What makes the martial artist an appealing archetype in fiction? Anthony and Andrew unpack the tropes with reference to some of their favourite examples!

Mutants, multiverses, and mowing down the fourth wall! Anthony and Andrew talk Deadpool & Wolverine.

With Twisters tearing through theatres, Anthony and Andrew look at the uses and meaning of "man versus nature" conflicts in narrative.

Anthony and Andrew explore the dungeoneering tropes of the hit animated series Delicious in Dungeon, aka Dungeon Meshi.

Anthony and Andrew explore the themes and approaches of the three iterations of the Planet of the Apes movie franchise.

 Anthony and Andrew mark ten years of the reading-and-writing podcast by reflecting on ten themes and trends in storytelling from the past decade, including streaming, shared universes, the state of the "sure thing", and the rise of cozy entertainment.

Anthony and Andrew break down the runners and riders in the 96th Academy Awards categories for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Movies discussed include:

• American Fiction
• The Zone of Interest
• Barbie
• Oppenheimer
• Poor Things

 

• The Holdovers
• May December
• Past Lives
• Anatomy of a Fall
• Maestro

Beekeepers, bricklayers, painters, and John Wick. Anthony and Andrew dive into the world of the assassin in fiction. What's the appeal of the archetype, what does it represent, and how does it work?

Anthony and Andrew discuss the themes, story structure, and worldbuilding of animator Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli movies, including My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Porco Rosso!

 Anthony and Andrew revisit a key author from their childhoods as they dip into the dark worlds of Roald Dahl, to mark both the release of Wes Anderson's adaptations of Dahl's short stories and the upcoming Wonka movie.

It's time for the annual Storybeater monster episode. This year we're looking at aliens in fiction, where horror and sci-fi intersect, and what fears and anxieties aliens can represent.

Anthony and Andrew discuss the recent series of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and take a look back over the history of the Star Trek franchise, from The Original Series to Lower Decks!

Anthony and Andrew unpack the blockbuster sensation Barbie. It's bright, its breezy, and it's shockingly smart!

Anthony and Andrew check out the latest and last Indiana Jones movie to ask whether there's still life in the adventure genre, what the tropes of an Indiana Jones movie might be, and where there may yet be untapped potential in this fictional world.

 With the 60th anniversary of classic BBC sci-fi show Doctor Who fast approaching, Anthony and Andrew look back at their memories of the original series, the challenges of the modern day revamp, and their hopes for the future of the show.

Anthony and Andrew have a spoiler-filled discussion about Fast X, covering the trouble with Brian, the villain's queer coding, the need for a Johnny Tran resurrection, and what it might say about the franchise that the outlaws have become the in-laws. 

Anthony and Andrew discuss how playing roleplaying games has shaped them as writers and what writers can learn from playing RPGs!

Anthony and Andrew break down the latest and perhaps most successful video game-to-live action adaptation, HBO's The Last of Us, to look at how the source material shapes the story.

Anthony and Andrew assess this year's Academy Award nominees for Best Adapted and Best Original Screenplay, including:

Best Adapted:

All Quiet on the Western Front
Glass Onion
Living
Top Gun: Maverick
Women Talking

Best Original:

The Banshees of Inisherin
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
Tár
Triangle of Sadness

Anthony and Andrew discuss Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig's emerging murder mystery movie series, Knives Out and Glass Onion!

Anthony and Andrew unpack the many faces of Father Christmas in fiction and the magic of the character's enduring appeal.

Anthony and Andrew check out the first season of AMC's Interview with the Vampire, based on the work of Anne Rice. How has the story been adapted for the screen and how has this version evolved from Rice's own novel and the movie adaptation?

For the annual Halloween episode, Anthony and Andrew look at the history and significance of the city-destroying giant monsters known as kaiju!

Anthony and Andrew pay tribute to Spider-Man on his 60th anniversary by examining the character's enduring appeal and the ways he's been reinvented in recent years.

Anthony and Andrew discuss the Netflix adaptation of writer Neil Gaiman's iconic comic series The Sandman. What challenges did the show face in bringing the story to the screen, and how might future Sandman stories be adapted?

Anthony and Andrew talk lettering, contracts, and the latest entry in the MCU, Thor: Love and Thunder. It's a rock concert in movie form, but how much Guns N Roses is too much Guns N Roses?

