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War for the Planet of the Apes gets a trailer

Andy Haigh
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War for the Planet of the Apes gets a trailer

It’s apparently trailer season, or there’s some vague attempt at some cosmic balance to the year as the first trailer for the upcoming War for the Planet of the Apes has just appeared.

This is the third entry in the relaunched Planet of the Apes film franchise, one which has been a rare example of how to relaunch a well known franchise properly. Earlier films Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes both getting favourable responses from critics and audiences (currently certified fresh with ratings of 82% & 90% on Rotten Tomatoes).

The new film from returning Dawn’ director Matt Reeves follows the events of the previous film with Caesar the leader of the apes (voiced and motion captured by Andy Serkis) and his colony embroiled in a bitter war with the humans lead by brutal and ruthless military leader known as the Colonel (Woody Harrelson).

Check out the trailer below.

Firefly Cargo Crate 005: Serenity

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Firefly Cargo Crate 005: Serenity

This is the fifth box in the Firefly Cargo Crate series, and this time, it’s dedicated to the ship herself, Serenity. Essentially the tenth member of the crew (and probably even more iconic), it’s fitting she’d get her own box. I’m excited to see what Loot Crate and QMx have put together this time around, so let’s dive in.

Up first is the sticker.

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Not as cool as previous stickers I’ve received in these boxes, but I can’t complain too much. I hope some day I eventually have something worthwhile to put all of these stickers on. It’s a shame I don’t have anything good to display them on. Maybe a framed collage down the road? Hmmm…

Alright, onto item number 2. Another lapel pin to add to the collection.

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Fortunately, these pins are beautifully done, and this is no exception. It’s one of two versions of the iconic Serenity logo (the other, more common design shows the characters vertically instead of horizontally). Great colours and perfect detail. A fine addition to our ever-growing pin/button collection.

The third item is a luggage tag, displaying the show’s logo.

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As I’ve said before, I don’t travel much, but with plans in motion to head to Canada in 2017, I should be able to make use of it, which is nice. You can’t take the sky from me this coming year.

I wasn’t sure what this item was exactly until I took the shrink wrap off. I figured it was a notebook or a day planner.

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Once I opened it, I realized it’s essentially a book of tech specs for Serenity. The above page is just one example, but the rest of the book is filled with more detail on the ship’s layout, specifications, etc. Pretty cool collectible, and a nice piece for die-hard fans.

We’ve got a cargo label package this month.

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As you can see on the envelope (the top of the pyramid), these are screen-accurate, so the quality an detail is really good. Not a lot of use to be had here, though, other than maybe putting them in some frames and making artwork out of them.

Alright, three more items left. T-shirt time.

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Alright…the saying is goofy and obviously a space pun, but the artwork more than makes up for it. If you can’t tell, it’s a drawing of Serenity flying past the Alliance Cruiser, a ship that is rarely seen on Firefly merchandise. I think it’s a very cool-looking ship and doesn’t get enough love from an aesthetic standpoint, so it’s nice to see it featured so prominently for once. Good work!

Saving the best two piece for last.

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This is a dedication plaque for the ship. Let’s open it up and get a better look.

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Beautiful. It appears to be screen-accurate and contains all the necessary details. It features a removable stand in the back (see first picture) so you can either display it on a desk or a wall, if you have a preference. And it’s a good, heavy-duty item, made entirely out of metal, so there should be no worry about it getting damaged.

Finally, Serenity herself.

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I have a feeling I’m really gonna like this. Let’s get a better look at what’s inside the box.

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Once again, beautiful. The detail on here is outstanding and appears to have been hand-painted to boot. The base is a durable plastic, and the ship can be removed easily as a result of a magnet in the bottom, as opposed to being attached by posts. This will look great next to all of the crew figures I’ve received thus far. Eventually, I’m going to have to put together a nice shelf just for the set.

