The Perks of Quirk

Why Community is Awesome and Why You Should Watch Tomorrow

2011-11-16T13:39:00.011-05:00

If you haven't already heard, if you're confused, or if you're curious, NBC released it's midseason schedule this week with its Thursday night comedy, Community, conspicuously absent. It happens. But what doesn't always accompany something like that is the Internet exploding. Fans of the show took to twitter, tumblr, facebook, etc. to express their outrage for pulling the show and their fear that this is the first move towards cancellation.

As a HUGE fan of Community, this move by NBC did make me nervous. I can't make heads or tails of how ratings are calculated but apparently they're low. Not surprising considering it plays opposite of Big Bang Theory and usually some sort of singing competition. There isn't much that can compete with that, and that's fine. There's something to be said to providing an alternative to the TV juggernauts, especially when it's smart, edgy, and, in my opinion, more unique than anything on television right now. But I'm sure if you have read anything else about this fiasco or similar ones with other shows in the past, this all probably sounds like a broken record. Here instead are some reasons for newcomers to Community to start tuning in and some ways for passionate fans to help keep it on the air.

So why watch?

You'll love the characters. So many times I find myself giving up on a show with a solid concept and good writing because the characters are either insanely unlikable or insanely boring. The ensemble cast is probably the most difficult to execute because they have to work as a unit, as individuals, and as endless combinations and pairings at any given time and still be entertaining. Community pulls this off seamlessly. Each character is entertaining, believable (within this goofy world), and their successes and failures are more captivating to watch because of that. Doesn't hurt that they're also hysterical.

Paintball! Zombies! Monkeys! Alternate Dimensions! Yahtzee! Yup.

It's not a half hour of inside jokes. Community is smart. Oh it's so clever. There are so many layers to its humor. These are the types of things critics and probably some of you're friends have said about the show. They're technically not wrong, but it also makes starting the show in season 3 sound like a pointless endeavor. Why bother if I'm not going to understand anything what they're talking about? Believe me, you can literally jump in at any episode and know what's going on. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of pop culture references, and there are occasionally references to past episodes, but it doesn't take away from understanding what's happening in the episode you're watching.

This.

And how can fans keep this show on the air?

For now, keep up the good work. Community is in a troubling spot, but not entirely in hot water yet. The fact that it hasn't even been canceled and there is still this much uproar from fans tells the network that people are watching, which is excellent. It's difficult to say how much of an impact it has, but being vocal at this stage certainly helps. Chuck fans have definitely paved the way for campaigns to save TV shows. It might be the first success story. If Community proves to really be at risk, I'd take a page out of the Chuck playbook. Very impressive.

WATCH! WATCH! WATCH! Thursdays at 8pm on NBC. It might sound silly to get worked up over a TV show, but there's something to be said about wanting to see something creative and entertaining succeed and make a lot of people laugh. Seriously, it's really good. :)

MV Mondays: The Belle Brigade

2011-11-14T19:58:00.004-05:00

A little late but it's still technically Monday! Mehhh...

I have a few posts coming this week, but for now here's Losers by The Belle Brigade:

The Belle Brigade - Losers from David Altobelli on Vimeo.

Am I the only one concerned with the safety of those dogs at the end of this video? For goodness sake, the little ones could be prey for any number of animals! And who was he giving the middle finger to? Ah who cares, I'm addicted to this song and the video echoes its themes of, oddly enough, not giving a crap. Also PUPPIES! I never said I was a complex person.

What did you think?

MV Mondays: Kina Grannis

2011-11-07T13:31:00.005-05:00

The jelly bean video! I couldn't do this MV Monday without acknowledging In Your Arms which went viral last week:

Ok Go is a band that has made a name for themselves not only with their catchy, fun music, but with their standout, creative music videos. With this video, Grannis appears to be following in their footsteps. Or she's just a hardcore fan of jellybeans. What do you think?

MV Mondays: Florence & The Machine

2011-10-31T11:57:00.004-04:00

Happy Halloween! It's fitting that this week's music video takes place in some kind if masquerade thing. Shake It Out by Florence & the Machine is just as pretty and fun as her other videos. I suggest you check them out. After this one of course, and after you have a fun and safe Halloween. :)

Florence + The Machine - Shake It Out from TGC on Vimeo.

In the Spirit of Halloween: Awesome Cosplay...

2011-10-27T12:33:00.000-04:00

(Cosplay Blog)

I took this one in San Diego :)

(Fashionably Geek) O.O

(Fashionably Geek) LOVE THIS

(Cosplay Blog) ALSO THIS

If (or when) I have the time, money, sewing skills, and attention span, I would love to make an incredible costume like any of these creations. Projects like this seem like so much fun. COSPLAYERS: is it as fun as it looks? EVERYONE ELSE: if you had the time, money, sewing skills, and attention span, what costume would you create?

Music Video Mondays: Oh Land

2011-10-24T17:15:00.003-04:00

Music Video Mondays are back! Music always makes Mondays bearable. For me at least. This is White Nights by Oh Land. This song/video always puts me in a good mood, so I'm just gonna shut up and play it for the 100th time :)

Oh Land - White Nights from James Hatt on Vimeo.

Good stuff? Not so much? Want to tell me how you get rid of the Monday blues? Leave a comment!

I'm Baaack! For Real This Time

2011-10-21T12:30:00.003-04:00

*Slowly shuffles into frame* Hey guy(s)...

Before I dive into my... *scans blog*...1000th apology and promise that I'm back for good, I must emphasize that I know that apology posts are super annoying and this is going to be the last one.

So, here's what happened. I was in college. Aaaand....

....

.........

...............

...now I'm not!!! Exciting stuff, am I right? In all seriousness, this very last semester was the most demanding of my time, but by far the most rewarding. Wouldn't trade it, y'all. Made amazing friends, collected so many wonderful memories, and am now the proud owner of a giant, really expensive piece of paper. May you all be blessed with such gratifying last semesters of college or...whatever you know what I mean!

Here's what's happening now! I am going to continue my blogging shenanigans, write more articles, and embark on some hopefully blogworthy adventures. As I previously mentioned, I have gained a really expensive diploma since last we spoke, so Comic Con 2011 was out of the question. Bummer. I will try to get myself there in 2012, older, wiser, and 100% nerdier. Stay tuned to hear my recommendations for stuff and to request some from you. Seriously, I need some books to read. You can also follow me on Twitter!

New readers: Welcome! Returning readers: Thanks for sticking around! :) Your reward is a picture of an adorable puppy:

Anything you want me to write about? Have a book recommendation already? Angry at me for any reason? It happens...leave me a comment!

Oops, Late Post: Pinkraygun Review: V

2011-01-11T15:46:00.005-05:00

Yikes! I completely forgot to post about my new gig at pinkraygun.com! I will be reviewing V all season for them, and below is my first review of last week's season 2 premiere Red Rain. Hopefully I have new article from Den of Geek heading your way as well. I love writing for them & I'm so thrilled that I have time to write for them again! In the meantime, check out my review! And pleasepleaseplease watch V tonight at 9 on ABC because I wanna keep reviewing it, and I can't do that if it's canceled :) Also, it's so fun and gross.

V Season 2 Premiere: Red Rain

The one thing that was clear in season one of the science fiction thriller V was that nothing was clear, not even a little bit. And not in the Lost kind of way. Don’t get me wrong, it was a lot of fun, and I did genuinely enjoy it, but for a show based on an alien invasion of Earth by sinister Visitors, there was much more talking than doing. Many fans complained about the lack of action scenes, but it was more than that. The plot needed to be propelled forward, and the characters didn’t need to break Visitors’ faces to make that happen (although that certainly wouldn’t have sucked). So heading into season two, fans were looking for a change, and the producers were desperate to give them one with Red Rain....

For the whole review, go to pinkraygun.com!!!

Book Review: The Word Made Flesh

2010-11-03T21:45:00.002-04:00

Before I had the hard copy of Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide, I was unsure of what exactly I would be reading. Would I be cradling a sprawling coffee table book with enlarged photographs of bodies adorned with literature inspired tattoos? Would the photos be accompanied with informative captions? Stories? Explanations? Or would the only words we read appear on skin?

Well, what I eventually had in front of me was a charmingly smaller version of a coffee table book, intimidating not in size but rather in volume. A quick flip through reveals hefty paragraphs scattered between tattoos that range in subject matter, placement, and significance. And when I finally combed through each page, I concluded this book will be on my coffee table for a good long while.

Editors Eva Talmadge and Justin Taylor take an enthralling "bare-all" approach to this collection of literary artwork. Each tattoo (or group of tattoos for those habitual inkers) is paired with an explanation of some kind that can range from the meaning behind the piece to funny anecdotes that have come about because of the tattoo. One of my favorites is the story of Robert Emigh who got forearm tattoos of Brian Evenson quotes and then went on to meet Evenson and proudly present his forearms to him to show his appreciation for the man's work. Both Emigh and Evenson's recountings of this experience are included in the book.

One of the reasons The Word Made Flesh continues to be new and exciting with every turn of the page is that it is not an endless parade of "I got this tattoo because..." stories. Just when you're ready for them to switch it up, something new grabs your attention, like the Skin Project, an intriguing tattoo literary experiment that can be seen on the skin of almost 1500 people (at the time this book was published). The flow is broken up and each tattoo becomes its own unique narrative rather than one in a series of similar experiences. Occasionally tattoos are grouped together based on the author or book that inspired them, but nothing really gets lost in the fold; I found myself fascinated in one way or another by almost every story. I will say, however, that it is impossible to like every tattoo you ever see, in real life and in this book, so don't be surprised if you cringe once in a while. Chances are, we are all cringing at different things.

The wide scope and diverse selection of tattoos also brightened up what could have been a series of sappy quotes that we all have seen at one time or another permanently and regrettably etched on someone's skin. There are, of course, quite a few tattooed quotes in this book taken from poems, novels, etc.; however, there are many more interesting tattoos present than there are unfortunate ones. In one instance, a man's entire back was covered in a page from Hamlet. There are also tattoos that display beautiful pieces of art both originals and homages to beloved literary illustrations. I was impressed by the astounding amount of creativity and/or bravery of the participants of this project. And even if readers find fault in some if not the majority of the entries in this book, one of the best outcomes of reading and sharing The Word Made Flesh that I have experienced is the discussions that have blossomed among friends and family about what tattoos we love, which ones we hate, which stories grabbed us, which stories fell flat.

Talmadge and Taylor approached this endeavor in a way that destined this book for a pitch perfect execution. In their introduction, they explain that the popularity of tattoos has grown rapidly, reached demographics that it may not have interested ten or twenty years ago, and spawned specific tattoo trends, which led them to collecting the stories of bookworms and their tattoos. Rather than shunning the recent mainstream acceptance of tattoos and making it out to be the death of an underground movement, they embrace it. They see it as an opportunity to explore the stories of people from all walks of life, all of whom have enough passion for reading and storytelling to keep a piece of it with them and by doing so they share their stories with us.

2010 Halloween Costume Scavenger Hunt

2010-10-28T22:54:00.013-04:00

Happy Halloween, everyone!!!

I decided to continue what I did last year and point out which costumes you will probably see over and over again this year. Stuff that's making the news, or the subjects of popular movies, tv, and internet videos. And instead of rolling your eyes or using up valuable trick-or-treating time making fun of them, make a game out of it! Turn it into a scavenger hunt, contest, etc. among your friends. Something to add even more enjoyment to the holiday!

Jersey Shore

This is an obvious one. There will likely be many variations of this costume. If you see group with every character, that's extra points. If you hear any catchphrases ("It's T-shirt tiiiiiime!") that's also extra points. If some is dressed as an actual grenade with them, that's extra points plus a high five to that costume-wearer.

The Oil Spill

...or any interpretation of the oil spill crisis. BP execs, seagulls, etc. My favorite idea that I heard for this topic was a mermaid in the Gulf spill. Dark and creative, a good combination, and certainly worth a higher score than the more typical ideas.

Glee

While many of the characters are nondescript unless seen together in a group, there are a few costumes that will be unmistakable. Sue Sylvester's track suit/megaphone combo as well as the Cheerios uniforms will be popular choices, but characters like Artie and Emma who have distinctive ways of dressing might also make appearances. If you can spot those costumes correctly without having to ask the costume-wearer if you are correct, that should be double the points of Sue or a Cheerio.

...confused by my points system? That's because I don't really have one. Math is hard.

Lady Gaga

This could either be a really easy or really complicated costume route to take. Someone can just throw junk from around the house into an outfit and say it's Lady Gaga, OR someone might go the extra mile and recreate one of her iconic showstoppers. By now, you should probably know which costume sighting deserves more points.

Betty White

You can't escape Betty White these days. And why would you want to? Although I imagine that after the third drunk college student in a white wig and a shiny pant suit, the novelty of the joke will wear off.

Na'vi

Part of me would hope that someone who spends what will likely be a great deal of time preparing and donning a Na'vi costume will look absolutely perfect, and part of me knows that the opposite result will be really hilarious. Extra points for cat-eye contact lenses. Attention to detail ftw.

Double Rainbow

There are a lot of viral videos that will probably inspire costumes, the Bedroom Intruder being my prediction as the most popular. However, the only thing that would make someone weep like a child more than seeing a double rainbow is seeing someone dressing as a double rainbow for Halloween. So all new viral videos would be good costumes to look out for but if you are the first of your friends to see a double rainbow costume, you can shout "What does this mean?!" in pure victory because no one can beat that in a Halloween scavenger hunt.

Can you think of any other 2010 news or pop culture phenomenons that will be frequenting the streets on Halloween night? Drop them in the comments section, and have a happy and safe Halloween!

Writers Digest Competition Entry: TV Female Cop Syndrome

2010-10-25T12:29:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! This is the article I entered into the Writers Digest Annual Competition that placed 35th in the Magazine Feature Article Category. I posted it on this blog years ago but I revised it for the contest. It won't be published in the Contest Edition, so I figured I'd post it here. Shocker: I wrote about television.

TV Female Cop Syndrome

TFCS is a fairly widespread epidemic in modern television, but it has been popping up at alarming rates in the last few years and is apparent when beholding the options for dramas this season and the upcoming summer season. Even though it has a separate strain that reaches the big screen now and again, the strongest mutation feeds off of long, complicated, and distressing storylines which allow it to evolve and ultimately thrive. Some symptoms vary from case to case, but the underlying archetype is the same.

