Verbal Diorama - Episode 149 - DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story - Verbal Diorama

Episode 149

DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story

Published on: 14th April, 2022

Warning. This episode contains jokes about balls. Lots of balls.

Sports movies are ten-a-penny in Hollywood, sports comedies even more so. There's nothing funnier than a ball being flung in the vicinity of a person's face or private parts, let's be honest.

But DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story is more influential than you might think. Not only is it a sharp satire of the fitness and health industry, but it also unofficially marked the creation of a real American professional dodgeball league, as well as reintroducing a sport seen as vicious and cruel to the general population, by some deft physical comedy showing the sport as indeed vicious and cruel, but also hilariously funny.

Rawson Marshall Thurber's directorial debut is self-assured, witty and fun, and has the benefit of the association of Ben Stiller's production company. Despite his busy 2004 schedule, Stiller was very hands on, and White Goodman remains one of his funniest, and most quotable, characters.

DodgeBall goes balls deep into an obscure, relatively unknown sport, so I do the same with this movie. Grab life by the balls and enjoy!

I would love to hear your thoughts on DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story !

GET IN TOUCH....

SUPPORT VERBAL DIORAMA....

Give this podcast a five-star Rate & Review

Join the Patreon

Thank you to all the patrons Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Vern, Kristin, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Emily, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Ian M, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart, Ian D, Jason and BRAND-NEW patron Sunni.

BRAND-NEW Merch STORE!!

T-shirts inspired by The Mummy (1999) with more collections to come!

EPISODE THANKS TO....

Most excellent patrons:

Scott for his patron thoughts. You can find him @MSMRpod on Twitter and his podcast Monkey See Monkey Review on all your podcast apps.

Andy for his patron thoughts. You can find him @geeksaladradio on Twitter and his podcast Geek Salad on all your podcast apps.

Ian for his patron thoughts.

Twitter peeps

  • @ToxicDeath
  • @thatfkingguy
  • @cage_podcast
  • @ThiefCGT
  • @mrlondon_ncb
  • @NeededRoads
  • @NextToTheAisle
  • @UKFilmNerd
  • @SpitGrades
  • @ConnectionsCult

Instagram folk

  • @vegimorph
  • @friendlysparpod

Facebook chums

  • None this time

Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio

This podcast is hosted by Captivate, try it yourself for free.



This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Get in touch!

Comments? Suggestions? Questions? Fill in the simple form below to get in touch with Verbal Diorama.

Support Verbal Diorama

Do you love Verbal Diorama? Did you learn something awesome from my podcast? Do you just want to buy me a coffee (or Evie & Peggy some Lick-e-lix)? If you'd like to leave me a tip, that would be amazing, and all funds go directly back into making Verbal Diorama even better!
Tip Verbal Diorama
J
JAILLUD £20
Working my way through your content, every episode offers amazing insight, keep up the good work! JAILLUD on Letterboxd
A
Adam Bell £10
Happy Birthday Tip! Great Prey ep. Not seen it before. I liked how by putting her tomahawk on a rope Naru no longer had to ‘get to the choppah!’
A
Adam Bell £20
Really enjoyed Bourne Identity and Edge Of Tomorrow episodes last night. I’ve had a crap few weeks recently and these brightened the day!
E
EdamBall £10
Thanks for the Star Trek podcast! As for Khan, +1 for that. Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

Listen for free

Show artwork for Verbal Diorama

About the Podcast

Verbal Diorama
The podcast on the history and legacy of movies you know, and movies you don't.
Are you interested in how movies are made? Do you wonder how a film went from conception to completion? If so, Verbal Diorama, hosted by Em, is the award-winning(!) podcast for you!

Movies are tough to make, and Verbal Diorama is here to celebrate the coming together of teams of extraordinary cast and crew, bringing us movies that inspire us, delight us, make us laugh, make us cry and frighten us. This podcast discovers the stories behind the scenes, and proves how amazing it is that movies actually exist!

Welcome to Verbal Diorama. The podcast all about the history and legacy of movies you know, and movies you don't! Subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and enjoy new episodes every week. Winner of the 2024 Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards for Best Movie Podcast.
Support This Show

About your host

Profile picture for Em .

Em .

Hi! I'm Em. I created Verbal Diorama in 2018, and launched the podcast in February 2019 to rapturous applause and acclaim.... from my cat Jess.

The modus operandi of Verbal Diorama is simple: movies are tough to make! The coming together of a team of people from all walks of life to make something to entertain, delight and educate us for 90+ mins is not an easy task, and yet so many succeed at it. That must be something to celebrate.

I'm here to do just that - to celebrate movies. Their history and legacy, and why they remain so special to so many of us.

Episodes are audibly book ended by Jess. She sadly passed away in March 2022, aged almost 18. She featured in many episodes of the podcast, and that's why you can hear her at the end of every episode. The role of official feline producer is now held by the comparatively quieter Evie and Peggy.

I love podcasts, and listen to many, but never my own.

I unashamedly love The Mummy (1999) and Grease 2. I'm still looking for a cool rider.