11-29-08

The murloc suit: possibly the best quest ever.

Yep, that’s me dressed up as a murloc.

I know at level 75 I’m unfashionably late to be reporting how cool this level 71 quest is, but that’s what I get for playing WoW on one of the most heavily populated servers.  Now that the shiny newness of Wrath of the Lich King has had a few weeks to wear off, I can actually get the Borean Tundra quests done without them being camped as hell.

To pick up this quest, head to Winterfin Retreat in Borean Tundra and talk to King Mrgl-Mrgl.  He’ll start you on a chain quest beginning with Oh Noes, the Tadpoles! and ending with the actual suit part Surrender…Not!.  Tragically, the suit is only wearable in this part of the zone.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, here’s the back:

Gotta love the heart print underpants.  Not that I was looking…

11-28-08

A vampire movie done right

How does a movie manage to be dark and deeply disturbing, yet tender and touching in the same breath? Swedish vampire film Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in) is a beautifully-told macabre fantasy story that accomplishes exactly that.

Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) is a quiet but troubled twelve year old who is bullied by his classmates and doesn’t know how to stand up for himself. His life begins to change when he befriends Eli (Lina Leandersson), the mysterious girl who moves into the apartment next door.  But when Oskar’s small snowy hometown is devastated by a series of grisly murders, he starts to realize his new best friend and love interest is not the girl she pretends to be.

Let the Right One In is part coming of age story, part atmospheric horror.  Never too obvious or overly deliberate, it’s a subtle and slowly-building story punctuated by gory visuals that are jarringly terrifying against the film’s otherwise serene and isolated snowbound setting.  Director Tomas Alfredson’s use of special effects is welcomingly understated in favor of a few blink-and-you-might-miss them moments of pure shock, underscored by gruesome visuals and an uncomfortable feeling of foreboding.

Most disturbing, however, is Oskar’s dangerous infatuation with Eli despite the horrifying things she is capable of.  It’s the focus on the delicate relationship between these two alienated youths that really sets this film apart and establishes new standards for what good vampire movies should be.

11-27-08

Happee Tanksgivinz

11-26-08

Top 5 Most Anticipated Fantasy Flicks for 2009

#5 -The Elfstones of Shannara

The Elfstones of Shannara is the story of two intertwined destinies–that of Wil Ohmsford, grandson of legendary Shea Ohmsford, and Amberle Elessedil, who must go on a quest together to save the Ellcrys, the dying Elvish tree.  Ellcrys remains the last stronghold of magic protecting The Four Lands from the onslaught of the Demon World, and only Amberle, last disciple of the Druid Allanon, has the power to save it.

Director Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) will bring The Elfstones of Shannara, the second book of The Original Shanarra Trilogy by Terry Brooks, to the big screen in 2009, release date to be announced.

#4 - The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is a contemporary fantasy that mixes ancient philosophy and renaissance history with a modern-day setting. Twin teens Josh and Sophie Newman work at a San Francisco bookstore/café for a bookkeeper whom they soon discover is actually Nicholas Flemel, the legendary ancient alchemist and keeper of The Codex. Nicholas and his wife Perenelle have been living eternally by drinking the Elixir of Life. When necromancer Dr. John Dee steals The Codex, Josh and Sophie are unexpectedly drawn into a world of magic and mystery to help Nicholas recover The Codex or face the world’s destruction at Dee’s hand.

The first book of the six-part The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series by Irish author Michael Scott, The Alchemyst will be a major motion picture by New Line Cinema in 2009. The film is currently in pre-production, with no official release date yet.

#3 - Inkheart

Inkheart is the story of a bookish young girl named Meggie and her father Mo, who has an extraordinary ability: when he reads books aloud, he brings them to life. The first book of the widely successful Inkworld trilogy, Inkheart is a charming tale by beloved children’s author Cornelia Funke. Similar to 2008’s The Spiderwick Chronicles, Inkheart is geared toward a younger audience set, and a definite family film.

Although not one of my favorite books (surprising, considering how much I adored The Thief Lord also by Cornelia Funke), the film’s trailer looks promising enough, and full of action, which is something I felt the book sorely lacked. Inkheart stars Brendan Frasier as Mo and child star Eliza Bennett as Meggie, and is set for a January 2009 release.

#2 - Warcraft

What we know: Warcraft will be a live-action movie by Legendary Pictures based on Blizzard’s hugely popular Warcraft series of PC games and World of Warcraft, the massively successful MMO. The PG-13 rated movie will be told from an Alliance perspective, and its storyline will be set one year before the events that unfold in World of Warcraft.

What we don’t know: Anything else. There’s still no images, no trailers. Not even an official web site. Yet Blizzard has confirmed, through a series of cryptic winks and nudges, that this movie is still very much in production. It’s hard to believe this movie will be a reality in 2009, considering how shrouded in mystery it seems to be. Not a word was breathed about the film at BlizzCon 2008, a huge disappointment for thousands of fans anxious for any kind of update they can get.

