Zombie Movies with Chris Holmes and Mike Stewart - Episode 277 - 7/22/2024
Release Date: 07/22/2024
Comic Books, "New" Doctor Who 20th Anniversary, D&D 2024, and Tariffs - Episode 282 - 4/26/2025
Shane Plays Geek Talk
Shane waxes eloquent (ok, he might rant mildly) on several aspects of the mainstream comic book industry including the direct market business model, variant covers, multiple characters with the same name, and constant status quo changes (plus the overuse of the word “iconic” these days, which isn’t comics-related but Shane kvetches about it anyway). A mini-review and comparison of DC’s Absolute Universe and Marvel’s Ultimate Universe (which one does Shane like best). Doctor Who has been back on the air for 20 years! A sincere shout-out to Toby Hadoke. An ailing Doctor Who super fan,...
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Banquet For Fools With Game Developers Hannah And Joseph Williams - Episode 281 - 11/26/2024
Shane Plays Geek Talk
Game developers Hannah and Joseph Williams join to chat about their new “Dark Crystal”-like CRPG Banquet For Fools. Shane jokingly laments a missing element from the game, but Joseph promises they won’t duck out from putting it in. Now that ten years have passed, how do they feel Serpent in the Staglands performed? Thoughts on Mechajammer (previously Copper Dreams) and the hopes versus the reality. The pros, cons and pitfalls of Early Access. Shane gets recruited as a voice actor. A tangent into severe weather and the importance of escapism. Shane Plays Geek Talk Episode #281 -...
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Star Trek Video Games With Mat Bradley-Tschirgi - Episode 280 - 10/23/2024
Shane Plays Geek Talk
Star Trek Video Games: An Unofficial Guide to the Final Frontier with author Mat Bradley-Tschirgi. There are a LOT of Star Trek video games and Mat had some hard decisions and set boundaries on what games to cover in his book (by the way, a “notable” game doesn’t necessarily mean a good game). What is Mat’s favorite and least favorite Star Trek game? Star Trek has one of the saddest stories of vaporware in PC gaming. Mat had an unusual entry into Star Trek fandom, but it still grabbed him. What are Shane and Mat’s thoughts on some of the more recent Star Trek TV shows? What is one...
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RPG & Gaming Scholar Jon Peterson - Episode 279 - 9/27/2024
Shane Plays Geek Talk
RPG and tabletop gaming historian Jon Peterson returns for a fantastic conversation on D&D and RPG history, and his related current books and projects. A new edition of Playing at the World and Dungeons & Dragons - the Making of Original D&D: 1970-1977 are on the shelves. D&D 4E has its hardcore fans. Jon has a seriously impressive collection of documents related to RPG history. Jon’s first on-screen RPG game, ever. Does the role of the Caller in D&D get an unfair reputation (and what exactly does the Caller do)? DNA from non-RPGs like Outdoor Survival made it into early...
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RPG Designer Merle M. Rasmussen - Episode 278 - 8/14/2024
Shane Plays Geek Talk
Merle M. Rasmussen, the man in the tux himself, joins to talk about the Top Secret RPG and his game design career. What was his first (mistaken) understanding of what D&D was? Memories of working at TSR. A no-nonsense discussion about the financials of his agreement with TSR for Top Secret. Financial lessons he has learned in his career. The perils of lead poisoning in making miniatures (and accidental improvised bombs). Jon Peterson’s Quagmire! D&D module article and Merle’s involvement in making it happen. Top Secret set multiple RPG precedents. What existing RPG was used for Top...
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Zombie Movies with Chris Holmes and Mike Stewart - Episode 277 - 7/22/2024
Shane Plays Geek Talk
Shane, Chris Holmes, and Mike Stewart aka DM Mike (Save for Half podcast, Found in the Ruins podcast) shamble relentlessly through over 40 zombie and zombie-ish flicks in their inhuman hunger for horror. Plus a brief detour into the best on-screen Joker and multiple bad zombie jokes. True or false: Marcel Marceau starred in a zombie flick. What is Shane’s most annoying zombie movie? What would you do if you were the last person on Earth and could do whatever you want? Shane offers a rare trigger warning. Shane Plays Geek Talk Episode #277 - 7/22/2024 Like what you hear? Support Shane Plays...
