Fanboys Anonymous

I can trace my love of all things fantasy directly back to the first time I read The Hobbit at the age of around nine and, as such, it's always had a special place in my affections. Maybe that's why, despite his success at adapting The Lord of the Rings for the big screen, I had doubts about Peter Jackson's ability to do the same for my childhood favourite. The Hobbit is, after all, a children's book at heart and the decision to turn it into an epic trilogy has ruffled more than a few giant eagle feathers.

The second film in that trilogy, The Desolation of Smaug, is in cinemas now, so just how well is Jackson's return to Middle Earth faring?

Tauriel, Legolas and Radagast aren't in the book, but they aren't above photo-bombing the movie!

Looking ahead, looking behind

I'm sure I'm not giving away any spoilers if I say that the over-arching plot line of The Hobbit trilogy is the tale of a group of dwarves—assisted by the wizard Gandalf and the titular hobbit Bilbo Baggins—on a quest to slay a dragon and reclaim their lost homeland, the underground kingdom of Erebor. This film, The Desolation of Smaug, is the second film in the trilogy and, like Bilbo (again played by Martin Freeman), it has a tough task ahead of it.

Holding a sword to his own head was a trick Bilbo learned from repeated viewings of Blazing Saddles.

The first film in the trilogy, An Unexpected Journey, had a mixed reception. Some critics took issue with its more farcical, pantomime elements, while others complained that the insertion of characters from The Lord of the Rings added too much gloom to a story which is fundamentally a light-hearted romp.

Personally, I can live with both: I like the fact that Jackson and his co-writers have delved into Tolkien's appendices in search of material that ties the story into the bigger events of the LotR saga and, after repeated viewings, I've even come to accept that the slapstick comedy is not actually out of place but is, in fact, entirely appropriate to a story written for children.

My main criticism of An Unexpected Journey is that it was simply too similar to The Lord of the Rings. Yes, it was necessary to visit many of the same locations (Hobbiton, Rivendell), but too many of the shots had a distinct sense of déjà vu about them. Some of the helicopter shots of New Zealand's admittedly spectacular mountain ranges, for example, looked as if they'd been constructed from unused footage shot for LotR and then had the dwarves added with the aid of a little CGI. Or maybe elvish magic.

If An Unexpected Journey had been made before the LotR trilogy, I believe it would have received a rapturous welcome from critics and audiences alike, just as The Fellowship of the Ring did. Instead, the predominant feeling it inspired was a slightly sagging, seen-it-all-before sense of fatigue. And that, then, is the epic task ahead of The Desolation of Smaug. Ultimately it not only has to entertain, it also has to distinguish itself from The Lord of the Rings; to show us something we haven't seen before.

Lake Town.  Like Venice.  You know, if Venice had fewer palaces and more ramshackle wooden hovels.

Over hill and under hill

Showing us something we haven't seen before is, perhaps, where The Desolation of Smaug comes into its own. The Weta team's mastery of CGI has clearly grown in the years since LotR. As impressive as its visual effects were at the time, the reliance on puppetry for the ents, for example, is starting to look more dated with each passing year.

There isn't an abundance of new environments in this film, although we do get to see the water-logged Lake Town and Legolas's homeland, the Woodland Realm. Paradoxically, however, it's the return to old haunts that feel newest. A flashback to The Prancing Pony in Bree feels very familiar in both appearance and atmosphere, but still manages to seem more "real" than we remember. The corrupted forest of Mirkwood now feels less like a movie set and more like a huge, dense and threatening world of its own; a world of trees that stretches out for miles in every direction, every branch dripping with malevolence.

In film-land, all the bad guys speak with English accents. Yup - even the dragons!

The success of the special effects in The Desolation of Smaug, however, is not going to be judged on the film's environments. The real revelation in LotR was just how convincing a CGI character could be. And, just as Gollum lit up every scene he graced in that trilogy, the success of this film was always going to depend to some extent on just how convincing a talking dragon could be.

I am fire ...

Well, without giving away any spoilers, Smaug doesn't disappoint! Perhaps the last big budget movie to try putting a CGI dragon on screen was Dragonheart, in which a Sean Connery-voiced Draco lumbered heavily and had the facial animation of a Jim Henson puppet. As depicted in Alan Lee's iconic illustrations for Tolkien's book, however, Smaug is a thin, serpentine creature and this film stays true to that image. He slithers through piles of gold  like an eel through water; he skitters up walls with the agility of a sprightly gecko; and, most importantly, when he speaks his face registers every subtle curl of the lip or raising of an eyebrow.

Thanks to this lovingly detailed animation and Benedict Cumberbatch's (sadly, almost unrecognisable) vocal talents, Smaug is not just a monster to be slain. He is very much a character in his own right. Which is important. If there's one thing I've come to appreciate over the years, it's that convincing, interesting and engaging characters can be even more important to a story than its plot. In this respect, Smaug delivers in spades. But what about the other characters?

From left to right: Dopey, Grumpy, Bashful, Paddy, um ... someone, someone, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich.

Confounded dwarves

There is a fundamental problem at the heart of The Hobbit. Even in book form, it just has too many dwarves! Whether reading Tolkien's novel or watching Jackson's movies, it quickly becomes impossible to tell one from another and, without the ability to do that, it's not easy to empathize with any of them. So what if one dies? We still have twelve more!