Fictional female members of law enforcement who suffer from TFCS are bold, opinionated, strong (the easy-to-spot kind of strength), cynical, "tough as nails" or some other constructing implement, skilled fighters, logical about everything except their own lives, unwilling to confide in anyone save maybe one person (usually a man), victims of a tragic childhood or serious family-related problems, beer drinkers, unable to bend to the will of superiors, prone to breaking rules social, legal or otherwise, and, most importantly, completely closed off, appearing to be unemotional when really they are afraid of being vulnerable. Throughout the life of a series, she will grow and change but will always keep these core traits. The apex of her evolution will occur when she is compelled to emotionally break down, displaying sudden vulnerability to her closest male friend or lover (the aforementioned confidant), resulting in a romantic union, a moment of self discovery, or both. At this point, TFCS will have consumed her and, in the most serious cases, the credibility of the entire show (In Plain Sight is one of the lucky ones, but it might be too soon to tell).

Often the emotional outbursts (Detective Olivia Benson, Law and Order SVU), detachment from normal society (Doctor and Agent Temperance Brennan, Bones), and unfettered disgust or annoyance with their male counterpart (Detective Kate Beckett, Castle) are unnecessarily melodramatic and audacious when matched with the straightforward or nonexistent conflicts they face. The reactionary nature of these characters is a constant source of strain on their own lives and their relationships with friends, coworkers, and family members. This creates a precarious threat of total isolation that feeds the disease, cutting out the majority of potential positive support while testing the close circle of friends or peers that remain loyal for no determinable reason.

TFCS was manufactured as an anecdote to VUSSD (Vapid Uninteresting Sex Symbol Disease) that ran rampant in previous decades. While VUSSD emphasizes the softer, sexier, and often “simpler” visions of the ladies on our TV screens, TFCS aggressively rooted its victims in overtly hardened, masculine traits that would challenge viewers’ conceptions of women on television. TFCS did quickly evolve to include sexual appeal which ensured its contagiousness. And unfortunately, VUSSD proved to be stronger than anyone (women) thought, and television is now riddled with characters that represent polar opposites of the feminine personality.

The illness is a specific strain that falls under the more overreaching I’m-Just-Doing-My-Job-itis (IJDMJ), which effects a broader population in television. Victims of IJDMJ do whatever they can to be the best in their field in an effort to help others and wallow in stolen moments of self pity and reflection on the imperfections of the world around them. Those moments usually take place on a balcony, alone in their offices, or staring out a window with a drink, important file, or piece of lengthy but well-known literature in hand. Along with the aforementioned members of law enforcement, IJDMJ frequents doctors (or nurses), lawyers, and the occasional con artist with a heart of gold. While it is seen in both men and women, many of the same symptoms that are common in TFCS are almost strictly visible in women who suffer from IJDMJ.

Miraculously, some characters are immune to TFCS even when they are placed in an environment that leaves them exposed and susceptible. Detective Brenda Lee Johnson of The Closer is the head of the LA priority homicide unit, comprised of almost all men which opens her up to become "one of the boys" who could take them in a fight if she had to. Instead she commands respect through her skills and consistent ability to produce results, despite her humorous sugar addiction, lack of overt sexual appeal or a masculine edge, a healthy and open, albeit amusingly dysfunctional, relationship with her fiancée, and her clumsy nature. Unlike the flaws of TFCS victims, hers are unglamorous and lack the flair of scandal. No study has been conducted to discover the origin of her immunity.

What makes TFCS a disease, though, is how freely and unconsciously writers, directors, producers, and actors rely on this prototype to sculpt these women in lieu of creating new, multi-dimensional characters that propel diverse concepts of powerful women on television. Special Agent Dana Scully, effectively Patient Zero, survived as a well-rounded character (excluding the final two seasons of the X Files, when the illness was aggravated by pregnancy and motherhood) even with most if not all of the traits of the current mutation. She was spared because within the realm of the show, she made sense. What was demanded of her character and the circumstances in which she functioned allowed this personality to be logical and effortless. TFCS casualties rarely seem genuine in their given situation.

Some may say that the real victims here are fans of the police drama genre. Women who crave relatable characters are bombarded with one idea of a strong woman in a male dominated field. Currently there is no cure. And considering the critical praise of these characters and their TV shows, it is more than likely that no one is looking.

I'm Here I Swear! Updates and Upcoming Posts

2010-10-19T20:27:00.004-04:00

Hi (every)one!!! I'm back! Blame senior year of college. Apparently getting ready to graduate isn't a cake walk. ;)

Anyway, I'm attempting to get back into this blog because I love it so and I have a LOT to discuss....

First, just to get this out of the way, last May I entered Writers Digest 79th Annual Writing Competition. Last week, I was notified that I recieved 35th place in the Magazine Feature Article Category. I never in a million years thought that I would place let alone get into the top 50 in the category I entered, and I'm still nerding out about it! Next week, I am going to post the piece that I entered; it was actually an article that I wrote for this blog a while back, but I revised it, and I would love to see what you guys think!

I hope to get some more articles for you guys soon! Again, school is keeping me very busy, but I'm going to do everything I can to get back into the writing groove.

I am going to be doing some book reviews for Harper Perennial, the first of which will be up in the next two weeks. Keep an eye out!

ALSO, coming soon I will have my Halloween 2010 Costume Scavenger Hunt up just in time for a hopefully long and fun filled Halloween weekend for all of you.

And that's not even everything I have coming up! Please stay tuned because I really am back!!! :)

GFBRobot: The Event Pilot: Hit or Miss?

2010-09-27T13:48:00.002-04:00

By Nina Published September 27, 2010

If you believed the ads, NBC’s The Event is the show everyone is talking about! I will admit, after missing the pilot and seeing the mini explosion on Twitter illustrating the surprise of many at how good it was, I was not only curious, but also a bit ashamed that I had judged it too quickly. Now that I have seen the pilot, however, the mixed feelings have returned, although with slightly less skepticism. Join me after the jump for the breakdown...

...Read more GFBRobot.com!

Remembering the Day...

2010-09-11T13:38:00.003-04:00

Remember the Day

GFBRobot: Other Twitter Accounts that Should be Made in TV Shows

2010-09-11T00:09:00.002-04:00

By Nina Published September 10, 2010

…Because why stop at S#*! My Dad Says? Here are the Twitter accounts I think would make great television.

@God_Damn_Batman
Synopsis: Batman, @DrunkHulk, and @FeministHulk are a crimefighting team that also share a cramped apartment. This action dramedy will be fraught with adventure, unavoidable Marvel/DC tension, violent shouting matches, and numerous failed interventions.

@deliciafay
Synopsis: We will follow the exploits of the self-proclaimed martial arts master as she plots against her lovable nemesis, Felicia Day. Think Dr. Horrible with less music and more eye patches.

...Read more at GFBRobot.com!!!

GFBRobot: Nina's Emmy Cheat Sheet

2010-08-28T00:40:00.002-04:00

By Nina Published August 27, 2010

So I love TV. A lot. Enough to watch the Emmys. Enough to share my predictions with you in hopes that you guys love TV as much as I do. So click on through to see my guesses, and enjoy!

....Read more at GFBRobot.com!!!

If There was One Song to Bring Back Music Monday...

2010-08-23T13:40:00.002-04:00

...this would be it:

It makes me want to dance and break things at the same time.

My First Article for GFBRobot.com!!!

2010-08-16T14:23:00.002-04:00

Hi, everyone!

The awesome team at GFBRobot.com has welcomed me as their new TV writer, and my first article has been published! Thanks to them and thanks to you guys for reading, check it out!

The 2010 Fall TV Season: Pilot Roundup

By Nina Published August 16, 2010

Well, pilot season is upon us. And in a peculiar and (hopefully) wonderful turn of events, it seems that within the bevy of procedural comedies and dramas, there are quite a few shows with potential and appeal for even the pickiest of TV nerds like myself. With that optimism, however, there is still a bit of reservation, especially considering that the obvious missteps some of these shows could take. Join me after the jump for the fall 2010 pilots that stand out and the ones that could surprise us....

...Read more at GFBRobot.com!!!

Den of Geek: TV Couples That Don't Make Us Puke

2010-07-29T13:18:00.004-04:00

Nina offers proof that there are some romantic relationships on the telly that are worth rooting for...

Published on Jul 28, 2010

Regardless of whether the chemistry doesn't exist, runs dry, or fails to survive contrived and ridiculous situations, it can be quite frustrating if our favorite TV shows have to make time for romantic couples that just don't warrant our attention or emotional investment week after week.

It only gets worse if the stolen moments they share tug ever so gently at viewers' gag reflexes and force people to mentally tune out until the story resumes. The ups and downs of TV character relationships can be both exhilarating and irritating, and one wrong move can tip the scale towards the latter permanently, a conundrum that is a constant struggle in this medium. (Mulder and Scully held on as long they could.)

Instances of two characters working well together in a journey towards falling in love (over potentially a number of months or years, mind you. No small feat) while successfully following through with scenes of affection and longing without the saccharine undertones are few and far between. The exceptions to romantic mediocrity on television range from the simple and understated to the tempestuous and deeply touching.

Clearly lightening isn't meant to strike twice and the following couples prove that originality is the secret to igniting that elusive spark....

My Comic-Con 2010! With Photos!!!

2010-07-28T03:08:00.003-04:00

My cure for SDCC withdrawal = writing an enormous post about the convention aka the geekiest 4 days of my life :)

This was both my first Comic-Con and my first trip to California! I could never have imagined it being as awesome as it was. I knew that because it was my first time that I wasn't going to see everything, especially the really big stuff, but I absolutely loved what I did see!

Ok, let's get started!

Preview Night

Registering at Preview Night was surprisingly quick and easy. It was so exciting to see so many people this early, especially because it wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be but the convention center was still buzzing with anticipation. The line to get in was my first big line of the con, & it was definitely good practice for the rest of the week...

The Exhibitors Hall was obviously not that crowded that night, but there was still so much amazing stuff to do and see. For example...

It was such a treat to meet Bill Willingham, author of the graphic novel series, Fables. First big fangirl/awkwardly geeking out moment of the con for me.

As far as grabbing swag and free merch, maybe I'm slow, stupid, or both, but for some reason I missed out on a lot of the free stuff being handed out on Preview Night and the rest of the convention. It's alright though, I'll just look out for it next time. :)

Thursday

Thursday was my main Exhibitor Hall day. The amount of eye candy made my head explode and just the enormous scope of the place was so overwhelming. It took me a while to really get into the groove, navigate my way through the booths, and socialize with people without freezing up or getting nervous. Once that happened I was really able to take in all of the amazing sites,

like the displays:

the art:

and the gorgeous costumes:

The artist holding the Rorshach (which I bought!) is Justin Orr. You can find more of his art and read his blog here.

The woman in the Steampunk costume is a member of the cast of the web series The League of STEAM. You can find their episodes here (I recommend "New Moon Vampire Hunt").

And I'm not really sure whose shield that is.... ;)

Thursday night I went to my first panel, Geek Girls Exist:

It was hosted by Kristin Reilly of Geek Girls and Geek Girl Diva. I really loved being in a room of geeks celebrating this growing nerd culture, shining a light on the ladies specifically. Everyone was really hilarious and gave a lot of great advice for those looking to pursue careers similar to theirs. So much fun!

Panelists: Bonnie Burton, Kiala Kazebee, Kari Byron, Veronica Belmont, Jill Pantozzi, Sarah Kuhn, and Marian Call.

Friday

This was my big panel day. Originally, I had planned to attend big panels every day but after waiting to get in to Ballroom 20 for 3 and 1/2 hours, I decided it would be best to limit the long lines at this convention.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

One of the security guards told us at around 11:30am that Ballroom 20 was closed for the day and they were not going to let any more people in. Even though I'm new to this whole thing, it didn't make any sense that they would close one of the biggest halls in the convention that early. So I stayed in line...

And I got in! So there!

These are the people I met in line. There were plenty of times that I almost gave up and left, but they convinced me to stay & I'm so happy they did. The girl on the left is Emmy, the guy is Jay, and I don't think I ever knew the name of the girl behind me.

The two panels I saw were The Joss Whedon Experience:

...where a disguised Nathan Fillion made a surpise appearance...

...and the EW Presents: Girls Who Kick Ass Panel:

With Elizabeth Mitchell, Anna Torv, Jena Malone, Ellen Wong, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead with EW's Nicole Sperling as the moderator.

Both panels were fantastic and beyond my expectations. I kinda wished the audience questions for Whedon's panel were more geared towards info about his future projects, but if I wanted answers, I guess I should have asked. :) The Girls' panel contained some very interesting questions and really thought provoking discussions. Everyone was asking them about their stunts and martial arts training...I just wanted to know how to run in heels...

That night was the SDCC Geek Girls Tweetup at Jolt'N'Joes in the Gaslamp Quarter. I had an amazing time! It was so great to meet people that I had chatted with on Twitter for months beforehand. Being new to Twitter and not ever having met anyone from the party, I was nervous and wondered how (or if) I should approach people. Luckily, my worries became nonexistent very quickly. People that I had and had not spoken to online were so nice and eager to talk and meet each other that conversation became very easy. Even though everyone was so great, I still felt like I was pretty awkward, so apologies for that. ;) Also, if I talked to you and have not followed you yet on Twitter, that either means I could not find your business card or could not find your twitter. If you recognize me, follow me and let me know I met you!

Sadly, I didn't get to connect with everyone that I had hoped to. That day was a pretty long one, and I needed to leave the party before I wanted to just to get some rest. Next year, though!

The few pictures I took didn't turn out well, except for this one...

I absolutely love this tattoo. It belongs to Kylee Lane, who was so sweet to let me take this pic.

Saturday

There were so many things going on Saturday, and because the day before was so exhausting with waiting in line that long, I decided to minimize the threat of that and cut out a lot of progamming. But I did get to go to some really really awesome events!

The first was the V signing at the WB Booth. It was a friggin mob scene because Chuck, The Green Lantern and Harry Potter signings were also going on during or around that time. Anyone who wanted to see V or the Vampire Diaries had to wade through the insane and fanatic crowds or, a better option, avoid them altogether and be invisible. It took me at least an hour to find other people who wanted to see V and we, plus a few poor Vampire Diaries fans, all kind of flattened ourselves against the wall adjacent to the WB Booth in hopes of not bothering security and getting moved.

