Episode 149: End of an Era

One more episode until the 150th Episode ever of the Ace of Geeks Podcast, and a lot of things are going to change when that drops. But first! With a nostalgic theme song backing us, we discuss the new trailer for J. Michael Straczynski and the Wachowski's Netflix Series Sense 8, how much the geek world is suddenly turning on Age of Ultron, Joss Whedon leaving Twitter, the upcoming stacked cast of Civil War, and whether Iron Man is the worst Avenger!

Episode 149!

Marvel's Daredevil is Brutally Brilliant Art

This isn’t the Daredevil I grew up with. This show doesn’t have any of the signifiers for which many know the character. There aren’t a lot of high flying acrobatics. We don’t constantly see the world through the beautiful and haunted perception of the Man Without Fear. And we most certainly don’t get the colorful cast of characters like Elektra, Bullseye, or (most importantly) Stilt Man. This is something else entirely.

And thank gods for that, because a show that had adhered so closely to the source material might have denied itself the excellence we’re seeing here today.

Daredevil's Final TV Costume Revealed!

Earlier this morning, there was a teensy little leak on Netflix, that accidentally blew the lid off of what Daredevil's final costume on the new TV show (premiering this Friday!) would look like. It was a low res image, but Marvel's used to dealing with leaks by now and always want their content represented in the best possible way. So they responded by giving us all a peak at the final costume, and it looks fantastic. Comic inspired, but still feeling gritty in a real world way. Hit the jump for the reveal video, and a full look at the new Daredevil.

Netflix Orders Montauk Series from Wayward Pines Creators

Stay with me, because this sounds boring at first.

Netflix has ordered a new series from brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, creators of Hidden and Wayward Pines. Both of these were mystery mini-series set in small towns in America, and this one sounds no different. It follows the search for a missing girl in Montauk Point, the very edge of Long Island, New York. Yawn. Oh, and the series will contain, and I quote, "top secret government experiments, terrifying supernatural forces, and one very strange little girl."

Well that just upped my interest quite a bit.

Montauk will hit Netflix sometime next year.

Finally, The Intense Story Trailer for Daredevil is Here

As discussed on this week's Geekly Roundup Podcast, Marvel's first Netflix Original series, Daredevil, is looking better and better. The series is taking the Marvel universe to a dark place, deep in the heart of Hell's Kitchen, where Charlie Cox's Matt Mudock will do battle with a terrifying Vincent D'Onofrio as the Kingpin. Hit the jump to see the full trailer.

Pee Wee Herman Gets a New Film on Netflix!

It's been rumored for a while, but now it's confirmed: Pee Wee Herman is getting a new movie, produced by Judd Apatow, and it's heading straight to Netflix. The film will have a good comedy pedegree, with a script by Paul Reubens and Paul Rust (Arrested Development), and a first-time director in John Lee, who's previously directed episodes of Broad City and Inside Amy Schumer. The film goes into production next month, and we'll get you more details as we hear them.

Netflix Developing a Live Action Zelda Series?!

Grains of salt all around, folks, but this one's from a somewhat reputable source. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Netflix is in the early, early days of working on a live action "Zelda" series. Their sources say that they're working closely with Nintendo to develop the show, which they describe as "Game of Thrones for a family audience." While that's a hilarious description if I've ever heard one, in corporate speak it kind of describes the feel of The Legend of Zelda.

The company is still seeking "a writer" (WSJ's words, not mine, I think they might mean "showrunner"), and production is still a long ways off if this one is true. Nintendo has been very hesitant to license their products to American companies after the debacle of Super Mario Bros in the 90s. Still, this would be really exciting if it's true. We know, via Marco Polo, that Netflix has the ability to produce a historical drama with a really high production value, so we can only hope they'd put the same care into a fantasy series like Zelda.

The only question now is if Link will actually speak.

What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments.

Witness the Dark First Trailer for Daredevil

Marvel dropped their first trailer for their Netflix original Daredevil series today, and it looks very different from anything they've done before. Drawing from the darker runs on the hero by folks like Frank Miller and Brian Michael Bendis, this is clearly a hero in a city that's lost control, bringing back the light by any means necessary. The show is taking itself further than any Marvel property has before, with gallons of blood in one shot. They're using the lack of regulations on Netflix to their advantage.