Anthony and Andrew discuss the storytelling choices and resonances of the movie phenomenon of the year, the Daniels' Everything Everywhere All At Once, starring Michelle Yeoh.

Anthony and Andrew check out the Julia Child biographical series Julia on HBO Max and talk about comfort TV, the joy of competence, and food on the screen.

Anthony and Andrew check out the new cult hit pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death and its place in the traditions of pirate storytelling!

Anthony and Andrew discuss this year's Academy Award nominees for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay.

The nominees are...

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Belfast
Written and directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Don't Look Up
Written by Adam McKay and David Sirota, based on a story by McKay.
Directed by Adam McKay.

King Richard
Written by Zach Baylin.
Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green.

Licorice Pizza
Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

The Worst Person in the World
Written by Joachim Trier & Eskil Vogt.
Directed by Joachim Trier.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

CODA
Written and directed by Sian Heder.
Based on the film La Famille Bélier by Victoria Bedos, Thomas Bidegain, Stanislas Carré de Malberg and Éric Lartigau.

Drive My Car
Written by Ryusuke Hamaguchi & Takamasa Oe.
Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
Based on the short story by Haruki Murakami.

Dune
Written by Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts & Denis Villeneuve.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve.
Based on the novel by Frank Herbert.

The Lost Daughter
Written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Based on the novel by Elena Ferrante.

The Power of the Dog
Written and directed by Jane Campion.
Based on the novel by Thomas Savage.

This year's Academy Awards take place  on Sunday, March 27.

Anthony and Andrew check out the new Prime Video series Reacher and talk about the trope-heavy appeal of dad lit!

To mark the release of Joel Coen's new film adaptation of The Tragedy of Macbeth, Anthony and Andrew look at the appeal of William Shakespeare's great tragedy and the choices made in this latest version.

To mark the return of the Matrix movies to our screens, Anthony and Andrew revisit the original movie to see how it holds up, how it shaped our culture, and what sort of story decisions the Wachowskis made.

Anthony and Andrew break down the story choices in the final Daniel Craig Bond movie, No Time To Die. Warning: This discussion contains spoilers!

This year's Halloween episode looks at witches in fiction, from children's entertainment to folklore to our own storytelling choices!

Anthony and Andrew look at the storytelling choices in the latest Marvel movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, including how it expands and diversifies the MCU and how it navigates some potential bombs!

Anthony and Andrew check out the new Netflix series Masters of the Universe: Revelation and talk about the history of He-Man and what the franchise represents.

Anthony and Andrew look back on seven years of Storybeater as they celebrate their 100th episode! They talk about what they've been writing since the podcast started, their favourite conversations from the last 99 episodes, and what they've been reading that shaped and influenced their work!

To mark the 40th anniversary of the release of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Anthony and Andrew look at what makes the movie such an enduring classic, some of the awkward ways it's showing its age, and how Indiana Jones breaks some familiar storytelling "rules".

To mark 20 years since the release of the original The Fast & The Furious movie, Andrew and Anthony reexamine that movie's appeal and look at how the franchise has evolved and expanded its world over the past two decades!

Anthony and Andrew offer their thoughts on this year's Academy Awards screenplay nominees, including:

Minari
Judas and the Black Messiah
Trial of the Chicago 7
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal

Nomadland
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
The Father
The White Tiger
One Night in Miami

The Marvel Cinematic Universe returns with its first Disney+ TV show, WandaVision. Anthony and Andrew unpack the grief, the villainy, the sitcom tropes, the twists, the fan theories, and the future for Wanda and Vision!

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Anthony and Andrew revisit the greatest love story ever told, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. But is it actually a great love story, or just a tale about two stupid kids?

Anthony and Andrew look at the choices, subversions, and conventions explored in the new Netflix regency romance series Bridgerton. Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading!

Anthony and Andrew discuss the Star Wars streaming show The Mandalorian -- with spoilers for the most recent episode! Is it a good show, is it good Star Wars, and is there a tension between those two ambitions? 

Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing!

Anthony and Andrew look at the fourth season of Peter Morgan's The Crown, the blockbuster Netflix series about the life of Queen Elizabeth II. What are the unique challenges of writing a biography, and especially of fictionalizing the lives of people who already feel familiar?

