Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Anna Zifcak, and Jen Janet

The Geek Generation – #141 – Annamantium

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Creative Listening Contest
• Geek Outs:
  • Xbox connected to YouTube
  • Fourth of July
  • Comedy Central Radio
  • The Heat
  • Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
  • Classic Doctor Who
  • Standing desk
  • Rob on Geektime
  • Leisure Suit Larry Reloaded
  • The LEGO Movie
  • Instagram video
  • Scribblenauts Remix
• Freak Outs:
  • Broken AC
  • Overheating electronics
  • Everyone’s seen This Is The End
  • Internet infiltration
  • Cracked rib
  • No Star Trek: TNG season 4 cinematic event
  • Kidney stone issues
• News/discussion:
  • Marvel Studios sets two mystery films for 2016 and 2017
  • Robert Downey Jr. set to return for The Avengers 2 & 3
  • Sony Pictures plans Captain Planet movie
  • Release dates set for The Amazing Spider-Man 3 & 4
  • Mary Jane role pushed to third Amazing Spider-Man film
  • William Fichtner confirms he will play the Shredder in Ninja Turtles
  • Ryan Reynolds drops out of Highlander reboot
  • The Muppets… Again now titled Muppets Most Wanted
  • Dumb and Dumber To is happening
  • Sin City: A Dame to Kill For pushed back to 2014
  • Injustice: Gods Among Us adds General Zod
  • Locke & Key is coming to the big screen
  • State of Decay sequel currently in limbo

Additional links:

• Kristen Bell’s sloth meltdown on Ellen
• Captain Planet fan-made trailer

Producers allowed Patton to ramble about any subject he wanted, and what results is a proposed plot for Star Wars: Episode VII involving tie-ins with The Avengers, greek mythology, and the X-Men. Even more impressive is that this was all accomplished in one continuous, 100% improvised take. It’s SO entertaining that we’ll forgive Oswalt’s incorrect naming of the X-Men’s Blackbird jet.

#10 – Butter – A very star-studded cast for a more independent-feeling movie, I’m surprised Butter didn’t receive more attention, either critically or by the movie-going public. A quirky, absurd, and incredibly entertaining comedy well worth checking out.

#9 – Wreck-It Ralph – I’m still impressed by the amount of licensed characters that were secured for this movie, but also wish more had been done with them. Even so, Wreck-It Ralph was another in a line of wonderful computer animated movies that appeals to all ages, gamer or not.

#8 – The Perks of Being a Wallflower – I’m not much of a book reader, but from what I’ve been told, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the best book-to-film translations out there. Even if you haven’t read the book, this coming of age tale is sure to captivate you, with excellent performances from Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller. By the end, you’ll have a new appreciation for your existence and a recharged motivation to live your life to the fullest.

#7 – Looper – A fantastically original sci-fi movie with a premise too intriguing to pass up, Looper puts a mafia hitman with a time traveling twist in the position of having to kill his future self. What plays out is anything but expected, leaving you torn with the decision of who to root for. Whichever way you end up leaning, you’ll be glad you went for the ride.

#6 – Ted – Seth McFarlane’s first foray into a live-action motion picture, Ted successfully translated McFarlane’s unique brand of humor to the big screen while still feeling different from any of his other projects. If you’re not laughing at this one, you might be dead inside.

#5 – Chronicle – Not at all a typical superhero movie, Chronicle brought an original take to the genre with its found footage approach. While that style of movie can feel disjointed and nauseating, Chronicle managed to piece together all of its elements in a wonderfully crafted tale. I have no doubt that screenwriter Max Landis will be the next big thing in Hollywood.

#4 – The Dark Knight Rises – Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Batman, so those same people may wonder why The Dark Knight Rises isn’t higher on this list. While still a great movie, it also contains some major character flaws that don’t go in line with Batman or the two prior movies. The film’s epic, disaster movie setting also felt a bit too grandiose for the Caped Crusader and left me wanting more of the Batman I’d seen back in Batman Begins. Even with those complaints, it’s hard not to love a good Batman movie.

#3 – Silver Linings Playbook – A complete surprise this year, I went into Silver Linings Playbook with no expectations either way, and came out loving everything about it. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are fantastic here, providing the backbone for an exceptionally crafted film from start to finish.

#2 – Skyfall – James Bond came back in a big way, recovering from the stumble that was Quantum of Solace. Skyfall is not only one the best movies of the year, it’s also easily one of the top Bond movies of all time. Setting a definitive tone for the direction of the franchise, Skyfall will satisfy both Bond and action fans alike.

#1 – The Avengers – The Avengers is every comic fan’s dream come true. In past movies leading up to this, Marvel has brought to life many of its iconic heroes on the big screen, but never in our wildest dreams could we have imagined that a superhero ensemble of this scope would be executed as well as The Avengers. It’s packed with action, humor, and delivers the epic battles and scenes that until this point only existed on the pages of comic books or in cartoon animation.

Honorable mentions that I would still recommend:

• Safe House
• The Vow
• The Lorax
• American Reunion
• Men in Black 3
• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
• Brave
• Premium Rush
• Dredd

Better Than Expected:

• Les Miserables
• Wanderlust
• Hit and Run
• Pitch Perfect

Huge Let-downs:

• The Hunger Games
• The Amazing Spider-Man
• Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
• Total Recall

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Anna Zifcak

The Geek Generation – #116 – Top 10 Movies of 2012

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Top 5 downloaded episodes:
  • #068 – Chris Gore
  • #080 – The Geek Knight
  • #088 – E3 2012 with Ali Baker
  • #083 – The Avengers
  • #070 – 2011 Geeky Awards
• Best of 2012 TV:
  • Dexter
  • Alphas
  • Young Justice
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • Awake
  • Doctor Who
  • Franklin & Bash
  • Fringe
  • Terra Nova
  • Nikita
  • The Walking Dead
• Best of 2012 Video Games:
  • Assassin’s Creed 3
  • LEGO Batman 2
  • The Binding of Isaac
  • still haven’t played Fallout: New Vegas
  • Halo: Reach
  • Halo 4
  • The Walking Dead game
  • LEGO Harry Potter
• Top 10 Movies of 2012

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan, Boyd, Scott, “Sir” Todd Tieuli

The Geek Generation – #100 – Reunion

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Geek Outs:
  • WWE Night of Champions
  • Everyone Loves Raymond
  • Fall gaming season
  • Joker’s story arc in Batman
  • Lincoln
  • Old movies returning to theaters
  • The Avengers
  • Doctor Who
• Musical Video Game Medley
• Freak Outs:
  • Can’t watch The Walking Dead
  • Marvel NOW!
  • Sideshow Collectibles
  • Inappropriate moshing
  • Smallville
  • Lack of DVD extras
  • Newbury Comics
  • Grocery store parking lots
• Looking back at 100 episodes

