Carly's Thoughts on Thor

Hello everyone! Back again with another movie review! Woo woo!

The God of Douchebaggery.

Over the weekend in addition to Red State, The Editor and I also sat down and watched Thor. My thoughts? The movie was disappointing at worst and wildly mediocre at best. I'm going to preface this by saying that everyone I know personally told me that it was a great movie. I really need to stop getting my hopes up about movies. Or at very least stop listening to my friends.

I was expecting this movie to be much more substantial than it was. I was totally enjoying hanging out in Asgard, but then Thor had to turn into a total douche and get banished to Earth. Thank God Natalie Portman was there to save the day!  I was loving the fact that she was hysterical when he left to go back to Asgard, and that she's working on a way to bring him back to Earth. You knew the guy for like, 12 hours, and for all you knew he was a homeless schitzo. Behavior like that merits at least a little under the bra action.You guys didn't even get to second base.

I guess what it came down to was the fact that Thor was basically every guy I dated up until I was 23 or 24. The pretty guy who was popular in high school who still thinks he's hot shit 10 years after the fact, did whatever the Hell he wanted to do and treated me like I was an idiot. Yet, when I banished him from my life that's when he was sorry. Well, fuck you Thor, you're kind of a dick.

I also liked when he went back to Asgard and was all "Oh Loki, I've changed, please believe me!". Loki isn't falling for that shit. Loki is a trickster. He will not be fooled that easily. Also, at what point did Thor change? When the chick he knew for five minutes looked into his eyes? Or when he saw the garbage incinerator monster destroying the town? I mean, you can be upset about the town getting attacked, but you kinda did the same thing to the Frost Giants, amiright? Then you expect the King Frost Giant to just be like "No worries, it's all good. It's no big deal that you killed a bunch of my people and came into my realm and started a war. Whatev.". Life doesn't work that way.

I get it, Thor was one of those movies where I wasn't supposed to think. I was supposed to shut off my brain and just enjoy it. I was thinking way too much about it, and for that I apologize. I have yet to watch Captain America, but I'm pretty sure I'll like that better.From what I understand it's more or less a period piece, and it's the classic underdog story, as opposed to Thor where you start out as a douche, and end up as a slightly less douchey douche.

I guess I just don't really care about Thor as a character. Never have, probably never will. I suppose that's where the disconnect comes from. I'm also slightly bitter that he scored a part in The Avengers, but my beloved Ms. Marvel was left out in the cold.

I understand where people would like the movie. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it, I just wanted a little more substance behind it. My favorite part about the movie (besides looking at how beautiful the computer generated Asgard and Bifrost Bridge) was muttering "As you wiiiiiiiiish..." to The Editor every time Fandral came on the screen. That goatee brought back so many great childhood memories...

I am not the dread pirate Roberts

I know Evan T. is going to be pissed about my assessment, but to that I say, we're all entitled to our own opinion. However, I think at the end of the day we can both agree that Sif is pretty hot.

Carly's Thoughts on Red State and Kevin Smith

**Some spoilers ahead**

Over the fabulously rainy Upstate New York Labor Day holiday, we decided to sit down and watch a couple of movies. This week I'll be reviewing some of the movies and some TV I've been watching. Sorry if my post is full of grammatical errors, I'm still half asleep. Hopefully The Editor will take care of some of that in post for me!

Unbeknownst to me until late last week, Kevin Smith decided to take his new movie Red State to OnDemand this weekend. Last night Cara M., Evan T., The Editor and myself watched it, and there was somewhat of a split on where things stood.

If you haven't heard about it, Red State is Kev Smith's foray into a new genre of movies for himself. Red State is part horror movie, part "dick and fart joke" comedy, and part action flick. It's basically about three teenage guys who contact someone looking for sex (insert dick and fart jokes), go to meet her, and basically get kidnapped by what is the Westboro Baptist Church (the God Hates Fags people) with guns. It doesn't take the boys long to figure out that the Five Points Church are behind at least one murder in their town, and figure out that they're the next ones to die. Enter John Goodman as the ATF agent who is brought in to take the Five Points compound down for purchasing some illegal weapons.

When the Feds show up, Five Points Church begins to open fire on them. Goodman's character who is torn by what to do at the compound when he is given the order to breach perimeter and kill everyone inside. I don't want to give too much away, so I won't. The only thing I can say is that there were a few "Holy shit. I didn't see that coming!" moments. 

Overall, The Editor and I really dug the movie. It was quick (90 minutes) and to the point. There wasn't really a whole lot of time to be bored or over analyze anything thanks to Smith's fast dialogue and quick camera changes. Michael Parks' delivers an Oscar winning performance as Pastor Abin Cooper. He plays such a chilling role that you'll hear him singing hymns in your dreams, and it'll definitely make you think twice about hooking up with someone off the internet.

As previously stated, this was Smith's attempt to create a movie that was unlike any of his others. I think he did a great job at that. Sure, there were sprinklings of Kevin Smith in some of the dialogue, but overall, the whole tone was different. The cinematography was brilliant, and the dialogue was short but said what it needed to say. Evan T. made the point that you didn't really care about any of the characters, and I suppose that is true, however, that didn't make the movie any less enjoyable to me. 

