Friday Iguana

Om nom nom nom nom!  Happy Friday everyone!

(Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Dwayne's Wednesday Robot Romper Room

PimpBot 5000: PimpBot is the robot pimp on the old Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Conan described him, “as combining the classic sensibilities of a 1950's robot with the dynamic flair of a 1970's street pimp”. PimpBot once mixed it up with Jonathan Harris who played Dr. Zachary Smith on Lost in Space.  No word on its plans for world or galactic domination. 

(Image courtesy of YouTube)

Pacific Rim -- Movie Review

So, I saw Pacific Rim this week.  It is very tough to avoid spoilers in this day and age, but I avoided all trailers, previews, reviews, and almost had to give up Twitter and RSS until I could see the movie.

For those that know me, this should be a movie for me.  I LOVE giant monster movies.  I have been a Godzilla fan since I was a kid, and I have seen a large array of kaiju movies.  I even see the terrible ones.  Yes I have seen the non-Godzilla Rolland Emerich thing.  I have even seen Pulgasari -- the movie Kim Jong-Il had made by kidnapping a South Korean filmmaker.  I have seen Garuda a Thai kaiju movie. I could go on and on.

To make a good giant monster movie, you need to follow a few simple rules.

1. You need a reason for the monsters to exist and attack.
• Good - The original Godzilla existed because of atomic testing and attacked for the same reason.  
• Bad - The marine iguana-like thing that attacked New York apparently always existed and picked New York for some nebulous reason -- and it was born pregnant.
2. If giant things fight, a definite "Good vs Evil" must be established.
• Good - Godzilla and Jet Jaguar are clearly the good guys when they face off against the Seatopian controlled Megalon and Gigan.
• Bad - Two earth children are kidnapped by aliens, so of course Gamera gets involved.  Gamera totally cares about xeno-relations.
3. Fighting and destruction (particularly with CGI effects) should just be a minor part of the movie.
• Good - The family is the important part of this movie.  The monster is just a plot device.  It is about characters.
• Bad - Two words -- Michael Bay.

So, what does all of this have to do with Pacific Rim?  Well, it gets all of these right.  At no point was I like -- enough with the CGI fighting -- it is 2013 we're not impressed with it anymore.  It fit.  It worked.  You know what we are fighting and why.  You know what is happening.  Guillermo del Toro gets it.  He is a story teller.  He knows how to make a kaiju movie!

My only complaint is one of the complaints I had about Cloverfield.  The monsters are too complicated.  They are very Gamera/Ultraman like -- involved and weird.  They just didn't work for me.  It is my personal belief that kaiju should be simple.  When we are working with giant monsters, we need to be able to get our head around them.  It is difficult if they have so much going on.

This movie is what giant robots vs. giant monsters should be.  It was fantastic!  Now on to another US Godzilla movie -- cross your fingers!

Around the Campfire Comment of the Day

I haven't done one of these in a while, so I thought I would fix that oversite. As you may know, I run another blog called Around the Campfire. It has been around a while, so it regularly gets comment spam. Here is a comment that you simply cannot argue with

these intellects are great ui have bingo for that buddah

I definitely have bingo for that buddah!

Friday Iguana

The monster roars!  I saw Pacific Rim last night (perhaps a review to come...)  So, we have a mighty iguana today.  I hope you have an excellent Friday!

(Image courtesy of Fine Art America)

They are coming for your pets!

Who would want a live animal when you could have a robot instead?


That is, until that robot bird goes for your jugular during the night.

(Hat tip to Dave Barry)

Even gymnasts aren't safe.

Let's see Bart Connor do this!



Gymkata!

(Hat tip to Gizmodo)

Dwayne's Wednesday Robot Romper Room

W1K1 (aka W.I.K.I. or Wiki): Wiki is the pocket-sized robot that looks like a wind-up toy.  It appears in 1978-81's Jason of Star Command , which is a spin-off from Space Academy.   W1k1 assisted the members of Star Command in their fight against the evil Dragos and his sinister compatriots.  Fighting against galactic domination?  Seems implausible.

(Image courtesy of TV Acres)

T-800 prototype

If the model T-800 was a fully functional terminator, this is probably the T-2 model. (T-5 tops!)



Thanks DARPA! You've doomed us all!

(Hat tip to Gizmodo)

Friday Iguana

Here is a couple of sibling Grand Cayman Blue Iguanas. These two were hatched at the San Diego Zoo. It must be family reunion time! I hope you have a wonderful Friday!

(Image courtesy of Baby Animal Zoo)

Dwayne's Wednesday Robot Romper Room

Peepo: Ah, the future where a bunch of smart kids in the Wesley Crusher mode can go to Space Academy in 1977-79 television show Space Academy. The future may seem really cool to be a kid until you meet the annoying little robot Peepo. I would sure hope they could invent better a voice-box by the time the year 3732 comes around.

(Image courtesy of TV Acres)

There is a robot for everything!

Now, we have outsourced our nightmares to the robotics industry.


(Hat tip to Gizmodo)

WMAGNFARB: Immortal Potato

I think I saw Immortal Potato open for Bananarama back in the day.

Friday Iguana

For the old red, white, and blue, here is a blue iguana.  (The red iguanas are more orange, and there are no white iguanas)  I hope everyone had a fun and safe Independence Day!  Happy Friday everyone!

(Image courtesy of Endless Forms...)

Dwayne's Wednesday Robot Romper Room

Fembots: The Fembots from1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery are the sexy female robots used by Dr. Evil and Frau Farbissina to attempt to kill Austin Powers. However, his striptease causes the robots to literally lose their heads before they can employ their breast cannons.

(Image courtesy of the Austin Powers Wiki)

WMAGNFARB: In-Browser Orcas

Put your hands together for the In-Browser Orcas!