This is belated, but Happy 30th Birthday to both Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Pac-Man! I can’t think of a single day that had more impact on geek culture for my generation than May 21, 1980.
The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):
The Big Bang Theory - Monday, May 24, 9:31pm CBS
“The Lunar Excitation” Season 3, Episode 23
Episode Synopsis: In the third-season finale, Wolowitz and Koothrappali play matchmaker for Sheldon by setting up an online-dating profile for him. Meanwhile, Penny thinks that her relationship with Leonard has affected her ability to date “normal” men.
The Budget Geek’s Blu-ray of the Week
A creepy, darkly comic celebration of the scariest night of the year from producer BRYAN SINGER (director of X-Men and Superman Returns) and writer-director MICHAEL DOUGHERTY(co-scripter of X2 and Superman Returns). Trick ’R Treat takes the Creepshow/Tales from the Crypt approach to nefarious new depths with four interwoven tales set on Halloween night: a high school principal (DYLAN BAKER) moonlights as a vicious serial killer; the quest of a young virgin (ANNA PAQUIN) for that special someone takes a gruesome turn; a group of teens carries out a cruel prank with disastrous consequences; and a cantankerous old man (BRIAN COX) battles a mischievous trick-or-treating demon.
The Budget Geek’s What’s New in Stores and Online This Week:
Blockade Billy by Stephen King (Hardcover, Unabridged Audio Book)
A quirky baseball player with a past shrouded in secrecy is the tragic hero of this macabre tale from the dark side of the all-American sport. In the voice of George Granny Grantham, retired third-base coach of the New Jersey Titans, King (Under the Dome) recalls the spring of 1957, when Billy Blakely, a catcher called up from the Titans’ Iowa farm system, helped to boost the team out of the basement and add some excitement to the national pastime. Billy hits with such power and guards the plate with such determination (hence his eponymous nickname) that teammates are willing to forgive such eccentricities as his frequently addressing himself in the third person, or bloodying runners who collide with him. Of course, these kinks are clues to a shocking pathology that King coaxes out in a narrative steeped so perfectly in the argot of the game and the behavior of its players and fans that readers will willingly suspend their disbelief. As King’s fiction goes, this suspenseful short is a deftly executed suicide squeeze, with sharp spikes hoisted high and aimed at the jugular on the slide home.
The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:
A podcast revolving around everything Star Wars, from the movies and discussions about them, to comic books, to games, and everything else!
The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):
The Big Bang Theory - Monday, May 17, 9:31pm CBS
“The Staircase Implementation” Season 3, Episode 22
Episode Synopsis: Leonard tells Penny the story of how he met Sheldon.
The Office - Thursday, May 20, 9:00pm NBC
“Whistleblower” Season 6, Episode 24
Episode Synopsis: In the Season 6 finale, the heat is on when the media discover that Sabre’s printers catch on fire. When Sabre CEO Jo Bennett (Kathy Bates) arrives to unmask the whistle-blower, the staffers point accusatory fingers at Andy, who passionately denies that he’s the leak
The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:
The IndyCast: Indiana Jones News and Commentary
Welcome to the IndyCast, the World’s first weekly Indiana Jones podcast! Each week you can get your Indy fix as host Ed Dolista takes a look at the latest news, interviews, events and opinions from the Indiana Jones fan community. Listen in as we head toward the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and beyond!
The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):
The Big Bang Theory - Monday, May 10, 9:31pm CBS
“The Plimpton Simulation” Season 3, Episode 21
Episode Synopsis: The arrival of a famous physicist (Judy Greer), has Sheldon and Leonard competing for her attention.
The Office - Thursday, May 13, 9:00pm NBC
“The Chump” Season 6, Episode 23
Episode Synopsis: Newbie parents Jim and Pam are sleepless in Scranton, as they learn that it’s awfully hard to stay awake at the office. Meanwhile, Michael displays unforeseen maturity when he discovers something negative about Donna (Amy Pietz). And it’s the wrath of Angela when Dwight reneges on their most unusual contract.
