Fanboys Anonymous

What is a MacGuffin? For anyone who hasn't heard this term before, "MacGuffin" was first used by the famous film director Alfred Hitchcock to refer to "an object that drives the plot of a story forward—even if it's intrinsically meaningless." Most importantly, a MacGuffin is usually the person, place, object, or thing pursued by the main character. Counting down from 20, this is Part 1 of the list of objects I think are well-known MacGuffins from the geek world of the most popular science-fiction and fantasy movies.

20) The Crystal Shard from The Dark Crystal (1982)

As the lost piece from a magical crystal, the crystal shard, when discovered, was important because it would bring peace to the alien world of the protagonist, the elf-like "Gelfling" Jen. Jen went on a quest to find the lost shard of crystal, and The Dark Crystal depicts the adventures he encountered on his journey.


19) Unobtanium from Avatar (2009)

First referred to as Unobtainium, this element was the main object that brought about the plot in James Cameron's movie Avatar. Found on the moon Pandora, humans mine Unobtanium for their survival in the 22nd-century world of the movie.


18) Multipass from The Fifth Element (1997)

Somewhat of an identification card, the pass card with Multi Pass written on it was used in Luc Besson's science fiction movie The Fifth Element as a way to pass through different planets. Without it, neither Leeloo Dallas (Milla Jovovich) nor Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis) would have been able to save 23rd-century Earth from the evil Lord Zorg. This was not really pursued by the characters, but it is of value throughout the movie.


17) Kryptonite from the Superman series (1978, 2006, 2013)

You may ask why would kryptonite be considered a MacGuffin? But, dear Fanboys and Fangirls, if you think about it, all the adventures of Superman are based upon him fighting his archenemies and kryptonite. Without kryptonite, neither Lex Luthor nor Metallo would be able to use it against him, and Superman would not need to save the day because they wouldn't be able to get past him in the first place!


16) The Matrix from The Matrix Trilogy (1999–2003)

After Neo (Keanu Reeves), the main character, finds out the truth about reality and discovers that everything is created by the Matrix, his destiny changes. He becomes "The One" who fights the programmed robots brought about by the Matrix, the Smiths, and throughout the trilogy his goal is to destroy the Matrix. Without the Matrix, Neo would have spent his days living life "normally" as a white-collar worker with a 9–5 job, and the battle for freedom from the Matrix would never have happened!


15) The Stargate from the Stargate series (1994)

This "interstellar transportation device" helped the characters of the Stargate SG-1 television series and the Stargate movie go through the event horizon and travel to other planets. The device, known as the stargate, allows Dr. Jackson and his crew to explore different worlds and embark on various adventures. It is by far the most important object pursued by the characters.


14) Red Matter from Star Trek (2009)

Originally a television series that began in 1968, 2009's Star Trek was the eleventh film of the franchise, directed this time by J.J. Abrams. In it we see how a young Spock and Kirk become part of Starfleet and the Enterprise in the year 2255 after a time-warping event causes Romulus to be destroyed and their personal histories to be rewritten from the original setup. When the crew of the Enterprise goes after a Vulcan distress signal, they come face-to-face with the Vulcan ship Narada and its enemy captain, Nero. It is during this time that Nero drills red matter into the core of Vulcan, creating a black hole that destroys the planet entirely. Developed by the Vulcan Science Academy, red matter was valuable to both Vulcan and Romulus, and both were after it. Unfortunately, it caused the destruction of both planets.


13) The Cure from World War Z (2013)

If you haven't watched this movie, then you shouldn't read on, because there will be spoilers! In this apocalyptic world of zombies, the main character, Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), an employee of the United Nations, ends up becoming a hero and going after zombies. While the World Health Organization and the rest of the world search for a cure, Lane tries to find one throughout the movie. In the end, we learn the cure is actually any type of virus! Apparently, the zombies do not prefer unhealthy humans.


12) The AllSpark Key in Transformers (2007)

The AllSpark is the essence of the Transformers and is apparently the origin of Primus, the leader of the Transformer group the Autobots. The cube acts as its host and when opened it will find another. When utilized, the Allspark creates new Transformers; thus the evil group of Transformers, the Decepticons, are always after it. This was the main plot of the 2007 film Transformers in which the Decepticons go after the protagonist, Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBouf), because he possessed the AllSpark. The AllSpark is highly powerful and remains the MacGuffin of the Transformers series.


