Nerdfest

The year was 2019. An era of political strife. A climate crisis loomed. Royal reputations were in tatters. Cats were "sexy". And Sonic the Hedgehog scared the living daylights out of children and adults alike. Through the mist, one podcast emerged from tens of thousands of other film podcasts to bring peace and prosperity to each and every one of its listeners. In this episode, play along to our “Guess the movie from its opening crawl” quiz. Hopefully you paid more attention than most of us to the opening titles of some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters! Also we have a ton of new reviews and recommendations for you. Dan tells us why we should all give 'Jack Ryan' a chance. Jon reviews 'Terminator: Dark Fate' amid multiple interruptions from the nerds who didn’t share his positive opinions. Peter double-taps 'Zombieland 2', Andy introduces a 7 minute film to those of us with short attention spans, and Hazel talks of the new BBC adaptation of 'His Dark Materials'.

This week our Film Buff or Film Bluff quiz includes questions on ridiculous Disney live action plots, some devious Terminator facts, the weird and wonderful films available on SyFy, movie costumes, and how food was used as an effect in some iconic movies. Also Ian Mayor contacts us from the Void, to talk all things unique to John Wick, the Hipster Assassin. And spurred on by some recent awful examples, we have a good old fashioned debate about modern movie trailers- discussing what we feel a movie trailer should contain, and casting our minds back to our favourite trailers of all time. Join in to let us know YOUR opinion on the best/worst trailers you’ve seen- @nerdfestuk on Twitter and Facebook.

In one of our favourite episodes yet to record, we prove just how divisive “Joker” really is, as each of our nerds viewed the film in a different way. Our spoiler-heavy review explores fan theories, direction, Joaquin Phoenix’s take on the character, and how it all fits into today’s world. Before that, we have our main Reviews section. This week, Jon has been lucky enough to attend a preview screening of Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” - is it worth the 3 and a half hour run time, and how effective is the digital de-ageing? Andy is back, and talks fondly of little-known Japanese zombie comedy, “One Cut Of The Dead” which had us all dying to see it. Hazel has been bingeing true crime documentary “The Staircase” (Do you think he did it? Let us know!). Dan has an antidote for all the history-haters out there, with new podcast “You’re Dead To Me”. Peter reviews new Netflix series “Living with yourself”, starring Paul Rudd and Paul Rudd. And finally Ian reviews “It: Chapter 2” (let’s just say he wasn’t a fan) P

DID George Lucas really name a Star Wars planet after Jon Stewart? DID Faye Dunaway once throw a cup of urine in Roman Polanski’s face? DID Patrick Swayze really chew on ice in order to hide his breath during the filming of Ghost? And DID the producers of "Thunderball" REALLY drag a dead shark past Sean Connery, only to discover it wasn’t actually dead? Find out in our regularly deceptive quiz, Film Buff or Bluff! Also in this episode, hear what Ian Mayor (still trapped in The Void) recommends you check out in order to prepare for Marvel’s Phase 4 and 5. And it’s the return of our "Shameful Gap". Whilst having grown up in the 90s, Dan had somehow never seen the action thriller Face/Off, featuring one of the craziest concepts ever committed to screen. Find out what he thinks of Nic Cage and John Travolta’s gun fu ballet as he watches it for the very first time...

The pitiful remains of what was once Jon Farthing join us for a bumper crop of recommendations and quizzing. Dan raves about Helen O'Hara's new "Superhero Movie Guide", Hazel swoons over Sir Ian McKellen's live show, Peter checks out the backstory of "Pennyworth", Batman's butler, Jon enthuses over Tarantino nostalgia-fest, "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood", and Ian eventually drag(on)s himself away from the clinically addictive "Merge Dragons" game to surf some shorts on the "Dust" channel. And who will win our closely-fought quiz, based on the plots of ten famous science fiction movies.

