DIABOLICAL: Evil Schemes Done Better

ABCG Studios

The comedy podcast where four long suffering friends dissect film’s most dastardly schemes, and then compete to improve those diabolical plans. read less

Episode 37: Jason And The Argonauts
Mar 13 2023
Episode 37: Jason And The Argonauts
“I like how horny Hercules is” The panel of peril return home from a voyage across the seven seas, wearied by battle against foes both human and… inhuman – skeletons and wotnot. Just after putting a big wash on for all their travel clothes, they settle in to watch this week’s film Jason And The Argonauts (Don Chaffey, 1963). Jason (Todd Armstrong) and his merry band of Argonauts are sent on a perilous expedition to find the mythical golden fleece by his baddie uncle Pelias (Douglas Wilmer), who also sends his wrongun son, Acastus (Gary Raymond) along for the ride as a failsafe make sure Jason comes a cropper. Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCGiU98vFq0 Yelling “Jason!” in Heavy Rain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYQDnV092hI ********PLOT SPOILER ALERT******** Acastus is a bit of a rotten egg. He tries to stab Jason and has to get in the sea when he fails. Later he grasses up Jason to the king of fleece island, but then gets bitten to death by the hydra. After briefly engaging the skellington children of the vanquished hydra, Jason outwits them by getting in the sea and then makes whoopee with the lady and gets the fleece all messy. What did the panel think of this week’s movie? How can they improve upon the villain’s masterplan? And who will be anointed this week’s most diabolical? Music by JuliusH from Pixabay Sound Effect by SoundReality from Pixabay Sound Effect from Pixabay Sound Effect from Pixabay Sound Effect from Pixabay
Episode 36: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Mar 6 2023
Episode 36: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)
“Hackers do not apostrophize” The panel of peril dust off their leathers, straddle the cheap motorbike they’ve been painstakingly restoring, and speed through the cold winter’s night, homeward. Once they’ve warmed up with a hot toddy, they stick on this week’s film The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (David Fincher, 2011). Disgraced journalist Mikkael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) takes on a decades old mystery at the behest of the elderly industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer): solve the mystery of his missing, presumed dead, niece Harriet. With the only means to the Vanger family island being blocked on the day in question, the perpetrator can only be one of the large Vanger clan. With mountains of evidence to sift through, Blomkvist enlists the help of a mysterious and difficult private investigator named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), to catch a killer of women before he or she can catch them. Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVLvMg62RPA Watch the opening credit sequence here (crank the volume): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY4f_83t_rw John Cena announces that Osama Bin Laden has been killed at WWE Extreme Rules! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6maL6gq6qME *********PLOT SPOILER ALERT******** The deeper that Blomkvist and Salander get into the case, the worse the evidence becomes. Hedestad has been home to an antisemitic, misogynistic serial killer in the 1950s and 60s with the killings seemingly stopping when Harriet Vanger vanished. But it’s reasonable businessman Martin Vanger (Stellan Skarsgard) who has much more secretively taken up the mantle laid down by his father Gottfried so long ago. So it was Martin who killed his sister… Right? What did the panel think of this week’s movie? How can they improve upon the villain’s masterplan? And who will be anointed this week’s most diabolical? Music by Daddy’s Music Pixabay Music by Daddy’s Music Pixabay Sound effect by SoundsForYou | Pixabay You can call Samaritans for free on 116 123 Or Rape Crisis for free on 0808 500 2222
Episode 28: The Dark Knight
Jan 9 2023
Episode 28: The Dark Knight
“We had a wonderful conversation. Please don’t print it in the newspapers that I got mad” The panel of peril sanitise their hands, walk out of the hospital that they’ve been visiting a badly burned acquaintance in, and thank the staff for all of their hard work. Because we support the NHS. And the Postal workers, heck all of Britain’s workforce! Once home, the panel grab a glass of blackcurrant squash and turn on this week’s film The Dark Knight (2008). Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) believes that he is winning the war on crime in Gotham. The Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) is back behind bars, Salvatore Maroni (Eric Roberts) and the mob are scared to be seen dealing in public, and there’s a new idealistic District Attorney by the name of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). But chaos lies in wait as the mysterious Joker (Heath Ledger) enters the fray to unmask Batman. Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQfATDZY5Y4 The Joker is a very changeable fellow: first he says his plan is to kill Batman, then he decides he’d rather unmask Batman, then he thinks he’d rather see Batman kill someone (even if it’s him), and finally lands on Harvey Dent turning on his crime fighting allies Batman and James Gordon (Gary Oldman). What a ride. Will he succeed in his campaign of corruption, or will it be Batman triumphant? Did the panel enjoy this week’s cinematic serving? Could they find a way to improve the villainous plan? And who will be named this week’s most diabolical (person/podcast((er)))? Sound effects from Pixabay Also, forgot to mention it in the podcast, but check out The Tangerine Knight for a quick giggle at Bruce and Alfred's expense The Tangerine Knight - YouTube
