Dennis Finocchiaro | Geekscape

Geekscape Movie Reviews: ‘Knights of Badassdom’

by Dennis FinocchiaroApril 17, 2014

Knights of Badassdom is definitely one of those movies that viewers could either love or hate. I could see why someone would love this movie, especially someone into live action role playing (LARP). But it’s equally easy to imagine the viewers who don’t love it finding a lot to hate about this film.

Me, I’m not into LARP, but the movie wasn’t so bad, and there were plenty of funny moments in the film. The storyline is pretty simple; a group of friends band together to fight in a huge LARP event in the middle of the woods, forcing their friend Joe (Ryan Kwanten) to join them after a heartbreaking end to his relationship with Beth (Margarita Levieva). One of his friends, Eric (Steve Zahn), who considers himself the wizard of the fictional group, buys an ancient book on eBay as a prop. As he reads from it, he fails to notice that it is an old book of magic, and he releases a demon that goes on a killing rampage in the middle of the imaginary war in the woods.

Of course, enter the heroine and future love-interest of Eric, Gwen (Summer Glau), who is only there because she accompanies her insane cousin who honestly thinks these wars are real. She is another reason to watch the film; besides being incredibly beautiful in her old-time garb, her character really places what some would consider an average person into the middle of the battle.

The film’s best character was played (naturally) by Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage as Hung. He is truly the character who best earns the title of badass in the movie. As a matter of fact, according to IMDB, the whole cast got training at LARP, and Dinklage was the obvious master of the group. At times funny, often endearing, Hung really made the film worth watching.

The movie had a bit of the same feeling you get from watching The Big Bang Theory, in that you can’t decide if the film is making fun of geeky/nerdy types, or if it is a tribute to those that love the role playing events. It’s entirely possible it is made this way on purpose, so that it would not alienate anyone watching the film.

Overall, if you have fun LARPing, or like some of the actors (or at least Summer Glau) the film is absolutely worth checking out. It’s available on Amazon now.

Grade: 2/5, but fun.

Watch the trailer:

http://youtu.be/6DcRUEiVp-Y

Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown, Tony Hawk Promote Hover Board

by Dennis FinocchiaroMarch 4, 2014

Okay, even after watching the video, I’m still not sure if this is real or not, but Christopher Lloyd, who played the famous Emmett “Doc” Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy, is helping an alleged company called HUVr promote a new hover board.

And who better to promote it with than skateboarder Tony Hawk? Also included are other celebrities such as Moby, NFL star Terrell Owens, and a few more famous (and not so famous) faces trying the hover board for the first time.

Check out the video:

It almost looks like some sort of harness could be hooked to the back of each person trying it out. While I doubt this is real, wouldn’t it be fun if it was?

The website looks real, but let’s face it. It’s not hard to fake a website. That, plus some legal jargon at the end makes me dubious. FoxSports seems to be taking it at least a little seriously, while many other news agencies are taking it as a hoax.

Let us know what you think. Real or fake? Would you try it out if it were real?

Geekscape Movie Review: ‘Odd Thomas’

by Dennis FinocchiaroFebruary 28, 2014

I feel like I need to start this review with this: Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas is easily one of my favorite books. So when I was asked if I would like to review the film, I had mixed emotions. Everyone knows about movies based on books. But lately, some of those films have been excellent, maybe even better than the book (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, I’m looking at you!).

Odd Thomas is about a small town fry cook named Odd (his mom swears it was a typo on his birth certificate that was supposed to read Todd) who sees dead people. Yeah, sounds familiar, right? Thomas sees ghosts who have unfinished business, and he helps them. The film opens, and doesn’t even pause to let viewers get to know his character. Right off the bat Odd sees a girl and helps her bust the man who killed her. Odd tracks him down and makes short work of the villain.

When I heard the casting for the film, Anton Yelchin (Star Trek, Fright Night) as the titular character was absolutely perfect in my mind. When I read the book, I always imagined someone like Yelchin in the role. And he did NOT disappoint.

Odd’s relationship with town Police Chief Wyatt Porter, played by Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man, Boondock Saints), gives him the ability to continue helping the dead. Porter helps Odd come up with reasons for being on the scene so that they can keep his power a secret. Dafoe, as usual, was excellent in the role, and really seemed to have the relationship they had in the book.

Then there is Odd’s girlfriend Stormy, played by relative newcomer Addison Timlin (That Awkward Moment). The two were told by a carnival gypsy machine that they were destined to be together forever, and they seem to have a romance to support that idea. Stormy is also aware of his powers, and while she worries about him, she understands him enough to let him do his thing. And let’s not ignore how sexy Timlin is in the film!

The plot was excellent and stuck fairly closely to the book. A creepy man appears, surrounded by creatures only Odd can see, which he calls bodachs. These creatures feed off of horrible events, and while Thomas has seen one or two at a time, this man has hundreds following him, which pushes Odd to start investigating. Odd goes on a quest to try to save his quiet town of Pico Mundo from whatever destructive event is coming for the townspeople.

Overall, this film was a fun watch, and a great tribute to the book. The special effects were excellent, especially the bodachs. The film is absolutely worth watching, whether you were a fan of the books, or just someone into ghosts/odd films. 5 out of 5 stars.

Odd Thomas hits theatres today!

Dennis Finocchiaro’s Five Favorite Harold Ramis Movie Quotes

by Dennis FinocchiaroFebruary 24, 2014

I’m a huge Harold Ramis fan, from his big roles like Ghostbusters to his smaller ones in Knocked Up and Groundhog Day. So I decided to root through some of the lines he is most famous for (in my mind) and post them.

#5 Knocked Up (2007): In a small role as Ben’s dad, I thought he was excellent. It makes me wish his scenes weren’t cut from High Fidelity, in which he was also supposed to play the main character’s father.

Ben’s Dad: Life doesn’t care about your vision. You just gotta roll with it.

#4 Stripes (1981): I think I love this one because I am a teacher and this reminds me of the way my job feels sometimes.

[when Russell is teaching English class]
Russell Ziskey: Okay, I know you’re anxious to jump right in and start speaking English, but there’s a couple of things I need to know first, because I’ve never done this before. So, how many of you would say you speak English fairly well, but with some difficulties?
[pause]
Russell Ziskey: A little English?
[a man raises his hand]
Russell Ziskey: Yes? You speak some English?
Man learning English: Son of bitch. Shit.
Class: [in unison] Son of bitch. Shit.

