Hot Nerd Girl

Month: November 2010

  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt1 Review

    Big wall o' Harry

    Every time a new Harry Potter movie comes out I go through the standard stages of movie nerdom.  Excitement, Concern, Extreme Anticipation, Fear, Joygasm.

    An explanation for those not accustomed: Excitement at the prospect of the movie itself and how awesome it’s going to be.  Concern that it’s going to be somehow lacking and not live up to its potential.  Extreme Anticipation for its release in theatres…(when is it coming out already?!? How are they going to handle that part???)  Fear that you are hyping it up too much and it’s going to fall way below your expectations and then you’ll be pissed at yourself for being excited for so long.  Joygasm that the day is finally here and you’re sitting in the seat you reserved over a month ago and ZOMG it’s going to be SO AWESOME.

    Don't be tardy to the party! WHOO HOO!!!

    Thankfully, when it comes to Harry Potter, my fears have so far been unnecessary as each movie seems to get better and better (unless you’re name is Hayden and you have a real hard on for Richard Harris – Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam).  Much like the books, the movies have gotten darker and more mature as they’ve gone along.  “Deathly Hallows, part 1” even managed to earn itself a PG-13 rating.  Sometimes it’s easy to forget that it’s supposed to be a “kid” movie.

    Because it’s the first of two parts, it’s a little strange to judge the movie on it’s own but there are a few things that I would like to point out.  Depending on if you’ve read the books or not, there may be spoilers here.

    You’ve been warned.

    Hot Nerd Girl and her movie going crew
    1. Anyone who thinks the traveling/camping sequences were drawn out in the movie definitely didn’t read the books.  In the books you forgive JK Rowling because you know something big is coming and these extended sequences are temporary.  I think that David Yates did an excellent job of conveying the feeling of it being drawn out without actually drawing it out.  Bravo.
    2. Just a small quibble but George is supposed to lose his entire ear, not just a sliver of it.  In the books Snape uses the sectumsempra spell introduced in The Half Blood Prince to cut it off in the battle to get Harry out of London.  In the movie they didn’t show it post bloody mess (just wrapped up in gauze in a hilarious Big Brother scene) so maybe they will rectify this in Part 2.
    3. I’m a little sad that Hedwig’s death was altered.  In the book it felt much more operatic.  She was stuck in her cage but the words used to describe her death made it at least a two tissue event.  In the movie she displays bravery by helping out in the battle, but her death warrants only a long sad look from Harry and a small mention in the discussion afterwards.  I was expecting to need Kleenex during that part and was sad that it wasn’t necessary.
    4. Same for Mad Eye Moody.  One of the people I was with (who hasn’t read the books) actually got confused as to whether it was Mad Eye or Mundungus they were talking about.
    5. Way to abbreviate Bill’s werewolf encounter!!  I missed the humorous interaction between Fleur and the Weasley women.  Poor Fleur has really gotten the shaft in the movies.
    6. Where was Harry’s Weasley disguise at the wedding???  It’s true that they can’t have everything in the movies and some subplots need to be cut but we’re talking about the safety of The Chosen One here.  JK disguised him for a reason in the books.
    7. Nagini is awesome.  Whether she’s in creepy old lady skin or indulging her taste for wizard flesh, there’s just no denying she’s kick ass.  I’ve got a thing for snakes though so maybe I’m a little biased.  Her sequences are what had them debating the 3D conversion, I’m sure of it.
    8. The Deathly Hollows sequence was one of the greatest story within a story pieces I have ever seen.  The sheer creativity that went into it totally blew my mind.  I want to watch an entire movie of just that.
    9. Maybe I’m a sadist but I wanted Bellatrix to torture Hermione more.  You’ve got the PG-13 rating, use it!
    10. The Elves got creepier in this movie.  Someone decided that they needed busted veins and capillaries and slightly translucent skin.  Just because computer animation has gotten better doesn’t mean you should change what’s already been established.  Dobby and Kreacher were just kind of freaky looking and, I’m sorry to say, but it distracted me during Dobby’s death…that and the girl in the movie theatre who was crying hysterically…oh yeah, and her friends that were laughing and making fun of her.  Way to ruin the moment everyone.
    11. Friend-who-hasn’t-read-the-books had no idea whose beach house they ended up at.  Readers of the books know it’s Bill and Fleur’s house but they probably should have mentioned that for the movie-only folks.
    12. I had no idea where they were possibly going to end Part 1 and I was VERY interested to see how they handled it.  I was pleasantly surprised and thought it was a fabulous idea to have it end on Voldemort finding the Elder Wand. 

