iconogeek

Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern, jealous much?

iconogeek — 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).

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

iconogeek — 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.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMJZ-_bJKdI]

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.

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

iconogeek — 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.

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

iconogeek — 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.

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

iconogeek — 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.

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Burn Notice is Back and Blazing

iconogeek — 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.

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My thoughts on the final episode of LOST

iconogeek — 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

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

iconogeek — 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.”

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Pitching for the win

iconogeek — 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

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Is the iPad’s 3G a waste of money?

iconogeek — 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

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Avatar completely blew me away

iconogeek — 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

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Halloween is the healthiest holiday

iconogeek — 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

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Guilt/Fame by association

iconogeek — 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

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I’m afraid to go to sleep

iconogeek — 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

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The best thing about Zombieland? Zombieland.

iconogeek — 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.

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Tonight, we got that going for us… Episode 29

iconogeek — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:16:50 +0000

Episode 29 kicks off with Chuck and Jason realizing their getting old (maybe). The conversation moves to keeping in shape, internal clocks and Jason doing dumb things at the gym. The guys get a little serious and discuss the glut of celebrity deaths, Michael Jackson’s transgressions and accomplishments (especially Thriller), Farrah’s awesomeness, Ed McMahon, and David Carradine.

OK, so on to some geek stuff: The Sherlock Holmes trailer and the mystical number 3 (do things really do happen in threes?). Chuck then tries to convince Jason to get on Twitter by playing the international angle. Chuck gets a FlipVideo HD for his birthday and he and Jason discuss the benefits of truly portable video, the iPhone video capabilities, and tweeting the apocalypse.

(Yes, we know the audio quality dips at this point – we blame Skype, but it’s free so what can you do?) Jason relates his experiences with every single film released in the last month (no spoilers though) and Chuck pipes in with “UP” (because that’s the only one he saw). After the tears, Jason lays down his reviews of The Hangover, The Taking of Pelham 123, Year One, Transformers 2. Chuck and Jason then move on to discuss Shia LaBeouf’s rising star and almost get kicked “off the air.”

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

iconogeek — 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:

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Tonight we get LOST…Episode 27

iconogeek — 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!

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

iconogeek — 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 –>

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LOST’s juicy season finale

iconogeek — 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.

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Number 2 in a series of the worst kids games

iconogeek — 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.

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

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

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1R5PhReY5k]

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxfTPOpXh_8]

Thanks Doug for the link.

‘Nuff Said.

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Wolverine (I hate movie reviewers)

iconogeek — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:49:16 +0000

Yes, I hate movie reviewers. I am including myself to some degree, although no one is paying for my opinion. I read the reviews for Wolverine yesterday before seeing it at the midnight showing and all of the bashing had me concerned. Don’t believe the bullshit. It’s a great, fun(ny) and action packed start to the summer movie season.

Hugh Jackman was great, fully embracing the character and story and making even preposterous scenes feel genuine. This is another case that depending on your knowledge of the original comic books your mileage may vary as far as overall enjoyment. If you’re going to get pissy about every little detail not being carried over from the books, or about the filmmakers taking certain liberties then you’ll have some issues. If you haven’t read the books or are more forgiving, I think you’ll enjoy the crap out of this like I did. However, I do wish Deadpool, Agent Zero and Gambit got a bit more screen time because what was there was simply awesome.

Only 3 things got me, and all were FX related. First is Cyclops… who in general I just don’t care for, but the younger version is on screen a few times and the eye-beam gets to do some spectacular damage. Here is the first issue. Where does the eye-beam effectiveness end? It cuts through buildings but then it just stops? Seemed like they got lazy and didn’t want to have to animate another building falling down.

The other two were just crappy/weird FX that felt out of place when compared to the rest of the polished pieces throughout. One is a mirror shot with Wolverine’s claws… looked crappy and plastic. The other was a close up of Wolverine shredding a fire escape. Watch for those two and see if you agree.

Anyway, I think you’ll have a good time if you’re a fan of the X-men movies or the Wolverine character. It tells a great story, explaining a lot about the character and his motivations, his rivalries and attitude. Don’t listen to toolbag reviewers (including me) and go check it out for yourself.

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Tonight, we’re doing a PODCAST…Episode 25

iconogeek — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 04:14:50 +0000

Episode 25 (The classic) begins with Jay and Chuck exceeding their 140 character limit and argue the merits (and demerits) of Twitter. Jay launches into his review and spoiler of Crank 2, Chuck recommends Guitar Hero: Metallica and Jay holds a Rock Band 2 party. The grand Twitter argument continues as Jay and Chuck butt heads on “why tweet?” and references to Skittles.com’s amazing use of social media. The third topic rolls into view as Chuck enjoys the hell out of Gears of War 2. The show wraps with a discussion of the Dead Space Trilogy and musings on fatherhood.