A quick sidenote: I just have to give a big thank you to the security team at the convention center. Fans might think they were being harsh or forceful, but it's incredibly difficult to deal with those kinds of unruly and often belligerent crowds. I know there were times that I fought to get into a panel (stay tuned for that story), but the best thing to do in those situations is to be understanding of what these people have to deal with while still being assertive. The security team at the WB Booth that day was very strict and short with people probably because the days before saw crazy mob scenes at the True Blood and Big Bang Theory signings and didn't want a repeat of that. So be nice! Be patient! Remember nothing at SDCC is important enough to treat others with disrespect or violence. And maybe these things will run a lot smoother.

I won't keep you in suspense any longer, I got into the V signing and they were all so friggin nice. It was my first big signing at my first convention and the cast & producers could not have been more welcoming to their fans. Big apologies to Joel Gretsch (Father Jack) because he was cool enough to ask me where I was from and engage me in conversation and I was too nervous to respond in more than one word answers. My process at these things is to get in, say one or two things, and get out before I say something stupid. I was not prepared to converse because it would likely lead to a whole bunch of awkward. That's something I'll need to work on for next time.

After that I wandered around the Exhibitors Hall, ran into Jason Mewes:

...took some pics at the Dollhouse signing (because I lost the ticket lottery *sob*)

...and then headed over to the Lost But Not Forgotten panel. I admit I was cutting it a little close, but when I saw a small line forming outside Room 8 (where I had been two days before in a much longer line and still got in) and a guy telling me the line was closed, I was a bit annoyed. A few others showed up and were just as peeved, if not moreso. After explaining the situation to security, we decided to lurk around the hall and wait until the room opened. I fought my way in (without violence! Simply with communication) and got into the panel at the last minute! Didn't know I was capable of asserting myself that strongly lol.

It was a really cool panel because I had just discovered Lost a few months ago and had not had that much in depth interaction with fellow fans before that. They discussed the legacy of the show, showed DVD footage and sample pages from the Lost Encyclopedia:

...and welcomed a huge star from the show:

And that was the last event for SDCC 2010 for me!

My Biggest Regrets

Missing all things Guild: I was such an idiot and somehow missed every Guild event, signing, etc. even though there were plenty of opportunities to say hello. I think it was because I had such a hard time navigating myself through the Exhibitors Hall on Wednesday and Thursday, and just kept missing them. What a bummer!

Missing Paul & Scott Pilgrim: I was so hesitant about going to big panels because I thought I either wasn't going to get in or I was going to take precious time away from roaming the Exhibitors Hall. But I am such a huge fan of Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright that it kinda sucks that I skipped out on their panels. I enjoyed the time I spent in at the booths in lieu of those panels, so the regret isn't enormous...but still...

Not having internet on my phone: Twitter is such a powerful tool of information and it would have been such a leg up to have access to that during the convention. I was completely disconnected from the internet for 4 days, and while that is liberating in a way, it also put me at a disadvantage.

Best Moments

All of them. Yea, that's a crap answer, but this was one of the best experiences of my life. I met so many amazing people that shared my passions and attended some incredible events where people got together to discuss those shared passions and engage in general geekiness. I went to my first SDCC by myself, and if someone told me a year ago that I was going to do that and still see everything I saw, I would have laughed in their face. San Diego is a beautiful city, and I cannot wait to come back again. Comic-Con belongs to SD, and it will be a tragic day if we can't use the SDCC hashtag anymore.

Thank you to everyone I met and everyone who made my Comic-Con 2010 so great!!!

My SDCC Playlist

2010-07-18T15:24:00.001-04:00

Even though I'm sure SDCC will be a complete whirlwind of crazy, there's a lot of traveling, line waiting, and down time to fill up. In hour two of waiting to get into a panel, maybe some tunes will keep us cheerful and occupied!

Here are the geeky songs that are getting me pumped up for 5 days of awesome at Comic-Con:

1. Do You Want to Date My Avatar? - The Guild

Well...duh. :)

2. Scott Pilgrim - Plumtree

If the epicness of the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World twitter page, director Edgar Wright, and series author Bryan Lee O'Malley is making you geek out about all the Scott Pilgrim insanity that will be at SDCC this year, then the Plumtree song that inspired the titular character's name will probably make you jump up and down and smile uncontrollably when it comes up on your iPod.

3. Nrrrd Grrrl: MC Chris

This ode to the lady geeks out there reminds me that I'm going to meet so many awesome geek girls (and guys) at the convention as well as the Geek Girls Tweetup. :D

4. Re: Your Brains: Jonathan Coulton

I'm excited to see a lot of cosplayers, but if I don't see one zombie, I'm gonna be pretty pissed.

5. Bad Things - Jace Everett (True Blood Theme Song)

Now, I haven't really gotten into True Blood, or vampire-related things in general. But I really love the opening credits and this song! PLUS, I'm embracing fandom of all sorts and am excited to talk to people who are passionate about a variety of films, TV shows, books, genres, etc that I may not be passionate about or have not discovered yet.

6. Don't Stop Believing - Glee

Glee might not necessarily fit in at Comic-Con, but it would be criminal to exclude them from a playlist. You can swap this song with the dozens of others from however many soundtracks they released, but Don't Stop Believing is what got them started. And it's the best, so there.

7. So They Say - Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

Again....duh.

8. You All Everybody - Drive Shaft

Yes, I know Lost is done. And that they don't have a panel this year. And that the song is only a minute of pretty much repeating the title. DON'T JUDGE ME!

9. You've Got a Friend in Me (para el Buzz Espanol)

Pixar might be my favorite thing ever, and I'm totally looking forward to seeing any Pixar merchandise from the Hasbro booth or wherever else it would be. I nerded out when this song played in Toy Story 3, so I thought it appropriate to include it here. :)

10. California Here We Come - Phantom Planet

Out-of-staters like me, especially those who have never been to CA (...like me), are thrilled to be in the lovely city of San Diego. So, yea, watch out, California.

What songs are playing while you're packing (or avoiding packing) for Comic-Con?

Den of Geek: Fairytale Fail: When our favorite stories are told improperly

2010-07-05T13:52:00.004-04:00

Nina Sordi

Fairy tale stories have been told and retold for generations - so how do movie makers get their adaptations so wrong? Here are our suggestions...

Even though Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood is the freshest example to date, popular fairytales, fables, and folklore have been told and retold (and retold again) in films for decades. The communal nature of these stories and the bond to the material creates a collective acceptance to passing them on from generation to generation and through various reiterations.

But in a world where films get remade multiple times and sequels are put into production before their predecessors are released, fairy tales both beloved and unexamined are likely to be milked for new movies. Films like Red Riding Hood, Maleficent, and another live action Cinderella are already in the works.

The likely path will see these movies relying on the audience’s familiarity and fondness for the source material rather than telling tales that could stand on their own. By carefully balancing the old with the new, however, filmmakers can harness what we love about fairy tales in order to weave creative and entertaining stories that could be as timeless as their original incarnations.

Here's what they need to do...

20 Days Til Comic-Con...It's Freak Out Time

2010-07-02T20:38:00.000-04:00

Happy July, folks, especially fellow Comic Con attendees!

As I have said lots and lots of times before, this will be my first Comic Con, AND my first convention! I am so excited! I've already started planning which panels, signings, off-site events, and exhibitors to see thanks to the SDCC Unofficial Blog!

However, it will probably come as no surprise that I have no idea what I'm doing most of the time, so my first trip to California and my first convention will probably be riddled with mistakes, missteps, and the occasional epic fail. My only goal is really to have the best time as possible and come back with crapload of memories, stories, and stuff. :)

In order to do that, I was hoping to get some advice/tips from past attendees on a variety of things that could make or break the trip. I've been asking a bunch of them on twitter, but it just seems easier to list them here and whoever wants to answer can leave a comment. :) Thanks in advance!

- How many panels do you think a person could see in one day?

- What would be considered early when showing up to a panel? 2 hrs? 4 hrs?

- How about the signings?

- Is there anything I should pack for the convention (or the trip in general) that someone wouldn't think to pack?

- What should people keep an eye out for in Artists' Alley & the Exhibitors Hall? In terms of people to see, booths to visit, and stuff to buy?

- I feel like these questions get dumber the more I list lol.

- Best/cheapest places to get food for the convention?

- I'm going by myself. Because I won't really have a network of people to navigate with, are there any tips for going solo?

- Best clothing/shoes to wear? I've gotten answers to this question, but I like hearing varied opinions/experiences :)

- Anything a newbie wouldn't know about that would be so much fun to see/do?

- ANYTHING at all you recommend is appreciated!

If anyone else has SDCC questions that I didn't ask feel free to leave a comment!

My Lost Experience: 1 Month, 6 Seasons, and Whole Lot of Nail Biting

2010-06-28T13:37:00.015-04:00

On Sunday May 23^rd 2010, millions of Lost fans threw parties, spouted theories, and gathered around their televisions as the epic series came to an end. Meanwhile, I was desperately trying to avoid the internet and get through season four. At that point, I was just as much a Lostie as those partygoers (minus that whole six year commitment thing), but I had only begun watching the series twenty days prior. I eventually finished it a week later. And I have to say that condensing what should have been six years of tension, adventure, confusion, and that special Lost anxiety that I’ve heard so much about into one month made watching one of the best television series in history an incredibly exhilarating (and stressful!) ride, affecting my perspective about the finale and the show as a whole.

One Helluva Month

It started out as a way to avoid studying for finals and grew into a summer goal. The benefit and the downfall of the way I devoured Lost was the immediate access to the next episode, to the answers of the show’s many cliffhangers. Although that usually led to even more cliffhangers, and thus began the cycle that had me finishing Lost much sooner than anticipated. I can’t really say why I never got into the series when it began or at any time throughout its run, especially considering my love of all things science fiction. But I can say that I applaud the fans that stuck with it from the beginning because that takes some serious patience. At times I could barely wait a few hours to see what happened next, let alone a week, a summer, or six years.

The secrets of the island weren’t even the most pressing plot points urging me to sprint through the seasons, however. As I grew to love and follow the journeys of these characters, they had to bear a great deal of hardship the likes of which have been largely unmatched on television. Writers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof pushed the boundaries on what characters should and should not do, what they can and cannot endure. Michael is a prime example of this. After almost two seasons of exposing the story of his relationship with his estranged son Walt and moving it towards possible redemption, the writers sucked the fans’ hopeful cheering right out of their lungs. They challenged our view of Michael by giving him a choice that, while difficult, ultimately brought him to commit an unforgivable act that arguably could have been avoided. I have always been a big proponent of having beloved characters suffer as a vehicle to enhance storytelling, but as the obstacles thrown in the way of the survivors of Oceanic 815 piled up, I had to force myself to sleep at times in lieu of dashing to Lost’s proverbial finish line in desperation of a happy ending.

The Spoilers (Contains…wait for it…spoilers!)

Somehow, I managed to avoid many of the show’s major plot twists and cherished every “what the hell???” that ran through my mind as the music swelled and the screen turned black. Any time I discovered something about the story, a layer to the mythology of the island, or the characters’ shocking connections to one another, I regretted waiting until May 2010 to ride the crazy train that is Lost. One of the most frustrating instances was prematurely finding out that Anthony Cooper, along with being John Locke’s despicable father, was responsible for the death of Sawyer’s parents, the man he had been hunting all his life. That must have been such a thrilling, edge of the seat revelation for fans and while I still loved how the moment unfolded, the surprise would have made it that much better.

On the other hand, the deaths were for the most part spoiled for me either through online write ups, other fans, or my unrelenting curiosity in the midst of Lost finale mania. I consider this predicament a glass half-full situation. While the instant gratification of watching episodes back-to-back might have made anticipation and distress lesser concerns for most people, the intensity of all of the mysteries and insanity our heroes encountered did wonders for my nerves. Knowing about certain deaths beforehand prevented some seriously geeky meltdowns. Juliet’s death in particular was so brutal and heartbreaking, had I gone into that scene completely unaware of what was going to happen, it would not have been pretty.

The Finale

Even though the finale was, well, The End, the answers fans craved began unfolding at the beginning of season six. On some level we found out who the Others are, why the plane crash survivors are so important, and what (who) old Smokey is. As the finale grew closer, the nature of Jacob and the Man in Black’s existence as well as the purpose of the island were revealed. It was in the finale, however, when the waters grew murky for fans. Many of those who waited eagerly for years to see Lost wrap up were disheartened by the ending and understandably so.

Maybe it was the manner in which I watched the show, actually I know it was the manner in which I watched the show, but I could not have seen Lost feasibly ending any other way. Does that mean that it satisfied every burning question or hope I had for the show? Absolutely not! Why was Walt so special? What happened to the people who left the island for good? Why did that statue’s foot only have four friggin toes?! Most of what I had wanted to find out was pretty much summed up in the episodes leading up to the finale. While the explanations of the “Light,” which turned out to really be the focal point and purpose of these characters’ journeys, was not explicitly stated, it was enough for me to understand the significance of the entire story. The religious/spiritual/mystical themes may have seemed like a bit of a cop-out, but every moment spent in the Lost universe was so otherworldly and expectation shattering that to more specifically detail just exactly what was going on would have made the ending much too contrived, so it makes sense to attribute the unexplainable to a largely undefined higher power. And like I said, my reasons for rushing to the series’ end were not to ultimately learn the solution to each and every complex mystery the show presented; it was to see these characters reach a happy ending, and in a twisted kind of way, the sideways universe provided that closure which, while imperfect, was truly gratifying.

Final Thoughts

There is something to be said for a television series that can keep fans enthralled, loyal, and fanatic for six long years. For a show like Lost, a show that on paper looked to be an enormous risk, to achieve that kind of devotion and relevance is almost unfathomable. Even though my time with the show was insanely short, I enjoyed every minute of it, even the moments when I was close to pulling my hair out. The only regret I have for the way I saw the show was not watching it come to an end at the same time as everyone else. I never got to experience the bond Lost created among its viewers, but watching it from a distance for so many years thankfully urged me to check out what I was missing.

My Scott Pilgrim Avatar! So Fun!

