disney panel!
And the rest of your post here
so that happened. the pixar boys came out to show toy story 2 in 3-d as well as a brief new trailer for the toy story 1 + 2 double feature that will be playing in cinemas for 2 weeks beginning on october 2nd. then trotted out the opening sequence of beauty and the beat in 3-d, which is being prepped for a valentine's day 2010 release. needless to say,everything looked stunning and as if it was designed for 3-d from the ground up (particularly beauty and the beast). note... as i was typing this sentence i just got a wee bit eyed from peter jackson. spooky.
then 2-d american animation makes its highly anticipated return with this fall's "the princess and the frog." new orleans setting... heavy on cajun culture... a wee bit of atonement for "song of the south," perhaps? anyhoo, it's been too long since we've witnessed 2-d animation this effing pretty... and the fact that it's a bonafide musical makes me particularly nostalgic. songs by randy newman. hilarious. the footage looks good but the characters... i'll reserve judgment. just so happy that disney finally brought 2-d back to the table.
and then MIYAZAKI.
everything at every comic-con until this point mires in the shadow of this cinematic titan... okay, that sentence was a wee bit ridiculous, but what's not ridiculous is that in my not at all humble opinion, miyazaki is the greatest filmmaker to have visited comic-con in the six years that i've been attending. and he's getting water next to me right now. i'm weeping on loquacious muse's computer. okay, where was i? oooh boy... such goosebumps. i now know how it feels to be a twilight fan. the man... donning a white fedora in the style of akira kurosawa... emerged on stage to the largest standing ovation i've ever seen at the con. the questions posed to him were enraptured, as was patton oswalt's moderation of the panel. the PONYO footage was as breathtaking as i anticipated. the animation almost impossibly rich, and the kinetic momentum of the action beats we were treated to as fluid, inviting, and revelatory as anything studio ghibli has produced thus far. fish waves = awesome. ponyo's hair... still vexes.
i hope the film is a wee bit more accessible than what i've seen suggests, as the 800 theaters disney is plopping this sucker into amounts to miyazaki's largest american release by far, and i hope that some of miyazaki-san's singularly weird concoctions don't lessen our chances for a greater stateside reception of his masterworks. why disney didn't give the ponyo treatment to "spirited away," one of the best and most approachable animated films of all time... is beyond me.
i loves me that man.
See full post
Friday, July 24, 2009
WB Panel
Where the Wild Things Are
And the rest of your post here
real classy, genuine, candid intro video to the film detailing relationship between maurice sendak and spike jonze. the movie seems so beautifully shot and emotionally resonant, or at least insistent... getting a sense it shares the same tone and timbre with being john malkovitch. not sure how the film will play, but can guarantee it wont pander to kids.
now max records, the 10 year-old kid who plays max in the film, is working the shit out of the room.
three extended clips and an extended trailer. goosebumps city. this shit is gorgeous and will play huge to the 20-30 yr. old crowd, hipsters etc... heard chunks of the new music by karen o. that scores the project and it is pitch-perfect for the material. the creature work is impeccable... gandolfini perfectly cast, as is little max records.
THE BOOK OF ELI
the hughes brothers seem incapable of making movies that interest me, and this looks like more post-apocalyptic mediocrity, this time with denzel washington. they showed a little rotoscoped character intro and then premiered the trailer, which seems pretty rote. haven't read the script so i'm not too sure, don't want to be too damning, but this looks drab and unexceptional.
gary oldman bringing us through the plot. i loves gary oldman... still waiting for LEON 2. guys on the film sitting behind me suggest he just dropped a wee bit of a spoiler but i wasn't paying much attention. yay me. denzel onstage chatting and doing his denzel thing... that is one charismatic human.
BOB STENCIL ASKING MILA KUNIS TO MEET HIM AT THE RAMADA INN IN RUSSIAN! LIFE = GOOD.
denzil and gary seem to get along pretty well. they're laughing about good sex.
yeah, the dude right behind me is the writer. sweet. seems like a really nice guy! hope his vision isn't all that great...
well, the more they talk bout this the more i'm intrigued. would love to be pleasantly surprised.denzel devoted 6 months to preparing for the film and did all of his own fights... hope the choreography rewarded his efforts.
annnddd oldman drops that the next batman movie is shooting next year. curious...
NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
trailerish stuff. freddy being burned alive and then freakin the poo out of some folks. interesting that he seems like both the hero AND the villain in this piece... jackie earl haley comes out - the man is perfectly cast in every role he plays. could be a good opportunity to get into this mythology on the renovated ground floor, so to speak... i dunno, platinum dunes doesn't always deliver the best stuff, but JEH adds a whole heap of legitimacy. could be very refreshing stuff.
BOB STENCIL ASKING JEH A QUESTION. YES PLEASE. prods JEH to go into watchmen mode. englund will not be making a cameo, even though he supports both haley and the film.
i just had an opportunity to yell "WOOOO, CHILD ABDUCTORS!" love sdcc.
JEH took 3.5 hours to get into make-up, and then an hour to get out. thinks people would have thought make-up was real if he had worn it in the real world. See full post
And the rest of your post here
real classy, genuine, candid intro video to the film detailing relationship between maurice sendak and spike jonze. the movie seems so beautifully shot and emotionally resonant, or at least insistent... getting a sense it shares the same tone and timbre with being john malkovitch. not sure how the film will play, but can guarantee it wont pander to kids.
now max records, the 10 year-old kid who plays max in the film, is working the shit out of the room.
three extended clips and an extended trailer. goosebumps city. this shit is gorgeous and will play huge to the 20-30 yr. old crowd, hipsters etc... heard chunks of the new music by karen o. that scores the project and it is pitch-perfect for the material. the creature work is impeccable... gandolfini perfectly cast, as is little max records.
THE BOOK OF ELI
the hughes brothers seem incapable of making movies that interest me, and this looks like more post-apocalyptic mediocrity, this time with denzel washington. they showed a little rotoscoped character intro and then premiered the trailer, which seems pretty rote. haven't read the script so i'm not too sure, don't want to be too damning, but this looks drab and unexceptional.
gary oldman bringing us through the plot. i loves gary oldman... still waiting for LEON 2. guys on the film sitting behind me suggest he just dropped a wee bit of a spoiler but i wasn't paying much attention. yay me. denzel onstage chatting and doing his denzel thing... that is one charismatic human.
BOB STENCIL ASKING MILA KUNIS TO MEET HIM AT THE RAMADA INN IN RUSSIAN! LIFE = GOOD.
denzil and gary seem to get along pretty well. they're laughing about good sex.
yeah, the dude right behind me is the writer. sweet. seems like a really nice guy! hope his vision isn't all that great...
well, the more they talk bout this the more i'm intrigued. would love to be pleasantly surprised.denzel devoted 6 months to preparing for the film and did all of his own fights... hope the choreography rewarded his efforts.
annnddd oldman drops that the next batman movie is shooting next year. curious...
NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
trailerish stuff. freddy being burned alive and then freakin the poo out of some folks. interesting that he seems like both the hero AND the villain in this piece... jackie earl haley comes out - the man is perfectly cast in every role he plays. could be a good opportunity to get into this mythology on the renovated ground floor, so to speak... i dunno, platinum dunes doesn't always deliver the best stuff, but JEH adds a whole heap of legitimacy. could be very refreshing stuff.
BOB STENCIL ASKING JEH A QUESTION. YES PLEASE. prods JEH to go into watchmen mode. englund will not be making a cameo, even though he supports both haley and the film.
i just had an opportunity to yell "WOOOO, CHILD ABDUCTORS!" love sdcc.
JEH took 3.5 hours to get into make-up, and then an hour to get out. thinks people would have thought make-up was real if he had worn it in the real world. See full post
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Avatar
All the stuff that happened between Tim Burton being awesome and James Cameron's Avatar will be in a later post. Stop.
It's Avatar time.
Yo. All right. Ladies and gentlemen check your boarding passes please.
Here. We go.
Epic scope and intimate emotional storytelling were the keystones of Lawrence of Arabia which the moderator (insert name here) worked on and never thought he'd experience again. We waiting for this footage and this panel do not doubt in the slightest his claim that this film, James Cameron's Avatar, is the closest he has since come to that experience.
Fourteen years after venturing into the world of this project, James Cameron seems remarkably well adjusted and not at all wound up. He honors the fans by thanking them for their dedication cuz he a classy sumbitch.
Because he's also smart, the clips are self explanatory and add up to about 24 minutes. We are excited. We are grateful. He is also both of these things.
Let's go.
And that was the footage. Not since I saw Jurassic Park, 8 years old and at what I had thought was the height of my dinosaur obsession, have images excited me and my imagination, quite that way. That was exhilarating, breathtaking, transportive- the film we just viewed actually took me someplace else. It was freakin' awesome.
My greatest hope is probably that we'll see a lot more, in the final film, that involves both the avatars and the Nav'i interacting with humans and practical sets actual environments. Personally, it's when these two things blend seamlessly that a true victory can be called with this technology and for this film. But that's just me. So, to sum up, OMFG AVATAR.