    Ok, so maybe that was more than a few things…and I was actually much more critical than I thought I was going to be.  But you stick me in front of a keyboard and I cease to have control over the direction of my brain.  But I will say this:  I LOVED THIS MOVIE.  I loved it so much that I’ll be seeing it at least two more times in the theatre.  At least.  I love Harry and Ron and Hermione and the actors who portray them.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE Alan Rickman.  The way he chews the dialogue he is given is positively delectable.  I can’t wait for Part 2.  I can’t wait to see how they utilize Neville.  I can’t wait to see Mrs. Weasley kick some ass.  I can’t wait for more Hagrid, he’s my favorite giant among men (aside from The Tall Blog).  I can’t wait to see Friend-who-hasn’t-read-the-books’ reaction to Snape.  I can’t wait for the dramatic climax!

    In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m in the Extreme Anticipation phase.

    5 out of 5 SCI-FIVES!

  • Final Fantasy: Challenge Accepted

    When it comes to video games, I sadly lose just a little of my nerd cred.  That’s not to say I don’t play video games. I do. It’s that I usually love the original and notsomuch the follow ups.  Sonic the Hedgehog = win! Sonic and Knuckles = meh.

    So when Chris, a frequent reader, did a shout out request that I write a post about the original Final Fantasy, I thought, hey!  That I can do!  It also made me realize that I hadn’t written a video game centered post yet (bad Hot Nerd Girl, bad!)

    Just a side note: my current PS3 video game of choice is Red Dead Redemption.

    So Chris, here you go, this one is for you:

    So here’s the deal with OG Final Fantasy. It’s one of those games that revolutionized the way we play video games at home.  It introduced to video games what nerds had been doing for years with card games: role playing.  It was inspired by games like The Legend of Zelda but it had something other games didn’t; a company desperately trying to claw its way out of bankruptcy.  Desperation can result in misfires but it can also result in inspired works of art.  Square gave Hironobu Sakaguchi unparalled control and resources to create an NES game that would save an entire company.

    No pressure.

    Tracy vs. Chris: The Finalist of Fantasyness-e-ness

    Why the name Final Fantasy?  Because our hero Hiro wanted to retire and figured this would be a standalone game.  Boy was he wrong.

    Sure, the graphics were pretty sweet for the times but what really hooked me was the music.  Mood is everything for me.  It allowed me to forget the 26 pixel characters I was staring at and embed myself in a world of mages and moogles.  We owe that gorgeous score to Nobuo Uematsu.  FF was revolutionary in that you could choose between 6 different classes of characters.  You have Fighters, Thieves, Black Belts and three different kinds of Mages, White, Black and Red.  My personal favorite was the Red Mage because they were decent fighters but could also cast magic which is awesome.  I’m in to the all-in-one.  The differences between the types of magic are thus: white is defensive and is what you use to help out the other members of your group; black is offensive and is what you use against your enemies; red is a combination of white and black.  See?  Red = awesome.

    warrior of epic light fail

    Another draw FF had for me was the lack of side quests.  Give me a mission and let me do it mmmkay?  I remember playing a computer game as a kid that was all about pirates.  The game was awesome but there were so many things to do along the way that I could never get past the damn pirate ship level.  In FF world people give you hints.  Sweet!  You listen to them and move on.  Really, it’s a win-win situation.

    And there are crystals.  I’m a girl, I like shiny things.  ‘Nuff said.

