Battlefield Earth - S10 E76

Get ready folks, because this week on Shoot the Hostage, Dan and Sarah bravely (or stupidly) sat through the cinematic turd known as Battlefield Earth (2000). Yes, that's right, we're diving headfirst into what many consider to be not just a box office flop, but a serious contender for the title of worst movie of all time. If you've ever wondered what happens when you try to adapt roughly 40% of a massive thousand-page book by the prolific (in quantity, at least) science fiction writer and Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, into a single film, prepare to have your expectations crater like this movie's box office.

We'll be dissecting this glorious mess starring John Travolta (who lobbied for years to get this passion project made). Prepare for questionable acting choices, baffling plot points and more screen wipes than you can shake a stick at. We’ll also try (and likely fail) to understand the vision of director Roger Christian, whose commentary track apparently suggests we just "don't get it". If you're searching for a podcast that doesn't hold back on its criticism of films based on books that go spectacularly wrong, or if you're simply curious about one of the most notorious movie flops in cinematic history, you've come to the right (or perhaps wrong) place. Trust us, after this episode, you might just consider Waterworld a masterpiece.

In this episode you can expect:

• A scathing takedown of Battlefield Earth from start to finish.
• Our bewildered attempts to make sense of the plot and the alien motivations.
• Plenty of discussion about John Travolta's… unique? performance and his deep connection to the source material.
• Observations on just how a film with a reported budget of $70-80 million (or maybe $40 million) could look this visually unappealing.
• Digressions into the bizarre world of Scientology, the religion/cult behind the book.
• The definitive answer to whether this truly deserves its reputation as one of the worst films ever made.

So, strap yourselves in for a bumpy ride as we try to navigate the post-apocalyptic wasteland that is Battlefield Earth!

Season 10 runs until May 26th with 10 episodes this time

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