Geek Actually Episode 23 – Masturbation Is Good For You
January 31, 2009
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Hosts: David McVay and Mirren Lee
David flies solo in this episode for the first half. During this time he runs through some film and tech related stories such as: Australia’s “Clean Feed” is delayed (yay!), MP3 players (complete with government secrets), Stallone wants to make more Rambo movies and Harry Potter’s stunt double hospitalised.
David then reviews “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Slumdog Millionaire”.
Mirren suprises David with a last minute appearance and they review “Frost/Nixon” together. And Finally, Mirren explains why masturbation is good for you.
This episode carries an explicit tag due to possible, infrequent, bad language.
Geek Actually is brought to you by listeners, just like you. Thanks for your donations. If you wish to make a donation, go to the main page and click the link.
Listen or download it here or subscribe to it on iTunes
(This post edited 24th May, 2009)
Geek Actually Episode 22 – The Really Hot Episode
January 24, 2009
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Hosts: David McVay, Mirren Lee and Nicholas McVay
Geek Actually is brought to you by listeners, just like you. Thanks for your donations. If you wish to make a donation, go to geekactually.com.
As Sydney is gripped by a minor heat wave David and Mirren push through and sweat up a storm in the very hot studio.
With tech news leading the way, we discuss Steve Jobs’ liver transplant, Windows 7 Beta and President Obama’s Blackberry. Along the way we sweat some more, did I mention that it is hot in the studio.
In movie news, we discuss the Oscar nominations and the Razzie nominations. Then David and Mirren review the new Sean Penn film, “Milk” and David and Nicholas talk about Disney’s “Bolt” and the miracle of digital 3D.
By the way, did I mention it is really hot in the studio?
This episode carries an explicit tag due to possible, infrequent, bad language.
Listen or download it here or subscribe to it on iTunes
(This post edited 24th May, 2009)
Test Shoots Start for Deathly Hallows
January 22, 2009
Here is one for all the Harry Potter fans out there…
“Harry Potter” franchise star Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) posted the following message on her official website on Monday, January 19th.
Source: comingsoon.net
Go to Source
Belkin apologises for paid online reviews
January 22, 2009
An electronics company says it is investigating one of its employees for offering to pay for positive online reviews of its products.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Go to Source
A Sequel to The Phantom in the Works
January 22, 2009
This should get dropped in that huge box (the movie Australia also belongs in it) labled “Bad Ideas”. Once again sorry this is a little late, we were offline for a couple of weeks.
An Australian production company on Monday announced it had secured the rights to The Phantom Legacy , a follow-up to the 1996 film, The Phantom , which starred Billy Zane as the masked hero who fights evil from his jungle headquarters.
Source: comingsoon.net
Go to Source
Internet filter may spark ‘adult-shop explosion’
January 22, 2009
This is a little late but I have been offline 
Just a little follow up to the Clean Feed issue that we have talked about on the podcast.
Sex shops will inundate the country if the Federal Government filters internet pornography, an industry expert has warned.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Go to Source
The Judd Apatow Family – I Am Seeing a Trend
January 22, 2009
This post is purely food for thought. When I watched ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ last year I turned to Mirren Lee (Geek Actually co-host and my mom) and I proposed a thought to her. Judd Apatow (Producer of Forgetting Sarah Marshall) seems to take whoever is co-starring in his current film and cultivate that person into the star of the next (or close to the next). Let’s see if that works. The following films are directed or produced (or both) by Apatow.
The 40 Year Old Virgin – Starring Steve Carell, but co-starring Paul Rudd (although his part in Knocked Up is large, he still hasn’t gotten his own Apatow film yet) and Seth Rogan (see below)…
Knocked Up – Starring Seth Rogan (what do you know!), but co-starring Paul Rudd (see above), Jason Segal (keep reading) and Jonah Hill (stay tuned)…
Talladega Nights – Starring Will Farrell, but co-starring John C. Reilly (wait for it) and Gary Cole (he comes back to co-star but no lead yet)…
Superbad – Starring Jonah Hill (bingo!), but co-starring Bill Hader (wait until the end, no cheating) and Seth Rogan (more on him in a minute)…
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story – Starring John C. Reilly (Ah Ha!), (no notable co-star linking…yet!)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall – Starring Jason Segal (I told you he would be back), but co-starring Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, Bill Hader (hold on, it’s coming) and Russell Brand (please make a whole film about this character, Aldus, I beg you!)…
Step Brothers – Starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly (They are both Back!)
