Tag Archives: geek
SD#45 The Missing Schmidt
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Behold, the Four Horsemen
We are full of apologies tonight. Oh, and sorry again because we’re going to be talking about upcoming law changes!
SD#1 The Saga Begins
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It’s here! Our very first podcast is up! After being around for over three years, we have decided to branch out to new media. We’re still learning, so please give us some feedback!
Hosts:
Zuke, Stark, Zohner, & Schmidty
Topics:
Amazon puts its head in the clouds and it’s finger in the faces of Sony & Apple
iOS might be dropping June 5th . . . without an iPhone?
Intel makes the biggest smallest drives you’ve ever seen!
Google now allows you to spy on tourists as well.
Windows 8 has a wishlist now. Take that Apple!
Kevin Costner is in the new Superman . . . and he’s Middle Eastern?
Viggo Mortensen was dating Snow White, I guess. He’s not anymore. But he’s not Zod!
Wonder Woman from Blue Boutique. Wonder Woman from J-Crew.
Should Netflix save cancelled/endangered shows?
Mass Effect 2 DLC came out. And now I’ve beaten it. Did Bioware just charge ME money to change the end of THEIR game?
Farmville is an example of a mental disorder.
Volkswagon has made a car from a video game!
Zuke’s Favorite: Three Angry Birds
Schmidty’s Favorite: Google’s +1
Stark’s Favorite: Today is a good day to sing!
Zohner’s Favorite: Pimp your router. Aww yeeeeaaa.
Join the forum discussion on this post - (2) Posts
I Never Promised
Since it was Zuke who made the promise on a reduction of video awesomeness, I am still free to post as many videos in a row as I like because he’s not the boss of me. Now that I’ve exercised an act of defiance…
Below you will see the reason why every geek must go to San Diego Comic Con at least once: the exclusive toys. As geeks, we all love toys; that’s no secret. Our collections probably drive our spouses insane. We especially love toys that other people are unable to acquire. This is where getting your hands on some of these convention exclusives comes into play. (I think that it’s something to do with our desire to see others want. Probably because we all wanted something, be it girls or the whole collection of Star Wars toys, as we were growing up.)
So Many Comics, So Little Time
In 1993 my dad gave me three copies of Superman #75. Two of these were the “black bag” variant that contained assorted goodies and a variant cover all encased in a black poly bag with a bleeding Superman logo on the front. The third copy was the widely available basic newsstand version. In addition to the individual issues, he also gave me The Death of Superman trade paperback which contained the 11 comics detailing the entire Death of Superman storyline. Growing up, I was always been a fan of comic books but I hadn’t read them with any sort of regularity since I was in grade school so I was a bit surprised by this present but I was still grateful and excited nonetheless. Little did my dad know that his seemingly simple gift would send me down the long path to becoming a comic book geek.
After reading The Death of Superman, I couldn’t seem to get enough. Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding had me hooked on Superman. I kept reading the storyline knowing that nobody in comics stays dead (except for Bucky but he’s back now too) and I wanted to see what was going to happen next. I started a weekly hold at the local comic book store and was soon deeply immersed in the world of Superman.
About the same time as Superman was being killed off, Gotham City was facing a new villain named Bane who would eventually break Batman’s back in the Knightfall storyline. The guy at the comic book store gave me a synopsis of what had been happening and I immediately fell in love with the idea of yet another hero facing a force greater than he. I was also fascinated by the idea of a normal person with no superpowers whatsoever fighting crime. Batman was a character that I could relate with – he was smart and had cool toys. While nobody could be Superman, anybody could be Batman given the proper training and resources. I decided that I needed to follow the adventures of Superman and Batman so I added the various Batman titles to my weekly hold.
