No More Action: Jackie Chan Retires
Three words haven’t meant so much to this nerd since “No more mutants.” Yeah, I went there. But at Cannes, Jackie Chan has announced that he is retiring from action films. He will continue acting with a larger focus on his abilities as an actor, not just a comedian. Read more over at Daily Mail.
I will miss Jackie Chan’s action but at 58, he has gone above and beyond what he needed to do. I will always remember the movies that introduced me to his wonderful martial arts style like Rumble in the Bronx, Drunken Master series, Operation Condor, and Supercop. I look forward to seeing what roles he begins to take now.
Ka-Pow 101: Wibbly Wobbly Avengers Time Stuff
So readers have really been enjoying the Avengers stuff lately. I wonder why. Well let’s add on another layer. You’ve all seen the movies. You know they all are connected. But do you know the timeline? Well now you can. Marvel has released Avengers: The Art of Marvel’s the Avengers (that’s not a long title). Inside you can find a copy of the movie universe timeline. It’s actually a very well-made infographic. Check it out.
I don’t know how much longer we’ll do these Avengers features, since we’re approaching the releases of Amazing Spider-man and Dark Knight Rises. I’ll definitely put up one more lesson looking at the future of the Avengers films.
Album of the week – Time Travel edition… Early 2000s
So this week the new albums were less than amazing so i decided to go back into my vault and pick out three albums that are worth checking out:
The Strokes – I think we can all agree with Rolling Stone when they say that Is This It? was one of the top albums of the 2000s. This album dropped in the U.S. in October of 2001 and after that you could actually see a change. The music began swaying to that addictive Indie Rock sound and even the fashion began to change. Dudes especially, started saying Good-bye sagging pants… Hello skinny jeans! It is rare when you can have such a significant shift from the success of one album. The music speaks for itself, you have upbeat melodies paired with Julian Casablancas‘ raspy voice and stellar lyrics. This is an album which will be on repeat for days and keep you entertained. My Top 3 Fav tracks: Last Nite, SOMA, and Someday.
Kill Hannah – For Never & Ever is a surprisingly great album. I had heard Kennedy on the radio a few times and thought it would be just another blip on the radar kind of band. A friend of mine insisted that I was wrong, burned me a copy purchased a copy legally, and presented me with it. I was automatically hooked. This band has a way with lyrics that makes you dig deep into the most primal emotions and run with it. Kill Hannah’s Lead Vocalist / Songwriter / Guitarist / Piano man Mat Devine is an amazing frontman. I had the pleasure of catching Kill Hannah while they were opening for Mindless Self Indulgence and I was blown away by their intensity as well as his utter androgeny. ( Nerdy Sidenote: He recently was tapped for the Broadway show Spiderman: Turn off the Dark as Grim Hunter. However, the mounting issues led to a Hiatus and then his role was cut along with the rest of the Geek Chorus.) All in all this is a fun listen. My Top 3 Fav tracks: 10 More Minutes with You, Kennedy, and Boys & Girls
Jimmy Eat World – Bleed American also known as their self-titled album. This album came out in July of 2001, the record label was afraid that the name would be misconstrued (Bleed, American!) after 09/11/2001 so they changed it and the track name to re-release. Despite this small controversy the album sold very well and became the album this band is known for. They even had a successful re-release in 2008 and a ten year celebration tour (which of course i attended singing each word with the equally smitten masses) The lyrics in this album are extremely thoughful and can be applied to any emotional high, personal crisis or pensive moment. My top 3 Fav Tracks: Praise Chorus, If you don’t, don’t and Hear you Me ( the current name of my iPod).
Hope you enjoy these picks and i will keep an ear out for the next album of the week! Don’t be surprised if next week has a bit of disco in it. Mourning yet another music legend this week, Donna Summer. She died of cancer today at the age of 63. So sad, I spent many Saturday nights listening to disco night on 98.1 and Last Dance wrapped it up each time.
“Arrow” Trailer
Warner Bros. and the CW has been trying to capitalize on the success of Smallville for a long time. First, there was the pilot for the Aquaman show, Mercy Reef. There was the short-lived Birds of Prey. Recently, rumors and test footage of a Jaime Reyes-led Blue Beetle have been flying around. But now, we have to prepare ourselves for Arrow, based on DC’s Green Arrow. Hit the jump to read the synopsis and see the trailer. Read More…
Return of the Toonami
Toonami is back, bitches!
Honestly, that is all I really have to say. Next Saturday on May 26 Cartoon Network will bring back one of the most beloved blocks of programming, Toonami. Apparently it will be a part of the Adult Swim programming block which I do not know if it will be a good thing or bad thing.
