A collection of podcasts exploring the culture in pop culture. Our shows range from the general (flagship show The Chronic Rift) to the specific (The Batcave Podcast). We look at literature (Dead Kitchen Radio), movies (The Weekly Podioplex), family (Generations Geek), gaming (The Cardboard Jungle), and more.
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Episode 16, The Smaug Report
Science fiction writer Scott Pearson (Star Trek Myriad Universes: Shattered Light) and his daughter talk about The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug with fellow Chronic Rift Network podcaster Kevin Lauderdale (It Has Come to My Attention) and his daughter Elizabeth—it’s Generations Geek squared! Double-length episode.
Segments
Intro :30
Part 1 and 2 Double Feature 1:00
Part 1 vs. Part 2 3:30
Where’s Bilbo? 6:20
The Book vs. the Movie vs. the LOTR movies 10:18
Tauriel and the Love Triangle 10:58
Rushing Through Middle-earth 13:48
3D and High Frame Rate 15:00
Bard and the Master of Laketown 22:13
Connections in Middle-earth 24:25
Too Many Movies? 25:30
The Hobbit is Supposed to be First 28:25
The Hobbit Animated 30:30
Bree in The Hobbit? 32:50
Geek Culture Popularity 34:34
The Accessibility of CGI vs. Old Movies 37:00
Chased by Orcs Over and Over Again 40:25
Favorite Scenes 44:24
Least Favorite Scenes 47:33
What Will Happen in Part 3? 50:55
Benedict Cumberbatch, Smaug, and Sauron 52:07
Excited About Part 3? 55:25
Kili and Erebor 58:00
Legolas and Tauriel 58:41
Comment on this episode here or by writing thegeeks@generationsgeek.com or by calling 888-866-9010.
You know? Scott really needs to get Joe the Cook to fix that broken window in the kitchen. You never know what might creep into the Diner in its off hours.
In this special episode, we don’t go to “a galaxy far, far away,” nor do we explore “the final frontier.” Instead we go to the “dawn of the third age of mankind,” just in time for the 20th anniversary of one of the most important shows in SciFi history.
"This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is Christmas, 2013. The name of the place is Babylon 5…"
If you want to learn more on the show, the definitive source would be The Lurker’s Guide at http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/. This is one of the world’s oldest fan sites, going back at least to 1993.
To reach Raul from www.thechristiangeek.net, you can email him at raul@thechristiangeek.net or Tweet him at @rytechgeek. He can also be found on Facebook as Raul Ybarra.
You can em–mail Jim at arrowood@gmail.com and also find him at Jim’s SciFi blog, http://jimsscifi.blogspot.com. He is also on Facebook and can be Tweeted at @JimArrowood2.
Babylon 5 is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski’s Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Television. After the successful airing of a backdoor pilot movie, Warner Bros. commissioned the series as part of the second-year schedule of programs provided by its Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN). The pilot episode was broadcast on February 22, 1993 in the US. The first season premiered in the US on January 26, 1994, and ran for the intended five seasons. Describing it as having “always been conceived as, fundamentally, a five-year story, a novel for television,” Straczynski wrote 92 of the 110 episodes, and served as executive producer, along with Douglas Netter.
Set between the years 2258 and 2281, it depicts a future where Earth has sovereign states, and a unifying Earthgov. Colonies within the solar system, and beyond, make up the Earth Alliance, and contact has been made with other spacefaring races. The ensemble cast portray alien ambassadorial staff and humans assigned to the five-mile-long Babylon 5 space station, a centre for trade and diplomacy. Described as “one of the most complex programs on television,” the various story arcs drew upon the prophesies, religious zealotry, racial tensions, social pressures, and political rivalries which existed within each of their cultures, to create a contextual framework for the motivations and consequences of the protagonists’ actions. With a strong emphasis on character development set against a backdrop of conflicting ideologies on multiple levels, Straczynski wanted “to take an adult approach to SF, and attempt to do for television SF what Hill Street Blues did for cop shows.”
Generally viewed as having “launched the new era of television CGI visual effects,” it received multiple awards during its initial run, including two consecutive Hugo Awards for best dramatic presentation, and continues to regularly feature prominently in various polls and listings highlighting top-rated science fiction series. Not appearing on American television since 2003, it continues to be shown in international markets such as Fox in the UK, the TV4-ScifFi Channel in Sweden, and the FBC TV channel in Fiji. Initially written by Straczynski, DC began publishing Babylon 5 comics in 1994, with stories that closely tied in with events depicted in the show, with events in the comics eventually being referenced onscreen in the actual television series. The franchise continued to expand into short stories, RPG games, and novels, with the Technomage trilogy of books being the last to be published in 2001, shortly after the spin-off television series,Crusade, was cancelled.
