It seems like every geeky show or movie has some kind of ID card on it, whether the nametags that Chuck and the Nerd Herd wear on, uh, Chuck, to the CSI lab tech badges, to Jack Bauer’s Counter-Terrorism Unit ID cards (above). Of course, since those places and people don’t exist, we can’t just apply for jobs at those locations and grab a badge for ourselves. Thankfully, Identity Props exists, and they sell replicas of famous (or even obscure) ID cards from various media. Just what you need for your Commissioner Gordon cosplay. Don’t pretend like you haven’t been thinking about it. Read more…
We’ve had a rough, unfinished teaser for the upcoming Thor film making the rounds online for a few months now, but now we’ve got a crisp, glorious, official trailer on which to feast our eyes. The trailer’s got pretty much everything you need — Natalie Portman for the fellas, shirtless (and built) Chris Hemsworth for the ladies, a beautiful Asgard for Jack Kirby fans. Heck, there’s even some action in there. It certainly looks great, and we finally get a taste of the Kirby cosmic mythos that could bring the Marvel films up to that next level of awesome. Let’s hope the film itself hits as hard as Mjolnir does in the trailer. Read more…
Yeah, so, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was missing something. A lot of somethings. And Michael Bay, director of the Transformers live-action films thus far, has listened to your complaints. If you thought the answer to “Just what was the Transformers franchise missing?” was “Apollo 11 astronaut and first man on the moon Neil Armstrong,” then you’re going to love the teaser trailer for 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Okay, so it’s just an actor playing him, but still! Admittedly, the trailer’s gorgeous, and Bay says that the CGI in it is only 75-80% done, so it’ll look even better when it’s complete. Bay even reassures fans that this entry into the series will ditch the “goofy comedy” (his words) of Revenge. Hopefully the racial stereotypes, too. Now to figure out who that Transformer rocking the Fu Manchu mustache is… Read more…
Posted by Michael Sacco on Dec 10, 2010 in Cinema, Horror
Word was that Ridley Scott’s long-planned prequel to the sci-fi classic Alien had been pushed back to 2013 or 2014 at best, or shelved at worst. But it looks like it’s finally happening, with production slated to begin in March and a promise of old-school claustrophobia and horror. There’s even casting going on, with some notable hopefuls, including Michelle Yeoh. Sounds good so far! The only weird thing is the actual title, which is “Paradise,” though we’re not sure if it’s just Paradise or whether it’ll be called Alien: Paradise or something along those lines. Kind of an odd name for an Alien movie, but maybe it’s supposed to be ironic. Read more…
Who watches the Empire? Aside from making for an incredible t-shirt, this design by artist Jonah Block draws a rather apt comparison between the Watchmen and the Galactic Empire. At first I didn’t really see how you could compare the Empire who, though acting at the behest of an evil sith lord, ruled through fear and the gritty and morally-questionable superheroes of Alan Moore’s world. However, the more I think about it, the more I get it. People who trust or fear the empire do so at the expense of personal responsibility and freedom, ignoring or living with their plight out of a false sense of security — much like the every day citizens of Moore’s reality. It’s a neat statement, and one I’m not really sure the artist may have intended, but it works for me. If you’re a fan of Star Wars or Watchmen and love the design too, you’ll be happy to know that TeeFury currently has a t-shirt available for the next 24 hours, so hurry up and order one while you still have the chance.
