Forces of Geek: we like pop culture: 9/1/11

Friday, September 30, 2011

GEEK GADGET REVIEW: Diamond HP200AV Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit

We've certainly come a long way from dial-up internet, and now many televisions and gaming systems require a signal to work properly. Despite wi-fi connections, often signals drop or lag, slowing down the system that we've been dependent upon. And although wiring the entire house is an option, it is cost prohibitive, which is why the Diamond HP200AV Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit is a highly recommended option.

How does it work?

21 years before Alien there was this horror.

Taking a look at the basic structure of both films, a movie buff can clearly see that the Ridley Scott classic owes more than a few nods to this ballyhooed B picture.

One of the film’s taglines was “$50,000 by a world renowned insurance company to the first person who can prove that "It" is not on Mars now!”

Movies were a bit more bombastic back in 1958.

Steve Carell has been tapped to play in the thriller Foxcatcher.

Variety reports that director Bennett Miller is developing a film based on the true story of the murder of an Olympic wrestler. Apparently Miller has been working on the project for the last four years.


Please Sign Heeeeeerrreee....

When you are being attacked by zombies and absolutely need to get some anti-virus sent to you on time (regardless of being trapped in a convience store) you want to know that your shipping company will bring you your package regardless of the circumstances.

And, by God, Fed-Ex will be there for you.

Isn't it nice to know that when everything you ever held dear to you comes crumbling down that at least you will be able to have that Darth Vader Head action figure carrying case you bought off of Ebay delivered to you?

It's the little things that count isn't it?

Commercial after the break.

Check out what I checked out this week.

Whether the comics are inspiring or disappointing, I read them all.

Welcome to The Pull List.

And, as always...Spoilers ahead!

Ellen Page is joining the cast of Zal Batmanglij's thriller, The East.

According to Variety, Page will play the character of Izzy who is jealous of Brit Marling's character. The role of Izzy was originally going to go to Felicity Jones but she had other commitments that forced her to drop out of the film.

Halloween is very sacred to me.

First of all, it is the day that contains all my favorite memories and second, it is the day I got married.

So naturally, Halloween is going to be the day that I share my love of this particular holiday by SCARING THE CRAP OUT OF SMALL KIDS WHO WANT CANDY!

And what better way to do such a thing than by installing a special front door ($3500) that looks as if a crazed psychopath is trying to break out of it and kill some young uns?

Okay sure, several thousands of dollars seems like a lot of money to spend on a door but it's not just A Door, it's a special effects door that has a 22" video monitor of the aforementioned psychopath as well as some convincing "axe-going-through-the-door" motions that will surely stop some rowdy teens from egging your house.

Just watch the video after the break. I'm pretty sure you'll be backing me up on this one.

"I refuse to eat fuckin' cantaloupe at a bachelor party."

This 2011 comedy has a 36% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where only 59% of the audience report liking it.

Why Bother?

"It happened again"

Let’s be honest: You either want to see this because you saw The Hangover and loved it, or because you heard about it and want to see what the big deal is. You’re pulled in by the idea of three guys who have to reconstruct a bachelor party from the items in their pockets while looking for a missing friend.

If that doesn’t get your juices flowing, I don’t thinking mentioning Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Paul Giamatti, or Mike Tyson will convince you to see this.

I’m sure you figured out from the title of the column that I don’t want to convince you to see it. To find out why not, read on after the break.

Lost is over, we all have to accept it. But now we can look forward to Carlton Cuse's next project at ABC.

According to Vulture, the showrunner has made a deal with ABC to write and exec produce a new show potentially called Stronger. The show will have spiritual tones to it, but is not a religious show.

If I made this picture any bigger we would be labeled a porn site

I have written four posts about this thing and have deleted them all simple because words can't even describe what you are about to see.

It's as if Ron Jeremy got together with a Meth-addicted marketing consultant and banged out a device that is so lewd-looking that I am blushing just writing about it.

Look, just watch the commercial after the break then tell me how you would describe it.

