Fanboys Anonymous

Even though the Oscars are months away, we're around the time where things start buzzing and speculation ramps up. This year, the 86th Academy Awards will be hosted by Ellen DeGeneres and take place on March 2, 2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California as well as broadcast by ABC.

This post will be updated with the full list of nominees, predictions, and eventual results of the winners. In the meantime, please tell us your predictions and let us know which movies you're hoping will walk away with an Oscar.

BEST PICTURE

NOMINEES: 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena, Dallas Buyers Club, The Wolf of Wall Street

PREDICTION: 12 Years a Slave. It just seems like it's the main film everyone is talking about and that the subject matter is irresistible to voters.

RESULT: 12 Years a Slave

BEST ACTOR

NOMINEES: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Christian Bale (American Hustle), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street), Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club), Bruce Dern (Nebraska)

PREDICTION: Chiwetel Ejiofor. Bale and DiCaprio were "safe bet" people to put on the list to round it out. McConaughey was the instance of someone being told they did much more than expected of them and have improved. Bruce Dern is the recognition of an old actor. Ejiofor ends up taking it home because they simply liked his performance the best.

RESULT: Matthew McConaughey

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

NOMINEES: Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave), Bradley Cooper (American Hustle), Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club), Jonah Hill (Wolf of Wall Street)

PREDICTION: Jared Leto. It assuredly won't go to Bradley Cooper. Jonah Hill has a chance, but I think he'll be overlooked.

RESULT: Jared Leto

BEST ACTRESS

NOMINEES: Amy Adams (American Hustle), Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Judi Dench (Philomena), Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)

PREDICTION: Cate Blanchett. The list is filled with expected names and seeing as how Blue Jasmine doesn't show up a lot in this list of films nominated for other categories just points out that they probably valued her performance quite a bit.

RESULT: Cate Blanchett

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

NOMINEES: Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave), Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle), Julia Roberts (August: Osage County), June Squibb (Nebraska), Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine)

PREDICTION: Lupita Nyong'o. She's all anyone can talk about.

RESULT: Lupita Nyong'o

BEST DIRECTOR

NOMINEES: Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), David O. Russell (American Hustle), Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity), Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street), Alexander Payne (Nebraska)

PREDICTION: I'm torn between Steve McQueen and David O. Russell, but leaning toward McQueen. Originally, I thought Cuaron would win this, but I'm doubting that now.

RESULT: Alfonso Cuaron

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

NOMINEES: American Hustle, Blue Jasmine, Her, Nebraska, Dallas Buyers Club

PREDICTION: American Hustle

RESULT: Her

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

NOMINEES: 12 Years a Slave, Before Midnight, Captain Phillips, Philomena, The Wolf of Wall Street

PREDICTION: 12 Years a Slave

RESULT: 12 Years a Slave

BEST FILM EDITING

NOMINEES: American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, 12 Years a Slave

PREDICTION: Gravity

RESULT: Gravity

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

NOMINEES: Gravity, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Iron Man 3, The Lone Ranger, Star Trek Into Darkness

PREDICTION: Gravity. I'm very surprised Pacific Rim didn't get on the list. I'm surprised that The Lone Ranger was put in here, but Man of Steel wasn't as well. I'm assuming Gravity will win because for all the effects that these other films incorporate, if you do something that stands out as different (instead of just "generic comic book style action movie effects"), that makes people value it more.

RESULT: Gravity

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

NOMINEES: The Grandmaster, Gravity, Inside Llewyn Davis, Nebraska, Prisoners

PREDICTION: Gravity

RESULT: Gravity

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

NOMINEES: American Hustle, Gravity, The Great Gatsby, Her, 12 Years a Slave

PREDICTION: American Hustle, though this is tough as I really think there's a good chance 12 Years a Slave gets this instead. It all depends on how much 12 Years is viewed as the story being the most significant thing or just the overall scope of the whole thing.

RESULT: The Great Gatsby

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

NOMINEES: American Hustle, The Grandmaster, The Great Gatsby, The Invisible Woman, 12 Years a Slave

PREDICTION: American Hustle

RESULT: The Great Gatsby

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

NOMINEES: Dallas Buyers Club, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, The Lone Ranger

PREDICTION: Dallas Buyers Club

RESULT: Dallas Buyers Club

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

NOMINEES: The Book Thief (John Williams), Gravity (Steven Price), Her (William Butler & Owen Pallett), Philomena (Alexandre Desplat), Saving Mr. Banks (Thomas Newman)

PREDICTION: Saving Mr. Banks stands out as a weird choice, so I'm going with that.

RESULT: Gravity (Steven Price)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

NOMINEES: "Alone Yet Not Alone" (from Alone Yet Not Alone), "Happy" (from Despicable Me 2), "Let It Go" (from Frozen), "The Moon Song" (from Her), "Ordinary Love" (from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)

PREDICTION: Happy from Despicable Me 2

RESULT: "Let It Go" from Frozen

BEST SOUND EDITING

NOMINEES: All is Lost, Captain Phillips, Gravity, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Lone Survivor

PREDICTION: Gravity

RESULT: Gravity

BEST SOUND MIXING

NOMINEES: Captain Phillips, Gravity, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Inside Llewyn Davis, Lone Survivor

PREDICTION: Gravity

RESULT: Gravity

BEST ANIMATED FILM

NOMINEES: The Croods, Despicable Me 2, Ernest & Celestine, Frozen, The Wind Rises

PREDICTION: Frozen

RESULT: Frozen

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

NOMINEES: Feral, Get a Horse!, Mr. Hublot, Possessions, Room on the Broom

PREDICTION: I never bother to guess these as I've never seen any of them and know nothing about them. What do you think?

