iconogeek » Chuck

Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern, jealous much?

Chuck — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:50:39 +0000

I am a big comic geek. Not so much now, but from the time I was a kid to sophmore year in college I collected a lot of comics. I have over 3,000 bagged and boarded in moisture resistant cardboard downstairs. Did I say I was a comic book geek?

Marvel was always my thing, most of the DC universe really didn’t catch my eye. That is until DC started churning out great films like Superman, Batman, etc. Well, now Green Lantern is poised as the next big DC franchise with Ryan Reynolds at the helm. Now, for those of you that have listen to the podcast you’ll know that I’m a big fan of Mr. Reynolds. So I was torn since the next superhero I wanted to see Reynolds play was Deadpool; that is until I saw this on the latest Entertainment Weekly in my mailbox:

Now, this suit does look pretty damn awesome in this shot and I am told that it is entirely CG. The film is still in its early stages so I am unsure if this shot is photoshop’ed, or an early test of the CG mapping. Either way, it has a great look and takes the “feel” of Lantern’s actual suit and makes it current and believable.

Green Lantern is intended to hit theaters next year (6/17/2011).

Bookmark and Share

King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters and a bucketfull of awesome

Chuck — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 02:49:42 +0000

When I browsed past The King of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters on my Netflix account on the 360 (instant queue is a beautiful thing isn’t it?) I thought I was about to watch a smart indie film about a classic video game. But what I got was something more.

Steve Weibe (pronounced: Weebee) has recorded a million+ score on Donkey Kong Jr. in his garage. This beats the standing world record by Billy Mitchell by well over 150,000 points. Billy, a confident video game expert and self-made businessman has held this record since the early 80’s (as well as 4 other world records). Weibe, believing he’s broken the world record, sends the videotape of his record-breaking game in to Twin Galaxies (the official gaming scoreboard) for review. What ensues is a roller coaster of ups and downs; Accused of cheating and modifying his game board to gain an advantage, Weibe has no other choice but to prove his prowess in live competition.

The film brings us Weibe’s struggle to be the best all-the-while being supported by friends and family. Mitchell is portrayed as the untouchable villain with a cadre of evil minions doing his bidding.

While the details of the film may be stretched for dramatic effect (see IMDB trivia page), the story is incontrovertible. It’s an underdog story of the highest degree: A lone challenger beat down his whole life finds a purpose and practices until he can be the best. But he has to prove it against the headstrong, arrogant champion. Will the champion accept the challenge? Will the challenger beat him if he does? That’s the magic of some of the best underdog movies, and that’s the magic of King of Kong.

Bookmark and Share

Red Dead Redemption Review, The Good, the Dead, and the Red.

Chuck — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:47:56 +0000

So I recently had a big birthday, and if you’re following me on TWITTER, you’ll know which one. I won’t bore you with the details but suffice it to say it was a great day and I received many cool gifts, one of which was the XBOX360 version of Red Dead Redemption. It arrived innocently enough via FedEx marked Saturday delivery. Jason surprises me like this sometimes, and usually it involves a six-shooter of one kind or another.

Well this six shooter came with all the Sergio Leone films packed behind it as well as Rockstar Games signature open world style. The first thing that grabbed me about Red Dead Redemption was the cinematic presentation. I wasn’t playing a game really, I was more like experiencing an interactive western. Little things like riding my horse to the first mission taking time make this game feel more real than just a game with western window dressing. Instead of getting somewhere quick, I had to ride along with my guide for a good 3 or 4 minutes listening to him chit-chat as I looked at the gorgeous scenery. I enjoyed the actual riding of the horse, it gave the journey a purpose (not just the destination).

The game then “begins”, but seems to end right quick as you get shot (no spoiler here as this is the premise of the game), than saved by local ranchers and nursed back to health. Your journey to redemption now begins as you help around the ranch (which is a cleverly veiled tool to teach you how to aim, shoot, and ride).

The game progresses as you journey to other towns and perform other missions, which all play nicely into your main goal of bringing the guy that left you for dead to justice (dead or alive. My guess is dead). The missions make sense in this game and they play into the overall storyline perfectly. They never feel forced or ancillary.

I’ve always been a fan of westerns, and Red Dead Red Redemption drops you smack dap in the middle of one. The scenery, the characters, and especially the horses all lead to an engrossing experience making you feel like you are in this new frontier.

Bookmark and Share

Is this the new face of Mortal Kombat? I hope so.

Chuck — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:46:38 +0000

My buddy, Cesar, sent me a link the other day (he does this on a regular basis as he finds cool stuff here and here) and as usual, I clicked on it. What came before me was a VIDEO THAT LEFT ME SLACK-JAWED. I remember when the Mortal Kombat video game came out and I pumped tons of quarters into that game in the arcade. Mortal Kombat was the first of its kind to use realistic looking characters and featured the now famous “Fatality” scenes.

In 1995, Paul W.S. Anderson took the video game to the big screen taking the core concept of the video game (a martial arts tournament) and wrapping it around a better film premise (Enter the Dragon). Much to my geek delight, the film was tons of fun and cemented the scream “MORTAL KOMBAAAAAT” into my speech lexicon for that summer.

So you could imagine my excitement when this new re-envisioning began to play. Michael Jai White (yes, of Spawn fame), plays Jaxx (look at the door to his office), Johnny Cage is apparently dead, but Sonja Blade is back, played by Jeri Ryan (7 of 9, anyone?).

According to Slashfilm, the clip is a short spec film shot by Fame director Kevin Tancheron back in April as a pitch to get the job.

Well, I think he did an awesome job. He’s taken the tired concept of the fight contest (Can it really get any better than Bloodsport?) and actually made it pretty relevant. In seven minutes he’s explained why Baracka looks like an animal, and why we even need to care about the tournament.

I hope studio execs stand up and take notice and give this guy the job. What he did on no budget and a couple RED cameras is phenomenal. I, for one, am gonna remember his name whether or not this reboot flies.

Watch the VIDEO HERE.

Bookmark and Share

Can Knight and Day bring Tom Cruise’s mojo back?

Chuck — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:45:23 +0000

Look, I’ve been a Tom Cruise fan for a very long time. From the first time I saw him on screen in TAPS, I’ve been hooked. Cruise has lived the dream of every teenage boy, twentysomething, and thirtysomething in every single movie he’s made. He’s done what WE want to do. Drive a fast car? Check. Fly a fast plane? Check. Bed beautiful women? Check. Make tons of money? Check.

Seriously, this guy’s film roles read like a bucket list for every man locked to a desk or just living his life. Until he went off the deep end. I won’t rehash it here… everyone remembers it.

So, his new flick with Cameron Diaz (reunited again from Vanilla Sky), Knight and Day, seems to be poised to put Cruise back in action. The trailer is electric, action-packed and funny. (And having Uprising from Muse as the backing track doesn’t hurt). Check it out, below.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0cSz62nq9Y

See what I mean? Awesome. And let’s not forget about Diaz’s jumpstart here too. She’s been in and out of low performers ever since Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle so she’s poised for a little mojo boost as well.

Will Knight and Day deliver? I think so. Even though trailers can be deceiving, I think this one is giving an accurate play of the flick. I’m looking forward to reviewing it and giving you my thoughts. Now if you excuse me, I need to go ride a motorcycle, really, really fast.

Bookmark and Share

Burn Notice is Back and Blazing

Chuck — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:44:04 +0000

I’ve been a fan of Burn Notice since it debuted on USA Networks in 2007 mostly because of Bruce Campbell. I’ve followed him ever since the Evil Dead days, but it was The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. that really solidified him in my wheelhouse of favorite character actors. The premise seemed cool: CIA spy gets “burned” (disavowed for you Mission: Impossible fans) and dumped in Miami. While trying to figure out who burned him he helps people in need.

The burned spy is Michael Weston (played by Jeffrey Donovan). He’s part MacGyver, part Magnum PI, part Yoda, and part ninja. He’s a brilliant strategist, expert in hand-to-hand combat, and can blend in to any locale or situation.

