Welcome to another episode of Death Don’t Do Fiction, the AIPT Movies podcast! The podcast about the enduring legacy of our favorite movies! It’s May, which means it’s time for the AIPT Movies podcast’s “Mayhem” series! Where we cover movies that kick ass in the literal sense! In this week’s episode, Alex, Tim, and guest Tony Sedani discuss John Woo’s 1997 maximalist action-drama classic, Face/Off!
Healing lasers! A face floating in medical grade goo! An evil-looking mustache! Troubling goth makeup! Danny Masterson getting beat up for being a creep! A heart attack-inducing evil stare! Chekhov’s butterfly knife! Snazzy suits and golden guns! Reused props from the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie! Castor Troy’s box of fun! Child endangerment! Awkward use of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow!” Efficient establishment of a bitter rivalry! Lengthy explanations of illogical pseudo science! Copious melodrama!
Possibly the least subtle use of mirrors you’ve ever seen! Random sci-fi elements! Highly quotable lines! Bold parenting strategies! Hand waterfalls! Multiple amazing action set-pieces including an opening sequence that lesser movies would save for the finale! Environmental destruction, explosions, stunts, and sparks for days! Legendary filmmaker John Woo let loose with a big Hollywood budget, delivering a dose of pure cinematic adrenaline, that despite its somewhat silly reputation is a masterclass in action filmmaking! All that plus Nicolas Cage and John Travolta perfectly matching each other’s crazy in the best body swap movie ever made! Come for the overacting, stay for the over-the-top action!
In addition, the gang shares their spoiler-free thoughts on Mortal Kombat II with Karl Urban, The Punisher: One Last Kill, Robert Rodriguez’s Once Upon a Time In Mexico, Hokum, Ben Affleck’s Live by Night, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Paul W. S. Anderson’s Soldier, Donnie Yen’s The Prosecutor, and the Korean action/crime drama series on Netflix, Bloodhounds!
You can find Death Don’t Do Fiction on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. As always, if you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave us a positive rating, subscribe to the show, and tell your friends!
The Death Don’t Do Fiction podcast brings you the latest in movie news, reviews, and more! Hosted by supposed “industry vets,” Alex Harris and Tim Gardiner, the show gives you a peek behind the scenes from two filmmakers with oddly nonexistent filmographies. You can find Alex on Twitter, Bluesky, or Letterboxd @actionharris. This episode’s guest, Tony Sedani, can be found on Instagram@tsedani and information on Tony and Alex’s upcoming comic book can be found on Instagram @overforce_x_hellrazors. Tim can’t be found on social media because he doesn’t exist. If you have any questions or suggestions for the Death Don’t Do Fiction crew, they can be reached at [email protected], or you can find them on Twitter or Instagram @aiptmoviespod.
