Sidebar Forever

With so many films and TV shows today using digital effects, we thought it would be fun to explore the evolution of CGI from the 1990s to now. We discuss how much Hollywood has come to rely on CGI as a post-production tool, cite better and worse examples of its use, and question whether future generations raised on CGI will even care if something looks “real" or not. 

You may not believe in the devil, but you SHOULD, especially as you listen to our pod on end times movies. Up for discussion: Planet of the Apes, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Stand, The Seventh Sign, Stigmata, Constantine, I Am Legend, The Da Vinci Code, Children of Men, and more.

Our discussion covers earliest memories hearing songs refer to superheroes (Superman Lover, Magneto and Titanium Man), who did it best (3 Doors Down, Jane's Addiction, Crash Test Dummies), and rappers who have adopted superhero personas almost like a secret identity (Wu Tang Clan, Jean Grae, MF Doom).

The use of A.I. (or artificial intelligence) has become a flashpoint of debate with its adopters and detractor alike. However, it's being used increasingly to produce art in various fields from concept work to comic books. Will A.I. become the wave of the future or perhaps another tool furthering the impersonality of modern art? Time will tell...

Who doesn't love a great superhero name? On the pod, we trace early names back to the 1940s (Miss This and Captain That), discuss the darker, edgier names of the 90s (Spawn, Zealot, Bloodshot, and Venom), and have some fun pointing out how a character's abilities, ethnicity, and certainly gender played a role in what they were called. (We see you, Brother Voodoo!)

On this pod, we wade deep into the waters of these two craptasic movies. We also chop up the entire American Ninja franchise, the glory days of Cannon Films, and that stellar Patrick Swayze run from '89-91 (Roadhouse, Next of Kin, Ghost, and Point Break).

Come quietly, or there will be trouble ... as in our playback review of the 1987 sci-fi/action movie RoboCop, starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, and Ronny Cox. 

We retrace our steps from enthusiastic fans who loved everything about reading and collecting comics, to one day wanting to draw them ourselves. And our appreciation of comic shops, cover burbs, word balloons, and Stan Lee alliteration is fully explored in the conversation. But what was the tipping point from reader to wannabe? How did we find out what an inker did, or what tools the professionals used? And who were the friends (and art heroes) who inspired us along the way?

CBR posted a list of 10 classic comic book tropes and on this week's episode, we go through them one by one. You know, stuff like super villains teaming up or the hero having a crisis of faith. We threw in a few of our own like dystopian futures where everyone dies and 'The Trail of...' stories. 
https://www.cbr.com/comics-tropes-we-kinda-love/

There is no sanctuary as we play back the 1976 sci-fi thriller Logan's Run starring Michael York, Jenny Agutter, and Richard Jordan. Come with us as we discuss the film's pre-Star Wars impact, its practical effects, other sci-fi from the era (Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green and Westworld), and the Adonis-like features of a young Michael York.