Are There More Stars Heading Back To The Star Wars Universe?

Tag: Movies

Star Trek: Into Darkness Boasts Real Life Heroes

May. 23 Movies, News, Press Release no comments

Anyone who has read my bio knows that I served six years in the United States Air Force. I love my country, and respect every man and woman to ever wear a uniform in its defense. I never fail to thank a veteran or soldier for their service when I meet them. I am also very grateful for the sacrifices of the families of soldiers, who endure hardships while their sons, daughters, husbands or wives are defending the rights we often take for granted. I firmly believe that we can not do enough to help these heroes transition back into society when they return from service.

The Mission Continues

The Mission Continues, an organization that empowers post-9/11 veterans to transition from the military to leadership positions here at home, is doing their part, and then some. J.J. Abrams, Bad Robot, and Paramount Pictures have partnered with The Mission Continues to give six veterans roles in Star Trek: Into Darkness. The six will likely be credited as extras in the memorial scene shot at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, but their contribution was so much more. ”The scene did bring back emotions for a lot of the fellows,” said The Mission Continues founder, Eric Greitens, “There was a lot of solemnity even in the process of folding that flag, because they had either seen it themselves or done it for friends and colleagues who had died in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Greitens, a veteran himself, is the type of hero, in real life, that Captain Kirk is written to be on the silver screen. As a former Navy SEAL, Greitens was awarded a Purple Heart after surviving a 2007 suicide bombing in Fallujah, Iraq. Another of the actors, Adam McCann, filmed the solemn scene on the seventh anniversary of the mortar strike that nearly took his life, a day he refers to as his “alive day”.

Star Trek: Into Darkness Memorial Scene

J.J. Abrams heard about the program, that has transitioned nearly 700 veterans back into society to date, and called Greitens to set up a partnership to help him get the word out. Abrams said, “Supporting veterans in their efforts to tackle the challenges facing our communities is a winning combination for all of us. It provides communities with great leaders, and veterans with renewed purpose. We hope that fans will join us in supporting The Mission Continues and stand with the men and women who voluntarily defended our country after 9/11, and are continuing to serve us here at home.” The film is appropriately dedicated to post 9/11 veterans. Since its founding in 2007, nearly 35,000 patriotic and thankful Americans have volunteered to help The Mission Continues and the veterans that they serve. Visit them at http://missioncontinues.org/home, maybe there’s something you can do to help out!

Tags: jj abrams, Movies, Paramount Pictures, Star Trek, The Mission Continues, The Nerd, Word of the Nerd

A Day At The Motor City Comic Con

May. 20 Comic Books, Fanatics, News, Press Release no comments

Mid-May in the Motor City means just one thing, the Motor City Comic Con! The line, when I arrived on Sunday, was around the building at the Suburban Collection Showplace. The nerds were as brightly colored as their sugary candy namesakes. You could feel the energy in the crowd. The excitement that only a true collector or fan feels was apparent. There was a buzz in the crowd as they waited knowing that they were about to dig through long boxes, or meet a longtime hero or childhood idol. For the last three days the heroes and idols were in Novi, Michigan.

Comic Relief from Flint, MI

The inside was packed solid with nerds, geeks, fans, and kids all slack-jawed as they wandered through the various booths. Dozens of vendors, mostly from Ohio and Michigan, were in attendance including my friends from Comic Relief in Flint, Michigan. Rob was hurriedly helping several customers at a time, while Lou was talking comic lore with anyone who had an opinion. Other vendors were hawking their wares from candy, to comics, to clothing, and more. The back half of the building was full of creators, mostly artists sketching and signing for lines of people who patiently waited. Well known creators such as George Perez, Yanick Paquette, Talent Caldwell, and Ale’ Garcia were holding court. The most anticipated attendee, by far, was “The Man” himself, Stan Lee.

Stan Lee

The creator of such integral works as Spider-Man, Thor, The X-Men, Iron Man, and Hulk among many others, met with fans, signed autographs, and spoke at one of the panels on Saturday. The remains of his presence, left behind by the throngs of fans who lined up to catch a glimpse, or even get a picture from afar, was still apparent a day later. Much like the buzz that Stan created on Saturday, the star of Sunday had to be Norman Reedus. Reedus, best known for his current character Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead, was surrounded by a line of fans seeking autographs that was reportedly four hours long at one point. It was so long, in fact, that Reedus was unable to attend the Boondock Saints panel with co-stars Sean Patrick Flanery and David Della Rocco. In Reedus’s absence Flanery carried the panel answering questions and regaling us with behind the scenes stories from Boondock Saints. He couldn’t say much about his upcoming role in the critically acclaimed series Dexter, but he did confirm that Boondock Saints 3 is happening. He speculated that it would see a late 2014 release!

Norman Reedus, The Walking Dead

Aside from Lee and Reedus other celebrities were in abundance. TV stars from every recent decade like Erika Eleniak (Baywatch), Erin Gray (Buck Rogers), Adrian Paul (Highlander) and Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica) lined the tables greeting fans of all ages. Lauren Holly (Dumb and Dumber), Margot Kidder (Superman), and the Kings of the Nerds themselves Curtis Armstrong and Robert Carradine were among the Movie Stars to make an appearance. As packed as the venue was today, the lines were relatively short, except for Reedus. This was likely due to the sheer volume of models, athletes, and other celebrities who attended the event.

Curtis Armstrong and Robert Carradine

You don’t have to be a big time celebrity to make your mark at a Comic Convention. Careers have started at various shows, across the country, over the years. If my twins have a vote, it would be for William Stolpin, a Holly, Michigan native who specializes in architectural, fantasy, and dragon-based artwork that really impressed the twelve-year-old girls. The Motor City Comic Con was their first comic convention and they had a great time. Maybe next year I’ll get them to dress the part. I won’t hold my breath!

Camryn and Devin, Armed and Dangerous

Tags: comic books, comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, Marvel Comics, Movies, Norman Reedus, Stan Lee, television, The Nerd, The Walking Dead, Word of the Nerd

Reviewer’s Word – Star Trek Into Darkness

May. 18 Editor's Pick, Movies, Reviews 4 comments

This review comes a little late because I wasn’t able to see the movie until today. I was there bright and early, popcorn and large drink at the ready. Before I go any further I have to tell you that I am a life long Trek fan and a purest when it comes to Star Trek. I enjoyed the first movie very much, but I had many issues with it and this film was no different. This review is also going to contain a rather healthy dose of spoilers so don’t say I didn’t warn you ahead of time. I am going to attempt to examine as many elements of the film as I can while at the same time keep this review as concise as possible, but just in case you better strap yourself in for a lengthy read.

Before I get too deep into this let me first say that I thoroughly enjoyed Star Trek Into Darkness and would recommend it to anyone wanting to see a good sci-fi action film that is down right fun to watch. So now I will say it again that there are MAJOR SPOILERS ahead. Okay, so if you read any spoilers from the overseas reviews or heard the rumors I will tell you now that they were true. Benedict Cumberbatch‘s character John Harrison is indeed Khan. But that is only the beginning of the plot twists and other details that J.J. Abrams and crew did one hell of a job of hiding during the production of the film.

Hardcore Star Trek fans will have cause to smile at all the subtle details woven into the story. For instance the existence of Section 31, the covert branch of Starfleet dedicated to preserving the United Federation of Planets by any means necessary. This rouge organization was first revealed during Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and later was known to exist during the time of Captain Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise. That was not the only reference to past incarnations of Star Trek. In one scene we get to see a display of past ships to carry the name Enterprise and we catch a glimpse of the good ol NX-01.

Uhura and Spock

Another classic Trek surprise was the appearance of Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime (as he is now referred to). The Spock Prime appearance was a surprise and, in my opinion, yet another poor attempt to link one Trek universe with the other. It also broke all kinds of established canon when new Spock enlists the help of Spock Prime in full view of the Enterprise bridge crew, even calling him by name. Surely both Spocks should and would have disapproved of this tactic. It also set up the inevitable betrayal by Khan and put Kirk and crew in even more mortal danger.

