Author: Seth Zillmann

Examining The Dead #20: October 2018

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WARNING: Examining The Dead is Geekville Radio’s only explicit rated show. Content is meant for mature audiences.

Well it’s been a long few months, but Examining The Dead is back just in time for Halloween. We do apologize for not releasing any shows in the last six months, but it should be smooth sailing from here

The Coroner’s Report

Friday The 13th Video Game Lawsuit Resolution

The big news for horror gamers is the ruling in the Friday The 13th Video Game lawsuit has been handed down. Victor Miller has won his lawsuit against Horror Inc. and Sean Cunningham over rights to the franchise name. As such, Gun Media will no longer allowed to market the hit Friday The 13th video game with certain likenesses or characters. It is worth mentioning that Gun Media may still be allowed to use the classic “Hockey Mask Jason” look, as that was developed in the movies Miller did not help make.

Seth roughly equates it to a Superman lawsuit from a few years back where the estates of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were allowed to maintain ownership and licensing to the original take on Superman from the 1930’s. However, DC will still keep rights to Superman as we know him today.

Gun Media released this statement to Bloody Disgusting after the verdict was announced.

“We are disappointed in the court’s ruling and disagree with its conclusion. We are considering our options, including an appeal. We understand that this ruling has created confusion among some fans of the franchise and, more specifically, “Friday the 13th: The Game” players who have questions about new Friday the 13th content in the game.

The court was very clear that its ruling in favor of Mr. Miller is limited to the original screenplay in which Jason’s mother is the killer and that Mr. Miller’s termination notice did not purport to terminate Horror, Inc.’s separate copyright in the iconic supernatural killer who wears a hockey mask. While the ruling does not prevent Gun from continuing to sell and operate the existing game, it may complicate adding certain content to the current game in the future.

Some have asked if a settlement could be reached with Victor Miller to enable the creation of new content. Even if Gun were in a position to continue to fund the game while it was waiting for such questions to be resolved, there is no evidence to date that such a settlement is possible.

Friday the 13th director Sean Cunningham has previously reached out directly to Victor Miller to discuss a settlement. Miller responded by refusing to talk to Sean. Work on new content for fans was suspended because of the position that Miller has taken.

Given Miller’s unwillingness to discuss settlement to date and following the guidelines set down by the Court’s ruling, Horror Inc. intends to aggressively explore many opportunities for new projects featuring settings and characters not included in Mr. Miller’s screenplay.

Horror, Inc. will be providing additional details on the new Friday the 13th projects in the near future.”

There may be more to come with this story, but neither Train nor Seth rule out the possibility of this being the beginning of the end.

In movie news, we are only a few weeks away from the highly anticipated movie Halloween. This is, of course, another retelling that ignores all movies in the franchise except the original 1978 classic. This means that Laurie Strode and Michael Myers are not siblings, and the movie will be a direct sequel to the first film that takes place 40 years later.

The film has been generally well received, if not mixed. As of this recording, it is sitting at an 85% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes. That means the film will likely be labeled “Certified Fresh” by the time its released. On the Metacritic scale, it sits at 66 rating.

AMC’s Fear Fest

October is the month for AMC’s annual Fear Fest programming. Each year the network rolls out horror themed programming for the Halloween Season, and this year is no different.

October 14th marks the return of The Walking Dead to the airwaves, and it’s no secret that this will be Andrew Lincoln’s final season. It’s a pretty safe bet that some people will tune in just to see how Rick Grimes gets written out of the show. Reviews have come in stating that the show will have more of a female presence.

Another part of Fear Fest will be Eli Roth’s series on The History Of Horror. The premiere episode airs on Monday, October 15th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laf7B6Jaan8

Another new series on Hulu called Castle Rock is based on the fictional town in many of Stephen King’s work. King himself serves as Executive Producer. The show will be getting a proper Blu-Ray and DVD release in January.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXsKCQenpt0

Finally, Stranger Things Season 3 has been delayed until Summer of 2019. Rumors abound that the season will take place sometime later, allowing for the actors to physically grow to match the age the characters will be. Also, there is the story that the storyline grew so complex, that The Duffer Brothers may be putting more time into it than previous seasons.

The Gruesome Twosome

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8ti-SEh_Ag

Season 3 of AMC’s Preacher has recently wrapped. Fan favorite characters such as The Saint Of Killers and Herr Starr have made their presence known on the series. Plus, Jesse’s background is really expounded on, as well as his relationship with Tulip and Cassidy. How has it held up to the previous seasons? And does it fit in with the former FOX series Lucifer?

Episodes of Preacher can be found on AMC’s site, as well as Amazon Prime!

