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TMTYR Episode #25: There Is No Spooner (I, Robot)
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In Episode #25, the Pavement Pounders discuss the much-maligned 2004 film I, Robot, based (or is it?) on Isaac Asimov’s classic novel/anthology of the same name. This completes our Robot obligations after previously covering Eando Binder’s short story “I, Robot.”
Also under consideration is the alternate universe version of the movie that we unfortunately never got. Lousy Many Worlds Hypothesis, keeping us from having nice things!
Also, we’ve hit the quarter mark! Woo! Stick with us for another eight years or so and we’ll make 100 episodes! Also to be celebrated is that James has taken one more step toward geekdom since he hadn’t previously read I, Robot. Cash, checks, and baked goods are acceptable gifts for this kind of occasion.
Or just leave us an iTunes review, as TKCPodcast and SciFiOnScreen did (links to their shows below)!: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/take-me-to-your-reader/id845657082
Pounder Rankings!:
James:
- screenplay
- book
- movie
Colin:
- book
- screenplay
- movie
Seth:
- book
- movie
- screenplay
Notes:
- Asimov introduces the Three Laws (and says Robut): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6Py0td-if4
- Asimov, Harlan Ellison and Gene Wolfe on Science Fiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky5Q3xqBJhc
- StarShip Sofa’s review of I, Robot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1rgA6xQhtM
- Interview with the screenwriter for Hardwired: http://www.screenwritersutopia.com/article/d19127d8
- The Kitchen Counter Podcast: http://kitchencounterpodcast.com/
- SciFi OnScreen: http://www.scifionscreen.com/
TMTYR Episode #24: Raptor Bromance (Jurassic World)
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For a special attempt at relevance, the Pavement Pounders discuss Jurassic World, currently chomping through box office records and in no way in need of their endorsement. Still and all, they discuss in what sense (if any) the movie is adapted from the original Jurassic Park novel, just to give lip service to the whole “Reader” thing in their title.
Slowness of aging T-Rexes discussed! Lack of a clear protagonist dissed! Emergence of Indomitus-Rex’s traits disbelieved!
No rankings this time, though all the Pounders believe this movie is a more worthy sequel than any of the previous ones. Worth seeing as a popcorn movie. Ish.
Notes:
- TMTYR episode about Jurassic Park: http://pavementpodcast.com/podcast/tmtyr-episode-8-tranny-saurus-philosoraptor/
- Sci-Fi OnScreen podcast (http://www.scifionscreen.com/), mentioned in the show and possibly soon coming out with a contrary opinion (based on Facebook posts).
- Hey, Do You Remember podcast (http://27thletterproductions.com/hey-do-you-remember/2015/6/11/jurassic-park), mentioned on the show, recently did Jurassic Park (NSFW language)
- Phil Plait on the science of Jurassic Park: http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2015/06/11/jurassic_park_science_and_the_lack_thereof.html
- New data on how prevalent feathers were: http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/most-dinosaurs-were-probably-scaly-not-feathered
- Yet more panning of JP’s science: http://io9.com/yes-jurassic-parks-bad-dinosaur-science-still-matters-1710655652
- io9 review of Jurassic World: http://io9.com/jurassic-world-is-all-park-and-no-bite-1710793605
TMTYR Episode #23: Dawn of the Apron (The Stepford Wives)
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In Episode #23, the Pavement Pounders are joined by Emily (James’s better half) to discuss Ira Levin’s 1972 novel The Stepford Wives and its two film adaptations, from 1975 and 2004.
Big thanks to Emily for suggesting the topic, and to Roger at TheGeekLikes.com for seconding it.
Content warning: This podcast contains some frank discussions on sexuality. Nothing wildly inappropriate, explicit or off-color, but just accurate terms being used. Probably not for young audiences.
1970s boringness discussed! 2000s incoherence explored! Serious, serious hotness mismatches panned!
Will our rankings be Roger or non-Roger? Will our vectors be Victor?
