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TUESDAY BLUs (& DVDs): This Week's New Releases 4/23/13

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It's an interesting week of releases including the pulpy ensemble of Gangster Squad, the Oscar nominated performance of Naomi Watts in The Impossible, an animated Cheech & Chong and some classic tv and music documentary releases which will definitely keep you occupied through the remainder of April's showers.

As always, fire up that queue and prep that shopping cart and check out this weeks' latest releases!


Gangster Squad

The year is 1949 and ruthless gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) has the city of Los Angeles in his grip. Against a gang protected by rampant corruption, Chief Bill Parker (Nick Nolte) resorts to extremes. He enlists battle-hardened hero Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) to form a unit to exact vigilante justice. Their job isn't to make arrests... it's to make war. As the city explodes in gunfire, jaded cop Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling) is reluctantly drawn into the fight as he falls hard for Grace Faraday (Emma Stone), the elegant beauty whom Cohen claims as his own. Inspired by an incredible true story, Gangster Squad blows open the secret flies of the cops who fought for L.A.'s soul.  Extras include Commentary With Director Ruben Fleischer, The Gangland Files, The Set Up, Rogues' Gallery: Mickey Cohen, Tough Guys With Style, and Deleted Scenes.

Broken City

Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta Jones star in this gripping crime thriller where everyone has a motive and no one can be trusted.  Seven years after being forced to resign as a New York police officer, private detective Billy Taggart (Wahlberg) takes on his toughest case yet: following the wife (Zeta-Jones) of the city's hard-nosed mayor (Crowe), who's convinced she's cheating on him. But by the time the mayor reveals his true intentions, Billy is already in too deep. Now, with his freedom - and quite possibly his life - on the line, Billy will risk it all in a desperate bid to expose the truth, and seek redemption in a city where second chances don't come cheap.


Cheech & Chong's: Animated Movie

You're not hallucinating... but they are. It's the legendary toker jokers Cheech & Chong as you've never seen them before - in their very first Animated Movie. Catch all the buzz as their most outrageously funny routines and laugh-out-loud lines from their Grammy Award-winning albums come to life, including Dave's Not Here, Let's Make a Dope Deal and more. With help from a , bud-lovin' body crab named Buster, Cheech & Chong, "the masters of the smokin' word," deliver the ultimate comedy high and give you the munchies for more.  Joint Commentary By Cheech Marin & Tommy Chong, Commentary By Chambers Brothers & Lou Adler, Commentary By Tommy Chong & Paris Chong, 4.20 Listening Mode, Medical Marijuana Blues - Session With Blind Melon Chitlin' and Cheech & Chong Slideshow.

The Impossible


One family's incredible true story.  Maria (Naomi Watts) and Henry (Ewan McGregor) are on a family Christmas vacation in Thailand, enjoying their beachfront resort when their world is suddenly turned upside down. Unbeknownst to them, a huge earthquake across the ocean has triggered a massive tsunami... one of the most devastating natural catastrophes on record. This is their story.  Extras Audio Commentary With Director J.A. Bayona, Writer Sergio G. Sanchez, Producer Belen Atienza, And Maria Belon, Casting The Impossible Featurette, Realizing The Impossible Featurette and Deleted Scenes.


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Cancelation Nation — Is DC Comics Heading For Another Implosion?

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When DC Comics announced its decision in 2011 to have the conclusion of Flashpoint end with the complete rebooting—well almost complete, we’ll get to that—of their universe, resulting in 52 brand new number one issues, there was a large mix of excitement, consternation, and skepticism.

But they did it anyway, and in September of 2011, we got a brand new universe, the first Action Comics #1 in over seven decades, new characters reimagined and starring in their own books, and a mix of books beyond the more popular heroics of the Batmen and Wonder Women.

And, commercially, it was a success.  DC posted the highest sales they’d had in recent years, and took the lead over Marvel for the first time in what seemed like forever.

Everything was coming up Milhouse.

Until it wasn’t.

“Hey!  What do you mean by that?!”

