GeekScholars Movie News

November 2013 is upon us, and that means the cinemas are heating up with holiday blockbusters and awards season contenders! The hosts of GeekScholars Movie News have done their research and have released their predictions for how each film will fare with critics, in terms of Rotten Tomatoes scores, and their estimates for opening weekend box office. Covered in this episode: Ender's Game - 02:24 About Time -05:22 Last Vegas - 08:30 Free Birds - 11:18 Thor: The Dark World - 14:08 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - 18:29 Delivery Man - 20:52 Frozen - 23:15 Oldboy - 26:37 Black Nativity - 29:27 Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom - 31:28 To close things out, the GeekScholars quickly discuss some rumors making headlines, including the news that Idris Elba may join Jurassic World, Tom Hardy will play Elton John in Rocketman, whether or not Wonder Woman will appear in Superman vs. Batman, and more!

This week's episode of the GeekScholars Movie News podcast is ripe with casting rumors! It sounds like Marvel is down to either Paul Rudd or Joseph Gordon-Levitt to play Ant-Man, Jurassic World begins negotiating with some potential leads, and Charlie Hunnam (Pacific Rim) is suddenly out of the Fifty Shades of Grey adaptation, leaving many to wonder who will now fill the lead so close to a production start date. Also, the hosts take a look at the first trailer for Wes Anderson's (Moonrise Kingdom, Fantastic Mr. Fox) next quirky comedy, The Grand Budapest Hotel, starring Ralph Fiennes, and several other usual Anderson collaborators. Finally, this episode marks the debut of GeekScholars Movie Trivia, where listeners can call in and try their luck at answering questions about some of their favorite films!

Some very interesting conversation on this week's GeekScholars Movie News, as the hosts kick things off with a rundown of the potential candidates to play the heroes in the Fantastic Four reboot, and what it means for the potential plot of the film. Next, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. promised to expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe, following up on the events of The Avengers, but even though the show has a huge following, the GeekScholars debate if the quality stands up to its big screen predecessors. Also, David O'Russell's (Silver Lining Playbook) follow-up, American Hustle, which stars Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, and Jeremy Renner, gets a pair of trailers, offering two very different takes on the highly anticipated film, which the crew analyzes. Finally, Fox weighs in with his non-spoiler review of Captain Phillips, to close out the show

The month of October began with some sad news, with the passing of prolific author, Tom Clancy. This week's episode of GeekScholars Movie News begins with a retrospective of Clancy's work and continuing legacy, as the hosts review the trailer for the reboot adaptation of his most famous character in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit which puts Chris Pine (Star Trek) into the role famously occupied by Alec Baldwin (The Hunt for Red October) and Harrison Ford (Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger). Next, in honor of the release of the upcoming Captain Phillips, the crew engage in a Casting Competition Challenge, where they recast early Tom Hanks roles, including his characters in Big, Turner & Hooch, and Sleepless in Seattle. To wrap things up, the GeekScholars review Gravity, with a bonus (and kind of hilarious) spoiler session after the credits.

Welcome to October 2013! As they do every month, the hosts of the GeekScholars Movie News podcast have done their research and are ready to release their predictions for all the big films getting a release this October. Specifically, the crew gives their estimates on how well each movie will fare with critics, in terms of its final Rotten Tomatoes score, as well as what it will make at the box office on opening weekend, along with their personal feelings towards the project. This month listen to their insights on: October 4 Gravity Runner Runner October 11 Captain Phillips Machete Kills Romeo and Juliet October 18 Carrie Escape Plan 12 Years a Slave All is Lost October 25 The Counselor Bad Grandpa Also included in this show are discussions regarding the role of Nikola Tesla in Brad Bird's secretive movie, Tomorrowland, an adaptation of the history of ESPN, and Jason Segel's involvement in a true-crime film about a 20 million dollar maple syrup heist, that occurred in 2012.

