Independent film group Radical Talent produced this impressive fanfilm pitting slasher icons Michael Myers from Halloween and Jason Voorhees from Friday The 13th against each other in a Dream Battle. Or is it Nightmare Battle?
Category: Movies
Motion Picture entertainment
Geekville Radio #227
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Seth “Zandrax” Zillmann and “Crazy Train” Jonathan Bolick return to the airwaves to discuss some of the news topics of the week
Mark Hamill to be in Guardians Of The Galaxy? (1:15)
Since the return of James Gunn to Guardians Of The Galaxy 3, rumors have resurfaced that Mark Hamill may be playing a character in the film. Could he be a hero? Villain? Mercenary?
Emily Bett Rickards leaving Arrow (9:30)
The actress recently announced her departure from Arrow. Shortly afterwards, it was revealed that Felicity will not be appearing in Season 8. Could this mean a return to the comic-based pairing of Green Arrow and Black Canary?
Disney recasting X-Men except Deadpool (16:00)
It had been speculated for years, but Marvel all but confirmed during C2E2 that The X-Men and Fantastic Four will be recast and rebooted for The MCU. The only exception is Ryan Reynolds will continue as Deadpool.
We did predict on Episode 225 that this would happen, because it’s common sense. Though it will likely be several years before we get the MCU Proper X-Men film.
There is the new rumor that Stan Lee cameos may be replaced by Deadpool cameos. Which may be the best option to go with.
It is also worth noting that X-Men material is already available on Disney’s site.
Here is the list of channels and studios that Disney now owns after the merger with Fox.
- Twentieth Century Fox
- Twentieth Century Fox Television
- Fox Searchlight Pictures
- Fox 2000 Pictures
- Fox Family
- Fox Animation
- FX Productions
- FX Networks
- Fox21
- National Geographic Partners
- Fox Networks Group International
- Star India
- Fox’s part of Hulu
Batman retrospective 80th Anniversary (29:30)
At C2E2, DC Comics held a Batman 80th Anniversary Panel, in which some fun questions were asked.
The creation of Batman has its roots in the pulp crime magazines of the 30s. Several of the panelists mentioned the characters of The Shadow, The Phantom, and Green Hornet as pre-Batman inspirations.
Well, who are three out of the first four entrants in our Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame? The Shadow, The Phantom, and Green Hornet
Is there a favorite incarnation of Batman?
All this and more in another fun-filled edition of Geekville Radio!
Mark Hamill’s Role In Guardians 3?
Science Fiction icon Mark Hamill is allegedly back in negotiations to appear in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3. It was widely reported last year that Hamill had talks with director James Gunn, but what role they had discussed remained under wraps.
Of course, Gunn was famously fired by Disney last year over controversial tweets made a decade previously. Gunn was re-hired earlier this month, but no major casting news came about in the interim.
Now the site We Got This Covered is reporting that Hamill may in fact be in talks to play Rocket Raccoon’s creator. This could easily be an original character, or a take on secondary or tertiary characters from the Marvel Universe.
In the comics, Rocket has no specific creator. He came from a planet called Halfworld, in which animals were genetically enhanced by robotic users to have human-like characteristics. Rocket served as a law enforcement officer for the Keystone Quadrant, thus literally making him a Keystone Cop. He and his then counterpart Wal Russ (Yes, a talking walrus) once infiltrated the planet to rescue their friend Princess Lynx from Lord Dyvyne. They battled with Blackjack O’Hare’s Black Bunny Brigade (Yes, a mercenary group of bunnies) while making their escape.
Rocket was also at some point held captive by a villain called The Stranger, and managed to escape his clutches.
To be clear, these are all speculative possibilities based on Rocket’s history. The true role Hamill will play, if hired, has not been publicly discussed.
Hamill is no stranger to the comic book world. He most famously provided the voice of The Joker for many years in various Batman productions. He portrayed James Jesse, aka The Trickster in the short lived 1990 Flash TV series. A role he recently reprised for the current CW show. He’s also voiced various characters including Wolverine and Hobgoblin for Marvel, and Darth Bane for Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Currently, he is a regular in Season 2 of The History Channel’s series Knightfall.
So what character could the Jedi Joker be playing on the big screen? Personally, our money is on the mercenary bunny…
Latest Avengers Endgame Trailer Brings A Case Of Supergoosebumps
Marvel unleashed the latest, and probably final, trailer for Avengers: Endgame. Several classic moments from all the characters’ past are recapped. Including Steve Rogers carrying Peggy Carter’s casket, Tony Stark falling for Pepper, and Clint Barton training his daughter archery. It’s a very emotional recap of the last decade in Marvel movies.
