This episode of Geeks Unleashed, "Episode 207 - The Black Phone 2," hosted by Mark and Stef, is a Halloween-themed discussion that covers gaming news, a new movie trailer, and a deep dive review of a horror sequel.

The main segments and topics covered include:

• Gaming News: Xbox & Exclusives

  • The hosts discuss the major news that the flagship Xbox franchise, Halo, is coming to PlayStation, starting with a remastered campaign of the first game [01:33:42].

  • They view this as a continuation of a trend, noting that Forza and Gears of War exclusives have also gone multi-platform. Steph suggests that the future of gaming is about convenience, and console exclusives are no longer the "make or break" factor they once were [01:15:10].

  • Mark expresses disappointment over the Game Pass price increase, calling the jump to $30 "a lot" [01:17:08].

• Scream 7 Trailer Reaction

  • The hosts react to the new Scream 7 trailer, with Mark expressing his annoyance about the controversial firings/departures of Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega [26:22].

  • Mark is pleased that Neve Campbell is returning to the franchise [27:24] and notes a cool callback: her daughter is named Tatum (after her friend in Scream 1) [27:41].

  • They also discuss the fan theory about Matthew Lillard's character, Stu, potentially having survived the events of the original film [31:53].

The majority of the episode is dedicated to reviewing the sequel, The Black Phone 2, which Mark and Stef agree is a clear cash grab after the success of the first film.

• Story Shift & Focus

  • The first film was a "horror thriller," but the sequel is a full-on "horror supernatural" film, focusing more on the sister, Gwen, and her psychic abilities [53:37].

  • Both hosts were disappointed by the shift, wishing the sequel had instead focused on the brother Finny's trauma after his experience with the Grabber [56:57]. Steph was particularly turned off by the introduction of dream fighting, comparing it to A Nightmare on Elm Street (Freddy Krueger) [58:47].

• Criticisms & Praises

  • Major Criticism: Despite the R/18 rating, no one dies in the entire movie, other than the three victims killed before the film's events [01:03:00].

  • High Points: They praised the acting (especially Ethan Hawke as The Grabber) and the film's visual style/cinematography [01:00:58].

  • They enjoyed the redemption arc for the father, Terrence, who has gotten sober after the first film and is dealing with the family's legacy of "the shine" [01:03:43].

  • The character of Armando, the camp supervisor who dedicated his life to finding the bodies of the original victims, was praised as a compelling figure [01:07:24].

• Sequel Thoughts

  • Mark (3/5) and Steph (2.5/5) would not rewatch the film.

  • Mark suggests a prequel focusing on The Grabber's origin story as the best way to continue the franchise [01:21:16].

For Halloween, Stef shared a few horror recommendations:

• Overlord (2018)

• The Sickening (Korean/Taiwanese zombie film)

• Night of the Comet (Classic '80s horror)

The episode closes with a discussion of older music players like the Walkman and MiniDisc, and the announcement that next week's episode will be a review of Revival Season 1.

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