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan

The Geek Generation – #099 – Epic Shart Time

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Geek Outs:
  • Limitless
  • S.H.I.E.L.D. series coming to ABC
  • One year of the New 52
  • Marvel NOW!
  • Epic Meal Time game
  • Rob mentioned on The Indoor Kids
  • Franklin & Bash – Season 2
  • Dexter – Season 7 trailer
  • Instacube
  • Cards Against Humanity
  • Jersey Shore finally canceled
• Freak Outs:
  • Overwhelmed by technology
  • 1967 Spider-Man cartoon
  • The Avengers back in theaters already
  • Lady problems
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
  • Fringe: The Complete Fourth Season
  • Person of Interest: Season One
  • Safe
  • The Office: Season Eight
  • Snow White and the Huntsman
  • The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fifth Season
  • Killer Klowns from Outer Space
  • Dragon Ball Z Kai: Season 3
  • The Tim Burton Collection
  • Tekken Tag Tournament 2
  • NHL 13
• Listener Mailbag

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Bryan

The Geek Generation – #090 – Block Heroes

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Ted review
• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter review
• Geek Photo Week announcement
• Geek Outs:
  • LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
  • Motion City Soundtrack
  • Fatman on Batman
  • Fringe
• Freak Outs:
  • Magic Mike’s financial success
  • ThunderCats headed toward cancellation
  • Twitter network digest emails
  • Unemployed again
• Obscure Movie Reviews with SuperFan Chris Tong
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• Listener Mailbag
• News/discussion:
  • Rob needs a stage name
  • The Avengers has passed $600 million domestically
  • Olivia Munn’s boobs are “Magic”
  • Will Marvel announce Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther?
  • Batman and Nightwing arrive in Smallville
  • Edgar Wright has shot Ant-Man test reel
  • Hugh Laurie to play the RoboCop villain
  • Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope to get exclusive “action” figures
  • Tekken Tag Tournament 2 receiving Snoop Dogg stage
  • Alex Kurtzman talks Van Helsing reboot
  • Michael Bay’s Ninja Turtles reboot delayed
  • Powers is still happening on FX
  • Stan Lee rants about being in The Amazing Spider-Man game
  • ET: The Extra-Terrestrial comes to Blu-ray this October
  • Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures hits Blu-ray September 18

[see full size image]

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Bryan

The Geek Generation – #087 – DC Scramble

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Prometheus quick review
• Snow White and the Huntsman quick review
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• Geek Outs:
  • SDCC 2012 Hasbro exclusives
  • CW’s Arrow extended preview
  • Wreck-It Ralph teaser trailer
  • Stamina 55-1610 InMotion E1000 Elliptical Trainer
  • Limbo
  • Humble Indie Bundle V
  • Franklin & Bash
• Freak Outs:
  • Kim Kardashian’s twitter
• Obscure Movie Reviews with SuperFan Chris Tong
• News/discussion:
  • Ultimate Spider-Man
  • The Avengers passes The Dark Knight domestically
  • Clark Gregg on his future in the Marvel Universe
  • Kevin Pereira leaves AOTS / Adam Sessler leaves G4
  • Warner Bros. pushing Justice League movie forward
  • Writer hired for Wonder Woman movie
  • Other DC Comics movies in the works at Warner Bros.
  • Alan Scott will be gay in The New 52
  • Simon Pegg says Khan is not the Star Trek 2 villain
  • Venom movie may tie into The Amazing Spider-Man universe
  • The Dark Knight Marathon is coming to AMC theaters
  • WB wanted The Riddler as The Dark Knight Rises villain
  • Damon Lindelof heads to World War Z
  • Teen Titans returning to Cartoon Network with new series
  • Gary Oldman and Samuel L. Jackson join the RoboCop reboot
  • The Russo Brothers to direct Captain America sequel
  • Transformers 4 will be Michael Bay’s last
  • Starz announces final season of Spartacus
  • Release date set for X-Men: First Class sequel
  • Release date set for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
  • G.I. Joe re-shooting due to poor feedback

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan

The Geek Generation – #086 – America’s Not Awake

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Awake finale discussion
• Geek Outs:
  • The Avengers box office success
  • SmartSync app
  • Rob on Nerdist News site
  • Howard Stern on America’s Got Talent
  • LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
  • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD music
  • Mountain Dew Dark Berry
• Freak Outs:
  • Dan Harmon replaced as Community showrunner
  • Rob slacking on congrats
  • iPhone freezing
  • Overabundance of movie “clips”
  • Dubstep on every trailer for everything
  • Superman vs. The Elite
• Listener Mailbag
• News/discussion:
  • Capcom is re-evaluating on-disc DLC
  • Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector’s Set revealed
  • The trailer for CW’s Arrow
  • Batman: The Dark Knight Returns voice cast announced
  • Mark Hamill comes out of Joker retirement
  • Highlander reboot may have found a lead
  • Blade Runner sequel update
  • Two Steve Jobs biopics in the works
  • Director Matthew Vaughn is definitely back for X-Men: First Class sequel
  • Release date set for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
  • Bond 50 Blu-ray set will arrive September 25
  • Dead or Alive 5 will feature costume-specific breast physics
  • Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse coming to consoles this fall

Additional links:

• ECCC 2012 – World’s best voice actors reenact Star Wars

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan

The Geek Generation – #085 – Summer Movie Preview 2012

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• News/discussion:
  • The Avengers box office run continues
  • Men in Black 3 Blu-ray/DVD available for pre-order before movie release
  • Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci to work on The Amazing Spider-Man sequel screenplay
• Summer Movie Preview 2012

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan

The Geek Generation – #083 – The Avengers

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• The Spoiler Room: The Avengers
  • What worked?
  • What didn’t work?
• Listener Mailbag: The Avengers Edition
• News/discussion: The Avengers Edition
  • Box office success
  • Mark Ruffalo signed a 6-picture deal with Marvel
  • Joss Whedon says there will be at least 30 minutes of deleted scenes on the DVD/Blu-ray
  • A sequel to The Avengers will happen

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Anna Zifcak

The Geek Generation – #081 – Bum Haven

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Comic films vs. Literary adaptations vs. Source material
• Mike’s last wrestling weekend
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• Geek Outs:
  • Smokey Bones’ Apple Pie milkshake
  • Doctor Who
  • Stamina InMotion E1000 Elliptical Trainer
  • Firefly
  • The Avengers
  • Jim Gaffigan: Mr. Universe
  • Our Lady Peace – Curve
  • Eve 6 – Speak in Code
• Obscure Movie Reviews with SuperFan Chris Tong
• Anna’s Vegas Adventure
• Freak Outs:
  • Mike’s unwelcome guest
  • Texting back
  • Fantastic Four
  • Anna’s family issues
  • Ultimate Spider-Man
  • Beware the Batman
  • Hair loss

Which one of The Avengers’ abilities/weapons would you want and what would you do with them?

The contest closes on Thursday, May 3 at midnight (when The Avengers opens in theaters). We’ll then select one winner from the list of comments to receive a Thor DVD along with a few other goodies I’ll throw in there.

