Normally I’m very much opposed to people dressing up their pets. The animals look miserable and I pity both them and their human parents who are obviously missing some kind of nutrient in their diets that turns them into crazy people who spend tons of money on clothes for animals who don’t need or want to wear clothes.
I don’t care what you say. I repeat. Animals. do. not. want. to. wear. clothes.
However, dressing human children up as black cats and Ninja Turtles is perfectly acceptable. Yes, that's me and my brother.
That being said, there’s a time and a place for everything. For example, my friend Hayden dressed his dog Pebbles up in some Hanukkah garb to have some professional portraits taken a few years ago. I’ll admit it, it’s ridiculously adorable. Plus, Hayden doesn’t make a habbit of dressing up Pebbles so it’s ok.
Challah!
Also, my best friend Bia dresses up her dog Dominic in a costume (usually Superman) for Halloween every year.
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Super Domi!
This brings me to the ONE day of the year that it’s ok to dress up your dog. Halloween. Because if I have to strap on an uncomfortable costume, why shouldn’t Dominic have to too?
So, here is a list of the Halloween costumes for your pet that have my approval.
Y’all know I’m a big fan of the military so here’s Operation Flying Doggy
I vant to eat yor kibble
Remember the movie Lake Placid? He does.
Sir Barksalot
The Headless Dogman
Batdog and Superdog together at last
Captain Jack Sparrow with after market parrot and eyepatch
Aslan – looking a bit more perplexed than usual
Hogwarts kitteh (not sure which house uses orange and purple)
Fluffy – small dog version
Fluffy – big dog version (Harry Potter not included)
And for those who like to be more obscure – Aradog (hehe, get it?)
Princess Leia could use a shave
Wicket W. Warrick is calling you a Lurdo
Darth Vader…although honestly…this is probably more like Lord Dark Helmet
And can’t forget YODA! Especially the one on the bottom with the Jack Skellington-ish jack o’ lantern
If you follow the facebook page then you know that I’ve been more than a little obsessed with Doctor Who lately. I tend to do that. Get obsessed with something and then turn around and get obsessed with something else. Thankfully I have AMAZING taste in obsessions.
Two months ago I was a Doctor Who virgin. Sad, I know. I wish I had the time to invest in all of the amazing science fiction and fantasy shows that are out there, but I don’t. I have my shows that I follow religiously and for the rest I embark on epic television show marathons. It actually works out pretty well for me. Everything stays nice and fresh in my multiple-franchise-fact-packed little brain and I don’t have to wait a whole agonizing week for the next episode to come out. It’s a pretty sweet deal if I do say so myself.
And I do.
Anyhooters. I got through Seasons 1-5 (aka Doctor’s 9, 10, and the first of Doctor 11) ridiculously fast. Seriously…that whole unpacking and organizing my new house thing took a major productivity dive. Then something horrific happened. Netflix wouldn’t give me any more episodes. I wasn’t (and still am not – stupid broken computer 🙁 ) set up to BitTorrent them and I was really hoping to not have to buy them on Amazon Instant Video (just bought a house, remember?) I went through Doctor withdrawals. It was pathetic. But I started organizing my house again which I GUESS was a good thing. Pssh.
Then the season finale came and BBCA did a whole marathon of season 6. Thanks GODS! Then I had to go out of town. Gah! How did I ever live without a DVR? I have no idea. Since I got back I’ve been watching episodes between cleaning, organizing, wedding attending, yadda yadda yadda and I am FINALLY all caught up. Phew!
So here are my thoughts on the Doctor, his companions, his enemies and all the rest. Watch out, because as River Song would say…SPOILERS!
1. Is it a good thing or a bad thing that I will spend an entire day talking like a Dalek?
2. I brought this up on the facebook page but it warrants repeating:
Does anyone else think it’s weird that the daughter of the guy who played the 5th Doctor went on to play the daughter of the 10th Doctor and gave birth to the daughter of the guy who played the 10th Doctor?
3. Dear Doc #9…you’re cool in a goofy “wait, aren’t you supposed to be a villain?” kind of way. Your smile could light up the room and was really adorable. I feel for you because you got all of the cheesy special effects and that really sucked for you. Plus, you only got one season which was sad but kind of awesome because it made way for Doc #10. I feel bad for admitting that but it’s true. Still, you’re the one who dragged me in and solidified my Doctor Who addiction and for that, I will always be in your debt.
4. Wait, did I hear it right that the Doctor killed his entire race in order to defeat the Daleks?? That’s some fucked up shit right there.