And now they're gonna talk. I like it when they talk. Oh Sigourney. Your hair is never not awesome.
The training for Zoe was intensive in multiple ways, as the role was not only physically demanding but the dialectical work required not only learning a new language and ways of making her mouth work (glottal stops!! Theater kids, throw up the horns!) but then learning how to speak English with a Nav'i accent, so essentially learning two languages. Creating entire culturally unique physicalities required "a lot of research and inventiveness". Bet they did. The degrees of thoughtfulness and attention to detail here is going to be... significantly impressive. Yeah. Significantly impressive. That's what I'm gonna go with.
So, Zoe, tell us: How hot IS Sam Worthingtonthe Third?
Good question, moderator.
The answer is extremely.
Cameron talks about how the Nav'i, and the film, explore the basic human conflict of existing in and doing battle with nature. I'm intrigued.
david is going to be all over this with another write up, I'm sure, but this panel and the footage shown will probably go down in Comic Con history as in the top five Most Awesomest Things Shown in Hall H Ever.
See full post
It's Avatar time.
Yo. All right. Ladies and gentlemen check your boarding passes please.
Here. We go.
Epic scope and intimate emotional storytelling were the keystones of Lawrence of Arabia which the moderator (insert name here) worked on and never thought he'd experience again. We waiting for this footage and this panel do not doubt in the slightest his claim that this film, James Cameron's Avatar, is the closest he has since come to that experience.
Fourteen years after venturing into the world of this project, James Cameron seems remarkably well adjusted and not at all wound up. He honors the fans by thanking them for their dedication cuz he a classy sumbitch.
Because he's also smart, the clips are self explanatory and add up to about 24 minutes. We are excited. We are grateful. He is also both of these things.
Let's go.
And that was the footage. Not since I saw Jurassic Park, 8 years old and at what I had thought was the height of my dinosaur obsession, have images excited me and my imagination, quite that way. That was exhilarating, breathtaking, transportive- the film we just viewed actually took me someplace else. It was freakin' awesome.
My greatest hope is probably that we'll see a lot more, in the final film, that involves both the avatars and the Nav'i interacting with humans and practical sets actual environments. Personally, it's when these two things blend seamlessly that a true victory can be called with this technology and for this film. But that's just me. So, to sum up, OMFG AVATAR.
And now they're gonna talk. I like it when they talk. Oh Sigourney. Your hair is never not awesome.
The training for Zoe was intensive in multiple ways, as the role was not only physically demanding but the dialectical work required not only learning a new language and ways of making her mouth work (glottal stops!! Theater kids, throw up the horns!) but then learning how to speak English with a Nav'i accent, so essentially learning two languages. Creating entire culturally unique physicalities required "a lot of research and inventiveness". Bet they did. The degrees of thoughtfulness and attention to detail here is going to be... significantly impressive. Yeah. Significantly impressive. That's what I'm gonna go with.
So, Zoe, tell us: How hot IS Sam Worthington
Good question, moderator.
The answer is extremely.
Cameron talks about how the Nav'i, and the film, explore the basic human conflict of existing in and doing battle with nature. I'm intrigued.
david is going to be all over this with another write up, I'm sure, but this panel and the footage shown will probably go down in Comic Con history as in the top five Most Awesomest Things Shown in Hall H Ever.
See full post
It's a Hall H Thursday!
Hey it's Thursday morning!!
A Christmas Carol
Zemeckis has made this a ghost story, as it should be. The footage is, of course, largely 3D-mindful. The scene between Scrooge and Marley is intensely overblown in the dramatics but, if you're actually a Dickens fan, this should suit you. It is appropriately dramatic, but Scrooge's innate sense of miserly, grudging skepticism and taciturn expression makes for a number of comedic moments- it's not funny if someone's not getting hurt. Basic comedy theory.
The look is fantastic. There is very little stylization about the character design- it appears, like, Beowulf, to be designed to be true to life, if heightened concentrated life. Most exciting for CGI fans, the Shoulder Problem seems to have been greatly diminished. Starting back in the awful Final Fantasy: Blah Blah of Spirits or whatever, God I loathed that movie, and up through Beowulf, animators have had a huge problem creating realistic looking human shoulders. For whatever reason, that particular joint, that articulation has been impossible for them to replicated. Here, they seem to have done a pretty awesome job. Will need see more to be certain.
Marley looked fantastic though. Still, the general feeling is that of a cartoon- a perfectly dramatic one, but a cartoon nonetheless which to be honest, will save this movie from a scathing talking to by moi, because I really resent the concept of this art form being used to replace actors.
Will There be a Roger Rabbit sequel?
"I can neither confirm nor deny." If the project were to go forward, however, the "2D characters would remain [animated] in two dimensions." I love you Rob.
Alice in Wonderland.
Squeals for Tim Burton echo off the lighting fixtures. This is Burton's first Comic Con panel evar.
Tim was attracted to the project by the prospect of creating a film anchored in a "hardcore realistic setting". Lulz.
Cheshire cat not quite as evil or manky looking as American McGee's but still is disturbing. Apparently, Burton not a cat fan. Still, being voice by Stephen Fry, I anticipate an amount of lugubriousness and wit that will make me a very happy camper. Slides of Tim's vaca to follow the clip.
Clip is beautiful. Has the wonder of Nightmare Before Christmas and the bright otherness of Edward Scissor Hands. This is going to be lovely. Oh here it comes again!
Movie will be based not just on the first two books but largely, as it's an expanded history, on the Jabberwocky poem. Which gets me psyched, because it's the only poem I know by heart. LOVE.
First time Tim's done a lot of green screen, which if anything demonstrates how totally awesome he is. His first foray into it.
"Okay that's cool. Bye!" I love you, girl with question.
Scissor hands is important to him, Ed Wood was special.
Alice felt right because someone was going on a weird journey trying to work out problems in their head. Wizard of Oz therefor holds no interest.
Tim, you are awesome. Oswald, you are ALSO awesome.
See full post
A Christmas Carol
Zemeckis has made this a ghost story, as it should be. The footage is, of course, largely 3D-mindful. The scene between Scrooge and Marley is intensely overblown in the dramatics but, if you're actually a Dickens fan, this should suit you. It is appropriately dramatic, but Scrooge's innate sense of miserly, grudging skepticism and taciturn expression makes for a number of comedic moments- it's not funny if someone's not getting hurt. Basic comedy theory.
The look is fantastic. There is very little stylization about the character design- it appears, like, Beowulf, to be designed to be true to life, if heightened concentrated life. Most exciting for CGI fans, the Shoulder Problem seems to have been greatly diminished. Starting back in the awful Final Fantasy: Blah Blah of Spirits or whatever, God I loathed that movie, and up through Beowulf, animators have had a huge problem creating realistic looking human shoulders. For whatever reason, that particular joint, that articulation has been impossible for them to replicated. Here, they seem to have done a pretty awesome job. Will need see more to be certain.
Marley looked fantastic though. Still, the general feeling is that of a cartoon- a perfectly dramatic one, but a cartoon nonetheless which to be honest, will save this movie from a scathing talking to by moi, because I really resent the concept of this art form being used to replace actors.
Will There be a Roger Rabbit sequel?
"I can neither confirm nor deny." If the project were to go forward, however, the "2D characters would remain [animated] in two dimensions." I love you Rob.
Alice in Wonderland.
Squeals for Tim Burton echo off the lighting fixtures. This is Burton's first Comic Con panel evar.
Tim was attracted to the project by the prospect of creating a film anchored in a "hardcore realistic setting". Lulz.
Cheshire cat not quite as evil or manky looking as American McGee's but still is disturbing. Apparently, Burton not a cat fan. Still, being voice by Stephen Fry, I anticipate an amount of lugubriousness and wit that will make me a very happy camper. Slides of Tim's vaca to follow the clip.
Clip is beautiful. Has the wonder of Nightmare Before Christmas and the bright otherness of Edward Scissor Hands. This is going to be lovely. Oh here it comes again!
Movie will be based not just on the first two books but largely, as it's an expanded history, on the Jabberwocky poem. Which gets me psyched, because it's the only poem I know by heart. LOVE.
First time Tim's done a lot of green screen, which if anything demonstrates how totally awesome he is. His first foray into it.
"Okay that's cool. Bye!" I love you, girl with question.
Scissor hands is important to him, Ed Wood was special.
Alice felt right because someone was going on a weird journey trying to work out problems in their head. Wizard of Oz therefor holds no interest.
Tim, you are awesome. Oswald, you are ALSO awesome.
See full post
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
And On The Seventh Day, They Rested
Hey, now, guys. Guys. GUYS. /Film. Hitfix. All o'y'all. HEY.
What the hell is the problem?
Comic Con this year is scheduled with some of the biggest stars, previews and projects it's had in years. Peter Jackson's first appearance, 3D in Hall H, the upcoming slew of Marvelicious cinematic and published goodies, the most creative and well written shows on television, it's all gonna be there, Thursday through Sunday.
Through SUNDAY.
