Damn Dirty Geeks

The Damn Dirty Geeks continue our ongoing discussion about the STAR WARS cinematic universe with our official review episode on THE FORCE AWAKENS.

While we recorded this episode last December just after THE FORCE AWAKENS blasted into theaters for a billion-dollar box office run, we delayed publishing it to give as many STAR WARS fans and DDG listeners to see the film. The wait is over, and the Geeks' lightsabers are clashing in full-force now!

Frank, Jack, Scott, Trish and Frank dive deep into THE FORCE AWAKENS for all its strengths and potential weaknesses in jumpstarting the feature franchise again. We reach a consensus about liking the film, but engage in lively debate about how the contributions of director J.J. Abrams and writers Michael Arndt and Lawrence Kasdan shaped the story of Episode VII and the next two films ahead.

Many of our main plot predictions from our previous STAR WARS podcasts came true in THE FORCE AWAKENS, though the film yielded many surprises as well, for better and occasionally worse. Our discussions/arguments arise over: the Abrams/TREK-like science warping of the First Order's solar weapon; the clouded mystery surrounding Snoke's true identity; how and who is training Kylo Ren in the ways of the Force; and how is Rey tapping into the Force without any training -- just for starters!

We also have much to say about the performance of Harrison Ford as an older, evolved Han Solo, along with the younger cast including Oscar Issac, Daisy Ridley and John Boyega. On the other hand, why did Max von Sydow and Gwendoline Christie get so short-changed in their roles?

Was there too much overlap between THE FORCE AWAKENS and the Original Trilogy films, or were the similarities very deliberate to help erase the disappointments of the Prequel films?We answer these and many other questions amid one of our most raucous, high-spirited and laugh-filled podcast episodes yet. Be sure to listen to our episode on THE FORCE AWAKENS before (and after!) it arrives on Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand in early April.

The Damn Dirty Geeks have scored another fantastic two-part podcast episode with our special guest, actor Sam Witwer, talking about his film and TV series roles in THE MIST, THE WALKING DEAD and BEING HUMAN.

Joining Frank, Jack, Frank, Scott and Trish, Sam Witwer opens this Part 1 episode with the unlikely, fortuitous story of how he became the first actor cast in Frank Darabont's feature adaptation of THE MIST, Stephen King's Lovecraftian sci-fi horror novella. This discussion twists into a study of notorious film endings and interpretations, including THE MIST along with BLADE RUNNER and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.

Sam also shares several inside stories about his work and the making of SyFy's hit series BEING HUMAN, in which he stars as Aidan Waite, a 2000-year-old vampire who struggles to exist in the modern human world with his werewolf and ghostly roommates.

Blending lighter moments of comedy with dark, emotional scenes of human drama -- even for an undead vampire -- Sam relates his acting process in developing Aidan beyond the tropes of genre expectation. Witwer's own character concerns actually changed scripted moments in the series, ensuring that viewers identified with Aidan's supernatural curse just like drug addiction does in humans. Sam also relates how he strove never to violate Aidan killing humans without confronting the moral cost of his actions, and how that changed his character over the centuries.

This Part 1 episode offers fascinating insights into Sam Witwer's acting philosophy and his work in these favorite films and series, all while the DDG have a very fun evening with him. Plenty of laughs ensue, and this is only the beginning!

In Part 2 of our podcast coming soon, the DDG and Sam begin delving into his lengthy association with the STAR WARS franchise, including THE FORCE AWAKENS, animated series and video games.

In Part 2 of our podcast, the Damn Dirty Geeks pick up right where we left off discussing JAWS with director/special effects master Greg Nicotero for a second hour of fun jokes and inside stories.

Greg and the DDG talk about the JAWS-inspired home movies made when we were younger, using everything from fiberglass wall-mounted sharks to Fisher Price toys, rubber sharks, piles of leaves and stop-motion action figures. Greg also shares his own geek origin story, being inspired by Universal classic monsters, TV shows like LOST IN SPACE and LAND OF THE LOST, and especially miniature-mashing disaster movies like THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE and THE TOWERING INFERNO.

