Podcast Archives — Geek Girls Universe

September 19, 2023September 19, 2023

S4E12: José Hernández & Alejandra Márquez Abella Interview

José Hernández & Alejandra Márquez Abella Interview! We recently had the chance to speak with director Alejandra Márquez Abella and NASA flight engineer José Hernández, whose life is the subject of the film A Million Miles Away. A Million Miles Away is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

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We stand with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

José Hernández & Alejandra Márquez Abella Interview

A Million Miles Away

Inspired by the real-life story of NASA flight engineer José Hernández, A Million Miles Away follows him and his devoted family of proud migrant farm workers on a decades-long journey, from a rural village in Michoacán, Mexico, to the fields of the San Joaquin Valley, to more than 200 miles above the Earth in the International Space Station. With the unwavering support of his hard-working parents, relatives, and teachers, José’s unrelenting drive & determination culminates in the opportunity to achieve his seemingly impossible goal.

José Hernández & Alejandra Márquez Abella Interview

I know that your story has been out there for a while and people have tried to make your story but it was just never the right time. So what was it about this time that made you say yes?

José: It was all about the people who wanted to make it. The folks that approached me [were from a] film house called Select Films, run by Mark Ciardi, executive producer of our movie. They had just finished doing McFarland USA, they had done Million Dollar Arm, and Secretariat. So they had a nice pedigree of doing films that were inspirational. That’s when I realized this is the film house where my story can be told the way I wanted it to be told.

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It wouldn’t be a movie about becoming an astronaut without a training montage. Did you also work with NASA? Was that an actual training ground?

Alejandra: No, we built a set. We shot the whole film in Mexico around Mexico City or in Mexico City. We went to this humongous pool in Mexico City and we recreated the whole training. Which was more than challenging because we had to actually have people who could, you know, arrange that stunt and actually do that as they would do in a military facility. [It’s] a very sophisticated piece of training. It was fun, challenging, and long.

Listen to the complete interview below!

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July 26, 2023September 16, 2023

S4E11: Mutant Mayhem Cast Interview

Mutant Mayhem Cast Interview! We recently had the chance to talk with the stars of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film Mutant Mayhem. TMNT Mutant Mayhem is coming to theaters August 2.

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This interview happened prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Mutant Mayhem Cast Interview

We asked Micah Abbey (Donatello), Shamon Brown Jr. (Michaelangelo), Brady Noon (Raphael), and Nicolas Cantu (Leonardo) the important questions. You know like what is their favorite thing about their characters, how familiar were they with the turtles before making the movie… oh and the most important question of all– PIZZA TOPPINGS.

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Which one of the guys likes veggie pizza toppings like Jana? Or mushrooms like Ashley? You’ll have to listen to find out. Being two geeks we could relate to Micah sharing how much he loves Donatello’s nerdy side. An anime fan? Yes please! Plus we may have felt a little old realizing how much they didn’t know about the classic Secret of the Ooze.

About Mutant Mayhem

So they devise a plan to win the hearts of New Yorkers. But soon they must use their ninja skills for something other than making videos. Along with their new friend, April O’Neil, they team up to take on a mysterious crime syndicate. However they are in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed.

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July 25, 2023July 25, 2023

S4E10: Interview Adele Lim Talks Joy Ride

Adele Lim talks Joy Ride! We recently had the chance to talk with the hilarious and amazing Adele Lim about her film Joy Ride. Not only did Adele direct the film but she is also one of the co-writers. Joy Ride is a wickedly naughty road trip adventure that is both genuinely funny while also being heartfelt. Joy Ride is coming July 28^th to Premium Video-On-Demand.

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This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Interview Adele Lim Talks Joy Ride

Joy Ride had both of us in tears from laughing so hard. Naturally that meant one of the questions we had for Adele was how in the world she got through the takes without laughing. Apparently, that may have been the toughest part of the job. In fact, one scene, in particular, was hard to film and did not make it into the movie. Just wait until you hear why!

