Episodes & Rankings
Below is a list of The Franchise episodes 41 - 60 and star ratings.
Each franchise is rated between 1 and 5 stars - hover over the star to see Daniel & Henry's ratings!
​
Special thanks to @SpaceCadetJuan for providing all the ratings!
​
Also, bonus episodes aren't real episodes and don't deserve their own number. If you want to know the real episode The Franchise is covering, look at the description box.
This isn't confusing at all.
EPISODE 41: CRANK AND CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE
Directors: Neveldine/Taylor
Screenwriter: Neveldine/Taylor
Year: 2006; 2009
E: 40
​
Neveldine and Taylor recruit Jason Statham for a couple of fun days out. And we recruit Isaac Lopez (@kickisaacout) for a fun podcast about them! Who can recognize that most porn stars? Find out here.
daniel: 3; 5
henry: 3; 2
GUEST: 3; 4
EPISODE 42: ROCKY
Directors: John G. Avildsen
Screenwriter: Sylvester Stallone
Year: 1976
E: 41
​
Yo! Hey! Boxing movies, y'know? Whoa! What? Hey! Best picture?! Whoa, thanks!
daniel: 5
henry: 5
EPISODE 43: ROCKY II AND ROCKY III
Directors: Sylvester Stallone
Screenwriter: Sylvester Stallone
Year: 1979; 1982
E: 42
​
One real movie. Then Mr. T and Hulk Hogan show up. Which is the better approach? Who's to say?
daniel: 4; 3
henry: 3; 3
EPISODE 44: ROCKY IV AND ROCKY V
Directors: Sylvester Stallone, John G. Avildsen
Screenwriter: Sylvester Stallone
Year: 1985; 1990
E: 43
Our hearts are on fire with love for Rocky IV, from Drago to Paulie's sex robot. Then, we go on a long journey into the darkness that is Rocky V. Avildsen's back! Thanks for nothing.
daniel: 4; 2
henry: 4; 1
EPISODE 45: ROCKY BALBOA AND CREED
Directors: Sylvester Stallone; Ryan Coogler
Screenwriter: Sylvester Stallone; Ryan Coogler, Aaron Covington
Year: 2006; 2015
E: 44
​
Sly tries to save his career with an elegiac look into the nostalgia of Rocky's past. Then, Ryan Coogler shows up to remind us what an actual movie is supposed to look like. Plus, a controversial ranking of the Rocky montages and the films themselves.
daniel: 3; 5
henry: 4; 5
EPISODE 46: IRON MAN
Directors: John Favreau
Screenwriter: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway
Year: 2008
E: 45
​
We dig into the MCU with this strong starting point. Get ready for some very nerdy behind the scenes tales from the front lines of Marvel Comics.
daniel: 3
henry: 5
EPISODE 47: IRON MAN 2 AND IRON MAN 3
Directors: John Favreau; Shane Black
Screenwriter: Justin Theroux; Shane Black, Drew Pearce
Year: 2010; 2013
E: 46
​
Favreau gets busy. Really busy. Then, Shane Black comes along for no good reason to Shane Black all over the Marvel Universe.
daniel: 3; 3
henry: 4; 3
EPISODE 48: DIRTY DANCING AND DIRTY DANCING: HAVANA NIGHTS
Directors: Emile Ardolino; Guy Ferland
Screenwriter: Eleanor Bergstein; Victoria Arch, Boaz Yakin
Year: 1987; 2004
E: 47
​
A NY Jew must dance so that a Rocket may have an abortion. Then, some "fat" girl gets her cleavage sniffed by the suicidal gay boyfriend from Milk.
daniel: 4; 1
henry: 2; 1
EPISODE 49: THE X-FILES AND THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
Directors: Rob Bowman; Chris Carter
Screenwriter: Chris Carter; Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz
Year: 1998; 2008
E: 48
​
You will believe a reboot can suck. But aren't Mulder and Scully just the best, guys? I mean, really.
daniel: 5; 3
henry: 5; 2
EPISODE 50: RUSH HOUR
Directors: Brett Ratner
Screenwriter: Jim Kouf, Ross LaManna
Year: 1998
E: 49
​
We finally tell the story of how Daniel insulted Brett Ratner in front of Henry. And we may even score an interview with the RatPac founder himself.
