World of UScast: Wayward Podcast Episode 6: It’s Your Birthday!

In this episode, someone’s celebrating their existence! Join us as we talk about drinking and business etiquette, gender equality in Japan, TV and other random stuff!

Also, Sarah is currently working on filming a movie, but you can see her in her previous role here.

Note: In this episode, we spoil/talk about/mention stuff that happens in The Walking Dead, Frozen, South Park, FLCL, and of course, Supernatural.

Note 2: The Wayward Podcast now has a Twitter account and an email address where you can send questions! Follow us on Twitter at @waywardpodcast or email us at waywardpodcast@gmail.com

BONUS:

Check out the videos Sarah and Toshi made for the Podathon that Brian and Chris couldn’t get their shizz together in time to put up during it…

SMARK COUNTRY: Money in the Bank 2014 Was Money Indeed

THIS is more like it, WWE. After several months of barely passable pay-per-view events, World Wrestling Entertainment finally brought its A game. This could be their response to TNA, who put on perhaps the best pay-per-view of 2014 with their Slammiversary event. If this is a game of one-upsmanship, then I’m gleefully along for the ride.

 

 

THE WYATTS vs. THE USOS (WWE Tag Team Championship): I wish that WWE hadn’t had these teams face each other so many times over the past several months. There’s building a feud, then there’s showing us nearly everything both teams have to offer so that there’s not much left to see in their title bout. Eric Rowan and Luke Harper did have quite an impressive showing. The Usos, however, haven’t shown anything new in a long time. Harper is no stranger to unbelievable high spots for a man his size, but Rowan and his two top rope spots were surprising and entertaining. Hopefully this feud will continue because there’s not many tag teams that will give the Usos as much mileage, as far as storylines are concerned, as the Wyatts. WINNERS: THE USOS

NAOMI vs. PAIGE (WWE Divas Championship): I still cannot believe that I find myself saying that this was probably one of the best Divas matches of the past two or three years. I do not mince words when I say this match echoed classics such as Taz vs Sabu or Chris Benoit vs Booker T. The ring psychology, the slow paced technical work, the high flying high impact moves, everything came together to illuminate how good the Divas division could be if they stopped hiring failed lingerie models and hire ACTUAL WRESTLERS. WINNER: PAIGE

ADAM ROSE vs. DAMIEN SANDOW: Even though creative clearly doesn’t know what to do with Sandow given that he’s been dressing up as random famous people over the past several weeks (this time as Paul Revere), the fact that he got a pay-per-view match is a good sign. He brought an aggressive ferocity that put Rose on the defensive. But the roll that the Exotic Express has been on as of late doesn’t seem to be stopping any time soon. In the end, Sandow was hit with the Party Foul and the Exotic Express rolls on. WINNER: ADAM ROSE

SETH ROLLINS vs. DEAN AMBROSE vs. JACK SWAGGER vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. KOFI KINGSTON vs. ROB VAN DAM (Money In The Bank contract ladder match): I’m going to put aside my anger at Swagger being allowed to stay in this match, despite him injuring the seventh competitor in this match, Bad News Barrett, a week ago, putting Barrett on the injured list. This is the second time Swagger has injured someone in the middle of a huge push. But he made up for it as he and all five of his opponents left it all on the mat. RVD seems to have found the fountain of youth and was firing on all cylinders. Ambrose and Rollins stayed on each other the entirety of the match, further selling their heated rivalry. Kingston and Ziggler are constant work horses that always put on a show in these types of matches. The ladder bump that Kingston gave to Rollins was one of the most innovative moves I’ve ever seen in a ladder match. The “Rocky” angle with Ambrose gained him sympathy and got him the loudest pop that he’s had to date. The interference by Kane though ensured that the Authority’s newest asset achieved victory. WINNER: SETH ROLLINS

RYBACK & CURTIS AXEL vs. GOLDUST & STARDUST: A part of me wants to question what made this match pay-per-view worthy. Though the Rhodes brothers always are entertaining in the ring or on the mic, the team of Rybaxel feels like they’re together because creative just has no idea what to do with them. All four athletes gave that little bit extra in this match and Cody is selling the hell out of this Stardust gimmick. His high impact style was tweaked ever so slightly to allow for more unorthodox moves. Axel once again gave a strong performance. Ryback again proved that he might need some time in developmental. WINNERS: GOLDUST & STARDUST

