Mr. Geeky V and I headed to our local cinema to a sold out viewing of 2012. We normally don't hit the big shows on opening night, but we were feeling adventurous. To sit through a 158-minute movie, plus commercials and previews seemed like a daunting task. Would the disaster-ridden special effects juggernaut hold our attention? Would we be able to make it that long without running to the bathroom? Would the awkward family in front of us who argued for 15 minutes before the previews keep their traps shut? Stay tuned!
Roland Emmerich is a fan of blowing up landmarks and making big disaster movies. He is, after all, the guy who had aliens blowing up the White House in ID4, and who covered New York in snow in The Day After Tomorrow. This time, though, Emmerich goes for broke in 2012. The premise is very simple: the Mayan calendar runs out, and so does the Earth's expiration date. Scientists, including Dr. Adrian "call me Adrian" Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), make the discovery in 2010, so the government finds a way to save the upper crust of society before the Earth's crust crumbles. Helmsley begins working with Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt) to be able to predict exactly when their plan needs to go into action. Danny Glover is president, and his daughter Laura (Thandie Newton) works for a company whose sole purpose is preserving paintings like the Mona Lisa.
Fast forward to 2012, where author Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), separated from his wife Kate (Amanda Peet), is rushing to pick up his kids for a camping trip to Yellowstone. As he's rushing there, a tremor creates a crack in the pavement, and the audience braces for what is to come. There is, of course, the establishment of the story of the estranged father picking up his kids from the wife he still loves and who he suspects deep down still loves him. There's the obligatory new boyfriend, whom Curtis's son has taken to as a new father figure. The trip to Yellowstone takes a weird turn as they discover a dried-up lake, and Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson), a conspiracy theorist and pirate radio talk show host. He tells Curtis some of his crackpot theories, including one about the imminent disaster and the way the government is planning on surviving.
All of the characters have some familial loose end, as is the case with most disaster films. Adrian doesn't talk to his father that often. His father's jazz partner (George Segal) doesn't speak to his son. Jackson is separated and his family are living their own lives. The President and his daughter are separated by duty.
There are other stories intertwined, most notably the ones of Yuri Karpov (Zlatko Buric) and Dr. Satnam Tsurutani (Jimi Mistry). These characters play a big part in the film in different ways. Yuri is the typical rich guy whose money has bought him a ticket to survival. He's painted in very broad strokes throughout the film. No big surprises with this guy. Satnam is instrumental in setting up the scientific aspect of the film.
The true star of this film was definitely the special effects department. The main reason I wanted to see this in the theater was that I knew with Emmerich there would be a lot of crumbling buildings and wonders of the world being reduced to rubble. In that respect the film didn't disappoint. It was pretty, and the action made for some edge of your seat moments.
The weaknesses of the film where just where I expected them. There were the cookie cutter characters, the stories of estrangement with the potential for redemption, and the contrived ways the characters from each intertwining story somehow wind up in the same place. Add to that Hollywood's overwhelming need to save dogs at the expense of characters' well-being, and one act of superhuman strength that made us laugh out loud (I call it the Fastball Special--trust me, you'll know what I'm talking about), and you have every other disaster movie you've ever seen.
The thing is, it doesn't matter. Overall, this movie is an enjoyable experience. The special effects are fun, and the story is tolerable. It's not good, it's not bad. It's a step above "meh". Bottom line, I would recommend going to see it. Sure, it's familiar, but if you were ever curious what the apocalypse was going to look like, look no further than this film. It is pretty when it's on the big screen, but still a harrowing experience.
If you're a fan of Dark Horse (and really, why shouldn't you be?), you're probably aware of Beasts of Burden. Hopefully that means you've picked up a copy. The 2nd issue just came out this past Wednesday, and the series is shaping up to be a fun read.
The story centers around a group of dogs and a cat in a town called Burden. Before you write this off as another typical dog story, you should know that there's more than meets the eye with this town. These dogs are more BPRD than Milo and Otis. In the tradition of books like The Walking Dead, it's best not to get too attached to characters.
The book, penned by Evan Dorkin and beautifully drawn by Jill Thompson (of Scary Godmother fame), isn't the first appearance of these characters. They first appeared in stories in two of the Dark Horse Book of the... series. I know it's in the Dark Horse Book of the Dead, but I'm not sure about the other one.
Pick up the first two issues of this series, if you can find them. It's a great paranormal story in the Dark Horse tradition.
When it rains, it pours on this blog. :)
If you are in the Knoxville area and want to get your geek on, head up to Pigeon Forge to AdventureCon. I'm excited about the prospect of seeing Jason Mewes, John Schneider, and Micky Dolenz in person! (Hopefully it won't be as disturbing as the summer show, where William Katt told this really inappropriate story about a rape scene cut from Carrie. I assume it was from Carrie. Can't imagine that would have been something cut from Greatest American Hero.)
Mostly I'm excited about the prospect of perusing longboxes of back issues and keeping my fingers crossed for that sweet deal on some cool vinyl toys.
Oh! Speaking of vinyl toys--my Medicom Where the Wild Things Are Carol VCD came in yesterday. He is beautiful! Pair that with my Teela and Ray from Matty that came in today, and it's been a good week to be a geek.
