Deadly Roundhouse

Which Witch?

Doug — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:04:40 +0000

There are many questions to ask when you see two Snow White movies coming out so close to one-another. “Why now?”,” Why isn’t it animated?” ,”How has this not been done (well) already?” But today the most important question is “Which one should I spend my money on?”

Many people would probably answer either “Both” or “Neither”. But those aren’t options so sit down and choose! So let’s juxtapose the two and see which looks better on paper (I made a chart):

Come on! 4-1! There is just no contest, the darker the better. We want the Huntsman (even though Twilight is represented). The best way to make a killing in the box office is to take something we already like and make it dark (by the way the new Little Mermaid movie is gonna be SO DARK)! Everyone loves a family comedy that will make us laugh and feel warm and fuzzy at the end, but you can only choose one so don’t be dumb.

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Movie Review: Marvel’s The Avengers

Jeremy — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:41:41 +0000

Finally, one of the big two gets their super team on the big screen. Marvel won the race, and may have set the bar so high, that no one (I’m looking at you DC) will be able to replicate the success. They managed to get (mostly) all their big names on board and then back it up with the a star director/writer. I guess it didn’t hurt them at all that the hype for an Avengers movie started about four years ago after the credits of the first Iron Man movie.

My experience with The Avengers movie was an interesting one. I am lucky enough to live near a theater that ran the all day Marvel Movie Marathon. I got to catch up on all the other Avengers’ origin movies, then see The Avengers at midnight. It was a fun social experiment if nothing else. I swear the theater didn’t turn on the air conditioning until half way through the 14.5 hour day. Imagine approximately 100 geeks, sitting around all day, eating pizza, nacho’s, popcorn and hamburgers. There was a certain odor. I noticed. No one else said anything, but I noticed. In between the movies we had 15 minutes to go empty bladders, refill extra-large collectible cups, inhale nicotine, and argue about all the things that people like us argue about when no one else is paying attention. I witnessed a heated discussion between people about whether vibranium was a completely inert element, and whether or not it would actually be a good material to make Captain America’s shield out of.

On to my opinion of the Avengers movie, don’t worry, it’s spoiler free. Basically it is everyone’s wet-dream of a summer blockbuster movie. The movie follows the tried and true three acts to perfection, it doesn’t take very long to jump into the action, and it doesn’t really stop until the end. We already knew that all the actor’s, besides Mark Ruffalo, could play their parts and Joss Whedon’s script let them(maybe even enhanced it). If you are a fan of Whedon’s previous stuff (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly/Serenity) then you know the kind of humor and depth he brings to his characters. He gives them the little human flaws that make you identify with them so strongly, that their struggles and victories become yours. Another thing that won’t come as a surprise to you, is how strongly he writes his female characters. Johansson’s Black Widow is clearly an equal to her male teammates. Finally (my last testament to how great Whedon did with this film), this is the best that the Incredible Hulk/Bruce Banner has ever been written. Sorry, Ed Norton, but instead of a love story (like your Hulk movie) this film’s Hulk was just dealing with “Hey, if I’m not careful, I change into a huge monster and destroy everything”. And, he did it right.

So yes, it may have literally had it all. Action, quotable lines, a little humor, and of course, the post credit teasers. Stay until the very end, it’s worth it.

I know I’m not the only one who went and saw it, so tell me what you think. If there is someone out there who saw it and was not completely enamored, please leave a comment, I’d be very interested to hear why… because I’m a fanboy, and I sometimes overlook things.

Batman: Arkham Unhinged #1

Jeremy — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:00:40 +0000

Did you love Batman Arkham City? Did you blast through the storyline? Collect all the collectables? Unlock all the unlockables? If you just can’t get enough of the latest award-winning Batman video game, then you should probably pick up Batman: Arkham Unhinged. It’s a prequel to the video game, and goes into the roles of the heroes and villains. According to DC Comics the comic book is:

A prequel to the game created with the developer, Rocksteady, this first issue features content previously available only as a digital released and explores the Catwoman/Two-Face rivalry and how it leads them into the clutches of Hugo Strange.

I did love the game, I did like the story line. With so many Batman books out now (five), I’m not sure if I’m ready to add another one that was created with the company that also created the video game. DC already has a lot of competition for any of my extra money with so many great indie books being released. I feel like if they had some bigger names involved (Paul Dini, for instance… he did help with the video game story line right?) with the creation, this Batman comic book would distinguish itself from just another chance for the video game to get some extra exposure, and make some more money.

Unless I read an outstanding review somewhere, I’m probably going to pass on this one. If you decide you want to pick it up, and for some reason you don’t know where your local comic book shop is, just click on this: Batman: Arkham Unhinged #1 and let Amazon.com do the work.

