While investigating the disappearance of the people of a small town in New Mexico, The Winchesters run across a Big Blue Box and find themselves face to face with the last of the Time Lords.
Monthly Archives: July 2015
Star Trek vs. Star Wars part 1
MLP: Friendship Games – I’m so Nervousited!
Hasbro Studios has just released the first trailer for My Little Pony: Friendship Games.
The appearance of the human Twilight has long been anticipated. She was hinted at in the first movie when our Twilight met the human Pinkie Pie, then she was shown after the end credits in the second. In addition to this, dolls of the Human Twilight were shown off earlier this year at the New York Toy Fair.
I can see that half of my Christmas list this year will be Equestria Girls dolls! I want the Nerdy Twilight/Flash Sentry set, and I need a Sunset Shimmer. The other half will, of course, be Lego…I am the AFOL (Adult Fan Of Lego) Husband, after all.
From here on, there are no spoilers: I don’t know any more than you do. These are just my thoughts, comments, and hopes for the third Equestria Girl movie.
If you visit sites like Deviant Art and Derpyburu you will see that there is a lot of speculation that human Twilight is evil, a sort of mad scientist, but I don’t necessarily think that’s true. From what we saw in the second movie, Human Twilight is a student of science, much like our Twilight is a student of magic. Human Twilight figured out that there was something strange going on at Canterlot High, so in this movie I think she’s going to take advantage of visiting Canterlot High for the Friendship Games in order to investigate what’s going on. There is a shot in the trailer of her sneaking around the statue that is the portal between the two worlds that would seem to confirm this.
There is also a shot that would appear to be Sunset Shimmer facing off against Twilight. Magic is popping up around Canterlot High, and I think Twilight, in her investigations, is going to tap into magic she can’t control, which another shot would seem to confirm. I think in the end Sunset Shimmer, being the only girl from Equestria, is going to have to save Twilight, and possibly Equestria, from disaster. At least that’s the direction I hope the movie will go.
In “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” Twilight is my favorite pony. As Xander from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” once put it, “smart chicks are hot!” In the movies, however, Sunset Shimmer is my favorite character…not so much in the first movie, but definitely in the second. If you think about it, her path is similar to “Xena: Warrior Princess”. She was once evil, turned away from her ways, and now struggles to redeem herself and be accepted.
It would make sense if the third movie goes the way I hope. Then this movie would complete a trilogy revolving around Sunset.
In the first movie, Twilight is the protagonist. She starts with the fear that, “Just because I have this crown and these wings, it doesn’t mean I’ll be a good leader.” In the end, she proves she is a leader by taking what she has learned about friendship into a strange world, making new friends, and leading those friend in defeating Sunset Shimmer. In the process, we learn that Sunset rebelled against Princess Celestia and went to the human world to plot her revenge. In the end, she is defeated, repents, and is left to learn about friendship.
In the second movie, Sunset is the protagonist. Though she has repented, she still does not fit in because the students at Canterlot High still remember what she did. The five friends that do accept her have formed a band, but she isn’t in it. So, even with friends of her own, there is still the feeling of being an outsider. Then there are the Sirens, bent on causing division among the students, who remind her of her dark past. In the end, the six girls need her voice to defeat the sirens, she has her magical transformation moment and becomes one of this world’s Mane Six – or should I say, Human Six.
An interesting side note: at the end of the second movie, Sunset writes to Twilight in the book that connects both worlds. It’s not a big deal in the movie, but it is in the Ponyverse. Newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle now has someone writing to her about friendship in the same way she had been writing to Princess Celestia. It’s an underplayed moment, but it’s the moment where we see that the student, Twilight, has become the master.
I don’t know yet who will be the protagonist in the third movie. It could be Sunset, having to step up from just being accepted and helping save the world as part of a group to having to save two worlds on her own because she’s the only one who knows how to deal with magic. Or it could be human Twilight, wanting to investigate the strange occurrences at Canterlot High, where she gets in over her head with Equestrian magic and realizes there are things her scientific background has not prepared her to deal with.
Either way, there is one thing I feel needs to happen. After saving one or both worlds, Sunset needs to go back to Equestria and reconcile with Princess Celestia. This would bring her character arc full circle: she rebelled against Celestia, went to another world to plot her revenge, repented, redeemed herself, became a hero in her new world, then in her home world, and returns to reconcile with the one she originally rebelled against. And from the first movie, we know that Celestia would welcome her back.
Now a few things I would like to see happen: Celestia welcomes Sunset back to Equestria, but after everything that’s happened with her friends who are about to graduate, Sunset decides to stay with her human friends as they begin the biggest adventure of their lives – adulthood. And I think Celestia would grant her permission to come back and visit now and then.