If you're a history nerd, like many of the folks over at GeekScholars Movie News, you're going to especially love this week's podcast. To start, the hosts delve into the details regarding two very intriguing biopics in the works: Leonardo DiCaprio playing U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, and Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) tackling the life of prolific screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. Trumbo may not be a very recognizable name, but his story is extremely fascinating. From there, the GeekScholars have an in-depth roundtable discussion about animation powerhouse Pixar, including whether or not the studio has peaked, given lackluster receptions to their last couple of films, and tales of woe coming out of their production teams. To wrap things up, in honor of the recently crowned Emmy winners, the crew talks about television series which made the jump to the big screen, in one form or another, including what makes an adaption work or falter, and some thoughts about what they would like to see in the future.

The cinemas are getting ready for the onslaught of films ready to make their awards season run, so before that happens, the GeekScholars Movie News podcast pauses to reflect on 2013, as each host names their Top 3 of the year thus far, and why they deserved inclusion. Also on this show, the GeekScholars dive into everything you'll want to know about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a brand new story set inside the Harry Potter universe, with an original screenplay from J.K. Rowling! To gain even further insight into the matter, the crew interviews one of the largest Harry Potter fans in world, Michelle Tan, as named by Box Office magazine! After all that, check out what the hosts thoughts of the first trailers for the boxing comedy, Grudge Match starring Sylvester Stallone and Robert DeNiro, and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, with Idris Elba playing the famous South African leader. Finally, Fox weighs in with his thoughts on Only God Forgives after attending a special screening with writer/director Nicholas Winding Refn.

We've got a fun episode of the GeekScholars Movie News podcast in store for you this week! Starting things off, the hosts quickly weigh in on some headlines, including the news that Transformers: Age of Extinction will feature Dinobots, Stargate is getting a trilogy reboot, Sir Ian McKellan will be playing a retired Sherlock Holmes, and more! But perhaps the most interest conversations occurred during the latest installment of 'Either/Or', which focused on comparing film performances of famous characters from literature. Was Craig or Connery the better James Bond? Which Catwoman do you prefer, Pfeiffer or Hathway? And has anyone portrayed God better than Morgan Freeman? Finally, the show concludes with a review of the first trailer for the RoboCop reboot, and a detailed critique of Vin Diesel's Riddick.

Welcome to September! Leaves are changing, students head back to school, and a notable lull falls over local movie theaters. But, in the gap between blockbusters and bait for Oscars, the GeekScholars Movie News podcast is once again your guide on which movies to seek out, and which ones you may want to to skip. With that, the GeekScholars proudly release their September 2013 Rotten Tomatoes and Opening Weekend Box Office predictions for: Riddick Insidious: Chapter 2 The Family Prisoners Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 Rush Don Jon Plus, the crew engages a full discussion on the news that James Spader will play the lead antagonist, Ultron, in Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron, including a rundown of everything you need to know about the character. Finally, the show caps off with a glowing Preview Review of Dallas Buyers Club, a true story about a man attempting to procure HIV/AIDS medication, starring Matthew McConaughey, and a proper spoiler-free review of The Worlds End.

It's possible...just possible, you may have heard the news that Ben Affleck will be our next cinematic Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel film. Now that some time has passed since the announcement, this week's GeekScholars Movie News podcast opens with some perspective on the casting decision, and an analysis of the strong reactions that followed it. From there, the hosts play a round of 'Never Tell Me the Odds', where they muse about the probability of: Bryan Cranston playing Lex Luthor, Bradley Cooper voicing Rocket Raccoon, Star Wars: Episode VII making a December 2015 release, and a few more interesting rumors you'll want to hear more about. After that, the GeekScholars check out the trailer for Parkland, a drama about the JFK assassination, and Chris reveals his ultimate let-down at the mess entitled The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.