Episode 26: Home Alone
Dec 26 2022
Episode 26: Home Alone
“Well, you’ve blown my toy” The panel of peril run screaming around the house like a bunch of absolute little monsters amongst an army of siblings and extended family. It is, to be honest, an absolute nightmare. Fortunately they have the respite of settling in to watch a Boxing Day treat in the form of 1990’s Home Alone! Kevin McCallister (Macauley Culkin) is just an ordinary kid: he likes plain pizza, leaving toys laying around all over the shop, and not having to sleep in the same space as bed wetters. But when he is accidentally left behind by the family on their trip to Paris he has to contend with The Wet Bandits, Marv (Daniel Stern) and Harry (Joe Pesci) as they attempt to ransack the empty homes of their quiet Chicago suburb. Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEDaVHmw7r4 ********PLOT SPOILER ALERT******** Rather like Hans Gruber last week, Harry and Marv didn’t plan for a spanner in the works of their plan as little Kevin rigs his house with obstacles, ready for their intrusion. Micro Machines, cans o’ paint, blow torches, and a simple nail all stand in the Wet Bandits’ way. Can they secure the loot, silence Kevin and/or escape with their lives? Not if comedy has anything to say about it. What did the panel think of this week’s movie? How in all that is holy can they improve upon the Bandits’s masterplan? And which evil schemer will be christened this week’s most diabolical? Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals!
Episode 25: Die Hard
Dec 19 2022
Episode 25: Die Hard
“Breaking her down mentally,” “Like Craig does with porridge” The panel of peril arrive for their annual Christmas party, meet the office coke fiend, argue with their estranged wife, and then settle in to watch the first of our Christmas films of the year: John McTiernan’s 1988 classic Die Hard. John McClane (Bruce Willis) is a New York cop visiting his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) at her work’s Christmas party in wacky Los Angeles. That party takes place at the beautiful Nakatomi Plaza, and it’s about to have some unwanted party guests. Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his gang of teutonic henchmen are a big gang of party poopers with a plan that isn’t as simple as it first appears. Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaJuwKCmJbY ********PLOT SPOILER ALERT******** Initially posing as common or garden terrorists, Gruber’s gang of goons are soon revealed to be nothing more than common or garden robbers. The loot they seek takes the form of untraceable bearer bonds and they are merely using the guise of terrorist as a cunning ruse. But they didn’t bargain on a rough, tough New York cop crawling through air vents and what have you, picking them all off one at a time. Planning for that would be very difficult. Very hard… Die Hard. Did the panel enjoy this week’s cinematic serving? Could they find a way to improve the villainous plan? And who will be named this week’s most diabolical (person/podcast((er)))? Ho ho ho! Music by SoundGalleryByDmitryTaras from Pixabay Sound Effect by beetpro from Pixabay Music by Daddy_s_Music from Pixabay Music by SoulProdMusic from Pixabay
Episode 23: Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
Dec 5 2022
Episode 23: Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom
“Drink blood out of Gandhi’s head” The panel of peril awaken to find that the pilots of their small prop plane have left them in the lurch, hop in a rapid inflating dinghy, and glide to the safety of a tumultuous river, landing in a small Indian village just in time to watch this week’s film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)! Uncannily, this exact series of events also befalls Indy (Harrison Ford), Willie Scott (Kate Capshaw) and Shortround (Ke Huy Quan) as they are drawn into the Indian locals’ search for the children and mystical shankara stones that are missing from their village. Indy and the gang are on a mission to find them all even if this conspiracy goes to very high places. Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOwWfns4qqw ********PLOT SPOILER ALERT******** Steven Spielberg’s prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark sees our intrepid archaeologist on the hunt for the most valuable resource of all: coal children. His investigation sees him consult with the Maharajah and Prime Minister who, unbeknownst to Indy, are using the missing children as slave labour to hunt down the last of the shankara stones. Will Dr. Jones and the gang uncover the secret temple below Pankot Palace, and then the mine with kids mining, and then recover the stones, and then escape with their lives? Probably. Just what did the panel think of this week’s movie, pray tell? How can they improve upon the villain’s masterplan? And who will be christened this week’s most diabolical? Music by SergeQuadrado from Pixabay Sound Effect from Pixabay Music by NickyPe from Pixabay Sound Effect from Pixabay Barbara Streisand, Carrie Fisher & Irvin Kershner visit The Temple of Doom set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9tYZBLX2lA
