Get a First Look at Pride and Prejudice and Zombies!

In 2009, Seth Grahame-Smith came up with the idea of taking the original Jane Austen text of Pride and Prejudice, and editing in his own zombie subplots to make something completely new and different. It began a chain reaction that would end with the movie adaptation of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

Thanks to the folks at  Entertainment Weekly, we now have our first look at the stars of the film, in costume and ready to kick ass. Hit the jump to see it.

This Halloween, Don't be a Racist.

 
Halloween is literally just around the corner, and I have a few thoughts to offer about the some of the hypocritical behavior that is racism in cosplay.

There are ways to portray a character - a character - without going too far. A person of any race or gender can sucessfully pull off any character by sticking with the costume elements and quirks that are unique to the character. But there are some costumes that are just plain bad taste - the KKK costume and Hitler come immediately to mind.

Extra-Life: Gaming for Good!

As I stumbled, bleary eyed and blinking, towards the dinner table last Sunday, my mother in law said, "Mike, you look really tired!" Well, yes, other-Mom, I was. I was tired because I had not slept more than forty minutes on Saturday night. And why? Because I was using video and board games to help sick kids.

There's been a lot of talk over the last few months about the negative aspects of the gaming community. And there certainly have been some really negative aspects in the last few months. But we here at the Ace of Geeks believe in the power of gaming to help people, and Extra Life is one of the best ways to do just that.

Watch TWO new clips from Avengers: Age of Ultron right now!

We've been sort of buried in Marvel Movie news this last week, and the hits haven't stopped coming. In the last twenty four hours, two clips from the Avengers sequel, Age of Ultron, have been revealed to the public - one during Agents of Shield, and one during the secret Marvel Event yesterday. Hit the jump to see them both!

Marvel's Movie Schedule through 2019 revealed!

Marvel Studios, the folks behind the monster hits The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, had a special press event today to announce something "secret." Speculation ranged from announcing actors in specific films to announcing their entire slate for the next few years. Well, it turns out...they did all of that.

Game On! SF Foundry: Geek Mecca

Something nerdy is happening on Tuesday and Thursday nights in San Francisco's trendy SOMA district. At the intersection of 10th and Folsom, the Folsom Street Foundry is a relatively new, astoundingly popular bar that caters to San Francisco's burgeoning population of geeky twenty and thirty-somethings.

Early on a Thursday night

On any given Tuesday or Thursday night, the vast remodeled factory fills to the brim with people playing everything from Beer Pong to Magic: The Gathering. Every type of gamer that can be catered to in a social setting has been. Tournaments, emulators, food, booze and board games are all provided for a $5 entry fee.

Benedict Cumberbatch is Doctor Strange! UPDATE: CONFIRMED!

Image by Anne Wu

UPDATE: 12/4/14 - Marvel.com has confirmed Cumberbatch's casting as Doctor Strange! While the press release is light on details we didn't already know, Marvel Studio's Producer Kevin Feige had this to say:

“Stephen Strange’s story requires an actor capable of great depth and sincerity. In 2016, Benedict will show audiences what makes Doctor Strange such a unique and compelling character."

Variety, pretty much the most reliable source for film news you could ask for, is reporting that Marvel has finished it's hunt for the new Sorcerer Supreme, and the man they've chosen is none other than Smaug and Sherlock himself. He's reported as being in "final talks" which usually stands for "done deal" in Hollywood - but something could go horrible wrong at the last second, so cross your fingers.

What do you all think? I'm pretty excited - Cumberbatch has always shown gravitas, but in Sherlock he also shows the vulnerability needed to make Dr. Strange a real person, not just a caricature shouting "BY THE HOARY HOASTS OF HAGGOTH!" all the time.

Although, I'll be a bit sad if he doesn't shout that at least once.

10 Reasons Gamergate Has Failed

Content advisement: this article unabashedly discusses misogyny and some of the words commonly used as sexist slurs. There are also some screen captures of some of the actual sexist and abusive things people have written.

In the history of fail, there have been few examples quite thorough as Gamergate. Whatever momentum they briefly held in their championing the ethical treatment of video game journalism has been fully eclipsed by an increasing awareness that they are behaving like toddlers with overfull diapers. Sexist toddlers. With potty mouths.

You may have noticed that they're kind of becoming a joke these days.

Outside, on Crutches.

 
I'm writing this article on my phone, in my night dress and back in bed at 12:35pm. I work part time in the afternoons so that my chronic insomnia doesn't interfere. Well that and the rest of my work is from home. But the reason I'm still under the covers by midday has nothing to do with sleeping late and everything to do with seasonal agoraphobia.

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON TRAILER LEAKS!

It's here! And it looks amazing! Watch it before it's gone!