5. OMFG enough with the creepy dolls. What is it with creepy dolls??? Ugh, I hate creepy dolls.
6. I’m not gonna lie, when we first met Donna I wasn’t a huge fan.
Donna with Doctor #10
When they ditched her in favor of Martha I thought, yup, right decision! Then they ditched Martha and brought back Donna and I thought, wtf? didn’t we establish that Donna was annoying?? Then I started to crazy love Donna and I was hoping she’d stick around for a while. When her storyline ended I cried. Not just because it had ended but because of the way it ended and how they made her go back to being annoying Donna. She had the worst fate of all the Companions and my heart still breaks for her.
7. Speaking of Martha…
Martha with Doctor #10
I love how the Producers had such a hard on for Freema Agyeman that they cast her as Martha RIGHT AFTER casting her as Adeola, the Torchwood minion who got all Cyberman’d in “Army of Ghosts.” Did they think we wouldn’t notice that it was the same chick? Not hardly. I can see why they did it though. Martha was fantastic. I felt bad for her that she was the rebound chick but that’s the price you pay for being a Companion, you’re going to get hurt somehow. At least she went all girl power and took off on her own and became a badass soldier. Now she’s a lawyer on Law and Order UK with Lee Adama. Girl gets around.
8. Badger’s back!! I heart you so much Mark Sheppard. I mean, is there a sci-fi show that you won’t do?? Please say no.
Frakking badass
9. Aside from being a better title than “The Doctor” I never really got why the show was called “Doctor Who.” I mean, sure, people ask “doctor who?” every once in a while, but not really enough to make it the title of the show. Now, thanks to a fat blue man with no body, I expect to find out the answer to that question and holy fucking crap I can’t wait!
10. Dear Doc #10…I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you. You had the best hair, the best clothes (sorry, Doc #11, but bow ties aren’t that cool), the best facial expressions. You speak volumes with nothing but a raised eyebrow. The whole daughter paradox thing creeps me out a little but I could get past that. I get it Rose, I totally get it. I would hit that too.
11. The thought of fish fingers and custard makes me want to barf. But that scene was fucking brilliant.
12. I’m confused….is Rory still plastic? Or did he get converted back to being human somewhere along the way and I just missed it?
13. I will never look at angel statues the same way again. Ever.
Ever.
Ok, fine. You can blink one eye at a time. Smart ass.
14. STFU! Jack is the Face of Boe?!?
15. “Vincent and the Doctor” is one of the greatest episodes of television I have ever seen. Not so much because of the giant invisible chicken, but because of the last 10 minutes. I don’t think it’s possible to watch it without shedding a few tears. Tragically beautiful.
16. Will someone please sell me some hallucinogenic lipstick already?!
17. Rose is probably my favorite Companion.
Rose with Doctor #9 (I had to get him in here somehow)
She’s adorable in her bucked-tooth, cockney accented way but mostly I think it’s because of her chemistry with Doctor #10. I cried the ugly cry when he had to leave her in the alternate dimension. Sorry, Mickey, but you simply can’t replace the Doctor. When she started popping up in the background of season 4 I think I screamed a few times. I miss that combo.
18. Amy is a very close second.
Amy with Doctor #11
I like her spunky Scottish redhead attitude and her relationship with Rory is adorable. I was ridiculously happy when Amy chose Rory over the Doctor after that weird sort-of-but-sort-of-not love triangle thing they had going on there. If they had kept going in that direction it would have been seriously awkward when River started coming around more often. Rory should wear that Last Centurian costume, like, all the time. So cute.
19. Is it just me or is everyone reminded of The Gentlemen from Buffy the Vampire Slayer when they look at The Silents (aka The Silence)?
I swear, this is one of those situations where the DW writers know what the fuck is really going on and the rest of us are all oblivious. Seriously, how many of these fuckers have I killed in my life and I can’t even remember doing it??
20. Ok really? Giant green alien babies? Sorry Raxacoricofallapatorian’s, but you’re just not that scary. Although, I suppose you’re better than the Adipose….
21. Dear Doc #11…you’re cuter than #9 but not as cute as #10. But I dig your fluttering randomness…I keep debating with myself whether or not you’ve got multiple personality disorder. I’m still undecided. I like that you’re angier than your predecessors. You’ve got that whole “brooding tortured old soul” thing going on inside mixed with that “big goofy man-boy” exterior. It’s a good time for all. Ditch the Stetson but keep the Fez. Fez’s are cool. It’s weird how it looks so good on you. I wasn’t sure how you were going to get out of that whole death thing but I’m glad you did. And well done on the wife front. You’ve got good taste in women.
22. Emperor Palpatine + Nazgul = Headless Monks. Am I right??
23. I’m conflicted. Now I don’t know if I’d rather have a Starship or a TARDIS. I used to be so sure that I wanted a Starship but a TARDIS isn’t restricted by the speed of light or timelines or the need for warp coils. *sigh* I’m sorry Gene Roddenberry, but I think I need to go with the TARDIS. Now excuse me while I go hang my Trekkie head in shame.
Can't I just have both?