Kevin Smith basically did everything himself for this movie as well. He tends to be a self-important ass at times and as much as Red State was a "fuck you" to Hollywood and movie critics it was just as much made to pump his own ego. I like the guy, I just think that he thinks he's much more interesting than he is. 

Keeping himself out of the movie studios meant that Smith could do a lot more with a lot less. He's been using the Smodcast Podcast network and social media to promote the movie, as opposed to traditional movie previews on TV. Evan T. took a bit of an issue with the fact that Smith is essentially just promoting the movie to his own fans, and to that my response was "Why shouldn't he?". Kevin Smith is one of those directors, like Spike Lee or Quentin Tarentino, where people either really like their movies, or don't. Smith has had a reputation for making movies that don't appeal to a wide audience and are somewhat juvenile. I guess my point is, what is the point of trying to convince people who don't care for your work to care for it? There are a lot of people in the country who could watch the trailer and love it, but as soon as they see Kevin Smiths' name attached to it decide they would rather not see it. On the flip side of that he has nearly two million Twitter fans willing to watch his movie, so why not promote to them, and hope they can turn their friends on to it?

Overall, I really liked the movie. You'll have to watch it yourself and decide what you think, as I am not a film critic. The movie creeped me out, made me laugh and kept me awake. Smith has said the the 2012 release of his film Hit Somebody (based on the Warren Zevon song) will be his last movie. He has also said that Hit Somebody will be yet another genre of movie you haven't seen him do before. I'm very excited to see what he has in store for us in the future.

Red State open nationwide in theaters September 23, 2011.

I'm alive!

Hey kiddies! I'm not dead. Sorry if I had you worried. I've been taking some much needed time off. Go figure that when you pair sleep deprivation with a screaming child your brain shuts down. I literally have not had a clear thought for weeks. I'm working on some topics for future posts, just bear with me until I lock it down, and get myself into a regular routine again. I've got some reviews coming up, as well as some posts to be forthcoming from The Editor and Evan T. It's almost con season too, so you can bet that will get my brain going again too. I just wanted to let you know I was okay, so for today all I have to offer is the Tumbeast. Please enjoy the Tumbeast.

HIYAH! Fruit Ninja for Kinect!

So, the editor told me about this super sweet game available in Xbox Arcade the other day. I had no idea that it was also an app! The game is Fruit Ninja, and it's awesome. I guess on the app, you slice fruit with your finger or whatever, but with the Kinect, you slice fruit WITH YOUR WHOLE BODY. I have no idea why karate chopping fruit is so satisfying, but it had me yelling things like "FU strawberry!", loud enough for the neighbors to hear. If you're looking for a super fun, super satisfying $10 game for the Kinect, I HIGHLY recommend Fruit Ninja.

We're on a (Cardboard) Boat!

So, over the weekend, The Editor and I did one of our favorite annual Summer things: The Cardboard Boat Race in Schyulerville, NY. It's in the middle of nowhere, and you have to get into the Husdon River (but not the gross part), and this was my second year, and I LOVE it. Last year our team got most enthusiastic because although we didn't win, we did have some spirit. We even rescued a couple of capsized kids! First, I'll post the picture from last years race, and then I'll post pics from this years race, where our boat defied physics and managed to take first place in our category, which was On-site Cardboard Boat. We made the entire thing of cardboard and duct tape, and it was amazing.

The 2010 boat. As you can see, it sunk, so we used it as a kickboard.

It was basically a queen sized mattress box, and some duct taped edges. Yup, that's about it!

The Editor (right) hard at work.

Bigby guarding our number and looking menacing

This is what it looks like when the announcer says "35 minutes of build time left!"

Action photo 1

Action photo 2

While everyone else is hard at work, me and Baby Bot were doing this.

Getting ready to launch the SS POS. (I'm in the red trunks, The Editor is on photography)

Right after we passed, and subsequently took out, a 13 year old

On our way back to the shore. Notice the utter lack of competition, they all cowered in fear!

And the SS POS takes first place!

The Cardboard Boat Race is always a great time, so if you live locally (or are willing to travel) we're always looking for more sailors! OR of you would rather build your own boat to race US, you're more than welcome to do that as well. For more info on CBBR, check out the Hudson Crossing CBBR page HERE


For some comic relief, here is the 2010 CBBR video. You can see us sink at 2:40!

Carly Professes her Love for Falling Skies

I have yet another TV recommendation for all of you! I figure since the Summer shows are starting to wind down, and the Fall shows haven't started yet, maybe you'd like a nice post-apocalyptic thriller while you're waiting for The Walking Dead to come back. The show I'm talking about is Falling Skies.



On the surface, the story of Falling Skies looks a little like The Walking Dead, but I assure you, it's not. Falling Skies is a post-apocalyptic story about aliens. Basically, the aliens come, take out the major cities, then start going after who is next. As they're taking over our world, there are survivors who are creating a resistance. However, the aliens have managed to save our children, and use mind control to use the kids however they'd like. It's the perfect weapon, because no one wants to shoot a kid. The resistance manages to "save" a few of the children, and remove their harnesses (mind control devices), but not without consequence. It seems that some of the children die when the harness is removed, and those who have been wearing the harness longer have been permanently changed.

The resistance comes across others, who are not too keen to join the resistance, but through a matter of happenstance do, but not necessarily willingly.  We also watch the build up and melt down of a few of the strong characters, which I found very intriguing. We leave off the end of the season by going to war against the forces that have raped and pillaged our planet.

