Tag: brave

E3 2014: Hands-On With ‘Disney Infinity 2.0’

by Josh Jackson

The original Disney Infinity left a big impression on me, so much so that I considered it my game of show at last year’s E3. With the promise of multiple single player campaigns in the form of play sets combined with a nearly limitless level designing tool in the toy box, the possibilities seemed to echo the title. Much of these impressions carried over to the actual release, although my expectations fell short in certain areas, namely the same-ness of many of the characters, how bare bones some of the play sets felt and how the game initially promised to not need sequels while possibly replacing movie tie in games with Infinity content, (which was quickly proven wrong by the 3DS’s Olaf’s Adventure and the very game we’re talking about).

Still, the game had a ton of untapped potential that a sequel could capitalize on, especially because of Disney’s acquisition of giant properties like the Marvel universe. With that in mind, playing 2.0 was a top priority for me this year, both as a fan of the original and someone who was eager to see if Disney Interactive would adapt to the comic book universe or perish in a sea of broken promises and failure to improve. After an in depth playthrough of the game’s two play sets, I’m happy to say I’m leaning towards the former.

InfinityCap

To me, the biggest problem with Disney Infinity was that the campaign style play sets mostly felt like samples of what could be done in the toy box as opposed to fully fleshed out games, (aside from the Pirates set, most of what each was built from was ripped straight from Toy Box). With 2.0, this criticism has been fully addressed, giving us a huge open world city to explore as our favorite characters. The Avengers version of New York is promising to be more than twice as big as The Incredibles, with capsule toys, side quests and story missions still waiting to be found, all put into context by a full story penned by longtime Marvel scribe, Brian Michael Bendis. It’s a huge improvement from the opening and ending cutscene that greeted us at the end of the first game’s stories.

On top of that, the increased level cap of 20 allows us to unlock between 20 and 30 skills per character, which is a huge improvement compared to the original’s puzzling decision for level ups to mean absolutely nothing aside from unlocking new Toy Box parts. Making this even sweeter was how different each character felt. Firing off trick shots with Hawkeye, throwing down with Captain America, web slinging between buildings as Spider-Man or flying through the city at top speed with Iron Man felt distinctive, as opposed to many of the first game’s characters playing or feeling exactly the same. To top it off, the heroes each have a unique super move with varying in levels of awesomeness, (like Iron Man’s missile barrage vs Black Widow’s… invisibility turning? I know who I’m not playing as…)

InfinityHawkeye

Even the original game’s characters are getting skill trees when they’re transferred into the new games, although theirs won’t be as robust as the new characters being brought in. Still, the fact that they’re getting upgraded at all is a great way to reward players who maxed out their figures despite their lackluster move sets. Plus, maybe some characters can be more fleshed out this time, specifically Anna and Elsa. The developers obviously knew very little about since they were developed before Frozen was released, so let’s hope they can be done justice the second time around.

Joining the heroes will be new power discs that were on display for the E3 demo. Aside from the Toy Box backgrounds, perks and weapons that came with the blind pack DLC of the original, Marvel’s version will also include sidekicks who fight at your side for a limited time, and costumes for specific characters. Ever get the feeling that you want to play as Captain America in his First Avenger gear? Or how about black suit Spidey? Ever wanted to fight side by side with The Winter Soldier after he blew us away in the latest Phase 2 film? Now’s your chance, with these discs that feel like a lot more than just fluff. My wallet is going to hurt.

InfinityIronMan

On the mission front, both the side and story missions felt more involved, forcing me to travel through more of the city to accomplish whatever the goal was. Whether it was racing on Nick Fury’s bike to escorting a scientist to key points in the city as symbiotes were viciously attacking us, these missions made the game feel like a full fledged experience. And while some of the bonus quests I played were still ridiculously easy, some of them presented a nice challenge, like the web slinging missions that I couldn’t get better than a bronze in.

If someone would have told me I was playing the new kid friendly Marvel game and not one that’s attached to a world building simulator, I would have completely bought it. But to think that a game where the single player content is more of the side dish to the Toy Box’s entree plays so well surpassed what I expected after playing the first game. I’m not sure if it’s a testament to Infinity’s developers or a knock at the other guys when web slinging feels more fun in this spinoff than it does in a core Spidey title. My only complaints are that there were some massive bugs, causing mission sensitive enemies to teleport across the map, and that traveling with non-flying or swinging characters felt like a chore. Having to drive as Black Widow when Thor can zip from one end of the map to another in minutes leaves an unbalanced feeling.