I believe that there were four Superman titles and four Batman titles being published at the time. The comic shop would get their shipment on Friday afternoons so every Friday night after work I’d stop by and pick up my comics for the week and then spend the evening in my room reading them. Since I was only reading eight titles regularly, my haul would usually be limited to two issues but, on occasion, there would be a special one-shot or variant cover that I would also pick up. It wasn’t long before I realized that there was a enormous universe of superheroes that I was missing out on. Apparently Superman was my gateway comic. I was soon picking up more than 10 titles per week. The artwork was so amazing and the storylines were so compelling that I couldn’t get enough. Add the fact that the comic book guy would tell me about titles that I might like and I was never short on reading material.
In February of 1995 I left on a two year mission to South Africa for the LDS Church. Before I left, Comic Book Guy offered to keep my hold going so that I would be able to catch up on things when I got home but I knew that two years worth of comic books was a lot so I declined his offer. While I was in Africa, I would occasionally see a rack of comics in a bookstore but, knowing that I was out of the loop, I would resist the urge to pick up a few issues. I figured that when I got home, I’d be able to start collecting again and that I could pick up the back issues over time. I was wrong.
Shortly after arriving back in the States, I met my wife and realized that there was no way that I could support my comic book habit and keep her happy so something had to go. It obviously wasn’t her. Over the past few years, I’ve started getting back into collecting comics but nothing like before. She has decided that it’s OK for me to start a hold again but only if I limit myself to one title per month. I’ve chosen Star Wars Legacy as my monthly fix but I’ve also started getting digital copies of older issues that I read on my computer.
I decided a few weeks ago that I needed to get caught up on all of my comic reading for the last 14 years so I’ve been acquiring various back issues from the DC Universe so that I know what’s been happening to my favorite heroes. The fact that my sister is also a comic geek has helped me too because she also gets the trade paperbacks and lets me borrow them as needed.
Right now I’m reading Crisis on Infinite Earths from 1985 and will soon start reading old issues of The Flash dating back to 1987 and Green Lantern from who knows when. I’ll eventually pick up where I intended to, which is just after Zero Hour, but I just can’t seem to focus on just one hero or storyline. It’s funny because I figured that I would just read the collections but it’s turning out to be entire comic runs. I dare say that I’ll be spending hours and hours trying to get caught up. Maybe I should have never canceled my hold…
Wolverine, and other movies coming soon.
This past Friday I saw the movie that claims to start the summer, X-men Origins: Wolverine. For years the back story of Wolverine has been incredibly confusing. However this all changed a few years ago with a min-series entitled, “Origins”. This finally put the beginnings of one of the Marvel universes most celebrated characters. The movie holds close to this part of the story. However when it comes to other bits of Marvel history it is far less faithful. There will be a few “spoilers” but lets face it, no one who goes to see this movie was expecting The Usual Suspects.
Wolvie is treated fairly well, but the same cannot be said for his costars. So many different mutants are put on screen that it is sometimes hard to keep track of them. I think that the only reason I was able to track some of them was due to the years that I’ve spent reading comics. To summarize a few of my fanboy problems I’ll provide a small list. Someone who is not a comics fan would likely find no problem with any of these changes, and would merely enjoy all the fun explosions. However I wouldn’t be a true geek if I didn’t nit pick.
- What the hell did they do to Deadpool? He was the best part of the film’s first 20 minutes then they “kill” him offscreen. I’ve read some stuff online that points to possible spin-offs with his character, and I can only hope they come true.
- While Gambit’s character is introduced in the Big Easy he doesn’t sound like a Cajun. While it’s nice to not see an actor try to Costner their way through an accent I’m sure that they could have found someone to teach him. The accent was a huge part of the characters cool factor from the old cartoon, and was missed on screen.
- Emma Frost is NOT Silverfox’s sister. That was a silly plot point that added nothing to the story and was put in just to irk fanboys. Job well done.
- While I’m on Ms Frost, the diamond form was NOT her primary mutation. She was a telepath only eclipsed by Professor X, and Jean Grey, and a few others. It looked cool onscreen, so that one gets a bit of a pass.
- Liev Screiber is one of my favorite actor’s working today, and he did as much as he could with his role as Sabertooth, definitely more than Tyler Mane did in X-men. However there just wasn’t that much for him to work with. He kicks the hell out of Logan, then Wolvie gets cutlery for claws and is unstoppable? Yeah that didn’t make much sense to me either.
