About Caliban

I'm a long time fan of science fiction, fantasy, comic books, gaming and the like. Also a former Employee of Wizards of the Coast, and one of the founding members of the Camarilla Fan organization. Follow me on Twitter @caliban1227.

Fanboy News Network Episode 78

“Fanboy News Network Live…Kind of”

This episode was recorded live on Jeff’s twitch channel https://www.twitch.tv/dr_caliban

Daniel talks about Jojo Rabbit

Jeff reviews Birds of Prey, Call Of the Wild, and Sonic the Hedgehog. He also talks about the new Candyman trailer.,

The boys talk about Star Trek: Picard

Daniel talks about the adaptation of the Boys.

Jeff talks about Dan DiDio being fired as Publisher of DC Comics. He also covers the rumors of a DC/Marvel crossover.

Jeff is reading Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire and Daniel is reading The Wanders by Chuck Wendig and is still working on his read through of the works of Terry Pratchett.

The Twitch Chat asks about the Lensmen books and if they will get an adaptation.

Jeff wraps up talking about the upcoming Transformers series on Netflix and its connection to his community on Twitch.

Fanboy News Network Episode 77

“2020 Visions”

Join Jeff and Daniel as they ring in a new year.

Jeff talks about what is up with our twitch channel https://www.twitch.tv/dr_caliban

The boys talk about Knives Out.

They then cover Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and the challenge of writing a satisfying series ending.

Jeff talks about The Mandolorian and the Imagineering Story on Disney+ as well as the upcoming Marvel shows.

Daniel talks about the Watchmen Series.

The New Season of Doctor Who is discussed.

Jeff talks about Crisis on Infinite Earths.

The nostalgia for Mark Hamil.

The decline of American Gods.

The success of the Witcher.

Fanboy News Network Episode 76

“Gravitas”

The boys celebrate the completion of the new recording studio.

Looking at the recent issues surrounding the protests around Blizzard and lessons in what a protest is.

Daniel finally sees John Wick 3

Jeff reviews the new Addams Family and Terminator: Dark Fate.

The boys talk about their anticipation for the Mandalorian.

Daniel covers the new Watchmen series on HBO.

Jeff talks about the debut of the new season of the DC comics shows on the CW and the ramp up to Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Discussion of the animated pilot Hazbin Hotel.

Our first reports of Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge.

Daniel talks about reading this year’s Nebula and Hugo winning Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

Fanboy News Network Episode 75

“Doing the Time Warp”

Jeff announces the launch of our new twitch channel https://www.twitch.tv/dr_caliban

Daniel talks about attending Rose City Comic Con and meeting Weird Al and Tim Curry.

In a new fanboy behaving badly, the boys talk about an example of a female twitch streamer standing up for herself when being talked down to for being a woman on the internet. Check out https://www.twitch.tv/cahlaflour/ to show her support.

Jeff talks about seeing Ghost in concert.

In movies the local Drive-in showed Terminator 1 and 2 for the close of the season.

Daniel talks about seeing a special showing of Lawrence of Arabia on Seattle’s best screen.

The boys take on the Spider-Man cinematic custody battle.

Thoughts on the Joker movie.

Jeff has started watching Carnival Row and Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

Daniel has read Memory called Empire by Arkady Martine.

Fanboy News Network Episode 74

“The Devil you say”

Jeff announces the new contact information for the site and talks about future plans.

Jeff’s vow around Vampire the Masquerade- Bloodlines 2.

Daniel had a recent rewatch of Blade Runner.

The boys talk about Hobbs & Shaw

There is also discussion of the upcoming Dwayne Johnson films Jumanji 2 and Jungle Cruise.

Jeff talks about the upcoming Video Nasty Project review The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith.

The buzz about the upcoming CW adaptation of Crisis on infinite Earths.

A discussion of what Jeff calls the Watchmen Syndrome.

The boys talk about their favorite depictions of Lucifer.

The boys talk about what they are reading, and a call out to a series of tweets by author Clinton J, Boomer.

Fanboy News Network Episode 73

“18 years in the making”

Daniel reviews All is True.

Jeff talks about having seen Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Men in Black International, and Spider-Man: Far from Home.

The Disney live action remakes and why Mulan may be the best of them.

The boys talk about Good Omens.

Jeff talks about the movie Constantine and how it stands up despite being an adaptation.

Daniel talks about reading the short story collection Trigger Warning.

Thanks to a steam sale there is a quick review the Friday 13th game.

Jeff talks about joining a twitch community based around WWE 2K19 and getting a character on the show.

(Check out https://www.twitch.tv/takahata101 and https://www.twitch.tv/edwardbosco for more details)

Fanboy News Network Episode 72

“Gone with the Wind part 2”

The boys talk about having seen Avengers: Endgame and a lot of the details surrounding it.

Jeff talks about the movies We have always lived in the Castle and John Wick 3

Daniel talks about wanting to see Shadow, the follow up to Hero.

The end of Game of Thrones.

Why we are tired of all the petitions.

A shout out to the cameo episode of What we do in the Shadows.

