Japanese dudes think of everything don’t they? They’re usually reliable for things like virtual dating video games and life-like robots for kids over the age of 9, but while scouring a few non-translated pages the other day I found something truly awesome. Check out these Sega Lighters from a company I can’t translate the name of. I have no idea how much these would cost over here on the other side of the pond, nor do I even really know how someone over here would get a hold of one, but I do think it would be pretty awesome to propel actual fire from a Sega Saturn. I never owned an actual Sega system in real life because I always felt they were garbage (my daily biased comment), but I wouldn’t be opposed to lighting something on fire with one.

See if you can make out any info from this site.

From small town girl to international DJ stardom, DJ B Traits is back on the move. If you’re a dance music fan of any kind I’m certain you’ll hear about DJ B Traits in the coming years; if you haven’t already. In between her sets across the pond in Europe and Asia, the very first Digital Soundgirl took some time to chat with Killahbeez about her start, how she became part of the internationally known Digital Soundboy Recordings Group and her respect for music as a whole.

KB: You’re a small-town girl! When did you know you wanted to be a DJ and when did you make your move to the bright lights and big city?

B Traits: I was born and raised in Nelson, BC. When I was 14 my friend sparked my interest in DJing and electronic music. I started messing around with turntables and officially began to DJ at age 16. As soon as i graduated from high school i moved to Vancouver. I had originally decided to pursue a dance career but as fate would have it I fit right into my local music scene and soon found myself playing gigs all over the city. I started opening for big name international DJs and began to make a name for myself internationally.

KB: You’ve been doing a bit of a global circuit in the past few years (playing shows all over Europe, North America, and Asia) how’s that been for you, and where is your favorite place to perform?

BT: Amazing, really who could ask for more? I love my job, i couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I get to perform for people all over the world, dancing is an international language! There are also so many places I haven’t been to yet, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand are all in my 2009 wish list. The UK is one of my favorite countries to perform in because they are open to hear anything I play. I feel like people there are eager to hear new tunes they have never heard before, which makes me feel confident they will be into whatever I feel like playing. When I’m home in Vancouver I feel like there is too much repetitive TV-Radio stuff, everyone wants to hear familiar tunes they can sing along with.

KB: You played Drum & Bass music for most of your DJing career, why have you jumped into different genres?

BT: I still play Drum & Bass music and I always will! I have always had a love and admiration for all genres of music. I started out DJing playing Speed Garage and Hip Hop and slowly got into Drum & Bass, but all my life I’ve collected different types of dance music. Breaking through in the DnB scene seems to be a sort of an uphill battle for me, although I absolutely love the music, at times, I feel totally discouraged. It seems there are not as many fans of DnB music as there used to be. There is some amazing electronic music being produced these days and I can’t help but get into it! I’m playing a little bit of everything right now from breakbeats, to electro, fidget house, dubstep, funk, hip hop and of course drum & bass. I always play a little DnB at the end of my sets, to kind of educate people who may have never heard the genre before. I feel very fortunate to be on Digital Soundboy where boss Shy FX encourages us to produce/DJ all types of dance music.

KB: How did you become apart of Digital Soundboy Recordings?

BT: The first official time I met Shy FX was when we were both performing in Germany at the NYE 06/07 event “Kings of the Jungle”. I gave him a mix CD and although polite, I could tell he wasn’t at all interested in taking the time to have a listen.  While on tour with the World of Drum & Bass in 2007, Shy joined us for the North America side of the tour. I remember he would come out early to catch my set, I didn’t know it at the time, but he was paying close attention, doing his homework. He commented on my style and stage presence and claimed I was refreshing compared to the boys lookin’ like they didn’t really want to be there. He asked me if I was making any beats, I told him I had been working on a few things but no way did I have the confidence to show him anything. After the tour I went back home to Canada and actually ended up sending Shy a few vibes over Aim. I got a phone call a few days later and he offered me a spot on his label Digital Soundboy! To be the first official Digital Soundgirl!! I was honored, Shy, T Power, Marcus Visionary, Benny Page and Breakage are all people I look up to.

KB: Technology has drastically changed DJing in the past few years. Can you tell us what you are using now and what’s next for the evolving DJ?