We’re excited by the recently-revealed plans for Marvel Phase 4, but Hazel and Jon think there’s room for one or two other ideas. So, for this episode we created our own version of Kevin Feige, to which Hazel and Jon must pitch their new Phase 4 concepts. This includes a movie centred on the backstory and adventures of Valkyrie, as well as a comeback vehicle for Marvel’s long-lost character, The Swarm. Get ready to hear Jon defend his alt-right mega bee movie... Before that, we have our Film Buff or Film Buff quiz, with questions on foreign superhero knockoff TV shows, "Home Alone", intriguing movie costumes, and links between Francis Ford Coppola and "Star Wars". We also have the return of Taking One For The Team, where two nerds debate over the merits or otherwise of Jim Jarmusch’s “The Dead Don’t Die”- Is it a zombie comedy with a starry cast, or a self indulgent metatextual and disappointing version of Shaun of the Dead? Find out who triumphs...

This week our two special guests, Louise and Andy, join their significant others (Jon and Hazel) in the ultimate Mr and Mrs battle: ”How Deep Is Your Nerd?” See how well they know their partner’s true nerdiness, with a series of movie-based questions. We've lots of new recommendations for you, too: Peter tells us why new Amazon series “The Boys” is different from the other superhero shows. Andy enjoys Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse’s soothing and hilarious fishing trips in “Gone Fishing”. Hazel covers the mockumentary series “Documentary Now!” starring Bill Hader, Fred Armison and Helen Mirren. And Louise gets her licence to kill in Secret Cinema’s ”Casino Royale”. Jon "takes one for the team" by watching "Men In Black International", and not even Hazel’s beloved Chris Hemsworth can save this predictable piece of nonsense!

Welcome to a very special live episode, where hosts Hazel, Jon, Peter, Dan and Ian broadcast in front of an audience, as part of the Newcastle Improv Festival. We’re joined by some very special guests, including Bev Fox from renowned improv group The Suggestibles, who joins Ian to talk about the secret ingredients to their success, and we unearth some new intimate details about how they first met! We’re also joined by improviser and author of 17 novels, Stella Duffy OBE. In a frank and honest interview, Stella talks about how she emerged from a challenging childhood to being able to find herself on the page and on the stage. If you’re interested in writing or what goes into creating a great character, you’ll love her remarkable insights. We then talk to Kerris Gibson, a recent graduate of School of Improv, who reveals why she is so passionate about improvisation, and what skills she’s been learning and mastering. Of course, we pepper the interviews with some Film Buff or Film Bluff quizzes, and finish wit

If you're a fan of entertainment trivia you'll love our 40th episode, which is a Buff or Bluff bonanza! The nerds face off on questions about actor/ musician duets, obscure casting choices, the one and only Keanu Reeves (including whether or not he was babysat by Alice Cooper), the "Angel" TV series, and the career of James Cameron. Was he really the one who came up with the idea to cover Arnold Schwarzenegger with mud for Predator? That’s followed by a rapturous one-off (we hope) quiz concocted by Jon. He has 10 quotes, which are either lines of dialogue from Nic Cage films, or lyrics from Nic Cave songs. It’s tougher - and funnier- than you might think!

This episode is a mega review special - featuring everything new and exciting we've been moved by recently.... and "Brightburn". And we welcome a new guest. It may be a surprise to some listeners to find that Louise actually exists, and is not just a product of Jon's deranged imagination, but we're delighted to have her join us for this episode! We discuss Game of Thrones behind-the-scenes documentary, ”The Last Watch” and our lasting thoughts on Weiss and Benioff’s achievements, before speculating on the prequels coming up. Next up is a review of “Toy Story 4” including Forky’s existential crisis, the rise of Little Bo Peep, the wonderful Duke Kaboom, and the different direction for the character of Woody. Louise discusses "The Handmaid’s Tale" and how close to it's dystopian scenario we may well be in reaIity. Jon recommends that you DON’T watch “Brightburn”, produced byJames Gunn, which explores the notion of SuperMan growing up evil/ having a bad reaction to puberty. Find out why Jon had problems wi