The Budget Geek’s Blu-ray Release of the Week:
A fatherless teenager faces his moment of truth in The Karate Kid. Daniel (Ralph Macchio) arrives in Los Angeles from the east coast and faces the difficult task of making new friends. However, he becomes the object of bullying by the Cobras, a menacing gang of karate students, when he strikes up a relationship with Ali (Elisabeth Shue), the Cobra leader’s ex-girlfriend. Eager to fight back and impress his new girlfriend but afraid to confront the dangerous gang, Daniel asks his handyman Miyagi (Noriyuki ‘Pat’ Morita), whom he learns is a master of the martial arts, to teach him karate. Miyagi teaches Daniel that karate is a mastery over the self, mind, and body and that fighting is always the last answer to a problem. Under Miyagi’s guidance, Daniel develops not only physical skills but also the faith and self-confidence to compete despite tremendous odds as he encounters the fight of his life in the exciting finale to this entertaining film.
The Budget Geek’s What’s New in Stores and Online This Week:
Five Classic Stephen King Novels Released As Unabridged Audio Books
May 13th sees the release of five classic Stephen King novels in unabridged audio book format.
Christine
A love triangle involving 17-year-old misfit Arnie Cunningham, his new girlfriend and a haunted 1958 Plymouth Fury. Dubbed Christine by her previous owner, Arnie’s first car is jealous, possessive and deadly.
The Dark Half
For years, Thad Beaumont has been writing books under the pseudonym George Stark. When a journalist threatens to expose Beaumont’s pen name, the author decides to go public first, killing off his pseudonym. Stark isn’t content to be dispatched that easily, though. Beaumont’s alter ego comes to life and begins to stalk those responsible for his demise. The police suspect Beaumont is responsible for these violent crimes.
The Eyes of the Dragon
Once upon a time, in the Kingdom of Delain, King Roland is murdered and his son and heir, Peter, is framed for the crime. Peter and his loyal friends must battle an evil wizard and Peter’s usurper brother, Thomas, for the throne. Imprisoned in a tower, Peter conceives an escape plan that will take him years to execute before taking on Flagg, the powerful sorcerer who has masterminded this coup.
IT
A promise made twenty-eight years ago calls seven adults to reunite in Derry, Maine, where as teenagers they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city’s children. Unsure that their Losers Club had vanquished the creature all those years ago, the seven had vowed to return to Derry if IT should ever reappear. Now, children are being murdered again and their repressed memories of that summer return as they prepare to do battle with the monster lurking in Derry’s sewers once more.
The Tommyknockers
Writer Bobbi Anderson becomes obsessed with digging up something she’s found buried in the woods near her home. With the help of her friend, Jim Gardener, she uncovers an alien spaceship. Though exposure to the Tommyknockers who piloted the alien craft has detrimental effects on residents’ health, the people of Haven develop a talent for creating innovative devices under its increasingly malignant influence.
The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:
HDTV and Home Theater Podcast
The HT Guys, Ara Derderian and Braden Russell, are Engineers who formerly worked for the Advanced Digital Systems Group (ADSG) of Sony Pictures Entertainment. ADSG was the R&D unit of the sound department producing products for movie theaters and movie studios. Two of the products they worked on include the DCP-1000 and DADR-5000. The DCP is a digital cinema processor used in movie theaters around the world. The DADR-5000 is a disk-based audio dubber used on Hollywood sound stages. ADSG was awarded a Technical Academy Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2000 for the development of the DADR-5000. Ara holds three patents for his development work in Digital Cinema and Digital Audio Recording. Every week they put together a podcast about High Definition TV and Home Theater. Each episode brings news from the A/V world, helpful product reviews and insights and help in demystifying and simplifying HDTV and home theater. Our email address is hdtvpodcast@mac.com
The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):
The Big Bang Theory - Monday, May 3, 9:31pm CBS
“The Spaghetti Catalyst” Season 3, Episode 20
Episode Synopsis: Sheldon tells a lie to appease Penny and Leonard, who aren’t speaking to each other, but then he gets caught.
