The Flickcast

Trailer Time: ‘Boss Level’

Posted on March 5, 2021

'boss level'

Welcome back to another edition of Trailer Time. This is the place where we post cool and interesting trailers for movies, television shows, games and more. For this week’s edition of Trailer Time we’ve got Joe Carnahan’s sci-fi action epic Boss Level.

The film, which hits Hulu today, features Frank Grillo as Roy Pulver, a retired soldier stuck in an endless time loop where he replays his own death over and over. As he begins to unravel the nature of his predicament he realizes his survival is tied to the fate of his ex-wife and son and the potential destruction of the entire universe. Yeah, the stakes are pretty high.

Boss Level also features Naomi Watts, Michelle Yeoh, Annabelle Wallis, Will Sasso, Ken Jeong and Mel Gibson. Yes, that’s right, Mel Gibson. Say what you will about Mel (we have), but he was once a beloved movie star and he can still act, which he does pretty well in this movie.

Fortunately, though, this isn’t a Mel Gibson movie. It’s a Frank Grillo movie. And that’s a good thing.

We’re fans of Grillo, so we’re happy to see him get starring roles in more movies. He’s great in this one.

Yes, we’ve seen the entire thing. It’s really good. You should watch it.

We’ll probably post a full review of Boss Level soon. But really, you should just go watch it instead. Until then, check out the trailer below.

What do you think of this trailer for Boss Level? Have you seen the movie? If so, tell us what you think. Is there a trailer for something else you’re most excited about? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Weekly Link Love: Some Instagram Favorites

Posted on March 4, 2021

Last time on Weekly Link Love we featured some Twitter accounts we love to follow. This week we’re focusing on a different platform and highlighting some Instagram favorites instead.

That’s right, it’s time for another edition of Weekly Link Love. As we’ve said before, this is place where we call attention to websites, blogs, videos, socials (including cool Instagram accounts) or other people & places we think you should know about.

Sure, some may not like Instagram, especially after it was purchased by Facebook. But it still remains one of the best places to showcase your creative work and potentially build a large fanbase. Plus, there’s lot of great artists we admire who show their work on Instagram. So, for us, that makes it a worthwhile platform.

You may have heard of none, some, or all of these Instagram folks. And yes, we know we’ve featured a few of them in previous Weekly Link Love posts, but they’re worth your time so we’re link loving them again!

And, of course, there’s so many more we follow and love. We can’t list them all. This post would be way too long. Instead, these are but a sample.

Okay? Okay. As always, don’t forget to spread the love. Now, on to the links!

Chris Lowell – You know him from Veronica Mars and Glow, but he’s also a great photographer too. Check out his work.

Conor Leslie – Badass superhero on TV’s Titans and badass photographer and person too.

Felicia Day – What can we say? No list of people on Instagram nerd’s love would be complete without this person.

History of Cinema – So many great photos taking you through cinema’s past. A great account, especially if you love movies like we do.

Jack Black – This man has helped us tremendously during quarantine by being damn funny in his own backyard. Thank you Jack.

Jason Momoa – Really needs to explanation. He’s just cool and a great guy.

Kat Swansey – Kat’s photos of rural Texas towns are really exceptional. If you want to experience the “real” Texas, this is the account for you.

Kodak Film – We still love film and still love the way it looks. If you’re a film lover too, this is an account for you.

Marisha Ray – We love Critical Role (obviously) and Marisha is one of our favorite cast members. She’s also a cool human too.

Matt Day – We keep coming back to this guy, but we love his work. If you want to see what excellent photography looks like, check out this man’s Instagram.

Negative Feedback – We’ve learned a lot from this gentleman. He’s a talented photographer and one of the first to extoll the virtues of film on Instagram and YouTube.

Ryan Muirhead – Another photographer who’s work inspires us.

Sam Riegel – If we had to pick a favorite member of the Critical Role team, it would be Sam. Watch the show and you’ll understand why.

