Entertainment: The Dark Knight Trilogy

NOTE: This review WILL contain spoilers. If you haven't seen any of these flicks, you should really climb out from that rock you live under and watch them. Now. If you've seen the first two, but haven't seen the third, stop reading this and head down to the theatre and treat yourself to something nice. Then come back and check this article out.

July 20th, 2012 saw the thrilling conclusion to the best comic book movie franchise ever. You may note that I didn't say "arguably the best", because there is no argument here. You might even go so far as to say that this may even be the best trilogy of any kind, but let's not forget the awesomeness that is LOTR.

What made this series so accessible to so many can be directly attributed to the fact that it's deeply rooted in reality, despite the fact that it's a superhero franchise. Director Christopher Nolan took the series as far away from the debacle that the previous Bat-franchise became that started strong with Tim Burton's Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) and just fell to pieces with Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever (1995) and the just horrible Batman and Robin (1997), the later of which can be summed up with the words, "Bat-nipples". I mean, is it any wonder that Batman creator Bob Kane died shortly after Batman and Robin? A little piece of all of us died with that steaming pile of suck.

Batman Begins (2005)


Back in 2003, after a series of unsuccessful attempts to bring Batman back to the big screen, Warner Bros. tapped director/writer Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer to begin work on rebooting and retooling the Bat-franchise. 


Drawing heavily from the comic stories of Batman: Year One, The Man Who Falls, and The Long Halloween, Begins tells the origin story of Batman in a way that went far deeper than previous incarnations had. Sure, there's the requisite scene when Bruce Wayne's parents are shot and murdered in Crime Alley (spoiler alert: his parents are dead), but we also see the long road and struggle Bruce faces before finally donning the cape and cowl. 


To further the "gritty realism", Batman Begins gives us a brand new, nipple-free Batsuit, which is designed with a more utility mindset than previous costumes, as well as a new Batmobile called the Tumbler, which is more tank than car. I will admit that when I first saw the Tumbler in early trailers for Begins, I was initially sceptical, but was immediately sold on it when I finally watched the flick in theatres. If you check out the special features of the DVD, the film makers take great pride in the real world tech involved in how this Batman fights crime, making absolutely everything about this series completely believable.


Batman Begins gives us a wonderful ensemble cast featuring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Laim Neeson as Henri Ducard/Ra's al Ghul, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon, Cillian Murphy as Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow, Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes and the impeccable Michael Caine as Alfred.

ITHoG Rating: 4.5/5

The Dark Knight (2008)


In the second part in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy, Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets of Gotham City. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.

Many actors had expressed interest in playing the Joker, but it was Heath Ledger's chaotic interpretation of the character that Nolan took to - a role that was one of Ledger's last and one that won him a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. When Ledger saw Batman Begins, he had realized a way to make the character work that was consistent with the film's tone: he described his Joker as a "psychopathic, mass murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy." Throughout The Dark Knight, the Joker states his desire to upset social order through crime, and comes to define himself by his conflict with Batman.

The once shining "White Knight" of Gotham, DA Harvey Dent is horribly scarred in trap set by the Joker, becoming Two-Face, upping the ante for Batman as he battles to save the people of Gotham. TDK ends with Dent falling to his death, and Batman telling Gordon that he'd take the blame for Harvey's crimes and ultimate death, because Dent's image as the White Knight needed to remain untarnished to maintain all the work they did to clean up Gotham, leading to Gordon's closing lines as Batman disappears into the night: "He's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight."

With the principal cast of Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine returning, alongside series newcomers Aaron Ekhardt as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes was likely unavailable/unwanted because Tom Cruise) and of course, Heath Ledger as the Joker, TDK became the highest grossing film for 2008, and twelfth highest of all time with a box office gross of over one billion in ticket sales.

ITHog Rating: 5/5

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)


Set eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, Batman has long since gone into hiding, and Bruce Wayne has retired to a life of reclusiveness, withdrawing from the public eye of Gotham. He's become haggard, and walks with a cane after years of punishment as Batman. Gotham City is in a state of peace, brought on by the Dent Act which allows police greater powers to clean up organized crime. At a ceremony celebrating Harvey Dent, Gordon is about to reveal the truth about Dent and Batman, but decides against doing so, believing that the people of Gotham aren't ready to hear the truth.

Rises introduces some new characters to the Nolanverse: Selina Kyle, a highly skilled cat burglar, and the relentlessly unstoppable Bane, whose intellect is as vast as his physical strength, setting forth a chain of events that brings Batman out of retirement. Also introduced is Maranda Tate, the potential love interest for Bruce, and John Blake, a straight laced cop who manages to figure out Batman's identity. After the arrival of Bane, both Gordon and Blake encourage Batman's return, but Alfred objects, feeling that Batman's time has long since passed and that Bruce will be risking his life in returning to the cape and cowl.

DKR ties more closely with Batman Begins, than it does with The Dark Knight, with many references to Ra's al Ghul and the League of Shadows. In fact, when Batman confronts Bane, Bane claims to be the new leader of the League of Shadows and that he will finish the work that Ra's started. In this confrontation, Bane overpowers Batman, breaks his back (was there really any doubt that he wouldn't?) and throws him into a prison known only as The Pit to suffer as he watches Gotham crumble to ashes. The inmates tell Bruce of the only person to have successfully escaped from The Pit: a child born into the prison who escaped out of sheer force of will. Bruce assumes this child is Bane.

Bane lures most of Gotham's police force underground and sets off explosions across the city, trapping the officers underground and turning Gotham City into an isolated city-state: any attempt to leave the city will result in the detonation of the Wayne Enterprises fusion core, which has been converted into a bomb. Bane publicly reveals the cover-up of Dent's death and releases the prisoners in Blackgate Prison. The rich and powerful are forcibly brought before a show trial presided over by Jonathan Crane. After an attempt by Special Forces soldiers to infiltrate the city fails, the government blockades Gotham and the city regresses into a state of lawlessness.

