Now that Comcast aren't being total dildos and I have working internet again...

[thehefner]

It's official: I'm ready for Orlando Fringe.

The HOW HEFNERIAN reading party was a smashing success, so huge thanks to everyone who came and offered thoughts, with biggest thanks of all to tommx for hosting the damn thing. I still owe you eleven bucks for the STAR TREK ticket.

By the way, while I don't feel qualified to offer any in-depth TREK thoughts, as I am but a casual fan, I have to say that I really, really, really liked the movie. I think they really pulled a great CASINO ROYALE sorta-kinda-not-really reboot here, one that will provide a great gateway film to helping newbies better appreciate the previous works. I just rewatched WRATH OF KAHN, and the experience was richer than ever for me.

Thought: Hal Jordan is (or should be) the James T. Kirk of the DC Universe. Y/N? Discuss.

Comments

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

The movie was amazing!

And it's funny you say that Hal Jordan should be the Kirk of DC because the guy who played Kirk (Christopher Pine) is actually being considered for the role of Hal in the upcoming Green Lantern movie.

But man-oh-man! That was probably the best movie I've seen since The Dark Knight... and that's saying a lot.

Okay, I mean, I'm not a Star Trek fan, but I might have to watch the old series now.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

So I'd heard! Although it sounds like they'll be going with Bradley Cooper. I dunno what Cooper's like, or how appropriate he'd be.

But ever since they invoked Pine, I've been wondering not just if he'd be right for Hal, but if maybe Hal himself is the Kirk of the DCU. Sometimes I feel like Geoff Johns is shooting to have his Hal be Kirk, but instead of charming charisma, he sometimes comes off more as a smug person who refuses to cooperate with anyone, and isn't nearly as charming as Geoff thinks he is. Maybe Hal needs a bit of Kirk in 'im these days, I dunno.

Hell yeah, me too! While I fear I'm gonna sound like such a newb, I feel like I've actually got a toehold on the world that can help me better appreciate the series. The Ninth Doctor had the same effect. After that, I'm like, "Holy shit, I *get* Daleks now!"

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

Yes yes! I hate to admit it, but I always find it easier to get into a fandom once it's been explained to be in an exciting way. Like a good movie.

I'm sure many fans would be insulted in hearing that, but whatever. At least I kind of appreciate their fandom now? That's how it's been for a lot of things for me.

Agh! Bradley Cooper is that guy from Yes Man, right? I always mistake him for Josh Lucas. He doesn't really look like Green Lantern material but what do I know? I'm not a Lantern-fan so maybe I should shush up.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Now, I'm in no position to look down on the hardcore fans from critiquing, even downright nitpicking. Not after the two-part autopsy I pulled in THE DARK KNIGHT.

Apparently he was indeed the guy from YES MAN! I think I only know him as the douchebag from WEDDING CRASHERS. But ahaha, I can totally see how you'd mistake him with Josh Lucas!

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

That icon is hilarious.

And yes, I sometimes yell at people from my high horse about certain fandoms which I have loved since before they were popular (... Resident Evil... cough) and everyone's got their reasons for it.

Never will I try to make anyone think that I know more than them about a fandom I am new to. It'd be a terrible and idiotic mistake.

It's only when a certain fandom doesn't welcome fans that I get angry. The only way something you love is going to get better is if more people like it. I think. Actually, it depends. Ergh - I can think of so many examples that really don't fit what I just said. Nevermind.

Point is - I think I want to watch Star Trek now. Yes, just because I liked the movie and want to know more. Will I become a hardcore Trekkie? Probably not. Unless they have an intergalactic double-headed coin flipping race of aliens. :]

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Ha! You'll find it and tons more awesome Trek icons at http://iconzicons.livejournal.com/tag/%5Btv%5D+star+trek

You're a RE fangirl? Huh! What'd you think of RE5? Do you think the series has lost its way? Was the game racist? Is Wesker awesome or not?

