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The Fandom Portals Podcast
Was "A Knights Tale" Ahead of its Time? Modern Vibes in a Medieval World, How Heath Ledger Changed his Stars
What if a film could seamlessly blend 14th-century aesthetics with modern rock music? Join me, Aaron Davies, on this thrilling episode of the Fandom Portals podcast as we dive into the world of "A Knight's Tale." We'll explore how this 2001 cult classic, starring Heath Ledger, challenged cinematic norms and stood its ground against blockbuster giants like "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings." Discover how this genre-blending masterpiece not only became a financial success but also laid the groundwork for future hits like "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Bridgerton."
Get ready for some behind-the-scenes revelations as we uncover the genuine chemistry among the cast, including Mark Addy, Alan Tudyk, and Rufus Sewell. Their time living together in Prague before filming began, under the guidance of director Brian Helgeland, resulted in unforgettable on-screen moments. Hear heart-warming stories, like Heath Ledger's support for Alan Tudyk during a personal tragedy, and learn how their real-life camaraderie brought authenticity to the film's friendships and emotional scenes.
We'll also delve into the creative liberties taken in "A Knight's Tale," inspired by Geoffrey Chaucer's life and works. From the anachronistic use of modern music to the film's themes of equality and self-belief, we'll discuss how these bold choices created a timeless appeal. This is an episode you won't want to miss!
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Hi everyone, aaron Davies here from the Fandom Portals podcast. It's great to see you all here for another episode of our amazing fandom journey. This one here is dedicated to Frank, who was my guest on a previous episode of the Fandom Portals podcast. He actually recommended in the final parts of our interview that I check out A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms as part of George R R Martin's work and in doing so I kind of saw the similarities between it and one of my favorite R Martin's work and in doing so I kind of saw the similarities between it and one of my favorite movies, a Knight's Tale. So as a pseudo representation of that recommendation, I've done an episode today on A Knight's Tale. I hope you enjoy and stick around at the end of the podcast because we have some network news and some awesome ways that you can get involved in the Geek Freaks Network. That's Aaron signing off. Hope you enjoy the podcast. See you soon. Bye. Just like William, heath Ledger was able to change his own stars.
Speaker 1:Hello and welcome to this episode of the Fandom Portals podcast, where curiosity meets community in a celebration of all things geek. We build connections on every episode by delving into your favorite fandom questions in the time it takes you to file that paperwork correctly. Questions and the time it takes you to file that paperwork correctly. I'm your host, aaron Davies, and today I am solo hosting this episode on the 2001 film A Knight's Tale, starring Australia's favourite son, heath Ledger. Now, specifically, we are answering the question was this movie ahead of its time and therefore criminally underrated? By the end of this podcast, you will discover the importance of cast synergy in portraying misfit characters. You'll be able to tell all your friends about the meaning of the word anachronistic and how this movie paved the way for Hollywood stunners like Guardians of the Galaxy and Bridgerton. But before we get into all of that, let's dive into the facts and figures of this 2001 hit A Knight's Tale.
Speaker 1:So the movie was inspired by the Canterbury Tales. It was written by a real-life Old English poet named Geoffrey Chaucer, and this is the story of William, a young squire with a gift for jousting, who was played by Heath Ledger. After William's master, sir Hector, dies suddenly, the squire hits the road with his cohorts Roland and Watt. On the journey, they stumble across an unknown writer, chaucer, played by Paul Bettany. William, lacking a proper pedigree, convinces Chaucer to forge genealogy documents that will pass him off as a knight. With his newly minted history in hand, the young man sets out to prove himself a worthy knight in the country's jousting competition, and he finds some romance along the way.
Speaker 1:This movie, a Knight's Tale, had an estimated budget of about $65 million and it took about $118 million worldwide at the box office, meaning that it made a profit of about $53 million and is therefore considered a financial success, having made more than double its budget. Now, how did audiences receive this film at the time? So, unfortunately, it got mixed reviews from critics, where some would say it was the worst night movie since Richard Gere starred in A First Night, or they would say something like the modern music mixed with the late 1400s aesthetic missed the mark. There was contention over the amount of jousting, having it take precedence over any kind of narrative plot, while there were other reviewers who claimed that the supporting cast were fantastic and Heath led to portrays a superb representation of a man adamant to change his destiny despite considerable obstacles, and a mixture of action, romance and comedy. While confusing some, was humbly refreshing for others. Now, this movie was one of a few blockbusters that released in 2001, and that had a little bit to do with its reception. So it may have been in part that this didn't gain the following that everybody thought it would.
