Fanboys Anonymous

The human race must be ripe for a gigantic battle royale lately, as Glamour magazine puts forth its latest list of World's Sexiest Men. Not surprisingly, they were mostly actors known for wearing tight clothing in sci-fi/superhero films, or singers known for their contributions towards global warming via absurd amounts of hairspray. Sorry, ladies, I am totally here to make fun of you!

"Hands off, bitches, this man meat's mine!"

As I read that Twilight actor-boy Robert Pattinson had lost out to Henry Cavill on a fifth year at the top of the bunny boilers' stalking favourites list, this immediately turned my attention to a disturbing trend that's arisen this year. It was a clear case of some sort of twisted love triangle in the making. People who looked like aliens versus people who portray aliens, with people who pretend to fight aliens also in the mix.

Notably, there were a few trolls in the mix. Don't ask how they got in there. Glamour as a lifestyle, and as an industry, has never made sense to me. But I'm guessing they do an actual readers' poll, as opposed to just judging their winner at the office by measuring the decibels of hysterical female journalists, tea ladies, and secretaries as they scream at photos of pretty people.

"Momma's got a damp spot for you, Henry..."

Cavill, who has divided audiences everywhere—fans of DC comics, games, telly shows like Smallville, and the Christopher Reeve movies—with his portrayal of Superman/Kal-El in Man of Steel, has nonetheless made a massive impact on both sides of the Atlantic this year. He's just so dashing and handsome, you see?! So it was a shame that he had to beat Pattinson to the punch (I'd have liked him to Superman-punch R-Patz in the head, though), because I couldn't at least say, "Suck it, America, your women love the British now!"

Anyhooo! The list went as follows (see what I mean about the aliens and trolls thing):

20.) Robert Downey Jr (fights aliens with the Avengers)

19.) Matt Smith (Dr Who is an alien, Matt Smith fittingly looks like one)

"No I don't have lube, I'm a Timelord!"

18.) Rafael Nadal (looks like an alien)

17.) Channing Tatum (steroid troll)

"NO! My talent trickled out my ear, sunk into the sand and is gone forever..."

16.) Michael Fassbender (manhandled by an alien in Prometheus)

15.) Olly Murs (has a literal troll face, seriously...)

Olly singing "Hand On Heart" for MTV.

14.) Johnny Depp (The Astronaut's Wife. Note: I don't mean Depp is an astronaut's wife)

13.) Matt Bomer (is Henry Cavill with troll hair)

12.) Ian Somerhalder (Rob Pattinson clone, also featured in Smallville, a show about Superman, an alien)

11.) Charlie Hunnam (fought aliens in Pacific Rim)

10.) Justin Bieber (human troll keyring/not a man)

Justin Bieber will be allowed his own car once he outgrows the key to his garden shed!

9.) Jamie Campbell Bower (troll)

8.) Idris Elba (always blows himself up to stop aliens from destroying humanity; i.e. Pacific Rim, Prometheus)

"Can't. Drown. Myself... Arms. Too. Big. And. Muscular..."

7.) Chris Hemsworth (Thor is considered an alien)

6.) Harry Styles (troll)

5.) Benedict Cumberbatch (plays an alien in Star Trek because he looks like one)

"I don't mean to probe, but does my alien head look big in this?"

4.) Tom Hiddleston (Loki, like his adoptive brother Thor, is an alien)

3.) Liam Hemsworth (real-life brother of a man who plays a fictional alien... IMPOSTOR!)

2.) Robert Pattinson (real life test tube experiment from troll and alien DNA)

"R-Patz phone home."

1.) Henry Cavill (Kal-El, alien from the planet Krypton)

"I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien, I'm an Englishman in the Sexy Polls."

What the hell is wrong with you, Glamour magazine? What's with the obsession with underage-looking trolls? Henry Cavill is one of few understandably attractive entries here, but out of all the men in the world, half of them clearly had a few strings pulled (G-Strings?) to get into the world's top 20. What the hell are Pattinson and the support cast of Twilight even doing here? Twilight, Kirsten Stewart, the dream is over. Johnny Depp's agent is probably calling the office to put him out of his misery.

I'm also noticing that practically every person on this list that looks like a troll/alien hybrid is actually British. That scares me. I feel like I just woke up to the same plot to take over the world as featured in John Carpenter's They Live...

"Put on the damn glasses Idris Elba, trolls all over the sexy polls!"

Sound off, Fanboys and Fangirls! Is this ridiculous, or am I ridiculous, or both? Is there anybody missing from this list? Comments below, while I go and Google pictures of boobs to feel manly again!

Episode 53 of the I Got Gameplay podcast is now online. In this episode, Michael Burhan, Xander Skullion, Travis Goss, Damien Whitham, Kyla DiPietro, Zack Latour, and Shaun Walker discuss the games that they're thankful for in this post-Thanksgiving 'cast. The group will also discuss their favorite controllers in an episode that any gamer should be thankful for!

You can check out the episode by clicking on the following links:

Libsyn: http://smarkoutmoment.libsyn.com/rss

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/igotgameplay/id570120518

Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/nerdgenious/igotgameplay?amp;refid=stpr

You can subscribe to the podcast's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/IGotGameplay

Listen To Video Games Internet Radio Stations with Mega Powers Radio on BlogTalkRadio

You can join the discussion by going to our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/igotgameplay

Join the IGG army in style by purchasing an I Got Gameplay T-shirt from our store. To order yours just click on the appropriate link below!