A popular K-Horror film from Korea, Train To Busan, is available on Netflix as of this recording. Train highly recommends it, even though all the language is in Korean with English subtitles. Train gives a very spoiler filled review of the film, so if you want to avoid spoilers, watch the film before listening to the review. Ma Dong-seok (formerly Don Lee in the MMA and wrestling world) has a memorable role as a heavy.

Into The Crystal Ball

Special Guest The Rev. Dan “The Dragon” Wilson joins the show to talk about his new horror production company One Good Scare Productions. Dan, like Train, made his name in the pro wrestling world and is now moving on to other things.

Among the shows OGS produces are Seeking Human Victims, a weekly podcast on horror films. The first season is called The ABC’s of Horror, which explores the five quintessential films every horror fan should watch and understand. Not just the movies themselves, but the impact they may have as well as any tropes they may have helped create.

Other shows are The Art Of Murder by comic artist Todd Johnston, which also talks classics along with original artwork from Todd. Another is Spooky Tricks by Anni & Brelyn that discusses tricks and tutorials like zombie make-up. Graphic Content discusses hiden gems and favorites Finally, Dan himself hosts Wrestling With Horror, which has special guests to discuss their horror fandom.

One Good Scare can be found on social media on Facebook and Twitter under the name OGScare.

The final conversation, as usual with Into The Crystal Ball, is about the future outlook of the horror genre. Dan believes that the future for horror is as bright as ever. And of course, some of their favorite movies and shows.

Theme Music “Martian Cowboy” Martian Cowboy Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Crazy Train’s custom Halloween playlist is up on Spotify. Perfect for any Halloween party or gathering.

Please look up our RSS Feed on Apple Podcasts, as well as our social media like Facebook and Twitter. Give us a follow and especially feedback. We appreciate all reviews, especially when it’s genuine.

Daredevil Season 3 Trailer

There’s a new man Without Fear in town! At long last, Netflix has released a full trailer for the much anticipated third season of Daredevil.

When we last saw Matt Murdock, he was believed to have died with Elektra in the climactic finish of The Defenders. However, he was shown to be very much alive and in hiding in the final scene.

This season sees the main antagonist role return to Wilson Fisk, aka The Kingpin, played by Vincent D’Onofrio. Matt again dons the homemade black costume, and continues his vigilante ways. Why he has not reached out to his friends Foggy and Karen will probably have to wait until the season drops on October 19th.

As to who this imposter Daredevil is, Netflix may have spilled the beans. Actor Wilson Bethel has been confirmed to play Benjamin Poindexter, aka Bullseye. Smart money would seem to point to Bullseye making his Netflix debut impersonating The Man Without Fear.  Colin Farrell had previously played Bullseye in the 2003 feature film that starred current Batman Ben Affleck in the title role.

What did you think of the trailer? Are you excited to see another take on Daredevil vs. Bullseye?

Long Lost Empire Strikes Back Documentary Surfaces

In 1979, French filmmaker Michael Parbot made a documentary about the making of The Empire Strikes Back. Then, of course, only known as the sequel to Star Wars.

For over three decades, this documentary was thought lost. It had aired only once in December of 1981, with only snippets being preserved in recordings. A condensed version was made part of the complete Blu-Ray set of the saga in 2011

Fortunately, the whole documentary has been recently found, and is presented here in its entirety for the first time in almost 37 years.

Breaking Down The Bumblebee Trailers

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Not one, but TWO trailers for Bumblebee, the latest Transformers feature film, have been released this week. Unlike all previous live action entries, this movie looks to be directly inspired by the original 1980s toys and cartoons. The original classic Transformers era has since been branded Generation 1, or G1 for short. We have listed the time codes for all the points of interest in these trailers. If you see something we don’t, don’t hesitate to let us know!

First up, Bumblebee Trailer 2

:11 Charlie Watson introduced. Now I may be wrong here, but to dust of some Transformers Geek Cred, there was a human girl in the original cartoon named Carly. She is Spike’s girlfriend, and in Transformers The Movie and Season 3 of the series, they are married. Perhaps coincidentally, there was a Carly in the third Bayformers movie, portrayed by Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

:15 Charlie finds Bumblebee in the junkyard.

:21 She is given the car by Uncle Hank for her birthday (Len Cariou).

:25 She drives Bumblebee home, presumably without license plates or registration, but let’s suspend a little disbelief.