Speaker 1:Now, when A Knight's Tale came out in 2001, there were some other really big movies that it had to compete with. It was a groundbreaking year of cinema and the beginning of many a storied franchise that heralded in a new age of cinema. Afterwards, for example, the release of the long-awaited Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and the Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Ring, franchise orientations were released. It was also in direct competition in the cinemas with Brendan Fraser's sequel, the Mummy Returns, which actually was the seventh-high grossing film of the year. A Knight's Tale did well to secure what it did at the box office with these films, knowing exactly what they represented, and delivered a staunch representation of the fantasy action-adventure genre. The mixed bag that was A Knight's Tale was seen as a movie that couldn't really make up its mind during this time, or at least that was the case for many critics. But to me and many other fandom portal ears, that's what makes this movie so good.
Speaker 1:Okay, one of the most interesting things about this movie is that it was actually a catalyst film for many of its cast and it broadened a lot of their filmography. So, for example, heath Ledger, who played William, came just off the back of his 10 Things I Hate About you and his casting in the Patriot alongside Mel Gibson. He went on after this movie obviously to star as the Joker in the Dark Knight, winning a posthumous Best Supporting Actor win for the Oscar there. It has been said that casting Heath Ledger in this movie was an easy sell to the studio who he had just come off the set of the Patriot and he represented this youthful rebellion mixed with this rock and roll spirit. But he had the heart of a lion, now Tujik, who plays Watt in the film. He said that Heath Ledger was kind of like the golden child on the set and he wasn't really bothered by all the fame and fortune. He was very generous and cool and fun and he liked to fool around and be a bit of a prankster. So the notion that his character of William was bending the rules was very much something that Heath Ledger himself would embody, just as a person on set.
Speaker 1:Obviously, the film also stars Paul Bettany who, prior to this role in A Knight's Tale as Geoffrey Chaucer, only played small TV parts and obviously we all know that Paul Bettany went on to play the Vision in the MCU, having a very star-studded career with movies in between. He wanted to work with Helgeland, the director, for some time and the part was actually written for him the part of Geoffrey Chaucer, despite the studio actually wanting to go with Drew Carey at the time. Bettany joked with Helgeland about him being nude for the first half of the movie, with the director telling him that being able to deliver lines naked and covered in dirt and manure would solidify his position as a fan favorite of the film, and he was pretty much correct. Chaucer's speeches were delivered multiple times during the filming of A Knight's Tale and in multiple different ways, with the crowd's reaction and the crew's reaction to these speeches being pretty much genuine. Now, watt, as we said before, played by Alan Tudyk, had some small roles on movies such as Patch Adams, but he also went on after this, a year later, to star as Wash in Firefly, and he then went on to star in Rogue One as K2SO. It was said that his comedic timing and his improvisational skills landed him the role as what Roland was played by Mark Addy, who had some success in the comedy the Full Monty before who he played as the character Dave, but, as we all know, he went on to play the king of all of Westeros.
Speaker 1:In the Game of Thrones he played Robert Baratheon, and he actually moved from playing a squire in this to playing a king in the latter Game of Thrones. Addy had said that he approached this role because he liked it, knowing that the script didn't seem like it was a history lesson or a movie that tried to teach anybody anything in terms of history, but it was kind of about the people living in the world that they were a part of. Now the other members of the cast, including Shannon Sossaman, laura Fraser and Rufus Sewell, also went on to have some acting success. Most notably, laura Fraser, who played Kate, went on to play Lydia in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, but all of the actors from this movie A Night's Tale actually went on to have success in their careers.
