Ep. 034 – ‘Ready Player One’ Movie Review, Part 1
Ready Player One is so stuffed with pop-culture references, and our derision so strong for this hollow exercise, we can’t even fit our review into one Nerdstalking episode! Log in and listen to Part. 1 of our review as we slag director Steven Spielberg for not understanding video games, knock the world-building of the film as being as shaky as the Stacks, and lament about the lack of heart in the film, among other complaints. And you might even find a couple of positive comments in here too; consider them the Easter eggs you have to search for. As usual here at Nerdstalking, we give the movie a thorough going over and dive deep into what it is and what it means, so also be on the search for MANY, MANY SPOILERS!
Show Notes:
01:19 – Will they start patching movies next?
03:37 – Steven Spielberg: out of touch.
05:59 – Bill’s favourite line of the movie.
07:33 – The real problem with video games these days.
11:27 – A case study in better world-building: Alexander Payne’s Downsizing.
19:58 – Would the kids of this near-future give a shit about all this retro stuff?
29:31 – Missing in action: any character arcs.
36:13 – The movie lacks a solid heart.
41:51 – So much exposition!
43:24 – The best part of the movie: the Shining sequence.
Thanks for listening! Tune in next week for the conclusion!
Trailer for Ready Player One – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixWL1BWi44U
A video detailing 138 different pop-culture references in the movie – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYmfEx3taAM
Author of the novel, Ernest Cline, reveals every video game reference in the book – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zglevXKpJGY
Connect With Your Nerdstalkers:
Bill Hunter – writer, and creator of video game history website The Dot Eaters
Chadwick Gendron – writer, musician and creator of the Canadian Culture Thing
Our Website: http://nerdstalking.com/
Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NerdstalkingPod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nerdstalking/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdstalking/
Ep. 033 – Animated Movie Classic ‘Heavy Metal’
Chad and Bill take a look back at a cult movie classic: the animated epic Heavy Metal. We examine its impact over the years, and break it down segment by segment. Smoke a bowl and join us on a fantastic magical mystery ride (with boobs!).
Show Notes:
04:05 – The ultimate stoner movie.
08:18 – What does it all mean?
12:13 – Captain Sternn’s Hanover Fiste as Paul Ryan.
14:54 – The movie’s magazine roots.
16:22 – Elon Musk: Big fan of Heavy Metal.
17:00 – Explanation of the central plot.
18:20 – Death rays and taxi cabs.
19:32 – A look at the Den sequence.
21:16 – So Beautiful, So Dangerous, and so much plutonium nyborg.
23:54 – STERNN!!!
27:24 – B-17.
32:08 – The deep impact of Heavy Metal.
32:50 – Help Chad kill a singer.
Thanks for listening!
Trailer for Heavy Metal –
Soft Landing sequence from the movie, with Elon Musk’s Spaceman edited in:
Oliver Jewellers TV ad: “The Cashman” – https://youtu.be/NSQVVHyvOZU
Connect With Your Nerdstalkers:
Bill Hunter – writer, and creator of video game history website The Dot Eaters
Chadwick Gendron – writer, musician and creator of the Canadian Culture Thing
Our Website: http://nerdstalking.com/
Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NerdstalkingPod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nerdstalking/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdstalking/
Ep. 032 – Lead-Up to ‘Ready Player One’ Movie Release
What happens if you take TRON, mix it with The Last Starfighter, and throw in a pinch of references to every SF movie and video game of the last 30 years or so? You get Steven Spielberg’s latest flick Ready Player One, based on Ernest Cline’s love-letter-to-videogames novel of the same name. We anticipate the release of the film with all the giddy glee of kids waiting in line for Back to the Future in 1985. Plus we celebrate Sam Rockwell’s 2018 Oscar win with a retrospective of his career, and take a look at Steven Soderbergh’s guerilla feature filmmaking iPhone experiment Unsane.
Show Notes:
01:01 – We start in on Ready Player One.
01:33 – E.T.‘s scrotum sack.
03:47 – Ready Player One compared to Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
07:38 – The nostagia train has left the station.
09:43 – Again with the Inception city-folding SFX.
11:58 – Ready Player One as TRON sequel.
15:13 – Where have you gone, Clint Eastwood of our youth?
17:26 – Sam Rockwell: real actor.
30:34 – Is Steven Soderbergh Unsane?
34:40 – Chad’s dangerous obsession with Downton Abbey.
Thanks for listening!
Pure Imagination, from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory –
The electronica version of Pure Imagination as used in the Ready Player One trailer –
Trailer for Who Framed Roger Rabbit? –
Bill’s article on the history of the movie TRON, at The Dot Eaters –
Bill’s article on the history of The Last Starfighter, at The Dot Eaters –
Connect With Your Nerdstalkers:
Bill Hunter – writer, and creator of video game history website The Dot Eaters
Chadwick Gendron – writer, musician and creator of the Canadian Culture Thing
Our Website: http://nerdstalking.com/
Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NerdstalkingPod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nerdstalking/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdstalking/
Ep. 032 – ‘WarGames’ Reboot, ‘Black Lightning’ TV Show and More
This episode looks at the classic cold-war computer hacker film WarGames, and the new interactive reboot based on the property. We also shine some light on the other black superhero, DC’s Black Lightning, found on Netflix. Lastly, Chad latches onto the inexplicable Venom teaser trailer and tries to make some Spidey sense of it.