Pineapple Express – Starring Seth Rogan (he’s back!) and James Franco, but co-starring Gary Cole, Danny McBride (he’ll be groomed next, mark my words) and Bill Hader (keep reading)…
Now, the reason for all of this, I said to Mirren at that screening, “I’ll bet Bill Hader will be the lead of the next Apatow film.”
Okay, it was not the next one, but ComingSoon.net reports today that Bill Hader and Apatow are teaming up to make a slasher film! I don’t think it would take a rocket scientist to make the conclusions I have made but it is fun to be kinda right
Hader said, “It’s partially Straw Dogs meets Halloween meets Home Alone meets Monster Squad.’ He went on to say, “I don’t know if it’s even going to get made, Judd met with us and said “I want to do a horror movie with you. I want to see you in a slasher movie.”‘
As far as my little theory goes, I don’t know, I think it might just be the rantings of a geek.
As far as the film is concerned…I think Hader might be having us on a little. I suspect it is a send up of horror films. Once again, I have to say, let’s wait and see.
Geek Actually Release Day Change
January 21, 2009
Hi everyone, just a quick note to let everyone know that the podcast, “Geek, Actually” is changing day. We have been trying to get it up on Tuesdays since we started and we are always late because of schedule conflicts etc.
So After a little thought, I have moved the release day to Fridays. So from this week onwards, the Podcast will go onto the feed every Friday afternoon. Look for it here or subscribe through the iTunes store.
Thanks,
David
Windows 7 Public Beta – Has Microsoft Finally Got It Right?
January 20, 2009
First thing I have to say is that this product is fully cooked and ready to serve. Rumour has it that Microsoft has been quietly leaking versions of this product onto the torrent sites for months. apparently, this was so they could get all the major problems out of the way early, before the beta officially launched. It would be a cleaver strategy if it is true, Windows Vista left such a bad taste in many users mouths, Microsoft would want Windows 7 to be a real wowser.
I don’t know (or think) if the rumour above is true or not, that is not really important, all that is important is that Microsoft has delivered. They have delivered on the promise they made 2 years ago, when Vista launched, the wow does start now.
Windows 7 is the most complete, polished and ready to use beta I have ever used. I was a late adopter to Vista, I finally upgraded my machine about 8 months ago. I wish I had waited. Windows 7 is basically Vista done right. Let’s call it Vista SE. And just like Windows 98, 98SE absolutely improved and enhanced 98.
I have only had Windows 7 on the system for a couple of days now, but so far I find myself playing with it constantly. I haven’t been this intrigued by a new system since I switched to Mac OSX two and a bit years ago.
I don’t think Windows 7 would make me switch back to the PC world (I have an iMac and a MacBook Pro) but I think I will definitely be keeping the PC around for a little while longer.
This windows is worth it for the new taskbar alone. Once again borrowing a page from Apple’s book, Microsoft has redesigned the task bar to work a little more like OSX’s dock, and it all the better for it. In function, it is like the dock but not in style. Apple plays with special effects like magnifying the icons as you roll over them, Microsoft has decided to be a little more work like and have added a feature that I hope Apple ‘borrows’ in the future. As you roll over open applications in the task bar, a window pops up that shows you all the active windows for that program, very sweet when you consider the multiple Word or Internet pages you might have open. You then roll your mouse up to the page you want and it is brought forward on your desktop.
The other improvement over Vista is the Gadgets. The sidebar has been done away with and Gadgets can now be freely placed anywhere on the desktop. This a nice addition as I loved the Gadgets (I’m a big Widget guy on the Mac too) but hated the screen real estate taken up by that big sidebar.
I will make regular reports on the podcast as the weeks go by to let you know about this very fun and very usable operating system.
Danger! Danger! Lost in Space’s Robot B9 Has Died Aged 69
January 20, 2009
Actor/Stuntman Bob May has died of congestive heart failure at the age of 69. May played the Robot on TV’s Lost in Space during the 1960s.
May worked on stage and screen for decades but was best known for The Robot, a role he claimed to have won by accident.
June Lockhart (Maureen Robinson) said, ”He always said he got the job because he fit in the robot suit. It was one of those wonderful Hollywood stories. He just happened to be on the studio lot when someone saw him and sent him to see (series creator) Irwin Allen about the part. Allen said, ‘If you can fit in the suit you’ve got the job.’”
May didn’t supply the famous voice of the Robot, that honour goes to Dick Tufeld.
