Happy Memorial Day everyone! No, there are no peppy army videos this week. Even though its oddly fitting. There is not much of a theme at all for this installment. Just a lot of very strange stuff. If you like teleprompters, Lovecraft, and The Mighty Boosh then you will probably enjoy this episode. If not....well...go somewhere else.

1. The Adventures of Little Cthulu
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Who knew that HP Lovecraft's stories could be so cute and cuddly? Perhaps a better question is what would the writer think of his horrific creations presented in such a fashion?


2. Classic Viral: Look at that Horse!
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Look at that horse! Trivia time: This clip is actually featured in the Disney Pixar film Up when Carl is watching tv during the opening sequences of the film.


3. Old Greg
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I'm old Greg! That's pretty much all that can be said about this bizarre clip from the British comedy The Mighty Boosh.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is honestly looking like one of the best films of the year at this point. In a year of disappointments and overly serious films, COUGH Robin Hood COUGH, the quirkiness and insanity of Scott Pilgrim looks like a ton of fun.

For a film following one of the most successful trilogies of all time, The Hobbit has had difficulty getting off the ground. Numerous casting conflicts and shooting delays have mired the film for months now, but the final blow had yet to be struck. Director Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy)has left the production after signing on more then two years ago.

Del Toro announced today to the Lord of the Rings fansite theonering.net that numerous delays have scared him away from the project. "In light of ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming The Hobbit, I am faced with the hardest decision of my life. After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien's Middle-earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures. I wish the production nothing but the very best of luck and I will be first in line to see the finished product. I remain an ally to it and its makers, present and future, and fully support a smooth transition to a new director."

Del Toro will still co-write the film along with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh.

Captain America star Haley Atwell confirmed to LeicesterSquareTV today that Tommy Lee Jones, star of the Men In Black films, will in fact have a role in the upcoming Captain America film.

It is currently rumored that Jones will play General Chester Phillips, the general who volunteers Steve Rogers for the procedure that will make him Captain America.

Captain America is due for release July 22, 2011.

As many know the television series LOST came to an end last Sunday amid a fervor of media and internet hype. Whether the finale was satisfying or a disappointment you have not seen the last of LOST. The DVD set of the final season and the six season bundle due for release this fall will contain almost 40 new minutes of footage. Accodring to Michael Emmerson, who appeared on Attack of the Show this week, among these are twelve minutes of epilogue that will follow Hurley and Ben's years off the island.

First introduced in this summer's Iron Man 2, Howard Stark is an essential figure to the Marvel multiverse spanning the Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America films.

This week Superherohype.com announced that Dominic Cooper will be playing a younger version of Tony Stark's father in the upcoming Captain America film, which takes place in WWII thirty years before his appearance in Iron Man 2. Despite this announcement, we have yet to hear a confirmation from Paramount or Marvel.

The First Avenger: Captain America is due for release July 22, 2010.

While not universally loved, Kung Fu Panda was a successful and well liked animated action comedy that became a hit in 2008. Dreamworks has now announced a sequel and the film has begun casting and production.

Joining Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Dostin Hoffman, Seth Rogan, Lucy Liu, David Cross, and James Hong are Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh, Jean Claude Van Damme, and Victor Garber. Oldman is to voice a villainous peacock, Lord Shen, who summons the mystical goatlike Soothsayer. Van Damme and Garber will be joining as new kung fun masters.

Producer Melissa Cob had the following to say of the film: "In the sequel, Po goes on an amazing personal journey and we are thrilled to have assembled such a talented and well-respected group of actors to bring to life our new characters, who – alongside our returning cast – play such a critical role in Po's quest and his ultimate triumph over the forces of evil."

Source: Dreamworks Animation, spill.com

Back in February I posted a commentary about the possibility of a Mass Effect film, today Legendary Pictures announced that it has acquired the rights for the popular sci-fi video game series and plans to distribute the film through Warner Bros. The creative minds behind the new Batman films Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni along with Avi Arad, producer of the Spider-man films, and Casey Hudson, executive producer of the first two games in the series, will co-create the project.

The three producers issued the following statements regarding the partnership between studios and genres.

Thomas Tull:"Mass Effect is a tremendous property ripe for translation to the big screen. Mass Effect is a prime example of the kind of source material we at Legendary like to develop; it has depth, compelling characters and an engaging back story. This coupled with Avi and Ari producing and the skills of a great team adapting the screenplay, are the start of turning this smash videogame based property into a successful feature film."

