tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23283732814422905062024-03-05T09:57:47.955-05:00Geek Soul BrotherPuttin' the Funk in the Final Frontier!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-24517347982265984952014-11-24T22:09:00.002-05:002014-11-24T22:09:56.867-05:00GSB Film Review: THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-518d64ba-e4c6-2f70-6720-eaaa2b548643" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">When I first heard about The Hunger Games I didn't know it was a teen book series. I leave that kind of important information to my fellow geek and avid reader Shumara a.k.a. @Illumeenous and other book geeks like her.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">My first thought of the original film was that it must be a Battle Royal rip by the looks of it. But after seeing it I gathered the story had much more going for it. The second installment - CATCHING FIRE, with the introduction of other characters and underlying plots, solidified my understanding that the series was a more complex dystopian future than I first realized.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MOCKINGJAY brought the overall story to a whole new level. The acting and drama were excellent. The story of Katniss stiring the fires of rebellion in the fascist state of Panam matured into a quality political piece which made you forget that this was supposed to be a teen oriented science fiction film.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hats off to Jennifer Lawrence, who came back to reprise her role with even more gravitas after expanding her filmography in other major Hollywood projects (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle). But, as good as Lawrence was, she did not outshine the rest of the cast including Julianne Moore, Elizabeth Banks, Josh Hutcherson and many others. Hutcherson especially delivered a gripping scene in the third act.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Though a seasoned film-goer would probably see a few of the twists coming, the film worked in keeping the story believable through its intense situations and emotional tension. Most of this was done by keeping Katniss in the middle of opposing factions, but also keeping her character genuine in light of the previous films. When you thought Katniss was among friends with the rebels you started to get the feeling that they were only using her to meet their goals. And even though there were plenty of closeups of Katniss and Peta tearing up at each other, and people brainstorming on how Katniss could fan the flames of revolution, the movie had several scenes of life threatening or explosive action. And a personal note: I liked how director Francis Lawrence mirrored the endings of the second and third film with a closeup of Katniss having all the feels of the moment. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now that I've seen the first part of the final story I can see that the studio wasn't just doing a cash grab for more box office dollars by spitting the third book into two parts. They probably needed two films to expand and complete the story properly. I'm glad they went in that direction because one story might have rushed the plot. But I'm sure they also wanted more money too. It is a business, right?</span></div>
<br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You can't watch this film by itself. It just wouldn't make sense just dropping you into the middle of it. You have to go back and watch the first two. That's the only drawback to an otherwise great continuation to the story arc. In light of that I give THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY a rating of 4.25 out of 5 COSMIC AFROS.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-36932500344410800782014-11-07T18:06:00.000-05:002014-11-07T18:06:07.450-05:00Top 10 Black Directors for Marvel's BLACK PANTHER Film<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week Marvel released their slate of films coming out until 2019 including Avengers: Infinity War. Two films that fans were waiting to see were The Black Panther and Captain Marvel. I'm glad they chose Chadwick Bosemam to play the ruler of Wakanda. Of course we talked about the news on our podcast in depth. One of our callers and friend of the show - @Bison4Life asked if Marvel should also pick a black director? We all agreed that it would be cool, but as long as they picked a great director, black or otherwise, we would be happy. Well Marvel, if you so decide on a talented director, that happens to be black, here are my top ten choices (in no particular order). Incidentally, I heard a rumor they were thinking of Reginald Hudlin, who wrote a Black Panther comic story and is an accomplished director. Mmmmaybe he would be a good choice, but read my list and see what you think.</div>
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1. THE HUGHES BROTHERS - Okay, that's two. But they come in a pair like an awesome pair of pants. Well, they used to come in a pair. The directors of Book of Eli and From Hell have said they retired and went their separate ways. Do you think the Black Panther film would bring them back together? Even if one of them decided to take on the project, I think either of them would be a good choice.</div>
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2. ANTOINE FUQUA - He knows his action with films like The Equalizer remake, Training Day and Olympus Has Fallen. He's a serious director, but would he be interested joining the Marvel team?</div>
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3. TIM STORY - Say what you want, but this brother is the only director that I know of that directed not one, but TWO major superhero films. Sure we didn't like the cast, the story plot, the writing and the characters of the Fantastic Four films. But was the directing bad? If this man had a good story, script and a great cast to work with, what would happen?</div>
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4. SYLVAIN WHITE - Another brother that directed a film based on a graphic novel. Did you like The Losers? </div>
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5. MALCOLM D. LEE - He knows how to work an ensemble cast. And he knows how to bring a range of emotion to a film as seen in his recent work Best Man Holiday. Lee's style might not be too unique, but nuance may be the key for directing a Panther film.</div>
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6. KASI LEMMONS - Another director that would bring emotion and depth to the Wakandan Kingdom. Talk To Me is one of my favorite Don Cheadle film. And since he's already War Machine, maybe we can have a head to head with Kasi directing the epic confrontation.</div>
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7. F. GARY GRAY - Action, Drama and Thrillers are under this man's resume. Gray has directed some classic films and his Panther film would probably be packed with a lot of awesomeness.</div>
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8. JOHN SINGLETON - This man knows how to bring the 'Cocky' out of a character and T'Challa isn't anything if he isn't cocky. But from that Singleton also tells the story of the heroes journey in his films and the lessons learned from assuming too much too soon, which is a staple for some of Marvel's heroes.</div>
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9. PETER RAMSEY - Director of the feature animation Rise of the Guardians, Ramsey would be a great fit to bring the fantasy of the Panther universe to life. Working as an artist, he would probably be familiar with the Black Panther comics and the essence of the material the film would be based on.</div>
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10. STEVE McQUEEN - He would bring an introspective character portrayal to the Black Panther. I think McQueen's Marvel film would be atmospheric and draw you wholeheartedly into the story. I could see scenes of T'Challa pondering the desperation of some parts of Africa while his kingdom flourishes. </div>
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So what do you think? Are there better choices I missed, like maybe Denzel Washington? Yeah, he's a pretty good director too. Feel free to add to the list so Marvel can't say we didn't try to help them out. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-71808152924320887472014-10-20T21:37:00.001-04:002014-12-02T13:54:58.359-05:00GSB Film Review: DEAR WHITE PEOPLE (2014)<br />
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<i>DEAR WHITE PEOPLE follows the stories of four black students at an Ivy League college where a riot breaks out over a popular "African American" themed party thrown by white students.</i></blockquote>
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Justin Simien weaves an intricate story about the subtleties of how racial issues affects us, and how the entire subject is tenuously defined by the idea of black and white.<br />
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There are a few heavy drops of race talk given for the sake of comedy and setup. But underneath is the true nature of the discussion. Several points of view were sifted through the storytelling lens. And in the middle of it all was the observant Mr. Higgins, who didn't quite fit on any side of the conversation. Tyler James Williams (Everybody Hates Chris) gave a very good performance as Lionel, a kid trying to find his way as a journalist, but having trouble just being accepted in any facet. One of the things I enjoyed about Williams' performance was the many times he commented on the conflicts in the film with priceless facial expressions. Tessa Thompson and Brandon P. Bell also did a decent job of carrying the weight of the drama in this overall comedy. They sold me on their characters going from the stereotypical pro-black or integrate argument to revealing their multifaceted sides as they became more three dimensional and emotive. Kyle Gallner and Justin Dobies also provided good portrayals of the
varying degrees to which white people understand or dismiss the open
conversations of black people.<br />
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Simien also paid a healthy dose of homage to Spike Lee and his classic SCHOOL DAZE. But this film was a more intelligent look at race relations and how far we have come, or not come, in the current generation. It doesn't hide the fact that there are many white people that still have to comprehend the complexity of being a person of color in this society. But the story also provides a view of how some black people struggle to define themselves, or rather struggle with the supposed need to define themselves because that's what society tells them to do. By the end you are left wondering if it all means anything. But you also know that addressing these topics are necessary. Because if we don't have these conversations then 'Hip Hop' parties will continue to plague us. You will see when you watch the film.<br />
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I wasn't rolling in my seat with laughter. Nor was I downtrodden with overt racial themes. I enjoyed the film because it became interesting in how the characters and their stories became intertwined and culminated into a final climatic outcome.<br />
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And I have to say something about the cinematography and directing. Simien's use of parallels in the framing of some early scenes were striking metaphors for the polarized interactions of the characters while also reminding us of the backdrop of an ivy league school. That's for you film students out there.<br />
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DEAR WHITE PEOPLE is an enjoyable film that has some laughs and several good messages that you will mull over in your brain. It carries on a realistic conversation that I wish was being carried on in reality more often. Geek Soul Brother gives it 4.25 out of 5 COSMIC AFROS.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-62125647395968829762014-09-21T14:01:00.000-04:002014-09-21T14:11:25.219-04:00GSB FIlm Review: THE MAZE RUNNER (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Gladly this isn't Lord of the Flies in a Maze. THE MAZE RUNNER is actually an intriguing story about young men that are trapped (in a maze of course) for reasons unknown, and have to decide if they accept their prison or escape it. But that's only the initial setup as the story unfolds into one mystery after another, and the audience realizes that the towering stone puzzle is not just a maze but something more sinister. The mystery starts with the fact that none of the young men can remember exactly who they are or how they got to the maze. And also how the entrance to the maze opens and shuts each day. Was someone controlling it? And were they the same that put the boys there? And what's up the monsters in the maze at night? The combination of the mystery, action and drama was enough to keep most people's attention.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><complete id="goog_408541836"></complete></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Teen Wolf fav Dylan O'Brien delivered as courageous (or just plain stupid) hero Thomas. The supporting cast were just as convincing. I liked the performances of Ami Ameen, Will Poulter, and especially Thomas Brodie-Sangster who plays like a young Jude Law. The only criticism I had with the cast is that I could tell who was going to buy the farm from the beginning of the film. But any seasoned film watcher could see that.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Surprisingly good directing from newbie Wes Ball. He kept things visually exciting and at a great dramatic pace. Seeing the scale of the maze as compared to the live action elements, I have to give Ball and the creative teams credit for imparting the feeling that the characters were actually there.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Also the science fiction aspect of the film was much more relevant than I had first thought. When I first watched a trailer I thought it was more on some primitive tip. Then another trailer showed laser scanning and giant moving walls and I figured I should check it out. It was an interesting mix of tribalism, cyborg monsters, and more.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">For those of you like myself that may not have known, The Maze Runner is based on a book series, so the film ends on a cliffhanger as a setup for the next one. Still, it should be entertaining to teens and adults that love the genre. For a Teen Sci-fi flick comparable to The Hunger Games, Geek Soul Brother gives it 4 out of 5 Cosmic Afros.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-75131170391013530642014-08-06T09:00:00.000-04:002014-08-06T09:24:16.173-04:00Afro Commentary: SDCC Is Not A Place Where Fake Violence Reigns<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9geHcjRtWz5IvRx7XqyDoLsJYXmEq9bwWlckLSWigJtzWfPkR9rzfkaw2PI0tPwjdaSRtT-J6VLvQea3RjneYCJv8wFf7BGgB6bR_g0CXF3B_rNzdNbNzTcSfYIDTEy1zMg24U20S8g/s1600/GSB_Editorial-SDCC-Header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha9geHcjRtWz5IvRx7XqyDoLsJYXmEq9bwWlckLSWigJtzWfPkR9rzfkaw2PI0tPwjdaSRtT-J6VLvQea3RjneYCJv8wFf7BGgB6bR_g0CXF3B_rNzdNbNzTcSfYIDTEy1zMg24U20S8g/s1600/GSB_Editorial-SDCC-Header.png"></a></div>
<br>
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I recently read an </span><a href="http://t.co/aMVLvY1pIf"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">article in
the New York Times</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">
that, as a part of the geek community, upset me. The article, written by
Michael Cieply and Brooks Barnes, uses the stance that geeks consume
violence-ridden media and we turned out okay, so there just can’t possibly be a
correlation between it and behavior. I find the logic of this piece not only
fundamentally flawed and ultimately crap journalism, but an insult to the geek
community at large.</span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">You are probably saying to yourself,
“Well they are right, aren’t they? We are good little girls and boys and we
watch stuff blowing up all the time.” That’s not the point. The authors, in
their infinite wisdom and presumed good intentions, do us a disservice while
using the backdrop of the San Diego Comic Con. Also, the stance taken that we
are an exception amongst society is a misnomer; in fact, it has become quite
apparent over recent years that we are becoming a majority.</span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">In the article, we are depicted as a
group that is very well mannered and nice. Well, aren't we being obvious. Of course there is no
elaboration as to why or other adjectives added to this assessment, most likely
omitted to service the prose of the article. Even more disparaging is that we are
singled out not for who we are - a diverse community of intelligent and
sophisticated individuals - or what we represent, but as an example to push an
editorial agenda. There are reasons for our civility; ones that the authors
neglect to go into in order to satisfy a stance.</span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">First and foremost, we are a passionate
and creative community. We may disagree with one another and have the
occasional troll, but we are like minded individuals. We are diverse,
coming from all walks of life and look to experience new things from various
cultures. At the end of the day, we understand that we do not want to be
embroiled in conflict; that is what we have comics, TV and movies for.</span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">But make no mistake; we are also legion
when it is necessary. If we disagree with something, whether it is a Marvel
editorial change or gay marriage, we do voice our opinion in unison. There are
things we need to rectify within our own ranks (misogyny being at the top of
that list), but we always make our voices heard when we feel slighted. More so
than society gives us credit for.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">SDCC is a time where we celebrate our
culture and community as geeks. We do not celebrate violence at the convention.
