Pop quiz time: Name the two things the following movies have in common: “Terms of Endearment, “Steel Magnolias” “Sex and the City: The Movie” and “Beaches.”
Red goes best with butt-kicking.
Answer:
- They are all on the “Top 10” or “Top 20” lists from several movie sites of the best Chick Flicks of all time, and
- I couldn’t sit through any of these if you had me tied up Droog-style in a straight jacket.
You know the drill, geek moms, we try and try to fit in and get with the program. We give these saccharine romances and strong-yet-sensitive “himbos” a go, but halfway through the weepy, sappy, whiney, everyone’s dying and hugging, and way, way, waaaaay-too-beautiful women to be having man trouble movies we think “Gerard Butler looked so much better lopping heads off Persians in red skivvies…. lose the polo and Dockers, dude and yell ‘SPARTAAAA!’”
There is a truth we geek moms must face: we have our own definition of “chick flick” and it isn’t heavy on the “chick.” We know what we want — and it all comes from comic books. Yes we are women, and we have our emotional, romantic, motherly cinematic needs, but make no mistake, we get them met through different means, often with body armor, super heroes, alien invasions, capes, death rays and a bat signal.
Therefore, through completely scientific and hormonal means, here are all the elements “experienced” movie critics say make a great “chick flick” easily found in Comic Book/Sci-Fi properties.
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Ah crap, Valentine’s Day is coming up.
Chocolate Han in Carbonite…because, really, who doesn’t need one?
Some of these ideas (the ones that fall into the PG and below category, of course) are great for the fangirl or boy in your life, and could even be a family effort that Dad and the kids can work on together, helping to rack up some extra brownie points for everyone!
Here are some thoughts to get you going:
Star Wars:
Star Wars is perfect for every day in general, so it’s an obvious choice on Valentine’s Day!
Number one pick: the chocolate Han Solo in carbonite. It’s a Think Geek exclusive, but you can also purchase some ice molds of the same image that work well as chocolate molds (another fun handmade project, hint, hint) from various sources (Sears even had ‘em online for under $10).
These should, and I stress should for optimum impact, include a pair of handcrafted “I love you” (for her) and “I know” (for him) aluminum rings. They’re around $25 for the pair, or you could opt for cuff bracelet versions of the same.
Han and Leia his/her rings
Do I even need to mention the “cosplay” possibilities, here? I will give one piece of advice, be creative and avoid the Slave Girl outfit… (unless you get your hands on that Wampa-skin rug) There are lots of ways to get the scoundrel on without having to worry too much about keeping a metal bra in place.
For the Bat-Fan:
Get a simple Batman-logo pendant necklace. You can get these anywhere, ranging in price from pocket change to high end. Give it with a yellow and dark purple bouquet of roses or other Dark Knight-colored blooms, and you’re golden.
It also wouldn’t hurt to get a heart-shaped cookie cutter and draw some bat logo them as well, as a way to send a deliberately corny “Bat Signal” of love someone’s way.
As for cosplay, if you want to steer clear of the clichéd Catwoman-Batman on again/off again (although I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t), go with Bruce’s Baby Mama, Talia al Ghul. Careful, a possibly evil love-child future Robin might result from this liaison.
Dexter:
Dexter Sugar Slides…to die for…
Deep down inside the blood baths (literally) and profane, potty-mouthed mess of Miami culture that is Dexter, there is something incredibly romantic about the idea of a serial killer who only kills bad guys, struggling with his own humanity as a single parent.
Check out the recipe for Dexter’s “biohazard” blood slides candies at forkables.com that can be given in a paper slide box you can get in the science fair area at any craft or educational items store. Not expensive (how expensive is sugar, water, corn syrup and food coloring?), but also comes with a learning curve! This one is for the patient, but if you can do it right, they are incredibly authentic-looking.
This is also a great gift for guys, if you accompany it with a nice-fitting Hurley-style thermal “kill shirt,” often found, appropriately enough, in “hunting” sections of sporting good stores. You don’t have to spend the bucks on an official version of this shirt; they are everywhere.
Game of Thrones:
This graphic and exciting fantasy book and television series also has a soft side, and what queen in the making would want to be bestowed the gift of dragons’ eggs?
If you don’t want to spring for the brass-and-silver Dragon’s Egg necklace — a little pricey at around $70 from the HBO shop — there’s a cheaper, but just as cool-looking paperweight.
Another idea is to pick up a “Game of Thrones” themed pint glass or stein, and fill it with chocolate eggs. You can also make your own with recipes found anywhere from Martha Stewart to Better Homes and Garden…then dragon them up. It shows you were thinking creatively (or a least you heeded well from someone who thought creatively for you).
Lord of the Rings:
Of course, you can always tone it down a bit by opting for the “Lord of the Rings” themed gift. (There are dwarves, sword battles, dragons and Sean Bean in that series as well, only without the yak-inducing brother-sister action and tongue-ripping-out).
Evenstar pendants from Noble Collection, Warner Brothers shop, Amazon and other sites start at around $40, and are beautiful. But, technically, shouldn’t we be giving it to him to wear if we want to stay true to the story?
As far as any private Renaissance Faire for two, all a fangirl has to do is emerge Daenerys Targayen-style from a steamy bathroom with a stuffed dragon on her shoulder (for those brave enough) and she could have her man cleaning the house, doing dishes and detailing the car for months.
