The Boba show

Superman, again
So, the big news today is that Warner Bros. is looking to reboot the Superman franchise... again. That's not news, really. They've talked about it for a bit. Seems no one liked that whole Superman-as-deadbeat-dad reboot. Go figure. Here's where it gets interesting, Warner is bringing in Christopher Nolan as an advisor on how to approach the new film(s). Keep in mind, he's (probably) not going to direct them but help Warner figure out what they should do. Hopefully that won't include making Superman "dark." Dark is Batman's territory, that's why it works for him. Superman is not dark. Also, Superman would not knock Lois Lane up and then bail. Superman saves planets and solar systems from giant planet and solar system-eating robots -- he doesn't stop half-baked real estate scams, no matter how big or how much Lex Luthor has to do with them. Anyway, hopefully things work out for Supes. Oh, the article also mentions that Nolan and co. have begun the script phase for the third Batman film.

24
Does the idea of a 24 film excite you? Then prepare to get even more excited. Are you prepared? Hmm? Good. Turns out the long-talked-about 24 film may happen. I might even go see that if it does.

Star Wars
That whole Star Wars live action (possibly) cable TV show is starting to gel. It sounds interesting on paper, I guess. Darker, more character driven, well written. Let's believe it when we see it but it just might work. I mean, I was skeptical about the Clone Wars and I kinda like that show. Although, this one is being billed as "Sopranos meets Deadwood in space" and apparently features a young Boba Fett "making his way in the universe" while dating a Twilek prostitute. Two out of three facts in that last sentence are true. Having trouble picking them out, aren't you?

EA busy
Electronic Arts is a big corporation. They make some good games, and if they don't they buy the companies that do. At their recent shareholders conference call they announced a buttload of new games and initiatives, including a 2011 release for the new Dragon Age game and Crysis 2, among others. They also mentioned that Dead Space 2 will now be a 2011 release instead of the original 2010 announcement.

And finally…
Hey, remember that EA conference call I just talked about? Yeah, they also announced that there will be something seriously "far-reaching" for Mass Effect coming in 2011 as well. What could that be? A lot of people are saying Mass Effect 3, but how "far-reaching" is that? It's the last part of a planned trilogy, it's sort of the opposite of "far-reaching," no? Could it be an MMO? The Mass Effect universe would definitely lend itself to one of those given all the different cultures and abilities and whatnot. But who knows? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

The Player: Mass Effect 2

Did I mention that I had to go on a suicide mission? Yeah, that is happening. Like, in the next day or so.

One of the things I love most about Mass Effect 2 is its focus on the goal. From the get-go, you know the stakes: Commander Shepard must assemble a team of the galaxy’s roughest and toughest to take on a mission so preposterously difficult, it’s (essentially) a suicide mission.

That’s pretty much the game right there. Yes, Mass Effect had Shepard focused on stopping a single foe as well, but getting from A to B included hours of traipsing about the galaxy exploring planets, stopping pirates, discovering artifacts and being awesome in many different ways. It was a lot of fun, it introduced us to the vast universe of the game and rounded out everything nicely with its sandbox-y feel.

In ME2, pretty much everything you do is about the mission. No more fucking about and chilling with space monkeys: shit got real. (Yes, Martin Lawrence/ Marcus Burnett real.) Once you take on the mission: you spend a lot of time recruiting your 11-member team. Then you spend a lot of time helping them sort shit out so their head can be in the game. When you’re not Mr. or Miss Human Resources, you’re collecting resources and tech to make your ship and weapons awesome enough so that some of you might come home – or at least make it so your enemies regret ever pissing you off.

I keep thinking of two analogies for the differences between the two games.

One is that Mass Effect was like a TV series, lots of breathing room, time to get to know a lot of different characters and mine the minutiae of the universe. ME2 is if they took that show and continued it in a two-hour blockbuster film. It’s concentrated, focused and all the more intense for it.

The other one is simple: Mass Effect was the regular season, ME2 is the playoffs. No more room for mistakes.