One other callback to the first film was the mention of Nurse Christine Chapel. But what was sad to hear is that she requested a transfer off the Enterprise due to the advances and probably one night stand with Captain Kirk. Now we all know that Kirk Prime wasn’t the type of man to bed his own crew members and had only done so once that led to unfortunate consequences, in the season one episode Dagger of the Mind. It is well established that Jim Kirk was a ladies man, but his portrayal by William Shatner never had him strutting around like an over-sexed horn dog. Perhaps in future films we will get to see Kirk mature a bit, even more so than he did in this film.

Kirk and Spock

Since I am on the subject of Captain Kirk, let me explore him a little more for you. At the beginning of the film, we see a side of Kirk (Chris Pine) we’ve never seen before. A brash and rather irresponsible young officer whose place wasn’t in the captain’s seat, a fact he is reminded of when Admiral Pike (Bruce Greenwood) informs him he is demoted to first officer and Spock (Zachary Quinto) is reassigned to another ship for their violation of the Prime Directive. What bothered me so about that is that Spock actually had to explain the Prime Directive to Kirk. Shouldn’t every starship captain know full well what the Prime Directive is and be dedicated to upholding it at all cost? You are probably about to shout at me and say that Kirk Prime violated the Prime Directive on a number of occasions…and I do not dispute that. My issue is that Kirk Prime wouldn’t have so blatantly tossed the rules aside without more to say that he simply didn’t agree with them at the time. James Kirk in his time was the model Starfleet officer and the finest to ever serve. This new Kirk is in desperate need of seasoning.

USS Vengeance

One good thing we get to see is an element tragedy to befall Kirk. He loses his mentor Admiral Pike early on in the film at the hands of Khan. This leads Kirk on a path of revenge as he dedicates himself and the Enterprise to the task of bringing Khan to justice. By doing so, he unknowingly falls right into the plans of Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller) who wants Khan dead at all costs in order to cover up his own treachery. With Khan’s unwilling assistance, Admiral Marcus has been secretly building advance weapons and the largest starship ever seen, the dreadnought class USS Vengeance.

Uhura and Scotty

Marcus orders Kirk to pursue Khan to the Klingon home world and use 72 special advanced photon torpedoes to kill him. It takes the urging of Spock and the resignation of Scotty to resign him to merely taking a landing party to Kronos to capture Khan alive and bring him back to Earth for trial. This doesn’t sit well with Admiral Marcus who has sabotaged the Enterprise and takes the Vengeance into Klingon space to destroy the them and start an all out war with the Klingons in the process. This begins a pretty epic space battle that sadly does not see the Enterprise fire a single shot but instead gets the crap beaten out of it. Left with few options, Kirk enlists the assistance of Khan to help stop Admiral Marcus, leading to his sudden yet inevitable betrayal (thank you Wash) by Khan and the call for help from Spock Prime.

Kirk’s final moments

Thus begins an entire reverse Wrath of Khan scenario that leaves Kirk on the other side of the glass door dying of radiation exposure while Spock helplessly looks on. Unfortunately it doesn’t end there, Spock pulls a Shatner and shouts KHAAAAANNNNN upon Kirk’s death. Oh but wait…earlier in the film we find out that Khan’s blood as special powers that heals the sick and reanimates dead tissue. There is only one man for this job and that’s Spock. He must get some of Khan’s blood in order to save Kirk and avoid Star Trek III: The Search for Kirk. I must admit, though, that Kirk’s death scene was almost more tear jerking than Leonard Nimoy’s Spock in Wrath of Khan.

Chief Engineer Chekov

After guiding the battered and crippled USS Vengeance into a crash landing on Starfleet Headquarters, Khan miraculously survives and is able to lead Spock on an exhilarating chase through San Francisco and of course his eventual capture. As initially silly as I thought this was, during the struggle I found myself enjoying what I was seeing. It was nice to see Spock in the action hero role for a change and actually share punches with the bad guys for once. In the past it was always Kirk who beat them up and saved the day. This time we get to see Spock and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) get in on the action. And yes the whole Spock/Uhura relationship thing is still disturbing to me.

It was nice to see the other crew members get a little more to do in this film. The lion’s share went to Scotty (Simon Pegg) this time but I was saddened to see he’s still a source of comic relief. Simon Pegg is a great comedic actor, but Scotty isn’t a role that needs much comedic chops. I would like to see a more serious Montgomery Scott and less bumbling buffoon. Sulu (John Cho) even got to command the Enterprise in the film and let his badass side out while the ship is stranded in Klingon space. That left poor Chekov (Anton Yelchin) to fill in as Chief Engineer after Scotty resigns. Let’s just say that Pavel is NO Montgomery Scott.

McCoy and Kirk

That leaves the one true acting genius of the entire cast in the face of Karl Urban. Whatever he does in order to channel DeForest Kelly as Leonard McCoy is nothing but pure magic. He’s even given more to do this time than be the straight man to Kirk. And rounding out the cast is Alice Eve as Carol Marcus…you know who she is. If not, refer back to Wrath of Khan, she’s Kirk’s baby mama and the daughter of Admiral Marcus. She had little to do in the film beside strip down to her bra and panties and scream on cue. But she does have significance in Star Trek lore so was kind of cool to see her introduced. Now if they can only get Gary Mitchell on the ship and establish his significance to James Kirk.

Kirk, Marcus and Spock

I know, I’ve gone over a lot and may have lost a number of readers. But I warned you to strap yourselves in for a long read. You might be thinking now that I hated this movie and by all rights I should have hated it. The odd truth is that I couldn’t and didn’t in spite of all the problems I found with it. Just like the first film, this one was just fun. It was a fun movie to watch. I ended up having to accept it for what it was and just enjoy it. As the self-proclaimed Star Trek purest that I am, given more time I could probably point out many other things that I and many other die-hard Trek fans find wrong. But that is the brilliance of J.J. Abrams and this film. You find yourself liking it in spite of itself, right down to the heart quickening soundtrack.

John Harrison aka Khan

Cumberbatch is no Ricardo Montalban in his portrayal of Khan. He doesn’t have the vile villainy down that Montalban perfected in the original series episode Space Seed or Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. This could have been for a number of reasons however. Cumberbatch is wonderful in the role, he’s cold and calculating and is a great “leave no stone unturned” type of villain. There wasn’t enough development and interaction between Khan and Kirk for my taste, but they were able to convey a sense of tragedy to his character that gave him much-needed depth. His capture at the end of the film also leaves the possibility of a true Wrath of Khan type sequel somewhere down the line.

It’s going to make a lot of money and, yes, there will be a third movie, how can there not be? Those unfamiliar with Star Trek can enjoy this film without having to be versed in nearly 50 years of cannon and back story. It is a little too intense for younger kids, but older children should enjoy it as well. Hell, you don’t really need to have seen the first movie to enjoy this. If you even know who the characters are, that should be enough for anyone to walk in and get a nice thrill ride. Like its predecessor, Star Trek Into Darkness is a great summer popcorn film that appeals to fans and non-fans alike.

Tags: Admiral Pike, Alice Eve, Anton Yelchin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bruce Greenwood, Carol Marcus, Chekov, Chris Pine, DeForest Kelly, J.J. Abrams, John Cho, John Harrison, Karl Urban, Khan, Kirk, Klingons, Kronos, Leonard Nimoy, Movies, NX-01, Peter Weller, Reviewers Word, reviews, Scotty, Simon Pegg, spock, Spock Prime, Star Trek, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek Into Darkness, Starfleet, Sulu, The Nerd, Uhura, USS Enterprise, USS Vengeance, William Shatner, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana

The Bones That Would Become Doctor Strange

May. 13 Comic Books, Movies, News, Press Release no comments

In recent interviews Kevin Feige, President of Production at Marvel Studios, has been talking about Doctor Strange, The Master of the Mystic Arts. Feige, the front man for the recent successes coming from Marvel properties including Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, and most recently Iron Man 3, gave all of us a possible glimpse into the future. He said, “Dr. Strange is something that I talk about often and it’s sort of next up for us to dig into and explore. Our executive producer of Iron Man 3, having done Captain America: The First Avenger and as that was finishing he started working on the bones that would become Iron Man 3, and now that he’s finished with Iron Man 3, he’s working on the bones that would become Doctor Strange. Now that Iron Man 3 is finished, some of our quote-unquote spare time is going to be devoted to trying to crack Strange.”

