Nerdfest

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Synopsis

Discussing all things nerdy in the world of film, TV and more.

Episodes

  • 73: Ghosts In The Castle, Bigfoot In His House

    22/11/2020 Duration: 55min

    It's a bumper review special this episode, as we look for wonderful things to help you fill these dark winter nights. Dan puts his bigfoot in it by reviewing new novel "Devolution", which does for sasquatch what World War Z did for the living-challenged. Andy haunts us with BBC TV comedy "Ghosts". Hazel investigates Nathan Fillion's detective series "Castle". Jon hides out in "His House" with only a horror movie for comfort, and Peter gives Apple + comedy "Ted Lasso" a sporting chance. And we track down Ian Mayor for three British comics recommendations from the depths of his void, at an undisclosed location somewhere on the western spiral arm of the galaxy. Spend some of these dark nights with us!

  • 72: Cock-A-Doodle DON'T!

    08/11/2020 Duration: 51min

    In this episode we welcome an awesome guest nerd- Kerris Gibson. You'll love getting to know her and her eclectic taste in movies in our opening segment. (Full disclaimer - We’re not sure WHY we got onto the subject of a certain part of the human anatomy and how often it ‘shows up’ in film, but that’s the path Kerris leads us down...) We also have a bumper round of "Film Buff or Film Bluff", the game where we try to outfox each other with both true and made-up trivia about the world of entertainment. Jon has three ‘facts’ about movie plots and why they departed from their source material. Then Hazel, one of the biggest fans of “The West Wing” has three stories about its behind the scenes shenanigans, including the lesser-known lyrics to the opening theme. (Yes, we make her sing them.) Kerris befuddles us all with pranks from Japanese game shows. Followed by Peter, who's been spending his time wisely in lockdown on the trashiest of trash TV, and has three plots for movies allegedly streamed in 2020. And An

  • 71: Halloween Spooktacular

    25/10/2020 Duration: 59min

    Halloween! The inspiration for so many great movies, which we try and rattle off in quick succession in our opening segment. From the moments that shook our childhoods, to what we think defines a great horror, be afraid. Be very afraid. After a quick change of underwear, we move on to discuss our recommendations of the week. First up is Dan who is sucked in by “Vampires Vs The Bronx”. Then Andy recommends the latest Sofia Coppola/ Bill Murray collaboration “On the Rocks”. Peter leads the charges against “The Trial of the Chicago Seven” (it was acquitted, on account of being great). And Jon recommends yet another disturbing horror movie that probably no one else will ever watch, “Possessor”. And finally Hazel rocks out to “Rocks”; the latest brilliant and heartwarming independent film to have found a home on Netflix. So....what’s *your* favourite scary movie?

  • 70: Can You Feel The Power Of The Tingler?

    11/10/2020 Duration: 51min

    Its Buff or Bluff time again as our nerds try to hide 4 massive whoppers in amongst 12 fabulous facts- will it take a truth serum to find out which is which, and can you beat the team? This time around, Dan covers masks (and The Mask), Jon describes some weird director antics, Peter polishes up our knowledge of Metal Mickey, and Andy evokes great showman William Castle and the amazing stunts he’d pull to promote his movies. In a “wide ranging discussion” we also reminisce fondly about Gladiators (although Jon and Peter are more concerned with Jet’s appearances on GamesWorld) and a close encounter with a manatee, and peek a little behind the scenes at how the podcast is put together, as Jon storms off to his trailer.