We celebrate our love for these properties. Some of us are more creative and up
front about it than others (like cosplayers), but that’s the reason why we congregate like
this. We do not care about the contents of a story unless it is produced well
and it is riveting (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doctor Who</i> is a
big example of this.) We never asked the studios to be at SDCC and bring movies
like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Expendables 3</i> or the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Twilight</i> series; they hitched a ride on
the crazy train of their own free will long ago. So insinuating we go to SDCC
or any other convention to project our love of MDK (Murder Death Kill for
anyone who was born in the 90's or later) is an insult to our community. In
fact, the authors completely missed the point of these conventions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The authors also attempt to mention us
and Elliot O. Rodgers (the Santa Monica assailant), Adam Lanza (Sandy Hook
shooter) and James Holmes (Aurora mass killer) in the same breath to prove a
point. We take no responsibility for them. In fact, despite The New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/nyregion/sandy-hook-shooting-forces-re-examination-of-tough-questions.html">writing an article regarding a major factor in these incidents</a> - unlike other US
"news" outlets - Cieply and Barnes refuse to acknowledge it. It is the
one detail that not only clearly sets them apart from us, but many in society
in general. In all three instances (much like the kids in Columbine and others who
perform these acts) the perpetrators were psychologically unbalanced. You have
one who had Asperger’s (Lanza), one who was clinically depressed (Rodgers) and
a third who is clearly a sociopath (Holmes.) All three disengaged from society
for any number of reasons, their reality becoming so warped they felt their actions
were not only justified but actually a good idea. Society does not care about
those who have mental illness; it is considered a dirty secret no one wants to
talk about. Such an unwanted topic in fact, that when these tragic events occur
we start pointing fingers in the wrong directions. The news outlets
automatically go into the hypocritical arguments of "This is the fault of
<insert either media or guns>!" Not the fact that when people get to
a certain low point they withdraw themselves from society and have no one to
talk to without fear of being locked up. No, our society never reacts the
way they should in these scenarios. We are quick to blame others than reflect
on the causes or solutions to the problem. News agencies only perpetuate the
behavior further with sensationalistic pieces like the one Cieply and Barnes
wrote.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The geek community is the only one that
I know who responds to such topics correctly. We care about what happens to our
society in general, because we understand that if affects all of us as a whole.
We do not wear blinders until a tragedy occurs. It was our community that had
the right dialogs and responses after Sandy Hook. It was us who denounced James
Holmes’ gruesome attack at the movie theater in Colorado. We are always talking
about issues such as how society should be equal and strive to get others
involved both within and outside of our community.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Cieply and Barnes questioned how we can
be around such violence and not be affected. I have questions for them. Don’t
worry, they are very simple. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Where were you when our community took
to social media to not only renounce the tragic act at Sandy Hook, but had a
real conversation about how mental illness was the cause? <a href="http://kotaku.com/5969100/video-games-and-the-sandy-hook-shooting-two-very-different-reactions?tag=antwandpearman">When
50,000 gamers took a pledge to not play FPS’s for 24 hours</a> in response to
the Sandy Hook shootings? Or when the studies that came out before and after Sandy
Hook which illustrate how video games are actually good for people by <a href="http://www.kurzweilai.net/video-game-playing-found-beneficial-for-the-brain">helping
their eye/hand coordination, cognitive reasoning and decision making skills</a>?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Where are you when girls and women are
harassed or treated objectively at conventions? <a href="http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CC0QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.polygon.com%2F2014%2F7%2F30%2F5952709%2Fsan-diego-comic-con-cosplay-assault&ei=iE3gU4fzNJCgyAT0j4EI&usg=AFQjCNF1js4c09jkvcq0Ilbx1L6aC4JT5Q&sig2=kKc9PAsgkziyx06DSdou1g&bvm=bv.72197243,d.aWw">Where
were you when a 17 year-old female SDCC attendee was found bloodied and
unconscious on July 27<sup>th</sup></a>, possibly a result of an assault? Or
when it was discussed on a Kevin Smith podcast that <a href="http://io9.com/paul-dini-superhero-cartoon-execs-dont-want-largely-f-1483758317">Cartoon
Network does not care about having females watching DC/Warner Bros. Animation
shows</a>? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Where are you in the discussion of the
lack of people of color developing projects for a mass audience that are not
racially stereotyped? That there are many non-white creatives out there who
have great story ideas but are unable to break through into a general audience?
That a recent study suggests that <a href="http://t.co/nF7TIOuBPM">Hollywood movies
do not reflect the diversity of the US</a>?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Where were you when DC refused to allow
Batwoman, a lesbian character, <a href="http://io9.com/dc-wont-allow-batwomans-gay-marriage-to-be-depicted-1257106266">to
marry her same sex partner</a>? While we’re at it, where was the larger article
<a href="https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCkQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fartsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com%2F2012%2F05%2F22%2Fmarvels-gay-superhero-to-propose%2F&ei=hGTgU_OFFs63yASov4GIBw&usg=AFQjCNFkjnp9twI_M4LdGM_8pq1xmNg8mQ&sig2=ANG8RWkghxrXOQKdQEvnfA&bvm=bv.72197243,d.aWw">when
the gay Marvel character Northstar married his boyfriend</a>? Why would you
care at all, when you normally leave such news items to outlets that are
apparently beneath you?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Ah, that’s right; editorial agenda. You
are filling the need of your advertisers, the same studios that spent millions
pushing their products on us at SDCC. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Do the geek community a favor New York
Times, and stick to journalism. If you really cared about what we think, then
cover items or concepts that concern us like racial, gender and sexual
equality. Don’t come to these here parts unless you want to write a real
article about our community.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16558851317438723156noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-32247847873737357942014-08-04T22:21:00.000-04:002014-08-05T14:58:56.045-04:00BLERD - Why Do Black Nerds Need The Word?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h2 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Black Nerds: Integration vs. Segregation</span></h2>
<a href="http://geeksoulbrother.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Fury-Pular-blade.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjyjJ9lOAwGYkx1A0IHHLgftAVFpGH2Zru-20QVuwW19o0YtsXzjjlCj6LYjU5TUevvW3KjEta-Kw3FFgy3rxFkaoIG3q4p_ViAN0n2JkLS8syrd5v3CiUNtlZNGHBd-k8atfVnvUjsnLATg1kO6vFxa_OPqipueobbE9CzNLxNcQtszWmY1wYmEv436Ce3emS5EQ=" /></a>Black People have always been on the fence when it comes to integration or segregation. At times one seemed better than the other. Martin Luther King, Booker T. Washington, Fredrick Dougelass fought on the side of integration, believing that it was a more strategic road for racial equality. On the other side of the fight - Malcolm X, W.E.B. DeBois, and Martin Delany (founder of Black Nationalism) were part of the community that believed empowerment resided in building our own social and economic infrastructure.<br />
<br />
Personally, I think integration won out because that was the solution White America could live with. And though it's never been perfect, Black America (and others of color) have been able to make headway into the mainstream. The most obvious evidence is our first African-American President.<br />
<br />
The problem with integrating into the mainstream is that it's not very embracing of ethnicity. Cultural food, clothing, language, hair styles, and other elements that make a people unique, don't always have a place in what many consider the 'American standard'.<br />
<br />
And let's be real, by mainstream I'm talking about an idea of White America. The reason I say 'idea' of White America is because many families that now consider themselves white shed their French, Italian, German, Scandinavian, Polish, British, Irish, Scottish, Portuguese, Spaniard and other ethnicity in order to embrace that 'idea'. And not to generalize, because some still celebrate their ancestry, but many treat ethnicity as something foreign or 'old world'.<br />
<br />
Not quite the case with African-Americans. Though we've been in America for centuries, our ethnicity is as much a part of us as the heavy doses of melanin in our skin (everybody has it, we have a lot). Part of it is by choice, but most of it is probably because 'Our Skin don't fit In'. Don't get me wrong - we have made our way into the mainstream, but we as a people love our food, dress, linguistic flavors, hair styles and other aspects that make us unique. So African-Americans aren't going to shed their ethnicity anytime soon like other groups have in this country.<br />
<br />
And so here we are, striving to be part of the mainstream, and having succeeded in many ways, but still separated through choice or chance by our love of ourselves, our culture, our ethnic identity.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">BLERD BLERD BLERD, BLERD is the WORD!</span></h4>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAcHSBKCnxe6i8y7tjEl6y9E3sl6mNQZqmX-5_4LWEBfngRTB-xVwfPZWDo8qZZWfzcdjSTXUZ2k-Meav0yQEbZMa_YdVzGY7B3Otx-in0x_EZpTLHsGMwjF4yDoua58f3MaX8IOvCLxL/s1600/Fury+Pular+blade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjAcHSBKCnxe6i8y7tjEl6y9E3sl6mNQZqmX-5_4LWEBfngRTB-xVwfPZWDo8qZZWfzcdjSTXUZ2k-Meav0yQEbZMa_YdVzGY7B3Otx-in0x_EZpTLHsGMwjF4yDoua58f3MaX8IOvCLxL/s1600/Fury+Pular+blade.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>This is where I focus on my beloved nerds of color. The geeks and geekettes with a particular outer hue, and an inner urge to argue over STAR TREK and STAR WARS. Those exquisitely bronzed individuals that shred their hesitations and cosplay as Naruto, or Sailer Moon, or Black Panther. I'm talkin' about the Afro-Nerds, Black Geeks, Black Nerds - BLERDS. It is a term that's been around, but Donald Faison made it popular in SCRUBS. It's a group that can be part of the greater because of their knowledge and passion for the geek universe. But also a group that has its own flavors and sounds and lingual flair that the larger geek culture just doesn't understand or embrace.<br />
<br />
There are two choices for a black nerd: <br />
One - leave your black culture separate and join in the general definition of a nerd. Many have done so, as nerds and in general. Results may vary. <br />
Two - be a nerd, but continue to embrace your culture and identity as a black person, and have them complement each other. It's still a balancing act though. <br />
<br />
It isn't as black and white as I illustrate, but there are obvious problems with the first choice - self-identity, dealing with occasional insults that start out as "I'm not racist but...". Choosing the second has its own issues, but it doesn't mean you have to accept the term BLERD. Yet and still, here are some of my thoughts on the matter.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Accepting Blerd</span></h4>
Up until the 90s, I've felt that black nerds were sporadic islands of afro-awkwardness, floating in the caucazoid seas of geekdom. It wasn't until around the 2000s, and being blessed with getting a job at an art school full of talented and nerdy artist of color, that my vision was cleared and I saw that we were many... well, several. In the past year I've discovered even more of the community out there, and also became acquainted with the term BLERD. Personally, I wasn't too sure about the word at first. Then I started to see what other blerds thought, and how they identified with it. I connected with sites like <a href="http://blacksciencefictionsociety.com/">Black Science Fiction Society</a> and <a href="http://blerdnation.com/">Blerd Nation</a>. Made friends with <a href="http://blackgirlnerds.com/">Black Girl Nerds</a> and <a href="http://theblackgeeks.com/">The Black Geeks</a> and many others. After seeing what kind of celebration revolves around it, I embrace the word as much as I embraced my fellow black nerds.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2FkVy0xyQ33y6Cw3wFKi0uBRbW32M-mBEFIUNLeUfK7Q-naMDgh0zo3Ueb8fRrgU20WCdgOIeNao2lk09I7VwtpOECNtPbF410ICUa0xQGhVHgY77WRLXJI4OZIzCh_TiGdsrtRVxnu6/s1600/NYCC+Black+Cosplay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2FkVy0xyQ33y6Cw3wFKi0uBRbW32M-mBEFIUNLeUfK7Q-naMDgh0zo3Ueb8fRrgU20WCdgOIeNao2lk09I7VwtpOECNtPbF410ICUa0xQGhVHgY77WRLXJI4OZIzCh_TiGdsrtRVxnu6/s1600/NYCC+Black+Cosplay.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://geeksoulbrother.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Geek-Soul-Brother-and-Nick-Fury.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjW4w1da19Q9WrLJ8AGiOSgaNcczpqNDCkREhEZNd3YWBbKzscwX0UCJcxchpClXTk72tv6ZD3lWZCp9C69D7eVXBK7pYfdoCaSh0y5PjwJj2s8CVeroAsDgEI7w6g8cn-HgfHXCRo2kjBePNrJpjAZo5J0nb6N8GrP6PsVCTZfoq2vQhK1akbxNmd9NgbRmftQp9Py1iG8vWo=" /></a><br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">It's Not About Segregation, It's About COMMUNITY</span></h4>
We have come out of our closets and Tardis' in great numbers, and Blerd is the banner that we march under. But many black nerds ask each other "How can you be part of Nerd culture and separate or segregate yourselves from it also?" I, like many geeks of color, didn't see the need to have a word that defined black nerds as something separate from the nerd culture. The internal argument in my mind was "Aren't we separated enough? Aren't we outcasts from general culture already? Why would I want to identify with something that makes me an outcast even more? A nerd is a nerd, that's it!" Calling yourself a blerd doesn't mean you want to separate from anything. It only means that you are telling the world that you want to still identify with the part of you that makes you 'black'. And incidentally, the part that doesn't quite fit into mainstream culture as I pointed out earlier. It means that there's a whole community of black nerds and geeks out there that share with you some experiences others don't. Blerd is just a simple term that expresses the many facets of being black and nerdy. It's a signpost for other black nerds out there, that travel those dusty roads to Mordor, to see that there's a comfortable rest area for them to geek out at.<br />
<br />
And blerd also serves as a social platform to discuss some of the issues that black people have in nerd culture - lack of representation in media, racist trolling and other topics. Groups like the NAACP were created to deal with those issues in the general culture, why not 'Blerd' for our geek culture The term "STEAMFUNK" seems to have been created in the same vein in dealing with lack of diverse story and representation of black people in the world of Steampunk.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">BUT IT'S NOT FAIR</span></h4>
Many people (even some of you reading this) state that if there was a special term for White Nerds (Wherds?) it would be racist. Well, if white nerds felt separated or under-represented in some way in nerd culture, then it would be fine. If white nerds believed there were issues of identity between being white and a nerd, then by all means Wherd should be a term. If a white cosplayer caught flack for dressing up as an anime character because of his race, with critics saying he or she "Just wasn't keeping with the true nature of the character", then Wherd would be a great way to call all the white nerds together for a discussion about said cosplay incident. Would it be racist? No. Unless the Wherds made their group exclusive and didn't embrace other nerds. Hmmmm.<br />
<br />
From my experience so far, the groups surrounding the term Blerd aren't exclusive. On the contrary, they are actually very inclusive - inviting white and other nerds of color to the discussion. If you're reading this and haven't found Blerds in general to be very inviting, you better check yourself; the problem is probably not them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cjxMg37z4tuSIdN_GMffPz-oJJ7NRfG_nFBxcEnxUPHLTxzB-z3eeZR63vWgtTHOPx9oLNUO31xGgSKYfr6_4zPh1DDDaCvFaOyDmQ6vb1MmC8Cg4bY_H1VtLODkTxZaR-eBDqiFOGN9/s1600/Blerd-Black-Nerd-graphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cjxMg37z4tuSIdN_GMffPz-oJJ7NRfG_nFBxcEnxUPHLTxzB-z3eeZR63vWgtTHOPx9oLNUO31xGgSKYfr6_4zPh1DDDaCvFaOyDmQ6vb1MmC8Cg4bY_H1VtLODkTxZaR-eBDqiFOGN9/s1600/Blerd-Black-Nerd-graphic.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">CONCLUSION</span></h4>
Blerd isn't a separatists movement, but a cultural beacon in nerdism so that black people can know that they aren't as alone or isolated as they might have imagined. You would be surprised how many of us have felt or still feel that way. Yes, it sounds like a club, but there's no major cry for "Down with Whitey".<br />
<br />
Blerd is a word shouting out in two voices - one to the whole black community saying "I'm a nerd, deal with it", and the other saying "I'm a Black Person, Deal with it" to his and her fellow nerds. You as a black nerd can accept it or not, and that's okay. But the way I see it, Blerd is just another way of being comfortable with yourself. Comments Below Please.<br />
<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">UPDATED - BONUS MATERIAL: GSB AFTER DARK PODCAST: GEEK SEGREGATION</span></h4>
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<br />
<br />
Above is a little something extra for you to enjoy. It is an episode of my night time podcast - <a href="http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=128493&cmd=tc">GEEK SOUL BROTHER: AFTER DARK</a> - where I asked my Five Nerdy Venoms and guests about how and when Geeks Segregate themselves based on race, gender, sexuality and culture. I think it compliments this post very nicely. Thanks so much to Big Baba Rob and Renaegade Storm of <a href="http://theblackgeeks.com/">The Black Geeks</a>, and Jamie from <a href="http://blackgirlnerds.com/">Black Girl Nerds</a> for joining the conversation, and Inda Lauryn (<a href="http://cornerstorepress.wordpress.com/">Corner Store Press</a>), Well of Truth and all the guests that participated in the chat.