Thorin, Kili and Fili always won the smouldering look contests.

Disney managed to differentiate his seven by giving each dwarf a name which encapsulated its character. Tolkien's dwarves already have names and so, as a film maker, Jackson has had to rely on giving each a distinctive appearance and ensuring that they each have an individual characteristic which is regularly brought to the foreground. In An Unexpected Journey, Jackson began this process. It wasn't entirely successful (there are just so damn many!) but, as with the Fellowship in LotR, I was prepared to accept that the characters' personalities would become increasingly recognisable with each successive film. That faith appears to have been misplaced.

The dwarves in The Desolation of Smaug are, if anything, even less distinguishable than they were before. Thorin, the brooding group leader is obviously recognisable; the white-bearded Balin has a few lines which mark him out as the sage old voice of wisdom in the group; and Kili (played by Being Human's Aiden Turner) has a whole new romantic sub-plot woven around him which, frankly, challenges our suspension of disbelief. Otherwise the other ten dwarves are largely interchangeable, identifiable (if at all) only as "the fat one who looks like Obelix," or "the one played by James Nesbitt."

Unable to master a Scottish accent, Evangeline Lilly failed her audition for Merida from Brave.

Uninvited guests

Some of the book's other characters also suffer from a similar lack of attention. Stephen Fry as the Master of Lake Town is wholly wasted. Radagast makes a fleetingly brief and unnecessary appearance. The shape-changer Beorn is allowed only a single conversation in the entire film. This may or may not be true to the book (it's been some time since I last read it!) but—given the amount of extraneous material added in by Jackson and his co-writers—surely Beorn is one of the few characters who would have benefited from a little extra screen time?

This tendency to reduce characters to cardboard cut-outs is all the more surprising given the importance placed on others who aren't even in the book. Whilst it had been widely reported that Legolas would have a cameo in the film, he and Tauriel (a female wood-elf captain played by Lost's Evangeline Lilly) are much more than that.

Far better fleshed out than some of the book's actual characters, they leap and wield both bows and blades like genuine action heroes, even eclipsing many of the film's principal heroes. As much fun as these characters are, however, at times it's hard to escape the conclusion that if Jackson hadn't allowed them quite so much screen time, he would have been able to do a better job of fleshing out the characters he already had to work with.

Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things!

So if it's light on character moments, how does The Desolation of Smaug fill its two hours and 40 minutes? In a word: action. Despite its failings in other areas, the film is never less than entertaining. It moves along at a cracking pace, a succession of bravura set-piece action sequences following hard on the heels of each other. It's like a medieval fantasy version of Die Hard with the cars replaced by orcs on wargs and the big final explosion replaced by a dragon who belches fire.

Finally, Legolas gets another chance to use the one expression he showed in The Lord of the Rings.

Each individual action scene is well choreographed and a lot of fun. In fact, the film moves so quickly from one set-piece to the next that—for most of its length—it feels much shorter than its actual running time. Sadly that feeling dwindles during the final confrontation with Smaug. It's well done but, once again, Jackson has been unable to resist adding (another) sequence not in the book—this time, a showdown between Smaug and a handful of dwarves. It's cleverly constructed but, by the end, it's difficult to escape the impression that the film as a whole is far too long. (Well, it wouldn't be a Peter Jackson film without a protracted closing sequence now, would it?)

Critics have been divided over The Desolation of Smaug. Some have awarded it a miserly two out of five which, given the lack of attention to characterisation and the over-extended final scene, is understandable. Others have given it a jewel-encrusted four out of five which, paradoxically, can also be justified, given how well the individual action scenes are put together. Interestingly, very few have plumped for a score between the two, which—taken as a whole—is, I'd argue, what the film deserves.

The middle film of a trilogy is always a difficult proposition and that was always going to be especially true of a trilogy based on a book as short as The Hobbit. Given those underlying challenges, this film could have been a disaster. As it is, whilst there's no denying that the film is flawed, it's still a lot of fun, and—if you haven't seen it yet—I'd suggest it's definitely one to add to your list of films to see in the New Year.

What about you? Have you had a chance to see The Desolation of Smaug yet? If so, let us know what you thought. Does it languish under the gloom of Mirkwood, or sparkle with the lustre of the Arkenstone?

As a kid, I was completely sucked into the Pokémon craze. I had full sets of the cards, pretty much all of the video games (with manuals to go with them), tons of toys, you name it. To this day, I still have an appreciation for the series. I'd be playing Pokémon X & Y if I had the system for it, just the same as I played all of the other generations. But as much as those trading cards aren't worth a damn now compared to what they were back then, or as much as I've outgrown playing with the toys, there's one thing that really doesn't stand up to the test of time or make sense to me as having been worth the fun back in the day.

Whenever I look back on the anime television series, I completely can't see what I was a fan of. There are a multitude of reasons why, in retrospect, the TV show just happens to suck. I'm surprised that it didn't add up sooner to me as a kid and make me stop watching more quickly than I did.