Links:

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

iconogeek — 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!

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Twitter. Seriously people?

iconogeek — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:49:07 +0000

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN2HAroA12w]

So I was having this conversation with a good buddy of mine the other day about some of our friends getting on the Twitter bandwagon. I was very happy to find another individual that felt the same way as I did.

Internal dialogue. That’s essentially what goes on. 140 characters or less of random babbling about:

This girl on the train is hot. (not gonna happen buddy)
Man, this sandwich is tasty. (congrats tool, your keyboard now has mayo on it)
I’m late for class. (stop typing and get to class dumbass)
This rash is spreading. (glad you’re far away)
Other bullshit. (see above)

Fortunately some talented people decided to put together a video that sums up how my buddy and I feel about it. I’m sure that some will say ” either you get it, or you don’t” or “it’s not for everybody” in some assinine condescending fashion, and you know what? I’m glad I don’t get it. Scientoligists probably say the same shit.

So… really?

Wait.

No, really??

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I gotta say, it’s pretty awesome.

iconogeek — 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?).

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

iconogeek — 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.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ-CDE_r_wg]

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

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m71m-LBqFQ]

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

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CMWkesiVD4]

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

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LQpRQh2KSQ]

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

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZetD7cdj7w]

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Sometimes a good Frak is all you need: Episode 24

iconogeek — 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!

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Dicks leak Wolverine workprint

iconogeek — 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.

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Touch Not, Lest Ye Be Touched

iconogeek — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:34:27 +0000

Ok guys, since I am apparently the biggest dick on this site, I felt the need to review Tales of the Black Freighter before the other softees did. I don’t know if it was evident from the most recent podcast, but I was not enamored with Watchmen. It really had nothing to do with what they left out, and what they changed or any of that, it was more a fact that the movie just can’t be made with the source material provided. Now I’m not about to say I hated the movie completely because I liked nay loved certain parts. The way they Snyder altered the ending for example…better than the book. Rorschach was awesome and Jackie Earl Haley was the highlight of the whole move. In fact I agree with one of the commentors that an all-Rorschach movie would have been sick. Nonetheless, I left the theater feeling underwhelmed and under-entertained, but in reality I don’t think it could have been better, unless they made a miniseries…and at that, who knows. Now, onto the supplemental material that was released this week. As a whole, it was much better than the theatrical release. The Black Freighter story is very gritty and dark, it is certainly not for the faint at heart. Snyder and Co. left no stone unturned here and gave me exactly what I wanted…a faithful replication of the story within a story. Gerard Butler’s voice over was ominous and angered. As Chuck and I left the movie we both were wanting more of the MinuteMen back story…well you will get that here with the Under The Hood interview by the original Night Owl. It is done in such a way that it seems like you are watching a 60 Minutes-like show from the 1960s with Seiko commercials included. As such, a lot of Sally Jupiter’s story shone through here as well as the original masked vigilante Hooded Justice. When Watchmen come out on BluRay, I will rewatch both in tandem and I feel that this may change my opinion for Watchmen, even possibly raising it’s iScore for me…nah.

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The moral of the story is “don’t get a dog”: Episode 23

iconogeek — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:33:52 +0000

Episode 23 kicks off with remembrances of winter, Chuck’s trials and tribulations of owning a dog, and multi-function remotes. Chuck and Jason then eagerly launch into their discussion of the Watchmen movie. The podcast concludes with Jason’s reviews of three new games: Street Fighter 4, Little Big Planet, and Resident Evil 5.

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Tonight, the K-count is going up, Episode 22

iconogeek — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 05:09:16 +0000

As Episode 22 kicks off with a serious PEBKAC issue and Clive Owen’s penchant for firearms, Jason and Chuck pick up the pieces of their shattered Oscar talk, High Jackman’s performance, and Jay’s shame. On the docket: Slumdog Millionaire, The Dark Knight, Taken, Watchmen, and Coraline.

Links:
http://soleyne.com
http://www.imdb.com/boxoffice/alltimegross?region=world-wide
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted.htm
Smodcast

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Who Watches the Watchmen?

iconogeek — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:01:13 +0000

Well… um… we do? I mean it’s out now in theaters.

Luckily that question is not the only one I have answers for today as we were able to catch the Watchmen at a midnight showing last night.

Here’s another question: Was it any good?

Hell yes it was. Brutal, graphic, pretty to look at, well paced, well acted and it hit a very large majority of the books major points right on the head.