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Overall, a pretty great crate, as was to be expected. QMx does it once again with their high quality, officially licensed collectibles. The quality overall varies from crate to crate, but they are never disappointing. I’m really happy with this selection, especially the miniature ship and plaque.

The next crate, which should be arriving next month (instead of in two months, per usual), should be VERY interesting, as the theme is YoSaffBridge. Yep, one of the most popular supporting characters is getting her own box. Definitely looking forward to that one.

Let It Die – First Impressions

SeanPWallace
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Let It Die – First Impressions

Let It Die is a weird game. Which shouldn’t be surprising from Suda51. This is the man responsible for bringing us No More Heroes, Killer7, Shadows of the Damned, and Lollipop Chainsaw. He has a unique (i.e. batshit) take on video game development which results in unique experiences. Some very good. Some downright odd.

Let It Die falls into the latter camp.

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First, some facts. Let It Die is a free-to-play game of the nebulous Action RPG genre. Quite hack-and-slash in its feel and delivery. Currently, it’s only for the PS4, and it has some online elements, many of which seem to be related to its free-to-play elements. There were reports of disconnections on launch causing deaths, so it’s not one you’ll want to download if you’ve got a spotty internet connection.

Anyway, you start off being told that a Tower called The Tower of Barbs has risen in Japan following some strange global, seismic apocalypse, and that people try to fight their way to the top. That Mark Hamill tells you a lot of this is… off-putting. I stopped listening to Google and make sure it was actually him. It is. Anyway, you get off a train and the ‘wacky’ character Uncle Death greets you, a Grim Reaper who likes to skateboard. Because of course he does.

Taking a few cues from From Software, the game has you start with a basic tutorial followed by a no-win fight. After you die, the Tower of Barbs is expanded upon a little and you ‘remember’ you’re playing a game designed by Uncle Death. Which he appears in. And calls you from inside to give you tidtits of information. Re-entering the game, you’re brought back to the world and told to try again, this time without the hopeless inevitability of losing a fight.

Well, without the *intentional* hopeless inevitability.

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So you are supposed to climb up the Tower of Barbs, defeating enemies and taking their weapons and armour as you go, only able to level up or craft new items if you return to the main world hub. If you die, however, your body becomes a… urgh… Hater. An enemy in-game who has your accrued gold (it’s not called gold in game, but fuck it, it’s gold) and items. Defeat them and you get your stuff back. Die to them and, well, sucks to be you.

Because it’s Free to Play, the very intention of much of the design is to get you to buy things. All equipment and weapons are destructible with painfully low lifespans. Your backpack to contain items has a capacity so small it’s almost aggressive. Enemies and set pieces are designed to kill you, which in other games would be a learning moment… except that this is a Roguelike and returning to the level after, say, dying to your former self means it will be a different level entirely.

It feels a little egregious. With real cash money, you can purchase the Death Cookies which allow you to respawn rather than losing your progress, buy memberships that make frustrating elements of the game less frustrating, access to additional weapons, that kind of thing. I think you can use the in-game gold to do some of this stuff, but the time required to grind that out would be better spent licking a radiator.

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So it’s another F2P game that, sadly, has designed itself to prey on players rather than encourage them to support an experience they love. Having been sucked into one of these during a particularly low time in my life, I take a dim view of Free to Play games whose design aspects have all been built with the sole intention of squeezing more money out of you. Whilst I understand that it’s a free game, and you get what you pay for, Let It Die feels like a trap you download and jump into.

It’s clunky, though it has an interesting aesthetic and some of Suda51’s quirky charm. The aesthetics aren’t really up to the current generation, but what more would you expect from a free game? However, if you’re so hard up that you can’t afford any more games, I’d recommend going somewhere like Itch.Io and finding great free games, rather than spending your time on Let It Die.

First trailer for The Mummy starring Tom Cruise is here

Andy Haigh
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First trailer for The Mummy starring Tom Cruise is here

The first trailer for the upcoming new take on Universal’s The Mummy starring Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella just appeared and, well, really apart from a few seconds it looks like it could easily be a trailer for the new Mission Impossible.

