Top 5 Films of 2010

Since every movie geek creates a list of their favorite films of the year, I figured I would as well cuz I drink the Kool-Aid like that, ya dig, shortstack? I don’t know what it is that causes me to speak that way, but I think it may be because I was subjected to viewings of Grease as a child. So here it is, MegaWoman’s top five films of 2010! This will be short, sweet, and succinct for two reasons. One – I’m no film critic – I like what I like and sometimes can’t always intelligently articulate it. And two – I’m a lazy bastard.

5. Greenberg
Written and directed by the writer/director of The Squid and the Whale, Noah Baumbauch, Greenberg is an amazing character-driven film about a jerk of a main character (played by Ben Stiller) going through the crisis of adulthood. Greta Gerwig’s fucking brilliant as Florence as well – I’m hoping we’ll see a lot more of her in the future.

4. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
There is nothing about this movie that hasn’t been said on every blog ever, so we’ll just do this – director Edgar Wright’s fucking brilliant, best cast ever, hilarious, captured the tone of the comics really well, hilarious, amazing soundtrack, nerdgasm, BREAD MAKES YOU FAT?!

3. Kick-Ass
I actually saw the Kick-Ass film before I read the Mark Millar comic. I’m not sure if I’m committing geek community blasphemy by saying this, but… the film was loads better. Colorful, violent, and darkly humorous, Kick-Ass is a film I’ve watched an embarrassing amount of times and still haven’t tired of. Hit Girl is one of the coolest female characters to come out of cinema for a while and for that – thanks, Kick-Ass! I’m tired of seeing little female whinyass bitches in movies. But that’s a rant for another day.

2. Never Let Me Go
Every once in a while one of those films comes along that just doesn’t leave your head. It’s happened to me a few times before, namely with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Into the Wild, both of which have had an extraordinary impact on my life. Never Let Me Go, based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, is one of those movies. A very beautifully subtle sci-fi carried by three brilliant leads – Andrew Garfield, Carey Mulligan, and Keira Knightley – this is a film that grabs you by the heart and never lets you go. SEE WHAT I DID THERE?!

1. The Social Network
There was no contest when making this list – The Social Network went straight to the top. A strong cast, a renowned director, and one of my favorite screenwriters all get together to make a movie with witty back-and-forth repartee, a soundtrack that has oft been described as ‘haunting’, and an engaging story about the creation of a website I’ve been using since I graduated high school? SIGN ME UP. The Social Network is one of the most brilliantly crafted movies I have seen in a long while for all the reasons I listed above. Writer Aaron Sorkin, also writer of television programs The West Wing and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, has, as a result of this film, become a personal hero of mine. So much so that if he doesn’t win an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay this year, I will cut a bitch. And not with those pussy elementary school Fiskar scissors either, I’m talking professional Iron Chef kitchen knife.

This awards season, I’m Team The Social Network. All the way like a double rainbow, baby.

Shit I’m Excited for 11/8/10

And so, it arrives. Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray tomorrow and I’m nearly pissing my pants in excitement. Scott Pilgrim is a series very close to my heart because it’s the title that first got me heavy into comics. August 2004. I remember it well. The tone and humor of the books is spot-on, thanks to Bryan Lee O’Malley’s excellent, hilarious writing and his uncanny ability to draw the best facial expressions EVER. The film was helmed by my favorite director, Edgar Wright (of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz fame) and stars comedy god Michael Cera. Every frame of the movie looks like it was taken straight out of a comic book. Mary Elizabeth Winstead (who plays romantic interest Ramona Flowers in the film) is smokin’ hot. So really, what’s not to like? Buy it. It’s going to be packed with hours of special goodies. Including stuff like the video below! Check it.

I just wrote an entry about this show, so I won’t go into it much, but I love it so goddamn much that I’m mentioning it again. The second season of Misfits premieres this week, November 11th in the UK. The best program ever created, hands down. A must watch for any sci-fi or superhero fans. Black comedy, superpowers, friggin’ amazing dialogue, Robert Sheehan – the foxiest man on the planet… there’s nothing not to love. SECOND SEASON PREMIERE ONLY A FEW DAYS AWAY. Check out a clip below. Beware: light spoilers.

IT’S GONNA BE A GOOD WEEK, Y’ALL.

33ish Ideas for Simple Geeky Costumes

Unlike The Menace, I’m a lazy geek with minimal sewing abilities. Rather than attempt and fail to construct detailled and elaborate costumes, I stick to costumes that work with what I have in my closet and require the purchase of three accessories max.

Here are some simple, quick, yet geeky costumes that you can put together in time for Halloween (which is only three days away!). These are the ones I thought up yesterday; any other ideas?

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Guys:

Wolverine: Wife beater. Jeans. Dogtags. Leather jacket. Prop claws. Cigar, Sideburns. Five bucks for plastic claws, three for fake sideburns  and scruff (free if you’ve got the hairy genes to grow it yourself).

Superboy: Black T-shirt with red Superman S (can be made out of red tape). Jeans. Sunglasses optional.

