Misguided Geek

New Pacific Rim Trailer! Us (AKA me) over at...

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:29:23 -0400

New Pacific Rim Trailer!

Us (AKA me) over at MisguidedGeek Headquarters (AKA my living room) have been excited about Guillermo Del Toro’s new Monster/Mech movie for some time. I mean seriously, what is not to love? At its best, this could be a live action Evangelion full of deep character development and intriguing, interlacing story arcs, but even if the story is terrible, you know the visuals are going to be stunning. I could watch monsters and mechs fight all day…. ALL DAY.

Beyond just more mechanical pron, this new trailer gives a little back story on the Kaiju (monsters), where the came from, what they did, and how humanity learned that the only way to beat giant monsters is to make giant ass robots, link two pilots minds together, stuff them in side, and have them beat the pulp out of each other (duh).

Man, these movies are all up in my wheel house. I know, its been done dozens of times in dozens of different ways. Humanity is doomed, there is no hope for survival, the odds are too far out of our favor, but we have to fight back…. “Today is our independence Day” or “WE WIN, GRACIE!”, or in the words of the amazing Idris Elba “Today we are canceling the Apocalypse!” I love this stuff, I eat it up, inspirational speeches give me goose bumps, and I love when humanity beats up on aliens. Del Toro’s new offering looks to deliver.

Pacific Rim should be on your summer movie list, look for it in theaters July 12.

MisguidedGeek’s First Pathfinder Campaign: GAME OVER I...

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:01:10 -0400

MisguidedGeek’s First Pathfinder Campaign: GAME OVER

I havent posted about my first Pathfinder Campaign in a while, so I thought I would update and, unfortunately, conclude this series. To be quite honest, there hasnt been much to report, I have just been gaming, moving along, learning the system, and getting comfortable with the role playing dynamics. It has been fun getting to know this new type of game play as well as my fellow role players, Unfortunately, our GM is moving away from our fair city, so we have ended our game quite unceremoniously.

I havent quite decided at this point if this will be my first foray into table top RPG’s, or my only attempt in this genre. There are definite things I like, the customization, the role playing dynamics, meeting all the other gamers, just to name a few. However, there are just as many draw backs, the confusing game play mechanics, the sometimes awkward meet ups, and the very slow, plodding pace of the game.

Whats the old adage ”Its not the destination but the journey” or something like that? This was indeed a journey, i put myself out there, tried some new and excited things, and came away with a better understanding of an area in the geek realm which I was unfamiliar with. Dont fret, Jex still lives, thanks to the fact that I registered him with Paizo, however I have a feeling he will be taking an extended vacation before returning to his Pathfinder ways.

NBC Brings More Bite with Dracula Long time reader Bedour...

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:48:00 -0400

NBC Brings More Bite with Dracula

Long time reader Bedour Al-Sharrah sent me the below tweet:

I had not yet seen the trailer for NBC’s new Vamp Drama Dracula, buy my initial reaction was “Do we really need more vampires clogging up our airwaves?” We have the Twilight movies, Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter, Vampire Diaries, Being Human, which I am admittedly endeared with, and this isnt even counting the various monster shows and movies out there currently (aka Grimm). At some point we have to reach some pre-prescribed limit of how much blood sucking that can be out there, until the whole genre just sucks right? So, I checked out the trailer, and based on this quick look at the new show, I see things I like and things that make me nervous.

LOOKS GOOD

The pedigree. Written/Directed by Dan Knauf (Carnivale, Supernatural, also comic book writer), but some episodes will also be directed by Andy Goddard (Downton Abbey) and Steve Shill (Dexter). These are some well traveled, experience folks who have seen success in storytelling in this genre and time period. I also like the premise, rather than do what so many are doing, Vampires today, this is a re-imagination of the original text, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. If it is able to keep the intensity and dread, and forboding air of the book, I think it will be a great show. Also, I love seeing Nonso Anozie In anything (GOT, Conan).

DO NOT LIKE

All though I put emphasis on the pedigree, I really dont think that means much any more. Just because a name is put with something, does not mean its defacto going to be awesome (Moffat excluded). And although the premise looks interesting, I can already see some over done tropes emerging (flashbacks, vampires fighting on roofs, mysterious puzzles) that make me nervous that his is just going to be another love/action/drama, to fill up NBC’s lack luster Friday night line up.

