Share
JaZ Make a Podcast
The Phantom (1996)
Season 1, Ep. 15
•
It was supposed to launch a franchise. It bombed at the box office. Thirty years later, John and Zac are here to explain why it absolutely shouldn't have. The Phantom (1996) is one of the most purely enjoyable action adventure films of the decade: Billy Zane as the Ghost Who Walks, Treat Williams as a villain of boundless charisma, Kristy Swanson as a Marion Ravenwood-worthy love interest, and Catherine Zeta-Jones doing her Bond femme fatale thing before Entrapment put her on the map. Billy Zane studied the original Lee Falk comic strip to replicate the character's exact physical poses, and you can see it. Hitchcock's bomb theory is alive and well in the third act. The CGI skulls are gloriously bad. The purple suit is completely badass. Slam evil.
SHOW NOTES
Film: The Phantom (1996)
Director: Simon Wincer
Starring: Billy Zane, Treat Williams, Kristy Swanson, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Topics covered:
- The Phantom's origin as the first costumed superhero (1936 Lee Falk comic)
- - Billy Zane's physical performance studied from the source comic
- - Treat Williams as Xander Drax — the most charismatic villain
- - Kristy Swanson as Diana Palmer — underrated lead performance
- - Catherine Zeta-Jones pre-Entrapment, pre-Zorro
- - Hitchcock's bomb theory in the final act
- - Practical stunts and 1930s production design
- - Why it bombed in 1996 and why it deserves a reboot
- - Zac attended the original premiere and received the Phantom ring
Fast Facts:
- "Slam evil" is the film's actual tagline, now an unofficial JaZ motto
- - A planned trilogy never materialized after the box office disappointment
- - Zac attended the original theatrical premiere as a teenager
Follow us on Instagram: @jazmakeapodcast
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Acast
Email: jazmakeapodcast@gmail.com
More episodes
View all episodes
5. Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
49:08||Season 2, Ep. 5JaZ Make a Podcast does the Time Warp in a surprise bonus Halloween episode on The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), the cult classic musical starring Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O’Brien, Nell Campbell and Meat Loaf. Zac watched it every Halloween through high school. John had never seen it until this week. Together they work out what still holds up almost 50 years later.Tim Curry’s Dr. Frank-N-Furter gets the praise it deserves, and his “Sweet Transvestite” entrance might be one of the best character introductions in movie history. The guys rave about the run of songs from “Time Warp” to “Hot Patootie” to “I Can Make You a Man,” and agree the first half is close to perfect. They also ask whether the movie has any real point to make about Brad and Janet’s sexual awakening, why Dr. Scott suddenly turns up in the third act, and why the second half drags so badly. One firm rule comes out of the episode: whatever else gets cut, the pool orgy stays. There’s also a theory about Eddie, a debate over the planet’s actual name, and a case for seeing it at a midnight screening (or more realistically, a 6 p.m. one).Follow us on Instagram at @jazmakeapodcast to tell us your Rocky Horror story, and to see what’s coming up next.4. Nosferatu (2024)
01:09:12||Season 2, Ep. 4Robert Eggers' Nosferatu (2024) closes out the JaZ spooky season, and John and Zac have very different reactions to it. The guys dig into how this moody, gorgeous remake stacks up against F.W. Murnau's 1922 original and Bram Stoker's novel, debate whether Bill Skarsgård's Count Orlok is genuinely unsettling or gets upstaged by Willem Dafoe's scenery-chewing Von Franz, and pick apart what Lily-Rose Depp's Ellen Hutter says about repression, obsession, and agency in gothic horror. Along the way: a very confused tangent about vampire anatomy, a Dracula: Dead and Loving It comparison nobody saw coming, and a real debate on whether style is quietly winning out over story in modern horror. Great episode for horror fans who love picking a movie apart scene by scene — even, especially, the parts that don't quite land. SHOW NOTES Film: Nosferatu (2024) Director: Robert Eggers Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Simon McBurney Based on: F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu (1922) and Bram Stoker's Dracula Enjoyed this one? Leave us a written review wherever you listen — it helps more than you'd think. Follow us on Instagram @jazmakeapodcast for more JaZ Make a Podcast.3. Widow's Bay (2026)
01:11:00||Season 2, Ep. 3It's spooky season, and John and Zac are digging into Widow's Bay, Apple TV+'s new horror-comedy from creator Katie Dippold (Parks and Recreation) and executive producer Hiro Murai (Atlanta). Starring Matthew Rhys, Kate O'Flynn, Dale Dickey, Stephen Root, and Kevin Carroll, the series follows a small island town forced to reckon with the dark bargain its founders struck centuries ago to keep everyone alive. The guys break down why horror and comedy work so well together, trace the show's Jaws and X-Files DNA, play an ill-prepared character-actor trivia game, and debate whether Widow's Bay can dodge the Stranger Things/Lost trap heading into season 2. There's also a theory about Ruth being a vampire that you need to hear. Fair warning: this is a full season one breakdown, so it gets spoiler-heavy once they hit the finale.SHOW NOTESShow: Widow's Bay (2026– )Network: Apple TV+Creator: Katie DippoldExecutive Producers: Hiro Murai, Matthew Rhys, and othersStarring: Matthew Rhys, Kate O'Flynn, Dale Dickey, Stephen Root, Kevin Carroll, K CallanEnjoyed this episode? Leave us a written review wherever you listen — it helps more than you'd think. Follow us on Instagram @jazmakeapodcast for more JaZ Make a Podcast.2. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