But it was the mechanical sharks in JAWS that began Greg’s obsession to learn how such movie creatures were made, reading film magazines that turned a hobby into an eventual career. Fate intervened when local Pittsburgh filmmaker George Romero began production on his zombie sequel DAWN OF THE DEAD in 1978 that Greg finally connected with his destiny… via Greg’s uncle. Yet fascinatingly, Greg first met George Romero in Rome, Italy while the Nicoteros were on vacation! It’s a fun and amazing tale Greg shares in this episode.

This episode concludes with a lengthy discussion about how Tom Savini’s makeup effects in DAWN OF THE DEAD inspired Greg to practice his craft to position him to join Savini’s makeup team on DAY OF THE DEAD. We get elbow-deep into the gut wrenching gore effects of classic Romero zombie kills and how their artistry — seemingly primitive to today’s photorealistic CG visual effects — nonetheless hold up better and remain more horrifyingly convincing decades after their creation.

Jack and Frank raise a fascinating question to Greg: would he direct a remake of JAWS? Listen to learn Greg’s definitive answer, as well as his opinion on the impending reboot/remake of CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON by Universal.

Buckle up for Part 2 of our supersize podcast with Greg Nicotero, whom we’ll definitely have back on the Damn Dirty Geeks podcast when his very busy schedule with THE WALKING DEAD and other films allows him to return to town.

Recorded in late 2015 but unleashed now, saddle up for this rollicking fun podcast episode taking aim at WESTWORLD, Michael Crichton's 1973 futurist thriller, with side trips to discuss what the Damn Dirty Geeks love about 1970s cinema.

The first of our "wild card" podcasts, we had no set guest and no specific topic points to discuss in this episode. Frank, Frank and Scott had just gone to a wonderful screening of Crichton's classic sci-fi/western presented by Taylor White and Creature Features at The Theater at Ace Hotel in Downtown LA, and recorded this episode the following night to capture our enthusiasm for the unique stylings of 1970s American films.

While being a superb representation of cinematic tastes in 1973, WESTWORLD also proved highly influential on science fiction/action films to come amid the burgeoning computer boom in the decade. You'll find strong WESTWORLD influences upon content and visual style in James Cameron's THE TERMINATOR released eleven years later. References to Yul Brynner's relentless, tireless pursuit of Richard Benjamin in WESTWORLD's finale, the robot's heat-vision imaging of his target, and the double-twist ending of the seemingly indestructible robot's demise were all programmed into Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 performance and character by Cameron in his 1984 blockbuster. Crichton was there first, and he dramatized similar science fiction themes and nightmarish scenarios once again in his best-selling novel JURASSIC PARK.

We also cite WESTWORLD as a perfect example of 1970s cinema to hire character actors to play leading roles, typified by Richard Benjamin embodying much more of an "everyman" aspect portraying Peter Martin instead of today's musclebound macho leading men so common today. Yup Brynner proved to be the perfect casting to portray the android Gunslinger in his stoic, commanding physical approach to the role, a trait clearly carried over from his similar appearance 13 years prior in THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. Via Richard Benjamin's Q&A after the screening, we relate the details of how Brynner invented an inner psychology and evolution of the robotic Gunslinger that subtly informed his menacing performance. The DDG also appreciate Crichton's under appreciated skills as a director of WESTWORLD which, despite its outdated technology on display, holds up very well to contemporary scrutiny over 40 years after its release.

Ultimately, the DDG rhapsodize about the heights of 1970s cinema and our favorite films of the era, including THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1-2-3, THE EXORCIST, DOG DAY AFTERNOON, NETWORK, and how their storytelling style is a unique and seemingly lost art in today's blockbuster era. Even the movie posters were better in the 1970s, dammit.Enjoy, please subscribe to our podcast and share it with your fellow movie geek friends! If you like the DDG, please rate and review our podcast on our iTunes page.