24. The two-episode story arc where all of the former companions come together to help defeat the Daleks (“The Stolen Earth” and “Journey’s End”) is probably my favorite part of the whole series. I love seeing the forces of good coming together to defeat evil and I was so happy to see Rose get her happy ending, even if it meant that Donna lost hers. The part at the end when the Doctor tells Donna’s family that she was the most important person in the whole universe and that generations of alien worlds will tell stories about her was so poignant. All of her dreams came true and she can never know about it. Ugh. Gutwrenching. And the look on the Doctor’s face when he gave Rose to his weird hand clone, knowing that he would never see her again but that she could be finally have peace with part of him. Ugh. Gutwrenching. The science fiction aspect is great but what separates Doctor Who from the rest of the sci-fi pack is the emotional wallop it deals you on a regular basis. I lost count of how many times this show has broken my heart.
25. And last but not least, my hero, the one and only River Song. How does one go about explaining all the of epic awesomeness that is the Doctor’s wife/murderer? Although…technically I guess she didn’t actually murder him…but you know what I mean. The woman gave up any possibility of ever regenerating again in order to save the Doctor after the first time she tried to kill him (again with the fabulous lipsticks!!) And she made the ultimate sacrifice to keep him alive from the Shadows. It’s not just her loyalty that makes her so endearing. It’s her spunk. And maybe her hair. The Doctor solves problems without violence whenever possible but he has no problem with letting River shoot people. Honestly, would he be able to talk her out of it? Probably not. God I love a woman with a gun. She’s just as clever, if not more so, than the Doctor. The only woman in the universe that can match him. The fact that their timelines are reversed just adds to the tragic beauty of their romance. They can never truly be together. All they have are stolen moments in time in which they never know how well they’ll know each other. It’s practically Shakesperean!
If you read the blog you know that I come from a military family. This came to me from a family member who was in the military. Their good friend went through some flight training and was surprised to see that his training included a little assistance from Starfleet! Some of the information is sensitive so I’ve changed names and blacked out some of the text (and unfortunately for you, not included some of the pictures – sorry!) but I got permission to share it because I think it’s just so kick ass. Here you go:
I don’t know how many I have told this story to, and they all think I’m full of shit. So now, once and for all, I shall dispel the Bullshit. Before I deployed to ***** in **** for the **************, I had to attend refresher training in the aircraft-make and model specific. When I was in the Level **************, a programming extraordinare, “John Smith” at ********* in Ft. ******* said “OK, so you think your bad ass, huh, Pal?” (jokingly) I said, “Sure, John; show me what ya got” with a smirk. “We can fly upside down and cut grass if you want” He said, “I got the Starship Enterprise and I want you to land on it. I only get this out for the best of the best, you know.” I said, “Bring it on, Big Boy”, in my typical talk first, think later manner. So I did land on it, on the first approach and he was amazed. I was more amazed at the fact that someone had programmed that in! It wasn’t stationary. It was moving at an undisclosed rate at 4000 feet. Thanks Pal 🙂 Here’s the Pics; I knew I had the GD things, I just had to find them 4 years later…I had “John” stop the sim so I could get pictures. The bullshit is over. I am so thankful for “John Smith” at ******** – he was a man among men and probably saved my life about 40 times.
STFU, how awesome is that???
***On a side note: my computer is broken again and I’m having trouble figuring out what the major malfunction is – ugh, so lame – so posts are likely to continue to be sporadic until I can figure this the fuck out or *sigh* get a new computer.
Yay! My computer has been on the fritz since I moved and I’ve been relying on my friends and family for computer access (hence the lack of blog posts). But I now have a brand spankin’ new power supply and I’m back up and running bitches!
*sigh*
My life is once again complete.
On to the fun stuff…Vikingfest!
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Because I’m way prouder of my heritage than any decendant of rapists and pillagers should be, I decided that it would be fun to go to Vikingfest not one, but two days over the weekend. That, and I’ve been deprived of lefse for far too long and one days worth simply wasn’t enough.
Mmmmmmm….lefse….
I am lucky enough to have a double dose of viking blood from both the Norwegians and the Danes. I wrote a bit about growing up Norwegian while reviewing Thor but there’s more to it than mythology. There’s the fact that we (and by we, I mean Leif Ericson) discovered America 500 years before the rest of Europe (suck it Columbus). You know that Bluetooth gizmo that all the douchebags never take out of their ears? It’s named after Harald Bluetooth who was King of Denmark and Norway in the late 900’s. The Bluetooth symbol? His initials in Nordic runes. Dannebrog, the flag of Denmark, is the oldest flag still in modern use and was sent to King Valdemar II by God himself (I’m just going to assume that this legend is true) during the Battle of Lyndanisse. It’s so awesome that the design was stolen by Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland.
Yes, I’m a history nerd…though not of the caliber that my friend Pete is. Seriously, don’t try to out-fact him, he’ll kick your ass every time.
