It is Star Wars, after all. And we don’t pass up a chance to talk about or feature or generally get excited for anything Star Wars around here. Not with nerds like Chris and Joe in charge.
So, to put it mildly, this The Bad Batch trailer looks pretty awesome. In fact, it looks really awesome. We’re also very happy it’s produced by Dave Filoni (of The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian) and features the voice talents of Dee Bradley Baker, Ming-Na Wen, Stephen Stanton and Andrew Kishino.
But what’s it all about, you may wonder? Here’s some info from the official synopsis:
“Star Wars: The Bad Batch” follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in “The Clone Wars”) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army—each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew.”
We. Can’t Wait. Fortunately, it won’t be too long. Until then, check out the trailer below.
Look for Star Wars: The Bad Batch to hit Disney Plus on, you guessed it, May the 4th.
It’s time for another new episode of The Flickcast. The pop culture podcast about stuff nerds love. This week it’s Episode 430: The Big Three.
On this episode Chris is back from his “vacation” and ready to get to work. He and Joe dive into a slew of new and recurring topics such as a bit more about Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Episode 2 of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the new trailer for The Suicide Squad, the importance of the COVID vaccine and, of course, the “Big Three.” They also talk about a bunch of other stuff, but those are the main ones this week.
Of course, since Chris is back, this episode runs a bit longer than last week. What can we do? It’s kinda his show. Anyway . . .
If you get a moment and feel like it/can do it, consider rating or reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts. Every rating and review helps. And if you’re really feeling it, consider supporting the show on Patreon.
Thanks for listening!
WARNING: This episode may contain discussions about COVID-19, mental health and quarantine. We understand not everyone is in a place to talk about or hear discussions surrounding these issues. We completely understand. Please do what’s best for you. Stay safe everyone.
As always, if you have comments, questions, critiques, offers of sponsorship or whatever, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitter, Instagram or, yes, even Facebook. Or shoot us an email. We don’t mind.
Opening and end music by Kevin MacLeod under Creative Commons License Image: Marvel Studios / Disney
Time for another edition of Trailer Time. For this installment we’re bringing you the “redband” trailer for James Gunn’s highly anticipated “sequel” to Suicide Squad called, well, The Suicide Squad.
Some familiar faces return for this, as well as a whole new crop of residents of Belle Reve penitentiary. They are put together by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) “as members of Task Force X and sent to the South American island of Corto Maltese to destroy Jotunheim, a Nazi-era prison and laboratory which held political prisoners and conducted experiments,” one of which seemingly produces an enlarged version of a certain intelligent starfish.
In addition to the returning Davis, the film again features Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Joel Kinnaman as Col. Rick Flagg and Jai Courtney as Capt. Boomerang. In addition, newcomers join in the mayhem including Idris Elba as Bloodsport, John Cena as Peacemaker, Michael Rooker (of course) as Savant, Pete Davidson as Blackguard, Peter Capaldi as Thinker and Sylvester Stallone as King Shark. Also, look for appearances by Alice Braga, David Dastmalchian, Sean Gunn (of course), Taika Waititi and Nathan Filion (also, of course).
Check out the “redband” trailer for The Suicide Squad after the break. It’s likely you’ll need to click through to YouTube to watch it. If so, we apologize. It sucks that some people can’t handle things, but here we are.
Either way, the trailer looks great and we expect the movie to be the same. Look for The Suicide Squad to drop in theaters and on HBO Max on August 6th.
It’s time for another edition of What We’re Playing. This time around What We’re Playing is The Elder Scrolls V, better know to all as the amazing Skyrim. If you’re a fan of this site, or gaming in general, we’ll guess you’ve probably heard of it.
When first released in 2011, Skyrim received universal acclaim and was touted as one of the best video games ever made. Since that time, the game continues to be immensely popular, with fans anxiously awaiting a new installment.
Of course, some have moved on to other games, it’s just the nature of the business. But we love Skyrim and always will. We know a lot of people agree.
For those few not familiar, you enter the game as The Dragonborn. Your quest “is to defeat Alduin the World-Eater, a dragon who is prophesied to destroy the world. The game is set 200 years after the events of Oblivion and takes place in Skyrim, the northernmost province of Tamriel.”
“Over the course of the game, (you) complete quests and develop your character by improving skills. The game continues the open-world tradition of its predecessors by allowing the player to travel anywhere in the game world at any time, and to ignore or postpone the main storyline indefinitely.”
That’s a rather mundane way of describing the awesomeness that is Skyrim. But don’t take our word for it, or the word of the person who wrote the words above and posted them on Wikipedia. You really need to play it for yourself.
But until then, check out the official trailer for Skyrim below to see what you’re missing or to remind you what you need to get back to. Happy gaming!
Have you played Skyrim? Do you love it as much as we do? If so, let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
It’s time for another edition of Trailer Time. For this installment we’re checking out the trailer for the upcoming action/thriller Nobody.