The interwebs were set afire this past week when blogger Hunter Walk wrote a piece stating that movie theaters should offer WiFi capabilities, and electrical outlets for people who wanted to do work while watching films. The resulting debate flared up with people like the crew at Penny Arcade weighing in, and even Elijah Wood shared his opinions on the matter. With that in mind, the GeekScholars Movie News podcast kicks off this week's show with a discussion about the future of movie theaters—should there be a non-quiet option? What about venues with food, or an allowance for crying babies? From there, in honor of Lee Daniel's The Butler getting a wide release, the GeekScholars enter a Casting Competition Challenge for another iconic historical drama, Forrest Gump. Listen in to hear the crew's choices recasting for Forrest, Jenny, and Lt. Dan (spoiler: Lauren crucifies Fox's picks). Finally, Fox and Jill share their super positive review for the sci-fi independent movie, Europa Report about a manned mission to one of Jupiter's moons to search for life.

99 episodes ago, the GeekScholars Movie News podcast began. Now, with their 100th show, the crew sit down for a in-depth discussion regarding how the podcast started, their favorite moments, motivations, off-microphone antics, how the episodes have evolved, and the future of GeekScholars Movie News. It's a unique chance to get to learn more about what happens behind-the-scenes, and an inside look into the roles of the hosts. Also covered on the show is an installment of 'Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down', which covers some new The Expendables 3 casting, Tom Hiddleston's involvement in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Leonardo DiCaprio's plans to make a movie about Vikings. Finally, the podcast concludes with a Preview Review of The Monuments Men, and a review of Elysium from Lauren and Chris.

At the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that the sequel to Man of Steel would essentially be a Superman vs. Batman film. Well, let the casting rumors begin! Six big names are being bandied about, so to kick off this week's GeekScholars Movie News podcast, the hosts have an in-depth discussion about the pros, cons of each of the current candidates, as well as the probability of who among them will receive the role. From there, the crew weighs in on the news that James Cameron is planning to expand his Avatar universe in the form of a whole trilogy, set to debut starting in 2016, and what audiences will likely see in the sequels. The GeekScholars then wrap up headlines with their thoughts on Ellen DeGeneres being named the next host of the Academy Awards, then they launch into a pair of Preview Reviews for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, starring Ben Stiller, based on the famous short story, and The Fifth Estate, which focuses on the founding of Wikileaks, starring Benedict Cumberbatch playing Julian Assange Finally, Chris gives a quick review of Fruitvale Station, which he calls one of the best movies of the year, and an early contender for a whole host of Oscar nominations.

The cast of GeekScholars Movie News have return from the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con and are (mostly) recovered. So, to kick things off, the hosts are ready to release their thoughts and predictions for all of the blockbusters coming out in August 2013. Specifically, the GeekScholars estimate the Rotten Tomatoes scores and opening weekend box office hauls for: 2 Guns Elysium Planes We're the Millers Kick-Ass 2 Paranoia Lee Daniel's The Butler Jobs The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones The World's End From there, the GeekScholars play a round of 'Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down' regarding some new information for Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy, a Rocky spin-off called Creed, and remakes of The Butterfly Effect and Bloodsport. To close things out, Fox and Chris review The Wolverine, complete with a Spoiler Session after the credits.

Well, we've all had a great time at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International, but it's time to close things out, and we intend to do so with a bang (like you'd expect anything less). For Part Three of our series of special 2013 SDCC episodes, the GeekScholars report on some of the most anticipated films: X-Men: Days of Future Past Thor: The Dark World Captain America: The Winter Soldier Guardians of the Galaxy The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Godzilla The LEGO Movie 300: Rise of an Empire Gravity Seventh Son As always, we have great pictures of all the panels and press rooms we went to, as well as the most awesomest cosplayers we could find. You can also check out our exclusive photo galleries from the other days as well. Finally, thanks to all of the people participated in our 2013 SDCC Movie Trivia Games while waiting in line for Hall H! It was an incredible trip, and if you have any further questions about the content we saw, or the questions we got answered, drop us a line!