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Marvel takes us to the stars with this 10th installment of their Cinematic Universe - GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. It's a colorful space romp where reluctant heroes come together to save millions of lives against evil forces. El Camino from our Podcast predicted it would be this generation's Star Wars. I wouldn't go that far, but you could consider this a Star Wars Jr. with 5 Han Solos, no slave Leia, and The Force whittled down to a purple gemstone.<br />
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For the adult audience, it was predicable but entertaining. For a younger
generation it should be even more enjoyable. But it may not be as
memorable as other great space adventures. It was lush with aliens, spaceships and dark villains, but underneath it was a little 2 dimensional. One reason is because the main villain Ronan wasn't really the main
villain. Just like Loki in the Avengers, Ronan played by Lee Pace, answered to another. That took some of the malevolence away from his characterization. Where Loki was
established as a major threat in the first Thor film, we didn't have
that background setup for Ronan. His monologue and motivations were somewhat glossed over, though we understood
where his pain and zealous acts of violence came from. This is not to say that Pace didn't give a genuinely good performance as
The Accuser. Au contraire, he was menacing. It's just that your heroes are only as good as your villains. Truthfully, he's probably the same in the comics so I can only criticize so far.<br />
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And speaking of the heroes, I did like Chris Pratt as Peter Quill a.k.a Star Lord. His casting was probably spot on. I
say that only because I'm not up on the newer versions of the GotG comics and
don't know Star Lord like that. But just coming from his performance,
Pratt as Quill was entertaining and carried the film well as the
protagonist. Zoe was also decent as Gamora. Though we've seen her
reach more emotional depth in films like Avatar, there were some scenes where
Saldana had good chemistry with the rest of the cast. Even Batiste was much better here than in
his previous projects and delivered some great tongue-in-cheek comedic
lines. Groot and Rocket Raccoon were most certainly the heart of the film. Especially when Bradley Cooper emotes through his voice performance the inner pain that Rocket feels from his tortured origins. I liked the casting of Hounsou, Gillian and Reilly. And watching Rooker as Yondu Udanta was as fun as watching Merle Dixon from Walking Dead if he were painted blue and running a spaceship full of pirates. <br />
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Directors like James Gunn have an eye for mixing action and levity. It was perfect for this film, especially with Chris Pratt as the lead. The other aspect that set it apart from most other space adventures is the
classic music in the form of Quill's Mixtape. It's a signature sound that I think will help
specialize any future GotG films and the MCU franchise as a whole where the Guardians are included. <br />
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Though it's not quite apparent, the film did introduce or expound on several key elements from Marvel Comics into the Avengers movie story
arcs that I was exited in seeing -<br />
<ul>
<li>The Kree - A race and empire that span the galaxy. This also connects with Agents Of Shield</li>
<li>The
Nova Core - a space police force. It's also where a character Nova comes from.</li>
<li>The Immortals in the form of The Collector</li>
<li>And the story of the soul-gems and how they figure into the cosmic tapestry. </li>
</ul>
It also revealed more of Thanos by introducing his relationship to Gamora and Nebula <br />
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The good thing about the movie is there's so much landscape, or rather space-scape, presented that the stories could be boundless. Especially if our motley crew don't focus on some giant story arc like an infinity-gem and do some smuggling or inter-stellar bank heists in the future.<br />
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For us that stay informed of what Marvel is up to with their Avengers Phases, this is a piece to the puzzle that leads up to a possible story in Phase three. But the uninitiated into the Avengers cannon might look at the characters from Guardian as great but not that relevant. On the other hand, Marvel has given us another group of heroes that we can cheer for and I'm sure the next film will have more character and story texture. With the predicted success of Guardians who knows what will come next - Inhumans, Young Avengers, Marvel Knights... there are several to choose from.<br />
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I'm just waiting for Marvel and Fox to get off their little studio butts and give us the Kree-Skrull War that we deserve. You can't have the Kree without having the Skrull. Hopefully there are some young and nerdy executive producers from each studio that are having midnight pillow-talk conversations about how awesome it would be to have a collaboration between Marvel and Fox for a giant galactic war with the Avengers, Guardians and the Fantastic Four all teaming up. Throw in the X-Men also with their recent success. Yes the film would cost $500 million to make, but it would probably make $2 Billion globally if done right. Maybe a two parter would be better.<br />
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Anyway, if you're a fan of the Marvel films you will certainly like Guardians of the Galaxy. You don't have to know them from the comics. But if you do you should be satisfied with the Quill and the others brought to life. Geek Soul Brother gives GotG 4 out of 5 Cosmic Afros.<br />
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<b>BONUS PODCAST REVIEW:</b> Here is the review of Guardians with my co-hosts - The Five Deadly Venoms and yours truly. We break down what we liked and didn't like about the film. @Illumeenous gave it such a low score that she was about to get thrown off the show. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-1134987164554327852014-07-25T19:09:00.000-04:002014-07-25T19:09:48.312-04:00THE PURGE: ANARCHY (2014) - One Of The Most Terrifying Nights In Cinema!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When you think of films where people are caught on the streets at night and things are about to go down; classics like Escape From New York, The Warriors or Assault on Precinct 13 may come to mind. Although these legendary films have a great following, a new entry has been brought to the screen and could easily garner a cult all its own - THE PURGE: ANARCHY.<br />
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I can't say that Anarchy will become a classic as other films of the same kind. But I feel like it has several moments of craziness to get there. For those that don't know, The Purge: Anarchy is the sequel to The Purge. A story set in the near future where a new US government has been established by the 'New Founding Fathers'. An annual event called The Purge was created to allow citizens to unleash all the aggression and murderous tendencies during 12 hours on a single night. Every crime is legal including murder. There are no police, no fire and rescue, no public assistance of any kind. If you're rich you can afford protection for your home. That was shown in the first film. But if you are on the not-so-rich side, you just have to try to live through the night. And you certainly don't want to be on the street during these 12 hours, unless you want to participate in the purge.<br />
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I appreciated the concept of first film, but The Purge was missing a few things. Mainly that it didn't show the ramifications that such a dystopian future would foster. The Purge: Anarchy took care of all of that! The film starts out with three different points of view of people preparing for the purge. One is a couple that's traveling to a relative who has a safe home to wait it out. Another was a waitress and mother who can't afford heavy protection for her, her daughter, and her elderly father in their small apartment. The third player is a man that wants to participate in the purge, though his reasons are not as simple as some of the maniacs that show up later in the film.<br />
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I appreciated most of the actors and performances in this film. Particularly Frank Grillo and Carmen Ejogo who sold their symbolic roles representing the two sides of the purge, those of predator and prey. And to his credit writer / director James DeMonaco created a few villains that would be great choices for Todd Toys. Keith Stanfield as 'Young Goul Face' definitely deserves a figure. Just another word about Frank Grillo - I could easily see the influences of Snake Plissken, Mad Max, and for a spit second, even Terminator. It's been going around the net that Grillo could even be The Punisher if they decide to make another film. If he bulks up, I'm all for it. <br />
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What makes this film work is how DeMonaco blended the visuals of rats caught in a maze with the feeling of constant danger around every corner. Tension never really let up because even when you thought the characters were safe, you had the uneasy feeling that things weren't quite right. DeMonaco turned the cityscape into a night-lit jungle filled with beasts great and small. Adding to it was the unfolding of the true nature of the purge. Who was the purge really for? The general population? Or was there a more sinister purpose?<br />
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But as much as I liked certain things about The Purge: Anarchy, there were some predictable moments that played a little cliche. Not that the story could go in too many directions, but there were some things that could have been thought out more. Not a big deal though, because the film delivered some nice little surprises. <br />
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As you watch The Purge: Anarchy a terrifying thought might come to mind. If the government fell into the wrong hands, this crap could possibly happen! It's the constant warning of all Sci-fi dystopian stories that we that have a conscience need to keep our asses vigilant, and not let small and power hungry groups take over.<br />
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Geek Soul Brother
gives it 3.75 out of 5 Cosmic Afros. 364 Days until the Next Purge! Your Government Thanks You.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-30013101589762715572014-07-25T04:21:00.000-04:002014-07-26T13:38:08.590-04:00GSB Film Review - LUCY (2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Lucy doesn't kick too much gangster ass. But she does kick Reality's ass on many levels!</span><br />
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In the beginning of the film we see an image that one wouldn't expect from a Besson film - a prehistoric cave woman sitting by a river drinking. If you watched the trailer at all you know that this story involves the evolution of a girl's brain to the use of 100 percent. After the initial imagery I figured this wasn't going to be Luc Besson's usual shoot'em up female action film. I didn't even know the half of it.<br />
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There is no real character setup, initially. We are simply introduced to Lucy, played by Scarlett Jo-hotness, I mean Johansson - a student living abroad that has a shady boyfriend who wants her to deliver a briefcase to some 'people'. In minutes she's swept up into a world of organized crime, bloody fresh corpses and unwilling drug smuggling; all orchestrated by a Mr. Jang played by the exceptional Min-sik Choi. And the drug that she was carrying was some crazy blue stuff that even Walter White couldn't have cooked up in his lab. Breaking Bad? No? You should get on that! Through a painful event, the drug gets into Lucy's blood stream and she starts becoming more than your average girl.<br />
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Another thing I didn't expect from Besson was the periodic inter-cutting of metaphoric scenes like a cheeta and gazelle chase during Lucy's initial interaction with the goons of the mob. I immediately got a sense that Besson was expanding his way of storytelling as well as his subject matter.<br />
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As for Johansson, I loved her in the role. Besson's signature closeups took advantage of Scarlett's waves of emotion she expressed in the first act of the film. And that's good. Because once Lucy got the drug in her system she didn't express much emotion through the rest of the story. We did get to see Lucy become an expert killer with a gun though. But the action didn't last too long as the story started evolving as fast as Lucy's neurons in her brain. The cool gun-play was replaced with cool telekinesis, mind reading, and really fast typing. That always means a person is really smart in science fiction.<br />
<br />
There was an urgency to the film, but the resolution to the story didn't seem to equal it. I can't quite say it was anti-climatic, but I wish it was more impacting. This could be because of one - the film catapulted into a cool episode of Morgan Freeman's Through The Wormhole TV series and left the Columbiana action behind. Or two - because Lucy was so powerful early on in the film that nothing seemed to be a real threat to her anymore except to reach her goal in time. It's just that the goal seemed less important than the journey, which was kind of incredible by the end of the film.<br />
<br />
There were a couple points in the story that needed more of an explanation, but it didn't hurt the telling of it. Just some choppy moments. This may also have been because of Besson's choice of film style that went along with the inter-cuts I mentioned.<br />
<br />
Just another mention of the cave woman in the beginning; the scene was very reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey. And the film swiftly unfolded like 2001, but with the subplot of mobsters. It was a unique polarity expressed in the nirvana like journey of Lucy and the lower-man efforts of the crime boss to get his drugs and kill this young woman. If you're going to mix a story about a girl, the Asian mafia and Quantum Physics, this is about the best you can do. I tip my afro-antenna to Besson in that his was a deep and thought provoking existential message based in a science fiction story. But it needed a more delicate execution which other classic films were able to achieve.<br />
<br />
I'm hard pressed to give this a rating because I can't put my finger what the general scifi audience will not like about this film. But if you like theories about the purpose and existence of life, matter and the universe more than a hot girl with guns and telekinesis, then you might think that my rating of <b>3.25 out of 5 Cosmic Afros</b> is too low. The trouble is I like both too. But if you want to see super-powered Johansson kick major ass from beginning to end then you're going to be very disappointed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-7Iqkdkiaz_VS6VBo1IAUK49g54PM1dFRJxkWowrtKEY2T4Af-6Qwoj_8OpHU7-3ODapmdVbmnd4M2n5tJwG9jjmiT2dtSJcHP62KB42zuDU_lg6zrxY7E4w3eYlfpJ94o-McKZbdpYT/s1600/3.25-Cosmic-Afros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-7Iqkdkiaz_VS6VBo1IAUK49g54PM1dFRJxkWowrtKEY2T4Af-6Qwoj_8OpHU7-3ODapmdVbmnd4M2n5tJwG9jjmiT2dtSJcHP62KB42zuDU_lg6zrxY7E4w3eYlfpJ94o-McKZbdpYT/s1600/3.25-Cosmic-Afros.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Side Note: I think that soon Scarlett will want to write her own science fiction story. This is the forth film in the last year that she's done that's based in science fiction. And 3 of those were hard scifi wrapped in some human experience - HER, UNDER THE SKIN, and now LUCY.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1awxN-lbgPGow6JfmBB_-40S9COd0kdqcuHdsOmTs6KvmCzmfW6tEq31fc_88oGZ02Q8bPnVMlxjulwU6pnMZa0pm1RCW_Y-0oBPkU6GWi8lin0-jNxA790jEftpz95PbJmMwsHTRukY/s1600/GSB_Editorial-GOTG-Header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1awxN-lbgPGow6JfmBB_-40S9COd0kdqcuHdsOmTs6KvmCzmfW6tEq31fc_88oGZ02Q8bPnVMlxjulwU6pnMZa0pm1RCW_Y-0oBPkU6GWi8lin0-jNxA790jEftpz95PbJmMwsHTRukY/s1600/GSB_Editorial-GOTG-Header.png"></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ever since <i>Guardians
of the Galaxy</i> was announced at the San Diego Comic Con Marvel panel two
years ago, there has existed some skepticism amongst both the geek community
and Hollywood analysts at large. How could a space movie – a genre that does
not perform well in the theaters unless it begins with <i>Star</i> and ends with either <i>Trek</i>
or <i>Wars</i> – be a success in an already
tepid summer movie season? After looking at everything that has been released,
combined with the early buzz and reviews, I have a good feeling that Marvel
Studios will have another hit on their hands.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I admit I was one of the concerned at the beginning when
they first announced <i>Guardians</i>.