RUSEV vs. BIG E: A rematch from last month’s Payback pay-per-view, these big men’s fast paced high impact style made for another slobber knocker. Rusev nearly knocked Big E out with a massive German suplex. Big E returned the favor with a monstrous Sambo Suplex. While I don’t agree with Rusev winning twice in a row, OR someone of Big E’s strength tapping out to the Accolade yet again, this match was nearly worth the price of admission. WINNER: RUSEV

SUMMER RAE vs. LAYLA (Special Guest Referee FANDANGO): What an amazing match that Summer Rae and Layla had, said no one ever. While Layla isn’t a bad in ring performer, she’s not skilled enough to carry someone like Summer Rae, who really has not shown any sign of improvement. There were a few impressive moves, especially Layla’s super kick that earned her the victory. But in all, this match only existed to further the love triangle between these three. WINNER: LAYLA

SHEAMUS vs. CESARO vs. ALBERTO DEL RIO vs. KANE vs. ROMAN REIGNS vs. RANDY ORTON vs. BRAY WYATT vs. JOHN CENA (WWE World Heavyweight Championship ladder match) With this many opponents and none really being true high flyers, this was going to be a methodical ground and pound brawl. Kane showed that he was there as a pawn of the Authority, simply in the match to ensure Randy Orton wins. But there were so many devastating spots that the outcome was always in question. At one point Cesaro and Sheamus were hanging from the title belts suspended in the air and took a hard fall to the mat. Orton got busted open early on, but seeing his own blood seemed to bring out that sadistic side of him. Bray Wyatt was as enigmatic and creepy as he ever was. I was certain that Orton would win, as him being champ and Rollins holding the MitB contract would create dissension in the ranks of the Authority. But in the end, Cena reigned triumphant, much to the chagrin of the Internet Wrestling Community. WINNER: JOHN CENA.

In all, a much more solid pay-per-view outing than WWE has had in a while. I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on Money in the Bank 2014.

 

 

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Big Finishing Move: ‘Doctor Who: Destroy The Infinite’

Hello everybody and welcome to this installment of Big Finishing Move, the place where I give a listen to the various audio output of Big Finish then tell you if I think they are worth your time or not. Today we’re back with the dynamic duo of Scarfy and Savage in Destroy The Infinite!

 

 

 

TARDIS Team: Fourth Doctor and Leela

The Doctor and Leela decide to hit up the planet Delafloss, which is supposed to be a rather quaint and friendly world. What they find instead is a planet ravaged by pollution and war. Because of some extremely convenient circumstances, they are soon brought up to speed with the situation. An evil entity known as the Eminence has seized control of the planet and has the ability to possess people. With the Eminence about to launch a massive warship called the Infinite, it is up to the Doctor, Leela, and a space fleet to bring this sucker down.

One of the more fascinating devices in storytelling is the simple act of telling a story out of order. While not limited to science fiction or fantasy, the very nature of the genres allow for great manipulation of the timestream in their plots so this technique has become somewhat of a staple in many of their releases, including Doctor Who. When done correctly, the device is great at building anticipation and surprise in an audience that wants to know how things lead up to the events they saw previously. Sometimes, however, you can build a story up to the point where it is a bit of a letdown. Such is the case of Destroy The Infinite.

You see, the Eminence was first introduced in early 2013 with the Sixth Doctor story, The Seeds Of War, where it was established that the Doctor had faced this foe before and that some piece of it, however small, remained a part of him and was trying to take over his mind. We next met the Eminence even further down the line with the Eighth Doctor earlier this year in another story that was told out of order, the wonderful Dark Eyes II. The Eminence had become such a terrible force that the Doctor considered it a bigger threat than the Daleks! Once again we heard mentions of how these two had battled before for the Doctor’s mind. Now finally we have the release of the epic first clash between the Doctor and the Eminence and it does not live up to the hype.

The main problem is one of tone. Most of this story has a light and fun vibe attached to it, full of slightly comedic characters and a share of genuinely funny one-liners from the Doctor. Even the much-hyped possession story comes with a sense of bouncy ease. Then almost out of nowhere the story turns somber and fearful right at the end. It makes the whole thing uneven and more than a little unfocused.

