Donny and Marie Star Wars
Jun 22How did this stay dormant so long? While the Star Wars Holiday Special survived in legend, lore, and VHS bootlegs for years, Donny and Marie’s Star Wars tribute episode of their variety show apparently sat in some basement somewhere. I wouldn’t call myself the biggest Star Wars fan out there, but I’m no lightweight, Han-come-lately, and this was new to me. Did I miss out? Was there a memo? Or is this truely, out-of-the-blue new?
Suffice to say that, for all its Donny and Marie glitz, it can’t hold a candle to the effects and set-filled Holiday Special. It parallels it in so many ways, inviting Paul Lynde to be an Imperial Commander and sing a tune about rockets. Kris Kristopherson stands in as Han. And just to blow your mind, Chewie, R2, and C3PO are loaned out, giving the event a certain thumbs-up from 20th Century Fox, if not George Lucas himself. One might say the Donny and Marie tribute makes the Holiday Special look like Empire Strikes Back.
Warning: You can’t un-see this, so bear that in mind before you press play.
[VIA BoingBoing]
Under the Radar Week: Jan’s Atomic Heart
Jun 22In honor of all the great comics I’ve been reading lately, I’m launching a goddamned theme week here at Alert Nerd: Under the Radar Week. I’ll be writing about five comics that you might not be reading, and try to explain what I think is so goddamned great about them. Hopefully my compatriots will have some time to chime in as well.
Next week, I’m going to slip off the grid to infiltrate security at the Smithsonian and try to steal Mister Rogers’ sweater. DON’T TELL ANYBODY.
Geeks know the drill; there’s basically two versions of the future. There’s the shiny, bright, clean Star Trek version, and the bleak, desolate, apocalyptic Terminator/Mad Max version.
What’s interesting is the space in between, where tiny extrapolations of technology create fictional worlds that feel just real enough to seem possible…yet remain different and strange. Movies like Blade Runner and Minority Report occupy this space; so does Jan’s Atomic Heart, a new graphic novella by Simon Roy that shifts the landscape of the present in small, meaningful ways in service to a story that’s grounded in human emotions like paranoia, fear, and betrayal.
The Zombies' Guide To Comic Con
Jun 19[Yes, yes. I know. Blood from a stone and whatnot. – Jeff ]
This July in San Diego, when there’s no room in the hotels, the dead will walk the earth at the 2009 Comic Con International. For four days, the undead and the nerdy unwashed will shamble from panel to panel, comb through back-issue bins for the last crucial piece of their Darkhawk collections and clumsily assault cosplayers. Can’t tell the difference? Neither can we, but in case you’re a Romero-friendly con-goer that doesn’t know Tom Peyer from Tom Brevoort (Brevoort is plumper and therefore slower, wears a pork-pie hat) and can’t tell the difference between the Shield and the Fighting American (honestly, we’re stumped too, but Jack Kirby created one of them), our interns have created a handy guide to help you get the most out of your SDCC experience.
1. BRAINS
No matter what kind of comics or movies you like, zombies, there are plenty of braaaaains to be had. Delicious braaains. Argh. Those sheltered fanboys and insecure fangirls won’t know what to do when you start tearing into one of their friends’ juicy skulls to eat those delicious braaaaaaains.
2. BRAAAAAAINS
While the geeks are debating what kind of zombie you are – fast or slow – you can get the drop on them and suck out their delectable gray matter. You might even be able to eat a celebrity’s brain (If they have one, LOL M I RITE?!)!
3. TWILIGHT
Robert Pattinson is simply dazzling. And he’ll be there. If you’re close enough, you might be able to touch him, and what about Taylor Lautner? I’m not sure if he’ll be there, but he probably will. Team Jacob represent! More like hungry FOR the wolf, if you take my meaning, and I think you might. Rawr! They are probably going to show some footage from New Moon and then everybody will freak out a bit.
4. BRAAAAAAINS
Argh. Urr. Brains. Braaaaaains. Urk. BRAINS.
Stuff We Like This Week: June 19 Edition
Jun 19
In an effort to combat our occasional…okay, okay, near-constant negativity, we give you a regular feature full of nothing but love — Stuff We Like This Week. Appearing every Friday, SWLTW will recap the things that have set our little nerdly hearts aflame within the past seven days.
The Guys’ Guide to Comic-Con 2009
Jun 18Comic-Con. It’s not just for nerdy guys anymore.
That’s right-you dweebs, geeks, and weirdos who only crawl forth from your parents’ basement once a year and face the blinding light of a southern California afternoon just for the opportunity to paw Master of Kung-Fu back issues and augment your masturbatory fantasies of Eliza Dushku by sitting a few feet outside the restrictions of the restraining order while she gasses on about how happy she is to be working with Joss Whedon, even as she’s thinking, “Something smells like mildew and underwiped ass,” and she’s smelling YOU-yes, YOU-it’s not just for YOU anymore!
It’s also for scum-sucking Hollywood slime hoping to leverage your shameless enthusiasm for anything that sniffs of “geek” into cheap coverage for their vapid, horrendous projects! And for moronic “writers” who treat stereotypes as gospel in a ham-handed attempt to snort some coke off the bare ass of the zeitgeist! And supposedly, for DA LADYEZ!!! Even ones who aren’t compensating for cripplingly low self-esteem by wearing inappropriately skimpy outfits in a crowded public place!
This summer’s event, taking place July 23-26 in the San Diego Convention Center, could shape up to be a smorgasbord for overweight white guys. We’ve got a pretty good idea of what eager fanboys can expect (aside from one heck of a set of knockers on that chick from True Blood-you know, the one who was in X-Men? I don’t know her name but she has BOOBS).
But wait, there may be more! Read on…
