theindiegeek on:  Nathan Fillion/Castle

For those of you unfamiliar with Nathan Fillion, he’s kind of a big deal, at least in Geek and underdog circles.  He’s one of those guys who just can’t seem to get a break, despite how awesome he may be.  Fillion’s big break (in most people’s eyes) was on Joss Whedon’s Firefly, which shall be known hence forth as The Best Show That Never Was (TBSTNW).  Cancelled after only fourteen episodes, it was one of the greatest things on tv ever.  And Fox Network screwed it over.  Allow me to interrupt this blog post and say if you haven’t seen Firefly yet, stop reading to go hulu.com/firefly and watch it.  Don’t worry, the blog’ll be here.

Cast of Firefly

Watching it? Good.  Now you know who Fillion is.  The enigmatic Captain Malcolm ‘tightpants’ Reynolds.  One other thing Firefly did, besides introduce Fillion to us geeks, is it inducted him into the ‘Cult of Whedon’.  Y’know, the group of actors and actresses that Joss Whedon puts in everything? i.e. David Boreanaz, Nathan Fillion, Felicia Day, Eliza Dushku. (That’s a list of pretty awesome people, come to think of it…)  Despite only having a minuscule number of episodes, Firefly managed to spawn a movie Serenity which was made of win.  After Serenity and a few cameos and small movies, Fillion was to get another shot at playing lead, this time in a show called Drive.

Drive managed to have even worse luck than Firefly, being cancelled after six episodes.  Then, in 2008, genius happened.  Most people called it the writers strike.  During this time, Joss Whedon decided to try something different.  Different and legendary.  Using a crew of mainly his family and friends, Joss created a three part musical called Doctor Horrible’s Sing Along Blog about an evil genius trying to a) get into the evil league of evil, b) defeat his nemesis, and c) win the heart of the girl of his dreams.  Filling these roles were Neil Patrick Harris (of Doogie Howser, and How I Met Your Mother fame) as the titular  Doctor Horrible, the aforementioned Felicia Day (of The Guild) as Penny, the love interest, and Fillion as Captain Hammer, the nemesis.  And it rocked.  Hardcore.  Despite being only 42 mins in length, it was very successful.

Then in 2009, something odd happened.  Fillion would once again get his own show.  Fearing a repeat, me and my friends decided to watch it, no matter what, in support of the late, great Mal Reynolds.  Having been a spaceship captain, a road racer, and a nemesis, naturally murder mystery writer came next.  A show about a writer who got bored with his bestselling character, Derrick Storm, and offs him prior to the first episode.  He then chooses a less than ideal time to get writer’s block.  To regain his inspiration, he follows around one of the men in blue, or in this case, women in blue, Detective Kate Beckett.  He follows her all throughout the day and her cases, much to her dismay.

So, will Castle follow the same fate as so many other of Fillion’s shows?  If history is any indication of the future, probably not.  While, it’s not the highest-grossing show on TV now, it has carved a nice niche.  The banter and relationship between Castle and Beckett is the highlight of the show, watching then banter, bicker and flirt, then come together to solve the case.  Fillion oozes charm, and Stana Katic plays Beckett excellently.  The rest of the cast also deserves props, from Castle’s family to the other cops at the station.  A truly remarkable cast.

Is it because he’s the underdog that people like myself keep a close eye on what Fillion’s doing?  Is it because he’s a witty, charming and intelligent guy?  Or is he just a damn fine actor who deserves better breaks?  The answer, my friend, is D) all the above.

–theindiegeek

Playing: Borderlands
Listening to: The Con by Tegan and Sara
Watching: How I Met Your Mother & Angel
Reading: And Another Thing by Eoin Colfer

theindiegeek on: Jonathan Coulton

To start with, Jonathan Coulton is a man that looks like this:

And writes songs like this:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbClSmM-dVc&hl=en&fs=1&]

And his usual topics for his songs range from zombies, to the robot uprising, the first of spring and what it brings, to an evil genius in love.  And he has been quite successful doing such.  Could someone explain to me how he did this, so I can copy and be successful?  Please?