And it’s the mission (and 90% of the game’s focus on it) that makes it so. It’s always looming there. And now it’s all that’s left to do.

For my part, I’d say my companions deaths are what’s looming most. I don’t know if we’ll all make it back. I’m not going to say that I like everyone on my team, but I like most of them and there are even some whose deaths would upset me a lot.

All I know is that I’ve done my best, we're well prepared, we're pissed off and no matter what the odds, you should never count me out.

Tell Liara I love her…

Only four days left

Mass Effect 2
Well, it's the home stretch now. Mass Effect 2 is out in less than four days. To you, those will feel like four days. To me, they will feel like four eternities squished together and slathered with eon icing. I was holding onto a hope that I might get a review copy delivered before the end of the day but, yeah, no. That's cool. Maybe Monday? If not then, then Tuesday I'll either get a review copy, my collector's edition or both. I know, I sound like Gollum -- and I'll probably look like him when I emerge from my cave/couch weeks from now, having completed several playthroughs of awesomeness. Until I get the game in my grubby little hands, I will watch this launch trailer until my synapses fry -- with tears of joy streaming down my face.

Lost
Hey, are you ready for the return (and final season) of Lost? If you're like me, you can't remember anything about last season and will scramble to (unsuccessfully) catch up as much as possible before it airs. A cool thing about the show's impending return is all the fun viral-y stuff hitting the net. Like this and this. Enjoy!

Cable
Why is cable TV better than network? Hey, how about because there's going to be a Walking Dead TV series and one for George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones, too.

And finally…
Japan. It's a hell of a place.

Spider-Man go bye-bye

Spider-Man 4 epic clusterfuck action
Wow. Well, I guess that was one way to go with it, Sony. Most would have gone the "we want to make truckfuls of money AND a good movie" route, but I guess siding on the "fail-arity ensues" tip is something, too. While one might now segue to this story about Tobey Maguire's extracuricular hobbies involving the Spidey suit and mock, I think this is pretty awesome.

Yvonne S. talks Mass Effect 2
Chuck actor Yvonne Strahovski talks a bit about her (chunky) role in the upcoming BioWare extravaganza.

Conan, Leno, Letterman, the Incredible Hulk
It seems everyone has an opinion on this Leno-Conan-NBC thing. Seriously. Everyone. David Letterman? He has an opinion. The Incredible Hulk? He, too, has an opinion. Me? Do I have an opinion? Sure. I guess I think NBC are stupid poopy faces and Leno is a jerky man. Conan is ok, though. I think he should quit the network and it should go something like this.

Transformers
Even before Michael Bay and all that shizz, I was never much of a Transformers guy. I was more of a G.I. Joe guy, so, really, this isn't about being cooler than anyone, it's just a matter of taste. And, really, the use of that word to describe it all is tenuous at its most tenuous. Regardless, the new Transformers: War for Cybertron game is starting to look and sound pretty tasty. It's not up there with the Mass Effects and Dragon Ages of the gaming universe for me, but I'm looking forward to checking it out, definitely.

Fringe
I like Fringe. I've become a fan of the show and its paranormal shenanigans. Dunham is intense. Peter is Pacey with a gun. And Walter is one of the coolest characters on TV right now. I watch it on a regular basis and watch when it is airing so I get my Anna Torv the way she was meant to be seen: in HD. Fox moved the show -- somewhat controversially -- from Tuesday to Thursday this season, where it goes up against, like, every popular show on TV at the moment. Still, it's apparently doing well, according to Fox, and it looks good that it will get a third season. I like how Fox is all obtuse about it. But still, good news, I guess? And producer J.J. Abrams seems enthusiastic enough to talk about looking into the show's future, too.

And finally…
If you watch Lost, or ever have, you'll probably get a kick out of this.