    There’s no denying that FF is a Japanese invented game but I appreciated the fact that they brought in legends from around the world and incorporated them (ie, naming a weapon Excalibur) into the story.  It helped to bring the theme of destiny into the forefront and really, it’s all about destiny.  Good must triumph over evil, right?  Although, the evil forces may not be what you were expecting.  I don’t want to give away too much of the plot.  If you’ve played it then you already know; if you haven’t, well then, you can get it on multiple platforms these days, even your phone.

    Just watch out for Cid.

  • I ain’t afraid of no ghosts!

    I know I’ve made a big to-do about how Zombies freak me out and how I’ve had to institute a self-ban of “The Walking Dead” and all that fun, f’d up stuff.  But they really are the only thing that freaks me out (ok, that’s a sort of lie, I’m a little freaked out by The Violator…but that’s a whole ‘nuther post).  To help prove my point, let’s talk ghosts.

    I just saw Clint Eastwood’s latest talkie “Hereafter” about a psychic, a near death experience and a lost soul mate.  The following post was inspired by that movie and by recent events in my own life…

    Ghosts are one of those taboo topics that fit into the conversation lexicon somewhere between “religion & politics” and “Uncle John was a serial killer with a lovechild.”

    So, naturally, I’m going to bring it up 😉

    It really isn’t spoken about, especially amongst non-believers and those of certain generations. But 100 years ago that simply wasn’t the case.  Manufactured séances were a dime a dozen.  Sarah Winchester fell victim to them, going so far as to follow a medium’s advice of constant construction on her San Jose mansion.  That lasted 38 years until her death and resulted in a house designed to confuse the ghosts of those killed by the Winchester Rifle.

    The original “ghostbuster,” Harry Houdini was passionate about exposing these frauds.  A mission that cost him the friendship of none other than Sir Francis Conan Doyle.  Ironically, after his death, his wife held séances every Halloween (he died on October 31, 1926) for 10 years, anticipating the moment he would return in spiritual form and whisper the agreed upon phrase, “Rosabelle believe.” She gave up after the 10th attempt proved fruitless.  Others are still trying though, with his wife’s permission, of course.

    There have always been and always will be those who prey on the desperate loved ones of those who have passed away.  Here in Southern California there is a psychic on every block, most of them from a few gypsy families that operate very much like the mafia: http://www.10news.com/news/17967709/detail.html There is an entire website devoted to exposing them: http://www.gypsypsychicscams.com/realstories.html

    Oh wait, wrong Gypsy…

    Having descended from Bohemia (modern day Czech Republic) on my mother’s side, it’s a little disheartening that these people give genuine psychics a bad name.

    You heard me right.  Genuine psychics.  They are out there.  I’ve known some of them for years.  They keep quiet about it and are very weary of anyone knowing about their abilities, which vary from person to person.  I have never once met someone who can predict the future.  What they can do; however, is communicate with and sense the dearly departed.  Some of these people feel a moral obligation and assist with criminal investigations.  Others are horrified and do everything they can to push away what they see as a curse.  Most are ambivalent and accept it for what it is and never do much about it.  One thing they can all agree on is that spirits are all around us.  Most believe in reincarnation.  All believe in heaven and some form of afterlife.

    There’s really no way to prove any of this or that ghosts exist and wander among us, but it’s food for thought and a source of comfort for those of us who have lost a loved one.

    Except, of course, when you’re knocking boots in the bedroom.  Then, notsomuch.

  • Dear Walking Dead

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1v0uFms68U&fs=1&hl=en_US]

    Dear AMC’s “The Walking Dead”,

    We’ve been on a couple of dates now and, frankly, I’m a little concerned about the direction our relationship is heading in.  I knew going in that you weren’t my type but everyone said you were great so I figured I would give you a chance.  I’m just not convinced that we’re right for each other.  I was anxious during both dates and had nightmares about future dates.  Ten minutes after our last date my hands were still shaking, I just don’t think that’s a good sign of what is to come.

