For the Love of Geek | March 11, 2015

Tomorrowland Trailer

After we got a teaser last October, I couldn’t wait to learn more about the Brad Bird-helmed Tomorrowland. This new trailer (seen above) was just released Monday for the film that comes out May 22 this year.

In this trailer, we never actually see anyone other than Casey (played by Brit Robertson) touch the pin, though at one point she holds it with a tissue and appears to be unaffected by it. Will it work on anyone when it comes into direct contact with their skin, or is Casey somehow special?

I’m forever wary of the “Special Girl” trope that has been so popular in movies and television in the last several years. I always end up finding myself back at this quote from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” I think it’s much more interesting when a great person falls into the latter of the two categories than simply the birth lottery.

I hope whatever happens in Tomorrowland is handled well, because I really want to like it!

Supergirl Costume Revealed

Production has begun on Supergirl (for the television network CBS, which does seem like an odd choice, but I’m willing to give it a try) with Melissa Benoist in the lead. The first photos of Benoist in the updated costume, designed by Colleen Atwood who designed the looks for the CW’s The Flash and Arrow, were released last week.

A lot of people are talking about how the colors are darker than they are in the comic books and past film and television incarnations, but that is so often the style with the superheroes we find on our screens these days. I think it looks like a good costume; I wasn’t blown away by it, but I also don’t find anything troublesome about it. It’s enough to say, “All right, I’m interested. Now, make a good show!”

Zoolander Sequel Announced

After video emerged of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson strutting their stuff on the Valentino runway at Paris Fashion Week, Paramount announced via Twitter that the sequel to 2001’s Zoolander is set to release February 12, 2016.

I am totally on board with marketing stunts like this! The usual press conferences and press junkets are…boring. I can’t think of any other way to say it. With so many movies and studios vying for audiences’ attention, the best way to really make news is to be bold and unconventional. This is a win!

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For The Love Of Geek | March 4, 2015

I wrote last week of Leonard Nimoy being hospitalized, and I really hoped I wouldn’t be writing any more about that for a while. Sadly, as I’m sure you know, he passed away on February 27, 2015.

As I quickly discovered, I’m quite sensitive about this topic, so rather than write about it, I’d like to share some Instagram photos from my friend @captainmartian. He lives in LA and visited a couple of Nimoy sites in remembrance.

 

Ok, here’s one from my Instagram. I visited several used bookstores this weekend, and at one shop, I found a box of Star Trek toys:

I’m not crying in a used bookstore. You are! :’-( #LeonardNimoy #Spock #StarTrek #LLAP #LiveLongAndProsper

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go watch Wrath of Khan. Somebody grab me some tissues.

LLAP

For the Love of Geek | February 25, 2015

Leonard Nimoy Hospitalized

Geek icon Leonard Nimoy was hospitalized last week after complaining of severe chest pains. This isn’t the first time the Star Trek star has been sent to the hospital for maladies related to his COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), and he’s taken to his personal Twitter account to urge fans and followers to give up smoking.

Hopefully, he’s on the mend; he’s started tweeting again. But if you think of him during your day, consider humming The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins or reminding your friends and loved ones to “Live Long and Prosper” in his honor.

Marion Cotillard Joins Assassin’s Creed Movie

Sorry, this photo isn’t actually from Assassin’s Creed. It’s from the recent film adaptation of ‘MacBeth’ starring Assassin’s Creed stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard.

It was announced back in January that the movie version of the popular video game series, Assassin’s Creed, was finally in production with Michael Fassbender in the lead role (he’s also producing). It’s unclear what time period and setting the film will take place in–some suggest our protagonist could travel to more than one place and time–but we now know we can expect a December 21, 2016 release!

Marion Cotillard has joined the cast, but her character is still under wraps. Who would you like to see her play? Are you more excited or nervous about this videogame-to-film adaptation?