I'm trying to be relatively vague about what happens, just in case this convinces you to watch it. The story mainly  focuses on the Mason family. Tom Mason (Noah Wylie) is a father, whose wife was killed by the aliens. He has three sons. One is 16, and is a fighter in the resistance along side him, one who has been harnessed, and the harness has been removed, and the youngest who is smarter than he gets credit for. Noah Wylie's character was a history professor before the war started, so he is somewhat  of a war strategist. Listening to him talk about history gets a little daunting at times, but if you laugh it off (or turn it into a drinking game) it works.

All in all, I found it to be a very fun, very real show. It's full of humanity and the human spirit, and for TNT, the CGI was even pretty good. Dare I say, better than SyFy's. You should check it out, I think you'd like it.

Big Shiny True Blood Review

Hey guys! Since it's become a total bitch for me to try and maintain two writing gigs AND a baby, I've decided that the days I post on BSR, I probably won't post on here. HOWEVER, I will send you the link to BSR, so that you can still enjoy me :-)

Check out my Big Shiny review HERE!

Hot Nerd of the Week: Eve Myles!

In keeping up with my "Hotties of the UK" segment, I have to put up my girl Eve Myles. Eve plays Gwen cooper in the Dr. Who spin off, Torchwood. She's a total badass, especially in the newest installment of the show, where she plays a badass agent, as well as a badass wife and mom.

This Welsh hottie was born in Wales in 1978. As a kid, she had a huge passion for boxing, but she had to give it up after breaking her knuckles. After high school she attended the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff, where she received a BA in acting.

Eve had small roles in shows like Merlin and Dr. Who, but her big break came in 2000 when she was cast as Ceri Owen in the BBC Wales drama Belonging. She stayed with the show all the way until its end in 2009.

In 2006 Eve took on the role that would launch her into nerdom with her role as Gwen Cooper in Torchwood. The fourth series of the show began this Summer on Starz, taking Gwen Cooper and Captain Jack to the US.

Eve's amazing accent, plus her ability to be completely kick ass is the reason I chose her for this week's Hot Nerd!

Hot Nerd of the Week: Karen Gillan

This one is probably going to get me a response from my fellow Dr. Who lover, Evan T., who is totally in love with Billie Piper. Karen Gillan is the companion of the 11th Doctor of Dr. Who, and quite possibly the hottest ginger on the planet.

Born and raised in Inverness, Scotland, Karen was an only child. She learned how to play the piano at age 7, and developed a huge love of acting as a child. At age 16 she began studying acting at Telford College in Edinburgh. At 18, she moved to London, and her beauty was soon noticed.

In 2007, Karen began modeling, and took on a few small television roles. Her big break came in 2010 when she was cast as the 11th Doctors companion.

Karen has quickly become a Comic-Con favorite, as well as a favorite of Dr. Who fans. She and Matt Smith are also portrayed in a comic book of the same name published by IDW. With her fabulous looks, and witty personality, this girl has no place to go but up, and that is why I chose her as this week's Hot Nerd.

Saturday Awesomeness!

Happy Saturday! Avengers Assemble is back!!

Movie Trailer of the Day: Red State

So, Smodcast Productions just released and all new Red Band trailer for Red State that premieres in October. This is Kevin Smith's newest movie, and you'll notice it looks NOTHING like previous films from the director. Check out the trailer and hopefully you'll be as excited about this as I am!

100,000!

Hey everyone! Last night we hit 100,000 views on the blog, which I consider a HUGE milestone. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who read, and enjoy regularly. I love having an outlet for my nerdiness, and I love being able to (hopefully) bring a smile to your face. Thank you all so much for reading!

Wacky Wednesday: Movies

So, with SDCC finally behind us, there are a few things nagging at me. Mostly it's just the rumors I hear about more stupid movies that are going to be made. I mean, currently in the pipeline we have Battleship and Candyland which are both movies based on fucking boardgames from when I was 7. This will continue to displease me until they decide to sign on for a "Pretty Pretty Princess" movie as well as a "Mousetrap" or "Jenga" movie. What am I talking about? The "Mousetrap" movie would never work. God knows the shitty game never did.

I feel like Hollywood is taking a "throw shit against the wall and see what sticks" mentality to movies now. I guess my thought is, instead of making 300 awful movies, why not just make a few really good ones? Instead of shitting all over my childhood (The Smurfs movie, anyone?), try coming up with a few original ideas. Oh wait, there are none of those left, and that is exactly why we're bombarded with a billion sequels.

What got me off on this anger march is the fact that there were two things confirmed at SDCC this year that really rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not sure why I've become so enraged about them, but I'll let you read the confirmations, then you decide whether I am entitled to be legitimately annoyed. 

Jurassic Park 4. Yes, that's right. Steven Spielberg confirmed that there will, in fact, be a JP4. My initial reaction was "Why?" followed by "Wait, they made a Jurassic Park 3?" I guess this kinda falls under the category of "Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD". I mean, the mere fact that I told more than one person about this project, and I wasn't the only one in the room to forget about JP3, should say something about the franchise. I mean, I UNDERSTAND why he's doing it. The technology is better, it's been regarded as a relatively successful franchise (at least the first two), and last, but not least, he's Steven f'n Spielberg, so any studio who wanted a big payday would gladly take on the project. I'm not sure why this annoys me so much. It could be that I was up at 6 with a screaming baby, or the mere fact that I feel like it's a total cop-out, but this whole thing irritates me. But that's not the only irritating thing to come from Comic-Con, so let's look at the next thing...