– Make sure to use a valid e-mail when commenting or I won’t be able to contact you for an address to ship to.
– You must live in the continental United States to win. I don’t have the cash to ship internationally, sorry.
– Contest ends on May 3rd @ 11:59 PM EST

This is what you get when hypocritical people provide an egregious lack of support for literature just because they happen to have pictures as opposed to “just” print.  So read and watch the masses… turn to ashes…

The earliest written stories were in the form of pictures, on cave walls, and discovered in Lascaux, France. They are a reminder that our forebears did not always have a written language, but compelled their people to learn through the artistry and craft of pictures. It’s an important reminder, or, at least should be, of where we came from as people, and as learners. Not everything has been as elegant as written language, as spoken word…

With that being said, I was recently at the movies. It doesn’t matter which movie, but let’s just say it was a movie that was based on a current “hot” piece of literature. Sometimes, you hear some funny things before movies begin. Like, “I felt the caulk and it was still wet under the pipe, and the end of it was dripping.” I was amused at hearing this, trying to determine whether or not the person saying it had a plumbing issue or an issue of a more personal nature, but that’s beside the point. Other times, you hear some things that make you think. In this case, they made me wroth with fury. I overheard other movie patrons casually talking about reading books that have become successful film franchises: the Harry Potter novels, the trash Twilight series, and the newest, The Hunger Games. Other people began talking, and joining in on the conversation…

Well, suffice to say I have NEVER ONCE heard anyone in a cinema discuss or say, “Hey, have you read the latest issue of Dan Slott’s The Amazing Spider-Man? Are you ready for THAT movie?” or, “Hey, Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley just finished up the first issue of Avengers Assemble. Have you checked it out in preparation for the movie that’s coming out this summer?” It just goes to show that, once again, the mentality of the average individual is that comic books are for children and yet they have no problem putting hypocrisy into practice and going to see the film when it comes out, giving NO SUPPORT to the source material.

Now, let’s take the “big three,” none of which I am a fan of. I am sure everyone read or supported the Harry Potter books when they came out, and rushed out in droves to go see the films. The Twilight masses flock to the bookstores and read that trash, then empty their movie dollar into the cinema when the newest film comes around. Now, The Hunger Games, where every pre-teen adolescent is supporting the source material and running out to give it a 155 million dollar box office killing on opening weekend, making it more successful than Twilight. So, I ask you, why do people not run out to support the comic source materials when the big comic book movies come out, or at least read or purchase comics on a regular basis? Is it the price of a hardcover or trade paperback? Is it the $3.99 price tag for a single book, and the fact that there are too many books on the shelves? It’s really hard to compartmentalize the problem… or it could just be general laziness on behalf of the public who is not part of the one percent or reads quite a bit regularly. I feel that the general public too easily dismisses comics as having no redeeming social or intellectual value, just like video games. Mark my words, shit like Twilight has no redeeming social or intellectual value. I bet a kid would get more out of reading V for Vendetta than they would out of Breaking Dawn.

So once again, I get back to the point where I began: Our ancestors began telling stories on cave walls with picture because they did not have the luxury of evolution that afforded them an opportunity to communicate with a written language. Now it is almost as if the roles are reversed: the masses flock to mass market paperbacks that are turned into highly successful film franchises marketed to teenagers, and any piece of literature with “pictures” in it is deemed worthless unless you are in, as I said, the one percent who understands the value of what is being printed on paper. The advent of Kindles and iPads have only made the problem worse, as the material of novels now proliferates more and more in the digital space and format. Comic movies DO NOT HAVE the source material discussed as much as the aforementioned three “successful” franchises, and this disgusts me.

My challenge this time around: When the summer of 2012 hits, and you see The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man, and The Dark Knight Rises, at least put down the trashy Scholastic literature for a minute and pick up a single comic or single trade each of these movies used as source material. Try to remember that our ancestors used pictures to tell stories, and picture/comic books are not just for children. To quote WWE wrestler CM Punk and what he said recently: “I feel sorry for people who want to make fun of me for reading comic books because they’re the ones missing out. They don’t get to experience these awesome stories and characters that I’ve been reading about, and I’ve just been a fan of them for my entire life.” Just give the source material a chance. You won’t be disappointed, and you won’t be a child. I can assure you wholeheartedly.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan

The Geek Generation – #079 – Axxess

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Wrestlemania 28 and Axxess discussion
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• Obscure Movie Reviews with SuperFan Chris Tong
• Geek Outs:
  • Brock Lesnar
  • The Avengers
  • Amazon Instant Video on PS3
  • Donation
  • Awake
  • Pebble: E-Paper watch
• Freak Outs:
  • Volpe’s done wrestling
  • Old people
  • The Three Stooges movie
  • Facebook timeline
  • Beauty & The Geek UK
  • The Hunger Games
  • PAX East
• News/discussion:
  • Capcom and Cliff Bleszinski defend On-disc DLC
  • Chevy Chase rips Community

Additional Twitter links:

• Kumail Nanjiani: @kumailn @IndoorKids
• Alexis Knapp: @AlexisKnapp
• Ali Cobrin: @AliCobrin
• Mike Volpe’s new Twitter account: @sbv_supps

Nick Fury and the film’s cast and crew explain why Earth’s Mightiest Heroes must assemble in Marvel’s The Avengers.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan

The Geek Generation – #077 – B-Ry the Vampire Slayer

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• News/discussion:
  • Avengers Alliance Facebook game
  • Teenage Alien Ninja Turtles?!
  • Avengers Cologne
• Listener Mailbag
  • Prometheus
  • Things we’ve been putting off watching
• Co-host Spotlight: Bryan Lipsitz
• Game: Characterize
• The Spoiler Room: The Walking Dead Season 2 finale

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan

The Geek Generation – #074 – The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Geek Outs:
  • Bryan’s going to Wrestlemania
  • The Avengers trailer
  • PodCRASH with That Chris Gore
  • Heavy Rain
  • Google hotlinking smackdown
  • Beauty & The Geek Australia
  • Justice League: Doom
• Freak Outs:
  • Cable costs
  • Listener feedback
  • Ultraviolet Digital Copy
• Listener Mailbag
• Interview: Batman costumer Bob Kieffer

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Mike Volpe, Bryan

The Geek Generation – #073 – March 5, 2012 News

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• News:
  • New trailer for The Avengers set iTunes record
  • First Assassin’s Creed 3 images are revolutionary
  • Doctor Who to square off with Sherlock Holmes?
  • Borderlands 2 – release date and pre-order details
  • Complete Indiana Jones Blu-ray Collection coming Fall 2012
  • Dan Aykroyd says Bill Murray won’t do Ghostbusters 3
  • Skyfall will be the first Bond movie in IMAX
  • Brian Taylor tapped for Twisted Metal movie
  • The Muppets movie sequel moving forward
  • Schwarzenegger and Stallone to costar in The Tomb
  • Peter Craig to write Top Gun sequel
  • Vacation sequel lands a directing pair
  • Community returns to NBC on March 15
  • Gael Garcia Bernal will be Zorro Reborn
  • Namco Bandai will co-publish Star Trek co-op game
  • Stan Lee will be playable in The Amazing Spider-Man game
  • 21 Jump Street sequel greenlit
  • Street Fighter X Tekken reveals final four combatants
  • Street Fighter X Tekken will eventually get Vita’s additional characters
  • Another ‘I Am Legend’ movie in the works

Written and directed by Joss Whedon, the May 4 release stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson.

Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel’s The Avengers is the superhero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Anna Zifcak, G1

The Geek Generation – #067 – January 30, 2012 News

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• News:
  • DC Entertainment reveals new logo
  • Resident Evil 6 announced
  • DC announces ‘We Can Be Heroes’ to fight hunger
  • The Expendables 2 will be rated PG-13
  • Kevin Feige addresses the villains of The Avengers
  • Season 3 of The Walking Dead gets 16 episode order
  • Lily Collins drops out of Evil Dead
  • Green Arrow pilot gets the green light; first details emerge
  • Netflix abandons plans to offer video games
  • The Crow reboot resurfaces with a new writer and director
  • Beavis and Butt-head in real life
  • Street Fighter X Tekken won’t have Xbox exclusive fighters
  • Street Fighter X Tekken gets PS exclusives Mega Man and Pac-Man
  • Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition announced
  • No more Resistance from Insomniac
  • Doctor Strange movie script is complete
  • Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock reveals the game’s monsters
  • The Muppets take LittleBigPlanet 2
  • DC Comics cancels 6 titles and launches 6 new titles

“Who said they were aliens?” he teases.

“Beings from the Nine Realms, then?” ventures Empire.

“Closer…It’s not Skrulls, I’ve been clear about that. Beyond that, we want to hide it. The identity of the alien race is not impactful. It exists in the comic books, but we’re not setting up the Kree-Skrull war or anything like that.”

He also addressed the rumor that Red Skull would be making an appearance:

“Was Skull vaporized at the end of the movie, or thrust into another realm?” asks Feige. “That remains to be seen. It would be fun to see Skull in the future, but he’s not in this one.”

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan Lipsitz

The Geek Generation – #067 – January 16, 2012 News

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• Listener Mailbag
• News:
  • Bond 50 Blu-ray set announced
  • LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes announced
  • Ultimate Spider-Man to debut April 1st on Disney XD; launches Marvel Universe block
  • DC’s ‘New 52? hooded lady is named Pandora
  • Lily Collins will be the ‘female Ash’ in Evil Dead remake
  • The Avengers takes place mostly from Captain America’s perspective
  • Green Arrow series planned for The CW
  • Clarke and Cumberbatch join Star Trek sequel
  • Marvel: Avengers Alliance coming to Facebook
  • Burton and Downey Jr. in talks for live-action Pinocchio
  • Johns and Frank on Batman: Earth One
  • Horrible Bosses sequel in the works
  • World War Z being planned as a trilogy
  • Reserve police officer to direct Police Academy remake
  • Erica Durance dons Palicki’s Wonder Woman costume
  • Punk’d returns to MTV with rotating celebrity hosts

“I set out with a very simple problem: There is no reason for these people to be in the same movie. So that’s what my movie has to be about,” Whedon said. “So much of [The Avengers] story takes place from Steve Rogers’ perspective, since he’s the guy who just woke up and sees this weird-ass world. Everyone else has been living in it. He’s the guy that feels that sense of loss.”

“[The Avengers] is very much about people who are alone – because I’m writing it,” he joked, adding, “[Captain America] is kind of the ultimate loner in that way. There is an anachronism to him, and Chris and I have always tried to make it, without making it goofy or too obvious, always tried to make him that same grounded ’40s Steve Rogers he was in the other movie.”

The Avengers is set to hit theaters on May 4, 2012.

Called Marvel Universe, the block will also include new short-form animated series, live-action interstitials and the return of The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America will be among the characters featured.

“Iconic Marvel heroes and villains and stories with core values of accomplishment, discovery and growth make Marvel Universe a perfect complement to Disney XD and a destination for parents and kids to experience together,” said Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer of Disney Channels Worldwide.

Announced in April 2010, Ultimate Spider-Man is inspired by the acclaimed Marvel comic by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley, and boasts a creative team that includes Joe Quesada, Paul Dini, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, Steven T. Seagle and Bendis himself.

The voice cast includes Drake Bell (Drake & Josh) as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Chi McBride (Boston Public, Pushing Daisies) as Nick Fury, JK Simmons (Spider-Man) as J. Jonah Jameson, Stan Lee as Stan the Janitor, Clark Gregg (Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers) as Agent Coulson and Steven Weber (Wings) as Norman Osborn.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Bryan Lipsitz, Mike Boyd

The Geek Generation – #065 – January 2, 2012 News

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • Send it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration on Twitter OR call 508-316-9787
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• News:
  • Howard Stern is the newest judge on America’s Got Talent
  • Daniel Craig could become the longest reigning Bond
  • Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor to direct Thor 2
  • South Park: The Game’s mystery class is the ‘Jew’
  • Avengers movie will be released in 2D and 3D versions
  • Brian Michael Bendis to leave all Avengers titles at end of 2012
  • Nolan comments on why Bane was chosen as next villain
  • Batman: Arkham City – Challenge Map Pack DLC and free skin
  • Justice League: Doom release date announced
  • Bunny Ranch owner opening Sci-fi brothel
  • New Twisted Metal includes free download of Twisted Metal: Black
  • Sam Raimi’s original Green Goblin FX test revealed
  • Vin Diesel confirms two more Fast & Furious sequels
  • George Takei is the Broker of Star Peace
  • This year’s Super Bowl will be the first ever to stream online

Whedon says that the 3D aspect will not be obnoxious. “There definitely are movies that shouldn’t be in 3D. The Avengers isn’t obnoxiously 3D. There’s no, ‘Oh look, we’re going to spend 20 minutes going through this tunnel because it’s in 3D!’ And no one is pointing at the screen the entire time. But it’s an action movie. Things tend to hurtle toward the screen anyway.”

The Avengers is on tap for a May 4th, 2012 release.

Coming to theaters on May 4, the Joss Whedon film stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson.

The holiday season is upon us yet again, and let’s just say that 2011 has offered many items in the realm of video games, Blu-rays, and graphic novels.With so much to sift through this holiday season, you may be asking yourself: What is the best bang for my buck this holiday season, either for myself or fellow beloved geek? The answer is simple, if you follow our handy guide to all things geekish that have been released from September to late November. We here at The Geek Generation aim to make your holiday shopping as painless and irritant-less as possible. And, maestro, take it away…

Interactive Gaming

This holiday season, gamers with a limited gaming dollar are going to have some hard choices to make. The glut on the market of games this season is so substantial, one could find themselves easily out over $600 playing every A-list title that has been released. With that said, let’s delve a little deeper into the cream of the crop, and distill some of what I consider to be the banner titles, the must-plays of this Holiday season.

Batman: Arkham City (PS3/360)

Rocksteady studios has produced nothing short of the BEST superhero licensed video game of all time. A loft claim, I know. But Arkham City really does what a sequel to a former game of the year should; it builds upon the foundation of an already great game, and gives the player a more expansive world to play in. Truly a “sandbox” Gotham, Batman can grapnel, batarang, shock, and explosive gel his way through hordes of criminals trapped in the now penitentiary lie Arkham City. Think Escape from New York in Gotham! A vastly improved freeflow combat system makes combat a breeze after the half hour learning curve. Add in a bevy of side missions, over 400 plus collectibles, an improved challenge mode, unlockables, DLC available already… Riddle me this: Need I say more? Tack on (if you can score one) the Collectors Edition, and you definitely get an all-encompassing Batman experience with a Kotokubiya statue, Gotham Knight on Blu-Ray (for PS3 only), 2 DLC codes for a Challenge Map and alternate costume, and Arkham City the Album. That said, Arkham City should be at LEAST in your top 3 for possible game purchases this holiday season. I’m not full of shit. You can quote me on that.

