Episode #132: Star Wars: Resistance Trailer
Join hosts Tim and Troy for a condensed episode of TNR were they discuss the Star Wars: Resistance Trailer, Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters (SUMC), and the state of Star Wars and Marvel Collecting.
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast, San Diego Sabers Radio Podcast, Tatooine Sons, Less Than 12 Parsecs, and Retro Inc. Podcast!
Episode #131: The Best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Join hosts Tim, Troy, and Sunjay to celebrate the home release of Avengers: Infinity War and Marvel Studios 10th Anniversary by discussing their Best of the MCU! They vote on everything from the Best Costume to Best Cameo and right down to the Best MCU Film!
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast, San Diego Sabers Radio Podcast, Tatooine Sons, Less Than 12 Parsecs, and Retro Inc. Podcast!
Episode #130: Episode IX: First Shot, DCEU Film Slate, Marvel at SDCC 2018
Join hosts Tim and Sunjay to breakdown this week in NERD! They discuss the DCEU rumoured film slate, the start of production on Star Wars: Episode IX and Carrie Fishers involvement, Marvel at SDCC 2018, the latest Venom trailer, and much more!
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast, San Diego Sabers Radio Podcast, Tatooine Sons, Less Than 12 Parsecs, and Retro Inc. Podcast!
Episode #128: Aquaman & Shazam! Trailers, #CloneWarsSaved
Join hosts Troy and Sunjay for Part 1 of The Nerd Room's SDCC 2018 coverage! The guys will be breaking down the two huge trailers from the DCEU - Aquaman & Shazam!, as well as discussing the revival of Star Wars: The Clone Wars for a series concluding 7th season and much more from this years Nexus of Nerd!
Join hosts Troy and Sunjay for Part 1 of The Nerd Room's SDCC 2018 coverage! The guys will be breaking down the two huge trailers from the DCEU - Aquaman & Shazam!, as well as discussing the revival of Star Wars: The Clone Wars for a series concluding 7th season and much more from this years Nexus of Nerd!
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast, San Diego Sabers Radio Podcast, Tatooine Sons, and Less Than 12 Parsecs!
Episode #124: Aquaman & WW84 First Look
Join hosts Tim, Troy, and Sunjay to discuss the next wave of standalone films from the DCEU with the first official looks at Aquaman & WW84! They also talk their week in Nerd, Avengers 4, E3 Spider-Man Gameplay, and answer a few listener questions!
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast, San Diego Sabers Radio Podcast, Tatooine Sons, and Less Than 12 Parsecs!
Episode #118: Infinity War, May the 4th, AM&W Trailer
Join hosts Tim and Sunjay as they continue to discuss the fallout from Avengers: Infinity War, including the new Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer! The guys also talk about their May the 4th and Free Comic Book Day experiences, DC’s new streaming service, and answer some listener questions!
WARNING heavy Infinity War SPOILERS between 21:51-40:25 and light SPOILERS between 40:25-45:30.
Join hosts Tim and Sunjay as they continue to discuss the fallout from Avengers: Infinity War, including the new Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer! The guys also talk about their May the 4th and Free Comic Book Day experiences, DC’s new streaming service, and answer some listener questions!
WARNING heavy Infinity War SPOILERS between 21:51-40:25 and light SPOILERS between 40:25-45:30.
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast, San Diego Sabers Radio Podcast, Tatooine Sons, and Less Than 12 Parsecs!
Episode #113: Superman in Comics and Film
Join hosts Troy and Sunjay to discuss Superman in Comics and Film in anticipation of Action Comics #1000! The guys talk everything from CW's Smallville to Superman's costumes in Film and much more!
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast, San Diego Sabers Radio Podcast, Tatooine Sons, and Less Than 12 Parsecs!
Episode #109: Toy Fair 2018, Marvel Comics Reboot, Solo Books
Join hosts Tim, Troy, and Sunjay for a massive episode were they discuss NY Toy Fair 2018, Black Panther Box Office, Marvel Comics reboot, DC News, listener questions, and much more!!
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast, San Diego Sabers Radio Podcast and Tatooine Sons!
Episode #104: Oscar Nominations & January Nerd News
Join hosts Tim, Troy, and Sunjay to round up and discuss this weeks Star Wars, Marvel, and DC news! The guys also breakdown the 2018 Oscar Nominations and tackle a listener questions about comicbook origin stories!
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast and the San Diego Sabers!