RESULT: Mr. Hublot

BEST DOCUMENTARY

NOMINEES: 20 Feet from Stardom, The Act of Killing, The Square, Cutie and the Boxer, Dirty Wars

PREDICTION: I never bother to guess these as I've never seen any of them and know nothing about them. What do you think?

RESULT: 20 Feet from Stardom

BEST DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)

NOMINEES: CaveDigger, Facing Fear, Karama Has No Walls, The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life, Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall

PREDICTION: I never bother to guess these as I've never seen any of them and know nothing about them. What do you think?

RESULT: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

NOMINEES: The Broken Circle Breakdown, The Great Beauty, The Hunt, The Missing Picture, Omar

PREDICTION: I never bother to guess these as I've never seen any of them and know nothing about them. What do you think?

RESULT: The Great Beauty

BEST SHORT FILM

NOMINEES: Aquel No Era Yo, Avant Que De Tout Perdre, Helium, Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa?, The Voorman Problem

PREDICTION: I never bother to guess these as I've never seen any of them and know nothing about them. What do you think?

RESULT: Helium


More than any other year, I knew absolutely nothing about 99% of these films when the nominations were announced. They all seemed like bland Oscar bait and nothing more, really. Now that I've watched a few, I can see why some of them were nominated, but I still think this was a rather weak year for films. This trend of making a big fuss about the same 6 movies that come out of the blue, only to be completely forgotten by next year has to end. Who is talking about The Artist now? How many people are putting The King's Speech on their list of the best films of all time? But as I said, this was a weak year for films and I can't even think of other options that should have taken the spots of the nominees.

The Internet certainly has its set of stars that are world renowned. Of those stars, we've seen a rise of talented, witty, and beautiful women who have taken the Internet by storm. Join me, Chris "The Dace Man" Dace over the course of the next few weeks as we crown the 2014 Internet Goddess.

This week we take a look at the first bracket in our Heavenly Sixteen. We saw in round one Justine bumped Amy Walker and Tayryn Southern was ousted by legendary Jess Nigri. Voting ends for the Heavenly Sixteen March 7th!

Justine Ezarik (Life Caster)

On May 29, 2007, live on Justin.tv, a new Internet queen was born. Justine took to the airwaves in a nonprofit stream that followed her everyday life known as iJustine. Since then she has had five YouTube channels with more than 2,500 videos. She has made the transition over the years from the Internet to television and had guest roles on shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Criminal Minds, and Vampire Diaries. Still going strong on YouTube today, she has more than 1.5 million subscribers and still pumps out fresh new content even as she dabbles in Hollywood. She was one of the first broadcasters to hit the airwaves on Justin.tv and for that we welcome Justine to the 2014 Internet Goddess Tournament!




Jessica Nigri (Cosplay, Vlogger)

If you are an avid follower of Cosplay—hell, even if you know nothing about cosplay—you would know Jessica Nigri. She's that really attractive girl who shows up on your Facebook once or twice a day. At the young age of 24, she has taken the Internet and convention worlds by storm by dressing as the hottest, nerdiest girl possible. Think of one of your favorite female characters from a video game or comic book series, and chances are Jessica Nigri has graced a convention as said character. Without a shadow of a doubt Jessica Nigri has earned a spot in the 2014 Internet Goddess Tournament.

survey service

Check back for more brackets and, as always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn) as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and ,of course, the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case an Internet browser—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!

The Internet certainly has its set of stars that are world renowned. Of those stars, we've seen a rise of talented, witty, and beautiful women who have taken the Internet by storm. Join me, Chris "The Dace Man" Dace over the course of the next few weeks as we crown the 2014 Internet Goddess.

This week we take a look at the first bracket in our Heavenly Sixteen. We saw in round one we saw Natalie Tran edge out Angie Griffin in the last week, and BrizzyVoices outlast the prankster Jenna Smith. Voting ends for the Heavenly Sixteen March 7th!

Natalie Tran (YouTube Personality, Writer)

With 335 videos on her YouTube, Natalie has taken the world of vlogging by storm. She debuted on the popular Internet site in September of 2006 and is one of the originals, with 1.46 million subscribers—yeah, let that number sink in. She has been recognized several times for her creativity and writing ability. One of the most popular individuals in Australia, Tran has been an interview correspondent for many programs as well as tapped for the official launch of YouTube Australia less than a year after her original YouTube video. Natalie Tran has definitely earned her way into the 2014 Internet Goddess Tournament.



BrizzyVoices (YouTube Personality, Voice Actress)

Brizzy is your average New York girl but is better known to the world as BrizzyVoices. This beautiful young YouTuber has over 360,000 subscribers and well over 25 million views for her videos. Her videos span from impressions of The Simpsons to South Park and to my personal favorite, Pokémon. On top of her fantastic impressions, she has a quirky vlog where she expresses her opinions and shows off some of the neat stuff she owns and does in her spare time. She also goes live every Monday and interacts with her fans, answering questions and occasionally taking voice requests from those who watch. There is no doubt in anyone's mind here at Fanboys Anonymous that BrizzyVoices deserves a shot at the 2014 Internet Goddess award!

feedback surveys

Check back for more brackets and, as always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn) as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and of course the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case an Internet browser—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!

The Internet certainly has its set of stars that are world renowned. Of those stars, we've seen a rise of talented, witty, and beautiful women who have taken the Internet by storm. Join me, Chris "The Dace Man" Dace over the course of the next few weeks as we crown the 2014 Internet Goddess.

