Wonder Con Photos Are Online For Your Viewing Pleasure

 

Hey there, Patrick here, reporting from Wonder Con up in San Francisco, Ca.  Yesterday was a fun day at the con.  The GeekRoundTable panel went rather well, and I got to see a sneak peek of the new Wonder Woman animated movie (which rocks by the way).

 

I managed to take some cool pics throughout the day, including the above comic cover which I just happen to think is the greatest cover of all time.  You can see the flickr set of photos by clicking here, or you can click on the image above.

 

I'll be taking more pics throughout the day today, including (hopefully) some good shots from the Watchmen and Star Trek panels that are going on today.  I'll get them up as soon as I can.  Until then, have a fun weekend and I'll see you all later.

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!

So with Pat gone in San Francisco for the WonderCon, I have hijacked Geek-tastic to bring all you lovely readers a giant dose of the single and only geek thing this website lacks; some 100% pure, unfiltered geek hate, grown fresh in California, refrigerated, and shipped straight to you, the consumers!

 

It seems that everywhere I turn these days everyone wants to tell me how excited they are for whatever-flavor-of-the-moment geek thing is on the horizon. I, as a general rule, hate everything until I see it for myself and decide only then if it's earned the merits it's probably already been given by the rest of the geek community. This counteracts something I like to call the "midichlorian effect" or in laymen, the inability to see the flaws in a movie in lieu of your insane excitement. I was so excited for Episode One they could have started the movie by admitting to me that Obi-Wan was actually Luke and Liea's father, and I would have thought it was the most ingenious plot twist since Vader being their father. Yeah, I was THAT delusional with excitement. Not again though, fool me once Hollywood, shame on you, make me watch Phantom Menace five times before I even start to realize that Jar Jar Binks is annoying, shame on me. In the words of The Who "won't get fooled again", and we all know, The Who are awesome.

 

Now I'm not here to talk about Watchmen, because at this juncture, it's useless. Everyone is already convinced with religious conviction that it's the next Dark Knight, and whenever I tell them the ending has been changed and that bothers me (I don't care how good it is Pat! I want to see some vagina-mouthed-squid-monsters on the big screen, I WANT TO SEE THAT!!!) they want to yell at me like I haven't been reading comics since I was in diapers.

 

It's more about how everyone expects me to like things because I label myself as a geek/nerd/suave mother effer. I should like Family Guy right, they make references to nerd culture constantly? WRONG. I hate that show. I'm not saying it's a bad show, I personally just don't enjoy it. The writing staff is lazy and about as creative as most bad stand-up comics I've seen booed off the stage. Dollhouse is another show that seems to offend fans if you hate. Sorry, just because Joss has created the best story lines in television and comic book history doesn't mean everything he produces is a gem. I would bet hard cash that Doll house is as bad as it is because Joss was prepared for it be cancelled after a single episode, and if not, then I have no explanation as to why the show is as bad as it is. I don't like the movie 300, ANY of the Pirates of the Carrabien movies, pretty much everything Johnny Depp was in (except Ed Wood  Platoon and Sweeney Todd, X-men 1 and 3, Spider Man 3 with a vengeance), I could go on all day.

 

I catch a lot of heat for hating things this way. For walking into media skeptical, instead of filled with enthusiasm like a lot of my nerd brethren. For me though, it works out so much better in the long run. If a movie/tv show/comic can win me over when I am skeptical of it, doesn't that prove it's merits much more than starting off expecting a great movie? When Pat informed me that Avatar; The Last Airbender was the greatest cartoon ever, of course I was skeptical. When I watched it and it proved to be one of the greatest cartoons I've ever seen, doesn't that say a lot more about the show than if I were to go into it trusting completely that Pat was correct in his assumptions? Sweeney Todd is another great example of this. I watched it ONLY because we were reviewing it for GeekRoundTable.com, because as previously stated, I hate Depp. Doesn't it say more that I can admit wholeheartedly that I hate Depp, I think Tim Burton is FAR FAR passed his prime, and that Sweeney Todd was a good movie? Wouldn't you trust that kind of review over someone who went to the premier of the movie wearing a hot topic cavalcade of Tim Burton merchandise?

 

My point in conclusion, geeks, DON'T BE AFRAID TO HATE. Wrath of Khan wouldn't be as amazing as it was if Star Trek fans hadn't had the guts to say "we hate Star Trek the Motion Picture". The squeaky wheel gets the oil and no one attempts to fill a half full glass. I don't care what Kevin Smith tricked you into thinking about internet ranting, that guy sold out harder than the Iggy and the Stooges songs in commercials for cruise lines.

 

Yeah, I said it, Kevin Smith is a sell out.

 

(Fun Fact: I worte this from work while the rest of GeekRoundTable.com cast is on stage at Wondercon giving a panel)

Heading off to Wonder Con

 

I mentioned previously how I was going to be attending Wonder Con at the end of February.  Well, the time is upon us finally.  I'm headed up to San Francisco today to get ready for the con starting tomorrow.  As a result, postings here on Geek-tastic over the next couple of days will be a little sketchy.  I am bringing my laptop with me to the con, and I will try posting as often as I can, but I am unsure as to whether or not I'll have access to the internet at the convention center.  So be sure to check back occasionally over the weekend and I'll try to update as often as possible. 

 

If you wish to get random updates about what I'm up to at the con, you can follow me on Twitter.  My name there is Twilightjumper.

 

Also, for those in the area who are going to the con as well, the GeekRoundTable is hosting a panel on Friday that I'll be a part of.  We'll be recording a live podcast at the panel.  If you'd like to meet any of us or take part in what is sure to be a fun event, be sure to swing by.  Here's the info:

 

4:30-5:30 GeekRoundTable.com @ WonderCon—It’s a live podcast with the funniest guys in geekdom! The folks from GeekRoundTable.com are at WonderCon to give their take on the world of geek. Host Ned Cato Jr and producer Jesse Lopez are joined by panelists Chris and Mary Sturhann, Matthew Jeffery, Patrick Roach, Wesley Strawther, and Johann Joseph as the Beaver! Put your two cents in on the discussion in their open chair. There will be surprise guests and cool giveaways. Room 220

 

This weekend should be a lot of fun.  I'll do my best to try to keep the site updated.  Things will be back to normal on Tuesday, once I'm back from the convention.  Until then, have a great weekend.

The Turtles Are 25 Years Old? Really!?!?!

 

Holy crap I'm old!

 

As a kid I used to go to the local comic book store all the time with my older brother Michiel, and I clearly remember when he started reading this strange new comic I'd never heard of before.  It was called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and it was like nothing I'd ever really seen before.  At first, I'll admit, I wasn't into it at all.  The comic was all black & white, it wasn't put out by Marvel Comics (which was pretty much all I read at that time) and the stories were a little strange.  These giant talking turtles were fighting some evil guy who had a funny looking helmet, and they were led by a giant rat. 

 

But it had ninjas in it, and swords and nunchuks and stuff.  Plus it came with my brother's recommendation, which typically meant that I would love it, so I gave it a try . . . . . and sure enough I fell in love with it.  The original storyline of the comics was amazing.  It really was like nothing I had read yet at that point (mind you I was six years old).  It was dark and violent and at the end of the first major story arc the main villain was killed.  This was something totally different from the typical Spider-man comics I was reading at the time. 

 

And of course, as you all know, the Turtles became hugely popular.  They got turned into a Saturday morning cartoon show that I loved, even though it was nothing like the comics.  Then they got a live action movie which, much to my suprise, was a fairly faithful adaptation of the first 10 or 12 issues of the comic.  By then the Turtles had become a phenomenon.  They were a merchandising empire that would produce multiple comic lines, TV shows and movies that have continued on in one form or another until today.  And all of this from one little self-published comic book that originally came out back in May of 1984.

 

Wow, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles turn 25 years old this year.  Can you believe that? 

 

In honor of this anniversary, a new website has been launched for the Turtles called TMNT25.com.  On the site, you'll find information on everything Turtle based, including information on all of the big celebrations that are planned for this milestone year for the fab four amphibians.  These celebrations include a nationwide road trip with a stop off at the San Diego Comic Con, movie collections coming to DVD and Blu-ray, a new video game and much more.  To check it all out, be sure to wander around the site.  There's even a blog that's "written" by Michelangelo.

