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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It's a double sized episode of The Weekly Podioplex with Michael Falkner offering twice the movie releases and DVD releases than usual as he plans to take next week off. But with all these movie offerings, can any of them knock The LEGO Movie from the number one perch at the box office, a position it's held now for three weeks in a row? In addition, Michael offers his thoughts on the passing of writer/director/actor Harold Ramis.
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Steve's friend, Kuroda, returns to ask Steve's help in finding a wolf boy that was spotted on the island Hoyoko. Oscar is against Steve going, but Steve has an angle Oscar can't argue with. The wolf boy may be the son of an American diplomat who died, along with his wife, many years before. Their son was never found. But there's treachery afoot as another team of hunters are searching the island for the wolf boy and they're not there to help him. What secret does the wolf boy hold?
Joining John and Paul to discuss this episode is Cavalcade of Awesome author Paxton Holley.
Comment on the episode here or write abionicpodcast@gmail.com 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.
Paxton Holley was born in Birmingham, AL. He currently lives in Jaxksonville, FL. where he co-hosts the Nerd Lunch podcast as well as the Cult Film Club podcast. In addition, he writes for the pop culture/humor blog Cavalcade of Awesome where he has an ongoing series of articles on the world of bionics from the TV shows to the comics to the games.
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We pick up our look at the various panels from Dragon Con 2013 that Keith, John, and Michael Falkner participated in with a panel that Keith led on strong female characters in science fiction. At least, that's what the title of the panel was, but the panelists's writing ranged in terms of genre, which brought out a richer conversation.
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It's been some time since the last episode of Presenting the Transciption Feature and sadly this episode brings John's stint as host to an end. But fear not, the show is not over. Listen in as John tells you who is taking over the show and what it will be like. In order to prepare for the change in hosts, John presents the final part of the last Adventures of Superman and the final episodes of The Avengers serials he ran before his long break. Thanks to all for listening and stay tuned.
Please comment on this episodes here or write john@chronicrift.com or call 888-866-9010.
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Do we really have to say it? You want us to say it, don’t you. OK…
The G2V Guys go APE this time around as they’re joined by Scott Collura of IGN.com and the Transporter Room 3 podcast! From the publication of Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel LA PLANETE DES SINGES (MONKEY PLANET) to five feature films, animated and live-action TV series, comics, toys, two reboots, and now the latest chapter in a new incarnation on its way this summer, thePLANET OF THE APES universe has never been more popular. G2V has a search through the Sacred Scrolls, bewares the Beast Man, and trudges through a desert of diverse observations to get to the most shattering secret of all (yes, more shocking than the Statue of Liberty!) – what makes us all fans of those damn, dirty APES?
Revenge From Planet Ape! (this bizarre voiceover was appended by distributors to a cut US release of 1971′s TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD to try to convince moviegoers that the Spanish horror film was somehow connected to the APES franchise due to the tenuous visual design link between the Apes and the mummified Templar zombies in the film – trust us, the whole thing is nuts!)
When Star Wars landed in the theaters, it introduced audiences to a galaxy filled with heroes and villains, robots and space ships, and a dizzying variety of alien life. But when the lights came up, they all disappeared...
Unless you had all the toys. In which case, the adventure never had to end.
In backyards, playgrounds, basements, and bedrooms, Star Wars toys helped kids re-enact scenes from their favorite movies, and create entirely new dangers for Luke Skywalker and his friends to face. They were lusted after on holidays and birthdays, swapped with great cunning out on the school yard, and carefully collected like fine treasures. Like no toys before them, the action figures, space ships, play sets, and props were a phenomenon that swept the nation with as much force as the film that inspired them. Along the way they transformed both the toy and movie industries, earned those behind them vast amounts of wealth, and ultimately created a hobby that, 30 years later, still holds sway over not only the people who grew up with the toys, but also an entirely new generation of fans.
Plastic Galaxy is a documentary that explores the groundbreaking and breathtaking world of Star Wars toys. Through interviews with former Kenner employees, experts, authors, and collectors, it looks at the toys’ history, their influence, and the fond and fervent feelings they elicit today.
The film, which will be released on DVD, also includes tours of some of the top collections -- comprising prototypes, bootlegs, foreign toys, and all manner of surprises. DVD extras, including micro-documentaries and extended interviews, make Plastic Galaxy a prize for not only newer fans, but also long-time collectors.
The DVD will be Region 0, meaning it will be playable on any DVD player or computer in any country. Even in galaxies far, far away...
Plastic Galaxy will be released on DVD in January 14, 2014. To continue to receive updates and news, please subscribe to our mailing list, follow us on Twitter, and friend us on Facebook. For more information, feel free to write us at info(at)plasticgalaxymovie.com, or use the feedback form.
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Clay and Debby are back in time to wish you well as the world is about to end...again. This one almost flew under their radar. How are you supposed to prepare for the end of the world...again? This time they take a look at the Ragnorok prophesy. They can thank Darren Marlar for the heads up on this one. To get more goodness from friend of the show Darren Marlar, visit his website at http://www.marlarhouse.com/wordpress/ .
