Guest Post: 'Word Building' by Katherine Addison (aka Sarah Monette)

April 1, 2014, 9:00 am

≫ Next: Jazz Pioneer DIZZY GILLESPIE Gets Down and Dirty About Free Will & Nuclear Weapons In The 1962 Animated Short Film THE HOLE

≪ Previous: THE SQUIRREL WHISPERER: Annoying Rodents Allow Penn State Woman To Make Little Hats For Them...This Is How World Domination Begins People

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If there is one thing in the world I am a prima donna about, it's names.

I have to know characters' names before I can write about them, and I have more than once been blocked on a book because I had a character's name wrong. For reasons I don't understand any better than anyone else, names are absolutely vital to my creative process. Ursula K. Le Guin's story "The Rule of Names" might have been written about me.

This finicky perfectionism makes things difficult enough with stories set in the real world, or in worlds close enough that I can cannibalize real languages, as I did in the Doctrine of Labyrinths series. But when your protagonist is the half-goblin son of the elvish emperor, that strategy won't work.

And if the names are going to be right, the language has to be, too.

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Jazz Pioneer DIZZY GILLESPIE Gets Down and Dirty About Free Will & Nuclear Weapons In The 1962 Animated Short Film THE HOLE

April 1, 2014, 11:00 am

≫ Next: STAGE FRIGHT - Movie Review SXSW 2014

≪ Previous: Guest Post: 'Word Building' by Katherine Addison (aka Sarah Monette)

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In this Oscar Winning animated short by John and Faith Hubley, Jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie and actor George Matthews participate in an entirely improvisational conversation that covers all matters of free will and possible nuclear and environmental annihilation.

The completely mind-blowing animation (done in a weirdly fluid and sloppy style) is surprising in not only in how well it's constructed, by also by how intensely funny and deeply meaningful it remains some 50 + years later.

While The Hole is only one of the many socially conscious animated shorts that the Hubleys made together, it still remains one of the best (and luckily, it was chosen to be preserved by the United States National Film Registry in 2013 because of it's cultural significance).

If you're weirdly passionate about intense political animations, then check out The Hole after the break.

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STAGE FRIGHT - Movie Review SXSW 2014

April 1, 2014, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: How to Make Your Cat An Internet Celebrity (Review)

≪ Previous: Jazz Pioneer DIZZY GILLESPIE Gets Down and Dirty About Free Will & Nuclear Weapons In The 1962 Animated Short Film THE HOLE

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Review by Todd Sokolove

Written and Directed by Jerome Sable

Produced by Ari Lantos, Jonas Bell Pasht

Music & Lyrics by Jerome Sable and Eli Batalion

Stars Allie MacDonald, Douglas Smith,

Brandon Uranowitz, with Minnie Driver

and Meat Loaf

Psycho author Robert Bloch once stated "there's a thin line between horror and hilarity,” but he was hardly the first to point it out.

Though the mash-up of Horror and Comedy pre-dates film, filmmakers have been merging the genres successfully for decades.

Sometimes the laughs are sprinkled sparsely for relief, but often times for full-on high meta camp.

Stage Fright is one of the better films I caught at SXSW, and certainly the most entertaining.
 
Premiering this Thursday, April 3rd on iTunes and On Demand, and in theaters May 9th, it is a film so campy, it's actually set in a camp.  A musical theater camp for kids, no less.

The movie takes a deep stab at both killer-on-the-lose conventions and overzealous-musicals, hitting both targets with glee.

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How to Make Your Cat An Internet Celebrity (Review)

April 1, 2014, 3:20 pm

≫ Next: Boston Folks! We're Giving Away Passes To See JINN!

≪ Previous: STAGE FRIGHT - Movie Review SXSW 2014

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As we are all well aware, cats are the Kings (and Queens) of the Internet, but on the flipside they also happen to be assholes who have no problem ruining furniture with their claws, leaving dead animals on your face while you sleep and generally causing pain and anguish at every given turn. For that reason alone we should be allowed to turn our regular, jerk-face feline into one of those Internet stars so that we can net some coin and fix all of the things that they have fucked up for us.

Right?

Thankfully, author Patricia Carlin and photographer Dustin Fenstermacher have managed to realize this niche need and created a brilliant how-to book that will take you through all the necessary steps in order to turn your little hairball into an Internet God. With chapters on Grooming Your Star (Pussy Allure: How Accessories Make Your Cat Stand Out), Clawing Your Way to the Top (Arc of A Cat Video) and The World Is Your Litter Box (My Cat Is An Internet Celebrity, Now What?), you will learn specific skills that will help create fantastic videos and share-worthy photos that will help bank on your kitteh's perceived adorability so that you can comfortably live off your cat's income for years to come.