Big Bang Theory:
One of the biggest sellers on many geek-friendly sites was the singing “Soft Kitty” plush toy that can found for anywhere from $29 to $35. It’s actually cheaper if you don’t get it from the official CBS store. Yes, it includes Penny’s poorly pitched voice, but much less annoying than the “teddy-bear-holding-a-heart” V-Day gift fallback.
The perfect guardian for your House Flag.
If you want to class it up, give it with a costume “Tiiii-aaarrr-aaa” and make your fangirl or boy feel like a royal for a day.
Want to bring it over the top, try your hand at a preserved snowflake. Here’s where the family can really have fun together, since this is a super cool (no pun intended) project. Do this for any Big Bang fan and they will, unlike the snowflake, melt. Even if it is too late for this year, you can plan ahead for next year’s first snow,
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This March, WonderCon, one of the worlds most iconic conventions, will be moving location after their most successful year to date! The convention hosted 49,000 attendees during it’s 25th anniversary back in 2011 at the Moscone Center South in San Fransisco. Luckily, for those of us who live in the Southern California area, the convention will be moved to the the Anaheim Convention Center located just across the way from Disneyland! With an exhibit hall filled with some of the greatest vendors, cosplayers, and comic fanatics around there will be plenty to do at Wondercon this March 16th through the 18th. (more…)
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It’s officially the day that the most anticipated trailer of the year will drop.
In it’s first appearance preceding Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, The Dark Knight Rises has most likely made movie goers forget what they paid half of their paycheck to go see in the first place. Who wants to watch Robert Downey Jr. charismatically bumble his way through a mystery now? We want Batman!
Was there ever a person who asked where the story would continue on now that Heath Ledger had passed and his villain Joker could never be topped? I think those voices might be silenced for a bit. The “epic conclusion” is nothing short and does not disappoint. From it’s ominous opening to Bane’s decimation of the football field, The Dark Knight Rises looks like it can give us the grand finale this trilogy has been waiting for. Christian Bale is seen mostly as Bruce rather than our caped crusader, and Anne Hathaway looks absolutely brilliant as a more realistic Selina Kyle, though no glimpses of her Catwoman suit as of yet – most likely due to the fact that we’ve seen so much of them over the last few months. Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Joseph Gordon-Levitt get just mere seconds of screen time, but manages to leave us salivating for more.
The Dark Knight Rises will hit theaters on July 20, 2012. Watch the embedded trailer quick before it’s taken down!
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It’s Christmas Eve, and you’ve put together that final mini-build from the Star Wars Lego advent calendar. Now it’s time to settle in and bring the minions down to a dull roar with a little holiday story, complete with hot cocoa by a crackling fireplace.
My recommendation for geek moms with kids hovering around age 9 and older is Lee Bermejo’s nest graphic novel, “Batman: Noel.” Bermejo (“The Joker”) is one of the trade’s finest illustrators and he’s woven and excellent story to boot, with the Dark Knight’s own take on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” It’s Christmastime in Gotham City. Time to break out the cocoa and Bactine.
I know, I know. You’re thinking that story has been done to death… brought back to life and done to death again. I can’t argue there. However, this take on it is so fresh and so Fanboy/girl friendly, you will feel like you are reading the plot line for the first time. And some of your younger Padawans may be!
The story places Batman himself in the Ebenezer Scrooge role as the wealthy loner, so obsessed with his personal demons he not only has robbed himself of any worthwhile personal contact, he has forgotten that those around him also possess a soul. The Bob Cratchit character is a small-time criminal, struggling as an impoverished single father of an upbeat but young son with a bum leg. The remainder of the classic “Christmas Carol” roles are seen via giveaway the “Past, present and future” ghost cameos, but I’ll give you one spoiler hint: Batman only has one “late” partner suitable to don this tale’s yuletide tights.
This story worked for me and my younglings on a couple of levels. First, it satisfied the gritty world of The Dark Knight, particularly for someone who keeps up with at no less than three “Batman” comic titles at any given time. Next, it left me with that toasty warm marshmallow feel that comes with Christmas time — yet without any saccharine sentiment to ruin it. Lastly, it was an impressive piece of comic book eye candy: especially the glimpses of the retro-style Batman (and Catwoman) costuming as well as the very believable present-day garb of the winged vigilante.
I will say I found the reverse white font a little hard on the eyes a couple of times, but in Bermejo’s defense, text boxes and bubbles would have really damaged the visual integrity of the book.
Read it with the family as a way to wind down before the Christmas morning mayhem, or get a blankie and curl up with a hot libation and pour yourself into a few moments of escape once the troops are in bed.
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Operation Early Bird, the mysterious website associated with The Dark Knight Rises, finally hit its countdown to zero and crashed. That’s right – a whole lot of people must have been waiting to see what it would reveal. After it was back up, it was a geo-tagged display of IMAX theaters that would be screening The Dark Knight Rises Prologue.
The Prologue was screened early for bloggers and journalists in Universal City, California and was personally introduced by Christopher Nolan himself. He joked about not knowing the ending because he had just begun editing the film. He also confirmed that the preview will be shown in front of select viewings of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol later this month.
This is what you’re missing out on. The screening will show six minutes of The Dark Knight Rises, and will primarily focus on a scene with the villain Bane that leads into various clips of the movie. For those of us who aren’t reporters and lucky enough to snag a seat through Operation Early Bird, or for those who weren’t early bird enough to have grabbed a seat, this is what you can expect to see. More details and SPOILERS after the jump. (more…)
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