Both areas are said to still be in development, so let’s hope these get patched up come September.

http://youtu.be/W1P3b4YU8so

E3 2014: ‘Disney Infinity 2.0’ Goes Ultimate With The Announcement Of The Spider-Man Play Set!

by Josh Jackson

Whoa, Disney Infinity 2.0 hasn’t been announced for more than a month and we already have our second play set on its way!

Scheduled to launch day and date with the Marvel Super Heroes starter pack, (which comes bundled with an Avengers play set already), early buyers will also get the chance to swing through New York with Spider-Man, starring in his own adventure alongside some of his amazing friends.

Centered around a plot by The Green Goblin and Mysterio to harvest Venom’s symbiote, Venom clones are running rampant throughout the city, and it’s up to the web slinger to stop this latest attempt to take control of the city. Thankfully, he’s not the only one who has arrived to stop the threat, with Nova, Iron Fist, Nick Fury and Venom himself joining the fight, complete with their own figures to display when you’re not playing.

The Spider-Man play set will come bundled with the wall crawler and Nova, while the other three will be sold seperately, likely as individual characters and in a set. While details on pricing, bundles and future characters aren’t known yet, I’d be willing to bet that it would cost around $35 like the play sets for the previous games. Plus, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Goblin and Mysterio bundled with Avengers villain, Loki, at some point. After all, Randy, Syndrome and Davy Jones were all released for the first game, so it wouldn’t be too much of a shock.

If you wanted to know more about the upcoming play set, check out the trailer below and tell us if you’re planning on emptying your wallet for the Marvel and Disney mash up. Both Disney Infinity 2.0 and the Spider-Man play set are rumored to release on September 23rd.

http://youtu.be/clajnwqBNr4

Has Walmart Leaked The ‘Disney Infinity 2.0’ Roster?

by Josh Jackson

After Disney Infinity 2.0 was announced last month, questions were running rampant as far as what Marvel and Disney characters would make the cut. Well, thanks to Walmart, we might have the answer… only months before it was intended.

Thanks to a recent preorder listing, the figures shown on the monster retailer’s website matches many of the figures that were recently confirmed at E3, bringing some credibility to the listing. From Guardians of the Galaxy to the recently announced Big Hero 6 and a few surprises in between, it looks like we’ll have a ton of new figures to collect throughout the next year and beyond.

If you don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading here. For everyone else, below are the list of figures that might make their way onto store shelves for the next Infinity release.

-Stitch

-Donald Duck

-Tinkerbell

-Hiro and Baymax from Big Hero 6

-Drax

-Rocket Raccoon

-A Guardians of the Galaxy Play Set, including Star Lord and Gamora

This is in addition to Groot, who was already announced, rounding out the Guardians. When including the recently unveiled Merida from Brave and Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, (who’s likely in to promote the DVD release of her self titled film when it inevitably hits in a few months), the roster is getting pretty huge, which means a shrinking wallet for us!

While seeing a GotG or Big Hero Six set isn’t surprising in the slightest, seeing characters like Tinker Bell and Donald Duck are welcomed surprises, especially considering Goofy can’t be following too far behind. The game desperately needs more Disney characters, so it’s good to see that they won’t get completely overshadowed by the inclusion of Marvel into the franchise. Yet, there are still some glaring omissions, namely Ferb, who was teased back when Fineas and Agent P were shown for the original, but has yet to be revealed, and Aladdin, who is strangely absent for a game that contains Agrabah guards, the Cave of Wonders, and even Abu in the form of an elephant. I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re just scratching the surface of what 2.0 will have to offer.

So what do you think, Geekscapists? Do you like what you see so far? And who else do you want to see make the cut? Check out the latest reveal trailer and let us know what you want to see from the upcoming sequel.

Source: vinylmationkingdom.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYBb8JyjSsU

Diablo Cody to Co-Chair Third Annual Athena Film Festival

by Molly Mahan

CORRECTION 1/21/2013: Previously, we reported that Diablo Cody would host the Athena Film Festival. This is an error. Ms. Cody shall co-chair the festival, which runs in February in New York. Please read on.

Earlier this month, the lineup for narrative, documentary and short films for the 2013 Athena Film Festival was announced, including screenings of Acadamy Award nominees Beasts of the Southern Wild and Brave, and the documentary WONDER WOMEN! The Untold Story of American Superheroines.

