You're such a BOSON!

Reports are out. They have finally found the mysterious Higgs Boson, or the "God Particle" (apparently, derived from "Goddammed Particle").

What is this Boson? Below is an excerpt from http://physicsforme.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/higgs-boson-one-page-explanation/ , where several explanations for the Higgs Boson are posted. I found this one relatively simple, if you have a high school physics background...and actually remember it:

"The Need to Understand Mass

By Roger Cashmore Department of Physics, University of Oxford, UK.

What determines the size of objects that we see around us or indeed even the size of ourselves? The answer is the size of the molecules and in turn the atoms that compose these molecules. But what determines the size of the atoms themselves? Quantum theory and atomic physics provide an answer. The size of the atom is determined by the paths of the electrons orbiting the nucleus. The size of those orbits, however, is determined by the mass of the electron. Were the electron’s mass smaller, the orbits (and hence all atoms) would be smaller, and consequently everything we see would be smaller. So understanding the mass of the electron is essential to understanding the size and dimensions of everything around us.

The Legend of Korra

Airbender fans, the creators of Avatar: The last Airbender, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, have created a new series which will air on Nickelodeon on April 14. Watch the preview below!

Looks pretty good to me!


This series takes place in Republic City, about 100 years after Ang's defeat of Azula and the Fire Nation (see original series). Korra, a waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe, is the current Avatar. In the first season, she will take on a group of anti-benders called the Equalists. She must master airbending under the tutelage of Tenzin, the son of Katara, a water bender (original series), and Ang, the last Avatar. 


For those of you unfamiliar with Avatar: The last Airbender, the Avatar is the incarnation of a powerful being who brings peace and balance to the world through mastery over the four elements: Air, Water, Fire and Earth. 


I highly enjoyed the first series and recommend that you watch it before The Legend of Korra comes out. I have high hopes that this new series will be just as amazing as its predecessor. 


In other news, M.Night Shyamalan's, The Last Airbender: Cross Roads of Destiny, is supposed to come out sometime soon! Uh oh! Not everyone appreciated his film adaptation of the first half of The last Airbender series! Here is an idea of what it might look like:

Hmmm...interesting. Airbender fans, any thoughts?

Dark Shadows preview: Johnny Depp doing the Emo Do

Ladies and Gents, how we all love Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. Aren't we glad that they keep giving us more??!!

Check out this preview for Dark Shadows, coming out May 11. Looks very entertaining.

Mr. Depp is Barnabus (with yet another interesting hair-do!) and Eva Green plays his amorous enemy, as they duke it out during the age of Aquarius. I'm not sure if we get to see Eva's assets, as we did in the series Camelot, however, her standard "witch-y" Morgana voice is still going strong, though I'm kind of tired of it (yeah, yeah, you're "evil, like the fru-eets of the De-veel", we get it).

Sick Boy is in it, as is Miss Ghastly-Crumb-Tiny herself, Helena Bonham Carter.

I've added some clips from the original series! Enjoy!!!

Well Hello, John Carter!!!

Courtesy of Julie Bell and Boris Vallejo, 2009

I'm torn between sharing my John Carter experience and not sharing. It's only been a few days since its release, and, maybe I should give people time to watch it? Hmmm...Nah.

The story is related through John Carter's diary as it is read by his nephew, Edgar Rice Burroughs. Some time after after the American Civil War, John Carter gets transported to Mars, taken captive by a tall species of horned martians and tries to save the Princess of Mars from an arranged marriage to the enemy leader. Unfortunately, this will mess up the plans of an immortal group of pale bald Time Lord type guys, perhaps related to the pale bald guys from Fringe. They have been planning the fate of Mars (a.k.a Barsoom) since before mankind , sorry, Martian-kind existed and are not very happy with Mr. Carter's interference.


Did I enjoy this movie? Yeah, it was O.K.


I found certain parts a bit drawn out, especially the mushy, gooey parts (do people really like that stuff?). The 3D effects were fun when they were noticeable, mostly during flying machine scenes, but I expected far more from Disney. The nature of the story and where it takes place should have offered far more opportunities for 3D to really shine. The most the 3D gave me was a headache and a bit of nausea. 

There were some amusing parts, some comic relief to cut through some of the boring portions, though sometimes it felt a little forced. The sets were well done, parts of it filmed at Disney Studios. The beautiful landscape of Utah was used as the Martian Terrain, which was appropriately dusty, reddish-brownish. 

Mr. Carter, played by Taylor Kitsch, was in fine form. He did  look a bit ridiculous bouncing through the air like the Hulk, an ability stemming from Mar's lower gravity and Earth men's lighter bone density. He became much stronger as well, plowing through giant martians like a bowling ball. 

The Princess of Mars, Dejah Thoris, played by Lynn Collins was quite stunning and exotic. I am particularly happy that she was portrayed as a shapely woman, rather than a Hollywood Skinny. 

The costumes were interesting. It always intrigues me to see how costume designers interpret written descriptions of clothing and style and, also, where they take liberties. The "good side" had cool helmets with wings, which reminded me of the various Hollywood depictions of Hermes' head gear. It seemed, over all, that Martians dress like ancient Greek warriors, and do not like pants.

Frank E. Schoonover, 1917

Another thing that interests me is the story's very brief explanation of time travel. Copies of people travel from planet to planet using a special glowing medallion and a few magic words. The original body remains comatose, back home. More explanation would have been nice. And what exactly was the 9th ray?

Final words? Disney's John Carter wasn't bad. It wasn't great either. I, unfortunately, have not yet read A Princess of Mars, so I cannot comment on how well the film was adapted from the book, whether it remained true or it was altered Hollywood-style. 