Episode #101: 2018's Most Anticipated in Nerd
Join hosts Tim, Troy, and Sunjay to discuss their most anticipated films, comics, and collecting for 2018!
Join hosts Tim, Troy, and Sunjay to discuss their most anticipated films, comics, and collecting for 2018!
Now, with the arrival of a New Year always comes a commitment to change, so the crew layout their three Nerd-Year resolutions! The guys also rundown their top 10 most anticipated films for 2018 and tackle The Nerd Room's Box Office Fantasy Draft!
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast and the San Diego Sabers!
Episode #100 - 2017 Year in Review
Join hosts Tim, Troy, and Sunjay for Episode #100 of The Nerd Room! This week the guys discuss 2017 in Nerd! What were the biggest stories in Star Wars, Marvel and DC in 2017? Did 2017 live up to the expectations set in their most anticipated lists? What are their top 10 films of 2017? Tune into find out all this and much more!
Join hosts Tim, Troy, and Sunjay for Episode #100 of The Nerd Room! This week the guys discuss 2017 in Nerd! What were the biggest stories in Star Wars, Marvel and DC in 2017? Did 2017 live up to the expectations set in their most anticipated lists? What are their top 10 films of 2017? Tune into find out all this and much more!
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast and the San Diego Sabers!
Episode #95: Justice League Review
This week hosts Tim, Troy, and Sunjay are joined by Rob Cast (TSW Roundtable, TSW Comics, Roman Pod and Cast) to discuss DC's latest film, Justice League. The guys discuss everything from the development to the end credits of the film and touch on the future of the DCEU.
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast and the San Diego Sabers!
Batman, My Batman
I have made no secret of the fact that I am not a big fan of the direction Zack Snyder has taken the DCEU. I’m not keen on the tone of Man of Steel, I didn’t appreciate his vision of Batman or Superman in BvS and I’m not looking forward to Justice League. I find the tone too dark and the characters too hopeless. But I’m not suggesting everything that came before was perfect either. In fact, I had issues with The Dark Night Rises. These issues were largely mine because I had built a headcanon version of the movie that could never be…
I have made no secret of the fact that I am not a big fan of the direction Zack Snyder has taken the DCEU. I’m not keen on the tone of Man of Steel, I didn’t appreciate his vision of Batman or Superman in BvS and I’m not looking forward to Justice League. I find the tone too dark and the characters too hopeless. But I’m not suggesting everything that came before was perfect either. In fact, I had issues with The Dark Night Rises. These issues were largely mine because I had built a headcanon version of the movie that could never be…
After the Dark Knight, my mind went directly to the sequel. Nolan’s sequel to Batman Begins may be the best superhero film ever made. It also happens to be very dark, lacking any sense of hope and takes the characters extremely seriously, but somehow Nolan made it work. The film was released in 2008 as Marvel was just booting up the MCU and getting ready to teach the world how to manage comic book IP. But, when Dark Knight swooped into theatres it did so beneath a huge shadow. The shadow was cast by the loss of Heath Ledger who breathed life into The Joker in a way that made the character a poison chalice for anyone who dares try to fill Heath’s shoes.
The way the Dark Knight ended, and indeed, the way it closed the book on the Joker felt like the series had more to say. As if the Joker’s return was inevitable, and so my imagination run away with me and ultimately, I created a “headcanon” movie that The Dark Rises, in some small way, to me alone, failed to surpass. I wanted to share that with you today.
My idea for a Dark Knight sequel would require that Christopher Nolan recast the Joker with another actor. Nolan stated pretty clearly as The Dark Knight Rises entered production that this simply wasn’t going to happen. So my vision for a sequel featuring the character started to fade almost immediately, even as my first choice to replace Heath, Joesph Gordon Levitt was cast in the film. Here is what I wanted to see.
In my Batman movie, we would have seen a slightly different version of the Joker. One incarcerated in Arkham. A Joker with no makeup, no brightly coloured hair and no purple suit. This Joker, I envisioned would have sported a close-cropped haircut, clearly visible scars and a subdued persona. This a Joker who is being kept level by a prescribed list of narcotics. Courtesy of his psychiatrist, Dr Quinn of course. In my mind Joker belongs behind glass, rather than bars, the way we meet Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs, and that wouldn’t be the only parallel to Jonathan Demme’s movie.