Captain Planet: The Movie. *SCHWING!* That was the sound of a million nerds (and a few non-nerds) getting a big 'ol boner over a movie that will be shitty. Again, let's take all of the great memories of things from my childhood and completely ruin them. As a kid, I LOVED Captain Planet. I was probably one of the biggest fans ever of that show. My sister and I would even pretend we were Planeteers. They were great memories, and that is where I wish for them to remain. Untainted memories form my 8 year old brain. Hey, that rhymed! This is just another project that shouldn't exist. I mean, look at the guy for crying out loud! We're going to make him into a LIVE ACTION movie? I mean, with THAT haircut and THOSE underpants, and the fact that he hangs out with children is going to make him look like a total pedophile.

I guess at the end of the day, I can be irritated about it, but there is nothing I can do about it. There are so few original ideas out there now, that if they can reboot a series, slap another number onto a franchise, or get ideas from beloved books, good on them. It doesn't mean that I have to watch.

Now that I am sufficiently through ranting, I will leave you with the following video, because God knows you've had that ridiculous theme song in your head since you read the words Captain Planet.

Hot Nerd of the Week: Clark Duke!

This is one of my most favorite people of all time. He's just starting to hit it bigtime now, but I've been following him for a few years now, and he can make me laugh without fail.

Best known as Michael Cera's real-life best friend, Clark Duke was born and raised in Glenwood, Arkansas. After high school, Clark attended Loyola University where, for his thesis, he wrote, directed and produced the web series "Clark and Michael", where he and Michael Cera play fictional versions of themselves.

CLARK AND MICHAEL - Eggs for Breakfast - watch more funny videos

Over the years, Clark has gained recognition in the acting world. In 1992, he was nominated for a Young Actors Award as an "Outstanding Actor Under Ten in a Television Series" for his role in Hearts Afire.

In 2007, Clark scored the recurring role of Dale Kettlewell on the television show Greek.

In 2008, Clark starred in the "Funny or Die" classic Drunk History vol 2. Where he gained much more recognition, especially among comedic actors.

Drunk History vol. 2 - Featuring Jack Black from Jack Black

Also in 2008, Clark co-starred in his first major motion picture, Sex Drive. In 2010, he co-starred in two of my favorite movies, Kick-Ass and Hot Tub Time Machine.

Clark is currently working on the movie A Thousand Words starring Eddie Murphy.

Although there is not a whole lot about Clark's personal life available, he's got a TON of nerd appeal. That, joined with his ability to make me laugh no matter what he;s in is the reason that Clark Duke is this week's Hot Nerd!

Evan T. Reviews Captain America!

Note from Carly- I honestly had every intention of posting a new Hot Nerd today, but I'm going to push it off until tomorrow, so that we can look at Evan T's review of "Captain America: The First Avenger" while the topic is still relevant. Enjoy!

P.S. To Evan T. - Remember that $5 bet you and The Editor made about Cap vs. Thor? I think you'll be wanting to make sure you have that $5 on hand ;-)

Evan T. at the Movies!
 

 
Ok. Kiddies, I saw a little movie called "Captain America: The First Avenger". Twice. It was fantastic. And here is why...

Cap (Aka Chris Evans) Works so Well -  I was skeptical, like most, when Mr. Evans was cast. I had seen him in the Fantastic Four movies, Not Another Teen Movie, Cellular, and The Losers (if you haven't seen the last two, do yourself a favor and check them out) and didn't know if he could be my Steve Rogers. He does it and really does it well. Between some of the best special effects I have ever, EVER seen and the performance by Mr. Evans it all adds up to awesome. He did a amazing job and I cannot wait to see him as Cap again. This is the Cap I have waited for.

Holy Cow Does Marvel Know How to Pick Directors - So Joe Johnston was picked to helm this movie. He had previous experience directing October Sky and The Rocketeer ( A grossly undervalued movie) and he knocks it out of the park here. The whole movie, from the beginning in the present to the majority in 1942, everything works to perfection. Mr. Johnston has had "Pulp" hero experience and he uses that to his full advantage in Captain America. It works, so well.

Captain America Does NOT Try to Re-invent the Wheel - So, I watch a lot of cooking shows. They often say executing a complex dish is less complicated than executing a simple dish to perfection. I feel like Captain America did not try anything I haven't seen. Rather, they did a simple story and did it to perfection. From cast ( Listen, Tommy Lee Jones, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Toby Jones, Neal McDonough, Stanley Tucci and Derek Luke are all SUPPORTING ACTORS!!!. These people are stars in their own right and they are the supporting cast people!) to story, effect and pacing, everything is executed to perfection. They know their story has been told before. They just tell it better. 

Seriously, go see this movie. Marvel is on some kind of roll with their last few movies and man, I am ready for The Avengers.

**SPOILER**

Ok, so when you sit through the movie, past the credits, you will see a preview for 2012's Avengers movie. Holy Cow Awesome Sauce Fantastico Amazing! Seeing the heroes all together for the first time on a big screen is worth the 11 bucks alone. Seriously, are you not entertained?

