Movies In Trouble

Join us as we dive into the surprisingly turbulent journey behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.We'll explore how Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg convinced Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon to take such a radical creative swing by focusing on the awkward yet hilarious experiences of being a teenager, and how what looked like a straightforward reboot turned into a complete reinvention of one of pop culture's most enduring franchises.Grab a slice, avoid the ooze, and join us as we ask the question at the heart of every episode: was this film a production in trouble, or a masterclass in how to reinvent a franchise?

On this episode we hit the streets with Walter Hill’s neon-soaked cult classic 'The Warriors', a film that turned New York City into a dystopian comic-book like war zone. We'll dig into the film’s notoriously chaotic production, the real life gang activity surrounding the shoot, the studio's fears after its controversial release, and how a relatively small action movie has transformed into one of the most influential cult films of the last 48 years... Come out to play, suckas!! And try to survive as we attempt to bop our way back to Coney Island. 

For this episode we dive headfirst into the chaotic production of Albert Pyun;s "Ticker," a film that somehow assembled a cast including Steven Seagal, Tom Sizemore, and Dennis Hopper, and still ended up feeling like it was stitched together in a rush job at 3 a.m. This straight-to-video action thriller became a perfect storm of clashing egos, questionable creative decisions, and a production that seemed to be making it up as it went along.From baffling editing choices to performances that range from half-asleep to are they in the same movie” (because they actually aren't), we break down how it became a prime example of early-2000s action cinema gone wrong. Was there ever a solid movie buried under the chaos, or was this thing doomed from the moment the cameras started rolling? Tune in as we sift through the rubble of explosions, mismatched tones, and one of the strangest career entries in Seagal’s filmography.

After a little down time, the crew is back in the saddle for the new year, and we’re starting off with the Wild West antihero adaptation that barely made it to the gallows before the critics lined up to take their shots, 2010's "Jonah Hex."Directed by Jimmy Hayward and starring Josh Brolin, Megan Fox and John Malkovich, Jonah Hex seemed to have all the makings of a gritty, supernatural western. At least on paper. So what went wrong? Studio interference? A rushed production? A movie that feels like it’s missing a reel or two? Or was it doomed the moment it left the comic page for the big screen? In our first episode back together, and the official launch of Season 3, we dig into the behind-the-scenes turmoil, the tonal confusion, the 80-minute runtime that feels both too short and somehow too long, and whether there’s a version of this film that could've really worked.

In our season opener, we're starting things off a little different by revisiting our obsession with physical media, and discussing Arrow Video's release of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Trilogy," and the long-awaited 4K (re)-release of Kevin Smith's "Dogma." Along the way, we get into the state of physical media in 2026, what makes a release worth double-dipping, and why owning a movie hits differently than streaming it... It’s part show-and-tell, part therapy session, and the perfect way to launch a brand-new season.

This week we enter the chaotic arena of 'Mortal Kombat' [1995], a production as intense as the tournament it portrays. Born from the risky idea of adapting a hyper-violent video game for mainstream audiences, the film faced script rewrites, casting shake-ups, location injuries & sicknesses, and a visual effects team trying to bring a fantastical creature to life on a very "mortal" budget. From Paul W.S. Anderson fighting to prove himself to actors training through pain and uncertainty, the road to Outworld was anything but smooth, and despite the behind-the-scenes turbulence, Mortal Kombat somehow pulled off a flawless victory in the hearts of '90s fans, and became a cult classic that fused campy charm, techno music, and unforgettable fight scenes.

After years of delays, reshoots that never happened, a release date shuffle that felt like a game of musical chairs, and a premiere that hit theaters with a thud, 'The New Mutants' became the last nail in the 20th Century Fox / X-Men universe coffin. In this episode, we break down what worked, what never stood a chance, and why this troubled production became a fittingly chaotic farewell to the Fox mutant saga. From the genre-bending horror ambitions of the director, to the last minute studio shuffle thanks to a legendary Stephen King property, we discuss just what put these mutants in more trouble than they could ever get out of onscreen.

In this special episode we’re taking a break from our obsession with doomed productions and talking about a different kind of obsession: physical media... Joining us for this “collector’s confession session” is cohost of the BETAMAX podcast, Fidel Medina, where we cover everything from blind buys to our biggest splurges, and even the ones that make us cringe with regret... Have a listen as we crack open the vaults and talk about why we just can’t stop buying movies we already own in 3 different formats, as well as the highs & lows of collecting physical media.

Movies In Trouble returns! And we’re going on the run with Harrison Ford in 'The Fugitive,' the movie that made “I didn’t kill my wife!” a meme long before memes even existed. With Harrison Ford dodging trains, jumping off dams, and Tommy Lee Jones’ unstoppable one-liners, we will try to figure out how this TV remake got made and accidentally turned into a Best Picture nominee. And joining us for the chase is Wackoe (90mins On Film), because if we’re going to talk about chaos, we might as well invite the expert.

This week, we take aim at 2004's "The Punisher," a film loaded with budget cuts, script rewrites, and a popsicle interrogation scene that no one asked for. Join us as we dig into Thomas Jane’s Navy SEAL makeover, John Travolta’s primadonna pre-production antics and "phone-it-in" mob boss portrayal, and the messy production that left Marvel’s grim antihero with more melodrama than mayhem.