Too many twitters drown out Rudd website

So many people were signing up to follow the Prime Minister’s Twitter updates last night that his new page on the social networking site crashed.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
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Geek Actually Episode 14 – Not Funny Rob

Geek ActuallyHosts: David McVay and Jacob Oberman with guest Nicholas McVay (The Little Geek)

David and Jacob talk tech, including Google’s G1 phone’s problems, YouTube and MGM join forces, iPhone beats Motorola’s Razr and key cutting from a distance. We also discuss the new company Digital Life Ware which offers software on demand.

David and Jacob review the new Rob Schneider film, Big Stan. Rob has made his directorial debut and you should be afraid, be very afraid! Jacob has seen Rock N Rolla, the verdict is in, it is good!

Little Geek tells us about finishing Lego Batman the Videogame and how he has discovered retro TV, yes, Nicholas watched black and white TV, and he enjoyed it!

Due to illness, Mirren Lee couldn’t join us today.

Due to the conversational and candid approach we take to the show, the episode carries an explicit tag for infrequent bad language.

Listen or download it here or subscribe to it on iTunes

(This post edited 24th May, 2009)


Wonder Woman Fraud

What looked like a Battle of the Megans (Megan Fox vs Megan Gale) turned out to be a fan started fraud that was convincing enough to start internet speculation.

Let’s start at the beginning. Wonder Woman, the iconic DC superhero, is a troubled property. They have been trying to bring her to the big screen for sometime now. Joel Silver, the super producer behind such hits as Die Hard, The Matrix, Lethal Weapon and V for Vendetta had the rights and really wanted to bring her to the screen. Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly) had been attached to write and direct that film, but alas, it all ended up falling apart.

Recently, George Miller (Mad Max series, Witches of Eastwick, Happy Feet) had been signed to direct “Justice League Mortal” and had even hired actress/model Megan Gale to star as Wonder Woman. She was finally going to get her big screen appearance. But then again, studios are a fickle bunch of bastards and the plug has been pulled on that production too.

That brings us to now.

Fan hysteria broke our when a new site launched that looked very much like a real teaser site, complete with company logos and everything, for a new Wonder Woman film starring Megan Fox (Transformers, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People). Megan Fox was recently rated one of the sexiest people alive, so you can imagine the fanboys suddenly finding out that she might be dressed as Wonder Woman (a big geek fantasy but not as big as Princess Leia in the gold bikini, you know what I’m talking about!) Warner Bros. has denied all the reports and says it is a fake. You can visit the site here. It was a very convincing mock up, but wasn’t Megan Gale signed to play Wonder Woman? 

Megan Gale’s publicist said her Justice League contract with Warner Bros prevented her from speaking on the controversy. She said. “Megan has an agreement with Warner Bros that she cannot comment on details of film projects that she’s been linked with and she has to respect that request.”

Australian director George Miller has always said that Megan Gale was his first choice for the role because, in his words, “She got the job because she blitzed her screen test. I had no idea she was so good. She was brilliant. Once she read we all looked around at each other and said, ‘Well, there’s no question.’ ”

It will be interesting to see if the Amazon Princess will ever make it to the big screen because Warner Bros. has decided that all the DC heroes have to be dark, moody and realistic because of the success of “The Dark Knight”. The only problem with this theory is, to make Wonder Woman ‘dark, moody and realistic’, you would have to pretty much re-invent this fairly high camp concept hero and wouldn’t that pretty much change what we all love about Wonder Woman. I mean do we really think we can make a dark and serious Wonder Woman and still have her running around in that costume? If you change the costume, she just isn’t the same, in my opinion.

Other than cartoons, the last time Wonder Woman graced our screens (TV screens that is) was in the 70s when Lynda Carter put on the bracelets.

Clash of the Titans Starts Casting

Well, this remake just keeps rolling along. First we got the news that Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill, Silverado, Raiders of the Lost Ark) had been hired to write it. Then Louis Leterrier (The Transporter 1 & 2, The Incredible Hulk) got hired to direct it. Now we find out that casting has begun on the mega budget, Warner Bros. remake of Clash of the Titans. The remake that I was most horrified about is actually starting to look like a film I might be looking forward to.

For those who haven’t seen the 1981 original, the story is about Zues’ son Perseus and his quest to get Medusa’s head so he can save Andromeda from the Krakken (I’m not making this stuff up!). The original is one of those films that is so awful that you just can’t help loving it and it has the esteem of being on my list of worst films, “The Gloriously Wonderful Bad List“.

Sam Worthington (Rogue) who is soon to be seen in the next terminator film, “Terminator Salvation” and James Cameron’s mega budget sci-fi epic, “Avatar”, is in talks to play Perseus.

The interesting footnote to this is that Warner Bros. was obviously so blown away by the success of their production, “300” that they are not only bringing this sword and sandals epic back, they are also producing “War of the Gods” directed by Tarsem Singh. This is another big, Greek mythology based epic and is being produced by the producers of “300”. Apparently Henry Cavill is in negotiations to star.

Warner Bros. is banking that the people still want to see a lot of mythology.

Is This Just Rambo 5 By Another Name?

Variety has announced that Sylvester Stallone is going to star and direct a new film for Nu Image/Millennium Films called “The Expendables”. The story (written by Stallone) is about a group of mercenaries who go on a mission to overthrow a South American dictator.

Now, Stallone has mentioned before that he wants to do another Rambo film and he has also mentioned that it would take place in South America. Is this the working title of Rambo 5?

“The Expendables” co-stars Jason Statham and possibly Jet Li (he is still negotiating) in a bid to grab younger audiences who probably wonder who the hell the old dude with a speech impediment is :-)

Filming for this film is supposed to start in February. More news as it comes to hand.

Geek Actually Episode 13 – And The Winner Is …

Geek ActuallyDavid McVay, Mirren Lee and Jacob Oberman are proud that Barack Obama won the Presidential Election, 2008!!!! We discuss the election, the aftermath and the technology used in this history making election. Is Coca Cola good for you? That’s what an Australian ad is claiming! Also, new Facebook and Obama viruses hit cyberspace.

David reviews Guy Ritchie’s new film “Rock n rolla” and Mirren and David try and review “Death Race” without laughing.

This is a jammed packed show, but as usual we try and have a little fun along the way.

Due to the conversational and candid approach we take to the show, the episode carries an explicit tag for infrequent bad language.

Listen or download it here or subscribe to it on iTunes

(This post edited 24th May, 2009)