#070: Solo - An Incredible Star Wars Failure (Jul 22, 2018)

#070: Solo - An Incredible Star Wars Failure (Jul 22, 2018)

Show notes: https://bit.ly/2uUhvIv Six Week Catch-Up: Jermaine buys a brand-new Jeep Compass! "All you've gotta do is touch the door-handles and they magically unlock! I love it!" Robert visits Montana, watches the World Cup with friends, and attends his Rabbi's retirement dinner. Nerdy News: 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' Bombs With $150M Global Debut Jermaine: "Totally suffered from franchise fatigue. Rian Johnson also needs to be fired and wiped from this earth! Why'd he kill Luke Skywalker?! Since I've been an adult and had my own money, I've never not wanted to see a new Star Wars. But I did not want to see this movie." Robert: "I second that! For you, dear listener, Jermaine & I sacrificed our bodies upon the heap of bad movie-going. Aside from itself being mediocre, Solo also suffered from the SJW hangover that's plagued the new trilogy (VII & VIII)." Jenny: "This trailer looked like hot garbage. But I don't listen to the reviews. I liked this movie. This was meant to be a fan fiction type thing." Reviews: Solo: A Star Wars Story Jermaine: "Bad pacing and no reason for the action. Very boring movie, from beginning to end. I walked in with the lowest of expectations and this movie didn't even clear those. If you are a fan of Star Wars, check it out. Donald Glover as Lando was great. If you're not a fan, don't talk about how great this movie is-- you might get beat up in public!" Robert: "Not to mention, there are no stakes because you know nothing can happen to Han or Chewy. The only scene people cared about was watching Han & Chewy make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. I didn't care about Woody Harrelson, Mother of Dragons, Vision, or any of the other people in this movie. Hell no, I don't recommend this movie." Jenny: "Hearing you guys talk about it is making me change my opinion of the movie! I had zero expectations walking in and walked out thinking, 'Meh-- not the worst movie I've ever seen.' I recommend if it's on Netflix." Incredibles 2 Robert: "I'm so tired of this 'War on Men' that's currently being waged in the current culture. I'm tired of men being the butt of everyone's jokes-- men can't cook, clean, or raise children at home? How is this funny? Also, I think there's a false equivalency here: Parenting, as important as it is, is nowhere near as difficult or as danger as crime-fighting. Saving billions of innocent lives from Screen-Slaver who wants to enslave mankind and achieve world domination is more important than raising a single family, isn't it? I'm not going to recommend this movie but I think people will enjoy it." Jermaine: "As a new father, a person who doesn't get sleep, that is very real though. Parenting is a 24-hour job. I had problems the stereotype of Frozone's wife as the angry black woman. I also didn't care for the new superhero characters. I also loved Jack-Jack's relationship with Edna. Also, wouldn't a panic room have a phone in it? I recommend this movie! Dash is my favorite character." Jenny: "I really liked this movie! I loved Samuel L. Jackson and the baby. But this storyline doesn't make sense to me following the old one. Why didn't they just close their eyes? Also, the new superheroes reminded me of X-Force in Deadpool 2. I recommend this movie-- it's stood up to being what it needed be. I think everyone will enjoy it, especially if you enjoyed the originals." Recommendations: Robert recommends Forrest Gump-- "This is a great movie. Forrest has an IQ of 65 but still manages to somehow be at the most important moments in human history. All the people who have dreams and are planners all fail miserably. But Forrest who has no plans at all ends up being the most successful. Great commentary on how life actually works." Jenny loves playing Overcooked-- "You gotta get an order and cook all the stuff. I love it to bits! It's multiplayer and you can play it co-op." Jermaine: "All gamers are not created equally!"

