On this week's edition of The Weekly Podioplex, we survived the Infinity War... again. Are you still here, or are you dust? The box office saw a couple more records fall and is eagerly awaiting a few more to shake loose, but the Avengers have to contend with high education comedy as Melissa McCarthy goes back to school as the Life of the Party.  

On the home entertainment front, things keep rolling as Phantom Thread, Batman Ninja, and Black Panther come home. TV eats its veggies as Bunnicula visits with a friend: Police Woman. Finally, we wrap things up with an ocean voyage and a new Marvel podcast from some good friends, as Denise takes a little break.

Enjoy the journey, because it's showtime on the Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for May 11, 2018

Introduction

Opening Clip: Life of the Party

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Avengers: Infinity War – [Second Weekend]
#2 – Overboard – [New Release]
#3 – A Quiet Place – [-1]
#4 – I Feel Pretty – [-1]
#5 – Rampage – [-1]
#6 – Tully – [New Release]

#7 – Black Panther – [-2]
#8 – Truth or Dare – [-1]
#9 – Super Troopers 2 – [-3]
#10 – Blockers – [-2]

Box Office Premieres

May 11, 2018: Wide

Life of the Party – [PG-13]
Breaking In – [PG-13]

May 11, 2018: Limited

Revenge – [R]
Beast – [R]
Class Rank – [NR]
Dark Crimes – [R]
Anything – [R]
Lu Over the Wall – [PG]
Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat – [NR]
Always at The Carlyle – [PG-13]

Home Entertainment

May 8, 2018: New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray 

Phantom Thread – [R]

Fifty Shades Freed – [R]

Batman Ninja – [PG-13]

May 8, 2018: New Releases on Digital Video

Black Panther – [PG-13]

May 8, 2018: TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Bunnicula: Season One (2016)

Police Woman: Season Four (1977)

May 8, 2018: Blu-Rays From the Past 

Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich (1958) – [NR]

Podcast Promos

MCU Excelsior Podcast
Hello Marvel Universe! This is the "trailer" for our new podcast, MCU Excelsior. Expect discussion, opinions, and analysis of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and beyond, including movies and TV based on Marvel Comics properties  -- The Avengers, the Defenders, the Revengers, the Guardians, maybe some X-Men, and of course Deadpool. Because Deadpool is awesome.

Quick Flicks

None

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

http://astore.amazon.com/thechrrif-20/detail/B00LT1JKN2

"Population: Zero"
Airdate: January 18, 2018
Written by Elroy Schwartz
Directed by Jeannot Szwarc

Synopsis: Steve investigates a small town that appears to have had its entire population killed. But when he discovers the real secret and the threat behind it, he must act fast to stop a full scale slaughter.

John is joined by artist and longtime fan Jerry Lange and Geek Radio Daily's Billy Flynn to discuss the first episode of the weekly SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN series, "Population: Zero".  They look at how as a pilot, it hits on just about all cylinders, the fantastic directorial job that Jeannot Szwarc does and the staggering debut numbers this show had for a Friday night mid-season premiere.  Plus, both Billy and Jerry convince John that while an excellent episode, it may not really be one you should a newbie to interest them in the bionic universe and we play a game of Steve, Jaime, or Both.

It's the return of the podcast as a Facebook Live show.  Join us Friday nights at 9:30EST as we discuss an episode of THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN's first season with two fans as well as featuring commentary from our viewers.

Billy Flynn - The Wonderful Billy Flynn brings the funny each week on Geek Radio Daily! His daytime alter ego is mild-mannered (well, that part is a stretch) radio station personality at WLEE in Virginia.   He actually gets paid to sit on his butt and run his mouth! His “edumacation” is from UNC-Wilmington, the Columbia School of Broadcasting, and University of Phoenix. When he is not gracing the podcasting airways with his comedic stylings, you can find Billy Flynn on Xbox Live (flynn71), rockin’ out on Guitar Hero or Rock Band, watching movies, reading comics, working out, or posting on the forums at geekradiodaily.com (ding!).