If you have listened to the show for some time, 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.
Tonight:
We interview Larry Nemecek. Take a fondness for NASA’s pioneering “Right Stuff,” run it through a science-fiction and fandom filter with a big love of history, and toss in schooling and careers in news, theatre and entertainment—and that starts to explain the Larry Nemecek story.
From his local news perch, Larry’s annual “TNG” concordance guides caught the eye of Star Trek’s TV writers and Pocket Books all the way from Oklahoma, of all places—so much so that the ST: The Next Generation Companion became the first episode guide for modern Star Trek, twice updated, and a move to good ol’ Burbank seemed in order.
That’s when Trekland truly beckoned—and that’s where the reputation for both fan-cool and pro-savvy straight talk was born.
It’s all there: Not just articles, columns, collaborations and live events, but years of on-lot sourcing media or solo writing with the Original Trek Fact Files from the U.K., or the Japan DVD series … consulting work with the old startrek.com (and the new, as well), or seven years creating, editing and leading Star Trek Communicator licensed magazine. Most fun are consulting gigs with the Star Trek: The Experience museum and rides … exhibits like the Star Trek World Tour, Star Trek: Federation Science, Star Trek: The Tour … and DVD bonus feature projects on and off camera. A story sale to Voyager that became the episode “Prophecy” with wife Janet was a hoot as well.
And that library: years of backstage images and over 500 archival audio interviews with Star Trek’s creative lights—it all needs airing, too. Most have never been transcribed, much less published—and the great Trekland family over the years has plenty to tell. Now there’s fan films and audio plays, too … reclaiming and reinventing the roots of fandom itself, once again.
Finally, those audio tapes are seeing the light of day in Larry's brand-new remastered audio series, "TREKLAND: On Speaker," launched in 2012 with a surprise debut at the Las Vegas Convention.
And his first film is now in the works, a documentary that had to be made—"The Con of Wrath," the true story of the 1982 Houston "meltdown to miracle" featuring the original Star Trek cast, the young event producers, the dealers and the fans themselves at the "Ultimate Fabhtasy," the first Trek "rock star" arena show that did not quite go as it was planned.
On all his projects, Larry brings a wide-ranging but unique and down-to-earth perspective—including the sharing of tales as a guest and pundit at conventions across the country or the likes of Canada, Germany, England, France, Italy, Austria, and the Czech Republic, so far. Or even smoothing the way for guests, professionals and/or fans to find each other.
Just don’t try the “get a life” line … Larry is a longtime docent at the State Historic Park ranch house of his hero and fellow Okie, Will Rogers, near Santa Monica, Calif. There’s also family—you know wife Janet and her Voyager heritage from the con circuit, too—plus travel, politics, big band and classic rock and country, keyboards … and, of course, FOOTBALL. Boomer Sooner!
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Despite the mixed review, the beboot of Robocop wasn't able to make a big enough dent at the box office. The LEGO Movie continues to dominate, but perhaps a 3D epic film on the last days of Pompei may take it down. Meanwhile, there's new DVD releases including the final season of the classic 70s series, The Six Million Dollar Man. Michael Falkner has all the movie and DVD news on a new The Weekly Podioplex.
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Keith is back with a new episode of Dead Kitchen Radio and just in time to celebrate an anniversary. Ten years ago, Keith was one of several authors who contributed to the Simon & Shuster Star Trek series known as "A Time For..." Along with authors such as Robert Greenberger and David Mack, Keith crafted this story of the crew of the Enterprise-E. Keith talks about his contribution and working with the other authors in the series.
If you have listened to the show for some time, 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.
On this listener feedback show, we discuss the following: Star Trek, Almost Human, Arrow, Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Ender's Game, and much more.
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The Lego Movie crushed all the competiton this past weekend, but there's a number of romantic movies and a scifi remake waiting in the wings to take it on this President's Day/Valentine's Day weekend. Michael Falkner previews them as well as fills you in on all the new DVD releases on an all new The Weekly Podioplex.
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The Penguin returns to Gotham City, but he doesn't appear to have a nefarious scheme to rob the citizens of their hard earned cash. Or does he? It all seems innocent enough. He opens a protection agency, offering his services to the wealthy of Gotham City. And very quickly, he is accepted into high society. And even worse, Batman and Robin are caught robbing the safe of one of Penguin's high caliber clients. What is going on here?
Joining John to talk about this unusual conundrum is RevCast host and DragonCon American Sci-Fi Classics track co-moderator, Gary Mitchel.
Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.
Gary Mitchel is a writer, reviewer, geek blogger, gamer, sf/fantasy fan, comics reader, podcaster and International Man of Mystery (who’s too dangerous for the entire country of Canada) currently living near Seattle. He is co-host with Deanna Toxopeus ofRevolutionSF’s RevCast, the site’s weekly geek and pop culture discussion, which was nominated for a 2012 Parsec Award. It’s a convention panel in your iPod!