Avid Arad:"We are thrilled to be working with Legendary. EA and BioWare are terrific partners who have created a brilliant piece of fiction with a universe filled with amazing aliens and technology. More importantly, though, they created a parable whose conflicts mirror the ones we currently face in our own world. This story emphasizes the need for all cultures to learn to work together. All this magic is presented in a fast paced action-adventure that makes for the best kind of movie experience."

Casey Hudson: "At BioWare, we've always thought of Mass Effect as having the depth, emotion and plot twists perfectly suited for an adaptation to a motion picture. With Legendary and Avi and Ari Arad attached, we believe that the Mass Effect movie will be an extraordinary entertainment event that realizes our vision for the franchise and thrills fans."

(All quotes courtesy of ign.com)

My Opinion: What I think of a Mass Effect film is detailed in my commentary mentioned earlier. However, I am glad that the film is in good hands. With Casey Hudson attached to the production it is likely the film will be respectful to the original.

My Commentary:

I issue a reminder to all those who read this site. Tomorrow, Tuesday, May the 25th, is Towel Day, a day of remembrance for the wonderful writer, Douglas Adams. In his honor, thousands, including myself, will carry a towel with him or her. I hope that all of our readers will do so. If you are more zealous in your love of Douglas Adams, then I suggest that you do something extra, like wearing a bath robe, carrying 42 towels, or soaking your towel in nutrients for an emergency. For those of you who have not read his fabulous series of science-fiction-comedy, please go and do so as soon as possible. There is really no other series like it.

A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value -- you can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a mini raft down the slow heavy river Moth; wet it for use in hand-tohand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or to avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (a mindboggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you -- daft as a bush, but very ravenous); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.

More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: non-hitchhiker) discovers that a hitchhiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, face flannel, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitchhiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitchhiker might accidentally have "lost". What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with.

Hence a phrase which has passed into hitch hiking slang, as in "Hey, you sass that hoopy Ford Prefect? There's a frood who really knows where his towel is." (Sass: know, be aware of, meet, have sex with; hoopy: really together guy; frood: really amazingly together guy.)

For more information, go here.

Oh Michael Bay, you had such a good chance to prove yourself! Yet, when given the chance to replace Fox with a decent actor you choose a model with no acting experience at all. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Michael Bay, director of the Transformers films, announced today to Geekweek that model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley will be replacing Megan Fox in next summers blockbuster. While it is good to know that production will be speeding up again, I am disappointed with the decision. Perhaps Whitely will be a good actor? I will withold judgement until I see the film.

More tributes to the final episode of LOST. I love you Damon and Carlton thanks for the amazing ride!

Here we go. It's that time of week again...MORE RANDOM VIDEOS! Hopefully these bring you a good laugh or two. There is no theme this week, more just random videos that I've found across the web. Some you may have seen, some maybe not.


1. Oregon State Performs Lady Gaga-Bad Romance
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Glee clubs have come a long way. Not only do they have a peppy comedy about them airing on Fox, but they also have become viral hits as seen in this clever and funny rendition of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." It actually makes the song bareable. And thats an achievement.

2. Viral Classic: Russian Paratrooper Music Video
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This is pushing it when it comes to viral classics, but this video was posted in 2006. That makes it oldish when it comes to the internet. All I can say about this is that this is a perfect example of why we won the Cold War.

3. Lost Sitcom Ending
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A funny and fitting parody to the ending of a fantastic show. We will miss you LOST!

The short film industry is filled with tiny gems that are hardly ever seen by the general public. Azureus Rising is one of these. This brilliantly animated and entertaining sci-fi action short directed by David Weinstein follows a vigilante fighting off robotic enforcers. Like 9 there are talks of adapting this animated short to a full length feature. It would certainly be interesting to see. Until then here's Azureus Rising...

Good eve, blogsmen, I have a special video for you today! Earlier this week I posted a video on YouTube of me quick-scoping in a MW2 private match, and I thought some of you guys might still be interested in MW2, so here it is. It's montage-y, and (not to toot my own horn) it features some pretty good shots. Enjoy!