For this year's Halloween episode, Anthony and Andrew dig into the horror style and influence of H.P. Lovecraft, and look at the recent HBO series Lovecraft Country and the novel that inspired it.

Anthony and Andrew count down their favourite superhero and supervillain teams and talk about what makes a team dynamic work! Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading!

Anthony and Andrew discuss the cowboy archetype in fiction, including the tropes, classic and modern interpretations, masculinity, America, and the archetype's relationship to politics and privilege.

Anthony and Andrew explore the legend of Hercules, what he represents, and how his stories have been told. Plus, they talk about what they're reading and what they're writing.

Anthony and Andrew get together (remotely) to talk about writing in the age of Covid-19. How are they adapting, what are their coping mechanisms, how do they think this will shape their work, and do they feel an obligation to produce great works during lockdown? (Spoiler: No!)

They also talk about the new Disney Pixar movie Onward, released direct to Disney+ following the movie theatre shutdown, and they talk about what they're been reading and distracting themselves with in quarantine!

Due to the current and ongoing crisis, we're not recording new episodes of Storybeater at present. Instead, Andrew has read and recorded the full text of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll -- because in difficult times, we need great stories!

Enjoy this reading, and check out some of our past episodes if you're looking for more entertaining distractions, including our episodes on detectives, Mary Poppins, Robin Hood, Marvel movies, and more.

Thanks for listening!

Anthony and Andrew share their thoughts on this year's nominees for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards, including Jojo Rabbit, The Irishman, Little Women, Joker, The Two Popes, 1917, Knives Out, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, Parasite, and Marriage Story. 

Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading!

This month, Anthony and Andrew were meant to talk about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker...

And then Andrew decided he couldn't face it. But the show must go on! So, while Andrew shares his reasons for not going to see the movie, Anthony talks about what it gets right and what it does wrong. Andrew also talks about the new Netflix hit The Witcher.

Plus, Anthony and Andrew talk about what they're writing and what they're reading!

In the first ever Storybeater Christmas episode, Anthony and Andrew discuss sentimentality, Hallmark, the best and second best Christmas stories, Santa Claus world-building, how Christmas stories ate pagan stories, the true meaning of Christmas, and the meaning that writers can bring to "Christmas".

They also talk about what they've written in 2019, and in the "What We're Reading" section they discuss The Mandalorian and Knvies Out!

To mark the release of a new Charlie's Angels movie, Anthony and Andrew put together their own squads of women who kick-ass, drawing from all of movies, TV, video games and literature!

Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing!

Fantasy zombies. Fast zombies. Colonial zombies. Consumerist zombies. Brainless zombies. Vengeful zombies. Zombies as us. Zombies as them. For the annual Storybeater Halloween episode, Anthony and Andrew discuss the changing meaning and significance of zombies in fiction, from White Zombie to The Walking Dead and beyond.

Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing!

Anthony and Andrew discuss the detective archetype in fiction, from Sherlock Holmes to Jessica Fletcher. What are the tropes, what are the types, and what do detectives really represent? 

Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing!

Two bald men discuss two bald men as Wheeler and Falcone break down the tropes, cliches, triumphs and failings of Hobbs & Shaw, the latest installment in the beloved Fast & Furious franchise. Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading!

Anthony and Andrew count down their personal top five Disney villains and unpack what makes Disney's villains so effective and iconic. Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading!

On this month's episode, Anthony and Andrew offer a post-mortem look at one of the biggest TV shows of all time, Game of Thrones. The ending let a lot of people down, but where did the show go wrong? Can a story that sets out to subvert storytelling conventions ever deliver a truly satisfying ending? 

Anthony and Andrew discusss the storytelling successes and failures of Avengers: Endgame and the entire MCU narrative project. 

To mark the fifth anniversary of Storybeater, Anthony and Andrew look back over the past five years and answer some questions about the podcast and about writing, including dream projects, writing processes, and memories of some of their favourite episodes!

Anthony and Andrew talk about the latest installment in the MCU series, and the first with a female solo lead, Captain Marvel. The structure, the villainy, the comedy, the politics; it's time to break it all down! 

Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing!