I wouldn't be opposed to watching the next film in the series, if Disney decides to make one, however, I really hope that they do a better job of it.

Readers, I'm interested to hear comparisons between the book and the movie, and impressions of the movie in general. Please share!

The Hunger Games - Movie Trailer and Book Club invitation

Though it is Young Adult fiction, many adults have become big fans of The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. In fact, the series was recommended to me by a colleague that just celebrated her 50th.


 I have, so far, read the first two books of the trilogy, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. Collins has done a great job of illustrating the post-apocalyptic dystopian future where North American society has been reduced to the Capitol and it's 12 subservient and impoverished districts that each produce or mine a specific resource or commodity, such as diamonds or coal. Each year the Capitol holds a draw in each district, choosing one male child and one female child, to compete to the death in the Hunger Games. The winner, is rewarded with a life time of wealth. 


In her district, Katniss is chosen and makes her mark by winning the games and inadvertantly inciting a growing rebellion, represented by the Mockingay (hybrid bird) against the Capitol. 


Collin's, herself, has written and produced the movie version that will come out on March 23, 2012. Hopefully, it will avoid the mistakes that many film adaptations tend to make and stay true to the original story. Katniss is played by Jennifer Lawrence, who you will recognize as the young Mystique in Xmen: First Class. From the previews, she looks like a pretty accurate Katniss, though, I never imaged the protagonist as having permanent superpout.


I recommend the books first, then the movie, but the decision is yours!

Other fight-to-the-death/survival-games type films and stories come to mind: Death Race 2000, The Running Man, and Gamer. Help me complete the list by posting other related movies or books in the comments section below.


As for Mockingjay, it is waiting on my shelf. As soon as I get a chance I'll dive into it. In the meantime, I'm going to list it on the Book Club page to, hopefully, get a discussion going in the comments section below!!! 


Some discussion questions to start us off (assuming that you have read the first two books of the series):

1. How well do you feel the title of this book fits with the content?
2. District 13 is revealed in this book. How is it different from what you expected?
3. Do you believe that Katniss was exploited as the figurehead of the war?
4. How do you feel about Katniss' decision to end the war?
5. Who were the ultimate victims of the story?
6. What was the underlying message?
7. Your thoughts on the upcoming movie version of the Hunger Games?

Avengers Assemble - Canadian Release May 4, 2012

DOES NOT WORK WELL WITH OTHERS.

Well, that appears to be the case in the Avengers Assemble Trailer I just watched. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't mind watching the Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America bash each other to bits  and, even better, the Hulk squashing all of them at the same time with his big green foot.

Still, it looks like there will be some nice evil bashing scenes. I'm interesting in seeing more of that serrated, mechanical, flying, super wormy thing that looks like Shockwave's snakey/wormy form's younger and more practical little brother.

And Hawkeye seems useless. Guess we'll see.

Georges Méliès's 1902 Classic, 'A Trip to the Moon'

If you've watched Scorsese's "Hugo", then you have seen Ben Kinsley play Goerges Méliès, the "cinemagician" who discovered "Subsititution Stop trick", and created "The impossible Voyage" "A trip to the Moon", some of the most important early Science Fiction films in history. 


I have to admit, I know of these movies and I respect them for being some of the progenitors of my beloved SciFi and Fantasy films, their innovation and ingenuity, but I don't know much about them and their creator. And I'm a bit ashamed. So, for all of you who are in the same boat, let's cure ourselves of ignorance and learn a little bit about this man and his work. I've attached a clip below as well as somes links to other sites that provide information about Georges Méliès and his work. 


Question: What are your thoughts on early Science Fiction and Fantasy movies? 

Georges Méliès's 1902 Classic, 'A Trip to the Moon'

Georges Méliès

"A trip to the Moon" 1902 

"The Impossible Voyage" (1904)

"20, 000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1907)

"Les hallucinations du baron de Münchhausen" (1911)

Aliens vs Promethius

The new Ridley Scott movie, Prometheus, is coming out some time before summer. It is definitely not what I expected it to be.

Prometheus is a spaceship whose crew includes Michael Fassbender (YaY!) and Naoomi Rapace from the REAL Dragon Tatoo movies (double YaY!). They are investigating an alien society that may hold the key to human origins.

Though it takes place before the events of the Alien, there are only a few connections between Prometheus and the old movies. You will recognize the name Weyland (watch clip below). The Prometheus is owned by Weyland Industries, which merged with Yutani Corporation, and later employed Ellen Ripley, the star of the Alien movies.

I have to admit that I am quite relieved that the Aliens do not appear in this movie. They scare the crap out of me. Instead, we'll see something new, perhaps, a different kind of scary.

I'm curious to know what people think of the new movie from what they have heard and seen so far. Write me a comment below!

Watch the CEO of Weyland Industries in this viral video on you tube:

Watch Prometheus Trailers:

Can't Wait to be Brave!

I'm very excited to see Disney Pixar's "Brave" in 3D after seeing the preview in the theatres. It will be release in Canada and the U.S. on June 22, 2012.

At first, I thought that this was a movie about Boadicea, the legendary Queen of the Iceni of East Anglia. Instead, this is the story of Meridia, a rebellious Scottish archer princess who goes again the customs of her people. She is cursed by a witch and must race to undo the evil that now threatens her kingdom.

The animation seems good, comparable to "How to Train your Dragon", perhaps even better. So far I'm pretty impressed by her hair and the way she handles her bow!

Apparently, this is Pixar's first fairy tale, and Meridia, voiced by Scottish Actress Kelly McDonald, will be it's first female protagonist. Thank goodness we've been spared from Reese Witherspoon's fake Scottish accent, as she turned down the movie due to her busy schedule.

I'm eager to see another strong female heroine make her mark on screen! Watch the preview: