The One True Geekology

At the time of writing, the website massshootingtracker.org has the number of mass shootings in the US currently at 377, with the number killed sitting at 542 for this year alone. The fact that such a website even exists is startling, but the numbers make for some truly horrifying reading.

I'll start off this review by saying one thing; I love sci-fi. I'm not the type of guy to do cosplay, buy action figures, or obsess over the intricacies of the power struggle between the Sith and the Jedi, but if you tell me about a movie, set in space, featuring aliens, or just some other really weird spacey stuff, then I'm all over it. So when the trailer for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets hit, I was instantly sold on it. The story appeared as far out there as you could possibly go, it looked colourful, ridiculous, and a hell of a lot of fun. So it was with some delight that last night I finally got the chance to watch this and it saddens me to report that this film was just awful. I mean, just truly awful.

If you ask many people what their favourite animated series is, some will say South Park, others will say Family Guy, but for most who grew up in the 90s, the answer will undoubtedly be The Simpsons. A concept that first debuted as animated shorts on The Tracy Ullman Show in 1987, The Simpsons has become the most recognisable television family in history, as well as one of the longest running TV shows ever. You don't get to that point by being mediocre, though; you get there by being innovative and truly remarkable in every way, and that's absolutely what The Simpsons was; I place emphasis on the was.

The recent sexual harassment scandals that have plagued Hollywood have come not so much as a shock, but as a disappointment to many. It all began with the revelations about Harvey Weinstein, as a growing list of women came forward to tell their stories of the abuses they had suffered at his hands. Then came Star Trek: Discovery actor, Anthony Rapp, who revealed that Kevin Spacey had sexually harassed him when he was 14 years-old at a party. Spacey released a bizarre apology that ultimately ended up doing more harm than good to the actor's already shattered reputation, which sought to distract attention away from the story of his victim, and made it about his own sexuality. Now most recently come the stories about Director Brett Ratner, accused by a string of women of varying degrees of sexual harassment. Ratner denies the allegations outright, but all these people have one thing in common: their sexually predatory nature was joked about in different forms many years before the revelations have become public.

A couple of days ago, Henry Cavill, who you may know is the DC Extended Universe's Superman, agreed with a large block of fans that the DCEU has ultimately become a disappointment. In 2013, DC began its attempt to catch up to the monumental success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe when they released Man of Steel. Now to be clear from the beginning, I'm a fan of both Marvel and DC Comics. Both franchises have so much to offer geeks the world over, and I was initially excited to see DC kick start its own film universe. However, Man of Steel failed to ignite true excitement among DC fans for a movie universe, and while the film in and of itself was enjoyable, it was to be the beginning of a struggling project that would, in my view, ultimately fail.

When the trailer first hit for the third in the Thor trilogy, the internet was set alight with excitement and anticipation. Taking potential cues from Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor's moved into a more light-hearted and cosmic setting for what will likely be his final solo outing.