While chaos and terror run rampant over Gotham, Bruce recovers from his injuries and retrains himself to be Batman. He successfully escapes the prison and returns to Gotham, enlisting Kyle, Blake, Tate, Gordon and Lucius Fox to help liberate the city and stop the fusion bomb before it explodes. Batman subdues Bane, but Tate intervenes, revealing herself as Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul. It was she who escaped the prison as a child, before returning with her father and the League of Shadows to rescue Bane, the one person who aided her in prison. She plans to complete her father's work by destroying Gotham and avenging his death at Wayne's hands.

The Dark Knight Rises draws the trilogy to a thrilling close, with a story that is masterfully told, drawing heavily from the comics story arcs of Knightfall and No Man's Land, and includes so many twists and turns that it will leave you reeling for many hours after. The first hour of the 2:45 run time feels very claustrophobic and suffocating, as Bruce struggles to become Batman once more, only to find himself crushed and broken. The tension rises as we're drawn to an exciting climax in a truer battle of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. It's hard to tell who is which as Bane and Batman fight to the last.

Once again, Bale, Oldman, Freeman and Caine round out the recurring cast, joined by Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate/Talia al Ghul, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake, and Tom Hardy masterfully portraying Bane. In my opinion, DKR closes the Dark Knight Trilogy in the only logical way possible, and ties up any loose ends with a clever and exciting script. To compare it to TDK in terms of which is better is like comparing apples to orangutans. Both are awesome.


ITHoG Rating; 5/5

Entertainment: Green Lantern Review

NOTE: There are no spoilers in this review. If you haven't seen it, don't be afraid to read on!
 
I had the fortune yesterday of taking in a advance screening of Green Lantern two days before it's official release tomorrow.

I have to say, that with my fanboy tendencies towards this character, and the Green Lantern Corps in general, I counted myself as one of those who needed to be awed. And I was. Mostly.

The screening I saw was in 3D, and while it wowed me in a lot of ways, in others, not so much. That being said, unlike a movie like Avatar, I don't think that Green Lantern was designed for 3D, and as a result, some visual effects fall short. I'll be taking the flick in again in a week or so in the good, old 2D, and I'm predicting that the few things I didn't like before will end up blowing me away.

Yeah, I know a few things
about Green Lantern.

Staying true to the source material, the story follows the general comic book origin story, where a cocky test pilot is given a green power ring from a dying purple alien, who crash landed not too far from where said cocky test pilot happens to be. That was no spoiler, that's just general knowledge. The only way you wouldn't know that bit, is if you lived under a rock. You don't live under a rock, do you?

The next little while follows Hal Jordan, the first human to be inducted into the Green Lantern Corps, and his training to use the awesome power he now wields.

Ryan Reynolds was perfect for the role of Hal Jordan, due to his own natural wit and cockiness that meshes perfectly with the character. Peter Sarsgaard and Mark Strong also are wonderfully cast in the roles of Hector Hammond and Sinestro, respectively. All in all, the whole film was cast to perfection. I had my druthers going into this with Blake Lively as Carol Ferris, but she pulled if off nicely, and yes, I spent a fair bit of time imagining her in the tight, skimpy, pink Star Sapphire suit.

A Gatling gun made out of light? Awesome.

There were a few divergences from the source material, but nothing that would make this fanboy jump up and cry fail. But the trouble is, with movies like this, you're never going to please everybody, but you can do an honest, and entertaining piece of film making that hopefully a lot of people will like. Director Martin Campbell has done a beautiful job balancing this tightrope, and made a highly entertaining flick that will hopefully open the doors to more of DC Comics' properties in the future.

Ultimately, I give Green Lantern a 4/5 power rings.

Technology/Entertainment: Sony Pictures Hack

Sony just can't seem to catch a break. Today marks the first time that Sony has been able to get the PlayStation Network fully up and running since the major hack in April (SOE has been back up since a few weeks ago). It also has significance for Sony in a wholly different way: the Sony Pictures site has been hacked, and the integrity of information for more than one million users has been compromised.

Hacker group LulzSec claims to have successfully hacked SonyPictures.com, managing to gain themselves access to user accounts including passwords, e-mail addresses, full home addresses, and date of birth.

On top of that, Sony Pictures accounts also have a number of opt-in features that contain further information about each user depending on what each signs up for. LulzSec state all of that detail was available to them. They also managed to get the details of all admin accounts for the website.

But unfortunately, the pain for Sony doesn’t seem to stop there, though. 75,000 music codes and 3.5 million music coupons are thought to have been taken. We believe these are codes that allow you to purchase Sony music tracks at a discounted price, or in some cases even for free.

The most shocking and possibly damning thing revealed by this hack is the fact that Sony stored all the Sony Pictures account passwords in plain text. No encryption means no work for the hackers, beyond gaining access to the server.

This is an excerpt from a post by LulsSec on Pastebin.com

Our goal here is not to come across as master hackers, hence what we're about to reveal: SonyPictures.com was owned by a very simple SQL injection, one of the most primitive and common vulnerabilities, as we should all know by now. From a single injection, we accessed EVERYTHING. Why do you put such faith in a company that allows itself to become open to these simple attacks?


What's worse is that every bit of data we took wasn't encrypted. Sony stored over 1,000,000 passwords of its customers in plaintext, which means it's just a matter of taking it. This is disgraceful and insecure: they were asking for it.


This is an embarrassment to Sony; the SQLi link is provided in our file contents, and we invite anyone with the balls to check for themselves that what we say is true.

This is sure to cause yet more upset for Sony in the press and with users. It also means they have millions of codes to mark as unusable on their system asap.

Comics: DC to Relaunch Their ENTIRE Line!

(JUSTICE LEAGUE #1;
Art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams;
Colors by Alex Sinclair;
Copyright: DC Comics)

Coming to a Newstand/Smartphone near you, this September... DC Comics has announced plans to relaunch their ENTIRE line, spanning across the entire DC Universe, giving us 52 issue #1s and will feature "younger" and cosmetically redesigned versions of the heroes of the DC Universe.

