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TrekNation Hits Cable: DVR Worthy
Posted by Ben Huber on Dec 2, 2011 in Star Trek
How incredible would it be to have had a father who had been the creator of Star Trek? There’s no doubting that Star Trek has influenced peoples’ lives throughout the years. Perhaps the person who can speak best about this fact is Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s son Rod, who is the narrator and guide in the Science Channel’s recent documentary, Trek Nation: Read more… Star Trek 2 Spockulations
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 1, 2011 in Star Trek
See what I did there? There’s been a few developments relating to the upcoming Star Trek sequel, so I thought it might be a fun time to speculate a bit. It was recently announced that Alice Eve would be joining the cast in what’s reported to be a “major role.” They’re also saying that Benicio Del Toro is extremely close to signing on to play a villain that fans of the original series would be familiar with — and no, they don’t mean Khan. Finally, there’s now a rumor that one other major role has yet to be cast and is described as being “someone slightly older but related to Del Toro’s character,” or something along those lines. So who could these characters be? I have a few guesses. GamePro Throws in the Towel
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Dec 1, 2011 in Videogames
Earlier this evening, GamePro announced that their website would officially close its doors on December 5th. The move marks a sad, but inevitable end for the long-standing magazine as we know it. According to reports, some of the staff will be let go, while some editors may end up writing for PCWorld. The magazine published its final issue last October. Never Let Mom Throw Out Your Comic Books: Superman Debut Sells for Over $2 Million
Posted by Michael Pinto on Dec 1, 2011 in Comic Books
In 1938 a comic book fanboy would have paid a mere ten cents for a copy of Action Comics No 1 which featured a new guy called Superman: Today that comic book was sold at auction for $2.16 million dollars. The new owner of this gem has not been disclosed, however speculation has it that it may be Nicolas Cage. Insane 50-Note Final Fantasy VII Music Box
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Nov 30, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections, Videogames
I’ve always had a fascination with music boxes. They may have gone the way of vinyl and become a novelty for collectors, but there’s always a certain level of care and craftsmanship involved in creating one. That’s something I can respect, not only as a musician but as an artist. That’s why I freaked out the moment I saw this — a limited edition 50 note music box featuring Aerith’s theme from Final Fantasy VII. Supposedly, only a thousand of these boxes were ever produced, and they’re highly sought after. Finding one for sale is next to impossible, but anyone willing to part with it can usually ask for over a thousand dollars to start. To see it in action, click here. Bizarre Men in Black 3 Posters
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Nov 30, 2011 in Cinema
Here’s the official teaser posters for Men in Black 3, featuring what appears to be Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones or Josh Brolin, with letter art. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m not exactly a Men in Black fan, so maybe I’m a bit biased, but I’m not really sure why they decided to go with these images. It doesn’t help that I can’t even tell which Agent K is being depicted — previous drafts of the script had Agent J going back in time to team up with a young Agent K played by Brolin. Since they decided to start production on the film without a completed script, there have been numerous re-writes, and although Brolin and Jones are set to make an appearance, nobody is really sure how the plot will play out. Maybe it’s a good thing that I’ve found the image so ambiguous. This Pac-Man Ghost Lamp Will Have You Reaching for Your Pills
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Nov 29, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections, Videogames
As those of us who spend our evenings glued to our laptops can tell you, nothing’s worse than accidentally knocking over your coffee in the dark. I’ve made the mistake more than once, so I’ve been looking for a solution that doesn’t involve leaving the lights on, and I think I might have just found it. Check out these awesome little Pac-Man Ghost lamps. Not only are the conveniently small, just four inches tall and just bright enough to light up my desk, but they speak to the retro-gamer — those of us who grew up on rolls of quarters and joysticks. Best yet, I can take it anywhere I take my laptop. The Ghost is powered via USB, so all I have to do it is find a port to plug it and I’m good to go. It’s also incredibly cheap, ThinkGeek currently has them on sale for just $10. Read more… Western Devs Making Waves in Japan