Nothing else has been announced, so we do not know what the programming will be. But it should be filled with anime, which may include already airing episodes of Bleach, Ghost in the Shell and others.
What we do know from the promotional teaser is that TOM will be brought back to a form which we are familiar with and not the 4.0 version that was introduced in the downfall of Toonami.
For those that do not know, Toonami was a programming block that began airing on the Cartoon Network back in 1997. They featured basically unknown animated shows, mostly anime which included Dragon Ball Z. A lot of Japanese shows were first introduced to the U.S. by way of Toonami. If it were not for Toonami, a lot of people may not be into anime today. The block was hosted by a CGI robot known as TOM. Sometimes he was given a story, and at other times, he was just an animation of someone pushing a button. Either way, Toonami was the birthing place for a lot of Japanese animation in the U.S. as well as a few original favorites like Samurai Jack.
I hope they continue bringing in new anime and more original shows. My only concern is how well Toonami will do in a world where most fans now torrent the latest anime episodes a day after its initial Japanese airing instead of waiting the months for a dubbed version to come to the U.S. Still, I am glad that something that helped shaped my nerdiness can now be shared with younger audiences.
#ToonamiisBackBitches
Falling for Shows
A lot of great TV seems to coming down the pipeline for this Fall. There are two shows that with their trailers I have become very excited about. It is really amazing how great work can be done for network TV, meaning it is all for free!
Elementary coming to CBS stars Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as current day Holmes and Watson. Instead of being from London as in the original story or even the BBC version Sherlock, this version is from New York City. But from the trailer, the show seems to keep the charm and abrasiveness that we have all come to love from the great detective. It is funny though that they cast someone with an English accent even though they place it in New York. The sex change for Watson seems a little forced, but I have liked some of Lucy Liu’s work so I will give them the benefit of the doubt. This will be one show that I have on my DVR from the very first episode.
The Following from FOX starts Kevin Bacon as an FBI agent after James Purefoy who plays a serial killer. FBI agent after a serial killer, sounds familiar? Well, this will be FOX’s answer to NBC’s Hannibal series that is coming out as well. While I may enjoy the Hannibal TV show, this show has promise. Kevin Bacon looks in great form and Purefoy looks to be a force all his own in the role. Add to that the fact that it will not be just Purefoy every week as the villain, he will have an army of followers that Bacon must stop. My only concern truly is how FOX seems to mismanage its TV series that do not revolve around a megalomaniacal doctor.
Those are two great shows that I am looking forward to this fall. I can not wait to see what else is slated and hope that these shows really do interest me when I watch.
To close out for a bit of fun, in tomorrow’s season finale for Community there seems to be a little fun being had. According to the AV Club the episode will have the cast being depicted as video game characters. Not just any version, but retro versions of themselves. Should be a nice send off for the season.
Cheap Date: May 16th
Every Wednesday, I help you decide how to best spend $30 or less on entertainment for our very nerdy Cheap Date.
You have two choices that you can follow this week. The first choice is to go over the usual $30 budget and grab Diablo III for twice that amount. Most people are choosing Diablo III this week. It is a game that many people have waited over a decade for. Then there is the second choice which will consist of just comics and a game, but you do get more bang for your buck.
Let us assume that you do not have sixty dollars and want to stay within the thirty dollar budget.
Comics – $10
This week, we have three comics that are looking to thrill you recklessly.
Locke & Key Clockworks #6 from IDW by Joe Hill with art by Gabriel Rodriguez continues to impress. This issue ends the fifth Locke & Keymini-series. We finally learn what ultimately happened to the “Keepers of the Keys” when they face off against a former friend. Stephen King should be proud of his son’s fantasy-horror series that keeps this reader wanting more.
Wonder Woman #9from DC Comics shows us Diana’s continued journey into the realm of Hades. When Brian Azzarello said he was turning the rebootedWonder Womanseries into a horror story most of the audiences were confused. But going into the ninth issue, this series keeps getting better and scarier. Also Cliff Chiang’s art has a lot to do with the book’s success.
Hardcore #1 from Image Comics combines the ideas of Image greats Robert Kirkman and Marc Silvestri. This new series has an interesting science fiction take on assassins. Imagine if assassins could jack in and take over the body of anyone to complete their assignment. Now imagine if one of those assassins is using those methods to take on all the other assassins. Very interesting cyber-punk feel to the story that I am very interested in reading.
Video Games – $20 or 1600 MSP
The XBLA version of Minecraft was released last week. Within a day, it had already broken sales records and continues to do so a week later. Yes; there are cheaper ways to play this game but there is one thing that sets this version apart, Xbox Live. Xbox Live and its friends lists make the game so much easier to work with other people. When you boot the game up, it shows who is playing and allows you to hop right in to that person’s game. That is the reason many people pay the $60 a year for Live and will pay $20 for this game. No other service now does friends lists as well as Xbox Live.