Activision and Treyarch have released a new trailer for their newest upcoming Call of Duty title, Black Ops. Courtesy of gamespot.com

It is no secret that Terrence Howard (Iron Man) was recast for the latest Iron Man film. Reportedly over a dispute over Howard's contract and screentime, the actor, who played Rhodey Rhodes, was replaced with Don Cheadle. However, Howard shows no open hostility towards Cheadle or Marvel for the split. He is reportedly happy with how Downey Jr, and Cheadle have continued on with the series. Most interestingly of all, Howard is still in talks with Marvel Studios about future films. "Marvel and I are now talking about doing some other things," Howard told E! Online yesterday. Rumor has it that Marvel is eyeing the actor to play Luke Cage, yet nothing has been confirmed.

Boys are crying, and Michael Bay and I are smirking, Megan Fox has walked out of the third Transformers film. Reportedly because of the public disagreements between her and director Michael Bay, Deadline claims that Fox's option was not picked up for a third film. The script is now being reworked to include a new love interest for main character Sam Witwicky, played by Shia LaBeouf. Whether this will be a simple recasting or a totally new character remains to be seen.

My Opinion: This news comes as a mixed blessing. While Megan Fox is certainly attractive, her acting skills are subpar to say the least. Her bland monotone and looks of boredom are part of why Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen failed. Now, part of me is also annoyed at this announcement. I have never been a fan of midseries recastings or out of film changes in character, yet I'll stay optimistic. So let's see. No Twins. Both Bay and LaBeouf admitting that the second film was a failure. Now Fox leaves? Looks like Transformers 3 just might have a shot.

First announced at San Diego Comic Con last year, Peter Jackson has released information regarding the upcoming theme park ride based on his adaptation of King Kong. Jackson describes the ride in the video below.

The ride is scheduled to open at Universal Hollywood in July of this year.

There are few actors that are as praised in the nerd community then Nathan Fillion, star of Firefly, Dr. Horrible, and Castle. Now, Fillion looks to establish an even bigger cult following. Rumors began circulating today that Fillion will be starring as the super hero Ant Man in the upcoming Avengers film, coincidentally directed by Firefly creator Joss Whedon. The validity of this statement is unknown, but it has been picked up by Playlist Nation and Marvelous News, adding some credibility to an almost too good to be true rumor.

The highly anticipated video game drama, Alan Wake, is released tomorrow, and has already recieved rave reviews. However, just to amp up the hype a little more, Remedy Studios has released this final trailer for the game.

It was announced earlier this week that NBC will not be renewing Heroes for a fifth season. While this news drew out mixed reactions from the superhero community, NBC is sure to make sure that it does not lose hold of the superhero genre. The station announced today that the superhero crime drama, The Cape, will air this winter. A press release is shown below:

"The Cape" is a one-hour drama series starring David Lyons ("ER") as Vince Faraday, an honest cop on a corrupt police force, who finds himself framed for a series of murders and presumed dead. He is forced into hiding, leaving behind his wife, Dana (Jennifer Ferrin, "Life on Mars") and son, Trip (Ryan Wynott, "Flash Forward"). Fueled by a desire to reunite with his family and to battle the criminal forces that have overtaken Palm City, Faraday becomes "The Cape" his son's favorite comic book superhero -- and takes the law into his own hands. Rounding out the cast are James Frain ("The Tudors") as billionaire Peter Fleming -- The Cape's nemesis -- who moonlights as the twisted killer: Chess; Keith David ("Death at a Funeral") as Max Malini, the ringleader of a circus gang of bank robbers who mentors Vince Faraday and trains him to be The Cape, Summer Glau ("Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles") as Orwell, an investigative blogger who wages war on crime and corruption in Palm City; and Dorian Missick ("Six Degrees") as Marty Voyt, a former police detective and friend to Faraday. "The Cape" is a Universal Media Studios and BermanBraun production from executive producer/creator Thomas Wheeler ("Empire"), executive producer/director Simon West ("Con Air"), the executive producing team of Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun (NBC's "Mercy), and executive producer Gene Stein ("Accidentally on Purpose").

My Opinion: To be honest, I don't know what to think. This could either be surprisingly good, or horrible. I guess we'll just have to wait an see.