Doctor Stephen Strange

Cracking Strange might be easier said than done. The story would have to be dark, gritty, and magical. No offense to the highly popular book and movie series, but this cannot be Harry Potter with blue pajamas. Co-created by legendary writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Steve Ditko, the character debuted in Strange Tales #110 in July 1963. He primarily fought against otherworldly, or under-worldly villains. Strange Tales at that time was not your typical superhero fare. It featured characters like Nick Fury and the Human Torch in addition to the Sorcerer Supreme. Over the last three decades the good Doctor has bounced around the Marvel Universe in various solo-series and team books. Most recently he has been spending most of his time with the New Avengers incarnations both by Brian Michael Bendis (2005), and the current version written by Jonathan Hickman (2012).

Strange Tales #110

A Doctor Strange movie would certainly diverge from the usual heroic epics of recent Marvel Studios offerings. Strange is not the brute hero, nor is he the tech-savvy wise guy, or the teen wit struggling with the responsibility of great power. He is a dead-serious, workaholic protector of Earth from supernatural incursion. He spends his free time accumulating artifacts of power, like the Cloak of Levitation, the Eye of Agamotto, the Book of the Vishanti, and the Orb of Agamotto, to keep them from being used against the world by demons and evil sorcerers. Come to think of it, the theft of those artifacts and use of them by a malevolent being would be a pretty good start to a story [note to self]. Strange would be considerably weaker without the powerful artifacts and his nemesis, likely The Dread Dormammu, would certainly seem to have an advantage [scene].

Dormammu

Dormammu, as created by Lee and Ditko, became Doctor Strange’s most recurring and single-minded villain, almost by accident. The pair originally created his name and realm as just a way of “adding depth to the other-worldly nature of Strange’s adventures”. The readers had other ideas. Their insistence on speculating as to who the mysterious Dormammu was, encouraged the creative duo to flesh out the villain and bring him to life. For the next 50 years he has consistently attempted to lie, cheat, steal, and betray the Sorcerer Supreme, and has met with some limited success. His inclusion in a Strange based movie would be almost assured. His demonic look, flaming visage, and the Dark Dimension that he rules would all be tremendous on the big screen.

Strange vs. Dormammu

A Doctor Strange movie, if made, would likely fall into what Marvel Studios terms Phase 3 [of their plan for Box Office domination]. Phase 2 began with a bang, or several hundred, just over a week ago when Iron Man 3 debuted and is planned to end with Avengers 2 in 2015. Phase 3 will then begin with a surprising choice in Ant Man, also in 2015. Doctor Strange seems likely to follow Ant Man or Guardians of the Galaxy 2, if it’s debut next year warrants a sequel. With the better part of three years to plan, plot, and execute this story, the brain trust at Marvel should come up with another epic in Doctor Strange.

Tags: comic books, comics, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Marvel Comics, Movies, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, The Avengers, The Nerd, Word of the Nerd

Nerd Bytes: News and Notes

May. 12 Comic Books, Movies, News, Press Release no comments

Composer John Williams

Nerd Byte: J.J. Abrams recently announced that John Williams, who composed the music for all six previous Star Wars Movies will do the same for Episode VII. Williams also composed the music for such classics as Superman, Jaws, the Indiana Jones films, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Lincoln, and the first three Harry Potter films. As you can tell from this list, Williams is the king of setting the mood with music. Music in movies can often be overlooked, but who could ever forget the iconic music from the movies on the previous list?

Robert Downey Jr.

Nerd Byte: It has been reported in several places that Iron Man 3 may well be Robert Downey, Jr.‘s last run as the enigmatic Tony Stark. What would that mean for Avengers 2? I personally have a hard time picturing anyone playing the millionaire playboy turned superhero besides Downey, Jr. In my opinion, we won’t have to. Downey, Jr. recently appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. When asked about his future at Marvel he answered, “I don’t know… I had a long contract with them, and now we’re gonna renegotiate.” Iron Man may well have put Marvel movies back on the map, time to pay the man!

Nerd Byte: Coming off of the Star Wars celebration weekend, “May the Fourth” be with you too, our friends at Stunt People have made a sequel to their Darth Vader point of view (POV) Lightsaber battle called Vader Strikes Back. It stars Eric Jacobus, Alain Bloch, and Gary Ripper.

Allison Williams

Nerd Byte: I’m not sure which part of this story is most interesting. The fact that Allison Williams, of HBO’s Girls, is up for a role in Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four, or the fact that people are this far into the discussions about making another Fantastic Four Movie. While the last offering, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, wasn’t bad enough to never release, like Roger Corman’s version, it certainly wasn’t good enough to warrant a third film. Now, five years and several great Marvel movies later, we’re talking Fantastic Four again. There is no word yet if Allison Williams is being considered for Sue Storm, or another character, but the talk itself is heartening for FF fans.

Boba Fett

Nerd Byte: The San Diego Comic Con is coming up this July 18-21 and there will be guests aplenty. Among the creators, actors, celebrities, and pop-culture icons will be a special exclusive guest…an action figure of Boba Fett. It will be a highly detailed 6-inch Boba Fett action figure from the new Star Wars Black Series. If that’s not enough for you, it also comes packaged with two weapons, his iconic jet pack and the ultimate accessory: Han Solo frozen in carbonite. This Special Edition will be available at the HASBRO booth for $44.99.

Jim Lee

Nerd Byte: Man of Steel may be one of the most anticipated movies since, well, Avengers. Granted, its success could make or break the future of DC Comics based movies including The Justice League. Speculation has been the game so far, but now we have our first actual review! This reviewer may be a bit biased, but I don’t think anyone doubts the credibility of DC Comics Artist and Executive Jim Lee. While promoting Free Comic Book Day, he told several networks, “It’s epic. It’s got a lot of heart. But one of the things that was missing from the last Superman movie was the action and this movie has it in spades. It is a visual thrill ride. It is amazing. You get to see all the powers of Superman in all its glory and I think people are going to be blown away.” Wow, a Superman movie where the best fight scene isn’t against a 747? That might just be worth seeing.

Nerd Byte: You don’t have to raise a superhero to be an awesome Mom. My mother loved and nurtured me, but also gave me the common sense to make it in a world that can be cruel and unforgiving at times. I don’t live near her these days, but I treasure the times that we talk and can spend time together. On behalf of my Mom, I thank all of you great Moms out there. Happy Mother’s Day! Now get on the phone and give yours a call!

Tags: Allison Williams, Boba Fett, Darth Vader, DC Comics, E.T. The Extraterrrestrial, Fantastic Four, girls, Han Solo, Harry Potter, HBO, Iron Man, Jaws, Jim Lee, John Williams, Jurassic Park, lightsaber, lincoln, Man of Steel, Marvel Comics, Mothers Day, Movies, San Diego Comic Con International, Saving Private Ryan, Star Wars, Superman, The Nerd, Word of the Nerd

Remembering Ray…with Dad

May. 08 Animation, Editor's Pick, Movies, Nerd's Perspective no comments

I remember watching TV with my Dad in the early 80’s for one of two reasons…One, in the early 80’s, my Dad was recently retired from the military, so we no longer had to live overseas and be forced to watch endless hours of BBC (trust me kids, BBC wasn’t nearly as cool back then) and Armed Forces TV for lack of anything else. Two, with more downtime, my Dad and I bonded in more ways through our mutual interests on TV programs…Six Million Dollar Man reruns, Wonder Woman and The Greatest American Hero, to name a few. Then we got to watch one movie that had everything we loved…History! Ok, Mythology! Monsters! That guy from Rocky! And perhaps the coolest winged horse on film.

Quite simply, the most beautiful horse ever made.