Have you seen WRATH OF KAHN yet? Because while I am not a Trekkie at all, my first instinct is to say you should totally start there, and then watch 3 and 4 from there.

[kosher-jenny.livejournal.com]

It's weird, because I've never really seen much of the original Star Trek, except perhaps maybe one episode (I loved TNG as a kid though. Data! Worf!) but yet I'm really pleased that not only has the movie received such a positive reception so far, but that Pine and Quinto's performances have been especially singled out for praise. Like, they took on two characters that are pop culture icons and were apparently not only able to hold their own against that standard, but make their performances their own as well. I say "apparently" because even when I do see the movie (which will hopefully be soon, before I leave) I won't be able to do a compare/contrast until I've seen the original series, which if I like the movie I will probably wind up doing. *g*

Since you mentioned Casino Royale, it reminds me somewhat of the seething fan rage that went on after Craig was announced as Bond, and how almost everyone fell silent after Royale came out.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Yeah, really, it's a minor triumph for geekdom in general! It's the principle of the thing! Although based on the audience with us last night, I certainly hope that the box office reflects the praise.

Yeah, well, I know I certainly scoffed when Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker! Shows what we know, eh? Although Mark Hamill is still the best...

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

Whoa-whoa-whoa! Slow down with the quick-shot-questions, slick.

Phew. Okay.

RE5 was pretty fun. I liked the partner system. I liked playing the game online with my friends and I also like that you can play it 2-player offline. The story was very predictable, and yet, I didn't mind. Overall, it's a good game. It was well worth my money.

The series has definitely warped into something much different. When RE4 came out, I was pretty angry. Not to say RE4 wasn't fun, but it wasn't RE anymore. It had turned into some kind of 3rd-person shooter hybrid of Metal Gear Solid and Silent Hill (two games I like anyway). I do yearn for the old system of the games. The terrible tank controls, the shitty voice acting, the ZOMBIES. I miss it all terribly. I suppose there's a reason I still have almost every copy of the previous games. I go back to play them so darn much. I know they're trying to make Resident Evil appeal to newer fans and I'm not angry about that. I just don't want them to forget that zombies and giant outbreaks in cities are the main reason most people like the games.

As for the game being racist - I didn't think it was. I mean, sure, the game takes place in Africa and it really wouldn't make sense for everyone in Africa to suddenly be white. And let's face it, in RE4, the Spaniards were being shot left and right and no one argued about that. Seems kind of unfair if you ask me. Not to mention that they mix in the odd white person every now and then in mobs. Okay, so the Japanese aren't exactly known for their political correctness, but I think they tried (especially when they decided to make the partner character, Sheva, African). There are some parts of the game that could be deemed offensive. One section involves traveling through an infected village and the locals are wearing some questionable traditional clothing. I dunno.

Finally, on the subject of Wesker - I have always hated his character. He was even more annoying and more overrated in this game than ever. With his stupid Matrix-esque attire and weird psudo-English accent, I was pretty darn glad about not having to deal with him anymore when I finally finished the game.

Sorry to rant. I'm pretty passionate about my RE-fandom.

No, I have not seen Wrath of Kahn! I was going to fix that though since I'd heard it was the best of the Star Trek movies. I'll take your advice about the other movies too though. I trust your judgment.

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

Mmm, Daniel Craig. I absolutely love him as Bond. And I'm a long time Bond fangirl too. D:

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Haha! Sorry, I'm halfway into a bottle of wine with ties to a certain hilarious part of my life that I shall go into in the near future.

Yeah, I didn't find Sheva nearly as annoying and stupid as some reviewers, but she definitely did get in the way sometimes. Also, if I have to hear, "We have to get that thing off of her chest!" one more time, I will happily swallow a plaga.

Yes, I too miss the zombies and the maddening controls! Did you hear that apparently the creator of RE hates RE5? Why is that? Maybe they'll finally find their way back with the next part. I do miss the Romero-ness of the original series.