Yes, SUNDAY. The day everyone seems to have decided to call out as being in some way less because..... why again? Because Jake has decided to deprive us of his washboard abs? When has Sunday ever been a day of blockbusters? I must have missed that the past few years.
But you know what I didn't miss on Sunday? The amazing, smaller panels of interesting and worthwhile projects that don't have some A-Lister's stamp on it, or don't have hundreds of millions of dollars behind it, or haven't been adapted from a hugely successful Asian property. Things like, oh, say, I dunno.
Shaun of the Dead
I don't know if you guys saw this little romzomcom Britflick, came out in 2004? It was at SDCC before its release, a panel played to an audience less than half full. On a Sunday. Yeah, that's right.
A Sunday.
The attitude that seems to be permeating the online buzz-generating community right now just baffles me. In what way is the Sunday scheduling disappointing? There needs to be a day for the smaller projects, for breathing, for exploration. Sunday is that day. It's a break from the dog and pony show so you can see what's actually happening in the genre community, not just the Hollywood. This year also, Sunday will feature lots of television programming, including some with huge cult followings. Supernatural, anyone? Dr. Who with David Tennant's first and only appearance? Indie films that have the chance to break the mold and bring something new to the table, and tv shows fans care about.
Yeah, Sunday sounds like it's going to suck.
There is a bizarre sense of condescension and entitlement coming from the blogging community. People writing off Sunday and the Sunday panels, who are indicating they won't even intend to attempt to attend them, are being ridiculous. You're going to get up and bitch about the crowds, bemoan the overriding commercialism, and then skip the Independent film panels and write off the cult tv panels? Okay. That makes total sense. Have fun doing your write ups on the same panels that everyone else is doing their write ups on, posting the footage we'll be able to see in High Def on apple.com next month, complaining about how the Wrath of Con didn't live up to your expectations (if you got in), and sullenly eyeballing the teeming masses who clearly have no idea what they're doing. Enjoy yourselves.
Or save david's iPhone some storage and just don't go so we don't have to read the plethora of tweets that will invariably follow.
Additionally, it's not the convention's fault that studios didn't/wouldn't/couldn't schedule things for Sunday. They way I hear it, from various avenues, is that SDCC would in fact have loved to have provided fans with one big, high profile Sunday event to go out on, but none of the major studios or big projects would step up. They can't arbitrarily create content to meet your criteria. They also can't go around changing the schedule just because a couple thousand people on twitter complain about time or conflicts or wishing something was in a bigger room. That's logistically implausible, to say the least, and they have another hundred and fifty thousand people or so to take into account as well.
Everyone knows certain studios suck, right? It's taken as rote. One studio in particular has amazing properties that you desperately hope work out and then they treat them horribly. As a studio, they have a reputation (online, at least) for douchery. Do you honestly think that doesn't extend to their behavior and dealings with the other studios and the convention? Or do you think, maybe, it's possible that when you get giant commercial studios who are in it for the money and the advertising to try and schedule two days of sneaks, previews, screenings, and big name talent, that maybe one or two of them might be uncooperative? Maybe. Possibly.
Look, as an American citizen, I have a dual responsibility to my government. One is to abide by its laws while taking any and all advantage I can of the freedoms those laws afford me, and the other is to be intensely critical of that government's actions and policies, because that's my country, dammit.
As a fan, I have a dual responsibility. One is to support and partake in the movies, shows, games, books, et all that make up genre media, and the other is to be critical of the people and corporate entities who produce, market, and control that media. Tearing down and ragging on the SDCC is a chump move that displays a lack of understanding in how the convention is run and maintained as well as an inflated sense of ego. You have a website, you have a column, you have a twitter account. You're heard, by a minuscule fraction of the world's population. That fraction cares about what you have to say, though, so that lends your words weight. It's a small community, so being a big name in it counts for something. But you cannot think what we say or think influences major film studios' decisions on what day to schedule their panels. Be a fan, and be a critic, but for frakssake, how hard is it to be supportive of the groups who are actively endeavoring to bring you access to the things you care about? Why can't you just be excited as hell for the things we're about to be shown? You seriously can't curb the pessimism and complaining until after the sneak preview for whatever Keanu property is up next?
Okay, no, I'll make a concession there. If it's a Keanu property, feel free to commence bitchage now.
See full post
What the hell is the problem?
Comic Con this year is scheduled with some of the biggest stars, previews and projects it's had in years. Peter Jackson's first appearance, 3D in Hall H, the upcoming slew of Marvelicious cinematic and published goodies, the most creative and well written shows on television, it's all gonna be there, Thursday through Sunday.
Through SUNDAY.
Yes, SUNDAY. The day everyone seems to have decided to call out as being in some way less because..... why again? Because Jake has decided to deprive us of his washboard abs? When has Sunday ever been a day of blockbusters? I must have missed that the past few years.
But you know what I didn't miss on Sunday? The amazing, smaller panels of interesting and worthwhile projects that don't have some A-Lister's stamp on it, or don't have hundreds of millions of dollars behind it, or haven't been adapted from a hugely successful Asian property. Things like, oh, say, I dunno.
Shaun of the Dead
I don't know if you guys saw this little romzomcom Britflick, came out in 2004? It was at SDCC before its release, a panel played to an audience less than half full. On a Sunday. Yeah, that's right.
A Sunday.
The attitude that seems to be permeating the online buzz-generating community right now just baffles me. In what way is the Sunday scheduling disappointing? There needs to be a day for the smaller projects, for breathing, for exploration. Sunday is that day. It's a break from the dog and pony show so you can see what's actually happening in the genre community, not just the Hollywood. This year also, Sunday will feature lots of television programming, including some with huge cult followings. Supernatural, anyone? Dr. Who with David Tennant's first and only appearance? Indie films that have the chance to break the mold and bring something new to the table, and tv shows fans care about.
Yeah, Sunday sounds like it's going to suck.
There is a bizarre sense of condescension and entitlement coming from the blogging community. People writing off Sunday and the Sunday panels, who are indicating they won't even intend to attempt to attend them, are being ridiculous. You're going to get up and bitch about the crowds, bemoan the overriding commercialism, and then skip the Independent film panels and write off the cult tv panels? Okay. That makes total sense. Have fun doing your write ups on the same panels that everyone else is doing their write ups on, posting the footage we'll be able to see in High Def on apple.com next month, complaining about how the Wrath of Con didn't live up to your expectations (if you got in), and sullenly eyeballing the teeming masses who clearly have no idea what they're doing. Enjoy yourselves.
Or save david's iPhone some storage and just don't go so we don't have to read the plethora of tweets that will invariably follow.
Additionally, it's not the convention's fault that studios didn't/wouldn't/couldn't schedule things for Sunday. They way I hear it, from various avenues, is that SDCC would in fact have loved to have provided fans with one big, high profile Sunday event to go out on, but none of the major studios or big projects would step up. They can't arbitrarily create content to meet your criteria. They also can't go around changing the schedule just because a couple thousand people on twitter complain about time or conflicts or wishing something was in a bigger room. That's logistically implausible, to say the least, and they have another hundred and fifty thousand people or so to take into account as well.
Everyone knows certain studios suck, right? It's taken as rote. One studio in particular has amazing properties that you desperately hope work out and then they treat them horribly. As a studio, they have a reputation (online, at least) for douchery. Do you honestly think that doesn't extend to their behavior and dealings with the other studios and the convention? Or do you think, maybe, it's possible that when you get giant commercial studios who are in it for the money and the advertising to try and schedule two days of sneaks, previews, screenings, and big name talent, that maybe one or two of them might be uncooperative? Maybe. Possibly.
Look, as an American citizen, I have a dual responsibility to my government. One is to abide by its laws while taking any and all advantage I can of the freedoms those laws afford me, and the other is to be intensely critical of that government's actions and policies, because that's my country, dammit.
As a fan, I have a dual responsibility. One is to support and partake in the movies, shows, games, books, et all that make up genre media, and the other is to be critical of the people and corporate entities who produce, market, and control that media. Tearing down and ragging on the SDCC is a chump move that displays a lack of understanding in how the convention is run and maintained as well as an inflated sense of ego. You have a website, you have a column, you have a twitter account. You're heard, by a minuscule fraction of the world's population. That fraction cares about what you have to say, though, so that lends your words weight. It's a small community, so being a big name in it counts for something. But you cannot think what we say or think influences major film studios' decisions on what day to schedule their panels. Be a fan, and be a critic, but for frakssake, how hard is it to be supportive of the groups who are actively endeavoring to bring you access to the things you care about? Why can't you just be excited as hell for the things we're about to be shown? You seriously can't curb the pessimism and complaining until after the sneak preview for whatever Keanu property is up next?
Okay, no, I'll make a concession there. If it's a Keanu property, feel free to commence bitchage now.
See full post
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Tom Lenk Is My New Favorite Person
So last night, fellow podcasters @scarletscribe, @da7e and I, along with my dear friend Matthew went to go see Tom Lenk do musical comedy at Don't Tell Mama, a Cabaret/Piano Bar adjacent to Broadway. I suspected the show would be, you know, cool, but I had NO IDEA it would be ACTUALLY incredible.
