Film sack
Encyclopedia
Film Sack is a weekly podcast
focused on film and television created by Scott Johnson
on the FrogPants Studios Network. Hosted by Scott Johnson, Brian Ibbott
(from Coverville
), Brian Dunaway, and Randy Jordan, it features roundtable discussions on different movies or occasional television episodes. As the hosts encourage their audience to watch the material prior to the episode, they attempt to focus on items available via streaming media, primarily Netflix
. This also facilitates the availability of the film to all four hosts at the same time. Generally targeting movies that fall more into the cult/b-movie/box office failure category, the podcast maintains its tagline, Mining the depths of film entertainment for all mankind...
, creator of FrogPants Studios and several other shows, including ExtraLife Radio. Co-hosts include frequent collaborators Brian Ibbott
from Coverville
, Brian Dunaway from Comics Coast to Coast, and Randy Jordan (formerly of The Instance).
post. A short selection of Scott Fletcher-voiced movie quotes will then be played. These are followed by Scott summing up what he learned from the film to comedic effect.
Trope
s are usually pointed out by the four hosts, such as sassy black female characters, wise-cracking sidekicks, false introductions, etc. These are signified by a blaring "red alert" sound similar to that of Star Trek
's Enterprise
.
The panelists will frequently remark upon the connection between the Star Trek universe with the film being reviewed, in the manner of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon
. These connections are normally an actor that has appeared in any of the Star Trek series (from the Original Series
to Enterprise
) or any of the eleven films. Crew members of the films that have worked behind the scenes on both the film and in the Star Trek universe have also been mentioned. The hosts will occasionally read submissions from the podcast audience listing such connections.
Beginning with Episode 12, the host started "The Film Sack Checklist". These are film tropes
that seem to occur on a regular basis with the movies they have watched for the podcast. The checklist includes tropes such as dumb parents, decapitations, title with a double meaning, and "caves that look like a vagina".
Beginning with episode 49, the Film Sack Checklist became "The Film Sack Awards". The awards are given to cast and crew members of the film and sometimes the film itself. While the checklist checked every film against the tropes on the list, the awards given and discussed vary from episode to episode. Some common awards are the "Wilford Brimley
Moustache Award", the "Baby Ruth
Bodily Function Award", and the "Sharon Stone
Skin Award".
RiffTrax
, the panelists will discuss the movie as they watch it. Consequently, these episodes do not include the standard segments from the normal episodes.
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
focused on film and television created by Scott Johnson
Scott Johnson (cartoonist)
Scott Blaine Johnson is a cartoonist, illustrator, designer and podcaster. He lives in Eagle Mountain, Utah with his wife Kim, daughters Taylor and Carter, and son Nick. In 2008, Johnson launched , an illustration and audio production company. Johnson is the creator of the popular...
on the FrogPants Studios Network. Hosted by Scott Johnson, Brian Ibbott
Brian Ibbott
Brian Ibbott is a podcaster who lives in Arvada, Colorado. He is most notably known for his podcast Coverville, which began in September 2004. Coverville is one of the longest running podcasts in the iTunes store and also is in the top rankings for overall episode numbers...
(from Coverville
Coverville
Coverville is a podcast featuring unusual covers of pop, rock and country songs by new and established performers. The show is produced and hosted by Brian Ibbott out of his home in Arvada, Colorado...
), Brian Dunaway, and Randy Jordan, it features roundtable discussions on different movies or occasional television episodes. As the hosts encourage their audience to watch the material prior to the episode, they attempt to focus on items available via streaming media, primarily Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
. This also facilitates the availability of the film to all four hosts at the same time. Generally targeting movies that fall more into the cult/b-movie/box office failure category, the podcast maintains its tagline, Mining the depths of film entertainment for all mankind...
Panelists
The podcast is hosted by Scott JohnsonScott Johnson (cartoonist)
Scott Blaine Johnson is a cartoonist, illustrator, designer and podcaster. He lives in Eagle Mountain, Utah with his wife Kim, daughters Taylor and Carter, and son Nick. In 2008, Johnson launched , an illustration and audio production company. Johnson is the creator of the popular...
, creator of FrogPants Studios and several other shows, including ExtraLife Radio. Co-hosts include frequent collaborators Brian Ibbott
Brian Ibbott
Brian Ibbott is a podcaster who lives in Arvada, Colorado. He is most notably known for his podcast Coverville, which began in September 2004. Coverville is one of the longest running podcasts in the iTunes store and also is in the top rankings for overall episode numbers...
from Coverville
Coverville
Coverville is a podcast featuring unusual covers of pop, rock and country songs by new and established performers. The show is produced and hosted by Brian Ibbott out of his home in Arvada, Colorado...