The reality is that the New 52, as it was dubbed, was not something sustainable in the long run.  Debut issues are going to be big sellers, especially during such a dramatic turn of events for the company post-Flashpoint, so, really, it wasn’t going to take a rocket scientist to know that initial sales were going to be like cocaine in Hollywood.

But how about now, barely a year and half later?


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THE FOLLOWING: "The End is Near" S1E14 (recap)

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By Steve Ahlquist
"The final chapter has begun," says Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) to Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) in a note left behind at the cult's mansion base camp.  Knowing that the FBI is closing in Carroll has initiated his escape plan, which entails sending his remaining 37 or so cult members to an emergency evacuation center (the emergency being that a murderous cult has infiltrated the community) to engage in a killing spree.

As usual Ryan Hardy is just a little too late to do anything but contain the mayhem.



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BAKE UP A BATCH Of Superman Whoopie Pies!

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The day I moved to Pennsylvania I was instructed that in order to truly fit in here, I had to know how to make a whoopie pie. As I am from the Deep South, I am extremely familiar with being judged not upon the content of my character, but by my cooking skills (If you couldn't make biscuits or a decent Sweet Tea you were murdered in your sleep) so I immediately began constructing this snack cake in the hopes that my neighbors wouldn't run me out of town.

And yes, I did succeed by the way (if by succeed you mean giving up and simply buying whoopie pies from a bakery to pass off as my own) and yet I have remained the neighborhood pariah that is seemingly my lot in life (for whatever reason, people who share a property line with me hate my guts). 

But this recipe for Superman whoopie pies, while more involved than I usually like to get with cooking, does seem to call out for me to make as I love Superman as well as shoving baked goods into my face hole, and could very well get me back into the good graces of my next-door neighbor who hasn't quite forgiven me for not raking my leaves last fall which then continuously blew into his manicured yard for  the whole of the Winter season.


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MAD MEN: "To Have and To Hold" S6E4 (review)

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By Clay N. Ferno
Am I reviewing for Soap Opera Digest, or is this Forces of Geek?

The latest episode of Mad Men has the ruffled blankets of a torrid daytime affair and heightened tensions of day to day business.

Joan (Christina Hendricks) is in the spotlight once again, her first episode of the season, Megan (Jessica Paré) gains more exposure on her own soap opera and Harry (Rich Sommer) scores a major deal for the firm, increasing his value.


Also, the secretarial pool is shaken up by false time punches...can this be trouble for Dawn (Teyonah Parris)?

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Funny...You Don't Look Evil...

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Some actors just look like bad guys.

They always have those evil eyes, menacing smiles, and a bad hair-do.

Ever notice that the actors who have ‘the look’ consistently play the villain?

From badasses like Danny Trejo to more refined baddies like Michael Madsen, these tough guys always end up playing devils.

Seriously....

Michael Chiklis

Michael Chiklis has flexed his sinister streak on more than a few occasions. His villainy has been showcased in roles like the corrupt cop in The Shield and The Mob casino man in Vegas. The movie Pawn features a slew of bad guys and a cop in a 24-hour diner. As Derrick in Pawn, he once again chills the audience and demonstrates his ability to play to his dark side.

Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe is a seasoned veteran at playing a villain. Whether he is wreaking chaos on the high seas (Speed 2: Cruise Control) or transforming into a green super being and battling the crux of good (Spider-Man / Spider-Man II) Willem has the ‘crazy eyes’ look down pat.

Dennis Hopper

When it comes to depravity, Dennis Hopper is the ‘jack of all villains,’ being baleful, masterminded, and tyrannous. The fiendish Frank Booth in Blue Velvet is still worthy of the heebie-jeebies and the evil genius of Howard Payne in Speed is just as menacing as ever. Even our beloved 8-bit characters Mario and Luigi aren’t safe as he played the dictatorial King Koopa in Super Mario Bros.

Michael Madsen

Michael Madsen’s malevolence is undeniable in his acting repertoire. He was the deranged Vince Miller in Kill Me Again, the belligerent boyfriend in Thelma and Louise, and the sadistic Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs. Standing at whopping 6’2’’ it is no wonder he makes a great ‘enforcer’ villain.

