Apr 12

Retro Review: Plan 9 from Outer Space

What makes a bad film so watchable? Where is the line where a film’s mediocrity becomes a shining achievement? These are some of the questions raised when watching any of Ed woods cinema genius, he was a man with vision. Even if that vision was odd, his films left a resounding mark on cinema that echos even today.

It is a strange experience as a film critic to experience something as flawed as plan 9, there is a feeling from the word go that you should be appauled by what is in front of you, and I really do mean from the start.

The film opens with some truly indecipherable dialog from what is assumed to be a news reader as he tries to start us towards our journey but between his long pauses and obvious line reading you start to feel a smile creep onto your face. If this is the case you are now hooked. What will follow is an experience like no other, scenes of merit include flying saucers made from plates with visible string, dialog that makes Transformers 2 look like an Oscar worthy film and continuity that with make you tear up with laughter.

The film is broken from start to finish and will not make more sense on multiple viewings. But in this lies the joy of the film, it’s faults make it like watching an episode of Jackass, you are waiting to see how much worse it can get. My only warning is that this kind of film is addictive viewing and may have you craving films of it’s genre more and more, this is a must see for any fan of cinema, to call a film bad you really must see just how bad bad can be and this film will become a benchmark to which all films you watch will be compared. So find a copy, get some friends over, get your popcorn and prepare to be amazed.

Apr 10

Geek Actually Episode 79 – Ass Kicked!

Hosts: David McVay and Josh Philpott

The Geek Actually Podcast, your weekly dose of ‘the week in geek’. This week David McVay and Josh Philpott are sick but doing their best to stay on top of things. This week we examine the new iPhone OS 4.0 and the new Apple social gaming network before reviewing the most anticipated geek film of the year, ‘Kick-Ass’. We also talk a little about the new Doctor Who season and the Toxic Avenger remake. Your show links follow.

Watch us live at geekactually.com/live 12pm Saturdays (AEST UTC +10)

Tech News

iPhone 4.0 software announced and it will finally multitask and have a unified inbox.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/preview-iphone-os/

Apple to create a new social gaming system for their mobile games.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100409/sc_livescience/applecreatessocialgamingnetworkforiphone

For more deeper stories and more detailed tech news, listen to Geek Actually Tech. Recorded live on Wednesdays at 8pm AEDST and the podcast is available on iTunes Thursdays.

Entertainment News

It is a really slow news week but here goes…

Lucasfilm and Robot Chicken team up for Star Wars comedy series!
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118017233.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&nid=2562&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+variety/headlines+(Variety+-+Latest+News)

We watch the new ‘Resident Evil : Afterlife’ trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-deR34VdJ5k&feature=player_embedded

No longer just talk, Brad Bird in actual negotiations on directing ‘Mission: Impossible 4’
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/04/brad_bird_mission_impossible_i.html

Rose McGowan is out of ‘Red Sonja’, but Megan Fox might be in…really!!
http://www.pajiba.com/trade_news/exclusive-red-sonja-update-rose-mcgowan-out-megan-fox-in.php

The remake we have all been waiting for – ‘The Toxic Avenger’…LOL
http://www.deadline.com/2010/04/the-toxic-avenger-mops-up-in-redo-deal/
We take a look at the original films trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27E4Qfj7iEY&feature=player_embedded#

We watch the new trailer for ‘Salt’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCgFi-Cvt50&feature=player_embedded

Feature Review

‘Kick-Ass’ the new film by Matthew Vaughn and written by Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn based on the comic by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. It Stars Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz, Nicolas Cage, Clarke Duke, Evan Peters, Lyndsy Fonseca, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Mark Strong.

Kick-Ass is the story of one loveable loser/comic geek who decides that he can be a superhero and make a difference. Getting hospitalised on his first encounter doesn’t deter him and he soon becomes an internet sensation. This attracts the attention of the mob and two other superheroes, Big Daddy and Hit Girl who are much better at the job than he is. All of this while trying to balance a love life and home life.

The film is a fantastic romp that is as brutal and confronting as it is fun and action packed. Highly recommended.

