Maybe tomorrow I take a closer look at Ghost Rider, or as I'll probably start referring to it: "Meh Rider". That sucked, I know. But the movie probably will too.
D
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Nicolas Cage is a flamer
Maybe tomorrow I take a closer look at Ghost Rider, or as I'll probably start referring to it: "Meh Rider". That sucked, I know. But the movie probably will too.
D
Pictures of bad-assery
Just watched the Spider-Man 3 teaser trailer and got goosebumps. Each of the 4 times I watched it. Here's a few images I snagged of bad-assedness that you too can witness here: Spider-Man 3 (click to enlarge)
Badass, man. Bad. Ass.
D
Sometimes teasing is good...
From Dark Horizons:
No need to worry about waiting in long lines at the cinema to catch the "Spider-Man 3" teaser as this baby is going to make its debut in glorious high quality Quicktime in just a few hours. According to a press release issued by Sony's Australian division, the teaser trailer will make its debut at Apple Trailers at the following times today:
US East Coast - 2:30pm
US West Coast - 11:30am
UK - 7:30pm
Australian East Coast - Wednesday, 4:30am
No word yet if there will be high-definiton versions available but as its Apple.com, there's a very good chance. A bootleg version is already up at KristianDavid.com
D
No need to worry about waiting in long lines at the cinema to catch the "Spider-Man 3" teaser as this baby is going to make its debut in glorious high quality Quicktime in just a few hours. According to a press release issued by Sony's Australian division, the teaser trailer will make its debut at Apple Trailers at the following times today:
US East Coast - 2:30pm
US West Coast - 11:30am
UK - 7:30pm
Australian East Coast - Wednesday, 4:30am
No word yet if there will be high-definiton versions available but as its Apple.com, there's a very good chance. A bootleg version is already up at KristianDavid.com
D
Monday, June 26, 2006
Indiana Jones Nerduary Poll
It's been a while since we had a showdown/poll. So I thought there's no time like the present. We did Star Wars last time, so why not Indiana Jones this time.
Indiana Jones has had some of the best fist fights on screen (in my opinion, of course). But which fight is the best? While it's hard to narrow it down, I am putting a couple of different fights on this poll. However, you can write in your favorite if you wish. Just name your favorite fight scenes with Indy and I will tally it up to find the winner.
Here goes in no particular order:
Indiana Jones versus the German mechanic on the plane--Remember the huge German that Indy fights until the German is introduced to the plane's propellar? Yeah, that's the fight.
Indiana Jones fighting on the rope bridge--I don't know what you call these bad guys, but this is fight that Indy chops the rope bridge down and fights as the bridge is hanging.
Indiana Jones versus the sword guy--Again, I don't know what you call these guys. This is the fight where Indy decides to shoot the sword wielding Arab guy.
Indiana Jones versus a bunch of Germans on a tank--One of my personal favorites, this is the fight when Indy takes on Germans while traveling toward the site of the Holy Grail.
Well, there are a few fight scenes. Vote away. I will tally them up in a week.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Presenting... Captain Kirk?
If you're like me when you think of James T. Kirk, your mind immediately conjures up that classic image of... Matt Damon?
Okay, so maybe that's what no one thinks when they hear the name Capt. Kirk, but if J.J. Abrams gets his way, that's exactly who we're going to get. As everyone is most likely aware, the new Star Trek movie is going to be a prequel that follows Kirk and Spock's formative years at Star Fleet Academy. The current line of thought is that Star Trek is a broken franchise, so why not take it back to a time that everyone loves?
To a studio executive, I guess I can see the logic behind this. After all, even though there have been four incarnations of Trek since Shatner first sat in the captain's chair, it's that original version people still think back to. So to get those lapsed Trekkies back into the fold, why not bring Kirk back to the big screen?
Only, without William Shatner, is it really Kirk? Most roles, be they as classic as Hamlet or as iconic as Superman, are larger than any one actor. Anyone can play the role as long as they stay true to a few basic elements. However, other roles are so intwined with one actor that little to no distinction can be made between the two.
For close to 40 years, Shatner was James Kirk, and as the actor aged, so too did Kirk. We watched him go from a young captain blasting into new frontiers to aged war horse looking to finally settle down. We were even there when he died and watched him breath his final breath.
William Shatner, no matter how much he denies it, is Captain Kirk.