11) The Aether from Thor: The Dark World (2013)

In the second movie of the Thor series, the plot begins when the Dark Elf Malekith is reawakened by the existence of the matter, Aether. By itself, the Aether is not dangerous, but when it finds a host it can destroy the universe and change the course of everything! When Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) becomes possessed by this matter filled with darkness, Thor must not only try to bring together the Nine Realms but also save the woman he loves. Malekith comes after the Aether as well so that he can use its power to cause chaos and conquer the universe, thus making the plot even more complex.


Stay tuned for the Top 10 MacGuffins! If you have any suggestions or comments about these MacGuffins or would like to add any videos or MacGuffins of your own, don't forget to post below!

All right, here's something all y'all should know: first, I'm not Southern/Texan, so don't let my use of y'all confound y'all. (Y'all git that?) Second, the life of a Venom fan is a sad one, indeed. We're accustomed to wandering aimlessly in a hungered trance through the wastelands of obscurity as our idol suffers in a limbo of nonexistence between appearances in comics and television. Then, at the first drop of the precious life blood that is the smallest scrap of news into the stale water of our collective tears, we gobble it up voraciously, processing and ridiculing every minute detail as our All-Father, Todd McFarlane, had taught us to do those 25 years ago when he and David Michelinie brought Venom into this world. There is only one of two reactions to be had from a Venomaniac upon the deliverance of the news: the blind ecstasy of joy and anticipation, or the infernal flurry of disappointment and spite. More often than is justifiable, we experience the latter of emotions; but we know this is the price for our love, and we accept it for those scarce moments of reaffirmation.

Turns out this cover to Agent Venom's series is quite appropriate to the topic at hand.

Back in mid-December, I ran an article in which I experienced a mixture of reactions when Sony hid an official press release about the development of a Venom spinoff film as an Easter egg in their Amazing Spider-Man 2 viral website. Ever since that fateful day, the Venomaniac community has been debating and sweating bullets over who would bond with the living suit in the film.

One party—the party of comic book geeks and long-time Venom fans, including myself—is crossing its fingers, hoping that Eddie Brock, the first Venom host, would reprise his role and take his rightful place.

The other party—the party of recent Venom converts—are rooting and making a lot of noise for Eugene "Flash" Thompson to make his heroic debut as the gun-toting Agent Venom, the current host of the symbiote in the comics.

The producers and writers haven't given us too much to bite at in terms of their decision on who will be Venom. Yet in SFX's recent interview with the producers of the Amazing Spider-Man franchise, Avi Arad—a veteran Spider-Man movie producer who's been attached to both the current and the original Spider-Man film franchise (originally headed by director Sam Raimi)—teases the Brock party while at the same
time continuing to metaphorically rock the boat with uncertainty:

Venom hated only one guy—Spider-Man. He wasn't innately bad, he was a shortcut guy, not really into fighting hard for achievement. That's the Venom story. Can he also be a good guy? As you know, Venom was also called "lethal defender of the innocent." We had a great history with him, especially caring for the homeless, which is a very sensitive issue and something that many of us are very concerned with. Our villains all represent a different side of the misunderstood, and some of them unfortunately turned to the dark side. Venom happened to be a phenomenal character. With Eddie Brock, or if you do Flash Thompson, it doesn't matter who is going to be inside the suit—what's important is that a man like him is going to realize there comes a time when you wake up in the morning and say "How did I get here? There must be a better way."

Don't see my point? Here, let me break this quote down. From "Venom hated only one guy" to "Venom happened to be a phenomenal character," things were looking good for the Brock camp. Everything in between those clauses was purely Eddie Brock reference, and not just that: it was all referencing his early career from Dark Origin (not a valid example, but that limited comic book series is just as important) to his days in San Francisco during his multiple solo series from the '90s. This is exactly what we in the Brock camp have been dreaming of: a Venom film that took the character back to his Golden Age with a production crew that respected the source material while improving upon it from years of experience.

I'll forgive Arad for screwin' up that whole "lethal defender of the innocent" plug for its inaccuracy, being that he meant to say Venom was also called a "lethal protector of the innocent," as was the subtitle of his first solo series, Venom: Lethal Protector. All confetti and fireworks, right?