1. Ash Always Releases His Pokémon

You want to be the very best, like no one ever was? Stop getting rid of your fucking Pokémon! I'm pretty sure there isn't a single successful animal act out there that spends the time and effort into training the animals and then, once they can listen, lets them go. That seems to be rule #1. What a waste of time! Because Ash is a dipshit, by the time he finally understands what his Pokémon are and how they can be used to battle with the slightest bit of skill, he gets rid of them.

"Bye bye Butterfree! I wish you didn't have to go, now that you're worth a damn. Wait, you don't have to, I'm choosing to do this. Why am I sad? Oh, because I'm an idiot, that's why."

The idiot doesn't even trade them for other Pokémon that are equal to or greater than the ones he has! He just tosses them aside. This isn't even when he "officially" gets rid of them, either. At the start of a new series, he just ditches some of his Pokémon and wants to start all over again.

2. Ash's Pokémon Rarely Evolve

Sometimes, Ash gets rid of his Pokémon fast enough that he never sees them evolve at all. Sometimes he just flat-out refuses to evolve them.

Sure, I know, there's supposed to be this underlying theme that he cares about them beyond just what they're useful for and we should all respect what everyone is inside and not change them, blah blah blah. That's all fine and dandy on a kid's cartoon show, but in the reality of that world, Ash is doing not only himself but others a disservice.

You think his Pokémon like getting their ass kicked all the time? Wouldn't they benefit from a leg up on the competition? Or what about the professors? They want Ash to do research on every single Pokémon out there, in theory, correct? How is Ash ever going to study Pokémon when he's so conservative about them?

Ash's Pokédex has a ton of holes in it, doesn't it? Some explorer you are. Where's your sense of curiosity and your thirst for knowledge? But at least he's good at the competitive side of things... right?

3. Ash Never Actually Wins Badges by Battling

Wrong. Ash sucks at the combat aspect of Pokémon training.

Then again, why should that come as a surprise when he can't keep them long enough to train them to be worth battling in the first place?

Ash seems to luck his way into badges rather than actually proving that he's better than the gym leaders. In fact, many times, he is awarded a badge just because he defeated the same trio of idiots that he defeats each and every week.

That's not an impressive feat in the slightest bit. That's like giving a kid an A+ on every test, so long as they keep repeating the same answers to the first test they ever got an A+ on. That doesn't prove that he's learned a damn thing. It might even prove the opposite, since Ash is too dumb and unskilled to realize that when these motherfuckers come around, he should just say "yo, Pikachu, just Thundershock the fuck out of these idiots and let's move on with the rest of our day."

"Hey guys, look at all these badges I won out of pity and being in the right place at the right time! I'm the best!"

I'm pretty sure that in the video games, I was never given badges for going through the cave near that town successfully or for being nice enough to return a stolen object or anything. Nope. Instead, you only get those badges when you've beaten your opponent. Can't seem to do it? Level-grind until you obliterate them, get your trophy, and move on to the next town.

4. Oh C'mon, Pikachu is Not That Powerful

If you just watched the anime, you'd think Pikachu was the most sought-after Pokémon in the entire game because of how insanely powerful it is. All you need is a Pikachu and you can beat anything—even the ground Pokémon that are completely and utterly immune to its attacks, like Onyx!

Because fuck the logic and rules created by the series itself.

But in reality, Pikachu is average. Even Raichu, depicted in the show as being significantly stronger than Pikachu in the early seasons, is relatively easy to defeat. You can beat both of them by catching a quick Diglett that you store away in Bill's PC forever afterward and replace with something cooler.

In the show, Pikachu farts and the world explodes. That is, unless Ash is fighting a legitimate battle. Then of course, we all know he can't win.

5. Team Rocket Employs Total Idiots

Giovanni seems like he knows what he's doing, for the most part. But Jesus Christ, why wouldn't he get rid of Jessie and James?

Even if you're a total pushover of a boss who really doesn't want to fire anyone (which Giovanni doesn't seem to be), you have to come to your senses EVENTUALLY and realize that these two are weighing you down. Think of all of the expenses that are being wasted on new blimps and hovercrafts and nonsense that these two employ but end up wrecking when they get attacked by a Pikachu sneeze.

Giovanni looks like he can handle this himself in no time, but is just too busy. So if that's the case, Pikachu must not be that important overall. Giovanni damn sure got his hands dirty when Mewtwo was around. Maybe Jessie and James are the kids of Giovanni's friends that he just agreed he'd help out and give a job to, and despite how many times they fuck up, he's bros with their dads and just can't find a politically correct way to fire the retards without looking bad.

That's just five of the biggest offenders, but there are plenty of others that are less offensive, just as offensive, or possibly even more offensive than the ones listed here. In part two, I'll be breaking down five more dumb things that bothered me as a kid, but nowhere near as much as they do now in retrospect.

Episode 54 of the I Got Gameplay podcast is now online. In this episode, Miguel Leon, Michael Burhan, Xander Skullion, Kyla Dipietro, Zack Latour, and Travis Goss talk with special guest Erika Szabo about online gaming communities. From your MMORPGs to your Second Life, the group talks how these communities have become a staple in every day society.

