retronerds : 252 - Kicking 2016 To The Curb - Year End Special

We talk about Rogue One for a bit, but the main focus here is on the year in review.  Our choices for best TV, movie, and more (plus a look at some of the less cool stuff that happened in 2016...)

Debbie Reynolds : 1932 - 2016

Debbie Reynolds, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ Star and Carrie Fisher’s Mother, has died at age 84.  She was taken to the hospital from Carrie Fisher’s Beverly Hills house Wednesday after suffering a stroke, the day after her daughter died. “She wanted to be with Carrie,” said her son, Todd Fisher.  

She continued to work well into her 80s, via film and TV work, guesting on “The Golden Girls” and “Roseanne” and drawing an Emmy nomination in 2000 for her recurring role on “Will and Grace” as the latter’s entertainer mother. Younger audiences treasured her in the role of Aggie Cromwell in Disney Channel’s “Halloweentown” and its three sequels. She also frequently did voice work for “Kim Possible” and “Family Guy.

Carrie Fisher : 1956 - 2016

There has been a great disturbance in the Force.  Iconic actress Carrie Fisher passed away this morning, after suffering a heart attack last week.  She was 60.  

Family spokesman Simon Halls released a statement on behalf of Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd:  “It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning,” reads the statement. “She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly,” says Lourd, 24. “Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.”  

She is survived by her mother, Debbie Reynolds, daughter Lourd, brother Todd Fisher, half-sisters Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher, and beloved French bulldog, Gary.

George Michael : 1963 - 2016

Singer Songwriter George Michael (originally known as Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou) has passed away at the age of 53.  After a string of hits with his successful group Wham! in the mid 1980s, George altered his persona and launched an even more successful solo career in the era when MTV was king.  Michael sold more than 100 million records worldwide. His 1987 debut solo album, Faith, sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.



 

Disney's $7 Billion Year

Disney milestone! With strong box office performers such as Star Wars, Captain America : Civil War, Finding Dory, and Moana, the studio cracked 7 billion in 2016, trumping Universal's 2015 gross! Can they lead the pack again in 2017?

Disney's $7 Billion Year

via Coowada Curt

Archie Andrews at 75

Archie first appeared in Pep Comics #22 on December 22, 1941, drawn by Bob Montana and written by Vic Bloom. With the creation of Archie, publisher John Goldwater hoped to appeal to fans of the Andy Hardy movies starring Mickey Rooney. 

Archie Comics was also the title of the company's longest-running publication, the first issue appearing with a cover date of Winter 1942. Starting with issue #114, the title was shortened to simply Archie. 

The flagship series was relaunched from issue #1 in July 2015 with a new look and design suited for a new generation of readers. Archie Comics characters and concepts have also appeared in numerous films, television programs, cartoons, and video games.

nine inch nails release surprise EP to end 2016

Nine Inch Nails has released a surprise EP to end 2016 with a bang. Not The Actual Events -- the follow-up to 2013's Hesistation Marks -- is, according to Trent Reznor, "an unfriendly, fairly impenetrable record that we needed to make." The EP is available from the band's website in digital or vinyl form.



Nine Inch Nails Store

retronerds : 252 - Episode 59A - Let The New Comedic Era Begin

Chappelle on SNL, A Tribe Called Quest, Disney and Netflix,  Song of the South vs the Modern World, and more.

Weekend Box Office

Rogue One ; A Star Wars Story was the big winner this weekend, bringing in an impressive $155 million. Coming in at a distant second (but also making dollars for Disney) was the animated tale Moana, with $12 million.  Office Christmas Party came in third place, with $8.5 million; Collateral Beauty brought in $7.1 million, and Fantastic Beasts held on for another $5 million dollar weekend in its fifth week in release.

retronerds : 252 - Episode 58C - Potpourri for $100

Loni Anderson, Hot TV Mom Jeopardy, Jeannie vs Samantha, Political sidetracking,  Cosby vs Jared,  WWF vs WWE, and more.

Rogue One Opening Weekend

Rogue One ; A Star Wars Story banked $72 million on Friday, putting the film on track to make around $156 million for its opening weekend. 

