Fan Effect

Joker, perhaps the most iconic comic book villain of all time, has his own movie now... made by director Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix.  The movie has drawn both praise and criticism for its grounded portrayal of a character who is an unapologetic, psychopathic murderer in the source material.

In this episode, Andy Farnsworth welcomes back former podcast partner Tysen Webb, DC Comics superfan and KSL NewsRadio Movie Show producer KellieAnn Halvorsen, and first-time guest Herb Scribner of DeseretNews.com and a freelance contributor for Huffington Post, for some group therapy--errrr--spirited discussion about the new film, including: Phoenix's riveting portrayal; the issues the movie raises about mental illness and violence; the nods to the Batman mythology; and debate whether we even needed to know how Joker came to be, and if the film's cinematic achievements are enough to offset the disturbing content and imagery.

(NOTE: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE "JOKER")

Fan Effect is a pop culture podcast that goes beyond Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Gaming, and Tech, to categories surpassing the nerdy. Formerly known ast SLC Fanboys, the show is hosted by Andy Farnsworth, Adam Thomas, and Tysen Webb. Listen weekly on your favorite platform, at kslnewsradio.com, or on the KSL App. Follow us on Facebook @FanEffectShow and Twitter @FanEffectShow. 

 

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Join Ryan Meeks and Keenan Panti as they review "Between Two Ferns" the film. After they try to parody the format of the film; Ryan and Keenan discuss the good, the bad the weird and the funny parts of this film. The film seems to have a very specific style to it in all aspects leading one to wonder that maybe its shortcomings are there on purpose. 

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All it takes is the soft tinkling of piano keys starting the familiar theme to "Downton Abbey" and millions of fans are immediately transported to 1920's England once more.  Now with a new hit movie in theaters, fans have another chance to revisit the Crawley family and their beloved servants.

In this episode, Andy Farnsworth is joined by KSL NewsRadio reporters and huge "Downton Abbey" fans Mary Richards and Heather Kelly to discuss the new movie and how both fans and non-fans will react, their hopes for the future of the franchise, and why non-fans could be forgiven for thinking they're watching a "Harry Potter" sequel.  Plus, you'll hear from some fans that attended the big "Downton" premiere screening in full period costume.  Whether you're a long-time DA fan or just someone curious as to what the fuss is about, there's something for you in this episode!

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Brad Pitt's newest movie, Ad Astra, is a throwback to the more deliberately-paced movies in space and is getting the actor some Oscar buzz for his performance.

In this episode, Andy Farnsworth is joined by former movie critic and KSL Digital Content producer Matthew Jacobsen for a SPOILER-FILLED deep dive into the film, which tries to explore complex father-son issues, hero worship, and the effort to create the most realistic space scenes in movie history.  They also argue whether it the film is a profound think-piece or just an un-entertaining, unwanted homework assignment.  Join us!

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"Who would you be...if you had lived forever?"  That's the question asked by the hot new book series The Battle For Forever by Edward Savio that tells the story of a 1500-year-old trapped in a teenager’s body. Modern technology makes it difficult for him to remain anonymous and that’s a problem for him and others like him--which makes it a problem for the rest of us.

The novels have already shown their captivating reach as the first two audiobooks in the series “Alexander X” and “Ancient Among Us,” narrated by fan favorite Wil Wheaton continue to top every chart.

In this episode, Savio (pronounced SAVVY-oh) and his producer Lisa Lindo sit down with host Andy Farnsworth for an in-depth discussion about this unique and exciting new series, along with digging into the writing process--taking a story from idea to page to screen.

So, join us!  Whether you've already read or listened to the books, or you're hearing about them for the first time, you'll find something to enjoy in this highly entertaining interview!

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Actor John Rhys-Davies of "Lord of the Rings" and "Indiana Jones" movie fame joins Andy Farnsworth for an interview during FanX 2019 in Salt Lake City.  Rhys-Davies spent time with patients at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake, playing with them (occasionally in-character as Gimli!), cheering them up and giving them advice before chatting with Andy, then heading off to the main convention.

Rhys-Davies talks about why it's important to engage with children, things he admires about the U.S. and Utah, his memories of working with the Tabernacle Choir, and why youth need to metaphorically "slay their lions".

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With apologies to the White House Correspondents’ Association’s annual dinner, the *true* Nerd Prom takes place this weekend at FanX Salt Lake.

In this episode, Andy Farnsworth talks with "FanXec" Jarrod Phillips (director of business development for FanX, as well as a film actor & producer) to get you ready for the big event, whether it's your first time or you've never missed one--including strategies & information for first-time attendees, new features & items of interest at this year's convention, and talk about "magic moments" from previous cons.  There's even a surprise guest who joins us to help amp the excitement and anticipation up to 11.

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Disney captured the spotlight for a whole weekend with several big announcements on upcoming projects in film, TV, streaming and theme parks. In this episode, Andy Farnsworth is joined by a couple of guys who were there: Geektyrant.com writer and One Minute Critic Kristian Odland and Disney shareholder, superfan and Fan Effect contributor Matthew Hansen. They discuss (with some spoilers for those who are avoiding them) the "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker" footage and other announcments from the galaxy far, far away like news about "The Mandalorian," "Clone Wars" and Obi-Wan Kenobi series. There's also exciting new info about upcoming Marvel movies and TV series, Pixar and Disney Animation films, live-action Disney projects, and the new Disney+ streaming service.  Join us!

Actor Sebastian Roché joins host Andy Farnsworth for an interview ahead of Roché's appearance at FanX Salt Lake in September.  Roché is known for playing the angel Balthazar on Supernatural, vampire king Mikael on The Vampire Diaries & The Originals, Jerry Jacks on General Hospital, as well as other roles on Fringe, Once Upon a Time, Odyssey 5, Beowulf and The Man in the High Castle. 

In this episode, Sebastian talks about why it's fun to play the villain, which of his roles frightens children, his characters' penchant for being alive when everyone else thinks he's dead, his feelings about Balthazar's final fate on SPN, the thing he sees on TV that drives him crazy, whether he got an invite to Meghan Markle's royal wedding and why he'd love to play King Arthur someday.

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They were the stories that freaked you out as a kid.  Now they're coming to life on the big screen in SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK from writer/producer Guillermo Del Toro & director Andre Ovredal. In this episode, Andy Farnsworth is joined by award-winning critic & horror movie aficionado Matthew Jacobson to talk about the film and the book series on which it's based.