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Why do people have such strong reactions towards the recent developments regarding Batman vs. Superman? How does the invention of fictional characters create an entire subculture? Why do people identify themselves so passionately in “Geek Culture?” These are all questions that can be evaluated under the paradigm of Social Psychology, the study of how social influences affect you cognitively and behaviorally. It is also a theme that is touched on in a lot of literature. From the Joker trying to expose the ugliness and ironies of human nature, to how relationships evolve with the advancements in technology, one could argue that good story telling involves how people take an external event, internalize it, and organically express it through their actions.

So why am I telling you all this? Well, I’m currently seeking to overcome one of the final obstacles standing between me and college graduation: a research project. What is my project about? Well… I can’t tell you because that would defeat the purpose of the experiment (cue Joker laugh). I can however, slightly touch on what inspired me to take this path: the popular distaste for modern art.

“Look at the copious amounts of Mise-en-scène. Definitely a brilliant piece!”

Have you ever been to a modern art gallery? It is definitely a mixed bag. There are some pieces offering detail and craft that I am definitely able to appreciate, but there are also pieces that are pretentious to the point of frustration. For example, once I literally saw a framed blank sheet of paper pass as art. This genre of art abandons any concrete meaning in favor of more abstract themes and aesthetics. Granted, there are art aficionados that have a trained eye for detail and just the right appreciation, but to the average viewer such as myself, modern abstract art can be seen as confusing and nonsensical. As a result, this usually generates backlash and sometimes straight up spite within the viewer, and yes, this also applies to film (Meeks Cut Off anyone?) So what causes this? Well, that is what I’m trying to find out, and YOU can help me explore a theory…and help me graduate. That is definitely a thing I would like to happen.

So how can you help? Well, I created a little survey that will take you no more than 5-10 minutes to complete. What will you be doing? Watching a weird 30 second video, and then just click on some bubbles afterwards. So please fellow Us-ians, if you can just take a brief moment of your time, you will be helping an intern reach a MILESTONE in his life. Plus, this will free up more time for me to write more stuff for you guys! All you have to do, is click on this picture below, and simply take a short survey. Much obliged, kind people of The Us! I appreciate it IMMENSELY.

After months of speculation and hot on the heels of the Ben Affleck in costume reveal word is beginning to circulate that ‘Batman VS Superman’ official name has been revealed.

The Zack Snyder follow up to Superman will be titled ‘Batman VS Superman: Dawn of Justice.’ A clear indication of the recent news that this will lead directly into the recently announced full Justice League movie.

More than anything this title seems to make sense. But what do you make of it? Are you happy the VS portion remains? Comment below.

Source: Slash Film

The words in this article’s title were stated by one CM Punk a mere three years ago. His sardonic wit and knack for shooting from the hip maybe lit the fire under Vince’s ass, because he wheeled and dealed his way back to billionaire status. That was until this past week.

WWE stock took quite the nose dive, from about $20 to about $11 in less than a day, as reported by Forbes. Vince McMahon’s net worth, which was approximately $1.1 billion, now hovers around $750 million. No, the McMahon family won’t be clipping coupons any time soon, but to an ego the size of Vinnie Mac’s, losing a third of one’s fortune must sting badly.

The two standout causes for this are recent network deals not panning out as planned. WWE re-upped their contract with NBC Universal and due to the ratings its two flagship shows brings to USA and SyFy Networks, everyone guessed that they’d see at least a 200% increase with this deal. With NBC Universal low-balling them with just $150 million per year, it appears to be a slap in the face to Vince and his employees.

The other albatross is the WWE Network. Since launching nearly ninety days ago, the service has yet to cross the 700,000 subscriber mark. Given that they need double these numbers just to break even, we can only guess how much scrambling is being done by WWE media relations.

But Vincent Kennedy McMahon faced adversity before. Steroid allegations brought negative publicity in the late 80s-early 90s. Stiff competition in the late 90s nearly cost his empire to collapse. But this tough old businessman has always bounced back. There’s no reason to believe he won’t bounce back from this…with that swagger in his walk that he’s known for.

“We fought. We lost. We died.” – Kitty Pryde

Not the most uplifting words, but they do set the tone to one of the best X-Men storylines of all time. Days of Future Past is probably one of the most beloved Marvel tales from the 1980s. It makes sense that 20^TH Century Fox finally made the decision to go ahead with a film adaptation with Bryan Singer (X-Men, X-2) at the helm. Since so many people are looking forward to the film’s release this weekend, it is only appropriate to discuss the source material for those who are not familiar or need a refresher.

