The WEEKS in GEEK for OCTOBER 16th – November 5th (original) (raw)

Greetings, gay geeklings!

According to Frank, the social butterfly... So, apologies are in order. My life's been replete with social obligations that have kept me from composing a new blog entry. Okay, okay, so it's been filled with cooperative video gaming (I should've said my "virtual" life). Sad, really. But it still is my life. And I'll cry if I want to.

Our next meeting is on Tuesday, November 27th, at 7:30 p.m. at the Center on Halsted. It'll be a little different from our previous meetings in that there's some preparation required on your part. Yes, that's right. YOUR part. No worries, though! It's all fun and easy stuff!

Firstly, we're asking that each Triple G attendee come in with at least five (5) trivia questions. Naturally, these questions should reflect your own spheres of geeky interest and expertise. Challenge us! We double-dog dare you! What is Baron Harkonnen's first name? Who is the mascot for the Linux kernel? Which "Friday the 13th" movie had the most kills, and exactly how many unhappy campers were slaughtered in that installment? What are the names of Princess Leia and Han Solo's Jedi children? How many villainous alien races can you name from Stargate? What is Sylar's real name? What are the Giant's three predictions for FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper? How many incantations can you remember from the Harry Potter series? BRING IT ON, GEEKS!

Additionally, we've selected our official Book Selection for this month (as recommended by Triple G cofounder, Steven) and it's "The Forever War" by Joe Haldeman. We'll devote a portion of our November 27th meeting to discuss it, so go ahead and pick up the paperback (I think it's about twelve bucks), or grab a copy from the local lending library. You've still got some time to read the darned thing. I just bought it from Borders earlier this evening myself. Happy reading!

Here's some geeky stuff culled from the past couple of weeks. First a film review:

30 DAYS OF NIGHT – I had attempted for weeks to convince someone, anyone, to go see this flick with me, to no avail. The near-universal response was that Rotten Tomatoes had given it a "super-sucky" score. Well, if the box-office failure of "Grindhouse" has taught us anything, it's that America doesn't make the smartest decisions collectively, especially when it comes to genre-entertainment. "30 Days of Night" is nowhere near as good as "Grindhouse," but it's still a totally enjoyable little tale of bleak survivalism and vampire horror (John Carpenter's "The Thing" meets "Salem's Lot"). I dug it. I really did. Even Josh Hartnett, whom I had been resenting after having suffered through his terrible performance in the craptacular "Black Dahlia," acquits himself quite well. I loved that the vampires were old-school bloodsuckers, and that they came complete with Euro-trash clothes and their very own nutty-as-a-fruit-bat Renfield. The movie was gorgeously shot, and while it's not the greatest, most revolutionary horror flick, it's definitely worth a viewing.

I've also got a couple of DVD reviews this week:

MEET THE ROBINSONS – Convoluted and frenetically paced, this CGI Disney scifi movie hits a panicky crescendo early on that I found pretty off-putting. However, the film also contains two itty-bitty jokes involving a mind-controlled frog and T-Rex that had me laughing so hard, that all of my other misgivings were swept aside. Yep, I'm a sucker for that singular brand of cartoon humor that's featured heavily in Disney flicks like "The Emperor's New Groove," so I was completely won over. I'm upset that I didn't have the chance to catch this movie at the theater in 3-D (from what I've read online, that was really the optimal way to see it). A bit of a mess, but an enjoyable one. Oh, and it has a noticeably good soundtrack too.

SUPERMAN DOOMSDAY – I'm not overly fond of reading the current wave of DC comics, but I loved the Death of Superman storyline back in the early 90's, especially the aftermath (Reign of the Supermen totally ruled). I'm a devoted fan of all DC film franchises and of their animated series ("Batman TAS," "Superman TAS," and both incarnations of "Justice League" were simply some of the best shows on television EVER). All of that being said, my expectations for Warner Bros. Animation Studios are pretty high (their fault, really; they set the bar waaay up there). Perhaps it was inevitable, then, that I would be so disappointed with this straight-to-DVD effort. The creators have taken great pains to make this feature-length movie a hodgepodge of elements from the comic books, films, animated series, and even "Smallville." This might work for a Superman newbie, but a for a relatively well-versed viewer (okay, for a nit-picking geek like me), the whole enterprise is a self-contradicting and deeply unsatisfying mess. The animation, while better than most Saturday morning fare, is still nowhere near as good as what preceded it. For example, Supes is inexplicably given the cheekbones of a cigar store Indian. It's a small creative choice, I guess, but one that's so distracting that it's almost difficult to look at him. The voice talent is an impressive roster of top notch performers, but the material just isn't worthy. Skip it.

On to a quick smattering of television reviews:

HEROES – Okay, so things are DEFINITELY picking up. Great revelations about Matt Parker's dad (the Nightmare Man). I loved the fight/dream sequence between Matt and Nathan Patrelli last week. What the heck is up with Nathan seeing that scarred reflection of himself everywhere? Very creepy and intriguing. Hiro and Peter Patrelli's current storylines have finally wound down (Huzzah!). Claire (who I loved last season) is on my last nerve right now. West is such a scary stalker, how can she not see it? Mohinder completely falling apart and telling Bob that he's a double agent: eh, I don't buy it. Oh no, Niki's patient zero now for the hero-killing virus (telling you now, she better not die). And finally, Kensei is revealed as the mastermind behind the culling of the Company's original leaders. I totally guessed it, but that didn't make it any less satisfying. Fun stuff, and next week's episode looks AWESOME (like what they should have started this season with). I'm loving this show again! Yatta!

PUSHING DAISIES – Another musical sequence! Kirstin Chenoweth and Ellen Greene chirping out "Birdhouse in your Soul" by They Might Be Giants! Frakking GENIUS! I have to admit though, I AM beginning to wonder if I'll get tired of Lee Pace staring at his feet as he smiles wistfully, but for now it's just heaven. Due to drunken costumed revelry, I missed the Halloween episode last week. I'll have to catch it on the official website. Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet.

BIONIC WOMAN – I'm throwing in the bionic towel on this one. One of my coworkers is an avid fan of this show, and I'll rely on him to keep me up to date. Maybe I'll join in if things pick up. Until Oscar Goldman, Steve Austin, or the Femmebots make their grand entrance, I'm out.

Finally a tiny smidgen of movie news:

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (2008) – Yep, they're remaking the classic black & white 1951 scifi movie. The remake has had Keanu Reeves attached to it as the main lead for some time now, and the studio has just signed on Jennifer Connelly to star in the Patricia Neal role. Kathy Bates is in negotiations. For those of you who haven't seen the original flick, the plot is a pretty familiar one. Benevolent and enlightened aliens (who also happen to be trigger-happy, impatient, and all-powerful) offer humanity a choice between peaceful existence or complete destruction. This theme has been used numerous times in scifi, most notably in "The Abyss." The original film (which I just adore) is so innocent, cerebral, and, well, talky. I wonder what an amped-up 21st century version will focus on? Will it be a smart chatfest like "Gattaca" or will it be "The Abyss 2: Electric Boogaloo?" Cameras start rolling next month. Klaatu Barada Nikto!

STAR TREK (2008) - Pine and Urban are in as Kirk and McCoy. Wheew! They barely have enough time to get fitted for their velour shirts and Federation booties before cameras start rolling on Wednesday, November 7th (THIS WEEK!). The movie's release date is Christmas 2008. Live long and prosper.

Until next week.

Hera, give me strength!