This is merely one Geeks humble opinion, check out the trailer below, let me know your thoughts in the comments or tweet at me as Bedour did with your thoughts, @Misguidedgeek. Look for Dracula this fall on NBC.

Thank you to Bedour Al-Sharrah for brining this to my attention, for your sake I hope its amazing, but from what I have seen so far I am nervous. Have something you would like me to weigh in on? Leave me a comment in a post, use the “Ask” feature built into the blog, or hit me up on Twitter or Facebook.

Odd Thomas Trailer I had heard rumors that one of my favorite...

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:43:00 -0400

Odd Thomas Trailer

I had heard rumors that one of my favorite books and all around characters Odd Thomas, created by Dean Koontz, was getting his own movie. I heard them, was slightly interested, and then moved on. Then, my pal Jamie, alerted me of the above trailer for the movie which, again, I wasnt even aware was in production, starring all around wiz kid Anton Yelchin (aka the new Chekov.)

While I dont think he is a terrible choice for the role of Odd, he looks to bring a little quirk to the role, I dont think he is… well as odd as the character from the pages. My first impression is that they have taken Koontz strange, intense, whimsical title and turned it into a mainstream YA action flick. It still looks fun, but, at least from the trailer, it doesnt seem to have the heart that the book has.

Ill hold off judgment until I see the movie which from everything I have seen has no official release date yet.

Gearing up for Heroes Con 2013! I was recently reminded that we...

Thu, 09 May 2013 19:06:10 -0400

Gearing up for Heroes Con 2013!

I was recently reminded that we are only about 4 weeks away from Heroes Con 2012 “America’s Favorite Convention.” I have bee meaning to do this for some time, but I have been throwing around some business card ideas, hopefully to better keep in contact with all the great people we will meet in Charlotte. Let me know what you think, as well as if you are planning to attend the con.

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW

Meet Caitlin from Contagious Costuming! I had the distinct...

Wed, 08 May 2013 16:25:00 -0400

Meet Caitlin from Contagious Costuming!

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Caitlin this past weekend at Free Comic Book day over at Acme Comics, and I was absolutely blown away by her take on Thanos. There were a ton of great cosplayers out this year, see my last post for some additional images, but in my very humble opinion, Lady Thanos took the MisguidedGeek prize for Cos-Of-The-Day! Simply phenomenal work, great attention to details, just check out that head piece, the make up, and of course the chin! Nice work all around, done by someone who, I picked up quickly in my short conversation with her, is passionate about their craft and thrilled to be a part of this culture.

Caitlin is not alone in her passion for all things geeky here, and I think she is a testament to the often unseen, but always present, nerd culture in my home town of Greensboro North Carolina. I am thrilled when I see our local dens of geekyness get some national and regional recognition, like Geeksboro, and Acme Comics (Eisner nominated and host of the first Comic Book City Con). Caitlin thinks this is the “nerdiest city in NC”, a statement which I wholly agree with.

I thank Caitlin very much for letting me share a little about her. To learn more, or to see more shots of her Thanos, check out the Contagious Costuming Facebook Page, as well as the Cosplayer Chronicle video my buddy Blake did from Distractotron!

Free Comic Book Day 2013 Left Overs Well another FCBD is in the...

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:05:52 -0400

Free Comic Book Day 2013 Left Overs

Well another FCBD is in the books, and yes the haul was great, but one does not go and wait in line for nearly two and a half hours JUST for a bag of free comics. You go for the people, to see old friends and make new ones. I have been going to FCBD for more than a few years at my local shop, but every year seems to be better than the last. The excitement, the comradeship, the fact that comic books, as simple as they are can bring a very diverse group of people together.

As one can see in the video above (Check me out at 2:51) you see parents and children, old folks and young, cosplayers, geeks and nerds of all ways shapes and backgrounds. I had the distinct pleasure of spending the day with my pal Tim from NorthStateNerd and my pal Blake, the man behind Distractotron and BeatDownBoogie, and I ran into Xombirick, one of the kingpins of the Wicked Radio Network, of which this humble bog is a proud member of. I also met a ton of cool folks (one of which I plan to highlight later this week) and of course, got my comic fix on.