It is rather confusing why Nicolas Briggs chose to handle this story this way. If anything, you’d think he’d shoot for a much darker tone since he is building the Eminence up to be this huge evil force over in the Dark Eyes series. The events of the story are indeed horrible enough to handle a more serious tone and Baker and Jameson prove capable of handling the deeper material once the shift occurs. They do their damnedest to sell the ending with some fine acting, but without a story meaty enough to back those scenes up, the effort is mostly wasted.

In and of itself the story works well enough, but as a tale we’ve been waiting to see for well over a year to see, it doesn’t pack the punch you’d expect. It was enjoyable and harmless enough while it lasted, but it won’t be anything I think I’ll be quick to revisit.

Purchase Doctor Who: Destroy The Infinite Here:

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Remember good readers, we here at One of Us have our own audio drama series Infinite Variations, so go check that out if for whatever reason you haven’t done so already.

For next time, it’s a tale of life, death, and what happens next with:

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And then later in the month we’ll tackle a Fourth Doctor Adventure co-written by Louise Jameson herself!

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Until then, happy listening!

Check out my previous reviews:

Phantasmagoria

The Fearmonger

The Light At The End

The Spectre of Lanyon Moor

Storm Warning

Blood of the Daleks

The Chimes of Midnight

Seasons of Fear

The King of Sontar

White Ghosts

Dark Eyes II

The Crooked Man

Project: Twilight

The Evil One

The Harvest

The Last Of The Colophon

The Council Of Nicaea

 

 

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The Top 5 Phil Lord & Chris Miller Movies

Last week’s Blu-Ray and DVD release of The LEGO Movie got me thinking about one of the hottest collaborations in Hollywood today, the writing and directing duo of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Not only do they have a list of killer comedies under their belt, but they are all from properties that most people say shouldn’t work.

 

 

The pair’s understanding of pacing, jokes, and most importantly heart infuse their films with a true sense of warmth and fun. Whether it is for adults or the family, Miller and Lord’s work shows a mastery of comedy that is almost unmatched today. Now for any of you complaining that Lord and Miller only have five films to their names, you’re right. This list however, isn’t so much about how many there are, but rather where they rank in relation to each other. It is a bit of a cheat I admit, but I also don’t care,  so with that out of the way, let’s get to it!

5. Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2

Cloudy 2While Lord and Miller only provided the story and produced this film, I’m still counting it. You feel Lord and Miller’s fingerprints in thoughts and ideas throughout the film, but the script writers and directing team of Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn simply cannot execute the jokes as well as the original duo would have. There is too much pointing at the joke instead of letting the joke speak for itself, which becomes distracting at points. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a good movie full of wit and charm, it just doesn’t have that something special like the original had to push it any higher up the list.

 

4. 22 Jump Street

22-Jump-Street-Your-EDMI love this movie, but the reason the reason it doesn’t rank higher is that the element of surprise is gone. Everyone now knows that Tatum and Hill are great together, both having branched out since the original movie to more properly showcase their acting skills and everybody knows Lord and Miller are capable directors with a string of hits behind them.  The movie isn’t able to blindside you like they did in the first movie and floor people with how good it is because we all expected it to be good this time around. Still,  it is funny as hell and who doesn’t love seeing these guys fighting crime again. All the jokes about the nature of sequels show how self aware the movie is, but as it makes fun of sequels you also can’t help but wish they would make some of the ones they suggest in this movie. I do hope they have one more movie left in them before they end the series for good.

 

3. The Lego Movie

The-Lego-Movie2Like many people, I was highly skeptical when I first heard about this movie. My brain kept firing off warning signals that this most likely would be Product Placement Cash Grab the movie, but then I learned that Lord and Miller were behind it and all my skepticism transformed into anticipation and excitement. Two of the most talented people in movie making given a chance to play with all the fun concepts of Lego as well as throw in all franchises they could pull from due to their relationship with Lego, how could I not be pumped for this movie?! Putting aside all the cleverness, what keeps me coming back to this film is the heart. It is a film about relationships and the power of creativity; it celebrates individuality while showing what we can accomplish when we work together. In short, the movie is a lot deeper and more poignant then it has any right to be. Everything is indeed awesome.