Gotham would have fallen prey to a terrorist of sorts. A warped individual who is completely obsessed with The Batman. A fanboy who is setting bombs in Gotham designed to test The Batman. To see if the man the press are calling a vigilante is actually hero or villain. To test his prey, the bomber is leaving a series of test, clues that Batman needs to follow in order to foil his dastardly plans. You might call them riddles…
One thing I wanted to see was the introduction of The Riddler. In my story, the Riddler was a simple Gothamite who had grown increasingly more obsessed with Batman and intrigued by the battle of wits between the Joker and The Bat. This is when The Riddler reaches out to The Joker in Arkham. Dr Quinn passes correspondence between the two men, much like The Tooth Fairy in Silence, giving The Joker an opportunity to strike out at Gotham from within his cell in Arkham.
With Batman being the worlds greatest detective (not something we have seen a great deal of in Batman movies so far) it won’t take long before he realises that The Joker is pulling The Riddler’s strings and he enters Arkham with Jim Gordon, in disguise as Matches Malone, to question The Joker and game is on.
This would have been a way to tell a Batman story that shares some of the themes in Se7en. The Riddler, with the help of The Joker, would put Batman in some impossible positions and ultimately tell a zero-sum tale that costs Bruce Wayne dearly.
Ultimately The Dark Knight Rises wrapped up the Nolan Batman trilogy in a spectacular way. Bane was fantastic, Catwoman was a wonderful, morally grey character, and Gotham, perhaps Bruce Wayne’s greatest weakness, was indeed at the centre of the story. But I think I would have preferred a story that utilised The Joker, introduced The Riddler and set up further tales, even if they were not told by Nolan.
My biggest hope for the end of this film that never stood a chance of being made would riff on the Joker playing card sting from Begins and potentially set up the DCEU. In my imaginary movie, just after the credits, we see Batman, crouched on the edge of a tall building in Gotham. Silently, behind him, Brandon Routh’s Superman flutters down into the frame. Batman’s head turns slightly acknowledging his arrival and Superman has one line, “Bruce, I need your help.”
Thank you for reading,
Marc
The Nerd Room Episode #92: Batman: The Animated Series Commentary
When host Tim is away, Troy and Sunjay will play! Join them as they celebrate the 25th anniversary of Batman: The Animated Series by providing commentary tracks for two landmark episodes from the series (Robin Reckoning Pt.1 and Old Wounds).
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast and the San Diego Sabers!
The Nerd Room Episode #90: The Last Jedi & Justice League Trailers
Join hosts Troy, Sunjay, and Tim to discuss the massive Star Wars: the Last Jedi and Justice League trailers. The guys breakdown and speculate on what these trailers mean for the films.
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast and the San Diego Sabers!
New Justice League Trailer
As promised earlier in the week, WB has released what will likely be the final trailer for The Justice League!
As promised earlier in the week, WB has released what will likely be the final trailer for The Justice League!
They have cranked up the scale of this trailer to epic with moments of levity amongst the destruction. I'm still not totally sold on this film yet, but the first few seconds of the trailer really get me and it is the perfect tease for a certain character.
We will be breaking down the latest Justice League trailer on this weeks episode of The Nerd Room (Ep. 90), dropping this coming Thursday!
Let us know your thoughts on The Justice League trailer in the comments below.
Thank you for reading,
Tim
The Nerd Room Episode #89: A Mixed Bag of Star Wars, Marvel & DC!
Join hosts Tim, Troy, and Sunjay for an off the rails, mixed bag episode were they discuss Star Wars, Marvel & DC comicbooks, Falls TV line up, a whole bunch of Star Wars collecting and much more!!
08:37 - The Marvel (Star Wars) and DC Comicbook Landscape & News
37:16 - Falls TV Lineup - What are we watching?
58:16 - Justice League Character Posters
1:10:41 -Collecting
Toys R US Bankruptcy
The Elite Series Wave 2
Black Series Wave 3
1:32:55 - From a Certain Point of View - Soft Canon?
1:34:29 - Star Wars Rebels S4 Poster
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast and the San Diego Sabers!
Justice League | Character Posters
WB has released 5 new character posters (Aquaman, Batman, Cyborg, Flash, and Wonder Woman) for the upcoming Justice League cross-over event film. The posters begin what will inevitably be a major promotional push for the film as its release is less than 2 months away.