Breaking Bad, Mass Effect 2, Star Trek 2 and more

Fight for the Lost
Okay, guys, it's 15 more sleeps until Mass Effect 2. Yes, it will be the longest, most uncomfortable 15 sleeps of our lives but it's getting close now. Can you feel it? Less than half a month away. Awesome. To drive us even more insane, BioWare has released some cool little vids about a bunch of the characters in the game -- all under the "Fight for the Lost" campaign, referring to the various human colonies that have gone missing that the intrepid Commander Shepard must get to the bottom of. In the video we have the "savage," Grunt, the "assassin," Thane, the "loyalist," Miranda, and the latest featuring the "psychopath" known as "Subject Zero." Good times. Although, the "loyalist and the psychopath" sounds like a morning radio show team. Also, before the holidays, Destructoid ran a cool piece on how the experience of playing through the first game as a female Commander Shepard is not only a better experience, it's the definitive one. I have to agree. I only had one playthrough as a dude Shep, which was refreshing, but not as solid as playing as lady-Shep.

Star Trek
More from Good News Town: Star Trek 2 gets a release date.

LEGO
LEGO video games are the tits. Fun to play (despite some glitches) and they always put a smile on your face. We can all agree on that. But do you like LEGO games enough to be part of a LEGO MMO? That's pretty hardcore, yeah? Maybe this trailer will change your mind.

Breaking Bad
More great news: Breaking Bad season 3 gets a premiere date.

Green Lantern
I realized today that I haven't been covering the Green Lantern movie much. That's because I don't care about the Green Lantern movie much. I have nothing against Ryan Reynolds. He seems like a good bloke. But I don't have anything for him, either. He's kinda just there -- a vanilla-beige collection of meh. Also, I guess I don't put much hope into these superhero films until they're done and I hear good things. And even then, not so much. Anyway, I figured that I need to get my head out of my ass a little more, so here's some GL news: Blake Lively of "Gossip Girl" and boobs fame is set to star as the "love interest." Or Carol Ferris to you geeks out there.

The A-Team
The trailer is here! What do you think? Maybe?

Inception
This has been around for a while, but here's the trailer for Christopher Nolan's Inception and it looks all kinds of weird -- but also all kinds of awesome. Great cast, too: DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, and Sir Michael (Fucking) Caine.

And finally…
This CBS David Caruso lookalike contest is kinda brilliant.

#Friday

(I think I'm just going to use pics of Yvonne Strahovski whenever there's a Mass Effect 2 piece from here on in, if you don't mind. Hey, she's in the game -- it's topical!)

A video game I’m really anticipating
A new Mass Effect 2 video for y'all. This time it's for the Sentinel class. Cool looking, eh? I usually just play a grunt in ME, but I might try one of these suckers in one of my (many) playthroughs of the new game.

Transformers
Could this be the Transformers video game that everyone has been waiting for? Yeah, trailers are usually bullshit, but this looks pretty promising.

Beatles
I just got Beatles Rock Band a few days ago and already it's one of my favorite things. Putting Rubber Soul out as DLC is only going to make that feeling stronger.

And finally…
In gaming circles, the upcoming release of Final Fantasy XIII is what you would call "a big deal." For me, meh, not so much. Japanese role playing games are too awkward and annoying to turn me on, usually, what with all the emo-looking boy-men and their brooding and the mewling girl-women with their squealing and upskirts (well, maybe not the upskirts) but I'll definitely give it a try. Especially given the mouth-watering visuals it's promising. Look:

Next door to zero interest

Mass Effect 2
Yup. Another one. Another Mass Effect 2 post. Suck it. This time we've got some voice cast news and, well, there are a buttload of people. From Martin Sheen to Tricia Helfer and everything in between including Worf, Jayne and Trinity. Watch this video.

David Lynch
Director David Lynch talks about meeting George Lucas to discuss making Return of the Jedi and the subsequent wookie-related headache that ensued.

Tron Legacy
The first image and poster for the long-time-coming sequel are here. Enjoy, Programs!

Clash of the Titans
As we've talked about, no good can come of the Clash of the Titans remake. Hyperbolic-yet-derivative posters however...