Going back to Vikingfest 2011. It’s kind of like a Renaissance Faire only with women dressed as Valkyrie instead of wenches. Uhmmmm, more awesome much?!
Here are some pics from Vikingfest:
A chick warrior!! I gotta give her props because that armor was ridiculously heavy.
Pretty sure she can kick my ass
A traditional Viking tent dwelling.
I could get used to this
Party in Valhalla!
I'm totally wearing this the next time I go grocery shopping
I got the Danish from my Dad and the Norwegian from myMom. We have epic “uff da” vs. “oof dah” battles.
The woman who taught me how to make lefse
Testing equipment with Don, one of my parental units.
He's Scottish but I like him anyway
Norwegian recliner.
It's more comfortable than it looks
My new kitchen towel knows what’s up.
You've been warned
The Dread Crew of Oddwood is a pirate “heavy mahogany” rock band. I didn’t know you could play heavy metal without electricity until I saw them. (oh, and nice hat dude in the front row).
Fellow rapists and pillagers
And last, but not least, my favorite t-shirt ever.
Epic win
Next month there’s a jousting competition and a Scottish festival. I’m not Scottish (does a touch of Irish count?) but I dig a man in a kilt so you can bet your sporran that I’ll be there.
I got the heads up about the AMP Music Festival from it’s Producer Andy Lowe (who directed Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Live! in San Diego a couple of months ago). He drew me in with videos of George Takei…an excellent method of nerdy seduction. When he mentioned press passes I was officially sold.
On the surface it doesn’t seem like there’s anything nerdy about a music festival…unless you’re a music nerd…which I’m not really. BUT, this festival had a few nerdy things going for it and I like Andy so I’m going with it.
Nerdy thing #1
George Takei starred in the promo (also directed by Andy Lowe). I posted it on the facebook page last week and if you didn’t watch it, you should, because it’s uber funny. Alas, I didn’t see George there. If I had you would have heard the nerdgasm half way around the world, I can guarantee it.
There was a band called Science Fiction. No joke. They played jazz. Science fiction jazz. It was kind of like hanging out at Mos Eisley’s. But outside… Anyhooters…their version of MJ’s Thriller was epic.
*side note: my high school friends will appreciate the fact that when this song started my first thought was “they’re playing Didomite?!?” Uff da.
Nerdy thing #4
They had cosplay girls there. Y’all know I love my costumes and hot girls in costume are just a win-win.
Photo by Christina Rogers
Nerdy thing #5
AAA aka Asian American Awesomeness. Pretty much every performer I saw was an amateur comedian and they were hysterical. The songs about being book smart and taking off your shoes before going into your house had me in stitches. And they gave scholarships away to kids that seriously deserve it. It gave me warm fuzzies.
Oh, and they had prizes. Beer visors for all!
Yes, this is my Mom. I take her places because she’s kick ass.
Big thanks to Andy Lowe for hooking me up with a day of fantastic entertainment! Now I don’t just owe you one, I owe you two!
It’s hard to believe that it has been exactly one year since I embarked on this nerdy venture! I didn’t think it would go beyond my friends and family but the blog now has fans all over the world. I’m more than a bit flabbergasted by the whole thing. Hopefully it continues to grow because I’m having way too much fun to stop now!
In honor of Hot Nerd Girl’s one year anniversary, I thought it would be fun to look back at some of the all star blogs from the past year.
MOST POPULAR
The 10 Hottest Babes of Sci-Fi post I wrote back on December 7, 2010 has consistently been the top rated post. This doesn’t surprise me one bit. Hot chicks are pretty much universally loved by all and I’m convinced that the world would be a much more peaceful place if it was run by beautiful women. Unless men started fighting over them….then maybe not so much. Ok, maybe scrap that whole theory. The point is, hot girls with geek cred rule.
MOST SEARCHED ON GOOGLE
The Facepalm Progression was little more than a quick joke meant only for the facebook page when I first introduced it this past February. My Mom didn’t get it so I added the very well-known Picard “facepalm” and “double facepalm” pictures and put the full progression on the blog. It got some chuckles and then one day it exploded in Google land and is now the top source of internet traffic to the blog. Whudda thunk??
MOST POPULAR MOVIE REVIEW
There are a few different ways I could have gauged this but ultimately I went with the one that got the most attention when I posted it in May. It got quite a few comments both on facebook and on the blog and was shared on several other websites. It also happened to be my favorite movie of the year thus far and the one I probably geeked out about the most. It was, of course, my favorite horny dude, Thor. Ye Gods I heart him so much.