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About Joy Ride

Growing up as the only Chinese American girls in their town, Audrey and Lolo have been best friends since childhood. Audrey, an adoptee from China, grew up to be an overachiever on her way to becoming a big-shot lawyer. Lolo, a free-spirited artist, is the exact opposite of Audrey. When Audrey is asked to travel to China by her firm to close a deal, Lolo goes to act as her translator, bringing along her cousin Deadeye. Once in China, they meet up with Audrey’s college best friend Kat, a famous actress who pretends to be someone she’s not. Although this is a work trip for Audrey, things go from professional to rowdy in ways none of them could have expected.

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May 26, 2023May 26, 2023

S4E9: Across The Spider-Verse Interview With The Stars

Ashley recently had the chance to talk all things Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse with the stars and filmmakers. You read that right. She was joined by Hailee Steinfeld, Shameik Moore, Lord & Miller, Issa Rae, and Daniel Kaluuya for one epic Spider-Verse interview.

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Across The Spider-Verse Interview With The Stars

Just when he reunited with his friend, Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse. There he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. However, when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders. He must soon redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most. Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is in for another mind-blowing experience.

Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse is EVERYTHING. We weren’t sure how they could touch let alone top the original but they did it. This very talented group have come together to make one of the best CBM ever.

Daniel and Issa are new to this world and shared a little bit about their characters. Hailee and Shameik are as thrilled as we are to be back in this world. The icons Lord & Miller shared some non spoilery fun facts to keep in mind when watching the film.

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Who is your favorite Spider-Person in Spider-Verse?

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May 26, 2023May 26, 2023

S4E8: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 Breakdown With FanDads!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 Breakdown Podcast

Ashley was joined by Victor, one-half of the dynamic duo that runs Fandads.com to talk all things Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. From our reviews to easter eggs, and our thoughts on the future Guardians team, this is our Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 Breakdown. Spoiler warning for those who haven’t seen it yet.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3

The Guardians are existing peacefully on Knowhere, rebuilding this corner of the galaxy and dealing with the aftermath of Thanos. Everything is going mostly okay until a random attack leaves Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) severely injured. In order to save his best friend, Peter (Chris Pratt) along with Nebula (Karen Gillan), Drax (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Groot (Vin Diesel) will have to confront the mysterious High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) the man behind the brutal experimentation that made Rocket who he is now. They aren’t the only ones out for vengeance and this new foe, Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), could prove too much for even the Guardians to handle.

Jana and Ashley have similar thoughts on the film. Although one of them is more annoyed by the ending than the other. Jana may not have been able to make this podcast but Ashley made sure to share her thoughts.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 Breakdown With FanDads

Gil and Victor are The Fandads. The Fandads post about sharing their love of all things geeky with their children. We write about toys, movies, video games, comic books, and being dads.

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May 26, 2023May 26, 2023

S4E7: Dungeons and Dragons Interview- Directors & Producer

We recently had the chance to sit down for another Dungeons and Dragons interview, this time with directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley as well as producer Jeremy Latcham. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is available now on Premium Video-On-Demand and Digital HD.

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Dungeons and Dragons Interview

Honor Among Thieves picks up two years after Edgin (Chris Pine), an ex-Harper turned thief and his best friend Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), a barbarian, have been imprisoned for attempting to steal gold and a magical artifact. The two successfully escape and make their way back to Edgin’s daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman). However, she isn’t happy to see him, since his old friend Forge (Hugh Grant) has filled her head with the lie that Edgin values wealth over her. Edgin and Holga recruit old and new friends–the sorcerer Simon (Justice Smith), druid Doric (Sophia Lillis), and paladin Xenk (Regé-Jean Page) to help them retrieve an artifact that will save Kira and everyone else in Neverwinter from Sofina (Daisy Head), a Red Wizard of Thay.

Whether you are a fan of the game or not, this film is an epic adventure that is sure to entertain. It was fun to geek out with Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, and Jeremy Latcham over all the nerdy things in this film. Can you guess who has never played D&D out of the three? Also one of us hasn’t played it either!

Now that Honor Among Thieves is available to watch at home, there are a ton of bonus features available. We talked about their favorites, while Jeremy shared his love/hate with deleted scenes. It wouldn’t be us if we didn’t ask about easter eggs, because there were so many! And since we both really enjoyed it, we had to know if a sequel is possible.