:27 Then a piece of Bumblebee, perhaps an arm, since that’s about where his arm would be while transformed, falls to the floor

:30 She shines a flashlight into Bumblebee’s eyes, and he transforms into his robot form

:54 Charlie’s voiceover says humans can be terrible about things they don’t understand, while military humvees shoot at Bumblebee. We also see a determined John Cena, aka Agent Burns. This possibly implies that Burns may be an antagonist. There is the theory that this may be a backdoor into another GI Joe movie, but I don’t recall any Joe named Burns. That’s not to say it can’t be, just that there wouldn’t be an established character from the 80s named Burns.

1:05 Airplane and a Huey Cobra helicopter fly  but they turn out to be Triple Changers.

1:13 The red transformer talks to the military about a criminal, presumably Bumblebee. Which would make these characters Decepticons

1:15 A round pod is shown escaping from Cyberton. So perhaps Bumblebee is similar to Superman in fate.

1:23 Hailee asks Bumblebee if there is any family, Bumble points at her. This implies Bumblebee may not have any memory of his life on Cybertron, or the war with Decepticons.

1:30 Bumblebee’s retractable blade in action

1:33 Shockwave surrounded by what looks like Starscream and other Seekers. One of which could be Skywarp.

1:34 We see some transformers turning into jets on Cybertron

1:36 Agent Burns is shown stating that he sees firsthand what these things really are. Again, it’s a little open ended, where we don’t know if he trusts Bumblebee or not. He could be an antagonist, he could be helping the heroes. We just can’t tell yet

1:37 We see another jet transforming, and it looks like judging by the colors, it’s Starscream. And he looks like he’s a Harrier jet.

1:40 The real mark out moment: G1 Optimus Prime! Complete with Peter Cullen’s voice.

1:45 G1 Soundwave ejecting Ravage! I’m curious what Soundwave will transform into. Since the gimmick in the 1980s was a tape deck that would somehow change size.

1:47 Prime says you must protect earth and its people. Again, sounds like Bumblebee is getting the Superman storyline. which is not a bad thing.

1:51 Bumblebee vs. Grappling Hooks

1:56 Bumblebee puts on his battle mask look, and fires an arm canon.

2:00 A collapsing building on what looks like it’s on Cybertron. And is that Starscream again?

2:03 Another Harrier transforms. Could be Dirge, or even an Autobot like Powerglide if we’re going to have Autobot jets.

2:07 Starscream flying with Bumblebee by the throat. Reminds me of Thor vs. Iron Man in the first Avengers.

2:09 The military  surrounds a fallen Bumblebee. Could he be taken captive?

2:12 Bumblebee fights with a Decepticon

2:22 And finally some humor to end on a funny note.

INTERNATIONAL Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVjRBaKd4JQ

This one seems to have more plot

0:00 Looks to be a longer shot of Starscream transforming from the last two trailers. And Starscream grabs Bumble be the neck. Links to that scene from 2:07 in the previous

:10 Starscream (at least we think it’s Starscream, we don’t truly know yet) threateningly asks Bumblebee “Where’s Optimus Prime”

:11 Starscream drops Bumblebee off a cliff, where he seemingly learns how to change into a VW beetle before passing out. So all those scenes of Starscream and Bumblebee fighting each other look to happen at the beginning of the movie, or at least chronologically before he meets Charlie.

:30 Variant scenes of Charlie driving Bumblebee home and meeting him. It looks like Charlie coins the name Bumblebee.

1:09 Charlie tries to repair something in Bumblebee, and uncovers the message of Optimus Prime giving his pep talk.

1:17 Some other shots that were at least partially used in the last trailer, including Prime on Cybertron and the Decepticons meeting the military to warn about Bumblebee.

1:36 A huge explosion to remind us Michael Bay is still involved with this film.

1:49 Prime gives the designation “B127”, rather than Bumblebee. This makes sense in the end because what are robots on an alien world going to know about Earth bees anyway?

1:50 Ravage vs. Optimus Prime?!?

1:55 Bumblebee flees from the military.

2:02 Some additional footage of Bumblebee fighting the Huey Cobra Decepticon.

2:11 More footage of Bumblebee, well,  bumbling around the house. Still funnier than the pot brownie jokes from Revenge Of The Fallen.

Did you catch anything we missed? Anything else to add? Sound off below, or hit us up on Facebook and Twitter!

Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame #2: The Phantom

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You have probably heard of The Phantom, and yes you’ve probably seen him in a newspaper comic strip. But do you truly know the origin of The Phantom? Seth and Crazy Train talk the creation of The Phantom, as well as his origin. Why is the character called The Ghost Who Walks?

A lot of people may not know how long The Phantom has been around. Creator Lee Falk started writing the character in 1936, and continued to write up until his death in 1999. That means he had a 63 year run writing Phantom, which could be a record for longest stint for a writer on a specific character. The Phantom has also been in print regularly since 1936, which is a record for oldest superhero title at 82 years and counting.