And finally…
Speaking of posters and titans clashing, what happens when you get your Clash of the Titans poster all up in my Sex and the City 2 poster? Genius that can only improve both films.

Immanuel Kant, random advice + good times

Yes!
I am someone who enjoys drinking. Perhaps to excess, but I enjoy it nonetheless. There will be no judgments. And it is no secret I enjoy a playthrough of a video game from time to time. They pass the hours quite nicely. Now, I would be lying if I said that I've never combined the two. Seems natural right? I remember one particular (and painful) session of the shit-tastic Too Human that turned into an inadvertent drinking game. I promised myself I would go to bed at the end of one of its (seemingly interminable) levels but found myself slogging and slogging away with no end in sight -- while also drinking. And drinking. Things ended badly for me, more or less, but the level never did. But hey, that's basically the same experience anyone who played that game had -- and at least I was drunk. Well, finally someone has set down some rules (which, clearly, I didn't follow) on how to drink and play video games. And I thank you, good sir.

Cool!
These pics of actors in plain clothes (sort of) recreating famous roles are really, really neat. No, seriously, you find a better adjective.

Iron Man/War Machine
It's a new poster for Iron Man 2. It's got Iron Man and it's got War Machine. Together. Pow. Good times.

Mass Effect 2
With the awesome Dragon Age: Origins out there in the world, getting bought, getting played, getting taken out to dinner, whispered to sweetly and loved tenderly by the fire, BioWare can now concentrate full time on Mass Effect 2, as well as the added side effect of making me jizz in my pants every five seconds. To whit: here is another character reveal for the game, out January 26, also known as the beginning of my vacation.

Kant + Comics = Awesome, understandable
Hey, who doesn't enjoy the philosophical stylings of German philosopher Immanuel Kant? But dayum is his writing foul. One possible work-around? Explain his wrtitings using comic books.

Are you kidding me?
Here's an article from Slate. The premise: DVD box sets of TV shows are a terrible gift. Why, you no doubt are wondering? Apparently you're forcing the recipient to slog through a whole bunch of television.Yep. The article says: "Boxed sets have transformed television from light entertainment into homework." No, really, that's what it says. Uh, what? Oh, did my gift of something I consider so culturally and (more important) personally essential that I wanted to share it with you force you to sit and do nothing but enjoy art/entertainment and possibly be emotionally engaged in something other than your Facebook page? Did it? Wow. I'm really, REALLY sorry for that. Ugh. Fuck you, Slate. Enjoy manufacturing cultural criticism no one asked for and living up your own ass. I guess I can go and give the box set of season two of Supernatural I got you to someone who will actually appreciate it. (Yes, I mean my mom.)

Assassin’s Creed II DLC
If you felt that there wasn't enough assassinating people in Renaissance Italy using various methods (and, really, how could there be?) in Assassin's Creed II, you're in luck. Our friends at Ubisoft are releasing not one but two content packs early in the New Year. As they say in Italy: Dolce! (They don't say that...)

Red Dead Redemption
I must admit, this game held no interest for me until this trailer. How cool does this thing look, though?

And finally…
This video has a number of things that shouldn't be put together (like, ever) but always seem to be for whatever reason. Japan. Robots. Dancing. J-Pop. Scary robot faces.

Hello, my name is Wednesday

Fight Club
I like director David Fincher's work for the most part (understatement). Se7en is one of my faves. And so is Fight Club, which is now 10 years old. Crazy, huh? Here's a great essay on the film's, uh, greatness.

Emo Superheroes
If superheroes were emo. It's funny. No, really.

Comic Books
The AV Club has their best comic books of the '00s. I gotta say, no Fables or Walking Dead seems weird to me -- am I wrong, more serious comic book graphic novel readers out there? Pretty hipster choices in there, as with their best games piece, too. Sure, BioShock and Portal are great games but please don't lecture me while you're picking them, thank you. Also, Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead = best games of 2008; do not = best games of '00s.

