Every few years, Marvel does something to refresh the X-Men franchise. This summer brings two new X-Men titles, House Of X, and Powers Of X. Both set to be written by Jonathan Hickman.
As usual, Marvel was tight lipped over what will happen, but the presentation did have an interesting piece of art showing many characters from, as they put it “Past, Present, and Future”.
Official artwork for House Of X and Powers Of X hint characters from the Past, Present, and Future
This time around, Carnage is hunting down everybody who has EVER used a symbiote suit. This means not just Peter Parker, Eddie Brock, or the other usual suspects. Even The Guardians Of The Galaxy, Deadpool, and dinosaurs are potential targets.
Admittedly, I could only think of about 20 off the bat, but there were others who fit the bill of using a symbiote
Peter Parker (obviously)
Eddie Brock
John Jameson (He brought symbiotes to Earth in the first place)
Ben Reilly (Spider-Carnage)
Scorpion
Scream
Flash Thompson (dead, but dead characters always come back in comics)
Norman Osborn
Dr. Octopus
Maniac
Toxin
Scream
Punisher
Deadpool
Captain Marvel/Ms. Marvel
Hybrid
Silver Surfer
Knull
I’m curious how Carnage would last against those last two, wince their cosmic level characters
The others that I forgot were (and this is by no means a complete list)
Wolverine
Rocket Raccoon
Groot
Drax
Gwen Stacy
Thunderbolt Ross
Tony Stark (if artificial symbiotes count)
Not only that, the special variant covers seem to imply other Marvel heroes may bond with symbiotes. Including Captain America, Black Panther, and Thor.
It’s a mega-sized collection of news on this episode of Geekville Radio. Seth “Zandrax” Zillmann and “Crazy Train” Jonathan Bolick return to talk some of the major headlines
Perhaps the biggest news, possibly even bigger than the obvious Star Wars distribution rights, is the Fox owned Marvel properties that can now be incorporated into the MCU.
The most obvious addition would be that of The X-Men. One of fans’ biggest complaints about the MCU is it never incorporated Marvel’s famous mutants. Now, that plethora of of characters can be introduced in Phase Four.
The other Fox owned Marvel property is The Fantastic Four. While the three movies may not have been as successful as most MCU movies, two characters linked to that specific brand could easily become major players as villains in future films. Those are of course Doctor Doom and Galactus.
While many fans are understandably thrilled about this, it is very possible there may be some major changes in store for the franchise.
First off, it is not a given that the existing X-Men actors will carry over into The MCU. And yes, that includes Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Despite already having five films’ worth of Spider-Man films, Marvel still recast Tom Holland in the role.
There is also the possibility that, by using the same actors, continuity just would be less sensical. After all, if the X-Men movies are considered part of the MCU, why didn’t The Avengers assist with any of those world-threatening situations.
Deadpool may stay according to reports, though as Train points out, the studio change may legally be a recasting of the role to Ryan Reynolds, just under a new company.
Disney/Fox Merger and Star Wars (19:20)
Another fan friendly wish that may become a reality is the re-release of the Original Trilogy, aka “Non-Special Editions”, Star Wars films. As discussed before, Fox owned the distribution rights to Star Wars. Thus, any theater or home video release could only be through Fox, unless some deal was worked out with Disney. That of course is no longer an obstacle.
Disney Rehires James Gunn (32:10)
Disney announced the return of director James Gunn to Guardians Of The Galaxy vol. 3. Was the reaction to past controversial tweets overblown? Did Disney cave? Was it just trolls? Or did they have this planned all along? There is evidence for all of these possibilities.
Gunn will still be writing and directing Suicide Squad 2, so Guardians 3 will have to wait for that project to finish before it starts filming.
Oliver Queen himself revealing that Arrow is coming to an end
We already know that Crisis on Infinite Earthswill be next years crossover. We also know they’ve been teasing Crisis since the pilot episode of Flash.
In the comics, Flash and Supergirl die during Crisis. Does this mean their respective TV shows will end as well?
