Where is the (geek) line?

 So, I've written about a lot of my geek obsessions. What I haven't mentioned is where I draw the line. Meaning: what won't I devote my energies to get to know at the "fan" level?


I have yet to write about anime (one of my great loves) and video games (love--but unfortunately, can't play at a really proficient level) -- but rest assured, I will get to those.

What I'm saying is -- where do I draw the proverbial line and say "NO, NOT THIS!"

Whether these are a product because of lack of time or lack of interest -- I cannot call myself a fanboy/geeklover of any of the below (though, I reserve my right to change):

• I used to pride myself on not becoming a Trekkie/Trekker (whatever is the PC term) and yet -- I do love the movies and would be interested in watching the original Star Trek series and TNG. 
• I have yet to see any of the new Doctor Who episodes, though I have seen some Tom Baker ones when I was a kid and was terrified of the Daleks. Will likely start watching sooner than later.
• Somewhat fascinated by the whole MMA and UFC thing -- but my WWF and WWE love would trump that (eh, it comes and goes, but when it comes down to it I'm still a Hulkamaniac)
• Love the Yankees and Knicks -- but can't watch every. single. game. like ahem...my loved ones. (You know who you are, you two.) And 6th grade Abe will always love the Mets.
• No fantasy sports for me! Meh. 
• PC RTS/RPG games-- dabbled, but never got into it.
• Scrabble -- again, meh.
• I can confidently say that I have never played Magic:The Gathering, Warhammer, or Dungeons and Dragons. 
• I have no interest in participating in Live Action Role Play (LARPing), Civil War re-enactments, Renaissance Faires (mostly because Asians would look kind of silly in the last two).
• No to cosplay.  

Any yays or nays for the list above? What should I try or avoid? 

So where do YOU draw your geek line? 

Louie, Louie.

I've been "aware" of Louis C.K. for years now. I knew that he did stand-up, was a writer for Chris Rock and Conan and produced some funny stuff. I wouldn't necessarily have called myself a fan, even though I thoroughly enjoyed his controversial HBO show Lucky Louie  back when it aired in 2006. I thought what he did was pretty, pretty good. But recently, I've come to appreciate his comedic and artistic genius because of his current (and now Emmy nominated) show, simply titled Louie -- absolutely brilliant.

**I'll take a step back and explain a bit. I'm going to free associate a bit and try to make sense of this: geekdom covers a wide scope of things. I've blogged about my typical geek passions: comic books, movies, music, tv shows, literature etc. But there are subgenres that if you think about it -- are genres unto themselves. I'd say, I am a bit of a COMEDY geek. (Which is a subgenre of tv, film, literature ..and yet, it expands into it's own genre. Does this make any sense? ) Some of my all time favorites: Arrested Development, Mr. Show, Spaced (see previous post), The Kids in The Hall, The State, The Mighty Boosh, Upright Citizens Brigade, Maria Bamford, Ricky Gervais, David Sedaris, etc.**

Louie -- if you haven't seen it already on FX -- has a loose format. There's bits of Louis C.K. (divorced with two kids, in real life and on the show) doing stand-up and then one or two -- I'd call them short films or vignettes -- that may or may not be related thematically to the bit of stand-up.The rhythm of the show, the way that it is shot, and the fictional vs. nonfictional elements of the show are completely unpredictable and wonderful.

Louie's comedy is filled with the lowbrow/highbrow stuff that I love. (And man, does he get away with a lot of mature themes on FX. Definitely not for kids!) He'll do an entire episode on masturbation that ends up being really thought provoking when he meets (and hits it off) with a woman from a Christian group that is against "self-abuse". He'll have a fight with a comedian who has conservative views and then spends the night in the hospital with him because their friendship is deeper than they can express. He will have a one night stand with a hot young lady who is into weird smelling old dudes. He will spend a night with an old friend who plans to commit suicide because his comedy career has failed. He'll have the absurd moments alongside the emotionally tethered ones -- equal parts pathos, joy, and fart jokes.

