The LanternCast

The foremost (& 1st) #podcast dedicated to #GreenLantern, hosted by 2 Lanternologists: Chad Bokelman & Mark Marble! EST - 2008 by Jim Ford & Dan Kurtzke #GLCast

[The LanternCast @lanterncast]

My first experience with Green Lantern comics: I bought the REBIRTH HC & the GL Showcase Vol 2 from @BordersBooks near the Regal Westgate in Austin in 2008. I remember because I was there early killing time before I saw either the first Iron Man or The Incredible Hulk (I remember it being a popular superhero film at the Regal).

I absorbed REBIRTH that evening. In the time between then and October of that year, I found @ComicGeekSpeak & their forums. In late October I bought my first issue off the stands at an LCS (Tribe Comics & Games at their first location off of Menchaca behind Half Price Books on South Lamar). It was a one-shot special FINAL CRISIS: RAGE OF THE RED LANTERNS. And thus my journey began.

Through CGS I discovered the LanternCast at the end of 2008 (this is why they're our podcast Godfathers). Jim & Dan had just recently started the show having met on the forums. Jim had wanted to listen to a show about GL, but there being none, opted to start it himself. He reached out to Dan on the forums and The LanternCast was born. Their (numbered) episode four...covered the Red Lanterns special (though it was technically the 6th released episode of the show).

Eventually Mark and I (Chad) inherited the show 5 years after it's debut, and now Mark and I have been doing it nearly 13 years.

I share my love of GL through The LanternCast because my fandom of this franchise is nearly inextricably linked to this podcast. Sure, I didn't start it. But it was there as I began to learn about the mythos. Dan & Jim answered my emails on the air asking questions as I started trying to dive deeper into the publication history.

The LanternCast was my teacher in my fandom of Green Lantern. Sometimes I worry I do this more out of habit than anything else. Sometimes I worry that, without the LanternCast, I'd succumb entirely to my introverted nature and rarely interact with a single soul. Sometimes, in my more morbid moments, I think of the future of LanternCast as a kind of legacy archive, something my family could return to someday, a record of my voice and the things I cared about.

But, as long as I've cared for the character of Green Lantern, the LanternCast has been around. And as long as the LanternCast has existed, is how long I've been a fan of Green Lantern.

So sure, not everyone needs to have a podcast. But it's also not very often an individual NEEDS a podcast. So in todays moment of self reflection? I just wanted to take the opportunity while it was in my mind to thank the listeners of this show past, present, and future (and Mark, Jim, Dan, Jason, James, etc)...for letting my fandom have a home for nearly 18 years in one form or another (and hopefully more years to come).

-Chad Bokelman, co-host of The LanternCast

[The LanternCast @lanterncast]

Witnessing the uncertainty around where LANTERNS goes from here over the past few days has felt like a Monty Python sketch:

[The LanternCast @lanterncast]

I said you're not welcome here. I explained why. You chose to continue anyway.

So now you're blocked.

And just to be clear for anyone following along, this has absolutely nothing to do with an inability to entertain differing opinions. Disagreement is welcome. Criticism is welcome. What isn't welcome is the constant dismissiveness and contempt toward other fans simply because they enjoy something you don't.

You don't have to agree with me, and I don't have to give you an audience either.

[The LanternCast @lanterncast]

The Green Lantern community won't always agree on the direction DC takes its characters. We won't always agree on the stories, the adaptations, or the creative choices.

But I hope we never lose sight of the fact that we're all here because we believe in these characters and what they represent.

Green Lantern is bigger than any one creative team, executive, television series, or era. There's room for different interpretations, new voices, and bold ideas without losing sight of the things that made these characters matter to begin with.

We don't have to agree on everything to want the same thing: a future where Green Lantern continues to matter, where its mythology is embraced, its possibilities are explored, and its fans have something to be excited about.

Different perspectives. Different expectations. One universe worth fighting for.

The light doesn't belong to any one of us.

[The LanternCast @lanterncast]

You didn't explicitly say people are wrong for liking those characters. But after looking through your post and reply history, it's pretty clear that you have very little respect for anyone who disagrees with your particular vision of Green Lantern.