Christopher Walken

Villains become villains with brute force or evil intellect. Christopher Walken’s villains are comprised of sheer mental instability. Most notably by him playing the demented Archangel Gabriel in The Prophecy. The depth of this bad guy reaches about to hell anyway. Such visceral characters like the Hessian Horseman in Sleepy Hollow, Max Schreck in Batman Returns, and Max Zorin in A View to Kill have made Walken certifiable in villain history.

Glenn Close

Glenn Close established her virtuosity in villainy displaying an unrelenting crazy in Fatal Attraction. She followed this with a manipulative performance in Dangerous Liasons. Not only a villain to men, she is also feared by canines after making some spotty judgments as Cruella De Ville in 101 Dalmatians. More recently she has combined her evil aptitudes into the mega-villain on the television show Damages.

Malcolm McDowell 

Malcolm McDowell is the future of villainy, seen as the psychotic villain, Alex, in the futuristic A Clockwork Orange and the loathsome Tolian Soran in the subsequent Star Trek: Generations.
Danny Trejo

Danny Trejo is a tough guy. He is just a mean muggin’ badass. He is the villain with brawn, seen clearly in Con Air, Heat, Machete, and Desperado.

Javier Bardem

The bad guy traits seem to be universally recognized. Javier Bardem has been up to no good in both Spanish and English films. He got his start being bad playing a bank robber Perdita Durango. He most recently earned a Bond stamp of approval in the bad guy category with his compelling and chilling performance as Silva in Skyfall. Bardem’s aptitude as the malefactor was solidified by his Academy Award-winning performance as hit-man Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men. Whether it is Spanish or English, Javier has used a bad haircut and disconcerting smile to shock and browbeat audiences.

Sir Anthony Hopkins

Sir Anthony Hopkins may be the most ingenious of all the villains. His villain is most notably Dr. Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, and Red Dragon.



Pawn stars a number of evil faces and is available on Blu-ray and DVD 4/23/13.

 
 

An all-night diner. A cop walks in on a robbery in progress.  But what happens next – and what happened just before – will change everything you think you know. The building is now surrounded. There are restless fingers on every trigger. And one very intense hostage situation is about to take some extremely shocking twists.

Reuniting Academy-Award® winner Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland, The Last Stand) and Golden Globe® winner Michael Chiklis (“The Shield,” Fantastic Four, Eagle Eye) for the first time since “The Shield,” the all-star cast includes Common (Smoking Aces, Terminator Salvation), Stephen Lang (Avatar, Conan the Barbarian), Nikki Reed (Twilight), Sean Faris (Never Back Down, Ghost Machine), Marton Csokas (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Alice in Wonderland), Jessica Szohr (“Gossip Girl”) and Golden Globe® nominee Ray Liotta (Goodfellas, Killing Them Softly) in this shotgun blast of a thriller about last chances, double-crosses and a deadly game of dirty deals where anyone can be a pawn.

Towards the Future: The Man from Nebula M78

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In my early years of World Wide Web addiction, I spent a lot of time looking up the various incarnations of Ultraman.  
Japan's silver-skinned sentinel has been an institution in the company since the 1960s, and though he's crossed the pacific numerous times over the years, he's rarely risen past the level of cult figure here.  
Sure, there have been toys, games and comics, but the average kid today probably couldn't pick him out of a lineup.

That almost changed in the '90s--and by almost, I mean they tried, really they tried--but to no avail.

Ultraman: Towards the Future is a slightly strange case, but let's go back a bit...



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Contest! Win STAR TREK: THE VIDEO GAME For Xbox360!

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STAR TREK: THE VIDEO GAME arrives today at retail locations throughout North America, with an original Star Trek story that takes place between 2009's blockbuster hit Star Trek and the upcoming Star Trek: Into Darkness. The game combines the talents of the film's cast — including Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, John Cho, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban and Anton Yelchin — with amazing co-op game play that lets players become either Kirk or Spock in this incredible adventure.

