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Nerd Gear Shops

Published June 9, 2014 | By Blondie

Since moving to Las Vegas, I have really embraced my nerd side where my clothing is concerned. I still consider myself a newbie when it comes to shopping around on the internet. I have found a couple of stores that I truly enjoy and wanted to share with you.

We Love Fine

This is a fantastic store full of T-shirts and other goods with original art work made by fans. I have bought several shirts from here and usually stare in lust at many others as I browse the site. The shirts are exceptional quality. I have been a customer for two years now, and even my very first shirts are still in great condition. The prints still show no sign of wear, and the shirt quality is sturdy and extremely soft. They have a variety of different fandoms from Marvel to Doctor Who. In the last two years they have grown larger and have expanded their rights on many more franchises. The only drawback I have seen with them is that not all of their shirts and art are on permanent contracts with the site. Because some artists are temporary, the shirts are not always guaranteed to be there when you come back for them. I learned this lesson the hard way with some epic Sailor Moon tees they had at one time and were never to be seen again. I still mourn those tees.

http://www.welovefine.com/

Ript Apparel

Interesting concept for this site. Two shirts, 24 hours. That’s all you get to buy a particular shirt. Every day there are new art concepts. The site allows you to create a profile to select your interests, and then you will receive emails about the featured shirts that fall into those categories. The fandom is vast on the site, so at some point one of your favorites will pop up in your email to attract your attention and your hard earned money. I have found some fantastic Supernatural t-shirts from here.

https://www.riptapparel.com/

Shirt Punch

Same thing as Ript Apparel, but Canadian. In some opinions, that might actually make it better.

https://www.shirtpunch.com/

TeeFury

This store works muck like We Love Fine and is just as great. It has tons of Doctor Who and Firefly tees. I am personally salivating over a Sleeping Beauty and Doctor Who crossover tee. It is a fabulous thing, when my nerdy worlds collide.

http://www.teefury.com/

I am clearly a novice when it comes to this stuff. I encourage you to share some of your favorite online stores for nerdy gear. Also if there is some store out there that you would recommend that I stay away from, that information is just as helpful too.

80’s Song Wednesday

Published June 4, 2014 | By Blondie

This one goes out to my cohort, and you know why. Today's song is Everything She Wants by Wham!

 

Maleficent

Published June 1, 2014 | By Blondie

If you haven't had a chance to see Maleficent, run to the theaters. It is a good time, especially if you a Disney fanatic. Check out my review from Our Knight Life

When Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland became a success in the box office in 2010, a rumor started to go around that the same live action treatment would be given to the Disney’s animated Sleeping Beauty, but would focus on the villain, Maleficent. Let’s just say I freaked out. I was very excited, because this is my favorite Disney movie. Everyone who knows me is aware of how large of a fan I am. Sure I was a little bummed that Maleficent would be getting the focus because I wanted to see as much of Aurora as well, but I would take what I got. When things got a little more serious they announced that the film would actually go into production, they gave it a tentative release year of 2013. That was a maybe in the film world at that time. Hollywood was a different beast at the time with the writers’ strike ending and the economy hitting the studios hard as well as movie goers. Giving a film this far in advance date could have easily have been a death sentence. Well, the movie made it, and what a movie it was.

The movie focuses on Maleficent’s character and her journey before she appears at Aurora’s christening. We get to follow her as a child and watch her grow through the trials and tests that are thrown at her. The biggest trial she goes through is love, the largest battle that she faces throughout the entire movie. As she takes this journey, the audience can begin to piece together the beloved animated film coming to life around her as she interacts with it.

Maleficent and Aurora

I knew going into the movie that it would be epic to see and would really focus on Maleficent. I expected it to be good, because it was Disney, whose lowest standard is still pretty good in comparison to most other companies. I did not however expect it to be fantastic. I say this coming in as an already prepared critical fan due to my love of the original animated classic. The entire film is presented as a fairy tale, and yes before you point out that Sleeping Beauty is actually a fairy tale, let me point out that Maleficent is not. She is a pure creation of Disney. This tale is spun with the aid of the beautiful and mythical scenery that is as magical as it is believable. This is just the first 15 minutes.

The part of the movie that impressed me the most was the Sleeping Beauty tale. It was just as vital to the movie as Maleficent’s story. Let me warn you now that there are changes to Aurora’s tale, which give her character way more depth and in a very good way. Aurora is very important to this story and to Maleficent’s character. Their interaction with one another creates the major conflict for Maleficent each time she and Aurora cross paths.