The film features Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell, an “underestimated and overlooked dad and husband, taking life’s indignities on the chin and never pushing back. A nobody.” Until one day, he does push back. Hard.
After a break-in at his home, Hutch has had enough. The incident triggers “dormant instincts and propell(s) him on a brutal path that will surface dark secrets and lethal skills. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must save his family from a dangerous adversary and ensure he will never be underestimated as a nobody again.”
Choice words from the film’s official synopsis. Sounds good to us. And based on the trailer itself, we have to say it, this movie looks pretty darn good.
Let’s hope the trailer does it justice. We’re pretty sure it does.
Nobody stars Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, Aleksey Serebryakov and Christopher Lloyd. It’s written by Derek Kolstad of John Wick fame and directed by Ilya Naishuller. It hits theaters on March 26th. Look for it on streaming hopefully soon after that.
Until then, check out the “Redband” trailer for Nobody after the jump. Yeah, we still need to do that. Sorry.
It’s time for another new episode of The Flickcast. The pop culture podcast about stuff nerds love. This week it’s Episode 429: In the Snyder Cut.
Chris is off this week (shocking, right?) so Joe welcomes “friend of the show” and Digital Trends Contributing Editor Rick Marshall to take on the task of discussing a whole bunch or new and recurring topics. Ah, who are we kidding, this show is about one big thing. Or, in this case, one long thing. Also, it’s about one “new” thing.
That’s right, it’s finally time to get in the Snyder Cut of Justice League now that it’s been released to HBO Max. So, do they love it? Do they hate it? Does anyone give a shit at this point? You’ll have to listen and find out. You can also check out Rick’s spoiler-free review over at Digital Trends.
Joe and Rick also talk a bit about Falcon and the Winter Soldier too. So if you’re into that show, you’ll want to listen. And don’t worry, Chris will be back next week to probably talk about all this stuff again. He hates to be left out.
Don’t forget, if you get a moment and feel like it/can do it, consider rating or reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts. Every rating or review helps. And if you’re really feeling it, consider supporting the show on Patreon.
Thanks for listening!
WARNING: This episode may contain discussions about COVID-19, mental health and quarantine. We understand not everyone is in a place to talk about or hear discussions surrounding these issues. We completely understand. Please do what’s best for you. Stay safe everyone.
As always, if you have comments, questions, critiques, offers of sponsorship or whatever, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitter, Instagram or, yes, even Facebook. Or shoot us an email. We don’t mind.
Opening and end music by Kevin MacLeod under Creative Commons License Image: DC/Warner Bros.
In the history of sci-fi movies. few are as beloved or, in some ways, controversial as Blade Runner. But that’s What We’re Watching this week.
When the film debuted in 1982 it found limited commercial and minimal critical praise. In the years sense, appreciation for the film has grown immensely with audiences around the world now embracing it as a sci-fi/noir classic. It’s so popular, in fact, it spawned a sequel thirty years later: 2017’s Blade Runner: 2049.
It’s also had, to date, seven different versions over the years as well. Crazy, right? We prefer the Director’s Cut, by the way.
It’s hard to remember exactly how many times we’ve watched the tale of Rick Deckard, Blade Runner, as he hurts humanoid replicants, led by Rutger Hauer’s Roy Batty, in dystopian Los Angeles of 2019. Yes, the movie takes place in the “future” year 2019.
Remember, the film originally came out in 1982, so 2019 seemed far into the future when they were making it. So much so it imagined a time when we’d have flying cars, endless rain, replicants to do our bidding and a rewarding trip to the off world colonies to look forward to.
Even though the film didn’t get a lot about the future correct, at least not yet, it still manages to entertain and provide a spectacular look at what life in the “future” might be like. Plus, it’s technically innovative, beautifully scored and boasts a great cast doing some of their finest work. And, it just looks cool.
Here’s the original trailer for Blade Runner, as well as the one for the sequel, Blade Runner: 2049. The original Blade Runner stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, Brion James, Edward James Olmos and the great M. Emmet Walsh. It’s written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples and directed by Ridley Scott.
Have you seen Blade Runner? Do you love it as much as we do? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Happy Watching!
We believe few things in life are as satisfying as a good cup of coffee. So it should be no surprise to learn it’s one of the Things We Love here at The Flickcast.
Sure, one or two people around here drink tea occasionally, or as an alternative to coffee, but we don’t really talk to them all that much. To be honest, we consider their judgement a little suspect.
So, coffee? Yes. Please and thank you.
There’s so many ways to make coffee at home, the office or at the home office we won’t go into every one of them here. We will, however, talk about a couple of our favorite methods and some tools we think are necessary to get the caffeine fix and amazing cup of coffee you deserve.
There’s basically two methods we use on a regular basis: the Pourover or the French Press. We also, on occasion, use a more traditional coffee maker if time is a factor, but won’t go into that in this post.
First, let’s talk Pourover using the Hario V60, which is pretty much the industry standard. We could go into a lengthy explanation of how it works, what to do and all that.
