We all live till we die. There’s 104 days of summer vacation till school comes along just to end it. The theme song for Phineas and Ferb, performed by Bowling For Soup, is definitely one of the best tracks of the series. It captures the tone and premise of the show with an infectious punk rock tune full of optimism and joy. In fact, during the summer I find myself listening to it occasionally just to get my day going. “Today’s Gonna Be a Great Day” Ferb-tastic serotonin bottled in a perfect theme song that makes you feel as if every day will be the best day ever. 

4. S.I.M.P (Squirrels in My Pants)

Comet Kermilian

Long before the term “simp” had a negative connotation, it was associated with “squirrels in my pants.” A whole generation shook their legs and stomped the ground in imitation of squirrels in their pants to the ridiculous hip-hop song about them scuttling around in Candace’s pants. “S.I.M.P (Squirrels in My Pants)” is without a doubt the funniest song out of the series. Ashley Tisdale’s Candace cries out squirrels in the chorus in time to the beat will always be funny. A certified hood classic and a hilarious song. 

3. Busted 

I Scream, You Scream

Ashley Tisdale and Olivia Olson are undoubtedly the best vocalists of the series. It’s just facts. So when this Candace/Vanessa duet dropped in the episode “I Scream, You Scream,” every viewer was absolutely gagged. It became as iconic as Monica and Brandy when they released “The Boy is Mine” or Beyonce and Gaga with “Telephone.” Tisdale and Olson’s voices are so beautifully matched in this song about their determination to bust their family members to their mom — Candace with her brothers building machines and Vanessa with her dad being evil. The lyrics are extremely catchy; it pains me every time just how short it is considering how hard it goes. At the season five premiere this past weekend, Tisdale and Olson performed the song live while dressed in the similarly colored attire as their cartoon counterparts. Now my FOMO has been busted!

2. Ain’t Got Rhythm

Dude, We’re Getting the Band Back Together

Another song from “Dude, We’re Getting the Band Back Together,” this one features Phineas and former Love Händel drummer-turned-librarian Sherman/Swampy, in a rhythmic duet that excitedly builds to a progressively louder crescendo throughout. It was so darn remarkable that it ended up landing a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. Sadly, it lost to “I’m F–ing Matt Damon,” which…fair. However, “Ain’t Got Rhythm” triumphs in so many facets: being a ballad of Sherman’s backstory, having a song that builds towards an uproarious finish, and testing the heights of Vincent Martella and Steve Zahn’s singing voices. Oh yeah, Steve Zahn is Swampy, and he has pipes! His range!

1. Gitchee Gitchee Goo

Flop Starz

The first of what ended up being many times Phineas and Ferb’s co-creators Dan Povenmire & Jeff “Swampy” Marsh’s love for music was on full display. Phineas and Ferb‘s ‘80s-styled pop song, which they attempted to transform into pop star one-hit wonders in the satirical episode “Flop Starz,” ultimately became the most unforgettable song in the entire series. Given that this was one of the first songs released for the show, Disney asked the songwriters to compose music for each episode after “Gitchee Gitchee Goo” received such a great reception. It was THE trailblazing song that gave Phineas and Ferb the musical identity we know and love— or “Gitchee Gitchee Goo” rather — it for. Without “Gitchee Gitchee Goo,” we definitely wouldn’t have this list of certified bangers and more.

Phineas and Ferb season 5 premieres Thursday, June 5 on Disney Channel and will be available to stream the next day on Disney+.

The post The 10 Best Phineas and Ferb Songs appeared first on Den of Geek.

Remember that time when good ol’ Peter Parker called a drone strike on his classmates because another guy was flirting with MJ? Well, the artificial intelligence that made it happen is back, this time in snarky Canadian form! Deadline is reporting that Schitt’s Creek alum Emily Hampshire has been cast as E.D.I.T.H. in Vision Quest, […]

The post The Weirdest Part of the MCU Spider-Man Is Back for Vision Quest appeared first on Den of Geek.

One of Phineas and Ferb’s most enduring features is its music, which is an integral component of the show’s identity, formula, and soul. The hit songs from Disney’s longest-running animated series have no business going as hard as they do. The tunes aren’t simply just catchy earworms, but genuine bops that have stood the test of time. Man, they are remarkable. 

As season five promises to bring some excellent songs back into our memories, let’s look back and rank the best 10 songs from the entire run of the show. We’re leaving out the songs to the movies: Candace Against the Universe and Across the 2nd Dimension, as well as the specials Summer Belongs to You and Star Wars, just to add a little challenge. Because, let’s be honest, if Across the 2nd Dimension was included, it would overrun this list.

10. Alien Heart

Ladies and Gentlemen, Meet Max Modem

There’s something so charming about Rocky Horror Picture Show composer Richard O’Brien being cast as the voice of Lawrence, the laid-back father of the Flynn-Fletcher clan. To hear him sing in the episode “Ladies and Gentlemen, Meet Max Modem” is even more delightful. In an episode that pokes fun at these musicians, the composition of Alien Heart bears a sweet melody and appears to be a tribute to ‘80s synth and new wave music, including DEVO and Oingo Boingo. It is unfortunate that this little song hasn’t made it onto any of the official soundtracks.

9. Quirky Worky Song

Multiple Episodes

Yes, that scatting song that goes “Soo-dee-up, boo-dee-up. Beedla-bee doo-doo-dah” that plays during every montage sequence of the boys constructing one of their contraptions has a name. Yes, it’s such an earworm. No lyrics, just series composer Danny Jacobs scatting over a bass and acoustic guitar beat. And truthfully, that’s all you need. 