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Nov 29, 2011 in Videogames
When it comes to Western games, Japan has always seemed a bit stand-offish. I never really understood why, but every time the question was posed, Japanese developers would often cite everything from cultural differences and attention to detail, to their love for story-driven narratives. For as long as I can remember, Japanese gamers would echo those sentiments, often avoiding foreign games like the plague. That was, until recently. An Edible Gingerbread AT-AT
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 28, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections, Star Wars
Oh sure anybody can make a plain old gingerbread house for the holidays! However fangurl supreme Rachel Klemek created this yummy AT-AT which can feed several hungry rebels. Rachel is based out of Irvine, California and you can find her cool website here. A Return to the Mirror Universe
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Nov 28, 2011 in Star Trek
I admit, Simon &Schuster’s Trek novels are one my many guilty pleasures. They’re not quite as terrible as my obsession with Koei’s Dynasty Warriors, or Japanese television dramas, but I wouldn’t strike up a conversation on the topic. Still, there are those of us who crave all things Star Trek, and with the next film over a year away, we’ll need something to ease that pain. Enter Rise Like Lions, the latest novel by seasoned-Trek author David Mack. This latest novel takes place in the infamous Mirror Universe. Move Over Johnny-5; Here’s Romo
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Nov 28, 2011 in Tech
I’m sure at some point you’ve all thought about having your very own robot — I know I have. The closest I ever came was helping a friend build a remote-controlled “battlebot,” only to see it laid to waste by some other kid’s metal monstrosity. It’s been well over a decade since then, and technology has certainly progressed. Designers Peter Seid and Phu Nguyen sought to take advantage of these advancements by developing a unique interface that transforms our everyday smartphones into robots capable of learning, growing, and expanding their functionality through a series of apps. They call it Romo, the smartphone robot. Unboxing Three Vintage Star Wars Kenner Playsets
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 27, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections, Star Wars
The year is 1980 and what you don’t quite understand as young fanboy is that your parents are dealing with a recession — so while you dream of giant Kenner playlets for your Land of the Jawas playset action figures instead you settle for using your imagination! Or at least that’s what your cash strapped parents told you to do, so alas the sandbox became Tatooine and when you were lucky to get a snow storm it was time to play on planet Hoth. Well through some magic we’ve come across three amazing vintage Kenner playsets from 1979 and 1980 — a magical time when the hype and merchandise machine for The Empire Strikes back was going into high gear: Read more… Crafty Kirk and Logical Spock Christmas Tree Ornaments
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 27, 2011 in Star Trek
What I like about these Kirk and Spock Christmas Tree Ornaments is that they have a nice sense of style — they almost look art deco, yet are very cartoony and almost toy like. These ornaments are hand crafted by Lisa Penney who is based out of Phoenix, Arizona. Read more… More Human Than Human: Is Blade Runner Slowly Becoming Real?
While reading an interesting interview with a medical ethicist and I was suddenly struck by how much this premise reminded me of the 1982 classic film Blade Runner: “Do you think that granting corporations the rights of people in the Citizens United case is disturbing? Then contemplate the fact that corporations have been patenting human genes and tissues at alarming rates — in the last 30 years, more than 40,000 patents have been granted on genes alone.” Read more… Frederik Pohl is a National Treasure
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 26, 2011 in Fandom
How many can say that attended the first science fiction convention that was ever held, were part of the first generation of great science fiction authors and are around today and blogging about it? That honor would go to Frederik Pohl who will celebrate his 92nd birthday today! Show above is a photo from the first science fiction convention in 1936 — Frederik Pohl is the gentleman in the center. To celebrate his birthday here are a number of cool vintage covers of his (and his co-authors) books: Read more… Classic Daicon Anime Reanimated in 3D
In the early 80s two short animation films created for the Diacon science fiction convention would give a start to an animation studio that would become known as Gianax. I first watched these animations on well worn VHS tapes in that era and all these years later the animation still holds up. But it seems that some younger otaku have adopted the shorts and made them their own by doing a recreated and updated 3D version which looks pretty nice — check it out: Read more… The Wholly Family: Terry Gilliam’s New Film Has a Facebook Page