Batman: Arkham City is MSRP $59.99 (Collectors Edition $99.99, or more from a 3rd party seller)

Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception (PS3)

Let’s face facts, Hollywood mega action flicks have lost their way these days. Rarely do I go to an action jam and really feel on edge and in the driver’s seat. The octane has been let out of the big rig, the gas leaking on the floor with no match to ignite it… As I write this, I am about 36 hours post-completion of Uncharted 3 and I have to say… but I don’t know where to start. If you played the previous 2 entries, you were probably amazed at the dialogue, story, visuals, gameplay. Uncharted 3 takes them to a whole new level. Naughty Dog has created visuals that look, as close as possible, to a real film. The writing of the dialogue and storytelling put most Hollywood movie scripts to SHAME. The run and gun, cover based gameplay is still there, and even more intense than every, along with the epic action set pieces. Every moment played, I was on edge. With over 1oo treasures to collect, 4 difficulties, MULTIPLAYER, already announced DLC, a SWEET Collectors Edition with a Sideshow toys Nathan Drake statue, wearable replicas of Drake’s ring and belt buckle, a sweet treasure chest style package, and steelcase for the game, Uncharted 3 may be 2011 game of the year. You will FEEL like an action hero, and you will not regret the purchase if you are holding out this holiday season. SIC PARVIS UNUM.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is MSRP $59.99 ($99.99 for Collectors Edition, or more from a 3rd party seller)

The Legend of Zelda: The Skyward Sword (Wii)

As I write, I am staring at my copy I just picked up about an hour and a half ago. As a lifelong Zelda fan, and someone who witnessed the visuals and gameplay at New York Comic Con, Nintendo’s final foray into the Zelda franchise (at least for now) is sure to be epic. Boasting the true birth of the Legend, Link goes on a journey to save his childhood friend Zelda in a quest that takes full advantage of the Wii hardware (get out those component cables people for the best visuals!). Nintendo took time to add in great new gameplay elements, including weak spots to be exploited for almost every enemy, Wii motion+ support, where players can finally harness Link’s sword swinging powers and acrobatics, and the ability to upgrade nearly all items in the game. Fans can salivate at the fact that each game comes with a symphony soundtrack, as it is Zelda‘s 25th anniversary. With the Wii’s technology at the twilight of its life, fans can relish that it is going out with a bang. Zelda is a definite top pick for this holiday season. Get it with wisdom, power, and courage.

The Legend of Zelda: The Skyward Sword is MSRP $49.99 with a symphony soundtrack (A bundle edition is $69.99 and comes a Wii motion+ remote decorated gold with the Hyrule crest, and soundtrack. May be hard to come by in a few weeks though.)

Gears of War 3 (XBOX360)

Personally, my 360 was gathering dust until September when I picked up Gears of War 3, the final chapter of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad. We find our hero in the midst of a shitstorm after the end of the last game, with Lambent and Locust running around causing more havoc than ever. We also discover… Adam Fenix may still be alive? That said, and without divulging too much story, Gears of War 3 is probably the last 360 exclusive that warrants a definite purchase. The story comes to a definitive conclusion, and secrets  are revealed, as well as some shocking moments I cannot reveal. Graphically and gameplay wise, the game has improved vastly, especially in the visuals department. They take full advantage of the aging 360 hardware and processors, giving the game a great polish. Once again, Gears of War 3 uses the cover system it pretty much innovated, with epic running, gunning and simple, tactical controls. (Feels more real to me than ANY Call of Duty game.) Tack on the multiplayer, with some new modes, including Beast mode, and you have a complete package for 360 owners. Other editions are available (a limited and epic edition) if you can still find them. Gears has been a defining 360 franchise, and if you have been playing it, complete the journey with this.

Gears of War 3 is MSRP $59.99 (Limited Edition is sold out, but epic edition may be available for $149.99 or more from a 3rd party seller, with a HUGE Marcus Fenix sculpture and the contents of the limited edition included.)

The ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection (PS3)

The popularity of the remastered PS2 and PSP game collections such as God of War gave rise to what I consider one of the finest PS2 adventures crafted, Shadow of the Colossus. While I never played Ico on the PS2, it is definitely an experience. Two games that you NEED to have before The Last Guardian is released, are these. The epic, breathtaking scope of Shadow of the Colossus is not to be missed if you didn’t experience it on the PS2, with sweeping visuals, an isolated, lone hero on a lone island battling giants. With mysterious storytelling open to interpretation, Shadow of the Colossus is an adventure in every sense of the word. Let’s not forget Ico, an adventure, albeit short, that requires the player to think as it does not use any type of tutorial. An old school adventure with a story that is also open to players’ interpretation, Ico‘s puzzles defined PS2 adventure. While it shows its age, the remastered vision is endearing. Couple the games with some XMB themes on disc, and some great behind the scenes interviews and previews of Sony’s big time title The Last Guardian,do not miss this HD collection this holiday season, as it is breathtaking in scope.

The Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection MSRP $39.99

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (PS3/360)

Twelve new fighters. New modes. New DLC skins. Need I say more. Yes, I do… Rocket Raccoon. Firebrand. Nova. Nemesis. Dr. Strange. Phoenix Wright. Ghost Rider. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 returns in the definitive package with all new fighters. If you missed it the first time, now is the time to get it. Heralded as one of the best fighting games of 2011, and containing 2 of my favorite companies, the classic 3 vs. 3 action should provide players hours of fighting experiences on and offline with friends. One for the ages at an unbeatable price, and better than Hawkeye’s arrow transporting Ant-Man to crush your opponent.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 MSRP $39.99

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (PS3/360)

The final chapter for both Ezio Auditore de Firenze and Altair Ibn Al’had comes to a conclusion before Assassin’s Creed 3 in a year or two. We find older versions of both Ezio and Altair both fighting the Templar conspiracy menace in Constantinople, in Turkey. Players can expect to play as Altair, Desmond, and Ezio as they uncover another chapter in the conspiracy surrounding the Apple of Eden. New gameplay enhancements such as the hook blade and den defense have been added to the game, and multiplayer returns as well with new characters. PS3 owners get a special installable version of the original Assassin’s Creed, obviously taking advantage of the Blu-Ray storage space. Gamestop buyers might still be able to score a signature edition with some cool extras for both systems. If you are a fan of the franchise, and want what is probably a cool addition to the story, pick this one up. It’s next on my gaming playlist. Requiescat in pace.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations MSRP $59.99

Honorable Mention:

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (360/PS3)

A collection of MGS 2, MGS 3, and Peace Walker, originally for the PSP. 100 plus hours of gaming. Need I say more? Metal Gear Solid has been a defining storytelling franchise, and for 50 beans, this one should provide you with a lot of gameplay for a long time.

