Coty Geek

Ryan Reynolds…as Highlander? NO!

Cotygeek — Sun, 20 May 2012 04:11:39 +0000

Ryan Reynolds does not a Highlander make.

No! NO, GOD PLEASE NO! NO! NO NO NO NO and NO TO EVERYTHING I JUST READ! I very rarely take space on here to rant, but this is WRONG. JUST WRONG! I understand that there’s going to be a remake of everything at this point. Highlander is no exception. Heck, I even think that a remake is necessary given the fact that the sequels SUCK. BUT RYAN REYNOLDS IS NOT THE FREAKING HIGHLANDER.

You could have picked any number of actors. You know who would make a great Highlander Gerard Freaking Butler! He’s Scottish! Ryan Reynolds had his shot with Green Lantern to be tolerable as an action hero, and you know what? He blew it! Even Adam Sandler knows it!

Ryan Reynolds has shown the depth of a kiddie pool when it comes to genuine acting. He’s not right for the role. Plain and simple. You want a Highlander movie? You want it done right? Here’s what you need to do. Cast Gerard Buttler as Connor MacLeod, get Liam Neeson to play Ramirez, and then you get Tom Hardy to play the Kurgan. Come on, Hollywood! I’m giving you GOLD!

Jackie Chan Retires From Action Movies

Cotygeek — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:32:27 +0000

Jackie Chan is a legend. I can’t imagine anyone in the world not knowing who he is. He’s created some of the most amazing action films ever put on celluloid. But it’s time to face it: he’s 58 years old. And on top of that, he’s made it well known throughout the years that he doesn’t want to just be known for action films and comedies. The man wants to be an all around actor. It makes me simultaneously sad and a little happy to report that Jackie Chan has just announced his retirement from action movies. I gotta emphasize that he’s not retiring from movies in general. He is specifically done with action movies.

So what kind of a world are we going to live in where Jackie Chan isn’t pwning everything in sight? Probably a world where he’s doing more serious work and directing more. Think about Clint Eastwood. Clint Eastwood was, for years, the Man With No Name and Dirty Harry. But now he’s also Clint Eastwood, Academy Award Winning Director. And I’d be willing to bet people think of him in that respect every bit as much as his other roles. So if Chan is looking to change his image to one people take a little more seriously, then that’s great.

But I will say…I’m gonna miss action Jackie. I can’t really find the words to explain the kind of magic he brings to the silver screen, so instead I’ll leave you with this: one of my top three greatest fight scenes of all time, the final fight of Drunken Master II
.

TOONAMI COMING BACK!!!

Cotygeek — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:30:41 +0000

Okay, so there was a time when everybody was into anime. Then for some reason everyone wasn’t. But that’s beside the point. The reason why everyone was so into anime is simple: Cartoon Network had Adult Swim and Toonami. Toonami had shows like Dragonball Z and Mobile Suit Gundam. And then late at night on Adult Swim, before they decided that Seth MacFarland was their new lord and master, you would get the goods. I’m talking Cowboy Bebop, Trigun
, Ghost in the Shell, all that good stuff. When Toonami ended, it seemed like anime ended with it. What was once a raging tornado of Asian goodness diminished into a niche. It was over. Fans of Toonami and old school adult swim BEGGED for it to come back…and it looks like it’s time for those begs to be heard because on May 26th Toonami is coming back to Cartoon Network, and to make it even better it’s coming back on ADULT SWIM!

Let's all sing it together...DUH DUD DUH DUD DUH DUH DUH DUD DUD DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!

This is some seriously awesome crap folks. While the full lineup isn’t fully known, it is known that Cowboy Bebop
and Ghost in the Shell will be back (granted, not with new episodes, but I’ll take what I can get!) But here’s where it gets REALLY juicy. Toonami is coming back, on Adult Swim, with new shows created specifically for the lineup! This is some seriously exciting news because it means that the anime world will get some fresh air breathed into it. So get your minds ready, children…because they’re gonna be blown.

CoD Black Ops 2 Preview!

Cotygeek — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:22 +0000

Activision and Treyarch have made it no secret that they have plans to make the Call of Duty series a yearly thing. Being completely and totally honest, I’m not very into Call of Duty. I’ve played it before, and I certainly understand the appeal, but I’m not much into multiplayer and the story modes haven’t ever really had much appeal for me…but I certainly dig the idea of taking the series into the future.

I like the fact that Activision is branching out with the future angle. It really opens up the series to do some really interesting story choices instead of trying to up the shock factor like in the previous CoD installments. Not only will this allow for them to show off some of the military tech that’s currently in development, but it could even be a chance for CoD to go into more creative territory than many fans are used to. The fact is, Call of Duty has never been known for mind blowing plots, but this could lend itself to some serious creativity that may be worth the moolah.

I’m not the only one who has their eyes on this game either. The folks at the awesome tech blog Pulse Modz are speculating just what effect the changed setting may have on gameplay. They’ll be bringing you a review of the beta when it’s made available.

New Releases This Week!

Cotygeek — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:24:13 +0000

Welcome to Cotygeek’s new segment where we cover the top three new releases this week for both DVD/Bluray and Video Games! We’ll be updating every Tuesday!