BT: Currently, I am using Serato and messing with Ableton. With Serato, the possibilities are endless! I play whatever I want and loop, cut, and sample just about anything! The newest Serato software has a built in sampler which I’m using with the M-Audio Trigger Finger. Video DJing seems to be the next step; visual audio entertainment. Creating videos to correspond with your tunes

KB: What do you have planned for the next year? Where will you be?

I have actually decided to jump the pond to London, UK for 6 months! I plan to finish some things in the studio and really focus on making beats. I’m really excited to hear what my DJ sets will be like when I am ready to return to Canada. The UK is SOO inspiring for me! I’m looking forward to being able to go out every night and hear something brand new!

KB: If you could pick 5 artists who you could make an album with, who would they be?

BT:

1. The Cool Kids
2. Breakage
3. Jack Beats
4. DJ Premier
5. Feist

strange i know, but all of these artists have heavily influenced me in some way.

KB: You mentioned you have some news and wanted to wait for it to drop before doing this interview. So… Spill It!!

BT: The project I just completed with clothing line Hellz Bellz is out and ready for the world to hear! Its a mashed mixtape of all genres from everything including breaks, electro, dubstep, hip hop, funk..the works! Neck breakin’, booty shakin’ dance music.

Hellz Bellz is pleased to present DJ B.Traits’ exclusive eclectic mixtape “Belle of the Brawl”. Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, B.Traits made her mark in Drum & Bass on Shy FX’s Digital Soundboy label, as the first Digital Sound Girl. In an industry that is dominated by male DJ’s/Producers she reflects a woman deeper than the hyper-feminine stereotype, confronting conformity, tearing down boundaries and rewriting all the rules. With a love and admiration for all genres of music B.Traits switches it up in this mix to bring you everything from electro, to breakbeats, dubstep, hiphop, and funk.

B.Traits – Belle of the Brawl by B.Traits

KB: Thanks B Traits. Best of luck in the UK this year.

Finally got out to see a new flick for the first time in a LONG time. The movie of choice this weekend was the premier of Zombieland starring Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg. Staying with the theme of Zombieland, I’m going to write this review in the form of Columbus’s rules. If you haven’t seen the flick yet, then this should help you decide whether or not you should.

Zombieland Rule # 8 – DON’T EXPECT A HORROR FLICK

Zombieland is a hilarious half parody of a lot of zombie flicks from over the years. It’s not anything like you’re typical zombie storyline where they explain the origin of the disease and a rag tag group of heroes saves the world. This flick is really about how people grow up and become something more in an independent society.

Zombieland Rule # 7 – APPRECIATE THE EFFECTS

Unlike a lot of huge big budget disaster flicks that blow their entire loads on explosions and gore scenes, Zombieland gets it all done on the cheap; and you can tell. Directed by Reuben Fleischer and written by the team of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick it is quite obvious that Zombieland was not made to win any awards for special effects. What it does do is bring a lot of the old school style back into the fold. Blood is drippy, slimy grossness to the point where it is more comedy than gore. Heads explode, bones break and zombies literally splat, but if anything the situations will make you laugh.

Zombieland Rule # 6 – SMALL CASTS RULE

Without a huge ensemble cast of characters to have worry about, Zombieland brings you right into the story from the very beginning and keeps you in the world of 4 central characters throughout. Woody Harrelson plays Tallahassee, Jesse Eisenberg plays Columbus, Emma Stone plays Wichita and Abigail Breslin plays Little Rock. If you’re confused about the names, then you’re going to have to check out the flick. With one small but AWESOME cameo by a legendary comedian, this cast is more or less complete. Having a small cast like this was great for the viewer because it centralizes the story around nothing more than what you should be paying attention to.Woody did a great job as the roudy zombie hunter with an emotional past. Emma Stone plays the clever older sister and mother figure to the younger Abigail Breslin and Jesse Eisenberg again does his best Micheal Cera impression and goes awkward. When you string them all together, it works out wonderfully.

Zombieland Rule #5 – DON’T BE OFFENDED IF THINGS GO DISNEY

For all of the blood and gore and comedy strung throughout Zombieland, the heart of the story is really in the development of a family. With four homeless, family-less characters banding together after a few road blocks, this flick’s resolution is less about killing zombies and more about developing relationships. But this is not a a bad thing. Over and over again we see zombie flicks use the relationships of humans as a secondary storyline, but with Zombieland the development of a family environment is the central plot and also a breath of fresh air.