 

Damnit, writing this article got me to thinking about the first TMNT movie and now I can't get that damn T-U-R-T-L-E Power song from it out of my head.  Well if I have to suffer with this thing stuck in my head now for the rest of the day, I'll be damned if I'm doing it alone.  Here's the video so you can share in my pain.

 

The Dangers Of Time Travelling In A Delorean

 

See folks, this is what can happen if you go playing around with the space/time continuum.  Sure, travelling through time in a souped up Delorean may sound like a good idea, but if you aren't paying attention to what you're doing, you could end up in the wrong place at the wrong time (literally). 

 

Such was the poor fate of Marty McFly and Doc Brown and all of the poor souls they took with them into the afterlife.  Let this be a lesson to you all.  Just say no to time travel, or else more things like this will happen.

New Geek-tastic Web Comic: A Slight Error In Directions

 

Hey there true believers!  The third comic of the official Geek-tastic Web Comic is up.  As always, click on the image above to see the comic in it’s full size.

 

That wacky Jason Vorhees.  He may be an expert at killing teens with raging hormones, but he sure isn't any good reading a map or following directions.

Science Explains Why Everyone Hates George Lucas

 

A lot of Star Wars fans hate George Lucas.  It's just a basic fact.  In the course of his career he has gone from beloved father figure of every Sci-fi geek's favorite movie series to a reviled and often mocked character whom most view as loathsome.  It's amazing what one prequel trilogy will do to the public's perception of you.

 

But it's not just Episode One that has people hating on the man who made Greedo shoot first.  No, there's far more to it than that.  There's science!

 

At the website VeryEvolved.com, they have fascinating article up that takes a look at nostalgia and how it affects how our brains process memories and how when those processes are disrupted a change in emotions can take place.

 

Our brain isn’t the hard drive of a computer, and our memories aren’t hard coded and unchangeable. Every time you recall a memory it may become subtly altered and associated with what ever it was that triggered that old memory. If this trigger happens repeatedly, then you’re adding new layer of interpretation that will be recalled automatically with the old memory next time it’s called up.

 

A great example of this in action that also demonstrates fluid nostalgia, is the backlash against George Lucas. A large portion of 70’s and 80’s children had grown up owning Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader figures and playing in the backyard pretending sticks were light sabers. Fond childhood memories.

 

When the first abysmal Star Wars Prequel was released the strong feelings against the film weren’t just those of disappointment at a bad movie. If it were that simple, we should also feel the same way about Police Academy 7.

 

The reaction can be partly explained by the sense of attack on our previously fond feelings. Watching the new movie automatically calls up memories from the previous series and all the pleasant childhood playtime memories associated with it. But recalling these fond memories in the context of a negative experience begins the process of re-coding, or modifying our old memories. This is an undesirable outcome for nostalgia as it is usually such a pleasant feeling. Naturally there is some resistance and cognitive dissonance when this happens and the brain will try to avoid it like any other unpleasant experience.

 

Cognitive dissonance is the important term there.  It is the technical term for that really uncomfortable feeling you get when you are simultaneously holding on to two contradictory concepts or ideas.  In the case of Star Wars, it is the result of loving the original films, but hating the new ones.  They're all Star Wars, so technically our brain is telling us we should love all the films equally.  We've always loved Star Wars before, so anything else Star Wars that comes out too should therefore be loved just as much as the original films.  The fact that we don't like the new films is in conflict with the pre-set construct we have in our brains, and this results in confusion, anxiety and eventually anger.

 

And for George, unfortunately, that anger seems to have been directed at him.  As the creator of the franchise, as well as the writer and director of the prequels, fans everywhere have made him the focus of the negative emotions that have arisen due to the cognitive dissonance that the prequels have created in them. 

 

Which leads me to this next item.  In what could be considered a case study for these new findings, a new documentary film is coming out called The People vs. George Lucas.

 



 

The documentary takes a detailed look at how George Lucas is perceived around the world, both by the fans of the Star Wars films as well as people inside the film industry.  He's become a rather controversial figure over the last decade or so, and people's opinions of him certainly do run the gamut from angry and vengeful bitterness to to exalted worship.

 

Personally, I will admit to having been a total Lucas hater in the past.  The prequel films (Episode I mainly, II and III weren't so bad) really bothered me and as a result I, like many other people, turned that anger at Lucas for what I felt was a betrayal of what I have loved. 

 

However, my opinions on this have changed a lot lately.  I don't really hate Lucas anymore, nor do I hold any real blame for him anymore for making Episode I the way it was.  Maybe I'm getting softer as I get older, but I'd rather look at it as having gotten wiser.  The key question I asked myself that changed my mind on things was, "What would you say to George Lucas if you met him on the street one day?"  It's a really important question actually, so let me ask it again.

 

"What would you say to George Lucas if you met him on the street one day?" 

 

What would you say?  Would you bitch him out for making some really horrible films?  Would you slap him out of anger?  Or would you say thank you for creating something you loved so much?  Something that had such a profound impact on your life?

 

Personally, I realized I would do the latter.  I would have to shake his hand (maybe even hug him) and say thank you.  Thank you for creating something that has forever altered how I view the world.  Thank you for creating something that has turned me on to so many other things in this world that I love like Star Trek and comic books and toys and books and sci-fi and fantasy.  Thank you for giving me something I can bond with others over, thus creating life long friendships that have already spanned decades.  Thank you for expanding my mind and my imagination as a child and for making me dream dreams I probably wouldn't have ever dreamed about otherwise.

 

I'm actually finding myself getting angry at fans nowadays who say that they hate George Lucas.  Like the guys in the trailer that are singing the song "George Lucas Raped My Childhood."  It's funny how the roles have reversed lately.  A few years I would have gotten a chuckle at that song and would have said that I agreed with it, but today stuff like that just makes me want to smack the people saying it and then yell at them, "George Lucas didn't rape your childhood you stupid ignorant douchebag!!!  He GAVE you your fucking childhood!!!  Without him you would have spent the 80's playing football in your back yard with your friends instead of playing with Star Wars figures.  You would have grown up to be a jock date rapist who wears DC shoes and clothes that say Volcom or Famous Stars and Straps on them.  You'd be driving around in a truck with a big Metal Mullisha sticker on the back instead of that X-Wing decal you have."

 

Without George Lucas and Star Wars, life as we know it would be totally different.  It was the merchandising machine that Star Wars created (which everyone bemoans by the way) that paved the way for pretty much everything you've ever loved as a kid to exist.  Without Star Wars and the incredibly popular and money making line of Star Wars toys, large toy companies may never have learned that TV and Movies can be used as vechicles for massive toy advertising. 

 

Without that realization, pretty much everything else from the 80's disappears.  GI Joe, Transformers, He-Man, MASK, Rainbow Brite, Care Bears, Thundercats, Silverhawks, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and about a million other toy lines and shows all disappear.  All of it.

 

The impact of Star Wars on our lives really can't be measured.  Even today we have things like the current run of the new Battlestar Galactica on the Sci-fi channel which I absolutely adore and am convinced is the best damn show on TV.  But it's a remake.  And what was the original BSG?  It was a knock off of Star Wars.  So without Star Wars there is no BSG.  And that's just one show as an example.  Give me 10 minutes and I'm sure I can think of a hundred more. 

 

My point is, I have realized the error of my ways.  To hate George Lucas is to hate myself.  Does this mean I have to like everything he does?  No, I don't.  I will still like or dislike anything he does based on the product itself, but I am no longer going to hate him for what he's doing.  He created Star Wars, nothing else he will ever do, short of turning into a new Hitler and starting a holocaust, will ever take away the joy that his creations have already brought into my life.  He can make a new trilogy of films based solely on Jar Jar for all I care.  It doesn't matter.  Nothing he ever does will ever take away what he's already given the world.  The only reason people are so mad at him all the time is because they love what he created so much, and what does that say about what he's given them?

 

(Via IO9)

By The Hammer Of Thor . . . . . We Have A Release Date

Thor is pictured above after a long night of drinking with Daredevil and Hercules where he has won the "Tequila Shot Contest" Daredevil had challenged them to earlier in the evening.

