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  • Episode 263: Can Hollywood Bring Back The Geeks?

    Episode 263: Can Hollywood Bring Back The Geeks?
    2026/04/11
    On today's podcast, Brian and Mandy discuss the controversy around Mia Ballard’s horror novel "Shy Girl," which was pulled from UK shelves and had its US release canceled after AI-detection software suggested it was partially AI-written. Ballard denies writing it with AI and blames an editor, while Brian notes AI detectors can be unreliable and the fallout could unfairly end careers and slow traditional publishing. They then pivot to Hollywood’s struggles, debating audience trust, whether Internet critics can admit something “isn’t for them,” and Marvel TV head Brad Winderbaum’s claim that viewers were wrong about "She-Hulk" despite low Rotten Tomatoes scores. Brian argues Marvel’s longtime “bigger crossover” strategy is nearing its limit, raising questions about how studios can restore interest without sliding into low-effort, possibly AI-driven mediocrity that turns movies into background noise. 00:00 Can You Get Them Back 00:48 AI Book Scandal 02:53 Detecting AI Writing 04:25 Publishing Slowdown 05:32 Fall Of Hollywood 05:44 What Are You Excited For 07:38 Critics Versus Audiences 09:50 She Hulk Debate 12:00 Marvel Crossover Fatigue 17:33 Making Movies Fun Again 18:38 Mediocrity And AI Fears 20:01 Closing And Sign Off
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    21 分
  • Episode 262: In The Age of AI

    Episode 262: In The Age of AI
    2026/03/29
    On today's podacest, Brian and Mandy discuss new trailers and franchise news (including Spider-Man: Brand New Day with a Man-Spider storyline, Punisher ties, Wonder Man, Daredevil’s return, Jessica Jones coming back, a live-action Moana, another live-action Scooby-Doo reboot, and a new Lord of the Rings project with Stephen Colbert involved), then dive into artificial intelligence and its impact on creative work and jobs. Brian describes workplace pressure to add AI everywhere, the difficulty of defining ethical boundaries for writers and artists, and concerns about AI being trained on unlicensed work, generating “AI slop,” and improving exponentially. They also cover infrastructure and environmental costs of server farms, rising hardware prices, AI’s ubiquity in search and products, chatbot benefits and harms, and fears that AI will replace apprenticeship pipelines and push entertainment toward mass-produced, homogenized content. 00:00 AI Threat or Revolution 00:38 Spider-Man Trailer Breakdown 01:48 Punisher and Marvel Rumors 02:29 Daredevil and Jessica Jones Return 04:29 Moana Live Action Debate 05:22 Reboots and LOTR News 06:03 AI Ethics for Creators 07:13 Tool vs Cheating 09:20 AI Slop and Rapid Progress 10:38 AlphaGo and Move 37 12:20 AI Beats Most People 12:58 Training Data Ethics 13:43 Server Farms Impact 15:27 Costs and Hardware Crunch 16:29 No Ethical AI Debate 17:02 Chatbots and Mental Health 18:18 AI Everywhere Now 20:22 Jobs and Apprenticeships 23:07 Publishing Slush Piles 25:15 AI Content Flood Future 28:36 Human Creativity at Risk 29:04 Episode Wrap Up
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    30 分
  • Episode 261: No Need To Wait

    Episode 261: No Need To Wait
    2026/03/09
    On today's podacest, Brian and Mandy discuss Paramount outbidding Netflix to purchase Warner Brothers, with Netflix declining to match and set to receive a $7.5B breakup fee. They cover concerns that Paramount will absorb Warner Bros, fold HBO Max into Paramount+, and take on massive combined debt, prompting a credit-rating drop into “junk” status and higher borrowing costs, with the risk the deal could collapse and trigger further penalties. They also note politics influencing the merger, rumors James Gunn may exit, and AMC’s stock falling to about $1 ahead of CinemaCon. They shift to streaming uncertainty like Disney dropping Doctor Who content, speculate where Doctor Who may land, and recommend revisiting older shows and books, including 'Dark Shadows', LitRPG novels like 'Dungeon Crawler Carl', Joe Hill’s 'King Sorrow', and Brandon Sanderson’s 'The Way of Kings'. 00:00 Opening and Welcome 00:42 Paramount Buys Warner 03:09 Debt And Credit Fallout 07:23 DC Universe In Limbo 08:48 Doctor Who Streaming Chaos 10:42 Back To Classic TV 11:00 Dark Shadows Deep Dive 13:20 Remakes And Modern Carrie 14:04 Institute Shining Connections 14:58 TKs and TPs Explained 15:33 Welcome to Derry Time Twist 16:12 What to Watch and Read Next 16:44 Dungeon Crawler Carl and LitRPG 18:35 King Sorrow and Kindle Deals 19:42 Sanderson Way of Kings Debate 21:08 Series Commitment and Lore Depth 23:32 Wrapping Up Episode 261
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    24 分
  • Episode 260: New Media 1, Old Hollywood 0

