Don Shanahan
The hosts of the Cinephile Hissy Fit podcast can often agree with the prevailing sentiment of film aficionados that not every movie should be open to remakes and reboots. A great example of that is Disney’s reimagining of the not-even-decade-old Moana, arriving this month as the very definition of unnecessary. It’s a meme, but a good rule of thumb the podcast supports is this logic seen below from Lisa Simpson. Two films that qualify are 1985’s Conan spin-off, Red Sonja, and the B-movie Deathstalker from 1983.
For their 236th episode, two sword-wielding film critics, two chainmail-wearing dads, and two gore-friendly school teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan, continue on a sword-and-sandal deep dive by pairing together a pair of remakes. Last year, in 2025, streaming services (and too few theaters) were graced with reboots of Red Sonja and Deathstalker. The former shot for a more serious route, while the latter offered as much ham-and-cheese as it did blood and dismemberment. Both, in their own way, understood their assignments, and casual moviegoing is better for having them. Come learn more and stay for the mutual love and respect that fun movies encapsulate. Enjoy our podcast! Enjoy our podcast!
Cinephile Hissy Fit is an Astra Award-losing Film Obsessive media podcast, brought to you by the Ruminations Radio Network, and a member of the Critics Choice Podcast Network. Please visit, rate, review and subscribe. If you enjoyed this show, we have more where that came from, with interesting hosts, and wonderful guests. All are available on iTunes, Spotify, and anywhere you find your favorite shows. Follow the show on Twitter at @CinephileFit and on Facebook. Also, find both Will Johnson and Don Shanahan on Letterboxd as they accumulate their viewings and build their ranks and lists. Lastly, check out their TeePublic store for merchandise options from stickers to t-shirts!
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