This latest take on The Mummy, from director Alex Kurtzman, will be the second time that Universal’s 1930’s film (not to be confused with British studio Hammer’s film of the same name which appeared in the 1950’s itself inspired by several of Universal’s other Mummy films) has been remade following Stephen Sommers film in 1999 which starred Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz.

Details are pretty scarce but this new take is apparently set in modern day in the war torn Middle East and is the first entry in Universal’s mooted cinematic universe featuring iconic Universal horror characters with Russell Crowe featuring here as Dr. Henry Jekyll alongside .

Check out the trailer below.

The Geek Pride Cast #Westworld

Matt Geary
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The Geek Pride Cast #Westworld

In this episode Matt talks about his details being stolen and the group; Bevan, Dave, Sean and Matt, get proper deep and talk about Ethics in Westworld and AI in general.

let us know what you think in the comments below..

Do Robots have rights? when does something with AI become a sentient being?

Don’t forget to subscribe on Itunes! 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. Trailer is Here!

Becca Harper
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. Trailer is Here!

The internet is flipping out over the amazing the first teaser trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is, and they’re right to be. Set to “Fox On The Run” by The Sweet, this 90 seconds packs in humour, action, aliens, more humour and of course our favourite team-up Rocket and Groot. Look at the baby Groot, he’s so cute, he’ so badass, he is perfect. The trailer promises eveything I am hoping for and there is no doubt the sound track, Awesome Mix Vol. 2, is going to be a super catchy must have to motivate you on those Monday mornings.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel returning to their roles. With Kurt Russell making his first appearance as Star Lord’s father, Ego and Pom Klementieff’s  as Mantis. Sylvester Stallone has also been confirmed in an currently unknown role.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theaters 28 April 2017 in the UK and May 5, 2017 in the US.

 

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Dat face tho

The Fastest Jersey Alive!!

joshkingofgeeks
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The Fastest Jersey Alive!!

“My name is Barry Allen and I am the fastest man alive….”

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As a huge Flash fan, hearing those words every week always brings a smile to my face. My hero from the comic books come to life on the TV screen. The Flash ruled my life back in the 90’s when John Wesley Shipp was Barry Allen and now in 2016, Grant Gustin is The Scarlet Speedster.

2 seasons in and im already finding myself reading the graphic novels of old and new, buying the Funko Pops! And of course wearing the fabled “Reverse Flash Ring”. The best kind of Merchandise though has always been the wearables; t-shirts, Baseball caps, hoodies and cosplays.

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The guys at GeekyJersey.com though gave us geeks and Flash fans what I consider the ultimate in a geeky tuxedo. The Central City Speedsters Jersey!

 

Beautifully designed and crafted with every inch of the flash in mind, the Jersey is bright, sharp and defines what a Scarlet speedster is. Rocking the blazing red and yellow colours of Barry Allen, it also contains well sewn patches of bolts on the shoulders with the name “ALLEN” on the back with a number of your choice (you can have any name put on the back but ALLEN seemed the right choice), on the front is something that can only be described at simply Awesome!

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The Main Patch “Central City Speedsters” is something to behold! The design touches on every concept of Speedsters from Jay Garrick, Eobard Thawn direct to Barry Allen. Blazing across your chest like a beacon for all to see. Carefully sewn not to leave any straggling bits of thread, every bit of excess has been painstakingly removed to leave a clean smooth result, this goes for all the patches Geeky Jerseys has produced for this item. It breathes well and doesn’t itch or irritate the skin, when washed it dries quickly, it also works as a great insulator as well, something I really wasn’t expecting. It kept me warm on a cold day and very cool on a hot day, best of both worlds basically. These would be a con goers perfect choice as we all know how hot it can get at a con.

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After wearing it out and around my local town and at a Comicon, I got so many compliments from other Flash fans and geeks alike they were asking me where I got it from and how they could get one? To which I was more than happy to oblige that information.