The game is available now at national retailers for players on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and PC download. STAR TREK: THE VIDEO GAME has a suggested retail price of $59.99 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and $49.99 for PC, through STEAM, Amazon.com and GameStop Impulse. STAR TREK: THE VIDEO GAME is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB. It is produced under license by CBS Consumer Products and distributed worldwide by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc.

And we're giving away ten copies for the Xbox 360!

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MICHAEL SHANNON'S Dramatic Reading of An Insane Delta Gamma President's Email To Her Sorority Members On Their Inability To F*cking Do Anything Right

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This video has been making the rounds all over the internet and while I don't want to be redundant, I do want to stress how amazingly hilarious and awesome this is.

In fact, there is a push to get Samuel L. Jackson to do a reading of this amazing look into the world of collegiate sisterhood (although I personally hope Werner Hertzog will do it instead, it'll just be creepier) and frankly I haven't been this deliriously giddy over an internet meme since Sad Keanu.

But, before you watch this, I insist that you read the entire email HERE (you'll need to scroll down a bit) so that you can truly appreciate Shannon's incredible performance.

Seriously, the guy should win an Oscar for this.

Kneel down before Zod, indeed.

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DEFIANCE: "Down In the Ground Where the Dead Men Go" S1E3

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By Matt "Quori" Armstrong
Previously on Defiance:

In the near future, a collective of aliens known as the Votans (species: Castothan, Indogene, Irathient, Liberata, Sensoth, Gulanee, and Volge) arrive in Earth orbit seeking a new home. In 2023 the Votan ambassador to the UN is assassinated, a global Human-Votan conflict erupts: The Pale Wars. By 2030 an event known as “Arkfall” takes place wherein the orbiting ships are obliterated. 

Votan technology rains down all over the planet including terra-forming tech that without any controls in place haphazardly changes the planet’s surface. Both widespread devastation and genetic mutation occurs making most of the planet inhospitable to Human and Votan alike. 

The Pale Wars end and an armistice is declared. Remnant portions of civilized areas form safe havens. 

Human and Votan live together in an uneasy truce realizing they need one another to survive what is ostensibly an alien world for all.


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SCIENCE GEEK: NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Has Photographed the Sun For Three Years, This Is What It Saw

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NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has spent the last 3 years photographing the sun every twelve seconds in 10 different wave lengths in order to allow us mere mortals a more close-up view of this Miasma of Incandescent Plasma (to quote They Might Be Giants).

What results is an amazing array of stunning solar flares, explosions, the comet Lovejoy and two partial eclipses.

Our closest star is simply amazing and yes, eventually, it will blow us the fuck up.

Watch and enjoy.

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Abrams To Publish THE ADVENTURE TIME ENCYCLOPAEDIA

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What time is it? Adventure Time!

Abrams will publish The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia, the first-of-its-kind, definitive guide to the show’s beloved characters and world. The book was written by Martin Olson, the voice actor for the Lord of Evil on Adventure Time, who narrates the book in character. It also features original illustrations by Renee French, Tony Millionaire, Celeste Moreno, Aisleen Romano, and Mahendra Singh, and is being designed by Sean Tejaratchi. The show's creator, Pendleton Ward, is contributing original content to the book as well.

Created in conjunction with Cartoon Network Enterprises, The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia includes everything anyone will ever need to know about the Land of Ooo and its inhabitants—secret lore and spells, fun places you should visit and places where you will probably die, what to eat and not to eat, whom to marry and whom not to marry, how to make friends and how to destroy your enemies—plus “marginalia” and doodles by Finn, Jake, and Marceline.

The Emmy® Award–nominated show first exploded onto television screens in April 2010, and is one of the most popular animated programs on Cartoon Network. Adventure Time follows the adventures of Jake the dog and Finn the human in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo. Best friends Finn and Jake live among other colorful, crazy characters such as Princess Bubblegum, Lady Rainicorn, Lumpy Space Princess, the Ice King, and Marceline the Vampire Queen, and the show’s climactic storylines, vibrant, colorful animation, and adult humor and character development have made Adventure Time a hitamong children, tweens, college students, and adults.