#3 Ghostbusters II (1989): This one explains his character in a short statement.

Dr. Egon Spengler: We had part of a Slinky. But I straightened it.

#2 Ghostbusters (1984): Then there’s the classic moment at the end of the movie.

Dr. Egon Spengler: There’s something very important I forgot to tell you.
Dr. Peter Venkman: What?
Dr. Egon Spengler: Don’t cross the streams.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Why?
Dr. Egon Spengler: It would be bad.
Dr. Peter Venkman: I’m fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing. What do you mean, “bad”?
Dr. Egon Spengler: Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.
Dr Ray Stantz: Total protonic reversal.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Right. That’s bad. Okay. All right. Important safety tip. Thanks, Egon.

#1 Ghostbusters (1984): I can’t possibly do a list like this and not include his comparison between ghost activity and a favorite snack treat.

Dr. Egon Spengler: Well, let’s say this Twinkie represents the normal amount of psychokinetic energy in the New York area. Based on this morning’s sample, it would be a Twinkie… thirty-five feet long, weighing approximately six hundred pounds.

Honorable Mention: Ghostbusters (1984): This one shows how ahead of the times his character was, considering how much technology has changed since 1984.

Janine Melnitz: You’re very handy, I can tell. I bet you like to read a lot, too.
Dr. Egon Spengler: Print is dead.

Did I miss any great ones? Let us know in the comments!

Harold Ramis, Star of Ghostbusters and Stripes, Dies

by Dennis FinocchiaroFebruary 24, 2014

The comedy world suffered a huge loss today as Harold Ramis, better known as Egon to all fans of the 80s, died of autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis after long battles with his health.

The star of Ghostbusters and Stripes also helped create Caddyshack and wrote films like Animal House, Groundhog Day and Meatballs.

He was also director of some amazing classics like National Lampoon’s Vacation, and was a part of the making of such films as Back to School, Armed and Dangerous and Analyze This.

Geekscape Geekout: Lego ‘Ghostbusters’ Photos Released Online, And They’re Absolutely Perfect!

by Dennis FinocchiaroFebruary 16, 2014

As some of you may know, I am obsessed with Legos, and while I was super excited for the Lego Back to the Future set, that is easily topped by the release of a Lego Ghostbusters set. It’s due out in June and the first images were released at the New York Toy Fair.

The set includes all four Ghostbusters and the Ecto-1, their vehicle. This is a Lego CUUSOO set, which means Lego fans created ideas for future sets, they got enough votes from other Lego fans, and then Lego decided to go forward with the design. Plus, the designer gets 1% of the revenue, which is also quite cool.

This set will coincide with the 30th anniversary of Ghostbusters. Lucky for us Lego/Ghostbusters fans, Bill Murray must not have needed to sign off on the idea so Peter Venkman is included with the set. I do kind of wish they were coming out with a Stay Puft set to go along with it. Also unfortunate is that there is no Dana, only Zuel (I mean or Zuul).

So what I would like to know is, what are some other sets you wish Lego would come up with? Let us know in the comments below!

Geekscape Second Opinion: ‘The Fifth Estate’

by Dennis FinocchiaroFebruary 5, 2014

The Fifth Estate, a film about the creator of WikiLeaks and all of the drama that ensued upon its creation, dragged at the beginning of the film but eventually picked up.

WikiLeaks creator Julian Assange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness, Sherlock) was a man that many found unlikeable, and a movie focused on this man was a bit tough to take. It started out slow, but picked up as the film went on, especially since it focused a bit more on Assange’s right-hand man Daniel Berg. Berg was depicted in the film as likeable, if not a bit optimistic, and actor Daniel Brühl (Inglorious Basterds, Good bye Lenin!) was excellent in the role.

The excellent acting and amazing collection of actors really pulled along a storyline that was, at times, a bit dull. Stanley Tucci and Laura Linney were superb as U.S. Government officials handling the Wikileaks website. Peter Capaldi and David Thewlis held their own as journalists for The Guardian. And of course Cumberbatch is spot-on as the slightly despicable Assange.

Another positive was how director Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Kinsey) was able to show so many conversations via IM and other computer-related work in an entertaining way. This could have slowed down the film even more, but instead was one of the bright spots.

Is the movie worth watching? Sure it is, if you like films about real life events, journalism or government-type movies. Or even if you’re just a big fan of Cumberbatch. The first half is a bit slow, and possibly spends a little too much time trying to give the back story, but about halfway through it starts to pick up.

3 out of 5 stars.

The Fifth Estate is available now on Amazon.

http://youtu.be/ZT1wb8_tcYU

The Muppet Show That Never Was: ‘Little Muppet Monsters’

by Dennis FinocchiaroFebruary 3, 2014

Jim Henson was a huge influence on many people’s lives, mine included. I’ll never forget watching the old Muppet Show episodes with my parents back in the day. Fozzie’s bad jokes, Gonzo’s crazy antics and Kermit’s loss of all control were a weekly bonding moment for my whole family.

And then came Muppet Babies, which drew us in on Saturday mornings. What a show! The young Muppets, plus their friendly caretaker (all we saw of her were her legs), all in an animated special. As a matter of fact, CBS loved the show (and the ratings) so much that they immediately asked for a spin-off which was eventually named Little Muppet Monsters.

Never heard of it? Neither did I. I even asked Geekscape’s Muppet expert Matt Kelly, who had read something about the show but didn’t know much more. I’d never heard of it until I was reading an old comic book from 1985 that included and ad for the Saturday Morning Cartoon Lineup of CBS. And right there, under Muppet Babies was the listing for Little Muppet Monsters.

The show was supposed to bring Muppet Babies from thirty minutes to an hour on Saturday mornings. The hour-long package would have been called Muppets, Babies and Monsters. There were three main characters in the show: Tug, Boo and Molly. They lived with the Muppet rats (which eventually brought about the creation of Rizzo) and would have had cameos from many of the big Muppets, including The Electric Mayhem, Scooter, Kermit, and Miss Piggy.

The show was going to be a mix of live-action Muppets and cartoons. It would have included animated versions of Pigs in Space plus a segment called Kermit the Frog, Private Eye, which would have been introduced by the puppet Kermit. Also included was something called Muppet Sports Shorts that starred Animal. In episode one he was learning about the high balance bar.