Ubiquitous Mass Effect 2 entry
Lots of news on this front. First, there are TWO awesome vids. The first teases the return of Tali, one of the beloved characters from the first game. If you played the original game, the video is guaranteed to make you go, "Ohhhh shit!" The second demonstrates an adept, one of the character classes from the new game. If you haven't played the original game, the video is guaranteed to make you go, "Ohhhh shit!" Moving along, there's also a story on how BioWare plans on churning out a shit-ton of DLC for Mass Effect 2. Sounds good to me considering the first game got one semi-decent DLC and one WTF? one.

Dexter
Do you like the voiceovers on Dexter? I know I do. Michael C. Hall, the dude that plays Dexter, likes 'em, too. He talks about his process for churning them out here. The best part: imagining him saying all this in his creepy/awesome Dexter voice.

Power Girl’s costume
If you look up at the top of this entry you'll see DC Comics' Power Girl. You'll also see a good portion of her boobs. Believe it or not, the pic I've chosen is tasteful among Power Girl pics. They get sort of ridiculous and even insulting sometimes. Well there's a reason, supposedly, and, short answer: it's about female empowerment. Not buying it? Neither is Comics Alliance. It's funny, I mean, I've always thought PG was sexy in that drawing-of-a-sexy-lady-in-a-comic-book kinda way, but it's pretty obvious they're leading with the boobs, no? Please stop with the patronizing explanation.

Tron
You wanted a Tron video game? You got one! To me, a new video game makes more sense than a new movie, but there you go.

And finally…
These have been everywhere, but they're still pretty damn funny.

"There is no reason for land mines in Delaware"

Mass Effect 2
Yeah, yeah, I go on a lot about Mass Effect 2. Especially since it hasn't even been released yet. To be fair, the original is probably my favorite game (yes, my favorite) and this one is making that look like Pac Man, so maybe you can understand why I might be so damned excited about it. Also, I watched all the ME2 bits in this episode of Game Trailers.

John Cusack: Not as nice as you were led to believe
John Cusack is one of those dudes who plays the right kinda nice guy in films. He's not syrupy or a pussy, he's cool and funny -- like an older brother or something or a best man. But I've just seen too many moments like this one and now this one -- where he just seems like a dick with no sense of humor -- to believe he's actually like that.

Crazy Beatles
This is a pretty cool alternate timeline that outlines what would happen if the Beatles got back together and accepted Lorne Michaels' legendary offer. I always wondered how cool it would be if they had. Now I have an idea.

TV
AV Club's list of the best TV series of the '00s is a little on the nose but, really, how can you argue with most of these? Although, I'm not sure I'd classify Buffy as an '00s show, to be honest.

And finally…
Another magical, awesome Email from an asshole.

Hogan to Mass Effect 2?

I can't seem to find this anywhere else, but IMDB is a pretty good source: it looks like Colonel Tighe himself, Battlestar Galactica's (and Canada's) Michael Hogan is doing a voice in upcoming BioWare game Mass Effect 2 -- if you believe his IMDB page (which I kinda do.) Doesn't say who he's playing but maybe based on the close proximity to an upcoming Game Trailers TV (Thursday Nov. 12) piece on the 2010 title, it could be shady figure the "Illusive Man." Any way you look at it, though, Hogan = awesomeness. So, yeah, thought you should know.

And we're back

Mass Effect 2
Some more sweetness where Mass Effect 2 is concerned. This video has officially stopped me from being a Mass Effect apologist and launched me into "I told you so" mode. On top of introducing the Collectors and their scary badassery, you meet Legion -- a Geth (a synthetic life-form that were a major enemy from the first game) that is not only an individual but one that's obsessed with your character. That is just awesome. I don't care who you are. Now you guys apologize to me for not playing Mass Effect in the first place. And here are some screenshots, too, with minor spoilers if you're worried about that sort of thing.