That movie was Clash of the Titans. I was awestruck and I’m pretty sure my Dad became a kid again watching it with me and seeing it through my wide-open eyes. The monsters they fought were amazingly detailed and Medusa, well… Medusa gave me nightmares for weeks after seeing it. She was just so evil. After watching the credits, my Dad’s eyes lit up, and he said to me, “Want to see something else that’s really neat?” I shook my curly-haired head yes, and he took me to the video store and started picking out tapes. All of them were about Sinbad. Now I was probably the most well read kid in Meade County at the time, and I read a lot of Arabian Nights, Ali Baba and Sinbad, and even liked the cartoon – the one where Sinbad pulled his magic belt and got Popeye strong! So I’m thinking as a kid, okay, I read about this guy, are the movies gonna be that good? Most of them look like they were made in the 60’s! Ugh! Nothing crushes a tween’s TV watching worse than an old movie.

The stuff of nightmares!

Anyway, my Dad started popping them in the huge top-loading VCR machine and we spent the day watching Sinbad movies. And I was floored! Cyclops, Skeletons, and scary-looking giant lizard…things splashed on the screen and fought and killed and bled and… it was just simply incredible. To the young mind, those flashes across the screen weren’t the jerky, klunky motions that are considered today, to my fevered imagination they were shaking with terrible fury, moving with such preternatural force that the motions were tricks of the eye as I perceived them moving from their strange and savage dimension into mine. What I didn’t know, what I couldn’t know then, was that Dad realized Ray Harryhausen had made the effects to Clash of the Titans while we were watching the credits, and remembered the movies he loved when he was younger. On that day he decided to go back into time with his son and re-explore the depths of Ray’s Genius.

I remember before my Dad died, whenever a Tri-Star movie ever came on, my Dad would start rocking in his chair in glee and my Mom would say, “There goes Dad’s horse!” when the Pegasus jumped the Tri-Star logo. I know now that the Pegasus in those credits made my Dad remember fondly that beautiful day so long ago.

Thank you, Ray.

Tags: Clash of the Titans, Medusa, Movies, Pegasus, Ray Harryhausen, Sinbad

Reviewer’s Word – Superman Unbound

May. 07 Animation, Editor's Pick, Movies, Reviews 1 comment

If you’ve followed Word of the Nerd for very long you’ve probably picked up that I am a huge fan of DC’s line of animated films. Although I have been critical of some, as a whole the entire line of films have set a standard in comic book adaptations that is hard to surpass. It has been often said by many of the writers here that if Warner Bros. could put that kind of quality film making into their live action comic book movies, they would be beating Marvel Entertainment by leaps and bounds. Sadly, that’s not how it is and the true upside is that twice a year we are treated to at least two new animated films from DC. So now that that is out of the way, let’s get to the real meat and potatoes of this review.

As a rule so far, the Superman films have not been my favorites, with the exception of All Star Superman, I found them to be lacking quite a bit. It seems that only when paired with Batman or teamed up with the Justice League does Superman really have a chance to shine. There is a new exception to that…Superman Unbound. Although far from perfect, Superman Unbound does score quite high on my personal list of best DC animated films. And even though I was not a fan of the animation style I saw in the trailer, it did not matter to me in the end.

The story was based on a 2008 story arc written by Geoff Johns; Superman: Brainiac. If you are a fan of DC Comics, you know that Johns can tell a story and it comes through perfectly. The script written by Bob Goodman adapts Johns’ original story quite nicely particularly the portrayal of Brainiac, voiced by Fringe star John Noble. Animated to look almost Borg-like in appearance, along with Noble’s voice acting, the character of Brainiac was truly sinister and frightening, a true match for Superman and a far departure from the Brainiac we’ve seen in Superman The Animated Series, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. The cold and calculating machine is replaced with a fearsome human quality that Noble performs perfectly.

Aside from John Noble the other voice talent in this film, which the producers have a knack of bringing a unique list of talent to all of the films, is surprisingly well done. Matt Bomer (White Collar) and Stana Katic (Castle) do justice to the characters of Clark Kent/Superman and Lois Lane. Although I was not all that pleased with the appearance of Lois Lane. Though she was voiced beautifully by Katic, her look reminded me of a woman trying to look much younger than she is. Whether intentional or not, the psuedo-goth look Lois was sporting wasn’t at all like Lois Lane, but more like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. For me it was Molly Quinn‘s (Castle) portrayal of Kara Zor-El/Supergirl that was really excellent in the film. For that matter, Supergirl’s entire presence made me enjoy this film so much.

Quinn’s Supergirl was neither as shy nor as innocent as you would think her to be. Supergirl takes on the role of badass superhero and a darker shadow to her cousin Superman quite well. Her introduction in the opening sequence of the film was pure magic and actually had me talking to the screen more than once. I know for certain that I let slip a “oh no, now you’re in for it” when the bad guys try to flee from a determined Supergirl. A teenage girl with angst and superpowers is not to be trifled with.

Overall this was another feather in the cap of DC and Warner Bros. I was skeptical at first due to my disappointment in past solo Superman films, but I found myself enjoying it immensely and would definitely recommend it to the uninitiated. In writing this review I realized that Superman Unbound is the 16th in the series of stand alone films with hopefully no end in sight anytime soon. Additional voice talent includes Frances Conroy, Wade Williams, Diedrich Bader, Stephen Root and Alexander Gould.

The Nerd gives Superman Unbound – 4 out of 5

Tags: Brainiac, DC Animated movies, DC Animated Universe, DC Comics, Geoff Johns, John Noble, Lois Lane, Matt Bomer, Molly Quinn, Movies, reviews, Stana Katic, Supergirl, Superman, Superman Unbound

Nerd Bytes – News And Notes

May. 05 Comic Books, Movies, News, Press Release, Television no comments

Comic Relief in Flint, Michigan

Nerd Byte: 5/4/13 was Free Comic Book day, as if you didn’t know. Eleven years to the day after the inaugural event in 2002, which was one day after the opening of the first Spider-Man movie. It was intended to be a day for retailers to draw in new customers, especially the kids who will drive the industry into the future. It’s also a chance to give a little something back to the customers who show loyalty throughout the year.

It was a fun and festive day at my local comic shop, Comic Relief in Flint, Michigan. Lou, Wayne and Dale showcased many talented artists and guests like Gabriel Cantu, Justin Faber, Jim Frankenstin, Brian Germain, Brian Hackney, Erik Hodson, Alexandra Keaton, William Messner-Loebs, Adam Lockwood Morgan, Geary Roe, and Nicole Stevens. Other guests included Ginger Kewl and Carey Torrice. Wayne Luck told me that the place was pretty packed all day. They thought they had ordered enough of everything, but by the time I got there (around 5:00pm) there were some holes in the racks to attest to the turnout. Wayne also said that he was impressed by the number of parents who brought their kids throughout the day. That is good news for their business and the comic industry in general. Many wonder if digital comics will eventually replace paper. I, for one, hope not. I am a comic nerd at heart, but a collector as well. I need something to put my hands on. I love the smell of the paper and the ink, as I’m reading. Hopefully, Free Comic Book Day went a long way toward building that future. Thanks Comic Relief, and every other retailer who participated in the festivities. See you guys on Wednesday!

Nerd Byte: It’s official X-Factor will come to an end with issue 262 in September. Peter David will write the group out with a six issue story arc entitled “The End Of X-Factor.” The book started 10 years ago with the cast of the Original X-Men stepping into the public and fighting crime out in the open. It ends with a quirky ensemble cast of seeming misfits solving mutant crimes and mysteries. David used characters that had fallen off the grid like Rictor, Monet, Longshot and Multiple Man. He made them interesting again. I’ll be sorry to see them go, but very interested in how it all ends.

Nerd Byte: Joss Whedon has been hinting that the Avengers showdown with Thanos might not happen in Avengers 2 as many believed. He recently intimated that the ultimate face-off with Thanos would be saved for the climactic finale. Whedon stated, “Thanos is more powerful. He’s not someone you just trot out and punch him. Like you did in the comics, you want him to be threading through the universe and to save the big finale for the big finale. He’s definitely a part of what I’ve got going on. The thing about The Avengers is, that they are very powerful, but they aren’t very stable. There’ll definitely be some people who are gonna shake them up in the next installment!”