He’s helped by a group of friends including Sam Axe, played by my fave Bruce Campbell, a washed up ex-special forces agent (with a heart of gold) who lives on the favor of wealthy widows; and Fiona (“Fee”), played by the georgeous Gabrielle Anwar, an ex-IRA activist, weapons expert, and all around bad-ass in a Nikita sort of way. (Oh and she has a heart of gold too.) Sharon Glass (of Cagney & Lacey fame) plays Michael’s mother Madeline, a silver-haired spitfire who chain smokes and is trying to make up for past parenting sins.

Burn Notice is now in it’s fourth season and in my opinion continues to impress. The show is fun to watch and exciting. If you yearn for shows like the The A-Team, Knight Rider, MacGyver, and Magnum PI, then Burn Notice captures all the best parts of these shows, wraps it in sunny/beautiful locations, excellent writing, and great performances.

Do yourself a favor watch the show and make up your own mind Tuesdays 9/8C. You won’t be disappointed.

Bookmark and Share

My thoughts on the final episode of LOST

Chuck — Mon, 24 May 2010 15:40:48 +0000

So the finale has had some time to sink in. My initial feeling when it ended was that it was self-indulgent and not that great. However, now that I have had some distance, I feel that the ending was appropriate and rather good. The Sideways was not real, it was a construct made by the collective consciousness of everyone on the island that had meaningful relationships. It absolutely had different elements from different philosophies and religions (I think Matthew Fox described it perfectly on Kimmel's wrapup).

The Sideways was out-of-time, and existed on a line that converged many different time streams together. IT was telling at the end when Ben said he wasn't ready to go and still had stuff to work out. Hurley said he was a good #2, to which Ben replied "You were a great #1." This implies that Hurley and Ben where on the island for a long time afterward taking care of it and it's various inhabitants and castaways. If there is ever an opening for more stories, it's there.

All the castaways came together in the Sideways to complete their circle and I think the island helped with that. There is no doubt in my mind that the island has some sort of mystical energy that was harnessed by a civilization eons ago. The island is a cork that golds that energy at bay, preserving some kind of balance (which was always a core theme in the show). I will probably post some more about this later as I get to mull it over some more, but overall I am satisfied with the entire arc.

The ending gave me closure for the characters. I am sure that it isn't what some people wanted. I mean, it was sad, yes they are dead – but as Christian said, some died before and some died long after. I think it was pretty uplifting, Jack was able to finally "fix" the ultimate break, and he gave his life in doing it. He reconciled the scientist and man-of-faith and he was happy. The ending to me was a wrap for the story AND in a meta way, a wrap for the show. LOST was always a character study and I think the ending did justice to the character's journey. Do I want some more answers, sure, but I like the ambiguity. It's something to talk about and discuss which I think we're going to sorely miss now that it's gone.

I'm anxious to hear what you think….

Posted via email from Chuck’s posterous

Bookmark and Share

Iron Meh 2 (or a chink in Iron Man’s armor)

Chuck — Fri, 21 May 2010 12:37:48 +0000

So you may have guessed from the title that I was particularly enthused about Iron Man 2. I hate to say it, because I was really excited about the flick, but at the end of the day the movie really didn’t deliver anything new. The first Iron Man took one of the less popular Marvel characters and turned him into a sensation. Jason and I have posted and spoke about Iron Man 1 already so I won’t wax triumphant about it now.

I guess it was really the story that fell flat for me. The best thing about Iron Man is the snarkiness in the dialog. Iron Man is the “smart” superhero movie and this second installment just felt like a plain, old superhero movie. Where the effects excellent? Yes. Was Mickey Rourke a bad-ass (yet again)? Yes. Did Scarlett Johannsen kick butt? Abso-f’n-lutely! Was Cheadle better than Howard? You bet. Was Sam Rockwell the best part of this flick? Have to say “yes” (but then again, he always steals the show).

What I’m saying is that Iron Man 2 was not better than the sum of it’s parts. By the end, the movie became about men in suits fighting other men in suits and we SAW that already in Iron Man 1. Whiplash was a good idea, but there’s a part early on which should have done him in, but it didn’t even leave a scratch. Sorry, I can’t suspend my disbelief here. Out of all the Marvel movies, Iron Man is actually the most plausible. So we when bunny hop the sand shark, I have a hard time staying in the movie.

I’m sure Iron Man 3 will be made and I hope Favreau and Co. do what they did with number 1: Set out to make a “different” superhero flick (one that doesn’t climax with 2 metal suits fighting each other), because 2 was just “meh.”

Bookmark and Share

Pitching for the win

Chuck — Thu, 20 May 2010 23:11:16 +0000

I just signed up for the new “Creating Your Opportunity Contest” put on by Network Solutions and the new .co domain. The deal is that you pitch your business idea and if you get enough votes…you go to the next round (which is judging). If you win, you get some cash and development time and a brand spankin’ new .co domain name!

So, this is a SHAMELESS plug!

Go vote for me and my idea Mashbord: http://bit.ly/mbpitch

Oh, and after you vote, go check out http://mashbord.com and test out the beta

Thank You!
Chuck

P.S. Did I mention you can tell EVERYONE you know to vote for me to?

Posted via email from Chuck’s posterous

Bookmark and Share

Is the iPad’s 3G a waste of money?

Chuck — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:40:39 +0000

So, the iPad looks really freakin’ cool. And like a good little Fanboy, I sat on gdgt.com and watched the live update of the keynote. I was excited about the product, and it was pretty close to what I had expected. A larger iPod Touch with some hybrid features like productivity apps. Whether you can get some actual “work” done on it I’ll wait until I “feel” they virtual keyboard. Although, I used to NOT like the iPhone virtual keyboard, but I’ve grown to like it..so we’ll see.

Then I saw the price. $499 is the right price at the entry level. But the additional $130 for the 3G AND $14.99/month to get started? Sorry. No thanks.

It’s not like you’re carrying this thing around outside and going to bars, or being stuck in traffic. I see it more as a “sit on the couch” thing. Browse the net, do some email, maybe have some X-10 controls for your home (cool remote stuff) THAT would be awesome (Crestron are you listening????). Maybe, using it in hotels or airports – all of which have WiFi – so where’s the benefit of the 3G?

Commuters maybe? Just sync it before you leave for the train (like you do your iPod). Do you really need the LATEST news on the 75 min ride into Manhattan?

Oh, and one more thing. Would it KILL Apple to have some external memory? I know, this is their model, but they could have slashed the price more by just giving it an SD slot instead of onboard memory. and included a 16G chip to start. What if the iPad was $459 instead? Someone smarter than me can chime in about speeds of onboard memory compared to an SD card bus, please.

Even with these gripes, I was pantomiming having one last night as I watched Burn Notice and White Collar on USA. Would have been cool to have it on the couch during the commercials. So, any one want to donate to the iconogeek iPad fund

Posted via email from Chuck’s posterous

Bookmark and Share

Avatar completely blew me away

Chuck — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:05:09 +0000

I wanted to wait a day to post since I jumped into Wanted without looking and caught immense amounts of crap from J when I changed my iScore for that flick. Well, I’ve waited sufficiently and my mind has not changed at all about Avatar. I am still giddy from this movie. I have the same feeling that I had when I saw Star Wars when I was a kid. The spectacle of this film is astounding. The realism, the believability is just nothing short of groundbreaking. James Cameron and his team have taken us to a world that is 100% believable and engaging.

I think the most curious thing about Avatar is that it is clearly an artistic culmination of James Cameron’s entire career. You can see influences from every single one of his films and for a film geek, that’s just plain FUN to look for. The action of Aliens, the mech/tech of Terminator, the emotion of Titanic, the teeth of Piranha 2, the glowy alien stuff from The Abyss, I could go on. James Cameron is a true artist combining past work and marrying technology and story telling in a way no one else has done before. I am officially on the JC fanwagon (As if I wasn’t before).

I can’t emphasize the realistic nature of this film enough. 60% of Avatar is CG. 60%! And it’s amazing. Today’s CG is incredible anyway (i.e. Transformers, Iron Man), but it’s typically an action-based arena where things are moving so fast (or it’s Mech-based) and can more easily believed. But when you are rendering humanoids with skin, goosebumps, hair – we’re used to seeing that everyday in real life – we’re incredibly critical of any CG that tackles that. Spirits Within was a noble effort, but it wasn’t “there” yet (the characters looked dead) – but now the technology has improved to the point that realistic, “alive” humanoids can be created. Creatures that inhabit the screen with the emotion and warmth of REAL actors. Avatar does this splendidly and leaves you with an awe that just makes you want to make movies (like when you where a kid).

