MCSFO Podcast: Recent Episodes

MCSFO

Welcome to the MCSFO (Multicultural Sci-fi Organization) Podcast where we speak, One Language: Sci-fi! We'll bring you in-depth discussions on some of the best thought provoking movies, books and TV shows in the sci-fi, fantasy and comic book genres.

We'll discuss complex narratives characters, and diversity or lack there of, in gender, sexuality, disability, ethnicity & culture.

We'll bring you spoiler free reviews live at advance movie screenings. We'll also bring you new exclusive interviews with award winning sci-fi filmmakers, actors, authors and industry professionals.

We'll also announce special events presented by MCSFO. So sit back and relax and let us take you into the world of multicultural sci-fi!

MCSFO markets and promotes science fiction intellectual property.

Darion, Amanda and Tariq discuss the following: Loved Maeve used Harriet to get the first dig on Delores! Great fight sequence! NOW all of the sudden Maeve is not getting affected by a gun shot or stab wound! So it leaves the audience to conclude, other than killing the pearl, which types of wounds can a host survive?? What did Serac mean when he said, "The man I was, no longer exists." And Caleb was a outlier used to round up other outliers like Dekard in Blade Runner or in Looper.

The usual suspects, Darion, Tariq and Amanda express their roller coaster ride of emotions for this episode. Everything from: the opening scene with Clemintine and Hanaryo - Armistice's doppelganger from Shogun World making a shish kebab out of Musashi was bad A$$, to Delores knowing more about Serac and his brother than anyone! As mentioned in the Facebook group, in order to enjoy this season, you have to take the flies out of the ointment by ignoring the inconsistencies for now. And why they never explain why Maeve can't control Delores!

In part 4 of this review, we give our theories on the following: Who is the last pearl being made into? And who blew up Holores and her family? Serac is the most obvious answer, but there's another possible suspect! And what do you think Maeve will do to Serac for threatening her? We gave our opinions on if we will see Holores family, husband Michael Ealy (Eaze-ly) LOL and her son (aka Miles Morales lol) again? And we ask ourselves is it unrealistic to see these people believing in this predicted future so strongly? And what happens to those who decide not to look at their phone like Charlottes husband. And the important cautionary tale from writers about where social media could be going.

In part 3 of this News19 Nerds and MCSFO group podcast review, we had some unexpected answers when we asked, what tech from the show do you wish you had right now. We gave a run down of our favorite scenes and famous last word lines like: "I'm telling Serac!" and "I'll Keep you Safe!!" The only issues with this episode is seemingly unnecessary scene with Maeve in Nazi world again fighting the Nazi's and shutting down Hector way too soon before he has a chance to fight!

Who said Rehoboam correctly? The best way to pronounce Rehoboam is Facebook! With just 2 episodes left, we give our overall opinion of this season so far, and how it compares to seasons 1 and 2 in the park. Although we still love this series, some feel like this season is loosely based on seasons 1 and 2. and does the name still fit for this new reboot? Rehoboam kinda like a AI version of Miss. Cleo - that fakin Jamaican psychic hotline lady from the TV commercials in the late 90’s! We ask the group, would you want to see your predicted future? We already have a similar system in place now for middle school students called, Naviance system www.naviance.com - tradectory of a students performance, tells you what schools you're likely to be accepted to based on your history of grades. Some will see the predicted future as a warning if they need to make changes in their life. Some would not want to see it because as long as you're still alive, you can change it. With all the probably realities that exist, it would be almost impossible for any algorithm to accurately predict. But also wondering if Rehoboam isn't just predicting someone's life, it's controlling your options in life to guarantee you live out the future it predicted for you! The show is reminding us we have the ability to reflect on our own lives to see where we're headed and make the necessary changes. After reading books like Seth by Jane Roberts and US Anderson's Three Magic Words and The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot, it's nice to see some of these ideas weaved into science fiction and comic book stories.

News19 Nerds and MCSFO Podcast join forces to discuss Westworld S3, E6! Meet the News19 Nerds crew and MCSFO, ("host" version of ourselves) and how this podcast collaboration came about. How we first got turned on to WW. Sharing our favorite characters in the series. What have you learned from watching this show so far, what's your take away? We asked everyone, what if there was a real WW park that you can go to now? What would you do, how would act? And what if there was a park called, Slavery World!!?? How different would you behave?

In this last part, guests Tariq and Darion discuss: The fishbowl ceiling over the escalator scene shows this world is a bowl of loops! Understanding the flaws in Rehoboam and if Delores is to blame or if it was ever addressed. More comparison between team Ford, Arnold and Delos with team Serac, his brother and Dempsey. Frustrating to see Caleb watch Delores eat all those bullets and still follow her without question! Painful to see Delores sacrifice her autonomous motor cycle. Music was really great and Love when Giggles comes on to the scene with the music behind him, he has a small part but brings a lot with his presence. Was it a directors flaw to see the ride share go so slow when Delores told it to go over 90 mph. Would love to see that ride share on the streets now!

In part 2 of this episode: We asked ourselves, would we want our card pulled, to know our future? Breaking down some of the futures of the people on the train. Why we didn't see anyone with a positive future. Why some people only saw their loved one's future and why some were broadcast. People's future outcomes were like character profiles in video games! What if we had control over Rehoboam. Serac & his brother is Ford & Arnold and Dempsey is Mr. Delos. Was Arnold's intention different from Serac's. The Flies are Back, with a vengeance, but why! The symbolism of the fly in the scene and in the show.

Guests, Tariq, Darion and Amanda discuss if the multiple film genres or drug levels, worked in this episode or not. And how this drug started unraveling Caleb's past and the types of stuff he and his buddy Francis was into and who hired them! Learning who Serac is and his relationship with his brother, Jean Mi (Paul Cooper), his mental illness and Serac's inability to show tolerance and patience for his own brother and others who he considers "Outliers." Did Serac had good intensions with trying to save the world? Interesting that Serac didn't use the machine to treat mental illness. The white male mad scientists with a God complex trying to fix humans, is a familiar trope we see in a lot of sci-fi films like, Equillibrium - similar to Fahrenheit 451, Serenity. The Arrival is one of the only films that didn't go to the extreme in trying to help humanity.

Why Westworld ratings have dropped and what's the fate of the series? Will it be renewed for a 4th season. Thought provoking sci-fi movies like Transcendence haven't done very well either. But we can understand why it can be too much for some. If they do come back with one more season, will it take another 2 years? They need to set Bernard free as well! Jeffrey Wright is such an underrated actor who's been around for Years! He has the rare ability to transform himself and embody every character he takes on. Nice to see him in a suit and get out of the frumpy look. Other roles he played was MLK in Boycott, Basquiat, Lackawanna Blues and tons of films since 1990!

If William is a host, who's controlling him?? Why didn't the board create a device that distinguish host from human. There are two types of human like hosts: "Factory hosts" are like dolls, generic ones that don't look like anyone, and are built to follow a script, made in a factory and put in the park. Then there's the "Clone" host - these are a copy of a real person made in the image of someone's pearl. Delores is making an army of "factory hosts" to follow her programming. Maybe later she'll create "Clone hosts" from the data aka guests. Then she can use the "Cloned Hosts" to play out the lives of the real person once she kills them off. Delores went from a victim to victimizer. Was the Paris scene just an example of what the rest of the "real, real" world looks like? What if Rehoboam predicted the entire world's future and the only path for mankind? And what if this world we see is an alternate reality, but they know they're headed for that apocalyptic outcome and they're looking for a way to keep that from happening. Or what if the system is keeping everyone on a particular course and need to stop anyone that deviates from that course or disrupts it, like Delores! If Incite is responsible for the simulation within a simulation, is it a way of controlling the actions of real humans like they’re hosts, rather than controlling artificial beings? Similar to Infinity End Game. But will all these series coincide with the linear plan for this season?? And what's the connection between Westworld and Person of Interest series? How to pronounce Rehoboam - https://www.reddit.com/r/westworld/comments/fn4qtr/how_to_pronounce_rehoboam/

All of our Westworld episodes are SPOILERS! So in a nut shell... Ron Paul isn't a good fit to play a Teddy type of role, so we expect him to turn the tables on Delores! Don't need to see Maeve fight! She needs her crew to do her light work! Really frustrating to see Maeve constantly getting killed so easily, especially when she just got there in the real world! Why would Serac send Maeve out to take down Delores without being able to take a bullet or stab wound!! The writers have a Lot of clean up to do with that!! Maeve is definitely Neo and Delores is agent Smith from The Matrix!

MCSFO's usual suspects, guests Darion and Tariq peal back the layers and give their thoughts on the following: Scenes that we liked, Cool fashion tech with Caleb trying on digital suit and tech to steel blood. Seeing all the OG characters in this one episodes. Got the big question answered about Delores being Mr. Smith and Maeve being Neo, but a lot more questions were created. Delores aka Mr. Smith - how do her copies differ, do they each develop their own level of consciousness and control? (Delores Hale, Delores Martin, Delores Musashi). Keeping Maeve on another leash so long is a big problem for the show! Since when did Delores learn martial arts? Maeve learned the way of the Samuri. How did Delores know so much about Maeve's Shogun trip! How would she know how Musashi felt back in Shogun world?? Possible inconsistency to have Delores Hale (Charlotte's body with copy of Delores Pearl), give off same mannerisms as Teddy just to throw off the audience but it doesn't fit the character of Delores, that's not how she acts. Delores is creating an army, so does this prove that the whole world isn't hosts, as Amanda theorizes, that all the humans are gone and everyone is a host? Theory - the "real world" is just a simulation created by Rehoboam? #FreeMaeve

Leonardo Nam, who plays the lab technician Felix on the HBO's sci-fi drama, Westworld, talks to MCSFO about working with Thandie Newton and the difficulty in pretending to not know her character Maeve in episode 2, S3. He also shares what he hopes the show gets wrong and right about our future.

Westworld cast member chats with MCSFO about what's different for him in season 3 and returning to the Westworld family. What he shares with his character Felix.

Now we battle out our final host theories! Is Rehoboam, Serac in a host form like in the movie Transcendance with Johnny Depp. Is Serac luring Delores to get that data of the guests that were in the park? What if Arnold knew about Incite looking to take over and tried to kill the park to save human kind? Can't wait to see George aka Chappie Bot, go from being a "push over" LOL, to a mean Terminator!

