Movie Memory Machine

Playmobil: The Movie (2019) feat. Josh Boerman of The Worst of All Possible Worlds!

What happens when you chase The LEGO Movie with none of the charm, none of the budget, and none of the jokes? You get Playmobil: The Movie—a box office catastrophe that tried to turn plastic figurines into profit.
This week, we’re joined by Josh Boerman of The Worst of All Possible Worlds podcast to dissect one of the strangest failures in modern animation. We break down the movie’s bizarre tone, its baffling creative choices, and how it ended up costing over $75 million while making less than ten. From Daniel Radcliffe’s cameo to musical numbers that feel like tax write-offs, this is a journey into movie marketing gone horribly wrong.
Was it doomed from the start—or is there a forgotten charm beneath the molded surface?
 
Cast:
Anya Taylor-Joy as Marla
Gabriel Bateman as Charlie
Daniel Radcliffe as Rex Dasher
Jim Gaffigan as Del
Kenan Thompson as Bloodbones
Meghan Trainor as Fairy Godmother
Adam Lambert as Emperor Maximus
 
Topics Covered in This Episode:
Why Playmobil: The Movie failed to connect with audiences
Daniel Radcliffe as Rex Dasher, the spy parody nobody asked for
The LEGO Movie vs. its cheap knockoffs
Animated flops and bloated budgets
Josh Boerman on the limits of branded content
The musical numbers that time forgot
Remember or forget? The final verdict on Playmobil
SUPPORT THE SHOW
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🎙 Check out Josh Boerman on The Worst of All Possible Worlds: https://www.worstpossible.world/

5 For: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

Join Landen and Truman for this week’s “5 For” as they uncover five films that thematically link to The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. From WWII misfit squads to Italian exploitation knockoffs, this list digs into the cinematic lineage of violent brotherhood, historical nonsense, and the thin line between patriotism and pulp.
Whether you’re looking for a sweaty desert siege, a Steve McQueen leather jacket moment, or just the ancestor of Tarantino’s revisionist bloodbath, we’ve got you covered.
This Week’s 5 Films:
Sahara (1943) – Bogart, sand, and sweaty desperation. A forgotten wartime nail-biter that earns its heat.
The Dirty Dozen (1967) – The prototype for pulp WWII squads. Grandpas loved it, and so might you.
Hell is for Heroes (1962) – Features Bob Newhart weaponizing phone calls. Also: McQueen in baffling outerwear.
Inglorious Bastards (1978) – No, not that one. The Italian one. Guy Ritchie’s cinematic grandfather?
The King’s Man (2021) – Nobody here has seen it. Still made the list.
 
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Listener Prompt:
What’s the best pulpy war movie you’ve never heard of? Drop your picks using #MovieMemoryMachine or in our Discord!
 
Support the Show!
Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned. Here’s how:
💸 Join our Patreon – Access bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio
⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
📲 Share with friends & follow us online
🎧 Visit our website for more content
💬 Join the Movie Memory Machine Discord
 
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📺 YouTube: @MovieMemoryMachine
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Mini-Transmission: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

In this chaotic kickoff to Season 2’s mini-episodes, Landen and Truman unravel some final (and occasionally ridiculous) thoughts about The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. From unexpected sound effects in the score to Guy Ritchie’s obsession with luxury, this half-hour ep has everything: a “boing” noise autopsy, speculative casting shade, and an appropriately unhinged round of The Trailer Game.
 
Topics Covered:
What’s with that “boing” in the end credits?
Why WWII films keep defaulting to pulp
The return of Operation Fortune’s luxury fixation
Is Guy Ritchie trying to become a brand?
The Trailer Game returns—with pop song covers and Cavill’s tongue
 
Key Takeaways:
Soundtrack choices say a lot—even when they say “boing”
Ritchie seems more interested in vibes than stakes
A trailer is just a music video for explosions
You can’t mention WWII without also saying: Nazis still suck
 
SEO Tags:
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Listener Prompt:
Did you catch the “boing” the first time? Do you have a favorite ridiculous trailer moment from any movie? Let us know on Discord or tag us with #MovieMemoryMachine.
 