Update 1/23/2009: Quote from Blizzard:

“We are in fact working on a movie with Legendary Pictures, but we don’t have any new information to share with everyone just yet. At the 2007 BlizzCon, we even had a special panel with a little bit about the plans for the film. I’m sure you can find video on it or reports on it.

Just as an additional informational bit, it will be Live Action.

I’m quite sure there will be plenty of action, but there’s a story to be told too. I couldn’t tell you more though.”

Update 7/22/2009:  Sam Raimi confirmed as director!!

#1 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Imagine looking forward to a movie you’re really excited about. Not just any movie, but the sixth and most crucial film adaptation of the bestselling book series of all time. The release date draws near. You start seeing posters, promotions, production stills. Your excitement builds. You watch the trailer, and it looks amazing. You cannot wait to pre-order your tickets. And then you find out it’s getting delayed. By eight months.

That’s exactly what Warner Bros. did to millions of excited Potter fans eagerly awaiting the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Just two months before the film’s originally-scheduled November 2008 release date, Warner Bros. announced it would be moving the release date to July 2009. The backlash was immediate. There were petitions, boycotts, and a flood of strongly-worded emails to Warner Bros. studio execs. Their reasoning—some vague excuse about the writers’ strike impacting their bottom line—was hard to swallow, especially after watching them rake in hundreds of millions from last summer’s box office megahit The Dark Knight. Yet despite our outrage, we all know that come next July we’ll still be pre-ordering our tickets and lining up in droves at the eventual midnight release.

(I’m still bitter, can’t you tell?)

11-26-08

The Twilight Effect

Last Friday night, I dragged three of my girlfriends out to the movies to see a little film called Twilight. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?

If you haven’t, I will assume you’re either a shut-in or a male.  After all, it was a 75% female-dominated audience that contributed to Twilight’s staggering $70 million opening weekend, a huge coupe for director Catherine Hardwicke and Summit Entertainment.  To help put that figure in perspective, Twilight’s success ranks in the top 4 November box office figures of all time–ahead of summer blockbuster Transformers, and the latest James Bond flick . As it turns out, Twilight also boasts the highest ranking box office debut ever for a female director.  Considering the economic crisis we’re supposed to be in, these numbers are even more impressive.  So impressive, in fact, that Summit Entertainment has already announced plans to begin pre-production on Twilight’s sequel, New Moon.

But none of this news comes as a surprise to Twilight’s legions of diehard fans, whose fierce display of buying power previously helped propel all four books of The Twilight Saga onto the bestseller list, and keep them there, making author Stephenie Meyer a huge success.  Even Eclipse, Meyer’s third book of the series, dethroned Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from the bestseller list.

But let’s back up to a few months ago, before I had so much as read a single page of this hugely popular series, before I saw the movie (twice), and before I knew I was on Team Edward, or that there even was a Team Edward.  I remember casually surfing the interwebs, minding my business as usual, and coming across an occasional Twilight glimmer: a movie ad, a book review, some obsessed fangirl’s glittering “Bella ♥’s Edward” forum signature.  It was easy enough to ignore–at first.  But it wasn’t long before Twilight propaganda seemed to creep into every facet of every web site I ever visited.  (My hat’s off to whomever is behind Twilight’s aggressive web marketing campaign, by the way.)  So I guess it was inevitable that I’d eventually click one of the ads and watch the movie trailer, right?

My reaction went something like this:

• That looks pretty cool, I guess…
• And that vampire guy is pretty hot!
• Oh hey, it’s Cedric Diggory from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
• I’m a Harry Potter fan, maybe I’ll like this movie too?
• And Paramore is on the soundtrack!? I LOVE Paramore!
• November 21st? What a coincidence, because that’s the same weekend Half-Blood Prince was supposed to come out…

The next thing I knew, I was headed for the local library to check out the first book, which I soon discovered was a complete impossibility.  Checked out; on hold; back-ordered; transferred to another branch–every single one of the fifty-something copies fell into one of these categories.  What was going on here?  Why is Twilight so popular?  Like many uninitiated fans before me, I set out to unravel this mystery.  Hell, I thought, maybe if the books are that good, I should just buy them.

So I did.

