Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Caution overloading transformers can be dangerous

     Greetings and salutations Shadow fans and welcome to another installment of The Shadow Knows. What does The Shadow know today true believers? Well for one you should never carry a large broadsword during a lightening storm. It may look cool in The Highlander, but rather fatal for us mortals. This week on podbean the how I geek gang talk about general geektitude once again and some speak about Amazing Spiderman 2. I have my doubts any of us will have seen it by then, but what the hey we will give it a try. So give us a listen. You might find us cool... Maybe not what the hey.

     Today the topic of this wondrous blog is on the Transformers past, present,and future. Transformers started in 1984 as a 3 part mini series. It was about two sentient robotic races that have been at war with one another for centuries. During this war their resources were depleted and in a desperate attempt to find more a band from each side went out on a great hunt (not duckhunt mind you). During the exploration each side battled and they crashed landed on earth 4 million years in our past. By happenstance their computer is reactivated and they are regenerated to fight their war upon our planet in our present day. On the side of evil there are the Decpticons ruled by the merciless Megatron. On the the side of good there are the peace-loving Autobots and their leader the awesome Optimus Prime. The original series lasted 4 seasons and had one motion picture. After it ended in the states Japan picked it up for 3 more seasons. I have personally never seen them, but have heard they are not as great as the US version. This original series was what I waited for in great anticipation everyday after school. I loved it and can't say enough about it. Over the years there have been several incarnations of this series with mixed approaches. My least favorite of these was Beast Wars. Ugh, I know there are those who will say Shadow it was great you are crazy. For you I say that is ok, but for me I say MEH!!! We all geek in different ways and I say if you love it more power to you. For me it made no sense to me in my Transformers universe. The shows that followed got better until finally in the final incarnation, Transformers Prime we have something that I feel is much closer to that original series. With the return of Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime this makes all the difference to me. It is my hope that the future of transformers is safe in the hands of the current torch holders. I would personally love to see a series done as a sequel to the orginal, but who knows. As a tear falls from my eye... alas.

     In 2007 Michael Bay and Steven Speilberg released Transformers to the big screen. I have to admit I was sceptical going into this movie. I must say after watching I did very much enjoy it. In true Michael Bay style there were explosion galore and with Speilberg we had some great storytelling in between rockets red glare and bombs bursting in the air. Alas though with most sequels they degenerated as they continued until now we are going into number 4. Now from what I have seen of the trailer it is not a reboot per se', but it is a different approach compared to the last 2. I will go see this movie, but I am hoping that it is not a pile of cosmic rust. I want this movie to be good, but we can't always get what we want (but if we try sometimes we just might find we get what we need... oh yeah). I mean seriously Megatron was the big bad scary boogy man and in the last 2 movies he had little to no bearing on their outcomes. His appearance in the last movie was a total joke and a real disappointment. It was something that came out of Unicron's rear end. With the coming of Galvatron and the addition of Mark Wahlberg I see great things coming around the corner for this movie. I just hope I don't run smack into it. Man that can hurt you know. People break noses doing things like that all the time. Another cool aspect of course is the introduction of dinobots and predicons, at least I hope that is what they are. If not that will be a colossal disappointment and I will be forced to shout obscenities at the screen, buwahahaha. Any who Shadow fans what do you think. Will this movie help save the movie franchise. Can Steven Speilberg make a good original alien movie again? Can Michael Bay make a movie that is good without explosions? How much wood could a wood chuck, chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood? These are the question that keep me up at night. Please answer them, I need some sleep. I think I am hallucinating... is that Kermit the Frog? But alas I am babbling again. Tell me what you think true believers I can take it. Until the next time folks I will see you again from the shadows. Robots in disguise...

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Oh to walk the furious road, like totally to the max!