Avengers vs. X-Men Begins with Issue #0

Jeremy — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:48:40 +0000

As we mentioned in a previous a rticle, Marvel is putting their two biggest (and most popular) teams head-to-head for this year’s crossover event. That’s right AvX: Cyclops vs. Captain America, Red Hulk vs. Colossus (who is also now the Juggernaut), Iron Man vs. Magneto, Wolverine vs…wait, which team will he choose? There are quite a few X-Men, including Beast and Storm, who have been a part of each team over the years.

Starting tomorrow with issue #0 (written by Brian Michael Bendis and Jason Aaron and art by Frank Cho), the two teams will be coming into conflict over the fact that the super destructive Phoenix Force is making its way back to Earth, but Marvel hasn’t let us know what exactly happens to pit the two super teams against each other. With the X-Men as popular as ever and the new Avenger’s movie just over a month away, it is easy to see why Marvel has chosen now to finally let their new most prominent super factions fight each other. It reminds me of the Civil War crossover, where there were two sides of heroes, both doing what they thought was right. Will this be played out the same way? When heroes fight each other, and neither side becomes the villain, it puts the reader in a fun and interesting position. Is that what the story tellers at Marvel are trying to do here again? Or, are they just trying to continue to cash in on all things “Avenger”?

The Weekend Link Dump 03/24/12

Jeremy — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 14:52:46 +0000

It was a long week for me, didn’t get in front of the computer a lot, but I did see a lot of interesting stuff going on with updates from Wondercon and upcoming movies (comic book and otherwise), SWTOR’s free weekend trial and more. If you have some time to kill, here’s what I found of interest this week:

AMC Theaters is running a marathon of the Marvel Comics movie universe; leading up to, and finishing with the new Avengers Movie.
ScreenRant.com has a photo of the what is purported to be the movie poster for the sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Wolverine.
Orson Scott Card’s classic science fiction novel is being turned into a movie. That movie, Ender’s Game, has a blog.
More movie news, after Michael Bay’s big announcement about changes to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle origin, original creator Kevin Eastman chimes in as well.
A spoilerific interview with Scott Snyder about Batman #7.
Star Wars: The Old Republic is offering a free trial this weekend. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you should. The free trial goes until Monday morning. There goes your weekend.
“Researchers have proposed building a nuclear clock that would lose only one-tenth of a second over 14 billion years, the current age of the universe. It would be 100 times more accurate than current atomic clocks…”
A cool look at the way music is used in Mass Effect 3. Scroll down and look at the comments, Bioware’s Audio Lead gives his opinion!
Just because we’re geeks doesn’t mean we have to live up to the old stereotype about our fashion tendencies. Lifehacker.com helps out.
Finally, for all the info on last weekend’s Wondercon, ComicBookResources.com has you covered.

Danger Brigade Web Comic Hits #100

Jeremy — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:06:31 +0000

In an internet awash in web comic strips, it is nice when you find one that you actually take the time to go back and check on a weekly basis. Danger Brigade is one of those comics. A friend of mine suggested I check it out, and I have been hooked ever since. It turned out that it is written by an acquaintance, so…

FULL DISCLOSURE: The writer sometimes contributes to this blog. I’m not playing favorites here, he writes good comics, that’s why he writes for us.

Danger Brigade follows the life and times of two best friends working on their own comic book. One wears sweater vests and is rational, and the other is…Not. The artist for the strip is the pseudonymous Metro Catpiss whose art stands out in independent web comics because of his use of bright comics and not overly stylized drawing. Basically the two main characters do everything but work on their comic book.

Recently they hit #100 and they switched duties, with Metro Catpiss writing and David Lee taking over art duties. Result: still funny, still eyeball pleasing.

Check it out. It’s free. What do you have to lose?

What You Shouldn’t Miss This Week 03/12/12

Jeremy — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:23:41 +0000

Not an amazing week at theaters, but some new DVD releases should keep us occupied, Marvel continues to focus on the upcoming Avenger movie, and of course we keep an eye on SXSWi in Texas this week: The Adventures of Tin Tin, Super Jail season 2 and Avengers Assemble #2. How could we forget, Wednesday is Pi Day, we show you where you can find fun stuff to celebrate a very geeky holiday.

All week in Austin, Texas top innovators and up and comers in the worlds of music, film, technology and even fashion are meeting and discussing (and at times coming up with) the “Next Big Thing” in their fields. SXSW Interactive is of special interest to us, because of how it relates to the future of the technology industry: crowd sourcing, social media, phone/tablet apps, etc. If you aren’t lucky enough to be there, they have a great link that let’s you keep an eye on the action SXSW Accelerate.