Sandy Phimester – Another photographer who’s talent we aspire too. His photos are amazing.

Taika Waititi – We like funny, talented people who make great art that forces you to think a bit too. If you like those things also, check out this person’s Instagram.

Vintage Audio Love – We love analog stuff and this account showcases the best of vintage audio porn.

Wil Wheaton – He’s just this guy, you know?

Tech Time: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2

Posted on March 3, 2021

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2

Time to kick off another new series here at The Flickcast and this time around we’re calling it Tech Time. In it we focus on a piece of technology we love from the past, present or future. And the lucky winner today is a device we couldn’t live without, or at least we couldn’t do our podcast without: the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.

The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 is a digital audio interface. It allows you to connect up to two microphones, or other analog devices like guitars or keyboards, to your computer via a USB-C cable. With the 2i2 you can connect 2 mics, or other devices via XLR, or two devices via instrument inputs, or one of each.

Our podcast co-host Chris Ullrich uses a Shure SM7B microphone to record his part of the podcast. That mic is connected via XLR cable to the Scarlett 2i2 and then to a MacBook Pro via USB-C. On the MacBook Pro, audio is recorded in Apple’s Logic Pro for editing, mixing and final output.

In the interest of transparency, the Shure SM7B is rather power hungry. To help with that Chris uses an additional device between the mic and the Scarlett 2i2: the Cloudlifter CL-1. It provides additional clean gain so the mic gain on the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface doesn’t need to be set as high. This helps ensure cleaner sound.

You don’t need the Cloudlifter CL-1 to make the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 work, it provides enough power on its own. Chris just likes things to be extra clean, with as little gain from the pre-amp in the 2i2 as possible. So, he added the Cloudlifter.

Also, using a different microphone, one that’s less power hungry, would be a way to go too. For example, we’ve had great results with another mic from Shure, the SM58. It’s a great mic and one you’ll find on many stages and in recording studios around the world.

So if you want to make a podcast, record yourself playing guitar or reading an audio book, you’ll need a device like the Scarlett 2i2. In fact, if you do end up with one of these, it’s probably all the audio interface you’ll ever need. It really is a great device and one we use pretty much every day.

For more on the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, check out the company’s website. You can also watch a video about it below.

Do you use a piece of tech like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2? If so, what do you use it for and what do you think of it? Or, is there a different one you recommend? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Happy Recording!

Image: Focusrite
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

426: Rising to the Occasion

Posted on March 2, 2021

It’s time for another new episode of The Flickcast. The pop culture podcast about stuff nerds love. This week it’s Episode 426: Rising to the Occasion.

On this episode Chris and Joe are back discussing a bunch of new (and old) topics. Some of these include the latest episode of WandaVision, the new trailer for Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, DC’s Titans television series, the new Superman and Lois series, inappropriate humor, rising to the occasion and a whole lot more.

It’s another big episode. Long. Huge. You get the idea. . . It’s massive. . . Okay, we’re done.

Oh hey, if you get a moment and feel like it/can do it, consider rating or reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts and supporting the show on Patreon. We’d really appreciate it.

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/CW/Warner Bros.

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What We’re Watching: ‘Titans’

Posted on March 1, 2021

'titans'

It’s time for another edition of What We’re Watching. This time What We’re Watching is the television series Titans.

Created by Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns, and Greg Berlanti, Titans debuted and already ran for two seasons on DC Universe. The show has now moved to HBO Max with a third season set to drop later this year.

Titans follows the adventures, misadventures, trials, tribulations and bloody fights of a group of teen, and slightly older, superheroes led by everyone’s favorite sidekick Dick Grayson (aka Robin, the Boy Wonder). Although, as the show begins, Dick has been out from under Batman’s shadow for five years and been replaced by a younger Robin (aka Jason Todd).

The show also features Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, Hawk, Dove, Deathstroke, Connor Kent (a clone with combined Superman and Lex Luthor DNA), Wonder Girl and a host of other familiar names, faces and costumes. They’re especially familiar if you’re fan of the Titans‘s comics. Fortunately, we are.