That of course brings us to the imminent final battle with Thanos. And new costumes…
Avengers: Endgame opens on April 26th and will wrap up Phase Three in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Captain Marvel Review
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The last film on the MCU docket before Avengers: Endgame has finally come. Of course, it has not come without controversy.
Captain Marvel opened nationwide this past weekend to the tune of $153 million dollars nationwide, and $450 million internationally. This amidst the attention comments made by star Brie Larsen have gotten to certain fans. You can listen to our previous episode for a rundown on that story.
As for reviews, it is currently sitting at 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 63% audience approval. So it may not be the highest ranking entry in the MCU family, but it has been overall well-received.
So does Captain Marvel live up to expectations and continue the near flawless record of MCU films? Short answer, yes. Captain Marvel may not be the most must-see adventure in the MCU family, but it is an entertaining, if not a little predictable, superhero origin story.
But the biggest news may be how the movie retconned the history of the previous films. More specifically, the acquisition of The Infinity Stones that Thanos eventually got possession of.
Seth “Zandrax” Zillmann and “Crazy Train” Jonathan Bolick give a more through (that means SPOILERS) review of the film.
Oh, and according to the person who designed it, Carol’s Nine Inch Nails shirt is a bootleg…
2019: The Year In Geek Movies
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2019 certainly has no shortage of geek films. From sequels to reboots, to live action remakes. Even the horror genre looks promising.
Join Seth and Train as they preview many of the upcoming moves in 2019, especially the Marvel and DC entries. Links below are all courtesy IMDB, with trailers attached if available.
FEBRUARY 5th
Lego Movie 2: The Second Part – The long awaited sequel has most of the primary cast returning to deal with the imminent threat of the giant Duplo Block Invasion. In our review of the first film, we were amazed that a $100 million dollar commercial could be so much fun. Everything still looks awesome.
FEBRUARY 14th
Alita: Battle Angel – Manga fans are familiar with this title, based on the series of books from the 1990s. The story is set in a cyberpunk future where a cyborg is awakened and repaired. Once functioning, she sets out to learn her past and how everything came to be. If you’re not familiar with the title, there are some bonafide A-Listers at work. Robert Rodriguez is directing , with the screenplay co-written by James Cameron himself.
Happy Death Day 2U – The first film was a surprise hit with a very original premise. It was almost like a horror version of Groundhog Day. Writer/Director Christopher Landon returns to helm the sequel that will pick up immediately after the original movie ended.
FEBRUARY 22
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World – Seemingly everybody has enjoyed the Dreamworks animation releases. They are arguably the #2 animation studio next to Disney itself. The third and final installment in the movie is set one year after How To Train your Dragon 2 and finds Hiccup searching for a lost dragon world.
MARCH 8th
Captain Marvel – The first Marvel MCU movie of 2019 will introduce Carol Danvers and Skrulls to the MCU. Samuel L Jackson returns as a younger, two-eyed Nick Fury. The film takes place entirely in the 1990s and will presumably show how Fury got his trademark eyepatch.
APRIL 5th
SHAZAM – In a hilarious twist of fate, DC’s Captain Marvel (aka SHAZAM) is brought into the DCEU the month following Marvel’s entry. Teenage Billy Batson is transformed into a fully adult superhero by uttering the word “Shazam”. So Marvel Comics has a Captain Marvel, DC has a Captain Marvel. Everybody got that? Zachary Levi portrays the title role, while Mark Strong plays the villainous Dr. Sivana. This puts Strong on the interesting list of actors with multiple comic book roles from the same publisher (he portrayed Sinestro in the 2011 Green Lantern film). No other DC Characters listed as appearing according to IMDB. Sorry fans, we have to wait a little longer to get The Rock’s Black Adam.
APRIL 12th
Hellboy – While this is a reboot, this isn’t just an ordinary reboot. Creator Mike Mignola will have a larger creative role in this version. David Harbour (Stranger Things) takes over the title role, while Milla Jovovich portrays the evil Nimue.
APRIL 26th
Avengers: Endgame – Not much can be said that hasn’t already been speculated on already. We had a thorough dissection of the trailer last month. Arguably the most anticipated movie of the year (which is saying something) will finish the story from last year’s Avengers: Infinity War, and usher in Phase Four of the MCU.