Blu-Rays

Some great Blu-Rays have been released since September, and here is just a smattering of some of the ones that should be in your stocking:

The Crow starring Brandon Lee and Ernie Hudson, with Michael Wincott

At long last, The Crow flies to Blu-Ray. One of my favorite cult films based on the J. O’Barr graphic novels, the story of Eric Draven, a man murdered only to come back to life on the black wings of his avatar, a crow, to exact vengeance of the evil men who took his life and his fiance’s. This was a favorite of mind, even when I first saw it when I was 13 years old. The Blu-Ray release is warranted, and now for a steal you can get it.

The Crow MSRP $19.99

Captain America: The First Avenger starring Chris Evans and Hugo Weaving, with Tommy Lee Jones

Marvel’s final lead-in to next summer’s blockbuster The Avengers. A fantastic period piece about young military prospect Steve Rogers, who is injected with a Super Soldier serum to become America’s greatest weapon in the fight against Nazism, Captain America. A great cast and screen treatment make this a must-have, especially if you are collecting the whole “Avengers” lead-ins, such as both Iron Man films and our next important Blu-Ray purchase for you tree…

Captain America: The First Avenger MSRP $24.99

Thor starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, with Anthony Hopkins

The Mighty Avenger, Thor. Cast down to earth after his arrogance causes a great upheaval in the kingdom of Asgard. Learning to live with humans, and attempting to get his power back, Thor battles Loki and the evil frost giants to save Earth and Asgard. Another superb setup film for The Avengers, with the lesser casually known characters of Thor. Some great casting choices for this one make it essential viewing before next summer when The Avengers assemble.

Thor MSRP $24.99

Batman: Year One starring Bryan Cranston and Ben McKenzie, with Eliza Dushku

Arguably, the finest DC animated film released. This is an hour long look at the watershed Batman: Year One comic written by Frank Miller. It is a perfect translation from page to screen, and tells of Bruce Wayne’s return from the Far East, only to become the masked vigilante we know as Batman. The film also explores the budding relationship between he and a young cop, James Gordon, two men who will eventually work on opposite sides of the law to achieve justice in a corrupt Gotham City. A superb animated piece.

Batman: Year One MSRP $19.99 (with a special Catwoman DC presents short and DVD included)

Graphic Novel MUST-HAVES

With so many being released, it’s difficult to figure out what to buy for that comic geek. Here are a few they will definitely enjoy:

Marvel’s Venom Vol.1 by Rick Remender and Tony Moore

Venom’s reboot has been huge for Marvel, as Flash Thompson takes the mantle of Agent Venom, with the symbiote now in the employ of the U.S. government. The story takes Venom on harrowing missions, and an internal struggle of keeping his new life secret from his girlfriend, and struggling with being handicapped after returning home from the war. Rick Remender is a mad genius and if you like Volume One, the comic is on sale monthly from Marvel.

Venom: Volume 1 is MSRP $19.99 (Amazon has it for $13.40 in TPB)

DC’s Flashpoint by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert

The ultimate story arc that lead into the big DC universe reboot. The Flash is caught in an alternate world, where everything is turned upside down. Bruce Wayne died. The Amazons control England. Superman is in a government facility. What the hell is going on? Read Flashpoint and find out if you missed it on comic shelves, as it is essential as we look at our next entry…

Flashpoint is MSRP $22.99

DC Comics: The New 52 Hardcover (released December 13) by Various

Call me hypocritical or blasphemous, but DC sucks. However, even I pre-ordered this oversized hardcover, containing a whopping 1216 pages! Every DC relaunch collected in one bookshelf edition. Some good, some bad, some ugly, some awful, who cares… this edition is a steal and then you can pick and choose what warrants a purchase monthly and what doesn’t. This volume should keep you busy at night during your time off this holiday season, and for a week after probably.

DC Comics: The New 52 is up for pre-order now on Amazon for $89.99

Thus concludes our Geekoliday Buyers Guide. Hope everyone has a happy holiday, and you get everything and anything geeky you want this year on your list. And remember, geeks don’t die, geeks multiply.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Anna Zifcak

The Geek Generation – #056 – Fall TV premieres 2011

[download] [subscribe in iTunes]

Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • Send it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration OR call 508-316-9787
• Geek Outs:
  • Anna’s motorcycle
  • Vlingo app
  • Anna’s repainting her motorcycle
  • The Lion King Blu-ray outtakes
  • NYCC Avenger’s panel
  • Alphas season finale
  • Nikon D5100
  • Dexter
• Freak Outs:
  • iPod issues
  • People are stupid
  • Automated pin number changing
  • PS3 yellow light of death (here’s part #1 of the fix)
• Listener Mailbag
• Fall TV premieres

Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, the May 4 release is the superhero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as SHIELD, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

For me, the character of Thor was in the same camp as Iron Man. I was always fairly familiar with both on the surface, but never bothered to dig too deep into their respective worlds. Because of this, it made the first Iron Man movie that much more of a pleasant surprise. Now, having seen Thor, I can say that I’m just as pleased.

One of the people I saw the movie with referred to Thor as a “Reader’s Digest” version of the character, and I agree with that assessment. Each of these Marvel films leading up to The Avengers has the task of introducing the mainstream to all of the heroes that will be involved. While Thor did succeed in this regard, it was in no way fleshed out to the extent that Iron Man was. Don’t, however, mistake that as me saying that Thor sucked, because it most certainly did not. It’s just different, and different isn’t always a bad thing.

Thor wasted no time in moving the plot along, and it really couldn’t afford to since there was so much to cover. The nine realms, including Asgard, needed to be introduced and completely understood… and it was. The relationships between Odin, Thor, and Loki all needed to be established… and they were. Thor’s journey from arrogant prince to humble hero needed to be believable… and it was. While fast-paced, Thor had clear goals in mind and hit the mark with each.

One of the best parts of Thor were the action sequences. Thor’s style of aggressive fighting, Mjolnir in hand, couldn’t have been portrayed any better on the big screen. If you think watching a guy swinging a hammer around would get dull, think again. There was clearly a lot of thought put into using Mjolnir in creative ways. They certainly had lots of material to pull ideas from.

As far as the acting went, Chris Hemsworth’s performance as Thor was superb, successfully managing to portray all aspects of the character’s personality. There have been doubts by some that anyone would be able to share the screen with Robert Downey Jr. in The Avengers, but Hemsworth’s charisma and presence put him in a good position to. Anthony Hopkins delivers as he always does in the role of Thor’s father Odin. Tom Hiddleston was perfectly cast as the villainous god of mischief, Loki. Natalie Portman was fine as Jane Foster, but the role was clearly unchallenging for someone of her caliber. Even the warriors three shined throughout the film.

If there’s anything to take away from the success of Thor and Marvel’s other recent releases, it’s that you can’t mess around with the source material. If this is the path that they continue on, I look forward to both Captain America and The Avengers.

Bottom Line: Thor is an action-packed blockbuster that provides a fun and faithful experience.

[xrr rating=9/10]

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has given some insight to D23 Magazine regarding the future of Marvel movies:

“X-Men was the dawn of the new Marvel cinematic age,” said Feige. “Iron Man was the dawn of the Marvel Studios age and the establishment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the beginning of that continuity. The Avengers is the next big step. Once all these characters come together, it’s the culmination of all that has come before. It launches a new era and a new time in the history of our films. Not only will it be the first film that our new home studio, Disney, will be distributing, but it will also renew each of these characters and launch them into their own franchises, starting with the second film to be released by Disney, Iron Man 3.”