HTTM
Sometimes the world isn't big enough for beautiful ideas. They spark brilliantly in the mind of some absurd, hermit dream engineer and tragically fade into obscurity never to be heard. It's a sad truth, my friends, but one we can all agree on. But sometimes, just sometimes, an idea filled with heart-crushing beauty explodes into the world with the force of a million shattered rainbows shattering. Well, that idea has found its time. That idea is a film. That idea stars John Cusack (among others). That idea, my dear little monsters, is Hot Tub Time Machine. Let the always wonderful Mr. Cusack fill you in on the whole breathtaking conjuration.

Wow. Why?
Life in 21st Century North America is harrowing to say the least, right? So many things commanding your attention, so little of it actually important to you. Who can remember it all? A phone number here. A waxing appointment there. You're bound to forget some stuff, ya? Keeping that in mind, let me remind you (you know, in case you forgot) that between 2003-2009, the Sci-Fi Network took corny 1970s Star Wars also-ran, Battlestar Galactica, and rebooted it into one of the most critically acclaimed television programs of the last decade. I'm totally fucking serious. It featured intense character drama and chewed around ideas of faith, rebirth, cyclical history, politics, idealism vs. pragmatism, among others -- all while presenting a subtextual debate on the U.S. led invasion of Iraq and the War on Terror. It was some damn fine television for the most part and, thanks to it, Battlestar Galactica means something good rather than this. So, yeah, that's my joke, BSG is memorable and a triumph. Anyway, Bryan Singer wants to reboot the original show for film, too, now. Yeah...

Clash of the Titans
I liked the original Clash of the Titans, but I'm sure a lot of that is just nostalgia. It's probably got some bad acting in places. And dated hair or whatever. Still, it had swords, sorcery, some Ray Harryhausen effects all up in it, greek mythology and a half-naked Ursula Andress, so there's that. Anyway, I'm totally cool with the possibility that this remake may be good. Here are some posters for it. Decide for yourself.

Jim Carrey
Yup, this is pretty much what you're going to expect from Jim Carrey's official site.

And finally…
What's better than slave Leia? Two slave Leias sunbathing, that's what. (We would also except: naked slave Leia and slave Leia bringing me a sub and a drink.) And yeah, that's Carrie Fisher back in the day.

Wha happened to: Diora Baird in Star Trek, the Fallout MMO and more

Fallout MMO
Last year-ish, there was news that Interplay was cooking up a Fallout-based MMO. This seemed like a no brainer, except, of course, that Bethesda owned the rights to anything Fallout-y and had just released the critically-accliamed Fallout 3. So, yeah, they were understandably mad, to say the least and lawsuits ensued. With the legal slugfest underway, we're starting to see what Interplay had in mind and, well, it looks like they get the whole post-nuclear war look the game is known for.

Diora Baird
It's pretty easy to see why dudes like Diora Baird. That needs no discussion. And, actually, it would probably be creepy to discuss it anyway, so it's best we skipped that chat, my friends. When it was announced that Diora would be joining the also easy-on-the-eyes Rachel Nichols as Orions in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot, nerds jizzed in their pants the world over -- even before the various "scenarios" one might imagine occuring between the comely Misses Baird and Nichols in green make-up and little clothing. But again, it wasn't a surprise that Diora would be cast as a sexy green chick. But then a double decker surprise chop sandwich gets served up as J.J. not only cuts out her scene but he cast her as the Orion with the clothes in the first place. WTF?

Sci-Fi TV
Here's an analysis of how science fiction shows are doing on TV this fall. I was happy to see that Fringe may not be in as much trouble as has been discussed recently.

Mass Effect 2
Check out this video of the upcoming BioWare title, which emphasizes combat. While I didn't hate on the original's combat as much as others do, this looks much improved. Also, if you know anything about the original, the new and improved (read: frightening) husks are chilling. I'm not really sure how you would make those more frightening than they already were, but I guess BioWare did it because I am NOT looking forward to that level at all, man.

Batman
This is a great list of the top Batman: The Animated Series episodes. Can't say I can argue with it. And it makes me want to rewatch them all, too.