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

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

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Revenge is a dish best served plagued…with kosher fiction and unleavened insanity. D.B. Reynolds has put together a story of divine revenge in Master of Plagues, which is definitely enjoyable in a world where you can't count on the comfort of simple revenge from time to time.

In this book, Stuart Duffelmeyer is a young Jewish student on the verge of graduation. He's smart, he's quiet, and he is most definitely still a virgin. It's a combination that shouts geek.

Very early in the story, it becomes apparent that Stuart's friends are nothing of the kind. In fact, the Egomaniacal Eight, as he comes to call them, have plans for the soon to be grad: a plot that will embarrass and humiliate him to the core. To lure a young man into such a position of powerlessness, it will require bait—sex, of course. After all, what college-age virgin male isn't looking to lose that status?

At the idea of finally losing his, Stuart jumps on the opportunity to meet in a run-down hotel—the place where the prank is set to go down—for a rendezvous. Why over-think a possible dream come true? It's an action that will change things for the young man and his attackers forever, because he won't be leaving with his dignity intact, and neither will he be able to let it go.

Stuart later comes into the possession of a talisman with the power to unleash plagues—a gift from the Almighty—which he uses to harness the forces of nature and get the revenge he so desires. Perhaps there will be a cost, or maybe not. Either way, playing with such power—especially so carelessly—never ends well. The most accurate description I can come up with is The Seventh Sign and Willard convert to Judaism, get married, and make this baby. There are many levels of plagues, many scenarios for destructive justice, and plenty of power to get it all done.

 
Personally, I found it enjoyable. There are ups and downs. Some of the metaphors are amazing and some I don't get; some of the book is written well and some of it could use revision; but I could definitely imagine it being made into a movie one day. The story gets repetitive from time to time, and the hypocritical credit to faith can be overwhelming, but all in all, the story is unique, fun, and worth a read. I would recommend it to open-minded readers that enjoy religious fantasy books.

Don't forget to tell me downstairs what you think.

Check out Episode 27 of The Dace Man Show with regulars Gibby, Frank Ward, Dan Raup and Michael Burhan as they celebrate Christmas Dacetacular Style.

Join The Dace Man this week as he breaks down the following:

::SPORTS NEWS::

• NFL Week 16 is history and we see Playoff starting to shape up
• Tony Romo is on the DL heading into this week's big NFC East game against the Philadelphia Eagles
• Current NHL Leaders... stupid cold....
• Serena Williams named Associated Press's Female Athlete of the Year for a third time.

 ::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY::

• You never know what to expect out of this bird like man. He did bring us this cute chick.

::FRANK'S CORNER::

• Frank's Back!! And he brings some Holiday joy!

::CELEB NEWS::

• Justin Beiber retires. Most exciting news Ive ever had the pleasure of delivering. 
• Tila Tequila realized she was forgotten about and made another sex tape.
• Phil Robertson stirs the pot with an honest interview with GQ
• Steve Martin slips with an offensive tweet.
• Steve Harvey cleared of child abuse allegations! 

Plus the High Five: Top 5 Christmas Specials. All that and more, only on The Dace Man Show!


Step onto the crazy train with Chris "The Dace Man" Dace this week on The Dace Man Show… cue the Final Countdown!!!

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Geek Speak is a weekly radio show with an explosion of nerd conversation. Join hosts Craig Kellerman & Travis Goss as they rant on movies, TV, video games, comics, cartoons, technology, and whatever else is sparking our attention.


It's time to deck the halls and bake cookies! Tis the season for us to gather together and watch some of our favourite Christmas themed movies and shows. We'll also recall our fondest Christmas memories.

Geek Speak is a weekly radio show with an explosion of nerd conversation. Join hosts Craig Kellerman & Travis Goss as they rant on movies, TV, video games, comics, cartoons, technology, and whatever else is sparking our attention.


This week's Geek Speak will feature one of Saturday Night Live's greatest graduates, the ever hilarious Will Ferrell. As we prepare for the long awaited sequel Anchorman 2 releasing in theaters this week, we will check out the first Anchorman film along with other films from Will Ferrell's career.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - Ron Burgundy is San Diego's top rated newsman in the male-dominated broadcasting of the 70's, but that's all about to change for Ron and his cronies when an ambitious woman is hired as a new anchor.

Stranger Than Fiction - An IRS auditor suddenly finds himself the subject of narration only he can hear: narration that begins to affect his entire life, from his work, to his love-interest, to his death.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - #1 NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby stays atop the heap thanks to a pact with his best friend and teammate, Cal Naughton, Jr. But when a French Formula One driver, makes his way up the ladder, Ricky Bobby's talent and devotion are put to the test.

Step Brothers - Two aimless middle-aged losers still living at home are forced against their will to become roommates when their parents get married.

That's right!! The Dace Man is back!! Join Chris "The Dace Man" Dace, Gibby and London's first son Michael Burhan as they break down this week in Pop Culture and Sports!

Join The Dace Man this week as he breaks down the following:

::SPORTS NEWS::

• NFL this week.
• World Cup News
• NHL this week.
• Roy Halladay retires.
• The Dace Man reflects on the Philadelphia Flyers v.s.  The Montreal Canadiens  as he texts a Montreal native.