Written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Jim Lee, Justice League will be the first of the more than 50 titles to debut in September, each of which will go on sale with same day digital releases via DC's various mobile applications and Web store. The initiative is designed explicitly to make the DC Universe more palatable for new readers and, in the words of DC Comics Co-Publisher Dan DiDio, "today's audience."

Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Wonder Woman and Aquaman are among the DC Comics characters who will be "injected with new life," according to Dan DiDio, who spoke with USA Today.

In September, more than 50 more first issues will debut, introducing readers to stories that are grounded in each character's specific legend but also reflect today's real-world themes and events. [Jim] Lee spearheaded the redesign of more than 50 costumes to make characters more identifiable and accessible to comic fans new and old.

"We looked at what was going on in the marketplace and felt we really want to inject new life in our characters and line," says Dan DiDio, who co-publishes DC with Lee. "This was a chance to start, not at the beginning, but at a point where our characters are younger and the stories are being told for today's audience."

DiDio's remarks would seem to indicate that existing DC readers are going to see major changes in the status quo and continuities of their favorite characters and titles. while not entirely throwing out the existing histories of these iconic characters.

There's no conceivable reason to mess with high-selling moneymakers like Batman Incorporated, Green Lantern, Batman: The Dark Knight and, well, other Batman titles, and to do so would be a huge mistake, especially since Grant Morrison's major Leviathan uber-arc is, alongside Geoff Johns's Green Lantern, the only major DC title with ongoing stories continuing past August. The Superman and Wonder Woman franchises, on the other hand, are in desperate need of a shake-up. J. Michael Straczynski absolutely murdered any narrative momentum those books may have had before.

Unfortunately, while DC is unquestionably making a bold risk, it could blow up in their face just as easily as it could drag comics publishing kicking, screaming and tantruming into the twenty-first century. DC isn't launching a manageable line of high-class titles that they can slowly expand; they are flooding the market with fifty-two new series. Fifty-two. I'm not sure there are fifty-two exemplary creative teams in all of comics. Inevitably, a large number of these books are going to be a complete bust, and the new casual digital fan they're courting with this initiative won't have any idea which those will be. This has the potential to cause a big problem in the comics world, akin the the crash in the early 90s, when similar relaunches occurred.

Make no mistake, this entire endeavor is focused on the digital market. DC isn't dumb. They know print is dying. They know they have no chance at beating Marvel in the print market, as years and years of examples have proven. Rejuvenating the characters (literally) and providing a fresh start all across the line isn't about a quick sales bump in the direct market. In fact, it isn't about the direct market at all. It's all so that people logging into comiXology can check out these digital DC comics they've heard about don't see an issue number in the 900s after Action Comics and throw up their hands. This being said, there has been no statement about whether Action Comics, or Detective Comics - two of the longest running titles in comics ever - will get a new set of issue numbers, or if they will remain untouched.

A thing of the past?

And what about those struggling retailers that, as Brian Michael Bendis so bluntly put it, are getting "fucked in the ass" by this decision? If your shop is a small-town glorified UPS depot that makes its living off of pull lists, you're probably not going to make it. If you've built a loyal clientele, are savvy enough to get to know your customers' tastes and hand-sell them titles, and maintain a consistent backlist of high-selling, high-quality trade paperbacks and hardcovers, then chances are you have nothing to worry about.

But what if it goes wrong? DC is burning a lot of bridges in the interest of building this new one, and if both the direct market and digital consumers don't come to this in sufficient enough droves, this is going to be an incredibly difficult, if not impossible, car to turn around. They're risking losing the support of both their existing retail partners and their hardcore fanbase in the interest of drawing an entirely new readership. While this is exactly the sort of drastic action digital comics proponents have been praying for for years, make no mistake, if this blows up, DC is completely screwed.

Entertainment: The Hobbit's Return to Middle-Earth

Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Hobbit is underway. And despite some production setbacks, everything now appears to be rolling full steam ahead. So much so that they are confident in revealing titles and release dates for the two Hobbit films. The two parts will be called will be called The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again. The first of which will be released on December 13, 2012, while the latter will hit theaters December 13, 2013. For all those J.R.R. Tolkien fans out there, that’s two straight years of Christmas presents from Jackson and crew.

Much of the cast from The Lord of the Rings whose characters appear in The Hobbit will be returning to Middle-Earth, including Elijah Wood as Frodo, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Sir Christopher Lee as Sauruman, Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel and Andy Serkis as Gollum. New comers to the world the Jackson has built are Martin Freeman, of Hitchhicker's Guide To The Galaxy fame, as the young Bilbo Baggins - Ian Holm will return as the older Bilbo - and Stephen Fry as the Lord of Laketown. Rumour has it - and this in only rumour at this point - that Leonard Nimoy will voice the legendary dragon, Smaug.

I have to say, that as a fan of the LotR trilogy, I'm ecstatic that Jackson finally returned to direct The Hobbit, as I feel, he is the only director of truly giving Middle-Earth the justice it deserves. It was his vision that brought the other films to life, and it should never been in anyone else's hands.

Entertainment: Wonder Woman Cancelled

Last year, it was reported that Warner Bros. Television had plans on developing a Wonder Woman TV series (to fill the void left by Smallville ending its 10 year run), teaming up with writer/producer David E. Kelly to pitch to major TV networks. Virtually all of the major networks turned down the series, but NBC, the final network to initially pass on the project, announced that they had ordered a pilot on January 21, 2011. The plot is described as "a reinvention of the iconic DC Comics title, in which Wonder Woman – aka Diana Prince – is a vigilante crime fighter in L.A. but also a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life."

On Februrary 16, 2011, it was announced that actress Adrienne Palicki (pictured right) was cast as the title character, with Elizabeth Hurley as a potentially recurring villain, Veronica Cole.

Despite fan disappointment over the modernization of the costume, all seemed to be ready to roll out for a Fall 2011 launch.

And then, the bottom fell out. NBC pulled the plug.