All in all, it was a great day to be a geek! Check out the album below for some additional images, some are from me, but the better ones are from Distractotron’s Facebook Page (GO LIKE IT!)

HAPPY FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! Just like every year, I will be...

Sat, 04 May 2013 07:49:00 -0400

HAPPY FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

Just like every year, I will be spending this glorious day at my local shop, the multiple time Eisner nominated Acme Comics, right here in my home town of Greensboro North Carolina. This year I have the pleasure of spending with my pal Tim from North State Nerd. Should be a great day, if you are in Greensboro, give me a shout, otherwise keep an eye on the MG twitter page as I will be updating the day from there.

Time Has Gone all Wibbly Woobly Hello faithful readers! Sorry...

Wed, 01 May 2013 20:22:00 -0400

Time Has Gone all Wibbly Woobly
Hello faithful readers! Sorry I havent posted in a few days, for those of you who wish to hear a little about my life, keep reading, for those of you who dont just know I have a TON of new and exciting content slated to go up in the next few weeks, so check back soon!
Still reading? Awesome! So life got crazy quite quickly, I have dividend my last two weeks between writing my final paper for my last real grad school class, although I still have to do a final graduate paper and a comprehensive exam that will take a year to work on (sigh), studing for a spanish language examj (como se dice Im going to fail the shit out that test) and spending time on the road for work. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you should know that one of the perks of my job is that I get to trave to fun and exciting locations, like Newark, or Ft. Lauderdale! These last two weeks I have been on the road almost everday, in New Jersey, New York and Im on my last night on my last trip in Boston. This brings us to the picture above, I only brought my dress shoes and a pair of chucks, so I rocked the grey chuck/grey suit look while walking to all my programs, who says David Tennant is they only bro who can rock chucks and a suit (everyone).
All that said, my paper is done, my travels are done, and once this exam is ~~done~~ failed, I can commit the rest of my summer to MisguidedGeek. I have a lot of cool things coming up, so stick around!

I Love You Etsy: Krang Apron I haven’t done an Etsy post...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:23:00 -0400

I Love You Etsy: Krang Apron

I haven’t done an Etsy post in a while, but I couldn’t pass up this spectacular Krang Apron. Haute Mess’s Etsy shop sports many villian inspired hand-made aprons, from Bobba Fett and Two Face, to Harley Quinn and Mystique, but in my geeky opinion Krang is far and away the best.

This one of a kind, hand made apron can be yours, for the low price of $150… yeah $150.

Etsy.

New Star Trek Into Darkness Trailer, First Look at new Star...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:15:00 -0400

New Star Trek Into Darkness Trailer, First Look at new Star Ship!

The recently released Into Darkness trailer gives us our first good look at John Harrison’s ( Benedict Cumberbatch AKA could still be Khan) war ship. Spoiler alert, this massive new ship destroys the Enterprise in the below trailer, which on its own is pretty great.

Something struck me though, about the way the sauce section connects to the body of the ship and where the deflector dish lies… something familiar about it…

Could this be our first look at an Excelsior class star ship in JJ Abrams new Star Trek universe? Lets very scientifically compare the Constitution Class Enterprise with the new War Ship in the above screen grab from the new trailer.

My terrible Photoshop skills aside, lets look a the above size comparison of the two ships from the trailer, to a more exact look of the Constitution vs Excelsior lines

Not exact mind you, but for me close enough to hint at the possibility of an Excelsior inclusion to Abrams Star Trek continuum. What say you geeks? Would it not also make sense, since Cumberbatch’s character is supposed to be some Federation Black Ops commando, that they give him and his crew the most advanced ship in the fleet? Could Cumberbatch’s ship be an early model Excelsior class star ship? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

*NOTE: Both Excelsior images not from the screen grab come from Ex-Astris-Scientia, an amazing resource for detailed star ship analysis*

**UPDATE**

This below image, from IO9 and gives us a better look at the new ship, which I have seen being called a Dreadnaught class starship.