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The price tags on these jerseys are worth every penny and I will be adding many more to my shopping cart very soon. The shipping from the states to the UK was extremely fast, to the point I thought the flash himself had delivered it. If any of you geeks out there haven’t yet seen or heard of geeky jerseys click the link below and it will take you straight to their home page. All geeks need a tuxedo and the guys at geeky jerseys can sort you out…..in a Flash!

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Get yours at www.geekyjerseys.com

Sci-Fi Weekender In The City will be landing next year

Peter Ray Allison
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Sci-Fi Weekender In The City will be landing next year

For eight years, the annual Sci-Fi & Fantasy Weekender has delivered a packed weekend of entertainment, guests, films and partying (reviewed here). Now they are turning metropolitan and bringing their sci-fi festival to Sheffield, the City of Steel, for Sci-Fi Weekender in the City.

All the fun, fandom, and vibrant experience of the legendary Weekender will be crammed into three zones over two days, turning Sheffield city centre into Geek Camp central.

Sheffield’s O2 Academy has been booked to host this evening for 7th and 8th October 2017.  The schedule is being packed with authors, panels, gaming, comics, artists, quizzes, props, costumes, plays and much more.  Each day is planned to be unique, with different guests attending and different activities taking place, keeping attendees busy for the whole time!

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Sci-Fi Weekender in the City will be a more intimate affair, for approximately 2,500 people, rather than the usual 6,000 plus at the Sci Fi Weekender.  It will also feature exclusive hotel deals, providing two nights’ accommodation and full English breakfast. However, these hotel spaces are limited, so get in quick and make sure you get exactly what you want.

Tickets can be ordered here or by calling 0207 097 1521.

 

 

Nerd Block Classic: November 2016

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Nerd Block Classic: November 2016

Another month, another dive into Nerd Block Classic. You know, I’m running out of ways to do introductions for these articles. Oh, well. On with the review.

First item in the box is a 2017 calendar. A Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit calendar.

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The calendar features maps of different areas of Middle Earth, a new one for each page. As I’ve expressed in the past, I HATE this franchise, so I’m not exactly thrilled. Having said that, this saves us from buying a new calendar this year, so…win? I guess?

Moving onto item number 2, which comes from A Nightmare Before Christmas.

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A pair of sweater socks, which my wife claimed immediately. That’s fine, as I figured she would anyway. These are a lot thicker than the socks we’ve received from Loot Crate in the past, and also appear to be more stretchy, which is a good thing. Plus, with winter finally hitting here after one of the warmest autumns on record, she’ll get plenty of use out of them. And who doesn’t love Nightmare?

Time for the monthly button/lapel pin.

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It’s one of the no-lace Nikes from Back to the Future, Part II, which became a real thing recently. Not bad, but it’s made of PVC instead of metal. I’m not a big fan of the PVC ones, so this may just have to go on display instead of getting worn (not that this is an uncommon thing with our button/pin collection).

Three more items left. The first of the three is one from everyone’s favourite “Merc With a Mouth”, Deadpool.

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Okay then…

Look, Deadpool is cool. Bowties are cool. a Deadpool bowtie? Sorry, no. To respond to your question, Wade, *I* could have a problem with this. This is the second bowtie I’ve received in one of these crates (the first was one in a Loot Crate box ages ago), and much like that one, this one will go into a box and never get any use. I already don’t ever have any moments where I can or need to wear a bowtie, but if I did, I wouldn’t go with a Deadpool clip-on. I just don’t understand what demographic they were aiming for with this?

Alright, two more. This next one is from Bob’s Burgers, and it just confuses the hell out of me.

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It’s a Sodaz vinyl figure of Tina Belcher. I have never heard of this particular line of collectibles, and looking at the item itself, there’s a good reason for that.

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The name is at least accurate, as the figure is shaped like a soda can. Why? I have no clue. Who thought this was a good shape for a collectible figure?