Daniel finally catches The Umbrella Academy.

Just discovered the Wrestling Community on Twitch.

What the boys are reading.

Fanboy News Network Episode 71

“In the Name of the Mouse Thou shalt be entertained”

Daniel’s adventures in New Mexico is briefly recounted.

Yet again an episode is recorded before the most recent big event, in this case Avengers: Endgame.

A review of how Emerald City Comicon dealt with the entrance issues.

Daniel’s excitement at getting to meet Tim Curry at RCCC.

Jeff talks about Shazam, Hellboy, US, and Horror Noire.

Daniel talks about finally catching up on Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse.

Jeff covers the TV series version of What We Do in the Shadows.

The boys talk about the final season of Game of Thrones.

Discussion of the problematic season finally of The Magicians.

Daniel finished Space Opera and is now reading the Star Wars novel Bloodlines

Jeff has finished Seanan McGuire’s The Ain’t Witchcraft and is moving on to a new series with Every Heart A Doorway.

Jeff discusses his plans to see a preview night showing of Avengers: Endgame at the local drive-in.

A look at the new Disney+ streaming service.

Review: Upgrade

Upgrade flew largely under the radar when it came out last year, which is a shame. So, I am doing my part to get it a wider audience by reviewing it. Upgrade is a near-future cyberpunk/action/horror film written and directed by Leigh Whannell and produced through Blumhouse.

The story follows Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green), a mechanic that specializes in restoring vintage cars. After delivering a car to high-tech billionaire Eron Keen (Harrison Gilbertson), Grey and his wife Asha (Melanie Vallejo) have their car hijacked, leaving Asha dead and Grey paralyzed from the neck down. Eron approaches Grey in the hospital with an offer: he has created a microchip (called STEM) that will allow Grey to regain his mobility. However, as the development is not cleared for human experimentation, Grey will need to keep it secret. He agrees and receives the chip, whereupon he learns STEM’s artificial intelligence can communicate with him and, with his permission, assume control of his body. The AI (voiced by Simon Maiden) helps him to track down the attackers and under STEMs control, he becomes a hyper-competent fighter.

The movie becomes a race for Grey to learn why he and his wife were targeted for attack, while staying ahead of Eron, who is not pleased with how Grey is using STEM. The attackers, led by Fisk (Benedict Hardie), are hunting to learn who is taking them out. And then there is Cortez (Betty Gabriel), the detective investigating Asha’s murder. She suspects Grey is killing Fisk’s men despite appearing to be a quadriplegic.

Leigh Whannell, best known for writing the Saw franchise for James Wan, has branched out from writing to directing. He brings a distinctive visual feeling that shows influence from Wan, while still remaining original. Made on a typical Blumhouse shoestring budget of $5 million, every cent shows on screen, from the near-future cyberpunk aesthetic to the brilliant cinematography whenever STEM assumes control of Grey’s body. The movie is paced like an action film but builds tension like a horror film.

The cyberpunk setting is handled well. There is no year given, which will help the movie from dating itself too much. The advancements we see – self-driving cars and voice-activated devices making meals and helping around the house – are excellent extrapolations of current tech. This helps to ease the audience into the more advanced tech that drives the plot.

As the lead, Logan Marshall-Green does an amazing job.  Due to his resemblance to Tom Hardy, there are some inevitable comparisons, but by the end of the film Marshall-Green’s abilities truly shine through. He conveys Grey’s frustration and grief, but also plays his shock and confusion when STEM is in control and performing some truly impressive choreography.

Betty Gabriel, best known as the maid in Get Out, does a good job as Cortez. She does well in showing her simultaneous confusion at how Grey could possibly be taking out trained killers from a wheelchair and her certainty that he is doing it. Harrison Gilbertson is serviceable as Eron. The character is meant to be creepy, which he brings across, but there is not much else to the character. Benedict Hardie’s Fisk is the weak link in the acting. He is never anything but an over-the-top fanatic. This is very evident in scenes with Marshall-Green who brings a much more nuanced performance. Simon Maiden manages to steal the movie as the voice of STEM. He manages to be sympathetic and menacing, often at the same time.

I give Upgrade a grade of B. It is a solid movie that genre fans will embrace whole-heartedly. Non-genre fans should still enjoy it for the tight action and pace.

Fanboy News Network Episode 70

“We’re Back”

The first new episode since the hiatus and the first in Jeff’s new studio.

The boy’s talk about what is going to be happening on Fanboy News Network going forward.

Honoring the passing of the great Stan Lee.

Emerald City Comicon and the issues surrounding how they are arranging the entrances.

Jeff talks about Captain Marvel and the obnoxious behavior being directed at it by extreme factions in fandom.

Jeff has discovered a still operational Drive-In theater, the Rodeo Drive-in, near his new home.

A discussion of the plan to end Arrow on CW next season during the annual crossover.

The boys talk about The Umbrella Academy.

Jeff is catching up on Mike Schur shows.

Daniel talks about the demise of Wynonna Earp.

DC comics and the need for them to get on top of their production schedule.

The books the boys have read during the hiatus.