Then comes the part that, even to this moment in writing about it, absolutely boils my blood and brings back that inescapable, utter dread: "With Eddie Brock, or if you do Flash Thompson, it doesn't matter who is going to be inside the suit." IT. DOESN'T. MATTER? You're saying that the hosts of Venom are interchangeable, Arad? Let me list for you guys and gals a few of the only characters that are truly interchangeable: Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Thing One and Thing Two. Those creepy twins from The Shining. They are interchangeable. The various hosts of the Venom symbiote are in no way interchangeable.

It's hard not to see double when looking at these two.

Okay, sure, maybe they all do share a common theme under the Venom banner, but to say "it doesn't matter who is going to be inside the suit" is an unnecessarily liberal interpretation of Venom in general. Let's take a look at the possible host candidates for the film and see how interchangeable they really are. In the mainstream Marvel comic book continuity, there have been four characters who've carried on the Venom legacy: Brock, Angelo Fortunato (who lasted two issues before he was killed), Mac Gargan (better known as another of Spider-Man's classic foes, the Scorpion), and Thompson. We can leave out Harry Osborn, Peter Parker's best friend and son of his greatest foe, the Green Goblin, who was the first (and, so far, only) Venom host in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon. There was a period a while back when Venomaniacs feared he would bond with the suit in the film, but thankfully it's been officially confirmed that Osborn (Dane DeHaan) will become the Green Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man 2.

We can safely assume that Fortunato wasn't even considered due to the fact that even those few who know him as a Venom host don't really care for him. Additionally, Gargan can be taken off of the candidate list because there's no way Sony would sacrifice his potential as the Scorpion for a future film. (Besides, Gargan didn't fare too well with fan opinion during his career as Venom.) I'll still include Gargan in my argument against these characters' interchangeability, though. That leaves us once more with Brock and Thompson as the top contenders.

Let's start with age before beauty, shall we? (Wow, I didn't realize how accurate that expression would be in this case.) Brock is basically everything Arad summarized Venom as, plus some. Unlike every other host listed above (save Fortunato), Brock was created to become Venom. Heck, by all intents and purposes, Brock is Venom; the name "Venom" was derived from the drivel and venomous exposés Brock was forced to write for trashy magazines and newspapers when his career as a journalist for the Daily Globe tanked after the Sin Eater debacle. He is the very definition of an ironic character: he represents everything Spider-Man could have become had he not taken to heart his Uncle Ben's final lesson (y'know, "With great power…" yadda yadda). Venom was originally a twisted version of Spider-Man who mocked even his appearance and powers. Brock's theme is a combination of both Arad's interpretation and the consequences a person encounters when given great power without accepting the great responsibility that's entailed.

Gargan was a wholly different type of Venom from Brock. He was a thug and a monster with an interest only in himself. At least Brock cared about protecting the innocents; Gargan had to be ordered to do that. Norman Osborn used Venom as a boogeymen and leashed dog for his Thunderbolts and Dark Avengers initiative, and Gargan's Venom earned himself a bad reputation as a hulking, voracious cannibal. Where Brock refused to accept responsibility for his issues and crimes, Gargan outright flipped responsibility the bird and went on a murderous tirade when Osborn wasn't looking.

Thompson is, perhaps, the only true heroic Venom of the bunch, but even he came with some baggage. Like Gargan, Thompson wasn't originally created to become Venom; Thompson was one of the few original supporting characters in Spider-Man's history.

First he was Parker's high school bully and the world's biggest Spider-Man fan, then he became one of Parker's best friends and a veteran hero of the U.S. Army. Thompson has had more time than any other Venom host to evolve as a character, and it really shows when you look at his long history. He volunteered with Project Rebirth 2.0 and became Agent Venom to serve his country once more after he received a crippling disability from his service in the military. He then struggled through alcoholism and father issues throughout his career while keeping the corruptible influence of the symbiote at bay. He's been to hell twice and back (literally) and has earned himself a place as one of two most popular Venom hosts. (See another of my articles in which I give a retrospective of his Venom comic book series.)

I think you can see what I mean when I say that none of these characters is at all as interchangeable as Arad suggests. Yes, the theme he attaches to Venom as a character is mostly accurate in Brock and Thompson's cases only. It does matter who is in the suit, however, and it is ignorance like Arad's that makes me and my fellow Venomaniacs worry about the film we've all been waiting for. If Sony's going to hire someone to oversee a property like Venom who has a very intricate history, they had better hire someone who actually knows that history very well and has more than a passing interest in the property.