From his site:

In other words, he’s been lucky.

Lucky,yes, but also admirable.  Not everyone has the courage to up and quit their jobs on hopes their music careers pan out.  I know quite a few people who left college with their degrees unfinished to pursue a career in music.  Haven’t really heard from them since.  Personally, I rely too much on the steady paycheck of a steady job to do that.  Music will always be an important part of my life, but it’s just not as lucrative as one would hope, especially with this recession.  A steady paycheck is important for buying things, like food and video games.  So yeah, Coulton was pretty lucky.  It also didn’t hurt to have an in at Valve.

The first time I heard a Jonathan Coulton song was at the end of a little game called Portal, when a computer that you tried your darndest to destroy is in fact, Still Alive.  However at the time I did not know who it was, just that the song was awesome.  The next song of his I heard was the extremely popular Code Monkey.  Being a programmer myself, I found this one extremely great.  It was then I looked into the guy behind the madness.  Also, it was around that time I found this awesome video:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfyeJ6CX0vI&hl=en&fs=1&]

So what is it about his songs that are so great?  Why does he have the following he does?  Well children, the answer in part is:  teh internets!!!  Coulton has used the web very well, using contacts on the ‘net to get word out, demos and samplers.  All around using the internet very smartly to create a buzz.  Also, he has been lucky.  Not all programmer musicians who quit their day jobs see anywhere this level of success.  And finally, he is just that damn good.  He has found a niche and very well catered to it.  The topics he chooses to write about aren’t usually those you’ll find on pop radio.  And yet there is a market for songs about zombie coworkers and robot overlords.  He writes very intelligently and understandably.  The songs are catchy and stay with you long after listening.

If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend picking up Coulton’s cd/dvd Best. Concert. Ever. It has most of the favorites on a very well made cd.  Standout songs: The Future Soon, Code Monkey, Skullcrusher Mountain, and The First of Spring.

Until next time,

–theindiegeek

theindiegeek on: Zombieland

Crazy badasses, amusement parks, guts ‘n gore everywhere and a ton of shotgun shells.  Just another day in Zombieland, right?

Recently my friend and I had the opportunity to see Zombieland.  And then we went and saw it again the day after.  And that probably won’t be the last time we see it.  So yeah, it was good. Quite good.  But why?  My initial impression upon view the trailer months ago (when me and the same friend saw District 9) was “maybe”.  Then I promptly forgot about the movie in the sweetness that was District 9.  Come early October and Zombieland came out (in theatres, not out of the closet).  I began to hear good things about it.  Surprisingly good things.  Then my younger sister saw it and loved it.  I knew then it was my duty as a geek to go see it.  I coerced my friend into going with me, as I hate going to theatres alone.  Watching movies alone is what netflix is for.  Guess what? Lo and behold, people were right for once, it did rock!

Plot: Pretty standard for your typical zombie movie.  Here are X number of people (in this case four), and here are millions of zombies.  Guess who wins?!?  Really, with zombie stories, there’s really only two stories: survivors running away from zombies, or survivors trying to kill all zombies.  But that’s ok.  That’s what we’ve come to expect and it makes those movies accessible.  It does have its own fun though, (look out for Columbus’ rules for staying alive in Zombieland).  It’s worth reiterating that this is a horror-comedy, with an emphasis on the comedy, similar to Shaun of the Dead.

Characters: Fairly standard, yet well done.  The four main characters each follow a familiar stereotype, but they play ‘em very well.  While I won’t say they break the mode of the roles they’re in, they definitely have fun and add enough personality to make them memorable.  There’s Tallahassee (the badass, played by Woody Harrelson), Columbus (the nerd, played by Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (the hot girl, played by the lovely Emma Stone), and last but not least, Little Rock (the little girl played by Abigail Breslin).  The onscreen chemistry between the four of them is a pleasure to watch, and is well done.  Also, the cameo midway through is quite awesome.