Steven Spielberg is one of the largest names in Hollywood, and when he announces that he will be producing a television series about dinosaurs, people turn their heads and listen. Terra Nova, announced earlier this year, is now slated to be released on FOX this winter. A press release for the series is shown below:

From executive producers Steven Spielberg, Peter Chernin, Brannon Braga (24, "Star Trek: Enterprise") and David Fury ("Lost," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") comes an epic family adventure 85 million years in the making. TERRA NOVA follows an ordinary family embarking on an incredible journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a small part of a massive experiment to save the human race. In the year 2149 the world is dying. The planet is overdeveloped, overcrowded and overpolluted. With the majority of plant and animal life extinct, devotion to science has brought mankind to the brink of destruction, but has also provided its only hope for salvation. Knowing there is no way to reverse the damage to the planet, a coalition of scientists has managed to open up a fracture in the space-time continuum, creating a portal to prehistoric Earth. This doorway leads to an amazing world, one that allows for a last-ditch effort to save the human race…possibly changing the future by correcting the mistakes of the past. The series centers on the Shannon family as they join the tenth pilgrimage of settlers to TERRA NOVA, the first colony of humans in this second chance for civilization. JIM SHANNON, a devoted father with a checkered past, guides his family through this new land of limitless beauty, mystery and terror. Jim's wife, ELISABETH SHANNON, is a trauma surgeon chosen through a global lottery as a new addition to Terra Nova's medical team. JOSH SHANNON is their son, mourning the girl he left behind, as he's torn between two role models – his father and the charismatic COMMANDER FRANK TAYLOR, the leader of the settlement, and the heroic first pioneer through the time portal. MADDY SHANNON, Jim and Elizabeth's teen daughter, is as independent and adventurous as her parents, but her distrust of authority soon leads her on a dangerous path. In addition to blue skies, rolling rivers and lush vegetation, TERRA NOVA offers new opportunities and fresh beginnings to its recent arrivals, but the Shannons have brought with them a familial secret that may threaten their citizenship in this utopia. Additionally these adventurers soon discover that this healthy, vibrant world is not as idyllic as it initially appears. The areas surrounding Terra Nova are filled with dangerous dinosaurs, and other prehistoric threats, as well as external forces that may be intent on destroying this new world before it begins. But perhaps even more threatening than what lies outside the protective walls is the Shannons' realization that something sinister may be happening inside TERRA NOVA as not everyone on this mission has the same intentions of how best to save mankind.

My thoughts: While the concept behind Terra Nova is certainly ambitious and exciting, I'm skeptical. Our world is certainly lacking in good CG dinosaur action, but that may be for a reason. The only series in recent memory that was able to balance dinosaurs and drama is the British series Primeval. However, Primeval, despite being a lot of fun, is harldy what you would call fine class television. Also, in order to balance the enormous production costs, it is only released in seven episodes spurts that are almost a year apart at times. Terra Nova also sounds disturbingly similar to Land of the Lost. Also, who else thinks that Cretaceous Earth looks a little too much like Pandora?

Here we go. It's Monday again, and that means more obscure web videos! And this week we have a special theme.......INDIAN POP SONGS!!! Yes, I know it's sort of out of left field, but for some reason I'm in the mood for some belly dancing, turbans, and misunderstood lyrics.

1. Chaiyya Chaiyya
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This video is not particularly funny, but it is a lot of fun. Seriously, it is the catchiest foreign song I've ever heard. Also, dancing on trains looks like a ton of fun. This song rocks.


2. Tunak Tunak Tun
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Here we go. An Internet classic, Tunak Tunak Tun is an amazing song on its own, add in Buffalax's hilarious English "lyrics" and you have awesomeness.

3. Nipple Song
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"Come See Me Eat Nipples." That is all.

Robin Hood is a timeless classic that is beloved by countless generations of would be adventurers and chasers of freedom. However, this is quiet different from Ridley Scott's adaptation or more bastardization of the arrow shooting legend. Robin Hood is a mess in every sense of the word. Never quiet catching the charm or the feel of the original story, it instead devolves into a poorly written, boring, cliched, and ridiculous action film.


Robin Hood story follows Robin Longstride (Russel Crowe)an archer in the army of King Richard during the early 11th century. Although a trickster, Robin is an honorable and well liked man, who quickly befriends the brutish John (Kevin Durand). Back in the lands of England, the young prince John (Oscar Isaac) plans to usurp his brother as king. Little does he know that his close friend Sir Godfrey (Mark Strong) has betrayed the crown in favor of an oncoming French invasion. When Richard is killed on crusade, Robin is forced to flee the army, and John is put on throne. John's increased tyranny and oppression creates internal unrest and eventually drives Robin into the small village of Nottingham and Lady Marion (Cate Blanchett).