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Turn her around, and the word “BUTTS” is written on the back of her head. Again, why? I am very familiar with the show (and actually like it) and understand Tina is obsessed with butts, but not once have I ever seen an episode where she had it written in her hair. Maybe I missed that episode, but I seriously doubt it.

Now, if all of this wasn’t nonsensical enough for you, this is what you can do with the figure:

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Yep. You can separate it into three pieces. FOR ABSOLUTELY NO DISCERNIBLE REASON. WHY? WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS? WHAT PURPOSE COULD THAT POSSIBLY SERVE?

Gah! I just don’t understand.

Okay, onto the final item, which is the monthly t-shirt.

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It’s a shirt based on The Goonies, featuring One-Eyed Willy’s key with the famous words “Never Say Die” written on the bottom. I really like this, as I’m a big fan of the movie and have been since I was a kid, but I’m also a bit disappointed. By sheer coincidence, I got a One-Eyed Willy design for a mystery shirt from my last Shirt Punch order. It’s fortunately a completely different design, but still. I do like variety.

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Overall, this month was pretty disappointing. I wasn’t super crazy about any single item in the box, which is a first for me and this particular subscription service. Not only that, but it seems like there were significantly fewer items this time around. On a whole, it doesn’t feel like a lot of thought was put into this one.

Fortunately, things are looking up for next month. Only one franchise has been mentioned, but it’s a good one: in the next box, four of the items will be from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which I am absolutely ecstatic about. My excitement for that particular movie cannot be understated as a lifelong Star Wars fan, and I’m always up for new collectibles from the series. I just hope Nerd Block chooses the items wisely and doesn’t disappoint.

The very weird resurgence of “Bee Movie”

trekkiemark
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The very weird resurgence of “Bee Movie”

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“According to all known laws of aviation there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don’t care what humans think is impossible.”

In 2007 Dreamworks Animation produced Bee Movie, a fairly standard anthropomorphic animal kids CG animated movie. It opened to mediocre reviews and a disappointing return for the studio. Dreamworks films have never quite hit the same chord with the critics and audiences that Pixar’s catalogue have with star driven duds such as Shark Tale, Antz and Over the Hedge rehashing the same shlocky formulaic “hey they’re animals and they can speak” plots. They even spawned the trope known as “Dreamworks Face” where the characters on are making this sort of impossible “wry raised eyebrow smirk” face on every promotional poster. Bee Movie was no exception.

Jerry Seinfeld’s successful brand of humour that ascended him to TV megastardom in the 1990’s never really translated onto the big screen. However, recently this rather underwhelming film has been making a strange comeback in the very weird world of internet memes.

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According to the folks over at KnowYourMeme.com, interest for the film peaked at its time of release in 2007 yet searches for the film have begun to rise again as of late 2016.

Around 2013 the entire text of the films screenplay began popping up on internet forums such as Tumblr, Reddit and 4Chan. This is a phenomenon known as “copypasta” in which users spam and “shitpost” threads with inane content. This in turn has lead to loads of videos of people reading out the entire script, most notably YouTuber and silky smooth voice owner Brendaniel. His Seinfeld impersonation is amazingly spot on.

Others have taken the script with its ubiquitous opening lines “According to all known laws of aviation…”  and had fun turning them into visual memes and videos. Stranger still are the random edits of the entire film and trailer with views hitting the 100k mark on videos which have the entire film speed up every time the word “Bee” is mentioned, the entire film without bees, and a particular favourite of mine where every word in the trailer is arranged alphabetically. There’s even a video of a YouTuber rapping a portion of the script and another having President Obama “speaking” the opening lines.

Whilst this article has described “the what” of this meme it cannot begin to get into the “why” behind it! And that’s part of the beauty of shitposting and memes, they’re not meant to make sense. They are true 21st Century forms of pure absurdity. So here’s a link to the entire script for the film Bee Movie which you can do anything you like with.

Enjoy and remember to “bee” good.

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