The show is violent, profanity-laden and immensely enjoyable. Sure, some may not appreciate another gritty take on superheroes, but we think this one works. And yes, we’re aware of the “issues’ with the season one finale, the “problems” with Raven’s Dad Trigon and especially the “controversy” about the casting of Anna Diop as Starfire.

Some people are always going to be upset about something and these things don’t in any way detract from our enjoyment of the show. And it should’t for you either. In fact, especially in the case of Diop, we find the objections ridiculous.

She does a great job. Give her, and the show, a chance. You just might enjoy it. If not, you can always watch something else. Plenty of other things on HBO Max and the host of other streaming services.

Season one and two of Titans, which features Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson, Anna Diop as Kory Anders, Teagan Croft as Rachel Roth, Ryan Potter as Garfield “Gar” Logan, Minka Kelly as Dawn Granger, Conor Leslie as Donna Troy, Esai Morales as Slade Wilson and Iain Glen as Bruch Wayne, are available on HBO Max. Season three, which is filming now, arrives later this year.

Check out the trailers for Titans season one and two below. If you watched Titans, let us know what you think. Any other shows you love we should be watching?

Let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Enjoy!

Trailer Time: ‘Army of the Dead’

Posted on February 26, 2021

army of the dead

Welcome back to another edition of Trailer Time.This is the place where we post interesting trailers for movies, television shows, games and more. For this installment of Trailer Time we’ve got Zack Snyder’s upcoming zombie heist opus Army of the Dead.

The film, which hits Netflix on May 21st, finds Snyder returning to the world of zombies for a heist film set in Vegas against the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse. The heroes must complete their heist while also fighting and surviving against, well, an army of the dead. Okay, we’re interested.

And say what you will about Snyder’s other work (trust us, we have), but at least his films aren’t boring and are often very entertaining. Also, they usually feature good action, striking visuals and even a decent performance or two (we kid, we kid). This one looks to be no exception.

Army of the Dead features an ensemble cast including Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, Garret Dillahunt, Theo Rossi, Tig Notario and Hiroyuki Sanada. It’s directed by Snyder from a script he wrote with Shay Hatten and Joby Harold, based on a story by Snyder.

Check out the trailer below. Look for Army of the Dead on Netflix May 21st.

What do you think of this trailer for Army of the Dead? Is there a trailer for an upcoming project you’re most excited about? Let us know in the comments or hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Weekly Link Love: Cool Twitter Accounts

Posted on February 25, 2021

Last time on Weekly Link Love we featured some YouTube creators who’s work we enjoy watching and learning from. This week we’re switching it up a bit and giving you a heads up about cool Twitter accounts we enjoy reading and think you’ll enjoy too.

That’s right, it’s time for another edition of Weekly Link Love. As we’ve done before, this is place where we highlight websites, blogs, videos, socials (including cool Twitter accounts) or other people & places we think you should know about.

Sure, Twitter can often be a shitty place filled with meandering “hot takes” and people who’d rather argue than make an actual point, but it’s got some good things going for it too. It’s not all bad, especially now that certain people have been asked to vacate the premises. That means more cool Twitter accounts left to follow!

You may have heard of none, some, or all of these Twitter users. And yes, we know we featured a few of them in previous Weekly Link Love posts, but they’re worth your time so we’re link loving them again!

So that’s that. As always, don’t forget to spread the love.

Now, on to the links!

Alex Segura – We love Alex’s work, especially his Pete Fernandez series and recent Poe Dameron: Freefall book, but it’s his positive attitude and how he helps the community of writers that we’re especially fond of. Alex is good people.

Alison Martino – We love Alison’s look at Los Angeles from the past. That town has changed (in some ways not for the better) and it’s great to see it during the “glory days” when anything seemed possible.

Ashley Warren – Writer, content creator, teacher and all-around cool person, Ashley is a great writer herself and can help with your writing too. Plus, she makes some great D&D stuff. We love that.

