In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by David Nora, as they discuss all the details that were released about Disney+, take a look at the new Charlie’s Angels revival, and celebrate Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as our Clip of the Week.
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BIG OPENING
KEVIN: Disney+ launch date, price, and rumored series confirmed DAVID: New teaser for AHS: 1984
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DOWN AND NERDY
KEVIN:Hellboy, Missing Link, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina DAVID: Pet Semetary, Camp Strange, Fluffy’s Revolution
• The MCU won’t see the X-Men for a while • New trailer for The Lion King “live-action” remake • New trailer for The Addams Family animated movie • New trailer for Anna
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TV
• First look at The Mandalorian • Hawkeye series featuring both Clint & Kate coming to Disney+ • Monsters, Inc series, Monsters at Work coming to Disney+ • New trailer for new Netflix horror series Chambers • Pose returning June 9th • First teaser for the Veronica Mars revival • Season 2 of AMC’s horror anthology The Terror: Infamy to premiere in August • AMC orders new Walking Dead spinoff centered on young female leads • Killing Eve renewed for season 3
In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Jon Herzog, as they discuss found families in Shazam! the movie, marvel at Captain Marvel’s (over) $1 billion box office, and celebrate Michelle Pfeiffer cracking that whip as our Strong Female Character of the Week.
• Rachel Weisz & David Harbour in talks to join Black Widow • Kumail Nanjiani may join The Eternals • Fox/Disney teasing sequels to Aliens, Kingsmen, Planet of the Apes, & more • New teaser for Joker • New photos from Terminator: Dark Fate •New trailer for My Spy
Let’s be honest, most of us geeks have had this fantasy before. As kids, we were fascinated by superheroes to the point that we would try to emulate them. Hopefully, it didn’t get to the point of trying to fly from the roof of your garage as I did. My arch nemesis was and still continues to be gravity. I’m talking about the much more rational wrapping a blanket from corner to corner around your neck as a makeshift cape. I can still remember that sense of wonder and excitement. Although the DC film universe still has a lot of developing to do, its latest entry, Shazam!, does mostly elicit those feelings of childhood joy that many of us have probably not felt from a comic book film in a long time.
Something you may not know about this film is that it’s a Christmas film. It came as a major surprise to me also with all the trees, lights, presents, and even the appearance of one of the three wise men, AKA The Wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou). Although it does inevitably tug at those Yuletide strings in springtime, the emphasis on the holiday doesn’t ever really get to the point of turning us into Scrooge’s. Just like the youthful essence of Shazam (Zachary Levi), we’re meant to get more of the feelings of love, peace, and family instead of having the holiday actually be part of the plot.
For those unfamiliar with the story of Shazam, it essentially boils down to a teenager getting superpowers. Aside from fanboy fantasy fulfillment, most of the appeal comes from the exploration of self and how we all have a hero inside of us waiting to come out. In this case, the hero inside is a tall, buff white man with electrical abilities that you transform into by yelling out, “Shazam!” Let’s face it, going into this film I was already a little worried. Following diverse films like Wonder Woman, Black Panther, Academy Award-winning Suicide Squad (yeah, I still can’t believe that’s a real thing either), and last month’s Captain Marvel, I thought we had moved past the white men phase of superheroes.
The hero and origin may be different, but this is a perspective that we have explored many times before on both the Marvel and DC side. Hell, I would have loved to have Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), Billy Batson’s (Asher Angel) disabled foster brother, to be the one to receive the powers. Even though he is still a white male, at least we would get a diverse perspective and a much more interesting internal struggle regarding staying in the hero form as opposed to being himself. This did keep me from enjoying the movie to a certain point because as the film went on, and we witness Billy do a myriad of highly illegal things, he gets away with them without a single consequence. As a person of color, it’s hard not to imagine the real-life consequences were Billy a boy of color. Without giving anything away, let’s just say I went into the film weighed down by my adult skepticism but left with my childhood faith restored and excited for the sequel. Those who are familiar with the comics will figure out what happens much faster than I did.
