Hakuna Matata IRL
Did I ever tell you that The Lion King is among my favorite movies of all time? There are some days when I’ll even go as far as saying it’s my #1 favorite movie of all time. And a big part of that, of course, is Timon and Pumbaa, the meerkat and warthog alliance that help Simba the lion take life a little less seriously. So, I think it goes without saying that the photo I’ve embedded above, of a meerkat walking alongside a warthog in real life, made me really giddy. But, there, I said it anyway.
Thanks to Buzzfeed for linking this up.
Geek Force FiveCast 213: Writing On Golden Pond
In which ECC geeks out about the workshop he’ll attend this weekend that’s being led by Academy Award winner Ernest Thompson.
Boston Supers Game Design Diary
Geek Force Five is about the things we’re geeking out about, right? It’s focus also includes story and creativity. To that end, I’ve decided to share with you my latest creative enterprise over which I have been geeking out for quite some time. See, I’m a gamer and I’m starting a new campaign. It involves superheroes. Yeah, double geek!
Uncomfortable Plot Summaries for Famous Movies and TV Shows
“Physically abused, retarded man finds love with overweight preteen.”
That is just one of the fantastically hilarious “Uncomfortable Plot Summaries” found at (postmodernbarney.com), a site we discovered today thanks to good old Jason Kottke. What is that one a summary of? Why, The Goonies, of course.
Here are few more of our favorites:
BATMAN: Wealthy man assaults the mentally ill.
DEBBIE DOES DALLAS: Cheerleaders develop valuable entrepreneurial skills.
GHOSTBUSTERS: Unemployed college professors destroy hotel with nuclear weapons.
HARRY POTTER: Celebrity Jock thinks rules don’t apply to him, is right.
LOVE ACTUALLY: Prime Minister risks war with United States over a sexy secretary.
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS: Layabout stepdaughter shacks up with seven miners.
STAR WARS: EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Boy is abused by midget, kisses sister, attempts patricide
TITANIC: Crazy old widow disregards lifelong memories of husband, children, and grandchildren in favor of that one time she fucked a bum.
The Trailer for James Cameron’s AVATAR
Before today, I knew nothing about James Cameron’s next film, Avatar, save that, based on the hype, I was supposed to love it with every fiber of my geeky being. The first trailer is out now however, and now that I have something concrete to pass judgement on, I’m not sure if I’m ready to declare it the Awesomest Thing Since AwesomeSauce. It certainly looks cool (as do these stills obtained by Ain’t It Cool News), but I’m not sure that this is anything more than a neat sci-fi flick. The technology may be fantastic, and it may make 3D moviegoing an honestly pleasurable experience, but the story is what it all comes down to. Is this thing going to be anything more than just spectacle. Right now, I can’t tell.
How about you?
Bill Birch and Geoff Johns Say SHAZAM!
The Fawcett Comics version of Captain Marvel is all about wish-fulfillment for little boys, isn’t it? All that kid Billy Batson has to do is shout “Shazam!” and all of a sudden he’s this totally bad-ass Superman clone. Isn’t that what every comic book reading kid dreams of, that they’re only a magic word away from becoming a superhero?
Well, apparently the quest to bring Shazam! to the big screen (it can’t be called Captain Marvel because, well, Marvel Comics has their own Captain Marvel, and there’s all sorts of legal bullshit involved) has apparently been a quest fraught with disappointment. Ain’t It Cool News reports that the pair of Bill Birch and Geoff Johns will be the sixth and seventh writers to try and tackle the screenplay for the film. Newsarama also has a nice write-up.
What do you guys think about Shazam! as a movie? Is there any reason in particular that you think it’s been so hard to adapt?
Geek Force FiveCast 212: Splitting HP7
In which ECC geeks out about news of where the narrative of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be split for the big screen.
The Cast of Internet University
I feel like I’ve seen this before, but I guess I haven’t. Mashable is reporting on it as if it were brand new, and I trust those guys, so there.
Anyway, let’s give props to DeviantArtist *elontirien for his crazy-cool depiction of the world’s most popular Websites as college students. Yes, let’s do that and call it a day, shall we?
iTunes 9 Rumors
As I mentioned in the comments section of yesterday’s post on the Apple Store Dancing Kid, Apple is now responsible for 25% of U.S. music sales, a ridiculous number if you ask me. And let’s be honest: you would have asked me, had I not come right out and told you. You’re welcome.
So, what’s Apple going to do to kick things up a notch on September 9, when they hold their annual iPod and iTunes media event? Rumors are floating once again that the music of the Beatles will be arriving on iTunes (Mac Rumors has a nice history of the rumors in their piece). Even crazier rumors include tales of Facebook integration and DVD ripping capabilities.
Are you an iTunes user? What do you hope is forthcoming in the next release?
Lennon Coming to LOST?
Okay, so I’m itching for Lost news. One of the good things about the summer being nearly over—one of the only good things—is that we are that much closer to the sixth and final season of Lost. Sure, it’s still a good five and a half months away, but that’s a lot better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick (or a Sharpie, for that matter).
Anyhoo… DarkUFO has news of a casting call for a character named Lennon, which gave me a perfect excuse to post a completely unrelated photograph of the only person I can think of when someone says the name Lennon (or Lenin, for that matter… is that weird?)
Lennon: Scruffy, edgy, charismatic, and slightly stir-crazy, Lennon can be deferential when it’s called for.
He’s the spokesperson/translator for the president of a foreign corporation. He’s a wily negotiator, and far more powerful than his lowly position would seem to indicate.
Recurring.
Interesting, huh?
Okay, yeah, it’s not really interesting. But it’s something, right? And that’s got to count for… um… something.