The movies have always acknowledged the TV show, but the show has never acknowledged the movies. I would love to see an episode of the show where Sunset is visiting Twilight in Ponyville. You wouldn’t even have to explain where she came from, just that she’s a friend of Twilight’s that’s visiting. Or at least a scene where Spike walks in on Twilight reading the book, “Hi, Twi, what you doing?” To which Twilight would reply, “Just reading a letter from Sunset. She says hi!”
In the new movie I’d also like to see a moment between Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. Maybe Rainbow Dash coaching Scootaloo’s soccer team. In the end of the first movie, Rainbow Dash gets her wings during her transformation. Then what does she do? During the dance, she grabs Scootaloo, throws her on her back and shares with her this incredible new ability to fly. Those five seconds of screen time confirmed that the human Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo have the same kind of relationship that the pony pair do.
The only disappointment I see is that it appears Friendship Games is going straight to cable and DVD, as it has a premier date of September 26 on Discovery Family. The second movie was out in the theaters for only one weekend with limited distribution, so I missed it. When I saw the opening credits on the DVD, I thought to myself, “Man, I wish I’d seen this in the theater.” In any case, I am looking forward to another great Danny Ingram score.
So, in the end, Human Twilight is hinted at in the first movie, revealed in the second, and becomes a major character in the third. Doesn’t this all beg the question… isn’t there a second Sunset Shimmer?
-AFOL Husband
Mrs. Peel, He’s gone….
As most fans know, (Daniel) Patrick Macnee passed away on June 25, 2015 at the age of 93. The actor was best known for playing the internationally
recognized, charmingly elegant, quintessentially English, and slightly mysterious character of John Steed in the 1960’s British television series, The Avengers, and its follow up, The New Avengers. However, it wasn’t on either of these shows that I first saw him. It was in Battlestar Galactica
that, as a young boy, I watched him for the first time playing three roles at once: two voice acting roles (Opening Announcer & Imperious Leader) and portraying Count Iblis on screen. Though there are 167 credits in his work history, Steed will always be the one role everyone will remember him for.
According to his son, Rupert, Macnee died of natural causes at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, with his family at his bedside. Rest well, good sir…so say we all.
JEM & THE HOLOGRAMS Movie: Show’s Over, Synergy
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Posted in Diary Of A Mad Woman, Geek Rant, Our Opinions And We're Sticking To 'Em!
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Everyone knows that geeks share one vital trait in common, regardless of fandom flavor: we’re all very detail-oriented. Whether it’s getting the right color and texture of fabric for that steampunk cosplay, or reciting the correct episode order for the entire first season of Steven Universe, or memorizing Tony Stark’s autobiography…for us, the love is in the details, be it proof of our devotion or laboring tirelessly to ensure that perfection in all our fannish endeavors is achieved.
That said, it’s inevitable that when a remake, spinoff, or reimagining of a beloved media property comes along, there’s going to be naysayers. Some tiny detail just isn’t right, some little piece of the original is missing.
In the end, there are always dissenters…but then there’s the 2015 Jem and the Holograms movie being released by Universal Pictures later this year. The movie is based on the Hasbro toy line and Saturday morning cartoon of the same name, which centered around one Jerrica Benton, heiress to Starlight Music and the holographic supercomputer known as Synergy. With Synergy’s help, Jerrica moonlights as singing sensation, Jem, and her band the Holograms. Each week, the group takes on the antagonistic Misfits and survives various high risk situations to maintain Jem’s secret, meet their obligations as a group, and execute the charitable work Jerrica does in the form of fostering a group of troubled youth known as the Starlight Girls.
The new movie? Well…take a look and tell me how much of that you see here.
A spoiler warning: I’m fairly disgusted with this trailer. However, I will give credit where it’s due: the fan in the know will see that they did get at least a few details right. Too often, editorials and reviews will default to complete and remorseless defamation when something isn’t right, and geeks can be the most guilty of this given how hot our passion runs for the things we love, and how focused we can be on details. However, when something like this comes along, where so much is wrong and so many good things about a property that was ahead of its time are stripped away in the name of marketing to a new audience…it’s important to be fair and impartial and take note of the good things to weigh against the bad.
The relationships in the band appear to remain much the same: Jerrica has her little sister, Kimber, and best friends Aja & Shana, both of whom are the Benton girls’ foster sisters in the cartoon, and foster children to their aunt in the movie. Eric Raymond, the antagonistic record executive, has been genderswapped to become Erica Raymond, and Rico Pacheco is still the band’s manager and confidant. He may still even become a love interest to Jerrica, a fact the trailer makes unclear.
These aspects of the film, I will give credit to Universal for…because there’s nothing else about this trailer that I recognize as belonging to Jem & the Holograms.
