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.

Kick-Ass 2 Redband Trailer

I’ve been a huge fan of the comic, so it’s great to finally see Kick-Ass resurface after disappearing from my radar.

Check out the trailer here: http://www.mtv.com/videos/movie-trailers/887615/kick-ass-2.jhtml

Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome

The nerd universe is in desperate need of a new space saga series- let’s hope this can be the beginning of the next. Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome will FINALLY be released THIS FRIDAY on Machinima Prime. Follow young pilot William Adama in the First Cylon War and his first adventure aboard the Battlestar Galactica.

It will be awesome- SO SAY WE ALL!

Nostalgic Gamer Podcast

podcast103(Retrogaming)

Avengers, Imax/3D, Childhood memories and April O’Neil dolls

http://babbleon5.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/podcast102.mp3

IGN Rewind of the AVENGERS trailer

IGN does another REWIND of the newest AVENGERS trailer. Warning, potential plot spoilers included. Enjoy!

WonderCon in March 2012!

The WonderCon 2012 registration is now open! This will be the first year that it is hosted in Anaheim so it will be interesting to see how the OC/LA/SD comic book community responds to this opportunity. I went to WonderCon for the first time last year when it was held in it’s traditional location of San Fran. It had to move just for this year because of the renovation schedule at the Moscone Center. I loved it! It’s the only convention that I have visited that felt like Comic Con without all the crazy crowds and chaos. It was still packed with fans but was still manageable. If you are a fan of SDCC or always wanted to try a con for the first time, try WonderCon. In this new location, no one knows how busy it will be so get your tickets early to be safe. See you in Anaheim! Read my full review from last year’s WonderCon.

Purchase passes at the WonderCon website

Tmnt Art by David Rapoza

I was a huge ninja turtles fan growing up and I couldn’t help but nerd out over this amazing concept art done by David Rapoza. What do you all think?

Find more of his work here: http://daverapoza.blogspot.com/

The Force is strong with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost…

From Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and now PAUL, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost have hit just about every nerd genre out there. If there past films doesn’t convince you of their ‘nerd cred’, then perhaps this will. The force is strong with these two.

 

Our Top 5 Movie Heroines

We recently posted at the GirlsAreGeeks site, our Top 5 Movie Heroines of all time. Our nerdy girls colleagues approved our choices and even said it passed the Bechdel Test. We don’t know what that is but it sounds good. So after much debating and arguing that at one point even led to a Klingon blood feud, we finally decided on these five. So we proudly present to you the Babbleon5 Top 5 Movie Heroines of all time. In no particular order, except for number one.

5. The Bride from Kill Bill – This nameless character is easily recognizable as Uma Thurman in Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2. She kicked ass, took names and kept body parts. All in the name of revenge and maternal instinct. We couldn’t think of ANY other heroines who could wield a blade like she did or look as hot in the process.

4. Ripley from the Alien movies -  Ripley’s, believe it or not, one of our favorite and most original heroines. She’s smart, tough, knows how to use a gun and has great survival instincts. She fought against both hordes of aliens and corporate greed. Who can argue against that?

3.  Trinity from The Matrix -  While she isn’t the “one” she definitely makes our list of top heroines. Chic black leather, hip shades, and an impossibly cool demeanor. Plus, anyone who can act with Keanu Reeves deserves some credit.

2. Sarah Conner from the Terminator series – Maternal instinct in overdrive. She is smart, thinks fast, and knows how to disassemble and clean a shotgun.. She accepts the truth no matter how horrific it may be and is determined to do everything she can to ensure her son, and humanity, survives.

And that leads us to our number one over all greatest heroine of all time …

Bella from Twilight.

Okay, seriously, we’re kidding. How about …

1. Princess Leia – Rebel leader, freedom fighter, and princess, she was smart, tough, witty, and sexy. She endured torture, shot Stormtroopers, rode speeder bikes, and watched her home planet be destroyed, yet still she fought on.  From her iconic hair braids in Star Wars to her sizzling slave girl outfit in Return of the Jedi, no one has been copied, imitated, or  emulated as much as her. We all had crushes on her as kids and she is one of the few female action figures that graced our toy boxes. And so it is, we sing her praise, “Leia, you got us on our knees. Leia, we beg ya darlin’ please, Leia, darlin’ won‘t you ease our worries now.” She even made the phrase, “may the force be with you,” sound cool. She is, without a doubt, our top movie heroine of all time.