 

This year, the recipient of the Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement award will go to Gale Anne Hurd, producer of The Walking Dead. Diablo Cody shall co-chair of the festival, which runs February 7-10, 2013.

 

The stated mission of the festival is to promote and illustrate women and leadership. The pictures selected highlight women’s leadership in real life and the fictional world. Throughout the weekend festival, there are also many workshops and conversations with prominent filmmakers, from directors to writers to producers. The festival is held annually in New York at the women’s college, Barnard College.

 

From the official press release:

“We are proud to announce such a robust lineup for this year’s Festival,” said Kathryn Kolbert, co-founder of the Festival and the Constance Hess Williams Director of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College. “The variety of films and filmmakers at the festival this year exemplifies the increasing presence of female leaders in the industry.”
“The balanced mix of films represents the breadth and depth of the Festival’s mission,” said Melissa Silverstein, co-founder and artistic director of the Festival and head of Women and Hollywood, an online leader in the conversation about women’s roles in the film industry. “Each year we strive to select films that inspire filmmakers and industry members. This year’s slate is our strongest yet and continues to convey this focus.”

More information about the festival is available at the festival’s website.

 

Below are the categories and films set to screen:

 

FEATURES

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Brave

Fast Girls

Future Weather

Ginger and Rosa

The Girl

Hannah Arendt

Middle of Nowhere

La Rafle

Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta Se Fue A Los Cielos)

DOCUMENTARIES

Band of Sisters

Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and The Farm Midwives

Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel

Granny’s Got Game

Inocente

I Stand Corrected

Putin’s Kiss

Women Aren’t Funny

WONDER WOMEN! The Untold Story of American Superheroines

 

SHORTS

55 Socks

ABC

DEVOUT

Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend

Free Kick (Libre Director)

Georgena Terry

Hilary’s Straws

In A Heartbeat

Jasad & The Queen of Contradictions

Our Rhineland

Prizefighter

Self-Portrait with Cows Going Home and Other Works: A Portrait of Sylvia Plachy

She, Who Excels in Solitude

Stella is 95!

Who is Pauline Park?

How To Fix Brave In 6 Easy Steps

by Ivan Kander

Now that the dust has settled and the internet has gone on to complain about new things, I thought it might be an apt time to examine Disney/Pixar’s Brave in more detail.  Now, granted I’m sure many of you are already exceedingly weary all of the Brave chatter and articles, but a movie such as this fascinates me. For one, as the CinemaScore would suggest,  Brave isn’t a bad movie–it’s just a spectacularly mediocre one; as Douglas Adams would say, “mostly harmless.” Well, considering this is coming from the studio that has produced over the past 17 years a voluminous cannon of movies unmatched by anybody else in Hollywood, mediocre just doesn’t cut it for me. But, in what is probably the larger point, it could have been so good. (And, yes, I’m aware that our fearless Geekscape leader really loved the film.)

So, let’s make Brave good.  Instead of just criticizing what doesn’t work, let’s workshop this sucker until it actually does.  Here it is, ladies and germs, the Top 10 Ways to Fix Pixar’s Brave.

(Obviously, massive spoilers are below)

6.) Get into the action!

Yeah…yeah…it’s an ancient screenwriting tip: start in medias res. I’m not reinventing the wheel here. But, Brave would have really benefited from cutting a good 10 to 15 minutes from its first act, and basically starting with the scene where Merida is “auditioning” her suitors. Instead, we get a lot of exposition of her being a free spirit, including an opening song montage. I suppose you could argue that all this Bohemian frolicking is used to develop Merida’s character, but honestly, is her character really that deep?  She’s a Princess who is being forced to live a life she does not want. Holy crap, is that a cliché starting point! Major props to Pixar for giving us a female centric lead character. That still doesn’t excuse the fact that she’s a walking stock character (C’mon! Splitting the arrow! Mel Brooks killed that shtick 19 years ago with Robin Hood Men in Tights). Brave shouldn’t waste so much time examining the fact that she’s an unconventional princess, because that’s not really what the movie is about. The film is about a mother and daughter learning to understand each other (think Finding Nemo with reversed gender roles). So, from a story point, get to the Suitor competition earlier, have her visit the Witch sooner, have the Bear/Mother transformation happen earlier, and ultimately, give yourself some more script space for…..