/p>

New Arrested Development Posters No further commentary needed,...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:02:02 -0400

New Arrested Development Posters

No further commentary needed, Arrested Development returns exclusively to Nextflix on May 26th. Just for fun, below is a picture of me as Tobias Funke from a couple years ago.

Lots more over at Empire… no more of me as a never-nude.

popculturebrain:

New Posters: ‘Arrested Development’ on Netflix | TV Line

First Trailer for Elysium is out, and its...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:13:11 -0400

First Trailer for Elysium is out, and its Sci-Fi-credible!!!

Elysium is Neill Blomkamp follows his last film District 9 as a gritty, dirty Science Fiction rollercoaster, again pitting the have’s against the have-not’s. Rather than Prawn’s vs Humans, this pits Earthers vs the utiopian citizens of Elysium.

Man, I love Science Fiction, and this trailer brings it all. We got, space, space stations, dystopia vs utopia, mechs, tech, robots… bald men. Just think, Neill Blomkamp was tapped to direct a Halo movie right after District 9. As you know this never was green lit, but look at that shot of Elysium early in the trailer, and imagine what could have been.

Elysium will be released in theaters on August 9th.

What it Means to be a Geek I think its nice, from time to time,...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:15:00 -0400

What it Means to be a Geek

I think its nice, from time to time, to revisit what it means to be a “Geek”. I get asked often, to break down the differences between a Geek and a Nerd, or discuss the minutia that differentiates the different levels of geekdom. I saw this quote from Simon Pegg a while back, and for me, he hits it on the head. Being a geek, is just being unashamed to do what you love, ESPECIALLY if its outside the social norms.

If you are an adult and like to play with toys, do it, you are a geek. If you like to break down every basketball stat line from every high school team in Alabama, do it, you are a geek. Like to collect really rare and vintage LP’s, do it, you are a geek. Like to dress up in chain mail and hit other guys in chain mail with foam swords, you sir are a geek.

Being a geek is doing what you like to do, and sharing that with with world. In my humble opinion, if you can do that, and feel good about your self, and who you are as a person, then you are doing life right.

As always, stay geeky.

Roku 3 Unboxing and Review If you have been keeping up with my...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:01:47 -0400

Roku 3 Unboxing and Review

If you have been keeping up with my battle against the power house that is cable television, then you know my reasons, you know my plan, and you know that I recently picked up a Roku HD. In my last post I mentioned that everything was moving forward as planned and that I had also bought a Roku 3 to add to my streaming arsenal. Well my new little black box of fun came in the mail the other day, so I wanted to share with you fine folks the glorious unboxing and a quick review.

Whats in the Box?!?!?

Like the HD, no much. Packed in side is the streaming puck itself, remote, power chord, quick start guide and, specific to the Roku 3, special edition purple head phones!

First Impressions

The Roku 3 is smaller than the HD (see pictures above), its a little more rounded, and contoured than the previous Roku, its also slightly heavier than the embarrassingly light HD. Check out that sweet backside of the 3, ports galore, Ethernet, HDMI, Micro SD, and there is also a USB Port on the side. The remote is thicker and heavier than the HD remote, due im sure to the motion sensing functions not offered in the HD counterpart. The remote is also glossy (again see above) as opposed to the matte finish of the HD remote, I cant say Im a fan of this. The 3 remote also has a cool feature where you can plug in a set of head phones for silent viewing.

How Well Does it Work?

In short, amazing! Set up is a breeze, I was watching “House of Cards” within 10 minutes of opening the box. Just like all the Roku’s the channel catalog is overwhelming streaming from the big guys, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, is easy, and the form factor makes this guy almost invisible. My favorite part of the 3 though, is the headphone jack in the remote. I thought it would be gimmicky but with works really REALLY well. I no longer have to feel guilty about my late night “West Wing” marathons while the wife is sleeping!

Final Thoughts.

Whether you are like me and are trying to get rid of cable, or just looking for an easier way to get your Netflix fix, the Roku 3 is the best streaming box on the market, unless everything you own is Apple and you buy everything from iTunes, this is your guy.

The Roku 3 MSRP $99,

First Look of CBS’s new show Under the Dome Adapted from...