Last Saturday was one of the best Saturdays ever, even if it was the last Saturday of my vacation. Before viewing Where the Wild Things Are, and after a lovely meal at Jack's City Grill, Mr. Geeky V and I headed to the Johnson City Family Skate Center for the Little City Roller Girls' meet and greet, Get Down and Derby! It has been a loooooong time since I set foot in a skating rink. We found a seat and waited for the presentation to start. After a brief overview of derby in general, the girls talked about how to join. Then a brief intermission, and a scrimmage featuring girls from Little City, Blue Ridge Rollergirls and Hard Knox Rollergirls started. And then it hit me. I have got to try this! I talked to one of the girls at the t-shirt booth who is herself "Fresh Meat". She gave me a sheet to fill out and graciously answered my questions. I quickly filled it out and handed it back in.
Because I'm a giant nerd, when I'm interested in something, I do ungodly amounts of research. I have read more information about derby than I care to admit, and in doing so, have talked myself into trying it. I also know there's a lot of training I need to do, in addition to attending practices. Time will tell if I'm able to make it past Fresh Meat (I hope! I hope!). At the very least it's motivated me to get off my ass and do something. That's not to say I won't still read comics, play video games, and watch movies like it's my job. I'll still be the Geeky Vixen you know, but I'll have a better ass and a badass alter ego. ;)
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Now playing: The Chordettes - Lollipop (Squeak E. Clean & Desert Eagles Remix)
via FoxyTunes
Last weekend we saw Where the Wild Things Are. I loved it so much. Here are the things I knew I would love going in:
- Spike Jonze's handmade, organic look and feel. The guy can do everything: music videos, dressing up like an old lady on Jackass, movies, everything. I admire his touch.
- The monsters. This book and the Muppets made me love monsters at a very young age. As a kid I was the girl who was more afraid of lions than winged monkeys and actually wanted a monster under my bed.
- Catherine Keener. She is not afraid of weird roles (see Being John Malkovich), and she plays drama as well as comedy (see 40-Year-Old Virgin: "You want me to dress up like Thor? I'll dress up like Thor!")
Bottom line? Take someone you love to see this film. You'll laugh, you'll cry (or at least I did), and you'll remember what it's like to be a little kid in a big unfair world.
And promise me this, gentle readers. When you go see the movie, use my favorite quote on someone you love: "I'll eat you up, I love you so."
I have never been one to attend a sneak preview of a movie. I usually say, "Oh, I'll just wait a week." Not so with Whip It. A few posts ago I posted the trailer for this film, and, given my interest in roller derby, I've been excited about it since. After the rain changed our plans, we decided to give it a shot (plus, there was a free t-shirt in it for us). We got to the theater early, and took our seats. Soon after, our local roller derby girls showed up to peep the film. And that was pretty much it: me, Mr. Geeky V, our friends, and the roller girls. I don't know if it was the rain or Fame, but people weren't interested apparently.
They missed out. Honestly, this film was inspiring and beautiful in the most dangerous way. Drew Barrymore kicks ass as a director, and Ellen Page does a bang-up job as our heroine. For those of you who haven't seen the trailer, the story follows a teenager whose mom drags her to beauty pageants. Bliss (Page) sneaks off to Austin with her best friend Pash (Alia Shawkat in a role that rivals her work on Arrested Development) to a roller derby bout. She falls in love with the sport and after the bout tells Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig) that they are her new heroes. Maggie says, "Well, put on some skates and be your own hero." (Incidentally, one of the Hard Knox Roller Girls said something similar to me at AdventureCon this summer.) Needless to say Bliss, after a training montage, becomes one of the Hurl Scouts, and the rest, well, you'll just have to see for yourself.
The movie is funny, inspiring, girl power goodness. Guys will enjoy it for the girl fights, and girls will go join their local roller derby league the next day. The message is not heavy-handed or cliche at all. And the soundtrack rocks (see "Pot Kettle Black" by Tilly and the Wall).
This is definitely one not to miss. Girls, grab your tribe, and head to the theater. By the way, the t-shirt kicks ass, too.
By the way, after the movie, one of the roller girls invited me and my friend to a practice. I'll keep you posted if I decide to go. :)
So sorry it's been a while since my last review, but life has gotten in the way of making plans for the reviews. It's late and I'm sleepy, so this is gonna be brief. I just had to jump on and say a few words about the new game Batman: Arkham Asylum.
Holy Next Gen, Batman! (I'm playing it on the 360.) When comics and video games, my two favorite things in all the world collide, I'm a happy geeky vixen. When the baby that they make is Arkham Asylum, well, it's a whole new level of happy. I had played the demo when they released it, but it couldn't have prepared me for how great this game is (so far).
We bought the game for Mr. GV, and in all honesty I was excited about the game, but not really about playing it. But let me give you some background about me and Batman. The first superhero comic I really got into was Batman and the Outsiders, and my mom and I went to see the Michael Keaton Batman flick three or 4 times. I watched the old Adam West show, collected Topps cards--I was a fangirl. I loved Wonder Woman, but I was captivated by the Dark Knight. Then the animated series came out, and though I was too old for cartoons, I watched it. I fell in love with Harley Quinn and Paul Dini's writing.