 

 

Marvel has announced the "Official" release date of Kenneth Brannagh's Thor movie.  I have the word official in quotes there because the bitter and pessimistic nerd in me almost never believes official release dates when he first hears them, especially release dates for films that haven't even begun filming yet.  Release dates are never set in stone this early on.  There's too many variables that could delay the film.  Shooting might go longer than expected, a star could get injured on set, the special effects might not be ready on time, you name it and it could possibly delay the film.

 

So, with that said . . . . . the current "official" release date for the Thor movie is July 16, 2010.

 

We'll see if that's actually when the film comes out or not.

New Geek DVD Day - 02/24/09

 

The Good:  Pirates 2 - Stagnetti's Revenge (Lame R Rated Cut)

 

Why It's Good:  Pirates 2 is the big budget porn film that is a sequel to the original film Pirates that came out back in 2005.  By big budget, I mean the film had a budget of about a million dollars.  That may not sound like much as far as regular movies go, but for porn films that's huge.  This DVD version is the R rated cut of the film that has had all of the hardcore scenes taken out.

 

I've seen both Pirates and Pirates 2 though, and believe me when I say that the porn stuff aside, these movies are hilarious.  They are by far the best spoofs I've seen of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean films.  The dialogue is made super cheesy on purpose, the acting is atrocious, but the characters are really amusing and there are some downright funny scenes in the films that will make just about anybody laugh.  The hero of the films is the Captain of a pirate hunting vessel who has been tasked with eliminating the pirate scourge from the Caribbean.  The guy who plays the captain has some of the best delivered one-liners I've heard in a long time.  We're talking laugh out loud funny here.

 

If you don't like porn, get the R rated cut and you can still enjoy these funny parody films.  If you like Porn, then the unedited cut is really the way to go.  Either way the films are entertaining.

 



 

The Badass:  Akira (on Blu-ray)

 

Why It's Badass:  It's the granddaddy of all Anime movies.  It's the film responsible for introducing pretty much all of western civilization to the greatness that is Japanese animation.  Akira, combined with the original Robotech series, is pretty much solely responsible for introducing an entire generation of kids in the US and in Europe in the 1980's to the concept of animation that deals with adult centered themes and topics.  Without Akira, we wouldn't have pretty much any of the amazing Anime films that have been made since.  It set the standard for what an Anime film should strive to be and has inspired countless films since its release.

 

Akira truly is a landmark in animated cinema, and now it is available on Blu-ray so it can be enjoyed in crystal clear high definition.  This is a "must own" for any animation fan.

 



 

The Awesome:  Futurama - Into The Wild Green Yonder

 

Why It's Awesome:  It's Futurama. Do I really need to explain it more than that? Ok, fine. It's the fourth, and possibly final, direct to DVD Futurama movie. It's possibly the last time we'll ever get to see the adventures of the Planet Express crew. Is that enough for you yet?

 

When Futurama was originally cancelled by the Fox Network back in 2003, I was deeply saddened. It was one of my favorite shows and is still, in my opinion, far superior to Matt Groenig's other show The Simpsons. The show follows the adventures of the eternal slacker Philip J. Fry after he gets cryogenically frozen in the year 1999 and wakes up in the year 2999. Now, a delivery boy for the Planet Express crew, Fry is joined by his new best friend, the alcoholic robot Bender "Bending" Rodriguez, and Leela (the one eyed ship's captain) and a large cast of other characters as they wander through space delivering packages and occasionally getting caught up in intergalactic wars or almost being killed by Snu Snu.

 

After the cancellation, the show went into reruns on Cartoon Network's latenight programming line up Adult Swim, where it became one of the consistently highest rated shows each week. These ratings quickly caught the attention of executives over at Fox, and much like what happened with Family Guy, more new episodes were ordered. However, instead of just creating a new season of TV, the decision was made to create four full length direct-to-DVD movies. This new movie is the last of those four films. Hopefully, the sales of the DVD's will be enough to get more movies ordered, but right now that future is uncertain. All we can do for now is buy the DVD's and hope for the best.

Cool Geek Apparel

 

I can't help but  chuckle every time I look at this t-shirt design that you can buy over at Threadless.com.

 

Those poor little Space Invaders and their overly simple invasion strategy.  Little do they know the horrors that await them as most of them are assuredly about to march to their doom thanks to bad military planning.  Most of the aliens you see in that class will never see their homes again.  They'll never hold their wives or children again, and they'll never get to see another sunrise over their far-distant home planet. It really is a tragedy if you stop to think about it. Yet, at the same time, all I can think about is how pretty they all look lined up in their little rows as they learn the strategy that is going to kill them all. 

 

Does that make me evil?

R2-D2 Is One Pissed Off Little Droid

 

 

And can you blame him?  Really?  The poor guy has had to put up with a lot of crap in his life.  The first time we ever meet him (chronologically) he's basically slave labor/a mechanic for a monarchy that seems to view his kind as easily disposable.  Then he's forced to wander around the galaxy, through deserts and swamps and cities, with annoying kids and retarded aliens.  His life is constantly in danger and no one around him seems to care.  And this is only in Episode One. 

 

On top of all of that, his only other droid companion on this journey is a twisted Frankenstein creation that has been cobbled together from trash and spare parts by the aforementioned annoying kid, and this naked sin against nature doesn't even seem to hear a word he says.  So it's no wonder really that when someone finally got around to adding subtitles to R2's dialogue from the Star Wars films we learn that he is a bitter, jaded, foul mouthed droid.  I would be too.

 

(Via ToplessRobot)

The GT Podcast: Episode 03 - Podcasting With A Vengence

 

 

After many delays and setbacks while editing, the third episode of the Geek-tastic Podcast is finally finished and is ready for your listening pleasure.

 

 

You can stream the podcast live by clicking here.

 

OR



You can download an MP3 of the podcast by clicking here.

 

 

In this episode of the podcast, your intrepid hosts Pat and Matt are joined by special guest Robert Magness. Robert is an aspiring writer and director whose name will become known worldwide in the near future. Of this I am certain. So take note of him and remember this podcast so that one day you will be able to say you knew about him before he became "known".

 

As usual, we cover a few geeky news items in the podcast, but the vast majority of the time is spent in deep discussion of Zack Snyder's film adaptation of Alan Moore's classic comic book series The Watchmen. Matt, Robert and myself were lucky enough to make it into a special early screening of The Watchmen and now we're here to dish out our opinions on the film as well as our thoughts on how it compares to the comics.

 

Be warned though, the Watchmen discussion is filled with MASSIVE SPOILERS about the film and it is highly suggested that you don't listen to that portion of the podcast until you've seen the film. A spoiler warning will be given as the conversation starts though, so feel free to listen to the rest of the podcast even if you haven't seen the film yet.

 

With that said, here's a handy dandy list of show notes and links to things we discuss during the podcast.

 

SHOW NOTES

 

• Fanboys is being shown in more cities.


• Pride and Predator has been announced.


• Alien vs. Predator Requiem Trailer (just because it's awesome).


• Deathtroopers Plot Synopsis.


• Here's the link to my 100% SPOILER FREE review of The Watchmen.


• Wil Wheaton's blog post about attending the same screening of The Watchmen we were at.


• Info on MTV Spoilers


• Info about the GeekRoundTable.com panel Wonder Con.

 

And for anyone who may be curious as to what the Geek-tastic Podcast studio looks like, here's how things look on my end. 

 



 

This image comes from deep inside my secret layer known as The Patcave (aka my tiny ass apartment).  It was taken immediately after we finished recordng this episode of the podcast.  I swear that I didn't do anything at all to set this shot up.  I got up from my chair after hanging up and ending recording, wandered into the kitchen to get a drink and as I walked back to the desk it dawned on me how horribly nerdy my desk looked just then. 

 

So, of course, being the historically minded nerd that I am, I had to document this moment in my nerdy life and preserve it for future mocking from my friends and family.

 

Pop quiz:  Who can name the five totally geeky things seen in this image?  The tech and equipment don't count, but the images on the monitors do.  That's your only hint.  Bonus points go to anyone who can name what is being shown in the monitor on the left.