This week we take a look at the first bracket in our Heavenly Sixteen. We saw in round one Lara win a close race with Jenny Lorenzo and Laina Morris blowing Brittany Furlan out of the tournament. Voting ends for the Heavenly Sixteen March 7th!


Lara De Wit (Musician, YouTube Personality)

Not only is she gorgeous, but she is also one of the most talented musicians on YouTube and Tour today. Lara broke onto the scene from the great continent of Australia, bringing us many renditions of our favorite video game music. Yours truly had the pleasure of interviewing Lara on The Dace Man Show to find out she is your typical down-to-Earth girl next door. Lara has successfully released a music album with fellow Internet Goddess contestant Taylor Davis as well as toured with her and many others to conventions and symphonies. Add to her brilliant musical talent her ability to throw together a costume to coincide with the music she is playing, and you now have a video that captures the hearts of nerds across the world. Lara has landed herself a spot on the Fanboys Anonymous 2014 Internet Goddess Tournament!



Laina Morris (YouTube Personality, Internet Meme)

No doubt you have seen the creepy ex-girlfriend meme pop up somewhere on your Facebook Feed. That now familiar face is another entrant into our 2014 Internet Goddess Tournament. The Overly Attached Girlfriend has been popping up on our feeds since June 2012 and has also posted videos to YouTube parodying several love songs from artists such as Police, Backstreet Boys, and Taylor Swift. Fully embracing the Overly Attached Girlfriend role, Laina soared to Internet fame and has been apart of Internet pop culture ever since.

surveys

Check back for more brackets and, as always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn) as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and of course the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case an Internet browser—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!

Complete 2014 Internet Goddess Tournament

The Internet certainly has its set of stars that are world renowned. Of those stars, we've seen a rise of talented, witty, and beautiful women who have taken the Internet by storm. Join me, Chris "The Dace Man" Dace over the course of the next few weeks as we crown the 2014 Internet Goddess.

This week we take a look at the first bracket in our Heavenly Sixteen. We saw in round one Ciji Thornton beat out the legendary lonelygirl15, and Jessi Smiles inching out the young Andrea Russett. Voting ends for the Heavenly Sixteen March 7th!


Ciji Thornton (YouTube Personality)


Better known as StarSlay3r, Ciji burst onto our computer monitors in 2006 when she grabbed the attention of MTV for being one of the Top 10 Guitar Hero Players in the CPL Tournament held in Dallas, TX. She has been a recognized gamer for the past six years after dominating several Guitar Hero and Rockband competitions. She has also appeared on FOX and MSNBC and been featured on many Internet websites such as IGN. Thornton continues to post videos to YouTube as well as participate in many fundraising campaigns, which is why she's landed on Fanboys Anonymous's 2014 Internet Goddess Tournament! Also take a look at our own Geek Speak team interview with Ciji!!



Jessi Smiles (Vine & YouTube Personality)

Ever heard of a thing called Vine? If you have, then you most likely know Jessi Smiles. Also known as Jessica Vazquez, Jessi  has blown up our Vines with several 30-second clips that will make you giggle each time. She has since broadened her horizons to a YouTube channel as well as appearing in an Epic Rap Battles of History video as Joan of Arc. Recently, Jessi has been caught up in some controversy with fellow Vine-er and ex-boyfriend Curtis Lepore. Although these days most people are focused on the controversy and have effectively taken sides in the war between the two parties, we here at Fanboys Anonymous remain neutral and choose to recognize Vazquez for her Internet accomplishments. Besides, this is a tournament of the nerds, so you guys decide. Is Jessi Smiles worthy of the 2014 Internet Goddess Award?

web polls

Check back next week for the results of the Heavenly Sixteen as well as the Elegant Eight contestants, and as always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and of course the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case an Internet Browser—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!

Complete 2014 Internet Goddess Tournament

CW's The Flash begins filming early March 2014, and if this image gives any indication, it's going to be a good-looking show.

The series is a direct spinoff from Arrow, the popular show highlighting the adventures of Green Arrow. Grant Gustin has appeared as Barry Allen, aka The Flash, and the characters will presumably cross over again in the future.

The costume, designed by Arrow's designer, Colleen Atwood, looks pretty slick. However, the promo image is of the cowl only, so we need to make some assumptions. What we can see is a pretty neat design. The Scarlet Speedster is a little darker than usual, but that was probably an obvious choice for live action. Bright colors do not a hero make. An important feature for many Flash fans is the chest emblem; will it be a 3-tier or a 4-tier lightning bolt? The ear piece hints toward a 3, and the chin holster suggests they have gone with the current New 52 design (which famously added the chin strap as well as a higher collar). In the comic books, the costume's boots are yellow, but in The Flash TV series from the '90s they were changed to red. The belt line is also a key feature. In the past, it has been a straight belt across the midsection broken off at the pelvis to end in a lightening bolt point on either end.

Part of The Flash's canon has always been his costume's ability to appear from nowhere. Barry (and Wally West…ask your parents) kept the outfit stashed in a ring where it expanded once exposed to air. How they got it back in the ring, however, was never explained. This suit looks quite more solid, so I'm confident its origin will be unique to the series. In the '90s live-action version, the suit was an experimental frictionless design that a friend of Barry's had access to. This version looks to be leather, so I'll be looking forward to its history.

Does this design give you hope for the series? I'm a huge naysayer of most DC-related products lately, and even I'm admitting this suit looks pretty cool. I look forward to seeing a sleeker live-action version; John Wesley Shipp was pretty buff back in the day, and Gustin is a slim gentleman. A thin runner's body suits The Flash much better. Thoughts? Share them below!