NBC chairman, Robert Greenblatt, explained why they dropped the ball on the series: "I hate to disappoint anybody. I know there are legions of fans of the original show. I don’t know if it’s cursed or what. I just have this one experience. They made a really fine pilot and Adrianne Palicki did a fantastic job. You look at what you have, what you need, and it just didn’t seem to fit in with what we were doing. We did what was best for the schedule. It does give one pause. You’re almost damned if you and damned if you don’t. It’s tricky."

He had more to say about the fanboy furor over the costume: "I was surprised there was such an uproar. But that didn’t have anything to do with whether the show got picked up. I love that it got so much attention. All that engagement from people whether it was positive or negative was good. And she did ultimately have these little hot pants…"

Hot pants or no, unless another network picks up the series, Wonder Woman will end up like the pilot for the ill-fated Aquaman series: on the cutting room floor.

Entertainment: Ryan Reynolds - King of the Comic Book Movie

It would very much appear that Ryan Reynolds is the unofficial king of the comic book movie genre. Not so much that he's starred in a super successful film franchise (although, we'll see what comes out of Green Lantern later this summer), but he is very much interspersed throughout the genre, appearing in X-Men Origins: Wolverine as Wade Wilson, which has led to a green light for a solo Deadpool flick, where Reynolds will reprise his role as Wilson/Deadpool, due out in 2014 - according to latest updates.

He's starring as Hal Jordan in this summer's Green Lantern, and has been in other super-hero related projects over the years, such as Paper Man (if you haven't seen it, DO IT!) and a voice actor for the short-lived, animated series, Zeroman, alongside the late, great Leslie Nielson.

All this aside, Reynolds is also starring in the upcoming R.I.P.D. (Rest In Police Department), based on Dark Horse Comics' limited run series by Peter Lenkov.that ran from October 1999 to January 2000. Ryan plays a deceased cop, killed in the line of duty, while still in the prime of his life. He is then recruited to join the Rest In Police Department, the ghost world police force. He signs up for 100 years duty in exchange for the chance to find his killer.


His co-star in this tale is non other than Jeff Bridges, who will play his ghost police partner, an old pro who's been on the beat since the 1800's.

Technology: Super 8 Projector Made of Lego

In a world of High Def video, projecting Super 8 film isn't a hassle most people need to worry about. But to camera nut, Friedemann Wachsmuth, this doesn't seem to bother him too much. He painstakingly built a fully functional Super 8 film projector almost entirely out of Lego. The only non-Lego materials used in the construction of the projector are the lamp, lens and reel spindles, but hey, who's counting?

  

The projector runs at a blistering speed of 24 frames per second, and while it's not as pristine as Blu Ray, Super 8 does have a certain vintage feel that you just can't get with HD. The friction clutch and the gear ration control the slip film reel. The film is pulled through by a claw mechanism, which Wachsmuth calls an "eccentric-driven Claw". The projector uses two engines, but only uses one when it rewinds. Yes, a projector made out of Legos can rewind your film.

The idea is rather nice when you think about it. Both Legos and Super 8 were once extremely popular and are now being buried by the latest video game release or the latest Blu-ray or 3D movie. The way Wachsmuth used the medium of Legos to play the lost medium of Super 8 film is very impressive and admirable.

Check out this video of the projector in action. And set to the Hawaii 5-0 theme song to make it even more exciting, the projector works smoothly resulting in fairly good playback of the Super 8 film.

Lego Technic Super-8 Movie Projector from Friedemann Wachsmuth.

Entertainment: ...And Another Thing!

For many, Douglas Adams was simply a humour writer. For some, a humanitarian. For others, a man with his eyes to the future. All would be right. He was certainly all of these things and more. Today marks the tenth anniversary of his passing, and a day that should be remembered by all geeks and non-geeks alike.


Douglas Noel Adams was born in Cambridge in March 1952, educated at Brentwood School, Essex and St John's College, Cambridge where, in 1974 he gained a BA (and later an MA) in English literature. He was very proud to be the first known example of DNA evidence (if you don't get it, take another look at his name). Adams described himself as a "radical atheist", adding radical for emphasis so he would not be asked if he meant agnostic.

He was creator of all the various manifestations of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which started life as a BBC Radio 4 series. Since its first airing in March 1978 it has been transformed into a series of best-selling novels, a TV series, a record album, a computer game and several stage adaptations.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's phenomenal success sent the book straight to Number One in the UK Bestseller List and in 1984 Douglas Adams became the youngest author to be awarded a Golden Pan. He won a further two (a rare feat), and was nominated - though not selected - for the first Best of Young British Novelists awards.

He followed this success with The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (1980); Life, The Universe and Everything (1982); So Long and Thanks for all the Fish (1984); and Mostly Harmless (1992). The first two books in the Hitchhiker series were adapted into a 6 part television series, which was an immediate success when first aired in 1982. Other books by Adams include Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (1987) and Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul (1988). In 1984 Douglas teamed up with John Lloyd and wrote The Meaning of Liff and after a huge success The Deeper Meaning of Liff followed this in 1990). One of Douglas’s all-time personal favourites was written in 1990 when he teamed up with zoologist Mark Carwardine and wrote Last Chance to See – an account of a world-wide search for rare and endangered species of animals.

Prior to his death, Adams had felt the need to continue the story: "I suspect at some point in the future I will write a sixth Hitchhiker book..." and "People have said, quite rightly, that Mostly Harmless is a very bleak book. And it was a bleak book. I would love to finish Hitchhiker on a slightly more upbeat note, so five seems to be a wrong kind of number; six is a better kind of number." As a result, And Another Thing… is the title of the sixth installment of Adams' Hitchhiker's "trilogy." The book, written by Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series, was published on the thirtieth anniversary of the first book, 12 October 2009, in hardback. Colfer was given permission to write the book by Adams' widow Jane Belson.

Adams was a serious fan of technology. Though he did not buy his first word processor until 1982, he had considered one as early as 1979. He was quoted as saying that until 1982, he had difficulties with "the impenetrable barrier of jargon. Words were flying backwards and forwards without concepts riding on their backs." In 1982, his first purchase was a 'Nexus'. In 1983, when he and his wife, Jane Belson went out to Los Angeles, he bought a DEC Rainbow. Upon their return to England, Adams bought an Apricot, then a BBC Micro and a Tandy 1000. In Last Chance to See, Adams mentions his Cambridge Z88, which he had taken to Zaire on a quest to find the Northern White Rhinoceros.