The show features some comedians and a guests that Louis has worked with. Ricky Gervais (who Louis worked with in The Invention of Lying) plays his inappropriate joke-spewing doctor. Todd Barry, Nick DiPaolo, Hannibal Burress and others also appear in episodes. Dane Cook was on the show and Louis addressed the controversy of Cook supposedly stealing from him -- in a very even-handed and hilarious episode. There aren't that many recurring characters (and sometimes actors change or play other characters -- there are no rules) other than his two daughters, a single mom character (played by the awesome Pamela Adlon -- who played Louie's wife on the HBO show and is also a consulting producer on the show), and a few others that return for more than one appearance.

 

The bottomline: His divorce and the realization that his kids are the reason for him to keep going is what he credits for his reinvigorated career. A lot of stand-up comedians spend their entire careers perfecting an hour of material and jokes that they can tell over and over. Louis does this every year--creates an hour set and won't repeat them the year after. He comes up with brand new material every year. Crazy.

Another major reason why the show is so appealing to me -- NYC is a featured character. The Comedy Cellar, the Olive Tree Cafe, Bleeker Street, Washington Square Park and other recognizable spots remind me of my days at NYU and working and living in the city. (Oh, wait! I live in Manhattan now! Sometimes, I forget. Always a Queens boy at heart.)


Recently, I listened to the Louis C.K. episodes on Marc Maron's awesome WTF comedy podcast.
The shows were about Louie's career and his (strained) friendship with Maron -- pretty great and revealing. Definitely check it out if you are a fan.

Which brings me to this: I'm a huge fan of Louis C.K. now and I'm hoping for good things for him in the future. I'm happy that he's hit his stride and getting the recognition that he deserves. I'd gladly share a pint of ice cream and some donuts with him. *manhug*

Geekomnivore score: Pizza-rific! (You shoulda finished that whole slice!) **Watch the show.and you'll get it.


*Images sourced from the Web. Gingers!

SPACED out

(Comic-Con 2011 is over...but here's more recollections of Comic-Con past...)

I've been an Anglophile for most of my adult life. I studied British lit, went to London for my year abroad, followed Britpop since I was a kid, worked for several British companies, etc. etc. And of course, I love me some British comedy.

Some of my fave Britcoms include: The Office, Coupling, Mighty Boosh, and Little Britain, but the one that gets me right in the geekribs is SPACED. The show featured comic books, video games, raves, zombies, Star Wars and plenty of 90s influenced geek and Brit pop culture -- and a love story. More importantly, it led to the creation of one of my favorite films of ALL TIME: Shaun of the Dead.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (along with genius director Edgar Wright) were at the core of both of these (and the equally awesome Hot Fuzz) and I got the pleasure of meeting all three of them -- on separate occasions! -- at Comic Con 2010.

I actually interviewed Edgar Wright for Morgan's project and had a great time speaking with him. He was visibly exhausted and he expressed as much since he was promoting Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (anyone that attended SDCC 2010 was well aware that the film had intense presence all over -- from special events, giveaways, panels, etc. and the HUGE mosaic on one of the major hotels by the convention center -- the film didn't do that great at the box office, but it was amazing and a very close to the beloved indie comic series) and was still busy working on the film. Super nice. I hope he got some sleep that night though.

The next day, I was meeting a buddy for a drink at the Hard Rock Hotel's bar. (FYI: Lots of media folk set up camp at the Hard Rock and tons of celebs end up coming through all day) I go into the bar and practically walk right into Simon Pegg. (Funny thing: wasn't the first time I had run into him. I actually took a long elevator ride with him once -- he was promoting Hot Fuzz and I worked in the same building -- a little place called Madison Square Garden.) I could tell that he wanted to keep things low key and was avoiding the masses outside. We walked over to the bar and talked for a little bit and he told me he and Nick Frost were at the Con to promote Paul. I got a chance to tell him how much I loved his work. Cheers, mate. Awesome.