While the new Star Trek movie may well be the best in the series, the fact will still remain that, Matt Damon or not, that will not be Captain Kirk on the big screen. Unless Matt Damon spends an hour and a half doing his best William Shatner impression (and really, who wants to see that?) no audience will buy it.
Even young people who may be really seeing Star Trek for the first time will all still have a passing knowledge of the Kirk character. Hell, turn to Cartoon Network or sit on Nickelodeon for long enough, and one cartoon character or another is bound to present an ode to Shatner's Kirk.
Leave the past just where it is. When the time came to make Star Trek fresh back in the 80's for a new audience, the producers fast forwarded everything to about one hundred years into the future. The basics were all still there, but the playground now had a fresh coat of paint. New stories could be told while keeping a foot planted in the familiar. Why not do that again? We've mined the Next Generation era to death. We've seen the beginnings of the Federation. Why not fast forward one hundred more years, or even five hundred years? Why not take a chance?
But don't try to do Kirk without William Shatner. No one's buying that. If that's the best anyone can do, then just let the franchise rest in peace.
Okay, so maybe that's what no one thinks when they hear the name Capt. Kirk, but if J.J. Abrams gets his way, that's exactly who we're going to get. As everyone is most likely aware, the new Star Trek movie is going to be a prequel that follows Kirk and Spock's formative years at Star Fleet Academy. The current line of thought is that Star Trek is a broken franchise, so why not take it back to a time that everyone loves?
To a studio executive, I guess I can see the logic behind this. After all, even though there have been four incarnations of Trek since Shatner first sat in the captain's chair, it's that original version people still think back to. So to get those lapsed Trekkies back into the fold, why not bring Kirk back to the big screen?
Only, without William Shatner, is it really Kirk? Most roles, be they as classic as Hamlet or as iconic as Superman, are larger than any one actor. Anyone can play the role as long as they stay true to a few basic elements. However, other roles are so intwined with one actor that little to no distinction can be made between the two.
For close to 40 years, Shatner was James Kirk, and as the actor aged, so too did Kirk. We watched him go from a young captain blasting into new frontiers to aged war horse looking to finally settle down. We were even there when he died and watched him breath his final breath.
William Shatner, no matter how much he denies it, is Captain Kirk.
While the new Star Trek movie may well be the best in the series, the fact will still remain that, Matt Damon or not, that will not be Captain Kirk on the big screen. Unless Matt Damon spends an hour and a half doing his best William Shatner impression (and really, who wants to see that?) no audience will buy it.
Even young people who may be really seeing Star Trek for the first time will all still have a passing knowledge of the Kirk character. Hell, turn to Cartoon Network or sit on Nickelodeon for long enough, and one cartoon character or another is bound to present an ode to Shatner's Kirk.
Leave the past just where it is. When the time came to make Star Trek fresh back in the 80's for a new audience, the producers fast forwarded everything to about one hundred years into the future. The basics were all still there, but the playground now had a fresh coat of paint. New stories could be told while keeping a foot planted in the familiar. Why not do that again? We've mined the Next Generation era to death. We've seen the beginnings of the Federation. Why not fast forward one hundred more years, or even five hundred years? Why not take a chance?
But don't try to do Kirk without William Shatner. No one's buying that. If that's the best anyone can do, then just let the franchise rest in peace.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Notes From Geekdom
Some quick notes today:
- The Masked Mofo, Liquid Courage and SK blogs have been updated pretty steadily over the last week. After some time off, they're back in action and some pretty funny stuff if I do say so myself. So swing on over and check'em all out.
- Also, lot's of stuff about homosexual overtones in the new Superman movie. CNN.com has some stuff up about it if you want to see for yourself. While none of us will see the movie for another week, I'd be interested to hear what you all think of that. Me? I think the mainstream media is reading a lot into the fact that a gay man made the movie. Superman has always had the whole "stranger in a strange land" feel. I think anyone, minorities included, can latch onto that. Superman. He speaks to a lot of people and that's why I think the character has been as enduring as he's proved to be.
- A film version of Michael Chabon's outstanding novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is evidently being planned. For those of you usually avoid anything with the word “Winner of the Pulitzer Prize” please go out and read this book. Though a work of fiction, it’s set in the middle of the golden age of comics. The novel follows the lives of two young cousins who create their very own superhero, and how this one event shapes the rest of their lives. Funny, poignant, tragic and happy, this book should be at the top of not only every geeks “must read” list, but anyone who loves good books.