Zombieland Rule #4 – HOLD YOUR PEE TILL THE END

Okay maybe that was a bit gross, but with a run time of only 80 minutes, Zombieland is the perfect flick to see with a big group of friends. It’s long enough to develop a good story, but short enough that you won’t be squirming around in your seat waiting for the credits.

Zombieland Rule #3 – CHECK OUT THE TITLES

Zombieland is narrated by Columbus in a way that viewers can appreciate. This isn’t your regular “So there I was…” narration and Jesse Eisenberg pulls off the tone perfectly. The story is narrated through a series of Zombieland Rules and with them comes some amazing title work throughout the film. In a similar fashion to the television show Fringe, Zombieland uses animated titles within the frame of the shot. They work really well in terms of telling the story and showing a refreshing image on screen.

Zombieland Rule #2 – STOCK UP ON HOSTESS PRODUCTS BEFORE

When you walk out of Zombieland you’re probably going to want to munch on some kind of Hostess snack product. I have a feeling some funding may have come from the creators of the Twinkie because product placement is used quite well in this flick. Some advice would be to prepare your snacking habits before you go into the flick so you can munch away when the credits roll.

Zombieland Rule #1 – ENJOY ZOMBIELAND IN ANY STATE OF MIND

Very rarely does a flick come around that is equally as funny while in a bunch of different states of mind. Zombieland is one of these flicks where it can be enjoyed on multiple maturity levels for multiple reasons. Combining this with all of the other points made above and I’m going to give Zombieland a solid 8 out of 10 on the Bloated Penguin scale. The only slight thing holding this back from a nine is the outcome of the surprise cameo. When you watch Zombieland you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

Sorry if you feel a bunch of posts with nothing but movie trailers is lame, but you have to understand that there are tons of great flicks coming out this Fall and Winter. One of them will be Disney’s animated remake of A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey providing the voice and I would assume some mo-cap work as the definitive Scrooge. The story probably won’t change at all, but after watching the trailer I’m pretty excited to see what Robert Zemeckis can do with the famed franchise. Zemeckis is notable to me because he was the brainchild behind Back to the Future, but if you look later in his career you’ll notice that he’s already done something very similar to this particular style with Polar Express. Even though Express was a creepy bust, it looks like he’s found a nice balance between animating humans and giving it a certain amount of style. Have a look at the latest trailer below.

Ah yes, the king of the remake is back at it. Michael Bay, credited for bringing Transformers to the big screen and most recently Jason back from the dead (again) is bringing Wes Craven fans back to Elm Street. A Nightmare on Elm Street now has a trailer and the refreshed franchise casts Jackie Earle Haley as Sir Krueger. The trailer actually looks pretty exciting, but the one thing I really miss right off the bat is the creepy musical theme that still haunts us around Halloween time. Check the trailer below, then have a listen to the original theme song. Hopefully Bay will bring this back into the fold somehow.

A Nightmare on Elm Street in HD

Tomorrow evening is going to be an important one for ABC. Not only will it mark the beginning of the 2010 TV season, but it will put their newest show Flash Forward to the test. Why is this show so important for ABC? Well, as many of you know, ABC’s mainstay hit Lost is coming to an end this season. Heading into it’s 6th and final season, Lost will (hopefully) wrap up some of the mysteries it has been alluding to for more than half a decade and finally come to an end. With die-hard fans waiting to find out more about “The Island,” and all of its powers, what is supposed to happen when all is revealed? Go outside? Enjoy the sun? Hell No.

Which is why ABC’s Flash Forward is so important for the network. Flash Forward sounds very Lost-esque in that the story is shrouded in mystery and packed full of action sequences knit together with character moments. Scripted by Dark Knight writer David Goyer, Flash Forward kicks off when the entire world loses about 2 minutes of time. People seem to forget everything that happens in those 2 minutes and the world essentially shuts down. The other twist is that during that 2 minutes, everyone sees into the future of their own lives to exactly 10PM April 29 2010. Some are scared of what they see, others aren’t, but the premise of the show looks to follow how people adjust, live with or simply refuse to accept their own visions. That, and you know, why the world stopped for 2 minutes and everything went to Hell.

ABC is hoping Flash Forward can gain Lost-like prowess in TV land and with someone like David Goyer at the helm, it could reign true.