Not much later that day, I went out for a break and end up sitting next to Nick Frost and his wife who are having a cigarette. Ended up talking for a good 20 minutes about the Con and his love of geeky things. Turns out when he was younger he wanted to work in publishing and for my old company! We hung out for a bit and he told me a bit about their wedding and their trip to San Diego. Nick's wife actually took this picture of the two of us mugging for the camera. Such a cool couple that really took time to talk to me and be real.


The only thing that would have been cooler was to have taken a picture with all three of them and some zombies! The hat trick, the trifecta... only at Comic-Con.

Seeing stars...and stripes.

(We interrupt all the Comic-Con memory posts for a quick review.) 

I was lucky enough to get invited to a special early screening (thanks Pete and Doris!) of Captain America: The First Avenger Wednesday night. First off, it was pretty cool that Marvel rented out the ENTIRE theater and had some cool freebies for those in attendance (t-shirts and posters).

I'm more of a recent fan of Cap (meaning I wasn't exactly too big a fan when I was a kid) and especially love what Ed Brubaker and Mark Millar have done in the past few years. Therefore, I'm more receptive to change and don't hold things as canon as much as I might with other screen adaptions. I did go into the movie hoping that it would really be the beginning of the obvious and overt seeds for the Avengers movie coming out next year. And boy, did the film deliver on that.

***SPOILERS!!!!**

Right off the bat we know that the film ties in with Asgard -- as the "Tesseract" (really a retcon of the Cosmic Cube) is a mystical, powerful object of Odin's that is in the hands of the Red Skull (tying Thor and Cap in Marvel movie mythology). The Red Skull did seem like a bit of a combination of the traditional Skull with a lot of Baron Strucker tossed in (as in making the Skull the leader of Hydra/ Hydra now as a special section of the SS). Hugo Weaving did an amazing job and had the right amount of menace. (Though he sounds like he is doing an Arnold Schwarzenegger impression with the accent.) The Skull make-up effects are pretty on the mark. Looks amazing! Toby Jones also does his best as Arnim Zola (there is a nice little Easter Egg with a video screen and Zola's face -- Marvel nerds know what I mean). Tommy Lee Jones (in full "army guy mode") and Stanley Tucci (as Dr. Erskine) also have some great moments in the film as well.

Now, we get to the best parts of the movie: Steve Rogers' origin story. Now, it's pretty much ancient history that Chris Evans was PERFECT as Johnny Storm in the FF Movies. His wise-cracking, lady-loving, frat boy ways = FLAME ON!  (Not to mention that he has played other comic characters in the Losers and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World) But, man -- does he do a good job as Cap. The first half of the film where a skinny, ill Steve Rogers tries all he can to enlist and serve his country -- this is where we see the heart and soul of Cap. The CGI that turned Chris Evans from leading man good looks to wimpy weakling are some of the best effects I have seen in a comic book movie. I was thoroughly convinced that it was Chris Evans and not face-replacement CGI. Stunning.

There were audible "awwwww!" moments from the ladies in the audience, but it wasn't all "poor Steve" -- he kicks major ass after he bulks up to Cap proportions. And unfortunately, the movie gets a bit more formulaic once Cap is in full action -- but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing! You've got the heart in the first hour, the second hour is about the brawn. Cap is the ultimate soldier in every aspect and represents the best of America -- on the inside and out.

(One of my favorite parts: The tongue-in-cheek propaganda machine that Cap becomes lets us see the famous "Cap punching Hitler" icon image and comic cover come to life.)

The heroine of the film is Peggy Carter (played by Hayley Atwell, who does a serviceable job) who definitely has some "tough broad" moments, but more interesting is if she may return in the Avengers as Sharon Carter -- Peggy's niece and in a twist of time and fate -- Steve's true love in the present day.

The breakout star -- as the media has been eager to crown -- is Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark. I may have to agree. His swagger and charm really worked for the character (but I don't know if he ages to look like John Slattery -- who plays Howard Stark in Iron Man 2) and he's got serious screen presence. Again, this ties Cap and Iron Man in the film mythology.