Full disclosure: the only RE game I ever played was 2. So I have only peripheral knowledge of Wesker. But the impression I always got of him was... well, did you ever watch X-FILES? Does the name Alex Krychek mean anything to do? I always rather liked the idea of Wesker as a bad guy who was always kind of getting dicked over, and insufferable as he was, I found myself kind of rooting for him to finally dick over the other villains before the hero finally killed him. Does that make sense?

Honestly, some of my main RE knowledge after 2 comes from these videos:





So while we're on the subject of zombies... how do you feel about Romero? Awesome, or totally awesome?

Yes, do so! And please do report back on your thoughts! Hearing what converts to TREK think about the classics will be very interesting to me (speaking as a non-Trekkie myself, I should stress; bear that in mind).

The general rule of thumb about TREK movies is that the even numbered ones are good, the odd numbered ones are crap. That doesn't hold true throughout, but that'll help get you started. That said, I don't recall how good 3 is, but it becomes very important to the mythos for a couple reasons, as you'll see.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I love him too, but I *still* say he was a sunken English chest! Everyone swoons when he comes out of the water, but when he turns around, I swear his abs stick out more than his sunken pecs, and it's dang distracting!

[kosher-jenny.livejournal.com]

I know! I kinda want to pat them on the head for a job well done and buy them a drink. The whole cast, really. They're all pretty adorable.

I was pretty unsure about Ledger as well! Even though I liked him as an actor at the time, I wasn't really quite aware of the kind of range he was truly capable off. I think a lot of people weren't until it was too late, sadly. I was also a Craig scoffer for a short period of time, until I saw Layer Cake.

I hear you on Mark Hamill. Have you seen the trailers for the Batman: Arkham Asylum game? They've got Hamill, Conroy, and Sorkin back for VA duties, and the actual game itself looks like it could even be good! Also, Dini wrote the script. Hamill is doing something a little different with his Joker voice though, and I'm not quite sure if I like it yet, but it's Mark freakin' Hamill as the Joker so I'm sure he'll be excellent either way. He's still got the laugh(s) though. Makes me wish I had an xbox 360...

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

... I wasn't looking at his abs.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Someone said Yelchin added absolutely nothing as Chekhov. WTF? I totally wanted to cuddle Chekov every second he was on screen!

(BTW, have you seen BABYLON 5? Watching WRATH OF KAHN today just reminded me of how awesome Koening was as Bester on B5)

Indeed, I am anxiously awaiting ARKHAM ASYLUM! The character design is a bit HOT TOPIC for my tastes, and I worry about the clash that might occur between that and Dini's sensibilities, but I certainly have high hopes. Now if they can just Harvey in there, and have Richard Moll voice him, we'll be solid.

And I hear you on the slightly different Hamill Joker voice. I'm not sure if I like it yet either, but I'm not sure I dislike it either. We'll just have to see how it plays. There are times when even Hamill phones it in. Of course, maybe the literal film school script is to blame for this:



Yeah, I am most anxious to see how this game turns out. Comic-based games notoriously almost-always suck, but... but Dini! And Hamill! And Conroy and Sorkin!!!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

...

And suddenly, it all becomes clear why no one has noticed his sunken chest.

[kosher-jenny.livejournal.com]

HE IS A PIECE OF SUAVE YET ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES MAN CANDY DAMN YOU also he wasn't as bulked up in Quantum of Solace so the chest thing wasn't as obvious. But I would have needed more shirtless or nude scenes...in order to draw a full conclusion. Yeah.

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

Resident Evil 2?! That's my favorite and probably the best game IMO. I love that game so much. It had all the best elements.

I've never seen more than three X-Files episodes in my entire life and I do not remember anything about them. Okay, I lied. I remember that one of them had to do with this voodoo guy and sticking a doll into a microwave and burning some chick. But that's not important.