Year Two of the Damn Dirty Geeks podcast starts off big with our first podcast guest of 2016, director/executive producer/makeup effects creator Greg Nicotero, who joins the DDG for two hours discussing one of our favorite films, Steven Spielberg's thriller JAWS.

In Part 1 of our evening with Greg Nicotero, he shares how seeing JAWS in 1975 prompted many nightmares as well as his earliest aspirations to learn how such movie creatures were made.

Greg also unspools his tale of how his family kept a fiberglass shark on their wall -- a rarity for a Pittsburgh boy who grew up fascinated by the challenge and process of recreating the beast from JAWS.

The DDG also discuss with Greg the crucial differences between Peter Benchley's best-selling novel and Spielberg's more streamlined, simple and terrifying film adaptation that scared audiences right out of the ocean.Greg gives his own insights into how learning from directors like Spielberg, George Romero and John Frankenheimer aided his own approach to directing episodes of THE WALKING DEAD as well.

Enjoy Part 1 of our podcast fun with Greg Nicotero. Soon we'll publish Part 2 in which Greg talks more about his own Jaws obsession, discusses his early work with George Romero making DAY OF THE DEAD, and more about his directing and makeup effects career.

The Damn Dirty Geeks finally wrap up our pre-THE FORCE AWAKENS conversation about all things STAR WARS before J.J. Abrams' film opens in theaters on December 18th!

Frank Woodward joins Jack, Scott and Frank D after Part 1 and 2 of our STAR WARS debates and discussion as we count down the final seven days until we see Episode 7.

First we catch up Woodward from where the other three Geeks left off in Part 2, getting his input on the Star Wars Holiday Special, where the Prequel Trilogy films went wrong in laying a shaky foundation for the superior Original Trilogy films, and our superb Chewbacca impersonations.

We also explore the dark times in STAR WARS history after RETURN OF THE JEDI left theaters in 1983, including the Ewok TV adventures, and multiple home video and soundtrack editions with no new theatrical films. Finally the long wait ended with the release of the Special Editions of the Original Trilogy, which we propose were largely test runs for Lucas to make THE PHANTOM MENACE for the Digital Cinema age.

We wrap up the show with our hopes and predictions of what might happen in THE FORCE AWAKENS. Who will survive? Where is Luke? And does Chewie drink pina coladas? More importantly, where will this new generation of STAR WARS characters lead us in that beloved galaxy far, far away?

We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we had a blast recording it -- a show loaded with amenities at no extra charge to you, the listener. May the Force be with you as you see THE FORCE AWAKENS in theaters, and the Damn Dirty Geeks look forward to joining you again in 2016 with new shows and more post-TFA STAR WARS discussion.

The Damn Dirty Geeks revisit one of our favorite topics and TV shows, THE WALKING DEAD in our first wildcard episode linking up several hot topics. This time, both Franks, Scott and Jack address the recent Season 6 cliffhanger episode that put Glenn's life in the hands of zombie-horde fate, and how this trend of keeping audiences in suspense over mid-season breaks has changed modern television.

Our TWD discussion evolves into a rousing debate about this era of binge watching TV series like GAME OF THRONES, SHERLOCK and HOUSE OF CARDS. We examine how this television trend crashes headlong into the internet era, which can reveal TV story spoilers nearly-live as they appear on the screen -- if the fan rumor mill doesn't spoil them before episodes air.

The fun continues as we compare and contrast THE WALKING DEAD to the George Romero DEAD universe of films and their collective impact on zombie mythology in pop culture. We also enter a Hasslein Loop linking TWD to PLANET OF THE APES, JAWS, THE OMEGA MAN, SOYLENT GREEN and WESTWORLD.

We wrap up this wildcard episode with the hilarious prospect of Damn Dirty Geeks action figures that would include kung-fu grip, eyepatch and blaster gun accessories.

