Author: Maurice Mitchell
Why did Ernest Borgnine not want to be in Escape From New York? Which Doctor may come back for the 50th anniversary? Can a baby learn the ways of the force? Which character has become an icon even though they’ve only appeared on TV once? What are the common story beats of Star Wars? Motivational Geek Quote “Time not important.. only life important” – Mondoshawan The Fith Element (1997) Thanks to @darthcleavage for the quote Trivia Question (Answer at the end of the post) Batman is big news this week. Although Tom Cruise has never played Batman, how is he…
Ten years ago, on September 20, 2002 a cult phenomenon began. Is it time for a TV movie? Writer and director Joss Whedon created the American space western television series Firefly. Set in the year 2517, after the arrival of humans in a new star system, it follows the adventures of the mercenary crew of Serenity, a “Firefly-class” spaceship. Whedon described the show as “nine people looking into the blackness of space and seeing nine different things.” It starred Nathan Fillion (Malcolm Reynolds), Summer Glau (River Tam), Morena Baccarin (Inara Serra), Adam Baldwin (Jayne Cobb), Jewel Staite (Kaylee Frye). Science…
Update: Embedded video Director Christopher Nolan never had plans to make one of the most successful series of movies ever in 2005. “I wanted to put everything into making one great film, I didn’t want to hold anything back.” he said. He did make a great film and his second Batman film set the bar even higher. There are only less than ten days left till the release of Nolan’s final Batman film and the new trailer is the best one yet. The plot of The Dark Knight Rises has been a closely guarded secret, but the new trailer ties all…
Update: The video has been flagged as SPAM on Vimeo. Added Download link. YouTube banned my video compilation of Bane’s quotes for the Batman sequel The Dark Knight Rises. When it was uploaded to YouTube, I immediately got a notice it was blocked worldwide. A warning also popped up that our account would be banned if we tried it again. Why? Because it included clips from The Dark Knight Rises 6 minute IMAX prologue. At first I said, “skip it.” But then I remembered I worked pretty hard on it and people may want to watch it. So I uploaded…
Tobey MacGuire (Peter Parker) Spider-Man Watch the entire Spider-Man trilogy in six minutes instead of six hours. If you’re looking to catch up on the Spider-Man films based on the Marvel comic books, but don’t want to spend more than six minutes, check this out. Dutch film student Kees Van Dijkhuizen Jr. does an expert job editing clips from all three movies together into a kind of super-trailer. “The superhero genre wouldn’t be what it is today were it not for Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3.” Dijkhuizen said, “The trilogy brought the hero to the screen…
What would a Batman golf cart look like? What’s it like to set up an IMAX theater? When did Andy Griffith meet the Bionic Woman? Who has a Tetris bathroom? By the way, I hit the wrong button when I was writing this yesterday, so it published before it was finished. Thanks to Pat and Alex for being the first commenter! Trivia Question (Answer at the end of the post): The reboot The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) came out this week, so here’s some Spider-Man movie trivia. In the U.S. the first theatrical movie based on Spider-Man was released in 2002…
Star Wars action figures have been around since 1978 and some are worth over $6000. But most of the collectors just stick them in a display box. David Eger found a far better use for them by recreating famous photos and movie posters. He’s famous for his 365 Days of Clones, especially my Cloned Photos mini-series, and his attention to detail is striking.These posters are from his series “52 Weeks of Star Wars.” From gangsters to prostitutes, these are my favorite movie posters recreated using Star Wars toys…I mean “action figures.” Grease 11 a takeoff of 300 The Imperialist Network…
Everyone knows corny old jokes, but can you make it new? This week I thought we’d try something a little different from our usual poll (last week’s poll was great BTW). I’m calling it “Old Jokes Retold.” Think of the oldest corniest joke you’ve ever heard. Now think of how to change it and make it new. Here’s an example: Original: A horse walks into a bar and the bartender says, “Why the long face?” Retold: An alien xenomorph walks into a bar and the bartender says, “Why the long face?” Original: Why did the chicken cross the road?…
On the Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith DVD there is an easter egg that unlocks a video of Yoda doing a hip hop video to “Don’t Say Nuthin” by The Roots. It’s a non-canonical musical performance by Yoda and a group of clone troopers from the 41st Elite Corps (in phase II armor) in the Jedi Temple. Interestingly, the video was made in secret by the animators after one took a hip hop dance class. “I was lucky enough to attend a hip hop class offered through ILM and taught by Jackie Burns,” Michel d’Annoville recalls. “She…
THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED Become a twitter follower and get a chance to win a $50 gift card to RedBubble.com! What’s The Prize? One (1) $50 Red Bubble Gift Card. My brother and I are excited about our latest contest. The awesome RedBubble.com is a community for artists to produce unique products from cards to t-shirts, stickers, framed prints, calendars, canvases, posters and other high quality products. They’ve kindly donated a $50 gift code to give away to our readers. Aren’t they cool? How Do You Win? Last month’s contest was fun, but this month we’re going to keep…