2010-06-23T00:48:00.002-04:00

You wanna make your own? Check out the Scott Pilgrim Avatar Creator and just go crazy! You know you want too... ;)

Winners, Losers, & Surprises from My 2009 Fall Schedule

2010-06-01T15:29:00.010-04:00

Last fall I posted the shows that I was planning to watch in the fall season, and for the first time in a long time, I got really excited about TV again. Even though the departure of 24, Lost (stay tuned for that post), Law & Order, and quite a few more shows this year will likely leave a void in television that needs to be filled, seeing the caliber of television this season, especially new shows, makes me a bit hopeful.

Winners

Glee

This is a slightly tentative winner. Glee's pilot had limited glitz and glamour but still gave the audience a taste of both the entertaining and heartwarming aspects of the show all the while keeping that hilariously snarky edge. As the show progressed, there were times when the balance shifted more to the performances than the emotional core of the show. Now, those musical numbers are friggin awesome, and the show has not suffered too much from that balance shift, but I get a little nervous about the future of Glee. My advice: Keep up the good work, but remember the kids are at the center of this show, not the music. And keep the snark coming! :)

V

Even though V is a remake of an 80's miniseries, it revived the concept by making parallels to current events and, of course, amping up the special effects. Taking it in a newer direction while keeping much of the iconic imagery and plot points of its predecessor was a smart move, especially if they hope to extend the show beyond a miniseries, which would be great!

Community

Easily my favorite comedy on TV right now. The layers of jokes in the dialogue and frequently exaggerated or larger than life situations can be so subtle that you might miss them if you aren't paying attention. The entire cast is hilarious and can deliver the most ridiculous lines perfectly. The writing is top notch, and the reference humor reminds me very much of Spaced. Already within its first season the show has grown and become a real TV comedy gem. If you need some convincing, I beg you to watch the episode Modern Warfare. It doesn't really represent the usual pace of the show, but it illustrates where the writers are willing to go, and that to me is very exciting.

Losers

Lie to Me

Now, I really like Lie to Me, so it wasn't a loser for most of the normal reasons a show is a loser. I don't know whether it was the time slot, the ratings, or yet another risky change of pace with stories shedding more light on personal issues and relationships (probably all three), but Lie to Me looked like it was in serious risk of cancellation this season. After being booted from the schedule by 24, I had forgotten that the season hadn't concluded yet. The show actually returns tonight to wrap up season two and was thankfully picked up for a third. Much of what made the show so fascinating was probing into the science of studying body language, and if that once again becomes the focus, fans will come back and new fans will follow.

Much of the CBS lineup

There was one hell of a shake up over at CBS! Even though most of the channel's heavy hitters are still standing, shows like Cold Case, Ghost Whisperer, New Adventures of Old Christine, etc. were booted from the network. Those were shows I assumed were successful, so it's interesting to see this kind of sweeping change. This, however, does not mean that CBS is a loser, as evidenced by my one and only surprise of the 2009 TV season...

Surprise

The Good Wife

I was shocked at how fresh, new, and enthralling The Good Wife turned out to be! That may sound like a backhanded compliment but it's not! The overall plot for the show, while enticing and creative, appeared to be a set up to turn the program into another procedural law drama. Instead, the story of Alicia Florrick became just as mesmerizing as the cases her law firm took as well as the uncertainty of the firm's future in this economic climate. None of the plotlines fell into familiar and overused formulas. This show gave us something new, and I'm very much looking forward to how it progresses.

So, did I miss anything? Let me know!

Did I Mention I'm Terrible with New Year's Resolutions?

2010-05-26T14:34:00.002-04:00

Hey, guy(s).

So...apologies for being absent for so long. This semester took up a great deal of my time, but now it's SUMMER! Plus, I'm definitely going to work harder to write during especially busy semester...only TWO LEFT! :)

Anyway, I have a few things coming up, including a post about the new shows we were treated (and subjected) to this TV season, a new Den of Geek article I'm working on, and a lot more Comic-Con stuff. PLEASE stay tuned, I won't let you down! :)

The Lights are out in Georgia Again :( RIP Dixie Carter

2010-04-11T13:46:00.005-04:00

I grew up watching her on Designing Women (video below) and loved every minute she was on screen. From television to theater and everything in between, Dixie Carter was a forced to be reckoned with and, from what I could see, a rarity in Hollywood: a genuinely talented, happily married, free thinking woman who didn't hesitate to move to Hollywood at 40 despite the stigma attached to aging women in show business. This woman was someone to admire and will truly be missed.

MV Mondays: OK GO & Why They Love Their Fans

2010-03-08T15:37:00.004-05:00

By now you've seen the video for Ok Go's This Too Shall Pass:

Even though the brilliance of the video speaks for itself, with its release a clear pattern has emerged from this band. Their music videos are not only over the top in creativy and entertainment value, but they also really show that Ok Go loves their fans. I mean, this Rube Goldberg contraption looks spectacular and has all those toys and gadgets and swings hammers through television sets, but without a doubt it was INCREDIBLY difficult and time consuming to pull off. And because Ok Go time and time again continues to make these artistic and extraordinary videos, it shows that they go that extra mile to give the fans something they'll really enjoy, and I friggin love that about them.

I'd say keep it comin' but after watching that video again, it really looks like they need a break . ;)

My Oscar "Will's" and "Should's"

2010-03-07T13:15:00.006-05:00

The Oscars are tonight! This is the first time in a really long time where I actually want to watch the Oscars, mostly because this is one year where predicting some of the winners is more of a honest to goodness guessing game and less of a "no duh!" situation. And that makes it much more fun :D So here are my selections for what I think will win and who I think SHOULD win some of the awards:

Best Picture:

Will: The Hurt Locker

Should: Inglourious Basterds OR Precious OR District 9

...Indecisive much? As whole bodies of work, I feel like Precious and District 9 will be unfairly ignored artistic achievements by the Academy. Or maybe this year just had a larger selection of really high quality flicks. Which explains the whole expansion of the category.

Best Director:

Will: Kathryn Bigelow

Should: Bigelow, Tarantino, any of them really

Despite my issues with Avatar, I can honestly say that I wouldn't have a problem if any of these directors walked away with the statue.

Best Screenplay:

Original Will: Inglourious Basterds/Hurt Locker

Original Should: Inglourious Basterds

Adapted Will: Up in the Air

Adapted Should: Up in the Air OR District 9

*shrug* pretty straightforward

Best Actor:

Will: Jeff Bridges

Should: Jeff Bridges

Best Actress:

Will: Sandra Bullock

Should: Sandra Bullock/Gabourey Sidibe

I've started to like Bullock a lot more and she and Sidibe's performances were just incredible. Bullock should win just so she'll go down as winning an Oscar and Razzie on the same weekend.

Best Supporting Actor:

Will: Christoph Waltz

Should: Christoph Waltz

Simply flawless peformance.

Best Supporting Actress:

Will: Mo'Nique

Should: Mo'Nique

Ditto.

Okay, some categories are a little more predictable than others, but it should still be an interesting show! What are your picks? Let me know!

Follow Friday: Blogs Edition!

2010-02-26T14:27:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone!

In connection to twitter's "Follow Friday," I want to pass along some really great blogs and sites I've discovered over the past few months. And believe me, there have been a LOT.

I'll just go through a few today:

Try This!

This is a great blog run by a friend of mine where you can find great recipies for some delicious meals! Yummmm ;)

Wild Tyme

A fellow Den of Geek writer, Mike Leader. Great film reviews and more fun stuff! Always a treat to see what he writes about.

The Autumn Society

I very recently stumbled upon this blog when I heard one of the contributor's "8-bit" covers of Doctor Horrible songs. I was thrilled to discover that The Autumn Society was based in Philadelphia and have been keeping up with them ever since.

There's more to come next week! Also, look for the embarrassingly late review of Imogen Heap's concert at the TLA.

I Guess It's Time to Do This. I'm Going to Comic-Con! Advice Please!

2010-02-25T23:45:00.009-05:00

Alrighty, I've been dropping hints for the past few months, and I was planning to do a whole big post on it and try to get some opinions on this certain special event I'm going to, but as always, life gets in the way of....life....so I'm just gonna gush about it now, at about 1am...

I'm going to Comic-Con in San Diego this summer! YAY!!!

I'm incredibly excited, but I am also incredibily terrified.

My Situation:

I'm going with a friend (friends?) but they're not going to the convention, only me. So I'm navigating that big scary place by myself. For my first con experience, it's gonna be one helluva ride.

My Goals:

Right now, I'm working towards a career as a writer. Through this blog, writing for the always awesome Den of Geek, and working on my own projects, I'm stumbling through as best I can, hoping that I'm making an impression on anyone who reads my stuff. Maybe I'm being too optimistic, but I'm hoping to take the next step at Comic-Con and start networking in person, showing people my work, talking to fellow writers, etc. I have no idea where to start, and that might be problematic, but the most I can wish for is to learn from the experience and meet some amazing people.

BUT, I'm also looking to have some fangirl fun!!! I'm a geek at heart, of course, and there are so many events I wanna go to, people I wanna meet, and toys I wanna get my hands on. Generally, I think I'm going to stay away from anything too Hollywood or crazy like that, not because I tink I'm too cool for any of that, but because if it is as hectic as what I've been hearing, I'm gonna be wasting my time even attempting to get in. Or I'll have a panic attack. Not good.

My Questions:

I'm just looking for any kind of advice about any and every aspect of SDCC. I'm hearing it's good to pack some food and water and to show up early to events. How early? Is camping out the night before something I should be looking out for?

What should I avoid? What are the best ways (tricks) to getting into events that may have an insane turnout?

I had flirted with the idea of cosplaying. Is that recommended for someone's first con? especially someone who has no idea what she's doing? Not sure if going too big for my first SDCC will backfire on me.

Where are the best places to go outside of the convention center? Best nightlife, etc? Or will I not even have time for that stuff?

So, for anyone who has any tips or recommendations, OR if anyone is going to SDCC and wants

to discuss all the awesomeness that will surely ensue, please comment on this post or grab me on Twitter. I'm very open to discussion and exchange of ideas and all that jazz.

Also:

I have found some great sources for future attendees of SDCC, especially fangirls, that have already helped me plan my trip so far. Check them out:

GeekGirls 10 tips for an awesome SDCC experience

All Things Fangirl: The real girl's guide to SDCC

Has Boobs, Reads Comics: When Geek Girls Attack!

And Action Flick Chick Katrina Hill has been a great source of SDCC tips all of which you can find

on her Twitter.

If you know of any other sources for great SDCC info, please leave them in the comment section! And finally, check out an article I wrote last year about the LA Times SDCC article debacle: LA Times Misses the Mark on Ms. Geek. Chances are, I will repost this as July gets closer.

Thanks everyone! And sorry this was longer than I thought it was going to be! :)

DEN OF GEEK: My Joss Whedon Wishlist

2010-02-17T13:13:00.004-05:00

What are the projects we want Joss Whedon to tackle next? Nina puts her wishlist together...

Published on Feb 10, 2010

If the legions of Joss Whedon devotees are anything like me, they could be the most impatient fans out there. Whedon's Dollhouse just came to a close after two short seasons and already I'm itching with anticipation for any information about his new endeavors.

Because the playing field in the entertainment industry has widened significantly over the past few years and the possibilities for underappreciated visionaries and their niche markets may soon stretch for miles, I put my angsty Dollhouse tweeting on hold to really mull over the most ideal ventures for Whedon and his posse....

Den of Geek: How to Keep Romantic Subplots from Killing a Movie

2010-02-12T12:50:00.005-05:00

Nina Sordi

How many action and sci-fi movies have you seen ruined by a silly romantic subplot? Nina has the rules to follow to make them work...

In times past when I watched action or science fiction films and a lame, unnecessary cutaway to a not-so-subtle display of romantic tension between two characters threw off the speedy, thrilling tempo, it would only rank as a slight annoyance. Now, I'm writing articles about them and using words like "kill" to describe how nocuous these side stories can be in specific film genres.

When a romance contained in a larger plot, especially one that is fast paced and action centric, is not handled properly, the audience will not invest in it and the movie can suffer because of it. Why, during the chaos of mutant life and the ever looming threat of Magneto, should we be bothered about Jean Grey's yawn-inducing lust for Logan? Who cares?

An easy solution would be to dispose of these scenes of longing and love, but there are a great number of instances where it adds a layer of suspense and, if effective, can hold the attention of both male and female viewers (Han and Leia, anyone?). So if moviemakers want to do it right, and if The Notebook isn't the only movie that makes you gag on Valentine's Day chocolates, never fear. Here are a few ways to salvage the romantic subplot...

I LOVED writing this article! Read more at DenofGeek.com!!!

MV Mondays: La Roux

2010-02-08T22:07:00.002-05:00

When watching this video, I get the overwhelming urge to play Tetris. Enjoy.

Fish Tank Trailer

2010-02-03T18:00:00.001-05:00

Check it out. Looks great:

MV Mondays Grammys Edition: P!nk

2010-02-01T17:14:00.006-05:00

I know it's technically not a music video, but I have to acknowledge how breathtaking Pink's performace of Glitter in the Air was at the Grammys last night. She always stood out to me as a talented and refreshing pop artist, but with the release of her album Funhouse and its subsequent tour, we can see that Pink is emerging as a true performance artist. Easily the best segment at the 2010 Grammys:

(video link here)

RIP JD Salinger Dies at 91

2010-01-28T23:06:00.005-05:00

Thanks for making summer reading lists a helluva lot more tolerable for many generations of high schoolers. RIP.

MV Mondays: Gossip, Heavy Cross

2010-01-25T12:31:00.004-05:00

This weeks Music Monday on Twitter does not have a video with it, so this week's video is from a MM I had about a month ago:

What can I say? I love sparkles. And I lovelovelove the energy of the band, especially the frontwoman, Beth Ditto. The combination of the fantastic outfits and that energy matches the offbeat style of Heavy Cross and creates a really fun video.

(if cut off, video link here.)

And for anyone who was interested, my MusicMonday choice today was "Is You is or is You Ain't My Baby?" by Dinah Washington, the Verve Remix. It's a great song to put you in a cheerful mood on a Monday:

Spike Jonze and Robot Romance: I'm Here

2010-01-21T22:51:00.003-05:00

I haven't seen very many short films, but it's a genre of filmmaking I've been meaning to look into more extensively, and I know exactly where to start. Spike Jonze has been apart of some amazing projects, including most recently directing Where the Wild Things Are, so it's no surprise that the trailer for his new short film I'm Here, which premiered at Sundance, showcases not only incredible visual effects but also a twist on an old story in a way that hynotizes the audience. Or maybe it's just me. Check it out!

