Geekfest Rants

Let's Rap About Cap by Steve Vivona

It’s been a great summer for superhero fans. No less than four major studio films were released chronicling the adventures of our four-color friends, and today was the icing on the cake for me. Now, despite the fact I committed the unpardonable sin of missing X-Men: First Class, today was the day I was really waiting for. I have no doubt X-Men is a superior effort, but Captain America will be my #1 for 2011.

Cap and I go way back. He’s one of my top three favorite heroes (along with Spider-Man and the Hulk). He was featured in one of the two first comics I ever purchased (for 25 cents each). He’s the leader of my favorite superhero team, the Avengers (2012 can’t come fast enough!), and today he finally got the screen treatment he deserved.

I was there when Reb Brown played him as a cross between Evil Knievel and a Venice Beach muscle head in two TV movies in 1978. I was there for his countless animated incarnations every time he threw his mighty shield. And I was there when he J.D Salinger’s kid fought an Italian Red Skull (for the latter, I purchased a bootleg at a comic con a full year before it saw the light of day on video). It’s been a long wait. 

In Defense of...Star Trek V - by Steve Vivona

It’s considered the least of the TOS-era Star Trek films (and deservedly so) but I can easily defend Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. When Leonard Nimoy was given the chance to direct Star Treks III and IV, William Shatner exercised the “favored nations” clause they had in their contracts to demand he get a shot in the director’s chair.

Needless to say, the announcement did not inspire confidence, especially among Shatner’s co-stars, most of whom openly despised him. When details of the plot leaked, I must confess I didn’t feel confident either. When I heard snippets of the Star Trek IV plot I was horrified, so I didn’t necessarily lose hope. The crew of the Enterprise was going to meet God, a story idea that had been bandied about since the original series, and been implemented in various forms. Why it was such a popular concept I’ll never understand.

Star Trek V was released on June 9, 1989. I was a freshman in college and by this time, a dyed in the wool Trekkie. Seeing it opening day was a no-brainer, but by this time it was obvious this film would not hold the same mainstream appeal as its predecessor (which was the highest grossing Trek film to date).

 

Episode 43 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - A Geek Review

All good things must come to an end so on today's installment Carlos discusses the long-awaited finale to the Harry Potter saga with special contributor Zeke "The Freak" Springer.  Join us for a mostly spoiler free review of the latest Harry potter film.

 Episode 43 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - A Geek Review

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Anyone wishing to suggest show topics or participate on any future shows, please leave us a comment below or e-mail us at [email protected].

 

Anatomy of a Geek Fest: Pulling Back the Veil on a Time Honored Tradition - by Steve Vivona

Upon arriving at college I promptly wasted my first two years there by simply going to class, and rushing home to pick my girlfriend up from school. I never intended to go away to school, but meeting her certainly strengthened that particular resolve. She, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to break the surly bonds and get the hell out of Dodge, leaving me promptly in the dust, directionless and on the cusp of my junior year.

Luckily, I still had two years to go, and a hell of a lot of free time to fill up. So, I figured it was about time to explore my major. That May, I enrolled in a summer class for television production (taking a class in my major for the first time). It’s notable not so much for what I learned but who I met. It certainly didn’t change my life’s path. I, unlike most people there, would never embark on a career in production, but it was a hell of a lot of fun (too much to remember though!)

That year, I met three future Geeks. I met another one the following year, and the last, two years after I left school. All of them had at least one overlapping interest with me, and we could spend endless hours dissecting, critiquing, arguing and pondering comics, films, television, pop culture, etc. We clicked despite our disparate personalities and in time, formed a strong bond.

 

In Defense of...Highlander II - by Steve Vivona

 
As sequels go, perhaps my most crushing disappointment came from Highlander II: The Quickening, released in November, 1991. The original Highlander was a box office bomb that rose to cult status with the advent of video and cable television. Those who “got it” were part of a select fraternity, populated primarily by folks who dug Sam Raimi, John Carpenter and the wave of Hong Kong action films that came later in the early 90s.

The film dealt with a group of immortals whose origin is left purposely vague. They are destined to battle each other through the centuries until one remains. The victor will then claim “The Prize,” (another vague plot element) and be imbued with power “beyond imagination.” The immortal legend was a lot of hokum, but it was played to great effect, and explained with great gravitas by co-star Sean Connery.

As directed by music video auteur Russell Mulcahy, the first Highlander is a dazzling visual feast populated by a troupe of actors with great screen presence. Gregory Widen’s script was an insightful comment on the curse of immortality. Star Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod gave a world-weary performance, making it easy for the audience to believe he was a man who had adopted many guises through the centuries. Lambert balanced the heavy drama with a sense of whimsy, and always had a twinkle in his eye.

Episode 42 - The Quick and the Dead - Geek Commentary

This week Carlos and the Steves provide commentary for Sam Raimi's The Quick and the Dead, a film loaded with future star power but overlooked in its time. It represents an important turning point in Raimi's career, one that saw him maturing beyond the horror fare he was known for up to that point.

 Episode 42 - The Quick and the Dead - Geek Commentary

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Anyone wishing to suggest show topics or participate on any future shows, please leave us a comment below or e-mail us at [email protected].

Episode 41 - 1982 - Part 2

Carlos and Steve V. continue dissecting 1982, fondly recalling the days when a PG rating meant you might see some female skin! Listen to Part 2 of their discussion of perhaps the greatest year in geek history!

 Episode 41 - 1982 - Part 2

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Anyone wishing to suggest show topics or participate on any future shows, please leave us a comment below or e-mail us at [email protected].