Geek Fallout

Geek Fallout Ep 22

This week Jeff and Chris are joined by Ottawa geek blogger Raff. The guys cover all facets of the geek world and finish off with a topic stolen from fellow sister podcast Nerd Lunch.  The guys try to strike off things on their top 5 nerd to-dos.


Geek Fallout is a part of the Atomic Geeks podcasting network

Welcome to the wasteland

This Weeks League Assignment: WHY?

Alright, you like open-ended, broad topics, well here’s another one just for you. This week’s topic for the League of Extraordinary Bloggers is…

Why? No, really. WHY?

Well this one is easy for me to write about. Last summer Sony Pictures rebooted the Spider-man franchise with the ‘Amazing Spider-man’, starring Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey and every other role in the Spidey-Universe was recast, and the origin story was retold only 10 years after the Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire ‘Spider-man’ was released. Why I ask? Granted ‘Spider-man 3’ was a complete mess of a film, too much being tried for one film and all that. But really did we need to reboot? Maguire and company could have carried on with or without Raimi and continued to build on the universe they already established. They could have continued to introduce villains and new supporting characters. They could have written out Kirsten Dunst who apparently hadn’t and wouldn’t sign on for a 4^th film. They could have continued to build up that franchise and maybe (just maybe) build up to a movie featuring the ‘Sinister Six’, the team of Spider-man super-villains who join Doctor Octopus for the shared goal of exacting revenge against Spider-man, in the comic books. That would have been epic if handled properly. Learn from their mistakes made in the 3^rd film and move forward…sadly that was not to be.

Tobey Maguire in 'Spider-man'

Andrew Garfield in 'Amazing Spider-man'

It’s not to say I didn’t like the 2012 ‘Amazing Spider-man’. It was good, but honestly it was not as good as the 2002 Spider-man film or its first sequel. The re-casting was excellent; Garfield and Stone were great together. Sally Field and Martin Sheen were great as Aunt May and Uncle Ben. But again a reboot and retelling of the Spider-man origin story was not necessary. Watching that film I couldn’t help but feel I was wasting my time watching something I had just seen.  With the ‘Amazing Spider-man 2’ in development and being filmed for release in 2014, I’ll be checking it out again. But it has to do better than the 2012 film. If it does not impress me I may not be back for a 3^rd film in this rebooted franchise.

Why reboot a franchise that just doesn’t need it?

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check out the other blogs that are part of the League of Extraordinary Bloggers Including:

www.coolandcollected.com

www.goodwillhunting4geeks.blogspot.com

www.infinitehollywood.com

Random Nerdness Ep 16: (Slightly)New Format!!

Random Nerdness Ep 16: (Slightly)New Format!!

Random Nerdness Ep 16: (Slightly)New Format!!

Hey there fellow podcast listener and welcome back to an all-new episode of Random Nerdness! Chrisloc1701 is joined in studio with Sebastian, Sister Brianna and old buddy Tyler Kluin. We're discussing the new format and least favourite characters from our favourite TV shows. Put this podcast in your ear and enjoy! 

(L to R) Mr Tyler Kluin, Chris & Sister Brianna

Brother-in-law, Producer & Sound Engineer Sebastian Rydvall

Star Trek: Into Darkness Review with SPOILERS!!

Hey there fellow blog reader and/or podcast listener, Chrisloc1701 here reviewing his second most anticipated film of 2013, and that is of course 'Star Trek: Into Darkness' (with the most anticipated being 'Man Of Steel'). I was going to try and do a SPOILER free review but it is just impossible with this film so be warned that there will be specific spoilers after my rating. So read on if you wish or watch the film first then come back. Please be sure to leave me a comment on the blog or the Geek Fallout or Random Nerdness Facebook Pages. So here is the rating:

****1/2 (4.5 Stars Out of 5)

A great film and definitely worth going to the theatre if you are a Trek fan or a fan of action/adventure & space sci-fi. Better than the 2009 film in my opinion. 