DNA: A man powered by the
Infinite Improbability Drive

Adams' posthumously published work, The Salmon of Doubt, features multiple articles written by Douglas on the subject of technology, including reprints of articles that originally ran in MacUser magazine, and in The Independent on Sunday newspaper. In these, Adams claims that one of the first computers he ever saw was a Commodore PET, and that his love affair with the Apple Macintosh first began after seeing one at Infocom's headquarters in Massachusetts in 1983, although this was very likely an Apple Lisa.

Adams was a Macintosh user from the time they first came out in 1984 until his death in 2001. He was the first person to buy a Mac in the UK. Adams was also an "Apple Master", one of several celebrities whom Apple made into spokespeople for its products (other Apple Masters included John Cleese and Gregory Hines). Adams's contributions included a rock video that he created using the first version of iMovie with footage featuring his daughter Polly. The video can still be seen on Adams's .Mac homepage. Adams even installed and started using the first release of Mac OS X in the weeks leading up to his death. His very last post to his own forum was in praise of Mac OS X and the possibilities of its Cocoa programming framework. Adams can also be seen in the Omnibus tribute included with the Region One/NTSC DVD release of the TV adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide using Mac OS X on his PowerBook G3.

Adams used email extensively from the technology's infancy, adopting a very early version of email to correspond with Steve Meretzky during the pair's collaboration on Infocom's version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. While living in New Mexico in 1993 he set up another email address and began posting to his own USENET newsgroup, alt.fan.douglas-adams, and occasionally, when his computer was acting up, to the comp.sys.mac hierarchy. Many of his posts are now archived through Google. Challenges to the authenticity of his messages later led Adams to set up a message forum on his own website to avoid the issue. Adams was also a keynote speaker for the April 2001 Embedded Systems Conference in San Francisco, one of the major technical conferences on embedded system engineering. In his keynote speech, he shared his vision of technology and how it should contribute in everyday – and every man's – life.

I think it would be safe to say that were he still alive today, Douglas Adams would be an avid fan of today's ebook readers, smartphones and tablets, and with his love of Apple products, likely the iPhone and iPad in particular. With these and the apps that can be run on them, we're ever closer to the "Guide" he envisioned so many years ago.

May 25 is known as International Towel Day, a day that Hitchhiker fans celebrate Adams, his works and the culture that surrounds it. Bring your towel.

Gaming: Sony Hacks

You may be aware of the recent Sony PlayStation Network (PSN) hacks that may well have included private and confidential information from many of it's 77 million plus subscribers a few weeks ago. You may even be affected by this. Not only has Sony been slow to bring the PSN back up, but they have also brought down the servers for their Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) branch, as a result of yet another hack. This part affects me, as I play DC Universe Online, and now not only can't I, but I may have also had my own personal information swiped. Damn skippy. 

The statement from Sony is that they decided to temporarily bring the SOE servers down as a result of their ongoing investigation of the PSN hacks. Sony has stated, however, that SOE users weren’t affected by the attack, and hasn’t changed that story at all, which is somewhat comforting. 

The statement on Sony’s site reads: “We have had to take the SOE service down temporarily. In the course of our investigation into the intrusion into our systems we have discovered an issue that warrants enough concern for us to take the service down effective immediately... We apologize for any inconvenience and greatly appreciate your patience.”

Whether or not the damage is still spreading and Sony is uncovering more issues in the wake of the original attack remains to be seen. There’s no doubt Sony would like to update its community only to say service is restored and they’ve determined no data was lost, but bringing the environment offline is a big step just to prove that. Unfortunately, it’s possible we haven’t seen the end of Sony’s security woes just yet.

There's been talk of Sony offering up it's users free games and/or free playtime in compensation of the inconvenience caused by the down time, and that seems all well and good for a company trying its hardest not to lose any more money than they have to. But that wasn't good enough for some.

Less than a week after the first PlayStation Network-related class action suit was filed against Sony, a second legal claim has been initiated. While the first didn't ask for a specific amount, the second is quite clear on how much it wants from Sony - at least 1 billion dollars in damages. But those aren't US dollars, they're Canadian one, which means Sony might have to shell out more money as a result of our strong dollar.

The second suit was announced on Monday by the Toronto law firm of McPhadden Samac Tuovi LLP, with Sony Canada, Sony USA, and "other Sony entities" being named as defendants. The firm has commenced the proposed class action on behalf of 21-year-old Mississauga, Ontario, resident Natasha Maksimovic. Described as a years-long PlayStation user, the lawsuit quotes Maksimovic as being outraged by the PSN outage and subsequent data breach. 

"If you can't trust a huge multi-national corporation like Sony to protect your private information, who can you trust?" asked Maksimovic in a statement. "It appears to me that Sony focuses more on protecting its games than its PlayStation users." 

The class action proposes that the C$1 billion ($1.04 billion) in damages be used to pay for "costs of credit monitoring services and fraud insurance coverage for two years." It was unclear if the amount would be applied only to the cost of the 1 million Canadian PSN users affected by the still-ongoing outage, or all the 77 million global PSN users whose information may have been exposed. 

It seems quite clear that Sony really, really wants its users to take its bri..er, "generous offer" which will essentially mean that any subscriber who does, will effectively no longer have any stake in the class action suits held against the entertainment giant.

For more information on the suit, and if you can participate, follow this link: http://www.mcst.ca/ClassActions/ClassActionsHome/SonyPSN/

Entertainment: Johnny 5 is Twenty Five!