I gotta go wash my eyes out with rubbing alcohol.

The kids at Smallville High take class elections way too seriously, especially considering there's never apparently any class.

One even resorts to attempted murder. Good thing real life politics never get dirty.

Oh. Wait....

Yup, this guy was there...oh dear god, he was certainly there

Sometimes when I'm hammered I like to play a game called 'What was on the Tube in____".

This allows me to retain whatever cognitive abilities I have left after drinking Woodchuck Ale (I mean, it doesn't even taste like beer but after the sixth one you are totally loaded) while appearing really smart to my friends.

Go ahead and try it.

What Was on the Tube in 1990?

Need a hint? After the break is the complete fall line up on ABC.

Oh the memories!

Just yesterday I wrote about NBC buying a Western. Now it's being reported that Fox has bought Western of their own to compete.

Deadline is reporting that Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci have made the sale of a drama set in the Old West. The story will be written by John Hlavin, who previously has worked on The Shield.

Hlavin is currently working on a Western feature film, The Gunslinger, for Warner Bros.

It’s the end of Banned Books week and I wonder if any of us have learned anything at all. I mean, what with the state of the world, the horrible economy and the myriad of problems plaguing the human race, why should we care about books?

So what if people rip certain books like Harry Potter off the shelves of school libraries for presumably promoting witchcraft or an illustrated version of Little Red Riding Hood gets banned because the artist shows a minor carrying a bottle of wine in her basket to her Grandmother? In the scheme of things does this really matter?

Yes. Yes it does.

Because ideas are not bombs, words are not war and children who are introduced to new thoughts can be changed forever and can become the very people who can make a difference.

But not if those ideas are taken away from them.

Contraband is the upcoming movie starring Mark Wahlberg as an ex-smuggler who is called for one last job.

When Wahlberg's brother steals from the wrong guy, he gathers a team for the job that needs to be done.

Also in the movie are Kate Beckinsale, J.K. Simmons, and Diego Luna.

Check out the trailer after the jump.

Behold! The power of stacked technology that barely works anymore!

As a person who has lived through the computer revolution (from a Commodore 64 to a Netbook thank you very much) I have the skeletonized remains of monitors, hard drives and towers scattered in my basement like a testament to war.

But what should I do with them? Should I throw them away? Strip them for useable parts? Create my own Star Wars beat box?

Hmmmm...that third choice sounds quite fulfilling.

And so it has been done.

By a YouTube user named sh4dowww90.

Now, there is a bit of controversy concerning said musical device as some people believe that it is a total fake, but I'm going to go with the comment from this fellow:

@ArturPhk Dude, calm your tits. Either this is fake or not, the idea of it is awesome. So what if it's practically "impossible" to synchronize the tones? It was practically impossible for a x-wing fighter to bring down the Death Star with a proton torpedo, but Luke Skywalker did it. If Luke Skywalker can bring down the Death Star, I think someone with spare time can synchronize some beeps and boops.

Ah yes, you can't argue with logic as strong as this.

Video after the break.

The next Bond movie will be the twenty third film in the series.

While Javier Bardem has been casr as the latest Bond villain and Miss Moneypenny will be played by Naomie Harris, there was no word on who the Bond Girl would be.

Until now.

Twitch is reporting that Berenice Marlohe will be joining the cast of the next film to play the role that has previously been filled by names like Ursula Andress, Barbara Bach and Halle Berry.

Though more recently the role has gone to unknowns who later go on to become stars.

Remember a while ago when Mortal Kombat: Rebirth showed up on the Internet?

Well now Deadline is reporting that the guy that made those, Kevin Tancheroen is going to be directing a full movie based on the video game franchise, which very well might be the one video game that fans actually want a movie version of.

Even though The X-Files may have ended, it doesn't mean the show's creator has to stop. Now it's being reported that he is working on a new police thriller.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Carter is writing a new show called Unique which follows a female lead into supernatural elements. Hopefully it's not just the Scully half of X-Files with a different name.

