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Is The Bendu Lurking In The Star Wars: The Last Jedi Teaser?

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The day has finally come. Director Rian Johnson unleashed the first teaser for December 15th’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi. And while revealing some startling new images, ship designs and one epic moment of Force training, it also offered a few images that may echo or directly reference Star Wars animated series,  games and even the Expanded Universe. All of this is wild speculation, of course, but let’s take a look:

1. “The Balance”

The Balance of the Force tantalized fans from the moment the phrase became a rumored Episode I title. And though it is still unclear what that concept alluded to in the prequel trilogy actually meant, invoking it in the teaser means the Balance still matters. The teaser reintroduces this concept by adding it to the litany of the Light and the Darkness. It also follows this strange image:

The Bendu?

While it’s impossible to guess the scale of this image, the textures and design are indicative of the Bendu. The character was introduced on Star Wars Rebels this past season and claimed to represent a balance between light and dark. When viewers last saw him, he was injured, but vanished before Admiral Thrawn could kill him. Will he somehow offer a third path to Rey away from the absolutes?

2. The Jedi Order

And while we’re speculating on an obscure image, let’s talk about one more direct. As Rey mentions the Balance, we clearly see the logo of the Jedi Order for the first time in a Star Wars film. It first appeared in the Expanded Universe era and adopted by the MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. It was quickly embraced by fans. Wander a comic-con parking lot and you’ll see it on the back of numerous cars and trucks.

The Jedi Order logo

But it is curious that this image appears, presumably, on a planet The Force Awakens claims is the ancient home of the Jedi. In The Old Republic, that planet is called Tython. Said to be in the Deep Core, it has a much larger landmass than the ocean world Rey saw in her visions. According to The Force Awakens junior novelization, this ocean world is called Ahch-To. Of course, no name is set in stone until it is uttered in a film, so Ahch-To and Tython could be the same world. Even if it’s light years away from the Deep Core.

3. The New Jedi Order

The New Jedi Order in flames?

J.J. Abrams made visual flashbacks part of Star Wars‘ movie grammar. With that in mind, this shot could be what Luke was seeing in Rey’s vision of him during The Force Awakens. If so, it is a rather dramatic conclusion to the New Jedi Order. One wonders if Kyle Katarn’s body is in the flaming wreckage.

Many of the EU novels and games focused on Luke’s attempts to reestablish the Jedi. From The Force Awakens, we know Luke tried to do the same in cannon. And from his ominous words at the end of the teaser, it seems he wants nothing more to do with the Jedi, old or new.

Will Rey walk him back from that stance? Or will Balance finally be achieved with both the Sith and the Jedi completely destroyed? Will Rey have to find a way to negotiate the Ashla and the Bogan without thousands of years of Jedi wisdom? What do you think? Post your thoughts below.

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Check Out The First Official Trailer For ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’!

Star Wars Celebration 2017 is happening right now in Orlando, Florida, and Disney and Lucasfilm decided to celebrate the occasion by releasing the first official trailer for the highly anticipated, upcoming Episode VIII, Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Though just a teaser, it offers up a glimpses at the return of Rey, Finn, Poe, BB-8, Kylo Ren, and – of course – Luke Skywalker! Thankfully, however, it doesn’t reveal too much about what to expect when the gang flies back into movie theaters later this year on December 15th.

In addition, a new poster for the film was released, which you can check out below.

The Last Jedi


How excited are you for The Last Jedi? Will you be there opening night? Was the trailer enough to whet your appetite for now, or were you hoping for more? Leave a comment below and let me know!

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DC’s ‘Batgirl’ – Potential Leads for Solo Film

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DC has announced that Batgirl will get her own upcoming film. Joss Whedon is set to direct the film, but no stars are attached yet. It’s hard to say exactly what direction DC will go with the character without more details. However, it seems likely the character will skew younger, a la Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Additionally, Whedon will probably pick someone who can do both action and comedy. The director’s previous projects have all blended the two, so Batgirl will likely follow suit.

Ideal Batgirl protagonists have a history of action films and a twist of comedy. Additionally, they should probably be a big name, in order to sell the franchise to casual DC fans. Holland’s Spider-Man got introduced in Civil War, but Batgirl may not have that luxury. Keeping all this in mind, it’s hard to pinpoint the perfect Batgirl actress. As far as best guesses go, here are potential picks for DC’s teenage caped crusader.