The Legend of Korra Video Game? Not great...

It is with a heavy heart and great remorse that I am here today to report that the new Legend of Korra video game is a bit of a flop.

Run awaaaaaay

While at work I read that reviews of the game had given it some of their lowest scores of the year. But I mean - come on. Platinum Games doing a Legend of Korra title?  I had to put those articles aside tonight, and I knew I was just going to have to play it myself.

I...don't want to say the reports were mistaken, but they definitely aren't too far off.  This was particularly disappointing, given that the development company—Platinum Games—had released several critically acclaimed games such as Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Vanquish.

Don't buy into the Hoverboard hype just yet.

Imagine a vehicle with all the freedom of a car, and all the efficiency of a high speed train.  Now share this video and give us money.

You might have seen the Hendo kickstarter floating around recently.  Before you reach for your wallet, you might want to read up on what the thing actually is, which is not at all what they're selling it as.

Two key bullet points:

• It only works over a specially prepared surface.
• It only works for about seven minutes before it needs recharging.

Despite bold claims on the KS page that "one day we expect to have hoverboards that can effortlessly float over any medium," there is no actual plan to accomplish this; the technology is entirely dependent on inducing an electrical current in a supporting surface, which means it's never going to work over asphalt, dirt, or water.  Never ever.

Here's a video of a science project that uses the same principle to make a thing hover if you want to play with a thing that hovers but don't want to shell out a few hundred bucks for it.

New York Comic Con Report!

New York Comic Con, held every year at The Jacob Javits Center and ran by ReedPop,  is runwith a skeleton crew of 40 blue shirt volunteers (sounds like a joke from Star Trek) risking life and limb to give us the best four days of comics, movies, tv shows and geek entertainment possible. With crowds of 150,000 on Thursday and reaching upwards of record breaking 250,000 (beating numbers at San Diego Comic Con!) on the highlight day, Saturday, this year’s show was the best yet in relation to organization, guests, panels and quality. However, it had a rocky start, with unprecedented ticket sales that were sold out in under 30 minutes online and at retailers. People were calling in every favor possible to score their passes.

"The Riddle" - A Poem

“The Riddle”

The color of gold with none of the weight

The ever drinking thirst no sip can sate

What is the psyche that dreams of the brain?

What is the joy gotten only through pain?

It is the clay that grows, stands up and walks

the water that feeds roots, while tearing stalks

What is the last air exhaled from the corpse?

What is the fire that warms as it warps?

What is most divine, causes sin's worst strife?

The Elan Vital, Azoth, Odyle, Life!


Copyright Jarys Maragopoulos 2010

The Supernatural Rick Worthy Talks Diversity in Hollywood

It was a gorgeous day, like so many in Los Angeles. However, this past September 23rd was extra special for me. Because I had the honor to have an afternoon coffee at a local West Hollywood Starbucks with the incomparable and immensely talented Rick Worthy. You've seen him on shows like: Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Voyager, Castle, Fallen, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, & Grey's Anatomy just to name a few. When you see him on screen, you can't help but be drawn in to his every word. Everything he does seems fluid, instinctual, and is delivered by a tidal wave of emotions. I guess it also doesn't hurt that he is tall, has piercing eyes, and a very "James Earl Jones-like" warm resonating dulcet toned voice. Many would find this intimidating. However, when you meet and speak with him, it's like speaking with one of your most trusted confidants. Because his energy is so comforting and familial, your guard is immediately down, and you trust him as if you do your best friend. All this wrapped up in a package of one of the most talented actors that television has seen. It's no mistake that he has been awarded some of the most diverse range of characters, and continues to snag them to this day. And yes, I got to have a one on one chat with him. Check it out...

Extra Life 2014 Live Stream Marathon!

The Ace of Geeks is proud to, for the second year in a row, be hosting a 24 hour live stream event for Extra Life. Extra Life is an organization that, through the magic of gaming, raises money for Children's Hospitals around the country. Just like last year, we're going to be raising money for the Children's Hospital and Research Center in Oakland - they received $300k in donations last year, but we're looking to try and blast that number out of the water. Want to join us? Want more details? Check out this lovely video, and then hit the jump for the full schedule and a live feed of our Twitch stream!

Kikaider: Reboot!

A friend of mine just brought this to my attention - and yes, it's kinda late but... it excited me so much I wrote a post about it. Wanna read it? Here it goes...

It's westernized spelling is Kikaider, but the katakana for it says "Kikaida." The poster for it says:

 Kikaider Reboot!!!

JN Productions, Inc. has announced a licensing agreement with Toei for the subtitling and distribution of the new Kikaider reboot movie. 

Episode 122: Get Off the Internet, We're Podcasting.