And that’s how I discovered the secret sauce, if you will, of what makes The Twilight Saga so successful.  The recipe consists of teen angst, sexual tension, impossibly good-looking main characters living impossibly idealistic lives, and a heavy dose of romance delivered to the sappiest degree possible.  Simply put, these books are pure escapism.  No real substance, but no real need for it, either.  I could elaborate further, but I’ve already done that here, here, and here.  Yet despite how unremarkable these books really are, I spent an entire week consumed by them.  And I’ve already seen the movie twice.  And I’m anxiously awaiting its sequel.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

11-25-08

6 Geeky Things I’m Thankful For

Thanksgiving is just two days away. Come Thursday I hope to be in a full-fledged turkey and wine-induced coma, surrounded by family and friends, kicking off a blissful four days of gaming, couching, Netflixing, and leftovers. Gearing up for the long weekend has got me thinking about all the geeky things I’m thankful for.

Here’s a look back at 2008 from a grateful geek girl:

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

I’m thankful for The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the new children’s fairy tale book and Harry Potter companion piece from one of my favorite authors, J. K. Rowling. Since 1997, I along with most of the world have adventured alongside Harry in his seven-year battle against You-Know-Who, and like so many other fans, was depressed when the series came to its heart-wrenching conclusion last summer. Looking forward to the book’s release this December 4th, when I and legions of Potter fans can delve once again into a small piece of the wizarding world.

The Dark Knight

I’m thankful that The Dark Knight was a pivotal box office phenomenon, and arguably one of the best super hero movies ever made. I’m thankful that Heath Ledger will be remembered for one of the most riveting and brilliant performances ever known to big screen villainy. I’m thankful that this movie has defined the new standard against which all future super hero movies should be judged, and I’m optimistic that Hollywood will start paying attention.

The New Xbox Experience

I’m thankful for the New Xbox Experience, and Microsoft’s partnership with Netflix to bring the “Watch It Now” movie service to the Xbox 360 console free of charge. Netflix subscribers that own an Xbox 360 no longer have to face the inevitable decision to shell out $100 for a Roku Netflix player, yet another peripheral that would clutter up our home entertainment systems. I’ve found the high-quality streaming service to work absolutely perfectly. It’s just too bad about Sony’s sour grapes.

Wii Fit

I’m thankful for Nintendo and their seemingly endless innovation when it comes to producing fun and easy to learn yet challenging games for the Wii, most notably 2008’s simple but surprisingly effective title Wii Fit. While Wii Fit certainly doesn’t score any points for breathtaking graphics or intense gameplay, there is something to be said for any game (or non-game) that motivates us lazy gamers to get off the couch and get physical—and have fun doing it.

The Twilight Saga

I’m thankful for Stephenie Meyer’s ridiculously cheesy Twilight Saga, whose sophomoric books managed to completely suck me in for a good two weeks of unadulterated guilty pleasure reading, the perfect antidote to a stressful month . I’m also thankful that the equally cheesy and unintentionally hilarious Twilight movie—which grossed $70 million on its opening weekend, thanks to dreamy Rob Pattinson—made for one of the most entertaining and memorable girls’ night outs I’ve had in a long time.

Wrath of the Lich King

I’m thankful for Wrath of the Lich King, the latest and greatest expansion to the second life I know as World of Warcraft, which gave me the excuse to get back in touch with old guildies and good friends (some virtual, some real) and fall in love all over again with the sheer awesomeness of this game. Blizzard has really outdone themselves with this release. The stunning visuals and beautiful music score alone were worth the wait. Indeed, things were getting pretty boring around Azeroth until you showed up, Arthas.

Looking forward to all the geeky things 2009 will bring!

11-25-08

I never quite grew up…

That’s me at age 5, circa 1986.

When I was a little girl, if you had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have probably said Jedi. If you had asked me to name my most prized possession, it would have been a tossup between my overflowing box of X-Men comics or the well-worn Ninja Turtle plushies I slept with every night. And if you had asked me who I was going to marry, I would have said, without hesitation, Daniel Larusso from Karate Kid, or perhaps Atreyu from the Neverending Story. (Or best case scenario, they could fight over me.)

But my first true love was the Nintendo Entertainment System. Had I known that innocent-looking gray box would ignite a lifelong passion for video games, I might have tread more carefully before plunging into the darkest dungeons of Hyrule or the secret warp zones of Mushroom Kingdom. Over the years new loves have drifted in and out of my life, like the Sega Genesis, the Sony Playstation, at least a dozen other consoles, and hundreds of individual games all competing for my affection.

Twenty-something years later, not much has changed.

Regrettably I never did become a Jedi, and both Daniel and Atreyu had the audacity to grow old and not wait for me. But I am still very much the same geeky girl I’ve always been; the one that would rather stay home on a Friday night re-reading Lord of the Rings for the seventh time, the one that knows every line to The Princess Bride by heart. I still read comic books, only now I might call them graphic novels, and I shell out $12 at the box office every time one of them is made into a movie. I also still suffer from an incredibly overactive imagination, which I try to channel into being a sometimes writer of young adult fantasy. And of course, I’m still playing those damn video games.

In short, I never quite grew up. These are the kinds of geeky things I will be blogging about.