New Year’s Eve photo stolen from VisitPhilly

Well, it’s been a great year geeks.

Between the first annual Philadelphia Geek Awards with the Academy of Natural Sciences and the number of other events we threw over the year, like our Halloween bash at Tattooed Mom with Indyhall, Tim and I’s Show & Tell at PhilaMade, Lebowski Fest Philadelphia, the hilarious Broetry Slam at National Mechanics, judging a special Geek edition of ComedySportz, and more… Geekadelphia has had a pretty stellar year on and off the blog.

Tim and I welcomed on a number of new contributors, launched our Weekly Kickstarter column (thanks Rob) and relaunched our Geek of the Week feature, and come 2012, we’ll have a podcast thanks to Dan and Jo.

And of course, we owe all the blog’s success to you guys and gals that continue visit the site, retweet our tweets (especially our jabs at Technically Philly), and email us your suggestions and tips.

With the holidays upon us, Geekadelphia is shutting down now through the New Year, returning on January 2nd. Me and Tim are looking forward to another awesome year with all of you.

While we’re gone, be sure to visit Technically Philly, Philebrity, DrinkPhilly, and Keypulp for sweet events and local news. We’ll miss you, be good.

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year,

Eric, Tim, & the Geekadelphia Crew

Geekadelphia has been giving Philadelphia a place to find events, news, and learn about geeky people in the City of Brotherly love for nearly five years now. Well, starting in 2012 Geekadelphia will start bringing you a monthly podcast hosted by Jo Pincushion and Dan! The Podcast will feature all of the things you love about Geekadelphia, and various people in the Philadelphia area.

Listen to this quick quirky commercial, and tell your friends! The Podcast will premiere on the website on Jan 2nd 2012. You can listen while you procrastinate at work! If you want Geekadelphia to feature you on the podcast feel free to e-mail us at GeekadelphiaPodcast@gmail.com.

Here is the download link for the promo.

And the link to subscribe to the podcast via RSS.

You need 3 full episodes before you can submit to iTunes so when we hit that milestone I will be submitting the podcast to there as well. Get psyched, we sure are.

We tend to avoid politics here on Geekadelphia, but when a local talent creates something this awesome… well, we just can’t resist. Plus I think I recognize the dude playing the computer.

Produced by Ritz Reynolds (The Roots, Mac Miller) and shot/edited by Dan King at Stupid Easy, Firewall is Leah Kauffman’s tender ode to the Internet. A lot of you might know Leah from her work over at Phrequency, or perhaps from her viral Obama Girl videos. She wrote the music for that, you know. From Kauffman:

Senate and Congress are debating bills (Protect IP Act + Stop Online Piracy Act) that would allow federal law enforcement to seek court orders compelling ISPs and search engines to filter domain names and block websites merely accused of copyright infringement. This will force websites to censor their users. Our first amendment rights are at stake here. Visit americancensorship.org for more information.

The video is making the rounds across the Internet, popping up on CNET, Boing Boing, etc. Let’s see how popular this thing can get. You can scope out the video here and share it with your friends. Nice work Leah. And dude playing the computer… he’s awesome.

Today we talk to Tyler R. Westnedge, Film major turned Web/Interactive guy. He’s currently the Director of At Media, a full-service branding agency in Old City.

Tyler, you seem to be a pretty well-rounded creative guy. What advice do you have for anyone looking to make the move from something like theater or film to web design and development?

I went to Temple University for Film and Media Arts, and one of the most important parts of Film to me was composition. Composition plays a major role in design, layout and usability. The transition is not easy, since the web industry is rapidly changing with new trends and technologies. It takes constant attention and research to stay on top of web design and development.

A majority of my training came from lynda.com (a site with video tutorials on just about any program, software or programming language). I still use it on a monthly basis to expand my skill-set, but now I’m taking on more leadership and entrepreneurial responsibilities (project management, employee management, business development, etc.). My advice would be to do your research, take online classes and training to expand your abilities and put your knowledge to work with real projects.

So what kind of geek are you?

I’m a tech and gadget geek, and have always been. I have a deep appreciation for Apple products and pretty much anything digital. My admiration for Apple products stems from the fact that I appreciate the use of quality design in coordination with technology. Hence the At Media name standing for Art & Technology among other things. (more…)

The Western has made something of a comeback in recent years. You saw the Coen Brothers’ remake of True Grit, and you walked around for a week afterward slurring, “I aim to kill ya in less’n a minute.” (Well, I did, and I slept on the couch that week.) Recent entries in the genre have taken an edgier approach than did their classic counterparts: Jonah Hex mixed in the supernatural, and Cowboys and Aliens, well…it had cowboys. And aliens. And Doniel Craig with a laser gun! You get the idea.