All rights except for a possible movie are controlled by Warner (movie rights are retained by Straczynski).
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In a special holiday “Satellite” episode just in time for Christmas Day, the G2V’s own Scott Alan Woodard presents a dramatic reading of his story “All Snug in Their Beds” originally published in the 2007 DOCTOR WHO anthology published by Big Finish, SHORT TRIPS: THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS!
Featuring music by Matt Jessop, Rat Soufflé, and Singing Bell.
From Scott: “Despite a few ropey impressions and accents, I think it came out rather well considering I did it all in one night (a bit like the antics of that portly, red suited gentleman). I hope you all enjoy it and thanks again for supporting The G2V Podcast!”
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Keith recorded a special holiday episode of Dead Kitchen Radio in which he does a reading of one of his favorite holiday works, Dylan Thomas's "A Child's Christmas in Wales."
Take a moment to comment on the episode here or by writing krad@whysper.net or by calling 888-866-9010.
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Twas the night before Christmas and all through the Lucky Shot studios, all was in readiness for the holiday coolios? It's best to leave the poetry to the experts. But the podcasting you can leave to John and the Rift Network. It's Christmas once again and John sits down to take a moment to breathe and reflect on the year passed. There's the annual reading of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and some holiday music to make your day merry and bright. And to all a good night. (See, we can rhyme if we want to, we can leave your friends behind.)
Comment on this episode here or by writing john@chronicrift.com or by calling 888-866-9010. Please rate the episode using our star system at the bottom of this entry.
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The Hobbit takes continues to dominate the box office, but 'tis the season for movie releases that offer a challenge for the top box office slot. There are only a few DVD releases for those last minute Christmas shoppers, but Chronic Rift showrunner, John S. Drew offers a movie suggestion for the holiday season - Scrooged. All this and more on a Christmasy Weekly Podioplex.
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Ronni and Hicks find there are stranger things in the woods than the walking dead. An abandoned helicopter provides clues to the scope and scale of the zombie uprising. Gray and Derrik face a dark future wounded and under siege. The United Nations finds itself under fire from an unexpected source.
The cast features Keith R A DeCandido as Todd Rage, Stacy Dooks as Gray, D J Breau as Derrik, Lee Sandsas Dogberry, Mark Zaricor as Joe, Rebecca Rinas as Ronni, Ryan Smith as Hicks D T Kelly as Helms, Ayoub Khoteas McInnes, and Michael Stokes as Grant.
HG World is produced by 3015 North Studios. Written and produced by Jay Smith with production assistance by Martha Linbo-Terhaar Carole Stokes, Michael Stokes and Pam Smith. www.goodmorningsurvivors.com
Sound effects courtesy of www.freesound.org. Jonathan Coulton appears courtesy of the Creative Commons license. Please visit him and his goodness at www.jonathancoulton.com. For more about HG World, visit www.goodmorningsurvivors.com.
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Guest host Kevin Lauderdale (It Has Come to My Attention, Mighty Movie's Temple of Bad) brings to your attention an assortment of old time radio Christmas comedy, commercials, and songs.
Episode Extracts, December 21, 2013
7:38 "The Jack Benny Show", Armed Forced Radio and Television Service special, December 1957
34:25 Don Wilson Jell-O ad, "The Jack Benny Show", December 17, 1939
35:26 Rexall ad, "The Phil Harris / Alice Faye Show", December 19, 1948
36:28 "The Bob Hope Show", Armed Forced Radio and Television Service special, December 1957
51:17 Bing Crosby Chesterfield cigarettes ad, "The Bing Crosby Show", December 20, 1950
53:35 Bing Crosby war-time rationing PSA, "The Kraft Music Hall (The Bing Crosby Show)", December 16, 1943
54:45 "The Jack Benny Show", December 20, 1953
1:01:47 Phil Harris sings "Jingle Bells", "The Phil Harris / Alice Faye Show", December 19, 1948
Please comment on this episodes here or write john@chronicrift.com or call 888-866-9010.
We’re gonna put a SPELL on you with a look at the astonishing antics ofAMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN! Scott and Arnold discuss the diabolical deeds of the first nine episodes, the heart- and head-stopping mid-season finale (SPOILER WARNING: the guys talk about everything up to and including that episode), and what might be in store for us as we reach the final four (only four, say it isn’t so!) episodes in January. If you’re a horror fan and you aren’t already following this series, you NEED to be watching this show!