It won't win awards for best magazine cover of all time, but EW's cover does show us all of The Avengers in one shot.

The cover from Entertainment Weekly doesn't reveal anything new, but the inside pictures are kinda cool and show each of the characters, minus Mark Ruffalo's Hulk. Check out the cover and new pictures and the full cover after the jump.

Watch The Opening Credits For AMERICAN HORROR STORY

FX's upcoming show American Horror Story already looks to be rather creepy, now you can watch the opening credits and see just how creepy it's going to be.

We've covered the show since it was first picked up through casting, casting, and more casting and teasers. Now the show has released it's opening credits for all to see. Check out the spooky credits that you'll see every week soon right after the break.

Deadline is reporting that Jai Courtney has nabbed a pretty high profile lead role opposite Tom Cruise in One Shot, the film adaptation of Lee Child's best selling novel of the same name.

Tom Cruise will be playing Jack Reacher, a retired military policeman turned drifter investigating a case about a sniper going on a five person killing spree before being arrested and like most cases Reacher investigates, nothing is what it seems.

Roasmund Pike (Barney's Version, An Education) has also been cast as a local defense attorney defending the sniper arrested for the shootings, who eventually teams up with Reacher to uncover a conspiracy.

On October 28th-30th, London will be the setting for the MCM Expo Comic Con which will feature a number of media and comic guests as well as an early preview for Friday attendees of the upcoming video game, Batman: Arkham City.

Among the guests in attendance are Tyler Posey and Dylan O'Brien (Teen Wolf), Alexa Havins and Arelen Turr (Torchwood), writer Peter F. Hamilton, and artists David Hine and John McCrea.

After the jump, check out details about a limited edition poster from artist Rufus Dayglo.

A young man with a death touch plays Kevorkian for Smallville's terminally ill.

I'm sure his dying mom emotionally blackmailing him had absolutely nothing to do with his mental state.

Sonya Walger who is known for starring in shows Lost and FlashForward has just made a deal to have a regular role in a new USA series.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Walger will have a regular role in the upcoming show Common Law. The show is about two homicide detectives who are sent to couples therapy after their constant fighting and bickering. Walger will play their therapist.

Could it be that Syfy has made a good original movie. Their latest movie tells us the story of Neverland in a way that has never been done before.

It's true, this isn't like Dinocroc or even Sharktopus, maybe a little like Ice Spiders. Neverland will show us what the magical land was like before Captain Hook, and before Peter met Wendy.

See the trailer after the jump.

A new documentary about the making of an episode of South Park will air this Sunday.

In a press release from Comedy Central it was announced that a behind the scenes look at the show from documentarian Arthur Bradford. The film called 6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park will show a never before seen side of the creation of the show.

Twitch is reporting that Rooney Mara (Nightmare on Elm Street, The Social Network) is the actress being sought after for the lead female role in Spike Lee's remake of Oldboy... although no official offer has been made yet.

Josh Brolin (True Grit, No Country For Old Men) has already been cast as the male lead and the rumor mill is reporting that Christian Bale (The Fighter, The Dark Knight) may be cast in the villain role.

Rooney Mara would be an excellent choice for this role and makes the idea of an Oldboy remake that much easier to swallow. Mara will next bee seen in David Fincher's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo this December, which should make her a household name by the new year.

One of the great rationalizations in movies or television is to justify certain types of behavior by saying "It's the (pick your decade)".

As if you are not responsible for your actions simply because you exist in a particular time frame where social and ethical moires have changed.

And I love it.

I once tried to explain to my mother, when she caught me smoking on the roof of our house, "That it's the 90s, everyone smokes".

Needless to say, I was grounded for about a month and quit smoking (but I did happen to start ingesting OTC diet pills with Jolt Cola for a sweet high which was so definitely the 90s).

And the following video demonstrates all that is so 90s through various movies scenes where people yell "It's the 90s" over and over again with big giant 90s hair.

God I miss the 90s.

