The New York Geekcast » Just Plain Geeky

NYGC Episode 45: Conversations About The Future

David — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:27:36 +0000

Even though the world will end in 2012, the New York Geeks took it upon themselves to sit down and discuss the future — YOUR future. Join us in discussing future concepts, concerns, and crazy predictions.

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Show Notes:

Break Song: “Future” by Cut Copy

Vision Machine, a free comic by Greg Pak and R.B. Silva

Douglas Rushkoff’s “Are Jobs Obsolete?” op-ed on CNN

NYGC Episode 44: Costumes and Cosplay!

David — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:17:56 +0000

As if we needed more than one excuse to dress up, Halloween and New York Comic Con happen in the same month. The New York Geeks get together to talk about costuming of all kinds.

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Show Notes:

Break Song: Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top

No Qwikster for Netflix

Why Gamers Are a Great Fit at The Gym – CNN Health

Zombies, Run! Audio Game

Wikipedia – Cosplay

Wikipedia – Halloween Costume

Dragon*Con

Bite-size #9 – The Inevitable Phantom Menace Tangent

David — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:13:13 +0000

It’s hard to bring up Star Wars Episode 1 and not get sidetracked for a few minutes.

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NYGC Episode 39: Meta-Review

David — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:52:25 +0000

The internet is teeming with opinion and criticism, and the New York Geeks channel their inner Christopher Nolan as they attempt to review people who review people — AVGN, Nostalgia Critic, Plinkett, the much-maligned Lights Camera Jackson, and more.

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Show Notes:

Break Song: Theme from “The Critic”

Nintendo 3DS

Angry Video Game Nerd/James Rolfe

That Guy With The Glasses/Doug Walker/Nostalgia Critic

Nostalgia Chick

Maddox/The Best Page In The Universe

Penny Arcade

Red Letter Media

Reverend Anthony Burch

TED Talks

Lights Camera Jackson

Paganomation Tron Legacy Review

NYGC Episode 38: When Computers Were Magic

David — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 05:29:54 +0000

Much easier.

Switch on your PC and join the New York Geeks as they try to pin down the when, how, and why of magical computers, as depicted in our favorite movies and television shows.

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Show Notes:

Break Song: “Home Computer” by Kraftwerk

Dr. Sbaitso, from Creative Labs on X-Entertainment
Infinity Blade
Kotaku article about Infinity Blade
It’s a UNIX System, I know this.
Gawker Media Password Leak
Thor Trailer
1958 “Tennis for Two” video game
Johnny Mnemonic internet
Hollywood Computing article on Rotten Tomatoes

Tron Defragged

Trist — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 21:58:19 +0000

[Forgot to mention our latest episode -- "When Computers Were Magic" -- coming on Monday. In the meantime, enjoy this review. -- ed.]

Tron has been aging on a disconnected hard drive for the last 28 years. A Western Digital My Book, from the looks of it.

The first Tron has inspired countless (every?) animator alive today. And if you need to check the changes in the world from the ’80s, remember the oft-quoted fact that Tron was not qualified for special FX awards because “using computers was cheating.” A while ago I re-watched Tron on my Mac laptop, via a possibly torrented movie file from a friend. In the ’80s, computers looked like this:

an '80s computer

The whole idea of Tron was inspired by this machine, and the possibilities that came with it. Enter static flickers, black lights, spinning disks (direct technical influence) and motorcycles. Would it have been too much to ask for a new Tron that was equally influenced by today’s world of Apple, Sony, Facebook, and Google? Do we not have an equally inspiring technical society today, that looks good even in plaid and thick-rimmed glasses?

The story of Tron Legacy is clearly meant to capitalize on the current generation of artists who were so inspired by the first film. (Capitalism: Disney’s rewriting the past so that every boy had Tron action figures and posters in their bedroom.) Since the target audience is kids who grew up, a father-son story works perfectly. A confused wayward child seeking adulthood/closure travels to a fantasy realm to find the answer to life’s persistent questions. This never fails to introduce a fantasy world but neither is it very original.