I just thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I loved the realism, even with fairies, that was put into the story. I loved, loved Angelina Jolie as Maleficent. She was fantastic and perfect, which was expected since she was first cast for the part. Elle Fanning’s Aurora was a perfect balance to Angelina Jolie’s mystery and darkness, embodying everything that makes a trademark Disney princess but also making her real and believable. The story was compelling from start to finish, and I am just sad that it was only ninety-eight minutes long and not more.

Aurora

For those of you who are a bit unnerved by Maleficent if not terrified by her. I don’t blame you. I have always stated that she is one of the darkest and evil characters Disney every created. I don’t think I can say that honestly anymore, because if I was Maleficent, I probably would have done the same thing. If there was ever to be a movie that could take Maleficent from a terrifying level to an understandable one, it will be this movie.

It is a perfect addition to the summer movie blockbuster list and a great family outing in my opinion. While there are some parts that can be considered violent like a couple of battles and attacks on Maleficent, I don’t think they are any worse the battles seen in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I even feel that the battles in that movie are a little more focused upon and personal than they are in Maleficent. There is a character death, but it is not gory. It is however focused on, because it is important for the story. I would confidently say that ages eight and older should be fine with this movie, but again it is up to your parental discretion on what your children can handle. Beat the summer heat with a family trip to the theater to enjoy Maleficent. Some of you might even see me, because I plan on going again.

All photos are courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.

80’s Song Wednesday

Published May 28, 2014 | By Blondie

Since 1983 is not only responsible for my own birth, but this song as well, I like to think that it was playing somewhere in the hospital as I came into this world. It would explain a lot. May I present Rio by Duran Duran.

 

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Published May 26, 2014 | By Blondie

The X-Men are back and in the future facing a threat that has them and their fellow mutants on the brink of extinction as well as humanity. Having tried every means to stop this threat, they are left with only one option. They need to send someone back in time to stop the event that lead to this outcome before it ever happens and give them all a better future that they can not only fight for but live in. Wolverine becomes the obvious volunteer due to his mutant ability. Not only does he have the task of stopping the event, but he has to help Charles Xavier find the man that Charles once was and become the man that Wolverine knows. Oh, Wolverine also has to convince both Xavier and Magneto to play nice, so that they can both help Wolverine fix the future. That shouldn’t be too hard.

I wouldn’t be the first to admit that I had reservations for this movie as the release date began to creep closer and closer. Fox’s record hasn’t been exactly solid since X-Men: Last Stand. The third installment fell victim to entirely way too much going on. The movie would have probably been pretty decent if they had focused on either the mutant cure plot or the Phoenix plot separately. Unfortunately, just like Spider-Man 3, there were too many faces thrown at the audience without a whole lot of reasoning of why they were there except to fill seats of eager fans to see them. If this was the purpose, Fox, you could have at least stayed decently true to the character, *coughs* Psylocke *coughs*. Why have them in there at all if you are going to butcher them? The Phoenix storyline was clearly the B storyline, but took up most of the movie to explain and make believable, while the A storyline quickly went from the humans are utilizing the cure as a weapon to war at factory to save all mutant kind.

So that movie left a bad taste in the mouths of fans, and it was believed that a new X-Men movie would never happen. We were only to look forward to some Wolverine movies maybe. Then along came X-Men: First Class. It actually took me awhile to fully appreciate this movie. I was very excited to see a new X-Men movie and knew the concept would be very interesting. I just had too many issues with continuity littered all over the film. I’m not even talking about in comparison to the comics. I expect that. This film did not entirely fit into the established timeline of film franchise. After watching it a few more times, I accepted it as a reboot in a way and its own timeline. I became very okay with the concept and thoroughly enjoyed it as well as some of the fantastic acting they managed to snag for the film. Michael Fassbender is inspiring as Magneto.

Then Fox announced that not only were they going to do another Wolverine movie, but they were going to take on one of the biggest storylines in the X-Men comic history, and pull the cast from the original movies and First Class to make it. Now Fox was going to merge the two worlds. The not so awesome reception of the third X-Men movie and either two Wolverine movies was proof enough that Fox had the high probability of screwing this bad boy up.

