Fruitless Pursuits

Eurovision 2013: Semi Final 1

2013-05-18T03:05:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe a whole year has passed since Eurovision 2012. It seems like only yesterday we were watching Sweden's Loreen beat the rest of the competition into submission with her monster track 'Euphoria'. Now, 12 months later it's time to say 'hej!' to Malmo, Sweden as we join the party at Malmo Arena for Semi Final 1 of the 2013 competition. Before we go any further, let's check out the opening sequence from our first night of qualifying.

Yeah, so Loreen was pretty good huh? Will we find another Loreen this year? Or a cutie patootie like Ott Lepland? Or a batshit insane nutjob like Rambo Amadeus? If we're going off the quality of Semi Final 1...it's unlikely. But join me below the cut and we'll check out what went down.

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Thank GIF it's Friday!

2013-05-16T22:31:00.002-07:00

I could watch this on loop forever.

(Credit: Dan-O-Vision)

Thursday Threesome: Three Cheesy TV Shows I Just Cannot Stop Watching

2013-05-16T06:34:00.000-07:00

We’ve all been there; enjoying something we think we ought not to. Telling our friends enthusiastically about the latest developments on this television show while they look at us, one eyebrow raised in disapproval, and scoff.

Whether it’s a band, a movie or a television show, the outcome remains the same, we love what we love and there’s not a darn thing we can do about it.

Below the jump are three television shows, cheesy as they may be, some with questionable acting or fumbled plot lines, that try as I might I cannot help watching and loving in some strange way.

Enter at your own risk.

Game of Thrones Episode 3.07 Book Comparison and Review

2013-05-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

What was that? Seriously. That was the worst episode of Game of Thrones I've ever seen. A friend who has not read the book series described this season as disjointed. This is how it feels, like a cobbled together clip show and the characterisation is suffering as a result. The episodes are relying more and more on shock value and pace to tell the story and it's clear that the complexity is getting the better of the writers.

There have been some significant changes made in this episode, so under the jump you'll find some theories as to why things have changed and what this could mean for future plotlines.

Please be aware, this post will contain potential spoilers for the end of this season of Game of Thrones and the end of book 1 of A Storm of Swords. All future book series spoilers will be labelled beforehand so that you can skip if you don't want to know.

Okay, let's take a look at The Bear and the Maiden Fair.
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Book Review: Joe Hill's "NOS4A2"

2013-05-15T14:20:00.001-07:00

Resurrection, parallel universes, creepy bone hammers, rhyming minions, and a demonic Rolls Royce?

Yeah, I'm in.Read more »

DC Comics New 52 - Stryder's Weekly Top 5

2013-05-14T10:40:00.002-07:00

Hey everybody! Welcome back! This week's comics were released on May 8th, 2013. My time is short so let's jump right in! Here's my 5 favourite comics this week, in no particular order:

Batman #20 - "But as you well know, sometimes I'm my own worst enemy..."

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo let loose with part two of their quick Clayface story this month, giving us a fast-paced and fun story and really making me remember why I love this book. It's great to have this action-packed move after two huge multi-issue crossovers in a row. Plus Greg Capullo gets to have ALL SORTS of fun drawing the shape-shifting Clayface...there are so many fun textures and characters which he can become! The issue is well written, too, with a nice nod to the overall story of Bruce still being torn-up about the loss of his son Damian "Robin" Wayne, without making that the main focus of the story (as Batman's grief and rage are fully covered in TWO other Bat Comics, at least). It really makes me look forward to next month when we step into the past for a new arc that they are calling "Zero Year!"

Oh I forgot to mention the Superman/Batman back-up feature of a haunted apartment slum also wraps up...it's a nice character study of both heroes and their interactions. Just like the main feature, it is very well done! I'm impressed!

See what other comics I picked after the JUMP! Here's a hint...we're not done with BATMAN...
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The Book Was Better Podcast Episode 42: New York Minute (with guest host McNally!)