Have you been scorned by a film studio's handling of your favorite property? Who are you looking forward to as Venom in his solo film? I want to hear about it, Fanboys and Fangirls. Let us grumble and geek out in the comments section below. I assure you, this is not the last you'll hear from me on the Venom movie subject—not by a long shot! I implore you to leave comments. I want to hear from you all!

Fresh from Hong Kong's C3 Festival, here is Fewture Model's UM-03 Ultimetal Megatron. This is a prototype only but is enough to get my wallet's eyebrows up!

Not a lot to go on aside from the image (from TAG Hobby) and some good guessing based on the 2014-release Optimus Prime figure (see images below). For example, it will likely feature plenty of diecast parts, metallic paint, removable panels, and some lights. The Optimus figure has a moving mouthpiece, so there will likely be some sort of matching electronic feature. Perhaps his cannon lights up? Prime also includes the Autobot Matrix of Leadership (yeah, I capitalized it all, did I stutter?) as well as his hard light axe gauntlet. Surely Megatron will counter with his hard light mace attachment and possibly a mini version of himself as a gun?

Here is a look at the full model on display:


The price tag will most likely be in line with Optimus, which drains your Paypal account for $800US. The Autobot leader is set to ship in 2014, no release date yet for Megatron.

Here is a quick glimpse at some of Optimus Prime's features, many, many more of which can be seen here at tomopop.com.

Are these figures too much? I seriously want them and I find myself inspired to make some money for them. Is that a stupid goal for a grown man? Comment below!

We were asked to remove some images last month of Michael Bay's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles designs, but we have some new options from AC Toys, the action figure tie-ins.

We'll soon see these puppies, er, turtles in action when the first trailer appears before Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier on April 4 (yes, there is a new Captain America movie coming out, they haven't really marketed it much, keep your eyes open for promotional material to start any day now).

These designs show what we caught a glimpse of last month: four very unique individuals instead of simply four different colored headbands from the '80s cartoon.

Have a look and praise or skewer in the comments below!

Ninja Turtles will be directed by Jonathan Liebesman (Wrath of the Titans) and produced by Michael Bay (The Rock). The script was written by Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec, based on characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. The cast includes Megan Fox as April O'Neil, Alan Ritchson as Raphael, Noel Fisher as Michelangelo, Danny Woodburn as Splinter, Jeremy Howard as Donatello, Pete Ploszek as Leonardo, Will Arnett as Vernon and William Fichtner as Shredder. It lands in theaters August 8, 2014.

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.

Over the past several weeks we have witnessed the battle of the Internet's most talented and beautiful women. We have now entered into the Fabulous Four, and the last two warriors from the right side of our bracket now face off. On one side we have the musician from psycho soprano, Colleen Ballinger. On the other side, we have the 4Chan's favorite girl, Foxxy Boxxy Catie Wayne. You, the Fanboys, have voted these two through some pretty tough competition. Colleen has wins over the likes of Sarah Gregory, Jenna Marbles, and most recently over Melonie Mac. Catie Wayne and her army have dominated Chet Seigel, Lindsey Stirling, and early favorite Taylor Davis. The two now go head to head in the last stop before the Internet Goddess Finals. Check out their Internet legacies and decide who advances from the Fabulous Four!

Colleen Ballinger (YouTube Personality, Singer)

Created solely in jest with the rest of the world of YouTube, Miranda Sings was given birth by the beautiful Colleen Ballinger. Pumping out videos every Tuesday and Friday since 2008, Colleen still goes hard when it comes to the YouTube world. She was even able to take the act on the road; Miranda Sings has performed her act at sold-out cabaret spaces and theaters in major U.S. cities as well as London, Dublin, and many major cities across the globe. Cashing in on the satire of the everyday, singer Colleen still goes strong. Colleen has sung her way right into the 2014 Internet Goddess Tournament.

Colleen's Record
Round 1: 57% of the votes beating Sarah Gregory 
Heavenly Sixteen: 58% of the votes beating Jenna Marbles
Elegant Eight: 62% of the votes beating Melonie Mac


Catie Wayne (YouTube Personality, Vlogger)

In late 2008 Catie Wayne burst onto the Internet scene with an energetic vlog under the character of Boxxy. With high energy and talking about everyday life, Boxxy took the Internet by storm, including the infamous site 4chan. Hers was a character that was so unique it hooked the attention of the Internet audience. Boxxy was one of the original Internet phenomenons and generated a lot of attention both positive and negative. Without a doubt she has secured a spot on the 2014 Internet Goddess Tournament.