(UK and EU) http://nerdgenious.spreadshirt.co.uk/i-got-gameplay-retro-t-A25715613/customize/color/348

(US) http://nerdgenioususa.spreadshirt.com/


The T-shirt comes in six different sizes and eight different colors, including Small, Medium, Large, XL, XXL and 3XL. Shirts are £16.50 UK and $19.90 US. Grab yours today!

Fellow comic readers, it appears I've dropped the ball. I promise to slow my browsing down in the future so we don't miss out, but for now I want to call your attention to Elsewhere.

As you may already have figured out, I enjoy browsing the comic Kickstarter campaigns for potential good reads, especially sci-fi, dark sci-fi, steampunk, and horror. There are a wealth of worthy projects to fund, but the campaigns that really grab your eyes are few and far between, and digging in your pocket for funding is no different than digging in your pocket to buy a comic book: you always want to get your money's worth.

Somehow I missed the Kickstarter for this excellent comic, which is now on the last few days of its campaign. But don't worry—they made their deadline!

Elsewhere takes you into the future and out into the universe. Ariya is a 24-year-old genetically engineered Marine on a mission to terraform Mars, even though she's still wet behind the ears. No matter how new she is to planetary missions, however, she is a straight killer! Ariya expects to wake after cryosleep and start her mission, but instead she finds herself Elsewhere.

This comic promises to be a blast. It is an amalgamation of traditional art, drawing, and digital art that results in a pristine and detailed comic book—a 36-page action/adventure packed with blood, gore, and battles. If that doesn't convince you, then have a look at the Kickstarter video below and don't forget to tell me what you think downstairs!

James Bond will return. That's been clear since the end of 1963's From Russia With Love, the first movie that included said stinger at the end of the credits. Now, Bond's most infamous adversary may make a return of his own as well.

After a lengthy and storied legal history, the Bond producers and studio have secured rights to both Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Bond's arch-nemesis, and the evil organization he leads, SPECTRE. This suggests that both elements could make a return to the upcoming iterations of the Bond franchise, perhaps as soon as the next film, Bond's twenty-fourth.

The first Bond film, 1962's Dr. No, made clear that Bond wasn't just going to practice Cold War spycraft and espionage; there were bigger threats out there. By the end of the movie, he knows of a global villainous organization called SPECTRE that is counter to his own and the entire world's intelligence services and is hiding in and striking from the shadows. There was, in fact, a whole hierarchy of numbered baddies, who were slowly revealed to us over the course of Sean Connery's run as Bond. Blofeld, the puppetmaster himself, wasn't revealed until 1967's You Only Live Twice, first portrayed by Donald Pleasance. (No actor played Blofeld twice.) Of course, the world of James Bond appeared in novels nearly a decade before he appeared onscreen, and that's where these troubles start.

SPecial Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion (Bad guys and their acronyms, am I right?)

Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, published the first novel featuring that character in 1953 with Casino Royale. By 1958, there were possibilities of a filmed adaptation of 007's exploits, and Fleming began crafting a Bond story intended to be a screenplay for the potential movie—and in doing so, worked with a number of people, including a young writer-director named Kevin McClory.

The film fell through, but Fleming pursued the story and eventually novelized it as Thunderball, released in 1961. McClory, who went uncredited, had been instrumental in developing the story and characters and immediately filed suit against Fleming, winning in court. Producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and Eon Productions obtained limited rights to the story from McClory, which became the 1965 Thunderball film. McClory never quite gave up on 007, however, and after announcing plans to move ahead with a Bond film in the 1980s found himself the subject of another lawsuit, this time filed by United Artists and Fleming's estate. McClory won again, and went on to contribute to one of the odder chapters in Bond history.

Sean Connery felt he was done with Bond by the time he finished 1967's You Only Live Twice, his fifth film as Bond. For the next film, 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service, he was replaced by Australian model George Lazenby, the perhaps unfairly maligned one-shot Bond. A $1 million payday, the largest sum ever paid to an actor at the time, brought Connery back for his last official Bond film: 1971's Diamonds Are Forever.

I say “official” Bond film, because until this point in the story, every Bond film was produced by Eon. After McClory won his suit against them, he remade the story he wrote with Fleming as 1983's Never Say Never Again, featuring Sean Connery back in action as an older James Bond—which was released simultaneously against Eon's "real" Bond film, Octopussy, starring Connery's second successor, Roger Moore. For the first and only time in cinematic history, two Bond films competed with each other at the box office.

Apparently it takes a hall of mirrors' worth of Roger Moores to add up to one middle-aged Sean Connery.

Never Say Never Again, naturally, contains many of the same story elements and characters—including Blofeld—as its predecessor Thunderball. While it was generally well-recieved critically and commercially, likely due in no small part to having the classic Bond back, it was sadly clear that Connery had long since moved on from the role. Ultimately the film lost the box-office to its concurrent Eon-produced competition, but McClory retained the rights to SPECTRE and Blofeld. Lawsuits and counter-lawsuits came and went until McClory's death in 2006.

So what does all this mean, now that Blofeld and his people are back under the Eon roof? The rebooted Bond franchise introduced QUANTUM in 2008's Quantum of Solace as the modern version of an evil organization pitted against Bond. They were, however, totally ignored by the next film in the franchise, 2012's excellent Skyfall. Daniel Craig is contracted for five films, two fewer than Roger Moore's current record of seven, and we've seen only three. Some speculations can be made here.

First, will SPECTRE and Blofeld reappear in future Bond films? Almost a foregone conclusion. Eon and MGM wouldn't have made an announcement detailing the procurement of these properties unless they had plans for them. It's a tease as much as anything. Moreover, it's clear the most recent Bond films have no problem echoing elements of, or paying homage to, the classic Bond films of yesteryear. Given that QUANTUM failed to show up to Skyfall, I don't think it's farfetched to think they'll be done away with in favor of SPECTRE in the new series.