  • 69: A Most Excellent Sequel

    27/09/2020 Duration: 56min

    We have lots of new movie, TV, book and even orchestral recommendations for you this week. But before that, we discuss who we'd all like to see as the next James Bond. Is it Tom Hardy? Or possibly a more outside choice? Tune in to find out! To kick off our recommendations, Dan shares his nostalgic experiences of listening to the John Williams “Live in Vienna” concert. He also has a review of a brand new book “The Devil and the Dark Water” by Stuart Turton which we were lucky enough to be sent an advance copy of. Jon leads our review of “Bill and Ted Face the Music” which might just emerge as the best thing of 2020. From a brand new movie, to an absolute classic - Andy has been perusing the old blockbusters and shared his thoughts on watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid for the very first time. Peter recommends “Raised by Wolves”, Ridley Scott’s first foray into TV. It’s a sci fi drama complete with androids and colonisations that should interest any Scott fanatic. And finally Hazel reviews Katheri

  • 68: Four Nerds And A Wedding

    13/09/2020 Duration: 49min

    Dan got married! Jon got a puppy! Ian grew a beard! We have lots of reasons to celebrate in this episode, so please do join us for a bit of non lockdown-related happiness! We also have a great round of Film Buff or Film Bluff for you - including Jon’s definition of a “dedication” to Dan and his new wife. Ian has some made-up movie reviews to fool us with, Peter heads into the land of sci fi, Dan has 3 facts about the life of Buster Keaton, and Hazel treads dangerous waters with the plots of three propaganda movies, one of which she has made up from scratch (sorry Mr. Putin). And finally Dan brings us his review of 'Tenet', whilst trying (and somewhat failing) to explain what he saw. This episode also includes our tribute to Chadwick Boseman, one of the world’s most beloved and inspirational humans, gone too soon.

  • 67: Lovecraft Is All Around

    30/08/2020 Duration: 59min

    Love is in the air today, as we open the show celebrating Hazel and Andy’s minus one wedding anniversary, and Jon and Peter offer up some unusual ways on how they can celebrate it :) Then we bring you a tonne of new recommendations for your viewing pleasure. First up is 'Lovecraft Country' which premiered recently in Sky’s ‘Watchmen’ slot. Hazel then talks about an easy binge-watch on BBC iPlayer - “Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience.” Andy has another eclectic offering, with Ugandan film “Who killed Captain Alex”. Hear about some of the amazing action Wakaliwood can produce on a shoestring budget. And finally Peter has two recommendations - “The Americans” and “Perry Mason” which somehow inspires Jon to perform a series of raps about Arnold Schwarzenegger... In the second section of the show we tackle a listener question, which asks us what we’ve found most disappointing so far in nerd culture in 2020. Aside from all the cinema release postponements, this conversation takes us down some interesting paths. So

  • 66: Wrong? Never!

    15/08/2020 Duration: 54min

    This time we answer a question from a listener about just how wrong we all are. This leads us into a fun discussion about certain films that we personally love, but need to mount a bit of a defence for to other people. Before that we have our Film Buff or Film Buff quiz, which tests our knowledge on roles that had to be replaced mid-shoot due to an actor’s untimely death, the movie 'Almost Famous', 50s sci fi TV shows around the world, 'Star Trek', and the works of Alan Smithee. Do send in more of your listener questions for us to tackle! @nerdfestuk on Twitter and Facebook.

  • 65: It's About Time

    02/08/2020 Duration: 01h01min

    A pod poem: We hear all that’s going on, at San Diego Comic Con. “Old Guard” and “Palm Springs” halt time’s advance, as we cross space with “The Expanse”. A sequel to the “The Last Of Us”? (and Hamilton’s on Disney plus!)

  • 64: Nerds of Future Past

    19/07/2020 Duration: 51min

    Join Peter, Jon, Dan and Ian for another X-Citing episode of the Nerdfest podcast! In our regular Buff or Bluff feature, we examine the complicated profession of bounty hunting in the Star Wars expanded universe as well as some weird and wonderful cinematic sounds, before answering a listener question on how to bring the X-Men into the MCU and who we’d cast in the key roles. Then Jon delves into his own Sack of Fun, for 82 minutes on the "Money Plane". All that and more on this episode- SNIKT!