Published in 1981, Days of Future Past was the X-Men story that made me an X-Men fan. I grew up a DC kid most of my life. If I did read a Marvel book, it had to be something that really caught my attention. Frank Miller’s Daredevil opened the door to my first Marvel comic experience and Chris Claremont’s Uncanny X-Men was the title that got me invested in the Marvel Universe.

Post-apocalyptic futures in comics are not unusual. Half the comics printed today seem to take place well after everything has gone to hell. Worlds overrun by zombies, aliens and killer robots dominate the comic book medium. Days of Future Past falls into the latter of those worlds.

In the original storyline, the distant apocalyptic future takes place in the year 2013. Kitty Pryde, the X-Man with a dozen different names, is living as a mutant slave in a dystopian New York City. In a last ditch effort to improve the catastrophic state of the world, the few surviving X-Men send Pryde’s mind back in time to 1980 in order to warn the X-Men of the past of the world’s impending doom.

As Pryde awakens in her younger body, she works to convince the X-Men that the deaths of millions can be prevented if they save the lives of Charles Xavier and the mutant-hating crusader, Senator Robert Kelly. Meanwhile, The Brotherhood of Mutants, now under the control of Mystique, are planning to assassinate Xavier and Kelly at a hearing discussing the “mutant threat.” It’s the deaths of Xavier and Kelly that spurs the creation of the Sentinel Program and the eventual collapse of civilization in North America.

Mutants, humans, heroes and villains alike are exterminated by the Sentinels. Not only are the X-Men devastated by the war with the robotic-mutant hunters, but the deaths of Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther, Dr. Doom and countless others spark an international outcry from the rest of the planet. The world is terrified that the deaths of these heroes and leaders will leave the rest of Earth open for Sentinel invasion.

Obviously, the film adaptation is taking some liberties with the original source material. In Singer’s film, it’s Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) who is sent back to convince the X-Men of the dangers of the Sentinels created by Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage). Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) seems to serve the same role that she did in the original story. From what I can see from the trailers, Mystique is traveling the world attempting to assassinate specific political leaders. Some characters are missing while others are added to the film. Nightcrawler, Angel and Franklin Richards, the son of Mr. Fantastic, have been replaced with characters like Quicksilver, Havok and Toad.

Honestly, these changes don’t really bother me. I’ve come to understand that direct adaptations of a writer’s work rarely translate well to film. While there is a great amount of anticipation for the movie, I have noticed quite a bit of backlash. The costume design for Quicksilver has been criticized as well as the number of characters set to appear in the film. As a comic book fan, I’m willing to admit that I and my fellow comic readers can be a little hyperbolic in our criticisms for a movie that has not even premiered in theatres yet. Despite some people’s concerns, I’m very much looking forward to the film and seeing if Singer can capture the same level of quality that he did with X-2.

If you have the chance, check out the original comic and be treated to the eloquent and blunt vocabulary of the Sentinels. They use the word “terminate” a lot.

“Terminate one Sentinel — terminate one thousand — it makes no difference. Our numbers are too great. Eventually mutants, we will overwhelm you.”

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This week’s show truly tests our long-held mantra of covering everything “from Criterion to catastrophe.” Criterion-wise, the Digital Overlords discuss the phenomenal Ace In The Hole Blu-ray release, while I, Frankenstein proves to be the aforementioned catastrophe.

A quick jaunt into the altnera-verse finds Earth 2 Chris and Earth 2 Brian (alias Richard) singing the praises of Spike Jonze’s Her so loudly that their affections could be heard in Earth Prime. But that doesn’t mean they escape unscathed, having to review the world’s most boring slasher flick.

Having returned to the primary timeline, we give away copies of the motion comic Wolverine: Weapon X.

Please do consider using our links below to make all your Amazon purchases! Much appreciated.

How To Win This Week’s Giveaway:

1.) Follow @OneOfUsNet on Twitter

2.) Tweet at us with the oddest/silliest thing Wolverine could possibly say before putting the claws to somebody (Ex: “Happy Arbor Day, Bub!”)

3.) Add #WeaponXGiveaway

4.) We’ll select our favorite and contact that winner via Twitter (open to U.S. Residents only)

Follow Digital Noise on Twitter and make sure to review us on iTunes.

When Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) suddenly quits his job at a prominent Los Angeles restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity for its controlling owner (Dustin Hoffman), he is left to figure out what’s next. Finding himself in Miami, he teams up with his ex-wife (Sofia Vergara), his friend (John Leguizamo) and his son to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Chef Carl goes back to his roots to reignite his passion for the kitchen — and zest for life and love.

…also Austin barbeque!

Chef was a big hit at this year’s SxSW, and no small part of that was its featuring scenes filmed at Austin’s own Franklin’s BBQ.

Given our hunger for great films, and obviously slow-cooked brisket, OneOfUsNet is proud to partner with Open Road to offer the Austin contingent of Us Nation a chance to attend a free advance screening of the film.

Tomorrow (5/21) 7:30pm at Barton Creek Square

How do you get passes? Just click the link below, register for GoFoBo and use the promo code: OFU88TC.

CLICK HERE!

Enjoy!

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The British Bodcast is a top secret M:I6 sponsored black op. The mission is classified, but rumor has it, the Bods have been recruited to turn good old Americans into fully fledged Anglophiles through the power of radio. It is part of a multi-pronged attack which also includes: Doctor Who, Tom Hiddleston and Downton Abbey.

THE BODS ARE:

Duke Of Havoc (The Host): Born with strange red markings covering his right arm and torso, Duke is still hoping for a magic being to arrive and tell him he is Earth’s only hope. Living in the historic city of Canterbury, Duke is usually waiting for Mondo posters to go on sale, cursing like a sailor that Mondo posters sell out too quickly or dancing around his lounge because he managed to buy a Mondo poster.

He likes Mondo posters.

PirateMoggy (Hazel):

Mog is a thousand-year-old fandom witch atop a throne of hoarded comics. Her interests are being a social justice warrior, indiscriminately objectifying everyone and wine.

Dapper Dan:

Dapper Dan is as English as tea, crumpets and dated imperialism. When he’s not reading comics, watching genre TV and movies, he’ll argue that Hawkeye is the best Avenger, Nightcrawler the best X-Man & Booster Gold the best Justice Leaguer.

P.S. Batroc Ze Leaper is pretty awesome too.

With the recent box office success of Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla, it felt appropriate to delve into the past and look at the “King of the Monsters” most dangerous foes. Some of these beasts have become allies with the King of the Monsters, while others have remained vicious foes throughout their history. Some have appeared in numerous films, others have made but a single appearance. However, one trait that all of these kaiju share is that each one is a badass in his or her own way. Let’s count down, shall we?

10. Hedorah

Featured in one of the most divisive Godzilla films among fans, Hedorah was a monster created by pollution and intense radiation. What was born was the red-eyed monstrosity you see above. This kaiju fed off the pollution created by humanity. He took on multiple forms to fight Godzilla and was even able to blind the giant lizard at one point. Despite the controversy surrounding the film he was first featured in, Hedorah deserves a spot on this list for being the ultimate reason not to pollute.

9. Gigan

It’s a pretty stiff competition to pick the most unusual looking monster of Godzilla’s rogues gallery, but I’m willing to bet that Gigan would come out on top. This giant green chicken-like monster with hook hands is easily the most ridiculous looking in the Showa series, excluding Jet Jaguar of course. Despite his unique appearance, Gigan has fought with Godzilla a few times over the years. Featured predominantly in the Showa series, Gigan has attacked Earth alongside Megalon and King Ghidorah. He also has a buzz saw on his stomach. Weird.

8. Anguirus

Angurius has the special honor of being the first giant kaiju to fight against Godzilla. The two of them battled in the 1955 film Godzilla Raids Again. Their rivalry was short lived however. Ever since their first battle, the two monsters have fought side-by-side as friends. They’ve protected one another against Gigan and King Ghidorah. The Showa series would feature Anguirus the most, but he would make a small appearance in Godzilla: Final Wars, in which he battles his former friend once again.

7. Battra

Despite his appearance, Battra is actually not an evil kaiju hell-bent on the destruction of Earth. He actually works to protect the planet in his own unique way, though his plans tend to backfire. Created by an ancient civilization, Battra broke free from their control and wiped them out. He’s more of an angry environmentalist kaiju. Appearing only once in the Hensi series, Battra fought against Godzilla and his sister, Mothra. As much as Battra and Mothra might bicker, they eventually hug it out in order to defeat the King of the Monsters.