The Phantom also has several other notable accomplishments. He was the first hero to wear tights, and was the first to have a mask that removed pupils from the eyes. Not only that, the ongoing Phantom comic clocks in with a staggering 1,700+ issues!

If you want to learn more about The Phantom,  there is the awesome Phantom Wiki. And check out the good people at Chronicle Chamber, who have a podcast dedicated to all things Phantom!

Leaked Photo Spoils Future Of Captain America For Avengers 4?

A few photos have leaked from the set of the yet to be titled fourth Avengers film. The movie will of course be released in 2019 as a direct follow up to Avengers: Infinity War. If you’ve seen that film (and if you haven’t, why are you reading this?) you know that half the universe’s population is willed out of existence by Thanos.

Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and many of the other major players made the survive list, while Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Nick Fury weren’t so fortunate.

Now, with the leaking of this photo on the next page, we can that as some point during the film, Steve Rogers…

… SHAVES! Yes fans, that is a clean shaven Cap below!

Hopefully that got you to laugh or smile. Only eight more months until the fourth Avengers film hits theaters, and we can finally see the fate of the Marvel Cinematic Universe!.

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Cavill leaving Superman? RIP Burt Reynolds

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There are only two main subject in this episode of Geekville Radio, but they are real doozies. Seth and Crazy Train are joined by fellow Superman and Burt Reynolds fan David McKinney of South Atlanta Wrestling. The three talk the recent news about the potential departure of Henry Cavill from the DC Movie Universe as Superman, and the recent passing of Hollywood legend Burt Reynolds.

CAVILL NO LONGER SUPERMAN?

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Henry Cavill may indeed be leaving the role of Superman. Reports indicate that the hold up stems from negotiations to cameo in Shazam. Cavill had recently signed to appear in the Netflix series The Witcher, and sources told THR that scheduling would not permit Cavill from making an appearance in the film.

Another source, according to the report, stated the fallout may have happened due to a change in direction by Warner Bros.

“That’s because the studio has shifted its focus to a Supergirl movie, which will be an origin story featuring a teen superheroine. This effectively removes an actor of Cavill’s age from the storyline’s equation given that Superman, aka Kal-El, would be an infant, according to DC lore.”

Warner Bros. released a statement

“We have a great relationship and great respect for Henry Cavill that continues to remain unchanged. Additionally we have made no current decisions regarding any upcoming Superman films.”

Cavill has only responded with a video clip released to social media where he holds a Superman action figure.

All three panelists hold out hope that Cavill will appear in at least one more film before leaving, if he’s leaving at all.

BURT REYNOLDS (1936-2018)

Burt Reynolds passed away last week at the age of 82. Contrary to earlier claims, Reynolds was actually born in Michigan, not Waycross Georgia. Which means the icon of so many Southern flavored movies wasn’t actually Southern.

Seth, Train, and David all pay tribute and share memories from their favorite Burt Reynolds movies. Deliverance was a breakthrough leading man role, but it was his light-hearted car chase action comedies (Smokey & The Bandit, Cannonball Run) that became his signature genre in the 1970s. In the 80s he made more mature dramas and thrillers, such as Sharky’s Machine and Stick.

David talks about a story involving a young Reynolds and Clint Eastwood leaving their respective TV Western roles (Gunsmoke and Rawhide). Seth mentions a movie originally written for Reynolds that wound up going to Eastwood.

So, at the end of this episode, the panelists officially induct Burt Reynolds into Geekville Radio’s Honorary Southerners

“Solo” deleted scene shows Han flying a TIE Fighter

The upcoming home video release of Solo: A Star Wars Story will be packed with at least one deleted scene. In it, Han is shown piloting a TIE Fighter in a mission that doesn’t end well. He then is punished for insubordination and placed in infantry duty, which is where he encounters Tobias Beckett and company.

No word yet on other deleted scenes making the cut, but this particular scene shows the Corellian with plenty of his signature snark.

Solo: A Star Wars Story hits home video on September 25th.

This Week In Geek News September 3, 2018

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In the latest chapter in the ongoing controversy for Guardians Of The Galaxy 3, the movie is reported to be on hold after Disney made the decision to not reinstate director James Gunn. Dave Bautista has stated that he isn’t sure he wants to return.

“They’re putting the movie off. It’s on hold indefinitely. To be honest with you, I don’t know if I want to work for Disney.”

Meanwhile, Gunn has reportedly been approached by several other studios for projects.

Warner Bros. is making not one, not two, but at least three movies involving The Joker.