Of course, anytime a person wants to watch something from their childhood for free, they head to YouTube, where I found the first episode. It had that quirky Muppet sense of humor, but I have to agree that it wasn’t very good. The monsters seemed to live in the basement of The Muppets’ home or possibly the theater. The first episode included many of the segments mentioned earlier, plus Fozzie’s Comedy Corner:

Production included eighteen episodes, but only three aired on CBS. Many people, including Henson himself, didn’t think the combination of live-action puppets and cartoons worked, and it was his idea to pull the plug on the show. Here is the intro to the show:

According to Wikia, another problem was with the slow creation of the cartoon segments by Marvel Productions. It was replaced with Muppet Babies reruns from the previous season, and high ratings continued. But either way, the long-lost show gives Muppet fans something to check out while they wait for the next film.

So what do you think? Had you heard of Little Muppet Monsters? Let us know!

‘The Boxtrolls’ Teaser Shows Amazing Behind-The-Scenes Work

by Dennis FinocchiaroJanuary 20, 2014

I’ve always watched the claymation films with a bit of awe, going back as far as the holiday specials like Frosty the Snowman to recent ones like ParaNorman and Coraline. And I’m not going to pretend I didn’t know about all of the work that goes behind each moment in the films. But the new Boxtrolls trailer still blows me away.

The film will feature the voices of Simon Pegg, Elle Fanning, Ben Kingsley, Toni Collette and Nick Frost, but what this trailer really emphasizes is all of the work behind the making of the film. I don’t remember ever seeing a trailer exhibit this sort of work, but I think it’s a brilliant technique and makes me want to see a whole documentary on how this film (or one of the others) was made.

Perhaps this idea stems from the Visual Effects Union’s troubles from last year, or maybe they just wanted to share a small part of the making of the film; either way, this was a cool way of doing it.

The Boxtrolls storyline sounds great. It’s about an orphan taken in by a town’s garbage collectors, who happen to be trolls living in boxes. And that’s much more literal than you would think; the trolls actually wear the boxes as clothing, or seem to at least. An evil exterminator decides to rid the world of the trolls, and the orphan has to save them all.

Focus Features’ The Boxtrolls comes out in September.

Geekscape Movie Review: ‘Machete Kills’

by Dennis FinocchiaroJanuary 17, 2014

Hollywood stars line up to be part of any Robert Rodriguez film, and let’s face it, the Machete franchise is no different. If anything, more stars want to join in on the fun of a Machete film. Machete Kills is everything it promises it will be: violent, bloody, funny, and of course star-studded.

The film starts off with a fight between Danny Trejo’s Machete and a group of military men gone bad, who are then attacked by more unknown assailants. The violence and gore one would expect in a Robert Rodriguez film is present from this moment on. Some of the more clever ways to kill a human being in other action films are easily overshadowed by the methods in this one; helicopters and boat motors have been used before, sure, but not like this.

This time, it’s the U.S. Government asking Machete for help. To be more specific, it’s the president played by Charlie Sheen (credited as Carlos Estevez) who calls in the hero. There’s a madman with a missile aimed at Washington D.C. and only Machete can stop him. So they send him to Mexico with the promise of a clean slate. All Machete has to do is take out this villain.

Once a few things go wrong and there’s a 10 million dollar price is put on Machete’s head, all kinds of hitmen and villains try to chase him down for the cash. One such monster is just known as The Chameleon, a character who has the ability to change his or her face. This really gave some of the stars a chance to take part in the film, considering some of the people who play the character include Cuba Gooding Jr., Lady Gaga and Antonio Banderas.

Another great addition was Sofia Vergara, who plays the mother of one of Machete’s cohorts who dies. The machinegun-bra-clad leader of a group of hooker-mercenaries follows him throughout the film, and has some of the funnier weapons in the movie (including one that looked a lot like the crotch gun from the film From Dusk Till Dawn).

And, of course, the film includes extremely sexy women, as the Machete franchise promises. Amber Heard (one of my favorites) plays Machete’s handler as she lives the double (or triple) life of a spy and beauty pageant contestant. If she and Vergara aren’t enough, the film also sees the return of Michelle Rodriguez’s character Luz, along with the dental assistants/assassins from the first film.

Sheen is hilarious as the foul-mouthed and playboy president, and Mel Gibson switches sides for the first time ever and plays the villain of the film, a man who claims to see the future and has plans to move to a space station he has built.

Overall, the film was a fun watch if you liked the first one, and since I enjoyed the first one, I give it 3 out of 5 stars. Machete Kills is out on Blu Ray and DVD January 21st.

Final Score: 3 out of 5

http://youtu.be/-sjnoJE30LM

The Simpsons Lego Set is Almost Here!

by Dennis FinocchiaroJanuary 14, 2014

I wrote about these rumors a while ago and just hoped they were true. Now the first images are out, the release date is set, and I am blown away.

Lego and The Simpsons have teamed up for what might be the greatest Lego set of all time: The Simpsons’ house. It includes the whole Simpson Family, plus Ned Flanders in minifigure form, and boy is that awesome. I cannot wait to own this set.

The house itself looks just like the cartoon, but it’s more intense than most of the sets Lego has created in recent years. Not only does the outside look like the real thing, but the house opens AND the roof comes off to reveal every room in the Simpsons’ house.

As you can see, each character has their bedroom, plus the kitchen, living room and every other room (aside from the basement) from the show in extreme detail. The garage even goes so far as to have a wheelbarrow with a sticker that says “Property of Ned Flanders”! Plus you can create your own couch gags! Come on, who doesn’t want to do that?

The famous dent is even on the family car!

What does the future hold for a Lego and Simpsons team-up? Rumor is that bagged minifigures of the rest of Springfield will be coming out sometime around May. And there’s even talk of a Simpsons episode made completely of Lego!

This set is so exciting to every Simpsons fan and is a must have. The only negative is the price, which seems more like an investment at $199.99. That’s definitely going to slow me down, but if you have the cash, it’s available starting February 1st on the Lego website.

Geekscape Second Opinion: ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’

by Dennis FinocchiaroDecember 15, 2013

The much anticipated Coen Brothers’ film Inside Llewyn Davis, a film about the titular character’s struggles in the 1960s folk scene, has been living up to expectations. After the success of No Country for Old Men and True Grit, moviegoers and fans of the pair’s films are quite excited. According to IMDB, the film was loosely based on the life of folk singer Dave Van Ronk’s 2005 memoirs.

