Blogs
So, if, in the last two weeks, I’ve spoken to you in person . . . or on the phone . . . or over email, text, or Twitter . . . or if you’ve seen any of my updates on Facebook . . . or if you’ve casually eavesdropped on any conversation to which I’ve contributed . . . or even if you’ve actively ignored me while within earshot, then you probably have heard about The IT Crowd starring Katherine Parkinson, Richard Ayoade, and Chris O’Dowd. And, you probably don’t need to read this blog (you still could though), because you’ve more than likely heard me spewing a mixture of praises, quotes, and instructions on where to find this hilarious British sitcom from writer/director Graham Linehan. You may or may not recognize Lineham as the successful creator of two other UK sitcoms, Black Books and Father Ted, but, suffice it to say, he has grown into quite the sitcom heavyweight across the pond, having won numerous BAFTAs and even an International Emmy. I can’t speak to these earlier shows, but his third major foray into the wide world of situation comedy is just brilliant, and you have to check it out! I’m not kidding; you can finish reading this, but then, seriously, go check the show out. It’s easy! The first three series’ are streaming on Netflix, so there you go. Wait. Let me actually finish this for real. The fourth season is only available on DVD, and millions of people are very excited that the fifth and sixth series have recently been confirmed for production.
IDW’s Angel books have been giving me a buzz lately. That kind of shimmering excitement you’d feel as a kid when there were only two weeks left in school. The anticipation of IDW’s wrap-up is enormous and rides on three story lines (the flagship Angel series, Brian Lynch’s brilliant Spike mini-series, and the Illyria: Haunted mini-series) that will bridge the gap between IDW’s Angel timeline and Dark Horse Comics’ Buffy Season Eight. The final issue of Illyria: Haunted has arrived, and, while the mini-series itself has both moments of greatness and weakness, IDW has done a solid job of advancing the story of an interesting and difficult character.
SPOILERS BELOW
Microsoft produced seven animated shorts that take place within the Halo universe and collected them all into this thrilling collection called Halo: Legends, which is currently streaming live through Netflix. It seems almost like an experiment to test the possibility of a Halo TV show because of the varying styles and tones exhibited. One short goes beyond campy and clearly targets young children, while another has cursing and close-ups on extreme violence. (The victims may be bad guys that bleed green blood, but, when a knife pushes into a skull, it affects you). These shorts are sure to excite the die-hard Halo fans; however, they are all well produced and will be highly enjoyable to anyone interested in adult animated shorts, be you a Halo fan or not.
First and foremost, since I didn't mention it in my first review, I HAVE to point out how awesome and heavy the Drums are during the opening Star Wars theme! Sounds so epic and gives Clone Wars its own vibe. Plus, it's the only John Williams-type score from the movies that was put into the show. Then, we get, as we fans refer to it, "The Fortune Cookie." The words of wisdom placed before us at the beginning of each episode. This week’s Fortune Cookie says, "Evil Is Not Taught, It Is Learned..." Some people don't give enough attention to the Fortune Cookie and how it relates to the episode. This one is a major one...
In last week’s episode, Dooku was deceived into believing it was the Jedi who attacked him, so that he would look for a new assassin from Mother Talzin; a male assassin this time. I've poked around the internet forums to see if people thought Dooku was aware he was being manipulated or if he actually had no idea. Turns out most think the same way I do. Dooku may be powerful, but it seemed he honestly had no idea he was being deceived. And, what is the past between Mother Talzin and the Nightsisters/brothers? There is a past they aren't telling us. Also, Dooku was not in the least hesitant to drink the beverage Talzin so casually conjured up with her Witchcraft. There has to be some sort of past bond here.
Hello, Fans!
I had the good fortune to attend the premiere of Robert Rodriguez’s new grindhouse flick, Machete, starring ex-con and Rodriguez staple Mr. Danny Trejo at the Orpheum Theater in downtown LA. Let me tell you, it was amazing. Outside the theater was a parking lot housing dozens of low riders and choppers (complete with custom paint jobs and hydraulics) which ferried the cast to the red carpet. Almost every major cast member attended and took the stage before the film screened. Robert Rodriguez gave us a brief introduction before retiring to a balcony-level opera booth to watch the film with friend and fellow filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. The movie itself is filthy and funny and chock full action, nudity, and gore. And, with an eclectic cast of amazing actors playing their over-the-top lines with absolute seriousness, this modernized exploitation film will have you laughing and shouting for more. I definitely recommend seeing this one on the big screen!