Wesker was just all "BLAH BLAH, I'M EVIL, SEE YOU GUYS? I'M SOOO EVIL! BLAAAHHH!" The only thing that could have possibly made him cheesier is if his name was Mr. Sinister Blond Guy! The only time he ever got screwed over was in the first one. When he got impaled and left for dead. And then Capcom used THE KERBLOPDEEPOO SPECIAL PLOT RESURRECTION MACHINE to bring him back because they ran out of ideas for evil people. That and it's entertaining to hear him hiss "CHRIISSSS!" over and over.

Romero is awesome. His older stuff is totally awesome. Newer stuff - eh, it's not good but it's not exactly bad. Diary of the Dead was kind of bleh. The idea was neat but it wasn't pulled off very well. Day of the Dead was poo. And Land of the Dead had it's moments. Moments like when Dennis Hopper's character says, "Zombies: man, they creep me out."

Dawn of the Dead is and will forever be my favorite Romero movie. Hands down.

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

I was... looking... at his... eyes? Yeah, let's go with that.

Sunken chest or not, he's one fine dude. I'd tap that.

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

Quantum of Solace was disappointing in the nude Danny area. Needed more spicy sex scenes too. :[

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

Anton Yelchin is my new crush. He was absolutely fucking adorable in Star Trek. Just putting that out there.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Really? Well then huzzah, because I love that game too, even though it's the only one I've played! This worked out for the best!

Well, if you ever DO watch X-FILES, keep an eye out for Alex Krycek. He's kind of awesome. A lower-level bad guy who gets dicked over at every turn, makes enough trouble to be a threat, but is ultimately still kind of pathetic. I rather love those characters. I got the impression that Wesker was sort of that character from what I've heard, which is why all his pompousness and annoying matrix characteristics didn't bother me. In fact, I was almost thinking, "Aww, look at him: he's gone through so much, he deserves a bit of pompous dorkishness before we totally ruin his good time."

Also, I am *totally* LOLing at "CHRIIIIISSS!!" It's so true. What strikes me as odd as why would someone so pseudo-refined as Wesker call Chris by his first name? He should be cursing "REDFIIIIELD!!!" What puts him on first-name basis with Chris?

Seriously, RE fangirl, what is it with Umbrella types constantly going on about "I'm becoming so much more than you can possibly imagine!" Really, what's wrong with just getting lots of money, or even a nice spot of tea? Why are they always so obsessed with "becoming" something so much more than human? Silly Umbrella types.

Haha, as we were playing the game and stealing native idols for money, my friend quipped, "Look at me, I'm British!" We were sad because we thought we'd never be able to have anyone else get the joke.

Also, when Sheva and Chris told their backstories, my friend Mike imitated Chris by saying, "Yes, I understand how you feel. The bond between parent and child is just like that between partners."

Hey, now. Say what you will about DAY OF THE DEAD, but I will bar no ill will spoken about Bub or Rhodes. Especially Bub. You have nothing bad to say about Bub, do you? Because we will have WORDS, lady.

[kosher-jenny.livejournal.com]

Me too, me too. I would go so far as to even say that Craig might be my favorite Bond, over Connery by an edge. Which I know is sacralicious (ahem) but I thought that the two Craig movies did a really nice job developing the character of Bond a bit further than a lot of the previous movies had done. I also thought, at the risk of sounding cheesy here, that even though Craig plays Bond like he has a bit of a soul. Whereas with Connery take you always got the feeling that despite all the charm and such he was, at heart, a deeply unpleasant person, a sociopath. Which is something I find very interesting, don't get me wrong, but I think I prefer the Craig take.


Also when Daniel Craig was on the Daily Show he was incredibly adorable and nervous because he is apparently a fanboy and at no point did he tell Jon that it's sometimes okay to hit women, which puts him above Connery in my book.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I don't think putting him above Connery is too much sacrilege when you consider that it's generally believed that Craig is much closer to Ian Flemming's book!Bond than Connery! At this point, it seems like the only contender Craig has to the original, darker, more ruthless Bond is Timothy Dalton: the darker Bond before it was cool.