For a main character that is lauded for his accuracy with a bow and arrow, Robin Hood misses the mark in so many ways. Robin Hood is not only disturbingly lacking in heart, and any true similarities to the original legend, it is a an awful mess of a film.


Robin Hood tries hard to tell a version of the classic character that the audience has yet to see. It depicts Robin as a faith inspiring warrior, who bands together an entire nation to fight against tyranny. The result is something that is so far removed from the original legend that it could hardly be considered an adaptation. There is only one scene in the entire film where Robin steals from the rich to benefit a starving village, and even it is a poorly executed endeavor.


However, it is not only the disrespect for the original myth that makes Robin Hood such a poor film. If executed well,it could have pulled off this change in direction. Yet, Robin Hood is an incredibly boring movie. The film drags its feet for a good two hours with little advancement in plot or character. Scott attempts to alleviate this with sporadic action sequences, but even these fail to capture our attention. Despite some early sequences involving Robin and his band of adventurers, the action scenes are horribly shot and chaotic. Most scenes are incomprehensible due to poor editing and camera work, and the half you can see is uninspired.


Even worse are the laughably bad moments that litter the entire film. There are numerous sequences where the camera will randomly cut to the gasping death throws of a dying soldier. Obviously done as an attempt to add a level of intensity to the battle sequences, these scenes instead are so poorly placed and annoying that they become humorous. Later, Robin has a bizarre almost Jedi like vision of his past. There are even moments where the dialogue is laughably similar to the Monty Python films. Robin Hood is even worse when it makes passes at comedy. While some jokes involving Robin's companions may draw a chuckle, other attempts at humor are so out of place that they seem utterly asinine when compared to the overall somber tone of the film.


The acting is the only aspect of the film that is surprisingly even throughout. The entire cast is competent in their roles, but none really shine. They play their roles well, yet there are no memorable performances. Crowe plays a somber and serious Robin Hood, that lacks the charm and wit of the character of past incarnations. However, it is not the actors fault for the slew of poor decisions that mire this movie.


Another standout is Marc Streitenfeld's score. Combining Celtic and classical musical themes, Streitenfeld injects much needed heart and energy into this otherwise abysmal movie. Despite how good the score may be, it is utterly forgettable, and I doubt I will remember any of the themes by tomorrow morning.


Robin Hood is an overly serious, poorly conceived, cliched, and disrespectful film that will be happily forgotten, unlike the character that it tries so desperately to adapt.


Score: D+

Wow! I'm as excited as the Japanese people in this trailer. Pokemon Black and White look spectacular. Drastic changes have been made to battle style and enviornments, and they look great. Now if only the Pokemon look good, this game might actually turn out to be a worthy introduction to the franchise.

Site: http://www.rocketpoppeteers.com/

What exactly is Rocket Poppeteers? And what does it have to do with trains, car crashes, cameras, and Area 51? We'll be sure to follow this as the Super 8 mystery develops.

Transformers is a film franchise that stands on uneven ground. While the first film is almost widely praised as being a fun and entertaining summer blockbuster, the second is often seen as a complete mess. Devoid of a human element and a coherent plot, the second film, Transformers Revenge of the Fallen, was critically slammed and even won a Razzie Award for Worst Film of the Year.

Today, Shia LaBeouf, who starred in both films, announced to The Associated Press that he is much more pleased with how the third installment is shaping out. "When I saw the second movie, I wasn't impressed with what we did. There were some really wild stunts in it, but the heart was gone," said LaBeouf during the Cannes Film Festival earlier this week.

Transformers 3 is due for release July 1, 2011.

Dreamworks Pictures today released the plot synopsis for its upcoming sci-fi western Cowboys and Aliens. The film, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Harrison Ford Sam Rockwell Noah Ringer Olivia Wilde and Daniel Craig, is to be released July 29 2011. The synopsis reads as follows:

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It's a town that lives in fear.

But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known.

Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents—townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors—all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.

Adam Sandler announced today that he plans to adapt the popular web short Pixels (featured below) into a full length film. The short follows a world that falls under attack by famous pixelated video game characters. Heat Vision described the upcoming movie as an action comedy similar to Ghostbusters in scope and tone.

To hype up the release of Nintendo's Pokemon Black and White, and a brand new generation of Pokemon, the three starter characters for the games have been revealed. Left to right we have: Tsutaja, the grass snake, Pokabu, the fire pig, and Mijumaru, the sea otter.