Jerry Lange - Based in Buffalo, New York. My personal and client works are created using traditional media including pencil, ink and watercolor and digital software Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign. I try to bring a dramatic visual narrative to my work through a mix of loose and tight media application and mark making technique. Website

Episode 47—Part of the Family

Science fiction writer Scott Pearson and his daughter, Ella, dive into Alien 3 (1992) as they continue their epic review of the entire Alien movie series. They’ve said it before and they’ll say it again, always listen to Ripley! 

Segments

Intro :28

Sequel Overview :50

You Waited Six Years for This? 2:03

On Seeing it Again 2:55

On Extended Editions 4:15

Where’d Those Eggs Come From Though? 5:05

The Nix of Hicks and Newt 6:45

Why the Y-Y? 7:28

The Autopsy and the Parasite 9:13

The Cremation and the Sermon 10:54

The Shaved Head and Ripley Power 11:54

Ripley and the Doctor: Uh, No 13:20

Sigourney and Nimoy and Doyle 15:00

Ripley’s Awake Time 15:29

Bishop Reboots 16:43

Prison Assault 17:43

Nameless Deaths 18:43

The Doctor Dies 19:34

Ripley Takes Over 20:00

Again with the Ventilation Shafts 20:30

Company’s Coming 21:00

Ripley’s Expecting 21:20

The Redemption of Charles S. Dutton 24:03

Ripley Swears Like a . . . Tailor? 26:07

Grab a Xenomorph by the Tail 27:13

The Preacher Dies 28:35

Hot Lead and Cold Water 28:55

Bishop II Arrives 29:37

With Company Like This, Who Needs Aliens 30:35

What’s Up with Bishop’s Ear 31:05

Ripley’s Sacrifice 32:11

Scott’s Alien 3 Head Canon 33:00

The Special Edition: A Different Movie 36:24

Xenomorphs and the Eighth Doctor 38:02

Other Lost Scenes 38:38

Alien 3 vs. Alien and Aliens 40:00

In 1983, the NBC Network premiered the two-night event, V - the miniseries.  In a time where science fiction television lacked a real substance, V addressed issues of division, trust, and loyalty.  There were clear parallels to Nazi Germany during World War II.  The miniseries was such a massive success, it resulted in a sequel (V: The Final Battle), a year long television series, comic books, novels, and merchandise.  As the miniseries enters its 35th year, there is news that V is in development as a motion picture via Desilu Productions with V creator Kenneth Johnson at the helm.

John is joined by authors Jeremy Brown and Bobby Nash to discuss the cultural impact of the series, the potential for V as a television series rather than a movie, and the scary parallels of the concepts of V with the current political spectrum.

Jeremy K. Brown has authored several biographies for young readers, including books on Stevie Wonder and Ursula K. Le Guin. He has also contributed articles to numerous magazines and newspapers, including special issues for TV Guide and the Discovery Channel, and recently edited a collector’s issue on Pink Floyd for Newsweek. He worked for 10 years for WWE, serving as Deputy Editor of WWE Magazine and as a member of the company's television writing staff. Jeremy published his first novel, Calling Off Christmas, in 2011. This was followed by Ocean of Storms and Zero Limit.  He lives in New York with his wife and sons.

Ocean of Storms Facebook Page

An award-winning author, Bobby Nash writes novels, comic books, short stories, novellas, graphic novels, and the occasional screenplay for a variety of publishers, including: IDW Publishing, Sequential Pulp Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Moonstone Books, Airship 27 Productions, Pro Se Press, Raven’s Head Press, Stark Raving Press, Farragut Films, Dark Oak Press, Radio Archives, Avatar Press, and more.

Bobby is a member of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers and International Thriller Writers.

He was named Best Author in the 2013 Pulp Ark Awards. Rick Ruby, a character co-created by Bobby and author Sean Taylor also snagged a Pulp Ark Award for Best New Pulp Character of 2013. Bobby has also been nominated for the 2014 New Pulp Awards and Pulp Factory Awards for his work. Bobby's novel, Alexandra Holzer's Ghost Gal: The Wild Hunt won a Paranormal Literary Award in the 2015 Paranormal Awards. The Bobby Nash penned episode of Starship Farragut "Conspiracy of Innocence" won the Silver Award in the 2015 DC Film Festival. Bobby's story in The Ruby Files Vol. 2 "Takedown" was named Best Short Story in the 2018 Pulp Factory Awards, one of five nominations for The Ruby Files Vol. 2 (created by Bobby Nash & Sean Taylor). Bobby's digest novel, Snow Drive was nominated for Best Novel in the 2018 Pulp Factory Awards.

