Gobbledygeek

Soon--not soon enough for the Ohioan of the group--summer will be upon us. Swimmin' pools and movie stars; big-ass movie stars, as a matter of fact. Robert Downey Jr. suits up as Iron Man once more, Hugh Jackman gets his claws on as Wolverine, Benedict Cumberbatch Star Trek(s) Into Darkness, and Leonardo DiCaprio is mad and stuff as Jay Gatsby. Plus there are smaller films, including a certain Joss Whedon production, as Paul and AJ guide you through 20 movies they're looking forward to this hopefully warm and hopefully sunny summer. Next: speaking of suiting up, Iron Man 3 is here, boys and girls.

Late one evenin', the boys were recordin' Talkin' about Bob Dylan How AJ saw him live To see if he was still freewheelin' Paul, he said he liked Oblivion Oh, that Tom Cruise Hemlock Grove, Paul liked the pilot AJ thought it'd make him snooze And Boston unfolded right before our eyes Police scanners heard Fake tweets and false news Also, Paul was attacked by a bird and now threatened by a herd Tangled up in bluuuuuuebirds

Paul and AJ accidentally read some Latin so they were forced to see the new Evil Dead. And they talk about it. It ain't pretty! More unprettiness: AJ talks Spring Breakers, Paul talks To the Wonder, and they both discuss the Saga/comiXology controversy. There's also some fun conversation about pee. Everybody loves pee. Next: FREESTYLE MADNESS. Or just another lame episode.

Gregory Sahadachny, host of The Debatable Podcast and all-around terrific tweeter, is in the Gobbledyhotseat this week. He discusses the price-gouging of collectibles and the divisiveness of Zack Snyder with the boys, which leads to some impassioned monologuing from all parties about elitism and the male gaze. Plus, Paul and AJ tell Greg which comics to read and the three of them eulogize Roger Ebert. Next: Paul and AJ get some much-needed alone time.

Proving definitively that America and Britain are allies, the very British Wesley Mead joins the very American duo of Paul and AJ. Wesley--or Wezzo, as the cool kids call him--is one of AJ's fellow Ann Arbor Review of Books contributors. They've also been good friends for years...yet this is the first time they've ever communicated vocally. It is literally history in the making. As they speak voice-to-voice for the first time, they discuss the best of British TV, the new Tomb Raider game, Britian's lack of peanut butter-and-chocolate combos, and the new online comic book The Private Eye from Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin. Plus, AJ has a very special questionnaire for Wezzo. Next: nothing next week, as it's a certain bunny-oriented holiday (that's a pagan bunny thing, right?). When we return, the boys will be chatting with The Debatable Podcast host Gregory Sahadachny.

Jason Tabrys of The BastardCast joins Paul and AJ for a weird, wild, blasphemous, and--yes--sexy experience. Everything from the new Pope to Jurassic Park IV gets discussed, including thoughtful ruminations (sure) on the Veronica Mars Kickstarter and whether or not digital comics will destroy the print market. Very little of it makes any kind of sense, which we suppose is par for the course. Next: we're hopping across the pond, at least virtually, as the excellent, very British Wesley Mead guests.

Hip hop? Bluegrass? The two genres might not be as different as you think, which Paul and AJ learn this week by talkng to Gangstagrass mastermind Rench. Rench discusses his attempt to bridge the gap and of how the fusion came about. Along the way, there's talk of Whedon, Axe Cop, and of course, Justified. Plus, AJ raves about Enlightened, Paul chats about the new comic Helheim, and there's more (yes, really!) Americans talk. Next: the boys are joined by Jason Tabrys of The BastardCast.

The Oscars were over a week ago, you say? Who cares, when we're joined by Kenn Edwards, host of the podcasts So Let's Get to the Point and Project Batman? In addition to Hollywood's big night, Paul, AJ, and Kenn discuss Kenn's forthcoming podcast ventures, the unimportant death of an important Batman character, and whether or not The Office is worth watching in its final season. Next: the boys are joined by Rench of Gangstagrass.

Noble Wisdom joins Paul and AJ to chat about his book The Wisdom of the Shire: A Short Guide to a Long and Happy Life, his forthcoming series The Warrior Trilogy, the work of Tolkien, and so much more. Including but not limited to: the time he watched The Empire Strikes Back with Irvin Kershner, his experience as a veteran of the video game industry, and the ridiculousness of LEGOs. Next: it's (probably) just the boys, doing what they do best. And what they do best is very geeky.

Joanna Gaskell and Rob Hunt of the webseries Standard Action return to discuss their second season, dead squirrels, board games, and dehydrated pepperoni. Plus, Paul and AJ talk about their Scott Pilgrim Twitter party and FX's great new series The Americans. Next: Noble Smith, author of The Wisdom of the Shire, joins the boys to geek out about, well...everything.