Caties's Record

Round 1: 97% of the votes beating Chet Seigel
Heavenly Sixteen: 83% of the votes beating Lindsey Stirling
Elegant Eight: 65% of the votes beating Taylor Davis


So who advances to the Finals and wins their division? Colleen Ballinger? Catie Wayne? You decide!

survey software

Check back for the Finals starting March 22 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.

Over the past several weeks we have witnessed the battle of the Internet's most talented and beautiful women. We have now entered into the Fabulous Four, and the last two warriors from the left side of our bracket now face off. On one side we have the musician from down under, Lara de Wit. On the other side we have the Vlogging Queen, Justine Ezarik. You, the Fanboys, have voted these two through some pretty tough competition. Lara has held commanding wins over the likes of Jenny Lorenzo, Laina Morris, and Jessi Smiles. Justine, on the other hand, has been through some stiff competition, with close wins over Amy Walker, Cosplay Queen Jessica Nigri, and—with just 51% of the vote—Natalie Tran. The two now go head to head in the last stop before the Internet Goddess Finals. Check out their Internet legacies and decide who advances from the Fabulous Four!


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!

Lara's Record

Round 1: 54% of the votes beating Jenny Lorenzo
Heavenly Sixteen: 87% of the votes beating Laina Morris
Elegant Eight: 95% of the votes beating Jessi Smiles


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!

Justine's Record

Round 1: 62% of the votes beating Amy Walker
Heavenly Sixteen: 57% of the votes beating Jessica Nigri
Elegant Eight: 54% of the votes beating Natalie Tran

customer surveys

Check back for the Finals starting March 22 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 Fantastic Four reboot is ready to start filming ... or is it? The rumors around the production have them moving forward while scrapping the director, script, and cast! Which is which?

Just recently, the cast was revealed: Miles Teller as Mr. Fantastic, Kate Mara as the Invisible Woman, Michael B. Jordan as the Human Torch and Jamie Bell as the Thing. It's said that casting for the script's villain, Dr. Doom, will be finalized very soon. Director Josh Trank is ready to shoot in April with the script he developed with Simon Kinberg.

This week, Bleeding Cool reports that an extremely confident source has the production starting pretty much from scratch. However, CinemaBlend contradicts this claim. Though Bleeding Cool has posted an update to the story, the update holds strongly to the rumors and the site's confidence in its source. Throw in ScreenCrush uncertainly calling the rumor debunked, and you've got a recipe for Doom, indeed. Could this be the end of Marvel's First Family before the ink dries?

This image in reference to nothing. She's just hot.

As a fanboy, I know these sites have a fairly respectable history, so I'm extremely confused as to which reality to choose. Perhaps next week there will be a press release, or the actors or director will speak out. Either way, this is a frustrating way to start on a film that many people were excited for. The bad taste left from the first two films needs to be washed away. They had their merits but ultimately fell flat. Fox is planning on creating a universe around these characters, much like Sony is attempting with The Amazing Spider-Man (and his Amazing friends ... and enemies). From a world where there were too few superhero movies, are we about to go into overkill?

What do your brain voices tell you on this one? Should production companies focus on making one good movie and not worry about the universe it takes place in yet?

Hey hey hey, Dacetacular Nation! It is the Dacetacular One, Chris Dace, coming to you with a music review.

Now in this day and age, it's rare for the public to go out en masse and buy any artist's physical album. So when you purchase an album, you can bet your bottom dollar that you're buying the album to hear it in its entirety, not just for a hit single. With YouTube and programs like iTunes, Pandora, and Spotify, we get ultimate exposure to a vast variety of music.

One of those glimmering stars in the vast universe of music is Illinois' own Taylor Davis. I have had the pleasure of listening to her latest album, Melodies of Hyrule: Music from The Legend of Zelda, from start to finish. Being a huge fan of the Legend of Zelda franchise, I was already hooked. Throw in the violin work of Taylor Davis, and please shut up and take my money!

Those of you loyal Daceitionians out there may remember the review I did a year ago of Davis' collaboration with Lara De Wit: Game On: 2 Player Mode. I was absolutely enamored by the combined talents of Lara and Taylor, and being a huge Lara fan, I immediately subscribed to Taylor's channel. Through that channel, and through updates from both Twitter and Facebook, I stumbled upon the video of her rendition of "Song of Time and Song of Storms" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I found myself streaming the video as I'd drive to work in Montreal, because French talk radio can lead a man to homicide. After clicking more videos on YouTube—because that is what our generation does—I found myself on her website purchasing the full album.