Martian Manhunter

Nerd Byte: Rumors continue to swirl around the Man of Steel. The latest has the Martian Manhunter showing up in the film. It’s unclear, as yet, if it’s true. If it is, there is plenty of speculation as to what J’onn J’onnz will be doing in the movie. Photos have emerged depicting Harry Lennix, who is listed as playing General Stanwick, in a CGI suit that bears an odd resemblance to the uniform of the Martian Manhunter. My guess is that the Manhunter is on a recon mission. He will likely remain in the background watching as things develop with Superman. His scenes will likely be in the General Stanwick persona, with a few glimpses at his powers, which obviously include shape-shifting. The character’s appearance would certainly make sense since the Man of Steel‘s success has been reported to be the lynch-pin of the future of the DC Universe in movies. Let’s hope Man of Steel lives up to the hype, otherwise we may never see the Justice League movie we are all waiting to see.

Nerd Byte: In a recent interview Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige commented on the possibility of a stand-alone superhero movie featuring one of Marvel’s many strong female characters. There has been talk at Marvel Studios regarding characters from the roster of female superheroes, but no names were mentioned. Feige said, “We have a number of candidates from the comics and from the movies we’ve already made. It’s just a matter of finding the right story line, the right filmmaker, the right time.” Odds would be good on Black Widow being the first, and with the Guardians of the Galaxy movie expanding the Marvel Universe into space, Captain Marvel could be on the horizon.

Nerd Byte: If you can get enough of zombies in film, then this news is for you. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a parody novel by Seth Grahame-Smith and a graphic novel by Tony Lee. It has been bouncing around Hollywood with names like David O Russel and Natalie Portman attached. Most recently according to a Variety report there’s still life in the project about the lifeless. New director Burr Steers (Igby Goes Down, Charlie St. Cloud) has come aboard. Lily Collins (Mortal Instruments) is reportedly in final talks to play the female lead.

Nerd Byte: The battle between the television providers and the streaming movie sites (like Netflix) has taken a brief cease fire in order for the streamers to take a few potshots at each other. Approximately 1800 titles were recently dropped from the Netflix streaming service. According to The Huffington Post, titles from Warner Bros., MGM, and United Artists were pulled from the instant stream Netflix line up. Warner’s launch of an exclusive streaming site is likely the reason behind this drastic action. Netflix assured it’s subscribers that they will be adding around 500 titles today and that the “ebb and flow” happens often. I’m not surprised at the move, I’m just surprised at the timing.

Anthony Mackie, The Falcon

Nerd Byte: Pictures are emerging from the set of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie, playing Cap’s long-time partner, The Falcon, is putting his flight apparatus through it’s paces. I hope that’s not his actual uniform for scenes as The Falcon, but judging from Marvels propensity for black leather, I may be disappointed. The story is rumored to be based around Cap’s struggle to embrace his role in the modern America. Played again by Chris Evans, Cap teams up with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Falcon (Mackie), and S.H.I.E.L.D. to battle a powerful yet shadowy enemy in present-day Washington, D.C. Sounds a lot like a certain Avengers Comic story called “Red Zone.” Geoff Johns penned the tale based on Red Skull’s infiltration of the U.S. Government as Dell Rusk and his attack and murder of thousands of people with a strange red mist. It was the best arc of Johns’ short time as The Avengers scribe. It’s certainly powerful enough for a movie translation and would explain the Falcon’s prominent role. He was instrumental in stopping Red Skull’s plot. It would not, however, explain the subtitle “Winter Soldier.” That’s a whole different can of worms.

Until next week, Stay Nerdy!

Tags: Captain America, comic books, comics, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Movies, Superman, The Avengers, The Nerd, Word of the Nerd, X-Men

Reviewer’s Word: Iron Man 3 – Not Like You Needed To Be Told, But You Should See It

May. 04 Movies, Reviews no comments

(The below article is written in “co-op”, “tag-team” or “versus”, meaning it is written by two individuals whose opinions may or may not be in sync. Differing opinions are denoted by “Mr. Nerdly” or “Mrs. Nerdly” for easier reading.)

After two movies, many people began to say that Robert Downey, Jr. IS billionaire Tony Stark. If anything, Iron Man 3 propagates these opinions. Downey hits the Stark nail on the head again, delivering a performance that seems like anything but. There are a few bumps along the road, but luckily they’re in the beginning and are quickly overshadowed by a great story and equally excellent action sequences.

Iron Man falling into action

The movie takes place some time after the events in The Avengers. Since then, Tony has had trouble sleeping as he comes to terms with what he has seen and been a part of. What has he done in his spare time? He’s built suit after suit, of course. We see early on that he’s on Mark 42! This leads to Mr. Nerdly’s first “bump” on the path: Tony’s confession to Pepper Potts. In the midst of an argument, Pepper turns to leave; to get her to stay, Tony admits that he hasn’t been sleeping since the events in New York. ”I’m not sure if it’s iffy writing, directing, or acting, but the line seems forced, almost as if they knew they had to address this issue but weren’t quite sure where to do so.” Of course, this hiccup is soon forgotten when things get exciting.

We’re introduced to The Mandarin, a villain who is eerily believable in today’s day and age. Ben Kingsley’s performance rivals that of Robert Downey, Jr. Every time he appears on-screen, you find yourself excited to see what he’ll do next. The “Pepper Potts as Rescue” teaser that was put out before the movie’s release was largely misleading. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Pepper Potts as well as ever, save one small event (“bump number 2″): At one point Tony disappears with his suit, and Pepper tries to chase him, eventually coming to a stop using the old cliché of screaming the hero’s name in anguish. ”It seemed cheesy for a movie like this, and you can almost see her prepare to deliver the line, which makes it seem a bit awkward.” Still, any time the movie misses a step, it immediately begins to sprint, leaving behind any awkwardness in favor of awesomeness.

Pepper Potts as Rescue?

The “side plot” was simultaneously entertaining and a bit of a problem: Guy Pearce makes Aldrich Killian at once enjoyable and evil, but his role and his interaction with The Mandarin seem a bit reminiscent of Iron Man 2. We think this version’s better though, so we don’t mind.

One thing that parents will want to know: The movie is rated PG-13, so obviously there will be some language, but at one point in the movie, Tony drops “The P Bomb” when speaking to a kid. We literally heard the entire theater inhale sharply as he delivered the line.

The action sequences were done remarkably well. Even looking for them, we only spotted one goof that the editors missed. …And of course, there is the moment that everyone looks forward to from the moment they find out that Tony has built forty-two suits: the epic battle between the villains and the Iron Man Army.

Iron Man Army

Humor is practically the trademark of the Iron Man series. It’s there in droves in Iron Man 3, and you find yourself laughing at everything you’d expect. …and a few things you don’t expect. Tony is as dazzlingly snarky and egotistical as ever, and, as always, he’s fun to watch. For a short time he’s stuck hanging out with a brilliant-minded kid, and the interaction between genius kid and immature adult is pure gold. Something we definitely agree on is that this is clearly the best interaction between any two characters in the entire film.

Tony Stark meets his match mentally in the form of a child

Tony Stark meets his match in the form of a child

The end, we suspect, is what will split fans of the movies. It begs the question, “Who is Iron Man: the suit, or the man who wears it?” Mr. Nerdly had a hard time with it and doesn’t like the direction in which they went; Mrs. Nerdly, on the other hand, [saw where they were coming from], and, without giving too much away, seemed to be totally onboard.

Oh, and of course, stay until the credits are over. Half of the theater had left by the time the credits ended, and they will be incredibly sorry that they did. This might be the best after-credits snippet so far.

Recommended for fans of the series?: YES! It’s as funny and as action-packed as ever.

Recommended for “every man” (or “every woman”)?: YES! This is a movie that will definitely keep your interest, whether that be in action, humor, etc.

Recommended for “date night?”: YES! We see more of the romantic side of Tony Stark, which leaves a general “feel good” taste in your mouth.