 

2. 21 Jump Street

9a1c6b7fe9387db37f9b2f03d6e08b66_largeThis movie was a bombshell going off in the culture when it first came out in 2012. We had been through so many quick comedy remakes of 70’s and 80’s properties at that point, most of which were at best forgettable that there was so little hype leading up to this movie. The two leads were going to be played by Jonah Hill (who also helped write the movie and its sequel) and Channing Tatum, neither of which was seen as having enough star power of charisma to carry an audience through a movie. This R rated comedy was being directed by two dudes who only had a failed TV series and one successful family picture to their credit. The film was released in the beginning of the year, a time where most studios dump the movies  they know suck or don’t have any clue what to do with. Nothing should have worked with this movie. Thankfully everything did. The movie was fall on the floor funny and because the word of mouth and reviews were so positive and audiences had so few quality choices at that time, people flocked to see it.  It remains one of the most popular comedies of the last few years. Nuff’ said.

 

1. Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs

461156No joke, this movie is not only my favorite movie of 2009, but it is one of my all time favorite movies. The pacing, the jokes, the voice cast, everything in this movie seems tailor made to fill my heart with joy. It has Mr. T and Bruce Campbell in it, automatically making it one of the best movies ever! The fact I have a huge crush on Anna Farris doesn’t hurt the movie either.

The movie speaks to me like on a personal level. Like Flint, I grew up a dreamer. Like Flint, I was horribly picked on in school and reacted to it poorly. Like Flint, I spent most of my first few years interacting primarily with my Mom. Like Flint, I lost my Mom when I was very young and like Flint I was then raised by my Dad. A man who loves me to death and would do anything for me, but our interests and passions are so different that we don’t always quite “get” each other. Sorry to get all personal there, but that is part of what this movie means to me and why it has the number one spot. While I don’t truly believe in the perfect movie, I do believe there can be the perfect movie(s)  for someone and the original Cloudy is that for me in spades.

So, do you agree with my rankings or do you think I’m full of crap and don’t know what I’m talking about? Sound off below and let us know!

 

 

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Eli Wallach: A Man Worth His Weight In Confederate Gold

“If you’re going to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.”

Those were the iconic and wise words that Eli Wallach’s beloved Tuco said to an armed gunman who spent more time flapping his lips than practicing his shots in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966).

 

 

 

As many are already aware, Wallach, whose career spanned over half a century, passed away last Tuesday night at the age of 98. With over 80 films, dozens of theatre performances and numerous appearances on television, the Brooklyn born actor left behind a career featuring dozens of colorful characters.

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Born in 1915 to Jewish-Polish immigrants, Wallach spent the early part of his childhood assisting his parents in the family- owned candy store. Eventually leaving New York after graduating high school, he attended the University of Texas at Austin with the hopes of pursuing a career in education. He instead started to gravitate towards theatre and pursued a hobby in horseback riding. He would eventually receive a master’s degree in education at the City College in New York in 1938, but his obsession with acting eventually led him to the stage.

Though he wanted to pursue a career in acting in the 1940s, Wallach was quickly drafted into the United States Army, were he served in the Medical Corps. Eventually promoted to the rank of captain, Wallach spent the next four years on the Pacific and European fronts attending to wounded soldiers.

In 1945, Wallach became a founding member of the Actor’s Studio and made his Broadway debut in the play Skydrift. While short-lived (the play only lasted a week) Wallach would meet Anne Jackson. The two quickly fell in love and married in 1948. The husband and wife acting duo would soon find success together and became well known for their multiple onstage personas as husband and wife.

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Though he found much success in theatre, it wasn’t until landing the lead role in Elia Kazan’s 1956 film Baby Doll that Wallach started to pursue work in film. Baby Doll saw Wallach play a cunning cotton gin owner attempting to steal away the wife of a fellow businessman.

He found more success in film with his roles in such films as The Magnificent Seven (1960), How the West Was Won (1962), The Victors (1963) and How to Steal a Million (1966).

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Perhaps his most well-known role to filmgoers today is Tuco, the traitorous bandit who worked so hard to strike it rich and double cross everyone at every turn in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. It was Tuco that audiences were cheering for the most to get that buried Confederate gold. He provided Clint Eastwood’s “The Man with No Name” with a great foil. The stoic gunslinger, simply called “Blondie” by Tuco, always seemed so exasperated by Tuco’s endless complaints and talking. In reality, Eastwood and Wallach became quick friends off set.