I think Avatar will be the film that future film makers reflect upon as the singular film that got them into movies. Much like Star Wars inspired droves of impressionable kids to grab their Super8’s, dress up in robes and make their own versions of Star Wars (like I did), or as Ace Frehley inspired millions to pick up a guitar. Avatar will be the inspiration point for a fantastic journey of imagination for millions. Even though there are some intense battle scenes and some adult themes, I will be taking my kids to see this. I want them to experience that same feeling I had when I first saw Star Wars. I want them to be able to look back and remember this movie experience and be truly inspired.

To wrap up, Avatar is quite simply the best VFX I have ever seen in a film and quite possible one the best films I’ve seen. Was the story a bit predictable? Sure, but I don’t care. It’s themes are universal and the pure enjoyment of watching this film is what movies (to me) are for. Without hesitation, this film gets an iScore of 10.

Posted via email from Chuck’s posterous

Bookmark and Share

Halloween is the healthiest holiday

Chuck — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:36:18 +0000

I know what you’re all saying, but hear me out. While our kids gorge themselves on candy that they’ve collected over the past several hours, stop and think about how they collected that candy. My kids just came back from 2 hours of trick-or-treating exhausted. That’s right exhausted. I estimated they walked at least 2 miles, in extra layers of clothing, carrying 3-4 pound sacks of goodies, and sweating. Yes, sweating…and loving it it mind you!

So compared to a holiday like say…Thanksgiving, or Easter which is purely centered around eating and more eating; consider Halloween, with it’s biked searchers, its young scavengers on foot, and its out-of-shape parents carrying the whole kit and kaboodle.

Think about it.

Posted via email from Chuck’s posterous

Bookmark and Share

Guilt/Fame by association

Chuck — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:08:06 +0000

So as most of you may (or may not) know. I do a podcast with my buddy Jason called iconogeek. Well he's been working on a documentary film (lending some post production help) for a coworker of his. Well, the film is completed and now officially on IMDB. I just received this link a few minutes ago over IM: http://bit.ly/2oGqEq and I have taken a screengrab as well.

Anyway, as any self-respecting geek (and movie dweeb) can attest, a mention on IMDB is kind of a big deal. I'm stoked that Jason has achieved this momentous occasion and I'm happy to bask in some of the glow emanating out of North Carolina right now. So congrats J!

Now, how the heck to I get on IMDB? Thoughts? Anyone? Beuler?

Posted via email from Chuck’s posterous

Bookmark and Share

I’m afraid to go to sleep

Chuck — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:34:20 +0000

So if Paranormal Activity doesn’t scare the pants off you, you’re either Tom Savini, or dead. Take Blair Witch and get rid of the vomit inducing camera work and you’ve got this flick. I highly recommend, just leave some lights on before you leave for the movie. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did (unless of course, their off when you get home).

Posted via email from Chuck’s posterous

Bookmark and Share

The best thing about Zombieland? Zombieland.

Chuck — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:27:32 +0000

So I got a chance to catch Zombieland last night and let me tell ya. Freakin’ awesome. When I received a text message from Dodge, that said “I’m kinda embarrassed, I actually liked Zombieland,” I knew it was gonna be good, Dodge is notoriously picky and he is usually dead on.

Now I had heard it was good, and I am pre-disposed to like this movie already, but all that aside…this movie kicked in high gear from the getgo and didn’t stop. Great writing, tight editing (only 1hr 21m), great tongue-in-cheek acting (and even some surprising dramatic moments), and a nice retell of a crowded genre.

The movie had a great sense of humor and a slick style, especially with the opening credits which took the JJ Abrams style of 3D integration and took it one step further (borrowing a bit from Johnny Dangerously, actually). I came home after the flick with a desire to play Left 4 Dead, eat a Snowball, and watch Caddyshack, so if you’re a Z-fan (or even if you aren’t) this movie is a good bet for some excellent, dark-humor escapism.

Time to Nut-up ot Shut-up. I give this flick a 10 because it was just plain awesome and didn’t preach anything. Most apocalypse- genre stuff has an underlying theme about the causes of the apocalypse or they delve into the psychology of the characters (The Waking Dead is an excellent example. If you aren’t reading it, you need to.) but not Zombieland. It’s unapologetic about what it is. Zombies have taken over, so be it, deal. Oh yeah and have fun too.

Bookmark and Share

Tonight, Jay finally doesn’t like a movie…Episode 28

Chuck — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:11:43 +0000

Episode 28 starts off with dedicated commitment as Chuck tries to convince Jason to get on Twitter. While Chuck feels his argument has merit, Jay remains unconvinced and brings out the big guns when he calls on Harvard to help his case. Did Chuck win? You be the judge. Chuck and Jay then dive into the Outlander DVD and discuss it’s true awesomeness and its connections to Old English Epic Poems. Jay then offers his review of Terminator Salvation and we find out if all the bad press is deserved. BTW, if you are interested in some good movies about time travel check out Time Crimes and Primer.

We then discuss E3 and some of the great stuff coming out of this year’s biggest gaming show including the Beatles Rockband game, the new Halo: Reach trailer, Left4Dead 2, Splinter Cell Conviction, Metal Gear, and the Sims.

Links:

Bookmark and Share

Tonight we get LOST…Episode 27

Chuck — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:10:42 +0000

Episode 27 kicks of with horrible segues, scriptwriting dreams, and tales of fish. The podcast then continues the JJ Abrams love from the last podcast as Chuck and Jay discuss the LOST season finale and their thoughts on waiting 9 months for the next season. Jay then expresses his desire for the new Terminator flick and Chuck concurs. The episode rounds out with some Outlander, SNL, and Incredibad

Links

Oh yeah, check this week’s poll in the sidebar!

Bookmark and Share

Tonight, we’re having trouble with Tribbles…Episode 26

Chuck — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:32:54 +0000

Episode 26 forges ahead with Jason’s incredibly inconvenient day job, Chuck’s office logistics and the trials of remote family tech support. A blistering review of X-Men Origins: Wolverine is followed by Chuck and Jay’s dual viewpoint (fan and non-fan) review of Star Trek.

Links:

This episode’s poll: What’s your favorite Star Trek? Check it in the sidebar –>

Bookmark and Share

LOST’s juicy season finale

Chuck — Sat, 16 May 2009 02:34:47 +0000

Mario Perez/ABC

I gotta tell ya, I looooved LOSTS’s season finale. I saw Cesar’s tweet just after the airing and I think he may have had some issues with it. Hopefully I can divulge some of the awesomeness to bring him back around.

1. We finally meet Jacob.
Excellent way to introduce this Oz-like character. Hanging on the island in maybe, what, the 1600’s? Maybe Ben can answer this question, but I am sure the type of ship sailing into the island in the first 10 minutes of the episode will give away the year. And who is the other character and what is their relationship? My bet is they’re brothers, maybe even Cane and Able. Now for those of you that listen to the podcast you’ll know I am not a very religious man, but I do find the mythology and stories surrounding christian religions (heck, any religion for that matter) fascinating. So I think I’d love to have some catholic mysticism injected here. Thoughts?

2. Jack finally gets back to form
So he finally has a purpose again…saving everyone. He has something to fix again. And in true “Jack-fashion” he’ll do whatever he needs to do to fix it. Also, I love the 180 degree turnaround in Jack’s concept of faith – the pragmatist is almost entirely gone.

Oh, there’s more…

3. Locke really is dead
OK, weird. I’m very interested to see how Jacob’s “friend” pulled this one off. However I love the idea of the “Loophole” – a loophole for what? Also, who are these other disciples of Jacob? As I write, I just realized that Jacob may indeed be a Jesus-type character. Hmmmmm. I ask again, thoughts?

4. Sawyer’s dilemma
I’m pretty sure the H-bomb went off and the white screen (which was how Supernatural ended its season as well, BTW) wasn’t a camera effect to trick us in to thinking it went off. I think Sawyer really doesn’t want Jack to complete his destiny because he finally likes where he is. He’s come to grips with “Sawyer” and is ready to leave all that behind, his death wish is gone. Although I thought Julia’s issues where a little too convenient and counter to her character (she always seemed stronger than that), it did give Josh Holloway a great opportunity to show some impressive acting chops.