Catching Up With Carly

Hey everyone! This week is my unofficial comeback! I finally think I have the kid in enough of a routine (HA!) that I can FINALLY get in some writing... I thought since today is Sunday, and generally a low-traffic day, that I'd catch you up on what's been going on with me the past few weeks. I'll do it bulletin point style :-) I'll be back tomorrow with a brand new "Hot Nerd of the Week", as well as a link to my Big Shiny Robot "True Blood Review". Without further adieu, here has been what I've been up to since July 7th...

* Had a baby on July 8th

* Learned that babies really DO go through about 15 diapers (or more a day), as they are little shit factories

* Have watched the Summer premier of season 2 of "Homes From Hell" and season 1 of "Restoration Home"

* Discovered (much to my dismay) that I am now in the key demographic for people who watch "Good Morning America"

* Started watching "Torchwood" on Starz, and even though I LOVED "Torchwood" on BBC, the Starz version is currently rocking my world

*Almost finished "Deadwood". I only have one episode left to watch and I'm super sad about that, so I'm trying to delay watching it, because I can't come to terms with the fact that it went off the air four years ago...

* Begun watching "The Sopranos", and I feel like, if Italian Americans have a problem with "Jersey Shore", they HAD to have had a problem with "The Sopranos"

* Ordered a shit-load of clothes off the internet so I wouldn't have to go out in the disgusting heat

* Discovered that I have "Mommy-vision" while driving now. This amazing ability allows me to spot shitty drivers from a mile away

* Watched "Arrested Development" for the 10,128th time

Last but not least....

* I FINALLY broke 10,000 gamer points on XBox. I did it while playing "X-Men Arcade"

I know it looks like I've just been watching TV until my eyeballs fall out, but that's only because I have been, When the heat index has been over 100 degrees for the last week, the last thing on my mind is doing anything other than A) going swimming or B) leaving the confines of my central air.

Hope you all have a lovely day, and I'll be back tomorrow! Hopefully, I can even talk Evan T. into a couple of reviews this week :-)

Updates!

Hey there everyone! Sorry I haven't been more attentive lately, life with the baby bot is a killer, and the second I get a free moment to myself, I'm trying to brush my teeth or throw in a load of laundry... I'll be back regularly as soon as I get myself into some sort of sleep rythm, and am not completely brain dead. I plan on going to see "Captain America" this weekend (don't worry, I'll be having the grandparents watch el bebah, I'm not that asshole who brings their kid to the movies), so we should have a review on that soon. I'll also be getting back to my weekly columns at Big Shiny Robot next week as well, so fear not! I have not abandoned you, I'm just adjusting at the moment :-) Just wanted to let you know what's going on, and I promise I'll be back on a regular schedule soon! xo

Programming Note

Hey everyone! Sorry to be scarce for the last few days, but big things have been happening... The Editor and I welcomed the newest member of our family into the world on Friday, so things have been a little hectic.. Evan T. will be covering a few things for me over the next few weeks, and I'll post when I'm able to. Hope you all had a great weekend, and without further adieu, I'd like you to meet Riley! 

Saccheraferious Thursday: Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles Edition

Happy Thursday everyone! I thought for today I would feature everyone's favorite heroes in a half shell. Have a great day, and I'll see y'all back here tomorrow!

Superheroes from Around the World: The United Kingdom!

Marvel Comic's Captain Britain, A.K.A Brittanic, A.K.A. Brian Braddock is probably the U.K.'s best known superhero. I say that because I'm in the states and I've heard of him. Created by Chris Claremont and Herb Trimpe, Captain Britain made his first appearance in Captain Britain Weekly #1 in October, 1976. Designed to uphold the laws of Britain, Captain Britain was meant to be the U.K. version of Captain America.

Brian was born and raised in the small town of Maldon, Essex and educated at Fettes College in Edinburg. He was a shy and studious youth, living a relatively quiet life and spending a lot of time with his parents and siblings.

After his parents were killed in a laboratory accident, Brian took a fellowship at Darkmoor nuclear research centre. When the facility is attacked by the technological criminal Joshua Stragg (A.K.A. "The Reaver"), Brian tries to find help by escaping on his motorcycle. Although he crashes his bike in a nearly fatal accident, Merlyn and his daughter, the Omniversal Guardian, Roma appear to the badly injured Brian. They give him the chance to be the superhero Captain Britain. He is offered a choice: the Amulet of Right or the Sword of Might. Considering himself to be no warrior and unsuited for the challenge, he rejects the Sword and chooses the Amulet. This choice transforms Brian Braddock into Captain Britain.

Brian is superhumanly strong, able to lift 90 tons, and possesses enhanced reflexes, stamina and senses. He can also fly up to 770 mph for prolonged periods. He derives his energies from the friction between dimensions, focused in a matrix centered on the U.K., and formerly needed his costume to focus his powers and provide a battery when outside the U.K.; however he may have alleviated this weakness when he briefly severed his mystic connection to the U.K. to empower Kelsey Leigh. As Britannic, he had prophetic visions, tied to memories of experiencing all history while lost in the timeline. He is apparently immune to his sister's psionic powers, though not his elder brother's reality warping abilities.

 

 

Since 1978, Captain Britain has been affiliated with a number of different groups. These groups include: 
MI-13, the Corps, agents of Merlin, champions of Otherworld's Camelot, Pendragons, and Hellfire Club.