7Emilia Clarke

Emilia ClarkeThe Game of Thrones actress is a huge name in the entertainment world. The HBO series will be wrapping up soon, as only two seasons are left. Therefor, Clarke is probably looking out for other projects. She’s definitely most known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen, but that’s far from her only acting cred. She’ll be in the upcoming Han Solo film, which could give her more action chops. She’s done a big action movie before, but let’s not talk about that. The Batgirl film could benefit from a big name like The Mother of Dragons.

6Hailee Steinfeld

Hailee SteinfeldHailee Steinfeld is one of the freshest faces on this list. She stars in The Edge of Seventeen, a movie that got some serious award buzz last year. Steinfeld also starred in Ender’s Game, True Grit, and, uh, the “Bad Blood” music video. Also, like Emilia Clarke, she starred in a not-so-hot action film. But now that she’s proven her acting game is on point, and has showcased action movie capabilities, it could make her a serious contender.

5Abigail Breslin

Abigail Breslin

Breslin hasn’t starred in many projects, but she has consistently put in great performances. She’s been in Zombieland, Scream Queens, Final Girl, and Little Miss Sunshine. Breslin also starred alongside Hailee Steinfeld in Ender’s Game. Her resume is storied, and she’s tackled several genres. Breslin could definitely pull off the badass younger Batgirl, and could also deliver Whedon’s quippy dialogue.

4Jane Levy

Jane Levy

Jane Levy has done a lot of great work in recent horror films. Her most recent credits include Don’t Breathe and the Evil Dead remake. It may not be superhero action experience, but it does require similar skills. She was also the star of Suburgatory, which means she’s got good name value. Plus, she’s a recognizable redhead, a well-known trait of Barbara Gordon. Avoiding awkward red-haired wigs is definitely a plus.

3Lyndsy Fonseca

Lyndsy FonsecaLyndsy Fonseca is a somewhat more obscure face. She hasn’t had as many starring roles as the other choices. But she’s appeared in many big projects that you might know. For instance, Fonseca played the love interest in teenage superhero flick Kick-Ass. She’s also appeared in the CW’s Nikita reboot, and Marvel’s short-lived Agent Carter series. Fonseca fits a great age range and action-comedy experience to make a great Batgirl.

2Brittany Snow

Brittany SnowThis casting choice is the biggest reach. Snow hasn’t been in an action film like the others. She has done a lot of comedy, in projects like Pitch Perfect and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Snow will also be in the upcoming crime drama Hangman, and is in drama film Call Me Crazy: A Five Film. Depending on how much Whedon leans on the comedy, Brittany Snow could make a good Batgirl. Plus, we know Whedon has a thing for musicals, and Snow is no stranger to those.

1Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts has risen the ranks of young Hollywood stars. She’s starred in projects like Nerve, Meet the Millers, and Palo Alto. Roberts has also been a star player of Fox’s Scream Queens series. She probably has the most name value on the list, aside from maybe Emilia Clarke. Now many of her starring roles were Disney kid flicks like Aquamarine and Hotel for Dogs. They may not be anyone’s favorites, but she knows how to carry a female-driven semi-comedic role.

WHO WOULD YOU CAST AS BATGIRL? LET US KNOW YOUR CHOICES IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

Review: ‘The Fate of the Furious’ High Octane Brainless Entertainment

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The Fate of the Furious is the most ridiculous and improbable installment of this franchise, but it was still highly entertaining.

Summary

The film starts with Dom (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) enjoying all that Havana has to offer on their delayed honeymoon. A cousin gets in deep with a “Car Shark” and rather than just allow them to work it out, Dom offers to help settle the matter with a little race around what is referred to as the “Cuban” mile. Dom’s victory was short lived as he runs into a mysterious woman named Cipher (Charlize Theron). Cipher appears to have some information that ultimately persuades Dom to betray his family and join her criminal operation. The next 2/3 of the film is a mixture of his crew coming to terms with Dom’s betrayal and Vin Diesel’s attempts to appear conflicted.

