Better Than the Movie Special: TANK GIRL (Friend of the Fest Preview)

·1 hr 12 min·5 clips

The hosts announce a special screening of Rachel Talalay's chaotic 1995 film Tank Girl at the Los Feliz 3 Theater.

This episode is a special preview for the Better Than the Movie series, focusing on the 1995 film Tank Girl. Hosts Justin Reamer, Alan Traylor, and Tyler Austin announce they are hosting a screening of the film at the Los Feliz 3 Theater in Los Angeles on August 24th. They explain this is not a regular episode comparing the film to its source material but a promotional event. Alan, as the most knowledgeable about the Tank Girl comics, describes how the movie differs from the original British comics, noting it has more story but less nihilistic edge. The hosts discuss the film's production, including director Rachel Talalay's background in the Nightmare on Elm Street series and her struggles with studio executives. They highlight creative compromises, such as the introduction of kangaroo-human hybrids called Rippers, which were not in the comics. The conversation covers the cast, including Lori Petty as Tank Girl, Naomi Watts in an early role, Malcolm McDowell as the villain, and Ice-T as a ripper. They touch on the film's tonal shifts, its 90s aesthetic, and comparisons to other films like Super Mario Bros. and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. A quiz segment adds humor, with questions about the film's impact and hypothetical scenarios. The hosts also mention other events at the American Cinema Tech festival and plug their own projects. The episode concludes with reminders about the screening and lighthearted banter about future episode picks.

As heard by us

A loose Tank Girl preview finds sharp visual pleasure in the film's chaos, color, and oddball effects.

Tank Girl gets a lively Better Than the Movie Friend of the Fest preview, with Justin Reamer, Tinkboy Alan Traylor, and Tyler Austin treating Rachel Talalay's film as both cult object and production war story.

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Why you'd press play

Want a Tank Girl pre-screening hang with holographic heads, Dune detours, and messy behind-the-curtain banter?

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