I am thankful to report that the movie was actually pretty good. As much as it was fantastic seeing Ian McKellon and Patrick Stewart acting as our favorite professor and villain, there is just this amazing quality that James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender bring to Professor X and Magneto that is just a true joy to witness. It was awesome seeing some old faces and new ones and having them blend together as a whole. I saw that some other fan blog reported this film being the apology for the third X-Men movie, and I’m going to have to agree. It was really fun and engaging, until the end where it got slightly iffy.

The end left us with a lot to think about, because we are shown with the ending that the past definitely changed…a lot. I wasn’t looking to be baby fed the missing fifty years, but a couple of things would have at least established whether or not key points were changed, especially when we as the audience were given certain tidbits. If this was to be the last ever X-Men franchise movie to ever be made concerning this film universe, I would have no problem with how it ended. We would then simply be given the happy ending with no need to explain, because there won’t be another movie. Unfortunately, since it has already been announced that more will be made, I have a problem. My biggest is with the effect that this film has on Wolverine’s origin story and what has made him his character. They don’t tell us whether Logan continues his years in the same manner before. It wouldn’t have necessarily been too much of an issue, if they hadn’t chosen to end the film with the scene that they did.

I still had a great time and fully recommend the movie if you are only a fan of the movies or a fan of the comics as well. It is a still a fun ride. I really only had these issues, because I am a fan of the comics and am a firm believer in continuity. If you are not, you will probably not have too many problems. The nice part about them choosing not to answer those questions that the ending left is that they still can. I just hope that they make sense and they are careful.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Published May 11, 2014 | By Blondie

When the initial reboot happened, I was pretty leery. I enjoyed the first franchise a lot, and pretended that the third of that series didn’t exist. I’m not the only one. I went in expecting something not quite up to par with what Marvel Studios was doing and was pleasantly surprised. This was a more character driven film with phenomenal acting. The best part is that we had a real Spider-Man this time. He was a smart ass that joked and laughed and didn’t know when to shutup, something Tobey MaGuire’s Spider-Man didn’t exactly fully grasp. I still love the first movies, and separate them as I do with the original Batman movies from the recent reboot.

I was pretty excited to see The Amazing Spider-Man 2, because I enjoyed the first one so much. I was a bit nervous when the previews started to come out and they revealed that not only would Spider-Man be up against the villain Electro, but two of his other big foes as well. I got nervous at this, because as much as we all try to forget Spider-Man 3, we all remember why it didn’t work. There was too much going on. I feared that the new Spider-Man movie would fall to the same fate, and for something that started out so well, that would have been a travesty.

I am happy to say that even with the proposed villain adventure we were getting from the previews, it was still a great movie. It was fun. It had the character drive that I loved from the first film, but it did have some issues, pacing being the major one. They was a lot going on in this movie, and they tended to present some aspects of the story as much bigger issues than they actually turned out to be, and the flip side of the coin is some big issues didn’t get enough focus. Being a comic book fan and knowing Spider-Man’s history, I saw a major part of the ending coming in the first ten minutes. That is to be expected. My problem with that is this plot aspect became repeatedly thrown at the audience throughout the entire movie through common and obvious foreshadowing tropes, that anyone coming in new to the Spider-Man world could have figured out in 20 minutes if they were quick or an hour if they needed more time to process.

There were other issues that I had that were probably small. Some dialogue, especially where poor Paul Giamatti was concerned was atrocious, so bad in comparison to the rest of the dialogue that it actually pulled me out of the moment of the movie. That is never a good thing. There were a few technical aspects that I really had to swallow down my pills of suspension of disbelief in order to move on. One dramatic scene was really hard. I think it had to do with the fact that my father is a retired airplane mechanic, so planes have always been in my life. I think they were going for dramatic effect, but my brother and I had to take a moment to look at each other and ask “Why the hell didn’t one just pull up and the other go down?” I guess they wanted that dramatic moment of to be memorable, and I know I’m being picky.

The other slight issue I had came from my comic book fandom, and it was with Electro. Yes, he has the ability to manipulate electricity and acts as a walking conductor himself, but the film version has Electro materializing and dematerializing at a whim as well as being able to turn himself into an a electrical current and being able to travel through anything that has one. I don’t remember those new abilities from the comics. I remember those abilities from a DC Comics character named Livewire, but definitely not from Electro. I know, I know. I’m being picky.

So what did I like. I like how they paced out the villains. That was blessing as well as a relief. The interactions of the proposed villains made sense. The focus was Electro and how he was sadly and easily manipulated. Maybe easy is not the best word. The character was on the cliff of crazy as it was, but sadly that was society’s influence. It didn’t take a whole lot for him and his misguided anger to put him in the situation that he ended up in. The other villains were used as a set up for a future movies and a constant thorn in Spider-Man’s side whether or not another film makes it out there, which I hear there will be.