It was recently announced that the Michael Jackson final performance documentary This Is It (directed by Kenny Ortega) will premier in only 25 cities world wide. Judging from the millions of fans around the globe and the massive turnouts MJ would get to any performance, it isn’t hard to assume that a ticket to one of these premiers will be rare for the average moonwalker. In a Sony press release they have announced that the main premier will take place at the Nokia Theater LA LIVE on October 27th which will kick off a series of screenings around the globe at the exact same time. Other cities include New York, Rio, Berlin, London, Moscow, Tokyo, Sydney, Paris, Johannesburg and Seoul, but all of the initial screenings will comply with the West Coast LA time of 9PM meaning some countries will first screen the film in the early hours of the morning.

The premiers will launch a two-week event where audiences can see the film on the big screen. Tickets go on sale worldwide on September 27th and can be purchased through www.thisisit-movie.com.

You whatsup everyone?

I’m back after a bit of a hiatus; not that any of you would notice cause everyone else at the hive has been great in posting some awesome content. Anyways, back to the subject at hand.

So we’re all in a bit of a vampire haze right now with shows like True Blood, the Vampire Diaries and flicks like Twilight. Yeah they’re pretty cool sometimes, but if you’re like me then you’re starting to get a little picky with your vampire content now. We’re all suffering a little from vampire overload and sometimes you have to think back to why we all got into this in the first place. Well, Michael and Peter Spierig have made a film to remind us what all of this vampire overload can do to us. Check the awesome trailer for Daybreakers below:

This ain’t no teenage relationship drama with vampires, this is hardcore sci-fi “I’m gonna eat your neck,” shit; something we need to bring us back to the reality of what vampires really are. Starring the talented Ethan Hawk, Willam Dafoe, Isabel Lucas and Sam Neil, Daybreakers takes us to a future where vampires basically rule the world and harvest the blood of humans to stay alive. But what happens when there are no more humans? Hopefully Daybreakers won’t fizzle like so many movies with potential (early reviews out of the Toronto Film Fest have been positive), and we can be reminded why vampires are awesome for reasons beyond how cute they look in leather jackets and sunglasses while sitting in home room….

George Clooney fans can rejoice once again as the old-skool actor looks like he’s got another winner. Check out this trailer for The Men Who Stare At Goats and I dare you not to smirk when Clooney spouts a couple of Jedi lines. The flick also stars Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges and Ewen McGregor, but judging from the trailer, Clooney takes the cake here.

Paul Reubens is attempting yet another return to the spotlight. The Pee Wee Herman Show is returning to its roots November 8th at The Music Box in Hollywood. Many will remember Reubens’ show Pee-Wee’s Playhouse from back in the 80’s. The experimental animation, costumes, design and humor was a major hit with a number of audiences. Many are now aware that Reubens had to stop the show after being convicted of public nudity…

But Pee Wee fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Reubens plans to bring his show back to the stage where it originally began. If you plan on being in the area, this is a show that CANNOT be missed.

Click here for ticket info.

In the meantime, check out this clip from the flick Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure

Hulk SMASH!

When Dr. Bruce Banner exposed himself to Gamma radiation not a lot of people predicted it would change the face of comics forever. But it did. This week’s edition of Get To Know Your Superhero focuses on the big green monster known as The Incredible Hulk. I won’t go into every single detail of Hulk’s existence, but this edition will give you a quick glance into some of Hulk’s origins, his motivations and some interesting facts.

Hulk was created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1962.

Dr. Bruce Banner was a scientist researching Gamma radiation and after a botched experiment he was exposed changing his life forever.

After the experiment Banner gained the ability to turn into Hulk when he became angry.

Hulk’s powers are limitless strength depending on his emotional state, invulnerability to almost anything imaginable and the ability to leap into orbit.

Banner’s love interest is Betty Ross, the daughter of General Ross.

General Ross originally devoted his life to capturing the Hulk.

Betty and Bruce were a couple until the Gamma incident; she remained a good friend.

In 1998 Marvel made the decision to have Betty Ross die.

Hulk has appeared in 2 well known forms: Grey Hulk and Green Hulk

Grey Hulk is also know as Mr Fixit, a seedy Vegas tough guy

Green Hulk is also known as Savage Hulk, the unstable, emotionally driven angry version of Hulk.

Bruce Banner joined the superhero team The Avengers with Ironman, Thor, Ant-Man, Wasp and eventually Captain America.

Although his strength is a major asset to the Avengers, Hulk eventually proves to be too unstable.

Sparking two of the most popular story lines in Marvel history, Hulk is shot deep into space after almost destroying Las Vegas.