ALSO: Scott and Arnold suggest some really last-minute holiday gift ideas!
The Hobbit takes the top spot at the box office, but there are a number of major releases opening this weekend to offer strong competition. Plus, there are a number of TV on DVD releases as well. In addition, Dan Persons of the Cinefantastique Podcast joins in the fun by explaining why It's a Wonderful Life is a wonderful holiday film.
Welcome to the SciFi Rewind: Star Wars Holiday Special!
We are sorry to put you through this, but in this episode we are rewinding the infamous Star Wars: Holiday Special complete with commercials... Hear us dissect the TV Special, share trivia, groans many times, and go on tangents. Happy Holidays to you!
Dirk Maggs is renowned for his numerous audio dramas with such credits as Superman: Doomsday, Spider-Man, Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to his credit. Jay Smith (HG World) got the opportunity to sit down and talk with Maggs via Skype over a year ago. Jay offered the interview to The Chronic Rift and it's an excellent discussion on audio drama production today, the good and the bad. We want to thank Jay for sharing this interview with us and for hosting this episode.
Comment on this episode here or by writing john@chronicrift.com or by calling 888-866-9010. Please rate the episode using our star system at the bottom of this entry.
Dirk Maggs' BBC Career included stints as a producer in BBC Television and a Senior Producer in BBC Radio Light Entertainment. He has won national and international awards including Sonys, Talkies and Audies. Dirk was among the first ever nominees for the Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Achievement in his field.
Dirk was responsible for writing and directing the hugely successful 2003-5 radio renaissance of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - its late author Douglas Adams having specifically asked him to produce the conclusion to the saga in its original medium. In 2012 Dirk adapted the entire five-novel Hitchhiker’s epic into a stage show featuring the original cast which delighted thousands of theatregoers.
In Spring 2013 Dirkadapted, co-directed (with Heather Larmour) and sound designed Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere for BBC Radio 4/4 Extra, a critically acclaimed production with an all-star cast including Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy.
Dirk's Television work includes Bob The Builder and The Animated Mr Bean, in Film The Magic Roundabout Movie. For BBC Radio, Dirk created epic 'audio movies' featuring Superman, Batman, Spider-Man and Judge Dredd.
Dirk's Voice Directing for Games has included Revolution Software's Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon and Broken Sword: The Angel Of Death.
Dirk has directed many outstanding artists, including James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, Leslie Nielsen, Christian Slater, Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Joanna Lumley, Jonathan Pryce, Juliet Stevenson, Jim Broadbent, Maureen Lipman, Johnny Vegas, Ricky Tomlinson, Harry Enfield, Jim Carter, Steve Coogan, Alison Steadman and Spike Milligan.
Dirk has been elected an Honorary Fellow of the University of Winchester for his work in the dramatic arts and is a Guest Lecturer at the Universities of Westminster, Bournemouth and Winchester. He has also been involved with creative Native American projects at Native Voices at the Autry Center in Los Angeles, California and Native American Public Television in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Disney rules the roost at the box office, but will it be a short-lived victory as there is a new installment of The Hobbit trilogy premiering this weekend. Plus, there's plenty of TV on DVD releases this week, including "The Day of the Doctor" Doctor Who 50th anniversary special.
Steve is injured on a mission and in need of bionic surgery. While recovering he spots a woman who looks like Jaime. But Jaime's dead. Steve watched her die on the operating table. What kind of sick game is Oscar and Rudy playing on him?!?
The good news - Jaime is alive.
The bad news - Jaime doesn't remember Steve or any part of her life before she came back to life.
To make matters worse, the young doctor who came up with the revolutionary technique that allowed Rudy and his team to save Jaime is falling for her and she for him. Can Steve keep it all together and finally be reunited with his childhood sweetheart?
TO BE CONTINUED...
Stay tuned as part two of this look at the third season premiere of The Six Million Dollar Man will be released in less than two weeks.
Comment on the episode here or write abionicpodcast@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010 or better still use the "Send Voicemail" tab on the left of the page to leave a message via your computer. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.
James Sherrard is a first generation fan of The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman.A collector of all things Bionic as a child, his interest in the shows was reignited when the first Bionic reunion movie was produced in 1987.The following year he met stars Lindsay Wagner and Richard Anderson for the first time through Lindsay Wagner’s Official Fan Club.In 1998, James reworked the Bionic Woman episode guide booklet that he had produced for the club into The Bionic Woman Files website…the longest running Bionic Woman site on the web!Over the years, James has contributed his Bionic knowledge to various books, articles, websites, and television productions.He has also amassed an amazing collection of Bionic memorabilia, from common toys to one-of-a-kind production items.Most recently, James has contributed to the 2010 DVD releases of The Bionic Woman Season One and The Six Million Dollar Man: The Complete Collection.James resides in New York where he is employed by a non-profit organization.