Four voices. Some tortured, some introspective. Some of them singing for justice, others singing to make the pain go away. There was never a scene with so much pitch, range, tone, and intensity as that of Kurt's, Layne's, Chris's, and Eddie's in rock and roll. I can only think of England in the '70s, with Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath, but they weren't from the same place, were they? I see the human voice as the greatest musical instrument of all, and Seattle delivered. It wasn't only some extraordinary vocal talent—there were fantastic bands, musicians, and dedicated fans.

Left to right: Eddie Vedder, Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell, Layne Staley

Lightning didn't just strike once in Seattle. In fact it struck four times. In the year of 1992, the abrupt expansion of "grunge" music to the masses can be attributed to luck, fate, destiny, and a few coincidences. The four big bands from the rain city had little in common with each other apart from their geographical location, their clothes, and a win-or-die passion for rock. Nirvana was a punk/pop hybrid, Alice In Chains was rock/metal, Pearl Jam was stadium/folk rock, and Soundgarden, in all modesty, was the bastard child of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Perhaps it was this shotgun spread of rock music that helped the simultaneous success. Not a fan of metal? No problem, Pearl Jam is more jam rock. Into progressive? Soundgarden covered that. It's true that they had some significant musical differences, but these musicians also had some eerie similarities. Let's take a look.

The Melvins

They weren't rivals, nor touring buddies. Some bills were shared in the early days, some social opinions and political views were unanimous with the local youth mentality. With the exception of Soundgarden, they barely had the blink of an eye to enjoy the camaraderie and disputes of the underground when big money came knocking. There was, however, a primordial soup in challengers of glam rock and pop music, and all that was needing a cynical punch to the groin. Bands like The Melvins, Green River, U-Men, Tad, Malfunkshun… these were the thick garage "sludge" rock bands of Seattle in the early to mid '80s that kickstarted the spawning grounds for the giants. Many bands were nurtured by the local Sub Pop label, which helped so many groups in their releases. So, Nirvana came, released Smells Like Teen Spirit, and the others tagged along for the ride, correct? Wrong. It didn't exactly happen overnight, despite what legend might say. It was a few years in the making.

Alice In Chains and Soundgarden were the first bands to sign to a major, Columbia Records and A&M, respectively, in 1989. Alice in Chains's first album, Facelift, was released in 1990 and the single Man In The Box was a moderate success on MTV. The band members were admitted admirers of heavy metal and glam rock, but guitarist Jerry Cantrell had too much of his own guitar style to simply copy an exhaustedly repeated sound and turned up with ingenious riffs that melded some classic rock skills with angry, dirty chords. The band also eased on their obsession with hair spray and make up and became less removed from the slack-y look we would later know as grunge.

Mother Love Bone

Meanwhile, Soundgarden reached their apogee with the underground of Seattle and saw a good opportunity to advance their careers with a major label. Even though the band wasn't reaching a very mainstream level of exposure, this was blasphemous for longtime fans. Fans in that scene were extremely dogmatic, especially those who based their weekend nights on escaping the refined candy-rot from the mainstream, and the Seattle underground was all about escapism. Soundgarden released the albums Louder Than Love (1989) and Badmotorfinger (1991), with lead singer Chris Cornell and drummer Matt Cameron joining a tribute band that released one eponymous album titled Temple Of The Dog, in honor of the late Andrew Wood, lead singer of Mother Love Bone (which contained two future members of Pearl Jam). Soundgarden began to gather some attention in the rock world, but were still going to break through.

Then, the big bang of grunge happened in three instances. First, a three-piece band from Aberdeen relocated to Seattle, released their debut album Bleach in 1989 through the small but extremely important Sub Pop label, and then their sophomore Nevermind in 1991 through Geffen Records. Nirvana, as they were called, proceeded to unleash Smells Like Teen Spirit, the single that planted the seed for them to become the reluctant symbols of a generation.

Time magazine, Oct 23, 1993

The second bang was that, as Smells Like Teen Spirit rocketed up the charts like an innuendo I dare not write, another band released a phenomenal debut album called Ten. Pearl Jam had a leg-up from Nirvana's dirty pop kicking the door down, and had the hits Alive, Even Flow, and Jeremy in that first record. In the following year, they were already touring stadiums with the likes of The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Indeed, 1992 was the year that the Seattle bands truly made an impact on mainstream music. Radios everywhere were blaring those heavy power chords with catchy melodies you could actually sing along to. As if that weren't enough, Alice In Chains released their masterpiece Dirt in that year as well, while Soundgarden were prepping up their milestone Superunknown to be released in early 1994.

By 1993, the third factor happened. It was brutal, cruel, relentless, and as soulless as the Dark Lord: the media. All of the yellow smiles, promises of great fortune, hyped up fans and exposure took the four bards of critical rock into a spinning hurricane. The spotlight was on Seattle, and many bands that had a similar look or sound were encouraged to produce albums that mimicked the success thereof. San Francisco band Stone Temple Pilots were even accused of being Pearl Jam ripoffs, but those were unschooled opinions from critics. Other bands like Collective Soul, Candlebox, and Bush were eventually signed to major labels, with a very good chance that they owed it all to the big four.