1. Suicide Squad 2 has been announced for some time, but no release date, writer, or director have been revealed. Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, and Will Smith are all slated to return.

2. Also part of the DC Movie Universe will be an as of yet untitled Joker/Harley movie that would further explore the relationship between Joker and Harley Quinn. Leto and Robbie would likely return for that film that has been described as “When Harry Met Sally On Benzedrine”.

On top of that, an untitled Joker origin movie with Joaquin Phoenix and produced by Martin Scorsese. Set for an October 9th, 2019 release with a budget of $55 million dollars, it will be unrelated to any of the previous DC movie incarnations. Todd Phillips of The Hangover fame is set to direct. Alec Baldwin had been announced as Thomas Wayne, but reportedly backed out a few days later. Will this confuse fans like it did when Rogue One was released?

Also on the docket, a possible Birds Of Prey movie. Margot Robbie has reportedly expressed desire to portray Harley in her own standalone film. Birds Of Prey has been a title for DC that involved an all-female cast in various incarnations over the years. Harley has been part of the group in the comics since her turn as a more anti-hero type character. Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs) is set to direct off a Christina Hodson (Bumblebee) story. It is yet to be announced whether the film will feature Leto as Joker.

As mentioned during the show, Vin Diesel has quite the affinity for Dungeons And Dragons.

All this and more in another fun filled Geekville Radio!

Nostalgia Trip: The Dukes Of Hazzard (1979-1985)

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It’s the last show of the month. And to be a little different, we are debuting a new segment. We like to call it Geekville Radio’s Nostalgia Trip. The debut edition of Geekville Radio’s Nostalgia Trip is devoted to the classic 1980s TV show The Dukes Of Hazzard. Seth “Zandrax” Zillmann and “Crazy Train” Jonathan Bolick talk the history of the show and why it is so iconic almost 40 years later.

As ardent fans know, Dukes was actually spun off of a 1975 feature film Moonrunners, which had a very similar vibe. Both that film and the TV series were created by Gy Waldron, and are based on the stories of Jerry Rushing. Crazy Train provides a brief course in moonshine whiskey and moonshine running.

How well do you know the background of Bo, Luke, Daisy, and Uncle Jesse? No matter your level of Dukes fandom, you might learn a few things. Which Duke was a Vietnam Vet? Which was a star football player in high school?

And of course, what good are the heroes without the villains? JD “Boss” Hogg, Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane, Deputies Enos Strate and Cledus Hogg made up the recurring antagonists for The Duke family. Then of course there were the out of town strangers that would be up to no good each week.

You knew trouble was coming to Hazzard when you saw a basic Plymouth Fury riding into town.

Seth and Train also dive into the 1982-83 season which had the controversial replacement Dukes, Coy and Vance.

But perhaps most importantly, they talk the vehicles.

The General Lee – 1969 Dodge Charger

Boss Hogg’s Car – White 1970 Cadillac De Ville Convertible

Daisy’s Car (Season 1 & 2) – Yellow Plymouth Roadrunner. Also possible Dodge Challenger substitution

Dixie (Daisy’s Car Seasons 2-7) – Jeep CJ-7

Uncle Jesse’s Truck – Early 1970s Ford F Series Pickup

Cooter‘s Tow Trucks – Various International, GMC, and Ford Tow Trucks

Police Cars – 1970s Dodge Monaco, Late 1970s Plymouth Fury.

Another notable trait of the show was the number of guest stars who either were big stars, or went on to become big time actors. 70s villains Charles Napier and William Smith. Steven Williams (21 Jump Street), Jonathan Frakes of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame, Henry Gibson (Laugh In), Richard Moll (Night Court), Ernie Hudson,  James Avery (Shredder from TMNT), Gerald McRaney, Dick Sargent, Dennis “Mr. Belding” Haskins, Pat Buttram, and many others.

While Hazzard Country Georgia may not actually exist, Train does provide geographical evidence as to where Hazzard County would be on a map if it did. Don’t believe us? Listen to Train’s evidence and you’ll hear why.

Now you know where to find Hazzard County Georgia!

If you’re a 70s kid like Train, an 80s kid like Seth, or even came to love Dukes Of Hazzard after the fact, there is something for you in this edition of Geekville Radio’s Nostalgia Trip. Our goal is that, regardless of your level of fandom, you’ll enjoy this podcast and maybe even learn something about what was arguably the most “Southern” TV show to ever air on television.

As mentioned during the show, Crazy Train has amassed a list of Outlaw Country songs for Spotify, which fit perfectly with the attitude of Dukes Of Hazzard.

Look up our shows on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter, and Crazy Train can be reached on Twitter. Give us a subscribe and let us know! We encourage your feedback!