Speaker 1:Now the director, brian Helgeland, was hot off an Oscar win as well for winning Best Writing for LA Confidential writing for LA Confidential and he went on after this film to actually go and direct the movie 42 starring Chadwick Boseman, about the first black man to compete in the baseball leagues, and he also directed the movie Legend, which starred Tom Hardy playing two gangster brothers. So he actually had some success after A Knight's Tale as well, although he did have some success before as a writer. Now, one of the biggest things that you can see through watching this film is that the cast obviously has such a great and perfect chemistry, and it was really interesting on how the cast was actually able to achieve this. So when they were all cast by the casting director, they decided to arrive in Prague early and all of the cast members actually lived together for four months on location. Bettany and Ledger are recorded as saying that the film schedule was arduous and the days were long, but the people, attitude and atmosphere of the film made it all worth it. Addy said the same thing. He said that it looked like a bunch of friends were just having a laugh and making a preposterous and fun movie, and he said that was because that's basically what they were doing.
Speaker 1:Alan Tudyk remembers taking pedicabs around town during the day with Ledger and Sussman, then bar hopping at night, getting easily lost in Prague's circulatious streets. Even after the movie started, he said we would go out together and if there was trouble which there could be in those bars we all stood up for one another. So he says it was kind of like the movie never stopped, because that was exactly what their characters did in the film anyway. It even went so far as to say that the cast was so close that during filming Tujik suffered the loss of a friend during filming due to an overdose and Heath Ledger actually reached out to him and took care of him for three days, making sure that his friend got through that hard time.
Speaker 1:Mark Addy says, most notably, that it was just a magical mix of the right people at the right time in each other's company and they were sharing an ambition to make a fantastic movie. And that definitely comes off when we're talking about A Knight's Tale, because a lot of the scenes in the movie reveal this closeness, some of which being the training montage, the start with William Roland and Watt when they're dragging him along on the chariot or pulling him along the boat. There is just that jovial nature in between those exercises where they're just sort of bantering with one another, and that's really hard to fake unless you actually really enjoy each other's company. You missed it. He's back even to the point where and the cast emulated this too, because during the scene if you remember, where William was fighting in the sword tournament and Geoffrey Chaucer comes up and gives his first glowing rendition of his celebratory speech, raising William's hand into the air, there's a silence that swells amongst the crowd as nobody really understood or took notice of what Chaucer was saying. But this actually was because there was a language barrier between the extras in the crowd who were Czech locals. So Mark Addy, the character of Roland yelling out during this time, was actually him trying to spur on those people to react at the correct time, and the director liked it so much that he said you know what? We're going to keep that in. Yes, behold my Lord, ulrich, the rock, the hard place. Like a wind from Goldland he sweeps by, blown far from his homeland, in search of glory and honour. We walk in the garden of his turbulence, yay. It was also highlighted, due to the closeness of these characters, when the original band against the French that William would beat any Frenchman, and that kind of reminded me of what it was like to be a cast member in this movie during their time here, because there are many, many stories of them talking about going out and enjoying the nightlife of Prague out and enjoying the nightlife of Prague.
Speaker 1:But for me, the time when the characters really really showed their closeness was them being vulnerable to one another, was when they were writing the love letter to Joslyn, with all of the characters putting their input into William's letter. I have seen sunsets and sunrises, but nothing of your beautiful face. I have seen sunsets and sunrises but nothing of your beautiful face. That's very good, william. I used to know this girl once who, well, she broke my heart. But I used to say that the pieces, the pieces of my broken heart are so small that they could be passed through the eye of a needle.
Speaker 1:And being that vulnerable and being that open, with, obviously, moments of pure heartache or expression of feeling, definitely created that bond that viewers were able to look at and really sort of become enamored by because their friendship was so close. Now, these kinds of bonds are really important in cinema and they're also very influential, and that's because it obviously portrays that closeness between the characters. And obviously the actors emulated that closeness because they were friends in real life, they were able to reveal traumatic moments among the safety of their friends and they were looking out for their best friend's interests and they love you through your faults. The scene that comes to mind for this one was when William's pride got in the way of him actually running away from being arrested. When it was discovered that he wasn't in fact Ulrich von Lichtenstein, every single one of his friends told him to run, but the pride of a knight made him stay. It was because of that where we got the scene where he was protected at his lowest, when William is in the stocks and you see all of his band and crew make their way up the stairs and stand between him and the angry but fickle mob. It is at that point that Colville, the Secret Prince, actually comes up and says you know, your men love you, and if I knew nothing else about you, that would be enough. And it's those kinds of moments and those kinds of friendships and those kinds of close character bonds that really emboldened this movie and made people want to come back and rewatch it. And rewatch it because they also felt like they were a part of this character's band. And that was able to be achieved because these characters were, in fact, the closest of friends. Many of them had gone on to say that filming this back in the early 2000s was probably one of the best years of their lives, the director included, sharing that sentiment.