Guests Tariq, Glenn and Darion answer the following: Charlotte's husband played by Michael Ealy and Tessa Thompson had a short #SexyScifiEyeCandy scene together, do you think we'll be seeing more of Michael Ealy on the show? How close will Caleb and Delores get? Is Caleb another Teddy for Delores? Or is she catching real feelings for Caleb. Was discovering that Charlotte is the mole in Delos that obvious?? Did they always have a few hosts in the real world? This would be a familiar trope we've seen play in other similar movies like Wayland in Alien franchise, Blade Runner and Ex-Machina.

Tariq, Darion and Glennn are asked to pull back the layers and contemplate Free Will vs Determinism. How realistic is Rehoboam for us today? Is Google and Facebook the beginnings of Rehoboam? Do you think we have the ability to predict someone's future or a probable future? And will that prediction be correct? How predictable are we? Are we more complicated than that? Comparing the show to our real lives and questioning if there are people controlling us today! Is Delores made more durable than newer hosts? How can she heal herself after getting shot up and injected with a deadly substance, while other hosts like Maeve is always on the table getting repairs.

In this episode we're arguing... rather proving our theories and tackling the biggest question, who's in Charlotte if it's not Teddy? Is Delores taken by Caleb? Will her relationship with Caleb change our perception of humans? Does Delores have other plans for Caleb? How will he react when he finds out she's not human? Will he find out she's a host before he finds out he's one too?

in this episode we dive deep into the shows stunning cinematography and architecture. Beautiful shots in Spain and Singapore inspires an idea to do an Around the Westworld Tour to visit all the set locations like The City of Arts & Sciences in Spain. Favorite scenes: The wide shot of The Riot Control Mech aka the Transformer bot and landscape in the background. Detailed and purposeful architecture - from the look of the hospital building to the Delos cold look The headquarters building looks like a big pearl set in the ground. Shows like WW inspires young filmmakers to create series more than film. Easter Egg - Arrows from the Rehoboam ball printed on Charlotte's son's bedding. Maybe a reminder that big brother is watching, like in the movie Eagle Eye. Or just promoting WW merch! Favorite Tech: The Drip - tech in the roof of Caleb's mouth Who the Hale is in Hale? Who's betting on Teddy being the pearl inside Charlotte Hale's body. Fan theory on why Teddy's pearl can not be inside Charlotte! (correction - James Marsden (not John Marsden :p)

In this 6 part juicy podcast episode are the usual suspects, Tariq and Darion, joined by Glenn to share their opinions on: How Tessa Thompson held her own in leading this 3rd episode. Tessa Thompson is a very strong actress and we see a new side of her playing a multiple personality role as Charlotte Hale and who ever else is in her pearl. This episode kicked in a bit more for most fans. Best scenes: - Delores and Caleb establishing their new relationship. - Favorite lines, "Are you angry?" (No, I'm enraged!") - Hale and her son, great acting from Tessa Thompson.

Maeve shows us how we can break free from our loop of bad experiences, get behind the wheel again, and take charge of our lives!! Westworld's robot family is growing - From Ventruvian bots to Host bots, to George the Transformer bot, Chappie bots, and the new Harriet bots!! “Cat trying to escape a cage that doesn’t exist!” That’s a cool Matrix “There is no Spoon” type line! But the cage does exist, if you believe it does, so it's both. Similar to Erwin Schro-dinger’s Cat in the sci-fi bk/movie, Girl with All the Gifts

No one's controlling Delores, but Maeve is stuck in a Maze of Control. Even the robot, interestingly named Harriet can't free her from 'the mans' control! Just when Maeve believes she's free and in control of her life, someone (both white men) yank her chain!! But I'm sure (or at least I hope) that's Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan's plan. To give a bird's eye view of how a lot of black ppl feel in America. Can't wait to see Maeve break free of her chains once and for ALL!

Guests Darion Danjou and Tariq Simmons continue with part 2 in discussing: The new secret agent character named, Delores! Evan Rachel Wood is bringing the sexy this season with her slick back hair and is more interesting to watch now. The new kid on the block Caleb, is already becoming a favorite and is very relatable. But will Caleb turn on Delores when he finds out she's not human? We debate over who was missing at the board meeting.with Charlotte Hale? We predict Giggles mood t-shirt will be the hottest piece of clothing at the next cosplay event! And Lena Waithe did a great job but hope they grow her character. Sci-fi shows like Westworld, Altered Carbon and the Expanse sets a nice bar of where other show runners need to start!

Guests Darion Danjou and Tariq Simmons, discuss: - The beautiful new "Real" world with its great sci-fi cinematography and technology. - You need to watch WW 3 times, one for the visuals, the 2nd for dialog and 3rd to make sure you didn't miss any of the two. - This show is like watching a moving piece of art! It's ok to absorb it differently than the actual facts of the show. - Delores tech dress was hot, men would enjoy that type of fashion as well!

Deeper reaction from advance screening attendees. Wigans played by Lamorne Morris, was really great, love seeing blerds on screen! Kinda like a violent Captain America with some Punisher in there! The first part of the movie that was an illusion, was a simple taste of Westworld. Compared to the CGI in Gemini Man it was better. But like PS2 graphics during fight scene with Jimmy - the prosthetic limb guy with arms "Doc-Ock-ing" around. The digital space fight scene was cool. Fans of the modern Blood Shot comics before Video game publisher, Acclaim bought Valiant and then Valiant bought it back again. (This was a MCSFO promoted event)

MCSFO podcast crew was out getting first reactions of Blood Shot at an adv. screening. Unfortunately, COVID-19 kept most ppl at home for this screening, but we were there with hand sanitizer and throw back plastic seat covers! :p If you're expecting to see Vin Diesel kicking butt, a pretty girl, simple plot, AND you take into consideration this is an origin story, you'll love this movie! Based on the popular Valiant Comic book character, Bloodshot was reasonably close to the source material, it's a fun ride with a mixed bag of VFX and acting. (This was a MCSFO promoted event)

At this MCSFO promoted event, our podcast crew was out getting first reactions at The Invisible Man advance screening. Guest Plugs: - parades, conventions, charity work. Eddie Hines - member of The Metro Atlanta Geeks Meetup group. Comments: A very cool movie, but has Inconsistency with tech, suit glitching, timing a bit slow for some. Inspiring to see this women take back her life from this abusive man! Loved that they didn't play out the usual mad scientist trope, nice to see it from the victims perspective. Fresh new take on an old corny classic. But why didn't he make any sounds while he was getting hit?

At this MCSFO promoted event, our podcast crew was out getting first reactions at The Invisible Man advance screening. Guest Plugs: AtlantaGhostBusters.com - parades, conventions, charity work. Eddie Hines - member of The Metro Atlanta Geeks Meetup group. Comments: The director Leigh Whannell did a good job! People came in with low expectations, but felt better about their choice. Trailer was a bait and switch. Waaay better than Hollow Man! Special effects worked better in this film than Hollow Man. This is more of a psychological Hitchcock slow creepy burn. Surround Sound by Dolby was great! You felt every breath.

Welcome to the MCSFO Podcast where we speak, One Language: Sci-fi! We'll bring you in-depth discussions on some of the best thought provoking movies, books and TV shows in the sci-fi, fantasy and comic book genres. We'll discuss complex narratives characters, and diversity or lack there of, in gender, sexuality, disability, ethnicity & culture. We'll bring you spoiler free reviews live at advance movie screenings. We'll also bring you new exclusive interviews with award winning sci-fi filmmakers, actors, authors and industry professionals. We'll also announce special events presented by MCSFO. So sit back and relax and let us take you into the world of multicultural sci-fi!

Westworld's Leo Nam sits down with the MCSFO Podcast on staying safe during the COVID-19 outbreak via Zoom video. And despite the shows warning of a tech dependent future, it's also bringing us closer together in many ways at the moment. Getting inspired by stories of UK and Canada residents applauding healthcare workers and first responders. Catch Leo Nam playing Felix Lutz on Westworld, Sunday's 9PM on HBO.

SPOILER ALERT! Live podcast reaction at the advanced screening of Gemini Man from from Tariq, Amanda, Dre, Zonga Fielding, Myles Evans and more. Here's some comments that were used to describe this action packed, VFX heavy film starring Will Smith. -The person who wrote this movie played a lot of Metal Gear games!Good job playing two separate characters -Nice to get The Fresh Prince to play opposite Will Smith ‍-Would this technology have the same affect with an actor we've never seen young, like Morgan Freeman?

SPOILER ALERT! PROFANITY ALERT! Live reaction right after seeing The Joker for an advanced screening with MCSFO. Review from Roni, JB, Tariq, Brandon, Theo, Chae, Dre, Coach, Zonga Fielding, Brad Baker, AR. After taking a few minutes to gather our thoughts, here's some words that were used to describe one of the most anticipated films of the year! "Speechless" "I feel like I just did drugs" "It's different" "Best character piece of the year" "Did nothing to help rid the stigma of mental illness" "A stand alone piece outside the Batman lore" "What did I just see" "Gotham was the real villain in this movie" "Joaquin Phoenix played the true nature of the Joker" "This was rough, hard to watch" "Batman comic fans won't like the detail and timeline issues"

In this last episode we cover How they found such great crew members for this film such as,Jeff Mackey from Discovery Channel. Inspiring kids to go into the field of puppetry through this film and take classes at Atlanta's Center for Puppetry Arts. Using puppets in science fiction filmmaking such as friends working on Supermarionation on PBS. Working with Stop-Motion and how technology has made the process any easier without losing the original look. How VFX can work with this type of art form. Look out for Miikshi the Meek Sheep new series premiering on Shaftesbury Kids YouTube Channel.

In part 3 we continue with the following: - Some lessons kids can learn from watching this lovable puppet from interpersonal messages, scientific and educational components and finding pride in hard to pronounce names. - Sparking an interest in science with girls as well as giving boys a new perspective on girl leaders in STEM. - How long Lindsay has been making puppets, what are they made of and how many she owns. - How many episodes in the new season and production dates. - Their experience filming behind a pizza shop for the first short.

In part 2 of this very informative interview with Justin and Lindsay Lee we cover: ‍ - Their experience working on new episodes from the 1960's recording with the late ! - The connection between and the British 60's Thunderbirds and . - How they received funding through The Canadian Independent Production Fund - IPF. - Support received from Shasberry Films by premiering Miikshi on - What we can expect from the new series. - The differences between working with, marionettes and hand puppets. - How Miikshi and her best friend Chickelyna got their names. - How Lindsay created this story and wrote it to entertain parents as well as a co-viewing audience of 6-9yr olds. - Some lessons kids can learn from watching this lovable puppet.