Halloween is a holiday for everyone, and I don't wanna hear any mess about how it isn't recognized as an official American holiday. (I'm talking to you, haters from Mrs. Boyer's 3rd grade class!) First, it is totally secular. So, now that I've completely contradicted my opening sentence, let me amend. Aside from fun-hating religious nuts (which is a group that does not include all religious nuts, but does include religious nuts who don't like Halloween), everyone likes Halloween for one reason or another. Being a lazy person myself, I don't always get into the spirit of Halloween, but I do love the celebration of morbid fun and dark humor, the chill in the air, the notion to dress up in a costume and walk around in public with nothing else to do but indulge in a disgusting excess of alcohol, candy, or both.
Stripes, if you haven't seen it, go see it now! You may have noticed the recent steamrolling of Hollywood by macabre movies and television (Twilight and True Blood), the horror films and horror comedies (Saw and Zombieland), the docu-horrors (Paranormal Activity 1 & 2), the horror-dramas (Supernatural and Dexter), and, of course, the adolescent sorceress sitcoms (Sabrina the Teenage Witch).
Greetings, Frakkers!!!
Being the lucky, little Cylon that I am, I managed to nab a seat at the Return of the Cylons: Caprica Season 1.5 Premiere Fan Event at the Globe Theater in Universal Studios - Hollywood last weekend. It was quite the event, what with the red carpet rolled out and a number of the cast and crew attending, including actors Esai Morales (Joseph Adama), Sasha Roiz (Sam Adama), and Alessandra Torresani (Zoe Graystone). Executive producers David Eick, Ronald D. Moore, Jane Espenson, and Kevin Murphy were also in attendance and brought an extra dose of excitement to the event.
It’s not often that fans can so easily mingle with cast and crew, especially given the “geek celebrity” status that Ronald D. Moore and David Eick acquired with the Battlestar Galactica series. Everyone was approachable at the event, and, when we entered the screening room, a bar was set up allowing a more relaxed place to converse with each other. Once the ice was broken, it was a geek’s paradise! Actor Esai Morales was especially friendly, excited, and passionate about the event and the series, encouraging everyone to implore their friends to watch the show and make a second season possible. Morales’ dedication to the project was also very clear when he stopped to show us pictures on his cell phone of his newborn baby girl. His first child having been born just days ago, Morales was understandably eager to be with wife and child; yet, he spent the next few hours fully committed to creating a fun and exciting environment for the fans of Caprica. He’s truly a stand up guy in addition to being an excellent actor! Sasha Roiz soon joined Morales in schmoozing with the fans and turned out to be a delight.
If you haven’t seen Fawlty Towers, the BBC-produced sitcom, don’t even bother, you monkey-brained twit. You probably wouldn’t understand it, seeing as it was written for people with an intellect equal to or greater than that of a 6-year-old child. No, you probably would find the show, written by Connie Booth and John Cleese, quite dull, as there are no gratuitous explosions or women baring their chests. Instead, the show follows an extremely clever, handsome, and hard-working intellectual and hotelier called Basil Fawlty”(me) as I struggle to imbue my seaside hotel, Fawlty Towers, with a teensy speck of respectability and class, but for some reason that is too much to ask, (ahem) Sybil.
Sybil (Prunella Scales), my wife, occasionally ceases gossiping over the telephone long enough to smile at the “riff-raff” that pass through our hotel, while I struggle night and day in the trenches. But no, Sybil, don’t get up! Attend to your social life, my “little nest of vipers,” that is, after all, what’s important, much more so than our livelihood.
I am a woman, I am a geek, and I do not look like Adriana Lima. I devour trade paperbacks like Ex Machina and Preacher, I quote episodes of Firefly, and I will happily discuss the philosophies of Watchmen for hours on end. I am a self-proclaimed professional VGW (Video Game Watcher); I can back-seat drive you through any map on Halo from my comfy spot on the couch. In my mind, I am a typical American fan girl. Having attended numerous comic and geek culture conventions like the San Diego and Pittsburgh Comic-Cons and Monsterpalooza, I have had the pleasure of meeting and befriending fan girls of all shapes, sizes, and ages. Yet, when I turn on G4, a television channel devoted to all things video games, technology, and web related (essentially, genres of the geek kind), the only females that I see on the screen could easily be mistaken for Victoria’s Secret models. (Think that I’m over-exaggerating? Be sure to catch an episode of Attack of the Show, co-hosted by Playmate-of-the-Year Sara Jean Underwood.) Fortunately, this program casting was not always the case; however, in recent years, the channel has undergone numerous corporate overhauls and consolidations, steering itself further away from its originally intended fan base.
For many Fanboys (and Fangirls) in the geek ‘verse, it may be difficult to find the “right” holiday gift for your female companion during this festive time of year. This daunting task can often prove to be more challenging if said significant other does not share your affinity for all things comic-related.
Well, fear no more! As the Coolest Geek Girl Ever, I submit to you a number of holiday gift ideas that will not only warm your sweetie’s heart but will also have them venturing deep into geek territory. (I know; you can thank me later.)