The Flickcast – Page 457 of 1030 – Stuff Nerds Love

Film Review: ‘Thor’ – Nat’s Take

Posted on May 7, 2011

I’m more interested in coming up with cheap puns that could’ve titled this review were it not for the fact that we have formats to follow regarding the titles, so, no matter how awesome it would be to call it “THORing” or “This Movie Is Asgard,” I can’t. (“Thor: A sNORSE-fest” would be good, too.)

Thor (Chris Hemsworth), for those of you who skipped the Norse mythology part of your childhood or avoided the comic (does anyone know a die-hard Thor fan? I’ve been told they exist, but then people say there’s some dedicated Hulk and Dr. Strange fans, too), is the Norse god of thunder and son to Odin (Anthony Hopkins), king of Asgard, an alien planet or alternate plane of existence (I’m not entirely sure).

A thousand or so years ago the Asgardians fought the frost giants, led by Laufey (Colm Feore), to protect earth and preserve something called the Casket of Ancient Winters. Fast-forward to the present, when those knucklehead frost giants are at it again. This time they invade Asgard to back steal the casket, and Thor disobeys his father when he travels to Jotunheim to rough up Laufey.

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Reminder: Saturday Is Free Comic Book Day!

Posted on May 6, 2011

Even though you probably already know, the first Saturday in May (that’s tomorrow or today, depending on when you read this) is a great day for comic book fans everywhere. Why? Well, its Free Comic Book Day of course!

What does that mean? It means that you can walk into any participating comic book store in your area, grab some free comics and then leave, go home and enjoy reading them. That’s it. No muss, no fuss.

Free as in free beer. And who doesn’t love free?

You can check out the list of free comic books for this year—including an origin special for Robert Kirkman’s Super Dinosaur, and then look for stores in your area that are participating. In addition to all the great free comics, its always nice to help out the comic shop owner a bit by actually buying a few things too.

You don’t have to by anything, though, its just a nice thing to do. Lots of stores put a bunch of stuff on sale too so that’s a bonus.

No matter what, be sure to get out there and have some fun. After all, fun is what comics are all about, right?

Film Review: ‘Something Borrowed’

Posted on May 6, 2011

Buyer beware: if you haven’t read Emily Giffin’s book, it is likely that this film adaptation will fall flat. Those who have read the novel will be pleasantly surprised to see the world of Rachel, Darcy, and Dex wonderfully brought to life. This is the rare book adaptation that was perfectly cast, and should please the fans.

However, without the back story of the novel, you are likely to be confused or even annoyed by the love/hate relationship of the title characters. For the uninitiated, Something Borrowed is the tale of Rachel, an attorney who is not particularly happy with her job, and is perpetually single. She has lived in the shadow of her best friend Darcy, a beautiful party girl who lives a charmed existence, for most of her life.

Rachel became pals with Dex during law school, and has nursed a crush on him since day one. Lacking the confidence to divulge her true feelings to Dex, Rachel steps aside and lets a romance brew between Darcy and Dex. It’s a decision that will come back to haunt her.

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Get Your First Look at Marvel Comics’ Reboot of Ghost Rider In ‘Ghost Rider 0.1′

Posted on May 6, 2011

Unfortunately, I’ve never been much of a fan of Marvel’s Ghost Rider. Even if I had tried to give the character a chance, which I did, any interest I had in it was effectively destroyed by Nicholas Cage’s portrayal of him in the Ghost Rider movie.

Although, as bad as Cage is, we can’t lay all the blame at his feet. The film’s writing and direction, both curtesy of Mark Steven Johnson (who also did Elektra and Daredevil, which should tell you something) are also to blame.

Given all that, it makes sense that Marvel is trying to reboot the character, at least in comics, with the upcoming release of Ghost Rider 0.1. According to Marvel, this comic will be “a bold new beginning for Ghost Rider amidst the chaos of Fear Itself.”

But wait, there’s more: “From the newly exclusive creative team of writer Rob Williams and artist Matthew Clark, Johnny Blaze has finally found a way to defeat the demon within and undo his pact for power. But can he allow himself to ‘Give Up The Ghost’? Find out in this special POINT ONE issue as Vengeance rides in a new direction and scorches the Marvel Universe like never before.”

Yes, I’m still a bit skeptical. But looking at these new images and reading a bit about the story of this comic, I gotta say I’m inclined to give this character, and this book, a second chance. See, Nicholas Cage can’t destroy everything.

Check out the preview images after the jump. The brand new Ghost Rider 0.1 hits comic store shelves on June 8th.