Recommended for kids?: Maybe… If violence and bad language are big issues for you, then there are definitely parts you won’t want your young’uns reenacting or repeating (as kids do). Otherwise, what young boy (or tomboy) doesn’t love seeing “robot fights” and explosions? Besides, there are some great scenes revolving around Tony’s interaction with a young boy, which will make the kids feel like more of a part of this movie than the others.

General consensus on who should see this movie?: You and everyone you know! …except maybe the kids (See above).

Tags: Iron Man 3, Marvel, Movies, Robert Downey Jr.

Fans Restore Star Trek Shuttle

May. 02 News, Press Release no comments

Super-Fans Adam Schneider and Alec Peters have been trying to restore the Star Trek shuttle that they bought at auction last June. This was the shuttle that Captain Kirk and his crew, including the poor red-shirted fodder, used to go where no man had gone before. At the time of the purchase it was a rotted mess. Schneider commented, “If you looked [at the shuttle] pre-restoration, all you would do is cry.”

Galileo Shuttle Pre-Restoration

Schneider and Peters soon found Master Shipwrights, a boat refurbishment company out of New Jersey. They took on the huge task of refurbishing the “shuttle”, and are now very close to completion. Their task was two-fold. First, restore the Galileo class shuttle, originally numbered NCC1701/7. Second, to make it last. Movie and television props are generally made for convenience and functionality. They need to be easy to break down and move. This generally means that they are not built for the long-haul.

Restoration Underway at Master Shipwrights

Master Shipwrights was tasked by Schneider and Peters with creating a lasting testament to future possibilities that they can share with the world. They have yet to decide how and where this Star Trek piece will be shared since they are still focused on the restoration. “It is intended to be what we do on this planet with our capabilities over the next few hundred years, and as such, it’s inspiring,” said Schneider of his project. As a self-confessed nerd who is very passionate about such things, I can certainly understand the passion of these men. I can’t wait to see how it turns out and what they do with it afterward. Live long and prosper, guys!

Galileo Shuttle as it looked in the 1960s TV Series

Tags: Movies, Star Trek, television, The Nerd, Word of the Nerd

S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson Lives!

May. 01 Comic Books, Features, News, Press Release 1 comment

May 4, 2012 was a day long-awaited by fanboys and closeted nerds alike. It was the day that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes finally came to the silver screen. It only made sense that a group called “The Avengers” would need a tragic death to motivate them into action. As I watched the movie it became apparent who that victim would have to be, Agent Phil Coulson. Recent reports have Coulson alive and well and starring in a new TV Show based on S.H.I.EL.D. and the Marvel Universe. All I can say is, I knew it all along!

The Avengers Movie Poster

My first comic book as a boy was an issue of The Avengers. So for me this was a big day that took far too long to arrive. Half sure that I had built the movie to impossibly huge expectations my twin daughters (Camryn and Devin) and I headed to the theater to meet friends and see the epic. The movie did not fail to meet any of those expectations for me, and exceeded many of them. My daughters told me, after the movie, that I looked like an awestruck kid the whole time, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. They had never read an Avengers comic book, but they couldn’t stop talking about the movie either.

Agent Phil Coulson (Actor Clark Gregg)

Phil Coulson, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., as portrayed by actor Clark Gregg, became in integral part of the creation of the Avengers team. He was the point man for contact with various team members in Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and Thor. He became a fan favorite due to his dry sense of humor and his matter-of-fact way of dealing with people and powers beyond imagining. As the S.H.I.E.L.D. liaison with the Avengers it became obvious that he would have to be sacrificed by the writers to sufficiently motivate the team to put aside their differences and work together to save the world. It worked and the teamwork displayed in the battle scenes with the Chitauri was epic. On the production side, it was brilliantly choreographed. Various Avengers showing up just in time to save each other or civilians, and then disappearing back into the melee. Coulson’s “death” was the catalyst that made all of it possible. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) said it all when he told Agent Hill (Cobie Smulders), ” They needed the push.”

Coulson dies at the hands of Loki

On the drive home with my girls, the conversation turned to Coulson’s death. They both felt bad that he died since he had been such a huge part of the build-up to this movie. We had watched all of the individual character’s movies prior to the team movie. Right then and there I stated, “He’s not dead!” They didn’t believe me at first, you see they are not long-time avid comic readers. They don’t understand that in comics, death is a plot twist not an ending. Immediately on Coulson’s death I began thinking how he would come back. I gave a thought to the fact that maybe he never died, but that would be too mundane. As the movie progressed I was convinced he wasn’t dead. Nick Fury’s conversation with Agent Hill made it clear. The Avengers did need the “push” to come together, but a real death wasn’t necessary, just some bloodstained cards.

Coulson’s Card Collection

So now I’m 100% convinced that Coulson is not dead, but how could he have lived? Then I remembered a scene earlier in the movie. Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) is trying to have some private time with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Agent Coulson is trying to reach them and Jarvis (the Artificial Intelligence butler of Stark Tower) keeps interrupting the couple. Stark finally answers the phone, “You have reached the Life Model Decoy of Tony Stark, please leave a message”. BINGO! What better way to have a tragic death of a S.H.I.E.L.D Agent without killing him off? The old L.M.D. trick. Life Model Decoys have a storied history in Marvel comics, especially where Nick Fury and Tony Stark are concerned. I told my daughters, and the friends we went with, and they all looked at me like I was some crazy nerd. They were right, but I was convinced that I was too! Now that word is out that Coulson will be a main character in the upcoming Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television show, developed by ABC, I know he’s alive. In a few months we’ll know for sure how Phil Coulson survived Loki’s cowardly attack. I may be right or I may be wrong but either way a great character, played by the right actor, will live on in the Mighty Marvel Universe!

Tags: Agent Coulson, Clark Gregg, comic books, comics, Iron Man, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Movies, The Avengers, The Nerd, Word of the Nerd

After Earth Trailer Review

Apr. 26 Movies, Reviews no comments

Person standing on a crashed ship of a quarantined planet

Admittedly I was drawn in when I saw the first trailer in the cinema. It shows a clip of a man calming a young boy before their ship is ripped apart. Explosions and panic! Just what I like. A voice over by Will Smith’s character sets the scene of them crash-landing on a quarantined planet where everything will be out to kill them. Scenes of creatures out to maul the boy and a scene of him diving off a cliff are followed by the reveal that the planet was Earth. The second trailer gave the story more depth when it showed the boy’s failings at Military school and his mother urging the man to be a father to the boy. It’s fast-paced, it’s exciting, and the music fits both trailers well.

So what is it actually about? General Cypher Raige, played by Will Smith, returns home to his wife and son after an extended tour of duty. Kitai Raige, played by Jaden Smith, is a reckless 13-year-old boy that is failing military school. Kitai embarks on a trip with his father after the wife urges her husband to be there for their son as he aspires to be a Ranger too. An asteroid storm damages their craft and causes them to crash-land on a quarantined planet that was once Earth. Every creature has evolved to kill them and Kitai is forced to trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon as his father lies dying in the cockpit.

The fact that the story is set on a savage, dangerous, and highly evolved Earth is already a twist itself and possibly there may be more to come. It also has Will Smith and M. Night Shyamalan written all over it. Hopefully, with M.Shyamalan producing it and the final writer of the 3 being Gary Whitta, it will be as well-produced and directed as Devil but with the brilliant screenplay of The Book of Eli. I’m pretty excited to see it, and I will be seeing it when it gets released in the UK on the 7th June. If there isn’t a moment where Will Smith goes “Aw, hell no” I’ll be shocked and slightly disappointed.

Release date: 31st May 2013

Rating: 15

Tags: After Earth, After Earth Trailer, Jaden Smith, Movies, Trailer, Will Smith

Wallpaper of the Day

Apr. 26 Features, Wallpaper no comments

Today’s wallpaper is courtesy of Wallbase

Star Trek Into Darkness is just a few short weeks away and since Star Wars Day is coming up next week, we didn’t want Star Trek to be totally overshadowed. This is a really beautiful wallpaper, it is a variation of a scene from the 2009 film Star Trek. The USS Enterprise rising from the rings of Saturn; but this time it is the classic Enterprise from the motion pictures.

