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2013-06-18 23:10:58 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Graphic Novel Review: Mystery Society by Steve Niles and Fiona Staples

So close!

This had all the elements lined up to be a great book and yet it just doesn't quite come together.

Admittedly the biggest draw initially for me was the art by Fiona Staples because I love the work she has done on Saga. And she doesn't let me down here.

But there were other exciting elements here. Jules Verne's brain in a giant robot? Yup that's cool. A husband and wife mystery solving team? Yeah I'll go for some of that.

You see this book really wants to be wacky and crazy and it throws out some big ideas. The husband and wife team are ridiculously, crazy rich, so they've got a UFO shaped escape craft and a jet that actually has bubbles for 5 people. Like I said, it wants to be wacky. There's a character whose last name is... more »

2013-06-18 22:38:42 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

The Ultimate Superhero Wall

If I'm not mistaken each of these panels has been recreated direct from a comic book panel.

I would probably have killed to have a superhero mural like this on my bedroom wall as a kid.

Batman, Hulk, Superman, Thor, Wolverine, Spider-man, Iron Man...

http://imgur.com/rxQv14n

2013-06-18 21:52:25 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Tiger Parenting... And The Research Says....

Probably not a good idea if you want your kids to grow up to be stable and fully functional.

http://scienceblog.com/63955/the-verdict-on-tiger-parenting-studies-point-to-poor-mental-health

2013-06-18 21:18:51 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 3 +1s)

HULK and the Agents of SMASH - Trailer

So Marvel cancelled their excellent  Avengers cartoon to replace it with a new one. But they're also starting a new Hulk cartoon. HULK and the Agents of SMASH.

Which is basically Hulk, Red Hulk, She-Hulk, Skaar (Son of Hulk) and A-Bomb. I predict a lot of smashing. 

Pretty cool voice cast though including Clancy Brown, Eliza Dushku and Seth Green

2013-06-18 20:49:23 (2 comments, 4 reshares, 3 +1s)

Disney's Frozen - Teaser Trailer

Not sure quite what to make of this. It's an effective enough comic short featuring a couple of the non-human characters from Frozen.

But if this is the tone they're going for I'm a bit disappointed because it will be a  waste of the Snow Queen source material.

Still as I understand it, this material was generated specifically for the trailer, it's not part of the movie.

2013-06-18 20:38:29 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Prometheus Sequel Gets New Screenwriter

Ridley Scott said early on he saw Prometheus as the start of a new story rather than the continuation of Alien and work continues on the Prometheus sequel although currently Scott himself is only listed as producer.

But apparently while Michael Fassbender and Noomi Rapace are expected to be back, Damon Lindelof will not be writing the sequel. Instead the studio has brought Jack Paglen on to write the script.

2013-06-18 20:25:58 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Dan Harmon Really Didn't Like Season 4 Of Community

I mean he really didn't like it. Guess it's just as well he's back for season 5.

“I watched season four. I guess I already knew this, but apparently, I’m quite a genius … I think I feel pretty comfortable expressing any kind of ‘Eh, not my cup of tea’ about it because — this has been expressed a thousand times over — it’s obviously not somebody doing what they do and trying very hard to make people happy. It is very much like an impression, and an unflattering one. It’s just 13 episodes of ‘Oh, I’m Dan Harmon! Derpy, derpy, durr! Die Hard! Durrrrr!’ I feel like I’m going back to work tomorrow morning, and I just feel like, ‘Do I talk like that?’…. Man, watching those characters without me there is just not fuckin’ cool, man. It’s like flipping through Instagrams andwatching your girlfriend just blow ... more »

2013-06-18 19:46:02 (5 comments, 1 reshares, 13 +1s)

LEGO Spaceships - The Marquis

This is the Marquis. Built by Peter Mowry it stands 56" in height and it has to be suspended on a special tripod.

It is one of the most epic and unique LEGO spaceships I have ever seen.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/peter_mowry/with/9006006273/

2013-06-18 16:33:26 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Perhaps if we stopped putting companies and people on fictional pedestals we wouldn't get so angry when they end up on the floor.

I'm always curious about the strange cults that people create around writers, actors, musicians and even companies (think Apple or Google).