2013-05-14T02:17:00.004-07:00

The Book Was Better is the podcast where we inexplicably read the often terrible tie-in novelisation of your loved/loathed films and then discuss, debate, and make fun of it.

Episode 42 is our long-awaited, all-mighty, massive globe-spanning, star-spangled extravaganza! After many, many months of poking fun at the culture of our American friends, a real-life American listener, the indomitable McNally, joins me over skype to read the All-American favourite New York Minute, based on the movie starring twin spider monkeys Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen! A bald eagle cries! A dingo howls! It’s the U.S. versus Australia in perhaps our most significant episode yet! Miss this and you’re a communist!

You can download it right now from the official site, or why not protect your freedoms and subscribe to us on iTunes?

F**k Yeah Game of Thrones! Episode Seven: The Bear and the Maiden Fair.

2013-05-14T02:06:00.002-07:00

Ok, so this is one of those slower, filler episodes where OMG! WHAT IS HAPPENING! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?! Oh, Game of Thrones, even when you start slow, you’ve always got something insane stored up for the end!

Lots to talk about this week, not the least of which is Brienne versus an unexpected adversary, and Theon learns that keeping your Throner boner strong isn’t always the best idea. If you’re not too well-read and fancy to enjoy the ill-informed ramblings of an enthusiast who belligerently hasn’t read the books, then I’ll recap the crap out of this episode... after the jump!

Star Trek: Into Darkness Review

2013-05-14T00:17:00.001-07:00

As we approach the opening of Star Trek Into Darkness in the States, I’m sure a lot of you are waiting with baited breath. Will this film be as good as the first? Will Spock and Kirk’s friendship grow stronger? Who is Benedict Cumberbatch playing?

Is this latest outing J. J. Abrams’ finest hour? No. But, having been a long time fan of J.J., especially of his television work, I can’t say this surprises me. A lot of people expected it to have a darker tone like Chris Nolan’s recent Batman trilogy. Was it The Dark Knight? Of course not, it’s Star Trek. The film has divided fans and critics alike, but I can’t say that I was expecting a dark epic, so I wasn’t disappointed. This film, while darker than the first, doesn’t do anything heavy handed to make any particular point. That’s not the beauty of Star Trek. Trek is about exploration, a rag-tag family and moral ill-ease. Our heroes aren’t typical, they second guess themselves and many feel far out of their depth. The nuances of the journey are the heart of the story. But don’t worry; there are ship battles, fisticuffs and some explosions as well! Into Darkness was everything I expected it would be. It delivered the same grins as the first film, the same lens flare and the same adventurous nature. I thoroughly enjoyed it, right down to the 3D effects, though make sure you take something beforehand if you get motion sick; J. J. sure does love to swing that camera and zoom! Did I walk away thinking it was anything other than an adventure blockbuster like Iron Man 3 was? Absolutely not. What would be the point of expecting too much depth from either of these films? The point was to go on a space adventure with these characters, to enjoy their story and to file them away for another day.

These are the voyages of the Star Ship Enterprise.

Have you seen the film yet? Follow up under the jump for spoilers and discussion!
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Book Review: R.E.M.: Perfect Circle

2013-05-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

R.E.M. is my favorite band of all time. A favorite to the point of, when they broke up, I got a number of "are you okay" texts. I own nearly all their releases, I buy soundtracks and compilations simply because they submitted a single song to it, bought the import singles for b-sides, the whole nine yards.

This also means buying/reading a number of books. The gold standard, historically speaking, has been It Crawled From the South, which was less a biography and more a companion. R.E.M.: Fiction tried to be more of a biography, and was solid in its detail. There were others, of course, like Talk About the Passion and Reveal: The Story of R.E.M.,, neither of which were essential.