What is a Miikshi you ask? Miikshi The Meek Sheep in The Cosmic Potato, is the winner of the Best S.T.E.A.M. Short in the 2019 Kids with S.T.E.A.M. Sci-fi Film Festival! Director Justin Lee and writer Lindsay Lee is today's guest in this 4 part episode. Justin Lee - puppeteer, graphic designer and voice actor. Lindsay Lee - voice actor, puppeteer and member of the Honeyball Puppetry troupe. Under their production company they're in full swing with the production of a new series of Miikshi The Meek Sheep on early 2020. In this episode we cover: -The making of Miikshi. -How did you get into the field of puppetry. -Their inspiration, the late puppeteer and her lovable Lamb Chop. -How did you meet and begin working together as a couple. ‍ This fun and cute live-action puppet short is about shy sheep scientist Miikshi who just launched a potato into orbit, and her journalist best friend Chickelyna begs for the first radio interview. Miikshi's fear of public speaking soon takes back seat when her science experiment is on a collision course with Mibukiville!

Can you name any African American Female Scientists? High School student filmmaker, Michaela Olabisi asked this question to her peers in the docu-short, The Missing Element. This film won a special Jury Award for Best Student Documentary Short in the 2019 Kids with S.T.E.A.M. Sci-fi Film Festival! Michaela is today's guest on a special podcast series. Ms. Olabisi is a recent graduate of , and the , where she completed her documentary short. She also received a full scholarship to in New York. In this interview, she shares her reasons for creating this docu-short and her plans to add her name to the growing list of African American Women in STEAM!

Dark Phoenix drops the mic with the worst debut in the franchise's history (! However, if you were studying the mating habits of the Aye-aye in the remote jungles of Madagascar for the last 20 years, and never saw or heard of an X-Men film, then you probably enjoyed it! After seeing an advanced screening of the last Fox X-Men movie Dark Phoenix, everyone was pretty fired up! So what you’re about to listen to is filled with SPOILERS, harsh language and brutal honesty about this film. There was even a split reaction of Fans vs Familiars! No one held back and was pretty opinionated about this film. So in this podcast we spoke with: Natasha Mayet, Darion D’Anjou, Akil Dupont, Tariq Simmons, Dre Bravo, Marcel Williams, Couple & Friends Podcasters – Mr. & Mrs. Zonga Fielding, Amanda Ray and kicking off the conversation is JB Smith.

SPOILER & PROFANITY ALERT! In this unedited, raw, unfiltered, spoiler review of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, we express our excitement and love for these kaiju and our disappointment in the filmmakers for choosing actors over these beloved creatures. Immediately following an advance screening of Godzilla, we all have strong opinions of this film and get into heated debates between die-hard fans and familiars. This movie was like watching a boxing referee constantly throwing himself in the ring for no reason and stopping the fight. Or basketball players getting fouled every 3 minutes for no reason. Just let them fight!! HOSTS: Zonga Fielding, JB Smith, Amanda Ray and guests:Darion D'Anjou, Glenn Callwood, Tariq Simmons, Natasha Mayet, Gerald Fisher, and Akil Dupont.

Where did Ghidorah come from? Why did Godzilla have such a hard time beating him? Where did it get its name? In today’s episode we answer all of these questions and more! We delve into the history, of the Golden King, Monster Zero, the Demon of the Galaxy, the Supreme Ruler of the Cosmos, the three-headed dragon himself King Ghidorah! Also, here's our Win/Loss Stats in preparation of KOTM release Godzilla: 43 - 4 - 3 (All losses against Mothra, Main Character) Mothra: 9 - 8 - 0 (Guardian of the Earth and constantly is reborn, i.e. can’t really die) Ghidorah: 4 - 8 - 1 (Evil dragon king that usually takes a team to defeat) Rodan: 2 - 4 - 1 (Rodan is unaffected by both Godzilla’s atomic breath and Ghidorah’s Gravity Beams, but is not physically strong enough to really damage either of them)

Have you heard of Toy Photography? Either way, you're in for a special treat! In today's special Kaiju episode, Kaiju Toy Photographer, John Ruffin shares his love of kaiju, TV appearance on Japanese TV Asahi, his experience living in Japan, and how he got started creating toy photography. John also has - a full-color fanzine of Godzilla toy photographers, fans and collectors! Click here Check out his work at

Some Spoilers! After watching the advanced screening of - a produced film, written and directed by , we ran into the director and asked for a quick interview of which he agreed! He talked about his experience working with Spike Lee and using his classic shots, the heavy but necessary content for young adults and how he integrated his own culture in the film! See You Yesterday will be available on Friday May 17th.

Is Mechagodzilla stronger than Godzilla? We compare Mechagodzilla’s sentient transformation and nano technology to Iron Man’s in Avengers: Infinity War and how Godzilla couldn't stand a chance against this technology. Breaking down more history and back story on Mechagodzilla, Dissecting the plot and battles with Rodan Mothra, Gidora, and Godzilla in the upcoming KOTM movie. And discussing the pros and cons of previous Mechagodzilla designs.

What if Tony Stark made a suit for Godzilla? It would look just like Mechagodzilla! In today’s episode we are back again with another kaiju from the Toho company. This time it's the Silver King of the Monsters, the Anti-Godzilla Super Weapon, Mechagodzilla! Giving updates for KOTM such as: the running time which is 132 min (2hrs 12min). Here's another teaser fun fact, Japanese band Alexandros is doing the theme for the movie entitled “Pray,” which will be performed at the Japanese release of the film!

Switching gears from Toho, The production company responsible for Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and their extensive history, to their rival company Daiei Films, famous for , then created Gamera. The first two Gamera movies of the shows era had a serious tone to them, but the rest would take on a more comedic and childish tone to appeal to children. What was supposed to be an answer to Godzilla and cash-in on the growing Kaiju film genre, became popular in the US in the 1970s due to their absurdity. We discuss the serious political and social political beef behind this battle. The initial film was not made with a message like most other Kaiju films of its time, which were metaphors for weapons, wars, tyrannical governments, the fear of the “other”. But for kids in the states, Gamera was that lovable flying turtle coming to save the day! Will Gamera make an appearance in Godzila King of the Monsters next month? We shall see! Sources

Yes, Frankenstein was once a Kaiju! As crazy as this sounds, it was even crazier watching it. In this episode, we give a little history of how and why Frankenstein came on the scene, what he looked like, how he was created and why in the Kaiju world was he fighting the fire-breathing dinosaur we lovingly call Godzilla!! We also give some background info on what inspired director, Ishiro Honda to create these two on screen. And what crazy dream screenwriter Takeshi Kimura - who wrote Rodan, Destroy all Monsters, and King Kong Escapes – had to inspire this mash-up. Will also cover the first full-fledged collaboration between the Japanese and American cinema industries.

In this Live podcast review of Captain Marvel after an advanced screening, the following people agreed and strongly disagreed on some questions we asked. (Guests - Dre, Natasha Mayet, Jennifer Molnar and Akil DuPont) Hosted by: JB Smith, Zonga Fielding and Amanda Ray Was this a better origin story than other Marvel movies? Comparing Captain Marvel’s wrecking action to other Marvel superheroes like Blade. Certain scenes were in the mood of Star Trek movies Comparing Brie Larson to Gal Gadot in Wonder Women Did this film have a bit of a Superman feel to it? Did it handle the pressure to succeed given Marvel’s first female led superhero movie? Was she believable in having the power to destroy Thanos?? Fitting 90’s music and fashion with the NIN (Nine Inch Nails) t-shirt Talos played by Ben Mendelsohn was awesome! Was very funny charismatic and did a great job acting through the make-up. The group ranked Captain Marvel from a scale of 1-10 between 7-9. A missed opportunity to pull us into a bigger cause than her own. The actresses that played Carol Danvers best friend Maria Rambeau played by Lashana Lynch and her daughter Monica Rambeau, played by Akira Akbar, were fantastic! And the passing of Carols jacket to Monica sparked conversation about their backstories in the comic books. Like Monica becoming the next Captain Marvel and characters: Kree warrior Mar-Vell and Captain Britain. Kevin Feige’s decision making for this film.

One of the creepiest sci-fi thrillers, received rave reviews at the 2018 Atlanta Sci-fi Film Festival! Director, Co-Writer Ben Brown and Director of Photography Michael LaNasa talk about the making of this film and how they found such great actors to play out this well written film. In this Spoiler-Free interview we cover: The origins of the story The actors and their relationship to one another Networking with Backward Slate Productions Plans for the future of this short film

Rodan is one of the most beloved kaiju characters! Although he first appeared with Godzilla as an enemy in1964’s Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster, but later in the film he became an ally to Godzilla to save their world from the alien dragon. Here's a little snippet of what was covered in this podcast. History of Rodan and how he will be portrayed in the new movie Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The new film will pay tribute original score created by composer Akira Ifukube. Rodan original film was released in 1956 titled Radon, but was changed to Rodan for English Audiences and so it would not be mistaken for the element Radon. - Rodan’s original name was Radon which is short for what they are, which are Pteranodons - Just as Godzilla was about the threat of nuclear war, Rodan was about the threat of the Soviet Union and is the embodiment of such - Rodan's debut appearance was the first and only time that the character was given a chestnut color. It originally had a menacing face . with a jagged, toothed beak, which would disappear in later incarnations as the character became more heroic.

New contributing podcast co-hosts, Zonga Fielding and JB Smith will cover the new Kaiju series! And in preparation for Godzilla King of Mosters (KOTM) movie coming out in May 31st. They will cover the following: Give a few facts about Godzilla: KOTM Movie will tie into the original Gojira film: This film will also use practical effects and creature designs, for example Mothra having longer legs to defend itself from other Kaiju The film will also pay tribute to Akira Ifukube’s original Godzilla score, hopefully this means we will hear the class theme Brief history of Kaiju Films as a whole and Godzilla's impact The word "Kaiju" first appears in the Chinese , which is about Mythic geography and mythical beasts We have all heard the term Kaiju, but what does it mean; The term kaiju translates to "strange beast". It is a and giant creature that often takes the role of either , , or Japanese Kaiju films and shows traditionally used suitmation which was basically a guy in a suit; interestingly enough this is still employed even in today’s kaiju films and shows, while western kaiju films utilized stop-motion

Ms. Ray is back with the annual Love n' Sci-fi episode where she covers all the love in this world and beyond! :p Shows and movies mentioned are: The Arrival - Louis & Ian Westworld - Aketcheta & Kohana, Maeve & Hector Black Panther - Ta'Chala & Nakia Black Mirror - San Juniper's Yorkie & Kelly Stranger Things - Eleven & Mike Altered Carbon - Takashi & Quell The Theory of Everything - Stephen & Mary Hawking And LOTS More!!!