MAY 24th
Alladin – 2019 is the year for Disney live action remakes. Alladin was a huge hit in the 1990s, due in no small part to Robin Williams’ epic take on The Genie. Sadly, Robin is no longer with us, or he surely would have reprised the role. Will Smith certainly has some big shoes to fill.
MAY 31st
Godzilla: King Of The Monsters – Millie Bobby Brown (also from the Stranger Things cast) makes her big screen debut. This sequel to the 2014 smash hit introduces Mothra, Rodan, and King Gidorah to the American Godzilla franchise. Plus, we know King Kong is also part of this Kaiju Cinematic Universe.
JUNE 7th
X-Men: Dark Phoenix – One of the most popular storylines from the X-Men comic books finally is adapted for the big screen. Some elements were used in X3, but this version looks to be a more in depth take. With this being the likely conclusion to Fox’s X-Men franchise, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a lot of characters bite the big one.
JUNE 14th
Men In Black International – Thor Ragnarok co-stars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson reunite in this spin-off that also introduces Liam Neeson to the franchise. The trailer looks to carry on the sci-fi comedy that made the first three films so successful.
Shaft – Jessie T Usher stars as JJ Shaft, the third generation of the Shaft family. Richard Roundtree and Samuel L Jackson reprise their respective roles as John Shaft and John Shaft II. In a world of so many reboots, it’s refreshing to see an installment that still recognizes previous movies as part of the story.
JUNE 21st
Child’s Play – Speaking of reboots, MGM has this take on the horror/comedy franchise that rebrands Chucky for a 21st Century audience. It is important not confuse this with the upcoming TV series of the same name. This film will be a new continuity and will not involve creator Don Mancini or actor Brad Dourif, who will be part of the TV series.
Toy Story 4 – Ironic that a horror franchise dealing with an evil doll drops on the same day as the beloved family franchise about dolls and toys. Toy Story 3 had a very emotional ending, so it will be interesting to see what is in store for the cast in this new installment.
JULY 5th
Spider-Man: Far From Home – We speculated on when the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming would take place in this post Infinity War world. We now know that it’s set right after Endgame. The second solo outing has Peter Parker on a school trip to Europe where he battles Mysterio (Jake Gyllennhal).
JULY 19th
Lion King – Another live action adaption (if you want to call it that) of a Disney franchise. This trailer looks almost shot by shot like the 1994 smash hit. James Earl Jones is the lone cast returning. He will reprise the role of Muphasa, while Donald Glover steps in as Simba.
AUGUST 2nd
The New Mutants – With the exit of one mutant franchise from Fox, another one debuts. As the name implies, the film is inspired by the 1980s Marvel title which brought a new generation into the fold. Though the trailer seems to heavily hint a much more horror focus than simply sci-fi action. In this post-Deadpool and Logan world, could an R-Rating be in store?
SEPTEMBER 9th
It Chapter 2 – We knew when the first film hit that this would be a two part story. Thankfully, that gamble paid off as It became a worldwide smash and became the highest grossing horror film of all time.
OCTOBER 4th
Joker – The much examined Joaquin Phoenix standalone film will be also star the legendary Robert De Niro. Not much is truly known about the film, and there is the underlying rumor that Phoenix may not even be the title character after all.
OCTOBER 11th
Addams Family – The classic comedic family is returning to the big screen, this time in animated form. Oscar Isaac voices Gomez, Charlize Theron voices Morticia, and Finn Wolfhard (another cast from Stranger Things) takes on Pugsley. An animated take may seem a bit odd to some, but it may actually be more faithful to the original comic strip that existed before the TV show.
NOVEMBER 1st
Untitled Terminator Film – Creator James Cameron is returning to the franchise that made him a household name. Linda Hamilton is returning to the role of Sarah Connor and Arnold Schwarzenegger is once again portraying a Terminator. Like Halloween before it, this film will ignore most of the previous films, and will be a direct sequel to 1991’s Terminator 2.
DECEMBER 20th
Star Wars Episode IX – Much like Avengers Endgame, there isn’t much to talk about that hasn’t already been said. Disney has confirmed that this will be the final episode of “The Skywalker Saga”. This implies that any future films will be unrelated, and may not have the classic scrolling text introduction. That said, what on Earth could possibly be the final shot of the nine episode saga?
