Geekfest Rants

Cop Drama Meets Super Hero Saga in "Gotham", Part 2 - by Zeke "The Freak" Springer

Today we get Part 2 from Zeke "The Freak" Springer's pilot screeing of Gotham. Zeke got to meet the cast at the screening and ask them some questions.  HERE is a link to those audio Q&A's.

Robin Williams - by Steve Vivona

Initially, I wasn't going to weigh in with my thoughts of Robin Williams since everyone in the world (and their sister) are, but he really meant something to me, and writing has always helped me process.

Bar none, Robin Williams was my favorite comedian. Eventually he became one of my favorite people. Hilarious doesn't begin to describe his brand of comedy, a deft mix of relevant (but not nasty) social commentary, improvisation, impersonation and relatable observations about family, aging, success and failure (plus the occasional dick joke). I don't think that explanation does him justice, but it's the best I could come up with.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: A Parable about War, Violence, and Human Nature - by Tony Rossi

Some people claim that organized religion is the root of all evil and violence in the world – that without disputes over God, humanity would live in relative peace. I thought of those people while watching “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” which presents a world in which violence and war still exist without a hint of God or religion. That’s because this entertaining and thought-provoking parable about human nature understands that the evil that men (and apes) do is rooted in power, self-absorption and fear. All other reasons – from God to politics to land to race to money – are just secondary excuses.

The film begins 10 years after a simian virus has wiped out much of humanity. A faction of highly evolved apes with the ability to speak are living relatively peacefully in the mountains of California and being led by Caesar (Andy Serkis). Because of the kind doctor that raised him, Caesar has a fondness for humans – though his time as experimental fodder in a laboratory also makes him aware of their propensity to do horrific things.

Click HERE for the rest of this article.

Cop Drama Meets Super Hero Saga in "Gotham", Part 1 - by Zeke "The Freak" Springer

Sometimes living in New York City has its privileges. Case in point: I recently copped a ticket to the advanced pilot screening of Fox’s highly anticipated cop drama, GOTHAM.  About 75 people attended the event, which was hosted at the swanky Crosby Hotel in Soho. Attendees included the show’s stars, media elite and bloggers like me, Zeke The Freak (ZTF). And, trust me: ZTF got all the details for you.

Scheduled to premiere this fall, GOTHAM takes us back to the early days of the Batman Universe in DC Comics. Think of it as the origin story of Commissioner James Gordon and the villains that make Gotham City famous. It chronicles Gordon’s rise through the ranks of the Gotham City Police Department, focusing at times on his friendship with young Bruce Wayne. If the series turns out like the pilot then the show sets Gordon up to play a crucial role in helping the boy become the eventual hero, Batman. This is a definite departure from the comics.

Click HERE and scroll down for the rest of this article.

Batman at 25 - by Steve Vivona

So while I've already written at length ("The Lighter Dark Knight") about the first Batman film, it felt wrong not to commemorate the silver anniversary to this most important blockbuster in some way.

One question I'm not sure I answered adequately in the previous piece is: was Batman a good film? Does it hold up? I think it does.

Today it's become fashionable to take pot shots at it in much the same way we shot slings and arrows at the Adam West version of Batman back then (and we all love that now, don't we?) It's easy to call it flashy and overhyped and too "Tim Burton-y" (that was Batman Returns actually). As we bask in the glow of the almost-too real Christopher Nolan trilogy this effort seems almost quaint and silly (especially to those born after its release).

Patriot Games: A Review of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” by Tony Rossi

Would you willingly give up your freedom and privacy if it meant bringing order to a chaotic world?

That’s one question at the heart of the entertaining thrill ride “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” which finds our hero in quite a different environment than the simple good vs. evil World War Two setting of the first film in the series.

At the start of the story, the “defrosted” Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) has found a career as a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative, often working with Natasha Romanov, a.k.a. The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), to fight international terrorists and maintain homeland security. Yet his missions have started leaving him uncomfortable, as if there’s something going on that he doesn’t know about.

Click HERE for the rest of this article.

Will NBC’s “Believe” and ABC’s “Resurrection” Convey Emotional and Spiritual Truths? - by Tony Rossi

With titles like “Believe” and “Resurrection,” you might think that two new TV series include a religious, or at least supernatural, dimension. But do they really?

“Believe” premieres on NBC Monday March 11 at 10pm, and stems from an impressive pedigree, with executive producers that include J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” “Fringe”) and Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuaron (“Gravity”). In fact, “Believe’s” pilot was directed by Cuaron.

The show tells the story of a ten-year-old girl named Bo (Johnny Sequoyah), who was born with mysterious powers that include an ability to see the future, read minds, levitate objects, and control nature. Seemingly an orphan, Bo is living with foster parents as the series begins, though she is protected from afar by Milton Winter (Delroy Lindo) and his crew, who are trying to keep evil rich guy Roman Skouras (Kyle MacLachlan) from getting his power-hungry hands on her.

Click here for the rest of this article: 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christophers/2014/03/will-nbcs-believe-and-abcs-resurrection-convey-emotional-and-spiritual-truths/

What “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Can Learn From “Person of Interest” - by Tony Rossi

“The Avengers” TV spin-off “Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” debuted to fantastic ratings, then leveled off a bit the following few weeks. But the numbers were still high enough to warrant a full season order.

As a lifelong comics fan, the show was on my must-see list, and I’ve found it enjoyable so far. However, there’s room for improvement and I’d suggest finding inspiration in a show with which it has a lot in common: the CBS series “Person of Interest,” now in its third season.

In “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” a somehow-resurrected Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg), who died in “The Avengers,” unites a government team with no superpowers to clandestinely defeat dangerous villains or save the world whenever the need arises.

Click here for the rest of this article:  http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christophers/2013/10/what-marvels-agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-can-learn-from-person-of-interest/

Born Again: A Review of “Gravity” with Sandra Bullock & George Clooney - by Tony Rossi

Silence is all astronaut Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) wants since her heart and soul were destroyed following the death of her four-year-old daughter in a freak accident.  Stone exists, but doesn’t live.

That’s why her first mission to space seems to be ideal.  She’s surrounded by the peace and silence she craves – except for the playful chatter of her crewmate, veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), who’s commanding his last mission.

During a spacewalk in which Stone is fixing a damaged control panel on their ship, mission control in Houston sends word that unexpected space debris from a blown-up Russian satellite is heading their way at a rapid pace.  Before Kowalski and Stone can escape it, they’re bombarded by shards and chunks of metal that cut their tether to the ship, while also killing the rest of their crew.

Click here for the rest of this article:  http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christophers/2013/10/born-again-a-review-of-gravity-with-sandra-bullock-george-clooney/

Remembering the Alamo - by Steve Vivona

I don't know about the rest of you, but as I've gotten older I've hated the movie going experience more and more. That really sucks because I love films. I love watching them, analyzing them, arguing about them and sharing the experience with my friends.

Over the last two decades, the prevalence of cell phones and the general decline in polite human behavior has made going to the movies an experience that at best, could be considered a necessary evil for me. There are just certain movies that cry out to be seen on the big screen with door busting sound and the ultra high resolution only film can provide.