SPOILER ALERT
Traveling to Tron myself, I expected a hell of a lot more. But as Joseph Kosinski explains, Tron has been running on Jeff Bridges desk since he mysteriously disappeared, and it had no internet connection. My heart died a little when Jeff Bridges seriously asks: “What’s wi-fi? Oh, I invented that in 1985.” Really? Because it should have been part of your world and made it more interesting. Mr. Kosinski failed to distinguish Tron Legacy from any of the countless other sci-fi movies in this post-Matrix world. (Constantine, Matrix 2, A Scanner Darkly, and Titan AE come to mind.)

My personal problem with the film concerns the party scene. The people were supposed to be avatars of computer programs, and I really expected a variety of characters surpassing the diversity of Mos Eisley’s cantina. But instead, I got a stilted world where every girl has the same shiny black bowl haircut, and wore the silver astronaut dresses. Strangely, Daft Punk fit perfectly into this scene, having kept their style the same for years from the original Tron. They kept to their tiny DJ box, smartly avoiding everyone.

Tron has a highly specific artistic style that was reinterpreted by a first time architect/film director, who hired fashion designers, car designers, and other architects to work for the first time in film design. They did a beautiful job modernizing all of Tron’s concepts: the game arena is ingenious, and Jeff’s house is a perfect blend of 2001-Space-Odessey and iPod sensibility. And the action sequences are pretty exhilarating… arcade games inspired the 2D blocking of the light cycles so I suppose the Xbox inspired the 3D blocking of the light-jet-thingies.

I interpret this sudden rush of good-feeling towards Tron Legacy as Christmas cheer, but maybe it means that the movie is not all bad, and that many people will enjoy it anyway. If you needed one reason to watch: go for the young CGI Jeff Bridges. (Mr Kosinski tried to say something about how there are special relationships with Jeff Bridges and his real son versus his digital son, but I have no idea what he’s talking about.)

NYGC Episode 37: A Grand Celebration of Comics!

Nelson — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 17:07:22 +0000

Best Friends Forever.

In this episode we attempt to cover the magic of comics in all its forms across the globe. From Tintin to Deathnote, we explain our love for this medium and hope to make a true believer out of you.

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Show Notes:

Break Song: “Green Lantern,” by Camberwell Now

The Walking Dead on AMC
The Walking Dead comic
The Beatles on iTunes
Sandman
All Star Superman
Green Lantern Movie Trailer
Green Lantern: Rebirth
Batman: The Long Halloween
Batman: Dark Victory
Blacksad
Tintin
Mortadelo y Filemón
Zipi y Zape
Superlopez
Penny Arcade
PvP
Xkcd
Dr. McNinja
Dinosaur Comics
Wonder Mark
Diesel Sweeties
Machine of Death
Comixology

NYGC Episode 36 – Things That Scared Us As Children

David — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 02:59:54 +0000

Digit, from "The Jim Henson Hour." Click at your own risk.

Halloween night is a time for frights, and you can listen along as the New York Geeks discuss some of their most bone-chilling childhood memories — many of which have been repressed for over a decade. BEWARE.

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Show Notes:

Snickers Ad we didn’t actually talk about

Tom Wilson’s “Big Pop Fun” paintings

Why Doc Brown is the real villain of Back To The Future

Break Song: “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult

Andrew Thompson – We’re in Business

Colby’s Missing Memory

“Snake” Anti-Drug PSA

Not for the faint-of-heart: Digit moving on The Jim Henson Hour

Japanese robot video

Marvel Productions logo

Lorimar Home Video

Sesame Street “2001: A Space Odyssey” parody

’70s Kool-Aid commercial

Super Mario Bros. Super Show – Slime Busters

Nostalgia Critic’s review of “It”