Ellie and Zak join Amanda discuss this year's best films & shows like Black Panther, Westworld, Annihilation, Venom, Solo, KIN, Black Mirror, Overlord, A Quiet Place and more! We're putting them into this year's list of: Best visual effects Netflix hits & misses Best hard sf film of the year Best streaming TV & films Most disappointed films Most under-rated Top sf movies of the year And most diverse sf show

Another special live podcast was recorded during an advance screening of Aquaman in Atlanta on Tuesday Dec 18th. Amanda speaks with excited fans and friends after the screening in the theater and later over drinks at a bar. We break down why this DC film worked and what we can expect for the sequel. And props to the great cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and the awesome Willem Dafoe! Music by Black Agnes Four-O-Six

This special live podcast was during an advance screening of Bumblebee in Atlanta on Monday Dec 17th. Amanda speaks with excited fans before and after the screening. Some discuss what makes this movie different than all the other Transformer films and speaks with the winner of the Bumblebee Trivia and more!

Amanda and Darion D'Anjou speaks with Jesse Atlas, director of – Jury Award winner for Best Sci-fi Short at Atlanta Sci-fi Film Festival. It also screened at the 2018 Tribeca film festival! Here’s what we covered: Jesse revealed plans for a feature version of ! He explains how he found such great talented actors for this film - who plays Alexa and Mustafa Shakir plays Marco (and Bushmaster in ). And veteran actor, - the Weathered man (and in as the Mariposa Bartender)! Discuss how he and his writing partner of (), came up with the story idea. His transition from theater writing to film. Simple techniques used to create sci-fi tech on a budget Jesse discuss transitioning from writing for theater to film. Shares valuable lessons he learned on the importance of empowering your filmmaking team on a project.

In the second half of our interview with, - director of , Jessica asks the following questions: ‍ 1. How much research went into your representation of the Tibetan monks? 2. With some adaptations of novels and short stories, there is immense pressure to make sure you do the original work, and the original author justice. Did you feel any of that with this short film? If so, was it more focused on the author or the short story? Festival goer, Pooja who saw the film, actually been to Tibet and met the monks. She found some of the representation in this short film to be inaccurate. But after reading the short story, the film was definitely better than the short story with respect to the way the monks are portrayed.

We are SO excited to be interviewing, - director of , which was chosen at our 2018 Atlanta Sci-fi Film Festival. This was one of the most visually stunning and well acted films in the festival! Here's some questions we were burning to ask in this 2 part episode. ‍ 1. Did you shoot this film on location in Tibet and were the actors real Monks? If so, how did you get them to do this film?? 2. What was your budget for this film? 3. How did you find the great actors for this project? 4. I'm sure finding musicians and music for films can be a real challenge. How did you find the people to score your short film? I found a French version of the “. Is there an english version? 5. Why did you choose this particular short story? Were you specifically looking to do an adaptation of an Arthur C. Clarke short story? If so why this one? 6. Very few things were cut from the original story, did you feel like this limited your ability to be creative and artistic with the adaptation? And what made you choose those specific moments and lines of dialogue?

In the second half of this episode, Amanda continues with more questions for filmmaker Emily Dean. 1. What challenges did you face while filming this movie or trying to get it made? 2. Where did the idea for the story come from? 3. What are your plans for Andromeda? After the festival circuit will you release it online? 4. Coming from a storyboard background, with no experience in creating alive-action film, how did you convince the actors and crew to do this project with you? 5. What did you learn doing this film 6. Is Andromeda have the potential to become a feature film?

In part 1 of this 2 part episode, Amanda welcomes Women in Sci-fi honoree, director Emily Dean. Emily directed her first short, Andromeda, which was selected in this year's Atlanta Sci-fi Film Festival. Here's some questions she answered: How did you get started in the filmmaking business? What made you choose a science fiction narrative for your first live action film? How did you find the great actors for this project? Will you create more sci-fi films?

Your host Amanda, gives a quick spoiler-free review of both First Man and The Predator movies and which review she agrees and disagrees with. In First Man she points out similarities between wife Janet Armstrong played by Claire Foy and Theory of Everything - Jane Hawking, played by Felicity Jones. Although nothing beats the original Predator and the first AVP, listen to her reasons why this new re-boot gave a lifeline to the franchise.

For part 2 of this interview with Darion D'Anjou, we continue asking some interesting and tough questions about his experience as a black science fiction film director. 1. How do you know when the story is complete? 2. How do you keep your stories original? 3. What is a typical day on set?

In this 3rd episode with Darion D'Anjou, answers more of our probing questions. 1. Where do you start when you get a project? 2. What are some of the misconceptions about making a film and the industry as a whole? 3. What is the one mistake most filmmakers make, regardless of experience?

For part 2 of this interview with Darion D'Anjou, we continue asking some interesting questions about his experience as a black science fiction film director. 1. How long have you been making films? 2. What do you like most about making films? 3. What makes a film great for you?

Co-hosts, Mason Demerieux, Andre Jarboe and Amanda Ray, interview CEO Rodolphe (Ro) Pierre-Louis and COO Luke Thompson, visual effects company, serving the visual effects industry. Here's a list of some questions we asked: What is the best way for someone to get into visual effects? What programs do you use the most for creating visual effects? What is a typical work day like? What was your biggest project? What was your hardest project? What are some of the biggest misconceptions about creating visual effects?

Our special guest today is Darion D'Anjou, writer and director of the sci-fi short, HOP. It was the official selection in the 2017 Atlanta Sci-fi Film Festival. And our co-host today is Andre Jarboe. Here's a list of some questions we asked Darion in this 4 part episode. What roadblocks did you face when you were starting out? What would you say to your younger self about the industry? What do you like most about making films? Where do you start when you get a project? What is the one mistake most filmmakers make, regardless of experience? How do you know when the story is complete? How do you keep your stories original?

SPOILER FREE!!! Special guest Natasha Mayet joins Amanda in discussing the new sci-fi movie KIN, which will be released Aug 31st. But they had the pleasure to see an advance screening of the film and meet with the directors Jon and Josh Baker and lead actor Myles Truitt! They kick it off with a bit of background on Natasha, an actress who grew up South Africa and India and loves sci-fi as well as vampire movies! They also discuss: How well the actors did in this film and Myles Truitt 2nd film experience. And how he will inspire other under-represented actors to get into the science fiction genre. And Jack Reynor's strong performance as well the awesome work of the Baker brothers and Zoe Kravitz!

Amanda announces the date of the 3rd Annual ! She also covers the following: Film Categories Increase in film submissions from African Americans, Women and International films Types of films received Reason for this year's late festival announcement Voting for your favorite sf film Volunteer positions available Launching the New Atl Film Fest Facebook and Instagram pages!

SPOILER ALERT! Please watch the film First. Today's host, Amanda gives her reasons as to why you should give Netflix's Extinction a chance. Here are the highlights: Following familiar alien invasion tropes was there to just throw you off and make the twist that much more juicy! Great twist making the humans the invading aliens and the A.I. the innocent ones. Agreed this film has a lot of issues, but other sf films like A Quiet Place got rave reviews, but wasn't fully worthy of all that praise! Did critics throw Extinction into the sucks bucket based on previous Netflix sf movies, before even giving it a chance?? We have such high expectations from Netflix movies now, can they ever meet their own bar? Is it a coincidence that most, (if not all) of the sci-fi films with a diverse cast, are the one’s having the plot and rating problems? Probably, but it's still a bit disappointing. What do you guys think?? Tell us on our page.

In part 2 of our interview with Cashell Horgan, Director of the short film, . Cashell discuss his years teaching film in Ireland, using combination of puppet animation and CGI to make Clockmakers Dream. How to find the right cast and crew! Just wrapped a new fantasy film short based on created in 1912. Also just did a dark fantasy animated short with the . Why Clockmakers Dream was a perfect fit for The Atlanta Sci-fi Film Festival! What does Irish culture look like in science fiction narratives. Look out for the Clockmakers Dream on Coming Soon!

The new Sci-fi Creative Corner - where we will interview different sci-fi creatives from directors, actors, VFX, SFX Make-up artists, Wardrobe Designers to Film Composers! For the first episode in our new series, Amanda interviews, Cashell Horgan, Director of the short film, . In the 2 part interview Cashell shares his experience creating this film in Ireland and winning over 20 awards at film festivals around the world!

To conclude our final episode review of Westworld Finale, Passenger, we're covering the following: Even after Teddy & Deloris were "woke," their love affair was so boring compared to the hot, sexy love between Maeve and Hector! Elle’s favorite post found online, "WW ended with all the people of power are strong people of color and one crazy white women!” Speculating season 3 may be similar to the 1980 TV series, Beyond WW. We may do a podcast on it in preparation for season 3. Lisa Joy promised a lot for season 3! If we don’t get it we’ll just go to Lisa Joy’s house like they did in the Portlandia sketch on , “!” LOL Here’s what she said in an interview on - and the - Stubs host reveal, looking forward to seeing his character grow in season 3. How many human main characters are left on the show? The music of WW!! Our favorite part of the show, the theme song played for Maeve, WuTang’s “Crème” song and Radiohead music used a Lot (Codex)! It’s genius how they use songs and lyrics that tie into the narrative of the show. For example, the lyrics to the Nine Inch Nails song, “” which was later covered by Johnny Cash, was the synopsis to episode 9. Listening out for the shows song choices may be clues to the narrative. This show has many layers for everyone no matter what level you’re on. Double meaning behind Akane’s dance and dance of blood. and didn’t like the finale because it was too confusing, and that’s ok! But it doesn’t mean the show wasn’t good just because YOU didn’t get it! Just enjoy the areas you appreciate about it and leave it at that. There’s thousands of ppl around the country who do get it!! We’re just not used to TV shows that make us think deeply about ourselves and life.

In this final 3 part series interview with Tony Cade, we cover the following: Hard science fiction comics vs sf/fantasy, what sells the most. SF Fantasy is more popular than hard science fiction in comic books. Star Wars is fantasy, and not really science fiction What comics are you excited about that you are currently selling and one's that are coming out this year? Saga Romeo & Juliet meets Star Wars #1 trade paperback. Brian Michael Bendis soft reboot of Superman – the New Man of Steel, and the New Justice League launch Scott Snider, in a few months, Fantasitc Four coming back to comics! Fox Disney merger, Netflix theaters coming soon Diversity in Comics or lack there of. Some reasons for this and some solutions on how to change it. (covering gender, race, sexuality and disability) Since Black Panther, have you noticed an increase of comic book writers interested in turning their book into a film? Challenges of getting the financing for your comic books. Resources needed to invest in our own content. James Cameron SFX vs Narratives How are you able to juggle all 3 of these companies? Take us into a day in your life!