All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by… - John Masefield’s “Sea Fever”

Download this wallpaper here

Tags: Movies, Saturn, Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Starship Enterprise, Wallbase, wallpaper, wallpaper of the day

Star Trek Into Darkness – New Starship and Character Posters

Apr. 25 Movies, Press Release, Previews no comments

If you’ve seen the latest trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness, you got to see a huge new starship take on the Enterprise. We’re now getting a better look at the ship and the name has been revealed as the USS Vengeance. A new batch of character posters were also released for McCoy, Carol Marcus, Scotty, Sulu, and Chekov. As you can see below, Chekov is wearing a red uniform instead of the gold one he worn in the original series and in the first movie. No news yet as to why, but I am digging into it.

The total running time of the film has also been confirmed at 131 minutes and 58 seconds, which makes it less than a minute shorter than Star Trek The Motion Picture and 4 minutes longer than the 2009 film. I’ve also had the chance to read some early reviews of the new movie and ,as of the writing of this article, it is still unclear whether these reviews that contain a great deal of spoilers are true. We are looking into it and will hopefully be able to prove or disprove these reviews in order to report on them as soon as possible.

Here’s the latest plot synopsis for the film:

In the wake of a shocking act of terror from within their own organization, the crew of The Enterprise is called back home to Earth. In defiance of regulations and with a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads his crew on a manhunt to capture an unstoppable force of destruction and bring those responsible to justice.

As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

For further coverage on Star Trek Into Darkness, keep coming back to Word of the Nerd.

Tags: Carol Marcus, character posters, Chekov, Enterprise, McCoy, Movies, Scotty, Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, starships, Sulu, USS Vengeance

Marvel and Disney Announce Iron Man 3 Merchandise

Apr. 25 Editor's Pick, Features, Movies, Nerd Porn, Press Release no comments

Today Marvel and Disney have revealed an impressive amount of merchandise to coincide with the release of Iron Man 3 next month. Being an absolute sucker for this kind of stuff I now have a wish list as long as my arm. Surprisingly not all of it is directed strictly at kids. There are many small electronic items and a couple of really cool collectibles.

Some items are available now while others have a release date on or around the date the movie will hit theaters. You can read the official press release from Marvel below as well as get a look at some of the exciting items up for grabs.

Marvel Launches a Full “Armory” of Products Inspired by Marvel’s Iron Man 3

GLENDALE, Calif. (April 25, 2013) — Marvel Entertainment in conjunction with Disney Consumer Products (DCP) has unveiled the newest film-inspired product collection based on the highly anticipated Marvel’s Iron Man 3 releasing in theaters May 3, 2013. This armor and suit-inspired assortment features apparel, collectibles, lifestyle products, action figures, toys and role play products that capture the unique customization and dynamic personality of one of Marvel’s favorite Super Heroes, Iron Man.

“This innovative product assortment reflects the technological savvy and classic design of Iron Man coupled with the ingenuity and individuality of Tony Stark,” said Paul Gitter, senior vice president of licensing for Marvel at Disney Consumer Products. “From radio controlled flying figures and customizable action figures, to deluxe costumes and role play items, we have developed an extensive collection of products that will allow fans of all ages to create their very own Super Hero adventure.”

Additionally, Marvel Press, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide, has released several titles in print and eBook form in support of the feature film, including Iron Man 3 Movie Storybook and Suits of Armor storybook by Tomas Palacios. Readers can also experience the action-packed adventure of Iron Man through mini-games, authentic animated artwork and interactive activities in the free Iron Man: Armored Avenger App, available on iTunes.

Opening in theaters May 3, Marvel’s Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at this enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Ben Kingsley, “Iron Man 3” is directed by Shane Black.
Marvel’s Iron Man 3 collection of products is available now at national retailers, specialty stores, Marvel.com, Disney Store locations nationwide and DisneyStore.com.

To download images of Marvel’s Iron Man 3 product collection, please visit http://bit.ly/IM3ProductImages (this link is case sensitive).

About Marvel’s Iron Man 3
Marvel’s Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at this enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale with Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley, Iron Man 3 is directed by Shane Black from a screenplay by Drew Pearce and Shane Black and is based on Marvel’s iconic Super Hero Iron Man, who first appeared on the pages of “Tales of Suspense” (#39) in 1963 and had his solo comic book debut with “The Invincible Iron Man” (#1) in May of 1968.

Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures and DMG Entertainment. Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige is producing and Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito, Charles Newirth, Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard, Alan Fine, Stan Lee and Dan Mintz are executive producers. The film releases May 3, 2013, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man 3 Construction Set - Iron Man: Malibu Mansion Attack

Iron Man: Malibu Mansion Attack

Licensee: LEGO
SRP: $39.99
Retailers: Nationwide
Available: Now

The Mandarin and his Extremis soldier are launching an attack on Tony Stark’s Malibu Mansion. Battle their high-tech helicopter’s spinning rotors, 4 flick missiles and side-mounted cannons with LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man. Get to the armory and suit up before the bad guys fry Jarvis’ circuits! Includes 5 minifigures: Tony Stark, Mark 42 Armor, Pepper Potts, the Mandarin and Extremis soldier!

Iron Man Mark 42 Deluxe Adult Costume by Disguise

Iron Man Mark 42 Deluxe Adult Costume by Disguise

Licensee: Jakks Pacific
SRP: $69.99
Retailers: TRU.com, Party City, PartyCity.com, CostumesGalore.com, BuyCostumes.com and CostumeSuperCenter.com
Available: Now

Adult fans can don one of two costumes; Iron Man Mark 42 Deluxe Adult Costume or Iron Patriot Deluxe Costume (SRP $69.99). The deluxe adult costumes feature a jumpsuit, 3D chest piece with LED Arc Reactor and a character helmet with an adjustable faceplate.

Iron Man 3 3D Glasses

Iron Man 3 3D Glasses

Licensee: CDM
SRP: $10.00
Retailers: At participating theaters
Available: Timed with the theatrical release

RealD’s patented technology enables an incomparable, premium 3D viewing experience. CDM is a licensee for custom RealD Certified 3D Eyewear in the theatrical and in-home categories. CDM has developed a limited edition line of collectible RealD 3D eyewear for Marvel’s Iron Man 3 in theaters May 3.

Iron Man 3 Levitator Lamp

Iron Man 3 Levitator Lamp

Licensee: Great Flood Publishing
SRP: $150.00
Retailers: Specialty retailers
Available: Fall 2013

From Marvel and the creative studio of artist Noah comes the Iron Man 3 Levitator Lamp sure to light up your collection. You’ll feel protected by the Iron Man 3 Figure that levitates in mid air while functioning as a lamp to illuminate your environment. Elements of the film are incorporated to the lamp and base including LED lights and iron tough visuals. Included is projection that illuminates on the ceiling.

Iron Man iHome Consumer Electronics

Iron Man iHome Consumer Electronics

Licensee: Kiddesigns (iHome co-brand)
SRP: Alarm Clock $49.99
Retailers: Mass retailers or wherever specialty electronics are sold
Available: Fall 2013

The Dual Alarm Clock Speaker System allows you to wake and sleep to your iPod with dual alarms for separate wake times, universal clock charges and plays docking iPod models, in-line jack to play CDs or other MP3 players, battery backup and adjustable brightness for clock display.

Under Armour Alter Ego Performance Shirts

Under Armour Alter Ego Performance Shirts

Licensee: Under Armour
SRP: Boys $49.99, Men $59.99
Retailers: UnderArmour.com
Available: Now

This ultra-tight, performance compression shirt delivers a locked-in feel that keeps your muscles fresh and your recover time fast. Now, with the exclusive Iron Man design, men and boys can channel their inner Super Hero and feel invincible when working hard. Under Armour Alter Ego is the baselayer built for heroic performance.