A group of powerful mutants including Professor Xavier and Mr. Fantastic arrange to trick the Hulk into a entering a space shuttle and launch him into space forever.

This eventually sparked the World War Hulk story line which fed directly into the Marvel Civil War series.

If you would like to read more on World War Hulk, click here.

Lou Ferrigno portrayed The Hulk in a TV series from 1978 to 1982.

Eric Bana portrayed Bruce Banner in the Ang Lee fail Hulk feature film in 2003.

Edward Norton played Bruce Banner in the 2008 Louis Leterrier feature film version of Hulk.

It is rumored that Norton could reprise his role as Banner in the upcoming Avengers feature currently being planned by Marvel.

So there you have it, the bare bones of what you should be aware of concerning The Hulk. It is also interesting to note that Stan Lee created Hulk as a modern version of Frankenstein. Whether or not this Avengers flick actually happens I still think it’s good to know some of the important facts about the Hulk. Sure I only glazed over aspects like the his different personalities and the entire World War Hulk story line, but I figure if you know the beginnings, then you can source the rest of the info on your own. Until next kids…

Get in line everyone cause the Jordan XI is back again with yet another great color scheme. Most sneaker enthusiasts don’t need a whole lot more information to get wet, but for you kids out there still wondering about the hype that surrounds possibly the most popular Air Jordan shoe ever made, here’s a bit of rundown.

His Airness premiered these kicks in the flick Space Jam where he teamed up with a few Looney Tunes and Bill Murray to take down an evil basketball team that embodies the likes of Shawn Bradley and Muggsy Bouges. Sure Space Jam wasn’t Citizen Kane (or was it?) but I don’t think I know anyone under the age of 30 who hasn’t seen it yet. Anyways, Space Jam kick-started MJ’s come-back year. The year where he said goodbye to baseball and hello again to the game he redefined. That year of course was 1995, the year the Bulls went on a magical run through the entire sporting world and solidified their team picture beside the word dominance in the dictionary. MJ dawned the 11th version of his signature Air Jordan shoes and with it created a frenzy in the sneaker world.

Sporting a slick transparent gum sole and the now classic patent leather look around the rim of the entire shoe, the Jordan XI’s are to kicks as the Mona Lisa is to art. The shoes flew off the racks for the entire season spawning Nike and Air Jordan to release it in a few different color schemes. Again, sold out around the globe in a matter of days. Since then Air Jordan has put a cap on the production of the Jordan XI’s making them one of the most collected and respected kicks of all time.

Now, almost 15 years after the world’s introduction in the Jordan XI, it returns. The latest version has been retro-fied in that the entire design of the shoe remains exactly how it was when it premiered. The only difference is the colors are now a slick black on black with a white bottom and transparent gum. The Jumpman symbol remains as does the “23” on the heel and the classic high-top look and feel. Start saving and get in line now as the limited run of the latest Jordan XI currently retails for $320.

Okay, so with all the Twilights and True Bloods eating up the airwaves and message boards, you’d think someone in Hollywood would just say “ENOUGH!.” But no, instead they cast John C Reilly in a movie about a kid who wants to be a vampire… Anyways, check out the trailer below unless you’re a little sick of the whole pale kids who eat people thing finally.

I probably dont’t have to repeat this, but I’m a HUGE QT fan. I feel as though Tarantino’s flicks are creating a solid mold for creative storytelling in movie form for years to come. True Romance is one of my favorite stories of all time, Reservoir Dogs was brilliant, Pulp Fiction speaks for itself and the Kill Bill Saga seemed to be setting the stage for the second coming of QT. The only problem was that once Kill Bill fell out of the picture, I think Quentin went a little too genre with his flick Death Proof. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a pretty great watch, but it was significantly less influential than most of his previous work. Fast forward to this year’s Inglourious Basterds, and I’m sorry to say that Tarantino is still in a bit of a rut. Keep in mind that because flicks like Pulp Fiction and Resevoir Dogs were so good, I expect amazing things every time I watch a QT movie, but Inglourious Basterds didn’t live up to the hype. It was still one of the better films I’ve seen this summer, but I expected something more from QT.

