Hope Strikes Back

Halloween in the US is big business. Between candy, costumes, haunted houses, and decorations, Americans spend billions of dollars each year celebrating All Hallows' Eve. And a favorite part of the holiday for many is watching scary movies. After a brief, unplanned break, our panel is back this week with a very special Halloween episode! Listen as they discuss classic and modern horror movies, what helps make certain classics timeless, and what they think of the new Halloween movie. Now we want to hear from you! What is your favorite scary movie? Send us an email ([email protected]) letting us know. You can also message us on Twitter or Facebook. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Larry Correia is an American fantasy, New York Times best-selling novelist. He is best known for the wildly popular Monster Hunter series; however, he has also authored the Grimnoir Chronicles, Dead Six, and Saga of the Forgotten Warrior series. He is also a great guy who recently took a few minutes to chat with us at FanX 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah.Listen as Larry talks about Sinners, the no-holds-barred final entry in the Monster Hunter Memoirs series which he worked on with fellow New York Times best-selling author, John Ringo.Larry also discusses his newest release, Target Rich Environment, a series of fourteen action-packed tales of demons, monster, vampires, and cosmic horrors too terrible to name—and the men and women who take them all down. (The book also tosses in an interdimensional insurance salesman for good measure.) He also gives us a little bit of insight into the editing process once a book is "complete."You can keep up with all of Larry's goings-on by following him on his blog (https://monsterhunternation.com/). We also recommend checking out the Monster Hunter Nation Facebook group to stay up to date all things Larry.

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The Hope Strikes Back team recently had the opportunity to attend the American Cancer Society's Big Dig Utah. While we were there, we met some people from Camp Hobé, a summer camp for kids with cancer. We feel that this is a really good organization that could use your help. Listen as we recount our experience with them, and if you feel like helping out, visit their website (www.camphobekids.org) and show some love. Once the important stuff was taken care of, our panelists delved into a veritable potpourri of geek news starting with the new Dark Phoenix trailer. Needless to say, the X-Men Cinematic Universe is pretty muddy and they share some tips on how to enjoy each of the films without getting confused by wonky timelines and chronology. There is also news that Kathleen Kennedy will not be leaving the Star Wars Universe anytime soon. The Hollywood Reporter announced that she has extended her contract with Lucasfilm through 2021. You know that we have some thoughts on this. We also share our predictions on what to expect over the next few years from the world of Star Wars.Now we want to hear from you! What did you think of the Dark Phoenix trailer? Is it a movie that you're excited for? And what are your thoughts on Kathleen Kennedy staying at Lucasfilm? Is this a good move or one that shouldn't have been made? Send us an email ([email protected]) letting us know. You can also message us on Twitter or Facebook. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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The term "role model" is credited to sociologist Robert K. Merton, who coined the phrase during his career. Merton hypothesized that individuals compare themselves with reference groups of people who occupy the social role to which the individual aspires. An example being the way young fans will idolize and imitate professional athletes, celebrities, or superheroes.So what characteristics do you want in your role models? This week our panelists discuss what role pop culture plays in choosing role models, and what characteristics they want those role models to possess. They also discuss how this plays into their own roles as parents.But what do you think? What characteristics do you want to see in your role models? And do you think that it's okay to find role models in pop culture, or should you look elsewhere? Send us an email ([email protected]) letting us know. Or feel free to message us on Twitter or Facebook. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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The winter of 1978 was not a good time for Star Wars fans. Star Wars had (mostly) left theaters and fans were wanting more. Hollywood executives knew this so they approached George Lucas with the idea of doing a television special. As a result, CBS bestowed upon fans one of the worst things in the history of awful on November 17 of that year: the Star Wars Holiday Special.The Star Wars Holiday Special is, for lack of a better word, special. While it does give us more of the characters that we know and love, it also gives us Chewbacca's family and a host of nightmare fuel. This week, our panelists were live on location to look back on 40 years of this cinematic disaster as only they can. And considering all of the hate that's been circulating in the Star Wars community for the past few years, we should all be able to agree that the Holiday Special is simply terrible.But what do you think? Have you seen the Star Wars Holiday Special? Is it so bad that it's good, or is it just bad? Send us an email ([email protected]) letting us know. Or feel free to message us on Twitter or Facebook. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Having been bullied as a kid, anti-bullying is an issue that's very important to me. It's also one that's very important to actress Chase Masterson. You may know her as Leeta from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, or from one of her many other projects; however, she is also the founder of the Pop Culture Hero Coalition which works to educate and support children, teens, and adults to overcome bullying and social injustice, and to transform their struggles into strengths, using stories and characters from pop culture TV, film, and comics.Using the message of inclusion from Star Trek, the Pop Culture Hero Coalition strives to create, promote and foster a culture free from the injustice of bullying, cyberbullying, hate crimes, and inequality based on gender, race, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual identity or preference, physical disability, mental disability, learning disability, or any other perceived vulnerability.The issue of bullying in schools is widespread and devastating to students of all ages. According to StopBullying.gov, 28% of students in grades 6-12 have been bullied. Even more shocking is that 70.6% of students and 70.4% of school staff say that they have witnessed bullying. However, when bystanders intervene, bullying stops within 10 seconds 57% of the time.Thanks to a growing awareness of the problem of bullying, studies suggest that rates of bullying may be declining. However, it still remains a prevalent and serious problem in today’s schools which is why the Pop Culture Hero Coalition is so important.If you'd like learn more and see how you can help, be sure to check out their website. You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also follow Chase on Facebook, Twitter, and ChaseMasterson.com.Thanks to Chase for taking a few minutes out of her time to discuss this important topic!