Which brings me to the beginning of the review. The opening cinematic is long, yes, but it really gives you a sense of just how far into the mouth of madness Bats is going. Intermittently along the side credits are rolling, and one in particular caught my eye: Paul Dini is the writer. OK, I'm in. :) Pair that with Kevin Conroy (the voice of animated Batman) and Mark Hamill's Joker, and it's like playing inside an M-rated episode of Batman: The Animated Series. The look of the game is shadowy and dark. The people are a little moist-looking, but that's a small complaint.
Gameplay is extremely user-friendly, at least on Normal. It requires three-dimensional thinking, which takes me some getting used to, but when you're Batman, you have to be a detective and know your surroundings. Features like Detective Mode help you distinguish enemies from victims, and even help you navigate through the asylum. Combat is what you'd expect if you know Batman--hand-to-hand or stealthy takedowns for the most part, but there are some ways you can use Arkham itself to take out inmates. This game is making me better at sneaking around, something I've never been good at in those Tom Clancy games.
In addition to combat and sneakiness, you also have the opportunity to solve 240 riddles from the brain of Edward Nigma himself. I've solved some of them, but in the course of the story it's difficult to take time out from the action to solve a riddle, so I'm guessing there will be a fair amount of backtracking once I've beaten the game. If you're an avid comic reader, especially in the Batman (or the very least the DC) universe, you should be able to answer them fairly easily. The riddles add a nice element to the game, and some of them lead to unlockable rewards.
According to the game I'm at 11% completion, which is cool, b/c that means I'm going to be spending more time in Batman's world than I anticipated. As big of a nerd as I am, though, I can totally see this game having replayability out the wazoo.
Bottom line is this: if you're a gamer and a fan of comics, you'd be remiss in skipping this one. It definitely has something for the comic lover in you. I think this one has mass appeal as well with its unique combination of hand-to-hand combat, cool gadgets, and sneaking around a madman's playground. That being said, though, there are enough delicious comic morsels to satisfy even Comic Book Guy.
It's late, so I'm signing off before my head hits the keyboard. I've got some comics reviews to post, but they will have to wait. Until next time, gentle readers!
Umm, yeah. I just discovered this trailer, and I'm officially excited about October 9. It incorporates 3 things I adore: roller derby, Drew Barrymore, and the ass-kicking Zoe Bell. If I could skate, I'd totally be a roller derby girl. I may get brave one of these days and try it out. :) In the meantime, I'll be watching and re-watching this trailer.
I have been reluctant to get into Green Lantern. I just have. Mostly b/c I'm not a fan of superheroes in space, and GL books always seem so wordy with their "Lantern of sector blah blah blah...". But Mr. GV loves them so much, and I have been errant in my duties as a good geeky wife to read GL. If I'm being honest, I'm behind on a lot of books. I'm working on it.
Which brings me to my point. Last week I read Blackest Night 0. Oh, wow. If you haven't read it, go right now and find a copy. Black Hand has to be one of the creepiest mofos in the DCU. Geoff Johns writes a damn good story, so much so that I would read a comic about Toucan Sam if he wrote it.
On to this week. Two BN titles shipped this week: Blackest Night #1 and Tales of the Corps #1. No spoilers here, just to say that something happens in BN #1 that almost rivals Walking Dead #48 as a shocker. In Tales we get a few good stories. My favorite is Johns' story about Saint Walker. It's heartwrenching, beautiful, and almost brought me to tears.
Mr. GV, you tried to tell me. You owe me an "I told you so."
But wait, there are more comics to review this week! I'll pick one from last week, and one from this week.
First, from DC last week is Paul Dini and Guillem March's Gotham City Sirens. This one is an easy subscribe for me. I'm a huge fan of Harley and Ivy, and Selina has grown to be a really cool character. This story is all girl power, but there's enough cheesecake to keep the fellas interested. I have to admit, I like Harley in her schoolgirl outfit, but I'm ready to see her all harlequinned up in subsequent issues. I think it's definitely worth a test drive.
Second up is a launch title from my pals at Dark Horse: Creepy. Horror comics fans will recognize Uncle Creepy from the old 60s comics, but the stories are all new. Eric Powell (such a crush of mine) drew the cover and even got a letter published on the "Dear Uncle Creepy" page. I totally bought the comic for the cover, and b/c I can't resist a Dark Horse #1, but the stories are wickedly good. I can't decide which one is my favorite. It's a tie between the story about the "Hell Hound Blues" record and the dastardly fat farm. The stories are a welcome addition to any horrorphile's collection.
That's it for the moment. As I catch up on my stash, I'll post more reviews. We're going to see Harry Potter this weekend, so I'm sure there'll be some words on that.
Take care, gentle readers!
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Now playing: Parry Gripp - The Girl At The Video Game Store
via FoxyTunes
As any good geek is wont to do, I went to a small local convention last weekend. While there, I got to meet Charles Vess. If you're not familiar with his work, see Stardust. That, however, is not my reason for mentioning the con. Actually, let me go back a few months.
If you're an avid reader (and, really, why shouldn't you be?), you'll recall that Mr. GV and I met a local writer named Jeremy Massie. Super super nice guy, and I enjoyed talking with him. We wished him the best of luck at the time, and after reading the issue of The Deadbeat he gave us, looked forward to some time reading the rest of the series. Fast forward to last weekend. Jeremy was there with copies of his book, and we stopped to talk with him. Again, I can't stress enough the coolness of this guy. We talked for a few minutes, I picked up a copy of The Deadbeat, and even got my picture made with the Deadbeat himself. In the midst of our conversation, Jeremy was working on a sketch. (I won't reveal any details, just that it is an idea for an upcoming book.) As we talked, he said, "Hey, if I finish this before you leave, it's yours." (Like I said, cool guy.)