5. Myles’ realization
I think Myles is the only character to actual come to the island and get what he came for (and live to get it). He finally knows why his father left and what actually happened.

6. More info on Richard
Still not enough, but the plot thickens…

OK, so some questions now…

Is that a guitar in Hurley’s guitar case? Is it Charlie’s? Why is he always carrying it?
Who is Richard, really?
Why are these people on the island and who the f’ are they already?

OK, that’s it for now. Penty of time over the next 7 months to mull this over.

Bookmark and Share

Number 2 in a series of the worst kids games

Chuck — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:28:00 +0000

Apparently the purpose of this game is to prevent the other children from accessing the blocks to build their own castles, towers, etc. You win when none of your friends are able to build anything. The win is bittersweet however, since you typically don’t get a chance to build anything either since you spent all your time blocking your friends.

Bookmark and Share

I’m a Marvel…I’m a DC…It’s f’n brilliant.

Chuck — Mon, 11 May 2009 21:05:19 +0000

Thanks Doug for the link.

‘Nuff Said.

Bookmark and Share

A cheap way to smash a pumpkin in a fountain with your friend Wayne Hanson.

Chuck — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 15:05:07 +0000

Messing With My Head

I just found my new favorite band.

What do you get when you take the solid, pop rhythm of Cheap Trick, the crunch of Smashing Pumpkins, temper it with Fountains of Wayne’s melodic bubblegum, AND top it off with a surprisingly grown up Hanson?

You get Tinted Windows, and it is quite possibly the best merging of 4 different groups I’ve heard in a while. It takes all of the signature sounds of each and makes a single, very catchy, very poppy, very fun summer hit.

While I love all types of music (my itunes library is VERY eclectic), I always gravitate towards this music, I think because it’s just fun, period. I did it when I first heard Fuzzbubble (thanks Kev), Fountains, and of course Cheap Trick (Which I played until the tape broke – yes I said tape…as in cassette tape). I’m excited for the album and will offer a full review when it’s released.

Now go check out Fuzzbubble already!

Bookmark and Share

I gotta say, it’s pretty awesome.

Chuck — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 01:28:54 +0000

I reciprocated a Follow on Twitter and decided to check out some links. Well, this guy Walt’s show “Awesomeology” (http://www.awesomeology.com) is indeed quite awesome. I mean, how can you mix commentary on bacon, beer, whales, and YouTube morons successfully? Apparently you use Awesomeology (I guess that makes him an Awesomeologist?).

Bookmark and Share

Top 5 best TV commercials, right now (as I see it).

Chuck — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 02:45:30 +0000

In no particular order other than my stream of thought.

1. KIA Soul. Hamsters chillin’? Come on, All I need is some Dynamite Hack and we’re good to go.

2. Hulu. Alex Baldwin is just plain awesome. He gets the Cadillac for this one.

3. Hulu. Seth McFarland just cool, and whenever he can jump out and visit the really-real word is welcomed.

4. Quiznos. Oh man, this one is just plain wrong. But DAMN, if it isn’t funny!

5. ETrade. “Shankapotomus” – ROFLOL that’s all I need

Bookmark and Share

Sometimes a good Frak is all you need: Episode 24

Chuck — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:42:58 +0000

Episode 24 kicks off with Chuck’s hating of 24 and why Redemption wasn’t that bad. But the guys kick themselves to get back into the topic their supposed to discuss…the series finale of Battlestar Galactica!

Bookmark and Share

Dicks leak Wolverine workprint

Chuck — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:21:09 +0000

So apparently an early version of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was leaked on the internet. It’s missing key scenes, finished effects, and finalization but clearly this sucks for all involved in the making of the film. Certainly from a creative level (it’s not finished), and less so (I think) from a financial level and here’s why. A film like this which has, arguably, the most popular Marvel comic character AND a rabid fanbase that has been aching for a Weapon X story is going to get butts in the seats opening weekend.

Think of it as a fast-rip Band-Aid.
The idiots that leaked this (seriously, what’s the f’n point? If you’re a fan, then an unfinished print may be “cool” but from the geek standpoint, wouldn’t you want it to be presented at its best?) are catering to the same fanboys that will go see this film multiple times in the theater. A leaked, unfinished print will only whet the appetites of fans if the movie’s good. If it sucks, then it won’t matter, you’ll loose some initial opening weekend revenue due to bad press, but that’s your own fault for putting together a shitty movie. I don’t think that’s the case though. From what I’ve seen, this movie is a fanboy’s wet dream, especially on the heals of Watchmen.. we are even more pumped to see this film.

Although there are many posts by people who have seen the vid, they complain that “it IS finished,” and “The pacing sucks,” and “there’s no story” – but I gotta tell ya, each one of those comments can easily be addressed with editing and additional footage. Do these people seriously think that this stuff hasn’t been shot? Or that several weeks of additional editing won’t completely change/tighten a movie? STFU, wait for actual release.

In the end, I’d be interested in seeing numbers or stats about the actual harm this leaked print does to final box office. But I’m not quite sure how you get those.

I have not seen the leaked vid (nor do I want to), I want to see the final film it all it’s claw-poppin’ beauty, period. Seeing this film on the big screen with the cast of characters it has (Deadpool? Come on folks!) is going to be an experience I’ve been waiting for since well before days of future past.

‘Nuff Said.

Bookmark and Share

Tonight, a serious question: Brad Pitt or Ryan Reynolds, Episode 21

Chuck — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 04:31:02 +0000

Chuck and Jason kick off this just legal podcast with tales of Jason’s intimidating presence. LOST is back and in big way and Jason and Chuck weigh in on the total excellence that is the new season and offer their theories of what’s going on. The Superbowl movie trailers and how they completely kicked ass is up next with anticipation (or not) for GI Joe, Transformers 2, Star Trek, Fast and the Furious, Year One, Land of the Lost, Angels and Demons, and Race to Witch Mountain. The podcast concludes with Chuck’s thoughts on Benjamin Button and Jason lays down the newest DVDs.

Associated Links

Bookmark and Share

Charles Widmore is Alvar Hanso.

Chuck — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 03:12:28 +0000

OK, so we’ve been given a TON of info in the episode. I love the pendulum, very cool . Dharma doesn’t seem to be a mystery now (to me at least). I guess they are (were) a scientific organization working on the island doing experiments with biology and electromagnetism. The one thing that I am confused about though, is are they still around? In season 1, there was a Dharma supplies drop, so they must be still around and still think they have functioning operatives on the island (at least until Keamey shows up). But they haven’t been in the story line for a while…or have they?

So here’s my theory…Widmore is Hanso. The Dharma Inititive is his company that he set up to exploit the island in his quest for power. This is why Richard and the Other-Others battled against Dharma in the past and recruited Ben to help them wipe Dharma out on the island. They want Widmore to stop the exploitation of the island. I think that after that Widmore, at some point, was banished from ever returning to the island, which is why he needed the Initiative to get back to it. I think he dedicated his life and resources to finding that Island again, and when he did (using the pendulum)

This theory also explains a little bit more about the confrontation with Ben and the we-can’t kill-each-other pact they have. Ben clearly made a deal with Widmore after Richard assisted him in destroying the Dharma Initiative on the island. What tht deal is, is still a secret, but I am sure we’ll find out.

Think about it, Widmore protects his interests in the island by masquerading as Alvar Hanso. That way he can keep his legitimate enterprises going, while he keeps the more clandestined “Island” business going.

Thoughts?

Bookmark and Share

Sony releases it’s next, great product and it’s a real POS.

Chuck — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:51:45 +0000

OK, so if you have have young kids nearby do NOT play this it is riddled with explitives, seriously… EXPLICIT.

I really can’t believe that Sony has actually come out with this. It’s seems par for the course for them, but not sure if now is the right time for this. Well…you be the judge.

Sony Releases New Stupid Piece Of Shit That Doesn’t Fucking Work

Bookmark and Share

BSG, I got my eye on you.