The story was very Tarantino. Based mostly in revenge and character development leading up to a bloody climactic mess, QT never disappoints. He writes with a goal in mind all of the time and sometimes audiences have to wait until the very last scene to see everything tie together. Inglourious Basterds was no different in that the story moved in a lot of different directions at the same time, only to meet in the end for a satisfying resolution. Written in classic Tarantino fashion (a variety of shorts assembled based on telling the entire arc), Inglourious Basterds tells the fictional tale of a group of Jewish soldiers who terrorize the Nazis, a vengeful theater owner and one of the baddest muthafuckas QT has ever written in Colonel Landa. QT bases his stories mostly around the development of his characters and always makes a point of explaining their motivations through a series of conversations of who they are as people, not just plot devices. Normally this is the strength of a QT flick, but for some strange reason, this was the major downfall for Inglourious Basterds. It could be because my generation is so used to QT explaining things through pop-culture like TV, movies and music, but I really felt the story slowed down during these typical Tarantino conversations because I couldn’t relate to the material as much as I’m used to. The dialogue was still tight and moved quite quickly, but the details that usually make these conversations memorable really weren’t there for me. One of the reasons why a lot of the dialogue might have gone over my head is because a lot of it was in a different language. I don’t have a problem with reading subtitles but I never expected to have to read through the brilliant Tarantino dialogue on the bottom of the screen while it was being spoken in German, French and Italian.

The cast of Inglourious Basterds is really what stands out. With strong actors like Brad Pitt, Melanie Laurent and Diane Kruger you knew the performances would be great – and they were. The only strange thing was that all of the aforementioned actors were completely outdone by Christopher Waltz as he played the villain Col. Landa. Waltz isn’t a household name, but after breaking out in this flick, I wouldn’t be surprised if we start hearing this name for a long time now. His deadpan reaction to his surroundings were amazing, but nothing compared with the brilliant way Waltz was able to play evil with a smirk. By the end of the flick you wanted the most terrible things to happen to him and in my mind, makes his performance spot on. Pitt and crew delivered as usual, but it really was Waltz that stole the show for me.

The typical Tarantino style of shooting a flick is difficult to hammer down to a few points. One of his strengths really is his versatility in shooting two person conversations, then completely switching to a well choreographed action sequence. Inglourious Basterds is a good example of his versatility in that he uses a combination of rolling establishing shots, close-ups and long cuts for characters on the move. No complaints here as I think I’ve become accustomed to how QT shows us everything we should know as an audience.

Inglourious Basterds is a good flick – it’s just not a great Quentin Tarantino flick. I applaud him for trying to do something a little bit different than we’re used to in doing a multilingual fictional period piece, but I think in doing so, he really hurts the pacing of his own film. This flick has some great moments and as always some memorable characters, but you do have to wait for them and wait quite a while sometimes. I’m going to have to give Inglourioius Basterds a 7 out of 10 on the flightless bird scale. This could have been the fact that I was expecting something a little bit different, but I really believe Tarantino has more in him than what he shows on screen. I recommend checking it out in a few weeks time when all of the hype has calmed down.

There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding some interesting news coming out of a recent script review of Darren Aronofsky’s latest flick Black Swan. According to a reviewer the script includes:

ecstasy-induced hungry aggressive angry sex

Interesting news not only for the perv in all of us, but also because the two actresses cast to play the leads in Black Swan are Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman. There really is nothing more to this other than the review which can be found here, but you have to admit, when this gets close to hitting theaters in 2010, people will want to see what all of the fuss is about. Black Swan is the story of two ballerinas – Portman plays the sweet, innocent lead in the ballet Swan Lake, while Kunis plays a much darker, younger ballerina. Alright, perv time is over kids, g’night.

Talk about hype. James Cameron’s Avatar has been floating around for a while and after years of waiting through rumors, casting news and concept art, we finally get a trailer.  Avatar is the story of an ex-marine who volunteers to for an experiment that will turn him into a hybrid-type being with the ability to walk on a planet that doesn’t support human life. After watching the brilliant colors and the animation I can finally understand what Cameron has been talking about. This is going to be a %100 IMAX experience, so love it or hate it, if you want to watch this flick when it hits theaters, you’re going to have to dish out more than the average flick for tickets. Have a look at the trailer below and remember, you’re only watching this trailer in HD – not IMAX.

Known as one of the three pillars of the DC universe, Wonder Woman (along with Superman and Batman) is one of the most classic characters ever to grace the page of a funny book. As we get closer and closer to Wonder Woman’s 60th Anniversary, I think we could all use a little bit of a refresher on who she is and what she has meant to the development of comics, sci-fi and culture. This week’s edition of Get To Know Your Superhero focuses on Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman was created by Willian Moulton Marston in 1941 for DC’s All Star Comics.

