Futility Belt: A Superhero Rewatch Podcast

Pat and Sarah somehow survive SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE (1987), which reunites all of your beloved characters, with the addition of John Cryer as a very, very cool teenager. Topics Covered: "Nucular" Man’s invisible pants and acrylics; Nucular bloopers; a beautiful terrible piece of garbage; Clark Kent

Our intrepid hosts' brief respite from Superman ends with a look at SUPERGIRL (1984). Is the film's only saving grace Faye Dunaway's wig? Maybe! Topics Covered: idle threats, a star-studded cast, The Love Witch 2, wildos and magic balls, finessing The Witches’ Picnic, Krypton’s Herbal Essences, Supergirl is gay, rat-tail-lookin’ motherfuckers, bitches need savin’, rape scenes!  but for fun!, agency, runaway backhoes, headbands

Pat & Sarah take a break from DC to talk about the latest installment of the MCU, AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018). SPOILERS ABOUND! Topics Covered: rebels, MCU’s BIG BAD, Pat’s terrible opinions, Red Line pukin’, comparisons to Power Rangers, character vignettes, "endless end game", everyone that dies, crossover events suck, Gamora sucks, an invitation to the party, seein' the boys together, Chrises & Toms, is Thanos lame? (no) 

Pat and Sarah continue their trek through the '80s Super-verse with a  discussion of Superman III, a film as racist as it is incoherent and inadvisably goofy. Amidst the disjointed story, indifferent special effects and rhetorical attack on the welfare state, enjoy also: the painted-on, vaudevillian beards; Lois's sunburn; the dog-food-eating scene; the gibberish we're told is "Italian"; the garbage scene; and, of course, the Kentucky Fried Chicken bags. 

On a cold and blizzard-y Chicago night, Pat and Sarah gathered around the warmth of the television to watch a movie about a plant-monster running around some bayous. Wes Craven's Swamp Thing (1982): Was this a superhero movie? Was it a ... watchable movie? Is there a better name for it than "Swamp Thing"? Is the titular monster a tad too handsy? Listen for the answers to these questions and more!

Pat and Sarah watch and discuss Superman II, the only thrilling superhero sequel to replay the entirety of the first movie in its opening credits! They address important issues, like Supes's decision to give up his powers for a whole ten minutes in order to get busy, and whether the whole movie should have just been a Clark and Lois date.

Welcome to Futility Belt, a Superhero Re-watch Podcast! In this episode--our origin story--longtime friends and contentious superhero fanpeople Pat and Sarah try to figure out exactly why they're doing this. Reason: movie-yelling is a fun and enlivening activity all friends should enjoy together! Each week Pat and Sarah will be re-watching superhero films in chronological order, beginning at the dawn of Hollywood's "blockbuster" era. The subject of conversation this week is Superman (1978), a film directed by some guy Pat knows the name of! (It's Richard Donner.) Sarah begins to fall for goofball Clark Kent, and Pat tries to turn the podcast, in its very first episode, into a spelling competition. It's a thrilling adventure, bound to have a sequel!