Speaking of deaths, Oliver Queen did die in the DC Universe, but was brought back by Hal Jordan as Spectre. So it is very possible that Ollie may bite the big one, and be brought back in some capacity later on.
Bill And Ted 3 (52:40)
The last segment off the show is devoted to the long-awaited confirmation that a third Bill An Ted movie, now titled Bill And Ted Face The Music, has begun filming. Could a sequel to a 30 year old cult classic work in mainstream 2019?
As always, we welcome your thoughts on all these stories. Let us know in the comments section or on our social media
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.
Captain Marvel is a character that has a lot of history, not the least of which has been that there have been multiple publishers laying claim to the name. This episode of Geekville Radio hopes to clear up several things about the character.
The differences between Captain Marvels over the years
The different Captain Marvels in Marvel Comics
The character of Carol Danvers, and the significance of her big screen appearance
Seth “Zandrax” Zillmann, “Crazy Train” Jonathan Bolick, and special guest “Leadbase” Nic Feutz try to bring any new fans up to speed on who Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers is.
First, a history lesson!
Captain Marvel (no, the OTHER Captain Marvel…)
Back in 1939, Fawcett Comics created a character called Captain Marvel, who had superpowers such as flight, super speed, and super strength. DC Comics sued Fawcett, claiming copyright infringement on Superman, who also had many similar abilities. The legal proceedings lasted YEARS, but the courts eventually sided with Fawcett, stating DC did not properly maintain their copyright claims.
One of the fundamental differences between Superman and Captain Marvel was that Superman’s powers were based on him being an alien, whereas Marvel’s powers were magic based. All Billy Batson had to do was yell the word “Shazam!” and he became Captain Marvel.
The original Captain Marvel, who would eventually go on to be known as Shazam
Fawcett, tired of years of legal proceedings, stopped publishing Captain Marvel titles and got out of the comics business entirely in the 1950s.
DC eventually bought out Fawcett’s comic properties, meaning they gained control of all the Fawcett characters. This of course included Billy Batson and Captain Marvel.
But wait, it gets better…
Yet ANOTHER company, MF Enterprises, started publishing their own Captain Marvel title in 1966. Unlike Fawcett, MF’s Captain Marvel was an android who looked nothing like a superhero. This version was nowhere near as popular, and was canned after a few issues.
When it comes to impressive powers, dismembering ones self ranks low on the scale
By the 1970s, DC was all ready to produce stories about their Captain Marvel. Except there’s one problem. Marvel Comics had registered the actual term Captain Marvel. That’s right, the name “Captain Marvel” had not, up to this point, gone through the proper copyright procedures.
This is the part of the real life story that many comic fans know. In the end, DC agreed to not refer to their character as Captain Marvel as long as Marvel published stories with their Captain Marvel. Since the word “Shazam” was so closely linked to DC’s property, DC’s version would start regularly being referred to as Shazam.
Marvel’s Captain Marvel
So that brings us to Marvel’s Captain Marvel, and the character about to be introduced to the masses in the latest blockbuster MCU film of the same name. What do people need to know about Captain Marvel?
The Kree
First and foremost, Captain Marvel is closely associated with the alien race The Kree. Fans of the ABC series Agents Of SHIELDhave seen the story develop about The Kree. As we’ll see in the film, The Kree are a militaristic race that have been at war with another race, The Skrulls, for millennia. While Skrulls are generally looked at as the villains, the war has been going on so long that neither race is truly considered “good” anymore.
The Kree have cosmic abilities, which means any Captain Marvel will as well. The Skrulls aren’t nearly as cosmically powered, but they do have the ability to shapeshift. This has lead to stories where famous characters have been revealed to have been Skrulls for years. These stories have lead to mixed receptions from fans.
Mar-Vell
Mar-Vell: The first Captain Marvel was, incidentally enough, named Mar-Vell. This is the only incarnation to have Stan Lee’s name connected to it. He and Gene Colan created the character in the mid 1960s.
Monica Rambeau
Monica Rambeau: The second Captain Marvel was Monica Rambeau, created by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr. This was the Captain throughout the 1980s.