They assign absurd levels of intelligence to them. Expect them to achieve some sort of moral perfection that we ourselves are unable to come close to.

And then they don't. And we get all bitter. And they're evil or they sold out.

Nope. They're just people. Just like they always were. Stop expecting them to be more than that.

2013-06-18 11:39:40 (15 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

You know it would be nice to see the odd post on here that isn't people lecturing on the ills of the world as they see it or doesn't degenerate into someone else lecturing them on the ills of the world.

Tired of the soapboxes.

2013-06-17 23:09:50 (5 comments, 6 reshares, 18 +1s)

Scooby Doo's Daphne & Velma Get A Modern New Look

Artist Otto Schmidt gives his shot at a redesign of Daphne and Velma keeping most of the elements from their classic Scooby Doo days but giving it a little update at the same time.

Now Velma is giving Daphne a run for her money.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=318728134927206&set=a.185158128284208.43710.165066126960075&type=1&theater

2013-06-17 22:01:10 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Brent Knowles has a short story in the latest issue of the magazine Plasma Frequency and he'd like everyone to read it.

Since you can download PDF/Kindle/EPub editions for free... why not do just that?

2013-06-17 21:48:49 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 8 +1s)

Images From Disney's Frozen

Disney had what could probably be called it's first hit CGI movie (I'm counting Pixar as a separate entity in this) with Tangled. Which was a rather more modern re-telling of Rapunzel than the traditional Disney Princess movies.

And it seems they're going for that again in Frozen which is a Disney adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen.

The movie which comes out in November 2013 features the voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Johnatha Groff, Josh Gad and Santino Fontana.

This certainly has a Disney look to it. A teaser trailer will debut in the next day or so.

2013-06-17 21:20:24 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Are These The Specs of the Motorola X Phone?

According to the latest rumors the specs for the MotoX, the much awaited and hyped Motorola X Phone will be:

1.7 GHz dual core MSM8960 Pro , 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, 720p display resolution, 10MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and Android 4.2.2.

Which is to say nothing out of the ordinary at all and less than the current big two HTC One and Samsung Galaxy 4.

There's nothing horrible about those specs, but it doesn't give people the blow away phone they seem to be looking for. Maybe they're fake. It's a rumor after all.

http://androidandme.com/2013/06/phones/motorola-manufacturers-news/new-motorola-x-phone-specs-leaked/

2013-06-17 20:25:08 (12 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

Digg's RSS Reader Will Launch June 26

Which is only a few days before Google Reader shuts down. Expect the servers to be slammed.

Apparently the focus is on a direct Google Reader replacement with iPhone and Android apps. Google login will be available and keyboard shortcuts will be there (based off Vim's key bindings!)

http://liliputing.com/2013/06/digg-reader-to-launch-just-days-before-google-reader-shutdown.html

2013-06-17 20:03:25 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug Production Blog #1

Here's the first of the production blogs for the next Hobbit movie. It looks at the sets and locations that were featured in the first movie which is disappointing.

But still it's always nice to see that New Zealand scenery.

2013-06-17 19:33:45 (3 comments, 12 reshares, 26 +1s)

Guinea pig Scale Mail Armour and Helmet

It's not just women who deserve properly fitting armor you know. Admittedly they hog all the attention on the subject. But that's probably because they can... you know... write... and speak.

Well it's time someone took a stand for Guinea Pigs.

If you want to make sure that your guinea pig goes into battle properly protected... well jump on over to ebay and start bidding!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hand-made-Guinea-Pig-Scale-Mail-and-Helmet-Armor/321142440749?ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1&ih=011&category=121854&cmd=ViewItem#viTabs_0

2013-06-17 13:44:48 (22 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Rape is bad mmkay?

And now that I've stated this truism I can make any follow on statement without having to back it up with logic.

Because if you argue with me... you're a misogynist, rapist or rape apologist.

2013-06-17 13:40:27 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

That weird moment when you find the only person who will agree with you is someone who's opinions on most issues you usually disagree with.

2013-06-17 12:52:07 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

righ·teous - adjective \ˈrī-chəs\

Definition of RIGHTEOUS

1: That feeling of moral superiority which lets you justify behavior in yourself and people who agree with you that you find unacceptable in others who disagree.