Despite Marvel’s vast cosmic roster of characters and storylines, (a good portion
which may or may not be tied up due to the <i>Fantastic
Four</i> rights over at Fox,) their first step was a group of misfits who end
up becoming one of the universe’s best protection forces (after the Nova Corps,
who sanctions the team.) A film directed by a relatively unknown who's claim to fame is scripting the <i>Scooby-Doo</i> live
action movies and the <i>Dawn of the Dead</i>
remake, not to mention helming the cult movie <i>Super</i>. Yet, the more I saw what James Gunn was doing with <i>Guardians</i> and the comments made by him
and Kevin Feige (President of Marvel Studios), I became comfortable with the
idea. Even with my reservations with some of the casting (I still want a Rocket
with a gravely, Cockney accent dammit) I still held out hope; which was well
placed when the trailers were released.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yet, with all the promotion media presented for <i>Guardians</i>, there is still doubt on how well
it will do. It may even be quite understandable, especially with the box office
being down this year. Yet, I feel there are many factors that will help this
film succeed. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1. It's Marvel,
Dammit!</b></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_ovADfWN6GbQLgTRBbF-V_A_aTzIKXyLkiLEzCVBjQOhmyLLfcEw-WMTi3zL9opVWk9ZaCqyNw8mBGrLoVxXIqVscm9Q-R8qNASLpbXqck1IUIqQaRNjqJae5Zvu3IAxkRvN3tR7cQg/s1600/53a2089319d7a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_ovADfWN6GbQLgTRBbF-V_A_aTzIKXyLkiLEzCVBjQOhmyLLfcEw-WMTi3zL9opVWk9ZaCqyNw8mBGrLoVxXIqVscm9Q-R8qNASLpbXqck1IUIqQaRNjqJae5Zvu3IAxkRvN3tR7cQg/s1600/53a2089319d7a.jpg" height="161" width="320"></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can call Marvel many things, but at the end of the day
there is only one adjective that describes them best: shrewd. They may be open
to new directions and concepts for their characters (except for Fox's plans for
<i>Fantastic Four</i>), but you cannot accuse them of making moves that do not have
the brand or their IP's at heart. They will not hesitate to cut someone from a
project if the person does not have either aspect in mid. There are many
examples of this (anyone remember Ed Norton Jr?), however the most recent one
is probably the best one. Fans were crushed that Edgar Wright had left the <i>Ant-Man</i> project, feeling he was wronged for
the fallout over the script and direction. Up until that point, it had seemed
both sides were on the same page with the concept and overall visual feel. It
was a shock to many that Wright and Marvel butted heads; however some creative
relationships just cannot co-exist, especially when one party is justifiably
protective of their brand.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How does this fit in with <i>Guardians</i>? Simple: Marvel wouldn't have dipped their little piggies
into the space portion of their portfolio if they weren't sure money could be made
while keeping the brand intact. They have enough experience with movies - with
a proven track record, mind you - to gauge what will work in their strategy.
They are confident to the point of being bat-ish crazy that this concept will
work.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking of bat-ish crazy...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2. It Is Such A Crazy
Idea, That It May Actually Work!</b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEityGAMS0byyGKyQFqdRMXFQZG6uycIV2mBScDvQqY6fdPHm680n-rzksp8SNmjE19r532GpPRBD2uZfKMwOk8WUcO3YSnS4z9QZ8Wa5Z1aepuMFyqZ2eQZt91zVIyB6um5N9DX4_zTljY/s1600/534740eb798d9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEityGAMS0byyGKyQFqdRMXFQZG6uycIV2mBScDvQqY6fdPHm680n-rzksp8SNmjE19r532GpPRBD2uZfKMwOk8WUcO3YSnS4z9QZ8Wa5Z1aepuMFyqZ2eQZt91zVIyB6um5N9DX4_zTljY/s1600/534740eb798d9.jpg" height="180" width="320"></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As I said before, Marvel is not afraid to try new things
with their properties. Some bad (everyone remember Spidey wiping his marriage
away to save Aunt May?), but many turned out good. Whether it is the comics or
the movies, many of their ideas look crazy on paper but work out when put into
place. After the initial excitement over the announcement of the Phase 1 of
movies would lead up to <i>The Avengers</i>,
many people became skeptical. A lot of the "How will they make this
work" kind of questions began to be asked. People became hesitant, almost
fearing the final result of the project. Fast forward a few years later, and
the film became the undisputed film of the year, breaking several box office
records and grossing $1.51 billion worldwide.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">During a Twitter discussion on the recent news that Falcon
would be taking over as Captain America, one thing that resonated with me is
that Marvel is a lot smarter than fans give them credit for. They know the
treasure trove of material they have at their disposal, and are apparently not
afraid to use it. Some of it so crazy - such as <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i>, where you have an assassin, a being whose
sole purpose is to kill Thanos, a mercenary rodent, his deciduous friend and a
rogue thrown together to be heroes - that with the right people, it will work
on screen. They have both Feige - who has been with Marvel Studios since its
inception in 2000 and an overall comic geek - and Joe Quesada at the helm; both
men willing to take calculated risks. The company itself converted the comic’s
division, beginning with “The Ultimates”, into a testing ground for concepts
and storylines for motion pictures and television, while staying true to
putting out quality material. They also used the <i>One Shot</i> stories as potential jump off points for other projects
such as <i>Agents of SHIELD</i> and <i>Agent Carter</i>. They are giving the fans what
they want to see while experimenting with things that can be used in multiple
formats.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This organized, yet reckless abandon approach has paid off
for the House of Ideas. For the last 15 years, barring stunt issues that DC
frequently throws out, Marvel has been #1 in comic sales as a whole. They have
consistent success in the theaters ever since the studio arm released their
first film, <i>Iron Man</i>, seven years
ago. Their only weak link right now is their television/animation division, and
this is something that could be resolved with the replacement of an individual
or two.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The company knows what it is doing, and if the early buzz
heading into San Diego Comic Con is any indication, <i>Guardians</i> should do well. And why shouldn't it? It appears to be a
fun romp that many of the films this year are lacking.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3. Hollywood
Predictability</b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyOTpQMXgUbM9zm9fF7AlmB57_x8ilxh2XnmL7-_69sAeOO0Qmi0-QL36fYdpQ6017dpluf9pH1SgPitCbYg8drmQ_1HUJd99fELlvtGJHaAOebFJDvSegLmQY5_nyprhM2-fl2Y3vZ8/s1600/53bb08b1d1555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdyOTpQMXgUbM9zm9fF7AlmB57_x8ilxh2XnmL7-_69sAeOO0Qmi0-QL36fYdpQ6017dpluf9pH1SgPitCbYg8drmQ_1HUJd99fELlvtGJHaAOebFJDvSegLmQY5_nyprhM2-fl2Y3vZ8/s1600/53bb08b1d1555.jpg" height="212" width="320"></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I know it sounds like an incredibly douchy response as an
outsider looking in, but think about it. Why else would you release a movie at
a time when you throw most of your junk in? Most Hollywood analysts had come to
the conclusion months ago that Marvel slotted <i>Guardians</i> in the August 1 release slot because they did not have much
faith in the film.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'd have to disagree with that assessment. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I feel that the decision was equal parts desperation and
opportunity. Okay, desperate may sound harsh, but not without its merits. Ever
since Marvel announced that they planned to release two films a year, I feel an ever increasing problem arose for them. There are now so many movies
jammed packed into the traditional summer blockbuster schedule, that slotting <i>Guardians</i> in a release date where it
would stand out most likely became an issue. This year you had <i>Transformers: Age of Extinction</i>, <i>Godzilla</i>, <i>Dawn of The Planet of The Apes</i>, <i>X-Men:
Days of Futures Past</i> and others that took the prime spots of the season.