You can find more information, as well as a detailed history of Captain Britain HERE at Marvel.com!

Carly on Comics Reviews Some Video Games!

Hello hello! Hope y'all had a great weekend full of awesomeness and fireworks! Last week I promised some video games, and this week I'm delivering. We're going to take a peek at the three games I've been playing as of late, and I'll let you know what I think of each!

Lucha Fury- The first game we're going to look at is the side-scrolling awesomeness for Xbox Live Arcade called "Lucha Fury". This is by far one of the best button mashers I've played in a long time. The press release for the game describes the synopsis as the following:

"In the world of Lucha Fury, the lost, ancient recipe for Pollojo, the nectar of the gods, is discovered by a struggling bar owner, who turns it into a highly successful energy drink. The gods, however, are not so happy about humans stealing their drink, and they set out to reclaim what is theirs - destroying humanity in the process. Four masked luchadores, having never accomplished much of anything in the past, suddenly find themselves without Pollojo and are sparked into battle to take down the old gods and return with their precious energy drink, possibly saving the world along the way."

Basically, there are four different luchador wrestlers to choose from, each with their own skill set and you pick the one you like best. For me, the chick was the obvious choice. The graphics are very colorful and vibrant, and the animation reminds me very much of "Borderlands", which I love. The best part about this game is that you can play local multiplayer with up to four people. In my opinion there are not enough games like that, where if you'd like to have three of your closest friends to play a video game you can all be on the same console playing together. Damn kids today with their online friends... Seriously, get a real live friend or two.  The game will set you back $10, but it's totally worth it for all of the button-mashing fun you'll have with your friends!





Child of Eden- The jury is still out on this one for me. "Child of Eden" is the follow up game to "Rez", which I've never played, but people seem to love. "Child of Eden" can be used with or without a Kinect, but I feel like the experience is better with a Kinect. The synopsis is as follows:

"Child of Eden thrusts you in the center of a battle to save Project Lumi, a mission to reproduce a human personality inside Eden, the archive of all human memories. As the project nears completion, the archive is invaded by an unknown virus. The player's mission is to purify Eden from the virus to restore hope and peace."
Instead of killing things, you "purify" them, and as you do so, you start to realize (when you're using the Kinect) that it feels like you're conducting the world. Each time you "purify" an enemy, there is a different sound fed back to you, so you're essentially making music. I found the game to be a little bit difficult to get used to, and I wish that it had more save spots, so that if I failed 3/4 of the way through a level  I didn't have to go all the way back to the beginning, but other than that, it's certainly an experience unlike any other. I described the game feel as "zen". If you're a big fan of the Kinect, it's certainly a must have.




Heavy Rain- The last game up for review today is "Heavy Rain" for the PS3. I know this one has been out for a while, but I just recently borrowed Evan T's PS3, so give me a break. I love this game. After the first half hour of playing I thought I was going to hate it, then I got submerged deeper into what was going on with the story, and it's pretty f'n amazing. I don't know how to refer to it other than a "choose your own adventure" type story. There are four different characters you're playing as, each at different times, and the story is told based on the decisions you make. It's like playing a movie, if that makes sense. Wikipedia's synopsis of the game is:

"Heavy Rain's story is a dramatic thriller modeled after film noir, featuring four protagonists involved with the mystery of the Origami Killer, a serial killer who uses extended periods of rainfall to drown his victims. Ethan Mars is a father who is trying to save his son from being the next victim, while investigative journalist Madison Paige, FBI profiler Norman Jayden, and private detective Scott Shelby are each trying to track down clues to the Origami Killer's identity."

It's a hauntingly awesome story, and you'll be amazed at how attached you'll get to the characters. If "L.A. Noir" is anything like "Hard Rain", I need to go out and buy a copy STAT.

Happy Independence Weekend!

Yup, I'm taking a mini-vacay! I'll be back on Tuesday with two video game reviews though, so don't worry! That will give you something to look forward to :-) Hopefully you're all looking at weekends that are just like mine, filled with friends, family, UFC and fireworks (literally, or metaphorically). I leave you now with the best thing I could think to post for Independence Day, and as Evan T. would say 'Merica. Catch you guys Tuesday!

With Love, Carly, Evan T. and The Editor

Good day everyone! The Editor, Even T. and I sat down last night and were discussing the blog, and what upcoming things we would like to talk about when it dawned on us that we have never really asked YOU, the readers what you'd like us to cover! Silly us... We're working on making the site better, and we'd like to have your help to do that. Please comment and let us know what you'd like to see more (or less) of, and we'll make it work.

We love hearing from you guys, and we'd like to know what we can do to make your experience a little bit better. :-)

Evan T. Reviews Transformers: Dark of the Moon!

They pushed it up and released it early so you get the early review! Fresh off the midnight release, here's a review.

If you remember from last movie we learned something about the transformers, some government douche doesn't want the Autobots in America, Sams mom says something crraazzyy, Megatron played second banana to a new baddie and Sam yells "Bumblebee" and "Optimus" several times. Now that you are caught up, you're ready for Dark of the Moon. This movie we learn something about the transformers, some government douche doesn't want the Autobots in America,  Sams mom says something crraazzyy, Megatron played second banana to a new baddie and Sam yells "Bumblebee" and "Optimus" several times. Even with that this movie is easily a huge advancement over the last.