Spoilers Review:

Well as stated in the rating I thought this film was better than the 2009 'Star Trek' film. This film had it all: action, suspense, interesting story, good acting, good villains, and Zoe Saldana. There are some die hard Trek fans that hate what JJ Abrams has done with the franchise. Even with this 'alternate timeline' there are things that they have been done with these films that cannot be explained away by the creation of a new timeline, but I choose to not think too much and enjoy these films for what they are. What Abrams is doing does not take away from what has come before, as Trek fans we must remember that and continue to support theses  films if we are ever to see Trek return to TV. 

'New' Characters & Cast:

Anyway getting back to the film, I really thought it was superb. Loved having Peter Weller on as 'Admiral Marcus'. Benedict Cumberbatch was an excellent addition to the film, however again getting back to the timeline unexplained changes, I hated the fact he was Khan after all. Ricardo Montalban IS Khan and no recasting is necessary. As much as I loved Cumberbatch in this film and all he brought to it I really wish he had been a different villain. Maybe Khan's younger brother? Alice Eve is a welcome recast as 'Carol Marcus', I just wish she had had more screen time and maybe her and Kirk fall in love. Call me a romantic but I would have loved if they had a love story for those two in this movie. 

'Old' Characters & Cast:

Welcome back Leonard Nimoy. Loved his brief cameo in the film and to know that old Spock is still alive and ticking, just wished he had made a 'William Bell' cameo on the 5th Season of 'Fringe'... All the actors were once again excellent in their roles. I really wished Bruce Greenwood hadn't been killed off so soon. I would loved to have seen him make the death sacrifice to save the ship instead of Kirk. Christopher Pike deserved to go out as a hero. Also would have been good to see Kirk learn a thing or two more about command from his Father figure before he died. Not enough Karl Urban in this film!! He is perhaps the best casting of these films and he was totally under used in this film. Also wanted to thank Mr JJ Abrams for putting Zoe Saldana in several skin tight uniforms in this film, WOW she is HOT!!! 

Nit Picks:

 - I HATE all of Abrams unnecessary lens flares. I know people have joked around about Abrams use of them, but in this film I really noticed them and they really started to annoy me. I know they are intended to bring a sense of realism to the movie experience but I already know I am watching a make believe film, I do not need lens flares to fool me into thinking this is real. 

- The Klingons: Again the change to the timeline by Nero and Old Spock in the 2009 film would not explain why the klingons and their homeworld would look so different. I love their use of helmets but I hated their new look. They looked like a Klingon alien cousin or something. The look sucks and there was nothing wrong with the traditional Trek look to the Klingons. A very unnecessary change on Abrams part. 

Overall it was a great film with a few minor nitpicks. Go see this film! Next up on my list is 'Man Of Steel' in June, with a review to follow. 

Live Long & Lens Flares!!

- Chris

Geek Fallout Ep 21

Geek Fallout Ep 21

This week the boys are join by AJ Maggot from The Bloke Show.  AJ keeps them on track (ya right!) through the whole show.  We also have a special interview with Sharon Copland and the Web OS Kickstarter.  The boys finish off with their top 5 geeky things they want to do or have done with their kids.

Geek Fallout is a proud member of the Atomic Geeks podcasting network.

Welcome to the wasteland

Geek Fallout Ep 20

Geek Fallout Ep 20

This week Chris and Jeff are joined by journalist/blogger and all around Geek Adam Volk.  Adam brings some much needed professionalism to the podcast.  Top five this week are our five ships/robots that week would like to pilot.  Editor's Note: Death Star is not a ship!

Geek Fallout is a proud member of the TAG Network

Welcome to the wasteland.

Letter to William Shatner

Recently on Facebook the great William Shatner posted the following:

 

William Shatner
Friends,

I’m looking for true stories on how watching Star Trek (any series) affected your career decisions later in life. Did you go into a career in Science or Aviation or even become an Astronaut due to Star Trek and Science Fiction?