From Betsy Dodd's page:
Growing up in a one-TV household, I had 3 brothers who surrounded me in age—who often teased me for being a “sissy”—and who usually controlled the voting majority for which channel to watch. Back in the 70s, our whirling TV dial was pretty much destroyed because we fought over it so often. One night while the substitute pliers were pointed to their choice of The Six Million Dollar Man(again), suddenly there was OMG ...cue angelic chorus... Jaime Sommers, the world’s first Bionic Woman. Yes!!! Score one for us sissies! I was totally hooked. And the love story between Jaime and Steve was the best. Ever. But then they killed her the following week.
Why did I idolize Jaime Sommers so much? Just as the final season was being released on DVD in the fall of 2011, I stumbled onto some internet bionic fan forums and started posting these offbeat episode reviews. I’m not sure, but when some members encouraged me to go start my own blog, I think it may have been the equivalent of being politely shunned by the Bionic Amish community— puritans of the franchise. (Really, I’m kidding. They’re all fun people and super nice. And they even let me use electricity to sign onto the internet.) Once about ten years ago, I belonged to an online fan “cult” that was framed in a similar style of farcical humor about The X-Files, so to me, this is all a completely normal approach to a television drama.
These days, I am a freelance copywriter, graphic designer and video editor living in Tennessee. No, I am not a blonde, but I am threatening to become one soon if these little gray hairs don’t stop surfacing. I must confess I also did not actually keep a diary in the 70s, but wish now that I had, so I could remember the real reason why I missed so many episodes of my favorite 70s show. For now, I’m blaming my brothers. For everything.
Clay and Debby are back in the car and on the road again. This time around, they talk about Wurstfest, a ten day celebration of all things sausage in Texas. (There's such a great joke there, but we'll be good.) Listen in as they share their experiences at the best Wurstfest ever.
Ah, the romance of the outlaw -- dashing and fearless, living a life of danger and adventure. Except when they're greedy sociopaths leaving a trail of corpses in their wake.
NARCO CULTURA looks into the world of the Mexican drug cartels and how it has spawned a culture that romanticizes and celebrates the bloody exploits of the men behind it. Photojournalist and filmmaker Shaul Schwarz -- leveraging his experience working in such conflict zones as Haiti and the Gaza Strip -- focuses in both on the real-life horror witnessed by Richi Soto, a crime scene investigator in Juarez, Mexico, who has to deal with the terror, corruption, and intimidation spawned by the cartels, and on the cultural impact via the viewpoint of Edgar Quintero, a Los Angeles narcocorrido songwriter and singer, who's acquiring a growing fandom for his odes celebrating the cartels' violent lifestyle.
I was able to sit down with Schwarz for an in-depth glimpse into the motivations for this project and risks encountered in actually bringing it to the screen. Click on the player to hear the show.
WEBSITE LINK: http://narcoculture.com/
Comment on the episode here or write dan@mightymoviepodcast.com or call 888-866-9010.
We continue our series of recorded panels from this year's Dragon Con with one that Keith participated in. From the American Sci-Fi Classics track, this panel took a look at the genre movies and television of 1983. If you would like to learn more about Dragon Con, check out the link below in these show notes.
Kevin from The Flopcast Comment on the episode here or write john@chronicrift.com or call 888-866-9010. In addition, check out our other social media outlets:
As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of Doctor Who, Keith weighs in with one of his contributions to the Time Lord's universe in the form of prose. He reads from Decalog 3, a short story collection from Virgin publishing that also features a story from current show runner, Steven Moffat. Keith's story is "UNITed we Stand".
Take a moment to comment on the episode here or by writing krad@whysper.net or by calling 888-866-9010.
Tonight’s Diners: Scott,Miles, M, Dayton, and John
Welcome to the Diner
If you have listened to the show for sometime, we would love to have you leave feedback on iTunes. We know not all of you use iTunes, but for those that do, it helps us become more visible. If you don’t use iTunes, your feedback is still valuable. Visit our webpage at http://scifidinerpodcast.com and leave a comment on the show notes or email us at scifidinerpodcast@gmail.com We want to know what you are thinking about what we are saying and what shows you are watching.
Promos:
The Gatecast
Trekcast Podcast
Cyborgs: A Bionic Podcast
Welcome to our Holiday Special!
We are counting down our top Christmas gifts.... so if you have some extra cash...well, hey, we'd love to help you out with that. Especially Dayton. He's always hustling for cash.....he'll do anything. I mean ANYTHING...even come on the SciFi Diner podcast....