Genis-Vell: The son of Mar-Vell took over the mantle in 1993. Created by Ron Marz and Ron Lim, this is the look that a lot of fans probably remember.
Phyla-Vell: Genis’s sister, created by Peter David and Paul Azaceta
Khn’nr: A skrull posing as Mar-Vell during the Secret Invasion storyline. This may or may not be what will happen with Jude Law in the movie. Khn’nr was created by Paul Jenkins and Tom Raney.
Noh-Varr: The last Captain before Carol, and was one of the Dark Avengers. Created by Grant Morrison and JG Jones.
And that brings us to Carol Danvers
Carol Danvers may be like the seventh Captain Marvel to come along, but she was a fixture in the Marvel Universe long before that. In fact, the character is over 50 years old.
She first appeared in 1968 as an Air Force security officer, and was an ally of the original Captain Mar-Vell. In the 1970s, she became Ms. Marvel. This is the name most associated with her throughout her run. The pilot aspect comes from the Ultimate Universe
Carol Danvers as Ms. Marvel, her previous name before Captain Marvel
She is a Human/Kree hybrid, which allows her to have the Kree abilities, while still keeping her human appearance. In the 2000s, she was also known as Warbird, and as Binary.
Her main powers include super strength, flight, and the ability to survive in space without air. Over time, she developed a “seventh sense” ability to see into the near future. As Binary, she also gained an energy absorption power. Simply put, she can absorb energy and dissipate it back out.
Boycott Controversy
Seth, Train, and Leadbase dive into the controversial news surrounding the film’s release. They do not take political stances when we talk about things like this, but there are things that are pretty hard to ignore.
Rotten Tomatoes “Want To see” ratings have been disabled due to negative reviews
While it can’t be proven, it’s a pretty safe bet that some, if not most, of these reviews are “troll” reviews by people without any real narrative
A lot of people are making blanketed statements when discussing these reviews
A lot of male Marvel fans have been wanting a Black Widow movie for years
No large scale boycott of Wonder Woman happened with male fans
Alita Battle Angel has been readily praised as a good example of a woman in a sci-fi action lead role
A perfect example of “trolling”.
One other thing worth mentioning, we had this poll on our Facebook page asking people if they were planning on seeing Captain Marvel this weekend. After approximately 150 votes, it was still 57% to 43% in favor.
In the last segment of the show, Nic gives a detailed (SPOILERS!) review of Alita: Battle Angel, and gives comparisons to the Captain Marvel controversy regarding content
If you want to hear more about the “Strong Female Character” types, check out our second episode entitled “Warriors Of Estrogen” linked below
The Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame #4: The Green Hornet
The latest entry in Geekville Radio’s Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame is The Green Hornet. Many fans remember the 1966 TV show with Van Williams and Bruce Lee, but did you know that the character had existed for 30 years before that TV show? Join Seth and Crazy Train as they discuss the long storied history of the character, and the surprising lineage back to the fictional Old West.
The Green Hornet was created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, the same creators as The Lone Ranger. Like before, the character was originally conceived for radio serials. We previously discussed both men in our previous episode about The Lone Ranger.
Radio Origins
After the success of The Lone Ranger, Trendle and Striker looked to create another hero to add to their radio drama lineup. They opted for a contemporary hero, as The Lone Ranger was a Western.
The Green Hornet first aired on Jan 31st, 1936 for WXYZ radio. The origins of the character remain in line with many of the characters we’ve discussed so far. A wealthy individual who had a secret identity as a crimefighter. In this case, it was newspaper publisher Britt Reid, who donned a mask and took on crime lords as The Green Hornet.
Much like The Lone Ranger, Green Hornet had a partner who knew his identity and complimented his style. The Ranger had Tonto, The Hornet had Kato. Also, the show used actual classical pieces for theme and incidental music. In this case, the music was “Flight Of The Bumblebee” by Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov .
Britt Reid’s father Dan had inherited a silver mine, which was used to fund a newspaper called The Daily Sentinel. If you listened to the last show, you will know the significance of that silver mine. That’s right, Dan Reid’s uncle was John Reid, aka The Lone Ranger. Which makes Britt The Ranger’s grand nephew.