#069: Deadpool Returns Into the Spider-Verse with Bumblebee (Jun 10, 2018)

Show notes: https://bit.ly/2MSWzrT One Month Catch-Up: Jermaine thinks about returning to school, goes back to work, and has a baby girl-- "She's awesome, gorgeous, and has strong lungs!" Jenny babysits six kids, ages 1-8-- "It was a long day! Will never do again! (Haha, just kidding.)" Trailer Talk: Bumblebee Jenny: "Why is Bumblebee a VW Bug? Also, the girl is wearing so much makeup I totally didn't believe that she was a teenager; totally looks like she's in her twenties. I'm totally age-shaming her. Two stars. Specifically because this trailer doesn't explain anything!" Robert: "Yeah, isn't Bumblebee a Camaro? I was confused. Also, I totally agree with Jenny-- Hailee Steinfeld is totally unbelievable as a teen. This feels like the Transformers franchise being reset for the beeper-bopper crowd. 1.5 stars. Where is Michael 'The Best Movie Maker Ever' Bay?" Jermaine: "I'm so mad at Michael Bay for ruining an entire generation for lying to them about Transformers. I'm a huge sucker for coming-of-age tales but I'm not into this. Why? I'm happy to see the Michael Bay stink removed. No more racist robots! I believe in Travis Knight! 3.5 stars. Slightly excited for this!" Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Robert: "This one I like! It reboots Spiderman with an Afro-Latino protagonist but not by totally ignoring Peter Parker. I love that Parker is weaved into the story as an older mentor figure to Miles Morales. Five stars." Jenny: "The animation is spectacular! I love the dad-jokes and how this movie is funny without being cheesy and lame. 4.5 stars." Jermaine: "I like when Jenny reviews things it's basically like Robert's reviews but just with a female stuck in there. Jenny completes the 'People-Rainbow' on GCA! I also love the snappy dialogue in this movie. Five stars." Review - Deadpool 2 Jermaine: "Josh Brolin is having a stellar year! Fantastic as Cable. I really enjoyed the first Deadpool but it was ruined for me because the trailer revealed so much. I love that within the first five minutes the entire X-Force team got killed. I love all the set pieces. My kinda comedy! Domino was fantastic too and Fire Fist befriending Juggernaut was great. The CGI was terrible though. I fully recommend." Jenny: "I love the interplay between the serious Colossus and Deadpool who takes nothing seriously. I liked the jail scene and everything, really. I recommend; good times!" Robert: "I enjoyed what I saw but it was pretty much what I expected. I love X-Force dying the way they did though-- that was absolutely hilarious. Brad Pitt's half-a-second cameo being electrocuted made my day too. Recommend." Recommendations: Jenny recommends The Hitman's Bodyguard-- "I'm the last person on earth to watch this but Samuel L Jackson and Ryan Reynolds are super worth it!" Robert loves PK-- "It's an alien movie about an alien that lands in India; it's a great satire about Hinduism's polytheistic religions, released in 2014. I totally recommend people watch more foreign films to gain a broader perspectives." Jermaine plays a new game, Battle Chef Brigade-- "You gotta hunt the animals, kill them, bring them back to the kitchen, and cook them. I love this game!" Credits: "From our family's to yours, keep you pants dry, your dreams wet, and remember: hugs not drugs."

#068: Venom Gets Lost in Krypton (May 24, 2018)