Nirvana: seriousness was out of the question

While everything that goes up eventually comes down, it was a bit severe with our here-featured bands. Nirvana released In Utero in 1993, the opposite sound of Nevermind, meaning that it was not quite pop-friendly, and yet it did very well, meaning something had changed in the mainstream. If it sells, it's good, no need to turn it into a smiling, money making puppet that parents approve of. However, Nirvana's lead man, Kurt Cobain, became more alienated than before, although there were still some fantastic performances by the band throughout 1993 and 1994, in particular the MTV Unplugged series episode: it is considered to be one of the finest performances in television history. Despite Nirvana's awards and success, Kurt was beyond the fashionable, heroin-laced depression. It became dangerous. His stomach problems also worsened. Eventually Cobain died by his own hand, but I'll save it as we near the twentieth anniversary of his passing. The final piece of this series will be on Kurt Cobain and Nirvana exclusively.

Meanwhile, 1993 saw the darker side of the spoon for Alice In Chains's lead singer Layne Staley. Heroin was the culprit as Layne's health began to dwindle, and he became more erratic during tours. His band released the record-selling EP Jar Of Flies, which saw a softer, folk side to Alice In Chains and showcased just how truly rich the roots of the band was. They eventually returned to the studio in 1994 to work on their Alice In Chains album, the last with Layne Staley. The vocalist's drug problems worsened to the point that their 1995 tour was cancelled after a few dates. Staley joined seattle supergroup Mad Season, and they released a very unique album in 1996 called Above, which seemed to put the troubled singer in a better state. As the rock gods demanded, he relapsed shortly thereafter, going through a long road to overdose in 2002.

Alice In Chains, in a simpler time

Not everything was gray and dark for our Seattle heroes, however. Some of the downfall was purely self-sabotage. Eddie Vedder, lead vocals for Pearl Jam was alway straightforward, as were his bandmates, about political and social issues. One of their pet peeves was Ticketmaster's pricing of tickets. Upon discovering the number formula with which the company charged the fans, Pearl Jam entered a boycott which cost them quite a lot of tour dates. Pearl Jam tickets became incredibly difficulty to obtain, and the venues couldn't hold as many fans as there were. This, added to their reluctance to make a video for their albums Vs (1993) and Vitalogy (1994) made the band, though always active, fall down through the charts in the later '90s as grunge waned.

Soundgarden

This leaves us with Soundgarden, a fly on the wall to all this. They toured and made great music until their Superunknown album was released in 1994. Black Hole Sun became an instant classic, and a very recognizable hit was made. The band even won two grammy awards, in best hard rock performance and best metal performance for Black Hole Sun and Spoonman, respectively, making them the first of the grunge bands to win the award. Pearl Jam and Nirvana would both win one in 1996. However, even though Soundgarden avoided the dangerous cliches being thrown at them, they released only one more record, Down On The Upside (1996), just as musically brilliant as Superunknown. Although the post-Cobain world didn't reject them, the internal band strife did, and Soundgarden called it quits in 1997.

There is a silver lining to this. Alice In Chains have found new life with singer William DuVall, Soundgarden have reunited, and Pearl Jam seem to have rediscovered the joys of playing music and have been back in the spotlight for some years now. The spirit of Nirvana lives on through Dave Grohl and his stadium rock band Foo Fighters, elegantly shedding any inferiority complex regarding his previous band.

London Bridge Studios: the gateway for Seattle's grunge into the world

What tied all of the "grunge" together? It wasn't necessarily the music. We covered that. Sure they dressed alike, but so did every rock band in their own time: the Seattle guys happened to be cold and needed flannel shirts. Regardless of what anyone says, in all of the inaccurate analysis one might find in books, Internet, and old newspapers (or even this humble article), one truth remains.

We recognize periods in history for their achievements, not for the Reagan-era depression of heroin, suicide, and bleakness of Seattle's youth. There was spontaneity, curiosity, childlike wonder in the music that came out of that scene that influenced people all over the world, although it was shrouded in a futureless gloom of the broken American dream. In the next article, you will see just how far that went into our culture.

What about you? Did you know any of this? Was any of my writing inaccurate? Inspiring? Comment or die in regret.

Radio friendly unit shifters: Pearl Jam went straight to the A-list of radio from their first tour

Nintendo announced on its website that they will be shutting down their Wi-Fi Connection service in May, ending online functionality for a list of Wii, DS, and DSi games including top titles like Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart, and all Pokémon titles.

Nintendo of Japan first announced they they are pulling the plug on Internet-based services before Nintendo of America followed suit, announcing the discontinuation of online services for all Wii, DS and DSi games.

The announcement stated, "As of May 20, 2014, certain online functionality offered through Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection will no longer be accessible. The discontinued services include online play, matchmaking and leader boards for many Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi games."

While you will still be able to play offline, you will no longer be able to access the leader boards or in-game downloads such as new levels, free add-on content, in-game items, and mystery gifts.

The announcement notes that only online features for games using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service will be impacted. Online play for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games will be unaffected aside from the Wii mode on Wii U and Nintendo DS games on Nintendo 3DS. The Wii Shop Channel, Nintendo DSi Shop, and video-on-demand services such as Netflix will also not be affected.

The news doesn't come as much of a surprise, because Nintendo has been slowly phasing out online support for the Wii console, getting rid of the Forecast and News Channels and the Check Mii Out Channel last year in order to focus on the development of a higher level of service for Wii U. It seems like this is just a major stunt by Nintendo to push users to upgrade to Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.