The film itself focuses on Llewyn Davis, played by Oscar Isaac (Sucker Punch, Drive) in what is arguably his biggest role to date. He was excellent as Davis, a struggling musician in the Greenwich Village area of New York. As much as I don’t like or enjoy folk music, he was not only talented but entertaining when singing. Off stage, his character was negative, rough around the edges and seemed to have a strong tendency to make terrible decisions over and over again.

One of the high points of the film was the adorable Carey Mulligan (The Great Gatsby, Drive) who played the wife of his friend. Mulligan usually plays kind, likeable characters, but in this film be prepared to see a different side. She is nasty and has a seething hatred for Davis, which really exhibited Mulligan’s range as an actor.

The humor of the film was typical Coen Brothers. The audience broke out in laughter often throughout the film, and as usual, it was fairly mixed in with serious situations. Another fun aspect of the movie is definitely the song Justin Timberlake’s (In Time, Bad Teacher) character wrote, Please Mr. Kennedy, a song purposely written badly for laughs that turns out to be pretty darn likeable.

The one negative was the plot line, which was reminiscent of No Country for Old Men. It was almost so artsy it hurt, playing up to pretentious filmgoers who will likely discuss the deep meaning of the film when in all likelihood they probably didn’t fully understand the loose plot and confusing timeline.

Overall, I’d give the film 3/5 stars.

Inside Llewyn Davis opens in some theaters December 20th and is expected to expand to more in January.

Be sure to also check out MCDave’s review of the film here!

Extended Trailer:

Geekscape Movie Reviews: ‘Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United’

by Dennis FinocchiaroDecember 10, 2013

The new Marvel CG Animation film Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United had its ups and downs, sometimes literally. The film, while interesting, had a bit of a dull plot, but it’s still worth watching for fans of the characters.

The story is simple: Hulk is kidnapped by Hydra with the help of Abomination and has his power stolen to fuel a new weapon. When the weapon fails it creates a being of pure energy, Zzzax, who then begins to steal power from the earth. Iron Man tries to stop it using his technology, and Hulk tries with brute force, but soon the pair realize the only way to defeat the new villain is to team up.

One of my problems with the film was Hulk’s sudden ability to form fully functioning sentences. While fighting Abomination, the two have full-on intelligent conversations. Then, as he fights and later teams up with Iron Man, it’s tough to get used to his language and sentence structure. Overall, he sounds much more intelligent than the Hulk most are used to.

The plot itself was slow-moving at times. Zzzax is a boring villain as far as bad guys go. He basically is just an energy ball at first who is trying to steal all energy he can find. Eventually, he takes over a few of Stark’s suits, creating havoc, but later begins to mold himself into a human-like body. He’s a bit boring, mostly just using electric currents to attack both heroes when he wasn’t in a suit.

What I liked was the pure fun of it. Sure, Hulk is suddenly smart, and Iron Man isn’t as clever as he usually is (he leans on Jarvis a bit more than usual). The humor and one-liners kept the slow plot going a bit, especially Hulk’s random attacks on Iron Man. Also enjoyable was seeing the suit Iron Man eventually fits Hulk with.

Overall, the film was 2/5 stars. If you’re a fan of the animated films, definitely check it out, otherwise you’re probably safe to skip this one.

Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United is available now on Amazon.

Geekscape Comics Reviews: ‘Transformers Monstrosity’ Volume One

by Dennis FinocchiaroNovember 26, 2013

With all of the Transformers graphic novels being released these days, it’s hard even for a HUGE Transformers fan like myself to get excited for new books. But when I realized Transformers: Monstrosity Volume 1 was one of the new motion books from Madefire, I have to say that I was curious.

The storyline was great. It included some old favorites, such as the Dinobots, who seem to have broken faction from the Autobots and are working on their own. The timeline is just after a great war which the Autobots have won. Megatron is dead (or as dead as can be expected…of course we all know Megatron NEVER dies) and Optimus is struggling with one part of leadership he is not prepared for: politics. As the Dinobots try to find black market goods to sell so they can leave Cybertron, Optimus meets with other leaders trying to win them over while a small group of Decepticons, including Scorponok and Starscream, are in hiding and disposing of an almost-dead Megatron on Junkion.

Yes, fans of the original Transformers probably are at least a little excited by all of those names/places, but what really drew me in was the fact that this was my first motion book. Maybe everyone out there is reading them besides me already, I have no idea, but wow did they add to the enjoyment. The combination of images moving along with sound effects (like truck engines and explosions) were so cool. The artwork is amazing as well.

The gimmick of moving graphic novels pulled me into a storyline that was decent enough. I would like to hear the dialogue read along with everything else, but then I guess it becomes a cartoon. The graphics were awesome though.

Overall, I found the experience enjoyable and highly recommend this book to anyone who already loves Transformers. 4/5 Stars.

Sound off: Have you read a motion comic? What do you think? We’d love to hear from you!

A Monty Python Reunion?!?! Yes Folks, This Time It’s Real…

by Dennis FinocchiaroNovember 19, 2013

Rumors are spreading about a reunion of the comedy group Monty Python, and this time they are apparently true! The group has a press conference scheduled for this Thursday at the Playhouse Theatre in London, where Spamalot is currently playing.

The group, including John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Eric Idle, weren’t clear on what the comeback would entail. This information is likely to be shared at the press conference.

“We’re getting together and putting on a show – it’s real,” Jones confirmed to the BBC early Tuesday. “I’m quite excited about it. I hope it makes us a lot of money. I hope to be able to pay off my mortgage!”

Idle let the cat out of the bag early via Twitter:

Geekscape Comics Review: ‘Alex + Ada’ #1

by Dennis FinocchiaroNovember 5, 2013

Image Comics new release Alex + Ada pulled me in right from the first image: a twenty-something man and woman facing each other as if on the alter, except the woman has some sort of shipping wrapping instead of a veil. My curiosity got the better of me, so I checked it out and thoroughly enjoyed the premiere issue.

Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn put together an ordinary storyline, but in an extraordinary setting. The main character, Alex, is suffering from a breakup that happened seven months ago, and is pushing his way through work and life. Sure, we’ve all seen this (and been through this) already, right? The difference is all in the setting.

It’s the future, robots are everywhere, and besides the random robot attacks a few months back in California caused by a free will program, they are friendly. The world is a bit too similar to the one in the film iRobot, honestly. People have robots as helpers, holographic phones, and Alex even has a new psychic implant in his head that allows him to control all of his appliances, including his front door and car, via thought. He is also able to communicate with others who have the implant using a psychic phone line.

