FESTIVE

Let's start December off on a high note. Deck the Halls with the TMNT. Watch at your own risk though...

GEEK

OK. So here’s the scoop. I am putting together a film, a yet to be named film project which covers the topic of ‘being a geek’.

Gotta type this and run. Busy day today...

Why Geek? Pretty much the term ‘Geek’ is now a badge of honour and no longer a term used by the popular crowd to use as a hurtful slur on others. Being a Geek is there along with being a boffin and a whizzkid with something to feel having credentials about.

For me being a geek is important to me and who I am. It is where the ‘Hero’ part of my name came from especially when I used it as my stagename during my stint in wrestling. In short, I was identified with as the real life Comic Book Guy (a Simpsons character) and the name stuck with me since. I feel my 24 year long journey as a Transfan has moulded me into the guy I am today and has granted me inner cultural capital.

I’ve spent some of this Saturday filming a 3 minute pilot for the movie with all sorts of things. I have no idea yet how I will structure the pilot or whether some of the footage will end up in the final draft of the movie. In making these films, more than enough footage is better than not enough.

What I ask of you guys in cyberspace is your assistance. If you consider yourself a geek or have a take on being a geek, film yourself maybe on a webcam or DV cam for a minute or longer and talk about it. You’ll get a chance to be in a film and look good being in it. What I am also looking for is background too, stuff like ‘geeky’ surroundings that would be interesting on camera and maybe to show off too. I am looking to collage everything into a spiked punchbowl of geeky beauty and make a film that aims to educate, entertain and inspire (I said that in my pitch).

As for a name for this film project, no idea yet like I said before but I am welcome to suggestions and will possibly put up a cross-posted poll to decide the winner.

Gotta post this and run. I would love to hear back from any of you. More updates to come.

DESTROYER

SPOILER WARNING: This is a little feedback from a Smallville episode which aired last night in the US on the CW Network. Anyone following this show on Channel 4/E4 on UK shores may want to be warned as the airing of episodes is obviously behind with the states. However it is always customary to put a spoiler warning on for principle sake, so yeah, you’ve been warned =). This isn’t a review as such, just me sharing my thoughts on something I enjoy and support

So this morning, I’m still voiceless (see the entry MUTE) and working on some stuff for an upcoming film I am shooting a 3 minute pilot for (more on this soon). I had just remembered that the anticipated Smallville episode BRIDE aired last night in the states, so I acquired it to take a break out and enjoy.

I enjoyed the episode from start, middle and end.


Of course the main attraction of this episode was the appearance of Doomsday aside from the Jimmy/Chloe wedding, but there was a lot more packed into the 40+ minutes of this mid-season finale.

Lana is back and once again keeping a secret from Clark, A world-wide chase with new leads for Lex has begun with The Green Arrow hot on the trail, plus Clark and Lois grow even closer.

The best part of BRIDE was the reception scene as the wedding itself was already established in a Cloverfield type homage before the credits. This main scene build up is shown after the opening credits and is set 8 hours beforehand with wedding planner comedy from Lois. I felt sorry for the camera kid as he spent his scenes trying to make a good home video, and as if Lois slapping him around wasn’t bad enough he also gets a slap from Doomsday too. Still, this minor characters point of view sets the episode in motion really well. I think he may have been one of Jimmy’s relatives…

Doomsday’s reception crash as expected left a lot of mess and destruction. Clark and Jimmy both end up getting floored too as Doomday grabs Chloe and heads off for the now Brainiac corrupted Fortress of Solitude. Oddly enough Chloe strikes a questionable smile towards her captor in the Fortress, possibly meaning she is still manifested by Brainiac or another reason altogether. The smile is pretty creepy to say the least.



I think the writers are going for an Eddie Brock / Venom approach with this rendition of Doomsday. There obviously was a fair amount of Davis Bloom’s emotion that fuelled the attack on the wedding from his desire for Chloe’s hand, much in a similar way Brock’s emotion is driving force behind Venom in Spiderman canon.

Smallville’s interpretation of Doomsday himself looks like a cross between Michael Bay’s Megatron and the 80’s My Pet Monster toy but… with crystal bones as expected. Yes! Crystal Bones I say. Most of the camera shots of Doomsday are shown in the shade or distanced which help make him look a little less surreal.

Another delightful thing about the recent episode was the return of a soundtrack of sorts. Smallville’s soundtrack was one of the epic elements of the show but has been sadly absent for a while. The song Don’t Take Your Love Away by Vast plays during the final scenes and sets the mood for the ending really well.

One of the key parts of this episode being the last one of 2008 is the final shot at the end. This final shot is something totally different from the other recent events (although it acknowledges them) but is something likely to set conversation off. In the meantime, new Smallville episodes won’t be back until mid-January 2009 when Lighting Lad, Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy from The Legion of Superheroes are all scheduled to appear at the kidnap/wedding crash aftermath.

All in all things are really picking up big with Smallville again after a few losses in cast and downsized settings. This show has survived knock after knock and continues to stay strong.

So what if the show is leaning more towards Metropolis? so long as Smallville continues to be Lois Lane’s pet name for Clark that is the what the title of the show will stay as.

MUTE

I feel stripped of my freedom to talk.

I’m not being gagged or anything. A nasty throat virus has currently rendered me voiceless and unable to speak.

I’m not sure what brought it on, but I am sure I caught it from travelling about on the buses a lot. Either way, I am glad this is now rather than later because the immune system will kick in and keep anything else away. I am kind of annoyed that this has put me behind stuff I was going to sort out today but I hope I am not too sidetracked now.

Got to carry on… It just sucks not being able to talk although not completely. Thank goodness for Cyberspace.

BUST

My HP Scanjet 2300c scanner went bust recentley.

My scanner was a loyal device in my service for the last three years and provided itself as a benefactor to my bricolage of capitalist-esque artwork. The scanner was also a big help with my uni work, immortalising my old photos and taking up mass desk space that could have been used for much worse clutter.

WHY DID IT HAVE TO DIE!!!???

I think I should give it a decent burial O_o

I'll miss you scanner...

I feel sad.

BRIDE

I love this Cloverfield style trailer.

Mid-season bonanza on Smallville next week.

Doomsday The Wedding Crasher has arrived!

This is gonna be very cool!

BRAID

I'm in love with this new video game and I've not actually picked up a joypad and played it. Braid for the X-Box 360 is a sidescrolling platform game which revolves around playing with time to advance onward.

The game is beautifully picturesque backed with a harmony of mellow music. There is also a homage here and there to Super Mario Brothers thrown in but best of all a very Fauve style approach to the art and backgrounds.

I'm not one for watching others play a game. I'd rather push some buttons and join in but the artistic attraction of Braid and exploring how the puzzled levels are layed out make me want to watch it for hours, which I think I did last night at a pals house.

My friends think I am nuts for liking this...

They don't understand...

This game is such a beautiful mindf7ck!

PREMONITION

For the last few days I’ve been haunted by a premonition of being hit by a speeding bus from the side.

All day I have tried to erase this tormenting thought from my mind, attempting to filter out this negative and frightening vision.

In positivity I am being careful more although it is easy to feel paranoid. Crossing the roads has been strange and I’ve not wanted to take any chances.

I will continue to pray at this and mentally chip away the horrendous clip.

Maybe I deserved this or maybe it’s a warning, or maybe just a random thing my brain is doing. I know the road I have seen the bus in too but I never even go there anymore, but the sight of that bus head on towards me is scary.

I don’t want to be roadkill.