Now let me offer my two cents. I have to say these are the most underwhelming starter characters for a Pokemon generation I have ever seen. I mean really, a fire pig? The grass starter looks fine, but just fine. Compared to such classics as Treeko or Bulbasaur it just looks lame. Overall, Pokemon Black and White have more then their ridiculous names to prove themselves to the fanbase.

Sharlto Copley (District 9)announced that he will be dropping out of the sci-fi prokect I Am Number Four, an adaptation of a young adult sci-fi novel surrounding teenage aliens who are stranded on Earth. Copley was originally slated to play a mentor character to one of the teenage aliens in the film. However, news claims that scheduling conflicts lead to his leaving the project. Yet, Film Drunk claims that creative differences between Copley and the director D.J. Caruso lead to the actor's departure.

Like Warhammer, Monsterpocalypse stands out amongst most tabletop games as having a rather well fleshed out mythology. Mixing elements of Godzilla, H.P. Lovecraft, Transformers, and Ultraman Monsterpocalypse tells a frantic story of the world on the brink of destruction. Apparently this has caught the attention of Dreamworks studios, who announced today to Deadline Hollywood that they had acquired the rights to the popular strategy game. Even more interesting is the rumor that famous director Tim Burton is toying with the idea of helming the film. Either way, this is certainly exciting news for monster fans.

The Super 8 trailer is finally online. While it does not lighten the mystery surrounding the film, it is certainly an exciting and evocative look at what has become one of my most anticipated films for next year.

Yup. It's Monday again, and that means.....more moderately funny videos! Here's what I managed to find this week. Also, it might be worth noting that from now on there will be more structure to this segment. The first video will be a new viral that cropped up during the week. The second will be a classic meme or viral for old times sake. The third and final will be a random video I feel like posting. Yes, I know. Really organized right?


1. Phillies Fan Gets Tazered
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So this was a big deal this week. Some poor guy decided to have some fun and ran on field during a Phillies game. Then the mean people who keep order at these types of events tazed him. How dare they? I know, right? The cruelty. Regardless, this was the biggest video of the week. I also apologize for the quality. There are better versions on the web, but embedding on them has been disabled.

2. Classic Viral-Japanese Flash Mob
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This is an awesome video. Seriously, further proof that the Japanese are just really amazing people. I want to do this now. AC readers, feel like storming some alley ways?

3. Marvel and DC: Iron Man and Jonah Hex
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Itsjustsomerandomguy is famous throughout the internet for having some of the best commentary on comic books on the internet. His latest video parodying Marvel and DC's summer blockbusters Iron Man 2 and Jonah Hex doesn't fail to deliver.

Yes my friends, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones will returning to fight interstellar terrorists in a third Men in Black movie. Details as of now are sketchy, but Columdbia Pictures has announced that they plan to shoot the film in 3D and release it May 25, 2012. Yes, another 2012 release date. I guess Hollywood took that Mayan calendar thing seriously.

For all you Predator fans out there. Here are some new videos regarding the sequel due out this summer. Courtesy of ign.com

(Apologies. I saw this film opening day, but have been unable to post a review until now.)

Arguably the most anticipated film of the summer has landed, Iron Man 2 hit theaters last Friday, and has already had one of the largest openings for a film ever. Does it live up to the hype?

Opening six months after the first film, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr. )is now settling into his role as the metallic crusader Iron Man. He has more then doubled his stardom and lowered his image at the same time. Stark is now seen as a protector of people as well as the playboy industrialist that characterizes him. Stark soon draws the attention of the US government who demand that he hand over the Iron Man suit to the military. Joining the side of the government is rival weapons manufacturer Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), who is secretly creating his own robotic weaponry. Luckily, Stark has the help of Air Force Captain Rhodey Rhodes( Don Cheadle) and his new CEO Pepper Potts ((Gwyneth Paltrow). Yet things spiral out of control when an enemy from Stark's past, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) rises to challenge the now unstable hero.

Iron Man 2 is a perfect example of a sequel that just cannot quite find its footing. While it excels on many levels, it sputters along at things that it should be accustomed to.

The story itself is crowded, but for the most part well executed. Unlike comic book films such as Spider-man 3, Iron Man 2 manages to juggle numerous plots without feeling disjointed. Despite the wide range of plot aspects and numerous villains, director Jon Favreau manages to keep all the elements connected and relevant. The real problem is in a lack of pacing. Iron Man 2 is fun and exciting for the first third, boring and disjointed in the second, and finally returns to from in the final act. Despite this the ending feels hackneyed and forced, leaving numerous plot points with poor resolution.