So there you go gang, our top five list, complete for your amusement and disagreement. Let us know what you think!

The Girls are Geeks’ Top 5 Movie Heroes

From the desk of our favorite girly nerds- the Girls Are Geeks…

So, in response to the gentlemen of BabbleOn 5 with their top 5 movie heroines, the girls of Girls Are Geeks have created a list of our favorite movie heroes. In putting this list together, it was discovered that girls have vastly different ideas of who their heroes are, but still, this seems to a be at least an interesting list! Here they are in no particular order:

Batman
Holy hero-with-a-utility-belt Batman! He’s been through many incarnations to be sure, although the most recent portrayal by the gorgeous and talented Christian Bale is definitely a favorite. We love Batman because he made himself into a superhero. He didn’t come upon random superpowers, he worked hard to become Batman. Batman uses his strength and his intelligence to foil the bad guys, and brains are something geeky girls always find sexy.

Robin Hood
Another hero with a multitude of portrayals (though Rosalind’s favorite will always be Cary Elwes Man in Tights!), including one incredible singing fox (guest writer A. Cetogen’s favorite!). Robin Hood works to help those who need it most, but he isn’t afraid to use his wit as well as his sword and arrows in the process. The best Robin Hoods are one part swashbuckler, one part cocky comedian, and one part ready to die for Marion, but never too afraid to let her join in the fight.

Hamlet
There’s almost nothing like a good reluctant hero who does what he has to do because it is the right thing. Hamlet sees what has gone wrong and tries to fix it. Sure, he’s not perfect, and he makes mistakes in the process, but it’s hard to fall for a hero who gets it all right on the first try. Hamlet is also the basis for other heroes that we love including Simba in the Lion King and Jax from Sons of Anarchy (although that’s another whole category). Also, if you haven’t seen David Tennant in the most recent incarnation of this role, wow! Fix that problem.

Aragorn
Maybe it’s the fact that he’s yet another reluctant hero. Maybe it’s his incredible tracking skills. Maybe it’s the fact that Viggo Mortensen commands every scene he’s in (and he’s just breathtaking to watch). Aragorn doesn’t want power or fortune or fame even though he’s entitled to all of it. He just wants the best for the people of his kingdom. He finally gives in to the Return when he realizes that the best thing for his kingdom is his rule.

Han Solo
Okay, maybe it seems a little obvious to have the Han to the guys Leia, but seriously, he’s the perfect hero, or is that anti-hero? Han always seemed to be just out for himself, but when it comes down to it, he’s there on the right side of the fight. He cares about his friends, he would never leave someone behind, and he can make the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. Following our favorite trend: he’s not perfect, actually, he deserved to be called a nerfherder and he is scruffy (he just didn’t realize at the time that scruffy is sexy). He also isn’t afraid of getting in Princess Leia’s face. It has to be said, although we may pout and fuss sometimes, we want a man who isn’t always going to let us win. If you need a hero to get your back and kick some a$$ and look good doing it, Han Solo is our pick.

There you have it. Our heroes probably fall more on the atypical side of what one might think of as a hero, but that’s the way us geeky girls like our men: imperfect but willing to work like hell to make up for that. Thanks for letting us swoon for a few minutes here and hope you enjoyed our list!

Special thanks to the Girls Are Geeks! Let us know if you agree with these picks.

Top Ten Nerd Years Resolutions.

 

So another year has come and gone and if you are anything like the typical nerd, not much has changed except for your Warlocks level in World of Warcraft (ding!), so to help you along I have compiled this list of potential

Top Ten Nerd Years Resolutions.

10. Put that CCG knowledge to use and switch to Poker. You can at least win money and it’s cool.

9. Move out of your Mother’s house.

8. Shave your neck hair.

7. At least once a week, go outside.

6. Buy at least one shirt that isn’t black silk screened with anime chicks or super hero’s on it.

4. Successfully buy a ticket for Comic-con.

3. Invest your money into the stock market or mutual funds or anything other then “collectible” action figures.

2. Nothing levels up your strength and constitution like hitting the gym.

1. Go on a date this year. Just one, this will single handedly double the amount that you went on the year before. It has been pointed out to me by my fellow nerds that you can’t double a zero…please, don’t bother my with such trivial nonsense like math and logic, I live in the realm of fantasy.

 

Cheers!