Pop Culture Talk That’s Out Of This World
Episodes
Friday Apr 12, 2019
Friday Apr 12, 2019
Have you ever watched a movie that left you with more questions than answers? Or you did not know if you liked it or not until you talked to some people about it? Or that it was so disturbing that you has to stop watching it? Well, welcome to art films.
Today on GeekFest Rants, Carlos takes you through a basic tour of some of the most accessible art films out there. We begin with a review of Mandy and then spiral down to classics like Drive, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Bad Lieutenant, Blue Velvet and many more.
Thursday Apr 04, 2019
Thursday Apr 04, 2019
Today on GeekFest Rants we return to our Happy Place... Star Wars toys. Join Carlos as we take a deep dive into Star Wars concept ship toys.
We'll begin with Galoob's Series Alpha, then to Hasbro Solo additions, and to the Hot Wheels concept Cantwell collection. When it comes to three dimensional representations of small size concept ships, there are plenty out there to collect.
Then we jump to 1977, to the pre home video days of Star Wars with the Star Wars Movie Viewer. This is probably the earliest version of being able to watch 40 second clips of the movie at home for an affordable price. No Batteries Needed.
Saturday Mar 23, 2019
Saturday Mar 23, 2019
You have good movies and bad movies. Usually the good movies are the ones you want to re-watch. But not always. Today on GeekFest Rants join Carlos and Steve as they go down the list of some very good movies that for different reason, we may not want to see again. These are film like Schindler's List, The Shining, Glory, Oldboy, and many more.
What is it about these good films that might prevent us, or you, from giving them a second viewing?
Sunday Mar 17, 2019
Sunday Mar 17, 2019
"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in". A very ironic line from Godfather Part 3. Today on GeekFest Rants, join Carlos as he takes an unexpected trip back into the Star Wars toxic fandom Rebel Force Radio Controversy from last year. It would seem that the last time we covered this news story it ruffled enough feathers to actually endanger our YouTube channel.
As Celebration Chicago nears, someone is trying to get back into the good graces of Lucasfilm, by attempting to silence any critical reporting of their toxic fandom misadventures.
Thursday Mar 14, 2019
Thursday Mar 14, 2019
Today on GeekFest Rants we are going to take a trip back to a planet ruled by talking apes. Join Carlos Perrone as he again welcomes back writer Andrew E.C. Gaska to chat about his latest book, Death of the Planet of the Apes.
If you ever wondered what happened to Taylor between the first and second film, his military war experience, and his involvement with ANSA, this is the book that answers those questions. Plus we also discuss Andrew's two previous Apes books, Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes and the short story collection, Tales from the Forbidden Zone. Remember: Glory be to the bomb, and to the holy fallout.
Sunday Mar 03, 2019
Sunday Mar 03, 2019
It's that time of the year...New York Toy Fair 2019 time. The time we get to see all these new cool toys but cannot buy them just yet. This year we are going Retro in more ways than one. From Hasbro producing a Retro line of Kenner Star Wars figures, to new additions from Reaction, like They Live and Planet of the Apes. Plus. look out, The Warriors are coming.
Then we dive into our poster of the month with the 1983, Brian DePalma-Al Pacino classic, Scarface. We'll look at the design of the poster plus we also examine the movie tie-in novel by Paul Monette.
Thursday Feb 21, 2019
Thursday Feb 21, 2019
Prop collecting, an expensive hobby. Who can authenticate an item, who can you trust? Today on GeekFest Rants, Carlos takes a look at one particular Star Wars Lightsaber prop auction and all the controversy swirling around it. Then we jump to a documentary about triplets with a dark tragic twist. A true masterpiece of documentary film-making.
Then we conclude with one of the most innovative episodes of Black Mirror, Bandersnatch. A groundbreaking, game changing, interactive addition to the Black Mirror universe...or is it multi-verse.
Friday Feb 08, 2019
Friday Feb 08, 2019
Today on GeekFest Rants join Carlos and Steve as they explore their guilty pleasures... That is, film and TV guilty pleasures. These are the kind of films/tv shows that usually don't come up in conversation first, or you will not run out to buy a t-shirt with it's name on it. However, when it's playing on TV, you cannot help yourself to pay attention to it for the 5th, 6th, or 7th time.
For every Star Wars there has to be a Dune and for every Dredd there has to be a Judge Dredd. Take that Mr, "I am the Law".
Thursday Jan 31, 2019
Thursday Jan 31, 2019
Today on GeekFest Rants, for our poster of the month, we are focusing on the original Factors Darth Vader poster. This might be the first officially licenced Darth Vader poster ever. If you were a fan of Star Wars back in 1977, chances are you might have had this poster in your bedroom wall.