 

Sadly, my Appa mousepad didn't make it completely into the shot.  You can just barely see a part of his head and one horn on the far left side of the image.  Appa, of course, is the flying Bison from Avatar: The Last Airbender.  I got the mousepad at the San Diego Comic Con two years ago.  I had to complete a scavenger hunt to get him that involved running all over the busy sales floor and collecting stickers from different vendors booths.  It was actually a lot of fun, and the mousepad was a totally awesome prize.

Pat's Movie Reviews: The Watchmen (100% Spoiler Free)

 

I find myself at this moment with the difficult task of explaining to you my thoughts and feelings about Zack Snyder's adaptation of The Watchmen to the big screen without giving anything really important away. It's harder than it sounds, trust me.  So here's what I'm going to do. I promise right now to not give away any spoilers from the Watchmen movie of any kind.

 

However, I will be discussing events that happened in the Watchmen comic books. I'm doing this because the comics are over 20 years old, therefore I'm not really giving away any spoilers whatsoever. If you've read the comics, feel safe to continue reading and know that I will not mention anything that has been changed for the movie. I will only be discussing events that take place both in the movie and in the comics.

 

If you haven't read the comics yet, and don't want any major spoilers for the film, please stop reading now. Instead, you should go out and buy the graphic novel instead, read that cover to cover in one sitting (allow yourself a full day to do this), then come back here and read my review.

 

 

Ok. With that said. Here we go!

 

 

Let me just get this out of the way right now. The Watchmen is an amazing movie. And when I say that, I mean that it's AN AMAZING MOVIE!!!  If you are a fan of the comics at all, let me reassure you right here and now that this film does not in any way detract from the greatness that is the Watchmen in its original form.  Zack Snyder has gone above and beyond the call of duty here and has created a film that is, in my mind, the most faithful comic-to-screen adaptation that I have ever seen.  Only Sin City is really comparable in level of adaptation accuracy. 

 

Everything that we as fans could have possibly ever hoped to see in the Watchmen movie is in there.  And the vast majority of it is delivered in an almost panel by panel translation from the comic.  There are so many moments in the film where I recognized exact panels from the comic that had been converted into a moving image.  I honestly believe that the film crew just opened up the graphic novel and used that as their storyboards when making the movie.  The film feels like the comic in just about every possible way.  The colors, the images, the settings, the dialogue, the nuclear paranoia, it's all there.

 

Have certain things been changed?  Yes.  Of course they have.  Whenever anyone is ever adapting a story from one form of media to another, there are always going to have to be small things that get changed.  To expect a complete 100% translation of a written work to a theater screen is ridiculous, but I am sure there are going to be plenty of purists and die-hards that will find something to nit pick about the film. 

 

But that's just it though.  All that there really is to complain about are tiny, nit-picky things.  For a book as complicated as the Watchmen is, to be adapted to the big screen and only have small things to complain about is an amazing accomplishment.  This film could have gone wrong in a million different ways, but it didn't and I really feel that it was because it had a director that was trying his damnedest to stay as faithful to the comics as possible.  As for things that just weren't included at all, from what I could tell the only things that were cut were minor background things that weren't really needed for the main story.  Even then, Zack Snyder has said in many interviews that a director's cut of the film will be coming out on DVD that will include a ton of scenes that had to be cut due to time constraints.  Chances are then, that if you're upset about something that had to get cut, you'll still get to see it when Watchmen hits store shelves this summer.

 

On of the things that  really amazed me about the film though was how powerfully it was able to control the audience that was watching it.  The Watchmen is a multifaceted story that throws comedy, drama, horror and action all into one big pot and stirs it all up into a seamless blend of storytelling greatness.  Asking a film to do that too is a tall order indeed, but this movie pulls that off.  In any ten minute span, the Watchmen movie can make an audience laugh at the nerdiness of Dan Dreiberg, squirm uncomfortably in their seats and actually gasp as they watch the Comedian beat up and attempt to rape the original Silk Spectre, and then take us right back to the riveting drama of Rorschach as he investigates the death of the Comedian.

 

The characters are played perfectly by an amazing group of actors.  Doctor Manhattan has that right amount of far-awayness that he had in the comics, Ozzymandias is aloof and superior, Laurie is anxious and confused, and Dan (as I mentioned bef0re) is so perfectly nerdy you can't help but love the guy.  By far though, the standout performances go to Jackie Earle Haley and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Rorschach and The Comedian respectively.  Both of these men bring in incredibly powerful performances that manage to capture the nuances and complexity of their characters with amazing faithfulness to their comic counterparts.  Jackie Earl Haley even manages this while wearing a full mask for most of the film.  During the scenes though where he has the mask off . . . . . wow.  I never would have imagined getting to see Rorschach depicted as accurately as he was.  The intensity, the violence , the determination, the psychosis . . . . . it's all there.

 

Of course, the biggest and most well known of the changes to the original comic story is the ending.  Yes, it is true that there is no giant squid in the film.  That fact is well known and has been reported about on this site many times before.  About the new ending I will only say this.  It works.  It works really, really well.  Even though there is no giant squid, trust me when I say that after what happens at the end of the movie happens, everything is left as it should be per the comics.  Nuclear war is averted, but at an incredibly high price.  The world is unified through fear, and all of the remaining characters are left with the same hard moral question of whether what was done to save the world was right or not.    As audiences walk out of this film, if they were paying attention, they'll be left with all of the same questions that the readers of the comic were when they finshed the books.  All of the moral ambiguity is still there, and it's still left open for the viewer to determine on their own what they believe. 

 

To be honest, I actually have to say that I like the new ending that the film presents better than I do the original ending.  The giant squid, while amusing, never really sat right with me.  I always thought it was a little too out of left field, too deus ex machina.  The new ending is more logical, more plausible, and it makes more sense in how the world would react to the events depicted.  This is just my opinion though.  I'm sure others will differ with me on this.

 

My only worry about the film is how well it will perform with mainstream audiences.  This is a superhero film like none the world has ever seen before.  It's rated R, it's dark, it's complex.  The heroes involved aren't cookie cutter representations of good and evil.  The film is long (about 2 hours and 40 minutes), it's very slowly paced.  There are long periods of talking that are only occasionally broken up by quick scenes of brutal action.  This isn't what most audiences, I fear, will walk in expecting.  The standard movie-going audience is accustomed to films like Iron Man and Spider-man or the X-Men.  They expect big action blockbusters when they go to see guys running around in capes and masks.

 

The Watchmen just isn't that movie.  Yes, those elements are there, but that's not what it's about . . . . . not really.  This is a very slow, very deep film that takes a goodly long time to build, and I'm really worried about whether standard mainstream audiences will sit through the hour of talking that takes place between the Comedian's death at the start of the film and the next major action scene of note.  Will people who haven't read the comics care about the film?  Will they get it?  I certainly hope so. 

 

In the end,  all I can say was that I walked into this movie with incredibly high standards and even higher hopes and by the end of the film each and every single one of those had been either met or exceeded beyond my wildest dreams.  This is going to be THE comic book movie to see this year, and I can't wait to see it again and again and again. 

 

Final Grade:  A+

A Comic Book Museum Exhibition We All Need To Go See

 



Attention Comic Book Fans!!!

 

The Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles has just started up two amazing exhibitions that we all need to go see.  

 

The first exhibition is entitled ZAP! POW! BAM! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938–1950.  It is a detailed look at the history and evolution of the comic book superhero from the 1930's to present.

 

Through never-before exhibited art and objects culled from private and institutional collections, ZAP! POW! BAM! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938-1950 explores the genesis of cultural icons such as Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, and Captain America. In the midst of the economic and political turmoil of the 1930s and 1940s, comic books offered America champions who shaped the values of an entire generation. ZAP! POW! BAM! examines the creative processes and influences that drove young Jewish artists to express their talents through the storylines and art of comic books. The exhibition features rare vintage artwork and books, 1940s Hollywood movie serials, and colorful interactive displays including a drawing studio, a newsstand, a vintage Batmobile ride, and stations that allow children to dress up as Superheroes or transform themselves via a quick costume change in a telephone booth. Guest curator Jerry Robinson brings a long history as a comic book industry insider to the exhibition. Working with Batman co-creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Robinson named Robin, Batman's young protégé. Robinson also co-created The Joker, Batman's nemesis and one of the first Super-Villains.