2013-06-17 11:32:24 (1 comments, 3 reshares, 23 +1s)

Flickr Spotlight: Dark vs. Light

This shot by Bob Perkins really jumped out at me today. I like all the details and textures, I love the "angry" sky contrasted against the brightness of the sun. And the use of portrait orientation for a landscape is refreshing too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45810923@N03/9060195183/

2013-06-17 00:43:18 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Signs you're very tired...

Going to bed before the sun sets.

2013-06-17 00:11:32 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 21 +1s)

Movie Review: The Adjustment Bureau

Let's be clear up front. This is a Hollywood movie with elements of thriller/action and probably primarily romance at play. Yes it is very loosely based on the Philip K. Dick story The Adjustment Team but it would probably be more accurate to say inspired by.

But, it does gently poke at some larger questions on the subject of free will. And the importance of self vs. the importance of society. Though I'm not surprised which side it inevitably comes down on.

Matt Damon plays an up and coming politician who suffers a crushing defeat in an election. The adjustment bureau working to the plan drawn up by The Chairman set up a meeting with Emily Blunt a rather more freewheeling character.

Sparks fly and Damon's character is inspired to give a concession speech that essentially lines him up for future political... more »

2013-06-16 22:53:40 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 4 +1s)

Book Review: Troubled Souls By Damian Trasler

Damian Trasler's latest short story compilation is a bit of a strange mixture. First you have three dark and twisted tails and then you have a more light hearted take on the zombie apocalypse sub-genre. Which is apparently going to become a full novel by next year.

It's not that any of the component parts are bad (I'll go into each of them more in a moment), it's just that the last really doesn't belong with the first three. And it's possible that it even detracts from the impact of the earlier tales. So looking at the compilation as a whole, I think it doesn't quite hang together. On the other hand I'd really have to recommend reading each of these stories. So...

Smoke: I've never been a smoker. I have quite literally never smoked a cigarette in my life. And I've never had a... more »

2013-06-16 22:26:20 (17 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Anyone Watched Sinbad?

They've only shown the first episode on SyFy so far (and I know there's only the one season) but I rather enjoyed it.

It's definitely on the switch your brain off and enjoy the action side of things. But it's competently acted with an impressive effort at racial diversity and some decent CGI.

Makes a good way to relax at the weekend I think.

2013-06-16 14:00:08 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 17 +1s)

Now With More Lens Flare

If colored gradients are cool and lens flare is cool then colored lens flare gradients must be uber cool*!

*50% cooler when compared to other popular washing detergents

2013-06-16 13:31:03 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Things that really annoy me # x (I think I've lost count of the number at this point).

- People who try to joke when I'm being serious.
- People who take me seriously when I'm joking.
- My considerable inability to spot jokes when people are making them.

2013-06-16 13:28:16 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Do I need to spell out my opinion on Fathers Day?

I'd like to think by this point my thoughts on these things are pretty clear.

2013-06-16 13:20:42 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Flickr Spotlight: Old And New

This shot by Mark Gladding gives a different view from the theater. It's very moody and atmospheric with excellent lighting. I particularly like the use of black and white to remove distractions from the image.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/markgladding/9052629472/

2013-06-16 00:08:48 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Reviewed Out For The Day

And with that I'm all caught up on my reviews again.

But I should probably point out that they're all archived at my website. I tend to do more Book and Graphic Novel reviews, but that's because there aren't many shows I find worth reviewing every episode. I'm more likely to do a season review (Doctor Who being an inevitable exception) and I just don't get to see that many movies these days.

Book Reviews (47 currently): http://eoghann.com/category/reviews/books
Graphic Novel Reviews (17 currently): http://eoghann.com/category/reviews/graphic-novels
TV Reviews (12): http://eoghann.com/category/reviews/tv
Movie Reviews (11): http://eoghann.com/category/reviews/movies 

I may have a couple more reviews tomorrow. But I'm not sure if I'll actually have the time to write them.

2013-06-15 23:35:19 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

Graphic Novel Review: The High Ways by John Byrne

The High Ways is one of comics legend John Byrne's latest books. Which he both writes and draws. Which is either good or bad depending on how much you like John Byrne I suppose.