- Also, for the Doctor Who fans out there, Billie Piper has announced that she's leaving the series at the conclusion of this season, which has two episodes left to air (those watching it on Sci-Fi, don't worry as none of this will matter to you for another year). Fans will agree that this could be a pretty big blow to the series, as she's just as important as The Doctor. Who knows, though. Doctor Who has been around since the 60's, and will probably be around long after Rose Tyler is written out of the series.
- Don't know how many comic book readers there are, but Spider-Man has been getting a lot of mainstream press these last few weeks. SPOILERS AHEAD (THIS MEANS YOU DEREK). As you may or may not know, Peter Parker outed himself as Spider-Man on live television. The whole world knows who the web-slinger is. Opinions? I'm taking a wait and see approach. Could be good, could be bad. In the end, though, I'm just glad to see some kind of character progression.
- And last, but definitely not least, all Myspace.com users beware: Jake Hallman is making a power play to take the whole thing over. Okay, maybe that's being a little too dramatic, but Connect: Statesboro does indeed have a profile up. Jake's doing wonders with this magazine and it's good to see one of us making good (even though from the way he tells it, there are some major headaches involved). Keep it up Jake.
- The Masked Mofo, Liquid Courage and SK blogs have been updated pretty steadily over the last week. After some time off, they're back in action and some pretty funny stuff if I do say so myself. So swing on over and check'em all out.
- Also, lot's of stuff about homosexual overtones in the new Superman movie. CNN.com has some stuff up about it if you want to see for yourself. While none of us will see the movie for another week, I'd be interested to hear what you all think of that. Me? I think the mainstream media is reading a lot into the fact that a gay man made the movie. Superman has always had the whole "stranger in a strange land" feel. I think anyone, minorities included, can latch onto that. Superman. He speaks to a lot of people and that's why I think the character has been as enduring as he's proved to be.
- A film version of Michael Chabon's outstanding novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is evidently being planned. For those of you usually avoid anything with the word “Winner of the Pulitzer Prize” please go out and read this book. Though a work of fiction, it’s set in the middle of the golden age of comics. The novel follows the lives of two young cousins who create their very own superhero, and how this one event shapes the rest of their lives. Funny, poignant, tragic and happy, this book should be at the top of not only every geeks “must read” list, but anyone who loves good books.
- Also, for the Doctor Who fans out there, Billie Piper has announced that she's leaving the series at the conclusion of this season, which has two episodes left to air (those watching it on Sci-Fi, don't worry as none of this will matter to you for another year). Fans will agree that this could be a pretty big blow to the series, as she's just as important as The Doctor. Who knows, though. Doctor Who has been around since the 60's, and will probably be around long after Rose Tyler is written out of the series.
- Don't know how many comic book readers there are, but Spider-Man has been getting a lot of mainstream press these last few weeks. SPOILERS AHEAD (THIS MEANS YOU DEREK). As you may or may not know, Peter Parker outed himself as Spider-Man on live television. The whole world knows who the web-slinger is. Opinions? I'm taking a wait and see approach. Could be good, could be bad. In the end, though, I'm just glad to see some kind of character progression.
- And last, but definitely not least, all Myspace.com users beware: Jake Hallman is making a power play to take the whole thing over. Okay, maybe that's being a little too dramatic, but Connect: Statesboro does indeed have a profile up. Jake's doing wonders with this magazine and it's good to see one of us making good (even though from the way he tells it, there are some major headaches involved). Keep it up Jake.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Lamenting the Death Star
Had something happen at work this morning that blew my mind.
I was ratting around on the website Howstuffworks.com and found an article that goes into great detail about how the Death Star works. Fascinating article that I recommend to any Star Wars nerd. Anyway, as I finished reading it, I announced to the girl that sits behind me that I really needed to get a Death Star.
"What's a 'Death Star'" she asked.
Of course, I thought she was joking. Come on, right? EVERYONE has at least HEARD of the Death Star. It's one of the cultural touchstones that has entered into the collective consciousness of American culture.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. I don't know what that is," she said.
I actually began to openly mock her in front of God and everyone. Sure, it probably wasn't the most professional thing I could do, yelling at a coworker for not being familiar with the Galactic Empire's most powerful weapon, but I felt justified. Another girl asked why I was yelling, and I explained our fellow reporter's ignorance.
