Episodes
Saturday Nov 17, 2012
The Fellowship of the Ring
Saturday Nov 17, 2012
Saturday Nov 17, 2012
[Digital Gonzo 2012]
The Lord of the Rings begins in earnest. Starting with an epic retelling of Middle-earth history we set out to balance the attention to detail of major fandom with critical analysis, discussions on character development and notable aspects of the production. Setting out from the Shire, this episode will take you all the way to Rivendell meeting Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Saruman, Strider, Elrond and Arwen along the way. The operatic scoring of Howard Shaw remains an emotional touchstone throughout.
Then the Ring goes south, over and under the Misty Mountains culminating at Amon Hen where the Fellowship is broken from within. Character discussions include Boromir and Galadriel and the epic confrontation with shadow and flame.
Guest
Chris Eason of GameBurst
Friday Nov 16, 2012
The Lord of the Rings Prologue
Friday Nov 16, 2012
Friday Nov 16, 2012
[Digital Gonzo 2012]
A lengthy discussion about Tolkein's books as a precursor to our movie discussions.
In 2001 Peter Jackson, along with Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Richard Taylor, Tania Rodger, everybody at Weta Workshop and an astonishingly dedicated and talented cast and crew brought us the first of three (later to be six) movies covering the events in Middle Earth as told in the books of J.R.R Tolkien. These films had a profound effect on my life. They inspired me, transported me and made me sad that I couldn't be part of that production team. Everything I have done since then has been part of an ongoing effort to create something even one iota as special. Now the second trilogy is mere weeks away from starting and it's time to celebrate with some truly epic podcasts.
So we come to it at last, the Gonzo journey into these incredibly significant collaborative projects, masquerading as mere movies. In this episode we look at how this story has been told through other media. I've time-coded the different sections for ease of navigation.
00.00: Introduction/Timeline/Tolkien
00.13: Differences between Tolkien's books and the films.
01.26: The 1977 Hobbit Movie
01.44: The 1978 Lord of the Rings Movie
02.07: The 1980 Return of the King Movie
02.18: The 1981 Radio Play
02.38: The Video Games
It's a long and detailed episode and rabid fans of the book who were disappointed with the Peter Jackson films should probably steer clear. We don't pull our punches and there are some frankly hilarious moments of scorching criticism. You will also definitely find out new and interesting things and hear music both cringe-worthy and powerful. Joining us for the long haul is Chris Eason of GameBurst.
Guest:
Chris Eason of GameBurst
Thursday Nov 01, 2012
The Last Airbender
Thursday Nov 01, 2012
Thursday Nov 01, 2012
[Digital Gonzo 2012]
This one serves as an introduction to Avatar since my estimate is that 97% of you, my listeners have never had the pleasure of this, maybe the finest animated TV series in the world, and I do not use those words lightly.
The Legend of Aang is a story that starts out aimed at kids aged 6-11 but rapidly becomes something far more compelling to all age groups and walks of life. Taking inspiration from eastern mythology and martial arts, but with a fresh, original and very funny energy. Set over three series, which are paced like books, this has the scale of Lord of the Rings and the heart of Toy Story. You will find yourself devouring episodes, hungry for more as it draws towards a conclusion that will leave you breathless.
That series won ten major awards and ran from 2005 - 2008 but in an extremely rare instance Nickelodeon green-lit a follow-up series named The Legend of Korra which aired in 2012 and immediately met with massive success. It features gorgeous, animation that surpasses most theatrically released movies and a plot that embraces even more unexpectedly mature social themes than its predecessor. Nickelodeon was so impressed with the feedback, viewing figures and critical response that they recently ordered forty more episodes, a move that made my team here misty-eyed with joy.
To put the whole thing in perspective we review in this episode the disastrous, turgid and utterly hated cinematic outing from 2010, directed by M Night Shyamalan. Using it as a foil to explain what they did so wrong with the movie that was done so right on the show.
Joining me for this spoiler-free sizzle to convince you of what’s been missing from your life all these years I have Daniel Floyd, Pixar animator and the voice of Extra Credits and Joshua Garrity of the Cane and Rinse podcast and The Animation Archives, presented by Gonzo Planet. Also of Gonzo Planet, my ever-patient wife Mrs Sharon Shaw, anime and comic book fanatic Mr Jerome McIntosh and for one of his very first Gonzo shows, Mr Duane Griffiths.
Guests:
Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits
Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse
Sharon Shaw of School of Movies
Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst
Duane Griffiths of the Digital Gonzo community