He opened the show singing a cabaret version of Gimmie More, which you can check out from an old Lenk performance below. I found the clip in an article by Nathaniel R from The Film Experience about Tom Lenk, written a while back. You should definitely check it out here.
I so wish I had recorded some video last night, but we weren't sure whether we were allowed to or not, so alas.
After the show stopping Gimmie More, Tom performed a song he actually wrote on the plane on the way here about his "Last Minute Show" which was also fantastic. He writes pretty damn well!
What followed for the next 30 min was some of the best stand up I've ever seen. Granted, I haven't seen much stand up, but holy crap was he hilarious. He regaled us with stories about how in LA homeless people love to yell at him, spit at him and threaten him with scissors and told an epic tale detailing why you should never date someone who a. asked to be set up with you because he was a fan of your work on Buffy and b. who is 8-9 years your junior.
One of my favorite portions of the stand up was when Tom busted out his favorite "Men Seeking Men" ads from Craigslist. Priceless. Even better was when Tom read out loud the comments from an old Alloy article, called "Your Next Crush," featuring Tom. The teenage girl' comments started out sweet and quickly descended into "Eyu, this guy's an elf!" It was truly hilarious, and made even better by the fact that Tom clearly takes it all in stride.
We then entered the portion of the show where Tom sang some songs he wrote in Jr high & high school, which although had hilariously juvenile lyrics...were accompanied by pretty great music. Apparently he sent in all of his songs to Cher & the B52s so they could record them. And you know, they should have :).
Then, out of nowhere, suddenly I'm crying as Tom tells us about his best friend from jr high/high school who had cystic fibrosis and had to move away in tenth grade for health reasons. Months later, she wrote him a note that he read aloud and it literally made me bawl.
We were then treated to a sketch involving a German Star Trek fan to close the show, a song about the Master Cleanse Tom wrote that EVERYONE looking into fad diets needs to hear. It was amazing.
After the randomly brilliant show, Tom stood outside and received every single one of his guests, shaking hands, taking pictures, talking as long as we wanted. He is a truly sweet, talented guy who deserves to be successful. Today he is auditioning for something pretty huge here in New York, so let's all collectively put good vibes out there in the world for him. See full post
Monday, July 6, 2009
Prisoner/Palin Mash Up [Video]
I've never seen The Prisoner (I know, shoot me now. But hey, Eruditechick's seen almost every episode at this point! So...yaaay!) and this still made me giggle like crazy.
Patrick McGoohan's "The Prisoner" TV show mashed up with bits from Sarah Palin's resignation speech. See full post
Patrick McGoohan's "The Prisoner" TV show mashed up with bits from Sarah Palin's resignation speech. See full post
Friday, July 3, 2009
Summer Game Slump
If you're like me, you like playing video games all year round. If you're not, just stop reading.
Okay, so for those of you who remain, let's talk about new video games released in the summer....there are none. Long ago, somewhere along the line in the history of video games (probably towards the beginning), someone decided that it was best to release games in the winter. Everyone agreed, and honestly didn't give much thought to the rest of the year. They all made money, some made good games, and everyone patted each other on the back at the New Year's party. Later, someone invented E3 to remind people every summer that new games were indeed going to be released... eventually. Thus was born the Summer Game Slump.
Summer Game Slump (n.)
The time from January to August in which few new games of note are released. (see: most of the year)
With this depressing gap in mind, I thought I'd get my act together on ATF and share with you five awesome things from E3 that you may have missed. Read on, after the jump!!
1. Fat Princess
Coming Late Summer 2009 to PS3
If you haven't seen this game yet, take a look at the trailer. I'm hoping this turns out to be an amazing party game, assuming the multiplayer isn't online-only. Basically, it's capture the flag, but WACKY! Instead of a flag, your team has a princess whom you can fatten up by feeding to make her harder to steal. The game has a class system so that you can pick a specific job to perform during the chaos.
2. Final Fantasy XIV Debut Trailer
Coming Eventually to PS3, Windows
While we continue to wait for FF XIII, Square is of course already at work on XIV, it's second attempt at an MMORPG. So far, no surprises here...chocobos, spiky hair, swords, etc. Perhaps this one will really catch on. Either way, its good to know Square Enix stays committed to constantly having a game to show us that is YEARS from American release.
3. Forza Motorsport 3 Ridiculous Stunt Trailer
Coming October 2009 to XBox 360
I'm not much of a racing game aficionado, so all I can really say about this game is that it's supposed to be absurdly realistic and beautiful. Regardless of whether you appreciate racing games, though, you have to appreciate this trailer. Watch it uninformed and you think "Yea, cool. Neat racing tricks." However, once you find out that all the stunts seen in the trailer we actually performed by the development team and recorded live to make the trailer, you have to respect the obsessive work that must have gone into this car ballet. Just to clarify, that means that everything you see in this trailer was done by someone IN THE GAME. Enjoy and admire...
4. Final Fantasy VII Released on the Playstation Store
Available Now on PS3/PSP
This long-awaited nugget came without much fanfare, but this is can't-miss news for any RPG fan. Final Fantasy VII, arguably the best RPG ever made, is now available to play for $10 on your PS3 and/or PSP.
5. New Super Mario Bros Wii!!!
Coming Holiday 2009 to Wii
For the first time EVER, Nintendo is releasing a 4-player simultaneous coop Mario game. It's like playing Super Mario World, but with three friends on the screen with you at the same time. It'll probably end up being a fantastic game to play at the end of a night, when you're too tired to compete and just want to hop around with some friends.
See full post
5. New Super Mario Bros Wii!!!
Coming Holiday 2009 to Wii
For the first time EVER, Nintendo is releasing a 4-player simultaneous coop Mario game. It's like playing Super Mario World, but with three friends on the screen with you at the same time. It'll probably end up being a fantastic game to play at the end of a night, when you're too tired to compete and just want to hop around with some friends.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Why Is 6 Afraid of 7?
You've all heard that old joke right? Well here is a trailer for the film 789. I mean, it's not for a real film...I'm pretty sure...but the trailer is spot on & hilarious. I found out about it because someone I went to high school with (who actually happens to be very cool!) composed the score. Enjoy!
See full post
See full post
Our Pick in the Netflix Find Your Voice Competition! [Vote!]
Friend of Fangirl, Laura Ramadei, is currently working on an independent film called Future Weather. The film is a coming of age story about a young girl abandoned by her mother, whose obsession with environmentalism parallels her own struggle to find stability in an unstable environment at home. Not only does the script promote green values, but production will also be entirely sustainable - slated to begin this fall. The screenplay was awarded Showtime's Tony Cox Award for Screenwriting and is currently a semifinalist in the Netflix Find Your Voice Film Competition.
We share the film with you in the hopes that you'll RATE FUTURE WEATHER 5 STARS at www.netflixfindyourvoice.com. The grand prize is $350k in cash and equipment for the film's production, as well as online Netflix distribution and screening at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Voting is super quick and easy - no obnoxious registation required - and you can even vote below within the embedded video. If you have an extra minute, bug your friends too! Voting closes on July 5.
[]
Get to know the film and its creators at www.futureweathermovie.com and www.futureweathermovie.blogspot.com. Follow the film on Twitter at twitter.com/futureweather See full post
Monday, June 29, 2009
FlickChart Controls My Life
I AM INCAPABLE OF DOING ANYTHING ELSE.
Here is my current FlickChart top 100, after 654 rankings, out of 413 movies. This list is not accurate, which is why I CAN'T STOP PLAYING AHHH. In no universe would Chinatown ever be my #1 movie, but it just won't budge.
Here we go
1. Chinatown
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
3. The Godfather
4. Back to the Future Part II
5. The Empire Strikes Back
6. Monty Python & The Holy Grail
7. The Princess Bride
8. The Lion King
9. Catch Me If You Can
10. Love Actually
11. A Clockwork Orange
12. True Romance
13. My Man Godfrey
14. The Dark Knight
15. A Little Princess
16. Up
17. Iron Man
18. Shakespeare In Love
19. Almost Famous
20. Alien
The rest after the jump...
21. Minority Report
22. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
23. Being John Malkovich
24. Mulholland Dr.
25. The Wedding Singer
26. The Godfather Part II
27. Cruel Intentions
28. Hook
29. This is Spinal Tap
30. The Breakfast Club
31. The Goonies
32. Pulp Fiction
33. Aliens
34. Babel (INCORRECT. DEF NOT IN MY ACTUAL TOP 100)
35. The Terminator
36. Shaun of the Dead
37. The Shawshank Redemption
38. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
39. Jurassic Park
40. The Notebook
41. Hotel Rwanda (What?! No! Off!)
42. Hot Fuzz
43. Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets (aka least favorite Harry Potter)
44. The Bourne Identity
45. Knocked Up
46. MI:3
47. Spiderman
48. Amelie
49. The Nightmare Before Christmas
50. Edward Scissorhands
51. The Truman Show (how?)
52. The Shining
53. Man on the Moon (Jim Carrey keeps sneaking in here somehow)
54. Blade
55. Superbad
56. Little Miss Sunshine
57. The Departed (haha, right after LMS.)
58. LotR: Fellowship (my least favorite of the three)
59. Return of the Jedi
60. Starship Troopers
61. Men In Black
62. Borat
63. Munich
64. Back to the Future (which actually SHOULD be switch places w/ BTTF2 & be in top 10)
65. Back to the Future Part III
66. Galaxy Quest
67. Taxi Driver
68. X-Men
69. Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom
70. The Mummy
71. Annie Hall
72. GoldenEye
73. Requiem for a Dream
74. The Fifth Element
75. The Evil Dead
76. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
77. Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban
78. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (sigh...why...)