Second, consider the creative sources—especially Skyfall director Sam Mendes, who has made no secret of his love for the franchise. Mendes was reported to be done with Bond after Skyfall finished, having put all his efforts into the “Bond film he wanted to make.” He out-and-out said that he wasn't going to be involved with the next film, which proved false when he eventually was announced as the man in the director's chair for Bond 24.

"I may have had something to do with that."

A number of factors reportedly brought Mendes back—postponing production on the next film so Mendes could finish work on other projects is one. It's probably fair to say that a large sum of money is another. Could the temptation of Blofeld and SPECTRE also have proved too good to resist for a Bond fan like Mendes? He initially turned down a return to directing Bond following a proposal from writer John Logan to shoot the next two Bond films back-to-back, which leads me to think a story larger than usual in scope was in the pipeline…perhaps to properly showcase the return of one of Bond's greatest enemies. This idea has been reportedly scrapped, but I stand by that SOMETHING brought the man back to the franchise. I'd like to think the accomplished Mendes was compelled to return more by a story worth telling than a hefty paycheck.

Although Mendes did initially discount the idea of returning as director, there's more to his quote above. Having put “everything [he] possibly could” into Skyfall, he said, “If I felt I could do the same again, then absolutely I would consider doing another one. But it is a big task and I wouldn't do it unless I felt I could.” Since he's onboard, I guess he feels he could, which can only be good news to fans. As to how the production will deal with the availability of Blofeld and SPECTRE, that is anyone's guess. Yet allow me to indulge in a little more speculation, and if you haven't seen Skyfall, spoilers follow.

MI6 is in transition by the end of Skyfall. Judi Dench's M was killed, and there's a new M played by Ralph Fiennes. Q Branch is back. So is Moneypenny. “Welcome to the new MI6,” M's chief of staff says to Bond at one point. It's seemingly a pivot back toward some recognizable features from 007's earliest days. What better way to break in the revamped MI6 than with a new and organized global terror threat?

"I'd really rather you didn't."

What about QUANTUM, you ask? It was intimated that their reach was long (“we have people everywhere”), and by the end of that film, Bond had only defeated the main villain, Dominic Greene. In-story, then, that organization is still out there, and Skyfall could be treated as a Goldfinger-esque departure from that storyline. With SPECTRE now in the picture, I would hope the filmmakers don't simply pretend as though QUANTUM never happened/existed or that Bond's actions in the titular film dismantled it. That would be a lazy way to deal with those elements, although admittedly I would understand the desire to simply forget about Quantum of Solace. Still, it would be far better to find a creative way to phase out QUANTUM in favor of the more recognizable SPECTRE.

To best deal with the situation, I propose this: QUANTUM basically eats itself, from the inside. A radical, more dangerous faction from within QUANTUM rebels and takes over the organization, raising SPECTRE in its place. Bond and MI6 try to keep up as their enemies draw battle lines, maybe even planning to take both down at once, but they underestimate the brilliant and ruthless leadership of the new terror group—one Ernst Stavro Blofeld—setting up a worthy adversary for Bond once again, possibly for years to come.

Make some speculations of your own—are you excited for the possibility of more SPECTRE? Would you rather they play out their QUANTUM hand, first? Do you not even care about James Bond? Why are you reading this article, then? Sound off below!

Universal has officially shut down filming of Fast & Furious 7 this week following the tragic sudden death of its co-lead Paul Walker!

Earlier in the week, the news fueled a discussion to be had by all, when it occurred to fans that the film had been left half-produced in the wake of the actor's passing. Would the producers continue without him? Would they be total bastards and write out his character in a car wreck? I hope not.

There's no way you can kill off the character of a late actor without it being ugly, quite frankly. Ugly or tear-jerkingly tacky and cheesy. I lament the possibilities, although I would want the best possible outcome.

However, filming is big business, and when you make movies for an industry major such as Universal, the show will inevitably go on. Universal had already reportedly pumped approximately $100 million into F&F7 after the previous sequel pummeled the box office for a reported $788 million of its lunch money in what turned out to be the most successful installment in the franchise. They will want their money back.


And that recently most ugly word—franchise—is the reality. Over the years, Fast & Furious has gone from a modestly successful cash cow to something that gathered great momentum once O'Connor and Toretto returned. Bringing back other original favorites—Mia, Letty, Roman, and Han—was like building their own superstar crew of Expendables. Bringing in Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Hobbs rocketed the F&F team's popularity through the roof.


The addition of Jason Statham, Tony Jaa, and Kurt Russell for this latest installment was sure to break all records. Statham alone creates an impact and adds style to any action movie. Jaa is a freakin' martial arts God. And Russell is old school action cool, who also makes a great villain.


So it's not such a gamble to infer that Universal won't indefinitely scrap F&F7. It still has way too much to lose, this being one highly anticipated movie before Walker's tragic death. Its July 2014 release date may be a pipe dream, but the studio is rightfully taking a time out, at least, to let its employees grieve and recollect, and also to see how the film itself can move on. Rewrites and re-shoots are going to be extensive if they do carry on.

As for the leaks of Vin Diesel shooting O'Connor's funeral already, I'd like to point something else out to put you at ease: a photo of Paul Walker with his back to the camera during the same scene people are jabbering on about. This begs those crazy fools the question, "Why the hell would they be filming O'Connor's funeral scene in the same week that the actor died?" Nobody is that cold! The funeral scene seems to be for another fan favorite character.

Is that not Paul Walker on the far right?