While the movie’s producer, Jason Blum, and Stefanie Scott, the actress playing 
Kimber Benton, have gone on record encouraging fans to give the film a chance because the trailer holds back a lot, I have to respectfully disagree. In this trailer, I see a teenage nobody achieving overnight stardom, ditching her friends, and learning a lesson about being true to herself. In the cartoon, Jerrica Benton was a powerful and independent woman running her own company and commanding the stage as the beautiful and charismatic Jem. The use of sophisticated holographic microprojectors in her trademark earrings and the AI of Synergy lent a great science fiction bent to the show as well, and the exciting double life Jerrica led was never perfect. She struggled with her boyfriend fighting his feelings for Jem, never realizing she was Jerrica’s alter ego, and she did more than run around being chased by bad guys: she honored her father’s memory by continuing his philanthropic work. Just as he took in Aja and Shana, Jerrica takes care of her own wayward kids in the Starlight Girls, treating them as family.
Where do we see even a glimpse of that in this trailer? A ham-handed reference to Jerrica’s activation phrase for her microprojectors by having Jerrica play with her earring and declare “Showtime, Synergy?”
Where is the creativity? Where is the strong female character equaling her peers in a male-dominated industry? Where the hell is the woman with friends who overcame their past to enjoy a fruitful and prosperous future, aiding Jem in bettering young children who were just like them?
This is either a case of horribly deceptive marketing, or a film that’s no different than its predecessors, like Josie and the Pussycats. “Homegrown Girl Makes Good” is a story we’ve heard before, and the music in this trailer is an entirely different, equally disappointing story given that Jem and the Holograms were rock musicians. Either way, I truly hope that Scott and Blum are correct: that there’s more to see beyond the two minute trailer.
Because if there isn’t? Show’s over, Universal.
Comic Time: Away Mission
Thunderbird Follow Up
Recently, I posted about the new “Thunderbirds Are Go” TV series being produced by Wetta in New Zealand. But if you are a fan of the original series, here are a couple of videos you may be interested in. This first one is “The Making of the Thunderbirds the Documentary”.
This second one is a Documentary on the career of Gerry Anderson:
And finally, the 1968 theatrical movie, “Thunderbird 6”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vTP1j_rX3g
Also, you probably have noticed the Tracy brothers answering with F.A.B. In case you’re wondering what that means, here is what the Urban Dictionary has to say:
“FAB from the TV show “Thunderbirds” stood for “Full Acknowledgement of Broadcast.” Gerry Anderson, the producer of “Thunderbirds,” was known for these obscure catch phrases. In another series “Captain Scarlet” he usied (sic) SIG which stood for “Spectrum Is Green” They both meant roughly,” ten-four”, “I copy” and “roger that.”
Jeff Tracy: “Scott set up a perimeter so Virgil can put down Thunderbird 2”
Scott: “F A B”
Scott: “F A B”
Colonel White: “All units return to base.”
Captain Scarlett: “S I G”
Captain Scarlett: “S I G”
-The AFOL Husband
Nerdy Stuff | Taylor Swift – Shake It Off Parody
Thanks to the AFOL Husband for finding this!
LYRICS:
VERSE 1:
I stay up all night
Playing way too many games
That’s what my friends say, mmm-mmm
That’s what my friends say, mmm-mmm
Although comic books are great [chuckle]
I need to take a break
That’s what my friends say, mmm-mmm
That’s what my friends say, mmm-mmm
BRIDGE:
But I keep geeking
out — I keep collecting
Toys, anime, comics
On my mind
Got to catch up on all those shows!
CHORUS:
‘Cause cosplayers gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the gamers gonna game, game, game, game, game
Baby, I’m just gonna geek, geek, geek, geek out
This nerdy stuff, nerdy stuff!
Binge watching shows all day, day, day, day, day
Sci-fi movies on re-play, play, play, play, play
Baby, I’m just gonna geek, geek, geek, geek out
This nerdy stuff, nerdy stuff!
VERSE 2:
Some people call me weird
That’s how I’m engineered
And that’s what they don’t see, mmm-mmm
That’s what they don’t see, mmm-mmm
I’m like a kid but grown (like a kid but grown)
I love the cons, I always go (cons, I always go)
And that’s what they don’t know, mmm-mmm
That’s what they don’t know, mmm-mmm
[BRIDGE]
[CHORUS]
HOOK:
Nerdy stuff, Nerdy stuff,
All-this-awesome nerdy stuff, nerdy stuff,
All-this-awesome nerdy stuff, nerdy stuff,
All-this-awesome nerdy stuff, nerdy stuff.
RAP:
Hey, hey, hey!
Just think while ya’ll been walking around, thinking you’re too cool to play
Magic Cards or Pokemon with us, you could’ve been geeking out with all my peeps.
Iron Man and a… Oh! What’s that?
I’m like “Oh, my god!” I’m just geeking out!
And that lady over there with the colorful hair
Won’t you come and join us honey? We can geek the hell out.
[CHORUS]
[HOOK x3]
Crossover Time: Reinvisioning Iron Man
I know Madwoman won’t like this one, but I thought if Robert Downey Jr.
wasn’t cast as Tony Stark, John Barrowman would’ve made a great Iron Man!