Show Notes:
00:56 – We start with WarGames.
04:43 – A description of the reboot, and a look at the original movie.
06:53 – Chad starts in with Short Circuit.
08:22 – Dabney Coleman is a dick.
10:36 – Again with Short Circuit?
24:56 – Start of Black Lightning discussion.
29:03 – The unbearable deadness of James Remar.
37:31 – Chad breaks down the Venom teaser trailer.
Thanks for listening!
WarGames trailer – https://youtu.be/hbqMuvnx5MU
WarGames web series trailer – https://youtu.be/ZfObVggo5QE
#WarGames interactive series website (also available on Steam and iOS) – https://helloeko.com/wargames/episode-one-chasing-bryce/?autoplay=true&utm_source=verge&utm_medium=affiliate
Bill’s article on the history of the movie WarGames, at The Dot Eaters: http://thedoteaters.com/?bitstory=games-on-film-iii-wargames
Black Lightning series trailer – https://youtu.be/uoUlGwYa4QE
Connect With Your Nerdstalkers:
Bill Hunter – writer, and creator of video game history website The Dot Eaters
Chadwick Gendron – writer, musician and creator of the Canadian Culture Thing
Our Website: http://nerdstalking.com/
Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NerdstalkingPod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nerdstalking/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdstalking/
Ep. 030 – The ‘USS Callister’ Episode of ‘Black Mirror’
We focus our tri-corders on USS Callister, an episode of the great Netflix anthology SF series Black Mirror that deftly parodies Star Trek while presenting the usual futuretech dystopia that is the hallmark of the series. We also hold up DTube, a video sharing site that is being hailed as a YouTube killer, as proof that there is no redeeming features of mankind whatsoever. Enjoy!
Show Notes:
00:42 – We start off with our analysis of USS Callister.
01:39 – A detour into The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, starring Ben Stiller.
18:25 – Chad questions what’s wrong with baby-killing.
27:06 – We start talking about the dumpster fire that is DTube.
31:23 – Some choice morons on the DTube short bus.
34:46 – The mechanics of DTube.
42:21 – How to win friends and influence idiots.
44:31 -Deutsche Tube
Thanks for listening!
USS Callister Trailer – https://youtu.be/qgTtyfgzGc0
The Nerdstalking DTube channel – https://d.tube/#!/c/nerdstalking
Jack and Jill trailer- https://youtu.be/oJVv3PBoPMc
I realize this presentation is an assault on the visual senses, but this is the full version of the TV play of Bertolt Brecht’s Baal, by David Bowie. My recommendation to you is to zoom in to the window on the bottom left that contains the video, so you don’t see any of the effects that are designed to throw off the content ID algorithyms of Google. As far as I can see, this is the only post of the TV show in its entirety. And the immense creative power of Bowie is not diminished by reducing the image. No Earthly confinement could ever do that – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_l6jBYsQ60
Connect With Your Nerdstalkers:
Bill Hunter – writer, and creator of video game history website The Dot Eaters
Chadwick Gendron – writer, musician and creator of the Canadian Culture Thing
Our Website: http://nerdstalking.com/
Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NerdstalkingPod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nerdstalking/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdstalking/
Ep 029 Solo=Meh Deadpool=Yay
Bill and Chad can’t conceal that they have a bad feeling about Solo following the first trailers for the next Star Wars story, then Chad hooks us up with a breakdown of the much-anticipated character Cable, soon to light up screens in the upcoming Deadpool 2. Tune in, turn on and drop everything and listen!
Show Notes:
00:08 – Premiering the new Nerdstalking theme!
02:06 – The start of our Solo talk.
19:38 – We talk about the hilarious Deadpool 2 trailers.
22:25 – The start of our discussion of Cable. Who is this Cable guy?
32:30 – The powers of Cable.
37:12 – How will Cable fit into Deadpool 2?
40:11 – Demollition Man: A Retrospective.
Thanks for listening!
Solo: A Star Wars Story Trailer – https://youtu.be/K9PkToULL1c
Deadpool 2 Teaser Trailer – https://youtu.be/I4tFNfROlqk
Moss buys some women’s slacks on The IT Crowd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujGCGZqwaSc
Deadpool 2 “Wet on Wet” Trailer – https://youtu.be/8-Cjsnq8kVU
Demolition Man Trailer – https://youtu.be/0B5v6QZ5R3g
Connect With Your Nerdstalkers:
Bill Hunter – writer, and creator of video game history website The Dot Eaters
Chadwick Gendron – writer, musician and creator of the Canadian Culture Thing
Our Website: http://nerdstalking.com/
Social Media Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NerdstalkingPod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nerdstalking/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdstalking/
Ep 028 We Declaw Black Panther
We declaw the Black Panther movie.
