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Hate Watching with Dan and TonyAuthor: Dan Goodsell and Tony Czech
Unprofessional, unsolicited and unwanted opinions from Dan and Tony as they watch movies and tell you what's wrong with them. Language: en-us Genres: Comedy, Film Reviews, TV & Film Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Hate Watching Death of a Unicorn: Mo Money And Messy CGI
Episode 268
Wednesday, 24 December, 2025
Send us a textA healing unicorn, a billionaire’s lodge, and a night that should have dripped with dread instead slides into confusion. We dive into Death of a Unicorn with fresh eyes and plenty of receipts—where the premise shines, why the scares fizzle, and how the story trades suspense for unfinished spectacle. From the first “we hit something on the road” beat to that jarring daylight time jump, we trace the exact moments the movie stops trusting mystery and starts overexposing its creature.We talk craft first. Creature features live or die on restraint, and this one shows the monster early and often, leaning on CGI that can’t carry the weight. We unpack how to rebuild the same scenes with tension: silhouettes over full frames, sound over splash, partial reveals over glory shots. Then we get into character stakes. The father’s “financial promise,” the daughter’s supposed purity, and a horn that cures, resurrects, and randomly bestows visions—none of it plays by rules the audience can follow. So we outline the fix: make the horn addictive, tie each character’s need to a cost, and let greed fracture alliances until humans pose the real threat.There’s also a problem of lore without payoff. The tapestry research looks impressive, but discovery never changes tactics. We explore how good supernatural stories use clues to pivot action and how consistent rules turn fear into momentum. Along the way, we call out the casting trap—banking on a beloved actor to redeem an irredeemable arc—and the ethical shortcuts that undercut the finale, including a needless casualty to clean up the plot.If you love horror that earns its chills, or you’re writing your own low-budget creature story, this breakdown doubles as a playbook: define your rules, sharpen your motives, and let the audience’s imagination do the expensive work. Listen, then tell us the trope you’d retire forever, and if you enjoyed the show, follow, rate, and share with a friend who argues about movie logic as hard as you do.Be our friend!Dan: @shakybaconTony: @tonydczechAnd follow the podcast on IG: @hatewatchingDAT