Speaker 1:Another reason why this film was so incredibly loved or at least it was afterwards was because of its leading man, heath Ledger. Now it has been said that Heath Ledger was essentially playing himself in this movie. He was a man who didn't really go to acting school. He was from a below average earning household in Australia. It is said that his father worked the pits and the mines. He had no real aspirations of doing anything outstanding with his life until he sort of fell into his acting career. It is also said that, just like William, heath Ledger was able to change his own stars. For Ledger, this was his first starring role, and even for Sossaman, who played Jocelyn, it was her first film role of any kind. So both of the leads in this movie were brand new, and some might say that that is quite evident because some of the lines they deliver can be quite stiff. But overall I think that the heart and the effort in this movie just really kind of pull them both through and they're able to really sort of portray their characters to the best of their ability, because I feel like both of them were actually indeed just playing themselves.
Speaker 1:Now, how he actually got the role was he met with the director in a restaurant in Perth while he was in a layover from just coming off of the set of the Patriot and it is said that there was this tube that he was carrying at the time. Heath Ledger sort of carried this tube with him when he traveled and the director asked him. He said you know what's in the tube? And Heath Ledger said oh, that's my didgeridoo. And then he pulled it out and he started playing it and telling him all about it inside the restaurant. And it was said that Hedgeland said that from that moment on he knew that that was the actor for him. Now Hedgeland said he only really seriously met with one other actor who could play the role of William in A Knight's Tale and that was Paul Walker. But Paul Walker actually went on to have his own breakout role in the Fast and the Furious franchise in 2001. To have his own breakout role in the Fast and the Furious franchise in 2001. Hedgeland said that he really did like Paul Walker and of his age group he was one of the biggest stars. But he was also so American and he wasn't sure if he'd get the Englishness of the role.
Speaker 1:Now Heath Ledger plays the character of William Thatcher or Ulrich von Lichtenstein, and there are a few reasons why everybody loves him. Everybody really connects with Heath Ledger's portrayal of Ulrich von Lichtenstein and there are a few reasons why everybody loves him. Everybody really connects with Heath Ledger's portrayal of Ulrich because he exudes this charm and likability. His confidence is coupled with a sense of humility which makes him really relatable and an endearing character, and this sort of was emboldened by Ledger's natural charisma as it shines through, as he's making the character of Ulrich for the audience and for the audiences of Ulrich to root for him. Heath Ledger also plays William as an underdog, and people love a good underdog story. He embodies this perfectly, as William Thatcher was a commoner who came from Cheapside in London and his rise to fame was from pretending to be a noble knight taking over from Sir Hector after he unfortunately passes away after a justing incident. He represents this idea that anyone can achieve greatness regardless of their background, and this also resonated with audience who really love to see the success of somebody from a lower social standing, somebody from a lower social standing Against all the odds too.
Speaker 1:Ulrich slash William was also a romantic hero. He was a figure, and his pursuit of Lady Jocelyn is one that shows great determination. He does anything he can to win her love, even when it means going against the norms of his time. This adds a layer of romance and appeals to many viewers. His willingness to risk everything for love makes him an even more compelling character, and this is most notably shown when, despite his ambition to become one of the greatest jousting knights, he does in fact lose on purpose at her request, in order to prove to her that he cares. Are you blind? Can you see the flag? Yes, I saw it. Okay, I know, I know you want to drop behind for a more dramatic victory. Look, jocelyn told me I should lose to prove my love. Oh God, I'd rather you were blind. Don't be foolish. He's humorous and he's witty.