At the expense of causing fur to fly, Bill and Chad smell something pretty bad in the kitty litter as they do an extensive break-down of the 2018 Black Panther movie from Marvel. Try not to get scratched as you listen! As usual, we examine lots of details of the movie to cover all the bases with our assessment of it, so THERE BE SPOILERS!
Show Notes:
3:00 – We confront the white colonizer elephant in the room.
6:25 – Shortchanging Wakanda
10:55 – Missing impressive set-pieces
16:53 – No buttons at the end of any scene.
22:40 – Talk of not-so-special effects.
26:52 – Female empowerment.
30:45 – The Boko Haram scene.
33:21 – White boys.
38:35 – Weak motivations.
42:23 – Summing up.
Thanks for listening!
Your Nerdstalkers:
Bill Hunter – writer, and creator of video game history website The Dot Eaters
Chadwick Gendron – writer, musician and creator of the Canadian Culture Thing
Ep 027 Wakanda is Wack in the Black Panther trailer
Chad and Bill examine the trailer for Marvel’s Black Panther, and find it wanting. Bill also ponders the Amazonian (or not) nature of Wonder Woman Gal Gadot, we dwell on next year’s Captain Marvel, and other pressing topics.
Show Notes:
00:00 – Intro, and we go right into our breakdown of the Black Panther trailer.
15:25 – The beginning of our thoughts on leaked set pictures of Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, as well as Chad sets up some comic book context for the character.
16:02 – Is Gal Gadot tall enough to be Wonder Woman?
23:40 – Chad gives a run-down on Fox’s post-apocolyptic sit-com The Last Man on Earth.
26:10 – More Captain Marvel talk.
30:30 – We ponder what terrible thing Mark Hamill must have done to Rian Johnson to make the director force him to milk a sea cow in Star Wars: The Last Jedi
33:46 – What in the Hell is cryptocurrency?
36:55 – After what Donald Trump would no doubt describe as a “fake sign-off”, we really do sign off.
Thanks for listening!
Ep. 026 No need to get petty about Last Jedi
Bill and Chad serve up roasted Porgs and fresh lounging sea creature milk with their in-depth breakdown of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Does Episode VIII add momentum to the sequel trilogy and tee fans up for Ep. IX? Listen and find out!
We start out, though, giving our thoughts on the Netflix original TV series The Punisher. Frank Castle in the hizz-ouse!
Ep. 025 Dissing the DC Bleakaverse!
Sure, DC movies have had some hard knocks over recent years, but at least they warned us that Kevin Spacey is, in fact, a real diabolical menace! The two Nerdstalking evil geniuseses Bill and Chad take a journey into Zack Snyder/Joss Whedon’s darkened treatise on super friendship, Justice League, and lo and behold they find that there’s light at the end of the DC tunnel after all! Plus some talk on the first series of TV’s Star Trek: Discovery, and Chad relates his wondrous discovery of the films of SF movie extravaganza pioneer George Pal.
Ep. 024 For Those about to Thor: Ragnarok
What rhymes with 24? Sore, gore, humidor… but also Thor, the God of Thunder! Gaze in breathless wonder, as minor deities Bill and Chad give their takes on the Marvel superhero extravaganza Thor: Ragnarok. What is Jeff Goldblum smoking? What’s the deal with Thor’s hair? Exactly how “big” is Hulk? Your noble quest for answers lies within Episode 24 of Nerdstalking, along with some talk of Stranger Things 2, The Punisher, and American Horror Stories.
Ep. 023 Remembering Jim Carrey’s Funny Years
Remember when Jim Carrey was funny? We do, along with a breakdown of the Captain Marvel comic book character, and a discussion of why things always end up sucking. All in this detours episode of Nerdstalking!
Ep. 022 It, Aquaman and Cable’s Bullshit Origin
Where we descend into the sewers to examine the 2017 film adaptation of Stephen King’s magnum opus horror novel IT. We also dust off the grime of the Austrailian Outback as we recount our time on the Aquaman set where we traded beard grooming tips with Jason Mamoa, puzzle over the value of a non-canonical Joker movie possibly starring Leo DiCaprio as the Crown Prince of Crime, and Chad revels us with the backstory of Deadpool’s buddy Cable in a new segment called Bullshit Origin Stories, among other news.
The IT talk starts at 26:05.
Nerdstalking Podcast Ep. 020
Bill had a lot of problems with the 2017 ‘Wonder Woman’ film; Chad, not so much. We don our satin tights and fight for our rights to complain in the Nerdstalking review of this important DC film. There’s no ‘Nerdly News’ segment this episode; we smash right through the window and tackle the movie without delay.