I also just truly enjoyed Peter Parker’s character. His constant internal struggles of doing what is right for everyone as opposed to doing what is right by himself is a character quality that I love about him. He can joke and be funny, but he is also intelligent and loving and caring. He has had to go through so much at such a young age that people forget this. Other heroes make jabs and get annoyed by his constant blabbing and joking in the comic books, but they always forget what he’s been through. The fact that he can joke is remarkable and shows what a truly amazing character he is. It is no wonder why he is Stan Lee’s favorite.

I wholeheartedly recommend this movie, even with all of the trash I just talked about it. In the end, Spider-Man fans have seen worse and know what bad looks like. There are always bad parts of the best movies and in this case, it is easy enough to overlook. I think knowing them ahead of time will make it a little easier to look beyond.

The Love and Hilarity of New Girl

Published May 4, 2014 | By Blondie

Almost through its third season, New Girl has easily become one of my all-time favorite shows on television. The humor is smart, random, and crude at times, but most importantly it is fantastic. It is one of those shows you don’t have to watch everything episode in order to understand the series. You can literally jump in at any time and have just as much fun.

I have heard it compared with the television show Friends, which I can see similarities with, but I feel that Friends was a much more structure show. While New Girl does have an ensemble of characters that have their own quirks, the show can easily focus on just one character and take them out of the group. Friends relied on the fact that these people were friends. I think the only storylines on that show that broke away were always concerning Ross, who was kind of the lone wolf due to him not living in one of the two featured apartments in the beginning seasons when the show was establishing.

The tile of New Girl can be a bit misleading to what the show actually is, and honestly the only thing that I have a problem with. When the show was originally advertised, it looked like it was going to be this quirky comedy about this girl named Jess played by Zooey Deschanel. It frankly looked girly. I was going to check it out because I am a big fan of Zooey Deschanel, and honestly that was the only reason I did. What the show turned out to be was about the everyday lives and shenanigans of the people that live in this one apartment that the Jess character just moved into. Jess moves in with three guys, Nick, Schmidt, Coach, at the time, and Winston. The guys get as much focus as Jess does, and all of their personalities vary. This is one of my brother’s favorite shows as well, because of the focus they put on the other characters.

Jess, played by Zooey Deschanel, brings in this naïve and sweet quality to the group. While she can think of things that seem juvenile, she brings in this heart and love to the group that the boys clearly needed. She does bring some mother aspects in as well, but she is not these men’s mother. She has truly been accepted by the boys and is officially one of their roommates, but now one of their close friends as well.

Nick, played by Jake Johnson, is the lost man that works in a bar and doesn’t really know what he wants in life. While on one hand he knows he needs to figure it out, he just doesn’t want to do it now. I have come to my own conclusions as to why his character is like this especially after seeing some episodes that focus on his family. His personal quirks usually focus on his lack of motivation, cheapness, or what the group has called his “old man” tendencies.

Schmidt, played by Max Greenfield, is that friend that everyone has that says the most atrocious and completely unacceptable things, because he truly doesn’t fully understand the meaning behind what he is saying. He is just saying it because he thinks it will make him socially acceptable. His whole focus is about what will make him socially acceptable. That is the reason no one hates him. He may have to be educated on why he can’t say things, but he is still a true friend that loves you and will do anything for you. The show has always made it clear as to why the Schmidt character acts the way he does, so you as the audience also will also overlook these faults.

Winston, played by Lamorne Morris, first comes off as the normal and level friend in this apartment, but Winston is the one that will just take something way too far which is his hilarious quirk. His character kind of replaced Coach’s in the second episode. Honestly Coach’s character made such an impression in the first episode that you as the audience were constantly a little weary of Winston when he first showed up, but he makes a good play and becomes just as favorable as everyone else.

Coach, played by Damon Wayans Jr., was originally in the pilot episode, but I believe since another pilot Damon Wayans Jr. worked on got picked up before New Girl, they had to work around the loss of his character by adding Winston. I like that they never replaced his character, because he was very memorable in the first episode. Since Damon Wayans Jr’s other show recently ended, he has come back to New Girl this season and has moved back into the apartment. His return has been a very welcomed edition. He is very sensitive and caring, but doesn’t like to show it, choosing overly masculine routes instead, which brings in the hilarity.