So on to the review. Mr. GV read The Deadbeat first, and his reaction piqued my interest enough to at least start it. Wow. It's more than I expected, especially for what is essentially a 4-issue series. I devoured the whole book in one sitting. Yes, it's that good. The story centers around the Deadbeat, a superhero who spends more time at the local watering hole than actually being a hero, and the return of his estranged daughter. Really, that's all I'm going to tell you, because it's your civic duty to pick up this book. It's funny, heartwarming, and bittersweet, with some pretty cool action to boot. I'm a fan of indie books, and the style usually associated with such books, so Massie's art is right up my alley. He does a lot with black and white, but it's simple enough not to detract from the story. And what a story. From start to finish the story keeps you engaged and wondering what's going to happen next. Not to mention what happens in the last few pages. Excuse me, I need some tissue. *Sniff sniff* Massie's very good with the whole father-daughter thing.
Long story short, go. buy. this. book. Make this guy famous, because he totally deserves it.
The schizophrenic look of the blog has settled a bit, I think. I just couldn't find anything I liked. I think this one is good for a while. I liked the segmented layout of the gray and pink layout, but I didn't like anything else. So here's how it's going to look for a while, at least until I can figure out how to make my own.
Wow, this week flew by! (Not that that's a bad thing.) It's hot outside, and work is over (if you're on the east coast), so stay inside and game. That's right XBox Live fans, it's time for another live 1 vs 100 tonight at 10 p.m. ET. I've only played one night of extended play this week, so I'll be anxious to see how that affects my chances to be the One or in the mob. I'll laugh if I get in right away.
My high score is no more. SwimRef has passed me at this point by about 2 million, and that's totally fine with me. I'm not sure how the next season is going to go, but the schedule for Extended Play has gotten ridiculous. I'm a girl who loves her trivia, but after being passed (due in part to SwimRef's sick skills and to the fact that Canadians get more extended play) and having to answer duplicate questions from the night before, I decided to take a break. Am I sad about not having the highest lifetime score? Nah. I can still keep up with the best of them. I've waded through a pile of nasty messages, party invites and friend requests, and I've made some friends along the way (big shoutout to my friends to the north: mutant dog 123, stilladream, and SwimRef--you guys rock!). I was surprised when I logged into Live via PC to find that I still have a minor bit of celebrity going. I'm still getting a few friend requests here and there.
The good news is that 1 vs 100 is fun. I had a blast getting on Monday night and getting in a party with a bunch of my friends. I'm hoping to do that again tonight. Honestly, though, I have mixed feelings about the beta ending. Sure, it's fun, but there's way too much out there if you want to defend a lifetime score title. Plus, I'm looking forward to getting back to some Halo!
Speaking of games, I had to write a Rock and Roll Jeopardy! game for work. We played it today, and it was pretty successful. A few bugs to work out if we play it again, but all in all people had fun. Pair that with karaoke, and it made for a nice afternoon.
Update from last post: no invite to be the One or in the Mob of 100. Outrage abounds! :)
There's another live session tomorrow night, so I'm hopeful, but not getting my hopes up. The biggest thing is that it was all guys tonight and some of them were duuuuuuuuuumb. If it's true what XBL has been saying, and they choose based on stats from Extended Play, I'm shocked. I know I'm not the only meganerd with boobs. (And yes, I think I should have been the girl or should be the girl tomorrow night.)
I just think it would make the constant messaging from the toolbags on XBox Live who tell me I have no life or call me the C word (Geeky Vixen smash!) or threaten to rip my face off (ummm, yeah, that one's real) worth it, ya know? Not that I'm Pollyanna and my feelings are hurt, but it's just irritating. Grinds my gears, to quote Peter Griffin.
OK, I'll admit it. I'm a huge nerd. I read for fun, and I actually like learning new things. I also have an affinity for trivia. There's enough useless knowledge rattling around in my head that it's impossible for me to remember important things, like when to buy milk and just where I left my keys. It's part of my charm (to me, anyway) that my friends and relatives have for years refused to play any kind of trivia game with me. It's simply not fair. I can't help it I remember things like whose mother invented Liquid Paper (Mike Nesmith of the Monkees). And the truth is, I don't always win.
Needless to say when XBox Live announced they were doing a live game show based on the TV show 1 vs. 100, I was stoked. The beta started June 1, and I have played every session. Most of them have been Extended Play sessions, which means everyone's in the mob, and you answer general trivia questions rather than having a One, a mob, and a crowd.
The game play is fun, and the live sessions have been entertaining. I've been in the crowd for both of them so far. I learned that playing Extended Play increased your chances to be the One. So began my quest.
It started out so innocently. I played a couple of Extended Play sessions and in some, like the video game and E3-themed one, I didn't do so well. Others I would finish in the Top 10. Then SneakCMD came into my life. One of the stats you can check is your lifetime score, and I started to notice that mine and Sneak's were pretty close. I'd be lying if I said that didn't bother me, so I at every stat break I checked my lifetime score. Finally one night I passed him, but only briefly, and then Wednesday night a magical thing happened. On the last question of the night I passed his high score and became the lifetime leader. Funny thing happens when you do that. I started getting message after message: friend requests, party invites, chat invites, and voice and text messages. Some messages were pretty cool. Some were not so cool (and those got reported to Live). I even got a message from SneakCMD himself warning me of the pitfalls of being the high score. (BTW, he's very cool and even congratulated me on taking the lead and saying I was going to get to keep it since he wouldn't be on last night.)
