Ecto-Pathetic

So, several months after my initial Ghostbusters post, things haven't gotten much better. Dan Akroyd watched an early cut of the new film, pronounced it great, and the 'fans' have derided him for it. That's right, the man responsible for bringing us Ghostbusters is ALSO getting hate from the 'fans.'

Do I even need to say anything?

I'm pulling rank here, guys. I have the Ghostbusters comics, both movies, The Real Ghostbusters box set, and a semi-updated Ghostbusters Tumblr. I know more about the whole franchise than the average 'fan.' Aside from the new movie not possibly being worse than the worst parts of the existing franchise,  nobody has seen it yet. Trailers often misrepresent their films, and even if the trailers are totally accurate, the newest trailer looks FINE.

ALL the things I've said about the effects being undone, the best jokes not being farted out at a first glance, and the characters not being one-off copies of the originals has been validated. And even IF this movie was a Paul Blart-esc misma of lazy fart jokes and crummy effects (and I'm not saying it is) there's one thing everyone's forgetting:

IT WILL NOT RUIN YOUR CHILDHOOD.

Your childhood is over. It is unchangeable without benefit of a time turner, Terminaor, or DeLorean.

Also, this.

I've complained often enough about crummy entries in my favorite franchises to know that nothing can make me love the original incarnation less; Not a voodoo shark, not jump scares,  not midichlorians, not Rob Zombie (though I actually liked that one), not Rachel Berry, not an X-Rating, not censorship, not bad practical effects, not genera jumping, not even a shot for shot remake.

By all means, complain about bad movies, books, games, shows, and everything else you see that is sub par entertainment. There's no other way to make changes to the industry. BUT GIVE IT A CHANCE FIRST. Give it a chance. And remember, you still have access to the good. 

Nerd Meltdown

This has been a big week for me as a geek.

• I just supported the new Rifftrax 10 year anniversary Kickstarter/MST3K reunion show.

• New Captain America: Civil War trailer

 

• New international Ghostbusters trailer (that addresses some haters issues, but do they care, no, SCREW THOSE PEOPLE THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS!).

•  THIS. This is the director of Ghostbusters.

 SO many of my favorite things all happening at once. I'm also having a good week at work, rehearsal for Damn Yankees is going well, and next week is my 2 year anniversary with Bahamute. We're going to Red Lobster. :D

Dinner and a show!

 It's been a good week. Just wanted to share my joy. :) Happy Friday!

Five Cool Netflix Documentaries

Wanna learn something? Put these in your queue (or bogart a friend's Netflix).

5. Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the Horror Film

     I didn't forget the Oxford comma, the filmmakers did. That's my sole complaint about this documentary. It's comprehensive, funny, and touches on a LOT of classics. A good overview of the genera and how it changed over history. I'm gonna re watch it as soon as I get half a minute of free time...


4. Best Worst Movie

     Some of you may already be familiar with the subject of this documentary, Troll 2. It's about Goblins, and it's not a sequel. This thing fails before it gets out of the gate. But what works is this documentary made by the kid who starred, mostly about the man who played his dad.

     George Hardy is a dentist, and apparently the nicest man in the world.Mr. Rogers levels of nice, people. Even his ex-wife couldn't find a bad thing to say about him. Then he stumbled into a cattle call for Troll 2, and history was made.
     This isn't just about Mr. Hardy: it's about the fandom that has sprung up around Troll 2. The conventions, the movie nights, the utter obsession: this stuff makes me look normal. Or at least at the top of a bell curve. Take a look!

3. Cropsey

     As an Amature Urban Folklorist (aka, I read a lot of Dr. Jan Harold Brunvand's work), this documentary about a legendary killer lurking in an abandoned asylum caught my attention. What held it was the in-depth look at the media and the court of public justice regarding the actual murders in the area, and the man convicted of them. Was he a modern Cropsey? Was he an innocent scapegoat? Watch and see what you think.

2. Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy

     Why another horror documentary after Nightmares in Red, White and Blue? Because this one is about my favorite scary movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and the resultant franchise. Plus, it's FOUR HOURS LONG. There's over 100 interviews with key players like Robert Englund, Bob Shaye, Heather Langencamp, Wes Craven, and basically everyone who was anyone to the franchise.

Except this nameless loser.

     This is THE definitive horror documentary, folks. Granted, I'm only up to Nightmare on Elm Street Five: The Dream Child, and have an hour and a half to go. I'm planning on buying the 2 disk DVD set, which has EVEN MORE STUFF. So excited.

1. Blackfish

     Like Sea World? Like Free Willy? Like smiling young people in swimsuits? Yeah, you're gonna be sad after watching this. But you need to be sad. Short version? Killer Whales are called that for a reason. But here's the twist: a whale has NEVER been known to kill a human in the wild. JUST in captivity.
     It's a harsh look into Sea World, and places like it. This has graphic and very disturbing imagery. Blood is shed, and not all of it's human. People break down in this. I urge you, if you only watch one documentary on this list, MAKE IT THIS ONE. No joke, folks. None at all.

Geek Grub: Simple BBQ chicken

Perfect for chicken sandwiches, salads, or just picking at while you maul opponents.

You'll need:
6-12 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or chicken tenders, or whatever).
1 bottle of BBQ sauce.
A crock pot.
A frying pan.
Various spices.
A little olive oil.
Buns.

1. Wash the chicken.
2. Kill is first, if necessary. 
3. Cut up the chicken into small strips.
4. Put the chopped up chicken into the frying pan with a little oil and the spices of your choice (salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning are all good bets). Cook until the pink vanishes.
5. Put the chicken into the Crockpot.
6. COVER it with BBQ sauce. Seriously. You CANNOT use too much. 
7.  That's more like it!
8. Set crockpot to low.
9. Cook for 8 hours, stirring occasionally. You can cook it on high and cut the time significantly, but low tastes better.
10. Slap it on a bun, bowl, or salad and enjoy!

Works well with my Easy Cheesy Potatoes.

Questions geeks care about

• Do they have classes in Vulcan, like they do for Klingon?
• How did Fred and George Weasley know Krum would get the snitch, but still lose the cup? Did they divine the secret magically, or was it just a strong hunch? If a hunch, why bet all their money?  
• Why did Gollum teach his Grandmother to suck eggs?

Especially when this little guy exists.

• Was Watson shot in the leg or the shoulder?
• How did Thor get back to earth?
• Why didn't Yoda find other Jedis and make a kick-ass resistance group?
• Was Jareth a pedophile?

• Do you care if Jareth was a pedophile?
• Because seriously, it was fantasy olden times. Like Game of Thrones. So it's okay.

• Really.
• Seriously.

• I've lost my train of thought.