This show has become my weekly cleanser. If I have had a tough or rough week, I know that a half an hour of this show will have me rolling. That is really a precious commodity for me. I want to move into this apartment with these people, because I love this show so much. They remind me of my friends and the random things we do or get into. It is a great show about people my age that don’t really know what they are truly supposed to be doing, but feel the pressure of having some kind of answer and proof to support that answer. Honestly, it would heaven to work on this show, and who knows maybe I will someday. Definitely check this show out if you haven’t. Currently, Netflix users can access the first two seasons.

80’s Song Wednesday

Published April 30, 2014 | By Blondie

Since the are really doing a sequel and everyone seems to be on board, I feel that it is only appropriate to make Goonies 'R' Good Enough by Cyndi Lauper. I consider it the second best 80's music video only preceded by Thriller. It was so awesome they made it in two parts. Enjoy both parts below!

 

I Need More Bridesmaids

Published April 28, 2014 | By Blondie

Probably due to my older brother and the boys I preferred to hang out with in high school, it has become very difficult for me to become very close to normal girls, because I think and talk like a guy. I am not a big fan of drama, even though I am very aware of the fact that all women are predisposed to some level of it. I think it’s in the makeup of the uterus. There’s no way to completely escape drama, but I strive to keep it in check. While I had friends that were girls, I would usually only let them past a certain point. It was really hard for me to maintain that kind of friendship without either of us getting completely annoyed and frustrated with one another.

Then I met my sisters. They were just like me. They were two girls that also preferred the company of guys over girls for the same reasons. They were crazy and blunt and talked like guys, and I loved them instantly. We are nearing fifteen years in our friendship now, and practically nothing is sacred between us.

I say all of this because while I love Romantic Comedies, I want to see more comedies featuring women that represent my best friends and me. There have been a few featured over the years, and my sisters and I covet these films. I want to see more of these edgier comedies where woman are a lot more open and blunt for a laugh whether it be raunchy or not. We want to see the opposite of “ladylike,” because my friends and I are. I know we are not the only girls of this type out there.

When The Sweetest Thing came out, it was practically sent from high in our opinions. It stars Cameron Diaz as Christina, Christina Applegate as Courtney, and Selma Blair as Jane. It focuses mainly on the character of Christina, following her on an adventure to chase a man down that she just met only to find out he’s getting married. Hilarity and antics ensue along the journey that can usually make most woman blush or just become downright appalled. The three of us treat this movie like gospel, and we identify ourselves with one of the three best friends in the movie. It is also extremely random, which the three of us are immensely entertained by. It is was the closest movie we could compare our friendship to.

Bridesmaids came out, and I immediately purchased a copy for both of my sisters for Christmas. The scene where Kristen Wiig’s character, Annie, and Maya Rudolph’s character, Lilian, are eating in a café after trying to sneak into the fitness class is every damn meal I have ever share with either sister or both. We are not shy, and we don’t take it seriously. These were the female leads that we could identify with.

My girl’s and I are not insensitive. We may joke all of the time, but when one of us is being serious, we back each other up fiercely. This is shown as well through both of these movies. In The Sweetest Thing, Courtney makes Christina get off her ass and drags her on a road trip just based on the loose possibility that Christina and this guy would get together. It didn’t matter to Courtney. She knew that Christina liked him and helped her, because that is what that kind of friendship is. The same thing happened in Bridesmaids. Annie went on the search for Lillian immediately after she found out she was missing from her wedding. It didn’t matter that they were fighting and hadn’t talked to one another. Annie knew the bigger picture. Her best friend needed her. It is okay to have these kinds of scenes in movies like this, because that’s how we truly are in real life, which is what I want in this type of film, a more realistic portrayal of our type of woman.

I want to see more of these kinds of movies that feature these much more open and blunt women. I am hoping with the success of Bridesmaids that more of these movies can be made. Especially, with Melissa McCarthy making the movies she has been. The Heat is another great example. But with this tally, it’s only gotten us to three total. There is a need for this. Maybe I’ll have to write some of my own, but I hope Hollywood at least gives more of these films a chance.

 

80’s Song Wednesday

Published April 23, 2014 | By Blondie

In honor of my crazy obsession with 80's music, I will be featuring an 80's song every Wednesday. Some of the songs you'll know, and some you will not. I am happy to say that the decade not only created me, but some of the best geekdoms we know today.

Today's song is Dreaming by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark.

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