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Comics & Comicsgate With Preston Poulter - Episode 276 - 4/29/2024
Shane Plays Geek Talk
Preston Poulter of Pocket Jacks Comics joins to talk comic books, the current status of his Comicsgate trademark lawsuit, and his reasons for pursuing it. Plus the economics and challenges of self-publishing comics, some tabletop RPG chat and we learn what a pocket jack is. Shane gets upstaged during the bad joke of the week. Shane Plays Geek Talk Episode #276 - 4/29/2024 Like what you hear? Support Shane Plays Geek Talk on Patreon! Listen to the Shane Plays Geek Talk podcast on YouTube, SoundCloud, iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Podbean and Stitcher (and other fine, fine podcast...
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MASSIVE GEEKOUT With David Finn Of Signal Of Doom - Episode 275 - 3/29/2024
Shane Plays Geek Talk
Wide-ranging geekout with David Finn of Signal of Doom!! Lots of comic book and MCU chat (like, a lot). Pi Day. Doctor Who, old and new. Google Gemini vs. ChatGPT. Judge Dredd satirizes fascism but can tell multi-layered stories. Godzilla finally wins an Oscar. Godzilla as a metaphor. The essence of the Punisher. It’s been a while, but Shane rants a bit (and David loves it). The Krakoan X-Men scare Shane and David’s ready for the era to move on. Current Beast makes David pine for Dark Beast. Three Jokers?? The 80s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles RPG and real-life urban ninja action. Shane’s...
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Greyhawk With Allan "grodog" Grohe - Episode 274 - 2/29/2024
Shane Plays Geek Talk
Despite what you might think from its famous box art, Greyhawk (the first D&D setting published by TSR) isn’t just knights and chivalry… so what is it then? Major Greyhawk fan Allan T. Grohe Jr. aka “grodog” joins to fill us in on all the setting’s fantastic details! Also: Greyhawk is a setting with plenty of room to homebrew within the established details. Why the name Greyhawk? Some discussion of the Greyhawk novels (Gary Gygax’s and others). The Moathouse vs. the Temple… which is remembered more fondly? Is Greyhawk “real” to Allan? Militant neutrality. Alignment and...
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Strat-O-Matic Baseball with Champion Bill Meinhardt - Episode 273 - 1/31/2024
Shane Plays Geek Talk
Strat-O-Matic Baseball might be one of the biggest games you’ve never heard of, and three-time champion William “Bill” Meinhardt joins to share his passion for playing it. How long has the game been around, and how many people play it? What’s the one mechanic Bill wishes was in this beloved game? Is there a link between Strat-O-Matic Baseball and Fantasy (Rotisserie) Baseball? Is there a link between Strat-O-Matic and tabletop roleplaying games? At its heart, what is the game of baseball? And for the really hard-hitting question, does Bill do the Chicken Dance?? Shane Plays Geek Talk...
info_outlineShane, Chris Holmes, and Mike Stewart aka DM Mike (Save for Half podcast, Found in the Ruins podcast) shamble relentlessly through over 40 zombie and zombie-ish flicks in their inhuman hunger for horror. Plus a brief detour into the best on-screen Joker and multiple bad zombie jokes. True or false: Marcel Marceau starred in a zombie flick. What is Shane’s most annoying zombie movie? What would you do if you were the last person on Earth and could do whatever you want? Shane offers a rare trigger warning.
Shane Plays Geek Talk Episode #277 - 7/22/2024
Like what you hear?
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SHOW NOTES
Found in the Ruins podcast
https://saveforhalf.com/
(FITR releases on the SFH podcast feed)
Found in the Ruins Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1430189954589689
Return of the Ripper for DCC RPG with a cover by Jeff Dee and illustrations by Chris Holmes
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/michaeldavisphd/return-of-the-ripper-a-l1-horror-adventure-for-dcc-rpg
Chris Holmes’s Zombie Movie List
(if an entry is numbered, Chris recommends it. If it’s not numbered, he feels it’s worth discussing but doesn’t “rank” for his top 15)
- Last Man on Earth USA 1964 Dir. Sidney Salkow Based on I Am Legend Richard Matheson Stars Vincent Price
- Plague of the Zombies UK 1966 Dir. John Gilling Stars Andre Morell Hammer Film
- 1. Night of the Living Dead USA 1968 Dir. George Romero Writ. John Russo Stars Duane Jones
- Tombs of the Blind Dead Spain-Portugal 1972 Dir. And written Amado de Ossorio Stars are unimportant
- 2. Omega Man USA 1971 Dir. Boris Sagal Based on I Am Legend Stars Charlton Heston, Rosalind Cash
- Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things USA 1972 Dir. Bob Clark written and starring Bob Clark!