It all begs some pretty stark questions. How will they rewrite? Will they carry on at all? If they do, will this be the last in the franchise, and should it be? I'd say seven is a pretty respectable number.

Sound off, Fanboys. Should they? Comments below and thank you for reading.

Hello again, Spider-Philes and Venomaniacs alike, and welcome to the second of a four-part review series for The Superior Spider-Man: "Darkest Hours"! Today's focus will be on the recently published issue #23, the second part of the venomous story arc. (See what I did there?) Let's get to it, shall we?

Dan Slott and Christos Gage (who I forgot to credit as a cowriter in my previous review) waste little time in tossing us back into the action from the cliffhanger of the last issue. We find the stakes for Flash Thompson, a.k.a. Agent Venom, have been raised alarmingly high as a result of Doc Ock's mind-wipe of Peter Parker's memories when he became the Superior Spider-Man (SpOck, as I shall refer to him). The greatest Spider-Fanboy's expectations are severely dashed by his hero's new, ruthless attitude. Slott and Gage attempt to reveal SpOck's good intentions for handling the potential threat of the alien symbiote attached to Flash, but the megalomaniac in Doc Ock highlights his villainous nature and unintentionally paints Agent Venom in a better light.

Not long after the initial tussle, we're returned to the other major plots that have been brewing since the series' first issue. We get a brief dialogue between SpOck and his newest girlfriend, Anna Maria, which I continue to adore after Flash and Valkyrie's power-relationship from the likes of Secret Avengers (pre-Marvel NOW!), Venom (defunct since October), and a single issue in Fearless Defenders (also recently defunct). If there's at least one feature in the pages of The Superior Spider-Man worth touting, it's SpOck's relationship with Anna Maria—and not just because her character is one of Marvel's better representations of a minority group, in my opinion! Slott has done a great job making Anna Maria feel like a real person despite critics' complaints about his work with the new Spider-Man.

The Green Goblin and his lieutenants of the Goblin Nation make a one-page cameo that really doesn't move the Goblin Nation story arc in any particular direction. However, this doesn't mean it wasn't entirely unnecessary: Slott and Gage use this page to reference the controversial "One More Day" story arc from The Amazing Spider-Man, the result of which plays a big role in both the Green Goblin and the Venom symbiote's parts.

Slott and Gage also do a great job of establishing an amicable relationship between Flash and the symbiote through their solo adventure in the issue. As great as it is to see Flash treating the symbiote with more respect as opposed to his abuse of the alien suit in the pages of Venom, this begs the question: when did Flash suddenly become so nice and concerned for the symbiote? Sure, the pair finally had a revealing heart-to-heart near the end of Venom, but Cullen Bunn never showed a real improvement in their relationship before the series was cancelled. Additionally, I liked that Slott and Gage remembered that, before "Darkest Hours," Agent Venom lived and was based in Philadelphia, and made mention of that in the issue. However, I'm still disappointed that they didn't mention any of Agent Venom's other life-altering situations alongside the new venue, including his new sidekick, Mania, with the demonically marked symbiote, and his behind-the-scenes stalker, Eddie Brock (currently Toxin). I was expecting him to worry about leaving Andi back in Philly, or to wonder if Toxin was still stalking him. Okay, that last one would be stretching it, but still.

Nope, hate the hair.

Mary Jane Watson also makes her periodic check-in with the series in this issue, crossing paths with Yuri Watanabe. Oh yeah, you know she's finally gonna get dragged into Yuri and Carlie Cooper's "Doc Ock/Spider-Man connection" conspiracy club. It was a long time coming. Unfortunately, as opposed to her appearances in previous issues, MJ seems to have suffered a bad hair day in the way of her styles in the '80s and '90s. Volume-wise, that is. I may not be the biggest MJ fan, but at least I have my preferences in her hair style.

You know, now that I think about it, this issue is just chock-full of side plots. Seriously, for a huge Agent Venom vs. SpOck/rise of Superior Venom story arc, these first two issues have busied themselves in outside affairs. Additionally to the aforementioned overarching plots, Slott and Gage touch upon Dr. Wirtham's (also known as former Spidey rogue, Cardiac) association with Parker Industries, Mayor J. Jonah Jameson's vendetta against SpOck and his connection to the late Spider-Slayer, Alchemax, and Spider-Man 2099. As nice as it is to advance the overall stories of The Superior Spider-Man, Agent Venom really should be the prominent guest star in "Darkest Hours." That means more face time for Flash than the Green Goblin, Carlie, MJ, Yuri, Dr. Wirtham…you get the point.

Despite these flaws, however, Slott and Gage did a good job in the final pages with a tantalizing bait-and-switch between Flash and SpOck. Finally, the identity of the Superior Venom is revealed on the final page, and it is who I expected! I can't wait to see the kind of relationship that spawns between the symbiote and its new (albeit, likely temporary) host! What will Flash's newfound freedom from the symbiote mean for Agent Venom?

As far as continuing SpOck's misadventures, The Superior Spider-Man #23 does a bang-up job of keeping me reading to the next issue. With regard to being an Agent Venom-centric book, this issue falls short. It almost feels like watching an episode of the anime Bleach: you move only a couple of inches of the mile run in each installation in regards to story, which makes the experience frustrating; however, you just can't stop watching! (I did stop watching Bleach after years of abuse, I'll have you know.) On the flip side, Humberto Ramos and company deliver some beautifully colorful, fast-paced action between Agent Venom and SpOck worthy of the Wall Crawler and Lethal Protector's rich history. Only a few other artists of their caliber could possibly pull off the epicness this showdown embodies.

It's so classic Eddie/Peter!

