Retro Ramble

In this episode Charlie and George find themselves in the brutal Hyborian Age to revisit Conan the Barbarian! But they're not alone in this mythic quest; they're joined by special guest Dr. Tomas Rawlings, who brings an extensive knowledge of Conan canon!
These three brave pod-warriors explore the literary origins of Conan (arguably starting the fantasy genre as we now know it), the film's production challenges and the casting of one Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his breakout role.
With a character that's almost 100 years old, there's a lot to discuss in Suspicious Spin Offs, as well as the usual alternative casting in Coulda Woulda Shoulda and only a smattering of Arnie impressions.
Tomas can be found on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/tomasrawlings.bsky.social
Further reading - Some Tomas' amazing Conan research that he touches on can be found here -  https://exploringwarhammer.substack.com/p/conan
Enjoy, please share with like-minded fans of retro movies!

Warning - contains explicit language and bad impressions.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE - All content used within guidelines of Creative Commons act.

Charlie and George are off to mid-90s Miami, getting hot and sweaty in the explosive and (not so) erotic action movie, The Specialist!
 
There's a lot to unpack - Stallone and Stone's desperate search for chemistry, James Wood's acting in overdrive, Rod Steiger offending all of Latin America with that accent and Eric Roberts' amazing wardrobe - just wow. 
 
Oh, there's also John Barry on the soundtrack with some James Bond B-sides.

There's all the usual alternative casting and directors, deleted scenes and bad impressions.

Charlie & George are taking a stroll down the shadowy alleys of Dark City! They are looking back at the 1998 cult-classic sci-fi noir from The Crow's Alex Proyas.
They look at the film's origins, influences, philosophical themes, plus it's similarities with The Matrix, which was released a year later.
There's also alternative casting in Coulda Woulda Shoulda and some breathy Kiefer Sutherland impressions.

How do you follow up a blockbuster like Top Gun? Simple, you get the same people involved and remake it, swapping out jets for race cars. What could go wrong? Turns out quite a bit.
 
Yes, that's right it's a Retro Ramble on 1990's summer blockbuster Days Of Thunder, reuniting star Tom Cruise, director Tony Scott and uber-producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer.   
For such an event, Charlie and George are joined by a returning guest, broadcaster, good friend and fellow Tom Cruise fan, Andy Hughes.

In this episode, Charlie and George are tackling another Christmas classic, this time slightly more modern than previous festive outings, they're talking about Elf!
From the films challenging production with an untested star and director in Will Ferrell and Jon Faverau, a limited budget, legal issues and some nostalgic stop motion.
As per usual, there's alternative casting in Coulda Woulda Shoulda, some bad impressions as well as abandoned sequel ideas in Suspicious Spin Offs!
Enjoy, and please share!
 
Retro Ramble (2025)

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