Anthony and Andrew discuss the ten nominees for best original screenplay and best adapted screenplay at the 91st Academy Awards in the fifth annual Storybeater Oscars special, including:

The Favourite
First Reformed
Roma
Green Book
Vice
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Can You Ever Forgive Me
BlackkKlansman
If Beale Street Could Talk
and A Star Is Born.

Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading!

On the occasion of Batman's 80th anniversary, Anthony and Andrew look at how the character has evolved over the decades, and at his contributions to the archetype of the vigilante in fiction. 

Why do we keep revisiting Batman's origin story? What makes Gotham unique? Why is Batman's core supporting cast so huge? What are the essential Batman tropes? Where do vigilantes fit in to our moral view of the world? And how do writers approach the tension between "campy Batman" and "macho Batman"?

Anthony and Andrew break it all down, plus they reveal what they're writing and what they're reading!

Is Mary Poppins a protagonist? Is she a witch? Is she mean? Is she a Manic Pixie Dream Girl? Is she fighting the patriarchy and tearing down the Empire?

Anthony and Andrew look at the 1964 Mary Poppins movie and the character of the nanny with the brolly.

Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing!

Storybeater unpacks the literary tropes and traditions surrounding the British folklore hero Robin Hood.

How has Robin Hood evolved? Why is archery a popular skill for heroes? What's the definitive trope of a Robin Hood story? Who is the best Merry Man, why are some Merry Men more iconic than others, and how gay is Will Scarlet? Anthony and Andrew discuss all these questions and more!

Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing!

For this year's special Halloween episode, Anthony and Andrew discuss the tropes and conventions of the slasher genre, including the recently rebooted Halloween movie franchise. The conversation covers the sexual politics of slashers, the appeal of fear in storytelling, the post-modern deconstruction of the genre, and more!

Plus, what we're writing, and what we're reading!

Anthony and Andrew discuss the new Netflix animated show The Dragon Prince and its tropes, characters, and prospects. They also talk about what they're writing, and discuss Spider-Man... and Thomas Mann.

Anthony and Andrew discuss the blockbuster rom-com Crazy Rich Asians and how it compares to the tropes of the genre. They also talk about favourite rom-coms and how the genre has changed over time, and where the future of the rom-com might lie.

As always, Anthony and Andrew also talk about what they're writing and what they're reading!

Anthony & Andrew discuss the new Marvel movie Ant-Man & The Wasp and the second season of Luke Cage on Netflix, and break down the tropes, the villains, the ways the stories use power, and much more. They also discuss whether it's time to stop talking about Marvel all the time! 

Plus, what they're writing, and what they're reading, including Yahtzee Croshaw's Jam, and Mackenzi Lee's A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue.

We're putting a team together. Andrew and Anthony discuss the story beats behind heist movies, with a focus on Ocean's 8 and the other movies in the Ocean's franchise, but also touching on heist movies as different as Topkapi and Lucky Logan.

Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing!

Anthony and Andrew look at the big "season finale" of Marvel Studios' ten year cinematic universe project, Avengers: Infinity War. Does it work as a movie? Does Thanos work as a villain? And what might be next for the MCU? Plus, what we're writing, and what we're reading!

Anthony and Andrew break down what works and what doesn't about the new Lost In Space TV show. Is Parker Posey the Dr Smith we need right now? They also discuss space-based sci-fi, and talk about what they're reading and writing.

The first season of Jessica Jones had a very clear story to tell about living with trauma, but did it leave anywhere for the second season to go? Anthony and Andrew dig in to the new storyline and ask all the big questions, like 'Can Jessica be happy?', 'What is Malcolm for?' and 'How famous is Trish meant to be anyway?'

Anthony and Andrew share their thoughts on the ten nominees for best screenplay in this year's Academy Awards, including The Big Sick, The Shape of Water, Lady Bird, Call Me By Your Name, and Logan. Then they share their thoughts on the latest hit Marvel movie, Black Panther.

00:10:17 Academy Awards
01:17:47 Black Panther

Anthony and Andrew offer their take on the writing and world-building of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, plus a look back at some of their favourite genre works of 2017 (and a couple of duds). 

Anthony and Andrew talk about monsters and the id of man, with a special focus on Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and the classic Universal monster movie The Wolf Man.

Anthony and Andrew talk about their favourite musicals, and how musicals approach story. 

Anthony and Andrew break down the highs and lows of Marvel's Defenders series on Netflix, bringing together the characters from Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and also Iron Fist. It was a bold television experiment, but did it work?