BIGGEST SHOCKER
My birthday last February 2nd was full of win! I got all kinds of Star Trek-related goodies but one in particular came as a complete and total shock. One of my earliest posts was written on September 8, 2010 and recounted the time I met Manu Intiraymi at a Star Trek Convention in San Francisco in 2002. Well, Manu found that blog. On my birthday. Seriously. Best. Birthday. Present. Ever. We corresponded via email and agreed I’d get a follow up interview which I have yet to take him up on (gotta get on that!)
PHOTO SHOOTS
The photo shoots are always a hit. I’ve done a lot of mini shoots for various posts with the outtakes ending up on facebook. The three big shoots were Halloween (TOS uniform), Slave Leia, and Lucky 13 (aka Superman undies). I tallied up the votes for the next photo shoot and Xena was the clear winner. I’ve received all the donations for the costume but my move to San Diego put the shoot on hold for a bit. Once I’m (finally!) all settled in, I’ll get that all set up so look for those pictures in the next couple of months!
I’m officially based out of San Diego now and Saturday morning I started the daunting task of unpacking everything I own. Which is a lot of crap. Ugh. But it’s awesome crap that I’m not willing to throw or give away so whatever. Thanks to my OCD and my constant pursuit of organizational perfection, it took me two days just to unpack the kitchen. As my friend Kate puts it, “I wish someone would give me a friggin’ chill pill.” After all that hard work I decided that I needed a reward (and a break) so I stumbled over to the movie theatre for some primate prequel goodness.
I try to be good but y’all know I give stuff away sometimes so here is my customary SPOILER ALERT!
I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The previews looked pretty good, if a little obviously CGI, and the music sounded fantastic…but hey, it’s the trailer, it’s all the best parts, right?
Well, let me tell you, it was actually super good. Like, amazingly good. Like, at least 10x better than I thought it was going to be. As a Navy family, we were stationed in Marin County when I was a kid and I went back to attend college in San Francisco. The movie takes place in and around the Bay Area and it definitely made me nostalgic for the fog and the giant redwoods. Hiking and hunting for Ewoks in Muir Woods has always been one of my favorite pastimes so I was thrilled to see so much of them in the movie.
But first things first. Freida Pinto is seriously the most gorgeous woman ever. It’s a little ridiculous how hot she is. And she has one of those faces that scream “kindness” so she’s totally believable as a vet at the San Francisco Zoo. Oh, and did I mention that she’s beautiful?
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s move on to James Franco as Will Rodman, a genetic engineer who has formulated the cure for Alzheimer’s. Not because he wants to help humanity per se, although that’s certainly a positive side effect, but because his Father (John Lithgow) has the disease and he’s a total daddy’s boy. After his presentation to the board goes bust and the human trials get canceled, Will goes so far as to smuggle some of the drug, ALZ-112, out of the lab in order to experiment on his own Dad. It works brilliantly at first but it’s virus-based and eventually the antibodies grow strong enough to negate the benefits of the treatment. Bummer. Back to the drawing board. About 2 movie days later (or the equivalent of 10 years in the real world) Will comes up with ALZ-113, a new virus that must be inhaled instead of injected….seriously…never a good sign when something is airborne. I don’t want to give away what happens next for those who haven’t seen it but let’s just say that I’m very happy that zombies weren’t the result. I was worried for a while there.
Poor Andy Serkis. The guy has been typecast as the king of non-human CGI critters (Gollum, King Kong, etc). Half the time as an ape! But really, it’s because he’s brilliant. And he is. I just wish he’d get thrown some more roles that didn’t involve him wearing a leotard with a bunch of blinking lights attached to it. He brings amazing life to the chimpanzee Caesar. I don’t know if the special effects peeps can measure (or follow or whatever) what his eyes do but I’m thinking that they can. Caesar’s eyes were much too expressive to be completely manufactured. The CGI, by the by, was way better than the trailer made it out to be. In the very first scene of the movie I actually had a hard time figuring out if the chimps looking around were real or fake. With a name like Caesar there’s got to be some kind of sequel to the prequel. That name comes with a dramatic downfall attached to it thankyouverymuch.
The “bad guys” of the movie are another father-son duo, John Landon (the ageless Brian Cox…seriously, he looks the same as he did 20 years ago, I swear) and his son Dodge (Draco Malf…I mean…Tom Felton). Together they run the San Bruno Primate “Sanctuary”. Now, not to go all PETA on y’all but it WAS hard to watch the apes (CGI or no) getting mistreated and experimented on. Unlike some people, I don’t believe the
people behind the movie had any kind of political or animal rights agenda but I can see how it could be misconstrued that way. You’d have to be pretty heartless to not feel something when an animal is in pain. Humans on the other hand, well, whatever, who cares. I’ve been desensitized to violence against people since I was a kid.
