A smart-mouthed New York cop discovers that aliens are secretly living on Earth and gets recruited into a hidden agency that keeps them under control. Paired with a stone-faced veteran, he must stop a deadly alien invader searching for a powerful object that could spark an intergalactic crisis. As he adjusts to a bizarre new world of disguises, weapons, and cosmic secrets, his first day on the job turns into a fight to save the planet.

Craig, Elisabeth and guest Tami Anderson talk about immigration, galactic pugs, neurolyser damage and the movie "Men in Black" on this week's Matinee Heroes!

Show Notes

• 0:58

  Craig, Elisabeth and Tami Anderson talk alien encounters but with human beings.

• 7:28

  Craig, Elisabeth and Tami discuss "Men in Black."

• 52:12

  Recasting

• 1:12:59

  Double Feature

• 1:19:14

  Final Thoughts

• 1:24:19

  A preview of next week's episode "Starman."

Dane DeLiegro did not exactly take the usual road to Hollywood, and that is what made this live conversation at the 2024 Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio so entertaining. Before becoming the Predator in Prey, he played pro basketball in Europe, spent years apprenticing under a legendary Tuscan butcher, and nearly ended up in the culinary world instead of the film business. By the time he started describing what it took to bring the Predator to life, it was clear this was not your standard actor origin story.

• Before acting, DeLiegro spent years playing professional basketball in Europe and living in Tuscany during the off-seasons, where he apprenticed under famed butcher Dario Cecchini and learned traditional Tuscan butchery.
• His path into movies started almost by accident when a stand-in job on Free Guy led people on set to realize his size and physicality made him a natural fit for creature acting.
• DeLiegro detailed the intense physical demands of playing the Predator in Prey, including mime school, martial arts and parkour training, major weight loss, and performing scenes with extremely limited vision inside the suit.

"Every morning you wake up and it's a little Predator surprise party, remembering that you're the Predator." - Dane DiLiegro

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For the past 60 years, a wisecracking alien named Paul has been held at a top-secret military base in America's UFO heartland. When he decides he's had enough of Earth, he escapes and jumps into the first vehicle he finds, a rented RV driven by two British sci-fi geeks, Graeme and Clive. With federal agents and an angry father chasing them, the two come up with a wild plan to help Paul get back to his spaceship.

Craig, Elisabeth and guest Paul Hitchcock talk about sincerity in comedy, Elisabeth's starring role, Comic Con fatigue and the movie "Paul" on this week's Matinee Heroes.

Show Notes

• 1:15

  Craig, Elisabeth and Paul Hitchcock talk alien encounters.

• 5:44

  Craig, Elisabeth and Paul discuss "Paul."

• 54:14

  Recasting

• 1:20:59

  Double Feature

• 1:27:21

  Final Thoughts

• 1:37:01

  A preview of next week's episode "Men in Black."