What Will S.H.I.E.L.D. Yield?

So if you are into nerd culture at all you have watched the trailer for FOX’s new show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (which is a pain to type) produced by the great Joss Whedon. If you haven’t seen or heard about it then check your geek cred but here is the link.

First thought is that this show has a lot of potential to be really amazing. It’s more true to the original S.H.I.E.L.D. in that it isn’t using the hero’s from The Avengers but rather a new team that may or may not have super powers.  Most importantly they are bringing back the affable, mild mannered Agent Coulson to give the show a boost of recognizability. So I have high hopes for this show.

Okay in a nice momentary and embarrassing lapse of nerd cred, I for some reason thought this was on FOX. Hey I’m not to proud to admit a screw up (if I was I would be lying all the time!) Right-o then, it’s on Disney owned ABC, which means it should be good.

 

Thoughts On The New Arrested Development

So by now if you don’t know about Netflix’s upcoming Arrested Development release you have probably been frozen in the banana stand. Arrested Development is hands down my favorite sitcom of all time. I decided that in preparation of their upcoming new episodes on Netflix that I would re-watch the original three seasons and I am glad I did. They are still fresh, original and funny and more importantly every time I watch them I catch something I didn’t the first time.

The release date is May 26^th and while I am excited about it I do have some questions. Namely, after so much time away, will the show still keep its fresh originality? It is hard to imagine they can just pick up where they left off but at the same time the show ended in full stride and we never had to watch it die the slow, painful death hit comedies usually suffer. The temptation for them will be to try and cram in as many of the old bits that they can so that it feels forced. I think the key here is to trust the cast, writers and director. They did a great job with the originals and I believe they will nail the new ones as well. They certainly have had more than enough time to come up with ideas.

The other question of course is how much has the cast aged?  The most obvious would be Alia Shawkat (Maeby) and Michael Cera (George-Michael) and possibly Jessica Walter (Lucille) and Jeffrey Tambor (George Sr.). So to answer that question here are the promo posters.

So Lucille and George still look pretty much the same. Here is Maeby and George-Michael.

George-Michael is a little older but he still keeps his baby face. Maeby has definitely aged the most, from cute rebellious kid to college student, but she still fits the role. Now for fun here is Lindsey.

She still looks amazing. Most of the rest of the cast haven’t changed to much either. I can’t wait. If you want to check them out here is the trailer.

Does Reading Game Of Thrones Ruin The Show?

I, along with millions of other people, am a huge Game of Thrones (GoT) fan on HBO. I can’t get enough of it, and I may even have an addiction to all things Westeros. So it was at the end of season two I found myself tempted to read the books.  I had been putting it off reading them since I didn’t want to ruin the TV show but I kept hearing about how good they were and I had to quench my thirst for more GoT.  So I broke down and read them, which leaves the question: does reading the books ruin the TV show?

The answer is both yes and no. First of all, let me just go ahead and be that guy that says the books are better. The TV show is brilliant but the books add so much more to the world and that is why it doesn’t ruin the show. There are so many minor characters explained, so much backstory being told and so much information about the world that it really enhances your overall understanding and appreciation of the show. Like the rug on the Dude’s floor in The Big Lebowski, the books really tie the show together.

It also ruins the show because I know more or less, what is going to happen. There are no more “WTF, I can’t believe they just did that,” moments because you already know what is going to happen.  That being said, that being said it is so well done that I still enjoy watching it transpire. The episode from a couple of weeks ago with Daenerys Targaryen leading her army out of Astapor still sends chills up my spine.

To read or not to read is you own decision but personally I am glad I did. Besides, do you really want to wait four more seasons to learn what happens? I think  not.

The Morality of Zombiefication

I have to admit, as much as I love con’s, some of the panels can get pretty out there at times and so it was with some chagrin that I saw the strangely titled “Not Guilty by Reason of Zombification? Law and Forensic Psychiatry After the Zombie Apocalypse.”  Okay that is a mouthful but you get the idea.  Or do you?

We all know that in the coming zombie apocalypse the laws of morality and ethics will change greatly. Self-defense, looting and death by zombies are just a few of the problems humanity will face. All bets are off as only the strongest will survive. It could be an interesting panel, but this panel takes it further. What if suddenly a cure for zombification was found and those former zombies return to being human again? Would they be held accountable for their zombie actions? Or is being a zombie a good enough legal defense in and of itself? That’s the premise of this panel and while it may be a little out there, it could be fun. Which raises the questions, are werewolves accountable for their actions too?

I Liked The Hobbit And I Am Not Ashamed Of It

Alright, I have been meaning to write this for a while since most critics (including one Babbler) hated The Hobbit. Look, I know it reeks of Hollywood milking a franchise to stretch it into three movies to make money (and I do hate that). I know there was too much CGI.  I know the Goblin King looked like a boil that was about to burst. I know the rock giants fighting had no place in the movie and I know the dwarves fell down a ridiculous amount of stuff, and yet after all of that, I still liked it.

To me it was just fun. Maybe it is because I am such a fan of Tolkien that anything involving his works I will watch. Maybe it is because as a kid I was dying for LoTR/Hobbit movies and now I finally got them and maybe it was just because it made me feel like a kid again. I will say they did a brilliant job with the Riddles in the Dark sequence between Bible and Gollum. So as a whole I liked it and thought it was fun and maybe sometimes that is all a movie needs to be. Then again I am not approaching this as a critic.

I don’t like that the sequel is called The Decimation of Smaug. Smaug and the ensuing battle should more or less be the last movie. I have no idea what they will do with movie three other than the rise of the Witch King, which was not in the books. Will it be good as part one or more contrived who knows? But for now, I liked the first part.