Fast and Furious 8

Acting

Anyone who chooses to see this picture in hopes of witnessing some great acting might want to rethink their life choices. Charlize Theron and Vin Diesel both put forth serviceable efforts. Theron’s performance gives Cipher some depth which makes her at least interesting. However, the character never leaves the friendly confines of her flying fortress, which kills any character development. Diesel attempts to project being conflicted over betraying his family, but only succeeds in making us want the “old Dominic” back. Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson provide brief moments of comedic relief. Michelle Rodriguez’s character is perennially mad at the world, but at least this time she has a good reason to be. The Rock’s character, Hobbs, settles into the role of doing completely unrealistic acts in the name of defeating the enemy.

Direction/Writing

Director F. Gary Gray certainly showed that he’s more than capable handling a massive budget of $250 million. The Fate of the Furious proceeds with relentless ferocity: flashes of destruction involving million dollar cars, tanks on ice, and the Rock just kicking a torpedo to the side. Gray brought the audience in closer with his technique of shooting in close during the most intense action sequences. His technique originated when he shot The Italian Job in 2003. One example is during the sequence when Dom’s team is getting away from the German authorities. As the Germans get closer to the group, they release two wrecking balls going in different directions. The shot first started from the vantage point of the wrecking ball and quickly transitioned to a tight shot of the police car being destroyed.

The biggest problem facing The Fate of the Furious is how the narrative is constructed. In the past, the story centered around Dominic and Brian. The give and take between these two characters gave those movies heart. Even when Brian (played by the late Paul Walker) was written off, the dynamic between Dom and Hobbs had at least a similar feel to it. In this picture, our hero is now the bad guy, and it throws the dynamic of the film off. While the reason why Dom ends up turning against his team is totally legit, Vin Diesel doesn’t sell the story line at all. Furthermore, this puts much of the heavy lifting in the film with an ensemble that has yet to show they can carry the load. It would have been better if Cipher had ended up killing Dom and Hobbs took over the group seeking vengeance.

Overall

The Fate of the Furious falls just short of the high standards set by the franchise. That’s not to say the film isn’t entertaining. In fact, everyone should go see it this weekend. Just go into the theater with diminished expectations and make sure to turn off your brain before you sit down.

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Watch: “A Tribute To Carrie Fisher”, From Star Wars Celebration 2017

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Star Wars Celebration 2017 is in full swing. Today, April 14, is when we get news related to The Last Jedi and future films. Yesterday, however, was for reflection.

The company’s official Youtube channel posted a tribute video that was aired for Carrie Fisher.

Fisher tragically passed away on December 27, 2016. She will always be looked at as an inspiration for young women getting into film.

May the force be with you.

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About Last Night – Episode 8: ‘The Fate Of The Furious’ Video Review

Monkeys Fighting Robots Exclusive: ‘The Fate Of The Furious’ Video Review

About Last Night is a movie review show, where movie critic EJ Moreno talks about the film he saw last night. This week’s episode is about the film ‘The Fate of The Furious‘.

The eighth episode of About Last Night dives in the eighth installment in ‘The Fast And The Furious’ franchise. Could these films become the American version of the Bond series?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szD4C6b_DhM

The film stars Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Kurt Russell, Scott Eastwood, Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren.

It’s written by Chris Morgan and directed by F. Gary Gray.

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Check out ‘The Fate of The Furious‘, in theaters now!

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Her Universe Announces New Lines at Star Wars Celebration

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Her Universe has been one of the femmegeek standards since it opened in 2010. Every time I went to Star Wars Weekends (insert moment of silence), one of the things I’d search for was Ms. Eckstein’s newest pieces. I even bought a dress to have her sign just so that I could meet her.

So color me nerdly happy when I woke up this morning to see that Laughing Place reported a whole new line of Her Universe stuff that’s in the hopper. (Check out the original for the discussions from the panel and some stuff that didn’t make it into this post!)

Y’all check this out. First, and I say this from a place of love, I never want to another article of clothing if I can’t have the hoodie below. I mean, you people are basically going to have to deal with a naked from the waist up me if I don’t get this when it comes out. It’s BB-8 everyone. B.B.8. (You may not know me well enough yet? But I have something that someone might call… well, I like passion. Everyone else uses “obsession.” Haters.)