Feige added that following Avengers, “Thor will go off into a new adventure, and Captain America will continue to explore the modern world in another film of his own. We hope that holds true for the characters appearing in that film — Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the spy organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. —all of whom are more than worthy and capable of carrying their own films. And, we’ve got a lot of other characters we’re prepping and getting ready for film debuts: the world of martial arts, these great cosmic space fantasies, Dr. Strange, and the magic side of the Marvel Universe. There are many, many stories to be mined.”

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Bryan Lipsitz

027 – Dropping the Rosen-BOMB

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Show notes:

• Poll question:
  • Which Super Bowl spot got you the most pumped for the movie??
  • Send answer to: podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Super Bowl spots
  • Captain America / Thor / Cowboys & Aliens / Super 8
• Geek Outs & Freak Outs:
  • Michael Rosenbaum’s Smallville return / Marvel vs. Capcom 3 / Dana Carvey on SNL / Howard Stern tweets Private Parts commentary / Xbox Kinect Superman VR program
  • Glee following the Super Bowl / lack of Green Lantern spot / No Ordinary Family
• News:
  • Michael Rosenbaum will return for Smallville finale
  • X-Men: First Class – trailer
  • Spider-Man joins the Fantastic Four, now known as The Future Foundation
  • Guitar Hero franchise is no more
  • Cobie Smulders officially joins The Avengers
  • inFAMOUS 2 – morality revealed
  • Marvel vs. Capcom 3 – Shadow Mode DLC revealed

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Anna Zifcak

026 – It’s Man-happening

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Show notes:

• Poll questions:
  • Who do you want to see as Lois Lane in The Man of Steel??
  • Send answer to: podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Escape the Fate Xbox 360 & Kinect giveaway
• Geek Outs & Freak Outs:
  • The Walking Dead comic / Howard Stern on Twitter / Chris Hardwick tickets
  • Donkey Kong Country Returns / Netflix Instant Streaming / Smallville
• News:
  • MTV announces return of Beavis and Butt-head
  • Angry Birds: Rio – trailer
  • NBC cuts The Cape episode order to 10
  • Nick Fury cameos confirmed for Thor and Captain America
  • Marvel vs. Capcom 3 – Sentinel and Hsien-Ko debut trailers
  • MLB 11 includes one-button ‘Association for Disabled Virtual Athletes’ mode
• Rumor Central:
  • Cobie Smulders closes in on Avengers
  • Joseph Gordon-Levitt In Talks To Join The Dark Knight Rises
  • Three actresses in competition for female lead in The Man of Steel

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Anna Zifcak

013 – Mega-News block

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Show notes:

• Geek Outs & Freak Outs:
  • Harry Potter 7 / possible return of Bill & Ted / New York Comic Con
  • screwing up the possible return of Bill & Ted / Fall TV premieres
• Top 3:
  • Top 3 Final Fantasy characters.
• News:
  • Zack Snyder will direct the Superman reboot
  • NBC picks up ‘Odd Jobs’ starring Emerson and O’Quinn
  • Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 – WWE Universe mode trailer and details
  • Sir Michael Caine reveals Inception ending
  • Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – DLC coming in November
  • Jim Lee and Titan Books at NYCC 2010
  • Batman: Arkham City adds interrogation mechanic
  • The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes premieres Oct. 20
  • Wonder Woman series headed to TV
  • Star Wars movies coming to theaters in 3D
  • Back to the Future returning to AMC Theaters
• Contest reminder: 2×500

In the two-part series premiere, “The Breakout,” Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Ant-Man and Wasp have defeated some of the most dangerous Super Villains on the planet. But when the Super Villain prison system mysteriously shuts down, chaos is unleashed on the world. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes must now band together as the Avengers to protect the planet from the threats that no single Super Hero could face alone. Their first task is to try and stop Graviton, a being whose power dwarfs anything ever seen. He’s after Nick Fury, but will destroy the world to get to him. Individually the heroes have no chance, but together they can make a difference.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-host: Bryan Lipsitz

005 – SDCC 2010 News

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Show notes:

• Poll question:
  • What is your favorite animated superhero movie?
  • Send answer to: podcast@thegeekgeneration.com OR @GeekGeneration on Twitter
• Geek Outs & Freak Outs:
  • Green Lantern & Thor movie panels / being a geek / Batman: Under the Red Hood
  • Mark Ruffalo being cast as Bruce Banner for The Avengers
• Top 3
  • Top 3 characters from the Whedon universe.
• News:
  • SDCC 2010 Coverage – Day 3: Marvel Film Panel
  • Whedon confirms Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye in The Avengers
  • Mark Ruffalo IS the new Hulk
  • The Helmets from Thor
  • Thor’s “Destroyer” revealed by Marvel Studios
  • Infinity Gauntlet To Be In Thor Movie
  • Thor – Comic Con trailer – (watch it while it lasts)
  • SDCC 2010 Coverage – Day 3: Green Lantern Movie Panel
  • Underworld 4 bringing back Beckinsale?
  • Karl Urban is your new Judge Dredd
  • SDCC 2010 Coverage – Day 4: Smallville Panel
  • Smallville’s Chloe Sullivan to become Comic Book Character
  • SDCC 2010 – J.J. Abrams on LOST finale
  • Street Fighter X Tekken – announcement trailer
  • Marvel vs. Capcom 3 – Thor and Amaterasu trailers

And oh yeah, DAMN… thanks for bringing it Blake.

Joss Whedon revealed to OnTheRedCarpet.com at San Diego Comic Con that Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) will in fact be portraying Hawkeye in The Avengers!!

“I’m writing and directing it,” Whedon recently said at the pop culture convention. “There will be some avenging that takes place during the film and that’s about all I can tell you. I think it’s well-known that Jeremy Renner is joining us as Hawkeye, which is so exciting for me and the rest of the cast.”

You can watch the interview for yourself below.

Renner joined the rest of The Avengers cast onstage at San Diego Comic Con during the Marvel Studios panel.

Source: www.comicbookresources.com

J.J. Abrams/Joss Whedon Panel

As Jeff Jensen (writer for Entertainment Weekly) announced the shows of Whedon and Abrams, the audience cheered in ever growing intensity. “It’s a really long resume,” joked Jensen as he read off the creators’ credits. “Yo!” said Abrams as he took his seat. Both creators thanked the audience for coming.

“Back in the day, on the WB, I was doing ‘Felicity’ and you were doing your spectacular shows,” said Abrams as he explained how he met Whedon before. The two also discussed the most extreme things they’ve done in the name of fandom.

Abrams said that as a kid he sent fan letters, but not to actors and directors, put to make up people. From one letter, he received the tongue from the Exorcist and a hand-written note. “There was a note that said put some peanut butter and stick it in [your mouth]. My mom was like, ‘What the fuck is that?’

“I do have an Alien egg, but I had to bury the franchise to get it,” joked Whedon.

The two discussed how they got into writing. Whedon talked about wanting to make money, so he started writing spec scripts. Abrams wanted to be a magician originally. Whedon asked if he thought magic nerds or comic nerds are more pathetic. Abrams said magic nerds.