Pounder Rankings!:
Emily/James/Colin/Seth/Roger:
- book
- 1975 film
- 2004 film
That’s 100% Roger. Something must’ve been in the water, I guess…
Notes:
- Blastr’s series on 1975 Sci-Fi/horror releases: http://www.blastr.com/2015-2-12/stepford-wives-40-slyly-skewering-gender-roles-it-was-cool
- Tribute to the original: http://www.thrillmesoftly.com/2008/04/the-stepford-wives-accept-no-substitute/
- The “Real” Stepford Wives: http://www.stepfordwives.org/
TMTYR Episode #22: No Penalties, No Time Limit, No Award (Rollerball)
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In Episode #22, the Pavement Pounders take up Michael Simshauser’s suggestion of the 1975 dystopian sports movie Rollerball, based on the William Harrison short story “Rollerball Murder,” and also give some due condemnation to the 2002 abomination of a remake. 
It’s two hours of movie from 70 minutes of material! With bonus amazing classical music thrown in! Weird night vision panned! Extra violence requested!
Pounder Rankings!:
Seth/James:
- Rollerball (1975)
- “Rollerball Murder”
- Rollerball (2002), a distant third
Colin:
- No penalties, no time limit, and no award. Colin has abstained from the vote.
Notes:
- Thanks again to Michael (@remotesimmie) for the suggestion!
- ISFDB entry for Rollerball Murder: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?97590
- Audio drama of the story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd4cqK9Y2uo
- PDF of the story: http://instruct.uwo.ca/kinesiology/378/files/essays/roller.pdf
- Tribute to William Harrison: http://www.avclub.com/article/rip-william-harrison-writer-of-emrollerballem-104651
- Rules of RBM: http://japenet.net/the_rules_of_rbm.html
- Evolution of Rollerball: http://japenet.net/evolution_of_rollerball.html
- Reviews and podcasts about the story:
- Evil Overlord Rules: http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html
- Rotten Tomatoes Worst of 2000-2009: http://www.listal.com/list/rotten-tomatoes-worst-worst
- The Sports Guy review of the remake: http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/020214
- Cracked article about bad remakes: http://www.cracked.com/article_17141_6-movie-remakes-that-missed-point.html
- Albinoni’s Adagio in G Minor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuh3WyfVL2M
TMTYR Episode #21: Word Salad With the Pavement Pounders (Supercut!)
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Now that we’ve been doing this about a year, we figured it was high time to put together a supercut of us being idiots. So if you’ve joined us recently, here’s your chance to see what you’ve missed.
Colin insists on adaptational fidelity and disagrees with Seth! Seth admits or doesn’t admit he’s wrong! James says “That’s what she said!” That’s pretty much what you get from us.
(Our regularly-scheduled April episode –Rollerball!– will be out in a couple of weeks.)
TMTYR Episode #20: A Lot of Novel Stuff in There (Total Recall Novelization)
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For a special April Fools’ Day episode, the Pavement Pounders change things up and discuss the book adapted from Total Recall, namely the novelization of the film, written by Piers Anthony, who was gracious enough to respond to a query about the process for writing it.
Warning: Colin geeks out to within an inch of his life. He seems to be stable now.
How many bosoms were there? Was it Quaid or Quail? Just how many kids did Benny claim to have? And why didn’t Richter lose his arms?
Pounder Rankings!:
Colin:
- novelization
- movie
James:
- novelization
- movie
Seth:
- movie
- novelization
Notes:
- The Future of Movie Novelizations: https://www.yahoo.com/movies/movie-novelizations-keep-writing-a-new-chapter-89164640792.html
- Can We Terraform Mars?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F1iWp4Gl3k
TMTYR Episode #19: False Mammaries, or Sleeping With the Enemy (Total Recall)
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In Episode #19, the Pavement Pounders discuss the Philip K. Dick short story “We Can Remember it For You Wholesale” and the two films (1990 and 2012) titled Total Recall adapted from it.
The virtue of blood squibs discussed! The tri-mammary problem under consideration! Many too many Ahhnold impressions done! See you at the paaaahty!
Pounder Rankings!:
Colin/James/Seth:
- 1990 film
- story
- 2012 film
Notes:
- Thanks to Megan, Lisa, and Malc for contributing to the conversation on Facebook!