Speaker 1:The character of William is not just so serious and determined to be ambitious towards his goal. He has a great sense of humor and there's some really good lighthearted moments between him and his friends, especially the banter during those training sequences and during the moments of downtime from the tournament jousting scenes. To this note as well. The audience actually enjoys spending time with William and his friends, as their presence just is warm and often inviting to anybody that is watching them. Heath Ledger's physical presence contributes to the character's appeal as well. He's an athletic character and during jousting scenes, combined with his effortless charm, it creates an image of a true knight in shining armor, both literally and figuratively, and I think that the fact that all of these characters had such a good time creating this movie really shone through. As it has been said that Heath Ledger claimed that he really loved watching the film during the premiere. As he said, it was almost like watching a photo album of the time that they were making it, and he said that it reminded him of how much fun he had making the movie.
Speaker 1:Now, at the start of this podcast, I told you a word that you would learn by the end of this podcast and that is anachronistic and that refers to something that is out of place in terms of time and it's like elements that belong to different. That is out of place in terms of time and it's like elements that belong to different periods being used in a setting where they don't historically fit in. So in A Knight's Tale, the anachronisms are used deliberately to brand modern elements with a medieval setting, creating a unique and entertaining contrast. For example, the film features characters from the Middle Ages dancing to modern music, like Queen's we Will Rock you and David Bowie's Golden Years, and it uses contemporary language and humor. These anachronisms make the story more relatable and fun for modern audiences.
Speaker 1:And it was said that the director used these kinds of music because during a jousting tournament back in the times, these figures were often seen as rock stars and he wanted to capture the atmosphere that would be present during one of these events. And obviously playing that kind of pump-up, stadium-like music really set the tone for these jousting arenas and for the jousting competitions that followed. This trend of anachronism was really paid forward during quite a few movies. It was most notably featured in Marie Antoinette, the Great Gatsby and also Hamilton, which is the Broadway musical of Americans' founding fathers. There's a modern hip-hop and R&B style to that musical and it's obviously set in a time where that style of music was not really invented.
Speaker 1:One of the most famous uses of this but it kind of goes the other way was when James Gunn used this in the Guardians of the Galaxy. He used it to great effect by blending the 1970s and 80s pop culture with futuristic, intergalactic-like settings. The character of Peter Quill or Star-Lord also carried a Walkman and listens to classic rock and pop songs which are completely out of place for this sci-fi world. Walkman and listens to classic rock and pop songs which are completely out of place for this sci-fi world, but they serve as a nostalgic link back to his childhood on earth. Some of the music used within that film include, you know, blue suede's hooked on a feeling and red bones come and get your love. And these tracks play during space battles and key moments, creating a playful contrast between that retro music and the futuristic setting Obviously emulated through that scenes in the Knight's Tale, where you can see the rock and roll being embedded into scenes when lances are splintering and horses are pounding with their hooves across the battlefield of the jousting tournament.
Speaker 1:More recently, this technique of anachronistic elements has been used in the TV series of Bridgerton, where it plays a key role. In this Regency-era setting. With modern elements, it creates a fresh and engaging take on this historical romance. String arrangements, which obviously wasn't a part of the 19th century London backdrop Songs such as Thank you Next and Billie Eilish's Bad Guy are performed using these classical string quartets, and these familiar tunes, reimagined in a period style, create a playful contrast between that modern and historical. So at the time, this technique actually wasn't really well received.
Speaker 1:One of the biggest complaints that critics had was that the music didn't match the aesthetic of A Knight's Tale. Quite frankly, I think that this was one of the best parts of it, having watched it during the time of 2000,. I was 10 years old at the time and I really really feel like it did exactly what the director wanted to achieve with using that music. Exactly what the director wanted to achieve with using that music. It was also said that in an interview, all of the people that were questioning him asked him whether he was comfortable with that bold choice or whether he was worried about how it would land, and he jokingly said he wasn't worried about it until everybody kept asking him about it. So I think those instincts that he used to create that aesthetic were really well received, and obviously so, as imitation is the best form of flattery and it has been something that's been used in films for a long time since.