While the performance didn’t earn him a single award, the critical acclaim for Wallach’s portrayal of Tuco bolstered his film career. He would later pursue more roles in spaghetti westerns to much success with such films as Ace High (1968).

In the 2000’s, Wallach would appear in only a handful of movies and television shows. The Ghost Writer (2010), Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) and a recurring role on Nurse Jackie (2009), which earned him and Emmy, allowed him to practice his craft well into his 90s.

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Wallach left an impact on theatre, television and cinema that is felt to this day. With any veteran actor, it’s hard to sum up a career with a single article. All I can say is that I felt privileged to see Wallach work his craft on screen, and provide audiences with fascinating characters that will remembered for years to come.

Wallach is survived by his wife, three children, grandchildren and multiple great-grandchildren.

Fun facts: After failing an exam to receive the necessary educational credentials to start teaching, Wallach began studying at the Neighborhood Playhouse, an acting school, in New York City. While working at the Playhouse, he would meet  fellow classmates Gregory Peck and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. The three would remain friends for decades.

Wallach also played the villainous Mr. Freeze in Adam West’s Batman (1966). He was paid $350. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who played the same character 30 years later, was paid $20 million for Batman and Robin (1997).

 

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The Pre-Weekend Recap: June 27, 2014

Greetings, and welcome to he Pre-Weekend Recap for the week of June 27, 2014! In addition to all the articles, blog posts, reviews, and podcasts that the One of Us crew put out this week, our fearless leaders have also been working nonstop to prepare for our major fundraising effort, Pod-A-Thon! Tomorrow, June 28, 2014, we have 12 hours of insanity ready for you, all in the name raising money for the site! More information can be found below!

 

 

 

Of course, you’ll also find a fine selection of posts that debuted this week, with descriptions and links leading you directly to the content. There’s plenty to see here, so let’s get started!

The Letdown of The Boondocks Season 4 And Why It Hurts

This week, The Boondocks ended its fourth and final season. Unfortunately, most of the fans of the series recognize that this is more of a mercy killing than a triumphant exit. While the first three seasons of this groundbreaking series were as thought-provoking as they were hilarious, the fourth season was riddled with lazily-written duds of episodes. The severe decline of the show’s quality is likely due to the departure of its creator, Aaron McGruder. Cartoon Network opted to remove McGruder from the show’s staff and attempted to continue it without him to disastrous results. Thomas Mariani, a fan of The Boondocks since its inception, points out where the last season went wrong and properly eulogizes the show.

 

Big Finishing Move – Doctor Who: The Council of Nicaea

John Eckes’ Big Finishing Move, the feature where he reviews Big Finish’s Doctor Who audio dramas, is back with a historically-focused episode. In The Council of Nicaea, the Fifth Doctor finds himself in the middle of the conflicts stemming from a crumbling Roman Empire and a nascent Christian Church. This is a fixed point in time, so his options to interfere are limited,  lest he risk disrupting the entire timeline. How does everyone’s favorite Time Lord get out of this mess? Is it worth your time and cash? Read John’s review for the answers to both of these questions!

 

The Original Gentlemen Episode 18 – The Replacements

The latest episode of The Original Gentlemen is pretty ironic, given this show’s name. There’s only one Original Gentleman this time, as Beau, Martin, and Ashley each had unavoidable conflicts. There’s no cause for alarm though, because Chris has an excellent backup crew. He is joined by Harris, former LEOGer and current love advice columnist under the name of Dr. Nerdlove, and Ed Travis  from the movie website cinapse.co, the latest member of that unruly cadre of cretins, the Unusual Suspects. Join the guys as they discuss Star Wars, Marvel television shows, and all manner of miscellaneous geekdom.

 

Post-Apocalyptic Psychology: Children of the Apocalypse

Much like any geek, Angelo Elauria considers what might happen if some catastrophe thrust humanity into a post-apocalyptic scenario, similar to that of The Walking Dead or The Last of Us. However, Angelo diverges from the average geek because he doesn’t spend his time deluding himself into thinking his video game skills and comic book knowledge would help him in the wake of civilization’s end. Instead, he’s applying the theories of psychology to speculate about how society might evolve. Take a gander at his article and find out what Terror Management Theory has to say about what could occur if everything goes to hell.