Chuck — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:21:19 +0000

Too soon? Sorry for the groaner

So, I have this love/hate relationship with BSG. I’ve been a fan since the old days and I even watched Galactica 1985 as well (The Starbuck/Cylon episode…none better). I’ve enjoyed the new show with a couple slips in which I just stopped watching altogether. I never put it together until last night, when I was watching this Friday’s episode (on TiVo) and was just starting to get that uncomfortable feeling again. The one where I think “I just don’t want to watch this” it’s too much.

Too much blood, too much anger, too many machinations. It just felt like it went off the track.

But then I realized, I’m uncomfortable because, while this is SF and fantasy, the themes are real – almost too real. I was thrown by Gaeta’s mutiny at first, but then I realized that it wasn’t a shark-jump. Gaeta was always a man of conviction when he felt he was doing the right thing. Even when he was working for the Cylon shadow gov’t on New Caprica – he fed the resistance info. He was always about anti-cylonism.

So if Gaeta’s motivations where sound, then maybe, just maybe the show wasn’t off track as I originally felt. It’s no secret that BSG is actually a very powerful drama wrapped in a SF package and I guess I had to come to grips with that more. BSG is an incredibly layered show with some of the best writing in any SciFi show. Once I realized that I wasn’t getting my escapism from BSG (far from it, BSG makes you think), I gave in.

The fervor I had for the show in previous seasons is back. And just like LOST, I’m excited to see where it goes.

I’ll end with a salute to Saul Tigh (played by Michael Hogan). He started as my least favorite chracter, but he’s steadily become my favorite. Hogan’s raspy growl and colorful language brings an emotionality to the Adama/Tigh pairing that (until recently) was required to balance Adama’s stoicness. He makes the eye patch work (especially as he compensates with the rifle scope – genius!) and his loyalty should be an example to the entire crew. I’m along for the ride with this mother frakker, All hail the XO.

Bookmark and Share

The Jin is back!

Chuck — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:19:54 +0000

Yes that’s right! Unfortunately he’s stuck back when Russo crashed on the island so this is going to be interesting. It’s funny though how he always gets into situations where language plays a part. All of his main storylines revolve around it (especially Sun’s sneaking around and learning english). I’m excited to see him back and I’m intrigued about this. So is Jin now at the same time as Sawyer, Locke and crew? Has he been shifting the whole time, just out of it?

Also, as pointed out by Doug in a previous comment, Miles is indeed the baby son of the Dharma Initiative instructional film guy (what IS his name?). This was clinched this episode with Faraday’s comment about length of time on the island affecting the neuro-disorder with the time jumps.

I saw Ben being the catalyst for the blood sample debacle a mile away, it seemed like a logical way to get Kate to WANT to leave and go back to the island. Still curious about Ben’s end-game though.

It is also clear now that Jack is back to his old tricks. He told Kate that he “could fix this.” This of course goign back to Jack’s need to fix anything broken. He now has a purpose and that singularity that he exhibits to confront this purpose is back in full swing.

Best line this episode: “Who was that?” asks Syaid…”My lawyer.” says Ben, in a matter-of-fact tone that was perfect.

Good episode.

Bookmark and Share

Well, looks like I’m lost again.

Chuck — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:20:56 +0000

So, just as I finished telling myself “They’re giving us all the answers! Time travel, they’re unstuck, Ben did it, they need to get back and save everyone.” LOST throws me a curve and does what it does best – gives some answers and leaves even more questions.

So here are some thoughts:

1. The whispers heard in the jungle throughout the first several seasons are not only Others, but could be the time travellers as they jump through time. The people in the current time-frame can’t see them, but can hear them, somewhat. I’m thinking this because of something Faraday said – “If it happened, it can’t be changed.” Maybe to themselves, they are slightly out-of-phase? OR, maybe I’m just tired
Ben is wicked devious. It’s so hard to read him though. What is his end-game?
What’s the deal with the butcher?
Does anyone else think it’s funny that Jack is now going on faith?
Sun is now a badass! I’m am curious to see what happens when her and Ben meet.
So Locke is not dead. I am pretty sure he will come back to life on the island – maybe through a time incident, but he will come back.
I love the fact that the Dharma Initiative is back in the game. We lost them a bit, but now maybe we’ll find out who the hell Hanso is.
Anyone else REALLY intrigued about Richard now?

OK, that’s it, not a very substantive post, but I had to do a bit of a brain dump. OK, gotta run and catch some Z’s.

Bookmark and Share

Hey Steve, we’ll keep the light on for ya.

Chuck — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 03:03:25 +0000

So the news of Steve Job’s medical leave of absence has circulated and I just have to say that our thoughts are with Steve’s family and friends and we wish him a speedy recovery.

I will admit that I’m a fanboy, I make no bones about that. I credit Steve Job’s and Steve Wozniak with creating the method to my madness. I’ve always been into computers, having learned Basic on a PET and had a VIC20, Commodore64, and then my Dad’s Leading Edge which I programmed Lotus123 and dBase on. I mention the Leading Edge (which was MSDOS, BTW) because when he went down to the local computer shop to buy it, I was drawn to a Macintosh Plus (running MacPaint and connected to a LaserWriter) sitting right by the front window. Oh, it was beautiful. It didn’t look like any of the other computers, and It was the first time I’d seen a GUI, hell the first time I used a mouse. Even so, I sat down and within minutes had drawn out a rather impressive looking pirate that the salesman let me print out and take home.

From that point on, I wanted a Mac. They were too cost-prohibitive at that point for a teenager who needed a car, so I waited. I bided my time on the Commodore and then PC’s through college. SUNY Cortland (my alma mater) had a Mac lab, but it was only for a select few who knew the password. I was an art student and you just didn’t use a computer for art back then unless you were a photographer (I wonder what they’d think of Joshua Davis or Erik Naztke now) – and even then it was only used for plate making for Lithography. So I watched them through the glass like Ralphie watching his Red Rider BB Gun.

When I graduated college, I knew I needed to get a Mac, so I collected my funds from summer construction work and got myself a Mac IIvx. Thus lead the slow and steady slide into eschewing the pencil and plunging headfirst into digital design. I’ve grown nostalgic for pen, ink and paint; but when you begin to think Command-z will erase that line on the paper you’re just too far gone.

As I got deeper into the MAc, I proceeded to attend the east coast MacWorlds in Boston, NY, then Boston again and would make it a point to see the keynote every time. Steve just embodied this amazing enthusiasm for Apple and the work they were doing and I found it inspiring. The roar of the crowd when he stepped out on stage was exhilarating. The thought that this guy was a rockstar was crazy, he’s a company CEO, a geek. But nonetheless, he held the stage, commanded it, and you watched and hung on every word.

So will Steve be missed for the next 6 months? Sure. After all, it was Steve’s dream, chutzpa, charisma, and talent that helped propel Apple to what it is today and helped to create some of the most elegant software and hardware around. But it’s Apple’s cadre of super-talented people that enable Apple to do this. The notion that Apple will fail without Jobs is ludicrous. The great products will continue to flow and Apple will continue to drive the industry with innovation. Of this I am sure.

So Steve, rest up and get better. We’ll see you at the next WWDC.

Bookmark and Share

Oh Jack, you got me again…DAMMIT!

Chuck — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:43:31 +0000

I gotta say I think I’ve been Jack-rolled. You know, “Jack-rolled” – the 5 season old network-TV phenomenon that gets unsuspecting viewers to watch yet another shark-jumping episode of 24. Yeah, I definitely was…how is that that none of these villians can get anything done without compromising a law enforcement agency (or the President himself, for that matter).

You know, I’ve been a 24-hater since the second season. Ever since Kim had her “Dr. Greene” moment and had every conceivable tragedy happen to her – I just couldn’t do it anymore. The amazing, tense writing and action of season one had me hooked. But then the same shit kept happening. How come it took them this long to close down CTU? An agency riddled with that many leaks, charged with anti-terrorism?!?!? Uuugh.

Needles-to-say I had to watch the episode. The wife likes the show, so i thought I’d give it the benefit of the doubt and see if it could capture the old magic.

Nope.

Tony Almeida is a bad guy? Really? He was FUCKING dead. Come one, this isn’t Melrose Place, they couldn’t come up with a different vehicle to get Jack back?