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

Basically, Capcom has to revert to the James Bondian tactics of making all the evil people try to take over the world simply because it makes for a sure cause for wanting to finish the game. Or something. By the 7th game, I'm sure they'll have some kind of evil moon laser that will destroy the earth by firing dead-crows as ammunition. And it will JUST BE LIKE THAT BECAUSE they're the ones who made the game. Those crazy Japanese game designers.

I've had many good times playing RE5 with people. Although most of those sessions consist of me yelling various colorful exclamations at the screen when I screw up on one of those fancy button-pressing cutscenes or me being a jackass with a stun-rod and a knife for the hell of it.

And if I hear the word "partner" one more time, I will stuff some Uroboros down my throat. Although, now that I think about it... Sheva lost both her parents and then trained to become a kick ass fighter. HMMM. African Batman? Sans the money and suit, of course. :D

Oh, and BTW I was bashing the remake of Day of the Dead. I have nothing against the old one. I loved it. Bub is the coolest zombie to have ever lived- erm... died. So please don't eat me! I'm stringy and I have no meat on my bones! :|

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

I absolutely agree 100% with you, don't worry. He's my favorite Bond and will probably be that for a very long time.

And yes, Daniel Craig is one of the most charming and down-to-earth men. I love him. :D

[kosher-jenny.livejournal.com]

But the guy playing Chekov looks the most adorable of all!

Oh man, B5. I have heard good things, but it is such a huge-ass series, and I still have a lot of good TV shows that I want to watch, so it will probably be a long while yet before I get to that one.

And yeah, on the Harley design. :\ "Attacked by a passing Macfarlane Toys designer" was what came to mind when I first saw it.

I have no idea if they'll have Two-Face in there or not. They seem to be going for the nostalgia angle pretty hard. On the other hand, the non-Joker related villains that we know for certain that are in it so far lean towards the big brawler side (Bane, Killer Croc, Zsasz) which make sense given what we know about the fighting system, but could rule out fighting against certain types of characters (though Two Face could be in the game and not be a fightable opponent obviously). He's listed on wiki page, along with pretty much the big list of the Batman baddies, but there's no citation. So I guess it's just a case of having to wait and see.

(Also, Oracle might be in there! Yay Babs!)

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I like how you have no managed to tie this and the James Bond topic below together! Thank you, Umbrella Corporation, for bringing this geek conversation full circle!

Did you have "fun" with the lamp down in the mine shaft as well? "AUGH, FUCKING LAMP!" is something I heard several times over.

Oh good, whew! Because I can understand how someone might not care for DAY, but Bub... he's a deal-breaker. Just gotta lay that out there right now. Also, if you can enjoy Rhodes, that's even better. Just yesterday I found myself wanting to shout, "I'M RUNNING THIS MONKEY-FARM NOW, FRANKENSTEIN!!!" No particular reason, just cuz.

But yeah, the original DAWN is the still the best. I think my favorite is DAY just because of Bub, Rhodes, and the gore effects, but DAWN is the best, and it gets better each time I see it. I can show that to even non-zombie-movie fans, and they can always go, "Wow, that was better than I was expecting!" Faint praise, but yeah.

Oh, who am I kidding. I would never eat anyone who can share my Harvey obsession to such a level as you. Ooh, by the way, I'm really excited with the new version of the first post-acid chapter. I've got a whole scene with Tony Zucco that I think will really pay off. Now we'll just have to see if I can pull of the rest of my crazy-pants ambitions for this book's new direction!

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I hated Yelchin in HEARTS IN ATLANTIS, where he suffered from a major case of a child actor trying too hard. But then again, that movie missed the point on so many levels in the first place. Once you make mere CIA Agents out of characters who are supposed to be otherworldly inter-dimensional agents of the ultimate personification of evil and badness and all things wrong in Stephen King's fucked-up mind, you know you've lost your way early on.

