Morgan (Video)

Morgan is an underwhelming sci-fi thriller that we've seen done better many times before.

Don't Breathe (Video)

Don't Breathe is an intense and claustrophobic thriller that showcases Stephen Lang's amazing acting abilities.

How Geeks Became Bullies

I was recently listening to Talking Comics Podcast, one of the many podcasts that I listen to, and a listener brought up a question that I thought was very insightful. The question, although worded slightly differently, was basically why comic book readers, and by the same token all geeks, tend to shun non-geeks even though they may have felt shunned in their own past. Before I listened to the responses from the members of the podcast, I decided I first wanted to get my own thoughts down.

Going forward I’m going to use nerd and geek both interchangeably. I understand that to many there is a difference, but in order to not segregate either group I am choosing to use each word where I think makes my article flow better rather than what is more right.

Growing up, I would have never considered myself to be a geek or nerd. I didn’t read comic books, I didn’t play Dungeon & Dragons, and I didn’t participate in many other activities that are stereotypical to nerd culture. The most I can relate to geek culture is that I grew up watching Star Trek with my father (mainly Voyager and TNG) and I was an active member in my high school band. Being so limited in my youth geek experience, I personally was not bullied very much, and thus I can’t relate entirely to how many felt growing up in geek culture surround by non-geeks. However, now being much more engaged in geek culture, I can definitely see how the paradigm has shifted and sometimes geeks can be the instigators of bullying rather than the victims.

The Mind of a Bully

There are many different kinds of bullies out there, so understanding all of them is something that I think will be difficult to do. However, one thing that is constant throughout all bullies is a feeling of self-entitlement and pride. Bullies tend to pick on those who are “less than them.” So a sports jock may pick on a robotics club member because football is cool and robotics club members just can’t hack it on the field. Or someone who has money and dresses well will make fun of the someone else that has to come to school wearing the same clothes for the second time in a week.

Bullying can also stem from the fear of something different. These types of bullies choose to lessen anything or anyone that doesn’t hold the same ideals as them. The best examples of these can be seen in politics or many Facebook threads. Two people going back and forth trying to prove that the other side is wrong.

No matter what kind of bully a person is, the point of a bully is always to further their own personal agenda and beliefs by stomping out anyone that gets in their way .

The Internet: The First Paradigm Shift

The internet is a great tool. It provides a variety of information, but what the internet also gives is a level of anonymity. Someone, even me, can express opinions from the safety of a home knowing that no one can hurt me directly. However, it also gives others the same anonymity to react to my opinions with their own opinions. This back and forth reaction can create escalated opinions resulting in the hateful internet we are familiar with today.

The fear that many geeks face has always been the physical presence of their bullies. A bully tends to be physically imposing in some sense, whether that is in size, strength, or even the number of friends. However, on the internet, the physical threat is completely eradicated. Suddenly both nerd and bully are placed on the same playing field.

Not only has the playing field been altered, but it’s also been specified. A comic book nerd has the ability to avoid any website that has to do with sports. So anyone that enters a comic book nerds playing field is subject to the thoughts and opinions of any other comic book nerd that participates in the same website.

The Casual Nerd: The Second Paradigm Shift

Over the past few years, nerd culture has come to the forefront of everyday life. With the introduction of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, DC’s Extended Universe, and both of their growing TV presence, suddenly everyone has become a casual nerd. Football jocks that never would have dared speak the name of Captain America, are suddenly rooting for him to take down Hydra, well-dressed girls are now swooning over Thor’s abs and large groups of people that have never even heard of the Suicide Squad have opinions as to the either success or failure of its premise.

Everything that a nerd has loved and longed for is coming true, but at what price? If everyone is getting introduced into nerd culture, where can nerds turn? Where can they go to be understood and accepted? Suddenly, geeks and nerds are feeling invaded by an outside force much like when they were bullied in their youth. So the only thing they feel they can do is differentiate and defend.

The True Nerd: A Nerd’s Defense

A True Nerd: someone who has been a nerd since before it became “cool.” Before Iron Man flew across the screen. Before everyone was looking forward to a Wonder Woman movie. Someone that truly understands the characters, what they stand for and what they mean to true fans. This is where geeks have decided to take a stand.