This week, our brand new sponsor leads us to discover that Mae Linh's favorite book series now has free audio books online! More Sleepy Hollow discussion, a review of Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright, and our thoughts on the pilot of Star Wars Rebels!

Episode 122!

The Maze Runner is "The Event" movie of the Summer.

Personally, I'm really excited by the current state of Young Adult Fiction. Despite the rebirth of the genre coming from series I'm either indifferent to (Twilight) or sort of annoyed by (The Hunger Games), there's a lot of really good and interesting stuff happening in that world, and a lot of fantastic book series, like Mistborn, being rebranded for a new generation to discover. It's great, and I fully support the YA fever that seems to have swept the nation. Anything that leads to more kids reading is great. Anything that leads to more kids reading fantasy and sci-fi, to me, is even better.

So, I was excited to go and check out The Maze Runner. The previews showed a really cool mystery, an interesting location, and some decent acting from the usual twenty year olds pretending to be teenagers. It seemed like Lord of the Flies meets...well, a maze, and that could be really fascinating. When I saw the final movie, the mystery was there. The acting was there. The setting was there. But the movie fell into a deep trap, one we should long ago have learned to avoid. One that is exemplified best by a short-lived television series on NBC known as: The Event. Spoilers for The Maze Runner to follow.

Thor #1 - But Be She Worthy?

I don’t like “Cosmic Marvel”. The series of events happening in space with their great powers. Oh, how I’ve tried. Issue after issue of Captain Marvel failed to invoke reaction. Journey into Mystery was quickly forgettable. Even at the height of my Guardians of the Galaxy fervor, only the Rocket Raccoon comic got considered (and I still forget whether I’ve read every issue of it). This isn’t to say the space adventures of Marvel are bad. It’s a taste thing. The very core of them doesn’t appeal in the slightest to myself, a fan of underpowered and angsty characters patrolling gritty neighborhoods.

So when I tell you that I’m getting a subscription to Marvel Now! Thor, I’m not isn’t just saying “It’s passable”. It’s saying that a single issue completely broke through all my negative thoughts about an entire subgenre.

Four Elemental Reasons why you should be watching Avatar: the Legend of Korra

     The Legend of Korra is not a very controversial show, at least among Avatar fans. It is neither disappointing to these fans as a departure from Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor so well received that it experiences the evangelical zeal the first series inspired. But what it is is solid. The show is a solid sequel, a solid kid's show, just solid television in general. Few people think Legend of Korra as better than The Last Airbender, and I typically think of these two shows as different expressions of the same narrative, with their unique strengths and weaknesses. While I cannot barely scratch the details that should be considered to rate one of these shows above the other, I did just see the newest episode of LoK and I have good news for anyone whose attention is straying. If you have not yet seen this new episode, or are a season or two behind, keep watching. Here is why.....

Episode 121: Ben Franklin, Drugs, Whores.

Mike has been playing the crap out of Shadows of Mordor, and he fills Jarys in on this brand new Assassin's-Creed-Meets-Arkham-Asylum-Meets-Lord-of-the-Rings game! Plus, reviews of the new season of Sleepy Hollow, some thoughts on Agents of Shield,Disney Infinity, Harry Potter, and the reveal of Thug Kitchen!

Episode 121!

Star Wars Rebels Premiere Report!

With the release of Star Wars Rebels coming up tonight (the pilot movie, "Spark of the Rebellion" airs on the Disney Channel on October 3rd, with the first episode airing on the 13th) Disney has been pushing Star Wars: Rebels into the forefront of every fan's mind with "secret showings" at movie theaters throughout the US. We were able to snag tickets to one of the last showings at the AMC Metreon Cinemas in San Francisco last Saturday, and it was a very fun event.

An Anime Expo Retrospective: The Long Beach Years

Anime Expo, a Thirteen-Year Retrospective

Part One: the Long Beach Years

When I came back from Anime Expo 2014, I realized it was my 13^th consecutive Anime Expo. 

Sigh.

Yes, a sigh, which is not necessarily a bad thing.  It’s a sigh of exhaustion from all the different things I did.  It’s a sigh of both joy and sadness as I saw, but had to say goodbye to, some longtime friends.  It’s also partially a sigh of some deep thought, since Anime Expo used to be the most exciting thing of the summer, at some point even more than San Diego Comic Con.  Now, it’s not, and not simply because of SDCC. 

The Long Beach Years (2001 -2003)

I first went to Anime Expo in 2001, the summer after my junior year in high school.  These were the years (2001-2003) that it was at the Long Beach Convention Center, right after AX was asked to not come back to the Anaheim Convention Center, for one reason or another.  I think it involved cosplayers going to Disneyland and being mistaken for character workers, and this was the mid 1990s, where cosplay was anything but mainstream.