Stark has his hand in the development of the Super Soldier serum that transforms Cap, (the serum may be similar to what creates the Abomination in the most recent Hulk movie), and also creates his shield (which was famously seen in the Iron Man films), there is also an indication that the Tesseract/Cosmic Cube plays a part in repulsor energy stuff as well. We see Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury again and as already reported, the end of the film includes the first Avengers trailer.

So, what could the Avengers fill be about? We know Loki is in it. But is the Red Skull? Hmmm...could be. Will the Hulk be a hero or villain? Will there be other Marvel villains revealed? Thanos and Skrulls have been rumored. Ant-Man/Giant Man, Wasp, and other Avengers have yet to be cast (and may or may not be in the film after all).May 2012 seems so far away....

In the end, I loved Captain America. It is a great film in its own right (and ranks up there with some of the better comic book movies) and does a ton to sew the seeds of the Marvel Universe on film. Chris Evans has so much heart and it shows. I'm glad that the Marvel folks took a chance and more importantly -- the fans gave him a shot. And yes, there is a bit of concern that the film might not work in foreign markets because of the whole "America" thing -- but whatever. Go see it. To quote the modern geniuses Stone and Parker: America, F*** YEAH!

GeekOmnivore score: USA! USA! All the way!

View Askew-ed

Continuing my San Diego Comic-Con memories...

So, going into the project with Morgan, I ultimately got assigned to the celeb cyc (short for cyclorama) to get releases signed, talk to people while they waited to be interviewed, and jump in and interview people when needed. The most amazing job ever? Pretty dang close.

In any case, lots of folks came through our doors at the Hard Rock Hotel to be interviewed. Comic book creators, artists, writers, critics, Hollywood insider-types, actors, comedians, etc. Looking through the list of scheduled and possible interviewees....I spotted THE name.

Kevin Smith.

So, check it out: I saw Clerks in the movie theater back when it was first released. I own every Kevin Smith film on DVD and/or Blu-ray. I have seen Kevin Smith live several times -- including moderating a Battlestar Galactica panel at NY Comic-Con (nerdgasm). I have been to Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash in Red Bank, NJ. I own books, comics, posters, action figures from the Askewneverse. In short, I love me some Kevin Smith. He's one of my heroes.

But I had never met him.

He was the one celeb on the project that I HAD to meet. And Morgan, being the super cool dude that he is, made that happen. Scheduling-wise, I was there when KS arrived (through the secret back corridor!) and got to say hi to him, his daughter Harley, and his wife Jennifer. Amazing.

And if you look to your right, you'll see how happy I look. Finally, I got to tell the man how much his films and comic books had meant to me. The hours of laughs (and a few tears--come on! The dude is so much more than dick and fart jokes.) and just pure enjoyment -- I got to say thank you in person.

I knew without a doubt that Kevin would absolutely KILL it with the interview. I was all set to go and watch the magic happen, when things started going awry. With his interview running well over the allotted time and a schedule that was already packed, we were asking celebs to wait around. Um....

Pretty tough to do since everyone had just insane schedules to manage. But everyone that came in was completely cool and hung out. They had some drinks and snacks and talked to the crew (whispered, since filming was going on). Legendary sci-fi icon, Richard Hatch (from BSG) had to wait for a bit. Sci-fi hottie and IT-girl, Olivia Wilde had to chill for a bit longer. And they were awesome and loads of fun.

Though one person got bumped so Kevin could be interviewed. The guy was pissed. He started cracking fat jokes and talking smack. The crew got worried. The guy who was in a bad mood was Max Brooks, author of the modern classic World War Z -- I was a HUGE fan of his zombie apocalypse. And apparently, the only person in the green room who knew who he was.

I was asked to hang out with Max (at any other time, it would have been a thrill) and placate him while Kevin did his interview. We chatted about the book, the movie plans, how his fans were nuts and asked him to sign body parts (unattached), and general small talk. He made more jokes about Kevin Smith and the crew got more nervous. But after talking to him for a bit...I remembered one key detail. Max Brooks' father is MEL frakkin' BROOKS! 

Max was kidding the whole time -- definitely his father's son. He was just messing around and was a HUGE Kevin Smith fan. So when the crew needed to break, we went in and watched the rest of Kevin's interview. (Max's phone went off at one point. Which was kind of funny.)