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For years, there have been critics who say that cinema is a dying art. In a 2016 interview, with the Associated Press, Martin Scorsese, the illustrious director of Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and 2017 Oscar contender Silence, said movies aren’t what they used to be.“Cinema is gone,” Scorsese said. “The cinema I grew up with and that I’m making, it’s gone.”Certain members of our panel might agree with that statement. It used to be that you would go to the theater in November and December to see a high-quality film that would likely contend for numerous awards. If you wanted to watch a summer blockbuster, Memorial Day through August was your time. The rest of the year was filled with movies that were hit or miss. Occasional gems could often be found, but they were often the exception. Now, with new "franchise films" coming out every few months from Marvel, Disney, Warner Brothers, and other studios, moviegoers are having to be more and more selective about what they watch, and that's leaving a lot of really good films with little to no audience.Have any thoughts on the issue? What movies have you recently passed up seeing in favor of a blockbuster? Send us an email ([email protected]) letting us know. Or feel free to message us on Twitter or Facebook. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Sometimes, despite your best intentions, things go horribly wrong. This episode is one of those times. Sure, our panelists wanted to discuss meaningful topics. They even started off discussing things like battling cancer and helping fight youth homelessness! Things could only be held together for so long though before they devolved into discussions about scurvy, what happens when you lose one sense, and bad movies from the 1980’s. We're sorry. We're so very, very sorry.All that being said, there are some important things that have recently taken place. There are also some important things that are taking place in the near future.One thing that just happened is the Covenant House Sleep Out: Stage and Screen in which $388,084 was raised to support homeless youth. The Sleep Out is a unique experience meant to encourage awareness, empathy, and understanding for the immeasurable odds that homeless young people overcome. Advocates throughout the United States and Canada accept the challenge to sleep outside for one night at Covenant House sites as well as in private backyards, school grounds, and community spaces. It’s about showing homeless youth unconditional love and absolute respect — demonstrating in word and action that someone cares about them. If you want to find out more about how you can register for next year's event, please visit their website.The event that's coming up is one that's near and dear to our hearts. It's the American Cancer Society’s Big Dig and it's taking place Saturday, September 22, 2018, at the Utah State Fairpark. The Big Dig gives local Utah children, focusing particularly on those with cancer, the opportunity to attend and operate heavy machinery, including excavators, scissor lifts, and more. Cancer is someone that affects everyone to some extent. We hope to see you there!Have any thoughts on this episode? Send us an email ([email protected]) letting us know. Or feel free to leave a comment below or message us on Twitter or Facebook. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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There’s a lot going on in the world, and we’re going to do our best to break some of it down for you…Remember when MoviePass came out and everyone wondered how they would ever make any money by allowing users to see as many movies as they want for only $9.99 a month? Apparently, nobody in the company saw the writing on the wall as they’ve had to significantly reduce what that fee gets you. And if you don’t like it? Too bad because you can never cancel. (It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.)And did you hear about Ruby Rose being cast as Batwoman in the Arrowverse? Well, apparently she’s all wrong for the part and people are letting her know. So much so that she’s closed her Twitter account and restricted commenting on Instagram. With so much that we can talk about, it’s sad that we’re again talking about toxic fandoms.Also, we have a new Spock! The decision to cast Ethan Peck as everyone’s favorite Vulcan on Star Trek: Discovery got us thinking about major roles being recast in Hollywood. We share our thoughts on Idris Elba playing James Bond. We also touch on a few other characters from film and TV that have been played by multiple actors.Now that you’ve heard what we think about MoviePass, Ruby Rose, and who we'd like to see as the next James Bond, we want to hear what you think! What character recastings have you liked or hated? Have you used MoviePass? What's your experience been like? And what about Ruby Rose and toxic fandoms? Send us an email ([email protected]) letting us know. Or feel free to leave a comment below or message us on Twitter or Facebook. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Hollywood seems to have issues. Specifically, Disney seems to have issues. Especially when it comes to Johnny Depp.City of Lies, Johnny Depp's next film, was recently pulled from release in the U.S. after Depp was sued by a location manager for punching him in the face. The movie was originally scheduled to hit theaters next month but is now delayed indefinitely. However, Disney doesn't seem to take issue with any of Depp's actions, including beating up his ex-wife, and is currently developing yet another Pirates of the Caribbean sequel. This week our panel takes on Disney's apparent double standard. Why is it that they are so quick to fire people like James Gunn and Roseanne while they continue to employ others like Keith Olbermann and Johnny Depp? Listen as we discuss why we think this is, and what, if anything, we think will ultimately happen. Now that you’ve heard what we think about Johnny Depp and how Disney seems to protect him, we want to hear what you think! Are we wrong about this, or does Disney truly have a double standard when it comes to their money makers? And is that a bad thing? Send us an email ([email protected]) letting us know. Or feel free to message us on Twitter or Facebook. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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