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HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
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Manage episode 518058497 series 2800063
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A monster is born, a father is made, and a legend gets a new pulse. We brought filmmaker Justin Robert Vinall into the studio to dive headfirst into Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, pulling apart what this adaptation embraces from Mary Shelley and what it boldly rewires. We start with the immediate gut checks—why the production design is breathtaking, how the exteriors can feel oddly digital, and where the Arctic bookends unlock fidelity to the novel while straining the final act’s momentum.
From there, we go deep on performances. Jacob Elordi’s creature emerges as the film’s soul: empathetic, physically mythic, and quietly devastating as he learns language, kindness, and cruelty. Oscar Isaac’s Victor is a lightning rod—baroque and volatile, thrilling for some and cartoonish for others. Mia Goth brings poise and spark but isn’t given enough runway to leave a mark beyond one standout confrontation. We parse the lecture hall resurrection, the companion request, and the rushed father-son reconciliation, asking whether the story earns its closing warmth or retreats from the abyss Shelley dared to face.
This conversation keeps one eye on awards season—production design, hair and makeup, and a potential best picture play—while tracking where the film sits in Del Toro’s body of work. Is this a companion to Crimson Peak and Nightmare Alley, or a mid-tier entry lifted by an all-timer creature performance? Along the way we explore the themes that make Frankenstein evergreen in 2025: consent, responsibility, otherness, and the cost of creating life without love. Hit play, then tell us—did the ending land, and where does this monster rank in your GDT canon?
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Chapters
1. Welcome And Guest Intro (00:00:00)
2. Justin’s “Stargazer” And Festival Wins (00:03:56)
3. Catching Up On Life, Work, Halloween (00:08:41)
4. Release Details And Audience Turnout (00:12:16)
5. First Impressions Of Frankenstein (00:15:13)
6. Casting Debates And Performances (00:19:21)
7. Creature Characterization And Design (00:24:41)
8. Structure, Arctic Framing, And Pacing (00:28:56)
9. Lecture Hall Scene And Logic Gaps (00:34:31)
10. Cinematography Vs Production Design (00:38:26)
11. Awards Prospects And Categories (00:43:06)
12. Mia Goth, Supporting Cast, Missed Beats (00:48:31)
13. Del Toro’s Filmography Placement (00:52:51)
14. Themes: Fathers, Sons, And Authorship (00:57:41)
15. Streaming Reception And Meme Factor (01:02:21)
16. Anime Detour: Chainsaw Man Hype (01:05:56)
17. Favorite Sequences And Final Gripes (01:10:51)
18. Plugs, What’s Next, Sign Off (01:13:46)
273 episodes