DVD/ Bluray:

Chronicle – Chronicle came pretty much out of nowhere. With a script by Max Landis (son of John) and using what a lot of people are calling one of the best examples of the “found footage” genre, Chronicle is a realistic take on what would happen if regular people had superpowers, and how that scenario would be more horrifying in real life.

The Grey – Liam Neeson vs. Wolves. This is pretty much all you need to know about the plot. How could you possibly ask for anything more in a movie?

The Devil Inside – I really wish people would stop with the exorcism movies. And with the “based on a true story but not really” movies. We don’t need anymore of them.

Games:

Max Payne 3 – My Playstation of 5 years just passed on. Needless to say, that makes me extremely sad, because I’ve had this on my list of games I wanted to play for three years now. Rockstar’s been on a roll, and I can’t wait to get my hands on this.

Diablo III – I haven’t talked to my friends since this game got released. That should let you know how good it is.

Game of Thrones – I’ve never read the series that the TV show is based on. I’ve never really had an interest in the show either. But I have friends who are seriously into this, so I had to throw this in there for them.

Cotygeek Podcasting Network Launches!

Cotygeek — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:54:48 +0000

Hey, everybody! This is something that’s been brewing for a long time, and I’ve finally been able to get it set up. Every week we’re going to post a new episode of the Cotygeek Podcasting Network! This will be where I post topics that are a little too long-winded to write about. While we’re not set up on iTunes just yet, but in the meantime the podcast episodes are up on the site for your listening pleasure! Since this is a new thing, we’re open to suggestions to help fine tune content to cover the things that you want to know about! So if you have any questions or want to know anything, then leave a comment down below and I’ll try to cover it in an episode!

cotygeek podcast ep 1

The Dark Knight Rises Preview!

Cotygeek — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:08:25 +0000

The Dark Knight Rises looks good. I mean crazy good. I mean Christopher Nolan making a Batman movie good. Everyone’s got their eyes on this thing because it’s not just Nolan’s next installment in the Batman franchise: it’s his FINAL installment in his Batman trilogy. We don’t have long at all until this beast of a movie is unleashed on us all, so here are the things that I think are going to make this movie amazing, some speculation on the plot, and my thoughts on the final installment in the Dark Knight Trilogy.

Bane of Humanity

There were a lot of mixed opinions about Tom Hardy as Bane, and even Bane in general. There were plenty who wanted the Riddler and didn’t think that Bane was a proper follow up to the Joker. I mean, come on? A guy in a luchadore mask on steroids? What’s cool about that? But people who actually follow the comics know much better than to make that assumption. Unlike the dumbed down oaf Joel Schumacker gave us in Batman and Robin, Bane is a master tactician whose skills and intelligence rivals Batman’s. Throw in the steroid Venom and you’ve got one dangerous villain. It also helps that Bane is known as the Man Who Broke the Bat for a reason. He freaking broke Batman’s back and left him in a wheelchair. Superman dying was one thing, but the very thought of someone beating Batman was too much.

The thing that has left a lot of people with mixed emotions is the fact that Tom Hardy looks shorter than Christian Bale in all of the behind the scenes stuff we’ve seen. Whether the Venom steroid isn’t used in those scenes or if they’re going to use forced perspective, Lord of the Rings style to make him look taller is something that hasn’t been addressed. But Nolan has been able to pull off some amazing things in his trilogy, so at this point I’m willing to just sit back and see what happens.

Letting the Cat Out of the Bag

Anne Hathaway as Catwoman was another one of those decisions that had people questioning whether or not even Nolan was immune to the so-called “Part Three Curse”. This is mainly because most people are used to thinking of her in Disney movies. But the fact is, she’s a very capable actress who can go dark when she wants to (as evidenced by Rachel Getting Married).

The thing I like about what I’ve seen so far of the way Nolan is having the character portrayed is that he’s going the classic Selina Kyle route. She’s a socialite. She’s a thief. She’s not resurrected by cats and is seeking to be a symbol of female empowerment. The very fact that she doesn’t need to be a symbol of that makes her ten times more empowered than the Tim Burton version could dream of being. I like that they’ve gone more of the Julie Newmar route for the costume. But most of all, I like that they’ve left the character as a big question mark. We still don’t know if she’s a villain, anti-hero, or full on hero. We just don’t know, and not knowing is half of the fun with movies.

"Who scuffed my Aaron Eckhart autographed picture!?! I'm very mad about it!"

When Gotham is Ashes…

One thing has been made clear: The League of Shadows is back. If Bruce thought that simply stopping them in Batman Begins was enough to make them forget about Gotham, he was sorely mistaken, as Bane appears to be the new leader of the League. And he is ready to crush not only Batman, but Gotham. Whether this means that Liam Neeson will be back in some capacity is still up for debate, with a lot of people positive about it. One thing is for sure: Batman’s in a world of it now.