Affected Nintendo Wii and DS titles include 
100 Classic Books
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Animal Crossing: City Life
Advanced Wars: Days of Ruin
Battalion Wars 2
Clubhouse Games
Custom Robo Arena
Diddy Kong Racing DS
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2
Dr. Mario Online RX
Endless Ocean and Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep
Excitebots: Trick Racing
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
Fortune Street
Fossil Fighters: Champions
Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
LONPOS
Maboshi's Arcade
Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii
Mario Sports Mix
Mario Strikers Charged
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem
Metroid Prime Hunters
Picross 3D and Picross DS
Planet Puzzle League
Pokémon (all titles)
Professor Layton and the Curious Village
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box
Professor Layton and the Last Specter
Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
Samurai Warriors 3
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor
Star Fox Command
Style Savvy
Super Smash Brothers Brawl
Tenchu: Dark Secret
Tetris DS
ThruSpace
WarrioWare DIY

How does this affect you? Let us know in the comment section below.

Aaron Allston, the author of thirteen Star Wars novels and several short stories, passed away on February 27, TheForce.net confirmed.

Photo via 501st Legion

Allston suffered from an apparent heart failure and collapsed at VisionCon in Springfield, MO, on Thursday and died later that day at the age of 53.

The news first came from game designer Sean Patrick Fannon, who said on his Facebook, "It is my devastatingly sad duty to announce I've just gotten confirmation. Aaron Allston passed away tonight, after collapsing at VisionCon. Apparent cause of death is massive heart failure."

In early 2009, Allston had a heart attack and underwent emergency quadruple bypass surgery, according to StarWarsblog.

The Texan sci-fi and fantasy novelist was better known for his contributions to the Star Wars expanded universe in his novels, contributing four books in the X-Wing series, two books in The New Jedi Order series, and three books in both the Legacy of the Force series and Fate of the Jedi series. His last Star Wars novel, X-Wing: Mercy Kill was released in 2012.

He began his career in the early '80s when he was hired by game designer and publisher Steve Jackson as a circulation manager and then editor for Space Gamer magazine before going on to design game supplements for Steve Jackson Games, Hero Games, and Dungeons and Dragons.

The 501st Legion posted on their Facebook page:

It is truly a sad day for #StarWars fandom as author Aaron Allston has passed away. Aaron's work influenced many realms, but it was his Wraith Squadron novels which led to his induction as one of the original three #501st Honorary Members in 2002. His humor in the midst of his medical difficulties was an inspiration to everyone around him, including fellow authors Mike Stackpole and Timothy Zahn. 

Ever a friend to the fan community, Aaron's commitment to writing extended beyond his own work, and his loud shirts and sharp wit will be missed in the writing groups he passionately supported. 

There's a gray-striped X-wing waiting in the hangar for you, Aaron. Clear skies.

Allston's contributions to the Star Wars franchise has inspired many and will be greatly missed.

Were you a fan of Aaron Allston's extensive works in the Star Wars universe? Let us know how you feel in the comments section below.

Looks as though we have another video game-to-film adaptation coming our way in the near future. The megahit open-world sandbox game Minecraft has been greenlit to become a motion picture distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film company had recently acquired the rights to distribute a movie version of the wildly popular video game.

Minecraft video game logo

Hot on the heels of the major success of The LEGO Movie, the Minecraft live-action movie is set to be produced by Roy Lee, who produced The LEGO Movie, and Dan Lin.


While this is all really exciting news for fans of Minecraft, it does bring up a question I'm sure you, the reader, are pondering. We have seen popular video game franchises turned into movies before; does Minecraft have what it takes to become a successful film? We have come a long way since Super Mario Bros. and Double Dragon, which were both stinkers at the box office. Since The LEGO Movie was an instant success, time could only tell if Warner Bros. might have a huge hit on their hands.

Now, I want to hear from you all. What do you think of Minecraft being turned into a motion picture feature presentation? Would you pay to see this film? Let us know in the comments section down below.

Like the title says, this isn't confirmed yet, and if anything changes I'll alter this post accordingly, but right now, it looks as though Adam Driver, probably known best for his role in Lena Dunham's Girls, is our first new face in Star Wars: Episode VII.

"Fans… I am your something."

Although Lucasfilm and Disney have remained mum thus far, the unofficial confirmation comes from both an initial report by Variety and tweets by Lena Dunham, star and executive producer of Girls, that indicate a casting announcement is imminent. It's said that the role will be villainous, analogous to Darth Vader, carrying over multiple films. Some news outlets are asking the smart question: "master or apprentice?" pointing out that there are always two Sith, no more, no less. Michael Fassbender, Joel Kinnaman, and Hugo Weaving are all rumored to have either read or been considered for the part as well, which means Driver beat out some serious competition if this is true. I think it's more likely that this would be the "apprentice" role, if it is indeed similar to Vader as reported.

Driver has quietly built a career out of notable smaller roles in mostly smaller films, although recently he's  added bigger things to his resume, including the Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, Noah Baumbach's Frances Ha, and the Coens' Inside Llewyn Davis. Seeing as production on Episode VII is slated to begin in May, and it's also reported that J.J. Abrams finished his pass on the script a few weeks back, it's likely we'll know the truth of this news soon. Either way, brace yourselves, because with the cameras set to roll in just a few months, more Star Wars news is sure to be just around the corner.

What do you think, folks: rumor or real? Is the Force strong with this one? Or are you afraid this is Hayden Christensen 2.0? The com-links are open below.

Readers, as an adoptive parent, I tend to have a unique perspective on things. Anything can get worse, I know, because sometimes people are forced to endure them. Abuse has a real and lasting effect on children, and the effects are prevalent in their behavior long after, but to see someone triumph over such a situation is a gift. That's why I'd like to discuss a recent read of mine, The Sara Chronicles, a short book by author Laura Hughes.