 

ORGANIZED BY THE BREMAN MUSEUM, ATLANTA, GA.

 

The second exhibition is entitled Lights, Camera, Action: Comic Book Heroes of Film and Television, and it focuses on the long history between comic books and other mediums such as television and movies.

 

The Skirball has organized an exclusive companion exhibition to ZAP! POW! BAM! that explores the long connection between comic book heroes and the moving image. These characters have been a vital part of American popular culture ever since the first appearance of Superman in Action Comics established the comic book as a viable artistic form. Almost immediately after their rise to prominence in comic books, superheroes transcended their pulpy origins to find expression in theater, music, films, and television. Lights, Camera, Action examines the close relationship and parallel development of the comic book and motion picture industries. Objects on view include the original 1966 Batcycle from the Batman television series on loan from the Petersen Automotive Museum, along with vintage movie posters on loan from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, original comic books on loan from the University of California, Riverside, and movie and television memorabilia.

 

The exhibitions are running from February 19th to August 9th, 2009.  Ticketing information is as follows:

 

Museum admission: $10 General; $7 Seniors and Full-Time Students; $5 Children 2–12; Free to Members and Children under 2; Free to all on Thursdays

 

Your admission price gets you into both exhibitions.  I would be absolutely willing to organize an Official Geek-tastic Trip to the Skirball with any readers that may be interested in joining me as I go to check out what looks to be probably the coolest looking Exhibition I've seen in a long, long time.  If anyone is interested in joining in on such a trip, contact me and let me know.  If I get a couple of seriously interested people, I'll make an official statement regarding the trip.  If not . . . . . well . . . . . then I'll just have to go on my own and will tell you guys all about it.  I'll also speak to the guys and gals over at the GeekRoundTable and see if they'd be interested in going too. 

 

As a comic fan and lover of art in general, it always makes me happy whenever I see something like this that looks at comics like the proper art form they are.  Any chance I can get to support something like this I will do so.  If you're reading this site, chances are you're a kindred spirit and love the art form of comics just as much as I do.  Please, go support this show.  Only when things like this do well will we get to see more great exhibitions like it. 

 

Let's all, as fans, make sure to do our part to go out and support this show and make sure it's as successful as possible.

The AT-AT Boombox Is Pure Glory

 

I don't know anything about this other than the images on this website, but it's absolutely amazingly awesome.  I want one!

 

(Via BoingBoing)

And The Oscar Goes To.....

 

Last night was an interesting and bittersweet moment for comic fans everywhere.  Heath Ledger won an Oscar posthumously for his role as The Joker in last years juggernaught of a summer blockbuster The Dark Knight.

 

Hollywood very rarely ever pays any attention to summer blockbuster films when award season rolls around, and they pay even less attention to comic book movies.  So for an actor in a comic book movie to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, it's a pretty big achievement.

 

Yes, it's probably true that Heath only won because he had died and the award was given to him by the Academy more for his overall body of work than the actual role he was nominated for.  It was sort of a lifetime achievement award for an actor who was taken way before his time.  And yes, I still believe that he should have won a Best Actor award and not a Best Supporting Actor award, but we all know that was never going to happen.

 

Regardless of all of that though, I am just going to revel in the fact that a man playing The Joker in a Batman film has won an Academy Award for his truly amazing performance.  I doubt that this is going to break down some comic book film wall, but it's still nice to see, so I'm just going to enjoy it for what it is.

And So It Begins

 

We all knew this was coming folks.  There's no point in denying it.  The onslaught of Watchmen related merchandising has begun.  And just like with all other big budget hollywood films, a lot of the merchandise is . . . . . . questionable at best.   Pictured above is the Watchmen Ski Mask, which looks rather lame if you ask me.  Amongst other questionable items is this:

 



 

It's Nite Owl Coffee: Dark Roast.  Taken from a scene in the comic that isn't actually in the movie, this is supposedly the coffee that the Nite Owl and the Silk Spectre give to the people that they rescue from the tenement fire.  I must say that I find it hard to believe that the Nite Owl would have the arrogance to name a brand of coffee after himself.  However, when it comes to totally unbelievable attempts at merchandising, nothing compares to this:

 



 

Yes, that is exactly what you think it is.  A Doctor Manhattan Condom.  You too can now shag your partner with a bright blue wang, just like the good Doctor does to the Silk Spectre.  I have no idea if this glows in the dark or not, but if it doesn't then that's a damn shame.  What's the point of making a Dr. Manhattan condom if it isn't able to glow a bright blue?

Star Wars And Zombies. My Two Favorite Things Together At Last

 



 

A while back I had reported about something unusual.  It was a new Star Wars book that would be coming out this year, and it was going to be a full on Horror novel.  Other than the book's title of Deathtroopers, and a picture of its cover (seen above), very little was known about the book?  What was the plot?  Which characters were involved?  None of that was known.  Until now.

 

StarWars.com has finally released a plot synopsis for the book, and the news couldn't possibly be any cooler.  The book is going to have zombies in it.

 

From the first appearance of Darth Vader in the groundbreaking movie Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars fans have known what terror feels like -- and they loved it. But never before has Star Wars publishing ventured into the unknown territory of true horror . . . until now.

 

When the Imperial prison barge Purge breaks down in a distant, uninhabited part of space, its only hope seems to lie with a Star Destroyer found drifting, derelict and seemingly abandoned. But when a boarding party is sent to scavenge for parts, only half of them come back -- bringing with them a horrific disease so lethal that within hours, nearly all aboard the Purge will die. And death is only the beginning.

 

For aboard the Star Destroyer, amid its vast creaking emptiness that isn't really empty at all. For the dead are rising, soulless, unstoppable, and unspeakably hungry.

 

Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy Crap!  They're talking about zombies!!!  Soulless, unstoppable and hungry dead?  That's totally zombies! 

 

This book is about a derelict Star Destroyer filled with undead Imperial soldiers.   That's so damn cool!  The two greatest things in this world, Star Wars and Zombies, have finally after 30 years been combined.  October 13th (the book's release date) can't get here fast enough.

I've Seen The Watchmen, And It Is Glorious

 

Yesterday, I was one of the luckiest geeks on the face of the planet.  Thanks to the amazing awesomeness of my friend Tony, I was informed of an early screening of The Watchmen that MTV was putting on for a show they do called MTV Spoilers.  I emailed the people in charge and asked for a ticket and then emailed some friends and told them to ask for tickets as well.  Luckily enough, we all got in.  This all happened about two weeks ago.

 

Then came yesterday, the day of the screening.  I left work early and headed up to LA.  I waited in line for an hour or two, and then we were all led into a tiny theater and after a short intro by the MTV crowd wrangler guy, the film began. 

 

OH . . . . . . . MY . . . . . . . GOD

 
That's all I have to say for now. A full review will be coming this weekend, I promise. We're also putting together the next episode of the Geek-tastic podcast tonight in which we will discuss the film at length. That should hopefully be up this weekend as well.

 

As for the MTV Spoilers show, it airs this Friday Saturday at 8pm. Here's the Details:

 

On February 21, at 8:00 p.m. ET, MTV will air the second episode of "Spoilers," a quarterly movie special that will deliver first looks at the year's biggest upcoming flicks, including behind-the-scenes action and exclusive scenes.

 

Taped in front of a live audience, the second episode will spotlight "Watchmen," and will feature appearances from the entire cast of the eagerly anticipated superhero flick.

 

Hundreds of die-hard movie fanswill attend MTV News' screening of the film, with the stars walking the blood-red carpet to chat in front of our cameras.

 

In addition to "Watchmen," the episode will also give viewers exclusive access to scenes from such upcoming blockbusters as "Star Trek," "Land of the Lost," "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and more.

 

The recording of the other stuff itself was a little boring, to be honest.  There were long periods of us sitting around and doing nothing while MTV was setting up their shots, but there were some really fun moments to be had.  It was great to see the stars of the show, even if it was only for like a minute each. 

