Giant Geek vs. Mega n00b

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This Is Us (2016) May 18, 2017

Show notes

We're nearly at the end of the fifth season of Giant Geek vs. Mega n00b, but there's still a lot we haven't done (just you wait). This week, we talked about the super-zeitgeisty new TV show "This Is Us," and — unlike most weeks, when the n00b enters with very little knowledge — that zeitgeistiness put Emily and myself at odds from minute one.

In case you've missed the polarizing cultural discussion, "This Is Us" is a dramedy about the intersecting lives and families of four people with the same birthday. And that's all I'll say about it because, in my opinion, you should not read anything being written about the show. Just go watch it and decide for yourself!

For this episode, we watched the first three episodes of "This Is Us," which are called "Pilot," "The Big Three," and "Kyle." You can stream them from Hulu or buy them for $2 each from Amazon, iTunes, Vudu and Google Play. Or, at least at the time of this writing, you can also stream those episodes for free with advertisements from the NBC website.

If you like this, give Emily and me a follow on Twitter. Or, if Facebook is more your thing, like our FB page here! And if you haven’t already, make sure to subscribe to Giant Geek vs. Mega n00b on iTunes or Google Play Music.

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Into the Woods (1986) Apr 09, 2017

Show notes

We all know what happens when Cinderella goes to the ball, and when Jack climbs the beanstalk, and when Little Red Riding Hood gets to Granny's house.

...but not in this version.

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Broadway musical Into the Woods turns all of these stories (and more) on their heads, then crashes a giant into them to upend things even more. It's a zany fairytale romp, but it's also a story about parents, children, relationships, and loss.

Eric has seen the 2014 movie version, which is a solid effort with an incredible cast but cuts several key things and isn't quite the same as seeing it on stage. And so, now we'll discuss the play.

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The Social Network (2010) Apr 02, 2017

Show notes

Technology doesn't materialize out of thin air; it's made by people. And those people aren't necessarily good people.

This week's movie, "The Social Network," is a heavily dramatized telling of how Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg disrupted Harvard University, then colleges everywhere and then the world. The only problem — at least as seen here with Aaron Sorkin's name on the screenplay — is that he also upended his personal relationships along the way.

You can stream "The Social Network" for $3 from Amazon, iTunes, Vudu or Google Play, or download it for $9-10 from all of those places.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beauty and the Beast (2017) Mar 26, 2017

Show notes

"Beauty and the Beast," the first animated movie ever to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, is now ... a live-action movie, too! But how does it stack up to the original?

On this bonus episode of Giant Geek vs. Mega n00b, we did the same thing that we did with La La Land last month: Emily and I watched the movie on our own, and did not share any thoughts about it with each other until we started recording. Turns out, we both had a lot of thoughts to share.

You can find "Beauty and the Beast" at your local multiplex. I would be shocked if it's not playing near you, so go check it out and then listen to this podcast!

If you like this, give Emily and me a follow on Twitter. Or, if Facebook is more your thing, like our FB page here! And if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to Giant Geek vs. Mega n00b on iTunes or Google Play Music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Velvet Goldmine (1998) Mar 26, 2017

Show notes

After exploring the line between public and private - and the notion of faking your death - with "Man on the Moon" last week, there was only one direction we could go in: "Velvet Goldmine."

This one isn't actually a biopic, but it DOES star Jonathan Rhys Myers as a glam rocker inspired by David Bowie, Ewan McGregor as another star based on Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, Christian Bale as a journalist writing about them, and Toni Collette as Myers's wife. They're all very pretty.

The opening titles really say it best: Although what you're about to see is a work of fiction, it should nevertheless be played at maximum volume.

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Man on the Moon (1999) Mar 18, 2017

Show notes

We've all been there: 40 million people love watching you perform, and you hate it, so you decide to start wrestling women.

OK, actually one person has been there: Andy Kaufman, the subject of the 1999 biopic "Man on the Moon," directed by Milos Forman and starring Jim Carrey as Kaufman. This week on Giant Geek vs. Mega n00b, we are diving deep into alternative comedy, engineered outrage and how well Lorne Michaels and David Letterman can act as themselves.

You can stream "Man on the Moon" for $3 from Amazon, iTunes, Vudu or Google Play, or download it for $10 from all of those places.

And once you've seen the movie and listened to the podcast, head over to geekvsn00b.com for video clips of some of the real Andy Kaufman incidents that were recreated here.

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Gaslight (1944) Mar 11, 2017

Show notes

You've heard the term on the news, you've seen it thrown around on Twitter, and now it's time to go to the source.

We're talking about gaslighting, the practice of manipulating someone into doubting their own experience and sanity. It comes from a 1944 film starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, and Joseph Cotten (and a very young Angela Lansbury in her first film role).

Many years after her aunt was killed, Bergman moves back into the house where it happened with her new husband (Boyer), and things start to go downhill quickly.

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The Stanley Parable (2013) Mar 05, 2017

Show notes

This week, Emily and I played a video game with several great features, including offices, hallways, doors, a broom closet and existential dread.

And as if that's not enticing enough, then try this on for size: "The Stanley Parable" is a hilarious interactive ride that answers a question no one was asking, "What if Tom Stoppard wrote a video game?" In it, you play as Stanley, an office drone whose coworkers mysteriously vanish.

And I'm not kidding about the broom closet. Go in the broom closet.

You can play "The Stanley Parable" on a PC or Mac, buying it via the digital game store Steam, where it's currently $15.

Just remember: THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER THE END IS NEVER

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La La Land (2016) Feb 26, 2017

Show notes

Two lovers, both alike in artistic yearning, in fair Los Angeles where we ... ok, you know what, I'm not going to try and do the Shakespeare thing. "La La Land" is a story about two white people in L.A. who want to be famous and/or artistically respected, and it tied the record for most Oscar nominations ever.

In this special bonus episode of Giant Geek vs. Mega n00b, recorded shortly before the Oscars, Eric and Emily offer their harsh critiques of a movie that has enchanted much of the country. We are also fun at parties.

You can't stream "La La Land" anywhere (legally) at the time of this writing, so check your local movie theater!

If you like this, give Emily and Eric a follow on Twitter. Or, if Facebook is more your thing, like our FB page here! And if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to Giant Geek vs. Mega n00b on iTunes or Google Play Music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Harry Met Sally (1989) Feb 26, 2017

Show notes

Does When Harry Met Sally really need an introduction? It isn't just a classic romantic comedy; it is THE romcom. Though far from the first, it's the ultimate and quintessential romcom, the movie that defines the genre, the movie that launched the romcom boom of the 1990s and 2000s, the movie that all others since aspire to.

Even those who somehow haven't seen it, which until recently included Eric, know the basics: Meg Ryan. Billy Crystal. Nora Ephron. Rob Reiner. Carrie Fisher. Classic lines. Hilarious moments. All the feelings.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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