With Hollywood's currently mentality of barraging people with
"blockbusters", the conventional scheduling of films becomes useless.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Leave it to Marvel to do the unconventional. I am sure
somewhere along the scheduling process, someone asked "Why not
August", with question receiving "Yeah, why not August" as a
response. August through September is considered a dumping ground, where
studios usually send movies they are not too sure about to die a quick death in
obscurity. The logic to put <i>Guardians</i>
at the cusp of the summer dumping ground gives Marvel an advantage. They have
already experimented placing projects on months </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">that are considered awkward for
films </span></span>(April for <i>Captain America: The Winter Soldier</i> and <i>Thor: The Dark World</i> in November) with great success. Each time, neither film had any competition for weeks,
allowing them to rake in a combined $465 million domestically. The company has
already proven that if you put out a product people are interested in, they
will go to the theaters. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Guardians</i> only
competition in early August is <i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i>,
which has not been well received so far. <i>Guardians</i>
also has the added weight of the post-San Diego Comic Con buzz as well. Marvel
is expected to focus </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">on promoting the project </span></span>heavily in addition to announcing
future ones as well. Yes, Disney may be concerned with <i>Guardians</i> tracking (which has resulted with the intensive advertising
campaign), but I feel between Marvel’s strategy, experience and the word of mouth,
The House of Ideas will have yet another great film that will be number one.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ultimately, I could be very well off-base in my logic. <i>Guardians</i> could be Marvel Studios first goose egg, which will make Feige and others re-evaluate their entry into
the space genre. Many of the company’s future plans could be affected by what
could be a turd in a can for them. It is a scenario that can happen come August 1.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></span><br>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">However, after everything we know of this film, Marvel’s track record
and just the sheer potential of more Marvel stories in space (Kree/Skrull war,
anyone?), I feel confident in saying that <i>Guardians</i>
will perform well. I welcome your thoughts on the matter. How do you think the
film will do going into SDCC? I want to know!</span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16558851317438723156noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-7971706322766056442014-07-17T16:44:00.003-04:002014-07-17T16:49:08.201-04:00Another Summer Horror? JESSABELLE (2014)When did summer become a time for horror films? When you think about it they play at different times of the year. But October is usually the month for the serious horror flick. Still, between THE CONJURING last year and DELIVER US FROM EVIL earlier this summer, I think the studios want their box office payoff sooner rather than later.<br />
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JESSABELLE doesn't look like it will be the best horror film this year, but it does look like it will be comparable with INSIDIOUS and recent others (same producers). It's about a girl that goes back to her childhood home only to be met by an evil spirit that wants whatever evil spirits want from a young girl. Most likely her soul, but who knows. Oh, and she's in a wheelchair from a car accident, so that probably makes the ghost fighting a little more of a challenge. The trailer actually doesn't look bad. Coming to theaters August 29th.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-78125770468961388162014-07-01T13:35:00.000-04:002014-07-01T13:35:03.979-04:00Trailer Jive: DRACULA UNTOLDI never really looked into the story of Vlad the Impaler. I just knew like most people that he seemed to be a bad dude in the annals of history, with all the impaling and everything. And that the myth of Dracula was based on him. But recently I did hear that Vlad's more famous acts of violence were attributed to his love for his son when he was taken away. DRACULA UNTOLD seems to be a retelling of how Dracula came to be with more historical facts blended in. The trailer looks pretty decent. It does play a little long though. Luke Evans looks cool in this role also. Look for the film in October.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-63974895390691126032014-06-20T14:15:00.002-04:002014-06-20T14:15:57.946-04:00GSB Podcast: THE RISE AND FALL OF JOHNNY DEPP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0G3PL5agR0y9dKIEai0aDQjZne5uUgQGRdeppHxvknswOmmEFTOhI-OCox5HtSoDLYRQiWaH8VR6GrLY1-kyIgwFip1Rnx2dcnaAljK_45ltPE8ooc0gLlfbq-Rd1WmSTUa3n14EOANl/s1600/transcendence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0G3PL5agR0y9dKIEai0aDQjZne5uUgQGRdeppHxvknswOmmEFTOhI-OCox5HtSoDLYRQiWaH8VR6GrLY1-kyIgwFip1Rnx2dcnaAljK_45ltPE8ooc0gLlfbq-Rd1WmSTUa3n14EOANl/s1600/transcendence.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Has Johnny Depp fallen from Hollywood's grace? Or has it just been a series of bad films, with bad directors or writers, that have led to some of his more recent box office crashes? The Five+ Nerdy Venoms talk about the legendary actor's rise to fame, and his possibly loosing traction with his fandom. The gang also talk Nerdy news and box office totals. Enjoy.</span><br />
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Facebook and get updates when a new show is scheduled.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-22380808726920007962014-06-17T02:23:00.002-04:002014-06-30T20:18:31.878-04:002014 Summer TV Part 3: THE LEFTOVERS, THE INTRUDERS, THE QUEST, DOCTOR WHO AND MORE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here is my 3rd post on the new and returning Sci-fi and Fantasy shows airing this summer. I'm excited because there is some juicy stuff coming and it isn't even Fall yet. Click on the links if you want to go back and check out <a href="http://geeksoulbrother.blogspot.com/2014/05/2014-summer-tv-part-1-wheton-defiance.html">part 1</a> and <a href="http://geeksoulbrother.blogspot.com/2014/05/2014-summer-tv-part-2-extant-strain.html">part 2</a> of my Summer TV posts.<br />
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First Up! 2 Percent of the world's population suddenly disappears. And the people that are left behind don't know how to deal. I mean, who would when loved ones are suddenly gone? THE LEFTOVERS comes to HBO on Sunday, June 29th. The new series is based on a novel by Tom Perrotta. And me being a Christian, I'm curious about how this show will do. I don't think they will get into the whole Revelations story, but instead it will probably revolve around a 'What If' plot. I haven't read the book either. Just a heads up, the trailer has some cursing and nudity in it.<br />
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Some people just don't want to die. So why not just take over other people's bodies and live forever? Sounds like a plan. But why do these subleters of the flesh have to be so creepy when they do it? Watch the trailer for the upcoming BBC America series - INTRUDERS. This is a series also based on a novel written by Michael Marshall of the same name. The network doesn't specify a date yet, but when Geek Soul Brother knows, so will you brothers and sisters too. UPDATE: BBCAmerica has scheduled the series to premiere August 23rd at 10pm. There you go!<br />
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Of course we can't forget the premiere of one of our favorite Scifi shows ever - DOCTOR WHO Season 8! Peter Capaldi is the new doctor and I know all the eyes of Whovian geekdom will be watching his performance sometime in August.<br />
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I dislike many a reality show. But ABC might be featuring a competition show that I might get into, even if it's only to laugh at - THE QUEST. For you Fantasy and Lord Of The Rings fans, this might be right up your ally. Of course the Executive Producers from LOTR and The Amazing Race are the ones producing this show. It's a match made in LorthLorien. Tune in Thursday July 31st, 9pm<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">OTHER RETURNING SHOWS -</span><br />
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Get ready for the final season of TRUE BLOOD when it returns June 22nd to HBO. Maybe it's time to put the vampires of Bon Temps Louisiana to rest. Because I've been hearing disappointing reviews from my own geek circles that the last season just wasn't up to snuff.<br />
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If you want more Werewolf action then tune into MTV for the season 4 premiere of TEEN WOLF when it airs at 10pm on June 23rd. Though the revamp of the classic comedy film has its fair share of teen drama, I do like the action and supernatural mythology that the writers have set up for the story. I still have to catch up to last season, but I suggest that geeks who love the supernatural stuff check it out.<br />
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I only watched a couple episodes of WITCHES OF EAST END on the Lifetime Network. It didn't seem like a horrible show. But there were other juicy TV shows that were on around the same time, and a geek only has so many hours in the day. I guess if the series made it to season 2 then maybe there's something there worth watching. Look for the season 2 premiere July 6th.<br />
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And finally a Netflix original series is back. No, I'm not talking about ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, which actually is back! I'm talking about the horror series - HEMLOCK GROVE. I thought that a series produced by Eli Roth was going to hook me in. But I could only make it up to episode 5 or half of 6 of the first season. And several other geeks I talked to said the same thing. So I'm curious as to how Netflix saw it fitting to air a season two, which premieres on Friday, July 11th at Midnight? I know some shows need a season to get themselves together (Agents of Shield). I'm wondering if that's the case with this gothic horror series. I do have to give credit where credit is due - the Werewolf transformation was crazy!! This bloody trailer does do a good job of selling the show.<br />
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Well that's pretty much it for the Summer TV Shows that are probably on that geek radar. Of course there are other shows that might be of interest to you all. Let a brother know in the comments if he missed any shows that you are looking for. Just because it's not under my radar, doesn't mean they aren't worth mentioning.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-4946440518859341372014-06-11T22:18:00.004-04:002014-06-11T22:18:48.956-04:00THE LEGEND OF KORRA: BOOK 3 OFFICIAL TRAILER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Turn those frowns upside down all you Legend of Korra fans. The new trailer is here! And it is just as good as the fan trailer made by Bigby Wolf that came out a few days ago. Unfortunately, that one isn't up anymore so you can't compare. Thanks to him Nick gave us an early view of the show. Watch and hopefully enjoy this OFFICIAL one and maybe you will see a familiar face from the past. This season or book is called Change, but who or what will change in this elemental bending universe?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Also, if you want to spoil yourself, episode 3 through 6 were leaked and can be found on the internet somewhere. I'm not telling. Hehe!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-78557559650289184942014-06-11T21:17:00.003-04:002014-06-11T21:20:32.791-04:00Summary of E3 Day 3: More of the Same GameE3 is trucking along along as more details have been released on few of the announced games, so lets see what was discovered, shall we?<br />
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<b>Sony</b><br />
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<i>The Order: 1886</i> gets a release date: February 20, 2015. There will be 2 limited edition releases, depending on how much you want to shell out.<br />
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<i>Uncharted 4</i> will also be released 2015 as well.<br />
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<i>Bloodborne</i> will have one major difference than the Dark Souls series: The fighting dynamic will shift from the block and timed attack to more attack focused fighting. <br />
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<b>Nintendo</b><br />
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If you listened to last nights podcast, Nintendo had a last minute addition to <i>Super Smash Bros. Wii U</i> in the for of Pac-Man. It will be an all out war of the 90's game developers with this game.<br />
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<b>Square Enix</b><br />
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Squenix has had a very ho hum E3, outside of the <a href="http://youtu.be/IcM3RVKSxRM"><i>Tomb Raider</i></a> sequel (coming in 2015) announcement. However, they did post a teaser for <i>Kingdom Hearts III</i> in the form of an <a href="http://youtu.be/tFJtzwVRHG0">opening screen</a>.<br />
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Stay tuned, folks! E3 isn't over yet!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16558851317438723156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-46421022712012484282014-06-11T00:31:00.002-04:002014-06-11T00:31:58.014-04:00Summary of E3 Day 2: Nintendo say WHAAAAAaaa?!<div dir="ltr">
Day 2 of the E3 brought some surprises from Nintendo; a game company many counted out ever since the Wii U was released. Here is what the day brought us:</div>
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<b>Nintendo</b></div>
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The major game that everyone is talking about is <i><a href="http://youtu.be/-Qc7SA1QqVI">Super Smash Bros. Wii U</a></i>. The game, coming out for the Wii U during the holiday season wit the 3DS version in October, will have many features including using your own Mii fighter and the use of NFC figures - called Amiibo's - to swap in new characters, similar to <i>Skylanders</i>.The Amiibo figures will also be used for the recently released <i>Mario Kart 8</i>, though it is unclear how for now.</div>
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Open world <i><a href="http://youtu.be/3XTxIHb9aWY">Legend of Zelda</a></i> game coming in 2015, you say? I only have one response for this... </div>
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Speaking of <i>Legend of Zelda</i>, the much talked about <i>Hyrule Warriors</i> has the official release date of September 26th. You will be able to play as any one of 4 characters against a enemy horde.</div>
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Another much talked about game that came out of left field was game designer Shigeru Miyamoto's newest projects: A new <i>Star Fox</i> game, <i>Project: Guard</i> and<i> Project Robot. </i>Not much was shown of the three titles, but all of them will appear in 2015 as well.</div>
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Other titles shown for the Nintendo consoles include <i>Mario Party 10</i>, <i>Kirby: Rainbow Curse</i>, <i>Mario Maker</i> (which allow you to make your own classic <i>Super Mario Bros.</i> levels), <i>Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker</i>, <i>Xenoblade Chronicles X</i>, <i>Yoshi's Woolly World</i> and the next<b><i> </i></b><i>Pokémon</i> iterations,<i> Omega Ruby</i> and <i>Alpha Sapphire</i>, were given a November release date.</div>
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<b>Sega</b></div>
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<i>Bayonetta 2</i> - which will include <i>Bayonetta</i> 1 and exclusive content for the Wii U - will be heading to all consoles</div>
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Sega is apparently working on a <i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> movie. Yeah, moving on... </div>
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<b>Capcom</b></div>
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Only thing worth noting was <i>Monster Hunter 4</i> for the Wii U. Next!<br />
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Tune into tomorrow as we scour the interwebz for more news from E3! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16558851317438723156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-51558487937561140342014-06-09T23:49:00.005-04:002014-06-10T08:11:29.775-04:00Summary of E3 Day 1: Halo, Mass Effect & No Man's Sky, Oh my!<div dir="ltr">
It's E3 time, folks! That time of the year when us gamers come together and revel in the upcoming projects game studios and manufacturers have been involved with.</div>
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Day 1 has brought us many announcements that have left us whelmed so far. Here is a summary of the major projects that were unveiled today:</div>
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<i>Sunset Overdrive</i> made a splash at the <a href="http://youtu.be/qmRR6MnS6dc">opening of Microsoft's presentation</a>. The game will be turning some heads between now and when the game is launched on October 28, 2014.</div>