Image: Laughing Squid

There’s also some really great Stars Wars stuff that isn’t BB-8 based. The new AT-AT skirt looks kind of amazing. Laughing Place mentioned the poodle skirt design, but I thought that was just the shape. It wasn’t until I went back and looked at it that I said, “Dude, riiiigggght. AT-ATs look like dogs. Poodles are dogs. I get it now!” The idea is just the kind of referential design brilliance that Her Universe does so well.

Image: Laughing Squid

These kinds of references have meaning for femmegeeks in the workplace. Her Universe manages to abstract fandom to make it fit in with daily life while making it completely recognizable to the nerd girl. These patterns come in perfect for women wanting to rep their fandoms in the office. Take a look at the Alice in Wonderland magic teacup inspired works here. Really? If I still worked corporate, I could crazy rep my fandom and the conservative insurance industry would have no idea what I was doing. It’s like being an undercover geek. Totally, beautifully, femmely subserversive.

Image: Laughing Squid

Then we have things like the Haunted Mansion inspired stuff. To be honest, I almost almost wish I had a wedding to go to. (No, not really…I hate weddings. But you get the fancy idea.) The lines on these and the designs make them perfect fancy wear. Honestly, I love the pink one the most because it reminds me of Anna from Frozen. 

Image: Laughing Squid
Image: Laughing Squid

All in all, it’s exciting to see where Her Universe is taking these new designs. I love the fandoms that they rep. I also like seeing them go a little further to be able to add more types of fans and more styles.

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Lake of Bays Brewing Company: Wild North Series – Golden Chai Ale

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It’s been a while since I reviewed a beer from Lake of Bays Brewing Company. The last one I reviewed was their 10 Point English IPA, and before that I reviewed their Top Shelf Classic Lager. I’ve enjoyed the Lake of Bays brews I’ve had in the past, so I was happy to see a 473-mL can of their Golden Chai Ale, part of Lake of Bays’ Wild North Series, at my local LCBO. Always interested in trying new brews, I wasted no time in pouring what I hope will be a spicy and flavourful beer.

Lake of Bays Brewing Co: Golden Chai Ale – First Sip

Golden Chai Ale pours a slightly cloudy straw yellow colour with a healthy amount of foam that reduces to a thin layer at the top of my pint glass. This brew has a slightly fruity smell. I had expected it to smell spicier. When I take my first sip I taste lots of malty orange flavours upfront that slowly fade to a cinnamon-y, clove-y aftertaste. With a relatively low carbonation level, Golden Chai Ale has a smooth mouthfeel. It’s surprisingly easy to drink for a flavoured ale.

Lake of Bays Brewing Co: Golden Chai Ale – Last Sip

Although I had expected a more robust chai flavour when I purchased this brew, its chai personality is there. It’s just subtle. After finishing a tall can, I have a strong sense of it and would definitely like to have a couple more.

Unlike with some other flavoured craft brews, subtle is the word. As the can promises, this is a good beer to crack open in the spring, but with its gritty cinnamon aftertaste this is also a good beer to have when it’s cold out. Because of its smooth-drinking quality, you’ll have to keep track of how many you’ve had, especially because this surprisingly smooth beer weighs in at a respectable 5.2% ABV.

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Anime Review: Major

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The mix between anime and sports always crosses a fine line. Trying to integrate sports into the show while still retaining anime viewers who avoid the genre. Major stands at the top of all sports anime/manga, by being a masterpiece in every right. Take a look at Major with me, showing that old is truly gold.

So What is Major About?

Honda Goro was born into a baseball family, his father a professional baseball player in Japan. With a mindset only focused on baseball, Goro trains every day to further hone his skills to achieve the same greatness as his father. Will Goro’s love for baseball be enough to weather the hardships of life, no matter how it turns out?

Personal Thoughts

Giving a clear summary of Major without giving away any of the plot is almost impossible with this anime. There are twists and turns right from the beginning and to give it away now would be rude to you, the reader.