 ::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY::

• He's back to drinking during the show again cause The Dace Man is Back

::FRANK'S CORNER::

• Frank was out this week but he'll return for Christmas. Ho Ho Ho.

::CELEB NEWS::

• Join The Dace Man as he literally scrolls down TMZ.com Seriously he made it to the studio literally 5 mins before air time...

Plus the High Five: Top 5 Comebacks and The Douche Bag of The Week. All that and more, only on The Dace Man Show!

Vin Diesel posted on his Facebook account Sunday night, confirming the new release date of Fast & Furious 7 to be April 10th, 2015.

He continued, "The last scene we filmed together…There was a unique sense of completion, of pride we shared… in the film we were now completing… the magic captured… and, in just how far we've come… Fast and Furious 7 will be released… April 10th 2015! P.s. He'd want you to know first…"

The film was initially put on hold after the death of star Paul Walker back on November 30th (in a car crash, which the Twitterverse pointed out the irony of for days afterward).

It sounds like the movie will include the death or retirement of Walker's character, Brian O'Connor, now that his younger brother has been re-cast to help flesh out some already filmed scenes.

This new release date adds yet another must-see blockbuster to an already bloated 2015 schedule. And fanboys can't wait!

Between DC's ever-expanding Green Lantern Universe, Marvel's newfound love affair with it's cosmic side, and Brian K. Vaughn's Saga constantly one-upping itself, the sci-fi genre is getting pretty crowded. It shouldn't come to much surprise, then, that Jonathan Hickman, with his history of excellent creator-owned material, has managed to carve himself a respectable hunk of the "galaxy far far away" turf with East of West. Spinning out of its first story arc, East of West #8 continues to both build the world and raise the stakes of Hickman's western sci-fi epic, and continues to showcase how much fun sci-fi can be.

The issue kicks off with a look at the current state of the Union. Hickman is clearly working to expand the universe in this second arc and is doing a nice job giving each section of his world a chance to take shape. Following scenes of protest and civil unrest, we jump back to Death in a massive underwater structure that could put the Water Temple to shame. He reveals the structure is not only the oldest prison on Earth, but one he helped build. Inside, he finds an Oracle with whom he offers to bargain to learn the whereabouts of his son.

Back in the Union, the President addresses her people, which only fans the flames of civil unrest. Following her failed broadcast, we flash back to the three Horsemen of the Apocalypse's murder of the previous president and other government officials, which led to the current president's shot at the title. This adds a nice bit of political tension and shows how the munchkin forms of the Horsemen have fearsome presence. Following the flashback, the President goes among the public to see the protests firsthand. While there, she comes across a group of rioters being detained and personally executes all but one of them, leaving the survivor to spread the message.

The issue was fun and helped give the President's character a bit of definition. The story elements also highlighted the strength of the book's story. While it'd be easy to rely on the inherent action of a western tale, East of West continues to build itself in scope and play with its alternative history elements as well as the sci-fi and western ones.

What did you think of East of West #8? What do you think Death will trade to find his son? Let us know in the comments below and check back into fanboysanonymous.com next month for more East of West recaps.

At any rate, the man behind the mask promises unique, spoiler-free reviews (such as the one above), good short horror stories (like the one below), and true horror in the watered-down world of lackluster scream films. In my opinion, he delivers on these promises. His May review is one of the most well-delivered reviews I've ever read, both because it really is about as accurate as you can get, and because of his well-employed dark comedy. May is one of my all-time favorite horror films, and simply by watching The Bleeding Critic's review, you can tell the amount of care and dedication he puts into his work. You can see he also delivers on his promise. No spoilers!

Since I began following him, the masked horror has teamed up with Scream Magazine and found loyal advertising from big-name Twitter horror tweeters like @DailyDeadNews and @BlackFlagTV. He's got his own advertising all over New York, including small souvenirs, posters, and clothing. Whether or not you have seen or plan to see his reviews, chances are you will be seeing him around. You just better hope you see him before he sees you.

  You can check out more reviews and stories on The Bleeding Critic's YouTube channel, BleedingTV.

Episode 55 of the I Got Gameplay podcast is now online. In this episode, Michael Burhan, Miguel Leon, Travis Goss, Xander Skullion, Zack Latour, Jeff Croop, and Braeden Mayhew discuss their favorite Christmas games and gaming moments, the Nostalgia Critic, and the Angry Video Game Nerd.

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

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

It's been a busy week at the Marvel Studios office. It's hardly been forty eight hours since news broke that Paul Rudd will play Hank Pym/Ant Man and already a new detail has emerged, though this time it's Avengers: Age of Ultron that's making news. Several sources are reporting that in addition to the mechanical menace Ultron, the Avengers will also battle infamous Captain America villain and Hydra leader Baron Von Strucker in their second on-screen adventure.

Von Strucker would be a great choice and an excellent way to expand both the Marvel Cinematic and Television universes. Strucker could mean the reestablishment of Hydra, which was first featured in Captain America: The First Avenger, which would be an easy villain to have span both the various upcoming films and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Many of Hydra's leaders have powers and skill sets that would be cheap to depict and would fall within the scope of battling S.H.I.E.L.D.