Dean Koontz At Wondercon

So yesterday I wrote about how I loved hearing from the creative types, like the writers and directors, talk about their work and mentioned that Neil Gaiman was one of my favorite panels ever. This leads to another panel I surprisingly, really enjoyed and that was Dean Koontz. As it turns out, he is coming to WonderCon in a few weeks.

At Comic-Con you have to get in line way early for a panel which means you often have to sit through panels you may or may not be interested in. So my brother and I, along with one of my friends, found ourselves arriving early and sitting through the Dean Koontz panel. None of us had read any work by Dean Koontz so we weren’t sure what to expect. As it turns out it was another fascinating panel. Dean fielded questions and talked for an hour about being a writer and about his work. He also gave advice for writers and listed several resources on his website writers may want to use.  All three of us found it really interesting and left wanting to read some of his stuff. Okay, I admit that I still haven’t read anything by him but I will probably be attending the panel at WonderCon. If you get the time you should too, you’ll enjoy it.

One Of My Favorite SDCC Panels

While I love the panels with all the famous celebrities, sometimes they can be a bit of a letdown.  Don’t get me wrong, some are epic, but for some reason it seems like the actors/actresses bring a lot to the table. The panels I have found the most interesting are the ones where you hear from the creative types behind it all such as the writers and directors. In my six years of Comic-Con one of the best panels I have ever been to was a Neil Gaiman panel.  So I was naturally thrilled to hear that he is returning to Comic-Con in 2013!

Neil could pack out Hall H or Ballroom 20 but it wasn’t one of those, it was the large room across the other half of the convention center.  Officially I think he was there for Beowolf, but he really didn’t talk that much about it. Instead he just spent an hour talking about writing, the industry, creativity and fielding all sorts of questions from the audience. It was a really fascinating panel.  Just listening to these guys experiences and how they think about things is pretty fascinating, especially if you are a creative type. Needless to say, I will be there as close to front and center as I can. He is one of those types that if you can invite any five people over to dinner he would be on that list. I am sure he will be talking about his new novel, The Ocean At the End of the Lane, but I can’t help but think he will mention the new Sandman he is working on as well.

Comic-Con Hotels Go On Sale Today!

Well everyone, hope you had good look booking hotels! Hope to see you there!

Peter Dinklage To Be In The Next X-Men Movie!

What is that you ask? Can it be true? Yes Rotten Tomatoes reports everyone’s favorite Lannister is signed to be the antagonist in the X-Men: Days of Future Past movie! The big nerd debate however is who exactly will he be? The internet is abound with rumors and theories. All we know is it should be great!

Comic-con tickets on sale tomorrow!

Just a friendly neighborhood Babble reminding you to buy your SDCC tomorrow! And good luck, may the force be with you.

Star Wars TV Spin Off’s

This is just wrong…

Word has come to light that Disney is planning some Star Wars spin-off movies. Currently the two biggest rumors are a Han Solo movie and Boba Fett movie. For years there has been talk of a Star Wars live action TV show and now that may be a real possibility as well. Just think if they did it dark and gritty like BSG! But why stop there? The world of Star Wars is resplendent with possible TV shows, here are some of the proposed candidates.

Who’s the Bosk – This sitcom follows the daily antics of a Bosk bounty hunter turned nanny. Watch as this battle hardened warrior trained in the deadly arts of man hunting struggles with the day to day trials of raising three troublesome youths, all while trying to hide his violent past from them. Even more hijinks ensue when the occasional visitor from his past catches up with our bumbling Bosk nanny. Will he be able to deal with his past while keeping it from his present employers? We don’t know but it’s sure to be a Rancor pit of laughs!

Bothan Nights – All is not what it seems in this seemingly innocent and just society. Dive into the dark underbelly of corruption, crime, sex and betrayal as this historically inspired story follows the plot of a hand full of brave Bothan’s who work to carry the secret plans of the first death star to the rebellion. Will they succeed and if so at what cost? Tag line:  “Many Bothan’s died bringing us this information, but they were just Bothan’s.”

It’s a Trap! – Admiral Akbar hosts this hilarious reality TV show that places various contestants against each other in an obstacle course for some serious money. Of course, all is not so simple as the race is littered with amusing traps that include Sarlacc pits,   bounty hunters and Tusken raiders just to name a few!  Laugh out loud moments abound as any number of devious traps are sprung, each more cunning and sinister than the next, as contestants do their best to survive the race and claim the prize.

Survivor Hoth – We place our brave contestants in what is often considered one of the most difficult places in the universe to survive: the ice planet Hoth. Watch as they desperately compete for resources such as fire, coats and warm TaunTaun corpses to sleep in. Who will succumb to frostbite and random Wampa attacks and who will rise above it all and proclaim themselves the ultimate survivor? Only time will tell.

Here Comes Honey Windu – These words strike fear into the very hearts of any member of the Dark Side.  Join Mace Windu, jedi master and defender of the light, as he tracks down and kills the worst criminals in the galaxy while simultaneously seeking an answer to the mysterious “prophecy” of one who will come and bring balance to the Force.

The Apprentice – Think you got what it takes to be the next great Sith Lord? Well, embrace the Dark Side and let’s find out. Emperor Palpatine hosts this reality TV that pits aspiring Darth’s against each other in the ultimate test of evil vs. evil. Always two there are, a master and an apprentice, but who will be the next one? Stay tuned and find out.

J.J. Abrams to Direct Star Wars!

If you had any misgivings about the new Star Wars movies you can relax a bit. The internet is all buzzing with news that J.J. Abrams will direct the new Star Wars movies. Say what you like about him this is right up his alley and should be good. Just look for his Star Wars/Star Trek crossover in a few years.