Watch the Red Band Trailer
http://www.firstshowing.net/2010/02/19/another-new-red-band-trailer-for-kick-ass-arrives-online/

Kick-Ass UK online ad campaign!
http://chud.com/articles/articles/23277/1/CHUD-STAYS-CLASSY-IN-THIS-KICK-ASS-AD/Page1.html

I also want to review ‘Kick-Ass Creating the Comic, Making the Movie’ by Mark Millar. Published by Titan Books.
http://www.amazon.com/Kick-Ass-Creating-Comic-Making-Movie/dp/1848564090/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270808963&sr=8-2

This episode carries an explicit tag due to infrequent coarse language.

Listen or download it here or subscribe to it on iTunes

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Geek Actually is brought to you by listeners, just like you. Thanks for your contributions. If you wish to make a contribution, go to the “Support Us” link above.

Send feedback for this show to feedback@geekactually.com or leave us a voice mail message to play on the show at (Sydney number) 02 8011 3167. If you are an iTunes user, please leave a review as we are trying to get on the featured list and every review helps. Your comments (good or bad) help us improve the show.

Join us on our Facebook Fan Page: facebook.com/GeekActually for information on the Unofficial Geek Actually Movie Club screening times.

Apr 10

Geek Actually Replay – Geek Actually Episode 79 Live Show

Here is this weeks live video version of The Geek Actually Podcast Episode 79 – Ass Kicked. This week David and Josh finally get to review the most anticipated geek film of the year, ‘Kick-Ass’. The audio podcast of this episode can be found on this site or on iTunes.

Almost every week we record the Geek Actually Podcast while feeding it live to Ustream. We record the Ustream feed and it is available go back and watch later if you want. It occurred to me that we should just embed the past shows here so you can find them easily. You never know, you’re listening to that podcast and something visual happens, now you can simply find the show here and watch what happened. Enjoy. (Note: We only started recording the feed as of episode 46, there are no videos of earlier shows.)

Apr 06

Geek Actually Replay – Platforms Episode 26 Live Show

Every week we record the Platforms Podcast while feeding it live to Ustream. We record the Ustream feed and it is available go back and watch later if you want. It occurred to me that we should just embed the past shows here so you can find them easily. You never know, you’re listening to that podcast and something visual happens, now you can simply find the show here and watch what happened. Enjoy.

Platforms Episode 26 (Recorded 4th of April 2010)

Apr 06

Platforms Episode 26 – Lies!!!

Josh Philpott, Nathan Lawrence and Dave Kozicki (with David ‘Beardy’ McVay)

Platforms is a gamers podcast by gamers. The podcast is recorded live on Ustream with chat interaction so come and join the fun as your host candidly discuss the latest in the gaming world. The podcast is uncensored, explicit, honest and very non ‘PC’. We kick off this week with the trailer for ‘Just Cause 2’, this week’s feature review. Dave Kozicki is in New York for work but he joins us via Skype. Nathan Lawrence joins us in the studio.

News This Week: Epic Games announces it’s new game on Jimmy Fallon’s show, Apple submits a patent for a game pad, the trailer for the new Spider-Man game, Sega San Francisco closes it’s doors, ‘Final Fantasy IX’ for PSN and we watch the new ‘Split/Second’ trailer and it is hot.

Coming Soon Titles: The Nintendo DSi XL, ‘Splinter Cell: Conviction’ and ‘Super Street Fighter IV’.

Review of the Week: This week, Josh, Nathan and Dave review ‘Just Cause 2’. A flawed but incredibly fun game that offers hours of re-playability.

Want to leave a voice mail? Call 02 8011 3167.

Quick shout outs to our friends at Game Pron, Oxcgn, Australian Gamer Podcast and The Game Arena Podcast

Got to www.everyoneplays.org.au for more information on how you can support the introduction of an R18+ rating for games.

This episode carries an explicit tag due to frequent coarse language and adult themes.

Listen or download it here or subscribe to it on iTunes.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Platforms is brought to you by listeners, just like you. Thanks for your contributions. If you wish to make a contribution, go to the “Support Us” link above. Platforms swag can be purchased at cafepress.com.au/geekactually.

Send feedback for this show to platforms@geekactually.com. If you are an iTunes user, please leave a review as we are trying to get on the featured list and every review helps. Your comments (good or bad) help us improve the show. You can contact us here. Make sure you join our Facebook Page at facebook.com/PlatfromsLive (yes it is mis-spelt on purpose)

The Platforms Podcast is recorded live on Ustream every Monday Evening 8pm Australian Eastern Time (UTC+10). If you still just want to listen to the audio podcast, it will go out as normal on Tuesday. To watch a replay of this show’s video feed search for replay on this site.