6. Rodan

Rodan can fly. He tends to do that a lot. Reminiscent of pterodactyls, Rodan was featured in his own feature-length film before tangling with Godzilla. Much like Mothra and Anguirus, Rodan has been both an enemy and an ally to Godzilla in the past. He’s helped the giant lizard on more than one occasion. On the other hand, he did try to steal Godzilla’s egg once. Some friend he is.

5. Mothra

The prettiest of Godzilla enemies, Mothra has worked tirelessly throughout the Godzilla series to help protect the people of Japan from kaiju threats. Featured in her own series of films, Mothra has fought against and assisted Godzilla on many occasions. Often considered to be one of the weaker enemies of Godzilla, Mothra has actually been able to hold her own against the giant lizard and other monsters like King Ghidorah and Battra.

4. Biollante

In my opinion, Biollante is the most underrated of Godzilla’s enemies. Featured only once in the entire Godzilla series, Biollante is a beautiful abomination. She was born from the DNA of a human, Godzilla and a rosebush. I know it’s weird, but this monster was the first that Godzilla fought against in the Hensi series. The film in which she is featured, Godzilla vs. Biollante, is one of the best in the franchise. I for one would love to see a new incarnation of this giant-plant monster in the future. Make it happen Gareth!

3. Mechagodzilla

You always need an evil robot version in any character’s rogues gallery. Mechagodzilla has been featured in every iteration of the Godzilla franchise. It has been depicted as a mass murdering machine created by evil aliens, a mass murdering machine created by humans and as a mass murdering artificial intelligence. There tends to be quite a few deaths when Mechagodzilla shows up. However, Godzilla is always able to put a stop to his mechanical doppelganger every time.

2. Destoroyah

Destoroyah is probably my favorite of Godzilla’s foes. Featured only once in 1995’s Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, Destoroyah was created unintentionally by Dr. Daisuke Serizawa in the original 1954 film, Gojira. The Oxygen Destroyer, used to kill the first Godzilla, mutated crustaceans on the ocean floor. These crustaceans would eventually grow in size and later combine into the 120-meter tall monstrosity that Godzilla fans all know and love. It’s funny, Serizawa always said he was concerned that his weapon would bring about more destruction. Well, it seems he was right all along.

1. King Ghidorah

Godzilla’s arch-enemy has to be the Three-Headed Monster himself, King Ghidorah. Premiering in 1964’s Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster, this multi-headed beast was a civilization-destroying dragon on a quest to wipe out every living creature on Earth. Starring in the most Godzilla films, King Ghidorah has been a constant thorn in the sides of many of Earth’s greatest monsters. He’s tangled not only with Godzilla, but also Rodan, Mothra, Angurius and countless other kaiju.

He’s also one of the few Godzilla enemies to have multiple retellings of his origin. In the original Showa series, King Ghidorah was an alien creature, exchanged by many interstellar civilizations as a weapon of mass destruction. In the Hensi series, King Ghidorah came into being after three Dorats, creatures from the distant future, fused together on the island in which Godzilla was exposed to atomic radiation. Most recently in the Millenium series, Ghidorah was shown as a protector of Earth. Working with Baragon and Mothra in Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Ghidorah was said to be an ancient god tasked with the responsibility of protecting Japan.

Are there any baddies that you feel should be on this list? Megalon? Orga? Roland Emmerich? Talk about your favorite Godzilla monsters below. Hopefully fellow OneOfUs.net guest and writer Matt Frank won’t breathe atomic fire into my face when he sees this list.

Earlier today, Marvel Studios dropped a second full trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy, the last film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Two before Avengers: Age of Ultron. The video appeared on the movie’s Facebook page and features some vocal work that fans have been eager to hear.

Viewers are treated to the first “I am Groot” we’ve heard from Vin Diesel as well as some more dialogue from Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Raccoon. Those who first heard Rocket Raccoon speak in the fighting game Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 may be disappointed than Cooper did not opt to preserve the character’s accent featured in that title, but maybe I’m just being picky. In addition to these long-awaited aural debuts, Peter Quill a.k.a. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) gives his team a less-than-inspiring prep talk over Norman Greenbaum’s Spirit in the Sky, guns are fired, swords are swung, and spaceships engage in frantic battles. All said, a pretty great look at things to come. Check out the trailer below:

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Post by Guardians of the Galaxy.