daniel: 3
henry: 3
EPISODE 51: RUSH HOUR 2 AND RUSH HOUR 3
Directors: Brett Ratner
Screenwriter: Jeff Nathanson
Year: 2001; 2007
E: 50
​
It's a racism-off! Come find out who wins! Plus, Henry invents a game. A fair game.
daniel: 2; 1
henry: 2; 1
EPISODE 52: ALIEN AND ALIENS
Directors: Ridley Scott; James Cameron
Screenwriter: Dan O'Bannon; James Cameron
Year: 1979; 1986
E: 51
​
Nathan Sherwood joins us for a deep dive through the chests of two classics. First, we examine Ridley Scott's claustrophobic horror film and then James Cameron's explosive, fun follow-up. Come for the gruesome gore, stay for the cute cats.
daniel: 5; 5
henry: 5; 5
GUEST: 4; 5
EPISODE 53: ALIEN 3 AND ALIEN: RESURRECTION
Directors: David Fincher; Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Screenwriter: David Giler, Walter Hill, Larry Ferguson; Joss Whedon
Year: 1992; 1997
E: 52
​
First, David Fincher shaves Ripley's head and has her commit suicide and then Jeanne-Pierre Jeunet flashes forward a billion years and has her fuck an alien. This franchise goes off the rails but quick.
daniel: 2; 2
henry: 4; 2
EPISODE 54: DIRTY DANCING TV MOVIE
Directors: Wayne Blair
Screenwriter: Jessica Sharzer
Year: 2017
E: Bonus!
​
ABC remade Dirty Dancing as a Jukebox Musical! It was 3 hours long! We watched it!
daniel: ?
henry: ?
BONUS!
EPISODE 55: PROMETHEUS AND ALIEN: COVENANT
Directors: Ridley Scott
Screenwriter: Jon Spaihts, Damon Lindelof; John Logan, Dante Harper
Year: 2012; 2017
E: 53
​
Ridley Scott and Damon Lindelof deliver a head scratcher and then Hank and I venture to the ol' multiplex (or BAM) to check our a recent box office bomb.
daniel: 4; 3
henry: 5; 3
EPISODE 56: YOUNG GUNS AND YOUNG GUNS II
Directors: Christopher Cain; Geoff Murphy
Screenwriter: John Fusco
Year: 1988; 1990
E: 54
​
We make our way back to the Old West, where only the handsomest young boys rule the day. We're joined by Ryan Rebalkin (@ryanrebalkin) of the Going the Distance podcast to discuss Native American mysticism, Brad Whitford and the sexiest set of six-shooters you ever did see!
daniel: 3; 3
henry: 3; 3
GUEST: 5; 4
_poster.jpg)
EPISODE 57: JAWS AND JAWS 2
Directors: Steven Spielberg; Jeannot Szwarc
Screenwriter: Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb; Carl Gottlieb, Howard Sackler
Year: 1975; 1978
E: 55
​
It's time for Franchise Summer! So put on your bathing suit, head to the beach and listen to us yap about Jaws. Just don't go in the water. There are sharks. And Sheriff Brody might shoot you.
daniel: 5; 3
henry: 5; 3
EPISODE 58: JAWS 3-D AND JAWS: THE REVENGE
Directors: Joe Alves
Screenwriter: Richard Matheson, Carl Gottlieb
Year: 1983
E: 56
​
A FISH HEAD FLIES AT YOU. Joe Alves gives us one of the least watchable movies we've covered on The Franchise. Then, Hoagie and Ellen Brody 4-Ever. So much revenge.
daniel: 1; 2
henry: 1; 2
EPISODE 59: INDEPENDENCE DAY AND INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE
Directors: Roland Emmerich
Screenwriter: Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich; Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich, Harald Kloser
Year: 1996; 2016
E: 57
​
TODAY WE CELEBRATE OUR INDEPENDENCE DAY! But then Liam Hemsworth shows up and ruins everything.
daniel: 5; 3
henry: 3; 2
EPISODE 60: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK AND INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM
Directors: Steven Spielberg
Screenwriter: Lawrence Kasdan; Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz
Year: 1981; 1984
E: 58
​
George Lucas persuades Spielberg to stop building a sand castle long enough to hear out his pitch that an archaeologist played by Tom Selleck would be much cooler than James Bond.