Alex is lonely, and on his birthday, after an awkward call with his grandmother, who just got herself a robot and is using for…reasons you wouldn’t want to hear from a grandma, he finds himself at a surprise party. He ducks out early and finds that his grandmother has sent him a surprise gift…I’m sure you can guess what it is.

What I liked about the book was the combination of a generic storyline with a setting that really made something familiar a bit more alien. The futuristic inventions, the psychic chip he used, and some of the other setting-related ideas kept me wanting more. I also liked the artwork. It was simple, well-drawn and the projected television screens especially were cool.

What I didn’t like was that the setting was a bit too similar to iRobot. While this storyline seems to be heading towards Alex falling in love with a robot, the world so far is way too close to the Will Smith film.

Overall, I would rate it 4/5 and plan to continue reading Alex + Ada. The first issue hits store shelves on Wednesday, November 6th!

Geekscape Movie Reviews: ‘Pacific Rim’

by Dennis FinocchiaroOctober 28, 2013

Pacific Rim could go either way for viewers, depending on the person’s movie-persona. So while I really enjoyed the film, I could also see why some people absolutely loathed the thing.

If you enjoy a movie with an interesting and dynamic plot, good acting and an exciting storyline (which I always enjoy) Pacific Rim was well worth purchasing. The special effects were awesome, and I can only imagine how they would have looked in theaters (if I’d only made it to see this film). The creatures were so realistic on the Blu-Ray that I have to assume they looked breathtaking on the big screen. The robots were completely believable as well, and overall, the substantial special effects made this movie even better.

If, however, you wanted to see an action-packed fight-filled adventure, then sure, there were some slower moments. The film often focused on the human element in a situation involving alien attack, in much the same way The Walking Dead does so in a zombie apocalypse.

The main character, Raleigh Becket, played by Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy), is part of a pair of brothers who run one of the giant robots. He must overcome his brother’s death after an alien attack, and does so by joining the crews that are building giant walls around cities for protection. Eventually, his old boss wants him back in the robot (called Jaeger) program, and of course he meets a possible romantic interest, played by Rinko Kikuchi (The Brothers Bloom); she wants to pilot a Jaeget to take vengeance for her parents’ death.

Meanwhile, a side story is that of the company’s two scientists, played by ~~Rick Moranis~~ Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Burn Gorman (Torchwood, The Dark Knight Rises), an odd-couple pairing who bring some light-hearted comedy into the story. Gorman’s character is focused on the math side of things, and Day’s is more about the aliens, and the two give the storyline a bit of much-needed humor.

My favourite scene was the almost-expected cameo (considering this is a Guillermo del Toro film) by Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Alien Resurrection) as the one-eyed illegal alien parts dealer Hannibal Chow.

As a fan of Guillermo Del Toro’s films, I didn’t really see his personal touch on the much as much as I expected to. I wanted more of a Pan’s Labyrinth or even a Hellboy feel, but it came up a bit short in that area.

Overall, I really did enjoy the film, and give it 3/5 stars. Pacific Rim is available now on Amazon.

Let us know what you thought of the film. Did you love it, hate it, or not really care either way?

‘Doctor Who’ 50th Anniversary Special To Hit The Big Screen!

by Dennis FinocchiaroOctober 24, 2013

That’s right, folks! BBC America announced today that certain cities will have live viewings of the 50th anniversary special in select theatres on November 23rd! This is truly exciting for Doctor Who fans, not just because we get to watch our show with a large audience, but also because it will be in 3D! Below is the list of cities and theaters…tickets go on sale tomorrow at 9 A.M. so be sure to grab yours early! We all know this is a certain sellout!

Tickets are available through fandango.com and cinemark.com. There will also be an encore presentation at 300 theaters on Monday, November 25th. Check out the US screening information below, and head to BBC’s site for more info!

Los Angeles
Cinemark Rave 18 + IMAX (Los Angeles, CA)
Century Huntington Beach Bella Terra + XD (Huntington Beach, CA)

New York
AMC Loews Village 7 (New York, NY)
Regal E-Walk Stadium 13 & RPX (New York, NY)

Chicago
Century Evanston + XD (Evanston, IL)
Cinemark at Seven Bridges + IMAX (Woodridge, IL)

Philadelphia
Cinemark Rave University City Penn (Philadelphia, PA)
Cinemark 16 (Somerdale, NJ)

Dallas-Ft. Worth
Cinemark West Plano + XD (Plano, TX)

San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
Century San Francisco Centre 9 (San Francisco, CA)

Washington, DC (Hagrstwn)
Cinemark Rave Fairfax Corner + XD (Fairfax, VA)

Houston
Cinemark Tinseltown + XD (The Woodlands, TX)

Atlanta
Cinemark Tinseltown 17 (Fayetteville, GA)

Seattle-Tacoma
Cinemark Lincoln Square Cinema (Bellevue, WA)

Minneapolis
AMC Southdale 16 (Edina, MN)

Geekscape Movie Reviews: ‘Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa’

by Dennis FinocchiaroOctober 23, 2013

I was lucky enough to catch a sneak preview of Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, and I have to say that I never would have guessed that it could possibly be as funny as it was. Maybe I was going in with low expectations (I’ve never been a fan of Jackass) but I was pleasantly surprised with this one.

Writing this without spoilers is tough, but I really want to express how hilarious the film is without giving anything away. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re more of an Oscar-worthy film-goer, this is NOT for you. But if you want to laugh to the point where you hurt yourself (literally…my friend called me on the ride home to ask if I’d pulled muscles from laughing so hard, like she did) then definitely check it out.

The plot is simple. 86 year-old Irving, played by Johnny Knoxville (Jackass, The Ringer) is sent across country with his grandson, played by Jackson Nicoll (The Fighter) when the boy’s mother is sent to prison. Irving is bringing the child to his father, who reluctantly agreed to take him in (because someone told him he’d get money from the government). The pair travel around pulling pranks on real people and hilarity ensues.

There were a few surprises for me. First, I had no clue that Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and the upcoming Her) was both in the film and one of the writers along with Knoxville. Also, Nicoll was excellent and effortlessly kept up with the humor and back-and-forth conversations with real people. The kid is just naturally funny. Finally, unlike many of the Jackass films, this one has a plot that they follow, shooting some scenes between pranks, that made the movie a bit deeper than one would expect. After all, the kid has been left behind by his mom, his grandfather wants nothing to do with him, and his dad is only taking him in for the alleged $600 a month he thinks he’ll get from the state. That makes for a little bit of emotion.