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:01:47 -0400

First Look of CBS’s new show Under the Dome

Adapted from Stephen King’s Book of the same name, Under the Dome chronicles the trials and tribulations of a small Main town that is cut of from the rest of civilization by a mysterious force field. This show has been in the pipeline for a while, and if this first look is any indication, it should be a very exciting ride, hopefully along the lines of the first few seasons of Lost and now… you know the last few seasons of Lost.

Smith and Tennant at 50th Anniversary Rehearsal. I havent had...

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:01:35 -0400

Smith and Tennant at 50th Anniversary Rehearsal.

I havent had much Who here in some time, mainly because you guys dont me me to get you excited. We have started season 7.5, and are building to the 50th Anniversary spectacular which, as EVERYONE KNOWS will feature a return of Tennant and Piper among others. Its, exciting, I know, Im there with you.

Yet for all the 50th Anniversary buzz, thats all its really been. Just buzz. But here, we have concrete, photographic proof that THIS IS REALLY HAPPENING! These are great times to be be alive people… great times.

Doctor Who News

northstatenerd: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Pics Here are some...

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:54:14 -0400

northstatenerd:

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Pics

Here are some stills from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, posted by the films director, Marc Webb. You can draw your own conclusions from these pics, but judging from the Ravencroft Institute pic, my guess is that Edward Whelan/Vermin will be in this film (played by Colm Feore) but not for very long, as we already know Electro and Rhino will be in the movie.

I do wonder what the OsCorp box contains. My guess is Electro’s suit, which based on the spoilers floating around will be more like his modern costume from the Ultimate universe and not the tradition yellow and green one. Which is not surprising really, but a tad disappointing.

As for the locker looking door with the 14 on it, I think this is more or less an homage to fans, as locker 14 is the locker that contained the Venom suit. I doubt that anyone is real eager to attempt a venom storyline again.

Follow Marc Webb on Twitter for more updates and shots from TASP2!

Misguided Geek: Cutting the Cable I wanted to update everyone...

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 08:09:53 -0400

Misguided Geek: Cutting the Cable

I wanted to update everyone on my quest to break away from the beast that is Time Warner Cable. We have had the Roku HD now for about 3 weeks, and although we still have cable downstairs, we haven’t really been using it. My wife, although hesitant, has been using the Roku a ton, especially Hulu Plus. In her words “its just like having a DVR, but I dont have to worry about it filling up.”

I have to say, this transition has been much easier than I thought. I find myself consuming media much more purposefully, rather than just having the TV on and surfing around, I really am watching what I want when I want, its a much more effective use of my time. It is really liberating, and pretty fun.

So the next step is the big one, cutting the cable. The plan is to return our last box next week and officially cut cable ties with Time Warner Cable, although we will still be using them for as our internet provider. I also just ordered the recently announced Roku 3, and will move the Roku HD down stairs, so that the private viewing option of the Roku 3 remote can be fully utilized in the bed room. We debated on the Roku vs the Apple TV, but the decision came down to the fact that we dont really buy anything from iTunes, nor do either of us use a Mac. Once that makes it home Ill do another unboxing… with better pictures I promise.

FIGHT THE POWER!

Geeksboro named as one of America’s Best Coffee Shops! MY...

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:16:40 -0400

Geeksboro named as one of America’s Best Coffee Shops!

MY coffee shop and local Greensboro gem, Geeksboro, has been named by Relish as one of America’s must visit coffee shops! There are so many reasons why this makes me happy, LET ME TELL THEM TO YOU. First Geeksboro is owned and operated by fellow UNCG alumni Joe Scott, so congrats Joe! Secondly, I think Greensboro has an understated and under appreciated geek cred, and this mention not only validates Geeksboro, but my fair city as well. Third, I love local business and I try and support them as much as possible, so Im happy any time a local business can gain any sort of national exposure, especially so soon, the shop having only being opened for about a year.

If you live in Greensboro, or North Carolina really COME VISIT THIS PLACE! Seriously, the people are great, the prices are reasonable, they have a great beer selection, pinball, video games, and they love geeks and geek culture!

Check out their website, or Facebook.