Geekfest Rants

Episode 99 - San Diego Comic-Con 2012 Highlights - Part 1

On today's episode of GFR Carlos and Steve V. bring us Part 1 of their SDCC debrief. They'll hit high points such as the Marvel Films panel, the return of giant monsters in Godzilla and Pacific Rim, Superman reboot Man of Steel and The Hobbit, just announced to encompass three films!

Episode 99 - San Diego Comic-Con 2012 Highlights - Part 1 (30:40)
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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].

A Lighter Dark Knight - by Steve Vivona

With all the excitement surrounding Christopher Nolan's "Dark Knight" trilogy, and the esteem with which it is held, we tend to forget the absolute mania surrounding Tim Burton's 1989 version of Batman.

In the light of Nolan's films Burton's version (considered extremely dark for its day) seems quaint by comparison. While Frank Miller's oppressive "Dark Knight" graphic novel was released only a few years before Burton's version, it has more in common tonally with Nolan's films.

I vividly recall the breathless anticipation created by the brilliant pre-Internet, pre-viral marketing WB hype machine. A full year before the movie came out, t-shirts, toys and trinkets started appearing everywhere. DC Comics was in the midst of a Batman renaissance with stories such as "Batman: Year One," "A Death in the Family" and "The Killing Joke."

Episode 98 - Overlooked Time Travel Films

On today's episode of GFR Carlos and James discuss underrated time travel films. We all remember the classics like Terminator and Back the Future but what about genre efforts like The Final Countdown, Time After Time and Somewhere in Time (all of which were released around the same...uh, time).

Episode 98 - Overlooked Time Travel Films (27:24)

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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].

Hope, Despair, and The Dark Knight - by Tony Rossi

When “The Dark Knight” – the second film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy – opened in 2008, I went to see it opening day because, like a lot of guys, I grew up reading Batman comics and was excited to see where the story would go next.  Though that film was technically good , it was also the bleakest movie I think I ever saw.  I actually felt jittery on the inside after it was over because it conveyed palpable feelings of despair.  That was largely due to the character of The  Joker who who didn’t have any redeeming qualities whatsoever.  This wasn’t an evil-in-a-comic-bookish-way villain like Loki in “The Avengers.”  The Joker was like the devil personified, calmly and enjoyably spreading evil wherever he went.  He may have been a movie character, but there was something frighteningly real about him.  “The Dark Knight” received lots of acclaim, especially for Heath Ledger who won a posthumous Oscar for playing The Joker.  My feelings about the film were mixed though, because I like my superhero movies a little more superhero-y.

Click here for the rest of this article:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christophers/2012/07/hope-despair-and-the-dark-knight/

With our sincere condolences....

Early this morning, true evil rose in Aurora, Colorado along with The Dark Knight. The very place many of us turn to for an escape became a nightmare some did not escape. The hosts and staff of GeekFest Rants send their thoughts, prayers, and condolences to our fellow movie-goers who lived through such an ordeal and to the families and friends of those who did not. As stories of this tragedy unfold, we're sure there will be many heroic tales involving patrons and those who arrived on the scene to assist. We hope these heroes will be the ones the media focuses on and not so much the villain who sought everyone's attention.

Episode 97 - Fright Night (1985) - Geek Commentary

Carlos and the Steves love their 80s! Everything they love is being rebooted, prequeled and sequeled ad nauseum and this horror classic is no exception! Welcome to...The original Fright Night! 

Episode 97 - Fright Night (1985) - Geek Commentary (1:50:55)
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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 96 - Star Trek - Space Seed - Solo Geek Commentary

On today's GFR Steve V. tempts the wrath of his fellow Star Trek fans with his solo commentary over the classic episode "Space Seed," which introduced the villainous Khan, deliciously portrayed by Ricardo Montalban! Will Steve make the grade or will Trekkers eat him for breakfast??

Episode 96 - Star Trek - Space Seed - Solo Geek Commentary (53:46)
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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 95 - Deciphering Prometheus - Part 2

On this episode of Geekfest Rants we continue with Part 2 of Deciphering Prometheus.  Join Carlos and James as they dive, head first, into the Prometheus gene pool.  We cover subjects like the religious connotations of the film, the alien like cycle, the origin of the queen, the Engineer's mission, and the links to Blade Runner.  We have enough theories to make your head explode...like on the film.

Episode 95 - Deciphering Prometheus - Part 2 (1:07:12)
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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].