Joining the ranks of "Weird Al" Yankovic, Lady Gaga, and the Foo Fighters, Taylor Davis' work has been added to the list of CDs I must have with me if I'm hitting the road for work. Below is the complete track listing from her latest album. Also, yours truly has ordered Legendary Movie Music by Taylor Davis. I eagerly look forward to reviewing that album!

1. Gerudo Valley (From "Ocarina of Time")
2. Bolero of Fire (From "Ocarina of Time")
3. Song of Time and Song of Storms (From "Ocarina of Time")
4. Dragon Roost Island (From "The Wind Waker")
5. Kokiri Forest (From "Ocarina of Time")
6. Great Fairy Fountain
7. Zelda's Lullaby
8. Midna's Lament (From "Twilight Princess")
9. Nocturne of Shadow (From "Ocarina of Time")
10. Serenade of Water (From "Ocarina of Time")
11. Sheik's Theme (From "Ocarina of Time")
12. Lon Lon Ranch (From "Ocarina of Time")
13. Dark World Theme (From "A Link to the Past")
14. Ballad of the Goddess (From "Skyward Sword")
15. Tal Tal Heights and The Legend of Zelda Main Theme
16. Lost Woods (From "Ocarina of Time")

For more about Taylor Davis and how to see her live, and to purchase these awesome albums, check out her website here! Also, you can follow her on Twitter at @ViolinTay, or like her Official Facebook Page.

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 then, for the few, the proud, and of course the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and, in this case, Get on Up!—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!

In a world…without Hal Douglas, our movie experiences will never be the same. The iconic voiceover artist passed away at 89 years of age last week from pancreatic cancer.

You may never have known his name, but you'll definitely know his voice......


Hal was the voice behind nearly every movie trailer you've ever impersonated. His dramatic baritone helped set the standard for movie trailers and inspired a generation of voice artists to enter the field. It will be interesting to see where trailers go from here, will they attempt to impersonate him or set a new path?

The humble performer appreciated his workload but never considered himself gifted. He told The New York Times in 2009, "I'm not outstanding in any way. It's a craft that you learn, like making a good pair of shoes. And I just consider myself a good shoemaker."

He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Ruth Francis Douglas; their daughter, Sarah Douglas; and two sons from a previous marriage.

Obviously, his passing is sad, and we're all proud of his legacy. However, I'm definitely curious about my above query: where do trailer voiceovers go from here? Do they emulate his example or do we forge a new path of variety? Thoughts?

Hey, Hey, Hey Dacetacular Nation!! The Dace Man is back, and he has your first look at the James Brown bio pic entitled Get On Up. He brought the funk and revolutionized music as we know it, breaking rules and doing his own thang. James Brown was one of the founding fathers of funk. The Godfather of Soul brought many hits throughout his career up until his dying days and was recognized by several institutions, most notably the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriter's Hall of Fame. He died on Christmas Day, 2006, in Atlanta.

The bio film is set to hit theaters August 1, 2014, and stars Chadwick Boseman, David Andrew Nash, Nelsan Ellis.


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 then, for the few, the proud, and of course the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and, in this case, Get on Up!—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!

Hey, Hey, Hey Dacetacular Nation! Check out Episode 38 of The Dace Man Show with hosts Dace, Gibby, and Frank Ward and regulars 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 standings 
• 2014 NFL Free Agency

::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY:: 

• Huffington Post quip

::FRANK'S CORNER::

• Ubber your life up.

::CELEB NEWS::

• 2014 Internet Goddess Tournament Elegant Eight
• Pot Luck this week…gotta listen to hear what we talked about.
• This week in 1959 Barbie debuted
• Who has Lindsay Lohan had sex with?

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



Listen live to The Dace Man Show every Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on Mega Powers Radio.

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On March 18th, ABC premieres a new documentary on the formation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although we've all watched the rise of this empire closely on our own time, we'll get some cool insight from the creators themselves.

