In this Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman follow The Legend of Tarzan with a grab bag of muscled vengeance, pulp nostalgia, and jungle-adjacent chaos. From Skarsgård's berserker vibes in The Northmanto Warren Beatty's color-coded midlife crisis in Dick Tracy, we celebrate films that echo the mythic, the pulpy, and the wildly ambitious spirit of Tarzan. There are dinner table lion roars, noir vigilantes, and one criminally underseen VHS tie-in. It’s high pulp and higher volume.
Films Discussed:
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The Northman (2022)
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The Shadow (1994)
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The Rocketeer (1991)
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Dick Tracy (1990)
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Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984)
Topics Covered:
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Skarsgård as the thinking man’s berserker (and Tarzan)
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The legacy of pulp serials and art deco superhero throwbacks
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The Rocketeer as the platonic ideal of retro adventure
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Is Dick Tracy Star Wars for sad dads?
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Greystoke and the struggle to prestige-ify a loincloth myth
Key Takeaways:
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Tarzan is the vinyl of cinematic IP: better in small doses.
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Pulp adaptations are either charmingly nostalgic or gloriously unhinged.
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Alec Baldwin with silver pistols in black and white? Yes, please.
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Some legacies are better left in the jungle.
Listener Prompt: Which pulp throwback deserves another shot? Are we sleeping on The Shadow? Join the conversation using #MovieMemoryMachine.
Support the Show! Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
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Become a Patreon supporter – For as little as $1/month, you get access to bonus content for all shows on the Grunt Work Podcast Network. Join at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
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Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
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Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
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Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
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Join our Discord – Vote on whether films stay in modern memory or are left forgotten. Visit https://www.moviememorymachine.com for access.
Follow Us: 🌐 Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine 🎞️ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/
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