Hilarious, surprisingly insightful and a much better career guide than most of the human-centered ones out on the market, How to Make Your Cat An Internet Celebrity is a definite BUY IT NOW for anyone who has experienced the cruelty of seeing the forgotten shards of an antique tablecloth lying next to an empty food dish as a warning and wishes that there was some way to make that little shit pay for it.

The deep sleep of a cat unencumbered by its own asshole-ness

Seriously, that cat's time has come.

Boston Folks! We're Giving Away Passes To See JINN!

April 1, 2014, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Television Without Pity, R.I.P.

≪ Previous: How to Make Your Cat An Internet Celebrity (Review)

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Shawn, an automotive designer, enjoys an idyllic life with his new wife Jasmine until receiving a cryptic VHS tape. Having lost his parents to a fire as a young child, Shawn is shocked to discover a bizarre message from his biological father recorded shortly before his death. In the video, Shawn’s father relays details of a prophecy and warns of a curse afflicting his bloodline. After viewing the video, Shawn’s world is infiltrated by inexplicable phenomena, culminating in the mysterious abduction of his wife. Desperate to find her, Shawn heeds the advice of his father and seeks help in the form of Gabriel, a mysterious guardian. Under Gabriel’s tutelage, Shawn learns of a third race of creatures – mercurial beings known as the jinn – with the ability to selectively interfere in what we know to be real life. Forced to confront ancient realities and a formidable prophecy, Shawn must fulfill his legacy and confront the Shayteen, an evil sect of jinn, if he ever hopes to see his wife again.

And we're giving away 15 pairs of passes to Forces of Geek readers that can be used during the run of the film at the Regal Fenway cinema!


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Television Without Pity, R.I.P.

April 1, 2014, 5:00 pm

≫ Next: THE MR. MAGOO THEATRICAL COLLECTION Comes To DVD 4/22

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Like many, many diehard TV fans, I was tremendously sad to hear that Television Without Pity is closing.

In the past 10 years, I have spent countless hours on their boards, obsessing about shows from Lost to True Detective.

Why?

I'm one of those people for whom just watching TV isn't enough. I want to discuss it, analyze it, share the experience. And I don't want to discuss it with just anyone. Diehard Lost fans remember the agony of trying to talk about the show with the casual viewers who still thought all the characters were in purgatory. (Definitive answer from the show's creators: No, they weren't!)

And how on earth could I talk about The Simpsons with someone who's amazed that I know the name of Homer's religious neighbor? D'oh! When you can name at least 50 recurring characters, when you want to discuss every single nuance of a show, you needed to hit the TWoP boards.

I really got into TWoP with Lost, which yes, I watched from the very beginning. Oh, the theories we spun. Oh, the fun and games we had Photoshopping who else might be on the island.

Remember that time the Dharma Initiative created Hurley?

An episode wasn't over until you got online and saw the reactions, the speculation, the clever nicknames, the conflicting theories.

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THE MR. MAGOO THEATRICAL COLLECTION Comes To DVD 4/22

April 1, 2014, 6:00 pm

≫ Next: Win 'KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM' on Blu-ray!

≪ Previous: Television Without Pity, R.I.P.

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“Oh, Magoo, You’ve Done It Again!”

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Win 'KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM' on Blu-ray!

April 1, 2014, 7:00 pm

≫ Next: COSPLAYERS Feel Pharrell's 'Happy'

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PETER DINKLAGE, STEVE ZAHN AND RYAN KWANTEN  GET MEDIEVAL IN THIS ROLE-PLAYING, GENRE-BENDING COMEDY WITH A DARK (AGES) TWIST

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COSPLAYERS Feel Pharrell's 'Happy'

April 2, 2014, 7:54 am

≫ Next: Win 'IRON SKY: DIRECTOR'S CUT' on Blu-ray Combo!

≪ Previous: Win 'KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM' on Blu-ray!

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I can safely say that not once have I ever been, felt or experienced this level of "Happy" in my life. That might seem sad to some people, but I chose to think of it as "Maintaining A Level of Quiet Dignity".

We all have to get through life somehow.

Cosplay Happy cover video after the break.

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Win 'IRON SKY: DIRECTOR'S CUT' on Blu-ray Combo!