With a nephew this cute I had to get him in here somehow
So it wasn’t as hard to witness Dodge’s fate as it was to witness Buck’s, the big silverback gorilla. One thing Draco…I mean Dodge….does get is the iconic line from the original Planet of the Apes. I’ll give you a hint, it involves the adjectives “stinking” and “dirty.” I was also anxious to see the launch of Icarus and the loss of the three astronauts on board. Speaking of which, Charlton Heston isn’t completely absent, a clip from The Agony and the Ecstasy shows briefly on the break room television inside SBPS. Need a new drinking game? Every time you find a primate (or human) with a name paying homage to someone from the 1968 film, take a shot or chug a beer. You’ll be buzzed in no time. I spotted several but I’m not going to tell you what they are so that you can have fun finding them yourselves.
As y’all know (I may have mentioned it once or thrice) I’m in the process of moving to San Diego and my life is in limbo while I finish up my work in Los Angeles. Therefore, my BNF (Best Nerd Friend) Hayden and his lovely girlfriend, fellow HNG Melanie, were kind enough to go see Cowboys & Aliens this weekend and write not one but TWO reviews of it as guest bloggers. H&M…I heart you.
Enjoy!
Aliens. Why’d it have to be Aliens?
Hayden Gilbert:
Let me start by saying there is no way I will be able to fill the shoes – or brazier – of the now legendary Hot Nerd Girl (although my fellow co-guest blogger Melanie definitely has a better shot in both departments). However, while I don’t consider myself hot (in my own eyes), nor a girl (hopefully in anyone’s eyes), I can certifiably attest to being a nerd.
I can also say without hesitation that I’m quite an avid western lover and a huge fan of anything involving visitors from another world (the cast of Jersey Shore being the exception). Taking all that into account, I would have been first in line to see any movie with the title “Cowboys & Aliens” trailer unseen.
As my very attractive co-blogger mentions as well, everything about this movie has a simple theme to it. From the title itself to the premise of good ol’ fashion gunslingers taking on technologically superior creatures, Cowboys & Aliens succeeds in that it doesn’t try to be more than what it is: A good old fashion shootout at the O.K. Corral with 10 foot tall slimy monsters that make the aliens from the Predator movies look like runway models. Hell, what’s not to like about aliens who also lasso their victims! Great stuff I tells ya.
[youtube:http://youtu.be/UdmupNxobP0]
While the acting overall was not quite award caliber, I actually liked the lack of over-the-top dramatics when it dealt with the reactions of humans to their unknown invaders. Think about it, people during this time didn’t have clue one about space people or flying saucers as this takes place during a time when horses were the main source of transport and showing ankle was considered scantily clad.
Hot girl with a six shooter? Yes please.
Speaking of, seeing Olivia Wilde completely wrapped up in a piece of wallpaper during the whole movie was a waste of her, uh, talents. The nude scene of her would have made up for it had they actually showed anything of value. Did I mention I was a male nerd?
As can be imagined, Harrison Ford stole the show in this one. Be it a quick line or a familiar facial reaction, your attention is always drawn to his screen presence. Daniel Craig served his purpose of bad ass alien annihilator (say that 10 times fast after 10 shots of whiskey), albeit his character wasn’t given any major Shakespearean dialogue to work with. I also enjoyed the 2 – maybe more? – nods given to Indian Jones in the flick. Can you spot them? (Hint: It’s 007 that summons the spirit of Indy twice)
Overall, C&A was a fun and unique ride on the combination of two classic genres. Add a pinch of 007 and a dash of Indy with a kick-ass final scene that would make any western-lover happy and you have a flick that is almost sure to satisfy. Just remember to check your 6-shooter and expectations at the door.
(P.S. For those Nerdboys like myself that need an additional fixen of Western Sci-Fi, be sure to check out Brisco Country Jr on DVD… best show ‘cancelled-too-soon’ ever! Has Bruce Campbell ever done anything bad?)
Melanie Critser:
Brace yourself. There are cowboys AND aliens in this movie! And a cast of hot men and women that only get hotter when plastered in dirt. Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig together at last…with Craig getting more ass shots in one movie than JLo has gotten in her entire career. And don’t worry, men, Olivia Wilde doesn’t disappoint—especially as she emerges from fire…naked. But this movie isn’t all fun and games—oh wait, yeah it is!
Cowboys & Aliens is everything the title promises. The story is simple. Our planet has an element the aliens want. They are here to scout out the planet and give the “mother-ship” the thumbs up to “come on down.” It’s all up to the Cowboys and Indians to stop them…seriously, was anyone expecting an Oscar nominee? It makes no apologies for its campiness! There were moments that had heart and moments that almost made me cheer.
What? No speedo's in the Old West?
I wasn’t crazy about the aliens themselves, but I suppose that was the point. They had creepy little extra hands that unfold out of their bellies, all slimy and shaky–yuck! Also, where was the steamy love scene? I felt a bit cheated in this area. I can’t imagine what possessed them to leave that out—in the words of Flight of the Conchords, conditions were perfect for “Business Time.” To no avail…
Daniel Craig was sporting his 007 seriousness, just substitute a clean shave and tux for dried blood and cowboy gear. The bad-ass side of Daniel Craig hits the spot, no one wants to watch him skipping through a flower field—bring on the guns!