79. 3:10 to Yuma
80. King Kong
81. Vertigo
82. Brazil
83. Saw
84. Live Free or Die Hard (?!?!)
85. A History of Violence (No)
86. Memento
87. Die Hard
88. Finding Nemo
89. Rushmore
90. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
91. Casablanca
92. The Mummy Returns (Really?)
93. The Devil Wears Prada
94. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
95. Mars Attacks!
96. American Pie (Never)
97. Beetlejuice
98. Forrest Gump
99. Batman
100. Reservoir Dogs
Oh my god. It's so incorrect. I'M NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO STOP. HOW ARE Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN AND CLUELESS NOT IN MY TOP 100?!?!?! AHHHHHHHHHHH. See full post
Did You &#*$@ This Bread?!
I tweeted the trailer for this movie that I cannot but assume will be EPIC amounts of win a few weeks back, and then @melloniel and I quoted it at each other for a while because it's freaking hilarious.
Happily, I have a friend who is involved with the movie in various capacities, and she has confirmed for me that the Sundance hit will be screening at 8pm, Thursday, July 23rd at Horton Plaza.
You know, at COMIC COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!
They're gonna have a booth on the floor and will be giving passes away to the screening on Wed & Thurs before 7pm.
Expect to see ATFG attending in full force!! Probably full of a little drunk...cause it's Comic Con...and Mystery Team is a comedy...tikitikitikitiki baaaar...
Aah, and once again, I ask thee- Did you @#!&* this bread?!
See full post
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Saturn Awards Wrap Up!
Hope you all enjoyed my live tweeting from the Saturn Awards last night! Here are some tweety highlights w/ extra commentary.
Just representative of how excited my boyfriend was that Mark Pellegrino & Michael Emerson were there. He ended up getting a KILLER picture featuring Jacob himself touching boyfriend on the shoulder. If you've watched all of Lost, you know that shit's important.
What happened here was Olmos wanted to "take this opportunity" to tell a story about Jeffery Katzenberg that no one had told before. So during this 10 minute long story, the audience didn't know whether it was a GOOD story about Katzenberg or a very very BAD one. Of course, in the end, it was a great story about something really noble Katzenberg did, cause Olmos is a classy guy. SO INTENSE though, the whole audience was silent, like WHAT is happening, where is this going. Olmos is SO ADAMA. Love him.
The audience response to Nimoy saying "Live long and prosper" was, everyone who could, putting their hand up and giving Nimoy the Vulcan salute. Very nice moment.
This guy's comments got progressively more hilarious as the night went on. After Hans Zimmer said of James Newton Howard "I'm just dark, he's the knight", wasted dude goes "that was a pun! i love puns!" and then obviously had to be the one dude in the room giving Billy Dee a standing O.
The opportunity presented itself, I took it! Not as cool as my actual converstion with Simon Helberg, which was totally random, and totally awesome, cause turns out we know a lot of the same people and he's a very cool dude, but still one for the books. Zach Levi touched me. And Josh Gomez might actually be a pile of fun disguised as a dude. Love it.Overall a fantastic night! If you want me to elaborate on any tweets, just comment below and I will respond! I always love events like this so much.
P.S. for more photos from the show, just click here! See full post
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Saturn Awards Live Tweeting
Just a heads up for you readers out there - I'll be attending the Saturn Awards (click here for nominees) tonight and plan on live tweeting throughout the event!
Just head to Twitter.com/loquaciousmuse for updates, from the geeky arrivals to the geeky award winners. One of my favorite events of the year!
By the way, being honored tonight in the lifetime awards are Leonard Nimoy, Jeffery Katzenberg & Lane Henrikson. Should be a great time! See full post
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Real Girl's Guide to SDCC
So, there was a bit of a kerfuffle, we'll say, when a Girl's Guide to Comic Con went online and featured- almost exclusively- a list of all the glorious hot man candy rumored to be appearing.
Now, as a girl who is active on the interwebnets and has attended that particular convention in San Diego two years running- coming up on a third- I was... nonplussed, to say the least. What an insipid waste of html. A photo-essay, more or less, that tells all you little ladies out there of the strapping men who'll be about to maybe put an autograph in your keepsake book while your man runs about doing all that silly guy stuff. Essentially what the 'article' reads as is a bunch of rumor pushing, a series of "How awesome is this Hollywood celeb I want to lick his face MAYBE YOU CAN AT COMIC CON" with a picture attached. Useless. So let's juts clarify something for the people to whom that article appealed, shall we?
Stalkers and starfuckers be aware: You're going to be in a sea of six thousand people, with trenches of press, execs and security between you and the Hollywood 'A Listers'. So if that's your reason for going, as that article seems to assume it is- don't.
If, however, you're not going to SDCC solely because you love RPattz that freaking much (though it is entirely acceptable if you happen to), perhaps the following may provide some insight as to why you, the real, geek girl should not just attend but own the San Diego Comic Con, and give you an idea of how/where best to spend your time there.
1. Tiki Bar at the Marriott Marina. First off, ask for a Tijuana River. Hand over ten dollars. Prepare to be drunk for the rest of the day. Best investment you can make at Comic Con. Second, be prepared to calmly observe and possibly interact with various genial, relaxed, also-drinking guests of the Con such as the talented, accomplished, and polite Ron Perlman or that dude Kevin from Attack of the Show, who is awesome to tiki with. But I'm serious about that Tijuana River, it'll mess you up but quick. My first experience with it culminated in me falling asleep on the table at dinner, but right before that, when passing comic book legend Stan Lee in the lobby, moved me to greet the most honored creator of Marvel comics with: "Lookin' good, Hef."
To which he graciously replied, "Thank you!"
2. Your Favorite TV Show Will Have A Panel, and the Stars Will Be As Excited to See You as You Are Them. This is, so far in my experience, universally true. Some actors will become flummoxed and uncomfortable in front of the startling support. Writers and producers tend to be less so. All around, though, and particularly with shows who know/understand/are staffed and acted by geeks, you will have an opportunity to ask questions and give commentary of and to the source, with immediategratification response. This is rare. When shows like Chuck, Supernatural, and True Blood- all of which have geekcentric themes and all of which have powerful female followings and all of which have panels this year- hear from their core fan group, they listen. When women are a vocal and active part of that group, the tropes and relegating of female roles that we most hate become that much less likely to occur. They listen because they care, the same way we watch because we care. Take time to think out your question/s. Write it/them down. Have backups. Feel free to fangirl, but use the time you have at the mic. SDCC is not powered by studios, it is powered by fans, and that means fangirls, too. Speak up and represent!
3. Custom, Girl-Friendly Pin Up Art by Your Favorite Artist. Because where the hell else can this happen? Speaking entirely on my own behalf, I am not a fan of most available posters/wall art/statues of my favorite female comic characters because I am not a lesbian who happens to posses the brain of a fifteen year old boy. Most comic art, particularly splash pages and pin ups and especially of female characters, would be strange, possibly embarrassing, and certainly not moral-boosting to have up on my apartment wall. Rogue is my favorite character for all sorts of reasons that don't involve her breasts, but most artwork featuring her also features them prominently. With the list of artists who'll be lounging about Artist's Alley this year, I fully plan on commissioning a work that's suited to my tastes- that showcases the feisty, edgy, playful personality of hers (along with her awesome powers as a flying vampire brick), possibly in her old leggings and orange tunic costume, I don't know yet, maybe in the classic 90's Jim Lee yellow-and-green, that doesn't look like she's wearing liquid latex. Most artists ask very reasonable prices for these commissions, and you get to take home a piece of work that makes you feel good about being a fan, not bad about being a girl. Don't wait til Sunday though! They're usually dedicated to finishing the comms they got the previous two days and can't accept any new ones.
4. Hall H Is A Real Place, Yes- And Dreams Can Come True There. My favorite Hall H moment to date was probably being a scant few rows from Len Wein- awesome guy and creator of Swamp Thing, Nightcrawler and, oh yeah, WOLVERINE- when Hugh Jackman gave security a heart attack by jumping off the stage and rushing over to shake the comic creator's hand.
Hall H is a mix of the sneak peeks you've been dying for and the thrilling surprises the studios want to reward you, the fan, with. The wait to get in can be intense- you have to ask yourself if the things you're likely to see there outweigh everything else that's going on that day, because once you give that seat up, you're probably not getting back in. If something you love is going up in the same block as Twilight, you're effectively screwed, unless you don't mind camping out overnight in a huddle of tweens and their moms.