5.) Mother and Daughter Bonding Time

For a movie that is so conventional in its structure, Brave feels oddly misshapen. The first act is far too long, whereas the second and third act are improperly developed. The best scene in the movie occurs when Merida and Mother Bear (Queen Elinor) fish with one another. They are bonding–developing and rebuilding a relationship. However, essentially, the directors have their relationship change within that single scene. Granted, I like a Rocky-montage as much as the next guy, but Brave should have been about the adventure and journey that mother and daughter go on together. Instead of one scene, have it be several: show them in peril together, make them work together. Show how both Merida’s free spirited ways and Momma’s conservative teachings can be fused together so each takes the best from one another. There’s a shot after the fishing sequence where the camera jibs up to the landscape showing a lengthy path of wisps indicating a long and perilous journey. But, we as the audience never get to see that journey–we literally jump cut to them arriving at their destination. That’s the equivalent of Sam and Frodo looking at Mount Doom in the distance and then immediately arriving at the peak in the next scene, turning to each other and exclaiming “Gosh, I’m pooped! What a long walk!”  As a result, the sequence in the cave where Merida and Queen Elinor confront the evil bear, Mor’du, ends up just being the next step in their journey, instead of the climax. Funny thing is, the screenwriters of the film understand this larger point on a macro level as we see the results of “mother/daughter bonding time”  when Merida gives the speech in the banquet hall. The problem is that the film doesn’t earn the moment. It happens because the plot needs it to happen, not because the characters have actually learned and grown together.

4.) More Menace

Behind every great  fairytale is an even better villain. Think of Scar from the Lion King. Now, THAT’S evil.  The bear Mor’du doesn’t cut it because, frankly, he doesn’t do enough. The most frustrating thing is that the framework is there. I mean, essentially, the story implies he destroyed the Scottish kingdoms by turning against the other leaders. Wouldn’t it be cool if he had a more developed arc, where he is attempting to destroy the four kingdoms because he knows that, as a bear, he could never lead them? It’s the ole’ idea that if he can’t rule, then nobody can. Not only would this have added much needed complexity and depth to the plot, but it would have made his ultimate death more substantial. Plus, it would mean that Merida fought for something more than just herself and her personal mistakes.

3.) Even Magic Needs Rules

The weird thing about us moviegoers is that we are willing to believe anything on screen as long as such things operate within clearly defined rules. Brave never establishes these boundaries. Magic happens. That’s it. How do the wisps work? How do they appear? Why two sunsets until the bear spell is permanent? Why, of all animals, does the witch turn people into bears? Why does the witch’s home change locations? Brave seems far too content to answer all these questions with a nonchalant shrug of magic and pixie dust. That’s not a good enough answer for me. The movie needs to make decisions supported by rules. I’m not saying to ditch the fantastical elements altogether, but at least have the courtesy to define them.

2.) Characters, Not Mechanisms

Brave suffers from a big problem: its characters often act as plot mechanisms instead of…you know…actual characters. The biggest offender is the Witch.  She’s not integrated into the story whatsoever. She appears, makes her magic cake, and then–poof–she’s never seen again. Not only does this introduce the odd question of why there is a wood-whittling, bear obsessed Witch in the middle of the forest, it also means her character only serves as a stepping stone to the next plot point. How do you fix this? I say ditch the witch (hey, that rhymed!) all together. With the introduction of the wisps it’s made clear that there is magic in the world. It would be much more interesting if the wisps themselves were responsible for the mother’s transformation. Instead of introducing more ancillary characters, use what’s already established in our defined magical world (i.e. see above) to incite change.

The same problem exists with several other characters, especially the three clan leaders and their respective Suitors. While I definitely admire Brave for not giving us a cliche “prince” for Merida to fall in love with, do all the firstborn sons have to be so useless?  If we revisit the idea of Mor’du as a more substantive villain, perhaps the three suitors can help Merida in the third act as she faces Mr. Evil Bear head-on. Merida and the Suitors could work and fight together, protecting the kingdom as a unified team, each using their respective strengths to come out on top. Not only would this give the movie a much needed action set piece (ala the Monsters Inc. door sequence or the final fight in the Incredibles), it would also allow Merida to gain the trust and respect of the Suitors and the clans, even if she’s still not willing to give up her hand.