Show notes: https://bit.ly/2klo3dm Trailer Talk: Venom Robert: "Venom feels like exactly like the same villain as Doctor Octopus and every single other villain we've ever seen in a Spiderman movie. Just like Green Goblin and Doc Ock, the villain's guy torn between good and evil. Also, reminds of Spawn. Let's please not review this movie when it releases. Zero stars." Jermaine: "This movie feels like it's gonna be like Ang Lee's Hulk back in 2003. Most of the movie is about the guy discovering his own powers with way too much talking. I like Tom Hard but this isn't a good trailer. They're totally changing the story. This looks like they're just changing things for the sake of changing it. I'm like a grandma giving out candy when it comes to stars but I give it TWO stars." Jenny: "Watching this trailer I was wondering, where's Spiderman? This trailer reminded me of the Hulk. Venom doesn't make sense with Spiderman! I have zero expectations so maybe it'll be really good? Two stars." Reviews: Krypton Jenny: "I'm not a fan of Superman. I really like this show because it's among equals and not about Superman being all super. I was really surprised; this series blew my mind by how much I liked it. It's like Back to the Future." Robert: "I totally agree with Jenny. The best part about Krypton is how far away it's divorced from Superman." Jermaine: "Jenny and Robert do not speak for GCA whatsoever. Robert's just a random-hire we had come in to fit some seats. You know what Batman needs? A therapist." Lost in Space Jenny: "Why is Will Robinson just wandering into the forest? Would you be logging everything if you're on an alien planet? Also, if it were really that cold, it wouldn't be raining! If I'm not pulled in by the second episode, it's not worth it. I don't recommend it." Robert: "Wouldn't people who are sent into space as humanity's last home be, I don't know, smarter? Why does the dad need to drag his kid to the volcano to identify magnesium? Also, why isn't that dumb crate locked down at the beginning of the movie? They have a space station that can fly across the galaxy but can't properly lock down a crate? I don't recommend this show; stay far, far away!" Jermaine: "I love this show! It does a great job of showing the feeling of being lost and helpless. I remember watching the original Lost in Space when I was a kid which was campy, cheesy movie. This is more serious. I think it's a really good rendition! Also, I've never hated anyone as much as I hate Parker Posey. She's so devious! I recommend this show!" Recommendations: Jermaine recommends Crazy Ex-Girlfriend-- "I was never gonna watch this but then Netflix, my friends, and my sister asked me to watch it. And I love it! I've watched the first three seasons!" Robert learns a ton from Netflix's Wild Wild Country-- "For anyone interested in the utopia that Osho, the Indian guru, tried to set up in Oregon in 1981. A fascinating true story!" Jenny loves using TeamSnap-- "It's a terrific app that helps us organize our softball events. It's a paid-app but is totally worth it! Totally different than free apps which all suck." Credits: "There's a superhero in all of us. We just need the courage to put on the cape."

#067: FB Privacy Woes & Waspy Ant-Man Talks Population Ethics w/ Thanos in Infinity War(May 6, 2018)

Show notes: https://bit.ly/2wsDgC8 Two Week Catch-Up: Robert discovers Kroger Fuel Rewards-- "If you stack up all of the digital coupons right, you can pump gas for as cheap as four cents a gallon!" Nerdy News: Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Gets Grilled by Congress Over Privacy Issues Robert: "Assuming Facebook doesn't reveal my personal details to outsiders, I'm totally okay with them tracking and reselling all of my internet traffic data. It's not your data! It's Facebook's! You agreed to the million-page-long Terms of Service. You're not the customer; you're the product-- be prepared for your data to be sold and resold ad infinitum." Jermaine: "I'm not fine with my data being resold to third-parties I don't know about! At what point does one single company have too much power, information, and control?" Jenny: "Your personal information's all already out there. Folks sign the privacy statement-- what are you expecting? I have a 'trash-email' I use to sign up for websites. The websites get nothing!" Trailer Talk: Ant-Man & the Wasp Jenny: "When they shrink the building, wouldn't all the pipes underneath explode with water? How about all of the electrical and plumbing? 3.5 stars." Robert: "I'm with Jenny! Being a silly, superhero movie doesn't exonerate you from having to be internally consistent with the laws of your own universe! Three stars." Jermaine: "I think you guys are thinking too hard about this. The movie's about a guy who can shrink. I'm excited for this! This is Marvel's version of a heist movie and I love that genre. Paul Rudd and Michael Pena are hilarious. Four stars!" Review: Avengers: Infinity War Jermaine: "This a Thanos-movie, not an Avengers-movie. There are 71 characters in this movie! This movie accomplished something for me that hasn't happened since The Empire Strikes Back. Despite all the negative things that happened at the end, it gave me the hope I needed. Brilliantly crafted. Also, think of Thor's people-- only 12.5% of them remain at this point! Recommend." Robert: "I agree as a technical achievement, Infinity War is unprecedented. But there are no stakes! We know Black Panther and Spiderman are returning alive. C'mon-- they've got sequels in the works! No way Disney's leaving billions of dollars on the table! I begrudgingly recommend watching this movie." Jenny: "I don't want to watch movies with you! You're heartless! You've gotta use character knowledge-- not meta-knowledge! With so many stars, I was worried with everything coming together. Also, would there be enough time to highlight all the individual characters? I love this movie; go see this movie. I totally recommend." Recommendations: Jermaine plays A Way Out with Chris-- "It's a great, innovative co-op game that allows you to really create a bond with your partner. We blew through this game in two days!" Robert reads Last Year by Robert Charles Wilson-- "A time travel'ish novel where people from the future can travel back in time to the Civil War era. Lots of compelling ideas and I love RCW!" Jenny watches Sword Art Online-- "A little dated in its animation but it's just fabulous, especially for people who play MMOs. Terrific writing and easy to watch; I totally recommend it." Credits: "Evacuate the city. Engage our defenses. And get this man a shield."

