Did you read my “Worst. Night. Ever.” post yesterday about how you made me dress up like a wizard and attend the Canterbury Renaissance Faire? IT’S PRETTY GOOD! But here’s an update! As you recall, I was very unimpressed by most of the merchandise there—which consisted of crocheted chain mail, ugly pictures of wolves howling […]
Geek
Posted inGeek
The New Doubleclicks’ Video “Nothing to Prove” Is Delightful and Hilarious
Great local band the Doubleclicks has a new video out that takes on sexism and elitism in geek communities, compiling submissions from self-proclaimed geek girls and prominent nerds like Wil Wheaton, Marian Call, Paul and Storm, and John Scalzi. And it’s *delightful,* empowering and tough and quite funny. I laughed out loud at local comic […]
Posted inTV
Hey Child-Like Adults! Beware the Batman Trailer!
If you’re a fan of the mid-90s style of Batman cartoonies that had a little bit of a darker edge to them—think Batman: The Animated Series, and Batman Beyond—check out this trailer for Cartoon Network’s newest batty outing Beware the Batman. It debuts July 13, and it’s all CG and shit! (Prepare your excuses for […]
Posted inBooks
A Cyborg Anthology Edited by a Cyborg
A CYBORG Look how bored he is without anything to read ๐ One of the things I look forward to every month is the new issue of Clarkesworld, a fantastic digital magazine that collects new—and, as of the past few months, old—science-fiction and fantasy stories. It also has non-fiction pieces, but the fiction is what […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Joss Whedon Says He Doesn’t Plan on Making Avengers 2 Without Robert Downey Jr.
I’ve written about the upcoming salary dispute between Robert Downey Jr. and Marvel’s movie-making division. It looks like Marvel wants to treat the talent in their films the same way they do the talent in their comics: Interchangeable, in service of the intellectual property. But that’s going to be a harder sell with movies than […]
Posted inTV
So Who’s Next? The Hunt for a New Doctor Begins
It had been rumored for quite awhile, and on midnight, June 1st, the BBC declared the rumor to be true: Matt Smith, the Eleventh Doctor, will not be returning for the eighth series (they call them series over there, not seasons) of the long-running science-fiction program. The mourning period for Smith’s run as the Doctor […]
Posted inBooks
Jack Vance
The beloved science fiction pioneer has died, Locus Magazine says: SF Grand Master Jack Vance, 96, died May 26, 2013 in Oakland CA. Vance was one of the most influential SF authors of the postwar period, and his visionary imagination and sophisticated, often playful use of language inspired countless SF writers, including Avram Davidson, Harlan […]
Posted inSports
Spider-Man Has an Okay Jump Shot
We may not be fans the Amazing Spider-Man reboot franchise, but here’s star Andrew Garfield being a good guy by playing basketball with some local kids DRESSED IN HIS SPIDER-MAN COSTUME. (He’s apparently taking a break from the set of the Amazing Spider-Man sequel.) Kudos to Garfield for not hopping up on top of the […]
Posted inGirls Only!
Star Trek Releases Deleted Scene of Benedict Cumberbatch Showering to Counter Claims of Sexism
The men behind Star Trek Into Darkness have thrown us ladies and boner-loving dudes a bone and released a deleted shower scene featuring a sinewy Benedict Cumberbatch in response to the completely justified criticism they’ve been getting over Alice Eve’s gratuitous underwear scene. Here’s a screenshot of Cumberbatch showering (you can find the full clip […]
Posted inGeek
Are You Geekier Than a Four-Year-Old?
CHALLENGE! Do you know more about Marvel super heroes than four-year-old Mia strapped in her car seat? Let’s find out when we play (cue music)… DO YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT MARVEL SUPER HEROES THAN FOUR-YEAR-OLD MIA STRAPPED IN HER CAR SEAT? (audience applause) Good luck contestants, and let’s begin!
Posted inTV
Patton Oswalt’s Star Wars Filibuster—Animated for Your Convenience
As you clearly recall, one of comedian Patton Oswalt’s most memorable appearances was last month’s guest shot on Parks and Recreation where he pulled off a hilarious citizen filibuster in which he lovingly describes his dream Star Wars sequel. Happily, artist Isaac Moores has made an animated version of Oswalt’s speech convincing me more than […]
Posted inVideo Games
Steven Spielberg Presents Halo: The Television Series
Today saw the reveal of Microsoft’s newest gaming console, the Xbox One. The console looks like a VCR from 1985, and in keeping with that motif, Microsoft spent about 2 hours telling you all the cool and interesting ways you can watch TV on it. Then there were 15 minutes of games you’ll be able […]