It's also really dark. Like, hard to see, dark. See for yourself after the jump.

Carrie-Anne Moss Joins Marvel/Netflix's AKA Jessica Jones

Marvel has announced another cast member for it's AKA Jessica Jones series, and this time, it's Carrie-Anne Moss. Best known for playing Trinity in the Matrix Series, Moss is a favorite for her appearances in diverse fare like Silent Hill and Memento. She joins David Tennant, Krysten Ritter, Mike Colter, and Rachel Taylor as the cast for this new series continues to fill out.

Marvel didn't provide a name or a description for Moss's character, but their head of television, Jeph Loeb, did have the following to say:

“Carrie-Anne has proven her ability to play complex characters with deep and layered inner lives,” said Jeph Loeb, Executive Producer/Marvel’s Head of Television. “Her interaction with Jessica Jones will be one of the many highlights of the series.”

AKA Jessica Jones will be the second Marvel-produced series to hit Netflix, after Daredevil arrives on April 10th of this year. Netflix will also produce series for Luke Cage and Iron Fist, all leading up to a team up of all four shows in the Defenders mini-series.

David Tennant joins cast of Marvel's new series "A.K.A. Jessica Jones" for Netflix

It's just been announced that David Tennant - yes! The Doctor - will be joining the cast of Marvel's new series for Netflix titled "A.K.A. Jessica Jones."

A former super-hero trying to rebuild her life as a private detective, Jessica Jones keeps getting drawn into cases involving people with unusual abilities. David Tennant is cast as her nemesis Killgrave - a villain from her past, he pops up again to wreak havoc in her new life.

In the comics,  Killgrave was the real name of the Purple Man, a villain with mind control powers who used them to dominate Jessica and make her into his personal slave for months - one of the main reasons she quit being a superhero.

As any fan of David Tennant's incarnation of The Doctor will tell you, he will be able to pull this off with no problem. My prediction is that he will most likely play this as a "wolf in sheep's clothing" thing - we KNOW he's evil, but he's just so damn likable!

Hemlock Grove - I've watched it so you don't have to

My husband was away on a business trip, and I was all alone with the cat.  When my husband isn't around, I take this opportunity to watch TV that he doesn't care about, usually reality TV.  I was about to binge watch all the seasons of Top Chef, when I saw an add for Hemlock Grove, a TV series produced by Eli Roth.  I love supernatural things and I really love Femke Janssen,  so I decided to go for it.  I found myself watching both seasons, not because it was a gripping story but mostly because I was sure that it would get better.  It really didn't.

Hemlock Grove is based off a book by Brian McGreevy, of the same name, and it is your typical werewolf / vampire buddy TV series.  It features a mega-corporation ruling a small town, Femke Janssen as a mysterious femme fatale that is obviously a vampire and evil, (but no one notices) a monster hunter backed by the Roman Catholic church, (who's a lesbian!) and gypsies, who are also werewolves. Oy.

I think my main problem with Hemlock Grove is that it tries to pack as many tropes into one story as possible, to hit as many subculture groups as possible.  I don't usually mind this, (Witness her love of Doomsday. -Ed) but Hemlock Grove made me think that McGreevy and the show's producers think the average person watching this series is an idiot.  Here are some of the more labored points.

Netflix announces a reboot of the Magic School Bus

Holy crap, not only is Netflix potentially launching a Star Trek TV series, but they have officially announced a reboot of the Magic School Bus.  While I'm more than happy to re-watch my static-y VHS recordings of this show, it is so referential to the 90s.  Modern day kids and my future children will not get the same joy and sense of wonder that I used to get watching the show because they won't be able to relate to the kids. Their classroom life will be so different from Arnold's.  So thankfully Netflix is taking on the challenge of revitalizing and modernizing this fabulous series.

This show and book series in conjunction with Bill Nye the Science guy defined educational TV focused on science for kids in the 90s. (And Beakman. - Ed)  It is because of these shows that I became a science teacher and I still subject my students to the chants of "Bill!  Bill!  Bill!"  It truly gladdens my heart that my children will be able to be exposed to a modernized version of my favorite educational program.  So Netflix, in the words of Ru Paul, "don't f*ck it up!"