I guess that my expectations were low as I was afraid that the trailers(here and here) gave away all of the funny scenes. I was completely wrong. Not only are there plenty of pranks not shown in the trailers, but the ones that are become so much funnier when seen in the greater context of the film itself. Also, Knoxville was also completely believable as an old man (as usual).

Overall, I give the film two different scores. If you are interested in award-winning acting and serious plots and nothing else, then the movie gets 1/5 stars and you’re going to hate every second of it. If you want to watch something and just laugh your ass off, then this film gets 4/5 -it’s hilarious, it’s original, and it’s a whole lot of fun. Check it out this Friday, and be sure to let us know whether or not you loved it.

Geekscape Movie Review: IFC’s ‘Maniac’

by Dennis FinocchiaroOctober 19, 2013

IFC’s film Maniac, starring Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) was an innovative slasher film that, while holding some interesting production techniques, wasn’t as exciting or horrorific as one might hope. Wood was good in it, as was his supporting cast, but the film itself wasn’t as attention grabbing as it should have been.

Maniac is about a serial killer who works as a mannequin artist. He meets a young French woman, played by Nora Arnezeder (Safe House, The Words) who convinces him to help her with her art show. For some reason never fully explained, this releases some sort of insanity in the main character, who stalks her and tries to make her part of his weird manneguin-with-real-dead-women’s-hair collection that somehow ties into the fact that as a child he watched his mom have sex with many different men. The storyline didn’t always come together well, and the murders weren’t as gruesome as one would expect with IFC, but they still kept it interesting. Gore lovers. however, probably wouldn’t find the murder scenes worthwhile.

The innovation of the film was what kept me watching. Instead of the usual camera techniques, viewers watched from the serial killer’s own point of view, which I found intriguing once I got used to it. Viewers only saw what the killer saw, which was especially interesting when he was stalking his prey. Of course, one of the negatives of this is that the film’s biggest star was barely visible, but the director made sure to have plenty of mirror shots, reflections and other ways of keeping in the viewer’s mind that Elijah Wood was in the film.

Wood himself was terrific; he has never really been known as a murderer, yet in some of the mirror shots the look in his eyes was chilling. And Maniac featured plenty of beautiful young women, since they seemed to be his main prey.

Overall, I would rate this film 3/5 stars. It’s worth seeing, but only if there’s not a lot on television that night.

Geekscape Movie Reviews: ‘Blood of Redemption’

by Dennis FinocchiaroSeptember 27, 2013

When you put a movie in and the film stars Dolph Lundgren (Expendables, Universal Soldier) and Billy Zane (Titanic, The Phantom), your expectations are likely low. With that in mind, Blood of Redemption was worth watching.

The plot is simple. Lundgren plays the bodyguard of a mob boss whose sons (played by Zane and Gianni Capaldi) mean the world to him – enough so that he wants out of the business and for the two of them to live normal lives. After his murder and the subsequent arrest of his older son, Lundgren has to figure out who killed the boss and framed his son for identity theft.

As with almost any action film, the fighting scenes were well done. The only negative would have to be the random scenes that were sped up or slowed down: it seemed almost like some of the actors were getting a bit old for the fight scenes, so the editor tried using speed changes to make it a bit more exciting. Blood of Redemption‘s soundtrack was so bad that it was almost distracting. Some of the chase scenes weren’t exactly exciting either. But that all sounds so negative: it was still a fun, guilty pleasure viewing.

Lundgren’s character narrates the film, which definitely gives a lot away. While it seemed the director wanted the audience to be surprised at some of the later revelations of the film (who orchestrated the whole thing, major characters dying just when you think they’re safe) it was a a bit predictable. And some of the ideas (and even some word-for-word lines) were obviously stolen from The Godfather.

One of the better points of the film was the sexy Jelly Howie (Reach, Compound Fracture), who played Zane’s wife and co-conspirer. She gave the movie a little of the hot edge that every action film needs.

Another bright spot was actor Vinnie Jones (Snatch, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) as the man who takes over for the family as it falls. He’s always fun to watch, and while he didn’t have many action sequences, his acting was decent enough to make him believable in the role.

Overall, I think the main reason I thought this film was fun was that you don’t watch a film like this expecting Oscar-winning performances or comical one-liners. It’s about sitting down and watching a guilty-pleasure action film. And with that in mind, Blood of Redemption delivers.

I would rate it a 3 out of 5.

Blood of Redemption is out now and available on Amazon.

http://youtu.be/lyVkDn0sPxo

Yes, I Watch Once Upon a Time (and I May Even Watch Wonderland)

by Dennis FinocchiaroSeptember 26, 2013

I’m not sure if I should admit this or not, but here goes. I am an avid watcher of Once Upon a Time.

Yes, that’s right. Snow White. Rumpelstiltskin. The Evil Queen.

I could lie and say that I started because of the incredibly hot actress who plays Red Riding Hood, but that’s not it. The truth of it is, I got married. My wife liked the show and wanted to start watching season two last Fall together. And season one was on Netflix. I figured it couldn’t hurt.

So I watched the first episode. And the second and third. All in one sitting. Sure, episode one wasn’t that exciting, but as I got to know the characters, I became interested in the show. It actually reminded me of a graphic novel I love, Fables. Actually, the wife and I were talking last week about how surprising it was that the creators of Fables didn’t sue Once Upon a Time, since the ideas were so similar. Also, it’s fun to try to guess which traditional storybook character any new arrivals might be.

But now the question is, do I open the door to the new spin-off called Once Upon a Time in Wonderland? Do I commit another hour to a similar show? The premise of the spin-off is simple; in the real world, Alice is thought insane because of her stories of Wonderland, but love forces her to return to the world she once left. The trailer makes her look a bit kickass, with a fight scene where she takes out a few people. Another reason for me to watch is that it’s written by one of the writers of Lost, Adam Horowitz (Lost, Once Upon a Time). Plus, isn’t that Sayid (from Lost) in the trailer? It sure is – he plays Jafar.

Also included are John Lithgow as The White Rabbit and a relatively new face in Sophie Lowe (Roadkill, Blame) as Alice.

I will probably give Wonderland a chance, at least an episode or two before I decide. Or maybe I’ll leave it up to the wife. After all, she got into The Walking Dead and Doctor Who for me…I should definitely reciprocate.

What about you? Do you watch Once? Will you give Wonderland a chance?