Starting with The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man, the franchise hit the ground running by focusing on both the heroes in costume and the inner character that made them tick. Big name actors and strong supporting casts mixed with incredible scripts full of amazing action to build a franchise that shows no signs of slowing down. Have a look at the preview here:


"Marvel's first television special documents the exciting story behind Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from all of the Marvel films, the Marvel One-Shots and "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Viewers will walk a clear path through this amazing and nuanced universe, featuring sneak peeks at the future of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." on ABC, new footage from Marvel Studios' upcoming theatrical releases, "Captain America: The Winter Solider" and "Guardians of The Galaxy," and a sneak peek at the upcoming Marvel's "The Avengers: Age of Ultron."

If nothing else, new footage of Guardians of the Galaxy has me extremely excited for this documentary. What are your thoughts? Do you expect to hear anything shocking, or decisions you won't believe had to be made?

HBO curated a Game of Thrones exhibition at South by Southwest 2014's interactive festival. The showcase displayed original costumes and set pieces from the popular HBO series complete with the Iron Throne. However, by far the most appealing exhibit was the opportunity to enter Westeros via an Oculus Rift and walk along the Wall of Castle Black.

Exhibition lines were packed with hipsters (whom I confused for people cosplaying the Unsullied)

The gallery of costumes and weapons added to the experience of immersion. Seeing the personalized weapons and clothes for each character added an element of high fantasy oft overshadowed by the show's immensely thick plot (and neglected by mainstream audiences). I gawked at the length of Eddard Stark's greatsword, Ice, along with the other weapons. It was fun for this Dungeons and Dragons fan to imagine what attribute bonus each article or weapon gave its user.

Ice curses its user with a -1 penalty to survive the first season

Costume pieces simulated the effect of standing face to face with each character, and nearly every major character's outfit was on display. The crowd of college girls around Jon Snow's leather armor certainly gave testament to that. Each piece really helped me appreciate the personalized intricacy overlooked on the show. Stannis Baratheon's armor looked as unbecomingly functional as his hairline, and Joffrey Baratheon's armor equated to the fantasy-world version of a black Misfits t-shirt and JNCO jeans.

I still can't tell if my mind was playing tricks on me or if Stannis Baratheon's outfit really did smell like Old Spice

In terms of immersion, no costume or prop succeeded so much as the virtual reality simulation of walking along the Wall at Castle Black. Ninety-minute lines became completely justified once I strapped on the Oculus Rift and entered north Westeros. Starting off in a lift to ascend the Wall, I gazed upon the grounds of Castle Black. I might have seen Jeor Mormont or Samwell Tarley walking around (the latter of whose lunch money I would've attempted to steal). Ascending up the lift felt as real as any hotel elevator. I exited and walked about the allure where a chilling wind whistled through the walls. Once at the edge, I enjoyed a breathtaking panoramic view beyond the wall that was so real that I had to remind myself where I truly was. Gazing off into the distance looked as detailed as the ending cinematic of S3E6. I was actually in Westeros! Words cannot express how enjoyable and breathtaking the whole experience was. 10/10, would relive.


Did you get a chance to see the Game of Thrones exhibit? If so, what did you think? What would you like to have seen in such a exhibit? Would you have chosen a different locale to view through the Oculus Rift? Let us know in the comments section!

Want to know what happened the past few days in nerd culture? WEEK IN GEEK is your quick fix to catch up with the rest of the Fanboys and Fangirls out there.

MOVIES

Sony planning a Zorro reboot.

My take: I actually like westerns and old-school hero stories like Zorro. I liked the Antonio Banderas versions as well. They're completely dated now, so I'm all for a reboot.

Marvel heroes promotional teasers, clips, posters and more.

My take: I think I had to touch on this last week as well, but between Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 alone, I think I've seen enough footage to splice together an entire movie. True, many of the "new" clips contain footage we've already seen but do I need to keep seeing videos posted every other day? Look how excited people are for Guardians of the Galaxy having only seen one trailer!

Post-credit scenes spoilers!

My take: Okay, when there were commercials FOR commercials before the Super Bowl last month, I was okay with it. Now, we're seeing so much footage from upcoming movies it's getting a little overloaded. We're starting to get the post-credit sequences spoiled for us! I couldn't resist and now, if true, I know what the post-credit scenes are for both the Cap and Spidey sequels. Damn you, Internet.

Dr. Doom casting shortlisted.