"I've never heard of a 'Death Star' either," she said. "Are you going to yell at me now?"
Well, yes. And I did.
The two women are young. One's 22 the other is 23. Had the prequels not just wrapped up, I could maybe understand never having heard of the Death Star, but for the last decade, Star Wars has been in the public eye. News story after news story has been written about these movies, and in episodes 2 and 3, the Death Star plays a key role. But still, these two girls tried to play the youth card and explain they were too young to know anything about Star Wars.
Bullshit to that. I know about a lot of stuff that was over and done with by the time I was born, but it's part of pop-culture history. Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons. Flash Gordon. Buck Rogers. Bonanza. Gunsmoke. There are things you just know by being a part of a culture and paying attention. No, I'm not saying to study it like Logan does the Civil War, but at least pay attention and be aware that there was life before The O.C. or The Real World (and no, these girls don't know who Puck is either).
But maybe I'm just finally getting old. Maybe I'm looking back at my own generation with rose tented glasses. Movies like Clerks and Pulp Fiction were our touchstones and reveled in the pop-culture of days gone by all while plotting a course towards the new millennium. Maybe I'm finally bitter that a new generation is starting to nudge me out of the way.
But come on, it's the fucking Death Star.
I was ratting around on the website Howstuffworks.com and found an article that goes into great detail about how the Death Star works. Fascinating article that I recommend to any Star Wars nerd. Anyway, as I finished reading it, I announced to the girl that sits behind me that I really needed to get a Death Star.
"What's a 'Death Star'" she asked.
Of course, I thought she was joking. Come on, right? EVERYONE has at least HEARD of the Death Star. It's one of the cultural touchstones that has entered into the collective consciousness of American culture.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. I don't know what that is," she said.
I actually began to openly mock her in front of God and everyone. Sure, it probably wasn't the most professional thing I could do, yelling at a coworker for not being familiar with the Galactic Empire's most powerful weapon, but I felt justified. Another girl asked why I was yelling, and I explained our fellow reporter's ignorance.
"I've never heard of a 'Death Star' either," she said. "Are you going to yell at me now?"
Well, yes. And I did.
The two women are young. One's 22 the other is 23. Had the prequels not just wrapped up, I could maybe understand never having heard of the Death Star, but for the last decade, Star Wars has been in the public eye. News story after news story has been written about these movies, and in episodes 2 and 3, the Death Star plays a key role. But still, these two girls tried to play the youth card and explain they were too young to know anything about Star Wars.
Bullshit to that. I know about a lot of stuff that was over and done with by the time I was born, but it's part of pop-culture history. Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons. Flash Gordon. Buck Rogers. Bonanza. Gunsmoke. There are things you just know by being a part of a culture and paying attention. No, I'm not saying to study it like Logan does the Civil War, but at least pay attention and be aware that there was life before The O.C. or The Real World (and no, these girls don't know who Puck is either).
But maybe I'm just finally getting old. Maybe I'm looking back at my own generation with rose tented glasses. Movies like Clerks and Pulp Fiction were our touchstones and reveled in the pop-culture of days gone by all while plotting a course towards the new millennium. Maybe I'm finally bitter that a new generation is starting to nudge me out of the way.
But come on, it's the fucking Death Star.
Brief Superman write up
Hey folks!
Thought this might interest those of you who will probably be seeing the Superman Returns movie this weekend. That's probably all of you.
Anyway, I ran across this brief write up of the history of Superman on rottentomatoes. Most of you probably already know about this. Still, it's neat to ol' Superman back in the news the way he is this week.
It also includes the rundown of how critics have liked the movies so far. Shocker! Superman IV is the worst.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/features/special/
2006/superman_returns/
Monday, June 19, 2006
New Zahn Star Wars book on the way
I know, I know, when will the Star Wars books include something other than Luke, Han, and Leia running around to save yet another planet, system or an entire galaxy from the latest Death Starish weapon? 
Well, the only reason I thought the Nerduary folks might be interested in this book is the fact it takes place between Episodes 4 and 5--a definite improvement over yet another adventure of the folks in their 80s.
Would love to hear what you guys think of this.
Here's the part of the official release
Author Timothy Zahn returns to the Star Wars galaxy next year with his next book, Star Wars: Allegiance. Here's a first look at its cover, by artist John Van Fleet.