    I have to admit that your appearance is a big part of what bothers me.  I’m all for focusing on what’s inside, but your personal hygiene is a real turn off.  It doesn’t look like you’ve brushed your teeth or bathed for weeks.  You’re really starting to smell.  Ironically, you seem to be really attracted to the way I smell and when you start to stumble towards me like a drunken idiot, it makes me really uncomfortable.  It’s like you’re constantly trying to invade my personal bubble.  You also get this look like you want to eat me and there are certain things that even I won’t do in the bedroom.  Not that I would invite you into my bedroom anyway, so don’t get any ideas.

    I mean, you look like you USED to be hot….

    I also didn’t appreciate the way you treated that Sheriff on our last date. (spoiler alert, if you haven’t seen it) He seemed like a good guy even though he sounded kind of British a couple of times.  And trying to get into the house uninvited?  Really?  Who DOES that?  Ok, I’ll admit that the guy on the roof was really obnoxious.  Unlike you, I’m willing to compromise on some issues.

    All that being said, I’m sure there are plenty of other people out there who would love to be in a relationship with you.  Really, you’re a catch!  You’re smart and well-rounded.  I know it sounds cliche but, it’s not you, it’s me.  There, I said it.  I’m going to try not to let my friends pressure me into going out with you again, it’s not healthy for either of us in the long run.  And don’t you try to pressure me either with your talk of what’s to come, I don’t need any more surprises in my life, it’s complicated enough as it is. I wish you a long, happy life.

    Ok, maybe we can still be friends.  But no benefits!

    Sincerely,
    Hot Nerd Girl

    Still hot, right?

    P.S – credit for all zombified pictures of HNG goes to the amazingly talented Brett DeWall

  • Unicorn (the comic book villain, not the horse)

    I was sitting at my desk today and for some reason I started contemplating the Cold War and where we stand in our relationship with various foreign entities. Naturally, that made me think of Unicorn.

    WHHHYYYYY??? Why must I be named after something so girly??

    Oh, Cold War, along with threat of nuclear attack you brought along a vast array of Superheroes and Supervillains designed to both inspire people and feed on their fears.  And what better way to do that than by making the Soviet bad guy a Unicorn.

    Oh Stan, you wiley little devil

    That’s right, let’s demasculate the Ruskies by naming him after a fantasy horse beloved by little girls.

    Bravo Stan Lee!

    Unicorn is essentially a Cyclops rip-off created to be a pain in Iron Man’s behind.  He started out with no natural super powers and relied solely on his training by the KGB and a helmet with a laser pointer.  Later on he received some experimental medicinal aid in the form of tougher skin and increased strength, but even those came back to bite him in the butt when he developed accelerated cellular deterioration.  Oops.  But wait!  Yellowjacket has a cure!  Oh, insanity is the side effect?  Damn.  Note to villains, never trust an Avenger to cure you.

    Over the years Milos Masaryk and Tony Stark became comic book frenemies.  Milos attacks Tony, Tony defeats Milos (everytime).  Milos is apparently dim-witted and trusts other Super villains, allowing himself to be manipulated into their plots against Tony.  Then he realizes he was manipulated and helps Tony escape.  Tony tries to cure Milos but he ends up insane so Tony does the next best thing and puts Milos in stasis until a cure for insanity is found (how about some therapy, hrmmmm?)  When Milos wakes up Tony saves him from his own robot and then hides him away again.  Milos wakes up again when a fire breaks out at Stark Enterprises and insists that he must walk back to the USSR.  As in, walk across the ocean.  Tony watches Milos walk into the Atlantic Ocean where he drowns.

    Aquaman sad 🙁

    Aquaman belongs to the DC Universe and is, therefore, powerless to help.

    So the Russian guy is dumb, insane and willing to let pretty much anyone experiment on him.  I wonder what kind of propaganda we were trying to accomplish with this guy?  Of course, Colossus and Epsilon Red were also products of the Cold War and they both turned out all right.  Survive in space??  Yes please!

    I could get used to this

    Personally, I think that Unicorn is a little under-appreciated in the comic world.  He was excellent at hand-to-hand combat and could shoot a gun like nobody’s business.  Iron Man obviously felt he was a bit of a kindred spirit.

    As does Manicorn. (BTW Marvel has it’s own wiki. Check it out!)