Also, Venomaniacs get a real treat reminiscent of a scene involving Eddie visiting Peter at Aunt May's when he was still Venom back in the good ol' days (Amazing Spider-Man #317, to be precise). Although the situation in this issue is greatly altered, I still get that sweet Brock/Venom vibe from the encounter. I love the little nods to Flash and Venom's histories and the general relationship between Agent Venom and SpOck as of right now, but the extraneous fillers between the beginning and ending Agent Venom scenes dock a point from my rating again, and I give this issue 4 out of 5 stars.

Like it? Love it? Hate it? Tell us what you think in the comments section below, and I'll see you again in two weeks!

The first issue of Cataclysm: The Ultimates' Last Stand set quite a standard for the small, in universe event. The opening saw New Jersey destroyed (tragic, I know) and Galactus on a seemingly unstoppable warpath. Issue two expands the scope of the narrative, bringing in the full might of the Ultimate Universe to deliberate how they'll face the foe who may very well finally lay the Ultimate Universe to rest.

After a brief set up narrated by Miles Morales, the issue immediately jumps to gorgeous double page spread that reminds you how Mark Bagley made you fall in love with the Ultimate Universe in the first place. (pictured above) Following a last ditch effort by Spider-Man to challenge the Devourer of Worlds, Tony Stark convinces the gathered heroes, consisting of the Ultimates and the remnants of the Fantastic Four, to retreat, sighting any energy expenditure as an aid to the entity. After saving what civilians they can, the team heads The Cube to talk with the one man Tony knows can help them, the Mysterio of the 616 Universe.

Mysterio, trapped from the events of Spider-Men, explains the significance of Galactus and says their only hope lies with Reed Richards which leads Tony to break out the universe jumping device used in the Spider-Men cross over. The remainder of the issue then consists of the debate over who should be the one to go. Ultimately, Miles, who has made the trip before, is selected along side Reed Richards, who's identical DNA will allow him to access all files the 616 Reed may have regarding Galactus.

For the flag ship title of this event, this issue was a bit thin. After the opening action it's really just a series of discussions that felt like they were flushed out to delay Miles and Reed's departure another issue. The book did, however, illuminate how Miles will make the jump to the 616 universe where he will most likely stay. The addition of evil Reed is a fun idea, though he isn't given much room here to demonstrate any ulterior motives. Consequently, this didn't differ much than other Galactus stories. At least Ultimatum, the last event to threaten the life of the Ultimate Universe, was something new. Still, the Miles plot line is certainly one with legs that will continue beyond the Ultimate Universe, even if it survives. Do you think the Ultimate Universe is doomed at the hands of Galactus? Let us know in the comments section below and stay tuned to Fanboysanonymous.com for reviews of the complete Cataclysm event.

The first trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro has been released! You can watch it below:

The official synopsis for the film was also released recently as follows:

We've always known that Spider-Man's most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead.

It's great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.

Directed by Marc Webb, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 comes out in theaters May 2, 2014 starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field and Chris Cooper.

We’ve always known that Spider-Man’s most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead. It’s great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield).

For Peter Parker, there’s no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 hits theaters on May 2, 2014.

Directed by: Marc Webb from a screenplay written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Jeff Pinkner.

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Colm Feore, Paul Giamatti, and Sally Field.



The new trailer hit online today and will play in front of the new "Hobbit" film next week. Much excitement surrounds this film, mostly in part of it having a lot to prove after largely mixed reviews of part one. A recent triptych poster revealed an unexpected Green Goblin stand-off and recent casting lists now foreshadow the return of Peter's parents (most likely in flashbacks).

Below are recent images from the movie, showing Spidey in action vs. Electro and pre-costume Rhino (he's driving that truck).

"Stop right now, TruckMan!"

Spider-Man vs. Tesla

Why does he look so shocked?....oh...right.

Video game or movie footage? You decide.

It appears this movie may have some pretty standard action sequences but what's really got the internet talking is the build-up to part 3. Rumors abound that Venom will make a return, as well as a full-fledged Green Goblin story.

Personally, I'm most impressed with the Spidey costume re-design, very "ultimate" and sleek. The white eyes make a huge difference and if they make Peter a little less of a jerk in this one, the movie might give this rebooted franchise the legs it needs to keep going.

"I read what you said today," mum says with a faint, weary tiredness, if not quite tensely. I know her conversational habits as well as I know the back of my hand. It's always an awkward moment, because she never quite says what she means to.

This may not be the beginning of every conversation we have, but you can guarantee that, without fail, it will be mentioned every week. The tone of her voice suggests I've said something I shouldn't have and that I'm going to wind up offending somebody. Not giving a fuck is one of my stronger qualities, and as far as I'm concerned, if I haven't offended somebody, I'm not doing it right.

My counsellor said the same thing quite a lot.

She's talking about something I've written on Facebook. I groan every time she brings it up. I'm not keen on explaining myself anymore, not if she doesn't get it after all this time. I rarely go online to enjoy the perks of having a captive audience, despite the fact I can sit there for whole days when I don't have the energy to interact with the real world bustling beyond my bedroom window. These days I fail to see the social networks as anything more than a place for people to find laughs, to seek attention, and to sometimes just get away with things they'd otherwise be arrested for "in real life."

More than three years ago, I was coming out of a very dark place. For fifteen years I'd survived suicidal urges. I'd cut myself, lost a fair few battles and wars, drank and smoked myself stupid, been through a few unsuccessful jobs, been through a few personal nightmares, and then cleaned up and did it all over again, numerous times.

But failure is the first step toward winning!

