Guys Of A Certain Age

On this week's Guys of a Certain Age, Robbie and Art look at 10 sci-fi movies that just have to be viewed on the big screen.  In Geeks of the Week, we remember three legends who are no longer with us. We share "Good Times" and other memories of a beloved actor, and cover the bases with a "should-be" Hall of Famer. We also look back at the magical career of one of our favorite Dames.   Make sure to listen to this episode with the biggest speakers you can find.

Once in a while, The Guys will talk about Emmy and Oscar winners, but it’s not often they get to interview one.   This episode is no exception: Donna Cutting hasn’t won either of those awards, but she at least has attended the ceremonies, which is a lot closer than any of The Guys have been.  Donna has also been an extra in a major motion picture, and in a scene that wasn’t cut, to boot!  She’s an author, a speaker, a seat-filler, and may just be the one person that can convince Robbie of the value of musical theater.   It’s time to pull your McLego race car to the curb for a moment, pour a cuppa Earl Grey as if you were captain Picard, and light up one of many green lanterns, to set the mood for this soon-to-be Tony award nominated podcast episode.  Roll out the red carpet and experience one of The Guys’ favorite new guests.  

They say that boys never grow up, they just get bigger toys.  They also say that guys of a certain age never grow up and may or may not still have lots of the old toys they played with before they grew older. At the very least, they remember them fondly.   And that’s the subject of today’s episode: the Toy Hall of Fame inductees at the Strong Museum in Rochester, NY.  The nominees and past inductees run the gamut, from sticks and cardboard boxes to Dungeons & Dragons, and everything in between.  The only surprises may be the toys that haven’t yet made the cut.  In the Geeks of the Week segment, DC features strongly in this one, with the debut of the Christopher Reeves documentary and Batman’s newest accolade on the eve of yet another National Batman Day.   This episode was not recorded on an iPhone, but Robbie tells of a movie coming to theaters that was filmed with one.  Or maybe more than one.  Pretend to pop a bowl of popcorn with the 2023 hall of fame inductee, the Fisher Price rolling corn popper - or have your kid roll it around while you listen under a 2011 winner, the blanket.    

Imagine this line in the deepest voice possible: This…is Guys of a Certain Age. (GNN sounds better but Guys, Nerds and Nitwits doesn’t quite hold up.)  If only the Guys could have had James Earl Jones voice the intro, surely the ad revenue would have moved into double digits.  Alas, the voice of Darth Vader and one of the most memorable actors of our day has passed, and the first half of the episode is dedicated to remembering the life and career of Mississippi native James Earl Jones.   No geeks.  No regrettables.  Just one of the coolest voices on the planet being discussed by three less cool, but highly respectful, voices.  And one of the highest GOCA Geek Index scores yet.   After the break, the mood changes a bit to a celebration of 85 years of Marvel.  Art, Jay and Robbie give their top moments of those 85 years, from the comics pages to the big screen, with a few plot twists thrown in to make it interesting.  Listen to this one as if JEJ was speaking it…and marvel.  

Just because this episode is about “last things” doesn’t mean it’s the last episode.  In fact, it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship - or of 100 more episodes.  And just like Casablanca, Guys of a Certain Age is destined to be a classic.   In this episode, Jay quizzes Art and Robbie to test their knowledge on famous last lines of movies, stretching back to near 100 years of movie making.  Then they turned the discussion to what was important about movie closings compared to book openings, whether or not end-credit scenes upset the balance, and why Art knew all the answers.   In this week’s Geeks, Jay found the perfect cologne for the food court crowd, Art says “see you later, T.Wai-tator,” and Robbie orders a new set of Blu-Rays to watch on his way to Universal Studios Hollywood.  Listen to this one and remember: it’s the stuff dreams are made of.  