While traveling in The Orient, Britt Reid saved the life of a man named Kato. Kato would go on to be Britt’s partner in crimefighting. He was also a master engineer and a martial artist. This complimented Britt’s intellect and detective skills. Plus, Britt used guns that would stun opponents, as his fighting skills were inferior to Kato’s.
During the 1940s, Kato’s nationality was quietly changed from Japanese to Korean due to fear that a Japanese hero during World War II would cause a backlash. We’ll touch more on that later when discussing the comic book titles.
Kato and Britt tricked out Britt’s limo, and dubbed it Black Beauty. While no model of car was given for the radio show, it likely was a very large automobile since it was a limousine.
When he first started fighting crime, Britt had no gimmick and no mask. He and Kato were out in The Black Beauty when a gunfight broke out between rival gangs, ending in a fatal shooting. The Police noticed The Black Beauty speeding away. Since the car was at the scene of the crime, Britt was concerned that if he kept using it, he would be linked to the crime. This is when he donned the mask and became The Green Hornet.
In an interesting twist, Hornet did not overtly fight crime. He built a reputation as a criminal, using the connections he would get to secretly bring the criminals to justice. Only Kato and the District Attorney knew that Hornet was a crime fighter and not a criminal himself.
After 15 years of crime fighting, Britt retired in the early 1950s
When NOW comics got the licensing in 1989, they retconned the character’s history to fit different generations. More on that later.
Movie Serials
Much like The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet was adapted to movie serials. Trendle did not like the treatments The Ranger got, so he went to Universal Pictures for Hornet. Two serials were produced, The Green Hornet in 1940, and The Green Hornet Strikes Again in 1941.
TV Show
After the success of the classic 1960s Adam West Batman series, aGreen Hornet series was produced, which ran for a single season in 1966. Van Williams was cast in the lead role of Britt Reid. Unlike Batman, which was designed to be comedic in nature, The Green Hornet was played for drama. As a result, it wasn’t remembered as fondly as The Caped Crusader’s show
The series is probably now best known for being Bruce Lee’s first major acting role as Kato. But it also had a crossover episode with Batman, where the two heroes met onscreen.
A link to the previous radio show was provided through the character of Mike Axford. During the radio show run, Axford worked for The Daily Sentinel. In the TV pilot episode, Axford tells Britt about the old days when he knew Britt’s father. This implied that the TV Britt was the offspring of the radio incarnation.
When the TV show ended, the character faded into relative obscurity for the next two decades. Though the TV version of The Black Beauty, depicted as a Chrysler Crown Imperial, gained a following with car enthusiasts.
Comic Book Adaptions
There were several attempts over the years to publish Green Hornet comics, starting in the 1940s. They did not sell nearly as well as those of The Lone Ranger, and didn’t last more than a year or two at a time.
When NOW comics started publishing Green Hornet comics in 1989, they released a four volume series Tales Of The Green Hornet. This retconned the TV series Britt Reid to be the nephew of the original, and established the new incarnation, Paul Reid, as the son of the TV version. Van Williams, star of the TV show, even wrote a few issues about his character’s run.
The Lone Ranger connection remained intact during the NOW run. However, due to potential legal issues over the likeness, the name was never used.
Kato’s history was also addressed in the NOW series. It was explained that Britt lied about Kato’s heritage out of fear that he’d be sent an internment camp during WWII.
It’s also worth noting that the miniseries killed off the original Britt Reid due to a betrayal by District Attorney Frank Scanlon, who revealed the identity to an enemy.
Like The Lone Ranger, Green Hornet is not the property of any specific comic publisher, it is self owned and licensed out. Currently, Dynamite comics has the publishing license. Recently, Dynamite did their own crossover with DC Comic’s Batman that was written by Kevin Smith
2011 Movie
Seth Rogan co-wrote and starred in a Green Hornet feature film. It was a complete reboot with no real connection to any previous incarnation, sans Black Beauty remaining a 1960s Chrysler. Unlike the TV show and radio serials, it was intended to be a comedic action film.