Wonder Woman’s origins are with a fictional society called the Amazon Women loosely based on Greek mythology.

The Amazon Women live on an isolated island without any men.

Wonder Woman’s powers include super speed, super strength and the ability to fly.

She also flies an invisible jet.

She carries with her the Lasso of Truth that when touched, forces one to speak only the truth.

She also wears a pair of indestructible bracelets she often uses to deflect enemy fire.

Wonder Woman came to our society after US pilot Steve Trevor crash landed on the Amazon’s island.

Princess Diana opposes her mother’s request and wins the right to return Trevor to the land of men.

Upon leaving the Amazon Women for the first time, Diana dawns the name Wonder Woman.

According to Athena, Wonder Woman is, “as beautiful as Aphrodite, as wise as Athena, swifter than Mercury and stronger than Hercules.”

When Wonder Woman first arrived in our world she had trouble adjusting to the male dominated society.

After meeting other super heroes and learning more about the compassion of individuals and not just the gender, she slowly began to accept men.

After a successful run of comics, Wonder Woman is now seen as a symbol of female empowerment.

She is also one of the original members of the Super Friends and Justice League.

Wonder Woman was voiced by Kerri Russel in a 2009 animated feature.

She has been featured in video games, television shows and producers have made numerous attempts to bring a live action Wonder Woman to the big screen.

From 1975-79, Lynda Carter played Wonder Woman for the TV series.

The ongoing saga to try and bring a live action Wonder Woman to the big screen will probably never end. Unlike Batman and Superman, the Wonder Woman franchise has had a ridiculous time finding the right people to create such a project. Big name directors like Joel Silver and Joss Whedon have tried to get the project off the ground, but to no avail. Even with names like Sandra Bullock and Catherine Zeta Jones expressing interest in a Wonder Woman project, studios have yet to take any substantial action. Wonder Woman as an icon might be too important to try and bring to the big screen, but with movie execs looking everywhere for the next big blockbuster moneymaker, I wouldn’t be surprised if a Wonder Woman feature film went into production within the next few years. Until then, enjoy these fast facts about Wonder Woman and I’ll be back next week.

…..

uh…..

Okay, I’ll be nice to start off. The prospect of watching a couple of speechless ninjas battle it out for a couple of hours sounded like a cool idea, but when it is whittled down to about 3 minutes of ninja battle and 2+ hours of Channing Tatum and Marlon Wayans talking pointless smack while shooting at, well everything, I draw the line. I’m speaking of course of GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra. I’ll keep this short so you don’t waste your time. Bad. Really Bad. I’m seriously giving this flick a 2 out of 10 on the Bloated Penguin scale. I would have given it a zero but Sienna Miller can bring up a rating by breathing near the footage so Stephen Sommers can thank her specifically.

First up, this isn’t a movie, GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra is a 2 hour commercial. There is no continuity, terrible acting, bad decisions and no story. Basically all of the things that make A movie (not just a good movie but A movie) GI Joe lacks. From the opening scene through the credit roll, I seriously felt as though I was getting stupider. The biggest problem (biggest out of a list of many) is that GI Joe gives the audience zero credit for their intelligence. From the first day of school we all learn to respect the audience, but obviously Sommers ditched out that day. Here’s an example:

Joe 1 say: “I remember you from my past”

Joe 2 says: “I remember you from my past as well, it was the bunker wasn’t it?”

Joe 1 says: “Yes the bunker, it was the bunker in which I remember some inciting incident that involves you”

FLASHBACK to the bunker scene that was just explained

FLASH FORWARD to the conversation again

Joe 2 says: “I’m glad we just remembered that because I have a feeling it will better explain what I’m about to say next”

GI Joe leaves nothing to the imagination nor does it entertain on even the lowest levels. Please, if you absolutely have to see this flick, have the lowest expectations possible or you may suffer from brain damage.