It’s a fight between good and evil, as Hazel and Jon contest the fate of “Superman 3” in Nerd Court. Will Hazel’s evidence send it to the Phantom zone? Dan is the unbiased judge, with Peter as our expert witness. We also have a voyage to the Void as Ian Mayor bids a wistful goodbye to Vertigo Comics, which announced its dissolution last week. Ian talks about how this comic giant came to be, and what made it so popular over the years. Plus, we open the show with our Film Buff or Bluff quiz, which this week includes trivia questions on everything from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Little Shop of Horrors to the X-Men. And don’t miss our very first LIVE podcast at Alphabetti Theatre in Newcastle on Friday 2nd August 2019. It’s all part of the Newcastle Improv Festival that kicks off on 27th July. We’re on straight after The SuggestIbles, and entrance to the live podcast is free to all ticket holders for this gig. Find tickets at https://bookwhen.com/newcastleimprovfestival/e/ev-snmk-20190802200000

This episode takes us on a wild and crazy ride as we discuss the life and times of 1980s comedy stars Steve Martin, John Belushi, Rick Moranis, Dan Ackroyd, Eddie Murphy and John Candy. Gain insights into everything from "Ghostbusters" to "Beverley Hills Cop" from Dan’s review of Nick de Semelyn’s new book ”Wild and Crazy Guys”, then test your own knowledge of 1980s comedy trivia as he sets us a quiz based on stories from the book. Jon has ignored Gary Netflix yet again, to review ”The Perfection”, a disturbing new horror film involving a pair of amorous cello players. Peter and Hazel discuss ”Rocketman”, the biopic of Elton Hercules John, and how it ranks as a musical fantasy. And Hazel broaches the subject of ”Nanette”, a 1 hour Netflix special by Australian comedienne Hannah Gadsby, and how it swiftly swerves from stand-up to something much, much more. And finally, we preview what’s coming up in cinemaland over the next few months: including ”Spider-Man Far From Home”, ”Yesterday”, ”Ad Astra”, ”Once Upo

If there was ONE thing that really stood out in 1997’s "Batman & Robin".... In light of the news there’s going to be a new Batman protecting the streets of Gotham, our nerds debate who was the greatest actor to don the Bat Cape, Bat-nipples or no Bat-nipples. Most of us chose different portrayals although, spoiler alert, none of us selected Batfleck (in fact, we sort of forgot about him...) Before that, we have our Film Buff or Film Bluff quiz, where our nerds face questions on the friendship between Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen, the Starship Enterprise, and whether Jim Carrey actually paid for the CIA to torture him... We round off the show with a quiz, in which Jon asks us to identify movies, based on reviews from a Christian Right website...

How do you become a guest on the Nerdfest podcast? Sex and cookies, apparently. This time we have a new voice amongst our nerds, Andy, who joins us for an extra long spoiler special on 'Avengers: Endgame', now that most of the world has seen it (Some of us three times!) In the second part of the show we go scene-by-scene, discussing the fate of many beloved characters, whilst also pondering the eternal question: "How do you spoon a raccoon?" We open the show with lots of new recommendations: Jon reviews one of the best horror movies he’s ever seen,'The Babadook', now released on Amazon Prime. Hazel has been mesmerised by new Netflix documentary 'Knock Down the House' about four women vying to replace long-serving Congressmen in the 2018 House race. Peter explores the new 'What We Do In The Shadows' TV show based on the Taika Waititi movie. And finally Andy has a solution for anyone who has a beef with Bear Grylls - try and cause him harm in the new and interactive choose-your-own-adventure series, 'You vs.

So, if you HAD to, which dinosaur would you choose to "make the beast with two backs" with? It’s these sort of high-brow questions and more which our nerds seek to tackle in this episode. First up is Film Buff or Bluff, starting with Jon's three outlandish storylines involving The Joker. Then Dan gives us three Jeff Goldblum facts, (one of which is his favourite dinosaur, taking us on said dinosaur dating route.) Peter tests our knowledge of some of Marvel’s wackiest characters, and Hazel tries to pull one over on us with her tricksy facts about the first cinematic appearances of certain female actors. This episode also sees the return of “Shameful Gap”, as Hazel shares her first ever viewing of “Groundhog Day”. This episode also sees the return of “Shameful Gap”, as Hazel shares her first ever viewing of “Groundhog Day”. The jokes don’t get much better we’re afraid, as we explore the themes of Bill Murray’s starring performance as Phil Connors, the egotistical weatherman doomed to repeat the same day ov