April 2, 2014, 9:00 am

≫ Next: HUMP DAY HAPPINESS: Here's A Rotoscoped Joseph Gordon-Levitt, You're Welcome

≪ Previous: COSPLAYERS Feel Pharrell's 'Happy'

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It's Inglorious Basterds meets Spaceballs to the nth degree in the IRON SKY: DIRECTOR'S CUT, an all-new take on the worldwide box office phenomenon following the original vision of director Timo Vuorensola. 20 minutes longer, loaded with new, cutting-edge special effects, new music from Laibach, tons more politically incorrect humor and housed in limited edition Steelbook™ packaging, IRON SKYis again ready to conquer the planet in relentless fashion.

In the last moments of World War II, a secret Nazi space program evaded destruction by making a daring escape to the Moon. In the intervening 70 years they have re-colonized, re-armed with devastating new weapons and silently plotted their revenge. When an American astronaut stumbles upon their secret Moon lair, the Führer (Udo Kier) decides to unleash their alien armada upon the unprepared Earth. Now every man, woman and child must unite to repel the UFO Nazi invasion and save humanity!

And we're giving away three copies!

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HUMP DAY HAPPINESS: Here's A Rotoscoped Joseph Gordon-Levitt, You're Welcome

April 2, 2014, 11:00 am

≫ Next: Cosmic Treadmill: 'AVENGERS CONFIDENTIAL: BLACK WIDOW & PUNISHER' (review)

≪ Previous: Win 'IRON SKY: DIRECTOR'S CUT' on Blu-ray Combo!

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Since the week is half over and it appears that Spring has finally decided to start digging in its heels and allowing the outside air temperature to reach levels that are more "chilly" than "freezing my tits off", I say it's time to celebrate with a rotoscoped animation of a flailing Joseph Gordon-Levitt by Deviant Artist Carli Ihde.

This sweet ass piece of work was actually created for the Don Jon himself (or actually his site hitRECord) and encompasses 89 various drawings that was then meticulously animated.

So turn up some tunes (even if you're at work) and join in with JG-L as we give life a Hump Day High Five via some interpretive dance moves.

I'm sure your boss won't mind.

Cosmic Treadmill: 'AVENGERS CONFIDENTIAL: BLACK WIDOW & PUNISHER' (review)

April 2, 2014, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: How To Date a Horror Fan

≪ Previous: HUMP DAY HAPPINESS: Here's A Rotoscoped Joseph Gordon-Levitt, You're Welcome

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Ramping up for the big Cap movie this weekend got us all excited, preened and pumped for some small screen Marvel action, NOW!

The weekend brought us to the store for a DVD copy of Thor: The Dark Worldand a stranger, peculiar animated relative (second cousin?) Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher.

Mixing Anime and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (I think) made for a great sequel to the Madhouse produced Marvel Anime series, but underserved as a rally cry for this weekend’s live-action Winter Soldier. The Cosmic Treadmill ran with this on the HUD, and here’s what worked and what didn’t!

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How To Date a Horror Fan

April 2, 2014, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: Pull Up A Chair At The LIVE STREAM Bird Cafe

≪ Previous: Cosmic Treadmill: 'AVENGERS CONFIDENTIAL: BLACK WIDOW & PUNISHER' (review)

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So, you just met the perfect person.

Smart, funny, good looking, and charming. Le sigh!

But, here’s the kicker.

They’ve just revealed to you that they’re a hardcore, balls-out, proud as hell horror movie fan.

Whether you’re new to this sort of phenomenon, just a fan of film in general, or perhaps you yourself are a horror fan, I’m here to help. I’ve assembled some tips on how to best prepare yourself for the road ahead of you. If you’re open to it, chances are you’ll learn a lot and come out the other side a serious horror pro.  Knowledge is power, bish.

Sometimes, I’ll meet like… a normal male.

In a normal place.

I don’t really “look” like a horror fan (Which, first of all, is crazy. You don’t look like you love Barbara Streisand, but I’m not going to say it to your face!) and they look at me like I’m some sort of puzzle. Because of this conundrum, I’ve been asked (seemingly as a joke) on more than one occasion to write a “How To” on dating a lover of horror.

That's the Amityville house in the background

We can be a complex lot, so I don’t blame you there. I’m imparting upon you a list of tips that I’ve learned by asking my friends about their experiences and, yes, a small portion of mine as well. Most of these are pretty common sense, but a refresher never hurts. Even if only some of these are helpful, you’ll be better off than you were five minutes ago.

This is a compilation about years of nerdery, observation, and lessons learned. This is my meager gift to you.