Why Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Actually Looks Good

It appears that many skeptics of the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films are beginning to reconsider their positions because of the new trailer. Before seeing the trailer, Angelo didn’t really care about the movie and wasn’t planning on seeing it. However, now “it is tied with Dawn of the Apes as most anticipated thing this summer.” What precisely caused this abrupt about-face? Read his article, watch the trailer, and let us know if it had a positive impact on you as well!

Pod-A-Thon 2014!

MAJOR SITE EVENT! Brian and Chris are heading to San Diego Comic Con this year! Of course, travel and lodging can be costly affairs. In addition, being the feeble flesh sacks that they are, they’d like to sustain themselves with food and water and not die of starvation/dehydration. Weird, right?

That’s why THIS SATURDAY, June 28th, we’re hosting a 12-hour video livestream fundraiser, the first ever One of Us Pod-A-Thon! From noon to midnight, your favorite site personalities will entertain you in their quest to raise 2,000 American dollars. Watch as they play drinking games, give away free stuff to you viewers, and accept embarrassing challenges for money! There will be tons of guest appearances from other beloved geek sites and major announcements about huge changes coming to One of Us. All of this and more will be occurring next week, so be sure to click on the image above for all the details.

If you like what you’ve seen here, please be sure to share our stuff with others who might enjoy it. In addition, please consider becoming one of our proud subscribers! There are plenty of benefits for those who are generous enough to contribute to the site each month, so don’t miss out on your chance to earn some exclusive rewards! Have a great weekend!

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Highly Suspect Reviews: Snowpiercer

Chris, Richard, Ed and Brian weigh in on this Korean made film, all in English with big name actors like Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton and John Hurt, that really is the best sci-fi film thus far in 2014. If you don’t know yet about this post-apocalyptic film featuring a class struggle on a train, you haven’t seen one of the best films this year has yet to offer.

 

 

 

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An Outsider’s Look at the ‘Transformers’ Franchise

With the release of Michael Bay’s Transformers: Age of Extinction, it felt appropriate to look at the multiple reactions that the live-action film series has inspired over the past few years. As many of us film geeks know, the Transformers franchise tends to cause many a debate to be had between lovers of cinema.

 

 

The level of passion generated by fans and detractors of the series can get overwhelming. The comment sections of many sites are often burnt to the ground once Optimus Prime and his fellow Autobots’ latest adventure premieres in theatres. Less than amicable words are exchanged between the two groups, as both sides dig in to defend or deride the latest film.

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Before I go into detail, I have to admit that my knowledge of Transformers is limited. I like to think of myself as somewhat of an outsider to the fervor that exists on both sides. I have only seen the first two live-action films and watched only a handful of episodes from the original animated series. The films and cartoon just don’t particularly appeal to me. I don’t direct any hatred towards the property, but I also don’t show any love towards it either.

Despite my general ambivalence towards the series, I will attempt to take a balanced look at both the fans and detractors of the recent movies, and why they hold their respective views of Bay’s Transformers.

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Does nostalgia play a role in the fans unabashed love for these explosion heavy blockbusters? Absolutely. If someone’s particular childhood cartoon, show or toy is turned into a film, it’s hard for them not be almost universally giddy about the prospect of seeing a big screen adaptation of their beloved property. We’ve all fallen prey to nostalgia. I certainly have. We tend to ignore or deny the existence of flaws that others may have with a particular product because we love it so much. In many ways, the Transformers series is critic proof not only due to the nostalgia inducing history of the characters, but because the fan base is predisposed to love them anyway. You can’t take away their love for the films if they already know that they love them to begin with.

The idea that one’s brain just needs to be shut off to enjoy Transformers has often been stated by fans of the movies as the proper way one needs to enjoy them. It’s a statement that has been used by many people to describe watching movies with less of a focus on plot and characters. Is it a fair statement to make? Honestly, it probably depends on the person you’re talking to and the context of the conversation. An individual at one time may say that they shouldn’t have to “turn off their brain” to enjoy something, and yet, they’ll turn around and make that statement to defend a film that they love that they know isn’t exactly the Academy-Award winning type. Fans of the films feel the need to provide a reason to justify why they enjoy them so much.