1.) Girl Power, Not Jerk Power

Maybe I’m crazy here, but Merida comes off as kind of a jerk.  Granted, I get that she’s a strong woman who is being unfairly oppressed by societal norms. Still, she essentially gives her mother a poisoned cake that has completely unknown effects. Heck, it could have killed the Queen for all she knew. And then, to top it off, she doesn’t feel that sorry about it–after Mom becomes a bear she immediately blames the Witch instead of herself. While we eventually get a muffled apology from Merida at the end, it feels tacked on and forced. Merida never really changes as essentially she sort of gets what she wants without any negative consequences.  Merida’s arc should be that of changing from a free spirited selfish girl, to a free-spirited and courageous leader. And, we as an audience need to watch that change happen in real time. If her arc would have been constructed that way, as the sun rises at the end, we would feel genuine emotion, instead of being told to feel genuine emotion. Now, that, ladies and gentleman, is the Pixar magic.

Whew! We did it! Brave is now a much better movie. Pixar, be sure to send all subsequent royalties my way. I accept pay pal.

Brian Gilmore Will Crush You! The “Geekscapepod” For June 24th, 2012!

by Jonathan

Geekscape mainstay Brian Gilmore visits the Geekscape couch to talk some serious news and reviews! We discuss spammy Russian sex dealers, rural Chinese sex toys and reminisce about the growth of Geekscape! “Taken 2” and “Dredd” get trailers but which is worth watching? Jonathan talks “Safety Not Guaranteed” while Gilmore tears up at “Brave”! Are Firefly fans the most pathetic fans in Geekdom? The Nintendo 3DS XL sounds lame while a Castle Greyskull card holder sounds awesome! PLUS! How 60s TV Batman saved Batman, Marvel Mania Hollywood menus revealed and a Pixar artist draws R Rated movie scenes!

Subscribe to the show on iTunes!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:53 — 26.1MB)

The Sky is Falling… Again! The “Geekscapepod” For June 18th, 2012!

by Jonathan

I start this episode off telling all of you to go pick up “The FP” this week! Also, “Adventure Time” Season 1 is coming to DVD in July! Fantastic! Falling Skies has returned to TV and why should you be watching it? Is “Before Watchmen” turning itself around? Ed Brubaker’s got your Captain America fix! I review Pixar’s “Brave” and it’s fantastic! And Geekscape favorite BigYanks gets married… finally! But what do we get him?

Subscribe to the show on iTunes!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:06 — 14.6MB)

Geekscape Movie Reviews: “Brave”

by Jonathan

Brave Review

Brave, this summer’s entry into Pixar’s pantheon of yearly animated feature films, at times feels like classic Pixar clockwork and at other’s like a new path being discovered for the first time. As much as it owes to the established Pixar (and Disney) storytelling conventions that we’ve grown up knowing, there’s a lot in directors Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman (and co-director Steve Purcell’s) film that feels just fresh enough (and sometimes strange enough) to warrant the name “Brave”. I could go into detail on where the story waxes when maybe we would expect it to wane but that would be spoiling one of the most interesting and rewarding films that Pixar has ever made.

Really, this is a movie that would be spoiled by knowing what awaits you, and I urge anyone reading this to avoid any and all possible spoilers. And I’ll avoid using any of them in my review here. Disney’s ad campaign has been great in not telling us anything about the actual plot and I would even warn you from the film’s IMDB page if you want to go into the film completely fresh.

So what IS safe to know going in? Well, why not start with what we all already know? Brave is the story of the young Celtic princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald), first born of King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Upon coming of age, Merida will be married off to the first born son of one of the three Clan Leaders, Lord Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane), Lord MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd) or Lord Macintosh (Craig Ferguson). And since Merida is a feisty young girl who would rather find her own destiny on the back of her horse with a bow in her hand than have others choose it for her, she sets out to thwart her parents and remain unmarried.

The rest of this movie is on point too.

You got all that? Great… because that’s the first 20 to 30 minutes of the movie. The rest of the running time sees the film go in some really interesting directions as Merida goes off to cut her own path. I wish I could tell you more about the plot, including some of my favorite moments, but I really want you to discover this movie for yourselves and the campaigns for the film have done such a great job in keeping things secret. My job is in reviewing the film, not ruining it. Just know that once Merida sets this snowball rolling, it begins to grow beyond her control, knocking down everything in its path and awakening both past secrets and inner truths. As soon as the “plot” started kicking in and going into some strange places, I turned to my friend Brian Walton and whispered “did you know what this movie was about?” He shook his head no. “It’s fantastic.”