Action: Yes, please.  Other gamers I have talked to have compared Zombieland to Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead.  Both very appropriate, given the amount of creative zombie kills (a favorite involves a piano and a nun) and gunplay (Tallahassee, I’m looking at you).  This, and the humor, is where the movie shines.  It is a very fast paced movie with gratuitous action and zombie kills.  And the locales give opportunity for fun.  From a grocery store to abandoned highways, to the showdown at the amusement park, it’s awesome.  The highlight of the movie.

So what makes Zombieland so great?  For me, it’s a bigger-than-the-sum-of-its-pieces thing.  Oh, and it’s frickin’ hilarious and action packed.  It could have been another run of the mill zombie movie, but the cast and crew really pulled their weight and ended up with a movie that is all around awesome.  The characters were very enjoyable to watch, the humor was great,and of course, the action was fantastic.  Highly worth watching,  for fans of both the horror and comedy genres.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get to the theatre.

–theindiegeek

Bonus! Which Zombieland Character are you?

In the movie, all of Tallahassee’s cars have the number 3 painted on them.  Naturally, this led me to believe he was Player 3.  If he is Player three, the rest of the characters have to be either 1,2 or 4.  Columbus is the first character you meet, so he has to be Player 1.  That leaves 2 and 4 for Wichita and Little Rock.  Being the older sister, Wichita would naturally be Player 2, and Little Rock would be 4.  Now take the player you usually are in Left 4 Dead (or Borderlands, or whatever less awesome shooter you play), and that’s who you’d be in Zombieland!

Player 1: Columbus (the nerd)

Player 2: Wichita (the hot girl)

Player 3: Tallahassee (the badass)

Player 4: Little Rock (the little girl)

I ended up as Columbus, which is an accurate fit, I would think.

theindiegeek on: Fallout 3

Picture the following scenario, if you will:  The apocalypse has come and gone.  All of the 1950s nuclear war-fearing citizens’ worst dreams have come true.  Global nuclear war.  Imagine all the powers of the world almost simultaneously launching all their nukes.  Whatever was the cause or reason, it matters not.  The nukes were launched, and the fell and they fell hard.  M.A.D. happened and it was Mutual, it was Assured, and there was definitely an insane amount of Destruction.  The only folks to be spared from this hellish nightmare were those lucky enough (or rich enough) to make it to the safety of an underground vault, a sealed bunker deep underground.  Totally self-sufficient, these vaults were designed to save the last of humanity from the tortures of the hell above.  Now fast forward a hundred years or so after the nukes dropped.  Things on the surface aren’t much better than right after the nukes dropped.  The landscape is overrun by horrid Mutants, feral ghouls, and evil raiders.  Pockets of humanity trying to simply survive day-to-day.  Radiated monsters, no crops, little food and absolutely no law whatsoever.  Welcome to the Wasteland.

Are you ready for the future? WARNING: It's INTENSE!

Sounds like a great scenario for a game, eh?

Despite the incredulousness of it all,  it was a great opportunity.  In September 1997, Fallout was released for the PC by Black Isle Studios, who would later become famous for fantastic RPGs like Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment.  A big success, Fallout 2 was released almost exactly a year later.  Bigger, badder, and all around simply ‘More’ and ‘Bigger’,  Fallout 2.  If you have any questions about how great it was, just ask Ctrl-Alt-Del’s Ethan .  So naturally, Fallout 3 would come soon as well.  Only it didn’t happen that way.  Black Isle got busy with other projects, and shortly after they got around to working on Fallout 3 (then titled Van Buren) Interplay, their parent company, went belly-up.  Bethesda would acquire the license and started working on it in 2004, although they didn’t really focus on it until Oblivion was completed.

When fans of the series (myself included) heard about the transfer to Bethesda, there was a great deal of excitement and doubt.  How will it relate to the previous games?  Will they keep the same tone and dark humor?  Will it be just another Elder Scrolls clone?  How faithful will it be?  And most importantly, will it be fun?