So, let’s get you some of that much deserved nerd love.

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Pull Up A Chair At The LIVE STREAM Bird Cafe

April 2, 2014, 5:00 pm

≫ Next: KURT COBAIN On The Importance of Identity

≪ Previous: How To Date a Horror Fan

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For some people, the act of sitting quietly on a cushion in a low-lit room can put them into a state of meditation faster than popping some Xanax, but for others, like myself, we need some kind of visual stimulation to achieve that level of centeredness and achieve perfect harmony with the universe. More often than not I turn to Law and Order for the Zen-y mediation that I seek (after-all, every episode is essentially the same and they say repetition is at the heart of any meditative state, so...) but to be honest, I'm kind of looking for something outside the realm of rape and homicide to reach a calmness that is satisfactory.

And so far the Live Stream of a bird feeder designed to look as if it were a cafe seems to be the fix I was looking for. Created by Norwegian photographer Magne Klann, built by model-maker Lars Aurtrade and streamed to the Internet by NRK, the bird diner is a perfect way to enter into a state of relaxation by simply watching nature at work.

Of course, other animals pop in to say hi as well:

But the real test of meditative endurance comes when nothing is occurring...that's when all the cosmic shit really happens.

So, if you're in the mood for some one-on-one time with the inside of your noggin then click HERE to begin your journey to inner peace...or, you know, simply to watch some animals eating nuts.

Source: Incredible Things

KURT COBAIN On The Importance of Identity

April 3, 2014, 7:00 am

≫ Next: Boston Trekkies! Win Tickets to SHATNER'S WORLD - A One Night Cinematic Event!

≪ Previous: Pull Up A Chair At The LIVE STREAM Bird Cafe

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In an interview with John Savage from July 1993, Kurt Cobain waxed philosophically about the role that identity plays in a person's life and how the search for one's self should be the ultimate goal while we populate this mortal coil. From questioning his sexuality and his feelings of alienation, to his visceral connection to punk rock and his anger with misogyny in popular music, Cobain truly lays his heart and soul out for all to see.

It's funny how even after all these years after his death, Cobain can still make you feel like the world is actually worth saving.

Check out another brilliantly animated interview from PBS Digital's Blank on Blank after the break.

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Boston Trekkies! Win Tickets to SHATNER'S WORLD - A One Night Cinematic Event!

April 3, 2014, 9:00 am

≫ Next: HELLO? Is It Me You're Licking For? You Can Now Buy Lionel Richie's Head Made From Chocolate...Hazzah!

≪ Previous: KURT COBAIN On The Importance of Identity

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On Thursday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. local time, television and movie superstar William Shatner stars in “Shatner’s World,” brought to you by Fathom Events and Priceline.com.

Through anecdotes, songs, jokes and poignant moments, audience members will experience William Shatner’s phenomenal path from classically trained Shakespearean actor to cultural icon, brilliantly creating the most important character he has ever played, William Shatner.

The two-hour show will take audiences on a retrospective voyage through Shatner’s life and career through his laugh-out-loud humor, signature storytelling and select musical selections in his inimitable style.

He is known as much for his unique persona as for his expansive body of work on television and film.

In addition to a spectacular show, cinema audiences will be treated to an exclusive welcome message from William Shatner himself.

William Shatner is an award-winning actor, director, producer, writer, recording artist, philanthropist and horseman. In 1966, he originated the role of Captain James T. Kirk in the TV series Star Trek, which spawned a film franchise where he returned as Kirk in seven of the movies, one of which he directed. He played the title role in the hit series T.J. Hooker before hosting TV’s first reality-based series, Rescue 911. He has won numerous awards, including an Emmy and his first Golden Globe for his portrayal of Denny Crane on The Practice and Boston Legal. He also garnered four Emmy nominations as well as Golden Globe and SAG Award nods.

And thanks to our friends at Fathom Events, we're giving away five pairs of passes for the winner and a guest to see Mr. Shatner on screen at the Revere Showcase Cinemas on April 24th!

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HELLO? Is It Me You're Licking For? You Can Now Buy Lionel Richie's Head Made From Chocolate...Hazzah!

April 3, 2014, 11:00 am

≫ Next: IK Multimedia releases AmpliTube Orange for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

≪ Previous: Boston Trekkies! Win Tickets to SHATNER'S WORLD - A One Night Cinematic Event!