Last night I started out the round in the lead, and from joining the room to the first stat break I was constantly receiving messages. Again, they were the mix of nice to just plain hateful and wrong, and I was amazed at how many people thought I was going to join their party and give them answers. Last night was a pretty good night. My highest finish was 2nd, and I'm good with that. After the game play was over I had broken 4 million points on a lifetime score, and over 100 messages in my inbox. I spent a good hour going through all of them and I'm still amazed at the effrontery of some people. At some point I would like to post some here (no names involved) just to have a record of them.
As I type I'm gearing up to play the Live game, and I've got my fingers crossed I'll be the One, or at least in the mob. As one message I got said last night "if you don't get to be the 1 get a lawyer". LOL
Take care, gentle readers. :)
Yesterday I saw Star Trek for the 2nd time, and I'm glad I waited to review it until after the 2nd viewing. As much as I loved it the first time, the 2nd time around I was able to concentrate more on the story, without the "OMG OMG It's so PRETTY" factor getting in the way. The first time we saw the film was at the Cinemall in Abingdon, and it was a mind-blowing experience. The theater is one of 17 in the country that has a silver screen and projector that project images at 1080p. Pair that with the George Lucas sound system the theater is renowned for, and you're in for an unmatched viewing experience. If you're in the Tri-Cities area and have an opportunity to peep a flick at this big-city theater tucked away in the small town of Abingdon, do it. But I digress....
There's not much I can say about Abrams' triumph that has not already been said, I'm sure. One thing I will say is this. I am a Star Wars fangirl. I wanted to be Princess Leia when I was a kid. (Hell, I still want to be Princess Leia most days.) I never really got the Trek. Let me clarify. I love the cheesiness of the old show, and the 2nd and 4th movies were great. The Trek I never got was The Next Generation, and some of the other series. My biggest complaint was the inaccessibility of it all, the tech speak being thrown around that to the casual viewer just sounded like technobabble. Mr. Geeky Vixen likes the series, and in my supportive wifeyness I have watched some of the series and kept an open mind. I still don't really get TNG. Just not my thing. Mr. GV paid good money for me to sleep in public when we saw Nemesis. I really like Enterprise. It's probably my favorite, except for the slightly fruity theme song. I like Voyager, mostly b/c I like to make jokes about the black Vulcan whose name sounds awfully close to 2Pac. The Trek I know best is the 80s films. I still count Wrath of Khan as the best of the original. So quotable, a good story, and probably my favorite Spock. Until now.
The casting for this film is perfect. Being a Heroes fan I was excited about Zachary Quinto being cast as Spock. He fills Nimoy's standard issue Starfleet boots very well. Chris Pine has all the swagger of Shatner without the cheesiness. Zoe Saldana plays Uhura as more of a linguist and less of a space receptionist. (Geek out moment for me when Kirk says the words "morphology" and "phonology". EEEEEE!) Simon Pegg plays Scotty even better than I thought he would. (I *heart* him so much.) I love Chekhov and Sulu more than even the originals. Probably the best casting choice is Karl Urban as Bones. Bones is a character I have always loved; that Southern grumpiness reminded me of someone my granddad would hang with. Urban, of LOTR fame, seemed at first a weird choice for me. All it took was his delivery of lines like "Dammit man, I'm a doctor, not a physicist" and "Don't be such an infant" to sell me on Abrams' choices.
The film is accessible to both Trek fans and the rest of the world, though it's the little things that endear the film to me. Spock quoting Wrath of Khan, for example, makes it worth the price of admission. It's a pretty film, too. The colors remind me of building a map on Halo 3 and oversaturating the colors by using the Juicy light effect. There are times you don't really know where to look, but it's totally OK. You know you're getting your money's worth with each viewing. Many other reviewers have called this movie fun, and I'm inclined to agree. Last summer Iron Man kicked off the summer with tons of fun, and Star Trek is following nicely in its footsteps. I'll say it--JJ Abrams has converted me to the Trek side. I'm not trading my Leia buns for Vulcan ears, but I'll be viewing this film repeatedly in the next few months.
Speaking of Leia buns, I purchased the recently on DVD Fanboys. I sent multiple emails to the studio back in February when this movie opened in like 10 theaters to help get it wide-released. To no avail, I had to wait for DVD. Let me say, it was totally worth the wait. I've known about this movie pretty much from jump, checking up on the production and release dates, and keeping up with the dramatic saga of the cancer vs. non-cancer plots. Thankfully the cancer plot won out. If you're not a Star Wars fan, or you've been hiding under a rock, here's a very brief synopsis. A group of childhood friends reunite to have one last hurrah b/c one of them has terminal cancer. The hurrah? To peep Episode I before it hits theaters. Add in guest appearances from Carrie Fisher to Kevin Smith, not to mention geek out moments like Skywalker Ranch and fights between Trekkies and Star Woids. For a Star Wars fangirl (like Kristen Bell in the movie), it's like a typical night with my guys. Just watch it. Do it. You won't be sorry, and if you are, what are you, a Trekkie? (I'm totally kidding. You know I love the Trek!)