Join Carlos as he looks at the history behind this iconic poster. From the design, the other ones available from that line, and the man behind the mask, Kermit Bryce Eller, who ended up touring the country as Darth Vader for special promotional events. Then we jump to the Star Trek Enterprise XCV-330.
This is an amazing Eaglemoss miniature that depicts the legendary never before seen (in operation on TV or film) precursor to the more familiar Enterprise models. Yet, you might have seen a painting or sculpture of it on Star Trek the Motion Picture or Star Trek: Into Darkness.
Monday Jan 21, 2019
Monday Jan 21, 2019
Let's kick off the new year with a look at all the genre goodies heading our way. Join Carlos and Steve as they share all the movie and TV shows that they are looking forward to this year. It's not just Star Wars or Star Trek. We have Marvel, DC, Stranger Things, John Wick 3, Game of Thrones, What We Do in the Shadows, Lost in Space, Killing Eve, American Gods, The Twilight Zone, Watchmen, The Dark Crystal Series, just to name a few (Yeah right).
Sunday Jan 06, 2019
Sunday Jan 06, 2019
"Hey, we don't serve their kind here...Your droids. They'll have to wait outside. We don't want them here." These lines from the Cantina bartender in Star Wars, prompted a whole bunch of questions from us lately.
Is there a prejudice against droids in the Star Wars universe? Are droids treated like slaves? Are droid sentient? What could have prompted this anti-droid sentiment?
Join Carlos and Steve today on GeekFest Rants as we explore this often forgotten plot detail.....at least until the we met L3-37 on Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Thursday Dec 27, 2018
Thursday Dec 27, 2018
Today GeekFest Rants returns to the planet ruled by apes. Well, at least with our toy collection. Join Carlos as we profile the great Planet of the Apes action figure line by Medicom. We'll cover the major past figure lines available plus the current ones. Plus, which figures we wish they would make.
Monday Dec 17, 2018
Monday Dec 17, 2018
It's genre book time at GeekFest Rants. Today, join Carlos and Steve as they review some nerdy books on all things genre related. We start with Star Trek Shipyards - Starfleet Ships 2063-2293, then Dungeons & Dragons - Art & Arcana, then Stan Lee's Amazing Fantastic Incredible, and finally The Art of Ghost in the Shell. Four very different books hitting some of the geeky subjects we love.
Monday Dec 10, 2018
Monday Dec 10, 2018
Today on GeekFest Rants join us as Carlos reviews his collection of not so old Battlestar Galactica Hasbro Titanium ships. He goes over all these fantastic looking ships from the groundbreaking Sci-Fi Channel series. This also includes a few classic 1978 style ships that were part of this line.
Then we'll take a trip to an imaginary Geek Mall. What if we could put together a mall filled with just all the nerdy, geeky stores we love? Well, here is your chance. It's a genre fan's dream come true. Too bad it's just a dream.
Saturday Dec 01, 2018
Saturday Dec 01, 2018
Today on GeekFest Rants join Carlos and special guest author, Andrew E.C. Gaska, as they look at the history of toxic fandom with events like Gamergate and Comicsgate. Then Carlos returns to cover the Rebel Force Radio controversy with the conclusion of these 3 part investigative reports.
The great, late Stan Lee said it best "The world may change and evolve, but the one thing that will never change is the way that we tell our stories of heroism. Stories have room for everyone, regardless of their race, gender, religion, or color of their skin. The only things we don't have room for are hatred, intolerance, and bigotry. That man next to you, he's your brother. That woman over there, she's your sister...Excelsior!"
Friday Nov 23, 2018
Friday Nov 23, 2018
Today on GeekFest Rants, Carlos and Steve take a deep dive into the first season of Star Trek Discovery. How does this show compare to it's predecessors? We'll examine the development of the show, the cast, the effects, the music, and the major plot lines. But first we start out with our particular history of our introductions to the world of Star Trek.
Plus, we take a look at the mini episodes, Short Treks, to get us ready for season two.
Friday Nov 16, 2018
Friday Nov 16, 2018
Today on GeekFest Rants, Carlos dips into comics and posters. First off, he reviews the recent Planet of the Apes Visionaries graphic novel. This highly anticipated volume gives all Apes fans an alternate visual look at the classic story from from the perspective of one of the film's original screenwriters and Twilight Zone legend, Rod Serling.
Then Carlos travels back in time to 1977 to take a look at four super cool Star Wars Burger Chef promotional posters. This is the same art that was later in 1978 turned into Burger King glasses. Finally he takes a close look at the poster for Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1987 hit, Predator. Here he examines how the lead actor's name becomes the main promotional draw of the movie's poster.