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 26, 2011 in Cinema
As an animation fanboy I’ve always loved Terry Gilliam since I came across his Monty Python work in my youth, however it was his directing work on the classic film Brazil which made me a true believer. Gilliam’s new film is called The Wholly Family and there is an official Facebook page that just went up for it, plus a trailer on his website. The film has a very Federico Fellini feeling to it and stars Cristiana Capotondi. Here are some still from the Facebook page and you can find the official trailer here: Read more… The 99th Birthday of Hollywood Technicolor Films
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 26, 2011 in Cinema
99 years ago today the silent film The Toll of the Sea opened in New York City. While this film wasn’t the first feature length color film (that honor goes to With Our King and Queen Through India from 1912) and not even the first Technicolor film (that honor goes to The Gulf Between from 1917) it was a real breakthrough: This was because it was the first film to use the two-color Technicolor process which allowed the film to be shown on a standard film projector, as where previous color films required a special projector which would simultaneously several reels of film that were projected through a beam splitter. Read more… The Enterprise Reservoir Dogs
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 25, 2011 in Star Trek
This humorously done Star Trek/Reservoir Dogs mashup screen print brought a smile this fanboy’s face. The print is illustrated by LA based artist Brent Cheshire. Jabba the Cupcake
Posted by Michael Pinto on Nov 25, 2011 in Star Wars
Found via fredr096.tumblr.com. Hot Toys Bespin Luke Skywalker is Kind of Terrifying
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Nov 24, 2011 in Hobbies and Collections, Star Wars
I’m not sure why I would want a Luke Skywalker with a scarred up face and missing hand, but if I did, Hot Toys would have me covered. Recently they unveiled the latest addition to their DX series of collectible figures, the 1/6th scale Luke Skywalk in Bespin outfit two-pack. Like all Hot Toys products, it’s sure to cost you a hand, or a leg (see what I did there,) but at least you’ll be able to faithfully recreate the greatest moment of Empire Strikes Back, and no, I don’t mean the scene where Han gets dropped into a vat of Carbonite after completely blowing Leia off. Abrams’ Trek Sequel Going 3D; Hits Theaters in May 2013
It looks as though Star Trek 2, as it’s still tentatively titled, finally has a firm release date. Unfortunately for us, it’s over a year away. While I had been holding out hope, I’m not really surprised, seeing as they’ve taken so long to get under way. On the bright side, the film will be shot in 3D, so those of you who aren’t already over that fad, or who’ve recently purchased one of those over-priced 3DTVs are in for a treat. (Protip: Black Friday deals are great, but Cyber Monday is where its at. I recommend scouring Amazon for one if you’re interested.) Some other juicy details leaked out this weekend. Abrams confirmed the rumor that he’s been in talks with Benicio Del Toro for a role in the new film, and announced that composer Michael Giacchino will be returning for the sequel. The script is “finished,” but is currently going through its third draft of revisions. Star Trek 2 will hit theaters May 17, 2013. Yoda Endorses Instant Ramen
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Nov 23, 2011 in Japanese TV, Star Wars
Just like Darth Vader’s cameo in a series cell phone ads, Yoda recently starred in a Japanese commercial for Nissin’s Cup Noodles — speaking English, no less. Of course, they had to subtitle him, but it would seem the Jedi master wants Japan to recover from its recent tragedies as much as anyone else; the commercial ends with him wishing the force be with the entire nation, kind of a sweet little gesture on Lucas’ part. I wasn’t aware you could use the force to boil water, though. Also, the line “Boil Japan.” looks a bit strange out of context. Oh well, it’s still kind of cool. New Street Fighter x Tekken Screens Aim to Confuse
Posted by Tim Sheehy on Nov 23, 2011 in Videogames
I don’t know how many of you play Street Fighter or Tekken, but I’m sure you’re probably aware of how over-the-top some of these characters look already. Now, thanks to the ability to customize the character with costumes and props, they’ve taken it even further. A batch of recently released screenshots gives us a glimpse of just how zany things can get. Why anyone would ever want to dress a bear like a female luchador is beyond me, but guess what? You can. I just hope, given Capcom’s penchant for microtransactions, we’re not stuck footing any additional fees for the “privilege” of playing dress up. That’d be annoying. |
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