Speaker 1:Now, this story wasn't an original one. It is based on the Canterbury Tales, which was written by Geoffrey Chaucer, who is a character in the film, and it's supposed to be a time when Geoffrey Chaucer kind of fell off the map in historical annals and records. He fell off the map for the period of about a year where there's nothing that anybody can find about him. So the writers of this movie actually took liberties and said during that year that he was missing. This is what he did. The director actually said that he was flipping through other books other than the Canterbury Tales and he discovered this tidbit which stated that tournament Jasters needed to be of noble birth, and Hedgeland said that when he read that he basically the whole movie kind of fell down into his head. After that he said everything went right. From that point on he crafted the 14th century set screenplay, immersed it in more than just war and revolution and, leaning more into that comedic side of Chaucer and drawing on his English studies, he supplied his identity-thriving protagonist, william, with a diverse group of friends, knowing that they would be instrumental in his jousting journey, because after after all, you can't really pull off a identity um altering experience without some friends help you along the way and buy into the lie so as to sell everybody else on the lie as well.
Speaker 1:Now, the impact of a knight's tale, or the main message of a knight's tale is that nobility and honor are not determined by birthright but by one's actions and character. A commoner who rises to become a celebrated knight by sheer determination, skill and a desire to prove that he is worthy as any nobleman is central to this movie's themes and mood. His journey challenges the rigid class system that was present during medieval society and highlights themes of equality, self-belief and the pursuit of one's dreams, all of these being relatable to audiences of many different age groups. The message resonates with fans because it kind of embodies this classic underdog story, as we said before, and one where the hero overcomes those social limitations through courage and hard work, and one where the hero overcomes those social limitations through courage and hard work. William's story appeals to anyone who has ever felt limited by the circumstances or underestimated by others, and the film blends humour and romance and the anachronistic elements like modern music in a medieval setting, which adds to its charm, making it not just a tale of knights and a joust, but a timeless story, perseverance and the belief that there can all be a time when we can shape our own destinies, regardless of where we come from. And fans connect with that empowering message, finding inspiration in William's journey to forge his own path.
Speaker 1:And I think that is my counter-arg argument to the big critics of A Knight's Tale where they say that there's not much plot to this story and there's too much jousting. I think that the characterization of William as a person and the way that he undergoes his change from being a Thatcher's son to a knight is the plot. Like I've talked before on the Fandom Portals podcast about how much I enjoy a character's arc and a character's journey and how it can sometimes serve as plot, I think this is one of the examples where that is indeed the case and the compelling character of William, obviously being part of this group, who attracts all of these amazing friends, is emulated by the cast. And I love just watching it because it's one of those feel good films where I actually still get this goosebump, like feeling when I watch moments where he reconnects with his father after all of these years. And might I just add, the actor who plays William's father really does pull off those scenes of showing like the proudness that he would be as a father after reconnecting with his son. It's just a really great feel-good kind of movie and it doesn't have to take itself so seriously and I think amid the climate of when it came out, during the time when franchises were beginning and there was the fantasy epic of Lord of the Rings which I do love, by the way but its genre and its mixed mash of various different kinds of aesthetics really took people aback. I guess you could say and there aren't many movies that you could say fall into the action, adventure, comedy, romance sphere and successfully pull it off. But I definitely think that A Knight's Tale really does.
Speaker 1:Now the rewatchability of this movie is up there, so much so that Brian Hedgeland actually said you know, about 10 years ago it started to dawn on me just how much people were rewatching this, because he talked about how he's a part of the Writers Guild and as a Writers Guild member you get residual checks for every movie that you've ever been on or worked on. And he says it starts out really nice and then it kind of diminishes and diminishes until you get your checks for very little amounts, so $17 to $22. But he says that A Knight's Tale never really goes down, or if it does go down, it goes down very slowly. So that's how he knows that people are still watching this movie. He then started to realize that every time he went junketing other movies or going on various different press tours, everyone would always bring up A Knight's Tale and they'd ask him questions about A Knight's Tale. So much so that he joked around and said he gets more buzz over A Knight's Tale than he does about his Oscar-winning LA Confidential.