 

Also, Wil Wheaton showed up too for a bit, which is always awesome.  He was invited by MTV to be on camera to talk about the Star Trek stuff they showed and, true to Wil form, he made some really funny comments including one about Kirk's tendency to command other people's "Battle Bridges".  To understand what the hell I'm talking about there, be sure to see the show.

Abe Lincoln Will F*%k Your S#!t Up

 

Ok, so the issue of Spider-man which featured Barack Obama on the cover sold like a bajillion copies and is now in it's 5th (yes, 5th) printing.  And Marvel, being the greedy corporate bastards that they are, have been quick to capitalize on this sudden and massive success by having Spidey appear with yet another popular presidential figure.  Mr. Abraham Lincoln.

 

In honor of President Lincoln’s 200th birthday this month, Marvel will release Gettysburg Distress, an exclusive 6-page free digital comic featuring Spider-Man and Captain America as they witness Lincoln’s historic Gettysburg Address. A tribute to the Bicentennial of the 16th President, the storyline -- which is being written by Matt Fraction with art by Andy MacDonald -- will be available online beginning President’s Day, Monday, February 16, 2009.

 

While I am typically one to mock such a shameless attempt to garner attention by using the image of a beloved ex-president, I can't help but find that the comedic value of the project far exceeds any of my possible complaints.  Gettysburg Distress?  That's a horribly awesome name that I can't help but love.  And the fact that this is free content they are giving away to advertise their paperless online comics is something that I must say I support as well.  I'm all about free online content. 

 

And if nothing else, this little side project has brought us the above image, whose coolness is quite beyond my ability to describe accurately.  Abe Lincoln looking pissed off and rolling up his sleeves right before he beats the living hell out of some poor sap?  I'm sold!  And Spidey's and Cap's shocked expressions in the background just add to the greatness.  Leave it tp Spider-man to get stuck holding Honest Abe's hat while he dishes out some punishment . . . . . presidential style.

More Wolverine Footage Than You Can Shake Your Claws At

Three separate TV spots for the upcoming Wolverine movie have hit the interweb this week, and they're continuing what appears to be a trend in getting me more and more excited to see the film.  The three commercials show quite a bit actually, including things like Wolvie's bone claws and Cyclop's appearance in the film.  All in all, they're pretty sweet little clicps and they make the film look like it's going to be amazing.  Here's to hoping.

 

Video 1

 



 

Video 2

 



 

Video 3

 

Why Is Everyone Picking On Jane Austen Today?

 

 

Ok, first it was Pride and Predator.  Now it's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies???

 

What's with everyone taking classic Jane Austen novels (specifically Pride and Prejudice) and making monster stories out of them?  What's next?  The Pride and Prejudice of Count Dracula?  Mr. Darcy Meets Frankenstein?  Where will it all end?  I must say though that I absolutely love the short but sweet discription of the book on Amazon.

 

Product Description
"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" features the original text of Jane Austen's beloved novel with all-new scenes of bone crunching zombie action.

 

That may possibly be the greatest single-sentence literary description ever written.  The original book, but now filled with "all-new scenes of bone crunching zombie action."  Simple, straight to the point, and enough to make me want to be reading the book right now.  But that's not it.  Believe it or not, it gets better.  Just who is this new author that has dared to take Ms. Austen's classic work and add in his own zombie awesomeness into the story?

 

About the Author
JANE AUSTEN is the author of Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, and other masterpieces of English literature. SETH GRAHAME-SMITH is the author of How to Survive a Horror Movie and The Big Book of Porn. He lives in Los Angeles.

 

Yes, that's right.  The author of the new "bone crunching zombie action" content is the same guy who wrote The Big Book of Porn.  Wow.  If this wasn't already a "must read" on your list then it should be now. 

 

I'll be honest though.  I hope this book does well.  I'm all for adding zombies to all sorts of classic literature.  Zombies just make everything better, don't you agree?  Here's a few of my ideas for some more great pieces of literature that could only be made better with the inclusion of the undead (I can think of more, trust me):

 

• The Counte of Monte Cristo vs. The Undead Hordes


• Dante's Inferno and Zombie Holocaust


• To Kill a Mockingbird and Whole Lot of Zombies


• The Zombie in the Rye


• 1984:  The year the undead overthrew Big Brother


• The Grapes and the Zombies of Wrath


• The Bible:  Now With Zombies!


• A Farewell to Arms? Not With So Many Zombies Wandering Around


• Uncle Tom's Cabin Surrounded by the Living Dead


• Slaughterhouse Five (strangely enough, you don't need to change this title at all)


• Jane Eyre:  Queen of the Undead


• Alice In Zombie-land


• I Know Why The Caged Zombie Sings

New Geek DVD Day - 02/17/09

 

 

The Good:  Dead Like Me - The Complete Collection

 

Why It's Good:  Dead Like Me was an interesting yet odd little show in which the main character is killed at the beginning of the first episode by a falling toilet and passes on into the afterlife to discover that she's been chosen to be the next Grim Reaper.  Except, she's not the only reaper.  What with there being so many people on earth who are dying all the time, collecting the souls of the recently deceased is way too much work for one person, so there's an entire infrastructure built up around collecting the dead and moving them on into the afterlife and the main character is one of a team of people who are responsible for this task.  The show is a quirky mix of humor and drama which ran for two seasons before it too passed on into the TV afterlife. 

 



 

The Badass:  Freddy Vs. Jason - on Blu-Ray

 

Why It's Badass:  Whenever you have two successful franchises that are in the same genre, it is inevitable that fans are going to start arguing about which property would beat the other property in a fight.  Be it Star Wars vs. Star Trek, Terminator vs. Robocop or even Vampires vs. Werewolves.  These are the things fans do, and when you have large horror film icons like Jason Vorhees and Freddy Krueger it is a foregone conclusion that the argument of who would win in a fight has been raging for years.

 

Then, miraculously, back in 2003 fans were treated to what they had been dreaming about for years.  A film was made which pits the two teen-killing icons in a one on one brawl for the ages.  The result was actually pretty decent and entertaining too.  Now it's available on Blu Ray for your viewing pleasure in glorious HD.

 



 

The Awesome:  Quarantine

 

Why It's Awesome:  You guys know me pretty well by now.  I'm a sucker for anything with zombies in it, and Quarantine is an awesome zombie movie.  Now, let me stop all the nay sayers right now.  Yes, technically the monsters in the film are not undead.  They're infected people.  But just like 28 Days Later is a zombie film, so is Quarantine.  The monsters in this film meet the zombie requirements I have set down as being needed to qualify as a zombie.  They're for the most part brain dead people who only have the desire to be aggressive and attack other people.  Anyone bitten by one becomes one.  They eat, bite or otherwise chew on human flesh.  To me, being the whole "living dead" thing isn't really necessary to make a good zombie movie. 

 

Shot entirely with one camera, the film reminds us of Cloverfiend, but fear not for this is about a billion times better than Cloverfield.  Also, the single camera isn't constantly shaking and you can actually see what's going on for once.  The film's plot follows a local reporter and her camera guy as they are doing a fluff piece on the local firemen.  Suddenly a call comes out and they're off to an old apartment building where an strange outbreak has occured.  Once inside, the building is sealed up by government forces and the poor people trapped inside find themselves surrounded by the growing number of infected people who are all trying to kill them.

This Is Either The Greatest Movie Idea Ever, Or The Worst

 

Films based upon Jane Austen's books are known for being period dramas about romance and family politics set in Victorian era England.  What they are not . . . . . ever . . . . . are settings where aliens show up and start killing people.  But all of that is going to change soon, as some truly crazed filmmakers have decided to take it upon themselves to blend the two vastly different genres of Jane Austen novels and sci-fi films to create one truly messed up movie called Pride and Predator.

 

Elton John's Rocket Pictures hopes to make the first Jane Austen adaptation to which men will drag their girlfriends.

 

Will Clark is set to direct "Pride and Predator," which veers from the traditional period costume drama when an alien crash lands and begins to butcher the mannered protags, who suddenly have more than marriage and inheritance to worry about.