Thursday Nov 08, 2018
Thursday Nov 08, 2018
Two titans of the comic book world have become titans of the cinema world. But how are they faring against each other. Today on GeekFest Rants, Carlos is joined by new guest co-host Steve Fowlkes. They cover the four major eras of superhero films, 70s-80s Superman era, 80's-90s Batman era, 90's-00's Spider-Man, Batman, X-Men era, and our current Marvel/DC incarnations.
Now that these two multi million dollar franchises are going head to head, how is one doing so much better than the other. What are the hits and what are the not so hits; plus which are the ones that bomb so bad that they would both rather forget about.
Sunday Oct 28, 2018
Sunday Oct 28, 2018
"From a Certain Point of View" is not just a very memorable line that Ben tells Luke from Return of the Jedi. It is also a point of argument when it comes to defending toxic fandom. Are all points of view equal? Or are there some points of view that are so extreme that they don't belong on the same playing field?
Join Carlos today on GeekFest Rants as we examine an interview Jason Swank from Rebel Force Radio gave Jeremy Griggs from Geeks+Gamers regarding the previously discussed Toxic Fandom RFR situation within the Star Wars community.
Here we'll get a partial "their side of the story" which has been missing from RFR's actual show. We also discuss this new sub genre of profitable, provocative, verbally aggressive, alt-right kind of fandom that seems to have found it's way into the Star Wars community.
Sunday Oct 21, 2018
Sunday Oct 21, 2018
It's time for the New York Comic Con 2018 round up. Today on GeekFest Rants, Carlos highlights some of the news, trailers, and toys featured at NYCC. We'll also include some breaking news around the time of NYCC. Things like Aquaman, Star Wars Resistance, What We do in the Shadows, Star Trek Discovery, The Mandalorian, etc.
Plus we will also profile a classic Kenner Star Wars toy, the Imperial Troop Transport and compare it to it's newer modern counterpart from Hasbro's Star Wars Rebels line.
Thursday Oct 11, 2018
Thursday Oct 11, 2018
Not film documentaries, documentaries about films. There is a difference; these are not your typical behind the scenes, how a movie is made kind of docs.
These are about how some movies never got made like The Death of Superman Lives, Doomed, and Jodorowsky's Dune. Or movies about how people interpret Kubrick's The Shining like Room 237.
Plus many, many more. Join Carlos today on GeekFest Rants as he explores all these excellent documentaries(about films).
Thursday Oct 04, 2018
Thursday Oct 04, 2018
Things are not going to go the way you think... Today on GeekFest Rants, this line from Star Wars: The Last Jedi, will apply both to the kind of show we are uploading and to one of Carlos' favorite podcasts, Rebel Force Radio.
On this episode we are doing an unexpected continuation to our previous Toxic Fandom episode. This time we'll cover how Toxic Fandom and politics seeps into everyday personal relationships.
How we are often disappointed by the media personalities we admire. And even, how something as unifying as a top rated Star Wars podcast can divide the fan community due to their political and diversity/inclusively views.
Thursday Sep 27, 2018
Thursday Sep 27, 2018
"An elegant weapon, for a more civilized age". That's how Obi-Was described it to Luke. Today on GeekFest Rants, Carlos will take you through the collectible market of lightsabers, specifically the high end "light up" FX lightsabers.
We'll start with the creation of the film prop by Roger Christian, to the laser glow effect, to the Kenner inflatable toy, to the plastic incarnations, and finally to the screen accurate Master Replicas and Hasbro versions.
Friday Sep 14, 2018
Friday Sep 14, 2018
There are good films, bad films, and Cult films. Well, two out of three ain't bad. Today on GeekFest Rants Carlos will look at the Michael Mann WWII horror film, The Keep. Even the greatest of film makers have a skeleton in their closet and this one might be it for Michael Mann. Even with a superb cast like Scott Glenn, Gabriel Byrne, Jürgen Prochnow, and Ian McKellen, this one misses the mark. But is there something good about it that we might want to take a second look at?
Then we'll look at Star Trek toy ships. From brands like Micro Machines, Furuta, Hallmark, Hot Wheels, and Eaglemoss. So many choices, so little money.
Thursday Sep 06, 2018
Thursday Sep 06, 2018
Today on GeekFest Rants we'll take a look at two upcoming Star Wars animated shows, Clone Wars and Resistance. With the surprise return and addition of a final season of Clone Wars episodes, we might get the conclusion we have been waiting for all these years.
Plus a fresh new series, Star Wars Resistance, which will give us some backstory to the characters and events of The Force Awakens. Then we will talk about Star Wars Kenner figures, specifically Reproductions(Repros) and Customs.
There is a whole world out there in the Star Wars action figure collecting community. And it consists of creating what you cannot find/afford or what never existed.