The Office - Thursday, May 6, 9:00pm NBC
“The Cover-Up” Season 6, Episode 22
Episode Synopsis: When Michael concludes that his girlfriend (Amy Pietz) is cheating on him, he enlists Dwight to snoop. Elsewhere, Andy receives a customer complaint and grows frustrated when none of his fellow staffers seem to care.
Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 3 Trailer
Season 2 of Star Wars The Clone Wars has just ended, but it is never too early to begin speculation about Season 3. Click the image below to watch an exciting sneak preview!
The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:
Geek Radio Daily; All the geek without the wait! Billy Flynn, The Vicar, the Flynnstress, and the Bruce bring you a daily 15 minute podcast covering daily TV highlights, comic and DVD releases and geekly news! And don’t forget our sweekly show!
I know what my wife and I are going to be wearing when we attend Star Wars Celebration V in August!
Another good design sports the logo of the Hoth Blue Milk Brewing Company.
Only 107 days to go…
The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):
The Office - Thursday, April 29, 9:00pm NBC
“Body Language” Season 6, Episode 21
Episode Synopsis: Pam and Jim team up for their first sales pitch together. They deliver it to the manager of a regional hot spot, resulting in mix-ups when Michael has difficulty deciphering body language. Meanwhile, Dwight pushes Mindy to participate in the minority training program. Amy Pietz guest stars.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Friday, April 30, 9:00pm CARTOON NETWORK
“R2 Come Home” and “ Lethal Trackdown”
Episode Synopsis: When a band of bounty hunters leads Anakin and Mace into a deadly trap on Vanqor, it’s up to R2-D2 to battle his way back to Coruscant and warn the Jedi. After combing the Coruscant underworld for a young fugitive, Plo Koon and Ahsoka pursue him to Florrum for a climactic confrontation.
The Budget Geek’s Blu-ray Release of the Week:
From the mega-hitmakers who produced and directed The Rock and Pearl Harbor comes Armageddon. And now, these mind-blowing action-adventure explodes on Blu-ray for the first time ever! Bruce Willis (Surrogates, Sin City) and Academy Award winners Ben Affleck (1997, Best Original Screenplay, Good Will Hunting) and Billy Bob Thornton (1996, Best Adapted Screenplay, Sling Blade) head an all-star cast that incudes Liv Tyler (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Steve Buscemi (Con Air) and Will Patton (Gone in 60 Seconds). When NASA’s director (Thornton) realizes the Earth has 18 days before it’s destroyed by a metor the size of Texas, he has only one option; land a ragtag team of roughneck oil drillers on the asteroid and drop a nuke into its core. With spectacular special effects, laugh out loud humor, a riveting story and a rockin’ soundtrack featuring Aerosmith and Bon Jovi, this adrenaline-pumping thrill ride now boasts the staggeringly intense picture and incomparable theater quality sound of Blu-ray high definitition. Bonus Features include: Aerosmith’s music video I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing, theatrical trailer, teaser trailer.
Editorial Comment from The Budget Geek: I am torn on this release. On one hand, this will be the first time that the film is available in anamorphic widescreen in the US. Add to that the fact that it is in high definition and this release should be worth the money. Right?
Unfortunately, the only bonus features offered here are the Aerosmith music video I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing and two trailers. Given the wealth of extras on the Criterion Collection Armageddon DVD set, this lack of extras on the Blu-ray release is very disappointing.
Fortunately, I own the Criterion DVD set, so I will likely purchase this for the film upgrade and keep the older set. However, I will not pay the $20 asking price on release date. Instead, I will wait for it to either fall in price to the $10-12 range, or pick up a used copy on Amazon.
The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:
The Flickcast
Each week, Chris Ullrich and Matt Raub talk movies, TV, comics, games and all things geek.
