Posted by
Jonathan Jackson
- Saturday, May 31, 2014
An enthusiastic X-Men fan has made his own magnetic shoes to walk on the ceiling.
This is one of the funniest and spectacular feats (pun intended) I have ever seen. I will be keeping an eye out for this guy to see what he comes up with next.
If you could make a superhero power a reality, whose/what would it be? Leave a comment below!
Posted by
Justin Hedvat
- Friday, May 30, 2014
In news that was first reported by Latino Review and subsequently confirmed by Variety, Josh Brolin has been cast as the nefarious big bad Thanos in Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy.
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| Josh Brolin cast as Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy |
Marvel and director James Gunn have been coy for the past few months about Thanos, teasing that the villain would indeed make an appearance but stopping short of revealing casting details.
Brolin will first voice Thanos in Guardians, followed by more significant roles in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers 3. Originally played by Damon Porter, Thanos made his first onscreen appearance during a brief mid-credits cut scene of The Avengers, during which it was revealed that he had orchestrated the alien invasion of Earth.
Thanos is the key antagonist in the Infinity Gauntlet storyline, which—as alluded to in the post-credits scene of Thor: The Dark World—seems to be the route the Marvel Cinematic Universe is taking. Composed of the Infinity Gems, the Infinity Gauntlet grants its wearer the power to control time and space, alter reality, and become omnipotent. It is the ultimate weapon in Thanos's arsenal against the Avengers.
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| Thanos brandishes the Infinity Gautlet |
Guardians will not be the first superhero movie to feature Brolin. The actor headlined DC Comics' 2010 flop Jonah Hex, and was even considered for the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in Zack Snyder's horribly titled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was awarded to Ben Affleck, much to the dismay of hardcore fans. Had Brolin already signed on with Marvel Studios prior to his talks with DC? We may never know.
Guardians of the Galaxy hits theaters on August 1.
Are you satisfied with Josh Brolin's casting? How will the appearance of Thanos affect the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Posted by
Jeff Penner
- Wednesday, May 28, 2014
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 out there.
MOVIES
Edgar Wright Leaves Ant-Man.
My take: What the heck?? He's been working on this movie since 2006(?) and knew exactly what he wanted to do. I guess that was the problem. Marvel was very patient as to when this project could launch, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn't necessarily what it is today. The issue here seems to be that Wright's vision isn't going to mesh with the current MCU. If it was his choice, I say good for him to walk away. If it was Marvel's doing, I say they're on a slippery slope.
X-Men: Days of Future Past.
My take: Yay, I finally got to see a movie on its opening weekend! Take that, fatherhood! I found this to be probably the most engaging of the entire series, if not the most confusing. I appreciated that decisions were made according to the characters' personal desires and inner turmoil rather than just what the plot needed. This always adds the unexpected element, rather than knowing full well what they're going to do. I know the movie will end with things relatively wrapped up, but I don't know who Magneto is going to screw over in the process. Those are the ingredients this series has that it either uses sparingly or seems unaware it has them at all. In any case, I was entertained for 2 hours and I can't say much more without spoiling things.
TELEVISION
Drew Goddard Leaves Daredevil.
My take: What the heck?? The guy's a DD super fan! This one seems to be falling under the category of contract disputes, as Goddard is tied to Sony for the surely awful Sinister Six movie(s). Either way, it was bad timing, and Marvel's shining reputation in the TV and film industry finally has some dings bigger than "Terrence Howard-Gate."
Charlie Cox Cast as Daredevil.
My take: I need to see this guy's range a lot more than I've seen on TV. Say what you want about Affleck's portrayal, but Matt Murdock is a tortured soul who can kick your ass, and I don't know if Cox screams that or not.
John Wesley Shipp is The Flash's Dad Now.
My take: How fitting, I suppose? I watched Shipp in the original series and, for what they had available at the time, it was an amazing show. They had zero budget and still had cool effects, plus the suit itself cost a cool million to create. Shipp returns to the same character's world as his father, Dr. Henry Allen. I appreciate nods like this in TV and movies, and his casting is actually one of the reasons I'll be tuning in. Also, I love Tom Cavanagh.
Quentin Tarantino May Release 4-Hour Django Unchained.
My take: I really did enjoy the movie, and now Tarantino may release his piles of unseen footage as a VOD mini-series. Usually, I think of pure history when it comes to racism-centric stories, and this mixed that with entertainment. Although I hope the movie's brutality was a wake up call for many people, I don't know if it lends itself to a 4-hour mini. However, it would be great to see more performances out of all the leads because I think they all did amazing jobs.