Apr 04

Geek Actually Episode 78 – Release the Kraken

Hosts: David McVay, Josh Philpott and Celine Roberts

The Geek Actually Podcast, your weekly dose of ‘the week in geek’. This week we are joined by our new friend and proof that there are girl geeks in the world, Celine Roberts. This week pay homage to the release of the iPad, talk film news and then review the new remake ‘Clash of the Titans’ in 3D. We also take a trip down memory lane and giggle about the original version too. Your show links follow. Celine almost forgets to tell you about Studio Four, but we get the plug in after the closing music.

Watch us live at geekactually.com/live 12pm Saturdays (AEST UTC +11)

Tech News

Polite German vandals trash a Google Street View Car
http://www.news.com.au/technology/google-street-view-car-vandalised-in-germany-police/story-e6frfro0-1225847791124

The iPad is released…almost. What do the critics think? The video we played excerpts from is from MacBreak Weekly find it at twit.tv

For more deeper stories and more detailed tech news, listen to Geek Actually Tech. Recorded live on Wednesdays at 8pm AEDST and the podcast is available on iTunes Thursdays.

Entertainment News

New Expendables trailer
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808411960/video/18909047

Captain America gets his sidekick
http://www.deadline.com/2010/04/sebastian-stan-is-capn-america-sidekick/

Is this a sequel we really need? Eastern Promises 2!
http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/03/26/david-cronenberg-and-viggo-mortensen-to-reteam-for-eastern-promises-2/

Paul Greengrass could be directing the Fantastic Voyage remake in 3D
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118017137.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+variety/headlines+(Variety+-+Latest+News)

Doug Liman could direct The Three Musketeers in 3D
http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/04/doug-liman-three-musketeers.html

The Hobbit delayed till the end of the year because of MGM financial mess
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a211138/serkis-hobbit-to-shoot-end-of-the-year.html

The new Night & Day trailer
http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/knight-day/feature-trailer

The writer of Battlefield Earth apologises to us.
http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/movies/penned_the_suckiest_movie_ever_sorry_MdXedZpTMWJmfpw80Xc7aO/0

Godzilla to be remade…again!
http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/03/29/legendary-pictures-producing-new-godzilla-film/

New A-Team trailer – a little better than the teaser
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip1pPPEpDyE&feature=player_embedded

Bryan Singer no longer directing X-Men Origins: First Class, just producing.
http://www.deadline.com/2010/03/singer-to-producex-men-first-class/

Film Review

This week we review ‘Clash of the Titans’ in 3D, the new remake by Louis Leterrier, the man behind The Incredible Hulk, Unleashed (Danny the Dog for the US listeners) and The Transporter 1 & 2. The film stars Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Flemyng, Gemma Arterton and Alexa Davalos. Clash of the Titans is written by Travis Beacham, Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi based on the 1981 film of the same name.

Clash of the Titans tells the story of Perseus and his mission to extract revenge on the gods that blames for the death of his family. As his adventure continues, Perseus discovers that he is actually a demi-god and the bastard son of Zues. Perseus soon learns that he must save the city of Argos and the Princess Andromeda from the Kraken, the last of the mighty titans, and become the hero he is destined to be.

It is a messy, incomprehensible mess of a movie that just doesn’t satisfy those looking for a good story or those looking for mindless action. Nice production design and decent special effects cannot save it. Sam Worthington has hit his three strikes and proves that he is just not that good as an actor.

We also take a trip down memory lane and revisit the original ‘Clash of the Titans’ and compare it to it’s new sibling. Overall, as dated and cheesy as it is, the original is a far better film than the remake, despite the distraction of Harry Hamlin’s amazing saucer shaped nipples.

This episode carries an explicit tag due to infrequent coarse language.

Listen or download it here or subscribe to it on iTunes

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Geek Actually is brought to you by listeners, just like you. Thanks for your contributions. If you wish to make a contribution, go to the “Support Us” link above.

Send feedback for this show to feedback@geekactually.com or leave us a voice mail message to play on the show at (Sydney number) 02 8011 3167. If you are an iTunes user, please leave a review as we are trying to get on the featured list and every review helps. Your comments (good or bad) help us improve the show.

Join us on our Facebook Fan Page: facebook.com/GeekActually.