, Brian Dunaway from Comics Coast to Coast, and Randy Jordan (formerly of The Instance).
Regular episodes
Film Sack typically runs one-hour long. Starting with a sound bite from the item being covered and a greeting by the hosts, a synopsis of the movie will be read by voice-over actor Scott Fletcher. The panelists cover the content of the movie or television episode, often discussing trivia regarding the movie. If an actor or director has been covered in an earlier episode, this is usually noted. The hosts will occasionally interact via chat with the audience listening to the recording of the show. The host will then play clips taken from the movie, sometimes for comedic effect, sometimes to demonstrate important parts of plot, or to point out bad editing. To conclude the podcast, the co-hosts will sum up their feelings of the movie with a 140-character TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
post. A short selection of Scott Fletcher-voiced movie quotes will then be played. These are followed by Scott summing up what he learned from the film to comedic effect.
Tropes
Trope
Trope (literature)
A literary trope is the usage of figurative language in literature, or a figure of speech in which words are used in a sense different from their literal meaning...
s are usually pointed out by the four hosts, such as sassy black female characters, wise-cracking sidekicks, false introductions, etc. These are signified by a blaring "red alert" sound similar to that of Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
's Enterprise
Starship Enterprise
The Enterprise or USS Enterprise is the name of several fictional starships, some of which are the focal point for various television series and films in the Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. It is considered a name of legacy in the fleet...
.
The Star Trek Connection
The panelists will frequently remark upon the connection between the Star Trek universe with the film being reviewed, in the manner of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is a trivia game based on the concept of the small world phenomenon and rests on the assumption that any individual involved in the Hollywood, California film industry can be linked through his or her film roles to actor Kevin Bacon within six steps. The name of the game...
. These connections are normally an actor that has appeared in any of the Star Trek series (from the Original Series
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
to Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
) or any of the eleven films. Crew members of the films that have worked behind the scenes on both the film and in the Star Trek universe have also been mentioned. The hosts will occasionally read submissions from the podcast audience listing such connections.
The Checklist
Beginning with Episode 12, the host started "The Film Sack Checklist". These are film tropes
Motif (narrative)
In narrative, a motif is any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. Through its repetition, a motif can help produce other narrative aspects such as theme or mood....
that seem to occur on a regular basis with the movies they have watched for the podcast. The checklist includes tropes such as dumb parents, decapitations, title with a double meaning, and "caves that look like a vagina".
The Awards
Beginning with episode 49, the Film Sack Checklist became "The Film Sack Awards". The awards are given to cast and crew members of the film and sometimes the film itself. While the checklist checked every film against the tropes on the list, the awards given and discussed vary from episode to episode. Some common awards are the "Wilford Brimley
Wilford Brimley
Allen Wilford Brimley is an American actor. He has appeared in such films as The China Syndrome, Cocoon, The Thing and The Firm. He had a recurring role on the 1970s television series The Waltons...
Moustache Award", the "Baby Ruth
Baby Ruth
Baby Ruth is an American candy bar made of peanuts, caramel and chocolate-flavored nougat covered in chocolate.In 1921, the Curtiss Candy Company refashioned its Kandy Kake into the Baby Ruth. The bar was a staple of the Chicago-based company for some seven decades. Curtiss was purchased by Nabisco...
Bodily Function Award", and the "Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She achieved international recognition for her role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct...
Skin Award".
"Bonus Sacks"
Along with the regular episodes they produce, the Film Sack crew occasionally release "Bonus Sacks". These episodes are full-length commentary tracks that are meant to be played along with specific movies as an alternate sound track. Similar to Mike Nelson'sMichael J. Nelson
Michael John Nelson is a U.S. comedian and writer, most famous for his work on the cult television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 . Nelson was the head writer of the series for most of the show's 11-year run, and spent half of that time playing the on-air host, also named Mike Nelson...
RiffTrax
RiffTrax
RiffTrax are downloadable audio commentaries featuring comedians Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett heckling films in the style of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a TV show in which Nelson was the head writer, and later the host. The RiffTrax are sold online and delivered by digital...
, the panelists will discuss the movie as they watch it. Consequently, these episodes do not include the standard segments from the normal episodes.
Episode Listing
| № | Title | Director | Starring | Podcast Air Date |
|---|