COMIC BOOKS
The Flash #31 Released.
My take: I have no issue with the controversial return and re-racing of Wally West. What I take issue with is DC's constant reliance on time traveling and alternate worlds for stories. From a character whose origin used to be exactly the same as Barry Allen's, Wally's origin now can't be explained to anyone but an avid comic book reader. "The Flash? Oh, he got hit by lightning and chemicals. Kid Flash? Same." See? Things used to be so easy.
Amazing Spider-Man #1 Released.
My take: I'm one of "those people," the ones that were actually enjoying The Superior Spider-Man. I knew all along it was temporary (which is partly why I could let go and enjoy the ride), but the last few months have felt very forced. The story ended with a whimper, and now Peter is back, which I'm happy about, but it was a contractual obligation to match with the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. I'm also not happy that the first storyline is going back to Peter's first days as Spidey. Enough ret-conning! We already have Original Sins about to change everyone's past as it is.
Star Lord's Cancerverse Escape Details.
My take: I'm a huge fan of the Abnett & Lanning era of the Marvel Universe. It was cancelled abruptly and they did a great job of leaving a cliffhanger: the apparent death of Peter Quill and Richard Rider (Nova). In Guardians of the Galaxy #18 this fall, I'll finally know how he escaped the Cancerverse! The revelation comes during Original Sin so it might be bad news, and Richard Rider is nowhere to be seen.
David S. Goyer Boosts She-Hulk Sales.
My take: I guess the one good thing about DC's film spearhead calling She-Hulk a porn star is that Shulky's sales have gone up. The series that launched in February is getting rave reviews. People reading about the scandal ask "Uh, who's She-Hulk?" then check the book out and love it. There is no better way for Marvel characters to earn respect than having some a-hole at DC insulting them.
GAMES
LEGO Batman: Beyond Gotham in 2014.
My take: I have the sequel with all the DC heroes in it, and I still haven't finished it. Sometimes I get LEGO'd out, but I do own at least four LEGO video games (sadly, this includes the Indiana Jones version). Part of my issue with these games is my age, the simplicity of the plot lines, and the repetition of gameplay. Yet I still play Call of Duty. Go figure.
Watch out for this segment each and every Wednesday. We'll see you next week!
Did we miss something? What are your thoughts on these topics? Leave us a comment below!
Posted by
Unknown
- Tuesday, May 27, 2014
As an owner of the Xbox One since Christmas Day, I have really nothing positive to say about the console except for good graphics. Besides that, the Xbox One has sucked major ass since the release last fall. Here are some of the reasons why this console does not cut the cheese in more than one way.
5. The All-In-One Entertainment System That's Not So Entertaining
You know how one of the biggest selling points of the Xbox One was that you could connect your cable box and use the Kinect to control it?! Yeah, they screwed this one up. The idea of split-screening cable and your games was intriguing, but there were tons of issues with lag and Kinect voice commands not working (which will reappear in a bit). A waste of an innovative idea.
4. Bad Servers
I had to get a new router because apparently the one I had for the Xbox 360 was not good enough, and even now with my new one I still have issues accessing certain things because my Internet—which was never an issue before the Xbone—is now the problem. This is an issue I believe Microsoft will fix in time, but for now it's a nuisance.
3. The Kinect
Remember when Microsoft said that the Kinect would come with the Xbox One and that it had to be plugged into the console? The Kinect was a stinker on the 360, and it still is now on the One. The Kinect camera is still slow on reactions and sometimes still doesn't recognize me or my hands. Voice commands are terrible and often either won't be picked up or will not be what you actually said.
2. The Games
I know the Xbone has only been out for a few months now, but you would think when you are launching a new console that you would launch it with some premiere titles that would make people want to get the console. Most games that have come out for the Xbone also came out with the Xbox 360 or with Sony's respective consoles. I know over time games will come out, but by then I will have either switched to PC gaming or just not be playing video games anymore.
1. Nothing Groundbreaking
To me this will be what kills the Xbox One if it comes to it: There is nothing that is really innovative about the next-gen consoles. Hell, there was more innovation back when Microsoft was trying say DMR was the future last year when they announced the console. I have talked to numerous people about whether they were going to get the new consoles being released, and most told me they weren't because they weren't offering anything that made them want to get the new console. To me this was upsetting, because some of these people were the ones I wasted my teenage years playing video games with and now I won't be able to do that anymore. Which is part of the reason I don't like the new consoles—there is no one to play with.