Remarks: The Story of R.E.M. was Tony Fletcher's original attempt and was also very solid, but, like all the other volumes, did not see new volumes in close to ten years, if not longer, and Fletcher finally chose to update the book following R.E.M.'s break-up. The high quality that existed with Remarks thankfully continues with Perfect Circle.Read more »

Review: Sci-Fi Revoltech 003 Kaiju Booska! Whatever That Means!

2013-05-13T02:50:00.001-07:00

WAIT! STOP! DON’T YOU DARE SCROLL PAST!

Don’t dismiss this fascinating, well-written, culturally significant article just because you’re some Western dummy that doesn’t know what a Kaiju Booska is. I don’t know what one is either, but goddamn am I determined to find out, and I want you with me, tightly holding my hand. There’s safety in numbers!

But what I DO know is, who can resist a face like this?

I happened upon Booska after recently reviewing the super-articulated Revoltech Iron Mark VII. I was browsing further Revoltech items and was filled with a heady mixture of joy and trepidation when the startling visage of giraffe/bear/baby Booska loomed alluring on the screen. At just $20 shipped, how could I resist? I couldn’t! And now I have to write an article about it to try to justify my purchase.

But if you love Japan and/or you love monsters and/or you’re really bored, then take my hand and join me... after the jump!

Doctor Who: Nightmare in Silver

2013-05-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

There’s only one episode left in season seven of Doctor Who and as we come to a close, rushing towards answers about the Doctor’s name and who Clara might be, we are treated to a Neil Gaiman Cyberman episode. The Doctor and Clara take Clara’s young friends Artie and Angie to the universe’s biggest amusement park and find much more than they bargained for. It’s a solid episode with some great characters and some good scares. The complexity of Moffat’s run has often been to the detriment of some of the things that I love about Who. This episode is simple, clean and sets the tone for next week’s thriller.

Take a look under the jump for what worked and what didn’t in Neil Gaiman’s Nightmare in Silver and the return of the beloved Cybermen.
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El Professore Movie Reviews: The Golden Voyage of Sinbad

2013-05-12T19:13:00.003-07:00

1974
Director: Gordon Hessler
Starring: John Phillip Law, Caroline Munroe, Tom Baker
* * * *

With the sad passing of Ray Harryhausen, it felt right to travel back in time to the film that started my lifelong affection for all things stop motion animated.

Full review after the jump.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Teaser

2013-05-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Look what dropped this morning! The new Joss Whedon series containing our collective hopes and dreams! Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is going to be magnificent.

Check out the trailer below, complete with our favourite Agent.

Friday Night Movie Reviews

2013-05-10T06:09:00.000-07:00

We pushed back our monthly movie review super-post to give Free Comic Book Day the attention it deserved, but we are back on track with four very varied mini-reviews. We've got a foreign treat, a modern zombie flick, a retro-gaming love letter from Pixar, and a Mel Brooks classic that you won't believe came out 20 years ago. Man, we're all so old.

Onwards to the movies!

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Thursday Threesome: Three Things the WWE is Getting Right

2013-05-09T04:30:00.000-07:00

When we did our month of wrestling posts for Marchmania in March of 2012, I was at a bit of a loss. I hadn't really kept up with it at all, having completely missed the Attitude Era and only knowing a few things secondhand through friends and such.

Shortly after we did Marchmania, however, a semi-personal connection got me hooked back in: Damien Sandow. I graduated from high school in the same class as Sandow, and while we were never really friendly (never saw each other out of school, only had a handful of classes together), I realized how serious he was about it when he showed me a picture of himself and Killer Kowalski, who was training him at the time. I always kept my eyes peeled for him as he went through the independent ranks, and while he had a quick run in 2007, it's only now that he's getting the push he's worked for since the late 1990s when he would organize independent events in Worcester.