Watch the trailer here, and sound out below! Once Upon A Time In Wonderland premieres October 10th:

‘The Walking Dead’ Spinoff In Discussions At AMC

by Dennis FinocchiaroSeptember 16, 2013

The rumor is true! Robert Kirkman is indeed in discussions with AMC to create a spinoff of The Walking Dead.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kirkman states “After 10 years of writing the comic book series and being so close to the debut of our fourth, and in my opinion, best season of the TV series, I couldn’t be more thrilled about getting the chance to create a new corner of The Walking Dead universe. The opportunity to make a show that isn’t tethered by the events of the comic book, and is truly a blank page, has set my creativity racing.”

AMC hopes to get the show going in 2015 and will involve The Walking Dead alum Gale Anne Hurd and Dave Alpert.

So what do we know so far? That it will be completely broken off from the characters we already know and love, and will not involve story lines from the comics. Whether characters will show up from one to the other isn’t clear, but either way, an extra hour of The Walking Dead won’t hurt anyone. Right?

What do you think? Will the show be just as good, or will Kirkman and others involved in the show be spreading themselves out too thin?

J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Announce New ‘Harry Potter’ Universe Film!

by Dennis FinocchiaroSeptember 12, 2013

The news is amazing and shocking to Harry Potter fans across the world.

J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers announced today that they will be adapting some of the characters in her Harry Potter textbook “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them”. While the films will not likely feature Harry or any of the main characters, the movie will focus on the many tales, fables and faux histories contained in the book.

Rowling will write the screenplay for the film.

“‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world,” Rowling’s statement said. “The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start in New York, 70 years before Harry’s gets underway.”

So the story will take place in the United States, long before Voldemort and Harry even meet. But who knows…maybe there will be a little part for a younger Dumbledore? Fans can only hope.

Are you excited about this new world of Harry Potter news, or do you think they ended things perfectly? Let us know, and we’ll share more information as soon as it’s available!

New ‘Doctor Who’ Poster, 50th Anniversary Lineup Announced!

by Dennis FinocchiaroSeptember 11, 2013

Well Whovians, the time is upon you.

Well, okay maybe not yet. There’s still a bit of waiting to do before the new 50th anniversary special premieres. But who isn’t excited to see the return of David Tennant (along with Matt Smith) in The Day of the Doctor?

This is the first time the modern-era series will feature two different incarnations of The Doctor and fans are excited to say the least. Billie Piper also returns to the series as Rose Tyler, another fan favorite from the Doctor Who timeline.

And John Hurt (V for Vendetta, Hellboy) isn’t exactly small time either, is he?

The new 75 minute episode The Day of the Doctor will air November 23rd on BBC America and is written by Stephen Moffat.

In other Who news, writer Mark Gatiss (Doctor Who, Sherlock) wrote An Adventure in Space and Time, starring David Bradley (Harry Potter movies, Broadchurch), Brian Cox (Red, Bourne Supremacy), Jessica Raine (The Woman in Black, Call the Midwife) and Sacha Dhawan (After Earth). This one follows the making of Doctor Who starting with William Hartnell, the first Doctor. Also airing is a special documentary looking at the science behind the popular show and Me, You and Doctor Who, which covers the cultural significance of the long running television show.

Are you excited? Let us know how you will be celebrating the new season. Geronimo!

Geek Gifts Rule: 7 Specialty Items For The Geek In Your Life!

by Dennis FinocchiaroSeptember 8, 2013

I was bored today, and with my birthday just around the bend I thought I would check out what was new in the world of geek toys. I’m always looking for fun Doctor Who or Walking Dead stuff, so after some research decided to share some of the new items with everyone out there on Geekscape.

Walking Dead SD Plush Dolls ($9.99): Who wouldn’t want a Rick Grimes plush doll? Okay okay, we all know the doll most of you would want to cuddle is Daryl. But come on, he wouldn’t cuddle! These are a neat collectible to go along with the show.

Winchester Tavern Pint Glass ($9.99): For everyone who went out to see The World’s End, I thought this was a cool one to share. A pint glass from the infamous Winchester from the film Shaun of the Dead would be a fun addition to your glass cupboard, don’t you think? If you’re anything like me you already have tons, but one more can’t hurt. Or can it?

Star Trek Starfleet Ice Tray ($9.99): Yes, ice trays get boring, but I haven’t seen a lot of interesting Star Trek stuff in a while. Is it worth the trouble of making room in the freezer, and then making sure you stack the tray on something level just to have Star Trek ice cubes? I think we all know the answer to that.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Shot Glasses ($59.99): Come on, it’s the 50th anniversary of the show! Shots for everyone! No really though…these are cool little glasses that have artistic images of the twelve doctors. Fun for decoration or to use!

My Little Pony Doctor Whooves ($14.99): Combine My Little Pony with Doctor Who and what do you get? Apparently this. He resembles Matt Smith as The Doctor and glows in the dark. Why not, right?

Lego C3PO Star Wars Keychain Light ($11.99): If you know me at all, or you’ve been reading my posts, you should know by now I have a certain soft spot for everything Lego. So of course I have to add this item. It’s fun, Lego and actually has a use. Although admittedly it’s probably the most expensive keychain you’ll ever purchase.

Jenga Space Invaders ($29.99): Jenga stresses me out a bit when I play, but I would deal with the pressure to play with this set. Space Invaders? Come on…it looks like a blast. Each player also has their own invader. The object is to get him down in the game. Not sure how it works, but sounds like fun.

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! I’d like to hear from you readers: what’s the best toy or collectible you’ve ever bought?

Geekscape Movie Reviews: ‘Marvel Knights: Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk’

by Dennis FinocchiaroSeptember 5, 2013

Warning: The following review contains spoilers!

Marvel Knights’ new release, Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk, based on the comic series of the same name, is a highly entertaining variation of the storyline. Writer Damon Lindelof (Lost, Star Trek: Into Darkness) brings the plot to film with the help of artist Leinil Francis Yu (Secret Invasion) and colorist Dave McCaig.

The story is simple. The Hulk was sentenced to death for murdering over 600 people, 60+ of them being children, so Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. killed him with a nuclear bomb. The problem is, it turns out that’s not enough to kill Hulk. Fury then enlists Wolverine to find Bruce Banner and kill him.

