Transform & Roll Out- I’m Back!

Hey folks, it’s been a long time, but I’m back. I’ve even got a new media appearance to plug. But I’ll start off things easy with a hilarious Transformers video I found thanks to my brother, Nick. It’s a spoof of the classic “Return Of Optimus Prime” story and is just hilarious. I plan to blog about my recent trips to New York and San Diego, so stay tuned for heavy blogging later this week.

Arune Singh On San Diego’s Channel 10

That’s right folks. I’m a media darling yet again. While covering a panel at Comic-Con International In San Diego, a reporter from San Diego’s Channel 10 decided to interview me. I recorded this video while watching tv, so the quality is horrid, and for some reason the last 10 seconds are lost, where I say that “we’re just trying to build a strong fan community and just promote the medium. We do that by working together.” I’m going to request the full video from Channel 10 news and put it online, but for now, this is what you get (and yes, I know I look very tired):

Journeying Into The Heart Of Geekdom

Look folks, I’m a geek, I know. I know my obsession with Superman is, well, an obsession, and that I’ve probably got too much nerd bling for my own good. Still, one visit to Comic-Con International will prove that there are people far more into geekiness than I am. There’s both negatives and positives to the convention, which saw over 100,000 attendees last year, and since I’ll be there most of next week, I figured I would talk a bit about this convention. Special thanks to Dave Richards (of CBR fame) for his help.
Continue reading Journeying Into The Heart Of Geekdom…

The Shield Strikes Back!

As if Rescue Me being renewed for a fourth season wasn’t good enough, there’s more great news from FX. We’ll now be season a small web-isode entitled The Shield: Season 5.5 online pretty soon. For those of who didn’t see Rescue Me Season 2.5 (which is linked to here), it was a funny 15 minute episode of Rescue Me that took place inbetween Season 2 & 3, but didn’t rely on the continuity of the show or any prior knowledge. It was just a fun snapshot of the main characters’ lives and provided a feel for what one can expect from the show.

I’ve said it before, but The Shield may just be the best show on television (if there’s any way to reasonably make that claim), never sacrificing intelligence and intensity for shock value. This is a tough show to watch, with all the violence and disturbing situations, but it never feels like the show is being overly twisted for the sake of it (it’s not that gory a show actually). The characters aren’t too likable until you see the way their world– the real world– operates and then you begin to see how much any one of us could become these people…or might already be. The end of the last season has all us fans on the edge of our seats to find out what happens next, so if you want to join us, pick up the first season of the show. You can find it online at Amazon for under $30 if you search “Marketplace.”

Dammit People, Go Watch Superman Returns!!!

Go watch Superman Returns in IMAX 3D. Then watch it again at the regular theatre. Keep watching it over and over. This film has gotta make $300 million, domestically, ok? It’s a phenomenal tour-de-force, delivering a nuanced adventure film that presents a strong commentary on the issues of acceptance, identity, and morality. Go watch it again…please?

The Bond Of Friendship

I’ve been thinking a lot about certain current friendships that I find slowly dissolving and the past friendships that have remained strong to this day. I’m not going to pretend there’s any one secret to friendship, and I’m well aware that sometimes circumstances make us friends to people we’d otherwise never associate with, but there is one simple common thread that binds me to my closest friend: shared experiences. Whether pain or pleasure, it’s the people with whom I’ve been through the most, and with whom I’ve travelled the most, that seem like the friends I’ll have forever.
Continue reading The Bond Of Friendship…

Proof That American Journalism Is Dying

Note: CNBC is saying it was a rehearsed joke, but frankly it didn’t come off like one.

Many of you have either heard of or seen Entourage, the stellar HBO show about fictional actore Vincent Chase and his friends living it up in Hollywood. It’s not only a strong commentary on being “cool” in today’s society, but it’s also hilarious, due in large part to Jeremy Piven’s “Ari Gold” character. In the show, Vince is the star of Aquaman, the film that beats Spider-Man’s record at the box office. Keep in mind that this isn’t a real movie: they just used this Aquaman idea for the show. Apparently CNBC doesn’t get it…just watch the video.

Still, Entourage has done a good job of spoofing superhero films, with this recent clip from the second episode of this current season. It’s the “dramatic prelude” to the big action scene of the film (which doesn’t really exist, for any CNBC correspondents out there).

Sawyer, The Office, And More!

It’s another short post today, as I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me, but I’ll try to update with more later today:

• The truth is out: Materazzi did insult Zidane, but it didn’t go down the way the French legend claims. It looks like Zidane may also lose what could be the last award of his career. Regardless, he did play excellently in the tournament and was excellent in every set piece in which he was involved, so while I understand how FIFA feels, I’d hate to see someone else get the award that Zidane deserves.
• It’s The Saywer Song. Lost fans rejoice: some of your fans have way too much time on their hands, but seem to use to benefit you. (Via)
• No one’s watching television. I can’t imagine anyone is surprised that ratings are so low when networks are just playing with the same formulas and not trying anything new.
• The Office will meet The Office. I’m not quite sold on the American version yet, but I want to check out this episode for sure.
• In case you didn’t hear, records were broken this weekend at the box office. Sadly, it wasn’t because of Superman Returns.
• Another young girl was lured into a predator’s web via MySpace…but you can’t blame the site. The lawsuits are ridiculous. How can a website really take all the precautions that parents want? Look parents, restrict your kids’ access and/or talk to them about their conduct. I would never think of doing some of the idiotic stuff some of these kids do, at my age or at their age, because my parents taught me better (though I did plenty of stupid things because, well, I was a kid). The parents and children all need to exercise caution, not using MySpace as an easy scapegoat for a much larger problem.

Brighten Your Day With Zidane!

When you’re frustrated, talk to Kurt “Goldeneye” Ingram, who seems to have a solution for any problem. There’s no problem he can’t solve with a website. Today he supplied me with this hilarious mocking of Zidane’s famous headbutt. It’s just stupid…but oh so fun. You can thank me later. Just move your mouse over to the person you want to headbutt and BAM, life is better.

Everyone Loves Brazil?

For those of you who’ve watched the World Cup, which ended in a spectacular match today, you’ve probably seen the above female in nearly every highlight recap of the World Cup. They really didn’t show many other fans besides this girl, who now seems to be the poster girl for soccer’s female fans. My friend Mike and I were wondering if the girl actually got a modeling contract out of her 15 seconds of fame, seeing as how every sports fan has their own idea of how they’d like to show their, uh, “love for Brazil.” It’s funny to see highlights of some great goals, with U2 music in the background, and then suddenly this young lady is shaking her breasts for the camera.

Look, at least I can claim I liked Brazil for a good reason: they were my backup team. Don’t you have one? You’ve got your favorite time (in my case Australia) and then the back up team you like, and who actually has a chance at winning it all! It’s like hedging your bets in blackjack by doubling down or playing two hands. It’s just good policy.

All in all, it was a great world cup, even though neither of my teams won. Italy played excellently today and it was sad to see Zidane go out in such a disgraceful manner. I’m sure someone on the other team provoked him, but he chose such a vicious response and now has to deal with the consequences. Still, I think the real winner of this match was this unnamed fan of Brazil. If FIFA is smart, they’ll recruit her for some advertising of soccer and use her to keep some of the more hormonally charged fans interested in the Euros and Women’s World Cup.