Rogue One made $29 million in the US on Thursday night. That sets a new Thursday night record for 2016, passing Batman v Superman ($27.7 million) and Captain America: Civil War($25 million).

It's Star Wars Day!

Brock Lesnar Fined and Suspended

Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar was hit with a one-year suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission after failing two drug tests in the lead up to his fight at UFC 200 against Mark Hunt on July 9. Lesnar will also pay a $250,000 fine, 

Lesnar, 39, tested positive for the anti-estrogenic agent Hydroxy-Clomiphene in an out-of-competition U.S. Anti-Doping Agency drug test on June 28 and in an in-competition test on the day of the fight.

Brock Lesnar Suspended

A Reminder...

REMINDER : When we hit YouTube Subscriber #52, one lucky subscriber will win an (increasingly rare) retronerds : 252 "Pocket Protector" T-Shirt.  Visit our channel now and click "Subscribe" to secure your chance to win.

retronerds : 252 on YouTube

retronerds : 252 Pocket Protector T-Shirt

retronerds : 252 - Episode 58B - The Restricted 80s

LEGO Batman, Gotham, Batman Begins, Additional Assorted Batmen, Supergirl Season 2, J'onn J'onzz, NY Giants, Brain on Drugs PSAs, Jack Chick Tracts, D&D vs Brainwashed Moms and more.

Alan Thicke : 1947 - 2016

Alan Thicke, -- singer, songwriter and actor best remembered for his portrayal of 80s father figure Jason Seaver on the television sitcom “Growing Pains,” died on Tuesday. He was 69. 

Mr. Thicke displayed a diversity of talents that included songwriting. He wrote the theme songs for numerous game shows, including “The Joker’s Wild,” “Celebrity Sweepstakes” and the original “Wheel of Fortune,” and he most memorably co-wrote the themes for “Diff’rent Strokes” and “The Facts of Life” with Al Burton and Gloria Loring -- his first wife and the mother of singer Robin Thicke. 

Hours before his death, Mr. Thicke commented on Twitter about “Fuller House,” a follow-up to the television series “Full House.” He recently appeared on the Netflix comedy series as a guest star in its second season. 

 “Season 2 Fuller House looking good,” he wrote. “I even like the ones I’m not in!”

Chapelle's Netflix Salary

It's no joke how much Dave Chappelle is reportedly making on his new comedy special deal with Netflix. The deal for several Netflix comedy specials is worth a reported $60 million.

Chapelle's Netflix Salary

via Coowada Curt

Yankees to Retire Jeter's Number

Not just our background filler! The New York Yankees to retire Derek Jeter's number. With it being only the 22nd time in over a hundred years of franchise history, it's the best way to honor The Captain. 

Yankees to Retire Jeter's Number

via Coowada Curt

Archie Comics to Re-Expand Universe

Archie Comics has revealed four upcoming one-shot issues that will expand their recently rebooted universe. Coming in March 2017, the four new titles include : 

"Jughead : The Hunger", by Frank Tieri and Michael Walsh; 

"The Archies", (which will focus on the band) - by Alex Segura

"Little Archie",  by Art Baltazar; 

and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", by Katie Cook and Andy Price.

The expansion of the newer, more "realistic" Archie universe is happening as the characters make the jump to television, with the CW's "Riverdale" series (described as Twin Peaks meets Archie) expected in the fall.

The original Archie universe lives on via new (unused stock) stories that appear regularly in their still thriving line of Digest Comics.  The new universe has proven to be a big seller, and all signs point to them sticking with the change.

 Archie Expanding Rebooted Universe

retronerds : 252 - Episode 58A - And On The Third Day...

Deadpool 2, Agents of SHIELD & Ghost Rider, Walking Dead, Cliffhangers vs Millennials,  Kyber Crystal rules in the new Star Wars universe, and more. *may contain language that is not suitable for all audiences*

Rob Tyner : 1944-1991

Rob Tyner was the main creative force and front man for the MC5. Born in 1944, Tyner formed the MC5 with Fred "Sonic" Smith and Wayne Kramer in 1963. A talented artist, an inspiring vocalist, and the intellectual heart of the MC5 -- Rob passed away in 1991 at the age of 46.  He would have been 72 years old today - December 12, 2016

This just in...