François Dourlen Transforms Ordinary Scenes

François Dourlen uses ordinary objects, his phone, and his camera to transport the fictional world to ours (and make it a whole lot more interesting)! You’ll find photos of your favorite characters and scenes from movies, television shows, and video games that have been (at least partially) brought to life with everyday sights. To see them all, visit François’ website or follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

For the Love of Geek | February 4, 2015

Game of Thrones Season 5

After the trailer for Game of Thrones Season 5 was leaked online last week, HBO decided to go ahead and release it for all to see!

We may have even given a glimpse of a flashback scene. George R.R. Martin’s novels are known for their many flashbacks, and I’ll be honest, those chapters add color and depth to characters I love to hate, making outright loathing a difficult task. In a Q&A session last year, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss confirmed that Season 5 would be the first season of the show to include flashbacks. Do you think you spotted one in the trailer?

Avatar/Korra/Disney Crossovers

I just stumbled across these awesome crossovers that combine Disney characters with the world of Avatar: The Last Air Bender and Legend of Korra. Artist Robby Cook released some brand new designs recently (Yzma as a Ba Sing Se Queen is perfect!), which is probably why I came across them in my feed. I shared two of my favorites above–Mulan as a Kyoshi Warrior and Pocahontas as an Airbender–but you should definitely check them all out.

Do you have any ideas for other Disney characters?

First Daredevil Trailer

I’m pretty excited to check out the Daredevil series on Netflix, so I’m happy to announce that the first teaser trailer will be out today! As is so often the case nowadays, a teaser for the teaser was released yesterday. Watch the teaser teaser above, and keep an eye out for the full teaser! The show starts on April 10.

See Hobbit and LOTR Cast Members at a Con Near You!

This is a shameless, selfish plug. I work hard to keep the Cast at Cons page at Middle-earth News up-to-date with the upcoming appearances of cast members from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. If you want to find out when you can meet dwarves, elves, and hobbits at a convention near you, watch this page!

For the Love of Geek | January 28, 2015

Fantastic Four Teaser Trailer

20th Century Fox have released a teaser trailer for The Fantastic Four reboot! The film is going for a different vibe from its predecessor, as you can see in the video above. For starters, director Josh Trank has confirmed that composer Philip Glass will be scoring the film. I’m a huge Glass fan, but a superhero movie is one of the last places I’d expect to hear is music. Based on the trailer and that announcement, I have to say my interest is piqued. What about you?

(Easter Egg: During an interview with Collider, the film’s producer Simon Kinberg said the new trailer would feature an easter egg, and the good people at Screen Crush have found it!)

Emma Watson Cast as Belle

Emma Watson announced via her Facebook page that she will be playing Belle in the upcoming live action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. She hinted that we can expect songs from the beloved Disney film like “Be Our Guest” and “Something There” and mentioned that she will be starting singing lessons for the role. Her “six year old self is on the ceiling – heart bursting,” and our grown-up selves are, too!

Simon Pegg to Co-write Star Trek 3

GIF stolen from Simon Pegg’s website

Simon Pegg’s website has confirmed that he will be co-writing the script for the next film in the Star Trek franchise with Doug Yung. This announcement has me excited for two reasons:

1. I was not a fan of the second Star Trek film in the reboot, Star Trek Into Darkness. I think there’s a right way to hearken back to the old series and films, and there’s a wrong way. Without getting too ranty, Into Darkness was all wrong for me.
2. Simon Pegg has a brand of comedy that I really enjoy. Hot Fuzz is definitely high on my list of comedies, my list of cop movies–it’s just high on my list of movies. Since Pegg is a fellow geek, I think there’s a good chance he has a handle on the kind of writing (and humor) that will work for Star Trek.

Super Bowl Brings Out The Superheroes

Chris Pratt plays Star-Lord in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Chris Evans plays Captain America in Marvel’s Captain America (and Avengers). You’d think they have enough in common to get along, but all bets are off during the lead up to the Super Bowl.

Well, the bets are ON, actually. Since Pratt is a devout Seahawks fan and Evans is an ardent Patriots fan, they have challenged each other to visit a children’s hospital in the rival’s city as their superhero alter ego. The catch? The loser must pay the appropriate homage to the winning team! You can read the whole tweet thread here (provided by We Geek Girls).