Thoughts?

I'm Reinstating MV Mondays! Flo & the Mach: Drumming Song

2010-01-18T00:19:00.004-05:00

Music Video Mondays are back! I'm going to do it in conjunction with #MusicMondays on Twitter. They might not always be the same song and it may not be every week, but that's not the case today!

Florence + the Machine: The Drumming Song

I absolutely love this video. A friend of mine described it as very Lady Gaga. In its theatrical style, vibrant costumes, and graceful edge, this is very true. But unlike Gaga, who could very rightly be described as otherworldly, Florence + the Machine has a distinctly earthy quality in both the song and the video. There is something gritty about it even in its sleekness and polished look.

If you are at all interested, please check out my previous installments of MV Mondays (around 2008-2009), and PLEASE send suggestions for inspiring music videos to write about because I feel like I might run out of ideas by March. :)

Dear Conan, Please Just Don't Go Away...

2010-01-14T00:10:00.014-05:00

Oh Coco, this is so loco!

The fates of NBC, The Tonight Show, and Conan O'Brien's career are all still up in the air, and no matter what happens a crapload of people are going to be pissed off in the end. It's obvious that NBC will do anything they can to make sure they aren't those people. The problem with that, however, looking at every move they've made in this clusterf*ck, the people at the controls at NBC love a quick fix, a path of least resistance that will simultaneously make them the most money as soon as possible. So, if they don't understand that that strategy hasn't worked so far, Leno will be back at the Tonight Show and Conan will be gone. What they will give up by doing that, though, is far more than they will gain. Leno may be number one in late night right now, but Conan connects with a younger audience much more than his predecessor, an audience that will stay with him as they grow older, an audience that will prove to be very profitable over time. The ideal situation would be that the late night shift was delayed for a few more years, but where they are now, Conan could do much more for the future of the network and the franchise than Leno (who, btw, isn't the bad guy here).

Well, there are so many opinions and solutions that viewers, bloggers, and quite a few executives are going over right now. Many of those fates would be tolerable for Conan fans, but there's one option being thrown around that really unnerves me. Considering the supposed millions O'Brien will get if his contract with NBC is breached, many commentators I've heard have said that he could just disappear somewhere and count his money. Now, he has made it very clear that hosting The Tonight Show was a dream of his from childhood, so it would take a lot for him to go quietly, but the rug NBC is pulling out from under him might be enough to have him going for good.

So this is a plea.

Mr. O'Brien, keep doing what you're doing. You could do your show from your basement, post it on Youtube, and people would still watch and love it. So please please please don't go away! Coco is the best in late night and would be missed terribly! NBC is the only one in this mess who doesn't fully realize what they would be missing by letting him go, and I hope, if that happens, they would be the only ones that would have to go on without him.

Do you agree?

How Did I Not Know About This?! My New Favorite Twilight Parody Courtesy of AOTS

2010-01-11T17:03:00.005-05:00

Twilight spoof from G4's Attack of the Show. It makes me go all giggly:

Vanity Fair Underestimates Women of Twitter, Overestimates the Adorableness of Puns

2010-01-07T17:21:00.012-05:00

Okay, I know I'm a bit late to enter the angry WTF arena on this issue, but when I saw the recent Vanity Fair article about Twitter and the "celebrity" that goes along with it, and then I saw all those responses to it (CNET, Geek Week, Geek Girl Diva,Mediaite, Felicia Day, who was featured in the VF piece....comment if I missed any!), I thought, "Sweet! I'm gonna save this for when I get home!" Well! I open my computer feeling like I missed a party! Because all the sources mentioned above said pretty much everything that needs to be said, my two cents will be brief.

The one thing that stuck out to me was that the article didn't really say anything. Ms. Grigoriadis (a woman...more on that later) wrote about these women and this newfangled Twitter thingy as if she were observing a strange new world. With a messed up language apparently. But Twitter has become much more mainstream than that. And people, more people than I think Grigoriadis realizes, are very aware of the popularity of Twitter (mostly because they're using it) and of the unique experience one has being a part of such a community, vs. Facebook ("Tolstoy") or emails ("sonnets"? Whatever). Nothing of what she said stood out to me as innovative, new, or entirely accurate.

I feel like I should be feeling a special brand of frustration because the author is a woman, but I don't. If you don't recognize a gem of a story with plenty of material about how these women are innovators and a type of do-it-yourself-ers that has the potential to change the face of media, internet, and God knows what else and instead opt to dub them internet "cheerleaders," it really doesnt make a difference what gender you are. You still lose out, not us. What a waste.

And instead of repeating the very likely theory from GeekWeek that Grigoriadis and others in the mainstream media are afraid of the powerful influence of the internet and, therefore, don't report on things like Twitter seriously, I'll pose one of my own. I really feel like they have no idea. That they are simply out of touch. They are either so far removed from the growing importance of the internet or they overexaggerate their own significance, but there just seems to be a disconnect. And that makes the condescension and simplification of Twitter and what these women have accomplished even more hilarious.

In a word: Fail

....PS: They obviously don't need my help, but here are the Twitter links to the women featured in the article. Find out for yourselves what they're about. :)

Sarah Austin

Felicia Day

Sarah Evans

Amy Jo Martin

Stefanie Michaels

Julia Roy

Universal Releases New Scott Pilgrim Image!!!

2010-01-07T01:01:00.009-05:00

Source

Oooo sparkly! I'm freaking out more and more about this movie. I know people have been begging Edgar Wright for a trailer but all of this drooling hunger shows just how ready we are for some quality films! Be advised, this shiny flaming sword will only keep us distracted for a day or two, Universal. ;)

Den of Geek: 10 Successful US TV Adaptations

2010-01-06T14:22:00.004-05:00

Nina highlights the TV shows that were successfully remade in the USA. These things do work sometimes....

Published on Jan 5, 2010

Anyone who falls in love with a brilliant TV show also knows the frustration of watching it become butchered if it is remade without the proper care and consideration for the original material and the new audience. Well, that was the subject of my previous list (link down at the bottom). This time around I'm exploring American television adaptations that fared much better against the odds and the likelihood that, much like those that have tried before them and will try after, they would fade into obscurity.

Even though I was quite surprised by some of the findings on this list, the reoccurrence of reality-based shows came as less of a shock. Again, they are listed in no particular order...

Doctor Who: I'm Kinda Bummed

2010-01-05T14:52:00.010-05:00

So, I should probably start by saying that the number of Doctor Who episodes I've seen I could count on one hand, well, more like two, I don't know what a cyberman is (although it sounds pretty self explanatory), and I have no idea why the Ood keep popping up out of nowhere. That would be enough for most Whovians to know that I'm not much of an expert. But for various reasons (one being I genuinely enjoy the show) I've tuned in for the last few episodes/specials of David Tennant's run as the 10th Doctor as well as a few that I caught in the inevitable two day marathon, so I knew enough to keep me up to speed. And it really bummed me out!

Maybe it's because I haven't watched the show religiously or because sad endings like this really get to me or because I really like David Tennant (pray with me that his Scottish accent doesn't go missing when he does this new show in the states), but I don't understand how Doctor. Who fans don't break down like children during these regeneration episodes. Or, while we're on the subject, how children watch this show without crying! Quite a few of the comments I've seen on Twitter, YouTube, etc. have been like,"Ah, well, that was fun, Next!" Are they lying and weeping uncontrollably in front of their computer screens or are these regenerations always treated as business as usual? I'm REALLY asking! I have no idea! If you haven't guessed by my tone and the fact that I'm still thinking and writing about this days after the show aired, I had to wipe away a tear or two (damn you, Bernard Cribbins!)...

Overall, I thought the episode was really well done. The only aspect of the plot that perturbed me was the eventual fate of Donna Noble. Besides the fact that I really like Catherine Tate, Donna Noble is one of my favorite television characters of all time (the majority of the episodes I have watched featured her as the Doctor's companion), and her departure from the Doctor was incredibly heartbreaking not only because they had separated, but also because all of the character development, not to mention all that adventure having and universe saving, that Donna experienced was wiped away. Gone! She wasn't a bad person before she met the Doctor, quite the contrary she was quite lovable. But excluding the TimeLord brain fiasco, she is literally left with nothing from her life with the Doctor, of the person she had become. The memory wiping plot twist was very moving and smart, as was that bit at in The End of Time part 2 about her finally getting married (hm. maybe I've seen more episodes than I thought), but I was really hoping that Russell T. Davies would come up with some kind of loophole to help her remember the most important and consequential part of her life.

And how about the new guy! He looks like he could be a lot of fun! I don't think I will be watching him just because I enjoyed what I have seen so much and that ending was just too sad for my puny human brain. But I still think Matt Smith could be a very good 11th Doctor. But I'd love to hear what diehard Doctor Who fans think! Let me know!

Scratch That! New Plan!

2010-01-03T19:42:00.002-05:00

I know I know, it's a little early to start wimping out on my new year's resolution, but I've had some time to think it over. With my attention span and the amount of work I'm going to have next semester, if i post everyday, it will turn into one or two sentence posts venting about how I can't write anything of substance. Soooo.....

I'm going to post twice a week, every week. That way you might actually give a crap about what I'm saying! I feel like that's enough to keep people entertained. And I will twitter once a day, so follow me there as well! @PerksofQuirk

Now THIS is a resolution I can stick with! :)

Happy New Year! It's Resolution Time!

2010-01-02T21:37:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone! What a surprise, I'm late! And because I am working on another article and have trouble keeping to one task at a time, Ill be brief.

I've been having trouble writing on this blog because I either get bogged down with schoolwork or my own laziness. So as a New Years Resolution, I'm going to pledge to post everyday of the year on this blog. it may not be a novel but something. And since I was late by a day, I'll post double as much as I can. At least once to make up for the 1st. :)

Anyway, if you're still celebrating, enjoy the festivities and let's welcome 2010 w/ open (and slightly hungover) arms! :)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T12:58:00.003-05:00

Love and joy come to you, and to you I'll wassail too. God bless you and send you a Happy New Year, God send you a Happy New Year! <3

And the boys from the NYPD choir were singing Galway Bay. And the bells were ringing out for Christmas day. :)

An Early Christmas Present: Jack Bauer Interrogates Santa

2009-12-19T17:26:00.002-05:00

New Ridley Scott's Robin Hood Trailer! Dreams DO Come True!

2009-12-15T13:43:00.005-05:00

Yay! Ok, excluding Men in Tights and Disney's animated Robin Hood for obvious reasons, I have been pretty disappointed in television and film adaptations of this story. A story which should be a breeze to pull off! It has everything! Great heroes, great villains, potential for a multi-dimensional female lead, and a ton of action and adventure! After watching BBC's Robin Hood fizzle out, and rightfully so, I was incredibly excited to see how this project would look. And it's clear Ridley Scott knows what he's doing. Because, like the story, this movie has everything! Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett (redheaded Marian! woot!), Mark Strong, and Scott of course. And if the mood of the trailer is an accurate reflection of the mood and tone of the film, we may finally have a worthy modern day retelling of this prince of thieves! Check it out, y'all!

(Picture from ScreenGeek and trailer from Comingsoon.net)

Go See Precious

2009-12-05T15:16:00.001-05:00

GO SEE IT!!!!

That is all.

DEN OF GEEK: Ten American TV Adaptations that went Horribly Wrong

2009-12-03T12:23:00.002-05:00

Nina Sordi

The Office is an example of a British show that's also had immense success with its US version. Here are 10 that didn't fare as well, though...

Published on Dec 2, 2009

On the heels of the American remake of British thriller The Prisoner and in the wake of many more UK/American TV adaptations coming our way (including the confirmed MTV remake of Skins), we are reminded how foreign adaptations of television shows can really go one way or the other. And for every Office, there's a...well, that's what this list is for!

So as Americans like myself are feasting on leftover turkey and forgetting what we were thankful for, let's all give thanks that every one of these American television knockoffs are no longer on the air. And because many of these gems never even made it to our living rooms, it is difficult to rank them against those that did, so there is no particular order to this list....

The "Stay Tuned" Post Everyone is Talking About

2009-12-03T01:37:00.003-05:00

Sooooooo there's a bunch of stuff I'm waiting for as far as posting so please don't think I'm making empty promises and leaving you hanging!

1) A new Den of Geek article is coming soon. Just waiting for it to be published, I'm quite proud of this one! :)

2) I went to see Imogen Heap at the TLA Tuesday night, and it may have been the best concert I've ever been to, so I'm DYING to share with you guys why you should see her when she tours again this April (cuz this tour is almost over)! But before I can even focus on that I have to...

3) FINISH ALL THIS DAMN SCHOOL WORK!!! End of the semester BLOWS! But I'm hoping to find some down time between nightmare projects and studying for finals to post about Heap and few other fun stuffs rather than waiting til the very end of the semester when everyone, including my cheery self, will be basking in the spirit of the holidays.

4) And there is a little bit of crazy insane news about what I will be embarking on in this coming year, another thing I am anxious to share with anyone who doesn't already know, but a few things need to be worked out before I can be all official-like about it. Plus, I wanna dedicate a whole post to it instead of slipping it in randomly in a post where no one will see it *cough*SDCC*cough*....

ANYway, thanks for anyone who reads this damn blog, and to keep you occupied while I get my shit together, here is a favorite Christmas treat of mine that makes me smile every year. I think I've posted it before, but seasonal entertainment is very easy to forget:

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T11:46:00.005-05:00

Safe travels and safe battles, everyone! :-P

(Pic from watchtheguild)

Happy Friday: Check Out this Slice of Magic

2009-11-20T15:54:00.006-05:00

Happy Friday, peoples!

Just thought I'd check in. I have a few things that I'm working on, hopefully a new Den of Geek article soon among other things. From now on I don't wanna linger too long away from the blog if I don't have anything extensive or specific to write about. So, I'm going to nerd out and share a music video I found thanks to twitter and Chris Hardwick's site, The Nerdist. It's Beck and Charlotte Gainsbourg with "Heaven can Wait." And I know after retiring "Music Video Mondays" I haven't really discussed a lot of music/music video related content, but I've been seeing some great new and innovative music videos lately. Anyone seen Bad Romance by Lady Gaga (haha I almost typed Lady Gag. Haters feel free to use it)? I haven't heard a lot about it, but after watching the number of youtube hits on it skyrocket over 1 million a day (yes, I've watched it enough times to conclude that), it seems like the audience has spoken. Personally, I think it's well worth it for the shoes.