So what started as YouTubing his matches has resulted in my setting the DVR for Raw and Smackdown, and what started as being a fan of some guy I once knew has resulted in my being a fan of wrestling again. Having watched somewhat regularly for about 6 months now, I have opinions! So that's what we do here, right? Here, for Thursday Threesome, are three things I think the WWE is really getting right:Read more »

Review: Lego Man of Steel: Superman Metropolis Showdown!

2013-05-09T01:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, Hollywood, listen up and listen good. If you’re making films that AREN’T made into Lego sets then I don’t want to hear about them. And let’s agree to stop giving awards (looking at you, Oscars) to films that don’t have a single Lego set, and yet are absolutely ripe with potential. Lego Life of Pi complete with tiger and boat? Lego Les Miserables Prostitute Docks with an Anne Hathaway minifigure who has removable hair and a miserable face printed on the other side? LIFT YOUR GAME, HOLLYWOOD.

Luckily plucky director Zack Snyder knows where it’s at, and refuse to let his Superman reboot Man of Steel go by without some well-timed Lego tie-ins. Zack Snyder wants Lego and he will defend this right with his fists! Probably. The smallest set: 76002 Superman Metropolis Showdown has just landed on my desk (because I put it there). And clearly this set represents the scene where Superman and General Zod argue about who’s going to pay to park their car.

I’m going to talk more bullshit... after the jump!

The World's End Trailer

2013-05-08T23:29:00.002-07:00

The trailer for the last movie in the "Cornetto Trilogy" has just dropped.

Will Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and director Edgar Wright be able to live up to the lofty heights of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz with this one? It's certainly looking good so far!

After a zombie film and an action film it looks decidedly sci fi for this one. Looking forward to the gang having some fun with the tropes of the genre. Also I loved seeing the jumping the fence gag from the last two pop up again. ("What, you've never taken a short cut?") I laughed pretty damn hard!

Shaun, Fuzz and Wright's Scott Pilgrim are all favourites in my household. Each getting play pretty often. Definitely a pick to watch when you've had a bad day for me.

Of course the best news if that with this release of World's End, Edgar can get straight on to work with Ant-Man. Huzzah!

I'll be there opening night for sure. It's a shame the release date is a few months after the UK and US releases but we've been pretty lucky as of late overall. Look for it October 3rd.

Spock Vs. Spock!

2013-05-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

New Audi commercial may just be the best commercial EVER!

Right? Right!

DC Comics New 52 - Stryder's Weekly Top 5

2013-05-07T10:10:00.002-07:00

Happy May everybody! As the weather turns nice, it may seem like there's just not as much time to spend on comic books every week. Well, there is! However, there isn't NEARLY as much time to write about them...which is why I've decided a format change is in order! Going forward, on any given week I'll share my thoughts on my 5 favourite books for the week! No more, no less...

So Henceforth, Stryder's Favourite Comics becomes - Stryder's Weekly Top 5! Let's start right away with the first week of May!

Green Arrow #20 - "I'll give you this, Oliver--You may not be the most gifted warrior in the world, but you are tenacious."

Green Arrow may have managed to slip through rival-archer and man-of-mystery Komodo's fingers last issue, but he won't get much of a chance to rest. What Oliver doesn't know is that one of his two "Alfred-like" support team members managed to survive the destruction of Q-Core a few issues back and is being held captive by Komodo and his psychotic little daughter. Now Komodo's broadcasting footage of Naomi, live-feed on Ollie's old website, tied up and impaled on a grave marker. Komodo doesn't have to chase Green Arrow...Green Arrow will come to him!

Oh I forgot to mention that Oliver's so wounded he can barely stand and also there's a bomb. How's he gonna solve this? Using the mighty power of arrows?!?

Once again, Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino make me care about characters that I'd rather find ridiculous. I don't know how they're turning Green Arrow into such a great comic every month, but they're doing it! If you only buy one comic this week...

Detective Comics, Worlds' Finest and more after the JUMP!
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Review: Star Trek Into Darkness!