The story in this movie is SO much easier to follow and makes the bare minimum of sense required for me to like a movie. There was a new writer for this movie because the the writers (Yeah, two people wrote that last flick) of the last two movies thought they might risk getting stale. One movie too late, guys.

Most of the main characters return with a couple of notable exceptions. The Autobot Twins, Mudflap and Skids, are thankfully absent from this film. As the Jar Jar Binks of this franchise I was happy to see them gone. I was not, however, happy to see Megan Fox gone. I'm a big fan of her, um, her "work". Yeah, her "work" Something went down whether you believe that Micheal "Baysplosions" Bay dropped her or it was The Spielberg himself she's gone and now the female costar is Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and her lips. They do as well as Megan did. Not a whole lot of acting prowess needed but she is good looking. Good work casting agents!

I didn't read a lot about this movie and went in a little blind. I was happy to see Patrick Dempsey (who easily produces the best acting on screen), John Malkovich, Alan Tudyk and Ken Jeong in the film. A fair amount of comedy finds it's way into the movie but it doesn't feel forced. Transformers: Dark of the Moon also steps up the robot carnage with different colored liquids used as blood flying from laser shots and a full on execution of a robot on screen.

Also of note are "The Wreckers", a trio of Autobots who transform into N.A.S.C.A.R. cars that have guns all over them. There is something spectacularly 'Merican about that and I really loved that. Also braking the tradition of import vehicles being Decepticons is Mirage, a Ferrari 458 Italia, who speaks with an Italian accent. So fantastic. Oh, don't worry, there are still import Decepticons, most notably Soundwave who has become a Mercedes SLS AMG. Hmmm, maybe it's just the German automobiles who are evil? Last movie there was Sideswipe, an Audi R8. At least they are bad ass cars...

All in all it was a good film and if you enjoy the series or want a nice action movie check it out.If nothing else, you will see John Malkovich play fight with a giant robot.

BONUS- A few posts back Carly expressed her thoughts on why she doesn't go to see movies in the theater. I understood but I have that same feeling right about now. I had a fantastically obnoxious couple who sat next to me at the midnight showing of the new Transformers movie. I definitely felt enriched by the whole experience. When I thought, before the movie started, that I would have to deal with these two people all night I was unhappy. Then their two friends came in and sat in the row in front of them. The friends gave great thoughts on the need for popcorn and added a interesting smell to the theater. Like cheese and peanut butter. Their running commentary and insightful quips of "Damn", "Wow" and "That's Shockwave. He's a whole big ass robot" really increased my enjoyment of the movie. But not nearly as much as constantly being touched by the fat girlfriend as she lumbered around in her seat. She only knocked my drink bottle over twice. While I wont go Carlys route I will be more careful of where I sit, for sure.

Comic Book Garage Sale!

Good morning! I know I promised you a movie review today, but the movie wasn't really that good to begin with... The Editor and I have been doing a little house cleaning over the last few weeks, and we've managed to get enough comic books around for a pretty big comic book garage sale! There are a lot of really awesome titles in the mix, so be sure to check them out if you're interested. Some of the highlights include:

*Akira
*The Amazing Spider-Man #583 (the one featuring Obama)
*Captain America First Series
*Catwoman Third Series
*Cyberfrog
*Dark Tower
*Deadpool
*Fables
*Huntress
*Identity Crisis
*JLA and JLA Classified
*Justice
*Marvel Superhero Squad
*The New Mutants
*Psylocke
*Robin II
*The Walking Dead
*Wolverine


In addition to these titles, there are like, a bajillion more. Come check out our big sale HERE at Atomic Avenue!

True Blood Season 4!

Good morning everyone! Another Monday, another weekend passed, and me still with child... The new season of True Blood premiered last night,and I have the whole scoop on it! Check it out over at Big Shiny Robot! I'll be back atcha tomorrow with an all new movie review.

Things You Should Be... Friday!

Things You Should Be Listening to...

The Howard Stern Show- Like a fine wine, The Stern Show just keeps getting better with age. It doesn't even matter whether or not they have a hot celeb interview, they keep it entertaining every day. It's my constant source for news and celeb gossip, and every once in a while Benjy does something very entertaining, like throwing himself down a flight of stairs while dressed as a horse or bringing a little lightheartedness to a press conference (Anthony Wiener anyone?). Stick around after The Stern Show for The Wrap Up Show as well, where you'll get a full recap of everything that happened on The Stern Show that day by the guys who work behind the scenes.

Things You Should Be Watching...

Archer- Now that Summer is here, it's a great time to be watching all of those awesome shows you didn't know about during the regular season. Archer is an animated spy-series TV show that features the voice talents of H. Jon Benjamin, Aiysha Tyler, Chris Parnell and like, half the cast of "Arrested Development". It's hilarious.




Sharktopus- Half shark, half octopus, all blood thirsty. This SyFy original movie will blow you away with its horrendous acting and shitty CG. Watch Eric Roberts shed his last ounce of dignity on this "it's so bad it's good" Summer must watch!




Things You Should Be Reading...

The Magneto Testament- One the most amazing Marvel stories I've ever read. If you enjoy a dramatic story, are a history geek like me, and love the X-Men, this is the story for you. Set in Nazi occupied Germany in WWII, the story tells the amazing origin of one of Marvels most beloved antiheroes. After reading this book I thought that there should be a copy of it in every high school history in the country.