Support the Show!
Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
Become a Patreon supporter – Get bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or your favorite app
Like, follow, and share – Boost us on social
Tell a friend – Word of mouth makes the machine go
Join our Discord – Vote on whether films stay in modern memory or get left forgotten: https://www.moviememorymachine.com
Follow Us
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📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine
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The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) | Cavill, Chaos, and Guy Ritchie’s War Boy Squad

Welcome to Season Two of Movie Memory Machine! Landen and Truman dive into Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare—a WWII action-comedy that’s part true story, part Call of Duty cutscene. They unpack the film’s tone (or lack thereof), its reluctance to engage with its own politics, and how Ritchie’s late-era filmmaking style might be sabotaging otherwise promising material. Also, a eulogy for the movie star charisma Henry Cavill keeps trying to give us.
 
Topics Covered:
When do historical action films owe us accuracy—or just vibes?
The legacy of Guy Ritchie’s “lad” cinema, and why it doesn’t always travel
Nazi violence as cartoon fodder: where’s the line, and did this cross it?
Henry Golding, Babs Olusanmokun, and the underutilization of compelling actors
The problem with movies that feel like a season of TV someone trimmed to 2 hours
Why Inglourious Basterds still does it better
 
Key Takeaways:
Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare flirts with big ideas, then shrugs them off
Guy Ritchie might be trapped in his own aesthetic echo chamber
Cavill’s mustache is doing more work than the script
Historical fantasy works better when it has the guts to really rewrite history
This movie has the vibe of Redbox, but the budget of a blockbuster
 
SEO Tags:
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Listener Prompt:
Is Guy Ritchie still delivering? What WWII movie gets the tone right? Join the conversation using #MovieMemoryMachine or hop into our Discord to debate style vs. substance.
 
Support the Show!
Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
 
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
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen
Like, follow, and share on social media
Tell a friend – Word of mouth helps us grow
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/

Support Month: Season 2 Preview

In this special preview episode, Landen and Truman fire up the Movie Memory Machine for one last diagnostic test before Season Two begins. What follows is a chaotic preview of what’s to come: clips, clues, tone shifts, and a few… surprises. No titles are revealed, but the breadcrumbs are there if you’re ready to start guessing. This isn’t a recap—it’s a glitchy look forward, and the Machine is in rare form.
 
Topics Covered:
A sneak peek at upcoming episodes (without revealing the titles)
Hints dropped through out-of-context clips, tone shifts, and dramatic overreactions
A recap of how the Machine works—and how little it can be trusted
Thematic signals about what Season Two might explore
Encouragement for listeners to play along and guess the mystery lineup
 
Key Takeaways:
Season Two will be bigger, weirder, and possibly haunted
We’re leaning harder into the Machine’s chaos (and maybe letting it pick a movie?)
If you like guessing games, film trivia, and pop culture breadcrumbs, this one’s for you
We’re not saying which films are coming—but the clues are there
The Machine seems… different
 
Listener Prompt:
Think you know what’s coming in Season Two? Post your guesses on social or join the Discord and try to decode the chaos. Use #MovieMemoryMachine so we can follow along.
 
Support the Show!
Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
Become a Patreon supporter – For as little as $1/month, get access to bonus content for all shows on the Grunt Work Podcast Network. Join at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
Tell a friend – Word of mouth helps us grow.
Join our Discord – Cast your verdicts, swap theories, and help shape what the Machine remembers. 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/