Jensen asked Whedon about the Avengers movie. “That is not an official thing. But I’m making that an official thing: I’m directing the Avengers.” Whedon talked about some of the super hero stories of his youth. “Actually, the Avengers Annual and the Thing two-in-one annual about the Death of Warlock.” (YES JOSS FREAKIN WHEDON IS DIRECTING THE AVENGERS – Bryan)

Abrams talked about his comic experience. “I worked at a comic book store as a kid,” he said. “The first day on the job, the guy who owned the store, I don’t know what he was on, he gave me the keys and said, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’ I kind of wanted to steal some of the old Spidey books. I didn’t, but I probably should of.”

Whedon talked about his take on the Avengers. “It is a little early,” he said. “I am still writing an outline., I’m still in that stage of reworking and reworking. The thing that made me excited is that these people should not be in the same room, and that is the very definition of family.”

Abrams talked about his new film with Steve Spielberg, Super 8. “When I was 16 years old, Matt Reeves and I were at a Super 8 festival,” he said. “We got a call from Stephen Spielberg’s assistant.” They asked if the two were interested in repairing Spielberg’s old damaged reels. “Someone dropped off ‘Firelight’ and ‘Road to Nowhere,’ which are two movies he directed as a kid.” Abrams wanted to steal a frame. “There was a lot of theft in my childhood,” he joked. They received 300 for their work.

“It’s way too early.” “I would love to show you footage” but he hasn’t any yet. He said they start shooting in September. He also confirmed that Super 8 will not be in 3D.

“I’m totally into it,” Whedon said of the 3D craze. “I think it’s being done too much now that we’re past the pancake, poke things into the screen 3D. There are movies that shouldn’t be in 3D,” he said. He also said he doesn’t write with 3D in mind. “There’s no, ‘then the sharp thing comes at him,'” he joked.

Whedon mentioned his horror movie Cabin in the Woods won’t be in 3D, but joked it as a selling point. “We’re hoping we can advertise it in 2D. You will believe things can move across the screen—’Cabin in the Woods.'” Whedon said he doesn’t believe 3D will take over completely.

Whedon then talked about “Dr. Horrible” and whether the internet is a viable means of creator expression. “Gosh I hope so,” he said in doing more internet stuff. “After Dr. Horrible, I sort of waited for everyone else to show up to the party.” He said it made money for him but also the writers and actors. “It really worked as a model for how people can make a profit off the internet.” He added that he hoped people would see it and get on it, but the studios views were “extraordinary old-fashioned.” He also said they wanted to create a sequel, but scheduling conflicts came in. “I was just on the cusp and this was something I never mentioned in public, but I started to work on a piece with Warren Ellis called ‘Wastelanders.'” But Ellis said he’d wait now that Whedon is working on the Avengers.

Whedon and everyone else involved really want to do a Doctor Horrible sequel but it’s all about time and getting everyone moving. “”It’s in turn around,” he said, “at the studio of me.” He said everyone wants to, but it’s a matter of time. “We know what the movie is and we want to do it, but we want to do it on our own terms.”

Jensen talked about their studios Bad Robot and Mutant Enemy. “Should they fight?” asked Whedon. “Or should they kiss?” Both Abrams and Whedon discussed the possibility of their own channel with just their stuff on it. Both seemed to like it, but Whedon mentioned the amount of time it would take to do something like that.

Whedon talked about television and how “Dollhouse” was recently canceled. “That question sounds like, ‘Are you proud of what you did? Maybe you should sit in a corner and think about it.'” Whedon said he was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. “My experiences at Fox has not been successful and ultimately there’s a certain level of incapability that’s very hard to mess.” He said he has a more cable mentality. “What I learned was know your audience and your first audience is the people paying you to make the thing.” He said being at Marvel makes him very happy because everyone knows what they want and work on making it happen. “I love television. I love serialized storytelling, but I didn’t quite think that one through.”

Abrams talked about serialized storytelling. “They want shows they can repeat. The studios want shows they can syndicate.” Abrams said he enjoys shows were you can invest in the characters and have a through-line. “When they talk about stories, stories imply time. Stories imply inevitability and progress.” He said he’s drawn to that.

Whedon said that studios generally speak against serialized storytelling. Even when Lost was one he said they didn’t want something like that, even though it won so many enemies. “I’m still angry about ‘Empire Strikes Back.’ That movie doesn’t have an ending. It doesn’t. He’s frozen in carbonite.”

Jensen asked if they get inspired by any other creators or things they’ve seen. “I love Edgar Wright,” said Abrams. “I just saw Scott Pilgrim” and “I loved it.” Abrams also said the loves the work of Chris Ware. “There are a lot of people. I could go on with a huge list.”

“Making the Avengers, that’s cool,” laughed Whedon. “I’m also watching a lot of stuff looking for moods.” He said that he did have a moment of “sheer fucking panic” because Star Trek is so good. “This is the gold standard for a summer movie, for a team movie, for any movie that has come out,” he enthused. “And it makes me throw up in fear.”

Questions then opened up to the audience.

A young audience member asked whether they enjoy film or television more. “I don’t think there’s a better,” said Whedon. “What you can do in a movie is so extraordinary and fulfilling and you get to be done. But being able to spin a story over seven years or eleven episodes even if they’re out of order is still great. That’s a different kind of fulfillment.”

Whedon talked about his dialogue, which is a signature of his work said Jensen. “That’s just people talking. I don’t write second drafts really. I don’t put anything down until it’s right.”

“You don’t do second drafts,” said Abrams. “Bastard.”

Later, a fan asked about the ending of “Lost” and if it was everything he wanted. “First of all, Damon Lindeloff and Carlton Cruse ran the show for six seasons. It was an amazing thing when we first started… we wrote this bible of what it was going to be. A lot of those things ended up being in the series, a lot did not.” He said that planning out everything episode to episode from the start to finish is a disservice because you cannot anticipate certain things. He mentioned Michael Emerson and his character of Ben Linus, who originally was only to appear for a few episodes. “You don’t realize ‘Ben is critical to this story,'” he said if you were to just plow through with a cemented plan.

A fan asked about the different voices of the characters in Avengers and making sure they’re all unique. “A lot of the way I speak and write comes from reading these comics,” he said. “it’s very easy to fall into the aesthetic of something you love.” He said he wants to bring some of his own style and voice, but keep it true to the source material. “That doesn’t really seem like a challenge to me. When I write Tony Stark or Steve Rogers or any of these people, they sound like them.”

A fan asked the creators their opinion on film school—whether they should invest the time and money into one or go your own way. “Go your own way,” said Abrams.

“Do film school,” followed up Whedon without missing a beat jokingly. He went on to talk about his experiences and why he enjoyed going to film school.

The final question regarded whether when it comes to writing advice if critical advice is better or no advice. “What’s more fun than getting notes. It’s really the joy for a writer,” said Whedon. “You have to walk a razor’s edge.” “You categorically will have to listen to people” and have to “listen to people who don’t know a damn thing but have a pocket full of gold.” “If you feel confident about the story, then you should be able to withstand what other people think and incorporate what other people think.”