 

Shooting will begin in London later this year. John exec produces, and his Rocket partners Steve Hamilton Shaw and David Furnish are producing.

 

Wow.  This is what happens people when we let Elton John make movies.  I'm really not sure how to feel about this news.  This could either be one of the raddest movies that will ever be made, or it could be the worst low budget piece of crap film to come out in years.  Personally, I'm hoping for the former there but I will hold on passing judgement on the film until I have seen it myself.

New Geek-tastic Web Comic: The Side Effects Of Successful Merchandising

 



 

Hey there true believers!  The second comic of the official Geek-tastic Web Comic is up.  As always, click on the image above to see the comic in it's full size.

 

Thanks go to my good friend Michael Saul for the first line of this strip.  This has been a running joke amongst my friends that he started a number of years ago by saying how one day he wants to see a TV show or a movie where in the background you hear some news reporter say "And in other news today, George Lucas gold-plated his house."  Well, Geek-tastic doesn't have its own TV show or movie (yet), but at least we've included it in web comic form. 

Enjoy!

Half Life 2 Mini Series Is Kickass Indie Film Greatness

Escape From City 17 is an amazing live action mini series created by a group of indie filmmakers called The Purchase Brothers. Based on the popular first person shooter game Half Life 2 (which I'm currently playing strangely enough), the series is about two members of a resistence movement who are trying to escape from a facist regime that controls City 17 with an iron fist.

Originally envisioned as a project to test out numerous post production techniques, as well as a spec commercial, it ballooned into a multi part series. Filmed guerrilla style with no money, no time, no crew, no script, the first two episodes were made from beginning to end on a budget of $500."

For something with an almost zero dollar budget and no crew, the quality of the film is astounding. They've perfectly captured the feel of the game including things like vechicles, weapons, faceless soldier goons, voice-over narrations and sound effects from the original source material. They even have one guy use a crowbar to kill a soldier. It's just about perfect. And the special effects and CG are top notch. Overall this is an epic win as far as fan made movies go. Only the first part is out right now, but I can't wait to see the next episode.

Pat's Movie Reviews: Friday The 13th

 

When I first heard that someone was going to be doing a remake of the original Friday The 13th, a true horror classic, I did what I'm pretty sure every other fan of the franchise did.  I cringed.

 

The idea of going back and remaking the original Friday The 13th felt like a sin against nature.  Why remake it?  Why not just make another film in the series.  Jason Vorhees is, afterall, immortal.  He always comes back, so just have him come back again.  And besides, how in the hell are you going to remake the original Friday the 13th film and even have Jason in it.  He wasn't in the first film.  The killer in the original Friday The 13th was Jason's mother Pamela.  Jason didn't show up as an adult killing people until the second film.  And even then he didn't get his trademark hockey mask until the third film.  He spent the entire second film running around with a burlap sack on his head that had eye holes cut out. 

 

I could understand the desire of the movie studios to want to bring the franchise back to its basics.  After Jason X where Mr. Vorhees ended up in space and got upgraded to a giant cyborg killing machine, the films had obviously nuked the fridge as hard as they possibly could.  But again, why a remake?  Why not make a new film that just ignored that last little bit about futuristic space travel?  It's been done before in Hollywood.  Just look at Superman Returns, which basically pretended as if Superman 3 and 4 never happened.  It was a new sequel to an existing franchise that kept the original films intact without having to pull a Batman Begins style reboot to the series.

 

Having seen the film now, I'm happy to report that is pretty much exactly what happened.  This new Friday the 13th is in no way, shape or form a remake of the original.  It doesn't even try to be.  Instead, it is almost like a giant love letter to the original three films in the series while at the same time bringing Jason powerfully into the 21st century.  The movie is directed by Marcus Nispel, whose only other major directoral projects were the movie Pathfinder and the remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  He does an amazing job with the film and it completely comes across that he's a big fan of the original films.  He must have studied the original pictures a lot when doing research for his new film as it actually looks and feels exactly like the originals. 

 

Friday The 13th opens suprisingly with the ending moments of the original film.  We're taken back to 1980 as Palema Vorhees is chasing the teenage Girl Alice through the woods.  They have a final confrontation where Pamela rants about her poor boy Jason drowning due to the negligence of Camp Crystal Lake's camp counselors.  They fight and Pamela's killing spree is brought to an end by Alice as she manages to decapitate Pamela with her own Machete.  The young child Jason, who obviously isn't drowned, sees his mother get killed.  After Alice leaves he grabs her necklace, head and machete and marches off into the woods. 

 

By the end of this scene, most of my worries about the film had already gone away.  By beginning the film with the end of the original Friday the 13th, the director immediately informs us this isn't a remake.  The original film happened, the storyline isn't being rewritten, and now we're brought to the present, 30 years later where Jason has been living and hiding in the woods his whole life and killing anyone foolish enough to enter into his area.  But he's not the classic hockey mask wearing Jason just yet.  In a beautiful nod to Friday The 13th Part 2, Jason actually spends the first half of the film or so running around with a burlap bag mask on.  It was a really nice touch for the director to include that.  To a degree, the new film really is a condensing down of the Friday The 13th Mythos of the first three films into one new film.  Of course, at one point his bag mask gets torn off and he has to find a replacement, which is when he comes across the hockey mask.  Having Jason start off without the mask was a smart move too because it created a great moment when he sees the mask and puts it on for the first time.  It was a real audience treat getting to see that.

 

As for the new film's plot, it pretty much included everything one could hope for in a Jason film.  A bunch of horny teenagers go out into the woods.  They do drugs, drink alcohol, have sex, and then die one by one as Jason hunts them all down.  It was as perfect a story as you can get.  And I couldn't help but be amused that since the current styles of the day are sort of throwbacks to 1970's and 80's style, the characters in the film all looked like people out of the original films.  The guys all had long bushy 70's style hair, and everyone was wearing tight jeans or short shorts.  It really added to the classic feel of the film, but at the same time it was still fully in the present. 

 

When it comes to the killings, I was also happy to see that the director didn't go for over the top levels of gore.  While a ton of gore can make for a great film too (see the new My  Bloody Valentine in 3D), a properly withheld level of violence can also really add to a film's tension.  Sometimes, not seeing what happens is almost scarier than actually seeing it, and this director definitely understands that concept.  At the start of the film, the violent murders are understated to a degree.  As soon as Jason strikes the first blow the scene cuts away to different characters.  We don't get to see what happened until someone stumbles upon their body.  Only as the film progresses do the killings get more violent and do we as the audience get to see more gore.  It was a wonderful job of pacing that made the build towards the finish actually feel like a build. 

 

Overall, I wash highly pleased with how this film  succeeded in modernizing the Friday the 13th franchise while at the same time sticking to the series' roots.  I honestly felt like I was watching one of the classic films that had just been updated a bit.  Most remakes of popular classic films fail to ever compare to the original, but this new Friday the 13th is one of those rare gems that manages to accomplish this.  I certainly hope this film does well and spawns more sequels like it.  I don't think the world can ever get enough of Jason Vorhees chopping his way through horny teenagers.  When done right, like this film was, it just never seems to get old.

 

Final Grade:  A

Pat's Movie Reviews: Fanboys

 

Anyone who has been to the San Diego Comic Con, or even just follows nerd movie news, originally heard about fanboys a couple of years ago. I don't remember where I originally heard it, but sometime back in 2006 or so I had begun to hear rumors and stories about the film. Originally, based on its name I was under the impression that it was going to be a fan film about Star Wars, as if it would be the Star Wars version of the film Trekkies, which is a rather frightening look at Star Trek fans that are a few steps past the point of being insane.

 

After a while though, I found out that wasn't true. Fanboys wasn't a documentary about Star Wars fans. It was a fictional film about a group of die hard Star Wars fans who break into Skywalker ranch. Being a big Star Wars fan myself, I instantly found this idea to be an amusing plot for a film and have since been keeping an eye on the film's developmental process. It hasn't been an easy thing to do. For the last two years the film has seen production delays, fights with its production company (The Wienstein Company) over forced script changes and a massive fan backlash that got the script changes reversed. To get more detail on this, check out the film's Wikipedia page.