Support Month: Season 1 Finale

It’s the end of the beginning. In the Season One finale of Movie Memory Machine, Landen and Truman take a whirlwind tour through all 25 movies they’ve covered so far—from animated cows and memory-swapping sci-fi to cowboys with mime sidekicks. We revisit verdicts, call out the biggest surprises, and peel back the curtain on what it’s like to run a podcast built on forgotten cinema and emotional chaos. 
Topics Covered:
The best and worst of Season One: from Don Juan DeMarco to Poltergeist (2015)
The movies that surprised us most
Revisiting verdicts: Hope Springs, The Last Song, Barnyard & more
Wildest moments: Wild Mike, that cow funeral in Barnyard, and relitigating Pete the Cameraman
Reflections on podcasting, memory, and how we talk about movies
Key Takeaways:
Some movies are worth remembering—even when they barely made a dent the first time.
The Movie Memory Machine has a mind of its own.
Talking about forgotten movies can be both goofy and unexpectedly meaningful.
Our listeners are the best part of this entire experience.
Season Two will be stranger, sharper, and more cinematic than ever.
Listener Prompt:What was your favorite rediscovery of the season? What should we send to the machine next? Tell us using #MovieMemoryMachine or drop into the Discord and let us know.
Support the Show!Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
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
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
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/

Support Month: Damsel (2024)

In the season finale of Movie Memory Machine, Landen and Truman descend into the dark fantasy depths of Damsel(2024), Netflix’s Millie Bobby Brown-led twist on the fairy tale formula. We talk sacrificial princesses, cave horror, feminist inversions, and whether this dragon flick earns its roar—or just bellows at walls. Along the way, we dig into fantasy aesthetics, the Netflix Original paradox, and the shifting image of the Final Girl in the age of franchise collapse. It’s a scorched-earth breakdown with flaming swords, brittle politics, and the season’s most emotionally cathartic rock climb.
Topics Covered:
Damsel as a post-Hunger Games, post-Frozen fantasy survival film
Millie Bobby Brown’s career choices and her role as both producer and protagonist
Why the dragon’s voice (Shohreh Aghdashloo!) carries more gravitas than most live-action characters
The film’s commentary on royal systems, patriarchy, and complicity
Final Girl tropes applied to high fantasy—and why it (mostly) works
How Netflix continues to flatten spectacle while trying to manufacture mythology
Key Takeaways:
Damsel weaponizes its genre inversion: she’s not saved by a prince—she survives in spite of them.
Millie Bobby Brown channels rage, resolve, and rope burn with equal credibility.
The dragon is the film’s best metaphor and best performance.
The marriage of fairy tale and horror offers new terrain for Final Girl narratives.
The ending gives us one of the best “walk away” shots in recent memory.
Listener Prompt:What did Damsel get right about myth, memory, or millennial fantasy fatigue? Let us know using #MovieMemoryMachine.
Support the Show!Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
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
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
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/

Support Month: Redbelt (2006) — Grunt Work Crossover!

In this special crossover episode, the Movie Memory Machine smashes headfirst into the Grunt Work feed for a tag-team takedown of Redbelt (2008), the only dramatic performance in Tim Allen’s catalog that doesn't involve a dog costume or a Santa suit. Join Landon and Truman as they dive into David Mamet's mixed martial arts noir drama starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, grapple with Mamet's obsession with honor, and ask the big question: how did this become a Tim Allen movie?
Topics Covered:
The surprise crossover between Movie Memory Machine and Grunt Work
Plot breakdown of Redbelt (sort of)
Chiwetel Ejiofor's excellent performance in a movie that seems allergic to explaining itself
David Mamet’s style: clipped dialogue, elliptical storytelling, macho codes of honor
Tim Allen as a dramatic actor: how does he hold up?
A discussion of why this movie might have ended up forgotten
Key Takeaways:
Redbelt is either a brilliant anti-sports movie or a baffling puzzle box of stoicism and scams.
The movie's moral code is rigid, but the plot isn’t afraid to spiral into chaos.
There’s not much actual fighting, but plenty of emotional jiu-jitsu.
Tim Allen shows up, smokes a cigar, and kind of mopes around. It’s... a choice.
You don’t have to love MMA to enjoy an elliptical drama about belts, blackmail, and betrayal.
What about you? Did Redbelt win you over, or did it tap out early? What do you think Tim Allen's "black belt" would be in? Let us know on social media using #MovieMemoryMachine or #GruntWorkPod.
Support the Show! You can support both Movie Memory Machine and Grunt Work through:
Becoming a Patreon supporter – As little as $1/month gets you bonus content and keeps us ad-free and artist-owned. Join at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Leaving a positive rating and review – Wherever you listen, especially Apple Podcasts, it helps new listeners find us.
Liking, following, and sharing – We're @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd and @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube.
Telling a friend – Word of mouth is the best way to grow our community.
Joining our Discord – A film-loving space where you can vote on whether forgotten movies stay in modern memory. Access via https://www.moviememorymachine.com
Follow Us: 🌐 Website: www.moviememorymachine.com🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine🎦 Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/