Today marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the release of the 80s cinema gem, Short Circuit and Johnny 5! It was on May 9, 1986 that Number 5 first made us laugh and cheer on the big screen. We learned to say crazy things like, "Your Mama was a snowblower!," "Hello, bozo!," and "Nice software!" Hugely popular, sequel talks would begin a mere 2 weeks after the release of the first flick. By 1987, Johnny 5 was a household name. He was as recognized as Bugs Bunny. Short Circuit, was the #1 home video for the year. Thanks for all the laughs, Johnny. And, congrats to all those involved in the film. Number Five is still alive!

For a quick recap, let's take a look at the Wikipedia plot synopsis, shall we? The story revolves around a sentient robot labeled "SAINT Number 5", the fifth of a series of prototype robots built for the US military during the Cold War. While a demonstration takes place on the grounds of the developer's company, Nova Laboratories in Damon, Washington, a lightning storm forces an end to the presentation, while a power surge hits Number 5 while it is recharging and alters its program, causing a malfunction, and Number 5 is alive, dammit.

Johnny 5 is alive, bitch!

Fast forward twenty five years, and fans are just as in love with Johnny as they were when he first entered our lives. To commemorate the festivities, the studio announced the release of both films on Blu Ray to coincide with the anniversary. Although spectacular to watch, these discs don't really come with a lot of extra features that we've become accustomed to. Instead, we're treated to a relaxed audio commentary by John Badham and writers S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock, on-set interviews with cast and crew (including some sharp observations by futurist Syd Mead, who designed the robot), a short "making of" featurette, behind-the-scenes footage, production stills and designs, and a trailer. Well, if that's all we get, that's all we get. I suppose some might argue that there were no such things as DVDs, Blu Rays and Special Features to worry about back in the 80s, so why would they shoot that? To this I say, Damn you, hateful Curr!

Even more questionable than the supreme lack of extras to be found on the Blu Ray discs is the word of a remake, allegedly due out sometime this year. I loved the first movie. I loved the second one, too. I just don't think we need to see a remake of it. According to sources online, there is no intent to change Johnny, but it's unlikely Mr. Guttenberg will be on hand to make an appearance. The only information that IMDB has to offer is that it's in production, with no cast listings, but the original creators are involved somehow. So, it can't be all bad, can it?

So on this day, I say to you, forget the lack of extra features on the Blu Rays and DVDs, and especially forget about the potential ruining of our beloved Johnny 5, and go and watch the awesomeness that is Short Circuit and bask in it's glory.

Comics: Frank Millar's DKR Page Now the Most Valuable Piece of US Comic Art... EVER

$450,000 of Awesome

In the last year or so, we've seen some pretty hefty sums of money dropped on rare Golden Age comics like Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman, and Detective Comics #27, the first appearance of Batman. Both sold for over a million dollars each. Impressive and record-breaking sums to be sure, but not that surprising for two of the most sought after comics in history.

Today, however, Heritage Auctions announced that it just sold original art from the third issue of Frank Miller's modern classic The Dark Knight Returns for $448,125. That's different from the other mega-purchases in two important ways: It was a single page of original art rather than a published comic, and rather than being published in the Golden Age era of the late 1930s, this was from a comic that came out in 1986. The nearly $450,000 sale is well above the $100,000 estimate that Heritage had initially projected, and makes the splash page "the single most valuable piece of American comic art to ever sell," according to the Heritage Auctions press release.

The image is the single most memorable image from the entire comic book series and the greatest image from the decade of the 1980s ever to come to market, as well as now standing as one of, if not the most desirable pieces of original comic art from any era to come to market. It is a perfect stand-alone image of Batman and Robin (Carrie Kelley, the first female, full-time Robin) soaring high above Gotham City, emblematic of the entire storyline.

"I've always loved that drawing," commented Miller, when asked before the auction what his thoughts on its imminent sale were. "Danced around my studio like a fool when I drew it. I hope it finds a good home."

The previous record price for a piece of original American comic book art was set last year when the cover of EC comics Weird Fantasy #29, by legendary artist Frank Frazetta, sold at Heritage via a private treaty sale for $380,000.

"Heritage auctioned Frank Miller's original art work for the cover of Daredevil #188 for $101,575 last year," said Ed Jaster, VP of Heritage Auctions. "So we knew there were serious buyer's out there, especially for Miller's top work. Now we know for sure what collectors are willing to pay. This piece is far away the current king. Nothing else has even come close."


Heritage Auctions Director of Operations Barry Sandoval told reporters from The Dallas Observer that the piece had belonged to an unnamed European collector who had originally purchased it not long after the release of the comic in 1986. No details were released about the lucky man or woman who owns it now, except that they have way more money than you.

Entertainment: May the Fourth Be With You

Sure, there's plenty of debate as to whether or not this whole idea of a Star Wars celebration on May the 4th is lame or not. It kinda is, but nevertheless, Star Wars still remains one of the most epic sci-fi sagas of all time.

Who would have thought when the relatively unknown George Lucas began production in the spring of 1976 with a shoestring budget of $11million, a myriad of production delays, crew problems, pressure from the studio and a slew of post-production issues that this so-called "children's movie" was to become one of the most beloved and enduring film series of all time.

With his own special effects company, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) Lucas pushed special effects forward leaps and bounds throughout the years. What seems like dated effects by today's standards set the bar in the 70s and 80s, paving the road for the visual effects found in modern films.

Star Wars is essentially a great example of DIY film making, in essence, with 20th Century Fox not really seeing the vision of what was to come back then. Lucas founded his own production company, Lucasfilm Ltd., built an effects company, hired his own marketing team, and secured merchandising rights for the film's properties.

The original trilogy remains to this day as sacred within the geek community, and the prequels have allowed us to hand this down to a new generation of geek.

Entertainment: Reboots of Awesome 80s Cartoons that Don't Suck

We all remember the sad affair that was the relaunch of the Transformers 2.0, which was essentially the old show with super high-tech transitions between scenes, and a abhorrent remake of He-Man a few years later. Well, fans of the old 80s 'toons should rejoice with the knowledge that two of the most awesome shows of the day are making a comeback, the kind that doesn't suck.