Seriously.
If, however, you do have a love of Hollywood and are jonesing bad for that first shot of Iron Man 2 or Sherlock Holmes or freaking Prince of Persia hells yeah, or the numerous other offerings that will no doubt be in supply this year, then Hall H is where you want to be and it is worth it. You have all Sunday to wander the dealer's room and haggle for closing day prices. Sit down with your convention book, compare, contrast, and plan out your days! Some of my most exciting Con moments so far occurred in Hall H- but I also walked out of numerous panels in there. Choose your big screen fare wisely and line up early. And again, I say thee: Fangirls! Prepare your questions ahead of time that they might be insightful and probing as well as respectful! Seize this opportunity to ask of some of the most influential and powerful directors, producers, and actors in Hollywood questions that matter to you as a fan. Guys are not the only ones spending money on these movies, and our only interests are not in the romantic leads and subplots! Let them know it!
And I mean, yeah, maybe you can lick RDJ. Who knows. But don't BANK on it, is what I'm saying.
5. Swag. At last year's True Blood panel, I received a magical ticket that got me an awesome True Blood nylon bag, a great t-shirt, a comic book, and the first of the Sookie Stackhouse novels. These tickets are handed out frequently and they unlock the door to the booty room. Mostly t-shirts, but when shows get creative, you get bitching swag. Also, go STRAIGHT to the big comic booths and tv areas in the dealer's room for PINS. Then decorate yourself accordingly. Bedazzle yourself, even. And get creative with those t-shirts, because they're all extra-huge sized. I turned my Iron Man Glow In The Dark Chest tee into a mini dress!
6. Bonding With Your Fellow Woman. Make friends. Swap twitter names. Follow each other then and there on your blackberries. When you're sitting in a sea of upturned faces letting the joy of Joss Whedon wash over you, look around at your fellow geek and take note. These are the people on your flist! Isn't it NEAT??? In all seriousness, SDCC is a great place to make connections with people who like what you like and are probably going to be into the idea of, say, going in on a creative endeavor of some kind with you, if you happen to be an artist looking for a writer or a writer looking for an artist or a writer looking for a writing partner or whatever. Start a geek band. Optional: This may also be done at the tiki bar.
This is just a starter, a prelim. We'll put more of these up as the big week approaches- I know Muse is working on one especially for THE NIGHTLIFE WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GASLAMP DISTRICT WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. But we just couldn't stand there being only one Girl's Guide to Comic Con out there, and it being that. Consider us your Rosie the Robot Riveter. Time to stand up, ladies.
See full post
Now, as a girl who is active on the interwebnets and has attended that particular convention in San Diego two years running- coming up on a third- I was... nonplussed, to say the least. What an insipid waste of html. A photo-essay, more or less, that tells all you little ladies out there of the strapping men who'll be about to maybe put an autograph in your keepsake book while your man runs about doing all that silly guy stuff. Essentially what the 'article' reads as is a bunch of rumor pushing, a series of "How awesome is this Hollywood celeb I want to lick his face MAYBE YOU CAN AT COMIC CON" with a picture attached. Useless. So let's juts clarify something for the people to whom that article appealed, shall we?
Stalkers and starfuckers be aware: You're going to be in a sea of six thousand people, with trenches of press, execs and security between you and the Hollywood 'A Listers'. So if that's your reason for going, as that article seems to assume it is- don't.
If, however, you're not going to SDCC solely because you love RPattz that freaking much (though it is entirely acceptable if you happen to), perhaps the following may provide some insight as to why you, the real, geek girl should not just attend but own the San Diego Comic Con, and give you an idea of how/where best to spend your time there.
1. Tiki Bar at the Marriott Marina. First off, ask for a Tijuana River. Hand over ten dollars. Prepare to be drunk for the rest of the day. Best investment you can make at Comic Con. Second, be prepared to calmly observe and possibly interact with various genial, relaxed, also-drinking guests of the Con such as the talented, accomplished, and polite Ron Perlman or that dude Kevin from Attack of the Show, who is awesome to tiki with. But I'm serious about that Tijuana River, it'll mess you up but quick. My first experience with it culminated in me falling asleep on the table at dinner, but right before that, when passing comic book legend Stan Lee in the lobby, moved me to greet the most honored creator of Marvel comics with: "Lookin' good, Hef."
To which he graciously replied, "Thank you!"
2. Your Favorite TV Show Will Have A Panel, and the Stars Will Be As Excited to See You as You Are Them. This is, so far in my experience, universally true. Some actors will become flummoxed and uncomfortable in front of the startling support. Writers and producers tend to be less so. All around, though, and particularly with shows who know/understand/are staffed and acted by geeks, you will have an opportunity to ask questions and give commentary of and to the source, with immediate
3. Custom, Girl-Friendly Pin Up Art by Your Favorite Artist. Because where the hell else can this happen? Speaking entirely on my own behalf, I am not a fan of most available posters/wall art/statues of my favorite female comic characters because I am not a lesbian who happens to posses the brain of a fifteen year old boy. Most comic art, particularly splash pages and pin ups and especially of female characters, would be strange, possibly embarrassing, and certainly not moral-boosting to have up on my apartment wall. Rogue is my favorite character for all sorts of reasons that don't involve her breasts, but most artwork featuring her also features them prominently. With the list of artists who'll be lounging about Artist's Alley this year, I fully plan on commissioning a work that's suited to my tastes- that showcases the feisty, edgy, playful personality of hers (along with her awesome powers as a flying vampire brick), possibly in her old leggings and orange tunic costume, I don't know yet, maybe in the classic 90's Jim Lee yellow-and-green, that doesn't look like she's wearing liquid latex. Most artists ask very reasonable prices for these commissions, and you get to take home a piece of work that makes you feel good about being a fan, not bad about being a girl. Don't wait til Sunday though! They're usually dedicated to finishing the comms they got the previous two days and can't accept any new ones.
4. Hall H Is A Real Place, Yes- And Dreams Can Come True There. My favorite Hall H moment to date was probably being a scant few rows from Len Wein- awesome guy and creator of Swamp Thing, Nightcrawler and, oh yeah, WOLVERINE- when Hugh Jackman gave security a heart attack by jumping off the stage and rushing over to shake the comic creator's hand.
Hall H is a mix of the sneak peeks you've been dying for and the thrilling surprises the studios want to reward you, the fan, with. The wait to get in can be intense- you have to ask yourself if the things you're likely to see there outweigh everything else that's going on that day, because once you give that seat up, you're probably not getting back in. If something you love is going up in the same block as Twilight, you're effectively screwed, unless you don't mind camping out overnight in a huddle of tweens and their moms.
Seriously.
If, however, you do have a love of Hollywood and are jonesing bad for that first shot of Iron Man 2 or Sherlock Holmes or freaking Prince of Persia hells yeah, or the numerous other offerings that will no doubt be in supply this year, then Hall H is where you want to be and it is worth it. You have all Sunday to wander the dealer's room and haggle for closing day prices. Sit down with your convention book, compare, contrast, and plan out your days! Some of my most exciting Con moments so far occurred in Hall H- but I also walked out of numerous panels in there. Choose your big screen fare wisely and line up early. And again, I say thee: Fangirls! Prepare your questions ahead of time that they might be insightful and probing as well as respectful! Seize this opportunity to ask of some of the most influential and powerful directors, producers, and actors in Hollywood questions that matter to you as a fan. Guys are not the only ones spending money on these movies, and our only interests are not in the romantic leads and subplots! Let them know it!
And I mean, yeah, maybe you can lick RDJ. Who knows. But don't BANK on it, is what I'm saying.
5. Swag. At last year's True Blood panel, I received a magical ticket that got me an awesome True Blood nylon bag, a great t-shirt, a comic book, and the first of the Sookie Stackhouse novels. These tickets are handed out frequently and they unlock the door to the booty room. Mostly t-shirts, but when shows get creative, you get bitching swag. Also, go STRAIGHT to the big comic booths and tv areas in the dealer's room for PINS. Then decorate yourself accordingly. Bedazzle yourself, even. And get creative with those t-shirts, because they're all extra-huge sized. I turned my Iron Man Glow In The Dark Chest tee into a mini dress!
6. Bonding With Your Fellow Woman. Make friends. Swap twitter names. Follow each other then and there on your blackberries. When you're sitting in a sea of upturned faces letting the joy of Joss Whedon wash over you, look around at your fellow geek and take note. These are the people on your flist! Isn't it NEAT??? In all seriousness, SDCC is a great place to make connections with people who like what you like and are probably going to be into the idea of, say, going in on a creative endeavor of some kind with you, if you happen to be an artist looking for a writer or a writer looking for an artist or a writer looking for a writing partner or whatever. Start a geek band. Optional: This may also be done at the tiki bar.
This is just a starter, a prelim. We'll put more of these up as the big week approaches- I know Muse is working on one especially for THE NIGHTLIFE WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GASLAMP DISTRICT WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. But we just couldn't stand there being only one Girl's Guide to Comic Con out there, and it being that. Consider us your Rosie the Robot Riveter. Time to stand up, ladies.
