ready player one

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Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 338, “Ready Player One: Break a Few Easter Eggs”

Gobbledygeek episode 338, “Ready Player One: Break a Few Easter Eggs,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

Nostalgia, some say, means pain from an old wound. This week, Paul is nursing pain from a fresh wound: his immense disappointment at the way Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One has turned out. Spielberg’s big-screen reworking of the tale of a young boy immersed in a virtual reality game called the OASIS, using pop culture as currency to find freedom, is loud and overwhelming. For someone like Paul, that doesn’t sit well; Arlo, on the other hand, finds himself in the unusual position of defending one of these big dumb movies. The boys discuss crucial changes the film makes that change the story’s intention; whether or not Spielberg’s CG rendering of the OASIS is impressive; the ethical and metatextual implications of certain scenes; and why the book is unfairly derided. Plus, Arlo continues his journey through Disney animation.

Next: it’s that time again. Wesley “Wezzo” Mead stops by to once again discuss Chris Carter’s seminal sci-fi series The X-Files. This time, the gang will discuss season 8, the last pre-revival season to feature David Duchovny as a (semi-)regular.

(Show notes for “Break a Few Easter Eggs.”)

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Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 320, “Dunkirk: Beach Battle Bingo”

Gobbledygeek episode 320, “Dunkirk: Beach Battle Bingo,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

Sun, spray, bullets, and blood: Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk recounts the worst beach trip in history, as 400,000 Allied troops were trapped by the Nazis in Dunkirk, France. The word Paul and Arlo keep coming back to as a descriptor is “relentless.” 107 minutes of third-act intensity, Dunkirk may be the purest expression of Nolan’s watchmaker-precise skill. The boys discuss the film’s three interweaving time strands, the lack of overt character development (except for that moment), Hans Zimmer’s ticking time bomb of a score, and why the movie never names or shows its Nazi enemies. Plus, Arlo is convinced the rest of the world is experiencing a mass delusion regarding Arrested Development season 4; and the boys take a look at the SDCC trailers for Ready Player One, Justice League, Thor: Ragnarok, Stranger Things, and The Defenders.

Next: it’s another Four-Color Flashback, as Ensley F. Guffey, co-author of Wanna Cook? The Complete Unauthorized Guide to Breaking Bad, joins Paul and Arlo to discuss Y: The Last Man – Vol. 7: Paper Dolls.

(Show notes for “Dunkirk: Beach Battle Bingo.”)

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‘Ready Player One’ Author Ernie Cline Invites You to Try and Win a DeLorean

When Paul and I talked to mega-geek Ernie Cline, author of the New York Times bestseller Ready Player One, last month, he mentioned that he was planning something special to commemorate the book’s paperback release. Specifically, he said that he was going to kick off a contest similar to the one late game designer James Halliday devises in the novel. Well, guess what? The paperback is out as of today, June 5, and the contest has begun!

Watch “Ernie’s Invitation” below:

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Listen to Episode 96, “Talking Turkey: Ernest Cline”

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.”)

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Listen to Episode 95, “Assemble”

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.”)

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Gobbledygeek Gift Guide 2011

On the new episode of Gobbledygeek, Paul and AJ told you about all the things you should buy this Christmas season, and now here’s a comprehensive guide! (Including a few items that weren’t even mentioned on the show.)

Note: Most links and prices are from Amazon.

BOOKS/COMICS

READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline
$14.33

Hands down one of the best science fiction books I’ve read in recent memory. It’s like my admittedly overdeveloped nostalgia gland were milked and distilled onto the page. This book is my geeky, pop-culture DNA printed in ink. ~ Paul

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Listen to Episode 69, “Nerdgasm”

Gobbledygeek episode 69, “Nerdgasm,” is available for listening or download right here.

This week, Paul and AJ discuss Ernest Cline’s new book Ready Player One, which may as well be the geek manifesto of 2011. Dystopian future, an evil corporation, an immersive virtual world, 80’s pop culture references out the wazoo…yeah, it pretty much covers all the bases. AJ also offers his opinion of Drive to counter Paul’s, and reviews the indie film Terri. Plus Formspring questions!

Next: we begin our month-long horror-palooza with a discussion of The Evil Dead.

(Show notes for “Nerdgasm.”)