When a person walks up to a true nerd and says “Oh man, Batman v Superman was so cool. I loved when Batman took out all those guys in the warehouse.” The true nerd responds with, “Yeah, it was kind of cool. Except that Batman would never do that. Batman has one rule, never kill, and he broke that rule several time it the movie. The movie was just not true to the source material. It should have been better.”

In order to feel special again, the geek will cling on comic books, source material, original series, and facts of minutia then argue them to the death to anyone that thinks differently. This is the exact kind of thinking that has created bullies in the past and allows them to thrive in the future. The feeling that they know more or understand more than others. The feeling of entitlement and pride in something that others don’t understand. This is the first step to becoming a bully.

The Geek Bully: The Last Paradigm Shift

The true nerds have just taken a step that they thought they would never take. Rather than accepting the casual nerd into the group and taking delight in the new comradery, the true nerd chooses to take a different road and prove how they are more entitled than the casual nerd since they have been a nerd for longer.

This has been evident with some recent news with the rumored casting of Mary-Jane Watson in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The unconfirmed rumor states that Zendaya, a mixed race actress (if this is not the correct term, I do apologize), has been cast as the previously white and red-headed Mary-Jane. Fans immediately took to the forums, Facebook and Twitter to express their anger at casting someone that isn’t white and doesn’t have red hair. This anger quickly turned into online bullying as others came to the studio’s aid by stating that the race doesn’t matter. The truth or correctness of this matter aside, this type of thinking and acting is what leads a geek to become a bully.

This, and many other actions, are how a geek has become that which they have always hated. A geek that used to be beaten up is now the one beating down other’s thoughts and opinions. The geek that wanted nothing else than to see Deadshot on the big screen is suddenly the one telling others how they are wrong for liking the actors portrayal. This is how the bullied has become the bully.

Geekceptance: Moving Forward Together

From Star Wars to Star Trek, Marvel to DC, or D&D to LARPing, there have always been different kinds of nerds and different levels. When a group of geeks gather together at a Comic Con, no one is looked down on for cosplaying as a Stormtrooper instead of a Starfleet Officer. Someone wearing a Doctor Who shirt does not make fun of the guy dressed as Iron Man. Instead everyone loves and accepts other’s passions no matter how strong they may be. Just because it is now more widely accepted, does not mean anything needs to change.

So instead of fighting about our differences, let’s come together and express joy in knowing geek culture is now common in every home, that everyone can find joy in watching a Marvel movie or that Star Wars is once again back and as good as ever. Let’s move away from differentiating a true nerd from a casual movie watcher. Let’s have geekceptance for young and old, original and new, casual and hardcore. Let’s have geekceptance for all!

Hell or High Water (Video)

What you won't expect from Hell or High Water is how two bank robbers and two U.S. Marshals will warm your heart as it builds to the inevitable showdown.

Kubo and the Two Strings (Video)

Kubo and the Two Strings is a beautiful stop-motion Japanese folktale that offers a great story, gorgeous visuals, and a lot of heart for all viewers.

Critics v Fans Round 2: Suicide Squabble

I first restarted this blog after I saw Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I wanted to get my opinions out for others to see. However, first I wanted to discuss my thoughts on why critics and fans sometimes differ so much in their opinions on movies. I called my initial post Critics v Fans: Dawn of Opposition.

Now with Suicide Squad just hitting theaters, the critics and fans are at it again with their wildly different opinions. Currently Suicide Squad has a rotten tomatoes score of a lowly 26% with 235 critic reviews and 75% with with 6,592 audience reviews. I also saw the movie and have my own personal thoughts that you can check out on my YouTube channel.

So let's try to break down why critics and fans disagree so much on Suicide Squad.

Differing Questions

This is where we get into the nitty-gritty of how critics and fans can differ so greatly. It all comes down to expectations and the questions they ask.

The best way to describe this is to look at a hypothetical scenario. Let's say that I just saw a movie and two different people are interviewing me, one is a movie critic and the other is a hardcore fan of the comic book franchise the movie was based off of. Let's see the kinds of questions the two would probably ask me and how I would respond to them.