I want to hear your story. Please send me an email of your story on what about Star Trek made you choose your career path. Send a email with your story in the body of the email to: ShatnerScifi@gm ­ail.com

My best, Bill

 

 So I took up the challenge and wrote one of my heroes in life to discuss my career path and how 'Star Trek' fits into it:

 

Attention Mr William Shatner:

 

First off allow me to say it is an extreme Honor to be writing you Mr Shatner. With me being a 'Star Trek' & 'Boston Legal' fan and a Canadian, you are one of my heroes. I had a chance to meet you at the Calgary Expo in 2011 at it was a thrill of a lifetime.

 

Anyway when I graduated high school I was unsure what I wanted to do with my life. I worked for 9 years in the lumber industry but was never really happy with what I was doing for a living. So I did some brainstorming one night and thought about some of the careers paths I admired throughout my life, then I got thinking about 'Star Trek'. I always loved the characters of Trek, but the ones whose jobs I enjoyed to watch on screen where those of the Engineers. Scotty and Geordi where two characters whose jobs I would want to do if I were on the starship Enterprise. Knowing how the Enterprise really works, being able to fix the problems with the ship when needed, using your mind and hands to save the day really appealed to me. Of course this is fiction and Engineers like Scotty do not exist...but they do.

 

I never really paid much attention to my Dad's career path. I knew he had a 'Steam Ticket' and worked with large rotary kilns which were used to destroy hazardous industrial waste in Alberta, but my Dad never really talked about work with me and he had assumed I was happy with working in the lumber industry. But when I began to talk to my Dad about changing career paths he suggested I take up 'Power Engineering'. When I asked him what a power engineer does he explained that's what he is. My Dad as it turns out has a 'steam ticket', but it is technically called 'Power Engineering', and my Dad has his 4th class ticket. A Power Engineer works in industrial facilities (plants) operating equipment, learning how a plant process works and repairing equipment and process when needed. Put simply, my Dad is a real life 'Scotty'. Granted he does not work in space, he has not been on a starship, and he's never been in a bar fight with Klingons, but he in his own way does what Scotty & Geordi did as Engineers, but for the real world.

 

I quit my job in the lumber industry. Now 6 years later I work at a facility where I destroy hazardous waste through the use of large rotary kilns and incineration. Like Scotty I use both my mind and my hands for my job. I work with equipment, I fix equipment when needed, and I finished my schooling for my 5th Class Power Engineering, I am currently studying for the Provincial exam. At the facility where I work I also act as my crews 'Control Room Operator'. I have 6 computers which I monitor/control and in essence run the facility as we safely destroy waste, making the world a better place. Again like Scotty when he would 'run' the Enterprise from engineering, I run our plant from the control room. Very cool, and I am so much happier now with my career choice in life. When people ask me what I do for a living, I say "I'm kinda like Scotty from Star Trek".

 

I have 'Star Trek' and my Dad to thank for showing me the right career path to walk on.

 

Thank you for your time Mr Shatner.

 

- Chris Lockhart

 

 

'Iron Man 3' SPOILER FREE REVIEW!!

'Iron Man 3' SPOILER FREE REVIEW!!

by Chris Lockhart (aka: Chrisloc1701)

The following is a quick spoiler free review, with just a minor spoiler towards the end of the review. However I am going to be referring to images and plot lines already seen in the trailers leading up to the film, so if you have been avoiding the trailers you may be spoiled by that. But I will not get into specifics about the film itself. 

To be honest I have been having a hard time putting into words how I truly felt about this film. Friends and family have been asking me if it was good. My answers is yes it is a good film. Is it as good as last years 'Avengers' as some reviewers have been claiming? No it is not. Is it better than 'Iron Man 1'? What made Iron Man 1 great was that it was a surprise that no one really was expecting and it set the tone for the forthcoming Marvel films. It was Robert Downey Jr's triumphant return to acting greatness...so No, Iron Man 3 is not as good as the first film. 