See full post
Monday, June 15, 2009
Do You Belong In NYC?
From Time Out NY as seen on A Deliberate Pace
DO YOU BELONG IN NYC?
Yes, but sometimes you wish there were a better option.
You do love New York, and you fit in here better than you have anywhere else. You're committed to the city, and you take advantage of all of its amazing food, culture, nightlife and arts. But you have nagging doubts about this relationship. Spend your whole life here? Not sure about that. Sometimes you wonder about that farm in your fantasies or even just a smaller city. But in reality, you know there's nowhere better. Click here for suggestions about how to really enjoy NYC.
Do you belong in New York City?
See full postSaturday, June 13, 2009
Five Things I've Done This Week I Suggest To You [Stolen from @Da7e]
I have felt fully uninspired to write about anything for about a week now, but after being badgered by my lovely cohorts, I've decided to try and get something up.
Good ol @Da7e just wrote a post entitled "Five Things I Did This Week I Suggest To You" and I actually found it quite inspiring! So I'm going to attempt my own version.
1. Committed bigamy, had a child and completed the Tattered Spire quest in Fable 2
You just got really confused. Unless you regularly read my Twitter, then you are thinking "Oh Muse and her obsession with Fable 2." Just, listen, if you played, you'd get it. Trust me.
Every game of Fable 2 is different and in the one I'm playing right now, I'm beyond rich (I own almost every property in the game and get paid 100,000 in gold every five minutes), as good & pure as a character can be, I'm really hot (due to the good, the pure, the being a vegan & the wearing skimpy clothing), I'm super powerful with both melee & ranged weapons and am thisclose to all level 5 spells. and I have 127 characters in love with me.
The only strange thing occurring right now is after I got back from the Tattered Spire quest (which lasts 10 game years), my husband won't speak to me. But my son is now 10 years old and always like "Mommy, you are a hero! I wanna be one too!"
And if you really don't know what Fable is at all, let me clarify - you only interact with computer characters, not real people controlling characters from another console. So...slightly less weird...moving on
2. Saw The Hangover
Didn't realize it was going to be brilliant until about 20 or so minutes in. What moment exactly, you ask?
"Hello... how bout that ride in? I guess that's why they call it Sin City haha"
Enough said. If you've seen it. If you haven't seen it...well...see it. I'll go with you! Cause I'd see this again in a heartbeat. Also, Bradley Cooper can always have his shirt off. And always be having sex with m-I mean...what, I, uhhh...hrm
3. Saw Rebecca Pidgeon in concert/Saw the new Coen brothers movie
These two are together because they are both related to the fact that I know people who work for a theater company, who brought me to both events. A Serious Man, the new Coen brothers movie, is fantastic. See it in October. It' very Jewish, and being a Jew, I loved the crap out of it. Hopefully you will too.
Rebecca Pidgeon surprised me as I had no idea what to expect and I thoroughly enjoyed her set. Here's one of my favorites, which she sang a capella at the show. I'd post it in a media player if I had any clue how. All my research has ended in failure.
Download 04 Baby, Please Come Home to Me.m4a from FileFactory.com
4. Went to a Fango show
Only my 2nd one ever, but I actually quite enjoyed it! Very low key with some cool vendors & interesting panels if you're into horror. Got to see Ben Foster be delightfully awkward (is it weird that I think his awkwardness is incredibly charming? Cause I do. Love him. Will see Pandorum.) and James Marsters be hot. Plus got some cool footage for our upcoming podcast...stay tuned...
5. Finally finished Angel Season 5...almost
As I stopped watching Angel regularly during the second season, I missed out on the brilliance that was season 5. A year or two ago, I watched up until Smile Time, then stopped for whatever reason. So finally, last week, I started up again. And DUDE was this season awesome. Now I know what Illyria is! And I got to see Spike & Angel go to Rome! I only have the series finale to go and I already know what happens, for the most part, but I'm so excited to finally watch it play out. If you are a Joss fan and ESPECIALLY if you are a Buffy fan who hasn't seen Angel Season 5 - get on it. Also - how is David Boreanaz younger & hotter now? That's just weird.
Other things I've done this week: Watched the premiere of Top Chef: Masters (Nom!), almost beat Peggle on 360 (2 levels to go!), went to the NYCC meet up at Dave & Buster's and kicked ass at the trivia even though we lost...to cheating, I presume...grrrr & stared at all the comics I have to read. See full post
Friday, June 5, 2009
Top Ten Most Awesome E3 Announcements/Previews
So the ten things that excited me most about E3 are probably...not anyone else's ten. But holy effing goodness am I excited for the next 365 days in gaming. I'm hoping to see a top ten from david as well, because I know his will be VASTLY different from mine.
Prepare for the girlyness...
10. Agent
An open world game chronicling what it's like to be a secret agent in the 70s? Yes please. Will have to borrow the family's PS3 for this one, as Rockstar is starting this potential franchise off as a Playstation exclusive. But hey, now that I'm an Xbox owner, I'll need PS3 games to play when I vacation at home. Cause I sure as hell won't be giving away any achievements to an Xbox Live account that isn't mine :)
9. Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy XIII are NO LONGER EXCLUSIVE TO PLAYSTATION.
Now while I've never been particularly attached to either one of these titles, I'll be thrilled to give them a shot now that I can play em with an Xbox controller! david keeps telling me that both of these titles are amazing (I've also assumed as much for as long as I can remember, obviously, they are MGS and FF, I don't live under a rock) and are part of the reason I should have gotten a PS3. But now I can try em out for Xbox! Joy of joys! Now that I've discovered I love RPGs (or...well...Fable 2) I'm excited to try out a Final Fantasy game for the first time.
8. Splinter Cell: Conviction
When the other Splinter Cell games were around, I wasn't into gaming enough in general to care, or to take the time to develop any skill in a title that had nothing to do with Buffy. (Side note. I killed at the Buffy game for Xbox.) Now, for the first time, I'm excited by the opportunity to really get into one of these games and discover why all the boys I knew when I was younger loved this series so much.
The rest of the Top Ten after the jump!
7. Project Natal
Duh.
You know why it's the MOST duh?
BECAUSE IT HAS THAT CHER HOROWITZ, I CAN SEE WHAT CLOTHES LOOK LIKE ON ME, FEATURE THAT I NEVER THOUGHT WOULD EXIST BUT NOW IT DOES AHHHHH
Also, yes, it's Skynet and yes, we're all going to die.
6. Monkey Island: Special Edition
I LOVED Monkey Island as kid, it was my absolute favorite game and I remember parts of it being impossible to get through back then. But I always thought it was funny and fun and something about it just made me happy. That's why this remake of Monkey Island thrills me so much - it's EXACTLY what I want. It IS the original Monkey Island, just remastered, enhanced. But get this - if you want to play it the old school way, with no voiceovers and shitty graphics - you can do that too! It's amazing!! I cannot wait to download this for my 360. Note: You will only be enjoying this glory if you have a 360 or a PC.
5. Modern Warfare 2 Gameplay
Not only is it Modern Warfare 2, which is awesome enough on its own, but you get to drive a Snowmobile! Effing sweet!
4. The Last Guardian
This game makes me want a PS3 more than anything else Sony showed at E3. This will be another game I play on my family PS3 whenever I'm home to visit. Because...wow. This looks breathtaking. It's action-adventure, puzzles, gorgeous, plus you get a giant beast friend. Needless to say...want.
3. Awesome Looking Sequels to Awesome Games
I've either played or watched a friend play all four of the originals here, and was astounded by all of them. The sequels all look like they are gonna kick my ass and I can't effing wait. Here are some previews for you.
Bioshock 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Assassin's Creed 2
Left for Dead 2 Gameplay Preview
2. Lego Games
Now you know the dirty, dirty truth about me. I love those damn Lego games. My former roommate and I killed Lego Star Wars (Original Trilogy), my boyfriend and I defeated Lego Indy and I'm currently playing Lego Batman whenever I can find a soul to play with me. Listen people, these games are FUN AS ALL HELL. Here are previews for the two Lego games I'm most looking forward to,
Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure continues doesn't have a trailer, but it does have screenshots (above) and info. All the original levels have been redone and new ones, like the car chase through Shanghai from Temple of Doom, are now available. Additionally, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will now be featured in multiple levels, the screen will now split if your co-op characters get too far away from one another, and a new feature has been added where you can build your own Indy-themed levels. Love. It.
1. Beatles. Effing. Rock Band.
Three part harmonies
Follow the lives/story of the Beatles through their music
Abbey Road in its entirety will be the first album available for DLC
I'm in heaven.
Seriously. I've been obsessed with the Beatles for so long and am so excited for this game, I have trouble believing it really even exists. But it does! And I'm saving up for it now. Best part of this: I already know the lyrics to just about every Beatles song, which means I can wear the headset and play guitar while I sing! Woot! See full post
Prepare for the girlyness...