He has also appeared on the Shauncastic, Good to be a Geek, Cyborgs: A Bionic Podcast, Earth Station One, and Saturday B Movie Reel podcasts. He can be found on the Facebook and followed on the Twitter as @gary_mitchel (and yes, it’s his real name).Gary is also a frequent panelist at Dragon*Con in Atlanta, where he is the Co-Director of the American Sci-Fi Classics Track. There, he has discussed Sci-Fi TV, zombies, movies, video games, zombies, cartoons, comics and zombies. Some attendees have stated that he is “hilarious,” and Gary swears that said people are not related to him.
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John Perry is a world famous entertainer and an old college friend of Steve's. Oscar suspects him of being a traitor, selling government secrets to foreign agents. Perry hands the secret material to the agents at various locales on his concert tour. Steve joins the tour in order to prove Perry's innocence, but the more time he spends with his old friend, the more suspicions he begins to have. Is John Perry a traitor?
Special thanks to Robin Spanell for supplying us with the audio for the television ad for this episode featured at the start of the podcast. Check out Robin's music, some which has also been featured on the podcast, at his homepage.
Comment on the episode here or write abionicpodcast@gmail.com 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.
Alex Green was born in San Diego where he has lived his whole life, rarely venturing outside the safe confines of Southern California. Growing up, his parents tried to persuade him that the funny man running in slow motion on the television wasn't worth watching, but he knew better. He knew much, much better.
A lifelong fan of The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, Alex hadn't been an adult for very long (some would say he still isn't) when he started making several trips a month up to Los Angeles to attend toy and collectibles shows in order to amass a huge collection of Bionic memorabilia. A vast collection that he no longer possesses due to an accident involving a pencil, a rabid weasel and a rapidly descending elevator (Actually, the advent of eBay in the late 90's took the thrill of the hunt out of it for him, so he gave it up).
Currently working out of his modest two-bedroom apartment (or twelve-bedroom mansion as he refers to it when describing his digs to people who’ve never visited him at home), Alex is a free-lance web designer and the webmaster of The Six Million Dollar Blog. The newest Bionic site on the web except for all the others that have come after. He hopes one day to meet his hero Lee Majors in person and his biggest regret in life is that he no longer fits into his Six Million Dollar Man jammies.
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The G2V Guys welcome Boyan “Bo” Radakovich – associate producer of the hit Geek & Sundry web show, TableTop, starring Wil Wheaton and a rotating assortment of celebrity guests – to talk about the making of the series, the upcoming Second “International TableTop Day” taking place around the globe, and the shared passion for gaming that has turned the hobby into a mainstream pursuit now enjoyed by more people than ever before. Roll the dice, make your move, and listen as the Face of Bo tells all!
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Ride Along gets the box office turkey of three weeks at the number one spot. After a quiet January though, things are back to normal in terms of movie and DVD releases. Plus, Michael Falkner talks about the latest Superman movie casting news and the passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman on an all new The Weekly Podioplex.
Tonight Scott chats with Jay Smith, author of HG World, The Diary of Jill Woodbine, Googies, and Hidden Harbor Mysteries. Jay Smith is the creator and lead writer for the 2011 Parsec Award-winning audio drama series "HG World" available at www.goodmorningsurvivors.com. When not scripting the zombie apocalypse, he occasionally contributes to the online pop culture/speculative fiction podcast "The Chronic Rift" (www.chronicrift.com).
Jay is a recovering filmmaker, chronic blogger and a man Harlan Ellison once called "a great scam-man liar or a born writer." Objective sources have yet to determine which is true. Jay married up and has four children, each of whom is being trained as a horseman for the coming apocalypse.
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We meet the Constables of HG World who have their quiet night interrupted by the announcement of a shocking decision. When Ronni falls ill, Hicks heads to town for supplies, only to run into an old friend with a sinister plan. Hicks and Dogberry find the last store in Wishwell under siege by Eaters, with looters trapped inside along with the staff. The fate of McInnes and his men looks grim as the United Nations force counts its dead and tries to decide which way to head next.
Walk in Their Masquerade is the fourth episode of HG World, Season Zero. It first aired October 20th, 2009. Run time is 49 minutes.
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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The Catwoman has returned to Gotham City and it looks as though her crime seems pretty obvious, the theft of two gold cat statues. But there's something more to the statures and some books on the history of Gotham City provides the clues. Can Batman figure it out before the Catwoman clips his and Robin's wings?
Joining John to talk about the debut of the feline felon is The Podcast Cowboy, Clay Dugger.
Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com. Take a moment to rate the episode by using our star system at the bottom of this entry.
Clay Dugger is the host of The Con Cast, a podcast devoted to interviewing guests of various science fiction and fantasy conventions. Clay is also the host of He Said, She Said, part of The Chronic Rift Network, which he co-hosts with his wife Debby.