Movie trailers to watch out for: Public Enemies, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The jury's still out on GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra. I just don't know if it's worth ruining my childhood to see that one.
For you comic book geeks, Vertigo has released a new #1 that's totally worth reading. The Unwritten follows Tommy Taylor, a Harry Potteresque character that, unlike Potter, is actually a real person. His father has disappeared, and he's touring the country, meeting with his devoted fans. There is, of course, a catch. His lineage is called into question, which is just the beginning of his troubles. For fans of Harry Potter, or for anyone who just wants to jump on board at the beginning of a really good new series, I highly recommend this book.
Whew! That was a lot of reviewing for one day. I'll try to be a little more diligent about posting regularly and keeping it short and sweet. As the song says, "Man, it's good to be a geek!"
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Now playing: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog - My Freeze Ray
via FoxyTunes
I'm in a chalet in the mountains with a stack of comics, video games, a theater room, wireless internet, and a hot tub. Screw the Rainbow Bridge. I've found Valhalla, and I'm not leaving. :)
OK, so I cashed in my ThankYou points from an employee referral and bought a new gadget. I know I'm not on the cutting edge by getting this, but I'm not always an early adopter. My new iPod Touch 32GB just arrived. Haven't had time to play with it as it's still syncing with iTunes, but let's just say it's a good thing I don't have to work all day tomorrow. :)
So I'm supposed to be reading my Green Lantern homework, but I want to play Halo 3. *Sigh* What's a Geeky Vixen to do? ;)
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Now playing: Coconut Records - Minding My Own Business
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Wednesday again, already? About the geekiest vixenest thing I've done in the past week is, at the behest of Mr. Geeky Vixen, start on the stack of Green Lantern books on the table in my sunroom. I read Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 1. It was pretty good. (I'm actually supposed to be reading them as I type this, but I had to sneak a peek at this week's shipping list.)
Not a whole bunch out there this week, but here goes:
Outsiders #16: So pumped for this one. As I've mentioned, I read Batman and the Outsiders as a kid. I've read a few issues of the 2003 relaunch, and it was OK, but I missed the old characters. When Batman left the DCU in Final Crisis #6, they released an Outsiders one-shot as a follow-up. If you haven't read it, go pick it up right now! I know part of it is my love for the characters, but honestly, it's one of the best reads out there. Go to your comic shop now, and buy the one-shot and Outsiders #15. Read them. You'll thank me later. Tiny spoiler: The old gang's back together, and this Geeky Vixen is along for the ride.
Wolverine #71: Finally, kids, the long-awaited continuation of Old Man Logan is hitting the shelves. I am not a regular Wolverine reader, but this storyline has been pretty good. It's set in the future, and basically, he's the lone horseman of the X-Men apocalypse. A lot of bad things happen, and, well, it's interesting.
Wow, that's it? Hope my Jersey Gods #2 came in. Guess that gives me more time to read Green Lantern books.
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Now playing: Jurassic 5 - Break
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Here's what's waiting for me in my subscriber box:
Batman Battle for the Cowl #1: I'm a DC apologist. I've loved Wonder Woman ever since I pulled on my Underoos and my mom and I went to see Batman like 4 times in the theater. Amidst the fanboys screaming about Marvel, I'm the one wondering what they're reading that's better than what DC's got going on at the moment. Yes, I read Final Crisis, and no, it wasn't earth-shattering. And yes, I have issues with DC's lax policy on events and continuity (especially in terms of Wonder Woman under the influence of the anti-life equation, which never shows up in her own title, and the nods to her fight with Genocide which do). That being said, I like living in a place where I don't have to choose. If you've been living under a rock, what I'm about to say is a total spoiler, so be warned. Allegedly in Final Crisis #6 Bruce Wayne bit it. (I say allegedly because, much like daytime soap opera characters, comic book characters have a way of cheating death when it's convenient for the plotline of the moment. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I just recognize it as a fact of life.) Now, in the next event series, a bunch of Gothamites are going to fight to see who's going to be the next Batman. My money's on Harley Quinn. (Just kidding!) I think one of two things is going to happen: either Dick Grayson is going to cast off his Nightwing persona and move into the role of Batman. He thinks like Bruce (he's just as suspicious and as much of a know-it-all), and he's certainly got the training. If that doesn't happen, I think Bruce will come back.
Fables #82: Ah, Fables. I started reading this book around issue 15 or so (whatever issue started the "Storybook Love" arc), and I've been hooked ever since. It took me a while, but I finally was able to go back and get all of the issues from the beginning. Last issue we said a couple of goodbyes, in the book, and to cover artist James Jean. Jean's art is so beautiful and surreal, and lended itself well to the fantastic storytelling within the book itself. I'm going to miss his art, but I trust that Willingham and company will continue to make this one of the highlights of the month for me.
Green Lantern Corps #34: I put this one here for Mr. Geeky Vixen. At his behest, I am going to try to start reading GL titles, because he says they're the best books out there. I've been keeping up with the "Origins and Omens" stuff, and it's interesting.
