mark hamill

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 481 – “Netflix’s The Sandman, Season 1 (feat. Eric Sipple)”

Tom Sturridge in The Sandman (2022), created by Neil Gaiman

Gobbledygeek episode 481, “Netflix’s The Sandman, Season 1,” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

No, this isn’t a dream (or even a nightmare): The Sandman, the iconic Vertigo comic book series created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, and Mike Dringenberg, has finally been adapted for television. Paul, Arlo, and The Deli Counter of Justice co-creator Eric Sipple are all huge fans of the comics, and they use their familiarity with the Dreaming to dive deep into the first season of the Netflix TV show. The gang discusses the show’s mostly spot-on casting, whether it captures Morpheus as well as Roderick Burgess did, how the filmmakers modernize some of the books’ more outdated elements, and so very much more. Plus, a mini-review of Prey, the new Predator film directed by Dan Trachtenberg and starring Amber Midthunder.

NEXT: sing a song of oblivion with Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici’s Oblivion Song on a new Four-Color Flashback.

BREAKDOWN

  • 00:00:32  –  Intro / Guest
  • 00:02:31  –  Prey mini-review
  • 00:26:28  –  The Sandman, Season 1
  • 02:35:00  –  Outro / Next

LINKS

MUSIC

  • “In Sleep” by Lissie, When I’m Alone: The Piano Retrospective (2019)
  • “Cotton Candy Land” by Elvis Presley, It Happened At the World’s Fair (Original Soundtrack) (1963)

GOBBLEDYCARES

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 407 – “Chucky at the Blockbuster Museum”

Gobbledygeek episode 407, “Chucky at the Blockbuster Museum,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

The beauty of Gobbledygeek freestyle episodes is that Paul and Arlo will hop on the microphone and start yammering about something or other, then next thing you know, bam, it’s been a tight 45 on the Child’s Play franchise. Killer doll movies, killer German time travel shows (what up, Dark), killer longings for idealized video stores of yesteryear, killer viruses–this episode’s got it all. It will kill you.

Next: speaking of somebody who got killed, Hamilton: An American Musical comes to Disney+.

THE BREAKDOWN

Total Run Time: 01:49:40

  • 00:00:20  –  Intro
  • 01:45:06  –  Outro / Next

THE MUSIC

  • “Chucky Rap” by Daddyphatsnaps, Chucky Rap (2019)
  • “The Buddi Song” by Mark Hamill & Bear McCreary, Child’s Play (2019)

 

 

 

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Listen to the Gobbledygeek Season 11 Premiere – “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (feat. Eric Sipple)”

Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver in J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.’

Gobbledygeek episode 394, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (feat. Eric Sipple),” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

The geeks speak! Gobbledygeek has been resurrected via cloning or Force magic or some shit, and to kick off season 11, Broken Magic author and The Deli Counter of Justice co-creator Eric Sipple has lightspeed-skipped on over to discuss Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. After adoring The Last Jedi, the gang approached this supposed final film in the Skywalker Saga with heavy amounts of skepticism–well-earned, depending on who you ask. They discuss the mystical, magical malarkey behind Palpatine’s return; how director J.J. Abrams and writer Chris Terrio are uniquely suited to not deliver a satisfying conclusion; the oodles of fan service; what the film’s final scene means for the legacy of Star Wars; and more. Plus, they talk about The Baby Yoda Show AKA The Mandalorian.

Next: it is January 29, 2020. Paul and Arlo are discussing Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen for a Four-Color Flashback. I am tired of this world; these people.

THE BREAKDOWN

Total Run Time: 02:35:50

  • 00:00:00  – Intro
  • 00:02:35  – The Mandalorian
  • 00:28:52  – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
  • 02:31:20  – Outro / Next

THE MUSIC

  • “Fanfare and Prologue” by John Williams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2019)
  • “Finale” by John Williams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2019)

THE LINKS

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 383 – “Salty Spiders”

Gobbledygeek episode 383, “Salty Spiders,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

The Amazon is burning and all anyone cares about is Spider-Man. Yay! Welcome to another exciting episode of Gobbledygeek! After nixing a fash-bashing Geek Challenge because Paul absolutely could not sit through three hours of The Sound of Music, he and Arlo decide to freestyle it and, well, all is not well! The world’s on fire, the government is imploding, and Spider-Man might not get to be an Avenger anymore! As for that last one, the boys have deeply conflicted feelings about their love for the character and the Marvel movies with their disdain for Disney the Evil Empire. Plus, Arlo still won’t watch all the things Paul says he should watch, and Marc Maron chimes in.

Next: for even more lighthearted family fun, the boys have asked their The Deli Counter of Justice co-editor Eric Sipple to join them for a discussion of Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, extremely depressing yet extremely essential, Maus: A Survivor’s Tale.

(Show notes for “Salty Spiders.”)

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Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 327, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Saving What We Love (feat. Eric Sipple)”

Gobbledygeek episode 327, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Saving What We Love (feat. Eric Sipple),” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

This is not going to go the way you think. Indeed, in a rare occurrence, the stars (and their wars) have aligned to allow Paul, Arlo, and their Avatar Returns co-host Eric Sipple to agree that Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi is one of the best blockbusters in years. The gang discusses why that is, including the surprising directions in which writer-director Rian Johnson takes the story, its iconic imagery, another rousing John Williams score, how it strengthens the weaknesses of past Star Wars films, and one hell of a performance from Mark Hamill. And, yes, they tackle the fandom’s baffling response to the film.

Next: Gobbledygeek returns in 2018 with a continuation of Paul and Arlo’s Four-Color Flashback discussion of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s Y: The Last Man. This time, they’ll tackle the penultimate collection, Vol. 9: The Motherland.

(Show notes for “Saving What We Love.”)

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‘Batman: Arkham City’ Review: Who Has the Last Laugh?

When Batman: Arkham Asylum was released in 2009, it was nothing short of a revolution for superhero video games. Before, there had been a handful of great superhero games, but most of them had been arcade side-scrollers or team brawlers (Activision’s first Spider-Man game is a notable exception). Arkham Asylum, however, placed you so fully in Bruce Wayne’s combat boots that it actually felt as if you got to know the hero better just by pushing some buttons and toggling an analog stick. Not only did you battle some of the Dark Knight’s greatest villains, you also sneaked around in the shadows, stealthily taking out bad guys before they even noticed you were upon them. The mix of fighting-and-hiding was extremely addictive and felt like the reinvention of an entire genre.

At the time, it would have been ridiculous to look at Arkham Asylum and go, “Great game, but look at all that untapped potential!” After having played Arkham City, though, it’s a reasonable reaction. Almost everything that was great about the first game has been refined, perfected, and expanded to create the most immersive superhero game yet released. The most obvious example is the fact that you can actually explore the vastness of Arkham City itself. One of the joys of the original was exploring the asylum grounds, but now that a portion of Gotham has been cordoned off as one big looney bin, you can glide past skyscrapers and swing from building to building. Whenever you get frustrated with a side mission or tire of beating down thugs, you can revel in the simple pleasure of zipping around the city, an exhilarating experience in and of itself.

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