2016 Oscars: Tom’s Best Picture Round-Up

By and large, I don’t put much personal stock in the Academy Awards.  They strike me as an excuse for Hollywood to pat itself on the back for all the good work it says it does.  If I watch the show at all, it’ll be the last few minutes to find out who won Best Picture, and that’ll be it.  The humor is rather lame, the musical numbers dull, and the low-burning outrage over what did and didn’t win can linger for decades.

Case in point:  Forrest Gump beat out both Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption for Best Picture.  I don’t care how much you like Gump, there’s no way anyone can justify it is a better movie than both of those other two.

But then this year, I actually saw most of the Best Picture nominees.  Thoughts after the cut.  No predictions, though.  If you want predictions, try Watson’s article.

Trailer Time: The BFG

Don’t know anything about The BFG?  Me neither.  All I know is that it is Steven Spielberg’s next film and you can see the trailer after the cut.  Look for the film on July 1, 2016.

Gabbing Geek Box Office: Truly Outrageous Witches

Some stinkers tried to slip into the top spot and were fended off by the mainstays.  Who won the week?

Gabbing Geek Box Office My Bumps Are All Goosie!

A lonely Martian entered the cinaplexes to do battle with vampire Sandler.  Who won the week?

Gabbing Geek 56: Fangirl, Finally

Gabbing Geek 56: Fangirl, Finally

Our latest episode of the Gabbing Geek podcast has MCU movie news, Ready Player One movie news, the Fangirl Geek Book Club, and a riveting discussion on what makes geek content in the first place.  And Watson introduces what might be the world’s worst convention ever.  You can give the episode a listen right now or jump after the break to read more!

Gabbing Geek Review: Box Office Year to Date

We here at Gabbing Geek LOVE box office reports.  Ok….JUST me and Ryan.  Everyone else seems to hate them.  We’ve talked a lot about it the last few weeks, so let’s look at the winners and losers of this year’s box office as we wait for the Martian to officially kick off the Fall movie season.

Gabbing Geek 51: Battle Lines

Gabbing Geek 51: Battle Lines

Gabbing Geek 51, Battle Lines, is so contentious you’ll think it was a presidential debate where every single candidate is Donald Trump.  We talk about corporate wars at Marvel, the latest salvo in the battle of the video streaming giants, our epic Geek Book Club discussion of Armada, and our latest game: Battle Royale.  You can start listening to this amazing, ferocious episode right now or jump after the break to find out more!

Podcast Reaction: I (Don’t Really) Love The 80s Edition

Let’s try not to read too much into Ronald Reagan sharing a drink with Cobra Commander in this image.

This week on the podcast, the guys and Jenny discussed the 80s.

Now, if I have a reputation around here, and I might, it may include how I am not much into nostalgia.  That was, like, my biggest barrier to really enjoying Ready Player One.  The big problem with nostalgia, I feel, is that it elevates stuff that maybe doesn’t deserve it.  I have no problem loving things from my childhood that hold up, but these things should be good in their own right, not good because I thought they were awesome when I was 8.

Gabbing Geek 39: Totally 80s

Gabbing Geek 39: Totally 80s

Did you love the 80s?  The hair, the fashion, the movies, the interest rates?  The 80s were totally tubular!  Gabbing Geek has devoted an entire episode to this beloved decade.  You can listen to it now or jump after the break to read more about it!

New Writers Announced For Transformer Cinematic Universe (I Just Threw Up In Ultron’s Mouth a Little)

Not happy to just make billions on the main crappy movies.  The producers want to have multiple series, ala the MCU.  Who is involved?