The Flick Lab Podcast

#194 – 12 Films in 12 Months?! Indie Filmmaker Joel Haver’s Wild Experiment – Film Analysis

On: 19th April 2025

Joel Haver is a Canadian indie filmmaker and YouTuber known for his experimental film projects. In an ambitious move last year, he set out to create 12 films in 12 months. What might have motivated such a demanding challenge? And how could this rapid production schedule influence the perceived quality of the films? With modern technology drastically lowering the barrier to entry for aspiring filmmakers, how much do tools versus talent truly impact the final product? The Flick Lab decided to explore this question by watching two of Haver’s films.

Note: This episode was recorded in November 2024, prior to Haver having released all of his films on his Youtube channel, which explains our skepticism of him being able to complete the challenge on time. Mr. Haver got the last laugh here.

Films covered in this episode:
The Text (2024)
Anyone Else But Me (2024)

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune performed by Nick Grivell.

#193 – Alien: Romulus (2024) – Worth the Hype?

On: 6th March 2025

Is Alien Romulus the greatest Alien movie since James Cameron’s Aliens, or an overhyped letdown? Let’s find out.

Films covered in this episode:
Alien: Romulus (2024)

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune performed by Nick Grivell.

#192 – Alien: Covenant (2017) – End of the Unended – Film Analysis

On: 27th November 2024

Following Ridley Scott’s Alien-prequel-spinoff Prometheus came Alien Covenant. It was expected to deliver both on audience expectations (Aliens appearing in an Alien franchise) and to provide some answers to the questions presented by Prometheus. In a way, neither would be delivered on. What’s the legacy of Alien Covenant, now that the further sequels to Ridley Scott’s storyline have been effectively cancelled?

Films covered in this episode:
Alien: Covenant (2017)

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune performed by Nick Grivell.

#191 – Prometheus (2012) – Was Jesus an Alien, Ridley Scott? – Film Analysis

On: 3rd September 2024

Prometheus is the return of director Ridley Scott to the Alien franchise. This is in fact a standalone story based on the same Alien universe, but not an Alien movie per se. It provides ample story elements, but are most of them driven to any conclusion? Do the writers and the director even know the meaning of their own plot threads? Karri and Henrik also discuss the film’s atmosphere, the character’s decision-making, Ridley’s ‘space jesus’ concept, and other topics.

Films covered in this episode:
Prometheus (2012)

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune performed by Nick Grivell.

#190 – Alien: Resurrection (1997) – The Hated Sequel – Film Analysis

On: 16th July 2024

“Alien: Resurrection” is often considered the black sheep of the franchise, and the passing decades have not been kind to it, at least among some fans. What could be behind the venomous hate towards “Alien: Resurrection”? Is this the lowest point in the franchise, or is that still yet to come? Is “Alien: Resurrection” successful at its self-parody? Hear how Henrik makes his case for “Alien: Resurrection” and Karri argues against it.

Films covered in this episode:
Alien: Resurrection (1997)

#189 – Alien 3 (1992) Film Analysis – Director David Fincher’s Nightmare

On: 16th June 2024

Alien 3 was a nightmare production for the first-time feature director David Fincher. As the young master was trying to put together the best film he could under the circumstances, the studio and even scriptwriters kept interfering with his attempts at applying his vision to a material that he had only few weeks to mull over before shooting had to begin. This combined with onset antics and disagreements between actors. What came out keeps splitting the fan base to this day. Is Alien 3 actually a much better film than its reputation?

Films covered in this episode:
Alien 3 (1992)

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune performed by Nick Grivell.

#188 – Aliens (1986) Film Analysis – Why it’s a Sci-Fi Masterpiece

On: 20th May 2024

The Flick Lab rarely indulges in hyperbolic adulation or labels films as masterpieces. However, we do consider James Cameron’s Aliens (1986) to be a masterpiece. This landmark film in the sci-fi genre transformed the Alien franchise into a global phenomenon. In this episode, we delve into the film’s themes, the shift from slow burn to action, the bug hunt aspect, character dynamics, Alien genetics and reproduction, plausibility of Burke’s schemes, the differences between the Theatrical and Special Edition, Vietnam War allegories, the tech of Aliens, and more.

Films covered in this episode:
Aliens (1986)

#187 – From Artistic Roots to Industry Truths

On: 28th April 2024

Karri and Henrik delve into their personal experiences from their artistic roots and TV/media industry. Among the discussion points are Karri’s loss of interest in the industry, the industry’s brutality, the tools they’ve utilized in media, advancements in editing on Linux, the debate over high-framerate in the film industry, challenges with high-resolution remasters of old films, AI enhancement, and other topics.

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune performed by Nick Grivell.

#186 – Catchup 2024 Part 2 – Movies We’ve Been Watching

On: 8th April 2024

In this podcast episode, Karri and Henrik discuss the movies and TV series they’ve watched over the past year or so, ones that haven’t received dedicated coverage in previous episodes. This segment is the second part of a two-part series.

Films covered in this episode:

For All Mankind (TV Series, 2019-)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7772588

Moonfall (2022)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5834426

Home Alone (1990)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099785

The Pope’s Exorcist (2023)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13375076

Nope (2022)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10954984

Kung Fury (2015)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3472226

Umma (2022)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13235822

Crash Landing on You (TV Series, 2019-2020)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10850932

Crimes of the Future (2022)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14549466

The Mole: Undercover in North Korea (Documentary, 2020)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13243898

Significant Other (2022)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15353964