What needs to be made clear right from the start is that while this is a sport based anime, it has its fair share of drama. To date, I haven’t seen a single sports anime come close to the perfection this show has produced. Being able to teach the basics of baseball to novices, and at the same time keep experts entertained. Keeping the relationships of friends and family together, while being so far apart. Tying together a great story into anime and yet never feeling apart from reality.

What really hooks me in though, is that it is a series with a clear start and end. When you finish the entire series you feel fulfilled, not wanting more to the story or any less. While it is a bit longer, 154 episodes, 3 OVA (Original Video Animation), and 1 movie. Each part helps finish the story or fill you in. By the end of it, I fell in love with the story of Honda Goro. It is the kind of story that is both entertaining and touching, what every anime should aspire to be.

Should You take the Mound?

Yes. It is all I can really say. Both the length of the anime and content included fit hand in hand. It doesn’t feel long or drawn out like some of Shounen Jump’s titles, or jumping to an abrupt end. Other baseball titles like Diamond no Ace or Ookiku Furikabutte do not come close to what Major has achieved. Instead, what Major does is tell you the story of Honda Goro, and lets you live with him as he pursues his dream. It is all you can really ask for.

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Virtual Reality Should be Accessible to Everyone Google says with WebVR Experiments

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Virtual reality content producers are trying to make content more accessible for more users. For Google this equation means more accessibility for all. On this front Google introduces WebVR Experiments.  Google added WebVR to Chrome on phones that were Daydream ready.  This simulates the Samsung approach by making the Google Cardboard able to function with any Android phone to view WebVR content. However each of these experiences is accessible using a normal browser on any phone, tablet or computer in 2D.

This addition confronts a few of the current problems regarding quickly producing viable virtual reality content. Also effected are content creators who could be encouraged into producing more. The problems virtual reality proponents currently have to manage include equipment complexity, content coding and availability of experiences.  The truth is it can be difficult to expose a large populations of people to virtual reality with current offerings.

Exposure

Inside Out Tracking

One of the primary reasons for the lack of virtual reality exposure is equipment. Potential users have various access issues with VR due to equipment prices and lack of conformity across the market. This opening foray into a more flexible virtual reality experience is in light of other virtual reality entities trying to bridge the gap.  Intel, Microsoft and Facebook have invested in ‘inside-out tracking’ to try and make the experience cordless.  While this is a great goal to make VR less equipment oriented, it does not confront developing user exposure growth. These cordless headsets will still be considerably expensive. In addition, these innovations are months from being market ready.

Content Creation

With access to the web being one of the primary factors, content creation is also modified. Google’s WebVR Experiments opens the door for experimentation in virtual reality. Virtual reality creation is possible with little overhead or cost on the part of the consumer or content creator. This is an aspect they are hoping will create more content developers as a result. The examples currently available on WebVR Experiments have a variety of virtual reality interaction methods. Using a virtual reality headset, the user can interact with the content through directional and voice commands. The versatility comes with this being web based. This allows users to also interact with the VR experiences in a browser with a mouse or finger.

Development

WebVR Samples

Opening the platform like this let’s WebVR position itself much like other APIs or development kits. This one is just specifically for virtual reality.  On the WebVR Experiments site, Google has open source code for the already submitted projects. Being web based, the only coding really needed is JavaScript. Developers can build then upload virtual reality experiences, sharing their work without much fuss.

Implications

Making virtual reality more accessible helps the market in general.  The content creators will be able to develop virtual reality concepts without needing to invest thousands of dollars for equipment.  There will still be a bar for high quality content. However this innovation allows for more diversity in the talent pool of virtual reality creators. One of the hardest aspects of virtual reality creation is getting the equipment that makes creation possible. Then there is possibly learning the ‘ins and outs’ of new languages. Unity is one of the primary game developing systems for virtual reality creation.  Unity projects can be adapted in JavaScript to be WebVR viable. As a developer it can be a great way to begin to storyboard, concept and develop bigger virtual reality projects. When creating new content, rapid ways to produce proof of concepts can only help funding initiative and endeavors.

For the potential audience this opens up a new avenue and direction to explore virtual reality from. With more exposure through a web based platform, potential VR consumers will be able to ‘test’ drive the concept of virtual reality.  This is a low cost way to determine what virtual reality can provide for their entertainment value and needs.

What are your thoughts on WebVR Experiments?

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