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TV RECAP: ‘The Office: Inner Circle’

Posted on May 6, 2011

Inner Circle should be best remembered for giving unto the world “Bad Boys,” the song that has, for some 20 years, opened COPS. My father so loved that song that he actually bought a tape of Inner Circle’s greatest hits, doubtless the only reggae music he has or ever will purchase, and I remember taking long trips through the east side of Saginaw (the most violent portion of the most violent city in America) listening to him sing along—even the incomprehensible lyrics (“You ‘chock’ it on this one, you ‘chock’ it on that one, you ‘chock’ it on your mother and you ‘chock’ it on your father”).

Years later, to me at least, “inner circle” meant the part in TIE Fighter when Thrawn is promoted to Grand Admiral (Battle Ten). I don’t think I ever made it to that part, but there was a cheat that allowed you to see all the killer cutscenes. Damn fine game.

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Roger Corman’s Classic Sci-Fi ‘Battle Beyond the Stars’ Coming to 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray and DVD

Posted on May 6, 2011

What makes a movie a classic? Is it some kind of social significance? Or, is it what the movie meant to people when it first came out? Or maybe its just fondly remembered for its amazing cheesiness and being so bad its good? I’m pretty sure Roger Corman’s Battle Beyond the Stars falls into that last category.

However, even if it happens to be made of 100% real cheese, that doesn’t stop it from also begin pretty awesome and, shall we say it, a classic. Now this film is getting the Blu-ray and DVD treatment it deserves with a super special 30th anniversary edition, soon to be released by Shout! Factory.

To begin to understand the scope of this film’s cult classic status, you have to take a look at the people involved in it. They represent some of the biggest names working in movies today. Back then, they were just a bunch of kids with an idea for a space movie.

Here’s a small list of those involved. See if you recognize any of the names: John Sayles, Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, George Peppard, John Saxon, James Horner, Gale Anne Hurd and, of course, Roger Corman. Oh yeah, James cameron also did the special effects for the movie. He’s come a long way since then.

Click throuhg for the full info from Shout! Factory. Look for Battle Beyond the Stars in stores on June 12th. Also after the break we’ve included the original trailer for the film as well. It’s not great quality but watch it and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.

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Film Review: ‘Thor’

Posted on May 6, 2011

Truth be known, this isn’t the review I wanted to write. Trust me, it would be a lot easier to heap glowing praise on this over-hyped tale of a Norse God who is banished to earth, but the movie just wasn’t my cup of mead.

I’m convinced someone must have messed with my 3D glasses. Based on ecstatic word of mouth, I should have seen a thrilling, well executed, well acted, and good looking film. Instead, I saw a dull, erratically paced film with gaudy set pieces, tacky costumes, and inconsistent writing.

Admittedly, I am no master of the Marvel universe, so take that with a grain of salt. However, I am game, and have enjoyed several of the movies culled from their stable of superheroes in recent years.  Throw director Kenneth Branagh into the mix, and I am not only intrigued, but a little giddy. I guess that might be part of the reason I was so disappointed in the film; I expected better with Branaugh at the helm.

The film tells the story of Thor, a Norse God who wields a mighty wicked hammer as his weapon of choice against the bad guys. Thor resides in the realm of Asgard, and he is a sure shot to take over the throne from his aging father Odin (Anthony Hopkins).

Odin has maintained peace between his kingdom and the Frost Giants, a rival population, for years.  When they threaten to infiltrate Asgard, Thor makes a hasty decision to attack the Frost Giants. This infuriates his father, who banishes Thor to Earth, and strips Thor’s hammer of any real power.

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Tom Welling Talks About the End of ‘Smallville’

Posted on May 6, 2011

In case you’ve not been paying attention recently, the ten year run of Smallville is coming to an end next Friday with a two hour blockbuster finale. As much of a bummer as this is for fans of the show, it turns out the cast, led by Tom Welling, is pretty broken up about it too.

Welling, who plays Clark Kent on the show, spoke to Zap2it about the end of Smallville and dropped some clues about what to expect as the series finishes its run.

“I think people will feel fulfilled, but it’s going to be bittersweet,” he said. “If someone has been watching the show for 10 years, it’s coming to an end, and that’s never a fun thing . . .You always want more, but the reality is that it can’t go on forever.”

You do always want more. That’s for sure. Welling went on to explain that they ended up filming the finale in a rather different way than other series.

“We shot the actual finale as our third-to-last episode,” he said. “We shot two more episodes, then shot the first part of the finale last. It gave us the opportunity to take a look at what would be the last image of the show in post-production and make any changes or adaptations to it. It didn’t necessarily take the emotional pressure off us, but the time pressure.”

Speaking about filming the very end, he said, “As we were shooting it, everyone’s senses were heightened. People were flying up from L.A. [to Vancouver, where the show has been made] to supervise and make sure everyone who had to make a decision was there. Everybody was just really excited, and the energy level went up.”

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