The MacGuffin

It seemed unlikely, but J.J. Abrams did it when he captured my interest with Star Trek in 2009. For most of my life, I really hadn’t given the franchise much attention. But his combination of a fantastic cast, solid plot, and great action proved to be the perfect combination to win over naysayers and even the most difficult critics. Now, with the release of the sequel Star Trek Into Darkness, Abrams tackles perhaps his biggest challenge as a director—repeating that success.

In honor of the release of Star Trek Into Darkness, Spencer and Greg discuss Simon Pegg.

As a fan of independent film, I’m excited when I’m introduced to the work of noteworthy filmmakers. For several years now, I’ve been hearing about the prolific career of Joe Swanberg and have been curious to check out his movies. Finally at SXSW this year, forces aligned and I was able to check out his latest project, Drinking Buddies, and saw how hype met reality.

Spencer and Greg give their DVD rundown for May 14th, 2013. In this episode they discuss Cloud Atlas, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Beware of Mr. Baker and Dexter.

Spencer interviews actress Michelle Monaghan from the drama Gus at SXSW 2013.

This segment is also available on Stitcher, iTunes and YouTube. The audio version can be downloaded directly from here.

In honor of the release of The Great Gatsby, Spencer and Greg discuss Tobey Maguire.

Spencer interviews actress Radha Mitchell from the drama Gus at SXSW 2013.

This segment is also available on Stitcher, iTunes and YouTube. The audio version can be downloaded directly from here.

Spencer interviews writer/director Jessie McCormack from the drama Gus at SXSW 2013.

This segment is also available on Stitcher, iTunes and YouTube. The audio version can be downloaded directly from here.

Spencer and Greg give their DVD rundown for May 7th, 2013. In this episode they discuss Jack Reacher, Fringe, Superman: Unbound and Mama.

Recently, I was lucky enough to attend the opening of the Experience Music Project/Sci-Fi Museum’s (EMP/SFM) latest major exhibit, Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic, showcasing materials from fantasy worlds such as Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. In honor of the opening of the exhibit, the museum put together a massive party that featured events such as swordfighting presentations, talks from noteworthy figures such as Karen Falk (the head archivist for The Jim Henson Company), and the opportunity to learn to play card games such as Magic: The Gathering.