Negan and Ant-Man own a candy store in Upstate New York?  Or, in our world, actors Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Paul Rudd co-own a candy store in Rhinebeck, New York.  This is the world that we live in.  

Further Details from comicbook.com

retronerds : 252 Audio Archives

All previously released episodes of retronerds : 252 remain available in our audio archive.

retronerds : 252 Audio Archives

World Premiere - Rogue One : A Star Wars Story

The world premiere of Rogue One : A Star Wars Story took place last evening at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood.  The film's stars - Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Ben Mendelsohn, Rik Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen, and Donnie Yuen - attended along with insider fans like Joss Whedon, Kevin Smith, Wil Wheaton, and Christian Bale.  Security was tight, to prevent the highly anticipated film from leaking out, but that didn't bother the crowd, who gave the film a standing ovation as the credits rolled.  Rogue One blasts into theaters December 16, with preview screenings on the 15th.

retronerds : 252 - Episode 57C - Patrick Stewart Is Everywhere

* May occasionally contain language unsuitable for young audiences *

Original Brownbox D&D Sells For $22,000

An original copy of Dungeons and Dragons sold for a record setting $22,000 on eBay yesterday, December 9th. The original "brown box" edition was written by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and was hand assembled in the basement of Don Kaye - Gary's partner in TSR. Previous copies of the same edition have been going for around $8,000 recently, making this a significant increase in the perceived value of the edition. For more information on this and other stories, check out the retronerds : 252 channel on YouTube.

Original D&D Game Sells For Record Price

Spider Man : Homecoming - Full Length Trailer

The first full length trailer for Spider Man Homecoming was released last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live.  Just over two minutes long, the new trailer gives a solid look into the storyline, costumes, and set design for the highly anticipated film.  Spider Man Homecoming swings into town on July 7, 2017.

DuckTales Returns in 2017

Huey, Dewey, and Louie return with Uncle Scrooge and the rest of the cast of the beloved 1980s animated series Duck Tales.  Disney XD has set a return date of Summer 2017 and released a fifteen second teaser trailer to build anticipation.

DuckTales sets Summer 2017 Debut [via EW]

New Clips from Spider-Man : Homecoming Reveal Ditko Connection

New clips from Spider-Man : Homecoming reveal that the costume being used for the new film has a surprisingly old-school feature -- the web wings beneath his arms.  While occasionally seen in animation, they have never before been seen on a cinema screen. The underarm webbing was part of the original Steve Ditko design, but has been streamlined out over the years.  Spider Man : Homecoming arrives on July 7, 2017.  For more information, check out the retronerds 252 channel on YouTube.

San Francisco Hamilton Tickets Temporarily Broke the Internet

Nearly 80,000 people queued up online yesterday, in an attempt to acquire tickets to see Hamilton in San Francisco.  Most of those people did not get their tickets, and that was only the pre-sale.  The $100 tickets are currently being resold for eight hundred to two thousand dollars a piece on StubHub. Remaining tickets (if any) go on sale to the general public next Monday, December 12.

80,000 queued for tickets

Teaser Trailer : Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2

The new trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 hit the internet recently, and the fans seem to be loving it. The sequel to the very successful Marvel film - featuring the return of Rocket Raccoon, Drax, Star-Lord and the rest of the gang -- comes out April 28, 2017 in the U.K., and May 5, 2017 in North America.

Frank Vincent Zappa : December 21, 1940 - December 4, 1993

In music news, Frank Zappa died 23 years ago today.  December 4, 1993.  He was 52 years old and had released an astonishing 62 albums by that time.  Music would never be the same.

“Information is not knowledge.

Knowledge is not wisdom.

Wisdom is not truth.

Truth is not beauty.

Beauty is not love.

Love is not music.

Music is THE BEST.

-- Frank Vincent Zappa”