The last time I tackled those self-destructive urges, I'd been clean and resolute for years, and that was when I faced the most terrifying battle of my life. Those urges weren't my own anymore, but they were winning, and I was secretly going out of my mind. Not so secretly, on the other hand, I was already completely and utterly batshit fucking nuts!

I made a break for a better way of life. I went through counseling and returned to college, passing with flying colors. Those things saved my life, helped me to calm down again, and reminded me of all I was worth and of the better man I was capable of being. They gave me the opportunity to really get out there and do things for myself that I'd previously lost the guts to try.

Social networking from that point onward was meant to be there to help me reach people I would need to know on the long, hard journey toward bettering myself and furthering my prospects. That worked out just fine for about half a year. After that, all of the friends and coworkers I'd made in such a short space of time just vanished (in other words, I deleted them during what you would call a "rage-quit"). It took me a while to realize why: they were A-holes!

A year later I relapsed, grinding to a halt and wondering what happened to my life. I had it all on this stupid computer—in the profiles, forums, groups, and inboxes of these stupid little websites that everybody uses every moment of every day, every time they experience a brain fart and mistake it for a thought—and yet, in the real world, I was invisible, nonexistent, a sad calamity of human waste.

Yeah, what the fuck happened to my life?

Antisocial Networking: Mental Health and the Internet

Ask anything about mental illness today; the answer is anyone's guess! You're more likely to hear fleeting comments about crazy people than tragic stories about your close ones. The number of suicides compared with the amount of illnesses isn't minimal, but unless it's a special case designed to smear somebody else's reputation, you'd have to be a celebrity to get the sympathy you deserve for having succumbed to so much despair. Even then, what good is sympathy if you're no longer there to benefit?

Mental illness is a painful subject for some; it's a dreary subject for the attention deficient and the emotionally retarded. Some treat even the very thought of mental illness as contagious, so they don't let the notion stick around long enough to gain a little empathy and to help a friend.

Paranoid schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, clinical depression (to name but a few)—none of these are fun. They're not a joke either, and no, they're not contagious—unless taking sides means being an ignorant hater or the helpless victim of an ignorant hater.

Being at the mercy of a mental illness does not make you a naturally weak-minded human being. For those who think so highly of themselves and so lowly of others, I ask: if you were a great athlete and an injury had rendered you lesser than an average athlete, would you say that that an inner weakness all along just waiting to break and ruin your life? No, your ego wouldn't allow you such a stinging sense of embarrassment and inferiority, no matter how average and commonplace you really are.

Don't tell me that it's different, either. Whether it's your leg you break or the way your mind copes with great amounts of stress, both instances are just another result of how frail the human body can be, no matter how many battles you can fight and seemingly win. Mind over matter most often applies to outside problems, not to problems from within oneself.

Everybody has a limit, and despite what dramatists claim, that limit doesn't always result in death. What comes after, if not contended with professional help, can be a fate worse than death, as that black cloud fogging your mind goes on to steal your identity, your personality, and your ability to feel—everything that makes you who you are.

Since its foundation in early 2004, Facebook alone has been the center of a lot of controversy, to say the least. Whereas you couldn't blame that particular network for the cruelty and other very debatable behaviors of many of its users, you could easily blame it for not having found better ways to regulate abuse on the site over the decade in which Facebook has gained its reputation as the most popular social networking site in the world. Instead, it has become a breeding ground for trolls (if it didn't redefine the need for that particular noun) and hate crimes.
It has also become a parade for pages devoted to gang violence, child and animal cruelty, and discrimination on every level. Adding insult to injury, such pages could easily be vetted before being allowed to go public—seeing as Facebook itself is a multibillion dollar business that can afford to employ adequate site moderation.

This is not just about abuse though, and it's not just about Facebook, so chill your bean, Cease and Desist Brigade. I began this article by trying to target networks that were popular and specifying the different reasons why. There seemed little point at the end of my research.

The problem we all face is anonymity, but not just with regard to troublemakers in their many forms. Unless you're a celebrity who wants anonymity (stay off Twitter, then, yeah?), social networking is both a psychological weapon of the life-wrecking troll and a curse to those struggling with the pains of insignificance who count on social media to reach out and find a way into or remain a valued part of their own society.

Yes, social networking was designed to make getting in touch and staying in the mix the easiest it could be. And it was designed and improved to bring people of different social circles, professional networks, and nationalities together. It succeeded in those things and continues to do so every day.

But have you noticed that the bigger any social circle gets, the lonelier you begin to feel?

Enter the serial meme posters who use social media to post shit to their friends' news feed all day long yet rarely respond to conversations started on those posts.

I am Meme poster, hear me woof!

It's obvious that the culture of memes didn't begin with lonely, jobless single parents who don't know how to catch people's attention with the fine art of writing an attention-catching sentence. It's more obvious that it started with people who either just wanted to have a laugh or, more importantly, save the world by posting shit about love and faith and good luck and angels.

Yes, repost my thousands of memes, oh wonderful friends of mine, or the angels will fucking hate you so much that you will be damned to a loveless hell of a life with shitty luck before you get sent to the real Hell, ALL BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T REPOST THE MEME ABOUT THE FUCKING ANGELS!!!

Facebook Angels? Why?

Even if I didn't spend too long on the internet, why do I deserve to have this shit in my news feed? Why must trees die, precious fossil fuels be depleted, and the world pumped full of radiation so that Google can store your thoughtless, dead-end religious wisdom, aimless witticisms, and gibberish in eternal cyberspace for everyone to share? Why? Just why?

Besides the possibility of mental illness working both ways on this—one lonely meme poster being barred from friends' news feed and one depression-suffering reader becoming paranoid because they feel like they're being indoctrinated—it's subliminal messaging gone wrong. Imagine if Jehovah's Witnesses managed to do to your television what Coca-Cola used to do to saturate the market? You'd have a lot of hate and paranoia, sitting all cozy together like eggs in a basket.