Harrison Ford’s role was the most intriguing. Is he a bad guy? Is he a good guy? Regardless, he can still deliver those hilarious one liners. And you may struggle with whether he’s The Good or The Bad..but he’s never The Ugly. He clearly hasn’t lost his charm on screen and he’s giving Sean Connery a run for his money in the “Better with Age” department.
Overall, I don’t expect this movie to be on any top 10 (or 100) lists, but I truly enjoyed it. Perhaps my expectations were right where they needed to be–I jumped in my seat and laughed at the cheesiness. It was just the boost my summer needed!
You can read Hayden’s online dating advice (it worked for him!) at Examiner.com. Melanie doesn’t have a blog so you’ll just have to hope she guest writes for HNG again. Like what they wrote? Let them know in the comments!
As many of you know, this past weekend I spent my time doing my big move from Los Angeles to San Diego. Between the packing of the U-haul and the wiping of the brow from all the heavy lifting, I didn’t have time to get to the theater to catch the last of the summer superhero themed blockbusters: Captain America. But after asking everyone on facebook if I should hurry out to the theaters to catch this cinematic marvel, I decided that unwrapping my bed from the bubble wrap could wait. To the theater!
[youtube:http://youtu.be/W4DlMggBPvc]
And just in case I do spoil something, SPOILER WARNING!
Now, as I’m sure many of you know, a high bar was set in terms of Captain America movies. There have been three previously, with two done in the seventies and one in 1990. And if you missed them, SyFy was good enough to have a marathon of them on Friday night. Lucky for me I’ve actually already seen the 1990’s one and, being a good little nerd girl, I’ve even seen the Dolph Lungren debacle Punisher movie from around the same time period.
[youtube:http://youtu.be/cs8rFsmhNTc]
I had never even heard of the 1970’s sequel Captain America II: Death Too Soon starring Reb Brown. <sarcasm> Fortunately for me, I was able to catch about 15 minutes of it between throwing my fine china and Star Trek teddy bears into cardboard boxes. And I gotta say, Chris Evans had a pretty tough job beating it. Captain America throws his motorcycle on top of a prison wall but can’t defeat a pack of what looks like SPCA rejects? Phew! So tough! </sarcasm>
Totally not ridiculous looking
If you’ve read any of my blog posts before, you’ll know that my brother serves in the USMC. Going in I was curious about how they were going to portray why Steve wanted to fight, how he was going to get into the program and how he would see himself during the whole run up to becoming the bad ass Cap that we all know and love. And I gotta say, they nailed it. As opposed to the 1990’s movie version, or even the comic book, where it’s just kind of a given that he’s getting all geared up to fight, this one takes a much longer route and shows just how much the character of Steve Rogers wants to serve his country. There were times when I actually started to get genuinely verklempt. Chris Evans played the role so perfectly of the scrawny little guy that doesn’t want to pick a fight persay, he just “doesn’t like a bully.” It really is heartwarming for a girl who’s brother is in the military. If I were to pick a part that really got me, it’s when he jumped on the grenade in training. The others guys always treated him harshly, but he was willing to die for them. How many of the rest of us can say the same?
Overall, as just an action film is was pretty damn awesome. In the land of over-choreographed fight scenes in movies where every minor character seems to know as much martial arts as a human-turned-vampire in Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, it was really cool to see the Cap do it more old school 1940’s style. Just kicking, punching, shooting and flinging that shield like he was born to do it. No huge martial arts training from some guy that was smuggled out of China to teach him the wise ways of kicking ass Asia-style, just good old fashioned brawling of the period. *LIKE*
Could anything with this chest be bad? The answer is nothing. Ever. EV-ER.
I’d like to say there was something wrong with this movie, but honestly, for an origin film I can’t find anything wrong with it. Being a big Marvel girl, I know a fair amount about Captain America. So I already knew how the film was going to end, which is a bit of a different experience compared to all the other super hero films that have been coming out this summer. Since The Avengers is coming out next summer, Cap has got to get frozen in the Arctic. Not that it was a huge deal, but it just gave me this lurking creepy feeling during the film. Maybe I’m alone in this, just saying.
But is that enough to keep me from the theaters? Hell no.
And don’t forget to wait for the special action at the end. It’s way more involved than the previous tidbits we get at the end of all the other films.