- “We Can Remember it For You Wholesale” PDF: http://www.english.upenn.edu/~cavitch/pdf-library/Dick_Wholesale.pdf
- Audio-drama of the story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBOBObhbbqU
- 10 Amazing Things You Didn’t Know About TOTAL RECALL: http://www.thegeektwins.com/2013/11/10-amazing-things-you-didnt-know-about.html#.VO5vzi5Mcmc
- Book and movie(s) compared: https://litreactor.com/columns/book-vs-film-total-recallwe-can-remember-it-for-you-wholesale
- Scientists produce false memories in mice: http://www.insidescience.org/content/scientists-produce-false-memories-mice/1278
- Guardian article on the Bugs Bunny memory problem: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2003/dec/04/science.research1
- Worst Movie Remakes!: http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/worst-movie-remakes
- “Rollerball Murder”: http://instruct.uwo.ca/kinesiology/378/files/essays/roller.pdf
TMTYR Episode #18: No Ifs, Ands or Robuts (Leonard Nimoy)
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In honor of Leonard Nimoy, the Pavement Pounders briefly discuss two episodes of The Outer Limits, both starring Nimoy, and also discuss the Eando Binder short story I, Robot on which the episodes were based.
No, we’re not discussing the Isaac Asimov story collection or the Will Smith movie. That’ll have to wait for later. It was only logical.
LLAP.
Pounder Rankings!:
James:
- 1964 episode
- Story
- 1995 episode
Colin:
- Story
- 1964 episode
- 1995 episode
Seth:
- Story
- 1964 episode
- 1995 episode
Notes:
- Sci-Show Brief History of Robots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoC2ZGRI8a8
- R.U.R. ePub: https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/c/capek/karel/rur/
- The Complete Adventures of Adam Link (B&N): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-complete-adventures-of-adam-link-eando-binder/1018911130?ean=9781257387113
- How is Robot Pronounced? http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2012/11/robot-talk.html
- Change the Pronounciation to Robut!: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Change-the-official-pronunciation-of-Robot-to-Robut/211980118851702
TMTYR Episode #17: An Awful Waste of Space (Contact)
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For Episode #17, fittingly a prime number, the Pavement Pounders discuss Contact, by Carl Sagan, and the 1997 film adapted from it. Big thanks to Rem from The Sci-Fi Movie Podcast for recommending it!
Full Spoiler alert! Asterisms discussed! Swedish Radio Astronomy considered! The Drake Equation pondered! And also the crucial question of why, for the love of God and the sanity of Seth, don’t movie people run like real people run?
Alternate titles:
- What happens on Vega stays on Vega
- Vega Vacation!
- I’m Getting Only Vega Messages
Pounder Rankings!:
Colin/James/Seth:
- movie
- book
(Unanimity is rare, but it has to happen sometimes. It’s probably in the Drake Equation.)
Notes:
Sci-Fi Movie Podcast Contact:
http://sci-fimoviepodcast.com/sci-fi-movie-podcast-contact/
Sci-Fi Movie Podcast Rise of the Planet of the Apes, featuring Seth:
http://sci-fimoviepodcast.com/sci-fi-movie-podcast-rise-planet-apes/
Carl Sagan’s Letter About the Screenplay:
http://io9.com/5931333/read-carl-sagans-letter-politely-telling-warner-bros-their-script-sucked
Phil Plait’s review of the film:
http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/movies/contact.html
Do Astronauts carry suicide pills?
http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2013/10/astronauts-and-suicide-pills.html
Should we broadcast to aliens:
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/be-or-not-be-signaling-aliens-question-seti-n305546
Rise/Set/Transit Times for Major Solar System Bodies and Bright Stars:
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/mrst.php
xkcd:
Drake Equation: http://xkcd.com/384/
The Search: http://xkcd.com/638/
Fundamental Forces: http://xkcd.com/1489/
Seth’s Review of Contact:
http://seth.heasley.net/blog/2015/02/book-review-contact-by-carl-sagan