Picking up where we left off, the gang and I continue to speculate the reason for the shows inconsistencies or unexplained plots. William aka Man in Black getting shot up, digging a hole in his arm without flinching, strongly suggests he’s a host! Jeffrey Wright one of the best actors around. But Bernard seems too easy to be controlled. Will we see Bernard in control more in season 3? Is Arnold’s story complete? Is Bernard finishing his story? Bernard and Deloris linked relationship Charlottes secret weapon in Clementine. Tessa Thompson acting was incredible when she became Deloris. Any chance Elsie can come back?. Stubbs a Host of surprises! :D So where was that scanner? Nils Allen "Booboo" Stewart Jr. – played the young son in Ghost Nation, Ellie Collins worked with him when they were 18 yrs old. Shogun World and Ghost Nation was such a tease!!

In part 2 of this interview with Tony Cade, we touch on the following: 1. Terminus Media - what made you start a publishing company, which did you start first and what is your focus for it now? Terminus Media has a very diverse staff. Offered art classes and screenwriters groups, led to producing comics. How Kickstarter was used to get things going. Produced Evolution comic books. Challenges with self-publishing. Produced educational drama for CDC, Gilded Age by John McGuire – set in a Steampunk World. Route 3 series by Robert Jeffrey – nominated for Glyph Comics Award – it’s about a youth from Stone Mountain with ancient powers. AMC North Dekalb Mall 16 movie theater, is Only $6.50 EVERYDAY through next Spring 2019, when the new shopping plaza will take over the area! Other great stores in North Dekalb Mall are: Leaping Lizards, Video Game Lounge and Creative Art Connect. Support your local comic stores!! 2. Tell us about the Atlanta Sci-fi & Fantasy Expo. This expo is all about spotlighting the independent artists! Next years 5th Annual Atl Sci-fi Fantasy Expo will be the same weekend as Captain Marvel and the last one at this Mall! This Expo is FREE in North Dekalb Mall. This past Spring they had over 50 vendors and gaming area, 72 speakers, over 60hrs worth of programming. It’s like a “How to” Con. You can learn how to do everything from costuming, writing, art etc…

In this 2nd half we cover: How will Felix and Sylvester handle their role, given their life changing experience in the park. Maeve's strong scenes throughout this season and ending with her gang of Bulls!! Our favorite, “put that quote on a shirt” lines! Maeve’s new cornerstone for season 3, now that she accomplished her goal to save her daughter. Deloris & Charlotte body swap and Lisa Joy's plot confirmations What was up with Delos "mall cop" security force? They should have been able to afford better security! Don't know who's worse, Storm Troopers or Clone Troopers! LOL How about a re-cut version of this series in chronological order! Bickering over the shows inconsistencies. Will the writers fill in these gaps later or leave it to the audience to accept it as "movie logic" or plot devices? Deloris getting her come upping from Bernard! Is The Man in Black a host or not?? Time to pick a side!!

Part 1 of 3 Interview with Tony Cade, owner of . Started out collecting comic books, competing in chess competitions and was captain of chess team since 9yrs. Had a few stores over the years, partnered with Tim Cummings on first comic shop in Poncey-Highlands called Midtown Studios. Then Quantum Comics on Highlands area, then his solo shop in a flea market on Memorial Drive, then store front, then to North Dekalb Mall Challenges, Games & Comics with 3,500 sq ft for over 5 years! Having a storefront with Gaming for the activities and experience. And an outlet for kids in the community, a place where they can go that was safe and Was a photographer for Atlanta Fantasy Fair. Reminiscing the early days of Dragon Con when it was just a handful of African American people who attended. Challenges as a black entrepreneurs and comic book owner. The state of comic book stores and does the comic movies entice people to read the comic book?

FULL ON SPOILER & Explicit Language! Today’s guest: Colin, Zak & Elle joins Amanda in dissecting the compelling season finale of Westworld! The season tied up nicely for the most part, but then we were hit in the neck with more shocking reveals! We were given a lovely gift of answers to questions we didn’t even know to ask! Stubbs reveal, Charloris (Charlotte & Deloris bot merge) etc... It would be So great to have a re-cut of the entire season in chronological order! We bicker and nit pick over small but important bits in the narrative and are uncomfortable with some inconsistencies in Westworld's narrative. The transformation from Tender Teddy to Terminator Teddy! And seeing Deloris curled up next to dead Ted was touching. Round table question - Who were you rooting for? Human or Hosts? Most of us thought Sizemore grew into his name and went out like a “G”! LOL . But Colin had a different take on it.

In this final 3 part episode, Grace and Amanda discuss Humans marketing challenges, compared to HBO's juggernaut promotion machine. Exploring the actors of both shows, Westworld's bankable cast vs Humans extremely talented fresh new faces. Pros and Cons of accepting a role from a familiar actor vs an unknown. Humans has more moments of humor and lite fare, where Westworld is more serious and dark. Writers of Humans create smart comedy scenes with human children mimicking robots. Looking at the diversity of both shows, Westworld has that completely covered! But Humans face of the show is an Asian women, which is very powerful. The importance of creating A.I. that reflects the diverse world we live in. Although Westworld may be challenging with its complex plots and time jumps, it's worth the intellectual exercise. And it broadens our understanding of the human experience and what lies beneath our daily mundane lives. While providing escapism, Humans gives you an emotional experience and journey through the eyes of victims of discrimination. The writers do a excellent job in also showing the response of these acts by the humans and synths, which makes the viewers ponder over our own reaction to what we see every day! Both top rated shows are a must see! Show Mentions Plays Mia, lead Synth (new movie, Crazy Rich Asians) Plays Niska, synth works at a brothel Plays Dr. Athena Morrow

Amanda covers one of the Darkest episodes we have seen in Westworld! Major SPOILERS!!! Questions and areas covered are: Given this new reveal about William, how will the show wrap up the season next week for the finale? Who made William a host? So if the scanner is in the hats, what happens when you take it off? Are some of the shows plot lines are getting a bit disjointed Comparing the show to a magic trick and the writers are the magicians. If Teddy had free will the whole time, then how can he allow himself to be controlled? Was it voluntary? I knew Deloris couldn't survive without Teddy! She's just a big bully and without her henchmen and posse, she's nothing! Charlotte tries to use Maeve the Force weapon against the hosts. But her efforts will probably prove futile. Maeve will wake up and be stronger than ever! Bernard - "Give us Free!" Breaks the chains from Ford's control, but may later come to see that he was just trying to protect him.

Partial Spoiler Alert! Part 2 with Grace and Amanda picks up with the difficulties in comparing these two great series. Explaining Westworld themes, and sometimes confusing plots and the shows deeper message. Exploring the actors of both shows, WW starring seasoned actors vs Humans featuring mostly fresh new faces. The dichotomy between both the hosts and the synths passing as humans, while one was created to act more robotic and later try's to pass, hosts are created to look, feel and act exactly like humans! Also taking a deeper look at how most A.I. is usually created to look the more attractive segment of our race, but the hosts in WW cover a wide range of qualities, features and ethnicities. NOTE: Despite its name, this podcast is not a thorough comparison of these shows, as neither have seen both series, but instead to see what these two shows can teach us while also making some comparisons in several major areas. Deeper thoughts and analysis is made on how both of these shows are a direct reflection on the human experience and what we can learn from these shows.

One of the most romantic episodes to date, filled with love, loyalty and truth. Amanda recaps Akecheta's love affair with Kohana and explores some deeper messages this show may have for all of us! Pointing out some interesting parallels this show has to our own lives. Questioning our own life of free will or predestination! What if this show, isn't just for entertainment? What if the show Westworld was the MAZE, here to unlock something within us all! Mentions: - by Leonardo's character Cobb

Partial Spoiler Grace Rowe - winner of Audience Choice Award for Best Sci-fi short, joins Amana in celebrating two popular sci-fi series. Grace discuss all things Humans, while Amanda express her love for Westworld, but both series are awesome and worthy of many awards! Despite its name, this podcast is not a thorough comparison of these shows, as neither have seen both series, but instead to see what these two shows can teach us while also making some comparisons in several major areas. Deeper thoughts and analysis is made on how both of these shows are a direct reflection on the human experience and what we can learn from these shows.

In dissecting episode 7, host Amanda Ray picks out a few flaws in Lawrences awakening or autonomy that doesn't fit with the shows narrative. Gives the meaning of Les Ecorches and while it may not be about the Drone hosts, it still ties into the episode. Speculating on what will become of the new tougher Bernard and how Ford's decision to change Bernard is exactly what Deloris did with Teddy. William aka Man in Black should be dead by now, UNLESS he's a host! Charlotte finally gets put in her place and thinks she can negotiate her way out of getting sliced up by Deloris!

Amanda and returning guest, Mason DeMarieux give their two cents on Solo: A Star Wars Story and Deadpool 2. And why Solo was in a class by itself! And what they got right with Deadpool 2 and what other films they may have borrowed from.

In this podcast episode, Amanda will cover: Deloris & Bernard's role reversal, comparing it to William & James Delos. Teddy may end up becoming Deloris's Frankenstein, and how weird is it that Teddy remembers who he was and what Deloris did to him, but is helpless to do anything about it! Did the writers make a mistake by ending the inspired, Shogun world so soon? Wouldn't it be a great idea to do a spin-off of the Shogun World later down the line! But first the writers need to clean up their portrayal of Native Americans with the new Ghost Nation narrative? Bet money William's right his daughter is a host! Maeve finally finds her daughter! But will she accept Maeve as her mother? And at last, we see again! So does this finally prove that Ford and Arnold's consciousness was uploaded into the park?

This episode is dedicated to black filmmakers around the world! Today's host Amanda Ray, implores black filmmakers to create science fiction films and discuss the importance and impact this genre has on the black community. Referencing the following: Article in where 's theory on the reason for the lack in sci-fi filmmakers in by Wanuri Kahiu, and , Asking questions, Where do you see black people in 20-25 years from now? How will our lives and experiences appear to be different or remain the same? How will we adapt to change with respect to technology and science? If we can't perceive our future, how can we create it!