A month or so ago, it was announced that ThunderCats would be making a return to the small screen with a revamped story line that introduces us to a younger Lion-O and his journey as the leader of the ThunderCats. Based on the classic 1980s show, the re-imagined ThunderCats has been ten years in the making. I’m sure there’s some of you, like myself, when you heard this series was going to be made, your first thought was, "Great!" then your second thought is, "They better not screw it up."

In that line of thought, how did the creators go about balancing keeping the old fans happy while trying to figure out how to bring new, younger, viewers in? "I think we approached it with a huge respect for the original but yet we were free to take those characters in different directions and keep the spirit of the original intact," said producer Ethan Spaulding. "We changed a lot but I think fans will appreciate the things that they hold dear about ThunderCats are in this new incarnation."

Next to get the 'boot is Voltron Force, set several years after the final battle between the Voltron Force and Prince Lotor, a new evil threatens the galaxy, and the universe is once again in need of its true defender...

Voltron is the king of robots, made up of five robotic lions that combine to form a mighty metallic warrior, sworn to defend the universe. Voltron is capable of inflicting colossal blows, making giant leaps, and is armed with lasers, sabers, missiles, and the invincible Blazing Sword!

Fueled by the Power of the Lions, found within the new Voltron Force cadets, Voltron returns more powerful than ever. Key to the mighty robot's new abilities is the power to reconfigure, allowing each lion to form the head, and arming Voltron with the specific powers of that lion.

The original Voltron Force pilots, Keith, Allura, Lance, Hunk and Pidge return, and this time they're joined by three new cadets. With the once-in-a-millennium opportunity to train alongside their heroes, these junior pilots will help unlock incredible new powers, discover secret origins, and fight to earn their role in the legendary Voltron Force.

Technology: Most Badass TV Ever.

Wouldn't you want this in your living room?!

Sharp has created a near 360-degree video room for the theme park of Huis Ten Boschwith, Japan. Comprising a large front screen surrounded by screens on the top, bottom, left, and right, the system engulfs visitors on five sides with detailed life-like images in a new kind of image space. The attraction, called the 5D Miracle Tour, will open on April 29, 2011.

This multi-screen display system has a total of 156 units of the PN-V601 60-inch LCD monitor configured in five surfaces: a front wall, ceiling and floor (36 monitors each) and left and right walls (24 monitors each). Because of the small system frame width between neighboring monitors, visitors are surrounded by huge, seamless displays in front, above, below, and on both sides. An image transmission system controls all of the LCD monitors to give visitors a whole new visual experience of images that are bright, detailed, and life-like.

I'm sure you've already spent a few moments looking at the picture above, and imagined your couch in there, watching your favourite blockbuster BluRay, or battling your way through some kickass video games. You probably also even imagined your significant other agreeing wholeheartedly with this idea. I know I did. Sadly, I also know she won't.

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Entertainment: Disposable Music

The Music Industry, much like any other segment of the entertainment world, is an ever changing world these days. With the advent of technologies like the MP3 and the almighty iPod, your average consumer just doesn't have the same appreciation of the effort involved in making a record. Gone are the days where you would wait with baited breath for your favourite record store to open up Tuesday morning so you could get your hands on that new album by your favourite band. Why wait, when you could probably find a pre-release leak online? Or if you're one of those who still do prefer to pay for your music (good for you!), you can still pre-order it from iTunes or Amazon and have it download while you sleep on release day.

To make matters worse, modern computer technologies have made it even easier for your average hobbyist musician to build a halfway decent recording studio in their bedroom for a relatively low cost, thus adding even more to the deluge of "artists" out there shoveling their crappy music down our throats. Never mind that it was there has been that candy-coated bubble gum music, where a complete song can be written and recorded in a day (trust me, I've seen it happen) since the dawn of time, there just happens to be more half-assed music out there than ever before. Sure, it also lets the talented underground musicians and bands get heard in ways that were unthinkable even ten years ago, so there is some silver lining to this otherwise murky cloud.

Only once in a while now, can you pick up a record, put on some headphones, lay back and soak it all in, front to back, and appreciate the awesomeness that it is.

Entertainment: Green Day's American Idiot to Become a Movie!

This story is of particular interest to me, since Green Day happens to be be one of my favourite bands.

Universal has given the green light for American Idiot, the Broadway musical based on Green Day’s acclaimed album of the same name to be adapted into a full length feature film.

A concept album tackling the ideas of love vs. rage, "American Idiot" follows three characters: the aimless Jesus of Suburbia, punk rock freedom fighter St. Jimmy, and Whatsername. It was released in 2004 and quickly became one of the band's biggest albums. It also spawned Grammy Awards, as did the Broadway version.

The studio is in negotiations to pick up the screen rights and has set Michael Mayer, the director of the stage production, to helm the big-screen adaptation. It is also expected that Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong will be courted to play the role of St. Jimmy, a role which he performed many times on Broadway and will be performing the role once more as the production nears it's close on April 24th.

Oscar award winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, who wrote Milk, is in discussion to write the screenplay. Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, who optioned the rights before Idiot began its Broadway run, will produce via their Playtone banner along with the band, Pat Magnarella and Tom Hulce.

Hanks and Goetzman were producers on the mega-smash "Mamma Mia!," the adaptation of the musical based on the ABBA songs. Universal was behind that musical, which got it on the hunt for other musical projects. Not all of them are created equal, however, and the studio recently put In the Heights into turnaround after it was deemed too pricey.

An American Idiot movie has been talked about since the album originally came out in 2004. Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt told us a while back that Armstrong himself has a vision for how he'd like to see it filmed: "Billie has full pictures in his head of each of these characters and, you know, their emotional turmoil and triumphs and every bit of what we believe should be the making of a good movie, and that is emotional investment."

Entertainment: Deadpool, Batman, Superman and Other Comic Movie News

It's no surprise that I'm a huge fan of comic-book flicks, so I was happy with the news on a few of the upcoming projects in the works.