The Adventure Time Encyclopaedia is both a companion and an indispensable supplement to the characters, story, and world of the show. Fans of all ages will love this side-splittingly funny, complex, and intricate love letter to the cartoon.

After the jump, check out a sneak peak image from the book and it's original sketch version!

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Trailer Park: Summer Movies Edition

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With the May 3 launch of Iron Man 3 signaling the official start of the Summer of 2013 movie season, let’s take a look at the preview trailers for it and for some other high-profile geek fodder rolling out over the next few months.

Titles are presented in order of release date.

Iron Man 3 (May 3)


The filmmakers have some apologizing to do for the less-than-stellar Iron Man 2, and from the looks of it, they’ve succeeded at fulfilling the promise of the terrific first installment and last year’s The Avengers. Robert Downey Jr. looks to be in fine comedic and heroic form for this, his fourth turn as billionaire-inventor/crimestopper Tony Stark/Iron Man. Ben Kingsley looks fierce as the bad guy (dubbed the Mandarin) and all of the key supporting players are back (Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau, the voice of Paul Bettany). With Shane Black (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang) joining the production team as co-writer and director, expect something crackling, cool and snarky.

Trailer Rating: A


The Great Gatsby (May 10)


Director Baz Luhrmann’s corny, sappy historical epic Australia wasn’t even in the same league as his audacious Moulin Rouge or William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, but the visionary filmmaker looks to be back in shape for this retelling of the F. Scott Fitzgerald classic. With Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan, the cast is to die for. If the trailer is accurate, this one will be dazzling to look at and, with a score by none other than music producer/rap artist Jay-Z, it ought to SOUND like nothing we’ve ever heard before in a period drama.

Trailer Rating; B+


Star Trek Into Darkness (May 17)


Is he Khan? Is he not Khan? For months, the makers of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek 2 (or Star Trek 12, if we’re counting from the original 1979 film) have been pretty cagey about the identity of the film’s central antagonist. At this point, after multiple trailers, it looks like the villain (Benedict Cumberbatch) is NOT Khan Noonien Singh but John Harrison, a Starfleet chap with a vendetta and, apparently, a vague supernatural ability to heal people (this from the IMAX prologue shown before The Hobbit last December). The trailers are full of fisticuffs, gravity-defying chases, eye-popping futuristic cityscapes, colorful alien worlds and sleek visual effects, all bedazzled by J.J.’s signature use of artificial lens flares. From the looks of it, this one seems to be a bit less philosophical and more action-oriented than a typical Star Trek movie—is it me, or does this latest trailer play like a tease of a Star Wars sequel?—but what I’m seeing so far looks quite thrilling.

Trailer Rating: A-

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ONCE UPON A TIME: "Lacey" S2E19 (review)

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By Laura Akers
Okay, I didn’t see that coming.

Anyone who has read my reviews of Once Upon a Time since the introduction of Belle has probably picked up on the fact that I have an issue with the relationship between Rumplestiltskin and Belle.

It’s had too many features in common with those where domestic violence occur to be entirely comfortable.

And as always, just when I think the writers have made a huge mistake, they take the story in a direction that leaves me astounded.


There was some other stuff in this week’s episode, “Lacey.”

We discover that the dwarves and Tiny have been hard, secretly growing an entire field of magic beans in the hopes of returning to the Enchanted Forest. Greg and Tamara continue to plot. Emma has doubts about whether her true home is our world or that of Fairy Tales. We finally meet Robin Hood. And Hook returns.

A lot going on.

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THE COMIC LIST: Releases For 4/24/13

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After the jump check out a list of which which comics, graphic novels, toys and other pop-culture merchandise will arrive at your local comic shop via Diamond Comics Distributors.   Please check with your retailer for availability.



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IRON MAN 3 (review)

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Review by Dave Chapman
Produced by Kevin Feige
Screenplay by Drew Pearce, Shane Black
Based on Iron Man by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck, Jack Kirby and Extremis by Warren Ellis, Adi Granov
Directed by Shane Black 
Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley

Marvel Studios / Rated PG-13



After the amazing spectacle of The Avengers movie last year, it was going to be a tough job to launch the Marvel movie-verse’s Phase Two.