Here are ten links to things you may have missed this week. Trivia Question (Answer at the end of the post) What was the original 17 word long working title of Star Wars? Last week’s bonus trivia question winner! What is the name of the lizard that Obi-Wan rides on Utapau? “Boga! And Tony’s answer for last week is awesome.” – Alex J Cavanaugh 1. Star Trek Vulcanology has an interview with actor Tim Russ who played Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager. In part of the interview he said he’d play Tuvok if the timeline is correct and says how…
Update: Based on feedback from readers I’ve updated the infographic to include explanations of the stages. I also fixed some missing elements like the cow in the alternate version of Alien3. Also, I just wanted to explain why I didn’t include Aliens vs. Predator in the infographic. The 1979 science-fiction horror film Alien, by Ridley Scott, stands as one of the greatest horror films ever made. It made over $104 million and spawned a franchise that led to five films that have a total U.S. gross of $358,219,252. They topped our recent poll of alien monster movies and have become iconic. Known as the…
Updated with comments Star Trek has been off television since 2005, but the movie’s popularity is making people think about a new television show. Bryan Fuller is working on one called Star Trek: Federation, but that’s years away. Recently Michael Dorn, who played the Klingon Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation, said he’d like a television show based on his continuing adventures. He’s not the first though. George Takei, Sulu from Star Trek: The Original Series, has lobbied for a show about his exploits as a starship captain for decades. But, there have been plenty of characters over the years that deserved…
You don’t know the power of these 10 free wallpapers for your computer or laptop desktop. When it comes to Star Wars you can never have too much customization. There’s nothing like a good desktop wallpaper to make you feel like you’re one with the force. Darth Vader, played by David Prowse in the original films and Hayden Christensen in the prequels, is one of the most popular villains of all time. There are literally millions of great Star Wars desktop wallpapers, and we brought you ten of the best ones last time. The most common screen resolution is 1024×768,…
When I was a kid I made Wolverine claws using paper towel tubes, rubber bands and metal coat hangers. They actually popped out and were kinda cool. They were also kinda dangerous. I cut myself pretty good with those. But I was just a dumb kid. Surely professional actors with teams of costume designers, make up people and stunt coordinators don’t get hurt do they? Yes, they do and sometimes in shocking ways. Here are 13 examples of actors being pinched, punched, busted and broken by their costumes. 1. Batman Almost Passed Out Christian Bale has played Batman on the…
Which character actor, nicknamed “The Cat Man,” died this week? What did the very first Spider-Man fan film look like? Is Robin in The Dark Knight Rises? What happened to Eddie Murphy’s movie career? Trivia Question Motivational Geek Quote Links Trivia Answer Here’s this week’s links you don’t want to miss. These posts are taking a long time to do. Longer than they should, but it’s hard to pare down the hundreds oflinks. 1. Trivia Question (Answers at the end of the post) The NBA finals were this week and, if you’re a basketball fan, this trivia question is for…
Congratulations to the three randomly chosen winners of the “Audiobook Pop!” app giveaway! Casey H. Robby R. Sarah L. We’ll be sending you your unlock codes for the app soon. It’s a great app and I know you’ll have many days or months enjoying all the great audiobooks available. Thanks to everyone who promoted the contest and the blog. You can still buy “Audiobook Pop!” for $1.99 on the iTunes store. Well worth the money I think. Apple Store links Audiobook Pop! – Sci-Fi http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/audiobooks-sci-fi/id524304270?ls=1&mt=8 Audiobooks Pop! – For Your Kids http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/audiobooks-for-your-kids-free/id410097004?mt=8 Audiobooks Pop! – For Your Kids Free http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/audiobooks-for-your-kids-free/id410097004?mt=8 On a…
A movie cameo by Marvel comic book creator Stan Lee is a wonderful thing. Every time he shows up people whisper to their friends, “That’s Stan Lee!” The usual response is, “Who’s Stan Lee?” Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. He co-created some of the most popular comic book characters like Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, and many others. He was also pivotal in creating a shared universe into superhero comic books. He was inducted into the…
Sigourney Weaver E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) The Internet thinks the E.T. sequel story is real. It’s an obvious hoax. I’ll explain why, plus, I have the full text of the treatment so you can read it yourself. The movie E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial is important to the history of cinema. Roger Ebert wrote, “This is not simply a good movie. It is one of those movies that brush away our cautions and win our hearts.” President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan were moved by the film after a screening at the White House on June 27, 1982. Princess Diana…
Ray Bradbury died last week and, like many science fiction writers, his technology has become science fact. Here’s an infographic by Ria Novasti that tracks all the technology he predicted that became reality. Via Blastr What do you think of the infographic? Did Ray Bradbury predict the future?