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343 Industries announced <a href="http://youtu.be/aPGPiSpTw4w"><i>Halo: The Master Chief Collection</i></a>. The collection includes <i>Halo</i> 1-4 (with <i>Halo</i> 1 & 2 in HD), additional cinematics and access to the <i>Halo 5</i> beta.</div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/AX7r61fyltc"><i>Forza Horizon 2</i></a> will be racing our way onto XBox One on September 30, 2014. The game will feature over 200 cars as well as unique day/night cycles</div>
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<b>EA</b></div>
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<i>Battlefield: Hardline</i> details emerged, giving us a definite cops vs. criminals vibe. Also, players can hop on the open beta for PC and PS4 now (update: if you are not in now, you can either watch or wait to enter.)<br>
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Keelah! During the Bioware portion of the presentation, early <a href="http://kotaku.com/heres-your-first-look-at-the-new-mass-effect-1588198284">concept material from <i>Mass Effect 4</i></a> was shown. It was also revealed that Bioware Montreal is working on the property, with the Edmonton studio working on a new IP.</div>
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Progress on <i>Star Wars: Battlefront</i>. DiCE only released still images, but the <a href="http://youtu.be/2yKv45X_OIo">development diary</a> shows that the game will be rooted in the original trilogy. </div>
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<b>Ubisoft</b></div>
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The next installment of the <i>Assassin's Creed</i> series - <i>Unity</i> - was shown during the Ubisoft presentation. The game will be set during the French Revolution and will have <a href="http://youtu.be/RpJ6GICqQyc">4-player co-op </a></div>
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<i>Rainbow Six</i> is back! Ubisoft announced <a href="http://youtu.be/ychWOb-Tilg"><i>Rainbow Six Siege</i></a>, which is a return to the tactical first person shooter after many years since <i>Las Vegas 2</i>.</div>
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<i>The Division</i> and <i>The Club</i> - games shown last year - was shown and given many people questioning Ubisoft post <i>Watch Dogs</i> some hope. </div>
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<b>Valve</b></div>
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Steam Box. Alienware. Enough said.</div>
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<b>Sony</b></div>
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Gameplay footage was shown for several games, including <i>Destiny</i>, <i>The Order: 1886</i>, <a href="http://kotaku.com/sony-just-announced-a-beautiful-new-ps4-game-and-its-o-1588408177"><i>Entangled</i></a> and others. A white PS4/<i>Destiny</i> bundle was also announced.</div>
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PSN users will be able to enroll in the Alpha version of <i>Destiny</i> this week, with availability for the beta beginning on July 17th. </div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/G203e1HhixY"><i>Bloodborne</i></a> seems to be a successor to that infuriating game series known as <i>Dark Souls</i>.</div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/ymCDdrMKPrY"><i>Little Big Planet 3</i></a>. 3 new friends. 8 million player created worlds from the first two games that can be played. I don't know about you, but I am certainly down.</div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/nLtmEjqzg7M"><i>No Man's Sky</i></a>. Such greatness in this segment that made me squee in excitement.</div>
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Lucasarts classic <i>Grim Fandango</i> will be remastered and brought to the PS4</div>
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From the creators of the beautiful indie game <i>Journey</i>, we were introduced to <a href="http://youtu.be/403DsARZqoo"><i>Abzu</i></a>.<i><br></i><br>
Playstation Now - the service that will allow Sony's extensive back catalog of games - was touched upon further. Open betas will be beginning soon for everyone with a PSN account. Don't have a PS device? Well don't worry: Sony plans to have it directly accessible on certain models of their televisions.</div><div dir="ltr"><br>
<i>Grand Theft Auto 5</i> will also be remastered and brought to PS4. Also, players on the PS3 and XBox 360 versions will be able to transfer their games to this version as well.</div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/y1Rx-Bbht5E"><i>Uncharted 4</i></a>. Not really much else to be said on the matter.</div>
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See this space tomorrow as we cover some of the other announcements!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16558851317438723156noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-65054905207387636622014-06-09T09:00:00.000-04:002014-06-12T08:15:25.553-04:00Afro Commentary: Space: No Longer Man’s Final Frontier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHkkEe_Ap7Ghw0AK4w__ZsFRN05MI8KVKLsaLoTHtPA-hcH4A_lptFODzveSWFHL2xqPFinGLmG8dUHOXKvTqksPfM0zwbFjlBr_pF63_Z2tC13u4Gc48L-1AI18ByVCf_1S9LHs8ND4/s1600/GSB_Editorial-Space-Header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHkkEe_Ap7Ghw0AK4w__ZsFRN05MI8KVKLsaLoTHtPA-hcH4A_lptFODzveSWFHL2xqPFinGLmG8dUHOXKvTqksPfM0zwbFjlBr_pF63_Z2tC13u4Gc48L-1AI18ByVCf_1S9LHs8ND4/s1600/GSB_Editorial-Space-Header.png"></a></div>
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<span id="goog_895731320"></span><span id="goog_895731321"></span>When it was announced that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey</i> would premier in the venerable 9pm
Sunday time-slot a few months ago, I told my wife we would be watching this live
instead of another one of my favorites: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Walking Dead</i> (Sorry, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Continuum</i>,
we are still friends but there are priorities in television watching.) She
looked at me weirdly, knowing that such a drastic shift would require either an
alien using mind control or a possession by a ghost to occur. After reassuring
her that there was nothing out of the ordinary - within my definition of
“ordinary”, mind you – I explained to her why I was so adamant about this. My
reasons are actually quite simpler than you think.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VcKHgF6Gkv2L0lSa-DgtXOHcGyXntPXOZYnlCrBSX5r1iWcdRAK5av4zWAfqdxcUh55pbwv00p3uyHmVHsg4cBTQ3ujcNHDgNjjbI4Exb4mxiC1_25zPFPeTkwUo-p3f_ykgysF_Nmg/s1600/gsb_space-voyager.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3VcKHgF6Gkv2L0lSa-DgtXOHcGyXntPXOZYnlCrBSX5r1iWcdRAK5av4zWAfqdxcUh55pbwv00p3uyHmVHsg4cBTQ3ujcNHDgNjjbI4Exb4mxiC1_25zPFPeTkwUo-p3f_ykgysF_Nmg/s1600/gsb_space-voyager.png" height="235" width="320"></a></div>
Our society does not look up to the stars anymore and what
is out there. We no longer care about what is in that final frontier, unless it
is coming at us at 186,000 mph or with an armada behind it. In fact, ever since
the Challenger disaster in 1986 (with a similar event to occur again in 2003
with Columbia) and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the curiosity of space and
all its mysteries gradually took a back seat to the problems on Earth. The US
has <a href="http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/federal_budget_detail_fy13rs12013n_80#usgs302">consistently trimmed NASA’s funding to the point of roughly less than 1%(0.5% to be precise)</a> of the country’s 3 trillion dollar budget over the last
few years, as well as <a href="http://www.wired.com/2011/04/seti-telescope-shutdown/">cut funding to SETI</a>. This regression from the stars has
even changed the media landscape, with no real space opera or space-based
sci-fi programming since the conclusion of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Battlestar
Galactica</i> in 2009. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t have a
reason to care anymore.</div>
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It’s a shame, really. The Cold War spawned the last real
“Space Race”; the reason why we headed to the stars in the first place in the
late 1950’s and into the 1960’s. And after the sacrifices that were endured, we
finally made it not only to the stars but even to the moon. We launched
Voyager 1 in 1977, which officially left our solar system in 2012; the first
human spacecraft built to ever do so. We have seen Earth’s selfie numerous times,
thanks to the many scientists, engineers and pilots who braved the flight
beyond our atmosphere.</div>
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Yet, we as a global community do not care what is in the
great beyond anymore. In fact, I would go as far as to say that we have
regressed and fear what lies out there. The US has no real reason to strive for
space flight past our own planet, despite Obama’s assurances that there is a
mission to Mars in the works. Russia, China and other space faring nations have
no real reason to travel further either. In fact, whenever you enter into a
conversation of space exploration, the average person will respond with a
variation of “There other problems here on Earth.” Trust me; I have tried it a
few times.</div>
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But we should care. We should continue to strive for the
stars if nothing more than the benefit and survival of our species. That we
collectively work up the courage for more space exploration for numerous
practical, rational and philosophical reasons.</div>
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The first reason is a pretty practical one. At the current
rate of water, food and natural resource consumption, we will not be
able to survive as a species, much less live in the current comfort and
decadence as we do now. We consume far too much than the planet can provide or renew
to the point that experts on the topic are far more than certain that food and
water – in combination with our contribution to greenhouse gases in our
atmosphere - <a href="http://io9.com/famine-and-water-riots-are-coming-warns-new-intergover-1555054047">will begin to become a precious commodity between 2050 and 2080</a>.
And since conservation efforts have either been blocked by large corporations
or just not on the minds of people, nor is culling the world’s population to
acceptable levels an option, there is only one other avenue to explore: space.
Within our own solar system we have an abundance of many materials, from energy
of the sun and water on Saturn’s moon Enceladus, to precious metals and other
materials in the asteroids, planets and satellites that take residence. There
are plenty of opportunities seek these resources out and use them sparingly if we
made exploration a priority. Someone on Twitter recently made the joke that if the
government told people there was oil on Titan, countries and companies would be
there tomorrow. Funny, yes, but the sentiment is quite true.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1sHz9HOau_ls4cgt9WMkKGJ-5jCdBzd_4IrC9_yTPO1gj-0UsJcm9Pr9kVrtW5rYnqF4lDiIGR6WxrNZgHC2MFEal9dz0gsaWj9bAomZox9GhINJ-kD6HQxf2vIYq3oVxAp6athARdHo/s1600/gsb_space-mars-rover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1sHz9HOau_ls4cgt9WMkKGJ-5jCdBzd_4IrC9_yTPO1gj-0UsJcm9Pr9kVrtW5rYnqF4lDiIGR6WxrNZgHC2MFEal9dz0gsaWj9bAomZox9GhINJ-kD6HQxf2vIYq3oVxAp6athARdHo/s1600/gsb_space-mars-rover.png"></a></div>
Another reason to explore the stars is all the innovation
and progression both science and society would generally benefit from. Think of
all the scientific and technological advances our society has benefitted from
since the 1960’s . Smart phones, tablets, LED’s, carbon fiber, nanotubes...
Every concept that every scientist and engineer discovered the last 40 years is
a direct result of the Space Race, whether they are people like Carl Sagan or
those who were inspired like Gene Roddenberry. Without these contributions, no
matter their consequence or quantitative measure, our society would not be
where it is today. We would not be able to interact here, on the internet,
without the contributions made back then. Our species is capable of
extraordinary things when we put our collective mind to it. When Kennedy made
his now famous speech to Congress in 1962 that it will be US who will get to
the moon first, Congress followed suit by funding the project. Less than seven
years after this speech, in the summer of 1969, there were three brave souls on
that planetary body. And due to this, and many innovations since then in
government funded research, we have materials that are thin and moldable but
can withstand many harsh conditions. We have communication technology now that
we only saw in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Trek</i> and other
genre series (FYI, still waiting on a light saber, people!) Think of the
possibilities we could achieve if a new “Space Race” began. If we pulled our
resources together for a push to Mars, Saturn and its moons or even beyond our
own solar system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That we funded
projects that would grant us interstellar travel to explore beyond and perhaps
even colonize. We as a species could only benefit from such initiatives.</div>
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Then there are the two final reasons; two traits that have
been the most fundamental in our species development, yet are the greatest and
most endearing part of us.</div>
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We are curious, imaginative beings. Despite the fact we
initially fear and hate what we do not understand, we are still full of wonder
and imagination. Sagan was quoted once, that “Imagination will often carry us
to worlds that never were, but without it we go nowhere.” Our collective
history is only proof of this, ever since we began to stand upright. It is this
curiosity that lead our species to populate the planet in our infancy. It was
our imaginations that lead us to create and execute such grand civilizations,
mechanical wonders and great technological advances. Both traits lead us to
explore our planet and reconnect with our long lost ancestors. And it is this
curiosity and imagination that compelled us to look up to the sky and wonder
what lies beyond the confines of our miniscule place in the universe.</div>
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Without these traits, we would never question why something
exists or why it is what it is. We would never go to the lengths we do in order
to solve the unknown. We would never be who we are without it, much less where
we are. These fundamental traits are who we are and can lead us to be whatever
we want. We create such fantastic things for our entertainment, and then
eventually make them a reality.</div>
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Surely we cannot travel deeper into space on imagination and
wonder alone. How do we make something like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star
Trek</i> more a reality than we have so far? Sure it is a daunting task, but
what isn’t that was not worth it in the end?</div>
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First and foremost, we would need to invest heavily in the
sciences and math (no common core, mind you) as well as engineering and other
manufacturing trades. Developing space faring vehicles that are capable of both
interplanetary and interstellar travel does not only take science, but the
practical means to develop them at a low cost. Offer grants and contracts with
strict rules to the private sector to develop new technology and processes,
similar to the military. Promote new or existing businesses (like Elon Musk’s
<a href="http://www.spacex.com/">Space-X</a>) to develop a new space industry. Not only would you achieve the goal
of expansion into the solar system, but the economic benefit would be considerable.
Millions of jobs would be created both directly and indirectly by this
initiative, only to grow further when we establish ourselves amongst the stars.</div>
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Such a daunting task cannot be shouldered by one country
alone. Such an undertaking would require the international community to achieve
these goals. During the 90’s, the US, Canada, Russia, Japan and the European
Union came together and developed the International Space Station, which the
first modules were launched in 1998. It is still one of our races greatest
achievements not only scientifically, but socially as well with so many
countries involved with its use. Surely a larger project such as interplanetary
travel would need not only more minds and resources of one nation, but many
others as well.</div>
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Public support is crucial as well in our push to the
stars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Support of shows like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cosmos</i> – both Sagan’s original series
and the current iteration that is masterfully hosted by Neil Degrasse Tyson –
that are aired on network and public television is a great start. But more can
be done. Support of local PBS affiliates will help, with such shows they offer
like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nova</i>. Bring properties like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Star Trek</i> back to where it began and
thrived for the many years people remember it for; where both crews of the Enterprise
explored the stars while dealing with the unknowns. We need more people like
Tyson and Chris Hadfield – who garnered such an audience during his tenure on
the ISS – to speak out and support science programs and space exploration
initiatives. Anything that will feed upon our race’s wonder and imagination.</div>
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It is also imperative to involve and encourage our younger
generations to take an interest in the sciences, math and engineering as well.
