Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Disney Buys LucasFilm

The press release announcing the sale of LucasFilm and its enterprises, including the entire Star Wars Universe, its franchises, its businesses and its stories, to The Walt Disney Company... Skywalker Sound and Industrial Light and Magic will now be owned by Disney.

Updated: We've added our Super Special Star Wars Episode to this post. It was recorded on Wednesday, Oct. 31. Enjoy the nerdgasm that is had on this episode featuring Mike, Dave, Rhett, and special guest former co-host Matt.

Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas.

Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.

“Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value.”

“For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm.

“It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney’s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.”

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Lucasfilm, a leader in entertainment, innovation and technology, including its massively popular and “evergreen” Star Wars franchise and its operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects, and audio post production. Disney will also acquire the substantial portfolio of cutting-edge entertainment technologies that have kept audiences enthralled for many years. Lucasfilm, headquartered in San Francisco, operates under the names Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, and the present intent is for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations.

Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Ms. Kennedy will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as creative consultant. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future.

The acquisition combines two highly compatible family entertainment brands, and strengthens the long-standing beneficial relationship between them that already includes successful integration of Star Wars content into Disney theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris and Tokyo.

Driven by a tremendously talented creative team, Lucasfilm’s legendary Star Wars franchise has flourished for more than 35 years, and offers a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases and franchise growth over the long term. Star Wars resonates with consumers around the world and creates extensive opportunities for Disney to deliver the content across its diverse portfolio of businesses including movies, television, consumer products, games and theme parks. Star Wars feature films have earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box to date, and continued global demand has made Star Wars one of the world’s top product brands, and Lucasfilm a leading product licensor in the United States in 2011. The franchise provides a sustainable source of high quality, branded content with global appeal and is well suited for new business models including digital platforms, putting the acquisition in strong alignment with Disney’s strategic priorities for continued long-term growth.

The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney’s very successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel, which demonstrated the company’s unique ability to fully develop and expand the financial potential of high quality creative content with compelling characters and storytelling through the application of innovative technology and multiplatform distribution on a truly global basis to create maximum value. Adding Lucasfilm to Disney’s portfolio of world class brands significantly enhances the company’s ability to serve consumers with a broad variety of the world’s highest-quality content and to create additional long-term value for our shareholders.

The Boards of Directors of Disney and Lucasfilm have approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, and other customary closing conditions. The agreement has been approved by the sole shareholder of Lucasfilm.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Episode LXXV: Podfast Seventy Five

Another host-filled episode filled with our hosts d$ and Mikey with Shawn Sharp and Tommy Mc. 

Our weeks kick off right with Mikey and Shawn's full report of the MuteMath concert... plus a MuteMath discussion with their Earthsuit roots... a hashbrown Waffle House report... d$'s report on Campbell standing up...

We also discuss such random topics as TV shows that are getting renewed and cut, like Animal Practice... the upcoming Dead Pool movie... Famke Jansenn as a possible cameo on the new Wolverine Movie... Mark Wahlberg in Transformers 4?   Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Season Four!  And Mikey busts out some crap from Peter Murphy

The Justice League movie taking on the Avengers 2 in 2015!  Johnny Depp in a new flick!  Fassbender in a video game film!  And Demi Lovato's running tweet!!

A rousing round of the Ryan Phillippe Game challenges us with the likes of George Clooney and Meg Ryan and Robert Redford and Oh That Affleck!

We also find out... the worst Vulcan Ever??

The Big Three becomes The Big Five as we take on our favorite TV shows that premiered in the latter half of the 80s, with great memories of Saved By the Bell... Pee-Wee's Playhouse... Seinfeld... Roseanne... Doogie... And... The HighWayMan? 



And we have a great discussion on seen movies like Apollo 18... Contraband ... Rio... and Mikey's Homework Assignment, "Strictly Ballroom". 

Join us next week when we have a special Halloween Episode, with spooky tunes, crappy Music from Mike.. a frightening Buried Treasure... d$ discusses his Netflix assignment "Get the Gringo"... the Big Three is our favorite scary movie monsters... that's all on The Deucecast LXXVI: Nightmare on Pod Street!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Episode LXXIV: Pod & Furious

Once again, the boys are back, the boys are back in town... back to The Deucecast... Mikey and d$ in another hostfilled episode, and we jump right in with...