Dayton's List:
1. Officially licensed street legal 1966 Batmobile
2. Death Star wall blocks
3. Larry Nemecek's "Stellar Cartography"
4. Original Art Edition of Heavy Metal
5. Star Wars Original Trilogy Score
John's List:
1. Original Voyager Console Prop w/Okudagram included
2. Firefly The Game
3. Enterprise Ring Ship Hand-Made Artisan Replica
4. Quantum Mechanix Star Trek TNG Communicator Pin
5. Star Trek The Next Generation Season 5 on Blu Ray
M's List:
1. Rogan
2. 3D Printer for Fashion
3. Stovetop Vacuum Coffee Maker
4. Livescribe 3 Smartpen Standard Edition for Tablets and Smartphones
5. PS4
Mile's List:
1. A New Kindle
2. The Ladies of Firefly poster set from Think Geek
3. Amazon Gift Cards
4. Star Trek The Next Generation pajama set
5. Star Trek Into Darkness on Blu Ray (From Target)
The Hunger Games satisfied more hungry movie goers this past Thanksgiving weekend making it once again, the number one movie at the box office. It's another lean week for movie and DVD releases, plus there's only one real news item that dominated Hollywood this week. Michael Falkner has it all on an all new The Weekly Podioplex.
We're gearing up to review the third season of The Six Million Dollar Man and the first season of The Bionic Woman. But before we do that, we need to take one last look at the second season of Six Mill. John and Paul sit down to look back at their reviews of the past season. They talk about how their views on certain episodes changed and discuss some things they realized after recording certain episodes. In addition, they review the special features of the second season DVD release, discuss listener feedback, present a new Bionic Impression Theater, and give you an example of when they have to deal with "Skype Hell." It's all there and more on this Declassified episode.
Comment on the episode here or write abionicpodcast@gmail.com or call 888-866-9010 or better still use the "Send Voicemail" tab on the left of the page to leave a message via your computer. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.
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In this special “Satellite” interview episode, The G2V Guys welcome Paul and Storm, the musical comedy duo that has taken the geek world by storm (ha, because one of them is…never mind…) and cast a Paul across the fan universe (because the other one…but that doesn’t even mean the right thing, so…forget it…)! Anyway, they’re awesome, they’re funny, they’ve opened for Jonathan (PORTAL, PORTAL 2, LEFT 4 DEAD 2) Coulton, they’ve worked with the likes of Wil Wheaton and Neil Gaiman, George R.R. Martin smashed their guitar (he had a reason, see below in the show links), Paul’s dogs only threaten to end the episode prematurely (but they MUST be obeyed), and they’re drumming up support via Kickstarter for their fifth album, BALL PIT!
Science fiction writer Scott Pearson (Star Trek Myriad Universes: Shattered Light) and his daughter talk about Gravity with astronaut Thomas D. Jones to learn what the movie got right and wrong about working in orbit. Plus, an afterword on the Doctor Who fiftieth anniversary special, “The Day of the Doctor,” in 3-D. Double-length episode!
Segments
Intro :30
A Little About Gravity1:00
The Other Side of Gravity: The Short Film “Aningaaq” 4:00
The Thomas D. Jones Interview: Gravity vs. Reality 6:10
“The Day of the Doctor” 44:00
Comment on this episode here or by writing thegeeks@generationsgeek.com or by calling 888-866-9010.
The Zombie uprising reaches Wishwell, PA as Hicks and Ronni try to make their way into downtown Wishwell while Gray tries to escape town with Caitlin. Unfortunately for both parties, the way is blocked by the flesh-eating undead remains of the townfolk.
The Cast: Keith R A DeCandido as Todd Rage, Stacy Dooks as Gray, M Sieiro Garcia as Caitlin, D J Breau as Derrik, Mark Zaricor as Deputy Dale, Ginny Swann as Colleen, Rebecca Rinas as Ronni, Ryan Smith as Hicks, D T Kelly as Neighbor. With Eugie Foster, Tracy Evans, Mike Stokes and Cheryl Malcom.
HG World is produced by 3015 North Studios. This episode was written and directed by Jay Smith with production assistance by Martha Linbo-Terhaar, Carole Stokes, Michael Stokes, and Pam Smith.
Sound effects courtesy of www.freesound.org. Jonathan Coulton appears courtesy of the Creative Commons license. Please visit him and his goodness at www.jonathancoulton.com. For more about HG World, visit www.goodmorningsurvivors.com.
From Betsy Dodd's page: 
