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.
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
Doctor Who celebrated it’s 55th Anniversary this week! In honor of this landmark moment, here is a link to the very first Doctor Who episode, An Unearthly Child.
We’ve also linked our commentary track for the story, courtesy our podcast Examining The Doctor. Hosts Mark and Seth bring their signature blend of knowledge and humor to this all time classic story.
Don’t worry, just start the commentary first, and it will tell you when to start the TV episode. If you like what you hear, we have dozens more Doctor Who stories, both Classic and Modern (or “NewWho” to some fans), on our podcast Examining The Doctor.
Geekville Radio #216: Marvel and Star Wars Content for Disney
Thanksgiving may be coming to a close, but that doesn’t stop Geekville Radio from talking some fun news about the news.
Several shows have been announced for the Disney streaming service. In the Star Wars corner, Pedro Pascal (Oberyn Martell in Game Of Thrones) has been cast as one of the main characters in Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian. Former MMA star Gina Carano (Deadpool and Deadpool 2) has also been cast, presumably as another Mandalorian.
Diego Luna will reprise the role of Cassian Andor in a yet untitled Rogue One prequel series. It is unclear how long before the Rogue One movie the series will take place in, or whether any of the other members of the film’s cast will be part of the show.
This is in addition to a seventh season of the fan favorite Clone Wars series, which will presumably depict the fates of several characters. Disney has already teased a reunion between Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker. Fans of the series may recall Ahsoka leaving the Jedi order in the final episode of Season Five.
On the Marvel front, a series starring Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier and Anthony Mackie as Falcon has been greenlit according to Slashfilm. This is in addition to a Scarlet Witch show with Elizabeth Olsen, and (perhaps the most anticipated) a Loki series with non other than Tom Hiddleston.
It is worth mentioning that all of these series look to be limited series, and not full seasons. So expect something more along the lines of a 4-8 episode season you might see on Netflix than the usual 22-26 episodes you might see on TV.
Marvel head Kevin Fiege will be directly involved in the series, which is not the case for Agents Of SHIELD on ABC. Coincidentally, Agents Of SHIELD has been renewed for a 7th season. Yes, you read that correctly. a SEVENTH season when the sixth hasn’t even aired yet.
Over in the DC side of things, James Gunn has officially been hired by Warner Bros. in a move that shouldn’t surprise many who have been following the story. Gunn will likely write and possibly direct Suicide Squad 2. Coincidentally, Disney will still be using Gunn’s script for Guardians Of The Galaxy 3.
The title of the long rumored Harley Quinn/Birds Of Prey film has been announced. The current official title is Birds Of Prey: And The Totally Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn.
Ewan McGregor has been cast as Black Mask, who will likely be the film’s central villain. Birds Of Prey has been a title over the years for a street-level female team. The team usually consists of some mixture of Huntress, Black Canary, Batgirl, an Catwoman. Poison Ivy and Harley have been in the series at different times.
In the final segment, Crazy Train reviews Red Dead Redemption 2. The long anticipated title has set a record for its opening weekend. With $725 million, the Western title beats out Avengers: Infinity War in opening weekend grossing.
This review may contain opinions that might not be the norm when talking about this massively popular game. In fact, the amount of realism of the game can be a deterrent at times. Take this headline
All this and more in another fun-filled Geekville Radio!
As always we are on iTunes, Stitcher, and many of your favorite podcasts devices. Let us know what you think. Let us know what you want to hear! Give us a review if you can.
Stan Lee, The Generalissimo of Marvel who taught us to say “EXCELSIOR!” and “‘Nuff Said!”
Sometimes one tribute just isn’t enough, True Believers! Geekville Radio is back with a second tribute to the late great Stan “The Man” Lee. This time, Crazy Train joins to share his thoughts on meeting Stan in the 1970s.
In addition, Seth and Train talk about the creation of the Comics Code in the 1950s, and how that shaped the image of comic books for several years. Then, with the resurgence of superheroes, how Stan was able to both abide by and challenge the Code with some of his stories. Including an anti-drug story that still couldn’t be printed under the Comics Code due to it depicting drug use.
Train also talks the VHS Video series from the early 90s where Stan Lee talked to some of the all time greats, as well as then newcomers like Todd McFarlane.
Seth gives a musical analogy, placing Stan on the level of a Chuck Berry or Carl Perkins, where people practicing guitar today may be playing their riffs without even realizing it. Similar to how a lot of tropes in comic books that are taken for granted now were established by Stan in the first place. The flawed hero, the “shared universe”, and the social commentary are all things Stan brought to the table.
Train also shares a story of seeing Roy play with BJ Thomas and Sylvia in the 1970s, which gives a unique appreciation for Roy’s amazing ability to entertain on the spot.
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.
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
Hi-Yo Silver! The mysterious masked man who has been an icon to TV and radio has made his way to the Geekville Radio Lesser Known Geek Hall Of Fame!
“What?” you may ask. “You said this is the LESSER Known Geek Hall Of Fame. Everybody has heard of The Lone Ranger. Why are you doing a show about a character everybody has heard about?”
That is a very good question. While it is true that the vast majority of people have probably heard of The Lone Ranger, how much is actually known about him? Do you know who the Ranger is? Do you know why he is called The Lone Ranger?
Seth “Zandrax” Zillmann and “Crazy Train” Jonathan Bolick open the doors to the Hall Of Fame to answer those questions and more.
The story of The Lone Ranger starts in Detroit Michigan during the 1930s. George W. Trendle, a lawyer, businessman, and overall renaissance man had invested in several Nickelodeon and movie theaters. In fact, he co-owned about 20 movie theaters in the Detroit area. When competition started rising in the theater industry, he sold the theaters for apprimately six million dollars. That’s six million not adjusted for inflation. Six million in 1930 dollars.
After leaving the theater business, George invested in the radio business. He bought the CBS affiliate radio station WGHP, and changed it to WXYZ (“The last word in radio”). Radio was arguably the biggest entertainment media at the time, since the television would not become a mainstay for another decade or two.
Trendle knew he had to have programming. Radio plays were popular forms of entertainment, so it made perfect sense for WXYZ to have their own shows. Westerns were a popular genre, so the chances were good that a Western themed show would be a hit with audiences. However, he would need actors to perform the stories. But he wouldn’t be able to get actors to perform the stories if he didn’t have stories in the first place. And in order to have stories, he would need characters to write the stories about.
Enter Fran Striker, a writer from New York. He had actually written radio shows before, even some in the Western genre. Who exactly did what to create the The Lone Ranger can be debated, but the official credit goes to Trendle. Striker was then hired to write the episodes, a duty that Striker would continue for the next several years in many forms of media.
The rest, as they say, is history. Trendle went down in history as the creator of arguably the greatest Old West hero of all time. Striker would find steady work writing stories. And, most of all, fans would enjoy these stories on the radio, TV, print, even the movie theater.
What may surprise many people who may not know the full history of The Lone Ranger is his direct relation to another famous crimefighter who became an icon of his own.