And it is… for many reasons. Probably the strongest and most obvious reason is that Brave has the strongest female characters of any of the Pixar movies. And I don’t just mean Merida, although she’s pretty strong and fantastic to watch as she grows through the trials and lessons of the film. But Merida’s mother, Queen Elinor, works as a wise and patient counterweight to Merida’s youthful impatience. The movie is very much about this central relationship and how both characters grow from one another. It’s also how they work to define not only their own lives, but their family and the legacy of their kingdom. I don’t recall Disney or Pixar telling a story that had this strong of a female message or protagonist without the counterweight of a Prince or a male hero. In fact, the males in the film are all entirely used as comedic relief or as cautionary tales. Knowing that little boys make up so much of the toy buying market that drives these summer films (last summer’s “Cars 2” seemed to be completely dictated by it), it was a brave decision (there’s that word again) to make a children’s summer tentpole movie that relies entirely on a female driven story.

And it works. Not only were there no little boys complaining of boredom when the lights came up, there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of dry eyes as well. “Brave” gets very emotionally intense, especially at the end. I was asked by a friend if he could take his 4 year old daughter to see the film and I had to pause and think on it. There are some really scary sequences in the film, and again that ending did a number on everyone. I know that “Toy Story 3” has that scene in the end that everyone quotes as being the scariest, most intense moment in a Disney movie, and it maybe still is, but these two sequences are emotionally intense in two different ways. In the way that Toy Story 3’s end scene found the collective heroes resigned to a horrific fate, but at least there was no question that they were “together in the end”, the emotional ending of “Brave” has everything relying on the shoulders of one female hero and whether or not she did the right thing… and was it enough in the end? It’s just as heartbreaking as the idea that you may not ever see Buzz and Woody again. I could keep arguing on the permanent ramifications and differences of each ending but I’m coming very close to telling too much and that’s something I swore not to do. Just come prepared with some tissues.

The Comedy Rule of 3s applies here… the funniest characters in the movie.

In the end, is “Brave” the best of the Pixar films? I don’t think there’s ever going to be a definite answer for that but it’s definitely one of the best and one of the most interesting. And it’s great to see Monkey Island alum and Sam and Max creator Steve Purcell involved in such a huge film. There is a sequence in the movie in which I thought “wow… that like something they would have put in a Lucasarts adventure game”! And sure enough, Steve’s name was right there in the titles. Tonally, the movie plays light and dark better than most of the Pixar films, and swings between the two probably the widest and the most frequently while hanging the audience out to dry for the longest stretches of time in the most uncomfortable middle, where you really don’t know where this movie is headed. While some detractors have named this as a reason to not enjoy the film, I argue that it’s what makes it one of the most interesting and I can’t wait to see it again because there seemed to be plenty still left unexplored. Technologically and visually, Pixar is still the company to beat. Even though the film has a bit in common with the similar setting of “How to Train Your Dragon”, it’s apparent in “Brave” that they are still the masters of the CGI animated film, both on the screen and on the page. I can’t recommend it to you enough and will be venturing back into the wilds of the megaplexes to see it again when it’s released this weekend.

Geekscape Roundtable: Reasons For Living in a Post-Avengers World

by GeekscapeStaff

The Avengers has come and gone, having assembled close to a billion dollars worldwide. What’s your reason for living now? Geekscape’s writers have a few reasons to survive at least through the end of the summer. Spoiler alert: It’s Prometheus.

Matt Blackwood: Indies and Gingers

After The Avengers, I am most looking forward to a couple indies. I know that sounds pretentious, and I certainly don’t want to impugn the inherent buzz of this summer’s blockbusters, but these two particular films each have something about which I’m even more excited. The first is God Bless America, Bobcat Goldthwait’s bloody indictment of reality TV’s subjects. Goldthwait’s previous two comedies, Sleeping Dogs Lie and World’s Greatest Dad, began with sick, over-the-top premises and ended up transcending their genre trappings and becoming beautiful messages of hope. The other film is Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz. I’m not proud of the reason I’m excited about this one, but I’ll show up for Sarah Silverman’s rumored full frontal and stay for the nuanced drama Polley has become known for.

I’m also pretty hopeful about Prometheus. I love Alien; hell, I even love Alien Resurrection! A new horror/sci-fi set in that universe, with Damon Lindelof involved? I’m intrigued. Plus, according to the Gambler’s Fallacy, Ridley Scott is due to make the greatest movie of all time by now.