- He was called Logan by several characters, but they never explained why. It’s a small thing but an example of the lazy approach they took to the story.
- And most important of all, What the hell did they do with Deadpool.
As I said non comic fans will probably enjoy the generic summer actionness of the movie. Comic fans will find plenty of room to gripe, but its a slow comic summer so we’ll let that go.
7/10
Other movies coming up, and quick thoughts on them.
Star Trek: It’s gonna be great, we all can’t wait to enjoy the geekgasm that will erupt this Friday.
Angels and Demons: Dan Brown’s book is superior to the more lauded Da Vinci Code, my hope is that the movie will follow. Also Christians, and Catholics need to relax. Really all you’re doing is providing free advertisement.
Terminator Salvation: I’m not sure if the world was really crying out for another Terminator movie, but this one looks like it should deliver on the action front. Christian Bale hasn’t made many bad movies so I’ve got high hopes. It’ll probably be the only Terminator we get cause the TV show is on the chopping block.
Transformers 2: Should be good action. ‘Nuff said.
UP: It’s Pixar, it’s gonna be great.
Public Enemies: Johnny Depp stars as real life bank robber John Dillinger. It’s directed by Michael Mann, who I’m a huge fan of, so you know it’ll be good. If there was ever a better time to root for the guy who’s ripping off the banks I don’t know when.
Harry Potter 6: Will also be great, but really we’re just waiting for 7 at this point. All this one will be is filler.
Inglorious Basterds: Tarrintino’s look at WWII. It stars the man of both mine, and my wife’s list Brad Pitt. Should be fun and ultra violent
Julie & Julia: The bio-pic of famed chef, and professional alcoholic, Julia Child will be what my wife goes to while I’m reliving my childhood in G.I. Joe. Then I’m sure I’ll see it a few weeks later, cause lets face it I’m fan of both Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.
G.I. Joe: The one I’m most excited for after Star Trek, and also the one that no one is really talking about. I know it doesn’t come out till August, but I’m really looking forward to this one. Any chance to see Christopher “Doctor Who” Eccelston chew up the screen is a rare treat.
Did I miss anything?
The British Are Funny
I think that there is some sort of code that states that if you are a geek then you must find the British funny. Whether it is Mr. Bean or Monty Python, you need to laugh when people from across the pond do something. If you disagree with me, then your geek card may be revoked by whomever it is that issues them.
My job allows for me to see all sorts of technology before other people. It also allows for me to watch television shows and movies on one monitor while I do work on another. This is very convenient because I am able to stay current on a lot of the shows that I enjoy watching. I also get to watch a lot of stuff that I wouldn’t otherwise have the time to. No, I don’t just watch TV all day. I do get to see an episode here or there though.
One of the shows that I was introduced to by my coworkers is a British comedy called The IT Crowd. This is a true comedic gem. It’s about two guys and their female, know-nothing-about-IT boss who work in an IT department. They are typical basement dwellers who only come out to fix the things that technically challenged people shouldn’t be using anyway. They just finished up the third season in the UK and there have been talks of bringing it to the US a la The Office.
Of all of the characters, Moss has to be my favorite. He is the most awkward computer nerd you have ever met. The beautiful thing about his character is that we all know somebody like him. Heck, we might even be him.
If you have never seen this show, you need to. It’s not available on DVD in the US yet but, being the geek that you are, I’m sure that you can find a way to procure it in a sutiable format for your viewing pleasure.
Let’s Keep Voting
I’m going through some serious election withdrawal. So, to fill the emptiness that I’m feeling inside, I decided that it’s time for a new poll. You may remember that when I asked our last poll question, Do you consider yourself a geek?, I mentioned that there would be a follow-up poll, and a later follow-up post. I am shamed to admit that I forgot where I was going with that and ended up jumping the gun with my post about geeks and their love for Lego. In an attempt to ensure that our faithful reader doesn’t feel ripped off, it’s only fair to follow-through with the second part of the poll.