Breaking down the heroes, villains, and world-building of the latest Spider-Man movie.

Anthony and Andrew offer their belated story-related thoughts on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and DC's Wonder Woman.

We recorded this podcast a quarter mile at a time. (And then uploaded it super late.)

Breaking down (almost) everything wrong with Netflix's Marvel's Iron Fist. Plus, what we're reading and what we're writing!

 Anthony and Andrew offer their thoughts on this year's Academy Award nominees for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay, including La La Land, The Lobster, Manchester By The Sea, Arrival, Hidden Figures, Lion, and Moonlight. Plus, what they're reading and what they're writing!

Breaking down the strengths and flaws of Gareth Edwards' Rogue One.

Anthony and Andrew break down the story elements and the successes and failures of the new Doctor Strange movie, including its use of tropes, its treatment of women, and the question of how sympathetic its lead character is meant to be. Plus, what we're reading, and what we're writing!

Anthony Falcone and Andrew Wheeler break down the storytelling, heroes, villains, women, and cultural significance of Cheo Hodari Coker's Luke Cage show as best as they are able! Plus; what they're writing, and what they're reading!

Anthony and Andrew look at the strengths and problems of the latest version of The Magnificent Seven, starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt. How does it compare to previous versions, and to other "build the team" and "defend the castle" movies?

Plus, in What We're Reading, Anthony talks about Raina Telgemeier's Ghosts, and Andrew talks about the podcast My Favorite Murder.

Anthony and Andrew tackle Suicide Squad, a movie that just begs to be rewritten, and check out the first six episodes of Baz Luhrmann's The Get Down on Netflix. Spoilers ahead! 

Check us out at Fan Expo in Toronto, September 1-4.

 Andrew and Anthony talk about Paul Feig's 2016 reboot of the Ghostbusters franchise, starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon. What worked, what didn't, and how did the weird controversy around the movie shape our appreciation for it? Plus, what we're writing and what we're reading!

 Anthony and Andrew go in-depth on the latest X-Men movie, X-Men: Apocalypse, and take a detour into another Biblical comics adaptation, AMC's Preacher. Plus, the latest look at what they're writing and what they're reading.

Anthony and Andrew discuss the secrets behind the success of Captain America: Civil War, including its place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon and the establishment of new characters Black Panther and Spider-Man. Plus, inevitably, they compare Civil War to Batman v Superman.

Also in this episode: TCAF, I Hate Fairyland, and Thomas King.

Anthony and Andrew watched Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and even with a lot of time to digest it, there's still a lot to talk about. A lot. Plus, what we're reading, and what we're writing!

Anthony and Andrew have a spoiler-filled discussion of the second season of Marvel's Netflix's Daredevil, discussing the structure of the series, the approaches to Elektra and Punisher, and the ongoing conversation about superhero morality. Plus, they talk about their experiences having their own work out in the world, and they endorse the Ennis/Dillon Punisher and The CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Anthony and Andrew talk about the screenwriting challenges and successes in this year's Oscar-nominated movies, including The Martian, The Big Short, Carol, Spotlight, Brooklyn, Ex Machina, Inside Out, Bridge of Spies, and more.

 After the disappointment of Spectre, Anthony and Andrew decide to revisit one of their favourite Bond movies to try to understand why the rest of the world hates it so much. Diamonds Are Forever marked Sean Connery's brief return to his most famous role, with a flamboyant Vegas setting, some extremely quirky henchmen, and Charles Grey's triumphantly camp performance as Blofeld. 

Anthony and Andrew share their spoiler-filled thoughts on the storytelling of The Force Awakens, from the points of view of both a superfan and a skeptic. What works, what doesn't, and what do we expect to see next?

They also look back at their writing accomplishments of the year, and compare and rate some of the year's big pop culture works.

00:00:00 - 00:13:00 - Writing year-in-review

00:13:00 - 01:49:30 - The Force Awakens

01:49:30 - 02:1845 - Pop culture year-in-review

 In a giant-sized holiday special double bill, Anthony and Andrew look at the classic Ray Harryhausen movie Jason & The Argonauts, and the recent Marvel/Netflix show Jessica Jones. The discussion covers mythology, inspiration, superpowers, ensembles, and so much more.