Also, this episode will be the first released using our new DDG studio microphones, which improve the sound quality of our podcast greatly, as we hope you'll agree. Let us know if you can hear and enjoy the difference.Coming soon will be another wildcard episode in which we return to the 1970s to discuss sci-fi films prior to STAR WARS like WESTWORLD and much more.

With SPECTRE now in theaters, actor and voice artist Daran Norris -- an uber 007 fan himself -- recently joined the Damn Dirty Geeks to share our mutual fascination and fandom of James Bond films and fiction from Ian Fleming's first novel up to the 24th film.

Looking ahead to SPECTRE, Daran and the DDG examine how different actors taking on the role of Bond, from Connery through Craig, have exploited different sides of 007 and how Bond has changed with them.

Some serious discussion about the evolution of the Bond film franchise also ensues, how they adapted or drifted away from Fleming's novels over the decades, but we also have plenty of fun ranking our favorite films, villains and Bond theme songs too.

You'll likely recognize Daran from his 400 films, video game, and television roles including Cliff McCormack in VERONICA MARS, the voices of Cosmo, Jorgen Von Strangle, and Mr. Turner in THE FAIRLY ODD PARENTS, Knock Out in TRANSFORMERS PRIME, and Spottswoode in TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE.

Your mission is to download or stream this all-007 podcast episode and save the free world. Sip on a martini with the Damn Dirty Geeks while you listen.If you like this episode, please rate and review the Damn Dirty Geeks podcast on our iTunes page.

The scaring season is finally here as directors John Skipp and Andrew Kasch join the Damn Dirty Geeks to share our ghost stories and fond trick or treat memories about Halloween, all of which inspired their segment in the new anthology film TALES OF HALLOWEEN.

John and Andrew share their differing experiences growing up enjoying the Halloween season in their youth as we explore the evolution of this holiday from innocent neighborhood fun to a massive industry, allowing even casual home haunters to purchase elaborate animatronic monsters and digitally presented haunt environments.

We also visit the current trend of theme parks like Universal Studios and Knotts creating annual Halloween haunt events that translate into trick-or-treating for adults. Andrew and John collaborated as co-directors on "This Means War," their hilarious and horrifying segment of the new holiday anthology film TALES OF HALLOWEEN, now available on all major VOD outlets. Their story pits a classic Halloween yard decorator (previous DDG podcast guest, actor/comedian Dana Gould) reacting to a a competing yard display filled with contemporary gore and blasting soundtrack built buy a new hard rocking neighbor (James Duval) across the street. This suburban game of oneupmanship turns dark and dangerous as these two Halloween enthusiasts turn their rivalry into deadly battle.

Enjoy our special Halloween episode with Andrew and John, then be sure to check out TALES OF HALLOWEEN now available on all major VOD services, including links in this episode's Show Notes. And Happy Halloween to all of you from the Damn Dirty Geeks!

You'll lose your heads listening to the Damn Dirty Geeks' podcast visit from actor Graham Skipper as we talk about his lead role in RE-ANIMATOR THE MUSICAL and a few upcoming, highly anticipated horror films.

How does an actor follow up a benchmark performance in horror cinema? By singing his guts out and spraying the front rows of a theater audience with blood and guts, of course! Graham regales the DDG with his inside tales of performing as Dr. Herbert West in RE-ANIMATOR THE MUSICAL live on stage in both LA and Las Vegas. The original film's director Stuart Gordon adapted his work in 2011, adding music and lyrics by Mark Nutter to add another layer of horror insanity to this Lovecraft-inspired tale of terror.

Graham also discusses his lead role in our own Frank Woodward's comedy short BALLOON, now available on YouTube and Vimeo, along with Graham's latest starring roles in Joe Begos' THE MIND'S EYE, and the upcoming horror anthology film TALES OF HALLOWEEN.

Spend an hour with this very talented, funny and versatile actor who is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in genre entertainment as Graham and the Geeks put the first chills of horror on the 2015 Halloween season.