Please keep in mind that when it comes to Suicide Squad I am not completely a fan. Also I am no where near a full fledged movie critic. So while I do personally agree with the responses to these questions, some of the deeper answers are borrowed from other's reviews and thoughts that I read or overheard.

Fan's Questions

• Was it fun? Yes, the movie started off fun and had enough sprinkled throughout to make it overall enjoyable.
• Were the characters fun and good interpretations of the comics? Yes, although Warner Bros. took some liberty in the characterization of The Joker, Harley Quinn, and Deadshot, they still had enough to see the connection to the comics.
• What was the best part? Whenever the characters were interacting with each other. It was just fun to see them all together.
• Was it as good as the trailer? Yes, you can tell that a lot of the fun that was shown in the trailer is present in the actual movie.
• Are you happy you saw it? Yes, seeing these iconic characters come together in the movie was overall just a good time.
• Would you see it again? I think I will. There were a lot of things that happened very quickly that I would like to get a second look at. Also, there are some things that I'm not sure whether I liked it or not and I'd like to see it again to determine my feelings.

For all of these reasons, fans are perfectly justified in giving Suicide Squad the praise they have and the praise that will continue to come.

Critic's Questions

• Does the story follow a typical 3 act style? If so, does each act move the story forward well? It does, but after the first act the story really slows down and the tone changed. Then the third act becomes a typical light and CG show typical of many modern blockbusters.
• How is the acting used to enhance the story? Most of the actors do a good job portraying their characters. However, some of characters have no reason to even be present in the story.
• Were the character arcs realized? Most of the characters end at the same point where they started. By the end the squad doesn't work any more as a cohesive team than at the beginning. 
• Was the script unique or interesting? Although their are a few funny moments, most of the script is very predictable or awkward.
• Did the director elevate the script and screenwriting? David Ayer is known for his characters with a dark and twisted back story. While this is hinted at throughout the movie, the humor in the movie often overshadows much of the darker parts Ayer is known for.
• Was the editing used effectively to depict the story? The editing is often choppy and sometimes confusing by using too many flashbacks.
• Was the score or music recognizable or appropriate? No, while trying to be interesting overall it simply adds to the choppy editing and randomness.

As you can tell by how I would respond to these questions it is very easy to see why a critic would give it a lower grade.

Conclusion

I know it is frustrating to see a movie you liked, or hoped to like, get a low critic score. Instead of having a knee-jerk negative reaction, remember that the critics are asked to critique on a vastly different set of standards than your buddy in the next cubicle. Instead, find and stick to reviewers that look for what is important to you and go from there. Dollars speak louder than angry tweets and petitions in pushing studios to make more of what we like.

Suicide Squad (Video)

While Suicide Squad might have many, MANY flaws, the great characters and added humor make it the the most enjoyable movie of the DC Extended Universe yet. Hopefully this will be the start of a new, better direction.

Jason Bourne (Video)

Matt Damon is back as the rogue secret agent Jason Bourne, and while it's not perfect, Jason Bourne offers enough to be the second best in the series.

Batman: The Killing Joke

Batman: The Killing Joke somehow does the source material justice and changes it in horrific ways to both please and anger any fans of Alan Moore's graphic novel.

Now before I begin, I have to say that this movie is based on a graphic novel that is almost 30 years old, so my review will have minor spoilers. Most of the spoilers are from the source material and a very few of them are scenes and plot points that were added specifically for the movie. That being said, everything I'll say in my review I had already heard before going into the movie myself and it did not decrease my overall enjoyment of the movie. So even though there will be minor spoilers, it does not ruin the movie at all.

The Good:

Honoring the source material. This is hands down the best part of The Killing Joke. The first half of the movie is basically a prequel of events that leads to The Killing Joke. Now while I enjoyed this added material, it is nothing compared to the storyline that is featured during the last half of the movie. Once Batman walks into Arkham Asylum to talk to the Joker, the movie kicks into another gear and really becomes what every fan wanted to see. So regardless of what anyone says about the first half, the second half is a perfect adaptation of Alan Moore's critically acclaimed work and does it complete justice.