8. You Snuck Your Way Right Into My Heart

Dude, We’re Getting the Band Back Together

There’s no doubt that “Dude, We’re Getting the Band Back Together,” is a classic episode for many reasons. It was the first time PnF delivered a 22-minute tale. It was also the first fully musical-oriented episode. Most importantly, it introduced the in-universe ‘80s rock band Love Händel. This ultimate love ballad didn’t sneak its way into our heart. It moved right in. The lyrics capture such a lovely, romantic tune, and the vocals by none other than the legendary Jarret Reddick of Bowling For Soup—I recently discovered this and, as a major fan, I am embarrassed—made for a rocking song and the perfect finale song for one of the show’s finest episodes. GOOD NIGHT, TRI-STATE AREA! 

7. There’s a Platypus Controlling Me

Brain Drain

Dr. Doofenshmirtz spit game is so fire, my laptop is overheating just typing this entry out. All kidding aside, it’s absurd and entertaining enough to have a rap song about Doof explaining how Perry the Platypus uses a mind-control device to control his movements while he spins records that are glued to his hands to a crowd of punk teens. But what takes it to the next level is the misunderstanding of the situation; as the teens interpret that, “platypus is a metaphor for whatever’s keeping you down.” Then proceeds to name things that are Platypus’ including “cooperations, parents, the government,” and it goes so hard! It’s the perfect blend of comedy and great songwriting that only Phineas and Ferb can pull off.

6. Perry the Platypus Theme

Multiple Episodes

Oh there you are, Perry! None of the James Bond songs have anything on this semiaquatic egg-laying mammal of action’s theme song. Agent P’s song got everything: dramatic horns, backup vocalists calling his name, and Randy Cranshaw doing a strong Tom Jones impersonation that makes one assume that Tom Jones is actually singing about a badass secret agent platypus. It’s one of the recurring songs within the series, and it’s a joy whenever it plays, whether it be the instrumental or just the jingle. Come on. It’s PERRY! PERRY THE PLATYPUS!

5. Today’s Gonna Be a Great Day

Multiple Episodes 

There are simple facts of life. One plus one is two. We all live till we die. There’s 104 days of summer vacation till school comes along just to end it. The theme song for Phineas and Ferb, performed by Bowling For Soup, is definitely one of the best tracks of the series. It captures the tone and premise of the show with an infectious punk rock tune full of optimism and joy. In fact, during the summer I find myself listening to it occasionally just to get my day going. “Today’s Gonna Be a Great Day” Ferb-tastic serotonin bottled in a perfect theme song that makes you feel as if every day will be the best day ever. 

4. S.I.M.P (Squirrels in My Pants)

Comet Kermilian

Long before the term “simp” had a negative connotation, it was associated with “squirrels in my pants.” A whole generation shook their legs and stomped the ground in imitation of squirrels in their pants to the ridiculous hip-hop song about them scuttling around in Candace’s pants. “S.I.M.P (Squirrels in My Pants)” is without a doubt the funniest song out of the series. Ashley Tisdale’s Candace cries out squirrels in the chorus in time to the beat will always be funny. A certified hood classic and a hilarious song. 

3. Busted 

I Scream, You Scream

Ashley Tisdale and Olivia Olson are undoubtedly the best vocalists of the series. It’s just facts. So when this Candace/Vanessa duet dropped in the episode “I Scream, You Scream,” every viewer was absolutely gagged. It became as iconic as Monica and Brandy when they released “The Boy is Mine” or Beyonce and Gaga with “Telephone.” Tisdale and Olson’s voices are so beautifully matched in this song about their determination to bust their family members to their mom — Candace with her brothers building machines and Vanessa with her dad being evil. The lyrics are extremely catchy; it pains me every time just how short it is considering how hard it goes. At the season five premiere this past weekend, Tisdale and Olson performed the song live while dressed in the similarly colored attire as their cartoon counterparts. Now my FOMO has been busted!

2. Ain’t Got Rhythm

Dude, We’re Getting the Band Back Together

Another song from “Dude, We’re Getting the Band Back Together,” this one features Phineas and former Love Händel drummer-turned-librarian Sherman/Swampy, in a rhythmic duet that excitedly builds to a progressively louder crescendo throughout. It was so darn remarkable that it ended up landing a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. Sadly, it lost to “I’m F–ing Matt Damon,” which…fair. However, “Ain’t Got Rhythm” triumphs in so many facets: being a ballad of Sherman’s backstory, having a song that builds towards an uproarious finish, and testing the heights of Vincent Martella and Steve Zahn’s singing voices. Oh yeah, Steve Zahn is Swampy, and he has pipes! His range!

1. Gitchee Gitchee Goo

Flop Starz

The first of what ended up being many times Phineas and Ferb’s co-creators Dan Povenmire & Jeff “Swampy” Marsh’s love for music was on full display. Phineas and Ferb‘s ‘80s-styled pop song, which they attempted to transform into pop star one-hit wonders in the satirical episode “Flop Starz,” ultimately became the most unforgettable song in the entire series. Given that this was one of the first songs released for the show, Disney asked the songwriters to compose music for each episode after “Gitchee Gitchee Goo” received such a great reception. It was THE trailblazing song that gave Phineas and Ferb the musical identity we know and love— or “Gitchee Gitchee Goo” rather — it for. Without “Gitchee Gitchee Goo,” we definitely wouldn’t have this list of certified bangers and more.

Phineas and Ferb season 5 premieres Thursday, June 5 on Disney Channel and will be available to stream the next day on Disney+.

The post The 10 Best Phineas and Ferb Songs appeared first on Den of Geek.