The dismissiveness, the insults, and the way you talk about other fans and the things they enjoy tell me everything I need to know about where you're coming from.

You're entitled to your opinions. You're not entitled to dictate what other people should enjoy or make this community a hostile place for those who see things differently.

That attitude isn't welcome here. Neither are you.

[The LanternCast @lanterncast]

@HN89648964 @MikeFitz538 Every Lantern is someones favorite for their own reasons and that's perfectly fine. People can like things you don't. It's not the end of the world.

For instance, I don't like Simon for my own reasons but I'll be damned if I tell another GL fan they're wrong for liking him.

[DC Film News @DCFilmNews]

LANTERNS EP and Season 2 writer Christopher Cantwell shot down Variety's report that the series didn't get a second season:

"Nothing's cancelled. Calm down."

Variety has since corrected its article.

[The LanternCast @lanterncast]

PRECISELY why we didn't say anything yesterday when the "news" hit "confirming" LANTERNS had been cancelled.

Is it possible still? ABSOLUTELY. But don't call the patient dead until you're totally sure.

[IGN @IGN]

Variety has updated the wording of their initial report that Lanterns "didn't get renewed for a second season." It now reads that the show "has yet to be renewed for a second season." https://t.co/Ex4rxv0GWu

[The LanternCast @lanterncast]

Green Lantern

ShadowPact or JL Dark

Dark Knight Detective feat Batman as our POV and one or two others from the DCU as he follows the mystery.

[ClassicComics @ClassicComics3]

Congratulations! You’ve just been put in charge of DC Films! You have 3 movies to make before Warner Brothers is bought again and the company is reorganized.

What are your 3 movies?

[The LanternCast @lanterncast]

Didn't know this book existed. Definitely need to add it to my list:

https://t.co/sjM0dSvSj9

For those in the know, is it fairly accurate? I mean NO disrespect to the author. I'm just not familiar with their works/research.

[GregWatercoolerFFW @WatercoolerFFW]

Jeremy Latcham is mentioned a few times in @jowrotethis's excellent MCU book, but not a ton of evidence that he was as integral to Marvel as Ellison calling him part of the "founding team behind the MCU" would suggest.

[The LanternCast @lanterncast]

Curious to see what this will mean overall but obviously the question becomes… what about LANTERNS?

We can bicker all we want about how it was adapted but the views and the episode ratings are physical proof a studio would consider with regards to making a decision on whether or not to keep it going.

And hey, maybe Jeremy Latcham will opt to have a relationship with the fan content community that James and Peter didn’t! New era, new possibilities.

The wheel turns as it always does…

https://t.co/8qJWFKFkN3

[Skydance @Skydance]

Jeremy Latcham will join Skydance Motion Picture Group as President and Chief Creative Officer, DC Studios.

James Gunn and Peter Safran will step away from their leadership roles after four years transforming DC and resetting the Studio’s foundation.

David Ellison, Chairman and CEO, and Ynon Kreiz, Co-CEO, of Skydance said: “James and Peter launched a new era for DC Studios and led it through a period of real transformation, resetting the foundation and building a slate we’re incredibly proud of. We’re grateful for their passion, contributions and commitment to this legendary brand. Jeremy has been a longtime creative partner to both, and we have complete confidence that James and Peter will ensure a smooth, collaborative transition and continue this work with care. We look forward to working with Jeremy to build the next generation of DC storytelling and to doubling down on our commitment to fans.” https://t.co/qpYkjSaJTN

[Nexus Point News @NexusPointNews]

James Gunn has shared a statement.

[The LanternCast @lanterncast]

I WANT Space Godzilla or Anguirus. But Space Godzilla wouldn't do anything but essentially rehash the lessons already learned in Minus Zero.

The mentioned it briefly but King Ghidorah was clearly from Space in Minus Zero. So Space Godzilla would just rehash the whole thing...unless they made him a failed clone or something...but that's not something I'd be down for.

Anguirus wouldn't thematically/emotionally touch on the right topics, no matter how much I want to see him.