Avengers Endgame Trailer, Elseworlds Review
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It’s a double whammy return to the airwave for Geekville Radio. Join Seth “Zandrax” Zillmann and “Crazy Train” Jonathan Bolick as they talk about the two giant stories in the comic superhero world.
Whammy #1 – The world is still buzzing over the first Avengers Endgame Trailer. What can we expect from some of the nuggets dropped in that teaser? How can Tony get saved? Could we see Rescue? Adam Warlock perhaps? And what about that reveal of Hawkeye as Ronin?
Whammy #2 – The CW did their annual “Arrowverse” crossover Elseworlds. While it was only three parts instead of the usual four, it did finally bring Lois Lane into the show, as well as introduced the CW viewers to Gotham City and Batwoman. With all the hints dropped at famous Batman villains, could we finally be seeing The Caped Crusader on CW Programming?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APl1IX34X50
All this and more in another fun-filled Geekville Radio
Geekville Radio #214: A Tribute To Stan Lee
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The importance of Stan Lee to the history of comic books and superheroes cannot be overstated. Lee was so influential, writers to this day may be borrowing from his storytelling style without even knowing it.
This special tribute edition of Geekville Radio is devoted to the life and career of The Generalissimo himself, Stan “The Man” Lee, who passed away earlier this week at the ripe young age of 95.
Seth is joined by Ken Rose and Kylan Toles of Geek Watch One, and Vernon McWain-Moore of DC SuperPowers, to pay tribute to the man who was the creative force behind Marvel Comics for so many years.
Some of the topics discussed include how, instead of the mega-hero like Superman, Stan Lee gave the world the “flawed hero”. He also was able to provide social commentary on the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s through The X-Men comics. And, of course, Stan popularized the “shared universe” where what happens in one title might affect characters in another title. All of these things are so commonplace in comics and movies today that people may not even realize that the very basis of The Marvel Cinematic Universe was brought to us by Stan Lee in the Silver Age of Marvel.
Here is the image of Stan from the 1970s that is discussed in the show
Geekville Radio #213: 10/26/2018
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This episode of Geekville Radio is dedicated to the memory of Gary Kurtz. Who, with the exception of George Lucas himself, may be the man most responsible for Star Wars getting made.
RIP Gary Kurtz
He will obviously best known for Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back, but he did have other titles to his credit. He also produced George’s first big hit, 1973’s American Graffiti, along with 1989’s Slipstream starring Mark Hamill and the late great Bill Paxton.
RIP Scott Wilson
Scott Wilson is probably best known to the current generation as Hershel in The Walking Dead. He was a regular series cast member in the first couple seasons. He also voiced Hershel for video game releases, and Robot Chicken. Hs career dates back to the mid 1960’s, and his first credited role according to IMDB is the original In The Heat Of The Night
Both Iron Fist and Luke Cage have been canceled by Netlfix
While it may not be surprising just for Iron Fist, fans were a little shocked at the cancellation of both Iron Fist and Luke Cage by Netflix. Both shows were well received, with Iron Fist almost universally praised as being a huge improvement over the first season. Especially when it comes to Finn Jones and fight choreography.
The big question is “Why both shows?”. Seth and Train can really only speculate, but there are a few possible reasons. Could this mean a Heroes For Hire show? Or even a Daughters Of The Dragon? And if so would it be for Netflix or Disney? Is it in either Netflix’s or Disney’s best interests to keep shows on Netflix, and not move them to Disney’s streaming service? And if they are Disney bound, than theoretically they could cross over with Agents Of SHIELD, another show that is rumored to move to Disney either next year or the year after.
On a side note, Seth and Train point out how Luke Cage can be considered the ‘White Meat Babyface” of the Netflix Marvel programming.
Kathleen Kennedy’s contract with LucasFilm has been renewed
Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Kathleen Kennedy will remain the president of Lucasfilm for at least three more years. There were rumors on other podcasts that she was on the chopping block and Disney was scrambling to find a replacement. That looks to not have been the case.
The only Star Wars movie currently in production is Episode IX. It will be the final “Episode”, and it will be marketed as such. There will be the aforementioned films by Game Of Thrones creators. Plus the Rian Johnson trilogy is still in development. So there will be no shortage of Star Wars on the big screen, despite the reported dialing back on films
One title that is absent from this list is the rumored Obi-Wan Kenobi film. We had reported a few months back that the film was set to begin filming in Ireland after Episode IX had wrapped. Just because that movie wasn’t mentioned, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is dead in the water.
When you look at the past films under her watch, several films did have some bumps along the way.
