May 19, 2012 by Arlo J. Wiley
Gobbledygeek episode 97, “War! Huh! Good God, Y’all!,” is available for listening or download right here.
Memorial Day is next weekend, so to get in the spirit, the boys have come up with a list of the Official Gobbledygeek Top 5 War Movies. Without giving too much away, we’ll say there are a couple Spielbergs in there along with a couple others that are alternately meditative, pulpy, and batshit insane. Which, you know, war. Plus, Paul and AJ spout off about The Avengers some more, as both are baffled by a simple point that numerous critics have failed to grasp; and Paul mentions the Alabama Phoenix Festival, at which he’ll be appearing on a few panels from May 25-27. Check it out!
Next: the boys have decided to slack off or Memorial Day, so no show next weekend. When we come back, there will be a Geek Challenge! In the meantime, grill some hamburgers and hot dogs for us.
(Show notes for “War! Huh! Good God, Y’all!”)
Posted in Shameless Self-Promotion | Tagged albama phoenix festival, edward burns, film, gobbledygeek, libsyn, matt damon, memorial day, movies, podcast, saving private ryan, steven spielberg, the avengers, tom hanks, war, war movies | Leave a Comment »
May 12, 2012 by Arlo J. Wiley
Gobbledygeek episode 96, “Talking Turkey: Ernest Cline,” is available for listening or download right here.
This week, Paul and AJ are honored to sit down with Ernie Cline, author of the New York Times bestselling science fiction novel Ready Player One, which arrives in paperback on June 5. The three of them have a pretty epic geek-out session. Oh, they talk about the book, too. Ernie discusses his inspiration for writing Ready Player One, what the future holds for the film adaptation, his brutal experience writing the movie Fanboys, and the many virtues of the Alamo Drafthouse. Ernie also mentions how much The Avengers rocked his world, so after the interview, Paul and AJ obsess some more over the movie, its nooks, and its crannies (hint: mirrors!).
Next: The boys get in the Memorial Day spirit by talking about their favorite war movies. They love the smell of napalm in the morning.
(Show notes for “Talking Turkey: Ernest Cline.”)
Posted in Shameless Self-Promotion | Tagged alamo drafthouse, books, ernest cline, ernie cline, fanboys, film, gobbledygeek, interview, libsyn, literature, movies, new york times, podcast, ready player one, sci-fi, science fiction, the avengers | 1 Comment »
May 5, 2012 by Arlo J. Wiley
Gobbledygeek episode 95, “Assemble,” is available for listening or download right here.
It’s here. It’s finally, really, actually here. The Avengers is in theaters. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk assemble into one giant superhero-palooza under the watchful eye of Joss Whedon. We hope it doesn’t spoil the episode very much if we say that the film more than lives up to our expectations. Paul and AJ discuss the film’s impressive structure, the insane giddiness of watching our heroes rumble with one another, and what Joss Whedon puts these iconic characters through. Among other things. There’s a lot of talking going on; there kind of had to be. Plus, the boys pay tribute to Adam “MCA” Yauch.
Next: Paul and AJ sit down with Ready Player One author Ernest Cline.
(Show notes for “Assemble.”)
Posted in Shameless Self-Promotion | Tagged adam yauch, beastie boys, captain america, comic books, comics, ernest cline, film, gobbledygeek, hulk, iron man, joss whedon, libsyn, mca, movies, podcast, ready player one, superhero, superheroes, the avengers, thor | Leave a Comment »
May 4, 2012 by Arlo J. Wiley
Four years ago, two films gave the superhero genre a much-needed kick in the pants: Iron Man and The Dark Knight. They were on opposite ends of the spectrum–the former bright and funny, the latter dark and gloomy–but both felt honest, and honesty’s something the genre needed in order to mature. This summer sees the release of two films which seem destined to revitalize the genre yet again, and it’s only fitting that they are The Avengers, the end result of Marvel’s first wave; and The Dark Knight Rises, the last of Christopher Nolan’s Bat-flicks. The Dark Knight Rises is still a couple months off, but just as that one looks like it’s angling to be even darker and more despairing than its predecessors, The Avengers aims to be more colorful, rousing, and exciting than those leading up to it.
Any superhero movie that wants to be even semi-successful has to on some level examine the nature of heroism. When one doesn’t, which was a big problem in the period between Spider-Man 2 and Iron Man (give or take a Batman Begins), you wind up with something like Catwoman or Elektra or Batman & Robin. Marvel’s pre-Avengers efforts, which I’ve mostly enjoyed, have excelled at asking just why each of their heroes feels the need to suit up and take action. With The Avengers, an even bigger question is posed. Why would such disparate people, each with their own sets of skills, hang-ups, and needs, come together to form a team? Writer-director Joss Whedon, a veritable geek god, is the one tasked with providing the answer to that query, and he does so brilliantly.