- Shanks USA 1974 Dir. William Castle probably written by him too Stars Marcel Marceau!
- 3. Dawn of the Dead USA 1978 Dir. And Writer George Romero Stars Ken Foree Stunts and makeup by Tom Savinni
- Zombi 2 Italy 1979 Dir. Lucio Fulci Writ. Dardeo Sacchetti Released in U.S. as Zombie
- Nightmare City Italy 1980 Dir.Umberto Lenzi Stars Hugo Stieglitz and many attractive women. Extremely silly.
- 4. The Evil Dead 1981 USA Dir. Sam Rami also written by him Stars Bruce Campbell First in a great Trilogy
- Dead and Buried 1981 USA Dir. Gary Sherman Writtten by Dan Obannon Stars James Farentino, Jack Albertson
- 5. Re-Animator 1985 USA Dir. Stuart Gordon written by him and Brian Yuzna Stars Jeffry Combs, Barbara Crampton
- 6. Return of the Living Dead 1985 USA Dir. Dan OBannon also written by him Stars James Karen, Clu Galagar, Linea Quigley,
- Day of the Dead 1985 USA Dir. George Romero also written by him Stars Lori Cardille A great disappointment
- Night of the Creeps 1986 USA Dir. Fred Dekkar also written by him Aliens create zombies
- 7. Evil Dead 2 1987 USA Dir. Sam Rami also written by him Stars Bruce Campell More fun and no tree rape
- Night of the Living Dead 1990 USA Tom Savini remake of original Stars Patricia Tallman
- 8. Dead Alive (Brain Dead) 1992 N.Z. Dir. Peter Jackson Writ. S. Sinclair Stars Timothy Balme, Diana Penalver
- Army of Darkness 1992 USA Dir. Sam Rami Written by Sam and Ivan Rami Stars Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz
- 9. Cemetery Man 1994 Italy Dir. Michele Soavi Stars Rupert Everett, Franscois Lazaro, Anna Falchi
- 10. Bio Zombi 1998 Hong Kong Dir. Wilson Yip Stars Jordan Chan Very funny.
- 11. Stacy ( Attack of the School Girl Zombies) 2001 Japan Dir. Naoyuki Tomomatsu Possibly the weirdest
- Shawn of the Dead 2004 England Dir. Steven Wright Stars Simon Pegg, Mark Frost
- Dance of the Dead 2008 USA Dir. Greg Bishop Written Joe Ballarini D&D players die in this film
- Dead Snow 2009 Norway Dir. Tommy Wirkola Stars Charlotte Frogner
- 12. Wyrmwood (Road of the Dead) 2014 Australia Dir. Kiah Roache Turner Stars Bianca Bradey -Features car chases on the outback
- Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse 2015 USA Dir. and written Christopher Landon Stars Tye Sheridan
- 13. One Cut of the Dead (Zombie One Cut) 2017 Japan Shinichiro Ueda No spoilers please
- 14. Little Monsters 2019 Australia Dir. Abe Forsythe Stars Lupita Nyoung’o Heartwarming
- 15. Night Eats the World 2018 France Dir. Dominique Rocher Stars Anders Danielsen Bleak and realistic
Shane’s Additional Worth Mentioning List
(for better or for worse)
- Train to Busan
- World War Z
- Assault on Precinct 13
- The Crazies
- The Sadness
- Zombieland
- REC
- The Returned
- Demons
- Army of the Dead
- Land of the Dead
- Diary of the Dead
- Survival of the Dead
- The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue
- Honorable Mention: Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video
Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games 2nd Edition
Shane's book! Co-authored with Matt Barton of Matt Chat
https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Desktops-History-Computer-Role-Playing/dp/1138574643/