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 9, 2010 in Cinema, Tech
I know what you’re thinking. “This doesn’t look anything like a portable hard drive,” and you’re right, it doesn’t, but that’s kind of the point. Rather than simply taking an existing model and slapping a logo on it like Buffalo and Warner Brothers did with their recent Harry Potter portable drives, the guys over at FlashRods specialize in making portable hard drives with some serious flare and attention to detail. The Doc Brown’s iconic Delorean just happens to be one of their most recent projects. This amazing little hard drive connects externally via usb and stores up to 500 GBs worth of data. In addition to sitting and looking pretty, both the hood and the trademark gull-wing doors open up for a better view. Like most customs, these babies will end up costing you $250, so if you have the cash to spare, head over to FlashRods and order yours today. Read more…
Eons before Ramna 1/2 us old time otaku fell in love with Rumiko Takahashi’s 80s epic Urusei Yatsura. Shown here is a special figurine that will be released in Japan next year which features the character Lum as a child sporting a Tigers baseball team hat. Apparently the baseball connection is that Takahashi is a Tiger’s fan: Read more…
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 8, 2010 in Animation, Tech
When I wasn’t watching Robotech, or Starblazers, I’d try to catch an episode of Voltron: Defender of the Universe. It wasn’t quite as cool as a convertable aircraft, but I admit I still loved watching the five guardians form their giant sword wielding lion mech to battle the evil King Zarkon and his minions whenever I’d get a chance, and this nifty little USB drive’s definitely triggering that nostalgia. I do wish it was a little bigger, seeing how it’s only three and a half inches tall, but I imagine that’s about right for a USB stick — any larger and it’d probably be a nuisance. At least the arms and legs can be articulated. The chest also lights up when plugged in and it just wouldn’t be complete without its own Blazing Sword which apparantly fits in both he hands and feet.
The film that would have been Spider-Man 4 has officially started shooting this week. I know some of you have mixed feelings about the prospect of rebooting the Spider-Man franchise, especially after three wildly successful outings featuring a cast we’ve grown familiar with. However, after the latest film failed to impress critics and fans alike, it probably came as no surprise when Sony decided to drop the proverbial axe. The director, Sam Raimi, had already left the project citing an inability to complete the film on schedule for May of 2011, but rather than simply replacing him, they figured it’d be easier to start from square one. Personally, I don’t mind rebooting the series but I’m starting to wonder if rebooting in general has become a little too prevalent in recent years.
Not quite sure what to buy a musically-inclined gamer for Christmas? Well, this might do the trick — assuming you’re quick about it. The circut bending experts over at GetLoFi recently finished this sweet little mod that takes an original Nintendo Entertainment System and creates a fully functioning electric guitar. Currently, they only have one left in stock and I have no idea if they intend on building any more in the near future. Still, if you’re interested, it wouldn’t hurt to visit their site. I would imagine the higher the demand, the more they may produce. The last one they have in stock is currently priced at $150 with an optional internal fuzz upgrade for an additional $40. Reasonable, considering the novelty of it all.
Ever imagine what Star Wars would look like through the eyes of Dr. Seuss? Me neither, but cartoonist Adam Watson has. Recently, he posted a few pieces of this brilliant mash-up on his blog and frankly, they’re nothing short of amazing. While he claims that these pieces started as doodles for the most the part, he apparently has a few more planned. I’d love to see him strike a deal with Lucas Arts to publish a book, but I imagine there’d be all kind of legal hurdles involved. Either way, I think I’ll just cross my fingers and hope for more. Also, wouldn’t some of these make for a nifty t-shirt? Read more…
As an anime fanboy I think one of my most bitter lessons one year was waiting until the last minute to order my new year’s calendar — sadly every one was grabbed up. Part of the reason for this is that often the Japanese fans will grab them quite a bit in advance leaving the sad crumbs for poor gaijin otaku like myself. Well I learned my lesson and I started to plan my wall decor well in advance. Shown here are my top suggested picks for 2011 starting with the beautiful Bleach (B) 2011 Calendar shown above. Here are my other favorites: Read more…
The animation isn’t exactly Pixar, but the humor in Warriors of the Unknown will bring a smile to any gamers face. This video (which is available on DVD) was created by the Cosmic Radicals, a team of online gamers who know their subject perhaps a bit too well. Watching the videos I loved the juxtaposition of romantic fantasy elements set against conversations about dog food: Read more…