The book description opens:

Imagine yourself in a place where not only your wildest, most imaginative dreams but also your worst nightmares are living, breathing reality. One second, you're a helpless, victimized child, and the next you can control ocean currents, produce rainstorms, and freeze lakes. Would you use your powers for good? Or would you give in to the part of yourself that wants revenge and control over those who caused you pain?

It's a question of stability: stability of mind, stability in life, and maybe even a question of stability with "enemies."

Sara, our heroine, is a young woman living with an abusive foster family. She tumbles down the steps of her home basement during an altercation, but when she lands, she's not quite within the reality she understands anymore. She lands upon the soft grass of a world not her own.

After walking on almost endlessly, she comes across a man and woman who are clear polar opposites to the adults she is used to. They set her on the path to find her way. Landing on the doorstep of a makeshift family, she begins to learn the ways of her new place and position. In this realm of limitless magic and potential, she makes friends with two orphaned boys who also have abilities in prestidigitation, and a powerful wizard who helps them to grow in their potential.

With her new family, Sara rises above her abusive situation and learns to take on bigger, badder enemies—enemies like The Garren. The Garren are soulless, dark fiends from a distant realm, intent on destroying all light and happiness. For those of you with an affinity for Kingdom Hearts, The Garren seriously seem to have been bred from the same thought tree.

I personally thought The Sara Chronicles was fun. It was a bit rushed and lacking in some parts, but I enjoyed the story and especially enjoyed the well-conceived enemies. Book one of The Sara Chronicles was a definite 3.5/5 Stars. Let me know what you think downstairs!

Indie Author/Comic Creator/Film Maker?

Hey, Hey, Hey Dacetacular Nation! Check out Episode 36 of The Dace Man Show with regulars Dace, Gibby, Frank Ward Travis Goss, Nikki Mills, and Michael Burhan!! All-star-packed show for you this week!!

Join The Dace Man and crew this week as they break down the following:

::SPORTS NEWS:

• Current NHL standings
• MLB Spring Training Games have kicked off and how do the Phils look?
• Sochi Update!

::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY:: 

• What could the Face of Radio possibly have in store for us this week?

::FRANK'S CORNER::

• Who you gonna call?

::CELEB NEWS::

• 2014 Internet Goddess Tournament Last week to vote for round 1.
• Seth Myers assumes the hosting duties of Late Night
• Seth Rogen takes to fight to Capitol Hill
• Harold Ramis passed away this week. R.I.P. to a comedic genius
• Sam Worthington socks a paparazzi.
• Robin Thicke splitting from his wife.
• Beloved young-adult book franchise Goosebumps set to hit the big screen with Jack Black attached.
• Ben & Jerry's has unveiled a new line of ice cream flavors

Plus the High Five: Top 5 Harold Ramis Movies, Roast of Gibby Part Deux, and The Douche Bag of The Week. All that and more, only on The Dace Man Show!

This one's for my "adult-aged" sci-fi readers. Recently I was given the opportunity to review the work of Nicola Cuti, author of the Moonie series. Actually, I admit, it was a bit by mistake, really. It would seem that dropping an all-encompassing blog call for any and all material in the sci-fi and fantasy genres, with no real stipulation as to style and content, is a boo-boo for reviewers. When you expect sci-fi and end up with skin-fi, however, hindsight is 20/20—because the Moonie series is just that: skin-fi.

Moonie vs the Spider Queen

The first book, Moonie vs. the Spider Queen, essentially follows a couple of spacecraft owners, one of whom is clever and witty and the other has just a mite more character and heart, and is the best in the series I've read yet. It begins with our captain nonchalantly spilling his guts about what he likes sexually, how he got his ship, and what he thinks of others. The man is all play, only cares about what he wants, and will do anything to earn a buck or gain a possession, even a living one.

Quite plainly, the man's narration through the beginning of the story is hilarious. It has a very "men in the warehouse break room" feel to it, which is probably what sells the book from the get-go. If you've ever read Catcher in the Rye then you know what I'm talking about when I say this book is the equivalent of Dirty Adult Sci-Fi Catcher in the Rye with a doubly-strong sexual overload.

Eventually, the space travelers stumble across something they couldn't possibly expect to find in the deep—a woman—and she isn't wearing a spacesuit of any kind. Such a preposterous insertion is exactly what a story needs to give it a very 1950s sci-fi feel, and that's exactly what Nicola Cuti did. The young Moonie, a disproportionally large-breasted woman, was biologically crafted from protoplasm and therefore lives on radiation/energy of any kind alone. That's why she needs to have as much skin showing as possible at all times, and it's also the reason she doesn't need air to breathe or food to eat.

The three find themselves on another planet where arachnids roam. There's also one giant woman, the leader of an immense people who are enemies of the spiders. It's hard to say which will be the more ferocious, but escaping with their lives, at best, will be near impossible.

Before getting into this read too much, I'd like to make mention of the slight rule change I've added to my book review page:

I will be accepting submissions that have sexual innuendos, sexual content, or language; however, because of a recent submission, I'm making known now that if the content of your book is namely for sexplay purposes, sex fantasy, or sexual sci-fi, or if the entire dialogue tends to have strong sexual weight and then leads into multiple sexual scenarios or scenes, I won't review it. If an author chooses to send me his (<--'Cuz let's face it, these ridiculous genres are owned namely by the bulkier sex), it will not get reviewed. Recap: Sex? Maybe. Porn? No thanks.

Having said that, I'm going to continue by saying I really did enjoy book 1 in the series. Personally, I thought the story would have been better if it didn't jump from perspective to perspective. I didn't feel like the personalities were identifiable enough between them, especially for shifting from point of view to point of view. However, a first impression is hard to forget, especially when it's as strong as the one I got from this read in the first 30–40 pages. If only it had lacked the strong sexual content, it would probably make a pretty decent book.