There's no doubt that his impact on comics in the 70s, 80s and 90s was substantial. But his visibility has dropped significantly over the years although he has continued to work primarily at smaller publishers like IDW. To my mind this book shows both the good and bad points of Byrne's more recent work.

In terms of story telling clarity and just basic cartooning The High Ways is hard to beat. It's easy to follow, there's no confusion about what's going on or who is who. The man undoubtedly knows his craft. The book looks like a John Byrne book in every way you might expect.

But that's also a problem... more »

2013-06-15 22:58:31 (3 comments, 2 reshares, 6 +1s)

Book Review: Changeless by Gail Carriger

Changeless is the second in the Alexia Tarabotti series of novels by Gail Carriger. And if you didn't enjoy the first then this isn't going to suddenly change your mind. It's very much a continuation in tone and content.

Which is to say that it's light, frothy and written as a sort of pastiche comedy of manners from the Victorian period. Although the emphasis this time is more on the mystery and a little less on the romance aspect. Don't worry it's still there though.

The change is perhaps inevitable. After all Gail Carriger did marry off her two central characters in the previous book so there's going to be a different dynamic as the relationship evolves. Unfortunately I'm not sure the mystery element was strong enough to completely make up for the shift.

We do however, get a great... more »

2013-06-15 20:17:58 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 10 +1s)

Book Review: Under The Empyrean Sky by +Chuck Wendig

Billed as the first part of the Heartland Trilogy, Under the Empyrean Sky starts slow. We're not told when or where this exactly is set but we're left to assume that it is the American heartland at some point in the future.

And the tone of the first half of the book is certainly reminiscent of the "kid coming of age in small town america books" that are not uncommon. Chuck Wendig treads a fine line of building this dystopian future where those in the "heartland" are little more than slaves for the airborne elite without just dumping a bunch of information on us.

So we are introduced to Cael, who gives us a view point on this strange world full of frustration, thwarted ambitions, hardship and pettiness. And some of the time Cael isn't very likeable. He's a bit selfish, a bit... more »

2013-06-15 18:58:04 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 6 +1s)

J. J. Abrams Star Trek In 8-Bit

This video gives us a pretty thorough retelling of the plot of J.J. Abrams first Star Trek movies presenting it as an 8-bit game.

Complete with 8-bit theme music!

2013-06-15 18:22:43 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

What Would Happen If Superman Punched You?

So Man of Steel is out and Superman apparently spends quite a bit of time punching people through buildings. But what would happen if Superman was to punch an ordinary person in real life?

Well... as the video puts it. He'd punch the atoms out of you. We're talking energy on a scale of nuclear explosions.

And that assumes that Superman cannot punch faster than light speed. Which is questionable given some of the powers he's been shown to have over the years.

2013-06-15 18:07:09 (0 comments, 9 reshares, 15 +1s)

Founding Fathers As Pinup Models

Would Americans be able to take their cherished Founding Fathers as seriously if this is how they were portrayed?

I'm going with no. :D

More at the link: http://publius-esquire.tumblr.com/post/51195020468/founding-father-pin-ups-2nd-ed-tread-on-me

2013-06-15 14:12:53 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 8 +1s)

Mars Curiosity Rover Is The Next LEGO CUUSOO Set!

A great choice by LEGO I think. It's a comparatively small set which should keep it affordable. It  touches on the excitement people have had over the Curiosity Rover mission. And it doesn't rely on a license.

Incidentally this LEGO model was designed by an engineer who actually worked at NASA on the rover itself!

2013-06-15 13:58:31 (1 comments, 4 reshares, 20 +1s)

Flickr Spotlight - Little Owl

This photo jumped out at me when I was scrolling through my stream of images. That startled owl expression, the contrast with the starry background. This is just such an arresting image.

Photographer Jose Viana has done a phenomenal job here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jose_viana/9038971143/

2013-06-15 00:10:02 (11 comments, 2 reshares, 17 +1s)

There's really only one thing you need to know. Keep Calm and...

2013-06-14 22:38:02 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

And Why Is It Called Revenge Of The Sith Anyway

What are they getting revenge for exactly?