The Adventures of Tintin comes out on DVD on March 13th. The visually stunning family movie from Paramount Pictures and director Steven Spielberg comes home. I always look forward to a movie we can watch with the kids that has a plot I can enjoy.

In the completely opposite direction Superjail: Season Two comes out on DVD on March 13th also. I love the animation of this psychedelic cartoon about a huge futuristic prison run by a disturbed Willy Wonka -esque warden. The humor is vulgar, but it’s twisted AND funny.

Marvel Comics gets ready for its super team-up movie with Avengers Assemble #1, out March 14th. They call it a jumping on point for new readers who want to get to know “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” in the main continuity of the Marvel universe.

The geekiest holiday of all 3/14, or Pi Day is coming up, check out PiDay.org to find gear, ecards and info about this “irrational and transcendental number”.

If you check any of these things out, or notice a new release that should have made the list this week, let us know in the comments or even on Twitter.

The Weekend Link Dump 03/09/12

Jeremy — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 17:50:28 +0000

This is NOT from the Green Lantern Movie.

On this weekend’s link dump we have a video of the solar flares that occurred this week, the new Angry Birds game, and lots of news from SXSWi (South By Southwest Interactive).

On Tuesday, March 6th, a massive solar flare erupted from the sun that caused some beautiful auroras.
Have you finished all the levels of Angry Birds? Not to worry, Rovio is back with Angry Birds: Space. It will include anti-gravity physics in the new levels as well as new birds.

Keep track of up to the second happenings at SXSWi by following Twitter hashtag #SXSWi. Or you can go to one of these links for some more info:

The Official SXSW Website.
7 Mandatory Things To Do at SXSWi
50 SXSW Panels Worth Getting Excited About (2012)

If you can’t tell we’re pretty excited about SXSWi here, and even though we didn’t make it down this year, we will still be paying attention and bring you whatever big news comes out of it about the next great startup or crowd-sourced app.

New Cheetah Robot Can Probably Outrun You!

Jeremy — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:17:26 +0000

I am all for the advancement of technology. We have learned to replace failing human organs with robotic or alternative tissue versions, we have miniaturized technology to the point that what once took up whole rooms now fits in the palm of our hand. Sometimes I feel like we’re not thinking that far ahead though. Recently DARPA announced that it has created the fastest legged land robot, clocking a top speed of 29 kilometers per hour (since no one uses the metric system I’ll tell you it’s 18 mph). Nicknamed the cheetah, because…well, because it’s really fast and they designed it after the movements of an actual cheetah and similar animals.

This may seem exciting. Our advancements in what robots can do is increasing exponentially (as it should, see The Law of Accelerated Returns), slowly they are becoming the cheap, soulless labor force that we all dreamed they could be. My biggest issue with all of this is that while top human speed is around 30 mph, the average human tops out around 11 mph. That is much slower than one of theses robots. While we have all been obsessing about an approaching zombie apocalypse, we have failed to consider another possible end of humanity scenario put forth by the seer: James Cameron. That is, what happens when robots become self-aware, they now have a new means to chase us down so they can inevitably plug us into The Matrix.

If that isn’t enough, here’s a bird robot that is much creepier and amazing than any military drone, courtesy of the geniuses at TED Talks:

The Weekend Link Dump 02/18/12

1.21 Gigawatts Update: Upon Further Review…

Jeremy — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:15:42 +0000

About three months ago I wrote about the possibility that some Neutrinos (weak sub-atomic particles) had traveled faster than the speed of light, in an experiment that sent them from a lab in Switzerland to one in Italy. I talked about how everyone was in a huge uproar because it would have disproved Einstein’s theory of relativity (that no information or energy can travel faster than the speed of light). I also pointed out how Einstein’s theories on physics caused a similar uproar when it disproved some of Isaac Newton’s theories, and that discovery is the point of science. We can’t fear change when all the data points to it.

It turns out they might have been right. Recently it was discovered, a loose fiber optic cable was causing one of the atomic clocks to produce invalid results. The scientific community unanimously unbunched their panties and nodded knowingly: surely this was the reason that these particles appeared to travel faster than light. Since I’m not a scientist, I was less happy with the continuation of the status quo, but I understood that you can’t argue with facts (Well, you can, you’re just not suppose to).

Two days later, the CERN laboratory announced that indeed there was a loose fiber optic cable as well as another problem with an oscillator that was time stamping the readings to GPS signals. The real surprise though, is that the result of these two errors would cause the data to underestimate the speed of the neutrinos, not overestimate it.

That’s right. They may actually be traveling even faster than we thought. In May new tests will be performed to give more precise readings than have been previously achieved. Again, the big take away (as far as I’m concerned):

Time Travel – Still Possible

1.21 Gigawatts