'Iron Man 3' is a good film. Robert Downey Jr is great as always as Tony Stark. Gwyneth Paltrow is her usual best as 'Pepper Potts'. Once again Don Cheadle is great as Colonel Rhodes/'Iron Patriot' ('War Machine' with a paint job) but he again is under used in this film. One reviewer had pointed out that IM3 Director Shane Black had written the 'Lethal Weapon' films and that he brought his cop-buddie skills to this film for Cheadle & Downey. But again Cheadle was under played and I would have loved to have seen more interaction between Iron Man & Patriot. Sir Ben Kingsley was excellent in his portrayal of the movie version of the Marvel Comics villain 'The Mandarin'. However I'm sure die-hard Marvel Comics fans will be outraged by the movie version of the Mandarin. I was never a fan of the comic book character version of the 'The Mandarin' so what they did with the movie version didn't bother me, in fact I loved it. But I'm sure some people will be pissed off with what they did in the film. Jon Favreau returns as 'Happy Hogan', but gets almost no screen time. Favreau is great in these films and I wanted to see more of him, but sadly it was not meant to be. Secretly I had hoped if Shane Black was going to go the 'Lethal Weapon' route we would have seen Downey/Cheadle & Favreau in the cop buddy sense much like the Gibson/Glover & Pesci 'Lethal Weapon' dynamic...maybe in 'Iron Man 4'...??? Guy Pearce also plays an important role in this film...however I really didn't care for the character he played in the film. While watching this film I was really wishing Sam Rockwell would have returned for this film playing 'Justin Hammer' as he had in 'Iron Man 2', but sadly he was absent. Hammer is a character with potential and Rockwell is an amazing actor, so I'm hoping if there is a 4th film he will be in it. 

Overall the story was not that great, it was good but not great. After the incredible origin story seen in 'Iron Man 1', and the great story seen in the 'Avengers', I expected more from this latest Marvel film, but I didn't get more. To be honest I'm not sure if this film and it's story is not much better than 'Iron Man 2'. But to be clear I thought 'Iron Man 2' was a good film too, I know fans have panned that film but I still think it was a good film. Iron Man 3 is as good as the second film. The special effects in this film are amazing, there is definitely a lot of great action sequences to thrill any fan of these films. 

And as always with the Marvel films there is a bonus scene at the end of the credits. (MINOR SPOILER) At the end of the film there is a 'James Bond'-ish promise at the end of the credits stating in writing 'Tony Stark will return'. I'm thinking they put that in to put an end to the rumours that Downey would be stepping down from the Marvel films. They could recast I guess, but I doubt it. I'm sure he'll be back in 'Avengers 2', maybe a fourth 'Iron Man' film after that. Judging by the box office numbers thus far I'm sure Downey has added greatly to his bank account and will continue to do so by making more Stark appearances. 

I would give this film ***3 Stars out of 5. A good Marvel film, definitely worth going to the theatres to watch. 

Next film I'll be checking out: 'Star Trek: Into Darkness'. 

See you in the future!

Geek Fallout Ep 19

Geek Fallout Ep 19

Marc returns this week for some more podcasting goodness.   The news is mainly movie focused this week with a little bit of video game news about the new Xbox.  Chris goes into comics and we go off on a tangent about our new god Joss Weadon.  We finish off with out top five Geek people we'd like to have a beer with.

Geek Fallout is a proud member of the Atomic Geeks podcasting network.

Welcome to the wasteland.

Geek Fallout Ep 18

Geek Fallout Ep 18

April 25th, 2013

This week Jeff and Chris are joined by CT from Nerd Lunch.  

Rich also makes his return to the podcast.  The lads cover off almost every genre of news this week, including some "stimulating" tech news from CT.  We finish off with our top 5 fast food meals.

Geek Fallout is a pround member of the Atomic Geeks podcasting network

Welcome to the wasteland.

Random Nerdness Ep 15: Price is WRONG!

Random Nerdness Ep 15: Price is WRONG!

The Random Nerdness crew have returned for another podcast to tickle your ears. Chrisloc1701 along with Sister Brianna, Sound Engineer & Producer Brother-In-Law Sebastian & Mr Tyler Kluin discuss some TV shows, Notable Nerdness, Tube Talk & Random Rant.

This podcast is part of The Atomic Geeks Podcast Network.

Be sure to hear Chris weekly on the 'Geek Fallout' podcast!