In celebration of two great franchises both coming to their conclusions, we have some special features for this episode... Dan has devised a dragon-sized Game of Thrones quiz, spanning all seven previous series. And we record our first reactions to seeing "Avengers Endgame" - mere minutes after leaving the cinema (but after relieving our bladders!). Don’t worry - it’s all spoiler free. Before that, we each have brand new recommendations for you- Jon reviews 'Sorry to bother you'; the Tessa Thompson and LaKeith Stanfield starring comedy which tells the tale of a telemarketer bejng told to use a ”white person voice”. Hazel goes all Elizabethan on us, performing a solioquy or two from 'William Shakespeare’s Star Wars: Verily A New Hope' by Ian Doescher. Peter has seen DC’s latest effort, 'Shazam', and classifies it as enormous fun, and Dan has another recommendation for the Nerdfest bookshelf - 'The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs', provoking many deep and meaningful discussions (including which dinosaurs took

Duh duh du-du-duh duh du-du DDUUUUUH. "Game of Thrones" is back in front of our eyeballs and we couldn’t be more excited! In this episode we make our predictions for who we think will die first, and who'll end up on the Iron Throne at the end of the series. Unfortunately the three-eyed raven we’d hired for this purpose flew away, which means none of these predictions will come true, but it’s a fun segment! Before that, it’s the return of ‘Film Buff or Film Bluff’ - and this time we try to fool each other with a combination of true and fake facts about movie special effects, the "Star Wars" Cantina band, Captain America, and Marlon Brando’s crazy on-set antics. Plus, Hazel has a bonus Buff or Bluff about submarines. Hope you’re ready for a science lesson! Also, one of our nerds had never seen 90s action blockbuster “Last Action Hero” - so hear their thoughts upon watching it for the very first time in our “Shameful Gap” feature. Our resident quizmaster Ian McLaughlin has come up with another sterling quiz i

It’s "Captain Marvel" review time, the majority of which we spend trying to come up with our own synopsis. Once we get that established however, we have a lively debate about the film’s merits and shortcomings. In another inspired quiz, Ian borrowed the DeLorean to ask his 5 year old self to describe 10 famous movies, while the rest of us try and guess it from his cryptic clues. And we start the show with our reviews section - including the "RBG" documentary and it’s cinematic counterpart, "On The Basis Of Sex". Peter enrols us in the "Umbrella Academy", and Ian plays a new game he found to comfort him after being too terrified by an "Alien" videogame. Meanwhile, Jon can't make up his mind WHAT to cover, so he attempts to review the entirety of human existence.

Can you tell the difference between the snarl of a Gremlin and the pwish of the Enterprise doors? Then you’ll probably do a lot better at Ian’s masterful movie sounds quiz than we did! Also in this episode are our(spoiler-free) reactions to 'Captain Marvel' - captured in our mobile recording studio (AKA Hazel’s car) just after leaving the cinema. In Buff or Bluff, Dan delves into the sitcom careers of Marvel directors, Hazel tries to fool us with ‘facts’ about Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jon looks at reshot movies, and Peter links Batman and James Bond. And we try out a new game called ‘Pitchstorm’, in which we each try to pitch ludicrous movie concepts, while the rest of the nerds make “helpful" suggestions to ensure box office success.

It's a full Nerd house, thanks to Hazel’s recovery (though Jon doesn’t quite want to let go of his temporary hosting duties) and Ian Mac being back from whatever he was doing... Ian recommends perhaps the strangest video game concept we’ve ever heard (two words: "Vicious Strawberry".) Jon cautiously recommends the updated version of “Suspiria”. We find out whether the eyes have it for “Alita: Battle Angel”. Hazel recommends a person (no, not Chris Hemsworth...) as she’s been enjoying two pieces of work by the luminous Richard Ayoade. And a review of new Netflix series “Riverdale”, leads us down the inevitable path of a Saved by the Bell debate...(yeah, us neither...) We also have a live draw for our Oscars sweepstake and discuss each Best Picture nominee's merits and flaws. Find out who drew the winning film under Hazel’s needlessly-complicated scoring system, and (as this was recorded just before the Oscars) use your superpower of hindsight to see if our wilder predictions came true, you lucky things.