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villains, part one. [the many lists of 2011.]

By • On • In invasion/visitation movies, lists of 2011, movies, nerd candy, scott • 2 min read

With the heroes dispensed with HERE and HERE, it’s onto the villains. Enjoy.

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1. Voldermort – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two

All these years of movie lists, Voldemort had to make it onto the list eventually. He’s not just a villain, he’s the villain of the last decade+. He is the evil wizard. Everyone knows his name, Harry Potter fan or not. An entire generation’s Darth Vader. And Ralph Fiennes played him to perfection in each of the Harry Potter films.

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2. The Alien – Super 8 

It’s not new, but I think that this alien reveal was as satisfying as the reveal in Signs was disappointing. A creature of a delightfully strange, yet familiar, biology, from across the stars. I loved this movie, and the alien played no small part in that. It wasn’t just good enough to keep me from enjoying the rest of the movie, it was a huge part of what made the movie work.

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3. Men Who Hate Women – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The villains in this movie weren’t just bad guys. They were disgusting, stomach-turning monsters. What made it all the worse was that they are so commonplace in the world. Men across time have truly been capable of this sort of disgusting evil. They are powerful characters that stay in the consciousness, which is exactly what Larsson had in mind in their creation, making it impossible to ignore the violence perpetrated in systems that favor sexism and abuse.

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4. Sakharine / Red Rackham – The Adventures of Tintin

One of the villains in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo started taking Daniel Craig’s pants off. The actor portraying the villain in this movie gets to take Daniel Craig’s pants off every day… Daniel Craig.

He was perfect as the villain, especially in the storytelling pirate sequence when Craig is Red Rackham. I LOVED the pirate scenes. Lots of anger on the internet about this movie, but I love it. Up with Tintin!!

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5. Nigel – Rio 

Two words: Jemaine. Clement. Comedic brilliance. I fricking love Jemaine, and I loved this character. Although, it could be argued that the true villain in this movie was Will.I.Am for sucking up the joint and making for a decidedly painful musical number. However, the rest of the cast (especially Jesse Eisenberg and Tracy Morgan) makes up for where Will and Jaime Foxx led things off course at times.

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five things. [12.10.10]

By • On • In books, five things, nerd candy, scott, seattle, television • 2 min read

The first 2010 list should be up tomorrow. It’s almost entirely ready to go up now, but Brian is working like a million hours today, so we will have to wait until tomorrow for his finishing touches on his portion.

So, today, in lieu of that post, and in the hopes that this lets Jeff take a breath and keeps him from passing out for another day, here are five random things I’ve been enjoying lately.

1. Doctor Who

I’ve been watching the reboot, and as evidenced by its appearance in my “What to Buy Me For Christmas” post, I’m totally hooked now. Series Two is what did it. David Tennant is so awesome as The Doctor. I totally plan on coming up with a Tenth Doctor Halloween Costume for next year.

Also, my default ringtone is now the TARDIS taking off. Yep, that’s right, I’m awesome.


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2. Perdido Street Station by China Miéville

This is going to end up on a list of its own, so I won’t say anything other than the fact that this book was brilliant. China Miéville is a genius. This story was so brutal and imaginative. I’m looking forward to reading more of Miéville’s work.

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3. Conan O’Brien

Conan is back, and that is most definitely a good thing. Now we can watch something genuinely funny, instead of watching Jay Leno punch comedy in the dick every night.

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4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One

We’ve seen it twice now. It was as fantastic as it should have been. Ever since Yates took over, the movies have been so sharp and well balanced. And wasn’t that animated short that told the story of the Deathly Hallows amazing?

The only downside is having to wait so very long for Part Two.

Seeing it here at Cinerama, I was surprised (based on reactions to certain moments in the story) how many Seattleites went to see the movie opening weekend, but have never read the books. I’ve just never thought of the movies from the standpoint of a purely cinematic event. I certainly think the movies are good enough to warrant that, but I’ve just always thought about the movies and the books joined.

I really wonder how I will feel after the final movie ends. Either way, come this summer, shits about to get real.

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5. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

So, let’s see here. An action packed steampunk story, set in an alternate history, Civil War era Seattle, in which the city has been cordoned off because of the release of a dangerous subterranean gas which kills those who inhale it, only to revive them as zombies?

Umm, yes, please.

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My Journey into Nerdom

By • On • In brian, nerd virgins • 1 min read

So after having read Scott’s post about Joss Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men we had a bit of a conversation about how awesome it was that his post generated so many hits. In the midst of this dialogue, I realized something. I am not a nerd, or at least, I am trying really hard pretending I am not. My only Joss Whedon experience was and still is the brilliant “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”. I haven’t seen any part of any episode of “Buffy”. I was never a “Trekky”. I never went apeshit for Star Wars. I was briefly into comics in middle school, but not much came out of that. I have no credentials.

With that said, I feel the next several weeks and months will be interesting for me. It is probably fair to ask why it has taken me so long to try to get into things like “Lost” (I’ve only seen the pilot), Harry Potter (haven’t read a page, haven’t seen a frame), saw Watchmen but only read about 20 pages of the graphic novel. I’m been partially baptized in nerd culture, but my full indoctrination has still yet to happen, and not because I haven’t been surrounded by it, or people who are passionate about it. I think it is because I am set in my ways on many things. I find things I do like, and watch or experience them over and over again. With this being true, new things that come along by recommendation or, my own discovery take some extra effort that I am reluctant to put forth. With friends like Scott and Wes, who are both part of this “nerd” subculture and partners and founders in this blogging adventure, I am now ensconced in this culture and (not that I had an excuse before) I now have no excuse whatsoever to avoid these things any longer. And anyway, as Scott mentioned, I may not be as far removed from the subculture as I think. There lies in me a love for these things which is dormant. Will jumping in awake the sleeping monster?

What are some things that I should make sure I don’t miss out on as I seek to be ravaged by nerdom. Who should be my first? Who should I let pop my cherry?

I can tell you which way I’m leaning …

LOST

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