Although this is only a rumor so far, it's never too early to begin casting the part. A villain as big as Strucker is likely to appear at some point. Who would you like to see play the villain? Do you think he'd be better suited for TV or film? Sound off in the comments section below and stay tuned to fanboysanonymous.com to see how the news develops.

The mid-season finale of Arrow, entitled "Three Ghosts," did not disappoint. I think you'll all agree that it was a complete and utter showstopper jam-packed with twists and action.

The episode got into somewhat of a Christmas vibe with Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) being haunted by three ghosts from his past, which included Shado (Celina Jade), Slade (Manu Bennett), and Tommy (Collin Donnell). He felt responsible for all of their deaths, which got in the way of his acceptance of being a hero.

Stephen Amell as the Green Arrow.

Later on in the episode we learn that Slade is not dead. There's a simple camera shot of the back of his head, and all of a sudden we hear that iconic voice. I can assure you that it chilled every single Arrow fan to the bone. He is then seen donning his classic look—an eye patch and hair slicked with grey—showing that he'd fully made his transition to Deathstroke.

He then speaks of destroying everything Oliver loves, which is obviously a reference to him blaming Oliver for his beloved Shado's death. This brings up the question, though: what happened next on the island? Earlier in the season, Oliver made a reference to killing someone who'd been on Mirakuru, the Japanese super soldier serum, before. Maybe everything kicks off with Oliver and he ends up shooting Slade through the eye with an arrow, which leads him to believe that he is dead? But clearly he's just been gathering his allies and plotting his revenge ever since.

Slade reveals his true identity as Deathstroke.

The episode climaxed with Oliver receiving his classic Green Arrow mask (much better than that tacky eye make-up he plastered around, which smudged off half the time). This tells us that he's accepted his identity as a hero and fully transitioned into the Green Arrow.

Oliver Queen dons his new mask.

But that wasn't the only transition we witnessed in this episode. We saw Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) become the famous speedster, the Flash, when his lab was struck by lightning which shattered a case of chemicals and spilled all over him.

Barry Allen transitions into The Flash.

They discuss Roy Harper's new found super-powers:

"One of the things you'll find as we go along is that it's a deep-seeded anger inside of you that lets you survive the Mirakuru transformation, which is something Slade had, which is why he lived, and it's why Roy lived. One of the fun things that will be happening the back half of the year is his relationship with the Arrow and how that changes and how the Arrow basically makes it his mission to not let Roy go down the Slade path and that's going to take some twists and turns that will hopefully surprise people and they'll enjoy."

On the decision to have Tommy Merlin make a cameo appearance:

"When we were breaking the story [Berlanti and I] literally had the same idea at the same time. Colin is such a friend of the show and was so important to the success of season 1. And so much of this season is based around that character and his loss and what a hole he left in the show. So it really fit with this season's arc of Oliver's journey from going to vigilante to hero. And the person that he feels like he failed."

They even tease about Slade's role in the season:

"I would say [he's] very much the drive of the second half of the season. Last year, we had Malcolm as sort of a single bad guy and twisting and turning that. This year, we've got a two-pronged approach to the bad guy." And Oliver's knowledge about only one of those bad guys, he says, "helps us change the rhythms of the back half of the year from what we would have done last year."

Personally, what I'd really love to see in this season of Arrow is for Roy Harper (Colton Haynes) to assume his superhero identity as Red Arrow, which is a highly possible development for the character since he's been increasingly becoming more and more interested in the vigilante as the season goes on. In the teaser below, we see that he's become super strong due to the Mirakuru transformation.

As some of us know in the comic books, Green Arrow has two teenage sidekicks; so maybe this means that Thea Queen (Willa Holland) will become Speedy? Maybe learning that she is the product of an affair with a man who tried to destroy the city will push her over the edge and towards the vigilante.

Who knows? Maybe an appearance from Ra's al Ghul is on the cards? Now that he has connections to Moira, Michael, and Sarah, he's bound to make an appearance sooner or later. I doubt it'll be this season, though, as it's already jam-packed with bad guys.

Arrow returns January 15th, but until then, watch a teaser for the next episode below:

We've finally done it. We've created the crowning jewel of independent giant-monster schlock. Big Ass Spider opened to extremely select theaters earlier this year and has slowly been amassing its own cult following. The official site gives the synopsis of the film as:

A 50-foot-tall alien spider escapes from a military lab and rampages the city of Los Angeles. When a massive military strike fails, it is up to a team of scientists, soldiers, and one clever exterminator to kill the creature before the city is destroyed....

Epic Pictures Group has provided the full opening scene of the movie to give a taste of what the film has to offer. The flavors you'll find include delightfully cheesy special effects, a vague introduction to our hero of the film, and a fantastic rendition of "Where is My Mind?" performed by Storm Large.

Big Ass Spider is already available on iTunes, Amazon Instant, Xbox, Vudu, GooglePlay, and other streaming services. The Blu-ray is scheduled for release on January 7th, 2014. However, you may pre-order via Walmart or Amazon.

Wow, what an issue! Let's get right to it, shall we? The Superior Spider-Man #24 continues SpOck's (Spider-Ock, the amalgam of Doctor Octopus' mind in Peter Parker's body) self-destructive descent as all of his good work crumbles around him.