Bruce Wayne: Suit. Shirt unbuttoned to reveal Batman symbol underneath?

The Penguin: Tuxedo. Umbrella. Top Hat. Pointy nose. Cigarette in holder. Monocle.

Warren Worthington III: Blonde hair. Jeans. Large angel wings.

Silver Surfer: Silver speedo. Silver bodypaint. Silver swim cap to make yourself look bald. Silver surfboard (can just be carboard cut into the shape and spray painted). Contacts if you want the full effect.

Dr. Manhattan: Blue bodypaint. Blue swim cap to make yourself look bald. Draw in a circle with a dot in the centre of your forehead. Contacts and dark eye makeup. Black biker shorts or speedo or man thong or…you know.

Angel: Dark clothing. Leather jacket. Hair gel. Broody attitude. Maybe vampire fangs.

Waldo: Red and white striped shirt and beanie. Reans. Round glasses. It’s so much better if you surround yourself with people dressed similarly but slightly differently so that it’s like you’re actually hidden in a Where’s Waldo book.

Chuck: White short sleeved shirt. Skinny grey tie. Pens in pocket. Nerd Herd nametag. Bonus points if you have a hot blonde girlfriend in a orange tank top or leather.

Shaun of the Dead: Red tie. White shirt. Red pen in pocket. Nametag. Bloody cricket bat. Bouquet of yellow flowers. Zombie best friend a plus.

The Hulk: Purple shorts. Green body paint. Dark hair.

Severus Snape: Long black robe. Wand. Greasy hair. Big nose and Slytherin colours optional.

Captain Hammer: Hammer T-shirt. Cargo pants tucked into combat boots. Welder’s gloves.

Hiro Nakamura: All black clothing. Draw on a soul patch. Samurai sword.

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Girls:

Baroness: Skin tight, all black clothes. Awesome boots, Glasses. Red Cobra symbol on your chest, (can be made using red tape). Maybe a prop machine gun and ammo belt. Wig if necessary.

Catwoman: Skin tight, all black clothes. Cat ears. Broad gold belt at hip level (can be made out of spray painted cardboard?) and gold coin necklace. Mask. Wig if necessary. Or, alternatively, just boots and a whip.

Ramona Flowers: Cute, punk clothes. Several belts. Colourful wig. Rollerblades or cool boots. Those goggles might be a little hard to find, but you could do without them and still be recognisable. Circle purse with a star. Giant hammer is a plus.

Emma Frost: Blonde hair. White lingerie/bathing suit/corset. White boots. White cape.

She Hulk: Suit. Purple undershirt for a hint of who she is. Green body paint. Wig if necessary. Nametag and briefcase optional. (As a law student, it’s my go-to back-up costume)

Smurfette: White dress. Blue bodypaint, Blonde wig if necessary.

Black Canary: Black bathing suit. Leather jacket. Fishnets. Combat boots. Blonde wig if necessary. Motorbike optional.

Poison Ivy: Green body paint. Red wig if necessary. Leaves glued to a bikini.

Starbuck: Backwards black racerback tank top. Khakis. Combat boots. Hexagonal dogtags. Cigar. Short blonde hair. Tattoo on left arm.

Barbara Gordon/Oracle: Red hair. Wheelchair. Glasses. Laptop and escrima sticks optional.

Leia: Extra large white turtleneck. Long white skirt. Belt. Hair in distinctive buns.

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Pairs:

The Doctor and Companion: so many options here, including but not limited to:

• 9: Leather jacket, Jeans. Dark shirt. Big nose and ears.
• 10: Blue or brown pinstriped suit. Slight sideburns. Converse. Trenchcoat optional.
• 11: Bowtie. Suspenders. Fez. Dress shirt and sweater(vest).
• Rose: Pink or purple. Dirty blonde hair.
• Martha: Red leather jacket. Jeans.

Mulder and Scully: Suits that look like they’re from the 80’s. Trenchcoats. Red hair for Scully.  You can print out prop X-Files FBI badges.

Lois Lane and Clark Kent: Lois = suit and Daily Planet press pass (can be printed from the internet).

Clark = Option 1: Flannel. Jeans. Glasses. Shirt unbuttoned to reveal Superman Symbol underneath. Option 2: Business Casual. Tie. Glasses. Daily Planet press pass. Shirt unbuttoned to reveal Superman Symbol underneath.

Tony Stark and Pepper Potts: Pepper = suit. Crazy high heels.

Tony= Option 1: Wife beater. Jeans,. Goatee. Glow-y arc reactor hanging around his neck and under the wife beater. (I’ve arc reactor necklaces for sale in Halloween stores so I know it’s available; or you could use two glow sticks and electrical tape to achieve the same effect.) Option 2: Suit with arc reactor glow showing through.

Cloak and Dagger: Black guy with a goatee in a black cloak. White girl in skin tight white clothes with relevant sections cut out. Blonde wig if necessary.

Jay and Kay: Suits. Sunglasses. One black guy, one white guy.

Pumpkin Pi: Orange shirt with pumpkin face (can be made using black electrical tape). Pi shirt.