Here is where things get tricky. If you did not read the book, you’ll likely be confused as hell at times and you’ll probably be surprised by the overall adult nature of it. You see this is not the Xmen, or Spiderman or any other average comic book. The majority of the ‘heros’ have some heavy pyschological issues, 0 superpowers and are basically masked vigilantes that the majority of society would like to see locked up permanently. The only guy that actually has any real super-type abilities is mostly devoid of emotion and really doesn’t give a shit about the human race.

So if you read the book and loved it and you’re not a detail nazi (ZOMG!!!11!! RORSHACH IS SUPPOSED TO GO HOME FOR HIS SECOND MASK!!! THIS MOVIE IS RUINED!!!) then you’ll love it. They pulled no punches when it came to the graphic nature of the novel, so don’t be surpised to see shredded flesh, attempted rape, a bunch of breasts, compound fractures, blue penises (penii??) and more.

Bottom line is this. It’s not for everyone, but for the fans of the graphic novel it seems like the movie version you could have only hoped for.

BTW: yes the ending has been changed and that entire plotline that goes into the construction of the ‘squid’ has been scrapped, but I think it’s for the best. The movie’s ending not only performs the exact same function, it actually feels more legit.

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

iconogeek — 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

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Charles Widmore is Alvar Hanso.

iconogeek — 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?

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

iconogeek — 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

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BSG, I got my eye on you.

iconogeek — 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.

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The Jin is back!

iconogeek — 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.

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Aliens+ Resident Evil+ Event Horizon= Dead Space

iconogeek — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:31:38 +0000

So I had some downtime recently and I finally got around to playing and completing a couple of games. I’ll try and review some of the others ( Fable 2, Gears of War 2 and Metal Gear Solid 4) but Event Horizon came up in conversation today, and Dead Space became my first target.

Dead Space casts you as an engineer sent out on a rescue mission to find out what went wrong on a mining vessel in deep space. The game sets the story up pretty well, and its not long before you’re seperated from your team and the action begins. It’s apparent from the get go that not is all as it should be on the derilict ship. “Necromorphs” as the game refers to them (essentially the reanimated corpses of the fallen crew) are your main adversary throughout the game. They take on a variety of shapes and sizes and without exception they are all fairly grotesque. They make a great foe throughout the game, giving you a few genuine shocks and scares. In addition an interesting mechanic is implemented, wherein headshots (the defacto killshot in most games) are ineffective and the best way to take down the enemy is through dismemberment. This results in a lot of good-bloody fun.

I’d say the big star is the ship and its atmosphere. It may come accross as a bunch of greenish corridors, but the feeling of dread that the designers conveyed through graphics and sound design really make it seem if you’re in a haunted spacecraft. The designers also mix up a good variety of believable locales while still remaining within the confines of the story. The ship is in total dissaray, and when you’re not looking over your shoulder for necromorphs, you’re preoccupied with zero gravity areas, zero oxygen zones and some nicely scripted cataclysmic type events.

This was a game I couldn’t stop playing until I got to the end. For me, thats the mark I look for. Great Resident Evil-like gameplay, tense atmosphere, interesting story, fun-upgradeable weapons and gear as well as an awesome final boss fight made this one a winner in my book.

One last thing. Before I played the game I watched the set up story on dvd. Dead Space: Downfall is a full lenght animated feature that sets up your characters arrival at the beginning of the game. I love animation. I love movies. I love games. I have 2 things to say about this. (1.) It’s a good thing I got it from Netflix and didn’t buy it. (2.) It pretty much sucked. Not horrible horrible… but for me of all people… the same guy who enjoyed Deep Blue Sea to not really enjoy it, well… that’s saying something.

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The unplanned anniversary: Episode 20

iconogeek — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:55:41 +0000

As Episode 20 kicks off, Jason and Chuck realize that the iconogeek podcast is indeed 1year old. Happy Birthday to us! First stop Jason gets infected by the Zombie virus and proceeds to play every PS3 game he owns, finishes and shows his love for Metal Gear 4, Fable2, and Dead Space. Chuck then geeks out on his Nikon D40x DSLR and goes back to highschool as he and Jason bond over fstops.

Chuck’s childhood Jedi collaborator stops and becomes a believer in Guitar Hero World Tour (Chuck’s new favorite distraction)

Chuck and Jason then run through the great crop of TV. Battlestar Galactica is back, Chuck eats his words, and Jason drops a hint about a new BSG spinoff. Jason makes Chuck’s day by delivering some great Watchmen news and teases some new trailers: Franklyn, Outlander, Crank 2, and Taken.

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Nothin’ Like A Good Ol’ A$$ Whoopin’

iconogeek — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 04:05:31 +0000

I know I haven’t posted much in quite a while. Call it what you will, but I just saw The Wrestler and was inclined to give you my highly critical opinion.