And finally…
Speaking of Batman, do you watch Community on NBC? If not, you're missing the funniest show on TV right now. Shame on you. This whole sequence based on the Caped Crusader isn't even the sixth funniest part on their recent Halloween episode.

Friday!

Mass Effect 2!
This is news that makes me pretty friggin' happy and since it's my friggin' blog you have to hear about it. Mass Effect 2 has a release date! Not only that, it's WAY sooner than I thought it would be. January 26 to be exact. Sweet! When BioWare said they were looking at Q1 2010 release, I was thinking late Q1 rather than early Q1 but early Q1 it is. Yay! Anyway, it's looking like they're offering some sweet perks if you order the game early, too.

Whedon!
Joss Whedon is a solid storyteller and show runner. I think on this we can all agree. But Joss Whedon is not without his flaws. For me, I've always liked that he uses ass-kicking female protagonists in his work. On the other hand, I hate that I can tell he likes that about himself way more than I do. (Quentin Tarantino does that a bit, too.) Ladies kicking ass shouldn't be of note, Joss, they should just be, that's the point of feminism. Anyway... Cracked has an excellent piece on why it sucks to be a fan of Joss Whedon.

Spike!
Anyone seeing Where the Wild Things Are? /Film has a video interview with its filmmaker Spike Jonze if you're interested.

TV Fun!
I love this sort of list. And when I say love, I mean they drive me the kind of crazy where I sit around on the floor crying in my underwear while crushing Chips Ahoy! cookies through my fingers. It's not the list itself, it's the possibility that the information in it may be true that bugs me. Ugh, Heroes is "OK"? Really?  REALLY? Really? Who is fucking who to keep that show on the air? Then there is the inevitable blog-o-sphere backlash against the list (me included, but I think only, like, four or five people are reading this -- thank you, BTW) and that drives me nuts, too. There's the inevitable cries about Dollhouse being "in trouble." Not sure why people are surprised. Then Pop Candy was all incredulous that Parks and Recreation is in trouble. Who thinks it's funny? Answer: no one. Know why? It's not funny. It's not funny, no matter how much we love Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, this guy, et al. And that's okay, Pop Candy. That's okay. You don't have to pretend to care. Or that you watch the show. Besides, when you want to treat a show a like a slow kid who makes some nice macaroni art because they had one funny bit that week, you always have Saturday Night Live to fall back on.

Authors!
Think writers are pompous, wimpy geeks with their fancy book learning and big words and working teeth? You're probably right in that -- but not about all of them! Some of them would/will kick your ass. Check out this list and feel the truth.

And finally…
Hopefully your weekend will be this awesome.

"Unless you have an IQ higher than mine, I am not interested in what you think"

Anyway, it's Thanksgiving here in Canada this weekend. Time for some turkey and awkward family interactions, right? I'm doing my best to keep this thing going, so, instead of leaving at a decent time, I'm dropping a quick entry. I hope you appreciate this.

Mass Effect 2
I am a huge fan of space RPG Mass Effect. That is an understatement of epic proportions. To say I'm excited about the upcoming sequel to the BioWare game (due out in early 2010) would be an understatement of equal epic-ness. So, when I read this IGN piece on how the upcoming game is the "dark chapter" of the trilogy akin to the Empire Strikes Back, there might have been a quiet fist-pump in celebration. Seriously, this one is looking like a contender for game of the year 2010.

Oddworld
Speaking of cool video games, anyone remember Oddworld? Well you're going to be able to get a bundle of all the games off of PSN and Steam. Sweet! Now if they could just revive the series for this generation of consoles.

Fringe
You know what? I'm a big fan of J.J. Abrams and co.'s chronicles of the unexplained show now. I recently got the season one Blu-ray and have just caught up on the series and enjoyed the fuck out of it. Great characters, good acting and an engaging plot. And get this: unlike the X-Files (which it will always be compared with) it seems to know where it's going. Anyway, here's an interview with Leonard Nimoy -- who plays mad-lord scientist billionaire William Bell on the show -- talking about the new season.

And finally…
Seriously, where is this stuff?