Support Month: Music Memory Machine - Season 1

In this chaotic, music-fueled Movie Memory Machine mini-episode, Landen puts Truman through the ultimate Season One trivia challenge: a game entirely about needle drops from the forgotten films we've watched so far. From Miley Cyrus to MC Hammer, Spoon to Social Distortion, it’s a deep dive into the best, worst, and weirdest pop songs awkwardly dropped into these movies. Can Truman identify the movie (and the scene) based on just the song title and artist? Will the machine accept this episode as "valid input" or is this just an excuse to gush about The Rocker again? Join us aboard the struggling ship as we gamify nostalgia and fend off the void with sick beats.
Topics Covered:
Our favorite (and most questionable) needle drops from Season One
The surprising musical throughlines across forgotten films
Landen’s custom trivia game with easy, medium, and hard rounds
Scenes we remember only because of the soundtrack
Does a post-apocalyptic spaceship need this many pop songs? Yes.
Key Takeaways:
Every single Season One film had at least one pop needle drop—except Gretel & Hansel.
A song can elevate a scene... or derail it completely.
The right music cue will haunt you for months (Rocket Man, we’re looking at you).
Fergie, Höser, UB40, and Hoobastank: icons of the Movie Memory Machine canon.
Truman earns the title of Prince of Needle Drops (77% accuracy, baby!).
Listener Engagement:What’s your favorite needle drop in movie history? Did we miss a great one from our Season One lineup? Join the conversation on social media or our Discord using #MovieMemoryMachine.
Support the Show!Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
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 us at Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod.
Leave a positive rating and review – Reviews on Apple Podcasts and other platforms help new listeners discover the show.
Like, follow, and share on social media – Spread the word about Movie Memory Machine!
Tell a friend – Word-of-mouth recommendations help us grow the most!
Join our Discord – Be part of a positive film-loving community and cast your vote on whether films stay in modern memory or are forgotten.
Follow Us & Stay Connected: 🌐 Official website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine🎞️ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/

5 For: Sahara (2005)

In this Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman dig up five cinematic gems that either complement or correct Sahara’s sunbaked chaos. From notorious box office bombs to globe-trotting adventures, these films tackle desert escapism, colonial absurdity, and character chemistry with sharper storytelling and far less Steve Zahn thirst. Also, Tintin.
Films Discussed:
National Treasure (2004)
Ishtar (1987)
Gunga Din (1939)
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
Topics Covered:
National Treasure as the domestic Da Vinci Code with Nicholas Cage and map-based dad logic
Ishtar and Sahara as case studies in studio interference and misunderstood misfires
Gunga Din as proto-boy-hangout cinema filtered through colonialist baggage
The Man Who Would Be King and why you shouldn’t let your friend become a god
Tintin as the platonic ideal of globe-trotting adventure and Spielberg flexing with full flair
Key Takeaways:
Chemistry and character trump camel count
Some flops flop for good reason—others are buried treasure
Colonialist satire can age weirdly—but still frame genre evolution
Never underestimate a Belgian boy reporter with a dog
Listener Prompt:What’s your go-to treasure hunt movie? And has any desert adventure ever topped The Mummy? Let us know using #MovieMemoryMachine.
Support the Show!Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
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
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
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/