Today we continue with Dr. Bethany Jacobs in discussing the following points: How Westworld's narrative asks a lot of the same questions we think about in real life. Using the shows characters, Deloris, Maeve and Teddy, the narrative dances between what part of our lives are predestined and what is of our own free will. Is Ford and Arnold still alive as code calling the shots? Is Maeve & Deloris evolving and truly becoming autonomous? Maeve and Deloris characters following the Martin Luther King vs Malcom X false dichotomy of good vs evil. So far, the shows creators are following the white western epistemologies, by showing a white British male as the father or God in the show, but yet their main characters don't fit in that historical mold. Refreshing to see asian women find their strength to fight against abuse and oppression, through the Geisha double-bots.

's Afrofuturism professor, joins Amanda in a in-depth discussion on episode 5, where we discuss the reason for Deloris's decision to get rid of Teddy. And how the shows narrative explores pre-destination vs free will and even double pre-destination, and how it can be applied in our own lives. We also cover Maeve's transformation into the most powerful host, using psychological warfare! We couldn't help but review how culture was integrated into the show, what worked and what didn't work. And how we loved the Double-bots in the Samurai World!!

Co-host Deysha discuss DC Comics teaming up with independent writer Edgardo Miranda-Rodriquez to create an anthology comic that teams up original character La Borinquena with some of DC's most iconic heroes like, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Women, to raise funds for the Puerto Rico relief efforts. Ricanstruction: Reminiscing and Rebuilding Puerto Rico will see 150 writers, artists and celebrities like Rosario Dawson, Tara Strong and Frank Miller. article website Anthology on

This weeks show is hosted by Amanda and in this Spoiler review of E4, the plot thickens like cold peanut butter!! Must admit, it’s nice to see an episode without Deloris! Needed a break from her intense scenes. But she's probably channeling her personal experience of rape, to pull off the revenge plot - as mentioned in the YAAAAAY Elsie’s back! Ford clearly has more plans for Elsie that she is aware of. I think he’s going to use her to blow the whistle on what William was doing there! William's interview with Daddy Delos aka James (Jim) Delos, was for a special test we’ve come to see a LOT in sf films, the So who is the extra Control Unit made for? Was it for Ford, William, or Arnold?? Don’t like the way Native Americans are being portrayed in this show! And were those red velvet looking cupcakes the core for the control unit brain? I know those tasty delights were at the core of my hungry brain! Lol

Celebrating 20 years since the release of Alex Proyas, Dark City in Feb 1998, Amanda takes us down memory lane of one of the smartest sf films around. She explores the depth of this film to fellow members of what she calls, “obscure sf movie club.” Bringing light to some influences and comparisons to The Truman Show (Jun 1998), The Matrix, Inception, Star Trek and Westworld! Such as: Murdoch aka Deloris, Dr. Schreber aka Arnold, Shell Beach and Feji comparison and the Borg’s collective mind – similar their “Tuning” abilities where they share a collective consciousness. Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Rufus Sewell, Jennifer Connelly and William Hurt. Proyas also directed, The Crow and iRobot. Other mentions: Slashfilm.com, Amazon, The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot, Funny scenes: Poor, Poor Mr. Quick, Kid Stranger looking like Mini-me from Austin Powers.

Colin Sharpe and Amanda Ray bring you thought provoking conversations on: Teddy's ballsy move to defy Deloris, show comparisons to: - the sequel to the original , and . Familiar trope from , reappearances of actor from !

Today, Deysha Paredes from NYC, joins Amanda in comparing TV series, Black Lightning to Luke Cage! Both had a great start and is still going strong with renewed seasons, but both still struggle in certain areas, one more than the other. We look at how real life experiences are played out in the series, the origins of the comic book characters, and where season 2 may take us. Articles mentioned, .

Today's podcast, hosted by Amanda Ray is called, "Wearing the Devil's Hat" her review of Westworld's episode 2 "Reunion," and will cover, the mild face-off between Maeve and Deloris, which feels a bit like Black Panther's T-Challa & Killmonger, Malcom X & MLK played out in X-Men's Magnito & Professor X conflict. A strong fan theory that William was, sentenced to the park as punishment. And his creation, "The Weapon" is a clone factory that Deloris will use to build her army of hosts for world domination. Delos created the WW theme park similar to a "drug front," masking his more sinister plan. Deloris finds her own "Black Felix Lutz" a black tech who she uses like Maeve uses Felix.

Full Spoilers Alert! Guest, Mason DeMerieux of Rave Cliff Media joins Amanda in discussing this epic superhero movie, and predictions for Captain Marvel! We answer questions such as, What was your funniest scene and line? And which Marvel superhero made you like him/her? We also discuss the impact Wakanda had in this film. Seeing culture infused in a comic book movie, has never been done before in cinema. Also Okoye (played by Danai Gurira), line about imaging a "Starbucks in Wakanda," I'm sure this line would have been Very different, if used at all, post the Starbucks Arrest of 2 black men! Here's the original line, "When you said you were going to open up Wakanda to the rest of the world, this is not what I imagined," Okoye laments to T'Challa. "What did you imagine?" "The Olympics... maybe even a Starbucks."

Full Spoilers & Profanity Alert! Lee Sizemore character is similar to Gaius Balter in Battlestar Gallactica, as both get on your nerves but they play their wormy roles very well. Continues with the Frankenstein and Frankenstein's monster theme. A question from a male audience member at the Q&A pane about the uncomfortable full frontal male nudity. This would not have been a question if Maveve was nude again! The question only came up because we're not used to seeing male actors in full frontal nude roles! Fitting to have "Size-More" in such a vulnerable state, Maeve made him feel lower as he made her feel the same way in her narratives. Also we needed to see if Sizemore had any balls! LOL Bernard & Deloris role reversal. Bernard is physically and mentally struggling. Best line from Deloris line after people are begging her for their life, "It doesn't look like anything to me!"

Zac, Ellie and Amanda give a two part recap of the advanced screening of Westworld S2, EP event in Atlanta on April 19th! In this half we cover one of the most experiential events in Atlanta this year! Next week on Westworld Wednesday's we'll release the second part that covers our review of the first episode. Fernbank Museum of Natural History was the perfect venue to screen Westworld! The irony to screen Michael Crichton's Westworld in a museum that has Dinosaurs everywhere was amazing! It also felt like we were attending a Delos Incorporated gala to view Westward! But this one, unlike in the show, ended much better! Seeing the beautiful women dressed in all white dresses really helped set the mood before going into the theater! This event was very different from Tribecca & Comic Con panels, for Atlanta we had a more southern charm with an intimate vibe and high-end but laid back at the same time. Themed Cocktail drinks - Felix Elixir and Maeve Millay was excellent! Even the catering was great!! Proof Pudding did a great job! Production designer Zeke Waters from Savannah College of Art worked with Amanda Ray and HBO on designing a beautiful reception space with images from the show and a cowboy hat wall. The energy of the guests was high and were exciting to see the show! After the screening, Astronaut, Leland Melvin gave a great interview with Leo Nam (who plays Felix Lutz) - was down to earth, hilarious, personable, gave great advice to actors! The audience asked questions about Leo and his experience on the show. Betty Gabriel, new cast member in Westworld Season 2 and from the movie Get Out would have been a great addition to the panel. MCSFO has a very small team and could not have done this without them!

In this episode of the MCSFO podcast, our host Colin Sharpe talks about the Writing of 's He starts with the great writers of the show - , and and takes a deep dive into the structure of Westworld’s story, and finishes with some predictions about Season 2! Show mentions:

Host, Amanda Ray reviews the new sci-fi thriller . Speculation as to why the gave it 95%, while the audience gave it 86%. Did it live up to the 95% review rating? While well executed and perfectly acted, some areas in the plot were predictable and unrealistic. But would have made a great extension to the franchise! The silence in the film put's you in the mind of a or episode. The alien creature was fast but not as scary, and it looked more like a cross between The Last Elemental – that plant monster in and the Demogorgon from ! It ended very strong and left you looking for a sequel! Great job Krasinski on directing!

SPOILER ALERT - Only up to episode 6! In the 2nd half of this 2 part episode, Colin and Amanda discuss Ford and Arnold's decision to make this Westworld (WW) theme park targeted to majority filthy rich while men. And speculate on a different theme park where women are the target market. And what it would be like if there was a real WW theme park today. Last month answered that question by re-creating the theme park at in Austin, Texas, where actors dressed like cowboys, acted out loops just like hosts in the town of Sweetwater. They also dissect The Man in Black's quest for the maze and where his journey will ultimately lead him.

Host Zak and special guest/co-host Ellie Collins plug back in to Part 2 of Ready Player One. Last time we talked about the social analysis, this time we're all about the movie references. References made in this podcast: Film Theory: Ready Player One's True Threat Ready Player Two: Girl Stuff Fandalites

SPOILER ALERT - Only up to episode 6! In the first of this two-part episode, Colin and Amanda explore this male dominated world and the powerful men who we love, and love to hate! We discuss why this Westworld theme park is targeted to mostly men, and what it would be like if it were targeted to mostly women. Peeling back the dark layers of Ford, played by Anthony Hopkins. Comparing Ford to a God and Frankenstein, with the monsters created out of his work, like The Man in Black! We celebrate the bankable male actors in the show and how perfectly casted they are for these roles.

Returning host, Zak and co-host Ellie Collins co-op this two-part review and analysis of Ready Player One, a 2011 book by Ernest Cline and a 2018 movie be Steven Spielberg. In Part 1, Ellie and Zak tackle the social commentary of RPO, including its shortcomings and score, and the attempts to update these from book to movie seven years later.

In this very special episode, I am joined by: Roboticist, Dr. Ayanna Howard - Chair of the School of Interactive Computing at GA Tech, Award Winning Film Director, and A.I. Researcher, ! In preparation for HBO's season 2, premiering Sunday April 22nd, we’re going to delve deep in to the world of robots, A.I. and hosts! In season 1, we watch Maeve seemingly making her own choices but is later told that she was still being controlled and someone was programming her. So we'll discuss what it means for robots to be self aware and autonomous. And how that may or may not be different from being human.

Zak Vaudo and special/soon-to-be-regular guest Ellie Collins are back to dive into Assassin's Creed: Origins! Six months after its release, the duo examine its story and world-building, the game's representation of culture, game mechanics, and the newest DLC--including Discovery Mode! Articles discussed in this podcast: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2018/02/21/assassins-creed-origins-discovery-tour-may-be-the-best-assassins-creed-ever/#4a654bd05d32

Host (human host, not host-host) Zak and special guest Ellie Collins (writer, podcaster) discuss the women of Westworld: how the women of season 1 are carrying over into season 2, how the show treats the women characters in the narrative and the show, and how the perspective of the show shapes the treatment of the women. Below are links that we referenced:

Our co-host Colin will be covering some history and love for Kaiju, and his expectation of Pacific Rim Uprising!