Instead, let’s let World Barista Champion, author and famous YouTube star James Hoffman tell us all about it.
He makes it look easy, right? It does take some work and practice. But once you get it mastered this method creates an amazing cup of coffee.
To make this at home, the office or the home office, you’ll need a few things. Fortunately, you’ll only need to get most of these items once and they can be used for many years.
First, the V60 by Hario, which is the backbone of the entire system. You’ll also need a glass coffee server, which goes underneath the V60 and catches the coffee as it comes through.
Next, you need a way to heat and pour water. We prefer the Hario Kettle. You’ll also need paper filters, a grinder to grind the beans and, of course, some coffee.
For paper filters, we go with the ones from Hario. For a grinder, our favorite that’s seen daily use for several years and never once complained, is the Baratza Virtuoso.
Lastly, for coffee we like to buy local here in Austin from favorites such as Cuvee Coffee or Texas Coffee Traders. They also ship worldwide, but you can most likely find local roasters in your area. If you’re having trouble finding one, you can check out this map to locate a roaster near you.
Now, let’s turn to the French Press. Again, here’s James Hoffman to show you the way.
As with the Pourover, you’ll need a few things for this method as well. Of course, the French Press itself. Our current favorite is the Bodum 1928.
You’ll also need pretty much the rest of the things mentioned above for best results. But as this is a French Press you won’t need the V60 this time.
Okay. That’s how we (and James) do it. It may seem like a bit of time and trouble, but the rewards of great coffee are worth it . . . at least to us. Enjoy your coffee!
Do you love coffee as much as we do? If so, what are some of your favorite methods to make it? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
It’s time for another new episode of The Flickcast. The pop culture podcast about stuff nerds love. This week it’s Episode 427: Moving On.
On this episode Chris and Joe are back discussing a bunch of new and recurring topics, as they often do. Some of these include a bit more about the finale of WandaVision, upcoming Marvel/Disney+ series including The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, further managing of expectations, where the MCU goes from here, the “Snyder Cut”, audio books and a whole lot more.
Once again, this latest episode is not as long as some of the last few, but it’s still got a lot of great discussion, analysis and commentary. . . Well, at least it’s not that long.
Oh, if you get a moment and feel like it/can do it, consider rating or reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts. Every rating and review helps. And if you’re really feeling it, consider supporting the show on Patreon.
Thanks for listening!
WARNING: This episode may contain discussions about COVID-19, mental health and quarantine. We understand not everyone is in a place to talk about or hear discussions surrounding these issues. We completely understand. Please do what’s best for you. Stay safe everyone.
As always, if you have comments, questions, critiques, offers of sponsorship or whatever, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitter, Instagram or, yes, even Facebook. Or shoot us an email. We don’t mind.
Opening and end music by Kevin MacLeod under Creative Commons License Image: Marvel Studios / Disney
Welcome to another edition of Tech Time. In this series we focus on a piece of technology we love from the past, present or future.
Like last time, we’re focusing on audio with a look at another important piece of tech you’ll definitely need if you want to record it: microphones.
You likely know already but a microphone is (according to the dictionary) “. . . an instrument whereby sound waves are caused to generate or modulate an electric current usually for the purpose of transmitting or recording sound (such as speech or music).”
Makes sense, right? But what microphone do you want or need?
For our purposes, which are mostly recording podcasts, but also audio books or music, we’re going to look at two different kinds of mics: USB and XLR. These refer to the way the microphone connects to your computer so you can use it for recording.
A USB mic is just that, a microphone that connects to your computer directly via a USB cable. Some of the ones we’ve used and like are the Blue Yeti, the Rode NT-USB and the one our podcast co-host Joe Dilworth uses (for the moment), the Blue Snowball. They’re relatively easy to set up and use, which is great for beginners.
XLR microphones use an XLR cable and are found in most music and podcast recording studio in the world. They are the choice of most pros and offer higher build and recording quality. Of course, said higher quality also comes with a higher price tag.
Out preferred XLR microphones include the Shure SM58, the Rode PodMic and the one used by our podcast co-host Chris Ullrich (and so many others), the Shure SM7B. Yeah, we know, the SM7B is expensive. But it really is one of the best.
To use an XLR microphone, you’ll also need an XLR cable and a device like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. We discussed the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 in a previous post. Again, the higher quality requires more expense and a bit more setup. We produce podcasts and other audio professionally, so we think it’s worth it.
If you’re just starting out or don’t want to spend a lot of money (we get that), you can absolutely use a USB microphone like the Yeti or Snowball from Blue and record audio with software such as Apple’s Garage Band. That’s how we started and you can get some good sound that way.
So that’s a bit of information on microphones. We plan on doing a more in-depth series on podcast recording in the near future, so keep an eye out for that. Until then, happy recording!
Do you record a podcast or music at home or in a studio? If so, what microphone do you like and use? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
Images: Shure / Rode Note: This post contains affiliate links.
It’s time for another new episode of 