Finally, there’s Pixar’s Brave. Pixar probably has a better critical batting average than any studio in history, the sad bunt that was Cars 2 notwithstanding, but I usually don’t make an effort to see them. If you have ANY children in your life- cousins, students, illegitimate offspring- you WILL see them whether you want to or not. They are inevitable. I haven’t tried to see one since The Incredibles, and yet I’ve caught them all. But Brave, the tale of a young Scottish girl following her dream of being a highland warrior, is a story I’ll make a trip to the theater to see.

Haterz Gonna Hate

Jae Renfrow: Aliens Resurrected 

So now you’re aimless wandering around, wondering what you’ll do now that you’ve finally gotten to see Thor and Hulk square off on the big screen. Why don’t you come hop aboard the Prometheus train with me? We’re invited(….or are we?) to a far off planet where we’ll get to witness Ridley Scott direct a sort-of prequel to one of the greatest horror films of all time, Alien.

Prometheus has had one of the best ad-campaigns in a long time. Instead of over exposing you with TV spots, 10 minute scene clips and Japanese trailers, they’re dropping wacked out viral clips of futuristic TED talks, and Michael Fassbender showing more range as a soulless robot than Jeremy Renner did as Hawkeye. I’m just sayin’… he didn’t have much to do, did he?

I still don’t know what the hell is gonna happen in this movie, but what I can guarantee is that whatever aliens are in this movie, they’ll be 100% more menacing then those wussy Chitauri and their Jet Motos.

Scott Alminiana: Cock Push Ups

Now that The Avengers has decimated the box office I can now look forward to a few other things. The first thing that I’m looking forward to is the new album from Tenacious D: The Rize of The Fenix. It’s the first album from Tenacious D since The Pick of Destiny movie and album crashed and burned six years ago. To promote the album The D has released two videos so far that prove that Tenacious D is back in fine form and ready to rock our socks off. They will also be touring in concert to coincide with the album release and you can bet I’ve got my tickets already!

The other thing I’m looking forward to is Prometheus, the long awaited return to sci-fi from Ridley Scott. What isn’t there to look forward to from this flick?! From Ridley’s return to the genre that he helped to redefine, to a script from Damon Lindelof that looks to explore some very big unanswered questions from Alien. If the trailers that have been released are any indication of what’s in store for us, then it looks like Prometheus could be one hell of a movie. I’ll be waiting in line opening night for sure.

Heidi Hilliker: It’ll end better than The Dark Tower

Locke & Key Clockworks #6 (of 6)! This last story arc of my beloved series has been epic… And epic might even be an understatement! There’s been so much back story revealed about the drowning caves, the Omega Key, the Black Door, how keys are made, Rendell Locke and the mysteriously evil Dodge. Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez never cease to surprise me with inventive and fascinating information. I can’t wait to see how this chapter concludes and how they set up for the final story arc of the series.

I’m having such a double edge sword of emotions about this titles conclusion. I hate to see this book come to a close but I love the nervous excitement of finding out how it ends! The release date for issue #6 is June 27th. I hope that is pretty spot on. IDW has been known to come in late on Locke & Key’s release dates. I’ll be biting my nails until I get to visually devour this issue so it better be released on time or else I’m going to end up with hobbit fingers.

Molly Mahan: Queen of the Browncoats

The next flick I’m looking forward to is Snow White & The Huntsman. Though I’m not a big fan of K-Stew, I do love me some deconstructionist fairy tales! Also, I am hoping to see Chris Hemsworth be interesting in a movie again. After two weeks of his performances boring me to tears, I am hoping he’ll return to his Star Trek roots and give an emotional performance that I know he’s more than capable of. Or at least hack some Wicked Queen’s men to pieces with an axe. Either way, I’ll be satisfied.

Matt  Kelly: King of Logic

Look, I know everyone has been excited for Avengers and Spiderman and Batman. And with good reason- they look like great movies. They’re everything a geek has dreamed of one day seeing on the silver screen. But I’m not one of those people. Sure I’m going to see all three of those films in theater, but the movie this summer that I can not wait to experience is the sequel to the best 3D film in the last decade. I’m talking about Piranha 3DD. This movie is promising plenty of gore, boobage, laugh out loud comedy and over the top in your face 3D action… Sign me the fuck up.

The Chitauri are coming!