While Westerns have had recent success as the box office, they remain a marginalized genre in print. Local author Don Corcoran aims to change that with his forthcoming novel A Road Paved in Iron: A Voodoo Western. The story revolves around an African-American Union soldier’s search for his missing mother in the Louisiana bayou, and the mysteries he uncovers as he seeks her out. Corcoran describes his first book as a “Western fantasy,” inspired by his interest in comparative religion and especially in Haitian Vodoun. Think traditional spaghetti Western meets Stephen King’s The Dark Tower Series, another of Don’s inspirations.

In Don’s own words:

Not only do I want to see my writing in someone else’s eager hands, I also want to bring back a genre that gets so little attention in the print media today – the Western. I want people to be inspired by my books to go back to the classics of Elmore Leonard, Zane Gray and Louis L’Amore. There is something enduring and endearing about the characters and landscapes of these writers that I have always wanted to capture. Add a heap of speculation and wonder to those classic authors and you’ve hit upon the types of stories I want to share.

Voodoo Western? Consider me interested. Don explains that he’s reaching out to fans of all stripes: Science-fiction geeks; steampunk aficionados; historians; gamers. Visit the site to see how you might give Don a hand. There’s a multitude of ways to help out, an equal number of rewards, and some special surprises in store if Don reaches his first milestone of $3000 by December 22nd.

So what do you get for donating? A virtual hierarchy of swag, ranging from a PDF copy of the book (for backers who contribute a mere $5) up to membership in a secret society and a handmade Voodoo doll of one of the book’s characters ($250+). Consider it an opportunity not only to support a local author but also to invest in your future as Philly’s version of Marie Laveau. Be sure to reach out to Don before the project deadline, January 15th, 2012.

To learn more about the project, start at the Kickstarter page for the project to read about Corcoran’s project and learn about the many ways you might support it. Be sure to check out the special ways you might celebrate a very Voodoo Christmas by helping Corcoran reach $3000 in funding by December 22nd.

You can also visit Don on his Blogspot and Facebook pages.

I caused the end of an established franchise, but I wasn’t that bad guys!

Alright, let me start this off by saying these aren’t the best games of 2011. In fact, they are far from it. When I think about the best games of the year, titles like Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Gears of War 3, Fallout: New Vegas, L.A. Noire, Dead Space 2, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, etc.

The games I’m about to ramble about? These are the best, tragically underplayed games. The titles you ignored because they got poor reviews or were released in the wake of large blockbuster titles (some in the midst of several). Games that had immediate price drops on Amazon and made you suspicious of their quality. Games that I actually enjoyed.

So read on, and feel free to hate. And if I missed a game you think should be included, leave it in the comments. I’m always looking for new games to play. Especially underrated ones.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Like I said in my review of this title back in September, Space Marine was the biggest gaming surprise of the Summer, end of story. And now that 2011 is coming to a close, I can say that it was the surprise of the year, at least for me. When THQ asked me if I wanted a review copy of this game, I scooped it up with intentions of just writing up a quick giveaway with some brief impressions (sorry guys!). I really didn’t think I’d end up playing it all the way through, as I assumed it was going to be… well, bad.

Man, was I surprised.

An intense third person shooter, Space Marine delivered a surprisingly engaging narrative (despite me not understanding much of the Warhammer lore), beautiful, albeit very dark and dreary landscapes, and voice acting that was shockingly decent. I poured a lot of time into the title, and tried to nab every achievement I could. The multiplayer was a little meh, but the single player campaign was engrossing enough to forgive that fact. And if you’re like me and seldom bother with multiplayer, it’s a moot point anyway. (more…)

You might recognize Michael Heneghan as director of the Geek Award winning animated film The Romantic. Well after the festivities were over at the Geek Awards there was some talk of me helping to produce his next full-length animated feature.

What you see below is small look at things to come. This short is part pitch and part Christmas card for the upcoming animated feature Burp’s Christmas.

The film will tell the story of the Burp family, a family in need of healing. Young Walter and Elijah lost their parents in an accident and are now living with their grandparents, Charles and Norma. The film will tell the story of their struggle to make ends meet, learning to laugh again and keep keeping the Christmas magic alive for another year.

Enjoy!

The Darkest Evening of the Year from Michael P. Heneghan on Vimeo.

As far as films go I really can’t say a lot for 2011. It was a year that will live in infamy as the year with the most sequels and films based on pre-existing properties than any other before it. And sadly, I really don’t see this as a trend that is going away any time soon.

So here is my top ten list for the year. It wasn’t easy, and not because there were so many great films, but because there were just so many damn mediocre ones. Meh.

10. Marvel Films: Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor: Marvel is on a winning streak few in film have ever seen. The films they continue to churn out are fun to watch, well made and are a credit to their genre. The only question is will their endgame in The Avengers live up to all their hard work to this point.

I would hate to be the one to break that winning streak, you know? Don’t let us down, Joss.

9. Super 8: Watching this film I felt like I was 10 years old again. J.J. Abrams somehow does Spielberg better than Spielberg has in a long time and shows us there still maybe hope for the summer blockbuster.