Bobby Nash's Homepage

On this week's edition of The Weekly Podioplex, we survived the Inifnity War. Did you? The box office was rattled as several records (and hearts) were broken. This week, remakes, comedies, and a Time Lord gone bad will do their best as two Marvel movies continue to dominate the top five. 

On the home entertainment front, things are picking up as 12 Strong, Winchester, Peter Rabbit, Please Stand By, and another Tremors film make their debuts. TV and retro are still slow, but Denise brings a plethora of news items to close the show.

Enjoy the journey, because it's showtime on the Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for May 1, 2018

Introduction

Opening Clip: Bad Samaritan

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – Avengers: Infinity War – [New Release]
#2 – A Quiet Place – [-1]
#3 – I Feel Pretty – [Even]
#4 – Rampage – [-2]
#5 – Black Panther – [+3]
#6 – Super Troopers 2 – [-2]

#7 – Truth or Dare – [-2]
#8 – Blockers – [-1]
#9 – Ready Player One – [-3]
#10 – Traffik – [-1]

Box Office Premieres

May 4, 2018: Wide

Bad Samaritan – [R]
Tully – [R]
Overboard – [PG-13]

May 4, 2018: Limited

The Desert Bride – [NR]
The Guardians – [R]
Racer and the Jailbird – [R]

Home Entertainment

May 1, 2018: New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray 

12 Strong – [R]

Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell – [PG-13]

Winchester – [PG-13]

Peter Rabbit – [PG]

Please Stand By – [PG-13]

May 1, 2018: New Releases on Digital Video

The 15:17 to Paris – [PG-13]

May 1, 2018: TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Broken (2017)

May 1, 2018: Blu-Rays From the Past 

Legend of the Mountain (1979) – [NR]

Podcast Promos

Earth Station MCU
The Earth Station MCU Podcast is your home for all things related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD", "Agent Carter", The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and so much more! Join our debrief as we discuss TV shows, upcoming (and past favorite) Marvel movies, cosplay, comics history, toys, games, interviews, and all things MCU. Whether you're a hero or a villain, a new viewer or have been reading comics since you were a kid, there's something for you on Earth Station MCU.

Quick Flicks

Not talking about Infinity War…
Pre-order Atari’s new console
John Cena to star in Janson Directive
Mel Gibson to direct Destroyer, another World War II film
John Woo and Lupita Nyong’o team up
Fireball Island making a comeback

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

 "CORPSE OF THE YEAR"

AIRED: JANUARY 13 & 27, 1967

A two-part story brings us a cast of characters and a murder mysterywhere the Hornet is the prime suspect.  This story has a lot going for it, but it also has a number of clumsy elements including a duplicate Hornet and Black Beauty which appears to have no real purpose to the plot other than it looks cool.  John and Jim are pretty much on the same page when it comes to this story and John is happy to see, albeit briefly, actress Angelique Pettyjohn.

Take a listen and then let us know what you think of the episode by writing us here or at thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

Recorded on Facebook Live

April 29, 2018

Forty years ago, the BBC premiered a new science fiction show by Terry Nation, the creator of the Daleks.  Nation had quite the record of well received scripts to various television shows and had created and written the previous Survivors.  But then along came Blake's 7.  This dystopian drama dealt with a team of renegade outlaws who followed what many perceived to be a fanatical leader in Roj Blake.  From the opening episode with its dark and disturbing ideas to the concluding episode that was supposed to be a cliffhanger for a new season to follow, fans loved watching the adventures of Blake, Avon, and the rest of the crew of the Liberator and Scorpio.

In this look back, John offers a brief breakdown of the four seasons, choosing scenes from each season to highlight key moments as a means to make the argument that this show is in serious need of a reboot and return to television.  

On this week's edition of The Weekly Podioplex, audiences escaped the Rampage and sought solace in A Quiet Place. The victory for the silent horror will be short-lived because this week marks the arrival of Thanos and Avengers: Infinity War. There's nothing else going on at the box office. Everyone else gave Marvel the floor. 

