pop culture
Modern popular culture topics in the geek sphere.
The Longwinded Tale of Neville Longbottom. Top Story - May 2017.
I was introduced to the Harry Potter series by a primary school teacher in 1999. The books (and later the films) were something that I connected with immediately. Harry himself was an inspiring character, and I learnt a lot about dealing with hardships and friendships from his life story. But the character that I have always had the strongest connection to would have to be Neville Longbottom. His life story has so many similarities to my own.
By Rebecca Sharrock9 years ago in Geeks
Twin Peaks 2017: The Evolution of Twin Peaks
***POSSIBLE SPOILERS - PARTS 1 to 4*** There has been an almighty wave of reactions online to the revival of Twin Peaks, spanning the spectrum of emotional responses, from amazement, bewilderment, excitement, annoyance, boredom and outright contempt. Personally, having seen all 4 parts, I was blown away; from the opening moments I was mesmerised by the vivid imagery, contemplative pacing and the mysterious, dangerous mood that seemed to permeate every scene. The lack of cosy nostalgia was impressively bold, almost nothing feeling like a 'comfortable' reminder of the original, despite the return of familiar faces and allusions to plot beats of the season one Pilot. The wider scope of the story became immediately apparent, as new characters arrived (and left...) in as yet unconnected plots unfolding in New York, South Dakota and the Black Lodge itself. To me this feels like a natural evolution of Twin Peaks; the first two seasons featured the town as a microcosm of America, so it seems fitting that Peaks is now a smaller part in exploring similar themes on a much grander scale.
By James Giles9 years ago in Geeks
Review - Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge
As any Hollywood exec will attest, Joe Public is a tricky blighter to predict. Blockbusters with historical settings generally have as much mass box office appeal as Latvian character dramas, and those set on the high seas have historically sunk without a trace (see Roman Polanski's Pirates and Renny Harlin's Cutthroat Island; nobody else has). In 2003 however Disney found the box office treasure so many others had failed to locate when Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl proved an unexpected global hit. Everything suggested it would flop heavily - its premise seemed designed to alienate a modern audience; its biggest star was Johnny Depp, whose best years seemed long behind him at that point; and to the amusement of many observers it was a cinematic adaptation of a Disneyland attraction (see also Tomorrowland; nobody else has) - but audiences embraced it wholeheartedly, and now, 14 years later, we have a fourth sequel, Salazar's Revenge (released in the US under the far more appealing title, Dead Men Tell No Tales). Caution: May contain spoilers!
By Eric Hillis9 years ago in Geeks
Beginner's Guide to 'Lego Dimensions'
Lego Dimensions, to anyone on the outside, sounds like some crack fanfiction a child who has consumed way too much candy came up with on a school playground, which is what makes it freaking awesome. What if the Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz traded out her flying monkeys for Gremlins? What if Finn and Jake from Adventure Time joined the Doctor to stop Voldemort? And somehow all of this is connected to The Lego Movie and The Lego Batman Movie, two of the best family films released in the last five years? The game features an ever-growing roster of characters, and throws them all into a playground of the imagination. And, somehow, all this chaos has a story! Arcs! There is a method to this madness! All of this content may seem a little overwhelming to the average guy just discovering Lego Dimensions, but, with this little guide, maybe this phenomenon may be a little easier to figure out.
By Anthony Gramuglia9 years ago in Geeks
Destiny: Age of Wrap-Up
[I wrote the first part of my Destiny review after having played through (and been disappointed by) the abrupt and surprising lack of content in Vanilla Destiny. This piece covers the completed game, about two years after I wrote my conflicted and irritated original review.]
By Such A Geek9 years ago in Geeks
Twin Peaks: What Might We See In Season 3?
Ostensibly it seems like a futile idea to try and predict what might happen in the new season of Twin Peaks; Lynch's works have gotten ever more oblique and incomprehensible, in presentation and narrative, with age, and for a guy who's debut film was Eraserhead that is saying an awful lot. But even still, I know that many Peaks fans such as myself, in the 26 year gap between seasons, will have found it almost irresistible to ponder on what may happen come May 21st. So to that end, here are some of the possibilities that I have considered.
By James Giles9 years ago in Geeks
Field Of Dreams Film Review
"Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come."
By Marina Caitlin Watts9 years ago in Geeks