(more…)

As we all get ready for the big holiday, the Roundup also found time to put a few reviews in your stockings. This week I look at the first part of Avengers: X-Sanction, the first volume of Archaia’s new Storyteller series and the first issue of the New 52 debut of The Ray.

Avengers: X-Sanction #1 (of 4)
By Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness

When I first heard that Jeph Loeb would be bringing Cable, one of my favorite characters, back to the land of the living, I cringed inside. The man has been responsible for some awful comics over the last few years and I had no desire to read anything by him anytime soon. (more…)

Santa Claus. Jolly, a little on the heavy side, affinity for milk and cookies, you can hang out with him at Target or Macy’s this time of year? You know, that guy. Well, here’s the thing – he actually doesn’t live at the North Pole, he may have another job, and there are actually hundreds of ‘em. I know. Sorry about that. That doesn’t make the idea of Santa any less magical though, and this Kickstarter aims to prove it.

Friend of Geekdelphia, former Haddon Heights mayoral candidate, and accomplished filmmaker Tommy Avallone is at it again, putting together a project that pledges to follow around five of these Santas for an entire year, chronicling what the other 364 days are like in the life of the big man in the red suit. Tommy provides a little more detail:

I Am Santa Claus is a documentary that poses a question about a ubiquitous holiday figure that few parents ever ask themselves; “Whose lap is my child sitting on?”

We plan to document an entire year in the lives of a handful of real-bearded professional Santa Clauses to find out what the rest of the year is like for a man who perpetually looks like Jolly Saint Nick. In the process, showing them for who they actually are; flawed, flesh and blood men who feel an overbearing responsibility to protect the integrity of the spotless, untarnished reputation of the “Red Suit.”

So c’mon, you know you’re curious. I mean honestly… how does one man eat all those cookies and not just go into a food coma for the rest of the year? Here’s your chance to find out and help one of our area’s coolest dudes make another great flick in the process.

The Project: I Am Santa Claus, a Documentary

Creator: Tommy Avallone

The Sweet Spot: $5 gets you another holiday card to add to the pile, but the real good stuff starts at the $50 mark. That’ll get you the card, a special thanks on the site, the official soundtrack, and a DVD copy of the film. If you really feel like spreading that Christmas cheer you can get in at the producer level for $500+.

Funding Deadline: January 19th, 2012

More Info: Check out the website or Kickstarter project page for ongoing project updates, find Tommy on Facebook, and read up on one of his previous projects, Calendar Girl, right here on Geekadelphia.

Every Monday Geekadelphia features a Kickstarter created by locals. Check ‘em out and support our local geek scene. If you have a project that you’d like featured on site, contact geekadelphia@gmail.com

Even though Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is the fourth installment in the franchise, it may very well be the best film to come out of the series since it debuted back in 1996. Brad Bird, who is better known as a mainstay at PIXAR and the director of The Incredibles, gives us a refreshing and humorous sequel that really shows what a property such as this can be in the right hands.

I checked out the film in Philly’s own Tuttleman IMAX at The Franklin Institute.  Not only do I feel this is this the optimum experience for seeing the film, due to quite a few action set pieces shot in the IMAX format, but it is also the only theater in our area lucky enough to be screening The Dark Knight Rises Prologue… which is well worth the price of admission alone.

The film stars Tom Cruise once again as IMF agent Ethan Hunt, this time out to save the world from a nuclear holocaust after he is framed for blowing up the Kremlin. He does this with the help of Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton and the always-hilarious Simon Pegg. If the main baddie happens to look familiar to some of you, it’s probably because he is played by Michael Nyqvist, who also played Mikael Blomkvist in the Swedish film adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Simon Pegg steals the show and gives the film some severe geek cred while Tom Cruise is well… Tom Cruise.  Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol succeeds by being well aware of what it is, and not taking itself too seriously. The film is often times almost a parody of itself, which makes some of the insanity just a little easier to swallow at times. I really enjoyed this film much more than the last 2 films before it.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol gets a 3.75 our of 5 stars.

It’s over! Thanks for playing.

Last week, the Franklin Institute started showing Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol in their awesome IMAX theater and as a bonus, the trailer for the Dark Knight Rises trailer.

And at tonight’s screening, the first 200 people will get this awesome limited edition MI: Ghost Protocol print. You can catch the movie in IMAX tonight at 6:50pm, 9:25pm, and midnight.

The Franklin is the only theater for miles that’s showing this right now (next nearest is in Atlantic City), and they were kind enough to dish out a pair of tickets for us to giveaway here on the blog.

Want to score a pair of tickets? Just leave a comment about your favorite installment in the Mission Impossible franchise, and I’ll select one of you at random around noon. I’ll email you and you can let me know what time you can check out the flick.

Easy as that. Good luck!

Franklin Institute
222 North 20th Street 19103
(215) 448-1200
www.fi.edu