  • Halloween costume winner

    It was neck and neck between the Star Trek Starfleet uniform and Rafael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles but ultimately, Star Trek edged out TMNT.  Which is apparently a good thing after reading this article:

    http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20021081-1.html

    Scary crazy lady!

    I know I said I was thinking about getting the new/old uniform but, well, time is short and I ran out of it.  So I went with my classic TOS old school uniform made famous by Lt. Uhura and Yeoman Rand (who I met about 6 years ago and is a crazy psycho bitch).

    Here are some pictures (as you can see, I have way too much fun playing dress up):

    Hope all you nerds had a fantastically fun and nerdy Halloween.  Send me pictures of your costumes!

  • I met Dan Aykroyd on Saturday

    Ray, Tray, and Hay

    This is cool for many reasons.

    1. It’s Dan Aykroyd
    2. Ghostbusters 3 is really starting to make headway
    3. My friend and fellow nerd, Hayden, is probably the biggest Ghostbusters geek in California, if not the country
    4. Ghostbusters 3 is really starting to make headway
    5. There’s a chance he’s going to put Hayden to work
    6. His vodka, Crystal Head, is based on the Legend of the 13 Crystal Skulls (which, sadly, George Lucas managed to make ridiculous in Indy 4)
    7. Ghostbusters 3 is really starting to make headway
    H-Dogg was a little starstruck

    First off, let me just say that Dan was super nice (that’s right, we’re on a first name basis now).  Hayden and I hiked over to Costco (!!!) to meet him and get some stuff signed (he was there to sign bottles of the vodka).  He really dug Hayden’s kickass custom made GB hockey jersey (he’s Canadian, it would be illegal for him to NOT like hockey) and Hayden just about passed out when Dan asked him for his business card.  We were the only people he stood up to take a picture with.  Probably because we were the only ones who didn’t try to kiss him on the lips (!!!)  I almost wore Hayden’s GB uniform (complete with a utility belt featuring blinking lights) but, alas, it was just too big to be comfortable so I opted for a t-shirt in Slimer green.  I would not have been the lone person in uniform (there were many); however, I would have been the only girl which would have almost been worth it.

    Those ghosts won't know what hit 'em!

    One of the perks of meeting famous people at Costco is the type of people you end up in line with.  The family in front of us were there shopping, oblivious to the fact that Dan would be there and the husband just happened to wear his GB shirt that day.  He was both excited to get it signed and bummed because he wouldn’t be able to wash or wear it again (although I’m skeptical about the last time it had been washed anyway).  The child, a boy around 3 or 4 years old was so excited to be The Incredible Hulk for Halloween that he told us about it.  Repeatedly.  As in, every 30 seconds or so.  Which would have been great if he had actually known anything about The Incredible Hulk.  But he didn’t.  Hayden and I taught much to this young padawan.  He was also very fond of death-defying shopping cart stunts and pulling electronics off of shelves.  I kept about 5 feet behind him at one point for fear I would end up with pink lemonade all over me.

    Oh Dan, you couldn’t have done this at Whole Foods or something? BevMo would have been good!

    Venkman's back

    You may have seen Bill Murray decked out in GB gear at the 2010 Scream Awards.  He was the last piece in a puzzle that Aykroyd has been working on for over 20 years.  When asked, Dan brightened up and was visibly excited about the GB3 wheels being set into motion.  It is his baby after all.  Supposedly the script is written and the 2nd draft of it is being worked on which means that the soonest it will be released is sometime in 2012.  It will be interesting to see how they incorporate the advances in special effects and whether or not Hi-C will bring back Slimer Juice (aka Ecto-Cooler), which was quite possibly my favorite beverage as a kid.

    $40 and change later I went home with a glass skull full of mediocre liquor and Dan Aykroyd’s signature plastered across the forehead.  I haven’t decided if I’ll crack it open or if it will make friends with the not-to-be-opened-for-fear-of-death-and-dismemberment Romulan Ale and Klingon Blood Wine.  I guess it depends on how long my bottle of Grey Goose lasts.  But if and when I do open it, I will certainly say a toast for Dan and his contribution to nerdom.

    That's some nice head you got there