IMAX in Action

If Inception taught us anything about Christopher Nolan, it’s that as masterful as he is as a director, he’s still learning. People had complained before that Nolan wasn’t very good at directing action scenes. Then with Inception he gave us the zero gravity fight, one of the most memorable fight scenes in recent memory. Nolan is clearly willing to learn new things and make his films richer, which is the mark of a truly gifted filmmaker. The trailers for the Dark Knight Rises show that Nolan may very well have abandoned the Shaky-Cam action style that he started off with in Batman Begins
and used sparingly in The Dark Knight
. The action, what little bit we have seen, looks to be more stabilized. The reason for this could be combination of Nolan getting better at action and the fact that he shot over an HOUR of the movie on Imax!

This is a huge deal because The Dark Knight was the first narrative film shot on Imax. For Dark Knight Rises to not only have over an hour of footage, either half, or even a third of the whole film, shot on Imax is huge because word has it that Nolan used it for some action scenes. The Imax camera, to those who don’t follow much on camera capabilities, is essentially only ever used for glory shots of penguins and other animals. To use it for action scenes in a Hollywood movie is insane. It’s also worth noting that Anne Hathaway’s stunt double destroyed one of the cameras with the Batpod, meaning that there are now (unless Imax has since replaced one) only twenty five Imax cameras left in the WORLD.

The Death of the Batman?

This is the question that is one everyone’s mind: Will Batman die? Would Nolan actually have the audacity to kill off one of the most recognizable fictional characters of ALL TIME? The trailers have certainly made a fuss out of the fact that this is the final installment in the trilogy. But the question is whether or not Nolan will pull a mind trick on us. Will the persona of Batman die for Bruce to live on? Will Batman’s mission finally come to an end? We just don’t know, and that makes the anticipation of it all that much higher.

Why Do We Fall?

The Dark Knight Rises is easily my most anticipated movie of the year. Christopher Nolan is one of the most gifted filmmakers of all time, and I cannot wait to see what we get from him with his final installment in his Batman Trilogy. This is going to be something to remember, folks.

Top Movie Trailers This Week!

Cotygeek — Sat, 12 May 2012 01:33:29 +0000

As with every week from here on, Cotygeek is bringing you the top movie trailers this week!

Argo - Ben Affleck has transformed his career in a way I’ve never seen someone transform their career: he’s become a terrific director. Argo is based on a story that’s so whacked it has to be true. Watch for yourself to see what I mean.

The Campaign – I was a big fan of Will Ferrell’s one man show You’re Welcome America. So to see Will Ferrell team up with Zach Galifianakis is amazing.

Gangster Squad – LA in the 1940s is one of the most fascinating times in American history. Gangster Squad looks like it’s going to be a fantastic bit of film Noir, and I love the style. This movie looks like it’s going to bleed toughness.

First Episode of Video Game High School Review!

Cotygeek — Fri, 11 May 2012 21:06:07 +0000

Freddie Wong has been one of the most popular youtubers for the past couple years now. His videos have been consistently amazing and effects driven. A lot of his subscribers on Youtube had been wondering if he would ever attempt a feature length project, and that has finally arrived in the form of Video Game High School, a web series that will eventually be released on Bluray and will most likely be edited together as a feature for the Bluray release. With all the hype that’s been surrounding Video Game High School, does the first episode measure up to the expectations? Here’s the full review of Episode 1!

Video Game High School takes place in a future where video games have essentially replaced professional sports as the most popular competition. VGHS focuses on average gamer BrianD, who accidentally frags the number one rated gamer in the world, an arrogant guy named The Law. When BrianD becomes a national sensation, he’s invited to Video Game High School, a high school where the skills of players are honed. But the fact that BrianD is an average player puts him in over his head since he’s going against the best players in the world and has earned the hatred of The Law.

Episode 1 was a great introduction to the world of VGHS. By setting us up with a well designed action scene intercut with the Law being interviewed (and subsequently humiliated) VGHS gets right to the point. The show uses popular youtubers, such as Harley Morenstein from Epic Meal Time, in cameo roles, but also in main roles. The problem, however, is that the first episode doesn’t really give enough time to see what these actors can do. I can’t help but feel that there’s a huge 80s vibe to it. From the set up to the soundtrack, it just has this quintessentially 1980s feel to it. I like that the team at Rocket Jump have taken care to not make it too futuristic. While this is mostly likely a reaction to being on a limited budget (at least in terms of being a feature project), it helps to at least somewhat ground the story in realism. It’s a future that looks possible.

The action scenes are what we’ve come to expect from Freddie Wong’s camp: they’re top notch. The digital effects in VGHS are exceptional, especially for a web series.The problem, however, is that there was never a big “wow” moment in the first episode. With the exception of the Law’s defeat, there’s just the standard Freddie Wong run and gun, which still looks cool but for a feature you would expect just a little bit more. But that’s just from the first episode.

The only complaint I have is that as great as the series is, the first episode didn’t deliver much in terms of upping the ante for Freddie and the rest of the team at Rocket Jump. But like I said, that’s just judging from the first ten minute episode, and I highly doubt we’ve seen the best this series has to offer with just one episode.

So, for an intriguing premise, good action, and loads of potential, VGHS gets a 4 out of 5!