Mikey's amazing week, including The Avett Brothers... eating Archibald's Ribs in Tuscaloosa... seeing Mac Powell in concert... d$'s experiences both at Archibald's and actually meeting Mac Powell back in the day... the prospects for Ghostbusters III... the trouble with DC Comics movies, especially with Ant-Man getting a movie of his own... Marvel's Agent Colson comes to TV... The Walking Dead... love for Revolution... anticipation for Necessary Roughness.. and more!

d$ then tells us the sordid tale of being an Annual Passholder... and later, discusses the newest Disney World promotion for 2013.

Mikey's Crap Music busts out with some Kate Bush (with d$'s revealing one of the worst songs ever recorded)... d$'s Buried Treasure brings in some Lost in Emotion, All Cried Out and Head To Toe--of course, we are talking about Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, with Full Force!

The Rotten Tomato Game makes its 2nd appearance with arguments over The Price is Right rules... and surprise over ratings on WarGames and Hamburger - The Motion Picture.





The Big Five takes on Our Favorite TV Shows from 1980 to 1985... and we dive into classics like Double Dare... Scarecrow and Mrs. King... The A-Team... Knight Rider... and d$'s uncomfortable love for The Great Space Coaster Supershow--which is almost as uncomfortable as Mikey's love for Airwolf.

And... The Demi Lovato Tweet of the Week!

Next Week... the guys return to a hostfilled show, with our 80sTober continuing... another great Big Five with our Favorite TV Shows that PREMIERED from 1986 to 1989... another round of Mikey's crappy music... another awesome Buried Treasure from d$... and a rousing round of The Ryan Phillippe Game... that's on The Deucecast LXXV:  PodFast 75...

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Episode LXXIII: The Pod & The Furious: Maylene Drift

Listen to our new episode and hear Hurricane Rhett yell about people. 

No, seriously.

We kick off our new show with another segment from our sponsors, then a tasting of our latest beverage, the atrocity known as Celsius. It is loaded with interestingness. 

Mikey tells us all about his adventure at Bark at the Park, and how easy it might be for all you single dudes to get yourself a woman.  And his disappointment with Star Wars Reads Day. And we talk about Liam Neeson.  And Taken 2.  And Facebook.  And Armie Hammer in "The Lone Ranger".  And Armie Hammer as Batman in "The Justice League Movie".  And a new Mary Jane?

We also touch on Hulk Hogan's unfortunate video discovery... Star Wars news abounds, with some Angry Birds... some Disney news and the Annual Passholder preview for New Fantasyland... movies like Get the Gringo... Soapdish... Rio... and Nancy McKeon !! 

Did you know that Dionne from "Clueless" is voting for Romney!? 

Mikey's crap music brings us some old school The Psychedelic Furs, and we go mano-a-mano in The IMDb Game, featuring Sandra Bullock... Bill Paxton... Steve Buscemi... and even more!

And speaking of crap, the worst movies ever?  That's right... the worst movies ever!  Its our list of the crappiest movies we've ever seen, and it includes Chevy Chase movies... John Candy movies... a Matthew Broderick movie... Terrence Malick movies... and breaking up with Ashley Judd with "Bug ".  Terrible. 

And... Demi Lovato coins a new phrase!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Episode LXXII: Too Pod, Too Furious

Back in the groove after a week off, a brief hiatus, the boys are back in town... Shawn "DJ Phrenzy" Sharp joins us tonight with Tommy Mac on the keyboard producing, and we kick off with our last two weeks worth of life and living...

The Middle Eastern Festival and the Greek Festival were attended by us, and discussed here, plus d$'s love of grape leaves... baby talk and poopy talk as well... one of our sponsors gets a little edgy with their commercials... trailers for upcoming films like The Lone Ranger... a new Spiderman coming up... Fargo in a TV Show?... and Seth MacFarlane hosting the Oscars.

We watched a ton of films like Dredd... The Master... Looper... Mansome... The Five-Year Engagement... A Thousand Words... John Carter... a great documentary on athletes blowing hundreds of millions of dollars in Broke... and of course, some animated flick about birds.


A session of Reel or Unreel follows Mike's 80s Themed Music Minute and a new Buried Treasure with Steve Martin, and precedes The Big Three, our favorite death scenes--Samuel L. Jackson loses to a shark... some chick loses to a bus in The Marine... a dude loses to cockroaches in Creepshow... bad guys lose to God in Raiders of the Lost Ark... and even more death and destruction!

And next week... The Deucecast LXXIII: Too Pod, Too Furious: Maylene Drift!  Join us next Wednesday for our live taping!