Brian
has written 820 Posts.
I'm Brian, a speculative fiction enthusiast. Producer for Speculative Fiction Today a podcast where we talk about dashPunk culture at www.speculativefictiontoday.com. Blogger at www.dashpunk.com A community developer at ProjectShadow.com the home of the dashPunk movement Far too long have communities formed to exclude those who are not alike. for instance Star Trek who shun and exclude Star Wars. Whereas I want to form a community that includes those who like to question, explore, and ask "What if?" I took the name of Homer's Wisdom because it fits me since I'm both a deep thinker like Homer from the Iliad and yet at the same time silly and have fun like Homer from the Simpsons. My Twitter homerswisdom My Project: Shadow id is Brian

http://www.dashpunk.com

HomersWisdom@projectshadow.com

Review, tv/series »

[26 Jun 2009 | Comments | ]

Review of:  Merlin 102 Valiant

Overall Rating: 9

When Merlin learns that a knight is using a magic shield to cheat at Camelot’s annual sword tournament, he must expose him before Arthur becomes the next night to die.  Watch the episode streaming online above.

Valiant is a fun episode and will be a lot of fun for fans of renaissance fairs and social combat.  I liked the sword tournament and watching Merlin try to figure out how to assemble Arthur’s armor.  The mystery and obstacles have a more Harry Potter feel to it which I enjoyed very much.

Merlin’s obstacles were not the typical ones found in fantasy stories and the solutions are not permitted to be standard by the setting.  It’s fun to watch a hero that can not directly stand against their obstacles and advisories instead they have to empower another to do it for them.  It creates a more symbiotic relationship between Merlin and Arthur and the situation encourages more creative solutions to the obstacles.

Likes

  1. the courtly intrigue
  2. the obstacles that are put in Merlin’s path and watching how he overcomes them.
  3. the swordplay getting to see the game.

For more read Exploring: Merlin

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Fantasy, Review, tv/series »

[25 Jun 2009 | Comments | ]

Overall Rating: 9.5

Merlin arrives in Camelot and learns that King Uther has forbidden magic, which is punishable by death — yet, it is magic he uses to save the life of Arthur, the king’s son.  Watch the episode streaming online above.

The Dragon’s call, the pilot show for Merlin is really well done.  It’s a great fantasy show and a well constructed pilot.  They did a wonderful job introducing thoroughly and succinctly the main character’s, establishing the setting and showing us the magic of the setting.  The writing is solid and a nice take on the Arthurian legends.

The look of Merlin is well done, I was particularly impressed with the castle used for Camelot.  The show starts out with a Camelot in the background and at first I thought ‘wow what a nice use of the mat painting effect.’  They zoom in and I was even more impressed because it still looks really nice.  Then they get up close and I realized it was not a mat painting effect but it was a real set or a real castle!  After watching a making of special I was pleased to find out that the castle is a real castle in France.  I very glad they used that for the setting because it adds so much to the believability to the show.

I really enjoyed how magic is handled in Merlin.  Fantasy shows turn me off when they claim to have magic but push for a realistic look by removing and muting most of the magic.  I’m also disappointed when a fantasy show goes so over the top with the magic that they undue the immaculate reality making it hard for me to get into the show.  In Merlin they struck a nice balance in the setting where there is magic, it occurs, it looks really nice but it is not over the top.

The characters are likeable, charming and show room for growth.  This is very promising for a pilot and I can’t wait to see what happens with Merlin, Morgana, Guinevere, Gaius, and Arthur.

Merlin is a must see for fantasy fans, and I would recommend it for everyone as well.  I look forward to watching future episodes of Merlin and am thrilled to know that the BBC are already working on the next season.

Likes

  1. Very good job introducing the setting, characters, and rules.
  2. The look of the magic
  3. the set up for how magic works:  there are spells, enchantments and natural / elemental in nature.
  4. Merlin character is likeable, charming, he has talent but unrefined, he has noble characteristics, and hot,
  5. I like the shift in focus where Arthur is a spoiled noble ass and the focus is definitely shifted onto Merlin.
  6. I love the introduction of Guwen with her watching from the window
  7. very intrigued with Morgan and how she was set up
  8. the witches spell rocked with her singing the song and stuff slowly changing
  9. Merlin’s teacher being a physician / alchemist
  10. the use of a real castle in France… i thought it was a matt painting effect and a really good one but they kept getting closer to the point where i realized it was a real castle.
  11. good fantasy show
    1. two inept guards
    2. A Dragon
    3. the young adventurer in a new town picking fights without discerning who they are fighting with.
    4. lots of magic
    5. Sword play aka medieval weapon play daggers, morning star!!!, ect.

Dislikes / Concerns

  1. the music is a little lighthearted at times when not necessarily appropriate like the fight scenes between Arthur and Merlin

For more read Exploring: Merlin


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tv/series »

[24 Jun 2009 | Comments | ]

star wars clone wars clone commander front 205x300 The Clone Wars   Clone Commandos DVDStar Wars: The Clone Wars – Clone Commandos (TV Series Season 1, Vol. 2) The Clone Wars   Clone Commandos DVD DVD will hit the shelves on September 15, 2009 and can be preordered now from amazon here.

WARNING:  This DVD will have only 4 episodes from season one and is not the eagerly awaited Clone Wars season one box set which is supposed to be released latter this year.

I do love that the cover features Mace Windu one of my favorite characters with his purple lightsaber.

  • “Rookies,” Captain Rex and Commander Cody must inspire a rookie unit — posted alone on a distant moon — to believe in themselves in order to stave off a Separatist droid commando attack.
  • The three part Ryloth series

 The Clone Wars   Clone Commandos DVD

(via Star Wars)

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Decor »

[22 Jun 2009 | Comments | ]

star wars bookends Star Wars: Trash Compacter Bookends

OMG I love this!  Star Wars book ends from a great and classic scene when they are in the trash room in episode IV A New Hope.

(via Club jade)

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Culture, Fandom »

[22 Jun 2009 | Comments | ]

I really enjoyed John Hodgman’s speech at the Radio & TV Correspondent’s dinner for the jokes but mostly for the use of Speculative Fiction to communicate complex and emotionally charged political ideas.  Before we get into that let us take The John Hodgman are you a SF fan test, are you more of an SF fan then the President?  Watch the Video below.

  1. What are the name of all 3 types of hobbits?
  2. Who is the Father of Superman?
  3. Do you have a particular technology addiction?
  4. Do you have a picture of yourself in Cosplay or on a pilgrimage to a SF place?
  5. Can you flash the Vulcan solute?
  6. What was the name of the God that Conan the Barbarian worshiped?
  7. Do you know what the Kwisatz Haderach is?
    1. Bonus points if you know which version of dune the picture is from?
  8. What is the name of the giant sandworm?
  9. What is the name of the machine to summon such a sandworm?
  10. What is the name of the fluid that they expunge from the sandworm?

I love his comment on the Constitution as a big faq for the U.S. and the founding fathers perspective of God as a distant Dungeon Master.

The beauty of John Hodgman’s speech is the use of SF to communicate complex and emotionally charged political ideas in an approachable manner.  He was able to reach out to both sides of the political spectrum and get them to think about ideals like

  • Consensus
  • Eagerly looking forward to the future
  • Appreciating our diversity, EDIC

(via Huffington Post)

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