What does it mean to be a hero? Does "escapism" have to be a derogatory term? Can good guys be as compelling as their supporting casts and villains? To explore these questions, Paul and AJ are joined by friend of the show/Broken Magic author Eric Sipple and TV writer/producer (of Angel, among other things) Mere Smith. There's Angel talk, obviously, but also some Spider-Man and some Rurouni Kenshin, plus plenty of Eric-bashing. Next: Rob Hunt and Joanna Gaskell from Standard Action return to tell us all about season 2!

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Die Hard--and the impending release of the cringingly-titled A Good Day to Die Hard--Paul and AJ have recorded a commentary track for John McTiernan's 1988 action classic. The boys discuss a feminist interpretation of the film, the movie's real love story (it ain't between McClane and his wife), and why in the hell a terrorist would wear sweatpants.

It may still be freezing cold in your area, but spring is on its way, believe it or not. To point you in the right cinematic direction this spring movie-going season, Paul and AJ have chosen 20 movies to look out for (and maybe one to actively avoid). They've got it all covered, from hypnotic tone poems like Upstream Color and To the Wonder; to CGI-packed epics like Oz the Great and Powerful and Oblivion. There should be at least one movie here you won't hate! Next: the boys are joined by friend of the show Eric Sipple and TV writer Mere Smith (Angel, Rome, Burn Notice) to discuss how good guys--like Angel--can still be compelling.

This week, Paul and AJ are joined by stuntwoman, martial artist, fight choreographer, and all-around badass Clodagh Power (those aren't even all of her credentials!). They discuss her experience getting into stuntwork, the insanely violent art of ninjitsu, filming the movie Evil Alive and the television pilot Hitting Home, and her deep love of Liam Neeson, among other subjects. Plus, the boys accept the fact that J.J. Abrams will be directing the new Star Wars and fawn over Silver Linings Playbook. Next: it's the Spring Movie Preview!

It's been a long, grueling month, but Paul and AJ have finally awoken from their slumber. Which, as it turns out, was not so slumber-y; there was much to survive, from bouts of the plague to the holidays to all this Superior Spider-Man nonsense. And if that's not enough for you, the boys close things out by discussing truth and perception of same in the media. Ooh, intellectual! But fear not: the phrase "bacon waffle" is in the title. Next: the boys are joined stuntwoman Clodagh Power.

Bat-Turkey is still in hibernation/terribly hungover, but Paul and AJ managed to tiptoe around him to bring this very special Django Unchained bonus episode to you. The boys geek out over Tarantino's latest opus, a Spaghetti Southern that tackles the lunacy and brutality of racism head-on. There is much pontification in regards to the more straightforward narrative, the great performances, how Tarantino is able to explore race in ways that more "high-minded" filmmakers are incapable of, and the use of a certain word.

Another year coming to an end. Another season of Gobbledygeek over. Before you begin your mourning process, Paul and AJ have a lot--and we do mean a LOT--to say in this super-sized finale, gabbing about their favorite movies (superheroes and tigers get a nod), music (they really don't have the same taste at all), books (haha, they're illiterate), and much more. It's been a great year for the show; we salute you. See you in 2013!

Christmas is upon us once more, which can only mean one thing: it's time to get twisted. I don't know what that means, but how about you join us in watching The Nightmare Before Christmas? The boys take a look back at the 1993 stop-motion classic, raving about its music (even misguidedly singing a bar or two), praising its glorious stop-motion animation, and take an honest look at Jack's (possibly regressive?) character arc. Plus, the boys bemoan DC's treatment of Gail Simone and AJ addresses the Homeland controversy. Next: it's the one you've been waiting, the one that'll shut us up for a whole month! It's the SEASON FINALE! We'll talk about our favorite and least favorite things of the year 2012.

The season of giving is once more upon us. Ever helpful, Paul and AJ list a number of Christmas gift options for that special geek in your life--from movies (like In the Mood for Love on Criterion Collection Blu-ray) to TV (the complete series of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!), comics (Saga: Vol. 1) to books (Alan Sepinwall's The Revolution Was Televised), toys (cute lil' Funko Pop figures) to games (Dishonored), and more. Don't forget to thank us for rescuing your Christmas. Next: the Holiday gets twisted with Nightmare Before Christmas.

It's time for another Gobbledygeek Thanksgiving! This year, in lieu of being sociable and actually talking to other human beings, Paul and AJ decided to watch the Bat-Turkey-approved ThanksKilling and ThanksKilling 3, all about a murderous turkey being all murder-y. While they find the first ThanksKilling awful but sort of funny, they have not a single nice thing to say about ThanksKilling 3. This episode is mostly just them consoling each other. Maybe they'll talk to people again next year. Plus, the boys discuss the closing of Hostess and the recent (recanted) allegations made against Kevin Clash. Next: we're taking a week off to recuperate from ThanksKilling 3, but also to celebrate Thanksgiving itself. So happy Thanksgiving! (We won't inform Bat-Turkey of your dinner plans.) When we return, it will be with the third annual Gobbledygeek Gift Guide.