Moonie in the Slave Market of Opuul

The second book in the series, Moonie in the Slave Market of Opuul, begins with the scantily clad young lady meeting a young shape-shifting woman who is able to shift from seal in water to human on land. Needless to say, it's a very "seductive" meeting. The two become friends.

Down the road, Moonie and the shape-shifter run into a redheaded pirate, and then they run into another young woman with octopus tentacle-like arms. There are four girls, all with weird talents that the author apparently thought might make for a "sexy story." The four are captured and forced into slavery, but they break out and join a galactic policing force to end the exploitation and evil that occurred to them as slaves.

By the time I read this far into the book, I was a bit fed up. I really didn't enjoy this book. I didn't enjoy the beginning, I didn't enjoy the middle, and I hated the end. It seemed to be made of air, really. I always try to give my authors the benefit of the doubt, but this one was a major upset, save for an interesting biological research lab and some of the concoctions the scientists inside were responsible for. My feeling is that it was purely written to satisfy the porn readers. Enough said.

Too Many Moons

Before starting Too Many Moons, I had some trepidation. Book 2 was a nightmare in my opinion, but three opens, once again, with a character I could really appreciate. He's an older ship's captain who doesn't care much for anything or anyone, and he's not afraid to say so or do something about it. In fact, he opens up the story by explaining the pickle he's in: Another man is trying to skip town without paying him for his fuel. The captain is forced to take him out, which may or may not mean his arrest and maybe even his execution.

At some point, the captain also makes the acquaintance of a very personable robot—one by the name of Moonie, a sexual cyborg fashioned after Moonie. She's not like other robots; she's almost human, or star babe...whichever.


There is also a young, oddly colored, spotted princess (the employer of the dead man) who uses the situation as an opportunity to get something out of the captain. He needs witnesses saying he's not guilty of murder, and she needs a captain to pilot her ship now that her hotheaded pilot is dead. Half against his will, our hero travels with the princess across the universe to try and recover her planet's stolen national heirlooms.

When this was the story I was reading, I didn't super love it, but I didn't hate it. About 70 or so pages in, however, the book entirely flips the script. The captain goes in search of the real Moonie. Somehow, another mission, apparently more important and worth much more money pops up, and the captain, plus his crew, embark on yet another journey.

I decided to put the series away for awhile after this book. I knew it namely existed to appeal to the penis, while incorporating a fun sci-fi/fantasy story, but it's seemingly just not my cup. Also, I was pretty sure I knew just about every word there was for the vagina, but it would appear that Nicola Cuti knows more. Even so, he tends to use the same words over and over to describe it. I think that's probably a complication derived from overuse of the sexual situation. So far, save for the first book, the sex has been hard to overlook because the stories were so terrible.

I took the liberty of editing all three books and replacing most of the nouns with much less dirty words. I even took the liberty of editing the nude comic pictures inside, which I will post in "Nicola Cuti's Moonie Part 2." Let me know what you think downstairs

Special Edition: NYC Convention Logo

ReedPOP, the producers of New York Comic Con and C2E2, officially announced their plans on bringing another comic convention to New York City this summer.

The two-day "Special Edition: NYC" convention is scheduled for the Javits Center on June 14 and 15, and will be a pure celebration of comic books, taking the inaugural convention back to the roots of comic cons.

In a response to criticism over major comic book conventions straying away from comic books, ReedPOP's global vice president Lance Fensterman said on the event's website that the pure comic-focused show will meet consumer demand for more comic book experiences.

"New York Comic Con has grown to include so much more than comic books — it is the ultimate pop culture event," the ReedPOP VP said. "Special Edition: NYC will give comic book fans an intimate destination to meet with publishers and special guests. It's creation is meeting consumer demand for more comic book experiences and build upon our mission to provide fans of all kinds the very best in experiential events."

"This new comic book festival will provide fans the opportunity to connect with artists, socialize with fellow collectors in a unique setting and search for those always hard to find back issues," the press release said. "The event is a pure celebration of comic book culture created specifically for die-hard comic book fans, creators and publishers."

A list of special guests scheduled to appear at the convention has already been announced, including Tony S. Daniel (Action Comics), Brian Wood (DMZ), Alex Maleev (Daredevil), Dustin Nguyen (Batman: Li'l Gotham), Kyle Higgins (Nightwing), Frank Cho (Savage Wolverine), Greg Pak (Action Comics), James Tynion IV(Batman Eternal), Jenny Frison (Revival), Joe Eisma (Morning Glories), Joe Harris (The X-Files: Season 10), Marguerite Bennett (Batman Annual No. 2), Michael Moreci (Hoax Hunters), Mike Norton (Revival), Nick Bradshaw (Wolverine and the X-Men), Rafael Albuquerque (American Vampire), Ramon K. Perez (Wolverine and the X-Men), Ryan Stegman (Wolverine), Ryan Browne (God Hates Astronauts), and Tim Seeley (Revival).

Last year's New York Comic Con reportedly attracted more than 130,000 attendees over the weekend-long convention, bringing in an estimated $70 million impact on New York City according to the press release, and making it roughly the same size as Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA.

Tickets are on sale now and are selling out fast for $30 single-day on Saturday and Sunday, and only $5 for kids. The $100 VIP package, which sold out within hours of going on sale, will get you in early all weekend, an official special edition poster signed by the artist, and a special edition variant comic book.

Are you excited and looking forward to another convention? Let us know in the comments section below.