The amazing voice acting. I feel this was already going to be obvious because any time Kevin Conroy plays Batman or Mark Hamill plays The Joker it is always going to be voice acting perfection. And this time is no different.

The action. This is one part where the animation really shines. Throughout The Killing Joke there are multiple moments where Batman and Batgirl beat the crap out of bad guys, and every fight scene is expertly choreographed and even better drawn. It captures perfectly how Batman and Batgirl would fight.

The Ehh:

The animation. When the trailer was first released, one of the biggest criticisms was the stiff, slow animation. Now, while it is better than the trailer lets on, there are definitely moments where the animation isn't the best.

The ending. I'm going to be honest and say that I first read Batman: The Killing Joke earlier this year. I have since read it a total of 3 times, but I definitely would not call myself an expert on the graphic novel, but each time I read the story I felt that the ending was weird, abrupt, and completely out of place. Now, I'm not saying it is bad, just that I feel it could have been different and closed the story out a little neater. If you are fan of the graphic novel's ending, there's no need to fear, it wasn't changed a bit. In the movie adaptation The Joker tells his joke, the music cuts out, and Batman reacts exactly like he does in the source material. During this moment all you hear is laughing and rain, the camera zooms out, fades to black, the laughing dims, the credits begin, and all you can hear is rain hitting the ground. There is no music, no flourish, simply the sound of rain. I was in a theater with almost every seat filled and there was barely a sound that could be heard. And while that could have been out of awe, I feel it was more because of confusion and awkwardness. It was kind of a little disappointing than the typical big Batman ending we have become accustomed to.

The Ugh-ly:

The Romance. When early reports were coming out regarding the relationship between Batman and Batgirl, many fans were angry and appalled. Now, while I personally don't mind the direction they took their story, I do feel that if something like that was going to be added that it should be for a good reason and carry weight for the characters. Unfortunately, the entire romance plotline maybe encompasses 5 minutes of the story and doesn't add to Batman's motivation. So even without the romance, Batman would have reacted exactly the same. So although I'm not personally offended by the additional relationship, it definitely didn't add anything to the story and should have been left out.

Recommendation:

Overall, Batman: The Killing Joke is a worthy adaptation of Alan Moore's acclaimed graphic novel that will please most fans. The few things that aren't great about the movie can easily be overlooked and eventually forgotten. Since Batman: The Killing Joke was only in theaters for a single day and is currently only available for streaming download or Blu-Ray purchase I feel this requires a more atypical grading system. So since Batman: The Killing Joke does enough to please hardcore fans while also angering them, I say it is solid...

B+

So that's what I thought of Batman: The Killing Joke, what did you think? And what other Batman story line would you love to see adapted by WB animation? Leave your comments below, check out my YouTube channel "Unpopped Review," and remember to always keep it unpopped!

Star Trek Beyond (Video)

Star Trek Beyond is a perfect summer blockbuster that offers enough to please both lifelong Star Trek fans and the average movie-goer.

Ghostbusters (Video)

Ghostbusters definitely has a different tone than the 1984 original. Luckily, all involved bring enough uniqueness and laughter to the film so it can defy the haters and stand on its on as a good film.

The Secret Life of Pets (Video)

The Secret Life of Pets is a great movie for the whole family, but lacks any emotional depth we have come to expect from animated features. It will win the box office, but won't be one families will revisit for years to come.

The BFG (Video)

Steven Spielberg tries to capture the childlike wonder of ET or Hook. Instead, The BFG is a boring and average children's book adaptation.

The Legend of Tarzan (Video)

Despite the awful looking trailers, The Legend of Tarzan offers just enough acting, action, and story to make a movie that is a surprisingly good time.

The Shallows (Video)

The Shallows is the next shark survival thriller. Is it the next Jaws or is it closer to Sharknado?

Free State of Jones (Video)

Free State of Jones is a true story that features Matthew McConaughey as defected Confederate soldier Newt Knight who leads a group of rebels against the Confederate army.