Bring back shows like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Electric Company</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">3-2-1 Contact</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mr. Wizard</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bill Nye the
Science Guy</i>, so kids can learn about these topics. Encourage their
imaginations and wonder, whether it is through playing with LEGO’s, progressive
toys like Goldie Blox, art, music and even writing. Take them to museums,
planetariums and science centers where they can experience these phenomena in
fun and unique ways. Our children crave knowledge and are instinctively curious
about the world, and it is only fitting that not only parents but all adults
should encourage them so they may go beyond what we could only imagine.</div>
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It is also up to us geeks to promote this agenda to the
masses. We all watch these shows, read the blogs and even create the media we
consume. We are not only knowledgeable of the topic, but quite intelligent,
creative and driven as well. We should charge ourselves to bring this topic to
the forefront of our nations’ attentions in any way possible. Think of new
ideas or perspectives to existing problems associated with this topic. Promote
math and the sciences at your local schools. Inundate your lawmakers and
leaders with letters and petitions to make your voices heard regarding these
types of projects. Promote shows like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cosmos</i>
on Twitter and Facebook. Do anything you can to lobby the masses and lawmakers
that this is not only a topic that affects us, but benefits us all.</div>
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Lastly, we should not be afraid of the unknown, no matter
where it leads us. Fear should only drive us into making proper choices in how
we conduct ourselves as we strive to reach the heavens, not restrict or
prohibit our curiosity and imagination. It should not deter us from exploring
space; which is truly our final frontier.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16558851317438723156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-62040485715409965392014-05-26T20:47:00.001-04:002014-05-26T20:47:53.322-04:002014 Summer TV Part 2: EXTANT, THE STRAIN, OUTLANDER, UNDER THE DOME<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKakdDmT_MI9nooQZ8GoBH8byTZhnmKtK0dbf2rdXRP4Vc_aULOvX3THxSRGKpzILBNx7i6JzRpLGwkEH53OBq-PrWnE2kqtE97RAlitIkfNr89cAtO_oHZTh84IcuZrjMOxPORtdy5tUV/s1600/Extant+Halle+Berry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKakdDmT_MI9nooQZ8GoBH8byTZhnmKtK0dbf2rdXRP4Vc_aULOvX3THxSRGKpzILBNx7i6JzRpLGwkEH53OBq-PrWnE2kqtE97RAlitIkfNr89cAtO_oHZTh84IcuZrjMOxPORtdy5tUV/s1600/Extant+Halle+Berry.jpg" /></a></div>
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Are women floating and working and being alone in space a thing? Cause I feel like CBS is trying to take some of Alfonso Cuaron's juju by premiering a series starring another well known actresss. Halle Berry is the astronaut on a lone mission, but comes back with some problems to deal with - <b>EXTANT</b>. I won't spoil it for you, but if you do want to know what Halle has to deal with just look at the trailer. I'm liking the fact that this looks like some real science fiction, and with a woman of color in the lead. You probably know how truly rare that is. The show actually looks deep. Spielberg is Exec. Producer so it might have that special something. <b>EXTANT</b> premieres July 9th at 9pm est. And the week before, look for the return of <b>UNDER THE DOME</b> on June 30th at 10pm. Stephen King is actually writing and extending the story beyond his original book.<br />
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Next up is Guellarmo del Toro's <b>THE STRAIN</b>, based on his and Chuck Hogen's novel trilogy. There hasn't been much of a look into the show, but the teasers are creepy. Check the one below to see what I mean. I haven't read the books either, but the story deals with virus outbreaks and vampirism. With Guellermo and FX behind it, I couldn't ask for more. Look for the premiere on July 13th at 10pm est.<br />
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And on August 9th, another female lead takes a trip. Not into space, but backwards through time. Starz is featuring its new series - <b>OUTLANDER</b>. Claire, played by Caitriona Balfe, is thrown back in time from 1945 to 1743. She doesn't know why, but she's dropped in the middle of a war and has to figure out how to survive. The story is based on the books by Diana Galbadon.<br />
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Stay tuned for 2014 Summer TV Part 3.<br /><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-23332288519434787182014-05-26T00:09:00.000-04:002014-05-26T00:09:38.576-04:002014 Summer TV Part 1: WHETON, DEFIANCE, DOMINION, THE LAST SHIP, FALLING SKIES, CROSSBONES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLylJyhJFtV6WjAxG7bhWCw9ZQ6I9xUzBdqYSg-pegeobWos-jvgl3H6TU0RCltzRNztQiQzenlmXrONlzjJq9IMjtF70EXk7XZh6WkTMCghIooyitVKfP4LUKZ56DAgKPjCCfOn3mirF/s1600/Dominion+Michael+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLylJyhJFtV6WjAxG7bhWCw9ZQ6I9xUzBdqYSg-pegeobWos-jvgl3H6TU0RCltzRNztQiQzenlmXrONlzjJq9IMjtF70EXk7XZh6WkTMCghIooyitVKfP4LUKZ56DAgKPjCCfOn3mirF/s1600/Dominion+Michael+2014.jpg" width="560" /></a></div>
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SYFY has a couple new shows coming soon. One of them actually starts this week (of this posting). <b>THE WILL WHEATON PROJECT</b> is a show hosted by Will Wheaton, as you can tell by the title. You remember the kid from Star Trek that always wanted to be with Picard and the ship's command. Yes, that Will Wheton. Now he's piloting his own show, but we will have to find out if it flies to the stars or burns in the upper atmosphere. Look for it airing on May 27th at 10pm est. It's a World of Science Fiction in 30 Minutes. Their tagline, not mine.<br />
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Another show coming this Summer to Syfy is <b>DOMINION</b>. Out of the two, this is actually more interesting to me. I am skeptical. But they do have my attention with the dystopian future that's set 25 years after the film Legion (2010). It's the fact that the show is based on that wish-washy Angels vs Man film that makes me question if it will be a good series. But the more I see of the show and the cast, the more I'm wondering if my judgements are misplaced. Look for this coming in June 19th at 9pm est.<br />
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And coming back for the Summer for its second season is <b>DEFIANCE</b>. I don't think the show hit its potential the first season, but I still liked the direction they went with, and the characters they featured. It airs June 19th at 10pm est., right after Dominion.<br />
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TNT is premiering its 4th season of <b>FALLING SKIES</b>, which is coming back June 22 at 10pm est. I didn't think the show would last, but by the second season, the humans vs. aliens drama found its legs and started running. At least that's the report I get back from my fellow geeks that watch the show. I plan on catching up.<br />
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And the network named after dynamite is also premiering another dystopian future show on the same night called <b>THE LAST SHIP</b>, where a virus has decimated the earth's population and a lone navel vessel has to find the cure. Micheal Bay is producing this one, so don't be surprised at the amount of explosions. Actually, from the trailer, there will be action, but probably more drama than giant robots. Look for it on June 22 at 9pm before Falling Skies.<br />
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For you fans that like your action with a little more Swordplay than aliens and angels; there are two period shows coming this summer. One is a pirate adventure airing on NBC this week called <b>CROSSBONES</b>. I featured it previously when posting the trailer <a href="http://geeksoulbrother.blogspot.com/2014/04/nbcs-crossbones-not-your-funny-disney.html">Here</a>. I'm going to check this out because of two reasons - John Malkovich is playing Black Beard in a way I've never seen. And there is a new and beautiful face with a sword in hand that might be the Michonne of this high seas series -<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span>Tracy Ifeachor is playing a character by the name of Nenna. She's had minor roles in Doctor Who and other TV shows, but I think she, and some other new faces, might make an impact. Look for it on May 30th at 10pm.<br />
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And of course what would a British television network like BBC America be without doing a series based on THE MUSKETEERS. The interesting thing about this series though is that one of the famous fencing warriors is of mixed race. Kind of like the original author of the Book series, Alexandre Dumas. Look for the All For One cheer to premiere June 22nd at 9pm.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-73867728731328567442014-05-25T00:24:00.000-04:002014-05-25T00:44:56.404-04:00Test Your 1980s Horror Movie Queue!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You horror fans proudly brag on how many horror films you've seen. I'm especially talking to you 80s kids that stayed up past your bedtime watching scary films on cable, or sneaking into some R rated horror film with your teen crowd. Well, let us see how you blood splatter aficionados measure up when it comes to your 1980s Horror Movie Queue. It's you comparing your horror movie history with this list of 250 horror films from the 1980s. I created the list recently from an imdb search. But if you go back and check again, the order will probably change. It depends on the voting that day.<br />
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And for you 90s Sci-fi fans, I did the same thing with <a href="http://geeksoulbrother.blogspot.com/2014/05/test-your-1990s-sci-fi-movie-queue.html">Test Your 1990s Sci-fi Movie Queue</a>, and some people were struggling to make it far down the list. <br />
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So just to give you scream junkies a chance, I'll ask you to check off and comment below on the First Three horror films you haven't seen on the list (even partially), starting with 1. The Shining. That should give you a good running start.<br />
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And because I know some of you are wondering what my first three stumpers were - 55. Paperhouse, 69. Santa Sangre, 109. The Company Of Wolves. I'm a lot better at my Sci-fi, but I'll have to go back and watch these bloody oldies.<br />
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<ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylGB8YAvthj66QhzQzG2q0tV3vgfIEh-xbbypwBa-privcJSEIrde3FpW2lv1FhoAgFV2_mRAe0yMcMNcnljn2Mi2lWibMExzDZCAGtu_rlWN92x7HXH7KNJZKNVPXB4n71su-GgJjfdQ/s1600/shining460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylGB8YAvthj66QhzQzG2q0tV3vgfIEh-xbbypwBa-privcJSEIrde3FpW2lv1FhoAgFV2_mRAe0yMcMNcnljn2Mi2lWibMExzDZCAGtu_rlWN92x7HXH7KNJZKNVPXB4n71su-GgJjfdQ/s1600/shining460.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WHZ6DhQHT_Zi1h1rEOhiArcnd01Tlx0647XtgWfrl6K-Bf3AcW1CKS2NBIU12xQMFVJGoPnujZBWGivUQ-AHby-00unD0cMu2h1vjXuL23KsFoABmRMbCYUciqCMeXzFzlOkvbgTLAP0/s1600/basket-case-movie-poster1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_IVMNwa7h10rx7MYMklX1XIT7LPi76s7omlvfHB-pPlN9IEeZgdpCkWOoIG04Z87zvJRd8fYC6vRHAJoBNBjf_zdZlcXutLt9N4-bOjJ94zZbi9cJd7IA_6opYLXVgqHRjp_pz2fRAL0/s1600/creepshow_ver1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL62hj4OZo8SiixHFkRnvUyH0517VAbrIAJ8nV1IWWP17ZkMMDZ7RNy46NE3EOkEWP_Ct-RQNWxS9oDs8pOXDTDhX9S3tLG0JM3676OABu3QWDHUjX6fFg_eSpnTlzmG-s0gpchKb8wM2x/s1600/return_of_the_living_dead_movie_image_01-300x200.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>
<li>The Shining (1980)</li>
<li>Maximum Overdrive (1986)</li>
<li>The Lost Boys (1987)</li>
<li>The Thing (1982)</li>
<li>A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)</li>
<li>Pet Sematary (1989)</li>
<li>The Evil Dead (1981)</li>
<li>Poltergeist (1982)</li>
<li>Christine (1983)</li>
<li>Godzilla 1985: The Legend Is Reborn (1984)</li>
<li>Gremlins (1984)</li>
<li>An American Werewolf in London (1981)</li>
<li>They Live (1988)</li>
<li>Fright Night (1985)</li>
<li>Cannibal Holocaust (1980) <span style="color: red;">(Much Female Violation, Trigger Warning)</span></li>
<li>The Fog (1980)</li>
<li>Child's Play (1988)</li>
<li>Little Shop of Horrors (1986)</li>
<li>The Fly (1986)</li>
<li>Hellraiser (1987)</li>
<li>Re-Animator (1985)</li>
<li>Angel Heart (1987)</li>
<li>Friday the 13th (1980)</li>
<li>Evil Dead II (1987)</li>
<li>Children of the Corn (1984)</li>
<li>The Monster Squad (1987)</li>
<li>Videodrome (1983)</li>
<li>A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)</li>
<li>The Wraith (1986)</li>
<li>The 'Burbs (1989)</li>
<li>Cujo (1983)</li>
<li>The Seventh Sign (1988)</li>
<li>Sleepaway Camp (1983)</li>
<li>A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)</li>
<li>Scanners (1981)</li>
<li>Jaws 3-D (1983)</li>
<li>From Beyond (1986)</li>
<li>Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)</li>
<li>Critters (1986)</li>
<li>Near Dark (1987)</li>
<li>Lifeforce (1985)</li>
<li>Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)</li>
<li>Dead Ringers (1988)</li>
<li>The Return of the Living Dead (1985)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL62hj4OZo8SiixHFkRnvUyH0517VAbrIAJ8nV1IWWP17ZkMMDZ7RNy46NE3EOkEWP_Ct-RQNWxS9oDs8pOXDTDhX9S3tLG0JM3676OABu3QWDHUjX6fFg_eSpnTlzmG-s0gpchKb8wM2x/s1600/return_of_the_living_dead_movie_image_01-300x200.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL62hj4OZo8SiixHFkRnvUyH0517VAbrIAJ8nV1IWWP17ZkMMDZ7RNy46NE3EOkEWP_Ct-RQNWxS9oDs8pOXDTDhX9S3tLG0JM3676OABu3QWDHUjX6fFg_eSpnTlzmG-s0gpchKb8wM2x/s1600/return_of_the_living_dead_movie_image_01-300x200.jpg" /></a></li>
<li>Day of the Dead (1985)</li>
<li>Psycho II (1983)</li>
<li>The Dead Zone (1983)</li>
<li>The Witches of Eastwick (1987)</li>