I’m in a total state of shock: It seems like just yesterday that I was watching every episode of Bleach — so I was blown away to just read the it’s almost the 10th anniversary of the franchise. Of course that marks the 10th anniversary of the manga which was first published in August of 2001 and is now up to 48 volumes and over 300 episodes of the anime series which went on the air in 2004. Shown here are a set of coasters which have been created for the occasion in Japan which feature illustrations by Noriaki “Tite” Kubo: Read more…
By chance I was watching the Bloomberg TV show Game Changers and they had an interesting biography of Larry Ellison. Honestly not being a database guy I thought it was going to be dull, but then there was an amazing segment of the show which which explored Ellison’s lost project from the mid-90s: The Network Computer. Read more…
Ever since Heath Ledger’s untimely death prior to the release of The Dark Knight, there’s been questions as to the fate of The Joker in the Batman film series. There’s even been rumors lately that director Christopher Nolan would bring Ledger’s Joker back in digital form for The Dark Knight Rises, using CGI and deleted scenes from The Dark Knight. IndieWire reports that they’ve spoken with Nolan and the rumors are not true — he says that Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight is singular and he won’t be “imported” into The Dark Knight in any way. Good call. Read more…
Telltale Games, the studio behind the new Sam and Max games, acquired the rights to make two awesome IPs — Jurassic Park and Back to the Future — into their classic point-and-click adventure style. Ever since we heard that Christopher Lloyd would be returning to voice Doc Brown, we’ve been pumped to hear Marty McFly and see the game in action, and now Telltale has given us the first teaser trailer for much-anticipated game. Is it me, or is the Marty McFly voice actor eerily accurate? Heavy. Read more…
Classic anime series Space Battleship Yamato, a.k.a. Star Blazers in the US, is gearing up for its theatrical release in Japan, along with a limited US release. And now you can watch five whole minutes of it! It looks like a certain other show with “Battle” in it that takes place in space, and the action is pretty 70s, but it’s a pretty neat adaptation. And, for the ladies, the super-hunky lead singer of SMAP, Kimura Takuya, is playing one of the main characters, Susumu Kodai. That’s Derek Wildstar for you 80s kids out there. Read more…
If you’re like many people, you’ve probably enjoyed The Walking Dead’s first season on AMC, likely due in no small part to its strong writing. If that’s the case, you might be just as confused with the news that showrunner Frank Darabont has fired his entire writing staff as we were. Word is that Darabont wants to replace them all with freelancers, which isn’t uncommon in television, but it is a bit strange for a show as high-profile as The Walking Dead, and one based on an established IP, too. Read more…
I actually can’t remember the last time this has happened, but it looks like the upcoming live-action adapation of Hiroya Oku’s action-packed manga, Gantz, will be hitting US theaters a week ahead of Japan. Unfortunately, if you’re one of those people who can’t take dubs, you may be out of luck. While the film will show on over 300 screens nationwide, none of them are currently scheduled to be subtitled. Still, it looks amazing and might be worth checking out. The film centers around a boy and his friend who end up dying, only to be revived for the sole-purpose of hunting hostile aliens. While there was an anime, the film itself will be based on the original manga and is currently set for release on January 20th.
Last month I mentioned the latest Trek mini-series to hit book shelves, Star Trek: Typhon Pact. Following its monthly release schedule, the second book in the series, Michael A. Martin’s Seize the Fire, continues the story arc focusing on the crew of the USS Titan, and their brush with the Gorn in an attempt to secure an ancient terraforming technology similar to Project Genesis, ala Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. While I doubt the book contains any poorly choreographed fight scenes involving rock wielding men in lizard suits — hey, it was awesome for its time — it definitely gives us a better understanding of the Gorn’s social hierarchy. I honestly didn’t even know they had one. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Dec 1, 2010 in Star Trek
I just ran across this sadly under-viewed interview with William Shatner, and I have to say that for man who will be 80 years old in just a few months he looks great! The interviewer from Time magazine asks him just one Star trek Question: “Have you put the Captain Kirk stereotype behind you?” to which Shatner answers “Probably not but it was a great show…” I hope J.J. Abrams finds it in his heart to include him in the next Star Trek film: Read more…
This is probably the coolest ice sculpture I’ve ever seen. In case it’s difficult to make out — it is ice, after all — you’re looking at a 28 foot tall Optimus Prime ice sculpture by Antti Pedrozo and Michel de Kok of Switzerland. While he doesn’t transform into a truck, I’m told frozen autobot makes a mean snow cone. I’m pretty confident than these guys won’t be outdone any time soon, but if someone wants to build an SDF-1, or a Valkyrie from Macross that’d probably do it for me. Until then, you can check out more photos below. And, if you like this work, follow Antti on Twitter.