Soul Kiss #2: I picked up the first issue of this new title last month, and I was blown away by the simple story and cool art. I love Image Comics. They bring me Madman Atomic Comics, The Walking Dead, and The Sword. And once in a while, they bring me new titles that I fall in love with (see Soul Kiss and Jersey Gods).
The Walking Dead #59: As I mentioned last post, I'm a girl who loves her zombies. I read the first 40 issues in a weekend, and after a brief "I'm never reading this again" after issue 48, I came back and I'm glad I did. Kirkman crafts stories that keep you coming back, and they're not happy endings.
Wonderful Wizard of Oz #4: I know, I know. But I love the story and the art. I met the artist, Skottie Young, at AdventureCon last year, and he was a really nice guy. I like his unique style of art, and you can't beat the source material.
So that's it. My pull list for this week. I'll keep you guys posted if anything else creeps into my stash. :)
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Now playing: DJ Shadow and Dan "The Automator" - Swami Safari
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What can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said? Not much. I remember reading Kevin Smith's first impressions, and let's face it, to me anything that mofo says is gold. Except when he talks about hockey for two hours, but that's the fun of SModcast. :)
First, let me say, that though I pride myself on being a well-read geeky vixen, I have not read the graphic novel. (You know, the one that Alan Moore wrote and said was "unfilmable".) I read the issue 1 reprint DC put out a month or so ago. It was enough to pique my interest, and I decided I'd go no further until I saw the movie. (Mostly b/c I got burned when I tried to read V for Vendetta after I saw the movie. Alan Moore is good, but he's very verbose. And crazy paranoid, but that's OK.)
Second, lemme give you background on my relationship with Zack Snyder. I. love. him. He puts everything he's got into his films, and I respect that totally. My first crush came about with his 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. I'm a girl who loves her zombies, like really loves her zombies, and from the opening strains of Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around" (b/c I'm a girl who loves her Johnny too), I was hooked. Snyder took a movie that was already good, and made it his own. Then came 300. Never in my life have I wanted more to jump over my movie seat and start bustin' heads. It was beautiful and dirty and violent, and it made me look at the ol' Phantom of the Opera in a whole new light.
Enter Watchmen. Because I'm a good geek and I read Wizard, I heard about this movie like, what, 2 years ago? Everything I read talked about how Snyder was pouring his heart and soul into this film, and Alan Moore, in his infinite craziness, was asking to be detached from the project. It unified the fanboys for a time; they were all saying it was destined to be the best. comic. movie. ever. Having never read the graphic novel, I was going to have to take their word for it. I read a few things about it here and there, always being careful not to spoil it for myself (though if it's an adaptation of an already published work, it's kinda hard).
So to this past Saturday. The gang and I opted for a noon showing, just to make sure we got in. Plus, you are more likely not to have a-holes in the theater at that time of the day. After starting the excursion in the game/comic/toy store next door, I was all geeked up. Of the trailers, the highlight was the Logan trailer. And then, it started.
From the first yellow screen, I knew we were in for something incredible. Going in, we knew the movie pushed three hours, but at no point in the film did I think, "Wow, this is really long." And here's where I tell you what you already know, if you've seen the film. Rorschach is amazing. He's scary and vulnerable at the same time, and he's close to (dare I say it?) Heath Ledger's Joker in my book as best comic book character on film.
Most surprising to me were the performances of Billy Crudup and Malin Ackerman. Billy Crudup will always be Russell Hammond (due to my bordering on obsession love of Almost Famous), but he pulls off Dr. Manhattan beautifully (blue genitalia and all). His emotion (or lack thereof) is riveting, and I really wanted to see more. Malin Ackerman, before her role as Silk Spectre, is probably best known as Ben Stiller's crazy new bride in The Heartbreak Kid or as the spoiled sister in 27 Dresses. It's a pretty big leap to become an ass-kicking, latex-wearing femme fatale, but she handles it like a champ.
To answer the critics, yes, this is a very violent movie, but it's by no means the most violent movie I've ever seen (see Lady Snowblood, either of the Kill Bill flicks, Death Proof, Sin City or most zombie/slasher flicks and tell me that's the most violent movie you've seen). It's a story of a dystopian society that both needs and villifies its heroes, and shows us the dirty side of being a hero. In this world, heroes sell out. They do things that even some villains won't do. They get old. They get scared. And ultimately, they kinda win. (I don't consider that a spoiler, b/c you kinda figure that since it's a superhero comic. Go watch the movie.)
I loved this movie. It looked like a comic on the screen, the way we wanted. Yes, they changed the ending (again, not a spoiler if you're a good geek), which has split the fanboys. As much as I've heard people complain about the ending of the book, I've heard some of these same guys gripe about the movie ending. There's just no pleasing some people, especially us comic book geeks. :)
I've heard that there's going to be a director's cut released with like 30 more minutes added. I think I'm going to hold off on seeing the film again until I see whether that's true in my hometown.
Well, that's it for this one. Tomorrow's comic book day, so I'm going to try to have something new for you guys for that.