Video after the break.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is based on the book by Johnathan Safran Forer and directed by Stephen Daltry (The Reader, The Hours, Billy Elliot), who's films have been nominated for Oscars numerous times in the past.

A shot of the twin towers on 9/11 along with U2's Where The Streets Have Know Name are just some of the flourishes in this trailer that hint at an Oscar push.

The story follows Oskar Schell, a nine-year-old boy who lost his father on 9/11. A few years later he finds a key that belonged to him and sets out on a quest through Manhattan, hoping it will lead to a final message from his father.

Quite a cast has been pulled together for the film, which includes: Thomas Horn (his debut), Tom Hanks (Larry Crowne, Bachelor Party), Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side, The Net), James Gandolfini (True Romance, Welcome to the Riley's), John Goodman (Red State, The Big Lebowski), Viola Davis (The Help, Eat Pray Love), Max Von Sydow (Shutter Island, Minority Report), and Jeffrey Wright (Source Code, the upcoming The Ides of March).

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close will open in theaters on Christmas Day.

Watch the full trailer after the jump.

Paramount has released the trailer for Paranormal Activity 3 and it looks like it's going for a late 80's, VHS retro look.

This is the third installment of Paramount's super cheap, yet super successful horror franchise and in this installment we travel back to the 80's and follow the sisters from the first two films, Katie (Katie Featherston) and Kristi (Sprague Grayden) and their first encounters with the demon that's haunted them all their lives.

Instead of hiring a feature film director to direct the third installment, Paramount hired documnetarians Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, most known for last year's Sundance hit Catfish.

Paranormal Activity 3 opens in theaters on October 21.

Check out the full trailer after the jump.

Khunying Tobnom is a Bangkok beautician who swears that by slapping your fun bags around roughly you will be able to increase your cup-size and become more desirable to the male gender.

I don't know about this, I once fell for that whole "Swallowing will cut down on your risk of breast cancer" plot years ago (What? I was in my stupid twenties then) and I sort of feel that this beauty treatment is in the same vein.

Look, boys like boobs. It doesn't matter what size they are because some dude is gonna motorboat you no matter if you are an A cup or a double DD.

But if you want to slap some sense into your girls by all means go ahead. Just know that your boobs aren't going to exactly enjoy it.

Video of Ms. Tobnom smacking around some meat pillows after the break.

Deadline reports that John Goodman has joined the cast of Robert Zemeckis' FLIGHT.

FLIGHT centers on a commercial airline pilot (Denzel Washington) who becomes a hero by flying a damaged airplane to safety, saving 98 of the 106 people onboard. The pilot's heroics are later called into question due to his substance abuse problems.

Kelly Reilly (SHERLOCK HOLMES) is also in talks to join the film as the female lead.

As far as guests on TV go, Portlandia has a great list of actors coming to the second season of the show.

In a press release from IFC, it was announced that quite a few big names would be joining the show for its sophomore season. Some of those names are Tim Robbins, Jack McBrayer and Amber Tamblyn. But wait, there's more!

This is not going to end well

Nothing in life is as bad as realizing that you are insignificant (okay, so the death of a loved one is worse but for the purpose of this piece, just go with my statement okay?).

To realize that nothing you do or say or accomplish means a lick of difference to the people around you can completely blow away all that pop-psychology that Dr. Phil pukes out on a daily basis about how everyone is special and leave you feeling, well, empty and alone.

And so naturally, you are the one that ends up being sacrificed for the greater good when the shit hits the fan because, let's face it, your expendable.

I don't care how much you try and convince other people that they will, in fact, need you at some point. You, good sir, are nothing more than bait.

And no one will even remember your name.

So go on, plead your case.

You're gonna die anyway.

If you want to see what exactly will happen to you, check out the video after the break.

You know, maybe you should just stay indoors from now on.

PROMETHEUS, the ALIEN "prequel," draws ever nearer, causing writer Damon Lindelof (LOST, new STAR TREK 2) to become a little less tight-lipped on the film's specifics.