Why did the last two Hulk movies fail? What female TV character is still relevant today? What are the six reactions to a controversial new sci-fi movie? What comedy star will be in a remake of a sixties cartoon show about time travel? One of the most common responses to “Geek Bits” is: “Wow. There sure are a lot of links!” So, I assume most people don’t actually read or follow them. This week I’ve nailed it to it’s final format. I run into hundreds of great blog entries, but I’m only listing the ten best links from now on. The…
Updated: I created a new image Here’s all you need to know about this joke Moobs – A male person with larger than normal pectoral muscles resembling female breasts usually as a side effect of obesity. Man + Boob = Moob Based on the Maroon 5, feat. Christina Aguilera, song “Moves Like Jagger.” Presented without comment. Thanks to Devona for the tip! Any comments? [Image Source: Geek Twins IMGAce.com] Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for an audiobook iPadiPod app!
Predator, Alien Xenomorph Last week, Prometheus (2012) opened which is a prequel to the best alien monster movie ever made: Alien. Or is it? Do you have a favorite alien monster movie? Is it a creature like the shape shifter from John Carpenter’s The Thing or the Predator like in…Predator? Would it be from a classic film like The Blob or the Pod People? Let us know in the comments. Next week, I’ll update the post with the alien monster movie voted for the most and your best comments. On a side note, I think I may have influenced the…
Updated with International locations You’ve decided to watch The Dark Knight Rises in IMAX, but want to make sure it’s real IMAX and not fake digital. Yesterday’s post Why You Should Not Watch ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ in IMAX created a bit of a stir. One thing I’ve learned is that a lot of people are going to see The Dark Knight Rise in IMAX. I’m undecided. I thought I’d address something I wasn’t aware of. The difference between “real” and “fake” IMAX. What Is IMAX? I’m not gong to give a long technical dimension of IMAX. Slashfilm already did a…
Update: A few have criticized this post for not being hard enough, so I’ve added a few points that are anecdotal, and therefore were not added in the original post. In less than two months The Dark Knight Rises opens in theaters across the world and, in many cases, it will be shown in the IMAX theater format. But, should you try and watch it in IMAX format? Synopsis: Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, the terrorist leader Bane arrives in Gotham City, pushing it and its police force to their limits, forcing its former hero Batman…
What did mark Ruffalo look like in his motion capture suit for The Avengers? Will we finally get a Black Panther movie? How did Captain Kirk and Captain Picard end up in space? How many episodes of Doctor Who have been lost forever?How are the Men in Black films like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy? All this, and more, in this week’s “Geek Bits.” In case you missed it… 1. Trivia Question (Answer at the end of the post) George Lucas has three children. How many Star Wars movies have George Lucas’ children appeared in? Last week’s bonus trivia answer…
Review and giveaway of the iPad (iOS) app “Audiobook Pop!” Details on the giveaway are halfway down the post. 1. Review While there’s nothing like holding a book in your hand, I happen to be a big fan of audio books. They’re convenient, engrossing and entertaining. The best audio book I’ve ever listened to is “I Am Legend” by Richard Matheson. Hearing the narrator made the story even more engrossing. “Audiobook Pop!” is an iPad app that lets you listen to 30 books from the public domain in Librivox. My first reaction when I heard about the app is “Why…
The new Star Trek movie is coming ( May next year) and we still don’t know who the villain is. The rumor is that it’s Khan, but we don’t know for sure. One thing’s for sure, Star Trek has had some amazing bad guys. But, of all the movies, who’s your favorite villain? Is it Khan from Star Trek II? Maybe it’s the Romulan Nero from Star Trek 2008? Maybe an almost bad guy like Data’s brother B4 from Star Trek: Nemesis? What about a side character like the Vulcan traitor in Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country? So, who’s it…
Amazing news! Two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation will be shown in theaters on Monday July 23, 2012 at 7pm. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the show and the release of Star Trek: The Next Generation on Blu-Ray there will be special screening of two of my favorite episodes from the series in theaters. Here’s part of the press release: This summer “boldly go where no one has gone before” and don’t miss the only opportunity to see two of the most popular Next Generation episodes, Ep. 106 “Where No One Has Gone Before” and Ep. 114…