TALK NERDY TO ME - various discussion topics from the 2020 live Facebook show
CAN A TV FRANCHISE GO ON TOO LONG?
Even after 50 years both Star Trek and Dr Who are still in production, so the question is posed as to how a franchise evolves over such a long period of time. More importantly, will the once devoted fans continue to support the show's latest incarnation?
WHO WAS THE BEST LIVE ACTION JOKER!
It's one of those age old questions which we've opted to tackle head on, especially as show host MPS is a huge Batman fan. So who do you think will win, or perhaps more importantly, will you agree with our views?
IS BUYING COLLECTABLES A GOOD INVESTMENT?
With a massive push by manufacturers to produce high quality and expensive pop culture collectables for the adult market, the question is asked as to whether they will appreciate in value in the future or will they be worthless despite the high price to buy them initially?
WHICH TV SHOWS SHOULD BE REMADE?
Typically no fan likes the idea of remaking or rebooting anything, but the question is asked as to what old TV shows could do with a modern make over and whether they would be as good as, if not better than, the original. Will you agree with what the hosts suggest?
DO WE STILL NEED FAN CLUBS?
With the Covid-19 crisis of 2020 shutting down all the Sci-Fi fan clubs, the following question is posed: Within this social media dominated world where everything is online, is there still a place (or even a need) for traditional fan clubs and their face-to-face social gatherings?
WHICH CHARACTER WOULD YOU BE IN YOUR FAVOURITE SHOW?
It's one of those age old questions usually asked by children, if you could be anyone in your favourite TV show, who would you be? This then makes you wonder if anyone ever picked the Butler or the cleaner!
EXTENDED VERSIONS OF MOVIES, ARE THEY REALLY NECESSARY?
From the moment Close Encounters of the Third Kind was released as a Special Edition with additional footage, cinephiles and fans have loved seeing their favourite films with newly added scenes. But other than making money from additional ticket sales, are these extended versions and Director's cuts actually superior to the theatrical version?
INVADING THE EARTH! WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO IT?
If you were an alien race hell bent on invading the Earth, how would you do it? This humorous discussion has its roots in those Sci-Fi movies and TV shows where the supposedly superior invading species fails in its quest to take us over. So can we figure out what they did wrong so the invasion succeeds.
CAN TOO MANY SEQUELS RUIN A GREAT FRANCHISE?
It's a massive bug bear for devoted film fans. You know the story, it's the one where the highly successful movie was then subjected by the studio into having numerous inferior, low quality, cash-in sequels made which everyone hated: Superman, Alien, Batman, The Terminator, The Matrix, Predator, just to name a few. We discuss these travesties and the lucky ones which got away.
WHEN ONE CHARACTER IS PLAYED BY DIFFERENT ACTORS
Admittedly it's been a winning formula for James Bond for decades, but are there examples where a character who is played by different actors detrimental to the product's success? We look at where this has occurred and discuss whether the change was justified. You may be surprised with the results.
STAR TREK. NEW SHOWS IN THE WORKS AND TIMELINE CONTINUITY ISSUES!
Often a new TV franchise and/or spin off will follow a linear timeline with their story, however, newly created Star Trek series and movies defy this by jumping all over the place which in turn causes all sorts of in-universe continuity gaffs. In this discussion we look at the issues created by the new 'Kelvin' timeline from the 2009 Star Trek film to see how it impacts any future TV Star Trek series.
GREAT FANTASY MOVIES
Everyone loves a fantasy film and it's interesting to discover just how many there are. So join us as we look at the films which gave us so much enjoyment over the decades.
ZOMBIES IN MOVIES AND TV SHOWS
"Brains!!!" in a somewhat slight deviation from our usual Sci-Fi discussion fare, we take a look at the highly popular 'Z' genre, which despite its gruesome nature is just so much fun!
FANS WHO TAKE THEIR FANATICISM TOO FAR
There's no doubt social media has given everyone a voice, yet unfortunately some use the platform to spout vitriol and hate towards upcoming movie productions, actors, even studio presidents! So we pose the question as to whether there are fans who are actually a hindrance to their own fan base, even for franchises they supposedly love and support.
IS COSPLAY BECOME TOO SERIOUS?
In the old days wearing a bucket on your head to a costume event was seen as a good laugh, but now costuming/cosplay has became a multi-million dollar industry where the focus on 'screen accuracy' is now more important than simply having a bit of fun. So what's changed and why.
CELEBRATING FAN FILMS
What once started off as a bit of fun with a video camera, fan films in the past 20 years have seen a massive surge in quality. Some now have budgets in excess of $20,000 where whole sets are being constructed, others are use professional actors (including some from the real shows) while many feature visual FX reaching a cinematic level. We celebrate this hobby and its ongoing legacy.
WHEN ARTIFICIAL PEOPLE DISCOVER THEIR ORIGINS
In this rather philosophical discussion we look at how artificial people react to discovering they aren't human. Using existing examples from Sci-Fi such as Rachel (Blade Runner), Sharon (Battlestar Galactica), and Dahj/Soji (Star Trek: Picard), we ask the question "what's the point of creating fake people who don't know they're fake?"
THAT'S AWESOME! RECOUNTING THOSE GREAT MOMENTS FROM SCI-FI MOVIES AND TV SHOWS
Every movie and TV show has them. Yep, it's that moment when you look at the screen and go "awmegawd!" Now considering we're a bunch of fans who love Sci-Fi, it seems only natural to discuss those fantastic moments.
THE JUSTICE LEAGUE 'SNYDER CUT' CONTROVERSY
In 2020 it was reported the heavily criticised film Justice League was being reedited by its original director Zack Snyder. What made this news particularly significant is it had been driven by the fan base who pressured the studio into producing it. In this discussion we ponder whether fans should have the power to control the studios, or whether the studios should just listen to the fans in the first place before making highly anticipated, yet disappointing films.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT SCI-FI FILMS THAT REALLY APPEAL TO US?
As fans we love our Sci-Fi movies, but have we ever wondered WHY we love them? Is it the stories, the spaceships, the costumes, the characters, the special FX, the aliens, or is it the futuristic technology? We try to break down what it is about Sci-Fi films that pushes our buttons, and then using that knowledge to understand what differentiates a good Sci-Fi film from a bad one.
IF EARTH WAS CONTROLLED BY AN A.I. WOULD IT BE GOOD FOR HUMANITY?
Everyone knows we humans are terrible at looking after ourselves, our neighbours and our environment, so why not let an AI do it for us! We look at those Sci-Fi films where an AI has taken over the world and ask whether a global, all dominating machine controlling humanity would actually be a good thing.
WILL STREAMING SERVICES SPELL THE END OF CINEMAS?
During 2020 the world was in lock down which in turn forced all the cinemas to close, consequently everyone turned to streaming services to get their regular movie/TV show fix. The question we pose is whether the Covid-19 pandemic has officially killed cinemas completely or will they be able to recover, especially in light of streaming services now releasing brand new movies which were originally destined for a cinematic release.
SWAPPING FILMS AND TV SHOWS AROUND. WOULD IT WORK?
As fans we love our movies and TV shows, but what if we played a game of 'upset the apple cart' by swapping them around. Eg, what if Dr Who was only a series of movies, or the Star Wars saga was just a TV show? Moreover, would they be equally as popular and successful as they are now? Sure it's a silly premise but the results may surprise you.