If you haven't read issue #23 by now, then you should probably stop reading at this point. Like, right about SPIDER-MAN IS THE SUPERIOR VENOM! Whoops, got ahead of myself there; but yeah, the end of issue #23 made the big reveal as the Venom symbiote, after being forcefully separated from Flash Thompson, bonded with SpOck to become the Superior Venom. Issue #24 picks up from where we left off, and just as we suspect SpOck would maintain his negative attitude towards symbiotes, Dan Slott and Christos Gage throw us the obvious curve ball: SpOck likey the symbiote's power.

DENIED!

Flash does his darnedest to convince the symbiote to come back to him when it recognizes something different about its original host. SpOck one-ups Flash's history of suppressing the symbiote, though, and manages to bend the suit to his superior intellect. Talk about having the old news slap the new… erm, news in the face. The only other times Flash had ever been so easily outclassed by a veteran host was when he faced Eddie Brock as Anti-Venom and Toxin. (Okay, maybe the first time doesn't really count, considering the circumstances; but Eddie did manage to win back the Venom symbiote, if only briefly.) I like that Slott and Gage uphold the idea of Flash's relative greenness when it comes to controlling the symbiote. Just when he think he's figured the symbiote out, BAM! Blind-sided and humbled once more.

After the Superior Venom makes his getaway from Parker Industries all hopped up on symbiote machismo, he decides to make quick use of his new power by finding the nearest deserving jaw to punch. Meanwhile, we cut to a robbery in progress by some D-Lister called the Bruin. A classically-dressed Hobgoblin descends to pick up his agreed share of the loot, and so this turns out to be another part of the Goblin Nation side story. Yay. (Sorry, but you know me: I'm a Venom guy.) We cut back to Parker Industries just as quickly, where Slott and Gage reveal a pretty darn big and important secret about Flash's bond to the symbiote while Sajani, a Parker Industries lead scientist, patches him up. Let's just say the secret is a huge game-changer, and pretty much hints at why Agent Venom is seen surviving the end of "Darkest Hours" and joining the Guardians of the Galaxy next year.

THAT'S NOT YOUR TITLE TO USE, SpOck!!!

"Stop. I feel a dance number coming."

What comes after that earth-shattering secret is a series of nostalgic Eddie-Venom references and homages—enough to fill this Venomaniac with giddy convulsions of geekgasms. (Try burning that image out of your brain. You won't succeed.) SpOck rushes home on the drop of a dime when Anna Maria is crying and hating herself for being a little person and potentially ruining Peter's relationship with his Aunt May. Aw, how cute. Did I forget to mention somewhere that I love the SpOck/Anna Maria pairing? Also, if you've ever watched the train wreck that is Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3, you might vaguely recognize SpOck's street attire when he's with Anna Maria. Turns out that was intentional:

SSM #24 SPOILERS! The wardrobe choice WAS intentional. http://t.co/Y0SMcelvae <-- Don't watch if you haven't read SSM #24 yet! :-D
— Dan Slott (@DanSlott) December 18, 2013

This must be MJ's 'Nam Flashback.

Eh, it's not that bad. At least SpOck didn't break out into dance or brood all angst-like. Slott and Gage did, however, show us how SpOck's attitude really changes from bad to worse with the symbiote bonded to him. Once more, we jump to the Goblin Nation plot as the Green Goblin continues to screw with SpOck's order of things. The Green Goblin raises the stakes as he takes interrogating Carlie Cooper into his own hands after Menace (Carlie's sister) fails to extract any information from her about SpOck. Paying close attention to Menace's characterization in this book, I have a feeling the Goblin Nation is going to suffer some in-fighting in the near future. Whether it will be in SpOck's favor or not remains to be seen.

We then turn to Mary Jane's end of the story, which ends up colliding head-long with Aunt May and her husband, Jay Jameson. Peter drops by for an unexpected visit that rapidly declines into a heated argument with his parental figures and another Eddie-Venom homage when MJ storms into the scene to finally confront Peter about his uncharacteristic behavior. SpOck reveals his newest look to MJ, which sends her reeling (appropriately), before he swings off to apprehend another crime in progress. Yuri Watanabe's story also crashes into MJ's at this point, and, realizing the gravity of the situation, MJ makes a very urgent phone call concerning Peter's possession of the symbiote. To whom the call was made is revealed in the final page, but why spoil the surprise for you? Let's just say SpOck had some unfinished business that is about to finish itself whether he wants it to or not.

Ah, what an issue! Thanks to SpOck being the Superior Venom, Slott and Gage delivered just that much more Venom goodness in this issue, especially with all of the juicy Eddie-Venom moments. The overall building tension of The Superior Spider-Man continues to rise ever higher, setting SpOck up for a big fall. And that fall may come sooner than you think, considering his behavior as the Superior Venom and the trouble that's about to come crashing down on him for it. Humberto Ramos continues to knock it out of the park with his stylistic artwork, too. SpOck's emotions are really accented by Ramos' unique take on the symbiote. There was one element, however, that really rang my bells and is possibly foreshadowing something in SpOck's future: MJ's clothes.

C'mon, I can't be the only one who noticed this! Even the colors are similar!