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Posted in Movie Reviews | Tagged action, batman & robin, batman begins, black widow, buffy, buffy the vampire slayer, captain america, catwoman, chitauri, chris evans, chris hemsworth, christopher nolan, comic books, comics, elektra, fantasy, film, firefly, graphic novels, hawkeye, hulk, iron man, iron man 2, jeremy renner, joss whedon, loki, mark ruffalo, marvel, marvel comics, movies, nick fury, robert downey jr, samuel l jackson, scarlett johansson, sci-fi, science fiction, spider-man 2, superhero, superheroes, the avengers, the dark knight, the dark knight rises, thor, tom hiddleston | 1 Comment »
April 30, 2012 by Arlo J. Wiley
I like pirates. I enjoy inherently silly things. I’m an admirer of Aardman Animations, having greatly enjoyed Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run. I guffawed at the trailer for The Pirates! Band of Misfits enough times that I ventured out to see a children’s movie on a Sunday afternoon all by my lonesome, then felt super awkward when dads started filing in with their kids. So it’s with some puzzlement that I report that Pirates! has few belly laughs, and perhaps worse, nothing that makes it particularly memorable.
For a film with a runtime of 88 minutes, the first half-hour feels like a laborious set-up for a plot that doesn’t really need to be set up. The Pirate Captain (voiced by Hugh Grant) doesn’t exactly inspire fear on the high seas, manning a crew that’s strictly amateur hour; each one has as descriptive a name as their captain, such as the Pirate with a Scarf (Martin Freeman), the Pirate with Gout (Brendan Gleeson), or my personal favorite, the Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate (Ashley Jensen), a play on that old trope whereby girl pirates disguise themselves as boy pirates. Despite his ineptitude, the Cap’n still has his sights set on winning the Pirate of the Year trophy.
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Posted in Movie Reviews | Tagged aardman, aardman animations, animation, ashley jensen, brendan gleeson, charles darwin, chicken run, david tennant, dreamworks, extras, film, gideon defoe, hugh grant, imelda staunton, jeff newitt, martin freeman, monty python, movies, peter lord, pixar, queen victoria, ricky gervais, the office, the pirates band of misfits, the pirates in an adventure with scientists, wallace & gromit | Leave a Comment »
April 28, 2012 by Arlo J. Wiley
Gobbledygeek episode 94, “Snow White Seeking a Friend in the Lawless Moonrise Kingdom,” is available for listening or download right here.
Bust out your surfboards and bikinis, boys and girls! Hollywood’s gearing up for its summer movie season, so Paul and AJ discuss the 10 movies they’re most looking forward to, four mutual picks and three solo choices apiece. We cover everything from superhero fare like The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises to quirky independents like Moonrise Kingdom and Safety Not Guaranteed. Plus, AJ talks about seeing Casablanca on the big screen, Paul heaps praise on the comics Saga and Prophet, and a retraction is issued in regards to Girls.
Next: So, hey, The Avengers? Yeah, we’re gonna talk about that.
(Show notes for “Snow White Seeking a Friend in the Lawless Moonrise Kingdom.”)
Posted in Shameless Self-Promotion | Tagged casablanca, comics, film, girls, gobbledygeek, kara hayward, lawless, libsyn, moonrise kingdom, movies, podcast, prophet, safety not guaranteed, saga, seeking a friend for the end of the world, snow white and the huntsman, television, the avengers, the dark knight rises, tv | Leave a Comment »
April 21, 2012 by Arlo J. Wiley
Our commentary track for Iron Man is available for listening or download right here.
Last month, Paul and AJ recorded a commentary track for Jurassic Park. Now, with The Avengers on its way, they decided to blab all over Jon Favreau’s instant classic superhero film Iron Man. Things that occur: Paul and AJ confess relative ignorance of Iron Man’s comic book adventures; AJ professes his desire to marry Pepper Potts; Paul admires Jeff Bridges’ beardliness; and much–too much?–Tony/Rhodey slash is read. Really. That happens. Several times.
Like last time, we give you some time to set up your DVD/Blu-ray, so you can go ahead and start the commentary before you start the movie.
Posted in Shameless Self-Promotion | Tagged audio commentary, commentary track, film, gobbledygeek, iron man, jon favreau, jurassic park, libsyn, movies, podcast, robert downey jr, the avengers | Leave a Comment »
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Arlo J. Wiley
Paul Smith
Listen to Our Commentary Track for ‘Iron Man’
April 21, 2012 by Arlo J. Wiley
Our commentary track for Iron Man is available for listening or download right here.
Last month, Paul and AJ recorded a commentary track for Jurassic Park. Now, with The Avengers on its way, they decided to blab all over Jon Favreau’s instant classic superhero film Iron Man. Things that occur: Paul and AJ confess relative ignorance of Iron Man’s comic book adventures; AJ professes his desire to marry Pepper Potts; Paul admires Jeff Bridges’ beardliness; and much–too much?–Tony/Rhodey slash is read. Really. That happens. Several times.
Like last time, we give you some time to set up your DVD/Blu-ray, so you can go ahead and start the commentary before you start the movie.
Posted in Shameless Self-Promotion | Tagged audio commentary, commentary track, film, gobbledygeek, iron man, jon favreau, jurassic park, libsyn, movies, podcast, robert downey jr, the avengers | Leave a Comment »