December 29, 2022 by arlowiley

Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 490 – “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”

*Pinocchio* fan poster by Aleks Phoenix (IG: aleks_phoenix)

Gobbledygeek episode 490, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

Is that a tree branch on your face, or are you just lying to me? An extra-long Gobbledygeek season finale takes root with a discussion of Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson’s new stop-motion adaptation of Pinocchio. Paul and Arlo discuss the numerous ways del Toro has made Carlo Collodi’s immortal tale his own, chiefly by making it a study of mortality–oh, and fascism too. The boys rave about Ewan McGregor’s take on the Cricket, the awe-inspiring puppetry and animation on display, and Arlo’s pot-addled epiphany. Plus, tributes to Angelo Badalamenti and Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, as well as a look at the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailer.

NEXT: happy holidays, y’all. We’ll be back in 2023.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:45 – Intro
00:17:18 – Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
02:10:16 – Our brief, incomplete list of Best of 2022
02:33:17 – Outro / Next

MUSIC

“Twin Peaks Theme” by Angelo Badalamenti, Soundtrack from Twin Peaks (1990)
“Big Baby Il Duce March” by Gregory Mann, Pinocchio (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film) (2022)

GOBBLEDYCARES

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Abortion Funds in Every State: https://bit.ly/AbortionFundsTwitter
Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org
Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/
- US (877) 565-8860
- Canada (877) 330-6366
National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org
Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/
Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

March 2, 2019 by arlowiley

Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 366 – “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (feat. Eric Sipple)”

Still from ‘How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,’ featuring Toothless and Hiccup (Jay Baruchel). Directed by Dean DeBlois.

Gobbledygeek episode 366, “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (feat. Eric Sipple),” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

Paul and Arlo return to the land of Berk one last time for a discussion of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Joining them is their fellow dragon rider (and The Deli Counter of Justice co-editor) Eric Sipple. The gang discusses their journey through the years with Hiccup and Toothless, whether or not the supporting cast weighs the series down, writer-director Dean DeBlois’ original intentions for the villain, and their differing interpretations of the conclusion.

Next: enter the void.

(Show notes for “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.”)

November 11, 2017 by Arlo J. Wiley

Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 324, “Thor: Ragnarok – Friends from Work”

Gobbledygeek episode 324, “Thor: Ragnarok – Friends from Work,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

For a return to our regularly scheduled pop culture chatter, Paul and Arlo ride their hammers to the faraway world of Asgard, which is in a spot of trouble. Avenger and heir to the throne Thor Odinson must defend his people from the villainous Hela; along the way, he gets imprisoned by an eccentric weirdo named the Grandmaster and is forced to do battle with the Hulk, his infamous “friend from work.” The boys discuss why Thor: Ragnarok is among the very best the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to offer, what perspective New Zealander Taika Waititi brings to the franchise, what the film says about immigrants (besides cueing up the perfect Robert Plant wail), and if we’ll ever see Bruce Banner again. Plus, they discuss the pop culture they enjoyed during the show’s hiatus.

Next: in two weeks’ time, Paul and Arlo pick up their Four-Color Flashback exploration of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s Y: The Last Man with Vol. 8: Kimono Dragons.

(Show notes for “Friends from Work.”)

June 18, 2014 by Arlo J. Wiley

Listen to Episode 187, “How to Train Your Paul 2 (feat. Eric Sipple)”

Gobbledygeek episode 187, “How to Train Your Paul 2 (feat. Eric Sipple),” is available for listening or download right here, and on iTunes here.

Welcome back to the land of Berk, where the dragons soar, the adults have Scottish accents, and the kids have grown up. Frenemy Eric Sipple joins Paul and AJ to discuss How to Train Your Dragon 2, which–spoiler alert–they all agree is a fine film indeed. Among the points of discussion are the more mature tone, the stunning animation (with an assist from the great Roger Deakins), and Cate Blanchett’s role as Valka, Hiccup’s mother. In a strong year for sequels, this is one of the strongest, and we’re here to tell you why. Plus, in other dragon-related news, the gang dissects the Game of Thrones season finale.

Next: getting back on our track with our monthly Four-Color Flashback series discussing Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. Greg Sahadachny of The Debatable Podcast joins us for an analysis of Vol. III – Dream Country.

(Show notes for “How to Train Your Paul 2.”)

January 10, 2014 by Arlo J. Wiley

Paul & AJ’s Top 10 Films of 2013

Let the top 10-a-palooza commence! Over the next couple weeks, Paul and I will be looking back at our favorite things of 2013. First up, films; next week, TV series; and finally, comics. As always, these lists are imperfect and incomplete, reflecting only on what we’ve seen and love at the moment. Or as Paul writes:

I intentionally refer to the films on this list as favorites, not best. I rank films based on how much I enjoyed them, for whatever ephemeral or esoteric reasons unique to me, not on some system of objective filmmaking truths. These are the ten films I liked the most. YMMV.

Regarding omissions, neither of us have been able to see Inside Llewyn Davis, which makes me want to die, but oh well. I also haven’t seen The Great Beauty, Cutie and the Boxer, or The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, among others. Meanwhile, Paul hasn’t gotten around to Her, The Act of Killing, Stories We Tell, Short Term 12, or Blue Jasmine, to name a few.

Here we go!

– AJ

PAUL: 10. WARM BODIES (dir. Jonathan Levine)

The zombie genre is by this point a bloated undead thing feasting on its own rotting flesh. But director Jonathan Levine (50/50) makes this adaptation of Isaac Marion’s novel fresh, fun, and full of life. Yes it’s a (very) thinly veiled Romeo and Juliet pastiche, but the two leads, neo-nerdhunk Nicholas Hoult and Australian beauty Teresa Palmer, are both engaging and committed. Hoult in particular gets praise for being monstrous and vulnerable, and for selling the cheesy-but-hilarious voiceover with nothing more than his eyes. Also, Rob Corddry as a zombie lamenting, “Bitches, man,” is the best comedic line delivery of the year.

AJ: 10. GIMME THE LOOT (dir. Adam Leon)

You walk out of Gimme the Loot immediately wanting to know what first-time writer-director Adam Leon is going to do next. His voice is sharp and fresh, chronicling a day in the life of two teenaged petty criminals in a way that feels authentic but never gritty. His Bronx streets are unvarnished, rife with economic and class divisions, but there’s so much damn heart. Newcomers Tashiana Washington and Ty Hickson give performances devoid of pomp or flash; they simply find the souls of these two aimless kids. They’re one of the most affecting screen duos in recent memory, in one of the biggest surprises of the year.

Continue reading →

April 10, 2011 by Paul Smith

Once Upon a Time: ‘Hanna’ Is a Bloody Fable

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess. Her mother the queen had been killed by an evil witch, and she and her father the king had been banished to a faraway land of ice and snow. Here the princess learned to be strong, to survive the wild, to hunt and to hide. And she learned to fight. And when she was ready she returned to the land of her birth to face the evil witch and avenge her mother’s murder. And the princess lived happily ever after.

Or something like that.