01:06:00||Season 2, Ep. 2The Next Generation crew's final voyage gets put on trial. On this episode of JaZ Make a Podcast, we dig into Star Trek Nemesis — the 2002 film that closes out the TNG movie era with Tom Hardy as Shinzon, a Romulan-engineered clone of Jean-Luc Picard hell-bent on revenge.We break down how closely Nemesis mirrors Wrath of Khan's structure (right down to Data's death echoing Spock's), whether that borrowed skeleton sinks the film or just makes it comfortable, and why a plot built on so much happenstance — a planted android lure, "classified" files anyone can access — keeps undercutting its best ideas.Along the way: the nature vs. nurture parallel between Picard and Shinzon, Data's memory transfer to B4, how Nemesis stacks up against Star Trek VI and TNG's own clone episodes ("Up the Long Ladder," "Bloodlines"), the film's genuinely strong cinematography and effects, and director Stuart Baird's now-legendary lack of Star Trek knowledge going in.Lifelong Trekkies and Nemesis skeptics alike — we give this one a fair trial, prosecution and defense both included.1. Jaws 2 (1978)
47:50||Season 2, Ep. 1We're back for Season 2! And to kick things off, we're heading back to Amity Island for Jaws 2 — no Spielberg, no Quint, no Hooper, just Roy Scheider giving what might be his best performance of his career trapped inside a movie that can't decide what it wants to be. We dig into the two competing films buried in here: the genuinely compelling PTSD story of a broken police chief nobody believes (again), and the teen-slasher-lite subplot full of interchangeable kids who "love to sail," don't they. We argue about whether it's actually the same shark from the first movie (there is disagreement), break down the exploding-gas-can water-skiing scene, the infamous bluefish panic, and John Williams somehow scoring a shark movie like it's Home Alone. Plus: is this an A-tier, B-tier, or "solid single" sequel? Grab your flare gun, it's Season 2, baby.JaZ Shot 7 - Surprising Movie Deaths
19:21|Welcome to JaZ Shots — the summer edition of JaZ Make a Podcast! While we take a break from our usual deep-dive format, we're bringing you shorter, punchier episodes packed with the same sharp pop culture takes and real analysis you've come to expect.JaZ Shots is our way of keeping the conversation going through the summer months without the full-length commitment. Quick hits on films, TV, and everything pop culture — same dry, analytical style, just in a smaller package.Full-length episodes of JaZ Make a Podcast return in September. Until then, enjoy these summer shots.Subscribe now so you don't miss a single JaZ Shots episode — and stick around for the return of full episodes this fall.JaZ Shot 6 -Favourite Star Wars
12:23|Welcome to JaZ Shots — the summer edition of JaZ Make a Podcast! While we take a break from our usual deep-dive format, we're bringing you shorter, punchier episodes packed with the same sharp pop culture takes and real analysis you've come to expect.JaZ Shots is our way of keeping the conversation going through the summer months without the full-length commitment. Quick hits on films, TV, and everything pop culture — same dry, analytical style, just in a smaller package.Full-length episodes of JaZ Make a Podcast return in September. Until then, enjoy these summer shots.Subscribe now so you don't miss a single JaZ Shots episode — and stick around for the return of full episodes this fall.JaZ Shot 5 - Adam Sandler, Yay or Nay?
10:40|Welcome to JaZ Shots — the summer edition of JaZ Make a Podcast! While we take a break from our usual deep-dive format, we're bringing you shorter, punchier episodes packed with the same sharp pop culture takes and real analysis you've come to expect.JaZ Shots is our way of keeping the conversation going through the summer months without the full-length commitment. Quick hits on films, TV, and everything pop culture — same dry, analytical style, just in a smaller package.Full-length episodes of JaZ Make a Podcast return in September. Until then, enjoy these summer shots.Subscribe now so you don't miss a single JaZ Shots episode — and stick around for the return of full episodes this fall.JaZ Shot 4 - What Movie Do You Love That Everybody Hates
10:11|Welcome to JaZ Shots — the summer edition of JaZ Make a Podcast! While we take a break from our usual deep-dive format, we're bringing you shorter, punchier episodes packed with the same sharp pop culture takes and real analysis you've come to expect.JaZ Shots is our way of keeping the conversation going through the summer months without the full-length commitment. Quick hits on films, TV, and everything pop culture — same dry, analytical style, just in a smaller package.Full-length episodes of JaZ Make a Podcast return in September. Until then, enjoy these summer shots.Subscribe now so you don't miss a single JaZ Shots episode — and stick around for the return of full episodes this fall.