 

Now, finally, in 2009 the film has been released for the public to see. This comes after numerous delays and broken release dates. And to top it all off, the film has only been released on 44 screens across the US, which pretty much guarantees its utter failure at the box office. Luckily though, I happen to live near one of those 44 screens and have been able to see the film. And as one die hard Star Wars fan watching a group of fictional Star Wars fans, here's my thoughts on it.

 

The film's basic plot surrounds a group of friends who are hardcore Star Wars fans back in the year 1998. Episode I is a year away from release and that's pretty much all the main characters can seem to think about or talk about. However, tragedy has struck the group and they have been coming to terms with the fact that one of their number is dying of cancer. Linus (the dying guy) also had a falling out a few years earlier with his former best friend Eric after Eric decided that it was time to "grow up" and act like an adult while the rest of the group continued to enjoy playing video games and working at a local comic book store. Now, upon realizing that his former friend is going to die before the new Star Wars film comes out, Eric convinces the rest of the group and Linus that they need to drive across country and break into George Lucas' compound called Skywalker Ranch to steal a rough cut of the film so that Linus can see it before he dies. The road trip is begun, and as tends to happens in films like these . . . . . hijinks ensue.

 

On a technical level, Fanboys is a very simple film. It's a buddy comedy much like National Lampoons Road Trip or other films like that. The story is pretty simple, the characters are caricatures that are for the most part two dimensional, and as the film progresses they find themselves in one wacky situation after the other with each being slightly more absurd than the one before it. The dialogue is fairly basic and the film is crammed full of dick and fart jokes. I admit that when viewed from a cinematic standpoint, the film to be honest isn't very good. But there's more going for this film than just cinematic merits. Where Fanboys truly excels is in delivering a spot on spoof of fans that is so obviously filled with Star Wars love that any fan of the films is going to find something in the movie to enjoy.

 

Back in 1998 I happened to be the age the characters in this film are. Perhaps that colors my view of the film a bit, but I couldn't help but feel nostalgic as I watched these Fanboys having the same kinds of conversations and arguments that my friends and I had back then. Arguing over Luke and Leia's kiss in Empire Strikes Back, lamenting the lack of cute female nerds in our lives, and above all looking to the future with the fundamental belief that Episode One was going to be the greatest thing ever. This was a time before Jar Jar, before midichlorians, when Darth Vader was the most badass person ever and not some whiny little slave kid. We were a generation of kids who had grown up and were about to be treated to a new installment of our favorite thing ever. It was a bright and shining time, and the future was almost upon us. This is the feeling Fanboys captures so well. That period of hopeful anticipation that all Star Wars fans felt while counting down the days to Episode One's release.

 

Fanboys, at its heart, is a film about how Star Wars has touched an entire generation of people and brought them together as a community. What I really loved about the film was seeing it in a crowded theater of like minded fans who were all there because we loved the same thing. It was getting to see my friend Wes bust out the Lightsaber app for his iphone and dueling a total stranger who also had the iphone app. It was seeing six different people wearing the same Boba Fett hoodie all in the same place. It was the entire theater going wild and cheering when the characters are seen playing Mario Kart on the N64 in one scene. It felt like that night back in 1999 when I and all of my friends waited outside for hours to see Episode One on opening day.

 

I must also give major credit to George Lucas himself for being cool enough to help this film out. Upon learning of the film's creation, George did an incredibly awesome thing and gave the filmmakers access to Skywalker Sound where they could use actual sound clips and audio recordings from the Star Wars films. As a result the film is chock full of little moments that will make Star Wars fans go crazy as they recognize little background noises that come from the films. And the cameos, let's not forget the cameos. Fanboys has more celebrity cameos than you can shake a stick at. William Shatner, Ray Parks, Billie Dee "Colt 45" Williams, Seth Rogen (in multiple roles) and many more. Even Carrie Fisher pops up.

 

For anyone who waited in line back in the day or camped out to go see Episode One, this film is a must see. I know it's not playing everywhere and you're probably going to have to travel far to see the film, but believe me it's worth it. It's a film made by Star Wars Fans, for Star Wars fans, about Star Wars fans. It's done lovingly and doesn't mock us too badly, but at the same time it does point out some of our own absurdities. For non Star Wars fans, the film is a cheesy low budget comedy that they probably won't really get most of the jokes to.

 

Final Grade: B

 

Favorite Moment: One of the characters kissing Carrie Fisher and telling her he loves her, to which she appropriately responds . . . . . . "I know."

Man Goes Onto The Web. Shark's On The Web. Our Shark.

This is so stupidly amazingly awesome.  This is why I love the internets.

 

Just push this button. 

 

 

 

Come on, push it.  You know you want to. 

 

It's mocking you, calling you a sissy if you don't push it. 

 

Keep pushing it.  Push it again and again.  The glory only multiplies.

 

If you'd like your own copy of the button, go here.  To get rid of the awesomeness (why would you want to), just refresh the page.

 

(Via GeekDad)

Geek Item Of The Week - 02/13/09

 

Make Love The Bruce Campbell Way

 

As pretty much all proper geeks do, I have an unwavering love for Bruce Campbell.  The man, in my eyes, can truly do no wrong.  If he isn't starring in one awesome movie after another, he's popping up in cool TV shows and he even makes truly awesome commercials.  He's a renaissance man of geeky interests, and we all owe our loyalty to him. 

 

Make Love The Bruce Campbell Way is the second book he has written.  The first, of course, being If Chins Could Kill.  Aside from having possibly the greatest title of all time, the book is a fictional autobiographical novel about Bruce and his attempts to become a big time movie star.  Here's the product description from Amazon:

 

Written with the same immense energy, wry humor and Hollywood skewering that filled the bestsellingIf Chins Could Kill, our hero gives his fans a follow-up they could not have expected-a laughout-loud novel starring (who else?) Bruce Campbell I n this autobiographical novel, the King of 'B' movie actors gives his legions of fans the inside view of his hilarious attempt to become an 'A' list actor-taking readers on a wild ride to nail the dream role. In this side-splitting send-up, Bruce imagines that he is cast in the big-budget film 'Let's Make Love,'where he plays a relationship guru/doorman opposite Richard Gere and Renee Zellwegger. Nervous that the star-studded cast will discover he's a grade below, Bruce embarks on a crash-course in method acting, regaling readers with stories of his exploits-including taking jobs as a wedding planner, private investigator, and Waldorf Astoria doorman. Along the way, he throws off tidbits of advice that his fans will find entertaining-but better not follow unless they want to stay single.

 

This book actually came out a few years ago, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet.  It's definitely been added to my wish list though, right next to Wil Wheaton's Just A Geek.

The GeekRoundTable Is Going To Wonder Con

 

As you all know, I'm an occasionally contributing member to the wonderful GeekRoundTable.com podcast that is hosted by Mr. Ned Cato Jr. and which consists of other Geek-tastic contributors as well such as Matt Jeffery and Wes Strawther.  Last year at the San Diego Comic Con, Ned had organized an actual panel discussion at the Con for the GeekRoundTable crew, and for anyone who was there, it was pretty much the funniest damn hour of the entire convention. 

 

Now, he's at it again.  The official programming schedule for Wonder Con has bee posted, and the GeekRoundTable have a panel at the convention!!!  I've been lucky enough to be invited to join the Round Table this time around, and I'm sure it's going to be a truly outrageous and geeky time for all who attend. 

 

So if you're planning on going to Wonder Con (which is being held in San Francisco from 2/27 to 3/1), be sure to note the following on your schedule of events to attend on Friday the 27th.

 

4:30-5:30 GeekRoundTable.com @ WonderCon—It's a live podcast with the funniest guys in geekdom! The folks from GeekRoundTable.com are at WonderCon to give their take on the world of geek. Host Ned Cato Jr and producer Jesse Lopez are joined by panelists Chris and Mary Sturhann, Matthew Jeffery, Patrick Roach, Wesley Strawther, and Johann Joseph as the Beaver! Put your two cents in on the discussion in their open chair. There will be surprise guests and cool giveaways. Room 220

 

If this panel ends up being even one tenth as funny as the panel was at the SD Con, you're going to be in for a real treat.  I hope to see you all there!!!