Anyway, back to "Heaven Can Wait." Beck and Charlotte Gainsbourg are such a brilliant pairing, I don't know why it hasn't happened before (unless it has? I = occasionally ignorant). They not only have euqually quirky musical styles, but they also have off-beat personalities which makes for a match in music video heaven. "Heaven can Wait" is equal parts "what the hell?" and "I am jealous of their brains." What do you think? I'll also post Bad Romance just below Heaven can Wait.

Twilight vs. SNL: A Side by Side Comparison

2009-11-14T01:55:00.004-05:00

Yes, I know, I'm so very timely. Taylor Swift hosted SNL last week, and admittedly, I dunno much about her, but she did a pretty decent job. In the Digital Short, Firelight, she tackles the role of Stella, who falls in love with Frank, a Frankenstein monster. Obviously this was a parody of the Twilight movie, but after the show, I looked up the trailer and was creeped out/amused by how similar they were. Like, it probably didn't need a spoof. I don't know maybe I'm just getting sick of all the Twilight fandom. What do you think?

(Video link here if its cut off)

VS.

Twilight The Movie Official Trailer - Watch more amazing videos here

...I mean, it's not a frame by frame mirror image, but for people who know nothing about twilight, doesn't it make the franchise seem a little more lame? ;)

100th Post & An Evening with Kevin Smith!!!!!

2009-11-11T01:41:00.001-05:00

I can't believe it took me this long to get to my 100th post, but I made it! And if you stuck around this long, thanks so much cuz you'd have to be incredibly patient to keep up with the on-and-off-ness of my blog which I can assure you will be much more "on" than "off" from now on.

And what better way to celebrate then by regaling you with tales of Twilight, Bruce Willis, and sexcapades with Kevin Smith's wife? Last Thursday (I know this is pretty late), I attended "An Evening with Kevin Smith" at the Merriam Theatre in Philadelphia, and I can't think of a better way to kick off the weekend. But I have to start with thanking the powers that be because even though my friends and I pretty much purchased the cheapest seats that would put us closer to God than the stage, we showed up at the right time, ran into the right people, and were bumped up to the front row seats (behind a few rows of folding chairs) that had not been purchased. No charge. If I didn't already have a giant shiny cross around my neck, I would have accepted Christ into my heart right then and there. ;)

So after we stopped freaking out, we settled in and enjoyed hours of stories and audience questions about Smith's career and personal life.

He started out with quite a sad story about the last time he performed in Philadelphia. After that performance and a wonderful family dinner, his father passed away. Being Kevin Smith, however, he followed it up with some hilarious stories about his old man and his time in Philadelphia, so the mood picked up immediately.

The Q&A portion took up most of the evening, but luckily, the people that came up to the mic had some interesting questions that allowed Smith to go into some really hilarious stories. A big topic of the night was his new movie, A Couple of Dicks (he revealed that they are most likely going to have to change the title), because this was his first time directing a script that he hadn't written and because he was directing Bruce Willis. He was very honest and open about the experience and relayed some great anecdotes about his interactions with Willis on set. Should be interesting to see how the movie turned out.

Many of the questions were related to Smith's work with comics and any of his comic-related ventures, including possibilities to direct or write superhero films. He commented on how suprising it was to have a crowd so interested in comics. I was thrilled to be in that crowd because those are topics that don't come up very often. He also expressed his surprise on not only how many girls were there, but also how many girls came up to ask questions. It's true! Half, if not more, of the people who got to ask a question were girls. My friend Becky was the first girl to ask something that night, and that pretty much got that conversation going.

In hindsight, I wish I had asked a question, but by the time I thought of one, the line was way too long and I knew there wouldn't be enough time to get to me. The mood was very relaxed and laid back and was much more casual than I expected, but our time was filled to the brim with stories and conversation so there was no room for a dull moment.

For anyone who will be in or anywhere near the cities remaining on Kevin Smith's tour, I highly recommend seeing his show, especially if you are a fan of his work and don't mind a little raunchy humor (A LOT) because he did and will not disappoint. Don't believe me? Check out all of these smiling faces:

Twitter!!!....?

2009-11-03T14:01:00.001-05:00

So, after weeks and months of resisting, I have opened up a Twitter for Perks of Quirk. I definitely have some reservations about it, but I think it will be a fun extension of the blog! It will mostly deal with the goings on of my blog, and any pop culture related items and events. If you have twitter, let me know, and please follow me and my blog. :)

Also, stay tuned for the next post, where I will hopefully have super fancy stories about an Evening with Kevin Smith which I will be attending on Thursday. And maybe some other cool stuff? Hmm...

The 2009 Halloween Costume Drinking Game/Scavenger Hunt

2009-10-23T00:21:00.021-04:00

Hey kiddies!

So in the past few weeks, most of you are bound to have had or overheard this conversation:

Person 1: How about I go as ______ for Halloween?

Person 2: No way. Everyone is gonna do that!

Well, Person 1 and Person 2, you and your new age hippie names can harness the lameness and/or inevitability of people donning these costumes to enhance your Halloween festivities. While you are making your rounds to many a costume party or trick-or-treating friendly neighborhood, you and your friends take note of how many times these getups cross your path and create a point system. Or a drinking game. Whoever ends up with the most points by the end of night wins something shiny. Or a nice buzz. Either way good times are had. Here are a few of the costumes that will very likely plague the haunted streets on All Hallows Eve:

1. A Wild Thing

This is an especially lucrative find for high school and college students, who tend to have more contact with hipsters and wannabe trendsetters. That's not to say that this wouldn't be a good costume or that the source material(s) are nothing short of brilliant, but it would be a pretty good bet that the majority of people dressed as Wild Things will be quoting lines from the movie and not the book. Just follow the howling and tally your points.

2. The Watchmen

Are you a geek? Do you congregate with fellow geeks? Then this item should sit ominously and with tremendous angst brought on by a world gone mad at the top of your list. Here is another case of a movie adaptation giving a book a new or revitalized following and, in turn, leading to a line of ready-made Rorschach and Silk Spectre II costumes which makes a fanboy/girl's Halloween experience a helluva lot easier. Unless they're hardcore cosplayers. If the costumes are handmade, double the points or drinks.

3. Dead Celebrities

A morbid goldmine of questionable taste, this year has produced a plethora of dearly departed celebrities that will either be the fallback option for people working last minute or the costume someone works really hard on only to receive lukewarm amusement. This would be a great category to create a point system within a point system, and the more obscure or random the celebrity is, the more points (drinks) will be awarded to the finder. For example, a dead Walter Cronkite will be vastly more valuable than a dead Michael Jackson.

4. Twilight/Vampire

This category excludes the old school cape and fangs vampire costume, a clear staple of the Halloween season. No, vampires have a lot more angst these days, which is weird considering they are usually over one hundred years old and must have forgotten whatever they were angsty about as teenagers. ANYway, Edward, Bella, Jacob, Charlie, Linus, and Snoopy, or whatever their names are will most definitely frequent your neighborhood streets this year. True Blood and other modern day vampire references work here too.

5. NEW Disney

Princesses and friendly woodland creatures be damned! There's a new Disney in town and, much like the past few years, kids have been buying up any merch from Hannah Montana and High School Musical they can get their hands on. Certainly Halloween will be no different. Expect many blonde wigs and WildCats jerseys parading around. Hopefully with a parent or a parole officer in toe.

5. COUPLE COSTUME: Kanye West and Taylor Swift

The one rule you must make for this scavenger hunt is: if you see this couple costume, you automatically win it all. Even though Edward and Bella will probably be one of the most popular couples this year, West and Swift may be the most topical. And the most mismatched, but that can't be helped. Fate and idiocy brought them together. Props like the Moon Man or the microphone will enhance the costume and bring fellow partiers/trick-or-treaters back to simpler, more awkward times. This entry is really more of a speedy tutorial for how to go about assembling such a costume, mostly because I have to learn to be less in love with my own ideas.

Well, there you go! I'm sure I've missed some good ones, but comment below if you have any suggestions and have a Happy Halloween! :)

Why Fake Weddings Are Better Than Real Ones

2009-10-09T01:40:00.002-04:00

Congrats, you crazy kids ;)

Link

Trucker Trailer

2009-10-07T01:38:00.002-04:00

Well, for anyone who knows me, it's not hard to figure out how I found this trailer. But for anyone who has seen it or been to the film's website, it's even easier to figure out why I'm posting it now. The story revolves around a female trucker whose estranged 11 year old son returns to her because his father has cancer. This is an extremely promising plot, so I'm hoping it delivers all the intense, funny, and complicated moments and conversations that are bound to take place within this strange dynamic.

Anyway enough of my blabbering, here's the trailer:

DEN OF GEEK: Top 10 X Files Episodes

2009-09-24T12:23:00.002-04:00

Nina offers her selection of the 10 best X-Files episodes of all time...

Published on Sep 22, 2009

Science fiction on television has been making a big comeback in the past few years with shows like Fringe, Dollhouse, Battlestar Galactica, and Lost, and recently with brand new shows like V, Flash Forward, and Stargate Universe. But as this new era of otherworldly entertainment slips back into the mainstream, it seems rather appropriate to take a look back at The X-Files, a program that can be cemented as more than just a passing influence on the televised sci-fi we see today.......

Read more at DenofGeek.com!!!

Emmys FTW

2009-09-21T22:31:00.010-04:00

Award shows? Lame? Yea, about 99% of the time....

Yay!

The best bits in no particular order:

Neil Patrick Harris Opening Number

Best Supporting Actress Nominees (Comedy)/Acceptance Speech

Doctor Horrible Sketch

Jimmy Fallon

As far as award shows go, it was quite entertaining. Good job, NPH. :)

...I swear my next post will not be Emmy related...

Dr. Horrible Wins an Emmy!

2009-09-14T01:18:00.004-04:00

MWAHAHAHA!!!!

At the (sadly underappreciated) Creative Arts Emmys held on Saturday, Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog took home an Emmy for Outstanding Special Class - Short Format Live-Action Entertainment Program. If only I knew what that meant.

To be honest, I was surprised to see that this category wasn't going to be on the Primetime Emmys next Sunday. Then again, if the Academy had gone through with cutting the writing awards from the telecast, nothing would've surprised me. I'll be watching the CA Emmys eagerly next Friday, it's where all the cool people will be. :)

Congrats to everyone involved with Dr. Horrible. Next stop, world domination.

No Sense in Repeating Myself...

2009-09-11T23:36:00.001-04:00

Remembering the Day

Timothy Dalton in...Toy Story 3?

2009-09-10T12:56:00.019-04:00

Joining the already ecclectic and star-studded cast (along with new addition Michael Keaton as Ken which is wickedly perfect), Timothy Dalton, one of the James Bond guys and...wait for it....THE GUY FROM HOT FUZZ, is going to be in Toy Story 3.

He'll be playing a toy "hedgehog with thespian tendencies," named................................................................................................................................almost there................................Mr. Pricklepants. Pixar, FTW.

Just thought I'd share. :)

My Fall Schedule....Well, My DVR's Fall Schedule...

2009-09-06T13:42:00.024-04:00

As one in a series of attempts to shirk certain necessary responsibilites of my life, I will now list my TV schedule for Fall 2009, including a few new shows to watch out for...

Mondays:

Lie to Me 9pm on Fox (Sept 28th)

This show is perfect both for people who enjoy the typical procedural crime drama as well as those who are looking for a departure from the cookie cutter norm. Try watching one episode and not using their tips for finding liars in your own life. Every shrug of the shoulder or scrunching of the nose will have you crying foul! And here's hoping for a lingering, drawn out, tension-filled, relationship between Lightman and Foster. I'm getting really bored watching people have cutesy conversations after sleeping together.

Tuesdays:

V 8pm on ABC (November 3rd)

V is a brand new science fiction venture for ABC that has me equal parts thrilled and terrified. These super nice aliens come to Earth with a message of hope and prosperity, wishing to share their gifts and abilites with us. We find out, though, that their goals are far more sinister than they appear to be. This one is likely to freak me out, so I'm not sure how long I'll hold on, but I'm definitely going to give it a try. Special Bonus: Morena Baccarin from Firefly plays Anna, the spokesperson and possible leader of these aliens. Bring it on! Trailer here.

Wednesdays:

GLEE!!!! 9pm on Fox (September 9th)

Watch this show. Please. Just watch it. After Pushing Daisies was taken from us last season, fans have been looking to fill that quirky, offbeat void. Well, I think Glee far exceeds any expectations of being just a replacement and has the potential to be the best show of the year. It is NOT High School Musical. Although truth be told, I've never seen HSM, but this show is so twisted I can't imagine it being similar at all. The characters are multi-dimensional, believable, and riddled with unflattering flaws. Teachers get as much airtime in this show as the students, which I consider a refreshing change from other school-centric programs. The problems reach deeper than trying out for a play or trying to be well liked, and it embraces basic, genuine, and unextravagant ways to find joy and pleasure in life. I might be a little too excited, but it is really a treat to discover a project that, pardon the expression, does more than just keep the status quo. Trailer here.

Thursdays:

The Office 9pm on NBC (September 17th)

Pam is preggers! Need I say more? The Office is still going strong, so all I can really say to non-watchers is it's about time you joined the party. I'm gonna start predicting baby names now. Possibly more on that later...Sneak Peek Here.

Community 9:30pm on NBC (September 17th)

I don't know much about this show, other than it's about students at a community college and it stars Joel McHale from The Soup, but that's all I need to know, really. The trailer shows off a hilarious cast and witty writing, so I'm excited to see how the show develops. Trailer here.