It's bad enough that several generations are already showing signs of…

Social Disorders Bred From Social Networking

Hence the title of this article being "Antisocial Networking"! Call me a conversationalist (I sure as hell write like one), but I'm often asked why somebody doesn't like me, why I don't speak to a certain somebody anymore, or why I just can't get along. The answer is usually as simple as, "they're rude."

Ever seen a group of teens hanging out at the mall or at Starbucks, all lined up like pigeons, phones in hand, and not talking to each other? Why? Why would you do that? If any one of them were my child—actually my nephew is almost exactly like that. I'd rather he stay home on Sundays than turn up and act as though he doesn't want to be here, and that's easy enough to suggest, were I so frank; only, Planet Earth is full of people from their teens to middle-age acting exactly the same.
On the other hand, I'm guilty of using Facebook to speak to people I never go out and see. I know more than most just how damaging that can be to my social skills as well as my relationships. At least I know how to separate the internet from the outside world, and the outside world is not for sleepwalking.

It's not that I don't want to see people; I only don't want to see people 85% of the time (roughly). Writing to speak to somebody edits out the shit that I don't want out of life, like being obliged to stay out when I'm bored shitless and uncomfortable, spending money I can't afford to spend, and having to pay attention beyond my limit. It's enough to remind me of all the things I hate about myself.

Social networking really does breed social disorders in people, especially the young and not quite socially developed. At least I can regain what I know I'm losing; I have that option. In the future when the generations that never needed or wanted the internet to get about and communicate are gone, and selfish old me is too distracted to point out that there's more to life, will the younger generations become lost, thinking that this is it; this is what life is?

Pseudo-friendships with people we don't know, Facebook relationship statuses, becoming people online that we'll never naturally be in real life—what the hell are we doing to ourselves?

The governments, yours and mine, are still bitching and whining about terrorism (the word and the practice they invented to fuck the Russians after WWII and right up until the end of the Cold War), and the conspiracy theorists are having a field day of calling the likes of Aurora shooter James Holmes an ordinary kid brainwashed to be some sort of Manchurian Candidate. In reality, he was just another mentally ill boy pushed over the edge by a lot of bad influences—isolation for one—and then used as a poor example, on all accounts, as to why the world should fear the mentally ill.

Yes, vengeance... because enough death is never enough!

For every shocking newsflash jammed up your sore old news feed and repeated every time somebody shares (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly and yearly), there is the unofficial account of events by the amateur journalists wanting to give their takes on events and from there it just gets more and more disturbing.

Talk about mass media market saturation. What the media can't play to you in your living room because of the rightfully cautionary industry code of ethics, you will most likely find waiting for you on your computer screen every time you plug into the matrix. It's a constant information overload on the internet superhighway, a constant gridlock of bad news, bad behavior, and a resulting dulling of the senses, the mind, and the spirit.

We are all prone to mental illness here because whether you see the dangers or not, this is where your friends are. This is where the status updates to the events of your life are published, so that those that can't be with you when you need them can offer their support and keep in touch, just like the creators of these sites intended. There is no leaving the "Antisocial Network," even when you want out, because every comment is a reach out, and every "Like" is a symbol of something you lack in life:

Approval!
For those of you who recognize this and know that change is necessary, boycott it all you like. Billions of users and advertisers will keep the monster fed; campaign and petition all you can, but you'll just be one out of hundreds of thousands of others using social media to get friends and strangers to "Like" yet another cause that will never be taken seriously. Switch off and never look back. Your friends will eventually find time for you once they've put their phones and laptops down, surely. They might even explain what the latest group conversation is all about, despite the fact you weren't there and will therefore lack a valuable opinion.

Loneliness, insignificance, emptiness—all of these are part of the human condition. That's why we "Follow." That's why we "Like." That's why we "Share" and "Poke." Now that this culture is so ingrained into society's psyche, its routines and habits, there may not be a way out, which is why we need to address the dangers of getting into it to begin with. Yet if ignorance is bliss, maybe it's only the people that care who get hurt. Way to go, humanity! Nice of you to give a shit about the only people that ever cared about you!

As for me, my personal journey never ends. I'm glad to know it, despite being tired of all the battles, and I'm glad to be able to express what I've experienced. I'll always have my weak spots. I don't want bars on the windows and locks on the doors, both metaphorically and literally. Naturally, for every way in, we need a way out, and imprisoning yourself in your own private misery is a sure way into a dead end trap; somewhere we feel that the only escape could be drastic.

That's what I want to share, because a habit such as this (if it becomes full-time permanent) is as good as trapping yourself, imprisoning yourself, and having a false sense of happiness and security in the belief that you can't be affected by something or somebody that isn't happening or existing in the same physical space as you. When you begin to realize just how naive you were, the content on your computer does dictate the outcome of your mental and emotional well being, that's something dangerous that needs to be brought to light.

Mental illnesses breed very quickly in all people. They are invisible; they don't have a physical voice and they can't be cured, only medicated or balanced with therapy. The problem with that is that even having those solutions to hand requires a clear and certain mind to know and willingly admit that you need them. Those too scared, proud, or confused to believe that they need help won't seek help. They will just keep on adding to the crazy until every single one of us becomes a completely different creature altogether, socially and practically.

Social networking is a dangerous place to be if you're prone to mental illness, and even if you're not. Because you can be exploited. Because you can be changed for the worse. Because no amount of responsibility taken can excuse what social networking has become, at this point.

