Category: Movies and TV

Categories
Movies and TV Reviews

Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2 picks up not long after the first film. Tony Stark is dying of Palladium poisoning from the arc-reactor embedded in his chest, he is coming under increasing pressure to turn over the Iron Man suit to the US government, especially when a new threat in the form of Whiplash, the alter ego of Ivan Vanko, a Russian physicist with some strong grievances against Stark.

Overall, I had a great time with this film. I really enjoyed the first one, and I get the sense that the studios have learned a lot from the relative flops that were the Spiderman sequels. There are some good nods to the comics, especially with the inclusion of Nick Fury and the SHIELD initiative.

Continue reading “Iron Man 2”
Categories
Movies and TV

Shiny New Firefly Fan Flick

Looks great. I’d be keen to pick up a copy when it’s released.

Source: Wired

Categories
Movies and TV Reviews

It Kicks Ass!

(Yes, I know it’s a crap title for the post, but that’s in the spirit of the thing)

It’s obvious that Hollywood’s on a comic book binge at the moment. Not only are the standards like Spider-Man and Batman coming out, but slightly less known titles are being picked up. Kick-Ass is a fascinating movie about a regular teenager who takes his comic book hobby a little too seriously and determines to be a real-life superhero.

Of course, things go pear-shaped when he gets mixed up with some professional vigilantes out for revenge on NYC’s biggest crime boss.

Continue reading “It Kicks Ass!”
Categories
Movies and TV Music

The Sing-Off

The Sing-Off

Over the last week, Australia missed out on a great short-run reality show run on NBC: The Sing-Off. Given our addiction to the Idol and Dance franchises, one would have thought that this show would have done relatively well, if given a half-decent slot. It had enough celebrity pull (Ben Folds, Shawn Stockman, Nicole Scherzinger, and Nick Lachey), and we love our music.

In any event, the show held special resonance for me because I’ve been a fan of contemporary a cappella music since high school. It was great to see eight talented groups representing a variety of backgrounds and genres.

And the stakes were high enough to ensure that each group gave their best every night: $100,000 and a Sony recording contract.

While that’s a lot of money, a contract with a big label is huge step forward, not just for the group, but also for the mainstream legitimacy of a cappella. The winner’s albums have the potential to get wide distribution, and encourage people to seek out other groups.

As for the winner, heed this SPOILER WARNING then click the link.

Continue reading “The Sing-Off”
Categories
Movies and TV Tabletop Games

GOLD: Episode 6 – And the Gods Will Have Their Way

Season 1 Finale! A nightmare about his accident makes Jon realize what is important, and he attempts to mend his relationship with a skeptical Cissy. Meanwhile, Richard arrives at Jackson’s BBQ to confront his fractured team. The British team join the BBQ with a secret plan to sabotage the Americans, unaware the Americans need no assistance. As the party escalates, representatives from the World Wide Tabletop Role Playing Game Consortium arrive to inform Jackson that the tournament is in trouble. And as Cissy and Jon resolve their differences, Cissy tells Jon about her encounter with Richard.

Congrats to everybody involved with GOLD on a great season. I’m looking forward to see what comes next, and wish them great success with Season 2.

This is a great series, and I think it’s important to support media aimed at the gaming community, so please visit the website and watch the show. It’s available on the web, as well as by podcast [iTunes]. GOLD is independently produced, so if you can spare a little money, consider clicking on their donate button.