vintage
Vintage geek content from the archives of the geek, comic, and entertainment collections.
'The Battered Bastards of Baseball' Shows the Unqualified Success of a Team of Scrappy Rejects
'The Battered Bastards of Baseball' shows the Unqualified Success of a Team of Scrappy Rejects The Battered Bastards of Baseball tells the improbable story of an actor with a passion for baseball who realized his dream of fielding a professional baseball team through his steadfast efforts. Bing Russell was able to found the single-A Portland Mavericks without any affiliation to a Major League team and was only derailed when Major League Baseball decided to revive AAA baseball in Portland.
Frederick ParkPublished 7 years ago in Geeks6 of the Most Valuable Video Games Ever Made
People generally don't think of video games as high value collectables. Nothing ages worse than video games, games that were revolutionary years ago look like garbage compared to what we have now. While you can buy plenty of used games for under $3, there are still a few video games out there that would cost you a small fortune if you want them.
Jason SchwartzPublished 7 years ago in GeeksBest Movie Musical Adaptations
I've argued many times that movie musicals stand the test of time, and also are the greatest form of escapism. Where else would upwards of 100 people know every choreographed move to a dance sequence (outside of the theater, of course)? And it's hard not to sing along to the happy tunes that uplift characters, and gape at the talents of Gene Kelly, Barbra Streisand, and Robert Preston.
Marina Caitlin WattsPublished 7 years ago in GeeksSoundwave or Die Tryin'
Like many celebrities, Soundwave's origins are humble. Japanese toy company Takara had a line of robots called Diaclone, picked up and reimagined by Hasbro in the mid-80's. Capitalists to the bone, Hasbro teamed with Marvel Comics to launch a comic book series around the toy line, to help muster sales.
Matt CatesPublished 7 years ago in GeeksRemembering 'Looking for Mr. Goodbar'
People are always asking for movies that stand the test of time. Movies that were made and feel like another era, but are so authentic that they could not be recreated today. These are the classic films like The Godfather, Ordinary People, or Apocolypse Now. I still have almost every VHS tape, laser disc, DVD, and Blu Ray I ever bought. It's a good thing too, because films like Looking for Mr. Goodbar are not easy to find. Sure you can watch it on YouTube until the Russian site that loaded it up to a channel gets shut down for copyright issues but that doesn't feel right. Back in 1977 when it was still a novel idea to successfully adapt a film from a book, and the only sequel was Rocky II, the classic Looking for Mr. Goodbar launched the career of the Dalai Lama's favorite male lead, Richard Gere. Unfortunately the movie does not compare to the book, and after re-watching the film recently I have taken it off my list of movies that stand the test of time. But I highly recommend reading the book.
Mike MavenfulPublished 7 years ago in GeeksFilm and the Great Depression
In 1932, a quarter of Americans were unemployed. There was no social safety net, social security, or unemployment compensation. It was an economic and social catastrophe.
Marina Caitlin WattsPublished 7 years ago in GeeksHollywood Secrets of the Golden Days
A rather amusing classic Hollywood practical joke was vouched for as perfectly authentic when the man who had perpetrated it. Eddie Goulding is who. Even way back towards the end of the silent period and all through the first decade or two of the "talkies', was among the dozen or so most successful directors in Hollywood. He was an Englishman, and like all prominent Europeans he was frequently pestered by ‘well recommended' visitors from back home, such as a young Peer of the Realm who displayed very suitable letters of introduction. Eddie did all that was expected by instructing his assistant to show the visitor around the studio and by finally giving him a quick lunch.
Stephen HamiltonPublished 7 years ago in GeeksHumble Beginnings at The Improv with Larry David
Larry David looks out at a packed house through thick aviator glasses. Catching the audience off guard, he speaks slowly, in a voice vaguely reminiscent of Jackie Mason. "Well, I've done it again I've driven another woman to lesbianism...." The line registers, and laughter fills the room. He's already got the crowd hooked, one of the first things a stand-up comic must learn.
George GottPublished 7 years ago in Geeks"Ferris Bueller, You're My Hero"
Through hours and hours of countless film watching, there have been very few that have stuck with me. John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is high on that list, as I grew up watching it and know the script verbatim. Impacting my mindset during my time in high school and college, it has taught me to live life to its fullest, even if it means breaking a few rules.
Marina Caitlin WattsPublished 8 years ago in GeeksUltimate Freaks and Geeks Pop Culture Guide
Freaks and Geeks is one of the rare series, cut short, but hangs together perfectly as 18 episodes of pure genius. It has a beginning, a body and that rare quality so hard to find in singular seasons cut short; an end. As such it does not suffer the same fate as so many series, unfinished for lack of renewal. Irrespective of the fact that there are so many success stories that evolved from this unique series, the style, vibe and humor was way ahead of its time, and stands on its own as an iconic creative accomplishment. It defined the 1980s for a generation of millennials. The 18 episodes are literally a pop culture encyclopedia. The detailed analysis that follows takes a look at each and every episode, specifically looking at the show from a pop culture trivia standpoint wheneve applicable. As you read through the episodes, it becomes clear that the show was about more than its individuals, more about the whole and mostly one huge metaphor for the 1980s. The show was about defining the categories that separate us, and then using pop culture to deconstruct those divisions. At the end of the 18 episode story arc, pop culture unites us all, and we realize we are all Freaks and Geeks.
Frank WhitePublished 8 years ago in GeeksCitizen Kane, 75 Years Later
1941 saw the release of Citizen Kane. Orson Welles directed, wrote, produced, and starred in the film, which is greatly criticized for its resemblance to the life of newspaper tycoon, William Randolph Hearst. The story is the quintessential American Dream, perfectly arching a rise and fall for our tragic hero, Charles Foster Kane. More than just for the classic narrative, Kane received many accolades after its release. Due to its technological advances, its interpretation of the American dream, and an emphasis on the gratuitous excess that comes along with power, Kane stands the test of time, even 75 years later.
Marina Caitlin WattsPublished 8 years ago in GeeksRetrospective Communist Films
Only retrospectively, a few major films in the 1950s dealt with communists and the red scare as a criticism. High Noon and Dr. Strangelove all read more as conforming-related when looked at decades later.
Marina Caitlin WattsPublished 8 years ago in Geeks