First, check out the new synopsis from Fox:

Ridley Scott, director of ALIEN and BLADE RUNNER, returns to the genre he helped define. With PROMETHEUS, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

Lindelof, who rewrote an original script by Jon Spaihts for director Ridley Scott, gave up a few details about the mostly mysterious PROMETHEUS to MTV.

First, Lindelof discussed Michael Fassbender's (INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS) character who is an android, yet unlike any we have yet seen in the ALIEN franchise:

"One of the things that evokes the idea of BLADE RUNNER is, ‘What does the movie look like from the robot’s point of view?’ If you were to ask him, ‘What do you think about all of this? What’s going on? What do you think about these humans who are around you?,’ wouldn’t it be cool if we found a way for that robot to answer those questions."

It would be very cool, Mr. Lindelof. And the fact that you reference Scott's BLADE RUNNER has me even more intruiged.

Find out what Lindelof has to say about Charlize Theron's role and killing off characters after the jump!

Westerns are pretty hot this development season. Now NBC has a show produced by Sean Hayes to compete with ABC, TNT, and AMC.

According to Deadline, NBC has bought the new show from Sean Hayes' Hazy Mills production company. Kerry Ehrin from Friday Night Lights is set to write the project which is set in the 1880s.

Dancer extraordinaire Marquese Scott has a certain skill; to give the finger to the laws of physics.

You see, when he dances it's as if his body transforms into some kind of liquid hominid-shaped goo that glides through the ether of life smoothly and with so much style that it is physically impossible to believe he is a member of the human race.

In other words, this dude can bust some moves.

His skills don't seem "of this earth" and while I am not one of those people who think that aliens live among us, I have a nagging feeling that if an alien invasion is on it's way to our planet, Scott is probably just here to seduce us visually before the rest of his kind suck out our brains through our assholes.

And, after watching him dance, I'm pretty sure we don't stand a chance.

Video after the break.

MovieWeb reports that despite disappointing box office numbers for SCREAM 4, Wes Craver is still convinced SCREAM 5 is on the way.

SCREAM 4 was intended to kick off a new trilogy and Craven confirmed that this is still the case:

"Yes. The odds are that there will be (a SCREAM 5). It is something that Bob Weinstein wants to do. He tends to do what he wants to do. So I am inclined to think that there will be (another sequel). Whether I will be a part of it or not? I don't know. My contract gives me the first look. If they show me something that is really wonderful? Of course I will be a part of it."

See what Craven told MovieWeb about where the trilogy is heading, after the jump!

While we may have just told you about the web series, now AMC is giving us a whole new trailer to look forward to the second season of The Walking Dead.

This new trailer has some clips from an extended international trailer, but also has brand new clips that show how the survivors are going to continue to possibly a third season. See the trailer after this little jump.

His most recent turn on TV saw him playing himself on Louie. Now Dane Cook may be coming to television on a more regular basis.

According to TVline, Cook has made an overall talent deal with NBC. The deal could see Cook developing a half-hour sitcom for the 2012-2013 season.

You know that scene in Up where Carl remembers how his life used to be with his wife Ellie? A sort of montage of all their happy moments culminating in the last scene where Carl is left all alone when Ellie dies?

Well, I cried.

To be more exact, I sobbed like a baby.

Now take that feeling and hold onto it because the next time I felt like that was when I watched the achingly beautiful trailer for the zombie video game Dead Island (again there were happy times followed by death).

But you know what made that trailer work so well?

The piano music.

So now imagine putting that haunting twinkling of the ivories to the scene I described about Up and you will soon understand why I am now thoroughly depressed.

And soon you will be as well.

Video after the break.

(you might want to have some hankies on hand)

Deadline reports that Warner Bros. is hoping to convince Steven Spielberg to direct GODS AND KINGS, another epic about the life of Moses.

There have yet to be any formal meetings between Spielberg and the studio on the project, but Spielberg has apparently read Michael Green (GREEN LANTERN, imagine that!) and Stuart Hazeldine's (PARADISE LOST) script.