WB has released 5 new character posters (Aquaman, Batman, Cyborg, Flash, and Wonder Woman) for the upcoming Justice League cross-over event film. The posters begin what will inevitably be a major promotional push for the film as its release is less than 2 months away. Superman is noticeably absent from the release but his logo appears at the bottom of the posters along with the other members of the Justice League. I have been extremely impressed with WB's ability to keep the Superman secret and not spoil the return of The Man of Steel in Justice League, will that last?
Check out the posters below and let us know what you think about them in the comments below!
Justice League hits theaters on November 16th, 2017.
Thanks for reading,
Tim
The Nerd Room Episode #85: DC Takeover and Top 5 Fights in Comics
As the dust settles from the Mayweather v Mcgregor fight, hosts Troy and Sunjay discuss their top 5 fights in comics! The crew also takes advantage of Tim’s absence and talk a bunch of DC!
As the dust settles from the Mayweather v Mcgregor fight, hosts Troy and Sunjay discuss their top 5 fights in comics! The crew also takes advantage of Tim’s absence and talk a bunch of DC!
Next week the guys are taking a deep dive into Star Wars and are talking Force Friday 2!
Check out our NEW WEBSITE - thenerdroom.net
Be sure to check out more from the Star Wars Commonwealth and follow Talk Star Wars, Tumbling Saber, Generation X-Wing, Rogue Squadron Podcast, Skyhopper Podcast and the San Diego Sabers!
DCEJA VU
Why the DCEU and Star Wars Prequels are worth your time.........
Why the DCEU and Star Wars Prequels are worth your time.........
I admit, I’m very new to the Star Wars game. In the lead up to the release of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, I still hadn’t watched a single Star Wars movie. I know, I know, settle down people, I have since rectified that by watching all 8, so please put down the pitchforks. When I finally decided to watch the movies, I had asked Star Wars fans for their opinion on the correct order in which to watch the movies. The majority of people told me to “watch the original trilogy, ignore the prequels” (except Tim and Troy).
So, I took their advice, ignored the prequels, and only watched the original trilogy. This blockade of the prequels lasted until just this week when I finally decided to watch all 3 of the prequels. My ignoring of the prequels may have lasted forever if it wasn’t for a small vocal minority which had actually praised the prequels (Tim, Troy, and the SWC!). With that said, I’m very glad I took a chance as I ended up greatly enjoying the prequels. The prequels had some amazing fight scenes and a great narrative (including the origins of Darth Vader). I even believe that it’s one of the few trilogies out there that gets better with each film. Did the films have flaws? Of course, most films do. Were they as good as the original trilogy? No. However, since the original Star Wars films were released, can you name any Sci-Fi franchise that can match it in terms of quality, critic & audience adoration, and cultural impact? Of course not, because none exist! Don’t get me wrong, there have been some great Sci-Fi movies since Star Wars; Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan, Independence Day, The Matrix, and 2009’s Star Trek, but they all failed to maintain that quality throughout their respective franchises. Although they were excellent one-off films; they all fall short when compared to Star Wars. However, each of the films I previously mentioned are seen as brilliant cinema and are some of the most popular films ever made. Part of the reason is when they were released audiences judged them as their own separate film, with no pre-conceived notions of what to expect.
The hype before Star Wars Episode I was so enormous, given that 16 years had passed between Return of the Jedi and Phantom Menace, that fans would buy movie tickets to movies that were showing trailers for the Phantom Menace and then leave the theatre once the trailer played. I admit, upon first viewing of the Phantom Menace, that there are obvious flaws with the film. It’s my least favorite of the entire Star Wars franchise and I’m sure I’m not alone in that thinking. The film was expected to be perfect because in fans heads the original trilogy is perfect. Fans had seen each of those 3 films numerous times, memorizing dialogue, scenes and characters to the point where every little detail had been dissected and analyzed. Anything short of brilliance and The Phantom Menace would be seen as a letdown. Upon release of the other two films in the prequel trilogy, we got more of the same, and over time everything associated with the prequels became toxic, and some fans wanted the films swept under the rug and forgotten. They failed to see the fun and excitement that these films brought. The prequel films, in their own right, are imaginative, brilliant works of Sci-Fi, which should be watched by all Star Wars fans.