- Rogue One went through a direction change, with Tony Gilroy taking over to adjust what Gareth Edwards had done. However Edwards maintained Director credit.
- Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were outright fired from Solo and Ron Howard was hired to almost completely re-shoot the film. When you factor that in, it’s amazing it still made its release deadline.
- Colin Trevorrow left Episode IX and got replaced by JJ
It seems the only movies that DIDN’T have troubles were with Abrams and Johnson.
Jon Favreau’s Series
In other Star Wars news, Jon Favreau’s series The Mandalorian has begun filming. It of course will be one of the flagship shows on Disney’s upcoming streaming service, now called Disney Play.
While no cast or characters have been announced, the premise will be a few years after Return of The Jedi, but well before The Force Awakens. There will be no First Order as of yet.
Budget for the first season is rumored to be at $100 million dollars. However, no specific number of episodes have been confirmed. But for what it’s worth there is a picture confirming George Lucas himself visiting the set.
Kevin Feige will oversee X-Men movies
On the subject of Disney, Hollywood Reporter has also stated Kevin Feige will be overseeing future X-Men movies with the Disney purchase of Fox. Disney’s Bob Iger gave some key answers to questions about Fox-owned properties in the MCU
I think it only makes sense,” Iger said. “I want to be careful here because of what’s been communicated to the Fox folks, but I think they know. It only makes sense for Marvel to be supervised by one entity. There shouldn’t be two Marvels.
When asked about talent
Very good question. We’re going to take the best people from both companies and that’s who’s gonna basically be on the playing field for us. Meaning, talent will prevail. Fox Searchlight is a great example. You look at FX, NatGeo. Yeah, you’re buying libraries and brands, but you’re also buying the people. I’m not gonna talk about specific people right now except to say that I’ve met with virtually the entire senior management team at Fox and I’m not only fully engaged with them on what the possibilities for them might be but I’m excited about the prospects.
It would stand to reason that many of the characters may get re-cast. As much as fans may want it, they probably shouldn’t hold their breath for an onscreen meeting between Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds’s Deadpool.
The Next Spider-Man villain will be Mysterio
Jake Gyllenhaall was officially announced in the cast for Spider-Man Far From Home. He will be portraying Quentin Black, aka Mysterio. This will be the live-action film debut for the longtime Spider-Man villain. It’s also confirmed that Michael Keaton will be reprising the role of Adrian Toombs/Vulture. A leaked set photo shows Gyllenhaal in costume. Sadly, no “Fish Bowl Look”. At least not yet.
WB Crossover will be Elseworlds.
The annual CW “Flarrowverse” crossover will be titled Elseworlds. Entertainment Weekly reports that it will be a three part crossover, not the previous four part.
The Flash will kick it off on Sunday, which will be followed up by Arrow on Monday, and wrapped up with Supergirl on Tuesday. This breaks the previous pattern of Supergirl having the first part in the last two years.
It's OFFICIAL! This year's #DCTV crossover event will be titled "Elseworlds," coming to @CW_TheFlash, @CW_Arrow and @TheCWSupergirl this December! #Elseworlds pic.twitter.com/t31wimGska
— DC (@DCOfficial) September 26, 2018
While there will be no regular involvement with the Legends Of Tomorrow cast, it has been revealed that Superman will join in, and Lois Lane will make her debut.
In an unexpected turn, an official internet poster showed Stephen Amell in the Flash costume, and Grant Gustin in the Green Arrow threads.
Also notable is the name Nora Fries in the cast of characters. Nora is of course the ill-fated wife of Victor Fries, aka Mr. Freeze. When you factor that this will also serve as the introduction to Batwoman, it may be an indicator to the premise of the Batwoman series.
Supergirl made a regular habit of taking lesser known villains from Superman lore, and adapting classic Superman stories to fit The Girl Of Steel. Could this mean we’ll see some Batman villains on the small screen for Batwoman? Time will tell.
Finally, Train talks the major news surrounding the release of the long anticipated Read Dead Redemption 2. IGN gave the game a perfect 10 score. An act that is incredibly rare.
Are you in the Halloween spirit yet? If you need anything to scratch your Halloween itch, check out the latest episode of Examining The Dead. Train reviews the movie Train To Busan, and talk the outcome of the Friday The 13th lawsuit. And of course, Dan Wilson talks his new horror themed production company One Good Scare.
Crazy Train’s Halloween playlist is available on Spotify
Have any thoughts on these subjects? sound off below!
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!