  • 63: NerdfestFest

    05/07/2020 Duration: 53min

    This week we’re answering some of your profound listener questions, such as "Which is the best cartoon TV show?", and "What's the most horrifying piece of movie tie-in merchandise you’ve ever seen?" giving us an excellent opportunity to talk about a certain pair of Pinocchio boxer shorts. Then we have our recommendations of the week. Dan has two podcasts worthy of your time, including “Californian Century” and the “Six degrees of the song of the south” episode of “You must remember this”. Hazel celebrates the works of Ava DuVernay, including “Selma”, the excellent documentary “13th” and “When They See Us”. Andy recommends the lockdown-themed “Staged”, featuring David Tennant and Michael Sheen trying to practice for a forthcoming theatre show. Peter reviews “Giri/Haji", a thriller set in London and Tokyo. And finally Jon, slightly grumpy that’s he’s not sat in a field surrounding by 100,000 sweaty bodies, recommends some of the most infamous Glastonbury sets from past years, currently featured on BBC iPlayer

  • 62: The Marvel Ianiverse

    21/06/2020 Duration: 53min

    The Ians align for our latest episode! Yes, Ians Mayor and McLaughlin join Peter, Jon and Dan for a game of Buff or Bluff, encompassing everything from Aerosmith to Vin Diesel’s dog, before we squee about the many exciting things in store for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Join us for our thoughts on 'Black Widow', 'Eternals', Jane Foster as Thor, and loads more Marvel-ous stuff!

  • 61: Psychobabble

    07/06/2020 Duration: 01h03min

    In a masterful and suspenseful episode, we discuss five of Hitchcock’s greatest film accomplishments. Join us as we dissect 'Rear Window', 'Psycho', 'The Birds', 'Vertigo' and 'North by Northwest' and see how they hold up today. We discuss the groundbreaking shots, the cameos, the treatment of women, behind the scenes factoids, the unique sets, and much more. Before that, we have an eclectic bunch of international recommendations to help you through the 98th week of lockdown. Peter sings the praises of 'Upload', an odd comedy set in a digital heaven. Jon reviews 'Border', a dark Swedish fantasy drama which he tries his best to excite us about without spoilering! Hazel talks about her second-favourite film podcast, 'Film Stories'; a celebration of movie making. Then Dan, on behalf of his fiancée Amy, recommends the truly brilliant cookery/travel show 'Somebody feed Phil', the third season of which has just landed on Netflix. And finally Andy reviews 'Woman at War', an Icelandic comedy drama about an environ

  • 60: Five.. Years... Later

    24/05/2020 Duration: 49min

    It’s a very special week here at Nerdfest, as not only did the brilliant 'Film Stories' magazine recommend us as their podcast of the week, but also it’s our fifth anniversary! We formed our cinema club in the pub, this time five years ago, so we open the show with a little bit of reminiscing. Also in this episode is our Film Buff Or Film Bluff quiz, featuring true and made-up facts about directors’ credits, which famous nerdy things came first, special makeup effects director Rick Baker, and obscure connections. And finally Dan has come up with a brilliant feature called “Getting to Nerd You”, in which he asks fellow nerds meaningful questions such as ‘What is the nerdiest thing you’ve ever done?’ And ‘Who would you invite to a Nerdfest dinner party?’ Thank you to all our listeners! We’re very grateful to each and every one of you.

  • 59: Parks And Recommendations

    10/05/2020 Duration: 47min

    Join us, won’t you, for a Nerdfest recommendations special, with not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, but SIX! nerds together on the podcast to discuss their top picks for lockdown entertainment. Andy kicks us off with a YouTube channel presented by Tom Scott, where he’s been learning such things as "Do the numbers on toaster dials mean minutes?", "What really classifies as a mountain?", and "What really is sea level, anyway?" Dan reviews Netflix’s first foray into improv comedy, with 'Middleditch & Schwartz'. Find out what he thinks their secret ingredient is. As Ian Mayor is perhaps one of the few people on earth yet to watch “Parks and Recreation”, lockdown provided the perfect opportunity for him to get acquainted with Lesley Knope and the gang. We then all delight in reminiscing about the series. Find out what Jon makes of new TV series 'Devs', starring Nick Offerman in a very different role to Ron Swanson. Peter covers the Netflix Chris Hemsworth-starring movie, “Extraction”, a rip-roa