For starters, I loved it. From the opening credits with the panning wrestling Promo’s from the 80′s and even the Ram-green font, to the final image of Mickey Rourke (more on him in a moment) giving his fans what they wanted, I was hooked. Darren Arronofsky’s use of a documentary-style single camera shooting made this movie feel very authentic.

As an avid wrestling fan in my younger days, which I’ve since let fall by the wayside, Mickey Rourke sold me 100% on his performance from his first elbow drop, to the final RamJam. Not only did he deserve the Golden Globe for Best Male Actor, as well as his forth coming Oscar win…this was one of my top 10 performances in a while. I don’t know whether it was the 80′s vibe he exuded, the low IQ he was portraying as a lovable fuckup with many apparent prior transgressions, or just his overall “badassness” but Mickey Rourke has some chops. I can’t say I’m well versed in his Filmography (besides SinCity of course) but I’ll surely be adding some of his flicks to my Netflix queue.

Marisa Tomei was phenomenal as the odd relationship between the two characters unfolds throughout the films 115 min run time.

That said, even if you weren’t a fan of the Hulk Hogan’s and Iron Sheik’s of the 80′s, you will dig this movie based on the incredible character development and Rourke’s painful attempts to reconnect with his daughter (a very solid Evan Rachel Wood). It seems as though this year’s Oscar season is full of very strong candidates…while I haven’t seen a majority of the noms yet, I can’t imagine many of them containing a better lead performance than this one. Check it out.

*Note – Bruce Springsteen’s song written and titled for this movie did not go unnoticed…I loved it

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Well, looks like I’m lost again.

iconogeek — 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.

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

iconogeek — 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.

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The Walking Dead chews my face off.

iconogeek — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 01:02:48 +0000

So I may have been a little late to the party. Cesar has been evangelizing this series for some time now and I jumped on the bandwagon fairly recently. However I feel that I need to do my part and let my legions of fans ( Hi Mom!) know exactly where I stand.

If you like any of the following: Incredible art, fantastic storytelling, thought provoking dialogue, deep characters, rollercoaster action and gut renching drama ** then use some of that Christmas money grandma sent you and order the first Walking Dead. Once you read the first, you’ll have to continue through the rest. The ninth volume comes out in graphic novel form this week ( or if you’re Cesar, last week) and if it shapes up anywhere near as tense as #8, I may have to get some medication.

If however you like puppies, rainbows, happy thoughts and feel good moments… you may want to take a pass. This graphic novel, and yes I realize this is just a book, is not for the faint of heart. (I deleted a line here that was just too disgusting to post, sometimes I even gross myself out. trust me on this… you owe me one )

So if you’re not a fan yet, get cracking. If you are a fan let’s talk. True iconogeeks already have an outbreak plan of some sort. So here’s a question… If it comes tomorrow, who are you?

Are you a Rick?

A Carol?

An Andrea?

A Glenn?

A Tyrese?

The Governor?

It’s never too early to start planning.

** also ok if you like zombies

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Oh Jack, you got me again…DAMMIT!

iconogeek — 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..

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Fable 2 DLC coming next Tuesday.

iconogeek — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:47:07 +0000

Fable 2 is definitely one of my favorite games of the past year. After beating the main campaign I still found myself wandering around towns with my dog at my side, beating random people and dodging diseases from pesky prostitutes.

By the way, the dog in Fable 2 is much better than a real dog. No fur, no smell, no picking up dog crap, no walking, no biting.

So needless to say I was pleased to learn that the Fable 2 DLC: Knothole Island will be available this coming Tuesday, January 13th for 800 Microsoft points from Xbox Live. Opens up the new island, new quests, armor clothes and a bunch more.

The develop has more info here.

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Tonight, the trap is set and the game is on : Episode 19

iconogeek — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 01:24:44 +0000

Chuck and Jason welcome in the yuletide season with this special Holiday themed episode. They begin by discussing Chuck’s mish-mash heritage and then move into the top 10 Christmas movies (iconogeek style). Next stop Chuck and Jay discuss TV with the end of the Heroes: Villians arc, anticipation of the final Battlestar Galactica season, and Dexter.

Jason gets Chuck one of the best geek-related gifts this holiday season with the Wanted, Special Edition DVD. The podcast wraps with the promise of the next possible great Holiday movie with “The Spirit.”

The iconogeek top Christmas movies:

A Christmas Story
Die Hard
Lethal Weapon
The Ref
Christmas Vacation
Scrooged
Gremlins
Elf
Batman Returns
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas
Reindeer Games

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Minority Report is now.

iconogeek — 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

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Best. Day. Ever.

iconogeek — 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”.

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