Giant Geek vs. Mega n00b

The last time we visited the zombie apocalypse, when we watched "The Walking Dead," most everything was bleak: People were fighting, some of them got killed, and there was little hope for the future.

What if, instead, we all decided to have fun? That's part of the appeal of this week's movie, "Zombieland," a roadtrip comedy that just happens to coincide with the world's destruction via flesh-hungry monsters.

And — as if you needed another reason to watch this movie with us — "Zombieland" has a pretty amazing cast, featuring Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin.

Make sure you do watch if you haven't seen it before, as we spoil everything after the 5-minute mark, including one of the movie's biggest surprises. At the time of this writing, you can rent it from iTunes, Amazon, Google Play or Vudu for $3, or buy it from any of those places for $10.

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Topic: The Tour de France

Geek: Emily

And now for a sport that's a bit off the beaten track (or well-ridden road, as the case may be): cycling. I've been watching the Tour de France religiously for many years, and back in July I made Eric take the Tour plunge - albeit on a somewhat limited basis.

For the purposes of our podcasts, we watched highlights of the first eight stages of the 2016 Tour with the help of some detailed planning and my NBC Sports Gold subscription. The full replays usually go up on YouTube eventually, but unfortunately that hasn't happened yet.

Not to worry, though! You can find recaps and highlights of those stages on the NBC Sports YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/2012NBCOlympics), as well as some of the bigger moments we discuss (like Chris Froome's crazy descent on stage eight!).

And now that you're caught up, find out what we've got to say.

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You might use Siri, or Cortana, or Alexa — but you would never think of them as real people.

But what if you did? What if you could have a conversation with an artificially intelligent person that felt real and human? And what if that person looked like a beautiful woman?

Those are just the surface-level questions of this week's movie, "Ex Machina."

DO NOT WATCH THE TRAILER FOR THIS MOVIE. It has spoilers, as does this podcast after the 3-minute mark.

So, skip the trailer and go watch "Ex Machina" on Amazon (free to stream for Amazon Prime members), iTunes, Vudu or Google Play. Then come back and listen to our very intense discussion!

If you liked this episode, then please subscribe to Giant Geek vs. Mega n00b on iTunes or Google Play Music, and make sure to like our page on Facebook. And if you're feeling really generous, tell a friend about this podcast!

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Topic: The Music Man

Geek: Emily

Welcome to season four! Let's watch a musical.

As you might recall, last season we watched Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and - spoiler alert - Eric loved it and immediately embarked on a binge. While this warms my little geek heart, it also poses a problem: CXG is packed with musical parodies, including one of my favorite number from one of my favorite musicals, and Eric has never seen it.

Enter the Music Man.

This musical has been a favorite since before I can even remember (I'm not exaggerating; my dad used to sing several of the songs to me and my brother when we were little), but how did Eric take to his first taste of Big Hollywood Musicals? Listen to find out.

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"Weird Al" Yankovic has been writing and performing song parodies since 1976. But he only made one feature-length movie — for good reason.

"UHF" did not do well at the box office when it was released in 1989. It made $6.1 million on a $5 million budget. But in the years since, it has become a must-watch for any kid discovering the joys of "Weird Al" and a cult classic for geeks of all ages around the world.

You should definitely watch "UHF" before you listen to the discussion portion of this week's episode; it's available to rent or buy on Amazon, iTunes, Vudu and Google Play.

This is the Season 3 finale of Giant Geek vs. Mega n00b, but we'll only be off for a month or so. Join us later in the summer as we kick off Season 4 with a discussion of "The Music Man." To make sure you don't miss it, subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music and like our page on Facebook.

See you in a few weeks!

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Topic: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Geek: Emily

This week's topic hasn't been around for very long, but oh boy has it made a splash. It won a Golden Globe. Vulture named it best show on TV. I am madly in love with it.

We're talking, of course, about the CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. It's an hour-long comedy from the brilliant mind of Rachel Bloom, who also stars alongside a refreshingly diverse and seriously talented cast. The plot follows Bloom's character as she moves across the country in an attempt to win back her ex - and this show is crazy good in large part because it's all about subverting every expectation its title and that summary just put in your head.

Oh, and it's also a musical. Every episode features two or three original songs, drawn from all different genres and corners of the pop and musical theater worlds. And it's - just brilliant. But will Eric agree? Find out!

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The Mario games are full of important life lessons for kids: Get regular exercise! Help your friends! Do mushrooms and kill turtles!

But will those messages resonate for someone (Emily) who has never played one of the official Mario games? Will that someone, who has barely played any video games, be able to clear the first level? On this week's Giant Geek vs. Mega n00b, we find out!

If you don't still have an old Nintendo console from the 80s or 90s, fear not — you can find Super Mario Bros. 3 on the Virtual Console for Nintendo's more recent Wii and Wii U. You can also find it in the eShop if you have a Nintendo 3DS, which is how both Emily and I played this game.

For more Giant Geek vs. Mega n00b, please subscribe to our show on iTunes or Google Play Music. And make sure to like our page on Facebook!

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Topic: Stick It

Geek: Emily

Today we venture into the world of elite gymnastics - but we're not going to take it too seriously. Stick It is part snarky teen comedy and part inspirational sports movie, part send-up of the gymnastics world and part homage to the sport.

I've been a fan of this beautiful little movie, complete with its high-profile gymnastics cameos, for quite a while. The balance of sarcastic humor and genuine heart is just too good to resist.

But can Eric warm to a movie about a sport he doesn't even like? We'll see.

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Sometimes, there's a podcast... And I'm talkin' about the Giant Geek versus the Mega n00b here... Sometimes there's a podcast and, well, it's the podcast for its time and place. It fits right in there.

OK, just imagine how much better this description would sound if Sam Elliott were reading it. And now stop imagining how wonderful his voice is, because it's time to go watch a movie with us: The Big Lebowski.

You can stream The Big Lebowski for free if you have an Amazon Prime subscription, or rent/buy it from Amazon, iTunes, Vudu and Google Play. 

For more Giant Geek vs. Mega n00b, please subscribe to our show on iTunes or Google Play Music. And make sure to like our page on Facebook!

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Topic: The Big Sleep

Geek: Emily

Bogart is back on the podcast! This time with his real-life wife and frequent on-screen partner Lauren Bacall.

The Big Sleep is quintessential noir: a private eye, an array of untrustworthy dames and sketchy suits, and enough blackmail and dead bodies to turn a mobster's stomach. It has the added benefit of an almost hopelessly twisted plot you get to sort through every time almost like you're watching for the first time.

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