So ladies and germs, is the Xbox One really as bad as I think it is, or am I just an annoying man on the Internet who can't see greatness even if it slaps me in the face? Share your opinions in the comments area below! With that, let's end this piece with a celebratory piece of meme.
Posted by
Unknown
- Monday, May 26, 2014
Avengers assemble in New York again. Don't worry, the city won't be leveled this time! Discovery Times Square teamed up with Marvel Entertainment to bring the first interactive exhibit that takes you deep into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as you explore the history and scientific origins of Marvel's mightiest heroes. Step into S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and enlist as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent this summer! (We'll just pretend S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't disbanded, if you haven't seen Captain America: The Winter Soldier).
Marvel's Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. (Scientific Training and Tactical Intelligence Operative Network) Exhibition is a fully immersive exhibit that matches real props from the films with cutting-edge interactive technology, Marvel announced.
The high-tech $7.5 million exhibit spans over 10,000 square feet in New York's Discovery Times Square and is designed to be a full-sized replica of the S.H.I.E.L.D. base complete with holograms and activity stations.
Collaborating with NASA and the National Academy of Sciences, the exhibit merges STEM-based educational lessons with superhero fun, allowing visitors to map out the stars to find Asgard, witness the neurological effects as Bruce Banner transforms into the Hulk, and even control Iron Man's suit using eye movements (blinking makes the repulsor beams fire!)
Visitors of all ages are recruited as agents and given an official ID card that grants them access through airlocks into rooms that hold authentic props from the films including Thor's Mjolnir, Captain America's shield, Loki's scepter, the Tesseract, and more.
"You're literally standing in front of a nine-foot tall Hulk and he punches the wall, and the whole building shakes," Nicholas Cooper, the creative director of Victory Hill Exhibitions the company behind the exhibit told NY Daily News. Implementing an exhilarating learning experience to the exhibit, Hulk's fierce punch is calculated in newtons, and that is just one of the many STEM discoveries.
With America's major decline in students' interest in math and science, the Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. might just be what is needed to cultivate a nationwide growing interest in STEM education and careers.
The super-exhibit opens to the public May 30 and will run through Jan. 5, 2015. Tickets cost $27 for adults and $11 for kids. For more information, click here.
Are you planning a trip to New York this summer to experience what it would be like as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent (and then get shawarma after)? Let us know in the comment section below!
Posted by
The Dace Man
- Saturday, May 24, 2014
Posted by
Unknown
- Friday, May 23, 2014
Nintendo has gone through many design changes when it comes to its controllers, from the simple rectangle of the NES to N64's odd shape and GameCube's heaping mess of buttons. By the time the company released the Wii and the Wii U, their simplistic remote made it easy for anyone to pick up—and just as fun as all of its predecessors. Although the new innovative advances have always been the forefront of Nintendo, the gaming company has recently partnered with Performance Designed Products (PDP) to release a GameCube-inspired controller for the Wii U.
The leading manufacturer of video game accessories, PDP announced that the new remote—called the Wired Fight Pad—will come just in time for Super Smash Bros. on the Wii U this holiday season. Officially licensed by Nintendo and inspired by GameCube's controller, it's safe to say that it will bring that nostalgic feel of 2001.
Compatible with the Wii and Wii U, the Wired Fight Pad will plug into a Wii Remote the same way the Nunchuk does and will feature classic fan-favorite characters such as Mario, Yoshi, and Princess Peach.
GameCube's controller has been the preferred choice when it comes to Super Smash Bros.—although nothing is like actually punching Princess Peach in the face (at least simulated with the Wii, close enough)—but GameCube's button scheme made gameplay that much better.
No official design has been released by either company, but PDP said the Wired Fight Pad will be available later this year for $25, launching alongside Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Game Informer reported.
Are you excited to brawl on this new controller? Let us know in the comment section below!
An enthusiastic X-Men fan has made his own magnetic shoes to walk on the ceiling.
Visitors of all ages are recruited as agents and given an official ID card that grants them access through airlocks into rooms that hold authentic props from the films including Thor's Mjolnir, Captain America's shield, Loki's scepter, the Tesseract, and more.
On episode 1 of the Fanboys Anonymous Reviewpoint podcast, the panel has a roundtable discussion about X-Men: Days of Future Past and breaks down not only what worked in the film (Hit) as well as what didn't (Miss).