But worry not, Tony Stark is on top form in a more personal movie that strips away the man from the iron.

When it was announced that Jon Favreau wasn’t going to direct the third solo Iron Man movie, the hunt for a perfect replacement brought us Shane Black. While he hasn’t directed many movies, he’s written a lot, a lot of Black’s trademarks have crept into Iron Man 3. Just think of his earlier movies - Lethal Weapon, and The Last Boy Scout, and you’ll see similar themes here, and that’s not a bad thing at all.

Instead of a disturbed or depressed Mel Gibson or Bruce Willis, this time Black places the character of Tony Stark in a post-Avengers state of doubt, paranoia and insomnia. His near-death experience at the Chitauri wormhole above New York has him feeling vulnerable and prone to panic attacks, leaving him reliant on the Iron Man suit. After a public anxiety attack, his only solace is fleeing to the safety of the suit. But his reliance on the armor is becoming an obsession, an emotional crutch just as much as a physical one, as he spends his sleepless nights creating more and more armor designs.

However, Stark is not going to be able to hide in his armor for long, as pretty early on in the film his precious collection of suits, and his cliff-top mansion, are destroyed. Isolated from Pepper Potts, and with Happy in hospital, Stark is alone and exposed without the Iron Man armor. In fact, Stark spends more time out of his suit in this film than in it, and that’s possibly what makes this movie so strong. We see the vulnerability of the hero within, Stark is just a “man in a tin can” who can’t compete with gods and super-soldiers.

But, Stark being the person he is he tries to hide his weakness and exposure by being sarcastic with the quick-firing backtalk you’d expect from Black’s writing and from Downey Jr’s portrayal. Being alone without his usual support, the plot brings in a kid called Harley for Stark to insult and bounce witty comments off of. And it’s here that a lot of the humor of the movie comes in (that and the spoilery reveal we’ll come to later). Drew Pearce, co-writer of the movie, shows his superhero comedy roots by adding many hilarious moments to a film that could have been incredibly dark, insular and bleak.

Going into the film I had a couple of concerns from everything I’d read online and seen in the trailers. We’re going to get a little spoilery here, so if you’d prefer not to know, stop now.

First of all, when the casting and roles were announced, I was concerned that the film was trying to pile in as many Iron Man or Marvel universe villains and characters as possible. Iron Patriot? How were they going to do that without Osborn? Mandarin, Coldblood, Firepower and the Extremis storyline? All in one film? This isn’t going to be Spider-Man 3 again is it?

Luckily, while a lot of the characters have names from Marvel (such as Eric Savin / Coldblood, Jack Taggert / Firepower, and even Ellen Brandt complete with burned face) their actual roles in the movie are little more than recurring goons, suped-up with Extremis and working for the major villain.

And talking of major villain, this was my other concern. How do you do the Mandarin without succumbing to racial stereotypes and making it incredibly cheesy?

Well, worry not. There was a moment about a third of the way through the film where I thought “wouldn’t it be cool if the Mandarin was actually…[redacted]” and lo and behold, that’s what they revealed just thirty minutes later. Ben Kingsley is absolutely amazing in the role, as a symbol of everything that the government fears, playing upon those very stereotypes to his advantage. You’ll know what I mean when you see it.

Guy Pearce redeems himself after Prometheus with an excellent portrayal of Aldrich Killian, creator of the Extremis virus, and the ever-lovely Rebecca Hall is cool as Dr Maya Hansen, who worked on the original incarnation of Extremis. If you’ve read the Iron Man Extremis story you’ll know a little of what to expect in this movie, though it has been tweaked and adapted for the screen, bringing in new elements to make this more of an investigative anti-terrorist mystery thriller.

That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of action, with a host of cool set pieces that culminate in the use of dozens of different Iron Man suits that Stark hops in and out of at great speed during the final battle, and some interesting action plot twists that’ll have some of the fans punching the air.

