pop culture
Modern popular culture topics in the geek sphere.
Old Man 'Logan'
There is the old saying that tells us that “all good things must end.” For Hugh Jackman, the actor who has played Marvel's comic book character Wolverine since 2000, now would seem a good time to say goodbye to the character. Thus Logan, released earlier this year, was announced to be his last time in the role. Not only that but the film looked to be quiet different from any of the previous X-Men films or even the solo Wolverine outings. The resulting film is an interesting piece of work to say the least.
By Matthew Kresal9 years ago in Geeks
Top Television Shows in the 1970s
Ah, the 1970s. It was a decade of bean bag chairs, swag lamps, gas lines, and a President on the ropes and out the door. Waterbeds hove into view, a piece of furniture masquerading as a boat. Mood rings and lava lamps glowed on your finger and in the corner respectively. We washed our cars obsessively. Was it because we were vehicular neat freaks? Nah, we just didn't want the “Have a Nice Day” guy to show up in the dust.
By Kim Hastings9 years ago in Geeks
Doctor Who
“Never knowingly be serious.” Great advice from one of the oldest and newest favourite characters of science fiction. The Doctor is an alien. A Time Lord, in fact, from a planet called Gallifrey who travels through time and space in his iconic blue box, the TARDIS.
By Sapphire Ravenclaw9 years ago in Geeks
My Favorite Year Celebrates Real Breaking Bad Behavior but How Can We Resist?
The classic 80s movie is based on Mel Brooks’ recollection of Errol Flynn’s appearance on Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows in the early 1950s. As a young writer, Brooks was tasked with reigning in the fallen star so he’d be kept sober long enough to learn his lines and deliver the live rendition. Of course, it can be asked, how much did O’Toole really have to act to bring drunken debonair to life? Either way, the problematics both legends exhibited were often no laughing matter, and can’t help but weigh on our consciences as we enjoy.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Geeks
Marvel's Glorification of Bad Dads
In Guardian's of the Galaxy Vol 2, Peter Quill has the opportunity to finally meet his biological father, a god aptly named Ego who has plans to take over the entire galaxy and destroy all other life forms until only he remains. To put it simply, he is a bad dude. And at the end of the movie, Yondu, the blue alien who kept Quill instead of taking him to his biological father, helps save the day, essentially becoming a guardian of the galaxy. There is then a number of touching moments where Quill talks about how in the end, he was a great dude and was, in reality, his father because he raised him.
By J.C. Marie9 years ago in Geeks
Six Marvel Characters That Will Never Be In the MCU
With the explosive success of Marvel's Cinematic Universe (or MCU) approach to filmmaking, combined with their vast library of characters, it seems there is no end in sight to the long string of appearances by the players from the House of Ideas. But there are some characters that might be better off remaining in their comic books, as any live action appearances on film or TV simply won't work for them. Here are six Marvel Comics characters not suited for the MCU.
By Joachim Heijndermans9 years ago in Geeks
The Longwinded Tale of Neville Longbottom. Top Story - May 2017.
I was introduced to the Harry Potter series by a primary school teacher in 1999. The books (and later the films) were something that I connected with immediately. Harry himself was an inspiring character, and I learnt a lot about dealing with hardships and friendships from his life story. But the character that I have always had the strongest connection to would have to be Neville Longbottom. His life story has so many similarities to my own.
By Rebecca Sharrock9 years ago in Geeks
Twin Peaks 2017: The Evolution of Twin Peaks
***POSSIBLE SPOILERS - PARTS 1 to 4*** There has been an almighty wave of reactions online to the revival of Twin Peaks, spanning the spectrum of emotional responses, from amazement, bewilderment, excitement, annoyance, boredom and outright contempt. Personally, having seen all 4 parts, I was blown away; from the opening moments I was mesmerised by the vivid imagery, contemplative pacing and the mysterious, dangerous mood that seemed to permeate every scene. The lack of cosy nostalgia was impressively bold, almost nothing feeling like a 'comfortable' reminder of the original, despite the return of familiar faces and allusions to plot beats of the season one Pilot. The wider scope of the story became immediately apparent, as new characters arrived (and left...) in as yet unconnected plots unfolding in New York, South Dakota and the Black Lodge itself. To me this feels like a natural evolution of Twin Peaks; the first two seasons featured the town as a microcosm of America, so it seems fitting that Peaks is now a smaller part in exploring similar themes on a much grander scale.
By James Giles9 years ago in Geeks
Review - Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge
As any Hollywood exec will attest, Joe Public is a tricky blighter to predict. Blockbusters with historical settings generally have as much mass box office appeal as Latvian character dramas, and those set on the high seas have historically sunk without a trace (see Roman Polanski's Pirates and Renny Harlin's Cutthroat Island; nobody else has). In 2003 however Disney found the box office treasure so many others had failed to locate when Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl proved an unexpected global hit. Everything suggested it would flop heavily - its premise seemed designed to alienate a modern audience; its biggest star was Johnny Depp, whose best years seemed long behind him at that point; and to the amusement of many observers it was a cinematic adaptation of a Disneyland attraction (see also Tomorrowland; nobody else has) - but audiences embraced it wholeheartedly, and now, 14 years later, we have a fourth sequel, Salazar's Revenge (released in the US under the far more appealing title, Dead Men Tell No Tales). Caution: May contain spoilers!
By Eric Hillis9 years ago in Geeks