Episode 22: Moonraker
Nov 28 2022
Episode 22: Moonraker
“Just like Lloyd Christmas in his dreams” The panel of peril valmorphanize their gondola into a very slim car, straighten their ties, cock their eyebrows suggestively, and then take in a viewing of this week’s film Moonraker! Moonraker (1979), directed by Lewis Gilbert, find Roger Moore’s James Bond locked in a game of wits with Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale) when a Moonraker space shuttle is stolen in very mysterious circumstances. With the iconic Jaws (Richard Kiel) in hot pursuit, Bond must unravel the mystery of the missing spacecraft and determine exactly what it is that Drax’s scientists are doing with a lab full of orchids. Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFOOjYU16KE ********PLOT SPOILER ALERT******** Naturally, there’s a lot more to Drax’s evil scheme than first meets the eye. He plans on taking those he deems humanity’s best and brightest to his space station orbiting Earth. Why? To ride out the poisonous atmosphere that he intends to unleash upon the planet, only returning to terra firma when it is safe to do so and repopulate. Bond’s got his work cut out for him this time – will he succeed in foiling Elon Musk Hugo Drax’s plan? Did the panel enjoy this week’s cinematic serving? Could they find a way to improve the villainous plan? And who will be named this week’s most diabolical (person/podcast((er)))? Radiohead’s version of the SPECTRE theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COP0XlYHvto Music by Lexin Music via Pixabay
Episode 20: Candyman (2021)
Nov 14 2022
Episode 20: Candyman (2021)
“You slaggin’ me?” The panel of peril stand side by side, stare into the bathroom mirror whilst having a group shave and DO NOT say Candyman five times because that would be very silly indeed. Instead, they finish shaving, towel off the excess moisture from their faces and sit down to watch Nia DaCosta’s legacy sequel to Candyman… Candyman! Candyman (2021) finds local artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul Mateen II) drawn into the folklore of urban legend the Candyman whilst researching for his latest piece. But a fateful trip to the projects of Cabrini Green will send him down an irrevocable path of horror following a chance encounter with a bee and local Candyman lore-master William Burke (Colman Domingo). Will Anthony escape the clutches of the mythical monster (Tony Todd), or will he join a long list of victims? Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikDJlfuU758 ********PLOT SPOILER ALERT******** As Anthony investigates the differing tales of the Candymen who have haunted Cabrini Green throughout the ages local launderette owner Burke enacts his evil scheme. He manipulates the artist’s every move as he twists Anthony’s mind, body and soul into that of the newest incarnation of Cabrini Green’s vengeful spirit. But to what end? And will Burke succeed in his diabolical plan? Just what did the panel think of this week’s movie, pray tell? How can they improve upon the villain’s masterplan? And who will be christened this week’s most diabolical? Music by QubeSounds from Pixabay
Episode 19: Black Panther
Nov 7 2022
Episode 19: Black Panther
“Catching blood in a Snap, Crackle and Pop bowl” The panel of peril throw themselves in front of a gunman during a prison escape, get bundled into a high-tech plane, transported to the hidden nation of Wakanda, and upon waking go “Buhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” They then watch the MCU’s Black Panther before trying to improve upon the villain’s diabolical plan for the honour of choosing next week’s film and hosting the pod. Normal Monday stuff. Black Panther (2018) sees T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) struggle to modernise the country he presides over, and he is hindered by challenges from within (M’Baku played by Winston Duke) and without (Killmonger played by Michael B. Jordan and Klaue played by Andy Serkis). Can T’Challa stave off those threats, protect his nation and atone for his family’s past misdeeds? Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjDjIWPwcPU ********PLOT SPOILER ALERT******** Eric Killmonger is a man with a chip on his shoulder. Cousin of T’Challa, his claim to the throne of Wakanda is fuelled by the trauma of witnessing his father’s murder at the hands of (former Wakandan sovereign) King T’Chaka as a child, and the burden of the weight of history of African Americans being sold into slavery. He’s a powder keg ready to explode, but will he succeed in a hostile takeover of Wakanda and then the planet? What did the panel think of this week’s movie? How can they improve upon the villains’ masterplan? And who will be coronated this week’s most diabolical? Music by 24414830 from Pixabay Sound Effect from Pixabay