In Star Wars: Allegiance, which takes place during the time between Episodes IV and V, Luke Skywalker is still new to all this Jedi business. Han Solo isn't sure how much he's willing to commit to the Rebel Alliance. Princess Leia is trying to help run the Rebellion and wondering why Han is so infuriating. The young Mara Jade is one of the most valued agents of the evil Emperor. And a team of stormtroopers goes rogue, deciding to mete out justice their own way...
Del Rey Books is scheduled to publish this hardcover release on January 30, 2007. Keep checking starwars.com for all the latest in book developments.
Well, the only reason I thought the Nerduary folks might be interested in this book is the fact it takes place between Episodes 4 and 5--a definite improvement over yet another adventure of the folks in their 80s.
Would love to hear what you guys think of this.
Here's the part of the official release
Author Timothy Zahn returns to the Star Wars galaxy next year with his next book, Star Wars: Allegiance. Here's a first look at its cover, by artist John Van Fleet.
In Star Wars: Allegiance, which takes place during the time between Episodes IV and V, Luke Skywalker is still new to all this Jedi business. Han Solo isn't sure how much he's willing to commit to the Rebel Alliance. Princess Leia is trying to help run the Rebellion and wondering why Han is so infuriating. The young Mara Jade is one of the most valued agents of the evil Emperor. And a team of stormtroopers goes rogue, deciding to mete out justice their own way...
Del Rey Books is scheduled to publish this hardcover release on January 30, 2007. Keep checking starwars.com for all the latest in book developments.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Superman scenes
Haven't watched these, yet. Started watching one just to make sure it was for real. It is. Aparrently, this is part of a marketing campaign for the movie.
Enjoy.
http://www.iesb.net/warnerbros2006/061306.php
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Alternate ending for A New Hope!
Well, not really. But it should have been.
I thought this was really funny. But I'm also really tired. I know you guys will probably get a kick out of this.
Blogger's not letting me link so I'll just paste it down here.
Enjoy!
http://gorillamask.net/rcdarth.shtml
I thought this was really funny. But I'm also really tired. I know you guys will probably get a kick out of this.
Blogger's not letting me link so I'll just paste it down here.
Enjoy!
http://gorillamask.net/rcdarth.shtml
Monday, June 12, 2006
Friday, June 02, 2006
Risk!
Risk may be the best boardgame ever. I'm sure everyone here at the Nerduary is familiar with this game, but just in case. In Risk the object is to conquer the entire world through military and strategic might. This game may be the most manly thing anyone can ever do, aside from actually conquering the world. The beauty of this game is its simplicity, while at the same time having deep-seeded complexity. The written rules of that game are the simple part, each player takes a turn in which they reenforce their territories with armies, then attack bordering territories. Combat is settled with a simple roll of the dice. Easy, right? Somewhat childish, maybe. Now here is where the good stuff comes into play. Strategy. Will you be like the Nazis of WWII and blitzkrieg, or will you slowly and meticulously crush strategic targets? Oh, what is that? It gets better? How is that possible? What could be better than world domination. Well the 'unwritten' rules of this game are the same unwritten rules of life: Underground alliances, unspoken animosity, backroom deals, backstabbing, and general global scale politics. Why did Germany lose WWII, when they had such advanage in Europe? Hitler decided to attack Russia, and lost huge amounts of resources. Why do native americans live on reservations? Cause they didn't defeat the white man while they had the chance, and the white man just kept getting stronger until the red man didn't stand a chance.
*Short Tangent* Seriously, if the native americans had just killed Columbus, when they saw his pompous ass, do you think the USA would be here? *End Tangent*
That's right this simple childrens game is a life lesson in politics.
Bd.JPG)
This game is such a great learning tool for not just the young but also the old, that it has been handed down from generation to generation. It is just as fun to play when you are young as when you get older. Plus the older you get the more complex the game gets because of the politics. Hell if you play with the same people several times the politics change. I'm not saying I would do this, but say one player wins everytime you play, some people might just all gang up on that person early in the game to prevent that player from winning. However, doing this may be political suicide, because the player may be offended and your friendship may suffer. Ah, the long reach of politics and Risk. I will once again state that this may be the GREATEST boardgame ever.
With the greatness of this game, the marketing gurus of Hasbro figured that if people liked to conquer this world they would enjoy conquering other worlds. Enter Star Wars Risk. There are also other versions of this game in other worlds, like Lord of the Rings Risk. How awesome is this game?!?!?
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