Speaker 1:And many of the cast and crew members, as I said, started this film and working on it as being one of the best years of their life. So for me, this is a movie that I can consistently re-watch. And for me, this is a movie that I can consistently re-watch. And if you're a person that loves homework, I highly would recommend going and watching this one with a friend. And if you do, make sure you tell them that you got the recommendation from the Fandom Portals podcast, because, as you know small podcasters like us, every little piece of word of mouth helps. But that's it from me for this episode of the Fandom Portals podcast. Guys, I hope you really, really enjoyed listening to it. A Knight's Tale is definitely one of the best movies, in my opinion, to come out of 2001. And, as I said, go and rewatch this Heath Ledger classic because he is also one of my favorite actors of all time as well. If you are listening to this episode, then head on over to Instagram and look us up at fandom portals, and, if you do that, go and find one of our pieces of content on A Knight's Tale. And if you do, make sure you comment and tell me something that you really love about this film, because it is one that I could talk about for ages and ages. So that's me, aaron, connecting with respect, as always, and we will catch you next time. Thank you so much for listening to the latest episode of the Fandom Portals podcast.
Speaker 1:Now, as everybody knows, we are a part of the amazing Geek Freaks Network and we have some network news to share Currently. At the moment, the network is giving away five copies of Paramount's season two of Halo. The Blu-ray disc will be sent to your door, and all you have to do is go ahead and rate and review any of the Geek Freaks Network podcasts on Apple Podcasts. So if you're a person who hasn't already rated and reviewed the Fandom Portals podcast, or if you're a fan of other podcasts from the Geek Freaks Network, like the Geek Freaks Podcast Challenge Accepted and many, many more, then you can go ahead and do that right now for your chance to go into the draw and win one of five copies of these amazing Blu-ray discs. Now, unfortunately for Australian listeners, this is only a US giveaway. However, I have been told by the network that international giveaways will continue after this one, so stick around after the shows to hear more details about how you can win various different prizes from the Geek Freaks Network as being a part of the Fandom Portals community.
Speaker 1:Now, speaking of the Fandom Portals community, you guys are absolutely awesome because we have been getting reviews coming in from all over the world, some of which from the United States themselves. For example, george Odem has said that our podcast is a whole experience, rating it five stars. He said listened to Aaron's solo episode about Wolverine, my favorite X-Men character. This show is a whole experience. Aaron shares so much information and the production quality is insane. Great show with a great host. Now, george, thank you so much. Your words of kindness have got you into the draw to win one of those copies of season two of Halo. Now, we are really appreciative of everything that George wrote, and if you would like to do the same and leave a review, then you may do so on Apple. The links will be in the show notes below for you and we do read those reviews out online.
Speaker 1:Another way that you can get involved as part of the Fandom Portals community is you can join our social medias, which is at Fandom Portals on Instagram, and we're also on threads. It's from those two platforms where we kind of gain an insight onto what our community wants to hear episodes about, sometimes taking actual ideas from that community specifically. So if you want to see your idea or if you have a question about your fandom that you want answered or researched or shown in podcast form, then feel free to reach out to us on those social medias or via email, which is in the show notes below as well, and you might feature on a Fandom Portals episode yourself. As you've heard me say many, many times on the Fandom Portals podcast, I am not an expert in all of the fields that people are fandoms in. So if you have something to say and you are an expert in your field, or if you just have a passion for a fandom of your choice, then you can fill out the guest application and come and join us on the podcast. And come and join us on the podcast. We'd love to hear from you, and we have a great time interviewing our guests and also learning from one another, connecting with respect as we do so.
Speaker 1:So if you're a person who absolutely loves to talk about the fandom of your choosing, or if you have a burning question that you want to discuss through with me, aaron, the host here at Fandom Portals, then feel free to go into the show notes, click on the link below. And here at Fandom Portals, then feel free to go into the show notes, click on the link below and fill out the guest application and you might feature yourself on an episode in the future. Now that's it for me. Guys, thank you so much for sticking around. After the episode, we are careening up to 10 episodes produced here at Fandom Portals, so we are more than thankful to everybody who's gotten behind us, to everybody who's sent in those reviews and everybody who connects with us on social media. It has been an amazing journey so far and I cannot wait to continue it for another 10 plus episodes. It's been wild. Let's connect with respect. It's been Aaron here, and I'll catch you later.