It needs to stop somewhere. Please let it be by personal choice!
Note: if any of you are suffering emotional problems, having morbid thoughts of death or self-harm, or feeling tremendous lows or bouts of panic/anxiety, do not post a status about it. Visit your general practitioner or hospital.

Fanboys and Fangirls, I hope that this article has been insightful and useful to you, and should you want to debate it, feel free to comment below. Thank you for reading.

Shazam has released their list of the top 10 most-tagged songs that people used their service to figure out the name of in 2013. The list goes as follows:

1. Robin Thicke - "Blurred Lines"
2. Avicii - "Wake Me Up"
3. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - "Thrift Shop"
4. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - "Can't Hold Us"
5. Pink - "Just Give Me A Reason"
6. Daft Punk - "Get Lucky"
7. Rihanna - "Stay"
8. Lorde - "Royals"
9. Passenger - "Let Her Go"
10. Will.i.am - "Scream And Shout"

I'm not sure if I should feel good or bad about the fact that I've only heard and liked one of those songs (Wake Me Up).

What about you? Are these 10 songs what you've been listening to this year or have you been using Shazam to figure out more obscure things like I have?

In somewhat atypical news, apparently The History Channel is indulging in a biblical spot of artistic license in producing a show about our favorite planking, miracle wine-brewing lord and savior, Jesus Christ—and his as-yet far uncharted days as a demon ass-kicking exorcist!

Looks a bit like Chuck Norris...

What is currently titled The Lost Years is pretty self-explanatory in that sense, but what may not be so self-explanatory is the employment of Quentin Tarantino's Robert Rodriguez replacement buddy and Hostel and Cabin Fever director Eli Roth to develop the show.

Mmm, raspberry!

Of course, if you've seen Roth's films, his QT film appearances, and the plethora of TV series and documentaries he's been a part of, you do tend to wonder what direction this is going in.

Thou shalt not fuck with my shit!

The Lost Years will supposedly follow Jesus's life over the course of the series from age 13 up until his death (or just before). Writer Scott Kosar, who brought us the 2010 remake of George A. Romero's The Crazies, is on board, as is producer Eric Newman, fittingly of The Last Exorcism.

Sound off, Fanboys, worth a watch?

It seems like that time again, doesn't it? Time for the Stephen King horror wagon to roll out and creep the bejeezus out of us like nobody else can. I don't know how he does it. Is there another writer still alive whose work has been adapted to film and television more consistently than King, or as often?

A few weeks ago I brought you the news that King's Cell was being adapted to the big screen (and starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson). Now I bring you the news that the novel often considered his greatest horror story ever, The Stand, has a new director on board—and this could be one of the best choices a King adaptation has had since Frank Darabont brought us The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist.

Ladies and gents, Fanboys and Fangirls, our new director for The Stand will be Paul Greengrass, whom you may know as the director of Captain Phillips, Green Zone, Bloody Sunday, and The Bourne Ultimatum (and Supremacy). If you can't imagine how bloody awesome this could be, then you probably haven't seen any of these films. Shame on you, because you should.

"Eh? Greengrass Zone? I suppose you're funny?!!"

The Stand, if you have not read it (I recommend the full uncut version, of course) is much more than a postapocalyptic ultimate biblical good versus evil story. It charts the beginning of the end in painstaking detail, as a manufactured doomsday virus is accidentally unleashed from a secret US military base, wiping out more than 90% of the human race.

That's just the beginning. A demonic villain then arrives looking to build himself an empire in the ruins of the world. He is opposed by only a handful of shell-shocked survivors, banded together by the elderly Mother Abigail to take a final stand against his evil plans.
Two words sum up The Stand: 1.) Grim and 2.) Epic!

The novel was originally adapted into a miniseries in 1994; that version remains a classic of television rarely surpassed in scale, effectiveness, and cast to this day.

"Listen man, if you want to interview Miley Cyrus, you'll have to take your shots!"

More recently, it got a lush comic adaptation from Marvel, and thus the yearning and pining for a relentless movie version began. I have to be honest, I've been squealing like a schoolgirl for a movie trilogy for years. My whole life, in fact, but we don't need to go into that!

Sound off, Fanboys. What are your thoughts? Comments below and watch this space. Thanks for reading.

Oh Dear God it's happened!!! Join this week's Dace Man Show as Gibby take's the reigns while Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is away on assignment. Join Gibby, Michael Burhan, Nikki Mills and Travis Goss. Also later in the Show a quick surprise call in!!!

Join Gibby as he does what ever the hell he wants!

::SPORTS NEWS::

• Gibby likes NFL so this is what Gibby do!
• Auburn winning bowl and Killing over auburn game
• Steelers coach  his penalty
• Mistake on NFL refs during redskins game

 ::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY::

• It's my segment bitches!!!! The Best Segment ever cause you know I'm Gibby and I'm awesome!!

::FRANK'S CORNER::

• Screw this guy he's not here so I'm totally cancelling this stupid ass segment.

::CELEB NEWS::

• God I hate Hollywood....I really don't give a shit about this stuff.
• Paul Walker died. #TooFastTooFurious
• Rapper "The Game" raising money for 7yr old boys funeral. Shot to death in LA
• Drake signed a shoe deal with Michael Jordan
• Mayor Tom Tate of Australia said to Beiber come clean up your graffiti or come sing for my Christmas event...I hate this douche.
  

Plus The Gibby in Your Face Five....in the Face and The Douche Bag of The Week. All that and more, only on The Dace Man Show!

Step in the damn birds nest with  Gibby "The God Damn" Gibby this week on The GIBBY Show… cue the Chicken Noodle Soup Dance!!!

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