OK, so let’s talk about what I did like:

Colm Feore. Every since “Storm of the Century” he’s been the man.
Janeane Garofalo. Interesting casting choice, of course we need to fill the socially akward hole left vacant by Chloe. So far, nice job.
The FBI’s digs. Plain, Steel Case desks and partitions. This is really what a gov’t agency office looks like. The old CTU had too much high-end hardware and ridiculous-looking software.
Jack didn’t say “Dammit” yet, but he did say “We have to do it My Way.” Uuugh.
Peter Wingfield. Methos is awesome. Nuff Said.
Colm Feore. Wait, did I say him already?
The rounding out of the Robocop cast. Seriously. Peter Weller, Paul McCrane, Kurtwood Smith, Ray Wise.

OK, so I’ll probably give the 3rd hour episode a shot and see, but I don’t know. I am SURE Tony is running something that is a big-picture thing and he’s doing the wrong thing for the right reason…but again?!?!?! IT’s the same story over-and-over-again.

Can’t…look…away…must…stop

dink…dink…dink…dooooooooo

..sigh..

Bookmark and Share

Minority Report is now.

Chuck — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:25:21 +0000

g-speak overview 1828121108 from john underkoffler on Vimeo.

Well, maybe not the movie’s premise, but the slick gestural computer system Tom Cruise used to find future offenders is. This is incrediby insane and starts to make the ridiculous “cyber space” trips in movies like Hackers and Johnny Mnemonic start to seem almost plausible. I love it when life imitates art

Bookmark and Share

Best. Day. Ever.

Chuck — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:18:28 +0000

Well, maybe not the best day. But if you’re a fan of the steadily downward sloping Heroes, then this past Monday was indeed the best day ever.

I’ve been lukewarm on Heroes for a while. Last season was a bust, severely damaged by the writer’s strike. This season seemed to get moving , but it was still a little “meh.” Well “The Eclipse, part II” finally got the old chutzpah back and I’m excited to see where it goes.

With the genius casting of Breckin Meyer and Seth Green as small town comic shop employees (owners?) Tim Kring and crew where able to capture what made this series great in the first place. The wonder and awe that came from actual, real people possessing what used to only exist on the inked page. By using the comic shop as a storytelling tool, the viewer is both in AND out of the story; “Kirby plaza doesn’t count, they never actually even talked” – friggin’ genius.

Being a long time comic reader and huge X-Men fan, I was always intrigued with the melodrama that ordinary people with extraordinary abilities faced. The Cockrum/Clarement years that pitched a perfect allegory for racism and put it in a fantastic realm of super powered mutants set me on the path of believing in the characters and the amazing storytelling that accompanied them.

Heroes recaptured that for me in its first season. But from the second season through the beginning of the 3rd, various ridiculousness and especially Hiro’s shark jumping idiocy almost pushed me out the door. And for those of you that listen to the podcast know, jumping the shark is a series killer for me.

Finally, the show feels back on track, and with the cancellation of Pushing Daisies (a travesty, I know) the possible (probable) return of Bryan Fuller to fold bodes even better news. So, what stood out?

Peter wasn’t an idiot.
Finally, the youngest Petrelli finds his strength. Consequentially, without his powers intact. Although, I am sure now that the Eclipse has ended he has them back, at the very least his absorbing powers.
Hiro did something right.
Seriously, about friggin’ time
Matt Parkman is back on track.
I felt for a while that Greg Grunberg’s character was on the verge of getting eaten by the smog monster (LOST reference, anyone?). The hilarious attempt at reading Speedster’s father’s mind sans powers was excellent.
Claire gets her groove back.
Getting killed is the best thing to happen to her since, well not getting killed.
HRG kicks ass.
He does, he really does. HRG contiunues to be the most consistently excellent part of this series.
Ando speaks REALLY good english.
Seriously, where did that come from?
Mohinder is back, sorta.
Get this guy back on track. His new storyline is too Jeff Goldblum for me.
Meyer and Green.
‘Nuff Said.
Nathan is a bad guy.
Well, not really, but he is a politician. He’s doing the wrong thing for the right reason. I’m real interested to see where it goes.
Sylar is back and badder then ever.
Zachary Quinto’s Sylar is the second best thing on the show (to Jack Coleman’s HRG) and it’s awesome that he’s back as the villain. He was interesting “good”, but he’ soooo much better “bad”.

Bookmark and Share

Awesome new Vista feature…really

Chuck — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 12:34:43 +0000

Seriously, I stumbled upon this while looking at FuckedCompany.com which unfortunately seems to be down right now. For those of you unfamiliar with FC (really? you haven’t heard of it) it’s a great site started by Philip Kaplan that has been documenting fucked companies since the dot com bust (stuff like layoffs and interesting C-level memos). But I digress, I followed a link over to Ask Pud (Kaplan’s blog) and he posted a rather cool video about a new Vista feature he discovered. I thought I would share: http://ask.pud.com/2008/09/10/wonderful-new-windows-vista-feature/

Here’s the vid:

Bookmark and Share

Get Lyrics and album artwork for your iTunes library

Chuck — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:23:47 +0000

If you’re like me, you’ve been slowly trying to organize your massive amount of music in your iTunes library over the past couple of years. If I’ve got 15 minutes here or there, I’ll go and get some album artwork and lyrics. The only problem is that it takes FOREVER…FORever…forever.

I’m also a huge fan of automation, I’m big on Photoshop actions to make my life easier, so when I found Doug’s Scripts for itunes, I was suitably interested. Essentially, this guy has written a shit ton of automated applescripts for iTunes and boy I found a doozy for my lyrics and album art hunger. First, you need to get “Needle Drop” and install it- what this does is let you play the tracks in your library for a specified amount of time, then move on to the next, and so on and so on.

Next step is to grab “GimmeSomeTune” from Apple’s site. This is the program that allows you to download art and lyrics for a playing song (among other things). Together, these two apps let you quickly run through your library and download the lyrics and artwork if the song doesn’t have any.

Here’s what to do:

Install Needle Drop – just follow the directions
Run GimmeSomeTune, you’ll see a musical note show up in your menu bar
Click that music note and choose “Preferences” and click on the “Artwork/Lyrics” button
Click the “Fetch Cover Artwork…” checkbox (I chose to keep the album art with the audio file. Not sure the difference, other than increased file size, which at current storage prices really doesn’t matter)
Click the “Fetch Lyrics…” checkbox
Close the Preferences window
Look for the “S” logo between the Window and Help menus in iTunes – that’s where you access the Needle Drop script (and any other scripts for that matter). Click it and select Needle Drop
Choose “6″ seconds for the duration of the play and “0″ for the starting time.
Watch and enjoy.

Mines been running all day, just make sure you check on it every once in a while, the GimmeSomeTune app seems to stop running for no reason (maybe it’s sleep, I’m not sure yet). But, it’s performing as promised, very cool

********************* UPDATE 10/12 *********************

OK, I came across a bug when doing this. All of the artwork while displaying correctly in iTunes, was all wrong on the iPod. Sometimes is would match and sometime sit wouldn’t. Even on artwork I had previously set myself and for purchased items. I re-synched but that didn’t help. The solution, I found, was to restore the iPOd to the factory settings (just dock the iPod, select it in the left hand column in iTunes, and click “Restore” on the Summary page). That did the trick!

Bookmark and Share

Tom Brokaw for President!

Chuck — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:06:01 +0000

Seriously, this guy is OWNING the debate. I could have swore he just said “ONE minute bitches!” I’m waiting for him to break out Master Blaster and start the “2 men enter, 1 man leaves” chant.

I almost didn’t watch this debate since I was sure it was going to be the same old finger pointing. But as soon as Brokaw laid down the law. I was in for the haul.

He’s got my vote.

Bookmark and Share

Abrams and Lindelof attached to Dark Tower film/TV adaptation.

Chuck — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 13:00:01 +0000

So I was digging around and came up with this incredibly tasty morsel:

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/09/02/damon-lindelof-updates-the-dark-tower/

Essentially, King sold the rights for The Dark Tower series to JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof for $19. Yep, that’s right nineteen bucks. Damon expresses that this will probably happen after LOST wraps. It’s an exciting proposition. I think Abrams and Lindelof can do a good job. Roland’s story is such a complex tale and I think if anyone can do it, these guys can.