B5, like TREK, takes a bit of time and investment. It's often cheesy, the acting is questionable, and the first season is a bit of a slog. But if you can endure it, the rewards are substantial. It's amazing. Some of the best sci-fi space opera ever made. The ideas are thrilling, and the characters are so wonderful that even the badly-acted ones attain a certain charm of their own. Take Walter Koening: he couldn't act his way out of a nutsack, and yet his character somehow becomes one of the most compelling assholes in the entire series!

I haven't heard any confirmation of Harvey being in the game, but I have heard that you collect Two-Face coins throughout, so there'd be at least that. Hrm...

[kosher-jenny.livejournal.com]

I must confess that even though I've seen most of the Bond movies, I've never actually seen the Dalton ones. *ducks* I've heard a lot about him being the most unappreciated Bond, so I'll have to keep an eye out and record his films when they should up during the next TV Bond marathon.

I've certainly heard that about Craig being closest to Flemming's original version (and how what the slickness that most people associate with Bond really wasn't there in the books) and I've been meaning to read some of the books for a while now. Apparently he was very unkind to his main character. I believe the knotted rope trick came straight from the book, for example.

[kosher-jenny.livejournal.com]

I don't really watch or read interviews with actors much, so it's always a pleasant surprise when I discover that an actor I like turns out to be a pretty nice person. :)

[kosher-jenny.livejournal.com]

Maybe you can collect the coins and bring them to Harvey for a bonus reward! Or an extra punishment...

Arrgh, so much stuff to watch! I still need to finish Rome's second season, and I've got Danger Man next on my Netflix cue. And then five seasons of The Wire, then Deadwood...but I'll get to B5 one day!

Wait, so Yelchin is Kyle Reese in the new Terminator movie? And he's the same age as my little brother? (wow, younger than I thought) Also when I looked him up on imdb I saw this photo and ahahaha! :'D I want to steal his hat and ruffle his hair SO MUCH

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

THE MINE SHAFT. YES. My friend always makes me carry the stupid lamp because he's a better shot and he hates carrying it and I'm usually Sheva and blah blah blah (basically, I'm sidekick material). But when I do carry it, I usually end up dropping it around in random places just to make things silly.

Also, trip-wires get the most of my obscenities.

Yay for the Harvey book! I believe in you and your crazy-pants! I'm sure you'll pull it off wonderfully. *waves half-red, half-blue pom-poms*

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

Mmm. One of the many reasons I'm excited for Terminator: Salvation. Kyle Reese = love. I'm sure he'll do just as well as Michael Biehn.

And he's only 2 years older than me! Muahaha. -stalks-

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I dunno, Yelchin only NOW earned my respect, and even then, he's gonna have to seriously work hard to live up to the Biehnster.

Honestly, can't we just get Biehn back? I don't care that he's, like, thirty years older and looks like my shoe now, BIEHN GOTTA EAT.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

Oh, the trip-wires. Really, trip-wires plus zombie dogs equals fuuuuuuuuuuuuuun times.

Ha! That's a visual to keep me going through the harder parts. Man, I hope I can pull this off. It's a hell of an idea, one that totally fits him becoming the Two-Face we all know and love, and yet has the potential to totally change how you look at the character at the same time. Like, "Yes, that's Two-Face all right... but I never quite realized what Two-Face was until now." But let's see if I can do it.

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

I admit, Biehn's the man. WAIT. Does this also somehow come full circle to the entire post if I say Star Trek = Anton Yelchin = Kyle Reese = Michael Biehn = Planet Terror = zombies = Resident Evil = Umbrella = Bondian Villains = 007 = Daniel Craig?

I win! Where's my prize?

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

I've seen all the Bond films and Dalton's were good but they were missing a few key elements. That and where Craig was charming and smooth, Dalton came off kind of distant and no-nonsense. Then again, at least he wasn't Roger Moore. Blech.

I have some of the books and they are very different from the movies. One entire book is even told from the perspective of the female lead (and pretty much ends up turning into soft-core porn, pssft).

He does get beaten up a lot. And I mean a LOT.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

[nectarousness.livejournal.com]

But... I wanted a burger with the president. :[