    Episode 260: New Media 1, Old Hollywood 0
    2026/02/07
    On today's podcast, Brian and Mandy delve briefly into the latest controversy surrounding Neil Gaiman and his hiatus. Then they discuss whether Hollywood is still necessary in the age of New Media. They highlight the success story of Mark Fischbach (Markiplier) and his independent film 'Iron Lung,' which challenges traditional film distribution methods. Additionally, they explore the resurgence of independent cinema, the influence of fan bases, and the evolving landscape of content creation as technology and digital platforms democratize the industry. 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview 00:38 Neil Gaiman's Controversy 04:05 Iron Lung: A New Kind of Success Story 06:49 The Changing Landscape of Independent Cinema 14:48 The Power of Fans and Influencers 20:06 Conclusion and Sign-Off
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    21 分
  • Episode 259: Off To Greener Pastures

    Episode 259: Off To Greener Pastures
    2026/01/24
    On today's podcast, Brian and Mandy discuss the nominations for the 2026 Academy Award, specifically "Sinners", which garnered a record sixteen nominations, and "Wicked: For Good", which was surprisingly snubbed and received not one nomination. Then, the conversation moves to upcoming movies and television shows, some issues with what has been released so far, and Brian's solution to what has become less than optimum showings from Hollywood.
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    27 分
  • Episode 258: 2025 Goes Out With The Crazy

    Episode 258: 2025 Goes Out With The Crazy
    2025/12/19
    On today's podcast, Brian and Mandy discuss the potential sale of Warner Brothers to Netflix and the implications for movie theater releases. They explore the new seasons of popular shows like 'Legend of Vox Machina,' and 'The Mighty Nein,' as well as the upcoming 'Welcome to Derry' prequel series. They also touch on the latest 'Doctor Who' spin-off and its delayed release in the US. The conversation covers the leaked 'Doomsday' trailer, the excitement surrounding 'Supergirl,' and fears around Paramount's hostile takeover attempt. Finally, they reflect on the abundance of quality geek TV and the challenges of keeping up with it all. The episode wraps up with thoughts on the uncertain future of streaming services and what it means for geek culture. 00:00 Introduction and Greetings 01:02 Warner Brothers and Netflix Deal 02:15 Amazon's Mighty Nine and HBO's Welcome to Derry 04:49 The War Between Land and Sea, but not for the US... 05:16 Disney's Delays and Leaks 10:23 James Gunn's Influence on DC 11:56 Hollywood's Current State and Future 15:37 Conclusion and Farewell
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    17 分
  • Episode 257: Brian Saw Wicked... For Good!

    Episode 257: Brian Saw Wicked... For Good!
    2025/11/22
    On today's podcast, Brian and Mandy discuss the potential end of Funko Pops due to financial difficulties and the complexities of their business model. They also dive into a review of the first episode of 'The Mighty Nein' on Amazon Prime, highlighting its darker tone and differences from 'The Legend of Vox Machina'. The episode concludes with an in-depth (but spoiler free) review of 'Wicked For Good', the sequel to the musical film 'Wicked', pointing out its emotional depth, changes from the original narrative, and why it may challenge movie critics. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 00:38 Funko Pops: A Deep Dive into Geek Culture 02:39 The Business Struggles of Funko Pops 06:59 Television Talk: The Mighty Nein and Vox Machina 10:30 Movie Review: Wicked For Good 26:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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    27 分
  • Episode 256: The End of Doctor Who?

    Episode 256: The End of Doctor Who?
    2025/11/09
    On today's podcast, Brian and Mandy discuss the impending departure of Doctor Who from Disney+ and speculate on its future broadcast options. They also chat about new trailers for the film adaptation of 'Wicked' and Guillermo del Toro's upcoming 'Frankenstein.' There's exciting sequel news for classics like 'The Mummy' and 'Practical Magic.' Additionally, they touch on Marvel's latest Avengers update, as well as Critical Role's new campaign. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 00:37 New Trailers and Upcoming Movies 01:38 Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein and Hellboy 3 02:46 Sequel News and Hollywood Trends 03:09 Marvel's New Avengers Movie and Patrick Stewart's Retirement 05:44 Critical Role Campaign Four 07:31 Doctor Who Leaving Disney+ 08:09 Speculations on Doctor Who's Future 18:10 Conclusion and Farewell
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    19 分