While the movie did well at the box office, it failed to perform enough to warrant a sequel.
What do you think, readers and listeners? Do you have any Green Hornet opinions? Feel free to share your thoughts below or on our social media pages!
This edition of Geekville Radio’s Nostalgia Trip is devoted to the 1960s pop sensation The Monkees. While the TV show may have only lasted for two seasons, it has been revered for generations as an inspiration for mixing music, video, and comedy. It also enjoyed years of success in syndication.
The Monkees were a made for TV band in 1966, partially in response to BeatleMania and the successful movie A Hard Day’s Night. They were all cast and given band member roles by the studio. They were not a band that formed organically. As such, there have been misconceptions and misinterpretations about the group over the years. This show hopes to straighten out some of those misconceptions.
THE MONKEES
Micky Dolenz – Born in LA in 1945, he grew up in an entertainment family. Micky broke into showbiz at the age of 11 when he starred in a children’s show called Circus Boy under the name Micky Braddock. While he could play guitar, he wound up being cast as the drummer for the TV show. Due to a medical condition, he set up his drum kit in a unique way. The bass pedal was set up for left-handed playing, while the rest of the kit was set up for playing right-handed.
Dolenz could also be considered the one that stayed the most active after The Monkees broke up. He did continue acting and making music. in the 1970’s Micky auditioned to be Fonzie before the role was given to Henry Winkler.
Perhaps his most known role outside of The Monkees is the voice of Arthur from the original 1990s animated series The Tick.
Dolenz of course sang lead for the band’s first hit “Last Train To Clarkesville”, which many people may not know is about a man shipping off to fight in The Vietnam War. But a song that was almost entirely his brainchild, “Randy Scouse Git”, appeared on Headquarters. That song had to be renamed in UK releases due to the vulgar nature of the term (it translates to “horny British boy”).
Davy Jones – The youngest of the groups, born in December 1945 in Manchester. Arguably the most popular, especially with the ladies. He usually wound up singing the romantic ballads as a result. Usually depicted onscreen as a percussionist, carrying a tambourine or maracas.
Davy did have some measure of fame before being cast in The Monkees. He was a professional singer who had received awards for live musicals. He also appeared on the very same episode of The Ed Sullivan Show that introduced The Beatles.
Jones will probably be best remembered for singing what may be The Monkees’ biggest hit, “Daydream Believer”. That appeared on the fifth and final album of the series, The Birds, The Bees, & The Monkees.
Sadly, Davy passed away in February 2012 of a heart attack.
Peter Tork – Born in Washington DC in February 1942, Peter was the oldest of the four. Tork wound up playing the “straight man” of the group, and would often be setting up the jokes rather than making them himself. His father was a college professor, and Peter himself has always been a bit of an intellectual.
He started playing piano at age nine, and went on to learn several other instruments. While he was a young man, Peter befriended then aspiring musician Stephen Stills, mostly known for Buffalo Springfield, and being the Stills in Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. As luck would have it, Stills had auditioned to be a Monkee before Peter knew about the opportunity. Stills was rejected due to not being photogenic enough for TV. Stills then recommended the creators look at Peter Tork. “And the rest” Tork would say “is a hysterectomy”
In a bit of irony, Tork may have been the one with the greatest amount of musical talent. Yet onscreen he was cast as being a bass player. Plus, his role in the show was more of a straight man who could be fooled, despite being a real life intellectual.
Tork is probabably the one that sang the least often. In fact, only one Monkees song from the original run featured Peter on lead vocals. That being “Your Auntie Grizelda” off the second album More Of The Monkees.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp_eI23YFZY
That said, it’s worth noting that Peter did help write a few songs. Most notably “For Pete’s Sake” which became the closing theme music., though it’s commonly misidentified as “In This Generation”. He also did the music arrangement for arguably their biggest hit, “Daydream Believer”.
Michael Nesmith – Born on December 1942 in Texas, Nesmith is a bonafide southerner. Though cast as a quieter goofball, he often wound up being the smartest guy in the room.