The catch? There’s a little bit more going on behind the scenes, as usual with S.H.I.E.L.D. The Hulk’s ex, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, just might still be in love with him, and her coworker may have just solved the problem with Banner’s Hulk Formula.

http://youtu.be/CThLutcEr-M

As Wolverine tries to track him down, the storyline jumps from him to Fury to Hulk/Banner’s points of view, which at times can begin to get a little frustrating. And the episode that focuses on Banner’s travels and struggles with anger is a bit slow-moving. Other than that, the film is fun. The addition of humor to the storyline really helped, with small quips and jokes that are reminiscent of The Avengers. If for no other reason, it’s worth watching just to find out the answer to the age-old joke, “What does Wolverine do to get through the metal detectors at the airport?”

And if that’s not enough, no matter how badass you thought Wolverine was in the past, the opening of this film will prove you wrong when he is torn in half by Hulk and crawls four miles to the top of a mountain to get back his legs. Intense!

Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine incorporates a few other fan-favorites, such as Tony Stark, Captain America and a certain female who is large an green as well. The references to pop culture and films (Star Wars, for example) add some fun to the storyline.

This is part of a series of comic adaptations Shout! Factory and Marvel Knights has released. The only other one I’ve personally seen was Astonishing X-Men: Unstoppable, which was decent. It definitely does take some time to get used to the limited movement in the artwork, especially when compared to everyday cartoons and animated films.

Marvel Knights: Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk, is available September 10th and can be preordered on Amazon. Or, you could always enter to win a copy!

Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine scores a worthy 4/5.

School’s Open! A New Zombie Survival School, That Is…

by Dennis FinocchiaroSeptember 4, 2013

…and the best part is: it’s FREE!

With the upcoming season of The Walking Dead just around the corner, AMC has partnered with University of California, Irvine to offer a new class called Society, Science, Survival: Lessons from AMC’s The Walking Dead.

Faculty members of the university will take turns lecturing students virtually, including experts in the Social Sciences, Physics, Astronomy, Public Health, and Mathematics. Each professor will combine their knowledge with what would really happen in an apocalyptic setting.

Each class will take place the Monday after each The Walking Dead episode, and will include discussion of the show as well. The lecturers will have access to the cast of the series to add another twist on the classes.

While tied into the show, this class will tackle real-life scenarios that include lessons on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, social order and structure, public health and the CDC, and many other topics.

Here is the course description from their website:

“From understanding social identities to modeling the spread of disease, this eight-week course will span key science and survival themes using AMC’s The Walking Dead as its basis. Four faculty members from the University of California, Irvine will take you on an inter-disciplinary academic journey deep into the world of AMC’s The Walking Dead…”

This program is serious. It even comes with student standards:

At the end of this course, you will be able to:
• Describe how infectious diseases—like a zombie epidemic—spread and are managed
• Apply various models of society and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to existing and emerging societies as a means for understanding human behavior
• Analyze existing social roles and stereotypes as they exist today and in an emerging world
• Debate the role of public health organizations in society
• Describe how mathematical equations for population dynamics can be used to study disease spread and interventions
• Apply concepts of energy and momentum appropriately when analyzing collisions and other activities that either inflict or prevent damage
• Summarize multiple methods for managing stress in disaster situations

I, for one, have already signed up for the class, which starts October 14th, the day after the season premiere, and ends December 20th. And if you don’t really enjoy school, you might be happy to learn the class isn’t graded.
Come back for updates from Dennis on the class and what they’re learning, starting October 15th.

‘It’s Always Sunny’: Philadelphia Phillies’ Chase Utley Replies to Mac’s Letter!

by Dennis FinocchiaroSeptember 3, 2013

Briefly: For those of you who watch It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, you know of Mac’s obsession with Philadelphia Phillies player Chase Utley. Well, just now (five years later) he’s finally gotten a response from Chase. It’s hilarious.

Here is his response to Mac:

If you need a refresher on what Mac actually wrote to Chase, check out the original letter Mac wrote to Utley:

Let us know what you think! The new season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia starts this Wednesday at 10 P.M. on the new FXX.

I’ve Got The Transformers Masterpiece Soundwave, And So Should You!

by Dennis FinocchiaroSeptember 2, 2013

I want to scream it from the rooftops. “I’VE GOT THE NEW TRANSFORMERS MASTERPIECE SOUNDWAVE!” But nobody in my neighborhood would care, so I’m sharing the news with you instead.

The wife and I were at Toys R Us and she had to ask customer service a question. As we got the answer and turned to walk away, I noticed giant black boxes with half of a Decepticon symbol showing on the side. “What are those?” I asked innocently.

The woman grabbed the biggest one, turned it around, and said “Oh it’s some new Transformers thing. Soundwave, it’s called.” But when I learned of the price ($119.99) I had to walk away from it. We can’t be spending over $100 on a collectible toy that will adorn a shelf.

Or could we?

After a coupon and a few hours of research/thinking, I decided I should splurge. After all, these toys are so hard to get, I never thought I would ever see one in real life. Plus my birthday is coming. So a few hours later I called and asked them to hold it for me, and since they still had it I took that as a sign.

And now it’s mine. I opened it, because of course I’m going to. Soundwave was easily my favorite (and the coolest) Decepticon. Plus, when I think back to the 1980s, he was my first Transformer, a Christmas gift from my parents. I spent the whole day ignoring people and their questions, changing him from robot to cassette player over and over and over. I’d never seen a toy like it. It was practically two toys. Then the cartoon came out, and I’ve been a huge Transformers fan ever since.

But this toy…wow. Can it even be called a toy? It is truly a masterpiece. It has more detail than any Transformer I’ve ever seen. Plus it comes with five, count ‘em, five cassettes: Buzzsaw, Laserbeak, Rumble, Frenzy and Ravage. All of the classic cassettes. That’s not it though! It has one of the clear Energon Cubes, which we 1980s Transformers geeks all know Soundwave made as they stole energy from humans. Still not enough? It has Megatron in gun form for Soundwave to fire as well!

Negatives? Not many besides the price. Yes, the directions are the usual Hasbro images with no text, and there’s a step or two that is a bit frustrating until you figure them out. Even though he transforms in pretty much the same way as the original, there’s a hidden button or two that, if you don’t notice them, will definitely frustrate you. The cassettes transform in a different manner as well, such as the birds: their weapons are now attached to them and don’t need to be added after.

Hasbro has truly gone above and beyond for us true grown-up Transformers lovers. This is probably the coolest toy/collectible I have ever purchased. Yes, it was a bit expensive, and I’ll never ask for another one again (the child in me laughs at that phrase) but it’s the best.

If you love Transformers, this piece is a must-have.