Now, what does all this Star Wars talk have to do with the first 3 films of the DC Extended Universe (Man of Steel, Batman V Superman, and Suicide Squad)? Let’s go back in time to 2012, with the release of The Dark Knight Rises which capped off the brilliant Batman trilogy from director Christopher Nolan. That trilogy would go on to re-define the superhero genre, make over $2 Billion worldwide with ground breaking movies, that still stand the test of time today. As well, this trilogy gave us what is perhaps the greatest character portrayal in any superhero film ever with Heath Ledger’s Joker. With Nolan vowing to never make another Batman film, WB thought it was finally time to build their own connected universe of films similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Starting with Man of Steel, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) had taken shape, crafting out a universe in which it can spin into multiple movies and finally compete with Mavel in theatres. Anticipation was high before Man of Steel was released, as Christopher Nolan had worked on the screenplay with David Goyer (the same writer of the The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises). Much like the reaction from audiences with the Star Wars Prequels, the DCEU films did not receive the same box office numbers or acclaim as the movies that came before it. Fans began touting that the movie as awful, the character portrayal was not true to Superman, and the action in the film was overly destructive.
Zach Synder's "BATMAN & R2BIN"
Those who listen to our podcast know that I’m a big supporter of the DCEU and love each film, as I believe they do a great job giving us a realistic depiction of a world where Superman exists. These films are dark and gritty and have a different feel than the bright and fun Marvel Cinematic films. I’m not saying one style is better than the other, but I am saying having two distinct styles is better for everyone. It gives viewers a choice of different tones and they are not forced to watch the same thing. Do these 3 DCEU films have flaws? Of course! Were they as good as the Dark Knight trilogy? No. But can you name any Superhero trilogy that can match the Dark Knight in terms of quality, critic & audience adoration and cultural impact? No? Again didn’t think so. That’s because none exist. The Superhero genre is still new but we have already been spoiled with some fantastic films like Captain America The Winter Soldier, The Avengers and Logan. These films are all unique and brought something different to the genre, but all fail in at least one area when being compared to the Dark Knight trilogy. While The Winter Soldier and Logan did fairly well at the box office, neither film approached 1 Billion dollars. And The Avengers certainly didn’t have any Oscar winning performances. Just like the Star Wars prequels, we are getting the same swift and negative reaction with the DCEU. Everything about the first three films is now considered awful and people want us to forget them and sweep them under the rug to be forgotten by history. I can already hear people say if you want to catch up with the DCEU start with Wonder Woman and ignore the first three films.
Zach Snyder's "SuperJedi"
Part of the reason popular opinion labeled both trilogies as a failure is because of what preceded them. Instead of comparing to previous installments, I advise to watch these films in isolation as their own universe. It’s only when watching these films in isolation and free from comparison that we begin to see what each offers. I found both introduced us to engaging characters used to spin a narrative which spans vibrant locations and unique settings. They each tell an engaging story as they each set up their own unique universe. The prequels are all about Anakin Skywalker and they do a good job portraying his turn to the dark side and humanizing one of cinemas greatest villains in Darth Vader. The first 3 DCEU films are all about Superman, and his journey to the light. They did a good job portraying his rise, death and the world’s reaction to his death. In the prequels we get some spectacular light sabre fight scenes, fighting against a backdrop of energetic colors and an underrated score, even Episode I brings us a spectacular light sabre battle to end the film. The end battle in Episode III between Anakin and Obi-Wan on Mustafar, is one of the most beautiful fights ever on film, set against a backdrop of pulsating reds, yellows and orange which serve to enhance the fight. In the DCEU, for the first time we get a Superman who doesn’t hold back, fighting General Zod across Metropolis in an epic final battle that literally brings down the house. We also get something that Christopher Nolan never gave us; the greatest Batman fight ever recorded, in what is simply dubbed the warehouse scene. In the Prequels we get great villains like Darth Maul and Emperor Palpatine, and in the DCEU we see great heroes like Batman and Wonder Woman. Each trilogy is essential watching if you want to dive deeper in each respective universe.
I’m glad I finally gave the Prequels a chance, watching them helped me to gain a deeper understanding of Star Wars mythology and it makes me more excited to re-watch Star Wars Episodes 4, 5 and 6 now. Your experience at Wonder Woman is made more enjoyable after seeing her kick ass debut in Batman V Superman. I’m not saying all 6 films are masterpieces, or you will enjoy each film (honestly I didn’t enjoy Episode 1 or Jar Jar Binks and I recognize the short comings of Suicide Squad and Enchantress), however, they are still worth a watch. If you give them a chance, you will certainly be entertained and hopefully pleasantly surprised.
Now who’s ready for a DCEU marathon before Justice League?
Thanks for reading,