2013-05-07T04:48:00.003-07:00

If you saw The Hobbit in IMAX in December then you may have been treated to a preview of the first ten minutes of J.J. Abrams’ long awaited sequel: Star Trek Into Darkness. And it was fantastic. Fast paced, action-packed and funny, it was exciting to see these characters return amid the unrelenting chaos of colourful new worlds, creatures, and concepts. It reeked of confidence, and successfully ramped up my anticipation, assuring me that Abram’s must have created something pretty great.

Because, let’s face it, they hype up Abrams’ projects a lot. They are shrouded in secrecy, and he makes a point of not rushing into things until everything’s in place. We should feel assured that if he’s taking his time, instead of cynically cranking out a sequel, then it should be because he wants to do something unexpected and special. And the trailers seem to promise us dark times ahead with raised stakes and heightened emotion. Is Into Darkness really the Star Trek equivalent of The Dark Knight? Is it a raw and twisted game-changer?

Sadly, no. No, it’s not. It’s an entertaining enough blockbuster but has a surprisingly simple story that you could probably piece together from the watching trailers, watching the original films, and reading old character entries on Wikipedia. So temper your expectations and join me... after the jump!

F**k Yeah Game of Thrones Recaps! Episode 6: The Climb!

2013-05-07T04:20:00.004-07:00

After battering our eyeballs with constant action for the last couple of weeks, blood-and-boobs fantasy epic Game of Thrones slows down the pace a little this week. That’s OK, Game of Thrones! You’ve earned it! Put your feet up and relax a bit as we enjoy The Climb. (Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that this will be both a literal AND metaphorical climb? I’m onto your games, Thrones!).

To find out what this ill-informed, didn’t-read-the-books, ruffian thinks, join me as I recap the crap out of it... after the jump!

The Book Was Better Podcast: Teaser for Episode 42!

2013-05-07T03:05:00.002-07:00

The Book Was Better is the podcast where we tend to rip the shit out of the book of the film.

In this week's mini teaser episode I finally reveal the great guest host crossover event I've been teasing for a while. Two world super powers will clash annoyingly as we tackle one of our most ridiculous movie novelizations yet! Brace yourself!

Download it right now from the official site, or why not subscribe to us on iTunes and make me feel better about myself.

Game of Thrones 3.05 and 3.06 Book Comparison and Review

2013-05-07T02:22:00.001-07:00

As we reach the crescendo of season three, are you staring to wonder what you might have missed? What’s really going on in the game? What are Littlefinger and Varys playing at? How much more arse can Lady Olena possibly kick? Game of Thrones continues to both amaze and horrify, with the awesome developing male-female bromance between Jamie and Brienne, and some truly awful ice climbing adventures!

Under the jump I’ll take you through some speculation based on what happens at a similar time in A Storm of Swords, and give you some analysis on what the show has changed and why.
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Doctor Who: The Crimson Horror

2013-05-06T21:13:00.001-07:00

With two episodes to the end after this adventure, Doctor Who serves us up a murder mystery type episode complete with bowler hats, accents and stubborn horses. The preview last week didn’t fill me with joy, or even give me an inkling that this story might be any good. But with Mark Gatiss back at the writing helm there was always a possibility, and this episode delivered.

The fantastic Jenny and Madame Vastra are back, solving mysteries and filling me with joy. Their Sontaran butler come security guard Strax is a delight as ever. Lady Ollena Tyrell from Game of Thrones takes a break from sparring with Tywin and Tyrion Lannister to play Mrs. Gillyflower (Diana Rigg is a marvellous woman and actress) and I have no idea where all the chatter on the internet is coming from about Matt Smith losing his spark, but it’s nonsense. He’s just as magnificent in this story. Perhaps the surprise breakthrough is Rachael Stirling as blind Ada. What a heartfelt and stunning performance!

Enough chatter, let’s go under the cut for some of the detail about what made The Crimson Horror an especially ‘Who’ episode.
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