Shazam! may take place in today’s world, but every single fiber of the film screams 80’s adventure movie. There are hints of The Goonies, Neverending Story, Labyrinth, Christopher Reeve’s Superman, and more. There is even a callback to the movie Big, which is the film’s biggest cinematic influence. Henry Gayden, who also wrote interplanetary kid’s adventure film Earth to Echo, perfectly captures the childlike excitement of superheroes, and how that would look like in our modern society. There’s, of course, hilariously going through all the things you can now do as an adult, like drinking and smoking, only to realize they are disgusting. Then you have the ever-necessary montage where you test/figure out your new abilities.
This works well, not just because it was written from a great childhood perspective, but because it was perfectly cast, with Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer stealing every scene they’re in. All the superhero schlock aside, the most effective part of the story comes from its emotional core centered around the idea of family. In this case, it’s a supportive foster family where no one is blood-related and that doesn’t stop them from loving each other as a family any less. As I’ve come to learn from growing up gay, you sometimes have to make your own family, similar genetics need not always apply. This message in the film is what I enjoyed the most, aside from the twist that comes later.
Keeping in true DC fashion, even though the color palette is decidedly brighter than we’re used to, Shazam! still has a darkness to it. To balance out the film, the tone has dark elements in the form of plot developments and several demons/deadly sins as villains. Horror film director David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation, Lights Out) has experience juggling the complexity of family/sibling relationships and childhood friendships with evil forces. Although his past films have only ever had small notes of comedy throughout, Sandberg has flexed his action muscle and tickled our funny bones in a way we’ve never seen him do before. The same way James Wan played with the opposing natures of darkness and light in Aquaman, Sandberg delivers a fully fleshed out product with Shazam!. No matter how you go into this film, you’ll likely leave fully energized by the contagious electricity that infectiously comes off of it.
In this week’s extended episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Brett Mannes from the Comic Book Queers Podcast, as they discuss the new teaser of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, get happy about Marvel announcing a new Valkyrie solo series, and celebrate all the winners of this year’s GLAAD Media Awards in This Week in Queer.
In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, recorded from C2E2, Kevin is joined by Eric Green and Seth Schindehette, as they discuss the new trailer for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Part 2, discuss the problematic elements of Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots, and celebrate the casting of Chella Man as Jericho on Titans in This Week in Queer.
• DC Universe will be free for a day on March 30 • Castle Rock season 2 to give origin to Misery • David Boreanaz teases something for Angel’s 20th anniversary • Anson Mount not returning for season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery
In this week’s marvelously extended episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Jason Conover, as they discuss Black Widow’s hair journey in the latest Avengers: Endgame trailer, marvel at Disney’s decision to bring James Gunn back, and question JK Rowling’s decision to continue to gay-bait Harry Potter fans in This Week in Queer.
In this week’s marvelously extended episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Jon Herzog, as they salute the success of Brie Larson and Captain Marvel, take a peak at the new trailer for Game of Thrones, and celebrate Mr. Rogers and 20BiTeen in This Week in Queer.
In this week’s super-sized episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by J.W. Crump, as they discuss the latest trailer for Detective Pikachu, fan cast an out gay actor for Marvel’s The Eternals, and celebrate Matt Bomer speaking out about the importance of queer superheroes in This Week in Queer.
In this week’s episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by Lynaé DePriest as they discuss Black Panther making history at the Oscars this year, take a peak at the new Twilight Zone trailer, and celebrate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez getting her own comic for our Strong Female Character of the Week.
In this week’s special post-Valentine’s Day episode of the Geeks OUT Podcast, Kevin is joined by his fiancé Alex West, as they discuss the new teaser for Frozen 2, mourn the cancelation of all Marvel shows on Netflix, and celebrate Brie Larson for utilizing her platform to increase inclusivity as our Strong Female Character of the Week.
• Black Panther leads in nominations for NAACP Image Awards, no love for Pose • New trailer for Disney’s live action remake of Aladdin • Red Sonja now officially on hold • Aquaman is the highest grossing DC movie of all time worldwide • New teaser for Detective Pikachu • New trailer for horror/thriller Ma starring Octavia Spencer •