Nesmith had recorded songs previously under the name Michael Blessing, and had experience writing songs. One of his songs was “Different Drum”, which became a hit for The Stone Poneys that launched the career of a young Linda Ronstadt.
Mike’s onscreen gimmick was his constant wearing of a snowcap. He wore the cap during his audition, and the producers liked the look. In reality, Mike truly grew to hate the snowcap look. He and Peter Tork were also the ones most vocal about wanting to play their own instruments
After The Monkees, Nesmith became quite the renaissance man. He started a video company that produced movies and comedy videos like Elephant Parts. In 1980, he started a TV show called PopClips, which would wind up being the direct precursor to MTV. On top of that, his mother had created the solution that would become Liquid Paper.
Among some of the Hollywood films Nesmith produced are Repo Man and Timerider.
Nesmith’s song “Papa Gene’s Blues” was one of the rare exceptions on the first album to be written and produced by a band member.
MUSIC
While everything started with a TV sitcom, music was produced simultaneously by producers like Don Kirschner. Professional songwriters were used to write most of the songs on the first two albums. A lot of the music was recorded by the infamous studio group The Wrecking Crew for the first two albums.
It is true is the band did not play instruments on the first two albums, The Monkees and More Of The Monkees. The reasons why were simple. One, they were doing the TV show, and for productions’ sake, they could just go into the studio and lay down vocals rather than spend the extra time rehearsing. And two, the songs needed to sound like a band that had been together for years. And guys that just met each other the same year just flat out aren’t going to be in sync, let alone do much songwriting.
The onscreen depiction of the band had Mike on guitar, Micky on drums, and Peter Tork on bass. The irony is Peter Tork may have been the most musically inclined of all of them. Davy was usually depicted as percussion (tamborine or maracas), but he did play instruments here and there. Micky did have to learn drums, as he was more of a guitarist. Davy had told the story that when they were asked who is going to be the drummer, he, Mike, and Peter all took a step back leaving Micky alone”.
Communication about when the albums would be released and what singles would be used was not discussed much between the label and the band. There was an infamous story of The Monkees doing live appearances shortly after the first album was released. Fans would tell them “We got your new album”… to which confused the group as they only knew of one album. It turned out the second album More Of The Monkees had been produced and released without their knowledge..
Most of the early hits were mostly written by other songwriters
Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart – “Monkees Theme”, “Last Train To Clarkesville”
Neil Diamond – “I’m A Believer”, “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You”
John Stewart (not THAT John Stewart) – “Daydream Believer”
Carole King and Gerry Coffin – “Pleasant Valley Sunday”
Some critics do not seem to consider The Monkees a “real band”, due to them being assembled. But the truth is that type of practice was not uncommon at all in the entertainment business. Studios have assembled singing groups for decades, and it’s still being done to this day. How were The Spice Girls formed? The Backstreet Boys? New Kids On The Block?
The third album, Headquarters, was the first to feature the band playing their own instruments. It is looked at by many music historians as an important album in history due to this fact. By this time, Chip Douglas had been hired as producer. He also took over most of the bass playing. The album sold well, though subsequent albums sold significantly less than these first three.
The Monkees themselves had said if they could do it over again, the lineup would be Peter on guitar, Mike on bass, Davy on drums and Micky as a frontman. That would have played to all their strengths. The music video to the song “Words” depicts this lineup.
TV SHOW
The show ran for two full seasons from September 1966 to March of 1968. The show did decline in the second season, due to the reaction that the boys weren’t really a band. In addition, there were creative differences. The band wanted to do more than just screwball comedy, and wanted to turn the show into more of a variety show. During that time, variety shows like The Ed Sullivan Show were extremely popular.
Some of the musicians who auditioned for the show did wind up with succesful music careers. There was the aforementioned Stephen Stills, as well as Paul Williams.
Here is a highlight reel of the auditions and screen tests the guys went through
HEAD
The group made their first and only feature film in 1968. Head was releaseed to change the band’s image. In fact, there was a marketing campaign that didn’t even mention the band was in the movie. The opening scene of the band jumping off the bridge was to symbolize the “death and rebirth” of their careers. Jack Nicholson (yes THAT Jack Nicholson) helped write and produce the film. The title Head came about because if there was a sequel, it would be marketed as “From the people that gave you Head”.