The Guys have hit the big time.  It’s Episode #300!   Who would have thought they would go from a meat-and-three lunch to a meat-and-three-hundred conversations about … well, almost everything?  Who knew that a “certain age” would be 300? And who guessed that the people at Comic Code (aka Mrs. Reed) would let them keep rambling for that long?  Probably nobody.   But with episode 301 already in the proverbial can, there’s a good chance they’ll keep going at least a week or two.  Very little chance, however, that Jay will start going by another name, like Michael Keaton is doing.  Nor will Art be a guest on the ManningCast (but negotiations are underway for a host swap).   And Robbie won’t likely be considered for the role of Green Lantern, but let’s get that rumor started anyway, shall we?  Listeners to this episode will get a chance to vote regrettable or redeemable for a record 4 comic superheroes of the gold and silver ages.  Plus, you can decide which of The Guys is most likely to play the role of Brain Boy, Zippo, Brother Power the Geek, or Bee-Man.  Be sure to vote “redeemable” for the podcast, and stick around for 100 more episodes!

Are there any movie remakes better than the originals?  Are there any podcast episodes better than this one?  Let’s stick to the first question and plead the fifth on the second, shall we?   The Guys look at a legion of movies that, to some degree or another, are remakes of movies made anywhere from 10 to many years before, and some were remade multiple times.  Some got a definite nod (hello, Dune) while others perhaps should have left very well enough alone and waxed off.  That makes this The Guys’ incomplete guide to movies that should or should not have been tried and tried again.   In this week’s Geeks, Robbie gets into presidential mode with a new book on the way, Jay rethinks clicking that he’s read and agrees to all those terms and conditions, and Art heads for the borderlands.  Leave a five star review, or face the possibility that this episode could be remade.  

It’s the podcast that’s rated SM-R (Sorry, Mrs. Reed) but has still managed to avoid that pesky explicit rating - It’s Guys of a Certain Age!   Also the podcast that’s made approximately $27.50 in advertising over almost 300 episodes - they have a ways to catch up to Deadpool and Wolverine, which is shattering box office records one after the other.  And that doesn’t even include the 116 F-bombs and the special edition chimichanga at Disneyland.  It had all the surprise cameos, all the easter eggs, all the cultural references, all the Reynolds/Lively family, all the Deadpools and all the Wolverines from all the universes (or is it universi?), and did we mention, all the F-bombs?  The Guys agreed it was quite the spectacle, but still hit all the buttons of great superhero action, plot twists, tear potential, comic fan service, and fourth wall interaction.   Mrs. Reed is unlikely to see it in theaters or anywhere else, but The Guys are ready to see it again.  Spoilers abound, so beware!  

It’s not a rom-com, but it has both rom and com with an extra-large side of Twister fries. Twisters, the movie, is the surprise hit of the summer, and also of note: The Guys all saw it in the theater, with their wives, and within a few days of being in the theater for another film.  But this one didn’t star Ryan Reynolds.  In fact, perhaps the biggest name in this tornado-flick-sans-sharks was an amazing singer who didn’t get to sing.  The plot line was pleasantly predictable, but hey - so is this podcast.  The Guys recommend this one 100% and especially in the theater, but if you can’t do that, at least find a large TV with a surround sound system, and turn the ceiling fan on high.   Geeks this week include: The US Mint does a cross-over with DC and you can help! Batman Caped Crusader has made it to Prime!  And if you live near enough to an IMAX theater, Interstellar is celebrating 10 years with a re-release in those big, tall, round theaters.  Not the Globe… not the Sphere…the other ones.  In fact, you should listen to this episode in an IMAX ear theater.  

Hello, and welcome to Hall G at the first annual GOCA-CON!  We can pipe dream, can’t we?  In the meantime, The Guys will live vicariously through those who were privileged to attend the 2024 version of what used to be a comic book convention, now the site of every major reveal in geek media.   The announcements were plenty: RDJr reappears with a different metal mask, Harrison Ford enters the MCU and seems to be embarrassed  (or is his face red for another reason?), and the Fantasticar flies around Hall H along with the cast of F4.  And that was just Marvel.  In other Marvel news, Jay discovers a super cooking show, Art relives his travels during the Crowdstrike pandemic, and Robbie doubles up with another Star Wars show on the horizon and a Netflix adaptation of Dragon’s Lair, featuring Ryan Reynolds playing…Ryan Reynolds.   Apparently all roads lead to Marvel on this episode, since it was a marvel that Art made it home without having to rent a car.  Except the golden age superhero emblazoned with all the colors, that unfortunately gets a 3 Regrettables rating.  Every week is GOCA-CON!