It’s not perfect – the film does have its faults. The plot device that leaves Stark without the backup suits is kinda ridiculous (bearing in mind the power and abilities of some of the suits, the reason they’re unusable for most of the film is pointless). I’d have also liked to have seen more of Stark’s insomnia and anxiety at the beginning of the film, building up to a more emotional confession of his problems to Pepper. As it is, it feels like there’s only a little build up before Stark blurts it all out in a mass of plot exposition.

But these are minor quibbles that do not diminish the fact that Iron Man 3 is an excellent addition to the Marvel Movie-verse, with a gritty, realistic and often funny, yet personal adventure for the great Tony Stark.

In closing, I’ll just say to look out for the utterly bonkers end title sequence that feels more like the opening titles of The Last Boy Scout, by the way of Quentin Tarantino. Also, hang around until after the credits for the obligatory monk’s reward with an extra scene that ties the movie into the Avenger-verse. Excellent!

9/10





Dave Chapman is a writer, editor and designer of a number of tabletop RPGs, including “Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space” and “Conspiracy X”. Former comic publisher and self professed geek, if it’s remotely nerdy he’s interested. Favourite films are Inception and The Matrix, and he’s still obsessed with The X-Files.  Check out his homepage at http://www.autocratik.com/

NO LONGER A LIE: The Officially Licensed Aperture Science Cake Mix Is Now Available

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Yes friends, this is an actual cake mix that has been licensed by GlaDos herself but make no mistake about it, the cake is still going to take some work to get (and there's a good chance you're going to die).

First off, it is seemingly available only in the UK which means, besides the hefty £11.99 ($19.00 USD) price tag and expensive shipping costs, there's probably a good chance of it being confiscated by Customs or whatever dark entity that has been put in charge of "Imported Cake Mixes" to assure that you will never get your reward.

Second, while the mix may come with a candle and chocolate shavings (as well as the actual mix), it does not, however, include the candied cherries. You have to provide them yourself. Which leads me to believe that by doing so you somehow trigger a beacon buried deep within the finished cake itself which alerts an assassination squad to your precise location where they will easily murder you while you are eating dessert).

And third, it's probably poisoned.

But, you know, the box is nice and someone who loves the game would appreciate it, I guess.

Source: Geekologie

Damning with Faint Praise: THE DEBT

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The Debt bounces back and forth between 1965 and 1995.

In 1965, a team of Mossad agents infiltrate East Berlin in search of a Nazi war criminal.

In 1995, they deal with the consequences of that mission.


Verdict
Disconnected



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ICELAND GETS AN Incest Prevention App To Help People Stop Bumping Uglies With Their Relatives

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Iceland is a small country with a population of around 320,000 people, which means, there's a very good chance that when its citizens are out drinking at a bar, and their comprehensive skills are at an all-time low, they just might accidentally bone their cousin.

I know what you're thinking, why wouldn't the Icelanders know who they are related to before transmitting various fluids to one another?

Here's why: While we here in the West get our last names passed down through the generations from our father's side, Icelandic surnames derive from either their mother or father's name as well as the words son (indicating that you are the son of whomever) or dottir (daughter of whomever) which leads to a hell of a lot of confusion.

So, naturally an App was invented to help stop people from humping each other that may result in a very awkward conversation in the morning.

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FOG! Exclusive! Support Indie-Thriller REBOUND and Get a Signed Book From ELMORE LEONARD!

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Last week we told you about the current Indiegogo campaign for Rebound from writer/director Megan Freels Johnston.  With principal photography completed, the sole purpose of the fundraising campaign is to ensure that the film has the best sound possible, essential for a psychological thriller.

As mentioned in our interview, Megan is the granddaughter of legendary storyteller Elmore Leonard and together we've partnered to offer Forces of Geek readers an exclusive reward not found anywhere else.

Any contributions over the $100 level will receive the rewards of the contribution and a copy of Elmore Leonard's Raylan, which chronicles an adventure of Deputy Marshall Raylan Givens, the character best known from the television series Justified.  Elmore will also sign the book to you, making it an instant collectible.


To ensure your copy, pledge your reward level and make a comment and include the word "FOG!".

This prize is limited to just ten copies and truly is a unique reward opportunity.

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