Chuck Wendig – Another one of our favorite writers on Twitter. Chuck’s novels, especially Wanderers (which is our favorite) are great and his writing advice, gentle or otherwise, is top notch. Follow him and you won’t be sorry. Plus, you just may learn something too.

Deborah Ann Woll – We first noticed her because of her amazing work as an actress on True Blood and Netflix’s Daredevil. Now we follow her for great D&D tips and adventures and because she’s just really cool.

Dyson Logos – This guy draws some of the best D&D maps we’ve ever seen and he shares his knowledge freely. We like that.

Gail Simone – One of the best writers working in comics today. Also, one of the funniest and nicest too. Definitely worth a follow.

James S.A. Corey – We love The Expanse books and TV series, so this account is a must follow for us. Plus, his info and opinions on science, writing, space, life and more are first rate. And, he doesn’t suffer fools. We appreciate that.

Javier Grillo-Marxuach – A terrific writer and television creator who also takes time out of his day to help other writers be better at their craft. What’s not to like?

John Scalzi – We can’t highlight people to follow on Twitter without mentioning Scalzi. We love his books, his blog, his Twitter account and his no-bullshit attitude towards certain topics and individuals. Definitely worth your time and a follow.

Jon Enge – One of our favorite creators and a damn fine Dungeon Master too. Check him out (along with our own Chris Ullrich and John Carle) on Twitch every Sunday night.

Keith Ammann – Author of some of our favorite D&D books about monsters, characters and how they fight.

Scott Weinberg – We know a lot about movies, but Scott kinda puts us to shame, especially in the horror genre. Plus, he’s pretty funny too.

Seth Rogen – You may not love him or his movies (we do, btw). We think he’s funny as hell, especially when he’s proving just how dumb certain other Twitter users are. You know what we’re talking about, right? Of course you do.

Swear Trek – If you ever wanted to see what various Star Trek characters really think, follow this account.

The Spaceshipper – Do you love cool space ships and more from classic sci-fi shows, movies and more? This is the account to follow.

That’s enough for today. But don’t worry, we’ll do this again soon. We follow a lot of cool people on Twitter.

Did we forget one of your favorites? Who do you enjoy following on Twitter? Sound off in the comments or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram or, magically, on Twitter. We’re there too. Amazing, right?

Happy Twittering!

What We’re Watching: ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’

Posted on February 24, 2021

It’s time for another edition of What We’re Watching. This time around we’re watching George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road. This might surprise you but we’ve actually discussed this film quite a bit here before. Shocking, right? Hey, at least we’re consistent with what we like, right?

Mad Max: Fury Road came out in 2015 and since that time the movie’s status and popularity have only grown. It’s an action-packed, thrilling ride boasting beautiful cinematography, a pulse pounding score by Junkie XL and exceptional performances by Charlize Theron, Tom Hardy, Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravits, the late Hugh Keays-Byrne and the rest of the cast and stunt performers.

Is it a perfect movie? No. Nothing’s perfect. But it comes pretty damn close. And sure, some people don’t like it or criticize the characters or story, but that’s just the nature of things. Some people hate cool stuff. Oh well. You can’t please everyone.

Two versions of the film are available. The original cut, in glorious color, and the ‘Black & Chrome‘ version, which is in beautiful black & white. As much as we love the original, the black & white version is a visual and stylistic treat, even with the absence of color.

The ‘Black & Chrome’ version is especially great if you’ve already seen the original once (or, in our case, ten or fifteen times) and want to experience the film in a new and highly stylized way. The absence of color doesn’t detract in any way from the enjoyment of the film, at least for us. Your mileage may vary. But heck, why not give it a try? You may love it.

If you haven’t seen Mad Max: Fury Road, you can remedy that situation right now. It’s available on multiple streaming platforms, Blu-ray and in 4K. Until then, check out the trailer for this amazing film below.