Afterwards, I said hi to Kevin and Morgan. I asked the photographer (the amazing and gracious Alba Tull) if she would be so kind to take a picture of Kevin and me. She made my dream come true and took some awesome pics. (She thought it went so well, that we took some more pics of me and celebs. More to come next time.)

That first day working on the project was purely adrenaline-fueled and went by in a blur of awesomeness. I had such an amazing time and got to meet Kevin Smith.  Wow.

Stay tuned for more San Diego stories....*sigh* only at Comic-Con.

Oh, San Diego...

Well, it's Comic-Con week. I've got a ton of memories of going to San Diego -- priceless moments of working there and enjoying it as a fan. Unfortunately, I won't be making it over to Hall H or Ballroom 20 or the Exhibit Hall this year. Bummer.

But my past three trips to San Diego were amazing. I've had the pleasure to meet (and work with -- I was formerly employed at a publishing company --) people I really admire in the industry. I cannot say enough good things about the folks at Dark Horse. I've got some really amazing friends at DC and a ton of friends at Marvel. NBC Universal/ Sy Fy has some amazing people that I will call lifelong friends as well.

As a "fanboy" that had the great fortune and wherewithal to end up working in the entertainment industry -- I was completely and pleasantly surprised at the down-to-earthiness of professionals and celebrities that I have had the pleasure to meet. In the next few blog posts, I'll share some of my favorite memories (and awesome pics) of San Diego magic.

I'll have to call this number one:


What started out as a simple trip to the hotel bar at Comic-Con 2009, led to a geek's total dream. Done with meetings for the day, I ordered a burger and was waiting for take out at the bar. I turn to my left and I spot Morgan Spurlock. (Who has nothing against burgers in general!) Being a huge fan of Super Size Me, I had to go over and say hello.

We ended up having a drink and talked about what he was working on (turns out he was there working on his Simpsons doc) and how he had just met with Stan Lee and Joss Whedon. A geek after my own heart. Pretty amazing stuff. We hit it off and discussed ways that we could work together. 

We kept in touch after San Diego and met up a few times throughout the year with different ideas. Soon after, we managed to get a solid project to go -- the companion book to his upcoming documentary: Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope. Executive producers on the film include: Stan Lee, Joss Whedon, (funny that he met all three of us within 24 hours...though I am pretty sure Stan and Joss were way more memorable!) Harry Knowles, and Thomas Tull.


Long story short--I spent Comic-Con 2010 working with Morgan and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I got to interview and meet celebrities (Including one of my biggest heroes! More on that in a future post.) and contributed to a book and a film project. How cool is that?

Since the film hasn't come out yet, I don't want to say too much. But Morgan does give me a nice little shout out in this Publisher's Weekly article.

I'm excited to see the film when it is released this fall. I know that Comic-Con is just so massive in the minds of the geek populace and I have full faith that Morgan will do it justice. For all of us that have made the trek, we each get something so different from the experience. I was so very lucky to have had a once-in-a-lifetime-only-at-Comic-Con week in July of 2010. And for that: thanks for the ride, Morgan. I will manhug you next time I see you.

More Comic-Con stories next time.

How many months until May 2012?

I'll be seeing Captain America: The First Avenger (Gotta love that title. For foreign markets!) this coming weekend, so I'll get to see the Avengers trailer on the big screen...but someone at an early screening posted this online.

For the uninitiated, the Avengers are Marvel's superteam. Appearing in the film thus far:
Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Chris Evans as Captain America
Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk
Scarlet Johansson as Black Widow
Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury


Looking like some pure awesome. Finally seeing just a hint of the team (also the first glimpse of Colbie Smulders as Maria Hill -- legen-dary!) in action is a thrill.


Joss Whedon can do no wrong. I cannot wait for next May.

More flags, more fun!

Me and the ERL went to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey on Saturday. Yes, we dared to go on a Saturday! We were pleasantly surprised that the park was not packed to the gills. At about 50-60% capacity -- we did not wait more than 20 minutes to get on any of the major attractions. FTW!