I am currently reading the last book book now (I took a break to read Watchmen). I’ve been a fan of this group of stories since the came out and I for one, am very excited about this development. I’ll continue to dig up some info and post any developments.

Bookmark and Share

Why should I hire you to be my Vista salesman?

Chuck — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 12:51:50 +0000

Look, I don’t have as much ire for the Microsoft ads starring Jerry Seinfeld and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates than everybody else seems to. I did get a chuckle out of them. If taken a face value (and in a world where Justin Long and John Hodgman don’t exist), they were OK. Not $10 million OK, and not kick off a $300 million campaign OK..just OK.

Trying an image campaign like this is tough. Apple has succeeded in making Windows Vista look like a pathetic mess through its MAC/PC ads. Curiously enough though – Microsoft Office seems to fair pretty well in image from those commercials. This campaign is obviously trying to play on the hipness of the MAC/PC campaign, but it just can’t match it. When it comes to marketing Apple has always been the lead horse – ever since the 1984 ad, they haven’t stopped (They couldn’t, their market share was so small relatively – and still is – that they needed to separate themselves to survive). I am sure Cesar or Jason (my Windoze-using fellow iconogeeks) will chime in here about the virtues of Windoze, but me and Brett (my fellow MAC-using iconogeek) know the truth…if you use a Mac, you’re just, well, “cooler.”

Trying to make Microsoft look hip by admitting it is out-of-touch with real people just makes it seem desperate. Microsoft is an enormous company with tons of bad-will over the past years and to get past that by dropping Seinfeld in the mix just doesn’t make sense. The fact that Microsoft pulled the ads and is now laying some bullshit about an intended “teaser campaign” is ridiculous. They yanked them because they aren’t working. It doesn’t matter if I felt they were kinda clever, the bottom line is that they didn’t work, and they won’t work. Maybe Microsoft should just concentrate on releasing an OS that doesn’t suck, instead of dropping $10 million on a latex salesman.

Bookmark and Share

Get a grip and Frag those Mother Scratchers!

Chuck — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 22:22:22 +0000

Holy shit, I just came across this on the Times website. I’ve always been a fan of gaming (of course) but especially anything that immersed you more into the game. My absolute FAVORITE was at Jillian’s in New York. It was a Mech game in which you (and 5 other friends) climb into pods as if you are actually the pilots of the Mech. It was a completely immersive experience with small TV screens with different views, booming sound effects and force feedback. Insane.

Well, THIS thing looks to bring a whole new experience to home gaming. Take a look at the video below:

If anyone has direct experience with this thing, let us know! Not sure how much it costs, since I don’t think it’s available in the US yet… but can you really put a price on fun?

Bookmark and Share

Is you is, or is you ain’t Fringeworthy?

Chuck — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:47:35 +0000

So last night was the premiere of Fox’s new JJ Abrams’-produced “Fringe”. I’ll start by saying that Fringe is like a cross between X-Files, Lost, and 24. Allow me to expand on that statement.

Fringe is like X-Files because of it’s basic premise. Crazy things are happening and it’s up to a wiley boy/girl team to get to the bottom of all the craziness. You have your stiff, enigmatic government suit who is in charge, some interesting side characters, but truly the focus here is on Anna Torv’s “Olivia Dunham” and Joshua Jackson’s “Peter Bishop.” Olivia is the FBI Agent who doesn’t believe but really does. Bishop is the skeptic scientist. Oh yeah, and the whole conspiracy theory stuff.

Fringe is not like X-Files because of it’s basic acceptance of these strange things. Where the X-Files showed you the baddies and crazy things, essentially Mulder was the only one that saw this stuff. Even when Scully was getting abducted, she still held fast to disbelief. This show goes for the gusty and puts it all out there – melting people? Check. Bad guy with a motive? Check. Interesting twist? Check. Continued intrigue? check. Everybody sees they crazy stuff? Check. The basic idea here is wrapped around science, no aliens here and I like that. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hanso makes an appearance.

Fringe is like LOST because of JJ Abram’s and his amazing storytelling sensibilities. Abrams certainly comes from the Joss Whedon school of tough female leads and I like that. All of his heroines are believable and multi-faceted (Kate and Sydney anyone?). Fringe shares a common soundtrack with LOST especially on the outros to a break. The crescendo of dissonance is a welcome reminder that this show is really not all in your face…you do need to look deeper (if you dare Muuuhhahawahawhhwhwhaaa).

Fringe is not like LOST because it wrapped up the first story in the Premiere! Seriously, a nice complete, contained story with a lead-in to a larger enjoyable story arc. Good thing too, because I think my brain only has room for one LOST right now, and I’m still recuperating from last season.

Fringe is like 24 because it’s heroine will do anything to save the people she loves. I mean…well you’ll see, if you didn’t catch the Premiere, Fox is airing an encore (check your local listings). Just like when Jack Bauer gets in all sorts of insane situations (torture, etc.) Olivia jumps into dangerous situations no questions asked (or very little for that matter) – It’s Bishop that is the voice of reason.

Fringe is not like 24 because right now it doesn’t suck. Ever since they killed off Dennis Haysbert’s Palmer, I was done.

In the end, I enjoyed Fringe, it provided a welcome escape from a stressful day and gave me enough thrills and homages to keep me entertained. A couple notable items:

The titles
They are beautiful. Amazingly rendered and placed into the scene so as to become a character. I kept looking (upon location change) for how they where going to do them next. Excellent.
John Noble
As the crazy Dr. Walter Bishop, he’s Dr. Emmet Brown, CSM, and Jeffrey Goines all rolled into one.

My only gripe with the Premiere is that by the end of it, the characters where a little too neat and wrapped up. I know they want to get the stories moving, but I would have liked to see a little more strife, it was a little bit predictable.

On a whole, I’m going to give the Premiere of Fringe a 7. I think it was a solid opener with some complicated plot points, but all-in-all, I think they pulled it off. I’ve set a season pass on TiVo and I will continue to watch.

Well, what do you think?

Bookmark and Share

Thunderous Laughter and a tropically good time.

Chuck — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:13:51 +0000

“I got an extra ticket to Tropic Thunder tonight”

And that was all I needed. This last week has been busy as hell, so a move this weekend was not on the agenda, but when fortune reigns down the funny, you best pick it up.

Tropic Thunder had me crying with laughter from the first frame. Seriously, the first frame. The movie kicks right into Stiller’s outrageous brand of comedy right from the get-go. Typically, I’m very lukewarm on Stiller (Starsky, good; Fokkers, bad). His movies are funny, his comedy is funny, but a lot of times he just pushes it too far for me (mostly in the jump-the-shark category). Plus his mugging and overacting sometimes get a bit too much.

But in this movie, he keeps it reigned in, except for a few spots which actually make sense for his character. The entire film (within a film) is satirizing Hollywood, stars, and producers but does it in such a way that outsiders can appreciate it. Robert Downey Jr. is self deprecating throughout the film with his oscar-winning Kirk Lazarus (whose name is more telling than you think). His performance is amazing and I hope the academy recognizes this (although the fact that this performance is in a comedy…probably not) since for most of the movie, you can’t even recognize Downey Jr. at all, Just Kirk Lazarus. Just watch for Lazarus’s awakening moment, it’s quite impressive.

Jack Black reigns it in as well and plays it pretty tight (for Black). His “Fatties” movie pokes obvious fun at Eddie Murphy (or is it homage?) but the character has an interesting turn about halfway through the movie. Also, watch for the other over-the-top-Stiller-dialogue with Black’s character later in the movie. Don’t worry, you’ll know it when you see/hear it.

Cameos abound and Tugg’s agent is excellent (I’ll refrain from telling you who it is, just see the movie) and surprisingly is one of the only sane characters in the entire film. And while Tom Cruise’s lecherous Les Grossman (whose name is AS telling as you think) is certainly a prick, Cruise plays him loose and with abandon I haven’t seen since Magnolia. I’ve always been a fan of Cruise (I could care less about his private life and religious affiliations) and this role shows that he’s not afraid to take a risk in an attempt to break the “Cruise-mold” – shaved knuckles, sweaty armpits and all. Bottom line: his movies are entertaining and he’s a great actor.