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In the classic 80s video Hello, a blind art student sculpts one of the ugliest Lionel Richie heads one could ever hope to see. Sure, we could give the girl a pass since she was void of sight, but still...That's what she came up with? When I first saw it I couldn't stop laughing for almost ten minutes, when I saw it for the second time (on MTV you only had to wait :30 for a video to cycle back around again) I laughed for another ten minutes.

It was easily the greatest, most hideously cheesy video featuring a gigantic noggin of a soft rock pioneer ever made.

And now, thanks to 3-D printing and 9kg of delicious Belgian chocolate (that's almost 20 lbs to Americans), you can spend All Night Long licking Richie's mustachioed face until the wee hours of the morning (or Dancing on the Ceiling depending on how you will function from all the sugar).

Now, Lionel's head is not cheap ($831.89 + shipping) but what's an almost grand compared to the hours and hours of fun you can have slowly consuming the former Commodore. I mean who wouldn't want to...DAMMIT! I HATE LINGERING APRIL FOOLS DAY JOKES ON THE INTERNET! FUCK YOU AND FUCK EVERYTHING! I JUST WANT TO BINGE-EAT LIONEL RICHIE.....MOTHER FUCKER.

IK Multimedia releases AmpliTube Orange for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

April 3, 2014, 12:26 pm

≫ Next: Batman, LORENZO SEMPLE JR. and Geek Gateway Drugs

≪ Previous: HELLO? Is It Me You're Licking For? You Can Now Buy Lionel Richie's Head Made From Chocolate...Hazzah!

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Now guitar and bass players can rock with the unmistakable tone of Orange everywhere they go

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Batman, LORENZO SEMPLE JR. and Geek Gateway Drugs

April 3, 2014, 1:00 pm

≫ Next: THROWBACK THURSDAY: The Quarterback Princess (1983) A Movie About A Football-Playing Helen Hunt Who Beats Sexism Yet Still Manages to Become Homecoming Queen

≪ Previous: IK Multimedia releases AmpliTube Orange for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

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Last week saw a bit of sad news in the pop culture world: On March 28, Batman TV show writer Lorenzo Semple Jr. died, a day after his 91st birthday.

I'm not gonna lie, folks.

This one left me a little unhappy.

Like many of you geeks who grew up anywhere in the 1960s to 1980s, Batman starring Adam West and Burt Ward was one of your gateway drugs into those wonderful worlds of make-believe.

When you're 6 years old, is there anything better than superheroes with punching sound effects on the screen?

A cartoon opening sequence?

A crime-fighting good guy with gadgets and an awesome car?

Colorful villains, each with their own catchphrases and crazy mannerisms?

And that theme song! Oh, that theme song. Thank you, Neal Hefti, you crazy hipster cat.

Lorenzo Semple Jr. was hired to create the TV show.

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THROWBACK THURSDAY: The Quarterback Princess (1983) A Movie About A Football-Playing Helen Hunt Who Beats Sexism Yet Still Manages to Become Homecoming Queen

April 3, 2014, 3:00 pm

≫ Next: 'ALIEN' Imitators of The Eighties

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In 1982 a film crew came to my small Oregon hometown of McMinnville to shoot a TV movie about a girl who wanted to play football but was still attractive enough to win the Homecoming Queen title (not to mention play well enough to win the state championship...which, as anyone who grew up in Mac can tell you, would never happen outside a made-for-tv movie...Go Grizzlies!).

The film starred Helen Hunt (Mad About You), Don Murray (T. J. Hooker Blood Sport), John Stockwell (My Science Project), Daphne Zuniga (Spaceballs) and even Tim Robbins (Shawshank Redemption) and featured such illustrious locales as Alf's Ice Cream and Burgers (where a monkey lives) and, I don't know, some other places that haven't changed much in the thirty years since the movie aired.

Yep, that says Monkey

Anyone who lived in Mc Minnville grew up with the stories about what it was like the day Hollywood came to town and, even if it didn't seem so awesome to the younger generations that followed, they learned quickly enough that you said it was for fear of being thrown to the wolves (or one of the neighboring towns like Amity or Yamhill...shudder). Oh sure, some of the old-timers were eager to complain how they weren't allowed into the drugstore diner for coffee because film crews were blocking the entrance, but still, it was a good time for the locals (and those who want to stay locals).

Of course, the movie itself wasn't so great by regular standards (you know, if you prefer something with a plot and decent acting) but for those of us who watched our town appear in a movie, it was THE GREATEST THING EVER MADE.

And for that reason alone, it is worthy of being seen today...maybe not if you have something better to watch like Dude, Where's My Car but, you know, if nothing else is on.

Entire movie after the break.

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