Neill Blomkamp’s original sci-fi adventure hit theaters officially yesterday and I was lucky enough to grab a seat and experience one of the most surprising films of the year. Surprising only because District 9 never came with a billion dollar marketing budget and surprising because before a few weeks ago, nobody really knew what to expect. If you don’t already know how District 9 came to be then you’ll probably want to skip this next section of the review. Neill Blomkamp is a Peter Jackson protege. The young filmmaker and Jackson had originally teamed up to pitch a feature length Halo film that probably would have been in theaters today had it not been for Blomkamp and Jackson’s idea being shot down a few years ago. They apparently pitched the Halo movie to have a similar grainy, realistic feel as District 9 eventually had, but to no avail and they were sent packing. But instead of dropping back and waiting for a new idea to come, Jackson endorsed Blomkamp to finish what he started. Thus, the creation of District 9 and with the exception of this year’s Moon, the only true sci-fi movie to come out of 2009 so far. Sure you could consider flicks like Star Trek sci-fi, but they are usually chalk full of ways to convert regular movie fans into hardcore sci-fi nerds. District 9 is an original story with a mostly original concept that was made for the geek in all of us.

Blomkamp and writer Terri Tatchell assembled the original script and after watching how he married the story together with actual footage of South Africa, unique footage he shot while on location and some seamless visual effects, District 9 can be put in a category of its own when describing exactly what it is. I’m tempted not to compare it with anything at the moment as I would hate to discredit the originality and the style. The story begins in true sci-fi nature where a brief, yet extremely effective summary of the world is explained through a series of interviews. Simply put, an alien ship was found hovering over South Africa and after much debate, humans decided to investigate. They found an entire race of beings starving, dying and without leadership so they “rescued” them and brought them down to the planet. Years pass and a giant weapons corporation called MNU decides to evict the aliens from their slums and put them into internment camps in hopes of learning how to master the alien technology. This is where the beginning of the film picks up as the audience follows the rise and fall and rise again of MNU employee Wikus Van De Merwe. Wikus is promoted to lead a team of humans into District 9 in hopes of getting signatures for legal eviction notices.

The pace of District 9 is a lesson in how a sci-fi flick should be written. Blomkamp explains the back story, then explains his character, then immediately gets into the story. Wikus, played brilliantly by Sharlto Copley, goes on a tragic journey where he is exposed to new alien technology, befriends an alien named Christopher and eventually helps the alien race in a small but meaningful way. By the end of the flick you don’t feel any better about the state of the human race, but you do see hope in the individuals – a true sci-fi concept that Blomkamp understands extremely well.

The animation in District 9 is also a great point to touch on. When I say “seamless,” I don’t mean “awesome looking robots that battle each other,” I actually mean that the audience will have a difficult time figuring out what was shot and what was animated. Using Vancouver-based visual effects studio Image Engine, Blomkamp and a team of artists created a unique look that not only separates District 9 from a lot of other sci-fi flicks, but will probably spark a wave of similar concepts. Think Blair Witch meets the original Robocop and you might be able to imagine the style.

District 9 is one of those movies that will probably be shown in film classes around the world for years to come. It is difficult to find a flaw other than the subjective opinion of using a shaky-cam for a lot of the time. Blomkamp has created something amazing and I hope to see a lot more from him in the future. Peter Jackson isn’t a fool when it comes to spotting talent as I would expect Blomkamp to stick around for a long time. I am going to have to give District 9 a 9 out of 10 on the flightless bird scale but only because of the amount of cringe worthy scenes. These scenes are important, but I’ve got a weak stomach when it comes to footage of surgery and self mutilation. Seriously, if you’re going to check out one sci-fi movie this year, make sure its District 9. You won’t be disappointed.

First up, thanks to Vincentpants for notifying me of Samsung’s latest release. Twitter, Facebook and all social networking sites are really digging their influential teeth into the technological entertainment market. Samsung’s DualView TL220 was basically made for taking self portraits and posting them throughout the online world. The pocket sized (really only about 4′ wide) digital camera comes fully equipped with two view screens. One is a standard touchscreen located on the back of the camera while the other is placed in the front of the camera beside the lens. This not only helps the process of self portraits, but it gives those picky people a chance to view them as they are being taken. But the DualView TL220 isn’t just another kick-around digi-cam, this little guy packs a big punch, especially for the size. Some interesting specs include video clip and voice recording, one-touch shooting and face recognition for those moments when your entire crew jumps into frame. Released yesterday, the standard Samsung DualView TL220 will retail for about $300 while another version with a larger view screen in the back will go for $350. Check out the images below and start thinking about how many self portraits you can take the next time you head out of your hole.

Samsung DualView TL220