Speaking of sane (and believe it or not, the Hero – at least that’s what I think) Jay Baruchel, typically an Apatow side player, makes a great performance as the only truly combat-ready dude in the outfit. His geeky Kevin Sandusky kicks surprising ass and holds his own with this veteran crew.

From the first frame Brandon T. Jackson’s Alpa Chino sets the stage for what to expect from this movie but quickly turns it on it’s ear. His retorts of Downey Jr’s “blackification” are some of the funniest stuff in the film. I was crying (literally crying) at one point (”For 400 hundreds…”). Watch out for Jackson, you’re gonna see a lot of this kid.

Oh and Danny McBride’s overzealous pyrotechnician is awesome. This guy is going to be the next up-and-comer, just watch (that’s two – Stiller’s got a good eye)

Overall, the look and production value of the movie bely it’s satirical comedy and present a serious war movie. The action and effects are top-notch, it feels like a big Hollywood flick as it’s supposed to- and I like it. The 70’s soundtrack (and direct scene homages) give you the feel of Platoon, Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket – you name it, it’s in there.

So, leave the kids at home, grab some Milk Duds and see this in the theater, THEN go buy the DVD because the extras are gonna kick ass – oh they’ll kick ass.

Bookmark and Share

Neat New stepheN kiNg Named N!

Chuck — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:06:21 +0000

" />

I stumbled across this new Stephen King 25 episode web-based series. Just watched the first 5 installments (all that’s there). So far, pretty good. Great art, it’s done in a graphic novel feel with still plates and limited animation. But with a very high quality voice over.

Bookmark and Share

New Wolverine trailer at Comic Con

Chuck — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:03:01 +0000

Holy Crap! How would you like a look at the new Wolverine trailer from Comic Con? Keep an eye out for Gambit and Deadpool, BTW.

And seriously? Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool? Jason’s gonna have a ball with me on this one!

And how much weight did Liev Schreiber put on? Holy shit, he looks like he ATE the brick shithouse! That’s commitment.

Oh, and Kevin Durand is playing Blob – our 2nd favorite badass Keamy from LOST (First being Ben Linus, of course)!

I’m officially psyched for this flick.

Bookmark and Share

You’re officially on notice.

Chuck — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 02:17:58 +0000

Seriously, if you haven’t been watching Burn Notice, now’s the time to get on board. In its second season, this USA series is light, fun and action packed. Kind of like a cross between MacGyver, the A-Team, and Magnum PI the show features Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Weston, a covert operative burned by the CIA. Left out in the field, with no resources, his accounts frozen and dumped in Miami (his hometown) Michael has nothing but his wits and a few friends to get his life back on track. Michael is a classic hero-type, trying to solve the puzzle of his burn notice, while helping out Joe Average with his worse-than-average-problems.

The show delivers a lot of heart, great stories and humor with an excellent cast that reads right out of the nostalgia fanbook. First up, Sam Axe played by…wait for it…Bruce Campbell, a boozing, philandering ex-seal. He’s the trustee side-kick and confidant. The girlfriend, played deliciously by Gabrielle Anwar (”Things to do in Denver when your dead”, and the cancelled-too-soon “John Doe”) is tough, sexy, smart, and tough. She’s the on again, off again flame and all-around goto girl.

Sharon Gless shows up as Michael’s chain-smoking, neurotic, psycho-somatic mother. Excellent job, and it’s great to see a veteran actress of Gless’s caliber on the screen again.

The thing I really like about this show is that it is total escapism. It’s a great balance for LOST with all it’s heady intrigue and mystery. Burn Notice allows you to jump in at any time, and enjoy the ride. Much like X-Files, it has a longer running mythology (why was Michael burned, who did it, what do they want him for) with episode long stories that start, fulfill and end satisfyingly. The show has a great visual style with some touches of Guy Ritchie thrown in (but not too much) and all those great whooshing sound effects to keep it fun. Oh and Jeffrey Donovan’s cheeky, dead-pan VO lends great exposition without being corny.

Oh and for those of you STILL not interested, Tricia Helfer has made a cameo as one of the Burners (maybe 2nd in command?). Not sure what side of her bread is buttered, but judging by the hoops she’s had Michael jump through, it can’t be the good side.

All-in-all I’ll give this show a solid 8. Real good TV.

Bookmark and Share

The perfect gift for Mrs. iconogeek.

Chuck — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:45:48 +0000

For all you geeks out there looking for the perfect gift for your girlfriend/wife/significant other. I found these on ebay and they’re just too unique. I got a set for the wife and she loved ‘em. POINTS! Dig it!

Piggy Pig Earbuds on ebay

Bookmark and Share

He is the man.

Chuck — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:32:03 +0000

Yep, James McAvoy is totally the man. And for that matter so is Timur Bekmambetov. Jesus Christmas, I just saw Wanted and I gotta say it kicked much ass. I had very high hopes for this movie and I was not disappointed. I have to admit, I wasn’t quite sure McAvoy could pull it off. He plays great doe-eyed innocence, but action hero? Well, let me just say, he f’n pulls it off, and pulls it off big.

The premise works and I dug it – a millenia-old order of assassins working to keep fate on track (this does deviate a bit from the comic’s plot – but they did a great job in adapting it to the screen). I was able to accept the mystical aspect of it (which they leave largely unexplained) and just completely immerse myself in this film. It handled exposition rather well, with a cheeky VO á la Blade Runner and got into the action at just the right moment. The pacing felt great, the acting was spot on and the effects were tight. Bekmambetov takes John Geata’s bullet time and pushes it even further.

The action is crazy-over-the-top with amazing chase sequences that tip their hats to Point Break, The French Connection, and the Matrix. In addition, you’ll see tons of little in-jokes like a VERY Han-in-Carbonite scene about half-way through the flick. I think my favorite was the appearance of Konstantin Khabensky as one of the Fraternity members.

Angelina Jolie is, of-course, awesome, any time you need a beautiful ass-kicking chick with a heart, she’s your go-to-girl. And Common even makes a great turn as the “Gunsmith”. And if your life won’t be complete until you hear Morgan Freeman say “Shoot this mother-fucker” well then…you’ve come to the right movie. I always like when he is in these mentoring style roles, even though this is nowhere near the gravitas of Se7en, he pulls them off really well. Terence Stamp makes an appearance as well and he plays it straight, not over-the-top (and I always love when General Zod shows up)

Ya know, I think Bekmambetov may have some father issues now that I think about it – lots of father figures in this flick, but I think that’s a topic for the podcast. Before I go, I gotta drop an >i< score of a 9 on this one. Action, humor, in-jokes, fun – it’s got it all – and coupled with great direction, effects AND sound. Go see it, you won’t be left wanting…except for a sequel.

Bookmark and Share

Somewhere over the rainbow, things are pretty damned cool.

Chuck — Fri, 30 May 2008 18:10:18 +0000

OK, I’ll post more later after I re-watch the episode, but it was damn cool. I gotta say, I feel satisfied with the episode. I’m not chomping at the bit for next season because I really just want to mull over EVERYTHING for the next couple of months and get prepared. They gave SO much info it’s a bit overwhelming.

****** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***********

First tidbit: the call that Kate received was backwards. Here’s the reversed audio.

Second Tidbit: Alternate endings to hide who was in the coffin.

Random Thoughts:

Dharma’s doing space/time experiments – I’m curious to read timelooptheory.com‘ s take on the new space/time info and so should you.
Michael is dead. Jacob’s emissary (Christian) tells Michael he “can go now.” This does not mean, “get off the boat,” it means he is no longer in service of the island, he is released to do what he came there to do…die.
F’you, Jin is still alive.
I must say again. Ben Linus is the man. So over on Dube’s blog she theorizes that Ben moved the island forward in TIME, not space about 3 years. I think I agree with the time thing, but not the 3 years. Does anyone (Cesar) have info on when Ben appeared in the desert? Also, Ben took out a special forces guy. Come on seriously…he’s badass.

OK, more later, too much to think about. Oh yeah, this ep gets a 10. No question. Cliffhangers, answers, questions…all good.

Bookmark and Share