Independence Day: Resurgence (Video)

Independence Day: Resurgence is a sequel to the 1996 White House exploding classic. Is it good enough to be considered a worthy sequel?

Look Who's Back (Netflix)

Look Who's Back is a fish out of water story that features Adolf Hitler who suddenly wakes up in 2014 having no idea what has happened since his death. He then stumbles his way through modern society while attempting to gain the influence he once had.

Look Who's Back is a 2015 satirical comedy based on a German novel of the same name. Although the premise does seem a little off putting at first, the fish out of water story with Hitler being the focus was enjoyable, funny, and extremely though provoking.

Another thing that I think should be mentioned is that the film is entirely in German. That means that everyone in the movie speaks German and English subtitles are throughout the entire film.

The Good:

The Premise. The premise itself is so utterly bonkers that it at least deserves a look to see how it is handled.

Oliver Masucci as Adolf Hitler is absolutely perfect. Occasionally he will give speeches to people; sometimes it is one person, other times it is a whole crowd, and just like Adolf Hitler, his speeches are intense and captivating. It was truly incredible how perfect he was able to capture the charisma of Hitler.

The improv. Much like in Borat and other documentary style comedies, Look Who's Back has moments where Oliver Masucci is walking around Berlin in full character as Adolf Hitler. Actual people interact with him and ask him questions. The responses are completely improvised and are perfect. Most of the movie is scripted, but these little nuggets are some of the best part of the movie.

The comedy. As I mentioned, the story is utterly hilarious. The way Hitler reacts to certain modern situations had me actually laughing out loud, even though I was watching it alone.

The thought provoking message. I don't want to give anything away, but there is a definite message in Look Who's Back and it is something that one should definitely think about. It even has a certain correlation to the US Presidential Election of 2016... not that I'm directly insinuating anything of course... just observing.

The Ehh:

The middle. There were moments in the middle where the story did get a little boring. There were still enough nuggets of hilarity to make it worth it, but it doesn't compare to how good the beginning or end was.

The Ugh-ly:

Nothing. Look Who's Back is worth your time and attention.

Conclusion:

Look Who's Back is a funny and ingenious movie and is definitely worth your time. Just remember that this isn't a casual viewing since you will have to pay attention enough to actually read the subtitles.

What did you think of Look Who's Back? And what other historical figure do you think would make for a funny fish out of water story? Leave your comments below and don't forget to check out my YouTube channel (here) for weekly movie reviews. Remember to always keep it unpopped!

An AI-Written Short Film Is Surprisingly Hilarious

I honestly didn't think anything like this was possible, but Ars Technica has defied the impossible and has trained a computer to write a screenplay for a short film entitled Sunspring.

The way it accomplished the task was they had to first build an algorithm, which now calls itself Benjamin. They based it on text recognition and text prediction. Then they fed numerous sci-fi screenplays into the algorithm. After "learning" from the many different types of things that happen in a sci-fi movie, Benjamin was then given a few prompts to go on such as the title, a small scene, and an idea.

Then the impossible happens, Benjamin actually spits out a screenplay. The screenplay can be downloaded from Ars Technica's site (here).

Honestly what came out was exactly what one would expect from a text prediction algorithm. It is completely nonsensical and one of the worst things ever.

However, that isn't the most exciting part of this project because then a director and actors were hired to actually perform out the screenplay that was written by Benjamin. A lot of creative liberty had to be taken to make any sense of what was in the screenplay, but overall, the short film that was created is entirely based on what Benjamin created.

So without further adieu, I present to you the "Oscar caliber" short film adapted from the screenplay written by Benjamin the algorithm. Here is Sunspring.

That is the weirdest yet most interesting thing that I have ever seen, and I can't wait to see what else Benjamin can come up with.

I watched it a second time while reading the screenplay along with it, and it surprisingly made more sense that time. I'm still 100% confused, but the overarching story was a little more clear... if there is an overarching story. Anyways, so definitely give that a try as well.

So what do you think of Sunspring? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.

Central Intelligence (Video)

A little Hart teams up with a big Johnson to help protect America from a national threat. Do they have what it takes to uncover the conspiracy behind it all?