Minecraft also eats away at time. You have to mine and collect materials to build whatever your mind can imagine, all of which takes time. Last night it took me two hours to clear an area and collect the materials to build an infinity pool that will serve my future castle. I do not even want to imagine how much time it will take to build my future castle without help. Oh well, in the meantime I can hop into other people’s games and leave my mark.
Even if you are unsure about playing Minecraft, you can always download the trial version.
And another “Amazing” trailer too…
See what I did there? Y’know… cuz it’s for Amazing Spider-man. This is essentially the trailer that was attached to the Avengers, so many of you have seen most of it. But there are a few extra scenes and an extended sequence at the beginning, so check it out.
So if you listen to the podcast, you already know that I am not as hyped about this reboot as Danny is. I am, however, up for seeing it, and I do think it will improve upon certain aspects that I felt lacking in the original franchise. The opening scene in this “super preview” embodies the heart that Spider-man/Peter Parker has as a hero. We also are reminded that Spider-man has lighter side. His wit is his way of avoiding the fear and anxiety of the life he has chosen. I’m curious (and I’m sure we’ll get some answers July 3rd) about who that is talking to Connors in what looks like a prison cell. Norman Osborn? Otto Octavius? The actor has a very Adrian Toomes look to him?
The We and The I Trailer
Prior to its premiere at Cannes, Michel Gondry’s The We and the I now has a trailer. So hit full screen and take a look. Then see what I’ve got to say about it.
Now I know some of you recognize the name Michel Gondry but aren’t sure why. Well, I’ll remind you. His body of work includes Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Science of Sleep, Be Kind Rewind, and The Green Hornet. Now I’ll admit that Green Hornet was a flop, but all of his other movies have been very interesting and deeply emotional. This trailer gives me high hopes for a well-told emotional story. Having been one of those rowdy kids on the bus in high school, I can relate to the events of this film. There’s a lot of potential.
Gaming Without Electronics
Gaming comes in two forms nowadays, electronic and traditional board. Today, I will be taking about three board games that the Call Yourself A Nerd staff plays on a semi-regular basis when we get together. These board games are not what would be considered traditional board games, basically not your mother’s Monopoly.
Zombies!!
Zombies!! is a game where you create the map as you go along, while killing/escaping from zombies. You are a survivor that must either kill twenty-five zombies or escape to the center of a helipad while clearing it for a rescue.
The great thing about this game is the board pieces and the cards. Cards can be drawn to either help or hinder players, such as placing zombies in certain areas. Then there is the board pieces that help create the city that you are trapped in. The board pieces are drawn randomly, but you can definitely use it to maneuver players into dead-ends.
Zombies!! is a fun and easy game to pick up. No knowledge of other games required, just your wits.
Risk Legacy
If we are to talk about non-traditional board games, then we should talk about a non-traditional Risk game. Risk Legacy is a very different form of the Riskgames rules. First off, during play of the game the board may change forever; which will affect future games. That aspect is what makes this game a must for anyone with a gaming group.
Legacy follows most of the current rules for the updated rulebook. You can either win by completely annihilating all other players or you can win by collecting four red stars which can be obtained in different goals, the easiest would be conquering another player’s HQ. There are five factions to play, each with their bonuses and weaknesses (all of which are chosen by the group before the first game begins). From there that is where it becomes interesting as you can create and destroy landmarks, and each time you do so it affects future games so it may just end up biting you in your own ass.
I would recommend anyone wanting to play should have a basic knowledge of Risk, but that should be easy enough. Also I would recommend that you have something more friendly to do afterwards for the truces you may have broken.
Pandemic
When I was talking about doing something a little more friendly after a game of Risk Legacy, I meant a completely cooperative game like Pandemic. The goal of Pandemic is to work together to cure four different viruses. You work on a world map, much like Risk, collecting cards that are different colors. When you have a five of the same color you can cure the virus. Sounds simple enough.
Where the challenge lies is at the end of each turn you have to infect cities around the world. Infect a city enough times and that city in turn infects surrounding cities. Players have to travel to cities and cure the viruses one infection at a time until a cure is found.
Pandemic is a simple and easy game to learn. The hard part is to keep track of your players and the viruses as they spread. Currently, our group is sitting on about a thirty percent survival rate for the game. It is a game that we have a hard time winning, but at least we are losing together.
Those are three games that the CYaN staff plays together. We have a few more that we trot out every so often, but I will leave that for another post. I enjoy these non-traditional board games and will always keep a look out for more.
Call Yourself A Nerd 