Excelsi--oh, wait. That's been taken already. ;)
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Now playing: G. Love - Astronaut
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OK, so it's high time I used this thing for all things geeky. Most of the posts you will see here will be (we hope) reviews. What sort of reviews? Toys, comics, movies, books, TV, music, you name it. So, um, yeah, check back for that. :)
Also, I meant to post this before now, but better late than never. Mr. Geeky Vixen and I were at one of our favorite toy stores, Hero's Headquarters (check it out--our bud Anthony is the coolest), and this guy and his friend came into the store. His name's Jeremy Massie, and he's a local guy who's written a comic book, and he wanted to find a place for a signing. We started talking, and he's really cool. He even gave me a sample of his work to check out. I have to say, it's good stuff. His current project, published by Alternacomics, is called The Deadbeat. As an indie sweetheart, I can endorse it. Check out Jeremy's blog here to read more about it! I wish the guy every success--he's livin' the geek dream.
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Now playing: Rogue Wave - Publish My Love
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I noticed last night when posting that my Plurk karma is now down to 0. Considering I haven't posted anything to Plurk since November, I'm not surprised. When I joined Plurk, I loved it. I enjoyed posting little blurbs about what I was doing at the moment, and seeing what others were doing. Then I realized something. I was spending more time Plurking about things than actually doing them. Even if I was watching TV, I was Plurking about what I was watching, to the point where I would miss things. Don't get me wrong, I do love the internets, and I love sticking my nose in a laptop to blog or catch up on Facebook. I just felt like I was missing something, like the more I tried to up my karma on Plurk, the more damage I did to my own karma. I guess it's a little strange to wax philosophical on something so trivial, but I'm having one of those "OMG, the world's going to end soon and I'm not getting any younger, I need to make some changes and/or follow some dreams or I'm never going to do it" days.
Now I realize I need to go back, but in moderation. I did make some friends there, and I do miss the interaction. I just don't need to spend scads of time there.
I'm so going to pay for this tomorrow, but I'm still awake at midnight. Just a couple of thoughts to take you through the wee hours:
- Nothing compares to Billie Holiday's voice singing "Lover Man". She is silky and sad and I am always amazed at how much that song soothes my soul.
- I'm terrified but optimistic, even if my world comes apart tomorrow because I know that even if times get really tough, I have people who love me, I have mad skills that someone will want to give me a job to utilize, and I've got geeky stuff to occupy my worried mind.
Tonight's episode of Smallville made our little geeky heads almost explode. After dropping the show last season during the Stride episode, I'm back this season. It's no surprise the stories are good with Geoff Johns at the writing helm. He can take anything in the DC Universe, no matter how obscure and make it interesting.
Bargain alert: I was cruising my favorite store in the whole wide world (The Great Escape--remind me to post my love letter later). They have expanded their online endeavors and have an ebay store. You can find some really great deals on used vinyl, CDs, DVDs, books, and comics! I found several Silver Age comics on my wishlist and am planning on purchasing a few this weekend. It's not as good as driving to Nashville to the actual store, but it might do.
I seriously have to go to bed. G'night, gentle readers!
OK, so I have this weird habit of taking pictures of the things we cook if it's something that I'm proud of. I decided to put those pics to good use and put them in a food blog. You can peep it here. Not much there now, but I'm hoping that there will be more and more as the days go by. Take a look and see what develops!
Wow. I can't believe it's been a couple of months since I last posted. I'm going to try to do better about posting more regularly, even if it's just a small review.
The holiday season was very relaxing. Christmas was very chill. My favorite present? A Mego Wonder Woman (hooray!).
The worst present? The Spirit. Visually, the movie was stunning. It almost out Sin City-ed Sin City (almost). However, some of the casting fell short (I'm talking to you, Scarlett Johansson), and the writing was dreadful. I don't know much about the comic outside of the relaunch that Darwyn Cooke started in 2007. I know the general story, and that it's adventure and mystery mixed with romance and comedy. Will Eisner must have been spinning in his grave. Frank Miller directed and wrote the screenplay. Now I like Frank Miller when he writes his own stuff, but when he sticks his fingers into other writers' work, he seems to get a little lost. And just as George Lucas directed Sam Jackson to under act, Miller directs him into some scenery-chewing that would make Shatner cringe. The light in the muck of this film is Gabriel Macht. He perfectly plays Denny Colt as a hero with a soft spot for the ladies and impeccable comic timing. Sarah Paulson makes a great Ellen Dolan, and Dan Lauria does a good job as her father. Despite these bright spots, the story both never gets off the ground and darts in many directions. It just can't decide what kind of movie it wants to be. I could have done without the sci-fi explanation of why the Spirit is what he is, and Dr. Octopus' fascination with a clone gone bad (it's a tiny head fused to a foot that Sam Jackson is determined to repeat how odd it is ad nauseum until we all want to leave the theater). After being excited about this movie from seeing the teaser trailers last summer, I was sorely disappointed and left the theater apologizing to my friends for dragging them to this film. The verdict? Wait until it winds up on Cinemax.
*Sigh* I still need to go see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
In comics news, I actually am enjoying some of Frank Miller's work. I picked up this ragged copy of Daredevil #190 from our friend Anthony's shop (Hero's Headquarters--check it out). It's a really cool Elektra story. So I've taken it upon myself to collect some of the Frank Miller arc. Between that and my search for Wonder Woman comics, I've got enough to look for. But that's the fun of it!
Hold over from last post--buy buy buy Batman:Cacophony. The first 2 issues are out, and I've got to say, Kevin Smith is a genius! (But then, I say that on a regular basis, so it's really not a stretch.)
Brain. Giving. Out. Must. Sleep. More later!