Fridays:

Dollhouse 9pm on Fox (September 25th)

With only a 13 episode premiere season, Dollhouse has got to grab the attention of potential viewers right out the gate for season 2 if it has any hope of staying on the air. Joss Whedon has done it again with the story of an underground sci-fied brothel that erases the memories and personalities of their Actives in order to transplant ideal personalities into their bodies for any client that walks through their doors. More than the jobs Echo and the other dolls are assigned, the backdrop and conspiracy angle of the story is so extremely captivating that one wonders exactly what kind of mayhem the Dollhouse is letting loose into the world. Even though the entire first season was wonderful, it was the unaired 13th episode (found on the DVD) Epitaph One, however, that got me completely hooked to the show. It shows the world ten years later and the apocalypse that has rained down upon the few surviving Actuals (those who have not been imprinted with personalities). The spectacular storytelling, the fearlessness of Whedon to paint a less glossy picture of what happens to these characters, and the mysterious flashbacks showing snippets of what took place years before opened up a whole new facet of the show that can and must be explored. It is one of few unique entertainment experiences still on the air; let's keep it that way. Teaser here.

Well, there you go! I chose to not include reality shows (Project Runway, Top Chef, etc) because most of them are self explanatory and, to be honest, already successful. Looks like a full schedule this year. Hopefully having a life won't get in the way of me missing a single second of TV goodness...(note the sarcasm please). Any shows I missed? Let me know!

You Know What's Awesome?

2009-09-01T11:53:00.002-04:00

Not having internet for 3 days! YAY! SO GREAT!

Forgive me but written sarcasm is difficult to communicate successfully, and I am too tired for subtley. Anyway, I'm back online and will hopefully have articles and tidbits for you this week! I'm also going on a few adventures this semester that I hope to relay in a joyous and enthusiastic fashion to you (all?). For example, I'm going to see "An Evening with Kevin Smith." In November. YAY! (not sarcasm) Can't wait for that and can't wait to get going on this blog again. Later!

DEN OF GEEK: The Guild: A Web Obsession for the Web Obsessed

2009-08-25T13:04:00.003-04:00

Nina looks at a web series about a group of online gamers, that's now up to its third season...

Published on Aug 24, 2009

The last few years have seen web series start off as a fairly ignored source of professionally scripted entertainment to a replenishing well of material and a valuable medium for anyone looking to create and distribute without the looming eye of a studio. One such success story can be found in The Guild, the tale of a group of online gamers who have only made contact with one another through their headsets and decide to meet face to face for the first time. In actuality, there is a lot more to it, but those live encounters set the first two seasons in motion....

Read more at DenofGeek.com!!!

The Guild: Do You Wanna Date My Avatar?

2009-08-17T16:45:00.011-04:00

If you haven't heard of the internet sitcom, The Guild, you will soon. Seriously tho. I'm posting an article about it soon. ;) Until then, check out the first two seasons at watchtheguild.com, and check out the premiere of the show's music video for the song, Do You Wanna Date my Avatar?*

Coincidentally, "Tank and Spank" was my nickname in gym class. ;)

*There have been problems with uploading videos onto my site recently, so if this video is cut off visually, check it out here

There Really Isn't Much Else To Say...

2009-08-10T18:07:00.004-04:00

DEN OF GEEK: Why we love Bryan Fuller (and why you should too)

2009-07-30T01:12:00.005-04:00

Nina salutes the man behind Pushing Daisies, Wonderfalls, parts of Heroes and Dead Like Me. It's Mr Bryan Fuller...

Published on Jul 29, 2009

With the recent release of Pushing Daisies' second (and final) season on DVD, the customary mourning period has been laced with a tang of bitter resentment. Bryan Fuller, Daisies' creator and much sought after television writer, has breathed new innovative and visionary life into television time and time again only to be denied from letting his projects blossom and thrive like they have with fans on DVD....

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ARTICLE on DenofGeek.com!

PLEASE COMMENT! I'M SO EXCITED!!! :)

Writing for Den of Geek!

2009-07-30T01:09:00.002-04:00

QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT! I am now writing for DenofGeek.com! I will still be on this blog, but I just wanted to let you guy(s) know that this was happening. More about it in the next post...

Secret to Enjoying the Movie...Forget the Book

2009-07-21T20:15:00.002-04:00

Leave it to a wizard to set me straight.

A long while ago, I wrote a post about book to film adaptations. It highlighted how after reading the original work, their celluloid doppelgangers came across as less than spectacular. Recently, however, I've found myself watching flicks based on material of an unfortunately less appealing medium for many nowadays. But something was different because I had a wonderful time and enjoyed every bit of the movies I saw. What had been so off-putting about my other ordeals?

The first in this string of films I saw was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Considering how dissatisfied I was with a few of the other Potter films (the first and the third I saw in their entirety, the second in pieces), I cannot believe how much I liked this movie. The Half-Blood Prince wasn't a book that I paged through multiple times, so there were many gasps, revalations, and what I can only assume were irritating sidebars with my friend that began with me whispering, "wait...what?"

While it is my predilection to remain enthusiastically faithful to the source material of any beloved tale, especially if said material is paper and ink, I have found that distancing oneself from the book allows staunch devotees to more appreciate the films. There is more surprise and less frustration about details that are either excluded or manipulated to fit the 2 hour running time. It also allows you to further separate the movie as a completely different entity rather than something that "ruins" the book.

Running with Scissors was a memoir I had read years ago and a film I watched immediately afterward. As I had said in my last post on the subject, the movie was very frustrating to me because most of the book was fresh in my mind. My mother, who did not read the book, enjoyed the movie, which led me to believe that the best thing to do is to either read the book after the movie or not at all. Last weekend, however, I watched it again and really liked it. I had an unanticipated amount of questions about what was happening and my mother had to remind me of many significant plot points and minute details that had escaped me. The one thing I noticed was that it was easier to acknowledge and be entertained by the film's unique and engaging style, appearance, and overall interpretation of this story, things I missed on its first viewing. If you have the chance to read a book and watch its film with an appropriate amount of time to digest and, for the lack of a better word, "forget" the context of the former, that would probably be your best bet...if you are as obsessive about the whole process as I am.

Granted, some movies are just crap. So chances are no amount of finagling with your schedule and your mind is going to fix that. These suggestions are reserved for entertainment experiences that are worth salvaging.

And of course, everyone's observations are different. Has anyone else ever tried this and found it to be successful? Worthless? A waste of brain space? Let me know! There are so many "based on..." movies coming out that it would be interesting to see if anyone else has found a way to enjoy them.

The Bad Shepherds: Folk/Punk Awesomeness

2009-07-17T21:47:00.002-04:00

Adrian Edmonson, most well known from his role as Vyvyan in the 80's British television series The Young Ones and married to the absolutely fabulous Jennifer Saunders, has formed quite an ambitious band with quite an ambitious sound. The Bad Shepherds fuses two musical genres by taking punk songs and covering them using traditional folk instruments. The result is pretty fantastic.

(Note: Don't get thrown off by the technical difficulties. They more than make up for it.)

Being a fan of traditional folk (of the UK variety) as well as punk, I was thrilled to find this band. There hasn't been much going on in the music scene so far this year that really, REALLY grabbed me (unless I'm looking in the wrong places?), so any bout of uniqueness and creativity during this drought is enthusiastically welcomed.

Now, they did form circa 2007, so it's not like this is hot off the fire, but it certainly feels like it. The ingeniousness of the marriage of these genres is that their audiences have similar vibes and a distinct cult-like passion for their music. Both folk and punk are somewhat underground but each have a very large fanbase, and all of these elements create such a vibrant and joyful performance experience, so the crossover is only natural.

It's also obvious that these musicians are not amateurs, which is vital considering how difficult it is to play those songs and instruments well. And to do a successful cover. I'm sick of seeing these rookie bands doing covers, especially of classic songs, not comprehending how easily their undertakings could go horribly wrong and not appreciating or respecting the original material. The Bad Shepherds, specifically Edmonson, has a great love for punk music, and it shows in how they masterfully reimagine the music with the original spirit of it intact.

Maybe I'm just a folk nerd, but I took to this band immediately and I'd love to see them continue on this track for a while. If you want to check them out, visit their site:

http://www.thebadshepherds.com/index.php

"It's the Best Day Everrr!!!"

2009-07-17T00:08:00.002-04:00

Indeed it is, Spongebob.

Today is the tenth anniversary of the Spongebob Squarepants' premiere on Nickelodeon. It is, in my opinion, one of the best modern day cartoons in existence. Thank God most people got its random twisted awesomeness and it didn't fall by the wayside. There really isn't much else to say that hasn't already been said. Happy Birthday!

WHIP IT Trailer!!!!

2009-07-15T23:59:00.003-04:00

Now...I'm really excited:

First Single from Ellipse!

2009-07-10T22:39:00.010-04:00

Probably my favorite modern musician, Imogen Heap premiered the first single from her album Ellipse this morning. She was interviewed on the show "Morning Becomes Eclectic" on the LA radio station KCRW and shared "First Train Home" in its entirety! I say that because for almost two years Heap has kept her fans updated about recording her album as well as the construction of her new studio through Twitter and video blogs where she teased us with snippets of her new songs. So this album has been a long time coming for her fans. It will be released August 24th in the UK and August 25th in the US and Canada.

The song definitely contains many of the whimsical facets that pleasantly catch the light against a crystalling voice and playful lyrics that are usually found in Heap's music, but there's a bit of sharpness that indicates to me a new direction in this album that I am eagerly anticipating.

What do you guys think?! (PS: I'm not sure why my videos are warped, and I've tried anything to fix them, but if anyone knows why it's doing that, drop me a line. Thanks!)

WHIP IT Photo

2009-07-10T00:39:00.009-04:00

So what type of movie would Drew Barrymore direct? For her first venture behind the camera no less? If you're thinking it's a film about a bakery owned by a family of pastry chefs who find themselves nearly being bought out by a popular pastry-based corporation and must compete with them in the ultimate bake-off to save their shop...then you would be really stupid. Whip It is actually about about a teen (Ellen Page) who opts for joining a roller derby over her mother's (Marcia Gay Harden) wishes of beauty queen stardom. Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Eve, Jimmy Fallon, Alia Shawkat, Zoe Bell, and Kristen Wiig round out the cast in this awesomely conceived film. And the first photo was just released! Check it out!

I, for one, am quite excited for this. For some unknown reason, I have a lot of faith in Barrymore, especially after learning of the plot and some other amusing tidbits (like Kristen Wiig's character's name: Malice in Wonderland). Throw in a badass picture and it looks like we've got a delicous confection awaiting for us this October!

Ponyo on the Cliff Trailer!!!

2009-06-23T13:55:00.010-04:00

YAY! The latest release from Studio Ghibli and director Hayao Miyazaki, Ponyo on the Cliff, has released its first (to my knowledge) trailer in English. The film follows "a 5-year-old boy and his relationship with a goldfish princess who longs to become human." I'm hearing good things, folks! But you wouldn't expect anything less from Miyazaki...

LA Times Misses the Mark on Ms. Geek

2009-06-19T15:20:00.005-04:00

In a shocking turn of events, the progressive and sophisticated LA Times has swept up an entire group of people and associated them with a ridiculous stereotype. This consistently underappreciated faction is rarely analyzed to this degree, and they now have the misfortune of not receiving the attention and respect they deserve. And as a member of said group, I feel it is my duty to set the record straight about our plight in today’s society.

I am, of course, talking about the lady geeks.

On LATimes.com, entertainment writers compiled a list which they apparently thought was an indispensable tool for a certain class of nerd, The Girls Guide to Comic-Con 2009. It exemplifies reasons for women to attend the holy grail of comic book conventions in San Diego this July and is accompanied with a photo slideshow. Having never attended, I tore through the article with the hope of bitterly discovering what I will be missing in lieu of paying the rent. For those who are unfamiliar, this convention hosts a great variety of events including sneak peeks of the newest action, fantasy, and science fiction films, booths selling the latest and greatest comics, graphic novels, and pop culture memorabilia, and panels of beloved writers, directors, artists, and actors of the most popular films, television, and comic book series. Attendees are treated to meet-and-greets with their heroes, fictional and real, interviews where the most creative minds in the industry dish about their latest projects, and fellow fans who may be geeking out about the same Battlestar Galactica spin-off or dressed as their favorite Batman villain. It is a feast for the nerdiest of fanboys. And, according to the LA Times, not enough of an incentive for fangirls to go, as evidenced by the frequent use of the word “man-candy”.

Of the twenty two items shown in this article, fourteen illustrated the “hunky goodness” of a particular actor or TV/movie character for girls to gawk at and to distract them from all of the boring, estrogen-repellent happenings listed above. In fact, there were certain blurbs that focused on the studs of a TV show rather than the show itself. Apparently “The Men of True Blood” is more of a pertinent category than just…True Blood. They got us, girls. Our hidden motive for going to Comic-Con is to feed our man-hungry appetites by taking in all the earthly delights they can supply.

Hey, I’m only being as repetitive as they were. It doesn’t surprise me that people who don’t understand the geek culture (which really isn’t all that hard to get, LA Times) would have to concoct a depthless reason for girls to be interested in comics. While I am not trying to ignite a “boys vs. girls” debate here, it is fair to say that the hot actresses are not the primary motives for men to flock to Comic-Con; they’re likely to be more overpowered by their guy love for J.J. Abrams. So why is the opposite sex supposed to be women’s driving force? The distinct moment of clarity about the cluelessness of this list came around item ten, where readers first see a picture of the movie adaptation of the children’s literary classic, Where the Wild Things Are. Finally! These blind squirrels have found a nut. And just before they cringe at the word “delish” and the misspelling of “Spike Jonze”, readers uncover what the writer believes ladies are looking for in this film, “Two words: Mark Ruffalo.”

Wow….Perfect. Have you ever even met a geek girl?

(Image from gamespot.com)

Then, to top it all off, these hard-hitting journalists coupled their assertions with two of the hollowest words in relation to the modern feminist movement: female empowerment. This concept always seemed silly to me, especially in reference to pop culture. Fierce, hardened, and intimidating heroines certainly have an important place in fiction as well as reality, but they shouldn’t be necessary for women to feel powerful or worthy of respect. They should be the sweet cherry that tops the cool satisfaction of knowing that any underestimation thrown our way is proof that some worthless people have no idea what we are capable of.

Unlike a few of the responses to this article, I am not offended. That would be wasting energy I need to resent being on the East coast in a certain weekend in July. Like much of the commentary in the blogosphere, however, I am actually quite amused. If these writers think that a shirtless Jake Gyllenhaal and the newest edition to the Twilight saga are the ultimate lure for girls at Comic-Con, they missed an opportunity to really examine a subset of a larger than life culture that is, for the most part, indistinguishable from its male equivalent. Fortunately, the world of fandom is aware of this article’s fallacies (if they are, in fact, aware of the article at all), and the rest of the world couldn’t care less. And the geek girls wouldn’t have it any other way.