We made a beeline to the newest roller coaster/movie tie-in, Green Lantern. The giant lantern battery and the Green Lantern art and artifacts (including a Geoff Johns/ Ethan Van Sciver Parallax tunnel thingee in the actual ride) were nice touches. The coaster is a "stand-up" ride -- basically you are in a harness and straddle a seat. Some great loops and turns, but overall -- the ride hurt! I thought I was the only person to be in pain, but these two tiny girls were complaining about aching calves afterwards. Despite the Green Lantern branding, it ended up being our least favorite ride of the day.

Next up, we rode Kingda Ka TWICE in a row. It was insane. Feel like taking a rocket ride up a mountain? I honestly thought that the G-forces were going to strip the contacts out of my eyes. The ride was prone to breakdowns (check out the Wikipedia entry for the history and records of the ride) so there were some fits and starts in the line. But we really didn't need to be all that patient since we got to ride it twice in less than 45 minutes of wait time. Definitely one of our favorites.

Next came another repeat two-fer on Nitro. This coaster was my second favorite because your arms and upper torso are completely free for the ride. Also seemed to be the longest coaster at Great Adventure. The lap restraint is something like a giant Big Wheel handle bar that gets jammed into your crotch though.

Seriously, the lines were just incredibly short at the park. We could repeat rides and we didn't even have to get a Flash Pass (which allows you special access to rides). For an additional $50 -$100 bucks a person you can have people give you dirty looks as you go through special gates. Fortunately for us, the day we were there the Flash Passes seemed completely unnecessary and we breezed through line after line. Suckers.

As for some good deals:
We got souvenir bottles that were two for about $22 bucks. Free refills on these all day. We definitely got our money's worth since we were parched. They also had a Coke Experience station where you can get crazy permutations on Coke flavors. ERL loved the Sprite Zero Peach!


Discover Card also gets a 5% discount everywhere in the park (and online when getting tickets) and a special entrance at the front gate. They also have a TON of DC merchandise throughout the park. For about $30, I got cool Superman and Batman t-shirts. Sort of Ed Hardy style, but hey, when in Jersey, right?

They also sell capes for $5! I should have got the Superman one I wanted, because by the end of the day they were sold out. Weird thing is -- they had capes for Green Lantern and the Flash. Hello, Nerd Police? I'd like to report a crime. Anyways...

Another DC Comics ride was up next and was our third favorite of the day -- Bizarro (though it's the old Medusa coaster re-branded with some extras thrown in). So many cool touches in this ride! There was pyro and mist and just a ton of cool inversions, twists and turns. My major complaint is that you get boxed in the ears at a certain point (happened to me both times we rode, at the same turn). Other than that, me no like Bizarro! No fun at all!

We did manage to ride some non-coasters as well. The Congo Rapids (we got drenched) -- not worth it. The Skyline -- way faster and less relaxing than expected. The Ferris Wheel -- snoozefest, but probably more romantic at night.  Both "dark ride" coasters (Skull Mountain and the Dark Knight) were short and kind of lame. ERL also played some games on the Boardwalk (but was not a winner and did not have a chicken dinner) -- funny thing to note in WB/Looney Tunes/DC Comics land, they actually had some Marvel branded prizes.

Finally, we ended the day with THREE consecutive trips on Superman: Ultimate Flight. This was our absolute favorite and we agreed to come back next year just to get on this one again. The seats on this ride might be cause for concern since you are locked in down to your ankles (which isn't good for the claustrophobic, but pretty excellent if you want to feel secure). Once you are in the seat, the floor drops out and the seat is angled in such a way that you are dangling -- without a floor or track beneath you -- but look ahead and you'll be flying like Superman! Immensely fun and the closest you'll ever get to actually flying.


All-in-all we spent about $300 bucks on our entire day out. Loads of fun and the weather was perfect. At just about two hours outside of NYC, it's worth the hassle of getting out on the road and into the Garden State for a day of screaming and whipping around. As much fun as when you remembered it as a kid? -- maybe even more.