The acting in Iron Man 2 is phenomenal throughout. There is hardly a poor performance in the entire cast. Downey Jr. and Rockwell work as perfect counters, playing each others weaknesses and strengths. The two have great chemistry and deliver some of the films best laughs. Paltrow is just as strong as in the previous film, but feels overshadowed by the explosions and effects. Cheadle plays the role of Rhodes well, but struggles with some of the more humorous scenes. Rourke also feels like his character has fallen by the wayside when compared with other plots, but manages to add a great level of menace and evil. However, these are minor complaints in an otherwise spotless cast of actors.

One area that has improved from the first film is the level of action. Many viewers and critics (myself included), felt that Iron Man truly suffered when trying to show more intense action sequences. The sequel improves on almost every level. Despite a rather disappointing early scene on a race track, Iron Man 2 uses its sense of humor and spectacular special effects to create exciting and creative action set pieces. The final twenty minutes of the film are so well crafted and choreographed that it almost makes up for the numerous narrative short comings in the films middle act.

However, where Iron Man 2 truly fails is in delivering that spark that sets it apart from the numerous other blockbusters and comic book films being released these days. While it certainly a very good comic book film, it lacks the shine of the original. Neither does it have the gritty realism of the newer Batman movies, or the romantic charm of the first two Spider-man films. The first Iron Man excelled of its political commentary, great acting, emotional story, and charming humor. It even was listed by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2008. However, its sequel just cannot seem to live up to that. In the end, Iron Man 2 is simply a very good summer movie.

Score: B+

Yesterday, I ran a story regarding the top secret JJ Abrams project Super 8. One popular rumor was that this film was connected to the 2008 monster film, Cloverfield. However, Abrams himself has reported to New York Magazine that the project is actually completely unrelated to his earlier hit. This only furthers the mystery regarding this highly anticipated project.

Marvel Studios announced today that Hugo Weaving will be starring in the Captain America film adaptation due for release as the villainous Red Skull. The Red Skull is a psychotic Nazi leader, that yes has a red skull for a head. Weaving is perhaps most well known for his role in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Captain America is due for release July 22, 2011.

The Hobbit movie seems to be creeping along according to actor Ian McKellen, who played the wizard Gandalf in the trilogy of films released almost ten years ago. McKellan mentioned today to What's Playing? that he is pleased with the script, but only just discussing a contract for the film several days ago. At the moment him, and the film, are in a state of limbo. McKellan mentions that he's excited for filming, and plans to meet with director Guillermo del Toro and executive producer Peter Jackson later this month. Despite this disconcerting news, was countered by comments made by actor Andy Serkis, who played Gollum. Serkis insists that shooting will start in May. Either way, it will still be some time before we return to Middle-Earth.

It is a sad fact in modern cinema, that when it comes to film attention World War I does not get the same attention as WWII. Steven Spielberg announced today that he plans to make his next project based on the popular WWI novel, War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo. The story follows a boy and a horse who are separated by the Great War, but continue to meet throughout the war. "From the moment I read [the book], I knew this was a film I wanted DreamWorks to make. Its heart and its message provide a story that can be felt in every country," said Spielberg in a press release today. The film will be released August 10, 2011 (My birthday!).

Greetings and felicitations, ladies and gentlemen of the Internet! Anna speaking.


Wow...two posts in as many days...this has to be a record (Nick, I hope you're happy!).


Anywho, so I have recently been re-reading one of my most favorite manga of all time, Inuyasha. I love this series so much and I have always been impressed with Rumiko Takahashi's work (with the small exception of One Pound Gospel.). Naturally, I was delighted to hear about her newest project, Kyokai no Rin-ne.


Kyokai no Rin-ne tells the story of high-schooler Sakura Mamiya, a girl with the unwanted ability to see and communicate with spirits. Sakura's ESP leads her to meet Rinne Rokudo, a bizarre classmate of Sakura's. Rinne turns out to be a kind of shinigami, a death god of sorts (Death Note fans know what I'm talking about...). The manga follows their adventures in exorcisms and stopping evil death spirits.