<li>Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)</li>
<li>Altered States (1980)</li>
<li>Halloween II (1981)</li>
<li>Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)</li>
<li>The Blob (1988)</li>
<li>Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)</li>
<li>Paperhouse (1988)</li>
<li>House (1986)</li>
<li>Cat People (1982)</li>
<li>The Toxic Avenger (1984)</li>
<li>The Hunger (1983)</li>
<li>A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)</li>
<li>The Changeling (1980)</li>
<li>Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984)</li>
<li>Creepshow (1982)</li>
<li>Swamp Thing (1982)</li>
<li>Vampire's Kiss (1988)</li>
<li>Prom Night (1980)</li>
<li>Pumpkinhead (1988)</li>
<li>The Howling (1981)</li>
<li>Santa Sangre (1989)</li>
<li>Prince of Darkness (1987)</li>
<li>Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)</li>
<li>Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)</li>
<li>Firestarter (1984)</li>
<li>The Entity (1982)</li>
<li>A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)</li>
<li>Night of the Comet (1984)</li>
<li>Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)</li>
<li>Poltergeist III (1988)</li>
<li>Bad Taste (1987)</li>
<li>The Gate (1987)</li>
<li>Once Bitten (1985)</li>
<li>Creepshow 2 (1987)</li>
<li>My Bloody Valentine (1981)</li>
<li>Silver Bullet (1985)</li>
<li>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)</li>
<li>Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)</li>
<li>Leviathan (1989)</li>
<li>Phenomena (1985)</li>
<li>Ghoulies (1985)</li>
<li>Friday the 13th Part III (1982)</li>
<li>Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)</li>
<li>Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)</li>
<li>Troll (1986)</li>
<li>The Burning (1981)</li>
<li>Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (1986)</li>
<li>Cat's Eye (1985)</li>
<li>Fright Night Part 2 (1988)</li>
<li>Critters 2 (1988)</li>
<li>C.H.U.D. (1984)</li>
<li>Maniac Cop (1988)</li>
<li>The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)</li>
<li>Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)</li>
<li>Psycho III (1986)</li>
<li>The Keep (1983)</li>
<li>Evilspeak (1981)</li>
<li>The Hidden (1987)</li>
<li>High Spirits (1988)</li>
<li>The Lair of the White Worm (1988)</li>
<li>The Company of Wolves (1984)</li>
<li>The Stuff (1985)</li>
<li>King Kong Lives (1986)</li>
<li>Hobgoblins (1988)</li>
<li>Dreamscape (1984)</li>
<li>The Fly II (1989)</li>
<li>Dolls (1987)</li>
<li>Robot Jox (1989)</li>
<li>Galaxy of Terror (1981)</li>
<li>Lady in White (1988)</li>
<li>Maniac (1980)</li>
<li>Amityville II: The Possession (1982)</li>
<li>Transylvania 6-5000 (1985)</li>
<li>Demons (1985)</li>
<li>Night of the Demons (1988)</li>
<li>Humanoids from the Deep (1980)</li>
<li>Halloween 5 (1989)</li>
<li>Night of the Creeps (1986)</li>
<li>Vamp (1986)</li>
<li>Cannibal Ferox (1981)</li>
<li>Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988)</li>
<li>Warlock (1989)</li>
<li>Motel Hell (1980)</li>
<li>Basket Case (1982)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WHZ6DhQHT_Zi1h1rEOhiArcnd01Tlx0647XtgWfrl6K-Bf3AcW1CKS2NBIU12xQMFVJGoPnujZBWGivUQ-AHby-00unD0cMu2h1vjXuL23KsFoABmRMbCYUciqCMeXzFzlOkvbgTLAP0/s1600/basket-case-movie-poster1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9WHZ6DhQHT_Zi1h1rEOhiArcnd01Tlx0647XtgWfrl6K-Bf3AcW1CKS2NBIU12xQMFVJGoPnujZBWGivUQ-AHby-00unD0cMu2h1vjXuL23KsFoABmRMbCYUciqCMeXzFzlOkvbgTLAP0/s1600/basket-case-movie-poster1.jpg" /></a></li>
<li>Monkey Shines (1988)</li>
<li>Possession (1981)</li>
<li>The Beyond (1981)</li>
<li>Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)</li>
<li>Mother's Day (1980)</li>
<li>Nekromantik (1988)</li>
<li>Class of Nuke 'Em High (1986)</li>
<li>Piranha Part Two: The Spawning (1981)</li>
<li>Shocker (1989)</li>
<li>Ghost Story (1981)</li>
<li>DeepStar Six (1989)</li>
<li>Deadly Friend (1986)</li>
<li>Future-Kill (1985)</li>
<li>City of the Living Dead (1980)</li>
<li>Inferno (1980)</li>
<li>House II: The Second Story (1987)</li>
<li>April Fool's Day (1986)</li>
<li>Return of the Living Dead 2 (1988)</li>
<li>Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)</li>
<li>The Watcher in the Woods (1980)</li>
<li>Tenebre (1982)</li>
<li>Return of the Killer Tomatoes! (1988)</li>
<li>Bride of Re-Animator (1989)</li>
<li>The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)</li>
<li>The Hills Have Eyes Part II (1984)</li>
<li>Watchers (1988)</li>
<li>Gothic (1986)</li>
<li>Trick or Treat (1986)</li>
<li>Happy Birthday to Me (1981)</li>
<li>Alligator (1980)</li>
<li>The Funhouse (1981)</li>
<li>Waxwork (1988)</li>
<li>Prom Night II (1987)</li>
<li>Angst (1983)</li>
<li>Silent Rage (1982)</li>
<li>Devil Fish (1984)</li>
<li>Phantasm II (1988)</li>
<li>Crawlspace (1986)</li>
<li>Forbidden World (1982)</li>
<li>Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (1989)</li>
<li>Final Exam (1981)</li>
<li>Clownhouse (1989)</li>
<li>The House by the Cemetery (1981)</li>
<li>Deadly Blessing (1981)</li>
<li>Invaders from Mars (1986)</li>
<li>The Hand (1981)</li>
<li>Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)</li>
<li>Howling II: ... Your Sister Is a Werewolf (1985)</li>
<li>Surf Nazis Must Die (1987)</li>
<li>Ninja III: The Domination (1984)</li>
<li>Brain Damage (1988)</li>
<li>Xtro (1983)</li>
<li>The Believers (1987)</li>
<li>The Phantom of the Opera (1989)</li>
<li>Curtains (1983)</li>
<li>Creature (1985)</li>
<li>Communion (1989)</li>
<li>Student Bodies (1981)</li>
<li>Dead & Buried (1981)</li>
<li>Amityville 3-D (1983)</li>
<li>The Incubus (1982)</li>
<li>Street Trash (1987)</li>
<li>Eaten Alive! (1980)</li>
<li>Haunted Honeymoon (1986)</li>
<li>Nightmare City (1980)</li>
<li>The Beast Within (1982)</li>
<li>Spellbinder (1988)</li>
<li>Chopping Mall (1986)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPJHkauCfxaKZ_717ubFRTti8n1P_NM6oDYxmjl_hGr2CthvQLu3w88VA7tX6u7u3LzdFB0Lyf8t2YBh7zI3GgVvF9CYF2M8LviDO_ewM3AMOkz1F9A9P_bB-QMdrq6fqnO-1xR6ugYF9/s1600/choppingmall+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPJHkauCfxaKZ_717ubFRTti8n1P_NM6oDYxmjl_hGr2CthvQLu3w88VA7tX6u7u3LzdFB0Lyf8t2YBh7zI3GgVvF9CYF2M8LviDO_ewM3AMOkz1F9A9P_bB-QMdrq6fqnO-1xR6ugYF9/s1600/choppingmall+Poster.jpg" height="320" width="221" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Witchboard (1986)</li>
<li>Opera (1987)</li>
<li>Terror Train (1980)</li>
<li>Crimewave (1985)</li>
<li>Without Warning (1980)</li>
<li>The Island (1980)</li>
<li>House on the Edge of the Park (1980)</li>
<li>Cutting Class (1989)</li>
<li>The House on Sorority Row (1983)</li>
<li>Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1989)</li>
<li>Not of This Earth (1988)</li>
<li>The New Kids (1985)</li>
<li>Nomads (1986)</li>
<li>The New York Ripper (1982)</li>
<li>He Knows You're Alone (1980)</li>
<li>The Prowler (1981)</li>
<li>The Fan (1981)</li>
<li>Bloody Birthday (1981)</li>
<li>The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989)</li>
<li>Dead Heat (1988)</li>
<li>Epidemic (1987)</li>
<li>My Best Friend Is a Vampire (1987)</li>
<li>976-EVIL (1988)</li>
<li>Q (1982)</li>
<li>Monster in the Closet (1986)</li>
<li>Death Ship (1980)</li>
<li>Pieces (1982)</li>
<li>Demons 2 (1986)</li>
<li>White Dog (1982)</li>
<li>Hell Night (1981)</li>
<li>Prison (1988)</li>
<li>Anthropophagus (1980)</li>
<li>Men Behind the Sun (1988)</li>
<li>TerrorVision (1986)</li>
<li>Society (1989)</li>
<li>The Return of Swamp Thing (1989)</li>
<li>Nightflyers (1987)</li>
<li>Tetsuo, the Iron Man (1989)</li>
<li>Razorback (1984)</li>
<li>Ghoulies II (1988)</li>
<li>Visiting Hours (1982)</li>
<li>Alice (1988)</li>
<li>Return to Horror High (1987)</li>
<li>Slaughter High (1986)</li>
<li>Zombie Nightmare (1987)</li>
<li>Eating Raoul (1982)</li>
<li>Dead of Winter (1987)</li>
<li>Intruder (1989)</li>
<li>Slumber Party Massacre II (1987)</li>
<li>Death Spa (1989)</li>
</ol>
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So how far did you go? Comment below and lets have some fun checking each other's horror geek card. If you've made it down to Death Spa, you are the Grand Poobah of Horror!!<br />
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Update: It seems we have a Grand Poobah of horror! @Ponderiss on twitter has seen, at least in part, everything on the list except Street Trash & Santa Sangre!! Congratulations!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-86863631389409851022014-05-24T21:22:00.000-04:002014-05-24T21:22:18.986-04:00The 3rd Marvel Film No One Is Talking About - BIG HERO SIX<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tCK0L1z4RuOkawyfLVV2cMjtYeGndO-UMArS26vFi3jvYSPw4ax5sE6vPz1K4-IR9cH3jHdhNVYdjCcujeGop209cdWZbHhOTRCCVHFHHS-AErlS4TRijbs4RoBCMUVMi38qIw1phdxJ/s1600/Big+Hero+6+Concept+Art+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tCK0L1z4RuOkawyfLVV2cMjtYeGndO-UMArS26vFi3jvYSPw4ax5sE6vPz1K4-IR9cH3jHdhNVYdjCcujeGop209cdWZbHhOTRCCVHFHHS-AErlS4TRijbs4RoBCMUVMi38qIw1phdxJ/s1600/Big+Hero+6+Concept+Art+2.jpg" width="560" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I know you guys love your Marvel Movies! And everybody went crazy over CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER. I'm sure the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY isn't going to disappoint audiences either.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Marvel said they were going to produce two superhero films a year. But Marvel is owned by Disney, and Disney didn't pay 4 Billion Dollars to just come out with a few Superheroes a year. They own rights to 5,000 Marvel characters. The story potential is virtually unlimited.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Even though we are getting two Marvel live action films this year, we are actually getting three films altogether - BIG HERO 6. A 3-D animated film based on a Marvel comic (see below). The Disney rendition won't be as serious a story as the comic I'm sure. But it might be a fun ride for the family. Check out the trailer below. But don't pay attention to the end premiere date, the film is coming out this Fall. </span><br />
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THE BIG HERO SIX COMIC, created in 1998 by Steven T. Seagle and Duncan Rouleau. These are the same guys behind Ben 10 and other successful animated properties.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGemQ_p6c7P-wv_3C5pnbg2tSx9_FN0SVxYyJiCBCBxuQWuV-NrooCV-1zIvvZAYGI5WZnDMEykoUInAMKbiyRN6BeSt0wI-5v8hlV79VBdhm1bEqUIvqnqm5H_JINZ3QkR8tf6TKAlDV/s1600/Sunfire_%2526_Big_Hero_6_No.1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGemQ_p6c7P-wv_3C5pnbg2tSx9_FN0SVxYyJiCBCBxuQWuV-NrooCV-1zIvvZAYGI5WZnDMEykoUInAMKbiyRN6BeSt0wI-5v8hlV79VBdhm1bEqUIvqnqm5H_JINZ3QkR8tf6TKAlDV/s1600/Sunfire_%2526_Big_Hero_6_No.1-1.jpg" height="640" width="408" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-31925643572307588662014-05-24T02:32:00.000-04:002014-05-24T02:32:55.796-04:00GSB Podcast: Kaiju 2: The Godzuki boogaloo!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyj0-PY2sgd4ce1aX3kxX9ZNVYiYAasxQjqvKeW4ywXR61c7XeaIUaX8yZNS7ETulBKBHlbo9J3Z7lZ_iUEELJKNI7Hogj3Mu2xCuEBDFrrAG5V3FXohLlPjVnAPxeQg8h7kr6Kh3xqfL/s1600/godzilla-2014-poster-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyj0-PY2sgd4ce1aX3kxX9ZNVYiYAasxQjqvKeW4ywXR61c7XeaIUaX8yZNS7ETulBKBHlbo9J3Z7lZ_iUEELJKNI7Hogj3Mu2xCuEBDFrrAG5V3FXohLlPjVnAPxeQg8h7kr6Kh3xqfL/s1600/godzilla-2014-poster-6.jpg" height="320" width="219" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Nerdy Venoms were going big in this episode. First they reviewed GODZILLA 2014. The film seemed popular with all present, but then Big Baba Rob from <a href="http://theblackgeeks.com/">THE BLACK GEEKS</a> had to give his rebuttal. He was so disappointed. Then the nerdiness continued with a talk about some of the classic Kaiju that Godzilla films featured in the past. Geek Soul Brother wasn't on the call just yet, but I backed the gang up on the chat. Enjoy.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2328373281442290506.post-23227692143764500442014-05-20T21:39:00.001-04:002014-05-20T21:39:14.519-04:00Fox's HIEROGLYPH! Ancient Egyptians are Very Very... British!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">I didn't know Egypt was conquered by the British! But as you can see, a few must have traveled back in time by way of the Tardis from Doctor Who, and taken roles among the royalty. At least that's the only reason I can use to explain the cast of the upcoming Fox show HIEROGLYPH. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">From the trailer, and what I heard on the geek streets, this might be Fox's attempt to make their own Game of Thrones type of show. A little drama, a little sex, and some magic in an ancient world sounds about right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As for the representation of Ancient Egyptians, many people are hatin', and saying Fox totally missed the mark. There are some PoC in the show, but not enough for me to believe that this is authentic. For those of you that say "What's the big deal?" it's always been a problem for Hollywood to represent Ancient Egypt the way scientific research has shown it to be. I'm glad they at least went with <span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Condola Rashad</span> as Nefertari, and lead actor </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Reece Ritchie is on the mixed side also.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Still, in my opinion the Pharaoh Ramses II...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">... looked a lot more like this <a href="http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110516/local/After-seven-years-one-Sudanese-refugee-finally-fulfils-his-dream.365558">Guy from Sudan</a>... </span></span><br />
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<span class="itemprop" itemprop="name"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">... than what Hollywood usually portrays.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="itemprop" itemprop="name"><span style="font-size: large;">So are you going to watch it? Or give it a thumbs down for one reason or another? If you choose to watch, look for it coming soon to Fox.</span></span>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10227478652106611221noreply@blogger.com0