#066: Incredible Netflix May Buy Theaters & Ready Player One (Apr 22, 2018)

Show notes: https://bit.ly/2Hsf6gq Three Week Catch-Up: Robert signs up for library cards at the Cincinnati Public Library and Mason Public Library Nerdy News: Netflix Wants to Buy Its Own Theaters Jenny: "Horrible idea. I would never pay additional money for a movie I could just watch for less at home." Robert: "I think there's potential and promise here. Some TV series nowadays, like Game of Thrones, are such pure spectacles these days with mega-blockbuster Hollywood budgets that they're on par with whatever's released in theaters." Jermaine: "I hate the movie, Mother! It's a total waste of time. I don't even wish I had those two hours back. I just wish those two hours were deleted from my life. Worst movie I've ever seen." Trailer Talk: Incredibles 2 Jenny: "With this trailer it's hitting the mark. It's not pretending to be something it's not. I'm excited! I don't see dads being offended by it. But if they made a movie about a woman going to work and a whole bunch of things going wrong, it'd be a total faux-pas. Five stars." Robert: "This movie feels very Scandinavian to me. I like how the traditional gender roles are reversed-- where the dad needs to stay at home with the kids and the woman is out being the bread-winner. But why am I so okay with the man being made the fool? 4.5 stars." Jermaine: "I think it's because men are in a position of power. That's why it's okay to make fun of them. That's such a good point though. I'm gonna put on my hater-pants and give it four stars." Review: Ready Player One Jenny: "I went in with low expectations but I loved it! There are some plot holes though-- they didn't focus on the outside world. Who grows the food? I liked the CGI. I really like it. One of the best movies I've seen this year. Recommend." Jermaine: "I've seen this movie twice. I'm still unsure where I am. The book was a total homage to the 80s but the movie only has a sprinkling of it. I hated I-R0k in the movie. And the love story between Art3mis and Percival is way cut down in the movie. I felt this movie was a whole bunch of lost opportunities. Still, recommend." Robert: "I've never seen The Shining and was totally lost during that sequence. I totally sympathize with the challenges of adapting a 300-page book into a 2.5-hour movie. I thought it was surprisingly faithful adaption though. Mark Rylance is a total revelation in this. I think his portrayal as an anti-social nerdy nerd is perfect. Recommend." Recommendations: Jermaine loves playing the new God of War-- "It is fantastic. The story and voice-acting is phenomenal. Stop and turn off the podcast, go downstairs to your Playstation, and download God of War. You're welcome." Robert enjoys reading Head On by John Scalzi-- "A lot like the Bruce Willis movie, Surrogates, from a while back. Good world-building, characters, and dialogue." Jenny watches Saiki K--"Just love it. Can't say enough good things about it. It's dubbed and has great character development. It's about a teenage boy in high school who has psychic powers!" Credits: “People who live in glass houses should shut the f--- up.”