The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):
The Office - Thursday, April 22, 9:00pm NBC
“Secretary’s Day” Season 6, Episode 20
Episode Synopsis: Andy goes to extremes to make sure Erin has a very special Secretary’s Day. But it all could backfire thanks to Michael, who informs Erin about Andy’s past relationship with Angela. Meanwhile, Oscar creates a viral video that highlights similarities between Kevin’s voice and Cookie Monster’s voice.
2010 NFL Draft - Round 1, Thursday April 22, 7:30pm ESPN; Rounds 2-3, Friday April 23, 6:00pm ESPN; Rounds 4-7, Saturday April 24, 10:00am ESPN
Premise: Round 1 in New York City. Top picks are expected to include DTs Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy; DBs Eric Berry, Earl Thomas and Joe Haden; QB Sam Bradford; OTs Russell Okung and Bryan Bulaga; RB C.J. Spiller; and WR Dez Bryant. Rounds 2-3 are Friday, with the draft concluding on Saturday.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Friday, April 23, 9:00pm CARTOON NETWORK
“Death Trap”
Episode Synopsis: A young boy with a vendetta against the Jedi recruits bounty hunters to help him carry out his revenge plot.
The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:
Buzz Out Loud (MP3) By CNET.com
Buzz Out Loud features Tom Merritt, Molly Wood and producer Jason Howell, along with CNET’s top tech experts reviewing the day’s tech news. Each episode, the crew analyzes, interprets, and argues about what all this technology means and what it’s doing to us. Fans can take part by calling, e-mailing, or commenting on the blog.
The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):
The Big Bang Theory - Monday, April 12, 9:31pm CBS
“The Wheaton Recurrence” Season 3, Episode 19
Episode Synopsis: Wil Wheaton returns and once again battles with Sheldon, this time in a bowling match; and Penny and Leonard have a fight that threatens their relationship.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Friday, April 16, 9:00pm CARTOON NETWORK
“The Zillo Beast Strikes Back”
Episode Synopsis: The Zillo Beast escapes from a Republic facility, forcing the Jedi to consider destroying it to save millions of lives.
The Budget Geek’s Blu-ray Release of the Week:
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
“1, 2, Freddy’s coming for you.” And here he is, phantom fiend Freddy Krueger in all his razor-fingered infamy. Wes Craven (Scream movies) directs this trendsetting first in the slash-hit series. The premise is simple: Freddy (Robert Englund) homicidally haunts the sleep of Elm Street teens. The results are terrifying and mind-blowingly innovative. There’s another film debut too: Johnny Depp. He plays the ready steady of the hottie mcsmarty (Heather Langenkamp) who figures a clever way to flambé the fiend. But ever-say-die Freddy will be 3, 4 back for more…even returning to the screen in a killer 2010 remake of this diabolical original. Sweet dreams!
Special Features: Ready Freddy Focus Points: See alternate takes and learn filmmaking secrets behind the nightmare by jumping to video highlights while watching the movie
Two commentary tracks: (1) Director Wes Craven, co-stars Heather Langenkamp and John Saxon, and cinematographer Jacques Haitkin, (2) Wes Craven, co-stars Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp and Ronee Blakley, producer Robert Shaye, and co-producer Sara Risher
Alternate endings
Three featurettes: The House That Freddy Built: The Legacy of New Line Horror, Never Sleep Again: The Making of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Night Terrors: The Origins of Wes Craven’s Nightmares
The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:
The Horroretc Podcast is an open discussion about all things horror. The show covers film topics by theme and genre with attention paid to the filmmakers, directors and the state of the horror industry. We also enjoy discussing the darkened corners of pop culture in schlock corner. Please join in with your thoughts and comments to allow the show to become a community. Visit us at www.horroretc.com or send us a comment at horroretc@gmail.com. This Podcast was created using www.talkshoe.com
Being a Geek on a Budget while being Geeky about Budgeting.
Living like no one else so that later we can live like no one else.