My take: I don't care if Johnny Storm is black. I don't care if The Thing is brick red or orange or whatever. I could care less if Mr. Fantastic has silver accents in his hair…but the rumors a couple weeks ago about Doc Doom potentially being female had me flipping my lid. I hate to sound petty (and clearly I'm about to), but when Ultimate Dr. Doom first appeared with goat legs….I literally dropped the Ultimate Universe that week. I wish I were joking, but I'm not. My opinion was that if you need to do something that stupid to be "different," that's just annoying and I'm done. So, yeah, okay, fine. I'm petty.

VIDEO GAMES

Titanfall.

My take: I have not played it yet but have watched footage and reviews that have me drooling. Have you played it yet? What console? Is it amazing or just awesomely amazing?

TELEVISION

The Flash costume revealed.

My take: I went into detail in this article here but as Fanboy TV news goes, this was pretty big. Last week we got a tease of the cowl only, then we got a body shot, then we got photos from the set in broad daylight.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Final Season.

My take: Okay, so I've never seen The Clone Wars animated series. I saw one episode where four of the Stormtroopers were trapped in some facility with no backup and that's it. When the final season came up on Netflix I decided, "You know what? I'm going to watch this series start to finish". So, I started episode one, the pilot. The first introduction to the series. Holy crap I didn't last 12 minutes. Yoda gets chased (and I use the term "chased" very loosely) through a jungle, and his prize for surviving the night is an agreement with the Toydarians to not join the Empire? Between the horrible dialogue of those idiot droid foot soldiers and the Stormtroopers not understanding Yoda (when he made perfect sense to me) was extremely frustrating. If you know of a really good episode to start on, I'm all ears!

The Big Bang Theory renewed 3 more seasons.

My take: As sitcoms go, this is the only one I watch aside from Modern Family. I'm happy to see it renewed for an uncommon multi-season deal. Although the episodes have become hit-and-miss the past few years, the show has become "comfort food" to many and makes for great water cooler discussions. I know some people who loathe the show and its predictable pace, and I admit I do understand where they're coming from, but I say best of luck to the show that can only die when Leonard and Penny get married.

COMIC BOOKS

It's copyright lawsuit week! Let's start with He-Man!

My take: Writer Donald Glut tried to claim creator rights to the Masters of the Universe for work he was hired to write for the mini comics for Mattel back in 1981. The books were work-for-hire, and his claims were found to be false. This guy had nothing to stand on aside from hoping somebody somewhere would slip up. If you are work for hire, it sucks, sure. There are plenty of characters out there being used over and over that were created by writers who get no pay for their use. They're lucky to get a "Deadpool created by" or "Impulse created by" in the first page of the book, and they knew that going in. Maybe things were more confusing back then, but to have this lawsuit filed in 2013, he should have been advised against it by his clearly greedy lawyer.

…and we'll continue with Stan Lee Media Inc.!

My take: SLMI, no longer affiliated with Stan the Man Lee, is fighting Disney for the rights to Spider-Man and other Lee-created characters as well as Stan's likeness itself! I have to say, going up against Disney is a ballsy move for any company. Since the decisions and past court orders do seem to be a little muffled and unclear, it would be interesting to see if there is a buyout of some kind in this case.

CELEBRITIES

Neil deGrasse Tyson, Seth McFarlane, and NOVA.

My take: I love that NOVA is back on the air and I really love that is has gotten as much attention as it has. I'm shocked the series premiered on Fox, but whatever works, works. Seth McFarlane had something to do with it, so kudos to him.

Barack Obama is just hilarious…?

My take: Obama's appearance on Between Two Ferns was clearly a bit of a setup. The dialogue was choppy and clearly scripted. Although I do like Obama's appearances in comedy sketches, I was under the impression this was something it wasn't.

The Guardians of the Galaxy will be cruising around said galaxy in style this summer. Chris Pratt's character, Star-Lord, jumps from adventure to adventure in the Milano, his super-sleek spaceship of unknown origin (at least until we see the movie).

Below is a close-up promotional image being used by hardtofindpartysupplies.com for napkins that tie in to the film's surely upcoming merchandising bonanza.


The film may feature the ship, but it is my understanding that much of the story will take place on Knowhere, an interdimensional spaceport of sorts. If you haven't checked out the 2008 Guardians of the Galaxy comic book series by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning yet, you're missing out. Pick it up on Amazon or at your local comic book store.

As spaceships go, I think this design is pretty cool. Do you think this looks like it could make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs?

Some official details on the movie, for those interested in minor spoilers:

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy's fate in the balance.