On the home entertainment front, it's still April and it's still slow. Paddington and Maze Runner make sequel premieres, and Bluetooth pioneer Hedy Lamarr makes a digital debut. I also share a story of culture shock with Grease in HD. After that, Denise brings news of more Solo films, another Jumanji, animated Fast and Furious (what!?), and more.

Enjoy the journey, because it's showtime on the Weekly Podioplex, brought to you on The Chronic Rift Network. See you on the other side of Infinity.

Weekly Podioplex Notes for April 24, 2018

Introduction

Opening Clip: Avengers: Infinity War

Box Office Report

Top Ten

#1 – A Quiet Place – [+1]
#2 – Rampage – [-1]
#3 – I Feel Pretty – [New Release]
#4 – Super Troopers 2 – [New Release]
#5 – Truth or Dare – [-2]
#6 – Ready Player One – [-2]

#7 – Blockers – [-2]
#8 – Black Panther – [-2]
#9 – Traffik – [New Release]
#10 – Isle of Dogs – [-3]

Box Office Premieres

April 27, 2018: Wide

Avengers: Infinity War – [PG-13]

April 27, 2018: Limited

Kings – [R]
Let the Sunshine In – [NR]
Disobedience – [R]
Backstabbing for Beginners – [R]
Selfie Dad – [NR]
Armed – [R]
Love & Bananas – [NR]
The Escape of Prisoner 614 – [PG-13]

Home Entertainment

April 24, 2018: New Releases on DVD and Blu-Ray 

Paddington 2 – [PG]

Maze Runner: The Death Cure – [PG-13]

April 24, 2018: New Releases on Digital Video

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story – [NR]

April 24, 2018: TV on DVD and Blu-Ray

Shameless: Season Eight (2017)

Unforgotten: Season One (2015)

April 24, 2018: Blu-Rays From the Past 

Grease (1978) – [PG]

Podcast Promos

The Watch-A-Thon of Rassilon

We are Joe and Toni B. Heath. And we are going to watch every episode of Classic Who and then tell you about it. Neat, right?

Quick Flicks

Alden Ehrenreich has signed as Han Solo for three films
Jumanji 3 coming Christmas 2019
Fast and Furious going animated on Netflix?
Joss Whedon defends his Wonder Woman script
Disney wants Brie Larson for Rose Red

Links

Visit the Chronic Rift site
Send us an e-mail
Tweet on Twitter:  The Chronic Rift, The Weekly Podioplex, Denise, and Michael
Listen on Stitcher Radio

Leave a review on iTunes:  The Chronic Rift

Shop the Rift’s Best Bets or search our Amazon Store. 

Michael’s blog at Creative Criticality

Denise’s blog at Accessories Not Included

First up on “You Bet Your Life,” Groucho Marx interviews a female Air Force sergeant and the parents of triplets.  Then on “Dragnet,” a brightly-colored car leads detectives Friday and Romero all around Los Angeles, from its mean streets to an amusement park.

Episodes

You Bet Your Life

June 27, 1951

"The Secret Word is Table"

1:47

Dragnet

November 30, 1950

“The Big Car”

31:52

Recorded on Facebook Live

April 22, 2018

John returns with a new slew of reviews from the various corners of pop culture.  Dan Persons reviews Isle of Dogs.  J. Andrew World takes a retrospective look at the music of Todd Rungren.  Denise Lhamon has mixed feelings about The Terror by Dan Simmons.  Ken Holtzhouser referees the debate over revivals versus reboots.  John is bringing a revamped podcast of his to the table (The OSI Files) and Michael Falkner offers a near complete listing of pop culture conventions around the world for the month of May.  It's all here and more on a new In Review episode of The Chronic Rift.

Content

8:00 - John talks the revamp of his bionic themed podcast, The OSI Files (set to premiere on Facebook Live on May 4 at 9:00PM EST).

11:20 - Michael Falkner presents our Pop Culture Convention Guide.

37:05 - The Batcave Podcast promo

38:07 - The Weekly Podioplex promo

40:00 - Denise has mixed feelings on Dan Simmons' The Terror.  (Purchase your copy and help support the network.)

48:50 - Ken Holtzhouser points out the good and the bad when it comes to Hollywood's obsession with reboots and revivals.