The movie is notable for having several different cameos. Among the celebrities who appear:
Green Bay Packers Linebacker Ray Nitschke has a cameo playing a football player in the trenches of Vietnam.
Teri Garr in her first feature film
Sonny Liston in a boxing match with Davy
Annete Funicello as a spectator in said boxing match
Ronald Reagan, then Governor of California, in a news clip
Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper as film crew
Tor Johnson as a guard (his final onscreen appearance)
While Head may have been a colossal failure at the box office, it would up gaining cult status for its outlandishness. From a musical standpoint, it did feature a live rendition of the song “Circle Sky”, in which they sing and play every note in one take.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWi_63q58CQ
In closing, there is an opinion from many fans that The Monkees are worthy to be included in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Only time will tell if that opinion will become fact.
If you have any thoughts on The Monkees, whether it be the show, the music, or anything else, we’d love to hear them. Sound off below!
The internet is buzzing about a discovery credited to a Reddit thread which claims Balance Of The Force is on the official Star Wars page. Could this be the title of Episode IX? As of this recording, there has been no official confirmation or denial from Disney or LucasFilm. However, the name “Balance Of The Force” goes back at least a couple decades.
As many fans who remember the mid-90s may attest, the term Balance Of The Force is nothing new to the Star Wars Universe. In fact, it was the heavily rumored title for Episode I going all the way back to when the prequels were announced.
Balance Of The Force was rumored to be the title for Episode I
Mace Windu of course uses the term when discussing Anakin with Qui-Gon Jinn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeAAjRVjPxA
It wouldn’t be the first time that a title may have been considered but discarded. When the initial teaser trailer for Return Of The Jedi was released, it had the title Revenge Of The Jedi. George Lucas changed his mind and renamed the movie Return Of The Jedi due to revenge not being a Jedi trait.
Flash forward 22 years, and Episode III got the name Revenge Of The Sith.
In the prequels, it was hinted that destroying the Sith would bring Balance To The Force. Vader accomplished the task by destroying Emperor Palpatine in Episode VI. But was that really bringing balance? Or could it be a balance on how The Force is interpreted? The Jedi and Sith had their own skewed ways of looking at The Force. As said in an excerpt from Episode 35, RealMarchHare and Leadbase talk about what “balance” might mean, and that it could mean a Neutral stance.
There is reason to believe that the title may not be Balance Of The Force after all, as there was a digital pinball game released with that name. Giving a movie the same name as an unrelated video game would seem a bit counterpoductive.
What do you think about the name Balance Of The Force? What do you think it would mean? Sound off below or on our Facebook and Twitter Page.
Flashback to 2015 for some football fever superhero talk. Seth “Zandrax” Zillmann, “Crazy Train” Jonathan Bolick, and “Uncle Greg” Ochaba make a football team entirely out of superheroes (AND villains). It’s a perfect discussion for fellow comic book fans at a Big Game Party.
Could Thor play Quarterback? Should Hulk be Offensive or Defensive line?
All these positions and many more in this Flashback Episode of Geekville Radio!
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.
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?
Seth “Zandrax” Zillmann and “Crazy Train” Jonathan Bolick return for the first full-fledged Geekville Radio episode for 2019!
Black Panther Nabs Best Picture Nomination
Historical news hit this week with Black Panther getting an Academy Award Nomination for Best Picture. It is very rare for a Geek movie, especially a superhero one, to get any consideration outside of technological achievement. While Seth and Train agree that it will likely not win the coveted prize, it is still a huge achievement for such a movie to even get nominated.
Finally, Seth and Train discuss all these reboots, remakes, and sequels that have been made lately. Why is it some are great while others fall short? And why could some of these movies work then and not work now?
With all this 80s talk, it’s only fitting Train gives a 1980’s One Hit Wonder Spotify playlist.
All this and more in another fun-filled episode of Geekville Radio.