Seems more like Unprovoked Long And Convoluted Plan Of The Sith Finally Sees Results

2013-06-14 22:29:05 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated...

I'm not actually Nelson Mandela and he's not actually dead yet.

2013-06-14 21:32:51 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

Today Everybody Lives

Still one of my favorite scenes from the last 8 years of Doctor Who. And a perfect example of why I thought Christopher Ecclestone made such a great Doctor.

2013-06-14 19:57:31 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 4 +1s)

Google Shows Of It's Sophisticated Voice Search In Glass

I think from now on my test of good voice recognition will be the ability for it to understand me saying phlebotomy. 

But it also can do amazing things like answer the question:

Who sings that song where the guy goes "How Bizarre?"

Which is the sort of vague question I'm likely to end up asking.

Incidentally Google Now can also answer all these questions right now. But it took three goes for it to recognize me say phlebotomy.

2013-06-14 19:29:37 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Graphic Novel Review: The New Ghostbusters Volume 1

The title of this volume (The New Ghostbusters Volume 1) is a bit miss-leading. What it really is is the first story arc of volume 2 of IDW's monthly Ghostbusters comic. As such it references events and uses characters from the run to date and it will leave you on a cliffhanger ending because... you're supposed to get the next monthly comic (or the next collection).

If you go in understanding that, there's quite a bit to like about this. This clearly a continuation from the original Ghostbusters movie with most of the characters showing up in some role, along with a supporting cast that the comic has built up.

The art takes a very cartoony approach which I actually appreciated. You know who you're looking at but aren't distracted by it not being a perfect representation of the character from the... more »

2013-06-14 19:29:23 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

Graphic Novel Review: The New Ghostbusters Volume 1

The title of this volume (The New Ghostbusters Volume 1) is a bit miss-leading. What it really is is the first story arc of volume 2 of IDW's monthly Ghostbusters comic. As such it references events and uses characters from the run to date and it will leave you on a cliffhanger ending because... you're supposed to get the next monthly comic (or the next collection).

If you go in understanding that, there's quite a bit to like about this. This clearly a continuation from the original Ghostbusters movie with most of the characters showing up in some role, along with a supporting cast that the comic has built up.

The art takes a very cartoony approach which I actually appreciated. You know who you're looking at but aren't distracted by it not being a perfect representation of the character from the... more »

2013-06-14 18:51:59 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

World War Z - Video Clip

If the photos I posted a couple of days ago just didn't give you enough of Brad Pitt looking pensive; Brad Pitt looking worried or Brad Pitt looking very serious... well I may have just what you need...

Here's the first clip from World War Z. Still no  zombies you'll notice. But the movie is getting some positive press. So maybe they just want to hold that back for now.

2013-06-14 18:46:35 (2 comments, 14 reshares, 32 +1s)

Man of Blue Steel

Man of Steel meets Zoolander. :D

http://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/1gbwrl/man_of_blue_steel/

2013-06-14 17:12:15 (21 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

How To Predict Who Will Be The Next Doctor

This article hits the nail on the head pretty well when it comes to figuring out who might be cast in Doctor Who as the next Doctor.

We're talking someone who will be cheap to contract, is used to a pretty rigorous schedule and has a little, but not too much tv exposure.

Which is why all the names people keep throwing out there are wrong. :)

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/06/14/how-to-predict-the-next-doctor-who/

2013-06-14 14:59:08 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 8 +1s)

Elysium - Trailer # 2

On the surface this is a pretty familiar scenario. We have the rich up "above" and the poor on the ground who are a subservient class.

But...

The movie is directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9) something that's pretty clear from its visual style. And while I expect it to be primarily an action movie, there are hints at a little more depth here and there.

Also while I'm not a particularly big fan of Matt Damon he is competent enough and with Jodie Foster as a co-star I'm pretty curious how this one will turn out.

Elysium is scheduled for release on August 9th 2013.

2013-06-14 13:59:09 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 24 +1s)

Flickr Spotlight: Hummingbird In Flight

Here's a wonderful capture by Dan Ripplinger of a hummingbird mid-flight.

It's not easy to get such a sharp image of a bird that moves that fast.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dansphotoart/9039691217