This time around, we’re asking if you have an affinity for Lego products. This could be interpreted as your love for the amazing video games, the great, if not elusive, playsets, or even something as simple as the pens or keychains. Even if you think they’re really cool and wish you could buy them but don’t, that’s still an affinity. Now is the time that you vote.
New Poll Time
We have a new poll up. This time, we’re asking if you consider yourself a geek. This poll will play into my next post as well as our next poll. I’m currently planning to do a follow-up post regarding the results.
Who Won The Battle Of Summer Blockbusters?
I love comic books and I love movies so naturally, I’m a big fan of movies based on comic books. There is no doubt that this summer was enough to make many a geek wet themselves with delight.
Talk to the hand
The summer started off with a giant crimson and gold bang as Iron Man dominated theaters to the tune of $318,219,154. Not too bad for a movie about a dysfunctional millionaire with a really cool suit. Despite the fact that I think that Tony Stark is a giant douche bag in the comics, especially after Marvel’s Civil War, there’s no doubt that Robert Downey Jr. was flat out amazing. Throw in a nice cameo by Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury that set up the upcoming Avengers project, and this provided much geek glee.
Next up we had Speed Racer, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, and Indiana Jones and the Something About Aliens. I didn’t see Speed Racer because I fear having epileptic seizures. I don’t have epilepsy but the trailers were enough to keep me away. Plus, I’m not a big Speed Racer fan. Narnia was good, albeit a bit long and Indy was further proof that George Lucas is going insane. It should be noted though that I will be buying both Narnia and Indy because I am a geek and really enjoyed both movies.
Hulk contemplate the complexities of life.
Once the pre-summer blockbusters were out of the way, we were treated to Edward Norton getting all green and smashy in The Incredible Hulk which, surprisingly, did not suck. It even made a respectable $134,518,390 at the box office. I didn’t expect much from this film given the fact that Ang Lee’s The Hulk made me want to jump off of a bridge. That was a bad movie. The sequel, not so much. I may even end up buying it on DVD. Plus, there was a cameo by Robert Downey Jr. reprising his role as Tony Stark. In case you forgot, it set up the previously mentioned upcoming Avengers project. There is also some alleged footage that was cut at the last minute that showed Captain America. It’s purpose? To set up the upcoming Captain America movie.
Between The Incredible Hulk and The Dark Knight, which let’s face it, is probably one of the best movies in the history of movies, we saw the release of Wanted, Hancock, and Hellboy II: The Golden Army. I didn’t see Hancock but the other two were good movies. To be honest though, at this point in the summer, I was just waiting for Batman to beat the crap out of some bad guys.
"I've never felt this way towards a psychopath before"
July 18 will go down as the day that the best superhero movie of all time opened. Yes, I’m talking about The Dark Knight. I’ve already reviewed this so I won’t do it again here but this movie is two hours and thirty two minutes of pure awesome. When all was said and done, it brought in $521,890,027 making it one of the most successful movies in history. With a re-release planned for Oscar season, who knows how much this movie will end up making.
We were also treated to The X-Files 2: I Want to Believe and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I didn’t see X-Files. Not because I don’t want to, but because I was too busy. I’m sure I’ll eventually watch it though. For my thoughts on The Clone Wars, read my review. Needless to say, with a box office take of only $34,477,361, I don’t think I was the only one mildly disappointed by it.
This all got me to thinking, who came out on top this summer? Obviously DC Comics did well with The Dark Knight but Marvel had two offerings that were really good. OK, one that was really good, one that was awesome. However, Marvel set up future projects and actually did what the comics do in showing that these characters don’t live in a vacuum. With Thor, Captain America, The Avengers, an Iron Man sequel, and two Spiderman sequels all in the works, I think that Marvel is going to prove to be the big winner in this summer’s box office battles. With the cameos and the upcoming movies that they were able to set up, every geek should be jumping for joy. Now if only DC could pull of the same thing with the much rumored Justice League movie…