Spielberg is always a hard get for any studio, because well, he's Steven-fucking-Spielberg, the most household name in filmmaking. Spielberg has plenty on his plate already with two films out this December (TINTIN and WAR HORSE) and ROBOPOCALYPSE once he completes LINCOLN. Also, in order to work with 'Big S,' Warner Bros would have to share the picture with his company Dreamworks.

Turning a radio show into a TV show has been done before, but not in a while. Now Fox has decided that a 2006 segment from This American Life would be a great comedy series.

According to Deadline, Fox has bought the rights to The Man Upstairs which is based on a segment called Deal of a Lifetime. Horrible Bosses writer Jonathan Goldstein is set to write with Dan Lin producing the project.

A SWEET REMEMBRANCE OF JIM HENSON

As I was reading through some of my favorite sites today I was struck by a post from Boing Boing about Jim Henson.

Twenty one years ago the world lost a remarkable man who not only made my childhood a little bit brighter but also a man who kept alive the idea that being a kid was awesome.

I cried when he died and, after watching the following video of puppeteers singing Jim Henson's favorite songs at his memorial, I cried again.

What the world needs more than ever is a bit more Henson magic, and that, my friends, is why when the newest Muppet movie opens, I'll be there with a song in my heart.

Miss ya Jim.

Video after the break.

One of my favorite films growing up and still holds a great place in my heart is Peter Yates' Breaking Away.

Variety is now reporting the star of Breaking Away, Dennis Christopher has been cast by Quentin Tarantino in Django Unchained.

Tarantino has made it a habit of supplying past their prime actors super juicy roles in his past films and it looks like he'll be doing it again.

Unchained tells the story of a slave-turned-bounty hunter (Jamie Foxx) who sets out to rescue his wife from the evil Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), a Mississippi plantation owner and along the way he teams up with a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz).

If you are like me (I don't see why you wouldn't want to be 'cause I'm fantastic) Porkins has always been a Star Wars character that you wish you could have seen more of.

I mean it's a fat guy named Porkins who was able to pass a physical to be an X-Wing pilot and somehow managed to wedge himself into the cockpit.

He's awesome.

And now, thanks to new, albeit dubious, additions to the Star Wars Blue-ray)you will be able to see just how important Porkins was to the storyline.

Oh Porkins, you had me at Oink.

Video after the break.

This week The Monster's Corner: Stories Through Inhuman Eyes was released, an anthology with stories featuring "demons and goblins, dark gods and aliens, creatures of myth and legend, lurkers in darkness and beasts in human clothing," all from the perspective that the monster is the hero.

From Lucifer to Mordred, from child-thieving fairies to Frankenstein's monster and the Wicked Witch of the West, everyone squirms and breaks into a cold sweat thinking about those things that go bump in the night. They simultaneously pique our imaginations and fears. However, in most stories we get the perspective of the hero, the everyman, but we are all the hero of our own tale, and so it must be true for legions of monsters. From our point of view, the monsters may very well be horrible and terrifying, but of course they won’t see themselves in the same light. Their point of view is presented in THE MONSTER’S CORNER: Stories Through Inhuman Eyes, an anthology edited by Christopher Golden.

I had the opportunity to ask several of the contributors a few questions. Find out what scares them, what their favorite monster is and more after the jump!

MANLAND!

As a chick whose primary friendship base is dudes, I'm a little offended by the concept that men who don't like to shop can all be herded into a pen of some sort where they will be surrounded by stereotypical "man" things like video games, chips, pinball machines, and giant televisions showing war movies.

I don't like to shop, where's my corner of paradise?

Why do guys get to have all the fun while I have to go look at bookcases that I will put together incorrectly and which will then probably fall on top of me, killing my body?

How sexist is that?

All I'm asking is that Ikea put together a little corner for chicks where there is a selection of baked goods, colorful bottles filled with liquor and a television screen perpetually showing naked men walking around.

I don't think this is too much to ask for.

After the break is a video showing the glory hole of "Man Land" where happy dudes just hang out.

Whatever.

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