     Well here we are again today true believers on another glorious Thursday in April. What does your old pal the shadow know on this day? Well for one I know never to run with scissors. They are quite sharp and you may stab things you don't wish to in very unpleasant ways. So I don't suggest it. Also, I happen to know that eating an apple a day keeps the doctor away is just dribble and tripe, and to this I say BULLY! I have to say that if you ever break a bone eating an apple will not keep the doctor away. Nor if you are sick with the flu... apples are good but not that good. Alas I digress, for once again The Shadow is babbling. This Sunday I record another podcast of How I Geek (podbean.com) with Greg and crew. Our geek discussion of the week is boardgames and the warm fuzzy memories they brought us in our youth and hey maybe even some warm fuzzes today. Who doesn't need the occasional warm fuzzy from time to time.

     So now I am on to the topic of today. What is that topic you might ask? Well I assure you from the title it is not about Valley Girls. I mean I know they just wanna have fun, but have no place here amongst the shadows. No I wish to discuss the new Mad Max movies scheduled to come out in the next couple years. For those that do not know or like hiding under rocks (hey some people like cool and damp places, I don't judge anyone if they like hiding under them) Mad Max is set in a future post apocalyptic world. The great world war has cause high crime, general anarchy, and of all things fuel shortages. Mel Gibson (in his break out roll) stars Max Rockatansky, a lawman living in an age of lawlessness just trying to survive and yet always finding trouble. The first movie (released in 1979) Max fights lawbreakers and motorcycle gangs whom kill his wife and child for his trouble. In his revenge he kills them all and goes out into the wilderness to escape the final glimpses of society. The Road Warrior (released in 1981 and my personal fav) has Max helping out a group of good people defending their fuel and in the Thunder Dome (released in 1985) he saves some kids from Tina Turner and her villainous town helping them to rediscover what is left of society. Personally I love all of these movies. The first helped not only Mel Gibson's career, but also gave Australia an in into the movie market. I lost count how many times I watched these as a kid. They were well written and beautifully shot, by George Miller and Bryon Kennedy. I could talk about them all day, I mean they are grrrrreat! So what does the future hold then for the franchise?

     In 2003 it was announced that George Miller had decided to make another go of the franchise and after many setbacks can finally make it a reality. The events of this 4th installment will take place after the events of Thunder Dome. From everything thus far I have read I do not believe this to be a total reboot of the series. For the role of Max Tom Hardy has been given the opportunity to either impress us or blow it totally in the role of The Road Warrior we all love so much. You may remember young Mr. Hardy from such roles as Shizon, the Picard Clone of Star Trek Nemesis, and Bane from Batman the Dark Knight Rises. Now Miller has also stated that this script has taken a life of it's own and will have 3 total new movies once the dust has settled. Now I for one am glad to see a return of Max to the big screen and the fact that the original mind which gave birth to the first set of movies has returned to give us more is pretty freaking awesome. This gives me hope that we are not diving into the sewers and wading  waist deep in filth and tragedy that bad sequels can give us. The fact that Mel Gibson will not return is a mixed bag as well. We can definitely argue he is to old for the role, but Harrison Ford pulled off a great Indiana Jones (even if the movie sucked ass) in his later years. The problem is what baggage now comes with Mr. Gibson and the messes he seems to leave in his wake. No I am afraid it is time to pass the Max torch to another. I only hope Hardy can give us the quality character that Mel gave us back in the day. It can drive one crazy the many ways this movie can go wrong, but I will hold out faith that Mr. Miller has not lost his chops for movie making. I will be in those theatre seats giving this movie a go and hoping for the magic of my youth. What do you think Shadow fans? Is this another case of a sequel to late or are you all on the march to watch a future world gone crazy with me. Let me know what you think and until next time folks I will see you in the shadows... like totally for sure to the max!

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Don't go running with blades you could get hurt!

     Well hello today true believers, for the next installment of The Shadow Knows. What do I know this day? Well I know that the stomach flu sucks and I am just getting over it ugggh! Tomorrow is the next episode of How I Geek with Greg and the gang. In this installment we will discuss our top 5 favorite weekly cartoons. This will be difficult for me due to the fact that I have soooo many. Alas I will muddle through somehow. It will be fun so give us a listen. Be there or be square.

