Geek Rewatch: The Monster Squad

I hate nostalgia.  I really do.  Glorifying stuff from the past simply because it was a beloved thing of the past?  Not for me.  I’d much rather judge something based off its actual quality, not some warm feeling I had when I was ten.  Besides, revisiting a lot of those older things shows many of them weren’t that good to begin with.

So, with that in mind, I decided to check out The Monster Squad just before it left Netflix.  I’d seen it once from start to finish as a kid, remembered more or less liking it, and was wondering how good it actually was.  Anyway, thoughts after the cut.

Tom Recommends: The Universal Horror Classics

Horror movies are probably about as old as the movie industry itself.  Thomas Edison made one, an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein.  That movie no longer exists aside from a few frames, but that was hardly the last time something creepy, evil, and murderous would show up on the silver screen to threaten others.

Universal Studios perhaps invented much of the modern horror genre.  Producer Carl Laemmle Jr., son of the studio’s owner, oversaw much of them, and even if the movies may seem stale or silly by today’s horror standards, these films created the classic look of many monsters that every incarnation since is held up to as well as making household names for many of the actors who played said monsters.

Jimmy Attempts To Read All Of Secret Wars XXVII: Mrs. Deadpool Edition

I’ve never read much Deadpool.  I’ve got nothing against the character voted in high school as most likely to be twice played by Ryan Reynolds.  He’s just never really been something I’ve gone out of my way to spend my money on.

I’ve read some stories here and there like the old school X-Force days and any crossovers like the recent Original Sin and Avengers/X-Men: Axis .  Those last crossovers gave me some idea about what was going on with him marrying Shiklah and such.  (Looking back at it now, I actually read Deadpool #29– 34 and  #36-39.  Thanks event tie-ins!)

And speaking of event tie-ins (not the greatest segue, I’m no Watson…thank Doom…), Deadpool’s wife is center stage in this Secret Wars book.  Deadpool does play a role, but since he is killed on the first page, that role is mostly as the ghostly narrator.

After the cut I’ll take a spoiler-y look at the surprisingly good Mrs. Deadpool And The Howling Commandos #1, Mrs. Deadpool And The Howling Commandos #2, Mrs. Deadpool And The Howling Commandos #3 and Mrs. Deadpool And The Howling Commandos #4.

Related links:
Secret Wars Power Rankings
Tom’s Road To Secret Wars: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7.
Other parts of this series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26

Christopher Lee Infographic

Christopher Lee, 1922-2015

Yesterday, I posted an obituary for Sir Christopher Lee, who died this past Sunday.  I mentioned a few of his accomplishments, but it was a bit of a rush job.  I mean, I do Discworld reviews and forgot he voiced Death a couple times in various animated adaptations of said work.

Then I found this infographic giving a more complete list of his accomplishments, and for some reason, infographics are all the rage here at Gabbing Geek.  See it after the cut.

Non-Geek TV From The Geek Perspective: Hannibal

There’s a lot of TV out there, and some of it is underappreciated by mass audiences and freakin’ awesome.

This week’s column covers Hannibal.

Podcast Reaction: The Dead Pool Edition

Not this Deadpool.

This week on the podcast, we saw Watson’s morals crumble under the weight of peer pressure.  While I am flattered that an article of mine would attract some attention, I was writing about various Geek Icons, all over 60 years of age, who may or may not be around much longer.  Seeing as how the conversation turned to who might die next and how much money might be down on that, I was a wee bit dismayed.  And I will not be putting a bet down on Betty White.  No.  I won’t be.  The age thing is why Carrie Fisher was left off, by the by.

But good for Watson for holding out for a little over a minute.

Now I’m going to agree with one of his other points.

The Problems With Marvel’s Civil War

Those guys in the back probably want to back away from this right now.

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were fairly excited to learn the third Captain America movie would be an adaptation of Civil War, a mini-series where the various Marvel heroes lined up on two sides over a law that required superheroes to register with the American government or go to prison.  The series dealt with issues regarding national security and the American reaction to terrorist attacks on our soil.

It also had some huge problems that almost guarantee the movie version will be better, if only by default.