Pixar’s Brave Trailer #3

I have a feeling that this one is going to be emotionally heavy like every other Pixar movie. I’m sure looking forward to seeing it!

the Bourne Legacy

How do you think Jeremy Renner will do filling the shoes of Matt Damon as the next ‘Bourne’ agent from treadstone?

Wonder-Con vs. Comic-Con: Random Thoughts

So I have been to Comic-Con the last 5 years in a row, hanging with my friends at Comic-Con (our Contourage as we call it) is one of the things that convinced me to move to California. The last two years I have been to Wonder-Con as well. Nothing can top Comic-Con, but in some ways, I really enjoy Wonder-Con more. Here is why.

1. First of all, the crowds aren’t out of control. Let’s face it, Comic-Con is just too crowded and you can tire yourself out just by trying to get through the sales floor. Additionally it is absurd having to wait in a line for 5 hours just get a seat in Hall H or Ballroom 20. At Wonder-Con you easily get into any panel you want without spending half the day in line.
2. The atmosphere is a lot more relaxing as well. Comic-Con is four days of constantly being on the go (when you’re not waiting in line.) It’s a  nonstop whirl of people, hype, costumes, panels, celebrities and venders that can leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed by the end.  Wonder-Con you just relax and enjoy. You can take your time on the sales floor, hang out with people and just soak up the nerdiness.
3. There is also a lot more focus on comics, writers and artists. Comic-Con has little to do with comics anymore (which is fine) but at times it feels more like one big advertisement whereas Wonder-Con is really more about developing and promoting the creative side of things. They even have the connect event each night where writers and artist could meet each other.
4. The venders were better as well. Except for the huge displays put on by the big names, Comic-Con kind of feels like a flea market as times. Large, obnoxious shirt venders, cramped booths filled with random action figures and some things that probably shouldn’t exist at all. The venders at Wonder-Con were less junky and more unique, with a wider range of original, unique items. It was also a lot of local venders. Comic-Con could stand to clean up the sales floor a bit. Sadly, these other venders will never get into Comic-Con. The wait list is too long and nobody in their right mind is giving up their spots.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Comic-Con and wouldn’t miss it for the world. I love the panels, the celebrities, the culture, the people, the costumes and everything else associated with Comic-Con. Jews go to Jerusalem, Muslims go to Mecca, and nerds go to Comic-Con. This is really more of a critique or comparison of the two.  Think of Wonder-Con as a magic time machine that takes you back to what Comic-Con was 15 years ago. Fun times.

In Joss We Trust . . .

The less you know about The Cabin in the Woods, the better.  The movie has been promoted as a horror film about 5 young adults taking off for a weekend trip to the titular cabin and that’s really all you need to know walking in.  The familiar premise might make you roll your eyes, but despite the lack of Autobots, Cabin, is more than meets the eye.

The film begins by introducing a parallel story involving a pair of lab-

like employees Siitterson (Richard Jenkins) and Hadley (Bradley Whidford) swapping wife complaints while preparing for some sort of event. The scene goes on long enough to remind you that this isn’t what you’re here to see. Aren’t you supposed to to be watching kids get violently murdered? What is going on?

What is going on indeed. This brief, disorienting intro sets the tone for the rest of the film: Something is not quite right here. However, before you have time to dwell on the question, the film flashes its title credits and starts setting up the conventional horror film formula: 5 college students heading out to an isolated lake cabin for a weekend of partying, pot, and. . . . hooking up. Each member of the group also fills a standard role. There is the naive, virginal(ish), Dana (Kristen Conolly), her hot, promiscuous roommate, Jules (Anne Hutchison), Jules’s studly alpha male boyfriend Curt (Chris Hemsworth), their pothead friend, Marty (Fran Kanz), and the handsome friend-of-a-friend, Holden (Jesse Williams), who simultaneously fills the role of potential love interest for Dana and ethnic minority. The quintet sets out and right on time, cue an ominous encounter with a grimy, tobacco chewing hermit, whose warnings the group undoubtedly ignores as they continue to their middle-of-nowhere destination.

From here, the parallel stories start to weave into each other and not much more can be said without major spoilers.The film surprises bit by bit, then snowballs with plot twists and reveals, until it culminates in an outrageous half hour finale of frenzied chaos, gleeful gore, and winks to classic villains and baddies that horror geeks love. Cabin is a treasure trove of horror fanatic goodies. The fiendishly clever script by was penned cult hero, Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and director of the the much-anticiated Avengers film), and Whedonverse  followers will recognize the auteur’s self aware style. There are lots of witty one-liners, nerd references, and visual gags that are just the right amount of absurd, including a passing bit involving a collapsible bong.  There’s also a very well-timed cameo that’s sure to delight sci-fi fans.

Whedon and his often creative partner, director Drew Goddard, have always had a flare for old school horror bloodshed and there’s plenty of gore to spare in Cabin in the Woods. Be warned, this is a very violent film, but it’s never truly scary. Instead, Cabin is both a satire and celebration of the horror genre, inventively twisting horror cliches and bending conventional tradition to ask the questions: Why do we love horror films so much? Why do we root for these violent deaths? Are the victims’ demises a result of their own free will or the machinations of forces they can not control? 

The Avengers is not the only Whedon-vehicle that is a must see this year. Even for those not keen on horror films, it’s a fun genre-pushing film that will delight, surprise, and thrill you. By the end, you won’t be quite sure what just happened, but you won’t be sorry it did.

Cabin in the Woods get 4.5 Babbles out of 5.

A Capcom Card Game!?