What could this mean? Was this design choice purely coincidental, or are Ramos, Slott, and Gage up to something? Perhaps SpOck won't be the only one taking a big fall. Metaphorically speaking, of course. Whatever may be the case, this issue really makes me excited for the final part of "Darkest Hours" in the next book—a double-sized issue, to boot! For everything the creative team did right in this issue, I give it 5 shiny stars out of 5.

Were you just as pleased with this issue as I was? Are you ready for the grand finale? How do you think it will end? Give us your comments below and see you in the new year for the end of my review series!

Last year, California company Telltale Games revitalized the point-and-click adventure genre with the exceptional The Walking Dead: The Game. Over five soul-crushing episodes, we followed Lee Everett through the zombie apocalypse as he did whatever necessary to protect Clementine: an eight-year-old whose parents never returned from a trip to Savannah.

If it has been a while since you played the first game, worry not: Season 2 wastes no time before turning intense and heartbreaking. Characters that you like will die, impossible choices will be made, and blood (of the living and the undead) will be spilled.

All That Remains, as Episode 1 is titled, opens on an older, more capable (after all, we taught her to be that way) Clementine who is forced to survive on her own in a world that does not care. Clem, while certainly broken and scarred from the events of the first game, is still the girl we grew to love while we protected her from the horrors of Macon and Savannah in Season 1. But she will never be the same.

Not a dry eye in the house

Clem quietly talks to herself as you explore and interact with each environment and looks wistfully at her torn photo of Lee. Simply hearing her quiet, slightly deeper voice is an emotional experience that made me want nothing more than to shield her from the dangers of the apocalypse.

Part of what was so amazing about Season 1 was that Telltale took the frustrating and universally disliked escort mechanic and turned it into an emotional, human relationship with a vulnerable little girl. Clementine has always been the star of the show, and that is even more apparent here.

Although I do approve of the new cast and how they interact with Clem, I can't help but wish that I got to spend more time with them. Only 30 minutes of my 80-minute playthrough—yes, it is very short—was spent in the company of the supporting characters. As it stands, they feel less like human beings and more like archetypes: nice guy, jerk, doctor, hunter, etc. I look forward to becoming intimately familiar with their hopes, fears, and motivations in future episodes.


Telltale does not shy away from violence and gore. It is for this reason that I was so terrified of missing an input during the frequent quick time events; I did not want to see Clem die horribly. In the interest of being thorough, yes, I did watch several of the death animations, and yes, they are awful. Thankfully, they are avoidable.

With that being said, this is not a game for those with weak stomachs. There were two scenes in particular that felt excessive, almost to the point that I needed to avert my eyes. Like Lee taking the ax to a trapped man's leg in Season 1, the extreme close-up of makeshift stitches over a gaping wound made me feel queasy, and the mercy killing of a doomed character left me disappointed and sad.

The word "gratuitous" comes to mind, but upon further thought, I don't think it's appropriate. While incredibly unpleasant, even the most gruesome scenes in The Walking Dead serve a purpose: This is Clementine's world now, and each of these events is shaping her future. It is unclear how much of the Clem that we met last year will be left at the end of Season 2, but I will do my damnedest to protect her every step of the way. It's what Lee would want.

In spite of a rather one-dimensional cast and a disappointingly short episode, All That Remains is a powerful introduction to a series that is certain to leave us broken and weeping a second time. Do not miss it.


I still haven't completely recovered from last season's finale. What are some of your favorite moments from Season 1? Let me know in the comments!

It would seem that HBO has a little Christmas present for all we Game of Thrones fans in the form of a seven-second teaser trailer. Although this isn't long enough to know what's coming up in Season 4—those who have already read the books will know—it's enough to get us all excited.

We see a split second of Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), his arms in chains; Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) sitting smugly while wearing his crown; and Sansa (Sophie Turner) standing in a weird room with what looks like a blue grid surrounding her.

Watch the teaser below:

As I stipulated recently, it was never going to be easy deciding whether or not Fast & Furious 7 should continue filming, all things considered, such as the fact that the late Paul Walker's scenes were the majority of those as of yet unfinished!

Bear in mind that since the film was midway through production and most of the characters' scenes were reported as having been mostly completed, that would very possibly mean that the majority of scenes yet to be shot were all action/driving footage, so the film could be completed with minimum complications.

But in one of this week's most intriguing twists, it appears that Universal has approached Cody Walker, Paul's baby brother (15 years his junior) and a stunt-man to boot, and asked him to help film those remaining scenes while the studio tries to figure out what can be kept and what must inevitably be rewritten.

Paul loved his baby brother Cody.

I don't think I'm the only one that couldn't have predicted such a bold move on Universal's behalf, but it may not be such a bad one. The Fast & Furious gang have become so much like family over the years and have so much respect for Paul's family, that it seems only fitting that they would want to complete the movie for the sake of the family, and therefore do so by literally keeping it in the family.

Of course, Walker's grieving family may find some positive finality and resolve in one more tribute to the action star, making this news a very possible reality.

Also be sure to check out Walker's unreleased 2013 movie, the Hurricane Katrina based action-drama Hours.


Sound off, Fanboys and Fangirls! Has Universal made the right choice, and could it be any more respectful? Comments below and thanks for reading!