  • 58: Thong Cruise

    26/04/2020 Duration: 54min

    Welcome to another nerdy lockdown episode - as Jason Nesmith was fond of saying, “Never Give Up! Never Surrender!” Which leads us nicely in to this episode’s Shameful Gap, as Hazel has, quite shockingly, never seen 'Galaxy Quest'! Hear her thoughts as she watches it for the very first time, and bring yourselves on a nostalgic trip back to 1999 with Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, a bunch of delightful Thermians, and one heck of a concept. Also in this fun-packed episode we have our Film Buff or Film Bluff quiz where we try to outwit each other with made up facts about Superman in the media, actor’s crazy demands on film sets, renegade and trailblazing women in film, 'Pirates of the Caribbean', and actors who’ve been in video games. P.s for any Thermians listening to this and thinking that the Nerdfest podcast is actually a historical documentary, we would very much like to fly a spaceship, please and thank you.

  • 57: We're All In The Void Now

    12/04/2020 Duration: 45min

    Looking for some lockdown inspiration? Our nerds discuss our most recommended distractions across movies, TV and comics. Hazel gets the ball rolling with a review of new Apple TV+ production, “The Banker” starring Samuel L Jackson and Anthony Mackie. Jon recommends TV show “Succession” with the one and only Brian Cox (not that one). Dan promotes the virtues of offbeat documentary “The Imagineering Story” which charts the success of Disney’s theme parks. Peter covers satirical comedy/ horror with “The Hunt”, and finally Ian Mayor actually joins us live (well, within social distancing rules) from the void to recommend 'Sabrina' (not the teenage witch); a comic novel which he absolutely raves about. We then have not one, but two quizzes! Dan's‘5 by 5’ tests our knowledge of the fifth film in a series. And Jon has us guessing which celebrity autobiographies he’s been reading, from ‘revealing’ lines taken from their pages. Stay safe and well everyone!

  • 56: Going For Gold

    29/03/2020 Duration: 51min

    Can our nerds go the distance, as we attempt to trick each other with fiendish Buff or Bluffs on ludicrous "X-Men" characters, composer Hans Zimmer, the videogame "Donkey Kong" and seminal Edgar Wright masterwork, "Spaced"? Then Andy fills another shameful gap (how many can one man have?) by watching movie classic: "Rocky". What does he think of it? "Adriaaaaaaaan!" and we discover Peter and Ian's involvement in the "Rocky" videogames. We also discuss the rumours of James Mangold-taking over Indiana Jones 5. and what that might tmean for the franchise?

  • 55: Make It Show

    15/03/2020 Duration: 48min

    As Hazel and Dan watch Hamilton on opposite sides of the Atlantic, Jon is keeping the host’s chair warm as we offer up a brand new set of nerdy recommendations. Make yourself a tea (Earl Grey, hot) as the nerds discuss Patrick Stewart’s return to Starfleet in ‘Star Trek: Picard’, and 'Doom patrol', 'I’m not OK with this', and 'Midnight Family'. And Andy provides a quiz to test our knowledge of movie taglines. Whoever wins, you win!

  • 54: Clucking Hell

    01/03/2020 Duration: 55min

    This is the first chance we’ve had to bid a fond farewell to Terry Jones. So, we open the show by reminiscing about his best moments (Python and otherwise), and chat about some of the lesser known cultural influences he’s had. Then we have our Buff or Bluff quiz, featuring facts on Michael Palin, musicians in the movies, swearing in cinema, film production stories, and a lucky dip! Finally, we have the return of Shameful Gap! We scare the pants off Dan by making him watch ‘The Exorcist’. What did he make of it? And how much behind the scenes knowledge does Jon have? Have a listen to find out! Oh, and the first few seconds will reveal why this episode is called ‘Clucking Hell’. Don’t worry, Hazel’s fine...in a manner of speaking...

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