Fallout 3 was released on Oct 28th in US and slightly later elsewhere.  US gamers had a very happy Halloween.  And just to kill any sense of suspense, yes, the game was good.  Insanely good.  Beautifully, bloody, awesomely and crazy good.  Hell yes, the game was good.  Winning many ‘Game of the Year’ awards, it was almost universally recognized as a success.  Released on PC, XBOX 360 and PS3, the game had a huge potential market.  Some hardcore PC fanatics were angry about the game being on consoles, thinking that Fallout belonged PC exclusive.  In my experience since then, I believe that releasing Fallout 3 as a PC exclusive would have been a bad idea.  Many friends I know who love the game cannot afford to keep up with PC technology and remain strict console gamers.  I would hate to have selfish pride have kept them from such an engrossing game.

So it was good.  Yes.  But why?

It was fun.  Let me describe something that actually happened to me in the game.  I was given a task by a store owner in the town I lived to go to a nearby minefield and retrieve a few mines for her stock.  I would be nicely rewarded for my troubles.  So I made my way north, just me and my rifle, to the area she had specified.  I arrived at night, so the lights from the mines were easy to see.  I crouched low, to give my self the best chance of seeing and disarming the mines.  I followed the main road into the town and successfully disarmed and retrieved the first couple mines, when suddenly a few bullets hit the car to my immediate right, igniting it and making a nice fireball.  I barely had time to get out-of-the-way.  I looked up the road ahead, and at the end, on top of a worn down three story building was a sniper, rifle in hand, trying to kill me.  I started running through town, ducking and crouching and getting my quota of mines, things exploding in the night.  If I wasn’t so scared of dying, I would probably would have thought it quite beautiful.  Once I obtained the requisite number of mines , I had a choice to make.  I could either simply return to the store and get my reward, or I could kill the sniper first, and then get paid.  The decision wasn’t that hard to make.  That fucker shot at me.  No one does that and gets away with it.  I pulled out my hunting rifle, a very nice gun, although the range was significantly less than the cheeky shit’s sniper rifle, so I had to get closer.  So I maneuvered through the remaining mines, disarming when I had to, just getting close enough to get a clean shot off.  Eventually I was in range.  I crouched down, focused and aimed for his head.  I fired and my aim was true.  The .32 bullet went straight through the enemy’s head, a clean shot.  It was as it should be.  One shot, one kill.  I looted his corpse, then returned to the store, got paid, and had a very nice dinner.

Shotgunning Super Mutants is where the fun's at.

That’s all from the Wasteland for now.  Look for more tales from the Wasteland later.  Until next time, this is theindiegeek, signing out.  pe@ce

Welcome to the blog!

If you haven’t already, please check the About page for more info about who I am.  Since that pretty much covers me, let me then talk a bit more about what you’ll find in this blog, and then what you won’t.

The focus will be primarily on Music, Movies, Games, Tech and Books. However, being vague topics, almost anything can be discussed.  Just because I mention Movies doesn’t mean I won’t venture out to TV, directors, actors, etc.  Likewise, Games doesn’t mean only video games.  Board games, card games, and roleplaying games (like D’n'D) are fair territory as well.  Music can also be venues, coffeehouses and the like.  You get the picture.  Geek and Indie.

What I won’t be discussing are things like politics, religion, healthcare reform.   This isn’t that kind of blog.  Unless something so mind-boggling huge happens that I have to mention it (like 9/11 or war breaks out), those kind of things don’t have a home here.  Try cnn.com for news updates.  Not trying to influence the course of history, just give some insight into things I like or matter to me.

So, geeky and indie.  That’s the name of the game.  I do hope you’ll enjoy the posts and give some interesting feedback.  If you have a suggestion of a topic to cover, please, feel more than welcome to send it to me, and I’ll do what I can.  Until next time, this is theindiegeek, wishing you all a good evening.  Please remember to tip your waiters and waitresses.

In case anyone is curious, I’ll be doing most of my blogging from my netbook, an eeePC 1000HE.  Just fyi.

Watching: Hot Fuzz
Reading: Dracula
Listening To: Jonathan Coulton
Playing: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords

That is all for now