Iron Man 3 POP! Bobble Head

Iron Man 3 POP! Bobble Head

Licensee: Funko

SRP: $9.99
Retailers: Amazon.com, Entertainment Earth, Hot Topic, Frys, Gemini Collectibles, Philcos, Big Bad Toy Store, AAA Anime
Available: Now
Iron Man is given a fun and funky, stylized look as a collectible POP! style Iron Man bobble head vinyl figure! Also available in War Machine and Iron Patriot versions.

Tags: 3D, Disney, Iron Man, Iron Man 3, iron patriot, lego, Marvel Comics, merchandise, Movies, Nerd Porn, Pop!, swag, Under Armour, War Machine

Spock Targeted in Latest Star Trek Promo

Apr. 24 Movies, Previews no comments

Last week, it was Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) under John Harrison’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) microscope. Today, Yahoo! Movies releases another promo for the upcoming Star Trek Into Darkness, this time featuring Spock (Zachary Quinto). Benedict Cumberbatch’s ominous voice lends a great deal of credit that this new Trek villain may be the most forbidding to date. Yes that is a pretty bold statement but it looks like director J.J. Abrams is swinging for the fences to make this one of the greatest Star Trek movies ever. Check out Cumberbatch’s character dissection of Spock below.

Star Trek Into Darkness hits IMAX theaters on May 15 and then everywhere on May 17, stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve and Peter Weller.

Tags: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Pine, James Kirk, John Harrison, Movies, spock, Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Yahoo! Movies, Zachary Quinto

Daredevil Film Rights Revert Back to Marvel

Apr. 23 Movies, News no comments

Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, has recently announced that Marvel and Disney have regained the rights to the Daredevil movie franchise, which was previously owned and controlled by Fox. Fox had a set deadline of October 10th to start production on a new Daredevil film before the rights reverted back to Marvel, but nothing ever came of the project.

Daredevil’s long-awaited reboot finally gets a confirmation.

Feige, who is about to begin promotion for Iron Man 3, confirmed the news to Newsarama after being asked if the reports about the October deadline from last year were true. Since Fox had yet to move forward on anything related to Daredevil, many fans were expecting the announcement sometime this year. When asked about the project, Feige replied with a simple, “To Daredevil? Yes.”

Daredevil has previously been on screen in Fox’s 2003 film, with actor/director Ben Affleck portraying the eponymous hero, earning modest box office receipts and unenthusiastic reviews from critics. Actress Jennifer Garner’s Elektra character did get a spinoff, however, which was received even more poorly than Daredevil. Director Joe Carnahan (The Grey) was in the running last summer, with a rumored gritty/noirish take on the character, but the talks appeared to have broken down before they had even started, due to scheduling conflicts.

While Feige was tight-lipped with Newsarama on any more plans with the character, this confirmation alone should please many fans who have been anxiously awaiting an announcement. Keep checking with Word of the Nerd on any further developments.

Tags: Daredevil, Disney, Eric Scroggs, films, Fox, kevin feige, Marvel, marvel studios, Movies

New Star Trek Into Darkness Promo

Apr. 19 Movies, Previews 1 comment

Yahoo! Movies has released a video promo for Star Trek Into Darkness that features antagonist John Harrison played by Benedict Cumberbatch. The promo is narrated by Cumberbatch’s character and is pretty foreboding as he describes his plans for James Kirk, played by Chris Pine. Check out the video below.

Tags: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Pine, James Kirk, John Harrison, Movies, sci-fi, Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Yahoo! Movies

Wallpaper of the Day

Apr. 17 Features, Wallpaper no comments

Today’s wallpaper is courtesy of Wallbase

Straight from the latest trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness is the sad and disturbing image of a poor and battered Starship Enterprise falling out of orbit.

Download this wallpaper here

Tags: Movies, Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Starship Enterprise, Wallbase, wallpaper, wallpaper of the day

Are There More Stars Heading Back To The Star Wars Universe?

Apr. 16 Editor's Pick, Movies, Nerd's Perspective 2 comments

The rumour mill for Star Wars Episode VII rumbles on with yet more big players from the franchise hinting at their involvement. The latest in a long line of stars rumoured to be returning to a galaxy far, far away is the one and only Anthony Daniels, or C-3PO as you may know him. But, as with the rest of the former cast, good old 3PO is playing his cards close to his chest. I think that this sort of thing is going to be happening constantly until the release date of the movie, which is scheduled for sometime in 2015.

So what do we know so far?

Well, we know it’s to be directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Michael Arndt with some assistance from George Lucas. And that’s about the length of it. As far as casting is concerned pretty much everybody who has appeared in a Star Wars movie or anywhere near a Star Wars movie has been linked with none of them giving a definite yes or no answer.

So, let’s get a closer look at the heavy hitters.

Harrison Ford (Han Solo) – Said it’s almost true and is willing to reprise his role with the stipulation that Solo dies, as was the plan for the character at the end of the original trilogy.

Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) – Along with Fisher and Ford has had meetings with the writer and producer of the new movie, though nothing is set in stone. Has revealed that George Lucas stated that if the original three main actors were not interested in reprising their roles that the characters would be written out rather than re-cast.

Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) – Pretty much in the same situation as the other two. Has joked that Leia would be in an intergalactic old folks home or that she is married to Han and subsequently responsible for his death.

Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) – Another one dropping hints. Says he’s not sitting by the phone but it’s always nice to hear things. (Yeah, I don’t know either.)

Kenny Baker (R2-D2) – Pleased about the announcement of the new trilogy but other than that has said nothing. (Surely you can’t have one without the other, whether they get on in real life or not)

Sir Alec Guinness (Ben ‘Obi-Wan’ Kenobi, original trilogy) – Dead, no further comments.

Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi, prequel trilogy) – Has stated that he’d definitely reprise his role if needed.

Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) – Has expressed his pleasure about Disney bringing back Star Wars but as yet it is still unknown whether he intends to reappear. It’s a pretty safe bet to say he would considering he is currently involved in making a Chewy spin-off movie.

Fan Made Poster #1

So there we go. Everybody else is either dead, character wise, or are not important enough for a mention. But as I say I imagine rumour after rumour after rumour after rumour after rumour after rumour will continue to pour out of the Disney camp until the day of release.

And remember kids, these are just the rumours surrounding the characters appearing in the main trilogy, we haven’t even touched on all the rumoured Star Wars spin-offs to make as much money as possible, sorry, to satisfy as much of the fans wanting as possible. I have to be honest I am really looking forward to the next trilogy. I can’t wait to see where it goes and I’m positive that with J.J. Abrams at the helm it will definitely be a move in the right direction.

Fan Made Poster #2

Having said that I’m a massive fan of the extended universe. There are hundreds of books, games and comics spanning from 10,000 years before the battle to destroy the Deathstar over Yavin 4 and continuing up to 30 years after Return of the Jedi. This is where the announcement makes me a little sad. Depending on where the story goes and what they take into account the movies will no doubt make many of these amazing books defunct and change the story line once again, which sucks as many of those books would more than stand up to the big screen treatment.

And as for the spin-offs, God only knows. The main rumour concerning spin-off movies involves the story of Yoda. This would make a great and interesting film, if done in the correct manner, it’ll be good to see the fans reaction to seeing Yoda fronting his own movie. There’s a lot of material to go on since, as of now, the tiny green Jedi grandmaster has no origin story, and no one even knows his home planet. So there’s plenty to explore. As for other spin-offs it’s pretty much guaranteed that whoever is in charge will choose the wrong stories. It would be simple enough to take a trilogy of books from the extended universe and make them into a movie. I for one would love to see the Darth Bane trilogy on the big screen, a must read for any Star Wars fan, or maybe see the rise of Palpatine, his apprenticeship and on to his plans to destroy the Jedi and rule the universe. Basically any Sith fronted movie would be awesome, make it R rated and go in hard!!!!! But only time will tell, fingers crossed.

Fan Made Poster #3

Tags: Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher, Disney, Ewan McGregor, George Lucas, Harrison Ford, J.J. Abrams, Jason Marthi, Kenny Baker, Mark Hamill, Movies, Peter Mayhew, Sir Alec Guinness, Star Wars, Star Wars Epsode 7

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Tag: Movies

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