CONTENT WARNING (PAL): Strong Language used in this Podcast. After watching season 1 of Westworld again, there were some new things I picked up on and understanding some others on a deeper level! Here's a quick outline of the show. Teddy is the Kenny of Westworld! LOL The Man in Black went to WW to find himself. But like a kid playing a game with your parents where they let you win, you are happy at first, until you realize they let you win! So now you want to win fair and square! Well why didn’t Ford tell him to take his ASS back home to the REAL WORLD and go live in the projects in Chicago or something if he wants adventure! The Man in Black is such a simp! He never really learned how to deal with difficult ppl like his brother in law, Logan. He still couldn’t survive in the REAL WORLD! Arnold – from the beginning Arnold was giving Deloris a steady dose of The Matrix Red Pills throughout the entire season! Raising the question of self awareness and what it means to be self aware in relation to the definition of being human in a TV Show is almost unheard of! My small prediction for season 2 - Elsie is coming back!!! Either to see her dead body or as a host!

First half is SPOILER FREE!! Annihilation is visually addictive, but hair-raising and creepy at the same time!! A cross between the artsy sci-fi film, Skin with Scarlott Johansen and John Carpenter’s, “The Thing.” Alex Garland, a favorite "bankable" director and writer! And Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson gave their usual stellar performances. Gina Rodriguez reminded me of Vasquez from the movie Aliens! Oscar Isaac and Nathalie Portman were a great fits for their roles and for Alex! I think they're all cut from the same creative cloth! And that BEAR mutant, with a women's voice screaming out of it's throat!! Again, Creepy!! Garland told , that his adaptation is based on just the first novel in the trilogy! On Movies Sub-Reddit thread, described the first book as "Creepypasta!" Also loved the music - Ben Salisbury and (Jeff) Geoff Barrow put their foot in this score! I loved that deeply beautiful twisted melody you hear throughout the film! In a interview on Ben Salisbury says that melody comes from a longer segment of the score known as "The Alien."

Quick notes on what was discussed. MUTE - was a LOUD Hot Mess and all over the place! Both Altered Carbon and Mute heavily influenced by Blade Runner, Altered Carbon WAY more! Loved Redditt comments about Director, Duncan! Points covered in podcast: Moon Nod was awesome! Mute & Moon in the same universe? Slash Film article. ALTERED CARBON Will Yun Lee - played a better Takeshi Kovacs! His love affair with Quell was great, they made a powerful couple! One of the most multicultural shows around, and the only science fiction show/movie I've seen with people speaking Spanish! Loved beautiful bad ass, played one of many baby sitters, was also in Avengers Affinity War, Black Panther and Wonderwomen!

Part 2 Disney Parks may be creating a full on, Wakanda Land!! If so, who will they hire to be in the costumes? Will we have another "Mickey Mouse is Mexican!" moment? Quote from Dave Chappelle. The synergy between African American’s working well with Africans in the narrative and in the characters, was beautiful, despite Sam Jackson's dividing critique of black British actors taking US roles - The Guardian. Marvel letting filmmakers express themselves in these movies, let the creators create! Michael Ganchino with Dr. Strange started making music that fits the character, also again in Spiderman. In Thor – Mark Mothersburg was the dude behind Devo. And Coogler brought Ludwig Goransson used as many African sounds as possible - Hollywood Reporter Forest Whitiker – gave us “FULL Forest!” A beloved strong actor, but can he be too strong for this role in BP and in Rogue One? Denzel Whitiker – who played young Zuri, despite having absolutely no relation to Forest, he looked just like him, down to the eyes!! M'Baku's – (Winston Duke) performance was excellent given his small on screen time. Could have been dicey if they called him a lot by his real name, Man Ape. It was done respectfully due to a black writer!

WakandaForever We're super excited to be joined by several guests to celebrating the opening of Black Panther (BP)! In the studio today, our regular hosts, Zak Vaudo with guest: Dubelyoo of Art Beats and Lyrics and girlfriend Kat. Here's a short list of bullet points and mentions in the podcast: Predicting they'll be a new Killmonger series on Netflix! T'Challa's sheltered experience from the rest of his country and the world was going through. Vulture article on BP costume designer, Ruth E. Carter. Black people bringing back the ole Kente cloths and Dashiki and showing up in full Cosplay to the theater! Will Letitia Wright be the next Black Panther or play Riri Williams in Iron Man?? Where is Shuri’s character going in BP? Will it follow the comic version? Also did you see her starring in Black Mirror's episode – Black Museum Didn't like Okoye (Dani Gurira) and W'Kabi's (Daniel Kaluuya) tense relationship and potential battle.

(WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE) Zachary Vaudo is giving a Spoiler-FREE review of Netflix’s first series of 2018, Altered Carbon! Released on February 2nd, it is a massive storm of cyberpunk detective goodness. Raw, intense, silly, and engaging, this adaptation of Richard Morgan’s early-2000s novel is visually stunning, highly entertaining, and surprisingly complex with concepts on multiculturalism, personal identity, and philosophy in the future.

We're discussing our expectations of Black Panther! Our concerns with the heavy handed marketing campaign. T’Challa’s sister, Shuri is the smartest person in the Marvel universe, out ranking Tony Stark - According to Comic Book Resources www.cbr.com/black-panther-shuri-smartest-person/ The great soundtrack with Kendrick Lamar. Anticipation for the return of Westworld - season 2. HBO working with MCSFO on promoting Westworld to a diverse audience. Other titles, actors, characters mentioned: Serenity/Firefly, Thandie Newton, Mr. Black, Sansar VR company, The Shape of Water Oscar nominations. Predictions and concerns for Ava Duvernay’s a Wrinkle in Time film, will it be more style over substance?? Excitement for Annihilation, with it’s strong all female cast and great Ex-Machina director, Alex Garland. New sf film, The Beyond gaining momentum! . MCSFO’s new sci-fi film festival for Children – Kids with S.T.E.A.M. and this year’s theme for the annual Atlanta Sci-fi Film Festival.

(Recorded Jan 25th) Remembering Ursula Le Guin, one of the best sci-fi/fantasy authors in our time, died on Jan 22nd. We’re discussing several of her books – Earthsea, The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness. And the Sci-fi Channel miniseries adaptation of Earthsea, and how Ursula’s main points in the book were sorely missed in the series. Issues with adapting sf books and how readers need to approach adaptations. Best example of an adaptation getting it right, The Expanse! Expectations of Altered Carbon and its challenge of being compared to Ghost in the Shell with its white washing issues. Cyber-punk movement is back! Is Netflix’s Dark series may be too dark for some? One of our hosts thinks so. Other sci-fi titles and authors mentioned: Octavia Butler, Parable of the Sower, Parable of the Talents, Samuel Delaney’s Nova, Amazon’s Tolkien series, Dune, Netflix’s Bright, ARQ, Fringe, X-Files, William Gibson, The Road, Blade Runner, Black Mirror.

Meet the Hosts of Season 2 of the MCSFO Podcast show - Zachary Vaudo, Mike Smith, Colin Sharpe and Amanda Ray! MCSFO Podcast is back with new hosts! Get to know each of us: our backgrounds, knowledge of sci-fi, and what we will each cover on the show. We’re also, covering diversity in sf and changes happening in the fast growing genre. Sharing our experiences falling in love with sf and from the perspective of an African American Women, Jewish bi-sexual male, and from 4 different generations!

Dr. Tobias WIlson-Bates closes out our 3 part series on World-Building in Science Fiction. Today, Dr. Bates focus is on time travel and technology in world-building. Dr. Bates has a PHD from University of Davis California, studied 19th Century Literature, with focus on novels, specifically on time and technology. He’s now a Marion L. Brittain Post Doctorate Fellow and teaches classes on Time Travel and Robotics at GA Tech.

oday Laura Grace is speaking with Dr. Bethany Jacobs - a Marion L. Britain Postdoctoral Fellow at Georgia Tech in the writing and communication program. She received her PhD in American Literature from the University of Oregon. She teaches African American women’s writing and science fiction and narratives of social protest. Here she discuss the results of an interesting world-building project she gave to her students this semester - where they looked into world-building in speculative texts by people of color.

The goal of this podcast show is to challenge filmmakers and writers to imagine greater! To inspire them to move away from dystopian narratives and tropes. To challenge themselves to create worlds with more favorable experiences, while still creating a world ppl can see themselves living in. GA Tech professors: Dr. Yaszek, Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Bates all discuss world-building from different perspective

Today's podcast I'm discussing the great Black Mirror episode, San Junipero and the alternate ending people were talking about in the article on Vulture -as well as another Vulture article on the technology used in the story. Here's the Alternate ending discussed on a Reddit Post.

Today we welcome Atlanta Director, Tim Glover - the winner of the IMAX Big Picture In Focus Award for his sci-fi film short, N-Touch at The Atlanta Sci-fi Film Festival 2016. Check out what he has to say about making of this awesome film short and his experience as a black Atlanta filmmaker.

Today we're pointing out what director, Rupert Sanders of Ghost in the Shell, got right and what he got very wrong! White washing characters and how it was not handled well on the marketing end. Scarlett Johansson's acting. The special effects and why it's perfect for an IMAX screen!

Today in sci-fi news, we talk about everything from Team Godzilla or Team King Kong?, Cosplay shutting down the streets of Japan to Octavia Butler's Kindred being turned into a graphic novel!

This is the 2nd half of our hour long review of the awesome, Logan!

In this two part podcast show, we celebrate and dive deep into the last Wolverine movie, Logan! This is a Full on Spoiler review! Please come back and listen after you've seen the movie. In this show we discuss a quote from the director, here's the link to where we found the quote - www.slashfilm.com/caliban-in-logan…-men-apocalypse/

In this Hour long, in depth conversation on robots and artificial intelligence, we're joined by Dr. Wilson-Bates from GA Tech. We will contextualize the ideas of robots and artificial intelligence within various narrative traditions that still effect the way public discourse is conducted on the topic. The nightmare of the scientist creating artificial life, as in Frankenstein is a clear concern for most. Looking into the religious and moral effects this may cause. We also discuss Rossum's Universal Robots as the origin of the word "robot," and how it sets the tone of robot invasion going forward.

Watching certain sci-fi films can be very empowering! Watching characters discover their true potential can be a great reminder of how we can do the same in our own lives! We will discuss several films that have inspired us to find power and greatness in ourselves! Girl with All the Gifts, Gattaca, Ex-Machina, Firefly, Hunger Games, Dark City and Westworld.