20th Century Fox has tapped VFX expert, Tim Miller, to direct the upcoming X-Men Origins: Deadpool which will be his directorial debut. Fox has also closed a producing deal with Ryan Reynolds, who will reprise his role as the Merc with a Mouth from X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Josh Pence has been cast as a young Ra's Al Ghul for scenes rumored to take place 30 years prior to the present story line in Christopher Nolan's new Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises. Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are all returning to lead the cast, which also includes Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, Tom Hardy as Bane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Alberto Falcone, and Marion Cotillard.

The story line has been kept locked up tight, but for those wanting to read between the lines, Pence's casting throws a few crumbs to follow. Ra's Al Ghul was played by Liam Neeson in 2005's Batman Begins, paving the way for a possible return of the supposedly dead character. Also, while the studio has never confirmed Cotillard's character, it has been rumored to be Talia Al Ghul, the daughter of Batman's mentor-turned-enemy, and once love interest of Bruce Wayne in the comics.

Although it was previously rumored that Viggo Mortenson would play the role of General Zod in Superman: Man of Steel, that role has actually found its way into the hands of Michael Shannon, who received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for Revolutionary.


"Zod is not only one of Superman's most formidable enemies, but one of the most significant because he has insights into Superman that others don't. Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role," Snyder said.

Zod, like Superman, is from Krypton, where he commanded its armed forces. The character appeared in both 1978’s Superman and its 1980 sequel Superman II, where he was played by actor Terence Stamp who is also the disembodied voice of Jor-El in Smallville, which ends it's 10-year run this spring.

And while Green Lantern hasn't even hit theatres yet,  the writing team is already at work on a sequel to the highly anticipated epic. Blake Lively, who plays Hal Jordan's love interest, Carol Ferris has this to say: "There are lots of winks toward the audience, you know, if people like this movie then we will do more and, you know, my character Carol Ferris turns into a villain that challenges and fights Hal Jordan... with some CRAZY costumes."

In a recent interview for Green Larntern, Ryan Reynolds raved that this wasn't an Earth-bound super hero flick. When asked on the Justice League movie answered: "That’s a whole other conversation. That’s a whole business model and nothing to do with me at all," he said. "No one has ever approached me about doing a 'Justice League' movie. We’ll see if they do it in the long run."

But it seems he may have been lying, as his publicist has released a new statement that says: "Justice League is a continuation of the Green Lantern franchise, but will not feature Green Lantern on the team until after Green Lantern's sequel."

This maybe a little premature having any talk of a Justice League movie, but DC does have to compete with Marvel's Avengers rumor mill. And after all, Marvel needs all that Avenger hype, because what in the hell was Marvel thinking of when they made Thor?!

Entertainment: In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night

Okay, so many may already be aware that I am a HUGE comic book fan. No, not huge like the Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons, but I never grew out of them as I became a *gasp* adult. One of my favourite characters, of course is Green Lantern. Granted, I wasn't too interested in the character (or characters, if you want to get technical about it) until around the time of the Final Crisis/Blackest Night series from DC Comics in 2008/2009. I quickly found myself drawn to Hal Jordan, the major GL in the DCU, and he became one of my all-time faves.

So, it stands to reason that I was excited to hear they were finally making a full-length feature staring Ryan Reynolds as Jordan, Blake Lively as love interest Carol Ferris, Mark Strong as Sinestro and Peter Saarsgard as Dr. Hector Hammond.

The first trailer for this flick first appeared in November, 2010, before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, pt 1 and quickly spread across the internet. Last week, Warner Bros. debuted nine minutes of footage from the upcoming film at WonderCon, in San Fransisco, CA. The footage wowed the audience, and withing a few days, a four minute cut of the WonderCon footage was released online, much to the excitement of many a fanboy (yours truly, included). And yes, Ryan Reynolds does recite the infamous Oath.

Here is the WonderCon clip, so sit back and enjoy!

Green Lantern opens in 3D everywhere on June 17, 2011, which happens to be my birthday. Thanks for the Birthday present, Warner Bros!

Technology: Pump Up The Volume

Anyone remember that Christian Slater flick from the early '90s as fondly as I do? For those who aren't familiar with it, go watch it. You won't be sorry, if you can get past the obviously dated fashion sense of the early '90s. In the movie, Slater played an awkward but smart kid, Mark Hunter, from the eastern US, moved unceremoniously to the suburbs of Arizona. His dad bought him a shortwave radio kit, so he could keep in touch with his friends back home. Instead, Mark uses it to start a pirate radio station, and under the guise of Hard Harry, he lets loose all sorts of mayhem at his high school, and a constant barrage of Leonard Cohen's Everybody Knows.

It all seemed like so much fun. What a way to reach out and be heard by so many people. Sure, social networking sights such as Twitter and Facebook do a great job of that, but it just doesn't have the same charm as sitting in your dimly lit bedroom with a home-built radio station does.

"Ham radio", another term for amateur radio, is intended solely to be the licensed and private use of designated radio bands, for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication. Amateur radio, like other regulated radio services, operates under rules that limit the maximum power and the technical and operational characteristics of transmissions. Amateur radio stations are issued with a designated call sign to allow identification of stations. The power of amateur radio equipment is restricted, and operators must not cause interference to other authorized radio users. They may not broadcast to or communicate with the public with their equipment. They are only allowed to communicate with other licensed operators. National regulations governing amateur radio use are coordinated under international agreements since radio frequency transmissions can cross multiple national boundaries. But where is the fun in that?

So how would you go about building your own "pirate" radio station? You could head down to your local electronics shop and buy a heap of semi-expensive equipment and a stack of Leonard Cohen records, or you can go the high-tech route, and go with online streaming options, such as Nulsoft's SHOUTcast, or NCH's BroadWave among others. Still, you will generally need a few things to get your show happening, such as a microphone, a mixer maybe, some audio editing software and a pretty decent computer. If you want to be legit in any way, you should also shell out a couple of bucks for licensing if needed (depending on the streaming service you go with). A few bucks here and there might mean the difference between some awesome radio, or a night in jail. All this should generally be cheaper than a day at Radio Shack, but you'll be set for a long time either way.

Go, make some Radio Gaga, some Radio Googoo, and shoot me your station addresses!