HNG with cast members Nathan Turner, Michael Minto, Zack Wolfe and Jane Lui
First off, a disclosure. I have never seen the original online Dr. Horrible starring my beloved Neil Patrick Harris (NPH), Nathan Fillion (NF) and Felicia Day (FD). It’s true. As much as I heart Joss Whedon, I have never been big on watching TV online and, to be honest, I’m lucky to have time to watch good ol’ fashioned television TV. I thought about watching it before driving down to San Diego but two things held me back. One, this move from LA to SD is killing me and every spare moment is going into packing and prepping. Two, I kind of wanted to see the show on its own merit so that I wouldn’t be tempted to compare it to the Whedon’s Writer’s Strike pet project.
HNG age 12. Admit this is an EPIC win.
Another disclosure, I’m a huge theatre nerd. I come from a theatrical background and have been performing most of my life. I have a deep appreciation for the time and effort that goes into putting together a production. Needless to say, I was very, very excited to see this show.
The evening started off with Gam3rs: The Play, a one-man show about an extreme gamer and his attempt to wage an epic RPG battle in the middle of a work day. The premise was clever and the actor/co-writer, Brian Bielawski, was great as the spastic and obsessive Mountain Dew drinker “Steve.” I dug the myriad of obscure nerd references and character voices he whipped out. Nary a line was said that wasn’t culturally significant in the geek lexicon. Having done one-(wo)man shows myself, I know how challenging it can be to pull off and I think he did an admirable job. I guessed the ending the very first time the boss came out but I chalk that up to my superhuman ability to guess the ending of virtually everything I watch. Seriously, it’s bizarre. That said, I smiled and laughed throughout the whole show and truly enjoyed watching it. If you’re into WoW, D&D, FF, Diablo, DQ or any of the other fantasy-based RPG’s, you will appreciate this show. Part of my press packet included a “made of awesome” pin which, I must admit, is pretty awesome.
Onto the main event!
Like I said, I’ve never seen the original Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog so I really didn’t know what to expect from the Live! version. I figured, if it’s created by Joss Whedon then it’s got to be good! Andy Lowe and Co. did not disappoint. There was great deal of creativity that went into this in the form of shadow play. My friend (who has seen the original) wasn’t sure how they were going to pull off certain scenes and the shadows seemed to fill in those blanks for him. As a Dr. H virgin, it made perfect sense to me to use them as a storytelling tool. One thing we were both shocked and impressed by was when they brought out an actual van that had been cut in half and attached to a flat for Captain Hammer’s introduction. Rarely do you see such a feat on a large stage let alone one that is relatively small like 10th Avenue Theatre’s.
Fun with shadows! (photo by Christina Rogers)
There were some seriously amazing voices on that stage. Nathan Turner (Dr. Horrible) was utterly charming whether he was in “aspiring evil genius” mode or “awkward nerd likes pretty girl” mode. You can tell that he’s a stage veteran and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment that he was performing. I was surprised to read in the program that this is Jane Lui’s (Penny) first time acting. Very impressive. Both her voice and her demeanor are very sweet and she’s completely adorable. Seriously, I wish I could pull off her awesome hairstyle. Check out her music, it’s lovely. Michael Minto (Captain Hammer) is delightfully cocky and obviously having a lot of fun playing a character with such bravado. I can totally picture Nathan Fillion (*sigh*) playing this role. The rest of the ensemble cast has some wonderful moments but one in particular was my favorite actor in the whole show. Zack Wolfe does double duty as Moist and an extremely flamboyant Captain Hammer fan. Even before he made his first appearance as Moist he was catching my eye as a background singer/dancer in the first laundromat scene and from then on I kept finding my attention wandering in his direction. I can’t even count the number of times he made me LOL. When I met him at the after party I think all I could blurt out was “seriously dude, hilarious.”
Dr. Horrible and Moist (photo by Christina Rogers)
Speaking of the after party…it was great to finally meet Andy Lowe, the Director and champion of this noble effort, after corresponding via email. I found him to be warm and engaging and genuinely passionate about this project. The cast members were awesome and friendly. It seems like a kick ass group to work with. The rooftop space is the home of other parties related to Gam3rCon and if you get a chance, you should definitely check it out. You will be rewarded with lots of string lights and some seriously gorgeous views of downtown San Diego.
With Director Andy Lowe and fellow HNG Joy
The after party also marked the first time ever that I’ve been recognized in person. Like many nerds, I tend to be shy and a bit socially awkward (hopefully it wasn’t too obvious) so having someone say “Hey, you’re Hot Nerd Girl!” was kind of trippy and kind of awesome all rolled up into one big burrito of weird. I’m not really sure what that means but I’m rolling with it.
In conclusion , if you are heading to San Diego for Comic-Con, you should really swing by Gam3rCon and check out the tournaments and plays. You can get more information about all of the festivities at www.gam3rcon.com. And hit www.iwanttosingalong.com for more on Dr. Horrible Live!
Go. Now. Don’t make me shoot you with my Freeze Ray.
Don't be fooled by my innocent looking exterior, Bad Horse has nothing on HNG