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April 21, 2023April 22, 2023

S4E6: Interview With Director Leah Wolchok

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you know the author Judy Blume. Now streaming on Amazon Prime is Judy Blume Forever, a documentary that takes readers inside the life of Blume and her incredible works. We had the chance to sit down for an interview with director Leah Wolchok to learn more about the documentary and Judy Blume herself.

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Interview With Director Leah Wolchok

We both grew up reading Judy Blume’s books. Jana even shared a story about her own Blume moment that is sure to make Judy proud. So it was a pleasure to speak with one of the directors who set out to bring Judy’s incredible story to life.

We asked about what it was like working with the legendary author and if anything was surprising about her story. Spoiler, the surprising thing happens to be one of the most emotional aspects of the documentary.

And as crazy as it seems, book banning is once again making its rounds. Judy Blume has been there and done that. Fortunately, she has the wisdom to share with us all. Wolchock spoke on the timeliness of this documentary and what is happening to authors today.

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About Judy Blume Forever

Author Judy Blume changed the way millions of readers understood themselves, their sexuality, and what it meant to grow up. But her honesty led her to critical battles against book banning and censorship as many tried to silence her voice.

With humor, sensitivity, and a healthy dose of adolescent cringe, Judy Blume Forever tells the story of the woman whose trail-blazing books changed the way millions of readers understand themselves, their sexuality, and what it means to grow up.

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March 21, 2023March 21, 2023

S4E5: Dungeons and Dragons Sophia Lillis and Justice Smith Interview

We had a blast talking all things Dungeons and Dragons during our Sophia Lillis and Justice Smith interview. They star in the new Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves film that is coming to theaters March 31.

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Dungeons and Dragons Sophia Lillis and Justice Smith Interview

Justice may be a newb like Ashley but Sophia is a longtime D&D player. Just wait until you hear about her campaign and character. On the movie side of things, Justice talked about working in sign language to his spells. And since we both loved the film, we had to know what they would want to see happen with their characters in the future. Justice was READY for that question!

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March 20, 2023March 20, 2023

S4E4: The Magician’s Elephant Interview

We recently had the chance to sit down with director Wendy Rogers and producer Julia Pistor about their latest film in our The Magician’s Elephant interview. Netflix’s newest animated film, based on the classic Kate DiCamillo book, will begin streaming on March 17.

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The Magician’s Elephant Interview

Based on the novel by Kate DiCamillo, The Magician’s Elephant tells the story of a young boy in search of his sister. When young Peter crosses paths with a fortune teller in the market square, there is only one question on his mind: is his sister still alive? The answer is that he must follow a mysterious elephant. This sets Peter off on a remarkable journey to complete three seemingly impossible tasks. These magical moments may change the face of his town forever.

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This film marks Wendy’s directorial debut. With her visual effects background, we had to know more about her approach to directing this. Did her background in effects inform her directing? The answer lies in who she is as a person. Adapting books for the screen can be difficult. Julia shared what they had to cut from the book for the film. Despite some missing characters, this film was truly beautiful. It managed to capture the magic of the book, which at the end of the day is what is important.

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March 3, 2023March 3, 2023

S4E3: Interview with Sainty Nelsen

We recently had the chance to sit down for an interview with Sainty Nelsen. She is a 3x Emmy Award, Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, GLAAD Award, Drama League Award, and Outer Critic Circle Award Winning actor and producer. Yes she is pretty amazing. Plus she has some awesome projects coming up that young geeks and musical theatre geeks are going to love.

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Interview with Sainty Nelsen

Sainty is currently starring in Gabby’s Dollhouse. She is also on Trolls: The Beat Goes On, Loud House, Boss Baby, and more. Aside from a booming career in voice acting, Sainty was last seen in the FX comedy S*x, Drugs, & Rock and Roll opposite Denis Leary. She also starred as Dory in Broadway’s Finding Nemo the Musical.

Notable producing work includes Wakefield starring Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner, The Inheritance on Broadway, Broadway Rising a documentary with Lin-Manuel Miranda, co-produced by Jesse Tyler Ferguson (2022 Tribeca Film Festival Official Selection), and proudly holds the title of youngest Emmy Award Winning female producer in history for her work on Peacocks, The Bay.

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We spoke to her about Pillow Cat in Gabby’s Dollhouse Season 7, as well as Spidey and His Amazing Friends Season 3, and the Will Rogers’ story.

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