Legends Podcast

The highest-grossing movie of 1999 was the summer release of the long-anticipated return of Star Wars to the big screen. After Star Wars experienced a resurgence in the ‘90s thanks to the comic books, the Special Edition re-release of the original trilogy, and the “everything-but-the-movie” multimedia experiment Shadows of the Empire, George Lucas capped the decade with Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the first installment of the nine-episode saga he originally planned. Taking place a generation before A New Hope, Episode I told the story of young Anakin Skywalker, the future Darth Vader, here a precocious child. While the film was a box office and merchandising smash, it sparked bitter debate among fans, many of whom to this day will fly into a rage if you mention things like “midi-chlorians” or “Jar Jar Binks.” Still, there’s no denying that this movie exists, and as J.J. (Jar Jar?) Abrams gets set to wrap up the saga at the end of this year, Legends Podcast is joined by Jedi Master Kent from Art

The summer of 2018 saw a few breakout hits, but none more surprising than Jon M. Chu’s Crazy Rich Asians, which earned $238 million worldwide and came in at Number Seven at the domestic office between May and Labor Day. Based on the novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians boasted the first time a film featured a majority-Asian cast in a modern setting since 1993’s The Joy Luck Club. And along with fellow 2018 megahit Black Panther, Crazy Rich Asians proved that American audiences are craving diversity in films. Now Legends Podcast is taking a first class flight to Singapore to learn how to make dumplings the old fashioned way.   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail. You can find all our contact

Man, it’s a hot one… like the Sahara in the midday sun. The summer movie season is upon us, what better time to revisit some classics from the Summer of ‘99? First up is the unexpected hit The Mummy, starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, which revived a long-buried horror franchise. The Mummy also paid homage to Hollywood adventure films like Raiders of the Lost Ark… which was paying homage to other Hollywood adventure films, proving that there’s nothing that can’t be dug up and brought back to life. Except, perhaps, The Mummy, as 2017’s Tom Cruise misfire proved. But twenty years later, does The Mummy of ‘99 still have the moves? Or should it stay under wraps?   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us

Ten years ago, director J.J. Abrams brought Star Trek back to the big screen in grand fashion, with a young cast and a surprising link to the original series. 2009’s Star Trek proved to be a summer blockbuster and the highest-grossing Trek film to date. It also proved to be Abram’s audition reel for a gig directing Star Wars - which he always professed was his first love. But a decade later, as J.J. wraps up his Star Wars run with The Rise of Skywalker, has the intervening time dimmed the shine of Star Trek’s lens flare? Or can we still detect a hint of that brand-new starship smell?   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail. You can find all our contact informations here on the Network page of G

Video game movies have a long history of disappointing fans. And perhaps no video game franchise has been more beloved - in a wider variety of formats - than Pokémon. From the original Game Boy game to collectible card games to the augmented reality game Pokémon Go, Pikachu and his ilk of “pocket monsters” have captivated fans and garnered zealous devotion. And though Pokémon has inspired many animated stories, it always seemed unlikely that there would ever be a live-action version. The 2016 spin-off game Detective Pikachu presented the perfect opportunity to bring Pokémon to the big screen. But is this movie a “gotta catch” in the theater, or is it not effective at bringing the game to life?   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com   You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsP

There was an idea. To make a Russian knockoff of The Avengers! 2017’s Guardians was not a box office hit, but it represented an original attempt to recreate some of the success of American superhero films, typified by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for another nation’s audience. Using archetypes from the comic book genre, Guardians assembles a fantastic group of individuals with superhuman abilities, and pits them against a mad scientist bent on world domination. Sound familiar? In the end, does Guardians manage tear down this wall of cliches, or do all of its superheroics get lost in translation?   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com   You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail. You can find all our contact informations here on the Ne

There was an idea. To make a movie franchise last for twenty-two movies over ten years, building an interconnected universe based on comic book heroes, and culminating in an epic two-film story. And then there was an idea, in first half of that culminating story, to kill off half of those heroes - along with the rest of the universe. Avengers: Endgame snapped into theaters last week with massive expectations and even bigger box office results. Currently sitting at number two, worldwide, of all time, Endgame also earned rave reviews from critics and fans. The hosts of Legends Podcast assemble to talk about what might just be the most legendary movie ever. We’re in the Endgame now!   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even