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The detractors, much like the fans of Transformers, have been very adamant about letting their voices be heard. Two of the most criticized aspects of Bay’s Transformers has been the sexism and racism featured in each film. Yes, while the movies have often been criticized for their storytelling and presentation of characters, the regular complaints of sexism and racism have managed to even make Bay react to some of the criticism.

The objectification of women, particularly scenes featuring Megan Fox, has frequently been criticized by audiences and feminist groups alike. While I have not seen Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the presentation of Rosie-Huntington Whiteley’s character has often been criticized by others in a similar fashion. Fox and Whiteley are two very beautiful young women; no one can deny that, but the way in which their filmed leaves little up to the imagination on Bay’s view of the opposite sex. Camera shots focusing on the actresses bodies resemble the same shots that focus on the bodies of cars.

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The inclusion of racist characters in Revenge of the Fallen was met with much disdain from those who did not enjoy the movie. Mudflap and Skids, two Autobots created for the film, might of have been initially envisioned as humorous characters by the filmmakers, but they instead came off as the mechanical counterparts of Amos ‘n Andy. It’s not at all surprising that they were seemingly erased from the series when they were nowhere to be found in Dark of the Moon.

In the end, is such an ardent defense that the fans provide for Transformers absolutely necessary? These people are obviously very determined, and will go great lengths to defend these movies in an attempt to prove the product they like deserves recognition. Personally, I don’t think they even have to do that. If they like the movies, just let them like them. At the same time, those who do not like them shouldn’t be forced into enjoying them either, and should be free to criticize them at their leisure. Both groups need to understand that they are perfectly free to love or hate these films at their own discretion.

What about you reader? Are people required to defend something they love to others who don’t share the same opinion? Let us know in the comments below.

 

 

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Inside The Locker: Soccer Bites

Sharpen your fangs, sports nerds, it’s time for the tastiest episode of Inside the Locker we’ve yet prepared! It’s true we’ve been out of whack for a bit, what with all the World Cup whatnots, but we’re back! With a vengeance! Harder! The Second Story!


If you’re interested in catching up on our Game of Cups broadcasts, the good folks at BroJackson compiled them all on their Soundcloud site! (From 13 days back to 11 days back)

 

Let’s knock off the jibber-jabber and get to it!

 

 

Not-So-Secret Agents (4:32)

Melo As A Bull

The wheel of NBA free agency begins to turn. Is Lebron leaving? Melo moving? Love lost in the shuffle? We talk about all the various mercenary scenarios. We also discuss how Joel Embiid’s injury may further shake up the distribution of talent next year.

 

Chewing on Suarez (28:02)

APTOPIX Brazil Soccer WCup Italy Uruguay

Uruguayan soccer phenom Luis Suarez has unusual appetites. We’re not talking about romantic insatiability, gambling, or drugs…no, he has a taste for HUMAN FLESH! For the third time in his career, Suarez has bitten an opponent on the pitch. This time, it was Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini. We’re less concerned about what FIFA will do to Suarez and more concerned with what Chiellini might spread to Brazil and then, dare we say, the world!

 

And The Rest (51:27)

Solo

A new(ish) segment cataloging those stories that, much like The Professor and poor Mary Ann, weren’t quite important enough to be headliners. We talk about Evan Turner’s disappointing drive (and we don’t mean to the basket), Hope Solo going HAM on her family (and we don’t mean Mia), a 17yo girl punks 50 Cent on the baseball field.

 

Cheers from the Cheap Seats (61:30)

Zords

We answer some of your tweeted questions including a thoroughly in-depth (probably moreso than is deserved) discussion on our preferred giant robots with which to go into battle.

 

Make sure to follow us on Twitter, otherwise we’ll have to send Hungry Hungry Suarez after you.

Suarez bite

The Show Account–@ITLCast
Brian–@BriguySalisbury
J.C.–@jcdeleon1
Elliott–@ITLElliott
Adam–@the_beef

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Movie Review: ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’

“No No No” becomes “Whoa Whoa Whoa” as Mark Wahlberg steps in for Shia LaBeouf in the latest installment in the Transformers saga…and the Unusual Suspects are unimpressed.

Chris, Brian, Elliott, Richard and our newest Suspect, Ed, can’t keep themselves from making this a spoiler heavy review (so, you know, warning) as they deconstruct Michael Bay’s latest CG robot fest.

Empty Space

Empty Space

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