10. Agent
An open world game chronicling what it's like to be a secret agent in the 70s? Yes please. Will have to borrow the family's PS3 for this one, as Rockstar is starting this potential franchise off as a Playstation exclusive. But hey, now that I'm an Xbox owner, I'll need PS3 games to play when I vacation at home. Cause I sure as hell won't be giving away any achievements to an Xbox Live account that isn't mine :)
9. Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy XIII are NO LONGER EXCLUSIVE TO PLAYSTATION.
Now while I've never been particularly attached to either one of these titles, I'll be thrilled to give them a shot now that I can play em with an Xbox controller! david keeps telling me that both of these titles are amazing (I've also assumed as much for as long as I can remember, obviously, they are MGS and FF, I don't live under a rock) and are part of the reason I should have gotten a PS3. But now I can try em out for Xbox! Joy of joys! Now that I've discovered I love RPGs (or...well...Fable 2) I'm excited to try out a Final Fantasy game for the first time.
8. Splinter Cell: Conviction
When the other Splinter Cell games were around, I wasn't into gaming enough in general to care, or to take the time to develop any skill in a title that had nothing to do with Buffy. (Side note. I killed at the Buffy game for Xbox.) Now, for the first time, I'm excited by the opportunity to really get into one of these games and discover why all the boys I knew when I was younger loved this series so much.
The rest of the Top Ten after the jump!
7. Project Natal
Duh.
You know why it's the MOST duh?
BECAUSE IT HAS THAT CHER HOROWITZ, I CAN SEE WHAT CLOTHES LOOK LIKE ON ME, FEATURE THAT I NEVER THOUGHT WOULD EXIST BUT NOW IT DOES AHHHHH
Also, yes, it's Skynet and yes, we're all going to die.
6. Monkey Island: Special Edition
I LOVED Monkey Island as kid, it was my absolute favorite game and I remember parts of it being impossible to get through back then. But I always thought it was funny and fun and something about it just made me happy. That's why this remake of Monkey Island thrills me so much - it's EXACTLY what I want. It IS the original Monkey Island, just remastered, enhanced. But get this - if you want to play it the old school way, with no voiceovers and shitty graphics - you can do that too! It's amazing!! I cannot wait to download this for my 360. Note: You will only be enjoying this glory if you have a 360 or a PC.
5. Modern Warfare 2 Gameplay
Not only is it Modern Warfare 2, which is awesome enough on its own, but you get to drive a Snowmobile! Effing sweet!
4. The Last Guardian
This game makes me want a PS3 more than anything else Sony showed at E3. This will be another game I play on my family PS3 whenever I'm home to visit. Because...wow. This looks breathtaking. It's action-adventure, puzzles, gorgeous, plus you get a giant beast friend. Needless to say...want.
3. Awesome Looking Sequels to Awesome Games
I've either played or watched a friend play all four of the originals here, and was astounded by all of them. The sequels all look like they are gonna kick my ass and I can't effing wait. Here are some previews for you.
Bioshock 2
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Assassin's Creed 2
Left for Dead 2 Gameplay Preview
2. Lego Games
Now you know the dirty, dirty truth about me. I love those damn Lego games. My former roommate and I killed Lego Star Wars (Original Trilogy), my boyfriend and I defeated Lego Indy and I'm currently playing Lego Batman whenever I can find a soul to play with me. Listen people, these games are FUN AS ALL HELL. Here are previews for the two Lego games I'm most looking forward to,
Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4
Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure continues doesn't have a trailer, but it does have screenshots (above) and info. All the original levels have been redone and new ones, like the car chase through Shanghai from Temple of Doom, are now available. Additionally, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will now be featured in multiple levels, the screen will now split if your co-op characters get too far away from one another, and a new feature has been added where you can build your own Indy-themed levels. Love. It.
1. Beatles. Effing. Rock Band.
Three part harmonies
Follow the lives/story of the Beatles through their music
Abbey Road in its entirety will be the first album available for DLC
I'm in heaven.
Seriously. I've been obsessed with the Beatles for so long and am so excited for this game, I have trouble believing it really even exists. But it does! And I'm saving up for it now. Best part of this: I already know the lyrics to just about every Beatles song, which means I can wear the headset and play guitar while I sing! Woot! See full post
9's Scientist Gets a Facebook Page [Viral Marketing]
The Scientist from 9 has his own Facebook page!
Here, you'll find a blog of sorts, detailing his progress in "...building the Machine that will help rebuild the Nation."
Definitely recommend checking it out! See full post
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Check out this GQ mthrfckr right here...
Coming to us direct from twitter's shelightsupwell, in the vein of the popular "Look at this GQ motherfucker right here, look at him, his name is SPOCK/WOLVERINE/OBAMA his fonts all Arial and shit goddamn", we have: The Chuck Edition.
See full post
See full post
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
STUFFED TALKING DUG [WANT]
Find out what's on the canine mind with our ''Up'' Talking Dug Plush Toy. This soft and fuzzy stuffed toy dog can really talk from a faux ''radio'' collar when you squeeze his left paw. While his funny thoughts may be taken quite literally, you'll have to decide for yourself when to give this Dug stuffed toy a hug. This big and friendly canine Dug is one of the stars of Disney/Pixar's animated adventure, Up. Imported.
Dug thinks aloud when you squeeze his paw
Hear 7 unique phrases such as ''Are you a dog, too?'' and ''My name is Dug. I have just met you and I love you''
Polyester
Sits 11'' H
Look for more Up plush including the entire Up Alpha Pack with Talking Alpha Plush, Talking Beta Plush and Talking Gamma Plush, each sold separately
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANT
Buy it for your dear friend LoquaciousMuse by clicking here. See full post
Up Makes Me Happier [Photo}
I know this picture is old news, but I just saw Up and it took my breath away. Laughing and crying for 90 minutes straight. Hands down best movie I've seen yet this year. I'll call it now - Best Picture nomination. Just saying.
By the way, if anyone comes across either a stuffed, talking Dug or a statue with Kevin asleep on one foot over sleeping Dug...please link me so I can buy them for myself. I just won't spend money on food that week. Done and done.
Photo Tip: The Ecstatic Truth See full post
Scott Pilgrim Makes Me Happy [Photo]
I
CAN'T
WAIT
The characters of the two people I know in this movie didn't make it on the poster, but another two that my good friends know DID make it on the poster!
PS If you haven't read Scott Pilgrim, you are crazy, read em now. You can borrow them from me if you want.
Hat Tip: MTV Splash Page
See full post
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Fake McG Rumor Hashtag
Recently, david and I tried to get the hashtag #fakemcgrumor going on Twitter. It didn't reach TOO far out. In fact, it was mostly just us and our podcast pals. Though some other awesome souls also partook! Well, four. Four others partook. For a total of 8 participants. 9 including me. We're so cool.
Anyway. Here are some of the tweets about McG from our podcasters! Enjoy! And get this hashtag going next Friday :)
I would like to point out that after tweeting that, "MacGruber" started following me on Twitter. See full post
Anyway. Here are some of the tweets about McG from our podcasters! Enjoy! And get this hashtag going next Friday :)
I would like to point out that after tweeting that, "MacGruber" started following me on Twitter. See full post
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Empire's Cryptic Canvas - How Many Can You Get? [Game]
Saw this on Slashfilm's Page 2 about 15 minutes ago and now can't walk away without guessing all 50.
I should explain. Hidden here are 50 references to movies that have come out in past 20 years, in honor of Empire's 20th anniversary.
So far I've gotten 24 (including some not obvious ones, if I do say so myself), but the final 26 are leaving me quite befuddled. What am I missing? david, this may be one for you, my friend. Will update with how long it takes me to get all 50. Oh my. This may be the end of me.
Click here to play the game yourself!
Update 7:44 Just spotted #25...ooh that was a sneaky one...
7:46 #26...that one was easy, should have gotten in sooner
7:46 #27 - I've hit a second wind!
7:47 #28...What an appropriate time to figure out this one, haha. Noticing lots of best picture winners.
7:56 #29. Silly that one took me so long. I even entered this movie as a guess for another image earlier.
8:00 #30 a movie I've never seen cause I knew I'd be bored to tears. Still, should have gotten this one sooner.
8:02 #31 One of my favorite childhood movies! How could I have missed this one?!
8:46 #32 Ignored it for a while. Came back and Eruditechick inadvertently made me feel like an idiot by pointing out an obvious one I missed. Clue: Yes, "Red Windmill" isn't a movie, but in another language it sure is. Siigh.
8:51 #33 I ask Eruditechick what country the blue flag on the grave is from. Not sure I ever would have gotten this one otherwise.
8:53 #34 I complain to Eruditechick that the row of cars isn't a clue for "Cars". Saying "row of cars" makes me realize what the answer is.
9:03 #35 Eruditechick notices was the painting actually is
9:04 #36 Eruditechick gives me clues for the train and I eventually figure it out. I gotta get my head back in the game!
9:05 #37 We put two and two together and figure out what the one we THINK is Man on Wire, actually is
9:07 #38 Not the english blanket, but...
9:09 but Ninja Cheerleaders is a movie!! Why is it not the answer?!
9:16 #39 I didn't see those snakes there!
9:29 Now have 43!
9:40 FINISHED! See full post
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