Two fingers up!

Two thumbs up!

GeekOmnivore score: SIX FLAGS!!!!!!

Show me the GREEN.

After years of waiting, I finally got to see the Green Lantern movie. I was not disappointed. Was it the best superhero film I have ever seen? Nope. But I had such insanely high expectations for this film! Next to the Flash and Green Arrow -- Green Lantern is my absolute favorite superhero. Nothing would ever match the movie that plays in my head, but director Martin Campbell does come close. Since the film is basically an origin story, it shows a lot of promise in terms of setting up the coming sequels (there certainly will be more to come).

I do stand by my assessment that Ryan Reynolds was born to play Wally West in a Flash film, but man, he makes a fantastic Hal Jordan as well. Reynolds excels at humor and wisecracks. In the latest Entertainment Weekly Reynolds writes a tongue-in-cheek biography and describes himself as a "cocksman" -- couldn't have said it any better. His swagger, attitude, fearlessness, and moments of doubt conveyed everything I think Hal Jordan should be. When he first recites the Green Lantern Oath -- I got chills. He did a fantastic job and I'm psyched for more in years to come.

Mark Strong was an absolutely perfect choice to play Sinestro. *SPOILERS for the non-comic astute* The haughty attitude, the self-righteousness, the hero that is primed for corruption -- he nailed it. (Visually, the widow's peak, the ears, the mustache, the forehead, the crazy pink skin -- Korugarian-perfect!) *MORE SPOILERS!!!!* The scene that plays during the credits with Sinestro donning the yellow ring followed by his GL suit turning that iconic shade of yellow....I cannot wait for the Sinestro Corps War to make it to the screen in the inevitable sequel.

"Eye candy" seems to be the best way to describe the film. The CG and the 3D were done incredibly well. I loved every minute of the effects shots and the action pieces. A few minor nitpicks: Hal's mask could use some tweaking. It looks like it's upside down or the nose is wrong? I can't really put my finger on it, but it could use a little work? The Guardians were a little too...gooey for my liking. Kilowog was a bit too piggish. And Tomar-Re looked like he had scoliosis. But on the whole, the Corps looked fantastic. I was so excited to see Stel and Bzzd -- but like a Star Wars film, they appeared for a second and they were gone. Would I buy their action figures though, heck yeah! (I was Kenner trained.) I do wish there was more time spent with the Corps -- but I'm sure that's what the sequels are for.

And as for the Blake Lively question -- I remember seeing the trailer and groaned at her performance. Well, I have to say she did a great job as well. She looked absolutely gorgeous and handled Carol Ferris pretty well. I do feel she is just a touch too young for the role. I always pictured Carol as more "womanly" and Lively comes across as too girlish -- the role needed just a bit more gravitas. (Besides, I kept thinking about how Serena van der Woodsen wouldn't be caught dead in a flight suit! ... XOXO Gossip Girl....and yes, I did watch the show. I'm not handing over my geekcard though!) ** MAJOR SPOILERS for the non-comic folks** Would Lively have the acting chops (and not be campy) and be able to transition over to Star Sapphire mode in the sequel/ threequel?

Peter Sarsgaard had the unenviable task of growing a giant head to play Hector Hammond. Grotesque and creepy-- Sarsgaard had it down before he even had to put on any of the prosthetics. He is one of the few actors `that can just make your skin crawl with an expression or an off-kilter line reading. He just seemed to be...clammy and oily the entire time he was on screen. Pretty perfect, if you ask me.


As for the supporting cast, Tim Robbins and Angela Bassett were...there. They didn't have much to their characters, but it helped to move the plot along and a nice nod to DCU history (though Frenchie Davis might be a better fit to play Amanda Waller than arms-of-steel-Bassett). Tom Kalamaku was a nice addition and a brief scene of the Jordan family rounded out Hal's back story.