Star Wars Role Playing Game Species and Classes Edition- This one is more for myself than you guys, lol. We're balls deep into the "Star Wars" role playing game right now, and being the bad nerd I am, I've never seen "Star Wars".... Now I have to create a back story for my character, and I'm not sure how well that's going to go... She's a Roodian soldier, if anyone wants to help me out with that one ;-)

She looks like this, only a sexy lady version

J.K. Rowling Makes Big (?) Announcement

 The owls have been gathering for about a week now, and J.K. gives us (some) of the information we were looking for... Check out the article I wrote for BSR HERE to see what Pottermore is all about!

Nerding 101: Cycle Counting

It's that time of year again! The time of year where the days are getting longer and hotter, and the kids are home from school. Over here in our household, that means only one thing- cycle counting time! I don't know how I did it, but I just managed to make that sound waaaaaay more exciting than it is.

Cycle counting is when you take alllllll of the comic books you own and go through each and every one. Since The Editor and I have our super spiffy database, we start by printing out a summary of all of the comics we own, and then try to make the summary match what is in the boxes.

We generally do the cycle twice a year. It takes close to five hours for us to do completely, but this time will vary depending on how many comics you own. The Editor and I have somewhere around 8-10k, I believe. Cycle counting is a perfect time to pull any comics that you don't want anymore. Some people have a hard time getting rid of comics, but if you have a series you didn't like as much as you thought you would, or some oddball numbered comics just hanging around, it's better to weed out the old to make room for the new. Nobody likes a hoarder.

After you've pulled out the comics that you would like to get rid of, you can put together a list of what you have and put it up for auction on Atomic Avenue to make a little cash, so you can buy MORE comics. ;-)

Cycle counting is also the perfect time to check the conditions of your bags and boards. If the comics are looking a little beaten, perhaps it's time to get some new protection for them. And if you're one of those people who has unprotected comics, you might as well just put them ALL on Atomic Avenue and start to collect digital comics, because Carly is disappointed in you (I'm sure you're soooooo heartbroken about that).

Anyhoo, that about sums it up. As a comic collector, cycle counting just makes life a little easier knowing what you have in stock. If you have any questions, or are totally lost on what I'm talking about, let me know in the comments! :-)

P.S. Since it's new comic book day, if you're interested in what I'm reading or if you'd like to see some of the new titles for the week, click HERE.

Guess Who is on Twitter?

Answer? ME! After months and months of kicking the idea around, I have finally decided to join the wide world of Twitter. I would like a round of applause for me finally entering a new era of awesomeness. I'm still super new, and really have NO idea what I'm doing on it yet, so be patient. Tips and suggestions of who to follow would be greatly appreciated!

Follow me!

Game of Thrones Season Finale Review

Hey guys! Since I gave you a little "Red Riding Hood" review yesterday, I thought I'd throw a little "Game of Thrones" love towards Big Shiny Robot today. Below is the link to my article for the season finale review! Caution: Spoilers ahead!

Game of Thrones Season Finale

Movie Review: Red Riding Hood

Okay, so I finally got around to watching "Red Riding Hood". I wanted to see it in the theaters, but as we all know, it's VERY difficult, if not impossible to get the Carlymonster into an actual theater to see a movie. Also, the reviews came back saying it was TERRIBLE, so I put if off for a while. Low expectations are the key to being pleasantly surprised.

I was surprised by two things when I was done watching this movie; 1) that I ended up liking it as much as I did, and 2) that "Twilight" got a better IMDB rating than this. The acting wasn't great, but I think Amanda Seyfried is an infinitely more talented actress than the cardboard-like Kristen Stewart, whose acting skills range from looking like she's confused, to looking like she's holding in a fart.

"Wait, what?"

Although the acting was less than stellar, I still found the story to be really fun. It was a pretty awesome take on a classic fairy tale. It's basically a supernatural whodoneit with werewolves. Of course there is a pretty girl who is torn between two boys, but I still find that kind of story cute.

Honestly, and I never thought I'd ever say this, the movie could have used more violence. I'm used to watching HBO, where they have no problem showing a horse getting it's head lobbed off, so the ridiculous killing scenes fell a little flat with me. But that's what you get with a PG-13 teen-drama-horror movie. "30 Days of Night" it is not, but I still enjoyed it.

The scenes were very pretty too, which is no surprise since Catherine Hardwicke directed it. Catherine is the person who directed the first "Twilight" movie, and the cinematography was the ONLY thing I liked about that steaming pile.

I wanted to get a boys opinion on the movie, but The Editor was at hockey this evening, and I wouldn't subject him to it anyway. I think if you like vampire and werewolf stories, and you're willing to offer a little forgiveness in the acting department, you'll like this. Especially if you're a girl.

P.S. You can dress her up, and give her all the serious roles in the world, but Amanda Seyfried will always be Karen Smith to me....

Happy Father's Day!

To all of those dad's, like my super awesome dad, Dave (Hi dad!) and dad's-to-be, like my super awesome better half (Hey! to The Editor) I'd like to say thank you for all you do, and all you've made us. If it weren't for these two kick ass guys in my life I wouldn't have had the courage or confidence to be as awesome as I am today. Heck, I wouldn't even have been able to start this blog. Happy Father's Day from all of us here at Carly on Comics!