It’s April 20ish - 4/20 - and it’s our 420th podcast. What else are we going to do but talk about the highest calibre of film that American cinema has to offer: the stoner comedy? 2008’s Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay was the long-awaited sequel to the original burger-based road trip movie. Starring John Cho and Kal Penn as two Amsterdam-bound potheads, the film’s surreal storyline was underscored by political and social satire as the film took jabs at the War on Terror, racial stereotyping and profiling, and the presidency of George W. Bush. But does this moveable feast (which also name-checks the Hemingway book) a cure our wanderlust, or does it leave us at stranded the gate?   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPod

It’s April 20th - 4/20 - and we’re nearing our 420th podcast. What else are we going to do but talk about the highest calibre of film that American cinema has to offer: the stoner comedy? 2004’s Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle was a sleeper hit on DVD, grossing almost twice on home video as it made at the box office. Starring John Cho and Kal Penn as two slider-craving potheads, the film’s surreal storyline was underscored by the two characters wrestling with life-changing decisions. But does this movable feast cure our case of the munchies, or does it leave us hungry?   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail. You can find all our contact informations here on the Network page of GonnaGeek.

August. When film studios bring in the final harvest of the crop sown in May, before the weather turns cold and cineplexes reap the whirlwind of horror and holiday movies. The dog days of summer, before the bitter chill of awards season sets in. And the last hurrah of big-budget popcorn cinema, the most mindless of all movies. What better way to celebrate the end of summer than with a shark movie? Based on Steve Alten’s best-selling novel, The Meg spent two decades in development hell while the Jurassic Park franchise went extinct and came back from extinction with a similarly-sized underwater beastie. Starring Jason “I’m what you’d call a champagne problem” Statham, The Meg scarfed up over half a billion dollars that the international box office last summer, much to the chagrin of my co-hosts. But is this shark tale worth taking the bait? Or does it stink like yesterday’s catch?   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.  

Like 2017’s Get Out, last year’s breakout horror hit came from an actor-turned-first-time director best known for his comedic roles. John Krasinski - yes, Jim from The Office - directed and co-starred with his real-life wife Emily Blunt in a post-apocalyptic thriller set in a world where vicious monsters hurt and kill anything they… hear? A Quiet Place takes a very different approach to the traditionally scream-filled horror genre with a toned-down soundscape and only about 25 lines of spoken dialogue. The movie was an instant hit, grossing $340 million off a $20 million budget. But is A Quiet Place worth making noise over, or should we save our breath?   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com   You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail.

Twenty years ago, American cinemas were rocked by one of the best overall years in movie history. Now, Legends Podcast is celebrating the Legends of ‘99 all year long. One of the most inventive films of 1999 came in the form of Warner Bros.’ kung fu/cyberpunk mash-up from two unknown directors, the Wachowskis. The Matrix, billed by producer Joel Silver as “the first movie of the 21st century,” was a box office phenomenon, debuting in first place, dropping to second, and then jumping back up to first place as word-of-mouth reviews spurred interest in the film. Blending science, philosophy, religion, and mysticism with hacker culture, anime, A.I. paranoia, and the hero’s journey narrative, The Matrix emerged as one of the most influential films of the year, resetting the paradigm for science fiction in a year when Star Wars was making its long-awaited (though ultimately disappointing) comeback. But twenty years on, is The Matrix still The One?   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler fi

Since 2002, there have been six live-action Spider-Man movies, with another on the way later this summer. Peter Parker has been played by three different actors, including the latest star, Tom Holland, who also appeared in Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, bringing the total big-screen Spider-Man outings to an even eight. Add to this the dozen or so animated series, the live-action show from the ‘70s, twenty-odd video games, and the most expensive musical in Broadway history, and it’s hard to imagine that Hollywood would have anything new to say about the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler. Last year’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse proves that theory wrong.   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or eve

Captain Marvel, the twenty-first installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, arrived in theaters earlier this month on International Women's Day. The long-awaited film, starring Brie Larson, was the first MCU outing toplined by a female character. Set in the 1990s as a prequel to the main storyline, Captain Marvel featured a de-aged performance by Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, as well as references that flesh out the backstory of the cinematic universe. Despite a troll campaign to derail the film via review bombing, Captain Marvel smashed expectations and scored a box office haul in the top ten opening weekends of all time. But does Captain Marvel earn “top gun” with our hosts, or is the film full of sound and Fury, but signifying nothing special?   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a po