*MORE SPOILERS*

So, does Abin Sur (played by Jango Fett / Clone daddy - Temuera Morrison) do anything other than die? (A long running geek joke...) Not really, but he makes the most of his time on screen. He gets to battle Parallax for a hot minute, travels to Earth, gives Hal the ring, and croaks. He does serve as a good plot device of bringing a piece of Parallax to Earth (comic purists take note -- Parallax isn't the bug we've come to know and fear) and helps to tie Hector Hammond into the cosmic stuff. It would have been nice to get to see more of Abin Sur in action (as we comic nerds have all wondered), but that may be seen in flashbacks in sequels or at least in the Flashpoint comics.


Final thoughts: I loved it. I wanted more more and more. I'm glad that we've gotten the origin story out of the way so the sequels can focus more on the Corps and the outer space stuff (which was the real highlight). Will we see Guy Gardner, John Stewart, or Kyle Rayner in the future (And Mogo MUST make an appearance before the franchise is done)? Who knows? But if the sequels follow in fashion - there may be a recruitment drive needed. Sign me up.

GeekOmnivore SCORE: GREEN is great! 

*images sourced from the Internet. No copyright shall escape my sight!*

Stone cold?

I walked right past Matt Stone on the street yesterday afternoon. (Right around Baruch college. I'm sure he was in town post-Tonys -- after winning for The Book of Mormon. I'm guessing he might have been at the People's Improv Theater for some reason. Tall dude.)

I didn't stop him. I didn't say hi. I did not effusively praise him for producing years of one of my favorite shows of all time: South Park. All I did really was mumble: "Hey, that was Matt Stone. Cool."

But why didn't I totally geek out? Was it because I was coming from Walgreen's with a multi-pack of toilet paper? Was I cranky because the check out guy was a bit of a d-bag? Or was it something else? Was I... Could I be...a jaded geek?

In 2005, I went to an animation panel that was part of the annual New Yorker Festival -- Matt Stone and Trey Parker were there, as were Brad Bird (The Incredibles), and Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis (Aqua Teen Hunger Force). It was great discussion and totally worth the time to go and check it out. I would have killed to have a minute to talk to the Matt and Trey back then.

Fast forward several years later and I have been to numerous comic conventions, I've worked on projects that had celebrities attached (more on that some other day), met some of my favorite rock stars (for one reason or another) and now one of my college buddies is a big time actor -- James Kyson Lee.  And, well... maybe I have gotten a bit less starstruck in my years. BUT...



Yes, we've all heard that celebrities are people too. That they have lives and deserve to carry on without being harassed by the sweaty masses. But what about the flip side? We supergeeks who spend our time absorbed in deep contemplation about pop-culture...sometimes we need a day off from our self-proclaimed empires of nerdiosity. Sometimes, we just want to get our Coke Zero and Chex Mix and Mead Envelopes without having to deal with the hassle of running into a famous person!
 
You know, I've learned something today -- it's not essential to my geekdom that I actually geek out ALL THE TIME. It's ok for me to acknowledge the fact that hey, that was friggin' Matt Stone! in my head and have that just be enough as it is. A pure thought. A dragonfly alighting on a lily pad.

A lot of us fanboys have the mentality that we MUST get that autograph or that picture with the object of our geekdom (believe me, I have and probably will again) -- but sometimes it's just ok to have a moment and let that be it. (And yet, here I am blogging about it and making a big deal about how it wasn't a big deal! AND I did it in the style of how a South Park episode ends with a lesson! -- did you catch how meta that was? -- Oh, the irony! Wait, is that ironic? Someone check with Alanis...)

So, Matt Stone (and Trey Parker) I appreciate the brilliance that is South Park's highbrow/lowbrow social commentary/fart jokes. I will forever admire the cinematic genius of Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, Team America, and yes, even BASEketball. And I will unleash my inner drama nerd/a capella dork when I finally get to see the Book of Mormon. Perhaps if my hands were not full with sundry items that day, I may have doffed my cap and said "Hello. I hope you had a good time in NYC. Congrats on the Tonys. You are one step closer to an EGOT!"  And I would have totally taken a picture with you on my cell phone.


 

Sigh... I AM a nerd...and I'm big-boned.







*images sourced from around the Internet. Professor Chaos rules.