(On an unrelated note, my organization, “Help Nina get to Comic-Con 2010,” is now accepting donations.)

Picture is official logo of San Diego Comic-Con 2009 from http://www.comic-con.org/

Another Landmark Birthday!

2009-06-09T23:03:00.005-04:00

This time, it's our favorite hot tempered duck who doesn't get shot in the face on a regualr basis.

Leave it to Disney to make anger problems adorable. Donald Duck turns 75 today, and after all these years, he's still a snappy dresser. He's been one of my favorite Disney characters, certainly my favorite of the Mickey Mouse gang, since I was a little one. His cartoons were always hilarious (including the one below, probably my favorite), and he is responsible for hundreds of little kids trying to talk like a duck....and failing. So congratulations, Donald, you screwy old quack!

Tetris: Helping Us Pull All-Nighters for 25 Years

2009-06-06T02:12:00.005-04:00

Even though Google beat me to it, it is my great pleasure to wish Tetris a happy 25th birthday! This is a landmark moment for anyone who has ever played Tetris so much they see the pieces fall inside their eyelids as they lay in bed, or felt that incomparable and transcendent joy when the long straight piece topples in to save you from yourself.

Halo can suck it. Tetris has its own dance remix. Happy anniversary, old pal. ;)

Here's my "Best WTF Moment."

2009-06-03T12:57:00.003-04:00

Does anyone else think it was really weird that Kate Winslet in The Reader was nominated in the MTV Movie Awards? Just sayin'.

It's Here!

2009-05-14T18:48:00.006-04:00

Well, I didn't expect this to be my first post back from my hiatus, but life is funny that way...

The trailer for Into Temptation is finally here!!! Young ones beware:

For those of you who don't know, I've been following a few projects, and this was one of them, so I'm quite excited to finally see some footage from it. The trailer surprised me though. Even considering the subject matter, I thought it looked really intense and dramatic. It also looks like writer/director Partick Coyle isn't pulling any punches when effectively altering the perception of priests as individuals rather than as vessels of God's word. This is something that is rarely seen in film and is rarely shown in the light that Coyle casts. I'll be excited to see more from this film.

What do you think?

I'm Baaaaaaack

2009-05-08T01:56:00.003-04:00

Hey guys!!!

I'm sorry i haven't been around the last 2 months...it's been too crazy to explain. And I know no one cares, with good reason, so I'll spare the details ;)

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'm back and will be posting again, starting next week, which is when my finals end. This summer should be a lot of fun; I've been digging up a lot of interesting movies and will start previewing this fall's TV lineup! Basically, I've got a lot of things I wanna talk about, and I hope you're still listening!

Please keep commenting, and send me articles or topics of interest cuz I'm always looking for new stuff to talk about! Enjoy your weekend!

Away We Go Indeed

2009-03-17T01:17:00.004-04:00

Well, I now have another title to add to my list of movies to look out for. Away We Go is about a couple expecting their first child taking a cross country road trip to find a new place to live. I had first heard of this movie quite a while ago in an article on http://officetally.com/, but when I saw who was in the cast, especially the 2 leads (John Krasinski from The Office and Maya Rudolph from SNL), I expected the film to be a big budget slapstick comedy, something that I would have enjoyed anyway. Instead, when I discovered the trailer, I was pleasantly surprised at the unexpected tone and direction it's taking:

'Away We Go' Theatrical Trailer @ Yahoo! Video

I am really excited about this one. From Sam Mendes at the helm to the surprisingly flawless cast (including Katherine O'Hara, Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, and Maggie Gyllenhall), this movie looks like it could be wonderful. What do you guys think?

Sunshine Cleaning out Today!

2009-03-13T15:05:00.006-04:00

Hey everyone!

The movie I've been obsessively blogging about, Sunshine Cleaning, is out today in limited release (*sigh*), and from the reviews I've read, it looks like it could be pretty good. For a refresher, here's the trailer I posted a few months ago:

There are mulptiple trailers, clips, pictures, and interviews all over the place for this movie, so check it out! :)

Now, I'm trying my best to find info about where it's being released in the Philadelphia area but no dice. So if anyone knows anything about where it's being shown, PLEASE let me know.

ALSO, if anyone has seen the movie, please chime in! I'd love to hear what you have to say, and please make sure to label any spoilers for anyone who wants to be surprised. :)

On a slightly related note, I'm kinda pissed because Scarlett Johansson has just been cast as the Black Widow in Iron Man 2, a role that was rumored to be filled my Emily Blunt....

While I don't have anything invested in Emily Blunt being in this movie, I felt she could have done a better job than Johansson. Her sexpot thing is getting a little old, and I think Blunt has a little bit more range, but, again, it's really more of an objection to Scarlett Johansson than anything. *shrug* I'll be watching for Tony Stark...

So What Did We Learn from the Oscars?

2009-02-24T22:52:00.015-05:00

If you're like me and watched the 2009 Oscars with the hope of being intellectually enlightened, your expectations were gracefully and humbly met. Because when anyone things Hollywood, they think, "modesty."

*Sigh*

Looking back at the low quality Youtube clips I found on Monday and the last third of the show I mostly had on mute, it seems like there was a lot to take away from the night. I thought I would be as giving and selfless as the unpretentious Hollywood community for those who didn't see the show and create a list of things that I learned from the Oscars:

1) I might be a little gay for Amy Adams...or the necklace she wore I'm not sure which...

2) The number of entertaining performances by Anne Hathaway has made a dramatic increase to a record setting one.

3) Someone out there thought they could save time by having 4 actors talk about how great each nominee is for each acting category before they announce the winner.

4) Angelina Jolie is the only person of interest to focus on when Jennifer Aniston is talking.

5) Performances of showtune medleys should be left to the professionals. Pass that along to Beyonce 'cause I don't think she can hear me over her lip synched track.

6) It isn't easy being a nun.

7) Jerry Lewis is very conscious of not overstaying his welcome.

8) Sean Penn should do more movies where we forget it's Sean Penn. Or none at all. The choice is yours...

9) Pixar rules all.

10) A. R. Rahman should have been in every musical performance and done every acceptance speech.

11) We now know, "Why so serious?"

and finally...

12) Hugh Jackman is Wolverine.

Well, I hope this was as eye opening for you as it was for me.

An honorable mention is going to the final video montage of the night for new movies coming in 2009. It's exciting to learn about movies that will never be nominated:

MV Mondays: Gary Jules

2009-02-23T23:40:00.004-05:00

My apologies! I haven't been here in a while because school is a soul sucking demon bitch from hell. But I'm going to try to post more in the next few weeks. This is going to be my last MV Monday post for a while. It's not going to go away, I'm just having trouble finding good music videos lately. Here's an old(ish) favorite of mine, enjoy!

No offense to Tears for Fears, but this version of Mad World takes the cake.

The thing about this song is that the arrangement is so tragic that anything accompanying it appears just as tragic. You could dub any other song over this video and you would say, "Oh how cute! Kids making funny shapes!" Oh no. With a melody as litling and soft and a voice as raspy and low, even kids playing in a playground looks like a scence from an artistically dismal film. There is a loveliness to it, however, that gives it a richness and removes the aura of a one dimensional attempt at depth.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T13:12:00.003-05:00

I like long walks on the beach and posting ironically humorous photos on holidays. Call me! ;)

MV Mondays: Nightwish

2009-02-04T15:41:00.004-05:00

Finally! Now, this choice is certainly an acquired taste, and I'm saying that as someone who does not have it. But I'm gonna give it a try:

Ok, as far as the song is concerned, it's definitely interesting...I mean, it's a rockin' song and I've caught myself singing along, but in my opinion that the fusion of styles is a little off and a bit too theatrical for me...and that's saying something. The 20 million views of this video on Youtube, however, proves that there is a healthy opposition to that opinion.

The video itself is definitely as theatrical as the song, but it has a certain quirk to it that I was glad to see. I have no clue if this is common knowledge among Nightwish fans (or anyone else who gives a crap), but the video references the painting The Wounded Angel by Hugo Simberg.

It's always really cool to see references to art in pop culture even (or especially) if it's taken to a completely new level. Eh, it can be seen as a bit corny, but I enjoyed the imagery and the concept. Thoughts?

MV Mondays Postponed This Week

2009-02-03T14:32:00.002-05:00

Sorry guys! I didn't have time to post yesterday, and YouTube is deciding to be lame today and not work, but I will try to get it posted as soon as possible! Have a nice day! :)

RIP Kim Manners (1950-2009)

2009-01-29T14:17:00.004-05:00

His name may not be well known beyond science fiction enthusiasts, but his presence will most definitely be missed on television. Kim Manners, who died on Sunday after a lengthy battle with lung cancer at 59 years young, was an accomplished television director and producer. Shows he worked on include 21 Jump Street, Charlie's Angels, and most recently Supernatural. He is most known for, however, his work on The X Files. While all of the directors on that show were wonderful, Manners is one of my absolute favorites. His credits include (for those of you who know or care) such famed episodes as Quagmire, Two Fathers, The Sixth Extinction, and the always disturbing Home.

He was a very talented director and it's always unfortunate when gifted people leave this world. He will be missed. :(

MV Mondays: Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson

2009-01-26T22:40:00.003-05:00

Here's a video that will make u love winter again! Or continue to hate, depending...

This video made me love winter because it perfectly captured the essence of winter through the images, the style, and the song itself. The grainy texture of the film and the colors and the soft sadness of the piano all fit together so well, and it was not like the cheery winter wonderland we see especially around Christmas time. Because the mood was so genuine, the emotions and the reactions were more genuine. Depressing or not, it made me love the experience of finger freezing, ice slipping, snow shoveling, cold as death winter. :) I actually liked the "before" part of the video more than the springtime blossom ending.

The Good ol' U.S. of T.

2009-01-24T17:07:00.002-05:00

I guess even Showtime finds a nut once in a while...

While I have only seen the edited version of the pilot, The United States of Tara seems to be off to a great start.

Whoever thought multiple personality disorder could be so kooky and off-putting? Oh wait, everyone.

The show follows a suburban housewife with this disorder and the family that loves her. It is produced and created by Steven Spielberg and written by Juno's Diablo Cody. If anyone was unaware of its writer, catching a snippet of the show's quirky, somewhat stylized dialogue would have any audience member seeing visions of hamburger phones and orange tic-tacs. The heavyhandedness of wit in her one-liners can sometimes be overwhelming, but compared to her previous writing venture, she has toned it down so we have time to laugh between gags.

There are so many traps this show could fall into, but so far it's seem to have avoided most of them:

1) Shocking and scandalous plots that eventually become complicated and unrealistic.
- Many shows with creative or unorthodox plots have a tendency to not rely on whatever made them unique, but rather to throw in murder, adultery, backstabbing, lots and lots of sex, or other shocking storylines that seem more drama-fueled than profound or relatable to the audience. I have not seen the show, but from the commercials, it seems that Big Love has drifted into that territory. What made the idea of this show so intriguing (although not so much for me)was that this "extended family" was secretly functioning within the parameters of suburban life. It was that delicate balance that was interesting, not who was cheating on who and why (or whatever's going on). Tara seems to be keeping the scales leveled and any problems that come about are in direct result of, as Max put it, "the crazy."

2) Stereotypical teenagers with stereotypical problems.
- Too often kids on television fall into on of a few fallback molds and all the typical problems that come with them. I was nervous when the pilot began with Tara's concern about her daughter purchasing birth control pills. Here we go with the promiscuous, closed-off, socially driven daughter again! Then Kate walked in wearing a tu-tu and I shut up for a moment. Turns out that while she has the same sex-talk back-and-forth with her parents, she gets along with them, is generally not embarrassed by them and her mother's antics, and has a passion something other than boys. Ballet! The son is also a gem. The effeminate, tea drinking, jazz listening, muffin baking, openly gay Marshall has a positive attitude and his own way of doing things that is rarely seen in tv sons. He finds himself at odds with her mother's homophobic, macho male personality, Buck, but has enough maturity and selflessness to know who he is and who his mother really is. No self involved whining from these kids.

3) Sex Sex Sex Sex Sex
- To be fair, I have only seen the edited version of the show, so I have no clue if there were any sex scenes or nudity, but considering it's Showtime, there's bound to be some sooner or later. It's not the act or the visuals as much as it is the unnecessary nature of it. A show can survive without throwing in a lengthy screw to fill up time. From what I've seen, there is at least some heavy petting, but it does seems pertinent to the development of the character. The sex jokes are funny and not overly gross, so that at least is a pleasant surprise.

4) Tara's "alters" coming out so much that we never really see her.
- Ok, this might become the biggest problem. All of her personalities are so vibrant and colorful and fun to watch that they may dominate Toni Collette's screen time. The pilot only got to see glimpses of the real Tara, but it was enough to establish her character's foundation and her role as a mother, sister, and a wife; however, we need to see more of her in the future. Not every moment has to be a crisis and not every moment has to be an uncomfortable social confronation with Alice, T, or Buck. Seeing Tara overcome her need to escape or be someone else will be an achievement the audience would love to see because in the end, we are all rooting for her and her family.

If anyone has seen the unedited version or other episodes, please chime in. I could be completely wrong and not even know it.

Here's the trailer for anyone who hasn't seen it:

MV Mondays: Miri Ben-Ari

2009-01-19T00:39:00.003-05:00

Hello, everyone! Sorry I was MIA last week. Nothing really sparked my interest (*cough*exceptsleepandfood*cough*), but luckily this week I recalled a music video that is quite appropriate for the man being honored today. It's called Symphony of Brotherhood:

Other than the fact that it's a sweet little period piece used as a backdrop for a lovely song, there really isn't much to say about the video itself. There is quite a bit, however, to say about "the hip-hop" violinist. While I have never been a big hip-hop fan, I very much like this crazy talented Israeli girl. It's nice to see a little variation and creativity at a time when the pool of inspired music is drying up, and even though she is sometimes drowned out by other performers in some of her songs, she is a force on her own:

Never gets old.

Anyway, the music video isn't too complicated or overly conceptual, but the relationship of the characters and their reaction to King's speech successfully mirrored the emotion of the expressive and powerful performance and song.

Hopefully I'll hit you guys with an article this week (*cough*hopefully*cough*)! :)

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