When I read Kyokai no Rin-ne, all I could say was, "...haven't I read this somewhere before?" And then I realised it. Kyokai no Rin-ne is a sad little smoothie of Bleach and Inuyasha with a miniscule splash of Death Note and a sprinkle of Ranma 1/2. Rinne is half-human, half-shinigami (Sound familiar, coughInuyashacough?). Sakura can see ghosts but doesn't want to (Sound even more familiar, coughBleachcough?). Rinne has to deal with guys vying for the attentions of Sakura, who he likes but he can't tell her (Bells should being going off now, coughRanmacough.). Rinne and Sakura fight ghost monsters all while attempting to reach a common end (COUGHBLEACHANDINUYASHACOUGH!). And the worst part of it all is this: THE STORY ISN'T THAT GREAT! I found the characters to be one-dimensional and trite. The bad guys (If you can even call them that...) are way too easy to beat. The scenarios aren't convincing and they get resolved in the most feeble ways possible. I was, all in all, seriously disappointed with Takahashi-sensei.


Rating: D- (I am seriously upset about the unoriginality of this manga.)


Well, that's all I have to report for now. Happy geeking!


~Anna

Greetings and felicitations, ladies and gentlemen of the Internet! Anna speaking.



Studying is boring, right? There's no way you can remember all of those dull battles and old dead guys with weird facial hair, right? WRONG! This sounds like a bad infomercial, right? CORRECT!


I give you Sporcle.com! Sporcle is a timed quiz site that has quizzes on every subject under the sun. Need to know the Periodic Table of Elements? Fantastic, just click the Science section and type away. Need to know the Presidents of the United States? Smashing, just click the History section. Need to know all of Elizabeth Taylor's husbands?...uhhh, not really, but there's a quiz for that, too! It's kind of like the iPhone. There's an app for that...



Each quiz is timed and when you type the correct answer, pop! your answer shows up in a little box. If you get stumped or can't think of anymore answers, there's a little 'Give up?' button that shows you what answers you missed.



Sporcle.com saved my life when I had to learn elements for Chemistry and it continues to save me (from the throes of academic failure and from boredom) on a daily basis. New quizzes pop up every day on a myriad of topics and members can even make their own quizzes (something I have tried and failed at).



The only real downside to this site of mentally stimulating diversions (c) is that you have to spell your answers correctly and they're just SO DAMN ADDICTIVE! On numerous occassions, I have spent a whole free period Sporcle-ing bands with one-letter names when I should have been doing homework.



Anyway, that's my schpeel (sp?) and I hope this has aided someone's study habits (and trivial pursuits) in any way possible.



Rating: A+



Well, that's all for today, folks! Happy geeking!


~Anna

Yes, I know it's not Monday yet, but I have found several videos I would like to use early, and I do not want to forget them by the time I normally do this feature.

1. A Viral Classic Bill O'Reilly Flips Out
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Well here's an old web classic. I don't know what drew me back to this video of Bill O'Reilly from Inside Edition freaking out about a teleprompter, but really it's a ton of fun.

2. Funniest Cry Ever
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Now I feel awful for laughing at this, but this clip from the televisions how Intervention is just funny. Poor guy. Cries like a wookie.

3. Seinfeld- George Trailer
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This video holds a special place in my heart, not only because I am a fan of Seinfeld, but because my grandfather passed away last night. He was one of the biggest Seinfeld fan's I have ever met, and had almost every episode memorized. This video immediatley made me think of him, and I think it's a fitting AC tribute to a great man.

Wait....there's a movie about killer fish... that is not made by the SyFy Channel? Apparently this August we will be greeted to a killer swarm of CGI fish in 3D!?! Made as a slighlty tongue in cheek tribute to 3D monster films of the 60's and 70's, Piranha 3D is in fact based off of James Cameron's first movie Pirahna 2. Despite the intentional corniness the film features an all star cast of well known actors including: Elisabeth Shue, Richard Dreyfuss, Jerry O'Connell, Christopher Lloyd, Ving Rhames, Dina Meyer, Ricardo Chavira, and Eli Roth.

2012 is shaping up to be the most crowded and chaotic summer in recent memory. Warner Bros. announced today that the sequel to the award winning The Dark Knight will premiere July 20, 2012, just several weeks after the controversial Spider-man reboot enters the fray. Batman will have his work cut out for him. The summer of 2012 is filled with big budget special effects movies that will certainly eat away at a potential audience. Batman faces opposition from the board game adaptation Battleship (May 25), Star Trek 2 (June 29), The Avengers (May 4), and the tentatively scheduled Godzilla reboot. One things for sure, 2012 will end the world with a cinematic bang.