Ah the nerd world, so full of creative and odd games. There are RPG’S, MMORPG’s, Table Top Miniatures, LARP’s and of course CCG’s. The last one (CCG) stands for Collectible Card Games, and if you already knew then you will fit right in with us. CCG”s are just that, card games where buy and collect cards and play each other. These are cool, slick games like Texas Hold’Em or Blackjack, no leave it to use nerds to take something cool like cards and make it, well, nerdy.

You have probably seen some of them. The biggest is Magic the Gathering but there are plenty of others. There is a Star Wars one, Overpower (a Marvel and DC superhero themed game,) Legend of the Five Ring (L5R), World of Warcraft and even Pokemon can be considered a CCG.

I never played Magic, it was too expensive and too many cards. I did play L5R and Overpower pretty heavily. One day I decided that due to money and the fact I only enjoyed them half the time, I quit playing them and swore I would never get back in: Until now.

It has been announced that Capcom and Cryptozoic Entertainment are developing an all new CCG based on the Capcom universe! It will feature Street Fighter, Final Fight and other Capcom entities you can choose to battle it out with your friends.

Resident Evil was not on the list of the first sets to be released, but you can bet good money that if they game is a hit, they will add Resident Evil sooner or later. Will I play it? Maybe, I said I would never get back into CCG’s, but I also said I would never get back into Dungeon’s and Dragons but we see how that went.  Now if we could just get a Silent Hill card game going.

Here is the press release and oh, I call Chun-Li.

Marvel Announces Captain America Sequel Release Date

The Avengers isn’t even in theatres yet and Marvel has given its fans another Avenger film to look forward to. Walt
Disney Studios announced today that the sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger is set to be released in theatres on April 4, 2014. The sequel will pick up where The Avengers leaves off.

For those planning to see The Avengers next month (everyone), this is definitely a less than subtle hint to stick around for the traditional post credits scene.

Here’s the full press release:
The Walt Disney Studios has announced a release date for Marvel Studios’ sequel to the blockbuster Captain America: The First Avenger on April 4, 2014. The second installment will pick-up where the highly anticipated Marvel’s The Avengers (May 4, 2012) leaves off, as Steve Rogers continues his affiliation with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D and struggles to embrace his role in the modern world.

Look Out Katniss . . . Make Way for Princess Merida!

Bows and arrows are all the rage now and a new heroine will soon be stepping up to challenge The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen as the reigning archery queen. Pixar’s newest film, Brave, will be hitting theaters June 22. Brave is Pixar’s first fairy tale and tells the story of the strong-willed and sharp-shooting Princess Merida. Check out the new promotional posters for the movie below!

Announcing the Nerdist!

Well everyone, it may be spring but as far as we are concerned not only is winter coming, but it has already arrived in a full force gale. That’s right, Game of Thrones, the super-duper, ultra awesome, mega hit show from HBO started up again last night and it did not disappoint one bit. Any concern as to whether they would pick right up where they left off has been erased and I would even argue they took it to an even higher level than last year. Also added some nice new characters and showed once again why Peter Dinklage won an Emmy.  If there was any doubt about it before, this show is definitely my favorite (sorry Breaking Bad and Dexter) and I am already completely hooked and looking forward to the Comic-Con panel this summer!

On another nerdy note, we are excited for the launch of The Nerdist channel on YouTube. We got a chance to see some of the at the Wondercon panel and it looks hilarious. Chris Hardwick (the Nerdist) is partnering with Neil Patrick Harris, Weird Al Yankovic, Rob Zombie and several other nerdy types to bring you some very original programming. Be sure to check it out and maybe even subscribe to it?

Superman

New Superman banner releases. Thoughts? Leave your comments below.

Doctor Who season 7 teaser trailer

Doctor Who S7 Companion

It was announced recently that 25 year old actress, Jenna Louise Coleman would be replacing Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) as the Doctor’s new companion.

Steven Moffat had this to say, “It always seems impossible when you start casting these parts, but when we saw Matt and Jenna together, we knew we had our girl. She’s funny and clever and exactly mad enough to step on board the Tardis.”

“It’s not often the Doctor meets someone who can talk even faster than he does, but it’s about to happen. Jenna is going to lead him his merriest dance yet. And that’s all you’re getting for now.

“Who she’s playing, how the Doctor meets her, and even where he finds her, are all part of one of the biggest mysteries the Time Lord ever encounters. Even by the Doctor’s standards, this isn’t your usual boy meets girl.”

Wondercon 2012

Welcome to Wondercon 2012!

Chewbacca (left) Co-Pilot of the Millennium Falcon and Joe Hill (right) Creator/Writer of ‘Locke and Key’

My buddy Jeremy opening ‘The Guild’ cards with the lovely Felicia Day!

Can you say, Time Paradox? Whovians Unite!

Lou Ferrigno (left) Sad ‘Hulk’ song plays.. Yoda (right) He celebrates St. Patties day too!

I think the Avengers lost a few things…

 

Fiona Staples (left) artist of ‘Saga’. Scott Snyder (right) writer for Batman, Swamp Thing, and American Vampire (creator)

Samara (left) from Mass Effect 2, Faye (right) from Cowboy Bebop

Fantomex and Archangel (left), Katniss Everdeen (right) from District 12.

Game of Thrones promo. Only 1 more week away from the Season 2 premiere!

Overall, Wondercon was great this year. Artists and Writers are more accessible at a smaller Con (like this one) in comparison to the Mother Con- SDCC. It was so great getting to meet Joe Hill, Scott Snyder, Fiona Staples, Felicia Day, and Joss Whedon. But, shaking hands with the Legendary STAN LEE, was a dream come true. IT. WAS. AWESOME. I think I could die happy now. Next trip- San Diego Comic Con!