For his sophomore effort, indie director Wes Anderson paired with his Bottle Rocket co-writer Owen Wilson to create Rushmore, a coming-of-age tale about a overachieving underachiever at an elite prep school, the wealthy alumnus he befriends, and the attractive teacher they both fall in love with. The film made the rounds on the festival circuit in 1998 and sold out showings at single theaters in New York and LA before going wide in ‘99 - okay, we’re cheating a little here, folks - winning the Independent Spirit award and launching Bill Murray into the second phase of his career. Capturing Anderson’s signature whimsical style and sporting a British Invasion-influenced soundtrack, Rushmore was a breakout hit that set up a remarkable run for its director over the next decade. But does the film deserve an honorable mention from our hosts? Or should it be expelled?   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podca

After spending nearly two decades in development hell, Alita: Battle Angel finally hit movie theaters last month. Based on the hit manga Gunnm (“Gun Dream”), which also spawned the anime Battle Angel Alita, the film was directed by Robert Rodriguez, co-written and produced by James Cameron, and boasted three Oscar-winning actors in supporting roles. Despite the film’s pedigree, Alita opened to underwhelming numbers at the domestic box office. Overseas, however, the film has fared better, becoming the third highest-grossing film to date in 2019. But does the film appeal to the better angels of our nature? Or is this a battle not worth fighting?   Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail. You can fi

Mike Judge ruled the ‘90s with his animated hits Beavis and Butt-Head and King of the Hill. For his first live-action project, Judge drew on his brief career at a Silicon Valley tech firm and his Milton animated shorts to create Office Space, a satire of white-collar workplace life. With an ensemble cast and a gangsta rap-infused soundtrack, Office Space spoke to Gen-Xers who found themselves caught up in the dot-com boom of the late nineties. Though the film, saddled with an odd promotional campaign, wound up getting downsized at the box office, like so many other films of the year, Office Space lived on as cult classic after repeated airings on Comedy Central and became one of Fox’s top-selling DVDs. But, twenty years later, does the film with the tagline “Work Sucks” still work? Or does it suck? Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com You can find us on iTunes under ''Legen

Director Steven Soderbergh became the poster boy for independent cinema in the early ‘90s with sex, lies, and videotape, which made him the youngest director to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes at 26. His career floundered through most of the decade, until 1998 when he released an adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel with two little-known actors named Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney. Out of Sight was a massive hit and set Soderberg up as major studio director with future films like Ocean’s Eleven and Magic Mike. However, Soderbergh immediately followed up this hit the next year with a little seen Hollywoodland drama called The Limey. Starring Terence Stamp as an ex-con from the across the pond looking for answers after the death of his daughter,  the film failed to find any green at the box office. But does The Limey stand out as a hidden gem of ‘99, or does it leave a sour taste in our mouths? Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourse

Troy Duffy’s script for The Boondock Saints set off a bidding war, with the ultimate price tag of $450,000, but a troubled production and studio unease following the Columbine school shooting led to the film’s release in five theaters for only seven days, grossing a mere $30K. However, the film found glory on home video, becoming a cult classic and earning a sequel a decade later. But does it deserve to be canonized alongside the rest of the great films from the Year of Our Lord 1999? Or should you wish for pennies over your eyes whenever it comes on? Spoiler Alert! Spoiler Alert! These discussions will be spoiler filled and may explicit language, so consider yourself warned.   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com   You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail. You can find all our contact informations here on the Network page of GonnaGeek.com Our complete archive

We’re back in the bathroom of the cinematic calendar - the month of January - and this year we’re hitting the bargain bins to dig up some turds from the comic book movie genre. Grab some TP and "goggles up!" because this show is not pretty - this is Canuary!After his low budget superpower flick Chronicle impressed audiences - and, more importantly, the brass at 20th Century Fox - director Josh Trank became the latest patsy - er, steward - to lead the Fantastic Four film franchise. Contractually obligated to keep making movies to hang on to the film rights, Fox needed  to put out another installment in the franchise with a 2-1 record of actually being released in theaters. Trank recruited a young, talented cast to build his house on and immediately trashed said house (and a certain rental property) and set everything on fire - and not in the cool Human Torch way. Sidelined during reshoots and locked out of the editing bay, Trank doubled down and threw the studio under the bus in a tweet blaming Fox for ruining