     So now to the article at hand. Today I wish to discuss a recent interview with Harrison Ford from the set of the new Star Wars movie. In this interview he states that Ridley Scott is working on getting the sequel of Blade Runner off the ground. For those that don't know Blade Runner is a 1982 Ridley Scott classic, based on the novel by Phillip K Dick, titled  Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Ford plays a blade runner, whose job is to hunt down replicants who have gone rogue and are running amuck (amuck, amuck, amuck). To me this movie falls on the top ten must see sci-fi movies of all time. It was well written imaginative, and innovative for its time. So in my mind a sequel would be cool. The thing is I was always under the impression that Ford and Scott did not get along at all during the filming of the movie. So I am surprised to hear him say he is all for reprising his roll in another movie. I mean it is not like Ford is hurting for money, so he doesn't need this roll. Don't get me wrong I would love to see a sequel, but could it be that the movie is so far removed that a sequel is to little to late. I dunno if Ridley Scott has the chops anymore to make a movie of this caliber. What do you think Shadow fans? Do you think that there is gold here, or are the only nuggets to be found here the kind found in the bottom of your toilet. If a movie does make it to the big screen I will give it a watch, I just don't promise that I will fall in love with it. With all the major players returning it does have great potential, but so did the Star Wars prequels and look what we got there. Well true believers tell me what you think. I can take it. Till the next time I will see you in the shadows.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

The Empire Strikes What?

     I have been giving lots of thought to what I wish to post about. It is the official first post, so it must be eye catching and sensational. Um, ok then I think. Well loyal readers what does The Shadow know today? Well for starters I know a broken clock is right at least twice a day and if you do not brush and floss regularly your mouth will be like a sewer. I don't mean cool sewers like TMNT cool, but rather stinky scare away your friends and family kinda grossness. Alas, I digress. This weekend will be the next airing of how I geek with Greg and the gang. The topic of discussion will be a general conversation about geektitude. John will talk about the Adepticon experience as I add what little I know about the event through my one trip there last year. It wont be a Fast Times at Ridgemont High experience, but hey at least you can tap your toes to it. The show will be fun times for all and if not it's free, so you're only out time.

    So then what shall my topic of discussion be this day? I believe I will start off with Star Wars true believers. The first 3 (last 3 depending on how you look at it) were great. They were well written with great special effects. These movies in my humble opinion are timeless classics. The prequels on the other hand are so much crap they should be in the sewer with the sewer mouths of the world. I mean yes they do get pregressively better, but really is it enough? George Lucas single handedly manged to cut off his own nose to spite his face. He believed he had gold and to be damned what the fans think. Well my friend the fans are why you have all your money in the first place. Should we not be allowed to have some sort of imput here? Are we not part of the success story? Prick us do we not bleed? Alas Lucas missed an opportuinty to give quality to the next generation and fell short, like below the knees short. I will say that I do own these movies and even paid to see them in the theatre (though I wanted my money back after watching the first one). I liked the last 2 better then the first, with the last being the best. Still I think old George could have givien us better. There is one glimmer of hope in the distance and that is the Disney buyout and new movie to come out. What do you think? Does Disney have what it takes to save our dying world? For that answer only time will tell I'm afraid and the movie sitting in front of us. I for one hope that this new movie brings back that same sense of wonder and amazement I felt seeing the first movie, as a small child, on that drive-in movie screen for the first time. Tell me what you think. I can take it. At least I think I can... I dunno does this look infected, perhaps I need a shot... Well till next time folks pass the popcorn and let's see what is around that corner for us Star Wars fans. That my friends is what The Shadow knows for now. Peace out and I will see you again in a galaxy far, far, away...

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Well people you asked for it, you got it (some even if you didn't). I now have my own blog, so stayed tuned for my future thoughts... whatever those may be. So watch out world here I come. Peace out for now.