So I think REALISTICALLY it would have to be either Hedorah or Mothra.

[BruteTigrex21 @BruteTigrex21]

So if there is a 3rd Godzilla Minus film, who could be the next opponent for Godzilla?
It'd have to be grounded enough to fit this world
Thematic enough for to fit the kind of stories these films tell
But would also want to raise the stakes beyond King Ghidorah...

[Hannah Hunt @amazingspidrhan]

1/4 I keep seeing people complain that the American soldiers in #GodzillaMinusZero are caricatures. I personally took that as a choice and loved it. After decades of Hollywood doing the same thing to Japanese people, it felt a little like payback.

[The LanternCast @lanterncast]

They’re not kidding. It’s LOUD.

I wore my Raycon earbuds (turned off) for the entire film. I took them off for the last five minutes just to get them to Bluetooth reconnect to my phone. And even THAT was deafening.

Even still. Incredible movie. Not that I doubted it for a single second.

[The LanternCast @lanterncast]

Oooooohhhhhh NO!
There goes Tokyo!
Go, GO…

[Ryker @RykerJackson97]

I just got back from seeing “Godzilla Minus Zero” and I’m here to share my thoughts.

First things first, I am a big Godzilla fan. No, I’m not the biggest fan in the world and I haven’t seen every movie, but I’ve seen more than I’d wager the vast majority of people have and I distinctly remember as a kid going to the video store and renting every old Godzilla movie I could find. “Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla” is the one I probably remember most vividly.

In addition, I adored “Godzilla Minus One”. I thought it was a brilliant piece of filmmaking and I think it would have been a powerful study on survivor’s guilt, family, and the will to live even if Godzilla wasn’t in it.

So now onto my verdict for “Godzilla Minus Zero”…

I liked it. I did, but I don’t think it’s anywhere near as good as Minus One and I think there’s a few reasons for that, but I’ll get into those in a moment.

To begin with the positives, though, the VFX is yet again extraordinary. In particular there was one scene in the first act of the film involving some planes and King Ghidorah that legitimately took my breath away. Honestly, these movies put American studios to shame when it comes to what they accomplish on such a competitively limited budget.

The score, once again composed by Naomi Sato, is spectacular. The reprises of the previous film’s score are evocative and pair strongly with the movie, and Ghidorah’s theme is going to stick with me for a long time, even if it is just the first note of “Flight of the Valkyries” played over and over lol.

The acting is very strong and the kaiju action is astounding.

But now we have to get into the negatives and this mostly has to do with the writing.

One issue I have with the film is that it seems overstuffed.

Minus One was so remarkably effective because it had one emotional through line. It was a character arc centered on Shikishima.

In Minus Zero, however, we have Shikishima and Noriko trying to protect Akiko, Dr. Noda and newcomer Aoyama trying to atone for past sins, along with the brilliant Professor Murakami who’s characterization in the film was by far the strongest and most interesting.

A part of me wishes that some of these plotlines were cut so that we could focus more on Murakami. His is the strongest character arc in the film and I really wish he was allowed to be the main character here.

I also feel that the pacing was off. The second act was a bit of a slog and the ending seemed to drag on just a hair too long.

But my biggest issue I think is that there were too many moments where the film allowed itself to get carried away by the melodrama. Minus One was a very, very emotional film, and so is this one, but unfortunately there’s a sense here that the movie is almost nudging you, going, “see? This is the sad scene. You should cry now.” Some of it felt too contrived. The most hard hitting scenes were the ones involving Murakami but those were not too common.

Now look, I know this might sound like a negative review, but it isn’t. “Godzilla Minus Zero” is not as good as its predecessor, but it is still a fine piece of filmmaking and I recommend it.

My packed theater in South Jordan, Utah applauded at the end, so take that for what it’s worth.

#GodzillaMinusZero

[The LanternCast @lanterncast]

Oooooohhhhhh NO!
There goes Tokyo!
Go, GO…

[Luna ꗞ that one oomf thats jaykyle @sillygayfreak]

God I’m so excited