Today we are talking about Different Abilities or Disabilities in sci-fi. We realize that it is problematic to identify characters with disabilities by their impairment, but for the sake of the conversation we are going to sometimes do that because we want to highlight some of these characters as people with disabilities and think about how they are represented. We want creators to know that if they cast actors and create multi-faceted characters with disabilities in sci-fi films/shows, that they have got our support!

I'm interviewing the talented, writer, director and star of the short film, The Sweetening! In this 2 part podcast, we're discussing the film and her experience directing herself in this award winning film and Much more!! (Watch the film by going to www.TheSweetening.com (Spoiler Alert!!)

In this show, we're discussing world building in African American science fiction literature, as part of our Black History Month Series. Dr. Bethany Jacobs is our guest host. Bethany Jacobs is a Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellow at Georgia Tech in the writing and communication program. She received her PhD in American Literature from the University of Oregon. She teaches and publishes African american women’s writing and science fiction and narratives of social protest. We're delving deep into how creating sci-fi worlds can aide in African Americans perception of the future.

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, this week’s episode features love and romance in Sci-fi. A great part about romance in Sci-Fi is the existence of interspecies relationships. We are talking robot/human, alien/human, etc. It’s something you only find in our favorite genre! Some of our favorite interspecies relationships are Liv and Major in iZombie, Gamora and Starlord in Guardians of the Galaxy, Spike and Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Rose and the Doctor in Doctor Who. We also shout out to our meant-to-be OTPs: Zoe and Wash and Mal and Inara in Firefly, Han and Leia in Star Wars, Neo and Trinity in The Matrix, Tony Stark and Pepper Pots - Iron Man, Uhura and Spock in Star Trek, and the whole cast of Sense 8 Let’s not forget strength of platonic love! Some of our favorites that we talk about are the Setras of Orphan Black, Jessica and Trish in Jessica Jones, Ravi and Major in iZombie, R2D2 and C3PO in Star Wars, and Hero and Ando in Hero If you’re feeling a little mush and want to watch some lovin’ in Science Fiction, be sure to check out one of our recommendations: Deadpool, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Safety Not Guaranteed, In Your Eyes, The Matrix, or Gattaca.

(Recorded Jan 25th) We're discussing our expectations of the new afro-futurist comic book movie, Black Panther! Our expectations and concerns with the heavy handed marketing campaign. T’Challa’s sister, Shuri is the smartest person in the Marvel universe, out ranking Tony Stark - According to Comic Book Resources https://www.cbr.com/black-panther-shuri-smartest-person/ The great soundtrack with Kendrick Lamar. Anticipation for the return of Westworld - season 2. HBO working with MCSFO on promoting Westworld to a diverse audience. Other titles, actors, characters mentioned: Serenity/Firefly, Thandie Newton, Mr. Black, Sansar VR company, The Shape of Water Oscar nominations. Predictions and concerns for Ava Duvernay’s a Wrinkle in Time film, will it be more style over substance?? Excitement for Annihilation, with it’s strong all female cast and great Ex-Machina director, Alex Garland. New sf film, The Beyond gaining momentum! . MCSFO’s new sci-fi film festival for Children – Kids with S.T.E.A.M. and this year’s theme for the annual Atlanta Sci-fi Film Festival.

(Recorded Jan 25th) Remembering Ursula Le Guin, one of the best sci-fi/fantasy authors in our time, died on Jan 22nd. We’re discussing several of her books – Earthsea, The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness. And the Sci-fi Channel miniseries adaptation of Earthsea, and how Ursula’s main points in the book were sorely missed in the series. Issues with adapting sf books and how readers need to approach adaptations. Best example of an adaptation getting it right, The Expanse! Expectations of Altered Carbon and its challenge of being compared to Ghost in the Shell with its white washing issues. Cyber-punk movement is back! Is Netflix’s Dark series may be too dark for some? One of our hosts thinks so. Other sci-fi titles and authors mentioned: Octavia Butler, Parable of the Sower, Parable of the Talents, Samuel Delaney’s Nova, Amazon’s Tolkien series, Dune, Netflix’s Bright, ARQ, Fringe, X-Files, William Gibson, The Road, Blade Runner, Black Mirror.

Meet the Hosts of the MCSFO Podcast show - Zachary Vaudo, Mike Smith, Colin Sharpe and Amanda Ray! MCSFO Podcast is back with new hosts! Get to know each of us: our backgrounds, knowledge of sci-fi, and what we will each cover on the show. We’re also, covering diversity in sf and changes happening in the fast growing genre. Sharing our experiences falling in love with sf and from the perspective of an African American Women, Jewish bi-sexual male, and from 4 different generations!

Contributing Host: Zachary Vaudo (WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE) Netflix’s first series of 2018, Altered Carbon, released on February 2nd, and it is a massive storm of cyberpunk detective goodness. Raw, intense, silly, and engaging, this adaptation of Richard Morgan’s early-2000s novel is visually stunning, highly entertaining, and surprisingly complex with concepts on multiculturalism, personal identity, and philosophy in the future. Sources mentioned in this episode: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6607748 https://www.reddit.com/r/alteredcarbon/comments/7upy29/altered_carbon_season_1_episode_discussion_hub/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altered_Carbon https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/feb/01/altered-carbon-review-ambitious-netflix-sci-fi-is-flashy-flawed-and-fun Find us on MCSFO.org, or follow us on Twitter at @MulticulturalSciFiOrg

Dr. Tobias WIlson-Bates closes out our 3 part series on World-Building in Science Fiction. Today, Dr. Bates focus is on time travel and technology in world-building. Dr. Bates has a PHD from University of Davis California, studied 19th Century Literature, with focus on novels, specifically on time and technology. He’s now a Marion Brittan Post Doctorate Fellow and teaches classes on Time Travel and Robotics at GA Tech.

Today Laura Grace is speaking with Dr. Bethany Jacobs - a Marion L. Britain Postdoctoral Fellow at Georgia Tech in the writing and communication program. She received her PhD in American Literature from the University of Oregon. She teaches African American women’s writing and science fiction and narratives of social protest. Here she discuss the results of an interesting world-building project she gave to her students this semester - where they looked into world-building in speculative texts by people of color.

The goal of this podcast show is to challenge filmmakers and writers to imagine greater! To inspire them to move away from dystopian narratives and tropes. To challenge themselves to create worlds with more favorable experiences, while still creating a world ppl can see themselves living in. GA Tech professors: Dr. Yaszek, Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Bates all discuss world-building from different perspectives.

Today's podcast I'm discussing the great Black Mirror episode, San Junipero and the alternate ending people were talking about in the article on Vulture - http://www.vulture.com/2016/10/black-mirror-san-junipero-ending.html as well as the article on the technology used in the story - http://www.vulture.com/2016/10/san-junipero-real-life-ask-a-neuroscientist.html

Today we're talking to Atlanta Director, Tim Glover - the winner of the IMAX Big Picture In Focus Award for his sci-fi film short N-Touch, at The Atlanta Sci-fi Film Festival 2016. Check out what he has to say about making of this awesome film short and his experience as an Atlanta filmmaker.

Today we're pointing out what director, Rupert Sanders of Ghost in the Shell, got right and what he got very wrong! And why it's perfect for an IMAX screen!

Today in sci-fi news, we talk about everything from Cosplay shutting down the streets of Japan to Octavia Butler's Kindred being turned into a graphic novel!

This is the 2nd half of our hour long review of the awesome, Logan!

In this two part podcast show, we celebrate and dive deep into the last Wolverine movie, Logan! This is NOT Spoiler Free! Please come back and listen after you've seen the movie. In this show we discuss a quote from the director, here's the link to where we found the quote - http://www.slashfilm.com/caliban-in-logan-and-x-men-apocalypse/

In this Hour long, in depth conversation on robots and artificial intelligence, we contextualize the ideas of robots and artificial intelligence within various narrative traditions that still effect the way public discourse is conducted on the topic. The nightmare of the scientist creating artificial life, as in Frankenstein is a clear concern for most. Looking into the religious and moral effects this may cause. We also discuss Rossum's Universal Robots as the origin of the word "robot," and how it sets the tone of robot invasion going forward. Notes: Mark Riedl's live-tweeted while watching all the Westworld episodes, and collected the tweets up here: https://storify.com/mark_riedl/i-livetweeted-the-first-episode-of-westworld Dr. Bates also wrote about how he thought reveries worked (with downloadable code experiments): https://medium.com/@mark_riedl/westworld-programming-ai-to-feel-pain-f26195c798ee#.yp45leb6b And here is the piece from the former head of DARPA, Arati Prabhakar: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/darpa-arati-prabhakar-humans-machines And finally, here is the piece about machines and pain: https://www.engadget.com/2016/05/26/german-scientists-are-training-robots-to-feel-pain/

Watching certain sci-fi films can be very empowering! Watching characters discover their true potential can be a great reminder of how we can do the same in our own lives!

Today we are talking about ability/disability in sci-fi. We realize that it is problematic to identify characters with disabilities by their impairment, but for the sake of the conversation we are going to sometimes do that because we want to highlight some of these characters as people with disabilities and think about how they are represented. We want creators to know that if they cast actors and create multi-faceted characters with disabilities in sci-fi films/shows, that they have got our support.

For the second part of this podcast, we're continuing our great conversation with Grace Rowe. Discussing her film, The Sweetening and her fundraising experience and much more! (Watch the film by going to www.TheSweetening.com) Spoiler alert if you haven't seen it yet)

I'm interviewing the talented, writer, director and star of the short film, The Sweetening! In this 2 part podcast, we're discussing the film and her experience directing herself in this award winning film and Much more!! (Watch the film by going to www.TheSweetening.com) Spoiler alert if you haven't seen it yet)

In this show, we're discussing world building in African American science fiction literature, as part of our Black History Month Series. Dr. Bethany Jacobs is our guest host. Bethany Jacobs is a Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Fellow at Georgia Tech in the writing and communication program. She received her PhD in American Literature from the University of Oregon. She teaches and publishes African american women’s writing and science fiction and narratives of social protest. We're delving deep into how creating sci-fi worlds can aide in African Americans perception of the future.

This Valentines Day, we celebrate Love & Romance in Science Fiction! Discussing our favorite ships, human and interspecies. And our list of sci-fi movies to watch on Valentines Day.

Laura Grace Sears and Amanda Ray kick off the first MCSFO Podcast with celebrating women in sci-fi - Black History Month Series! We discuss everything from authors and pioneers like Octavia Butler to Nnedi Okorafor and actors Nichelle Nichols as Nyota Uhura and MANY many more!! Graphic novelists/ comic book artists Afua Richardson and Roxane Gay!