Stars featured in Guardians of the Galaxy include Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, Benicio del Toro, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, and Gregg Henry. The film was directed by James Gunn and will appear in theaters on August 1, 2014.

What are your thoughts about the second trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy? How do you predict the film will impact the trajectory of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Godzilla rules, I think we can all agree on that. He didn’t earn the title “King of the Monsters” just for giggles. In celebration of the big guy’s return to the silver screen I thought it only fitting to take a look back at the series and make a list of my favorite bits from the Godzilla catalog.

5. Ready for Takeoff! (Godzilla Vs Hedorah (The Smog Monster) (1971))

How can you not love this?! Yes, it is totally ridiculous, but this series is about a a giant mutant dinosaur that fights other other monsters and destroys cities, so lets not pretend that silly doesn’t have a place here. Seeing Godzilla fly brings a mountain of joy to my inner child and I shall not apologize for it!

4. Tag Team Action! (Godzilla Vs Megalon (1973))

Are you ready for some action, Brother?! Oh YEEEAHHHH! Yes I just mixed my Hulk Hogan with my Macho Man ( RIP Randy Savage) and I don’t care; much like I don’t care if you have anything negative to say about the above clip! Yes, this is another goofy as hell pick, but some things are so damn goofy that they transcend goofiness and become awesome! This scene has giant robot, Jet Jaguar hold Megalon while Godzilla brings the thunder not once, but twice with the most epic dropkicks ever performed! No chart can show just how cool this is because said chart would burst into flames at the sheer greatness of that which it is trying to express! ‘Nuff said!

3. Damn Kids These Days! (Son of Godzilla (1967))

Most Godzilla fans hate Minya and I am proud to say I agree with that sentiment 100%. Annoying little bugger makes that asshole Godzooky almost seem tolerable! So if I dislike the tiny asshat that much why does this moment make the list? Easy, because this shows Godzilla does not put up with Minya’s shit. Whiny brat wants to throw a fit and not listen? Fine! Godzilla will drag you away whether you like it or not. Godzilla’s look of disgust dealing with this punk says it all.

2. Memories (Godzilla Vs King Gidorah (1991))

Oh boy, the fan debate on this one! Some people see it as a touching moment, as man and monster come to some sort of understanding, others see it as one stupid asshole thinking he had some special connection with Godzilla and that the monster would therefore spare him. Between those two extremes lies a billion other fan theories. What makes this so interesting is the ambiguity; you aren’t totally sure what either of them is thinking as they meet or what the other is going to do. They leave it up to the audience to fill in the gaps, and what they decide happened there does say something about the viewer. Sometimes the true art of something doesn’t show in the piece itself, but instead in how people react and interact with it. Tragic, comedic, somewhere in between? You decide.

1. It’s Clobberin’ Time! (Godzilla: Final Wars (2004))

Suck it Zilla! Toho knew for years that we wanted to see that crappy imposter from the 1998 American film get the beatdown it deserved and this scene gives us everything we need in one neat package. We get purposely crappy CG monster blown to hell by a guy in a rubber suit as the legions of Godzilla fans jump up and high five each other! The moment happens and then the movie keeps on without a second thought giving Zilla all the time and attention he deserves.

So what do you think of my list. Agree? Disagree? Let’s hear your thoughts on the best Godzilla moments in the comments below!

Batman VS Superman gets its official Title

SMARK COUNTRY: A Millionaire That Should Be A Billionaire

X-Men: A Look Back Into the ‘Days of Future Past’

Digital Noise Episode 44: Something About Her

How To Win This Week’s Giveaway:

1.) Follow @OneOfUsNet on Twitter

2.) Tweet at us with the oddest/silliest thing Wolverine could possibly say before putting the claws to somebody (Ex: “Happy Arbor Day, Bub!”)

3.) Add #WeaponXGiveaway

4.) We’ll select our favorite and contact that winner via Twitter (open to U.S. Residents only)

Follow Digital Noise on Twitter and make sure to review us on iTunes.

Austinites! We’ve Got Passes To An Advance Screening of ‘Chef!’

CLICK HERE!

World of UScast: The British Bodcast

Kaiju Countdown: An Overview of Godzilla’s Baddies

The ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Are More Vocal in Latest Trailer

My Top 5 Godzilla Moments